Chapters The Lost Crystal
By ChAoS pOnY
Chapter 1
Gripping the bar as tight as he could, John leaned through the telegate as the maelstrom tore at the purple glow infusing him and filling him with power as it sucked up all of the energy slamming into him. A few more inches and he'd have it, the Kessho forming in the center of where several universes were collapsing into each other. Just a bit further and she wouldn't have to grow old and die. Just one more inch and he wouldn't have to lose her. Just a little more and.... NO! NO! NO! It's too much energy.
[Tracking Object: Kessho 4. Assigning Drones To Pursue. Opening Long Jump Gateway. Warning: Trans-Dimensional Jump Exceeds Current Safe Range. Overriding Safeties. Warning: Distance Exceeds Tele-Operations Of Drone. Reassigning An Experimental Adaptive Nano Form Pod And Set Priority To Replicate A Mechanical Version Of The First Sentient Life Form It Finds Before Locating Object Kessho 4 And Remaining With It Until Contacted With Further Instructions. Down Loading Kessho Files Launching Adaptive Nano Form Pod As Soon As Haven-Guard Is In Position.]
All across Haven-Guard images of a red haired woman with glowing green eyes appeared. "Attention: Dr. Nanoborg, Transcendent, Dr. Johan Von Ritter, and Dr. Yamaguchi to Medical 4 for an Alpha priority patient. Attention: Omega protocols have been enacted. Ubermensch Deiter Von Ritter, Goblin King Grimboldra, Princess Victoria Pendragon, Professor Thomas Fullery, and Lady Bonny Morningstar are now in command of Haven-Guard. Attention: Empress Sherrie Joanne Gatetree-Corwin please come to Medical 4's waiting room. Thank you." Alphia said to the countless numbers living within Haven-Guard as the artificial universe/trans-dimensional ship turned and a small 18 inch round telegate open. The telegate then stretched into a tube over 10 miles long before a small pod shot forward through the tube and disappeared as it followed the trail left by the Kessho.
As soon as the Long Jump gateway collapsed and disappeared Haven-Guard began following the pinging from the pod at a slower rate as it flew past much larger universes, correcting course as the pod followed the erratic twists and turns of the Kessho. It dipped in and out several universes as the Kessho passed through them and they cause the Kessho to change it's course radically. As it passed through different universes the pod recorded images of epic battles between titanic battle fleets of starships, worlds that flew through space on the backs of dragons, a galaxy filled with Dyson Spheres of living trees, and a universe where the stars were living energy beings that sang to each other with radio waves in a symphony of love and of the beauty of life on the worlds orbiting them.
Then finally the Kessho was slowed enough that one universe finally captured it. It bounce off the inside of the universe and fell towards a blue green world that had a small sun and moon orbiting it. The pod landed in time to see a small equine with a horn pick it up with it's mouth and begin running towards a small town the pod had noted on it's way down. It began to move to intercept the equine when the equine tripped over a rock and swallowed the Kessho. Then the equine yell out, "Oh no!!!!!!" and began panicking. As the Kessho was within it, the pod determined that panicking was not a good thing and moved to stop the equine before something happened to it.
"Equine, end unproductive reaction known as panicking." The pod said as it flew in front of the equine it now determined was a young female and probably sentient. The reaction it got was not the outcome it was attempting as the equine screamed and fled into a bush. Flying around the bush the pod said, "Equine, your attempt at concealment within this foliage is lacking due to your body vibrating it."
"Go away and leave me alone!" The equine yelled from within the bush.
"Equine, I have been assigned to follow the Kessho and remain with it until I am contacted with further instructions." The pod explained.
"So?" The equine asked, "What does the key shoe have to do with me?"
"Equine, it is the Kessho and you swallowed it when you tripped over a rock. As long as it is in you, I must remain near you until I am contacted." The pod explained as it circled the bush.
"My name is not 'Equine' and I didn't swallow this Kessho thing. I swallowed a pretty six colored crystal I was going to show my big sister Rarity." The equine yelled as from the bush.
"Equine, tell me your name and I will stop calling you equine. Also the Kessho is the six colored crystal you swallowed." The pod explained as it circled the bush. "I should also note there are some K-9 like creatures made of wood heading this way, most likely attracted by the volume of your vocalization... Correction, they are wolves made of wood that seem to be animated by some kind of unknown energy."
"AHH!!! Timber Wolves!!!" The equine screamed.
"Equine, are these 'Timber Wolves' a danger to you?" The pod asked as the timber wolves began circling the bush.
"YES!!! THEY'LL EAT ME!!!" the equine yelled from the bush.
The pod then extended several spikes from it's sides and said, "Then they are a threat to the Kessho. So I must protect you, Equine, from them to protect the Kessho." With that the spikes targeted each of the timber wolves before shooting out and hitting every single one. The timber wolves just looked at the spikes stuck in their wood as they began beeping. "Equine, I would suggest covering your ears because this may get loud." With that the spikes then exploded, destroying the timber wolves and knocking most of the leaves off the bush. The equine just blinked at the pod as it tracked the unknown energy returning to the forest the timber wolves came from. Finally it floated down and scanned the equine for damage and determined none, but it did finally decide the equine was sentient and landed in front of her. Within seconds it replicated her form into a mechanical version of her for it's body as she watched with her mouth open in shock, forgetting to even remove her hooves from her ears. Then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.
Author's Note
Hello, a few quick notes on this story. First, this is story involves Charactors from a non-MLP story I have been working on. I am partially using this story to flesh out certain ideals. Second, yes if you have guessed it, this story has both Sweetie Belle and Sweetie Bot in it. Finally, no, I don't know where I am going with this other than a super powered Sweetie Belle and a trigger happy Sweetie Bot Vs. Nightmare Moon and John and some of his friends in Equestria.
Yes, I have a patreon account Here or just toss a few bucks in my Tip Jar Here .
