046 - Equis Fallout
Toph, master earthbender and inventor of the art of metalbending, was a very good architect.
It had only taken her a couple of days to create her team a huge house as their base of operations. She didn’t want to call it a mansion – since it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable of constructions – but it was certainly the right size. Everyone had their own room, something that passed for a ‘bathroom’, and a storage room. There was also a grand hall they had decorated with all sorts of plants, rocks, and other interesting things they’d found over the month they’d been stuck.
In that month, they hadn’t learned much. They had found many, many of the sackcloth things, all in advanced stages of decomposition. In the depths of a few caves, they had found entire ‘nests’ of the scraps. Best they could tell, these ‘puppets’ used to be alive, but something happened that killed all of them.
They had also found a few abandoned settlements. Ghost towns with no sign of a single living inhabitant. They had found evidence of people that had been eaten by the sackcloth creatures, which made everyone very glad all of them were dead and rotting.
Otherwise not much had happened. They had no difficulty surviving – Eve had kept sending food and supplies through to the universe, despite having no assurances any of them were still there. Eve had stopped sending personalized letter updates as of about a week ago, so they probably weren’t putting as much effort into resupply as they had been. It wasn’t much of a drain on resources to keep five people fed.
They actually had extra food since Toph would hunt an animal every now and then. Some of the creatures were familiar, while others were clearly alien beings composed of clear meats that tasted like taffy, to name one example.
Their days were simple. Be bored. Or go scouting. Lieshy was currently out scouting alone, leaving the other four of them to be bored.
Being bored meant ‘bonfire contest’ at the moment, even though it was the middle of the day. Toph was pretty sure this was just asking for a forest fire, but she really didn’t have a reason not to start a forest fire, since the forest wasn’t really keeping them safe from anything and nobody lived here. It would probably be healthy for the overly lush forest anyway.
Vivian turned around from her gigantic fire, eternally fueled by her magic. “Yay! Watch as my flames soar into the sky, spiraling smoke into hurricanes!”
“That’s nothing,” Corona said, chucking another log onto her bonfire location. She focused her magic, lighting the entire pile of wood up at once. “Au natural,” she commented. “And larger than yours, Vivian.”
“Hmph. We’ll let the others be the judge-“
Toph stamped her foot, activating a bunch of metallic plates inside her pile of wood. It lit on fire in a rather normal and uninteresting fashion. At least, until the arcs of lightning started sparking out of the pile.
Corona blinked. “…Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you wanted to have ‘big fire’ and didn’t think outside the box,” Toph explained. “This is why I’m the leader.”
“But I’m the scientist!” Corona said, indignant. “I’m supposed to be clever.”
“You’re all about to lose,” Lady Rarity decreed, coiling up some of her spirid silk in an empty bonfire pit.
“…Just the silk?” Vivian asked. “…What did you enchant it with?”
“Fun,” was Lady Rarity’s only answer. She lit her horn, placing a single spark on the small pile of silk. The white line vibrated for a few seconds before erupting into a tremendous pillar of green fire that seemed to have no top.
Toph paused, able to feel the intensity of the flame. Judging by the reactions of everyone else, it also looked far more impressive. “What are the terms of surrender?”
“I don’t have to make any food for a day,” Lady Rarity decreed. “All of you, cook for me. The Lady doesn’t need to be the only one with culinary skills.”
“I can cook!” Corona blurted.
“I can’t,” Vivian said. “Neither can Toph or Lieshy.”
“Lieshy isn’t here right now,” Corona observed.
“Speak of the butter,” Lieshy said, landing in between the four bonfires. “I see you’ve all developed a strangely similar insanity. Is it contagious? Should I hide?”
“Just make sure you bow to Lady Rarity’s every whim for a while,” Toph answered. “It should pass. Regardless, you’re back early, wasn’t expecting you to be back until tomorrow. Did you find something?”
“Yes. I found signs of recent habitation. There is a cabin many miles to the southwest. It was inhabited by at least two individuals, humanoid. There was a small garden next to it. I didn’t make contact.”
“Were you seen?”
“No,” Lieshy asserted. “I recommend we set out now, we might be able to make it before nightfall. Sooner if we don’t care how much Toph destroys the landscape.”
Toph craned her neck, smirking. “I say we go head out. Anyone got anything here they need to watch or wrap up?”
Corona shook her head. “Sadly, it looks like the ‘microverse’ idea Eve gave us in her last letter is a dead idea for now. I just don’t have the knowledge, energy, or background to create a new universe. And then step two is still just a bunch of question marks on the whiteboard.”
“Then I’ll put out these fires.” She raised a foot.
All four of Lady Rarity’s eyes widened. “Wait Toph you don-”
She had already shoved blocks of earth over all four bonfires. Three of them snuffed out easily. Lady Rarity’s decided it needed to explode rather than get snuffed out. The five of them went flying into a nearby tree made of fuzz.
Toph sighed. “What a great start to the day. Lieshy, get us down.”
“Right.”
~~~
“YOU THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME ALONE, LITTLE PONY?” The voice of the Eater of Worlds boomed with the words of the Stars. Fitting, for the Eater of Worlds was a Star, a Star who refused to die on this pathetic pony world. All it needed was power, and it would have that soon enough. The foolish mortals of this world thought they could kill the Eater with a giant moon rock, but all they did was play right into the cosmic entity’s plans. Now all that stood between the Eater and full resurrection was one pony. “YOU TIRE. YOU WEAKEN. ARE YOU AFRAID TO DIE ALONE?”
The Eater’s current physical form was tremendous – a mixture of many different materials and powers taking the form of a floating white snake rippling with green energies. Whirring blades of metal swirled around every section of the body while certain areas coursed with tentacles. It was truly a horror.
And yet, one white alicorn stood defiant against the Eater, despite being no more than a bug to it. Her body from the neck down was almost completely robotic, save for her brilliant wings. With her magic, she levitated a large gun and a mystic sword. Her mane was red and black, striped, whipping in the winds of the climax. “I am not alone!” Blackjack yelled, flapping furiously toward a nearby platform.
The Eater of Worlds struck, his blades assembling into a bizarre geometry that focused the local energy into a green beam of death. Blackjack didn’t run. She dove straight for the center of Eater, skirting the edge of the beam. “Everyone I’ve made friends with and who helped me is here with me now!” She fired her shotgun, the bullets empowered with silver moonlight. Visions of her friends flashed across her face – most of whom she had lost over her long, long journey. All of that loss, all of that pain, all of it… It was culminating in this battle.
“YOU ARE ALL NOTHING! FLICKERING EMBERS IN THE ETERNAL DARK, EASILY EXTINGUISHED!” The Eater moved desperately, trying to lock Blackjack in the blades, to either kill her, drive her mad, or anything to just get her to stop destroying the structures the Star needed to absorb the incoming moon rock. The stone could be seen in the sky, it would not be long before it arrived. But Blackjack was too close to success for comfort.
“They are everything!” Blackjack contradicted. “Together, they got me here! Every one, every single person, who’s helped me get to this point!” More images flashed past her mind – souls. The Eater could see them, and it angered it to its core. “All of us, working together, as friends, have a power you can’t imagine!”
