Lyra Heartstrings - 24th of Faust 09 EoH - DawnLyra Heartstrings - 24th of Faust 09 EoH - Dawn
Multiverse Location: Imperial Equestria, Badlands, Equis #9 - The Solar Empire
“Ma’am… Oi, ma’am!” Gale’s voice called pulling me out of my sleep like a metaphor I was too groggy to think up.
Oh man… it hurt to even open my eyelids…
“Belt… pass me my belt.” I groaned.
“Er, yeah alright,” the stallion said, a moment later pushing my belt into my hands. “We’ve landed at SkyLabs, Rose is helping me sort out what crates to unload, so you have about six minutes to pull together the strength to stand. Sky’s on her way too, I’m carrying a package for her and she wants to collect it in person. So you’ll have your chance to meet her in person, don’t miss it or you’ll be waiting weeks for an appointment at best.”
“Wait, what?” I asked sitting bolt upright, the blanket falling off from the explosive motion.
“Ow!” I quickly added as all my various wounds pulled on each other.
Gale laughed and flashed me a smile. “Did you think the Empire’s foremost technological mind would be able to just pencil you in anytime? She’s a CEO, a buisnessmare, and a damn good one.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” I thanked as he trotted out the door and I started to rifle through the belt pouches, searching for the long thin pouch containing the medkit.
It would have been awesome to have been lucid enough to think of telling them I had first aid stuff on me last night…or afternoon. Whatever, at least I remembered it now.
Fishing the medkit out I unrolled it and retrieved its morphine tablet and the stimpack. I popped the tablet into my mouth, and slapped the auto-inject syringe into my thigh, wishing that real stems worked like ARG ones. It would be awesome to be uninjured in seconds.
Still, a few days to heal up instead of a few months was good enough. Besides, I had the morphine tablet to dull the pain in the meantime.
“Cheer.ly, keep the morphine from doing anything more than dulling pain. I want to be lucid,” I ordered as I looked around for Bon.
<Confirmed, secondary immune system set to drug management,> the VI replied.
“Bon?” I called curiously, unable to spot my pe- um, girl anywhere within the surprisingly nice wood paneled cabin.
“She’s out here helping us move crates,” Rose called through the open door.
Surprised, but no longer worried about her I nodded to myself and called back. “Alright.”
Giving myself a few moments for the morphine to kick in, I decided to check on my flight suit. Because I realized I was naked. Ponies might have no problem with naked, and they might not see me being naked as sexual, but yeah… I sure as hell did…
My gear was piled in the corner, like Gale had mentioned yesterday. Only it had been put into a burlap bag so it wouldn’t stain anything important. Because he was also right about how bloody they were. It looked like I had left a 1990’s era anime set… Less bloodsplatter, more literal bucket of blood dumped on me.
It would take more than a good wash to fix my suit up too, so many cuts, burns, and punctures… Fuck, if the suit looked that bad, how bad had I looked?
To my amazement, the jacket Mysuki gave me was completely undamaged. I guessed it had some sort of self-fixing charm. After all if it was supposed to be worn on a battlefield, you knew it would get damaged. Unfortunately it was completely sioled.
I was going to really piss off a laundry mat…
Hold on a minute! I’d been given pants to go with that jacket! What did I do with the pants?
Thinking hard for a few minutes I recalled the small pocket on the jacket’s inside behind the logo. Hoping that the layers of silk had protected the pants, I rummaged through the jacket’s various internal pockets, realizing that it had places to hide knives and all sorts of small objects all over the place before finally finding the large pocket and removing the carefully folded up pants.
Downside, they had gotten a bit bloody. Upside, they were not so dirty as to be completely unwearable. A few dark patches as opposed to dried flakes of hemo-juices which were flaking off like rust-dust.
I quickly slipped into the pants, which promptly fell off…
Confused, I pulled them up again, this time feeling them bump into something at the base of my spi- Oh yeah. Right. Tail…
Thinking quickly I rummaged through my gear, grabbed my combat knife and poked a hole in the back of the pants to try and thread my tail through it while pulling them up. Unfortunately, the whole sealed up as I watched, proving that the outfit did infact repair itself.
As I glared at the pants, I noticed a small string on the inside of the waistband. An internal belt. I could pull them up most of the way then tighten them so they would ride on my hips and stay on! Prefect.
Quickly sliding them back on, this time adjusting the string-belt so they rested just below my tail, I breathed a sligh of relief, and then a sigh of irritation. The loose silk felt great on the legs, but I definitely needed something with a hole for my tail… Not for reasons of discomfort, but apparently because the base of a pony’s tail is rather sensitive. Great… This was going to get distracting.
