Prologue
It’s been five years since the end of the Pulsar War. Five years since my cousin Alson Burry was captured alive, and sentenced to commit Seppuku, ritual suicide. My family was dishonored, and shamed ever since then… The crew of the UPS Starsurge has been eliminating pockets of resistance of the Pulsar Militia. We received a signal from a nearby planet. Sent to investigate we wondered if any Pulsar were on this planet. When we reached the source of the signal we found two planets orbiting around the sun. Two planets on the same orbit, we didn’t know how they were able to not collide with each other. We named these two planets… Castor the desert planet, and Pollux the forest planet. This is our introduction to the Gemini system.
We found the source of the signal coming from Pollux, and sent an away team to investigate. This is where my story begins… My name is Alexander “Alex” Burry, and with my sister Alexandria “Alexis” Burry. We’re going to redeem our family name…
Planet Pollux
This forest planet has all the requirements to support life, unlike it’s brother planet Castor. A dropship lands in a clearing, and it’s occupants, minus the pilots disembark. The away team are wielding various firearms that some can double as melee weapons.
A male Liepard Pokemorph and a female Purrloin Pokemorph take point of the group, as a male Floatzel scans the area. Their commander is a female Cinderace Pokemorph. The team of four wait till the Floatzel finishes his scan.
“The signal is coming from that way.” Jackson Rivers, a member of the famous Rivers family, who are the founders of Rivers Industries. He points to the northeast.
“Alright let’s go!” the Cinderace, Commander Ingrid Ignis said. “Alexis! Alex! Lead the way!”
“YES MA’AM!” they said in unison, as the party moved towards the source.
The four have been hiking for about thirty minutes and the signal was now stronger than it was before. Jackson scanned the area again and pointed to the cave only a few feet from their position.
“In there!” he said. The team moved into the cave, and had to turn on their flashlights.
“Activate your shields!” Ignis ordered. “We don’t know what is inside this cave.”
All four switched on devices attached to their belts. These shields are brand new from Rivers Industries. Thus the four journeyed into the dark cave. They wondered for about a minute. Looking at the glowing crystal clusters inside. Until they came upon the signal’s source at long last. They uncovered what appears to be some kind of transporter. The device shows signs of being there for at least thirty years.
“This is where the signal coming from?” Alex asked, a bit disappointed. He then walks toward the transporter to inspect it.
“Wait! Ensign!” Ignis exclaimed, “Don’t get too close to that! We don’t know what it does!”
“It looks deactivated! I don’t know what…” Alex trailed off when he heard a voice emits from the device. The voice spouted out a bunch of coordinates, and names that no one had any idea what was being said. Then the device activated and dragged Alex into it.
“Alex!” Alexis shouted out, and tries to retrieve him. However, Jackson and Ignis grab her and held her back.
“Don’t Ensign!” Ignis said, “If you get close! You’ll be pulled in too!”
“But we can’t just leave him!” Alexis exclaimed.
“Don’t worry I’ll be alright!” Alex told her, but in his head he wondered if he really will be alright ‘I hope…’
Then he vanished without a trace. The machine deactivated once more. Alexander Burry was nowhere to be found. It was a somber moment within the cave. As the away team just lost one of its members, and Alexis just lost her twin brother…
“Am I dead?” Alex said out loud. He slowly opened his eyes and waited till his vision returned to normal. Then he looked around and he saw he was in a forest. A creepy dark forest, but a forest nonetheless. He let out a groan before he stretched and slowly stood up. He had no clue where he was at this moment. He realized that he could call his teammates, and thus he pulled out his communicator.
“I’m not getting a signal…” he sighed and put it back into his pocket. He suddenly heard rustling in the leaves and sticks snapping. He ducked down and hid behind a bush. His uniform helping to camouflage him. Whoever was running through the forest appeared before him. To his absolute surprise it was a female Pikachu pokemorph/Earth Pony hybrid. Anthropomorphic to be exact. This girl looked around the age of eighteen, her late teens. In her arms is a basket filled with flowers and herbs. Her clothes are a white cheongsam with yellow cycling shorts. She looked around, but not behind her, as a humanoid slime creature appears behind her. Alex saw this and popped out from his hiding spot.
