Worlds Apart: The Chosen of the Prognosticus

by GMSeskii

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Other, Drama, Science Fiction, Rarity, Adventure, Violence, Crossover, Mario, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 263096

A Void appears, threatening to destroy all worlds. Twilight is chosen to travel the multiverse and save it from an untimely demise. A reimagining of Super Paper Mario with ponies and a few twists. Each world is a different crossover. Complete!

Today, I will tell you the story of the lost book of prophecies...

Overnight, the Void awoke, threatening to destroy all worlds. Once again, Twilight was chosen to be the savior, this time by traveling the multiverse to rescue it from an untimely demise. The journey will be long, come with many friends, several enemies, and test her like nothing else ever has. Each world has its own rules, its own ways—but all are in danger from the nihilistic desire of a cackling Count.

A reimagining of Super Paper Mario with ponies and a few twists. Every world Twilight visits will be a new crossover, and part of the way this story is structured is to encourage readers to guess what worlds are going to appear. No familiarity with any franchise is required to read the story, as is tradition with my crossovers.

Read this spoiler only if you want to know the surprise crossovers ahead of time. Updates whenever a new franchise is revealed:
Contains MLP, Super Paper Mario, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Sonic X, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Chronicles of Narnia, Mario in general, Warhammer Fantasy, Numenera, and Final Fantasy

Cover by Hoodwinked MCShelster

Has nothing to do with Songs of the Spheres aside from opposing themes.

Edited by several people, most of which are part of my usual army: Pink Man, Mal Masque, Blaster Master, VoidTemplar2000, Guldringr, Shilic, Ponygood, and a few others helping out here and there.

-GM, master of Purity

Published 2020-11-17 21:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2022-04-29 13:59:15 UTC

Night of the Summer Sun Celebration

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there lived four princesses: arcane alicorns—winged unicorns—who led the land with glorious magic and deep wisdom. There were two senior and two junior princesses, each of whom had their own area of influence. The elders reigned over the heavens. Luna guided the Moon across the night sky, tracing its path with beautiful constellations, all the while watching over the many dreams of her subjects. Celestia’s charge was the sun itself, keeping the land of Equestria and beyond warmed and suitable for all life. For this service, there was a holiday kept in her honor—the Summer Sun Celebration, held on the longest day of the year, focused especially on the brilliant sunrise. Every year, Celestia traveled to some corner of her realm and lifted the sun in the view of all, and as such it had become tradition to stay up the entire night waiting for the regal glory of the sun princess with her sunrise.

This year, the Summer Sun Celebration was held in the Crystal Empire, a large northern community that one of the junior princesses called home. Cadence, Princess of Love and the People, was put in the awkward situation of hosting the revered princess she called “auntie” half the time. When Celestia visited smaller communities for the celebration, ponies didn’t expect much in the way of festivities. However, everyone expected the Crystal Empire to throw a party the likes of which Equestria had never seen.

Luckily for Cadence, she had a sister-in-law who just happened to be the fourth princess: Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship and Magic. To be fair, the bookish and excitable Twilight definitely wasn’t the best choice to help throw a legendary party, seeing as her idea of the “best party ever” was re-arranging an ancient library in at least three different ways. However, Twilight was called the Princess of Friendship for a reason; if anyone needed something, chances were Twilight knew someone in the vast lands of Equestria or beyond that could do exactly that.

It just so happened that one of Twilight’s best friends threw parties for a living.

“Are you ready to get down!?” the pink pony in question shouted to the partygoers, twirling a vinyl record in her front hoof, seemingly defying gravity in the act.

The ponies of the Crystal Empire let out a massive cheer. With a giggle, the party pony slammed the record on the turntable and blared the music out over the crowd. Several hundred balloons floated out from behind her, eclipsing the brilliant shine of the Moon. What was dark became a rainbow of colors as all the neon lasers came on, reflecting not only from the balloons but also the many crystal-faceted buildings of the Crystal Empire, bathing the ponies in a brilliant rainbow of celebratory cheer.

“Let’s party until the sun comes up!”

From her vantage point on the Crystal Palace’s balcony, Twilight Sparkle smiled. “You’ve outdone yourself, Pinkie,” she said to nobody in particular.

“Going down?” Cadence asked, trotting up to Twilight’s side. Twilight had to look up to meet the pink alicorn’s eyes, though it was impossible to look at Cadence’s soft face and feel intimidated. Even if she was in her golden regalia, as she currently was.

Twilight flapped her wings, glancing at the crowd below. “Probably. I’ll show them my dance moves!”

Cadence put a hoof to her mouth, stifling a giggle. “I very clearly remember a little filly who would do anything to get out of any party.”

“And I remember a mare who didn’t know how to stop partying. Don’t think I didn’t notice how many times Shining was out past midnight.”

Cadence leaned against the railing, as if it would get her closer to the crowd. “Children really are more observant than we give them credit for.”

“Or maybe I’m just ‘catalog everything’ Twilight.” Twilight tapped her chest, pretending to be sheepish.

Cadence rolled her eyes. “I will be joining the festivities, after Shining finishes putting Flurry to bed.”

“You’ll have to keep him from falling asleep.”

“I heard that!” a strong, male voice called. Shining Armor strode to meet them, adjusting his Captain of the Guard uniform with his magic. Twilight noticed that his horn’s aura was already wavering. The poor stallion was already tired and it wasn’t even midnight yet!

“If I was a betting mare, I’d say you don’t make it to morning.” Twilight tapped his chest with her hoof.

Shining forced a grin. “Twily, I’m not some random royal guard.”

“Yes, you’re my brother, and you’re going to fall asleep.” Twilight put on her “lecturing” look and went on. “See, previous experiments have shown that you have a very poor ability to keep yourself awake in a safe environment after twenty-point-three-three hours of solid activity. It is already past that time, and we all kn—”

“All right, all right, we get it,” Shining grumbled.

Twilight shot him a wink. “And now I’ve given you even more motivation to stay awake!”

Cadence’s hoof was doing a very poor job of stifling her giggles. “Perhaps we should head down?”

Shining nodded. Cadence lit her horn, surrounding herself and her husband in a blue aura. One burst of energy later, they were gone, having teleported somewhere into the crowd below. Instinctually, Twilight lit her own horn and started channeling a magenta glow, but she stopped herself. She had wings, she should use them every now and then. Leaning back, she unfolded her feathery appendages to their maximum length, taking a moment to feel the wind blowing through them. With a burst of forward movement, she jumped into the air, gliding out over the festivities.

It struck her how beautiful they all were. Ponies living in the middle of the arctic climate, ponies who’d had their very lives threatened by dark magic multiple times in recent memory, ponies who were once too terrified to even remember their past… those same ponies were shouting with joy to the night sky, waiting for the sun to dawn on a new day. She could make out the sparkling coats and manes of every color in the crowd, some drinking, some dancing, and a few just talking loudly with their friends. There were even a few griffons and young dragons amongst the gathering, enjoying themselves just as much as any of the ponies. It was a sight of unity that warmed Twilight’s heart.

She caught Pinkie’s eye. The two friends smiled at each other, agreeing on the success of the party. Pinkie, however, made sure the nonverbal conversation wasn’t over and pulled out a party bazooka from her mane.

“Wait, nonono—”

A burst of confetti hit Twilight square in the chest, tossing her to the ground at one of the refreshment tables. All but one of the celebrating ponies paid her no mind, for this was a normal occurrence in Equestria when Pinkie was around. The exception to the general disinterest was a white unicorn dressed in an overly frilly dress who was currently sipping some neon pink punch.

“I say, Twilight, how undignified.” She took a slow, exaggerated sip of her drink.

“Gee, thanks, Rarity,” Twilight deadpanned as she stood up and began picking confetti out of her wings and mane.

“Just making sure you’re aware.”

Twilight poured herself a drink with her magic while she continued shaking Pinkie’s party assault off her. “So, I thought you were going to be dancing?”

“I was. Then I remembered the noble princes are snobs.” She frowned at the ripples in her cup. “You think I’d have learned my lesson by now, but no, I always have to dance with a prince.”

“I’m sure not all of the nobles are bad. Fancy Pants—”

“Is married, darling.”

“He was just an example!”

“Quite,” Rarity said with a coy smirk crawling up her features. “But he also works as an example for my point. All the good, decent nobles are already taken, those that aren’t are only single because they’re piggish snobs.” She chuckled to herself. “I’m doomed! Doomed I say!”

“I’m sure you’ll find someone eventually.”

“It’s the ‘eventually’ that worries me. None of us are exactly young anymore, Twilight. You’re in training to replace Celestia for Celestia’s sake!” She paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her features. “You know, expressing proper surprise has become a lot more difficult since we got on speaking terms with the princesses.”

“I still feel young,” Twilight commented, glancing at her wings.

“Everypony feels young, darling, you’ve seen Celestia prance around like a filly.” Rarity giggled at the memory. “Ah… well, I guess she’s the prime example. One thousand years, and not a single prince for her. Proof that romance isn’t everything in life.”

Twilight smiled warmly at her friend. “You know, I’m proud of you for being mature enough to see that. It—”

“It proves that I’m old, Twilight. Wisdom comes with age, after all!” She sang the last word with a high-pitched trill.

“Not… exactly where I would have gone with that, but all right.”

Rarity rolled her eyes and set her drink down. “Twilight, I’m just playing around. For what it’s worth, thanks.”

Twilight smiled at her warmly. “What are friends for?”

“Parties,” Rarity pointed out, gesturing at Pinkie, who had just thrown a pie larger than herself into the crowd. “I swear, that mare doesn’t know how to stop.”

“Good thing this party can't stop.” Twilight investigated her drink, sniffing it to make sure Pinkie hadn’t somehow snuck hot sauce into it. “Where are the rest of the girls, by the way?”

“Well…” Rarity took a moment to compose her thoughts. “Pinkie’s location should be obvious. Rainbow and Applejack are at that table, hoof wrestling, because of course they are.” Twilight followed Rarity’s hoof to see an orange earth pony and a blue pegasus locked in a contest of strength, neither of their front hooves budging in the slightest. “I suspect they’ll be at that for a while. Starlight went off with Sunburst, and Fluttershy’s under the table.”

Twilight blinked. Using her magic, she lifted the tablecloth up to find a yellow pegasus of small stature sitting under the refreshments. She wasn’t cowering in fear; rather, she was spending her time breaking up the little tea cakes to feed to the Crystal Empire mice. Twilight’s head poking in sent the rodents scampering away in fear.

“Twilight, they don’t like the excitement,” Fluttershy said.

“I, uh, had no idea. Sorry.”

“They’ll probably be back,” Fluttershy admitted, coming out from under the table. “They can never just leave snack food alone, no matter how loud the party is.”

“Rats,” Rarity huffed.

“Rarity!” Fluttershy said. “Rodents are just as beautiful as any other member of the animal kingdom.”

“I’d disagree. Though I have to admit, they’re better than some instances I can think of.” She lifted a drink back to her lips—only for it to talk back to her.

“I do hope you weren’t talking about me.”

The punch in the glass erupted into a large, snakelike shape three times the height of a normal pony. As the fruity liquid dripped away, it revealed a tall creature made of mismatched body parts from numerous races dominated by a goat-like head with both a deer and unicorn horn. Its reptilian tail flicked right in front of Rarity’s muzzle without hitting.

“Discord…” Rarity sighed.

“Discord!” Fluttershy cheered.

There are two kinds of ponies in this world, Twilight thought, managing to bite back a laugh at her observation.

Fluttershy leaped up, having to fly several feet into the air to give Discord a proper hug. “I didn’t think you were coming!”

“Well, turns out, I got bored of my little engagement with the lava spirit of Tisbik, so here I am, ready to party until the end of time! Or the morning. Whatever comes first.” He picked up a glass and drank it, leaving the punch behind. The punch transformed into a chocolate butterfly that landed on Fluttershy’s snout.

She giggled.

“I swear, you two,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes.

“I think it’s cute,” Twilight said.

“...Cute?” Fluttershy said, cocking her head, the implication clearly flying over her head.

“Never mind,” Twilight said, clearing her throat loudly. “So, Discord, how have things been?”

“You saw me last week,” Discord said, turning his wiry beard into noodles and trimming them before throwing them in his mouth. Rarity gagged.

“I know, but who knows what the Lord of Chaos can get up to in a week?” Twilight retorted.

“The Lord of Chaos,” Discord pointed out.

“Yes, I know, b—”

“BLEH HEH HEH HEH, BLECK!”

The voice rang out with an echo so loud and startling that Pinkie scratched the disc at the turntable, plunging the party into sudden silence.

Twilight got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Above the crowd, a noxious mass of black outlined in deep purple formed, collecting not in loose wispy tufts like one would expect from a cloud, but cubic, angled shapes that pulsed in and out of existence. It grew in size until it was about twice as large as a normal pony before dissipating, revealing a creature unlike any Twilight had ever seen. It was tall, with a blue and white cape that was wrapped around most of its body. Two hands floated, separate from its chest, so disconnected that Twilight wondered if they were just gloves it was levitating with some kind of invisible magic. A massive red collar sprung from the top of its outfit, framing its head in conjunction with a brilliant red medallion. Its face was the worst of it—there were no pupils in its red eyes, and its skin was little more than swirling darkness that surrounded a jagged maw. As this was a terrifying, dark creature, it was almost comical to see a distinguished white top hat and a monocle on it.

“Your celebration has been interrupted by… Count Bleck!” he said, throwing his hands wide and drawing attention to the crystal scepter he was holding.

Most of the ponies in the crowd backed away instinctually.

Pinkie, as it should be noted, was not most ponies. “So are you here to stop the party or join in? Because we’ve always got room for more!” Pinkie lifted up a beautiful key-lime pie seemingly out of nowhere. “We have amazing desserts!”

Bleck met her eyes with his own wild gaze. “I am afraid it is the former, for there will be few remaining once the prophecy is fulfilled.”

“Ooooh, we know a lot about prophecies and fate!” Pinkie called, smile unwavering. “Just ask Twilight!”

“Uh… hi,” Twilight said, waving cautiously at Count Bleck. “I’m sure we can help you with whatever it is we need. Maybe we can talk in one of the castle halls?”

“You can most definitely help Count Bleck!” he said, throwing his arms wide. “The chosen executor of the Dark Prognosticus, Count Bleck!”

“Wow, you sure like the sound of your own name!” Pinkie waved at him. “I’m Pinkie Pie! Planner of this party, Pinkie Pie!”

“Pinkie, let’s not antagonize him!” Twilight warned.

“What? I’m just getting into the spirit of things!”

“It would be best to get into the spirit!” the Count said, adjusting his hat. “You are all integral to fulfilling the prophecy! But especially you, Princess.”

“M-me!?” Twilight stammered.

“No. You are inconsequential.” The sheer dismissiveness in his voice took Twilight by surprise. “I speak of the Princess of Love!”

The crowd parted to reveal Cadence’s position. The pink princess ruffled her wings and fixed Bleck with a defiant glare. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you explain why.”

“It is simple, really! You will be used to fulfill the prophecy and destroy all worlds, with Count Bleck!”

Twilight’s jaw dropped—she couldn’t even comprehend the scope of what he was saying.

“D-destroy all worlds!?” Rarity shouted. “What… how!?”

“You will see soon enough…” Count Bleck pointed his hands at Cadence and Discord. Instantly, both fell to the ground, completely unconscious. Discord’s chaos magic didn’t even react. “Bleh heh heh heh, bleck!”

Twilight decided that was all she was willing to put up with. She launched into the air, channeling as much magic as she could muster into her horn, surrounding it in three separate layers of arcane power. She used a secondary thread of power to teleport right behind Bleck, unleashing a beam of neon power right into his back.

In response, he raised a shield composed of noxious darkness. Twilight’s attack strained the barrier, but it did not break. “Bleck declares your struggling useless!” Instead of pointing at Twilight and making her pass out, he summoned an orb of dark energy and threw it at her. The twisting vortex drew her in, swirled her around like a washing machine, and rammed her into the ground.

Twilight knew she was more durable than most ponies. That sort of attack shouldn’t have done any more than disorient her. But something about the darkness stuck to her, making her feel heavy, almost immobile. However, she still had hope. “G-girls, we need t—”

“Bleck knows of your Elements of Harmony.” Bleck interrupted. “You will not get a chance to use them.”

He opened his cape, revealing a swirling tumult of stars within rather than a body. From within these stars erupted a portal of darkness larger than the courtyard the party was held in. With a rumble, the vortex became a vacuum, that sucked every pony, griffon, dragon, and everyone else to it, drawing their panicked screams to an abrupt end as they passed the event horizon. Pinkie tried to run, but her hooves couldn’t gain traction in midair. Fluttershy clung to Discord as his limp form was lifted up. Rarity was the only one who tried to attack Bleck directly, but a simple wave of his hand deflected her into the portal with ease.

Twilight, however, remained heavy—stuck on the ground.

“BLEH HEH HEH HEH!”

He and the portal vanished, leaving a nearly empty courtyard. Most of the neon lights were still active, shining upon what should have been thousands of ponies, instead finding only the weak form of a single purple alicorn.

Twilight was alone, and all of her friends had been taken from her.

She was too weak to move. She wasn’t so weak that she couldn’t weep.

Author's Note

And so begins a new story... possibly my last big fanfiction project, I'm unsure. I'm gearing toward doing original fiction in the future (though for the moment I still intend for all of it to be free and available for just about anyone to read).

This story is going to be similar to Songs of the Spheres in many ways, but also very different. The themes are in many ways diametrically opposed, and some of the concepts are intentionally done very differenty. But more than that, this story is a love letter to my childhood. It was written more for me than anyone else. I hope you enjoy anyway.

-GM, master of Paper.

A Blasphemous Wedding

Rarity heard music. It was the most beautiful song she’d ever heard, with little bells backing up a few soft, sensual strings. Was there a piano mixed in there? Absolutely breathtaking…

She opened her eyes, finding herself standing on all fours. There wasn’t a wrinkle in her dress or a sore muscle in her body—and yet, she was so sure she should feel at least a little rough around the edges. For the life of her she couldn’t figure out why…

She was near the front of a small crowd of ponies. Most of them were clearly from the Crystal Empire, given their glossy coats and smooth mane styles. The vast majority were all dancing to the music, though their movements were much more energized than they should have been considering the soft beauty of the notes. This was a song of romance, not of wild partying.

Bringing her head up, she saw a large staircase made of pristine marble leading up to an octagonal altar. A heart carved out of stone rested neatly in the center of the altar, balanced perfectly on the point. On either side of the altar were two faces Rarity recognized easily: Discord and Cadence, the former in an elongated tux and the latter wearing an extravagant white wedding dress. The two of them looked even more confused than Rarity felt.

Floating just above them was a figure with a dark, unpleasant face…

Count Bleck.

It all came back to Rarity in a rush. The party. The attack. The vortex. This Bleck had taken them. And now… well, Rarity wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, but it couldn’t be good.

“What’s going on?” Cadence asked from her position near the altar.

“Why, isn’t it obvious? This is your wedding!” Bleck threw his hands wide and chuckled joyously, as if he were a proud father speaking to his daughter. The tone made Cadence wince. “You are about to be married, by Count Bleck!”

“To… Discord?” Cadence said, still not fully grasping the situation.

“I’m pretty sure there’s been some kind of mistake,” Discord said with a chuckle. He snapped his fingers, creating a bouquet of roses that started eating his hand as if it were made of marshmallow. “Huge misunderstanding on your part, Blecky-boy.”

“Hmm…” Bleck pulled his hat down, shaking his head. “Bleck, I say.”

“What was that? Upset?” Discord duplicated himself, using the second one to get in Bleck’s face. “Something about dark prophecies not working? Or do you just like the sound of your own name? If you were me I wouldn’t be able to blame you, but you’re you, and with such a terrible name too. I feel sorry for you, really I do.”

There was a burst of dark, swirling energy to the Count’s side that produced a small, blue-skinned woman with pink hair done up in a large bun. From what Rarity knew of humans—which was almost nothing—this new individual seemed a bit too short to be one of their kind. However, the angles with her face indicated age, so she wasn’t a child, leaving Rarity unsure as to what exactly she was.

The woman adjusted her angular red-rimmed glasses. “Count? We appear to have some non-cooperatives.”

“It appears so, Nastasia…” The Count let out a deep, throaty chuckle. “Luckily the prophecy does not need their cooperation, said Count Bleck.”

“That third-person thing is so self-absorbed below-average illusionist-y,” Discord groaned, facepalming and pulling his face down like rubber. “I’m done with this, hasta la vista, hope the girls rainbow-blast you t—”

Nastasia mechanically lifted her glasses, sending a glint of light into Discord’s eyes. His face went limp, but he remained standing.

“W-what did you do to him?” Cadence asked.

The Count ignored her. “Discord, Lord of Chaos, Spirit of Disharmony, do you take Cadence to be your unlawfully wedded wife until your days are over?”

With a monotone voice Rarity had never heard come out of his chaotic mouth, Discord spoke a single word. “Yes.”

“No!” Cadence shouted. “I won—”

Nastasia sent a glint into Cadence’s eyes as well. Unlike Discord, Cadence didn’t remain standing—she fell to the ground, legs splayed.

Bleck’s sneer widened. “Cadence, Princess of Love, Alicorn of the People, do you take Discord to be your unlawfully wedded husband until your days are over?”

“N-no…” Cadence managed. “Sh-shining...”

Nastasia frowned. “I’m gonna need an affirmative from you, K? Yes. Say yes.” She adjusted her glasses again.

Cadence’s voice came out barely more than a gasp, but it was unmistakable. “Y-yes…”

“Sham!” Rarity shouted, charging up the stairs. Glancing back, she saw two other ponies chasing after her: Fluttershy and Shining Armor. You’re in for a world of hurt, Count. Rarity lit her horn, preparing an attack. “I will not stand for this sham!”

Bleck flicked his hand at them, sending the three of them back down the stairs with an invisible force. “You may now kiss the bride,” he said as though nothing had just happened.

Cadence was able to offer some resistance to the command, for her strength laid in the very power the Count was attempting to corrupt. Discord, however, had no such resistance, and with his power, there was little she could do as she was scooped up in his slithering embrace.

Rarity heard Fluttershy’s cry. Everyone heard Shining’s roar. He lit his horn, preparing a spell.

Bleck tossed him into the air with ease, not even looking directly at the unicorn. His attention was focused directly on the stone heart in the center of the altar. As the unholy kiss progressed, a dark light began to shine from the stone artifact. In turn, the legs of Discord and Cadence began to turn to stone themselves…

Rarity needed to act, but a direct attack would only get the Count to flick her aside. She needed to be clever. She needed… to be like Twilight. Rarity was no master magician, but she knew a few tricks, and after all those adventures she’d been on...

She hid her horn’s glow under her mane and focused, thinking of a spot just behind the altar. Ignoring the dark pulses from the no-longer stone heart, she picked a location and thought of nothing else. Wisps of magic surrounded her. She couldn’t help but let out a pained cry as she pushed her magic to the limit, feeling like she was burning a hole in her skull.

With a pop, she teleported to the other side of the altar. Her dress was singed from the transmission and smoke was coming off her horn, but she didn’t care at the moment. She focused what energy she had left at the dark heart and unleashed a laser spell.

Bleck jumped in front of the attack, taking it himself. It created a blackened spot on his cape, nothing more.

“Bleh heh heh heh!” Bleck held his hands wide, looking directly at Rarity. “Your struggles are useless! The new couple’s power is gone!” He gestured at the complete statue of Discord and Cadence in their disgusting embrace. Opposite them, the black heart was floating in the air, spinning slowly. It glowed, not with light but with darkness; an unpleasant magic Rarity could feel even through the burning in her horn. The heart itself appeared made of glass—perhaps even crystal—but it was not beautiful. It spoke not of love, but of hate and destruction.

Rarity knew she had to kill it. She jumped to the side, trying to fire another laser. Only sparks came out of her horn. I should have more energy than this…

“Bleh heh heh he—”

Someone green jumped into the air and landed right on the heart.

“Stop!” Nastasia shouted.

No one could stop it now. The heart reacted to the physical contact, sending a wave of pure darkness throughout the room, engulfing Rarity in an instant. She felt herself swept far away. In the shadows, she could hear only screams.

It took her a while to realize they were her own.

~~~

The black heart floated in a void of white, spinning slowly.

Two bursts of shadow deposited Count Bleck and Nastasia on either side of it, both of them floating without any support.

“Um, yeah, so are you alright, Count?” Nastasia asked.

“Fool…” Bleck said, unable to take his eyes off the heart. “Pointless acts like these will earn you only pain… from Count Bleck.”

Nastasia only nodded solemnly.

Bleck reached out a hand to the heart, pushing through the dark energies to stroke its glassy surface. “Though... as the Chaos Heart is now empowered, that ragtag group lacks use.”

Nastasie shuffled her feet even though she was standing on nothing. “Um, so, yeah, Count… This means you may turn to a new page of dark prophecies…”

Bleck held out his hands, teleporting a large book into them. The massive tome’s dark pages flipped on their own to the appropriate page. Looking upon the Chaos Heart, the Count spoke with a booming voice. “Open your mouth, darkness! Consume everything and destroy all worlds, as told in the prophecy! BLECK!”

The Chaos Heart obeyed.

~~~

Elsewhere, an alarm went off. A book with bright pages flipped open all its own, turning to the very first page.

In front of the book, a glass cylinder rose from the ground, containing a single being—an immobile butterfly made of rainbow rods coursing with crystalline energy. The glass popped open, allowing air to rush into the insect’s chamber. It flapped once, twice, before lifting into the air, sending sparkles out with every motion it made.

It took one look at the open book before it and knew what to do. A sphere of yellow light engulfed it, and it was gone.

The book closed itself, waiting.

A Race Between the Worlds

“...Wak...p…”

The feeling was slowly returning to Twilight’s muscles, and she wasn’t enjoying the sensation. It was like she had just spent an entire day rushing around at full gallop, except her wings were also tingling from overexertion. She was utterly sapped of energy.

“...ake u…”

She needed to wake up. She wanted to wake up. She needed to go somewhere, do something, but her body wasn’t listening. It wanted to rest, where it was, safe and comfortable in bed. If only it could, because now it had enough sensation to know Twilight was lying on a hard crystal street, and that simply wasn’t comfortable or safe.

Twilight let out a coughing, sputtering groan and began to stretch her wings.

“Are you awake?”

“Ergh… kinda?” Twilight muttered, opening and closing her eyes in an attempt to focus. The rainbow shimmer of light in front of her was making that difficult.

“We must hurry...” The voice was quiet and tentative but carried with it a sense of urgency that Twilight trusted implicitly even in her groggy state. The words had a partially digitized quality to them, as if they were coming from a machine or some kind of voice synthesizer spell.

“Hurry where? I…” Twilight remembered Count Bleck and the vortex, and that was enough to jumpstart her to her hooves, though she swayed slightly from the physical exertion. “W-where are they?”

“No time…” the voice said. It was coming from a rainbow butterfly made out of what Twilight guessed was a form of magical crystal encoded with a series of complex spells. “The limiter will activate soon. We must go…”

Twilight nodded. Without a word, she summoned a piece of paper and wrote down a quick message with her magic. She enchanted it with a protection spell and teleported it back to her castle chambers, where she knew a small dragon was waiting. “Ready.”

The butterfly had already been gathering her energy, powering a spell Twilight couldn’t fathom. A yellow aura surrounded the magic insect and quickly grew to encompass Twilight as well. There was no flash of exhilaration that came with a teleport spell—one moment they were standing in an empty crystal courtyard, the next they were underwater. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the water wasn’t absolutely frigid.

While wings weren’t exactly made for swimming, they were definitely better at it than plain hooves. Twilight pushed her wingtips forward before flaring the rest of her feathers out. Pushing back, she caught multiple gallons of water in her cupped wings, pulling herself out of the water with two flaps, blearily throwing herself onto dry land.

She spat out some water that had gotten down her nose and shook herself off. “Where are we?”

“No time…” the butterfly said, moving ahead. Twilight trotted after it—or her, if the voice’s range was to be believed. As they moved, Twilight noted that they were in a well-lit forest with tall trees that went off in every direction and numerous pools of serene water spread out between their trunks. Looking up, Twilight couldn’t see the sun or sky, just a sense of light pouring through the leafy canopy. There were no bird calls or insect buzzing; not even a soft breeze.

It was so peaceful. Twilight wanted to stare at the trees forever, and some part of her suspected she would if the butterfly had not been continually grabbing her attention with rainbow sparks and other kinds of magic.

Wait… magic. She felt magic here, but it wasn't quite right. Her horn felt like it was buzzing slightly, and she swore something was calling to her in the distance. Something was asking her to… something. The words weren’t discernable, or even audible in the traditional sense.

“Hurry, it’s freezing already…”

Glancing back, Twilight realized with horror that the pool they’d come out of was frozen over, a solid sheet of ice now. Other pools behind them were the same, and several others were starting to freeze as well. Ahead of them, the butterfly was starting to glow green as she approached an as-of-yet unfrozen pool. The green glow grew to encompass both of them.

Twilight saw the start of ice crystals forming on the back edge of the pool they were approaching. “Hold on!” Twilight jumped into the air, grabbing the startled butterfly in her hooves. She wrenched her already sore wings back and entered a dive, speeding toward the pool much faster than the butterfly could have managed on her own. They hit the water just as it was crystalizing. Small sleet-like shards of ice whipped past Twilight’s skin as she sunk, but they soon felt distant, like part of a dream.

The dream ended rudely when she slammed face-first into hard, white ground. “Ow…”

The butterfly fluttered out of Twilight’s grasp. “You… certainly have the countenance of a legendary hero.”

Twilight pried her face off the floor, shaking her head. “Is that what they’re calling me these days?” She checked herself over, finding that her wings and hooves felt fine, though still sore. Her horn was no longer buzzing, which was just icing on the cake. Had she not been smashed into the ground by Bleck’s vortex a short while ago she would have been in perfect shape. “So… who are you, where are we, and why am I here?”

“My name is Tippi… I’m what is known as a Pixl...” she said, taking long pauses between her words that made Twilight wonder if the butterfly had some kind of speech impediment. “We are in Flipside, the city between dimensions…”

Twilight took a look around. The sky was a bright, but soothing creamy color not unlike that of sand on a beach, except smooth rather than rough. There was no sun, moon, or stars, and yet Twilight could see perfectly fine. Investigating the ground, she found she was standing upon an eight-sided platform carved out of smooth white stone, with carvings of hearts and geometric shapes spiraling around the center. She also had no shadow, which was mildly concerning. A single red double-door with a curved top stood at the edge of the platform, seemingly leading to nowhere, while the center was occupied by what appeared to be a cylindrical elevator made of smooth glass.

“As for why…” Tippi paused, fluttering her wings a bit faster. “I believe Merlon would be better help with that.”

Twilight was beyond eager to ask Tippi more questions—among which was more details on how she worked, since clearly she was some kind of arcane machine—but Twilight sensed the poor Pixl was uncomfortable being asked so much. Twilight simply nodded and said, “Lead the way.”

Tippi led Twilight to the elevator. The doors opened automatically to let them in. The interior was large enough to hold over a dozen ponies, and the floor was a comfortably smooth linoleum tile surface. After the glass doors shut, the elevator descended into the platform. Even surrounded on all sides by walls Twilight could still see as if it were daylight. She did not get long to ponder this, however, because as the Elevator left the bottom of the platform, she beheld the full majesty of Flipside below.

It truly was a city—a city built on nothing. Buildings made of alabaster stone sat, suspended above the endless void of creamy sky. The only connections appeared to be to other buildings with more graceful stone edifices. Bridges sloped from tower to tower in complex patterns that extended beyond the reach of Twilight’s eyes, and there were so many levels of buildings below that Twilight wasn’t sure if they had an end. She was sure she could see dozens of miles in every direction, making this Flipside larger than Canterlot mountain.

And yet, for a city, as far as Twilight could tell she and Tippi were the only living things here. There were certainly places for people to live, considering all the homely little towers that could easily serve as apartments, but there was no sign of habitation. No sign that there had ever been habitation. The stones weren’t even worn.

“Where is everyone?”

Tippi didn’t answer.

The elevator eventually descended into a tall tower directly beneath the platform they had just been standing on. It came to a rest shortly afterward, in a large cylindrical room with windows circling it, but no doors. The floor was made out of a strange white metal, and just in front of them a book sat on a pedestal. It was a light gray book with a simple, titleless cover. It was also larger than Twilight’s head.

“Is this book Merlon?” Twilight asked.

“Ah, no… Merlon is behind the book.”

Behind the book was only a wall with a black glassy rectangle on it. “...Uh…”

With a beep, blue text appeared on the glassy rectangle. >> I am Merlon <<

Twilight blinked. “You’re… in the walls?”

Oh ho ho ho! <> I am in the walls, yes. I am what is known as an AI, an Artificial Intelligence… a computer, if you know what that is. <<

“Oh!” Twilight’s smile widened. “I had heard about things like you from Sunset! You’re, like, a pony—er, a person—but made entirely out of rocks and electricity?”

Essentially, yes, but I have a bit of magic in me as well. <<

“She wants to know why I brought her here,” Tippi said.

Yes, yes, I suppose that is a pertinent question… how to put it… <<

There was a soft rumbling that ran through Flipside. Glancing outside, Twilight discovered what was causing it. In the distance, against the sky, a single spark of purple popped into existence. A tiny, insignificant swirl of dark power so far away it made her think the stars back home were extremely close.

That is why. <<

“What… is that?” Twilight asked, remembering the strange magic Bleck had used. It looked similar, so it was probably related, but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

An evil vagabond by the name of Count Bleck has begun the end of all worlds by awakening the Chaos Heart according to the prophecies of the Dark Prognosticus. <<

“He stole my friends…” An unpleasant frown appeared on Twilight’s features.

If my interpretations of the Light Prognosticus—the book you see before you—are true, then he took them to complete the very ritual that awakened the Chaos Heart. <<

Twilight didn’t like the sound of the word ritual. “Are they… okay?”

The ritual is not lethal, though I am unsure what Count Bleck himself will do once he has no more use for them. We know little of the man himself, unfortunately, and I cannot judge his character beyond a desire to end all worlds, and anyone who wants that cannot be a pleasant man. <<

“He was serious…” Twilight said, glancing at the vortex. “That’ll eat everything?”

The Void will consume the Eight Worlds and all that lies between them. <<

“Then we have to go stop him. How do we get to him?”

He resides within the center of the Void, the eye of the storm, protected from the destruction he is causing. But… there is a problem with getting there. <<

“You saw the pools freezing over... right?” Tippi asked.

Twilight nodded. “What did that mean?”

“Normal travel between dimensions has been suspended… the Chaos Heart has already cursed reality itself…”

The method you used to travel here is no longer possible. << Merlon said. >> The Ancients who built Flipside knew this would happen the moment the Chaos Heart manifested. All Worlds would be locked off from one another as the lakes in the Wood Between Worlds froze over. It is why, the moment we detected the Chaos Heart, Tippi was sent to find you. There was only a small window to get you here. <<

“So I can’t get home…”

Not presently, no. <<

“Why me, though?”

“The prophecy…” Tippi said, fluttering over to the Light Prognosticus. “It mentions a hero of magic brought low by the man of darkness…”

You are the hero of prophecy. << Merlon said simply. >> We ask for your assistance in saving all worlds. Will you aid us? <<

“Of course I will!” Twilight declared, beaming. “This may be the first time multiple worlds have been on the line, but me and my friends have saved my world a few times.” She extended a hoof. “I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, vow to end the destruction of everything ordained by Count Bleck!”

She realized with some embarrassment that she was holding out to shake hooves with a computer that had no limbs. “Uh…”

I accept your gesture, Twilight. What a fitting name. In the perceived Twilight of the Worlds, Twilight herself comes to save us. <<

Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “I… I never thought about it that way, but I suppose it works. Now, we need a game plan. We can’t get to his castle in the Void, and we can’t travel between worlds using those pools. I take it you have another method?”

Yes. Do you remember the door you saw when you first arrived? <<

“The red one, on top of the platform?”

Yes, that one. It leads to one of the worlds. It is open due to our… alternative method. Come, we must descend to the lower level. <<

Twilight and Tippi climbed back down into the elevator. A short ride later, they appeared on the edge of an octagonal room. In the center was a large crystal pillar, inside of which floated one of the most beautiful things Twilight had ever seen. Physically, it was a floating heart made of red glass that glowed with a bright, fiery glare, but she could feel that it was more than that. Its crimson light shone into her very soul, moving her in a way far beyond any simple work of art. Simply looking upon it filled her with determination, though she could not trace the source of the feeling. “What… what is that?”

Tippi pointed at a screen next to the elevator, where Merlon was talking. >> That is a Pure Heart. There are eight of them, one for every world. They each glow with a powerful, fundamental energy that resonates with dimensional reality itself. This particular Heart was taken from the world known as Earth when Flipside was built, to power the city. <<

“Hey, I’ve been to Earth…” Twilight noted. “The mirror portal probably doesn’t work anymore, though…”

With each Pure Heart, Flipside will be able to force a door to open to every one of the worlds. With the power of all eight, the curse of the Chaos Heart would become a trivial matter to overcome. Then we will meet Count Bleck in his territory and end his reign. <<

“And save my friends…” Twilight took in a deep breath and set her jaw. “All right, we need seven more. One from each of the worlds. We should start immediately. How long do we have?”

>> I do not know. The Light Prognosticus implies we have at least a month, at most a year. <<

“Of course it’s nonspecific.” Twilight huffed, jumping back into the elevator. “To the door!” Twilight leaped back into the elevator, pacing around its outer wall as it crawled upwards. Upon returning to the platform, Twilight took a moment to stare at the distant vortex. It looked pathetically tiny, almost insignificant; if the sky hadn’t been so featureless, she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to notice it.

“I’m coming for you, girls,” Twilight said, smiling in the direction of the Void. Maybe they could sense her encouragement. Maybe not. She liked to think they could.

“Twilight…” Tippi called, weakly. “The door’s over here…”

“I’m coming!” Twilight bounded away from the portal and toward the red door. It didn’t look all that impressive, all things considered, aside from the fact that it was sitting at the edge of the platform and seemed to lead nowhere. Taking a deep breath, she placed a hoof on the doors and pushed.

Nothing happened.

“Tippi?”

“They’re pull doors.”

“Oh. Right.” Sheepishly, Twilight pulled the doors open with her magic and walked through to a new world.

~~~

The woman lifted the pen from the paper, bringing a halt to her writing, for a moment.

A smile crossed her face. Even this early in the journey, she could see it in the words before her. The heroic spirit, the determination… But also the naivete. How little Twilight understood. How little she could understand.

But all that would come with time. For now…

She brought her utensil down once more, adding more to the tale.

The first of many realms lay before the intrepid alicorn...

Loyal Minions

“BLEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!”

The call rang out through the halls of darkness. Count Bleck stood atop a black pillar with a white grid traced around the edges, sending his laugh out to echo back from the distant walls of his castle’s inner sanctum. Here, many pillars similar to his own towered over the ground at different heights, occasionally cast in halos by the pale-colored spirograph patterns covering the ink-black walls.

Nastasia stood next to him on a pillar only slightly shorter than his own. All the other occupied platforms were a fair distance away from and below the two of them.

“The Void has been ripped in the dimensional fabric!” He waited a moment to listen to the cheers that came from his minions. “Yes, Count Bleck is pleased. All has gone as foretold in the Dark Prognosticus. Now it’s just a matter of time until all worlds meet their demise! Bleck!”

There was a loud cheer from the largest, most muscular of the Count’s minions: a burly hulk of a man easily twice as tall as the average human. He took a posture akin to that of an ape, with arms large enough to drag his head-sized fists on the ground should he desire. As he spoke, his scraggly beard waggled comically in the air. “Wow, that’s just super, Count! Yeah, first you’ll erase all these naughty worlds… and then you’re gonna build a perfect world without war and all that other icky stuff!”

Just below the muscle was a much more diminutive creature with two legs and black hands that floated detached from the rest of his body. Beyond this, it was hard to see what he actually was, since he wore a yellow and purple jester outfit matched with a mask that told the world he was permanently smiling with eyes of joy. “Yes, yes, no one likes the icky stuff… Yesss… A perfect world... Sounds magical!” Every word he spoke sounded like he wanted to sing it, and he punctuated the end with a delighted laugh.

The third was a young girl in a red outfit, the feathered hat being the primary draw of her costume. “It would be nice if we could get rid of all the bothers already. Can’t we make it go faster?”

“I’m afraid not, dearest Lulu,” the jester explained. “Prophecies always take time to fulfill, I’m sorry to say!”

Lulu folded her arms. “Fine. But if any of you figure out a way to make it go faster and hide it, I’ll… I’ll… Well, I’m not sure what I’d do but you wouldn’t like it, so there.”

“Sorry I’m late!”

An exact copy of the beefy man who had spoken first jumped up from the floor, landing on a previously empty pillar. The first thing he did was bow to the Count. The second thing he did was realize there was an exact copy of himself glaring down at him with an amused expression. “What in blazin’ bog rats!? How’d I beat meself ‘ere?!”

A decidedly uncharacteristically feminine voice came out of the duplicate’s mouth. “Mimimimimimimimimi! Oh, O’Chunks, you big silly! Didja oversleep or something?”

“Wouldn’t be surprising,” Lulu commented.

With a burst of smoke, the not-O’Chunks transformed into a spitting-image duplicate of Count Bleck, tapping O’Chunks lightly on the head with a crystal scepter. “I guess it’s kinda hard to be on time, though, when you’ve got muscles instead of brains!”

“ ‘EY!” O’Chunks shouted, stomping the ground hard enough to shake the room. “You can’t fool me wit’ that crazy shape-shiftin’ hooligannary! Show a little respect for the Count! Yeh can’t go a’borrowin’ ‘is face, lass!”

The real Count Bleck scratched his chin, examining the replica of himself with a careful eye. “Bleh heheheheheheheh… How delightful. Almost as dapper… as Count Bleck!”

The shapeshifter changed into a perfect replica of Princess Cadence, taking a bow. “Aw, golly, thanks Count! With you around it’s nothing but big smiles all the time!” She blew him a kiss. “Hanging out with the Count! Now that’s my idea of a perfect world!”

“Suck-up,” Lulu muttered.

“Hmm…” The jester tapped his foot as if he were waiting for something while examining the shape-shifter. “And here I thought your ideal world was a gem-filled pool with hunky lifeguards.”

With a burst of rage and smoke, the shapeshifter became a massive centaur with rippling muscles. “Hey! Dimentio! Have you been reading my diary!? I mean… Um…” The sheepish expression that crossed the centaur’s face looked decidedly out of place on its menacing features. “Never mind…”

Lulu started giggling. “When will you learn that’s not a good way to keep secrets? Writing them down is just dooming yourself in the long run.”

“Bleh heheheheheheheh…” Bleck chuckled, a warm, albeit menacing, smile coming to his face. “Well, different strokes for different minions.”

“Do we really have to call ourselves minions?” Lulu asked.

Nastasia shrugged. “It’s policy now, K? K.”

“Okay…” Lulu grumbled.

Bleck addressed all four of his minions. “After these rotten worlds are ended, Count Bleck will make all your dreams come true! But for that to happen, we must follow the instructions of the Dark Prognosticus.”

Nastasia tapped her foot. It wasn’t much, most of the minions didn’t even realize it had happened, but it was enough to get the Count’s attention before she started talking. “Yeah, about that, just an FYI? I’ve got an urgent memo for your inbox. Apparently there’s been some unapproved interdimensional activity lately, despite the Heart’s Lock. Yeah… I’m thinking it’s probably the hero of prophecy.”

Count Bleck turned to her. “A dimensional interloper! And possibly the hero? Are you sure of it, Nastasia? ...Interesting,” mused Count Bleck. “We must put an end to this nuisance…”

“Count Beck!” O’Chunks shouted, drawing the attention of the room to himself. “Lemme get this right in me brain. The ‘ero Nastasia’s goin’ on ‘bout… He yer enemy? Then you gotta cut me loose on ‘im, ye gotta!” He beat his chest like the gorilla whose posture he mimicked so well. “I’ll give ‘im a nice taste o’ O’Chunks!”

Count Bleck tipped his hat in O’Chunks direction with a smile. “Very well, I’ll leave the hero-chunking to you. Do not fail Count Bleck.”

“Yeh can count on me, Count! I’ll rain down like a fat thunderstorm! I swear it!” He turned to the other minions with a cheesy grin, pointing at himself with his thumb. “Yeh should tag along! Yeh could witness a proper chunkin’!”

O’Chunks jumped away, off on his mission.

“You all know he’s going to lose terribly, right?” Lulu asked.

“Quite,” Dimentio admitted. “But I do enjoy a good chunking… It doesn’t matter who is on the receiving end!”

Lulu put a hand to the bridge of her nose. “Oh, bother, you’re going with him, aren’t you?”

Dimentio gave her a thumbs up. “Ciao!” He vanished in a burst of warping space.

“I’m going to wait for some information on this hero,” Lulu continued. “Running headfirst into danger is just… silly.” She glanced at the shapeshifter, who was still a centaur.

“W-what? What did I do?”

“Nothing.” Lulu narrowed her eyes. “Yet.”

“Bleh heh heh heh…” Bleck drew the attention back to himself. “So, hero… You who would defy Count Bleck. Hurry, for your world’s end draws near…” He threw his hands wide and laughed to the room once more, sending the echoes throughout his castle.

The Jasmine Dragon

The doors automatically closed behind Twilight and Tippi, cutting them off from Flipside.

“I can sense the Pure Heart…” Tippi said. “It’s a long ways away, but I have a clear signal…”

“You can do that?” Twilight asked.

“It is what I was made for…”

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that, how were you made? You’re an amazing piece of magically integrated technology unlike anything I’ve ever seen!”

“Uh…”

Their conversation was cut short by a surprise visitor. A large, pudgy human man with a wiry gray beard came out of one of the side rooms, scratching his side and yawning. He walked right past them to the simmering tea and added a few crushed leaves to the brew. In the midst of pouring it into some teacups, he stopped himself. Cautiously, he turned to Twilight, Tippi, and the large red door behind them.

“...Hi,” Twilight said, waving with a hoof.

“Hmmm…” The old man set his teapot down and examined the creatures before him. A few seconds later, he broke out into a grin. “It appears my tea has become so legendary it is even drawing customers from the Spirit World! Yes, come, come…”

“Spirit… world?” Twilight asked.

Tippi fluttered forward. “Records on this world show it has a subdimension filled largely with spiritual entities…”

“Oh!” Twilight smiled. “I’m sorry, sir, we’re not from your Spirit World. But…” She took in a deep breath through her nose, allowing the tea’s soothing aroma to calm her. “I would really like some of that tea. Tippi?”

“I cannot drink…”

“The double-edged sword of needing no sustenance,” the old man said, setting out a cup for himself and one for Twilight. “You don’t need food, but you can’t have food. I am sorry, Tippi. Is there anything I can provide you so that you may join us?”

“No, thank you…”

The old man nodded solemnly, bringing the cup to his lips. “I am Iroh. You are in my tea shop, the Jasmine Dragon.”

“Wonderful place,” Twilight said, gesturing at the dragon rug with her wing. “I’m Twilight Sparkle. And w—” She stopped taking when her attempt to levitate the teacup went horribly awry. Instead of surrounding the cup in a magenta aura with her magic, when her horn lit a swirling bubble of air appeared under the cup and spilled the beautiful tea. “S-sorry! Sorry! That’s not supposed to happen!”

Iroh chuckled. “This is a tea shop, Twilight, I am in no danger of running out of tea.” He poured her another cup.

She crossed her eyes to glare at her horn. “Why aren’t you behaving?”

“Different worlds have different magic rules,” Tippi offered. “The levitation spell does not appear to exist, here…”

“Oh.” Twilight blinked. She opted to use her wing to lift the cup to her lips instead, finding this much easier. “This might prove problematic…” She took a calm moment to sip the tea, a warm sense of bliss filling her as the drink slid down her throat. “Iroh, this tea is amazing.”

“If it wasn’t I would be out of a job before the sun was down!” Iroh chuckled.

Twilight nodded in agreement, opting to drink more of the soft, yet slightly tangy drink instead of responding.

“So, travelers from beyond the Spirit World…” Iroh leaned in. “What is your story?”

“We are searching for the Pure Hearts,” Twilight explained. “They’re… powerful artifacts hidden in each world, from what I understand. About this big…” She traced an outline with her free wing. “And just… beautiful to look upon.”

Iroh shook his head. “I’m afraid I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“I hadn’t before today, either, but apparently they’re really, really important! Like, save all worlds kind of important!”

Iroh’s face became stern. “Ah… so that’s what the thing outside means.”

Twilight cocked her head. “...Thing outside?”

Slowly, Iroh walked to the front doors of the Jasmine Dragon and slid them open. Twilight couldn’t help but take in the scenery revealed to them: that of an immense city stretching as far as her eyes could see. The buildings were largely made of stone and tended toward a rectangular composition. What would have been the horizon was a wall that must have been absurdly high if she could see it from all these miles away. However, she hadn’t been led here to look at the earthen city—the actual target was a small purple vortex hovering just above the walls. It was hard to see in the glare of the morning, but it was unmistakable once noticed.

“It’s larger in this world…” Tippi observed ominously.

Iroh closed the doors with a sigh. “What, exactly, does that darkness wish to do?”

“Destroy all worlds. I’m… not sure why,” Twilight looked at the floor and scuffed her hoof across it. “I just know the creature behind it, Count Bleck, took my friends…”

“Then it appears time is of the essence!” Iroh clapped his hands together, suddenly moving with speed to the back of the Jasmine Dragon. “You no doubt have a long journey ahead of you, noble heroes, and I will do what I can to make it easier for you.”

“You really don’t have to,” Twilight said. “...Though, considering that I don’t know anything about this world, and that my magic isn’t even working properly, I might need it more than I think.”

Iroh came out of the back with a satchel. “In here are detailed maps of the world, navigation equipment, food, some spare change I keep around, and, of course, the most important thing…”

“A tea set?” Twilight guessed.

Iroh let out a belly laugh. “You met me five minutes ago and you already know me like the back of your hand!”

Twilight held up her hoof and raised an eyebrow.

“Hmm… I’m going to need a new idiom…” He laid the satchel over her back. It was made for humans so it slid downward, becoming more like a necklace than a proper satchel. He had to tighten it considerably to keep it from scraping on the ground. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” She moved to adjust it with her hooves, but found that her hooves slid right off the strap instead of grabbing onto it like they did back home. They were flat and solid—no different from a wild deer’s hooves. Mundane. “I can’t even pick things up with my hooves? That’s… that’s going to be really annoying.” She had to use her wing once again to comfortably adjust the satchel.

“Now, it would be best if you kept a low profile,” Iroh said. “I sugges—”

Someone kicked in the doors to the Jasmine Dragon, drawing their attention. It was a short black-haired girl with bangs that were an utter mess while the rest of her hair was done up rather neatly in a ball-like bundle. This bundle was kept in place by a headband with puffy balls on the ends. Her outfit was somehow both simple and standout; a loose wrap of simple cloth held in place by a tall belt overtop a forest green undergarment. As she walked in, she took every step with a forceful thud that would have made most people’s feet hurt—and she was completely barefoot! She took a seat at the counter and held out a hand.

Iroh gave her a cup of tea without another word, suggesting this had happened many times before. She downed it like she was taking a shot, slamming the cup back onto the counter. “So, Iroh, why do you have a new door and a unicorn-bird?”

“You noticed the door, did you…?” Iroh chuckled.

The girl swiveled around on the stool, stomping on the ground with one of her bare feet. “It’s hard for me not to notice. I feel the nothing behind it. Really stands out.”

Iroh chuckled. “Well, I suppose it would be impossible to try to hide it from you, Toph.”

“You haven’t even tried!”

“I was planning on putting a curtain up before we opened officially.”

“Official opening times are for losers.” Toph kicked her feet up on the counter and leaned back, picking her ear with a loose finger. “You always say to go with the flow.”

“Yes, and the flow of the city is to have an opening time.”

“Eh, whatever.” Toph waved a hand dismissively. “You still haven’t explained to me why you have this stuff.”

“Well, Twilight? Want to explain?”

Twilight cleared her throat. “We are travelers from another w—”

“Stop it right there,” Toph said, holding up a hand without even looking in Twilight’s direction. “One, holy bat-cows you can talk. Give me a moment to process that. Two, ‘we?’ I only feel you and Iroh in here.”

“Um, I’m here as well…” Tippi said. “Can you not see me?”

“Nope!” Toph swiveled around in her stool to look right at Tippi with glazed over eyes. She waved her hand in front of her face. “Totally blind!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry…” Tippi shrunk back. “I didn’t know…”

Twilight furrowed her brow. “You can’t see… but you can feel. That’s why you stomp on the ground, isn’t it? And why you couldn’t sense Tippi, she’s flying.”

Toph clapped her hands together. “We got ourselves a regular detective here, Iroh! Amazing, where did you find this one?”

“She found me,” Iroh said. At this point, he had returned to his work, continuing to prepare tea for patrons that would presumably be arriving soon. “I still have no idea where she came from.”

“Another world,” Twilight explained. “We’re here searching for an artifact called the Pure Heart to stop an evil man from destroying all worlds.”

Toph pointed an accusing finger at Twilight. “That sounds like a quest.”

“Uh…”

“I’m going with you.” Toph crossed her arms, grinning. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“That’s… not technically true,” Iroh pointed out.

Toph pointed a finger at his head. “Zip it.”

Iroh shrugged. “You are your own woman…”

“Uh…” Tippi said. “I’m not sure we should take on a… Er…”

“Not sure you should take on a blind girl?” Toph finished for her. “Let me show you something.” She stomped on the ground, prompting a pillar of rock to erupt from the tiles, smacking Tippi to the side. “You got yourselves a master earthbender right in front of you!”

Tippi recovered from the light smack quickly, but she backed away from Toph nervously. “Um…”

“Earthbending…” Twilight experimentally tapped the ground with her hoof, prompting a small chunk of rocky tile to bounce out of the ground. “This magic works!”

“You didn’t tell me she was an earthbender!” Toph called.

“I thought she was an airbender,” Iroh said with a shrug.

“I’m not… any of those things.” Twilight shuffled around on her hooves. “My world’s magic just works differently. Apparently.”

“And do stop earthbending in my shop,” Iroh said. “I can’t put it back.”

“Fine, fine…” Toph pressed her feet carefully into the ground and thrust her hands downward, pushing her pillar and Twilight’s chunk back into the floor. Then she waved her hands flat against the ground, smoothing the floor out as if nothing had happened. “There you go, good as new!”

“This magic is versatile…” Twilight mused. She spread her wings, sending out a burst of air. “Earth and air… what other kinds of ‘bending’ does this world have?”

“Fire and water,” Iroh answered.

Twilight was easily able to create a fireball at the tip of her horn, but when she tried to alter the water in nearby tea… nothing happened. “Hmm. I’m not getting a response.”

“I was thinking she was some kind of alien Avatar, what gives?” Toph asked.

Twilight stamped her hoof as she got an idea. “Aha! I’m an alicorn, a combination of three different pony races—unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony. Fire, air, and earth! I simply don’t have a water component.”

“That’s not how bending works,” Toph said.

“Who are we to say what bending is like in other worlds?” Iroh asked.

“I… shut up.” Toph folded her arms and blew her hair out of her face. “Let’s just get going and save all worlds or some junk.”

“All right!” Twilight cheered.

“Now, we’re going to need to get out of the city,” Toph said. “And to do that, I’m gonna have to stuff the floating thing I can’t see in a sack and Twilight’s gonna have to act like an animal.”

“W-what?” Tippi and Twilight sputtered in unison.

Author's Note

Toph has joined the party!

Toph’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to have Toph throw a rock, which will destroy certain earthen walls!

This can also be used to get the jump on enemies.

In battle, Toph has many earthbending techniques at her disposal such as flinging boulders and creating pillars of earth. She can usually hit stealthy or invisible enemies! Flying ones, though, those are hard for her.

The City of Earth

The city of Ba Sing Se was large enough to be its own country. Easily visible from space, the multi-walled sprawl extended far beyond any inhabitant’s line of sight. Even standing on top of the highest pinnacle of the central palace, it was impossible to see the edge of the city—even the inner wall was almost out of sight. Virtually every square mile enclosed by the walls was filled with buildings erected directly from the ground, giving most of the city a blocky, earthen feel. When buildings could be erected and taken down in a matter of days—or hours in some cases—it became a simple matter to build more and more of a city.

The city walls were significantly more durable than the average building, composed of condensed rock stacked so high even the most powerful earthbenders would have difficulty making a dent. And if they did, the guards would notice and the interloper wouldn’t last long. However, there were some built-in weaknesses in the walls—the gates were massive sliding monoliths of stone that could be earthbent in and out of their slots.

Still miles away from the outer wall, Twilight had already seen the massive gates open and close several times. They were so much taller than Canterlot Castle that Twilight couldn’t believe anyone could move them. She was one of the most powerful mages in Equestria, and even if she spent all of her effort, she didn’t think her telekinesis could move that large a rock! She was dying to ask Toph about how they did it.

But she couldn’t. Asking wasn’t part of “the plan.”

“What kind of horse is that?”

Oh boy, here we go, Twilight groaned inwardly, trying to ignore the little girl who had walked up to them.

From her position on Twilight’s back, Toph slapped the alicorn’s flank. “This girl is the best bird-unicorn money can buy, kid!” Toph leaned over, careful to keep the sack containing Tippi slung over her shoulder. “Her name’s Twilight and she’s also the prettiest bird-unicorn ever!”

“C-can I pet her?” the girl asked, holding out a shaky hand.

“Go right ahead!”

Twilight snorted her displeasure. I am not some animal, kid! I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria, and you w—The girl did not receive the message from Twilight’s angry snort and began to stroke her mane. Oh. Oh… that actually feels pretty good…

Toph snickered. “You like that, don’t ya, girl?”

Twilight flapped her wings, slapping Toph in the sides. Oh, how I want to give her a piece of my mind. Let’s see, the moment we get out of the city I’m going to have a huuuuuuge list of complaints. Childish pranks, unnecessary talking, conflict instigation…

“My, what a beautiful creature…” this comment did not come from the girl, but a gaunt, old man with a jet-black beard. “Where did you find her?”

Toph leaned back, somehow managing to look relaxed despite being on a pony with no saddle to lean back in. “Trade secret, bucko. Can’t be letting just anybody know where the best creatures are, y’know?”

“Ah, but surely such a magnificent unicorn-bird…”

“You aren’t gonna get through to me, so stop trying. You should know who I am.”

“I am aware of your… determined reputation, mistress Toph.” He pressed his hands together. “Very well, I will not ask for information. I simply wish to purchase the creature.”

“Not for sale,” Toph said while scratching the back of her ear.

I’m glad we at least agree on something, Twilight thought.

The man frowned. “Are you certain?”

Toph let out a yawn. “Boy, you’re slow. You just mentioned my stubborn reputation. Don’t even know what you know, apparently.”

“I said determined, not stubb—”

“A wishy-washy suck-up too!” Toph broke out into a grin. “Hey, keep going and I might get a ‘sleazy salesman’ bingo!”

“Now let’s not be hasty here…”

“BINGO!” Toph thrust her hands into the air and let out a whoop. She must have done something to the earth under the man’s feet because he was knocked backward as if someone had tripped him. The other people walking around the street chuckled as he fell.

Ponyfeathers, Twilight realized. There were enough people staring at me beforehand, now we basically have an audience…

“C’mon Twilight,” Toph said, patting Twilight on the side of the neck like a normal horse. “Let’s leave this loser.”

Gladly. Twilight broke into a brisk trot, leaving the embarrassed salesman behind. The girl who’d stroked her mane followed them for about a minute before realizing Twilight moved too fast to keep up with. Soon enough, they were only drawing the usual amount of interested stares. I may have been a little paranoid about being noticed, Twilight thought.

Once they arrived at a street with only a few people out and about, Toph whispered in Twilight’s ear. “That loser? There’s lots of people like him. If they knew you could talk, in a city this big…”

Twilight nodded wordlessly. There is a reason we’re doing this, after all. She glanced at the ever-approaching, but ever-distant city walls. I wonder if I could fly fast enough to get over that without people noticing… Toph said it wouldn’t work, but…

She shook her head. As childish as Toph was, she had been a reliable source of information so far, and for all her obnoxious tendencies, she had gotten them out of that encounter quickly. In a way, Toph was a lot like Rainbow Dash: brash and hasty, but determined and loyal. Then again, Twilight had only known her for all of two hours, so she couldn’t really say much. She didn’t really know either of her companions.

But she was sure they would become good friends sooner or later.

Time passed. No more salesmen came to bother them, but there was always a kid or two—even some older than Toph—who wanted to see the “unicorn-bird” up close. At first, this had annoyed Twilight to no end, but she eventually learned to anticipate the ear scritches. Ear scritches were the best.

As they traveled, Twilight took the time to examine the humans of Ba Sing Se. In her previous adventures, she had encountered humans before, so she had assumed these would be the same as the ones she’d already met. This was not the case—for one, all the humans had much more muted colors for their hair and skin than she was used to. Furthermore, most had defined muscles presumably from a more active lifestyle, and, strangest of all, smiling wasn’t their default expression. It wasn’t that these people were sad, or unhappy, it’s just that when they were walking to and fro their faces were… flat. Was it a cultural difference? Or was this just the default for humans?

Twilight had so much more to learn. She couldn’t wait to leave the city and ask the many questions she’d accumulated.

By the time they reached the gates, Twilight had categorized one-hundred and seventy-three specific questions to ask Toph once they were on the road. She hadn’t gotten to alphabetizing them, though, so she was just going to have to ask them in whatever order they had come to her.

Her fixation on the list prevented her from noticing something was up.

“Hmm…” Toph said. “I don’t sense the guards at the gate.”

Twilight looked up at her in confusion.

“There’s always guards there. They need to open the gates. I can open them myself, but most people can’t.” Once they could clearly see the bottom of the gate, Toph got off Twilight, stamping her feet into the dusty road. “Hmm… there’s almost no people here. There’s always people at the gates.”

Twilight looked around, finding no one. “Ar—”

“Shhh,” Toph hissed, jostling her sack a little too roughly, prompting a wince from Tippi. “Let’s try to run. Three. Two. One…” Toph broke out into a run, shooting a little burst of rock under her feet to propel herself forward. Twilight galloped after her, pressing her wings to her side to minimize drag.

The area around the gate was just an extension of the dirt road, forming a semicircle in front of the gargantuan earthen slabs. The moment they were at the gates, Toph pressed both her hands together and erected a curved wall of earth around the two of them. “People are coming!” She set Tippi’s sack on the ground.

Twilight prepared a fireball and directed it upward—the only way an enemy could approach given Toph’s new wall.

“No, don’t do anything. I’ll handle it.”

“Yo—”

“Shhh!”

Twilight let out a whinny and dispelled the fireball, taking a defensive position behind Toph.

Instead of opening the gates, Toph pulled several boulders out of the ground and set them in front of her. She filled every space that wasn’t holding her and Twilight with them. The moment she was done, Twilight spied their first enemy—a woman in black and red robes had just climbed on top of the wall and pointed a finger at Toph. There was a split second where nothing happened, but then a spark manifested at the tip of the attacker’s fingernail. With a rush of heat, the spark became a fireball and sailed through the air: an instant projectile attack.

Toph countered with ease—lifting the boulder into the air with one hand to absorb the fireball. With her other arm, she punched forward, sending the boulder flying into the woman and knocking her off the wall.

And Toph didn’t stop there.

Pushing both her hands behind her, she opened a hole in the wall where another woman was waiting. The shocked firebender tried to unleash a fiery retaliation, but she only summoned the beginning embers of fire by the time Toph threw a boulder at her and knocked her down. As this was happening, a man attempted to climb up the opposite edge of the wall, but Toph threw the boulder so it would hit him just as he arrived at the top of the outcropping.

With a coy smirk, Toph opened up two holes in her earthen wall at different angles, punching two boulders through at two other attackers simultaneously. These two managed to get off some fiery bolts as they were attacked, but all Toph had to do was stomp and an earthen shield erupted from the ground to absorb the flames.

Toph was wiping the floor with them. Twilight knew exactly why—the attackers were relying on their eyesight, and none of them could see Toph. But Toph was not limited by such silly things. She knew where every last attacker was and exactly when to throw the boulders to take them out.

Twilight realized she really didn’t have to do anything at all. Toph had already won.

Lowering the wall, Toph revealed eight total enemies, all knocked out or dazed from her attacks. “Drat, not enough for a strike.” With a shrug, Toph turned to the gates and forced them open with her earthbending. Unlike the boulders, which had moved easily to Toph’s will, the gates took half a minute to slide from their closed positions. Toph’s feet sunk deeper and deeper into the ground as she moved them, and sweat began to drip from her forehead as she exerted herself.

I do not want to meet the people who open and close this thing all day for their job, Twilight thought.

Toph stopped when the gates were open enough to let them through. Exhausted, she climbed onto Twilight’s back. For once, Twilight didn’t complain. She picked up Tippi’s sack in her mouth and trotted out of Ba Sing Se into the desert beyond.

~~~

They hadn’t seen another human being for what seemed like forever on the desert trail, so Twilight decided it was finally safe to talk. “We’re good, right?”

Toph snorted. “I was wondering how long you were going to stay quiet! You were fine five minutes out of Ba Sing Se, there’s nobody that can hold us out here. Even if they do hear you, what are they gonna do? We can fly away now.”

“And you just let me stay silent!?”

“Yep! A whole hour, wow! You really are easy to mess wi—”

Twilight bucked back, kicking her hind legs and throwing Toph into the air. The earthbender landed on her rear, kicking up a fair amount of desert dust from the impact. “...Ouch.”

“Yeah. Ouch.” Twilight rolled her eyes. She took Tippi’s sack back from Toph and opened it up. “You can come out now.”

Tippi fluttered out. “Thanks… Can we never put me in a sack again…?”

“I’ll do everything in my power to keep it from happening. You have my word, Tippi.”

“Psh,” Toph jumped up, using her bending to clear all the sand from her clothes. “Putting the butterfly in a sack is a classic trick! C’mon, it’s effective!”

“From now on we’ll just let everyone assume she’s a spirit and deal with the attention. Or find some other way to hide her. No more sacks.” Twilight glared at her with a slight eye twitch.

“Fine, fine…” Toph stretched her arms to the sun.

“By the way…” Twilight scratched her chin. “I’ve been meaning to ask, who were those people?”

Toph shrugged as if they were inconsequential. “Fire Nation ‘redeemers’, I think. See, I was part of the reason their Fire Lord was deposed and they stopped trying to conquer the world, so there’s always gonna be a few who think I need to be taken out.”

“It had nothing to do with us?”

“Probably not, you did just get here,” Toph pointed out. “I don’t think anyone here has any idea about your Pure Heart nonsense or that end-of-all-worlds thing. I bet most people haven’t even noticed the thing in the sky!” She held out a hand, pointing away from the vortex.

“...I think you got turned around,” Twilight observed.

“I choose to believe it’s in that direction.” Toph huffed. “What I don’t know is where we’re going.”

“Southwest…” Tippi said, fluttering further along the road. “The Pure Heart is still a long ways off. We have quite a journey ahead of us.”

“Then let’s get on it! Moooove!” Toph clapped her hands together, the motion triggering her bending and sending a minor shockwave through the ground in front of them.

“While we’re moving, do you think you could teach me more about how you bend earth?” Twilight asked. “Clearly, there’s an art to it I’m not aware of.”

“Nope.”

Twilight wasn’t sure she heard her. “Did… you just say ‘nope?’ ”

“She did,” Tippi confirmed.

Twilight cocked her head. “Why not?”

“Don’t feel like it,” Toph said, scratching her side nonchalantly. “I’m here for an adventurous quest, not to be a teacher.”

Twilight frowned. “Can’t we do both at the same time…?”

“Too many questions, not enough adventure.” Toph took point, a clearly forced smile plastered on her face. “Onward!”

“O...kay,” Twilight said, a frown coming to her face. “Tippi, how long do you think it’ll take us to get there?”

“It is at least a few day’s journey,” Tippi said. “I recommend we settle in… for a while...”

With a curt nod, Twilight set out after Toph along the lengthy, desert road. As the wind blew in her mane, Twilight soon forgot her concerns about her friends, her current companion, and the danger threatening the worlds. Here she was, walking across a completely alien world, possibly the first of ponykind ever to visit this place! Who knew what kind of things they would find?

She started humming to herself and walked onward with a spring in her step.

Onward, to new horizons…

Chunked!

It was night. The moon was high in the sky and their campfire was burning warmly a safe distance from every tree in the wood.

The group had left the desert days ago and were now in the middle of a forest that reminded Twilight of the Whitetail Woods back home. There were no roads or civilization here—Tippi had directed them off the road the moment it veered back when they were still in the desert. The new path kept them from having to deal with other people, which was nice, but it also meant there was a lot of silence on the journey.

Toph was currently reclining in the branches of a large tree. Twilight, on the other hand, wasn’t even trying to relax—she was practicing. Her horn aglow, she cast a fireball at the campfire a few times, adding her own flames to the small inferno. Jumping back, she flapped her wings, creating a gust of wind that blew out the campfire with ease. A simple ignite spell rekindled the fire, beginning the cycle over again.

Twilight thought she was getting pretty good at it. Even though the magic of this world was different, if she asked for a spell that used air or fire, she could virtually always cast it. Fireball, whirlwind, calm, smoke; all were at her disposal.

Confirming her skill, she turned to the third element she had access to; earth. She stamped her hoof on the ground, forming a small crack. This would have delighted her if it was what she’d been trying to do. As it was, she’d wanted to lift a pebble into the air.

Sticking out her tongue in thought, she focused all her magic energy on the rock and asked it to lift. It exploded into harmless powder, getting dust in her eyes.

“Hah!” Toph laughed from her tree. “Nice one!”

Twilight rubbed her eyes, attempting to remove the dirt from them. “I’d forgotten you can feel everything I do.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve been ‘watching’ for hours. It’s very entertaining.”

“Right…” Twilight returned to her self-training, focusing on another pebble. This time, she tried a gentle focus of her power. Instead of lifting the pebble, she embedded it three inches into the ground. “Of course. I don’t know what I was expecting.”

“You are way too rigid,” Toph said, chuckling. “Move your body with the earth. Standing still and pointing your horn at it isn’t going to do squat.”

Twilight rolled her eyes but tried it anyway. She lit her horn, focused on the rock, and swiped her hoof to the side. To her shock, the pebble went flying into the bark of a nearby tree. “Woah…”

“See?” Toph waved her hand in the air as if illustrating some poignant truth. “Your body is what connects to the earth, not your shiny stick.”

Twilight slammed her hooves into the ground, prompting a baseball-sized chunk of rock to float into the air. She twisted around and bucked the rock with her hoof, smashing it into another tree.

“Ahhhh!” Twilight winced, rubbing her hoof with a wing. “Ow! That… that rock was hard!”

“Well duh, it’s a rock!”

“But I saw you punching boulders like they were made of cotton candy!”

“Twiggy, listen.” Twiggy!? “You gotta keep bending with the earth after you lift it or else you’re just gonna beat yourself up. But that’s a more advanced trick.”

“Hmm…” Twilight kept rubbing her hoof to soothe the pain.

“Toph, I see you’ve changed your mind about training Twilight,” Tippi observed.

There was no response from Toph’s tree.

“Toph…?”

A loud snore rang out from the branches.

“She doesn’t honestly expect us to believe she can fall asleep that quickly…” Tippi said.

Twilight sighed. “It’s her way of saying she’s done talking. I might as well get some sleep too. You sure you don’t mind keeping watch?”

“I do not require sleep. It would be my honor to help a hero such as you... however I can.”

The amused snort from Toph gave her conscious state away, but Twilight didn’t push it. There was no need to bring about undue conflict between them. She laid her head down on one of the packs and closed her eyes.

As she drifted, images came to her of home. Not the Crystal Empire, but the little town of Ponyville where she spent most of her time. The small, homely buildings were dotted all around the landscape, surrounded by sprawling farmlands and forests. Her thoughts meandered to one building in particular: Sugarcube Corner, the town’s bakery, designed to look a bit like a cake. Oh, how many memories she had of that place. Pinkie making cakes and selling them to her. Rarity trying her best to not eat the cupcakes fast enough to be considered “unladylike.” Rainbow and Applejack daring each other to eat just one more cookie. Fluttershy trying not to laugh at the rest of their antics…

The smile on Twilight’s face slowly vanished as she played back more and more memories of home. With a grunt, she turned herself over in an attempt to clear her mind.

It didn’t work. She kept thinking of home until she fell asleep with a tear running down her cheek.

~~~

“And then what happened?” Twilight asked Toph, sidestepping a bushlike weed. They had slowly made their way out of the forest over the course of the morning, segueing into a sparsely wooded grassland.

“I think I shouted something about ‘being the Melon Lord’ and threw flaming rocks at my friends.” Toph grinned. “Good times.”

“You oversimply your stories too much,” Twilight huffed. “I want to know what your adventures were like. Like, you’ve mentioned the Avatar several times, but I don’t even know what that means!”

“Oh, yeah. The Avatar is the master of all four elements, charged with bringing peace and harmony to the world or some spiritual nonsense like that. He’s actually just a bald dork.”

“And you were friends with him?”

“Yeah, we traveled the Earth Kingdom, dethroned the Fire Lord, brought about a new era of peace.” She waved a dismissive hand. “All the normal hero junk. I’m sure you’ve done some of that.”

“Well, there was this time where the Storm King tried to conquer the world. He was a mutant hedgehog, best we can tell, and his history started in the Southern Wastes when one day h—”

“Booooring!” Toph declared, skipping ahead with a boost from the earth below. “Get to the juicy bits, Twiggy! His history sounds like a bunch of… history.”

“The juicy bits…” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin. “Well, he invaded Canterlot Castle and captured the other three princesses, draining their magic. I was forced to flee and seek help from the Queen of the Hippogriffs, but at the time I thought I was supposed to find the Queen of the Hippos…”

“I like this story better already.”

“Anyway, me and my friends, we…” Twilight’s smile vanished. “...We stood together and…” She took a moment to collect herself.

Top stopped walking, turning to Twilight. “These the same friends this Bleck guy took?”

Twilight nodded slowly. “I’ve been worried…”

For once in her life, Toph’s tone became serious. “We’ll get them back, Twilight.” In an instant, her solemness was gone, replaced with a crazed grin. “And then I’ll deck Bleck in the face. I’ll save a particularly big rock for him…”

“You’re sticking with us after we leave this world?” Tippi asked.

“Why not?” Toph shrugged. “Sounds like you could really use a master earthbender out in the other worlds! And I’m your girl!”

Twilight smiled warmly. “Thanks, Toph. It’ll be nice to have someone like you around.”

Toph stopped short and crossed her arms. “Now what does that mean!?”

“I-I just meant that you’re a good friend and traveling companion!”

Toph raised an eyebrow. “Friend? I mea—” Whatever she was going to say never left her mouth, because she’d sensed something. Confused fear crossed her face, but Twilight herself sensed nothing.

“Toph…?”

“The earth is shaking,” Toph said. “Very slightly. I would say it’s a small earthquake, but… I know exactly where it’s coming from. And… I can’t sense it as well, but I’m pretty sure the air is shaking too. Everything is shaking.”

“Have you ever felt anything like this before?”

“Yes, actually…” She paused, tilting her head ever so slightly toward Twilight. “Just before your door showed up in Iroh’s place.”

“Another door?”

Toph shook her head. “I can’t sense one. I ju—”

“GRAH-GOOGLY!”

Twilight looked up just in time to see a massive chunk of a man drop from the sky, landing with a fist toward the ground and creating a small crater of dirt around himself. He emerged, dirty and grimy—but unharmed, taking a moment to allow the two of them to process his sudden presence. The muscles that rippled up and down his arms were far too big to be natural, and his ape-like posture made him look simultaneously oafish and threatening, an impression only heightened by his sleeveless black leather outfit. When he spoke, his scraggly chin hairs waggled distractingly in many different directions.

“So yer the lass stickin’ her feathers in me boss’ business!”

Twilight’s first thought wasn’t one of panic, amusement, or confusion. It was oh no, I’m not going to be able to understand what he’s saying through that accent.

The man flexed his arms as though he were putting on a show for the three of them. “Yeh shouldn’t ‘ave crossed the Count! Now I’m gonna ‘ave teh get chunky on yeh!”

“Ew.” Toph shivered involuntarily.

“Eh? Wot?” The man turned to her, eyes narrow. “Wot was that?”

“Nothing you’d be able to understand.”

“The Count…” Twilight lifted her head, sizing up the man before them. “You serve that monster?”

“Yeh!” He twirled around, flexing his arm into another ridiculous pose before continuing. “ ‘e’s gonna bring back some order teh this ‘ere world! And Ah’m gonna chunk any who git in ‘is way! That includes y’alls. Prepare to feel some hammage!”

“...I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘damage,’ “ Twilight deadpanned.

“Don’t yeh tell me what words Ah can and can’t use!” He pointed an oversized finger at Twilight—it was almost as thick as her head. “Remember me name, for it be O’Chunks! It be the last thing ye’ll ever hear… CHUNK ON IT!”

“Chunk on it…?” Twilight cocked her head. She forgot for a moment that he was threatening them, and thus didn’t do anything to stop his massive fist from colliding with her face. Her head started ringing and she saw nothing aside from stars for a few seconds; she could only feel the stinging sensation of a bruise forming on her face. It took the act of landing uncomfortably in the branches of a spindly tree to take her focus away from herself and back to reality.

With a gasp, she spread her wings, attempting to flap out of danger, but the tree kept her pinned. O’Chunks was already at the base of the tree. He uprooted the thing as if it weighed no more than a hockey stick, smashing it into the ground, jostling Twilight even further. “Chunked!” He jumped into the air, angling his feet right at Twilight.

Instinctually, Twilight cast a shield spell. The universe didn’t allow for the spell, however, so her magic attempted to raise an earthen wall. Given her lack of skill in earthbending, it wasn't surprising in the slightest that this failed spectacularly. The ground beneath her shattered into a dozen pieces, none of which flew to intercept O’Chunks, though one did bean Twilight in the shoulder. It was not enough to move her away from O’Chunks’ attack.

Toph, luckily, was on top of things. With a single stomp, a cylinder of rock burst out of the ground and hit O’Chunks right in the gut. He let out a bellowing “Grrrrrah!” and fell back, clutching his stomach. “That ain’t right!”

“You know what else isn’t right?” Toph waved a hand in front of her face. “I’m blind! You should be able to take me easy!”

“I ain’t goin’ easy on ya just ‘cus yer a disabled lass!” O’Chunks shouted, charging her. With a dismissive hand, she raised a wall of earth between her and O’Chunks.

He punched right through it, tearing the wall apart like paper.

“Whoa,” Toph said, legitimately impressed.

With his second fist, O’Chunks went for Toph’s face. She tapped her foot on the ground, lifting the earth O’Chunks was on just enough so he would punch over her, leaving his stomach open. Instead of bending earth into the opening, she punched him directly with her own first. “Hah!”

He looked down at her, visibly confused. “What’re ya tryin’ to do, lass?”

Toph laughed to hide the fact that her hand now knew nothing but suffering. “That’s… a very hard stomach you got there! Not made of earth! Yeah!”

“No. It ain’t.” With a shrug, O’Chunks lifted Toph into the air with one of his hands.

Her smile vanished—she was no longer touching the ground. “Uh, think you could put me down?”

“All right.”

Toph realized her mistake. “Wait, no, d—”

O’Chunks whirled around, spinning until he was a reddish tornado. Planting his foot in the ground, he ended his spin, flinging Toph into the air like a discus.

She flew so far that Twilight lost track of her in the blue sky. “Oh…”

“Yer next!” O’Chunks shouted. However, instead of charging Twilight, he decided to take a moment and strike a few triumphant poses. This gave Twilight enough time to untangle herself and get to her hooves.

“Perhaps we should flee,” Tippi suggested.

“No, but there is something we can do.” Twilight flapped her wings, flying into the air. “Let’s see what he does about a flying target.” She generated three fireballs and flung them right at him. He took all three of them head-on.

“Ye think heat will stop meh? Hah!” He punched the ground so hard that he went flying at Twilight like a bullet. Twilight twirled her body to the side, bending the air through her wings until it became a defensive swirl with just enough force to divert O’Chunks punch away. Disappointingly, his crash into the ground didn’t harm him whatsoever.

“Pure muscle…” Twilight frowned. “I’ll have to outsmart him. Tippi, I need a—”

She never got a chance to explain her plan. She and Tippi had heard the earth rumbling. O’Chunks noticed it a second later. “Now, wot could that be…?”

“Oh my…” Tippi said. “It’s Toph!”

A mound of earth was surging towards them at high speed, not unlike a wave in the ocean. Riding atop it was Toph, clutching one arm close to her chest in pain. The other was extended dramatically, sweeping back and forth to keep the earth beneath her moving.

“Comin’ back for another round?” O’Chunks put his hands on his hips and laughed. “Lass, you got nothin’ on these chunks! Bring i—”

Toph launched herself off the earthen wave with a pillar of stone, flying into the air. Using her healthy arm, she thrust her fist at the ground below O’Chunks, creating a hole. Before he could do anything, she landed, creating a shockwave from her feet that knocked O’Chunks over. With a twist of her left leg, she sealed the hole up, leaving only O’Chunks’ head visible on the surface.

O’Chunks growled. “No trap’ll hold me!” In another feat of impossible strength, he flexed and burst out of the hole, sending the earth she’d trapped him with into the sky where it rained down in harmless clods. He stomped aggressively in front of Toph. “Yeh have tricks, Aye’ll give yeh that, but ye—”

Toph twisted her hand in a wide circle, slapping O’Chunks in the side of the head with a slab of rock. Not a second later, she kicked a boulder into his face and clenched her fist, encasing his feet in rocks. O’Chunks only had to kick once to free himself, but it was during that kick when Toph lifted another slab of rock to slap him in the face. Finishing off her attack, she kicked up three boulders and hurled them straight into O’Chunks’. Despite this onslaught, he still managed to jump into the air, angling a fist for her.

She smirked.

With one stomp, a pillar of earth erupted from the ground at high speed, beaning O’Chunks right between the legs.

“I… I… I…” Quivering, O’Chunks slid off the pillar and slammed into the ground. “I’m… chunked…” he whimpered.

“You got that right!” Toph called, giving him a thumbs up. She didn’t realize she’d was using her injured arm until after she made the gesture, but she managed to keep the smile through the pain.

“That was… amazing!” Twilight called. “Toph, you were…”

“The best? I know.” This time she pointed at herself with her healthy hand. “I ain’t gettin’ chunked by some fancy talking ape.”

“I ain’t… an ape…” O’Chunks grunted, slowly returning to his feet. “I am…”

“O’Chunks, we get it,” Toph deadpanned. “We also beat you, so suck it up.”

“What kind of strange lass are ye…?” O’Chunks asked in disbelief.

“I’m Toph.” She leaned toward him, chuckling. “And if you want I can keep smashing rocks into your face.”

“Doff, ‘ey? ‘Tis an odd name. But I’ll remember it!”

“Toph,” Toph insisted.

O’Chunks lifted himself to his full height, and Twilight realized how little damage they had actually done. He was clearly tired, but otherwise he was in peak physical condition. “Listen here, Doff! If yeh weren’t such a wee toddler, I wouldn’t ‘ave taken it so easy on yeh!”

“Toddler!?” Toph clenched her fist.

“I ‘ave to ‘and it to yah, yah effort was somethin’ else! We’ll call it a tie. But next time, I won't go so easy on yah!”

“TIE!?” Toph all but shrieked.

“ ‘Till then, Doff! Chunks away!” He jumped into the air, where a purple vortex of power grabbed him, taking him somewhere else.

“Get back here, coward!” Toph shouted. “Coward! That was not a tie! I trounced you! Get back here!” She continued shaking her fist at the sky.

“To be honest, I’m actually glad he’s gone,” Twilight said, trotting up to her.

“Next time I see him, I’ve got a boulder with his name on it. I might make his bigger than Count Ugly’s.”

“Let me see your arm…” For once, Toph didn’t argue. She was unable to keep back her winces of pain as Twilight slowly moved it around with her wings. “It’s broken. We’ll need to get a sling for you. I might be able to accelerate the healing with my magic, if we left the world.”

“We’d have to go back to the door,” Tippi said. “We can’t ignore the curse like Count Bleck’s minions can.”

“They can just appear and disappear whenever they want in those vortex thingies?” Toph asked. “Lame!”

“I suspect they must obey certain rules of their own, but yes, they can travel unbidden. We… have to make do with Flipside’s doors.”

“I do wonder how he found us…” Twilight pondered.

~~~

Several days ago…

“ ‘Dis be some great grog!” O’Chunks declared, downing another cup of tea. “Ye’ve outdone yerself, uh…”

“Iroh,” Iroh said, bowing to the hulking man. “I’m glad you appreciate our world’s cuisine.”

“Great grog!” O’Chunks echoed, downing another cup. “More!”

“Sir, I’d be happy to serve you all day, but you look like a man with a mission.”

“Mission… Mission…” O’Chunks stroked his beard. “I’m supposed to find some people… Uh…”

“Would they, by chance, be from another world?”

“Uh… Aye! That’s right! I… oh no…” O’Chunks put his hands to his head and started shivering. “I completely forgot! Now they’ll be long gone and I’ll never find ‘em! Say goodbye to me chin hairs…”

“Do not worry yourself, young man,” Iroh said, smiling warmly. “They went somewhere in that direction.” He lifted a finger to point.

“Yer a lifesaver, gramps!” O’Chunks stood up, banging his head against the Jasmine Dragon’s ceiling. Grunting, he squeezed out of the Jasmine Dragon, his girth making it a chore to leave without busting the door down. One out, he let out a laugh and jumped into the air—where a purple vortex caught him.

“Oh.” Iroh glanced at the Void in the sky, confirming with another glance behind him that it matched what O’Chunks had jumped into. “I don’t believe he intends to help them.” He laughed nervously. “...Whoops.”

