Heartbreak didn’t say a word on the way back to the Fae’s secret hideout. She climbed the stairs on all fours and opened the doors with her mouth without complaint. Her thoughts remained caught up with her former lover and how she might never see her again. At least the memory was still there. Princess Celestia would not be taking that away from her.
“Ok, here we are,” stated Shield, approaching the locked door they had passed by before.
Heartbreak just looked at the lock and didn’t say anything.
Shield generated an electromagnetic sword and rammed it through the door knob. It loudly popped through its hole in a very unnatural way. Then Shield kicked the door open, and the deadbolt fell out and pinged on the metal floor inside the dark room. Shield lit the room with his light stone and found the light switch. The room was empty except for a control panel on one wall. It had several buttons, a slot for a test tube, and a readout display, which said, “Transfer complete.” He looked at the test tube, and noted that it was labeled “Anthony.” The contents looked like blood.
Heartbreak nudged Shield. Looking down at her, he saw the expression on her face.
“I’m not sure what all of this is,” Shield admitted. “But from the looks of it, it seems to be some sort of alternate universe jumper.”
Heartbreak continued her stare. It was sad and inquisitive at the same time.
“I imagine that when they “erased you from history” they teleported to an alternate universe where you were never born.”
Heartbreak looked a little alarmed at that.
“Don’t get upset. It’s a possibility for everyone. There’s always an alternate universe where you were never born. There’s plenty of alternate universe where I’ve never been born. I’ve actually been to some of those places.”
Heartbreak looked a little comforted at that.
“But the thing is, if they go there, they’ll still remember you, and well, mind wiping. If they can wipe your name from your memory, they can wipe their memories of you from their minds as well. But the thing is…. The thing is…” Shield rubbed his beard in thought.
Heartbreak just looked at Shield.
“They’re going to an alternate universe where you don’t exist. What about them? They probably already exist in that alternate universe… What are they going to do about that?”
Heartbreak didn’t even give it a thought.
“Hmmm, I don’t know. I can imagine what they’d do, I guess. But I don’t want to think about it. What I do want to know, however, is how did they manage to pinpoint exactly where they would go? It appears that this test tube is some kind of input. Telling the machine who they don’t want to be in the alternate world they go to. Well, if they leave here, then that explains why Dave was missing, I take it?”
Heartbreak nodded, remembering that he was one of the nine.
“Well, I can’t say I know all the answers. I’ve never seen a machine like this, nor has anyone else I don’t think.” Shield rubbed his chin. “Well, I can tell you one thing: there’s a lot of space-time distortions in here. It looks like this thing teleports or makes portals a lot. I can’t really say much more unless I open them up.”
Heartbreak just looked at Shield.
“But, I’ll save that for another day. I’ve got to save my energy for a portal to Equestria.”
Heartbreak broke out a slight smile.
Shield and Heartbreak returned to the room they entered through. Heartbreak said one final silent goodbye to this world as Shield opened a portal to Equestria. Being relative as the coordinates were, Shield opened a portal very near to where the original connection was established. He landed right in the middle of the vat. Heartbreak and Shield walked out onto the vat floor and Shield closed the portal behind him. The clang of Heartbreak’s hooves on the vat floor attracted nearby attention.
“Who’s in there?” yelled somepony from the factory room.
“This is security. Come out whoever you are!”
“Crash! I gotta go!” Shield winced. He found the space-time distortion created by the portal stone that Twilight activated. He opened it up and found himself in Ponyville Park. Heartbreak followed him through before he closed the portal.
The Cloudsdale factory security and the investigators there were too late when they climbed up and looked into the empty vat.
“Whoa, that was a close one.” Shield crouched down and took some deep breaths. “I don’t know why I got so scared back there.”
Heartbreak didn’t answer.
Shield looked around the Ponyville Park. Nopony was in sight. Except for one little colt.
“Hey, you!”
The little colt scampered over. “Me?”
“Yeah! Do you know where Twilight Sparkle is?”
“You mean you still haven’t found her?”
Shield laughed. “Haha, no I found her alright. But I lost her again. Do you know where she is?”
“No, but I think I heard on the news of an alicorn being admitted to the Ponyville Hospital.”
“Thanks, kid,” Shield said, patting him on the head. “Stay safe!”
The colt walked away, thinking to himself, “Wow, Princess Twilight must be the hide and seek champion.”
Using the same method he used before to find the library, Shield portaled to the side lawn of the hospital. Making sure to close it, he turned to Heartbreak. “You have to go in there and inquire about Twilight. We have to make sure she’s okay.”
Heartbreak nodded.
“Here, take this with you,” Shield said as he generated a portal stone. “Activate it when you get to Twilight.”
Heartbreak walked in.
“Hello, can I help you?” asked the secretary.
“Yes, I’d… I’d…”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to… see… somepony?”
“Alright, who is it?”
“Twi… Twilight.”
“Are you a family member or friend?”
“Uh… student.”
“Okay, she’s in room 21 on the second floor. The stairs are on your left.”
“Thank you,” Heartbreak said shyly as she went up to Twilight’s room. She found Twilight and Rainbow Dash both in the same room, being treated for different ailments. Both were either unconscious or sleeping. Activating the portal stone, Heartbreak took a step back as Shield climbed out and closed the portal.
