Act Six Chapter IV: A New Hope (crossover)
Begin Chapter Four
“So... How did you feel?”
“Pardon?” Applejack asked. When Twilight had asked to speak with her privately, she’d shooed her sister and the rest of the ponies off to some other part of the trolls’ fancy moon-base. Now they were alone, and she noticed Twilight’s strong air of melancholy.
“Y-you know,” Twilight said. “When this happened... to you.”
“Oh!” Applejack exclaimed. She caught herself then, put a hoof to her mouth in embarrassment. “Oh,” she said. “Right. That.”
“Err- nevermind,” Twilight quickly cut in. “It was a stupid question. Just… forget it.”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Applejack cried. “It was… you know, let me just sort of tell you what happened.” Twilight gave an apologetic look, but returned to her seat. Applejack took in a deep breath, and began.
“I was just twelve years old, at the time. Applebloom had barely been born, and Mac was out helping in the fields. It wasn’t anything fancy, but we were all content with it just the same. Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that make y’ah the happiest. But I’m gettin’ off on one of them tangents now, aren’t I?
“One day, my parents had this big delivery scheduled out in Manehatten. Mac begged and pleaded to be allowed to come along, and truth be told by folks really could’ve used his help. So they set off from the farm with Mac in tow, waving goodbye to us. Heh. At least I got to say goodbye before they left for good.
“They got to Manehatten and made their delivery. I hear the client was so impressed with their speed that they even paid a bonus. My parents decided to celebrate by spending the rest of the day in Manehatten, renting a room in a hotel, and heading back the next day. They treated Mac to a nice dinner and then they went and saw a show. Probably would’ve been the happiest day of Mac’s life, had what happened next never occurred.
“They were on the way to the hotel. They passed this dark alleyway and suddenly they were ordered to stop. They turned and found this unicorn holding a big ‘ol knife in his grip. And… well, I think you can infer what happened next.”
Applejack stopped then, choking back a couple sobs. Ooh… in order to avoid making this into a stereotypical sob story, I believe I’m gonna have to cut the view for a moment. So long as I am, allow me to say this: I can assure you that this is clearly all to Applejack's parents. They died in a completely normal and relatable fashion that surely has no hidden implications or connections to seemingly unrelated plot threads. For realsies.
Huh. The herring really is excellent this time of year. I especially love the red ones.
“Subtle. Very subtle.”
Oh, hello Pinkie. I haven’t seen you around here for awhile. It doesn’t look like I have time to chat, though, because it’s almost time to get back to the story.
Twilight’s wrapped her foreleg around the sniffling Applejack. “Applejack, I’m sorry for bringing this up,” she said. “I shouldn’t have made you relive these memories again.”
“N-no, Twilight,” Applejack stammered. “Ah mean-” She stopped herself, and took a couple deep, calming breaths. “No, Twilight. It ain’t your fault. This happens… well, it’s like sometimes you’ll hear a song or see a smile and that hole in yer chest will rip open again. Twilight…” Applejack turned to face the librarian, who’s eyes were moistening by the second. “A death ain’t something you can just get over. It’s somethin’ ya have to adapt to, somethin’ ya have to learn ta live with. It gets harder… but then it gets easier.”
It was too much. The tears broke free of Twilight’s eyes, streaming down her face. She turned away, embarrassed, ashamed of herself for losing her composure so easily. This time it was Applejack’s turn to comfort her with a foreleg wrapped around her shoulder. “Twilight, I’m here for ya,” Applejack whispered. “All of yer friends are here for ya, and while we may not understand what yer goin’ through, we’re here ta support you all the same. Ya understand that?” Twilight gave a slight nod. “Good.” Applejack gave a warm smile, one which Twilight attempted to return, though not with much success. “Eh, it’s a start,” Applejack joked.
“HEY DIPSHITS! MEETING IN THE MAIN ROOM! PASS IT THE FUCK ON!” The voice simply echoed through the room as it’s owner raced past the door, speeding off through the halls.
-----
Plans happening already? Oh dear. I had hoped I would be able to squeeze in some character development here... oh wait. I can do that.
Earlier, in a different part of the lab, where Celestia had tucked herself away...
The Princess sighed. “Now explain it to me one more time. Why are we suddenly assisting the greatest criminals known to land?”
The Epsilons exchanged glances. “Shenanigans,” they said simultaneously.
Celestia frowned, her disapproval causing the squad to flatten their ears and cringe away in fear. “Very funny, recruits. Now give me a real answer before I feed you your insignia.”
The squad eyeballed each other, before Escutcheon took up the trail of thought. “Well, your highness, it kind of depends if they are the criminals they were.”
Celestia’s eyes flashed. “Elaborate.”
“I mean,” he began, his tail swishing as he sorted his thoughts, “I know some of them were as bad as you say they were, but a lot seem to be more shouty and harmless than anything else. It’s possible that only one or two are bad and the rest suffered from their fellows’ poor reputation.”
Celestia gave a small sigh. “For one, I’d like to remind you that none of you were present on the trolls initial arrival. You weren’t there when they assisted Tirek, or subjugated an Empire, or tried to kill me.” The squad seemed to shrink back at this. “In all fairness, however, it was rare that I ever had an extended interaction with any of them,” Celestia admitted. “Judging by their actions, however, I think that yes, I’d label them to be ‘As bad as I said they were.’”
“...I guess you’re right, Princess,” Escutcheon admitted.
“Too bad we need their help, eh?” Bramble Scout said.
“Yes, it does come back to that, doesn’t it,” Celestia groaned. “Noir is unfortunately an enemy that none of us can face alone. With the powers of us and the Doomed Gods combined, perhaps we may triumph, but still…”
Rune Blaze piped up. “So, in the increasingly unlikely situation that we succeed in defeating Noir, what then? We just go back to fighting each other?”
“With any luck? No,” Celestia proclaimed. “When we do eventually engage Noir, the fight is sure to be harrowing. Noir is currently one of the most powerful beings on this planet. He could kill us. He could kill the trolls. He could slaughter all of Equestria… As such I believe it stands to reason that should we defeat him, the trolls left alive will have been sufficiently weakened. Twilight and the rest can finish them off.”
The guards’s eyes widened at this, and they glanced at each other. “Err- Princess?” Bramble Scout spoke up. “Are you sure that’s the best plan?”
