I Found Her

Once the weekend came around, James followed through with William’s offer to check out his secret. There was a knock on the door, and William opened it up to see the German visitor.

“Ah, James,” William said. “Didn’t expect you so soon.”

“I always like to uphold a commitment,” James said.

William stepped aside. “Come on in.”

As his guest entered the house, something about him caught William’s eye. Tucked against his left hip, between his T-shirt and open collared shirt, was what appeared to be a handgun.

“Oh...” William uttered, “...I didn’t know you conceal-carried.”

James’ eyes shifted to his handgun. “Ah, yes. I always carry this with me. She’s served me well for many years.”

William, looking at the weapon carefully, noticed something distinct about the handle and back of the frame.

"Wait... that wouldn't happen to be a Mauser Broomhandle, would it?" He asked.

“Ah,” James said, taking out the handgun, “you’ve got a good eye. Model C96, chambered in the original seven-point-six-three millimeter.”

Holding the weapon by the barrel, he offered it to William to take handle, who did just that. William aimed the weapon, in both hands, in a random direction away from James, ensuring to keep his finger off the trigger.

"Definitely feels thinner than my Beretta 92FS... but a lot nicer, that’s for sure. Got yourself quite a fine reproduction piece, here," he commented, handing the Mauser back to its owner.

"Oh," James began, taking the gun back, "it's not a reproduction; this is an original German-made model."

“Really?” William asked, surprised. “Well, whoever resold it to you really knew how to keep it in good condition!”

“Actually...” James began, pausing briefly, “...I was the one to receive it directly off the manufacturing line, back during the early years of my military career.”

William narrowed his eyes. “...You’re telling me you were born in, what... The late 19th Century? Early 20th Century? What, do you think I’m an idiot?”

“What exactly do you mean?” James asked.

“I mean...” William said, “...don’t you think you’d be an old man by this point if that were true? You look to be in your... late-twenties, at best! C’mon, you had to have been born in the ‘60s!”

The German reached into his pocket.

“Well... look at these...” James said, pulling out an envelope.

He opened it and pulled out the contents, comprising of copied photographs and newspaper clippings. All of them had the name “Jessie Günther” among some German text. At first, William was a bit confused as he skimmed over them, not believing these pertained to James, but upon seeing one name that read “Jessie ‘James’ Günther,” this was when he was able to piece it together. The newspaper clippings contained James’ photographs, yet were dated from the early 20th Century.

William was speechless for several moments as he looked at these documents. “N-no way... that’s not you...”

“But it is,” James responded.

William shook his head. “That’s gotta be like... your father, or grandfather, or someone else!”

“I assure you, William, that is me, Scout’s Honor,” James said. “The force I’m in is known as the Harmonische Wache, known in English as the Harmonious Guard, an elite paramilitary organization that serves not only in warfare, but private security and transport of important persons or cargo. We specialize in the use of analog technology, which is not vulnerable to electrical weapons.”

“ ‘Am in’?” William asked. “So... it’s still around?”

“And still as powerful as ever,” James responded.

Looking at all the photographs, there was too much resemblance for William to deny it. The individual in the photographs and clippings was definitely James himself.

“But...” William trailed off briefly, “...how have you lived so long?”

“It was due to exposure to a defective chemical weapon,” James said. “It was supposed to kill me, but that didn’t happen. Instead, it altered my genes at a molecular level, to a point where my DNA can now replicate flawlessly, without degrading in the process.”

William tried to process everything the apparently-immortal German said to him. “Weird... and, like... have you ever thought about sending in some of your DNA samples to be studied for medical research?”

James nodded. “Yes. However, due to such traits about myself being almost unnatural... the German government wanted to keep the findings classified. And there were quite a few moral implications of tampering with the human genome using my DNA, with many of the doctors believing it not to be wise to ‘play god,’ so to speak...”

This was all so much for William to take in. Given that Cocoon was from another plane of reality, he could accept the things she could do. But, with James being from his world... this was completely shattering his perception of the forces of nature.

“So, anyway,” James said, “about why I was originally here...”

“Oh, right...” William said, walking over to his office, “...wait here. It’ll just be a moment...”

When he returned to James, he brought with him the gold-accented tome. The German’s eyes widened upon seeing it.

“Well, that’s a rather fine-looking book!” James remarked.

