A Night To Escape Purgatory
Chapter 1
A Night To Escape Purgatory
The whirring of the generator could be heard through the wall as Kris added more chemicals to the battered paper cup on the scale. “I’m just saying there is no reason to start up number three.” Kris said to his older companion who sat paging through his kindle.
“Senior's order,” the first class replied. “Just drop in the FFT and align it, then you're good for the night I’ll turn over with the other section, No need to come back to the lab.”
“You know I will never disobey an order to quit work; besides, I think Yarborough wanted to lose a game or two tonight.”
“The SH?” asked his supervisor not looking up from the reader in his hands.
“Yeah I know he keeps building new decks.” Kris laughed as he turned and grabbed the polyethylene bottle from the metal countertop. It was now full of Trisodium Phosphate “shit I’m gonna have to run to the main space and grab some hot water for this.” Kris bent down and picked up his backpack he had stored at the beginning of his watch.
“Don’t worry just use the jug the filter can be lifted in three” The petty officer said finally closing the cover to his kindle. “I’m gonna check fuel levels, and here don’t forget the keys.”
“Thanks” Kriss said rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment after catching the keys “Almost forgot.”
“No problem but get some sleep tonight we have the late watch tomorrow, which means flight quarters.”
Kris regained his smug look “Don’t worry old man. I don’t need it SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK” Kris unzipped the smallest pouch on his navy issued backpack reveal two cans of Monster energy drink. “Five more in my locker and the ship store will still sell me two a day they haven’t cut me off since Dubai.”
“You’re gonna have a heart attack.”
“Not before you if you don’t quit getting so worked up” Kris laughed opening the watertight door. “Have a good night.”
As he ascended the ladder to the main deck of the floating hunk of steel that had become his purgatory for the last five months, Kris thought about what he would do when he touched back state-side. Maybe Atlantis Comic and Games, he could grab a box or two of the new Magic set as a welcome home gift to himself. If he got back on a weekend he could go to the clubs in Virginia Beach. His 21st birthday had just occurred a few nights previously and he had had a quite bleak party as they drank soda and played cards. He may just relax on base once more having access to decent wifi, play some video games, video chat with his buds back home.
His thoughts were interrupted as he rounded the corner that led to the Bev Line a small passageway(P-Way in case this term is used later) that ran alongside the crew’s mess. “Hey ponyboy!” came a cheerful yell from the far end of the P-Way. The voice had been Messer a culinary specialist onboard his ship walking off the mess decks with a laptop under his arm. “Has your shadow found you yet?”
“Wilcox? No Why?” Kris asked curiously looking at the laptop under Messer’s arm. “Another LAN party?”
“Yep Twenty-one and three” Messer said a grin spreading across his face
“I mean if I had a suitable laptop I’d wreck all of you.” In truth Kris was horrible at first person shooters and hated the player base for most.
“Sure you would almighty gaming god” Messer gave an exaggerated bow to Kris.
“Rise my subject,” Kris said in the most proper voice he could muster playing along with the little charade “Now what were you saying about Wilcox?”
“Oh he was watching the door downstairs pretty intently figured he was waiting for you. I asked him if he needed anything and he just kind of grunted.”
Wilcox was a Cryptotech onboard with the personality you expect of someone who is cooped up all day. He was shy and couldn’t really talk to anyone but Kris without becoming a nervous wreck. A result of the previous issue resulted in Kris becoming the kid’s only friend on the ship.
“Honestly I want him to be able to talk to other people to you know just help him. I tried being an asshole get him to stop talking to me and leave him with no other option, I just don’t know what to do I can’t be that mean to him.” Kris said hoping Messer would have some level headed advice for him.
“I don’t know man but you need to find out in three…two…oooonnee.” As Messer dragged out these last words he backed down the P-Way leaving Kris standing alone and defenseless to the incoming attack.
“Hey” Came the softest voice Kris had ever heard from behind. “H-H-Have you had a ch-ch-chance to read anymore of th-that story I sent you.” Little Willy Wilcox muttered.
“Naw man I told you I’m pretty busy.” Kris lied. The truth is he had read it, and actually had quite enjoyed the fanfic that Wilcox had found and sent to his phone. Kris would admit his adoration for the show and music the fans created but preferred to keep his reading of fanfiction a secret among most people. “if you wanna chat you’re gonna have to walk with me bud.”
“Huh-Huh y-you have work to do?”