“Hey look out behind you!” Alex grabbed his weapon. A double bladed shortsword and knife that can combine into a sub machine gun and charged into battle. The monster turned its attention to Alex instead of the “Ponymorph”. Alex slashes it twice. Once with the sword and once with the knife. Then the monster retaliated by back handing Alex into the air. Alex recovered and combined his blades, aimed and fired. Energy shots fired into the monster, but it still didn’t die. Instead it was blasted apart and reformed itself. Alex was trying everything he trained for to beat this thing. However the girl put down her basket and entered the fray. She energized her right fist with electricity, pulled it back, and let loose with a powerful electric fist to the monster. The monster absorbed all of the electricity and it was vaporized. Finally the girl took a deep breath and felt satisfied.
“Hey are you alright?” Alex said, running over to the girl, who picked up her basket.
“I’m good!” she said in a childish way, “Unlike you…”
“Hey I did my best!” Alex replied.
“My name is Eliza Bennett, but everyone calls me Easter Chu!” the girl said.
“Alex Burry…” Alex shook her hand, “Wait did you say Bennett?”
“Yes why?”
“Well someone named Micheal Bennett vanished twenty-years ago. He was trying some kind of Large Hadron Collider for Rivers Industries, but was sucked into a portal and never seen again!”
Easter Chu looked at him. The name was VERY familiar to her.
“Micheal Bennett is my father.” Easter Chu said. “He did come here from another world before my siblings and I were born…”
It finally dawned on Alex that the transporter hurled him to another world, another dimension. It did the same with her dad, and now it has happened to him.
“This can’t be happening…” Alex said in disbelief. “I got transported to another dimension on an uninhabited alien planet?”
“I guess so…” Easter Chu replied, “Maybe you can tell me your story on the way to Zecora’s hut. I have to drop these herbs and flowers off to her.”
So he did. Starting with his family’s history losing their honor and being branded as traitors to the United Planetary Federation. Then to how he was trying to redeem his family name, and finally how he got here. On this planet named Equuleus… Home of anthropomorphic versions of ponies from Equus. The two were becoming fast friends as they walked to the edge of the Everfree Forest, which is where they were currently.
Author's Note
This story is based off of the Star Ocean franchise. A series of J-RPGs by Square Enix.
I only own three characters such and Alex and his sister Alexis. Every other character is owned by someone else.
This does involve the story Starbound Ascension: The Next Generation by Buster Buizel.
Chapter 1
Easter Chu and Alex walked back to Ponyville, after they delivered the herbs.
“Here we are!” Easter Chu declared. Alex expected a small village, but what he saw was a sprawling metropolis. It was not what he had expected. Ponyville was a city filled with anthropomorphic ponies of various sizes and races. There was even modern day technology like cars and smartphones.
“I don’t understand…” Alex said. “I wasn’t expecting this…”
“Surprised?” Easter Chu asked and Alex nodded in reply. “ You thought we were probably an underdeveloped planet. That is not so… We were always technologically advanced before my father came here. We used magic to develop our technology, and when dad came along. He helped improve it.”
“Can all ponies use magic or is it just the unicorns?”
“All ponies can use magic. Each race has their own type of magic. Earth ponies are strong, and have a connection to nature. They make great farmers. Pegasi can fly, and have physical reactions to clouds. Unicorns can actively use magic. Plus all races can have Symbology inscribed on them to enhance their abilities, or to give them more active magic.”
‘This is like Equus, but so much more advanced.’ Alex thought.
“Come on, let me show you where I live…” Easter Chu took a step forward, then the ground shook. Everyone in Ponyville quickly found cover, as air raid sirens blared throughout the city. Once it stopped Easter and Alex stood up.
“It happened again…” Easter said.
“Again? So this is a daily occurrence?”