Chapter 2
Sweetie Belle sat on a green disk across from a strange, glowing green bipedal creature made out of crystal sitting on another green disk. Between them was another disk with a tea set and cake that their disks were rotating around. The creature had four arms and was slicing the cake, pouring tea, and setting them in front of Sweetie Belle with three of her three fingered hands while holding a parasol with her last hand. "Oh this is so exciting, I mean you are no Universe, but you are just so cute and I really was not looking forward to my next rebirth. I mean look at my facets, they would be cracked and fractured if I had to go through another big bang now and you do not want to know how many eons it took me to get them just right." The creature said Sweetie Belle tried a bite of the crystal covered slice of cake and discovered that the crystals were strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry flavored sugar crystals. "Oh, but where are my manners, call me Prasiolite. It's not really my name, but you would need a doctorate in advanced quantum physics, music theory, and gemology in order to invent the mathematics to even begin to express the very beginning of my name. I have been the spirit and essence of several universes over the length of my long life and I must say I barely look over 285 trillion years old." Prasiolite said before laughing while covering her mouth with the back of one hand while snapping open a fan with another.
"Um... The cake is really good, but where are we and why are we here?" Sweetie Belle asked before starting on her second piece of cake.
"Wha... Oh, I see, I'm the first of the six you have met. Well we are inside of the Kessho, but you are actually sleeping outside with that 'Sweetie Bot' standing watch over you. If you ask me, who ever sent her was in a bit of a rush and her mission was thrown together at the last second." Prasiolite told her. "Now as far as what is going on, the Kessho is merging with you and you need to meet each of us in order to wake up. Now each of us are the spirits and essences of universes that had come to their ends around the same time and the Destroyer decided to put us into one crystal, the Kessho, together while 'turning out the lights' before handing us off to the Creator to start the whole process all over again with new universes. Only sometimes something happens and a Kessho ends up in the hands of a mortal, you in this case, which gives them some of our powers and our help when needed." With that she waved a hand and around them walls of white crystal raised around them as black and green marble tiles rapidly flipped over below them. Above them the crystals grew together, inter weaving into a high vaulted ceiling that glowed with a soft white light. Finally some of the crystals on one wall shifted and changed to become a elegant fireplace with a fire made of burning crystals. "Now, before you wake up you will find that you will be gaining powers from each of us as you meet us, like my disks here. They can be used to carry things, inclueding yourself or," suddenly a disk appeared between them and flipped up on it's side, blocking Sweetie Belle's view of Prasiolite. "as a shield." With a wave of her hand, Prasiolite sent away the disk that had been blocking their view of each other before floating up into the air on her disk and summoning dozens of disks that began orbiting her in ever increasingly complex patterns. "At first you will only have one or two disks, but as you gain skill you will be able to summon more and more into an almost unbeatable defence that has thwarted the greatest swords men and sharp shooters as if they were nothing." As she spoke she began leaping from disk to disk, flipping and twisting through the air with a grace and poise of a dancer. "I will be with you every step of the way and we can talk in your dreams, but if you need me, I can manifest in the real world for short periods of time to help you. I will introduce your world to the magnificence and beauty of a true crystal goddess in all her glory." With that she landed on a disk beside Sweetie Belle, who had watched everything in awe.
"That was amazing!" Sweetie Belle squeaked as the room began fading.
"So you're a robot from an advanced civilization, sent to find and guard a rare crystal of enormous power, that Sweetie Belle swallowed, so now you need to remain near her and guard her until someone comes to check on you and the crystal?" Hondo Flanks Belle asked the robot version of his daughter he had dubbed 'Sweetie Bot' as she followed him through Ponyville while Sweetie Belle slept on his back.
"Correct Equine Belle, though to call me a robot would be like calling a super computer an abacus." Sweetie Bot said as they passed a brown stallion with a hour glass cutie mark, who waved a glowing stick at her before shrugging and walking away. She briefly thought about scanning him, but decided not to. "Equine Belle you seem to be very calm about all of this."
Hondo laughed at that, "I spent a few years in the guard and then played hoofball for around decade before retiring to become Ponyville's fire chief. Trust me, between the stuff the guard got called out on and Ponyville being next door to the Everfree Forrest that tends to make the strange just your average Tuesday afternoon and the bizarre nothing more than a Monday morning commute. Advanced technology and beings from other universes doesn't even make my top 10, it just makes me wish next month would hurry up so I can retire and leave the weird stuff to whatever chump the mayor gets for the job and take Cookie on that vacation I've been promising her for years."
"Equine Belle, I must assume that this means Equine Sweetie Belle will be traveling with you, is this correct?" Sweetie Bot asked.
"Actually she will be staying with her sister here in Ponyville." Hondo said before holding out a hoof to stop Sweetie Bot just before two pegasi crashed into the ground in front of the. They stepped around the rainbow maned pegasus as she helped the blond maned one back up. "Rarity might fuss about it, but she agreed to watch over Sweetie Belle and I'm sure I can convince her to take you in as well since I paid for her shops down payment and the start up money for it as well. She might have that gem finding spell of her's, but the gem market crashed a few years ago when an old dragon cashed in half her hoard for dragon sized furniture for her cave including a bed and pillows. Something about retiring to a comfortable bed with fuzzy slippers and trashie novels was well worth the outrageous price for all the fireproof spells. The thing is the gem market is just now recovering and Rarity's dresses are just starting to turn a profit, so talking her into it won't be a problem."
Finally they made it to the house and as soon as he lead Sweetie Bot in he called out to his wife, Cookie Crumble Belle, "Honey, we're home."
"In the kitchen with Cheerilee." Cookie answered.
Looking down at Sweetie Bot, he gave her a wink before saying, "You remember how you said you would let Sweetie Belle keep the next thing that followed her home as long as it wasn't anything like a snake, spider, or a timber wolf?"