“Just gotta dump some chemicals In the boiler before they bring up the generator tonight.” Kris’s life for the last five months had been to operate as an oil king onboard the warship ensure the movement of oil and the chemistry of the waste heat boilers remained constant and safe. He continued on his way aft as the buzz in his ear droned on falling into the noises of ship’s equipment that he had learned to tune out, giving a small nod every now and then Wilcox became none the wiser of his subjects deafness.
As they passed the ships barbershop Kris stole a glance inside to see a balding man sitting across from his future opponent. He made two more turns before finally coming to the aft most boiler room on the ship. If the generator were running this space would be in the hundreds in terms of temperature but before they started it Kris could feels the cool ocean breeze blowing in from the open door to the fantail. “Wait here a moment bud.” Kris said donning his hearing protection and stepped over the knee knocker into the space. After adjusting a few valves He poured the contents of the bottle into the tank and aligned it for feed. “well that’s that” He stepped out of the engineering compartment.
“So um I was just wondering if that invitation to join you at the convention in July was still up in the air?” Wilcox asked looking from Kris to the ground then back up.
“Yeah man I told you if you wanna crash in our hotel room you can. I should warn you though, “Kris continued as they walked back to the barbershop, “My buddy Cameron can get a little wild after a few drinks.” Kris laughed at the idea of Wilcox going out to the clubs with them in Baltimore. Imagine if he did what the sailor who joined him on the last trip did. Though he wasn’t a Brony a third class in Kris’s old work center had joined him on the trip and while at a bar had signed them both up for a human auction. Maybe that was what this kid needed just one good night out in town.
In truth Wilcox was no more than two years his younger but Kris couldn’t help but view him as a child due to his timid helpless nature. “So what are you doing now?” the shy sailor asked.
“Onward to battle.” Kris yelled raising his hand as he rounded the final turn toward the barbershop. Its incandescent white light spilled ibnto the P-way standing out from the red overhead lighting set throughout the ship at night.
“You have a game at this time of night?”
“I always have a game lined up, besides new deck” Kris smiled as he opened the door to the barbershop. He shouldered his bag onto the small bench where personell could wait to have their hair grievously wounded by the unskilled barber.
“Hey ponyboy and shaky are here.” Said the balding man looking back as the door opened. He was another turbine mechanic on the ship by the name of Gray, at the age of twenty-two the navy had taken it’s toll on him in the form of a receding hairline…very receding. Turning back to the match at hand Gray laughed “So I swing in with nighthawk, any blockers in response?”
“How can I you killed them,” came Yarborough's depressed response from the far side of the table. “I’m down to six.”
“Ok them I’m gonna hit you with a bump in the night and a bolt of-“ Before Gray could finish Yarborough was reaching for his cards
“I scoop” Yarborough said “Your next bro” he said looking at Kris “The next time I see those vamps I’m gonna off myself.”
Gray stepped aside gesturing for Kris to take his spot. “So how you doing t-t-t-t-t-tonight Wilcox” Gray mocked laughing.
Kris opened his bag and reached in pulling a twenty-sided die, a mat, and a grocery back that had been wrapped around the contents it held. He spread the mat across the counter and reached inside the grocery bag pulling out a stack of cards which bore green sleeves and set them in the upper right corner of his mat, on top of a picture of Princess Luna Wings spread back.
“Is that princess flutterfuck?” Yarborough laughed as Kris began spreading the deck into eight piles to shuffle its contents.
“Laugh while you can I’m about to drop three megatons of love and tolerance on your ass” Kris said not looking up from his cards.
“You know green isn’t your color.”
“Why is that? Is it because first place gets a golden trophy and all the loser gets is a golden shower?” Kris asked putting his deck in the middle of the table to be cut.
“Roll I got eighteen” Yarborough said as he drew a hand of seven cards. Kris rolled the die watching a 9 land face up “I’ll take the play” Yarborough laid down a cards on the side of his field closest to him which bore a blue and green textbox.
“Guildgates? No my only weakness.” Kris smirked grabbing his chest in fake pain. “My go?”
“Fuck your sarcasm take your turn” The match ended rather abruptly as Kris drew and laid down a forest followed by a elf to help him gain an early game life advantage. Yarborough didin’t do much except place down lands throughout the early turns making Kris’s turn three attack for fifteen of his 20 life made Yarborough quit rather quickly.
“You won’t win if you keep giving up.” Kris explained
“You would have annihilated me next turn I was at five” Yarborough sighed “I don’t know why this didn’t work, I’m out guys I have work tomorrow.”
“We all do” Kris pleaded “come on one more game.”
Gray finally spoke up “Kris haven’t you been up for like twenty-four hours?”
“Twenty-eight-ish, why?” Kris replied.