With my pants on, and adjusted slightly to try and get them not to press against my tail, I inspected my boots, decided they were clean enough on the inside, and slipped them on as well before strapping the VM back on my wrist. It was a lot looser without the flight suit under it.
I gave the VM a gentle tap. “Sai, you still with me?”
“Yeah, I’m here…” The AI said. “Glad you didn’t get yourself killed. Where are we now? I was in standby.”
“We’re at SkyLabs, should get to see Sky in a moment,” I informed.
“Good. See if he can do something about the loose connector to the Thaumaturgy detector,” Sai asked. “I got smacked real good during your little rampage.”
“Ah shit… Sorry man,” I apologised.
“It’s fine. Just…don’t do that again, alright?” he pleaded.
“I won’t. Let’s go get you fixed up,” I said groaning as I stood up and heaved the bag containing my stuff up to hold it over one shoulder.
Stumbling back into the cargo bay I was treated to the sight of Rose taking crates off the top of stacks, and setting them on the floor. Bon would then coil around the crate and shift her coil backwards along her length, pulling the crate in the loop to the foot of the cargo ramp where Gale would stack the crates into a specific pile.
I couldn’t help but giggle at the picture, it was silly, and adorable, but what made it actually funny is it looked very efficient.
“Your foal’s a life saver!” Gale called up to me. “Where do you get one? I need a mobile conveyor belt too.”
“A restaurant in Brazil. Ask for the Anaconda, then just take the little girl home,” I replied, wincing as my right shin throbbed, the morphine not quite perfectly working yet.
Rose looked over and gave me a smile before turning back to her work. “You know, with how much fuss you made about clothes yesterday, I thought you’d steal Gale’s blanket or something.”
I chuckled. “Eh, I might have, but I remembered there were pants stored in my jacket.”
“Uh, if you want to cover your other half, I might have a spare jacket somewhere,” Gale offered. “But it’s not going to be comfortable, it’s cut for a pony after tall.”
“Meh, I got my sex organs covered up. That’s all that’s required. It’s a dessert, it’s not like I need a top for warmth’s sake,” I dismissed.
“Gale, why is it that everytime I see you I hear someone mention their junk?” A familiar yet oddly female tone said in amusement.
“I can’t help it if I keep running into fine mares in need of some relaxation,” Gale said, turning and giving the new arrival a friendly smile. “Nice to see you Sky, got your package right here.”
As Gale nudged a long wooden crate with a hoof, this universe's Sky walked into view. I don’t know what I expected, but I was a bit disappointed. This Sky looked just like the other one I had met, except with more feminine features and quadrupedal.
Same blue mane and tail, same green eyes, same orange fur, same tall and skinny frame… The only real differences were her mane was done up in a bun held together with a pair of chemistry pipets and her lab coat was a light blue and looked more…professional rather than customized.
“So, who did you pull out of quicksand and seduce this time,” Sky asked turning to look into the cargobay. The mare’s eyes almost bugged out of her skull as she noticed me. “Gale there’s a-! I! Um.”
“Uh, hi,” I said, waving my free hand in mild confusion. “I don’t look like a species native to here or something, do I?”
“Is that Sky?” Sai asked. “I hope so. I’ll never let him live down that he’s a mare in a universe.”
Sky triple blinked. “Sai!? Why are you in her- wrist communicator of my own design… Hi! I’m Sky Trigger, we need to get introduced and get on the same page. Right now!” Sky said half friendly and half threateningly.
“Interdimensional traveler,” I explained holding up my wrist. “Trying to get this fixed so I can go home. Long story short, an alternate universe you made it… So uh, think you can fix it?”
“I can definitely try, and I’ll be trying right now. Hold on a minute,” Sky said, holding up a hoof urgently as she turned over her shoulder to look at somepony. “Miss Ar’ran, I’m afraid this is very important. Your order is in storeroom six, I trust you can pick it up yourself?”
“Of course I can, I trust everything is alright?” A female voice asked, it’s genuinely concerned tone distorted with an electronic filtering.
Rose instantly sputtered, looking up from the crates she was moving and twisting in shock to stare at the new speaker. “Wait, mom!?”
“Flintlock! Well this is a pleasant surprise, I’m afraid I don’t have much time here… Your father and I are on a very tight schedule. Please, walk with me, it will be great to talk to you again!” The mare requested.
Rose hadn’t mentioned her mom at all… I’d been under the impression that the woman was dead. Curious to learn all I could, I took a few steps to the left, just enough to see past the edge of the cargo bay and get a look at the woman.
Unfortunately it wasn’t much of a look… She was dressed in a form fitting streamlined set of power armor, and it covered her from head to hoof. Nothing but sleek orange and gold plates, with a bright red helmet and chestplate. No mare to be seen except just a glimpse of amethyst colored changeling eyes through the armor’s tinted visor.