"Please tell me it's not a hydra." Cookie said as her a Cheerilee came into the living room and stopped, both of their jaws dropping at the site of Sweetie Belle sleeping on Hondo's back and Sweetie Bot standing beside him.
Putting his hoof on Sweetie Bot he asked with a huge smile, "So can we keep her?"
Game Characters loading...
Sweetie Bot Perks: Name of the Game- Names make your life easier since 'hey you' can get a bit confusing.
Sweet new ride- The Sweetie Bot body unlocked.
Peace through superior fire power- For some reason you find many problems can be solved with liberal amounts of military ordinance. Weapon systems unlocked.
Bush Wacker- Smart timber wolves give you a wide berth, dumb ones become target practice.
Heavy Metal- Being made of metal means you're naturally well armored.
Welcome to Ponyville- With a reality warping baker's assistant, time lords, ex- secret agents, and a few changelings living here no one really notices highly advanced technological marvel living here after a few days.
It followed me home- Sweetie Bot is now a member of the Belle family.
Sweetie Belle Perks: Tasty- Swallowing the Kessho may result in developing super powers, having ancient god like beings living in your head, immortality, and your life becoming very interesting very quickly.
It followed me home (part 2) - You've gained a friend/sibling thanks to the Kessho being inside of you. See Sweetie Bot.
Going green- You've unlocked the green power of the Kessho (level 1). With this you can now summon 1 or 2 green disks to use for levitation, flight, or as a shield that can't be broken unless your concentration is broken. They can hold up to two full size ponies with no energy drain, but you can hold up to four ponies for around about a minute and half of that time for every addition pony added.
The crystal goddess- Prasiolite now has a lovely room in your head so you can visit with her when your asleep. Prasiolite's Hall unlocked.
Crystal Goddess Unleashed- You can call upon Prasiolite at her full power to help you in the real world, but she can only manifest for a few minutes before she must return to her room and you will lose the green power of the Kessho until it recharges.
Big Daddy- Your daddy is one of the toughest stallions around and Celestia help anyone who tries to hurt you. In fact he has even taught you some of his fighting style. Hondo Flanks Belle unlocked. Belle style Tai Chi unlocked.
Author's Note
Finally, I have been going back and forth on this one, changing and rechanging it so much. At one point there were two other completely different Prasiolite personalities written up, but I think this one was the most fun out of the three and the one that kept it rated everyone.
Note: Things are about to take a turn for the dark. I will try to keep it E for everyone, but things might force me to up it to teen in later chapters.
Chapter 3
2 Weeks Later
"Ahh!!!" Sweetie Belle screamed as she got hit with a water balloon, which caused her to forget and fall into the pond below her as both the disk she had been flying on and the disk she had been using as a shield faded away. "No fair! There are two of you against me!"
"Yes, but you can move on that disk and use the other disk while blocking with the other, while we have to stay in range of the basket full of water balloons." Hondo explained as he fished her out of the water, "Come on let's go home you two."
As he started to lead them away, Sweetie Bot stopped and looked back for a moment before chasing after them. As soon as they were gone black liquid began bubbling up in the pond. As the pond darkened the ground around it began ungulating as if there were things below it moving before settling down. From a moment the breeze sounded like a whisper saying, "The waters shall bleed and the earth shall writh in agony."
Deep within the Everfree Forest shadows began to flicker in and amongst the trees as if hundreds of unseen things were being drawn towards somewhere. For just a brief moment a wet cloven hoof print appeared on a rock next to the river before evaporating. Only a single striped figure noted their passing as she withdrew into her hut and shivered despite the warmth from the late afternoon summer heat when she heard the whispering on the breeze, "The forgottened and unwanted shall gather to heed the call and all who witness their passing shall find no comfort within the home and no warmth from the hearth."
Deep below the earth the last of the mighty Diamond Dog War-Hounds fought their way through the enemies from below as they desperately raced for the surface with the hope and dreams their people, a single female puppy, the last Alpha. With every twist and turn more fell as the shadows themselves dragged them down and every new chamber filled with the sounds of wings and the never ending screeching. Behind them the Wolf King and his Queen made their final stand. From deep within the Earth came a mighty howl of the Wolf King calling upon the ancient powers of Tartarus and unleashing Hell Fire into his once proud city in one last desperate attempt to stop them. The last thing he saw as the War Hounds finally escaped with their princess and a few hundred civilians was hooves and bat wings before everything faded away to the sound of screeching. Upon the wind was the whisper, "The stones shall scream and the shadows shall fly while empires fall."
The hydra moved further away from the waters of froggy bottom bog as it watched hundreds of creatures pull themselves from the muck. As they passed it, one of the steaming, mud caked creatures stopped and looked at it with eyes made of blue flames. From it's forehead was a jet of fire like a horn and the mud cracked and the hydra could see more blue flames burning inside of it. It gave a snort of fire before racing off to catch up with the others on smoking hooves of stone. For a brief moment the hydra saw it silhouetted against the setting sun as it reared in the hellish light, as if it was challenging the sun's fire itself with a haunting whinny like a child dying in it's mother's embrace and then it was gone. Then the wind kicked up and a voice said, "The mud shall boil and the flames shall rise and woe unto all who oppose their mistress."
In a long forgotten castle a figure stood before an ancient tome, her cape whipping in the wind as the others watched on as her voice rose and black flames swirled around her. Her hat barely staying on her head as the blue made threw back her head and screamed, "And the blood of her blood shall call forth across the generations. I, Trixie Beatrice Lulamoon call you forth once more. Come forth Queen Luna Selena Moon, the Knight Mare of Equestria, heed my call and know that tonight the stars shall aid her escape! " With that she rose into the air as moonlight poured in through a shattered window as the power flowed through her and she reached out and pulled four stars towards the moon. She screamed as they fought her every step of the way, she howled in pain as they ripped at her very soul, but then she felt another pulling with her. At last she saw was the mare in the moon disappear and then felt powerful hooves and soft feathers holding her just before her eyes grew heavy and a soft and gentle voice spoke in her ear, "Rest blood of my blood, you've done well."