“Man go rack out you need to sleep besides I’m out too.” Gray said opening the door before looking back as Kris looked at Wilcox and held up a deck of cards. “Kris come on.”
“Yeah fine” the walk to berthing was quick and Gray made sure he didn’t wander off on the hunt for more games. After a quick shower to wash the fuel and sweat from his body Kris climbed up to the third rack on the right side of the cube. As he stepped onto the bar he saw a bible postioned on the rack below his. His full name was Kristian but he had shortened it after a falling out with religion a year previously.
Kris rested his head on his all to comfortable navy issued brick of a pillow, the three stuffed animals that resided on his rack held tightly to his chest. The hardness of the pillow did nothing to hold off the seductive siren call of sleep as his eyes drifted closed staring at a poster of the cutie mark crusaders, a memento from the previous year’s trip to BronyCon.
Kris opened his eyes to a blinding light. “Hey man turn that shit off they haven’t even played reveille yet,” he called to the unknown switch flipper. He moved his arm to cover his face from the light, as he neared his appendage to its desired location he was stricken by the sight of smooth tan fur coating his arm. Startled he threw himself back finding he was no longer in his small rack as he landed squarely upon his haunches. Wait haunches? How had he gotten on land? How had daylight come? And what had happened to his body?
Chapter 2
Ponywalkers?
The birds were pleasantly chirping a welcoming song to the morning as Kris looked around franticly. The grass was green, check. The sky was blue, check. He had four legs, not check? They say drugs can lay dormant in your system for years and Kris had partied his fair share before the navy scooped him up but this had never happened before.
“Holy shit! What the hell am I?” A voice behind him cried.
“Yarborough?” questioned a second, This was followed by the incomprehensible mumbling of a third voice.
Kris turned to view his acquaintances, although the entire action took a bit more effort and time than he would have preferred as he figured out how to shift this new body into the standing position and then turn without falling over. He finally completed his one-hundred eighty degree turn and saw four stallions, one was sitting on the ground hyperventilating, two were now exploring their new forms and the fourth stood staring at the ground.
“So how many of us had acid on the ship?” Kris asked the confused group. “Just me? Okay got it.”
“Okay,” came Messer’s voice from the largest stallion, who bore a dark red coat and black mane cut into a traditional military fade, “we have Sarcasm, Stupid, Shy, Bald, and Badass, where’s the sixth element?”
“Oh my god I’m impressed” Kris smiled “you knew there were six elements.”
“You always talk about the elements of harmony or whatever they are how could I not.”
“Correction it’s the Hellements of Armory, but I’ll let it slide.”
“How are you guys joking we aren’t human,” Yarborough gasped “What did you do to us.”
“Listen this is obviously a dream bro I’d ask you to pinch me but…” Gray laughed holding up a hoof in Yarborough’s direction. “By the way when you said bald…”
Kris lost it and burst into a fit of laughter coming to the realization. Grays shortcomings had continued on in this world unlike his hairline which had just receded further back along his head. His laughter was cut short by a soft hoof being shoved into his mouth. Hmmm these hooves really were like plush no wonder nothing was ever fazed by being kicked in the show.
“Does anybody-“ Gray was cut short as his head gave a few quick twitches “anypony else hear that?” He asked removing his hoof from Kris’s mouth.
“No nothing, why?” Kris said raising himself to his feet.
“Exactly weren’t the birds chirping before?”
“Are you sure they said five sparks ignited here? There is no way five sparks would ignite at the same time and carry them to the same place.” Came a voice from the nearby tree line.
“Jade I already told you the boss said he picked up five and has-“ The voice cut short as the head of blue mare with purple curls falling around her horn and garnet colored eyes popped out from the tree line mouth ajar.”Okay, well that answers that question.”
“Let me see” came the first voice as a green mare presumably Jade pushed past the blue mare. “ooh five stallions, no cutie marks they must be new Ponywalkers.” When she came into full view Kris saw that he body was fully covered by a long black robe. The garnet eyed mare stepped out next followed by three stallions each a unicorn and wearing identical robes.
“Sparks? Ponywalkers? What is this some kind of bullshit My Little Pony/ Magic the Gathering crossover?” Kris laughed.
“I know you may think of running but please don’t, the boss doesn’t want us to kill you. We lost the last three new members we were supposed to recruit because they tried to run,” said one of the nameless stallions.
“Now you see that’s not what the good guys say.” Gray said “I’m just saying ‘We don’t want to kill you’ not the best opening line when trying to recruit someone. Kris I thought unicorns were supposed to be able to do magic you’re the pony expert how do I do magic?”
