//------------------------------// // Nice to meet you, to meet you... // Story: To be or not to be... // by Suke //------------------------------// EQUESTRIA "I have no idea what it is or how it's doing what it's doing," Twilight Sparkle said with a dissatisfied sigh. "Wait, it's doing something?" Rainbow Dash asked. "What's it doing?" "Well, as I'm told you proved earlier, it's somehow has a very solid physical presence, yet looks more like your hand should pass through it. Also, something seems to be coming through it. What that something is I couldn't tell you." Luna stared silently at the floating crack, it giving off a strange dark light. Nothing like this has happened before, even during the thousand years of her moon imprisonment. "Just what is on the other side of this thing? Twilight, can we use our magic to access the other side?" Luna queried her sister's faithful student. Twilight thought over this for a moment, and then replied, "I suppose my magic could amplify any sound and imagery, but it will leave us open for possibly unwanted visitors. We could be endangering Ponyville, or even all of Equestria." "I will contact my sister and we will come to a decision. With the two of us on our guards, we should be able to handle any problem should the need arise." Luna's horn began to glow, and she closed her eyes. "Isn't Luna gonna send a letter or something?" asked Applejack. "She's using mental communication. It's a surprisingly powerful spell that only the princesses can maintain and receive."Twilight informed her friends. "Sister? Sister, wake up." "Lulu? What is it? Why are communicating this way? Oh, no! Something's wrong! This isn't g-" "Calm down Celly. I may be the only one who can hear you but you should maintain your regal demeanor even so. Anyway, come to Sweet Apple Acres. I shall explain the current situation as you travel." "Of course. I am already out of the palace. Tell me everything." AFTERMATH STATION "Welcome to the end of the world." The strange man paused, "Well, the end of your world. There are plenty of worlds doing just fine at the moment, and some that, thanks to yours truly, will continue to be fine until they themselves choose otherwise." Dom just stared. Without any memories of his world, it didn't really hit him too hard that he'd lost his home. The man continued, "The point I'm trying to make is, this world, this reality, that you stand in right now, is lost. Of course worlds may naturally come to an end anyway, but the wasteland you saw on your way here was the work of outside influence. They never really decided on a name for themselves, so I call them Everto. It's Latin, with many meanings, most of them applying pretty well if I remember rightly. “Anyhooooooooooooooo, I, the great, but evidently not so great this time, defender of realities and bane of the fearsome Everto, have an offer to make. And looking outside, let's be honest Dom- You don't mind me calling you Dom right? -You'd be stupid to refuse. That, or bat-shit bonkers. Oh, and I'm Thunder by the way, or at least a well thought out automated response hologram of Thunder... And Thunder's only my traveller's nickname. Much cooler than my actual name. I'd even go as far to say it's 20% cooler." Silence. "Oh come on!" Dom was getting tired of sitting in the dark. He got up and tried to see his way around this basement. "Not much for patience are we?" Dom turned to glare at the hologram and said, "Thought you were automated?" "Motion sensors." With a raised eyebrow from Dom, it continued to say, "With precision accuracy. What does it matter anyway? It makes no difference for you either way. Real me isn't here. In fact, I'm probably fighting a few of the buggers who gone done the crap out there," he point upwards. "If I turn on the lights enough so you can make it over to the fridge and grab a bevvy, will you let me get with the offer I have here in my memory banks?" "As long as you try to stay on track." "I'll try my best but no promises." The room lit up upon the instant Holo-Thunder finished that last sentence. It was like a snug underground flat with no walls. Bedroom with kingsize bed and bedside table accompanied with analog alarm clock and lamp. A lounge with Epic TV and long semi-circular sofa. The kitchen was like something out of a catalog. There was a door on either side of the room. Dom assumed one led to a bathroom. He walked over to a tall fridge in the kitchen section, opening it to find a multitude of beverages of all kinds. Taking a random lager can, he closed the fridge. He turned to the hologram and waved his free hand, motioning to continue, popping open the can with one hand. "Good to see you settling in. This place is a technological wonder. I figured that since it was too late to save the world, I could freely fuck with your techno timeline and make this. Adapts to each world like a TARDIS to be simple. Won't go deeper than that ‘cause it's not really important. Only when the need arises, which isn't now. "My job is, as I said earlier, is to go around each and every world, or reality, seeing as world is rather vague and can be misunderstood. You may think I mean-" Dom, mid-sip, kicked a cupboard. "Ahem. I protect realities from these Everto creatures that, for some reason I'm still in the process of working out, somehow enter alternate realities to fuck up their existences. Doesn't mean everything turns to dust, that was just how things ended up here specifically. Won't describe them. Past experience dictates that you'll encounter at least one soon after each arrival in a new world. Ah, yes. Onto the actual offer real me has for you. "As proven by the recent events, even though I arrive in each reality around the same point in time when Everto start pressing all the wrong buttons, I