-Equus, Sweet Apple Acres Barn, Guys Night, Jaded-

“Why is Jaded here again?” Spike asked, the dragon just made me roll my eyes. Like he wasn’t sweet on Gabby these days and she was much closer to his age anyway.

“She’s a tom cat, she’s enough of a guy and the most masculine one in her heard and that’s saying something with the chimera involved.” Hey Capper, just because you were right and recognized the fierce beauty that is Maries that I’m not going to call you on it.

“So how are things with the misses Big Mac?” I knew there was still talk of whether or not Big Mac would remain in a monogamous marriage or if Sugar Belle would let any more mares into their lives, so far Sugar Belle didn’t seem likely to let any other mares in and probably never would.

“It’s been pretty great and her pregnancy is coming along just fine.” Big Mac stated as he tossed some cards down. “Three Queens.”

“Any chance of expanding the herd?” I asked. “Also… liar!”

Big Mac frown and revealed the three cards were not in fact queens, he tossed some bits my way.

I already knew that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were idly considering magical help and or checking around for a professional stallion sire. The two of them went on an adventure with my Silvers recently, they did not realize how much a handful a baby chimera was until I got them to babysit. I understandably let them off easy for what recently happened given Silvers was having filly unicorn surges.

They weren’t married, but they certainly bickered like they were much to Big Mac’s amusement.

“E-Nope.” Big Mac stated bluntly, this was much to my old teacher Cheerilee’s sadness.

Sure Cheerilee couldn’t teach me math to save anyone’s lives due in part to my lethal dyscalculia problem, but she was still one of my favorite teachers in life.

“By the way Capper… five bits to learn how to please a unicorn.” I stated.

“That doesn’t sound like too bad a price.” It seemed Capper was honestly confused about my pricing on how to help his love life get better, I’m going to break it to him gently.

“One hundred fifty bits to learn how to please Rarity specifically and make her a happy unicorn if you are willing to spend the rest of your life with her.” There wasn’t a sound and you could hear a pin drop.

“Well now…” Discord said as he was holding an entire deck of UNO reverse cards in his hands. “How much for information on how I can please a certain pegasus…”

“Seventy five bits and a pint of distilled poison joke, no questions asked about what I’m going to do with the distilled poison joke. You can ask about the bits as much as you want just to be clear.” My going rates were dependent on the challenge involved, also by customer as far as Discord is concerned. Apparently my planning talent, as denoted by the cutie mark on my half-unicorn Abyssinian hips, definitely helped in the field of romance. Might also help that I had Snickers the Turtledove as a familiar. Glancing around the table I saw some curious stares. “The rest of you shouldn’t ask what I need it for, plausible deniability and all that. Zecora already knows to have enough cure on standby in case things go horribly wrong… but said cure won’t be for me.”

Discord being a being of chaos would have problems with commitment, even Fluttershy is aware of this as it nearly almost killed him once when he tried to be far more ‘orderly’ for her than anyone else. He would quite literally die in his devotion to Fluttershy if it would make her happy, I was the one planning how not to get him killed and make it work in the most chaotic manner possible that ends with the two having a working stable relationship… one that reality can functionally handle at least. So about as well as a relationship could feasibly work given the circumstances involved.

Fluttershy didn’t mind a massive amount of chaos in her life, as long as it wasn’t the scary kind… Discord was quite a good learning aid in some ways. He taught valuable lessons at the school of friendship, which is when Twilight let him do so. Nothing was a better teacher sometimes than throwing random strangers into a chaotic mess and having them work together to fix said mess.

A bag with seventy five bits and a jar of distilled chaotically colorful liquids soon found themselves in front of me and also, as what I consider to be a show of good faith, Discord actually labeled the jar properly ‘Poison Joke do not touch, drink or interact with without proper caution’. You know, instead of letting something horrendously chaotic happen like it getting mixed up with some random Zap Apple Jam jars given where we were.

I quietly whispered something and Discord started rubbing his two odd appendages together with a bright cheerful grin, he summoned a note pad. A pad that was in the shape of a musical note that played theme music when written on, probably the tamest thing I’ve ever seen Discord do.

I also suggested Discord run a gag shop for Cheese Sandwich, with some literal gags on sale to go with the usual joke stuff, because Pinkie Pie would definitely be his best customer and it would be a source of income to help Fluttershy’s animal cuddling endeavors. Running a sanctuary, being vet, an animal caretaker, school teacher and overall familiar finder were not easy jobs, Fluttershy was one of the most popular ponies around despite being as much a wallflower as Wallflower the gardening earth pony was.

I may have also added the suggestion of selling ‘surprise’ and ‘chaos’ boxes with fun or startling surprises in them, maybe an entire tiered system of chaotic fun to sell to ponies who need some randomness added to their boring days.

“Oh my~… our friend Jaded here is definitely worth the consulting price boys!” Discord stated jovially. “So Saddle Arabia elite or something else?”

“Something else actually.” I didn’t want to incriminate myself any further than that, if it made the news then everyone at this table would surely know it was me. If it didn’t make the news however… well… patented evil cat grin number seven.

