[Narrator POV]
The world of Phaeterra, while residing in the same space as Equestria, was on the other side of a dimensional barrier few could cross, and those few who could, only did so with the blessing of the primordial council.
The grand total of individuals who crossed number at two, a total about to be surpassed more than twice over, by a family known as the Orvusks.
The wife, named Yashka, was a being known as a Gremlin, a tribe native to Phaeterra known for their supreme skill with spell and machine, they were also the creators of a tribe known as the Golems, living machines powered by magical energy.
The husband, named Grom, was a being from the Bjorn tribe, known for their resemblance to bears, their use of rage as a fuel for their magic, and their unmatched skill in not only combat, but also their skill in the forge, boasting an instinctive link with the metal around them.
Lastly, there was Vern, a Golem built to be a companion, friend, and family member. The Golems were, in a word, adaptable. They could be changed to be fit to any situation, so long as their crystal was undamaged.
These three would soon cross this self same barrier, with the help of none other than the council themselves.
Who mans this council? Why, none other than the four primordial gods of Phaeterra! They rank from top to bottom as:
- Zmatok; the Chaotic changelord
- Auftrag; the Orderly law-Father
- Morto; The Deathly Time-keeper
- And Vitalia; the Life bearing Bough-mother
These four bring about the four constants of creation, needed to keep reality running. Life, Death, Order and Chaos.
[1st POV Vern]
The sound of hammers pounding on steel and the feeling of hot sparks on my chassis greeted me as I awoke from my shutdown. Upon this start-up, I was greeted to the sight of Grom working in the smithy, while Yashka worked on her latest project, which was to my great honor, an upgrade to my mana absorption coils. “I thank you sincerely for your diligence in keeping me in top form, madame Yashka.”
Grom chuckled in his gruff voice as he handed over the last custom piece for my latest casing as well, his muscles rippling under his ursine fur. “What do you mean, Vern? Me and Yash gotta make sure yer all fit for duty! I mean, we did build you from the ground up… Wouldn’t be right to leave ya ta go obsolete.”
“It's too bad that I still can't create that tech from those novels you told me about, Grommy…” Yashka said as she had been going over calculations for it in the back of her head as her tail flicked side to side, a sign that she was in deep thought.
Grom chuckled “Hey, yer damn close, just gotta get some more work in on it, love.” He patted her rump lovingly before bending down to give her a peck on the cheek.
“Not in front of Vern, Grommy! You know he's like a son to me.” The blushing gremlin woman said with a pout and a huff.
I tilted my head, pondering if I should inform Yashka that I was well aware of her… intimacy, with young master Grom. It was then that I sensed a visitor at our door. “Madame Yashka, are my repairs complete? My sensors detect a powerful visitor at our door, zero hostile intent, high amicable aura signatures, deduction; Someone friendly has come to visit.”
Grom chuckled “Sure thing, Vern! I think I should come with, if they are powerful, I don’t want Yashka ta worry bout yer chassis.”
I reciprocated with a grin. “Quite, sir Grom. I will enjoy your accompaniment. May you answer the door while I make ready with refreshments, Yashka? I sense that the air is hot and dry today, so the visitor in question is likely parched.”
“You do that, and thank you Vern.” Yashka said as she followed Grom and I upstairs.
Grom opened the door, only to freeze in place as he stammered incoherently before kneeling respectfully. “Lord Zmatok! It is an honor! You grace us with your presence, changelord.”
Zmatok, currently taking his preferred form of a red haired human in red business attire, seemed exuberant to see us. smiled as I felt the level of energy amp up, filling my coils and backup batteries to capacity. It seems that the stories of the Changelord are true, his magical potency is unmatched. “Bah, what’s with the formalities, Grom? You and Yashka are two of the best for the job I have in mind!”
“Oh hey, Zmatok. So~ what do you need us to help with?” Yashka said kindly.
Zmatok grinned. “I have finally gotten acceptance from the primordial council to allow three individuals passage to a new realm! I thought of you three instantly, what with Groms mastery with all things forge related, and mastery of blade on top of that! Not to mention Yashka is a manatech savant and strategic genius!” He then turned to me. “And where would they be, without you, eh Vern? The threads I have seen with you missing… They just are not right. Either Yashka works herself to death, or Grom gets killed in battle. You are what keep them careful, keep them coming home.”
I tilted my head in curiosity. “I deny much of that statement, mighty Zmatok. I do not keep them careful at all, I support them as any dutiful family member should.”
Zmatok smiled and clapped his hands with joy. “Aye, and that is what I mean! You keep them safe, keep em healthy! You fight by their side as only you can! Now, let’s see, If you three say yes, I can get you and your needs sorted in three seconds in Equus.”
