//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Arriving in Amphibia // Story: The Amphibious Hope // by TheClownPrinceofCrime //------------------------------// Discord and Spike quietly snuck behind berry bushes of the Canterlot Garden. Once they got past all the fences thereof, they found themselves alone in the midst of the garden. “Alright, it seems like my temporary magical suspension has expired! It’s time to explore a new world!” Discord shouted. “Shhh! Keep it down, Discord!” Spike scolded. “What? It’s not like we’re in a library or anything,” replied Discord, looking at a library book in his paw. “Speaking of which, I need to return this book to the Canterlot Library. It’s been like what? Four years since I’ve read it? Good thing I’m not Twilight.” Spike facepalmed himself, groaning. “Can we just go already? Time is of the essence!” “Of course,” he nodded, throwing the book away. He snapped his fingers, igniting tiny sparks of light in the air. Those sparks then opened a large portal door before them. “You sure this world will help us?” “Trust me, Spike, you will love its admirable quality,” Discord assured, winking. As Spike opened the door, Discord kicked him right through it. “Multiverse trip, here we go!” he yelled right before he jumped in. Then the door closed, and it instantly disappeared. Spike slowly opened his eyes and noticed his new surroundings. He saw the greenery all around him, the mountains, and the blue sky. He even noticed a random frog statue a few inches from him. “What the—? Is…is this the one?” “Right you are, Spike-O! This is where the fun begins!” Discord chuckled. They both beheld the lustrous landscape of Amphibia; the weird-looking mosquitos, the insectoid creatures, and some monstrous animals—all crawling everywhere. “Whoa…these guys kinda look like the ones from our world! Except they’re more…weird?” Spike observed. “Ha, you haven’t seen everything yet. Wait till you see its inhabitants,” Discord replied, winking. They started to walk across an open field. As they were traveling, Spike gazed at a massive vineyard to his left. It had large stalks of corn which were all twice the size of normal corn. He then noticed a large worm eating a massive mosquito, burping after it was finished. “Ugh,” he groaned in disgust. “Um, how far is civilization from here?” “Oh, I don’t know. Probably three miles away? Five? Fifty? It’s been forever since I visited this world.” “Don’t you think it’ll be quicker to fly? We have to find help as fast as possible!” Spike urged. Discord then zoomed his eyeball all over Spike while randomly wearing a doctor’s attire. “Are you sure you’re not Rainbow Dash?” Then he grabbed a thermometer and put it in his mouth. “Hmmm, your body temperature is normal. Definitely ‘20% cooler’ as she would say,” he chuckled. “Very funny, Discord,” Spike sarcastically replied, spitting the thermometer away. “Come on! The sooner we find these guys, the better!” Suddenly, a little frobot walked beside them while watering some soil beneath them. “What the…?” Spike muttered, confused. At that moment, a large figure slowly approached them. As the duo eyed him, the creature had one arm, one leg, a half-broken tail, a white beard, a chain around his body, and a cloak covering his head. “Uh…excuse me, sir?” Spike called. “Who goes there?” the stranger asked with a surprised tone. “We…are…*ahem*…we are visitors from another dimension…uh…Equestria! My name is Spike, and this is my friend Discord. Do you…have a moment?” The crippled figure then dropped his hammer and raised his hood. As he revealed his face, he only blinked twice and lowered his head. “Equestria? Hmm, it is a place I’ve never heard of. But…I do find it interesting to meet with sentient life forms from another dimension. My name is Andrias; it is my pleasure to meet you.” Discord slithered around him in his snake form. “My, my, my, you look like you’ve seen some intriguing stuff in your time! Would you like some pickle in a jam?” he asked, holding jelly-covered pickles in a fork. “Discord, now is not the time!” Spike scolded. Andrias heartily chuckled at his antics. “No, no, it’s fine. He reminds me of some dear friends I once knew.” “Oh? Well, do tell!” Discord smiled, grabbing a popcorn out of nowhere. “Dude, we really don’t have time to—,” Spike spoke before a zipper closed his mouth. “Shhh! It’s story time!” “No, I…rather not waste your time,” Andrias shook his head. “Why? Feeling embarrassed about it?” “It’s something I…don’t want to talk about.” “Come on, I’m sure it’s nothing to be embarrassed about! After all, friends listen to each other,” said Discord, pressing his face against Andrias’s cheek. The old newt sighed deeply before he sat down on the ground. “Very well. During my youth, I would often hang with my two best