//------------------------------// // Sixty-one // Story: Freedom Through Harmony: Book II // by Electricut //------------------------------// Sixty-one Three years went by, Dirk and Doc becoming both fast friends and effective partners. Though Dirk had mentioned a friend of his that would be happy to see Doc, and continued to mention her from time to time, he did not take Doc to see her in that time. He always told Doc that he needed to be ready, used to the world. Without any memory of the three lands, everything was vaguely alien to the boy, though he typically picked up on things quickly. The knowledge was there, buried beneath, he just needed a refresher course. Though Dirk was a skilled swordsman, he taught Doc the importance of non-violence. Though it was sometimes necessary, most problems had a more pacifistic solution. With this in mind, the pair travelled across the planet, and eventually through time, with the assistance of Dirk’s Time Tables, to help those in need. Doc marveled at the devices, but Dirk assured Doc that he did not know exactly how they worked, and that they were simply a gift from his brother. On occasion, the swordsman would tell stories of his brother and friends, whom he had not seen for some time. It was clear that he missed them, but knew he was needed on this planet. The pair was deposited by the Time Tables in an alleyway, out of sight. “Where are we now?” Doc asked. “Ivoire, year… nine-twenty, Ivoire calendar.” he replied. “Four ninety-five Equestrian, fourteen seventy-two Tellian.” Doc nodded and looked around. “This looks like Monetopia. Is something happening here?” “Not that I know of. I just thought it’d be nice to grab a drink and take a break.” “Sounds good to me.” Doc agrees. The two make their way out of the alleyway, expertly blending in with the rest of the people on the street, and make their way to an outdoor restaurant. “Two orange sodas.” Dirk told the cashier. Doc stood just behind him admiring the mighty city. The buildings here were huge, reaching to the sky, and decorated with the most beautiful seashells. This was the largest center of commerce in Ivoire. The two time travelers sat at a table, sipping their drinks. They had a variety of outfits- God Tier outfits, as Dirk called them; the heavy black cloaks they used for stealth missions- but today they wore average attire. Still, Dirk’s shades were a constant, and Doc always found it strange when he removed them. “So…” Dirk began, “I think I’ll be able to take you to that friend of mine soon. Not quite yet, but the time is approaching.” Doc’s eyes widened slightly in interest. Dirk continued: “First, we should gather a team. Not because she’s dangerous- although danger tends to find us anyway- but because I think, after you two meet, you’ll probably want to stick around a while, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some extra company. They say friendship is magic, after all. There’s one person I know we’ll need to grab, and I’ve got a few good ideas for a couple of others.” “Alright, that sounds good!” Doc agreed. Dirk took a sip of his drink, then frowned, looking at something behind Doc. The boy turned to look, but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Dirk stood and walked towards whatever he was looking at, and Doc followed, bewildered. He stopped just before an alleyway. Doc heard something rummaging nearby, but still saw nothing. “Miss, if you’re desperate enough to dig through the trash, I’d be willing to buy you a sandwich or something.” “Dirk, who are you talking to…?” Doc asked. Dirk glanced at him, confused, then back to where he was looking before. “Yes, I’m talking to… you.” Understanding dawned on Dirk’s face. “I’m not supposed to be able to see you, am I?” He raised his shades above his eyes to look without them, then put them back on and nodded. “It’s the shades. They have every kind of filter you can imagine. Here, Doc, put them on for a second so you can see who I’m talking to.” Doc took the shades, still somewhat confused, and put them over his eyes. Where there was nothing a moment ago, a woman now stood. She wore a red shirt and brown shorts, along with a leather belt and gloves. Her hair was a dusty brown and fell to her waist. She looked average enough for Ivoire, but the strange fact remained that she couldn’t be seen without Dirk’s shades. Quietly, she spoke to the two, likely to avoid being heard by anyone else. “Can we move to a more private place, so we don’t alarm anyone?” Dirk nodded, and the pair follow her into the alley. She pulsed with light once, and Doc realized he could now see her without the shades and handed them back to Dirk. “So, are you a phantom?” Dirk asked. In Ivoire, the spirits of strong-willed people often lingered as phantoms, who walked unbeknownst to the living. Some remained for a time until moving on to the afterlife, some of those remaining until they fulfilled a specific purpose. Others joined the Phantom Brave, Marona, in fighting to defend Ivoire. “Yes.” she answered. “Well… essentially. My body is technically still alive, but it’s somewhere that I can’t reach. So I didn’t become a phantom the normal way, but I’m stuck this way. Now, it’s your turn to explain. Why could you see me?” “I already said the gist of it.” Dirk said. “It’s my shades. A lot of crazy tech went into these, the filters can see a lot. Including phantoms, apparently… I wonder how many I’ve seen without realizing? Anyway, why were you digging through the trash?” “Well, I don’t need to eat.” the phantom explained. “I was actually looking for a game or toy or something. Being a phantom gets frighteningly boring, especially when I don’t have the option to move onto the afterlife.” “There’s always the Phantom Brave and her forces.” Dirk offered. The woman was already shaking her head. “I… I was with them for a while, but it got… awkward. I was friends with Marona before I lost my body, but then there were some complications, time travel shenanigans. We were traveling through dimensions with our Putty, trying to find someone. We got separated, and I ended up landing several years earlier, when she already had a version of me, and after I tried staying for a bit… It was just too awkward. I didn’t want to stick around and make things more complicated than they needed to be.” Dirk frowned sympathetically. “I understand more than you know. When did you and her go on that trip originally? When that happens, you’ll be the alpha version.” “It’ll be a few more years.” she answers. “I think it was nine twenty-three that we leave to search. I suppose I’ll go back after that, but until then, it’s finding entertainment however I can.” “You could come with us.” Doc offered, reminding the two that he was still there. Dirk nodded in agreement. “Are you sure?” the woman asked. “It’d be a bit strange walking around with a phantom.” Dirk waved his hand in friendly dismissal. “I don’t mind. In fact, I’ve got a better idea. First, I don’t think we ever exchanged names. I’m Dirk, and this is Doc.” She gave a look for half a second. Odd name for a kid, she must have thought. “I’m Castile.” she replied. “So, what’s your idea?” “I’ll need to go grab something. Be right back.” He retrieved the Time Tables and disappears in a flash of light. Before Castile even had time to ask where he went, the spot where he stood flashed with light again, and he stood with something slung over his shoulder. He sets it down, and Doc sees that it’s a whole robot, shaped just like Castile, save for its red eyes. “Popped into the future, built you a robot body. Man has it been a while since I worked on a robot. I almost forgot how much I loved it. Anyway, you’ll be able to possess this, and it should be more than durable enough to take whatever you throw at it.” Castile frowned. “Not that I don’t appreciate it- I do- but won’t that be even more conspicuous?” “Thought of that too.” Dirk said with a smile. “It has a cloaking device that will kick in when you possess it. And don’t worry, you can stop possessing it at any time, too.” “A-alright.” she said. “Wait, hold on. Did you say you got this from the future? You can time travel?” “Yes.” Dirk answered. “And, if you want, I can take you to the day your friend returns. But if you want, I would welcome you to my side for a time. There are people out there that need help.” Castile thought for a moment, then nodded. “Between being a phantom and being a robot, I’m not getting any older. And if there are people that need me, then I can wait a little while longer to go back to Marona.” She became invisible again, and nothing seemed to happen for a moment. However, the robot soon began to activate, glowing blue from inside, the eyes lighting up bright red. Then the cloaking device kicked in, and it looked just like Castile had a moment ago. She raised an arm and examined it, flexing the fingers experimentally. “It might be a little stiff at first,” Dirk explained. “but it’ll adjust pretty quickly.” Castile nodded and attempted to put her hand in her pocket, only to remember that it was only a hologram. She chuckled. “I guess I’ll pick up a jacket later. So, where are we headed first?” “We’ve got a very important person to meet.” Dirk said. “But there are a few others we need to gather first. Grab my arm, and we’ll be off.” Castile stepped forward and put a hand on Dirk’s arm. Doc did the same, already used to the procedure of traveling through time. Dirk quickly adjusted the settings on the Time Tables, and the three were sent flying through space and time. They landed seemingly a moment later in a clearing of a thick forest. There was one building at the edge, large enough to comfortably house a few people. Castile stood blinking for a few seconds, unaccustomed to time travel and slightly shaken. Dirk stepped up to the door of the cabin. “This shouldn’t take too long.” he assured the two, then knocked on the door. “Who in the blazes…?” a voice began from behind the door. It opened, and the man standing behind it sighed after a moment. “Ah. Figured you’d track me down eventually. How long have you know I’ve been out here, my friend?” The man was a few inches taller than Dirk, with a mess of black hair, simple pants and shirt, and a jacket that ended at his midsection. His eyes were as black as his hair, but he didn’t look terribly aggressive. “A few years, anyway.” Dirk answered. “I’ve been around, and so have you. You didn’t think you’d evade me forever, did you Xekora?” “Suppose not.” Xekora replied cheerfully. “I just elected to live a different sort of life. All my life it’s been large scale conflict. I wanted to try the life of a simple man, a record keeper and storyteller. And I’ve quite enjoyed it.” “Good to hear.” Dirk said dryly. “But honestly, I think what you’re doing will pay off in the end. So after this one task, I’ll let you get back to it.” Xekora raised an eyebrow. “What task would that be?” “I found him.” Xekora’s other eyebrow rose, and he looked past Dirk to examine his companions. “This one? He’s younger than I imagined.” “I thought the same. But he has two hearts, and had a Hero of Time outfit on when I found him. And besides that, he’s proven himself to me time and again.” “Two hearts…?” Castile asked Doc quietly. “It’s a long story that I don’t quite understand myself.” Doc admitted. “So, you’re going to bring him to the tower?” Xekora asked. “And you thought I should be there too. I agree.” Dirk nodded. “There are two others I’m going to get before we see her. I’m going to drop you all off at the tower, then fetch them. Since I imagine at least some of us will be staying there for a while, I thought some company and allies would be helpful. There are two kids I’ve been keeping an eye on that are just right.” “Otherwise unoccupied, I hope? Orphans, perhaps?” Xekora asked. “Both orphans, yes. One’s a descendant of one of the six Elements, the other’s part of a nearly lost race. But both have nowhere else to go, and I imagine they’ll appreciate the companionship as much as we will.” Xekora nodded. “Fair enough. Lead the way, my friend. Oh! I’m sorry, how rude of me, I haven’t formally introduced myself to you two. What a terrible host of me. My name is Xekora, Prince of Void. A wanderer from the far-off land of Hyrule, now a simple historian and bard.” “My name’s Castile. I’m not sure I have much to say; I’m from Ivoire, I fought in the Final Purge, and I’m tagging along with Dirk because he says there are people that need help.” “And I’m Doc, but apparently you and Dirk already know more about me than I do.” “All in due time, my lad.” Xekora promised. “Your past is a complex web that needs to be untangled, but when we meet our friend, you’ll surely learn a lot about yourself.” Doc sighed, but nodded. Dirk had been telling him the same thing for a while now. Hopefully he would get some answers when he met this mystery person. The four soon launched through space and time once more, this time landing on a beach. Doc turned around to see an old, mighty tower standing at the center of the small island. “Year four-seventy, Equestrian.” Dirk announced. “Now, I’ll be right back. As I said, two more people to bring here.” He retrieved the Time Tables and vanished, reappearing only a moment later, two children about Doc’s age at either side. One was a girl with fiery orange hair and wings, while the other was a boy with black hair and a grey horn atop his forehead. Doc knew he was a Child of Water, as he had interacted with them when they still roamed Equestria with the others. However, at this point in time, this boy was surely one of the last of his kind. “Miss me?” Dirk joked. He put a hand on the girl’s head. “This is Spitfire, descendant of one of the six bearers of the Elements of Harmony.” “Though he won’t tell me which one…” she mumbled bitterly. “Spoilers.” Dirk replied. “You’ll find out in time. Anyway, this…” he put a hand on the boy’s head. “is Perun, descendant of the Children of Water. And this…” he walked over to Doc and put a hand on his head. “Is Doc. He had quite a few adventures before I found him, as both a Timelord and an Heir of Time, but for reasons that I can only theorize at, he’s lost his memory of that life, and taken this form.” The two clearly didn’t fully understand what Dirk had said- Doc had noticed that trend with Dirk, he often forgot who would or wouldn’t understand certain bits of information, or just didn’t mind- but they still seemed happy to meet him. “Those are some sweet titles you have.” Perun commented. “You must have done some great stuff in that last life.” Doc grinned. “That’s what I’ve heard. Dirk has taken me on more than a few adventures in this life, too.” Dirk proceeded to introduce Xekora and Castile to the pair, then turned to the tower. “Xekora, you’re staying behind me. I’ll tell her I tracked you down, first.” Xekora nodded, and the two approached the door to the building. Dirk knocked on it, hard enough that it would be heard wherever its occupant was. She must have been at the top, because it took almost a full minute before the door opened. From where he stood, Doc couldn’t see the person on the other side. “Dirk! Xekora!” her voice greeted. “It’s been a while! I’m glad to see you both again.” “I’m glad to be back.” Dirk said. “Not sure I can speak for this one.” “Don’t you try and sell me short, boy.” Xekora commented cheerily. “I’m happy to see you both as well. I’ve been making myself useful in my own way, it was just an inconspicuous way.” “It’s not just us, either.” Dirk continued. “I dragged a few friends along with me.” The door opened wider, and the tower’s resident stepped onto the beach. Doc’s eyebrows raised slightly. She wasn’t like anything else he’d ever seen. The shape of her body was vaguely reminiscent of a horse, but she was smaller than an adult human, her limbs thicker and softer than those of a horse. Her