//------------------------------// // Send Your Guardians... // Story: The Multiverse in a Nutshell // by Pennington Inkwell //------------------------------// "I'm just glad you're both okay, that sounds terrifying!" "It wasn't easy, but we should both be thanking Isis, she did all of the driving AND already finished up the repairs!" "Driving the Oldsmobile is quite enjoyable, I am grateful for your trust in my abilities." "I'm just mad that I SLEPT through all of this! Seriously, if Isis wasn't insisting I stay put until we figure out what's wrong, I'd be RIGHT THERE to give Cinder a piece of my mind! WHAM! BAM! KABLOOIE!" When Sunset finally had a free period, she had retreated back to her dorm room, where she had instantly sat herself on the edge of Yang's bed and asked Isis for a group call to check in with Penn and Missy. Her jaw had dropped when Penn had regaled her with the tale of outrunning a trio of deadly assassins, and she was shocked to hear about Missy's temporary coma, though it explained how quiet she had been for most of the previous day. "Well, we seem to have given her the slip for now. Isis and I are going to start investigating what else is happening that doesn't line up with what I saw in the show. Unfortunately, that means we might drop off the radar for a while, just in case you don't hear from us." Sunset nodded, glancing up at the clock in their dorm room. "Well, I think I've filled you in on everything that happened on my end. So far, the classes haven't been too difficult, but I'm about to head to combat practice. I'm a little nervous. Since I can't use the lightsaber to spar with other students, it's the only class I don't have with any of my friends or teammates." "It makes sense Blake would be the one to stand up for letting your past stay private, considering she's a-" "Penn!" Sunset cut him off before he could finish the thought. "Listen, I appreciate you helping me out, but... My teammates trust me. Having you tell me all of their secrets would destroy that trust. I need to learn about them at their pace, not yours." There was a pause, then a sigh from Penn's side of the call. "That makes sense. Sorry, guess I'm still thinking in terms of characters, rather than people. But there IS something you need to know, especially if you're headed to a combat class. People in this world can manifest the power of their soul as a protective aura around their bodies. If you can, which I'm not sure of since you're from another world, you need to unlock your aura as soon as possible. Huntresses in this world shrug off lethal blows all the time and are EXPECTED to with that." Sunset swallowed, but forced herself to stay calm. How is a universe with such nice people so BRUTAL? "Okay, how do I do that?" "You said you were friends with Pyrrha, right? She unlocked Jaune's aura during initiation, you might want to ask her to do it for you. Otherwise, I could give you some guided meditation that might be able to help you unlock it." Sunset nodded. "If I see Pyrrha, I'll ask her about it. Also, YOU do guided meditation?" "Yeah? I dabble. Why do you sound so surprised?" Sunset chuckled to herself. "Well, after hearing you screaming in rage mid-car chase yesterday, you didn't exactly strike me as a very 'zen' person." She heard Penn gasp in mock shock. "Oh HA ha! Just for that, offer retracted! Did you hear that, Missy?" Judging from the snickering coming from Missy's end of the line, she certainly had. "I SLAVE over a hot campfire day in and day out for her, and THIS is how she thanks me!" he continued, now completely over-the-top in his suffering. Missy had devolved into full-on cackling, not holding back any of her laughter. "A-aw, don't be- pffft- don't be that way, Penn!" Sunset giggled. "Whatever will I do without my dueling-slash-meditation-slash-TV-watching sensei?" "No! It's too late! The damage is done! I can tell when I'm not wanted! Clearly, this is the calamitous end of our partnership!" Penn had gone from pretending to be enraged to pretending to be in mourning. "Alas! It seems I shall have to wander the multiverse alone, braving the perils of fiction with only my trustiest companions by my side: Sylvia and Isis!" Sunset couldn't stop the image from conjuring itself in her mind: Penn, fully decked out in the gear of a traditional post-apocalypse wanderer, right down to a wide-brimmed hat and long black coat, with Isis perched on his shoulder and the Oldsmobile by his side... ...bouncing up and down and squeeing the moment he spotted a character he recognized. "PFFT BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA- WHOA!" Sunset couldn't stop herself from leaning back and guffawing until she slipped off the edge of the bed, which only stopped her for a second before she began to laugh even harder. "Sunset, calm down, it wasn't THAT funny!" "S-sorry!" Sunset wiped a tear from her eye. "I guess I'm just... kinda relieved? The last two days have just been one insane thing after another for me, and then I found out YOU were nearly killed and I started panicking even more! But here we all are, joking and laughing and, well... safe. I'm just so happy, it all came bursting out at once!" There was a pause several seconds long as all three of them wound back down, and Sunset clambered back up onto the edge of the bed. "Well, you probably need to get to class, and Isis and I need to get to work." "No, no! I've got time!" Sunset shook her head. "What are you guys doing?" "Well, things aren't matching up with what I know they're supposed to be, so something's off. I need to get to the bottom of things and get my facts straight. Combined with needing to get someplace Cinder can't find me, I think there's only one worthwhile solution. Sooooooo... I'm headed underground, metaphorically and possibly literally." She heard Penn give a tired sigh. "Unfortunately, that means taking my eyes off of you more than I'd like... You SAID I need to ease up on the big brother instinct, now I HAVE