It still took O’Chunks several days of jumping around to find them.

~~~

Toph, Twilight, and Tippi approached a mountain range. Toph’s arm was still in a sling, but she wasn’t letting it stop her from marching forward with a determined grin.

“It’s really close now,” Tippi said, flapping higher into the air. “I think it’s either on top of or on the other side of those mountains.”

“Hold on…” Toph slammed her foot into the ground, sending vibrations far away to get a better lay of the land. “There’s a maze of tunnels running nearby. I…” She gasped. “I know where we are!”

“Where?”

“I’ve never been here personally, but the others told me about it! There’s a secret tunnel through the mountain that leads into a maze of corridors—they call it the Cave of Two Lovers!”

“That sounds like a place a Pure Heart would rest…” Tippi noted.

“But I like Sokka’s name for it better.” She took in a deep breath and shouted “SECRET TUNNEL!” to the universe.

Nobody but Twilight and Tippi heard her, but it was enough to satisfy Toph.

“C’mon, let’s get inside,” Toph said, running ahead.

“You know the way in?” Twilight asked.

“No. But I can make one.” Toph raised her fist. “I’m going to cut through a mountain. Stand back, this might get ugly.”

The Lovers' Maze

Punching through a mountain wasn’t really a big deal for Toph. Usually, she just went over mountains since that was easier, but carving her way through rock was not exactly unheard of.

Now, doing it one handed, that posed a welcome challenge. It was true that the core of earthbending was in the way the feet interacted with the ground, but to move rocks with any sort of precision and speed, the chi had to flow through the arms. With just one arm, her usual blazing speed of shoveling rock out of the way was reduced to a significantly less impressive act of carving rock away one sheet at a time.

She could sense Twilight’s jaw hanging dropping further and further as time went on, though, so Toph wasn’t complaining. She had no idea about Tippi, but from what little Toph had gotten from the fairy over the course of her journey, she was pretty sure Tippi didn’t have a face to read. That fluttering bug made her uneasy. If she talked more often that’d be one thing, but she was so silent that Toph often forgot she existed.

Luckily, Toph was about to get a break. The tunnel was just ahead. Just a few more shoveling motions, and… bingo.

With a final punch, she broke through the wall into the Cave of Two Lovers with a cloud of dust. She took a “look” by stamping her feet. As the tremors went out, she sensed a massive tangle of tunnels, forks, twisting corkscrews, and multi-level tunnel nonsense. It was delightful.

To Twilight and Tippi, it was just a long cave they couldn’t see the end of. Twilight lit a fire spell in response to the darkness, radiating enough heat for Toph to notice.

“Well…” Twilight said, frowning. “Tippi, is it in here?”

“I believe so,” Tippi said, fluttering forward. “But… I’m afraid I will not be of much assistance pinpointing its exact location.”

“This place is a maze, too,” Toph added.

“How did your friends get through it?” Twilight asked.

“They were split up. One befriended a badger-mole—which I can do, but that depends on us finding one—and the others realized that, in the dark, the crystals will glow and lead you from one end of the tunnels to the other.”

“Great!” Toph felt the heat of the fire vanish. “Oh, I can already see it! The crystals go both directions, which means we’re on the path!”

“On the path to an exit,” Toph corrected. “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say your dumb Heart thingy isn’t hidden at one of the exits.”

“Right…” Twilight brought the fireball back, presumably since the glow of the cave wasn’t enough for her. “So, then we begin to map the maze.”

“That’d work if the badger-moles weren’t constantly re-arranging the tunnel setup.”

“Then I can help,” Tippi said. “I can begin running a pathfinding algorithm based on triangulation data a—”

Toph punched through a wall, arriving in another section of the maze.

“Or… we could just follow you…” Tippi all but whispered. “Since you can feel the entire layout of the maze…”

“That’s right!” Toph declared, putting her hand on her hip and standing as tall as she could manage—which was still slightly shorter than Twilight. “Toph here is gonna let you breeze through the entire journey! We’ll be at that nasty Count’s doorstep in less than a month!”

“Right… keep digging that way…”

Geez, would it kill her to be happy once in a while? Toph thought while she thrust her hand forward, cutting through more and more dirt. She sensed a few creatures—probably wolf-bats—running away from her. They knew not to mess with earthbenders while underground. She didn’t sense any badger-moles, but it was possible they were sleeping, and when they were dormant it was basically impossible to tell them from actual rock at a distance.

Cutting further and further into the rock, she checked every few minutes to make sure Twilight was still there. The alicorn’s jaw was no longer hanging open. Given how relaxed she seemed, she was probably getting a little bored.

Toph empathized with the alicorn. She was getting bored herself—and tired. She’d shoveled a lot of rock today, and she was running low on energy. However, she sensed a larger area up ahead. Hopefully, that was the goal.

“This might be it!” Toph shouted, punching through the final wall. They entered a large, round room with rubble piles around the edges. Unlike the rest of the tunnels, which had been bare, this one held some unlit torches, two sarcophagi, and a relief sculpture of two humans kissing with an inscription under it. Resting under the feet of the lovers was a sleeping badger-mole, easily larger than a small house. Toph’s earth-quaking excavations had done nothing to disturb it. After all, its kind did the sort of thing Toph had just done all day, every day. Tremors were inconsequential to it.

“Uh… Toph?” Twilight whispered. “What do we do?”

“Don’t worry about the badger-mole,” Toph called. “I know his kind. Just don’t poke him.”

“Right,” Twilight said, cautiously. Toph sensed her take to the air, presumably to light the torches since the heat in the room increased markedly.

“So, is this it?” Toph asked.

“If it’s not, it’s really close,” Tippi said. “Do you sense a heart-shaped crystal anywhere, Toph?”

“Nope.”

“I’m sure it’s here somewhere…”

“Keep scanning,” Twilight encouraged, landing back down besides them. “With more information we’ll be sure to find it.”

Toph shrugged—her work was done here. She sat down next to the badger mole. It grunted. “Ah, you’re not really asleep, are you, big guy?”

The mammal nuzzled her—was it one of the ones she’d met when she was young? It was possible, they moved around a lot. It might recognize her by smell. It really was too bad that her nose wasn’t that great.

“You know, sometimes, I wish I could just stay down here,” Toph said, leaning into the beast’s fur while Twilight and Tippi scrambled around in their search. “No light, no people who need light, and no people who rely on light to think. I bet if I tried to explain metalbending to you, you’d understand.”

The badger-mole yawned.

“...Then again, probably not. You are just an animal.”

The badger-mole either didn’t understand or wasn’t insulted by this.

“ ‘Love shines brightest in the dark,’ “ Twilight read from the relief’s inscription.

“That’s the clue for how to find the exit,” Toph said, waving a hand.

“Right, right…” Twilight glanced at the badger-mole warily. “Are they all tame, like this?”

“Deeeeeefinitely not! You just have me with you, and I know the ways of the badger-mole. Where would you be without me?”

“Where indeed?”

Toph sat bolt upright—that hadn’t been Tippi or Twilight’s voice. Checking her vibrational senses, she found nothing. “Twilight...?”

“It’s… a jester,” she reported. “Just… floating there.”

“So very nice to meet you, my lavender equine!” the voice said, coming from just above Toph. She focused on her hearing, honing in on his location. “And your feisty rock-chucking companion.” That came from the other side of the room. He moved fast.

“Who are you?” Toph asked.

“I am Count Bleck’s master of dimensions… The pleaser of crowds! Like a drunk design consultant crashing a business retreat party, I invade your troop! I am… Dimentio!” His voice had come from at least four different locations during that miniature monologue. Toph had no idea how he was moving.

“Another one?” Toph snorted, hiding her unease as best she could. “We got the last guy easy.”

“I know! I was watching!” Suddenly he was right next to her ear. “I do love a good chunking…”

Toph swirled her fist around and hit nothing but air. He continued speaking somewhere near the ceiling. “But I have to admit, O’Chunks wasn’t a very good obstacle for you to face.” He was next to Twilight now. “It would be so very dull if your journey ended so easily, without any…” He was in front of the badger-mole. “Conflict.”

“W-what are you doing?” Twilight stammered.

“I’m about to give your journey the epic magic it needs!” Toph felt a sharp heat in the room. Immediately, the badger-mole stood up and snarled at where Dimentio probably was. Toph heard a finger snap, and the badger-mole was lifted off the ground and thrown into the cavern wall.

“What did you do to him!?” Toph demanded.

“Rather simple, really! I made him think you two were the most delicious morsels in existence! Now you can spend some quality snack time with this old mole… Ciao!”

And then he was gone. Toph thought that maybe, just maybe, she felt a slight rumble in reality like she had when O’Chunks had appeared. but if she had, it was so slight she couldn’t trust herself to identify it reliably.

Though, at the moment, she wasn’t overly concerned about that. She had bigger problems.

Namely, a very hungry badger-mole.

It vanished into the ground. Toph could no longer track it—she only knew there was a lot of rumbling happening beneath them.

“These things are master earthbenders!” Toph shouted. “Be prepared for it t—”

A mouth came out of the earth directly below Toph’s feet. She scarcely had enough time to bend the earth beneath her and launch into the ceiling, forming a stalactite for a handhold. The badger-mole jumped after her, this time swinging with a massive claw. Toph kicked the ceiling, producing a slab of rock to swat the claw away, but the motion broke her handhold.

Falling, she lost contact with the world around her and tried to rely on memory. She reached to the ground, asking for a pillar of earth to meet her. Nothing came. The badger-mole must be right under me.

Twilight swooped in, snatching her out of the air. Toph sensed some fireballs form nearby and fly away. Given the sounds of the badger-mole’s grunting, it was having at least some effect.

Toph reached out her hand, pulling at whatever earth in the wall she could, flinging rocks at the badger-mole. She had no idea if it was working. “I need to be on the ground!” She called.

Twilight responded immediately, looping around to toss Toph right between the sarcophagi. She landed flat on her feet, and the full scene was open to her. The badger-mole was currently above ground, running after Twilight while swiping rocks up off the floor. Judging by the lack of screams, the alicorn was dodging them in midair just fine. Tippi was, as usual, out of Toph’s perception. Not that the fluttering bug would be any use in a fight whatsoever.

The badger-mole was completely fixated on Twilight, leaving Toph alone for a moment. Pressing her toes deep into the earth, she waited, free hand close to her chest. The badger-mole stumbled around as it pursued Twilight, eventually jumping into the ceiling and swimming through the earth, re-emerging from a wall just to Toph’s side.

Gotcha.

The badger-mole would have gotten Twilight by the tail had Toph not thrown a boulder right into the beast’s head at that moment. It was unharmed—but more importantly, it was dazed. This allowed Toph to go at it with a flurry of attacks. Each stomp rammed a pillar of rock into the creature, while her fist ensured there was always part of the wall falling in on the badger-mole.

Regaining its senses, the badger-mole roared and swept aside all of Toph’s attacks effortlessly.

“You want more!? I’ve got more!” Even without the broken arm, I’d be hard-pressed to beat a badger-mole at its own craft… She pulled a boulder out of the ground, holding it in the air in preparation to fling it at the beast.

Instead, the beast flung the boulder at her.

She didn’t even have time to think “oh no” before she was plastered against the back of the cavern wall, the air squeezed out of her. Flopping to the floor, she was sure nothing else was broken, but she sure didn’t feel like she could move.

The worst part was she could still sense the badger-mole moving toward her, mouth hanging open. It’s going to bite my head off. What a way to go. Decapitated by the things that made me who I am...

And then everything was hot. Very, very hot. Twilight must have lit it on fire. But… wait, is that wind? Toph was sure now, that was wind. Very powerful wind. But it wasn’t blowing the fire out—if anything, it was getting hotter.

Twilight landed on the ground, and Toph was able to sense what she was doing. Somehow, she was using the wind to fuel the fire she was throwing from her horn, surrounding the badger-mole in a twisted nexus of a flaming tornado. How come Aang never mixed his elements like that? I bet he could do some really awesome things if he put his mind to it.

The badger-mole dove beneath the ground again. Toph expected Twilight to take back to the air, but she didn’t. She stayed perfectly still.

“What… are you doing?”

“Trapping a badger-mole,” Twilight said, smirking.

The badger-mole erupted from the ground.

It got a mouthful of pure fire for its troubles, fire that Twilight had been charging ever since it dove into the earth. It let out a pained shriek, gagging in an attempt to get the fire out of its mouth. While it did this, Twilight pointed her horn at the earth beneath it. She made no attempts to control her magic, she just surged as much of it into the ground as she could. It cracked in several places, turned to powder in others, and the rest went flying randomly. To complete her trick, she flapped her wings to get a gust of wind that made the badger-mole feel as though it was falling into nothing.

With a panicked shriek, the mole bent the earth upward to meet it. It clawed at the risen ground like it was a lifeline, diving into it with frantic scrambling. The rumbling of its subterranean motion grew less intense as the seconds ticked on.

“It’s… running away,” Toph realized.

“No snack, no matter how tasty, is worth panic and getting your tongue burned,” Twilight said, trotting over to her. Carefully, she held out a wing for Toph to grab onto. Toph took it and was able to swing herself onto Twilight’s back, exhausted.

“Thanks…” Toph said.

“What’re friends for?”

“I mean, for not hurting it that badly. The badger moles… they mean a lot to me.”

Twilight nodded solemnly. “We still need to find that heart. Tippi?”

“It’s still in or near this room,” Tippi confirmed. “Hidden, somehow.”

“There’s no stealth-bending in this world, is there?” Twilight asked.

“Nope,” Toph confirmed. “You’ve got four elements and then that weird mumbo—jumbo spirit stuff that… I don’t think can make things invisible. And even if it was I’d be able to feel it.” She frowned as she rubbed her sore shoulder. “...Probably.”

“But, that guy, Dimentio, he could use magic.”

Toph frowned. “Yeah, what gives? I thought you had to follow our rules!”

“I thought we did…” Tippi admitted. “It may be that the power of the Chaos Heart can be given to others to defy reality.”

“Could the Pure Heart have this power too?” Twilight asked.

Tippi thought about it for a moment. “Actually… it most definitely could. They are connected to the forces of reality and can be used to breach barriers, it’s feasible that one could draw on otherworldly magic.”

“So, how would we find it?”

“Pure Hearts are manifestations of reality and love… they are drawn to such things, as far as I understand.”

Toph raised an eyebrow. “Well, none of us have fancy other-world-magic, and I’m not kissing a horse today.”

Twilight shivered in disgust at the thought. “Agreed.”

“It wouldn’t be real love anyway…” Tippi noted. “The statue…” The statue of the two lovers was broken and jarred from the battle, but somehow both of their faces were still intact. “They brought it here with their love.”

“ ‘Love shines brightest in the dark!’ “ Twilight exclaimed.

“That’s just the hint,” Toph grunted.

“What if it’s a twofold hint? What if…” Twilight beat her wings, putting out all of the fires with a rush of wind. The room turned cold, with a strange warmth behind Toph. She whirled around...

And then Toph saw the Pure Heart.

Saw.

There, sitting in a void of blackness, just in front of her eyes… she saw it. It… she had never seen anything before in her life, she couldn’t even describe it. She could identify its shape easily enough, a cartoonishly stylized portrayal that looked nothing like an actual heart, but nonetheless captured her imagination instantly. The light—so that’s why they cared so much about light!—was warm, welcoming, and made her think of the beach for some reason. She had no idea why.

“T-t-twilight,” Toph stammered. “What… color is that?”

“It’s… orange?”

“So that’s… that’s what orange looks like.” Toph let out a choking laugh, trying and failing to keep her tears in. “It’s… it’s so beautiful. I…” She reached a hand out.

“Wait, n—” Tippi began.

The Pure Heart resonated with Toph. It flew into her hands, filling her with life and a feeling of calm welcome. She clutched it to her chest as if it were her child, a warm smile crawling up her face.

“This thing really can save the world…” she said, breathlessly.

“H-how…?” Tippi managed.

“Hmm?” Twilight questioned.

“The… Pure Hearts can only be touched by those… who…”

“Those like us?” Twilight asked, touching the Heart with her own hoof.

“But Toph isn’t… one of us.”

“I am now, Pippy,” Toph declared, chuckling.

“Hold on, there’s some writing here.” Twilight leaned down to the ground just below the Pure Heart. “This inscription wasn’t here before… ‘when my love died, I wanted to destroy them all for their petty wars that killed so many. But I knew that was not what he wanted, that was not what our love was for. So instead of destruction, I brought healing. For his sake, I forgave them and brought our two villages together. For his sake, I ended the wars. And once the city was one and I laid my love to rest, the Heart revealed itself to me. I have never seen anything so precious. Whoever finds it in whatever era it is needed, remember, it carries with it the love between two people and two rival cities—a love that turned hate into friendship, even after death. Take it, and cherish it.’ “

When Twilight stopped reading, the only sound was a soft shimmering coming from the Pure Heart itself.

“That city was Omashu,” Toph said. “It’s still standing today.”

“How long has it existed?” Twilight asked.

Toph shrugged. “Thousands of years?”

“Good…” Twilight nodded her head slowly. “Good.”

“Welp, time to head back.” Toph grasped the Heart in her hands, feeling its energy well up within her again. Lifting it above her head, she shouted, “We got a Pure Heart!”

A New Minion Mission

O’Chunks stumbled back into the central hall of Castle Bleck, resting his hands upon one of the pillar’s bases to give himself a breather. He knew the Count and Nastasia were up there, waiting for his “report.” For once, he wasn’t looking forward to it. Sure, the Count likely wouldn’t do much to him besides the usual “I’m disappointed” look, but Nastasia… That woman was as cruel as ice.

Those glasses of hers…

With a sigh, he jumped. Instead of landing on top of the pillar like he intended, his weakened legs only carried him most of the way, smashing his face right into the pillar’s side. He peeled off and flopped back down to the ground, groaning in pain.

A purple vortex surrounded him, teleporting him gently on top of the pillar.

“There you are, O’Chunks,” the Count said, dissipating the Void power. “Welcome back.”

“So…” Nastasia adjusted her cufflinks. “I guess the hero went ahead and stomped you and sent you back here?”

O’Chunks lowered his head to the ground, letting out a pained cry. “Yeh gotta forgive me, Count! I’ve failed yeh! I’ve never felt less chunky in me life!”

The Count put a hand to his chin. “Bleheheheheheheheh… So our hero is real… Yes… And a force to be reckoned with…”

“There were three o’ ‘em!” O’Chunks called. “A rock-throwin’ warrior girl Doff, a flappy Pixl butterfly, and some purple horse thing.”

“Hmmm…” Bleck narrowed his eyes. “Princess Twilight Sparkle… I suppose my attack immobilized her, mused Count Bleck.”

“Ehwat?”

“Nothing to concern yourself with, O’Chunks, merely a name for your purple horse: Twilight.”

“Aight! Twilit and Doff, I’ll remember ‘em!”

“You will…” Count Bleck pressed his hands together. “Now, it is likely they have the Pure Heart from that universe and will be heading to the next one shortly. Nastasia, send in the girls to lay a devious trap and bring these interlopers to their very knees! BLEH HEH HEH BLECK!”

Nastasia nodded. “Yeah, I already sent them out for that exact purpose.”

The Count’s menacing grin widened even further. “This pleases Count Bleck. Excellent work, Nastasia. This hero—or heroes, it appears—will be helpless before them.” He spread his cape aside like wings, laughing all the while. “I depart! Alert Count Bleck when these ‘heroes’ are no more! BLEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!” He vanished in a swirl of purple energy.

Nastasia wrung her hands tighter. “Yeah, I’ll fire off a memo on that… but for now, we have another item on the agenda. O’Chunks, ya got a sec?”

Oh no, here it comes! She’ll ask me to shave the beard this time! I just know it!

“Yeah, so, some of the ponies from the Crystal Empire are still resisting assimilation. So I’m heading out to squash the resistance. And while I’m gone, I want you to stay here. Yeah… you just sit tight and think about your recent job performance, k?”

And then she just walked off the pillar down to the floor below and walked away.

O’Chunks suddenly felt the oppressive nature of the massive, empty room all around him. Not a soul to talk to. Nothing to do but sit and do as Nastasia said: think.

Thinking was somewhere on the lower end of O’Chunks “list of things to do” on most days, and today it was near rock bottom.

“Gah, this really tweaks me chin hairs!”

Surprise Visitors

The sun had set a couple hours ago over the Jasmine Dragon. Currently, there were no patrons in the tea shop, so Iroh was preparing to close up. He dusted off a few tables and made his way to the front doors, taking a moment to breathe in the cold, night air.

He looked out into the sky. It was impossible to see the Void in the dark of night, a fact he was grateful for. Whenever it was day, people would glance at it nervously. All it had taken was one of the astrologers to notice it and word had spread all through Ba Sing Se about the strange, tiny Void in the sky. Iroh had wisely said nothing about what he knew. There was no need to cause panic; let them think it was some cosmic event, like a comet, and not an end of the world scenario.

He had faith in Toph and the plucky alicorn princess. They seemed like admirable heroes ready for the task ahead of them.

Turning, he prepared to lock up.

“Hey! You’re not gonna lock out an old friend, are you, Iroh?”

With a smile, Iroh gestured to the open doors. “Never in my lifetime have I done such a thing. Come on in, young one.”

The “young one” in question was a tall woman with an orange, midriff-bearing outfit suitable for gymnastical movement. Her smooth, chestnut hair was done up in a decidedly long braid, and a permanent bubbly grin was plastered on her face. With childlike glee, she dashed into the Jasmine Dragon and took a seat at the counter.

“Only your finest brew, teamaster!”

“No less for an old friend…” Iroh chuckled, pouring some tea he’d had simmering for himself to enjoy after closing time. “Ty Lee, what brings you to the Earth Kingdom these days? And without your Kyoshi uniform?”

“I’m on vacation!” Ty Lee shouted, throwing her fists into the air. “I’ve been running around seeing the sights and taking in the world! You have nooo idea how much fun I’ve been having!”

“Any souvenirs?” Iroh asked.

“Uh, well, not yet, but I’m hoping to get some soon!” She leaped up onto the counter with the agility of a cat, throwing her arms wide. “How about I start here? Surely you have some legendary Iroh tea house thingamabobs!”

Iroh chuckled, leaning against the counter. “Ty Lee, why are you really here?”

“Heh… saw right through me, did you?” She crouched down, entering a frog-like posture. “You always had a way with reading people.”

Iroh slowly sipped his tea. “I’m not so perfect. I made a rather large mistake with a kindhearted brute just a few days ago. It turned out that, while he was most certainly a precious soul, he likely sought to hurt some friends of mine. I have faith they will prevail, but… well, it is a reminder of my own weakness.” He smiled softly. “We should be thankful for those little reminders, lest we become haughty.”

“...Right.”

“You still haven’t told me why you’re really here.”

“Oh, all right.” Ty Lee laid down on the counter, hanging her legs over the edge and kicking them back and forth. “Toph’s run off and her ‘students’ are getting antsy. So antsy that they were threatening to hunt her down themselves! So… I promised to track her down so she’d have a friendly face to talk to rather than a face she wanted to flatten under a boulder.”

Iroh nodded. “I suspected as much when she arrived… She lacks patience. I had been hoping to bring her around, but I was interrupted. She’s currently on a quest to save all worlds.”

“...Excuse me, what.”

Iroh chuckled. “I am an old fool, thinking you can keep a secret… but how can I not tell you?”

“My lips are sealed, Iroh, Ty Lee promise!” She blinked repeatedly, grinning. “...For what it’s worth, anyway!”

Iroh sat back. “Well, that Void in the sky is going to try and eat everything that exists, in this world and, apparently, in all others. Toph and some otherworldly friends are exploring our world, looking for some artifact that will help them stop this attack on reality.” He examined his tea, brow furrowing. “While it is a noble quest, I suspect Toph jumped on it so she wouldn’t have to think about where she was running to.”

“Who cares?” Ty Lee said. “This is about the… the end of the world! We can put her students on hold, we’ve gotta find this artifact thingy!”

“We? My dear, they left many, many days ago. We are not on their journey.”

“Oh. Well. Uh…” Ty Lee scratched her head. “What can we do, then?”

“Sit. Enjoy life, and perhaps a little bit of tea.”

“Uuuuuuugh.” She fell onto her back and kicked her legs into the air as if she were lifting some invisible unicycle. “You know I can’t do that!”

Iroh let out a deep belly laugh. “I know all too well.”

Ty Lee jumped up, crossing her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”She flung an arm wide, likely intending to let out some silly quip, but instead she knocked down a curtain in the back, revealing a set of red double doors.

She looked to it, grin widening.

“Ty Lee…”

She kicked the doors in, emerging in Flipside.

“Ty Lee!” Iroh ran after her, jumping through the doors. “We do not know what the other world holds!”

“That’s why I’m exploring!” Ty Lee said, dancing to and fro, across the top platform of Flipside. “Wow, eight spots… Do you think these will hold other doors? I think they will!” She clapped her hands excitedly. “Other worlds, Iroh! I wonder which one leads to the Spirit World?”

“Ty Lee, please, we do not know what this place is…”

“I don’t have a shadow! That’s… so weird!” She played around with her feet, trying to cast a shadow and failing utterly. She was quickly distracted by the object in the center of the platform. “Oooh!” Ty Lee jumped into the elevator. “I wonder what this does…”

Against his better judgment, Iroh ran in after her. To her shock and his expectation, the doors closed and they began to descend.

Ty Lee’s jaw dropped when the elevator showed them all of Flipside. The buildings, the spires, all suspended on nothing into the endless cream expanse. “Woah…”

Even Iroh had to admit, this was impressive. Not as large as Ba Sing Se, of course, but it was certainly an impressive city. With no people, he noted grimly.

The elevator deposited them in the room with the Light Prognosticus.

Ah back at last! I was wondering—wait, you aren’t Twilight. Or Tippi. <<

Iroh bowed deeply. “I am very sorry for trespassing, wall spirit. I just needed to get this young lady home…”

No, no, it’s no issue. I was getting lonely anyway. I am Merlon. <<

“Wow… a real wall spirit!” Ty Lee clapped her hands.

I am a computer program. <<

“I have no idea what that is!”

Of course not. Think… of me as a machine that is able to think for itself. <<

Ty Lee blinked. “Uh…”

Wall spirit. Wall spirit works fine. It’s not accurate, but it’ll work fine. <<

“Sure.” Ty Lee rubbed the back of her head.

Do either of you, by chance, know Tippi and Twilight? <<

“No idea,” Ty Lee shrugged, lowering her face to examine the Light Prognosticus closely. She began by sniffing it.

“They are traveling with one of my close friends, Toph Beifong, in search of our world’s Pure Heart,” Iroh explained. “They have not returned yet, and I believe there are entities from the Count of yours seeking to impede them.”

As expected. They will prevail. They must, or all hope is lost. <<

“Yeah, so…” Ty Lee pushed her face into Merlon’s screen. “How do we help from here?”

At the moment, all we can do is wait. And study the Light Prognosticus for possible prophecies. <<

“Are you sure there’s nothing? Like… there’s a whole big empty city out there!” Ty Lee spread her arms wide in an extravagant motion.

Flipside has never been populated beyond the initial arrivals. There is nothing out there. <<

“Do you know that?”

No, I suppose not. <<

“Great!” Ty Lee clapped her hands. “Then it’s decided, I’m going to explore this city!”

If that is your wish, the elevator can take you to the abandoned levels. I do not expect to find much. <<

“Yes! You won’t regret this!” She jumped into the elevator, descending shortly thereafter.

Iroh shrugged. “Youth.”

Indeed. <<

Iroh leaned toward the Light Prognosticus. “May I?”

By all means. I don’t believe I caught your name? <<

“Iroh,” he said as he opened the Light Prognosticus to the first page.

Heroes of Prophecy

It was the middle of the night when Twilight, Toph, and Tippi returned to the Jasmine Dragon. The doors were locked since it was far past closing, but Toph knew where the backup key was. She flipped over a rock and dug a few inches down, producing a key. Turning the lock, she and Twilight entered the tea house. The smell of tea permeated the air, but there was no fire in the fireplace.

Toph closed the door behind them. “Geez, this is cold…”

“Iroh?” Tippi called out.

“He might be asleep,” Twilight suggested. “Let’s not disturb him.” She trotted across the room, pulling the curtain back to reveal the red doors. She pushed them open, walking back onto Flipside’s platform.

Iroh was sitting there, snoring loudly, on a lounging chair.

“What is Iroh doing in Flipside?” Tippi asked, fluttering through the door.

“He got bored?” Toph suggested, walking in. She stamped her feet on the ground, feeling the new world. “Wait, is this city just floating?”

“I think so,” Twilight said. “It’s admittedly hard to tell…”

“Should we wake him…?” Tippi asked, fluttering over to Iroh’s face.

“You already have,” Iroh chuckled, slowly sitting up from his reclined position.

“Oh! Sorry!” Twilight put a hoof to her mouth. “We’ll get out of your hair, enjoy your nap!”

“Twilight, I have been getting good rest every night for well over a week. You are the ones that need rest.” He gestured at Twilight’s ragged mane, tired eyes, and disheveled feathers before settling on Toph’s sling. “You’ve been roughing it for quite some time.”

“Buuuut…” Toph pulled the Pure Heart out of her sack, grinning. “We got it!”

“By the spirits…” Iroh said, standing upright to appreciate the artifact. “I’ve never imagined something so beautiful.”

“I can see it,” Toph said. “Nothing else, just it.”

Iroh reached out to touch it, but something pushed his hand back. “Hmm?”

“The Pure Hearts only let certain individuals use them,” Tippi said. “We need to see Merlon to figure out why Toph can touch it.”

“I see… well, let’s get to it.” Iroh stretched back, adjusting his spine. “I’ve been reading the Light Prognosticus myself, perhaps I may be of some assistance.”

“You’ve been coming for a while, haven’t you?” Toph asked.

Iroh nodded in affirmation as they headed toward the elevator. Before they entered, however, there was a soft rumbling. Everyone but Toph looked up. It was unmistakable—the Void had grown, now significantly larger than any star would have been. There’d be no overlooking it now.

Toph didn’t need anyone to tell her what had happened. She knew what that kind of silence meant.

They descended to Merlon’s room in the same silence. However, as the elevator doors opened, Toph held the Pure Heart high. “Look what I’ve got!”

Excellent! That’s two Hearts now! <<

“...Is he talking?”

“Uh, yes, he is,” Twilight said. “Merlon, Toph’s blind. Is there anything you can do for her?”

Hmm. That is problematic. I lack speakers. Iroh, do you mind speaking for me? <<

“Not at all,” Iroh agreed, and from then on he spoke aloud what Melon typed.

Good. Regardless, you have succeeded! <<

“Merlon, how is she able to hold the Heart?” Tippi asked. “I expected only Twilight would be able to…”

There is evidence in the Prognosticus that there are multiple heroes. Her being blind does great things for us, actually. <<

Upon hearing this, Toph corked a brow. “Really. You needed a blind girl? I’ll try not to feel insulted.”

It’s nothing like that. It merely clarifies a passage that we thought was allegorical, since it assigned many seemingly contradictory traits to the hero. However, it may just be that those traits were referring to different heroes. <<

“So there will be others?” Twilight’s smile widened. “How many?”

The relevant passage is… “Princess of arcane relationships; blind to the sky but one with the earth; flower of hopeful love; ruler to clever beasts but servant of one; vixen of fiery shadow; analytical as a machine but seeking of more—these are the heroic traits, note them well, but never forget the quiet spark tying them together.” <<

“Princess of arcane relationships, that’s me,” Twilight said.

“Blind to the sky but one with the earth…” Toph rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “That’s just obvious.”

“And Tippi, I believe you’re the spark mentioned at the end,” Twilight continued.

“Oh… I suppose that does make sense…” Tippi admitted.

Iroh scratched his beard. “It appears I am not in this prophecy. A hopeful flower, a ruler of beasts, a fiery vixen, and a mechanical mind… that’s quite the group you’re going to form.”

“I can’t wait to meet them all!” Twilight said. “Let’s put this Heart in the core and get going!”

“Let’s put the heart into the core and get some rest,” Iroh asserted. “You need a proper night’s sleep for your hero-ing work.”

Twilight wanted to object, but she yawned instead. “Okay, fine.” She glanced at Toph’s sling. “You’re right…” They piled into the elevator and descended into the core, where the other Pure Heart waited.

Toph looked right at it, beautifully suspended within the glass pillar, and giggled. “What… what color is that one?”

“Red,” Twilight answered.

“Red. So that’s the color of a real heart. Nice.”

“So…” Twilight turned to Merlon’s screen. “How do we do this?”

Just hold the Heart up to the column. It’ll draw it in. <<

After Iroh told this to Toph, she nodded. “I just… have to give it up.” Taking a deep breath, she walked to the pillar, drawn by the light of the red Heart. At first, she was unsure if she’d be able to release the orange Heart—but the closer she got to the pillar, the more the orange Heart’s energy was drawn to it. It wanted to be there. She couldn’t refuse such a beautiful thing. Releasing it, the Heart floated into the air and passed through the edge of the column like it was nothing. The two hearts began to spin around each other.

Toph felt the world around her heat up slightly—was the column glowing? She hadn’t the foggiest idea. All she knew was that the Hearts were spinning around each other, as they should be.

Far above them, on top of the platform, an orange door faded into existence, leading to another world.

“Now, we rest,” Iroh said. “Merlon, take us down.”

Toph tore herself away from the Hearts, entering the elevator with everyone else. They went down another level, entering a level that was more like a standard city with streets, buildings, and a few decorative pillars. There was one place that wasn’t abandoned, occupied by a person Toph recognized.

Iroh led them inside to a cozy little house that had been filled with beds.

“Welcome to Flipside Inn!” Ty Lee blurted, a pith helmet sliding down over her eyes. She quickly adjusted it and gave them a thumbs up. “Good for heroes who need a break and explorers who shouldn’t work until they pass out!” She laughed nervously.

“Ty Lee, what are you doing here?” Toph deadpanned.

“Vacation!” Ty Lee clapped her hands together. “Well, uh, actually I’m currently exploring the abandoned maze of Flipside. Great place, really cool! Haven’t found much yet, though. But I’m still looking!”

“No other reason?” Toph corked a brow.

“Psh, nothing that’s important! The Worlds are at stake, Toph!” She gestured toward one of the beds. “Come on, take a rest. We’ve got plenty of beds for everyone!”

“I’ll take my seat on the platform if you don’t mind,” Iroh said, leaving them. “Enjoy your rest!”

“We will,” Twilight said. “And thanks for the beds, Ty Lee.”

“Don’t mention it, amazing purple horse-bird!”

“Twilight,” Twilight deadpanned. “My name’s Twilight.”

Ty Lee nodded excitedly.

“Question,” Toph asked, pointing at Ty Lee’s head. “Why the pith helmet?”

“I have to dress the part if I’m going to be an exploring archeologist!”

“But you’re still in your acrobat outfit.”

“Baby steps.”

“...Sure. Whatever.” Toph flopped onto one of the beds. “Goodnight.”

~~~

Twilight was shocked at how easy it was to fall asleep in Flipside’s eternal light. She woke up not only feeling completely refreshed, but as though she had more energy than usual. “Wow… this bed is amazing!”

“I don’t think it’s the bed,” Toph said, stretching her arm that had been in a sling the night before. “It’s something about this place.”

“Flipside has a rejuvenating aura,” Tippi explained. “If you rest here, most of your physical ailments will be cured.”

Toph twisted her arms around, bending a rock out on the nearby street. “Sweet!”

“Oh, my magic!” Twilight tested her magic, executing a teleport onto the street. “Yes! It works!”

“I better not have to deal with not being able to earthbend in the next world,” Toph grunted.

“Why don’t we find out?” Twilight asked. She lit her horn, teleporting herself, Toph, and Tippi to the platform.

Toph let out a cry of shock. “Ackpth!”

“Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Never. Ever. Teleport me again unless there is an emergency. Got it Twiggy!?”

Twilight was taken aback. “G-g-got it.”

“Glad we have this understanding.” Toph dusted off her hands. “Now… next door!” She pulled it open and jumped through, ready to take on anything.

She walked back out of the red door and approached the orange one, pulling it open with much less gusto.

Tippi and Twilight followed her through, the latter with an amused smile on her face.

~~~

And then there were three, the woman thought, taking her pen off the paper for a moment.

It was amazing how quickly connections could be formed. And it was amazing how quickly things could accelerate… And yet, the second world could easily still be considered an early challenge.

How far it would take them. Past what they would have considered bearable at the start of the quest.

But such was the nature of progression. As it should be.

Gotta Go to Space

“All right, magic butterfly Heart-sensing powers go!” Toph said, pointing at Tippi.

“It’s right here,” Tippi said, shocked at her own deduction. “I… I swear it’s right here.”

Toph stamped her foot into the ground, jostling a stone in the temple’s foundation. “Good news: earthbending works flawlessly. Bad news: don’t feel any Heart.”

Twilight lit her horn, levitating a small pebble off the ground. “My magic is functional, it appears. I’m sensing a strange… aura, similar to the other Hearts, but I can’t pinpoint it.”

“Great, some kind of puzzle nonsense.” Toph crossed her arms. “What do we have to do this time, turn out all the lights?”

“I doubt it’ll be that simple.” Twilight lowered her head, examining the empty pedestal in a vain hope of finding some inscription. “We need a clue…”

“Or we could just talk to the locals…” Tippi suggested.

“Locals?” Twilight asked.

“She’s talking about the giant rabbit that just climbed up the stairs,” Toph said, gesturing behind them. Sure enough, there was an anthropomorphic rabbit standing at the top of the stairs, looking at them with shock. Clearly female, the rabbit had a simple violet dress with a burgundy vest and wore her ears like hair, drooped behind her head. She had simple white gloves and shoes that, while they had low heels, looked fit for running in. Even though she was taller than both Twilight and Toph, she was short when compared to the average human. Most striking of all, however, were her eyes that took up most of the volume of her face. Not quite as large as Twilight’s own, but decidedly huge compared to Toph and the human baseline.

“Are you from… Earth?” the rabbit asked.

“No,” Toph said. “I’m from… Uh… What’s my world called?”

“Diqiu,” Tippi offered.

“Yeah, I’m from Diqiu.” Toph’s grin faltered. “Wait, who came up with that name?”

“I am afraid I am not aware of the history of the name.”

“And I’m from Equis,” Twilight explained. “Though I’ve been to Earth. Why do you ask?”

The rabbit put her hands behind her back. “Oh, it’s just that sometimes people send things through for Chris. He’s been visiting, and I come by every now and then to see if more things are dropped off for him.”

“...Did he travel here before the Void in the sky appeared?” Tippi asked.

The rabbit looked at the moon-sized swirl in the sky. “Yes, it was before.”

“Then I’m afraid no normal portals will appear. That Void is blocking almost all travel.”

“Oh.” She tapped her fingers together. “I’ll still keep dropping by, if you don’t mind. You never know!”

Twilight nodded in agreement. “You never do. I’m Twilight Sparkle, this is Toph and Tippi.”

“I’m Vanilla,” she said, curtsying slightly.

“Nice to meet you!” Twilight extended her hoof and shooked Vanilla’s gloved hand. “We’re looking for something called a Pure Heart. Have you heard of it?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m sorry.”

“We think it’s somewhere here, hidden through some kind of spell really close by. Probably in this temple!”

Vanilla frowned. “I don’t think so… but I don’t know much about this place, you’d have to ask Knuckles about it.”

“And where can we find this Knuckles?”

“He’s in space.”

Toph and Twilight stared at her in disbelief.

“He is,” she insisted, raising her hands in emphasis. “They took the Master Emerald off that pedestal right there, put it in one of Tails’ amazing machines, and went into space.”

Toph stretched. “Welp, looks like we gotta go find him and this Master Emerald. Vanilla, how do we get to space?”

Vanilla put a finger to her chin in thought. “Well, they had the only ships I’m aware of…”

“So… you couldn’t go to space, even if you wanted?”

“No.” She rubbed the back of her head. “You know, last time something like this happened, a spaceship fell out of the sky for some friends of mine to use, but…” She glanced at the sky hopefully. Nothing came. “I suppose that’s not going to happen.”

“It’d be way too convenient,” Toph admitted.

“So, no spaceships…” Twilight started pacing around the temple pedestal. “No way to contact them… Hmm… Could we try to get to space on our own, somehow? Like… are there magic spells for it, or something?”

“I don’t think so…” Vanilla clapped her hands together. “But Eggman’s base is currently abandoned! You might be able to use one of his many robots.”

“And where is Eggman’s base?” Twilight asked.

“It’s not far. I can take you.”

~~~

“There it is, the home of our resident mad scientist,” Vanilla said, holding out a hand. “He’s really not that bad once you sit down to have tea with him, but he does cause a ruckus with all the ‘taking over the world’ nonsense he tries every now and then. It has been nice and quiet around here with him gone.”

The base was a cylindrical hunk of purple metal sitting garishly atop a pristine green hill. There were many dents, scorch marks, and holes in the structure from wear, tear, and what was presumably a large number of explosive battles. None of it seemed recent, so that gave Twilight some peace with the situation. Furthermore, the fact that it was all metal gave her hope that maybe there was a way to get into space hidden within. Although, the black mustache’d logo on the front made her uneasy. If Rarity were here, she’d probably faint at the jarring sight.

“Have fun!” Vanilla waved. “I’m going back home—my house is the one at the end of that street over there. I’ll have warm milk if anyone wants it. Oh, and since I forgot to say it earlier, welcome to Mobius!”

“Bye!” Twilight waved. As Vanilla vanished over a hill, Twilight turned back around. “What a nice woman.”

“She was smothery,” Toph grunted. “Waaaaay too sickly-sweet.”

“Her name is Vanilla.”

“What’s that have to do with anything?”

Twilight put on her “explaining things” face. “Well, my name is Twilight, and I’m related to magic and the stars. You’re Toph, a play on words for ‘tough’. Names have meaning.”

Toph raised an incredulous eyebrow. “...You don’t know how names work, do you?”

“Au contraire, I think you just haven’t sat to think about it.”

“What does ‘Iroh’ mean, then?” Toph crossed her arms and leaned in. “Hmm?”

Twilight blinked. “Uh…”

“C’mon, genius! I’m sure it’s in there somewhere.”

“Okay, maybe names don’t always mean things,” Twilight grumbled. “Let’s just have a look inside.”

They walked up the dirt path to the base, finding dozens of destroyed robots laying around outside. On one hand, this made the area look like a graveyard. On the other, the advanced technology had Twilight practically salivating. These devices were even more advanced than what she had seen on Earth—metal mechs taller than buildings, laser guns, massive treads… the structural integrity of the metal alone was astounding!

“I can feel your heart racing,” Toph said.

“I’m just… I could spend years here reverse-engineering every last machine here to find out how it ticks.”

“We don’t have years.”

“I’m still going to have to investigate some of these to make a way into space, most likely.” Twilight reared up and clapped her hooves. “I can’t wait to get started!”

They approached the main doors to the base, each the size of a royal Canterlot airship and wide open. Right there, sitting before their eyes, was what appeared to be a black plane of some kind. It glinted in the sun, promising to take them to distant stars with its aggressive points and sleek aerodynamic design. However, while its front was amazingly pristine, the rest of it was either broken, incomplete, or in the process of being repaired. Panels hung wide open and so many wires were sprawled loosely over the floor. It was clearly a huge project.

As they approached, they were surprised to find that the base wasn’t completely abandoned. A human girl jumped out of the half-broken ship, landing delicately on her feet. She was a bit younger than Toph and wore a set of fancy red robes that matched her feathered cap. The girl saw them approaching and folded her arms. “Well, what’s all this then?”

“We’re trying to figure out how to go to space,” Twilight explained. “Vanilla told us this was a good place to start.”

“Vanilla?”

“The rabbit that lives not all that far away?”

“Oh.” The girl shrugged. “I’m new here, haven’t met many people.”

“You’re not from this world?”

“I’m afraid not. I got here a few weeks ago. Don’t know why, something black and flashy. It was rather upsetting, if I do say so myself.” She walked up to them and glared at how much taller they were than her. “Hmph. I’m Lulu.”

“Twilight,” Twilight said with a bow. “And this is Toph and Tippi.”

Lulu corked a brow. “Are your names thematic, or something?”

“...They do all start with T,” Tippi admitted.

“Unintentional. Probably. Unless the letter T has some kind of special meaning...” Twilight scratched her chin, pondering this for a moment. “Anyway, that ship you were working on looks great. Think we could work on it to get it flying?”

Lulu crossed her arms indignantly. “I don’t know. Would you actually be any help?”

“I’m sure we have many skills that would be of great help.”

“I can bend metal!” Toph offered. Stomping, she erected a burst of earth that threw a robot to her. She pried the metallic plating off with her bare hands and shaped it into a crumpled, ugly approximation of a cube. “Behold.”

“Hmm… heavy lifting. Adequate.” Lulu turned to Twilight. “And you?”

Twilight levitated several chunks of the robot Toph threw into the air and fused them together with her magic. “I am an accomplished magician.”

Lulu grinned. “I’m a wizard too. Watch this.” She waved her hand, summoning a swarm of lazy bees to her hand.

“An animal spell! Fascinating… most of my spells are more direct.”

Lulu waved a dismissive hand, dismissing the bees. “We can compare notes later. Right now… Oi! Blaze!”

What appeared to be a native Mobian poked her head out of the ship. She was shorter than Vanilla, and was a purple cat rather than a cream rabbit, but her eyes were of a similar size. Curiously, she wore gloves and shoes fit for running just like Vanilla did. “Yes, what is it?”

“I’ve got a magical pony and a tough girl who want to help fix the dinghy. Might be helpful?”

Blaze ran up to them, examining them. Twilight felt as though she were getting her measurements taken by those massive eyes. “They’ll do. You want to get to space, I take it?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes.”

“May I ask why?”

“Certainly! We’re looking for Knuckles so we can talk to him about the Master Emerald and the purpose of the old temple back on that floating island over there.”

Blaze nodded. “I’m going to investigate the purple vortex in the sky.”

“The Void, you mean?”

Blaze leaned in. “You know of it?”

“Yes, actually. I can tell you more while we work.”

Blaze nodded curtly. “Good.” She turned to Lulu. “I’m glad for the help, but next time, maybe recruit some cute boys?”

Lulu crossed her arms. “I will never help you with your ‘cutie-pie’ obsession. Never.”

Blaze sighed. “You don’t know what’s good in life.”

“I prefer having a brain, thank you.”

Twilight and Toph glanced at each other and shrugged before entering the busted ship.

~~~

Repairing a spaceship when nobody really understood advanced technology turned out to be about as hard as you might expect. Even with the schematics right in front of them and all the parts they could ever need, the group could never make any progress. Twilight was learning more and more about power regulation and cable management every day, but she was a mage, not a mechanic. Technology, while fascinating, was not her area of expertise. She had not been kidding when she said she’d need years to reverse-engineer everything.

Tippi, on the other hand, did know about machines. Machines like her. Which, as they quickly found out, had very little bearing on the scrap heap they were working on. There were no hard light regulation or consciousness integration systems anywhere in the ship—just endless wires, wires, and more wires; components Tippi didn’t even have within herself. All this wasn’t even considering the ridiculous supply of weapons studding virtually every edge of the craft.

Blaze and Lulu weren’t of much help either. They just wanted to investigate the Void and figure out what it meant. Lulu was a wizard like Twilight, yes, but where Twilight performed magic as an academic discipline, Lulu’s spells were more esoteric and random, cast from “a spellbook” and not from any understanding of magical theory. And Blaze was just… a cat. Who, quite honestly, didn’t seem interested in the work at all, but kept at it anyway. Twilight had no idea why she was even here.

Toph got the worst of it, though. Rarely did they need her to shape metal or move heavy objects. Most of the time she just sat around while Twilight and Tippi argued about wires, cables, and other things that went over her head. She’d even left to go hang out at Vanilla’s house a few times and nobody had noticed. After she’d told the stories about her adventures to Vanilla a dozen times, even that got a little boring.

“I hate science,” she muttered, trudging back to Eggman’s abandoned base one late afternoon. Naturally, she found Twilight standing over one of the ship’s open panels, staring at a bunch of wires in frustration.

“I don’t understand,” Twilight grunted, tugging at the wires with her magic. “You were working yesterday! Why aren’t you working now!? Agh!” She kicked the metal siding with her front hoof, left eye twitching. “It’s like every time I get you working, you fail an hour later!”

“You didn’t sleep last night, did you?” Toph asked.

“Nope!” Twilight shouted with a laugh. “I swear there are little gremlins running around that rewire things when I’m not looking!”

Toph folded her arms. “I’ve never sensed anyone aside from the five of us in here.”

“Maybe it’s that Dimentio guy! Popping in and out of existence just to mess with my wiring!” Twilight let out a demented laugh. “I’m gonna lay a trap for him! Yes… yes…”

“Or the thing could just be doomed to break and you’re grasping at conspiracy theories.”

“Let me have this!” Twilight shouted, falling at Toph’s feet. “I… I have to try something! Anything! It’s got to work!”

Toph shook her head. “You really don’t like not being able to figure something out, huh?”

“It’s poison!” Twilight wailed.

Toph put her hands behind her head and stretched. “Well, I’ll let you get back to that. Let me know if you need me to punch a wall or something.”

“Yes, yes, I will…” Twilight was already ignoring her, fixated on the wires once again.

Sagging, Toph walked away.

“Hello.”

Toph almost punched Lulu in the face. “D-don’t… How did you sneak up on me like that?”

“Invisibility and Float spell,” Lulu explained, adjusting the feather in her cap. “Testing your limits.”

“Testing my… limits?”

Lulu grinned mischievously. “It’s all in good fun! You’re such a bore if no one can pull a good one on you. Now we have… options.”

“So I should be terrified and paranoid now? Little girl wants to prank me.”

Giggling, Lulu vanished into thin air and Toph could no longer sense her. Even though she was just a little girl with a mischievously playful attitude, Toph still felt a chill run up her spine. Something about the way she’d said those things put Toph on edge.

The repairs on the ship couldn’t come fast enough, Toph decided.

Uncertain Friends

Vanilla’s house was a homely, simple construction situated near the edge of town. It was almost idyllic with the way it stood amidst the verdant trees and calm, rippling grass of the hills. The day itself was almost perfect as well, without a cloud in the sky. It was already past sunrise, but the horizon was still orange with its memory.

“Why don’t Twilight or the others ever join us for breakfast?” Vanilla asked as she poured milk on Toph’s cereal.

Toph shrugged, shoveling a huge spoonful into her mouth. “Probably way too fixated on their little project. Twilight only sleeps when she passes out, Tippi doesn’t need sleep, Lulu’s kind of a spoiled brat, and Blaze…” She frowned as she chewed on her cereal. “I don’t know. She seems deadly serious half the time, and the rest she’s on the lookout for boys.”

Vanilla put a hand to her chin. “Girls get like that when they get older, Toph.”

“How come Twilight isn’t?”

“She’s old enough to have grown out of it.”

“That’s a load of…” Toph paused, processing for a moment. “I actually don’t have any idea how old she is. Huh. Weird.”

“You’ve been traveling with her for how long now?”

“I think it’s been about a month? But half of that has been wasting time in that dumb shop.” She crossed her arms in a huff. “There has to be something else to do.”

“Just because you aren’t able to help right now doesn’t mean they aren’t doing what needs to be done.” Vanilla glanced out the window at the Void in the sky. It had grown double in size since they’d arrived. “They’re trying their hardest.”

“Sometimes I think Twilight’s the only one actually working.” Toph sighed, shoveling the rest of the food into her mouth quickly. She let out a belch. “Thanks for breakfast.”

“Don’t mention it, it’s the least I can do for a growing hero!”

“Yeah, yeah…” She stood up and walked to the door. After waving to Vanilla she trudged up the road back to Eggman’s abandoned lab. She’d tried rolling across the earth once—and decided to never do that again. It had taken her forever to flatten the road so it was easy to walk on once more. So, every day, she walked. She knew she could sleep at the lab if she wanted, but the food there was terrible and Vanilla was much better company than sleep-deprived Twilight, stuck-up Lulu, and that cat.

Toph decided that she just wasn’t a cat person.

She was soon close enough to the base for her senses to tell her what was going on inside. Twilight was asleep, as usual, and Lulu was working on something in the ship—presumably with Tippi. Blaze was… nowhere to be found. Instead, Toph sensed a large, muscular presence. Almost exactly like that O’Chunks guy. She would have said it was him if the figure wasn’t walking around through the base like it didn’t weigh well over a ton.

What on earth…?

She started running toward the base, focusing her attention on the O’Chunks-thing. To her shock, it changed shape. With a sharp puff of vibrations, it was suddenly a girl with an oddly square head. She was laughing, Toph was sure of it.

Then the thing turned into Blaze.

She’s a shape-shifter?

Toph slowed her approach, deciding it was probably best to look casual upon arrival. She walked into the main hangar bay. Blaze was sliding down one of the railings, dropping into a roll the moment she ran out of rail. “Hey! How was breakfast with mom?”

“Actually the best meal I’ve had in weeks, thank you!” Toph gave her a grin that could in no way be taken as pleasant. “Where’s Twilight?”

“She’s been sleeping on the scrap-heap for…” Blaze counted on her fingers, quickly running out of digits. “...for about twelve hours.”

“Finally got a full night’s sleep. Good for her.” Toph clapped her hands together. “I’ll be her alarm clock!”

“It’s your funeral.” Blaze skipped into the ship and found Lulu. Toph couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she knew they were talking. Hopefully, they’d be a while.

She broke into a run, getting to the scrap-heap as fast as she could. Sitting atop the pile of loose metal sheets, discarded screws, oiled gears, and random cables was an alicorn. She was a mess—absolutely covered in grease, missing part of her tail, and sporting wings as mangy as feather dusters. Still, despite this, she seemed peaceful.

“I hate to ruin this,” Toph lied to herself. She punched a plate of metal and bent it around her fist. With a soft chuckle, she smashed it into the pile, letting out a resounding and satisfying ‘gong’ noise that filled the entire hangar.

“Pancake!” Twilight shouted, jumping onto her hooves in an instant. “Where’s the rigamarole?!”

“Twilight, listen—”

“Why did you wake me up!? I was dreaming about… about… home…” A forlorn look came over Twilight's face. “Oh, Celestia, I…”

Toph grabbed Twilight’s head. “Twilight, shut up, this is important. Blaze is some kind of shape-shifter.”

“I… what?” Twilight blinked several times.

“I sensed her change forms several times as I was coming here. She’s always made me uneasy, but this… she’s hiding something.”

“I knew that,” Twilight said, carefully removing herself from Toph’s grip. “They both are. But they’re trying to help us fix this spaceship. Maybe shapeshifters are just treated badly in this world and she doesn’t want us to judge her.”

“I might buy that. If one of the forms she turned into wasn’t O’Chunks.”

Twilight paused. “Are… are you sure?”

“Positive. No one else is that size with the posture of an ape. Almost thought it was him, but she walked around wrong when she took his form. ...I would pay to see that hulk trying to dance around like he weighed nothing.”

“If… if she’s working with Count Bleck…” Twilight’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks. “Oh no.”

“Oh no what?”

“The wires… they really are being sabotaged, aren’t they? By her!”

Toph punched her fist into the palm of her hand. “Now we’re talkin’! Let’s go make her spill the beans!”

“I don’t want to jump to any conclusions, we’ll have to be sure. I’ll… I’ll set up some trap spells that will trigger on her specifically. Gather some information if she’s undoing my work...” Twilight tapped the ground with her hoof, no doubt formulating the specifics of some methodical plan.

Toph groaned. “Really? More information gathering?”

“For all we know, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this, and accusing her with the fists you’re so eager to use will just destroy our relationship and get us kicked out of the garage.”

Toph slumped onto the metal heap. “Fiiiiine… we can do it your way.”

Twilight gave her a smile. “And no matter what, we’ll get through this, okay? And tell me the moment you sense anything else.”

“Nothing to report on, ma’am.” Toph gave her a mock salute. “They’re leaving the ship now, let’s act normal.”

However, Toph was not graced with Twilight’s terrible “act normal” skills just yet, because Lulu and Blaze didn’t come to them—they ran for the front of the hangar. Toph sensed elevated heartbeats, which concerned her. “Something’s happening.”

The two of them ran onto the scene, though upon arrival Toph bumped into Tippi. “Sorry,” she apologized. After a moment of no response from anyone, she noticed that they were all looking slightly upward. “What are you all looking at?”

“They’re looking at me, small fry,” came the harsh, hammy voice of a proud man.

“Small fry!? Why don’t you come down here and tell that to my face!” Toph raised a fist in the direction of the man’s voice.

“I don’t need to. I’m going to have my robots do it for me. See, you’re all in my lab.”

“Your lab?” Twilight took a step back. “But that means you’re…”

“The one, the only, Doctor Eggman!” Toph couldn’t sense him directly, but somehow she knew he was striking a ridiculous pose. “Now, it may look like all these robots in the field are dead, but I assure you, they’re anything but.”

Toph heard a soft click, and roughly a third of the robots she previously thought were nothing more than scrap metal rose to their full height. There were humanoid beasts with missiles for wrists, angry beetles with cannons all over them, and a few things that took to the air and vanished from Toph’s perceptions.

“Have fun with the robots you were so daringly trying to salvage for parts! Now you are the parts! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!”

Egg Salad

Toph felt Twilight raise the barrier spell in the blink of an eye. To Toph’s astonishment, she realized it felt perfect. Nothing Toph ever sensed was perfect, there were always minor imperfections in the structure. But this magical barrier was a hollow sphere with no blemishes or deformations, even extending a short distance below the ground. It kept its shape perfectly as multiple missiles hit it and exploded, surrounding them all in a cloud of dust.

“You’re actually going to put up a fight?” Eggman called down to them. “How charming.”

“Wait!” Twilight called. “We were just trying to get into space to find Knuckles and the Master Emerald! This was our only option!”

Eggman let out a joyous laugh. “Well you’ll all be glad to know that Knuckles and company should be back in an hour or so! You don’t have to go to space anymore.”

“We… don’t?” Twilight’s left eye twitched.

“What, have you been slaving over a hot stove trying to get the Egg Burster to fly?”

“Well, uh, maybe, a—that’s not the point!” Twilight let out a disgruntled snort. “The point is, if there’s no reason for us to go to space, we don’t need to be in your lab anymore!”

“Very true.” Eggman admitted. “Very, very true…” Toph was getting really tired of not being able to see this guy. He was clearly floating above the ground somehow, likely via a machine of somesort, but there was nothing for her to go off of that’d help her other than his voice and a soft unidentifiable humming just below that. “But you’re still trespassers, and I hate trespassers. Blow them to smithereens.”

The robots attacked again, this time with more than just a few missiles. The explosions weakened Twilight’s barrier—the punch from the robot with missiles for wrists was enough to shatter it like glass. Thankfully, the shards melted into nothing rather than tearing into their flesh like little knives.

Toph leaped into action. She wasn’t sure about Eggman’s whereabouts, so she plowed her hands into the missile-wrist and pulled it off the robot, bending the metal with ease. She whirled around, smacking it in the head with its own body. After it ceased functioning, she peeled off a section of its chestplate and surrounded herself in the metal. Now in full armor, she charged a beetle-bot and ripped its horn right off.

“Is metal like paper to you!?” Eggman shouted from up above.

“Yeah!” Toph called up, driving a pillar of earth into a nearby robot with blades for arms. “I’m my world’s only metalbender! Deal with it!”

“Yet another world… I suppose the tear would herald an event like that. I can’t wait to study all of you!”

“You’ll have to wait!” Twilight called from above, letting Toph know she had been flying around. A magic laser went off, but it went wide, hitting the ground instead of Eggman.

“Ohohoho! A horse that fancies herself a warplane? Let me show you a real warplane.” He clapped his hands. A whoosh met Toph’s ears as she smashed more and more robots into oblivion. He’s got a big flying thing.

She heard Twilight cry out in pain. “Twilight!”

Whatever had just hit Twilight smacked Toph in the back of the head, turning everything into a blur of sounds and sensations…

~~~

Twilight cried out in pain as the massive four-winged airplane with fists on the underside punched her away like a baseball. Toph called out to her, but Twilight couldn’t see the earthbender. What she could see was Eggman’s smug, bald face sporting an oversized mustache. “Oh ho ho ho ho! You couldn’t handle the Egg Flightfist! None of you can!” He waved his arms mockingly, taunting them from his position in a round hovering chair that vaguely resembled the bottom half of an egg.

“Sleep,” Lulu ordered Eggman, pointing a finger at him.

For a moment, it looked like the fat man would doze off, his large body slouching… but he shook himself out of it. “Mind games won’t work on me, missy!” he declared proudly.

“So you do have a brain in there,” Lulu commented.

“Of course! Who do you think built all these robots? They’re my inventions, my genius!” He pointed at her. “Flightfist, get her.”

Lulu pressed her hands together and spoke words in an ancient language beyond Twilight’s understanding. The girl lifted her hands toward the Void in the sky. “Forget.”

Eggman looked confused for a moment—before the sneer returned. “I said mind games weren’t going to work.”

Lulu stood on her tiptoes and made another incantation, twirling her finger in the air. “Tor—”

One of the robots kicked her out of the way, interrupting her magic. “How dare you!” Lulu didn’t wave her hands for the next spell. “Fira!”

A tornado of fire appeared under the robot, scorching it until it was glowing red hot. Unfortunately, it was rated for extreme heat situations, and was able to keep attacking her.

“Oh, bother,” Lulu muttered.

Twilight teleported in front of her, raising a shield to protect the girl. “Run!”

Lulu didn’t hesitate. She took off at a run, only for Flightfist to knock her down a short moment later. Out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw Blaze running away from a series of mole-like robots.

They were not winning the fight.

“Are you sure we can’t talk about this!?” Twilight called to Eggman, teleporting behind the robot attacking her, driving a magic spike through the machine and taking it out.

“Talk is so boring,” Eggman muttered. “I much prefer this. I haven’t been able to curbstomp anyone in a good long while, it’s a nice feeling.”

“I’ll bet it is…” Twilight muttered, grabbing the fists of Flightfist with her magic and fusing them to each other with an adhesive spell, preventing the machine from unleashing any more unholy punches. It opted to crash into her instead, tossing her to the side from the impact. She landed on her hooves next to the downed form of Blaze.

“Ponyfeathers…” Twilight said. “He’s gonna win.”

“Heh…” Blaze laughed. “The bald ninny beats the legendary hero…”

“Blaze,” Twilight said, raising a shield around both of them. “I know you’ve got a secret.”

Blaze looked at her in panic. “W-what?”

“Toph sensed something, and I don’t care what you are, I’m still your friend, okay? But…” I’m taking this way too fast. “But I don’t have time for that right now, do what you can to save us! Keep us out of his clutches!”

“She can’t do anything!” Eggman called. “I know her kind. Cats. Easy to capture. She’ll make a nice subject for some of my nanobot experiments…”

“No!” Blaze shouted. “I am not going to become the experiment of some… old greasy oaf!”

“My dear, if I was a lesser man I’d be insulted!” He took a moment to let his toothy grin sink into their minds. “Luckily, petty insults mean nothing to me.”

“Doofus!” Blaze shouted, suddenly engulfed in a burst of purple smoke. In her place was a girl with green skin and an oddly square shaped head. “DOOFUS!”

Eggman adjusted his glasses. “...What are you?”

“I am Mimi!” Mimi shouted. “And this isn’t even my true form…” She jumped forward, prompting Twilight to drop her shield.

Eggman held up a hand to prevent his robots from attacking. “I want to see this.”

Mimi stared right at him, giggling dementedly. She twisted her head to the side, to the limits that her neck would allow. With a sickening crunch, her neck turned further, grinding the bones in her spine into powder. Her head kept turning, and turning, and turning, more like a corkscrew than a thing of flesh and blood. The small body she had before became shriveled spikes that extended from a crumpled green cube. Multicolored gears stuck out the cube’s sides, rotating to some unseen beat. Gone was any sense of a normal creature, in its place was nothing short of an absolute monster with eight wiry legs, and upside-down mouth, no eyes, and clockwork poking out at odd angles.

Twilight wanted to puke.

“Oh my…” Eggman grimaced. “How unsightly.”

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” Mimi shouted, her voice reverberating with a dark echo Twilight wished she couldn’t hear. “I’m going to skewer you, old man.”

“Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho!” Eggman lowered his hands, allowing his robots to attack. “By all means, try.” His robots unleashed their attacks all at once. There was no way Mimi could dodge.

She didn’t even try. Mimi allowed the missiles, punches, blades, and lasers to hit her dead on. She emerged unscathed. “You IDIOT! I’m invincible! Completely invincible! Your robots are scrap!”

Eggman leaned in with a smirk. “Well well well, you aren’t exaggerating. Guess I’ll just have to capture the spider instead of squishing it.”

“There will be no capture!”

“I beg to differ.” Eggman pressed a different button in his chair. “Oh Shadow? I need you to catch a fly for me.”

Suddenly, a new player landed on the field. He wasn’t a robot—he was a Mobian. His fur was black with red streaks and like all the others, he wore gloves and shoes, though his eyes were even larger than usual; so massive they looked like they touched. It was with these he glared at Mimi.

Mimi laughed. “Nice pet! What can he do?”

Shadow vanished from Twilight’s view with a blur. She whirled around, only to find that all of Mimi’s legs were tied up, pinning her in place. “Mimimi...mi?”

Shadow continued to run around her at rapid speeds, tying her in more and more rope. Twilight realized the rope wasn’t some simple strand of fiber, but rather a kind of metal alloy that definitely wouldn’t be easy to break.

Twilight caught Shadow in her magic, lifting him off the ground. “Leave her alone!”

“Take care of the horse,” Eggman ordered his robots. “I grow tired of her.”

Ponyfeathers.

“Hey Egghead!” Twilight’s ears flicked in the direction of the newcomer, identifying it as a young male. Strangely, the voice reminded her of Rainbow Dash...

A blue blur shot out of the sky and skewered five of Eggman’s robots at once, including Flightfist. They exploded in showers of metal and sparks, falling much like how they had when Toph was still cutting them to pieces.

“Oh no…” Eggman groaned. “Sonic… you’re back early…”

The blue blur stopped moving long enough to shoot a cocky finger-guns gesture at Eggman. “I’m always early, Eggman!” He looked a lot like Shadow, though he was bright blue rather than black, and his hair was much smoother compared to Shadow’s jagged style.

“Always early?” Eggman snorted. “I’m sure any one of your friends would point out a time you were horribly, horribly late.”

Sonic shrugged. “What can I say? Got places to be, things to do.”

Eggman sighed. “Look, we’ve had several long weeks in space messing with those pesky Metarex and then this Void shows up out of nowhere. Can’t I trounce these trespassers up and win for once?”

“Hmm, lemme think about that…” Sonic scratched his chin. “You guys wanna keep fighting him?”

“Please no,” Twilight gasped. “We don’t even need anything from him anymore! We just…”

“That’s all I need to hear!” Sonic turned back to Eggman, giving him a thumbs down. “Not gonna fly, Doc.”

“Ugh…”

Shadow folded his arms. “Should I attack, Doctor?”

“Don’t bother,” Eggman said, dismissively. “You know this never goes well. Take the trespassers and go, Sonic, it’s not worth getting my base trashed. Again.”

Shadow nodded. No longer needed, he turned and walked away.

With a flutter, Tippi appeared from behind an overturned box, taking her place besides Twilight. “Is the fight over? I’m terribly sorry I wasn’t able to help much…”

“Forget about that! Get me out of here!” Mimi shouted. She was in her green-girl form again, but somehow the chains still held her.

“Geez, you really tied her up!” Sonic said, lifting her off the ground and examining the chains. “I think Tails is gonna have to cut you out of this.”

“Careful, Sonic,” Eggman warned. “That one’s a spider.”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “If you handled her that easily, I’m pretty sure I won’t have a problem.…”

Twilight used her magic to pick up the limp forms of Lulu and Toph. “Do you have somewhere we can get medical attention?”

Sonic gave her a thumbs up. “The Blue Typhoon is ready for anyone!”

“The what?”

He pointed at the sky and Twilight’s jaw dropped. Floating above them was a massive spaceship made from smooth metal that ended in several yellow cones ringed in blue. The top of the ship was a runway lined with fake palm trees that led up to a multi-tiered observation deck with several decorative fins.

“A s-s-spaceship…” Twilight stammered.

“I take it you want to see inside?”

“YES PLEASE!”

~~~

Lulu and Toph were laid on beds to recover—thankfully, they hadn’t broken any bones—while Twilight went with Mimi, Tippi, and Sonic to one of the hangars with the tied-up shapeshifter levitated in Twilight’s magic, much to Mimi’s chagrin.

“This better be over quick,” Mimi growled. She hadn’t even tried to take a shape besides normal green-girl form, since it didn’t help her with escaping Eggman’s trap.

“Calm down,” Twilight chided. “I’m sure it’ll be over soon.”

“Hey! Cosmo!” Sonic called to a green figure standing on an elevated platform next to a gold-plated aircraft.

“Coming!” Cosmo called, jumping off the platform. Instead of falling straight down, the leafy petals that made up her body extended into a sort of built-in parachute, allowing her to drift gently down to them. Twilight quickly identified her as a plant-based lifeform, given the petal dress, the two rosebuds poking out of her head, and the leafy green color all over her. The eyes were a little strange to see on a plant creature, but Twilight’s overall visual impression of her was “sweet”. Her soft voice only added to that perception. “What did you need, Sonic? And who are these?”

“Some new friends that Eggman was hassling,” Sonic said with a somewhat dismissive tone. “I need Tails to cut Mimi loose. You know where he is?”

“He’s up there, actually.” Cosmo looked up to the aircraft. “Tails! Sonic needs your help!” Even shouting, her voice carried with it a soft, sweet quality.

Tails popped out of one of the hatches. Tails, it turned out, was a yellow fox with two tails. Like every other Mobian, he wore gloves and running shoes. “Coming!” He jumped out as well, and to Twilight’s astonishment, began spinning his tails like a helicopter, slowly lowering him to the ground.

Wait. Those two tails should tie up spinning that fast. How does he…?

He landed in Cosmos’ arms and the two took a moment to embrace, Cosmo spinning Tails around in a full circle before depositing him in front of Mimi.

“...I finally meet a cutie-pie and he’s taken,” Mimi pouted.

Tails blinked. “I… what?”

“I don’t like the insinuation either, buddy,” Sonic admitted. “But can you cut this girl loose? Eggman did a number on her.”

“Oh, sure!” Tails reached behind the base of the platform and removed a toolkit, producing a massive pair of wire cutters. He examined the tangle around Mimi and chose one segment. Snipping it, the entire trap fell to the ground around Mimi. Twilight set her on the ground.

“Why, thank you, handsome!” Mimi kissed him on the cheek. “My hero!”

Cosmo slowly grabbed Tails and dragged him away from the shapeshifter.

Mimi giggled. “Well, golly, you all have a pretty nice ship here, don’t you?”

“It’s the Blue Typhoon, a spaceship I designed,” Tails said, nervously.

“Tails here is our captain,” Sonic explained. “He calls all the shots and runs everything from the bridge. Usually. When he’s not down here working on his planes.”

“And when you all actually listen to my orders,” Tails huffed.

“Hey! That was one… two… three…” Sonic started counting on his fingers, but he ran out of digits. “Uh… that was not as many times as you are implying it was!”

Tails rolled his eyes, turning to Twilight. “And who’re you?”

Twilight bowed slightly. “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equis. I come from another world seeking the Pure Heart to save all worlds from the curse that is the Void—I’m sure you’ve seen it.”

“An otherworlder?” Tails gasped. “Maybe you can help us solve a mystery!”

“A… mystery?” Twilight inquired.

“Yeah, come with me! We need to see Knuckles!”

“...That’s exactly who I was looking for!” Twilight clapped her hooves, grinning from ear to ear. “Oh, this day couldn’t get any better!”

Sonic left them to Tails and Cosmo, running off at such a high speed it was hard to see which direction he went. At least he has a reason for wearing the running shoes, Twilight thought to herself. Tails and Cosmo led them through the Blue Typhoon, which, appropriately enough for its size, had a labyrinthian number of corridors and hallways. Most of them were empty, though every now and then they’d see another Mobian running around—even running into a pink girl similar in build to Sonic carrying an unreasonably large hammer on her shoulders.

Their goal, however, was in the bowels of the ship: engineering. Most of the lower decks were occupied by a power regulation system fixated on a central core, guarded by none other than the Knuckles they had been searching for all this time.

Knuckles, as it turned out, was red. He was about the same size as Sonic, but with a grumpier expression and spikes built into his gloves. Twilight hoped the spikes were decorative and not truly part of his hands. That thought disturbed her.

Behind him was a tremendous diamond-cut emerald easily larger than an elephant, the perfect size to fit on the pedestal back in the temple they had arrived in. It bristled with a magical energy closest to… Discord, Twilight noted with surprise. It was a chaotic power, but not an evil one.

“The Master Emerald…” Twilight said.

“Yep,” Knuckles said with a grunt. “What do you want with it?”

“Do you know about anything called a Pure Heart?”

“Nope.”

“Well, uh…” Twilight tapped her wings together. “Tippi?”

Tippi flew forward. “The Pure Hearts are essences of the universes they come from, associated with reality and love. They take the form of smooth crystal hearts. Have you heard of anything resembling that? In legend or otherwise?”

“Nope,” Knuckles said, folding his arms. “The Master Emerald’s the closest thing I can think of.”

“Yes, that’s not it…” Tippi leaned in. “It’s a similar power, but not the same. The Pure Heart is hiding somewhere in the temple where this Master Emerald once resided.”

“Pff, I would have noticed.” Knuckles waved his hand dismissively. “I’ve devoted my life to guarding the Master Emerald. I know that temple like the back of my hand.”

“There might be something hidden,” Twilight said. “Don’t take this wrong, but the last one we found was hiding, and would only reveal itself when we extinguished all light.”

“Hmm… a puzzle, you say?” Knuckles grunted. “I hate puzzles.”

Cosmo leaned in. “Knuckles, surely you want to know more about the Master Emerald’s temple and history?”

“...Maybe.”

“Then why don’t we help these nice people?”

Knuckles folded his arms and let out a series of indecipherable grumblings before addressing them again. “I already said I don’t know anything about any dumb heart things!”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Well, to start, we could put the Master Emerald back and work from there, see if anything new happens.”

Knuckles pointed at Twilight while glaring at Tails. “Wow, this horse knows exactly what we need to do. Let’s take it back.”

“Wait!” Mimi shouted. “Don’t you need the Master Emerald to run the ship?”

Tails nodded. “We do. All the chaos emeralds are in space, and while we have a few replicas, they aren’t exactly reliable power sources.”

“But we need the Pure Heart to stop the Void,” Twilight pleaded. “It’s slowly eating all worlds, including your own!”

“Eating… all worlds…” Tails scratched his chin. “So that’s why it sent Chris back…”

“What?” Twilight cocked her head.

Tails pressed his hands together as he explained. “We had a human on board—Chris, from Earth. The Master Emerald started flashing a few weeks ago, begging Chris to return home. It used a lot of its power, but it sent him back just before our sensors picked up the Void.”

“It would know the Void would block most dimensional travel,” Tippi explained.

“The Master Emerald didn’t want him to be stuck,” Knuckles realized, looking up to the crystal with reverence. “I’ll be! You’re always looking out for us, aren’t you?”

“It is…” Twilight said. “You know, back home, on Equis, we have a similar guardian artifact. It’s the Tree of Harmony and i—”

Twilight and Knuckles were suddenly standing in a white void, with only the Master Emerald floating in front of them.

“What the—” Knuckles looked around frantically. “Not this insanity again!”

“This doesn’t happen often?” Twilight asked.

Knuckles facepalmed. “It happens too often…”

The Master Emerald sparkled, flooding their minds with disjointed images. They saw cream-colored rabbits, Cosmo floating in space, a humanoid robot with a glass sphere in its head, a dark hand coming out of the Void, and seven smaller gemstones—presumably the chaos emeralds—becoming dull and crumbling to dust.

With a jolt, they were back in engineering, falling backward.

“Twilight!” Tippi called. “What happened?”

“The Master Emerald tried to speak to us,” Twilight muttered, rubbing her head. “I’m not exactly sure what it was saying… I saw you, Cosmo, and some rabbits?”

“Cream’s the only rabbit on board,” Cosmo said, frowning. “I’m not sure what she’d have to do with anything…”

“What else did you see?” Mimi asked.

Twilight frowned. “Hmm… There was a dark hand, the Void, and…”

“Crumbling chaos emeralds and a Metarex,” Knuckles added, standing up.

“Metarex?” Toph cocked her head. “What?”

“Evil space aliens,” Tails explained.

“The Metarex currently have all seven chaos emeralds,” Cosmo said, putting a hand to her mouth. “You don’t think they’re going to try to do something with them, are you?”

Tails sighed. “I don’t know, ever since the Void opened they’ve been acting differently.” He tapped his foot, tails spinning faster as he went deeper into thought.

“They might try to do something to the Void!” Mimi declared. “We should go investigate it! You know, what we were trying to do in the first place?”

Twilight glanced at Tippi. “It might be useful to examine the Void up close, perhaps we could develop some defenses against it.”

“The Pure Heart…” Tippi paused. “It can wait.”

Tails clenched his fists. “All right, I’m going to the bridge—we’re going to the Void. Shouldn’t take too long to get there, it’s not even out of the solar system.”

“I’m going to check up on my friends,” Twilight said. “Tell me when we get there.”

“I’ll come too,” Cosmo said. “I’d like to meet our new passengers.”

~~~

Iroh sat on Flipside’s top platform, enjoying his tea. The Jasmine Dragon wasn’t open at the moment, so he could sit and appreciate the warm, soothing glow of the interdimensional city. There was a small table next to his seat filled with warm tea. Across from him there was an empty chair—Ty Lee had been there a few minutes ago, but she never stayed very long. Always more things to explore, in that young mind of hers.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Iroh sat up, concerned that someone had found the door in the back of his shop. However, to his relief and confusion, the knock came from the orange door. Whoever had knocked had noticed that the door wasn’t locked and was poking their head into Flipside. Iroh was delighted to see a beautiful rabbit creature timidly poke her head through. “Hello…?”

“Ah, welcome!” Iroh said, waving. “Come, have a seat. Do you like tea?”

“Oh, I haven’t had any in a while, but I do love it.” Her timidity vanished the moment she decided Iroh’s face was welcoming. She closed the door behind her and sat down, picking up a cup. “I’m Vanilla. I’m from Mobius… the world behind the orange door.”

“I’m from the red one.” Iroh said. “I’m Iroh. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Vanilla. I’ve never seen a creature quite like you! Those ears are quite remarkable.”

Vanilla put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, all rabbits have them.”

“But you are not most rabbits, I can tell. You have a strong gentleness about you.”

“And you fancy yourself a poet.”

“I do. But just between you and me, I’m not any good.”

Vanilla chuckled. “You’re exactly as Toph described you.”

Iroh gave her a cheesy grin. “Coming here on her recommendation, are we?”

She shrugged. “I suppose. I was just checking in on the temple again, and I got curious.”

“Curiosity kills cats. You’re lucky you’re not a cat.”

“But then I would have a reason to be curious.” She sipped her tea. Neither of them said nothing in a good long while, appreciating the serene beauty of Flipside’s sky.

Eventually, though, Vanilla laid her eyes on the Void and sighed. “It’s smaller here. So small you can almost—but not quite—forget it.”

“Most of the people back home still don’t know what it is. It would cause them undue panic.”

“We have faith that they’ll stop it.”

“Do you doubt them?”

A small smile crawled up Vanilla’s face. “Not for a single moment.”

Proposition

Cosmo was struck by how lost she felt as she looked down at the girl on the bed—Toph, if she remembered correctly. A few weeks ago, Cosmo had felt as though she understood her place in the universe. She was to serve as the guide to the galaxy for her Mobian friends, leading them from planet to planet to find the planet eggs and save the universe from the Metarex’s evil grasp. Whenever Tails asked where to go, she would point, and they would find more Metarex to defeat. They had been getting close to figuring out what the Metarex’s final plan was, but then…

Then this Void had shown up. Across the galaxy, they had been able to sense it, how it altered reality on a fundamental level. The Master Emerald had demanded it send Chris home before it was too late. And then… the Metarex themselves had started acting strange. While before they had been moving toward some kind of endgame in the center of the Galaxy, the moment the Void appeared all their large-scale movements had just stopped.

Nobody had any idea why. For the first couple weeks, Cosmo and her friends had continued to perform raids, liberating some planets, and even finding a few planet eggs to restore life to worlds that the Metarex had drained—including the one for Mobius. But there was no longer heavy resistance, and they heard nothing from the Metarex commanders.

Nothing.

All because of this Void that none of them understood.

So the Mobians had returned home, because home was very close to the Void’s origin. And now that they were here, they’d found some otherworlders who were sure this Void was set to destroy all worlds, devouring reality itself from all angles. Nothing was free from it.

Cosmo felt small. She’d believed she was important, helping the heroes of the universe save it from brutal tyrants. But all of that seemed utterly insignificant now. Who cared about the life-force of a few planets when all of reality was at stake? Evil overlords were far preferable to absolute nothingness.

She had been blind. The girl, the blind girl laying before her, saw clearer than she did.

Toph began to stir, letting out a pained groan. “Uuuugh, am I going to get beat up in every world I go to?”

“Nothing is broken,” Cosmo assured her. “You just have a nasty bump on your head.”

Toph sat up, kicking her feet onto the ground. “Are you a plant?”

“I am a Seedrian, a plant-based life form, so… yes,” Cosmo admitted. “How are you feeling?”

“I have a splitting headache and I wanna crack that old man’s egg.”

Cosmo pursed her lips. “That... appears to be the normal response after an encounter with Eggman.”

“I can see why.” Toph twisted around while performing a few stretches. “So, you the doctor?”

She shook her head emphatically. “Oh, no, I’m just Cosmo.”

“You sure sound like a doctor.” Toph finished her stretches and pointed to the bed next to her. “Lulu, stop pretending to be asleep.”

Lulu let out a dramatic sigh. “I was hoping for some more shuteye, but oh well.” She sat up, putting her red hat back on. “Don’t tell me my diagnosis, I already know I’m fine.”

“Oh… okay,” Cosmo said. “Your friends are waiting outside.” She led them through a door to where Twilight, Mimi, and Tippi were standing.

“Toph!” Twilight jumped toward her and pulled her into a winged hug. “I’m so glad you’re up!”

“Yeah.” Toph let out a yawn. “Do you know we’re in a spaceship? Not attached to the ground?”

“Yes! It’s the Blue Typhoon, and it has Knuckles and the Master Emerald on it!” She broke off the embrace. “I’ll explain more later. Right now, we’re flying to the Void to perform some tests on it.”

“Poking our head right into the belly of the beast…”

“It was my idea,” Mimi said, curtsying. “You never know when you need more information!”

Lulu let out a snort.

Toph pointed at Mimi. “You. Blaze, right?”

“Her name’s actually Mimi,” Tippi offered.

“Right, whatever, Mimi. You owe me some explanations.” Toph cracked her knuckles. “First, how about you explain why you transformed into O’Chunks.”

Mimi blinked. “Who?”

“Don’t play dumb with m—”

“Attention all passengers and crew!” Tails called from an intercom. “We are entering the Void’s proximity—but Eggman’s already here!”

“I should get to the bridge,” Cosmo said.

“Then get going!” Mimi encouraged.

Toph grabbed Mimi by the collar. “You’re coming with us. I’m not about to let you run away without answering some questions.”

“Toph!” Twilight chided. “She fought for u—”

“I don’t trust her, so I’m not letting her out of my sight.” Toph’s frown deepened. “Be angry at me all you want and ground me later, I don’t care. She’s shifty.”

“O… kay.” Twilight folded her ears back. “I’m sorry, Mimi.”

“You can’t do this to me!” Mimi whined, flailing wildly. “Ninnies! Bullies! Put me down!”

Toph snickered. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?”

Cosmo shook her head—she didn’t know what to think of this encounter. Was Mimi trustworthy? Was Toph being unreasonable? She didn’t know these people, so how could she judge? All she could do was lead them to the bridge. It was a short journey, taking less than a minute.

The bridge was an elongated room with several seats under a forward-facing partial dome of glass. This doubled both as a screen and a window to the stars outside. Directly in front of them sat a swirling mass of darkness that took up most of the view, with a purple, vaguely cylinder-shaped ship standing in front of it—Eggman’s craft. Tails sat in the captain’s seat, hands folded in thought. Sonic stood to his side, tapping an impatient foot.

Eggman appeared on a projected digital frame shortly after they arrived. “Oh ho ho ho ho! It appears we had the same idea, Tails!”

“We just want to run some tests,” Tails said. “We don’t need to start shooting at each other. Again.”

“You know how that goes!” Sonic said, waggling a finger at the screen.

Eggman began to twirl his mustache. “I don’t know, I have already claimed this Void in the name of the Eggman Empire. Who knows what kinds of new robots I could make with its power?”

“Nothing that could stop me!” Sonic chuckled.

Eggman let out a disgruntled sigh. “I’d need time to build it anyway. Bah. Fine. Scan away. I’ll warn you, get too close and it will rip your atoms to shreds. Best as I can tell, it’s a vortex of pure destruction poking in from another universe. And no, it’s not Earth, I checked.”

“Thanks Egghead!” Sonic gave him a mocking salute.

“Don’t get used to it,” Eggman groaned.

“C’mon, you know you like working together!”

“Yes,” Cosmo added. “I was looking forward to our joint effort to stop the Metarex.”

Eggman scratched his chin. “Fair enough. I did want to see the little scrap heaps blown to pieces. But we all know how that went.”

“I wonder where they are…” Tails mused.

“It doesn’t matter, right now we need to focus on this Void.” Eggman held out a hand in gesture. “It’s interfering with our reality on a fundamental level. I can’t even imagine the power behind it. My suggestion is that we introduce the Master Emerald’s power to it, see wha—”

A blazing ring of gold energy suddenly appeared in space beside the Egg ship and Blue Typhoon, depositing not one, but several dozen ships. Unlike Eggman’s robots, which were smooth and rounded with chrome exteriors and only sported the occasional spike, these ships were designed with harsh angles, scale-like plating, and soulless glass spheres that gave the illusion of eyes. The overall designs resembled fish more than anything, and predatory ones at that.

“The… Metarex…” Cosmo breathed.

“We haven’t seen this many of them in one place in weeks!” Sonic shouted.

“They’re here for the Void too…” Twilight said, ears perking up.

“Oh dear…” Eggman leaned back in his chair. “This could be problematic…”

Tails pressed a few buttons next to his chair. “They… they see us, but they’re ignoring us.”

“Hey Eggman!” Sonic grinned. “Wanna take them out?”

“No, I want to see what they’re doing…” Eggman let out a thoughtful grunt. “They must know something about it we don’t.”

“I still can’t believe they’re talking to you like some kind of old friend,” Toph muttered. “This is surreal.”

“Oh ho ho ho ho ho!” All evidence of Eggman’s concern left his features. “Just you wait, metal-smasher, before the week is out Sonic and I will have a showdown for the ages!”

“That quickly turns into us working together to fight whatever evil he’s unleashed,” Sonic added.

Eggman glared at him. “Clam it, wise guy, that doesn’t always happen.”

“It happens often enough!”

“I had nothing to do with the Metarex!” Eggman waved his hands around angrily.

Cosmo would have laughed if she weren’t so concerned about the Metarex. The destroyers of her people, messing with a world-eating Void. There was no way this could be good.

“They’re doing something!” Tails called, bringing up another image on the screen. One of the Metarex ships opened up, allowing a single member of their race to jump into open space. Cosmo recognized him instantly. Humanoid, with numerous dull purple spikes protruding from his metallic body. A single green orb dominated his chest, with a smaller one sitting in the center of his head. That was Dark Oak. The leader of the entire Metarex armada.

Why now? Their ships could get here faster than us. If they wanted to use it, they could have long ago…

Dark Oak lifted his hands toward the Void, summoning seven sparks of light to him. The seven chaos emeralds. Pure chaotic energy. What does he hope to do with them?

“Oh.” Eggman said. “Oh.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“He’s trying to use the chaos energy within the Emeralds to control the Void.”

“Can we shoot him now?” Sonic asked.

“It’s too late. He’s done all he needs to.”

A tendril of purple, noxious smoke reached out from the void to the seven chaos emeralds, coalescing in the center.

“This… this is part of what the Master Emerald was telling me!” Twilight said.

Eggman stared at her with an intensity previously absent from his features. “What did it show you?”

“There was a dark hand, that… Metarex, and the emeralds. The emeralds turning to… dust.”

As she spoke the words, the seven lights surrounding Dark Oak exploded, tossing him unceremoniously against the hull of his ship. The darkness from the Void surrounded the bristling lights of chaos and devoured them, drawing all the energy into itself.

Everyone aboard the Blue Typhoon heard a pained, unholy scream come from engineering, shrill and panicked, yet beautiful in its call.

“The Master Emerald…” Twilight winced, folding her ears back. “It… it felt that.”

“At… at least the Metarex don’t have the chaos emeralds anymore,” Cosmo offered. “That’s good, right?”

“Maybe,” Eggman muttered. “Or maybe now that they’re gone the Metarex will destroy us. A—” Eggman paused as something came up in his feed. “Tails, are you broadcasting anything?”

“Hmm? No, I don’t think so.” Tails pressed a few buttons. “Wait… we are broadcasting something. Directly to Dark Oak’s ship…”

Cosmo glanced at Mimi—who looked more than a little nervous. But she had been under Toph’s watchful gaze, she couldn’t have done anything.

“Where’s Lulu?” Twilight asked.

Toph stamped her foot on the ground. “She’s… in a round, metal thing near the back of the ship? Another ship?”

“Locking down hangars!” Tails shouted, pressing a few buttons. “I’m locking it down… error? I’m the captain, the system shouldn’t be able to do that!”

“She’s gone,” Toph said. “No longer touching the ship.”

On the screen in front of them, a white airplane zoomed away from the Blue Typhoon, directly for the Metarex fleet.

“Shadow, take that craft out!” Eggman ordered.

The Egg ship opened a hangar to let Shadow out, but he never left—the Metarex fleet started firing its weapons, forcing the Egg ship and Blue Typhoon to raise shields. Cosmo whimpered.

“What is happening?!” Toph asked.

“We’re getting shot at!” Sonic said. “Tails!”

Tails pressed several buttons in rapid succession. “I’m getting us out of here!”

The Blue Typhoon shuddered as Tails pulled a 180 and flipped around, zooming around the moon of Mobius, the Egg ship flying alongside. They soon had an entire moon between them and the Metarex fleet.

There was no pursuit whatsoever.

“We safe?” Toph asked.

“I… think so,” Tails said. “But Lulu got away.”

“I wonder what she told them…” Eggman scratched his chin.

“I know who knows.” Toph punched Mimi in the face, driving her to the ground. “Enough games! What’s going on!?”

“Toph!” Twilight chided. “I’m so sorry Mimi, I…”

Mimi started laughing. She threw her head back, her laugh turning into a demented, unnatural giggle that sounded as though it was a skipping audio track.

Twilight took a step back. “Mimi?”

“Doofuses…” Mimi cackled. “I’m not telling you anything but this: Count Bleck says hi!” Once again, she snapped her own neck and twisted it a few dozen times, each cycle carrying with it the sound of a wind-up toy and cracking bone, taking the worst aspects of natural and artificial motion and blending them together. As her body began to shrivel, Twilight encased her in a magical restraint. This did absolutely nothing—when her spidery legs erupted from her crinkled form to Cosmo’s utter revulsion, Mimi burst through the barrier without even trying. The thing before Cosmo no longer looked alive or dead, but some kind of unholy mesh of mechanics, organics, and paper.

“What… are you?” Cosmo breathed, taking a step back from the spidery monstrosity.

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” Mimi trilled. “I’m just Mimi! Just Mimi!”

Eggman frowned. “Well, I’m going to let you all have fun with that.” He hung up.

Sonic shrugged. “Just like Eggman…” He jumped into the air, spinning so fast he became a blue sphere rather than a hedgehog. Twisting through the air, he slammed into Mimi at outrageously high speeds.

She didn’t even budge.

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMI! I’m invincible, idiot! You can’t do anything to me!”

Twilight surrounded her in a telekinetic aura. “I might be able to do something.”

“What are you gonna d—”

Twilight teleported Mimi outside the ship into the cold vacuum of space. They could see her just outside the Blue Typhoon’s main window.

However, to Twilight’s shock, this didn’t seem to deter her. Her spidery legs stretched far beyond their natural length and latched onto the ship’s glass dome. She punctured a hole with one of her legs, and explosive decompression began. It was not as violent of a rush of air as most would think, but it was enough to blow the hair of everyone in the room toward the hole. The real danger was Mimi forcing her legs through the opening she’d just made.

“Everyone off the bridge!” Tails shouted, jumping out of his seat and to the exit door. Toph, Twilight, Tippi, and Sonic followed him, with Cosmo taking up the rear. Just before she slipped through the door, she stole one last glance at the disgusting monstrosity that was Mimi.

“So much anger…” Cosmo shook her head, running through the door after the others. It closed behind her and sealed shut. Three seconds later, something massive smashed right into it, buckling the reinforced metal.

“Keep running!” Sonic shouted.

“This is Tails!” Tails said into his watch. “Everyone, we have an intruder! A shapeshifter, Mimi! Nothing we do hurts her! Avoid at all costs!”

“Knuckles, that means you stay where you are!” Cosmo added to the order. They jumped into an elevator, the doors sliding shut just as Mimi broke down the outer door. For a moment, Cosmo felt the air around them depressurizing, but this ended the moment the elevator doors had sealed.

However, now that Mimi was further in the ship with more air, she could be heard again. “MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” It was a sound of madness, delusion, and rage. Rage unlike any Cosmo had ever felt. What happened to you?

The elevator reached its destination. Engineering. Cosmo, Tails, Sonic, Twilight, Tippi, and Toph all jumped out just in time, for Mimi had caught up and crushed the elevator from above with her many legs.

“There’s nowhere to run in space…” Mimi chuckled darkly. “Nowhere to run at all! What do you think all this scurrying will accomplish!?”

“Now, Knuckles!” Cosmo shouted.

Knuckles nodded, turning to the Master Emerald. “The seven are the servers… and the seven have been lost…”

“What are you doing?”

Knuckles ignored her screeches. “In this tragedy, Master Emerald, still, I ask for your power! Strike down the evil before us!”

The Master Emerald flashed a bright green color. A burst of energy came from its many facets and hit Mimi directly. There was a sound like glass shattering, and Mimi took a few steps back.

“What… what did it do to me?” Mimi’s legs wobbled as she struggled to regain her footing.

Sonic jumped up and kicked Mimi in the face, making her yell out in pain. “I think it removed your invincibility!” Sonic laughed.

“No… no! Nothing can overrule the Count’s power! He gave this to me!”

“This Count of yours is nothing,” Knuckles huffed. “And now you’re going to feel the pain…”

“Me first,” Toph said. She kicked the metallic ground, peeling up a piece of Tails’ precious ship, slapping Mimi across the face with it. One of the spider’s legs detached, making her stumble. This allowed Sonic to jump in a few times, removing a couple limbs while Knuckles drove on, pummeling her with his fists. Twilight even got in on the action, releasing a few laser blasts right at her.

Without her invincibility, Mimi was helpless to the dogpile. She was soon nothing more than a crumpled green cube with gears poking out the sides—no legs at all. “MIMIMimimimimimimi… mi… mi…” She coughed. “You… can’t… no…” Letting out a noise that was a cross between a cobra’s hiss and the sound of knives being sharpened, she was engulfed by a purple vortex, taken out of the world.

“Coward!” Knuckles shouted.

“Get used to it, that appears to be how they work,” Toph muttered. “They talk big but then you beat them down and they run away.”

Sonic shrugged. “Eh, running's not that bad. I do it sometimes.”

Cosmo let out a relieved breath. “We’re okay… we won!”

Twilight nodded. “Thanks for your help.”

Toph coughed. “Uh, hello? I think we all forgot about Lulu escaping? What’s she doing?”

Cosmo’s smile vanished and her stomach fell. Lulu was going to the Metarex, and they wanted her. What was she offering them?

~~~

Lulu strutted off her stolen craft and onto the bleak, harsh railing inside the Metarex flagship. Her shoes clattered along the metal beneath her as she approached a central core. There was no floor to the room, only four bridges that led to a central power core powered by some sort of crystal that appeared to have a galaxy within it. Along the edges of the room dozens of small Metarex scurried around—though Lulu supposed they could just be simple robots, not complex beings like Dark Oak clearly was.

Speaking of Dark Oak, he was floating in front of the galaxy-crystal power source.

“Speak, Lulu,” he said with a deep, synthetic voice that was only accentuated by the expansive room.

Lulu curtsied. “My pleasure. I am Lulu, servant of Count Bleck, the man behind the Void in the sky.”

He made no visual response. “Your message said as much. Why did you contact us?”

“I’m here to offer you a proposition.” She pressed her hands together, smirk widening. “You see, I’ve been performing divinations ever since I arrived in this world, gathering information on the conflict in the stars. I’ve seen your power. The way you steal the life force from the center of worlds, leaving them to die. You do not conquer—you bring change.”

“This is true.” Dark Oak began tapping his finger against his arm, as if in thought.

“You recognize that the world is not as it should be, that it is filled with disgusting, horrible things that only bring pain and needless suffering. I see it in your soul.” She waved her fingers, prompting magical sparks to fly off into the air. “You are certain things are not as they should be.”

Dark Oak only nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“Count Bleck agrees. That Void? We’re using it to destroy all worlds—and create perfect new ones in their place.”

Dark Oak stopped tapping his finger against his arm, plunging the room into utter silence. He floated down until he was standing on the same railing Lulu was. He was still several times taller than her, but she understood it as a gesture of respect. “And your Count would allow us to be part of these new worlds?”

“Rather,” Lulu confirmed.

“And we would be able to define the new form?”

“He has promised as much to me and the others.”

“Then what is the price of this?”

Lulu leaned forward, smile widening. “Help us destroy all worlds and stop those annoying vagabonds who call themselves ‘heroes’.”

Dark Oak nodded. “Tempting.”

“But?”

“I must confer with my commanders. If they agree to go forward, we will need to meet with your Count in person to finalize our agreement.”

Lulu bowed out of respect. “Just tell me when you’ve agreed. I can ask him to alter the Void so you can go directly through without being destroyed—the entire fleet.”

“Satisfactory. Thank you for bringing this offer to us. We unfortunately do not have quarters suited for animal life, so you will have to wait here.”

“Psh, not a problem. Go, talk to your people. I can wait.”

She watched intently as he turned around, summoning holographic images of two other individuals: both humanoid hunks of metal like himself. One was darker purple with slanted glass orbs akin to eyes, while the other was white with three eye-orbs in his face. Their discussion happened out of her earshot.

She didn’t mind. She had already performed enough divinations to know that this was going to work.

They would make a fine addition to Count Bleck’s army.

~~~

“Eggman’s returning to Mobius,” Tails reported. They were all back on the bridge. For all the devastation Mimi had caused, it hadn’t taken much to repair the broken windshield. Though Twilight was utterly baffled as to how Sonic could breathe in space.

“All Mobians can do that,” Cosmo answered. “I can too. I think Chris was the only one who couldn’t.”

“How!? You need air, right? Right?”

“I am… uncertain.” Cosmo put a hand to her chin. “Tails! How do you breathe in space?”

“No idea! I’ve been meaning to research it, but we haven’t exactly had time with all that’s going on!”

“When all this is over I’m going to run experiments,” Twilight said, tapping her hoof on the ground rapidly. “So many experiments.”

“I’m confused, is there not air in space?” Toph asked.

“No,” Twilight chuckled nervously. “The only thing between you and a vast expanse of nothing is that hastily repaired glass wall.” She pointed at what was effectively a duct-tape job performed on the shattered opening in the windshield.

“...I think I hate space,” Toph decided.

At that point, the two members of the Blue Typhoon crew that Twilight hadn’t been personally introduced to walked onto the bridge—the pink girl and the rabbit. This time, Twilight noticed a blue doll-like creature fluttering around the rabbit’s head.

“Amy, Cream!” Cosmo greeted them with a bow. “How are things?”

“Amy’s just upset Sonic isn’t back yet,” the rabbit, presumably Cream, said.

“My Sonic just went out to repair the windshield!” The pink one pulled a hammer out of nowhere and pointed at the repair job. “Clearly that’s done, so why isn’t he back yet?”

“Probably just going for a walk,” Cosmo said.

“Yeah, or avoiding you,” Toph added.

Amy twirled her hammer around and aimed it at Toph’s head. “What’d you just say, squirt?”

“I said he’s probably avoiding you, duh.” Toph tilted her head to the side. “You deaf?”

“I’ll make you deaf…” She swung her hammer. Toph slammed her foot into the ground, slapping Amy in the face with a metal plate.

“Toph!” Tails shouted. “Stop bending my floor!”

“It was in self-defense!” Toph held her hands up in surrender. “You saw the whole thing!”

Twilight facehooved. “Tippi, tell me, are we the only sane ones here?”

Tippi thought about this for a moment. “Cosmo seems reasonable to me…” Cosmo nodded her thanks to Tippi.

“Get back here!” Amy shouted, swinging her hammer after Toph.

“Give me some rocks and then we’ll talk!” She jumped over the hammer and kicked Amy in the face. “Or you can talk to my foot, that works to—” The hammer smacked Toph in the chest, sending her flying into the windshield.

“Everyone stop!” Tails shouted. “This is your Captain speaking!”

Toph and Amy ignored him, continuing to chase each other around the bridge.

Tails put his head in his hands. “I get no respect…”

Flapping over to him, Twilight laid her hoof on his back. “Hey, I know it’s hard. But they aren’t destroying your bridge anymore. And you know what?”

“What?”

“I think that’s their way of bonding.”

Tails sat up, blinked twice, and let out a short laugh. “You would think that after seeing Sonic and Knuckles punch each other all the time, I’d be able to figure that out. Thanks, Twilight.”

“Don’t mention it.” She ruffled her wings, thinking for a moment. “So, what do we do now?”

“I guess we go back down to Mobius and try to find your Pure Heart. The Metarex don’t seem to care about us right now. In fact…” He performed a check on their location with his scanners. “They’re flying right into the Void. ...Wait what?”

He quickly brought up the Metarex fleet on the screen. Sure enough, every last one of them was sailing into the purple fog of the Void. Rather than being torn apart by the vortex’s destructive energy, they approached it as though it were nothing more than a puffy cloud on a particularly windy day. They passed through into the darkness beyond, leaving the world of Mobius far behind.

“...I think Lulu got what she wanted.” Twilight swallowed hard. “I… get the impression that’s very, very bad for us.”

“Can someone explain to me what on earth is going on!?” Toph asked. “Blind, remember?”

“Wait you’re blind?” Amy asked.

“Yeah! Did you think these eyes were just for show, or something?”

“I didn—”

“OH HO HO HO HO HO!” Eggman’s voice came in over the comm. He appeared onscreen without Tails pressing any buttons. “Would you look at that, they’re completely gone! Not our problem anymore! So you know what this means—it’s time to use the power of that Void to start the new Eggman Empire! I hope you’re ready for a challenge, Sonic, because this time I’ve got one for you! Come and get me!”

Twilight blanked. “Eggman, wait n—” but the feed was already cut. “Ponyfeathers. I don’t think anyone ever told him what the Void’s for.”

“Oh, dear.” Cosmo put her hands over her mouth. “Can he make it… worse?”

“Tippi?”

Tippi fluttered up and down a few times. “He’d need an artifact of power, and from what I know all your chaos emeralds were destroyed by Dark Oak.”

“He has a lot of synthetic copies stolen from the Metarex,” Tails pointed out.