Spike gave me a glance, then silently slid five bits over to me, I leaned over and whispered to him something that would help a lot and he gave a few nods.

“Thanks.” Spike finally muttered with a small smile. “That sound like really good advice.”

“Sweetie Belle?” My bits were on the ‘singing muse’ cutie marked younger sister of Rarity might have interested my young dragon friend. Could be a few other unicorn fillies within Spike’s age range.

“I’m not going to tell you anything, I know what you are like Jaded.” That is the correct answer Spike, just about everyone knew what I was like. It’s those who didn’t know that would earn my ire and learn the meaning of ‘Pettius Kittius’ and why it’s now in all dictionaries in the world with my glaring image as a prime example of it.

Apparently Discord could update every dictionary in existence with the flick of a claw, for a price, so nobody would have to buy a new one. So he currently did have something like a job already… as long as he got to add his likeness under the definition of ‘Chaos’, along with the picture of a blue furred winged cat that once gave Ballad Din all kinds of problems. This most certainly did not have any repercussions in Saddle Arabia tax code at all… *LOUD WINK LOUD WINK*.

“Okay, I’ll pay you… since I really want to know what you’re going to say.” It seemed I had Capper’s keen interest. “First things first though, what’s this about a Tambelon mission coming up soon?”

“Apparently Pom has finished her obligations to some kind of lama horse deity thing and is now on a vacation in preparation for what is going to happen in Tambelon. Short answer, nothing good and I’m going to be there as a scout. Hope those Troggles aren’t as terrifying as the historical records say they are. Tianhuo is quite happy to hear that her wife is still alive… with a badly broken leg, but alive.” While I was saying this Capper had three fifty bit coins raring to go. “We’ll be soon gathering for a mission into Tambelon to retrieve ‘The Found’ before Demon Goat Grogar can capture or kill them.”

I started whispering to my somewhat fellow Abyssinia countryman about Rarity and how to make the relationship last. After I was finished, Capper had a smile on his face and he nodded. I quirked an eye at Spike.

“I’m okay with it as long as Rarity is happy with whatever you just told him… so what’ll it take for you to get me one Sekhmet’s training regimens?” Oh right, Spike did want to look handsome and chiseled.

“Right that’s easy enough, ask Sekhet herself and sacrifice a snickerdoodle and a cinnamon bun to her in her name at her pyramid… she also takes grapes peeled or not. Also maybe just investing, since our local goddess of war in Airship Mauled is thinking about expanding her school coaching gig into making gyms for physical education and therapy.” There was an odd stare. “Don’t worry Sekh’m’et is the right way to say it, we just like saying Sekhet better… doesn’t bother Sekky at all really. Never has really.”

-The Valley Realm (First World), Dragon’s Cave, Skunk-

“Hahahaha, you lose!” Dragon stated as I stared up at him defiantly.

I smirked a little.

“Best two out of three?” I asked calmly.

“Of course.” Dragon stated as he set up the board.

The board was made for several games, mostly we just did Xiangi, Go and Pai Sho. Pai Sho being a culmination of several games mashed together and very difficult to master and Dragon enjoyed the time we spent playing them.

Dragon has really mellowed out… by a lot. Probably the fact that he now had a few golden scales back and some sense of decency to not want everyone that lived in The Valley dead.

Sure he’s still semi-evil, but the guy was kind of cool to hang out with when he wasn’t trying to corrupt me to the dark side with cookies or muffins. Guy was really quite complicated like that I guess and I was too young to really understand why.

I would never want to actually kill him, eventually beat him within an inch of his life sure, but outright kill him? Pshaw, no way! Dragon was far too interesting an enemy to defeat outright.

Where Panda taught me how to train my body, Dragon was really helping with my mind, sure I learned a lot of mind techniques from the others in The Valley, but I still stood to learn a lot from Baboon and Dragon.

“Do you think Shanty’s doing okay?” I asked.

“You’re attraction to that goat is still quite strange to me.” Dragon said flatly.

“Well she was around my age, cute, her beard was kind of neat and she was really cool to hang out with!” That and I hadn’t forgotten her after an entire year had almost passed, she was only here for like a few days before Dragon helped them along. “That and I felt like she had some fighting potential to her and her personality was really quite interesting. Sure she might have thieving tendencies, but I can live with that.”

“Being in The Valley might be a challenge for you as well.” Dragon stated as the board was set up again and he motioned for me to make the first move this time.

“Maybe.” Wouldn’t surprise me given all the weird stuff we’ve done around here, the ninja monkeys were barrels of fun at least.

“So when are you going to ask me for a solution to go visit her? One that doesn’t involve any dark magic I mean.” Dragon was really good at magic dark and light. Yin and yang and all that.

“When I can finally defeat you once and for all.” Defeat, not kill, defeat has many more connotations for what the end results could mean and are far less permanent.

“You’re far too kind for your own good.” Dragon grumbled.

“You’re far too grody for yours, but you are getting better.” I took a moment to make my move, I was quick to learn almost any martial arts and I was great in many physical aspects… however my mental aspects was something I was still working on and Dragon was the one helping me with that. “I’ll see her again someday I’m sure.”