“Do you have a better one?” Celestia replied.
“Not exactly. It’s just that…”
“It’s not a very honorable idea,” Escutcheon said. “The Royal Guard is supposed to be noble in their defense of Equestria.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” Rune Blaze offered. “What if the Elements are too tired, or the trolls are able to avoid the attack? Then they’d probably flat out declare war, and with Equestria in such a weakened state already… it wouldn’t end well.”
“I still don’t get why we have to fight them in the first place,” Bramble Scout said. “I mean, yeah I don’t know exactly what things they did in the past, but were they so bad that they’ve no chance to be reformed?”
“So much opposition? I’m surprised,” Celestia said, raising an eyebrow at the group.
“Well… they did help us out in the Crystal Empire,” Cloud Cover said. “Though I suppose they helped cause the problem too… I just can’t get a read on these guys.”
Celestia sighed. “And… I suppose the Elements of Harmony are going to be thinking roughly the same?”
“Probably,” Cloud Cover answered. Celestia gave another sigh.
“Very well. It seems I’m going to have to rethink this, though I can’t imagine where I’ll find the time,” Celestia groaned.
A grey, shouty head stuck itself into the room. “HEY! WOULD YOU STOP LAZING AROUND ON YOUR FAT ASSES AND HURRY UP? MEETING IN THE MAIN ROOM!” The head disappeared, leaving the Epsilon Squad staring in shock and Celestia facehooving.
-----
A heavy air of silence lay over the room as Nitram and Fluttershy leaned against a metallic wall. Their expressions were slack, almost dead to the world around them. Serket hovered nearby, keeping an eye on Nitram, but her expression was much the same. Pinkie Pie kept trying to offer them cake.
“Aw, come on,” the party pony pleaded. “It’s good! Or at least, as good as I’m going to get it. It’s a pain to cook when you just have the Betty Crocker logo staring at you the whole time, but they didn’t have anything else.” No one replied, but Serket did give Pinkie a disbelieving look.
“Oh come on. Just take a slice, please?” Pinkie begged, gesturing towards Serket with a plate. “It’s too gloomy in this place. Everypony needs some cheering up.”
“Pinkie, I don’t think we’re supposed to be cheery right now,” Fluttershy said. “We’re… Twilight’s parents are dead. Luna’s dead. Canterlot’s destroyed… so many ponies…” She stopped herself, and forced herself to breathe slowly and deeply, shuddering from time to time.
To her right, Nitram didn’t seem to fare much better, though while Fluttershy was sorrowful, Nitram seemed outright panicked. His eyes darted back and forth, and he held his legs close, bunching them up and wrapping his arms around them. “Look at all th1s!” he suddenly cried. “1 mean, th1s 1s a more hopeless s1tuat1on than the Canterlot 1nvas1on! 1t’s great that everyone’s not captured and stuck 1n a cave, 8ut st1ll…”
“Eh, cheer up Nitram,” Serket advised. “We’ve got the wind at our 8acks and fortune on our side and… stuff…” Nitram cast a disbelieving glance at his matesprit. “Alright, cheesy stuff aside… this is pretty much rock 8ottom,” Serket admitted. “8ut that doesn’t mean we won’t still come out on top. We’ve 8eaten impossible odds 8efore, right? We cur8stomped Noir 8ack in the Canterlot Invasion, and in Ponyville even 8efore that. I’ve got my Light powers and you’ve got your 8reath powers, and Fluttershy’s got… whatever she’s got. And Pinkie’s got c8ke.” Serket glanced at the pink earth pony, still eagerly offering a loaded plate and a fork.
“OK,” Serket said, “I admit I’m not doing a gr8 jo8 of highlighting our advantages.”
“You can say that aga1n,” Nitram groaned.
“8ut!” Serket cut in, “That doesn’t mean we have none. We’ve 8attled alicorns and changelings and saved the world on occasion. We’re not a8out to give up here.”
“And why not!?” Nitram roared. “Any way you sl1ce 1t, Serket, we’re doomed. All the luck 1n the world and all the w1nd to carry you doesn’t do a th1ng when you’re fac1ng an un8eata8le 8oss.”
“Hey. Simply 8ecause we were licked a hundred years 8efore we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Serket retorted.
“Oh, don’t you quote To K1ll a Mock1ng8ird at me!” Nitram growled. “What’s the relevance of that even?”
“How about this then? ‘i DON’T THINK i WILL GIVE IN TO BAD SELF ESTEEM THIS TIME ABOUT THIS, iT’S IMPORTANT TO STAY CONFIDENT ABOUT STUFF, dON’T YOU AGREE?’”
Nitram stood, his face flecked with tears. “M1ndfang, 1’m not qu1te sure you understand the sever1ty of what’s go1ng on! Any m1nute now No1r could f1nd us and we could d1e. 1 don’t want to d1e, M1ndfang!”
“Um...”
“You’re not going to die,” Serket dismissed. “Would ya calm down? You’re acting like a child.”
“Shut 1t, Serket!” Nitram screamed. “You can’t say that 1’m not go1ng to d1e. 1 am h1d1ng out on a meteor, forced to count the m1nutes and hope 1 l1ve to see the next. There’s someth1ng out there that wants my head on a s1lver platter! 1 th1nk 1 have a perfectly leg1t1m8 reason to 8e upset!”
“Oh, so now you’re dou8ting my a8ilities to protect you?” Serket asked, her tone shedding light on her offense. “You know I can 8arely 8elieve this, Nitram. One little 8ad guy and you’re sent into a panic. Un8elieva8le.”
“Er, pardon me...?”
“Shut up!” Nitram shot, rising to his metallic feet. “What d1d 1 do to deserve th1s, Serket!? ‘One l1ttle 8ad guy and you’re sent 1nto a pan1c’- one l1ttle 8ad guy!?” Serket almost flinched as Nitram took a furious step forwards. “We’ve faced No1r 8efore, 8ut not l1ke th1s! Th1s 1s the threat that forced Dash to come 8ack through t1me and warn us a8out 1t! Th1s 1s the threat that levelled Canterlot 1n, l1ke, an hour and a half! Th1s 1s the threat that k1lls al1corns when we can 8arely touch them!”
