//------------------------------// // Journey // Story: The Sound of a Heartbeat // by Orion97 //------------------------------// "Anders! Get your ass up, dude!" I heard Vinyl shout as she nudged me in the gut. I stumbled to my hooves at last and found we were back in her club. Telling from the light outside it already looked like it was well into the morning. "I already carried you here from the train, what's up?" She asked. "Oh...uh...just a strange dream..." "Must be something. You rolled off your seat and didn't even wake up, nor all the noise at the train station. And Octy said I could be a heavy sleeper..." "Yeah, I'm usually easy to wake up which is odd." "Well anyway have you heard the news? The changelings are being officially welcomed into Equestria! They can become legal citizens. Queen Chrysalis and Princess Celestia have been meeting to make arrangements and they're hoping that it will go without a hitch, though some are probably still going to be sore about when they invaded. You know what this means though!?" she said excitedly. "I'm gonna finally have customers again! Maybe even some changelings will find the club and like it, I don't have anything personal against them." she said more to herself than me. "Oh I have to prepare for tonight, probably going to have a rush of ponies coming in." "Hey, Vinyl. That's great and all but there's something I need to check out. I should be back by tonight." I told her as I scratched at the floor with my hoof, which continued to remain an odd sensation in itself. "Um, sure I suppose. Have fun with whatever you're gonna go do. See you later." she waved a hoof as I walked out the door. It took some navigating but eventually I managed to find a route that led out of the city and directly toward the mountain itself. Soon virtually all signs of civilization disappeared. Half a mile away from the city's exit there was no sign of any roads or buildings or similar indications a city was nearby. It didn't look like it from the train to Canterlot but it really was a large mountain. I watched the day slowly pass by as the sun crawled to the horizon. I wasn't sure exactly where my destination would be but I had a feeling I would know it when I saw it. The better part of the trip seemed uneventful as the minutes dragged onto hours and before I knew it it seemed to be well into the afternoon. I began to doubt if there was a cave back here, that my dream was just that. A dream. And still I carried on. I ended up ascending further up the mountain with only the stones around me and the cool mountain breeze for company. Eventually a cave came into view. It wasn't the cave I'd expected to find the dragon from my dream, it seemed far too small. She was easily twice my height at least for starters. I peeked my head in and saw a green pair of eyes open and gaze back, three more pairs of green eyes opened as well and crept closer. As they exposed themselves to the sunlight I realized what they were. Timberwolves. Needless to say, I ran like hell and they hunted after me. I raced around the side of the mountain, my blood surged with adrenaline as one hoof impacted after another. I tried to spread my wings in an attempt to fly, though I have never actually flown. With them catching up I was running out of options fast, I leaped immediately to my right with my wings spread out. I glided for a few brief seconds before I lost control and tumbled furiously down the side of the mountain. I impacted the side of a rock and finally stopped my death roll. I looked back up the slope and saw they weren't shaken, they were running down the slope. The best I had managed to do is buy a little more time. I worked myself back up to a full pace as I found a new path around the mountain. I ran faster than I thought was possible but no matter how fast I went they were just a little bit faster and soon they'd be nipping at my heels. I turned a sharp corner to the left and I darted past a large cave and dove into a bush before the timberwolves did the same. Just as they turned the corner, however, they were engulfed in an inferno that seemed to come from the darkness of the cave itself. Within seconds the flames licked away all of the wood that formed the strange creatures, leaving nothing but dust and ashes. I shrank further into the bush for fear of catching the attention of whatever the flames had erupted from. Rather than some ear-splitting roar or deep growl I was surprised when a softer tone called out. "Do not be afraid, I won't hurt you. It's safe to come out." came a voice from within the cave. It sounded...oddly familiar as well. My suspicions proved to be well founded when she stepped out of the shadows and stood in front of me. I suppose it wasn't just a crazy dream after all. Confident that I was safe as she said I was, I stepped out of the bushes. "N-Nova?" "Ah, Anders. I thought it was you. I'm glad you arrived this quickly. I regret that you had to encounter those vile creatures. I thought I cleared all the caves around here last week but another pack must have crept in. It's good that you're unharmed. I suppose you'll be wanting answers." I nodded in response. "Very well, but first let's talk in my cave, there's much to discuss." she said as turned back towards the cave. "How would I see in there?" I asked as I stepped closer to her. "Like this." she said as she waved a claw over the darkness in front of her. I saw several torches illuminate a cavernous hallway that seemed to lead deeper into the