“THEN THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE! ALL OF YOU MUST DIE! YOUR SOULS SHALL ACCOMPANY ME FOR ETERNITY!”
The smart decision would have been to back down, retreat, or regroup from the Eater’s next attack. But as Blackjack loved to remind everyone she came into contact with, she was not a smart pony. She dove right through it, trailing smoke behind as she moved. “No! No more! It’s time we’re free of you!” She attacked relentlessly – sword, gun, magic – raging against the being of death and destruction. “Everypony I’ve cared about and loved is with me! You’re the one who is alone! You’re no-“
And then destiny changed.
Had this universe gone on as it was supposed to, Blackjack’s body would have died here, defeating the Eater. The moon rock would descend, allowing the spirit known as Tom to take the Eater’s energy, and both would vanish into the night. The day would be won and Equis would live a happy future.
That is what happened in the world known as Equis Regarden.
This was Equis Fallout. Which meant there was an opportunity to change something.
A fleet appeared in the sky above Blackjack and the Eater. Neither of them knew what the ships were, their smooth designs unlike anything they had ever seen, all centering around a large central ship that resembled a gigantic flower. Next to this ship was an outlier, one of a more rectangular design.
“The fuck?” Blackjack said, no longer focusing on her battle. “Aliens?”
“…I KNOW NOT EITHER.”
The rectangular ship went up to the descending rock that held Tom, using a multicolored rod affixed to it to encase the rock in rainbow telekinesis, stopping its descent on to the Eater of Worlds.
The laugh that came from the Eater was horrifying. “YOUR PLAN IS NOW WORTHLESS!”
The fire that had been in Blackjack’s soul crumbled. That was it, without Tom, there was nothing. No way to actually kill the Eater. These aliens were probably invaders of some sort who were going to try to use the Eater just like ponykind had, and ruin more than just this one world with the corrupting power. She would fight, like she always had, but… But the fight wasn’t over. There was going to be more death, more hardship, more…
“You might want to cover your eyes,” a deep, guttural voice said. Blackjack was surprised to see two ponies behind her – a white unicorn with red eyes, and a gray mare with a brown mane.
“Sweetie Belle? Littlepip? The fuck!?”
“You should probably listen to Thrackerzod,” Littlepip said. She looked slightly older than Blackjack remembered. “It’s going to get really bright.”
The Eater moved to drive blades into all of them. Thrackerzod’s eyes flashed a deep, black color, erecting an eldritch barrier to twist the knives back onto the Eater. Thrackerzod spoke in the eldritch tongue, her meaning still clear to all who heard it. “Eater of Worlds, you will learn your place in death. Your influence on this world is over. You shall die, and this time you shall take no one with you.”
“WHAT DOES THE EMBODIMENT CARE ABOUT THIS WORLD?”
“Nothing. I work for them.” She pointed at the ships, which had began to shoot beams of harmonious white energy between each other.
The Eater of Worlds realized it might need to take some action. It launched a green beam of death at the central ship.
The central ship retaliated – a beam of harmonious white energy overcame the Eater’s green death easily. The harmony that wiped entire planets of evil was focused on one singular entity in a laser of overwhelming brightness. The Eater screeched, barely having time to form a thought as its essence evaporated into nothing.
Blackjack didn’t look away, even though she was already effectively blinded.
It had been over in an instant.
She hadn’t even needed to do anything…
All her friends. All those memories that had stood alongside her. All this power…
All pointless. Saved by a bunch of aliens from the sky.
She turned to Thrackerzod and screamed – despite not being able to see anything at the moment. “WHAT THE FUCK!?”
“We just saved you, Tom, and a lot of damage that would have resulted from the two colliding,” Thrackerzod deadpanned. “We would have liked to alter more, but we weren’t aware of this world until a few hours ago. You’re welcome, by the way.”
Blackjack’s features twisted in rage, tears forming in her eyes – but she couldn’t formulate a thought.
Thrackerzod sighed. “Let’s see if this ‘Tom’ is going to be more receptive…”
~~~
Eve sat behind a double long desk, craning her neck. To her side was a gray unicorn mare known as Littlepip who had agreed to be called ‘Pippy’ for the time being, to avoid confusion. The room they were in was repurposed from one of the abandoned Stables of Equis Fallout, which had quickly been turned into sort of a ‘base of operations’ for the multiversal alliance. They’d already made an announcement to the powers of the Wasteland, and were giving them some time to process the offers of aid. Though, if Eve was being honest, the aid wasn’t optional. She knew that, in Pippy’s world at least, the world had rebuilt itself eventually. But there was still a lot of hardship they could avoid.
“Are you sure you’re ready to meet yourself?” Eve asked Pippy. “I mean, you’ve been in the unique position of not having an alternate until today. Do you just want her to walk in here?”
“I’ll be fine,” Pippy insisted. “She deserves this much, at least. Both of them do.”
Eve nodded. “I trust your judgment. After all, this is your world.”
“This is my past,” Pippy said. “…It would have been so much better if we could have arrived earlier. So much death could have been avoided.”
“We could arrive before the war started. That’s the best-case scenario.”
“Do you think we’ll find an… ‘Equis Ministry’ some day?”
“It’s certainly possible. If there’s one alternate version of your universe, then I expect there’s more. Who knows exactly how many?”
“Nobody,” Pippy admitted. “Nobody knows.”
O’Neill’s voice came over the intercom. “You’ve got two visitors.”
Pippy echoed the announcement so Eve received it. She nodded. “Let them in.”
Blackjack walked in first, expression just as sour as Pippy remembered it from earlier that day. They were clearly going to have to talk her down, but Pippy had faith they could. Behind Blackjack was a mare almost identical in appearance to Pippy – but slightly younger, and without the tiredness in her eyes.
She still had the spark and drive. Good. Pippy missed that.
“I want some answers,” Blackjack demanded, taking one of the two open seats. “Start with why you look like Twilight Sparkle.”
Littlepip nodded slowly, taking a seat next to Blackjack. She was considerably less angry but looked a lot more confused, unable to take her eyes off Pippy.
Eve took a breath. “I am Evening Sparkle, but before that, I was Twilight Sparkle. Roughly a decade ago, I discovered the secret to interdimensional travel. Suddenly me and my friends were able to travel to different universes. Places where ponies spoke in lies, places where there were no ponies, places where space didn’t make sense, and any number of other bizarre locations. Instead of taking the path your world did – a path toward war – we took a path to other worlds. We made friends, allies, and are currently in the process of turning our alliance into a fully fledged, unified nation.” She gestured toward Pippy. “We found her world a little over a year ago.”
Pippy nodded. “In my time… Blackjack defeated the Eater herself. And I was stuck in the Single Pony Project for… A long, long time, even after the world had mostly rebuilt itself. I controlled the weather, keeping the peace. There was a lot more pain… But I want you to know that we did win. But when I heard that we’d found another world, one that hadn’t quite experienced all the pain yet, I knew we had to act.”
Eve nodded. “And I accepted her proposition. Stopping the Eater was just the beginning – we have a general idea of how things played out in her universe. With aid, we can improve the quality of life on this wasteland of a planet much faster.”