I frowned “My data banks do not contain any mention of a realm known as thus. As you have stated this realm is new, the data coincides… a query, will the natives be hostile?”
Zmatok grinned “Friendliest buch you will ever care to meet! They should be freeing my nephew accidentally any day now, Perfect time to pop in for a visit!” He then chuckled “Although, ye may want to call it more of a move.”
Yashka, who was listening intently, frowned. “As he is related to you, I assume he has to do with chaos… and if they are freeing him, I assume they also un-freed him? That is… troubling to say the least.”
Zmatok sighed “Well… he may have caused a bit of a ruckus when he first awoke… bit of a dark era for the locals, when he was in charge. For a thousand days, they all suffered where relativity went to die. That thousand days was quick as a few seconds for some, yet lasted millennia for others...” He sighed “I’m horrified at what he did, but he can be shown the error of his ways.”
I nodded “If madame Yashka and sir Grom are agreed, I would like to assist in this rehabilitation.”
Grom grinned “Sure, was needing a change of pace anyway.” He turned to Yashka. “So, my blushing beauty, what is your verdict?”
She frowned, ignoring the teasing of her Ursine lover. “I don’t know… how can we be certain we will not be imprisoned as well?”
Zmatok grinned “I may be a foreign god to them, but my power is far greater than any they have native to their lands. I will protect you from the magic of the same kind that imprisoned my dolt of a nephew.”
Yashka nods slowly. “Okay… but can I grab a few things?”
Zmatok grinned “No need! I’m moving your whole home to the new dimension, you will be neighbors with a kind mare named Fluttershy.”
I looked to Zmatok curiously. “I assume that the natives of this realm are Equine in some fashion, then?”
Zmatok smiled “Indeed, my robotic friend! The ponies, in their...limited wisdom, have sealed their chaos entity in stone, luckily he releases enough Chaos to keep the world from stagnating that way, but… I must say that they could have handled toning down his chaos better than by means of conscious petrification.”
Grom frowned “So… when are we getting there?”
Zmatok was gone in a flash of light as we felt the house shake. “Right now!” We heard him say as the house settled.
Yashka grunted in annoyance, her brow twitching slightly. “Could have warned us…” She said before sighing and going downstairs to check on her lab.
Grom laughed as he looked outside. “Well, he bloody doesn’t do things by halves! Even our mailbox is out there! And our lawnmower!” He looked to me and smiled “Care to go on a little survey of the land?”
I nodded “Quite, but first,” I looked to the door, right as the aura I sensed earlier knocked on our door. “We have more visitors.”
Grom nodded and went to the door, opening it to find his face full of pink. That is to say, a voluptuous pink equine woman leapt up and hugged him. “Hiya! I saw your house poof right across from Fluttershy's, and thought you must be magic to move an entire house all the way out here! What are you, anyway, I’ve never seen a bear person before…*GASP!*ARE YOU ALIENS?!”
Yashka came back to the main building, an annoyed look on her face. “We are from another dimension, actually. And I would appreciate it if you got your skanky mitts off of my husband!”
Grom nodded. “Yeah, I’m taken, lass, and I much prefer my love Yashka to ye.”
The Pink mare gasped as her hair flattened a little. “Ohmygosh I’m so sorry! I didn’t know hugs were so special in your culture! I thought you’d like hugs like mr. Bear over at Fluttershy's does! Oh, Silly Pinkie, I was so insensitive!”
Yashka sighed and held out her hand. “Look, I’ll forgive you this once, since you were just trying to be friendly, but just know, us Gremlins are VERY protective of our mates.”
There was then the sound of a throat clearing as I looked behind Pinkie to see a purple mare. “So… what brings you to our dimension? Doubtful as I am at you being from another dimension, I have learned not to dismiss something without sufficient proof to the contrary.”
I smiled at the purple mare “A good approach for a scholar, madame. May I offer some lemonade? I made some for the first visitor, but he never drank any, and I would be neglectful to drink it myself before offering it to a guest first.”
Twilight looked to me and went wide eyed. “I-is that… a Robot?”
I shook my head. “Actually, I have free will, so the correct term would be an artificial life form, or a Golem, if you want the name of my designation. I greet you as is customary of my people, and offer sustenance as well.”
Yashka grinned. “This is Vern, He is my sweet baby bot, I made him myself! He was so cute when he was a prototype~!”
I tilted my head. “Madame? Would you like my...er….prototype pictures?” I prayed to my originator, the first golem, that she would say no.
Twilight looked to Yashka like a begging puppy. “Please, please say yes!”
Yashka smiled “Of course! I’ll start with when he needed coolant! He was so cute, rolling all over on his little quad wheels!”