mountain. "Unicorns aren't the only ones that can use magic you know." She led the way into her home, guiding me through a few intersections that seemed to branch off into other areas that appeared to function as rooms for her like a kitchen or bedroom. Eventually we came to what looked like a private library or study. Books were scattered on desks or in rows on shelves that ran along the cave wall. She plucked a few books from a shelf and laid them on a desk in the center of the room with expert precision, gentle enough to not damage any of the books, she pulled open a drawer and neatly slid them inside. She gestured for me to sit down as she did the same beside the desk. "This...is my home. I hope you like it, it's not luxury but it's comfortable for me." she said with a smile. "It's nice." "Right. Anyway I know you came with questions, don't worry for I have answers. But understand I might not be able to answer all of them." she said, clasping her claws together. "Okay...to begin with...how do you know who I am?" "You are close to someone that is...very close to me as well." she said with a faintly sad expression. "He has spoken highly of you, you know. That you have a lot of potential and can change so much." "Who? How would anyone I know have met you?" "That is...hard to explain. I can spend days here talking about the future, destinies, things like that just as I can about astronomy or reliable smithing techniques. You might know him as Michael." "How? How did he get here, how did you meet? Why did he never tell me?" "He knew you would not believe him, he did wish to though. To get to your other question though I have to explain something else. I was taught by a very wise, very old dragon years ago about a useful meditation techniques. Most will never master it but for those that can the benefits are rich indeed, it's a lot more likely if you have a good teacher as well. He was one of the best at it. Anyway when you become very good at it you can perceive things that most others cannot. If I focus I can see into alternate universes, just as Celestia and Luna can. In it I saw another scenario is which Michael and I met, it is one in which he pursued a lost friend of his through a portal. There are few consistencies between all alternate universes due to their very nature, but one of them is your soul. Who you are at the core." She said, tapping lightly on my chest with a claw. "As well, if I prepare properly and focus hard I can travel to that universe, but it's exhausting to do. "I've seen you. I've seen lives you've lived as a dragon, gryphon, human and even changeling. Through most of them though you were compassionate, persistent and fiercely protective of those close to you. Admirable qualities." "So you really have quite the grand perspective." "I suppose you could say that, don't though, makes me feel old." she said with a smile. "Anyway, some time ago. I lost him. He isn't dead, no. He's back on Earth and short of accidentally finding one of the rare portals there like you did, he's not coming back. It's hard to explain right now but you can help me get him back." she said eagerly. "Wait, why couldn't he just travel here? Or you travel to Earth and get him." "Neither would work out. Understand that for every microscopic little choice ever made by everything, there are alternate universes for what happened. If I poked you in the shoulder right now, there would be a billion alternate universes in which I poked you in very slightly different areas. Trying to do what you suggested would be the ultimate game of needle in a haystack, him getting here would be just as difficult. Many of those universes may have a Michael, but not mine. Understand?" "I think so." "Good. Now with proper training you can do what I can as well. All three of us originate from this universe, but only the two of you were born on Earth." "Wait, I thought Earth and Equestria were in alternate universes themselves?" I asked in confusion. "Well...saying that wouldn't be technically correct. Sometimes alternate universes and planes get mixed up in usage. I do it myself without thinking at times, like I just did. My Michael is in this universe, but on a different plane, yet if I tried to find him I'd still be looking through the entire multi-verse. Imagine being in a world with nothing but boxes and they all have plates with different boxes in each, each of which then has a different ring inside. It's a little bit like that. You and I are of the same universe but we originate from different planes. You could build a rocket and travel all over your universe but never reach another plane in your universe. There can be dozens or even hundreds of planes in a given universe, sometimes that number is far higher but it is finite, while in the multiverse there are virtually infinite universes. Only through portals or advanced meditations can someone reach other planes in their universe. I know this might be a little confusing to you." Nova said, crossing her claws guiltily. "Um...keep going I'll get it...eventually." I said as I rubbed my head to try and soothe my new headache. "I have never been to Earth. You've been to Earth and Equestria. If I taught you, you would be able to go back to Earth and bring him back with you." "How would I be able to carry him back?" "You two share a natural bond, the closer two individuals are, the easier it is to find them during astral travel, which is what you are doing when in deep meditation. I can't reach him how I normally would since