“Heh heh heh, we’ll see…” The big blackened burnt Dragon stated. “You’ll have to survive me long enough to do that though.”

“Surviving you hasn’t been the hard part so far.” I stated calmly with my tail waving about and looking down the board over my big red tomato sized nose.

At this point Dragon and I were friends and he had reconciled with Panda, but Dragon wasn’t willing to admit that he was willing to be a good guy again. He was having far too much fun being a heel we had to defend ourselves against.

“Besides I’m pretty sure I can figure out a portal spell on my own if given enough time.” My words didn’t surprise Dragon in the slightest, I was a quick learner in any subject that has my interest.

Magic has been an incredibly hard, but very fascinating subject. Friendship and love, as much as anger and apathy could cause so many things to happen. Martial Arts magic that allowed me to throw fireballs was far easier than the portal thing I was looking into.

-The Valley of Peace Realm (Second World), Jade Palace, Po-

“Get back here Panda!” Surprisingly that was not Tai Lung yelling that at me, that was his younger sister Tigress.

“Getting into trouble a little early today eh Po?” Viper said as I ran by her laying on a heat rock out in the sun.

“I’m only in trouble if I get caught!” I stated as I continued to run as fast as my little legs can carry me, which was pretty darn fast as a kung fu master and the dragon warrior.

“Hoo-hoo, wonder what Po did this time.” Monkey stated as he flicked some banana peels out like throwing stars to eventually land in my path, I sneezed them out of the air with my ‘nostril shuriken’ technique before they could trip me as I ran for the stairs. Sure it was a less kung fu and more wonky mystical ninja technique, but kung fu masters can use anything if they can figure out how to make it work. So far nobody has questioned how I fit sharp bladed throwing stars in my nostrils that are too tiny to actually contain them. Then again all kung fu masters had their own techniques and even Tai Lung had a few things he was working on. “Aw… I was hoping you’d have a nice trip.”

“With how many times I’ve fallen down those stairs, I don’t want any more head injuries from them!” I shouted back at Monkey while shaking my fist and then nearly went for a tumble on said stairs, Tai Lung thankfully grabbed me with a single claw and pulled me upright. “Thanks buddy.”

“I still want you alive because you amuse me Po, that and to maybe see martial artists of other worlds.” Tai Lung stated dramatically, he was getting better at the theatre arts and his nephew Peng was quite a kung fu prodigy. His hobby really mellowed him out, his flair for the dramatic was fairly popular around the valley of peace. Really interesting stuff happening in our world since Master Ewe left, Pom definitely deserved that title for her bravery at the very least and I hoped she was still around to receive an apology from me. I was working on how to teleport us to the mythical Huoshan, home of the legendary Longma, and back without issues any logistical issues. Tai Lung was interested in seeing if Pom, or Master Ewe as the servants at the Jade Palace started calling her, had grown any once I do eventually figure things out. “Now keep going and distract my adopted little sister for half a day, then I might owe you that favor you’ve been wanting.”

Didn’t need to tell me twice as I started down the stairs, might actually do a patented ‘panda roll’ to get away faster if it is required. Tai Lung had also picked up an appreciation of pranks with Monkey, especially those targeted at Shifu. No, of course he wasn’t still bitter at his adoptive father anymore, why would anyone think that?

“Po you might want to pick up the pace, she’s coming at you full tilt, ca-caw!” Crane was on his way to a date with a lovely cat named Mei Ling at my goose dad’s place.

I immediately rolled up, instead of a painful uncontrolled tumble down the stairs, this was much more graceful. Tigress flew over me and started tumbling down the stairs alongside me. Tigress was doing so far faster than I was and would be waiting for me at the bottom unless I did a particular bounce and I hated doing that one.

Well better have a landing prepared, because I really did not feel like being pummeled by Tigress today. If I’m right, then Mantis has cart about to accept supplies in the market district so…

I veered off from the stairs leading up to the Jade Palace and my rapidly rotating form bounced butt first off a particular pillar of rock jutting out of the mists below and flew towards the city while spreading my limbs out. I really hate using the Belly Bouncing technique like this…

Quite a few people saw me coming so I wasn’t going to hit anyone important, slapping into the street belly first painfully… thankfully my fat and ki absorbed the brunt of the impact to prevent injury, but still very painful.

I bounced high into the air flailing and then curled up to fall onto a cart and used its seesaw motion to stop me entirely as I rolled backwards into a standing position. This also launched all of Mantis’s supplies off said cart, I caught all of them and put them on the ground still in kung fu ‘run like headless chicken’ mode. The problem with this is that they were just freshly loaded up to be taken to the Jade Palace, Mantis was going to be angry about that.

Once I collected myself and regained my sense, I realized that I had to keep running.

“Sorry about the delay in your supply order Mantis, but I’m in a hurry!” I yelled as I passed by my tiny kung fu master friend on the street.

“Darn it Po!” Angrily yelled Mantis. “Better hope Tigress doesn’t catch you or my acupuncture session with you afterwards is going to be one of the really bad ones!”

Yeah, I really liked Tigress, but she did have a habit of mangling me… just a smidge.

