Author's Note

My Tumblr for asks and questions!
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bioquill

Back to writing!

Chapter 35: Freedom

It's been so long I forgot what the full range of Assistant apps could do.

It's been so long, I forgot how the stars looked off that planet.

It's been so long…

Hero and Saw found a way off, and now, three months later…

I still can't really believe it.

Even more surprising that the woman banking so much of our ventures now, Katie Morgue, now also owns Dechamore.

The old house was still here…

Sitting outside it… it was a lifetime ago…

I… I started to cry again, feeling so many emotions even after we’ve been here for three months, experiencing so much, doing so much and… and we’re all… we’re all free…

… No… not all of us…

Tiara… did you know this was going to happen? Is that why you fought like hell to keep me still…

I collected myself, finally walking inside the old house. A healthy layer of dust coated the place. Items were still. Frozen on the day we left.

Gods… we willingly went to that place… how stupid were we?

I walked through the hall, finding my old room… I opened it. A healthy layer of dust, my old books and possessions all where I left them…

I walked to my desk, taking my a photo in the frame and blew off the dust. Tiara and I… back when we were leaving the Caretakers…

“Come on… I just got done crying…” I muttered, wiping away even more tears as just… so many things happened so long ago… “Damn it…”

Gently, I took the photo out and safely stored it into my Assistant. This is… my only photo of her…

“I’m sorry…” I sighed bitterly, knowing that this all was Tiara’s decision but… so much of her decisions feels like my fault…

I packed up my old room. Taking everything and anything of value to me. Dad was thinking about renting it out or maybe selling it.

When that was done, I left this old house…

I arrived back at the castle. The United Rebirth Empire… heh. Funny. Feels like things get bigger and bigger.

At least my work is much less now. Leaves me more time for family.

That's been nice.

I walked around the town I used to call home. The various buildings built into the tunnel down and bridges going across acting like both supports and a means of transportation up and down. It got deeper. This level onwards is new additions…

“Fifteen years…” I muttered.

As I walked I looked around the new shops and homes. People walking around, shopping, killing time.

I eventually came across one bridge that was built like a park, various bioluminescent plants here and there giving light to this deeper level where the sun hardly reached.

There was a small playground where kids were playing.

I took a seat on a nearby bench.

“Am I… really safe?” I muttered, cause everything feels safe, everything was real and I know it is… but… I shook my head with a sigh as I leaned back and looked into the sky, well, under parts of the various bridges above. “Crap…”

Relax… this isn't Armageddon…

This is what I wanted for so long…

But I'm missing someone important.

“Howdy stranger.” I looked back down, seeing a blue and white humanoid cat person taking a seat next to me on the bench. “You seem lost in thought.”

“Yeah… just thinking about how there’s… someone really important still stuck on Armageddon that… we couldn’t find…’

“Oh. You're one of the Escapes?” They asked as I looked at them. “Heh, that's what people have been referring to you guys as. Armageddon was basically a prison so I guess some people thought it fitting.”

Heh. I can see it. Accurate too.

“Accurate to say the least.” I chuckled. “Name’s Button, who are you?”

“Yon. Sorry to hear about your friend. Do you know if they're alright?”

“There’s only a select few in this Reality that could even come close to getting into an equal fight with her.” I answered. “But… she disappeared, she’s long gone and she is constantly on the run… practically never wanting to see me again even after everything we went through…”

“Any reason why?”

“She has stuff to do, some mystery ‘destiny’ that I don’t believe in, any number of reason’s she can magically come up with cause this Reality isn’t fair and run by clinically insane madmen that enjoy watching people suffer through the power of the people’s ‘Free Will’.” I growled.

“Well you… certainly have strong opinions on that.” Yon said with an awkward laugh.

I sighed. “I’m sorry, I have… a lot of anger issues, and it also doesn’t help that my Nokori fusion was with a Berserker Armor Symbiote.” I admitted.

“Oh. I wondered what kind of creature you were. Well, I can't imagine what you went through, but I guess Anger Issues are a reasonable thing to get out of living on that planet for so long.”

“Fifteen years, yeah.” I nodded sadly. “Just… a whole lotta crap to sort through… especially now that we’re all safe.”

“If you have a therapist I'm sure they have their work cut out for them. No offense.”

“Shift has been doing their best.” I admitted.

“Well, at least you are in therapy. So, what brings you by here?”

“Just… visited my old house and tried to collect my thoughts.” I admitted.

“Oh. Wait, is it the Ghost House?”

I actually laughed at that.

“The Ghost House?” I asked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, like you said, you've been gone for fifteen years. The Ghost House has been called that for like the last eleven. Mostly it's the kids. Making up scary stories to tell at school or around the playground. Some even swear they see someone looking out from the windows at night.” Yon chuckled. “Course, nobody could go in and check. Strong door and Assistant Registered Locks so.”

“Did they say what the person looked like?” I inquired.

“Just a silhouette in the windows. You know, normal kids seeing things in the dark after telling scary stories.” Yon shrugged.

“Understandable… though I'm surprised there wasn't some repossession because nobody was paying for it for fifteen years.”

“Well it was already fully paid off. Once someone buys a property it's theirs until sold or given away.”

Right. Not like Equestria then. Been so long I forgot that's not how the rules here work…

“Right, thanks I… kinda forgot…” I sighed, rubbing my eyes. “So much has changed…”

“Heh. Yeah. This town got bigger. Mine got deeper. Talks about expanding outwards into the tunnel walls to make the city less vertical has been going around. Say, you got anywhere you need to be?”

“Not really, it's my off day so I don't need to really do anything.”

“Well, want to hang out then? I can show you some of the cool new places around.”

“Sure, I'd love that.” I nodded.

“Cool. Well, come on then. If you're into video games there's this really good arcade that stocks all kinds of custom cabinets.”

“I haven’t been to an Arcade in forever.” I said, getting up and honestly eager to go to the Arcade.

I followed Yon around until we came into the Arcade. It smelled of soda, old sweets, a small musk of sweat and slightly hot air from all the cabinets running.

It almost felt like I was a foal again.

For the third time technically, given I've already been a foal twice quite literally.

“It’s… been forever.” I muttered with a warm smile.

We quickly exchanged Rem for Tokens and got to playing. Various cabinets, anything really that was open we played.

Yon is good. He's clearly been playing these for a long time.

For the first time in a long time I felt relaxed and at ease.