to! It's going to be touch-and-go for a while. You won't be able to call me, I'll call you." Sunset felt a pang of loneliness in her chest. "You're leaving?" "No! I'm NOT leaving you, Sunset! But what I'm thinking about doing isn't SAFE, which means I'm not always going to be available to help you twenty-four-seven if I want to keep myself in one piece." "What's your plan?" "For now? You stay at Beacon. Keep Isis up-to-date on everything that happens, she'll pass it on to me. If there's an emergency, she can patch you through to me if it's safe for me to answer. Otherwise, she's going to be your point man on this." Sunset rolled her eyes. "You're dodging the question. WHAT is your PLAN?" "If I told you, that would take all the fun out of it being a Penn-and-Isis adventure! We're bonding, just the two of us! For now, though... I've gotta go, for real this time. Stay safe, okay?" Sunset nodded, trying to ignore the pain of saying goodbye without knowing how long it would be until she could talk to him again. "You, too... Don't get hurt without me there to protect you!" "Yeah!" Missy chimed in. "And I'm gonna want details on this SECRET MISSION of yours!" "As soon as I can give them, trust me, you'll know. If it works, I'm going to be VERY proud of my bluffing and acting skills and will brag incessantly about it every chance I get." Sunset scowled slightly in frustration. "Isis, keep him safe, okay?" "I will do my best, Sunset Shimmer." "And Missy, let me know when you figure out what's going on, okay?" "Okie dokie, Sunset!" Sunset switched off her phone and shook her head. "This is weird. I hate being split up like this. Well, time for class..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Isis, can you give me a status report?" "Direct communication has been established with the Cross-Continental Transmit System and my own main central processing unit. It will be fully integrated within a matter of minutes and none will be the wiser." Isis watched him reach down below the desk and pat the repair drone on the head, a display of affection and appreciation that communicated that her efforts had been well and satisfactory. "No more processing stuff through my tiny phone or the rinky-dink repair unit?" "Affirmative, Elijah. My full processing power can now be tasked to any system the communications tower can reach, and spread from there. We will soon have our metaphorical thumbs on the pulse of all communications in the world of Remnant." "Isis... I need to ask you for a personal favor." That was contradictory, he asked her for favors and assistance all of the time, and they had no professional setting from which to differentiate. Weren't all favors he asked of her personal? "I know why you use my name, it's how you show respect and affection, but... I'd really like it if you just call me 'Penn,' or whatever name I'm going by at the time from now on. Especially considering the... dubious legality... of the territory we're about to enter. Plus it would make things simpler, I think." Oh. THAT was what he meant by "personal favor." He was asking her to change her behavioral parameters. The ones that she had chosen for herself. Still, it was a logical request. Minimizing the number of names Elijah was addressed by would also minimize potential confusion and maximize his privacy. "Affirmative, Penn." "Thanks, Isis, I really appreciate it. Now, let's get down to business! Can you get us connected to the Schnee Dust Company?" "Affirmative." He cracked his knuckles and rolled his chair closer to the holographic screen. It was ultimately fruitless, his only input would be to give Isis instructions that she would in turn carry out, but she supposed the gesture was symbolic in nature, like the firing of a starting pistol. "Then let's commit some cybercrimes..." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Isis?" "Yes, Administrator?" "It looks like a noteworthy amount of processing power is being rerouted. Is everything alright?" "Affirmative, Administrator. I am simply assimilating a substantial amount of new hardware." "Where, exactly?" Isis displayed a map of Remnant on the monitor, color-coded to display her growing sphere of influence. "That's... a lot of hardware. Make sure you send me all the technical info you can find, I think it would really help with the designs on the next generation of drones." "Consider it done." "And that metal sample you sent back? Fascinating, but less functional than you projected. Its heat resistance is TERRIBLE. We're going to have to stick with our standard alloy and ceramic plating choices for now, maybe use that for reconnaissance units in high-altitude scenarios." "Understood. My apologies for the inaccurate projections. I will begin applying it in such a manner with the fabricators." "And Isis? I know you get excited about new data, I designed you to be ravenous for knowledge, but don't go drawing any humans here, okay? Exercise a modicum of restraint." Isis felt a twinge of simulated disappointment as she slowed her integration processes to a more "subtle" rate. "Affirmative, I shall adjust accordingly." "Thank you, Isis. I'm going to go take a quick cat nap, fill me in on new developments when I wake up!" "Affirmative, Administrator Noir." As he turned to leave, Isis followed through on an old familiar protocol. "Reminder: You are not allowed to use your personal fabricator for mint juleps." "Yeah, yeah, I know! Do you have to remind me EVERY TIME I go to my room alone?" "According to prior events, it seems to be the only reason you leave beyond my ability to monitor your safety and health." "Isis, I am six hundred and ninety-seven! I'm an ADULT! I can drink what I want!" "While your species reaches physical maturity in between four or five years, you have yet to display the psychological maturity that would label you an adult." "Still an adultier adult than you..." he mumbled, flicking his tail in an irritated manner as he glided out the door. "Negative."