Just had to get out of town, just had to get out of town! Maybe I can practice teleportation while I’m out and about? I mean I’m pretty decent at my personal ‘Nin-Po’ magic tricks… wait that’s it, that’s how I can avoid Tigress!

I moved to a nearby wall pulled a particularly colored sheet out of my pocket and put my back to the wall, angle the sheet in the direction Tigress would be coming from and…

Tigress soon ran past me without realizing she did so, I even moved the sheet in time with her visual range so that she wouldn’t notice the wall bulging out slightly. If I had timed it wrong, she might have stopped in place and investigated things more. Stealth wall trick successful!

I kind of did want a favor from Tai Lung as he was still one of the greatest Kung Fu masters to ever live, next to me ‘The Dragon Warrior’ of course. Once he learned to share some fame, things weren’t too bad.

“Darn it where did he go!” Whoops got to move, Tigress might notice if she doubled back!

The Valley of Peace was doing great, but I really wanted to see what Pom and the girls are doing and I had some teleportation practice to get in. Besides Oogway told me they were still alive the last time I communed with him, spiritual warrior stuff was still so awesome to me! Also helped to learn how Panda Village and Gongmen City were doing too, which is why I wanted to learn how to teleport between dimensions.

So much cool stuff to see and learn now that I’m aware there was more out there than just our little world.

Wanted to meet Pom again for a quick hug and for a friendly spar, as much as Tai Lung wanted a fight with otherworldly warriors.

The Legends of Awesomeness continued, maybe we were renowned around here, but how about in several other dimensions?

-Elhorn (Third World), walking on a path to Gravity Gorge, Nicole Beta-

“We’ve certainly put out a lot of fires.” The Yellow Dog incident was behind us, Sparkster was quite an amazing individual on par with Sonic the Hedgehog. Sparkster’s combat prowess was only magically enhanced and most of what he could do came from his own training.

Robotnik nuclear munitions definitely did not need to exist or be in the hands of mad wolves and were safely dispatched before they could be set off.

Sparkster proven to be an adventurous hero. He was still went on the trail of Axel Gear at times, but didn’t focus too hard on it as he always had a family to get back to. Humble was Sparkster the Rocket Knight who could have married any the princess and instead… he got with a nice village girl whom had won over his adventurous heart. This was much to the princesses of the various kingdoms broken hearts, they still liked Sparkster as a friend too.

“That we have.” Sparkster was using me as an administrative assistant to help find those proverbial ‘fires’ that need to be put out. The people who crash landed here, after a bit of time traveling, should consider themselves lucky that the magic of the world was so welcoming.

Sparkster could easily figure out how to get to Huoshan where the ‘White Knight’ was from, but first we needed to seek out the ‘Sage of Sight’ in Gravity Gorge as he could tell us if or when it would be safe for us to travel there. That is if we could at all.

Rocket Knight Colleen was particularly keen on the idea of seeing her old companion again… as were Jean, Bruno and even Ligstrun, who has long since earned our trust in his care of me.

Didn’t know if we could go to Mobius or not, but Sparkster had enough troubles keeping Elhorn safe from technological marvels and horrors in equal measures. Naturally occurring living machines was certainly something Robotnik couldn’t possibly replicate without magic or chaos emeralds, this world did it naturally to the mechanical animals running around. We couldn’t let that mad man find out about this world’s existence or else he’d try to take it over, TRY would be the keyword as long as Sparkster or his order of Rocket Knights was alive.

The order of ‘good’ rocket knights had been reborn under Sparkster the Blue Blazer, courageous were we all to uphold the safety of this world we find ourselves a part of where machines came to life as if one with nature.

-Disney Afternoon World where dreams can come true if you work for them (Fourth World), Anaheim Ice Rink, Canard-

After the core was taken out, all the EPs or any other aggressive programs ceased to be an immediate threat to the lives of everyone involved.

Pom planted the spear and we were knocked back by it turning into a large tower that saved the digital realm and bound the three worlds together inexorably.

Arceus quickly teleported us out of there not too long after Shanty picked up Pom and Jeanne D’ Arc escorted us out. Jeanne’s team and Calumon were witnesses to the fall of one of the greatest evils around, by something that looked positively monstrous.

Once we arrived in Helper’s Hamlet we put Pom in bed and they tried to heal most of her injures… most, because apparently her right hind leg resisted any attempts at healing the horrible damage done to it. I then found myself abruptly warped to the headquarters of my team, here in Anaheim.

Several DNA tests to confirm that yes, I was me, I was back, along with requisite uncontrollable sobbing and hugging from my team later… I had my team back along with an added friend and partner for life that was our newest teammate.

Wildwing was going to still be team captain, he deserved it for ending the Saurian threat where I couldn’t. The evils of the saurian empire weren’t going to bother anyone ever again.

Real nasty piece of work that last giant servant of Moon Cell had been.

Nobody was going to talk much about Dormarch’s Mega form or the horrifying feeling of ‘DEATH’ he practically radiated at the time, Dormarch managed to keep his head in the game and score the much needed winning goal. Hoped to never see another soul sucking super computer quite like that one again.

I’ve had my fill of adventure to last several lifetimes… so why was I becoming a vigilante alongside my old teammates that I’ve just recently reunited with?