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Author's Note
Yes, the first two chapters sucked. Yes, things are about to get dark. Hopefully this chapter makes up for everything. I hope you like your first glimpses of Luna's forces. Don't worry, you'll get a better look at the ones in the Everfree Forest later and you know the bat ponies are always ready to mix it up for everyone's favorite moon princess. As for the ones coming from Froggy Bottom Bog, I based the Wisp Ponies loosely on the Will o' Wisp I actually saw once (who knew bogs can produce small, short lived flames sometimes
Chapter 4
Ponies had gathered in the town hall in anticipation of Princess Celestia raising the sun. Sweetie Bot had a hard time following the logic of a god like being controlling the local sun and ruling only a single nation. Her database told her there were beings who could juggle celestial bodies with relative ease, but they rarely remained satisfied with less than an entire star system and being worshipped by all. In her talks with Hondo Flanks Belle lead her to believe that this Celestia was most likely bored and lonely, but well aware of the pitfalls of her power and actively avoided them. Which probably explained the practice of taking on personal students. Thinking of which, she once more hid to avoid Twilight Sparkle yet again. Normally she would encourage scientific curiosity, but something about the look in her eyes suggested any interaction between them would eventually involve a blow torch and end with the liberal use of a taser.
Eventually she made her way over to where Sweetie Belle was talking with a orange pegasus with a purple mane and tail about ways to obtain a cutie mark. For a brief nanosecond her risk assessment sub routine threatened a full system shut down at the mention of cooking, but Sweetie Belle's new friend deemed it not awesome enough. How a scan of the 'peanut butter and jelly sandwich' showed trace amounts of radioactive isotopes usually found in nuclear waste was beyond her ability to even begin to comprehend, especially since she had scanned all the ingredients beforehand after the incident with the chocolate milk that had melted a metal spoon before imploding and winking out of existence.
Sweetie Bot had been just about to make a safe suggestion when the birds began to sing and she began to detect an unknown energy source that seemed to be everywhere at once . She caught a brief flicker of something that wasn't a shadow, nor was it a gas as the mayor made her introductions. Something about it wasn't right and she started to mention it when the crowd let out a gasp. On the balcony the shapeless, shadowy energy source coalesced into a tall black pony with both a horn and wings. Her mane and tail whipped with that same energy as she sneered with a mouth full of razor sharp carnivore teeth. Sweetie Bot noted the flimsy looking armor and helmet she wore, but ignored it as she took up a defensive position in front of Sweetie Belle.
"Sweetie Belle, I would suggest preparing your disks too shield yourself with." She said as Twilight Sparkle called her Nightmare Moon.
As soon as the name was said Sweetie Belle screamed, "Ahh!!! She's going to eat us all!" And launch one of her disks into Nightmare Moon, slamming her through the window behind her.
"WHO DARES TO ATTACK ME!" Nightmare Moon roared as she reappeared in front of the crowd in a flash of dark light. A grey filly with glasses pointed to Sweetie Belle and Sweetie Bot. Sweetie Bot barely shoved Sweetie Belle away before being hit with a bolt of electricity that sent her through the crowd and into a wall.
"Leave her alone!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she slammed both disks into the sides of Nightmare Moon's head with a loud clang from the helmet. "She was only trying to protect me!" She then tried to sweep her legs out from under her with the disks, but Nightmare Moon's body collapsed into a shadow and flowed back up onto the balcony. As soon as she reappeared her horn lit up and she yelled, "ENOUGH!!!" Before launching a beam at Sweetie Belle, who didn't even think as she screwed her eyes shut and brought her hooves up as her disks blocked the beam. Nightmare Moon poured more power into it as it started pushing Sweetie Belle backwards as ponies fled the town hall. She was driven halfway across the room when two pairs of hooves stopped her. Looking back she saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Bot had stopped her from sliding across the floor.
"Sweetie Belle, this enemy is too powerful for either of us at our current level of capabilities, but together I calculate a 56% of successfully driving off this Nightmare Moon. With this equine's..." Sweetie Bot explained only to be interrupted by both fillies, "Scootaloo!", "Scootaloo's help the chances of success increases to 73%."
"You mean we can beat Nightmare Moon?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Only if your ideal of victory involves driving her away or not being destroyed, then yes, we have a 73% chance at victory." Sweetie Bot noted before explaining her plan to them as her newly developed spike launchers extended from her back as she made the last calculations this plan would need for success. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle began hurling insults at Nightmare Moon.
"Is that all you got! I've seen new born foals with more punch behind their magic!" Scootaloo yelled.
"Scootaloo! My sister said it's not nice to make fun of Ponies have performance issues, which I think is like stage fright. I mean I never sing well when I'm in front of a bunch of ponies." Sweetie Belle said before asking in an innocent voice, "Do you have performance issues Ms. Nightmare Moon?"
"But I thought performance issues only happened to boys . Does that mean Nightmare Moon is actually a boy pretending to be a girl?" Scootaloo asked in confusion as she braced herself against Sweetie Belle to keep her from sliding backwards.
"I am most assuredly not male!" Yelled at them, "And what is that 'pfft pfft' sound?"
"See, Nightmare Moon isn't pretending, he's crazy and is now hearing things." Sweetie Belle explained.
"No wonder he thinks he's a girl." Scootaloo said with a grin before making koo koo noises before Nightmare Moon screamed out, "I'M NOT CRAZY!!!"
"Scootaloo, my mom said you're not suppose to make fun of crazy ponies, but get them a nurse's help." Sweetie Belle said.
"You mean he should get a shot from Nurse Red heart" Scootaloo asked with a grin, "That would work since she gives out candy if your good and every foal knows Nightmare Moon won't eat you if you give him candy."