“Nitram, I think you should shut up!” Serket retorted. “Look at yourself, Toreador! You’re falling to pieces! I thought you were supposed to be the Controller, scourge of Equestria. I thought you were supposed to command affairs of the mind, not let them command you!”
“Oh go gag yourself,” Nitram shrieked. “Are you ser1ously tell1ng me th1s r1ght now? That 1 shouldn’t 8e afra1d? That 1 shouldn’t pan1c when my l1fe 1s on the l1ne? That 1 should just 8e fearless l1ke you!?” The room was suddenly quiet. Nitram stood inches away from Serket, his finger jabbed in her face. She looked somewhat shocked. “Well,” Nitram said in a lower voice, “1’m sorry. 1’m sorry that 1’m scared to d1e!”
For several moments, the trolls stood still, their angry gazes locked on each other. Then, a sharp cry pierced the silence. The two turned, and spotted Fluttershy, still sitting on the floor and watching them with teary eyes. “Stop it!” she screamed. “Stop it you two! If we’re going to die, don’t you want it to be as friends?”
“Yeah!” Pinkie added, jabbing a hoof in the trolls’ direction. “There is far too much negativity going around here. You both need to simmer down and have a calm, reasonable discussion here!”
The trolls glanced at Pinkie, then at each other. “Uh…” they said, simultaneously.
“Nope,” Pinkie said. “This is not up for debate! And after you’re done, we’re all gonna have some cake! That’s not up for debate either!”
“HEY!” The ground turned to see Vantas’s shouty face appear in the doorway. “MEETING IN THE MAIN ROOM! BE THERE OR BE WORTHLESS!”
“OK, so maybe we’re gonna have to do this later,” Pinkie said. “But I’ll save the cake!”
-----
As her eyes crept open, Rainbow Dash noticed that she’d been moved inside. The ceiling above was grey, and metallic, while the bed beneath was soft. She tried to sit up, but stopped when a wave of pain rushed over her. She let out a hiss, and glancing over herself, noticed a plethora of bandages, wrapped carefully around her more serious cuts. They ached like all get up, but still she drew in a breath, bit her lip, and propped herself up on her elbow. Under great protest from her body, she managed to raise herself into a sitting position.
“Wow. I didn’t think you’d wake up so quickly.” The voice startled Rainbow- she almost lost her balance. Her head, whirled as she took in the room proper. It was the same lustrous grey as the ceiling, a single window leading out into the inky blackness beyond. A nightstand sat next to her, on which lay a lamp, a glass of water, and a bottle of pills. A row of chairs stood across from her bed, and Future Dash sat in one of them.
For a long time, neither of them spoke. Rainbow, feeling a little awkward given the situation, sought to fill the silence. “Err… thanks,” she finally said. Future Dash nodded back. Another pause, one that may have been considerably more awkward than the first.
“You might want to take some painkillers,” Future Dash suggested. “Bottle on the stand. Here, let me help.”
“No, I’ve got it,” Rainbow interrupted. She stifled a grunt of pain as she turned, swallowed a couple of pills and took a swig of water. She set the glass back on the stand, and waited for the medicine to kick in. It was then that she noticed something peculiar. She couldn’t quite put a hoof on it, but something felt… off…
On instinct, she glanced over her shoulder. “Oh right. That.”
“Yep,” Future Dash replied. “That.” Rainbow’s face fell when she saw not the folded wing she’d expected, but a small heap of bandages concealing what must be a tiny stump, the remainder of bones and muscles that had been there before. She turned to her other side, and was relieved to find that wing still attached- to be sure, she tried to flex it, and was rewarded with a sharp ache. She turned back to her missing wing- in some ways it still felt there. She could kind of feel the tips of her feathers brushing against the mattress, or the joints sliding as she folded or unfolded the phantom appendage, but it was nothing but a faint illusion.
“I… I’m never going to fly again, am I,” Rainbow said, her tone bearing a touch of melancholy.
“...Yep,” her Future self replied, casting a sympathetic look. Rainbow, perhaps not wanting to face her loss of limb, took another look over her visitor. She was surprised to find that Future Dash was not in much better shape than her. Some small cuts were faded red against the cyan of her fur, and some spots of discoloration showed where bruises had been raised underneath. She had bandages wrapped tightly around her foreleg, and, perhaps drawing the most attention-
“What happened to your eye?” Rainbow asked. Future Dash’s left eye was obscured beneath a black eyepatch. She looked, and Rainbow kicked herself for thinking this, almost like a stereotypical pirate, if not for the saddened look in her remaining eye.
“Something something Hive Lord Noir,” Future Dash answered. “Honestly, I’m not actually sure. It’ll take some getting used to. Doesn’t really compare to yours, though.”
“I dunno,” Rainbow replied. “I think lack of depth perception is pretty bad as far as flight goes.”
“Yeah. Guess so.” There was another pause now, this one perhaps the most uncomfortable yet. Future Dash and Present Dash glanced away from each other, wandering into their tumultuous thoughts for a second or two, wishing something would happen to break the moment. Eventually, their eyes found each other again.
“I’m sorry.” They said it at the same time. Future Dash’s hoof flew to her mouth as Rainbow cringed a little.
“Err- I’ll go first,” Rainbow said.
“No, please, let me,” Future Dash requested. Rainbow didn’t answer; taking her silence for approval, Future Dash continued. “I’m sorry that I was so hard on you. I’m sorry that I probably chose the worst possible time to bring it up, and I’m sorry I was so stubborn that I let you storm off afterwards. I was just…”
“I’m sorry, though. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you,” Rainbow said. “I’m sorry I was so set on being the hero and stopping Noir that I didn’t listen to you. I’m sorry I was so immature about all this. I’m sorry for making you apologize now.”
“No, no, I need to apologize,” Future Dash disagreed. “Back in my timeline, I did a bunch of dumb things. Wasn’t always the advocate for peace I am now. I thought Celestia was always right, and I fought the trolls at any available situation… partly because I wanted to stop them, but mostly because I wanted to be this big hero. Even when the bigger bads showed up, I was always trying to fight everypony, hoping I’d be the one to save the day. But when it almost cost me my life… and then I guess I just didn’t want you to make the same mistake.”
“That’s… considerate of you,” Rainbow said. “Thanks. I still should’ve handled it better.”