William nodded. “Thing is... it’s more than just a book.”

“How so?” James asked.

“Listen...” William began, “...what’s about to happen is gonna be very...strange. I doubt it’s like anything you’ve ever experienced before.”

James chuckled. “Oh, believe me... I’ve seen many strange things throughout my long life.”

“...Like real magic?” William asked.

To his surprise, James nodded. “Especially real magic!”

“Alright then,” William said, opening the tome. “All we have to do is place our hands flush on a page, and the book will do the rest.”

“Very well,” James said, doing as William asked.

The two placed their full hands against the tome’s open pages, and before they knew it, they were both in Cocoon’s prison realm. James was shocked upon falling, but William reassured him (over the roar of the rushing air) that they were both going to be fine. Sure enough, as always with William, they both landed slowly and unharmed.

“Okay...” James said, taking a moment to gather his breath, “...that was quite an intense way to enter another world, I just have to say.”

“I agree,” William said, before heading in the direction of the designated path. “Now, all we have to do is follow the set of markers, and that’ll lead us to... my friend’s... castle.”

James tilted his head. “They have a castle?”

“A small one,” William said. “But yes. And she’s been working to step up her place of living every which way she could. Also...” he peered into the distance, making out what looked like a small town, “...she’s been making use of her excess magic to generate some infrastructure, as well as a few artificial beings to start a population around here.”

James nodded. “Alright, shall we go, then?”

“Yes,” William said, leading the way.

Cocoon laid on a large sofa in the lounge under a blanket, lightly dozing off. Having become bored, she decided to take a nap earlier. The light was dim, so as to help her get a better midday rest. However, she was awoken by a tone that sounded throughout the castle. She opened her eyes and sat up.

The sound was a perimeter “alarm,” which alerted her to whenever a living being crossed within a one-hundred-meter radius of her castle.

“Ah, Willy!” She said to herself eagerly, making her way to the front door.

Upon opening the twin doors and stepping out into the entry courtyard, the changeling queen was surprised to see her friend accompanied by another person. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing the other, blonde individual.

“Hey, Cocoon!” William said.

“H-hello, Willy...” Cocoon responded, “...who might this be?”

“My name is James,” James introduced himself. “And you must be named... ‘Cocoon,’ I take it?”

Cocoon nodded. “I believe you are the who Willy informed about me?”

“Very vaguely, apparently,” James said, “but regardless, I was curious, given how uncertain he seemed. It just makes me feel good, helping others with their problems.”

William turned to face James. “So... can I count on you to keep a secret? If you do, I promise to keep your genetic secret as well.”

Without hesitation, James nodded. “Of course. A secret for a secret, that’s a fair trade.”

“Now,” Cocoon began, “what’s say we have ourselves some lunch?”

Feeling a bit adventurous, Cocoon decided to take to hunting some of the soulless, artificial creatures she manifested as a means of preparing their meal, all to conserve her magic. James watched in awe as she took the form of a cheetah to chase down a wild deer, and a large griffon to carry it back. She then magically skinned it and separated all edible venison before putting it on then new, massive cooking spit.

It took a little while of cooking, but the meat was ready to be served, and during the cooking time, Cocoon prepared a bunch of other side-dishes, mainly vegetables and fruit, for her guests. Once they were all seated, Cocoon briefly took the form of a dragon, hovering and using her fire-breath to light the chandelier and numerous pedestal-torches in the dining hall. The whole time they ate, all James could do was stare, bewildered, whenever he saw the changeling queen.

“So,” he spoke up to Cocoon, “would you mind explaining that little... trick you do?”

“I’m a changeling,” Cocoon, still in her dragon form, said.

“Like a shapeshifter,” William added.

“Is that so?” James asked. “I always thought such beings were just mythical... and it is, by chance, difficult to alter your form?”

“It really doesn’t take much effort,” Cocoon said, just before changing back to her default form. “Something that comes natural to my kind.”

James slightly grinned. “...I suppose I don’t doubt it, when you put it like that.”

He glanced up and down her body.

“Stop me if I’m wrong,” James said, “but do we have any way to know that this is your real form?”

Cocoon smirked. “...I guess I have no way to prove it.”

“But I know how she is on the inside,” William said. “And she’s far better than most of the people in my life.”