“Honestly I don’t know,” Kris replied. “Normally they just kind of focus then their horn glows and things happen. They supposedly have spells and such but there aren’t incantations or any of that. Maybe you should write Larson about publishing a How To guide on unicorn magic.”
“Are you quite finished?” the mare who appeared to be in charge asked.
“Would you give us one god damn minute woman? Seriously we are trying to talk here.” Messer said unfazed by the threats given. “This is a kids show right they can’t actually kill us. Can they?”
“M-M-Maybe we should go with them” Wilcox piped up.
“No I refuse” said Yarborough.
“W-What Why?” He stammered.
“They tried telling me what to do I don’t take orders from them.” Yarborough laughed “I don’t even take orders from the people I’m supposed to take orders from.”
“That’s because you’re a dirtbag sailor bro,” Kris said. “But I agree, screw them.”
“So we are fighting?” Gray asked “How about I take the girls and you guys divide the sausage how you want.”
“A fight it is,” Jade said stepping forward licking her lips. Her horn glowed a dark black and shadows swirled around the ground below her. The shadows rose into the form f a pale earth pony holding a gnarled staff between its jaws.
“Oh I see how this works,” Gray whispered as his horn lit up with a red energy. “so lets just get rid of that one.” A bolt of lightning flew from his horn and collided squarely with the earth pony’s chest. “Careful what you don’t know might shock you.”
Messer moved in circling one of the stallions while the other two moved in toward Yarborough and Wilcox. “Looks like I’m first,” he said his horn also taking on a red glow. “I’ll start with a quest.” With these words the glow erupted into a flash and before Messer sat an empty throne.
“So it’s you and me huh,” said Kris looking toward the blue mare. “I’ve gotta warn you though I’m more of a lover than a fighter.”
“Enough,” her horn lit up with a black flare as the same pale earth pony appeared before her.
“You seem original now don’t you? This may seem like a bad time to ask questions but how do I do this exactly?” Kris asked. “Because this seems kinda-“ Before he could finish his thought the image of seven cards appeared in front of him. Two of them bore the image of a tree while the others read names that Kris recognized. What he did not recognize were the images upon them. Where his once familiar elves had been now stood unicorns with extended ears. “Now this is good, who made this game is this that new VR system I was looking at because it is fantastic.”
“VR? I don’t understand,” the blue mare looked at him “If you wish to fight have on with it.”
“Yeah, yeah fine um I’ll play a forest and a llanawar mana dork, then its your go but tell me where are we?” As Kris touched each card nothing happened. “I don’t get it what’s wrong?” he pondered “Oh I see, they concentrate their horn glows then shit happens.” Kris concentrated and the image of an eighth card appeared. He had been so caught up in the situation he had forgotten the basic rules of his familiar game. He then played the moves he had previously stated seeing a small unicorn appear in front of him.
“Ha I guess I got stuck with the slow one, no matter I’ll make quick work of you,” laughed the mare.
Kris took a moment to steal a glance at the others, Gray had called to the field three vampiric ponies two were pegasi surely representing the Magic rule of flying. His opponent however answered this with a flying creature of her own. Kris watched as the six ponies before her raised their staves into the air feeding into a orb of fire which then formed into a four legged horned centaur of a creature. It raised its hand and a beam of dark energy flew from its fingertips striking down one of the pegasi in flight.
Messer now had an assortment of five diamond dogs in front of him and a larger one sat upon the throne. Wilcox appeared to have gotten into a stalemate. His opponent had three earth ponies on the field each with their staff and in front of Wilcox stood two large earth ponies adorned in silver and blue armor. What about Yarborough? Kris chanced a glance to the other side as he felt a pain strike him just below his left knee.
He jolted back from the strike looking up to see that the blue mare had called two more earth ponies to the field and one was retreating back to join them. “Damn that hurt yo.”
“Did you not expect it to? Why did you not defend yourself?”
“Ok listen let’s hash this out no one needs to be hurt here,” He laughed.
“Take this seriously.” The blue mare yelled at his sarcasm
“Trust me lady I take nothing more serious than games.” A smile crossed his face. “My turn?”
If the rules held true he could take nineteen more hits just like that one. As he focused and drew a card he glanced towards Gray’s fight after quickly dispatching the demon his enemy had been left defenseless to his assault of blood sucking vampires. Each now had blood dripping from their gaping jaws and his enemy had it more or less spilling from her neck. Messer had went from an assortment of diamond dogs to an army. Now they swarmed his adversary looking to make quick work of him. Wilcox had moved about as far as a conversation would have with him. Just one more to check on Kris thought as he turned his head to Yarborough and found that the sailor had been torn limb from limb.