we're currently on different planes but go back to Earth and you'd be able to do it. You're linked to your plane and home planet so you can find it sub-consciously in deep meditation. If I had been to Earth before I'd be able to do this on my own." "Man my head hurts...still...from what you're saying it sounds like he lived with you for years yet I don't think I've gone more than a few weeks without seeing him. Plus he's a human, I'm not sure how it would um...work between you two..." I shrugged. Nova laughed briefly before answering. "After he arrived he found out a way to turn into a dragon shortly after using magic after he honed his skills enough. Though here that would have been almost a hundred years ago. But he spent most of that hundred years as a dragon, for those that can change form, you only age whatever form you are using and dragon can live for countless years. There is no confirmed age limit for a dragon." "That still doesn't explain the time difference. I know he didn't disappear for a hundred years. I saw him two days before I came here." "I don't know when it would have been in your time but at some point he came here. From what I've gathered time flows differently between the two planes. If you went back now to Earth you'd have barely been gone a couple minutes. Even for Michael it's probably only been a matter of months since he's seen me and I haven't seen him in at least thirty years. From the Earth perspective time is racing by here. You could become an old man before he even celebrates his next birthday." she stated plainly. "Okay, Nova, I think I get that part. Wait. So Michael could use magic and could change form you said. You can use magic, can use change form?" I asked. "As a matter of fact, yes. It was hard at first to turn into a human since the only one I had seen was Michael but after seeing other universes I was able to get a better idea of what humanity as a whole looked like. Eventually I was able to do it with ease." Nova said as she closed her eyes and appeared to concentrate on something. The first thing I noticed were her wings and tail disappearing and her size shrinking down to just shy of six feet, her form shifted for a few seconds until standing before me was a stunningly beautiful woman that looked to be in her early twenties, she had long blue hair that flowed past her shoulders and she possessed the eyes to match it. I also quickly noticed that she was naked. "Um...Nova?" "Yes?" she asked, though she realized it pretty quickly. "Oh shit!" she cried out. She dove behind the desk as quickly as she could, I heard the sound of drawers being opened and fabric moving as I waited. A few moments later she reemerged dressed in pants and a shirt that unfortunately seemed just a bit too small for her, it looked like it was almost intent on squishing her breasts. "Sorry, wasn't supposed to be that awkward. By the way, this is why breasts are a pain in the ass." she said as she gestured to herself with a scowl. "Why does it bother you if you're naked as a dragon anyways?" "Because I feel more exposed as a human, and it's ridiculous how easily nipples get cold." She said dismissively with a wave of her hand. "Anyway you get the idea. And yes I know blue isn't a natural human hair color but that's one of the things about changing forms, unless you were born a naturally shape-shifting creature like the changelings there are certain things that will carry over to most of your forms. Even if you practice and practice you're probably not going to be able to change more than a few details but those will still carry over to your other forms. As you may have noticed most of my as a dragon is blue, so as a human I'm pretty blue though I have white skin. Some things like that can be rather hard to explain and I think you already have a migraine from me talking this much. Oh and before I forget, this is what I usually look like as a dragon but there are different sub-species of dragon like ice dragons. What I've found odd is that someone could be like me and say they were green, they might turn into a purple ice dragon. Yeah, I don't know how the hell that works either." "Again, I know this can be a lot at first." She added. To say my head hurt a little would be the understatement of the year. It now felt like there was a monkey rampaging in my skull with a sledgehammer, hellbent on hitting every spot possible. "Do you still have any questions?" she asked. "I do but now I'm afraid to ask them..." I confessed. "Well you already asked all the difficult questions so anything else you ask should be simple to explain." "Okay...so if you and Michael can use magic, can I? I think Luna said it's possible." I said hesitantly, doing my best to remember exactly how last night's dream went. "Yes, but as Luna warned it will be hard for you to control. It's hard for you to tell but there's mana flowing all around and through us here. The mana on your Earth is dead from lack of use. Theoretically it's possible to make mana start flowing again there but you'd need to be able to cast magic, yet the problem is you couldn't because of the lack of mana." "She seemed worried that I'd lose control of magic but I don't even know how I'd use it." "You were a human but arrived as a pony, correct?" I nodded in response. "Odd. Okay sometimes there are basically these cosmic "glitches", this must be one of those. I think you are changing back into a human. I'm going to try and accelerate so one, I can try teach you enough that you