Hang on a minute, that armor looked familiar. Where had I-
“Of course!” Rose exclaimed eagerly, quickly zipping down the cargo ramp to join her mom, who immediately started to walk off towards one of the two large warehouse-like buildings which lay across the black colored, crate covered, tarmac from where we had set down.
“Lyra, would you mind leaving bon here with me to help me unload?” Gale asked hopefully. “She’s a good worker.”
“Uh… I don’t know…” I said hesitantly, the question ripping my attention off trying to place that set of armor.
Bon lifted her head up to look at me and smiled. “Like helps,” she informed before going back to moving crates in her coils.
“He won't be taking off for at least a day. There will be time to retrieve your…companion,” Sky promised.
Gale nodded. “Yep. Got to get all loaded up, and part of that cargo will be coming fresh off the assembly line if I remember correctly. You and Rose can crash here tonight if you need to,” the stallion offered.
“No need, I’ll provide quarters,” Sky offered. “Anywho, so yeah… You’re human, right?”
I sputtered in surprise. “W-what? How did you-”
“This lab is built atop a human ruin… Pull a LOT of tech out of it for reverse engineering purposes. I have a lot of things you could help me with, and you need my help. How about we work out a business deal?” Sky offered.
“Uh, I don’t know what I could do, but sure, a deal sounds good,” I agreed.
“Excellent… Also lets avoid walking you past some of my friends who are outside right now,” Sky said in an overly casual tone. “That goes for you too Gale, keep your head down. Our friend the Captain is here to inspect the Empire’s latest weapons.”
“Thanks for the warning Sky, I’ll stay put for now,” Gale agreed.
“Wait!” I objected. “You sell to the empire!?”
Sky gave me a diabolical smile. “Of course. I’m his Majesty's most trusted inventor and arms dealer, dontcha know. Let me just beam us to my lab so we can chat. Sai, take myself and our guest to my lab, by my desk please.”
Before I had a chance to object the world turned a bright blue, and with a sensation like someone had pulled me by the tail I found myself standing inside a massive cavern of a steel walled room.
It was about the size of a basketball court, both in length and width, but also high. The ceiling and walls had supporting struts which helped the room together, over all reminding me of the interior of fictional starships. The room itself was a sea of stainless steel worktables, separated by towers of storage bins, all manner of manufacturing equipment, and various works in progress of all kinds.
The room was occupied by quite a few different ponies and changelings none of whom even looked up as we appeared, each quite focused on their individual projects. Hell, I’d be focused too, this room contained everything you’d need to rapidly prototype anything. There was even a small forge complete with anvil sitting just a few yards away from me.
The aforementioned desk we were to appear next to was in actuality a podium with a holographic projector in it, projecting a half dozen screens which at the moment held the schematics for powered armor. The same armor that Rose’s mom had been using infact. I guess she’d stopped in for a tune up or something.
The podium had a few fold out shelves deployed as well, which were covered in paper blueprints, empty soda and beer cans, and messes.
But as cool as this room was. “Dude! I’m not hanging out with someone who helps an empire commit genocide! Put me back up on the surface!”
“Oh geeze, here we go again…” Sky moaned. “Look, the Empire would just get someone else to supply them if I didn’t. Emperor Solaris is a determined and crazy stallion, he’ll get what he wants one way or the other. By providing his forces with their equipment, I can control how powerful his forces really are. Get it now?”
Oh! Well holy fuck. “You diabolical bastard…” I breathed. “That’s going to bite you in the ass.”
“Pff, nah. We’re friends, he trusts me. And I’m not lying when I say I’m acting in His Majesty's best interests… He’s… Unwell,” Sky explained. “But none of that leaves this room. And trust me, Sai will know if you tell anypony here, and there will be consequences for that.
“The only reason I even told you this is I do absolutely one hundred percent need a human's help and well, you guys are in short bucking supply. Are we on the same page here?”
I mentally sighed. There was little I could or even should do here I was going to move on as soon as I could, and while things kind of sucked here… I’d helped out someone mostly because it was the right thing to do. But at the same time, this wasn’t a battle I was especially invested in, and I was already on a mission… Though I did feel heartless for feeling that way.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah… I think I get it. I still don’t know what you want that I can help with though.”
Sky gestured around herself. “Like I said, this is a repaired and refurbished creation of your people. I don’t expect you to know the technology used here. But there are a few bits of this ship that only a human will be able to get me into, and we need this old hull fully operational sometime in the near future.”
I triple blinked. “Old hull?”