“You don’t have to worry about anything,” Pippy told her counterpart. “Go. Be with Homage. We can run the S.P.P. Possibly replace it with something better, even. We also have numerous sets of the Elements of Harmony and know who the Elements of this world will be. It won’t take long to get those fixed. You can have the life I didn’t get to have.”
Littlepip stared at her, eyes wide – and sad. “I… I will. Thank you.”
“What gives you the right?” Blackjack asked, suddenly. “Why would you just swoop in and change everything about a world? Do you do this to every one you come across!?”
Eve shook her head. “No. Most worlds we leave alone. But, Blackjack, your world is particularly dark, desolate, and full of death. We were in a unique position to not only provide help, but to provide help with foreknowledge. The years ahead will still be rocky, but nowhere near as rocky as they would have been. Your world will have direct access to all multiversal services we have to offer, including the ability to relocate. Equis Cosmic – the world where most of the ships in the fleet you saw came from – has plenty of space for refugees, if you decide to take that route.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!” Blackjack shouted, slamming her metallic hooves on the desk, splintering parts of it off. “You just swooped in here and did everything! What about all those ponies who sacrificed? Who poured their very lives into this world?”
“They’ll still be re-“ Pippy began.
“No, they won’t!” Blackjack shouted. “They will be forgotten! Because you will be remembered instead! Their sacrifices mean nothing because you just had to show up and mess with things!” Her wings flared in anger.
“Blackjack,” Littlepip warned. “You’re angry. They’ve helped us. We should be thanking them.”
“You still have Homage,” Blackjack muttered. “Your friends are still out there. You have a future. What do I have?” she gestured at her body and her wings. “I’m a motherfucking fusion of a crazy unicorn and Princess Luna. I am the Maiden of the Stars, the Princess of Winning. My friends are either dead, changed, or have some purpose in life. What do I have? What do they have?”
“You’re being selfish,” Eve said, the slightest hint of distaste in her mouth. “Would you rather we did nothing? Because we could have. You would be dead. Tom would be dead. And the millions who will die in the coming years would also be dead. What makes you think the fulfillment of your quest is more important than that?”
“It’s not just my quest, Evening,” Blackjack muttered. “I know hundreds of ponies who poured their lives to making the world improve just slightly. Ponies who became devoted to the idea that they must do better. Do you see what your interference means? It means all that effort to do better was pointless! It would have been fixed by you regardless of what they did!”
Eve sighed. “Blackjack, don’t sell yourself or those hundreds of other ponies short. What you’ve done – especially you, from what I’ve heard – is more impressive than anything we do or can do. We just have resources and power. You, with none of that, fought against a world that wanted you dead, and won. Had we not arrived, you would have still beat the Eater. Know this, Blackjack.”
Blackjack looked like she wanted to scream in pain and anger some more, but Eve’s words had gotten to her. She was being selfish. She was focused on herself, and her relationships, and what she’d lost. These ponies really were helping with everything they had… And she was rejecting them. She sat down. “I… I’m sorry.”
Eve smiled warmly. “It’s okay.”
“…Where do I go now?”
Pippy smiled. “You can go anywhere. You can visit my world – Equis Regarden – or any of the others. As Security, one of the heroes of the Wasteland, it’ll be easy for us to get you a dimensional device and a license. You will be heralded as a hero. You could stay here and be a leader, the ponies will definitely accept you, considering what you are, but I don’t think you want that. Or you could just join some of the dimensional teams and go kill evil things in other universes. There’s a pony named Alushy I think you’ll like.”
“I’ll… need to think about it,” Blackjack said at last.
“I won’t rush you,” Eve said. “And don’t feel like you have to do anything. We’ve got this.”
Blackjack nodded slowly, mind a mix of conflicting thoughts and feelings.
~~~
Spike of Equis Fallout was a full-grown dragon who had taken to using the many machines of the Wasteland as his eyes out in the world, becoming the Watcher, an entity that guided and assisted ponies on their adventures to make the world a better place. He had been a major part of both Littlepip’s and Blackjack’s quests. He still wasn’t sure to think of Eve and her otherworldly help, but he wasn’t going to fuss about powering the purifying essence of the Gardens of Equestria with alternate versions of the Elements of Harmony.
It was… hard to see faces that he remembered from so long ago again, but he was able to understand they weren’t the same ponies.
It was still a bit disorienting to talk to three Sweetie Belles at the same time.
“What did you want to know, again?” he asked them, still processing.
“You were aware of Puppysmiles, correct?” Thrackerzod asked.
“Yes. …She’s not alive, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“We… figured as much,” Allure admitted. “What we wanted to know is if you ever saw one of us – a Sweetie Belle – with her. As the Watcher.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “No…? Should I have?”
Squeaky sighed. “This isn’t the right universe.”
“For what?”
“A member of our League is lost, jumping from universe to universe,” Thrackerzod said. “One of the universes she visited, she was with Puppysmiles and met you. We’ve checked both Equis Regarden and here… Neither was right. There must be another one out there, somewhere.”
“Ah. A lost friend,” Spike said, looking into the distance. “…I hope you find her, one day.”
“I hope so too,” Allure echoed. “It might not be for a long time though, going off what Pinkie says.”
Spike smiled. “Glad you’ve figured out that Pinkie Knowledge can be very helpful. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she was taken more seriously in the War…”
Squeaky shrugged. “We shouldn’t get hung on what-ifs, Spike.”
“Yeah. You’re right.” He returned to look at them. “So… I’m curious. You’ve been around a lot, right?”
“Right.”
“Did any Spike ever try to eat the Elements?”
The three Sweeties blinked.
“I… I don’t know,” Squeaky said.
“We should ask Eve’s Spike,” Allure said. “He’d know.”
“I think he’s here, actually,” Spike said. “Making sure the Gardens go off correctly.”
Allure glanced at the tall machine that Element Bearers from across the multiverse were working on. She did, in fact, see Eve’s Spike. He was clearly not a baby dragon anymore, but he still looked tiny in comparison to the two-century-old Spike she was standing next to.
Allure waved him over.
“I bet you feel relief,” Squeaky said to big-Spike. “The Gardens of Equestria… You’ve been keeping them safe for a long time, haven’t you? And now they’re going to activate, cure the Wasteland of all the taint, and everything’s going to be sunshine and rainbows.”
Big-Spike chuckled at this. “You’re right. This… This is a relief to see.”
Eve’s Spike finally got to them. “What did you guys want?”
“Question,” big-Spike said. “Have any Spikes tried to eat an Element of Harmony?”
Eve’s Spike blinked. “Uh… Yes. That has happened. We do not speak of the incident.”
“…Now I’m curious,” Thrackerzod said.
“Nope, sorry, you don’t get to know anything.”
“Spike, we have at least three sets of the Elements of Harmony with us right now,” Thrackerzod said. “We can run an experiment.”
“Y-you don’t want to do that!” he assured them.
“Then spill the beans,” Allure said.
Eve’s Spike gulped, glancing over his shoulder. “Well… Uh…” he leaned in and whispered. “The one time it happened the Spike in question ate all six Elements, turned into a rainbow spirit, and made everyone he touched part of the rainbow spirit. Kinda like this universe’s Goddess.”
Everyone blinked.