don't set the nearest building on fire on accident and two, I have clothes here I can give you so you aren't running naked through town. Speaking of which, turn around for a moment. Human clothes have always annoyed me, the clothing designer I got these from can never get the shirts quite right." I did as she asked and looked away while she undressed before turning herself back into a dragon. Once I sensed she finished I turned around and Nova flicked the clothes she had been wearing over to me. "These might fit you better, I'm going to try to change you back into a human ahead of time basically. If you remain as a pegasus when mana hasn't flowed through your natural form it could be damaging to your health. Ready?" "Sure, whenever you are." A moment later a soft blue aura became visible in one of her claws and it drifted over to me before seemingly dissolving onto my skin. It wasn't long before I felt my spine adjust and my hooves start to turn into hands and feet. After a few more awkward moments of watching myself turn back into a human the changes stopped and I was my old self again. Though I was still naked. I reached for the clothes that were now on the stone floor and put them on. The clothes didn't fit all that well but it was close enough to not cause great discomfort at least. "Here, take this too." Nova said, pulling a long brown robe out of a drawer and tossing it to me to wear. I put on the robe and it helped to keep me somewhat warmer, in addition to providing a hood and a more uniform appearance. "Thank you." "No, thank you, there's a reason I don't turn into a human much, it's a lot easier for me to get cold which gets annoying. Now where were we?" "You told me about magic and all of the multiverse stuff and gave me a headache." I told her as I rubbed my temples. "Oh yes, I was going to teach you. Now I want you to focus on just creating a small light in your hand. Any color you choose. Focus on nothing but the light in your hand." Nova demonstrated by effortlessly creating a small red light in the middle of her claws. I concentrated on trying to create a light that matched the color of her scales so it would be easier. I glared at my hand and tried to "will" light to appear but it did nothing whatsoever. "No, no. Feel it in your body and mind, don't force it. Let it flow. Imagine as if it's flowing through your veins into the palm of your hand. Take your time." She told me patiently. I tried to picture it how she told me to, I imagined myself pushing it through my veins and into my hand. I held my hand out expecting a soft glow. Instead I got a blast of force that threw me an impressive twenty feet away on my ass near one of her bookshelves. "Ahhhhhhh...holy...fuuuuuck that hurt..." I groaned as I lay on the ground, trying to comprehend what I screwed up this time. I heard Nova calmly walk over as if she expected this to happen. "You alright?" "Just peachy." "Great, now get up. I told you, let it flow. Don't force or push it unless you WANT to get knocked on your ass." "I can't move...the pain..." I moaned as a I helplessly lay on the floor. She rolled her eyes and picked me up in her claw, holding me as if I was a toy. "Wow. Humans really are soft and squishy." She commented as she squeezed me slightly. "Please don't." "Fine, relax. You're as soft as a puppy from my perspective by the way." "Great..." "Here, how about I hold you and you try casting another spell so that way if you would be hilariously thrown on your ass again I can just hold you still and make fun of you." "Um...fair enough I guess? That was pretty cool though still. That's the first time I've ever used magic." I said as I looked at my own two hands. "It is pretty exciting first, and I promise to teach you some really interesting spells in the future but for now we'll just focus on control and a few that could be used for utility." "Sounds fair enough." It didn't feel like it at the time but I spent hours under Nova's tutelage, learning the basics of spells. She wasn't kidding when she said that it could be dangerous since I wasn't used to mana. The first hour or so involved numerous explosions and fire incidents, as well as accidentally freezing one of her books solid. Eventually we returned outside to practice something akin to a flare spell and I realized that night was already fast descending. After quickly teaching me the spell I told her that I would try to make it make by nightfall, otherwise Vinyl might get worried. "Oh, should have told me sooner. Well I think it is time to wrap up here today. Come back here any time, as often as you can and I will teach you how to reach an advanced stage of meditation and how to master magic. I would advise you come here most during the evenings. I've found it's easier to focus at night." "Alright, and thank you so much for what you taught me. Things have been...strange since I've gotten here. I had better start walking back anyway. Goodbye." I smiled and waved as I turned to leave. "Wait. Let me fly you back to just outside of the city at least. Let alone the creatures it can be risky to travel here in the dark. Bring a torch or something next time you come here." "Thanks, I appreciate it." "My pleasure, now just hold still and don't scream." she said plainly. "Wait...what do you mean don't-" I was cut off as she leaped into the air and grabbed me by the arms with her front claws. I was dangling from the air as she flew me back along the route I walked. It was completely terrifying, but exciting at the same