“And I should’ve brought it up at a better time,” Future Dash said.
“...Are we really going to do this whole ‘it’s my fault’ stuff?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh please something happen soon,” Future Dash begged.
As if on cue, Vantas appeared at the doorway. “CALLING ALL EPILEPTIC NIGHTMARES! MEETING IN THE MAIN ROOM!”
“THANK CELESTIA!” the Dashes cried, springing to their hooves. Well, Future Dash sprung to her hooves. Rainbow just sort of tried to get up and fell backwards with a small cry.
“Ooh, let me give you a hoof there,” Future Dash said, extending a foreleg to help Rainbow up.
“IF YOU’RE NOT THERE SOON, WE’RE STARTING WITHOUT YOU!” Vantas cried, before moving off through the halls.
-----
Ampora was pacing in the room he shared with Peixes. “This is bad. This is really, really bad.”
Peixes rolled her eyes. “O)( relax. As bad as Noir is, )(e isn’t exactly Bec Noir, no matter )(ow )(ard some of us might believe it.”
The male seadweller exhaled in disbelief. “Wwhat, you honestly think there’s an actual difference?” He shook his head. “That’s it, you’vve flipped. Havve you seen wwhat he’s doing to the place? Wwe are hiding out on this meteor for exactly the same reasons as our canon selvves, and wwe both knoww howw that ended! Not evven you can put a believvable spin on this.”
Peixes rose. “Alrig)(t, true as t)(at may ne, I’d argue we’re not quite as doomed as our fictional counterparts. I mean, more people are Glub Tier, we’ve got the ponies )(elping us, we don’t know if Noir can travel throug)( space-”
“Of course he can travel through space,” Ampora argued. “Peixes, he is Bec Noir. His head is definitely more dog-ish than it is pony-ish.”
“Look, let’s back up a second and take a look at )(ow you’re apparently trying to use a webcomic to predict the future,” Peixes said. “I don’t t)(ink you’re logic is s)(ips)(ape, Ampora.”
“Peixes. The Hivve Lord wwas Jack Noir, and noww he’s a god. Luna wwas Bro, and now she’s dead. I think this has passed the point of simple coincidence.”
“)(onestly, I’m just glad you’re not t)(inking of joining t)(e guy like -Eridan did.”
“Oh no,” Ampora groaned. “I wwas hoping that this wwould nevver be brought up.”
“What?” Peixes asked.
“Wwe all knoww that -Eridan doesn’t exactly do many good things,” Ampora said. “Wwhen wwe first came to this lab as a group, and agreed to be a team… I wwas wworried. Wworried howw people wwould treat me if I wwas -Eridan, wworried they might think I could snap at any moment.”
“Well, you’re not going to snap, rig)(t?” Peixes asked.
Ampora flared his gills. “Don’t evven joke about that.” He exhaled. “My canon counterpart may havve been a fool, but that doesn’t mean I wwould run around repeating his mistakes. At least… I don’t think I wwill.” He gave a great sigh, and put a hand to his head. “Peixes, when that Merchant back on Earth sent us here… wwe changed. It was subtle, but noticible. I’m more confident noww than I wwas before… but also maybe a little more lonely. Wwhat if I’m being changed into -Eridan right noww? Wwhat if it’s like one of those Greek myths, wwhere evverything you try to do to resist your destiny only helps make it happen? Wwhat if-”
“W)(at if you’re being ridiculous,” Peixes interrupted. “I mean seriously Dualscar, calm the s)(ell down. You’re not some mindless killing mac)(ine. You’re not some weapon on a )(air trigger. Do you )(onestly feel like you could go off at any moment?”
“...No,” Ampora answered. “No, you’re right. I’m bein glubbing ridiculous, aren’t I?”
The female seadweller crossed the room with a few quick strides, before planting a kiss on his lips. “Indeed. Suc)(... wisdom, my precious Orp)(aner.”
He smiled, brushing a lock of hair from the two scars running across her left eye. “WWhy do all our arguments end wwith us makin’ out?”
“Are you complaining?” Peixes joked.
As if on cue, a certain Vantas poked his shouty face in. “EY! LOVEBIRDS! NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR SMOOCHES, GET TO THE MAIN ROOM STAT!”
He disappeared as soon as he arrived. Both seadwellers facepalmed. “Wworst. Timing.”
“-EV-ER.”
-----
With a *whoosh,* Vantas transportalized into the computer lab. For once, Captor wasn’t out tapping away at his terminal. Instead, he found Maryam and Pyrope to be the only others present, both of them seated on a couch. “Hey,” Vantas said. “Hear about the meeting that’s about to go down?”
“Pssh. H34r 4bout 1t?” Pyrope snarked. “How could 1, wh3n 1t w4s only 4ud1bl3 from fuck1ng Ponyv1ll3.”
“You Really Do Seem To Be Prioritizing This Meeting,” Maryam said. “Might I Ask Just What You Have Planned?”
“Oh no. I’m not getting into this now,” Vantas objected. “I’m going to explain this thing a grand total of one time, so when the rest of these laughing joking numbnuts get here, you best keep your glowy ears open.”
As if on cue, Maryam flared a little bit brighter. Pyrope shied away from her glowing skin. “4h! M4ry4m, turn 1t off, would y4?”
“Would That I Could,” the Caretaker replied. “However, I Don’t Believe That We’ve Yet Encountered An Ancestor Who Could Teach Me To Control My Glow.”
“Th4t do3s 4pp34r to b3 4 probl3m,” Pyrope giggled. “But th3r3 4r3 solut1ons, 3v3n to th3 tough3st 1ssu3s!” Pyrope reached out and grabbed a nearby blanket, before tossing the sheet over Maryam, smothering her glow beneath it. “Probl3m solv3d!”
As Pyrope descended into mad laughter, Maryam removed the quilt, though she smiled a little at the Seer’s playful antics. As the L3g1scl4c3r4tor began to calm down, though, Maryam’s smile faded off. “On A More Serious Note, However,” she said, turning back toward Vantas, “Do You Really Believe That We Can Defeat Noir? That We Can Emerge From These Events Intact, Much Less Unscarred?”