“Kind of… All of this has started about a year ago. After Princess Twilight Sparkle too the throne of Equestria…”
She then explained the story of how these frequent earthquakes began. First it started when one of the alicorns on the Council of Alicorns, Equuleus’ ruling council of the entire world, was found murdered. Her name was Lightning Bliss. Then her friends started being picked off one by one… Then one day the statue of Cozy Glow, Queen Chrysalis, and Lord Tirek broke open. Releasing the three greatest enemies of Equestria. Now the earthquakes are starting to become more and more frequent. Scientists all over can’t find the problem. Starswirl the Bearded has come up with a theory on a powerful artifact, called the Devil Globe, has been causing the trouble. However it doesn’t explain who commited the murders.
“So this Devil Globe could be the cause of the earthquakes?”
“Not just that but other disasters too.” Easter replied. “There have been strange weather patterns in areas that usually don’t have those kinds of weather. Pegasi have been unable to fix the weather in those areas. In fact, people have been blaming Discord for all of the incidents, but so far no actual evidence have cropped up.”
Alex thought that it was kind of odd, that this is happening all over the planet. He thought about it, and wondered what he could do to help.
“Come on my home is over here.” Easter led Alex over to a nearby subway station. There she bought Alex a pass to ride the subway, and she pulled out her own in a wallet type holder. The two traveled on the subway. All the while Alex was receiving weird stares from the other occupants. When they finally got off the subway, they weren’t too far from the suburbs and walked the rest of the way. Easter used her house key to unlock the front door, and both entered.
“I’m home dad!” she exclaimed, “You’re not going to believe who I met in the Everfree!”
Alex saw a middle aged Pikachu Pokemorph sitting on the couch watching Buckball on the TV. The Pikachu turned and laid eyes on Alex. Surprised that another Pokemorph was inside his house let alone on Equuleus.
“My Arceus…” Micheal Bennett stood up. “I never thought I’d see another Pokemorph in my lifetime.”
He offered his hand to Alex, which Alex shook.
“Nice to meet you sir…” Alex said. “I am Ensign Alexander Burry of the United Planetary Federation.”
“Ah Burry.” Michael said. “I’ve heard of that surname before. Your family is full of fierce warriors!”
“Well not recently…” Alex began his story of his cousin Alson Burry. Who didn’t have what it took to be a soldier, and instead worked in the mines to earn his citizenship. Until the quadrupedal ponies from Equus started working the mines too. Them Alson formed the Pulsar Militia, and started the Pulsar War. Trying to exterminate all of pony kind.
“Oh dear…” Michael said. “I’m sorry that has happened to your family.”
They spent the entire day talking and they had dinner together. As the day was winding down to a close, and night took over Alex stood on the back deck and stared into the night sky. When Michael walked out.
“Tomorrow you should go to canterlot and present yourself to Princess Twilight. She may have an idea to send you home. He said.
“Trying to get rid of me that easily?” Alex asked.
“No… But you need to return to your comrades.” Michael replied. “The UPF must already think I’m dead by now.”
“Were you in the service sir?”
“Yeah I was. Service guarantees citizenship! Isn’t that how it has always been?”
Yeah it is…”
“You’re worried about the earthquakes aren’t you?” Michael asked.
“Yeah… Especially since there isn’t supposed to be any tectonic activity from what I’ve heard. Plus the strange weather patterns are worrying.” Alex replied.
“Yeah you may want to talk to Princess Twilight tomorrow about that. She may know more than I do.”
The next morning arrived, Alex and Easter ate breakfast and made for the train station to Canterlot. It only took half an hour to reach the city of Canterlot. Which was built at the base of a mountain. Canterlot is a lot prettier than Ponyville. Despite being a city of the same size as Ponyville. The palace where the Princess lived is in the center of the city, and is a sight to behold. It is currently the largest building, but not the tallest… Once they disembarked the train the two walked directly towards the palace. They were of course searched for weapons and/or contraband before entering. Once they were allowed through were they escorted to the throne room. There on the throne herself was Princess Twilight Sparkle. Next to her his her friendship ambassador and assistant dragon, Spike.
“Your Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle! There are two guests here to see you! Eliza Bennett from Ponyville, and her companion Alexander Burry!”
“Oh thank you!” Twilight said. Please send them in!”
The guard nodded and in walked the two. Easter kneeled down on one knee, to which Alex did not embarrass himself.