friends: Leif and Barrel. They were the greatest friends I could ever ask for. Every time I felt sad, they would cheer me up. Every time I felt happy, they would make me even happier.” “But…but those good times didn’t last long. My father hated our friendship; he made me think that friendship was a waste of time—a hindrance to success. When I saw Leif steal something that belonged to us, I was angry…and turned against her,” Andrias shared, tears forming in his eyes. “Why?” “She had her reasons. It was an artifact that would have doomed another world had she not acted,” he replied. “Looks like friendship did a number on him,” Discord whispered to Spike. The latter elbowed him out of annoyance. “It was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made. Instead of standing up for my dearest friend, I arrogantly stood by my father. For a 1,000 years, I became a self-hating tyrant—destroying worlds and using their resources to prepare our invasion of Earth. During that time, I felt no love in my heart……until I met Marcy.” Discord and Spike curiously raised their eyebrows. “She reminded me a lot like Leif, and we became great friends who shared a lot of interests…despite what my former master said of her.” “Who was your master?” “The Core,” Andrias hatefully muttered. The duo gasped in shock. “I blindly followed its vision for the future. I caused so much pain and suffering because of it. But…if it weren’t for the wisdom of my late friend…I would have never seen the error of my ways. *sigh* I truly wish she were here to see who I am now,” Andrias finished, smiling at the leaf symbol on his cloak. “So the Core used to be your master?!” Spike exclaimed. “Yes. You seem as if you knew about it,” Andrias replied, arching an eyebrow. The duo then gulped. “Well…it would appear that your ex-boss decided to stay at our world,” Discord informed. Andrias then faced the draconequus with a surprised look. “What?” “The Core took over Equestria, possessed Princess Twilight, and is currently destroying everything and everyone we love! That’s the reason why we came; Discord thinks that the residents of your world will help us defeat it. Do you know where we can find everyone else?” Spike asked. Before the newt could answer, he bowed his head in sorrow and turned his back. “I had a feeling it wasn’t truly over…” “Huh? What do you mean?” “There was an ancient prophecy that mentioned The Core. It spoke of it as an ‘unnatural thing that will not sleep and will not die’. From the looks of it, that description is coming to fruition,” Andrias explained. “An ancient prophecy?” Spike repeated, puzzled. “So…it can’t be destroyed?!” “Technically, it can. However, it has an unshakable willpower that refuses to accept any loss. Ergo, it will go to any length to ensure its victory…no matter the cost. It was beaten before, and it is now trying its hardest to not be defeated again.” “Ahhhh, so it’s basically a sore loser! Hahaha, what a big baby!” Discord laughed. Andrias chuckled. “You could say that.” “So that creature has a long history, has terrorized other planets, and is now seeking revenge. This…THIS IS A LOT TO TAKE IN!!” Spike yelled. “I’m sorry, my new friends. I wish I could do something to help, but…I’m in no condition to do so,” Andrias apologized, looking down on his broken body. “That’s fine. We just need to find any town nearby that can help us.” “Just keep going south. Once you get past the southern woods, you’ll find Wartwood. They can help you,” Andrias directed. “Wartwood? Hmm, why does that name sound familiar?” Discord wondered, his eyebrows detaching from his eyes to scratch his head. “Thank you…Mr. Andrias,” Spike thanked. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Inflicting pain on others must have eaten you inside, huh?” “It did. Which is why I am paying the price for my crimes; on the bright side though, I get to garden for a living. It’s what Leif did, and it has surely made me happy. It’s something I want to continue doing even after my punishment is complete…until my time comes,” he replied, sowing the seeds on the soil. Spike stood there as he watched him sow more seeds. He then smiled at him. “I must be on my way. Good luck with your mission….Spike,” Andrias waved, leaving. Spike nodded. “Come on, Discord.” “Right behind you, big boy!” But before Discord could leave with him, he turned his head around and stared at the old newt. “One more thing, old timer!” “Yes?” “You should meet your voice actor one day. He has such a powerful voice it’s relaxing to hear…like yours has. Toodles!” Discord snapped his fingers, vanishing. Then Andrias looked at the sky. “That was pleasant. I sure hope they succeed in their endeavors. The whole multiverse depends on them.” Suddenly, he looked back at them with curiosity. “What’s a voice actor?”