“Oh… Then yes, he might make things worse…”

~~~

Eggman sat back in his big, comfy chair, nestled right in the bottom of his base. “Your tips have turned out to be remarkably reliable, my dear.”

Mimi curtsied. “Golly, I just wanted to help!”

“I doubt that very much. You obviously have some ulterior motive.” Eggman snapped his fingers, summoning Shadow to his side. “Restrain her.”

“NYEH!” Mimi transformed into something so small Shadow couldn’t see it. “DOOFUSES!” There was a small burst of purple as she vanished from the universe.

“...Everything about that girl is deeply concerning,” Eggman commented. “No matter. She’s gone, and she left the secrets to crafting the Eggman Empire behind!”

“Hmph,” Shadow said, crossing his arms.

“Look, if you have issues with it, you can walk out right now, I won’t stop you. You’ve done it before and you can do it again.”

Shadow remained silent.

“But you want to stay and see how things turn out, don’t you? And you can’t bear to go to Sonic and his bunch of happy-go-lucky, hug-prone, overly-cheerful friends.”

Shadow walked away into the darkness.

“Bah, whatever, I have the Void. Time to rid myself of this pesky hedgehog once and for all!”

A notification popped up on his computer desktop, reminding him that every time he had said that in the past, he’d failed miserably. He dismissed the notification without thinking.

Egg Void

“Behold!” Eggman called to no one in particular. “The power of the Void!” His hover-chair lifted him to the top of his base, where he held up a small vial filled with the noxious purple substance, given to him so kindly by Mimi. “I give it to… The Eggsterminator!” He tossed the vial into the air where a six-limbed robot with a multicolored sphere for a head grabbed it and inserted it into its power core. “Yes, I know I’ve named a million things the Eggsterminator in the past, but until one actually proves good at Hedgehog exterminating, I’m going to keep using it. Now…” He watched with immense satisfaction as the robot changed before his very eyes. The smooth metal became almost furry with purple spines all over it. The core lit up with the swirling vortex of purple, devouring the sphere.

The robot leaped to the ground, little more than six floating legs affixed to a swirling mass of nothing. As it walked, it uprooted trees, erasing them from existence by doing nothing more than walking over them.

“Oh ho ho ho ho ho!” Eggman laughed. “How delightful! Sonic won’t even be able to get close! That hedgehog’s a goner for sure this time.”

“Hey! Egghead!”

“Ugh, his voice carries so well.” Eggman pulled out a megaphone and pointed it in the direction he thought he heard Sonic. “What is it!?”

“Just wondering how you think this is gonna go.” Eggman finally spotted him, standing right in front of the Eggsterminator’s path as if nothing was wrong. “What sort of inexplicable weakness in your machine am I going to find?”

“It won’t work this time, Sonic! I have the power of another universe at my fingertips!”

“Didn’t seem to work last time! And don’t you know that every time you try to awaken some sort of power to help yo—”

“I’m not listening to this nonsense,” Eggman pulled out a pair of specially-made Sonic-blocking headphones and sat back in his chair. He breathed out a sigh of relief. “This is so much better.”

He saw Sonic shrug and take a fighting stance. Knuckles and Amy flanked him. Morons. The Void would devour them the moment it got close. Eggman wondered if he might have to save them from being completely destroyed so he could gloat about it later. He’d think about that if they got too close.

“Wait… where are their other friends?” Eggman furrowed his brow. Tails was likely guarding the Blue Typhoon, but Toph and Twilight were both capable fighters, yet they were nowhere to be seen. A ruse of some sort. Sonic rarely went with this kind of plan, but Tails was known to employ them from time to time, and that Twilight had seemed rather intelligent. Or perhaps it was that butterfly—she seemed useless, but oftentimes the background individuals were the most dangerous. He quickly ordered his smaller robots to set up a few traps behind him just in case there was going to be some kind of ambush.

As the Eggsterminator trudged toward his opponents, Toph suddenly erupted from the ground at the machine’s feet. She kept herself rooted to the ground with clumps of earth around her entire waist, ensuring she wouldn’t be devoured by the cosmic void. Plunging her fists into one of the legs, she was met with a nasty surprise—the Void had changed the material so much it was no longer identifiable as metal, but some kind of spiny animalistic substance.

“Oh ho ho ho ho ho!” Eggman called. “Now do you see the true nature of your predicament?”

“Shut it, Stachy!” Toph shouted.

“...I need to make some anti-Toph headphones as well,” Eggman grunted.

Switching from the futile attempt to bend the Eggsterminator’s legs off, Toph started lobbing boulders at the robot. Most of them disappeared into its Voided center, but once Toph figured out the pattern, she predictably hit one leg in the exact same spot over and over, causing it to buckle.

“I think the Void devoured its intelligence systems…” Eggman groaned. “Hey! Eggsterminator! Squash the girl in the earth!”

It obeyed, lifting a leg and stomping on Toph directly. Naturally, she disappeared under the ground before it made contact, but it at least got her out of Eggman’s hair.

Sonic rushed in, skidding to a halt just as he felt the vortex start to suck him in.

“Yes, you can’t even get close!” Eggman sneered. “There’s nothing you can do, Sonic! You can’t have the earth handhold you to victory!”

Sonic opened his mouth, saying something.

“What was that? I’m afraid I can't hear you over the sound of my evil plan working.”

Sonic tapped his foot impatiently.

“What?”

“He’s waiting for us,” Twilight said from behind Eggman.

“Gah!” Eggman whirled around, pointing a finger at her. “How did you get here?”

Twilight was flapping in midair, Cosmo riding comfortably on her back. “We teleported,” Cosmo offered helpfully.

“Teleportation is cheap,” Eggman grunted. I should have ordered my robots to account for that. “Luckily, I have security measures.” With the push of a button, electric rings grabbed Twilight’s hooves and Cosmo’s arms and legs, pinning them uncomfortably in midair. “And two hostages! Oh ho ho ho ho ho!”

“Eggman, listen to me,” Twilight said. “You can’t trust Mimi.”

“Obviously. And I can’t trust you.” He pressed a button to wrap another set of rings around her mouth and horn. “You’ve got weird magic and I don’t want you trying to mess with my mind like that red girl was. Your little magic plan has failed.”

“We just wanted to talk!” Cosmo said. “We knew you wouldn’t trust her, so… so I came. I can’t use magic, and you know me.”

“Only in passing.” Eggman slumped into his seat, resting his chin in one of his hands. “Oh, all right, say what you came here to say. It better not take too long, I have hedgehogs to turn into shish-kabobs.”

“Mimi tricked you, she didn’t tell you what the Void actually is.”

“And what is it?”

“It’s the start of a curse that… seeks to end all worlds.” Cosmo looked him dead in the eyes. “All worlds.”

Eggman frowned. “Really? And who would want to do that?”

“Some guy named Count Bleck. Mimi and Lulu worked for him. And Twilight’s met him—he stole all her friends.”

Eggman glanced to the bound and gagged Twilight. “Really? Destroy all worlds? Nobody would be that stupid. What’s the benefit? You won’t be around to revel in the victory, there’ll be nothing to rule over.”

“He wants to make perfect worlds in their place.” Cosmo tried to lean forward, but all she could do was crane her neck. “Please, Eggman. You’re just helping him destroy our universe!”

“If I were helping, I would be able to detect a sharp spike in dimensional instability. And let me check right now…” He pulled up the value on his chair’s console. “Oh look at that, an increase of two-thousand percent, nothing to worry ab—” He caught himself. “Oh, dear.”

“Yes.” Cosmo kept her gaze locked with his. “Eggman, I implore you, end this now and let Twilight and Toph return to their quest to stop this evil Count’s mission of destruction.”

Eggman deflated. “Why can’t I ever just have my Eggman Empire? Why?” With an exasperated flail of his arms, he swiveled to face the Eggsterminator. “I order you to self-destruct!”

To the surprise of no one—not even Eggman, at this point—it did not self-destruct. It kept on its rampage.

Eggman sighed. “Shadow, you can come out now and act all smug and superior.”

Shadow appeared as though teleporting, arms crossed and frown somehow smug.

Eggman pressed his face into his hand. “Yes yes, just… how many replica emeralds do you need to take that out?”

“Three,” Shadow said, holding the dull crystals in his hand. “I already took them.”

“Wise guy…” Eggman grumbled.

Shadow threw the three replica emeralds into the air. “Chaos… control!”

Time froze for everyone but Shadow. Shadow, in the few seconds of stopped time he had, entered a spin attack and blasted through three of the legs under the Void with ease, hitting the ground hard enough to make a crater under the fourth. He jumped away so he would be far from the Void when it started devouring again.

Time resumed. Eggman had to piece together what happened after he saw the results, but for all his shortcomings, Eggman had an intellect the size of a mountain. It wasn’t too hard for him to play the detective. Three legs crumbled underneath the Void and the fourth fell into a hole, toppling the robot over. The Void started devouring chunks of rock, soil, and underground metal pipes Eggman had laid long ago for some forgotten project of his. As the Void sunk into the ground, it ate more and more earth and rock, until material was flying into it from every direction.

It was too much material for the relatively small manifestation. It clogged like a dirty sink, sputtering with a few bursts of dark energy before dissipating into nothing. The rocks it had been trying to devour fell into the hole it had just made, crumbling into a pile of dust at the bottom.

Eggman released Twilight and Cosmo. “Get out of my base.”

Twilight teleported both of them away with a flash of amethyst magic.

Eggman sighed, drifting back into his base to sulk. It just wasn’t fair. This always happened. He had the perfect plan and then something went wrong.

Perhaps he needed a different strategy...

~~~

It was not long before everyone collected at the temple of the Master Emerald. Twilight, Tippi, Cosmo, Toph, Cream, Amy, and Sonic waited while Tails and Knuckles removed the Master Emerald from the Blue Typhoon.

“What’s taking them so long?” Sonic asked, tapping his foot anxiously.

“The Master Emerald is pretty large,” Twilight pointed out.

“Though Knuckles is able to carry it all on his own…” Cream added. “And he ran with it, once, like it weighed nothing.”

“Who cares why they’re taking so long?” Amy asked, sliding up to Sonic. “The longer they take, the more time we have with each other!”

“I just discovered why Sonic wants them to hurry up,” Toph muttered.

“What are you implying!?” Amy shouted.

“I have the facts.”

“You didn’t state any…” Tippi said.

Toph snorted, interrupting Tippi. “Didn’t say I was giving facts out, did I?”

“There they are!” Twilight called, pointing to the sky.

“Joy,” Toph deadpanned.

A four-winged airplane with a yellow nose flew over them, the Master Emerald hanging from it by a tether. Knuckles sat on top of it, waving. With a swift motion, he cut the rope, sending both himself and the Master Emerald into a freefall. As planned, Twilight caught them both in her telekinesis—straining against their combined weight, but still able to lower them down to the center of the temple. The relic fit snugly in its pedestal, flashing brightly upon returning to its home.

Twilight blinked. “Uh, Tippi?”

Tippi fluttered around the pedestal. “The Pure Heart is still here, but hidden. Putting the Master Emerald back changed nothing…”

“So that means we can put it back in the Blue Typhoon!” Sonic gave Knuckles a thumbs up. “Isn’t that great?”

“Egh…” Knuckles grunted. “When we don’t need it anymore I’m turning that ship to scrap myself. Being used as a battery is an insult to the Master Emerald!”

“I don’t think it minds…” Tippi said.

“Shut it, buzzy.”

“So, what now?” Toph asked. “We brought the Master Emerald back, no Heart.”

“They are drawn to love…” Tippi said. “Knuckles, is there anything related to this place that connects to ancient love, or something?”

Knuckles shrugged. “I don’t really know the history.”

“Hmmm…”

“Oh oh!” Amy waved her hand. “I know! Perhaps we need to have a passionate display of the fulfillment of previously unrequited love…”

“Uh…” Sonic took a few steps back. “I don’t like where this is going…”

“Come on Sonic, the fate of the world depends on it!”

“Forcing it won’t bring it forth,” Tippi said. “It needs to be Pure. That’s why they’re called Pure Hearts…”

Amy stamped her foot on the ground. “I had him on the ropes! He couldn’t say no if the fate of the world depended on it!”

“I wouldn’t put it past him,” Tails said as he arrived, presumably having landed the plane somewhere nearby.

Amy twisted her hammer over her head. “Wanna repeat that?!”

Twilight jumped between them, wings extended. “Let’s not smack skulls together. There has to be something we can do. Just…”

At that point, the orange door opened, revealing Vanilla. “Thanks for the tea, Iroh! I’ll be sure to drop by again sometime. And… oh.” She glanced at the large number of people surrounding the Master Emerald. “It looks like they completed their mission while I was visiting!”

“Excellent!” Iroh said, poking his head through the door. “My my, what a large crowd! You’ve sure made a lot of friends this time!”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head. “Uh, yeah, but… we can’t make the Pure Heart appear. No idea what will trigger it.”

“Oh, you’ll figure something out,” Vanilla said, walking around the Master Emerald. “I’m sure of it.”

“Mom!” Cream said, running up to her. “You were on the other side of the door?”

“I was! It’s quite a welcoming place too, you should visit sometime.” She picked her daughter up and embraced her. “You’ll love Iroh and his tea.”

Cream hugged her back, a mother reunited with her daughter… and it was at this moment the Pure Heart revealed itself, spinning above both of their rabbit heads, showering the group in a beautiful sunlike glow.

“Woah…” Sonic said.

“Familial love,” Tippi said.

“What color is that?” Toph asked.

“Yellow,” Twilight responded, not taking her eyes off it.

Cream reached up to touch the Heart—but it rejected her, bouncing away from her hands. It smacked Cosmo right in the face, knocking her over. But as she fell to the ground, the Pure Heart fell with her, landing in her lap.

Cosmo slowly stood up, the Pure Heart in her hands. “It’s so… so kind. And warm and…” She hugged it close to her chest. “Better than any sun I’ve ever felt!”

“It accepted you…” Tippi said. “You… you must be another one of the heroes of prophecy.”

“W-what!?” Cosmo stammered. “M-me?”

“There was a plant, wasn’t there?” Toph asked. Twilight nodded in agreement.

“B-but I’m not some adventuring hero!” Cosmo shook her head rapidly. “I’m just a guide!”

“I don’t think the Heart lies,” Twilight said. “Plus, you did just save us by talking down Eggman.”

“A-all I did was tell him what you would have told him! If he’d let you talk—”

“That’s the thing, he didn’t let me talk. But people might listen to you when they can’t handle me.” Twilight lifted up Cosmo’s chin with a wing, making sure she saw her smile. “I can’t think of anyone better.”

Cosmo had nothing to say to this.

Sonic, on the other hand…

“Hey! What gives? I’m the world-saving hero here, I should get that!” He reached out his hand to grab the Pure Heart, but it pushed him back. “Hey! Don’t you get an attitude with me, buster!”

The Master Emerald flashed, beaming something into Sonic’s head. He took a few steps back. “Okay, no need to get all confrontational about it, geez.”

Cosmo looked down at the Pure Heart in her hands. “I guess… I guess I really am meant to carry this.”

“You’ll do great, Cosmo!” Cream encouraged.

“I’m sure you’ll do many wonderful things in the other worlds,” Vanilla added.

Tails walked up to her, careful to touch her and not the Heart itself. “Cosmo, you have the heart of a hero. I know you do.”

Cosmo couldn't help but flush slightly. “O-oh. If you say so…”

“Now go through that door and be a hero. I’m going to go put the Master Emerald back in the Blue Typhoon. Maybe… I’ll be able to join you?”

“I’m not sure that’s how being a hero of prophecy works…” Tippi said.

“Then I’ll do what I can from the sidelines!” Tails chuckled. “I did that for Sonic for a long time. I’m really good at it.”

Cosmo giggled. “Oh, Tails. I’d give it to you if I could. But… it looks like it’s mine. Destiny just keeps coming.”

“Get used to it,” Toph added.

“It never stops,” Twilight agreed.

With a nod, Cosmo lifted the Pure Heart high. “I… We... got a Pure Heart!”

Author's Note

Cosmo had joined the party!

Cosmo’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to have Cosmo enter ‘floatation mode’ where she can use the petals of her body to catch wind currents and reach distant places! She can also glide with this!

In battle, Cosmo, uh… Well, she doesn’t have all that much, but if she’s in a place with lots of ambient plant magic she can tap into that, serving as your party’s healer!

New Metal Minions

“So, yeah, I just got a Memo from Mimi?” Nastasia said, addressing the gathering in the center of Count Bleck’s castle that included the Count himself, Lulu, and O’Chunks. “It says ‘I messed up bad’. That’s the memo in its entirety.”

“She didn’t accomplish much of anything,” Lulu agreed. “Even that last desperate stunt of hers didn’t stop them for an hour.”

“And yeh did better?” O’Chunks snorted. “I didn’t hear about yeh defeatin’ the ‘heroes!’ “

“No, I did not defeat them. But a bore like you wouldn’t know about other forms of success.”

“Bleh heheheheheheh…” Bleck pulled his hat down. “Perhaps it is time to introduce our new minion?”

“New… what?” O’Chunks scratched his head. “We can get more?”

“Absolutely!” Lulu clapped her hands. “Everybody say hello to Dark Oak of the Metarex!”

Dark Oak jumped from the floor below, landing on a pedestal that was just a bit higher than O’Chunks. “I will be sure to bend this sorry excuse for a task force into shape.”

“Great, like the enthusiasm,” Nastasia deadpanned. “Are your commanders ready for deployment?”

Dark Oak nodded ever so slightly. “Yes. Bayleaf is solidifying his position in the Void, and Narcissus has been sent out.”

“Bleh heheheheheh…” the Count lifted his hands high. “More forces to bring the end of all worlds! While the strength of these ‘heroes’ grows, so does our own! Bleck!”

“Yeh gotta let me go back out there!” O’Chunks shouted. “Let these robot hooligans do their own mechanical business, I’ll do the punchin’!”

Nastasia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You think you’re ready to go, O’Chunks?”

“Uh…”

“Did you finish that report on your own inadequacy that I requested?”

Lulu let out a snicker.

“Oi!” O’Chunks stomped his foot angrily. “Gimme a break! Writin’ is hard, and a thousand pages be a lot!”

“Just cast a spell and make it write itself,” Lulu suggested.

“Ergh…” O’Chunks deflated.

“O’Chunks, calm yourself, take a minion time out,” Count Bleck said. “Instead, I will send Dimentio!”

Dimentio popped into existence in the midst of them all. “Ahahaha, and so I arrive, like meerkats recently thawed to life from a glacier!”

“I… wot?” O’Chunks shook his head.

Dimentio ignored him. “How do you wish me to take care of these heroes, oh my Count?”

The Count’s grin only widened. “However you see fit.”

Dimentio let out a chuckle. “Ah, an amusing challenge! What a fun game this will be…” Instead of teleporting away, he vanished and appeared next to Dark Oak. “And look at the new minion fodder! Tall, graceful, powerful. Like a crystalline chainsaw!”

“I am no minion,” Dark Oak breathed.

“All of us are minions, it’s just the title that comes with the job! Don’t worry, I’m sure your serene world will be one of the best when this is all over.” Dimentio vanished before Dark Oak could say anything else.

“...What manner of creature is he?” Dark Oak asked.

“I do not know,” Count Bleck admitted. “But he has been useful, and shown a knowledge of many things between worlds even I knew nothing of.”

“Hmmm…” Dark Oak relaxed his arms. “Shall I go with him?”

“He prefers to work alone,” Nastasia pointed out.

“But Bleck shall send you out as well!” the Count declared. “Go, Dark Oak! The next world they visit will be particularly suited to your skills! Surely both of you will bring them to their knees!”

Dark Oak nodded, jumping and walking away.

“I’m off,” Nastasia said. “Lulu, with me.”

Lulu lit up. “Oh! Are we hunting for rebel ponies?”

“Yes. You’re on board with that, K? K.” Nastasia jumped down, and Lulu floated down after her.

“Uh…” O’Chunks scratched his chin. “Was I supposed t’ do somethin’?”

The Count coughed. “Nastasia had a report she wanted you to write.”

“Oh. Right…”

“Do write it, but she doesn’t have time to read all one-thousand pages. Give her twenty at the start and twenty at the end, just fill the rest with gibberish. She won’t notice a thing, especially with the little pony insurrection we have going on.”

“Wow! Thanks for the tip, Count!” He jumped down and ran off to his work.

“Bleh heheheheheheh… ‘tis the least I can do for such loyal minions.” Now that he was alone in the room, a frown momentarially crossed his face. Shaking it away, his grin returned in full force. “Bleck! Heroes… Trying to save these pathetic worlds. Bleck, says Count Bleck! Bleh heheheheheheh… Their efforts are in vain. No one can stop Count Bleck.”

He vanished into a swirl of the Void.

Just as no one can ease the tempest thatrages in my suffering heart.

Nastasia's Will

Rarity pressed her back to one of the featureless walls in Castle Bleck. For once, I wish I wasn’t stark white. I stand out like a sore thumb here. Two ponies were with her—a crystal pegasus filly the color of raspberries and a dull gray-blue unicorn stallion with an even duller face.

“Are you sure this is the right hall, Millwright?” Rarity asked the stallion.

Millwright nodded slowly. “I have memorized the local castle layout precisely. The rooms do not shuffle, this is the right place.”

Rarity poked her head around the corner. To her annoyance, the hall between them and their destination was occupied not by mad crystal ponies, but a monstrous creature. It was green and appeared vaguely like a plant, but it moved around like a slug. Its toothy mouth took up most of the upper part of its body, the lips ringed by red eyestalks.

“What is that?” Rarity wondered.

“It resembles nothing in our world,” Millwright offered.

“Imma call it the slugbug,” the filly said, smirking.

“Rasha.” Rarity addressed the filly with her nickname, seeing as Rasha despised her real name “Rash Ruckus,” a truly unfortunate combination of words. “Do you think you can distract something with that many eyes?”

“I can distract anything.” She flapped into the air, slipping heavy shoes made out of the same material as the castle onto her hooves. As a quick test, she tapped them against the wall, satisfied that the edges were sharp enough. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Rarity summoned her magic blade and gave Rasha the signal. Rasha grinned, flying out to face the “slugbug.” “Hey! Ugly! Look at me, I’m dangerous!”

The slugbug turned all its eyes toward her and belched out a poisonous ball of bile that Rasha easily dodged. “Too slow!” She flapped toward a nearby hall door, kicking it open with her heavy shoes. “That’s right, follow me…”

The slugbug followed her, leaving the hallway free for travel.

“Stay here,” Rarity ordered Millwright. He may have been a good mind, but he was used to working desks—he was anything but quiet and stealthy. Rarity, on the other hoof, knew precisely how to move without making a noise. She padded along the far edge of the hallway, passing the open door Rasha and the slugbug went through. The filly was, as expected, flying a little too close to the thing so she could smack it a few times. Crazy daredevil… Rarity shook her head—she didn’t have time to worry about Rasha.

Eventually, Rarity came to the door at the end of the hall. She knocked on it seven times in a musical pattern. A second after she completed the knock, it opened just wide enough for her to slide in. The interior was a square room devoid of all decoration or furniture, with only four identical doors. It would be very easy to get disoriented here.

There were also a lot of free, unbroken ponies huddled in the corners, fear in their eyes. But when they saw Rarity, some hope returned.

Rarity didn’t care about any of this, however, because an old friend had opened the door for her—a buttery yellow pegasus with a pink mane. “Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy pulled her into a hug. “I thought they’d taken you and done terrible things to you! I… I thought I was alone!”

“You’re never alone, dear.” Rarity squeezed her tighter. “Now, time is of the essence. What do you need to tell me?”

“We’re hungry and can’t find food.”

“We have food at base—we’re occupying one of the kitchens.”

Fluttershy nodded. “...I saw Applejack get taken by the red girl.”

Rarity recognized the description immediately. “Lulu. She’s a wizard. Some of our unicorns have tried to engage her. It… never goes well.” She put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Applejack is going to be fine, Fluttershy. You have to believe that.”

“Right…” Fluttershy frowned but didn’t comment further on the topic. “I’ve got someone I think you’ll want to meet.” She flapped over to one of the pony piles in the corner, gesturing for someone to come out with a wing. The person who emerged wasn’t a pony, but a human in a green hat, overalls, and sporting a rather magnificent smooth mustache. Impressive, Rarity thought.

The man himself was not as impressive as his mustache. He moved forward timidly, tapping his gloved fingers together. As he approached, Rarity’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“You… you were that green fellow at the wedding!”

“Y-yeah, that’s-a me,” he chuckled nervously. “Imma sorry I ruined everything…”

“No, no, you did nothing of the sort.” Rarity waved a hoof emphatically. “I do believe all of us would have been captured if you didn’t trigger that explosion. You’re a hero, er…”

“Luigi,” he answered.

Rarity smiled. “Well, Luigi, welcome to the resistance. I’m Rarity, and we need to move these ponies out and to the kitchens for food. Can you help?”

“...Yes!” Luigi decided, saluting as though Rarity were a general. “I won’t let you down!”

“Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Everypony’s already arranged into groups, ready to be moved. We’re just waiting for your instructio—”

The doors to the room flew open, revealing Millwright and Rasha. At first, Rarity was confused by their presence—had Rasha actually defeated the monster?—but it became all too clear when Nastasia walked up from behind them. “This gathering is against castle regulations. I’ll be hypnotizing all of you stat, K? K.”

“Scatter!” Rarity shouted. Without realizing what she was doing, she grabbed Luigi and placed him on her back before running through one of the other doors. To her relief, Fluttershy and a few of the crystal ponies followed her, but enough went in the other directions to divide their pursuers up.

They lucked out—Nastasia wasn’t chasing them directly, it was the hypnotized Rasha. She flew at them with her heavy shoes, ready to attack.

Rarity whirled around to face her, allowing the others to fly past.

“Oh no…” Luigi pulled his hat down, shivering on her back. Rarity didn’t let this deter her. She aimed at Rasha and released a white laser, hitting the filly right in the chest. The poor child fell to the ground, dazed.

Rarity’s frown deepened. She twisted around and ran after the others once more, leaving Rasha behind. There was nothing that could be done for her.

~~~

Back at the primary resistance base, Rarity fed all the ponies she’d returned with. Around a dozen. That was a lot less than she’d hoped for.

“This is… getting us nowhere,” Rarity confided in Fluttershy. “We get more ponies, but we can’t stand up to any of their warriors. Every time we take a risky mission, Nastasia shows up and brainwashes more and more of us. We grow in number but our most skilled ponies fall and get turned against us. The only good thing is that they seem to forget who they were while hypnotized, so they can’t tell her anything. Otherwise, we’d be finished.”

“That’s a good thing,” Fluttershy said.

“Maybe it’s just drawing out the inevitable?”

Fluttershy put a wing on Rarity. “We’ve been through worse, Rarity.”

“Have we really? I don’t believe we’ve ever been lost and fearing for our lives for weeks on end before.”

“...Okay, so maybe we haven’t, but we’ve been through a lot and we always come out on top. Even when we’re scared, when we’re together…”

Rarity glanced around to make sure none of the others were listening. “You know Applejack and Rainbow have already been taken, you saw Applejack yourself. And I don’t think Twilight’s here at all. We can’t rely on the magic of friendship without all of us.”

“Yes, we can.” Fluttershy tapped Rarity in the chest. “Have a little faith.”

“I…” Rarity let out a sigh. “Okay, Fluttershy. I’ll try. I have to look the part for all the ponies, might as well actually live into it, right?”

“That’s not exactly the spirit I was going for, but… it’ll work.”

“...How are you holding up?” Rarity gave her a sympathetic smile. “The wedding must have been… hard on you.”

Fluttershy looked away. “I’d rather not think about that… sham, okay?”

“Okay.” Rarity didn’t pursue the line of conversation. Which was good, because at that point Luigi walked up to them.

“So, uh, I’ve gotten them all-a calmed down and eating cake.” He scratched the back of his head. “...Why is there so much cake?”

“There was a lot of sugar and flour laying around,” Rarity explained. “The other ingredients were a bunch of herbs I didn’t recognize and some of what I swear are phoenix feathers. How you would eat those I can’t even imagine.”

“I was hoping for some mushrooms myself,” Luigi added. “Didn’t find any.”

“It is quite disappointing how little we have to work with, but it keeps us fed.” She gestured to one of the tables for Luigi to sit down. She joined him, pressing her hooves together. “Now, Luigi… you’re a human, correct?”

“I’m pretty sure, yeah.”

“Humans don’t exist in our world—Equis—and I’m pretty sure the Count isn’t human either. I haven’t seen much of anything brought here aside from those strange monsters and crystal ponies. How did you get here?”

“I’m not entirely sure…” Luigi put his hand to his chin. “Me and my bro were just hanging out when a letter came. Mario was called to the Princess for some adventure, like usual, and I decided to stay behind. Soon as he’s gone, bam, some weird guy with orange armor shows up and says I’m needed! Before I know what’s happening I’m at some kind of wedding with a lot of ponies.”

“Orange armor… did this man by chance have four arms?”

“Wh—yes! He did! Do you know who he is?”

Rarity sighed. “I’m afraid not, but he did save me from some hypnotized crystal ponies. It appears we have a powerful ally who wishes to remain mysterious. And he wanted you to be here, for some reason. Any idea why?”

Luigi shook his head. “Imma not that special. If he wanted someone like me, he should have taken my brother, he usually does all the hero-ing stuff. I tag along for some of it, that’s all.”

“No abilities? Nothing?”

“I can jump really high…?” Luigi suggested.

Rarity pursed her lips. “Well, I’m sure that’ll help us, but I’m not sure why he’d single you out for that…” She tapped her hoof against the table, letting out a concerned hum. “Regardless, welcome to the team, Luigi. I’m sure you’ll do great.” She gave him her best reassuring smile.

He managed an awkward grin in return. “I’ll do my best!”

~~~

Nastasia frowned. She’d only gotten about a dozen more turned after that raid. Their leader had gotten away, somehow, and with that annoying green man to boot.

Then again, all the ponies and that green man were of little consequence. They could only run and try to survive in the castle, they couldn’t really do any damage in the disorganized state they were in. The real danger was from that strange multi-armed warrior that had shown up a few times. Nastasia had never seen him, but he was becoming the most annoying thorn in their side.

She suspected he was playing games with the castle. And that wasn’t good for Nastasia’s spreadsheets.

She was pleasantly surprised to find that the Millwright unicorn was good with spreadsheets and paperwork, but that was a minor boon to her bureaucratic empire. Things needed to be clean. Having a resident resistance and a mysterious vigilante warrior was not clean.

Turning around, she led the new hypnotized servants away for instruction.

They passed by the dead monster. Rasha had slain it. It was the noise of the battle that had alerted Nastasia in the first place.

These ponies were brave and resourceful when they needed to be. If they ever properly organized…

Nastasia couldn’t bear thinking about that. It would be too much paperwork. The Count had enough to deal with. ...The Count had too much to deal with.

~~~

“You’re late. Did something happen?”

“Yes, my father caught me. Sneaking out of the castle wasn’t easy after that.”

“I was worried you wouldn’t come…”

“You are a strange girl… You know what I am and yet you do not seem afraid.”

“I don’t care what you are. I just wanted to see you. Is that… Is that so wrong?”

“No. No, of course not. I wanted to see you too…”

“Blumiere… Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

“Please do, Timpani. Let’s return to ourconversation. I must know more of you…”

Flipside Grows

If Twilight was being honest with herself, this was all happening too fast. She’d just spent… had it been weeks working on that machine while completely oblivious to Mimi and Lulu’s efforts to delay her progress? She wasn’t sure, she’d slept so little. And now, in the span of a couple hours, their treachery had been revealed, a ton of new friends came down from space, there was an alien fleet of cyborg creatures that went into the Void, and there was a new hero of prophecy right next to her!

Twilight examined Cosmo. She… well, she seemed quiet and reserved, but she’d been able to speak her mind to Eggman when the situation had called for it. In a way, she reminded Twilight of Fluttershy, except… there was a slow sadness about Cosmo. Twilight had only known her for a few hours, it was impossible to tell what that was about, if it was anything at all.

It was a rush, was what it was. Toph had had weeks to get to know Twilight and Tippi in Diqiu, Cosmo had met them at the end of the journey. But they had to keep going, had to save all worlds.

The Void was already larger in Flipside, almost the size of a moon. It wasn’t anywhere near as oppressive as the Void in Mobius had been when they flew right up to it, but that was in space. Flipside wasn’t in space—at least not in the traditional sense—and the Void stood as a brutal reminder of impending doom.

They had three hearts now. One more world and they’d be half done. There was hope.

Toph, Cosmo, Tippi, and Twilight descended to the Heart chamber directly, walking into the presence of the red and orange Hearts.

“My…” Cosmo said, approaching the central pillar with careful, nervous steps. “They’re…”

“They’re amazing, yeah yeah,” Toph said, trying to sound dismissive. “Just get on with it.”

A new hero? << Merlon asked from his screen.

“Yes,” Twilight said. “She’s the flower.”

The “Flower of hopeful love?” <<

Twilight thought back to the few interactions she had seen between Cosmo and her friends. There was a hope there—and she certainly cared for Tails a great deal. “It seems to fit.”

“If we’re finding them in order…” Tippi said, trailing off.

“Ruler to clever beasts but servant of one” << Merlon offered.

“Ahem,” Toph coughed, prompting Twilight to repeat Merlon’s message aloud. “Oh. Animal king next. Got it.” She pretended to write a note in the air. “Or queen. We’re all girls so far.”

“Hmm…” That hadn’t struck Twilight as odd until just that moment. After all, back home she and her friends were the heroes, and they were all mares. So far that pattern had continued out in the multiverse, but she’d heard about many other heroes. Was there a pattern here, or did it mean nothing?

Cosmo finally reached the main pillar and released the yellow Heart into it. It joined the others in a cyclic dance, taking the form of a triangle slowly rotating along two different axes. The yellow burst of light shot to the top of Flipside, creating a brand new door to another world.

A new world is ready. <<

“Great! We can go immediately!” Cosmo clapped her hands.

“Actually,” Twilight said, holding up a hoof. “We need a rest. Some of us have been beaten up.”

Toph glared at Twilight with her hands on her hips. “And some of us haven’t been sleeping.”

Twilight let out a half-hearted nervous chuckle.

“Oh, right, my apologies,” Cosmo bowed to them. “I’d forgotten you may not be as rested as I am.”

“It won’t take long,” Tippi said. “A few hours rest in Flipside rejuvenates you completely.”

Cosmo’s eyes widened. “Oh, really?”

“You should try it!” Toph grinned. “I had a broken arm and then I didn’t!”

“That sounds too good to be true…”

“Ty Lee runs the inn…” Twilight scratched her chin. “Is it really an inn or just a place she threw a bunch of beds?”

“Don’t care,” Toph said with a shrug. “Need sleep.”

“Okay, okay! Let’s go get some rest!”

~~~

Ty Lee was not as surprised as she probably should have been to find a yellow two-tailed fox sitting outside the little “inn” she had created. Noticing him, she set down her box of randomly collected knick-knacks from the rest of Flipside—mostly rather useless junk, but there were a few loose pieces of paper, technological gadgets she thought looked interesting, and miniature statues. With a cartwheel, she landed right next to him. “You realize you don’t pay me to sleep, right? Inn’s free.”

“Oh, uh, I’m not tired,” he said, standing up suddenly. “I’m just… waiting, is all.”

Ty Lee poked her head in the door, finding Twilight, Toph, and a plant girl sleeping while Tippi fluttered over a table, reading a book. Ty Lee focused back on the plant girl. “She’s cute.”

The fox raised an eyebrow.

“Oh come on, it’s obvious.”

“W-well, uh…”

“I’m sure she’ll be up soon, people don’t need to sleep as long here.” Ty Lee started doing her stretches. “Guess she’s one of the heroes then, huh?”

“Apparently. It all happened so fast…”

Entering a warrior pose, Ty Lee cocked her head towards him. “The worlds are at stake. All sorts of things have to happen fast. We’re in a race against time!”

“I… I know.” The fox sagged, looking down. “Still. She hasn’t even gone and I already miss her.”

Ty Lee whistled as she entered a handstand. “You have other stuff you do besides hang with her, right?”

“Er…”

“Oh, wow, emergency!” Ironically, she entered a meditative seating pose when she said this. “You have forgotten how to live! Go, do whatever it is you do for fun. What’re your hobbies?”

“I tinker with gadgets?”

“Amazing!” Ty Lee put her hands to her cheeks. “I only figured out real gadgets existed a few weeks ago! Tell me more!”

“Well, I made a lot of planes to help Sonic—he’s a hedgehog from our world—save the world a—”

“RISE AND SHINE!” Toph shouted at the top of her lungs from inside the inn.

“Agh!” Twilight shouted. “Toph, I was having the nicest dream!”

“I wasn’t…” another voice—presumably the plant girl—said.

“Then you both should be glad!” Toph declared. “Dreams aren’t for heroes—they’re for delusional crazy people!”

Twilight groaned. “Toph, dial it down just a bit, okay?”

“I will when we’re through the next door and exploring somewhere new. We’ve got a Pure Heart to find! Up and at ‘em!”

“Breakfast…?” Twilight suggested.

“I’m sure Iroh will have something for us at the Jasmine Dragon. Which is next to the other door. Move it!”

“Fine, fine…” Twilight walked out of the inn, nodding pleasantly to Ty Lee and the fox. Toph came out afterward with Tippi fluttering behind—despite all her bravado, Toph was yawning and stretching as though she wasn’t ready to be awake. The plant girl came out last, brightening visibly when she saw the fox. “Tails!”

She pulled him into an embrace before he was finished standing up. “C-cosmo!”

“Why don’t you join us for breakfast?” Cosmo suggested. “We aren’t going anywhere right away.”

Ty Lee scratched her chin and nodded slowly. “Breakfast is acceptable.”

“...What?” Cosmo said, glancing at her.

“Oh, nothing, we were just talking about how ‘Tails’ here needs to get back to gadget tinkering.” She leaned down to Tails’ level and raised her eyebrows repeatedly.

“W-which I’ll do after breakfast!” Tails asserted.

“Slowpokes!” Toph shouted back at them. “We can’t waste all day!”

“There’s no day or night in this place!” Cosmo called back.

Toph pointed a finger at Cosmo, struggling to figure out what to say. “...How was I supposed to know that!?”

“I… am uncertain.” Cosmo frowned. “Apologies.”

“Just get a move on.”

Cosmo and Tails ran after Toph, entering the elevator and returning to the upper levels. Ty Lee picked up her box of collected knick-knacks and took it into her inn, laying it on the counter. “Now, time to figure out if Merlon knows what any of this stuff is…”

“Perhaps I can be of help, my dear.”

Ty Lee looked up at the fat man walking through the doorway. “Who’re you? And how do you get such an amazing mustache?”

“I’m Doctor Eggman, and this mustache is the result of years of work! ...And genetics.”

“...Genetics?”

“Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho!” Eggman laid a hand on Ty Lee’s shoulder. “My dear, you really are at a disadvantage when dealing with all these devices, aren’t you? Do you even know what electricity is?”

“Nope!” Ty Lee said, beaming.

“Well then, allow me to be of assistance!” He walked to the box and took one of the devices out. “See, I have a vested interest in making sure the multiverse doesn’t collapse into a Void of nothingness for the petty desires of some mad Count. And it occurs to me that unlocking the secrets of this interdimensional city may be the key to defeating him.”

“So… you want a job?” Ty Lee put on a smug smirk. “I can’t pay you.”

Eggman grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I’ll work for free. I bring the brains, you bring the cheerful attitude and the ability to run everywhere. Deal?”

“Deal!” Ty Lee shook Eggman’s hand vigorously, straining the muscles in his wrist.

“You have far too much energy…”

“I think it’s this place! I have a lot of energy most of the time, but I haven’t left here in weeks and every day I wake up feeling better!” She let out a delighted laugh and did a couple backflips.

“Hmm. Perhaps at a later date, we should research into the addictive properties of Flipside rejuvenation… but for now—” He picked out an object from the pile: a black sphere with wires poking out of it in numerous directions. He extravagantly slammed it on the table. “We’re going to figure out what this is.”

Ty Lee pressed her face as close to it as she could manage. “I think it’s a doohickey.”

“As good of a guess as any,” Eggman said with a shrug.

And thus began one of the strangest friendships in Flipside.

~~~

They had breakfast on top of Flipside rather than in the Jasmine Dragon since it was currently open and it wouldn’t exactly be normal to see a plant girl and purple pony walking in and enjoying breakfast and tea. Iroh still prepared everything in his kitchen and took it out to the rest of them. Vanilla had joined the heroes for breakfast, almost insisting that she help cook, but admitting that it would be hard to explain her presence in Iroh’s kitchen.

The food was delightful, but rushed because of Toph’s eagerness to get somewhere that wasn’t going to involve building a spaceship for several weeks.

Near the end of the meal, Iroh spoke up. “I’ve sent out some people to contact Avatar Aang and inform him of the situation.”

“How’s that goin’?” Toph asked.

“Mixed. He’s on one of his extremely distant meditative trips. Not even Katara knows exactly where he is.”

Toph smirked. “Twinkletoes is going to be so upset once he realizes he’s missing out on an amazing adventure.”

“The… Avatar?” Cosmo asked, cocking her head.

“Our world has four kinds of bending, and the Avatar is the master of all…” Iroh began.

“I’ll explain it to her later,” Toph said, jumping up. “Right now… a new world!”

Vanilla glanced at the yellow door. “It hasn’t gone anywhere while we’ve been eating, it’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Duh, but aren’t you excited to see what’s on the other side?” She realized she was talking to Vanilla. “Bad example. What about the rest of you?”

Tippi replied first. “I am somewhat curious myself. Hume is known to have one of the most unstable time constants…”

“Time… constant?” Twilight cocked her head.

“Time does not flow at a constant rate between worlds. One day in one might be a year elsewhere…”

“We haven’t been experiencing that,” Toph pointed out.

“No, the Chaos Heart has forced all time constants to align… it’s quite unnatural. But for all I know, it’s been millions of years in Hume since Flipside last updated its records…”

“That sounds like a great adventure!”

Everyone turned to stare at Sonic standing in the doorway to Mobius.

“Uh, Sonic, you aren’t one of the heroes this time,” Tails said.

“I know! And you can all go do whatever you want to find this ‘Pure Heart’, I’m going to go for a run. See some new skies. That sort of thing. Won’t get in your way at all!”

“I doubt that,” Tails grunted.

“I also doubt we can stop him,” Cosmo added.

Twilight let out a soft chuckle. “We’ll see how it goes, Sonic. Tails? If he’s coming along…”

“Actually, I’m going to get some tinkering done,” Tails said, nodding to Cosmo. “I think I’ll be of more help researching things on this end.”

Cosmo smiled brightly at him. “I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully!”

Tails scratched the back of his head. “And you’ll do great at the hero-explorer business.”

“Can we go yet?” Toph asked. “Or do we have to listen to sickly-sweetness for another half hour?”

“All right, all right, we can go,” Cosmo said, standing and walking to the yellow door. Twilight, Tippi, Toph, and Sonic took up positions at her side. Gingerly, Cosmo pulled the doors open...

~~~

The woman held her pen in place over the period that concluded the section. She neither smiled nor frowned--her expression remained impassive. And yet, there was life to it, so it could not be considered blank.

Unusual friendships were beautiful. But all friendships resulted in both parties being changed over time. Change was not always a positive force—nor was it a predictable one. Despite this, it was upon such connections that communities were built.

In the end, it was good. But as with most good things, there was a stain. But that stain would manifest in an indirect, unexpected way…

But that was not now.

Once more, she set her pen to the page.

Ten Forward

“Um… hi,” Twilight slowly lifted a hoof and waved it at the bar’s patrons, all of whom were staring at her intently. “I take it we’re really not supposed to be here.”

“No,” the bartender said, though the word was not spoken with hostility. “You are not.”

“Oh, we could come back later if now’s a bad time,” Cosmo said. “I’m sure we c—”

Sonic ran into the world and stood on top of the bar, looking at the stars zooming past out the window. “Huh. This place looks fun.” As one of the doors leading to the bar slid open automatically, Sonic seized his opportunity and ran out at high speed.

Twilight facehooved. “I was afraid of that.”

“He’s not going to get far,” Toph said, tapping the ground. “Pretty sure we’re in another spaceship.”

“Good guess,” the bartender said. “Come, sit, let’s talk while security hunts down your blue friend.”

“...Security?” Cosmo asked.

“Well, seeing as there are none of his species on board the Enterprise, several people are going to file reports.” The bartender started casually stirring a drink. “Then a team will be sent to try to apprehend him. If he cooperates, nothing will happen to him.”

“He, er…” Cosmo tapped her finger against the counter nervously. “He doesn’t cooperate.”

“Then they’ll stun him and he’ll wake up with a bad headache.” The bartender smiled mischievously. “He looks like a man who could stand being forced to slow down.”

Cosmo let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, okay.”

“I hope you understand that we mean you no harm and come in peace,” Twilight said, bowing slightly to her. “We are from many different worlds, and our door just happened to manifest… behind your bar.” She furrowed her brow. “On a moving spaceship… Tippi, how does that work?”

“Dimensional doors adhere to physical objects, not points in space,” Tippi explained. “Otherwise the planets would move out from under them in most worlds.”

The bartender leaned on one of her arms, a curious smile growing on her face. “Something tells me that when you say ‘other worlds’, you don’t just mean from other stars in the galaxy. I can’t wait to hear this story.”

Twilight glanced at the people sitting at tables, most of which were gossiping amongst themselves about the strange creatures that had come through the door.

“Hey!” Toph jumped up on the counter. “If you all have something to say, you can say it to my face!” This prompted a few giggles from the patrons, the kind reserved for little children who thought themselves proud. Toph’s eyebrow twitched. “I’m gonna…”

“Sit,” the bartender offered again. “Pay them no mind, have a chat with me. Someone a lot more serious will probably arrive soon, and your chance to have a fun conversation will be gone with the wind.”

Cosmo and Toph sat, the latter grumpily. Twilight tried to sit on one of the stools but decided it’d be better for her just to stand with her front hooves on the counter while Tippi fluttered around her ears. “I’m Twilight. This is Tippi, Toph, and Cosmo.”

“I’m Guinan,” the woman said with a slight bow. “Welcome to Ten Forward, the best place on the Enterprise.” Guinan gestured to the rest of the bar in mock presentation.

“The name of the ship?” Cosmo asked.

“Yes. I suppose I should welcome you aboard. Greetings from the United Federation of Planets.” Guinan extended a hand. “I hope we can be friends.”

Twilight smirked. “Where I’m from, I’m called the Princess of Friendship.” She shook Guinan’s hand with her hoof.

“You’ll have to tell me all about that…”

At that moment, the doors slid open, revealing what appeared to be a human with oddly reflective skin and piercing yellow eyes.

“That was fast,” Guinan said, turning to the newcomer. “Commander Data!”

“I was unaware there were non-humanoid lifeforms on board,” Data said with an artificial inflection. “From what world do you hail?”

“Equis,” Twilight offered. “Unless you were talking about Tippi, in which case… uh… which world are you from?”

“Flipside,” Tippi answered.

“I thought… nevermind.” Twilight shook her head—it wasn’t important.

“Equis.” Data cocked his head to the side, thinking. “I am afraid that world is not in my data banks.”

Twilight tilted her head to the side. “Data… banks?”

“Yes. I am an android.”

“An… android.” Slowly, a grin began to crawl up Twilight’s face. “As in, a fully artificial being?”

“That is correct.”

“How do you work?” Twilight asked, mouth watering at the prospect of examining such an impressive feat of technology and engineering. Cosmo was nice enough to wipe her face with a napkin, not that Twilight noticed in her stupor.

Taking a seat on the stool next to Toph, Data began his explanation. “I have a positronic brain that runs based on complex electron pathways that evolve and adapt in an attempt to emulate the behavior of an organic brain; a neural net. There are several key differences, however, the first of which is large-scale organizat—”

“That’s enough, Data,” Guinan said.

“What? No, it’s not!” Twilight turned to her with a desperate face. “I’ve got to know how the neural net manages the electrons! What sort of material does it use? Is there a thaumic undercurrent?”

“I’m sure Data would be more than happy to explain himself to an enthusiast such as yourself, but I believe there are other things to worry about.” Guinan gestured at the yellow door behind her bar.

Data nodded. “Yes, I am curious about that as well. What is the purpose of the door?”

“They popped out of it,” Guinan said with a corked brow.

Data’s eyes widened, but his face remained emotionless. “Really? Curious. So you are intruders?”

Cosmo waved her hands rapidly. “T-that was not our intent!”

“It’s just where our door showed up,” Twilight said with a shrug. “We’re exploring new worlds in search of artifacts called the Pure Hearts. Have you heard of them?”

Data tilted his head to the side. “I have no record of any Pure Hearts. But we are explorers just like yourselves—it is the primary mission of the Enterprise.”

“To seek out new life, and new civilizations,” Guinan added, clearly quoting something.

“Suddenly this spaceship is a lot less boring,” Toph jumped up and stomped her foot on the ground. “Let’s go somewhere new! Somewhere… alien.”

“I’m afraid the Enterprise is currently on another mission,” Data said. “Though I suspect the Captain would love to hear more about yours.”

Toph stomped her foot on the ground in preparation for a snippy comment, but her face went pale before she got it out.

“What’s wrong?” Cosmo asked.

“I… I can’t bend anything.” Toph punched a few times and stomped around. “No… bending. I can feel the vibrations but…” She sat back down, hand to her forehead. “Geez, I’m going to be useless in this world.”

“Oh, right, I should check my magic.” Twilight lit her horn and found that she could levitate a glass from under the counter easily—but her attempt to generate a fireball did absolutely nothing. “The rules of magic are clearly different, here.”

“Most of us don’t believe in magic,” Guinan commented.

“Clearly it exists in this universe since I’m still able to use it,” Twilight commented. “Though who knows what form it may take?”

Data examined her horn, poking the tip experimentally. “How does this ‘magic’ of yours work?”

“It’s a little complicated, but basically the energy stored within the brain is shunted into the horn, where it interfaces with the conical lace a—”

“Twilight,” Cosmo warned.

“Oh.” Twilight flushed. “Yes, now is not the time to 'geek out’ over science, right.”

“This is wasting time...” Tippi said. “We have already spent several weeks searching for the Pure Hearts, we shouldn’t…”

Data nodded, tapping a small pin on his yellow jersey in the shape of a chevron. “Data to Captain Picard.”

“Go ahead, Data,” a male voice—presumably Picard’s—said from the pin. The words carried with them a calm, but strong and no-nonsense inflection. The voice of a leader.

“I am with Guinan in Ten-Forward. We appear to have visitors from another universe.”

“Hostile?”

“Quite the opposite. They are friendly. One might even say ‘chatty.’ ”

“Hmm… we have reports of a strange blue entity causing havoc on the lower decks.”

“Sonic!” Twilight blurted.

“...Data, was that one of them talking?” Picard asked.

“Uh, yes Captain, sorry for interrupting,” Twilight said, standing rigid.

“Do you know this… Sonic?” Data asked.

“Yes,” Twilight admitted. “He’s… he means no harm, but he’s going to be running around a lot and probably won’t listen to anybody who tells him to stop.”

“Hmm…” Picard was silent for a moment. “Data, take them to the briefing room. I’ll tell Worf not to harm this… Sonic, if at all possible.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Twilight said with a bow. “I look forward to meeting you!”

“I as well, to put a name and face to the voice.”

Data stood up suddenly. “We should leave immediately.”

“No arguments here,” Toph said, standing up.

Toph got over her powerless scare pretty quickly, Twilight noted, following her and Data out of Ten Forward. “Thanks for the talk, Guinan.”

The bartender only smiled. “My pleasure.”

~~~

Sonic stopped in the intersection of a hallway. The carpet was the same as everywhere else, the walls were the same smooth white with a black stripe running all along it, and everyone wore the same uniforms. And all of them were humans! Sure, some were funny-colored and had big heads or something, but still, humans.

“Would it kill you guys to get an interior decorator?” He asked a woman in a yellow short. “Come on, everything’s so boring in here that I’m getting lost!”

The woman pulled out a strange handheld device with a black, rounded tip pointed right at him. He’d seen enough of Eggman’s crazy weapons to know this was something similar. “Woah, lady, all I did was ask a question!”

The woman tapped the pin on her uniform. “I found the intruder, deck three.”

“Intruder?” Sonic gasped. “All I did was walk in the door! ...That didn’t exist until I opened it. And it came out in the back of a bar.” Sonic scratched his chin. “Hmm, I can see why you’d think I’m an intruder…”

She lowered the weapon. “Do you… wish to cooperate?”

“Cooperate how?”

“If you come with me to the brig, I c—”

“And that’s my cue to get out of here. Bye!” He dashed past her, swiping the weapon out from her hand in the process. “Hmm, wonder how this works. Let’s see…” He pressed a button, shooting a laser out of the device into a nearby wall, sending sparks flying. “Augh!” He threw the weapon away and kept running down the hallway. “They should install better safeties on those things!” Chuckling to himself, he jumped into one of the elevators where three other people in gold uniforms were standing.

Sonic shrugged. “Hey, I’ll go wherever you guys go, up or down, I don’t care.”

All three of them drew their weapons on him. “Come in peacefully an—”

“Cheese Louise, what is it with you people and trying to lock me up?” He jumped, entered a spin attack, and burst out the top of the elevator into the shaft. Lasers shot out of the elevator, but he dodged them easily, jumping up the shaft by hitting the walls in zig-zag, going higher and higher.

All the doors were closed, but once he felt high enough he jumped to one of the doors and pried them open, finding… another identical hallway.

“Is there nowhere interesting in this pla—”

A tall, dark man with angled ridges on his forehead tackled Sonic, pinning his arms and legs in one swift motion. “Down!”

“Wow, you’re a strong guy!” Sonic chuckled, straining to get out of his grip. “Say, could you loosen up a bit?”

“I will not let you continue running around the ship, sabotaging it!”

“Hey, I didn’t mean to break anything! It was you bozos who pointed lasers at me!”

The man let out a snort. “They’re not dangerous!”

“I blew out a wall with one!”

“That was a computer a—” the man caught himself. “I don’t have to explain myself to you! You’re coming with me, to the brig.”

“How about… no?” Sonic attempted to break free once more, but he was much smaller than the muscular man and couldn’t get enough leverage to enter a spin attack. He really was stuck. “Huh. Guess I should be thankful Eggman never took up bodybuilding.”

The man stood up, careful to keep a tight grip on all Sonic’s limbs. Cautiously, he twisted one of his hands close to the pin on his chest. “Worf to Picard. I have apprehend—”

Sonic, sensing an opportunity, dug his chin into Worf’s arm. As Worf grunted in pain he loosened his grip, allowing Sonic enough range of motion to kick Worf in the face. He held on remarkably well to Sonic, but the hedgehog only needed a little leeway to enter a spin attack and twist himself out of Worf’s grip, tossing the man back. “Hah, nice try!”

“Ergh…” Worf jumped after Sonic, but he was ready this time, dashing away before Worf even hit the ground.

“You’re too slow!”

“Get back here, rodent!” Worf lunged again.

“I’m not a rodent, how many times do I gotta tell people that?” He skipped backward, just barely out of Worf’s reach every time. “You should invest in some speed exercises, I hear they make good for catching hedgehogs. Man, I’m thinking up of all sorts of things Eggman could have done. Must be this place, makes me smarte—”

A laser hit him in the back. It didn’t burn him or even hurt all that much, but it went right into his muscles and brain, turning him into a limp ragdoll that slumped to the ground.

A man with a red uniform and an impressive beard lowered his weapon. “Are you all right, Worf?”

“Yes, Commander Riker. Thank you.” Worf let out a tense sigh. “He talked much, but had no strength.” Worf stood up, adjusting his uniform. “His only skill was speed.”

“It seemed to be enough to give you a run for your money.”

Worf bared his teeth.

“All right, all right… let’s get him to the brig.”

~~~

The briefing room was a well-furnished, roughly rectangular room with a long table surrounded by comfortable, padded chairs. To one of the table’s long sides were a series of windows that looked out onto space, the stars whizzing by. To the other side was a display of various spaceships in the Federation, largely named Enterprise. The designs fascinated Twilight—they looked a lot like partially formed tadpoles, with the stubby limbs ending in smooth cylinders. She deduced that those parts were engines of a sort.

Twilight wasn’t able to sit down in the chairs comfortably, so she stood with her front hooves resting on the table. Cosmo and Toph sat in the chairs next to her while Tippi fluttered near her head. Across from them sat Data and two other members of the Enterprise crew. One was a woman with a blue uniform and long black curls that framed her smooth face. However, she did not demand the attention that the Captain did—while he was a bald, wrinkled man, his very presence nonetheless exuded power and authority. His red uniform stood out, and he had more metallic pips on his collar than anyone present. The hard face he wore was stern, but unthreatening, matched with a cautious intelligence that laid within his deep eyes.

Twilight introduced her group. “...And I hope we can become friends after this… initial confusion is cleared up.”

“A runaway hedgehog is hardly going to cause a diplomatic incident,” the woman said. “I’m Counselor Deanna Troi.”

“And I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard,” the Captain said, folding his hands together. “You’ve already met Commander Data.”

“Yes. He’s been very enlightening and I would love to hear him explain his inner workings…” Twilight shook her head. “Later. Right now, we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Yes, I have been informed you are on a sort of quest,” Picard said, leaning in. “Could you explain that?”

Toph coughed. “Short version: some idiot is trying to destroy all worlds with a big purple ugly Void vortex and we’re looking for the Pure Hearts so we can stop him. Make sense?”

Picard looked at her with slight unease.

“What?” Toph held up a hand in a half shrug. “Did I say it wrong?”

“I believe the Captain is unsure about your age,” Cosmo said. “I have seen no one near your visual age in uniform.”

“Oh, is it because I’m a kid?” Toph rolled her eyes. “Ugh, I’ve gone through this enough already.”

Twilight pressed her hooves together. “Please forgive Toph. Yes, she is young, though in her culture she is not considered a child. She has been a great friend and an amazing ally in our quest so far, and what she says is true.”

“Yes…” Cosmo said, looking at the table. “All of our lives have been put on hold because we have been called to find the Pure Hearts in each universe.”

“What are these Pure Hearts?” Picard asked.

Everyone looked to Tippi. After a couple of resigned flaps, she explained. “Pure Hearts are the physical manifestation of a universe’s reality and love itself. Together, they will be able to puncture through the barrier around the Void, allowing us to stop the destruction at the source: Count Bleck.”

“Do you have some of these Pure Hearts with you?”

“No, they are through the door, in Flipside,” Twilight said. “We have three. ...We need eight.”

Picard nodded. “What of this Count Bleck?”

“I’ve never even seen him,” Toph grunted.

“He is very elusive,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve only seen him once, and that was… decidedly unpleasant. I do not know why he seeks to destroy all worlds, but his minions have suggested he has offered to let them create new ones after all this is over.”

“A god complex…” Picard mused. “...Counselor?”

“I sense no hostility or deception from any of them,” Troi answered. “Though I suspect Twilight may be an empath as well, her mind has responded to mine occasionally.”

“Oh, you’re an empath?” Twilight brightened, lighting her horn. Can you hear me?

Yes, Troi responded with her mind. You have to activate your telepathy manually?

Yeah, it’s not a spell many unicorns know.

“I take it you’ve established telepathic contact?” Picard asked.

Troi nodded. “She considers it a spell.”

“Magic is weird,” Twilight admitted. “It only works in some universes; in this one, only some of my spells work at all. I’ll… explain that later. Or not, because I barely understand any of it.”

Picard nodded. “Well, I’m afraid I know nothing of any Pure Heart, but you are free to search our records for mention of it. I’ll assign Commander Data to you to aid in your search.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“And…” Picard glanced out the window. The stars stopped zipping by—the Enterprise was slowing down. “I think there’s something we should show you. Come, to the bridge.”

It was not a long trek from the briefing room to the bridge; only a few hallways. They arrived in a wide, open room with several consoles and a large screen on the front wall, currently displaying nothing. Picard took a seat in the center of the room while Troi sat to his left. Data remained standing with Twilight and the others.

“Helm, put the anomaly onscreen,” Picard ordered.

The screen lit up, displaying a massive purple swirl that filled up the entire field of view. Many other ships were in front of it. Several were of similar designs to the ones on display in the briefing room, but several clearly belonged to other factions: sharp, birdlike ships; axelike orange ones; and a myriad of other shapes and sizes.

Picard turned behind him, catching Twilight’s eyes. “I take it this is your Void.”

“Yes,” she said, solemnly. “How big is it here?”

“It has devoured almost all the stars in the galactic core,” Data responded. “For now, its expansion seems to have stopped, but our readings suggest it is still active. Reports from other ships show that it is eating away at the fundamental base of reality itself.”

“We are here to investigate and guard this anomaly,” Picard said. “And to, if necessary, use force to contain it. But it seems as if the answer to our mission… lies with you and what is behind that door in Ten Forward.”

“We should get started right away,” Twilight insisted. Nobody argued.

Gathering Allies

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47931.4

We have picked up a group of unlikely passengers from another universe entirely—or perhaps it would be better to say universes, since none of them share the same origin. They are an unusual group, placed together more by chance than choice, it seems, in the hunt for artifacts known as Pure Hearts so they may end the oppressive Void. Their search has led them here, to the Enterprise, though they know not why—if there is even a reason.

We are working with them as best we can to hunt down any record of these Pure Heart artifacts, but so far there has been no such luck. Meanwhile, the crew is growing accustomed rather quickly to their presence on board; though their youngest, a rowdy girl by the name of Toph, has caused no small amount of unrest.

Meanwhile, there is a large yellow door sitting in plain sight in Ten Forward that leads to another universe. Were we not so preoccupied with the impending desolation of the Void, I would be enthralled to explore a brand new frontier beyond the stars themselves. However, times are pressing, and we cannot afford as many luxuries as we are used to. That said, I am organizing a team to go over and meet with the denizens of other worlds in this “Flipside,” which is supposedly an in-between place…

~~~

Data, Twilight, and Tippi were hard at work in one of the Enterprise’s many computer labs. Data and Twilight were sitting, staring intently at screens as information scrolled past. The chair had, once again, not been suitable for Twilight’s body shape, but Data had removed it and replaced it with a large cushion. She’d found that her telekinesis didn’t interface well with the touch screens, so she used her wingtips to navigate. After about ten minutes of being taught the interface, she was already an expert. Whizzing through documents, flitting her eyes across everything, absorbing all she could in reference to artifacts about hearts. Data did much the same, though at a vastly increased rate, his eyes moving so fast it was nearly impossible to tell where exactly he was looking at any given moment.

Tippi fluttered a ways back, keeping her senses trained on both screens at once.

In the middle of his research, Data spoke up. “I am correct in assuming you are an artificial life form as well, Tippi?”

“I am a Pixl, which is essentially that…” Tippi admitted. “Though my intelligence had to be based after a template, unlike you…”

“That is not entirely true,” Data said. “While I do not have one source for my neural pathways, my creator used the scanned brains of many colonists to map my functions.”

“Scanned a brain!?” Twilight stopped her research from scrolling past. “Wh… how do you do that? Knowing exactly how a brain works could help with so many—”

“Twilight, we do need to focus...” Tippi pointed out.

Twilight let out an annoyed neigh. “Fine, fine… Pure Hearts!” She started scrolling through information faster.

“I am curious,” Data said, once again addressing Tippi. “Do you have your full range of emotions?”

“I believe so… I have only been conscious for a month or so…”

“I do not currently have emotions installed. There is a chip I may use to initiate them, but I have yet to do so.”

Twilight looked up. “Why not?”

Data cocked his head to the side. “There are many times where it has been useful to have an impartial outlook on situations not clouded by bias or impulse. Furthermore, the chip may end up unstable, in the end. I am sure I will install it one day, simply because I do wish to experience them. I have spent much of my life trying to be more human and less… ‘machine.’ “

Twilight laughed softly. “I can scarcely imagine what you go through, emotions are so close to me… If you ever turn them on and need some help sorting through them, I’ll be available to help.”

“I shall keep you in mind, but I suspect Counselor Troi knows me somewhat better.”

“Oh. Right. The offer still stands!” Twilight pressed a few more buttons, searching through more and more files. “...Have either of you seen anything helpful?”

“I have researched two-hundred forty-three thousand eight-hundred nineteen different heart-based artifacts,” Data reported. “None of them have matched the description precisely enough to warrant further research.”

“Nothing has stuck out to me, either…” Tippi said.

Twilight sighed. “There’s got to be something in here…”

“For all we know, the information is lost to history,” Data said. “Tippi, you did say there was no Federation of Planets when Flipside was built, correct?”

Tippi turned to him, sending out a few sparkles with the motion. “Yes. There weren’t even humans in this World. There must have been some sort of dimensional connection to deposit humans here…”

“A strange theory,” Data noted. “It is generally accepted that humans are native to this universe.”

“Humans aren’t native to any universe…” Tippi said.

Twilight and Data stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

“Oh, uh…” Tippi stammered. “I suppose there might be other information since Flipside’s creators weren’t around then, but… it is fairly certain that there was only one universe in the beginning, and that place was where humans originated.”

“Interesting theory,” Data mused. “What is the evidence for it?”

“I do not have a… full report, but…” Tippi thought about it for a moment. “Well, the Pure Hearts are connected in such a way that suggests they were once all one. This theoretical construct is known as the Purity Heart, the Heart of the first universe. It is possible that we will reassemble it once we find all eight…”

“Then we just keep looking.” Twilight pulled up another file, squinting to read the text. “Just keep looking…”

“Is there a chance it is not in our universe?” Data asked, returning to his files as well.

“No,” Tippi said. “I know it’s in this universe—I felt it resonating with our door—it is simply too far away for me to pinpoint directly. My senses can search planets, not galaxies. This far away I only get a vibration, not a direction.”

“So narrow it down to a planet…” Twilight breathed. “Should be easy, right?”

Data spoke up. “Actually, there are several billion planets in the galaxy, most of which are not charted.”

“Thank you, Data,” Twilight deadpanned.

~~~

Iroh and Vanilla were having jasmine tea when the yellow doors swung open, depositing three crew members of the Enterprise onto Flipside, one in red, the other in yellow, and the last in blue; showcasing the full spectrum of the uniform colors.

Iroh grinned. “Ah, I’d been told you might be coming! Come, have a seat, there’s plenty for everyone.” Vanilla nodded in agreement.

The red-suited man nodded, stepping over the chair to sit in it. “I am Commander William T. Riker of the Federation starship Enterprise. This is Lieutenant Worf and Doctor Beverly Crusher.” The Doctor was a middle-aged woman with red hair and a calm, disarming smile. Worf’s smile wasn’t present, and if it had been, it would have been a different sort of disarming.

“Well met, Riker,” Iroh said, pouring him some tea. “Welcome to the city between worlds, Flipside. Down the elevator you’ll find the city’s effective ruler, Merlon, though to be honest he doesn’t do much. Below that is where everyone else sits, doing whatever they feel like. The orange door leads to Mobius, and the red leads to Diqiu. But, right now, I bet you want to sit for tea.”

“I would love to,” Riker admitted. “But we have a mission to make contact with the various leaders and governments of the other worlds, as well as learn about this… Flipside.”

Iroh turned to Vanilla. “Does your world have government?”

“Not really,” Vanilla admitted. “Occasionally Eggman tries to set up an empire, but nobody takes that seriously.”

“Interesting… I was under the impression your people had space-faring technology,” Riker said.

“Oh, we do,” Vanilla said. “Though that’s mostly the realm of Tails, Eggman, and a few other tinkers. Most of us just live in our simple houses and enjoy life.”

“Sounds like a paradise,” Crusher said.

“It usually is, but Eggman is always Eggman every month or so.” Vanilla chuckled at the thought. “It’s a good thing this Void situation seems to have put his plans on hold. He’s actually been quite helpful the past few days.”

“Nothing like impending doom to bring people together,” Iroh added.

“The enemy of your enemy…” Worf said, nodding as though they were witness to something profound.

“What of your world, Iroh?” Riker asked.

“You’re in luck.” Iroh sat back and put on a big grin. “I happen to be the uncle to the current Fire Lord.”

Vanilla started at him. “What?”

“I’ve mentioned Zuko, right? He’s the Fire Lord!” He raised an amused eyebrow. “Didn’t expect a tea restaurant owner to be someone of importance, did you?”

Vanilla giggled. “No, I didn’t!”

“Regardless, I can only speak for one nation of our world, not all of them. I have sent word to the Avatar so that he may come and represent all of us, but word will take time to reach him, seeing as he’s off meditating somewhere isolated at the moment. Furthermore, he is likely a bit too young for your culture to respect.”

“Toph has been… testing our abilities to look beyond our cultural presumptions,” Riker admitted. “But we are making progress.”

“Good. She is a strong young woman, and she has her place in these proceedings.” Iroh leaned forward, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Now, we could talk politics all day if you wanted. But I suspect there are other reasons you are here.”

Crusher nodded. “I am here to discover how this place’s healing aura functions.”

“And I am here to assess the danger of Count Bleck,” Worf added.

Iroh nodded. “Merlon can help you with those, but I won’t expect much in the way of answers. Not even he is fully aware of the truth of this place or Count Bleck.”

“We will take anything we can get,” Crusher insisted.

“Though, if you do have any injured, please, come here.” Iroh broke out into a grin. “The door is never locked!”

“Thank you.”

Riker nodded to Worf and Crusher, who stood up and entered the Elevator to talk with Merlon. Riker remained to talk further with Iroh. “Would it be acceptable to visit your worlds?”

“Mobius’ door is wide open,” Iroh said. “However, on Diqiu the people are not fully aware of the direness of the situation. I do not wish to explain to the city of Ba Sing Se that the world might end soon.”

“Understandable,” Riker admitted. “For the record, Picard has authorized me to extend invitations to the Enterprise, though you will have to be registered the first time you step through our door. I do recommend the bar in Ten Forward, Guinan is an excellent host.”

“So I’ve heard,” Iroh chuckled. “And you are welcome in my tea shop as well, Riker. Just be sure to change your clothes into something less conspicuous so you don’t stand out, if you ever feel the need to drop by.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Riker leaned forward. “Now, we know each other, but we know very little about each other’s cultures. We should fix that.”

Iroh nodded. “Of course. Vanilla, do you think you can speak for your world’s culture?”

“I can try…” she responded, uncertain.

“Good enough to start,” Riker said. “Now, the Fede—”

The orange door opened, allowing Eggman and Ty Lee through, both tugging on a large metal bin filled with random robotic implements, wires, and a few synthetic chaos emeralds sprawled about.

“Pull harder!” Eggman growled.

“I am!” Ty Lee grunted. “You’re the one slacking!”

“I’m old!”

“You got that right!”

Shakily, they managed to drag the crate of machines across the Flipside platform and over to the elevator.

“Whew…” Eggman wiped the sweat off his brow. “I really should have had the robots do that.”

Ty Lee stretched back, touching her fingers to the backs of her heels. “Probably. But it was fun!” She waved at the trio drinking tea. “Hi!”

Eggman noticed them for the first time, quickly recognizing Riker as someone of importance. “Greetings. I am Doctor Eggman,” he said with an exaggerated bow.

“Commander Riker.” Riker scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Have we met somewhere before?”

“I think I’d remember someone like you,” Eggman said with a twirl of his mustache.

“You still seem oddly familiar.”

Eggman shrugged. “Perhaps the multiverse wishes to spread my genius by feelings of vague familiarity. Regardless, well met, Commander. Ty Lee and I are a few floors down, trying to uncover the secrets of this empty city.”

“A noble goal.”

“We’re exploring!” Ty Lee jumped gleefully. “We found an ancient theatre! With plays!”

“Not very useful,” Eggman grumbled.

“But they tell us a lot about the ancient people who built this place! How they lived, how they loved, how they died…” She leaned back, letting out a wistful sigh. Shooting back to her full height like a spring, she pointed frantically at the elevator. “Let’s go!”

Eggman and Ty Lee quickly left them alone, though not after a fair bit of struggling trying to fit into the elevator doors with the bin. So once again, Riker began his speech. “The Federation is…”

The doors to Mobius opened again, this time bringing Tails and a small backpack filled with mechanical bits similar to what Eggman had just hauled through. “Oh! You’re from the Enterprise, right?”

“Commander Riker,” Riker introduced—getting a little tired of re-introducing himself over and over again. “Captain Tails, I presume?”

Tails nodded. “Yeah. I’m currently trying to figure out how to move things through the doors that are larger than the doors themselves. It’s… complicated. I was just about to head over and see if I could investigate how your transporters work, see if we could use that.”

Riker tapped his communicator pin. “This is Riker to Commander LaForge, testing communication through the door.”

“I hear you, Commander,” a man said from the other side. “What do you need?”

“I’m sending you a yellow two-tailed Mobian to learn about transporters. He’s working on getting things larger than the doors through them, and believes our technology may be the way to do it.”

“Send him down to Engineering, I’ll be waiting.”

Riker nodded to Tails. “Go ahead. Be sure to let the people at the door know who you are so they can register you.”

“Will do!” Hefting his backpack up, Tails jumped through the yellow door.

“Now…” Riker turned back to Iroh and Vanilla. “Where were we?”

“The Federation,” Vanilla offered.

“Right. The United Federation of Planets is a union of many different worlds spread out across the galaxy, devoted to unity, progress, understanding, and betterment of life for all. We seek peace and friendly relations above all else, despising conflict…”

~~~

Cosmo sat down at the bar in Ten Forward, smiling at Guinan.

“What brings you here, little flower?” Guinan asked.

Cosmo shrugged. “Twilight and Tippi are researching with Data, Toph’s wandering around, and I just felt like talking to someone.”

“Feeling useless?”

“Not at all. It’s more of…” Cosmo tapped her finger on the counter. “I feel like time is running out.”

Guinan nodded slowly. “Things do seem pretty dire, don’t they?”

“Yes. But at the same time, it doesn’t.” She glanced back at the various patrons. Now that they were somewhat used to her, they were talking amongst each other amicably, as though everything were normal. “See?”

“Oh yes, I see.” Guinan tapped a finger on the counter. “The threat seems distant to them. They can’t fully comprehend the scale of the danger, and it doesn’t seem to be doing much of anything right now. So they continue their lives as normal. It’s a coping mechanism, and usually it doesn’t cause problems.”

“Is it causing problems now?”

“I don’t know. I won’t until we figure out later if we wasted too much time getting to know one another.”

“Oh… my.”

“Though…” Guinan leaned in. “Don’t go spreading this around, but I think if the price of saving the world is destroying our ability to sit down and talk with each other, it’s not worth it.”

For some reason she couldn’t discern, this brought a smile to Cosmo’s lips. “I won’t tell.”

“Good.” Guinan took a moment to serve a blue-skinned man a red drink before returning to Cosmo. “Now… what else did you want to talk about?”

Cosmo shrugged. “I don’t know. I figured you would.”

“Hmm…” Guinan turned her back to Cosmo for a moment. “You want me to make an observation?”

“About me? Sure.”

“You’re sad. And it’s not a new sadness either, it’s an old one that cuts right to your soul.”

Cosmo nodded, looking down at the counter. “I… am the last of my kind. The Metarex took care of all the others.”

“The Metarex?”

“Cyborgs that were terrorizing our galaxy until the Void showed up.” She traced the edge of the counter with her fingertip.

“They sound a lot like the Borg,” Guinan said.

“The Borg?”

“A hive-mind of cyborgs. They destroyed my world, assimilating almost all its people into their own.”

Cosmo put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, I’m so sorry…”

Guinan nodded. “I’m not the last of my kind, there are several others who escaped. But, still… it’s harrowing to remember.”

Cosmo looked to the floor. “I never want to think about it.”

“I know the feeling.” Guinan leaned forward. “But life keeps making us remember.”

Cosmo nodded. “The Metarex were always fighting us, and now they’re working with the Count, we think.”

“It’s weirder over here. Do you know what we’ve detected observing the Void? Borg ships, just as curious about it as we are. For once in their lives, they aren’t concerned with trying to destroy and absorb the rest of us here.” Guinan looked out the window. At the moment, it didn’t show stars, but rather the Void with several ships between the Enterprise and the swirling vortex. “This has called an unprecedented truce. While the Void’s here, warring peoples aren’t shooting at each other. They’re pointing their guns at a thing they aren’t sure they can destroy with all the power in the universe.”

“So many ships…” Cosmo said, taking a moment to take in the scene outside.

“The enemy of my enemy…” Guinan said with a bitter chuckle. “Everyone’s unified so long as there’s a bigger fish in the pond.”

“Maybe they’ll remember working together after this is over.”

“Some will,” Guinan admitted. “Others won’t.”

“I hope more will than won’t.” Cosmo looked up, a soft smile on her face. “It’ll mean all this terror and darkness actually brought about something good.”

“I like your hope, Cosmo. More people need that.”

~~~

Picard passed Sonic, sleeping in one of the Enterprise’s many hallways. Ever since the hedgehog had been released, he’d been allowed to roam free so long as he didn’t break anything. So far, he hadn’t broken anything, but he had been spotted sleeping in the most bizarre places—on top of consoles, in jeffreys tubes, and apparently on the floors of random hallways.

He had made several requests to be dropped off on another ship to explore. All had been denied. Nobody wanted to set the blue blur loose.

Doing his best to ignore the hedgehog, Picard entered the turbolift. To his disdain, it was already occupied by none other than Toph.

“Hey, baldy!” Toph waived. “Where ya headed?”

“Bridge,” Picard said, instructing the computer to take him there.

“Nice. I’m going to the holodecks. I’m gonna see if I can program it to simulate earthbending.”

“Mhm…”

“I mean, your ship is nice and all, but it feels so wrong not to be able to move rocks around, y’know? Can’t imagine how Twilight lived in my world!”

Picard nodded curtly.

“What do you use the holodeck for?”

I’m going to have to answer that. “I rarely engage with it,” Picard admitted. “When I do, I spend a fair time taking part in plays. Not the sort you would like, I’m afraid.”

Toph folded her arms. “I wouldn’t like? Is that because they’re serious and not fit for a kid?”

Picard’s jaw shifted slightly. “They just… don’t strike me as your kind.”

“You’ve barely talked to me. I’m pretty sure you’re avoiding me.”

“Ah, well…” the doors slid open. “Here’s your stop.”

With a dismissive wave of her hand, Toph left the turbolift, leaving Picard to sweet, sweet lonely silence. When the turbolift resumed its journey to the bridge, Picard let out a sigh of relief. The less he had to deal with that girl, the better.

Upon arrival, instead of going to his chair, he walked out of the bridge and down the small hall to the debriefing room, where all of his senior staff except Data were already assembled. Data would likely come precisely on time and not a moment too soon, so Picard wasn’t concerned.

It was a lot of people to keep track of, to be fair. Commander Riker, Doctor Crusher, Counselor Troi, Commander LaForge, and Lieutenant Worf, all of whom would have a particular viewpoint on the situation. It was Picard’s job to weigh what all of them had to say and make the final choice himself.

As he sat down, he adjusted his uniform to make sure it fit comfortably. As expected, Data arrived less than a minute later, taking his seat at the table.

“Very well, let us begin,” Picard said. “It has been a few days since the arrival of our visitors, and all of us have had some interaction with them and their mission. I want to hear all your impressions of them, their city, and these other worlds. Riker, if you please?”

Riker nodded. “Sir, it seems to me that they are being completely honest and open with us, but they have a distinct lack of discipline. There is almost nothing in the way of command structures in Flipside to speak of, and the ‘heroes’ are all being selected based on some ancient prophecy written by the long-dead builders of Flipside. Mobius has no government to speak of, and the governments of Diqiu are currently recovering from a century-long world war. Mobius has space travel, but this is limited to a small number of ships and people spread out across the world. No one has our structure or our organization. Flipside itself is significantly more advanced, but no one knows how to use it or how far it extends.”

“Your recommendation?”

“We need to start sending people over to Flipside to organize it. Right now it’s just a loose collection of people doing random things. The most organized endeavor is being performed by a notable scientist named Doctor Eggman, although it’s still rather disjointed at that. Iroh, Vanilla, and Merlon have no issue with us sending people over, so I think we should take advantage of that.”

“Thank you, number one. Data?”

Data nodded curtly. “I share many of Commander Riker’s sentiments, but there are a few points I wish to contest. Riker implied that following the prophecy was an unwise decision. However, it is this same prophecy that permitted Flipside to be built, Twilight to be saved, and this resistance to the Count to start in the first place. It has proven very reliable to them already, predicting the exact position of Twilight and many details about the Void’s creation and mission.”

“You, believing in a prophecy?” Picard leaned back. “Forgive me for being surprised, Data.”

“The evidence points to the words within being legitimate,” Data continued. “Furthermore, an interdimensional society far more advanced than our own trusted it and acted accordingly. Perhaps they were aware of future prediction technology we are not aware of.”

Picard nodded. “Fair enough. Anything else?”

“Our research has turned up nothing on the Pure Heart so far. We have begun spreading our searches to include mention of interdimensional activity, but we only began this a few minutes before this meeting. Apparently, the ‘mirror universe’ and the other planes of existence we are aware of, such as the Q-continuum, are all actually part of the same universe as ours, they are just ‘reflections’ of each other. It seems as though we have not actually broken into the multiverse proper, though we have yet to sift through all the reports.”

“Thank you, Mr. Data. Keep us informed.”

“I do wish to express my confidence in Twilight and Tippi. I have been working with them and they are truly devoted to their cause, and have begun to form a bond with me.”

Picard nodded, turning to Troi. “Counselor?”

“From what I can tell, all of them are devoted to their mission, though I can’t read Tippi at all. Toph is exceptionally self-confident and brash, but decidedly mature for her age. She hides her intellect and maturity behind her attitude because she fears that aspect of herself. Cosmo is a sweet woman with a sorrowful heart that somehow manages to see the hope in things, though I got most of this from Guinan’s observations rather than my own. Twilight… she’s a leader, like yourself, Captain. She worries constantly about her friends and how to balance her relationships with them in her journey to save everything. She misses her home dearly.”

“Hmm…”

“And Sonic is just what he appears to be: a free spirit with a disdain for worldly attachment.”

“No surprise there,” Worf grunted.

“Worf, what is your opinion of our guests?” Picard asked. “And Flipside.”

Worf leaned in, locking his eyes with the Captain’s. “Flipside is a masterful fortress that is undermanned and underpowered. I was able to locate several weapons systems and shields, but none of it had been touched in eons. Not even Merlon understood how to get it to work. For a computer, he is remarkably unhelpful. They need more people. As for our visitors… For a child, Toph is a masterful warrior. I have seen her spar, and her strength is impressive for her small size. Twilight has a warrior’s spirit as well, though she hides it behind her smile. Cosmo… is a peacemaker. I had little to talk about with her.”

Picard nodded slowly. “Do you trust them?”

“They seem to be legitimate.”

“Everyone seems to think that. Is there a single person in this room who doesn’t?”

Everyone shook their heads.

Picard allowed a smile to creep up his face. “Good. I was afraid we might fall into the trap that so many peoples fall into when they run into us—unable to accept the idea of benevolent explorers who only seek to help and extend friendship. Still, I want to hear it all. Doctor Crusher?”

Crusher frowned. “I spent most of my time in Flipside, and I unfortunately haven’t been able to deduce anything aside from the fact that the rejuvenation effect is real. I have no clue as to what its mechanisms are and have no idea where to start. I recommend we send people to work with Doctor Eggman’s team, we need to uncover the secrets of Flipside.”

“Mhm…” Picard turned to the last member of his senior staff. “Commander LaForge, I understand you’ve been working on a project?”

“Yes, sir,” the dark man with a visor over his eyes said. “I’ve been collaborating with Captain Tails of the Mobian ship Blue Typhoon in an attempt to use transporter technology to travel from one universe to another—including objects larger than what can physically fit through the doors. We’ve managed to establish communications through all the universes, but so far we’ve only gotten to the theory of multiversal teleportation. Currently we’re considering building a teleportation hub that will sit in Flipside and manage requests from all universes.”

“And how is Captain Tails?”

“He’s young for a Captain, sir, and thinks a lot more like an engineer than I would have expected. But he’s earnest and I think he has some brilliant ideas. There’s even talk of moving the door off the Enterprise, somehow, though we’re not exactly clear on how to do that yet.”

“Good.” Picard nodded. “...This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to send a request to Starfleet for extra personnel for Flipside, to uncover its secrets. Data, you are to continue searching for mention of the Pure Heart, or anything remotely related. If you need extra resources, just let me know. With this report, I will also suggest that Starfleet contact the other galactic governments and let them know of the situation. Now that we know what all this interdimensional activity means, it’s time to share what we know. Any objections?”

“The Romulans will attempt to twist this to their advantage,” Worf said.

“And who knows what the Borg might do,” Riker added.

Picard nodded. “I am aware, but we need to be open with each other in this trying time. Even with—it pains me to say—the Borg. As dangerous as they are, their heightened processing may be able to destroy this Void for us.”

“Or they could adapt its power into their own,” Crusher suggested.

“It is a risk—but I do not see us sharing it with the Klingons, Cardassians, and Romulans without the Borg hearing about it in some way. Riker, you should prepare Flipside for visitors from many different nations.”

Riker nodded. “I’m assuming not the Borg?”

“Of course not. I’ll destroy the door before I let them access interdimensional technology.” He stood up, adjusting his jersey again. “Dismissed.”

The Earth Confusion

“The Heart of the Universe…” Twilight read aloud, grin slowly widening. “A relic referred to in reference to the Progenitors’ Icon, theorized to be held at Uthira-five.”

Tippi fluttered over to Twilight’s screen. “This isn’t much information to go off of…”

“Very little is known about the Progenitors,” Twilight admitted, pointing to the file she had open on the race in question. “They were only proven to exist a few years ago by the Enterprise—this very ship! After their discovery, a few relics were attributed to them, including the Icon. And… well, it references the Heart of the Universe. The record is very incomplete, but it has some very interesting specifics about the ‘essence of creation’ and even relative galactic coordinates using extragalactic references. Luckily the Federation scientists have already done all the hard work as to where those coordinates were in ancient times—we just have to go to this Uthira-five!”

Tippi leaned in. “That’s in Romulan space.”

“Yeah?”

“I believe Romulans are not on friendly terms with the Federation.”

“Oh…” Twilight blinked. “Well, surely once we explain this to them, we’ll be let through!”

“Twilight,” Data said, motioning for her to come over. “I have found something most intriguing.”

“What?” Twilight bounded over. The image on the screen made her freeze.

Doctor Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik. Photo taken on Earth, local year 2003.

“What in Celestia’s name…?”

~~~

“We have found…” Twilight began, glancing around at the meeting room. “A lot of things over the last few hours. Things all of you need to hear.” Aside from herself, Data, Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Tails, Picard, Troi, and Eggman were all in the room—the last of which was annoyed that he had been called.

“What could be so important that you needed to take me from my work?” Eggman demanded.

“I guess we’re starting with that…” Twilight clicked a button on a remote in her magic, turning on the screen to display Doctor Eggman’s photo. “This was taken on the planet in this universe called Earth, effective birthplace of the Federation. Several centuries ago.”

Picard’s eyes widened. “I do know you. You were the madman who blew up half the moon!”

“Oh, that was this universe?” Eggman scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Fascinating. Time really has accelerated here dramatically.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t draw the connection…” Picard folded his hands together. “Everyone is taught about your brief visit to Earth in history class. Doctor Robotnik. The madman who changed the moon and dramatically accelerated technological growth…”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow,” Troi said, glancing from Picard to Twilight and Data.

Data nodded. “In 2003 according to the Earth calendar, there was a year where Earth converged with another world—Mobius. This deposited many residents of that world here—of which ‘Doctor Eggman’ is remembered most. He appeared, claimed a willingness to conquer the world and start an Eggman Empire, and used his advanced machines to toy with world governments. Just as quickly as he appeared, however, he vanished. Dimensional instability from their method of travel was tearing apart reality, so they had to leave, returning Earth to the way it was. The year is treated oddly in historic texts, largely because historians aren’t sure how to place it in its proper contexts.”

“Except for us…” Tails glanced at Picard. “This happened less than a year ago. We didn’t leave your Earth that long ago.”

“It gets weirder,” Twilight said, flicking to an image of a man with brown, spiked hair and a red shirt. “This is Christopher Thorndyke. I think our friends from Mobius will recognize him.”

“He looks so… old,” Cosmo said, expression drooping.

“Reaching adulthood will do that to you,” Eggman grunted.

Twilight pointed her wing at Tails. “Tails, you said Chris was with you until right before the Void appeared, right?”

“That’s right,” Tails confirmed. “The Master Emerald sensed the Void coming and sent him home. Looks like he made it!”

“And the Chaos Heart locked the time constants of the universes together,” Twilight continued. “Meaning in a matter of seconds on Mobius, this world flash-forwarded several centuries. In that entire time, we don’t believe this entire universe has had contact with any of the others, merely reflections of itself.”

“Why do I know the name Thorndyke?” Picard asked.

“You most likely know his grandson, sir,” Data said. “Zephram Cochrane was directly descended from him.”

“The inventor of the warp drive,” Twilight explained for those who didn’t know. “And this goes even deeper than that. Apparently, your homeworld is the Earth I visited in my adventures as well. After Eggman and the rest left, I visited a High School in what you call Canada. And living there…” She switched the image to that of a middle-aged woman with outrageously vibrant red and yellow hair. “...was a native of my world, Sunset Shimmer. She is known both for being a particle physicist and a bit of a mystic. She still had some magic from my universe, lingering for a reason I can’t explain.” Twilight looked at the picture on the screen with a forlorn expression. “I… She helped lead your world to where it is now, in her old age pushing for the world government after having survived all the wars your planet went through… because of the technology Eggman left behind.”

“What? How is that my fault?” Eggman folded his arms.

“You introduced massively destructive technology from another world into their hands, albeit accidentally. Most it was lost, but the half of the moon you made sure wasn’t.” Twilight switched the image to that of the moon, showing that half of it was natural, but the other half was made purely of metallic structures. “During his short stay, Eggman not only blew up half the moon, he repaired it. And that... well, it changed history irrevocably.”

“Our universe’s very history has been shaped by people in this room,” Data finished. “This Federation would not exist without influence from the other worlds.”

Picard pressed his hands together, leaning in. “This… is a bit much to take in. Sitting in this room are historical legends that had no idea they were historical legends and people who had been forgotten by the revisionist annals of history. I do have one question. How is this relevant to our current predicament?”

“It’s informative, for one,” Twilight said. “For two, I believe it’s important you know exactly who you’re working with. And thirdly…” she sighed. “It’s so certain people can get some closure.”

Tails nodded, looking down. “I… guess. I always thought he’d come back.”

Cosmo put an arm around Tails. “I know he wanted to.”

“Hold up,” Toph said, raising her hand. “I’ve only been half-listening, but I’ve got a question. Isn’t the red Heart from Earth?”

“Ah, that’s what set us on this researching path in the first place,” Twilight said. “See, we’ve determined that this Earth and the universe Earth are different places with a similar idea behind them. Tippi?”

“Right…” Tippi fluttered over top of the table. “So, the red Heart is from Earth, the universe. This, however, is not that universe—that universe is almost completely mundane and would block almost any magical ability, and probably warp drive as well. But this means that there are two Earths in the multiverse, which… shouldn’t happen. And your Earth did not exist back when the ancients of Flipside came here—this was purely the universe of the Progenitors, then.”

“The Progenitors are one of the first life-forms to evolve in this universe,” Data added.

“Or be created… worlds are generally created in the midst of it…” Tippi added.

Data continued. “They seeded the galaxy with the code for humanoid life, becoming the ancestor to almost every race in the galaxy. We’ve only uncovered their role recently, but the number of ancient relics that we can attribute to them is astonishing. All of this together led us on a wild chase through Earth’s past and the Progenitors to find some kind of connection.”

“We found it,” Twilight said, bringing up an image of a black metal object with dots engraved in it, though many were worn off. “The Progenitors’ Icon. This was once thought to be a legend, but given what we know now, we don’t think it is. It tells a story—admittedly with several chunks missing—of how the Progenitors’ made contact with what they call the ‘Wandering Tribe’ from another realm. This tribe showed them the Heart of the Universe.”

Toph sat up. “Now we’re talking!”

“There’s more to it than just that,” Twilight continued. “The story talks of how another group of entities, the ‘Bright Ones’, thought the ‘Wandering Tribe’ were too haughty and banished them from the universe—but not before taking some of their essence. The rest is fuzzy, involving a bunch of animals and some entity called the ‘Shadow Queen,’ but there’s definite mention of a curse placed on the Progenitors’ children by the ‘Bright Ones.’ “ She fixed Picard in the eyes. “It is our opinion that this ‘curse’ was for your world, the world of humans, to attempt to replicate the other universes. And so it became particularly susceptible to visitors from other universes, with so many visits destabilizing the time constant of this universe far beyond what it needed to be.”

Data nodded. “I believe this is true as well.”

Picard sat back, mouth over his face and brow furrowed in concern. “Are you saying our entire existence… is derivative?”

“I’d say it used to be,” Twilight said. “But look where you are now! You’re out in the stars, far beyond whatever may have been happening with your home. You emerged from it something… greater, I think.”

“Captain,” Troi said. “This…”

“Explains many things about human nature, yes, but I’m not ready to tackle the philosophical implications just yet.” Picard returned to his forward-leaning posture. “Princess, do you know where the Pure Heart is?”

“We believe it is in Uthira-five,” Twilight said. “That’s in Romulan territory.”

“Well, once the Romulans receive the Federation’s report we will ask to send you there immediately. Data, you will accompany them, since you have spent the most time on research.”

“Yes, sir,” Data nodded.

“I have a question,” Eggman said, folding his hands together. “Do we have the foggiest idea who these ‘Bright Ones’ are?”

Twilight shrugged. “The best match we could find in the Enterprise data banks was the Q, a race of godlike beings who seem particularly fascinated with humanity for some reason. But there’s no way to prove that.”

“How like him,” Picard muttered under his breath. “To hide behind his pompous attitude while his race is responsible for everything…”

“Now now, Jean-Luc…” a voice said coming from every dimension simultaneously. “It is so unbecoming of you to disrespect men when they aren’t present.”

Twilight blinked. “That voice…”

Picard stood bolt upright, shouting at the sky. “I will say it to your face Q! You have not been honest to us!”

With a flash of light, a tall man in a red uniform appeared, a wry smile on his long face. “Jean-Luc, since when have you expected me to be honest? Or… predictable?” He snapped his fingers and everything went white.

Q and the Harlequin

A tumbleweed hit Twilight in the face.

“Wh—”

“Yeeee-haw!” an annoyingly familiar voice shouted from atop her back. It was the same wry man who had appeared in the meeting! Snorting in disgust, Twilight bucked forward and tossed him off. She saw him fall face-first into the dirt, but then he was on her back again, this time with a saddle tightened just slightly too much around her midsection.

She flapped her wings, kicking up a cloud of dust. “You! You’re one of those… Q!”

“Brilliant deduction Sparklebutt,” he said, somehow managing to lounge on her back despite her erratic motions. “I am Q.”

“That’s right, all of your species have the same name. I read about that.”

“What else did you read about? Did you read Picard’s personal rant about my immaturity?” He chuckled. “Oh, I do hope it was a delightful read, surely worth every second of his bald neurosis.”

Twilight snorted, deciding the best thing to do right now was ignore him and check her surroundings. She was standing on a street in the middle of a desert town with an inordinate number of tumbleweeds strolling by. No one aside from her and Q was in sight, yet the town didn’t look abandoned—rather, it looked brand new, like every building had been built the day before. Or, most likely, the second before. All he had to do was snap his fingers.

“So… what’s the point of all this?” Twilight asked.

A scroll appeared in front of her face with a big red dot labeled “THE POINT” in bold lettering.

“Gee, thanks.” Twilight grabbed it in her telekinesis and ignited it with her magic. Stamping out the embers on the ground, she turned to glare at the Q on her back.

Q folded his hands under his chin and tilted his head. “You really don’t know how to have fun do you?”

“On the contrary, I know how to have fun when the fun isn’t being had at my expense.”

“Is that true? Well then, Sprinkle the Wonder Horse, what kind of fun would you like to have?”

“The kind where me and my friend play a game of riddles with you,” Twilight smirked. “You know you want to.”

Q chuckled ominously, floating into the air and dissipating into nothing. His voice remained. “Oh, poor Twinkie, didn’t anyone tell you nothing ever happens the same way twice?”

Twilight pointed an accusatory wing at the air. “So you do know about Discord!”

“I know lots of things,” Q said. The wild west town fell over, all the previously fully real buildings turning to cardboard cutouts in an instant. “It is an easy matter to poke my fingers in your mind and pull out whatever I want—but that’d be boring.”

“And tormenting me with surreal imagery isn’t?”

“It’s absolutely delightful!” Q laughed. The desert was replaced with a tundra that felt even hotter than the desert to Twilight’s hooves.

Twilight took a deep breath and sat down, directly in the “cold.” She closed her eyes and began a slow breathing exercise. Through her eyelids, she sensed a flash of light—likely Q appearing in front of her, given the sudden proximity of his next comment. “Refusing to play already?” he asked.

Twilight continued her breathing exercises. If she could fixate on them, she could avoid giving him the satisfaction he wanted so badly. She c—

Something exploded under her. In shock, she opened her eyes wide, only to find herself still in the tundra with Q in front of her, no explosion in sight. “...You don’t play fair.”

“You weren't playing at all,” he said with a mock pouty look.

Twilight ruffled her wings. “What do you want, Q?”

“And the second one after Picard to ask it, of course.” Q turned around, twirling a hand in the air. “You know, the others are being more cooperative. I believe Toph is actually enjoying herself. More of you could be like that.”

“What are you doing to them?”

Q tapped her on the snout. “Spritzy, really, you’re smart enough to know the answer to that question.”

Twilight ground her teeth. “The same thing. Right.”

“I suppose there’s no point in keeping you separate…” Q snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Twilight was sitting in a theatre, staring at a stage with a red curtain drawn across it. Sitting in seats near here were Toph, Cosmo, Data, and Picard, while Tippi fluttered near Twilight’s head.

“W-where are all the others?” Cosmo stammered.

“They weren’t invited!” Q declared, pulling the curtain back to reveal four of himself all dressed in magician outfits. “They’re probably screaming their lungs out, demanding I return you to the briefing room.”

“Let me check,” the second Q said, holding a hand to his ear. “Yes, that’s exactly what they’re doing!”

The third snapped his fingers. “Except Eggman. He finds the whole situation amusing.”

The second let out a laugh. “He’s the only one with the right mindset in the whole group!”

“I think I like him.” This was the fourth.

“Q!” Picard shouted, standing to his full height. “Stop all this self-indulgent nonsense! What is it you want?”

All four Qs put their hands on their hips and said “Tut tut, Jean-Luc, shouldn’t you know better by now? I never get directly to the point.”

“He is correct,” Data reminded him. “In most of our previous encounters he has always danced around the issue for the sake of his own amusement.”

“How cruel…” Cosmo whimpered.

“How awesome!” Toph shouted. “Dude, how can you guys not love this? Q, I think they’re all crazy and stuck up. You’re alright.”

“Thank you, my earthen prodigy,” Q said, twisting into a singular magician body. “But of course the rest of you are finding this entertainably aggravating.”

“I am an android,” Data said. “I do not fee—”

Q let out a sigh. “This is why I usually leave you behind. So dull. But, a prophecy is a prophecy is a prophecy.”

“You put credence in a prophecy?” Picard asked, shocked.

“What I do and don’t put my credence in is none of your business, Captain.”

“Wait…” Twilight furrowed her brow. “Does that mean Data’s the next hero?”

“He’s not a master of any sort of beast,” Toph muttered.

“I do have a cat named Spot,” Data offered.

Toph facepalmed.

“There is the passage ‘analytical as a machine but seeking of more,’ if you’ll recall,” Tippi said. “He fits the bill rather perfectly…”

Data cocked his head, nodding. “It does seem adequate. It appears as though I am meant to join them on their journey.”

Picard locked his hands behind his back. “Data, while I have no objections with you rendering your assistance in their quest, perhaps now is not the best time to be considering a prophecy.”

“Oh, how the intellectual denies all that is beyond,” Q chuckled, appearing around Picard as several floating heads. “You can’t bear the thought that prophecies are real can you?”

“In other worlds with other rules they might be!” Picard shouted. “I am not one to make that judgment!”

“He says, making an inward judgment known only to him.” Q appeared back on the stage. “Tsk tsk, so ‘mature’, and yet, so young.”

“Stop this nonsense,” Picard said, holding out a hand. “There are more pressing matters that you yourself should be concerned with! Is the Q Continuum not part of reality?”

Q’s smile vanished. “You presume much with that statement.”

“But I’m right. You betray yourself, Q. You are in just as much danger from this Void as we are.”

“If that were true, I would not be wasting my time with you.”

A soft smile crawled up Picard’s face. “Oh, but you would. See, your idea of a dialogue is one of your games.”

“Ah yes, one of my games… so let’s play a game!”

Twilight was suddenly standing behind a game show podium. Data, Tippi, Cosmo, and Toph were behind podiums next to her. Several bright lights shone down upon Picard, trapped in a set of old-timey stocks, the remains of dried tomatoes and other assorted fruits arrayed at the wooden implement’s base.

“Q!” Picard shouted.

Q appeared on a previously-invisible throne behind Picard. “The rules of the game are simple! The Heroes of the Light Prognosticus will prove their mettle or the luxurious captain will get a face full of fruit. Let’s begin, shall we?”

Cosmo frowned. “This isn’t going to be a fair game, is it?”

“What’s the fun in fairness?” Q asked with a shrug.

Toph grinned. “Seriously, why don’t you guys find this hilarious?”

“Toph, no losing the game on purpose,” Twilight said.

“...Fiiiiine.”

“Now, to win, all you have to do is change the gravitational constant of the universe!” Q said, smirk widening. “I’m sure you can manage that.”

“We cannot,” Data said.

“Then fruit for the captain…” Q let out an exaggerated, loud sigh.

“Wait!” Tippi shouted—a rare enough occurrence that it startled Twilight. “Please, Q, I see you have power… I beg of you, use it to collect the Pure Hearts and put an end to this nightmare! You could snap your fingers and… take us to the planet we need. Give us leagues of power. Or… do it all yourself…?”

Q was no longer smiling.

“Please, we’ll do anything. We’ll be your playthings forever once the Void is stopped. We’ll… do anything to earn your favor.”

“How desperate,” Q said, though without his usual hint of amusement. “How moving…”

“Please…” Tippi begged.

Q folded his hands together in front of his face, silent.

“Q…?”

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha! The poor fool can’t help you for all his power—like a nuclear drill trying to staple a sheet of paper!” With a burst of rippling spacetime that wasn’t the power of the Void, Dimentio appeared in the midst of them all, his mask filling Twilight with a sense of immense dread. “Q has, in many ways, less power than you!”

“Get out of here!” Q shouted, snapping his fingers. Dimentio was engulfed in a flash of light, but when the glare cleared, he remained.

Picard stared at Dimentio in shock. “How…?”

“That’s Dimentio,” Twilight said, eyes narrow. “One of Bleck’s.”

“And no need to introduce yourselves, I already know who all of you are!” Dimentio bowed. “Especially you, Q. The upstart, the comedian, the joker. I quite admire your work.”

“I have no time for this,” Q muttered.

“But you still have as much time as you did just a moment ago when you were tormenting these poor fools for the sake of the show!” Dimentio spread his hands wide, summoning a multicolored spark in the air. “If only you could do more than attempt to persuade yourself that nothing was wrong while your house burns down around you. Because you can feel it. The reality your very body rests in is being eaten alive…”

“Stop…” Q warned. “The Continuum—”

“The Continuum won’t and can’t do anything! I can reveal the weakness of the Q without any fear!” He raised his hands, turning to Picard. “It’s simple, really. The powers of the Q… only work in your universe! They’re useless most everywhere else! And since I exist in a bubble of reality imported from a subdimension of my own creation, he cannot touch me! I am the slippery jellybean at the bottom of the bag, the squid in the tub of butter!” He posed dramatically. “I am… Dimentio!”

Twilight shot a laser at Dimentio, burning him in the back. He fell forward, startled. “You might be immune to Q’s magic… but I’ve got magic of my own!” Twilight lifted her head, proud.

“Well well well…” Dimentio floated back into the air. “You want a fight, Princess? As you wish!” He snapped his fingers…

...and only Picard and Q remained in Q’s little game showroom.

With a sigh, Q removed Picard from the stocks.

“Where has he taken them?” Picard asked.

“Oh, nowhere special, probably that subdimension of his own creation or something. I can’t see them, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Picard’s hard, contemptuous look softened as he continued to examine Q. “...You really are trapped in this knot.”

“Behold, a god brought low once again. This appears to be a pattern with me, I find it highly disturbing.”

Picard’s frown deepened. “Can we do anything for them?”

“Pray that they can defeat him in combat?” Q shrugged. “The jumping idiot is a trickster, he doesn’t have real power.”

“Then return me to my ship.”

“Not much you’ll be able to do without them, but… oh, all my enjoyment’s been ruined anyway. Off you go.” With a wave, he sent Picard back to the Enterprise. Q remained, alone on his throne, brooding.

“Complacent pricks,” Q muttered, seemingly to no one at all. Then he collapsed the false reality he had created for his games.