Eventually Yon and I parted ways for the time being but I did take his contact info. It felt nice to just spend the day doing nothing.

I walked back over to the house, giving it one last look.

“... There are… thankfully better days ahead…” I muttered.

I decided to peek at all the windows, just seeing curtains and the silhouettes of the street lights casting shadows.

Heh. Children's scary stories indeed. That probably would have been very creepy to me as a foal.

“As a foal…” I chuckled, shaking my head as so… so much time has passed since I was just a kid, running with my friends or whining to mom about a new game or wanting to go to the Arcade for the umpteenth time… “Simpler days…” I sighed, turning around and heading back to the Castle, my new home with my family…

I arrived back home, seeing the halls a bit empty this late in the night.

I walked until I came across an open door.

“-Shouldn't be possible.” A voice said. A woman's.

“That's what happened.” Another woman's voice, a fairly stern voice, said. “How it happened I don't know but he's here now and The Mother already authorized the Safety Net.”

“He's a child.”

“He's a Pure blood All Maker. Child or not. He's a risk.”

I snuck in to find out who in high holy hell was talking and who they were talking about cause I just got back and al-fucking-ready!?! “This better be fucking good…” I thought bitterly.

Before I could do much I was pinned. A one armed goat woman covered in bandages using her only arm to firmly keep me down. Next to her was a giant Den Mother Elder Dire Wolf with Gray and Blue fur.

“Easy Kin, that's Button.” The Den Mother said in worry.

“And he already heard too much.” She muttered lowly as I felt her force press into the back of my neck with enough force that the floor made breathing impossible.

… I just got fucking back! I grabbed her arm and tried to force it off of me as I had a good day! I had a fun day! AND NOW I’M GETTING ASSAULTED!? FUCK THIS PERSON IN PARTICULAR! “I had… a good day…” I growled as I pushed myself against her in a fit of rage.

She pressed harder. Almost no effort as I felt my neck popping-

“That's enough.” The room fell silent as in walked… Shopkeeper? “Wow you just get into all the trouble. Kin let the guy go.”

The goat girl growled, but let me go and I backed up, sitting upright against the nearest wall as I coughed and my regeneration struggled to fix her damage.

Fuck!

“Fuck… off…” I groaned in pain. “So… what the fuck is happening now?”

“Nothing that concerns you.” The goat girl, Kin, stated.

“Well… I mean… not wrong. Kin here is just… cautious.” The Den Mother said. She then waved her hand over me and I felt… so much better.

“I don’t believe you.” I said to both of them. “But thank you, that feels so much better.”

“It's something we expected could happen and apparently has. It's not a major issue however.” Shopkeeper said. “Ah yes, Button, this here is Kin, a daughter of The Family and to be wed to Ben Kingsblood. She just got back from her last mission. At least she only lost an arm.” He said, the goat in question rolling her eyes. “And this is All Maker King. She goes by Princess though.”

… All Maker King?!

“... Excuse you?” I asked weakly.

“Well, I work as one of Katie's Nannies.” King, er, Princess, said with a shrug. “And to repeat an earlier question, no autographs or sex.”

“Point is, you just heard part of something we wanted to keep secret.” Shopkeeper said.

“I wasn’t going to ask about autographs or sex and more… why are you here, but a natural born… All Maker? Don’t you already do that?” I asked, mostly towards King because… well the obvious.

“I want to be.” King shrugged.

“And that's not how that works. Being an All Maker can't be passed down. It's… something far more… unique to be a Pure Blood All Maker.” Shopkeeper stated.

“How more unique?” I questioned. “Cause I have zero context or knowledge on why this is supposed to be a secret…”

“The kind that made The Machine and started the War, Unique.” Kin said.

“Well, yes, but Niko is a child.” Shopkeeper said. “He's not like the ones we fought. He… shouldn't even be here, all things considered.”

“Niko? And if he’s just a child or just born then who cares? It’s not like the toddler’s going to break Reality or do what that All Maker War did right?”

“He can manipulate the very fabric of our reality with a thought.” Kin said. “No need to even use code, existence for him obeys his will and very thoughts and right now he is a scared child who has no idea what's happening. If that doesn't scream danger, then I'm amazed you survived Armageddon.”

“He does have terrible self preservation skills.” Shopkeeper hummed. “... Right now he's Asleep. All Maker Lord is gathering some items that were kept for this very reason. I… still don't know how he's here. I mean it's one thing to arrive the way Lord did but this…”

“Two things, one, where is this child if you are saying this poor kid is scared and sucks at self preservation, and two… how the hell did they get here?”

“I was referring to you.” Shopkeeper stated. “And he's asleep in… one of the only places at the moment that won't immediately twist and bend to his influence.”

“I guess we should tell you from the beginning.” King, er, Princess, said with a sigh.

“Go right ahead, I have a lot of time to hear the explanations.” I stated.

Princess took a seat on a nearby chair and seemed to think about how to start. “Firstly, you should know how the Machine came to be… tell me, what material do you think it's made from?”

“Well, it had to be made out of something that was strong enough before the Barrier showed up right?” I asked.

“Yes… and do you know what the only thing that can survive outside the barrier is?”

“Um…” I thought, using a lot of my Intellect skills and… “... I’d rather not answer that…”

“All Makers…” Kin said, leaning against the wall across from me. “You should see it. A real bloodbath of abominations and how cruel the All Makers were.”

“That's enough.” Shopkeeper said. “Point is… yes, The Machine is made from the remolded flesh and bones of… lesser, All Makers. There was clearly a War before… ours. Anyway, This leads into the other issue… the one that brought Niko here. There are other Machines. Prototypes. Some damaged. Some are barely able to work. Some that don't work at all. They're very simple, can't even hold a realm, maybe… a universe at most, a world at minimum…”

“But… a World is all you need.” I said. “Even if someone says it’s ‘Practically Impossible’... the statement always has the caveat that it’s removed almost completely…” I frowned. “How long ago?”

“That's not the Impossible part.” Shopkeeper sighed. “See, Kin found that the Machine that Niko was within was… unique. It was created to house and run a single world… but in order to function, or maybe in order to save itself, it pulled an All Maker from their Plain to ours… something that in the past has… never ended well.”

“Fucking… fantastic…” I sighed bitterly.

“Yet this one worked.” Princess added. “... Somehow.”

“And thus Niko is here. Unwilling, confused… and unable to return.” Kin said.

“Why can't they go back?” I inquired.

“An All Maker… a Pure Blood, exists in two places at once. Here, and… wherever they come from… long time ago, we referred to them as Dreamers, but… that connection can be cut in one of two ways. They die on this side, and can never return here, or they die over there, and are stuck here. In Niko’s case though… he was pulled here. No link, no two way connection. He was wherever he was before, and now, he's here.” Shopkeeper explained.

“Wasn't Soft Spot a Dreamer?” I brought up, having heard that term from the Ghoul Pony before.

“No. What happened with him was more or less a glitch due to his… rather special book and necromantic energy. I'm not gonna explain it all but it's similar in concept but very different in reality.”

“Right… So anyways, we have a child that shouldn’t exist here… and he is scared and confused…”

“What child wouldn't be in his position.” Princess sighed.

“Once Lord has secured the artifacts to him his powers will be dampened enough that he won't cause any catastrophes. This exact situation wasn't really planned for, but given the situation we're changing things up.” Shopkeeper stated.

“Alright… now does this affect any of us? Because for some reason I feel like you might go ‘hey Katie, babysit this child of unimaginable power’.”

“As funny as that would be, that's not the plan.” Princess said. “Heart and I will be looking over Niko as foster parents to the boy. And Shopkeeper will be checking in regularly. He does have some experience with All Makers that don't know the full extent of their powers and such.”

“That’s fair.” I nodded. “Well… hopefully shit doesn’t go sideways here…”

“Had you not eavesdropped you could have remained blissfully ignorant.” Kin said.

“Or it could have bitten me in the ass because ‘blissfully ignorant’ can, and has, been a terrible fucking thing.” I stated bluntly. “Or should I make mention as to why the Rebirth Kingdom even became a thing?”

“Like you can do anything.” She snarked. “Even crippled I nearly killed you, and even if something happened, you're no match for an All Maker. Especially not a pure blood.”

“That's enough, Kin. Go.” Shopkeeper said firmly.

Kin rolled her eyes, using her one arm and hand to flip me off before she left. The door slamming behind her as she did.

“I don’t care if she’s ‘cautious’, the fuck’s her problem?” I frowned.

“Retirement.” Princess huffed. “She dedicated her life to Barrier Security and, well, she's always been one to fight her problems into no longer being problems. This was her last mission and she came back even more injured than before.”

“At least she just lost the arm. Last time the Code Damage nearly killed her.” Shopkeeper said.

“Will she regrow the arm or is it permanently gone?” I inquired.

“Gone. She can probably get a special Prosthetic from Lord later like her other implants to replace the damaged code, but she's definitely not able to fight anymore. Her Code is being held together by a patch job of tape and staples basically.”

“Well that… really fucking sucks.” I said carefully.

“She's a fighter unable to fight anymore. That'd put any life long warrior in a foul mood.” Princess sighed. “We'd appreciate it if the details learned here were not told to anyone else. At least for now. Eventually we'll tell others about Niko and the outside Barrier issues, but for now, please keep it close to the chest “

I sighed. “Alright… I’ll keep it a secret.”

“Thank you. You should head back to your family now. It's pretty late and I imagine this… exchange has left you quite exhausted.”

“I just had a good day… and all of this is happening…” I sighed.

“Could be worse. She could have killed you.” Shopkeeper said.

“I’m Immortal so no.” I pointed out.

“She's killed Immortals so… yes actually…” Princess winced.

“That goes against the Rules of your Reality, so what the fuck?” I frowned.

“She's an Ascended All Maker so… she can bypass that rule if she wished to. Granted she'd probably die doing so herself given her own Code Damage…”

“Fun…” I groaned. “And if she can do that, god only knows what Alex is gonna do when he becomes one cause I’m sure as hell either Tiara or someone else will tell him how…”

“None of that. Go to your family, young one. Don't make me parent you.” Princess spoke up.

“Or worse. She gets her mother to do it. God Den would not let you go if she did…” Shopkeeper said, shaking his head.

“I’m concerned…” I said carefully.

“Should be, she tried to argue that her breast milk can make a Nokori grow bigger when that’s impossible.” Shopkeep said.

“... Should I even ask?”

“She's just very baby hungry.” He sighed. “So off before you're reverted to a baby again.”

“I’d rather not, been put like that twice and I could barely stand it.” I groaned as I headed off to find everyone.

I walked myself back to the room with all my houses with all my kids and partners. Drat. No lights are on.

Wait, that one is… damn. It's Mom, Dad, Pro Go and Tina's place.

Still can't believe she became an Acolyte of Katie's…

Also can't believe she's still working as my maid.

Well, it's someone I guess.

I headed off to my parents place and knocked on the door. “Anyone still up?”

I waited a bit until Tina opened the door. “Hey Button. What brings you by so late?”

“Just wanted to be with my family.” I said. “And you were the only one’s still awake.”

“Just me. Apparently Acolyte stuff comes with some other divine stuff aside from the eternal bump.” She chuckled, patting said bump. “Come on in.” She said, stepping back to let me in.

I walked in, smelling cooked meats and coal burning.

“Cooking something?” I inquired. “And how many have you… ‘been with’ so far?”

“Let's see… Pro Go, your mom, dad, Alchem, Heather and Casey, both before and after the fusion, everyone who was able to in the Den, Vais, Cheat, and I really wanna get with the trash panda Thomas but he's not interested it seems and the fluffy bunny Zeke is not up for it either. I will seek Eclipse, Luna, Ben's Luna, and Ben himself tomorrow.”

… Holy fuck…

“Good lord are you horny.” I said in surprise. “And yeah, from what I learned, Zeke and Thomas are strictly ‘these are mine’ kinda guys.”

“Yeah, it seems so. Shame. They're both cute, hot and super floofy.” She chuckled. “And yes, the perks to this eternal bump is that while I don't need to eat I can still eat as much as I want and not feel stuffed but enjoy all the flavors. So with less to no need for sleep I'm working on my grilling skills.” Tina said. “You're more than welcome to have some.” She added as she walked into the living room, which had a whole modern grill set up in here, coals burning under the metal and a chimney above taking in all the extra smoke.

“Thank’s Tina, and I didn’t know Acolytes got all those neat bonuses.” I hummed. “Thought it was just the Gods.”

“Yeah it takes a bit longer to kick in normally but given I'm a Den Mother I was almost at that point anyway.” She smirked as we both sat down at the grill. She used a long set of tongs to pick one off and put it on a plate for me before serving herself some. “So, plan on spending the night?”

“Yeah, I want to end the night good.”

“Well nothing better than good food and good company. Well, I can think of one better way to end a night but that's how I'll be starting my mornings.” Tina chuckled as she started to eat.

I took a bite of mine. It was good. Lemon pepper seasoned with… I believe this is Bison meat.

“This is really good.” I admitted.

“Glad you like it. Cooking was always more Tony’s thing but now that I finally have the time I'm planning on catching up. Doubt I'll ever be as good as Bigs' or that Hecket and Maw… sweet gods have you seen Maw? The cat has abs that cheese can be grated on! I wanted to try him but sadly he's ace… though Hecket and Kallamar are also options I'm considering…” Tina hummed in thought.

“Yes, Maw is buff as hell for being a former God of Gluttony.” I admitted. “Also don’t let Ben hear that, he loves his kids and might be as grouchy as Apollo or Alchem about it.”

“I'm aware… besides I already offered but she's happy with her husband anyway.”

Tina and I ate until I couldn't eat anymore, and once I was full I found myself to the guest bedroom and went to sleep.

Today was… alright. Save that… incident with Kin, not bad.

Ohhhh Fuuuuck~ Why didn't I try hot tubs sooner~

“I think he's melting.” I heard Katie chuckle.

“Impressive given they're a Volcano Phoenix.” Ben added with their own chuckle.

It was just the three of us in this hot tub, and I can totally see why this is a regular for so many now. This is like experiencing a soft full body hug, massage and hot bath packed with fancy stuff to aid relaxing all in one…

I think it is…

“This… is the life…” I sighed in bliss.

“And thus, The Hot Tub room gains another regular.” Katie chuckled. “How come the boys don't join us?”

“Oh Eclipse would love to join in on this, and I can probably convince Zeke to.” Ben said.

“Then I'll grab Thomas, Chase and the rest.” Katie nodded. “Still have our regular MILF club meetings separate though.”

“Of course.” Ben nodded.

I chuckled.

“Thank you for making me see the wonders of Hot Tubs.” I managed. “But also I think the men are smart enough to realize Hot Tubs wouldn’t be the only things making steam.”

“Maybe but hey, it wouldn't be terrible~” Katie chuckled.

“So, this is actually our first real one on one time with you Button. How've you been?” Ben asked.

“Just… trying to come to terms that we’re finally safe.” I admitted. “And moving out of my old home was… rough for a bit.”

“Oof. I take it a lot of emotions there. Katie asked.

“Yeah… a lot of emotions… especially when… we’re still missing one…” I sighed bitterly.

“You mean that Tiara Rogue Time Walker?” Ben asked. I nodded. “I… heard some of what she uh… did…”

“Same…” Katie added sadly.

“All for me… all because she loves me…” I said sadly. “And now she’s gone off and is the most wanted person in this Reality because she’s tired of so much and… didn’t want to lose me…”

“That's… I'm sorry but that's very romantic in the most tragic way imaginable…” Katie said.

“Some would say that…” I sighed bitterly. “I say… she’s been mildly overactive… especially when she just actively forces me to play by her rules, explains nothing, and then gets pissy when I go back to doing whatever the hell I was doing before because it went against the rules she never fucking stated.” I groaned.

“That sounds annoyingly infuriating.” Ben stated.

“It’s how I turned into a toddler and gained a bullshit ‘Revive Penalty’.” I rolled my eyes. “Even as she was breaking the area around us, as I was literally shouting ‘Explain’, she just got more mad until I finally talked to Shopkeep about it.”

“Did that help?” Katie asked.

“Well, Shopkeep told me that I was possibly on my way to becoming the Second Mother, but I still call bullshit cause unless Free Will is actually a massive load of bollocks and someone is directing me in that specific direction, I don’t believe that ‘Fate’ is already predetermined.” I stated.

“But her whole reasoning for keeping you from doing anything while on Armageddon was because of that reason, right?” Ben asked.

“Yes, but again she, and Shopkeep, basically told me that it was damn near a guarantee that I would have, Shopkeep using a ‘Marbles’ example for it all.” I admitted. “Sure, Tiara stopped me from going further but… I still have no idea how or why I would become the Second Mother instead of someone else.”

“I… don't know either but, I do have a question.” Katie said. “If all that was to prevent you from becoming the Second Mother cause that's apparently part of the End Goal for Armageddon… what about stuff not relating to Armageddon?” She asked, making me blink. “Like, would you be able to help Ben and I with the Pantheon of Kings? Would that be alright in this whole situation you're in?”

… I… actually… would it?

“Like I said, I have to play by rules that I was never told or explained.” I said, as that was my only defense to this mighty question because fuck if I know. “I have no idea, I didn’t even think we’d ever get off of Armageddon to begin with.”

“Well, it sounds like Shopkeeper knows something so maybe he can tell you if that's alright or not?” Ben offered.

“I don’t like bugging him cause it feels like he hates everyone that isn’t the kid’s he has to look after.” I admitted nervously.

“I mean… considering who he is… well he’s on the same level of depression as Princess but doesn’t want to do a damn thing about it.” Ben admitted.

“I mean, yeah I kinda gathered that.” I admitted.

I enjoyed the soak for as long as I was able to milk it before finally getting out, drying off using my own Heat Powers since that was way faster and more efficient before finding Armageddon the foal and asking for a doorway to Shopkeeper's.

I walked into the mini mart looking store and spotted him eating from a bento box.

“Sup?” He asked.

“One, surprised to see you eating from a bento box, and two I… need some advice on a thing.”

“Shoot.”

“So, is it mystically alright if I help Ben and company deal with the Pantheon of Kings? Or is that also a part of the ‘secret no no list’ Tiara put me under?”

“So long as it's got nothing to do with any Armageddon quests, you're golden.”

I sighed. “Of course…” I shook my head. “Thank you… just annoying I guess…”

“So, what are you gonna do?”

“Gonna do something I guess.” I shrugged. “Might as well help Ben deal with his problems because apparently anything I do on Armageddon is bad.” I sighed.

“Sounds about right. Guess you'll need this.” He said, handing me… a coin?

I took it, looking it over. 5M was stamped into it.

The coin suddenly broke in a small blur of gold orbs.

[Notice!

+5,000,000 added to each stat!]

“... Okay that is… awesome.” I said in surprise.

“Consider it a gift. You're still pretty behind compared to the others stats wise but this will help give you a much needed jump back on track.”

“Not due to a lack of trying…” I grumbled.

“Now if you don't mind I have a bento box to eat and you have some new targets to look into.”

“Must be some pretty good bento.” I admitted. “But thanks Shopkeep.”

With that, I left. Both annoyed… and a little better. So I can help and do stuff, just not relating to Armageddon. Got it.

First things first, I need to learn about this Pantheon of Kings. Off to the Anuket Twins and or Holy…

Still can't believe there's two of her now.

“Right… so whoever I meet first…” I sighed as I headed off to find the people who know better.

I ended up by Holy’s office, finding the moth looking through papers. “Hm? Ah, Button. I was actually gonna look for you in a bit but it looks like you found me.”

“So good news, anything off Armageddon is free reign because of reasons.” I said readily. “But what do you need?”

“I was hoping to discuss your Legion.”

My what?

“Uh… my what?” I asked.

“Legion? Army of super soldiers like Apollo that will serve under you? I've been building them for everyone. Figured it would help to have our own personal armies with us.”

“... Why am I getting a personal army all of a sudden?” I asked nervously.

“I'm building them for everyone. With Katie giving me a blank check budget you can bet your feathers I'm putting it to use in every way possible. Yours I'm trying for something a bit more unique so it's unfortunately taking longer.”

“What do you have in mind?” I inquired. “Maybe I can help out with it?”

“Given your Legendary Ability, Loop, I'm trying to pull together people and beings with similar Energy Build Up Powers. The idea is that with your Loop Ability running, and the right supporting Abilities and gear, you can have an army that's constantly passively getting stronger from your Ability, and therefore you as well while it's active.”

“Well that sounds busted as sin.” I said honestly. “What have you gotten so far?”

“So far, two hundred people for placement and thankfully one candidate for your Legion Primarch.”

“Primarch? Like that one guy that looks weirdly like Bigs?” I inquired, cause I remember seeing Vulkan introduce himself to our Nokori Group and… well they all didn’t really take that well even with the jolly green giants bright smile and friendly attitude.

“Yeah. They're basically demi-gods.” Holy nodded. “I was also debating on adding Micheal and Gallon to the squad.”

“Really now?” I inquired. “I know we three work well together and Gallon’s ability does fit… hmm…”

“Yup. Plus I just know Gallon would love the idea. Now, your Primarch Candidate is really eager for it.”

“Really? Who’s my Primarch?”

“Tony.”

I blinked. “Why the hell is Tony my Primarch?” I asked, more shocked that he chose both to become a Primarch and to choose me of all people.

“His abilities both as a Zingore and a Nokori let him build up both ice and lightning energies and he is admittedly the best combatant amongst the current selection. I'm naming your Legion, Building Rage.”

“Well, I suppose that’s fair, and on the nose for me.” I chuckled.

“Eh. It fits and that's all that matters.” Holy shrugged. “So, what did you come here for again?”

“I have come to inform you that I am capable of fighting the Pantheon of Kings without any repercussions from Tiara’s ‘Super Secret No No list’.” I said, 'cause even though I still love her dearly I am going to be petty and give a childish name to her nonsense. “It’s only Armageddon that Tiara has a problem with.”

“Ah. Well in that case.” Holy quickly pulled out multiple folders, placing them before me. “This is all the data I've been able to collect on the Pantheon and their individual members. Our primary target is the God of Knowledge, Brinia.”

“Aren’t they the ones that Micheal and Gallon had to deal with?” I asked, having been in New Leto so much I did manage to pick up on that name.

“Yes, and it seems Ben was able to use some Past Protectors magic to help them regain their few missing hours before they woke up as from being statues in the New Foundation with you.”

“Oh really? What did they forget?” I inquired.

“A lot. Apparently, Brinia is the one who petrified them.”

“Dick.” I said. “But why did he do that though?”

“Micheal for trespassing, Gallon because he managed to cut a deal.”

“Well, that’s… a thing.” I said carefully, gently picking up the file on Brinia specifically. “So, what’s the plan for dealing with Brinia? Cause I’ve heard Ben has a… interesting take on how to beat him?”

“Believe it or not Red came up with a pretty interesting one to get the bastard out of hiding but we need to get all these Legions ready before we can act on It.”

“Oh really? What did he have in mind?” I inquired.

“In short, we're taking a page from the Chaos Guilds. Brinia likely has security to keep his cities and such from being teleported, so, we're gonna teleport his whole planet.”

“Teleporting a whole planet…” I blinked. “That’s… that’s definitely a thing…”

“Yup, but it's possible. Now that we know where Brinia's people and planet are, some of the ships stationed to observe are mapping the planet so we know where the major settlements are and can station ships over and near the area once the planet is moved.”

“And we’re sure this isn’t illegal?” I asked, because there’s actually ruling bodies and law’s that people have to follow out here.

“We are legally at war with Brinia and his people. If he can unleash a bio attack here we can teleport his planet, people and all to our territory.”

“Alright.” I nodded. “Just… need to get reacquainted to the rules and laws of the Outside.”

“Anything else you want to know?”

“When does all the fighting start? I think I heard that actual battles aren’t allowed until a certain point?”

“A century typically with small attacks allowed here and there, but the goal of this is to end it before we even need to start a battlefield and lure Brinia himself out.”

“Fair.” I nodded. “Better to end it before it becomes an absolute bloodbath…”

“That's the goal.” She nodded.

“Alright, well with that I should get to studying… ick…” I muttered, collecting all the files.

“Should do what Ben did and get all these Multi Brain abilities. He and Katie have been learning and doing all sorts of other things completely passively.”

True, I did only get about one or two…

“Well, I do have the skill points for it…” I muttered as I pulled up my Skill Tree and started to dump skill points into it.

“Other than that, right now there's not much to do aside from the usual work and… oh yeah, you're a God too right?”

“Yes I am, Volcano’s, Dragons and Rage.”

“Alright then we'll need to get you registered with the Pantheon here and set all that stuff with the church up. Talk to the Anuket Twins for more details.”

“Alright Mrs. Quest Giver.” I said with a playful salute, putting away the files in my Assistant. “And the Twins would be in the church or are they somewhere else at the moment?”

“They're stationed in the Church, yeah. Can't miss it. Both Gothic looking thing near the castle entrance at ground level.”

“Thank you.” I nodded, before turning and heading off to find the Anuket Twins.

I left Holy’s office and made my way down and out to the Church. It was very much a Gothic looking structure. Inside though was very different, but pretty all the same.

“Why is it always Gothic though?” I muttered, wondering why so many churches always had the Gothic vibe as I walked around the building to find the Anuket Twins.

Okay so where would they be… must be in a private room somewhere…

“Maybe I should ask around… cause I have no idea where they would be…” I thought. “Excuse me,” I said to a passing priest. “Do you know where Anuket is?”

“Which? High Priestess Anuket or Sister Anuket?” They asked me.

“High Priestess I guess.” I said.

“She is in her office around the back.”

I nodded, finding the way around the back and through to the back area. The Anuket here, despite looking identical to the one we came with, wore her age as clearly as the cloak on her person.

“Button Mash.” She greeted me, looking some papers over. “God of Volcanoes, Dragons and Rage. Quite the combo.”

“Yeah, definitely a combo.” I said sheepishly. “So, I’d like to join the Pantheon cause I can actually do things here.”

“Excellent.” She nodded. “All are welcome. Now, do you have experience in being worshiped as a God?”

“Nope, never had to be worshiped and I’m not sure if I’ll feel comfortable with it considering part of my Divinity is literally Rage.”

“Rage can, like all things, be useful but also dangerous is misused. Volcanoes and Dragons however are two things I think most will focus on more.”

“Yes, people will think of Destruction and Rebirth, of the might of the earth… and then Dragons.” I chuckled, thinking that people would get so turbo in depth about Volcanoes and then just go ‘Holy shit, cool dragons!’.

“You will be required to at least perform one monthly sermon in person. Will that be alright?”

“I’ll try my best.” I admitted.

“Good. Now lastly you'll need to make a small doctrine to start. Basically a list of rules and or values you specifically stand for so potential worshipers know a little more about you.”

“Oh dear… that’s gonna be a thing to think about…” I sighed.

“Here's your special in parchment and a pen.” She said, handing me some very fancy paper and pen.

Okay… what can I write… what can I put that describes me and what I stand for…

… What do I stand for?

“Fuck… what do I stand for?” I thought bitterly, trying to think of what the hell would I even stand for? What would I do as a Divine?

…

What would I do? I felt my shoulders sag as I wasn’t sure what I even do…

Hmm…

I began to write.

‘No sin is unforgivable so long as the sinner regrets their actions. Forgiveness may not come easy, or at all, but one can learn to forgive themselves in time.’

‘An apology decades late is better than one never given. So long as you can give it.’

‘Self Sacrifice is not a virtue, but a burden. One not meant to be carried alone, so if you can share it, do not be afraid to.’

‘Rage is a tool. One that can build or destroy on a whim. One must use it less the tool use you.’

“I think… I got it.” I said carefully. “What do you think?”

Anuket took the papers, looking them over. “This works. So, with that I'll schedule you for a sermon in… four days.”

“Well, that... should be enough time to write out a speech.” I said carefully, as this would be my first ever sermon.

My first sermon went pretty great all things considered. Still, I was oddly feeling a little homesick, so I decided to take a quick trip to this one place called Provence Equestria. It's a massive empire on Homeworld with the largest population of ponies. Humanoid, human variants, or feral types on the planet.

I decided to tour this place with Eclipse, who was a fellow feral Equestrian.

Plus he's really cute…

“There certainly is a lot to see here.” Eclipse hummed as he looked around as we got off the transport ship.

“Yeah, been forever since… I've seen even a little bit of home…” I sighed. “Where do you want to start?”

“This area looks a bit like Canterlot. Since I'm from the city, wanna check out the clubs and bars?”

“Sure, I've honestly never been to Canterlot before.” I admitted. “Lead the way.”

“Alright then country farm colt, let this city stallion show you how we party.”

I couldn't help but laugh. Hearing pony terms after so long was… nice.

“Pony terms… sweet Celestia I thought I'd never hear them again.” I laughed happily.

“Heh, well expect to hear them a lot while we're here. Man it feels weird seeing so much… well, pony stuff after years living amongst humans and Beastials.” Eclipse said as we walked out of the transport and onto the main walkway. “So what was your Equestria like anyway?”

“Eh, I’d say a more ‘normal’ Equestria, like the Show version.” I admitted. “What was yours like?”

“Same I guess, save, well, Twilight was my twin. Fraternal… used to be close when we were little but, well, that changed when she got the Celestia’s School treatment. Big bro went off to the guard academy and I just went through the motions.”

“There's nothing wrong with that though.” I admitted. “Just because others are accomplished doesn't mean you have to be.”

“I know. Natt helped me move on from the… hurt, and insults but still, we just drifted apart. One thing I learned is that a relationship can only be revived if all parties want to revive it. I don't know if Shining or Twily want to, maybe one day I'll see them here or something?”

“Probably, I met Dad and remet Mom so it is possible.”

“Maybe. Well, come on, this layout is kind of like the Canterlot I know so maybe we'll find some great clubs and bars.”

“I'll try to be the sober person between us.” I chuckled.

“Jokes on you, when I bar hop with someone we don't stop til everyone is wasted!” Eclipse chuckled back.

“Oh really now?” I inquired.

“I will try.” He smirked. “Come on, let's get wasted.”

The next seven hours consisted of hoping from bar to bar, getting more and more drunk with each new bar visited.

At the end Eclipse was so wasted he passed out right in the street.

I, very drunkenly, managed to get us to a hotel where thanks to my stats, some abilities I got, and my regeneration, made it less hard on me but things were still very dizzy and very funky.

I tossed Eclipse onto the bed, laying down next to him and Instinctively cuddled the passed out pony who absolutely reeked of booze, but so did I and the alcohol made my nose blind to about 70% of the scent.

“Right… just… just make sure to… stay safe. Don’t do anything weird…” I managed to think up.

…

…

…

Hmm… I managed to blink my eyes open, finding my arms wrapped around the grey body of Eclipse, who was still out cold but now faced towards me, muzzle deep into my chest floof and I felt his hooves wrapped around me too.

Well… I've woken up to worse. This is kind of nice actually. Plus I think Tina already got to them…

“This is nice.” I thought warmly as I just enjoyed the cuddles with Eclipse.

I ended up holding onto Eclipse like this, finally hearing him stir until he opened his eyes and looked up at me. “Hey~” He said sleepily.

“Morning.” I smiled. “Sleep well?”

“Nice and toasty.” He said, moving so now his muzzle was just under my neck. “Morning already?”

“Yeah, it’s morning.” I admitted. “And glad you enjoy my own feathery floof.”

“I can feel something else I wouldn't mind enjoying first thing in the morning~”

I blushed a bit.

Heh… I didn't realize we uh… were that close together down there.

“S-sorry Eclipse.” I said sheepishly.

“I don't mind. Do you?”

“I don’t mind, just uh… not sure about how Ben or your other spouses would react to this.” I admitted carefully.

“I have a pretty open relationship with Ben. Besides, I'm sure you'll end up with Ben and Katie at some point too. I know Tina already gave me an epic greeting.”

“Yes… Tina and Tony are our resident Dynamic Whores.” I said sheepishly.

“So… care to get intimate? More so than we kind of are now?”

“Sure, we can get intimate.” I said honestly.

The next uh, set amount of time, Eclipse and I got very familiar with one another. After that was finally done we both showered then went to a nearby restaurant for breakfast. “Heh, so, have you ever done it in a hotel room before?”

“I have done it many times in a hotel room with a wonderful Nokori named Ginger.” I said readily.

“Oh really? Do tell, he sounds like a charmer.”

As Eclipse and I ordered and talked, I felt… a sense of peace hit me. One I haven't felt in a long time…

Normal mundane morning talks about whatever, eating good food. I tried this back in the Infection Zone with Tina, Micheal and Gallon and… never really enjoyed it like this…

I was too worried to…

Too stressed to…

… Too scared to…

“You good?” Eclipse asked, snapping me back to the conversation. “You started looking a bit reflective there.”

“S-sorry.” I shook my head. “Just… tried to do this so many times back on Armageddon but… I never felt like this…”

“You feel at ease here, right? Something you didn't back there?” He asked as I looked at him. “I can see it on all your faces. Tina. Tony. Alchem. You all just have this air of ‘ease’ about you that you're clearly not used to. Ben was the same way for a long time, especially when this Pantheon of Kings stuff started, but he finally got better at managing it. He still worries, but he doesn't let it consume him anymore. If anything I think all your arrivals put him more at ease with War Captain Holy building the armies.” He chuckled.

“That’s true, at least it lets Ben do a lot of fancy things along with all those Warhammer Legions.” I admitted.

“Oh yeah he is losing his mind at having his own Legion and all that.” Eclipse chuckled. “He's so adorable when he's nerding out.”

“Feels like a trend going on around here.” I chuckled.

“Guess so. I heard you'll be helping us with the Kings. Did you know one is Nightmare Moon? Only somehow darker?”

“Really? Nightmare Moon is the bad guy? Also how is she ‘darker’?”

“Not too sure myself but I hear she goes by Nightmare, and is the Goddess of Nightmares, the Night and the Moon. Ben and Katie know more. Anuket took. I just overheard part of what they said a while ago and thought it was funny.”

“It is a bit funny to be honest.” I chuckled. “Still have to go through all the files on the King’s so I have a better understanding of how to beat them.”

“Yeah, just gotta do it following the Divine Rules of War.”

“And I’m going to need to read up on those as well…” I sighed. “Cause all I know is that we do the Full Battles every hundred years, don’t attack any Gods of Life or whatever fall’s under that umbrella, and you can basically challenge whatever Divine you want and if you win you get all their shit.”

“Basically. The main threats are Alex, Abraham, Core and some others. Like I said, the others know more. I usually just stay out of that stuff.”

“That’s fair.” I nodded. “It’s best to stay out of violence if you can…”

“I got my potions and alchemy and garden and a lot of good people around me, with love and benefits and all the good stuff. Don't really want to or need to ask for more. Besides, I'm more of a gatherer/scavenger when I do go into hazard zones and such.”

“That’s fair.” I nodded. “Just do what you enjoy and don’t let others force you to do what you don’t like.”

“Pretty much.” Eclipse nodded. “So, any other sights you wanna see around here? I heard from one of the bars last night that the Royal Castle has a whole museum full of Equestrian Histories across reflections.”

“Let’s go to the Museum.” I admitted. “And the Royal Castle just lets people in? Neat.”

“Well it's not like there's a ruling Celestia and or Luna or any of that here. It's more for tours and to show how most of those Castles would have looked.”

“Cool.” I nodded. “Then let’s go see some history.”

After our meal we joined a group touring the castle. There was a lot to see, plenty to buy in the gift shop, and the museum was set up based on various situations.

It was late when Eclipse and I left that place. Heh. Feels like the time is flying now.

“Okay, not to complain but did you really buy out that whole Power Ponies Princesses Cosplay Figurine sets?” Eclipse asked as we were walking back to the hotel.

“Yes, yes I did.” I said readily. “The Power Ponies are awesome.”

“And figurines of the Princesses cosplaying them is just extra right?” He asked with a smirk.

“Listen, this is for very important purposes.” I started vaguely with a blush.

“Not judging… FYI… Ben's Omnitrix has a Celestia form~”

I nearly tripped over myself.

“When, how, and uh…” I trailed off as I’m not sure if I should ask the third part.

“Digital Realm. Counted as an avatar but outside it's a form… and yes, it feels what everyone always imagined in their horny teen years.” Eclipse chuckled.

H-o-ho~ Damn. Eclipse might nearly rival Tina and Tony…

“You are getting real close to rivaling the Dynamic Whores.” I admitted.

“I'll take that as a compliment.” Eclipse chuckled. “So, how about tomorrow we go on a big shopping spree before heading back? Bring as much of what feels like home back with us and share the goods. I've been dying to get Ben into some Equestrian media.”

“And I really want to show my family all this stuff.” I said readily. “Learn their heritage and all and just have fun.”

“Sounds like a plan then.” Eclipse nodded.

With that, we went back to the hotel. I decided to grab us something to eat and found a Hay Burgers. Heh. I haven't had one of these in over fifteen years! Gonna have to ask that Thomas guy if he can have one put inside the castle…

“Sweet sweet Hay Burgers.” I smiled at having this delicious fast food I haven’t had in a fuck long while.

I entered the store, the greasy smell hitting and just reminded me of simple days.

I walked up to the counter. “Hello, Welcome to Hay Burger, what can I get for you?”