“Mmmhm. You’re in a buried ship. One which some friends and I plan to use to well…” Sky sighed, and looked at me with eyes filled with exhaustion and sadness. “His Majesty used to be a fair and just monarch, but he’s always been a glory hog. Long story short, his brother helped rule for a long long time but got no respect or glory, they had a fight, and Emperor Solaris banished Prince Artemis to the moon-”
“To the fucking moon!?” I exclaimed. “You have a space program!?”
Sky shook her head. “No, magical artifacts were used…. Anyways some friends who have purchased my assistance in unshitting our fair nation managed to make contact with our Prince. His banishment is eternal, magic can not undo it… And as the Emperor’s friend, I know that most of his madness is due to the grief from realizing his brother is forever lost.
“Tartarus… All of the policies I object to are apparently twisted version so things Artemis wished to have made law… Er, look that’s not the point. The point is if I can get this hull operational, we can go and retrieve Prince Artemis, then with an heir to the throne, and enough firepower to force our Emperor to abdicate, my friends will finally be able to actually accomplish something.
“But to get that done, I need either fifty more years of working at breaking software locks, or a human’s biosignature. As you can see, you have a great deal of valuable service to offer me. So what is it that I can offer you?” Sky finished, gazing at me in an analytical and businesslike fashion which made me feel oddly at home and comfortable.
“I need help fixing this interdimensional travel device on my wrist… I need to be able to get home, or to the version of you which made it so it can be fixed fully. It got to my homeworld once, so well, if repaired I figure it can do it again. Can you help with that?” I asked adding after a second. “You don't happen to be the-”
Sky shook her head. “No, I did not make that. At least, if I did, not yet. You see, my favored field of science happens to be multiversal physics. It’s entirely possible that one day I make a portable multiverse traveling device… But right now, all I have is my PortalArch.”
“PortalArch?” I asked, raising one eyebrow curiously.
If she had an existing portal system, I could just ask to use it! Haha! I could be at the end of my journey!
Sky smiled, nodded and reared up to put a hoof on my shoulder, unsteadily guiding me through her lab for a short distance over to one of the lab’s corners.
Along the trip, some of the workers started to notice the two of us, each one having a sputtering and shocked reaction similar to Sky’s. As we arrived in the corner the entire lab was literally buzzing with conversation as some changelings took to the air to get a look at me.
I gulped nervously, not liking how many eyes were currently staring intently into my soul…
“Don’t pay them any attention. You’re only a one of a kind creature is all,” Sky soothed as we stopped before a large machine.
The machine looked to be a spidery yet massive steel archway with a shimmery watery sphere held within its three arms, a sphere which seemed to contain a rippling view of… Sky’s desk viewed from the ceiling of her own lab?
“This is my PortalArch,” Sky said gesturing with one hoof to a big. “A window into the multiverse, and my greatest technoarcane achievement to date.
“Er, why’s it showing your desk? Test run?” I asked, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.
Sky winked at me. “That’s not my desk, but it is a desk belonging to a me. I’m currently waiting for that me to put a blueprint or something on the desk so I can copy it.”
“Y-you steal your ideas from other universes?” I asked in shock.
“Duh! That’s why I built the Arch,” she giggled. “I’m good at multiversal mechanics, but not so much at other sciences. This way I can be of more practical use. Well, all of the me’s and I that is... Except one. He caught on and put up a firewall. Somehow… I can’t view his universe anymore.”
Sky kicked a forehoof in embarrassment as she admitted that to me. While it was funny, there was still a pressing matter.
“Sooo, since you have that thing, can you trace where my VM came from, pop in the coordinates and let me walk through that thing?” I asked hopefully.
Sky shook her head. “No. While matter can pass through the Arch, the portal needs to be anchored on the other side for it to be stable enough for that. Unfortunately that means there must be someone waiting on the other side of the portal to do that. If it’s not anchored, only light and a bit of heat passes through it.
“Before you ask, yes, people have moved through this before, and it’s been spotted before. If I can find out where to aim this thing by scanning your own device, I might be able to get a message to that Sky and then get a portal established. But more importantly, I will know where you need to go, and I can probably get your own device to take you there.”
“Please don’t bullshit me,” I asked. “Can you seriously get me where I need to go? Because randomly hopping about is getting annoying.”
“Well, maybe I can, maybe I can’t,” Say admitted optimistically. “It really depends on how this thing works. If it uses the same principal as my PortArch, and the odds are good it does, then I’ll be able to direct it onwards. But… There’s the matter of payment.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly in suspicion. “I don’t have anything of value to you,” I pointed out, just to let her know I was on to her.
Sky smiled. “You are something of value. This hull was built by your species in the distant past, and most of it’s systems, which are still locked, are locked because we need to disarm a biosecurity system.
“Here’s my offer, take it or leave it. You provide us with a pint of blood so we can synthesize more of your DNA in the event we need to unlock something in the future, and you follow one of my engineers around and touch a lot of security scanners to open up various subsystems for us. You do that, I rearm and refit you as best I can and see about sending you on your way.”
I thought about it for a few long moments. While tossing someone the keys to an actual freaking starship, a military starship, a technology beyond my own people’s grasp, was definitely not something to do lightly… They were fighting a mad Emperor who currently owned half the planet.
“Alright, I’ll accept that on one condition,” I informed.
Sky nodded. “You are of course free to amend our verbal contract. But if I don’t get what I wan't, neither will you.”
“You can have the blood and I’ll unlock things for you. No big. But, I want you to help me even if I can’t open those locks for whatever reason,” I stated firmly.
Sky rolled her eyes. “No. If you try and you fail, I’ll only see too your manipulator.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “It’s a bioscanner, odds are only authorized personnel can get in. I doubt any human can open everything.”
Sky bit her lip. “Fair enough… If you can get even one thing open we’ll see what sort of code is used to do the unlocking and then Sai can brute force the rest of them. Alright, if you can open one thing, you get my full help. Try and fail, and I’ll only do what tinkering I can on your portal watch.”
“It’s a deal,” I agreed, sticking out a hand to shake.
Sky gently booped my hand with a hoof. “Yes. It is. So, let’s see what I can do with your little watch. Might as well tinker with it while you are busy. Oh and fair’s fair if I can’t do anything with it, you don’t have to do your part of our arrangement.”
Sky suddenly turned to face deeper into the lab and yelled. “Ayna! Can you tell me how this thing works?”
“Uh, how could any of your assistants possibly know how something you didn’t design works?” I asked curiously.
Sky gave me a little grin. “My sis was lucky enough to earn a special talent. This is pretty cool, you’ll like it.”
Before I had a chance to ask the obvious follow up of ‘what’s a special talent and how do you earn one?’ A small, sleek changeling with a pair of small bioluminescent stripes on her sides and covered in a tangle of wires and electrical components eagerly zipped around a stack of crates into view. Unlike other changelings I’d seen so far, she also had one of the brands on her hip. Tis one was green and shaped like an asymmetrical arrowhead containing a small swirly swoosh shape in it’s center.
“What thing?” She asked eagerly as she trotted over.
“Uh, sis, you want to take the junk off first?” Sky asked.
“No! I’ll forget which lead is which, I’m mid build. But this has to be awesome if you don’t know…” The changeling trailed off as she noticed me looking up in an analyzing way, eyes creepily glowing for a brief moment. “Something broke on that droid?”
“No, I’m organic,” I said, taking a step back in concord.
“Are you sure? Because your various systems are awfully optimised and have an organically designed feel to them,” she asked in concern.
How the flying shit did she… Right. Magic. Invasive as fuck magic.
“My species is big into gene engineering,” I elaborated.
“Oh! Okay. I’ll bet you get along great with droids though. Er, what is it I need to look at then?” Ayna asked eagerly.
Sky cleared her throat. “The portal device on her wrist. It’s not working right. Would you do your thing, please?”
Ayna nodded and stepped into creepy-close distance before staring at my wrist, eyes glowing brightly again.
“Er,” I asked in concern, “what’s she-”
“Shh!” Sky shushed. “Don’t distract her, you’ll mess it up.”
Ayna blinked, eyes fading back to normal as she frowned. “Ow… Miss, can you be quiet for just a second, please?”
“Only if you explain what you are doing,” I declared.
“Big sis didn’t tell you?” Ayna asked in surprise. “I’m using my talent to learn what your machine does.”
“Right and a talent is…what?” I asked again.
“Oh, right!” Sky exclaimed, facehoofing. “You’re not from here… The symbol on a pony’s flank, that’s called a cutiemark. It’s a magical symbol which provides a hint at what a pony is uniquely good at. Sometimes, well, often really, the mark grants a unique magic to the pony.
“And sometimes species close to ponies can get a cutiemark. Zebras, Changelings, I heard a mule got one once too. Ayna had her’s before my parents adopted her. She can just sort of understand how a system works.”
Ayna nodded. “I have to focus on it completely though, and I forgot most of what I know while studying it once I’m done, but for one brief moment I know exactly what something does and how. But, well…once I’m done I remember maybe a tenth of all that… And I can’t do anything while studying it… And repeated uses don’t stack unless I wait a few days to a week between… Board now, checking out your tech.”
The changeling’s eyes glowed again as she stared intently at my arm in a manner similar to someone about to take a bite out of something. She kept her gaze up for a solid minute before blinking, surprising me with the fact that her species even had eyelids.
“Ooo! That’s cool! It’s a completely broken teleporter,” she cooed happily.