~~~

Twilight, Data, Cosmo, Toph, and Tippi found themselves in a box exactly ten meters on each side, made of smooth green material with mathematical waves burned into the sides. Dimentio hung in the middle of the cube, bursting with gleeful laughter.

“Welcome to Dimension D! A ‘world’ of my own creation where my power is precisely two-hundred and fifty-six times stronger! None of you stand a chance!”

Twilight flared her wings, Data drew his phaser, and Toph took a battle stance. Cosmo and Tippi hung back.

Dimentio laughed. “An admirable showing! But, in the end, naught more than grains of sand on a beach about to be glassed from orbit.” He threw his hands back, laughing even harder. “And so I strike, like an unseen dodgeball in an echoing gymnasium!”

Author's Note

Data has joined the party!

Data’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to fire Data’s phaser. Good for getting the jump on enemies and interacting with crystal mirror puzzles! He is also a walking interface for most kinds of technology.

In battle, he has not only his trusty phaser but his vast robotic strength and endurance to wreak havoc upon your enemies! Including (hopefully) Dimentio in about two nanoseconds.

Too Many Similes

“You messed with the wrong people, jester!” Toph slammed her foot into the ground—and nothing happened. “Wait, wh—”

Dimentio was already behind her. He zapped her in the back with a magic bolt, prompting her to fall over. “What kind of fool would I be to make a dimension with earth in it?”

Toph whirled around in an attempt to punch him, but he just teleported behind her effortlessly. “So angry, like a crab stuck in a current! Ah ha ha ha ha!”

Twilight encased his legs in a magic aura, dragging him to the ground. “She’s not alone.”

Data pulled out his phaser, firing a narrow beam of orange. Dimentio teleported out of the way just in time. “Such underhanded tactics, attacking me all at once! Let’s fix that… with magic!” With a burst of blue and yellow energy, there were suddenly three of him. All of them spoke in unison. “En garde!”

Twilight chose one, Data chose another. They fired their respective lasers, only for both to pass through the Dimentios unharmed.

“Which is the real one?” Dimentio asked, teleporting all three of his bodies to different areas. They unleashed attacks. One hit Toph in the stomach just as she was standing back up, knocking the wind out of her yet again. Twilight dodged hers, but the third attack hit Data, tossing him back and disarming him.

“It appears that the attacks are not illusions,” Data observed, standing up.

“But only one of us is real!” Dimentio laughed, creating six of himself. “Play the game, pick and choose, round and round we go!”

Twilight spread her wings, unleashing a burst of air that pushed everyone to the edges of the cube. “I’ll just hit everything at once!” Six spheres of energy appeared around her horn, rotating like the barrel of a gun. In quick succession, they transformed into bolts of lightning and struck a different Dimentio, the fifth one turning out to be the real one. He fell back—right into the punch of Data, which drove him into the ground next to Toph.

Toph grabbed the mask that was his face. “I… hate… you in particular.” She tried to rip the mask off—but it didn’t move, as if it were fused to him. “What gives?”

“You think you could unmask me? You’re so sad it’s delightfully entertaining.” Dimentio teleported upward, zapping Toph again. “Stay down this time, hmm? There’s only so much beating your body can take, you know. That’s why you need to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and above all never make Dimentio zap you more times than necessa—”

Twilight cast explosion behind him. Instinctually, he teleported away before the burst of heat could do any real damage, but Twilight appeared right in front of him and blasted him in the face with her laser. Shocked, he flew into the wall, managing to teleport himself afterward to the opposite side of the room. Unfortunately for him, Twilight had predicted that and had already shot a series of lightning bolt spells right at that location, dropping him to the ground again. She didn’t relent—swapping into a series of lasers shot from both her horn and directions slightly offset, just to keep it randomized.

“You… are determined…” Dimentio threw his arms wide, surrounding Twilight in a cloudly-white box. “But naive.” He snapped his fingers and the interior of the box lit on fire. Twilight let out a shout of surprise, raising a bubble shield around herself just before her hair caught fire.

“How are you so resilient?” Dimentio asked, almost bored sounding. “My attacks are two-hundred and fifty-si—”

Data punched him, sending him flying into the cloudy box. It shattered, freeing Twilight and ending the fire spell. Returning to his full height, Data adjusted his wrist. “It appears that we are two-hundred and fifty-six times stronger as well.”

“Ah ha ha…” Dimentio chuckled. “But of course…”

Twilight had had enough of him. She pushed as much energy as she could into a massive beam spell. He held up a hand, catching the attack with a shimmering sphere of his own magic. While he was occupied with Twilight, Data jumped him, tackling him to the ground.

“Enough of these party tricks.” Dimentio teleported into the air, hovering above them all. With a chuckle, he teleported Cosmo up to him, hand firmly gripping her neck. “Nobody move, or I will do with her head what a chef does to a coconut.”

Twilight and Data froze.

“A truly hopeless situation,” Dimentio cackled. “Oh, I do wonder how the prophecy is going to get you out of this one. Let’s test it, shall we?” He summoned a magical blade on the tip of his finger and pointed it at Cosmo’s neck. “If one falls, all the words are falsified…”

Cosmo lifted one of her hands. In it was the phaser Data had dropped at the start of the fight.

“Oh,” Dimentio said, his tone more disappointed than surprised.

Cosmo fired. The phaser hit Dimentio square in the head, scrambling his control over the situation. The green box sub-dimension fell apart before them, crumbling into pieces. In its place, the Enterprise’s briefing room took shape.

Dimentio smacked into one of the windows at high velocity, thankfully unable to break the space-rated glass. He slid down, slumping onto the ground. “Ah…”

Picard, Eggman, Tails, and Troi were still there.

“I told you they could do it,” Eggman said with a grin. “Their kind are far too tenacious to be taken out by some wandering jester.”

“You speak big, but your girth is bigger,” Dimentio said, shakily standing up.

Cosmo pointed the phaser at him again. “Don’t think I won’t!”

“Curious. It should have been more than enough to stun him,” Data observed.

“You have bested me,” Dimentio admitted. “You truly are formidable. We will meet again, I promise it. Ciao!”

Cosmo fired again, but it was no use—he was already gone, all she did was burn the nearby carpet. “I-I’m sorry, I let him get away…”

“I’m not sure we could have stopped him from escaping,” Data said. “His abilities appear to be dimensional in nature. Unless we found a way to keep him perpetually sedated, he may have been able to slip away with just a thought.”

“You defeated him,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile. “You should be proud of that.”

“I… I did, didn’t I?” A trembling grin crawled up Cosmo’s face. “I beat him!”

Tails cheered for her while Twilight pulled her into a hug.

Toph groaned. “I think… I’m gonna feel this in the morning…”

“Oh, Toph!” Twilight rushed to her. “Are you okay?”

“Just… fine…” Toph muttered. “My back is killing me and I think I see pink elephant-cats.”

“Get her to sick b—” Picard stopped himself. “Actually, get her to Flipside.”

Twilight nodded, levitating Toph onto her back and teleporting herself out of the briefing room.

“I envy her,” Picard said. “Able to transport whenever and however she wants.”

“She can’t in all universes...” Tippi pointed out.

“Still.” Picard folded his arms. “It means it’s possible in this one.” He shook his head. “Everyone is dismissed. I have a request to make of the Romulan Star Empire. Try to get some rest, hopefully we’ll be on our way to the Pure Heart soon.”

Everyone filed out of the room, save for the Captain himself and Counselor Troi. “Captain?”

“Yes?”

“You seem concerned.”

Picard folded his hands into each other, frown deepening. “I’m not sure what I am. I just saw Q get mocked. Should I feel satisfied, or horrified?”

Troi nodded slowly. “A mixture of both would be appropriate.”

Picard tilted his head back and did nothing more than breathe for a few seconds. “I truly hope that jester’s show was nothing more than a bunch of tricks, and not indicative of the actual power of our enemy.” Gesturing to Troi, both of them left the briefing room together.

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47931.8

After the visit from Dimentio yesterday, the crew has been shaken. While previously we had only heard of a faceless enemy hiding behind a dark Void, we now know they can strike us directly should they wish, and take delight in doing so. Furthermore, their ability to impede the Q Continuum is concerning, despite the fact that we never expected help from them in the first place.

Toph has made a full recovery after just one night in Flipside, a remarkable proof of the city’s ability. If this is replicable, Starfleet Medical will be pushed decades, perhaps centuries ahead of its current level.

The official Starfleet report on the situation with Flipside has been sent to all the nations currently with a presence at the Void. Responses have been, overall, mixed, with almost everyone demanding access to the door to Flipside. Requests are processing now, but the Pure Heart remains our priority. Unfortunately, the Romulans have so far been silent concerning our request to enter their territory. If they take too much longer, we may have to push them.

~~~

Now that they were just waiting for a response from the Romulan Star Empire, Twilight and her team weren’t actively doing anything, so Data had taken the opportunity to entertain them with a proper tour of the Enterprise. They’d started with an extended visit to Ten Forward, then looped to Engineering, and then the holodecks. They spent a lot of time playing with the artificial environments within. The last step of their tour, however, was the bridge itself. They’d run through it a few times before, but now Data was explaining what everything was in detail.

“I usually sit here, at operations,” he said, gesturing to the leftmost forward seat. “I analyze sensors and make quick adjustments to the ship’s internal systems. Opposite me is the helm, which controls the direction and heading.” Turning around, he gestured at the three seats in the center of the room. “Of course, the central seat is the captain’s chair. To his right, the first officer, and to his left, the special advisor’s seat. Usually filled by Counselor Troi, by Picard’s request.”

“Is there a second officer?” Cosmo asked.

“Technically, that would be me,” Data said. “Though Operations is not always the second officer position. On the original Enterprise, the chief engineer was the second officer.”

“The original?”

“This is the Enterprise-D, the fifth Starfleet service vessel to bear the name, though there were several other craft before that.”

“A complex history…” Tippi noted.

“Especially for one that apparently didn’t exist a month ago,” Picard mused, arriving on the bridge from the turbolift. “How’s your tour going?”

Twilight bowed to him. “Excellent, thank you ca—”

“Incoming message from the Romulan Star Empire,” Worf said from his position behind the captain’s chair that Data hadn’t gotten to explain yet. “Priority.”

“I think I know what they want to talk about… Twilight, your people stand next to Worf. Data, take your station.” Picard waited for everyone to take the right spot before striding to the center of the bridge, hands behind his back. “Open the channel.”

A humanoid alien appeared on the screen, one with pointed ears and exaggerated eyebrows that matched the angular nature of his dark uniform. “This is Admiral Vomin of the Romulan Star Empire.”

“Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Federation starship Enterprise.” The two briefly nodded to each other. “Am I correct in assuming this is about our little proposal?”

“Indeed it is. You have been accepted—provisionally.”

“What are your terms?”

“You are to send the self-proclaimed ‘heroes of prophecy’ to us on the warbird Lyrix. We will carry them into our territory to search for the Pure Heart.”

“This is acceptable,” Picard agreed. “However, you should be aware that they recently acquired a member of my crew among their number, in line with their apparent habit of recruiting individuals from each world they come across.”

The Admiral clearly did not like this news, but he made no comment on it. “One Starfleet officer is acceptable. The Lyrix will rendezvous within the hour. Be ready.” The channel was cut.

Twilight swallowed hard. “They’re going to be a lot less friendly, aren’t they?”

Data nodded. “Romulans are not known for their amicability. They are, however, rather intelligent and do not seek to strain political relations at this time. I suspect we will be treated well.”

“Data,” Picard said. “I’m ordering you to keep an eye on everyone.” He glanced at Toph out of the corner of his eye. “No one knows what you’ll find there, and who knows if the Romulans will play nice once things go south. Be careful.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Now, for the rest of you,” he turned to Twilight and her group. “We’re depending on you. There’s not much we can do from here, finding this artifact is entirely in your hands. As much as I would love to join you, I have other responsibilities.”

“We won’t let you down.” Twilight saluted with her wing.

“Good. And Data, do take good notes, I want to hear all about the archeological discoveries you make.”

“I will record them as you would, sir,” Data promised.

“Good. Now let’s get all of this sor—”

“The Void is changing!” Worf called from his position.

“Growing?” Picard asked.

“No, it is simply becoming more active. ...We are picking up ships coming out of it!”

“On screen.”

In the clouds of the void, many dark shapes were appearing. Slowly, but surely, sharp, angular spaceships emerged from the clouds. What started as only a handful quickly became dozens of ships, all moving in formation out of the Void and directly toward the Enterprise.

“The Metarex…” Cosmo gasped, holding her hands to her mouth.

Escape the Void

“They’re hailing us, sir,” Worf said. “But the channel is public—they want everyone to hear this.”

Picard’s frown deepened. “Onscreen.” He had not seen Dark Oak before, but he found it hard to believe the metallic creature before him was anyone else. “This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship, Enterprise.”

“I am Dark Oak of the Metarex. Allow me to put this in a way you fleshy beings can understand.” He folded his hands together, scraping the fingers like knives against each other with a harsh sharpening sound. “If you do not hand over the beings known as Tippi, Twilight Sparkle, Toph Beifong, Cosmo, and Data immediately, you and everyone here will be destroyed.”

For a moment Picard was shocked they knew about Data’s inclusion, but then he remembered Dimentio’s visit. Narrowing his eyes, he took a few steps toward the screen. “Dark Oak, unless I am mistaken, your Void intends to destroy us all anyway. Why would we comply with anything you demand under threat of destruction?”

“You may strike a deal, as I did.”

“I will not betray my race, my Federation, or my universe,” Picard spat.

“Then you are simply a target.” Dark Oak held out a hand. “I address the rest present, now. Join us in our crusade to rid the worlds of pain, of unnecessary complexity, of suffering. Turn your backs on the imperfect world here and create new ones with us.”

“Does anyone really believe they’ll be allowed to make anything they want?” Picard asked. “How can you think so? This Count you follow, he has very particular ideas of what is ‘good’ and what is ‘evil’. He will not permit a world to be created that is just like this one, except where the Klingon Empire rules everything, or where the galaxy is one big booming economy, or where all worlds are assimilated into unity!” Picard held out a hand to Dark Oak. “Why, I have my doubts he intends to create whatever world your people have in mind, Dark Oak. If he truly wishes to create perfect worlds, what business does an empire have in that vision?”

Dark Oak leaned in, green “eye” glinting in the light of his ship. “You assume the Metarex desire an empire.”

“...You are correct. I know nothing of your personal desires.” Picard returned to his chair, sitting down. “But I do know the desires of the people gathered here at this Void from this universe. We may not be allies, but we all share the deep-seated desire to preserve ourselves and our loved ones! Any one of us might not be able to stand against you, that is true. But look around. You are vastly outnumbered, Dark Oak.”

“And we have the Void. I ask the people of this universe, do you really wish to test your mettle against a power you do not understand?”

“As I see it, we do not have a choice,” Picard said nonchalantly. “It is either resist…” He smiled softly. “Or die.”

“Then die,” Dark Oak turned a little, motioning to someone off-screen. “All ships—destroy the Enterprise.” The message cut off.

“Shields up!” Picard ordered. “Charge all weapons, move behind the Federation line. Data, take Twilight and the others to a Runabout.”

“Aye, sir.” Data stood up and started leading the others off the bridge.

“Be careful, Captain,” Twilight said as the turbolift doors shut.

Picard nodded to her, hoping that gave her some confidence in them. “Worf, report.”

“Metarex ships moving in. The Federation ships are forming a wall between us and them. ...The Klingon fleet is moving into formation with them.”

“The others?”

“Several smaller powers are fleeing the scene, including the Ferengi,” Worf said. “The Borg and Cardassians have made no move. The Romulans… are hailing us.”

“Onscreen.” It was Admiral Vomin again, to Picard’s relief. “Ah, Admiral! We are accelerating our plans. I’m sending you a runabout filled wi—”

“Send us the ID of the runabout and we will give it clearance to enter the Romulan Star Empire,”Vomin said. “The Lyrix will not be leaving this sector, it will be aiding in the battle.”

Picard was shocked. “Thank you, Admiral, your adaptability is exemplary.”

“Let us hope it is enough.” Vomin nodded, cutting the connection on his end.

“Romulans moving into formation,” Worf reported. “...That appears to have prompted the Cardassians to move in as well.”

“Only willing to commit if they think there’s a good chance of winning,” Picard mused. “Send my thanks to the Gul in charge, whoever he is. Status of the Metarex fleet?”

“Charging. Volleys are being exchanged with Klingon bird-of-prey strikers.”

“Onscreen.”

The sharp, fishlike ships of the Metarex engaged with the much smaller, but smoother Klingon birds-of-prey. The green birds zipped around the fish, firing torpedos at them from several directions, impacting their shields. A few of the smaller Metarex ships were taken out by the primary assault, but the larger ones had more than enough firepower to deal with a few pesky green birds. The Metarex weapons were unlike the standard phasers and torpedoes of ships in this universe, relying instead on traditional missiles and projectile weapons. This did not make them entirely useless, however; the missiles had large yields, and the projectile “flak” was made out of a super dense material that occasionally punctured through shields entirely, destroying a bird-of-prey in one hit.

“Worf, assessment,” Picard asked.

“Their weapons are highly refined and can occasionally bypass shields. Smaller ships are at high risk. Large ships, as long as their antimatter containment is protected by physical barriers, would be under significantly less risk.”

“And their defenses?”

“According to sensors, their shields are empowered by the Void, but significantly weaker than ours.”

“Hmm… This may not be as difficult as I thought.”

“Captain!” Worf said, pressing more buttons. “Something new is emerging from the Void! It… appears to be some kind of life form!”

The Enterprise’s camera twisted back to the Void itself, watching as a crystal claw emerged from the swirling darkness. A decidedly draconic head revealed itself, mouth open as if in a roar—not that anyone could hear it in the vacuum of space. The beast unfurled its massive wings, revealing them to be made entirely out of white crystal sparkling with energy. As it emerged, the golden crystals on its chest caught the light of the stars, shimmering like the surface of the ocean just before sunrise.

It was a dragon larger than most of the ships in the fleet, comparable in size to the Enterprise itself. With another soundless roar, it charged, the wings sending out a burst of energy that gave it propulsion in the vacuum. It sped past the Metarex fleet and clawed at a smaller Cardassian ship. The flat, yellow-orange craft’s shields gave out in an instant and the poor thing was disemboweled with ease.

“Focus fire on the dragon!” Picard shouted. “Convey the order to the entire fleet!”

“I do not think we need to,” Worf said, as photon torpedoes and phasers were already focusing on the beast from all sides. While it had no shields to speak of, the sheer girth of its crystalline form let it only suffer minor damage from the assault. With every swipe, it took out another ship, disabling if not outright destroying whatever it touched.

“The deflector dish,” Picard said, tapping his pin. “Geordi! Can we resonate with the dragon’s crystal structure using the deflector dish?”

“I don’t know,” LaForge’s voice came in from engineering. “I’d need a sample of the crystal to test on.”

“Send out a call to all allied ships,” Picard said. “Tell them we need a sample of that crystal—it may be possible to use a deflector dish to shatter the ‘dragon’ from inside.”

“Attempts are being made…” Worf frowned. “Sir, it’s breaking off.”

It was—without warning, the dragon ceased attacking the ships and dove toward the side, speeding away.

“What’s it after?”

“...That’s the direction their runabout went, sir.”

“They must have deduced Twilight and company were on it…” Picard frowned. “Can we reach them?”

“A few Romulan warbirds are already making the attempt, but the Metarex are impeding them.”

Picard tensed. “You can do this, Data…”

~~~

The runabout was a small, largely rectangular craft with two blue cylinders attached to the bottom—the warp nacelles, necessary instruments for faster-than-light travel. It had a few rooms including a cargo hold and a cockpit. Currently, everyone was in the cockpit. Data was piloting, pressing buttons rapidly as they avoided stray shots from the rest of the battle.

“Can we jump to warp yet?” Twilight asked.

“It is unsafe at this moment,” Data reported. “It is likely a stray piece of flak would hit us as we prepare to jump. Just one more minute.” The ship whirled around in a corkscrew fashion, dodging some loose shrapnel flying at them from a recently destroyed Romulan warbird.

Toph gripped her chair like it was her only connection to this life. “I thought I was okay with spaceships. I thought I was fine with floating in the air with the endless nothing of space out there. I have changed my mind! This piece of junk is too small and spinning around way too much!”

“Just hold on, not much longer,” Cosmo said, gripping her chair tightly as well—though not quite as tightly as Toph was.

Tippi, to her credit, was still flying around seemingly unfazed by the constant jostling.

“Almost—” Data paused. “Hm.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“The crystal dragon appears to be chasing us.”

Twilight bit her lip. “I don’t suppose we can jump to warp…?”

Data twisted the runabout to the side, narrowly dodging the beast’s claw. “No. We cannot.” He pulled the ship up, narrowly avoiding the other claw. To prevent it from getting another easy shot, he flew around the beast’s arm, prompting it to claw itself the next time it attacked.

“Yeah!” Twilight cheered.

“Minimal damage,” Data reported. “Its structural integrity is astounding.” He continued to fly along the edge of the creature, making it difficult for it to claw its way through them. This did not stop the dragon from trying, slapping its arm, chest, and eventually its face with its own hand. With the strike to the head, the dragon reeled back—largely undamaged, but dazed.

Data took this opportunity to speed away. However, the dragon recovered quicker than he was expecting, reaching a claw out to them once more.

“I am performing several highly unorthodox and risky maneuvers,” Data reported, twisting the ship between the dragon’s fingers. “I doubt I will be able to keep this up.” He pushed the ship into a run again, trying to get even the slightest window to jump to warp.

“Can we expect help?” Twilight asked.

“The Metarex are occupying everyone aside from—” two massive cubes composed of a seemingly endless disarray of metal plating, wires, pipes, and circuitry appeared in front of the runabout. “—aside from the Borg.”

Twilight paled. “Oh no…” She’d read about these beasts during her time on the Enterprise. A collective hive-mind of cybernetic monsters that devoured everyone and everything, forcefully assimilating them into their ‘collective;’ stealing their technology, biology, and every experience they had ever had. It was terrible, and she suspected her magic abilities were highly desirable to them.

So she was more than a little shocked when they passed the runabout up and attacked the dragon directly, skewering it with green lasers that reflected through the facets of the beast’s crystals, exploding small parts of it.

“What…?” Cosmo cocked her head. “I thought they were…”

“Don’t question it!” Twilight shouted. “Just go!”

Data jumped into warp speed, leaving the battle behind.

~~~

“Sir… the Borg have engaged the creature,” Worf said, disbelief evident.

Picard stood up, examining the scene playing out on the viewscreen. Two Borg cubes were engaging the draconic creature and keeping it well occupied. The cubes’ shields were just as useless as their own, but the Borg cubes had another trick up their sleeve: they could still operate even with massive chunks torn off of them. As the dragon essentially ate the cubes, they kept firing from every direction with weapons that were mildly more effective than the rest of the nations’.

“Sir… we’re also receiving a transmission from the Borg.” Worf pressed a few buttons. “It is a data file containing… the resonance data for the beast’s crystals.”

Picard pointed at him. “Coordinate with every ship in the fleet that has a programmable deflector dish! Direct all attacks at that creature!”

Most of the Federation ships pulled out of combat with the Metarex while the remaining ships kept firing at the fishy defenders. Many were wide open as they pulled off—getting destroyed in the attempt, but several dozen made it to the dragon. The remainder of the Borg cubes and assorted ships activated their dishes. On most ships, this took the form of a flat blue ovoid that usually sent out a specialized field of energy to clear the way of debris. But when calibrated properly, it could release a resonating field that pulsed with a specific frequency. Like sound hitting glass, this frequency erupted from the deflector dish and resonated with the crystal dragon’s very structure. It let out an inaudible roar as the reverberations coursed through its body, every vibration adding onto the others until the strain was simply too great.

The dragon shattered into millions of pieces, completely inert.

Worf grinned. “Enemy destroyed, sir.”

“Good. But the battle’s not won yet.” Picard sat back down. “Return us to a defensible position—we do not want them going after the door. And, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but extend my appreciation to the Borg for their assistance.”

Worf nodded, sending the message while the helm took the Enterprise back. The dragon may have been destroyed, but it had taken a massive chunk of the fleet with it, leaving the Metarex in a significantly better position than they had been previously.

“Sir, incoming transmission from Flipside. It’s Doctor Eggman.”

Picard nodded. “Onscreen.”

~~~

“Ah, Captain!” Eggman grinned. “Glad you could spare a moment.”

“This better be important, Doctor,” Picard said from the television screen that floated in front of Eggman’s face. “We are in a battle.”

“That is exactly why I’m calling. See…” He stepped to the side, revealing a large array of robots small enough to fit through the door, alongside Shadow and Sonic, both of whom looked a little bored. “I have a wide variety of combat-ready devices that can be at your location in a jiffy! Just one problem—Ten Forward does not open directly to space. I need your permission to blow out the windows so the Eggman Empire can offer you assistance.”

“Granted, but coordinate with Guinan. And be sure you don’t suck the air out of Flipside in doing so.”

“I have the proper forcefields.” Eggman said, mildly offended Picard thought he may have overlooked the laws of depressurization. “Ty Lee, move in and start clearing people from Ten Foward.”

“Alright!” Ty Lee jumped through the yellow door and started making cheerful shouts. “Please move out of Ten Forward in a calm, orderly fashion—we’re going to blow the wall out!”

“Is there any progress on transporting larger objects through the doors?” Picard asked.

Eggman shook his head. “Tails is attempting to route the Master Emerald through the transporter you gave him, but I do not think he has succeeded. Don’t expect the Blue Typhoon or any of my larger creations to come to your aid.”

Picard nodded. “Keep me informed, and your assistance is appreciated. Picard out.” The feed cut.

Eggman’s smile vanished and he started scratching his chin in thought. “Even with all our resources, we barely scraped by against the Metarex. Now we’re limited, and they have the Void…”

“I’m sure you’ll figure something out,” Iroh said.

“Hmm…” Eggman said. Wordlessly, he returned to tinkering with one of his robots. Then he paused. “Wait a minute… Sonic, Shadow, you two don’t need a hole in the wall. You can get out there right now.”

“Finally!” Sonic rushed through the door in a blur. Shadow shrugged, slowly walking in after him.

“Not that you two will do much…” Eggman said, returning to his work.

Defensible Positions

“I never thought I’d be ordering the vandalization of my own ship,” Picard said, shaking his head slightly. “Engage, Doctor.”

At Picard’s behest, Eggman blew out the windows in Ten Forward, opening the room to the vacuum of space. The rush of air tossed out the several-dozen robots out into the battle. They immediately activated their engines, rushing toward the Metarex ships with alarming speed. Unlike the smaller ships native to Hume, Eggman’s weren’t about to explode from one lucky shot from a Metarex; he’d been fighting them for quite some time and was accustomed to their modes of attack. His machines could take several hits even to normally explosive components and survive.

Sonic and Shadow had also been deployed. It had turned out that, yes, in this universe Mobians needed spacesuits in space, much to the relief of Starfleet science officers. Luckily Eggman had provided them with matching suit colors. Sonic got black, Shadow got blue, just because Eggman was Eggman.

“This thing is stuffy,” Sonic called over the public channel.

“Get used to it,” Shadow said, tossing him one of the replica chaos emeralds. They had several, but for all their power they were just imitations. It wasn’t going to be a snap-fingers-and-done deal. “Chaos control!”

Sonic and Shadow jumped forward through space, spinning like bowling balls that cared nothing for the laws of inertia or rotational velocity. They were effective, though, puncturing the hulls of two different Metarex ships.

“We have taken the Metarex by surprise,” Worf reported. “They have fallen back to reassess.”

“Then let’s get out of here,” Picard ordered. “Full one-eighty, straight for the Rizer nebula, maximum warp.”

In unison, the Enterprise and the few Federation and Romulan ships that could keep up with its speed turned and blasted off into the stars. The Borg cube with the most remaining mass attempted to move in formation with them, but it only had about a ninth of its previous power output, so it couldn’t keep up. The other cube continued to drift around the wreckage of other ships, assimilating whatever it could find.

Riker, who was currently at the helm position, grimaced. “I’m picking up a couple of bogeys.”

“Onscreen,” Picard ordered.

Miniature Void portals were appearing in the darkness of space in front of them, depositing a few Metarex ships—nowhere near as many as were at the Void proper, naturally, but the Enterprise didn’t have as many allies with it.

“We can’t risk engaging them directly, can you fly through?” Picard asked.

“I can try,” Riker said, cocking his head. “Here goes…”

Battle at warp speeds was always a tricky proposition. Warp bubbles were inherently unstable, with significant perturbations forcing ships to drop to sublight speeds. At high enough warp velocities this could incur massive structural damage and possibly disable the warp core for hours. So the Enterprise couldn’t afford to get hit.

Luckily, it was very hard to hit things traveling at high warp speeds without some kind of area of effect or a lot of attacks. Picard was betting the Metarex didn’t have enough ships with enough weapons in front of them to guarantee a hit.

There would be less than a second where the two sides would be close enough to fire volleys at each other. It would be over before anyone could process the situation.

Picard blinked.

When he opened his eyes, they were still traveling at warp, but half of their convoy was gone. “Report!”

“The Saratoga, Eclipse, Sun Tzu, and two Romulan warbirds were forced out of warp,” Worf reported. “They are currently engaging the small Metarex force. ...The Borg cube appears to be directing its path to move around the conflict.”

“I’m not sure if that should concern us or not,” Riker said.

Picard furrowed his brow, thinking. “For the moment they appear to be on our side, and we should accept all help we can get. How long until we arrive at the nebula?”

“Now, sir,” Worf said. They dropped out of warp right outside a swirling purple nebula with a particularly dense arrangement of dust particles.

“Form direct comm links with all convoy members present,” Picard ordered. “Include the Borg. The moment that’s done, enter the nebula.”

His orders were carried out to the letter. Thirty seconds later—just as Metarex ships started appearing behind them out of a Void vortex—the convoy of Federation, Romulan, and Borg forces entered the nebula. The Metarex did not pursue. No sensors could easily penetrate the nebula—it was the entire reason they had run for it. A place to hide, to defend.

The only downside was that anyone inside the nebula couldn’t see outside, either. They were blind. The moment the Enterprise poked its head out of the nebula, the Metarex would shoot it down, and the door to Flipside with it. Luckily, there were other ships with the Enterprise that could poke their heads out instead to send and receive messages.

Picard let out a relieved sigh and sat down in his chair. “Lower to yellow alert, let everyone know we can relax a bit. We’re going to be here for a while…”

“The Metarex are probably surrounding the nebula,” Worf pointed out.

“Yes, and it’s just as likely the rest of the fleet is rushing to meet up with us, entering the nebula at any number of locations.” Picard smirked. “Everyone’s a blind bat in this scenario, Mr. Worf.”

“This is going to make it difficult for Data to find us,” Riker said.

“I’m aware of that, Number One.” Picard adjusted his uniform. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

~~~

Cosmo looked up from the tablet she was reading. “How far away are we from Uthira-five?”

“Six hours,” Twilight reported. “Come over here, I’ll tell you how to read the navigation console.”

Cosmo stood up, walking over to Twilight's console. “You’ve learned how to read it?”

“I figured asking Data ‘are we there yet?’ over and over again wouldn’t go over very well. And, uh…” Twilight pointed at Toph, who was still gripping the arms of her chair like she wanted to murder them. “I don’t think it’d help her stress to hear the same question repeatedly.”

“Ah,” Cosmo nodded. “So?”

“Well…” Twilight pointed at the display with a wing. “This is the galactic core, currently being consumed by the Void. We are here.” Twilight pointed to a little red dot on the circular grid. “Uthira-five is over here.” She pointed at a white dot. There was a line drawn between the two points with a number over it. “And that’s the time remaining.”

“Wow, that’s so simple!”

“If you already have a destination set and have a good reference. It’s much more confusing if you’re trying to point somewhere and have interference—which we had a few minutes ago.”

“We had interference!?” Toph blurted, standing bolt upright. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was not of any concern,” Data said. “These things happen every trip.”

“You mean every time you take one of these things out you have no idea where you’re going!?”

“Incorrect. Even if a full blackout occurred—which it did not—we would still be able to extrapolate our path from our previous known position using the stars.”

“Th—”

“Proximity alert!” Data called, turning away from Toph. “Void portal opening off the starboard bow. It’s a Metarex ship.”

“They found us…” Cosmo gasped.

“Let me at them!” Toph shouted, rushing to the window. “I’m gonna stomp th—”

“Sorry…” Twilight lit her horn, casting a sleep spell on Toph. She dropped to the ground, snoring comically. “Data, what can we do?”

“One of your shields would help,” Data suggested.

Twilight nodded, focusing her magic on creating a shield large enough to encompass the runabout, nestled just inside the ship’s normal shields. She did this just in time, since the Metarex started firing a flak weapon that would have punctured the normal shield with ease. The attack still forced them out of warp, however. “I… can’t keep this up…” Twilight groaned.

“You can do it, Twilight,” Cosmo encouraged. “You’re the princess of magic too, right?”

“Sometimes…” Twilight let out a soft chuckle, putting on a smirk. “Maybe I can fight back…”

“Instead of that…” Data pressed a few buttons. “If I fire a torpedo, can you open the shield to let it out?”

“Yes. Though they could shoot through the opening.”

“I will not give them the chance.”

Twilight nodded. “Say when.”

“Now.” Data fired the torpedo. Twilight opened the front of the shield just long enough for the torpedo to pass through, hitting the Metarex ship directly. Its shields held.

“Minimal damage,” Data reported, tapping buttons furiously. “I do not believe we have enough firepower to take them out.”

“Can we run?” Cosmo asked.

“Negative. Runabouts are not very fast.”

“We have to be able to do something…” Tippi said. “Can we make them think we’ve been destroyed?”

“I do not believe there are enough suits of appropriate body types for everyone.”

Twilight slumped forward. “I… I can’t keep a shield of this size up much longer…”

“You will not have to,” Data said, looking up. “Romulan warbird, decloaking to port.”

A massive green birdlike ship with a hollow interior phased into the visible spectrum, firing all weapons at the Metarex ship. Taken by surprise, it didn’t stand a chance.

Twilight dropped the shield. “Whew…”

“They’re offering to tow us to Uthira-five at warp nine,” Data relayed.

“Accept their offer.” Twilight threw her mane back and rubbed her horn with a wing. “That was close.”

The warbird grabbed the runabout in a tractor beam and entered warp, speeding to their destination.

~~~

Uthira-five was swarming with Romulan warbirds. No less than twenty were in orbit around the planet, ready to shoot anything and everything to dust that arrived without a proper clearance code. Luckily, the warbird towing Twilight and company had the clearance, and they were allowed into orbit.

Toph woke up about this time. “Wh… what?”

“Welcome back to the land of the awake!” Cosmo said, helping her up. “We’re here.”

“We’re… here?”

Cosmo pointed out the window at the planet outside. It was a dusty, desert world with only a few patches of water here and there—but it was a planet nonetheless.

“Gee, I bet that looks like an amazing planet down there,” Toph deadpanned.

“Oh.” Cosmo flushed. “I—I’m so sorry, it’s just, it’s beautiful, and…”

“What color is it?”

Cosmo understood immediately. “Dull oranges and yellows, mostly, with patches of blue water.”

“Well, I’ll know what blue is eventually.” Toph tapped her fingers against the wall. “Can we go down already?”

“I’m getting transporter coordinates from the Romulans now,” Data reported.

Toph nodded. “Right.” She pointed at Twilight. “You put me to sleep.”

“Yes. I’m sorr—”

“Thanks.” Toph turned away from her. “Now, can we get off this rustbucket?”

“Transporting…” Data pressed a button and stood up. A burst of blue energy engulfed all of them, rematerializing them on top of a tall sand dune.

Toph grabbed her chest. “I forgot how much I hate teleporting…” Stomping, she felt the sand beneath her feet. “...Eh, it’ll do.”

“Ah, welcome, my strange alien friends!”

Turning around, the five of them saw a Romulan camp composed of a few strange, box-like buildings made of dark green metal and a dozen Romulan scientists walking around with blinking devices in their hands. In the center of it all was a raised stone platform, carved with a seven-sided shape atop it.

The Romulan who had addressed them gestured toward the platform. “I am Commander Tomalak, and I shall be your guide to the wonderful world of Uthira-five! Otherwise known as the dust ball with nothing on it but this chunk of inert rock.” He gestured somewhat angrily at the stone platform.

“Tippi?” Twilight asked.

“The Pure Heart is definitely here,” Tippi said. “Very close, too.”

Tomalak snorted. “You think your sensors are better than ours, bug? By all means, try, see what this useless piece of sediment offers you.”

Twilight spread her wings and flew over to the platform, landing right in the middle. The engraving was old, but somehow not worn away by the sand. A heptagon with a seven-sided star was drawn within, all centered around a heart shape that Twilight was currently standing in.

“This is it…” Twilight agreed. “Any ideas?”

Data flipped out a scanning device Twilight had recently learned was called a tricorder. “I am detecting nothing aside from the rock itself.”

“I’ve got nothing,” Toph said, stomping the ground. “Sand makes my senses fuzzy, but I’d still feel something if it was down there.”

Cosmo put a finger to her mouth. “Maybe we just need to make it manifest?”

“The Pure Heart is here, but I do not know how to make it manifest...” Tippi said. “Previously, it was rather obvious, or it happened naturally.”

“They respond to love,” Twilight said, lighting her horn to probe the stone. To her shock, it reacted instantly to her magic. The etchings in the platform lit up with a magenta light identical to her magic aura. With a flash of energy, a rectangular hole ripped through the sky, leading to an empty green expanse devoid of any features. “...Or they just respond to magic, apparently.”

“Maybe they relied on the same prophecy you do,” Data suggested.

Tomalak marched to the door, frowning. “Fascinating. What power could make this…?”

“We’re about to find out, I think…” Tippi fluttered through the doorway. Twilight and the rest followed her—including Tomalak.

“You sure you want to be here, pointy?” Toph asked.

“I fought hard to be on site when you arrived.” Tomalak bristled. “I have every intention of seeing this to its conclusion.”

The green expanse was just as empty once they were in the midst of it. They stood on what, visually, appeared to be nothing, but felt like a smooth piece of glass. There was absolutely nothing in every direction.

“Hello?” Twilight called. “Is anyone there?”

Visitors? The words appeared in their minds directly, not bothering to go through their ears. Then the Void truly has appeared in the sky. Times are dire.

“Who are you?” Twilight asked.

A pillar of glass appeared before them, popping into existence without so much as a sound. Within, suspended about a meter above them, was the green Pure Heart, shimmering with the vibrancy of life itself.

“Woah…” Toph said.

“Green,” Cosmo offered, not waiting for her to ask.

“That’s what trees look like!?” Toph blurted in shock.

“And me.”

“Woah…”

In front of the pillar, a humanoid hologram manifested of a bald creature with simple, pale robes.

“A Progenitor,” Twilight said.

That is what you call us. The mouth didn’t move when the being spoke. We simply called ourselves The People. The Wandering Tribe heard this word as ‘Hume’ and named the universe after it. I am not truly one of The People, though. I am a simple machine meant to deliver this Heart to those worthy.

“And how do we prove ourselves worthy?” Tomalak demanded.

What does it mean to be a good leader?

Tomalak smirked. “That’s easy! A good leader commands the fear and respect of their men, leading them into conflict with an iron, undefeatable will. They stand abo—”

Incorrect. Tomalak was ejected from the green realm at an alarming speed, landing headfirst in a sand dune back on the planet. Does he speak for all of you?

“No, he does not,” Twilight asserted. “Am I allowed to converse with my friends about our answer?”

Yes.

Twilight turned to them. “Okay, what do we do?”

“Figure out what it wants us to say, obviously,” Toph shrugged.

Data tilted his head. “I can pull on my own experiences with command and serving under Captain Picard to provide a comprehensive definition.”

“Something tells me it isn’t looking for the technical definition,” Cosmo said.

“I think it wants us to be honest,” Tippi added. “Twilight… you’re our leader. I think… you should just tell it what leading means to you.”

“Leading is a thing that happens to me, not a thing I search for…” Twilight chuckled softly. “But I suppose I do know a thing or two about it.” Taking a deep breath, then turned back to the hologram. “I will answer for us.”

What does it mean to be a good leader?

“A good leader…” Twilight closed her eyes, thinking back to the ponies she led back home, both her close friends and the average citizen she was princess over. What had she been taught about her role, both by Princess Celestia and her friends? “A good leader cares for her people. A good leader stands up for them, rather than herself. A good leader…” She let out a short laugh, shaking her head. “You’ll know a good leader when you see one. They are strong, but not necessarily physically. They are wise, but not always intellectual. They are caring, though they can be entirely inept at social interaction.” She realized that, in a sense, she was just describing traits she’d seen in her friends. The meek strength of Fluttershy, the graceful wisdom of Rarity…

But they weren’t leaders, at least not most of the time.

Twilight focused her thoughts on the question of leadership. “But… it’s more than that. A good leader doesn’t just lead, anyone can do that. No, the leader you want is someone who can look to the future, but always remember the people.” As I remember my friends. Pinkie, throwing parties for everyone. Fluttershy, treating all with a graceful meekness. Rainbow Dash, brave and impulsive, running while others are stuck thinking. Applejack, dependable, honest, and simple. Rarity, generous and intelligent, burning with an artistic passion. And Starlight, Spike, and… so many others… Others that hold me up. “When a decision comes, no matter how hard it is, the good leader will turn to the people and ask what they want. And after listening to everything and everyone, the good leader will always try to do what is right. By doing so, a good leader—a mare, a man, whoever they are—they will gain the respect of those led.”

She lifted her head high, smiling, imagining herself surrounded by her friends and subjects. “A good leader is loved by their people.”

~~~

“Captain,” Troi said to Picard, grabbing him before he disappeared within his ready room.

“Hmm?”

“You should get some rest.”

“Counselor, I—”

“Captain,” Troi insisted. “You’re running yourself ragged trying to keep this ship together. We appreciate the effort, but… we need you at your best when Twilight and the others return.”

“I have meetings with the Romulans and Klingons concerning the allocation of power resources, I do not have time for that.”

“I can handle that, sir,” Riker said, standing up from his seat. “I am qualified.”

Picard nodded. “Then there’s the tactical plans I need to review…”

“I am doing that as we speak,” Worf said, folding his hands behind his back. “They look adequate, but I already see some possible room for improvement.”

“Hmm…” Picard frowned. “Then there’s the interdimensional portal project…”

“Which Eggman has well under control,” Troi reminded him. “Captain, we are sitting in a nebula right now. Nothing’s going to happen. Go get some rest. You’re lucky—you have a door to a rejuvenating dimension right on your ship.”

“In a room exposed to the vacuum of space.”

Doctor Crusher walked off the turbolift with a spacesuit in her hands, raising an eyebrow.

Picard shook his head, a slight smile coming to his face despite himself. “Mutineers, all of you.” He took the suit and walked into the turbolift. “Number One, you have the ship.”

Riker nodded to his Captain. “Enjoy yourself, sir.”

Picard tried to talk himself out of going to Flipside, but by the time he’d convinced himself to rush back and work on the morale review, he was already in his suit and standing outside the rudimentary airlock set up for Ten Forward. He walked through it, magnetic boots keeping him stuck to the walls outside the artificial gravity generation. Carefully, he walked along the remaining walls of Ten Forward to the airlock affixed over the yellow door. He entered, allowed the air to repressurize, and walked through to Flipside’s top platform.

To his surprise, Guinan was there waiting for him, sitting behind a desk covered in glasses filled with various colors of liquid. He removed his helmet. “Guinan?”

“You blew up my bar. I had to get a new one.” Guinan smirked. “Now, you get to have a drink…” She produced a cup of earl grey tea. “And then you’re going right into that elevator and asking for Ty Lee’s inn. You’ll be asleep before you know it.”

“Is that an order?”

“It is, Captain.” Guinan smirked. “When you wake up you can explore Flipside. For now, do what you came here to do. ...Or, should I say, what you were forced to come here to do.”

“That crew of mine is going to be the end of me, one of these days.” Picard shrugged, taking a sip of his tea—it was the perfect temperature. Nodding to Guinan he stepped into the elevator, descending to Ty Lee’s makeshift inn.

He was asleep in five minutes.

Heart Racing

The glass around the Pure Heart vanished, allowing it to drift gently to the floor.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

You did not earn the Heart because of your answer, the hologram said. You were largely correct, but we were never looking for a comprehensive definition. We were looking for a good leader. You have proven yourself to be one. Take the Pure Heart—it is yours.

The hologram vanished, leaving only the Heart. Cosmo, Tippi, Twilight, and Toph could only stare at it, feeling its power waft through their souls.

Data was not affected by its aura in the slightest. He walked right up to it and picked it up. “We have obtained a Pure Heart.” He said in a jarringly artificial voice.

Toph facepalmed. “You gotta put more effort into it, Data! Lift it to the sky and shout!”

“...The timing is appropriate for such a thing,” Data admitted. He lifted the green Pure Heart over his head. “We got a Pure Heart!”

Then the green expanse of nothing ceased to exist. All five of them were unceremoniously ejected from the plane into a sand dune next to Tomalak.

“Hah. I knew you couldn’t do it,” the Romulan chuckled.

Data stood up, Pure Heart still in his hands. “On the contrary, the mission was a success.”

Tomalak stopped laughing immediately. He reached out to touch the Pure Heart, but it pushed him away. With a scowl, he turned his back to them. “What is the next step?”

“Return it to Flipside so it can open the door to the next universe…” Tippi answered. “We need to get back to the Enterprise.”

“That will be difficult.”

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47932.2

Word has finally reached the interior of the nebula: the Pure Heart has been obtained from a Progenitor relic. Now all that remains is to get it back to Flipside. Unfortunately, the Metarex are not making this easy, since they have had the past few days to set up a blockade around the entire nebula.

~~~

“Tactical report,” Picard ordered, taking his seat in the Enterprise briefing room.

Worf nodded, gesturing to the screen that displayed the nebula. “Our forces are consolidated within the nebula. During the first few hours after the initial entry, many of our allied ships joined us, since the Metarex had not set up their blockade yet. We have a total of forty-seven sizable ships of varying firepower now. However…” The image zoomed out to show a sphere of Metarex forces surrounding the nebula. “No more ships have been able to pierce this blockade. Furthermore, there are at least seven ships who entered the nebula who have not managed to make contact with us yet.”

“Flying blind is a terrible thing,” Riker said.

Worf continued. “There are at least two hundred separate Metarex ships in the blockade. For now, more have stopped arriving, but this does not mean there aren’t any in reserve they could deploy at any time. They are holding position far enough from the nebula to react to any outgoing torpedoes or missiles with ease.” Zooming out further, there were several clusters of ships not arranged in a sphere. “These are the rest of our allied forces that have been collecting over the last few days, from all the major powers aside from the Ferengi and the Borg.”

“What of the other cube?” Picard asked.

“It is still sweeping up material at the other battle site, presumably for assimilation.”

Riker sighed. “Well, assuming we manage to stop everything from being destroyed, the Borg are sure to have a lot more tricks up their sleeves.”

“Another bridge we will have to cross when we get there.” Picard leaned forward, folding his hands together. “We need a way to get either us or the runabout through that blockade. I’m open to suggestions.”

Riker broke out into a smile. “Sir, I happen to have been talking with Doctor Eggman about that. Tell me what you think of this…”

~~~

Dark Oak stood at the command station of his warship, staring at the nebula. He’d done almost nothing but stare at the nebula for days, waiting for any sign of activity. With news of the Pure Heart being obtained, he knew something had to happen soon.

But still, the nebula was motionless. So motionless that he was tempted to order a charge, but that would just make them blind as bats and ruin their advantage. Anything could slip out in that situation.

What were they waiting for? He knew the runabout was sitting in the Romulan part of the outer fleet, but they had done nothing at all. Did they want Dark Oak to make the first move? He was no fool—attacking the Romulans would take most of his forces, allowing the blockade to be broken. If they needed him to move first, they would stand here forever.

Which was just fine with Dark Oak, since the Void would eventually come to his rescue in the end, but he doubted they were satisfied with sitting still. They were going to do something.

But why the wait?

Ping ping ping ping. “Infuriating, isn’t it?”

Dark Oak turned slowly to see Q floating behind him, playing with a paddleball. Ping ping ping ping.

“All hands, high alert,” Dark Oak ordered. “A Q has entered the ship.”

“Psh, a Q, really, you disgrace me.” Ping ping ping ping. “What do you think that alert is going to do? Summon some little savior that can protect you from me? Maybe you’re calling that laughingstock of a prophet over here, I’m sure he’ll be of great help.”

Dark Oak approached Q, refusing to show fear or concern. “Your kind will not interfere.”

“Where do you get your information?” Q shrugged. Ping ping ping ping. “How would you have the slightest clue what the Continuum has decided?”

“I have my sources.”

Q rolled his eyes. “I just plucked the information out of your head, you know. Let’s see… yes, some very good sources in there, indeed. But what’s this? Relying on that jester to predict the Continuum? That’s quite the gall you have, sapling.”

“It is not wrong.”

“Mmmm…” Q leaned back. Ping ping ping ping. “Your self-confidence is quite annoying.”

“Leave. You have no purpose here.”

“Who’s to say I won’t ignore the command of the Continuum? I’ve done it before, wise guy. And if you push me enough I might do it again. One snap of my fingers and you’re a literal turnip.” To prove his point, Q created a hundred turnips and dropped them on the ground. “You don’t want to be a turnip, do you?”

“Do as you wish,” Dark Oak said. “I rest easy knowing your punishment will be terrible.”

Ping ping ping ping. “Do you wish to know why they aren’t doing anything? Why they aren’t clapping their hands to erase all your efforts from the sky?”

Dark Oak made no response.

“Fear,” Q said, letting out a laugh. “Imagine that, the Q Continuum, afraid! Afraid of what, you may ask? Oh, they say they’re afraid for their lives, afraid of the Void attacking them directly, but that’s going to happen regardless. No, they’re afraid of putting themselves forward and failing. Because, the Q, failing? Perish the thought!” Ping ping ping ping. “Better to lie still and accept death than to fail in defiance of it.”

“Weak.”

“Agreed.”

Ping ping ping ping.

“I almost wish you would defy them,” Dark Oak said. “That you’d prove your race to truly be worthwhile.”

“Oh, so you think we have to lower ourselves to your physical, narrow-minded ideals? Now who’s the arrogant one?” Ping ping ping ping.

“Arrogance is a title given to those with power by those without it.”

Ping ping ping ping. “Sounds like you’re in denial.”

Dark Oak waved a dismissive hand. “I grow tired of this.”

Ping ping ping ping.

Dark Oak swiped the paddle ball out of Q’s hands and crushed it. “Enough of this! What is your game?”

Q floated up to his head and grinned. “My game—if there really is such a thing—is over now. Goodbye!” He snapped his fingers, filling the room with paddle balls and vanishing.

Dark Oak smashed through the flimsy toys and ran to his console. “I want a full sweep of the ship—the fleet! Q has done something, and I want to know what!”

Dark Oak was incorrect. Q had not done anything to the ship or the rest of fleet. All he had done was make Dark Oak worry—worry enough that he’d put everyone on high alert and check everything. In their panic, they would forget to monitor one very important detail…

And you can’t say Q did anything, perish the thought! There was no bar on talking to the lower lifeforms. He didn’t give them any information pertaining to the situation at the nebula, either. Ask him, and he’d assure everyone who ever asked that what happened next was purely unintentional on his part.

No one believed him but they couldn’t exactly prove anything.

~~~

Hours later, a report flashed across Dark Oak’s screen—finally, something was happening. A Federation ship was poking its head out of the nebula. Its warp engines were firing up and would form a warp bubble the moment it was free of the nebula’s dust.

“Destroy it,” Dark Oak ordered.

The nearest twenty ships in the blockade moved from their position, firing upon and utterly destroying the ship with ease, sending debris flying in several directions.

Too easy. Dark Oak knew there was some sort of ploy going on here. Reviewing the records, he was convinced of it. There had been no life signs aboard that ship. They had wanted it destroyed.

Another ship, this time a Cardassian one, poked its head out of the nebula, without a single life sign on board. Yet, it still charged up its warp engines.

“Destroy it. Even abandoned, we cannot let it escape.”

Four other ships came out of the nebula at different locations, a Romulan, Klingon, a larger than usual Eggman robot, and one ship from a lesser race known as the Breen. Every last one was destroyed in short order.

Why are they sacrificing ships? They’re valuable firepower and resources. What is their ploy? He began analyzing the places they had come out. They had emerged in roughly a circle, pointing toward one side of the Nebula. Each ship had forced the Blockade ships nearby to move, leaving…

Leaving a hole in the middle of the circle.

“Ships, move to coordinates 0, 37.4, 55.2. They’re weakening the blockade.”

Just as he finished giving the order, the remnant of the Borg cube emerged from the nebula, heading directly for the hole in the blockade. Several other ships appeared behind it, including the Enterprise, nestled snugly in the middle of the formation. They started to pull up their warp drives, but the Metarex were too fast—they’d moved back to their position enough to interrupt the warp bubbles. However, the blockade was still weak in that area, and the fleet was making a spearhead effort.

Dark Oak didn’t allocate more ships than were already there. They’d tried to exploit a weakness in the blockade already, he wasn’t about to make another one. He would, however, order all fire to be focused on the Enterprise. They needed to keep the door out of reach.

Unfortunately, the Metarex couldn’t just ignore the other forces, least of all the Borg cube. After losing a half-dozen ships, they shifted back to firing upon the Borg rather than the Enterprise. After whaling on it for far too long, the cube was utterly destroyed—but the Metarex forces were severely weakened.

To make matters worse, the Cardassian arm of the military had appeared on the other side of the blockade, attacking it. It was a hopeless situation. Or it would have been, if Dark Oak didn’t have other ships on standby. He waited for the spearhead and the Cardassians to get as close together as possible before ordering a dozen larger ships through Void portals, unleashing surprise spreads of explosive torpedoes. Two of these ships appeared behind the spearhead, so they couldn’t just jump back into the nebula.

“And they are pinned,” Dark Oak said to himself. “I’d like to see them get out of th—”

A priority message slid across his screen.

Twilight and company had already gotten through the door.

“HOW!?” Dark Oak shouted. “When did… how…” Dark Oak slammed a hand onto his console, cracking it. “Metarex, we have failed. There is no use in wasting further resources in this battle. The losses are not worth it. Retreat into the Void.”

The Metarex ships ran. They still lost a dozen more ships to the attack before it was over.

HOW!? Dark Oak asked himself as his ship slipped back into the purple vortex of the Void. How did they get to the door?

~~~

“If only we could take the door to them,” Riker said, standing on Flipside’s platform.

Eggman scratched his chin. “It would be possible to move it if you moved the wall it was on. Just separate it from the ship.”

“Then how would we get it to them? The Metarex will shoot anything and everything. Unless…” Riker scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Doctor, your machines have proven resistant to Metarex weapons. Could you design one that… looked like it was destroyed?”

Eggman grinned. “I like how you think! I can do exactly that! Better yet, how about I make an exploding robot! One that takes a hit, goes up in a massive fireball, but still ejects a piece of debris just large enough to hold a door inside… I’ll have to build it on the other side but oh ho ho ho ho ho will this take them by so much surprise…”

The machine had been christened the Eggsploder. It flew out with the other ships as part of the decoy. When it was hit, it exploded exactly as it was supposed to—sending debris in seemingly random directions. However, it was anything but random. The largest chunk flew right through the blockade and into open space, where a cloaked Romulan warbird picked it up the moment the Metarex were occupied with other things. It delivered the package directly to the runabout, prying open the chunk of seared metal to reveal the yellow door. The moment they entered, the Metarex had lost.

Twilight walked through the door, grinning. “Well done, everyone! We’re back!”

There were cheers both in Flipside and in the fleet.

Sweet, sweet victory.

Minion Uncertainty

“...And that is how the ruffians managed to best me,” Dimentio said, concluding his report. For once, every single minion had shown up to the meeting: Dark Oak, Lulu, Mimi, and O’Chunks were all present under the watchful gaze of Count Bleck and Nastasia. Dimentio thought they all looked far too bored for the story he’d just finished telling—where was their sense of drama?

“In short, the operation was a failure,” Dark Oak said. “They obtained the Pure Heart and are no doubt preparing to head to the next world.”

“Ah ha ha…” Dimentio chuckled. “They are strong, to be sure. Very strong.”

“They had help,” Dark Oak countered. “They gathered allies from within the world itself. It appears to be a pattern of theirs.”

“She did call herself something rather ridiculous when I was with her.” Lulu tilted her hat upwards. “The Princess of Friendship.”

“Geh!” O’Chunks spat. “ ‘Ow ridiculous! Yeh won’t catch me callin’ ‘er that. ‘Tis disrespectful!”

“Is it disrespectful because it’s girly?” Mimi asked, glaring at him.

“Er… Uh…”

Dark Oak ignored them. “Perhaps we should seek further allies of our own, to counter their increasing forces.”

“Their position is inherently more sympathetic,” Count Bleck said. “It is the first instinct of those living in a world to protect it. You are a rare exception, Dark Oak. Bleck does not know of many others who would share your sentiment.”

“We should still be on the lookout.”

Count Bleck nodded. “Nastasia?”

Nastasia adjusted her spectacles. “We have a sizable crystal pony army now, though they’re busy patrolling the castle. The resistance cells have gotten… smarter, and that warrior has been hindering our efforts.”

“I’ll go whack ‘im!” O’Chunks shouted, slamming his fist into the ground to punctuate his thought. “It’ll be easy as pie!”

“You are welcome to try.” Nastasia pressed her fingertips together. “But he is extremely dangerous. Unlike those ‘heroes’ we face, he is very willing to use lethal force.”

“A challenge!”

“I’m not organizing his funeral,” Mimi said.

O’Chunks gawked at her. “Oi! That hurts, lass, it does!”

“Hmph!”

“Even with allies that may or may not exist, this will be difficult,” Dimentio said. “The heroes might be strong enough to defy the prophecy.”

The Count looked downward, hand to his chin. “...Spare Count Bleck your theatrics. The Light Prognosticus is false. The Dark Prognosticus holds the answer to eliminating the heroes that rise to stop us.”

Dimentio leaned in, curious. Where was he getting that? “Oh? What part would that be? Do tell, I don’t believe I’m aware of it.”

“Bleh heheheheheheheheh… In due time, Dimentio, in due time.” Bleck pointed at Nastasia. “It is time for you to grab ‘him.’ “

Nastasia nodded. “Yeah, um, I can take care of that for you, Count.”

Count Bleck clapped his hands. “Lovely! Exclaimed Count Bleck. Return to your posts, my dear minions!”

“Hail Bleck!” all of them but Dark Oak said before going their separate ways, leaving Nastasia and the Count alone.

“Um…”

“Does something trouble you, Nastasia?” the Count asked.

“Yeah…” Nastasia looked around to make sure they were all out of earshot before looking to him without a hint of her usual ice. “Count… You know, there’s still time. You can still change your mind.”

Bleck looked up at nothing in particular, letting silence fill the room for several moments. “...that is enough, Nastasia. We’ve already come this far, so we shall forge on!” Looking to her, his gaze softened. “But you needn’t stay by Count Bleck’s side. ...You can depart with my blessing.”

Nastasia reeled in shock. “Um, no, my Count! I won’t be doing that.” Recomposing herself, she flattened her suit. “My life is already sworn to you. Yeah, it’s belonged to you since the day you saved me. I’ll be sticking it out with you until the end.”

Count Bleck turned away, silent.

“...’K?”

“If that pleases you,” Bleck said, emotionless. He vanished into a swirl of Void.

With a sigh, Nastasia adjusted her glasses and jumped off her platform.

My my my… Dimentio thought from his position in a parallel dimension, having been invisible to the two of them. How interesting! Nastasia and the Count have such deep conversations! He shifted back into a visible state, landing on Nastasia’s pillar. Just what is our dear Count playing at?

He floated into the air, looking at the ceiling where Bleck had been fixated just a moment before. ...Ah well, I’ll let him worry about that. I must attend to my own projects. With a snap of his fingers, he shifted to another plane of existence, leaving the room empty.

Man in Green

Deep within the halls of Castle Bleck, Rarity’s little resistance was doing nicely. They had left the kitchen a while back and were now staying in a series of what appeared to be storage basements. Rarity knew of four separate cells, one of which Fluttershy was currently leading.

Rarity skipped between the black boxes where ponies were walking, talking, guarding, and sleeping. It had taken several days, but overall, the ponies finally felt safe here. None of Nastasia’s goons ever came down this far, the hypnotized ponies didn’t patrol here, and beyond that, they had food. It was no kitchen, but canned beans and rice were wonderful when you were very hungry.

Which didn’t mean there wasn’t the occasional treat, far from it.

Today is a good day, Rarity thought, beaming at the ponies around her. She’d just received word that they’d performed a successful raid on one of those Metarex weapon lockers, crippling the enemy in that area of the Castle and obtaining some weapons for themselves. Rarity could never bring herself to use the little flak guns, but she wasn’t going to complain if others felt the need. Even better, apparently O’Chunks himself had come to stop them, and they’d defeated him! A rousing success for the good guys.

She tossed her mane back and started whistling a tune to herself. They’d build up their number, take more and more away from the Count, and eventually storm his center of power themselves. Granted, that final goal was a long way off, but she was feeling good about it.

“Yahoo!” Luigi called, jumping back into the resistance cell. “Mission was a success!”

“Excellent!” Rarity called. “Did you get anything out of it?”

Luigi shrugged. “We blew up a castle wall. No weapons. But we did see that-a orange guy!”

“Our mysterious benefactor, again?” Rarity scratched her chin, pondering this. “Well, how about you let your team get some rest. You and I need to talk—I was just about to have dinner, will you join me?”

“Uh… sure!” Luigi said.

With a disarming smile, Rarity led Luigi to the table in the back of the resistance cell. There was a single candle burning on it for light—though if she was being perfectly honest, the white flame that burst from the tar-black cylinder was a lot more creepy than the mood she was going for. It would have to do.

“I’ve got something special for my number one agent,” Rarity grinned, pulling a can out from under the table. “Canned mushrooms.”

Luigi’s eyes widened.

“I’m afraid it won’t be the same as the fresh morsels from your world, but no doubt it’s better than beans and rice?”

Luigi nodded vigorously, reaching out for the can.

“Patience! Let a lady cook it first!” Rarity popped the can open with her magic. From nearby, she floated out two plates with beans and rice on them, laying the mushrooms on top. Carefully, she used a heating spell to warm the two plates up until they were steaming. “There, a meal fit for kings!”

Luigi stabbed a mushroom with a fork and put it in his mouth. His smile vanished.

Corking a brow, Rarity took a mushroom and placed it in her mouth. Now, she was not an avid fan of mushrooms to begin with, she saw them as a strange sort of food that mixed unfortunately with other flavors, but on their own they could be decent. When she put the poor excuse for a mushroom into her mouth, her experience was far worse than that of Luigi. Barely keeping control of her gag reflex, she spat the shroom onto her plate, staring at it as though it had killed her family. “By the Stars…” Composing herself, she fixed Luigi with an awkward smile. “It appears… as though canned mushrooms are inferior.”

“Mama mia…” Luigi rubbed his head. “That’s an understatement.”

Rarity levitated the mushrooms off both of their plates, leaving just beans and rice. “Well, I guess our dinner is just going to have to be plain, now isn’t it?” She cleared her throat, taking a bite of the bland but palatable beans. “So… Luigi, how have you been enjoying your missions?”

“Oh, it’s been-a great to be the hero for once! Usually it’s-a my brother who gets all the glory, y’know? And he’s a great guy and all, but…”

“Shadows are hard to get out of.”

“You know what it’s-a like?”

Rarity shook her head. “I know what it’s like to cast a shadow. My sister has many amazing talents and brilliant friends, but… let’s just say people tend to see me when they look at her.” Rarity’s eyes dropped. “I do hope she’s doing okay without me.”

“I bet she misses you—but that she’s also striking out on her own!”

Rarity gave him a “really?” look.

“I-I mean I could be wrong and u-uh…”

“Luigi, Luigi, calm down, it’s okay.” She held out her front hooves to put him at ease. “Though for future reference, when talking of a lady’s family, implying that they’re better off without her is generally not the way to go about it.”

“O-oh I’m so sorry, I—”

“Luigi, I know what you meant.” Rarity chuckled. “Others may not be so understanding, is all I’m saying.”

“...Let’s be honest here, when is another lady ever going to talk to me one-on-one like-a this?”

“Luigi!” Rarity gasped. “Darling, I’m sure you are a strapping young man with a magnificent mustache. You’ve mentioned you’re close to the princess of your world, correct?”

“Well… more like Mario is. I’m just… there.”

Rarity shook her head. “Hmph! She doesn’t know what she’s missing. If I ever get to their world I will give them a piece of my mind by spinning the tales of Luigi, resistance warrior.” She fixed him with a coy smile. “That is, assuming you don’t mind.”

“N-no, not at all!” Luigi sat back, stroking his stache. “Luigi, resistance warrior. I think I like-a that.”

“It suits you w—”

“Intruder!” A pegasus shouted, flying through the area, screeching. “Intruder!”

Rarity stood bolt upright. “Everyone scatter! Get to the other cells!” She turned to the pegasus. “Who is it?”

“Nastasia!”

Rarity’s stomach sank like a stone. There was no effective strategy against Nastasia. She could turn you to her side with a flash of her glasses. Even Mimi could be countered by clever movements and jeering. Nastasia was just untouchable.

“Let’s go,” Rarity told Luigi, gesturing that he should get on her back. Rarity, you are in a life or death situation, don’t get all flustered. Once he was on, she took off.

The resistance may have prepared for this several times, but the majority of them were simple, easy-to-panic ponies that forgot everything about drills in the moment of attack, running in random directions and into boxes. Rarity winced as she ran by some dazed ponies. She couldn’t help them—she needed to escape. If she was taken, she wasn’t sure Fluttershy could step up to the plate and be the leader of everything.

Ironic, she thought, I spent most of my life trying to be an important pony, and now that I am I hate what it makes me do.

She and Luigi ended up being the only ones running through the frozen goods section of storage. It looked no different from the rest of the castle, black as ever, but Rarity could see her breath as she ran between the racks filled with far-too-old cheeses that hadn't been touched in months.

In front of them stood three hypnotized ponies. They charged.

Rarity whipped out a laser spell, hitting the only unicorn directly in the horn, canceling any spells he may have had at his disposal. Luigi jumped off her back, smacking a mare in the head with his wooden hammer. The pegasus flew into the air and dove at Rarity. She raised an arcane shield, expecting to have to deal with an impact, but Luigi jumped into the pegasus with enough strength to knock the wind out of her.

Luigi landed back on Rarity’s back. She needed no further encouragement to gallop away at full speed. She smiled to herself. He really is such a capable fighter with that jump of his. You wouldn’t think jumps would be so helpful, but...

“Stop right there, ‘K?”

Rarity skidded to a stop a yard from crashing into Nastasia. “H-how did you pass us!?”

“I know the castle.”

“Poppycock!” Rarity swore, lowering her head in anger. “We’ve mapped this entire area out to the penny, there’s no shortcut around.”

“Allow me to rephrase. I know the castle, so I know the precise point to portal to.” She held out her hand, demonstrating her ability to generate Void portals. “You’re coming with me, ‘K?”

Rarity placed a shield in front of her and Luigi’s faces. “No.”

“Yeah!” Luigi hefted his hammer. “W-we’re a-gonna take you on?”

“Um, cute, but useless.” Nastasia flashed her glasses. Rarity dropped to the ground, losing her shield. Luigi’s hammer fell with a dull clatter. “Now, who do we serve?”

“Hail Bleck!” Luigi shouted, robotically.

Nastasia turned to Rarity. “Who do we serve?”

Rarity opened her eyes, startling Nastasia with their soft magical glow, the same dark purple as her mane. As she rose to her hooves, a faint outline of a purple diamond pulsed in front of her neck.

“Not you too…” Nastasia growled.

“What’s the matter, darling?” Rarity grabbed Nastasia’s collar in her magic. “Can’t handle an Element of Harmony?”

Nastasia struggled to release herself, but her physical strength was nothing compared to Rarity’s magic.

“I bet Rainbow Dash and Applejack have given you such a fun time, haven’t they?” Rarity tilted her head with a soft smile. “How many insults does Rainbow spit at you each day?”

“S-save me,” Nastasia grunted.

“Yahoo!” Luigi called, in a decidedly non-robotic fashion. He picked up his hammer and swung it right at Rarity, grinning in delight. Rarity deflected it with a shield, summoning her magic blade and dropping her grip on Nastasia.

“What… did you do to him?” Rarity asked, stabbing his hammer and throwing it away.

“Certain individuals are particularly suited to the service of the Count,” Nastasia said. “It appears as though your man in green is one. Just give up now, ‘K? I’ll take you to your friends and you can all enjoy the last time in existence locked up together.”

“No!” Rarity shouted. She used her telekinesis to deflect a jump from Luigi, turning to Nastasia with her blade. “I’ve had enough of this! You kidnap us, jail us, force us to fight one another, and apparently the Count was serious about destroying all worlds!” She shot Luigi in the stomach with a laser, barely even looking at him as he toppled backward. “...And you take new friends away.”

Nastasia took a step back.

Rarity looked down, a shadow covering her eyes. “I can’t let this continue.” Grinding her teeth, she charged Nastasia, aiming for the neck.

Nastasia ducked under the blade, shaking slightly. “Um, think about what you’re doing, this, um, won’t look good on your record!”

“Do you think I give a flying feather!?” Rarity leaped into the air, making it look like she was attacking from above when in reality she was slashing at Nastasia’s legs.

Nastasia let out a harsh yell, falling to her knees.

“You disgust me,” Rarity spat.

“F-for making you do terrible things?”

Rarity paused. “Yes.” She twisted her blade around, aiming for Nastasia’s neck once more.

A pony tackled Rarity from behind—some random hypnotized earth pony. Rarity dissipated her sword, too afraid of accidentally hurting him in the scuffle. As she threw him off, a pegasus appeared, diving at her. She shot back, but a unicorn shot her in the back.

Nastasia still couldn’t stand up, but she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief anyway. “Look, good sob story, great speech, but that’s not our modus operandi right now. You’re coming with me.”

“I… will never…” Rarity was pinned by three ponies at once.

“Yeah, my army of hypno-ponies kinda say otherwise.”

“Ergh…” Rarity struggled under their weight but was unable to move. “I…”

“Everypony off!” a familiar voice shouted. With a burst of blue-green magic, every pony on Rarity was tossed into the air, leaving her free. Looking up, she saw her saviors: a white stallion with a blue mane and a pale pink unicorn with a horn sparking with far more energy than Rarity could ever muster.

“Shining Armor! Starlight!” Rarity beamed. “I thought…”

“You thought wrong!” Starlight said, sneering at Nastasia. “What now, hypno-psycho?”

“You.” Nastasia reached for her glasses.

“Hah! No.” With a flash of energy, Starlight teleported herself, Shining Armor, and Rarity somewhere else within the castle. Lifting her head high, Starlight smirked. “I’d like to see her hypnotize through that.”

“Good work,” Shining said, though his voice didn’t sound as happy as his words.

“Anyway, so much for joining up with the rumored resistance,” Starlight chuckled sadly.

“There’s… another cell,” Rarity said, sniffing. “Fluttershy’s there. I… I can take you.”

“Thanks…” Starlight stooped down, lifting up Rarity’s face. “Rarity, what happened?”

“Just… she got me to do terrible things and…” Rarity looked down. “She took a good friend.”

“We’ll get them back,” Starlight promised. “We’ll get them all back.” Glancing to Shining armor, she gave him a smile. “Even Cadence.”

He didn’t look like he believed her. At the moment, Rarity couldn’t blame him—she didn’t believe Starlight either.

~~~

“Timpani, why? Why do you avoid me?”

“Ow… OW! Unhand me!”

“Huh? You’re crying! Why? Timpani, you must tell me what has happened!”

“It’s nothing… Don’t worry about it… Just forget it…”

“Oh no… Timpani, is my father behind this?”

“I’m… I’m just an ordinary girl. No matter how much I love you, we must part.”

“Timpani, I…”

“This is goodbye, Blumiere. There’s no other choice. This is our fate…”

Politics Arrive

Data put the Green Heart into the center of Flipside without much fanfare, and the heroes went immediately to rest for tomorrow’s venture into the new world.

This did not mean things stopped happening in Flipside, far from it. For now that the battle was over, the nations of Hume descended on the city like a pack of wild dogs. Ambassadors from the Federation, Romulan Empire, Klingon Empire, and Cardassian Union arrived, enabled by the recent installation of the door in the middle of a desert on a planet inhabited by no one. The door was open to the public, not that any of the universe’s governments would let anyone in who wasn’t influential in some way. Notably, the Borg didn’t even try to enter the door. Not because they couldn't force their way through, but because they saw no purpose in destroying the best shot at ending the Void.

The visitors swarmed into the elevator and down into the lower city itself, quickly outnumbering the previously dominant Mobians. It was a bit of a frenzied madhouse as everyone tried to learn as much as they could.

Picard had to order guards to be stationed around the entrances to Diqiu and the new world so nobody would go through and make a mess of things. “We’re not children! We’re going to do this in an organized, proper fashion! We’ve just completed a draining campaign against a mysterious enemy, give everyone a day to rest!”

Naturally, they had listened to him only partially. Nobody tried to rush the guards, but very few people actually took a rest. Eggman was still working nonstop on opening up the secrets of the city, and he suddenly had a few dozen engineers from various different nations all competing to be added to his team.

“Romulans are known for their cunning and creative thinking,” a Romulan woman said to him. “I am sure to unlock this ancient ruin’s secrets.”

“Do not listen to the female,” an orange humanoid with massive ears hissed—a Ferengi. “She thinks only of her own gain. Meanwhile, we Ferengi seek for mutual profit.”

“They will charge you,” a Vulcan—one of the Federation’s most logical races—said. “I can provide an unbiased opinion unclouded by emotion.”

The Cardassian—a gray-skinned race with a spoon-like depression in their foreheads—spoke with a calm smirk. “I say, we are overwhelming the poor Doctor. We should allow him to make his decision among which of us is the best.”

Doctor Eggman and Ty Le glanced at each other and let out a terse sigh.

The Vulcan cocked her head. “Have we offended you?”

“Oh, how to put this…” Eggman said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You all…”

“You’re all being suck-ups,” Ty Lee huffed. “Trynna get into the big project because you want to take advantage of what you might find.”

“We do need you, though,” Eggman said. “This city is too big for just two people to scramble over. So you’re on board. All of you.” He pointed at the Ferengi. “I’m not paying you, you will do this just because you think the work will be profitable.”

The Ferengi hissed. “...Primitive and backwards, but I will accept.”

“And!” Ty Lee’s smile widened considerably. “You will have to take orders from me! The female!”

The Ferengi shivered; the mere thought revolted him. “We are… used to doing such things in backwards cultures. I will not do so happily.”

“I’ll get you to smile before the day is out!” Ty Lee winked at him.

“Now…” Eggman pulled out a large screen. “I’m going to send you all to different ‘districts’ of Flipside to begin investigation. I’m transferring all the information now. Go there, do your thing, and report back.”

“Yes sir,” the Romulan, Vulcan, and Cardassian said in unison. The rest weren't quite as immediately obedient, but they did scatter after they watched the rest leave.

“So disciplined and proper,” Eggman said. “I could use more servants like that.”

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. “You don’t exactly promote that kind of behavior given your endless OH HO HO HO HO!”

Eggman let out a snort. “Your mockery is meaningless.”

“I doubt it!” She cartwheeled onto her hands and walked around on them for a while. “Still, that was agonizing. All these politics I don’t understand! They basically all hate each other!”

“Could be worse.”

“Hm?”

“You could be Merlon.”

~~~

What? <<

“I asked what type of nexus is used in the dimensional doorways,” a Romulan scientist asked.

I do not believe that is pertinent. <<

“You are the city computer, you should know, and I desire to know. Why do you hide from me?”

I’m hiding nothing, I am simply not a comprehensive computer. I know more about the Light Prognosticus than the city I reside in. <<

“Who would build a city and a computer that didn’t know each other?”

The Wandering Ancients, apparently. <<

“And where did that title come from?”

For goodness sake, I have better things to devote my processing power to than endless questions. Find your own answers! <<

“...The Romulan Star Empire will remember this.”

Merlon understood that was a threat, but at the moment he really didn’t care. It had been one visitor from Hume after another, asking the same questions he couldn’t answer, accusing him of hiding things, yada yada… It had been annoying at first, then insulting, and now it was just boring. The only visitor who had been of any real insight was Picard, and he hadn’t come back since the battle had ended.

“Merlon!”

What now!? <<

Tails jumped in front of one of his screens. “Hey! Hey, I need to contact Captain Picard!”

...May I ask why? <<

“I’ve successfully transported a replica chaos emerald to Hume using the transporter and, uh…” Tails tapped his fingers together. “I think it ended up on the Enterprise.”

Calling… Patching you through now. <<

Picard appeared onscreen, standing on the bridge of the Enterprise. “Yes, Captain Tails?”

“Oh, Picard! I successfully performed a trans-universal teleport.”

“While that is excellent news, why is that urgent?”

“Uh, well, it was a replica chaos emerald and it might have ended up on the Enterprise.”

“Ah.” Picard turned to Worf, gesturing for him to perform a scan.

“Found it,” Worf reported. “It is on deck thirteen in a hall. Not near any vital systems.”

“Good, I’ll just come get it,” Tails said. “Don’t touch it.”

Picard nodded. “Before you go, how did you accomplish this feat?”

“I had Knuckles shunt power from the Master Emerald into the replica emerald, and then I used a complex translation matrix that took days to program that transferred the chaos energy into code that the transporter could recognize. Using the Master Emerald as a focal point, I was able to force the transporter signature out of Mobius and into Hume.”

“And would this work on… say, a ship?”

Tails nodded. “Most definitely, though the Master Emerald would only be able to move one ship every few hours, and it would have to be installed on each ship to do it…” Tails tapped his fingers together nervously. “Captain, while I love the Blue Typhoon, I believe the Enterprise is better equipped for dimensional transit and dealing with whatever might attack us. With your permission, I would like to install the Master Emerald on your ship.”

“You want to turn the Enterprise into a multiversal ship?”

“If you’ll let me.”

Picard sat down and folded his arms together. “Give all your reports to Commander LaForge and have Doctor Eggman review your calculations.”

“Is that a yes?”

“That is a yes if your procedure is approved, Captain. I will want to see a proof of concept before we finally attempt to move the Enterprise.”

Tails beamed. “Thank you, Captain! You won’t regret this! Tails, out!”

Merlon cut the feed. >> A dimensional ship… <<

“Is there something bad about that?” Tails asked.

No, it’s just that there are a few places in the Light Prognosticus that speak of the City of All Space that will push the boundaries of all the worlds. <<

“...That’s good, right?”

I believe so. <<

~~~

While Twilight and her team woke up, had breakfast, and went to the door… Doctor Eggman and Ty Lee were investigating a site uncovered by their Vulcan engineer.

It was a perfectly ordinary circle etched into the ground.

“This isn’t that interesting,” Eggman said, stomping his feet on the metal. “Not worth my time.”

Ty Lee cartwheeled through the air, her shadow casting a spinning pattern on the ground. “Yeah, pretty normal.”

“Are you certain?” the Vulcan asked. “You do not see anything… amiss?”

“It’s just metal, buddy.”

Ty Lee stood on one foot. “Yeah, nothing weird here.”

It was at this point Amy the hedgehog walked by with her hammer, no doubt from one of her many searches for Sonic. Ty Lee had only seen Sonic once since the battle, and that was running away from Amy. The miffed look on Amy’s features was completely understandable.

“Oh, Amy…” Ty Lee said, returning to a normal standing position. “I…”

Amy looked at them with angry eyes that became shocked an instant later. “What the—you guys have shadows!”

Ty Lee looked at the shadow she was casting on the circular metal sheet. Frowning, she stepped off the sheet, and she was no longer casting a shadow. Her eyes widened. “Woah…”

“No other place in Flipside casts shadows from the natural light,” the Vulcan reminded them. “This place is an anomaly.”

Amy walked up to them, discovering that she had a shadow as well, so long as she was close to the circle. “Wow! Weird! I bet Sonic wishes he were here for this discovery!” She held a hand up to her ear. Naturally, nothing happened.

“Hmph!” Amy hefted her hammer. “Stupid thing!”

Eggman’s eyes widened. “Wait, n—”

Eggman did not get his warning off. Amy smashed her hammer into the ground, breaking open the floor. She jumped back from the dark tunnel she had opened.

Ty Lee had not left Flipside since she had arrived. She had not seen darkness in that entire time. The presence of such unnerving, utter blackness was enough to make her drop her smile. “That’s wrong.”

“And fascinating,” Eggman said, leaning forward to peer into the dark hole. “We will need to run some tests.”

Amy had calmed down slightly and was now looking at the hole uneasily. “Did… did I mess something up?”

“I do not know, my dear,” Eggman said, cracking his knuckles. “Why don’t you stick around to find out?”

~~~

The woman stopped writing and took a moment to think on what was ahead. Their journey would lead the heroes somewhere close to her, and yet simultaneously was a place she had never set foot. However, there was more to it than that. Each world stood apart in its own way, the winds of fate swirling and twisting often to a specific goal or truth. Rules were never arbitrary, each had a reason, a purpose.

And the purpose behind the green door was unlike the others. Yet, there it stood, fully realized, contrary—refusing to be silenced just because the visitors might not like what it had to say.

It was an entirely different sort of challenge. One the woman found delightful, despite how others may object. With a coy smile, she set her pen to the page once more...

One Less Hero

The first thing Data did upon arriving in the world was whip out the tricorder and start taking readings, particularly of the lamppost. “Princess,” he began.

“Hmm?” Twilight looked up. “Oh, no need to be so formal, Data. Just ‘Twilight’ is fine.”

Data nodded. “I suppose this is not a Starfleet away team. If my procedures interfere with your command style in any way, do not hesitate to inform me.”

“I’ll… try.” Twilight smiled with the intent of encouraging him. “Anyway, what did you want to tell me?”

“During our time with access to the other worlds, cursory scans have been performed of them. We have identified a ‘moldability’ within the fabric of each universe we suspected is roughly analogous to what you call ‘magic.’ Until now, you were the largest source we had scanned.”

“Is this lamppost more magical?” Twilight lit her horn, performing her own scans. “Doesn’t feel like it…”

“No, it only has mild amounts. I’m referring to the very fabric of spacetime in this universe. Every square meter has far more energy than you.”

Toph smashed her foot into the ground, lifting a pillar of rock upward. “I can earthbend, that’s all I care about.”

“Oh, how delightful!” Cosmo clapped her hands. “I didn’t get to see any of that in the previous world.”

Toph winked at her. “Watch and learn, Cosmo, we’re gonna have a rockin’ time.”

“Excellent pun, Toph,” Data commended.

“Thank you!” A smug smile grew upon Toph’s face.

Twilight facehooved. “Okay, okay, let’s just try to figure out where you need to go. Tippi?”

“Yes, I can sense it… I…” Tippi paused. “This isn’t right. This isn’t Charn… Thi—”

“Hey, sweet!” Sonic rushed through the door, taking in a deep breath of air. “Ah, you can smell the unexplored nature!”

“Sonic!” Cosmo chided. “We kept all the Hume teams out, you can’t jus—”

Sonic laughed and ran into the distance.

Toph folded her arms and grinned. “All things considered, I still like that guy.”

With a sigh, Cosmo walked up to Tippi. “You were saying this wasn’t Charn? Perhaps it has just changed?”

“No,” Tippi said. “This is not the world in my records. I…” She fluttered a short distance away from the group. “Since the creation of Flipside, a new world must have taken Charn’s place.”

“The worlds do not remain the same?” Data asked.

“No…” Tippi fluttered around as if looking for something. “There are only eight, but every now and then one ends, and another forms, taking its place. But it’s so rare... “

“That’s what Count Bleck is trying to hijack!” Twilight realized, speaking with more excitement than was warranted. “The way in which new worlds are created when old ones end. Maybe something happens when he destroys all of them, giving him a blank slate to work with?”

Tippi didn’t respond.

“Tippi?” Twilight cocked her head.

“Hm?” Tippi glanced back at Twilight. “Oh, yes, that seems… reasonable…”

“Tippi, are you okay?” Cosmo asked.

“I’m fine, just… disoriented, the world’s wr—”

An ugly, wart-covered old woman stepped out from nowhere—as though she were standing behind something invisible previously—and trapped Tippi in a jar that glowed with a golden aura.

“Eek!” Tippi shouted.

“I have you now, my pretty…” the hag said, cackling.

Twilight grabbed hold of the jar with her magic and pulled. “Give her back!”

“No!” The witch twisted her mouth into an ugly sneer that showed off all her uneven, cracked teeth. With a shocking amount of strength, she yanked the jar out of Twilight’s grip and vanished.

“Wh…” Twilight cast a spell to remove invisibility but found nothing. She spread her wings, channeling magic between the tips of her feathers and her horn, creating a triangular circuit of magenta energy. A magical circle appeared in front of her face, etched with numerous runic markings of a mysterious language. “Revel atti exter nevesum,” she incanted, tapping into one of the more advanced spells she had at her disposal, activating a burst of amethyst energy that went out from her position for half a mile. It had one job: Detect Tippi.

It found absolutely nothing.

“I… I don’t understand… how did she…” Twilight sat down, blinking.

“Perhaps with more ‘magic’, this world may surpass even your knowledge,” Data suggested. He tapped his communicator. “Data to Enterprise, do you read?”

“Yes, Data,” Picard’s voice came in. “What’s the situation?”

“Tippi has just been kidnapped by an unknown female entity. I recommend downloading her design specifications from Merlon, to see if there is anything to track.”

“Acknowledged.”

Toph stomped the ground a few more times. “I’ve got nothing, but I can’t feel her normally anyway. So...”

“We need her,” Cosmo said.

“She is the only one with the ability to sense the Pure Hearts,” Data noted.

“More than that.” Cosmo shook her head. “She ties everything together. She may not say much… but…”

“We’re getting her back.” Twilight hoofed the ground, narrowing her eyes. “Saving her is our new mission. The Pure Heart is secondary.”

Toph punched her palm with her fist. “All right! Let’s go beat up an old lady!”

“Picard to Data,” the Captain called through the communicator. “Merlon reports nothing obvious to track, but we have the design specifications and are searching through them. I… have had to classify them since they contain information akin to a private medical history.”

“An… interesting interpretation, Captain.”

“It’s not what you think, but I am not at liberty to say.” Picard paused. “When you find her, I would like to have a word with her.”

“We can certainly arrange a meeting,” Data confirmed.

“Good. Find her, Data. Picard out.”

Toph frowned. “It feels a lot less like we’re on a dangerous adventure if we can just call in at any time.”

“It is much safer, though,” Cosmo said.

Twilight nodded. “Right…” She glanced at the lamppost. “So, any ideas on how to find her? If it’s anything other than ‘explore until we find something,' I’m all ears.”

“I… may be able to help.”

A humanoid creature walked out of the forest. His upper half was almost entirely human save for a set of small, nubby horns above his eyebrows. Below his chest, however, was a decidedly inhuman pair of goat’s haunches, complete with stumpy tail, wooly hide, and cloven hooves.

“Oh. So you weren’t just some two-legged goat,” Toph said. “...I probably should have told you guys he was there.”

“I do not believe he means us any harm,” Cosmo said, walking up to him. “Please, how can you help?”

“W-well, I don’t know what I can do about the Hag, but… I know someone who might be able to help.”

“Who?”

“The King.”

“The King of where?” Data asked.

“Why, the King of Narnia of course!”

The Lion's Name

“And this King can find the ‘Hag?’ “ Twilight asked.

“I, well…” The creature scratched the base of his horns. “He’ll definitely want to help you! Besides, it’s not like your fairy friend is the first she’s taken. It’s becoming a bit of a problem… but you seem different from the others. You were saying strange words…”

Data nodded. “Not surprising.”

“I don’t even know what you are!” The creature’s excitement suddenly increased as he began bouncing around Data. “You have pale skin like a statue, but you move.”

“I am an android,” Data offered.

“And you…” He bounded over to Twilight. “A unicorn and a pegasus? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

“I’m what’s called an alicorn,” Twilight offered. “I’m more surprised that you have unicorns and pegasi. I haven’t seen any in my travels so far.”

“Well, I’ve seen unicorns, but a pegasus…” Shaking his head, he trotted to Cosmo. “And you! What kind of forest spirit are you?”

“Seedrian. I…” Cosmo furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think I’m a spirit?”

“Amazing…”

“What about me?” Toph asked, smirking.

“You… appear to be a Daughter of Eve, but I saw you, you have earth spirit blood within you.”

“Daughter of… who?”

“Eve,” Data said. “Mother of all humans in a religious tradition.”

Toph furrowed her brow. “I thought we were created by the spirits on Lion Turtles?”

“And until you arrived, it was thought humans evolved on our Earth through the Precursors,” Data pointed out. “Though it appears we were influenced by images of another universe.”

Toph kicked a rock. “Weird.”

“I… don’t know what you are talking about,” the creature said, rubbing the back of his head. “But I’m Turmeric, a faun.”

“Pleased to meet you, Turmeric,” Cosmo said, curtsying. “Can you take us to the King?”

“Yes! If he were all the way at Cair Paravel I’m afraid I would be of no assistance, but he’s in these Lantern Wastes right now, responding to reports of the Hag. It’s no more than a day’s journey to his camp. I’m sure he’d love to meet you all!”

Twilight looked to everyone in her group for a moment, checking their responses. Finding only agreement, she said, “All right, Turmeric, lead the way.”

Turmeric took off in a trot, prompting the rest of the group to hustle after him. Noticing Cosmo falling behind, Twilight levitated her onto her back so she wouldn’t struggle quite so much. “Thanks, Twilight.”

Twilight shook her head. “Don’t mention it.”

They left the lamp post far behind and entered the wood itself, and what a wood it was. As they ran through it, all but Data felt as though they were children frolicking in a field. Every root sparkled with an unknown magic and whenever the sunlight reached their faces smiles broke out. It was a warm, welcoming place that buzzed with more life than any of them were used to. It was a natural paradise.

Twilight jumped over a large rock and skidded down a dirt path, laughing. Toph jumped past her with a burst of earth, sliding downhill like she was snowboarding. Data, while not laughing, had put on a slight smile; though this was to make his face match the mood and not because he was actually feeling anything. Even in a place as saturated as this, he could not be moved.

However, even he could see that this place was different. More alive.

Twilight kept laughing as she jumped through the wilderness, all smiles and happiness until she came across a single dead tree. It stood much taller than all the others, but its bark was old and knotted and most of its branches had been torn off. In the midst of that beautiful forest, the stark reminder of death served as a warning. This world isn’t spotless. “Tippi…” Twilight said, grimace returning. Here we are, enjoying ourselves while Tippi is gone.

“Hey!” a harsh voice called. “What’re you lot in such a hurry for?”

“We’re going to the King!” Turmeric said, turning his head to the trees. The only living thing in sight was a large white bird sitting on a green tree branch.

“Who said that?” Cosmo asked, looking around.

“The bird,” Toph offered. “Honestly, I’m not surprised at this point.”

“What, never seen a talking bird before?” the bird asked.

“I mean…” Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to figure out how to word it without being insulting. “I’ve seen birds like you before, but they never spoke. The talking birds always looked different.”

The bird blinked. “You got yourself a pack of loons, Turmeric.”

Turmeric folded his arms and huffed. “I say, that’s no way to treat visitors to Narnia. They’re foreigners, you know.”

“Obviously.”

“Now, we do intend to go to the King. He is still at his camp, correct?”

“Last I knew. You might want to pick up the pace a bit, there’s a troop of dwarfs up ahead going the same way. You could join with them, protect yourselves from the Hag.”

“Safety in numbers.” Data nodded. “An adequate proposition.”

“I’m not even going to ask what you are,” the bird said.

“I am an android.”

“I didn’t ask!”

“But you expressed a lack of underst—”

The bird let out a disgruntled sigh and took off into the air, leaving them alone once more.

“Do many animals talk in your world?” Cosmo asked Turmeric.

“Most of them,” Turmeric said.

“Wait, even things like wolves?” Toph blinked. “How do they eat?”

“I did say most, didn’t I? A talking animal eating another talking animal…” He shivered. “Perish the thought!” He waved them forward. “Come, let’s catch up with those dwarfs.”

It did not take long for them to find the troop of creatures, though they heard them long before they saw them. Loud chattering mixed with occasional laughter and disgruntled shouts let them know what to expect when they finally caught up. All in all, the scene was not all that unexpected: a bunch of short, mostly bearded humanoids talking loudly and ignoring most everything that was happening around them, trampling any plant shorter than them underfoot. They were so absorbed in their rowdy communal interaction that they didn’t notice Twilight’s group until they had started walking alongside them.

“Hey, who’s this then?” a red-bearded dwarf asked, narrowing his eyes. “Never seen a horse this colorful.”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said, bowing.

“It talks!” A black-bearded one said. “And it’s got a name to match the color! Hah!”

Another dwarf nudged him. “Lots of things talk, Bimph.”

“Yeah, and it’s always funny!”

“Forgive them, they’re dense blockheads,” a taller red-bearded dwarf in cleaner clothing said. “I’m Nikrin, chief of this troop. You goin’ to see the King about the Hag too?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. “She stole our friend.”

“She stole my nephew,” Nikrin muttered. “And then she runs away, never shows her face again.”

“Cowardice!” a chorus of dwarfs behind him called.

“The King better have something to offer,” Nikrin said, turning back to the march. “But I have my doubts he’s the legendary hero everyone says he is.”

Turmeric gasped. “How can you say that? The King has done many great things for the land!”

“Was it really him, or was it Aslan?”

“Well… both?” Turmeric cocked his head. “How does that…?”

“Bah,” Nikrin waved a hand, “You stay in this forest too much to understand. You’ll never get it.”

“Oh, my…” Turmeric scratched his chin. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to bother you to try.”

Nikrin sighed. “You see that black swirl in the sky?”

Twilight froze. The Void. She hadn’t even noticed it. Looking around, she still couldn’t see it.

“Ah, yes…” Turmeric frowned. “That… thing.”

“You can’t see it from here, missy,” a dwarf told Twilight, noticing her glancing around in a near-panic. “It’s toward the eastern horizon, hidden by all these trees.”

Twilight flew into the air, breaking through the dense evergreen foliage. Her heart sank when she looked to the horizon. There, sitting just above a distant mountain, was the Void, swirling much larger than the sun, ominously looming over the world. She dropped back down. “Yes, the Void is here…”

“The Void?” Nikrin scratched his beard. “Interestin’ name, works well. But the point is, ever since that thing’s showed up, the King’s done nothing about it. He just lets it sit and says nothing about it. Tells Narnia to ‘remain calm’ and all that nonsense.”

“I do not believe he knows anything,” Turmeric said.

“And that’s my point—he doesn’t know squat squash.”

“Here here!” the other dwarfs cheered.

“But, animals are starting to see Aslan again, and you all know he will do something. He always does. I just hope he doesn’t let the King take the glory again.”

“Excuse me,” Data said. “But who is this Alsan figure you keep referring to?”

The dwarfs and Turmeric stared at Data like he had grown a second head.

“...Did I say something wrong?”

“You…” Turmeric glanced at Toph, eyes widening. “I found you at the lamp post… You talk of other worlds...”

Nikrin turned to Turmeric in disbelief. “You aren’t saying…”

“They are from another world, they would have no clue who Aslan is, like the legendary Kings and Queens of old.”

“Aslan really is moving.” Nikrin chuckled. “Aight, children, gather round. Aslan… is a lion. But that doesn’t even begin to do him justice. He is the savior of this land, the protector of Narnia, and the bringer of justice.”

“Don’t forget his kindness!” Turmeric offered.

“Bah, we don’t need kindness right now, we need him to come over here and tear out that Hag’s throat. Then deal with that Void thing by roaring it into nothingness or something.”

“...His gentle mercy is still…”

“He’s not a tame lion, Turmeric.”

Turmeric folded his arms, huffing.

“He sounds like a hero,” Cosmo said, clasping her hands together.

“And a formidable beast,” Data admitted. “Albeit one whose acts have been exaggerated with time.”

“Shouldn’t you hear some of those stories before making that assessment?” Twilight suggested.

“Oh boy, here we go…” Toph crossed her arms.

“There are not enough words in the world to tell all the stories of Aslan,” Nikrin said with a smirk. “But I can tell you the one about how he called four human children from another world to end the reign of the White Witch over Narnia…”

~~~

Night had fallen. As it was a moonless night, the ominous purple glow of the Void could be seen even through the trees. The dwarfs had set up camp around numerous campfires and were telling jolly stories with loud laughter and warm meals that tasted amazing but nobody really knew what they were composed of. “Meat, probably,” a few had said when asked.