“Well I’m gonna do my damned best to try,” Vantas said. As he too found a chair, his expression became a bit more positive. “Eh, don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Maryam. This plan is something that’ll blow Noir’s socks off, assuming he ever wore any to begin with. But if you want to know the future and all that, I think you oughta consult our resident Trollstradamus.”
“Who, m3?” Pyrope saod. “B31ng 4 S33r of M1nd do3sn’t work th4t w4y. 1’m not just r4ndomly shown gl1mps3s of th3 futur3. 1 th1nk 4nd 1 m4k3 pr3d1c1t1ons b4s3d on s41d th1nk1ng.”
“Well, What Are You Thinking You’ll Predict?” Maryam asked.
“...Tw1l1ght’ll b3 t4lk1ng to som3 of h3r pony fr13nds, so sh3 prob4b4ly won’t h4v3 4 m3nt4l br34k down m1d f1ght,” Pyrope proclaimed. “S3rk3t 4nd N1tr4m w1ll b3 str3ss3d out, so you ought4 k33p th31r sp1r1ts up. 4mpor4’s 4 b1t n3rvous, but 1t shouldn’t b3 4nyth1ng m4jor. 4nd… you m1ght w4nt to k33p 4n 3y3 on C3l3st14.”
“Why?” Vantas asked.
“Th3r3’s l1k3 4 f1fty-f1fty ch4nc3 sh3’s go1ng to b3tr4y us 4s soon 4s No1r’s out of th3 w4y,” Pyrope answered.
Vantas blinked. “Well, that’s good to know,” he answered. “Shit, now I’ve got to do a little more thinking.”
“H3y, 4ny t1m3,” Pyrope laughed.
There was another *whoosh* and the trolls turned to see a glut of allies pour into the main room. Vantas reacted quickly. “Alright you lot, calm down and take a seat. We’ve got tables set up over there.” The people in question did as Vantas ordered, and the Threshecutioner took role call. “Let’s see. Troll. Pony. Good. All accounted for and whatever.”
“Hold It A Minute” Maryam butted in. “Leijon And Zahhak Aren’t Present.”
“Eh? Huh, you’re right,” Vantas admitted. “Where’d those two animals laze off to?”
Another whoosh, and the trolls appeared at the transportalizer pad. “:33< Sorry, Vantas!” Leijon pleaded. “:33< Zahhak kept wanting to finish this project he’s working on, and I’m telling him that he can finish the circuitry later, and he’s howling about how he wanted it done by now, and-”
“D --> Well, Leijon, I did want it done,” Zahhak interrupted. “It seems a tad late for that now, however.”
“Shut it, you two,” Vantas said. “You’re late. Take a seat.” Reluctantly, the trolls did as told. “Alright. All accounted for and shit,” Vantas said, addressing the group proper. “Let’s fucking do this thing.
“To start off with, the problem. There’s a batshit insane demigod floating ‘round Equestria with enough power to kick us to the curb while half his appendages are tied behind his back, and he’s out for our heads. I think all members of the meeting in possession of an operating thinkpan have already figured this out.” The ponies and trolls all nodded. “Hey!” Vantas cried. “I didn’t say you could nod! All I said was to sit tight and open up your listening portals. Don’t do anything unless I say you can. Understand?”
Though there were mixed reactions, generally the group seemed to understand. Vantas decided that given what a bunch of jokers this lot was, it’d half to do. “Zahhak,” he called. “You can do something. Get up here and explain the whole multiverse shenanigans to the group. Voidy stuff is much more your department than mine.”
Zahhak awkwardly got to his feet, and made his way to the front of the group. “Err- yes,” he started. “I believe Vantas wishes me to e%plain a procedure that has become known as the ‘Token System.’” He glanced towards Vantas, expecting confirmation.
“Well, don’t just stand there like some braindead mute!” Vantas ordered. “Go on, you can do it you little maggot.”
“Yes,” Zahhak said, with a little hint of a growl. “In essence, it ties into the ever-popular ‘Many Worlds Theory,’ which essentially states that there exist parallel universes, a nearly infinite number of them, with all kinds of variations between them. This is not the only Equestria- there are in fact hundreds of Equestrias, each with possibly radically different timelines and events, each confined to their own seperate universe. In addition, some beings, such as ourselves can create ‘tokens,’ items that are cast out into the void and end up drawn to any number of universes. At the same time, other beings have created tokens, thousands and thousands of them. A good portion of them have piled up in our lab base, and using them we could call on some of the most powerful beings in the multiverse, and hope that they respond to our plea for help.” He turned again towards Vantas. “Was that accurate?”
“Accurate enough,” Vantas growled back.
“So, these multiversal beings. Back in the Changeling Invasion, was that Jason guy one of them?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yep,” Vantas said. “Though I doubt we’ll ever see him again. The multiverse is pretty friggin’ huge.”
“The power to summon beings of insurmountable strength…” Celestia muttered. “You’ve held this ability all along?”
“We prefer t0 settle 0ur 0wn pr0blems,” Megido explained. “0f c0urse this time, we d0n’t appear t0 have much 0f a ch0ice.”
“In summary,” Vantas proclaimed, “We summon the most powerful ally we can and using their help, we stop Noir and save all those kidnapped ponies. Simple.”
Maryam rose. “I Believe That I Shall Take It Upon Myself To Call For Help This Time.” She peered at Serket and Nitram. “Where Did You Say The Pile Was Located?”
Serket shrugged. “Ecto8iology La8, last I saw. Wait, you’re calling?”
Maryam nodded. “I Shall Call What My Heart Tells Me Is The Best Option. Hopefully I’ll Be Able To Sense Any Deception Or Foul Intent.”
Applejack quirked her brow at this. “Uh-huh.”
The Troll cast a cool glance. “While You May Possess The Element Of Honesty, It Is My Decision To Make.”
“Uh… OK then,” Vantas said. “Glad someone volunteered and all. Go… be cheesy and summon us a champion.” Maryam nodded, before she strode to the transportalizer and whisked off.
-----
The Troll materialized in the old Ectobiology Lab. With wide eyes, she looked at the veritable mountain of items piled in the middle of it, varying vastly in power, size, and shape. It seemed like if something existed, a Displaced had made a token out of it.
“It Looks Like I Have My Work Cut Out For Me.”