head wasn’t quite human, but her large eyes clearly showed human intelligence, and her snout was barely more than a nose. She had a gray coat and yellow tail and mane. Her eyes moved separately from one another, looking at two people at once. “Everyone, this is Derpy.” Dirk said, then motioned to each of them in turn. “This is Castile, Spitfire, Perun, and… Doc.” Derpy’s expression changed slightly. She stepped forward towards Doc to get a closer look at him. It was several seconds before she spoke. “I knew you’d change, but… I didn’t expect you to become so young.” “I can only assume that there was a problem with the regeneration.” Dirk explained. “His Timelord regeneration, his God Tier revival, and his attempted shift from his pony form back to his Timelord one… No one could say what was going to happen there. And the result was him taking this form, and… losing his memory. Well, the memories are there, but we haven’t found a way to bring them all back.” Derpy frowned. “So you… don’t remember me?” Doc hesitated a moment before answering: “I… I feel like I should. There’s something familiar about you. But… No, I don’t remember anything specific.” Derpy looked incredibly sad for a few seconds, then slowly adopted a determined expression. Looking towards the others gathered, she became surer of herself. “Alright. We spent a good part of our childhood together, and many years after. But if you don’t remember that… Then I guess we’ll just have to do it again.” Before Doc had a chance to ask what she meant, a blue light enveloped her, and he stepped back with an arm over his eyes. When it faded, she was still standing before him, but she seemed to be somewhat smaller, younger. Xekora seemed to be the only one not confused by this. Even Dirk didn’t seem to understand what just happened. “Did you…” he began, “Did you just change your age?” Xekora laughed. “Dirk, did you not know we can do that?” “No, I had no idea!” he replied. “Why do you think I still look seventeen when I’ve been around for seven hundred some years?” “I got my God Tier when I was younger than you, why do you think I look like I’m in my thirties when I’ve been alive for thousands of years?” Xekora responded. “We can adjust our age, pause it, let ourselves age naturally or more slowly, all that good stuff.” “I’m pretty sure nobody in my group knew about that.” Dirk said. “Man, now I feel like I’ve been missing out. You’ll have to show me how to do that later.” Doc looked to Derpy again. Whoever she was, she was willing to revert to a younger age just to grow up again alongside him. They must have had something strong before. As though reading his thoughts, she smiled at him. “We were good friends before. More than that, even… But that can come later. From your point of view, we’re just meeting… So we should start as friends, right?” “Yeah, that sounds good.” Doc said. He extended a hand, and she placed her hoof in it and shook. “It’s a pleasure to, um, meet you.” “Same here.” Derpy said with a grin. “Listen, I know it’s going to be a little awkward at first, and I’m sorry. But I’m sure what drew us together before will draw us together again.” “I’m sure too.” Doc agreed. “You seem so confident on that, it’s hard to imagine you’re wrong. Besides, you seem nice already.” “Well, you kids all have fun now.” Xekora said. “I’ve got stuff and things that need to be taken care of. Dirk, I’m not sure if you noticed, but the town nearby to my house is home to several other descendants of the six heroes. Somehow, I get the feeling someone should be keeping an eye on them. I’ll take care of that.” “Alright.” Dirk replied. “There was another group I was keeping an eye on, too. A group of Goldoans that got stranded here on a diplomatic mission. There’s something strange about the lot of them, and who knows what Celestia has in store for them.” Xekora nodded and disappeared in a burst of black smoke. Doc guessed that he had some teleportation ability of his own, linked to dark magic. “I think I’ll let you guys hang out for a while, too.” Dirk said. “There’s some business I should take care of. Castile, care to join me?” She nodded. “We’ll be back before too long.” The two departed with the Time Tables, and almost immediately, Spitfire shook her head. “Now that he’s gone, what’s his deal? He would give us a straight answer on why he brought us here.” “Yeah…” Perun agreed. “I mean, it’s not like I had anything else to do, but he wouldn’t tell us why we needed to be here.” Doc and Derpy both chuckled knowingly. “He is a bit flighty sometimes.” Doc said. “I’m actually not sure what he had in mind by bringing you here, either, and he was cagey about Derpy, too. Didn’t tell me who I would be meeting or anything. Still… He knows what he’s doing. Always does. He’s got a plan for all of us, even if he’s partially winging it. So I guess the least we can do is play along until we know exactly what to do.” “That sure sounds familiar.” Derpy said jokingly. “You’ve always been the same way, Doc. And if he’s the one who’s been teaching you for a while, you’ll probably keep at it.” She shook her head, detaching herself from that line of thought. “Anyway, if you three are going to be staying here for a while, we should set up some rooms for you. There’s plenty of space in the tower.”