//------------------------------// // And What I Found There // Story: Equestria Digital // by DeltaChevron //------------------------------// Sensory overload, I had forgotten that with normal hearing alarms were loud. With my current, more advanced hearing the sudden and deafening return of sound was very disorienting. After about a minute I was able to start picking out sounds other than the alarm. I couldn’t yet identify most of them but what did stand out was the sound of police sirens. There was some shouting and the alarm stopped. I heard the thumping of boots, whispers I was still to dazed to understand, then the rattling sound of a gate being lifted. I pulled my knees up under me and started to push myself up as the cops slowly entered the store. I pushed a little too hard and with a startled yelp smashed through a shoe rack and the wall behind it. I think the only reason they didn’t shoot was because they were in just as much shock as I was. I landed on my back, so instead of risking further structural damage I just held up my arms. It took almost a minute for one of them to shake off the shock and help me up, handcuffing me while he did so. “Sorry about the wall.” I said He blinked “I’m sorry ma’am but I can’t understand you.” He spoke into his radio “We’re going to need a translator.” “Cu.” Gaelic should’ve known, I focused for a few seconds and tried again “Hound. English, much better now we don’t need a translator. Since you’re arresting and or bring me in for questioning you’re required by law to read me my rights.” He sighed “Since you know that much you probably already know what they are.” “I can’t waive them if you don’t read them and it is required since I’m being taken in.” He sighed “I will now read you your rights so that we can take you in for questioning.” He pulled out what looked like a business card “This is to make sure we make no mistakes, you’ll have to sign it as proof.” “Okay.” He took a deep breath “You have the right to remain silent, anything you sat can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at interrogation time and in court.” We walked out of the mall “Do you understand the rights I have just read you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me or make a statement?” Cobb County Police was written on the side of his squad car “Thank the gods you’re the county police and not Kennesaw Police.” I signed the card and was made to sit in the back seat. He got in and started doing something with his computer. While he worked I closed my eyes and sat still working to pick out all the different sounds I could identify. It wasn’t as easy as I had hoped it would be. It took me almost a minute to identify the source of the problem. It was a sort of roar and howl sound, then it took me almost a minute to identify that as the sound of cars on the interstate, about a half mile east of where we were parked. I opened my eyes when he started speaking to the dispatcher, they talked for a few minutes and then he started the car. It wasn’t as bad as the alarm, but it was still loud enough to me that he would have to shout if he wanted me to hear him. At first we rode in silence but after about thirty seconds he tried to talk to me, I could only really tell because of the rear view mirror, and sure enough I could barely hear him. It was like when my brother and I tried talking normally to each other next to a waterfall we hiked up to in the north Georgia Mountains. I had to strain myself to hear him and even then you could barely make out every other word. When he finished I pointed to my ears and shook my head. At his look of confusion I told him I had enhanced hearing and the noise from the car made it almost impossible for me to hear him. Even though it was completely true I don’t think he actually believed me. It only took about ten minutes for us to get to the local precinct on Highway 41. I had driven past the back of it so many times that I never actually realized what it was. We pulled into the lot and he hurried me inside, giving brief greetings to people he knew as we passed them and went straight to an interrogation room. I was still handcuffed when he left after sitting me down in the chair facing what I knew was a one-way mirror. It was much quieter sitting in the interrogation room, everything outside it sounded somewhat muted; then again the room was probably sound proofed. I looked over when I heard a door open and was annoyed to learn it wasn’t the one in my room which meant the glass wasn’t sound proof, just sound dampening. It sounded like four sets of feet. I frowned, who would they be bringing in to watch an active interrogation? Probably the officer who brought me, but that still left three unknowns. Before I could think about it any further the door to my room opened and two women walked in. One was tall with black hair and a file in her hands. As she sat in the chair opposite me she set the file down on the table. Her partner had brown hair, was about average height and stood next to her with her arms crossed. The black haired one spoke first “My name is Agent White and this is Agent White, no relation. We’re with the FBI. Do you know why you’re here?” I didn’t see a lawyer and while having one would slow things down I didn’t like the way this woman was talking to me “Where’s my lawyer?” “You can speak with your lawyer after we’re done.” I shook my head “I want a lawyer.” According to law that was all I had to say until one arrived. “You don’t seem to understand how this is going to work. You’re lawyer is already here, but the officer that’s supposed to guide him here is having a little trouble remembering which room you’re in or even if you’re still at this building. After all you are here to be questioned about the disappearance of several people, including a local man whose information you used.” I sighed; somehow I should have expected that they would want to play the hard way. I was getting tired of wearing handcuffs anyway. I held up my hands so everyone could see them before slowly pulling my arms apart. At first the FBI agents seemed confused by what I was doing, until they saw the metal links begin to distort as the metal approached its breaking point. There was a click as one of the links failed; that my arm movement wasn’t restricted I was able to slide a few fingers between the metal and my wrists. A sharp upward tug and I had ripped right through what was left of the handcuffs. “That’s better, now what were you saying about denying me the right to a lawyer?” In hindsight it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do but it didn’t really matter to me. The FBI, CIA, or even just the normal police doing this was stuff I thought only happened in TV shows and movies not real life. At least it wasn’t supposed to anymore. Did these two, completely normal, humans really think they could dictate whatever they wanted to me? I was an Ultimate level Digimon, I could flick them thru a wall and. I stopped and took a few deep breaths to call myself. Regardless of how this form looked on the outside its code was still based on Cherubimon’s which meant I had to be careful with thoughts like that or I’d end up turning into a monster. Before the situation could escalate the door opened again and my rather angry lawyer walked in. The officer standing behind him had the decency to look at least a little sheepish for what was an immoral and illegal action that would definitely be enough to damage any court case they tried to bring against me. The attorney sat in the seat next to me with a huff as he reigned in his anger and brought his professionalism to bear. An act ruined when he groaned after the Agents reintroduced themselves. All I would need him to do is make sure my parents hear what I have to tell them because with how things were going I was almost ready to say fuck it and just go back to Equestria. “Guess we aren’t getting any answers now.” That sounded like my mom, did my parents actual come to the police station? “There’s no way she can be Cody. She doesn’t look a thing like him.” Dad “Mom, Dad, I know you guys can hear me in there. I know you probably won’t believe me but I can prove I’m me and I can explain everything. Well almost everything.” “I guess he wasn’t joking about her claim to super hearing.” “I don’t have super hearing, it’s enhanced and so are my senses of sight and smell.” “Ma’am as your lawyer I have to advise you against saying anything, especially since you seem to be addressing people who aren’t here.”My lawyer finally said. “They’re on the other side of the glass.” “Then I must insist that you stop speaking to them.” I ignored him. First I had to convince them I was me; I spoke about things only I could have known. I spoke about birthdays and Christmases, about road trips, and vacations. How I cut my eyebrow on the stairs outside the church. When I got cut by an axe the Friday before sixth grade and how mom didn’t find out until Sunday. I talked about family traditions, even the little things and listed the things that I had to do that annoyed me. Things like putting up decorations at the various holiday times just take them down in a few weeks. How they always have the worst sense of timing and call me to do something when I’m the middle of or have just started a game. “Great now it seems like my client is a stalker. Why can I never get the good cases?” I ignored his groaning and started talking about what had happened to me. First I told them about the 1:8 ratio for the time difference. I explained how on day one I met Azulongmon in the mall and how he offered me a chance to go to Equestria. I told them about my choice to be Antylamon and Lopmon, about waking in the forest, running, sleeping, and meeting Iron Will. I recounted my first day in Trottingham, meeting Amethyst Rose and her family, how welcome they made me feel and how I started helping The Mancers, saving Rosy’s life, going to Ponyville. The invaded dream and how I realized I shouldn’t have been so hasty, my return, the problem with Blueblood, befriending the Scyphozoa and the Towers. Finally I told them about the trip through the looking glass, my talk with Alice, and then getting my new form from the Sovereigns. “I’d like to go ahead and register for an insanity plea. My client is very clearly not in her right mind.” There was silence on the other side of the window. Then my parents started debating with each other about the likely hood of my story. Dad thought it might be at least partially true, it was too fantastic a tale to have been made up and why else would I have allowed myself to be brought in? Mom was less rational about it thinking I was, like the lawyer said, a crazy stalker who somehow knew impossible things. The worst part was, Dad started to believe her. I stood up “This was a mistake. Why did I ever