Sky nodded. “Right, but how is it moving things between universes?”
“Um… Well, the teleporter is supposed to work by creating an superposition of every quantum object in the affected zone simultaneously to move them a precise distance all at the same time. It’s using the um…” She trailed off for a moment, cheeks glowing a pale green which I only realized was a blush after she stopped blushing. “I forgot the principle’s name… And I can’t think of a way to describe it in words. Sorry…
“Er, but the dimension hopping is due to the targeting system being totally shot. Instead of entangling the atoms of the wearer and stuff in their immediate contact, it’s actually targeting a patch of spacetime a meter so in front of the user. And that is…well, apparently if you entangle space-time itself it breaks down the universal walls so to speak. Er, what I mean is, that it will rip a small hole between universes.
“Now the teleporter is still trying to teleport things so it then seeks an endpoint, and because it’s startpoint goes right into the void between universes, the only space for the endpoint to be is in another universe. Since the void is well, a mathematical concept it’s not really a place and you can’t go there… Uh, best I can say the endpoint gets put somewhere in whatever universe is ‘closest’ to the one it’s activated in, at the time it’s activated.
“Once the endpoint is made, the entangled space-time acts like a wormhole, but well, you know spacetime. It likes to close holes in itself real quick so that wormhole will only last for about um… five minutes tops. That’s all I can remember.”
Sky nodded. “Right… So nothing like my PortalArch then. Meaning I can’t intentionally direct it. Shit.”
Ayna nodded. “Yes, it works by being a really really broken teleporter watch.”
Of the many burning questions I had, I decided to go with the one that felt the most important.
“So um…is this thing safe to use?” I asked, tapping the VM heastently.
Sky snorted. “Pff, yeah! What my sis is forgetting the name of is called, ‘Superpositional Translocation’. That’s when an object enters a quantum field that’s synchronized with a second field. The object exists in both fields at once for a brief instant, but it’s still got its momentum and shit, so it goes in one side and out the opposite. Just like a wormhole, but you know, you can actually make one without needing all the power of a small star to physically bend space.
“It’s completely safe, with a failure rate of like… Well, you won't have enough time before heat death to make enough jumps to have an accident occur from it. The device will wear out, mechanical failure and injury will happen long before you run any risk of injury from the process itself.”
“Then how many jumps can I do safely?” I asked, feeling a bit comforted.
“With this thing?” Ayna asked, tapping a hoof to her chin. “About twenty or so before it’s crystal starts to warp from stress. That's when it will get dangerous.”
“Ah… That’s not good…” I groaned. “You can't fix it, the last Sky only managed to get it to go within twelve thousand years of the time it was in before it was sent to me… There’s no way I’ll be able to find him in just like, seventeen more hops…”
Sky’s ears perked. “Wait! A me was able to narrow the range of time it can go to?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then I can improve that,” Sky said confidently. “I’d never be able to work out a system from scratch, but improving an existing one is within my capabilities. Pass me that thing and I’ll get to tinkering… It will be a day or two. So you might as well get comphy, or start fulfilling your side of the deal.”
Ayna looked at her sister in surprise. “There’s a deal? Did you volunteer my services?”
Sky shook her head. “Nah, I didn’t. But you can help if you want. She needs a jumpsuit and some armor repaired.”
“Also I need a new gun. My last one got lightninged,” I added quickly. “Or sword lessons.”
Ayna’s eyes lit up, not literally, but they definitely seemed to sparkle with joy. “I haven’t done a gun in forever! I’ll totally do a gun, right after I finish this delivery drone. How big’s your hand?”
The changeling quickly snatched my hand and compared it to the size of her hoof before nodding and trotting off, humming happily. I blinked and turned to give Sky a completely confused look, pleading for an answer with my eyes.
“Ayna’s mildly autistic,” Sky informed patiently. “She really doesn't understand most social interaction stuff. She didn’t mean to be rude or anything, she just needed to know how big to make the grip.”
“Oh,” I replied. Well, that explained that. Not that I’d ever seen a mental disability… I’d read about them though. “Er, I mostly wanted to know why she was so eager to make a gun. She seemed genuinely happy about it. But well, that explains it. I think… I’m not exactly sure what that illness does.”
“Limited interests, difficulty communicating, hard time understanding how people act,” Sky grunted. “She’s not really impaired… Not anymore at least. She’s gotten way better over the years. Still doesn't understand if she’s being rude like that though. As far as weapons go, she’s always loved making machines, and weapons are a good chance for her to just go nuts. You’re bound to get something good.
“Still, I recommend getting that sword training you’re after anyways. You could ask other me to help, he fences.”
I did a double take. “Oh- Other you?”