My prayer protocol is apparently faulty. “As you wish, madame...” I went downstairs and got the dreadful album, holding every picture of my developmental phases. Grom looked to me with pity as I returned from the stairs, mouthing ‘I am so sorry.’ to me. I made a note sure to give him extra meat tonight, as thanks for his empathy, before handing her the album.
[Five hours later.]
After five hours of… what could only be described as humiliation, I was given the book to take it back to its place of residence, the bookshelf. As I made my way back upstairs upon putting the detestable book in its proper place, I saw that the air was much more...heated, than when I left.
From what I was seeing, the purple mare, Twilight if I remember correctly, had most likely asked for a chance to take me apart for study. What with Grom holding Yashka back and Yashka hurling an extremely long series of expletives at the unfortunate equine woman, who was huddled fearfully in the corner. “-Fat chance of that you monster! That is my baby and I won’t ever let you hurt him! If I ever hear you say something like that again, I will use that horn of yours to make mulch for my herb garden!”
I quickly stepped in between them, prompting Yashka to look up to me. “I know you feel the need to protect me, madame, but I can defend myself, your modifications and improvements have made sure of that.”
Grom smiled at Yashka and chuckled. “You know, even if she ignored you saying no, the second she tried to hurt Vern he’d smack her silly.”
Yashka seemed to calm down at this, eventually being let go as she looked to Twilight and Pinkie, who were huddled together in the corner fearfully, she blushed and kicked the carpet sheepishly. “Sorry, I went a bit too far… I am very passionate about keeping my loved ones safe.”
I nodded “An admirable trait, madame, but we must not illicit hostility from the local populace.”
Twilight looked to us in a curious manner after taking a deep breath to calm down. “What… what made you so mad though? It’s not like… Oh my Celestia he’s alive isn’t he!”
Yashka nodded. “I raised him, built him, and upgraded him. He is as much my child as a baby born from mating between me and Grom would make.” She then blushed, as if realising what she had just said. “N-not that I’m opposed to doing… that, with Grom.”
Grom chuckled and kissed Yashka on the cheek. “Let me change into my good gear, you changing after, or giving me a nice view?”
Twilight and Pinkie flushed a deep crimson at Groms comment. Twilight mentioning something about her ‘Novels’.
...oh my, how perverse.
As Grom went upstairs to the bedrooms, Yashka looked to Twilight and Pinkie cautiously. “So… you realise that he is ALIVE, and taking him apart would hurt him, yes?”
Twilight nodded quickly, her blush disappearing as she broke whatever perverse thought process had a grip on her. “Y-yes, I am so sorry, I was too excited about the discovery of such advanced technology, and failed to notice that it was a living thing I was endangering…”
It was at that moment that there was a loud banging on our door, I went to answer it without a word, finding an orange mare with a blonde mane and freckles, accompanied by a cyan mare with a polychromatic mane. They looked to me in shock as looked to them. “I welcome you to our abode, may I make you both some lemonade?”
The orange mare looked to the Cyan mare, before the cyan mare shouted. “WHAT THE BUCK IS THIS THING?!”
I frowned. “I would appreciate it if you did not use what I assume to be profanity in the presence of my loved ones, and the THING, as you put it, has feelings. My actual designation is that of a Golem, and my name is Vern.” I then tapped my chin with a light ticking sound. “I have decided, you do not get any lemonade, your lack of decorum has prompted me to rescind on normal niceties dictated by common decency.”
The cyan mare looked to Twilight, who was on the couch. “Can you translate his egghead into Common, Twilight?”
I then looked to Twilight. “You know this rude mare? I assume she is an acquired taste for socializing with?”
Twilight nodded. “Yes, she takes some getting used to. And Rainbow dash, I am surprised that you are being so rude to our visitors!”
Yashka raised a finger contradictingly. “Actually, while we are visitors to your world, you are the visitors in this situation… You are in our house after all.”
The cyan mare looked to me angrily. “What do you mean, rude?! I-”
I cut her off with a sharp glare. “You dented our door, and when I answered your rude request for entry, you responded with even more rude discourse by referring to me as a thing and utilizing profanity in my face. That is the height of poor manners.”
As Rainbow Dash stammered angrily, The orange mare grabbed her by the ear. “Now hold on, RD, he’s right. We were plum rude to him.”
The cyan mare, who I Shall now refer to as RD, huffed and pouted. “How was I supposed to react to a bucking robot butler…”
‘My exasperation protocols are working in overdrive.’ This thought and many more remarks are filling my mind as I excuse myself.
I walk upstairs to check on Grom, only for him to open the door as I reached for it, his armor, while not made of Soulsteel like most Bjorn armor or weapons, was still of impeccable quality, his war-smith’s anvil hanging proudly from it’s holster on his back. Upon seeing my approach, Grom suddenly got worried. “What’s the rush? Is Yashka getting mad again?”