By now Nightmare Moon's right eye was twitching as she screamed in frustration, "I don't eat foals and I don't want any candy!"
"I don't know, Miss Cheerilee says meat eaters have sharp pointy teeth like yours and if you're lying about that then you might be lying about being a boy and the not eating us if we give you candy, sir." Sweetie Belle said in an innocent voice from behind the disk.
"I have some candies from Bon Bon's, some cookies from Pinkie's party earlier, and a muffin Derpy gave me in my bag you can eat if you promise to not eat us, sir." Scootaloo offered as Sweetie Bot finished what she had been doing with a nod to the other two.
"Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, certain sweetened confections are not good for some carnivores and may actually harm them." Sweetie Bot chipped in as over 60 spikes began to beep around the room, "Besides, this room is about to get loud and suffer significant structural instability that may require a disk above us in 3..2..1." Sweetie Belle quickly created a second disk above them as the spikes exploded around the balcony and along the wall and ceiling around, above, and below it, causing the whole wall and roof there to collapse on Nightmare Moon as the balcony fell out from beneath her. Within seconds Nightmare Moon was buried under the rubble as a few stray pieces bounced off Sweetie Belle's disks. "Sweetie Belle, we should retreat and relocate to the library to gather more information on this enemy before the rest of the building collapses or she extricates herself out from benieth the rubble."
"Does that mean leave before Mayor Mare sees what we did to her office?" Scootaloo asked as she dug her bag out of the junk near the door.
"Affirmative Scootaloo, but you do not need to follow us. I would suggest returning home to you parents to avoid any further danger." Sweetie Bot suggested.
"Yeah, not going to happen. Sure Bon Bon gave me a room and feeds me, but she's just some mare who felt sorry for a runaway who was eating trash from the dumpster behind her shop and trust me, she has issues." Scootaloo explained as she followed them out and down the road to the library. "Besides, this is way more fun than listening to Lyra go on about some make believe race of super smart apes called 'Humans'."
"Correction, I was created using human technologies and derivatives there of in the city of Central Hub in the artificial universe of Haven Guard by the sentient artificial intelligence Alphia and Dr. Edith Harkin also known as the former Super Villain Dr. Nanoborg as part of her attempt to repent for the accident that drove her insane, permanently altered her body, and lead her to wiping out 11.5 billion humans on her version of Earth. Only her and her daughter survived." Sweetie Bot explained.
"So there aren't any humans left because of her?" Sweetie Belle asked as tears started to form in her eyes.
"Negative, it is estimated there are 142 octoquadragintillion humans in the multiverse. An octoquadragintillion is a 1 followed by 147 zeros. Not as many as Elves/Goblins at an estimated 372 octoquadragintillion each or Daemon/Orc/Draconian at an estimated 483 octoquadragintillion combined according to their census of their multiple universes spanning empire." Sweetie Bot told them as they walked.
"How about Ponies? I bet we have a huge number." Scootaloo asked.
"Do you know how many ponies there are on your world?" Sweetie Bot asked.
"Miss Cheerilee says there are about 15.4 million ponies in the world." Sweetie Belle answered.
"Then there are about 15.4 million ponies known to exist in the multiverse at this time, making you a very rare sentient species." Sweetie Bot said as the library came into view. "The rarest of all are the Artifacts Builders, who created the artificial universes like Haven Guard, there are only 471 known members of that race of crystalline trees and are often found on peaceful worlds with multiple sentient lifeforms that they nurture from afar unless their intervention is needed through chosen intermediaries. All other information on them has been restricted in my database without an omega level clearance or the discovery of one upon this planet."
New Playable Character Unlocked...
Scootaloo Perks: Hard Knocks Life- Exactly where she came from and why she ran away is a mystery, but life has made Scootaloo one tough filly who can roll with the punches no matter what is thrown at her.
Table Scraps- Life on the streets has made Scootaloo an expert scavenger who can dumpster dive with the best of them. Even if you think there is nothing there she will find something useful.
Running Free- Scootaloo has developed excellent parkour skills and is nearly impossible to catch or hit making Bon Bon regret teaching her it as it is very difficult to make her clean her room or eat her Lima beans because of it.
Spare Key- Lyra has taught Scootaloo how to pick locks after they forgot their house key a few times and she has refined her skill over the past 3 years.
Bedtime Stories- Lyra might not know any traditional bedtime stories, but her crytozoology research works in a pinch. This gives Scootaloo a good grasp of crytozoology and the various creatures it covers with humans and bat ponies topping her list of favorites.
Not The Momma (1) Bon Bon might have issues about an ex-employer, but her kind heart convinced her to take in a scrappy little kid who she loves with all her heart and kind of reminds her of herself sometimes and even if Scootaloo won't say it, she has become her mother despite all the problems they have had.
Not The Momma (2) Lyra Heartstrings, musician, food thief, bane of the royal scientific community, a welcomed distraction for royal guards everywhere, a humorous pest in the royal court, cryptozoologist, seeker of the truth about humans, most likely a pony, and 2nd place for the worst parent in Ponyville 3 years running (her and Berry Punch tied for second last year after Slapper was arrested on 12 counts of child abuse, 2 counts of inappropriate conduct with a minor, and attempted murder, but Snail's has made a full recovery with only slight brain damage.) When not playing a gig or annoying Princess Celestia with endless requests for information on humans/accusing the royal scientific community and royal guards of covering up the truth about humans, she can be found in Ponyville 'helping' Bon Bon in her shop (and eating 55 bits in sweets every month), playing at Berry Punch's, and 'helping with and teaching' Scootaloo. Sure she may tell weird bed time stories (her crytozoology research), taught her how to pick locks (okay, she forgot her house key a few times and just happened to have a bobbie pin and screwdriver and figured the kid could use it and a Scootaloo might like to practice on the door of the library resulting in the old librarian quitting), giving Scootaloo hard cider (what? Sweet Apple Acres Sparkling Apple Juice and Orange Co. 'Sweet Apple Acres' Style Hard Cider come in similar bottles except Princess Cadence is on the hard cider instead of Princess Celestia on the sparkling apple juice), taught her how to belch her ABC's and the national anthem (it's perfectly acceptable for show and tell for a little girl), and both of them might be banned from the royal gardens unless accompanied by an approved adult (Shining Armor over reacted just because the Royal Guards couldn't catch Scootaloo for 4 hours while she ambushed Princess Cadence for information on humans). Say what you want, Lyra enjoys being the fun parent and is not above breaking the law when it involves Scootaloo.