“Princess I’ve come to introduce you to Alexander Burry. He came from the same world my father did.” Easter said.
“Oh? I remember when your father introduced himself to Princess Celestia!” Twilight said. “And to you Alexander…”
“Please call me Alex, Princess!” Alex said.
“Alright Alex! You’re the second Pokemorph to arrive here. How did you get here anyway? Was it through a Large Hadron Collider?”
Alex told his story of how he was transported from the machine back on Planet Pollux. Twilight pondered the information given to her.
“Well then…” Twilight said. “Then you’re appearance is probably not an accident. For over year Equestria has faced a serial killer, who happened to break three notorious villains free from their stone prison, and then cause unnatural disasters to this planet. Thus that machine pulled you here for a reason.”
“What reason would that be, Princess?” Alex asked.
“I’m afraid that I don’t know, but I know someone you could ask.” Twilight replied.
“You don’t mean…?” Spike asked his sister.
“Yes there is a unicorn shaman that talks to the spirits of the past, and who has formed a pact with the elements to use their magic. He can probably help you.”
“Where can we find this shaman?” Easter asked.
“Oh he’s on top of the mountain where this city is built.” Twilight said. “There are no trains or anything that can get you up there, but I can order a shuttle to take you up directly to his home.”
The shuttle lifted off from the shuttle port outside of the palace and went upward to the mountain’s peak.
“There a lot of crystal mines around here!” the pilot said making light conversation. “One time Princess Twilight and Princess Cadence were trapped in one such mine that was closed for Cadence’s wedding! They escaped and confronted Queen Chrysalis! With the power of love Cadence was able to defeat Chrysalis and her hive of Changelings!”
Easter and Alex tried to listen to the “fun” facts about this mountain named the Canter Mountains.
“Alright we’re reaching the summit! Prepare to disembark!”
Outside of a large wood cabin was a mauve unicorn stallion. His hair was a triple color of red, purple and pink. His eyes were closed as he sat in front of a campfire meditating and talking to the spirits of the dead. His meditation was disturbed when he heard the shuttle arrive and drop off Alex and Easter.
“Are you White Rain?” Easter asked.
“Yes I am… You must be Easter Chu and Alex Burry.” White said.
“How…?” Alex asked.
“I speak to the spirits of those who passed on in the afterlife.” White said. “They’re always talking. So you must be here about why you ended up her and the Devil Globe?”
“Well yeah!” Alex said.
“Let’s get inside! It’s getting really nippy out here.” White stood up and escorted the two inside his cabin. Inside they were surprised to see all of the modern comforts of home. Including a TV and smartphone.
“Don’t give me that look! Just because I’m a shaman, doesn’t mean technology is forbidden to me!”
White entered his kitchen and filled a tea kettle with water, and put it on his stove. Then he re-entered his living room.
“Now you’re wondering why you’re here and if it has anything to do with the chaos that is taking place all over the planet. The answer is yes. You were brought here to fulfill a prophecy, Alex.”
“Okay… Please enlighten me.” Alex said.
“Well the prophecy says that a warrior from another world would arrive in Equuleus’ time of need. Since you’re not from around here. You happen to be the hero of prophecy!” White said, but burst into laughter. “I’m just kidding! There is no such prophecy!”
Alex looked a bit upset.
“However you can still help us in our time of need. The elements are restless, and so are the spirits of the dead. I’ve been talking to some of the spirits that were murdered by the killer. Even Lightning Bliss. They wouldn’t tell me who killed them, but they gave me some clues on where to look first.”
“Oh…?”
The tea kettle started whistling loudly. White got up and walked over to the stove and removed the kettle from the heat. Then he poured water into a ceramic teapot for the tea to brew.
‘Well first you should talk to Princess Twilight. The next place to go is Crystal Stone Mine outside of Ponyville. It was once inhabited by the Diamond Dogs until they moved on to different caves. That is all I can tell you right now.”
The three had their tea and chatted some more.
It was time to go, and Easter and Alex called for the shuttle to pick them up. They headed back down the mountain to the palace via shuttle. There they were given rooms to stay the night in. Everyone was tired and quickly went to bed.