Well I really couldn’t help myself could I? I was very much like Pom in some ways, unable to look away from those in need. This world has need of heroes and I aimed to stick with my flock and team for the rest of my life aiding it.

Now… now I was simply going to take a long break, by teaching Sami about my religion and how to ice skate. We also needed to get up to speed on the vigilante network Sami and I were now a part of and catch up with what’s happened since I got, quite unpleasantly, swallowed by an Electromagnetic Space Worm of doom.

Speaking of the lovable soldier lizard… Sami slapped against the wall of the ice rink and I winced audibly, but smiled as Sami had endeared herself to my team quite quickly. Tanya especially, given their love of equipment and tinkering.

“Ow… I’m okay… thanks for asking.” The ever orange loving Sami Soldier stated as she slowly got herself standing. She had to learn how to skate before she could actually play the game. We’d get some interesting scrimmages out of her eventually, because scrimmages were important to kick off the rust if you ever lost the ability to play hockey or have fun. We already had Sami’s jersey number planned out and everything to make sure she felt included with the team. “How do Rinkmon do this?!”

Sami mostly needs to learn how to ice skate first and she wasn’t doing too horribly at all.

“Keen gear, that’s got to hurt.” Gosalyn Mallard, AKA Quiver-Wing Quack Saint Canard vigilante with incredibly accuracy with anything thrown, hit or shot as a form of projectile. It seems the team has made friends in several odd places, again I’m quite proud of Wildwing.

Gosalyn was just here visiting her favorite hockey team and some of her favorite vigilantes, her favorite hero being her adoptive father Darkwing Duck who recently got her grandfather back. Her favorite player was Mallory McMallard, can kind of why Gosalyn was a fan of Mallory… she wanted to grow up kicking butt just like the daughter of the last general of Puckworld’s Special Forces.

May said general rest in peace, as I will continue watching out for his daughter for him. Nice to see Duke and Grin again. Surprisingly Nosedive had come into his own while I was gone, didn’t want to bring him in on the whole rebel cause… glad to see he’s doing well too.

I never got to say good bye to the Pokémon or the other Digimon we fought alongside, much less Pom’s personal group… I don’t think Pom will either as I think Arceus was trying to avoid long winded goodbyes. I’m really going to miss Clef too, she was quite a sweet little thing.

“You’re doing okay Sami, just open up a little and maybe bend your knees a bit!” I coached and saw my digital partner perk up and take my advice to heart and her balance got a little better.

“You’re so lucky you’re getting to be on a team with these guys, wish I was old enough to operate outside Saint Canard without a chaperone!” Grumbling good naturedly about her age, Gosalyn glanced at me. “So what’s the story from when the worm ate you? Nosedive made comic books about you guys to fund his weird combat Zamboni projects.”

Ah, yes, the sacred ice paving machines of doom for our enemies, for the game cannot be played without properly tended to ice. Nosedive was a true patriot of our home world.

“Spent several hundred digital years lost inside a weird interdimensional computer world until I met Sami, then things got really weird from there. Long story, but you’ll get to read about it Nosedive’s comic books… since Sami there will be helping with the illustrations.” This ice rink wasn’t home, but the ducks here certainly were.

Glad to finally be here.

-Camden Town, 101 Dalmatian Street Home, Dylan-

“Dolly called and she looked really roughed up.” Deedee was worried about her big sister, she shouldn’t be as Dolly could take care of herself.

From her recent message she learned how to pilot overly complicated mech somehow, Daisuke was excited to hear that mechs were a thing.

“Yeah, well I’m sure she’s been through a lot, dodging all kinds of dangerous stuff.” Sighing with relief, I worried as much as Deedee did. Dolly was kind of the best of us at getting into and out of trouble, mostly into it, at least she wasn’t reckless under Pom’s guidance. That she called let us know she was alive and well, in a completely different dimension from ours and living it up like if I were to get the chance at playing a real life version of poodle wolf. Also the one hundred and one Dalmamon being our digital counterparts concerned me somewhat. “Now if only we can convince Ditto to not get too into the role of Caper Canine…”

“This just in, Leap Lamb and Caper Canine help defeat Arpeggio the airship mogul and uncovered his time traveling theft scheme.” The television announced and I saw Ditto on screen performing a kick flip off a slowly crashing airship. Looks like Mopsy got dragged into another strange adventure with Ditto again, either that or it was the Cooper Gang this time.

Ooh, so that’s where Ditto has been for this past week! Ditto was really good at mimicking everything Dolly could do, in fact Ditto could mimic the talent of just about any Dalmatian in the family except Darcy ‘Da Witch’ Dalmatian.

Darcy was working on possibly getting us a connection to Huoshan on the planet Equus somehow, so far we had a doors leading to other places thing and thanks to the whole ‘Tambelon’ things we couldn’t do that yet. I don’t know how to feel with my step-sister and little adoptive digital brother eventually going into an evil sounding place, but Dormarch came back from being so ridiculously close to a true death.