“…Decidedly less amusing than I was expecting,” Allure admitted. “Is that Spike okay?”
“We were able to revert it,” Eve’s Spike answered. “But we don’t want other Spikes getting ideas. Okay?”
The Sweeties and big-Spike nodded slowly.
~~~
General Toph and company stood at the edge of a clearing in the forest, looking at the house Lieshy had spotted. Even in the slightly ominous evening light, the house looked completely unassuming. Almost suburban with the white wooden edges, pale green roof, well-kept lawn, and simple garden.
They had only seen a single occupant outside, picking some tomato-like fruit from the garden. She was a blonde woman of average height and middle age with a rainbow butterfly-shaped bow in her hair. Her dress was mostly white, but with all the colors of the rainbow sewn around the edges and hemlines.
Clearly, there was at least one other occupant in the house, but they had not been able to establish a visual.
“So…” Lady Rarity said. “Perhaps we should just go up and knock? She seems nice enough.”
“Eyes are the worst traitors,” Lieshy commented. “Ponies are outlandish, as well.”
“Then I’ll go,” Toph said. “At least I’m human. Watch me, help me if things get out of hand.” She sheathed the Master Sword in its scabbard and walked out into the open. There was no reaction from the house when she revealed herself.
With purpose in her step, she walked along a simple cobblestone path to the front door. She walked up the steps of the small porch and knocked. The woman answered the door with a smile on her face. “Oh! It’s been a while since we’ve had a visitor!”
“Hello miss. I am General Toph Beifong, and I-“
“Are from another universe, drawn here through mysterious means, and are completely lost and want to know how to get home?”
Toph paused for a moment. “Yes, actually. Is this sort of thing common?”
“For this universe? That’s basically all this place does. For this area? Not as much. Ever since the sackcloth demons fell, there’ve only been scant numbers drawn here.” She smiled. “Come on in. Your friends can come in as soon as they feel safe as well.”
“Wait, how di-“
“My husband told me we were being watched,” the woman said, smile unwavering.
“Right.” Toph called back. “They knew we were watching them!”
“Seriously?” Corona said, poking her head out of the bushes. “Why didn’t they give any indication then!?”
“No idea! We’ve been invited inside though, so get over here.”
The four hidden individuals lined up behind Toph and entered the house. The interior was almost as unassuming as the outside, though they noticed a few magical artifacts on shelves that had no place inside a domestic abode. Lieshy noticed a few protective glyphs engraved above doorframes, presumably to ward off evil intention.
“Blumiere!” the woman called. “They came in, finally!”
The husband, Blumiere, sat in a plush green chair, reading a book. He looked up from his book, making it clear that he was not human. His skin was a deep blue and seemed to be composed more of magic energy than flesh. He wore a fine white cowl, a top hat, and fine gloves on his hands. The face he called his own was a mixture of a warm gaze, sharp teeth, and a monocle that suggested intelligence.
Toph was struck with the feeling that she did not want to make this guy angry.
“Welcome to our home,” Blumiere said, standing up and putting his book down. He smiled, managing to make the grin inviting despite the jagged nature of his mouth. “I bet you have questions.”
Corona pulled out a notebook, quickly looking for something. “You’re… Blumiere? As in, Count Blumiere? Are you Lady Timpani?”
The two of them clearly weren’t expecting this. Timpani put a hand to her mouth. “You… know who we are?”
“Yeah. We were sent here to find you,” Corona said. “…Got stuck here in the process, but at least we know Nastasia was right, you guys are here.”
Blumiere grabbed his hat and shook his head. “She never could let me go… And now she’s trapped more people here.”
“Maybe this is a sign, Blu. They’re looking for us. Maybe… Maybe it’s time?”
Blumiere’s gaze drifted to a dark, oak chest sitting on top of a nearby shelf. “Perhaps…”
“Time for what?” Toph asked. “What’s going on here?”
Blumiere took in a breath. “That may take some explaining. I assume you know the basics of how we ended up here?”
“Uh… Sorta?” Corona said. “There was a plot to destroy several universes and you two sacrificed yourselves to stop it.”
“That’s certainly one way of putting it,” Blumiere said. “I was responsible for starting it.”
“Blu, that’s in the past! There’s no need t-“
“Nastasia should have told them before sending them here,” Blumiere said.
Toph shook her head. “That may be true. But that doesn’t change anything, at least not yet.”
Blumiere nodded. “Of course. Regardless, after we sealed away the power that ate away the universes, we were sent here. We got to live our lives, together, in happiness. But we soon realized the world we found ourselves in wasn’t normal. This universe – called the Nexus by most – always draws people, things, and life from everywhere in the multiverse to itself. The term I’ve heard most is ‘Black Hole Universe’. You go in, but you can’t come out.”
Corona blinked. “That’s going to be confusing. We’ve already got ‘Nexus Universe’ as a classification for universes that link to lots of others, sort of like leyline anchors.”
Blumiere nodded. “It is confusing, but what can you do about the terminology?” he chuckled – a bizarre, scratchy, overbearing sound. “We became a safe haven for people who appeared on this world, willing to explain to them what was going on. The nature of this universe, the new situation in their life… We told them how to survive, and fed them if they needed it. There was a time when sackcloth demons rampaged this world, but after a group of adventurers came through much like how you are now, they all became lifeless.”
“Sounds like quite the story there,” Lady Rarity observed.
“I wouldn’t really know. What exactly they did is beyond me. I do know that after the sackcloth demons fell, civilization on this planet plummeted. People left en-masse to the stars and the great city of Rome fell. Timpani and I became alone again, with only the occasional visitor.” He gestured at them. “Your coming here… it may mean it is time for us to move on. A call from our past to return.”
“You don’t know how to escape the Nexus though,” Lieshy pointed out.
“There are rumors of ways out,” Timpani offered. “Cracks in the ‘unbreakable’ seal of the Nexus. We’ve heard many in our time – and all of them point off this planet.”
“So, do you know how we can get off planet then?” Toph asked.
“Yes,” Blumiere said. “Rome may be abandoned, but it had a spaceport. There should be enough materials to build a ship if we can’t repair one.”
Corona rubbed the back of her head. “Hoo boy… Building a spaceship. …Yeah, I could do it. It would take time though. A lot of it.”
“And then we go into space and… what?” Lieshy asked. “Where do we go?”
“We scan the stars for answers,” Blumiere said matter-of-factly. “There are millions of races trapped within the Galaxy, we shall journey like so many have done to find our way out. Now… Now is the time to try and return home.”
Corona nodded. “The moment we get out, I can take us home. My device can cut through a large number of dimensional connections.”
Timpani smiled. “It’ll be nice to see them all again…”
“It may be a long while before we actually return,” Blumiere said, standing up. “But we will. I am certain of it. We shall set out in the morning. Timpani, pack your things. We’re moving. The rest of you… Sleep. We have extra beds in the basement for large groups like yourselves.”
“Thank you for your hospitality… And your knowledge,” Toph said with a bow.
“Oh, I’m going to cook dinner!” Timpani said, grin widening. “I hope you like special bread!”
“What’s special bread?” Corona asked, nervously.
“A special secret!”
“…I’m suddenly very afraid.”