can't seem to stop the interference. I don't actually know how this happens but the best solution I can think of is to recruit assistants. Namely, you... and others around the world who showed an aptitude to survival of Everto attack. You weren't the only one cryogenically frozen underground until Thunder could lure the majority of the Everto to the south pole. "So there you have it. Oh, and by taking the job, you're promised minor improvements to your adaptability, including hopefully painless shapeshifting for fitting in where humans are not present, and sometimes when they're the baddies or whatever. Happened before. Whole world of just robots. Felt like a skeleton the whole time. And then there was-" Another cupboard was kicked. "You get the idea there. Also comes with access to fancy shit you can't see right now. "Now, if you don't like this, I've managed to contact a friend in a reality similar to this but secured; don't ask me how, I just did. All those still alive here already exist over there but my mate's prepared for that. If you choose this thrown together, half-assed plan, I suggest keeping in contact with whoever else chickens out. I hear chicken suits are involved for some reason or another... buckaw!" Dom finished his can and looked at Holo-Thunder blankly. 'Did he honestly just say that wanting to continue a relatively normal life was chickening out?' He sighed. So, start life anew without memories of past life, probably avoiding certain locations due to pre-existing self, or fight the twats who caused all this to happen, possibly recover lost memories (just a hunch), and see the Multiverse. "Meh, what the heck, beam me up- God Dammit!" "Good choice bud. Just a sec... now, I analysed your head earlier but chose to not look 'til you agreed. Had I checked earlier, I wouldn't have made all those references. Seems you've got amnesia from the rush job cryo-tube. Whoops, sorry 'bout that. I'll help you with that once we're on our way. You heard me, I'mma gonna join you on your whacky adventures. Can't leave this place though. Oh yeah, and I'm launching us. RIGHT NOW COWBOY!" There was a God awful sound of metal balloons popping. EQUESTRIA There was a Celestia awful sound of metal balloons popping, and the crack began to open rapidly. "Get back my little ponies!" Celestia called out. Celestia had arrived shortly beforehand, Luna having filled her in on the situation. Twilight was literally just about to attempt looking into the crack when the horrible noise had erupted from within. Now all bar the two princesses fled to behind some fallen trees. Doctor Whooves was now among them, having claimed the crack was a space-time anomaly. Nopony knew what he had been talking about. As the crack tore open, a metal cuboid the size of a house began squeezing its way through. As it forced its way in, unidentifiable objects crash into surrounding trees. The metal cuboid came to rest where the crack had been before said crack vanished. Silence returned. Everypony look to one another. Nopony was hurt. Before anypony could talk, the previously unidentifiable objects came to life, unfurling to become bipedal silhouettes. They had claws claws longer than Spike's, and matching teeth that glinted in the moonlight. "This does not bode well," Luna muttered before one of the silhouettes lunged at her. AFTERMATH STATION Dom found himself clinging onto a bedpost, the heavy shaking that followed the launch announcement having finally stopped. Surprisingly nothing had moved except for him and the can he'd dropped in the kitchen. "Right, we have arrived at our destination, which iiiiiiiiiisssssss... wow, this is gonna be an odd one; and hard too. Another welcoming is in order!" Holo-Thunder spread his arms out. "Welcome, Junior Reality Defender Dominique Guillory, to the land of- Drumroll please-" A drumroll started out of nowhere. "EQUESTRIA! Population: unknown, like always. Dominant race: Magical talking ponies. Other major races include: Griffins, Dragons, Zebra, Diamond Dogs and Changelings. Now, sensors indicate-" His eyebrows bounced up a couple of times "-that Everto have literally just begun attacking a group of ponies present at our arrival. Don't worry, I'll help. Just walk over to where you first landed in here." As Dom did as he was told, he was beginning to get nervous. These things brought his whole planet down into ruin. How was he going to help by himself. He looked back to the hologram as he reached the designated spot. "Two things before you do this. Firstly, you'll need a traveller's nickname like your dear mentor. I'll let you choose one after your first success, but for now, hmmm... Dominique, Dominic, Domnic... Omni! You can work with that for now. And secondly, you'll probably survive this round but I advise you to befriend the locals. I know it won't be too hard with this lot." A grin grew wide on the hologram's transparent face. Dom, or Omni as he was to be known in Equiestria, did not like that grin one bit. "Off you go then." The floor under Omni launched him back up the hole he'd come down through, then a metal panel from above smacked him out the presently open door. He flew, arms flailing, straight into one Princess Luna, just before her assailant could tear a chunk out of her neck. A/N: I know this is obviously gonna be a Human into Pony story but the other sort of things I'd think of or come too close to already exist. Such as 'Griffin the Griffin' and 'The Ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog'. Good reads. But yeah, I have a little something planned to get around that unoriginal idea. Well, I think it's original, the thing I have planned. Really need reader input so I know I'm not being wrong all the damn time with character personalities. All done... for now.