We could go to Saint Canard, Big Hero 6 Basemax, Aneheim Skating Rink, New York’s Rescue Aid Society, wherever the Cooper Van happens to be at this moment in time and a few other places including Hunter’s loft in his skyscraper. Hunter’s pet toy business was going very well, as much as his selling Caper Canine and Leap Lamb merchandise was.

Spot Dalmatian, the mystical zombie chicken friend of our ancestors, of course kept a lock on the whole teleporting door thing. We really don’t want puppies getting lost across the world before they complete their Bark Brigade survival training locally, our parents put their paws down on magical interdimensional traveling shenanigans and made sure we all knew magic wasn’t a toy.

Why did everything these days seem so mundane despite all the weird stuff that happens around us? We have zombie chicken living with us and I found that to be the most normal thing compared to all the other stuff going on.

It’s like we were always weird, but we never questioned the weirdness of everyone seemingly not paying attention to us at all. I mean one hundred dogs running to the park and back to the house every other day and interacting with who knows how many people should have been on someone’s radar right? How would Cruella not be sure of our location? This house is fairly particular in how obvious it was, I mean the house on the streets with spots painted all over it is fairly obvious as is the number of dogs Cruella should be familiar with coming and going from it. Did she really need a DNA test to confirm it? Was it some magic that was protecting us all this time from all the other weird stuff around here, except for Cruella attacking us? Was my family destined to come across Cruella every generation where we formed a particular number?

I felt a pair of paws hugging me.

“Dylan, you’re thinking too hard again.” Dizzy stated and Deedee nuzzled into my side affectionately and I hugged Dolly’s favorite sisters, next to Dorothy of course.

“Yeah, I was… thanks for the hug. I’m just worried about Dolly, but she seems to be doing well and probably has so many more stories to tell.” I was also worried about Ditto too, but she was in the same dimension as us so we could go to help her if something went wrong.

-Basemax, Hiro-

So Arceus still didn’t want us to teleport into his world unless we asked him first according to Canard.

Scrooge was interested in finding the world Pom was from so his clone daughter and family won’t miss their friends, they knew it might take a while to find, but we were willing to try.

The Dalmatians would be more likely to do it first, they had more of a leg up on dimensional shenanigans and magic, they were in fact our consultants on magic if anything occurred. I’m just surprised with been mostly stuck with dealing with technology and science trouble.

I don’t want to know how bad hero things would get when you added magic, monsters and mythological entities to the mix.

“Dormarch’s alive?!” Questioned Ms. Bunny Shuttle excitedly, her robotic rabbit body looked up at me with a hopeful expression and a twitching nose with advanced radar whiskers, floppy ears raised up and a wagging round metallic tail.

I rubbed her head affectionately, making her giggle. Robotics was, has and always will be my specialty. The news really cheered her up, Bunny was almost as young as Dormarch was and the digital dog that could manifest into reality was a great hero. Glad to hear his death was greatly exaggerated even if we saw what was the utmost certainty of it, makes me wonder if my brother is out there somewhere sometimes…

Outside of her battle bus body, Bunny now had to find things to do with herself in the form of a hobby.

She liked looking into transportation solutions and other things related to getting around, she was quickly becoming a mechanic for Big Hero Six and her own bus body. She had asked me once if I could create a body that transformed between a vehicle and a bunny battle bot. I don’t think she was quite ready for that yet, but I did tell her I’d think about it.

She would certainly be more than meets the eye the first time she transformed, but I wasn’t ready to do something quite that complicated at the moment.

Bunny also liked following Mopsy Muttoncoddle and Ditto Dalmatian’s incredible exploits, despite not having Pom’s talent or Dolly’s magic the two were fairly amazing whenever they got together for a team up. Wherever they were, the Cooper Gang would be doing its thing in the background to save the day from even worse things going on.

“Even after what happened to him with that virus, apparently yes… he somehow came back from it and we’re only getting news of it now because of Canard Thunderbeak.” Baymax wasn’t the only intelligent AI running around these days.

Kahn Industries PET devices were really quite popular, I had one with a copy of my brother’s appearance programmed onto it. That was shortly before Baymax’s first body came back from dimensional void wrong… thankfully we fought evil Baymax into submission without killing him.

So yeah, Baymax’s first body came back and went totally evil on us, thankfully it was missing a mechanical hand armor piece and that made deflating his soft body under the armor easy. Now my PET brother could utilize Baymax’s first body, it somehow felt right.

Interesting times we live in, like Minimax being a recognized hero in his own right.

“I’m sure you’ll see him again someday Bunny Shuttle.” The news was wonderful to hear for the friendly bunny AI. “Now if only Fredmeleon could stop causing incidents with his invisibility we’d be having a much easier week.”

“Not likely, Fredmeleon is going to do whatever a Fredmeleon does.” Oh how I wish Bunny wasn’t right about that. “Do I… do I still need to do therapy sessions with Baymax?”

“At least until Baymax says you can stop, but therapy has been good for you.” An AI that needed therapy and Baymax kept Bunny going, it was kind of amazing to watch really.

Nothing was good as hope for the future to cure a blue screening AI.