~~~
Flutterfree was regretting inviting herself to Nova and Rev’s little get-together. The two unicorns were currently standing at the pulpit of Rev’s church, each with a book open. Neither were able to stop talking – or be simple enough for Flutterfree to really understand.
It was lucky they were doing this at late evening, when nobody came into the church, because they were saying a lot of things that could be taken really bizarrely out of context.
Nova was talking right now. “Right, so, say, hypothetically, Jesus was an absolute evil mastermind in a universe and lied to everyone always, somehow producing the same Bible you see here, by lies. We’ve run into evil versions before, none that successful, but you know.”
Rev smirked. “But here’s the thing, Nova. You have to take into account the remarkable consistency of the Word despite the vast differences in universes that have it. There’s some force keeping it consistent, despite different scenarios.”
“Falling back on a Beat argument, huh Rev? Shaky.”
“It’s a valid argument, Nova, and you know it.”
Nova smirked. “Well, even if that is the case, why does consistency matter? Even if it does tell the same story, how can it apply to everyone, everywhere, in every universe? It’s exceedingly Earth-centric and acknowledges nothing about other universes.”
“To answer that, I have to ask you something. Why do you think Earths are the most common type of world?”
“We don’t know for sure they ar-“
“They are,” Rev asserted. “I’ve been around a bit more places than you. Go ask Vriska to confirm if you must.”
“Fine. I’ll accept that for now. Why are they the most common?”
“To answer that question, we have to examine the way metatime works. Despite the existence of time travel, individual universes continue marching ‘forward’ in time. If you alter an event in one, it does not change another. This reveals that the multiverse is changing, evolving, and growing over time. If each and every universe had a moment of creation, well, it’s safe to reason that if you dial that back far enough… There was a first world.” She closed her Bible and smiled. “I believe that first world was this Earth. Everything is derivative from that first world. Therefore, the message applies to all of us, since we are technically all Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.”
Nova snorted. “Heh. Eve is like a mother to us.”
Rev chuckled. “She does have that position, doesn’t she?”
Flutterfree rubbed her head. “I didn’t think it was possible to geek out about Theology… Clearly I was wrong.”
Rev blushed. “Sorry, we went a little deep there, didn’t we?”
“And then completely jumped into left field!” Nova smirked. “Anyway, what you say hinges on the first world existing and that it was Earth. There’s a lot of holes to poke in that one.”
“It’s still a cool idea, you have to admit.”
“Yeah. But I have t-“
The doors of the church opened, cutting the conversation short. A white cyborg alicorn stumbled in, mane dripping from the rain outside. She groaned, grabbing hold of one of the chairs in the back to keep her balance.
Rev held up her hoof, telling Flutterfree and Nova to be quiet. She trotted down to the alicorn, features soft. “Hey,” she said.
“Ugh…” the alicorn muttered, rubbing her head. “Where… am I?”
“A church,” Rev said. “Mine, actually.”
“…Ah. Celestia or …Luna?”
“Neither,” Rev said. “This is for the one true God, creator of all.” She helped the alicorn sit down. “Do you need me to call someone for you?”
“N… No. I don’t have anypony.”
Rev smiled. “…Then I can be here for you. I’m Rev. What’s your name?”
“Blackjack,” she responded, rubbing her eyes.
“Do you want to talk about what happened tonight that brought you here?”
“I got drunk,” she laughed, bitterly. “Usually when I get drunk I do phenomenal, impossible, awesome things. Now I just look sad. Pathetic. I’m the fucking Maiden of the Stars, fused with Princess Luna herself, and now look at me. Crying, drunk, in the back of a church on some world I know nothing about…” She started heaving. “It was all pointless, Rev. All of it.”
“Out there… Yeah, things often are pointless. There are dark, horrid worlds where nothing means anything, and the darkness exists eternally…” She put a hoof on Blackjack. “But there’s more, you know. The fact that you did something, even if it didn’t do what you wanted, that still means something.”
Blackjack laughed. “That’s what everypony keeps telling me. ‘Hey, Blackjack, I know you did some cool stuff! Take pride in the stuff you did do!’ But… But I can’t! I fought forward knowing that those who died would have died for something. But… But…” She couldn’t keep talking.
Rev shook her head slowly. “I don’t pretend to know what you’ve gone through, Blackjack. I don’t even know if your struggles are over. But I do know you’re right.”
“I… I am?”
“About some things. Taking pride in what you did only goes so far, especially if people died along the way. Maybe it meant nothing – but it’s part of you. You, Blackjack, have those experiences, whatever they are. They mean something to you. And you can take those memories to help others. I see a kind heart in you – eyes that want to help everypony she sees. Eyes that see evil, and will extinguish it wherever it’s found.”
“Are…. Are you suggesting I go and find people to save?”
“That’s an option,” Rev suggested. “Or you c-“
“I DON’T WANT THEM TO BECOME THE FUCKING WASTE I AM!” Blackjack shouted. “You people helped and I can’t see any reason why that was bad but now everyone died for absolutely nothing and… And just fuck you!” She dashed out the front doors, slamming them with her powerful magic.
Rev blinked, eyes wide. She had not been expecting that response.
“Nova, call Eve,” Rev said. “Ask her about a mare named Blackjack. I think… we might have a problem.”
Nova nodded, pulling out her phone.
Flutterfree stared at the slammed doors, a thoughtful expression forming on her features.
~~~
Blackjack had used the dimensional device without thinking.
Where was she? The device said the Hub. Right. The place. The place that’s the biggest symbol of this multiversal alliance.
Everyone looked so happy.
Fuck, why was she so upset about that? People were happy. Getting along. Ponies, humans, Gems, other races… It was so far removed from the life she had known. The life that had beaten her and battered her until she couldn’t take anymore. That had killed her, more than once. And apparently did permanently in an alternate reality. Just…
She hated herself. She was being such a selfish bitch.
And she couldn’t stop.
She had no friends to pull her out of this… Psalm was distant, who even knew where Scotch Tape was, Littlepip had taken the life they offered her like candy… Same with Spike…
“You look down!” a familiar voice called.
Blackjack was more than a little surprised to see Discord. “…I saw you die by turning into dust,” she blurted.
Discord blinked. “Well confirmation of my mortality was not something I was looking forward to today, but I’ll let it slide. I just saw a frowny face and figured someone needed some cheering up. How about a free ticket to a magic show? The Great and Powerful Trixie is performing with yours truly.”
Blackjack blinked. She really didn’t want a reminder of the Goddess right now. “I’ll pass,” she grunted.
“Oh, but I insis-“
Blackjack drew her starmetal sword and glared at Discord in rage. “I said NO.”
Discord backed away, sensing that, just maybe, the sword might actually do something to him if it hit. “…You clearly need help, missy.”
“Yeah. But as of yet, all the help that’s been provided only makes things worse. So kindly go fuck yourself. I know you can.”
Discord stared at her a few moments before vanishing.
Boo, Blackjack remembered suddenly. Boo. I could go talk to Boo. She’s… good at listening. But where did she go… I haven’t seen her since they came…
“Hey you, want a festivity potion?” A pink-haired humanoid creature asked Blackjack. The alicorn was struck by how plastic the creature looked.