I shook my head slowly. “Negative, I simply sped up my exit so that I may both retrieve you and get away from the equines as soon as possible. The polychromatic one is… rude, to say the least.”
Grom paused. As he was making his way downstairs. “Even more of em in our house uninvited? Whatever happened to them being a friendly bunch?”
I shrugged. “My suspicion is that lord Zmatok may have been speaking comparatively. They seem to take much more hostility than anyone on our home world would accept without recompense.”
Grom thought a moment before regretfully nodding and making his way back downstairs. I frowned to see that it was just Yashka in the room, her now in a robe with various mechanical overlays set over it and a pair of spellshot pistols at her hips. “Madame? Where did the colorful equines go? And why are you in your battle garb?”
She sighed. “It seems that we weren’t the only ones sent here, apparently a dracovo Spellblade has claimed the land near ponyville called White tail woods.”
Grom pinched the bridge of his snout and shook his head slowly. “Great as the changelord is, he probably forgot he sent us, or even sent this guy from another thread of time…”
Yashka nodded excitedly, likely happy to be in her battle gear once again “Which is why I am glad that I had Vern go get you, so I could change into my gear downstairs!”
Grom sighed. “Let me guess? The purple mare and her friends went to investigate, and you convinced one of them to bring a teleportation beacon.”
She nodded happily as she made us follow her to the workshop, her inputting the coordinates for where the mares had gone. I decided against once again voicing my displeasure at teleportation, and simply let the feeling of weightlessness overtake me before I was promptly deposited between a very bored looking Dracovo and an assortment of mares, three of which being our subpar welcoming committee.
The Dracovo peered out at us from under the brim of his roningasa style hat, and frowned, stroking the moustache he wore with one hand as his other idly lazed on the handle of his katana. He wore a simple gi and pants, and was relaxed in posture. “More have come to challenge my claim of this land? Or have you come requesting passage through? My tithes are simple, I assure you.”
Yashka sighed. “Listen, may we just talk this out? I think we have all been stuck in a huge misunderstanding.”
Grom nodded, the mares looking to us in shock, both from our sudden appearance, and our attempt at diplomacy, most likely. “Agreed, mun. I bet you prolly did the rights all correctly, I’ll wager my anvil on it, I can right feel the energy of your right of claiming, but thing is, we aren't on Phaeterra no more, this place is a whole new realm.”
The Dracovo eyed us warily. “I shall take what you say into consideration, and relax my hold on this land as a courtesy. Be warned, if this is base trickery, I shall be forced to enact recompense for such foul deceit.”
I bowed from my waist in respect. “It is good that we did not have to fight, proud Spellblade, I would hate to disrespect your honor.”
RD then interrupted the tense situation. “Woah woah waoh! Hold up, you mean that this weird neighponese looking dragon guy is NOT a bandit trying to rob ponies, but just another alien like you guys?”
Yashka deadpanned at her. “Yes, now be quiet.”
The spellblade smiled. “I see your Gremlin has taught you respect for other cultures, that makes this much less grating…” He looked torn, as if he was deliberating on something painful. “I... I apologize, strangers, but I must request your aide.”
Yashka looked to him in concern, a spellblade asking for help from strangers was almost unheard of, this must be serious. “What is your request?”
He frowned as if looking for the right words. “I wish to meet the sovereign of these lands, so that I may apologize for my dishonor towards them, if this is indeed another realm, than I may have indeed stolen from the natives of this land when I simply meant to take part in the customary exchange of services, much to my eternal shame. If it is within their grace, I would serve them until it is deemed that my offense is remedied.”
Twilight then looked to the Dracovo curiously. “You mean… you weren’t demanding tolls from travellers?”
The Spellblade looked like he had just been struck. “No! I was simply asking for the customary tithes a spellblade requests when escorting one through their territory! A telling of current events, a conversation, maybe some sake shared at most! To do such a thing… it would be most shameful!”
Twilight then looked thoughtful for a moment. “Okay, I’ll contact the princesses for you, but… please don’t make me regret this.”
I smiled warmly to twilight as the dracovo bowed respectfully. “You have just possibly saved him from toal dishonor, a fate worse than death for the Dracovo.”
Pinkie then looked to the spellblade and frowned. “By the way, mister, what is your name?”
The spellblade grinned. “You allow me to retain my name, as well?! This is most graceful of you, most who did as I have would be branded as a Ronin at least! My full name is Fuhen no Hikari, but you may just call me Hikari, if you’d prefer.”
They all smiled as twilight excused herself to go and write a letter, giving us a wary gaze before sighing, smiling, and saying “Only in ponyville...”
Author's Note
Link to Hikari's flask
Hikari