She closed her eyes and shoved both hands into the pile, searching by touch and instinct rather than sight. She must have gone through a couple dozen objects before her hand paused at the sensation of rough sandstone and a sense of righteous purpose. Grasping the object, she pulled out a square of reddish brown stone a little larger than her palm with two glittering gemstones set in its surface on opposite sides of a diagonal slash. While the orange gem filled her with a sense of loathing and filth as her finger brushed against it, the green gem did the exact opposite, giving her a sense of lightness and, if not joy then at least satisfaction. Then the message played:
"I am Dual, master of the Heroes of the Radiant and the Dire, and destroyer of the Ancients. If innocent blood has been spilled or enslaved, call on me and I will aid you however I can."
Well, that certainly sounded promising. She sighed, and began her plea for help. “I Am Not Certain If Or When This Message Will Be Heard. Yet I Send It Out There Nonetheless. Our Enemy Has Not Found Us Yet. I Am Certain He Will Soon. And When This Happens, He Will Surely Slaughter Us Like He Did For The Rest Of Equestria. If You Can Hear Me, Aid Us. Please.”
To her surprise, nothing happened… or at least she didn’t think anything was happening. Weren’t they supposed to show up by now? She sank onto the floor. “Please,” she begged, in a desperate tone. Still, nothing. Had they not heard her plea? Worse, had they refused her? She closed her eyes in resignation. “Please...”
Suddenly, the room trembled as a faint light shone out from the center of the pile of tokens, followed a crash that sent the trinkets flying in all directions, leaving a bald human covered in glowing green and orange lines, wearing only a black shirt and a pair of jeans with a satchel slung over his shoulder, sitting in the middle of the former stack and rubbing his head in a daze.
“Will I ever get a smooth landing?” he groaned to himself as his mismatched green and orange eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Maryam with a sheepish grin that vanished the moment his eyes met hers. His entire body went slack like he’d gotten smacked in the face with a frying pan, and his mouth fell open in awe as he whispered, “Sweet Lord, the comics could never have done you justice.”
The Troll raised her eyebrows, a hint of jade glistening in the corners of her eyes. She made a motion as to bite her lip, but reconsidered. She rose.
“Greetings. I Presume You To Be The Dual I Sent A Plea To?” Each word was spoken with barely noticeable calculated precision. Maryam assessed the man in front of her. A shift in her eyes proclaimed him acceptable.
“Yeah, that’s me,” he said with a wry grin as he stood and stretched, “So you’re the one who sent the message, Kanaya? Or do you prefer to be called something else?”
She lowered her eyes. “Please. Call Me Maryam Instead.”
He smiled and bowed over his closed fist, “A pleasure to meet you then, Ms. Maryam. Given how you asked for my help, would I be correct in guessing that time isn’t on our side?”
The Troll shook her head. “Indeed Not. From Your Initial Reaction, You Are Familiar With The Medium My Friends And I Hail From, Technically Speaking?”
“I can name all the zodiacs in order, so yes,” he replied, “In that case, could you please fill me in on what’s going on? I can’t exactly help if I don’t know what’s happening.”
Maryam nodded. “Come. Let Us Meet The Others. But Short Version? The Name Bec Noir Should Be Familiar Enough.” She strode off towards a transportalizer. “Follow Me.”
Dual frowned, nodded, and trailed after her with more than a little difficulty keeping his eyes above her waistline. She stepped onto a transportalizer, disappearing. Dual followed, eyeing the teleportation device with some trepidation before stepping onto it.
They reappeared in a corridor. Maryam held up her hand, motioning for him to stop. “Before We Enter the Meeting Room, I Must Tell You This. If You Possess Bad Relations With Any Equestrians, I Must Ask You To Put Them Aside. Understood?”
“I don’t really have any bad blood with them,” Dual said amiably, his eyes locked on her face and a slightly dopey smile on his, “The ponies on my world are under the influence of the Radiant and the Dire, insidious corrupting forces that have tainted all life on the planet. The only reason I’m not affected is because I indulge in both beauti-equally and they cancel each other out. Also, I wasn’t actually conscious when they locked me stone, and only am only recently able to show them that I wasn’t the monster they thought I was. It’s not their fault we’re at odds, just circumstances I can’t blame them for.”
She nodded back. “I See. Well, I Thank You For Your Honesty. The Next Transportalizer Is Over There. Go First, And I Shall Follow.”
Dual wavered, clearly wanting to ask her something, but another glance at her eyes quelled whatever doubts he’d been having as his smile broadened and he strode onto the platform and disappeared with an air of confidence.
He reappeared in a large room lined with computers, and quickly stepped off the platform to make room for his companion. On each corner sat a table, with various beings on each. The northeast corner had Celestia, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and a group of Royal Guards. The northwest corner had the rest of the Elements, a second Rainbow, and for some reason the Cutie Mark Crusaders. He turned. The southwest corner had Aradia Megido, Equius Zahhak, Nepeta Leijon, Sollux Captor, and Gamzee Makara. The Southeast corner had Terezi Pyrope, Karkat Vantas, Tavros Nitram, Vriska Serket, and two seadwellers presumed to be Eridan Ampora and Feferi Peixes. They had all tensed at his entrance, and only relaxed a bit when Maryam wooshed in on the transportalizer behind him. “This Is Dual,” she said as calmly as she could muster, “I Believe He Shall Be Our Ray Of Hope.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said goofily, his eyes sliding across the room before settling on Maryam again. He blinked a few times, then shook himself hard all over and sobered up. “Ok, what’s the problem? Maryam here said Jack, but that’s all I know.”
Vantas took up the trail of thought, “Basically, shit’s gone all the way down the drain, and right on top of us.”
Pyrope rolled her eyes, “Wh4t h3 m34ns to s4y 1s th4t th3r3’s 4 ch4ng3l1ng out th3r3 w1th mor3 pow3r th4n h3 knows to do w1th, 4nd just go3s 4round k1ll1ng 3v3ryon3.”
Princess Celestia sighed. “He detached Canterlot from the mountain, killing hundreds if not thousands of my little ponies, and I was powerless to stop him.”
One of the Epsilons whispered a faint “Cloudsdale”, but none heard him.
Scootaloo spoke up. “His lackeys kidnapped Ponyville and Appleloosa and Fillydelphia and Manehattan and a buncha other cities too!”