“No,” Blackjack grunted.
“You really need one.”
“Go away. I’m not buying your things.”
“I’ll give it to you for fr-“
Blackjack teleported away, just to get out of the conversation. She grabbed her head – she needed to clear it before she did something stupid. Maybe she needed to be put in a medical simulation again, just to get her through these thoughts. Again.
Am I just doomed to suffer constant cycles of insanity? I mean, I know I’m insane, but seriously…
“Do you feel like the world is crushing you from all sides?” a voice asked – that of a man. Something about it made Blackjack calm, instinctively trusting the voice. She looked up, not as surprised as she probably should have been at the muscular statue of the human before her. He had blonde hair, a green headband with a crystal in it, and wore mostly yellow. He had a confident smile plastered on his face.
“…Yes?” Blackjack said, a bit confused by his presence.
“Let me guess what you’re thinking,” the man said, smirk unwavering. “You’re thinking this alliance has too much power.”
“…A bit. Are you a mind reader?”
“Just a man with a good sense for this sort of thing.” He gestured wide at the bustle of the Hub around them. “For instance, when I look at all the people here, I see naïveté. People happy when they by no means should be. They should fear what lies out there, instead of thinking they have the right to change things, isn’t that right?”
Blackjack nodded slowly. “Yeah… But… But what about all the good they do?”
“You don’t really believe in that. Do you want to hear some stories?”
Blackjack repeated her previous motion.
“In the early days of the alliance, one of the worlds nuked a world to oblivion because it was deemed a threat. The alliance is currently using political pressure to force the Gems to conform to their perceived ideal of what is good, rather than letting them keep their culture. A race known for being proud warriors has lost almost all their identity as a people, falling into nothing more than public servants, their chief banished. The alliance interfered in a war on a world far below their level, and then refused to participate in another war they brought about on the same world. They killed the gods of various worlds, while keeping their own alive. The people who they allow to represent themselves are known murderers, liars, and thieves.”
“That’s… That’s fucked up!” Blackjack blurted. “How can everyone let them have that power!?”
The man gestured around at the Hub again. “This is why. They get luxury. Novelty. And power of their own. And above all else, they believe they are good. But there is no group that should have this much power, is there?”
“No. No there is not,” Blackjack said, standing up. She stared the man right in the eyes – and saw conviction in there. “Nice speech. Now tell me who you are and actually make your offer.”
The man smiled. “I am Dio Brando. I, and a few others, feel exactly the same as you do, Blackjack. We think this alliance has too much power. We think you would be a great addition to the team.”
Blackjack narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know… You sound borderline evil.”
Dio smiled, revealing sharp teeth. “That shouldn’t be an issue for you, from what I hear of your world. Working together with unpleasant individuals… You had to, where you came from, to actually get anything done.”
Blackjack narrowed her eyes. “True. But, you know, I’m drunk… Really depressed… And yeah, I’m probably being taken advantage of here. I like what you’re saying, but let me think about it a moment.”
Dio shrugged. “Of course. I will be in con-“ He narrowed his eyes. “…We’re being watched. Someone tailed you.”
Blackjack’s eyes widened. “What the-“
She felt Dio activate an ability of some kind. He was suddenly standing slightly to the left of her, holding a yellow pegasus in his hands. The pony Blackjack had seen at the church.
Blackjack twitched. “You… You followed me?”
“I was worried!” Flutterfree called. “You looked so sa-“ she blinked. “I’m in his hands…”
Blackjack saw something very confusing happen next. A pinkish-purple spirograph came out of Flutterfree’s body, shining brightly. Something it did forced a tall, yellow humanoid spirit out of Dio – it had a flat head, pipes coming out of its back, and an overly serious expression. The golden spirit punched toward Flutterfree, but couldn’t reach her before she drove her vampire fangs into Dio’s arm and sucked.
Dio roared in surprise. The combination of his shock and the green strands coming out of Flutterfree made sure the attack of the golden spirit did not hit home – just hit Flutterfree in the shoulder, sending her flying.
Dio held his arm in pain. “Don’t you see, Blackjack? They’re hidden monsters!”
Blackjack nervously tapped the ground. “I don-“
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU!?”
That came from a unicorn that looked almost the same as Rev, except she wore goggles and had a bracelet on her leg. The device in her hand, some kind of scanner, was flashing with so many red lights it looked like it might explode.
Blackjack realized she was pointing the device at her, not Dio.
“Dio, let’s get out of here,” Blackjack said. “Now.”
Dio nodded. Nobody even saw him open a portal – one minute he and Blackjack were there, and the next they were gone.
~~~
Blackjack realized it was cold, first. Followed closely thereafter by dark.
She slowly realized she was standing on a lake of ice. She lit her horn to illuminate the area, revealing Dio and a few other shapes, including some four-armed red bug creature with a staff.
“Dio, I’m impressed,” the bug man said. “I did not expect you to get her for us.”
“Who are… you guys?” Blackjack asked, very warily.
“I am Siron. That over there is Ganondorf, and you’ve already met Dio. We are a small part of the group devoted to tearing power away from the alliance.”
Blackjack nodded slowly. “How do you plan to do that?”
“In time, Blackjack. In time. For the moment, let me try to understand you. You are clearly a proud warrior who understands exactly what it means for your struggle to be taken away from you.”
“…Yes.”
“At least you had it happen in one fell swoop,” Siron said. “I didn’t realize it was happening at first, because they called us friends. They showed us the multiverse, let us explore, gave us a world. But they didn’t approve of our system of honor, of courage, and so they ironed it out of us bit by bit. The worst part? They had so much power, they didn’t even realize they were doing it. My people are no longer warriors – they are construction workers on a world far from their home. I have lost all those loyal to me. My people… are no longer my people. So I stand alone, now. I cannot reclaim what I have lost. But I can prevent them from crushing more cultures beneath their feet.”
Blackjack looked into his eyes – and she knew he was telling the truth about everything he said. Unlike with Dio, Blackjack was absolutely certain Siron was a man with conviction, a plan, and a reason to fight.
She also saw a bit of hopelessness in him. Something she remembered having in her own heart during her journey.
She held out her hoof. “…I want to hear more.”
Siron shook it. “Thank you, Blackjack. You know not what that means to me.”
A man in black appeared among them. “Ah, I see you got her.” He pocketed a mysterious black orb in his jacket.
“Who are you?” Blackjack asked.
Siron held out a hand. “This is Randall Flagg. He is our benefactor.”
Flagg leaned down and extended a hand to Blackjack. “Glad to have you on board.”
Blackjack wasn’t sure why, but she hesitated before grabbing his hand. He felt cold to the touch. An unpleasant feeling ran up her spine. “…Hi.”
Flagg smiled. “Siron, a word with you.”
Siron nodded, walking away from the group with Flagg. When they were out of sight range, Flagg allowed his grin to become full – a truly unsettling image. “Siron, do you know what she is?”
“An alicorn princess with the tenacity to survive anything and the willingness to kill?”
“More than that,” Flagg said, taking a large book out of his coat entitled Project Horizons. “She has a special trait, Siron. One that ensures she almost always wins. Having her on our side… So long as we don’t let her change her mind, victory is ours.”
