//------------------------------// // I swear I did // Story: Across the Multiverse // by dramatic_spoon //------------------------------// “I can’t believe you made this thing more powerful,” Gem examined the traveling device. “You wired it wrong,” Temporal Spectrum muttered. “Alright then, Rhapsody, you alright?” “…I don’t want to eat any more cupcakes.” The filly moaned as she shifted her position on Stratos’ back. “…Stratty, If you guys don’t come back before mom and dad do, what should I tell them?” Cumulus rubbed behind her leg. “That my friends needed me.” “Everyone good?” Gem grinned, “Then let’s go.” “To where?” Spectrum frowned. “Universe six-one-six…” The group vanished into a bright light. --- A brilliant light appeared and faded away, revealing the group in the middle of a scorched hallway. “Oscura’s universe,” Gem finished. “Oscura? Why her?” “Because…” Gem trailed off as the group realized where they were. Lightly armored stallions, some with sword and spears, began to surround the group. “…Shit.” Gem swore under her breath. “…And this is why I said I was going to tag along,” Temporal Spectrum muttered. “Who are you?” one of the guards demanded, “Why are you here?” “Easy, we’re just here to see Princess Oscura.” Gem responded. “Does she know you are here?” “Well…” Gem trailed off, “No, but we’re friends of hers so we thought…” “No one can see the Princess unless they have permission.” “…Double shit,” Gem muttered. “Stratos, you take Rhapsody and figure out where Obsucra or whatever her name is and get back here.” Temporal Spectrum whispered to the stallion. “Right” “Just come with us and we shall place you in the holding cell until this is all ta-” Golden Gem’s horn flared up, sending a blast of concussive energy into the lead guardsman’s helm. The stallion crumpled to the ground as the others brought their own weapons up. “Hold on tight, kid.” Stratos whispered before he took off. As the pegasus took to the air, several of the other pegasus guards followed him. “Wasn’t expecting that,” Gem muttered as she fired off another magic blast. “He’s maneuverable enough.” Temporal Spectrum sidestepped a spear thrust and quickly closed the distance between herself and her attacker. Bringing her right hoof down over the spear, she quickly jabbed her left hoof in an uppercut, stunning the spearman. With another quick twist of her body, she tore the spear out of her opponent’s grip and bashed him over the head with the spear’s counterweight. The earth mare quickly brought the spear around, slamming the counterweight into another guardsman’s helmet. “Where’d you learn that?” Gem dodged another attack. “My parents made me learn self-defense,” Temporal Spectrum swung the spear around, blocking a sword blow, “Mom had me learn karate, Dad went for Krav Maga.” --- “Well, that’s not good.” Stratos stared at the dead end, glancing up at the walls and ceiling. “I said take the left,” Rhapsody grumbled. “Well, they say hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Stratos shrugged. “Mom says she has eyes on the back of her head, is that the same thing?” “…No, not re-” “There they are!” Stratos spun around as the guards began to advance towards them. “…Rhapsody, hold tight.” The filly’s grip tightened as Stratos shifted his position. As the guards grew closer, Stratos bucked the wall, shattering the stone and leaving a small hole in the wall. Another kick enlarged the hole, allowing Stratos and Rhapsody to slip out. “Dammit, get out of here!” one of the guards yelled at the others, “They broke one of the support columns!” The guards scrambled out of the hall, as the wall and ceiling collapsed with a rumble and crack that echoed through the castle. In a different part of the castle, a unicorn jerked her head up, away from the documents she was reading. The stern look on her face grew even harsher as she listened to the rumbling. “What was that?” The unicorn made her way over to window, only to watch a segment of the castle wall collapse. “…Shimmer.” A well dressed orange unicorn with a red and orange mane and glasses poked her head into the room. “Figure out what is going on. Now.” The unicorn ordered. Before the other unicorn, Shimmer could respond, a guardspony burst into the room. “…Fluttershy, this better be important.” “It is your highness, a group of strange ponies appeared in the castle, seeking an audience with Princess Oscura. As we were not informed of any such visitors, we attempted to take them for holding,” the guardspony, Fluttershy, paused, “They… resisted.” “I noticed.” The Unicorn snarked, “Unless the left wing of the building is being renovated without my kno-” The window exploded inwards as something crashed into bookshelf behind the unicorn. Shimmer, Fluttershy and the unicorn spun around to see a dazed Stratos and unconscious Rhapsody sprawled out on the remains of the bookshelf. “…Is this them?” “Some of them,” Fluttershy muttered. Stratos sat up rubbing his head, “Ow, ow, ow… Rhapsody, you al... ri... ght?” Stratos trailed off as he noticed the pony in front of him; The unicorn mare stood in front of him in all of her glory: her grey coat poked out from under her sleek, shining armor and red cape, as her black mane hung down. A purple aura surrounded her red horn as she scowled at Stratos. “Start talking.” she demanded. === “…So, let me get this straight…” Time Turner rubbed his temples, “Golden Gem showed up, told you she was going to travel through the multiverse and you decided not to tell me as soon as possible? Did you forget what I had said, or did you really believe what she said?” “Well, was she lyin’?” “No, not quite, the barriers all strengthened after we sent them back, and further evidence shows they are much stronger than we initially thought, but that’s not the point!” Time Turner rubbed his forehead, “You said she was heading to Stratos’ universe?” Big Macintosh nodded and the earth stallion continued on, “I’ll contact Agent Berry, but I doubt she saw them.” “What about Rhapsody?” Lyra