Just 'Friends'- Bon Bon and Lyra Heartstrings are just 'friends' who happen to share a home, a daughter, and a bed. Honest, you can ask Princess Cadence who will tell you with a wink and a giggle that they are very good 'friends' who care very deeply for each other.
Achievement: Didn't See That Coming- Nightmare Moon was thrown off her game, but don't expect it to work twice.
Sweetie Belle Perks: Hard Hitter- Sweetie Belle has unlocked the Disk Slam attack and Double Disk Slam attack and can now use the Disks as a weapon.
Sweetie Bot Perks: I Love It When A Plan Comes Together- Tactical Planning is Sweetie Bot's key to success and the reason A.I.s are banned from certain games and politics in Haven Guard (bureaucracy on the other hand is all theirs).
Scootaloo Perk: Under Your Skin- Scootaloo excels at annoying enemies to the point where they lose focus and waste time trying to deal with her. This is extra effective when teamed up with partners in crime.
Author's Note
Finally! I almost scrapped this whole chapter twice. Yes, I made Scootaloo a runaway who lives with Bon Bon and Lyra. Where she is from and who she is is a mystery only she can answer. As for why Sweetie Bot is using the spike launch and can survive getting blasted will be explained in the next chapter, but I wonder if anyone can guess. Also octoquadragintillion is a real number, a 1 followed by 147 zeros, and I felt it was perfect for giving a sense of how vast the multiverse really is when applied to just sentient species alone before adding in non-sentient species needed to support them. Finally, this is an alternative universe story so don't be surprised when it swerves left and goes off road into areas you weren't expecting and it has elements of old school turn based RPG as to why no one is questioning children out and about on an adventure.
Chapter 5
"Does anyone know when the sun is suppose to rise?" Sweetie Belle asked as they finally arrived at the library.
"The sun has already risen, but it's light is being blocked by the moon being in front of it in order to create a false night." Sweetie Bot explained. "Normally this would not work on other worlds, but due to the sun's small size and orbit around the planet, the illusion of night is 80% effective with the north and south polar regions receiving the remaining 20% of sun light where it is least effective due to the sparse population and inhospitable environment. Obviously Nightmare Moon decided an extended eclipse was the best way to achieve a psychological advantage of making her threat of eternal night appear real, but it is only sustainable for a week or two before she causes an ice age combined with server damage to the planet's ecosystem and mass extinctions occur." She told them as they entered the darkened library as her eyes lit up to provide light while giving the room a cursory thermal scan. "Since this happened during one of the hottest days of the year I give it 36 hours at the current rate of temperature loss before the drop in temperature causes the first snow to occur, but it can be extended out to 72 to 96 hours if the weather patrol pegasi increase the cloud cover in order to retain as much heat as possible for as long as possible, like using a blanket to hold in heat. From there it will be a race against time until too much heat is lost and all life on this planet is threatened, dependent upon the efficiency of the pegasi's weather control capabilities and barring any interference by Nightmare Moon."
Finally she spotted the light switch when she heard a crunch of something being stepped on behind them and two clangs and thuds before being hit with a round, flat object from behind. Spinning around, she caught the frying pan as it came at her head with her hoof and was confronted by a bipedal reptilian wearing pillows tied around it's waist, a pot on it's head, and wielding the frying pan as a weapon. With a quick tug she yanked the frying pan from it's claws and took a bite out of it. The thing's mouth, nostrils, and eyes only showed up in thermal and a better scan told her nothing. It had a panicked in it's eyes as it opened it's mouth and blasted her with fire before everything went dark.
Spike watched as the metal pony's head melted and it slumped to the floor. Falling on his tail, he quickly scrambled backwards from it in a panic as the glowing metal began to flow back into the body and drag the frying pan with it. In seconds the pan was gone and it's head reformed. It's eyes glowed red as it rose from the floor and stalked towards him, growling, hissing and screeching in something that caused the back of his brain to itch in away that screamed he should know this.
"That is the fifth weapon system I've had to sacrifice today to repair damage from being attacked and I've only been attacked twice today in the last hour, Draconian, and I really liked my spike launcher. It was the first weapon I created with using native materials and I proud of my chemistry work on the explosive spikes using nanotechnology to harvest glucose and gluten from native sweetened confections and a few household chemicals." Sweetie Bot loomed over him with a frown as he coward, paralyzed with fear. "And you don't understand draconian common do you? You're a foundling dropped in your egg on an inhabited habitable world and left to fend for yourself until your instincts kick in and you kick start a one draconian technological revolution with a genetically encoded tech base knowledge on how to take anything from a stone age society all the way to a star faring, galaxy spanning empire in one generation."
"Don't kill me!" Spike finally blurted out.
"I will not end your life at this time draconian. The treaty forbids me from intentionally doing so once you have been identified as a foundling unless you attack me again." Sweetie Bot switched to Equestrian and explained before asking, "Do you plan to attack me again?"
"N..n..no." Spike stuttered.
"Then help me make these two comfortable and then explain why there is a draconian in the library." Sweetie Bot said as she walked back over to the light switch and turned it on.
"Um... What's a draconian?" Spike asked as he pulled the pillows off of himself.