Siron folded his arms. “We shouldn’t bank on that.”
“Of course not. But it should restore some of the confidence that you seem lacking in.” Flagg glared at Siron threateningly. “If we fail because of you, or your uncertainty, I will not assist you further.”
Siron knew Flagg would kill him if there was failure. He accepted this. “I understand. I will not waver.”
“Good.” Flagg tucked the book back into his jacket.
~~~
Jotaro Kujo and Rohan Kishibe arrived on the scene minutes after Blackjack had vanished. Rohan took one look at the state of Flutterfree and Starbeat and decided it would be faster to read them as books instead of questioning them. Neither had time to resist Heaven’s Door.
“You could ask for permission first,” Jotaro pointed out.
“I prefer forgiveness, not permission,” Rohan commented, flipping through Flutterfree’s pages. “She had no idea who Dio was, but she saw a Stand so she called us as soon as she could. She drank his blood, and is embarrassed that it tasted good. She had been watching him for a while before she was found, and she knew there was something about him that made her want to submit to whatever he wanted.”
“That’s Dio all right,” Jotaro said. How is he alive, though?
Rohan moved to the Starbeat book. “She arrived on the scene late. She used her Beat scanner to… A lot of this doesn’t make any sense, it’s all scientific data. Dio didn’t have much interesting about him. But the Blackjack pony had a signal type she had only seen before in Pinkies. It was exaggerated extremely in certain areas, and completely dead in others. She was clearly special, for some reason.”
“That would be why Dio wanted her,” Jotaro said, grabbing his hat. “Yare yare daze… How many times am I going to have to kill him…”
~~~
Pippy sat on the edge of a ravine on her world, Equis Regarden. She rarely came back here – she was always working for Eve, exploring, or finding some new universe or something. It was a fulfilling life, and it honestly just felt good not to be here, surrounded by memories of a life she had given up.
But she was here now. Because she felt like she had made a mistake.
She sighed. “Jackie, I messed up.”
A white unicorn without a cutie mark raised an eyebrow. “Jackie? Littlepip, it’s Blackjack.”
“I go by Pippy now, and you know it. So you get to be Jackie.”
“Fine,” Jackie said, shaking her head. “How badly did you mess up on Equis Fallout?”
“I gave the other you too much freedom. I should have watched her,” Pippy hung her head. “When the other me just went to a simple life, I figured you would as well. But… she didn’t. She went in a downward spiral.”
“Sounds like me.”
“We think she’s joined Siron’s Insurrection. She was taken advantage of when she was emotional, told half-truths, and then…” she shook her head. “I should have watched her.”
Jackie whistled. “You’re right. That is a pretty big fuckup.”
“…Thanks.”
Jackie glanced at her cutie markless flank, telling her that she was talentless. “If you’re asking me for help, you know I won’t be able to stop her.”
Pippy nodded. “Yes… Yes I know. I just thought you should be aware. And… And say I’m sorry. I messed you up. I told Eve what to do. If I had just waited until after the Eater…” she shook her head. “I asked Eve to take too much of the pie. And we’re going to be the worse off for it.”
Jackie pulled her close. “Hey, I’m sure I’ll come around. I may be an idiot, but once I figure out I’m being lied to or manipulated, heads will start to roll.”
“But will you figure that out fast enough?”
Jackie blinked. “I have no idea.”
The two of them fell silent.
~~~
Toph and company (which now included Blumiere and Timpani) stood in front of a church in the middle of a ghost town.
“This looks really familiar,” Corona said. “…A lot like the church on Equis Vitis.”
“I’m aware of this church, and know the people who ran it,” Blumiere said. “It was built before we arrived, by a man named Father Berton. He perished in the emergence of the sackcloth demons, and it was taken over by his apprentice, Reverend Glimmer.”
Vivian’s jaw dropped. “Reverend Glimmer? Unicorn? Collar? Cross necklace?”
Blumiere blinked. “Fate seems to like to tie you to many individuals, it seems.”
Toph nodded. “Yeah. We know people. But if she was here, and is now on Equis Vitis… That means she found a way out of this place.”
“If they’re the same pony,” Lady Rarity reminded them. “They could be different versions.”
Corona furrowed her brow. “Maybe… But I know that Rev has a knowledge of the multiverse that is sometimes considered a bit too extensive. It would make sense – if she’d come from here, she’d know things.”
“Then we have a plan of action,” Blumiere said, pulling down his hat. “All we must do is follow Reverend Glimmer’s trail. …Somehow.”
Lady Rarity craned her neck. “Now is the time to check for clues…”
“Or you could just ask me for clues,” a skeleton in a dapper hat and suit said.
The seven of them turned to look at the skeleton.
“Good. You’re not running away screaming. That’s very good.” He laughed heartily. “Good afternoon, I am David, the sole resident of this ghost town. If an undead skeleton could be considered a resident.”
Toph shrugged. “I can’t believe you snuck up on me.”
“I move in mysterious ways.”
Toph folded her arms. “Fine. You said you had information?”
“That I do. Reverend Glimmer was the last one to leave town. She didn’t want to leave me, since I’m a bound spirit, but she realized she didn’t have much of a choice after I insisted she leave. Turns out, I like solitude. Odd, considering how much I talk… Regardless, she told me she was meeting up with a fellow named Mister Raven, and they were to take one of the ships off world to the Inner Edge of the galaxy.”
“That helps a lot, David,” Blumiere said, bowing. “Thank you, lost soul. Is there nothing we can do to free you?”
David shrugged. “I rather think there isn’t, and I don’t mind all that much now. I’ve had a lot of times to think. Oh, I just had an idea. Give me a lot of paper. I’m going to write a book. Or lots of books, perhaps.”
Corona summoned several tons of paper using her magic, followed by about a hundred pens. Despite how simple the objects were, the sheer volume of them taxed her considerably. “There… You are…” she took a moment to breathe.
David smiled – though, he could always be considered smiling, being a skeleton and all. “Ah, wonderful. Oh! I just thought of something else I can do for you. You need to get off world, if I have deduced correctly?”
“Good ear,” Lieshy deadpanned.
“Then follow me. I found something last week purely by accident!” He jogged toward the edge of town, the seven others following him. Blumiere used his magic to levitate his and Timpani’s overly large suitcase at a jogging speed alongside them.
They passed several sackcloth corpses, soon arriving at an area outside of town with… nothing in it.
“How’s nothing going to help us?” Lieshy asked.
David raised a hand and knocked against something metallic – and invisible. “Because it’s not nothing.”
Toph shook her head. “There is no way there’s just a functioning spaceship we can use. That’s just too lucky.”
“That’s exactly what it is,” David said. “Entrance is right here, even if you can’t see it.” He walked forward – and vanished.
“…This seems fishy,” Lieshy declared. “Reeks, actually.”
Corona ignored her and walked after David anyway. The interior was suddenly visible – and it appeared to be a spaceship. There was only one room in it, but it was larger than most living rooms. The back was empty – presumably for things such as cargo – while the front half of the ship had a screen instead of a windshield, and eight plush chairs around what was clearly a holographic table interface of some sort. The floor of the ship was a pearly white while the walls and ceiling were laced with purple material that had a hexagonal imprint on it.