interrupted Big Macintosh’s response. “Well, until we find out exactly where they went, or where they’re going there’s not much I can do.” “She said she got the device from her agent of A.R.M.O.R. or whatever it’s called there, don’t you have one?” “I do, but…” “Then give it to me, I’m going after her.” Lyra interrupted him. “It’s never been tested,” Time Turner grumbled, “I have absolutely no idea if it will work, let alone send you to the right place. The multiverse is an enormous nightmare to deal with, already we have something going on with seven unrelated universes…” “Well I am not going to stay here while my daughter is out there doing who knows what!” Lyra snapped back, “Make the damn thing work!” Time Turner opened his mouth to snap back at her, but stopped. The stallion sighed and closed his eyes. “There is one other way. But it’s… unreliable.” Time Turner muttered. “I don’t care.” “…Fine, I’ll do what I can,” Time Turner opened his eyes and shrugged, “Now I really need to get back to work and see if I can do this. I will inform you as soon as possible.” The stallion turned away from the others and began to fiddle with his headset again. “Besides, he never returns my calls,” Time Turner muttered under his breath. === Spectrum slammed the dented spear tip into another guard’s chest, pushing him backwards and into the wall. “This is starting to get ridiculous,” she muttered. Gem backed up into Spectrum, panting for breath. “I’m spent.” Before Spectrum could respond, the guard lashed out snapping the spear in two. The earth mare grabbed the portion still holding the counterweight and smacked the guard over the head, breaking the counterweight off. “I don’t think I’m getting another one.” She muttered as she tossed the stick away. “…This isn’t how I expected this to end,” Gem chuckled, “Maybe I should have listened to Big Macintosh.” “ ‘Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, Rage against the dying of the light’.” Spectrum quoted. Gem chuckled again. “A poem written by one stallion to his dying father, about how we should never give up.” She stated, “One usually uses that when there are no other options, save capture or death.” “Still one hell of a quote,” Spectrum responded. As the two prepared to continue fighting, a crack of thunder echoed in the hallway. “ENOUGH!” a booming voice erupted from behind the guardsponies. Flabbergasted, Spectrum and Gem watched as the guards move to the side, creating a path. As the grey unicorn walked past them, each guardspony bowed. Reaching Gem and Spectrum, the unicorn scowled at them. “…So, you are the other two causing all this trouble.” “Trouble is a relative word.” Spectrum responded. “…” the unicorn turned away from the two and looked at her guards. “Is this how we treat our guests?” The mares exchanged a baffled expression as the unicorn continued. “But your Highness!” one of the guards stammered out, “we were not informed…” “That is true. However, is it standard practice to attack them, or is sending a pony to inform me of what is going on too difficult?” The unicorn scowled, “For the moment you are all dismissed. I will have Colonel Limestone Pie investigate this matter…” “As you wish, your highness.” “You two. Follow me.” The unicorn ordered Gem and Spectrum. In stunned silence, the pair obliged, following the unicorn down the hallway, and through the building. “As for you two…” the Unicorn began, pausing in front of a large door, “Attacking my guards was a foolish decision. It is policy to place suspicious and unknown ponies in a holding area, until we have time to deal with them. If you had obliged, we would have been discussing the matters at hoof earlier, and I would not have to rebuild the left wing, or waste medical supplies on the ponies you beat up.” “I panicked.” Gem responded. An amused smile crept onto the mare’s face, “Your friend explained almost everything to me, but I wish to hear it from the mastermind.” “Yes… Queen Umbra?” Gem paused, “I believe that is the name Oscura mentioned once, but I honestly don’t remember…” “You have a very good memory,” Queen Umbra smiled. --- Stratos and Rhapsody sat at a large round table, along with Shimmer and Fluttershy. The stallion and mares continued to awkwardly glance at each other. “You look like Miss Fluttershy,” Rhapsody told the pegasus. “That’s because I am Fluttershy.” “No, Miss Fluttershy’s cutie mark is a bunch of butterflies. Your cutie mark is…” Rhapsody blinked, “what is it?” “A pair of halberds, I was the best in my class.” Rhapsody cocked her head to the side, thinking, “I still don’t get it. And who are you?” “Didn’t your brother teach you any manners?” Shimmer scoffed. “He’s not my brother.” Rhapsody shook her head, “And my mom and dad say the same thing.” “Hmph, foals these days…” Shimmer scoffed. The door swung open as Queen Umbra lead Gem and Spectrum into the room. “Where is my daughter?” the queen demanded. “Princess Oscura is on her way, your Highness.” Shimmer responded. “Good. You two, take a seat next to Stratos.” Obeying, the two sat next to Stratos. Gem shot the stallion a dirty look. “You were suppose to find Oscura, not her mom.” “I tried,” Stratos shrugged, “but it still worked out.” The doors to the room opened again. A slim, grey unicorn clad in thin metal armor entered. Her black and gamboges mane was tied back, out of her face, and a rapier was fashioned to her side. “Mother, what am…” she trailed off as she saw the other ponies, “Gem? Stratos?” “Hi Oscura,” Gem grinned, “Boy, do I have a story for you…” “You will listen to what she has to say. I want your answer by tomorrow.” Queen Umbra turned her attention back to the others, “Shimmer, I want you to prepare the guest room for them. Fluttershy, you are dismissed.” “Yes, your highness.” The two ponies bowed and left the room. As the door clicked shut behind them, the queen turned her attention back to her daughter. “Now then, begin your story, Golden Gem.” “Well… it started after we got sent back for good…”