The changeling queen turned her attention to her closest friend ever, standing from her seat and walking over to him.

"The best part about having me as a friend..." Cocoon said, changing her form to a generic, pure-white alicorn, "...I can be literally anypony you want me to be."

William smiled. "I like that... but more so, I like you for you, Coony."

Cocoon’s eyes lit up as he called her that, promptly changing back to normal with no noticeable change in stance or expression as she did so.

“I hope it’s okay I call you that,” William said.

“Absolutely!” Cocoon said, before leaping forward and hugging him.

William, albeit surprised, returned the hug.

“Oh, Willy...” Cocoon said, nuzzling the side of his head, “...more and more, I just want to be by your side forever. You are truly the kindest male I’ve ever come across in my life.”

“And I must say, Coony...” William began, his face flushing, “...you’re really the first female who’s ever given me such a level of attention as this.”

“The first?” James asked. “You mean... you’ve never had a partner?”

Cocoon and William separated from their hug as the latter prepared to explain.

“No,” William said. “And the thing is... just about everyone in my age-group, that I know of, has been in at least one relationship. This has really made me feel left out... especially at school.”

James subtly nodded, acknowledging what his new acquaintance just said.

“The male students at my old high school always went over-the-top when asking girls out for prom,” William said. “Putting on big displays and extravagant performances... personally, I find all that unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?” James asked.

“I favor personal interaction with a loved one,” William explained. “If they feel the need to dress up their emotions with a bunch of razzle-dazzle... I really don’t feel like they’re being genuine with me. Personally, if a girl were to have asked me to a Sadie Hawkins dance, I would probably only accept a face-to-face request, nothing more. That’s what I want from a relationship; someone who is deeply personal, and doesn’t hide behind a flashy mask. A level of genuine trust. Other guys, who see it as a show of devotion are, in my opinion, using a widely-skewed social compass.”

James raised a brow. “And how can you be sure of that?”

“I don’t know people’s intentions,” William said, “but I know people. And it’s mainly due to the fact that I’ve been pretty neglected emotionally, forcing me to recognize the flaws of human psychology. People have just passed off my needs, and, well... it’s made me pretty bitter about my lifestyle, to say the least.”

“But I feel you should consider yourself fortunate,” James said. “You are living in a very wealthy nation, and in the best of all possible times.”

William sighed. “But what’s the good of living in a prosperous nation if you, on an individual level, are not prospering?”

“Come to think of it...” Cocoon spoke, “...I don’t think I’ve ever seen your residence, Willy.”

William darted his eyes about for a moment. “Would you even be able to see it? You can’t leave the tome, remember?”

“That’s true,” Cocoon said, “I cannot actually leave, but I am still able to glance through the portal. So... would you be willing to let me take a look at where you live?”

Since they were close to finishing their meals, they decided to just wrap up their leftovers for later. Besides, they were not quite hungry enough for a heavy meal, so Cocoon could magically preserve. The three then left the castle, making their way back to the portal. The two humans were able to easily pass through the portal, but the changeling could only look through it like a pane of glass, suspended in midair by the magical whirlwind.

Back at William’s house, James and the homeowner rematerialized in the living room, right where they departed from their universe, and the tome still sat open on the coffee table, but still glowing, as Cocoon was on the other side of the portal. She peered through the tome's pages at her friend’s spartan, working-class residence.

"Tells a story, doesn't it?" William said.

The changeling queen, hovering directly behind the portal, glanced around as William rotated the tome, walking through the small house to give her a good idea of what his place was like. James walked with him all the while.

"I mean," William began, "I tend to live a modest, low-key lifestyle due to my limited resources, and having to rely on some life hacks. But I guess one positive is that it forces me to focus on the essentials, and when I think about it, I find that there's really nothing... superfluous in my life. I never invest in anything redundant or unnecessary, and never get myself into debt when I don't need to. When anything I have or come up with is obsolete or impractical, it is..." he flicked his hand up, away from him, "...eliminated from my lifestyle."

James nodded. "…I find that to be a very wise approach to living."

“Yeah,” William said. “And I very much consider myself an individualist,”

“Self-reliance is always a good thing,” James said. “But still... it’s also good to have someone you can depend on.”

William agreed. “Well, you’re not wrong there. But, enough about that. Ready to head back in?”

“Alright,” James said.