“Twilight! Are you ok?” Shield asked. He then noticed she was hooked up to an oxygen machine and was being treated for several third-degree burns and electrocution. Her levels her all normal for her current condition and the chart at the end of her bed looked like it said she was going to be ok. “Oh, Twilight,” softly spoke Shield. “You gave so much. Just for your one friend.”
A tear sparkled in Heartbreak’s eye.
Spying Rainbow Dash, Shield walked over and checked her status. “Just a concussion. Wow. She can fly fast enough to damage her own self. She is truly incredible. I should have found a better way to stop her.”
To that, Rainbow Dash woke up. “Hey,” she whispered.
Shield came over to her bedside. “Hey,” he said back. “How are you feeling?”
“Like my head just exploded. How are you?”
“Tired,” Shield stated.
“Did you get Heartbreak back home?”
“Yes and no,” Shield motioned towards Heartbreak, who came over to see Rainbow Dash.
“Hi,” she said.
Rainbow Dash smiled, then looked concerned. “You didn’t get back home?”
“This is…” Heartbreak paused to think about what she was going to say. Saying this would mean a lot to her about what would happen in her future. Finally, she allowed herself to say it. “This is my home now.” Even having said, it still didn’t feel quite right.
“We went to her alternate world and made peace with a few people she knew,” Shield filled in.
“It’s mostly all better now,” Heartbreak added.
“But you didn’t get you old life back!” protested Rainbow Dash.
“It’s ok. I’ve got friends here that would stand up for me no matter what. Back there…”
“Your past friends didn’t stand up for you?”
Heartbreak thought about this. She didn’t want to reflect negatively about her friends, but the truth is, that her friends abandoned her. They cut her loose. They weren’t good friends like the mane 6, who would have defended her against Princess Celestia even though they ran the risk of losing their own lives. “It doesn’t matter anymore. What does matter is that I’m here now, and I’m here for my friends. As you all are—and were—here for me.”
Rainbow Dash smiled. “That’s cool,” she said as she closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
“Are you going to be alright here, now?” Shield asked.
“Yeah, and besides, I don’t need you here. You’ve done your part, and now it’s my job and Twilight’s job helping me fit in. You can go.”
Shield looked a little miffed, and was about to react. Then he stopped himself and instead replied, “Ok then, if you don’t need me then I guess I’ll go. Have a good life.” He got up to reopen the latest portal.
“Wait! One last thing!” Heartbreak put a hoof up to Shield. “You said the Fae went to an alternate universe where I didn’t exist?”
“Yes.”
“So does that mean there’s an alternate universe where I’m still Anthony and this never happens?”
“Well, actually, if it’s any consolation, yes. There exists an alternate universe out there somewhere where Anthony is still Anthony and Heartbreak never is.”
“But going there is near impossible without a connection?”
“Correct.”
“So if I find a connection, I can go to the alternate universe where I’m still Anthony?”
“Yes, but…” Shield pointed. “I know what you’re thinking. But it doesn’t work that way. If you as yourself go to that alternate universe, you don’t become human…”
“But instead I just meet my former human self…” Heartbreak’s ears flopped down.
“Yes.” There’s an awkward moment of silence. Then Shield moves and speaks. “Ok, I’ve got to go. See you later.”
“Wait!” Heartbreak embraces Shield, or at least as much as she can, which happens to be just his legs. “I want to tell you how happy I am, how relieved I am that you came along.”
“Yes, I know, Heartbreak,” Shield replied, not knowing what to do.
“I mean really! I am so happy you came and let me see her one last time!”
“You mean—”
“Don’t say her name! If you say her name I will kill you! I am so happy that you opened that portal and helped me back there. Thank you so very very much. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me thus far.”
“Okay, you’re welcome,” Shield tried to move his legs despite her grip. “I’m glad to have helped, it’s what I do. But I really must go.”
“Thank you thank you thank you.”
Shield pushes her off his legs and picks her up, looking her in the eyes like he would if he was holding a cat or a puppy dog. “Heartbreak, I’m happy for you. I’m glad that you could finally get over this, and that I could help you in some small way. I hope the best for you.” And with that, he drew her close and hugged her as best he could, and she hugged him back. They both smiled as they shared the embrace. Then Shield put her down and patted her on the head. Turning towards the portal and opening it, he added, “Have a good life, now, okay?”
“I’ll sure try!” Heartbreak waved.
“And tell Twilight and Rainbow Dash sorry and thank you, and that I hope they feel better!”
“If you think I can remember all that—nevermind. I sure will!”
And with that, Shield closed the portal and continued his task starting from the side yard of the hospital. Even without Twilight’s report, he could still check the status of the major known space-time distortions, and found that pretty much all of the patches were still in place and still closing slowly, which was optimal in this prime example.
It was only slightly difficult for him to not get noticed by other ponies, but he managed. After saying good bye to Pinkie Pie and the other mane 6, he left out of the same portal he came through.
Back in his own world, he met with trouble. He had forgotten that he was supposed to submit a delay report and warn the Multiverse Council that he wouldn’t make it to the Mushroom Kingdom on the same day. Thousands of mushroom blocks had glitched out because he was a day or two late. Unfortunately for him, the adventure he had with Heartbreak was not a good enough excuse. When he found out that the Multiverse Council had grounded him for two weeks, he was… heart broken.
THE END