“Yarborough!” Kris yelled trying to turn his body away from the battle to no avail. His legs wouldn’t move he could only move his head.
“Forget your friend I am your opponent.” The blue mare had a look of pure hatred in her eyes. “You should have expected death when challenging us you were warned not to fight the Seam Rippers.”
“Listen lady,” Kris pleaded “I don’t know what this has to do with sewing, but dying is not on my to do list.”
“Make your move so I can finish you,” scoffed his opponent.
“Fine, fine,” Kris said looking over his hand. He had drawn another land which he played his horn taking on a green tint. “Annother mana dork, followed by a heritage druid. I will use the combined power of my elves to call forth an archdruid as well” As he said this the first two unicorns appeared before him a green light linking between them from the center of the light another unicorn rose an aura radiating from it stretching covering them all in a faint glow.
“Petty tricks used by the weak,”
“You really are quite the charmer.” Kris chuckled this couldn’t be real Yarborough wasn’t dead. That pain though, it felt real.
“Prepare to feel true power” Laughed the blue mare a black glow encompassing her horn and spreading down her face and body. Three more earth ponies appeared in front of her. “I call to the power beyond the void hear your master and show my enemy the fear inside their heart.” A black glow illuminated on the end of each staff held by her small army of ponies shooting from one to the other like torches. The light began to swirl and shift as each staff was lifted pony and all into a rotation forming a whirlpool that pulled the light into its center leaving nothing but pure blackness.
From the blackness two hands reached out each one at least twice as big as Kris himself digging their pointed fingers into the ground the hands pulled forth the face of his demonic terror. Its eyes held within them the despair of a hundred souls crying out their voices echoing in his ears begging for freedom.
“You know maybe we should just call this a tie,” Kris said the humor fading from his voice.
“You see now that it is hopeless soon my servant will finish you and your pathetic little soldiers.”
Kris looked to his friends, Gray’s opponent lay drained of life Messer’s also lay still multiple marks stretched across his body surely the result of the onslaught of diamond dogs. Wilcox stood with his opponent staring at each other completely oblivious to the ongoing battle. Gray and Messer however now stared at the daunting beast which loomed over Kris just waiting to carry him to his eternal suffering with the other trapped souls.
“Come on gaming god you can’t even beat this hack?” Messer yelled laughing and nudging Gray on the side.
“Yeah come on I thought you refuse to lose at anything.” Gray shouted “Maybe you aren’t all your cracked up to be.”
Kris couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re right I’ve got at least one turn.” He focused and pulled another card before his eyes. This was it he only ran one of them but this was it. A smile worked its way across his face. “Hey darling have you ever seen one pony cut by a hundred swords at once?” His played his forest his horn glowing green before a beam shot from it into his elves, his archdruid dropped to its knees providing the beam with more energy as the other three also lent their strength. “Primal surge”
“Excuse me?” the blue mare question as a ray of green light shot into the sky. Unicorns began to appear around him at a rapid pace many wielding swords. “What is this? How are you calling upon all this power?”
“This is the strength of an entire army,” Kris laughed a staue of a large alicorn appearrd causing his army to begin floating. “My entire army is entering the fray ready to thanks to a statue to the battle angel Akroma. But let’s not forget about a craterhoof behemoth to give an extra kick.” With those words a large hoof broke the ground near him as a beast larger than the trees stood overhead of the army at his side.
“No, no this can’t be…” The blue mare gasped. Wilcox’s opponent called back his units and turned tail following Yarborugh’s killer into the woods. “Mercy please show me mercy” begged the mare.
“Like you showed to him?” Kris yelled pointing with his front hoof to the remains of Yarborough’s body. He looked to Messer and Gray who now stood mouths ajar at the image before their eyes. “What do you say guys?”
“I say we still need some answers.” Messer said looking to the timid mare who had pulled back her demon. “Besides She scooped.”
“Mercy it is then” Kris said lowering his horn and letting his army fade. “Stand up and tell us who you are and why you were looking for us.”
"I’m am Azure Rose, I am a member of a Seam Ripper team so were the others.”
“What are the seam rippers?” Gray asked
“WE work to protect the real world.” Azure Rose explained. “There are many other worlds than these. The false worlds continue to repeat themselves. We rip out the vital seams so that they can’t repeat. They are predetermined but one, one is not yet figured out its end is still up in the air but it can’t continue if all the others remain.”
Then the world went black.