I looked at the cashier. She was an all white furred unicorn mare with a two tone purple mane. A bit… overweight, and hair in a bun held by a hair net.

She…

“... Sweetie Belle?”

“Hm? Oh, I guess some ponies do call me that. I actually changed it when I got here. I go by Fry Belle now. So, what order do you want?” She asked.

I used scan, blinking as the Assistant Origin IDs matched.

She's… my Sweetie Belle…

“... The fuck happened to you Jingle Belle?” I asked weakly, using an old pet name because one time Rarity made her a really great dress that… just had all bell’s on it and it… it was hilarious and I kept calling her that while we were friends.

“I- wait what? Who are you? A very small number of ponies knew that nickname.”

“I… It’s me… Button Mash.” I said carefully.

She paused, looking at me with a raised brow as her eyes looked me up and down. “... Need more proof cause uh… you don't look like Button Mash.”

I sighed. “Yes, I did get a whole Nokori fusion against my will…” I said, thinking back to our world and trying to think of a thing. “Remember the time when Scoot’s said she invented a new scooter trick, and accidentally tripped and sent it flying into Cranky’s window?”

“That happened multiple times. More specific.”

Alright… uh… ah! Her hoof!

“You have a small crack along your back left hoof shaped almost like a gemstone cause you fell down the stairs and landed on it while at Rarity’s one summer!” I recalled. “You were in a cast for months and that's when you first got into games and how we met.”

Her eyes went wide as she looked at me. “... Button?! The fuck happened to you?!”

“Better question is, the fuck happened to you?” I said. “Cause… well…” I motioned to all of her.

“I gained weight now the hell happened to you with all… that!” She motioned to all of me.

“Fry Belle! Language!” A mare called out from the back.

“Sorry boss! Uh, an old friend just showed up.” She called back. “Okay how the hell long have you been here?” She asked in a quieter tone.

“I’ve been here for… almost twenty years now, been stuck on Armageddon for fifteen years, how long have you been here, and also why in the world are you a fry cook?”

“It's my job, and I also work the grill, register, whatever really.” She shrugged. “And going on seven years now… shit everyone back home thinks you died. Hell, I'd visit your grave before.”

“Yes, I know, Mom told me all about it…” I sighed.

“Your Mother's here? Oh thank Celestia. Everyone thought she lost it and ran into the Everfree in a grief driven suicide.”

“I… can see why…” I sighed bitterly. “Jeez… I never thought I’d see you again.”

“Same. I mean, I've seen versions of you but… seeing you… wow. And all feathery and… bird-like.” She added, giving my talons a look from over the counter.

“Yeah, I’m now a Volcano Phoenix Nokori.” I admitted. “But when are you on break or off work? We should catch up cause… we have a lot to talk about.”

“In about thirty minutes actually… do uh, do you still have an order or…?”

“Oh, sorry, can I get two large Hay Burger meals please?” I asked politely.

“On it.” She said.

After I paid, she made and gave me the meals, I waited the remaining time before she got off.

Once she was out we walked down the roads. “So, almost twenty years here then? Heh. Guess a lot's happened for you.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” I chuckled. “So… where do you want me to start?”

“Well, from the beginning I guess?” She offered.

Nodding, I found a nearby park bench and we sat down and I began recalling my whole story. From my arrival, to heading to Armageddon, finding dad, the Infection Zone. Lust Alchem, the breeders, the raids, Tiara…

“... Well, you got me beat in terms of stuff done since arriving…” She said, looking at me wide eyed.

“And I’ve only had three mental breakdowns through all of that.” I joked. “So, besides me kinda ranting about my life, what about yours? What have you been doing these seven years?”

“Uh, Working at Hayburger. Same as back home.”

“Really? Never thought about doing more with your life? Even if you don’t want to do dungeons or travel, you can do a lot of different things.”

“I know… but, I guess I just never really felt like… I deserved to.” She said, looking down. “After you… vanished, after the funeral… I'd get nightmares about you. Seeing you ripped apart by timber wolves or Manticores or something… screaming my name… Spike and I broke up a little after the funeral. He felt guilty. He was your friend, he knew you liked me but I liked him and… he went traveling. Before I wound up here I heard he was traveling the Zebra Lands. I'd get a postcard every so often. Fell into a depression which is where the… extra weight came from.” Sweetie said a bit ruefully.

“Rarity tried to help, but she was busy. Apple Bloom moved to Starlight's Old village to help set up an orchard out there. Especially after Granny Smith passed. And Scootaloo traded her scooter for a special motor engine that made her stunts just that much more dangerous but extreme stunts, win or fail, sell tickets. Goes by Whiplash when performing.”

“That sounds good, everyone managing to have a decent life…” I admitted, but… just sighed. “I’m sorry my supposed death… hurt you to such an extent…” I said sadly, even though she crushed my heart so long ago… seeing her like this is… it’s just depressing and I wasn’t sure if I should offer a helping hand…

“So, you just got off that death world a few months ago?”

“Yeah, I just got off the death world a few months ago, trying to… relearn how to enjoy life without some looming threat hovering over me.” I admitted.

“And what was that part about Sweetie Bot?” She asked, her expression stern but her tone teasing.

“L-listen, it was a whole thing, I still… it was a whole thing okay?” I said sheepishly. “I still loved you and… well… things happened and…”

“Twenty years and you still have a crush on me?” She asked, chuckling at my fumbling. “What about me made you hold onto those feelings for so long?”

“Well, it would be easier for me to say what’s not to love about you.” I admitted. “Cause… there’s just so much about you that is just amazing and… my Heart could never stop loving you.”

“Heh. That's sweet, Button.”

“Thanks Belle…” I said. “It… even if it did hurt… I could never stop loving you, cause you’re just… always so amazing.”

“... You know, if you want to hang out, I have three days off a week. Ya know, when you aren't buried in giant woman and the few men you seem to also be with.” She chuckled.

I blushed, but nodded.

“Hanging out would be… absolutely amazing Belle.” I said with a warm smile.

“Cool.” She said, gently tapping her Assistant to mine.

[Fry Belle Contact Info Added!]

“Still can’t believe you’ve both changed your name to Fry Belle, and also you are stuck as a fry cook.” I admitted.

“It's just a routine. It helped me keep it together when I first got here. Helped things feel normal.”

“Yeah… you have absolutely no idea how good it feels to genuinely do something normal again.”