“I’ll just get clear of the portal...” Cocoon said, her voice having some reverb through the tome, gliding out of the way.

With that, they fell back into Cocoon’s personal world, where the one in question awaited them on the ground.

“Welcome back!” Cocoon said.

“So yeah,” William spoke, “you can both see why I like to come here more often than bum around at my place.”

“Indeed, I do,” James said. “And I don’t blame you, William, for taking up an opportunity so unique and life-altering the moment it presents itself to you.”

“And just always know that I’ll be here for you whenever you need me,” Cocoon said with a warm smile.

“Still,” William said, “it blows my mind to this day, knowing that magic and changelings are real, as well as parallel universes.”

“I must admit,” James spoke up, “this is really quite extraordinary! And, I’ll be honest... it kind of reminds me of... a little, purple filly I once found, from another universe. Especially since, well... you look like an equine yourself, Cocoon.”

“Is that so?” Cocoon asked. “In that case, I’d love to hear your story sometime, James. I’m curious about this filly you speak of.”

James smiled. “Natürlich.”

Cocoon squinted, tipping her head slightly. “...What?”

“It’s my native language, German,” James said. “It means ‘of course.’ ”

They all had a pleasant walk back to Cocoon’s castle. The sun, being proportionately larger and dimmer than Earth’s, was more bearable, as it wasn’t blinding, yet still provided enough light to compare with Earth’s daylight. The air was very clean, free from any carbon emissions. And even the landscape itself was cleaner than anything naturally-occurring from the human world.

“So...” William spoke up to James, “...you still onboard with keeping the secret?”

“I’ll keep the secret, if...” James began, his lips curling into a smile, “...you agree to let me start visiting Cocoon regularly.”

“Sold!” William said.

James nodded. “And just know, I’ll do everything I can to help you both out. I want you both to know that I support your relationship!”

William and Cocoon both stopped dead, flabbergasted at the choice of wording he used.

“R-relationship...?” William stammered, his face going red.

James stopped, looking back at his two new affiliates.

“I-I mean...” Cocoon spoke, her face flushed a deep green, “...it’s not like w-w-we're...”

“Hey, it’s alright,” James said. “I don’t believe it’s odd. Who says it can’t happen between two different sentient species?”

William and Cocoon both stared at each other for a moment, saying nothing. After a moment, though, they were able to snap back to reality.

“R-right, well...” Cocoon said, “...shall we go back to the castle, and continue to make use of our downtime?”

“Yeah,” William said, “let’s.”

On one of his days off, William decided to go out for a walk through his neighborhood park on his own. While he did like to spend most of his time with Cocoon, there were times when he needed to take an hour or two to gather his thoughts.

He thought about everything that happened, and where he would be if it didn’t happen. To think he would still be stuck in a rut if he hadn’t happened upon Cocoon’s tome... she’s given him the will to keep going of his own accord... and what really made him feel better about himself was that he had made a new friend who supported his and Cocoon’s newfound friendship.

He snapped back to reality when he caught sight of a family walking opposite of his direction, on the other side of the wide path. It were two parents with their kid. The child was running about, and the parents were holding hands. William scornfully glared at them, despite the fact that they were not looking in his direction.

The NERVE of these people... showing their affection in public! William thought. Get a room, will ya?!

He tried to brush off his frustration once they passed, keeping his mind on all the positive things he encountered recently. Cocoon was definitely a good friend, yes. More so, in fact, than any other friend he had in his life. In all honesty... he was beginning to wonder if James’ assessment of their relationship was accurate?

William couldn’t help but feel like he was getting so close with the changeling queen, that he started to develop... feelings for her.

“I mean...” he said to himself as he walked, “...would she even feel the same way about me? Would I be coming on too fast for her? I really don’t want her to be upset because of me... I don’t wanna lose her as a friend...”

As he kept walking, someone sitting on a bench he was about to pass spoke up.

“Hmmm...” they hummed, “...you seem to be dealing with... a great deal of self-doubt.”

William stopped, turning to face the person. “What?”

The individual in question was an Asian women, who appeared to be in her forties, wearing a two-tone gray-and-black kimono, a midnight-blue magatama worn around her neck by a string, and geta sandals.

“Who are you?” William asked.

“Who I am is irrelevant to your lifestyle,” the woman said, standing. “What you do require, however, is guidance.”