-Pokémon Realm connected with New Lunar Digital Realm and Yggdrasil’s Digital Realm (Fifth World), Lit-

Lit was on a journey and he was going to be with Dolly once again, he would one day make sure Arceus know his ire in its entirety.

He hopped about a little electric blur and stopped when he came across a Gilgamesh and Greenkidu.

“Going our way?” Gilgamesh asked and I squeaked the songs of many heroic Joltik. “Eh, we’re stuck here so might as well spend some time traveling with a true warrior. Smallest one I’ve ever seen though.”

-Aurora, Jiri-

Never got to say goodbye to Pom, but at least I know she was alright… the celebration night got a little awkward between me and the bears.

I’m now a Captain of the guard of Aurora. King Evan was glad to have me alongside him for his journey, Teeth was out on patrol and the Bidoof were… excited.

Why wouldn’t the Bidoof be excited? They are going to be rebuilding every kingdom on the continent at a reduced price because they are workaholics.

In any case, if anything happened to King Evan, I’d be the one that would become queen of Aurora. I would proudly live up to the heart our beloved King… by making sure no one kills him while I live! I didn’t want to be queen of Aurora, since it might eventually force me to fight that rat bastard Lord Nobunaga.

I wonder what quests are currently on the Team Harmony board today while I have plenty of free time?

-Dazzle-

Okay so biomerging to Frizzle almost killed me, but at least Arceus managed to separate us before my body completely dried out like a husk. It was going to take a while to recover from that.

“I can’t believe he’d ask you to go back to Viperia.” Yes, Frizzle’s absurdly high pitched voice was mentioning one of Arceus’s many challenges I’d have to face.

I would rather live the rest of my life wherever Pom calls home and Favela would do the same too, currently Favela was in Greenleaf glad to hear that her mother was alive as much as the rest of her extended family. She had a lot of brothers and sisters, at least hers weren’t complete…

I took a deep breath and calmed down, worry about that later Dazzle. I got a long fight ahead of me and I’m going to make everyone in Viperia stop with all the crap they pull if I had to beat everyone to within an inch of their lives.

I didn’t even know how King Evan managed to get them to cooperate in the first place! I’m fairly certain he said that there was at least ninety consecutive assassin attempts in the first hour alone from stepping over the border into Viperia.

Frizzle patted my back and I smiled at her, it was nice to have friends who had your back no matter where you went.

I didn’t want to live in the same world that Viperia existed on so we had better get busy.

-Greenleaf, The ‘Saucy’ Skiddo, Favela-

“Then what are you doing here Favela? Go out there and get back with your captain, I’m not going to see you waste away here.” Vetali my mother was quite succinct in what I was going to be doing.

“I just wanted to see if you were alright.” I said as I nuzzled against my mother’s chest.

“I’m fine and so are all of your brothers and sisters.” Mother stated while cuddling me with a hoof, obviously happy to see me and that I was worried about her. “Now get back out there and find you’re adventure with the crew you’d follow into the depths of Yvetal’s bureaucracy! I’m not that easy to kill and neither are any you weeds that I sired. You’re a ‘Saucy’ and you’re going to go out there flip this whole world upside freaking down, do you hear me!”

“Yes Ma’am, I Favela, hear you!” I said brightly and darted out the door, only to come back a second later and pay the tab I had with Poké.

“Honestly?” My mother quirked an eye as she had expected me to drink and dash.

-D’ Arc Farm in Valora, Shine-

“Thank you for having us Mr. and Mrs. D’ Arc.” I said as I sat next to Quetal. We were taking the slow road back to Nixtorm for a reason. Also Jeanne got a promotion for her valor in the face of what should have been a likely timely death.

“Thank you for making sure my daughter came back a Kommo-o, makes a father less worried.” The iron shelled Goodra stated. “Why are you heading to Nixtorm though? From what you told me Quetal has no reason to go back.”

“Let’s just say Arceus is a jerk.” Quetal grumbled and I cuddled against him, making him smile somewhat, he’d proven to himself that Dark types weren’t evil and could be heroes. “Guy might be our god of gods, but our god is he ever a massive jerk.”

-Mountain Top in Avia, Clef-

I glared at Rayquaza and he looked at me curiously wondering why I was calling him out. I raised a finger and charged up a solar beam.

-Sugar Bar in Chrysalia, Mundo-

I would miss my talks with Pom, but Muchomon and I would like to talk with her again… once I can find Arceus’s actual form to Suplex down to the center of this very planet.

Until then me and my digital brother would travel, wrestle and dance… but most importantly.

“Did somebody order the churros special?” An Ariados asked as they carried a tray full of sugary doughnut sticks.

The world has faced much suffering, but we would bring light to the downtrodden and I would lift their spirits for I am Lucha Mundo!

• Lunar Digital Realm, Jungle of Genesis, Castle Alexander, Cid-

Castle Alexander flies incredibly well, at least after repairs were made.

Mirage Mew was letting me lead the exploration of the newly formed Lunar Digital Realm to see if we can help ease the souls still around into their new digital lives of freedom.

“Let’s hope the digital world will allow us time to get things in order.” Mirage Mew stated, we had a few Porygon and Gazimon on staff, the lunar digital realm will be where both worlds meshed together.