“Yeah, other me,” Sky giggled. “Remember how I said my PortalArch can bring stuff through if there’s someone on the other side to help? Well, I know that because a me escaped from his shitty universe with his wife. Whose his universe's copy of my wife. And I’m not sure, but I suspect they switch out on us all the time…
“Anywho, he lives here now… Mostly because well, he’s me. Why leave the Phoenix? It’s got everything a Sky could want.”
“... That would explain why you didn’t freak out at me being a dimensional traveler,” I mused.
“Mhm,” she confirmed with a nod. “That and you know, this is kind of my field.”
“Sooo… I guess I should go and start seeing if I can open things up,” I said semi-decisively.
Sky nodded. “Mhm. Follow me, I’ll lead you to Trigger’s quarters and you two can take care of that while I start work on your device… Speaking of…”
Sky held out her hoof, and I unbuckled the VM handing it over. “Sounds good,” I agreed.
Things were starting to really look up. Maybe I’d be home sooner than I thought.
Flintlock Rose - 24th of Faust 09 EoH - Morning
Multiverse Location: Imperial Equestria, Badlands, Equis #9 - The Solar Empire
I had honestly never expected to see my mom again! This was awesome. While I understood why my parents left me to find my own way as a teen, I’d still missed them. With how big the world was, and how much they liked to adventure, I’d thought they were gone from my life forever.
“It’s so good to see you again, mom!” I exclaimed happily.
Mom gave me a smile, not the sort she used to give me, but the kind she gave to dad. A respectful smile.
“It’s nice to see you have become a proper adult. Where did you find the start of your road?” She asked.
“Heh,” I chuckled. “One city over… Yeah I know not too far but I helped out a Taikwuan Monk mine some coal for his dojo, so they let me sleep there for the night… So I kept helping mine coal. They eventually started teaching me their arts.”
Mom’s smile grew a bit wider. “Trained by warrior monks is a good place to start.”
I nodded, ears falling a little. “Yeah… I liked your training better though.”
Mom sighed, stopping in her tracks to give me a serious look. “Dear, we talked about this for a whole year…”
“I know,” I agreed. “A pony’s second and third decade of life are when we learn the most the easiest, and if I just learned from you and dad I would never find my own way.”
Mom nodded. “Right, I am glad you remember… You don’t hate us for it, do you? Your father and I only wanted to ensure you become your own person.”
I shook my head no. “I don’t hate you guys. Not one bit… I mean it sucked, but now… Yeah I can see where it helped me out. But I wasn’t talking about that. I really meant that I liked learning all the different weapons and gadgets and how to use them. That was more fun than martial arts.”
“Oh! Well, yes I can see that. Still, do you regret learning it?” Mom asked, resuming her walk.
I shook my head firmly. “Not at all. I can punch through steel with my bare hooves now!”
Well, as long as it wasn’t hardened steel… But no need to tell mom that.
“Not bad… But have you ever wrestled a dragon to the ground and knocked it cold with a headbutt?” Mom asked.
“You did that in power armor!” I said accusingly.
“Yep! Which means you have room to oneup me there, dear,” Mom teased.
The two of us had a laugh at her joke, taking a few long moments to laugh at the thought of me outperforming her suit.
“... Too bad your dad is back at camp. He’d have loved that,” Mom finally managed to say between chuckles, suddenly resuming her walk towards the storeroom. “Well… What happened after the monks? What are you up to now? After all… You only have right now to ask for advice. Just a reminder, I am on a tight timetable, your father and I can NOT miss our departure time.”
“Oh! Right,” I said as I fell back into step alongside her. “After the monks I moved to Manehattan for a while. I heard that they were more tolerant of thestrals there, and um… Well you know how I can’t just shift all at once…”
“Sorry sweetie, I’ve always wished you had more of my genetics. Still, you seem to be able to hold a shape quite well now!” Mom praised.
I blushed proudly. “Mhm! I can keep myself in a form as long as I want now. Still takes me like, months to learn a new shape though… And my shifts still last for a few minutes… No improvements there. I think I’m stuck at this point.”
“Dear, it’s just like learning to punch. Anyling can shift, but you need to put in the effort to do it well. I know it’s harder for hybrids but give it another year of hard work and you’ll have it down. It took me a decade to go from ‘basic pony’ to ‘anything I want’, and even now I’m still improving, and it’s been two hundred years. At least right now you can be whatever you like, given time.Take pride in that accomplishment,” Mom said cheerfully.
“Mhm! I’m really happy with this form in particular. It feels, well, like me,” I agreed. “But anyways Manehatten wasn’t really…welcoming. So I thought I would try a smaller city in Zebrica. It’s a provence, and well you know, the Zebras are more tolerant… But I did a dumb, pissed off some guards and wound up having to leave.