Data had taken a moment to break away from the camp to make some calls. “Data to Enterprise.”

“Go ahead,” Picard said.

“We are en-route to the King of Narnia, where hopefully he can assist us in finding the... ‘Hag’ that took Tippi. We should arrive sometime tomorrow on foot.”

“You’re likely going to reach him before we get there. Captain Tails is still wiring the Master Emerald into the Enterprise’s systems.”

“Have you found a way to track Tippi?”

“We have. But we sent a probe through the door scanning for her signature and found nothing. This… ‘Hag’ is probably hiding her somehow.”

“A reasonable assumption. She did appear to possess advanced stealth capabilities.”

There was a pause. “Data, how is your team holding up?”

“Admirably, sir. They lack the discipline of a Starfleet away team, but they make up for that in the bonds they are developing—that we are developing.”

“Glad to hear it. Continue as you see fit. Picard out.”

Without missing a beat, Data walked back to the encampment, finding Twilight sitting on a log a fair distance from the fire. Data sat down next to her, following her gaze to where Cosmo was sitting, staring at Nikrin and the other storytelling dwarfs with rapt attention, a serene smile on her face.

One of the older dwarfs was currently talking to her. “Why, I was there when he liberated the schools! Was the funniest thing ever! He poked his head in one of the schoolhouses and roared! That was all it took to send the headmistress running and the children into a cheer! Hah!”

“He really is your hero, isn’t he?” Cosmo asked.

“He’s more than that, lass,” Nikrin said, smirking. “He’s everyone’s hero. The kings and queens were from another world, remember.”

“I do…” Cosmo sat back. “Do… do you think we’ll get to see him?”

“I’m sure of it!” Nikrin slapped his thigh and laughed. “A mysterious black Void in the sky and some explorers from another world? That all smells of his work.”

“I can’t wait!”

“Then he might lecture you on patience when you do meet him,” Nikrin said.

Turmeric huffed. “He doesn’t lecture. At least… well, not usually…”

“I think I’ll just be happy to meet him regardless,” Cosmo said.

Twilight sighed, keeping her gaze on Cosmo but speaking to Data. “I envy her.”

Data raised his eyebrows. “Envy her how?”

“She’s not worrying about Tippi. She’s able to enjoy herself, confident that everything will just… turn out all right.” Twilight sagged. “I’m worried about Tippi. Who knows what that Hag’s doing to her?”

“Nobody.”

“Yeah…” Twilight looked back up to Cosmo, laughing with the dwarfs. “How does she do it?”

Data tilted his head to the side. “I am not certain it is entirely her. The mood of the dwarfs and Turmeric appears to be having an effect. They know people who have been stolen by the Hag, but they are not letting it prevent them from smiling and enjoying their journey.”

“I wonder what the secret is…”

“The stupid lion,” Toph said from behind them, starting Twilight.

“Toph! How did…”

“I’ve been listening,” Toph interrupted. “It’s all ‘Aslan this’ and ‘lion that’ and blah blah blah.”

Data raised an eyebrow. “Why is that a problem?”

“It’s ridiculous. Nobody’s that perfect.”

“I don’t believe they ever said he was perfect,” Twilight pointed out.

“They’re assuming it. Have you actually been listening to their stories? That lion is oh-so-precious, oh-so-perfect, and never does anything wrong. It’s ridiculous.”

“I’m sure you had similar heroes and legends in your world,” Twilight said.

“Yeah. And then I met the Avatar. He was a bumbling idiot. He didn’t deserve all those legends. ...He didn’t even want them.”

“That sounds like something to ask Aslan about when we meet him,” Data suggested.

Toph snorted. “If we meet him.”

“But they sai—”

“They’re a bunch of half-drunk old men telling stories. They exaggerate. A lot.”

Data paused, processing this. “Certainly true, many of the things they speak of are contradictory and clearly embellished. However, I do not think tha—”

“Imagine that, genius emotionless robot not thinking.” Toph let out a bitter snort. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Toph…” Twilight reached out, but the girl had already earthbended herself up into the bows of a tree where she pretended to fall asleep immediately.

Twilight shook her head with a sigh. “I’m concerned about her.”

“How so?” Data asked.

“Ever since I met her, I think she’s been running away from something. I’ve never pushed it, since we really do need her with us. But… I don’t know.”

“She is still young. A child, by most cultures’ metrics. Some immaturity and personal uncertainty are to be expected.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “None of us are really able to deal with what we’re doing, are we? I don’t think about the impending destruction; instead, I focus on worrying about us, as a group. Cosmo seems at peace but I know she’s deeply sorrowful. Toph’s just running away. And you…” Twilight let out a soft chuckle. “Well, you’ve got it together.”

“On the contrary,” Data said. “I may not fall into emotional traps, but I seek to understand them better. I doubt my ability to operate in this group effectively at regular intervals. It does not affect me as it does you—but it is there.”

Twilight put a wing around Data. “You’re doing just fine.”

“Thank you, Twilight.”

“Don’t mention it.” She yawned. “I think I’m going to get some sleep. You’ll keep watch?”

“And continue to observe the stellar cartography of this world’s sky. There are a few anomalous properties I have yet to explain.”

“...Can I join you?”

“No, you must sleep.”

“Pleeeeeease?” Twilight put on the big, slightly watery puppy dog eyes for him.

They had no effect. “I will tell you what I find come morning.”

“Fine, fine…” Twilight yawned again. “See you in the morning, Data.”

King Caspian

It was midday by the time they reached the King’s encampment. For a King’s entourage, the number of tents sure was small: only four were set up at the edge of the wood, looking out over a rolling plain dotted with colorful flowers. The tents themselves were white with red and gold lion markings spread everywhere. A few human men were talking around in full armor, but they made up the minority of the King’s forces—which also held dwarves, dryads, treefolk, a female faun, and even a graceful white unicorn with eyes much smaller than Twilight’s. Most of these creatures occupied the tents. The majority of the force did not: mice, badgers, beavers, doves, hawks, a parrot, and even a few armored wolves prowled around with no need for artificial shelter. The animals, all of which Twilight was sure could talk, needed no tent, for they were one with nature.

Two wolves and an armored dwarf were waiting for them at the edge of the camp.

“What’s your business?” the dwarf asked.

Nikrin bowed slightly to his fellow dwarf. “I am Nikrin. The Hag has stolen my nephew. I’m here to report his disappearance… and offer my troop’s support in the ending of this vile beast.”

The wolves nodded. “Hope you brought your own tents,” one said, chuckling.

“Are all of you with him?” The other wolf asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle.” As she spoke the wolves and the dwarf looked at her in fascination—they had just barely realized she wasn’t quite normal. “My friends and I are from another world. We wish to speak with your King.”

“Another world, eh?” The armored dwarf walked forward. “You sure seem sparkly, I’ll give you that, but how do we know you really are?”

Twilight encased herself in a magic shield, Toph lifted a boulder out of the ground twice as large as herself, and Cosmo jumped into the air and floated down gracefully. Data turned to them, confused for a moment. “What are yo—ah, yes, demonstrations.” Data tapped his communicator. “Data to Enterprise.”

“Little busy, Data,” Picard said.

“I simply needed a demonstration, nothing major to report.” He turned to the dwarf. “That voice is of a man currently sitting in another universe.”

“A bunch of clever tricks,” the dwarf said. “Never heard of any otherworlders that weren’t the Witch or a bunch of kids.”

“But what a—” one of the wolves began.

“I don’t wanna hear it.”

Twilight took a few steps forward. “Even if we are not from other worlds, we are unusual creatures from another land. Does that not merit an audience with the King?”

The dwarf grunted in dissatisfaction but waved them along. Twilight’s group broke away from Turmeric and Nikrin’s troop, walking right for the largest tent in the encampment. It was a circular construction made out of a white material that was somehow both rugged and silky. Above the main tent flap was an intricate printed design of a gold-and-red lion standing proud.

A depiction of Aslan, Twilight mused. Just like Celestia and Luna on Equestria’s flag.

The wolves and dwarf led them in, the dwarf introducing them. “Your Highness, these visitors claim to be from another world and demanded to see you. Supposed otherworlders, meet King Caspian the Tenth.”

Caspian was a young, tall man with a fair, almost boyish face. He dressed in full chainmail armor rather than some kind of royal robe; the only sign of his office was a small circlet on his head that was almost hidden in his hair. He sat not on a throne, but on the foot of a folding bed, one that looked recently slept in at that.

Still, he smiled when they came in. “Do not doubt them, Trumpkin.” He stood up, twirling his sword in his off hand as he strode forward. “Allow me to welcome you to Narnia, my otherworldly visitors. In the name of Aslan, I bid you good cheer.”

Toph groaned. “Oh for th—”

Twilight put a hoof over Toph’s mouth. “Y-you’ll have to forgive her, she’s been hearing a lot about Aslan lately and is feeling a bit… disrespectful.”

Caspian chuckled. “I once knew a man who felt that way when he first arrived. His name was Eustace Clarence Scrubb. He almost deserved it.” Caspian leaned in toward Toph, gingerly taking Twilight’s hoof off her mouth. “Eustace had to go through… several ordeals before he came around. I hope Aslan will be nicer to you, but you never know with him. He is not a tame lion.”

Toph glared at him. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that over the last day?”

“A lot?” Caspian guessed.

“Twenty-six,” Data offered. “Unless you heard some while I was out of earshot, which is unlikely.”

Toph and Caspian stared at him blankly. Data simply stared back.

Caspian recovered his wits first. “I am afraid I cannot apologize for the frequency of the utterance, for it is a truth. Though, by being spoken so often, it tends to lose meaning.”

“Whatever,” Toph said. “Still, you guys are obsessed.”

“How can we not be? He has done so much for us. Now...” He turned away from them and adjusted his boots. “You’ve been introduced to me, but I do not know who you are. Pray tell, what are the names of these beautiful creatures before me?”

Twilight flushed slightly at the compliment. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle. This is Commander Data, Cosmo, and Toph Beifong. We each come from different worlds.”

“Different?” Caspian raised an eyebrow. “All the legends come from one place… Earth, I believe it’s called?”

“None of us are from Earth,” Cosmo said. “I’m from Mobius, Data’s Hume, Toph’s Diqiu, and Twilight’s Equis. At least, we don’t think so… There is some confusion on the whole ‘Earth’ thing.”

“Then I bid you good cheer and a welcome introduction of your worlds to Narnia!” Caspian bowed slightly. “What can I do for you today?”

“We had a fifth member,” Twilight’s smile faltered. “Her name was Tippi. She looked like a butterfly constructed from rainbows—a bit like a pixie or fairy, if you have those here.”

Caspian slowly sat back down at the foot of his bed. “The Hag.”

“I’m afraid so.”

Caspian sighed. “I’m doing all I can. I have my animals prowling the entire lantern wastes, searching for any sign of her. I’ve come myself in attempts to lure her to try to take me. But she’s too smart for that. She has no interest in humans, so far as I can tell, only taking Narnians more in tune with the fantastic nature of our world.” Caspian looked to them with a quiet despondency. “I should be the one asking you for help in finding all my lost subjects.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m sorry. We already tried to track her with both magic and technology.” Seeing Caspian’s confusion, she continued. “Mechanical things—machines—that people invent to do things for them.”

“Ah, my old friends used to talk of things like that,” Caspian admitted. “I even saw a torch, once.”

Data cocked his head. “I do not believe torches qualify as technology in the common sense, for they are just flames on a stick.”

“It was a stick with a button on it. Made light when you pressed it.”

“Ah. A flashlight.” Data nodded. “Common around Earth in the 1900s. Though… I do not know if they came from our Earth or another. Do you have any names you can give us, Caspian?”

“Eustace, Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy. The latter four were all Penvensies.”

“Thank you. I will search our records at the earliest opportunity.”

“Are there any plans to find the Hag?” Toph asked. “Any?”

Caspian sighed. “I’m trying to contact the good wizards and Aslan himself, but if you are as good at magic as I think you are, the former isn’t going to be of much help.”

“The latter?” Twilight pushed.

“Well, Aslan has been seen, but not by me. Then again, he rarely comes exactly in the way you expect. He always has to mix it up.”

“Do you not know where he resides?” Data asked.

“Aslan’s Country is beyond the edge of the world, past the stars. Simply reaching the edge takes months, and the one time I was there…” A wistful look came over his eyes. “I was not permitted to continue.”

“Beyond the stars?” Data blinked. “We might actually be able to help, then.”

“Hmm?”

“We have ships that can travel the stars and are currently working on transporting one to this world as we speak.”

Caspian’s eyes widened. “I would very much like to see this craft the moment it arrives. Though I warn you—I do not think Aslan will let himself be found so simply.”

“The Enterprise is very resourceful.”

“A fascinating name for a ship… You are welcome to try,” Caspian said. “Do tell me what you find.”

Twilight continued. “The Enterprise can go look for Aslan, we’re staying here, to find Tippi.”

“Of that, I have no doubt. But… I have a question.” Caspian pushed the blade of his sword into the ground and rested his hands on the hilt. “Is there another reason you have come to Narnia?”

Twilight paused, nodding slowly. “Yes. But… it’s not pleasant news.”

“Leave us,” Caspian ordered Trumpkin and the wolves.

“But Your Highness!” Trumpkin objected.

“These people have been guided here for a reason. I trust them as I trust in Aslan. Leave us.”

The three obeyed, leaving Caspian alone in the tent with the heroes.

“You’ve seen the Void outside?” Twilight asked.

“That purple swirl over to the East? Yes. It is deeply concerning and is preventing my astrologists from communing with the stars effectively. It has my wife deeply upset—her father is a star, you understand.”

Data blinked. “Are stars no—”

Caspian held up a hand. “No, they are not flaming balls of gas. Eustace went on about that last time.”

“Ah.”

Twilight continued. “The Void does not come from your world. It comes from outside—the dream of a terrible, terrible man to destroy all worlds.”

Caspian looked deep into Twilight’s eyes. He wanted to disbelieve her, to discredit her, to think her mad. But Twilight knew he couldn’t. He saw too much sincerity and intelligence in her gaze.

Sitting back down on the bed, Caspian folded his hands together and let out a terse breath. “Everything seems so small.”

Cosmo put a hand on his shoulder. “It is small. But it isn’t hopeless. We’re going to stop him.”

Caspian nodded. “What is your plan?”

“Every one of the worlds has an artifact within it called the Pure Heart,” Twilight explained. “We’ve gathered Hearts from four worlds so far, and need Hearts from four more. Caspian, have you ever heard of a stylized heart-shaped crystal that floats and is connected to the fabric of your reality and responds to the power of love?”

“I know of no artifact like that…” Caspian grimaced. “I have seen great love, but never one of these Pure Hearts.”

“Tippi can detect them,” Data said.

“Then we must find your friend with all expediency!” Caspian declared, jumping to his feet. “If these Hearts hold the secret to saving all worlds, I must assist you however I can.”

“Weren’t you already doing that?” Toph asked.

“In my power as a King, yes. But now that I understand the true danger of the situation… I am coming with you. Will you accept my sword?”

Toph snorted. “You don’t get to just become one of the heroes.”

“A ‘ruler to clever beasts but servant of one,’ “ Data quoted. “I do believe he fits the prophecy’s description.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “That’s right! You are the King of many talking animals… but you serve Aslan, don’t you?”

Caspian smiled coyly. “I am hardly an effective servant… but on my good days, I strive to be nothing less.”

“Then you were destined to become one of our heroes.” She extended a hoof to him. “We’ll know for sure if you’re one of us if the Heart accepts you when we find it.”

“Your acceptance humbles me.” Caspian nodded respectfully to Twilight. “I would very much like to read this prophecy of yours, at a later date. Right now, there is a Hag to find. Our searches so far have turned up nothing… but that does not mean she is impossible to find! We will do everything in our power to find your friend, to save her from the clutches of the evil Hag!”

Toph, Cosmo, and Twilight let out cheers. Data did nothing.

“Picard to Commander Data.”

Data answered. “Yes?”

“We’re coming in. Prepare for a rendezvous shortly.”

“Acknowledged.” Data turned to Caspian. “The Enterprise will arrive shortly.”

Caspian grinned. “Now this I’ve got to see. A ship from another world…”

~~~

“Tails? LaForge?” Picard asked, sitting down in his chair and bracing himself. “Is your checklist complete?”

“Ready!” Tails reported from Engineering. “Everything checks out!”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Captain,” LaForge said, standing in front of the pulsing blue lights of the warp core. Several massive cables were chained to the bottom of the core, trailing out into main Engineering where a console had been outfitted with a circular pedestal that held the Master Emerald. Knuckles stood in front of it, rubbing his hands together—eager despite his objections to using the Master Emerald at all.

“Engage,” Picard ordered.

“Oh, Great Master Emerald!” Knuckles declared, linking with the artifact. “You have the mind of a wanderer, a connection to other worlds! Grant us a glimpse into that brilliant mind of yours, so we may bring safety to all realms!”

The Master Emerald responded instantly, pumping a massive amount of energy into the cables surrounding it. The green aura traveled all the way into the pulsating warp core, tinting its interior green.

“Warp field within acceptable parameters,” LaForge reported. “All systems holding.”

“Preparing to run through the transporter buffer,” Tails said, pressing several buttons with both his fingers and his tails. “Ready… initiating dimensional shift!”

The Enterprise floated in its home universe, alone among the stars. The damage it had taken in the battle a couple days prior had all been repaired by Dr. Eggman, including the sealing up of Ten Forward, though the outer wall was now a slightly different color and had Eggman’s symbol all over it. It was annoying, but Picard couldn’t bring himself to complain—it meant the Enterprise was fit for exploration.

Fit for going where no ship had gone before.

The blue warp nacelles began pulsating with green light, a light that soon surrounded the entire ship, feeding off the energy of the warp bubble. The transporter activated, disassembling every molecule of the starship. Almost no computer would be able to handle this much information, but the Master Emerald wasn’t even a computer. It retained the entire pattern within its chaotic energy, forcing it through the yellow door and out the green.

A flash of emerald light lit up the sky of Narnia as the Enterprise was reassembled in the skies above. A rush of air was sent into the forest around the lamp post, strong enough to uproot a few trees but causing only minor damage otherwise.

“Successful transfer,” LaForge reported. “All systems reading normal… we did it, Captain. We’re in another universe.”

“Yeah!” Tails cheered.

On the bridge, Picard smiled. “Begin scans of the world. Helm, take us to Commander Data’s position, thrusters only. Engage.”

The Enterprise pushed through the atmosphere, easily gliding through the air faster than most airplanes ever could. It may have been designed for space travel, but it was capable of dealing with an atmosphere. That said, it couldn’t land.

As it approached Caspian’s camp, Data was already pointing it out to the King. Caspian’s jaw dropped when the nearly city-sized ship came to a stop directly over the camp. “By Aslan’s mane…”

“...It really is more impressive from the outside,” Cosmo realized. “Wow… I think I was too caught up in the chaos to ever really look at it.”

Data tapped his communicator. “Welcome to Narnia, Captain.”

Author's Note

Caspian has joined the party!

Caspian’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to have Caspian perform a dash to cross gaps and sneak past enemies!

In battle, Caspian is an experienced swordsman—and commander! Expect him to work well with allies and to always make sure the enemies get the point!

The Edge of the World

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47932.5

The Enterprise has successfully translated to the new world, which I am informed is called Narnia. From the limited reports I’ve been given, it seems the world operates more on the ideas of “magic” from fairy tales and the like than the science we are accustomed to. However, all systems report fully operational with only minor hiccups in some of the sensors, an effect we were prepared for from Data’s inspections and our reconnaissance probes.

We have only been here a few minutes and it appears we already have a mission: go to the edge of the world and seek the aid of a being known as Aslan. He takes the form of a lion, but I am already fairly certain he is much more than that. Were it not for the assurance of his influence in recent history, I would be tempted to consider him no more than a legendary or religious figure.

Tails and Knuckles have been granted the temporary ranks of Commander and Lieutenant while they remain on board. Surprisingly, Tails does not seem to take this as a demotion.

I am scheduled to meet with the King of Narnia, Caspian the Tenth, prior to leaving on our mission to the edge of the world. I look forward to meeting the man who has recently been adapted into the band of “prophesied heroes.”

~~~

Picard sat in his ready room, reading a few reports on the physical nature of Narnia. Data had transmitted some of the information from his personal observations and there was some information from reconnaissance probes, but most of it was gathered by the Enterprise’s on-board sensors in the half-hour since they arrived. The world, quite simply, was flat and had a well-defined edge—the closest of which was over the eastern ocean, directly in the line of the Void. The stars were not large balls of gas, but rather specks of shimmering light that looked down from a dome-shaped arrangement. The world itself was filled with the “magic” or “viz” that had been identified around Twilight, except in much higher concentrations.

“It’s like it came out of the pages of mythology,” Picard mused, a smile coming to his face. He understood that many of the crew were uneasy about the idea of “magic” existing and all sorts of legends of the past being real, but he found himself having quite the opposite reaction. In his free time, he was a bit of an archeologist and the myths of old had always fascinated him. Even though this world was comparatively young, it held within it the spirit of mankind’s legends. Picard was sure of it.

He was mildly concerned about contaminating the world's culture—after all, they had no technology to speak of and were largely medieval in everything except their “magic”. However, the Prime Directive of the Federation that demanded non-interference had been suspended for the sake of saving all worlds from destruction. A reasonable declaration, to be sure, and one that was made remarkably quickly considering the politics involved. Still, it would no doubt have negative consequences. After this was all over, would Narnia be able to stand on its own with the other universes?

Only time would tell.

The beeper on Picard’s door rang, letting him know someone wished to see him. “Come.”

Caspian the Tenth strode in, the door sliding shut behind him. Picard noted that he was in armor and carried a sword, but the King showed no hostility or even concern—merely wonder at what was around him. “You have an amazing ship, Captain,” Caspian said, grinning. “Think I could get one?”

Picard smiled and shook his head. “While some of our laws about dealing with other cultures have been suspended due to the direness of the situation, I cannot just give you a ship to do with as you please. But for the time being, should you require transport, we will be glad to provide, Your Highness.” He made sure to stand up and bow to the King.

“I’m sure I’ll take you up on that offer at some point. But for now, I will remain with the others, searching for the Hag. You, on the other hand…” Caspian shook his head and chuckled. “Are going to try to do the impossible. Cross over to Aslan’s Country.”

“It will take a few minutes to reach the edge of your world.” Picard walked to the window and looked out. Usually, there were stars on the other side, but right now he could see the terrain and mountains of Narnia under a soft, blue sky. “As for what lies beyond, well, the Enterprise is capable of speeds even I can’t fully comprehend.”

“It may not just be a matter of speed to reach Aslan’s Country, Captain.”

“Then we shall prove our mettle and ingenuity in other ways, as we always have. This crew has stood against beings who could snap their fingers and destroy us, traps set by long-dead warriors, and even threats we never fully understood.” He turned to Caspian with a calm smile. “One way or another, we will forge on.”

“Aslan is known to oppose the proud.”

“I take little pride in myself,” Picard said. “I am an old, hard man too devoted to some questionable ideals. What I take pride in is this crew and their capacity to handle anything. The Federation has never backed down from a new horizon.”

Caspian nodded. “Then I wish you luck.” He reached into his armor and pulled out a scroll of paper. “This is the map we have of the eastern sea, all the way to the edge of the world. I took my Dawn Treader all the way to the edge a few years back. It was a treacherous journey over the sea. Through the air, I do not know.”

Picard examined the map, noting the personal notations of dangers. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

“Now, I shall return to the others and search for the Hag. Enjoy your journey.”

Picard nodded. “The transporters will place you back in your camp.”

“Transporters…” Caspian laughed. “Are you sure your ship isn’t magic?”

“Had you asked yesterday, I would have said no. Now we have a sparkling emerald larger than I am attached to the warp core. I no longer know.”

Caspian smirked. “Maybe Aslan will be able to tell you.” He left Picard alone in the ready room, allowing him to peruse the Narnia scans once more.

~~~

Picard returned to the bridge. He noticed Tails was operating the helm, wearing a red Starfleet uniform. The sight filled Picard with a warm delight—Mobius would make an excellent addition to the Federation after all this was over. Though their entry might be delayed due to their lack of organized government… an issue to be dealt with at another time.

As Picard sat down, Riker turned to him. “King Caspian is back on the surface. We can go whenever you’re ready.”

“Helm?” Picard asked.

“Yes, Captain?” Tails turned, a silly smile on his face.

“Take us out. Maneuvering thrusters only, wait until we’re over the open ocean to engage impulse.”

“Yes sir!” Tails plotted in the course and directed the ship forward. The main screen showed the rolling hills, forests, and villages of Narnia passing under them. A few times, Picard caught the sight of something large moving around on the ground. The third time, he frowned. “Mr. Worf?”

“They appear to be large humanoids, some over thirty meters tall.”

“Giants…” Picard smiled.

“It really is right out of a storybook,” Riker said.

“We should come here on holiday,” Troi suggested.

“Incoming entity on the port bow!” Worf declared, tense. “Very large.”

“Onscreen,” Picard ordered.

A massive lizard with leathery wings, golden scales, and a brilliant emerald eye was flying alongside them, displaying a toothy grin.

“A dragon…” Picard shook his head.

“It shouldn’t be able to fly,” Riker said.

“Honestly, Number One, I don’t care what it should or should not be able to do. It’s a beautiful creature.”

“That is large enough to be a threat,” Worf pointed out.

“Don’t raise shields unless it makes a move,” Picard ordered. “I believe it is just curious—let it have its look.”

As the Enterprise rolled over Narnia the dragon followed them, all the way until the shore. Once they were over open water, the reptile broke off, circling back to wherever its lair was.

Below them, there was now only water. After about a minute of this, Picard turned to Tails. “Helm, plot a course to the edge of the world that doesn’t intersect with any islands, and engage impulse engines.”

“We’ll be on the other side of the ocean in a second,” Riker said.

“Atmospheric drag will slow us down a bit,” Tails pointed out. “But yes, it won’t be long now.” He plotted in the course, tails beginning to twitch in excitement. “Course laid in!”

“Engage,” Picard said, pointing forward.

The impulse engine in the back of the Enterprise let out a burst of soft, reddish energy and the ship blasted forward, easily breaking the sound barrier. It rushed over miles and miles of ocean in the blink of an eye, the world below becoming nothing more than a blur of bluish colors. For a moment, everything was clear, then everything was white, and then they came to a stop.

Picard stood up, striding to the viewscreen that showed them the edge of the world. Water from the ocean poured over the edge, not in massive torrents, but just a trickle no more powerful than a river that was so much more serene and beautiful than any violent cascade could be. In the waters near the edge, white flowers spread out in all directions, reflecting the light of the sun back into the sky.

Beyond the edge was darkness, in the midst of which sat the Void. It was not very large in this world, for if it was the size it was in Hume, it would have devoured all of Narnia. It, however, was not their destination. Behind the Void and past the darkness, there were mountains. They were elevated far above that plane of Narnia itself, and each mountain was so tall Picard could not see the top.

“Analysis,” Picard said.

Riker pressed a few buttons on the arm of his chair. “Those mountains are taller than some planets, Captain. They shouldn’t be structurally possible.”

“Many things about this world aren’t possible.”

“Touche.”

“Counselor?” Picard asked.

Troi frowned. “There is a presence in those mountains. There is a mind… something large.”

“Like Q?”

“The feeling is similar, but in no way mistakable for one of his race.”

Picard nodded. “Tails, take us out, slowly. Keep a fair distance from the Void and take a moment to scan the underside of Narnia.”

The Enterprise dipped over the edge of the world, coming to rest just below the level of the earth. From underneath, Narnia took a largely cone-shaped structure, coming to a point many many miles below them. It would have been impossible to see, but their sensors were designed to pick things up light-years away, so they got a suitable image of Narnia itself.

“Fascinating…” Picard said, watching the falling water at the edge of the world slowly curve back inward, raining down on the underground rock. “There is some kind of law of gravity here.”

“Whatever it is, it is not the same as ours,” Worf reported. “Navigation is having a hard time orienting itself.”

“Well, that’s what manual pilots are for. Tails?”

“Yes?” the fox asked.

“Take us to those mountains. Low impulse. Engage.”

The Enterprise turned around, pointing directly at the distant mountains. It kept its distance from the Void, passing around it in a matter of seconds. Focusing on the mountains, the starship surged forward with the same speed it had over the ocean.

It took all of ten seconds for everyone to realize the mountains weren’t getting any closer.

Picard put a hand to his chin. “Tails, what is our position?”

“We are getting further from Narnia and the Void,” Tails reported, pressing a few buttons. “But the mountains aren’t moving.”

“Worf?”

“The mountains read as normal mountains for this world,” Worf reported.

“Counselor?”

Troi shook her head. “The presence has not changed.”

“Hmm…” Picard frowned. “Try full impulse.”

Tails increased to full impulse, and there was no change.

“Picard to Engineering, are we safe to go to warp?”

LaForge’s voice came back. “You can try it, Captain. Not sure if it’ll work, but I’m not seeing any reason why not.”

“Warp one,” Picard ordered. “Engage.”

The Enterpise’s nacelles pulsed, launching the ship into warp speeds. Were it not for the sight of Narnia and the stars surrounding it rapidly shrinking to a pinprick behind them, there would have been no visual indication they were moving at all.

“No change,” Tails reported. “Should I increase speed?”

Picard nodded. “Gradually. Hold the moment anything changes.”

“Warp two…” Tails waited a few seconds. “Three…”

“Well this certainly seems familiar,” Riker said.

“Four…”

Picard shook his head. “I think it’s a little different this time, Number One.”

“Five…”

“Something that thinks itself ‘higher’ is messing with us,” Riker said.

“Six…”

Picard folded his hands together. “Or the laws of the universe are different. Or there’s something fundamental we don’t understand. We should keep our minds open.”

“Seven…”

Riker nodded in agreement but said nothing further.

“Eight…” Tails pressed a few buttons. “Nine…”

At this point they could hear the warp core humming, sending its noise throughout the ship. At warp nine, it wasn’t overtaxed, but it was going over a thousand times faster than the speed of light.

“I’ve hit maximum cruising warp,” Tails reported. “Should we try to push it?”

“Yes, but not yet,” Picard said. “This is Picard to Lieutenant Knuckles, come in.”

“Huh? What?” came the gruff response.

“We are engaging with a power we do not understand, possibly “arcane” in nature, if the scans of this world are anything to go by. Your Master Emerald is the only source of such power we have on board. I want to push the warp engines and the Master Emerald in unison in an attempt to break through this peculiarity.”

“So you wanna go fast?”

“...I am not certain speed is the answer.”

“The Master Emerald will do its best regardless of what the answer is. Just say when.”

“Commander LaForge, give us all the power you can and coordinate with Lieutenant Knuckles. We need it all at once.”

“Aye, sir,” Laforge said.

Picard tucked his shirt in, pressing a button on his chair’s arm. “All hands! We are going to push the ship to its limits. The inertial dampeners may not be as effective as normal, so prepare for turbulence.”

Picard gave them a few minutes to arrange themselves before returning to address LaForge. “Ready?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Engage.”

The Enterprise increased its speed markedly, but at this distance from Narnia it was impossible to tell it was moving any faster visually—though the rumbling in the ship itself told them it was certainly being taxed. The Master Emerald began to shunt its energy through the ship, creating a green cone-shaped aura in front of the Enterprise, the tip of which rippled and tore at space itself, trying to push forward. There was a sharp lurch.

“Report!” Picard demanded as the rumbling increased.

Tails pressed several buttons. “The Master Emerald i—” There was another lurch. “—Is jumping us forward in bursts! It’s like the translation we used to get to Narnia, but faster!”

Picard glanced at the screen. The mountains were no closer. “No effect?”

“None.”

Picard frowned. “Picard to Knuckles, does the Master Emerald have any other tricks?”

“I’ll ask it. O, Master Emerald! What is within your powe—?”

A massive ring of multi-layered greenish energy formed in front of the Enterprise, with seven bright focal points. A pulse of energy went out from the ring, spreading out through the universe.

Whatever it was supposed to do, it didn’t work. The mountains were just as far as they had always been.

Picard nodded slowly. “Well, it appears Caspian wasn’t kidding. Helm, reduce to warp eight and turn us around. Return to Narnia.”

Riker frowned. “Are we giving up, sir?”

“I was told Aslan opposes the proud. Perhaps admitting our inability to surpass this obstacle is exactly what we need to do.” Picard stood up, adjusting his uniform. “I’ll be in my ready room. Alert me when we approach Narnia. You have the bridge, Number One.”

~~~

Picard returned when they were less than a minute from the edge of Narnia. He sat back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. “What do you make of this all, Number One?”

“I feel toyed with,” Riker said.

“Being ‘toyed with’ is what Q does. No, I don’t feel toyed with… nor do I feel part of an experiment. This is something else.”

“Agree to disagree, sir.”

Picard smiled. “Of course.”

The Enterprise dropped out of warp to the side of the Void, coming in over the Narnian ocean once more. They drifted lazily on thrusters through the atmosphere, going back to the shore.

“New heading?” Tails asked.

Picard shook his head. “No, this is fine, for now.”

“What do we do next?” Riker asked.

“I have the sneaking suspicion we’re about to find out.”

Riker raised an eyebrow but said nothing, leaning back into his chair.

A few seconds later, Troi gasped. “Captain, run! Go to warp!”

“Helm!” the Captain ordered.

Tails didn’t even get to move his finger. All of a sudden, the view of Narnia was gone, replaced with utter darkness. Troi let out a scream and passed out onto the bridge floor.

“Picard to sickbay!” Picard shouted. “Prepare to receive the Counselor!” He pressed her communicator for her, triggering the computer’s automatic systems. She was transported down to sickbay with a burst of blue sparkles.

Picard stood back up, looking at the darkness on the main screen. “What happened?”

“I do not know,” Worf said. “It was immediate.”

“Sensors?”

“There is water beneath us. We cannot see more than a kilometer in any direction. All communications beyond the ship are down.”

Picard grimaced. “I don’t even have to order us to warp to know that we’re trapped… but try it anyway. Warp factor one.”

They went to warp, skimming through the noxious darkness.

The Best Laid Traps...

Sonic stood on top of a mountain, looking over the land of Narnia. He threw his head back and took in a deep breath, grinning. “Now, this is more like it!” He performed a few leg stretches and took off in a run to the north, leaving nothing but a blue streak behind him.

Nobody but other Narnians had seen him since he arrived.

~~~

“Hags were servants of the White Witch of old,” Caspian explained to the other heroes as they huddled in his tent over a map of the forest, examining the places where the Hag had struck. “They are wrinkly, despicable creatures who are steeped in the dark magics. I have met many creatures of many races, and most of them have at least some redeeming qualities. I’ve met gentle giants, wise dragons, and even giant spiders with a passion for weaving blankets for children. I have never known a Hag to be anything other than vile, despicable, and malevolent.”

“Is there any sort of pattern to their capabilities?” Data asked.

Caspian shook his head. “Each Hag has a different set of spells. This particular one seems to specialize in stealth and obfuscation, as well as imprisonment spells. The particulars are hard to obtain since those who get the closest get captured.”

“Is there any preference for the kinds of creatures she takes?”

Caspian nodded. “Never the same creature twice—but always creatures deeply connected with the magic of the world. The only human taken was a wizard. The dwarf was a young runesmith.”

“In my world, that would mean she wanted their power,” Twilight suggested.

“Unfortunately, we cannot assume that.” Caspian traced his finger over the map. “If she wanted raw power, with her skills she could likely feed off dryads or centaurs for as much as she could possibly want. Dryads are quite common in this area, and yet she only took one.”

“Perhaps she wishes to collect different species?” Data suggested. “I myself was once captured by a man who simply wanted me in his collection of unique artifacts.”

“Despicable.” Caspian shook his head. “I am glad you escaped, Commander.”

“Unfortunately, recollections of that event will not be helpful, since we are not the ones captured—we are looking for the prison.”

“And it doesn’t quite line up,” Cosmo said. “If she just wanted one of everything, why focus on creatures with magic? And why not take all of us, instead of just Tippi?”

“Too many questions, not enough answers,” Toph muttered. “We should go out there and do some hunting ourselves!”

“That is exactly what I plan to do.” Caspian rolled up the map and tucked it away. “Today we will set out, as the chosen of the prophecy, to seek the lost. We will not go far, for we will need to return before night falls, but it should be enough to give us something to work with.”

“Then let’s go already!” Toph jumped out of the tent.

~~~

The only thing of interest they found that day was a feast happening in the middle of the woods. Several talking animals had joined together and were using a massive toadstool as a table where they laid fruit, vegetables, herbs, and a few pieces of well-cooked meat. Badgers, wolves, squirrels, a moose, and a pair of cats were laughing and cheering at their celebration.

“Hey!” Toph shouted, drawing their attention. “What are you so happy about!? There’s a Hag on the loose!”

“Yes, yes,” one of the cats said. “And we were sad and panicked before—she hasn’t taken a cat yet, after all! But Aslan has just appeared!”

“Quite,” the moose said in a low, droning voice. “He reminded us that we do not need to worry. He will not turn his back on us.”

Toph stared at them, slack-jawed. “Seriously? Your friends have been taken, you might be taken, and you’re just… enjoying yourselves?”

“Well, we could grieve, I suppose,” a badger said. “But it’s not like they’re dead, just captured.”

“It must be dreadful where they are,” a cat admitted. “But they will not be there forever, and it’ll make a great story to tell once all this is over!”

Toph held out her hands in exasperation. “How do you know it’ll all be over!?”

“How do we?” Cosmo asked Toph.

“Because… because we’re the heroes, that’s why. Prophecy and… whatever.”

“And is Aslan not their hero of certain other prophecies?”

“They still shouldn’t be… ugh, this is hopeless.” Toph threw her hands into the air and turned her back on the animals.

“Quite the companion you have, Your Highness,” the moose addressed Caspian.

“Eustace was worse,” Caspian chuckled. “Much worse. She’ll come around, with time.” He approached his animal subjects, gesturing at the meal. “May I?”

“By all means.”

He swiped three apples, juggled them in the air for a moment, and bit down on the third one in a swift motion. “You know, I wish I had the luxury of relaxation like you do. To just sit and be… content, sure everything will turn out right.”

“It is the burden of the King,” the moose reminded him. “You must trust in Aslan, but you must also lead as best you can.”

Caspian took another bite of the apple. “Quite.”

“Oh, oh, My King!” A little lizard skittered across the table to him. “We’ve found a mysterious green door by the lamp post! What should we do with it?”

“Ah yes…” Caspian turned to his new friends. “It is a door to another world.”

“You’re all welcome to go through it, if you wish,” Twilight said. “We always welcome visitors.”

An eagle flapped his wings. “That sounds delightful! Why, I think I’ll fly over there right now.” He took to the skies, heading directly for the lamp post.

“Hmph,” the badger muttered. “Bailing out on lunch. You should always finish your meal, I say.”

“Then let us dine together,” Caspian declared. “Come, sit. There is not much else we can do today.”

Twilight and Cosmo joined the animals at the dinner table, while Data remained standing.

“My friend, do you not eat?” Caspian asked Data.

“I do not need to, I am an android.”

“You are missing out on one of the pleasures of life, my friend.”

“I am aware. One day, perhaps, I will be able to join you and appreciate a delicious meal. For now, that is impossible.”

Caspian smiled. “You are such a fascinating man.”

“He really is,” Twilight added. “Hey, Data! How about you explain to everyone what warp speeds are?”

Data nodded. “It will take some time to explain the concept to a pre-industrial society.”

“Oi!” A cat bristled. “Try us, chalk-face!”

“Rude,” the moose chided half-heartedly.

Data nodded to himself. “Very well. In my universe, light has a speed…”

Far away from the table, Toph sat in a tree, sensing their party in full. She scowled. “This entire world is stupid.”

~~~

That night, they returned to Caspian’s camp to get some sleep.

“Data to Enterprise,” Data said, ready to give his report. “...Enterprise, come in.”

There was no response on the channel.

Data tapped his communicator. “Data to Flipside.”

“Mmm?” Iroh answered. “Data, is that you?”

“Yes, Iroh. I have lost contact with the Enterprise. It occurs to me that they may be out of range—can you try contacting them from your end?”

“All right. Merlon, do… whatever it is he asked for.”

There was a moment of silence that Data waited patiently through, examining the not-quite-stars in the night sky.

“Merlon says he can’t reach them either.”

“Then alert Starfleet that we have lost contact with the Enterprise.” Data looked to the stars. “And request from all available parties extra personnel for an advanced search party. We have made no progress in finding Tippi, I believe it is time to resort to more drastic measures.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Iroh said. After a pause, he spoke again. “Data, how are you doing?”

Data cocked his head. “Thank you for asking, Iroh, but I do not feel stress or unease.”

“But you do feel uncertainty. You do not know if your friends are okay or not.”

“Yes, it does occupy a fair amount of my processing time. But it does not make me feel ‘bad,’ as you would describe it. I ‘feel’ the same as always.”

“You have more life than you give yourself credit for, Data. Next time you return, we should have tea.”

“If time allows, I shall endeavor to keep that appointment. Although I will not be able to consume the beverage.”

“Endeavor to keep… consume the beverage...” Iroh chuckled from the other side of the line. “Good night, Data.”

“Good night, Iroh.”

~~~

“Still nothing from the Enterprise?” Twilight asked Data.

“Nothing.”

“Well… I hope they’re all right.” Putting on a determined expression, Twilight walked out from her group of chosen heroes and stood tall, addressing the large collection of people in front of the green door. There were several dozen talking animals, Starfleet officers, Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, a handful of Mobians, and several other helpers. “Listen up, Everyone! Tippi—the Pixl near and dear to my heart and precious to this mission to end the Void—has been captured by a Hag! I won’t go into details since you’ve all presumably been briefed already, but I want you to understand. She means a lot to me and the rest of my friends. We aren’t just looking for her because we need her—we’re also looking for her because she’s our friend.”

There were a few nods from most people in the crowd, though the Romulans and Cardassians didn’t seem sold on this logic. Twilight forged on anyway. “It is very likely the Hag will try to capture any one of you, assuming she doesn’t have something like you already. For this reason, you should always carry a Starfleet pin for communication. We’ll know immediately if you are being attacked, and the transporter tower—” she gestured at a large metal pole with a hexagonal base set up a few meters from the lamp post, “—will automatically transport a security team to your location, ready to take on the Hag. We will be going through this entire forest systematically, and you should never be alone. Everyone should also be equipped with a tricorder set to analyze vis—magic—levels, so you will not be blind if the Hag comes near you. Do not hassle the denizens of the forest if you can help it, but be thorough. If any of the natives cause you any trouble, come find Caspian or another Narnia native to talk for you. Okay?”

A chorus of “yes, ma’am!” erupted from them. Twilight smiled. “Then get out there—let’s find her!”

Everyone spread out and began searching every nook and cranny. Twilight beamed. “You know, I think this might work. There’s no way she can hide from the combined efforts of all of us. We’re going to cover every square inch of this forest and there’s nothing she can do about it.”

~~~

Two days later, seven members of the search party had been captured, two of the security officers had been launched into comas, and a squirrel had lost all of his hair because one of Twilight’s spells misfired. The Hag had even somehow stolen one of the hovercars the Starfleet officers had started using.

“Okay…” Twilight breathed, sitting down at the table in Caspian’s tent. “This isn’t working. We need a plan B.”

Twilight turned to Caspian. “Do we have any highly magical creatures the Hag hasn’t taken yet?”

“I’ve been warning all pixies to steer clear of the entire forest,” Caspian offered.

“Good. Put out a call for a volunteer.”

Toph perked up. “Are we using someone as bait?”

“Yes.” Twilight pressed her wings together. “Yes we are.”

For the first time in a while, Toph’s face grew into a wide grin. “Awesome!”

~~~

As Sonic was running through a forest, he realized that there was an arrow on the ground that glowed a soft blue. The moment he approached it, it disappeared, but another arrow appeared just on the edge of his vision.

“Heh, looks like someone wants to play a game!”

Sonic increased his speed, attempting to go faster than the arrows could appear, but they never let him. If he moved faster, the arrow he approached vanished faster and the new one was up in the blink of an eye. Sonic zipped through line of trees after line of trees, grin widening the entire time. “Looks like someone’s got the spunk I need!”

It didn’t even occur to him that this might be a trap, like almost anyone else would have the moment he followed the first mysterious blue arrow that had no right to be in the middle of a forest.

“I’m gonna get to the end of this, just you watch me…”

At the end of it, a single pixie fluttered through the forest air. She was a small thing, able to sit on most flowers without breaking them. From a distance, one could mistake her for a cherry blossom, but there were no cherry blossoms in this forest so she stood out like a sore thumb. This was the whole plan; there was no way the Hag was going to be able to resist. To add to the illusion, they’d even had Locus—that was the fairy’s name—get yelled at by a few search party members for not having a partner and that she should get out of the forest. Locus was an excellent actor, pretending to be defiant and fly deeper into the forest despite their warnings.

Twilight and company were following her, inside a soundproof magic bubble that kept them invisible. It would have been an immense drain on Twilight’s energy reserves had Eggman not provided them with an entire bucket full of the replica chaos emeralds. For a spell with this low of an energy output, their chaotic nature did not destabilize it, so she could keep it up indefinitely.

“I don’t know…” Cosmo said, frowning. “This isn’t going to work.”

“We’ve got to try,” Twilight said. “Plus, the moment anything touches Locus, all those traps I laid on her are going to lash out. The Hag will be stuck in time, ice, vines, tentacles, chains, and will have her energy sapped out of her so she can barely walk.”

“Maybe she can sense the magic?” Cosmo suggested.

“That’ll just make her want Locus more.”

“We hope.”

“...Yes. We hope.”

“I still think we’re going about this all wrong…” Cosmo shook her head.

“Then what’s your big idea, Grassy?” Toph asked.

“I don’t know. Not this.”

“If only Aslan were here...” Caspian said.

Toph folded her arms. “Yeah, well, the Enterprise hasn’t reported back and we haven’t gotten any new stories about him showing up, so that’s bunk.”

“You seem hostile, Toph,” Data said. “May I ask why?”

“It’s been four days and I have no idea where Tippi is! I want to punch this Hag in the face and watch her nose break…”

“Toph…” Twilight said, shaking her head. “This isn’t helping anyone.”

“Shh!” Caspian hissed. “I hear something.”

“We’re in a soundproof bubble, she can’t hear us!” Toph shouted, louder than she really had to.

“But I can’t hear her. Quiet.”

Toph folded her arms, but she did quiet down. That is, until she actually determined what the sound was. “Wait… that’s Sonic.”

“Sonic?” Caspian asked.

“A fast friend of mine,” Cosmo said.

“He’s running in random zig-zags…” Toph shook her head. “He’s probably just bored. Ran around the entire world, nothing left to see.”

“Already?” Cosmo put a hand to her chin. “He is fast, but I didn’t think he was that fast…”

“Yeah, a—” Toph stopped short. “Oh no, he’s gon—”

It was too late. By the time Toph noticed Sonic had changed direction directly to them, he was basically on top of them. He skimmed Locus with his hair, activating all of her defensive spells. Sonic was frozen in time, encased in chains lined with tentacles, surrounded by a golden barrier, and sunk into the ground, a block of ice forming around him.

“...Ponyfeathers,” Twilight cursed, dropping the invisibility bubble and running to Sonic. “Let’s get him out…” She had to cast several spells to undo all the nonsense she had trapped him in, prompting several magic sparks and beams to fly off in random directions. Eventually, she managed to pull Sonic out of the super-prison, though she broke out into a heavy sweat through the exertion.

“Wh… what hit me?” Sonic asked, shakily getting to his legs.

“You triggered a trap made for the Hag,” Cosmo said. “She’s been stealing magical creatures and… well, Locus was the bait.”

“I was just following the arrows,” Sonic muttered, shakily standing to his legs.

“Arrows?” Twilight paled. “Oh no…”

“Hah!” The Hag shouted, trapping Locus in a golden, glowing bottle. “Fools! The lot of you!” She cackled, jumping away. Twilight fired a laser, Toph threw a rock, and Caspian lunged forward with his sword. Every last one of them was too slow.

Sonic, however, was not. Even weakened and drained, he had enough for a burst of speed. He grabbed hold of the golden jar… and was dragged with Locus through the Hag’s magic portal. With a loud thud, he fell to the ground of some kind of cave. “Ugh…”

The Hag lassoed him with a magic rope, tying his arms and legs together. “I usually don’t get two at once, but I won’t complain… Especially since you also had this with you…” In her free hand, she lifted up a bucket of the replica chaos emeralds. “Absolutely amazing artifacts…”

Sonic struggled, but the more he did so the tighter the ropes got. He was far too weak to try a spin attack or anything of the sort—he was trapped just like the rest of her victims.

“I wonder what kind of trap they’ll try next,” the Hag cackled. “The fools always try another one. It really is quite a lot of fun turning it against them every time!”

Human Spirit

The Enterprise sat in darkness. Above, endless black. Below, endless ocean. They had tried diving and flying away, but they got nowhere. Unlike the edge of the world, where they gained physical distance from Narnia, moving away from the ocean’s surface only went so far. The surface of the water was never more than a quarter kilometer above or below them. Moving parallel to the waves gave no indication of actual movement: the water was featureless and did not contain any lifeforms or vary in salinity content. Probes vanished never to be found again when pushed beyond the range of their sensors. And, perhaps worst of all, when they put out a cable filled with probes, the electrical signals within the wire could not reach the Enterprise. When they reeled the line back in, the probes reported nothing unusual aside from the fact that they couldn’t communicate with each other or the Enterprise.

They had eventually scrounged up enough material to make a multi-kilometer-long cable and flew in a circle. When they should have flown back over the spot they started, the cable was no longer there. But they could reel it back just fine, and according to the location data the probes should have been there. It was clear space was non-euclidean in the darkness, but that didn’t help them.

And it was at that point the screams started.

“Report,” Picard said, forcefully grabbing the arm resting on his chair in the ready room.

“The fog has absolutely no effect on internal systems,” LaForge said, nervously picking at his visor. “Everything is running at perfect efficiency. Even at full power consumption, it’s possible we can keep running indefinitely with the Master Emerald, since it never seems to deplete.”

“The crew?” Picard asked.

Doctor Crusher stopped nervously tugging at her hair. “I’m… sure you’ve noticed at this point, but everyone is… afraid.”

“And more so than usual,” Riker said, wiping sweat from his brow.

“It’s not natural,” Crusher agreed. “All of us are afraid, deeply afraid, of… of nothing. It’s not the fact that we’re trapped, at least not… all of it.” She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself—it did not appear as though she succeeded, but she forged on anyway. “It is as if this darkness is fear. It’s permeating all of us. Even those who are sleeping… they’re afraid. Some have started hearing noises, and voices of people they were sure were dead.”

“But the sensors have picked up nothing actually manifesting?” Picard asked.

Riker nodded, absent-mindedly tugging at his collar. “There is… nothing shown on scans. The only oddity is our minds and that darkness out there.”

“And Counselor Troi?”

“Still in a coma,” Crusher said. “If I had to guess… it’s that she can’t handle feeling the fear from everything around her. So her mind just shut down.”

“Can she recover?”

“I believe so. We just have to… get out of here before I can do anything for her.”

LaForge sighed. “Which we can’t do.”

“We are not stuck yet,” Picard said, leaning forward. “We just need to think of alternatives.”

Riker nodded. “That map of Caspian’s does have an island of dark nightmares recorded on it.”

“I am aware, but it also says it was destroyed.”

“By Aslan.”

“Yes… but that does not rule out the possibility there was more than one type of darkness.” Picard scratched his arm. “This could be some malevolent entity who wishes to see us crumble. It is also possible this is some kind of test, to either prove our mettle or force us to admit our faults.”

“If that’s the case, what do we do?” Worf asked.

Picard sat back. “We live our lives as best we can, each performing our duties. As we always do in these sorts of situations.”

“That’ll take too long.”

“I doubt impatience will speed up the process.”

Worf took in a sharp, aggressive breath, but said nothing.

“In that case, everyone, return to your posts. Look for alternative solutions, but perform your duties as normal.” He took a moment to adjust his uniform. “Including recreation time. Dismissed.”

~~~

Tails was working on improving the warp core power relay when he first heard it. The snap of a major wire short-circuiting. The panic that went through his system was so much he forgot he was sticking his head in a narrow access port and bumped his head on the ceiling, giving him a major headache.

“C-computer!” Tails sputtered, holding his head. “L-locate the source of that sound.”

“No unusual sound identified,” the computer said. “Please specify.”

“The short circuit!”

“No short circuits have been detected in the last minute.”

“I…” Tails pupils dilated. “Right, right… nothing.”

Snap.

“Did you hear anything that time?” Tails asked.

“Negative.”

“Of course…” Tails rubbed his head. “Just the darkness… Just the darkness…” Snap. “Just the darkness…”

Female screams. The smell of burning leaves. Snap.

“Just the darkness.” He pulled out a glowing blue tool, rerouting the final exposed wire. You know exactly what you did. Closing the panel, he took a deep breath and walked toward the Master Emerald. LaForge was eating a wrap for lunch while Knuckles sat on top of the powerful relic.

“I’m hearing things,” Tails said, sitting on the ground. “I got it rerouted, but I—” Snap. Your design had a fatal flaw, now everyone’s dead. He shuddered. “—I’m not sure I can do any more right now.”

“That’s fine,” LaForge said. “We’re good down here. And, to be honest, I’ve been hearing things too. Might even have seen a few unusual things.” He tapped his visor. “Spooky scary skeletons.”

“I’m hearing things go wrong. Things I designed. Things I needed to design better.” Tails realized his hands were shaking. “Heh…”

“Hey,” LaForge said, leaning down and laying a hand on Tails’ shoulder. “It’ll be fine. It’s not real. Your work isn’t going to explode.”

Snap.

The panel Tails’ had just been working on exploded, sending fire and smoke into the room.

“Aaaaaaaa!” Tails shouted. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!”

“Tails, what are yo—”

Tails ran to the panel and pulled out one of his tools, but it was the wrong one. He pulled out the next, and the next, and the next…

“Tails, there is nothing wrong with that panel!”

Tails froze. The fire was still raging right in front of him, and he felt it… but Geordi clearly didn’t. Even though the flames had already moved through the floor and were burning him alive, he didn’t care. It’s not real.

That did nothing to stop Tails from seeing the fire, but it did keep him from trying to find a tool that didn’t exist. “I…” As he walked over to the Master Emerald, the fires vanished into the background. “I don’t know…”

“None of us do,” LaForge said. “Next time something tries to freak me out, I’m just going to turn off my visor. Won’t see anything, only hear.” He tapped his ears. “And I…” His mouth flattened. “W-well that’s certainly a sound.”

“What? What is it?”

“R-really don’t wanna… talk.” LaForge put his hands over his ears and slowly dropped to the floor. “Y-yeah…”

“Geez, I wonder when I’m going to get a panic attack,” Knuckles said, arms folded. “But I’ve never gotten anyth—no! NO! NOOOOO!”

“What?” Tails asked.

“Can’t you see?! The Master Emerald is shattered!”

“Knuckles, you’re sitting on it.”

“I… I…” Knuckles grasped the Master Emerald, hugging it tight. “Do not leave me, Master Emerald. I will not leave you. Grant me your strength t—”

The colors in the Master Emerald started to sputter and flash before returning to its normal healthy green.

“...You saw that, right?” Knuckles asked.

Tails nodded slowly. “Is…”

“Yeah.” Knuckles gulped. “It’s experiencing the fear too.”

Snap.

“I… wonder what the Master Emerald is afraid of,” LaForge said, following it up with a bitter laugh.

Tails, save me! Tails, you’re letting me burn!

“We do not want to know,” Knuckles answered LaForge, staring ahead blankly.

Tails! Cosmo was screaming. She was in the fire, reaching out to him. Tails, this is real! I need you, I need you now! You can’t… you can’t take that chance!

Tails put his hands to his ears. “No no no no no no no…”

Tails! TAILS! A monstrous dragon made of Cosmo heads, bristling with thorns and the blood of the fallen. TAILS YOU WILL OBEY. YOU WILL OBEY… THE METAREX. I was never yours.

“NO!” Tails shouted, picking up the closest thing he could find and threw it. It bounced off the Master Emerald, hit LaForge in the head, and landed harmlessly on the floor. “I… s-sorry…”

LaForge took off his visor, revealing his blank, white eyes. “I think I don’t need to…” He rubbed his head. “I… warp core breach…” He reached over to a console, ready to press a button.

“No!” Tails leaped for him, but suddenly he was falling in a torrent of fire, the smell of burning leaves reaching him. He landed on the console painfully, right on top of LaForge’s hand.

“I… what was I about to do?” LaForge took a few steps back. “I… I was about to eject the c—”

“I will not let you do this, monster!” Knuckles shouted. He punched forward, hitting the edge of the warp core.

It dented.

“Emergency Warp Core shut down!” LaForge shouted, running to his console—taking a moment to brush it as though there were spiders on it. “Authority Chief Engineer Geordi LaForge! And… and lockout control to this console for the next ten minutes.”

Tails pulled his legs to his chest and started rocking back and forth, tears falling down his face.

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47932.7

After the recent debacle in engineering, all key systems have been forced into lockout. No one—not even myself—will be able to access them until the computer detects that the fog has cleared. While I was unsure of this move at first, I am now immensely thankful for it, because I have been informed that we have caused significant damage to our warp drive, impulse engines, and various other systems. Luckily, all are nonessential for continued survival, but it is still harrowing. All weapons have been deactivated. If an enemy were to attack us, the computer would raise shields and automatically retaliate. It is ineffective… but somehow I doubt we are going to be in combat here.

Crew morale is at an all-time low. Both officers and civilians are screaming, crying, or staring at nothing. There are a few of us who can still move around and go about our days, but… it becomes more difficult with each passing hour.

I find myself wishing Data were here. In situations like these, we could always rely on him to take command. We no longer have that luxury.

~~~

Picard did not know why he started, but every morning he woke up still in the dark cloud, he went for a walk around the ship. The nightmares would always follow him—the monsters, the reminders of his failures, the feeling of being enclosed, and the cries of those close to him—and sometimes he would break down. But always, always, he would get back up and complete his tour.

First, Engineering. He would always say a few kind words to the Master Emerald. Sometimes it flashed back in response, sometimes it did nothing. LaForge was only there rarely, and even then not to do any work—only to look at the dented warp core with disdain. Picard wished he could order the engineer to fix his precious engine, but it was not to be. Not while the risk of destroying the entire ship was at hand.

Picard would visit sickbay next. Half of the time Doctor Crusher would be asleep—from exhaustion or self-drugs, he didn’t know, and he didn’t ask. It was one of the few places that retained partial operation, dispensing sleeping medication and assistance to those who had hurt themselves. Picard had seen a few broken bones, but nothing too serious. Yet.

He would leave the sickbay quickly, feeling a little smaller. Then he would go to the holodecks. Still active, still running programs. Several people were trying to use their holographic entertainment to overload their fear, but it was never a permanent solution. A few young and idealistic Lieutenants had commandeered holodeck two and were using it to run simulations on Narnian “magic”. They never got far before one of them screamed or burst into tears. Picard himself had joined them a few times, until he’d seen that he was dissecting his own nephew on a table made of judging eyes.

After this, he would wander the halls. Visit Cetacean Ops for a moment, talk to the dolphins, and leave realizing the aquatic crewmembers were no better off than the rest of them. He stopped by a few crew quarters, remind them that he was still around, haunted though he looked. And lastly, he would head to the bridge.

But today, he took a detour. He wasn’t sure why, but he rarely knew why he did anything these days, beyond stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his fears.

Walking into Ten Forward, he was struck by how empty it was. No people chatting, no people ordering drinks, nothing. The walls were a different color since Eggman rebuilt it, but otherwise… it was exactly the same as before.

Blood everywhere, plastered over every single surface. The laugh of a woman Picard didn’t recognize.

Picard frowned. “Wait… that’s not…”

“Not your nightmare?”

Picard whirled around to face Guinan. She sat behind the counter, folding her hands neatly and smiling at Picard. There was no trace of fear on her face.

“Guinan…” Picard shook his head. “How…?”

Sparks of electricity flew out of fingers larger than planets, skewering millions.

“I’m not immune,” Guinan said. “It is just… that I can section my fears away. Where others see them instead.”

Bubbling magma reached out and grabbed Picard’s ankle before transforming into unfamiliar faces that rolled into the ground.

“I… see,” Picard said. “Why not…?”

“Keep my dreams to myself? Jean-Luc, you don’t want to know what someone like myself can do when she’s afraid.”

“Fair enough.” Picard sat down at the counter, folding his hands together.

“You want to stay?”

A billion screams from the world beyond the mirror with a laughing Q ringing through—

“For a time.” Picard sighed. “They are just nightmares.”

“They are. But no man can handle visions that strong, even if he knows they are fake.”

“Not even me…” Picard nodded slowly, expression souring. “If this was a test, you think that would do it. Not one person on this ship has the delusion that they can withstand this, anymore.”

“There it is.”

The galaxy cracked in half, releasing dragons, all with Guinan’s face, onto the universe.

“There what is?”

“The problem.” Guinan turned her back to Picard. “Your pride.”

Picard let out a bitter laugh. “I think now is hardly the time for jokes.”

“I’ll forgive you for being narrow-minded since you’re not yourself.”

“And I’ll forgive you for being aggressive.” Picard drummed his fingers on the countertop. “What pride, Guinan?”

Her eyes were the flaming suns of creation.

“You are right, your pride in yourself is at an all-time low. And you weren’t that proud to begin with, not of yourself. But there is something you take immense pride in.” She leaned in, lower lip trembling slightly. “Humanity.”

“Humanity…?”

“Yes! Humanity!” A green scourge peeled a man of men in half. “Let me tell you something, Jean-Luc Picard. Humanity, in our universe, is a very proud race. Face of the Federation, bringers of progress. With time, they will unite the galaxy in peace and solve all social ills. And so far, that’s proven to be right, more or less.”

“That’s because it is right!” Picard shouted, slamming his fist on the table. “We push forward, challenge ourselves, and rise above our petty beginnings! We may not bring the entire universe to what we desire, but we are always going to move forward and onward! We stand for peace, exploration, and progress! That is what the Federation is!”

A Federation symbol exploded, spreading disease into the hearts of all.

“In our universe, that was allowed to happen.”

“...Allowed?”

“Yes. Allowed. We—I’m just as guilty of you as being proud of the Federation—were permitted to grow in this way for the sake of the universe.” She laughed bitterly. “The proud human spirit burst at the seams with its distinct power, transforming the world around it.” Leaning in until her face was almost touching Picard, she started trembling. “Here, it is different. Here, human mettle will not be the savior. It… it can’t be.”

“Then what are we to do!?”

A single tear rolled down Guinan’s cheek. “Turn our backs on our pride.”

“No!” Picard stood up suddenly, knocking his chair over. He looked down at the chair in shock. No nightmares came to torment him; the chair remained as the only thing for him to focus on.

“See how your spirit rises up in anger at the suggestion?” Guinan said, smiling sadly.

Picard did. He didn’t say so, but he did. Slowly, shakily, he stood up and walked out of Ten Forward.

~~~

Riker sat across from Picard in the Captain’s ready room. Picard had still managed to keep his uniform clean and avoid looking like too much of a mess. Riker had not succeeded in this regard, with a disheveled uniform that was missing a few pips and a beard that was half cut on the left side.

“The answer is to give up our faith in humanity,” Picard said, trying his absolute hardest not to pick at the spiders that were slowly devouring his skin with mechanical scalpels.

“I refuse to believe that,” Riker spat.

“It is… apparently what Guinan thinks.”

“Then she’s wrong. No one, not even her, is right all the time.”

“I don’t know, Number One.” The snake bit into his leg. He was used to that by now. He was not used to the ringing in the back of his ears that reminded him of death. “I… If this Aslan opposed the proud, if he truly, truly did, would he not seek to eliminate and test all forms of pride?”

“If we didn’t have our pride, where would we be!?” Riker demanded. “Would the Federation even exist?”

“No…” Picard realized. “That was the allowance…”

“Sir?”

“The allowance. The… Guinan said that we… we…” He shook his head, trying not to focus on the image of his long-lost mother standing behind Riker. “We were allowed to keep our pride. Because it was the way of our universe or… she worded it differently.”

“Think of the good it caused.”

“And what of the arrogance? The lives? And the…” Picard shook his head. “No, no, it doesn’t matter what it did in our universe. What matters is that it isn’t the same here.”

“The truth does not change just because we went to a new world!”

“All that changes is what’s permitted…” Picard looked out the window at the darkness. “Nothing more, nothing less…”

“What do you suggest, then?” Riker stood up. “That we bow down to this Lion, that we turn our backs on the entire history of the Federation!?”

“Number One…”

“No, we didn’t bow to Q when he subjected us to the Continuum’s tests, I will not bow down now! This ship will crash and burn before—”

“Listen to yourself, Will,” Picard said, softly, with a trembling voice.

“Damn this lion, or whoever’s behind this,” Riker seethed, running out of the ready room, leaving Picard alone.

Picard sighed, unable to keep the tears from coming. “What are we to do?”

He was on the Borg Cube. All his friends and family were in front of him, many parts of their bodies replaced with implants. Their skin was gray, their faces emotionless. The Queen stood behind them, stroking the backs of their heads as if they were her pets.

“It’s all… so tiring…” Picard wheezed.

“Then give in,” the Queen said. “Become one with the Collective. Turn your back on the Federation. Betray humanity.”

Picard didn’t dignify the illusion with a response. He pressed his hands together and furrowed his brow.

The Cube fell apart, leaving only an endless expanse of white. Pure loneliness. Not even the Enterprise was there to keep him company. All was nothing.

“Nothing… nothing…” He weakly gripped the edges of his desk. “Why do you do this to us? Why? Surely our hubris did not merit this… torment! This… trial! What is the benefit!?”

He began to grow old, body turning to sand. Shifting into the white emptiness below.

“We aren’t learning anything…” Picard said, shaking his head. “We’re just growing deeper in spite and fear. We…” He stopped short, staring at the wall in front of him, right through the nightmare. “We… can’t learn. It isn’t in our power… If we lose our pride in our humanity, what do we have left?”

He stood up, walking to the window. For once, he could look out into the darkness and not see some kind of horrific image.

“We can’t…” He was laughing and crying at the same time. “Do you hear me? We can’t! We can’t…” He placed a hand to the window, trembling. “I can’t. Even now… I still think we’re going to escape, going to get ourselves out. It’s how it’s always been… Even suspecting that is exactly what is keeping us here, I can’t get rid of it.” He pressed his head to the window, shaking. “We are incapable of destroying our own pride.”

“The first step is often the hardest.”

Then there was light. Opening his eyes, Picard saw the sun in a blue sky over a calm ocean. The darkness was gone—but, somehow, Picard didn’t care about that right now. Slowly, he turned around. There, sitting in his chair, was a lion with fur like gold and a glorious mane. The lion’s face was predatory and animalistic, but still somehow stared right into Picard’s soul. A million questions rose and died within Picard’s mind, so he said nothing. His instincts as a Starfleet officer fought to rise to the surface, demanding he introduce himself as a Federation Captain, but they could not beat out Picard’s wonder.

In the end, all Picard could do was stare at the lion like a dumb idiot.

“Do not worry, my child.”

“You already know it all.” It wasn’t a question. Picard took a step forward. “You know about the trial at the forest, our darkness, our mission to find you… We never needed to find you.” The initial wonder of seeing Aslan was quickly being replaced with indignation. “What was the point?”

“You needed to seek me.”

“For… this?” Picard held out his hands, gesturing at his ship, sure the lion knew full well the horrors that had been happening within. “All this horror, pain, fear? This fear that…” He paused. “We could have destroyed ourselves! If it wasn’t for the computer lockouts, if someone had broken through…”

“That would not have been allowed.”

“Then you claim this was for our benefit. You let it continue as long as it did because you thought it would be good for us.” Picard leaned in, glaring at the lion. “Surely there were better ways.”

“Who are you to say what was the best way to teach you?” Aslan tilted his head to the side to emphasize the question.

“Ah…” Picard nodded slowly, frowning. “We can’t do it ourselves… A simple admission of our own inability to see our own pride… How simple and how impossible. Of course, I’m beginning to suspect that’s what you are as well.” The Captain felt his words coming back to him, a life returning to his body that had been absent for several days. “You truly mean us no harm.”

There was no need for Aslan to answer.

“I wish to make it clear that I, and the Federation as a whole, do not approve of your methods.”

“I do not seek the approval of man.”

“No… you do not. But you care about us, or you wouldn’t have done things the way you did. You don’t seek our approval, but you do listen to what we feel. And running us through a gauntlet of fear just to get us to see a little flaw… We were tormented! This was agony!”

Aslan lifted his head slightly. “The evil in creation is not me, Jean-Luc. It acts of its own accord. It devours, destroys, and kills. But it can never have complete victory, for even the darkest trials will be turned to good in the fullness of time.”

“How can you say you know what that time is?” Picard felt as though his strength was fully back to him, and while he was mildly nervous, he wasn’t going to back down. “Why was helping us now different from helping us an hour ago, or an hour from now?”

Aslan spoke no words, simply fixing him with a calm, serene expression.

“No being has that kind of authority,” Picard said.

“What you think of me is your choice. I would have it no other way.”

Picard frowned. He really couldn’t make a judgment of the creature before him, could he? He saw so little. And what he did see was kind and understanding. But that could easily have been a lie. All of it could have been a lie, and Picard would have no way of knowing.

“What are we supposed to do here?” Picard asked. “What am I to do? Should I thank you for helping us? Thank you for coming in at the ‘perfect’ time? Or should I shout in rage at you daring to meddle in our affairs? Or for waiting to render assistance?”

“The oldest of my servants know to be thankful even for the darkness, for they know the reward of coming out of the tunnel. They also know to lament, for the worlds should not be this way.”

“So the answer is all of the above?”

Aslan let out a beautiful, melodic, and yet powerful laugh. He rested a paw on Picard’s shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. There was understanding in those eyes—but no answer for Picard’s question. And like that, the lion was gone.

Slowly, Picard walked out of his ready room to a bridge with a crew that was staring slack-jawed at the blue ocean on the viewscreen.

“I don’t know what we did, sir,” Riker said. “But it’s gone.”

“I know exactly what we did, Number One.” He sat down in his captain’s chair, looking directly ahead. “There was an admission of inadequacy.” Picard leaned as far back into the chair’s padding as he could, letting out a deep, tense sigh.

Riker looked at him. “You didn’t…”

“Yes, Number One, I did. And I had a rather... ‘enlightening’ chat with Aslan immediately afterward.”

“Computer!” Riker called. “Was there anything in the ready room just now?”

“Affirmative. A lion-like being was detected.”

Picard smirked. “Thought I was going senile?”

“Captain, apologies, I did no—”

“No harm done, Number One,” Picard said. “As it turns out, our mission was unnecessary and doomed to failure. He already knows of the plight and is helping in his own way. His… methods are distinctly different from our own, and against much of the Federation’s charter. However, I am… fairly certain that he means us no harm. ”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t harm us.”

“No… no it does not…” Picard frowned, pondering things for a moment. Even now, though, everyone was looking to him for what to do. He cleared his throat. “I’ll tell you more at the briefing later. For now… status report!”

Riker nodded. “The impulse engines and warp drive are busted, some systems aren’t coming back online correctly, the crew is slowly waking up and already feels like the entire thing was some weird dream, and we’re floating over top of an island with some really strange readings.”

“A strange island?” Picard folded his hands. “Since our propulsion needs to be repaired, I think we should have a look. A good old-fashioned away mission.”

“...Sir?”

“We’re not in any hurry to get anywhere, Commander. Send a message to Flipside, prepare for a briefing in half an hour, and be ready to go down as soon as everyone’s checked for lingering effects.”

“...Yes, sir.”

A Wild Hunt

“Nothing…” Twilight ground her teeth. “We can’t do anything. Sonic’s gone, our trap didn’t work, and the Hag took our emeralds!” She stamped the ground. “There’s a Void devouring the world and we’re supposed to stop it but we can’t even save our friend!”

“Twilight…” Cosmo said.

“I just…” Twilight drooped. “We can’t do anything. So what now?”

“We keep pressing on,” Caspian said, pressing his hand to the hilt of his sword.

“Press on where?” Twilight waved a hoof in the air. “Do we even have any more ideas!? That trap not only didn’t work, clearly the Hag was aware of it! If she planned for this, she can plan for anything we do. We can’t track her, we can’t predict her, we’re not even sure why she’s doing this! The combined efforts of four worlds has led to nothing.” She sat down on the ground hard enough to make her wince. “We’re brought low by some Hag. Not even a servant of Bleck, just some random…”

“I don’t have answers for you,” Caspian said. “It may be hopeless. But even if it is—a belief I do not share—we should press on anyway. Because it is the right thing to do.”

Toph flexed an arm. “Hate to say it, but Prince Charming’s got a point. We don’t stop. Not for anyone, not for anything, not for any reason. We’re gonna punch that witch in the face.”

“I question how,” Data said. “To press on, we require a course of action.”

“Data’s got it,” Twilight said, having to force herself to slow her breathing. “How can we press on when we don’t even know what to do?”

Cosmo shrugged. “We just… keep doing what we’re doing? Maybe something will reveal itself.”

Twilight glared at her. “Oh, so we just sit and wait?”

“That’s not what I s—”

“You might as well have.” Twilight sagged. “We’ve failed. Some heroes of prophecy we are.”

Toph gave Twilight a knock on the head. “Ow! Hey!”

Toph folded her arms. “You’re not thinking straight. Figured you might need a head readjustment.”

“My head is just fine!” Twilight said, indignantly.

“Good! Then maybe you’ll realize that what you’re doing isn’t helping.” Toph put her hands on her hips. “Actually, it’s making it worse.”

Twilight looked down at the ground, ashamed. “...I don’t know what to do.”

“You and me both, Twiggy.” Toph kicked the ground behind her, creating a pedestal of rock to sit on. “This entire world has been stupid, and none of the rest of you can see it. But you know what? I’m still pressing on. And I’m gonna press on until we find her. No matter how… ridiculous everything is.”

“It… really hasn’t been easy for you here, has it?” Twilight asked.

“Hey, we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you.” Toph smirked. “I’m not falling for that trick.”

Twilight smirked back at her. “Good ear.” Slowly, she stood up and ruffled her feathers. “So… I still have no idea what to do. I’m still very worried about Tippi. And I feel like I’m not worthy to be called a hero.”

“Yeah. So?”

“So…” Twilight twirled a hoof in the air. “So, I don’t know, nothing?” She let out a snort. “That sounds ridiculous.”

Toph stood on top of her rocky seat. “See? Now you understand!”

“I… maybe?” Twilight tapped her hoof on the ground. “I don’t feel like I need to scream at anything anymore. Still…”

“We need a course of action,” Data said. “Perhaps we need to re-examine our readings, or go over our reports once more.”

“I don’t think it’ll do much,” Twilight said. “But… I guess it’s something rather than nothing. And… Cosmo? What are you doing?”

Cosmo had wandered away from the group, holding a hand to her eyes, looking into a seemingly normal patch of the forest. “I thought I saw something.”

“What kind of something?” Twilight asked.

“Not sure…” Cosmo took a few steps into the treeline, continuing with a hand to her eyes.

“Hey. Cosmo.” Toph clapped her hands. “You’re wandering off.”

“I can’t shake the feeling that it was important,” Cosmo said, looking around her—she’d lost whatever it was she had seen. “Like… I can’t describe it.”

“There is strange magic in this forest,” Caspian offered. “Mayhaps you saw a will-o’-wisp. A bit unusual in the day, but not unheard of.”

“Wasn’t that,” Cosmo said, frowning.

“It’s not important right now,” Twilight said. “We should get back to camp, look at the records.”

“I thought you said that probably wouldn’t help?” Cosmo asked.

Twilight blinked. “Well… yes, but it’s something.”

“And this might be something,” Cosmo said. “It can’t hurt to look for it.”

With a shrug, Toph stomped the ground. “There’s nothing unusual anywhere near here, Cosmo. Just trees, us, a river, and talking animals having a picnic. Which, a few days ago, I would have called unusual, but they’re apparently all over the place.”

Cosmo turned her head sharply to the left. “I just saw it again.”

“There was nothing,” Toph grunted.

“Her eyes dilated and her response was reflexive,” Data noted, pulling out his tricorder. “She saw something.”

“See? Data knows.” Cosmo said.

“I am currently scanning your brain waves for evidence of hallucinatory influence.”

Cosmo rolled her eyes. With her hands on her hips, she started marching off in the direction she’d seen the thing.

“Wh—Cosmo! What are you doing?” Toph waved a hand. “Hellooo?”

“It can’t hurt to go see what it is,” Cosmo said, crawling over a fallen tree.

Twilight flew over to Cosmo’s side, falling in step with her. “What does this thing… look like?”

“It was golden, maybe silky? But also fast. It was like… It knew I saw it and didn’t want to be looked at directly.”

“I cannot find evidence of anything in her mind,” Data said, closing the tricorder. “I suspect she actually did see something.”

Toph grunted. “We’re chasing after a sunbeam, mark my words. Wild goose chase, here we go…”

“There it is again!” Cosmo picked up her pace, entering a brisk trot through the forest. “This way!”

“I saw nothing…” Data said, glancing around. “Curious. I have a perfect record of all light hitting my eyes during that time.” He paused, going over the data. “And yet she physically reacted as if something were really there.”

“Just tricks of the light,” Toph grunted.

“There was no beam directed toward her face.” Data cocked his head. “Are there entities that can show themselves to certain individuals in this world, Caspian?”

Caspian nodded. “Yes. No doubt the Hag could, but Aslan himself has done it as well.”

“Aslan!” Cosmo clasped her hands together. “That’s who it is! Golden, silky, powerful—”

“Uuuuugh,” Toph facepalmed. “Ridiculous. I can’t believe this.”

“It could be a trap,” Twilight said. “The Hag leading us… somewhere.”

“Then why would she only appear to me?” Cosmo asked, still moving through the forest in the direction she’d last seen the golden thing. “It’d be a lot more effective if more of us saw it.”

“Maybe we’d be able to see through the trap?” Toph suggested. “Or are blind?”

“She still has a good point,” Twilight admitted.

Cosmo twisted to the left. “There! Definitely a lion!”

“Fascinating…” Data craned his head to examine her. “You are definitely seeing something.”

Caspian smirked. “I believe he wishes us to follow.”

Toph glanced from Data to Caspian. “Twilight, tell them they’re being ridiculous.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” Twilight said. “But… even if it is a trap, if it’s a trap set by the Hag, it might give us an opportunity.”

“This doesn’t seem like something she’d do.” Toph folded her arms. “We’ve seen her pattern of capturing people.”

“Ah, but this is something Aslan might do,” Caspian said. “Shortly after we have exhausted our own plans, giving all our effort into the hunt but still willing to give more—then he offers his aid.”

“Hey!” Toph shouted into the forest. “If you want to help, just talk to us! No need to be all cryptic?”

Twilight scratched her chin. “Actually, if I’ve learned anything from Celestia, sometimes you really do need to be cryptic and let people figure things out on their own for the best results.”

Toph facepalmed. “Not you too…”

“Leadership is a complex equation,” Data admitted.

“There!” Cosmo shouted—this time taking off into a run. Caspian must have seen it as well because he took off after her. “He’s right this way, trust me!” Cosmo called back.

Data took his tricorder out and pursued them… leaving Twilight and Toph back.

“Idiots,” Toph grumbled. “They’re going to get captured.”

“Exactly why we need to follow them,” Twilight said, glancing back at Toph.

“Ugh…” Toph kicked the ground. “I’m not being part of this.”

“Look, we don’t have time to argue.” Twilight levitated Toph onto her back.

“Wh—hey! Let me go!”

Twilight kept Toph firmly planted on her back with her telekinesis as she flapped into the air. “I’m not leaving you or them to get captured! We stay together!”

“I want to make it very clear that I wanted nothing to do with this!”

“Noted!” Twilight flew over the treetops, spying bits and pieces of Data and Caspian through the canopy. She couldn't make out Cosmo, but she was the same color and texture as most of the plants, so that wasn’t surprising. Twilight made sure to stay above those she could see, keeping careful watch on them.

“Hey, Data!” Twilight called down. “How’s it look down there?”

“I am following Caspian and Cosmo!” Data yelled up. “Both have reported seeing Aslan!”

“Have you?”

“No—but that may be because of my positronic net! I am still watching carefully!”

“Keep it up!” Twilight kept her position above them. She realized that she felt hopeful. She found it hard to believe that this wasn’t related to their quest in some way. Be it a trap of the Hag they could turn against her, some helpful denizen of the world, or perhaps exactly what Cosmo claimed it was; either way, it was something other than nothing. And Cosmo seemed so convinced… and Caspian agreed, and he was in a position to know.

Maybe there really was some truth to it. At least, Twilight hoped so.

“C-can we stop flying now?” Toph asked—having gone from defiant to clutching onto Twilight’s body for dear life. “I can’t… there’s just you.”

Twilight winced inwardly. I should have teleported us. It would have been easier on her than a flight. “Soon as I find a place to land…”

It just so happened that Caspian and Cosmo stopped running at that point—having emerged from the treeline to a decently sized canyon running through the middle of the forest. It was an impressively sized gash upon the earth, but it looked completely unremarkable otherwise.

Twilight landed next to them shortly after Data arrived, letting Toph off to plunge her fists into solid ground. “Thank goodness… ground.”

“Sorry,” Twilight said, lowering her head. “I didn’t think about you up there… it must have been terrifying.”

“It was just fine,” Toph said, shaky. “I’ve been on spaceships and sky bison! So what if they’re bigger and more stable than you? It’s… fine.”

“Again, sorry.” Twilight turned to Cosmo. “Cosmo…?”

“He’s across the canyon,” Cosmo said, pointing. “He’s beckoning to us.”

Twilight squinted, seeing nothing at all.

“I don’t see him beckoning,” Caspian said. “Why would he?” He looked down the cliff. “That’s a mighty large drop.”

“Why are we here then?” Cosmo asked him. “He wouldn’t have led us here without a reason, right?”

“That reason could be anything. We dare not assume we know what he wants.”

“There’s nothing there,” Toph said, standing up—still a little shaky. “This is just some canyon. That’s it.”

“Toph, I believe it is reasonable to assume there is more than that at this point,” Data said. “Two people are certain of what they see, and they are reliable sources.”

“And they can’t even agree if he’s beckoning them or not! This entire thing is fishy, dumb, outrageous, two sandwiches short of a picnic, an—”

“Toph, why are you angry?” Twilight asked, cocking her head.

“Because this is all stupid!”

“I don’t think it’s stupid,” Twilight said. “Neither does Data. I’m a little concerned about what’s happening, that’s for sure. We need to proceed carefully.”

Cosmo jumped off the edge of the canyon as Twilight said those words.

“Cosmo!” Twilight, Toph, and Caspian gasped in unison. Twilight ran to the edge of the cliff face, ready to levitate Cosmo back up… only to find that Cosmo was perfectly fine, standing on something invisible.

“Why were you concerned?” Data asked. “She has the ability to drift with the leaves of her dress.”

“Oh…” Twilight blinked. “I forgot about that.”

Toph shook her head. “She’s… she’s down there?”

“It looks like it,” Twilight said. “Something invisible…? My scans aren’t picking anything up.”

“I can’t feel anything at all,” Toph said.

“There’s something here!” Cosmo called up. “I’m standing, aren’t I?” She took a few steps back, still on the invisible ground. “Jump on down, you can trust me!”

Caspian had already jumped, entering a roll until he made it to her. “Strange place… I have never encountered anything like this.”

Twilight glanced to Data. “You’re not detecting anything, are you?”

Data shook his head. “They appear to be supported by nothing.”

“The instant we’re all down there, it’s going to give out,” Toph said. “Or this is all some kind of trick. Or…”

Data jumped, landing on the bridge without an issue.

“Are you all insane!?” Toph blurted.

Tentatively, Twilight stuck a hoof out over the edge of the canyon.

“Don’t do it,” Toph breathed.

“I… I thin—”

“Don’t do it,” Toph demanded. “Fly over, or something.”

“I… don’t think that’s how the rules work here, Toph.” Twilight frowned. “I think we’re supposed to trust.”

“Trust some lion we can’t even see!?”

“No,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “That would be insane. We’re just being asked to trust our friends.”

Toph held out her hands in exasperation. “Who are following some lion illusion thing!”

“We know our friends aren’t insane, Toph.” Twilight took in a deep breath. “This is our test. A test… just like one of Celestia’s old tests…” At this point she was talking more to herself than Toph, drawing on her memories of her mentor. Many, many time Celestia had taken the indirect approach in order to help her subjects grow, and that had included Twilight more often than not. So many missions of friendship, growth, and understanding. “We just…” Twilight jumped off the edge of the canyon, eyes closed. She fell down, down, down… but she didn’t scream. Calm, Twilight. Calm. Breathe in, breathe out. She opened her eyes. In reality, she wasn’t falling at all, but resting calmly on the invisible ground.

“We just jump,” Twilight said with a smile. “Toph?”

“No,” Toph said. “There’s nothing there.”

“Toph…” Twilight frowned.

“We need to find Tippi,” Cosmo said. “He’s taking us to her. We need t—”

“I’m not leaving Toph here,” Twilight interrupted. “Toph… just come down.”

Toph stood at the edge of the cliff, wind blowing through her hair.

Twilight gestured to Toph with a welcoming hoof. “I know that you’re angry, even if… I don’t really understand why.”

“I don’t want it to be true,” Toph said.

“Huh?”

“If there really is some lion who did all those things in the stories, was oh-so-perfect, and could defeat anything he wanted just by yelling at it… why is there any need for heroes like us!?” She threw her arm to the side. “We have those stories in my world too, about the Avatar! But he’s just a guy, a guy who had to learn, had to grow, and had no idea what he was doing! He’s just like us! This lion… this Aslan… is nothing like us. If he’s exactly what the stories say he is, why is there a massive void threatening to eat all worlds? Why is there a Hag kidnapping people? Why is there any of this?” She lowered an arm, shaking, to her side. “If he really is what they say he is, he could do our job for us—but he isn’t! We’ve been called to save the worlds, which means he hasn’t let out a big old roar and made everything better.”

Twilight blinked. “I… hadn’t thought about it like that.”

“And… I hadn’t either.” Toph sagged, letting her arms drop to her side. “I didn’t even know why I was angry. I just… was.” She shook her head. “I hope it’s the Hag doing this and it all turns out to be some trap. It’d be better than knowing there’s a lion out there who could solve everything, but lets us suffer anyway.”

Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. “I believe I’ve mentioned Celestia before. She is a wondrous leader who has the ability to control the very sun itself. Many of the problems my world faced could have been solved by her with ease. But she… didn’t. And I’m glad she didn’t because my friends and I would never have struggled and grown as people without it. Maybe… maybe this is similar. I’m not sure. I do know I should trust my friends—Celestia already taught me that.”

“There is another thought to consider,” Data said. “The Federation has a code: the Prime Directive. We have promised to never interfere in the affairs of societies far below our own, barring extreme circumstances. That means we do not interfere with their wars, their diseases, or their tragedies, even though we could solve most if not all of their problems easily.”

“I… don’t think that explains him,” Cosmo said.

“No. But it is an example. Not doing the obvious good deed may have a deeper reason behind it—be it noninterference or an attempt to let others learn.” Data looked up to Toph. “Does that help?”

Toph sighed. “No. Not really.”

“Ah. Perhaps I shall try another illus—”

“Don’t bother.” With an exaggerated shrug, Toph jumped off the cliff—and started screaming a moment later. She continued screaming when she hit the invisible platform, holding her head in panic. “I knew it, I’m falling, I’m falling! I’m falling!”

Twilight grabbed Toph’s shoulders with her hooves. “You. Are. Not. Falling!”

“I… I…” Toph pressed her hands downward, touching the invisible ground. “There’s… nothing there. I…”

“But we can stand on it anyway,” Twilight said, helping Toph to her feet. “Can you…?”

“I…” Toph swallowed. “I’ve never been… completely blind before.” Shakily, she took a step forward. “I can always… feel the vibrations. And…”

“...You don’t have to walk alone.” Twilight levitated Toph onto her back. “You made the jump. You trusted us. Whatever kind of test this was… that had to be enough.”

Trembling, Toph grabbed Twilight’s neck as hard as she could. “You… should get moving. Before I barf on you.”

Twilight let out a snort.

“I’m serious.”

“Oh, uh…” Twilight turned to Cosmo, expecting to ask her where to go. Instead, she saw him. Standing a short distance away from them on the invisible platform was the lion. A powerful, golden beast with a tremendous mane that flowed as he moved, as though it were partially liquid. The calm eyes met Twilight’s own—nodding in understanding.

Twilight bowed slightly to him.

With a twitch of his head, he gestured for them to follow. All of them moved toward him.

“...You all see him now, don’t you?” Toph asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight said, careful to walk slowly so as not to upset Toph’s stomach further.

“Well, I can’t,” Toph grumbled. “Maybe… we’ll finally get some answers.”

“I do have a lot of questions,” Twilight admitted.

Aslan stopped but didn’t turn around. “Child, there will come a time when all your questions will be answered. That time has not yet come.”

“O-oh.” Twilight couldn’t help but sag a little in disappointment.

“The Hag’s lair is in a hidden cave at the end of this invisible path—it is of her construction. A perfect retreat. You must go now, alone, to face what is inside. You understand why I leave it to you rather than ending her myself.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay, Aslan. We will.”

“See that you do.” Slowly, but surely, the lion turned to look at each of the heroes with his face, eyes telling of a being that was so much more than just a Lion. He stopped on Toph, trembling as she held onto Twilight. He looked… sad.

And then he was gone.

Twilight took in a deep breath, setting her hooves on the invisible ground. “Let’s get Tippi back.”

Author's Note

Hello everyone! Just dropping by to remind you that drafts are available on the Discord Server, the Patreon has updated to include access to early content and more, and I've released some Original Fiction on my new site!

For deets, see this blog post.

-GM, master of deets.

Dufflepudilemma

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47932.8

We are free from the darkness. To my delight, it appears as though I am not the only one gifted with peace about the whole ordeal—the crew can only remember the events of the darkness as a half-remembered dream. Counselor Troi—who made a full recovery in less than an hour—is amazed at the lack of trauma displayed by the crew at large.

In the end, it really was nothing more than nightmares. Absolutely soul-crushing while you’re living it, but once you wake up, it fades away. Only myself and Guinan seem to retain a detailed understanding of what happened, and I do not find myself despising this memory.

We both succeeded and failed at our mission. We did not find Aslan, he found us and already knew what needed to be done. And yet, I do not fear him. He may have a strange way of doing things but I truly believe he intends the best for all he encounters. This is not to say I don’t have my concerns—no individual should have that kind of power. But of all the beings of this sort I have encountered, he seems the most noble-hearted.

I have sent an away team down to the island below. After we restored contact with Flipside and Starfleet Command, there wasn’t much else for us to do, so we are doing what we do best—exploring strange, new worlds.