"Draconians are one of the oldest and most respected races in the multiverse. They first emerged around...."
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo floated in blackness on one of Sweetie Belle's disks. "Where are we?" Scootaloo asked.
"Well your both knocked out on the library floor, but since you were touching when it happened you both got pulled into the Kessho." A voice said as a door appeared and she flew through on one of her disks with a frown and all four arms crossed. "Don't mind me, I am only here to make sure someone remembers to behave herself"
"Prasiolite!" Sweetie Belle yelled as she flew her disk over to hug the crystal goddess.
"Hello Sweetie," Prasiolite said as she hugged her. "and it is a pleasure to meet you, Scootaloo was it? Normally I would offer tea and cake, but your fight with Nightmare Moon has rattled a few of the others and one in particular took control and brought you to her area when you both got knocked out. I would have been fine with easing you into meeting her, but she insisted and convinced two of the others to back her on this one. So now..."
Suddenly from below blue flames began tracing their way across the darkness leaving behind a floor made of tatami mats. Then the flames raced upwards revealing walls of wood with intricately carved posts depicting hundreds of smiling, laughing foxes. When they reached a certain height a second layer to the room formed as a walkway raced around the second floor and four stairways descended to the first floor with the fox theme continuing with the foxes chasing each other up and down the bannisters and around the second floor along the walkways railing. The entire time the flames sounded like a yipping kind of laughter and giggles as it flowed up above them to another walkway as yet more stairs descended to the second floor. Above them they watched flying buttresses form the ceiling as flames forced them down to the floor while chandeliers formed. Once on the floor they saw that the flames were now at work creating alcoves in the wall as either shelves or small side rooms. In the middle of the room a short table and large cushions for sitting burned into existence before an intricate tea set and dozens of strange round treats on plates formed on the table with place cards for each of them.
Then a female voice that seemed to come from nowhere said with a giggle, "Please take your seats and by all means enjoy the show."
Then the drums began and Prasiolite groaned and yelled, "IT'S NOT EVEN FROM THE RIGHT CULTURE FOR WHERE YOU COME FROM!!!"
"I DON'T CARE!" The voice yelled from the second floor as the chandeliers rose towards the ceiling and the drums stopped. "Or would you prefer another song that is not appropriate for young children?"
"NO!!!" Prasiolite yelled before calming down and calling out, "Yoshima, please continue with your song."
"Thank you Prasiolite." Yoshima called back from above.
"Are they always like this?" Scootaloo asked Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie Belle just shrugged and said, "I have no ideal. I have only met Prasiolite and whoever this Yoshima is I haven't met her yet."
"And the doctor Bon Bon took me to says I'm screwed up." Scootaloo grumbled. "The voices in your head get into arguments with each other."
"You're just jealous that my voices are cooler than your voices." Sweetie Belle said before they both stuck their tongues out at each other and giggled.
That was when the drums started again and blue flames appeared on the second and third floor walkways and a voice sang out, "Jai Ho!" As the flames became dozens of the same blonde haired bipedal creature with fox ears and tails in short blue robes and katana swords at their sides, dancing and singing together to the song as they made their way down the stairs. Then they all started to merge as they danced towards the table until only five remained. Finally the song ended as the last four merged with the one who then bowed as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo clapped their hooves together and her tail separated to become five tails.
She then sat down on her pillow and blew a small puff of blue flame that caused the tea to begin serving itself before saying, "Hello, I am Yoshima the Kitsune goddess and I am glad to meet you both and glad someone enjoyed my entrance. Unlike a certain goddess, I didn't try to ruin someone's first impression of her. Of course when you spend the last few dozen eons as the only goddess of an entire universe you tend to be a bit self centered."
"Yoshima! We do not talk about that type of thing in front of our guests!" Prasiolite growled.
"No, you told the rest of us not to discuss certain things with Sweetie Belle just so you could micromanage and control things, like every monotheistic deity I've ever met, and then left to go meet her for the first time before we could tell you what we thought of your ideal." Yoshima said. "So now you have to deal with us telling her certain things you would hide from her, like the likelihood of her friend here dying on this adventure without our help."
"What?!!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both yelled.
"The Kessho is stronger when we are together. A polytheistic deity like you would spread the power to thin." Prasiolite said. "If we divide up the power and they get seperated when they need the full power the most..."
"They can't die until the day they give up the Kessho of their own free will. That means they will then have to find each other to use it's full power." Yoshima countered. "Besides, they will be linked, but able to develop a smaller number of powers to their fullest instead of dividing their time between several different sets of powers and never fully mastering a single one."
"Um... Do we get any say in this?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yeah, because I really don't want Scootaloo to die." Sweetie Belle added.
"Oh don't worry, at it's full power the Kessho can even bring people back from the dead." Prasiolite explained, only for Yoshima to laugh at that.
"Why don't you tell them how long it might take to master every single part and power of the Kessho? Or maybe explain that that power is one of the Kessho's ultimate powers and requires all six of us to agree to use it and how difficult two of the others might be unless it is something big enough to get their attention?" Yoshima asked mockingly, before turning to the girls and saying. "Don't mind our arguing, we do it all the time. It comes from us coming from two different traditions of divinity or godhood. I was raised in a pantheon or family of gods before I was given my first universe and created my own pantheon. In a pantheon we may argue and get on each other's nerves, but we are always there for each other and may the multiverse help anyone who threatens one of us because if you'll have all of us coming down on you with the wrath of the gods we are."
"And I was raised by my father in the tradition of monotheistic or a single, all powerful god. People find it easier to deal with just one god for all their needs instead of having to remember which god is in charge of what. Trust me, you don't want to pray to a fire god when you need a water goddess instead. Sure, it might be difficult doing everything by myself and trying to answering as many prayers as possible, but I have the strength and power of an entire pantheon." Prasiolite told them.