The Rainbow Dash sharing a table with the Princess sighed. “He also killed Luna, and Trixie, and Twilight’s parents.” She leveled her tablemates a Look of forewarning. “It needed to be said.”
While they were talking, Dual had gone very quiet, and seemed to be trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and let it out again, hissing through his teeth as he did so, then said in a tone far too calm for the situation, “Are the bodies still intact?”
Twilight spoke up in a quiet tone of voice. “My parents are ashes. They didn’t even have time to- to-” She fell silent.
Celestia’s gaze hardened. “I cremated my sister’s remains, just,” she choked back a sob, “Just like she would’ve wanted.”
Dual sighed, pinching his brow between his fingers, “If the body isn’t completely destroyed, I can bring them back.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out a disk, its center a glowing yellow that faded to red, then brown at the edges, “These things only last for five minutes after I conjure them, though, so I’ll have to do it myself. However, without an anchor for the Aegis of Immortality to latch onto I can’t do anything. I’m sorry.”
Both student and teacher lower their heads in unison as Dual put the Aegis away. The other Rainbow, now wearing an eyepatch, spoke up, saying, “Trixie.”
The first Dash whipped her head towards her double. “Wha-huh?”
The one-eyed Dash repeated herself. “Trixie. Ya said she did a good deed and got a sword in her chest for her trouble. I think she’d deserve it. Er, no offense, Twi, Princess.”
Her addressees leaned into each other. “None taken,” they said in unison.
“This is not about ‘deserving it,’” Dual growled, “This is about life taken before its time for no other reason than sick amusement. I’m going to bring back everyone that I can, and it will having nothing to do with whether they ‘deserved it.’ However,” he walked straight across the room and stared out at the lunar landscape, “That doesn’t mean all will live at the end of this day, even beyond those I can’t save.”
Something in the air around him changed, and everyone in the room took a step back, or at the very least leaned away from him, “Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not enslave. Do not steal. These are the rules I live by when the official ones are stupid.”
“Uh, Dude,” Future!Dash asked, “Why is that relevant?”
“Because rule one is getting an exception,” Dual said, as if he’d just mentioned how nice the weather was that day, “Meepo.”
He split into five copies of himself, four of which stepped away from the fifth, who still hadn’t moved from his spot by the window.
“Visage,” the fifth continued. Like a beam of light, he phased right through the glass, floating down towards the blue and green sphere below the moon.
The remaining Dual copies turned to the group and said, “We’ll help rescue the kidnapping victims while Dual number One goes after Jack. If you want revenge against him for yourself, I suggest you move quickly. There’s not going to be much left after One is done with him.”
Slowly, all the trolls turned to stare at Maryam. “YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO FUCKING PICK THEM, DON’T YOU?” Threshecutioner shouted with a raised eyebrow, “NO PLANNING, NO TIME TO TALK THINGS OVER, JUST PICK UP YOUR SWORD AND GO, EH?”
“You have all made it abundantly clear that time is dead ponies,” Dual #2 retorted, “and unless your time player,” he jerked a thumb at Future!Dash, “is willing to loop us until we have a plan of attack, we can’t afford to wait.”
“He Does Have A Point,” Maryam said. “Should We Hesitate, We May Miss Our Window Of Opportunity. Noir Doesn’t Know Where We Are, And Thus We Hold The Element Of Surprise.”
“Wait- there’s a seventh Element of Harmony?” Pinkie gasped, “And here I was thinking there were six.”
“Pinkie, we don’t have time for this silliness,” Future Dash groaned. Turning back to Dual versions 2-5, she asked, “So why the duplication trick? That first one’s heading down to fight Noir. What’re the rest of you gonna do?”
“We already said we’re here to help with the kidnapping victims,” #2 answered, “A favorite tactic of most villains is to make the hero choose between saving innocents and going after him directly. This split is a direct counter to that tactic and allows us to help in both situations. Also, however close we may be to the original, we’re not perfect copies. We have only one slot in our satchels to his six, and it’s always going to be filled with his current boots of choice.”
“Huh. Almost seems a little overpowered,” Pinkie grinned.
“You have no idea,” #5 said as he smiled back at her.
“Do you th1nk you could d34l w1th th3 c4pt1v3s on your own?” Pyrope asked. “4ft3r 4ll, Du4l Pr1m3 41n’t th3 only on3 who w4nts 4 p13c3 of No1r.”
“Not entirely,” #3 replied, “We’ll need a guide or two to help us find where they ended up and get them to safety, not to mention deal with their kidnappers.”
Celestia spoke up. “I believe I can provide both. Epsilon Squad?” The Royal Guards snapped to attention. “I’m tasking you with assisting these… fellows, I suppose, with the retrieval of the kidnappees.”
“You can count on us, Princess!” Bramble Scout grinned. His squadmates rose to join the Dual clones.
“Glad that was wrapped up quickly,” Vantas said. “The rest of you, come on. We’re transportalizing to Noir. He’s about to learn just how many gods he’s pissed off.”
“Except you three,” Twilight spoke up, addressing the eager smiles of the CMC. Their faces fell at her mention of them, but Twilight held firm, “I don’t care what you say, I don’t care how you try to say it, you’re not going anywhere near the planet until we defeat Noir. Spike,” she called to her loyal assistant, “You’re in charge. Don’t break anything and keep them here.”
“You got it, Twilight!” Spike saluted, before turning to the CMC. “Seriously, girls, it’s for the best,” he assured. “Equestria is the last place I’d want to be right now.” The Crusaders still looked disappointed, but Spike’s logic wasn’t easy to argue against.
Captor turned to his computer. Typing a couple coordinates into the keyboard, he gestured towards a transportalizer pad. “You lot,” he said, referring to the Dual copies and the Epsilon Squad, “can take that pad. IIt’ll lead you two the badland2, where we thiink the Hiive ought to be. The re2t of u2,” he pointed to a different pad, “wiill take thii2 one.”
The two groups shared one glance between themselves, looks of varying emotions- fear, confidence, melancholy, hope, and overall, longing, longing that all would return from their missions alive. Then, there was a great *whoosh* as the transportalizers fired, whisking their users off towards the planet thousands of kilometers away. The lab was left almost empty.
“...So,” Spike said, addressing the bored fillies. “Charades?”