~~~

The away team consisted of Riker, Worf, and Tails, and from the moment they had transported down to the island they had been surrounded by short creatures with one leg that led to an absolutely giant foot. There was a somewhat large number of the creatures, hopping all around the away team as they tried to perform scans on the beach.

“What a strange creature this is!” the Chief of the one-legged beings said, gesturing at Tails with an arm.

The other creatures continued speaking. “Yes he is!” “Quite right!” “Brilliant as always.”

The Chief grinned, nodding slowly. “Now, what brings you to our island?”

“Do tell us!” “Yes!” “We demand answers!”

Riker raised an eyebrow at the overly eager creatures. “I am Commander William T. Riker; this is Commander Tails and Lieutenant Worf.”

“Random names,” the Chief snorted.

“No pattern at all!” “Like a blender slapped in a bowl of soup!” “Funky words.”

Riker continued. “We are explorers from the starship Enterprise.”

“Starship? You ain’t with the wizard, are ya?”

“I bet they are.” “You root ‘em out, Chief!” “Asking the right questions, he is.”

Riker shook his head. “We have never been to your island before and know of no wizard here. Is he causing you trouble?”

“Bah, sometimes. He was pretty nice yesterday.”

“Absolutely delightful!” “Praiseworthy man.” “Pudding is delicious!”

“But then yesterday he was like an evil hornet.”

“Deplorable being.” “Ought to be offed!” “Justice is not served…”

Worf turned to Riker. “They seem to be changing their story.”

“I think they’re just confused,” Riker said. “Perhaps we should see this wizard?”

“If you want,” the Chief shrugged.

“Boring.” “Predictable.” “Of course they wanted that.”

Riker forced a smile. “Great. Lead the way.”

The other creatures spoke before the chief this time. “Great leader, Chief is.” “Show them the path!” “Trailblaze!”

The Chief bowed as though he were about to perform an amazing act of navigation… and then he hopped onto an obvious dirt road lined with trees that led to the center of the island. With every jump, he bounced three times his height into the air, just as most of the others did when they moved. With one leg, jumping around like a pogo stick was the order of the day.

As the group traveled, Tails flew to the head to talk with the Chief. “So, what exactly are you guys?”

“Dufflepuds!”

“Duffpuds!” “Dufferpods!” “Monoffers!”

“Dufflepuds!” the Chief repeated, looking back to his followers with a glare.

“That’s right!” “Perfect name.” “And how!”

“Huh…” Tails scratched his head. “They sure respect you, don’t they?”

“Yes!” “He’s the leader!” “Soft like chicken.”

The Chief didn’t even need to say anything, he just grinned.

“Riiiight…” Tails shook his head, going back to Riker and Worf. “Do you guys deal with this often?”

“We meet many strange races on our journey,” Worf admitted. “But… few have been this… particular.”

“Make us smart,” Riker said with a smirk.

“Do not remind me of those people,” Worf growled.

“They were a legitimate culture.”

“Of thieves.”

“I think I’m out of the loop,” Tails said.

“Long story,” Riker said. “Longer than we have time to tell.” He gestured forward at the elegant mansion they were approaching. Making their way to the front of the Dufflepud procession, they reached the front doors the same time as the Chief.

The doors swung open without them needing to knock, revealing an older man with a wiry beard, soft brown robes, and bare feet. “Hmm? Visitors?”

“Bunch of weirdos with a starship,” the Chief grunted.

“So strange!” “Bet they’re with you.” “Here here!”

“A starship…?” The man tilted his head upward and pointed. “That?”

The Dufflepuds all looked up and to the left to where the Enterprise was. “What?” “When did that show up?” “Looks tasty.”

Riker nodded. “Yes. It’s the starship Enterprise. We’ve been exploring your world.”

“Ah, otherworlders.” The wizard greeted them with a smile. “My name is Coriakin, the humble servant of Aslan put in charge of this island and… the Dufflepuds.”

“We ain’t your servants!” the Chief spat.

“No servants!” “Old bat!” “Rise up!”

Coriakin let out a sigh. “Please, come in, I can set the table for a meal. The Dufflepuds can join us if they wish.”

“Have your lunch,” the Chief said. “Don’t come cryin’ to us when you see what’s really going on.”

“Yeah!” “Don’t cry!” “Wait, I wanted food…”

The Chief bounded away and all the Dufflepuds followed after him, leaving the away team alone with Coriakin. With a nod, Riker entered the wizard’s home. It was a simple, well-furnished house that would not look out of place on an old street in England somewhere. The table wasn’t set, but with a snap of his fingers, Coriakin summoned plates filled with salads, well-cooked chicken, and a steamed pumpkin with a white soup inside. “Please, enjoy.”

Tails pulled out a tricorder and scanned it. “Seems fine.”

“You do not get welcomed often, do you?” Coriakin asked as he sat down.

“We’re a little cautious,” Riker admitted. “Too many times hospitality has been revealed to have an ulterior motive.”

“Then I give you my assurances in the name of Aslan that I wish you no harm and have no motive beyond welcoming you to my island.”

“The name of Aslan doesn’t mean much to us, I’m afraid.”

Tails cocked his head. “Wait, it doesn’t? Weren’t we out here looking for him? And didn’t he…” Tails scratched his ears, trailing off.

“The Captain has changed our mission,” Riker continued. “It is no longer of any concern to us. That said…” He picked up a chicken leg and bit into it. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, Coriakin.” Seeing as he didn’t pass out from some kind of poison, he went on to introduce the three of them to Coriakin. “Now, why don’t you tell us about your island?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple really. Aslan put me here to watch over and guard these Dufflepuds since they can’t really take care of themselves. I’m sure you’ve noticed how… flighty they are.”

“Indeed,” Worf admitted, shaking his head slightly. “It is a wonder they survive at all, even with your guidance.”

“You don’t know the half of it. Why, did you know, once they were dwarfs?” Coriakin smirked, as though he were beginning an amusing story. “One day they were so disobedient that I turned them all into one-legged creatures. They decided they were so ugly that they were going to raid my house and use my spellbook to turn everything invisible. But then they got tired of being invisible but were so terrified of me they sent a little girl—Lucy, I believe her name was—to read my spellbook and remove the invisibility spell. And you know what? They decided they liked being monopods. Before the day was over they were sailing on the oceans on their large feet and they had somehow convinced themselves the whole one-foot thing was their idea.” He chuckled, leaning back. “They really are delightful creatures, you must understand, but there are times where their nonsense gets to me.”

Riker looked carefully at Coriakin, nodding slowly. “Right…”

Coriakin examined the faces of his three guests closely. “You look as though you’ve forgotten something. I’ve got a spell for that.”

“No, no thanks!” Tails said, waving his hands. “We’d all like to forget those… things that happened.”

“I can also make you forget. I know many incantations, and it’s the least I can do to those who have been so recently troubled.”

“It’s fine, we do not need your assistance,” Riker said. “It’s fading like a dream, anyway.”

“Very well.” Coriakin said curtly. “Does anyone want wine?”

“That would be great,” Riker said.

“...wine?” Tails cocked his head.

“You’ve never had wine? I thought you were on earth for a while?”

“Oh, wait… that stuff?” Tails scratched his head. “I think they said I was too young for that.”

Riker blinked. “How… young are you?”

“Ten? I think?”

“...Years on your planet must be long.”

Tails rubbed the back of his head. “Uh… I think you must have misunderstood something about us Mobians…”

~~~

Riker returned to the bridge with Worf. Slowly, Riker sat down in his chair and let out a breath of air.

“Commander?” Picard said in concern. “Did something happen on the surface?”

“Mobians view age and maturity a lot differently than we do.”

“How so?”

“Tails is ten.” He held up a hand to stop Picard. “And that’s not just a consequence of their years being long, he really is a kid. But the others all treat him as captain and he’s as capable as any adult I’ve ever met. And…” He put a hand to the bridge of his nose. “Did you know he wasn’t allowed to drink while on Earth because he was underage?”

Picard thought about this for a moment. “I wonder how the Federation’s child labor laws will deal with this…”

“I’m shocked that a kid has been messing with our warp core and did it well.”

“Some races are just that different, Number One. It may be difficult to adjust, but adjust we must. For now, their culture treats them as adults, so we shall as well.”

Riker nodded. “Of course, Sir.” Then, slowly, a deep frown came over his features. “Captain, there was something else. Can I speak with you for a minute?”

“By all means.” Picard stood up and went to his ready room, sitting down behind his desk, dismissing a report from Starfleet Command. “What is it, Will?”

Riker sat down and frowned. “The people down there were disfigured, and not by choice. My concern is that the wizard we met is not treating them all that well.”

Picard nodded. “A legitimate concern. What evidence do you have?”

“He admitted to disfiguring them for being disobedient, they seem of remarkably low intellect for a people allowed to think for themselves, and half the time they seem unable to decide if they love the wizard or think he’s an evil tyrant.”

“Mhm…” Picard frowned, leaning in. “Normally the Prime Directive would prevent us from doing anything…”

“But it has been temporarily suspended. I say we make use of this opportunity and take action.”

Picard was nodding slowly, but suddenly his frown deepened into a grimace. “...Will, there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Riker sighed. “You know me too well.”

“What is it?”

“Information that I’m afraid will cloud your judgment on the issue.”

“Whatever it is, it’s set you against them,” Picard said. “Without some reason, you wouldn’t want to violate the Prime Directive just because you were given a chance to. There must be something that’s deeply unsettled you so much that you’re bringing this to me after only having been down there a few hours and not gaining a full picture of their culture.”

Riker straightened his back. “Very well. He said he was a servant of Aslan, placed there to rule over them.”

“Ah…” Picard sat back. “This is about defiance.”

“Maybe. But it’s also about our principles. Just because that lion says something doesn’t mean he’s right.”

“You’re specifically looking for ways to poke holes in his ruling style, Will. Just because it is different from ours does not make it wrong—cultural tolerance is a principle of the Federation that is still in effect.”

“But we shouldn’t turn a blind eye.”

“No. We should not. That said…” Picard looked Riker right in the eyes with a stern, commanding gaze. “The Prime Directive has been suspended so we may end the threat of the Void. Exploring new worlds in order to find the Pure Heart serves that goal. Meddling in the leadership structures of a world we don’t understand does not, at least not at this juncture.”

Riker put a hand to his beard, nodding slowly. “You’re right, of course. I was out of line.”

“Not by Starfleet regulations,” Picard assured him. “You did exactly as you should have. Though this… desire to prod Aslan is concerning.”

“With all due respect, sir, so is your attitude towards him.”

“How so?”

“Since you met him, your words seem affirmatory, if cautious. Meanwhile the rest of us only remember a vague nightmarish dream that he was likely responsible for—or, if not responsible for, then at least complacent in allowing us to remain.”

Picard sat back, nodding to himself a few times. “I suppose that is understandable. I do trust him to be a good creature—a good man. But I can understand why you would not.”

“I trust your judgement. But I don’t think I can get rid of this unease.”

“And I’m not asking you to.” A soft smile crawled up Picard’s face. “We only got out of there by realizing there were some faults in ourselves that we cannot erase.”

Riker let out a sharp breath. “This world really isn’t anything like ours, is it?”

“Not in the slightest, Number One.”

Love for Creation

The cave wasn’t visible until they were almost right on top of it. One moment they were walking on an invisible path over a canyon, the next there was a section of rock jutting out of the opposite canyon face that hadn’t been there before. Caspian had to hand it to the Hag, this place was hidden amazingly well. He was unsure how they would have found it on their own.

Twilight set Toph down inside the cave. Whispering, she asked. “Can you feel things now?”

Toph stumbled a bit. “Y-yes. Just… don’t have my bearings. Give me a minute.”

“Okay.”

Caspian looked deeper into the cave. There was no need for torches, for something glowed green and noxious deep within the cavernous depths. Caspian drew his sword, Data his phaser, and Cosmo pulled out an extra phaser she had picked up precisely for this purpose should it be needed. Caspian was delighted to see that smile remain on her face even as she prepared for battle. He wished he could always keep his smile like that.

But now, his own smile was faltering as he moved forward, sword poised. Toph, their strongest fighter, was very weak from the ordeal, and Twilight didn’t have much magic left in her from all the exertion she had gone through with their failed trap. They would need to be on their toes to take down this Hag.

“Data, you should take point,” Caspian suggested. “You are the best of us, right now.”

Twilight frowned. “Let’s wait fo—”

“Don’t give her time to know we’re here,” Toph interrupted. “I’ll be fine, let’s just move.”

Data did as suggested, moving in front of the group, cautiously examining everything around for signs of the Hag.

It did not take long to arrive in the cave’s primary chamber. It was of a decent size, easily large enough to hold a house. There was a massive cauldron in the center of the room, lit by green fire that spewed blue and pink fumes of smoke into the air, coalescing into an ice crystal that hovered above the roiling concoction.

An ice crystal? Caspian thought. Surely, she can’t be trying to call upon the White Witch’s power?

Behind the cauldron were bottles of varying shapes and sizes, some small enough to fit in a hand, others larger than some houses. Each and every last one held a creature of some kind, be it fairy, dryad, or dwarf. Caspian found Sonic easily but saw no creature that matched the description of Tippi right away. What did strike him was the silence of everything—he could see the trapped creatures moving and yelling, but no sound reached Caspian’s ears. The Hag must have put a silence spell on them. Not to mention reinforcing the glass somehow—more than a few of those creatures should have been able to bash right out from sheer strength alone.

When there was a noise, a scratching gurgling from a part of the cavern they couldn’t see, it was so startling it made everyone plaster themselves as close to the cavern wall as they could. Data was still in front, Caspian right behind him. The noise continued, this time coupled with the dragging of feet.

“It’s almost time, my pretties,” the Hag said, approaching the cauldron with her back to the cavern entrance. She held out a hand with a purple chaos emerald replica, dropping the crystal into the brew. “You can never get rid of the Queen forever…” She cackled, throwing her arms wide. “Your magic is your own demise!”

Data stepped out into the middle of the cavern, firing his phaser. It hit the Hag directly in the back, sending a stunning pulse through her body. She twitched a few times before falling backward, slumping onto the cave floor.

“The Hag has been neutralized,” Data reported, lowering his phaser.

“Well…” Cosmo stepped out as well, Twilight close behind her. “That was anticlimactic.”

Data reached down and pinned the Hag’s arms behind her back, just to make sure she wasn’t going to wake up and escape. As he was doing so, the Hag’s magic began to fade—the cauldron stopped bubbling and the floating chunk of ice fell into it, melting into the brew. The animals were still silent, however, despite visibly cheering and celebrating the Hag’s defeat behind the glass.

“Citizens of Narnia!” Caspian declared, holding his sword up high. “By the power of Aslan, we have come to liberate you from this Hag’s evil clutches! Remain calm while we release you—we’ll figure out how to get past the glass.”

“The sealing spells appear to still be in place,” Twilight observed. “It may take a while to break them all out.”

“Luckily, we have time. And Toph.”

“Is that what you think?”

Caspian’s smile vanished. Have I heard that voice before? He whirled around, pointing his sword at a girl in a red, obviously arcane outfit.

“Lulu,” Twilight said, narrowing her eyes. “What do you want?”

Ah, so this is one of Count Bleck’s thugs. Caspian narrowed his eyes. Why does she seem so familiar to me?

Lulu smirked. “What do I want? Please, use your brains—you do have them, don’t you?” She chuckled. “I’m here to stop you! I had rather hoped that the Hag would put up more of a fight, but that proved to be such a bore. But n—” Data fired his phaser, but Lulu blocked it with a mirror spell that reflected it into the ceiling. “See? All she had to do was notice you, but the nitwit didn’t even manage that. Such a shame.” She shook her head.

“We’ve taken you on before,” Cosmo said. “We can do it again.”

“Yeah!” Toph said—managing to stand strong despite the clear queasiness on her face.

Luu waved a dismissive hand. “Yes, yes, I know, strength in numbers. But—now pay attention, this is important for you to understand—I’m not alone!”

There was a flash of green, and something impacted Twilight’s face so fast Caspian couldn’t see it. The next thing he knew he’d gotten a brown boot to the head that sent him sliding, though he maintained his ready posture. Twilight was not so lucky. The impact had hit the base of her horn and now she was lying on the ground, letting out a high-pitched squeak of pain.

“Heh heh heh heh…” a man’s voice said. The green blur dropped down next to Lulu, revealing a human man with a green cap, a black suit, a mask over his eyes, and a well-groomed mustache proudly displayed under his bulbous nose. “Some legendary heroes you are! One down already? Don’t make me laugh!”

“You won’t be laughing in a sec…” Toph grumbled.

The man looked her up and down. “You look barely able to stand, wow! This is going to be easy peasy!”

“Who, pray tell, are you?” Caspian asked.

“Unknown,” Data admitted, narrowing his eyes. “Likely a servant we have not seen before…”

“I am… the one…” he struck a pose with a finger to the air. “The only…” He twirled around with his arms spread wide. “The legendary…” He jumped so high into the air he slapped the cavern’s ceiling. “MR. L!” With this declaration, Mr. L clapped his hands together and sneered. “And you are all the heroes of prophecy I’ve heard so much about!”

“And you are one of Count Bleck’s vile thugs,” Caspian spat. “How can you pledge yourself to a man who wishes to destroy everything?”

“Eh, reasons.” Mr. L shrugged. “Though, ‘vile’? Really? Have you seen this ‘stache? A better word would be ‘magnificent’, Mr. pointy-sword-mc-jungle-kid-king!”

“I… what?” Caspian cocked his head. “Cease this buffoonery!”

“I do believe he’s going to continue in the buffoonery,” Lulu said, smile faltering. “Really, it appears to be all he knows how to do…”

Mr. L pointed into the air and started shaking his torso. “Prepare yourselves for a battle the likes of which you’ll never see again! With Miss throws-rocks-all-the-time about to puke her guts out and Miss makes-friends-all-the-time out of commission, you don’t stand a chance!”

Data blinked. “You have demonstrated no particularly interesting abilities. I do believe you are mistaken.”

“Can it, Mr. doesn’t-understand-basic-emotions!”

Cosmo blinked sensing a pattern in Mr. L’s comments. “Wait, what does that make me?”

“Miss useless-in-a-fight!”

Cosmo’s left eye twitched. She pointed her phaser at him, releasing a beam of energy. With alarming speed, he jumped into the air and crashed down in her head, knocking her over. He pulled a wooden hammer out of seemingly nowhere and moved to smash Cosmo’s face in—but Data grabbed the hammer with his arm and wrenched it out of Mr. L’s hands.

“Hey! That’s a collector's item!” Mr. L spun-kicked around, hitting Data directly in the chest. The android didn’t move. “Uh…”

Data grabbed Mr. L’s leg and picked the man up, throwing him over his shoulder. Toph kicked a rock into the air, bonking him in the head as he pinwheeled through the air. He landed unceremoniously next to the cauldron’s base.

“Looks like your new friend was rather useless,” Caspian said, keeping his blade pointed directly at Lulu. “Now, how about you tell us a bit about yourself?”

“I have nothing to say to you.” She chanted something under her breath and pushed some energy to Mr. L, rejuvenating him. He pulled a hammer out of nowhere and charged again.

“The year of Mr. L never ends!”

“Data, keep him occupied!” Caspian shouted. “Cosmo, Toph, we need to take care of Lulu.”

“Oh, a ploy?” Lulu giggled, deflecting Cosmo’s attack with a simple shield. “And what are you going to do to hit me?”

“Rocks,” Toph said, lifting rocks into the air. “And a lot of th—”

Lulu cast a very simple nausea spell. To most people, it would have done virtually nothing. To Toph, who had been struggling to keep her lunch in for the last few minutes, it forced her into deeply unpleasant convulsions.

“Now what are you going to do to hit me?” Lulu asked.

“Attack until something hits.” Caspian jumped forward, swinging his sword from the side. Lulu blocked it with a simple shield spell, as he expected, allowing him to twist his body over her and kick her in the back. She stumbled forward, still having to focus on deflecting Cosmo’s shots instead of attacking Caspian directly. To compensate, she cast a simple befuddle spellthat made Caspian lose his footing, allowing her to kick him without much effort. For such a young girl, her kick held a significant amount of spunk, taking his legs out from under him.

With her free hand, she released a dagger from her robes, still casting shield spells to deflect Cosmos’ attacks. She jumped for Caspian just as his mind was starting to recover.

Data threw Mr. L across the cavern, hitting Lulu with him. The two rolled head over heels into the nearby wall, dazed. Data did not stop his assault, pointing his phaser at them and firing. “Shell!” Lulu called, crafting a green barrier around both of them that absorbed the phaser blast. “Fira,” Lulu said, sending a tornado of fire from her finger at her enemies.

Cosmo and Caspian ducked out of the way, but Data pushed through the fire. While his uniform caught fire, his body was completely immune. He was able to punch straight through the Shell spell and point the phaser right into Lulu’s stomach.

“Bother,” she muttered as the weapon went off, stunning her.

Mr. L laughed. “Now you will know the true fury of Mr. L once his comrade is down!” He brought the hammer down on Data as hard as he could.

It bounced right off the android.

“Mama mia…” Mr. L blinked a few times. “Well, she wasn't that much of a motivator anyway.”

Data pointed the phaser at him. “I’m afraid you will be coming with us.”

“Mr. L never gets captured!” The purple energy of the Void engulfed him and the unconscious Lulu, taking them away.

Data sheathed his phaser. He kneeled down to check on Twilight’s horn. “Mild head trauma and a horn microfracture. Flipside’s rejuvenation should be enough for her. Toph?”

Toph stood to her feet, wiping her mouth. “I… Uh, is it weird that I actually feel better than when I first walked in?”

“No,” Data said, standing up. “Ejecting the contents of your stomach often improves the sense of health. After the fact.”

“Oh.”

“That was too easy,” Caspian said. “They were hardly able to put up a fight.”

“I agree,” Data said. “But they may not have been fully aware of my capabilities.”

Cosmo frowned. “Wait…”

There was a soft rumble as a large Void portal opened in the middle of the cavern, depositing a hulking metal robot right on top of the cauldron, shattering it with its weight. The robot had two hands and two feet, but the rest of it was almost entirely head—a head modeled after Mr. L’s face, right down to a polished chrome mustache. In the forehead of the machine, stylized as though it were a green hat, a window showed Mr. L with his hands on the controls, sneering. “Behold, Brobot!”

“...Brobot?” Cosmo cocked her head.

“Yes! My metal brother, devoted to me to the very end! He and I will lay waste to your pathetic, primitive world of magic!”

“Begone, foul demon!” Caspian shouted, bringing his sword down on Brobot’s foot.

Crack.

Caspian’s legendary hand-crafted sword broke in two on contact with the machine.

“Well…” Caspian swallowed. “Uh…”

Data and Cosmo fired their weapons, focusing their beams on one part of Brobot’s foot. The metal grew red-hot and started to sizzle, but it did not melt.

“Your attacks are useless!” Mr. L declared. “I spit on your efforts! Nothing can face the brilliant engineering of Brobot! And guess what? He shoots missiles!”

“Missiles?” Caspian furrowed his brow. “What ar—”

“MISSILES!” Mr. L shouted, pressing several buttons. Flaps on the side of Mr. L erupted in a flurry of sparks, sending a burst of over a dozen missiles at Caspian and his friends. There was no way they could survive such an explosive barrage in such close quarters.

“No,” Twilight declared. Even though her head felt like it was about to explode and her horn was on fire, she ordered her magic to create a shield spell. Not around her and her friends—but around Brobot, ensuring that the explosive yield of the missiles harmed him and only him, not the imprisoned creatures behind him.

The smoke cleared. Brobot was unharmed.

Twilight passed out, entering a much deeper state of unconsciousness.

Mr. L coughed, waving the missile smoke out of his face. “You got smoke in my ‘stache! You’re going to pay for that! No more magic, only explosions!” He pressed a button to fire more missiles.

No missiles came.

“What in… what did you do to Brobot?”

Toph jumped onto the main window, grinning. “I just punched your little missile bay shut. What’re you gonna do now?”

“How dare you sully my metal brother’s perfect exterior!” Mr. L pushed two levers forward, prompting Brobot to jump. He easily hit the ceiling, the force knocking Toph off and into the rocks. Weak as she was, she could still drive a spire of rock off the ceiling and through Brobot’s windshield.

“Gotcha!” She jumped down onto the rock spire, sliding toward the hole she’d made.

Brobot’s eyes burned red hot and blasted her with a laser, slamming into Toph’s torso. Unlike many of the other lasers they had encountered, this one burned right through her clothes, charring her skin thoroughly. Smoking, she fell—landing in Cosmo’s arms at Brobot’s feet.

“Hahahahah!” Mr. L Cackled. “You’re inna pickle now!”

Caspian’s mind raced. What could he do? His abilities were of no use against such a machine, Toph and Twilight were badly injured… they were running out of options. Perhaps… everyone trapped in the jars could help? If he could release them…

He took off at a run, going for the jar that held Sonic.

“Oh no ya don’t!” Brobot removed itself from the earthen spike Toph had created. It took one step, and it was on top of Caspian. “No tricks! N—” A red light started flashing in the cockpit. “What’s going on!? Brobot, your power!”

Data punched a hatch on Brobot open, jumping out with a large black brick in his hands covered in drawings of lightning bolts. “The machine’s power has been neutralized.”

“No! This is impossible!” Mr. L pressed buttons and levers with a shrieking rage, but without a battery, Brobot could follow none of his instructions. “How did you get in?!”

“Toph’s attacks revealed several structural defects,” Data said. “You were so occupied with her that it was easy to sneak past your defenses.”

“This can’t be happening to me!” Mr. L smashed his fists into the console. “...Wait, there’s enough stored power for one laser. Haha!” He grinned—noticing that Brobot’s eyes were pointed directly at the wall of imprisoned creatures. An opportunity to strike at the heart of Narnia even in utter defeat. “Say goodbye to your friends in jars!”

And then Aslan was sitting in the cockpit with Mr. L.

“W-w-wha!?” Mr. L pulled his hammer out and brought it down, somehow managing to smack himself in the face.

“Confused child…” Aslan said with a deep sigh. Then his face became one of intense, burning rage. With one breath, he released a roar into Mr. L’s face that lasted half a minute.

“B-b-b-b…” Mr. L babbled, mortally terrified. Out of options, he summoned the void portal, disappearing as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the empty Brobot behind.

Aslan jumped out of the abandoned, wrecked machine, landing in front of the heroes. Caspian and Cosmo bowed. Data glanced at the two of them with mild confusion before doing the same.

“Child, you respect me with your heart, there is no need to mimic the outward appearance of others when it does not serve the purpose.”

Data cocked his head. “But I do not have a ‘heart,’ as you use the word.”

“You have both an advantage and a disadvantage when it comes to these things.”

“Ah.”

“Aslan, once again, I thank you,” Caspian said. “You have saved the captured citizens of Narnia.”

“I have not saved them yet.” Aslan turned around, just in time for a larger Void portal to appear and swallow up Brobot, allowing the captured Narnians to actually see the great lion. The response was one of overwhelming jubilation, though a few shivered in their jars.

“W-well…” Toph managed from her smoking spot near Twilight. “I feel him now…”

With one wild roar, a rushing wind blew through Aslan’s mane and directly into the jars. In an instant, the glass transformed into a harmless powder that fell to the ground. The Narnians that had been stacked on top of each other all fell into a rather amusing pile that upset more than a few animals, but none of them wanted to gripe or snap in the sight of Aslan. Instead, they swallowed their complaints and rushed to Aslan with too many words for Caspian to understand—but he knew the lion heard each and every word that was said. The lion’s face remained impassive, but the aura of kindliness radiating off of him was clear to for everyone to see.

Sonic ran up to Cosmo. “Hey. Thanks for coming to get me! I’d say I owe you one, but it was your trap that got me caught, so…”

“Have you seen Tippi?” Cosmo asked.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, she’s in the back, right over there.” Sonic pointed, but before Cosmo could ask to clarify, he was gone.

As it turned out, she didn’t have to go hunting for Tippi—the Pixl flapped her way over to them. Caspian stared in awe at her magnificent, multicolored wings.

“You… all came to get me,” Tippi said.

“Did you think we’d do anything else?” Cosmo asked. “As I’m sure Twilight would say if she were conscious, you’re our friend.”

Tippi fluttered over to the downed form of Twilight. “You hurt yourselves getting here…”

“In more ways than one,” Toph said, groaning. “Flipside… sounds good right about now.”

“Th-thank you,” Tippi said, flapping back into the air. “I… you don’t know what this means to me. I can’t even…” She let out a soft giggle.

Cosmo gasped. “You laughed!”

“I… guess I did.”

“Oh, this is excellent! We’re all back together, we have a new hero…”

“A new hero?”

Caspian nodded in her direction. “Pleased to finally meet you, ma’am. They all speak very fondly of you, and they were willing to go to the ends of the world to find you.”

“I… wow. And you never stopped, even after all this time?”

“The thought didn’t even cross our mind,” Cosmo assured her.

“But… the Pure Heart? Shouldn't you be looking for it?”

“We came for you first,” Cosmo said.

“Speaking of the Pure Heart…” Caspian turned to the crowd of Narnians surrounding Aslan. Setting his face, he marched through the crowd. They quickly realized who he was and parted, letting him into the center ring to address Aslan. “Aslan, now that the Narnians have been saved, I must ask you for another favor.”

“The Void,” Aslan said, nodding to him. “It is a terrible, tragic entity, unlike the pure evils you are accustomed to, Son of Adam. Be wary on your journey.”

“I will, Aslan.” He bowed slightly. “I ask you for the location of our world’s Pure Heart.”

“You already know where it is,” Aslan said, a smile crawling up his furry face. “You have stood close to it many times in your journey through this life.”

“Wha—” Caspian stopped himself—and then he laughed. “I’m speaking to the Pure Heart, aren’t I?”

“What…?” Cosmo said, cocking her head.

Tippi’s fluttering slowed. “It… is coming from his direction…”

Aslan let out a slow, purring sound that might have been a laugh. Whatever it was, it was a joyous noise. “Close enough, Son of Adam. I am not the Heart, but it is in me.” With a flash, a light blue crystalline Heart appeared above the lion’s head, shimmering in the light of the cavern. “It is here because of them.” He gestured with a paw at all the Narnians gathered around him, all with smiles of awe-inspired gratitude. “It feels their love for me.” He took a few steps forward toward Caspian. “It is my love for them.”

The Heart descended into Caspian’s hands, where he readily took it. His entire being became rejuvenated by its mere presence. There was no limit to its power, he knew. It was love itself...

“Son of Adam!” Aslan called, jolting Caspian to attention. “Son of Humanity!” Data nodded in acknowledgment. “Daughter of Life!” Cosmo bowed slightly. “Daughter of Eve!” Toph, despite herself, still nodded at him. “Daughter of Epona!” Twilight opened her eyes, a smile on her face. “Daughter of Light!” Tippi fluttered, shocked that she was being addressed. “Go, return this Heart to its place among the others and journey to the next world! Meet with the Daughter of Darkness and continue your journey into the Void itself! You have my blessing!” He let out a brilliant, terrifying, inspiring, and definitive roar for all in the cavern.

“We will,” Twilight managed, coughing. “We will.”

“See that you do. Now… Son of Adam?”

Caspian nodded, lifting the Pure Heart into the air. “We got a Pure Heart!”

Minion Prophecy

Nastasia cleared her throat, addressing the meeting of the minions. Not a single one was absent. “Yeah, so, guys? Huddle up, ‘K? We’re just gonna have a quick new-minion orientation.” She gestured to the new pillar where their fresh recruit was. “His name is Mr. L and he comes to us from one of our key competitors.”

“Thanks for the introduction!” Mr. L snapped his fingers at Nastasia and winked. “Now, let’s see here…” He glanced at the other minions in the room, scratching his chin. “Mmm... Can’t say I’m impressed by the minion quality… No, indeed. No wonder you’ve been trounced up to now. You’re like junior minions.”

O’Chunks stomped the ground several times in an ape-like rage. “Junior?! C’mere an’ I’ll introduce yeh to Fist Jr. an’ his wee pal, Slappie!”

Mr. L snorted. “Really? All you are is a hunk of stretchy muscle that belongs in a monkey museum!”

“Why I outta…”

Mr. L was already bored with him, turning to Dark Oak. “And you’re way overselling that brooding robot persona of yours. I know you’re a big softy inside, literally.”

“Need I remind you who provides the material for your joke of a machine?” Dark Oak seethed.

“Brobot is not a joke!”

“No. You are.”

“Whatever, this conversation is already boring me.” He turned to Mimi. “And you! You have all the power of a shapeshifter and you use it for childish dreams! Such a waste!”

Mimi tilted her head exactly ninety degrees with a sickening crack. “Gosh, Mr. L, but didn’t you get pretty spanked too? So maybe you’re the junior minion!”

“Spanked, you say? Ho ho! I was scouting him, dear. He will be mine next time.” He struck a pose with his arms, forming an L-shape. “Yes, he shall know the fury of the one and only Mr. L, AKA the Green Thunder!” He dropped the pose. “But enough about me... I need to head to the repair bay for Robot modifications.”

“Aww, nothing to say about little ol’ me?” Dimentio asked.

“Eh, you’re all right.” Mr. L said. “L-ater!” He jumped so high he hit the ceiling, diving toward the ground like a seabird.

The moment he was completely gone, Count Bleck’s smile grew. “Ahem. ‘Though the Princess of Magic will wield formidable powers, one shall stand against her. The Man in Green shall use the Chaos Heart’s power to bring darkness to all.’ Bleh hehehehehehehehe… So it is written in the Dark Prognosticus.”

Dimentio chuckled. “So what you’re saying is, the ‘Man in Green’ is our minion-in-training, Mr. L?”

“What!?” O’Chunks grabbed his head with both his hands and growled. “That makes as much sense as a beef an’ broccoli sandwich!”

“I agree,” Mimi said. “He’s an idiot. He can’t be what you say he is!”

“See? The lass agrees with me! Wait…” O’Chunks scratched his chin. “That never happens…”

“Enough about Mr. L,” Count Bleck declared. “He is a fellow minion and you should all treat him as such. O’Chunks, make ready. Count Bleck is sending you on a new mission.”

“Ah, now that makes sense!” O’Chunks pointed at himself and broke into a hearty guffaw. “It’ll be me honor, Count! I, O’Chunks, swear to you… These heroes have got a hot date with me feet! Chunks away!”

As he jumped down, Dimentio let out a soft chuckle. “My, aren’t we hot blooded? Well, well… I suppose that’s to be admired… Lulu, my dear mumbler, you’ve been awfully quiet today.”

Lulu didn’t even look at him when he addressed her.

“Ah well, brood if you wish. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I've got to be on my way as well. Ciao!” He snapped his fingers, popping into nothing.

“I’ll be tending to the machines,” Dark Oak said. “Lulu, I do not trust his assessment of the ‘Brobot’s’ performance, I request your presence.”

“Sure,” she said, breathlessly. She and Dark Oak vanished into Void portals.

Mimi crossed her arms. “So poor little Mimi doesn’t get to be in on the fun? This stinks.” She jumped into a portal of her own, going who knew where.

Nastasia took a few moments to make sure the room was empty before turning back to the Count. “Yeah, I hate to seem like a whistle-blower here, but O’Chunks may not… Actually, even O’Chunks, Mimi, Dimentio, Lulu, Dark Oak, and Mr. L may not be up to this… They’re gonna collect the Pure Hearts and come here. They’ll come for you.”

“Bleh heh heh heh heh…” The Count pulled his hat down over his eyes. “All is going according to plan, Count Black assures you.”

Nastasia twisted her hands around one of her wrists. “It’s strange… Nobody ever, um, cherished the universe the way you once did… And yet, you’ve been made to destroy it…”

“That’s quite enough… Nastasia.”

Nastasia quieted down, looking at the floor. She spoke with barely more than a whisper. “If I could, um, I…”

“You’d what?” Bleck asked.

Nastasia only shook her head. “If only I could have, y’know, been that girl… Things would have been different…”

Bleck turned away from her sharply, voice becoming eerily monotone. “She cannot be replaced. You could never hope to do so, Nastasia.”

Nastasia swallowed hard. “Yeah, um, I’m very sorry. That just… slipped out.”

“To be sure… She is gone. Gone from all worlds, never to return…” Count Bleck vanished into the Void, leaving Nastasia alone. She didn’t move for the longest time.

A Rogueport Welcome

Twilight’s smile vanished when she saw the noose dangling in the middle of the town square. “Th... why…?”

“I’ll tell you why, Twiggy.” Toph took a step forward and clapped her hands together. “Because this is the kinda place that wants you to know you aren’t welcome!”

“Then we’ll make ourselves welcome,” Cosmo said. “...Are everyone’s abilities working?”

Toph removed a rock from the ground with a stomp, kicking it into a nearby mailbox. “What do you think?” she deadpanned.

Flashing her horn, Twilight cast a simple light spell. “Hmm… It’s slightly harder to channel energy, but it seems to work fine.”

“A few of the tricorder’s sensors aren’t functional,” Data said, scanning the buildings. “I still get composition, but more exotic particles don’t show up at all.”

“Then you’re lucky you have me!” Caspian took out a sword and pointed it at the sky. “I rely not on strange magicks or unusual machines! I am myself!”

Cosmo clapped her hands with a giggle. “Go, Caspian!”

Tippi fluttered in front of them all. “I cannot sense the Pure Heart. Since I’m intended to operate in all universes, that means it’s likely off-planet.”

“Then we shall make use of the Enterprise when it arrives,” Data said.

“Until then… let’s appreciate this new world.” Twilight took in a deep breath, only to gag as she took the full brunt of the trash pile rotting in the alley behind them.

“It appears that may be difficult,” Data observed.

“Thank you, Data,” Twilight deadpanned. Marching into the town square, she made an effort to stay as far away from the gallows as she could manage.

The inhabitants of the city were of a variety of races none of them had ever seen before. The most common were humanoid mushroom creatures with smooth bodies and large, spotted mushroom caps sitting on their heads. However, there were also short two-legged creatures of a brown coloration with no arms, large purple rodents with disproportionately sized snouts, turtle creatures with colorful shells, what appeared to be a walking sentient bomb, and a large blue creature with a big nose and leaves on its head wearing a mix between a professional suit and a palm-leaf skirt.

Not a human, pony, or anything even vaguely familiar was in sight.

“Well…” Twilight ruffled her feathers. “This place certainly has variety, I’ll give it that.”

“We should start asking around, see if we can find anything,” Toph said, fiddling with a pebble.

“Right, right…” Twilight found the closest person, one of the bomb creatures, and walked up to it. “Um, hello, we’re new here, and we’re wondering if you c—”

“BOOM!” the bomb shouted, making Twilight jump back. “Hah! Gotcha! I bet you were worried there for a sec, huh? Well, looks like I’m not in the mood to explode today. Or am I?”

“P-please don’t explode,” Twilight stammered.

“Oh, is the horsey scared? Hmmmm?” The fuse coming out of his head lit and he walked closer to her. “Come here, let’s have a little explosive fun.”

Twilight raised a barrier between herself and the bomb, preventing his continued advance. “Oh come on! I lit myself and everything, I want to at least see some soot in your f—” He exploded, sending a cloud of dust and fire around him. For a moment, Twilight was absolutely horrified… but then the smoke cleared and he was still there.

“Wait, didn’t you just…”

“Hah!” the bomb laughed. “You’ve never seen a bob-omb have you?”

“I… no.”

“Well, that means you suck. Get lost!”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t do that mister bob-omb,” Cosmo said, pressing her hands together. “See, we are on a quest to find the Pure Heart. Have you heard of it?”

“No idea what you’re talking about, lady.”

Cosmo pointed upward at the large purple vortex roiling through the sky. “It has something to do with that.”

“Do I look like I care?” He approached her, narrowing his eyes. “This place gets you annoying self-proclaimed hero-explorer types all the time. Well, news flash, this is Rogueport! We don’t care about your ideals, your quest, or whatever danger we might be in. We care about your money. So get lost.” He exploded again, and when the smoke cleared, everyone could easily see him running away into the distance.

“Welcoming place,” Toph deadpanned.

“We just need to find the leader of this city,” Caspian said. “They will know more and care about their investments, most likely.”

“It’s a start,” Twilight admitted. “Let—”

“Augh!” Toph shouted, falling over as some blue humanoid ran into her. “Watch where you’re going, fishbarf!”

“Right, sorry, whatever,” the blue guy shrugged and ran off.

“Utter jerk I sw—” Toph patted her clothes. “What the… did he just take my money?”

“You were carrying money?” Twilight cocked her head.

“Duh! Earth Kingdom coins! How else do you think I paid for things in my world?”

“Shall I pursue him?” Data asked.

“Nah. He’s already with a troop of friends.” Toph smirked. “I bet those coins are absolutely useless to him. Nobody’s gonna get to Diqiu to use them. Let him suffer for his useless prize.” She let out a purposefully evil-sounding laugh.

“We will need to find the leader.” Looking around, Caspian pointed at the large yellow creature in the suit and palm leaf skirt. “You there!”

The creature looked at Caspian like he was an idiot. “What you want, bub?”

“I am but a humble visitor to your grand city. I am King Caspian of Narnia, a—”

“Never heard of it.”

“Well, I doubt you would have. Still, I am looking for the leader of your fair city of Rogueport.”

“City has no leader.”

Caspian stared at him in disbelief. “You have no sovereign? No council? No code?”

“Nope. Now buzz off before I get too interested in ya, ya hear?”

Caspian raised an eyebrow. “Was that a threat?”

“Y’see, already gettin’ the hang of this town. Now scram.”

“I find it hard to believe this place holds itself together without some form of power. So listen to me, large beast. I will not take kindly to being lied to, and if you continue in your uncooperation, I will be forced to act.”

The creature smiled, though this was barely visible under its bulbous nose. “I’m almost proud, ya learn the lessons of Rogueport quickly.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Such a shame—it really is—that I have to call the rest of the Mafia on ya now.”

Caspian paled. “Excuse me?”

“The Piantas don’t take kindly to threats. And yer a king! Should fetch a nice price.” He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Get ‘em, boys!”

“Run!” Tippi shouted as several other bulbous creatures in the same outfit came out of the various alleyways. Nobody objected, moving as a group toward the only alley that didn’t have one of the Pianta Mafia. Twilight took a sharp left, only to find her way blocked by two of Piantas, both flexing their muscles.

Twilight attempted to teleport behind them, but the spell fizzled. “Oh no. Teleporting doesn’t work!”

“This does, though!” As Twilight watched, two earthen pillars slammed into both the Pianta’s heads from nearby walls, knocking them unconscious. Glancing back, she saw Toph giving her a sardonic grin. “I’ve been useless for too long, you guys need to remember just what an Earthbender can do!” Running past Twilight, she performed a full-body earthbender-style stomp into the ground, sending out a wave of rock towards the panicking Mafia members, washing over them with impunity. She signaled for the others to follow her over the newly-formed small hill.

“Hey, wait, why are we running?” Cosmo asked. “They haven’t shown any unusual abilities, we could probably take them.”

“Do you want the Mafia to hunt you down to the ends of the earth?” Tippi asked.

“They probably are already, after what Caspian pulled,” Toph said.

“I was making progress,” Caspian retorted.

“Of course you were…”

“I learned they were the Mafia! Whatever that is!”

“Stop right there,” a birdlike creature with a spear in his hands demanded. “You’re not enterin’ Robbo territory with that nonsense. Pay up.”

“We don’t have your kind of money, and we’re kind of in a hurry,” Twilight pleaded.

“Then you’ll have to fight me for i—”

Toph smacked him with a boulder, crumpling the spear and dropping the bird. “There, path’s clear.”

“We really don’t have to run, do we?” Caspian asked. “We can just… push them aside.”

Data nodded. “My phaser is on stun. It would be an easy matter.”

“All right, all right, we can face them,” Twilight said. “Try not to hurt any of them seriously.”

“That means it’s Data and me,” Cosmo said, pulling out her phaser. Data did the same. In unison, they blasted two Piantas who had just come around the corner. Aiming up, they blasted three more that had been aiming cannons from the rooftops. Continuing the trend, Data aimed another phaser shot at a large one running at them. What had started as a tense chase ended with a laughable showing by the Piantas.

More and more Piantas came out of the woodwork to attack them, so many that the pile of unconscious bodies became comical. Toph ended up slamming her foot into the ground and creating a rock chair, which she laid upon leisurely. Eventually, over the massive pile of Pianta failures, a blue one came out, clapping. As Cosmo aimed at him, he quickly stammered, “A-ah, don’t shoot, bub!” He held up his hands to show a lack of weapons.

As both lowered their weapons, he continued, saying, “Well done!” He walked to them slowly, as non-threateningly as he could manage. “I haven’t seen dees oafs get their dinner served to ‘em like dis in a long time!”

“And who are you?” Caspian asked.

“Don Frankie. You’re causin’ quite a stir in my Pianta Syndicate. Knockin’ us down like we be dominoes next to a toddler. Can’t let that slide, you understand.”

Data aimed his phaser at Frankie. “And you understand that we cannot be taken into your custody.”

“I understand, I do, I really do! But, y’see, I have one thing you don’t.”

“And that is?”

“A starman.” Frankie lifted up a small, five-pointed yellow star with two eye-like dots on it. When he crushed it in his hand, rainbow energy erupted from it and flooded his entire body, turning him into a rapidly flashing technicolor beast. Data and Cosmo fired, but their phasers did nothing. Toph jumped in with a boulder, but it disintegrated on contact with his rippling colors. She tried to pull up a massive earthen wall from the cobblestones to stop him, but he just ran through it, brushing dust off of his suit.

“Gotcha now!” He jumped toward them, aiming for a fearful Caspian. Just before he landed, however, a burst of fire flashed between him and the group. It didn’t do anything to harm him, but it did make him stop just in time to hear someone call his name.

Frankie slammed into the ground next to Caspian, cracking the cobblestones and eliciting a sigh of relief from the king that he hadn’t been the cobblestones.

“Vivian, what is it? I’m a bit busy…”

Twilight spent a fair amount of time looking for the source of the voice before the owner popped out of a shadow in the ground. This “Vivian” was a creature of darkness, but not a harsh kind, her tone more similar to the deep purple in Twilight’s mane than the black of night. Her hands were covered by white gloves and pink hair shrouded her eyes, though her small smile was still visible. Her most distinguishing feature, aside from being made of shadow, was her pink striped hat reminiscent of a witch. “Frankie, you’ve forgotten your dinner with Francesca.”

The rainbow colors vanished from Frankie the instant Vivian said this. “Oh… oh no…”

Vivian tapped her hat with one of her fingers. “I don’t think she’s noticed yet, but you might want to hurry.”

“You take care of these sleazeballs, I’ve gotta run!” Without giving Twilight or the others another glance, he ran off at high speed, leaving them alone.

Twilight turned to Vivian. “Uh… thanks? I think?”

Vivian nodded. “You don’t look like troublemakers, which is… strange, in this town. I didn’t want him to run you out or rough you up.”

“So he doesn’t really have dinner with her?”

“Oh, he does now. I was just over there telling her all about it.” Vivian put a hand to her mouth and giggled. “They’re going to be so confused!” She snapped her fingers, letting out a spark of fire into the air. “So, I’m Vivian. Who are you?”

Twilight’s smile widened. “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle. This is Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Data, and Caspian. We’re from another world.”

Vivian pointed at the Void. “You have something to do with that, don’t you?”

Twilight nodded, her smile replaced with a grimace. “That’s what we’re trying to stop. That Void up there is a horrible, dark monstrosity that is trying to destroy all worlds. We’re in your world to seek an artifact called the Pure Heart that can put an end to it.”

“Oh…” Vivian frowned, continuing to stare at the Void. “I don’t know anything about a Pure Heart…”

“We’re also looking for the last prophesied hero,” Tippi said. “Someone who could be described as a ‘daughter of darkness’ and a ‘fiery vixen’.” She fluttered closer to Vivian. “Do you think that could be… you?”

Vivian clasped her hands together, smile returning. “It wouldn’t be the first time I went on a quest to save the world. I don’t know if I’m this ‘other hero’ for sure… but I’ll help you. I may not know anything about this Heart, but I know someone who might!”

“Thank you,” Twilight said with a slight bow. “It’s so refreshing to meet someone helpful from Rogueport! Everyone so far has been… aggressive, rude, or just tried to steal from us.”

“I’m not from Rogueport,” Vivian pointed out. “That might have something to do with it.”

“Oh. Well, surely this place isn’t that bad…”

Vivian picked up a clipping of newspaper off the ground and showed it to Twilight. Pickpocketing on the rise! Watch your wallet! And hey, pickpockets… try not to get caught! “This is pretty much the attitude of the entire city.”

“A hive of scum and villainy,” Caspian spat. “Deplorable.”

Vivian giggled slightly. “It has its charms. Though, yes, I wouldn’t recommend carrying money on your person. Ever.”

“Good advice,” Toph grumbled.

It was at this moment the Enterprise appeared in the sky above them, eclipsing the sun. There was a noticeable lack of panic from the Rogueport citizens, with the ship only eliciting a few disgruntled sighs. Vivian put a hand to her chin. “Is that yours?”

“Yes,” Data confirmed, tapping his communicator. “Data to Enterprise. Recommend not using your transporter.”

“Acknowledged,” Picard responded. “Anything to report?”

“No sign of the Pure Heart, but we have finally found a friendly face and, possibly, the last hero of the prophecy. Her name is Vivian.”

“Excellent news, Commander. Keep me posted, Picard out.”

Caspian shook his head with a smile on his face. “I’m never going to get tired of hearing the conversations that take place over several miles.”

“You don’t have E-mail in your world?” Vivian asked.

“What is… E-mail?”

“...I’ll explain later.”

Data lit up. “E-mail is a form of communi—”

“Not now, Data,” Caspian, Toph, and Twilight said at the same time.

Author's Note

[Author’s Note:

Vivian has joined the party!

Vivian’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to have Vivian disappear into the veil of darkness! She can take others with her, allowing them to hide, eavesdrop, or avoid danger!

In battle, Vivian has a wide variety of fiery attacks including shade fist and fiery jinx!]

Across the Ocean

Vivian led them through Rogueport. Simply by having her in the group, the city’s attitude toward them changed. Instead of looking at them like strangers that needed to be bullied out of the city, the citizens of Rogueport nodded to them in respect, though not in any sort of friendly manner in most cases.

“It sure appears as though you are well known,” Caspian said.

Vivian put a finger to her chin. “Well… I did help end a great evil. The whole city knows about the story at this point, so I’m a little safer than most. I also know the Piantas, and, with a little bit of dark magic, I can convince them to leave you alone if you need to stay.”

“Dark… magic?” Caspian seemed concerned.

“Of course! You didn’t think this body was just for show, did you?” She struck a pose that accentuated her curves and blew a kiss in his direction.

Caspian tensed. “Forgive me, dear Vivian, but I do have a Queen.”

“Oh!” Vivian’s confidence collapsed like a house of cards. “I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t know and of course I wouldn’t want to ever even think of…”

Caspian raised a hand. “You had no way to know. Let us move on with our quest.”

“O-okay…”

“I wouldn’t try flirting with Data either,” Toph said.

“Is he married as well…?” Vivian asked.

“That bucket of bolts? Hah! No, he just can’t feel emotions. He’d be so utterly clueless it’d be impossible for him to pick anything up.”

“I am not entirely hopeless in romantic situations,” Data pointed out. “I am fully functional and well-versed in the theory.”

“I see what you mean,” Vivian nodded to Toph.

“Utterly clueless,” Toph agreed. “Makes it all the more awkward for Twilight, you know.”

“Oh, it does?”

Twilight sputtered, blushing slightly. “T-toph! Data is a valued member of this team and an absolutely amazing machine and brilliant mind. H-he is not…”

Data stared at her incredulously, cocking his head.

“Uh…”

“Think of it!” Toph said, spreading her arms wide. “You’d be perfect for each other! The genius wizard of friendship and the android who wants to be human! C’mon, tell me there isn’t chemistry there!”

Cosmo scratched her chin. “You know what, I could see it…”

Tippi joined in. “They do talk about science all the time.”

“You don’t know the half of it!” Toph grinned. “When I was brooding in Narnia, she and Data were sitting on logs just outside the campfire together talking deep philosophy. That’s a dork’s romantic dream, right?”

“Oooh!” Tippi giggled.

“You know, Toph,” Cosmo giggled, “I didn’t take you for a wingman.”

“Friends, friends,” Caspian said, laying a hand on Twilight’s back. “Let’s back off a bit, shall we? As good fun as it is to fluster one another, we do have a job to do, and it would not reflect on us well if our leader were walking around with a permanent embarrassed flush on her face.”

Twilight shot Caspian a look.

“...I am afraid I do not understand everything that is transpiring,” Data said. “Am I supposed to infe—”

“Not now, Data,” Twilight and Caspian said at the same time.

Data cocked his head but remained silent.

Vivian let out a giggle that pierced the silence. “I can already tell I’m going to love it with all of you. It always seems to be a band of random crazy people who save the world.”

“Agreed,” Toph said. “...Wait, who here hasn’t been part of a motley crew that saved the world before?”

“Um… just me,” Tippi said. “The rest of you were already heroes before this…”

“And you’re the one who brings us together,” Cosmo reminded her. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

“I don’t think I’ll have a problem with that anymore,” Tippi said. “...Vivian, how much longer until we arrive?”

Vivian pointed at a nearby house. “That’s where Professor Frankly lives. He might be able to help us.” She knocked on the door. “Helloooo!” she sang.

A gruff voice came from within the building. “Go away, I’m busy cross-referencing ancient breeds of mushroom to the modern strains!”

“But Professor, it’s Vivian! And I’ve got a bunch of heroes looking to save the world!”

“Again!?”

“Yep!”

The door flew open, revealing one of the short, two-legged creatures. This particular specimen had gray hair, wrinkles, and crazy glasses with swirled manufacturing imperfections in the lenses. “Well, get in here! Tell me your story so I can figure out how little I know!” He let out a half-mad laugh and waddled back behind his desk.

Everyone crowded into the small house that was filled with shelves upon shelves of ancient books, disheveled pieces of paper, and maps spread over every nook and cranny. It was a mess, but Twilight recognized it as an organized mess—reminding her of her old library in the midst of a mad study session.

“Well you’re all certainly a motley crew,” Frankly said, looking all of them over. “I don’t recognize half of your species!”

Twilight smirked, getting a feeling that this would be fun—and a welcome change of pace from the previous conversation. “I’m Princess Twilight Sparkle. That’s Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Commander Data, and King Caspian. We’re not from this world.”

“WHAT!?” Frankly shouted loud enough to drop Toph, Cosmo, and Caspian to the ground. “Another world!?”

“Several different worlds, actually,” Twilight continued, enjoying watching Frankly’s jaw hang open even wider. “I’m from Equis. There’s also Flipside, Diqiu, Mobius, Hume, Narnia…”

“Egads… You must have something to do with the darkness in the sky!”

Vivian nodded. “Yes, Professor. They call it… the Void.”

Twilight took in a deep breath. “It was created by a dark creature by the name of Count Bleck who wishes to destroy all worlds.”

Frankly gasped. “DESTROY ALL WORLDS!?” Caspian had just finished standing back up when the shout hit and was soon down on the ground again. “Great galloping goombas, that’s worse than everything! Ever!”

“No kidding,” Toph muttered, cleaning out her ears.

“We are the prophesied heroes, destined to stop this evil atrocity,” Cosmo said. “We have been traveling the worlds, looking for the Pure Hearts, artifacts of love and reality that can oppose its power.”

“Pure Heart?” Frankly started jumping up and down.

“You’ve heard of it?” Data asked.

“By the great toe fungus, I have!” He ran over to a shelf and picked up a book in his mouth, dropping it on his main desk. “Ever since the Void appeared, I’ve been researching all I could about dark magics and shadows. I even asked Vivian to drop by in case her nature could help. And together, we found this…” He flipped through the pages, arriving at a picture of a woman of darkness reaching her hands around the world. Her image visibly upset Vivian and greatly unsettled Twilight—this woman’s darkness was filled with stars, reminding her of Count Bleck’s cape. However, the image also provided a distant sense of hope; in the center, there was a gleaming heart holding the darkness back.

“What are we looking at?” Toph asked. “Please, tell me, I have no idea.”

“This is the Shadow Queen,” Frankly said.

“The Shadow Queen?” Data cocked his head. “We found evidence of her activities on Hume in ancient times.”

“WHAT!?” Frankly bounced back. “She was an interdimensional interloper!?”

“Could you not?” Toph snapped.

“Not what?”

“I… Ugh, never mind.” Toph said, massaging her forehead.

Data leaned down to investigate the book. “It appears she was in this universe as well.”

“She was stuck in this universe,” Frankly said. “Imprisoned beneath the earth until recently.”

“And now?”

Frankly turned to Vivian. “Vivian, the legendary hero Mario, and several others destroyed her.”

“Y-yes,” Vivian said, nodding. “We did. We saved the world!”

“She looks kind of like you,” Cosmo observed.

“I… yes.” Vivian sagged. “She was my mother.”

Twilight put a calming wing on Vivian. “The mistakes of our families do not define us.”

“I… I know.” Vivian shook her head, a smile returning to her face. “And she’s gone now, so she can’t hurt us. This is all ancient history.”

“Quite,” Frankly said. “Anyway, in this one book, there is mention that when she first tried to conquer the world with darkness, there was one thing that held her back: a brilliant spark of love.”

“She could not defeat it,” Data summarized as he read. “So she threw it into the stars…”

“We already knew it was off-planet,” Tippi said, fluttering closer. “I can’t sense it’s direction, so it has to be far away.”

“But we have no way to know where,” Twilight said. “For all we know, it could be a different universe she threw it into.”

“No,” Tippi said. “It’s in this one. I know that much.”

“Still, it could be cleverly hidden… she has the same stars as Count Bleck did.” Twilight traced her wingtip across the page. “Maybe she had the power of the Void as well.”

“Do you think she used the Dark Prognosticus?” Tippi asked.

“The… the Dark…” Vivian drifted away from the book. “That’s…”

“What is it, my dear?” the Professor asked.

“My sister… she said something about that, once.” Vivian shivered. “It terrified her.”

Twilight turned to Vivian, her face serious. “Then we might need to see your sister. Is that… okay?”

“Yes, yes, she’s… fine, these days, but… it’s not a pleasant memory.”

“Where is she now?”

“She told me she was on Delfino Island, taking a vacation.”

“Then that’s where we’re going,” Twilight said. “Data, call the Enterprise, ask them to pick us up.”

“I’m sure I can get you a boat ride easily,” Frankly offered.

“Thank you, Professor,” Data said. “But this will be faster.” He tapped his communicator.

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47932.9

The planet below has no warp-capable civilization and no Pure Heart, so we’re turning our gaze outward. Unfortunately, this has proven difficult, as gravity itself does not appear to follow the laws of physics as we know them. Most of the Enterprise’s systems are fully operational—with the notable exception of the transporters—but I am hesitant to engage the warp drive, and it isn’t because it was recently disabled.

I’m just concerned we’ll run into something the moment we try moving.

~~~

Picard stared at the image on the screen in disbelief. Flat worlds, he could accept—those just followed entirely different rules. Worlds with magic, that was fine, many entities they had encountered in Hume could be considered magic to many eyes.

But this was too much.

Planets and moons flitted across Picard’s screen. Most of them were no larger than a house, and yet they interacted with each other as if they had full Earth gravity—for the most part. Some appeared to be flat earth-style constructions, while still others had inverted gravity or miniature black holes in the center. And yet, somehow, all this chaos didn’t create a cascading effect of destruction.

The galaxy had normal stars and planets, and even a regular moon, but it also had these ridiculous things everywhere.

“Analysis?” Picard asked.

Tails shrugged. “I don’t like it either, Captain.”

“Are you telling me there’s no rhyme, reason, or pattern to this?”

“Not that the computer or I can tell.”

Picard put a hand to his forehead, letting out a sigh. “We’ll have to take it slow. Impulse only for the foreseeable future. And—”

“Incoming distress call,” Worf said, pressing a few buttons on his console. “One light-year away.”

“What kind of signal?” Picard asked.

“Subspace transmission, similar to our own. It is the only one I am detecting on any frequency.”

“And so we are the only ship in range, naturally…” Picard nodded. “Tails, plot a course, but fly carefully. Jump to warp if you believe it is safe to do so.”

“It’ll take a while for us to get there,” Tails said.

“All the more reason we can’t afford to waste time. Engage. Mr. Worf, keep a constant tactical scan active in case this is some kind of trap, but don’t raise shields until you’re sure we’re being attacked.”

“Aye, sir,” Worf reported.

Tails waved the Enterprise through a series of orbiting vortexes similar to black holes, finding an area of space that was relatively empty. He jumped to warp three for a few seconds before pulling back, banking away from a miniature blue star with glass-like cubes orbiting it.

“Fascinating…” Picard said, shaking his head. “Nothing like this would be possible in our world.”

“It must be a nightmare to run equations for all this,” Tails said, scratching his head.

“I can imagine,” Riker agreed.

“Data to Enterprise,” Data’s voice came in over the comm.

“Go ahead, Data,” Picard said.

“We request transport to another island on the surface of the planet.”

“I’m afraid transporters aren’t functional and we’re currently responding to a distress call. I’m afraid you’re on your own for the time being.”

“Ah. Then we shall procure local transport. I wish you luck, Captain.”

“You too. Picard out.” Picard shook his head. “What a time to get a distress call. Worf, is there any response?”

“None, sir. The call may be automated.”

Picard sat back down. “Some things never change between universes.”

“What do you mean?” Tails asked.

“We answer a lot of distress calls,” Riker explained. “About a third of them end up being a trap of some kind.”

“Oh. That has to be annoying.”

“It is very inconvenient.”

~~~

The ship they had procured was a small steamboat piloted by the same race as Professor Frankly—a race called goombas, as Twilight had been recently informed. How the pilot managed to steer the ship without hands or even adaptable limbs was beyond Twilight, but she decided it wasn’t worth it to ask questions at the moment. Instead, she stood on the prow of the ship, letting the sea air blow through her mane. Out here, she could take her deep breath and enjoy the salty refreshment of the ocean without gagging on the scent of nearby trash.

She was actually glad the Enterprise had been occupied, since otherwise this journey would have been over far too quickly. There would have been no time to appreciate the vast, open sea so similar and yet so different from the oceans of her home.

“I always long for the sea,” Caspian said, walking up to the railing with her. “When I was younger, I took my prized ship, the Dawn Treader out into the world in hopes that I would find the lost friends of my father. Some I found, others I found dead—but it was still an amazing journey to the end of the world. I made many close friends on that ship.”

“And now you’re on a ship with close friends,” Twilight said. “A voyage to a vacation resort on a distant world.”

“So many fanciful beings in this world,” Caspian said. “So unlike anything I’ve ever imagined. I thought the races of Narnia were varied, but I am delighted to be proven wrong.”

“Even with Vivian?”

Caspian’s smile faltered slightly. “Her essence… makes me uneasy.”

“Not all born in darkness must remain there, you should know that,” Twilight said.

“I am aware, and she seems amiable enough. However, her magic is undeniably dark.”

“I know dark magic too,” Twilight pointed out. “Does that make you think less of me?”

“You… You do!?”

Twilight nodded, closing her eyes and touching a spark inside her that she rarely prodded. Dark, purple wisps of miasma drifted out of the corner of her eyes, and her horn sparkled with a noxious green dotted with purple blobs. The spell erupted from her horn in a burst of harsh lightning, creating a crystal in midair that screamed with a haunting melody. It twisted in the air a few times before shattering into a million pieces, each piece shooting at a piece of flotsam nearby. Every shard exploded on contact, destroying the target.

Caspian stared at it in shock.

Twilight’s eyes returned to normal. “I rarely use it… it fills my spirit with disgust. But it’s not inherently evil, just more chaotic and destructive. Creatures born in it don’t feel the same unease I do, and would be a lot more comfortable using it all the time.”

“Dark magic is only supposed to be for the Hags and the Witch and…”

“Maybe that’s the way it is in your world,” Twilight said. “It’s not the same out here. Each world’s magic is different, just as each world’s rules are different.”

“Hmm…” Caspian gripped the railing of the ship. “I am unsure. But I know for certain that you have a pure, honest heart and that Aslan called to you when he sent us out to this world. So I will follow you for his sake, no matter my reservations.”

“That’s… something, I guess. Try to keep an open mind, Caspian, okay?”

“I shall make the attempt.”

At the back of the ship, Toph slammed her fist into her palm. “And then I launched him into orbit!”

“Doubtful,” Data said. “You do not have the energy outpu—”

Vivian nudged him. “Let her tell it, I like it this way.”

“Girl understands a good story,” Toph said with a chuckle. “So, anyway, I guess we’re going to have to ignore the orbit part, and instead talk about how I made myself armor out of metal!”

Cosmo gasped. “You didn’t…”

“I did! I crashed into the door and wrapped it around myself, laying waste to those firebending losers! It was great!”

“Let’s be clear,” Vivian said. “They weren't losers because they were firebenders, right?”

Toph paused. “Uh… what?”

Vivian lit a fire on the tip of her finger and tilted her hat back slightly.

“Oh! Of course not, I’ve known some pretty cool firebenders in my time. ...Though most of them did try to kill me at some point.”

“You were fighting in a war against them,” Cosmo pointed out.

“Well… yeah that explains it.” Toph cleared her throat. “But back to storytime! Otherwise known as ‘Toph is Awesome’ Time!”

From the front of the ship, Twilight chuckled. “They seem to be getting along well.”

Caspian nodded. “A good sign. Our bond will need to be strong to face what lies ahead.”

As the ship drifted onward, the beautiful sunlit sky began to abate as they passed into a field of fog. The moisture began to cling to Twilight’s fur, making her decidedly uncomfortable. “Ugh, why fog?”

Caspian raised an eyebrow. “This is the ocean, Twilight. Fog is a normal part of the journey.”

“I know. I don’t have to like it, though.”

“Stupid fog!” Toph called. “You’re ruining the mood of my story!”

Vivian lit a fire at the tip of her fingers. “Then maybe switch it to a spooooky one.”

“You should be the one to tell a spooky story,” Cosmo said.

“Oh, uh, I guess it would fit…” Vivian cleared her throat. “So, back before I was on Mario’s side, my sisters and I visited this place called Twilight Town. The sun never set there, and there was an evil curse that was slowly turning the townspeople into pigs…”

The voyage continued. People mingled, told stories, and played games. However, the longer they sailed, the thicker and thicker the fog got, until Twilight couldn’t see all the way across the boat.

“By Celestia, this is thick.” Twilight jumped down to the rest of the deck, where Cosmo and Data were playing cards. Data was winning.

“How are you so good at this?” Cosmo asked, fidgeting with her cards.

“I played with the crew of the Enterprise almost every week,” Data said. “I have learned many strategies for betting and bluffing.”

“Data, can you still see through this fog?” Twilight asked.

“Not much further than you can,” Data said.

“And I’m useless!” Toph called. “Few feet out into the water and then I’ve got nothing.”

“Hmm… Tippi?”

Tippi fluttered upward. “It is thicker than it should be.”

Data nodded. “I’ll be on guard. If anything approaches, I will be aw—”

“OoooooOOOOooooOOOoo…” a voice came from all directions, setting Twilight’s hair on end.

“We’re gonna be turned into pigs!” Toph shouted.

“Show yourself, fiend!” Caspian said, drawing his sword.

“You foooooOOOoooools…” the voice called. “You sail intoooOOOoooo my waters…”

“It was unintentional!” Twilight called. “We’re just on our way to Delfino!”

“Hoping for a vacation? Well… too bad!”

From her position near the edge of the ship, Twilight saw another ship composed of black wood appear from the fog, waving a jolly roger in their face. It physically rammed them, tipping the tiny ship to the side. As everyone was drawing their weapons and readying their spells, the black ship’s canons erupted, tearing through the tiny ship with ease. Twilight went flying, barely able to flap fast enough to keep herself from crashing into the water.

“Hahahahah!” the suddenly-a-lot-less-ethereal voice called from the dark ship. “You have fallen!” Several dozen sparks of blue fire appeared both on the dark ship and on their sinking craft, every flame carrying with it sharp yellow eyes. The voice itself manifested as a massive skull wearing a pirate hat that floated just in front of their prow. Vertebrae slid together behind the head, forming a snake-like body with several arms, all of which held a different blade of fine craftsmanship.

Twilight took a step back from the skeletal monstrosity. “Wh…”

The skeleton pirate laughed. “Surrender yourselves to me, the great pirat—”

“CORTEZ!” Vivian shouted at the top of her lungs, rising out of the water below.

“Wait, Vivian?” Cortez dropped his weapons and stared at the shadowy woman. “What are you doing out here?”

“Sailing to Delfino! Why’d you attack us?”

“I’m a pirate! I capture ships and treasure! What do you think I was doing?”

Vivian put her hands on her hips. “Well, it was very inconsiderate.”

“How was I supposed to know you were on board?”

“Asking?”

“I’m a legendary ghost pirate! I don’t ask!”

Caspian lowered his sword. “Do you… know each other?”

“You could say that,” Vivian admitted. “We’re old friends from back when I was with Mario. He helped us get around the world and fought off a ship full of technology-obsessed creeps.”

“Best battle I’ve ever had!” Cortez declared, laughing. “Good times, good times.”

“Now, Cortez…”

“Yes, Vivian?”

Vivian dropped her smile and shouted at him. “You’re taking us to Delfino Island to make up for all this!” She gestured at the sinking ship she was standing on.

“But I’m on a plundering voyage!”

“You should have thought about that before you attacked us.”

“But I… You can’t… I… ugh, fine! All of you get on my ship, I’ll take you to Delfino. I’ve been meaning to enjoy the refreshments myself eventually, anyway.”

One of the blue flames glared at Cortez with a “seriously?” expression.

“I’m the Captain, and I’m saying we’re going to Delfino! Plot a course! And get rid of this awful fog, it’s terrible for enjoying the ocean scenery.”

In an instant, the skies were clear and the sun was shining down on them once more.

Their ship was still sinking, though, so they couldn’t stand and appreciate it for long. They all crawled onto Cortez’s ship and sailed off to Delfino Isle with a bunch of ghost pirates.

...Stranger things have happened.

Remaining Chunks of the Shadow

Picard walked onto the bridge. “Status report!”

“We’re coming up on the source of the distress signal now, sir,” Riker reported. “Just have to navigate around a bunch of giant honeycomb walls.”

“Am I correct in assuming you’re using those words literally?”

Riker gestured at the screen, currently displaying a large wall made entirely out of honeycombs, most of which were dripping with honey. The structure was accentuated by a large number of giant bees fluttering around. Even though they were in space, this area had an atmosphere, so it appeared with blue skies to their visual sensors.

Tails took the Enterprise around one of the walls, only to find another one in the way. Banking to the side, he went under the bottom edge and pulled up, coming to the source of the distress call.

It was a ship, all right, clearly intended to be spherical but covered in so many dents and scratches that it hardly appeared as such anymore. An “X” symbol with two circles at the center was the only identifying mark on the ship.

Picard didn’t even bother to ask if it matched anything in their records—this was another universe, of course they wouldn’t have any information on it. “Scan for life signs.”

“I’ve got one!” Tails said, grinning. “Pretty strong, too!”

“Injured?”

“I don’t think so… It’s a little lower than healthy, so… maybe asleep?”

“Try hailing. Basic friendly message, offer for assistance.”

A smile came to Tails’ face. “That woke him up.”

“Why wasn’t he responding before?” Riker wondered.

“Perhaps we are about to find out…” Picard said.

“We are being hailed,” Worf said, pressing a few buttons.

“Onscreen.”

The screen showed a large, round creature dressed head to toe in a black and purple uniform. The only indication it even had eyes were a pair of lenses nestled between a red collar and purple cap with two points on top that might have been horns. A large white “X” crossed the lower part of the uniform, similar to the “X” on the outside of the ship without the extra circles. “Buh buh buh buh!” the creature gagged. “I’m Lord Crump! I need… assistance. Please, you can’t leave me out here, helpless to the hunters of space!”

“I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship, Enterprise. Your ship is small enough that we can bring it into our shuttle bay.”

“Yes, yes, whatever, just do it quickly! She could get here at any moment!”

“Mr. Worf, tractor beam,” Picard ordered. “Lord Crump, who is hunting you?”

“The Witch of the Galaxy, the Observer of all Planets! Mistress of the Comets!”

“We are new in this section of the galaxy, you’ll have to forgive us for not being well versed in the local dangers.”

“Captain!” Worf called. “Long-range sensors have picked up a ship moving towards us at high-warp. It’s… maneuvering through the planets with alarming precision. It will be here in seconds.”

“It’s her!” Crump waved his arms in a panic. “We’re doomed!”

“Shields up, weapons ready!” Picard ordered, sitting down in his chair and bracing himself. “Make sure Crump’s ship is within our field.”

“Already done,” Worf reported.

“Good. Continue with taking him in. For now… send a pre-emptive hail to our incoming friend.”

~~~

As Cortez’s ship approached their destination, Vivian suddenly started vibrating and ringing.

“Vivian, you appear to be about to explode,” Cortez deadpanned.

Vivian tilted her head in such a way that suggested she was rolling her eyes, not that anyone could tell through her hair. She pulled a small, metallic device out of her hat and pressed a button. “I’m just getting an E-mail.”

“A communication?” Caspian asked.

“Yes, from Mario, an old friend.” Vivian pressed a few buttons, opening the message.

“Ah, Mario...” Cortez chuckled. “I would be eager to cross swords with him again.”

“He hit you with a hammer.”

“It was an expression!”

Vivian ignored Cortez, frown deepening as she read. “Well, Mario doesn’t know anything about the Pure Heart. He wishes us luck, but he won’t be joining us. He’s still looking for his brother, Luigi.”

“I believe I met that Luigi, once,” Cortez said. “Sailing into Rogueport, I was. He had a deep-fried blooper following him. I have to admire the ‘stache, though.”

“He’s an odd character,” Vivian admitted. “I hope he’s okay.”

“I’m sure he is,” Cosmo encouraged. “But right now, we’re on our mission, and Mario’s on his. We… have arrived on Delfino Island!”

They pulled into the docks of a brilliant, tropical island. A volcano rose in the distance surrounded by a lush jungle. Attached to the docks were a beautiful set of white resort buildings with golden, tipped roofs that just screamed “glamorous tropical paradise” to all who arrived. Several ships were in the harbor, ranging from poor little dinghies to fanciful yachts.

They stepped off Cortez’s ship, standing on the dock. The sweet smells of a tropical paradise met their noses, letting them know exactly where they were. A place of relaxation.

The workers of Delfino were not as relaxed, since they could see Cortez.

“W-w-welcome to Delfino Plaza!” a goomba managed. “W-w-we’ll, uh, be glad to serve to your every need!”

“Good!” Cortez declared with a booming laugh, summoning several piles of gold coins to him. “Now, get me the best room you have available and prepare a feast.”

“A-and the rest of you?”

“We’re just here to visit my sister,” Vivian said. “We don’t expect to be here long.”

“O-okay…”

Vivian led the group off the dock and into the plaza itself. The sights were much cleaner and smoother than Rogueport. Here, people walked around with smiles on their faces and luxurious drinks in their hands. The sun was shining, the world was bright, and the smell of tropical fruit wouldn’t go away. Twilight suspected she would get tired of the scent if she stayed here too long.

“So… where’s your sister staying?” Twilight asked.

“Hmm... I’m not sure…” Vivian waved down a waiter, which turned out to be a blue Pianta creature, though without the suit the ones in Rogueport had. “Hello, I’m looking for my sister. She’s made of shadow like me and wears a blue hat, little on the grumpy side?”

“Right this way, ma’am.”

He led them around to the beachfront, where several people were all lounging in chairs, soaking up the sun. A being similar to Vivian, but much smaller and with a more angular shape, sat in one of the chairs furthest from the actual water, a cheesy grin on her face. She must have sensed them coming since she was already moving to glare right at them through her blue striped hat. “Well well well, if it isn’t little miss pug-ugly back at it again with a band of outrageously disheveled misfits.”

Vivian put her hands on her hips. “And I can see the winner of the ‘world’s jerkiest sister’ contest is trying to defend her title.”

The two glared at each other, prompting Twilight to shuffle her hooves awkwardly.

Then the two shadows burst into laughter, the blue one grabbed Vivian’s hand and brought her close. “What in the name of the outer darkness are you doing here, Vivian? I thought you were busy doing ‘research’ for that old coot I knocked out with a brick that one time.”

“His name is Professor Frankly and he’s brilliant and if I didn't have it on good authority that he was always insane, I would be here to accuse you of causing him brain damage.”

“Oh, really? Is that all? Not gonna yell at the old crone once more for old time’s sake?”

Vivian giggled. “Oh, Beldam! I get enough of that when I complain about you when you’re not there! It has the added bonus of not prompting you to insult my appearance, intelligence, life choices, friend choices, philosophy, personality, face, smile, frown, hair—”

“All right, all right, enough already,” Beldam let out a cackle. “I would enjoy sparring for old time’s sake but clearly you’re here because you need something, as evidenced by the aforementioned band of outrageously disheveled misfits.” She gestured at Twilight and the others. “And yes, I do mean to offend, deal with it.”

Data cocked his head. “Fascinating.”

Toph shook her head. “Ugh, when I get old, I’m gonna be nothing like you or any of the other grumpy old people. It’s so lame.”

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch, girly,” Beldam cackled. “So, what is it you need?”

Vivian’s sisterly smile vanished. “Beldam… do you remember home?”

A look of deep concern crossed Beldam’s face. “I… I try not to think about it. Why?”

“Because someone’s using the Dark Prognosticus to try to destroy all worlds.” Vivian pointed at the Void in the sky. “And I… don’t remember anything about home.”

“You wouldn’t, you were born the day before we left,” Beldam humphed. “What kind of daft fool would use that book? Even mother knew…” She let out a deep sigh. “Aight, young’uns! Listen up, Beldam’s got a story to tell…”

~~~

The sky was cream-colored, the only bright thing about the location. Everything else was a deep, solid black built up in the shape of a castle. White lines traced the edges of every shape, providing defined edges to the nothingness. Deep within the seemingly endless towers and rooms of this construction was a room with several pillars—the inner council.

Atop the highest and largest pillar was a horrible being of darkness, stars winking in and out of her body. Her form was largely miasmic, taking the form of a tornado moving in slow motion. Two massive hands erupted from the coil that was her body; thin and papery limbs that nonetheless looked ready to tear into any flesh that dared oppose her. Upon her eyeless head sat a golden crown with numerous jewels.

Floating just in front of her face was a book—locked and closed shut so its dark secrets could not be so easily accessed.

“When was the last time I engaged with the Dark Prognosticus?” the Shadow Queen asked.

One of the three shadowy entities standing at her feet responded—the blue hatted Beldam. “Two days ago, mother.”

“Remind me of my instructions when I returned, before the memory wipe?”

“To execute the Blue Clan.”

“And has this been carried out?”

Beldam sighed. “It appears as though our orders were not carried out. Bluriza has too many followers.”

“Guuuuh!” the second shadowy creature, this larger one in a yellow hat, blurted. Beldam and the Shadow Queen ignored her. The third shadowy creature was playing with a pink hat that was far too big; a shadow not even old enough to talk.

“What do they think will be gained by ignoring my command?” The Shadow Queen drummed her fingers against her pedestal, scowling. “I have driven our traitorous Wandering brethren to the brink of extinction, I have guided the worlds into our hands, I have used the pages of this book without falling to despair. All our power was through my acts. They would dare to defy me?”

“Apparently,” Beldam said. “We should consider activating our little gift from the Q…”

“No. I will face them on my own. They are coming to face me, are they not?”

“The alarms have already been tripped. And the guards are out cold.”

“Fascinating… they have something I am not aware of.” The Shadow Queen grinned. “This should be interesting…”

The doors to the chamber were thrown open. Hundreds of shadows poured in, each wearing white top hats, distinctly different from the striped caps of Beldam and her sisters. In front of them was a tall, proud man wearing red spectacles and holding a scepter of pure crystal. At his side was his much smaller, but much more defiant son.

“So you openly defy me with hats of all things,” The Shadow Queen chuckled. “Excessively petty, Bluriza.”

The shadowy man in the front adjusted his spectacles with one hand and pointed his scepter at the Shadow Queen with the other. “The book has driven you mad, Lilith.”

“You dare address the Queen by name!?” Beldam shrieked.

“Let him speak. He is a dead man anyway, he has the right to ignore all cordialities.” The Shadow Queen chuckled. “You know my procedure. You approved it yourself.”

“Then the book must be driving you mad in the short time you have memory of it,” Bluriza said. “I have failed, for it has made you decree the death of me and my family.”

“I am sure there was a good reason. Have not all my other decries turned out properly? Have you not considered the possibility that the Dark Prognosticus speaks of your family betraying the Tribe of Darkness right here, right now?”

“It… had occurred to me, yes,” Bluriza admitted. “But what else can I do?”

“Nothing, I suppose. Though I am disappointed you have enough loyalists to even attempt to overturn one of my orders. Those who pledged themselves to you will learn what pain actually means.”

“No. Your reign is at an end, Lilith.” Bluriza stepped forward. “The incantation should have been completed by now.”

“What!?” The Shadow Queen’s smile fell.

“Blumiere, now!”

Bluriza’s son jumped forward, pulling a brilliant heart-shaped crystal out of his coat. It shone with a brilliant, holy light that swapped colors every half second, jarringly switching from blue to red to purple to white and back again, sometimes trying to display two colors at once. “I never liked you, witch.”

“A Pure Heart? No, wait… the Experiment…”

“The what?” Beldam asked, more than a little confused by what was happening.

“Your terror is at an end!” Blumiere threw the heart. Whatever incantation had been layered up activated, surrounding the Experiment in a ring of dark energy.

The Shadow Queen reached out with her power, draining the Experiment of its energy. “Even this is not enough to end me.” It reverted from a crystal of immeasurable power to an inert stone, falling to the black ground unceremoniously. But the spell had already done what it needed to. Reality bent and bowed. Part of the Shadow Queen’s essence was torn out of her being, the spell particularly targeting her power over dimensions. “No!” A portal opened up behind her, exiling her and her children far from the Castle of Darkness.

Bluzira let out a deep sigh, walking toward the stone heart. “...Tragic, but it served its purpose.”

Blumiere nodded, opening his mouth to speak—but the Dark Prognosticus fell loudly in front of his feet, jarring his thoughts.

“What a terrible book,” Bluzira said, shaking his head. “If we cannot destroy it, we will lock it away, never to be uncovered.”

“Of course, father.”

~~~

“...And then we were here,” Beldam finished. “The Queen rampaged across the world until she found the Pure Heart. She wanted to destroy it, but it wouldn't even let her drain it. So she used all the resources she could get her hands on to place a curse on it and eject it into deep space where it wouldn’t bother her ever again. So long as she lived, the Heart would be inaccessible due to the curse. Of course, she doesn’t exist anymore, so the curse would be gone, but I have no idea where the Heart is or how to find it.”

“...What happened to home after we left?” Vivian asked.

“I have no idea,” Beldam shrugged. “Bluzira probably took control, becoming some Shadow King or something, with that smug idiot Blumiere taking my place.”

“Blumiere…” Tippi said, reflecting on the name.

“These days I hope they did a better job than we did.” Beldam stretched her back before sitting back down on her chair. “With mother gone, it’s clear that she was creating a Tribe of monsters.”

Vivian shook her head. “That’s behind us, Beldam.”

“Is it? She was sealed behind that Thousand-Year Door for a thousand years, and none of us ever thought that maybe we shouldn’t wake her up.”

“W-well, if we hadn’t, the Pure Heart would still be locked away! Now it can be reached! We have spaceships, we can probably fly around and find it… eventually.”

“Good luck finding out where it is. I… wait a minute.” Beldam sat up. “Vivian, do you remember those X-Naut fellows?”

“Um… yes?”

“They came in spaceships. They came specifically looking for a great power hidden in the planet. They might have found her curse and traced its energy back here.”

“But… we haven’t seen an X-Naut in years!” Vivian wrung her hands. “How are we going to find one?”

“That…” Beldam broke out into a grin. “Is your problem. I’m on vacation.” She leaned back in her chair, chuckling to herself. “Go and save the worlds. Try not to screw it up! I like my beach!”

Twilight took a step forward. “Thank you for your help, Beldam. That… couldn’t have been easy for you to remember.”

“Darn right it wasn’t. Now get out of my sun!”

~~~

“The Experiment…” Twilight muttered.

“Is it bothering you?” Cosmo asked.

They had decided to stop for lunch at one of the resort’s cafes. It was very expensive, but apparently Vivian knew a local Princess who would cover it on her tab. They had all ordered tropical fruit salads with accompanying fruit juice. Nobody could identify any of the fruits, not even Data, who had been able to spit out a report on how close it was, in percentage, to all the fruit he had on file.

“It is bothering me,” Twilight said. “A Pure Heart-like thing. It has to be important.”

“Beldam didn’t know anything,” Vivian said.

“And the Shadow Queen is toast, so we can’t ask her,” Toph added. “There’s no way for us to figure anything out.”

“I’m programmed to know about the Pure Hearts,” Tippi said. “If there was anything like that, I would know. ...If the Ancient Wanderers knew when they built Flipside, that is.”

“Something tells me that Beldam’s story is slightly more recent…” Caspian said, frowning. “This goes much further back than any of us realize. Before my world was even born…”

“But we’ll figure it out!” Cosmo encouraged. “I know we will.”

“Right… so, file that away for later.” Twilight pressed her front hooves together. “How do we find an X-Nauts?”

“The wreckage of their base on the moon, maybe?” Vivian suggested.

“As soon as the Enterprise gets back, sure,” Twilight said. “But, is there anything we can do before that?”

“They had an old base beneath Rogueport…” Vivian put a hand to her chin. “It’s not much, but it has some old tech.”

Twilight actually beamed. “I… get to research abandoned technology!”

“Let’s be real,” Toph said. “Data is going to research, you’re going to watch and drool.”

“I don’t drool!”

Data tilted his head. “I have observe—”

Twilight rammed her head into the table and let out an exasperated groan.

Cosmo giggled. “Whatever we end up doing, it w—”

“GRAH-GOOGLY!”

The Void deposited O’Chunks right on top of their table.

“Ha-hah! Yeh really were here! Gotta hand it to the man, it is much nicer to just know where yeh are! Now, O’Chunks has come t’ hammer yeh to the gro—”

Toph earthbent a pillar out of the ground, smacking O’Chunks between the legs again, flinging him into the middle of Delfino Plaza. Toph cracked her knuckles. “Aight, everyone stand back, I’ve got this.”

“Are you su—” Twilight began.

“Yeah, I’m not even going to let him have a chance.”

“Yeh… facin’ me alone, lass?” O’Chunks laughed. “That’ll be yer doom! O’Chu—”

Toph tore a metal lamp post out of the ground and smacked O’Chunks across the head with it. He teetered backward, only for her to tear a fountain off its pedestal and drop it on him. He punched through it, directing his fist right for her jaw, but she sidestepped him and used a plank of stone to bury him into the ground.

“Geh…” He burst out, grabbing for her. “Yeh w—”

Wordlessly, Toph threw six boulders at his face with a simple stomp and push motion. Swiveling her foot backward, she rotated the earth under him to make him run right into another lamp post. Moving her hands back and forth rapidly she erupted numerous pillars of earth out of the ground, pummeling all over the front of his body.

“I—”

“Quiet,” Toph said, tripping him with a sweeping roll of the earth beneath his feet, trapping his head beneath the ground. He was able to punch out, but she was ready for him, flinging another lamppost right at his face.

He stumbled forward. “I’ll… getcha… yet…” He swung his fist.

Toph caught it with her own. “You’re weak.”

“Am…” he collapsed. “Not…”

“You’re never going to be able to take us. Even if you somehow got the upper hand on me, there’s six others just begging to teach you a lesson. No matter who you send, it will always be the same. Do you understand?”

“Yeh have bested me…” O’Chunks admitted, lowering his head. “I turn myself over to yeh.”

“That’s better.”

He spread his arms wide, exposing his chest. “Now finish the job. Put an end to me, as you deserve.”

“What!?” Toph took a startled step back. “N-no, I’m not going to do that!”

“I have lost me honor!” O’Chunks spat. “There is nothing left for a warrior like me who can never win.”

“I’m not taking you out, and even if I wanted to, Twilight wouldn’t let me.”

O’Chunks glared at Twilight. “Yeh won’t let yeh warriors finish the job?”

“No,” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “And I never will, unless it becomes absolutely necessary. Right now… it is not.”

“But… but…”

“Salutations, O’Chunks!” With a burst of energy and a ripple of time, Dimentio appeared behind him. “How are things going?”

“Can you buzz off, Dimentio?” O’Chunks groaned. “I’m a wee bit busy…”

“Oh, yes, I can see that. Giving up all hope, resigning yourself to the endless outer darkness. Yes yes, quite honorable, though it will annoyingly prevent me from showing you my latest project.”

“I don’t give two shakes of a meatloaf about yer project.”

“Even one that needs you… to help Count Bleck?” Dimentio grinned.

“...Don’t listen to him,” Cosmo said, hands to her mouth. “He… he wants to do something to you.”

O’Chunks stood up. “If he wants to do something t’ me that ‘elps the Count… I don’t care what it is anymore!” He struck a pose that flexed his muscles. “We’ll meet again, heroes, you mark my words!” The Void took him away.

Dimentio chuckled. “Well well well, quite an easy fiddle to play, isn’t he?” He looked directly at Cosmo. “You should have pushed a little harder, he is not hard to break at all!”

“What’s your angle?” Toph demanded.

“All in due time, my papercraft wannabes! All in due time… Ciao!” He snapped his fingers, vanishing in a puff of dimensional energy.

“...Has anyone else noticed that he never uses the Void to travel?” Twilight asked, swallowing.

“I have,” Data said.

“For some reason, that terrifies me. Where… where does he get his power?”

“Ahem.” A resort worker had walked up to them. “I’m going to have to ask you to pay for all the damages you’ve just caused.”

Toph glanced at all the wreckage she’d just created in the fight with O’Chunks. A fountain was broken, most of the road was trash, and several lampposts had been completely torn out. “...Uh oh.”

~~~

The ship on the Enterprise’s viewscreen displayed was an elegant craft that looked more like a castle from a fairy tale than a spaceship. Its central drive was on full display, burning like a star, not protected by any armor whatsoever while the palace-like pillars sprung upwards and downwards, coming to elegant tips. The most baffling part of the design was that it was open air—trees and bushes and buildings with doors were evidently exposed to the vacuum of space, and some sections of the ship appeared to be completely detached.

And yet, Picard knew that this was no dainty vessel. Even though Worf was only reporting minimal weapons, Picard had a hunch it wasn’t quite as defenseless as it seemed.

“It is finally responding to our hails,” Worf said.

“Don’t answer!” Lord Crump shouted. “She’ll burn us all!”

“Lord Crump, I have every intention of speaking to whomever I face, even if they do intend to blow me out of the sky.” He adjusted his uniform and put on a warm smile. “Onscreen.”

The screen showed a bipedal woman of human appearance, though she was abnormally tall. She wore a simple blue dress and had smooth platinum blonde hair that covered one of her eyes, but the one eye that was visible stared Picard down with a gaze that made him feel young. And yet, it was not hostile, but understanding.

“I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship, Enterprise. To whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“Rosalina, Guardian of the Comet Observatory.” She leaned in, her serene smile not faltering. “You are holding quite the criminal on your bridge, Captain.”

Heaven Sent

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47933.1

After a healthy dose of uncertain fear, it appears as though Lord Crump’s reports of this Rosalina character were greatly exaggerated. She has expressed minimal-to-no desire for his return to her for charges, stating that she was just looking for him because of a lack of other things to do concerning the Void. Curiously, she seemed to think inviting us over to her Comet Observatory for dinner was the most important item on her to-do list.

Naturally, I accepted. Commander Tails and Counselor Troi will be accompanying me.

~~~

Picard was struck by the beauty. “I’m sitting on a grass lawn looking out at the vacuum of space without a barrier between us.”

“There is a kinetic field that retains the atmosphere,” Rosalina reported. Even seated, she was still significantly taller than them—if she had stood, she would have dwarfed even the tallest human. And yet, Picard did not feel threatened in the slightest.

“It’s… amazing,” Tails said, scratching his head as he examined the stars. “I have no idea how you did it.”

“A lot of time, patience, and hard work. It also helped that I could work on it over time for thousands of years.”

“That… would do it.”

Some of the star creatures that called the Comet Observatory home—Lumas—drifted over. They were pudgy little five-pointed blobs of color and eyes that giggled when they moved. They provided Picard and his crew lunch; including, to Picard’s delight, freshly brewed tea. He took the teacup first and tasted it. “Of course, Earl Grey. How did you know?”

“I have my ways,” Rosalina said, smiling softly. “Like a certain lion you know better than you might think.”

Picard nodded slowly. “Ah…”

“Do you care to elaborate?” Troi asked.

Rosalina shook her head. “I don’t think I will, Counselor.”

“What can you tell us about yourself?” Tails asked.

“I am the guardian of the Lumas.” She waved her hand, prompting a blue one to nestle up in her fingers. “And, in a sense, the guardian of the galaxy itself, for all is stardust, and they are of the stars themselves. I oversee an integral part of the universe’s life cycle, of birth… and death.” She looked to Picard with her single visible eye. “An unnatural death built on anger and tragedy currently threatens that process.”

“The Void,” Picard nodded.

“I have known for some time that it was coming, as I have known that you would arrive, though when it was revealed to me I did not foresee its exact nature.” A soft smirk crawled up her face. “It’s what I get for choosing to think as I do.”

Picard didn’t understand what that meant and he wasn’t sure he wanted to. He sipped his tea. “What are we, to you?”

“In the most basic of senses, you are housing a criminal that has incurred my attention one too many times. But he is, in the end, of little consequence—just a man seeking his own selfish ambition. I leave him to do with as you please, which I suspect will be to keep him held until the Void is dealt with. In the secondary sense, I find you fascinating. Your ship design is clearly Hume, while you have a Mobian on board. It is rare enough for one of your ships to slip through the fabric between realities, it is rarer still to have an integrated crew of multiple worlds. And, in the third sense… you are here, thinking yourselves heroes in the quest to end the Void.”

“Are we?”

“Yes. No.” Her smile widened. “Paradoxes like that are so delightful, don’t you think?”

“I find them confusing,” Tails said.

“I find them intriguing,” Troi countered. “Rosalina…”

“I will not answer the question you are about to ask, Troi.”

Troi shifted uncomfortably but fell silent.

“Then how about this,” Picard said, folding his hands together. “Tell me, do you know the location of this universe’s Pure Heart?”

“I do.”

“Can you take us there?”

Rosaline closed her eye, smiling softly. “Not you, Picard. I will only send the chosen there.”

“Surely you—”

“It is within my power, Captain. It is not within my will. The chosen of the Light Prognosticus will go alone, with no hope of backup.”

“But—”

“Captain.” She leaned in, eye twinkling. “Trust me.”

Picard sat back. “I do not believe we have much of a choice.”

“You can still choose to go along with it willingly, or you can make it difficult. You always have a choice, Captain.”

“I choose willingly,” Picard said with a soft chuckle. “Besides, I cannot find it in my heart to believe you mean us any harm.”

“But I do,” Rosalina said, sitting back. “Not physical harm, of course. But there are other kinds of harm.”

“Trials?”

“Of a sort.”

“Then I welcome them.” Picard folded his hands together. “Experience is what makes us stronger, after all.”

“I would say be careful what you wish for… but you are wholly honest.” She placed a hand on his, nodding to him. “Your crew, on the other hand, is uncertain.”

“But loyal. Finest ship in the fleet.”

“You are right about that. They are. One might even say unnaturally so.”

“What does that mean…?”

Smiling coyly, Rosalina stood to her full height. “I am going to order the Comet Observatory to return to the aptly named Mushroom World. It will take less than a minute to arrive. Would you like to accompany me, or would you like to return to your ship?”

“I would love to, but I must stay with the ship,” Picard said. “I’m afraid this will cut our lunch short.”

Rosalina nodded. “Naturally. Do call ahead for me, would you?”

“Naturally.” Picard stood up. “We’ll take the shuttle back, now.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Rosalina said, taking out what appeared to be a wand from her sleeve. “My ‘transporters’ work just fine. Where would you like to be sent?”

“Transporter bay three,” Picard said, tapping his communicator. “Enterprise, Rosalina will be beaming us to transporter bay.”

“Acknowledged.”

A second later, he, Troi, and Tails appeared on the transporter pad in the Enterprise in a flash of blue light.

“Captain, she’s hiding something,” Troi said.

“She’s hiding a lot of things,” Picard said. “At least she was kind enough to make it obvious that she was.”

“I don’t trust her.”

“I do not believe we have much choice… it is preferable to go along willingly, don’t you think?”

“I’m gonna agree with the Captain here,” Tails said. “She knows where the Pure Heart is and she’s going to send the heroes to it. The Light Prognosticus doesn’t say much about us, as far as I know.”

“We are secondary,” Picard mused. “Our journey in the previous world accomplished nothing for the mission, and it looks as though we will not be permitted to accomplish anything in this one.”

“It’s deeply unsettling to me,” Troi said. “It is as though something is conspiring against us to keep us… out.”

“A prophecy, perhaps?” Picard said, chuckling.

“Sir, I’m not sure you’re saying that in a joking manner anymore.”

“And if I’m not?”

“I…” Troi paused. “I am unsure.”

Picard nodded. “The feeling is mutual, Counselor.”