think this was a good idea?” “Ma’am please sit back down.” “It’s like when I let Blake talk me into running the Atlanta Half. It seemed like a good solid plan before the actual race.” “I won’t tell you again sit down.” I sighed and grabbed hold of the table. With a sharp tug I ripped it free from the bolts fastening it to the floor. I held it for a few seconds before dropping it making everyone wince at the noise. I wasn’t really angry; I was more exasperated than anything else. They were my parents; they were supposed to believe me. That's when I facepalmed, they were my parents. My mom who doesn’t always finish her thoughts. My mom, who sometimes calls me the wrong name and has a problem with me playing games that have a female as the main PC. Then there’s my dad, stoic and confusing, mad for strange reasons and has a double standard for being snapped at by me. I leaned on the table “No, I won’t sit down. I’m not even going to stay in this room. I’m going home and then I’m going back to the Digital World, back to the Mirror Kingdom and back to Trottingham, Equestria.” She stood “I will place you under arrest if I have to.” I laughed “You don’t have any way to hold me against my will. As you’ve seen I can break steel with minimal effort. Stop bullying the dragon before it decides to fight back. Mom, Dad…tell…tell everyone I love them. Okay?” Ignoring further protest I stepped up to the door. A good shove on the edges was enough to break the hinges, tear the lock from the frame and put the door into the hallway. I followed the signs to the nearest exit. As I reached for the handle there was a bang, a pain like an airsoft pellet in my lower back and I staggered forward. It took a second for me to realize I had been shot and it did absolutely nothing to me. I braced against the door just in time for about nine more bullets to hit me. I broke open the exit and found myself in the back parking lot. I cleared the fence with no trouble and started running only to stop when I hit Barrett Parkway after about three seconds. I didn’t think it was possible to move so fast. I took a few seconds to experiment and decide that since I couldn’t figure out how to fly jumping would have to do. Since I wasn’t likely to return I wanted to bring some things with me. Stuff I was unlikely to get in Equestria, like chicken soup, books on advanced math and science, gas, diesel, jet fuel and engines, det cord, stuff like that. I made liberal use of the hammerspace created by my digivolutions to carry everything. After about ten minutes I finally made it to my parent’s house. I carefully used the key pad to open the garage door being mindful of the new code and my new strength. Mom’s car was still gone so I beat them back. I opened the door into the mud room and walked into the kitchen to be greeted by the family dog looking over the back of the couch. Pre, short for Prefontaine after the runner was a black lab hound mix with white socks on his front paws. He came straight over, no barking, and tried to lick my face off. It was good to know at least one person in my family still recognized me. A few careful pets and some feather light pushing got him off me and following me around. I moved the pet gate and went up stairs. I passed by my room and went to the attic to grab a suitcase. In the bottom I put my blankets from when I was little along with some of my favorite clothes. In the middle layer I put my Marlin Model 39A that my grandfather left to me. I also put in about 2,000 rounds of .22LR of various types in various small boxes into the suitcase. I finished filling it with cold weather clothes: sweatshirts, sweatpants, running pants, jacket, shorts, and finally added my peacoat on the top most layer. With a little work I was able to get it closed and two digivolutions later it was safely in hammerspace. The last three things I wanted I would wear. I slipped on my class ring and was happy to find it was only slightly loose. I put on my staurolite necklace and tightened the thin leather cord around my neck. Lastly I put my grandfather’s silver pocket watch in my right pant pocket. I snagged my bone shaped pillow, put it into my favorite flannel fishing pillow case and stored it hammerspace as an afterthought. I went back down stairs and turned on mom’s computer. The police sirens I had started to hear earlier were blaring as they pulled in front of the house. A few short seconds on the computer and I had my way back to the Digital World set. I sighed as took a last look around the family room. Pre walked up to me and squeaked his favorite toy, large brown cartoony hedgehog with thick tube like bristles. I started to silently cry as I pet him for what was likely to be the last time. I had picked him out from the shelter after seeing two of his sisters at a Pets Mart one weekend. He dropped the toy but when I picked it up and went to throw it he nudged my hand. I swallowed hard “Pre, you stupid smart dog. You know I'm probably not coming back. This is your favorite toy, do you really want me to take it?” His response was to nudge my hand again and lick some of the tears from my face. I gave him one last hug before I put the hedgehog in my vest pocket and gave it a squeak. He wagged his tail once and went to the basement to hide. The cops said something but I ignored them. I faced the computer and held up my hand like I would if I had a Digivice. “Digital Gate open!”