We were going to try and prevent any war between the Pokémon and digital worlds from forming with a coalition of both worlds. We just got out of a nasty war, not need go back into kicking off a new one.

“Are you sure about being with us Elise?” I asked as I steered the ship over large amounts of green where there used to be desert.

“Arceus said I could choose where I went, but he also said that Pom gave me back my life and doesn’t want me to throw it away for her sake… so I want to actually live for once.” The sweet Elise’s two snakes on her shoulders nodded their heads in agreement. “I came here because you are the people I knew. I never got to say goodbye to Pom.”

“I’m not certain anyone ever got the chance to, probably what Arceus wants… everyone angry and determined. Truly no better motivators than that huh?” Copen stated as he hugged a little girl that looked like him to his side and had a small smile on his face as the girl snuggled him. His little sister’s soul was given back to him by Arceus, so he really couldn’t curse out the god. Lola floated around his head chirping happily. “It’ll certainly be something to explore together.”

A gunner pantheon walked up with some refreshments on a tray.

The Harmony Programs were setting up shop, unfortunately they couldn’t return to being ponies in appearance, but they were mostly okay with that.

I personally wanted to enjoy the feeling of flying forever.

-???, somewhere in space, Brainy-

We’ve finally managed to track where they might be… they were, somehow, last spotted around the magical planet of Petopia.

“Brainy this is Tusky, I don’t see any signs of those cats anywhere on the planet.” They had to be here, we couldn’t have lost them already! “Scanned the whole place.”

“The patrol has a duty Tusky. We protect all good animals from dangers big, small and alien, we cannot let those felonious felines get away from us… also we still don’t know what happened to Hope Corgi or how those cats even got here considering they lack the necessary requirements.” I groaned audibly as I pressed my purple paws against my forehead as that was a headache to think about. “Look, send Pocus down to the planet, they’ll be far more discreet operatives than us. We cannot let the citizens of this world come under attack or be threatened. I want an eye on the citizens currently on this world.”

“Got it, but I don’t think the citizens will care that we’re a little odd anyway, can’t we just operate in the open?” Husky could admittedly pass for normal, but there were concerns that the evil doers may escape through obscurity if they spot us on world first before we did them. “Still it’s concerning that anyone evil could even reach this particular place according to what Pocus told us about the situation of this world.”

-???, somewhere in a town, Dalmatian puppy?-

“Where am I, where’s Ryder?” I got up and was soon wandering by myself into a very odd place. “What was that portal thing I went through?”

I saw so many creatures here and I was lost, maybe I could ask for directions?

Why would anyone care about a clumsy puppy like me?

-???, circus tent, Pom-

After sitting here doing nothing for the last hour or so in the tent and making sure nothing was approaching said massive tent with our wagon in it, at least Arceus remembered that I bought and paid for the wagon, I decided to get a lay of the land.

I had some… concerns. No sounds of anything nearby was making me quite paranoid. Also that Arceus thought we were worth the whole circus theme joke was… probably not wrong on his part.

The girls were safe as were Dodo and Dormarch, but all still out cold.

Clambering up the outside of the tent, I looked around once I was at the top of the whole thing. Being so lightweight I barely even disturbed the one ring circus.

I blinked.

What in the… well that’s interesting…

No matter where I looked, all I saw were creatures that were incredibly small and apparently they had a society here. They were all also barely threatening looking, it was odd that all the animals here looked so… cutely warped.

Maybe if we stayed quiet and didn’t do anything nobody would come over this way? I wanted the vacation Arceus promised me, at least the world looked cutesy and as impossibly peaceful as one can get in the most nonthreatening manner ever devised.

-Not too far away, bird?-

Huh? Since when did we have a circus there? Also who was that on the tent? I don't remember seeing people putting that up.

I got to go tell my friends about this, we can all investigate this mysterious tent together!

-Near where the dalmatian puppy appeared, dog?-

"Hello and welcome too~... ah darn it, we got a runner!" I said as I turned to my best cat friend in the whole wide world. "Let's go find them before something bad happens, like running into those snobs!"

"Yep, this is just like any other day in paradise. Ugh, I'm going back to sleep." The gothic black kitty said as she tried to slink away, I grabbed her by the tail and held it in my teeth and started dragging her in the direction of the freshest smell. "We sure took our sweet time with coming to greet the new one, poor thing probably has no idea what's going on or what's in store for them. I guess this'll be fun."

My friend was going to lazily make me drag her around again, but that's okay I'm the peppy puppy cheer squad here!

-Cat lazing on a roof somewhere-

I slid one eye open and stared out into open space for what disturbed my nap.

Was that a carrier of a 'Canine Totem' I sensed appearing here suddenly? Interesting, change of plans... for me anyway.

Not going anywhere near whoever has that totem, especially when it feels like pure unbridled 'canine' like it does.

Author's Note

Three worlds are involved this time for the Interlude Arc where Pom will get some peace and quiet, even if all her friends have to kill themselves to make sure it happens for Pom and not ever tell her what's going on.

I already gave some strong hints for the names of all of them. All three are cartoons with a theme to them, so the setting is in a world that would be next door to Equus dimensionally.