The table currently displayed an image of the Galaxy. It was an odd shape for a galaxy – the center was perfectly spherical, then there was a void without stars around that. The actual disc of the galaxy was that of a spiral, but there were lesser spirals within the disk. The Galaxy was a galaxy of galaxies.
Corona soon forgot this, because then she noticed the screensaver on the screen at the front of the ship. It had a picture of four friends standing in front of a purple crystal. The first was a version of Twilight with a strange eye artifact on her chest, the second was a rather plain looking version of Rarity, and the third was an aging human woman in simple clothing. The fourth…
The fourth was Vriska.
Toph walked into the ship and poked Corona. “What are you looking at so dumbfoundedly?”
“Vriska… This was her ship. Or the ship her old team had,” Corona mumbled to herself, taking a seat at one of the plush chairs. She placed a hoof on the table, and it accepted her input. “Computer, what is the name of this ship?”
“Orchid,” a robotic voice declared.
“Orchid… Computer, is the ship spaceworthy?”
“Affirmative. 98% operational.”
Corona smiled. “Toph, we just got the luckiest break we could have ever gotten.”
Toph laughed. “After being stuck for so long… I’ll take some luck. Maybe she left some behind in this ship.”
Blumiere, Timpani, Lieshy, Lady Rarity, and Vivian all entered the ship as well, taking it in. Blumiere dumped their giant suitcase on the ground in the back.
David tipped his hat to them. “Thanks for the paper, ladies. I wish you luck on your journey.” He left the ship. They could still see him after he left, but he could no longer see them.
“Thanks for your help David!” Toph called. “We’re in your debt!”
David just waved at them and shook his head.
Corona tapped the table with her hoof again. “Close the doors.”
The Orchid quickly sealed itself up with a soft hissing noise.
“Everyone, hold on tight,” Corona said, smirking. “I’m going to ask it to take us to orbit.”
Everyone sat down.
“There are no seatbelts…” Timpani observed. “Oh dear…”
Corona pressed her hoof onto the table again. “Computer, take us to orbit.”
Seatbelts appeared out of nowhere and strapped the seven of them in. The Orchid dropped its cloak, revealing its outer appearance to be like that of a lavender sunflower seed. It pointed its tip upward – and launched. It was gone in an instant.
David chuckled to himself. He hoped they had fun.
He also hoped they hadn’t forgotten anything important…
Miles away, in their abandoned base, another object was sent through the one-way opening. A single letter on a data pad.
Corona, it’s Eve.
I haven’t been sending you messages because… Because I was afraid to. Because I didn’t want to. Because I was scared.
But even if you are lost in another world, you still have the right to know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.
Corona, Sparky’s gone. She did a great thing, but it cost her everything…
Corona would never read that letter.
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of course she didn't get to read that letter...
I... Think you over channeled Q a liitle too much?
9032632
I... I have no idea what that was about.
-GM, master of greens.
Blackjack.
Blackjack.
You. Gave. Blackjack. To. The. Bad guys.
I was going to be talking about how much i definitely didn't tear up seeing Blackjack again in any capacity, and I absolutely didn't start crying like a baby seeing Timpani and Blumiere. I definitely wasn't going to mention how I remember P-21 and Morning Glory and Lacunae and Rampage and so, so many others that Blackjack lost on her journey because I'd felt their losses too. I wasn't going to say a word about the Rev and Nova's genuinely interesting conversation.
But then you gave Blackjack to the bad guys. Blackjack. With Siron. Alicorn cyborg Blackjack with Siron.
I don't know if I'm mad or scared. Actually, no. I know that I'm both and then some. BLACKJACK. WITH THE BAD GUYS.
You killed Sparky. That was fine. It was a hard loss, but I could deal. You gave Rick and Morty and Ivan and Gyro to that Collector that reminds me of Metal Sonic and that was dandy. You killed Gandalf in an action sequence as a red shirt and I was decided that was fine, even if I love Gandalf.
GMBlackjack.
I am upset.
Well played.
Edit: It's been hours and I'm still mad. Especially because I can't do a thing to argue why it shouldn't have happened. This is legitimately the most Blackjack thing that she could've done, especially given the circumstances.
Blackjack falls for every sob story. She just lost all of her friends. All to have the only things she had left taken from her: her victory and her rest. At least 'Jackie' got to win, and she got to disappear. Blackjack saw everything she had done, and everything she'd lost become meaningless because demon Sweetie Belle swooped in from nowhere and killed the Eater.
Blackjack isn't a smart pony. When someone gives her a valid reason to actually blame the Alliance for something, of course she'll take it. Especially when she's drunk.
Now I hate everyone on Siron's team. This felt personal. I'm starting the 'Blackjack realizes she's dumb' watch, and counting the chapters until she realizes she's screwed up.
This is chapter zero of the Blackjack watch. Today Blackjack was dumb and it hurts.
Hello Blackjack.
Where did you find that expensive looking idiot ball?
Uh... okay. When I fell off the Project Horizons wagon, Blackjack didn't have bones in her legs. As such, this comes as something of an abrupt transition.
The "Earth Origin" hypothesis is certainly an intriguing one. I wonder if we'll ever see any evidence to support it.
Good to know Toph's team has an escape route... though that missed letter...
I too wonder how Dio still exists. This will be complicated indeed. And while Blackjack may be one heck of a protagonist, she's not the only one present. We'll see how long it takes for her to realize her mistakes, and how much damage she does before then. (And between this and Aang, hopefully Eve will stop interfering with climactic battles. It rarely ends well.)
Looking forward to more.
I'm surprised no one had anything to say about the information learned about Vriska's past.
Obvious misspelling of Lieshy.
>Believes there wouldn't be Dio
Well that wasn't long for me to bite back my own words.
Vriska was with Twilence???
... Gotta finish reading The Influence.
9032654
I was expecting someone else...
KONO DIO DA!!
> Dio
Oh boy, can’t wait to see Over Heaven absorb a few hundred universes worth of souls and overwrite the entire fucking sphere.
This is bad.
This is very, very, very bad. I don't know anything about Dio, but Blackjack- this will never be a question, it's just a fact, no telling me nessecary- that Blackjack has way too much Beat around her for this to be anything but bad.
I just realized that there was a character named GM in the last chapter. And now Blackjack. GMBlackjack. Thinking emoji.
...Twist in the knife harder, why don't you, damnit!!?!?
Well, this only means that Corona's going to find out some other way.
...
...
...Oh god, she's gonna find out hard, isn't she?
At least the team found a convenient and hopefully long-term useful way out of that dimension. Looking forward to the reaction and lore drop when Vriska finds out.
Anyways, Blackjack. Yaaaaay, Blackjack! You brought her onto the board! That's really cool!
...
...Aaaaannd you summarily made her side with the bad guys! That's really not cool! That's actually extremely bad!
I hope she has some kind of realization or change of heart to get out before too long. Otherwise, it's not gonna be a happy experience for her and a lot of other people, to say the least.
I may not follow along with Jojo's Bizzare Adventure, but I know enough to recognize Dio by description.
Many "oh, no no no no no no"s were said aloud in increased intensity upon reading this and the following paragraphs, realizing what was going on.