"She right about being more powerful, but with friends and family to share the work it is much easier to help as many as possible and less prayers go unanswered because of it." Yoshima added with a thoughtful look before breathing out blue flames into the air that became a knight in armor fighting against an army. "Think of it like a single hero with the strength of a thousand men fighting an army. Yes he will win eventually, but he will be very worn out because of it." They watched as the knight finished winning only to sit down while breathing hard. Then the army reformed and the knight was replaced by several samurais who began fighting the army. "Now imagine a group of heroes, each with the strength of a hundred, fighting that army. Yes they will be tired, but since they can give each other small breaks here and there, they can keep going better than the single hero who needs to sit down and regain his strength before going on." The samurais finished the fight and slowly helped each other walk towards a castle, as they walked each one stood straighter and walked easier as they went. The flames finally disappeared when they reached the castle gate the knight was holding open for them. "It isn't that one is better than the other, but that one is easier while the other has more power in one single spot. Which brings us back to you two."
"Simply put, do you want to be a single, very powerful hero Sweetie Belle, or share the power with others, like Scootaloo?" Prasiolite asked.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo began whispering back and forth for a few minutes before Sweetie Belle hugged Scootaloo said, "I want my friend to come with me, so definitely share."
Suddenly music began playing as Yoshima jumped up and split into five versions of herself, each with one tail each as they began dancing and singing while Prasiolite groaned and did a four handed face palm.
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
As they watched, the Yoshimas blew out flames and one became a pony sized fox and another a grumpy looking Kitsune version of Prasiolite as the rest became human versions of Sweetie Belle, Sweetie Bot, and Scootaloo. All around them was confetti and balloons falling from above, only to disappear as soon as they touched something while the tea set and snacks danced on the table.
I got my amazing fox fire shape shifting
And I can make my clones.
I do awesome illusions
And animate all sorts of objects because...
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
I get an amazing pegasus
And she's such an awesome filly.
I'm going give her my fox fire
And the world is in for a big surprise.
From Manehaten to Cloudsdale
And everywhere in between because...
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
The Kitsune was right
And the rock was wrong.
Because I'm so awesome
And you're a stick in the mud.
The Scootaloo felt something tugging on her tail, but saw nothing was touching it. "Uh oh, I think we're waking up." Sweetie Belle said when her tail moved as if being tugged on.
The music stopped and everything went back to normal as all the Yoshimas returned to normal and merged next to Scootaloo. "I guess this is where we say goodbye until the next time you go to sleep." She said as everything began to get wavy. "If you need me in the real world just call and I can come out to play for a few minutes, but the fox fire won't work until it recharges afterwards." With that she glowed blue and hugged Scootaloo before everything went dark for a second and when the lights came back on Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were gone. "Think they will be okay?"
"They should be fine as long as the lizard doesn't hit them again." Prasiolite said as she walked towards a green door in the wall. "I'll leave you alone..."
"Do you want to stay for tea?" Yoshima asked, not wanting to be alone.
Prasiolite thought about it before turning around and walking back to the table saying, "Sure, my room is boring when I'm by myself."
Scootaloo Perks: Blue Skies Smiling On Me- You've unlocked the blue power of the Kessho (level 1). You can now summon Kitsune fox fire for various effects and when using this power you gain fox ears, with enhanced hearing, and two fox tails, with enhanced balance and agility.
Kitsune Fox Fire Effect: 1 Girl Army- You can split off a Kitsune tail for a clone to help out. Only one clone per each additional Kitsune tail. The tail will automatically return if the clone is defeated, but you will feel drained and sick at your stomach for a few minutes afterwards.
Kitsune Fox Fire Effect: Costume Party (level 1) School Play- You can shape shift into others, but you've must have seen them or a depiction of them at least a few times, your size remains the same, you can't use species or tribal related powers and abilities, and you must learn to walk bipedal to use a bipedal form.
Kitsune Fox Fire Effect: Hollywood Dreams (level 1) Low Budget B Movie- You can create dozens of quick easy to see through illusions or take your time and create one extremely well made illusion.
Kitsune Fox Fire Effect: It's Alive! (level 1) Child's Play- You can animate small inanimate objects for a short period of time.
Kitsune Fox Fire Effect: Fire Breather (level 1) Birthday Candle- You can blow out short bursts of Fox Fire. Sure it's not very hot, but if you concentrate you can make a floating ball of blue fire to light up a very small area and follow you for a short period of time.
The fox goddess- Yoshima has finished moving in and has a nice new home in your head and you can visit her when you sleep. Yoshima's Home is unlocked.
The Fox Goddess Unleashed- You can call upon Yoshima at her full power to help you in the real world, but she can only manifest for a few minutes before she must return to her room and you will lose the blue power of the Kessho until it recharges.
Link In The Chain- Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are now linked together through the Kessho and can not die until they willingly give it up, but they can still get hurt.
Achievement: Quest For Knowledge (level 1) Completed- The Golden Oaks Library location is now unlocked.
Off To See The Lizard- Spike has been located and can find information for you in any library location.
You Can't Fight City Hall- Avoid Mayor Mare's wrath by relocating to any location but the town hall.
New Quest Unlocked: Spike?- A dragon hatchling? A draconian foundling? A secret llama spy? Solve this mystery to unlock Spike as a playable character. Pending...
Chain Reaction- With Scootaloo now linked to the Kessho you will need to find 4 more individuals to link to the Kessho to unlock more of it and it's full power. Red Pending... Yellow Pending... Orange Pending... Purple Pending...
Nightmare Who?- Gather information on Nightmare Moon, her forces, weaknesses, and locations. Pending...
Are We Missing Someone?- There seem to be several individuals missing, you might want to look into that. Pending...
Ticking Time Bomb!- You have less than 96 hours to save the world before it becomes a planet sized freezy pop. 95 hours remaining...
Author's Note
Just one question: Should Spike be a dragon or a draconian?
Also here's a good ideal what Yoshima looks like:
