Chapter 17: Returning home, for a visit.
2 months later
The lab was a chamber deep in Princess Twilight’s castle, equipment was set aside; many machines weren’t even invented two months ago when Doctor Doom started working on the new dimensional gateway.
Blackboards filled with equations spanned the room. In one corner Twilight was snoring among notes and scrolls having finally fallen asleep after trying to record the equations.
Doctor Doom thanks to his armor still was awake after working 30 hours. “Sire… even you can’t go much longer without sleep. You have been working on this for two months, a night rest will not change things. You said it yourself we can use the time travel equipment in your armor. Please go rest.”
“Hans I am in the middle of the final assembly. This is very delicate work, any mistake could cause the portal to be unstable.”
“Statistical odds of those mistakes increase by lack of rest. Sire please I know your brilliance, but you are only human. Remember it was rushing things that led that other Doom to ignore Reed Richards when he said there was an error.”
“Hans I have come to accept that the man in this Armor isn’t Victor von Doom, but my mind is… be careful not to anger me.”
“Forgive me my liege, however being your butler it is in my duties to look out for your well being. That includes making sure you get your rest.”
Doom set down the soldering iron and sighed. “It is true that we still have time to spare. Very well Hans I will go to sleep.” Doctor doom noted Twilight Sparkle. “Make sure the Princess gets some sleep as well.”
“Spike and I shall get her to bed as well my liege.” Hans looks over to Spike as Doom headed for the bedroom he was sleeping in. “Shall we?”
“Sure, Remember to get the ink well away from her, before we wake. Last time I woke her after a binge of note-taking she splattered ink all over the basement… in the Golden Oaks that is.”
Spike poked the sleeping Twilight. “AGH!!! Spike don’t scare me like that.”
“You were drooling on your notes again.”
“What! Oh... it's not that bad. Spike! Amazingly, Victor broke Starswirl’s ninth law of dimensional dynamics!”
“Forgive me Princess please explain,” Hans asks internally, smiling at the display of Twilight having a Nerdgasm.
“Oh... Hello Hans. Okay, Star Swirls’ ninth law of Dimensional Travel states the realities circle through various vibrations only when two dimensions are in rhythm or synced with each other can dimensional travel is possible. When dimensional travel is tried without syncing it leads to a limbo a timeless void. This is why the Mirror Portal only functioned normally every 30 moons. The rest of the time the realities are out of sync. Using the journals we artificially sync the portal to the other reality. That’s only possible because the two journals are permanently in sync, and only because one is on both sides of the portal.”
“Twilight breath!” Spike calls out catching Twilight right before she hyperventilates.
“Thanks, Spike. So because we can sync the portals with the Journal we can travel when I put the Journal here on the pedestal. The journal acts as an anchor keeping the portal stable for travel. I think that how the Tokens work as well they act as an anchor for dimensional travel when a Displaced is summoned. Thought that just a theory Gar hasn’t let me study the token he has. Doom’s Dimensional technology accounts for the out of sync rhythm! So as the dimensional traveler goes through his gate they are automatically synced to the target reality! No need to anchor the portal at all DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS! Safe dimensional travel any time, anywhere! Well if we know where to go… still need the reality quantum signature before you can travel at all.”
Spike rubbed his ears. “Twilight… get some rest if I was hearing Doctor Doom right the gateway will be ready to test tomorrow. You want to be wide awake for that.”
“Oh… yeah… sorry for yelling in your ear Spike.” Twilight yawns and walks off.
Hans looks at Spike, “What would they do without us, Spike?”
“Most likely pass out in the middle of some endeavor and either blow themselves up or turn into some superpowered mad scientist from a comic book.”
“Too late, that's what Doctor Doom already is. Let's hurry up, I want to get one last game of Ogres & Oubliettes in before me and Doom head home.”
The Next Day
Gar walked through Ponyville in his true form. Thanks to the knighting ceremony, his heroics in Canterlot, and his time spent training with Captain Blueblood the last two months he’d become a regular figure in the eyes of the public and no longer required his zebra disguise to move around. Though this did not stop him from using from time to time as he did put some work into making this form.
It was well known that Gar was the new lord and king of the Everfree Forrest and in his time as the new king of the forest, it had seemed to calm down quite a bit. Most ponies were still afraid to go into the forest but those that were more familiar with Everfree actually found spending time there was much more pleasant as most beasts would leave them be and would only approach to investigate what they were doing.
Gar had learned much in his time training with the Prince Captain and the two grew to greatly respect one another, though they did butt heads on methods here and there. Gar had also learned a great amount of magic control under the tutelage of Princess Luna. The two would often spend some together most nights studying the stars and constellations. Princess Celestia helped Gar learn about the different demon blooded races of the land on some occasions. Gar still spent most of his time in the forest, mainly helping Zecora or the forest itself.
One day he followed a voice in his head that led him to the ancient castle where Celestia and Luna once ruled. He followed the directions until he found a seed glowing with the same colors at his wings. Gar couldn’t explain it but he had the urge to plant this seed in the very center of the Everfree, so he did. In the short span of two months, the seed grew into a massive tree/ Though one can’t see it unless the mist that surrounds it allows, even if you entered the forest itself.
Gar walked along and soon came upon Twilight’s castle. Not wanting to be rude, he knocked.
“Gar,” Spike answered the door with a yawn.
“Did I wake you?” Gar asked unemotionally.
“AWWWW! Yeah,” He rubbed his eyes.
“Another late night with Hans, Discord, and Big Mac,” Gar said flatly as he did find the game the three enjoyable when he did play, but find staying up late was night ideal for him.
“Yea, you should join in more often,” Spike stretched. “I’ll wake Hans. Doom and Twi will want breakfast as soon as they come down, then they’ll be back at that portal.”
The little dragon walked over to the slender-man butler and slightly shook him but got no response. “Guess he ate too much of Chaos magic again. I’ll try again after I get Twi up.”
“Allow me,” Gar said as a red rose grew from his thorned necklace. He plucked it and blew the petals over the sleeping Pony and Butler. The two suddenly shot up wide awake.
“Woah, what you do?” Spike looked at the smiling monster king.
“Just a bit of floramancy to invigorate our friends,” Gar said. “I simply infused the erose with a bit of magic and had it give them a quick wake up call by transferring its photosynthetic energy to them.”
“Wha-” Spike tilted his head.
“I gave them a shot of coffee straight to their bodies,” Gar remarked flatly.
Hans rose and held his head “Discord’s magic way too much like alcohol... complete with hangovers.”
"It would be best if you got moving," Gar said in an apathetic tone of voice. "The spell will continue to reinvigorate you and help with any hangover, but you must move to work it through your system. Doctor Doom will also want to get back to work as soon as possible, so he will need to be woken and fed."
Standing up he nods “Indeed the gate is almost finished, we should be able to return home soon.” A ripple of shadow seems to flow over him straightening his appearance that of his prim and proper butler. “I shall awake my liege.”
“That wouldn’t be necessary Hans. I was awake for the past hour. Having breakfast before I return to work is desirable. It seems I will have to devise a way to import Sweet Apple Acres apples to Griffonstone.” Doctor Doom spoke up walking into the room.
“Yes, my liege I shall go prepare a meal right away.” Hans headed for the Castles kitchen.
Doom then looked to Gar “I have devised a means of attack. When Hans and I return it will be months or perhaps a year from the time I left. Once I arrive in our home universe, my temporal other-self will send me a message where the other Dens are, and what is within. This would cause a paradox because it’s information I would gain through the normal course of events.”
“Then Hans and I will time travel back to when I left. With the other’s of my party, we will head to the Den where I find the quantum address of the universe she’s in. Once I’m in that… What did Hans call it? Marvel universe I will send you a message via the Dimensional gate giving you the address to that universe.”
“A direct battle between me and him will be a stalemate, however, he will have a movie I can’t counter, that will be threatening Gilda’s life. It is a move he would see as cowardly, but when there are no other options he will take it. This is where I request your assistance if you remove that option during my confrontation with that other Doom. Gilda’s life will not be threatened.”
He looked around then more softly “Please, I found that she is important to me. Only one other person came to this close, Valeria. I killed her… no the real me killed her. The Doom my mind is modeled from killed her for mystical armor he eventually lost. It seems I have the conscience he lost. I don’t want to think about what I would become if I lose Gilda. He will not hesitate if he thinks it will give him an advantage.”
“I will help you, Doctor,” Gar placed a large hand on Doom's shoulder. “I know that pain of losing someone. Though I know now my older brother is alive, that still does not undo the pain I felt and feel. I also can not stand for your Griffinstone to continue without nature to give life there. I will come, and he will die.”
“Killing isn’t the goal. Saving Gilda is, we will have to delete any data he collected on her as well. It seems universes bunch together in clusters. We are in the Equestria cluster; the realities are variations on the Ponies universe. Jumping to another cluster needs, even more, fine-tune alignment. He wouldn’t be able to arrive in any Equestria universe if he didn’t have a sample of our quantum signature. In more simple terms it's like finding a needle in a haystack in a field in another country without even knowing what kind of needle. Now let's get some food before Pinkie Pie arrives and tops everything with frosting.”
"Indeed," Gar agreed as the pair marched along. "Any estimation on when the portal will be done?"
“Two hours. Then we can test the token system that will let you know how many universes your token has reached and the quantum address of those signatures. That would include any token you placed on the pedestal. Speaking of which.”
Doom took off his face mask revealing that scared face. “I am Victor von Doom, Sovereign ruler of Griffonstone, World Equestria-16497/23. Don’t bother me unless you have no choice.” He then pushed the mask into the multiverses creating his token.
He looked over to Gar. “I’m sure you are wondering why I knew about the tokens. Hans hasn’t realized that we still have a mental connection. When he was getting drunk off of Discord’s power I was absorbing his memories of his time separated from me. He also would just return to my mind if he died.”
"I figured that you two might share a link of some form," Gar said flatly. "You two are technically the same being, and I theorize that Hans is not a mental clone by the remnants of your original mind from your time as a normal human." He explained. "That is on a theory of mine of course. I was never one for the belief in gods, but since becoming Displaced I have had to be much more open to things. Perhaps whoever sent you across the Void didn't want you to ever be truly alone as many Dooms are. I am still coming to terms with my Displacement. I still have my emotions inhibited, though I still feel. Especially the urge to protect Twilight, her friends, my frIends, the forest, and the princesses. This was something that I never had before, a will to protect. It may seem silly to one such as yourself, Doctor but it also seems that I was given a purpose that I severely lacked in my old life. I think most Displaced are sent to attain or achieve something along these lines. What are your thoughts on this matter Doctor?"
“That assumes that all Displaced have a desire to defend or protect. It might be more than the Displaced have a desire to do something, the desire to take action be it good or ill. For example, the ponies of… my universe aren’t as cooperative as yours. I have been investigating them via spies and just general knowledge. Not evil the world me and Hans arrived at are more shades of grays. Hans has pointed out Celestia tends to be afraid to use her full power; out of fear of collateral damage, for example. The one I faced showed no such hindrance, she was willing to blast me even though there was a group of Griffons behind me. So what purpose would I and Hans represent? Hans had killed his own Father by using potassium to trigger a heart attack. I have memories of sacrificing the only human woman I could say I loved. It is more logical to see that those who become Displaced have a desire to be active, to do something, but lack the real power to be motivated. Many people have power in one way or another but choose to not be proactive, billionaires, politicians. The list goes on, the opposite is also true, some people desire to do something but lack the tools or understanding how to achieve their goal. We Displaced are given forms we see as powerful, we are given tools or abilities that we see are powerful.”
He looked at Gar in the face “When you were human were you feeling powerless, a deep desire to do something, even if it just punched someone in the face. A hunger to do more than just sit around and watch T.V. and be proactive but lack a true focus of that desire. There are many reasons for people to not do something, lack of power, lack of focus, or lack of desire. The girls as you say are your focus, the power you now possess is tied to the forest, the Princesses represent peace of this land so your drive makes sense in this reality. Did you feel like you had the power to do something effective in your old world? Did you feel you were able to change things? My guess is you felt helpless in that other world. A feeling of being adrift, no focus to drive your desire. I know Hans felt that feeling of being adrift, lost. Then he was turned into someone he admired. A man who sees what he wants and takes it, a man who refuses to sit back and feel helpless, a physical representation of power, me.”
"Hmm… '' Gar thought. "What you say about our kind is true from what I know. We Displaced can be heroes or villains if we choose, some even in between. In my homeworld, I was the youngest of three brothers and I was doted on more than my siblings. I was happy and many say I was the smart one and would go far. I wanted to be an astronomer but you are right, I had no real desires. I merely did the same things day in and out. As for my form, it had nothing to do with desire other than it was a show my brother suggested I watch at some point."
Later in the lab
Doom closes the panel. “That’s it the dimensional gate is finished.” He then went to a pedestal that was in front of a display. “Gar if you be so kind, place your Displaced token, or any token you have recovered on the pedestal. A list of realities will show up on the display, the top will be highlighted in blue that is the reality of origin. For example…” He takes off his face mask revealing his scarred and deformed face.
Then places it on the pedestal. A list appeared at the top revealing Equestria-16497/23. “The first is the planet of origin if known. Equestria, for worlds of our equestrian allies. Even if they call the planet Equis or some other variation. Next is the number address mine is 16497, followed by the slash and a second number.”
He removes his mask and puts it back on. “The second number is the multiversal cluster. I assigned the Equestria cluster the number 27. I had a long discussion with Hans about the possibility the stories and myths of Earth are all part of the Omniverse. In one cluster there are giant transforming robots, for example, another a Federation of Planets and Starfleet explore the alpha quadrant. I had assigned each a cluster number for easier classification.”
“Now this is very important Gar, dimensional travel to another cluster is extremely difficult. Far more than just normal dimensional travel. The gate has only enough power for one two way trip per ten years to another cluster. The computer system will assign new address numbers as it finds new realities.” He then picks up a dependent device. “This is your way back to this reality. When you go to another reality bring this with you, once you are ready to return open the case and press the button. It will activate the gate and bring you back.”
“I also included a temporal shift device, so no matter how long you spend in another reality you will return within 5 hours of your original departure. That five hours is needed for the gate to recharge.”
He looks to all gathered “Any questions?”
Pinkie Pie waves her hand “OH OH! Can you come next Nightmare Night? It will be so much fun if you scare the foals! They will love it!”
“No” Doom deadpanned.
“Awww… okey dokey!”
“Once you arrive on your side we’ll be ready here,” Gar said. “The girls have elements. Once you’re ready, use my token and summon us. This way we’ll have two escape routes if needed.”
“Hmm, contingency plan… I need to work on that. To have a fall back plan means you have some expectations of the first failing. That something my other self will never accept. Doctor Doom never fails, even when I can now see the memories and see I have, or should I say that other Doctor Doom has.”
He put his hand on Hans’s shoulder. “We will have to be outside, don’t want to materialize inside a wall. Till we meet again fare thee well.”
Hans bows “Till next time my friends” The two then head out of the castle and then lift into the air. Where both vanish into a sphere of blue light.
-------------------
Back in Equestria-16497
Doom and Hans appeared over Ponyvillie three miles in the air. “Um… Doom I don’t know how to hover.” Hans tendrils grip onto Doom as they hovered.
“Understandable, your body absorbs magic so can’t use magic to hover.” He looked down and noticed two lines of ponies at the Sweet Apple Acres. “Hans, what your meta knowledge tells you about what’s going on.”
Hans looked down and noted the two unicorns standing beside a strange machine. “Oh crap, it's the Super Cider Squeezy 6000 episode. Doom we might be able to gain a bit of positive press. From what I can see they are about over, the Flim Flam Brothers had already started destroying the trees in a rush to increase production. They tricked Applejack into a contest. The deal was for the rights to sell Cider, but she ended up turning the deed of the Acers over.”
“Did they trick her that much?”
“No she kind of tricked herself.”
“I see. Let get some Cider.”:
The two came down, as soon as the ponies spotted them three screamed out “Oh, the Horror!” Even before they landed. In typical fashion, the main 6 moved to stand together.
“Hey isn’t that, that Doctor Doom guy?” Pinkie Pie asks as she drinks a mug of cider.
Rainbow Dash rushes up “Here to cause trouble huh!”
“In truth Rainbow Dash I came to buy some Cider.” Doom lowered and landed on the ground where Hans got down from him.
“Wha…” not expecting that Rainbow dash blinks as Doom looked to AppleJack. “It seems the line left, so AppleJack is there any Cider left. I don’t have any bits, does a Silver Griffonstone Sliver work?”
“GOOD SIR! Why bother with that inferior cider. Try the Flim Flam brother’s super speedy cider Squeezy 6000 Cider!” Flim didn’t wait and took the silver and slapped a mug into his hand.