-----
Earlier, above the ruins of Canterlot...
The former changeling scowled at the pony standing before him. “My part of the deal?” he asked. “Scratch, you better not have hidden something in the fine print.”
“Me? No,” Scratch replied, putting on an innocent tone. “I would never do something so underhanded. I’m not exactly one to lie.”
“That so? Then why are we getting around to my part already?” Noir asked. “You said that that wouldn’t be relevant for a long time- till I’ve had my fun, at least. And that’s not done until I’ve painted the ground in all the colors of the Hemospectrum.”
“Well, you’ll have to excuse me for being vague, but it seems we’ve encountered an unprecedented factor,” Scratch explained. “Something completely foreign, in fact; unexpected, but not unplanned for. As we speak, numerous contingencies are being set into motion, and as subtly as the drop of a leaf. Given the severity of the factor in question, however, we may unfortunately be forced to expedite the process.”
“You gave me your promise, Scratch,” Noir threatened, “And until I’ve set the world ablaze I ain’t lifting a hoof to help you.”
“Well then, by all means kill your foes,” Scratch said. “But you may want to do it quickly.”
“How? They fled on a warp pad thingy. They could be anywhere in Equestria by now.”
“You’ll have your opportunity sooner than you think- in fact, they’re coming here right now.”
“Heh. Brilliant.”
End Chapter Four
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Noir chose to be an idiot. Special kind of stupid to do that, don't you think? Considering a hundred and twenty are coming to kill him. Ranging from a small multiplier type to the hero of Demacia, to a true wyvern, to the trolls and ponies. Poor Noir won't know what hit him.
6457525
Noir's a smart guy. Who's to say he wouldn't be prepared?
Although you shouldn't read too much into my comments.
:::;)
6574882
Read and find out ::::)
6619377
Somewhat, yes.
6619554
That's the spirit! ::::)
... So if Chrysalis had that Crown of Fuck You the whole time, why didn't she use it during the Invasion?
6623523
Well, she did use it. Which was why she was so damn powerful in the first place.
Noir just happened to recieve God Tier powers along with it.
And a massive amount of hatred and willingness to destroy, since Chryssie wanted a kind of intact kingdom to rule. And considering the Miles' tendency to act like Fiendfyre - you can direct it and when you're powerful enough to control it, snuff it, and that's about it - is it any wonder that she preferred not to?
Heh. If Scratch had used her connection with the Green Sun to give Jack extra power-
Oh wait. She did.
No wonder everyone's in over their heads.
:::;)
This story is one hell of a weird-ass read and keeps me feeling like I need to keep a fucking dictionary handy just to understand what half of all those nerd-as-balls references are even about. I still can't quite see why it has so many downvotes, though. It's certainly no worse than that other story of this stripe, the one about that blue airy dude, but it definitely is oodles less pretentious and self-insert wanky.
Could do with a bit more actual plot and a bit less interminable fight scenes, though. It pretty much hasn't gone anywhere whatsoever yet. Also, that fucking character replacement thing is utterly tedious to read. Please consider just getting rid of that already.
Not to be an ass, but so far most of the eleven trolls in the actual canon are dead.
Notice the spoilers.
Yes, there are spoilers in that statement.
A lot of them died so far. A lot.
Also Jackass Noir is an asshole with an asshat that has an asshat.
But he's also a well developed villain, that I kinda like. He may have killed some good characters that I liked, but he's still one of my favorites.
6754908
........
Elaborate on your statement, you have lost me on your point.
6756398
There is no point to it. I'm just stating a fact that I know.
6762812
...Right.
If you're worried that I'll keep them all alive till the end of the story... Well, I've killed most of them once already in a doomed timeline. And I did kill Luna. Who says anyone's safe? ::::]
jfc
NO
FUCKING
HOMESHIT
6910988
mlpforums.com/uploads/post_images/img-3690529-1-191704.png
Wow. Salty. Like, really salty.
What did Homestuck ever do to you?
6911720 Exist.
6911744
Oh, tsk, tsk.
Judging on existence? How unprofessional. And it's not even a bad existence, with numerous little callbacks, foreshadowing, and even an actual plot.
Now, if I were writing a Twilight crossover, I'd understand. This, I do not.
So you hate a series for existing. Not me, mind you, you clearly expressed interest in reading my other stuff, but a specific series. Would you like to talk about it?
6911793
Of all the flavors people could be why chose salty?
6985697 don't forget the midnight crew duplicate spade slicks as well as the glitch. or worse cherub juju like lil cal!
I've finally caught up! I wonder if-
Sees the date this was last updated
...
Well, this is gonna be a long wait. Would like to see a Meenah displaced story though.
6990371
I'm glad you like it.
Technically, it was supposed to have been going ages ago, but it ran into RL problems. (School took over.) We do hope to get on with it at some point.
Although speaking of Meenah, how do you feel about Condy?
6991638 Take all the time you need.
As for Condy, for me she's like the troll version of the boss from Saints Row 3 and 4
7320610
I am sooooooo crossing over with you.
1 W4RN3D YOU 4BOUT CROSSOV3RS, BRO. 1 TOLD YOU, D4WG!
7774553
The current universal setup does not require GT elevation-items; it simply needs a sufficiently heroic/awesome act to trigger the ascension. The god-tiers are hardcoded into the local Equestria/universe, and only the local one.
7776352
Pumpkins *should* have already been mentioned. Although perhaps not.
---
I dunno. Will it?
7777063
There was/will be. Maybe. I don't remember.
7778355
The plot shall dictate it survived.
7783031
Ah, thank you for answering my... various questions, and I apologize for the sheer number of them.
As to the pumpkin thing... It is hard to truthfully tell, seeing as how that particular species of gourd is not susceptible to the normal rules of the space-time continuum, and are therefore immune to paradoxes. I was hoping you'd say "what pumpkin?" though.
Also, I discovered something you might find interesting: A (mostly) comprehensive list of Alternian terminology
7809883
It really wasn't.
Not for me at least.
9429820
They're all OCs. In true Displaced fashion.
...man this is a dead fad by this point, isn't it?
9433731
so...
is this being updated still, or...?
9943381
yeah no this thing is dead as a doornail by now
9946368
shame, that
i was kinda interested in it
moment of silence for this fic bc damn was it good