“Guidance?” William asked.

“Most certainly,” the woman said. “Now... let me see your dominant hand.”

“Uhh... okay then...” William said, holding up his right hand.

The woman gently held it by her fingertips, running her right-hand index finger across the various ridges in his palm.

“You have undergone a great deal of turmoil...” she said, “...your life has been driven solely by monotony, and yet...” she looked more carefully, “...you have persevered regardless... in the hope that something better may happen.”

William’s eyes went wide. “H-how... how do you...?”

“I am a medium, specializing in divination and insight into the unseen and higher realms,” the woman said. “From what your palms speak to me, you carry a great deal of potential and intellect... most of it, however, is being withheld from maximal potential. And now... let me see your eyes...”

The medium then peered closely into his eyes, and William, despite being weirded out, maintained eye contact. Eventually, she stepped back to an acceptable distance.

“You have made a significant discovery, of something that is not of this world,” the medium said. “And... a creature, benevolent, and capable of assuming many forms, that has altered the very course of your life.”

“Yeah...” William uttered, just as surprised, if not more so, than her first insight, “...the creature is a changeling. But... you know they’re real?”

The medium nodded. “When you have been in my practice for many decades, you find out many facts about the cosmos that fundamentally, and forever, change the way you view reality itself. And not only that, but... I also know you carry a special ability; you can forcibly shift the forces of nature in your favor, increasing probability for a favorable outcome, whether for yourself or another.”

“Yeah, my power...” William said, “...my father has it also, and I got it from him. I regularly meditate to keep it conditioned, so to speak.”

“A wise method,” the medium said. “To neglect it would put greater strain on the soul if attempting to invoke it, following a long period without its use, manifesting as fatigue in both the physical and spiritual body.”

“But... how do people have abilities like these?” William asked.

“From what I have learned,” the medium spoke, “certain deities had mortal offspring, who exhibited abilities from their parent gods and goddesses.”

William remained silent, trying to ponder the fact that there were metaphysical deities in this universe... or potentially other universes, if there was indeed a multiverse.

"As it happens," the medium explained, "the earliest humans to possess your ability were the demigod offspring of Tyche."

"Tyche?" William asked. "The goddess of fate?"

The medium nodded. "Yes. Only a handful of people across time, descended from her half-blood children, learned how to harness the gift of their Olympian ancestor. And it is reasonable to believe... you are one such descendant."

This completely changed the way William viewed his special ability. To think, it came from an Olympian goddess... and that means he’s directly related to her... this alone made him feel even more special than he did after Cocoon came into his life.

“And because Tyche is the daughter of Aphrodite...” the medium continued, “...this is the reason you feel great sorrow when deprived of true, genuine love you desire. And as of now... it seems you feel that desire may well be slaked soon, by the female shapeshifter you discovered, living in a parallel, artificial realm.”

“Yeah,” William said. “But the thing is... because I’ve had terrible luck with girls in the past... I’m scared that, if I confess what I’m feeling about her, I might lose her as well...”

The medium placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do not doubt yourself. As I can tell you are her first, and most compassionate, acquaintance she has had in a long while, she will know that you truly care about her... and that alone shall give her the emotional drive to return your affection.”

“You really think so?” William asked.

“It’s how the female mind works; being driven more by emotion than conscious thought,” the medium said. “Follow your heart, and do what you feel is right.”

William let his thought trail off for a moment. Given how much Cocoon had expressed in regard to their friendship... with hugging and heartfelt compliments being commonplace... he started to feel like maybe she did harbor some deep feelings for him as well.

“Of course,” William said. “I’ll do it! Thank you for taking the time to explain it all to me.”

The medium gave a short bow. “It is my pleasure. I only wish more were like you, accepting of the metaphysical, and not passing it off as folklore. You are a well-enlightened young man, with a pure, open soul.”

William started walking on his way again, looking back at the medium one last time. “I’ll follow through with your advice. I wish you well!”

“Good luck,” she said, before sitting back down on the bench.

With that, William felt significantly more confident that, so long as he was assertive and spoke his mind honestly with Cocoon, things would surely go his way. And with James giving nothing but his support, it would most definitely add to the effect. For once, things were finally falling into place for him, now that he had something explain it all to him after they realized what he was going through.

Surely, there was no downside to this... right?