Doom smirked behind his mask and he could see the remnant of a leaf in the brown liquid. He took a sip and then splashed it at Flim’s face “Are you trying to poison me! Did you just toss any apple in there? Look there a trig and leaves in this much you call a cider. How many insects did you ground up in this slop!”
“All this time I heard the quality of Sweet Apple Acres was the best in the world. This slop I wouldn’t let the pig drink.”
“Now hold on one minute their partner. Sweet Apple Acres is the best, but that cider from that darn machine.”
From the Super cider squeezy 6000 granny smith’s voice spoke out. “That armored fella right. All this cider is contaminated.”
“Hold on now! The Deal was if we made more Cider, not the quality! We won fair and square.”
“Ugh… A deal a deal. Fine, you win, guess we have to move.”
“Excuse me Applejack why do you have to move?” Hans spoke up, glad his face didn’t display his grin.
“OH, he’s smiling!” Pinkie Pie calls out randomly. A heartbeat later and everyone else returned to what they were talking about.
“Well, we make our bits from the cider sales, and without the rites to sell cider, we wouldn’t be able to stay here. We lose the farm.”
“I came for a cider. So… I buy every cider you have and share it with everyone.” He removes some Double Gold coins and puts them on the counter. “Rainbow, because your friends with Gilda you and your friends can have the rest.”
He drinks one of the mugs then Looks over to the Canterlot castle. “Seems Celestia finally noticed I’m here.”
“Celestia coming here?”
“Wait! You know Gilda?” Rainbow Dash.
Doom smiles and nods “Yes she’s learning magic as my apprentice.”
“What? Griffons can’t use magic.” Twilight blurts out.
“You are wrong, Twilight. Gilda the first spell caster among the Griffons in generations. Perhaps we can speak about this later.” He lifts his Infinity Gauntlet covered fist and in a flash of white light, he and Hans vanished.
Within a few moments, Celestia landed. “Where’s Doom! What did he do?”
Twilight looked at Celestia. “Princess Celestia… he bought some cider and left.”
“What…. That’s it?”
“Yeah, that’s it he just came and bought some cider and… Oh, these two unicorns were scamming Applejack…” Twilight turned and saw that Flim and Flam were gone. “Where are the Flim Flam brothers? They were just here.”
“He trespassed on Equestria borders, and bought… apple cider?” Celestia stood there confused.
---------------
In Griffonstone Ravenblood Pygmy Village
Doom and Hans appeared at the edge of the cliff. Their sudden appearance caused a slight disruption as a few of the Pygmies started praying to him.
“They are taking this whole god thing a bit seriously aren’t they,” Hans commented to Doom as he saw a full-sized Griffon raven blood walk over. “Your Majesty. The research of the Ravenblood Griffonstone Den has revealed some interesting facts. It seems they kept the mist dwellers as pets and guards to the den.”
“That is good, but I’m busy,” Doom stated not even knowing who this fellow was.
“Oh of course, please forgive me.”
Doom then moves his arm and a hologram image of a map comes up. Then marks appeared showing where all the dens are.
“Hans, change of plans.”
“What is it, my liege?”
“It seems Gilda has been taken by my Marvel counterpart, as well as Discord.”
“Wait, that was months ago…” the researcher Raven Griffon looked at the two oddly.
Doom looks at the fellow. “Don’t say any more. We are from the past, time travel is complicated and we don’t want to have a paradox.” He then looks to Hans “Grab hold we are going directly to the Marvel Universe. My future self provided me with the universe address.”
“Yes sir. Should we send it to Gar?”
“I have the token to summon him.” Once Hans grabbed onto Dooms back Doom activated his armor dimensional travel equipment and they vanished. Leaving the Pygmies and Researchers looking on confused.
Stats
Page generated in 0.014 seconds
Total duration
1,023 users online
1,502,447 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
”Doom is here... To buy some cider...”
I’ll show myself out...
The most normal thing, Doom going to Equestria to buy cider.
Great new chapter! Looking forward to the next one!
I really need to read the Smiling Monster story some time, I'm reading the Anti-Magic knight one and will read the other story involving Displaced Edward later.
This really needs editing.
10685515
Yeah, it didn’t help that we were doing a crossover and our writing got chaotic.
"Darned tootin'."
2 fucking minutes... My belly still hurts from laughing so hard... I love your story so mutch