~~~

Cortez’ ship floated in the middle of the ocean, waiting.

“I can’t believe you got me kicked out of Delfino,” Cortez grumbled. “I was just getting a nice tooth-shine!”

“Um, yeah… sorry.” Toph scratched the back of her head. “I kinda wanted to show him who was boss.”

“Yarrr…” Cortez glared at her. “Next time you conquer your enemy, I want to be there for it. Consider it… payment.”

“Hey, if you’re around, you’re free to watch. Tickets to the Blind Bandit show are always in season!”

“Yar hahah! I like your spirit!” The joy in his tone vanished in an instant. “You still owe me.”

“Y-yes pirate skeleton ghost man,” Toph stammered.

On the prow of the ship, Vivian looked at the island receding in the distance.

“The Comet Observatory will be with us shortly,” Data said, joining her.

“Did we even need to go to the island?” Vivian asked.

“We have learned invaluable information about the past of our situation. We do not have all the pieces as of now, but I am sure your sister’s story will be invaluable.”

“Yeah, but…” She frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t remember any of that, but it’s my story too. I was there. For a moment there, I felt like I was one of you guys, but then O’Chunks came and I had no idea what was going on and…” She stopped talking, instead opting to focus on the pattern her finger as making on the wet wood of the ship.

“I did not fit in at first either. They did not even consider me one of the ‘heroes’ at the start. I was a friend and an assistant on the outside—it wasn’t until later that we realized I was mentioned in the Light Prognosticus. After that, I was adapted in. When Caspian came in, I could see his separation from the others. But he proved to be an amazing help, and I think of him as part of us. Your journey will no doubt be the same.”

“Except Caspian hates me.”

“He has difficulty accepting what you are.”

“Hmph…” Vivian glared at the receding island in the distance. “There’s so much going on I don’t understand.”

“I believe everyone shares that sentiment.”

Behind them, Twilight burst out into laughter. Her conversation partner, Cosmo, frowned. “Did… I say something amusing?”

“Well, no, but, yes?” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “Of course you wouldn’t find it funny. But I was just reminded of the time Pinkie cloned herself a million times.”

“How… how is that related at all?”

“Her mind makes weird leaps of logic,” Toph answered.

“I think I missed the start of this conversation,” Caspian said, blinking. “What was Cosmo talking about?”

“Well, I wa—” Cosmo stopped herself. “Twilight? Are you okay?”

Twilight frowned. “Pinkie… I wonder if she’s doing okay. She was always the happiest, most bouncy of us. Almost nothing could get her down. But… almost nothing.” She shook her head. “It’s been months. I haven’t heard or seen anything about any of them. I… feel so distant.”

“Hey.” Cosmo lifted her head up. “You have us, right? We’re not replacements, but…”

“But you are my friends,” Twilight said with a nod. “It’s… it’s hard, sometimes. But you all let me smile even in times like this.” She wrapped Cosmo in a wing hug.

“Introduce us to your other friends when we save them, got it?” Toph asked.

“Oh, of course! I might have to warn you about Pinkie, though she—”

There was a burst of color that interrupted Twilight and drew their eyes to the sky. The Comet Observatory had arrived, its elegant castle-like spires making all the clouds seem insignificant and bland.

“By my missing seventh arm…” Cortez breathed. “They have an awesome spaceship… And they make it look so prissy!? Put some ominous skulls on that thing, give it a few banners! And at least make it look like you’re carrying treasure! For shame!”

The Comet Observatory sunk into the ocean until its main level was at the height of Cortez’s ship’s deck. The woman they all presumed was Rosalina extended a hand to them. “Come, heroes of the Light Prognosticus. Your destiny awaits.”

Cortez ground his teeth. “I better be able to get on the next one.”

“The Enterprise will rendezvous with you, if you wish,” Data said.

“Then I do! Make it so! Ya-har!”

Data cocked his head, let out a curious hum, and sent a message to the Enterprise as he boarded the Comet Observatory. Twilight, Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Caspian, and Vivian crawled on after him.

With a flick of her wrist, the Comet Observatory lurched into space once more, but they felt no change in their inertia as they moved.

“Amazing…” Caspian said, looking over the edge of the Observatory to the world below. “A round world… It’s almost as though I could touch it…”

“We are several thousand kilometers up,” Data reported. “I would not recommend it.”

“Come,” Rosalina said, leading them to a smooth glass floor. Six circles in a hexagon shape were inscribed on it, with a seventh circle sitting in the middle. “Stand however it feels natural to you.”

Tippi ended up in the center. The rest took the order in which they had been recruited: Twilight, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and lastly Vivian, her shadowy tendrils discoloring the glass.

“You are the chosen,” Rosalina said. “I am sending you to the galaxy—or solar system, if you prefer your terminology—that contains the Pure Heart. There will be a launcher where you arrive that will send you back to me, once you are finished. Do not use it before you are done. You will be cut off from all communication with Flipside, the Enterprise, and myself. You will have nothing to rely on aside from each other. Do you understand?”

All of them nodded in unison.

“Then go… go and obtain the Pure Heart.” She waved her hand, summoning a flat piece of shimmering metal that took the shape of a hollow, five-pointed star around them. With a twirl of her hand, she sent the star construct into a spin. The energy from the construct shunted into the seven chosen and they were launched into space with a burst of energy, sailing away not unlike a comet.

“Do well, young ones.”

Mimi's Marvelous Misadventure

Mimi stood on top of the roof of one of Rogueport’s many ramshackle buildings, examining the door to Flipside carefully. People had started moving in and out of it regularly, ranging from those annoyingly upstanding Starfleet Officers to the sleazy Rogueportians themselves. The door was right there and Mimi was so bored.

She transformed into a goomba and hopped down to the street below, stretching her legs. She hated this two-legged form, but it was the most inconspicuous option in Rogueport, since nobody cared about goombas in the slightest. She walked through the doors behind another goomba and was luckily followed by yet another goomba. They looked like a little troop when first arriving, so nobody singled her out.

“Welcome to Flipside!” Cream said, handing out little brochures. Mimi remembered her, her and her eternal innocence and her excessive cuteness. It took all of Mimi’s restraint to take the brochure, mumble “thanks,” and scurry away without letting some snide comment out.

The top platform of Flipside was not all she’d been expecting, admittedly. It was just some block of stone with doors on the edges. All of them had people going in and out, even the red one, where some bald kid with an arrow on his head was introducing a group of people to a bunch of talking badgers.

If I couldn’t already go to any of the worlds just by thinking, this would be useful. Mimi giggled to herself. But these doofuses have to use doors! Plain ol’ doors! She walked forward, listening for any juicy rumors going on on the platform.

“I hear there’s a ghost pirate that wants to go to space,” a Romulan was saying.

“Hmm… a silly image,” the Cardassian responded.

“Apparently he’s really set on it…”

Boring, Mimi thought, jumping into the elevator. The goomba who had been behind her when coming through the door came with her. Ugh, he thinks he’s with me, doesn’t he? Can’t be having that…

The elevator took them directly to the inhabited city level of Flipside. Most people who came here were struck by the sheer variety of people and customs meshing together. Mimi was not—she was obsessed with finding an easy place to duck and cover. She jumped behind a Starfleet storage container, transforming quickly into a raccoon-esque Mobian and walking out as if nothing was the matter.

Now she could do some real snooping.

A goomba with swirly glasses walked by, talking with a raven Mobian. “Now, I did warn you about Rogueport, did I not?”

The bird grumbled. “Yes, yes, gloat, why don’t you.”

“What I’m curious about is why you aren’t doing anything about it. Why, anyone could come through that door and steal your possessions!”

“We don’t have any government. Can’t exactly do that, the ‘Council’ is just a bunch of representatives that don’t do much.”

“Then formally establish something. You can’t just keep letting yourselves be robbed!”

Mimi would have continued listening, but at this point she noticed she was being followed by an orange Mobian. Ugh, I just shook that goomba, now these animals are being too friendly. She speed-waked to a niche between buildings, hopping into it and transforming into an elegant deer. Trotting out, she noticed that the Mobian that had been following her was gone. Wait… what?

She suspected something was up now, but she couldn’t see anything wrong at the moment. So she moved on to find another interesting conversation.

“Iroh, Iroh!” a human said, holding a microphone with a Federation symbol on it. “You were the first of the Council here, do you agree with the people’s consensus that Flipside needs organization?”

Iroh grinned. “Well, certainly!”

“What place does the Federation have in that organization?”

“Better question!” a Cardassian shouted—a cutie-pie of a Cardassian, if Mimi had anything to say about it. “What place does the Cardassian Union have?”

Iroh forced a nervous grin. “I couldn’t tell you what place the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation had, it is not just my decision! I… all I really wanted to do was sit and serve tea to the tired adventurers who passed through, but that’s clearly not an option anymore.”

“What do you think it should be?”

Iroh waved his hands in mock surrender. “I haven’t thought about it enough to form an opinion!”

“So you admit t—”

“Hey!” Amy shouted, swinging her hammer. “Buzz off!”

Mimi wanted to watch a fight, but apparently Amy’s threats were enough to get the reporters to back away. However, Mimi did notice that a smaller deer was right behind her. It was time for a confrontation. “Okay, what’s your deal?”

“What’s my deal? Slick, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re following me.”

“Psh, be real, I’m just a lowly deer doing lowly deer things.”

An actual deer trotted by them. “It’s obvious that neither of you are real deer.”

“Nobody asked you, Slick!” the other deer shouted.

“Yeah, scram, Doofus!” Mimi added.

The deer rolled his eyes and trotted off.

The other deer transformed into Iroh, grinning. “Well, the jig is up!”

“Can you only turn into things you’ve seen? I’ll show you…” Mimi transformed into a three-headed dolphin with dinosaur legs. “Hah!”

“Oh, wow, I’m soooo impressed.” He transformed into the Cardassian Mimi had seen earlier and started clapping slowly. “Looks like you smashed several dozen things together from a child’s toy box.”

She transformed into a snake with brilliant red eyes and scales made of precious gemstones. “Doessss thissss look like a toy?”

“Too much edge.” He transformed into a direct copy of Amy. “Maybe you could try something a little less extreme? Oh, wait, you don’t have subtlety.”

“Neither do you!” Mimi shouted, transforming into an octopus creature with numerous blades on her tentacles. She attacked—only for the shapeshifter to match her form and meet every tentacle. “You… You idiot!”

“I think I’m rather clever, don’t you?” He chuckled. “Slick, I’ve got you, anything you can do I can do be—”

“True Mimi!, come forth!” Mimi transformed into her little girl form and cracked her neck she usually did to begin the transformation.

“Ugh!” the other shapeshifter dropped back. “Freak!”

“I’ll show you freak!” Mimi’s spider legs burst out of her head as the rest of her body decayed into nothing. “MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!”

He tried to copy her—but his transforming powers failed him, reverting him to his true form, a simple humanoid creature that looked like a child wearing a bedsheet to look like a ghost.

“Hey, Freak-in-a-sheet! Try this on for size…” Mimi scrambled toward him and easily tossed him to the side with her legs. He transformed into the Cardassian again and shot her with the gun that came with the form, but it bounced right off her aura of invincibility.

“Uh, h-hey Slick, let’s calm down.”

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” She leaned in, laughing in his face. “My name is Mimi, freak.”

“It’s Doopliss…”

“Freak,” Mimi repeated, refusing to acknowledge his name. “You are nothing, you’re just full of tricks. I have actual power.”

At this point, a nearby table became the consistency of orange syrup and shifted into a humanoid shape with a simple face and a brown uniform. In its hand was a device Mimi didn’t recognize. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you two in for questioning.”

Mimi tilted her chaotic head. “Who are you?”

“Constable Odo, Bajoran Security.” He tapped the side of the device. “One of Doctor Eggman’s little toys. I’m not sure what it will do, admittedly, but he says it should at least immobilize you.”

“Oh ho ho ho!” Eggman said, strolling out from an alleyway. “This is such an excellent duel of the shapeshifters! The ghost, the spider, and the Constable in a three-way!” He pulled out a camera. “I’ve got to get this on tape.”

Odo grunted. “Doctor, this is a breach of security, we need to take this seriously.”

“And you’re a stick in the mud.”

Odo let out a “Humph.” He turned to Mimi. “Now, are you going to come quietly?”

Nope. Mimi jumped into the Void before Eggman’s machine could do anything, appearing back in Castle Bleck. “Ugh! That was terrible! Terrible! Ugh, pointless, agh! AGH!” She kicked the wall with her spiderly legs and continued screeching in an unnatural tantrum.

She had no intention of going back there anytime soon.

Stupid sheet freak.

Grodus' Gauntlet

Flying through space without a spaceship was an amazing experience under normal circumstances. With a traditional Launch Star, it was a pleasant journey with stars whipping by and many sights for curious eyes.

The Chosen of the Light Prognosticus had not been launched out of a traditional Launch Star. The thing Rosalina had stuck them into had been a super-enhanced device that would get them from point A to point B as fast as possible. In maximizing speed, the comfort of the journey was completely ignored.

Twilight felt as though she were being dragged through an ocean made of gravel. Lights flashed past her eyes so fast she wasn’t even sure she saw most of them, and she couldn’t even move. Every attempt to do so drove pain into whatever part of her she was trying to move, making the “gravel” feel more like “glass”. Intellectually, she knew this pain was all in her head and that her limbs weren’t actually being torn into by minuscule bits of broken rock, but that did little to stop her from crying out.

And then it was over. She flopped onto a smooth, glassy surface, sliding a few feet forward. The others fell in behind her, arriving in various states of mind ranging from “everything is agony and I’ll never move again” to “that was a fascinating experience”.

Toph was the first one to speak. “...I’m never going to complain about teleportation again.”

“Thanks,” Twilight managed, focusing the rest of her effort on standing up. After slipping on the glass twice, her third attempt allowed her to get her hooves underneath her. Holding her wings out for stability, she looked up and took in the sights.

It wasn’t what she had been expecting—there were no visible stars, even though the sky was solid black. Thousands of objects filled the space, ranging from spherical planets no larger than buildings to crystalline pillars floating in the midst of the spheres. Chunks of broken stone orbited with orbs of fire mixed with loose asteroids, broken spaceships, and what appeared to be a giant ice cream cone. In the center of this swirling heap of junk was a brilliant sphere that flashed with rainbow light, cycling through colors so fast it would have been seizure-inducing if any of them had been sensitive to that sort of thing.

“I don’t think I need to say where the Pure Heart is,” Tippi said.

“It is pretty clear where we’re supposed to go,” Caspian admitted.

“So much… pain…” Cosmo grunted.

Twilight went to tend to Cosmo—nothing was broken, but she sure seemed sapped of energy. “Do you have any idea what’s wrong?”

“I… no…”

Twilight put a wing around her. “Data, got anything?”

Data was already scanning the new area with his tricorder. “We are in the same universe, but where we are in relation to the Comet Observatory I do not know. All attempts to determine a location have failed. It is reasonable to assume this star will take us back.” He pointed at the blue star floating above them, similar to the one that had launched them here.

“Don’t use it until we’re done,” Twilight said, helping Cosmo onto her back. “We’re getting the Pure Heart on our own.”

Data directed his tricorder downward, cocking his head. “Curious. What we’ve arrived on is decidedly unlike any other piece of debris in this system-like sector.”

Beyond the glass floor they were standing on, the structure was a half-sphere made of metal. Once it had been a full sphere, but the bottom half had apparently been completely seared by something hot enough to blacken it. Twilight found that, as she walked around the edge of the half-sphere, the direction of gravity changed, always directed toward its center. Turning the curved edge, she arrived on the blackened side, treating it as the ground.

In the center, something stirred. Twilight backpedaled when she realized it was a head, made out of an ovoid with technology visible through the glass. The eyes were on the bottom of the head, covered by lenses that glinted in the light of the various flaming spheres in the sky. It was rather unnaturally grafted to the mechanical ground by a silvery gray spine, making it almost like a snake.

“So, someone has finally come…” it spoke with a tired, synthetic voice.

“...Are you an android?” Data asked, crawling over the edge just behind Twilight.

“I am not so lucky. I am…”

“Sir Grodus!” Vivian yelped, cowering behind the lip of the hemisphere like it could protect her from him.

“Vivian…” The metallic spine stretched several times its previous length, allowing the head to glare right at Vivian’s hat. “A double traitor. How are you enjoying life? How about the guilt?”

“Uh… uh… I’m… fine…”

“You’re one of the X-Naut dolts, aren’t you?” Toph asked.

“I was their leader, my girl.” Sir Grodus retracted his head, returning to the center of the hemisphere. “But we are no more. Our society fell to nothing after our defeat. Those of us who remained returned here, hoping to access the secret of the universe itself. With the Shadow Queen gone… it truly was open to us, and not destroyed. But…” He glared at the shimmering rainbow in the sky. “It rejected us.”

“Only those chosen by the Hearts may use them,” Cosmo said, having regained most of her breath. “Such as us.”

“I expected some like you to come…” Grodus let out a dark, ominous chuckle. “Enjoy reaching your prize. When I realized I could not have its power for my own… I determined that none would have it. The last act of the X-Nauts was to surround the secret of the universe in a gauntlet of trials.” He looked up to the rainbow shimmer again. “I am so going to enjoy watching you fail in your vain attempts to reach the center.”

“We won’t let you deter us,” Caspian said.

“Oh, don’t let me stop you! Please, do try, try with all the hope in the world. This is all the entertainment I’m ever going to get these days.”

“...You’ve really hit rock bottom, haven’t you?” Vivian asked, poking her head back over the edge. “No army, no machines, no power, just a head that wants to watch the world burn.”

Grodus retracted himself into the hemisphere.

“That was your big bad guy?” Toph asked, folding her arms. “He seems kinda pathetic.”

“He used to be a lot scarier,” Vivian said. “Now… I have to agree. Just a head desperate to watch others fail.”

“He won’t get the satisfaction.” Twilight set Cosmo on the ground and spread her wings, taking off into the air, flying directly for the center. Somewhere along the way, gravity shifted sharply to the left, dragging her painfully into a metallic cube. The moment she hit it, the cube unfolded to reveal a trap made of several different chainsaws. Twilight attempted to fly away, but the gravity was so strong she was still falling toward the blades.

Data looked around quickly and performed a calculation. He jumped from the starting hemisphere and landed on a “planet” covered in green bushes. Twisting off this one, he sailed through the gravity wells, angling off a drifting waffle cone at the perfect angle to slide into Twilight’s gravity well, grab her, and get caught by the gravity well of a disc-shaped meadow before being cut to pieces.

“Y-you saved me,” Twilight said. “Thanks.”

“It would not have been desirable to lose you.”

Twilight chuckled. “Yes, yes… so.” She glanced at the group still on the original planet. “You all are going to have to make your way over here!”

“Oh geez,” Toph said, grimacing. “I hadn’t realized exactly how nuts this all was. I’m going to have to jump to things I can’t feel?”

“You can at least move like you’re supposed to,” Tippi said, alighting on Caspian’s shoulder. “I don’t think I should be flying through this.”

“I shall lead us!” Caspian said, drawing his sword. “It’s only three hops across these floating miniature worlds to where they are!” He jumped, landing gracefully on a sandy globe. As he prepared to jump again, Twilight shook her head rapidly.

“No, don’t! There’s a gravity well there—a trap that will take you to the cube of death!”

The cube was currently folding back into a cube shape, but Twilight knew another touch would force it open.

Caspian frowned. “You certain?”

“Yes! We can’t assume anything is as it seems here—Grodus will have designed this place as a trap.” Twilight took a moment to contemplate their situation. “I know a thing or two about how things relate to each other… Working together, I’m sure Data and I can ‘plot a course’ through this maze for you.”

“I have already determined the simplest route to our location,” Data said. “The sand ‘planet’ is indeed the first step, but after that you will need to jump to the blue rectangular prism over there and crawl across the vines.”

Cosmo jumped over to the sandy sphere, turning back to Toph. “Just follow my voice!”

“I… don’t like this… at all…” Toph said.

“You managed to jump onto the invisible bridge! You can do this!” Cosmo encouraged. “You’ve already had practice!”

“I know. The ground better be solid this time…” Toph pried a piece of metal off the ground before jumping to Cosmo, Caspian, Tippi. She landed painfully face-first. “Oof…” Tapping the ground with her hand, she started chuckling. “This is nowhere near as bad. Still. Unpleasant.”

“Once you get to me I can carry you!” Twilight called.

“Joy,” Toph muttered. “Vivian, you coming?”

“Oh, uh, yes!” Vivian didn’t jump. She carefully floated off the ground until she touched the sandy world, transferring her shadowy body to it with a simple flip. “Tah-dah!”

“Right,” Toph focused her attention elsewhere. “Caspian, where is the prism she mentioned?”

“Over here!” Caspian jumped, careful to keep a hand around Tippi so she wouldn’t go flying off. “Easy as pie!”

Cosmo and Vivian made their way over easy. Once again, Toph ground her teeth. “I really don’t like jumping blind…”

“Trust us, we’ve got you,” Cosmo called. “Just do it!”

Toph took a breath and jumped. Gravity shifted for her once again, and she twisted herself to direct her feet downward. Her left foot planted squarely on the prism, but the right went off the edge. “Waugh!”

Caspian grabbed her by the wrist. “Gotcha.”

“...Next time, when you tell me to jump, stand somewhere closer to the center of the platform thingy.”

“Forgive me for not doing so before,” Caspian said with a sigh.

“No big. I mean, it is a big deal, but let’s not worry about that until we’re through this fanciful death trap.”

“Now that you’re all here,” Data said, “walk to the other end of the platform.”

Toph shrugged. “Aight, you heard iron boy, let’s walk in a row like good little ducklings.” The motion across the platform was decidedly unorderly and not in a line, but the desired effect was accomplished.

“Good. Now.” Data turned to Twilight. “I believe you can levitate them over.”

“Won’t be too hard.” Twilight lowered her head and grinned. “Everyone hold on.”

“I want everyone to know I hate this plan already,” Toph said.

“Noted,” Data and Twilight said in unison, prompting Twilight to giggle.

Toph facepalmed. “We do not need you t—woah!” Twilight’s aura had surrounded her and all the others—including Tippi—lifting them all up into the air, bringing them slowly to Twilight and Data’s location.

“Almost… there…” Twilight stuck out her tongue to focus on the trip. “Stay still…”

A nearby red star-like orb flashed, summoning a series of cannons around it. They all triggered at once, sending a series of black bullets with faces on them toward the group.

Vivian reacted first, waving one of her hands. A brief burst of magical sparks twirled around her finger activating her signature spell. Fiery bursts consumed every one of the bullets in unison, burning them to cinders before they even got close to the floating group.

“What just happened!?” Toph demanded. “I heard things explode!”

“Vivian… just saved us with her magic,” Caspian said.

Vivian let out a soft giggle. “It’s… called the Fiery Jinx. Very useful against large groups.”

Twilight finished carrying them, setting everyone down next to her and Data gently.

“All right…” Twilight stretched out her neck and wings. “This place is a death trap designed by a bored psycho. We’re going to need to be at our best for this. From now on, nobody rush into it recklessly like I just did. This is going to be taken with slow, methodical calculation.”

“That sounds boring,” Toph pointed out.

“It probably will be, but as those cannons showed, there can be any number of unpleasant surprises along the way.” She turned her head back to the shimmering rainbow of their goal. “To start… Data, analysis. Find the shortest path.”

Data nodded. “Yes, Twilight.”

~~~

“Well, this is… neat.” Cosmo tapped the edge of the glass cube she, Caspian, and Vivian were trapped inside.

“I fail to see the ‘neat’ aspect of being captured,” Caspian said.

“It does give us a nice view of the chaos,” Vivian pointed out.

Outside, Twilight, Data, and Toph were fighting a massive plant—dinosaur creature without eyes. They ran around the planet in a mild panic, unleashing attack after attack on the massive reptile, all to no avail.

“They’ll be fine,” Vivian said, chuckling nervously.

“We should be out there with them,” Caspian breathed. “Not… trapped in here.”

Vivian put her hands on her hips. “And who triggered the trapbox again?”

Caspian shuffled his feet.

“That’s what I thought.”

Outside, Data had discovered that the beast’s club tail was like an elastic rope, making it easy to hit it with its own natural weapon. The battle shifted from a game of chase-around-the-planet to a game of hit-the-tail-without-being-stomped.

“I do wonder…” Cosmo put her hand to her chin. “Why Grodus designed this place to be almost but not quite fully lethal? There’s a path of progression almost everywhere, this trap didn’t instantly kill us…”

“He wanted a game,” Vivian said. “Not something that’d make people turn back and return with a sledgehammer.”

“How would a sledgehammer help?” Caspian asked.

“It’s an expression. In our case, it’d be like… uh…”

“Grabbing the Enterprise and swinging it like a sword?” Cosmo suggested.

Vivian giggled. “It’d be a terrible sword!”

“It’d be all hi-yah!” Cosmo did a terrible karate chop toward the glass walls. She hit an invisible button, releasing them. “...Oh.”

Vivian’s giggles turned into outright laughter. “Oh, that’s just… too good!”

“We are free!” Caspian drew his sword. “Our allies need our assistance!”

Toph drove a pillar of earth into the beast’s tail. That was the last straw—it collapsed, out cold.

“Don’t worry,” Vivian said, patting Caspian on the back. “You’ll get your shot!”

He shrugged her hand off, walking to meet with the others.

Vivian adjusted her hat. “What did I…?”

“I’m not sure,” Cosmo admitted, taking Vivian’s hand in her own. “I’ll ask him about it later.”

“Okay…”

“You’re part of this group, Vivian.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I—ouch!” Cosmo pulled back, waving her finger in the air rapidly to put out the fire she’d gotten from prolonged contact with Vivian’s hands.

“S-sorry!” Vivian stammered. “I didn’t mean…”

“It’s okay. I’ll just… be more careful from here on out!” Cosmo winked at her. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Hey! Slowpokes!” Toph called. “We need to keep moving!”

“Coming!” Vivian called, running after them and to the next part of the gauntlet.

~~~

“All right, this is it!” Twilight called, displaying a not-all-that-mentally-stable grin proudly on her face. “We’ve jumped through spinning buzzsaws of death, mazes of invisible gravity, fake planets, stars with angry faces on them, and those stupid monsters made out of spinning green discs!”

“Spinias,” Vivian offered.

“Yes, yes, that’s right, that’s their name!” Twilight chuckled to herself. “But! But! That’s all behind us now! Because we are at the end of our journey!” She gestured to the rainbow swirls that were effectively above them, the glow of the Pure Heart actually visible in the center, identified as dark blue, or indigo. “We only have one more gauntlet to go. One last push, one final series of jumping puzzle nonsense!”

“Platforming,” Data suggested.

“Yep!” Twilight clapped her front hooves together. “Now, you all know your assignments. Cosmo, you’re integral to the plan, remember that.”

“O-okay.” Cosmo shivered slightly. “I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t! Now… let’s finally put an end to this. I have no idea how long we’ve been jumping to and fro, but after this, it’ll be over. Over! So let’s get out there and get that Heart!”

Toph raised a hand.

“Yes, Toph?”

“This speech would be a lot more inspiring if we weren’t currently standing on a planet made entirely out of elephant dung.”

Twilight’s left eye twitched. “...Toph…”

“Just kidding. Mostly.” She pressed her fist into her palm. “Let’s do this!”

“Executing plan in three…” Data crouched to the ground. “Two…” He clenched his fists. “One…” Cosmo stepped on top of him. “Go!”

He jumped off the dung-planet, springing Cosmo into the air. Several massive eyes of glass turned to look at him, charging up lasers. He pulled out his phaser and disabled all of them within two seconds, allowing Cosmo to jump off his head and gain a little more distance. Her gravity became oriented to a black vortex that wanted to devour her, but she activated her dress leaves, drifting lazily around it.

Meanwhile, Twilight jumped onto a metallic railing crawling with buzzsaw robots. Toph, sitting on her back, was able to metalbend the tiny little robots away while Twilight focused on running through the railing as fast as possible.

Cosmo grabbed a lazily floating piece of blue metal that drifted by. “One!”

“That’s your cue,” Caspian told Tippi. The butterfly carefully fluttered over to a nearby UFO-shaped object, flying to the other side where one of the laser eyes was hidden. It targeted her, but she easily flew away from the laser, prompting the eye to lock onto her again. It released its burst, hitting a button on the railing Twilight was currently running through. A door opened in response.

Twilight jumped through the door a second before it closed again, entering a cube made entirely out of glass. In the center was a large button, which the combined weight of Twilight and Toph was enough to activate. This triggered a bridge to start forming next to Tippi.

“Two!” Cosmo called, grabbing another metal chunk as she continued to lazily orbit the swirling death ball.

Caspian took the next part of the mission, running along the bridge that corkscrewed around in a double helix. He paid no attention to what was up and what was down—only moving forward. Data, still drifting overhead, covered him by shooting all the eyes that were activating with the bridge.

Meanwhile, Tippi had returned to Vivian. The shadowy woman snapped her fingers, lighting a sphere of wood on fire. Twilight, from within the glass cube, used her telekinesis to drag the fiery sphere across the sky, slamming it through a brick wall that would prevent Caspian’s bridge from fully constructing. Twilight, retaining control of the sphere, brought it back to the glass box she and Toph were in, shattering one of the walls but keeping the button intact.

“Three!” Cosmo had just obtained the third chunk.

Data landed in the glass cube with Twilight and Toph. He stepped on the button, picked Toph up, and threw her. As she drifted through the air, she blindly used her earthbending on everything she could find: this happened to be the sea of brick debris Twilight had created moments before. The Bricks surged forward, embedding themselves in an ice orb, shoving it into one of the orbs of fire. The flaming entity was neutralized, as was its gravity. This changed the arrangement of gravitational wells in the system, but also triggered a series of swinging knife-traps that Caspian had to avoid as he ran across the bridge.

Vivian and Tippi took advantage of the new gravitational fields, jumping to a gravity-less vine that snaked around the area. Tippi hid within Vivian’s hat as the shadow pulled herself through the vines, ignoring the flaming monsters that had appeared around her. She was completely immune to the flames, and Tippi was completely safe within the folds of her hat. Arriving at a glass platform, Vivian quickly used a flaming tornado spell to remove all the slime enemies crawling on it. Toph landed next to her a second later.

“Four!” Cosmo called. “One more!”

“I really hope we timed this correctly…” Twilight lowered her head, allowing Data to get on her back. Don’t think about it, focus. She spread her wings and closed her eyes, jumping to release her hold on the button. The moment she did so, Caspian’s bridge arrived at a black cube, allowing him to pass through the shield surrounding it. The moment he arrived, he plunged his sword into the cube, deactivating its shield.

Vivian, Tippi, and Toph jumped onto a planet made out of earth. Vivian only had to point and Toph knew the exact direction—with a thrust of her arms she moved the entire orb with all of them on it directly to the cube. Vivian shot a few firebolts to take care of some skeleton birds that had appeared to attack them. When they crashed into the cube, Toph was able to sense enough to use her bending to make them earthen boxes that kept them from flying away.

“Five!” Cosmo shouted. “Done!” She looked down at the now uncomfortably close black vortex. “Oh no…”

Data had calculated the perfect flight trajectory for this part of the plan. The only problem was that Twilight couldn’t move her wings in precise enough increments to take the desired path—so Data had to do it for her. He twisted her wings sharply to the left, driving pain into Twilight’s wing socket—but she forced herself to ignore it and remain still. She banked in the direction he indicated, grabbing Cosmo in her hooves and swooping around the remaining debris all the way to the cube, landing perfectly.

Cosmo quickly unloaded all five pieces of metal, fusing them together with a simple shake right on top of the cube. It became a small, spinning blue star of metal. Immediately, it picked all seven of them up and gently tossed them toward the rainbow orb.

Then the cube exploded, pushing them all the rest of the way. They landed unceremoniously on a glass platform rippling with rainbow energies.

“Hah!” Twilight shouted. “Hah! Take that, Grodus! We beat your gauntlet!”

The rest of the team let out cheers of celebration mixed with sighs of relief—not counting Data, of course. Their new location was astounding: a disc-shaped platform of glass in the midst of a sphere of rainbow coalescing around the Pure Heart. Now that they were in it, they could see points of the rainbow energy manifesting into star shapes. These star shapes became golden yellow and vanished, transporting the power of this place to everywhere in the universe.

“That Frankie fellow…” Caspian said, holding out his hand to one of the forming starmans. “He used one of these.”

“A source of cosmic power,” Data reported, scanning the region. “It does not carry the same energy as the Pure Heart. I believe the Pure Heart was drawn here, even through the Shadow Queen’s curse. A sort of center of the universe.”

“The power is… amazing,” Twilight admitted—she could feel her horn buzzing. “But it’s not what we’re here for. That is.”

The indigo Heart floated in the middle of all of it, beckoning for the chosen to grab it. Vivian cautiously approached, extending her hands with an awkward smile on her face. “We did it…”

“I’m afraid not.”

A massive metallic foot stomped on the ground between Vivian and the Pure Heart. Twilight knew who it was immediately. “Dark Oak…”

Dark Oak folded his hands behind his back. “Twilight Sparkle.”

“Do you want a fight? We’ve just had our combat abilities honed and perfected in this gauntlet.” Twilight lit her horn, narrowing her eyes. “You won’t win.”

“The outcome of that encounter is uncertain. And it will remain so. I am not here to fight you. I am here to prevent you from taking the Pure Heart.”

“You can’t touch it,” Cosmo said, taking an uncharacteristically defiant stand. “Only the chosen may wield the heart!”

“You are correct.” As if to prove a point he was making, he attempted to punch the Heart, but it diverted his fist. “It will not permit it. It will never give its power to me. But…”

A large Void portal opened up behind him, depositing several Metarex ships into the gauntlet. The traps of the area started attacking, but the ships paid little mind to them.

“...If I hit it hard enough, it’ll go flying.”

Twilight was expecting a Metarex ship to shoot the Heart, so she raised a shield.

She did not expect the ship to ram the Heart. It pushed right through her shield and hit the Heart directly. Rather than attempt to push the entire Metarex ship back, the Pure Heart moved itself—blinking all the way to the far side of the gauntlet before Twilight knew what was happening.

“You may have the combat advantage,” Dark Oak said. “You may have the skills and powers necessary. But I can keep throwing ships at the Heart, moving it around the moment you get too close. You will never reach it.”

Twilight summoned a magic blade three times her body length and swung it at Dark Oak, but he had already vanished through the Void.

Only then did the Metarex ships start firing on them, not even letting the chosen get a chance to contemplate how bad of a hand they had just been dealt.

Cosmic Potential

Twilight’s shield deflected the Metarex’s attack, but it would only work for a few seconds. Luckily, that was all they needed. Vivian reached out a hand and grabbed one of the manifesting starmen, gaining its power for a brief moment. With a mischievous giggle, she waved her finger, sending rainbow sparks off the tip. Her fiery jinx unleashed dozens of multicolored explosions, one for each Metarex ship, cracking their hulls.

Realizing that trying to fight a group of seven who had access to invincibility stars might be a bad idea, the ships backed off—after all, killing them wasn't necessary, keeping them from getting the Pure Heart was. However, one of the ships was unable to move after the attack, leaving it dead in the water.

A Void portal appeared to reclaim it.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Twilight shouted. She grabbed one of the starmen herself and surged the rainbow energy into her horn, grabbing the entire warship in her telekinesis and dragging it out of the portal. She popped open one of the sides, revealing all the Metarex drones inside. Data and Cosmo used their phasers to take care of the few that attempted to fight, the rest just abandoned ship and fled.

Twilight’s powerup dissipated, but the Metarex ship was now close enough. She jumped, landing on the now exposed deck. “Everyone, come on, we’re stealing this ship.”

Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and Vivian all jumped over, running to Twilight’s position at the main console. Twilight took one look at it and drooped. “I don’t know how to drive this.”

“I do,” Cosmo said, pressing a few buttons. “I can’t move it…”

Twilight nodded. “Data, go to Engineering, repair it.” Data nodded, running down the hall. “Vivian, Toph, fix the gaping hole in the side of our ship.”

Toph and Vivian set to work, bending metal and fusing it together with controlled application of heat. It took a few minutes, but the hole Twilight had ripped was repaired—and a second later Data got the engines back online and ran back to the bridge.

Cosmo pressed a few more buttons. “Okay, where to, Twilight?”

“Charge the Heart, ramming speed.”

They surged forward, ramming into the miniature planets and unusual platforming sections they had been jumping across mere minutes ago, tossing them aside as nothing more than debris. The traps activated, to be sure, but they did nothing against the ship’s hull besides slightly denting it. It was more than a little annoying to see the deadly obstacles they’d had so much trouble with become useless against the Metarex ship.

As they approached the Heart, Caspian frowned. “I wonder how they found us.”

“They always find us,” Toph commented.

“But they always have a way to,” Data said. “Here, not even Flipside or our allies has any idea where we are, and we have no way to reach them.”

“Maybe their Dark Prognosticus told them?” Cosmo asked. “It… is a prophetic book, just like ours, right?”

“Yes,” Tippi said. “Vivian’s tale notwithstanding, my records show the Light Prognosticus was written after the Dark, specifically to counteract the dark visions held within.”

“Wait…” Twilight paused. “Does that mean the Dark Prognosticus is the real prophecy?”

“I… I do not pretend to have any idea how the art of prophecy works. But I know the Dark Prognosticus is not all there is—it cannot!”

“Prophecies do not just change,” Caspian said. “They are merely fulfilled in unexpected ways.” He gripped the hilt of his sword. “We must hope the unexpected will come with the Dark Prognosticus.”

“Oh dear…” The thought deeply unsettled Tippi.

“I believe we should focus on the current objective,” Data said. “The Heart.”

“Right…”

“I don’t think you’re going to like this,” Cosmo said, pointing at the main screen. “They aren’t even going to let us get close.”

The remaining Metarex ships rammed into the Pure Heart while the heroes’ ship was a long way off, tossing it all the way to the other side of the gauntlet.

“They’re not playing fair!” Vivian gasped. “That’s…”

“What you do in a war of life and death,” Caspian said, grimacing. “They dare not attack us for they know our power, but they can outmaneuver us with the Void easily, always keeping the Heart out of our reach. We are in a trap that can’t kill us, but is impossible to escape.”

“Then we need a plan,” Twilight said. “We—”

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha!” the voice of Dimentio set everyone on edge, even though they couldn’t tell where it was coming from. “I have a different suggestion: why not, like mayflies in winter, you freeze and fall to the ground before you have time to appreciate the new day?” He popped into existence with his unique warping method, dragging O’Chunks with him. Dimentio was the same as always, but O’Chunks seemed… different. He had no pupils; instead his eyes were flashing like the rainbows in the center of the gauntlet—but it wasn’t as if he had used a starman, for all the light was contained in his eyes and it wasn’t wearing off.

“What did you do to him, fiend?” Caspian demanded.

“He was completely willing to be part of my experiment, as you recall. But, as you have no doubt noticed, he has the light of the stars within his eyes. And you know a curious thing about that light? The power it provides is unmatched, but very temporary. Well… I have found a way to condense that power and inject it right into a person! It has the terrible side effect of turning them into a mindless dolt…” He punched O’Chunks in the arm to prove the point. He didn’t even flinch. “...But it also unlocks all the hidden potential in someone. Gone is his idiocy, his showy dances, and his trash talk. He only knows how to do what is set before him like a good little dog playing fetch.” Dimentio let out a laugh, clapping his hands together. Suddenly, all seven of the chosen were in the green cube of Dimension D again, with no way of escape or potential to use the scenery of the gauntlet to help them.

“We’ve beat him before, we can beat him again!” Toph shouted.

“My my, you have no idea how much potential O’Chunks has, do you?” Dimentio twirled around in the air. “Of course, a demonstration would just be best. O’Chunks, smash them into oblivion if you don’t mind.” Dimentio vanished.

The light in O’Chunk’s eyes flashed, and he suddenly grew to twice his height, all of his muscles increasing their density and numerous blood vessels threatening to burst on his forehead, arms, and lower leg. He said nothing—he only charged.

Data and Cosmo fired phasers that Twilight matched with a laser of her own, but O’Chunks shrugged it off like it was nothing. Toph attempted to dodge his charge, but the ground was not earthen, providing her no advantage. His fist moved with alarming precision, hitting her square in the back.

Twilight wasn’t sure what was louder: the snapping sound or Toph’s very brief scream. She dropped to the ground, limp.

“To—” Twilight had to cut her call short, teleporting out of the way of O’Chunks’ attack. That’s right, teleports work in this subdimension. She teleported behind O’Chunks and cast an explosion spell on his back. He ignored her and charged Cosmo.

The Seedrian set the phaser to the highest setting and fired, doing nothing more than singing his skin. He slapped her aside. There was no snapping sound this time, but Cosmo didn’t move after she was hit.

“We have to play this safer!” Tippi called. “He’s not a fool right now—he’s perfected through whatever Dimentio put in him. Fight carefully!”

Caspian did exactly that. Drawing his sword, he moved in, focusing entirely on dodging O’Chunks’ many attacks. He weaved in, out, over, and under the swings of the arms while Twilight and Vivian bombarded him with fire and magic. O’Chunks tanked all the projectiles, focusing entirely on Caspian. Yet, the King of Narnia was a master swordsman, jumping and dodging everything until he got his opening. He thrust his sword right into O’Chunks’ eye.

“Yes!” He called, after landing what he was sure would be the critical blow.

O’Chunks didn’t seem to care. He swung his arm wide, toppling the shocked Caspian to the ground. He removed the sword from his eye and threw it to the ground.

“H-how!?” Tippi managed. “I don’t even…”

O’Chunks punched.

Data caught the punch in his own hand. “You may have unlocked all your biological strength, but I am beyond that.” He caught the other fist in his other hand, grunting. “This… is much harder than it should be.”

“What can we do?” Vivian asked. “I… I only know fire and shadow and an attract spell, I don’t think those are going to work!”

“They won’t.” Twilight closed her eyes, reaching deep into the deepest recesses of her mind. “But this might.” Her eyelids flew open, revealing a noxious darkness outlined by wisps of green and purple. Ugly dark magic coalesced around her horn, creating a vortex of desolation at the tip. She channeled as much as she thought she could take, the energy making its way into her body secondhand, sharpening her teeth and extending her wings slightly. Ignoring this side effect, she created a dark crystal in front of her.

“Any… time…” Data said, sparks flying out of one of his arms. “Structural failure… is imminent.”

“You will never hurt my friends again,” Twilight said with alarming venom in her voice. The crystal split into a hundred razor-sharp shards and flew at O’Chunks, each one exploding with a screaming darkness that attempted to bite into him. While this attack was ongoing, Twilight summoned her arcane blade, endowing it with black flames. Twirling it around, she raised it above her head, aiming for O’Chunks’ blank, damaged face. It was all she could see. She hated it.

“Twilight!” Tippi called. “We won! You can stop!”

Twilight stopped the blade inches from O’Chunks nose. Her vision cleared, telling her that they were no longer in Dimentio’s dimension, but back on their Metarex ship. O’Chunks’ remaining eye was no longer shimmering with rainbow energy—in fact, it showed pure, unrestrained fear. Without a word, and with a quivering jaw, he fled into the Void, leaving them alone.

At his feet, he had left something. A single starman-like object, except it glowed with every color of the rainbow, shifting through them all in a brilliant gradient.

Twilight shook her head, removing the dark magic from her system and reverting to her old self. “I… I…”

“It’s okay,” Vivian said, placing a hand on her. “I know it can feel like a lot sometimes, and… honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed you.”

“I’m… I’m supposed to be better than that.”

Data walked up to her—one of his arms hanging, busted, at his side. “I have observed several times that, rarely, is someone as good as they believe themselves to be.”

“We’re still here with you,” Tippi encouraged. “An—”

“And we don’t have time for this.” Twilight looked to Cosmo, Toph, and Caspian. “...Data, you saw Cosmo pilot this ship. Take us back to the rainbow stars. I need the energy to try to heal them. And…” She glanced at the shimmering powerup that O’Chunks had dropped. “Nobody touch that. Yet.”

“Twilight…” Vivian began.

“Let’s focus on healing them for now. We… we can talk later.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

If a Tree Falls in the Forest...

When Toph woke up, she couldn’t feel her legs. Panic rising, she punched the ground, sending out a pulse, allowing her to sense that she still had her legs, they just… weren’t moving. She ground her teeth and let out a harsh growl.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Cosmo said, walking over to her. “How do you feel?”

“Like half a person,” Toph said through gritted teeth. “...Can’t feel the legs.”

“Twilight couldn’t fix Caspian’s broken arms or ribs either, even with the power of the stars…” Cosmo shook her head. “We need to get you back to Flipside.”

“Heart first,” Toph said, slapping her hand down again. “Then we go.”

“The Metarex are still playing games with us,” Cosmo said. “And Twilight… isn’t doing very well.”

“Ugh, I’m just heavily injured, that’s not an excuse to mope around! I’ll be fine!” I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.

“That’s… not what’s bothering her.”

“Huh?”

“She almost cut O’Chunks in half. If Tippi hadn’t stopped her…”

Toph wanted to say that Twilight should have gone through with it, but she couldn’t bring herself to say such a thing. O’Chunks had never been that dangerous of an enemy, he’d always fought without any intention to really hurt anyone, just a desire to win. What he’d done to her… that was Dimentio’s fault, not O’Chunks’. If Toph had to guess, the poor man was probably scared out of his mind right now.

“Help me up,” Toph said.

“You can’t walk…”

“Then carry me!”

“Data?” Cosmo said, gesturing for him to come over. He did as asked, picking Toph up with his left arm—the one that was working.

“Take me to Twilight.”

She wasn’t far away—there weren’t very many places to go on the glass platform in the midst of the rainbow energy. It had apparently healed itself after the Metarex had crashed into it since there was no sign of damage. Twilight was sitting on the edge, staring directly at the indigo Pure Heart in the distance.

“Hey. Twiggy.”

Twilight looked up, eyes red. “Toph, you’re… you’re okay.”

Toph decided not to mention that her legs weren’t working. Data set her down next to Twilight.

“So, why aren’t you going after the Heart?” Toph asked. “We all need to get back to Flipside.”

“Because I don’t want to do what we need to do.” She lifted a star-shaped object off the ground. “This is what made O’Chunks so strong. I could give it to someone, and they could go get the Pure Heart. But… whoever takes it will lose themselves, and I’m not sure how to get it out of them short of beating them into submission.”

“So? Any one of us would totally go for getting bashed into the ground for the mission.”

“I… I just don’t want to take th—”

“Suck it up,” Toph said. “You can’t just keep making easy decisions: you’re going to have to make hard ones. How much force are you willing to use? Is there another way? Are you going to have to do something terrible? You might. But you also might not.” Toph tapped Twilight in the chest. “But you can’t avoid making the decision.”

Twilight sighed. “You’re right…” She sucked in a deep breath. “Data, gather everyone together. We need to make a decision.”

Shortly thereafter, everyone was standing or sitting in a circle in the center of the glass platform. Twilight threw the star into the middle of the ring. “This is a star of what I’m going to call 'cosmic potential.' It will unlock every hidden niche within someone’s body, at the cost of essentially removing their mind. Whoever takes this will do whatever they’re ordered to do to the best of their ability, but they will have no restraint. No… control. And to get the star back out, they will have to be beaten within an inch of their lives. It is a hard task, but with the Metarex keeping the Heart out of our grasp, I think we need to take it. The only question is… who?”

“It will have to be someone with enough hidden potential,” Tippi said. “Someone who isn’t heavily injured. That leaves Caspian, Data, and Toph out.”

Toph snorted. “If I wasn’t down for the count, I’d be the best candidate and you all know it.”

“Yes… and I know you want to,” Tippi said. “But it won’t work. Similarly, I don’t think it’ll work for me. If this goes downhill, I need to keep my mind so I can find the Pure Hearts.”

“Which leaves me, Vivian, and Cosmo,” Twilight said.

“You shouldn’t go,” Cosmo said. “We need you as a leader.”

“But I—”

“Don’t ignore your subjects,” Caspian chided. “They really do need you. Both here… and back in the world you come from.”

“Equestria could survive without me.”

“Perhaps. But could this group?”

Twilight sagged her head. “Possibly, but it would… all right, fine, I won’t do it.”

“So… me or Cosmo?” Vivian swallowed hard. “I… I’ll do it, but my power might be…”

“Unwieldy? Dark?” Cosmo smiled softly. “Don’t worry Vivian, you won’t have to. I’ll do it. I’m generally the least useful anyway.”

“Don’t say that!” Tippi fluttered to her face. “You keep us together!”

“I know… and thank you for reminding me. But I’m usually useless in physical matters. Please… let me do this.”

“...What about Tails?” Twilight asked.

Cosmo closed her eyes. “He… will understand.”

“Okay.” Twilight levitated the star over to her. “You… can take it. Remember, we’re going to get you back.”

“By beating the tar out of you,” Toph winked.

Cosmo laughed nervously. “Looking forward to that…” She picked the star up in her hands, looking into its shimmering surface. “...I just want you to know, I love all of you. This relatively short time I’ve spent with you… it’s been amazing. Thank you.”

“Don’t… talk like that,” Tippi said. “We’re getting you back after this.”

“I know. But there’s a chance I won’t be the same when I come out. I… want you to remember this, just in case. Now…” She took a deep breath and clapped her hands over the star. It shattered into dust that flooded into Cosmo’s face, turning her eyes a shimmering rainbow color. Her nervous smile vanished, replaced with a blank, robotic look similar to Data’s. Her posture became rigid and as flat as a board, her only motion a slow, controlled breathing.

Twilight grimaced. “Cosmo. Are you ready to undertake your… mission?”

“Yes,” Cosmo droned.

“Go. Get the Pure Heart.”

Cosmo grew slightly in height, taking a more slender body shape. Her leaves extended and her rounded fingers sharpened to points like rose thorns. A shimmering glow not unlike sunlight began to emanate from every part of her, focusing on the rosebuds coming out of her head. With a vibrant flourish, the buds bloomed into dual flowers, each one glowing with the rainbow power of the starmen.

She twisted herself around and floated, lazily, toward the Pure Heart. The traps of the gauntlet activated first, shooting fire, bullets, and spikes at her. The moment anything approached her, however, it disintegrated into golden dust that matched the hue of her sunlight. Seeing her approach, the Metarex released a barrage of attacks, only for these to disintegrate as well. Then again, this mattered little to them—they just crashed into the Pure Heart again, sending it fleeing from the unworthy to another part of the gauntlet.

Cosmo stopped approaching the Heart. Whatever was inside of her recognized that simply drifting to the Heart was not the solution. So she returned to the center of the gauntlet. However, she did not come in defeat—she came to act.

Sensing that they should move, Twilight jumped off the glass platform and levitated everyone into their Metarex ship. Cosmo ignored their motion, landing in the center of the platform and pressing her hands together. The light emanating from her became more intense until she appeared as little more than a white star—a white star that grew in height several times before dimming enough for them to see what it was.

Cosmo had become a massive tree, roots spreading throughout the center of the gauntlet. Her leaves sparkled in the light of the miniature stars. Slowly, vines grew out of her branches and claimed the starmen, absorbing their power to grow even more. These vines reached out and surrounded the Metarex ship Twilight and company were in, but didn’t destroy it, merely using it as a platform to reach a drifting planet behind it, and the platform behind that…

Vines snaked off from the center of the gauntlet in all directions, overrunning every trap within. The chainsaws stopped running, the monsters stopped spawning, and whenever Cosmo’s reach touched an area with plants, every plant there grew several times its size and began helping claim the gauntlet.

The Metarex ships attempted to destroy the vines, but there were too many of them. Several vines coiled into spikes and punctured the Metarex ships’ cores, detonating them until nothing was left. Those few who were smart enough to leave the gauntlet found that their longer-range attacks still did almost nothing to the eternally growing plant.

“...How are we going to beat up a giant tree?” Vivian asked.

Twilight didn’t answer, because she had no idea.

The Metarex bumped into the Heart one last time as the vines approached it, but this time when the Heart jumped to the other end of the gauntlet, the vines were already there. It accepted their touch, allowing the green tangle to surround the Heart and transport it all the way back to the center. The vines released the Heart right in front of Twilight, allowing it to bathe her in its indigo light.

She took it in her magic, swallowing hard. “...We have it.”

“How do we get Cosmo back?” Vivian asked. “How do we…?”

Twilight felt something change. The magic of the star Cosmo had taken was suddenly gone, and she swore she heard laughter coming from somewhere in the distance. The leaves of the central tree started to turn brown and wither.

“Cosmo!” Twilight shouted, running to the tree and laying her hooves on it. “Cosmo, no, don’t do this! Yo—”

Part of the bark in the side of the tree exploded outward, revealing a green, humanoid shape covered in sap with two rosebuds on her head.

“C-cosmo?” Twilight stammered. “H-how?”

“I don’t…” Cosmo held her hand to her head, falling over, where Twilight caught her—getting tree sap all over her coat.

“That… that shouldn’t have happened,” Twilight said, looking Cosmo in the eye. “The star wasn’t supposed to run out, you couldn’t have been… I…” In that moment, Twilight shut off the part of her brain that needed explanations. She no longer cared—she pulled Cosmo into a great big hug, squeezing the weak Seedrian. “Cosmo…”

Cosmo, though weak, still squeezed her. “It… it was so beautiful and so terrifying and I felt like… like I was everything and nothing and…” She lit up. “I… I entered the Mother state. I…” She looked out at the vines spread throughout the gauntlet—most of them were flowering.

Tears started falling from her face. “I never thought I’d be able to without…”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“My species… reproduces sacrificially. When we… become the Mother Tree, we cannot go back. But my flowers are out there, ready to seed, which… I thought could never be, without another member of my race…” She fell to her knees. “I’m not going to be the last Seedrian!”

Twilight lit up. “That’s… that’s amazing!”

“This is the best day ever!” Cosmo cheered. “Ye—”

The Metarex ship sitting outside the gauntlet fired a barrage of missiles. Not at them—at the planetoid Sir Grodus was on. At the blue launch star they had arrived next to.

The firepower shattered the metal construct into a thousand tiny pieces and disintegrated the hemispherical planetoid. With the launch star went their only way to return home.

They were trapped.

~~~

Dimentio looked at the green ball of the gauntlet from a distance. He chuckled to himself, twirling a branch from a male Seedrian in his hand. “I do hope they appreciate my present! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha!” With a burst of rippling spacetime, he was gone.

Governmental Machinations

I hereby call the first meeting of the Council of Worlds into session. << Merlon played a gong sound throughout the room. The various peoples of the world had chosen a previously abandoned building in Flipside that could easily hold a hundred people. The room had a column in the center with numerous screens Merlon could use to manage and display information. The circular table ringing the column seated the various representatives from the worlds, while beyond these seats were numerous cameras and reporters from the various universes, all ready to record everything said and decided in this meeting.

That was one problem with holding these meetings in neutral territory: Flipside had no official laws or top-secret clearance, and enough of the members wanted complete transparency that the others couldn’t get any form of secrecy instated—to the fury of the Romulans most of all. However, they had agreed that the reporters and other members of the audience were forbidden from interrupting the proceedings.

It has now been a full month since the chosen left to find the Pure Heart in Lumash. While I personally believe they will return, we have put off meeting to determine the future of Flipside long enough. The Void hangs high in the sky, growing larger with every hour. As we are now, Flipside is far too disorganized to do anything as a unified group. This meeting plans to change that. Coming together, we declare the existence of the Council of Worlds. We declare, formally, that Flipside is neutral territory owned by no one and governed by the council you see before you. Today marks the first meeting where we decide policy. First, I must recognize all present. <<

Merlon began listing off the people sitting at the table, many of which had outrageously long titles, and most of which weren’t actually that important. Iroh and Aang were both there to represent Diqiu, and Mobius had two as well—Doctor Eggman, of course, and a “leader” the Mobians themselves had chosen for this, a vest-wearing chipmunk known as Sally. Hume had the most representatives: Picard for the Federation, Tomalak for the Romulans, a man named Gul Dukat for the Cardassians, and a handful of other representatives. Narnia only had one: Trumpkin, though there was an empty seat next to him left out of respect for Aslan, who nobody really expected to show up. Lumash had a similarly empty seat for Rosalina, but it had scrounged together some other leaders: Frankie for Rogueport, a pink-dress wearing human woman called Princess Peach, and Beldam herself were there. Though Beldam was not representing a nation of Lumash—she was there for her connection to the Tribe of Darkness.

“Get on with it already,” Eggman grunted as the list scrolled across the screen. “We don’t have all day.”

Merlon continued to print the list until each name had gotten an appropriate amount of time. >>And now, the first item on the agenda for today: we are to discuss the nature of security and threats to Flipside. Tomalak, I believe the Romulan Star Empire has prepared a statement?<<

Tomalak rose, keeping his usually expressive face stern and level. “Indeed we have. To put it mildly, security in this city is a disgrace. There are a few token guards at the doors between worlds, but no registration, no observation, and no background checks. We know that some of this is largely impossible to do given the timing of our current situation, but the fact remains that not only are common thieves entering the doors, but one of Count Bleck’s highest agents walked right into the city and nobody batted an eye.”

“I don’t think even extra security could have stopped a shape-shifter of her skill from getting through,” Iroh said.

“Granted,” Tomalak said with a pained nod. “But it still serves as an illustration: as it is now, the enemy can force their way into our nexus of power. The fact that they haven’t tried to blow this place to smithereens yet is extremely concerning.”

The Pure Hearts do offer some protection against assault.<<

“Yes, assault on the city itself.” Tomalak folded his arms. “What of an assassin sent to kill, oh, one of our chosen ‘heroes?’ or Doctor Eggman?”

“They wouldn’t dare,” Eggman spat.

“If the Romulan Star Empire were running the operation on the other side, we most definitely would dare.”

Picard nodded. “They would. In fact, I believe half of us would engage in similar plans if we were desperate enough. And from what little we know of the Count and his servants, he is quite desperate.”

“Maybe he has an understanding of honor,” the Klingon representative suggested.

“Perhaps…”

Tomalak shook his head. “It does not matter. If he has ‘honor,’ it could change at any moment. There is no point in deliberation: we must increase security. Are there any objections?”

There were a few who looked like they didn’t like the idea, but they all shook heads.

“How much security are we talking about?” Eggman said. “Cameras everywhere, or just more guards?”

Tomalak smiled—a disgusting expression. “The Romulan Star Empire understands you are not willing to limit the freedom to visit and leave this city. An annoying limitation, but we have devised a method to work around it.” He pulled a black hexagon out of his shirt and tossed it on the table. “This contains a microchip invisible to the naked eye that only functions while in Flipside. Any entity who comes through the doors will be required to have one of these affixed to them. While in Flipside, every entity’s position will always be known, as well as basic vital signs. It will be able to detect shapeshifters and individuals who are being attacked. And, since we are aware of your distrust, we have developed it so it self-destructs upon leaving Flipside. Furthermore, the Romulan Star Empire is willing to let the system be run through Flipside’s computer rather than our own system, in the interests of being…” He couldn’t help but hiss. “Open.”

“I understand this may make many of you uncomfortable,” Picard said. “But my scientists have examined the chip, and we believe it behaves exactly as they say it does. It can be administered harmlessly upon arrival and will be a great boon in locating each other—or stopping possible intruders.”

“It also makes it easy to catch thieves,” Tomalak added. “Assuming they can’t get all the way to the doors.”

Eggman sighed. “I don’t like it, but until this Void is dealt with, I have no objection.”

There were a few pieces of muttered discussion, but in the end, the device was accepted by the majority, on the condition that the administrators of the chip would be mixed from every world.

Next item… Flipside research. This is largely just a report on a continued effort.<<

Eggman stood up, dusting off his coat. “We have two major areas of research: the Pit and the Heart Drive. We know nothing about the Pit aside from the shadowy monsters that plague it, but we are currently planning to raid it within a few weeks with all the firepower we have. Hopefully we’ll be able to figure out what’s down there—if we can harness what’s making these shadows, who knows what we’ll be able to do?”

“How much of a drain on resources is this?” the Cardassian Dukat asked.

“Minimal, mostly just combat personnel and my already created machines. We just need people with strong abilities, which I believe we will be talking about later.” He nodded to Iroh and Aang. “As for the Heart Drive, we are spending a lot more resources on that.”

“Please explain what it is for those who don’t know,” Sally the Chipmunk said.

“Gladly!” Eggman pointed his controller at Merlon’s screen, changing it to display a schematic of the pillar the Pure Hearts were in. “As we increase the number of Pure Hearts in containment, we increase the power available to the city. This has allowed us to bring the weapons online and a dimensional shield that will offer some protection against the Void when it finally starts tearing at us directly. However, we believe there is another device they are powering: the Heart Drive. This would, in theory, allow Flipside itself to skim through the multiverse like a starship glides through space. However, this full capability will not be available until we have all eight Hearts and will be used to punch a hole directly into the Void. However, I believe it may be possible to partially activate the Heart Drive before we have all the Hearts. And this… will be useful.”

He pressed a button, displaying a cartoonish representation of Flipside. A circular opening appeared in the air in front of Flipside, opening like one of the doors to a world with black skies and stars, allowing dozens of ships to fly through. “It could be used to open a much larger door to any universe we’ve already established contact with. The obvious benefit of this would be to move large fleets of ships around, but this would also help with evacuation.”

That’s the next topic, Eggman.<<

“I know, I know, but it’s important. The universes are all experiencing different levels of decay. Right now, Mobius is the weakest, and it could go… soon. Evacuation may become a necessity, and this larger door would be a much better way to do it.”

“The Federation supports any and all decided evacuation efforts,” Picard said.

“Since we’re talking about it…” Sally the Chipmunk cleared her throat. “I formally request permission to evacuate as many Mobians as possible to Flipside at the earliest convenience.”

“There won’t be enough space for an entire world!” Dukat the Cardassian sniped.

Picard folded his hands together. “The moment the Heart Drive creates larger doors, the Federation will begin to tow starbases through in order to house the refugees. Do not worry about space: if we can evacuate them, we can house them.”

“Would it even matter?” Trumpkin asked. “The Void will just eat us anyway. Why evacuate them here?”

“If we had all eight Pure Hearts, we may be able to ignore the Void entirely,” Eggman said. “By shunting all power to the dimensional stabilizers, the Void’s attacks may be neutralized.”

“May,” Trumpkin huffed.

“That ‘may’ is a good enough reason for me,” Picard said. “I believe the research on the Heart Drive should be first priority, and that the moment the larger doors are opened we begin evacuations of endangered worlds.”

There was a chorus of agreed remarks. Nobody seemed to be questioning this one—likely because they wanted to be able to get out of their world if it was about to be destroyed.

Now, the last of the non-world-specific discussions… The heroes of the Light Prognosticus have been gone a month and we’ve had no contact with them. Furthermore, we have seen nothing of Rosalina for the last two weeks. Should we take any action?<<

“Absolutely,” Beldam said, speaking up for the first time. “I just wonder what you young’uns think you’re going to do.” She started counting on her fingers as she listed off items. “You have no idea where they are, you have no idea how to track them, you can’t move through Lumash space quickly, and the space goddess told you they needed to do this alone.”

Picard nodded. “Unless there are any ideas for locating them or Rosalina, I’m afraid there’s not much we can do on this end. Which means we have to prepare for the worst: that they’ve failed in their mission. I do not believe they have, but it would be foolhardy to assume the best.”

“Which is a big problem!” Trumpkin shouted. “We can’t find the Pure Heart in that universe, and we can’t go to any new ones!”

“Is there any hope of using the Heart Drive to find a new world?” Picard asked. “I understand there are three we have not opened doors to.”

“Only two of those have Pure Hearts in them,” Eggman answered. “And… I highly doubt I will be able to force a connection. The Count’s Chaos Heart is doing a really good job at making it hard to punch through the space between realities.”

“But there is a possible workaround,” Tomalak said, smirking. “All of the Count’s servants have the ability to move in and out of the Void at will. If we could capture one of them and reproduce this ability, we would have freedom to move wherever we pleased.”

“Capturing them is a tricky proposition,” Picard reminded him. “They are all skilled combatants and know to retreat when defeated, even when half-delirious. Some observations of Metarex ships suggests the Count can recall them himself if he wants, from anywhere.”

“Then we just make sure we follow them through the portal next time,” Tomalak suggested. “Then we will have an operative on the other side who might be able to take… advantage of the situation.”

Without the Hearts they would not be able to disable the Chaos Heart, nor would they be able to radio us. <<

“It is not an ideal solution, but it is something. We just need to be ready next time one of them makes an appearance—and try to follow them.”

“Set up a transporter,” Eggman suggested. “Have a team always standing on it, ready to go whenever the Void portal appears. You suddenly have a team on the inside.”

“I’ll put out a request for volunteers,” Picard said. “Anyone else who wishes to do so is welcome to.”

There was a bunch of agreement. Since it was volunteer only, anyone could just refuse to be put on the team—and everyone knew there would be at least a few people mad enough to be on call for that mission.

Then we move onto the more focused sections on the list. For now, Diqiu.<<

For the first time, Aang stood up. “So far, we have hidden the truth of what’s happening from my people—they have no idea that the Void in the sky is consuming their world. I’m going to tell them.”

This prompted a lot of shouts and yells from the table, but Aang shook his head. “I’m not arguing this, it’s something I’m going to do. We will offer our armies to your cause, and yes, to your Pit, Eggman.”

Eggman smirked. “Why thank you, little Avatar.”

Aang rolled his eyes. “And, after I do this, I will volunteer myself for the mission into the Count’s home. I am the Avatar. I may not be the chosen to find the Pure Hearts—but it is still my duty to bring balance to the world. Plus…” He broke out into a grin. “I can’t let Toph have all the fun.”

Very well, it appears there is no discussion. The evacuation of Mobius has already been discussed. Returning to Hume: the Borg.<<

“There has been no change in the Borg,” Picard reported. “They still sit and observe the Void and make no aggressive moves toward us. We know they intend to fight the destruction of the universe, so they have temporarily ended their assimilation behavior. But I would be wary of them—the moment the threat of the Count is over, they will turn on us.”

Everyone from Hume nodded their support for Picard’s position—all of them knew the terror of the Borg and how ruthless they were.

“Treat communication with them extremely cautiously. And do not, by any means, believe they are our allies. They just find it convenient not to devour us at the moment.”

Heavy… any other information?<<

“None. They have been completely silent.”

Concerning. Regardless, Narnia and Lumash share a similar concern: Aslan and Rosalina, both of whom claim to be benevolent but have taken questionable actions and have not appeared for this meeting. What is to be our policy to them?”

“Assume the best,” Picard said. “They are what they say they are.”

“They don’t always say what they are!” Tomalak spat.

“Aslan has no need to,” Trumpkin grunted. “And this Rosalina is probably just like him!”

“Spare me your broken primitive theology!” Dukat shouted. “They are powerful entities, nothing more, nothing less.”

“Spirits aren’t always benevolent,” Iroh pointed out.

“Precisely!” the Klingon representative shouted. “We must treat them as another enemy!”

“Why would they want to do anything to us?” Picard asked. “They are protectors of their worlds. They want the Count to fail as much, if not more, than we do!”

Finally, after so many cautiously and civilly discussed points, the meeting devolved into shouting and name-calling. It took an entire hour to hash out the simplest of ideas; to simply treat them as unknowns officially. Unofficially nobody could agree and just wanted to talk about something else.

Moving on to some minor points…<<

Stuck

The gauntlet sat in the middle of the darkness of Lumash, a verdant green ball of life currently inhabited by seven people. The brilliant flowers of the vines were ending their time in bloom, starting to go to seed. There was not a single newborn sprout yet, but one of the seven denizens was eagerly waiting for the day she would see a brand new life form.

Cosmo lowered her watering can, moistening the soil where she had planted the Seedrian seeds. “Now, my children, you’re very lucky. My mother, Earthia, I only knew as a tree that couldn’t move outside of our starship. But I will be able to tend to each and every one of you wherever you are!” She giggled to herself. “Just have to save the world first! Aww, don’t be sad, mother will be back, don’t you worry.”

The planted seeds didn’t respond to her. They wouldn’t for a few years—from what Cosmo remembered in school, it often took months for a sprout to emerge from the earth, and then a couple years before it formed a full body and detached from the ground. Normally, this would be a very vulnerable state for the Seedrian, but since all the traps had been disabled during the month Cosmo had been staying here, there was little that could threaten a Seedrian newborn. Because she wasn’t actually sure she’d be around when they sprouted, she’d spent the last month encasing the various star-like orbs in vines so the newborns couldn’t fall into the fire either. This gauntlet had become a garden. Her garden.

She was immensely proud of it. It would be a perfect genesis point for a new generation of Seedrians.

She only wished the others could be as happy as she was…

Deciding she was done tending to the seeds, she returned to the house—the cannibalized Metarex ship that they’d embedded into a larger desert platform and decorated with all sorts of things. The interior was no longer harsh, cold metal, but soft carpet, green grass, and beautiful lights that drifted this way and that. Climbing up the ramp, Cosmo noted that someone was sitting in front of the digital fireplace. “Good morning, Toph!”

The girl in the wheelchair grunted a weak hello.

“I was just out tending to the seeds,” Cosmo said. “They’re going to love it here. When they sprout I can’t wait to introduce you, w—”

“If I’m still here when they sprout, we’re all dead,” Toph deadpanned.

“Now, don’t say that.” Cosmo huffed. “I’m sure the worlds will be saved no matter what.”

“I wish I had your optimism. Oh, wait. No I don’t. It’s idiotic.”

Cosmo had burst into tears the first few times Toph had tried this, but at this point she was more than used to it. With a sigh, Cosmo turned and left Toph to her brooding. She heard the wheelchair’s wheels squeak after she’d turned her back, indicating Toph was going out on another of her rides. Cosmo hoped she didn’t get the wheelchair stuck in a bush again—that was always hard to deal with. Toph refused to acknowledge she needed help but she did and it always ended up with her shouting bloody murder and throwing a few rocks around.

To be fair, Toph actually wasn’t the worst offender. Cosmo didn’t want to think about that right now.

Cosmo climbed up a ladder to the observation deck, where Tippi was fluttering, looking out the window.

“Good morning, Tippi!” Cosmo called. “How are you doing?”

“Do you ever… remember?” Tippi asked.

Cosmo cocked her head to one side. “Remember what?”

“Things… that you didn’t do. Yet feel so right…”

“Uh… no?”

“Oh…” Tippi fell silent. Cosmo wanted to say something, but unlike what was going on with the others, she didn’t understand Tippi’s distancing. Something was going on in the Pixl’s head that Cosmo couldn’t figure out, and this greatly concerned her. Cautiously, Cosmo climbed back down the ladder to the main floor.

Putting a smile back on her face, she knocked on the door to Engineering. “Good morning!”

“PANCAKE!” Twilight shouted, pulling her head out of a pile of papers covered in star-shaped diagrams and scrawlings. “Oh, uh…” She shook her head, pulling her mane back into a more presentable—but still terrible—state. “Good morning, Cosmo! How are the seeds doing?”

“Snug in their little garden,” Cosmo reported. “How goes… this?” Cosmo gestured at the shards of blue metal spread around the Pure Heart in an equidistant circle.

“We’re making progress!”

“She is deluding herself,” Data reported. “We have made no progress whatsoever.”

“Not with that attitude we haven’t!” Twilight cackled. “See, if we can shunt the power of creation inherent in the Pure Heart into the Launch Star’s shards, we should be able to reassemble them!”

“If we had all the pieces. Which we do not.”

“It’s creation, Data! It has to have the ability somewhere in it to bring it out of nothing.”

“Possibly, but we do not have access to that capability.”

“Stop being such a sourpuss,” Twilight said, waving a dismissive hoof.

“I am attempting to get you to consider alternative methods.”

“Such as…?”

Data opened his mouth to respond, but shut it after coming up with nothing substantial.

“Thought so. How about you run another analysis of the shard composition in that cute little list format.”

“Cute…?”

Twilight gagged on her own saliva. “Pretend I didn’t say that!”

“This marks the four-hundred and sixty-fifth time you’ve asked me to pretend like you haven’t said something along those lines.”

“That doesn’t sound like someone forgetting!”

“No. Merely like someone pretending to forget. I am incapable of actually forgetting due to the nature of my positronic net a—”

“How about you two stop this little… spat?” Cosmo suggested, smiling awkwardly.

Twilight’s left eye twitched. “Ah, yes, Cosmo! Still here, I see! Got anything I can… use? Any more shards?”

“Uh, no, I was just saying good morning…”

“Then we need to get back to work. I’m sure your kids miss you.” She levitated Cosmo out of Engineering and shut the doors. Immediately Cosmo heard her start rattling off numbers and scientific jargon to Data.

“...Well, at least they’re enjoying each other’s company,” Cosmo told herself. “...Sorta.” With a sigh, she left the ship, returning to tending the garden. Some new blooms had probably gone to seed since yesterday and it was her job to collect them. She had to cover the entire gauntlet in a day. It was hard work, but she enjoyed it.

Plus, it gave her something more hopeful to do than all the others.

She caught sight of a fire in the far edge of the gauntlet and made a mental note not to go that direction today.

~~~

Vivian sat in the middle of a burning ball of vines, bawling her eyes out. Her tears hit the superheated ground, puffing into clouds of steam instantly. Flaming leaves drifted from above, falling all around and on top of her, coating her in her own flames. She didn’t care. She wished they could actually burn her. She deserved it.

All she’d wanted was to talk to Toph. But… but that stubborn girl just spat insults and Vivian hadn’t liked that. So just a fireball to teach her a lesson, right? A fireball or… twenty… hundred…

Toph had gotten away, of course—Vivian had seen her wheelchair drifting between planets, launched by some kind of rock pillar—but that had only made it seem like a good idea to bathe more of the area in fire. And at that point, Vivian was surrounded by flames and everything was burning and she was evil and it was terrible and there was no hope and she didn’t belong and—

She clapped her hands together, letting out a shrill scream. All the flames vanished in an instant, revealing the black, charred orbs around her. She’d extinguished the area of life. That was all she was good for, wasn't it? Just some shadowy demon that wasn’t anyone’s friend, just… useful, until she wasn’t.

Sobbing to herself, she drifted lazily from world to world, branch to branch, leaving the charred area for somewhere more green. She subconsciously avoided all the other places she’d burned during their stay, as well as the Metarex ship. There was no use in going back there. Everyone just hated each other. She was the outsider, might as well put herself outside where she belonged.

Alone.

“Aslan!”

She heard Caspian shouting below her. Jumping in shock, she hid behind a bush, not wanting to be seen. She needn’t have worried—Caspian was too busy yelling at the blackness outside the gauntlet. The King currently stood on the edge of a marble platform that jutted out into the nothing. He swung his sword around angrily before driving it into a vine a few feet behind him.

“Aslan, why have you forsaken me!?” He held out one of his arms—the other still in a sling.

The darkness offered no response.

“I know you can see me, I know you watch, I know you here! No barrier of worlds can stop your power, so why do you leave me, your faithful servant, to rot!?”

Nothing came.

“I have loyally and faithfully led your Narnian servants through trials, I overthrew Miraz, I fought for your army, I traveled to the edge of the world but listened to your command to go no further! And now I answered your call to go out into the worlds and save all creation! How am I saving all creation by sitting in this disabled death trap!?”

Silence.

“You do not abandon us!”

“He has,” a voice answered.

Vivian looked down to see Toph riding a block of earth under her wheelchair to get to Caspian.

“Aslan has never abandoned us.”

“Take a look at the evidence to the contrary,” Toph spat. “Stuck on this rock, no friends, no way out, and all the while everything inches closer to the Void. You remember Tippi’s freak out last week, you know the Void is still eating this world.”

“We… will not be left here.”

“Are you sure?” Toph demanded. “Even if he is watching us, even if he is everything you say he is, doesn’t he have the right to just toss us to the side of the road for ‘our own good’ just because we don’t suit him anymore!?”

“He… wouldn’t do that.”

“How on earth do you know that?”

“I… I…” Caspian’s legs began to tremble and he fell to his knees. “He watches over us… He watches over us… He watches over us…”

“Great, now you’re devolving into madness.” Toph put her hands to the wheels of her chair and turned around. “It’s only a matter of time before you start making sacrifices to appeal to the great lion, hoping he will see your devotion.”

“I would never,” Caspian breathed.

“Give yourself a few years. Oh, wait. We’ll all be dead by then.” Toph rolled away, balancing the earth under her wheels with her earthbending. Soon, she was gone.

Vivian wiped her eyes and drifted down to Caspian. She wasn’t sure why she did, and judging from his shocked expression, he was just as surprised as she was about her actions.

“...Vivian,” he said, emotionless.

“Aslan,” Vivian said. “You… you all met him. I didn’t. I never really got a good idea of… what he was like.”

Caspian sat down smiling softly. “Aslan… he is kind, brilliant, just, caring, powerful, understanding, and… and…” He struggled to keep a straight face. “Nothing… is beyond him.”

“So he could just… get us out of here?”

“Yes. He’s dragged people from other worlds many times. I’ve seen it myself.”

“So… why… doesn’t he?”

“I… I don’t know!” Caspian hung his head. “He usually wants us to live life without his constant guidance! But… but this should be more important than us! The worlds… the worlds are in danger! We can’t just be… left here!”

“...I dunno.” Vivina looked back at the still-smoking area she’d just left behind. “Maybe we should be left here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at what we’re doing. Burning things, shouting at each other, obsessively working on projects without sleeping, or… whatever’s going on with Tippi.” Vivian stood up, shaking her head. “Why did we ever think we were heroes?”

“Because we were chosen.”

“And what good is that?” Vivian shook her head, drifting away. Caspian didn’t move to stop her. There was no reason he would, anyway. She knew what he thought of her—some unnatural demon of darkness that he only spoke to because he’d been told to respect her. Catch him on the wrong day and she suspected she’d get a sword through the gut.

She found herself a dark, damp area of the gauntlet and hid herself in the shadows, not coming out for hours.

Rejuvenation

Twilight ran through her checklist of every shard of the Launch Star again. Every piece was exactly where it had been yesterday—and the day before that, and the day before that. They hadn’t found a new piece in eight days. They were still missing over thirty percent of the launch star’s total mass, most of which was probably drifting in the endless darkness surrounding the place.

She was fairly certain she knew what the darkness was; a subdimension, separate from the physical world of Lumash, but still undoubtedly a part of it. It would require some kind of dimensional pass to escape, and the only one she knew of was the broken star sitting in front of her.

A star that hadn’t given her any new information in over a week.

Shaking her head, she ran through the checklist again. Every piece was in its place, no change. Just the same as the last time. Just the same as the last couple dozen times.

Her lower lip starting to tremble, she glanced at her piles upon piles of theory and work on the study of the Pure Heart and the shards. Everything was in its place. All the notes, all the theories, all the information… information that hadn't changed. Ideas that had gone nowhere.

“N… no…” she said, not believing what she was saying. “No. We’re not trapped. We’re not.” She sat down on her haunches, shaking all over now. “We’re not trapped. We can get out. We…” Tears began to roll down her cheeks onto the notes below her, but she no longer cared. “Data… I… I…”

Data walked over to her and very awkwardly patted her on the back. Twilight let out an amused snot-filled snort—he was trying, at least. Somewhere in that computerized brain of his, he was trying.

“...We’ve been… so terrible to them,” Twilight said.

“We have?”

“No… I’ve been terrible. Locking them out, focusing only on the work, ignoring them… I know I hurt Cosmo today and I have no idea how the rest of them are. Probably not well.” She tossed her head back and looked at the Pure Heart. “We can’t stay in here, Data.”

“I believe we can, but I understand your meaning.” Data stood up. “Should we go out for a walk?”

“Yes… I believe we should. Get out of all… this.”

~~~

Caspian fell to the ground, banging his functional arm on the ground. “Please, Aslan… Please… I cannot go on, I need you. You cannot leave the worlds to die! Remember your servants!”

The darkness was as quiet as it always was.

And yet, Caspian refused to give in. “I know… you’re listening. I know you’re out there. I know you can save us. I…” He ground his teeth. “Why don’t you? Is there something I have overlooked? Is there… something I still need to learn? Aslan, what am I missing? What is wrong with... us?” The moment the word left his mouth, he frowned. “Us…”

“You have been neglecting your friends, Caspian.”

Caspian whirled around, expecting to see Aslan behind him—but there was no one, no one at all. Not even a golden hair.

He smiled anyway—he knew what he’d heard. The smile vanished instantly. That… wasn’t a way to help them escape. It was… a kind admonition. Standing up, he pulled his sword out of the ground and started walking, brow furrowed.

“Whatever else… I will do as you say.” Caspian sheathed his sword and set out to find Vivian. A few moments later he realized he probably wasn’t going to be able to find her since she had a habit of disappearing into the shadows where no one could see her. However, he knew one little factoid: that while she was hidden in the darkness, she could still hear what was happening outside.

“Vivian!” Caspian called. “Vivian! I’ve… I’ve come to apologize!”

There was no response from the leaves and the vines this time. And, unlike when he was shouting at the darkness, he really had no inner assurance that he was being heard. This did not stop him from continuing to shout anyway.

“I have treated you harshly not for who you are, but for what you are. As though I were judging a badger for being a badger or a dwarf being a dwarf. And, perhaps worst of all, when you came to speak to me of Aslan… I pushed you away, as I pushed him away. This behavior is unbecoming of a friend, unbecoming of a man, and I ask—no beg—that you forgive my trespass.”

He plunged his sword into the ground and rested on it with his functional arm, letting out a deep sigh. Either she wasn’t here, or she wasn’t listening… no, he wouldn’t believe it. Aslan… please.

There was a slight warping sound, indicative of Vivian coming out of her shadowy hiding.

“Do you really… consider me a friend?”

Caspian didn’t turn around, but he smiled. “We have put our lives in each other’s hands in the midst of this gauntlet, and our swords are joined to a righteous quest. If we are not friends, I would love to speak to the man who writes definitions and give him a piece of my mind.”

Vivian giggled, floating over in front of Caspian, showing him her adorable little smile. “I thought… you hated me.”

“I found you unsettling, for you practice what… what, in my world, is known to be unholy and blasphemous. It is difficult to look past that. Alarmingly so. Yet… you are still a beautiful flower all the same, Vivian. Perhaps even the darkness has its place.”

“Thank you… I think?” She tilted her head to the side.

“You can thank me for realizing the fault in myself. I am not in my kingdom, you are not my citizen, I have no right to judge even internally.” He bowed slightly to her. “If Aslan takes issue with what you are, that is between you and him, not me.”

“...Would he really have a problem with… me?”

“He loves all, even those who hate him. Come. I shall tell you more of him as we return to the ship—we have other friends who need to know who they are.”

Vivian followed him through the vines of the gauntlet, journeying back to the ship. On the way they found Toph’s wheelchair overturned and Toph herself crawling by her hands along the branch. Wordlessly, Caspian righted the wheelchair and Vivian set Toph gently back in the wheelchair. For once, Toph didn’t let out a biting remark. She just hung her head in shame.

“All is well,” Caspian told her. “We are not right with each other. Let us set it right.”

~~~

Cosmo returned to the ship after a round of the lower gauntlet to a welcome sight: Data and Twilight, out of their mechanical cave, talking to Tippi over a lunch of sandwiches and tea.

“I don’t know what’s going on with my head…” Tippi admitted. “I keep getting flashes of things I never experienced, and then they’re gone.”

“Are you sure you never experienced them?” Data asked.

“Hmm… Perhaps I have.”

Twilight cocked her head. “How can you have memories you don’t know about? Don’t you have perfect recall, like Data?”

“I… may have some files from before my activation when I was sent to find you. I’m still working on it.”

Cosmo walked into their little house, sitting down at the table. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise.”

“Cosmo, I’m so sorry,” Twilight began. “I’ve been so inconsiderate and shut-in on this hopeless project that I hurt you—and probably everyone else. I don’t think I’ve even talked to anyone else for a week. I don’t even know…”

“Things… aren’t great,” Cosmo admitted. “But now that you’re out, you can bring us back together.”

“Catch me up on what’s been going on.”

“Toph’s angry and dejected, Caspian shouts to the void for Aslan to hear him every day, and Vivian swaps back and forth between being angry that we think of her as a monster, burning something, and then thinking she’s a monster.”

“...Where did she get that idea?”

“Something Caspian said a long time ago that he never refuted, and all of us basically… ignoring her. I tried to talk to her a few times but… I’m probably the least fireproof of all of us.”

Twilight blinked. “She… attacked you?”

“No, no, nothing like that! She’d just gotten into the habit of sitting in her own fire. I can’t exactly… get through that, so she always had a place to run away from me.”

“I… really have let my mind wander,” Tippi said. “I’m so sorry, I’ve been so distant.”

“We all have,” Data said. “I had suspected something was wrong with the way we were acting, but I was unsure of how to resolve it.”

“Talking, Data, talking.” Twilight smiled at him. “We’re not all as well-adjusted as the crew on the Enterprise. We haven’t really known each other that long, we’re not all part of the same organization, and we have no protocols to follow.”

“Perhaps we should instate some,” Data suggested.

“Right. From here on out, we don’t ignore each other. We’re friends. And I’m the Princess of Friendship! I need to act like it.”

“A good start,” Cosmo said, folding her hands together.

“Now… to find the others.”

“You won’t have to,” Tippi said, looking out the gaping hole in the side of the ship. “They’re coming up here. All three of them.”

To Cosmo’s surprise and glee, Tippi was right; Caspian and Vivian were walking alongside each other, talking amiably. Vivian was pushing Toph’s wheelchair, which carried the understandably sullen Toph.

Twilight waved to them, inviting them to come to the table.

“I wish to apologize,” Caspian said before Twilight could get a word in edgewise. “I have been rather selfish and focused on what I wanted, not what we needed.”

“I was trying to look at the big picture, completely ignoring all of you,” Twilight said. “A good leader balances both. I really should know better, as the Princess of Friendship. And I especially need to apologize to you, Vivian. I didn’t help you feel like part of the group.”

Vivian nodded. “I… think I was being a little silly. After talking with Caspian on the way over I think I understand sooooo much more, now.”

“Good. We’ll talk more later. For now…” Twilight turned to Toph. “I can’t apologize to you for what you want me to apologize for.”

Toph grimaced. “You think that matters?”

“I did all I could for your legs.” She used her wingtip to lift Toph’s face up. “I… couldn’t stand looking at my failure. I didn’t want to think about it. I just… locked myself away, fixating on the details of what I thought was important instead of focusing on what was really important. You. That’s what I’m sorry for.”

A small smile crawled up Toph’s face. “Twiggy, why do you have to be so insanely nice all the time?”

Twilight let out a soft giggle. “I learned from a group of five other ponies how to be what I am today. I never want to forget those lessons again.” She looked up, meeting the eyes of everyone around her. “Everyone, I’ve let this group fall apart. I’ve ignored all your cries for help and need for friendship. Today, that ends. Even if we’re trapped in the middle of Count Bleck’s dungeon, I will not leave you alone any longer. I promise.” A smile crawled up her face. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Data cocked his head. “Is the phrase not ‘cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye,’ Twilight?”

Twilight blinked. “That’s… gruesome.”

“It is the equivalent expression.”

“We’re going to have to figure out cultural cross-references sometime.”

“After all this is over?” Toph suggested.

“Yes,” Twilight giggled. “After all this is over, my friends. Come here.” She levitated Toph out of the chair and pulled her into a hug, prompting a massive group hug from everyone. Tippi settled on top of Twilight’s horn while Data had to be dragged into the hug by Vivian.

Tippi let out a cry of shock. “Twilight! You…”

“I feel it…” Twilight said, looking up. There, just above her horn, a soft magenta starburst was levitating, the exact shape of the Element of Magic. She could feel her connection to it, however faint, rippling across existence. More than that… she could feel a connection to the Pure Heart. Carefully, she used her telekinesis to open the doors to Engineering, approaching the Pure Heart with the rest of her team in tow.

The Pure Heart rotated faster and faster the closer they got.

“I feel funny,” Toph said, arms shivering. “What’s going on?”

“I’m such an idiot!” Twilight declared, facehoofing and laughing in unison. “Every single journey for a Pure Heart we’ve had thus far has ended with a connection to love! We started with the love that ended a bloody feud between two cities, then the love of a mother for her distant daughter, then the love of a crew for their captain, and then a devoted love of service and loyalty. We had not encountered the love for this Pure Heart yet. And do you know what that love is?” Her eyes started to glow white.

Data cocked his head. “Would it be what you refer to as the ‘magic of friendship,’ Twilight?”

Twilight let out a laugh of delight. “Yes, Data. That’s exactly it. Our love for each other—even in hard times like this.” She lifted a hoof, and suddenly all six of the others felt the magic surge through them. Everyone’s eyes matched the glow of Twilight’s, with Tippi’s wings shimmering a brilliant white.

Colors came from each of the six around Tippi. Twilight was magenta, Toph was orange, Data was blue, Caspian was red, Cosmo was pink, and Vivian was dark purple. The colors focused on Tippi, enhancing at her and focusing into a white beam that hit the Pure Heart directly.

“Help us,” Twilight asked. It was not a command—but a plea from a long-lost friend.

The indigo Heart listened. Behind it, the shards of the launch star lifted into the air, fusing together into the correct shape. It was still missing much of its mass, but the Heart had a solution for that. It drained the energy Tippi was focusing on it, redirecting it into the cracks between the launch star’s pieces. With a burst of pastel rainbow purity, the launch star was completed, ready to return them to the Comet Observatory when they were ready.

The light in Twilight’s eyes died down. “So, the moment I stop focusing on trying to fix the launch star to help my friends, the launch star gets fixed. Let’s take a moment to review how much of an idiot I am, shall we?”

Cosmo shook her head. “Twilight, you aren’t an idio—”

“Yes she is!” Toph shouted, laughing in the midst of it. “Don’t take this away from me! Princess of Books is calling herself an idiot, I am going to cherish this moment.”

Twilight giggled. “Go ahead! I deserve every bit of it. Every last one.”

“Is anyone going to explain what just happened?” Caspian asked.

“Oh, uh…” Twilight cleared her throat. “In my world, I’m connected to an artifact known as the Element of Magic that is keyed to the power of friendship. Apparently, that connection extends even to other universes, and I was able to activate it in the presence of all of you. Once I… well, tried.”

“Ah,” Caspian said.

“He doesn’t get it,” Toph said.

“Well,” Twilight began, “if we start with an understanding of magic theor—”

“That’s enough, Twilight,” Data said.

They all stared at him in shock. Toph burst out into laughter a second later. “You two are perfect for each other!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Going to ignore that… Anyway, who wants to go home?”

“...Home?” Cosmo said, cocking her head.

“Flipside, I mean Flipside,” Twilight shook her head, chuckling nervously.

“Let’s go right now!” Toph shouted, slapping her wheelchair. “I want my legs back!”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Cosmo said, grinning wildly.

“Wha—oh. Right.” Twilight levitated the Pure Heart into the air and spread her wings. “Guess we forgot to do this earlier…” Twilight took in a deep breath. “We got a pure HEART!”

Minion Secrets

Mimi was awoken by the sound of O’Chunks singing.

“Raise yer chunks in the air as the most debonair man strides into the room!
Sprinin’ forth from ‘is lair as ‘is foes all despair, for Bleck be the name o’ their doom!
Whooa-OH! That’s our Bleck! Blecky, Bleckity, DOOOOOOO!
Yeah, uh, somethin’ Bleck… That’s the guy who says… Wooo?”

That’s it, I’ve had it. Mimi Void-portaled to the central chamber, furious. “Gosh O’Chunks, Quit it! You’re breaking windows! What are you yelling about?”

Nastasia, the only other person in the central chamber at the moment, adjusted her glasses. “Oh, that? Yeah, I just had O’Chunks come up with a nice motivational tune. And as punishment for getting beat by those heroes again, I’m making him sing it a thousand times.”

“A… a thousand times!?” Mimi gawked. “Gosh, you’re more evil than I thought! ...Wait, didn’t O’Chunks lose a month ago?”

“It took him this long to come up with the lyrics.”

“Golly…” She shook her head, putting the disgusting thought of O’Chunks signing out of her mind. “Hey, but enough chatting! So, where’s the Count, huh? I wanna see him! He hasn’t called me to go do anything and I’m getting sooooo bored!”

“Your little vacation wasn’t enough?” Nastasia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh…” Mimi blanked. “Uh…”

“Hey Count!?” Mr. L shouted like he owned the place, portaling in with a fanciful twirl. “My destructive little friend is all gassed up and itching to get back in action. Yes, Brobot is begging me to take him out. Say the word, and I’ll roll out.”

Nastasia shook her head. “Yeah, great enthusiasm, but let’s shelve the robot action plan for now, ‘K? The thing is, the Count kinda left specific orders for us to stand by. Got that?”

“No way!” Mimi folded her arms. “We’re just supposed to wait here for those big, mean heroes to come get us?”

Mr. L scratched his mustache thoughtfully. “So the Count doesn’t need my services? Excellent, I’ll just be off then.”

Nastasia stamped her foot on the ground. “You go nowhere! We wait! it’s the Count’s direct order! His word is absolute! Be a good little minion and do not move until told!”

Mimi and Mr. L stared at her in shock. O’Chunks was still exhausted from having sung too loud for too long.

“’K? Thanks.” Nastasia jumped off her platform. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to coordinate with Dark Oak on internal affairs.” She gracefully walked out of the central chamber, leaving the minions alone.

“But I’m booooooored!” Mimi whined now that Nastasia was well out of earshot.

Mr. L threw his hands into the air. “And Brobot craves his daily smash! I can’t just do that here. There’s no action!”