time, sort of like the first time I went on a fast roller-coaster when I was little. It wasn't long before I was dropped off at just where the roads began that led to the city. It would only be a short walk from here. "Anders, one more thing." she whispered to me. "Keep your hood on for now and keep a low profile, it's dark enough that people can mistake you for a minotaur or bipedal dragon. Equestria hasn't seen humans since Michael and believe me you won't want that kind of attention right now. Seek audience with one of the princesses tonight if you think you can though I don't know how likely that is to work, hopefully Luna will find you in your sleep anyway." For a moment Nova looked up at the air as if she were about to forget something. "Oh, before I forget I grabbed a book that might help you. It's not the most advanced thing you'll find but it's great for beginners, it's also one of the few I had on basic magic that weren't for unicorn foals." she said as she handed me a book that was hidden on her back. "Oh, thank you. How'd you carry it? Is that part of another spell or something?" I asked as I examined her claws, it looked possible but would probably be difficult for her to have carried if without falling if she carried me. She gave me a slightly confused look before she started laughing. "Actually I taped it to my back while I was in the cave. Magic is nice but sometimes all you need is just a little bit of thinking. Now I should go. Good night, Anders. Don't practice in public areas though, if you're say alone in a field or in a specifically designed magic training area then feel free but watch out for others, both so you don't hurt them and the other way around." After she was done she turned around and ran off the cliff as fast as she could. Using her momentum she spread out her wings and flew back to where her home was. With her gone I quickly found my own way back to Canterlot. The route back was a lot faster at least but that was due in part to because from a fair distance I could see the multi-colored lights radiating onto the streets and the distant beat of music in the air. I walked towards Vinyl's club, just now taking note of how much different Canterlot looked at night. The streets themselves held an almost artistic beauty with how they blended seamlessly with the walls and buildings. I made sure my face was well obscured with my hood as I progressed. When I reached the club there was a long line to get into the place with a bouncer out front that looked like he could chuck me ten feet into the air without even trying too hard. I could guarantee that I'd get some crusty looks from the ponies waiting in line but they didn't sleep here, though I couldn't help but wonder how far off that would be. I walked up to the bouncer and he responded "back of the line." without even looking up. "It's Anders." I told him, hoping that would make a difference. "Oh, it's you. Vinyl mentioned you'd probably come around tonight. Head on in." He gestured to the door while keeping his eyes on the list in front of him. As soon as I opened the door a blast of music and lights hit me like a train. I took a moment to get acclimated before heading further inside. Dubstep music pulsated with an addicting beat as ponies, as well as a number of gryphons and even changelings danced, though I noticed the bulk of the changelings danced in their own group they were slowly merging with the rest of the dancers. Of course I saw Vinyl at her DJ tables with her trademark shades. She was grinning ear to ear as she saw how energetic the place was. She was a queen and this was her throne. I waited patiently until the song ended before I walked up to her. "Heyyy! Wanna make a request or somethin?" She asked in a cheery tone as she kept her eyes focused in a box full of vinyl records. "Vinyl, it's me, Anders. Don't freak out just...I'll explain everything after you're done tonight. Is there anywhere I can go that won't be in the way." I whispered carefully. She turned around with a curious expression and looked up at me, before we were about equal height but now I was almost a head taller than her. "I uh...okay. I hope it'll make sense because I have no idea what happened to you. Did you stumble into some poison joke?" "Well...no. It's complicated. When does the club close?" "In another three hours or so. You're welcome to party or you can head on into my room. Don't worry it's sound-proofed. I'll probably crash asleep in there when this is done anyway. If I come in and I look like I'm already half asleep just tell me whatever you need to tell me in the morning." "Alright, great. Have fun, Vinyl. Goodnight." I told her as I walked towards her bedroom. "Oh I most certainly will...nighters." She waved back to me as I walked away. As soon as I closed the door behind me I could feel the pulse of the music cease, all I could hear is a faint hum if I stayed near the wall. I walked over to the bed I had woken up from when I came to Equestria and slipped under the covers, taking up only as much room as I needed. After such a long day I was out like a light and drifted off to sleep, my mind barely registered when I felt Vinyl lay in bed beside me, though it felt like she was dropped on the bed than crawled into it. I let myself drift off completely to sleep, the days events replayed in front of my eyes as if it had been a dream in itself until the real dreams began to take hold. It's something else when life starts to become stranger than your own dreams...