“I thought it would be nice to see how changelings lived, so I decided to come here since I knew a changeling worked here. I’ve never seen a hive before you know.”
Mom frowned. “There’s a reason for that… Most of our people are…not kind, or even just. The Emeralds, Rubies, and my own kin, are the only three I know of which I would have ever taken you to see… But well… It never felt like a good time to introduce you to a hive. The connection can be… Overwhelming for those not born in one.”
I nodded. “Y-yeah… Is there anyway to, you know, filter out the faint telepathy?”
The low buzz of conversations everywhere was starting to get to me… Not in a bad way it just…was hard to feel comfortable.
Mom shook her head. “No. You just learn to enjoy it. For me this is like listening to a nice pleasant rainfall. I do have to warn you, the Emeralds are rather, atypical changelings. If you want to know more of our side of the family, you should travel to the griffon kingdoms and find the Amethyst Hive… Easier said than done, it’s nomadic.”
“Well… Actually, I’m thinking about doing something else now,” I admitted.
It had started as a vague dumb seeming idea… But the more I’d thought about it, the more the idea grew.
“Oh?” Mom asked curiously.
I nodded. “Yeah, the person I arrived with. She helped me escape from an Imperial fort. I didn’t really need the help. I’d have gotten out on my own, and the thing is, I think she could have gotten out on her own too.
“Thing is… While she has real battle experience, she’s apparently used to fighting only in the air, not on the ground. She also gave me a great example of why charging a superior force isn’t the best idea… But she also took out an impressive number of opponents before getting too shot up to keep fighting.”
Mom smiled. “I see, you think you could teach each other.”
“Yeah, I do. I could definitely take in more of her tactical advice, and it’s good to have a vet to learn from… Also we both know my aerial skills are lacking. But she definitely needs help with her ground game, and I could help her with that… Plus her species is freaking adorable!” I admitted, eeping as I realized I’d said the last part out loud.
Mom blushed, clearing her throat before nodding. “Yes, she definitely comes from a cute species. Do you know where she is going?”
I nodded. “She’s looking for the right version of Sky who can fix a portal device of hers.”
“Ah, I see… She’s a Traveler. They do tend to make for interesting friends,” mom said in an odd tone.
“Yeah, and that’s pretty cool,” I said happily.
“Do you know if she will let you travel with her?” Mom asked.
I shook my head. “No. I haven’t asked yet. But I will.”
“Are you sure you want to go on that sort of journey?” Mom asked.
“Yes, how many people can say they got to see a whole other world?” I asked in return.
“The list isn’t too long, that’s for sure,” mom chuckled. “Dear, if you feel this is where your road leads, then you have my full support. Just remember what’s truly important, and don't let your travels change your principles.”
“I really, really don’t see how hopping around universes could change my mind on the ‘helping people is good’ issue,” I laughed.
Mom laughed with me. “I suppose I did worry too much about you. You seem to have become a fine young warrior… Do a mother a favor and live to become an old warrior. Preferably one who has raised a young warrior of their own.”
“Of course I will, mom,” I replied.
“Good! Now before you leave…” Mom began, her tone suggesting she was about to impart wisdom of the highest order. “Your dad’s old armor, it’s terrible. He wore it down to the bone. Ask Ayna to replace it before you go, she’s gotten way better in the last sixty years anyways.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine mom… I’ll check up on that.”
“Also, if you find yourself liking the person you wish to travel with-”
“What! No! I just want to train with her,” I objected.
“Heh, I remember when I wanted to ‘just train’ with your dad. Sooner is better than later, dear. Once you are sure, tell her immediately,” mom advised.
“Ugh, mom! Seriously, I only think she’s cute!” I eeped. “I mean, think she can-”
“Mmmmmhm,” mom smirked. “I’m not judging. I dated and wed outside my species afterall. I’m also not saying you should date her. Not all crushes will become something more. Just be sure you follow your heart, as we taught you to do.”
“That’s all I ever do, mom,” I sighed.
Mom nodded, seemingly satisfied.“Then whatever happens, I am sure you will have made the right choice.”
The two of us suddenly arrived at the storeroom. The green shelled changeling on guard gave mom a quick look, the two exchanging a hello over telepathy to confirm her identity.
Satisfied, the guard nodded and tapped a hoof to a panel on the wall, opening the doors. “Go right in Miss Ar’ran. I’m afraid your friend will need to remain outside.”
Mom nodded, and gave me a quick hug. “We’ll bump into each other again one day. Enjoy yourself, dear.”
“Bye mom,” I said turning back with a sad sigh.
Too bad we couldn’t have gotten lunch or something. Ooo! Lyra and I should get lunch! She owed me a sandwhich still.