“Ah ha ha. Hard to stay still when you pine for sweet vengeance, isn’t it?” Dimentio popped into existence, floating a small ways above the other minions.

“Unbearable,” Mr. L growled.

Dimentio nodded, putting a hand to his chin. “Yes, the Count’s orders are all absolute… completely without exception. We shouldn’t even dare to think about a secret sneak attack. Perish the thought! Defeating the hero would please the Count greatly… but we must follow orders!”

Mr. L drummed his fingers against his outfit. “Yeaaah... Yeah, I’ve uh… got to go deflavorize the Brobot’s uh… Flavorizer. I’ll return once everything’s up to code.” He saluted. “L-ater, Dimentio!” With a burst of purple, he was gone.

Mimi was smart enough to realize that Dimentio was pushing her, but she didn’t care. Even if Dimentio reported her, she’d be able to take all the glory anyway! “…Oopsie I just remembered something real important that I gotta do! Back in a jiffy! Bye!” She teleported to the map room that contained all eight worlds, each represented by a black levitating sphere.

“Let’s see…” Mimi traced her finger around the black spheres, brow furrowing. “Hume… Mobius… Diqiu… Earth… Nine… ah, here we are!” She absorbed the dimensional coordinates into her part of the Void, grinning. Upon doing so, she got some very interesting information presented to her.

“Oooh! Those heroes sure are in for a surprise! MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!”

~~~

“Flavorizer?”

Mr. L almost screamed in panic at the sound of Lulu’s voice. He pretended to polish Brobot’s shoes. “Uh, yes, flavorizer.”

“Do tell, what does a flavorizer do?”

“Uh… flavorizes. Things. Yes.”

“You’re just going to go give those heroes a metal sandwich.”

Mr. L twirled his mustache. “What would you say if I told you I was?”

“I would say I’m coming with you.” She rolled up her sleeves. “Anywhere without that bloody lion.”

“Sounds-a good to me!”

“And this time, we go directly to the robot attack plan. No trying to look fancy beforehand.”

“All right, all right, we’ll do that.” Mr. L flipped a lever to turn Brobot on. “We leave immediately, ma’am.”

Brobot’s nose fell to the ground.

“Er… we leave as soon as I fix that!”

“Do hurry.” Lulu folded her arms. “I’m not in a patient mood today.”

The Statue Job

Starlight had an advanced invisibility spell layered on herself, running through the halls of Castle Bleck as fast as she could. She wasn’t going for any sort of target or assault; she was looking for the statue of Discord and Cadence. In the process, she passed many monstrous slimes, goblin creatures, tentacled beasts, and of course hypnotized ponies. She noticed that, the further she went, the less common the ponies became and the more common the monstrous beasts became. Crystal entities slid through the halls, cactus creatures hopped around wildly, and a myriad of other creatures that were under Nastasia’s complete control continued to get in the way.

None of them could sense Starlight. At least, nothing Starlight had encountered so far, though to be fair they probably weren’t looking for an invisible unicorn running through the halls of Castle Bleck.

Starlight’s theory was that the statue had to be somewhere in the center of the Castle. So far, the resistance had discovered two edges of the previously thought to be endless structure, and from that Starlight used the power of geometry to find a line that she assumed went toward the center. It was likely slightly off, but it would do.

Eventually, she found herself approaching a large, closed door. As always when she reached one of these doors, she scanned the other side to see if anyone was there. There was—O’Chunks, Mimi, Nastasia, and a form she didn’t recognize.

“You will go nowhere!” Nastasia’s shout came from through the door.

Ah, I’ve found their meeting room. Good… I must be close.

She kept scanning, waiting at the edges of the door. Nastasia walked out first—going directly through the door and walking past Starlight. Three steps down the hall, Nastasia froze in place, glancing around the hall.

She can’t see me.

Starlight was correct, Nastasia couldn’t, but that didn’t stop her from being suspicious. In the end she took out a notepad, scribbled a few lines in it, and then went on her way.

Letting out a tense breath, Starlight scanned the room again. Now, Mimi and the unknown minion were gone, leaving only O’Chunks in the room, kneeling as though tired. I’ve taken him on during missions before. He’s an idiot, won’t suspect a thing.

Cautiously, Starlight opened the door a crack, allowing herself to slip through. High above her on a pillar, O’Chunks stood, his back to her. He was breathing heavily with a slight scratch that indicated he had been overusing his voice. Was he making the racket a while back? Not something to focus on. Instead, Starlight performed more advanced scans on the central hall. There was only one door in and out and… wait. She focused her magic on the far wall, furrowing her brow. There was nothing there—and that was the problem, every wall in this place gave off residual dark magic. A blank wall suggested that something was being hidden.

And she wasn’t going to be able to cast revealing spells while invisible.

Biting her lip, she sent a quick sleep spell to O’Chunks. He had no mental capacity to resist, nor the strength to attempt it. He collapsed into a heap, snoring loudly.

After checking to make sure no one else was coming, Starlight dropped her invisibility and began slamming the wall with reveal spells, praying that one of them would work. She knew a grand total of eight ways to reveal the unknown. It was the seventh that finally broke through whatever illusion was in place, creating a massive set of double doors.

To her annoyance, Starlight found that she couldn’t scan the other side. Taking a deep breath, she poked her head in.

It was the wedding hall. White pillars, white stairs, white altars... it was the place the Chaos Heart had been created. Except now, it was eerily empty save for a single soul—Count Bleck himself, his back turned toward her, staring intently at the statue on the altar. The Chaos Heart was nowhere to be seen.

Starlight made herself invisible again but didn’t shut the door—she didn’t want to make the noise. Carefully, she levitated herself off the ground and drifted toward the statue.

Count Bleck sighed. “You would have hated it,” he muttered. Starlight froze, taking a few moments to realize he was talking to himself. He angrily turned and marched down the stairs, blowing through the doors and slamming them in a fury. He either did not notice the doors were open, or he believed that he’d forgotten to close him.

The doors vanished shortly after he left. No matter, I can make them reappear. Starlight trotted up to the top of the stairs, taking in the disgusting statue. Discord and Cadence, locked in a passionate kiss that both of them seemed to be enjoying. But it was all a lie. A disgusting, terrible lie that was abused to start all this.

Scanning the statue, Starlight found some residual energy on it, likely from the Chaos Heart. Perhaps it could be used to find the Heart? Maybe that was why the warrior wanted them to find it. Because it would be a boon.

“You know, I originally wanted you to find it because I could use it.”

The warrior was standing at the foot of the stairs, all four of his arms crossed. Starlight decided it was useless to remain invisible. “Use it for what?”

“To break the limiter.” He strode up the stairs. “I was once a cursed wanderer, doomed to flit from universe to universe, location to location, not having a home. And you know what? I loved it. I loved it so much I learned to become one with it and control it. But then a bunch of idiots grab the Void and try to abuse it, and I’m stuck traveling within the Void’s manifestation. Stuck in this bland castle.”

“This statue can provide you a way out?”

“It can,” he agreed. “It is the source of the curse. I had every intention of stealing it from you and breaking the hold placed on me. But!”

“You changed your mind.” Starlight corked her eyebrow. “Let me guess, you figured out what the Count was trying to do?”

“Yes!” he said. “More than even you know.”

“I’d love to hear it.”

“Later. Right now, we need to get this statue to the others. The curse on it is based on—eugh—love, so setting right the love that went wrong should do something. I think.”

“Shining Armor and… Fluttershy.” Starlight considered this. “Yes, that could work.”

“The Chaos Heart itself would change, and we might be able to break the travel ban for all. Bleck’s minions would no longer have a monopoly on the other dimensions.”

“And we might be able to get help!” Starlight lit up. “That’ll work amazingly! Let me just teleport it…”

“Room’s teleport proof.”

“Only a minor inconvenience,” Starlight said, waving a hoof as she levitated the statue up relatively effortlessly. “Anyway, if we’re going to be working together… I’m Starlight Glimmer. You?”

“Gilgamesh. And you are right about how minor it is…” He clapped his hands, creating a Void portal. “Behold, our escape.”

Starlight narrowed her eyes. “You sure you aren’t one of Bleck’s minions?”

“I was traveling the Void before that idiot was even born,” Gilgamesh snorted. “After yo—”

“No, says Count Bleck!”

A burst of dark energy hit Gilgamesh in the back, knocking him over. The doors had re-appeared—and Count Bleck, Nastasia, and Dark Oak stood in them.

Gilgamesh stood to his feet, shaking. “O-ouch…”

“You have been quite a pain to track down,” Nastasia said. “But this is the end of the line.” She reached her hand to her glasses.

“My line never ends!” Gilgamesh created a Void portal around himself, one that Count Bleck couldn’t act quickly enough to disable.

This left Starlight alone at the base of the statue. She quickly cast her mental protection spell to keep Nastasia from hypnotizing her, not that she told anyone that. Horn glowing, she laughed nervously. “H-hello, Count! How are you doing?”

“Annoyed that you have invaded Count Bleck’s inner sanctum,” the Count said, tilting his hat upward. “But at least you get to appreciate them!” He gestured at the statue. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Disgusting,” Starlight spat, horn still glowing. Come on, there has to be a way to do this…

“Bleh heheheheheheheheh…” the Count’s sneer widened. “You are the strongest member of the Resistance, are you not? Nastasia, she is likely to become one of… the special entities.”

“She holds all the requirements,” Nastasia admitted. “Like Lulu and Mr. L, she’d check off all the boxes.”

“So you do not traditionally recruit willing minions,” Dark Oak noted.

“It depends,” the Count said, smirking. “But for now, Nastasia?”

Nastasia adjusted her glasses. Starlight felt the spell hit her—and bounce off, but she still reacted. “Hail Bleck!” she called, trying to put on her best blank expression, but she kept her horn lit.

It apparently worked. “Um, she appears normal, Count.”

Bleck shook his head. “A small loss. I do prefer the minions with more personality to them, but it is what it is. Set her on patrol, tell her to smile. Maybe it’ll fool some of them, bleh heh heh heh!”

Come on…

“Why is her horn still glowing?” Dark Oak asked.

Come on come on comeoncomeon!

“You, stop the magic,” Nastasia ordered.

Starlight dropped her blank expression, fixing Nastasia with a cocky grin. “Make me.”

The Count pointed his scepter at Starlight. “Bleh heheheheheheh! You have been very entertaining, Starlight Glimmer! But now your time is at an end. Nothing you can do w—”

“GOT IT!” Starlight shouted, finally feeling her magic touch the transdimensional nature of the statue. She didn’t care that she didn’t feel like it had been there a second before, it was there now, and she had it. Space rippled around her, twisting around herself and the statue. No Void portal appeared—space just twisted and folded until both of them were gone.

~~~

“Look, Timpani. The stars are beautiful, aren’t they?”

“…There’s a tradition in my village. We believe that wishes on stars come true.”

“Oh, is that so? In that case we’d better get wishing. Don’t you think?”

“I don’t need to wish anymore.”

“Mmm?”

“I already got my wish. Now… I have everything I need right here.”

“Timpani… Aren’t you cold?”

“Not at all. I’m very warm… Can we stay like this? Just a little longer?”

Surprising Visitor

Rosalina held the Comet Observatory directly over Rogueport. “Your door awaits, chosen heroes.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Rosalina.”

“I take it you appreciate the time you spent together?”

Twilight smiled softly. “Yeah… we needed it.”

“Then return… return to Flipside stronger than you ever have been. For the trials are just beginning.” She waved her wand and the floor fell out from under the seven of them. They fell into an unceremonious pile in front of the Rogueport door, where a Starfleet officer and a Mobian were standing guard.

The Starfleet officer’s eyes widened. “Are you really back?”

Twilight chuckled, righting Toph’s wheelchair with her magic. “Yes. Yes we are. And…” She took out the Pure Heart, holding it high. “Mission accomplished.”

The officer nodded. “We’ve had to increase security since you left, I’ll have to tag all of you when entering.”

“What?” Toph twitched. “Why?”

“Mimi got in while you were gone.”

Toph’s angry expression melted. “Oh. That’s… a good reason, I guess.”

The Starfleet officer pressed a metallic cylinder to each of them, harmlessly inserting the chip into all except Tippi. “Merlon already has tracking on you.” After this, the Starfleet officer opened the doors. “Right this way. Welcome back to Flipside.”

Twilight led her friends through the doors, appearing back on the Flipside platform. Things weren’t exactly as she remembered. For once, on top of the elevator there was some kind of technological pillar that glowed with a bluish light. Several seats surrounded the pillar, each occupied by someone different. Aang, Sonic, Shadow, several Klingon warriors and Starfleet officers, including Worf, a troop of talking mice sharing one seat, and Cortez with several of his flaming ghosts.

“What… are you all doing up there?” Twilight asked.

Sonic answered first. “We’re plan C! Current mission: be bored out of our brains!” Sonic flopped into his chair, both eyes twitching.

Worf sighed. “We are all ready to transport through a Void portal the moment one opens anywhere in any of our sensor ranges in any of the universes. We will bring the fight to the Count!”

“...That’s unimaginably dangerous and risky,” Cosmo said.

“I know!” Sonic laughed.

“They refused to take my boat into space,” Cortez said. “So I’m going to the land beyond space! Yahahahahaahh!”

Toph smirked. “You all have fun with that.”

Aang leaned over. “Toph…”

“Yep, I’m a paralytic right now! Woo, no legs!” She shook her head in Aang’s direction. “A night in Flipside should fix me.”

“Before we do that…” Data cocked his head. “You mentioned this being Plan C. If I am correct in assuming we are Plan A, what is Plan B?”

Sonic pointed into the sky. Twilight realized, with shock, that there were a couple of Federation Starships drifting in the creamy ambiance: larger, carrier-type ships. As she took in this truth, a circle appeared in front of the ships. It was orange and had four sections in it, stylized much like the door to Mobius itself was. The four sections opened like a flower, revealing a larger portal to Mobius’ sky. A dozen ships floated through, including the Blue Typhoon, away from the universe where the Void took up a fair chunk of the sky.

“...Evacuations?” Twilight asked.

“Yep!” Sonic said. “Doctor Eggman thinks maybe if we have enough Hearts, we can survive the Void directly.”

“I do hope it doesn’t come to that,” Caspian said.

“We all do,” Worf said. “Now go, place that Heart in the pillar. With it, the large doors will no longer be difficult to maintain.”

“Right, right, let—”

The pillar the “Plan C” team was sitting around started flashing, and a synthetic voice boomed over the entire platform. “DIMENTIO-TYPE PORTAL DETECTED. ENERGIZING.”

The entire Plan C team was converted into the blue energy of a Federation transporter, presumably shunted directly through the ripple in space-time appearing right above their heads. The ripple tore open, depositing a unicorn Twilight recognized and the statue of Discord and Cadence onto the platform.

“Starlight!” Twilight called, running to the pinkish unicorn. “Starlight, I…” She pulled the unicorn into a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Can’t… breathe…” Starlight managed. “Tired…”

Twilight released her, realizing that Starlight really did look terrible. “What… what happened?”

“Escaped… the castle. Brought the statue. And…” Starlight wobbled. “Couldn’t bring the others…” Starlight’s eyes rolled into the back of her skull and she passed out.

“Starlight!” Twilight called. “Starlight!”

“She’ll be fine,” Riker said, running over from the elevator. “This is Flipside, remember? It likely forced her to take a rest due to her exhaustion.”

“Right…” Twilight shook her head.

“You all need to rest as well. Don’t worry—we can handle this. We’ve established a sort of provisional government now, we have more organized power.”

Twilight glanced at Caspian’s broken arm, Toph’s wheelchair, and the general tired expression of everyone in her group. “All right… I’ll want a full report in the morning. Data, gather everything we need to know while we sleep. After you get that arm of yours repaired.”

Data nodded. “Of course, Twilight. And Commander?”

Riker looked up.

“It is good to see you.”

Riker broke out into a smile. “Good to see you too, Data. We were worried there for a while. Why don’t you tell me what happened on your end?”

“After you tell me what’s happened here,” Data said. “And while we examine this… statue.”

“Fair enough.”

Twilight and the others descended to the other Pure Hearts and deposited the new one into it. Then they scrambled off to Ty Lee’s little inn to go to sleep. Ty Lee was actually there when they arrived, packing a large backpack.

“What are you doing?” Toph asked.

“I’m going to explore the Pit! Face the shadows! We recently got approved to go i—Toph! Your legs!”

“Nothing a night’s sleep her won’t fix,” Toph chuckled, following it up with a yawn. “Go have fun in your Pit… thing.”

“Pit…?” Tippi asked as the others began to go to sleep.

“Oh, uh, you don’t know? Eggman found this thing in the bottom of Flipside…”

~~~

Starlight woke up to a humanoid android staring her in the face.

“...Not the weirdest sight I’ve ever woken up to,” Starlight admitted, stretching her legs. “Who’re you?”

“Lieutenant-Commander Data, a friend of Twilight’s.”

“Where’s Twilight?”

“Resting, as you just were.”

Starlight sat up, realizing that she had been laid on a bedroll on a strange platform surrounded by six colorful doors, all of which had guards of various different species posted at them. She somehow just knew they all went to other worlds.

“What is this place…?”

“I’ll explain later,” Data said. “For now, we need to understand how you used this statue to travel dimensions, ignoring the Chaos Heart’s curse.”

“Why do you need to know so quickly?”

“When you transported here, we had a strike team on standby to assault Castle Bleck from within. We were expecting to jump through a Void signal of one of his minions… not you. If we can replicate your method, we may be able to establish contact and send more support—eliminating the Count, possibly without gathering all the Pure Hearts.”

“All the…” Starlight shook her head. “Right, you’ll explain it to me later. Uh, I just prodded the statue until I found the dimensional signature inside of it, and then I…” She lit her horn, prodding the statue. “Hold on…” She searched it’s magic. She found the residual energy of the Chaos Heart, yes, but… nothing. “There’s… nothing in there.”

“Nothing?”

“I mean, the signature I grabbed… it’s just gone.” She blinked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Unfortunate,” Data said. “The team is on their own, I suppose.”

“We have an entire Resistance movement going on inside Castle Bleck,” Starlight explained. “They won’t be alone. I think we’d be happy for the help, but they have to get away from Count Bleck and his minions first… that might be hard.”

“They are a formidable group,” Data reported. “But you should not fill me in on the details, I will be leaving soon. Riker will handle your debrief.” He gestured to the bearded man currently examining the statue.

“Leaving... why?”

“I am a member of Twilight’s team. I search for the Pure Hearts.”

“Then I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not,” Twilight said, coming out of the elevator. “Starlight, they need to know everything you know about Castle Bleck. They can’t get that if you’re out exploring with us.”

“But…”

Twilight held up a hoof. “Starlight… your skills are best served here, working with all the worlds that have come together to stop Count Bleck. You’re the only one who knows what it’s like in there. You’re the one…” She glanced nervously at the statue. “Who brought us this.”

Starlight nodded. “Right, right, you’re always right. It’s just… I want to do something.”

Data leaned in. “May I suggest that, after your debrief, you assist with the evacuation of Mobius? The Void is large there.”

As if on cue, the Void above Flipside increased in size, sending a rumble through the city that shook a few of the starships drifting nearby. It was nowhere near the size it was in Mobius, but it took up maybe a tenth of the entire sky.

“We need to move,” Twilight said. “Data, with me, tell me everything you found out. Don’t worry, I already had breakfast—the others are still waking up. Starlight, do your best, okay?”

“Okay.”

“And one more thing.” Twilight pulled Starlight into a hug. “...It really is good to see you.”

Starlight hugged her back. “I… we’ve missed you.”

“...Quickly, how are the others?”

“Applejack and Rainbow are captured, Rarity is leading the Resistance, Fluttershy and Pinkie are working with Rarity, and Shining Armor is… understandably depressed.”

Twilight glanced at the statue. “...I’ll ask Data about this. ...Take care of yourself.” She quickly ran after Data, leaving Starlight to Riker.

~~~

“So, the ‘heroes’ came back,” Amy said, dangling her legs over the edge of the Pit.

“Yeah, I saw them!” Ty Lee said, strapping her pith helmet tightly to her head. She patted herself down, making sure the pink form-fitting gymnastic suit the Federation had supplied her was adequate. It was surprisingly flexible and allowed her more freedom of movement than anything she’d worn previously—which made sense, since it was designed for that.

“And the assault team went out,” Amy continued, sagging. “With Sonic…”

“I bet he’s having a lot of fun!” Ty Lee performed a few leg stretches, getting ready for the gauntlet ahead of them. “Either that or he got captured instantly, which would mean a lot of not fun.”

“And they’re going to a new world,” Amy said, at this point clearly not paying any attention to Ty Lee.

Ty Lee sighed, tapping Amy on the ear to get her attention. “You’ll forget all about this once we’re in the Pit. Just imagine: monster faces getting bashed in every second! It’ll be great.”

Amy tightened her grip on her hammer. “Yes… Smash a bunch of their faces in…”

“That’s the spirit!”

“Are you two quite done?” Eggman asked, floating above them in his little egg-hover chair. “We’re ready to enter the Pit.”

“A-okay!” Amy declared, jumping to her feet. “Let’s take them out!” Ty Lee saluted to indicate her agreement.

“Then let’s begin!” Eggman turned around to address the small army they’d gathered together to face the Pit consisting of several master benders for Diqiu, a fair number of Eggman’s robots, a ridiculous number of Klingon warriors, some Narnian knights composed largely of talking animals, a few of Cortez’s flaming ghosts, and an assortment of various other individuals. “Remember, we’ve been training for this for quite some time. It is almost certain that not all of us are making it out of that Pit alive.”

“It is a good day to die!” The Klingons chanted, prompting uneasy looks from the other members of the expedition.

“Mmm…” Eggman decided not to comment further. “Amy, I believe you wanted the honors?”

Amy lifted her hammer high into the air. “All right everyone! We’re going in there and we’re going to prove that we’ve got something to offer! Let’s exterminate this Pit of all its evil shadowy demon things! Follow me!” She jumped in.

There was a mixture of those who let out a war cry and those who followed her in without much of a fuss. They landed on the first floor and took in the image of the red Pure Heart over images of Earth.

Amy was interested to see what the other murals would be. But first, it was shadow smashing time.

She ran down the stairs, yelling a wild battle cry.

“Ty Lee,” Eggman said, drifting down in his hover-seat. “Do keep an eye on her.”

“Yes, Doctor!” Ty Lee saluted and jumped after her in the midst of the other warriors.

The Stand

Rarity and Pinkie were playing a game of blackjack when the warrior appeared on top of their table in a burst of Void.

“Starlight is under attack by Count Bleck, there’s no time to explain.” He snapped his fingers, opening a portal. “We have to go.”

Rarity didn’t want to trust this warrior in the slightest, but Pinkie had already jumped through the portal so Rarity didn’t feel like she had much of a choice. “I’ll be demanding an explanation after this is over,” Rarity hissed.

“And you will have it. Let’s just go, missy.”

Rarity let out a disgruntled huff but jumped through the Void portal anyway, sword at the ready.

She arrived on the scene of utter and complete chaos.

“What in Celestia’s name is going on here!?”

~~~

A few minutes ago...

“That… shouldn’t have been possible, sir,” Nastasia said, examining the spot where the statue and Starlight had just been. “The Chaos Heart…”

“The Chaos Heart’s essence was in that statue,” Count Bleck said. “She may have used it somehow.”

“I’m still not sure how that makes any se—”

Several beams of blue energy took form at the top of the altar, depositing what was clearly a small army of individuals form Flipside, including a truly massive floating pirate skull.

“That’s the Count,” Shadow said, pointing at Bleck. “Get him.”

“Aye aye!” Cortez summoned his many bony limbs and jumped off the altar, plunging several swords larger than Bleck himself towards the Count in question.

The Chaos Heart appeared above Bleck’s head, projecting a barrier of solid white energy between Bleck and Cortez. The ghost pirate’s swords shattered upon contact with the barrier, but he didn’t let this deter him—he recreated them and tried to stab from behind, coming across the same barrier. “Fancy yourself clever?” Cortez asked.

“Bleh heheheheheheheheh… Yes.” Bleck spread his hands and extended the barrier to form an impenetrable wall that blocked any of them from going anywhere. “Your little assault has failed, Bleck! You are trapped in the deepest corners of my sanctum without any power to counteract the Chaos Heart! Your strongest warriors, sent to face me… will fall to Bleck! Nastasia, take them.”

‘Yes, sir,” Nastasia reached for her glasses.

“CHAOS, CONTROL!” Shadow shouted, holding up one of the replica chaos emeralds.

“No!” Dark Oak shouted. “You c—”

Time froze for everyone but Shadow. Having depleted the first emerald, he took out another one, allowing a slight smirk to form on his face. “Chaos… control.” This time, instead of bending time, he bent space. The barrier was impenetrable, yes, but if he punched a hole through space and appeared on the other side, well… that wouldn’t be passing through the barrier, now would it? Since the doors were open, it also surpassed the bizarre teleport-lock on the room.

The rip in space was so large it drained him of most of his energy, but he managed to deposit the entire team in the central chamber resting just behind the Count, Nastasia, and Dark Oak.

“Heh…” he said as time resumed. “Got past it.” He proceeded to pass out.

“Bleh heheheheheheheh!” Count Bleck spread his arms wide. “Well done! You have escaped Count Bleck’s trap! But one fact remains…” The barrier around the Count himself glistened. “You cannot harm me.”

“Today…” Worf said, lifting his phaser. “Is a good day to die.”

“...What?”

He and the other Klingons charged Bleck in unison. Nastasia and Dark Oak moved to protect him, but Bleck pushed them back with a burst of the Void. He slowly walked forward, deflecting phaser blasts with his barrier and breaking Klingon blades that got close enough to touch him.

“Formidable warriors!” Bleck snapped his fingers, knocking all of them over with a burst of Void. “But useless!” Waving one of his hands, the Void ruptured through reality, throwing the mice to the side. “Useless!” The Void consumed the chunks of the castle that Aang was throwing at him. “USELESS!”

“Count Bleck,” Aang said, rising into the air, eyes white. “You cannot be allowed to continue your plan!” Air, water, earth, and fire formed at the tips of his fingers, as well as a soft glowing light from some other power.

“Unified attack!” one of the mice said. “Form up!”

Cortez roared, summoning his ghostly crew to him, lighting his entire skull on blue fire.

“Focus phasers and plasma weapons!” Worf ordered.

Sonic entered a spin attack, chuckling. “All together now!”

Everything surged forward at once. Blade, fire, dark, light, laser, earth, spirit… it was too much to look at, so much energy that the central chamber itself started to melt around Bleck.

To the Chaos Heart, it was nothing.

“Bleck declares your struggling useless!” Bleck shouted at the top of his lungs. With a simple snap, all the energy was gone from the room. “You have nothing to use against me, Count Bleck! You are not the heroes of prophecy, you are not the chosen of the Pure Hearts. You are pathetic little ants trying to run the master of the house out by biting his feet!” He held out his hands and laughed. “Do you understand how insignificant you all are in this multiverse of suffering, yet?”

“No,” Rarity said, holding her blade to Nastasia’s neck. “I don’t. And I don’t think you do, either.”

Bleck’s smile vanished instantly. “When did you…?”

Gilgamesh revealed himself, waving at Count Bleck. “Hey there, kiddo!”

“You are becoming a persistent thorn in Bleck’s side…”

“Here’s how this is going to go,” Rarity said. “You are going to let everyone go with Gilgamesh through a Void portal.”

“You would not take a life,” Bleck decreed.

“U-um… she would, sir,” Nastasia stammered. “She almost had me earlier.”

A tear ran down Rarity’s cheek. “You only have yourself to blame for turning me into this, Count. But when everything we care about is on the line… anything is acceptable to prevent that. Anything.”

Count Bleck smiled despite this situation, making Rarity’s stomach churn. “We are not that unalike, you and Bleck. Anything truly is acceptable if the pain is enough. The worlds are inherently evil, Rarity. Anything is acceptable to end their reign of terror.”

“Even her life?” Rarity asked. “Can you really bring yourself to let that happen?”

“S-sir…” Nastasia managed. “You don’t nee—”

“Nonsense, Nastasia. Why would I let you fall? It matters not what they do, after all. The end will still come.” He waved a dismissive hand. “You are all free to go through Gilgamesh’s little Void curse.” He shot a murderous look at Gilgamesh. “Though when the time comes I will deal with you personally, Gilgamesh.”

“Don’t care, not listening,” Gilgamesh said, opening the Void. “All right, everyone in!”

“You heard him!” Sonic said, picking up Shadow. “Let’s go!”

Soon, everyone was through the portal, including Gilgamesh himself. Only Rarity remained.

“Release Nastasia,” Bleck ordered.

“I don’t think so,” Rarity said, scowling. “Darling, you would just blow me to smithereens the moment I did.”

“She’s not wrong,” Dark Oak said, folding his hands together.

“We had a deal,” Bleck said, glowering.

“There was no deal,” Rarity scoffed. “This is a tense hostage situation where nobody knows the ending. For instance, I have no idea what’s about to happen, but I’m assuming Pinkie has some sort of plan.”

“Pink—”

A grenade of confetti went off, providing ample cover for escape. For a moment, Rarity considered pulling her blade through Nastasia’s neck, ending her right then and there… but no, there was an understanding between her and Bleck. She wouldn’t follow through—and to be honest, she was relieved she didn’t have to.

This didn’t mean she wasn’t going to abuse the unspoken loophole.

Rarity grabbed Nastasia in her telekinesis and smacked her head into the ground, knocking her out. She ran away from the confetti while Bleck and Dark Oak were still trying to figure out what had just happened. She saw Pinkie waving from on top of one of the platforms, which prompted Rarity to execute a teleport with her and Nastasia, singing the both of them in transit. “Pinkie… what’s the plan?”

“I thought you had the plan!”

“Pinkie! How are we going to get out of here!?”

“Hmm…” Pinkie glanced down at the confetti cloud. Count Bleck was out first, and he glared right at them.

“Trust me!” Pinkie shouted, tackling Rarity and Nastasia off the edge with her. They narrowly avoided an attack from Bleck, but were falling at high speed to the hard ground.

Rarity hugged Pinkie tight. I trust you.

Pinkie oriented the falling ball of the three of them so she was pointed toward the bottom. Instead of cracking her back like any fall from that height should do, Pinkie bounced as though she were made of rubber, throwing herself, Rarity, and Nastasia right through the far door of the central chamber.

Gilgamesh was waiting for them with a portal. Before Bleck even knew a portal was active so he could close it, Gilgamesh shoveled them through and hopped through himself.

Bleck smashed through the doors, rage on his face. They were already gone.

“They took Nastasia,” Dark Oak said.

“I am aware,” Count Bleck said, adjusting his hat. “I will be getting her back. You manage the rest of the minions while I am away.” He created a Void portal for himself and vanished.

Dark Oak folded his hands together, processing. The Count hadn’t let out one of his ridiculous laughs there. He wasn’t sure why, but this concerned him.

~~~

Twilight, Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and Vivian stood in front of the indigo door, ready to explore yet another world.

“Two more hearts,” Twilight said, grinning. “We’re almost there. Is everyone ready?”

“I believe so,” Caspian said. “And I have an extra boon for us this time, in case we run into similar trouble.” He pulled a small cordial filled with reddish liquid out. “This is the Cordial of the legendary Queen Lucy of Narnia. It holds a powerful brew that can cure any ailment, be it disease, injury, madness… or the loss of leg functions.”

“Gee, that would have been really helpful,” Toph deadpanned.

“It is my own fault that I did not think to take it from the treasury when we left Narnia. Now, it is always with us.”

Twilight nodded. “That’ll be a welcome addition to our efforts. Now, though…” she turned to the doors. “Now we go to a new world.”

She threw the doors open and marched through…

~~~

The woman smiled as she set her pen down. The heroes were one, and they had been through the valley. Their bonds were forged and they had grown. After all, that had been the entire purpose. They needed a time of darkness so they could learn to rise from it.

But now that they had the strength, they would have to use it.

At this, the woman’s smile vanished. She closed her eyes and took a moment to just be, feeling herself amidst reality’s fabric.

Gracefully, she lifted the pen once more and set it back down to the page.

It must be done.

[Chapter 6] Home

The air was warm and the scenery a vibrant green, almost too green to seem natural. In the midst of rolling hills and the edge of a dark, tangled forest of deep magic, a simple town stood. The buildings were lower than what most would consider normal, but for those who lived here it wasn’t even worth mentioning. Brightly colored highlights defined the buildings, making them seem a little fantastical in addition to their homely nature.

Toward the edge of the town, there was a crystal castle that held a magenta starburst high in its pillars. On a good day, the sun would reflect through the edges just perfectly to cast the entire town below in a brilliant rainbow. It was at the base of this magical structure, just next to the front door, where the indigo door manifested.

Twilight walked through and beamed. She knew exactly where she was. There was no doubt about it: this was home. Ponyville, Equestria. Equis. There was no mystery.

She looked up, and her stomach dropped like a stone.

The Void covered nine-tenths of the sky.

The ground was shaking slightly.

Evacuate!

“Th… this world is on the edge of destruction!” Tippi shouted. “We have to move fast!”

“Everyone stick close to me,” Twilight ordered. “This is my home world, I know exactly where to go and what to do.” She focused her energy into her horn. “Data, call the Enterprise—we need to begin evacuations now.” She felt the rate of her breathing increase rapidly, but she tore it out of her mind. There was no way she would allow herself to be compromised now.

She teleported all seven of them into the middle of Ponyville square. There were almost no ponies on the streets—most would have been hiding from the monstrous Void in the sky by cowering in their homes. She was right outside Town Hall, though, which was exactly where she needed to be.

The mayor poked her head out of the door. “Princess Twilight?”

“Yes. I’m not going to be here long, but everypony needs to listen to me.” She took a deep breath, trying really hard to ignore the shuddering ground beneath her hooves. With a quick spell, she increased the volume of her voice to the level known as the Royal Canterlot Voice. “Citizens of Ponyville! This is Princess Twilight Sparkle and I have no time to explain! Your town is in danger! Please, as fast as you can, run to Friendship Castle and enter the blue doors just to the side of the main entrance! Do what the people there tell you to! Hurry, I don’t know how long we have!” She turned around. “Data, are they prepared?”

The Enterprise appeared in the sky. Data looked up and nodded. “We are broadcasting however we can. Merlon is working on opening the large portal.”

“Good. Hold on, we’re moving again.” The world shook again, this time like a large magnitude earthquake. That was enough to get the ponies of Ponyville out of their homes and running at high speed to the Flipside door.

“Long-range teleport with seven…” Twilight bit her lip—she wasn’t sure she could keep this up. Not without another source of power. Luckily, she knew where one was. “I’ll be right back!”

She blinked out of existence, leaving the other six in Ponyville while she materialized in front of a crystalline tree that contained six colored gemstones. The one in the center was what she wanted—a multi-faceted magenta starburst that had sent its power to her across universes only a day prior. The Element of Magic. She removed it from its position, placing it on her head—for the gem had formed a little tiara around itself after she took it. The power surged into her horn, giving her an almost limitless supply of magical power. Effortlessly, she blinked back to Ponyville with the other six. “Okay, now I can do this. Hold on!”

She grabbed all six of them in her magic and looked to a mountain in the distance. Despite the earthquakes, the white pillars of Canterlot Castle were still standing. A good target. They blinked into existence on top of the observatory tower, where two tall alicorns were standing. Physically, they shared the same number of limbs with Twilight, but both were much more impressive creatures. The white one, Celestia, was the Princess of the Sun and her mane flowed with the pastel colors of a warm day. The dark blue one, Luna, Princess of the Moon, had stars for a mane and a serious expression.

“Twilight!” Celestia called, shocked. “We thought you w—”

“We don’t have time for this!” Twilight shouted. “The Void in the sky is going to consume this world any minute, and we have to get everyone we can out. There are doors to another world in my castle that I’m getting Ponyville into. But, soon, there will be a large door in the middle of the air that many ships will fly out of. They are not enemies. They will be evacuating everything. Let them.”

Celestia nodded. “Understood, Twilight.”

“Now, we have to go, there’s one last th—”

“Why do you run in such a panic?”

With a burst of the Void, none other than Count Bleck himself stood before them, floating in the air. “Why not stay and enjoy the show?”

“You…” Twilight narrowed her eyes. “You…”

“Yes, it is I! Count Bleck! Come to personally see the destruction of the first world! And to look these so-called ‘heroes’ in the eye…”

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight unleashed an attack, quickly followed by Vivian, Data, and Toph. The Chaos Heart flashed into existence, lifting a white barrier to stop everything effortlessly.

“Bleh heh heh heh! BLECK! Your power is nothing, fools!”

Twilight glared at the Chaos Heart. The black tar of hate disgusted her on a level she couldn’t fully understand. She wanted to grab it and shatter it into a million pieces, but she knew this was impossible. Unlike the Pure Hearts, it was giving its entire power to Count Bleck. They were nothing to it.

“How can you do this!?” Tippi demanded. “How can you bring all worlds to… nothing!?”

“How can you fight for such suffering?” Bleck retorted. He held out a hand at the large four-segmented indigo door appearing in the sky. “You struggle to save those who are already doomed, moving them to a place that will fall just like all the others.” The doors opened, depositing an entire fleet of Hume ships, all of which began transporting as many entities as they could out of the universe. “You can’t explain what you are doing. Panic will be alarming. I believe the dragons in particular may destroy a few ships. Such is the way of reality—death, destruction, and loss as repayment for what little is good in existence. It is not worth it.”

“You think you can do better, huh?” Toph demanded.

“Who said that?” Bleck asked. “Who ca—” for the first time, he noticed Vivian. “Well… isn’t this a surprise. You were the Shadow Queen’s youngest, weren’t you? What was your name…?”

“Vivian,” Vivian huffed. “I don’t know who you are.”

“You ally yourselves with a demon of untold evil and malice,” Bleck chuckled.

“She has turned from that!” Caspian shouted. “She is one of us, a hero, a hero who defeated her own mother!”

“All amazing history and drama that will be useless in time!” Bleck held his hands wide. “This world is just the first! Soon, all seven others will collapse, and then the spaces between dimensions will be torn limb from limb!”

“And that isn’t evil!?” Tippi shouted. “You… you disgust me! All of these people, they’re real! They have beautiful, caring, loving lives! You… how can you ignore your conscience? Your heart!?”

Twilight stared at Tippi in shock.

“A Pixl dares lecture me? Bleck! You speak of the heart.” He pointed his scepter at her, exaggerated smile vanishing in an instant. “Nothing is more worthless.”

“I… wh…”

“All things are worthless, but the heart is a particularly devious evil. It is a traitor, a liar, and wicked. The very essence of creation itself is built on that lie. Which is why it must end. Of all things… there was only Timpani.”

“T-timpani?” Tippi stammered.

“Enough of this foolishness,” Bleck’s smile returned. “Run, run for your Pure Heart, heroes. Gather them all, come to me, and see how pointless it all truly is! The very artifacts you collect deceive you. BLEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK!” And he was gone.

“...We need to go,” Twilight said. “Get the Pure Heart.”

“We have no idea where it is,” Cosmo said.

“I can feel it, to the north…” Tippi began.

“I know exactly where it is,” Twilight interrupted, lighting her horn. “Hold on tight, this is going to be a really, really long-range teleport…”

“We will evacuate as many as we can,” Celestia promised. “Go, Twilight.”

Twilight nodded, teleporting the seven of them to the far north, past the frozen wastes and into a magically protected bubble of green known as the Crystal Empire. With a flash, they appeared at the front gates of the crystal palace. It lived up to its name, composed entirely of blue and pink crystals.

“This is where it all started,” Twilight said, swallowing hard. “Follow me.” She charged through the gates. The guards on patrol let her in—she was the Princess, after all. Running at top speed, she entered the central sanctum of the crystal palace, in which was the pride and joy of the Crystal Empire: a bluish crystalline heart that provided all the magic that kept the cold and winter out of the Crystal Empire. An artifact forged out of love and maintained by none other than the Princess of Love herself.

Twilight knew what it really was, now. Tapping into the Element of Magic as she ran, she unleashed a beam of magic energy into the Crystal Heart. Her spell worked exactly as intended: the blue exterior of the artifact crumbled away with ease, revealing the brilliant purple crystal beneath.

“Almost… there…”

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!”

Mimi dropped from the ceiling, already in her true spider form.

“Get the Pure Heart!” Twilight shouted.

“How about no!?” Mimi transformed into a wall of flesh that blocked their movement. Vivian ducked into the shadows and slid under the wall while Twilight teleported to the other side, leaving all the others behind to hack at the wall unsuccessfully. Twilight grabbed the Pure Heart in her telekinesis and pulled, distraught to find that the magic keeping the Pure Heart in place was beyond her at the moment.

Vivian punched a spidery tendril that came out of Mimi’s flesh wall, burning it to a crisp before it could get Twilight. “Why isn’t it moving?”

“Security… measures…” Twilight managed. “It protects… the entire Empire… from the snow… we can’t have it just being removed… AAAAAAAGH!”

“Oh, is your own precious artifact refusing to cooperate?” Mimi laughed maniacally. “You’ve got nothing, Twilight! Nothing! You’re not even going to get out of your world before it collapses!”

The earthquakes started again—and this time Twilight knew they weren’t going to stop. “Vivian, help me!”

“I’m pro—”

“Let them hit me, this is more important!”

Vivian stopped defending Twilight from Mimi’s assault, grabbing hold of the Pure Heart with her own two hands and pulling, trying to drag it into her darkness.

“Come on, come ooooon!” Twilight whined, tears flowing out of her eyes. Mimi’s attacks had clawed at her back legs, but she couldn’t let the pain stop her. She had to keep trying. They needed this heart.

“You want to know what really makes you an idiot?” Mimi asked, slashing Twilight’s back legs hard enough to make her collapse. “That’s not even the Pure Heart you’re pulling on!”

“W-what?”

There was a puff of smoke and Mimi transformed into her little girl self—dissipating the wall and most of the room with her. Twilight had actually been standing a few feet to the left of where she thought she had been, pulling on a fake Pure Heart while the real one stood just a short distance away.

The floor began to crack.

“Oh, how sad!” Mimi laughed. “You’re out of time!” As she vanished into the Void, its energy started to tear at the walls of the crystal palace itself.

Twilight’s eyes widened. She ran at the Pure Heart and crashed into it at full speed. With the force of the Element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship behind it, the Pure Heart fell out of its protective spell, drifting away from Twilight into the nothing.

Glass shattered. Twilight heard screams. The palace collapsed in on her, but she raised a shield that kept the Void from destroying her. Reaching out with her magic, she attempted to grab the Pure Heart.

Come on… Twilight bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Come on…

The Void ate her shield. She could no longer keep it in—she screamed as the space she occupied was stretched near to the point of breaking. Her mind could no longer form coherent thoughts.

Reality shattered.

There was only white.

Author's Note

A reminder that there are future chapter drafts on the Discord (https://discord.com/invite/eTuseTh) available for anyone who wants it. I kind of suspect people might want it right about now.

-GM, master of jello.

Nothing

Twilight opened her eyes. “Wh…”

Doctor Crusher flipped her medical tricorder closed. “You’re on the Enterprise, over Flipside.”

“Did…”

“We got all the others in time.”

“Thank you but… I was asking about the Pure Heart.”

Crusher frowned. “I… don’t believe we did.”

“Oh.” Twilight laid back down, looking at the ceiling of the Enterprise’s sick bay. “...How many did we evacuate?”

“We’re still counting. Several thousand.” She paused. “Not enough.”

“Oh.” Twilight stared blankly upward. “That’s it, then. Lost a Pure Heart to the Void. There’s nothing we can do now.”

“That may not be true,” Data said, prompting Twilight to look over to him opposite Crusher. Only he and Tippi were there.

“What…?” Twilight blinked slowly. “How?”

“The door to the world still exists,” Data reported. “There is still something there.”

“What?”

“...You’ll have to see for yourself,” Tippi said. To Crusher, she asked. “Can she move?”

Crusher nodded. “Flipside makes my medicine almost pointless. She’s sore, but she’s fine.”

“Where are we going?” Twilight asked, having to force herself to stand up. Despite what Crusher said, she didn’t feel sore at all. Just empty.

“To the bridge,” Data said. Slowly, he led her out of sickbay, to one of the turbolifts. They entered, and Data gave the command. Twilight barely noticed. Even if the Pure Heart could still be salvaged…

She wasn’t aware of enough herself to even finish the thought. Or, perhaps, she knew she couldn’t bear the end of it, so she didn’t let herself arrive.

They walked onto the bridge. Data took his position at operations while Cosmo, Toph, Vivian, and Caspian gestured for Twilight to join them on the level behind the Captain. Worf wasn’t there, instead, it was one of Eggman’s robots running tactical.

Picard turned to the arrivals. “Words cannot express the weight of this tragedy,” he said, shaking his head. “But we must forge on. Lieutenant Knuckles… engage.”

The Enterprise leaped from Flipside through the power of the Master Emerald, arriving in Equis.

Or what once was Equis.

The world on the other side was white. White sky and smooth, featureless white ground. There was no sign of the Void whatsoever, just endless nothingness.

Wordlessly, Twilight approached the main viewscreen. She stared at the utter, absolute, nothingness.

“Is there…” She turned, looking to Data with tears in her eyes. “Is…”

“I am sensing pockets of unassimilated matter,” Data said. “The closest is… onscreen.”

The display changed to show a single tower of Canterlot standing in the midst of the endless white. However, the tower had no color, no life to it.

“Data, are we in danger?” Picard asked.

“Only minimally. If we remained in this universe for more than three hours we would start to fade.”

“So there really will be nothing, soon…” Twilight breathed.

Cosmo walked over to her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. “But there’s something here. Even if it won’t last forever, that means it’s not gone. Tippi?”

“I sense something,” Tippi said, fluttering forward. “It… doesn't feel quite right, but I believe it’s the Pure Heart. If anything could survive this destruction… it would.”

Picard nodded. “Helm, lay in whatever course Tippi suggests.”

Tippi fluttered over to Tails and indicated a heading.

“Engage.”

The Enterprise burst through the world at impulse speeds. If it wasn’t for the indicators on the screen, there would have been little to no indication they were moving at all. The white was so featureless.

“Stop!” Tippi shouted. Tails did as told, bringing the Enterprise to a standstill. “There…”

Data zoomed in on the screen. There, sitting on top of the white ground, was a heart-shaped stone.

“...It looks dead,” Vivian said bursting into tears.

“Bring it aboard,” Picard ordered. “We’ll return it to Flipside a—”

“Incoming Void portal,” Eggman’s robot reported.

“Shields up!” Picard ordered. “Onscreen.”

The portal had appeared right next to the stone heart, depositing none other than Mr. L’s Brobot onto the empty world. Before they could do anything, the robot picked up the stone heart and threw it into its mouth.

“It’s not even strong enough to reject the unworthy…” Tippi said.

“We are being hailed,” Eggman’s robot reported.

“Very well…” Picard adjusted his uniform and stood up. “Open a channel.”

“Heeeeey!” Mr. L called, snorting with laughter. “Looks like your dumb heart is broken! And it’s mine!”

“Not that that matters,” Lulu said from beside him. “The heart is useless. We came here with another purpose—to end you heroes. What a pleasure it will be to destroy you after you know your defeat is certain.”

“Prepare to getta punched into oblivion by Brobot! And his missiles!” Mr. L laughed and closed the connection.

Picard frowned. “Ready weapons.”

Vivian shook her head. “I… I swear I’ve heard that Mr. L before, somewhere…”

“He might be from your world,” Data said. “The Count has to recruit his help from somewhere, after all.”

Brobot’s missiles hit the Enterprise’s shields.

“Shields holding,” Eggman’s robot reported. “73%.”

“Fire a barrage of photon torpedoes,” Picard ordered. “I want that thing out of the sky.” The photon torpedoes shot out of the Enterprise, sparkling as points of red light. They all hit Brobot’s shields, exploding on contact.

Brobot emerged from the smoke, shields damaged, but otherwise unharmed. It pulled a fist back, enchanted with fire from Lulu.

“Full reverse!” Picard ordered. Tails was already moving the Enterprise back, narrowly avoiding a direct hit from the fist. “Call for backup and keep us out of his physical range!”

“Captain,” Data said, turning around. “I do not believe he has warp propulsion. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage.”

“Yes. Take us to warp 1, but use the triangle maneuver.”

Tails laid in the course. The Enterprise shot into warp, seemingly running away from Brobot. However, it jumped out of warp a few seconds later, turned, and entered warp again. Another turn and warp burst later, the Enterprise appeared directly behind Brobot.

“Fire!” Picard orders.

A barrage of photon torpedoes erupted from the Enterprise, impacting Brobot’s shields. The phaser banks triggered as well, firing multiple beams of energy directly into Brobot.

“Enemy shields damaged,” Eggman’s robot reported.

“He’s firing missiles again!” Tails called.

“Warp again,” Picard said. “He can’t hit us. And mix up the arrangement this time—use a pentagon so he can’t predict our movements.”

Once again, the Enterprise performed a loop. Upon its return, Brobot attempted to attack where it thought the Enterprise would be, but it was very wrong, allowing another barrage to hit without retaliation.

“Offset figure eight,” Picard ordered. “His shields can’t possibly last much longer.”

The Enterprise performed a roundabout warp maneuver, appearing in yet another unpredictable position. This time, however, Lulu wasn’t even trying to predict where the Enterprise would show up, just when. A befuddlement spell went out in all directions, making everyone on board the Enterprise lose their focus—everyone except Data and Eggman’s robot.

“Taking command,” Data declared for the computer’s sake. “Fire previously scheduled volley.”

The torpedoes and phasers hit dead-on once more, this time collapsing Brobot’s shields. However, Brobot didn’t care, since it uppercut the Enterprise with a lightning-infused punch. Shields held, and Data was able to order another volley. With Brobot’s shields gone, all it took was one direct hit from a phaser to disable the machine, dropping it to the ground.

“D-damage report…” Picard managed through the befuddlement spell.

“Minimal,” Data responded, pressing a few buttons. “Their shields are down, but I sense an imminent reactor overload.”

“Get the Heart!” Caspian shouted, suddenly fully aware. “We n—”

Brobot exploded in a shower of smoke and fire. The crew’s despair was quickly replaced with relief as they saw a heart-shaped stone flying through the air.

“Transport it directly to the bridge,” Picard ordered. One second later, the stone heart was sitting on the bridge.

Tippi landed on it. “Its power has… been drained. It’s still a Pure Heart, but it wouldn’t do anything if we tried to place it with the others.”

Vivian was the one who walked to it and picked it up. “We… we got a Pure Heart…?”

Picard shook his head with a sigh. “Helm, take us back to Flipside.”

“Yes, sir,” Tails said.

~~~

Starlight had to teleport rapidly to move through the sea of panicking ponies to get around. “Twilight!?” She called, jumping from building to building. “Twilight!?” There was no sign of her anywhere amidst the panicked populace.

She is currently on board the platform.<< Merlon told her from a nearby screen.

“Thanks!” Starlight teleported up there immediately, landing right in front of the statue of Cadence and Discord. Twilight was there, all right, Element of Magic on her head and everything, including her team.

Starlight saw the stone heart Vivian was holding. “Is it…?”

“We don’t know,” Cosmo said, fidgeting with her fingers. “It’s…”

“There must be a way to revive it,” Toph declared, clapping her hands together. “Isn’t that right? Somewhere in the worlds, there’s something that can bring it back. We… we can go to Aslan! Or Rosalina!”

“It’s… worth a shot,” Twilight said, breathing heavily.

“Twilight…” Starlight said, swallowing hard. She tried to pull her face back. “I…”

“It’s gone, Starlight,” Twilight breathed. “Everything we ever knew… gone. All that remains is what we managed to evacuate in those precious few minutes. That’s it. Ponyville, Canteerlot, the Crystal Empire, your town… all gone.”

Tears welled up in Starlight’s eyes. “But… but we’re going to fix it, right?”

“I don’t know if stopping the Void will bring everyone back!” Twilight shouted, Element of Magic suddenly shining like a star. “Why would it? It already ate everything, why would stopping it do anything?”

“Because that’s how it works! Discord’s tricks vanished, Tirek’s magic returned to its rightful owners, and Cozy’s plan basically fixed itself!”

“That’s how it worked in our world, and our world isn’t around anymore!”

“But it might work like that!”

“What am I supposed to do with a might!?” Twilight shouted, the light in the Element of Magic shining even brighter. “What if we get to the end of this road and there are no worlds left!? What do we do then!?”

“I don’t know!”

“I don’t know either! All I know is that they’re gone and there probably isn’t a way to get them back!” The Element of Magic sent out a burst of rainbow energy. It passed harmlessly through everyone on the platform, but it knocked the statue over, cracking it down the middle.

Twilight gasped, tears in her eyes. “Oh no, oh no oh no oh no, don’t break…”

The statue crumbled to dust at her words… revealing two very much living shapes.

“What…?” Cadence said, lifting her head. “I feel… empty…”

Discord lazily snapped his fingers, but his power did not come to him. “Lovely…”

“Cadence! Discord!” Twilight ran to them, pulling them into a hug. She made a few sputtered attempts to say something, but nothing came out. All her body could do was cry into their manes and coats, squeezing them tighter and tighter.

“D-did something happen, Twilight?” Cadence asked.

“I…”

“Yes,” the wise voice of Celestia said as she and Luna alighted on the platform. “Something terrible has happened—but that need not stop the good news of your return. Welcome back, Cadence.”

“And you too, Discord,” Luna added.

“I… was at a very dumb wedding,” Discord said, furrowing his brow. “I… why don’t I have any power? What’s going on? Why are there flying saucers in the sky?”

Twilight squeezed him tighter. “Stop asking questions. We’ll… figure it out later.” Tears kept falling from her eyes. “We will figure it out…” she told herself. “We will…”

Dimensionality

Mr. L stood up. He was somewhere in an endless expanse of white. He didn’t know where.

“Oh no…” He said, trying to find something or someone to talk to. Lulu. Brobot. Anything. But there was nothing. “This… this is bad. Very bad. Down in the pits of snake trap city, bad!” He started pacing in a circle. “Where did I go wrong? Was it letting Lulu on the mission? No, no, we got some good hits off. What was it…”

“Aha ha ha…” Mr. L knew that laugh. Dimentio. Apparently he’d snuck out as well.

“Oi, Dimentio…”

“Did they wound your fragile pride, Mr. L?” Dimentio asked, appearing behind him. “Did they demolish your robot again?”

“Hey! First time didn’t count! They cheated! And Brobot was fine!” Mr. L folded his arms.

“I recall you running away.”

“That was a freak lion!”

“Yes…” Dimentio chuckled. “He sure was…”

Mr. L suddenly wanted to change the topic more than he’d wanted anything ever before, something about the way Dimentio said those words terrified him. “Uh, er, yeah. I’m stumped, Dimentio. You’d think a giant robot with missiles and magic would be enough to crush these heroes.” He sighed, looking at the empty ground. “I’m a disgrace… There’s no way I can show my face to Count Bleck after this.”

“Perhaps that is for the best,” Dimentio said. He pointed a finger at Mr. L, triggering an explosion just under his feet. Mr. L was quick enough to jump well out of the explosion’s reach.

Mr. L took a combative posture. “Woah now! Hey! What are you doing?”

Dimentio shrugged. “You said it yourself. You can’t go back to the Count now. So get lost.”

“Not a funny joke, Dimentio. If I wanted to laugh, your face is inspiration enough!”

“Such temper!” Dimentio appeared behind him, tapping the back of his neck. “Your nostrils, they flare out like the hood of a hissing cobra!”

Mr. L threw a punch, but Dimentio was already on the other side. The jester kept laughing. “See, I can’t have you around the Count. If I am rid of you here, I won’t be found out. And the others will never find you. Yes, this is my moment to grasp.” He was suddenly in Mr. L’s face. “It’s time for you to take your final bow, Mr. L!”

Mr. L swung his hammer, only to find that Dimentio wasn’t there, but a rippling box of white energy. “Huh!?” Mr. L glanced around, realizing he was confined in one of Dimentio’s attacks. “Wait… What’s this? Y-you’ve lost our mind, Dimentio!”

“Ah ha ha ha! Shhhh…” Dimentio traced his finger around the edge of the box, chuckling to himself. “Don’t worry. It won’t be so bad, I promise. In fact…” He spread his arms wide, laughing maniacally. “I’ll send those heroes your way soon, just so you’ll have someone to play with!”

“Dimenti—”

Dimentio snapped his fingers, engulfing everything within the box in fire. When it was complete, nothing remained within. Mr. L was gone.

“Ciao… Mr. L.” Dimentio chuckled. “Now… to find that other pest…”

~~~

Lulu sat on a destroyed chunk of some poor pony’s house, glaring at the ground like it had offended her. In reality, it was what was going on inside of her that offended her. The thoughts she was having.

We can’t stop them, can we?

She looked up at the endless white expanse before her. It seemed like the heroes should have lost. One of the eight worlds were gone, and others would soon follow. A Pure Heart was drained of all its power, effectively dead. There was no way for them to move on to the other worlds to continue their search, and even if they did, seven out of eight Pure Hearts was not enough to defeat the Count.

But Lulu couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t stop them. They’d bash through every defense the Count had, trounce all his minions multiple times, and craft a little path to victory, keeping the worlds as they were.

Unacceptable.

Why is that unacceptable?

Something in the back of Lulu’s mind twitched, forcing her to shove that thought away. Instead, all she did was light a small fire on the tip of her fingers and played with it. It entertained her for all of a minute before she let it go out with a despondent sigh.

She didn’t want to go back to the Castle. She wanted to stay here. Stay here and look at nothing until she became part of the nothing. It would be a fitting end, because she was nothing now that she’d completely failed the Count and herself and… and someone else. Who else had she failed?

For some reason she didn’t fully understand, she looked over her shoulder. There, far in the distance, stood what could not be mistaken for anything other than a brilliant, golden lion.

“No…” Lulu said, standing up.

The lion didn’t move, it just stared at her from miles away.

She took a step toward it. Her mind screamed. The glint of glasses plunged into her brain, demanding she turn around. It demanded she leave.

“No…” Tears began to well up in Lulu’s eyes. She let out a wailing cry, creating a Void portal in front of herself and walking into it, leaving the empty world behind. Empty. Motionless.

Dimentio arrived precisely three seconds later. “Hmm… She appears to have fled. Disappointing. Oh well, one target down isn’t bad.” He lifted his hands, preparing to leave… but then he saw the lion.

He grinned. “Oh, save her, did you? Can’t let your precious little children make their own choices and face their own consequences anymore? Funny, for someone who claims they’re unchanging.”

The lion simply stared at him with sad eyes.

“Like a weasel caught in his own den, you feign ignorance. But then again, what do I know? I’m just a lowly jester! Not a champion, not a precious son, not a prophet.” He spat the last word as though it tasted like dung. “Go on then. End me. Put a stop to this whole charade.”

The lion didn’t move.

Dimentio cackled. “Oh, I do wonder why you gave yourself so many rules. Why do you even play by them? If anyone had the right to break a few here and there, it’d be you. But you won’t.” He clenched his hands into fists. “You never will… and so it falls to me to clean up your mess.”

Silence filled the expanse of nothing.

“I grow tired of this.” Dimentio waved a dismissive hand. “Ciao!” And he was gone.

The lion remained for a long, long time after that, staring intently into the endless whiteness.

~~~

For the first time in a long while, Cosmo woke up without somewhere to go or something to do. Slowly, she got out of bed and walked out of Ty Lee’s Inn. Everyone but Twilight was already up, sitting just outside at a table. Vivian was still holding the stone Heart tightly while the others looked into their smoothies, somber. Even Data didn’t seem like himself as he stared off into nothing.

Cosmo sat down at the table, pleased to find that they’d set aside a smoothie for her. She took a sip, finding a soft blueberry taste.

“G’mornin,” Toph said, lazily leaning back in her chair.

“So…” Vivian said, tracing her finger around the edge of the stone heart. “Now what?”

“I don’t know,” Tippi said. “I’m not sure there’s anything we can do.”

“Eggman is working on a way to access the next world without the Heart,” Data said.

“Yes… but what do we do without the one we have? And…” Tippi glanced at the Inn. “What about Twilight’s world?”

The table fell silent.

Data was the first to speak. “Do we not keep forging on anyway for the sake of what remains?”

“We do, my friend,” Caspian said, shaking his head. “But how can we live with ourselves? A world is gone. We were not fast enough.”

“Let’s all become Data,” Toph said. “Emotionless. Then we could just keep marching until this was done.”

“And then what?” Cosmo asked.

“Dunno. Does it matter?”

“I…” Cosmo shifted uncomfortably. “I know I don’t want to forget the feelings I have for Tails, or all of you, and those wouldn’t exist without terrible feelings.”

Vivian let out a barely audible “mhm.”

“We do need them,” Caspian added. “They are what make us… us. But the heart aches.”

“...I think that’s part of Bleck’s problem,” Tippi said. “The heart aches. Something happened to him, and he couldn’t move past it. He… hmm…”

“We can’t be like him,” Toph grunted. “You don’t just blow up the world because somebody hurt you.”

Cosmo nodded. “Instead…”

“You try to be their friend,” Vivian finished, her soft smile returning. “It’s… the way to change them.”

“Not sure we’re going to get the opportunity with Blecky-boy,” Toph grumbled.

“Maybe not… but with each other?” Vivian lifted the stone heart up slightly. “I don’t know what I’m saying…”

“You know exactly what you’re saying,” Twilight said, walking up to the table with a confident smile on her face.

“T-twilight!” Cosmo stammered. “Are you…?”

“I’m fine,” Twilight said. “Because… I have all of you. And because I have hope.” She put a hoof on Cosmo’s shoulder, assuring her. “Everyone, Vivian’s right. We hold each other up. No matter what happens, no matter what destruction comes our way, no matter what the Count does, we are still here. We have a special bond, beyond the Count’s comprehension. When we suffer loss, we don’t turn inward and fester until we blame everything. We come to each other. And we don’t go down the dark path he has.”

Toph smiled. “Nice speech.”

“Oh, did you think I was done?” Twilight smirked. “I also have an order for everyone. Until we learn otherwise, we are to assume Equis—and any other wiped worlds—will be restored with the destruction of the Chaos Heart. We are not going to let ourselves fall to hopelessness. We are not just fighting for what remains—we fight to restore what is lost. Does everyone understand me?”

“Yes ma’am!” everyone responded in unison.

“Good. Now. We need to restore the Heart,” Twilight gestured at Vivian. “Any ideas?”

Toph frowned. “If Aang wasn’t in the Castle right now, he might do some of his spirit mumbo-jumbo on it.”

“The Master Emerald?” Cosmo suggested. “Maybe it can transfer its power into it… though it probably isn’t enough. ...The Metarex were stealing life-force from planets for their master plan. It… would doom life on a lot of planets, but maybe we could use those?”

“Time travel is impossible, the timestream is disconnected,” Data reported. “However, temporal manipulation may be able to revert the Heart to a previous time state.”

Caspian scratched his chin. “Perhaps we can use Lucy’s cordial on it? Restore it through healing? Or just request aid from Aslan.”

“There are artifacts called the Crystal Stars in my world,” Vivian said. “And Rosalina.”

“All good ideas,” Twilight said, nodding. “I’m going to try to use several at once. Gather all the artifacts and try to rejuvenate the Pure Heart that way.”

“You guys…” Tippi giggled. “You really do know how to turn things around, don’t you?”

“What else are we gonna do?” Toph asked. “Mope? Does that sound like us?”

“Do you not remember what we did in the gauntlet?” Vivian asked.

“Shhhhhhhh,” Toph hissed, trying not to smile.

“I’ll talk to Merlon,” Tippi said. “See if we ca—”

“Greetings, my heroic individuals!” Suddenly, there was a shimmering box surrounding the table, atop which stood Dimentio.

“Dimentio!” Twilight glared at him. “How did you get into Flipside without tripping the alarms? We know your dimensional signature!”

“I can walk right in with the proper costume and demeanor. You’d be surprised how a sad shy guy is easy to sell! Ah ha ha ha ha! But now, people are going to notice me, so I can’t gloat as much as I would like. Remember… I am your enemy. And I only do this because you are getting close.” He snapped his fingers, consuming everything within the box in flames. Twilight raised a shield and the heroes performed several attacks… but when the box vanished, there was nothing inside. Not even the table. The Flipside alarms started going off.

Tippi, however, had been outside the box. “Wh… wh…”

“You seem surprised, Pixl.” Dimentio chuckled. “Really, you shouldn’t be.” He saw some Federation officers running to him out of the corner of his eyes. “Alas, I must be off. Ciao! Enjoy your loneliness!” He vanished in a warp of reality just as a phaser blast passed him.

Tippi could only stare at the smoking spot where her best friends had been just seconds ago. “What just… that didn’t make any sense!” She slowly lost her elevation, coming to a resting position on the ground. “That’s not… possible…”

Minion Rescue

Nastasia awoke in one of the many cubic rooms nestled deep within Castle Bleck. Rarity and Pinkie were standing in front of her, no doubt chosen because they were completely immune to her hypnosis—a clever tactic, if a bit obvious.

Examining her surroundings, Nastasia found that she was tied up in a chair with some kind of metallic wire. Not all that unexpected, all things considered.

“Ah, you’re awake!” Rarity forced a smile. “Glad to see you’re still with us.”

“Um, I’d think you of all people would feel the opposite.”

Rarity generated her blade, holding it to Nastasia’s neck. “Let’s just say I’m a happy mare no matter how this encounter ends.”

Pinkie gently put her hoof on Rarity’s horn, patting it until Rarity dissipated the blade.

“Friend can’t handle your methods, hmm?” Nastasia asked.

Rarity lifted her head up high. “She’s an endless bubble of positivity, a stabilizing influence all of us drastically need right now.”

Pinkie saluted. “Yep! I’m the party pony!”

“Now…” Rarity sat down on the floor, fixing Nastasia with a coy smile. “How do we stop the Void?”

“Real simple. Use the eight Pure Hearts on the Count in unison to end the Chaos Heart’s curse, kill him, and shatter the Chaos Heart afterward. But you already knew this.”

“True. But, seeing as that is not in my power to do and seeing as I’m stuck here, any alternative solutions?”

“End the Chaos Heart’s curse and find a suitable replacement chosen for the Chaos Heart. I believe you’ll find that anyone the Chaos Heart deems as ‘chosen’ will seek destruction.”

Rarity twitched. “I’m getting there…”

Nastasia felt the need to adjust her suit, but her arms were tied down so that was utterly impossible. “I believe you’ll find that the rest of my information is equally unhelpful, ‘K?”

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“I can give you troop movements and the arrangement of every room in the Castle. I could direct you to the room with the map of the multiverse. I can tell you the deepest secret of every minion in this castle. None of it will assist you in stopping the Count.”

“You have the power to leave.”

“And I will never open a portal to somewhere you want. Plus, you’re blocking my ability to do so.”

“Already tried to escape?” Rarity smirked.

“I am curious how you managed that.”

“In the team sent to the Castle, there was one boy called Aang, the Avatar of Diqiu.”

“Yes, I am aware of his lineage. The chosen protectors of Diqiu. Master of all four elements.”

“All five.” Rarity tapped Nastasia’s chest with her hoof. “Including spirit. You aren’t being blocked Nastasia, you simply have no more connection to the Void to speak of. It’s been removed.”

“Gotcha,” Nastasia nodded slowly. “Any other tricks you’ve gained I’d like to know about?”

“Oh, dear me, you seem to have become mistaken about this situation!” Rarity let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re the captured one!” Pinkie said, grinning. “We ask the questions!”

“Ask away,” Nastasia said.

Rarity tapped her chin. “How about… the Count himself. How about you explain why he’s doing this?”

“To destroy all worlds and create perfect new ones.”

“Not good enough. Why would he do such a thing? Surely there has to be some reason. What set him on this warpath? Who is he?”

Nastasia remained silent.

“...Answer.”

“Um, I don’t have to answer all your questions, ‘K?”

“It would be in your best interests…”

Nastasia, for the first time, smiled. “It doesn’t matter to me, Rarity. I live to serve the Count. That is all I am.”

“Surely…” Rarity frowned. “No, no you’re being completely honest.”

“Wait, really?” Pinkie blinked.

“She really doesn’t care what happens to her. How… devoted. What has he done to earn this level of absolute loyalty?”

Nastasia gave her nothing.

“Fine then. Luigi?”

“Hypnotized and currently on standby as far as I know.”

“Rainbow and Applejack?”

“Imprisoned, directly above the central chamber.”

“Gilgamesh?”

“I have no idea. I take it he doesn’t exactly declare his position to you, either?”

“I was asking more about what you knew about him.”

“He is an unknown. I was not aware of his existence until the Void opened, ‘K?”

“Mmm…” Rarity sighed. “Well, Pinkie?”

Pinkie nodded. “My left eye is watering and I feel like I have a rash on my back. Pretty sure he’s almost here.”

Nastasia stared at Pinkie. “Hmm. How do you know?”

“Pinkie Sense!”

“It makes about as much sense as it sounds,” Rarity offered. She summoned her blade and held it to Nastasia’s neck, careful not to actually break the skin. “Now, be a good secretary and watch closely.”

Pinkie tapped her hoof on the ground a few times before throwing the doors open herself. On the other side was a long, dark hallway, at the end of which Count Bleck currently was, slowly striding toward them.

“Hello, darling!” Rarity called with a wave. “I knew you couldn’t resist making an extravagant entrance, so I’ve given you an impressive hallway!”

“Bleh heheheheheheh…” the Count tipped up his hat. “You know me so well.”

Cautiously, Rarity levitated Nastasia out of the room and into the hall, keeping the blade continually pressed to her neck. She walked out of the room herself, Pinkie bounding along behind her. “Now… Count, I believe now we get to talk.”

“This seems familiar,” the Count said, stroking his chin. “Weren’t we already here today, Bleck?”

“There’s a slight difference,” Rarity said. “I can get away at any time. I don’t have an entire troop of visitors to worry about, and I’m not shell-shocked by what’s going on. I’ve also had a long time to think about everything you’ve done to my ponies while we’ve been here…”

The Count held his hands wide and let out a laugh. “Well, here I am! Come to save my little Nastasia!”

“Don’t listen to her,” Nastasia said. “Let her do what she wants with me, ‘K?”

“Nastasia, Bleck will not abandon you if he has any choice.”

“You sure took your sweet time getting here,” Rarity pointed out.

“Bleck knew you would not end her so quickly, not without using her as a bargaining chip. And Bleck had to go make a visit… to a certain world of colorful ponies.”

Rarity felt her knees lock up. “What did you do?”

“Only what fate awaits all worlds!” Count Bleck slammed the base of his scepter into the ground. “Equis was the first world to fall. It is no more.”

Rarity’s heart caught in her chest. “It… it’s gone?”

“All of it! Your cities, your towns, your countries, your planet… and most of your ponies.” He snapped his fingers. “Like flecks of dust, gone in the wind of the Void.”

“Don’t believe him, Rarity,” Pinkie said. “They’re not gone.”

The Count whirled to Pinkie. “I speak the truth!”

“Oh, psh, I didn’t say you were lying. You’re just mistaken!”

For a moment, the psychotic smile plastered on Bleck’s face faltered, replaced with a look of confusion, concern, and something Rarity couldn’t identify. However, he quickly regained his composure, reestablishing the grin.

Wait a moment… Rarity narrowed her eyes. Something’s up here. Her desire to shout at him in a blind rage died down as an idea formed in her head.

“...Why are you hiding?” Rarity asked.

“Bleck! Count Bleck hides nothing! All worlds are to be de—”

“You’re hiding behind that mask,” Rarity interrupted. “I see it. All this laughter, the nonsensical speech, the hammy speaking… Every now and then, it breaks through. It happened just now, and it happened back at the battle. What you show me… it isn’t you.”

“Bleh heh heh heh heh! You are foolish. Count Bleck is the only Count Bleck and there is no one else!”

“Then how did ‘Count Bleck’ and Nastasia meet?”

Count Bleck rolled his eyes. “A pointlessly sentimental question.”

“Then how come she wouldn’t answer questions like this either? It’s like she knows you wouldn’t want me to know. Which means it isn’t pointless.” She took a few steps forward, not taking her eyes off him. “There’s something else in you, Count. Something that has to be driving the wheel behind this unhinged madman on a murderous rampage—it’s just a persona. What I’m looking at right now is a shallow invention. And something tells me that whatever’s behind that persona is the secret to ending all of this.”

“Chasing after a secret that doesn’t exist!” Bleck laughed. “It is amazing you’ve lived this long! ...said Count Bleck.”

The way that last verbal tic was added almost as an afterthought pushed Rarity over the edge. “Tell me who you really are right now.”

“There is nothing t—”

Rarity pressed the sword into Nastasia’s neck, drawing blood.

“R-Rarity!” Pinkie stammered.

“Don’t test me,” Rarity breathed. “Either of you. What’s it going to be, Count? A true devotion to this persona of yours wouldn’t care about what happens to Nastasia. But that isn’t you. You actually care about her, and care very deeply. A madman with a monocle does not earn undying loyalty.”

Count Bleck dropped the smile, giving her a grimace. “You are too clever for your own good.” He snapped his fingers. Everything within five meters of Bleck lost all color—and the magic in Rarity’s horn went out in an instant.

Nastasia gasped, letting out all the stress she had been building up for the entire conversation.

“This… was all just a game to you,” Rarity realized. “A chance to show off your persona.”

Bleck ignored her, beginning to untie Nastasia.

“Why?” Rarity asked. “Why do you go to such lengths to make us hate you? What do you gain?”

“I gain death,” the Count said, standing Nastasia up and patting the dust off of her. “The man you seek, the man ‘driving’ behind the mask… that man needs to die. That man knows nothing but pain. That man does not exist.”

“I think he does,” Rarity said. “And I think he wants out.”

“Your words will not sway me, Rarity. If you succeed, you replace a mad murderer with a tearful crusader. You want a man you can kill without remorse. You want a mad Count that relishes in destruction because it’s fun. But you demand truth. And truth, like love, is a wicked monster.” He draped his cloak around Nastasia and turned to walk away.

“Aren’t… aren’t you going to capture us?” Pinkie asked.

“No need,” the Count said. “There is nothing you can do to stop this.”

“That’s not going to stop us from trying!” Rarity shouted.

“By all means. Try. Count Bleck will find it delightfully amusing. A fitting battle to end all worlds.” He let out a sigh, stepping into a Void portal, leaving Rarity and Pinkie behind.

Rarity clenched her jaw. “...Sassafras. Peeving sassafrasn’ ponyfeathers of Tartarus.”

“R-Rarity!” Pinkie blurted, aghast. “Wh—”

“He’s not a monster. He’s a broken man.” A tear fell down her face. “And he’s right. I would have preferred a monster.”

The Pit

Amy smashed a goblin made out of pure shadow, splattering it against the wall as though it were a glob of paint. The noxious goo dissipated, leaving the room empty.

“Clear!” Amy called to the rest of the team. There were currently so many of them that they couldn’t fit in one room, so they were moving down in sections. However, even moving like this, they could no longer get out of the pit without moving up to levels that had already “respawned” the shadowy monsters. Luckily, Eggman’s robots had made it to the tenth floor before, and they knew exactly what awaited them. Trotting down the stairs, they found not monsters, but an exit round platform in the middle of the room that could teleport someone to the start of the Pit.

“All right, do we have any wounded?” Ty Lee shouted at the group. “If you are and we can’t heal you effectively, bail!”

Only one stepped forward: a squirrel Mobian who was getting very queasy at the sight of so many things being splattered. He stepped onto the platform and was returned to safety.

“Nobody else? All right.” Ty Lee stretched her legs. “Who wants to go first?”

“It is a good day to die!” The Klingons shouted, charging down the stairs. Amy followed, though this time she took a less active approach so she could watch the Klingons work. They started by firing their disruptors and disintegrating a few of the shadows, which this time were taking the shape of spring monsters and floating orbs. Once enough room was cleared, however, the Klingons drew their blades and began to slice the shadows in half physically and with amazing prowess. The dark orbs unleashed lasers, but the Klingon disruptors were much more powerful. The room was cleared in seconds.

“I say, we may have brought too much firepower,” Eggman said, drifting down to the floor.

“We’re only on floor eleven,” Amy pointed out, tracing her finger along the wall. Here, the mural was different, displaying an orange heart with stylistic images of fire, earth, water, and air mixed with structures built by the four people of Diqiu. “There’s a lot more smashing to do.”

“Then we best be on our way.”

~~~

The beast with a thousand tentacles had already taken out several talking animals, and Amy had decided that was enough. With a roar of fury she dove right into its mouth, slipped past the teeth with only minor cuts to the edge of her dress. Her plan after accomplishing this was ingenious: swing her hammer around everywhere until the creature gave in. After about five swings the beast succumbed to internal trauma and dissipated into a pile of goo on the ground.

“There…” Amy said, shaking her head to get the goo out of her hair. “That good enough?”

“Quite,” Eggman said, not really paying attention to her but rather examining the mural. It was of Mobius, all right, with a yellow heart suspended over the Master Emerald, with the seven chaos emeralds spread out equidistantly around the room. The background of the mural was largely simple green hills, but there were occasional bursts of metallic structures.

“Next!” Amy shouted, charging down the stairs.

~~~

Ty Lee disabled a four-armed muscular beast with carefully timed kicks, allowing Cortez’s ghosts to burn the immobile enemy to shreds.

Behind her, Amy was already examining the mural. A green heart floated in the middle of space, with various stars and planets spread about the mural. Most interestingly, though, were the ships they could see drifting in space, matching Federation, Romulan, Klingon, and Borg designs.

“This confirms it,” Eggman said, folding his hands together. “None of these nations existed when Flipside was built. These murals must be prophetic. We need to get to the bottom, find out what’s really in store for us. We’re making good progress. Egg-bots! Burn the next floor.”

~~~

Firebenders found it much easier to burn floors than Egg-bots, as it turned out, incinerating all but one monster: a massive centipede with many legs that ended in sharp barbs. It charged forward, shrugging off a hit from Amy’s hammer and a Klingon disruptor like it was nothing. One of the Klingons, however, drew his blade and drove it right into the creature’s eye, ending it. Unfortunately, the beast still got an attack off on him.

Ty Lee ran to him and tended to the wound in his side that was oozing their pinkish blood. “Stay still… Oh, this is a bad one…” A Starfleet officer handed her a medical kit and she began treating the wound. “I think he’ll be fine, but he won’t be moving for a while.”

“It was a glorious battle!” the Klingon laughed.

“Yes, yes, we all know about your proud warrior tradition…”

Eggman drifted over to the mural, scratching his chin. It showed a sky blue heart over a very detailed depiction of Aslan surrounded by animals, creatures out of fairy tales, and animals in a forest. Opposite Aslan was the lamp post. “Curious, the only one with a specific person so far…”

~~~

The dark blue heart was suspended in a sphere of rainbow power with starmen all around. Beyond that there were numerous planets, walls, and traps that extended around most of the mural, until they reached the opposing side where Rogueport’s noose was proudly displayed.

“If we had come across this before they went to this world, the noose would have made us paranoid,” Eggman commented.

“Well, they already finished this one!” Amy swung her hammer over her back. “Let’s get moving!” She charged down and smashed her hammer on the first enemy she saw—a cube. This turned out to be the first enemy immune to all physical attacks.

It would only get worse from there.

~~~

Everyone was silent.

They’d just lost their first soldier. Up until this point, they’d been able to eject them from the Pit to receive better medical treatment, but this one had been killed instantly. It had been a creature made of dark flames that burned up a talking badger in a manner of seconds before the firebenders took care of it.

It was only made worse by the mural on the wall: a gray, lifeless heart suspended over a world with fanciful buildings and magical forests in the midst of being torn apart by stylized purple lightning.

There was nothing for them here.

~~~

It was getting difficult to progress. The monsters had gotten bigger, stronger, and evidently smarter. Virtually every floor someone got injured and had to be treated. They had known coming in that the rejuvenating properties of Flipside didn’t apply down here, but now they were really wishing it did.

Passing through another ‘break’ floor, floor seventy if Ty Lee was counting correctly, several people were offloaded due to injury. They still had the majority of their forces, but if the difficulty kept increasing like this…

Ty Lee descended to the next room flanked by Cortez’s ghosts, finding the entire area to be crawling with hand-sized shadow scorpions. Ty Lee jumped back—her abilities weren’t very helpful against small enemies, but the one-way barriers between floors prevented her from retreating far enough. She had to twist around the descending Klingons and stomp a few of the scorpions herself while the flaming ghosts reduced the bugs to cinders.

While it had been an easier floor than the last few, one of the Klingons had been injected with venom. Ty Lee was now carrying a medical tricorder at all times and ran to treat him, stopping the flow of poison by tying a tight knot around his left leg. Already, the limb was starting to blacken. She didn’t like the looks of that.

Eggman, however, was delighted. “Finally! A mural of something we know nothing about!” he held out a hand, touching the purple heart. “This is the Heart they were supposed to get in Equis…” He pulled up his computer screen—still receiving telemetry from the surface. Frowning, he closed it.

“What?” Ty Lee asked.

“Nothing, my dear. The surface is just trying to think of alternative methods…” He floated back a bit, taking in the entire mural. It showed floating discs with eyes, a cold winter wasteland, a great city with colorful towers, and a dark forest filled with ominous eyes. Strangest of all, random black squares were littered around the artwork, interrupting the otherwise smooth patterns. “Hmm…”

“Any idea what it means?” Amy asked.

“No, I’m afraid not. We’ll need to ask Tippi about her world records to see if any of this is different from what she knows.”

~~~

Ty Lee arrived at the next mural on floor eighty-one bruised and battered. The last fight had not gone well. They’d lost several. If they had not been right next to a break floor, they would have lost many more. She’d refused transport out of the Pit, however, because she was not about to turn away when they were so close. Finally, they were getting new information. She’d continue as long as she could.

Amy had gone ahead of her and cleared the room already, finding the enemies within particularly susceptible to blunt force trauma. Even she wasn’t really enjoying the endless fighting anymore. It was no longer providing her a suitable distraction.

The mural itself didn’t appear to have a Pure Heart represented on it at all, but instead showed many images that made no sense. Floating orange monoliths, forests of rainbow colors, a tower that stretched upward to infinity, eyes that appeared to float in the middle of the air, and yellow cubes floating around a massive web of spiders floating among the stars. Perhaps strangest of all, the sky was brilliant pink everywhere.

“Recorded,” Eggman said. “Now to continue to see if there’s anything at the bottom of this Pit…”

~~~

More than half of their forces were down or sent home when they realized that there was another mural. A heart of darkness suspended over a pitch-black castle, surrounded by the purple stylized colors of the Void. Around the castle were many angular, pointed ships mixed with crystalline structures that spiraled off until they shattered into nothing.

“Ninety-one…” Ty Lee breathed. “There’s going to be a hundred.”

“We… can’t stop now…” Amy hefted her hammer. “Got to get… to the bottom…”

“Eight more floors,” Eggman called. “Everyone… this is going to be the hardest push we’ve made. But we have the resources! We—”

~~~

Nineteen individuals made it to the bottom of the Pit. They had started with over a hundred.

There was no mural here. There was nothing on the walls at all, but there were also no stairs going further down. There was only a single, shadowy blob in the center of the chamber, pulsating with ugly, disgusting energy.

Eggman, Ty Lee, and Amy led the remaining team toward the central darkness, ready to take on whatever the final challenge of this Pit was.

“Oh, you think I’m an enemy?” a heavily digitized and compressed voice called. “No, I’m no such thing. I am… Shadoo. And I’m here to congratulate you! You’ve made it to the bottom of the Pit of 100 Trials!”

“It’s… actually called the Pit.” Amy blinked. “Huh.”

“What else could it be called?” Shadoo asked, sparking slightly. “Anyway, and now your reward!” A small console popped out of the ground, displaying various schematics and images of Flipside. “The control station, designed only for the most well-proven of heroes!”

“Hmm…” Eggman floated to the console and began pressing buttons. “Yes, this will do nicely. This… yes!”

“What can you do with it?” Amy asked.

“I can control Flipside’s systems directly! Shields… on! Shields… off! Doors on… doors off! Yes… and there are systems I didn’t even know about down here. Light adjustment… the rejuvenation matrix… aha! Disable Pit forcefields.” He pressed a button. “We can teleport in and out as we wish, now.”

“Well…” Amy crossed her arms. “We won, I guess. ...Was it worth it?”

“I…” Ty Lee glanced at the few who had made it all the way to the bottom with them. “I’m not sure.”

“I can definitely protect us from the Void with this,” Eggman said. “Oh ho ho ho ho! This is so worth it.”

Ty Lee frowned. “You know… I think I forgot about what kind of man you are.”

“It won’t matter anyway,” Shadoo said, chuckling. “Because you’re all a bunch of idiots.”

Amy tightened her grip on her hammer. “All right, what kind of trap is it?”

“The trap? Simple.” He created a box of shadows around them. “I’m not allowed to touch that control panel. But you can. And you’ve released the Pit forcefields! I can escape now! And everyone will know that this city is mine. It always has been and always will be…” He vanished in a puff of darkness.

“...Oh dear,” Eggman said.

“That’s all you have to say!?” Amy blurted.

“There’s not much else to say. We have released an unspeakable evil…”

“So, basically par for the course with you, huh?”

“Sure, rub it in why don’t you?”

“We don’t have time for this!” Ty Lee shouted. “Shadoo is on the loose! We have to warn people!”

“He blocked out transmissions. I’m not sure we can do anything.” Eggman folded his hands. “It’s up to everyone on the surface.”

Shadoo

“Pause video,” Starlight told Merlon. Merlon’s screen froze at the precise moment Dimentio triggered the explosions in his little box. Just barely visible were the shocked expressions of Twilight, Toph, Cosmo, Caspian, Data, and Vivian.

“Why… are you showing me this?” Tippi asked.

“Because there’s something weird here. Merlon, skip forward a few frames.” The explosion progressed. “A few more… keep going, one frame at a time, until it happens.” The fires kept raging, until one frame Twilight and company were just gone. Not burned, not exploded, not reduced to cinders, just gone.

“What…” Tippi fluttered forward. “What in…”

“I don’t know what it is,” Starlight admitted. “But I knew they hadn’t been blown up, I would have felt the Element of Magic shattering.”

“What does this mean?”

“They were sent somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“No idea,” Starlight admitted with a shake of her head. “Merlon insists that the explosions were distorting his sensors so he couldn’t get a clear reading on what was going on inside the box.”

“Almost as if…”

“Dimentio was trying to hide something, yeah.” Starlight clicked her tongue. “Either he did this on purpose and didn’t want anyone to know, or he did this by accident and something about the stone Heart or the Element of Magic took advantage of the situation and got them out of trouble.”

“That doesn’t help us figure out where they are…” Tippi said.

“No. But hey, they’re not a pile of ash! That’s good, right?”

“...Yes. Yes it is.” Tippi fluttered higher. “Just before they were taken, Twilight was talking about assuming the best. Wherever they are, I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to get back.”

“The question is, what can we do?”

“They’re the heroes. I’m pretty sure we can’t do anything.”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Tippi, you’re one of them. You can do things.”

“Me? Oh, no no. I’m… a guide. I don’t stand on my own at all.”

I disagree, Tippi.<< Merlon said. >>You are every much a hero a—

Merlon’s screen went dark. Shortly thereafter, the ambient light of Flipside went out, plunging everything into absolute darkness.

Starlight lit her horn, lighting up the street they were on. Several other unicorns who happened to be on the street lit their horns as well, in addition to a few Starfleet officers turning on flashlights and a mixture of other lighting methods, including a small dragon’s fire breath. Already, the people were starting to murmur in uncertainty about what was going on.

Looking into the distance beyond Flipside proper, Tippi could see that the starships still had lighting and power, including the massive Federation Starbase that was currently holding most of the Equis refugees. It wasn’t power that had been turned off—it was just the natural light of Flipside.

What had happened?

“Hello!” a highly compressed digital voice spoke from seemingly every direction. “My name is Shadoo! And just so everyone’s clear on how this works, I am the actual master of Flipside! Unfortunately, it looks like none of you have any idea what that means. Even the old coot in your computer seems to have forgotten it all. But—that means I succeeded! Those foolish Creators never finished this forsaken city. Which means all of you are unlawful trespassers!” Shadoo let out a disgusting laugh. “But I don’t mind, really, I don’t. None of you have anything to do with the sins of those long-dead idiots. I’ll accept you as my servants, no questions asked.”

There was a pause. Tippi was sure she could hear shouting coming from somewhere.

“It appears as though some of you object to this. Understandable, if stupid. Though… looking forward, I can see that very few of you are going to bow to me. Too willful, too obsessed with surviving this whole ‘all worlds are about to end’ nonsense. Bah. And you won’t believe me if I tell you I see a future where the Void doesn’t win. To be fair, I wouldn’t believe me either. So how about I cut you a deal… you all get out of my city, and I won’t systematically reduce all of you to black sludge.”

“Nobody’s going to take that offer!” Starlight shouted. “If you really can see the future, you’d know that!”

“There she is.” A spark of darkness appeared in the air in front of them, and Tippi knew that this was Shadoo. “You know what, I don’t even care about this city, do what you want with it. This will be much more cathartic.”

“What do you want with me?” Starlight asked.

“You? Nothing at all. It’s the disgusting butterfly that’s fluttering behind you I want.” With a burst of black swirls, he suddenly turned into an exact copy of Tippi, except made of solid darkness. His voice remained the same, however. “You are my replacement.”

“I… what?” Tippi fluttered back.

“Do you know what I was built for?” Shadoo asked. “Why I was made? I’ll tell you. I was made to be the guide, the compass for this entire city!” He fluttered closer. “They decided I was too… dangerous for that. I was locked out while they worked on my replacement. Removed the ability to see the future and chart destiny, a horrible oversight that just made her a whiny brat. After that… I didn’t let them continue.” He laughed. “But somehow this corpse of a city managed to build you from their leftover plans! A third guide of Flipside! A weak, insignificant butterfly of nothing. You’re just an unstable mind graft picked at a very specific time… Nothing. I can’t even believe fate considers you one of the heroes.”

“I’m… so sorry you were treated like that,” Tippi said. “But they’re gone now, you don’t have t—”

“You’re right, they are gone. Nothing here matters. I’ve already locked that old program in a blackbox, all that remains of their hubris is you. And once you’re done… I’m completely free.”

Starlight unleashed a beam of sharp energy right at Shadoo. His butterfly form was unable to take it, shattering into a dozen pieces on contact.

Tippi let out a sigh of relief. “Thank y—”

“Did you think I was finished, bug!?”

The shadowy swirl returned, this time taking the shape of Vivian.

“H-how!?” Tippi stammered.

“I was built to lead the heroes, to be one with their fate. I can see all of them.” He clapped his hands, triggering an explosion of black flame around Starlight, tossing her back. “And I’ve had time to practice at the bottom of that Pit…”

Starlight pushed herself through the fire and summoned a dozen shards of magic crystal, throwing them at high speed into Shadoo. He disappeared into the ground, as Vivian had done several times.

“Starlight, look out!”

Starlight levitated herself into the air. “He’s not going to get the jump on me…”

Shadoo launched out of the ground, transforming from Vivian to Twilight in an instant. The black alicorn lifted his horn and unleashed a torrential laser at Starlight. She attempted to meet it with her own, but the power of the darkness was simply too much. The resulting explosion cracked nearby buildings, dislodged the stones in the road, and cracked glass for quite some distance.

Starlight slumped to the ground, out cold.

Shadoo transformed into Cosmo, pointing a finger at Tippi. “You’re next.”

Tippi fled as fast as she could, narrowly dodging the monstrous roots and vines that Shadoo was summoning with no effort on his part. It’s like he’s unlocked all their full potentials…

“At this point, you’re probably marveling that I’m somehow stronger than all your friends. I already told you!” He transformed into Twilight and teleported in front of her. “I had practice.” He unleashed a laser that, once again, Tippi managed to dodge, flying into the skies of Flipside in a half-panic.

“You can’t run forever!” Shadoo transformed into Data and jumped after her, shifting to Caspian mid-flight and swinging his sword. It missed her by a millimeter. He somehow brought the sword up again for another strike in the same second, but one of the Federation starships trapped him in a tractor beam.

“You think that’ll do anything!?” Shadoo screamed, transforming into Toph. “This form may be blind, but I see through the city itself!” He reached out his hands and bent the metal of the Federation ship around the tractor beam, disabling it. With a shift of his legs, he triggered the explosions in the incoming photon torpedoes. Shifting to Twilight, he reflected the phasers back at the ship.

Tippi took the opportunity to fly upwards, to where there were more ships. Phasers, missiles, and more exotic weapons flew wild at Shadoo. All they did was slow him down. He shifted rapidly between Twilight and Vivian, flying after Tippi, turning intangible, and reflecting attacks back at the assaulting ships.

“Just hand her over!” Shadoo called to the entire city. “She’s not worth it!”

The Enterprise placed itself between Shadoo and Tippi, making Picard’s feeling on that particular sentiment fully clear. The energy of the Master Emerald prevented Shadoo from punching right through the ship’s shields—so he just turned into Twilight and teleported to the other side. One teleport later, and he was above Tippi. He punched her with his Data form.

Tippi screamed in agony as she was thrown down to Flipside’s highest platform. Struggling, she managed to crawl to the elevator shaft—which was luckily empty for the moment.

Shadoo arrived just as she fell over the edge.

“Your running never ceases to annoy me.” He transformed into Tippi again, flying after her falling form. She fell past the platform and into the city proper, careful not to open her wings until after she’d passed the Light Prognosticus room. Spreading her wings, she managed to catch enough air to drift into the Heart Pillar room.

Shadoo followed her. “Oh no you don’t!” He transformed into Data and fired the phaser, immobilizing her.

But she was still a light butterfly—she continued drifting toward the Hearts. She would not have made it all the way, but the six artifacts of love and creation recognized their hero’s need. They pulled her into their midst.

“No!” Shadoo shouted, transforming into Twilight and unleashing a laser of dark magic into the pillar, attempting to shatter it. The six Hearts found this attempt at overcoming their power laughable, shrugging it off as if nothing happened. “You can’t hide behind your precious Hearts! You can’t!”

“I… think I will,” Tippi said, feeling the energy return to her. “And… I don’t think it’s hiding. I think it’s using what I have available to stop this rampage of yours.”

“The Pure Hearts are not offensive!” Shadoo snarked. “They defend. You can only protect like the coward you are! What could you have them do to me? Nothing!”

“I… think they have something else in mind.” Tippi sent a request to the Power of the Hearts. It would be convenient if you generated a door closer to here than the top of the platform, wouldn’t you think?

A dark blue door appeared on the ground beneath Shadoo, swinging open to the endless expanse of white that had once been Equis. Shadoo dropped down for a moment, but turned into Cosmo quick enough to stop his fall and attach vines to the edge of the door. “You won’t get rid of me that easily! I w—”

Actually, we don’t need a portal here anymore. Go ahead and sever the door’s connection for now.

The door vanished. The parts of Shadoo that were in Flipside when it closed shriveled up and died in a manner of seconds. As for the rest of Shadoo… well, if he lived, it would only be a day or so until the destroyed world consumed him.

All of Flipside’s lights returned. Tippi noticed that, unlike before, everything actually had shadows now.

“I… I did it.” Tippi laughed. “I did it! Hah! Take that, Shadoo, Tippi’s got your number! Remember me in that place and… yeah.” She stopped talking for a moment. “...The trash talk really doesn’t suit me. Hmm…”

She fluttered out of the grasp of the Hearts and back down to Flipside proper, where everyone greeted her with cheers.

“How… do you know what I did already?”

I told them.<< Merlon offered from his nearby screen. >>You saved us all from that monster, Tippi. You saved me.<<

Eggman, Ty Lee, Amy, and the remaining members of the Pit team teleported right in front of them.

“That… that Shadoo was at the bottom of the Pit, wasn’t he?” Tippi asked.

Ty Lee sighed. “Yeah… we’re sorry, he fooled us.”

“But we found something much more useful!” Eggman declared. “The master control to Flipside! We won’t have to try to work out strange loopholes for making portals or activating any of the city’s technology anymore—we have everything. And with Shadoo gone, there’s nothing else stopping us!”

Tippi fluttered a little higher. “You know… I know that everyone’s worried about the heroes, that they’re gone—though we’ve just gotten information that maybe they were just sent somewhere else—but you know what? Today… look at what we have now. Absolute control over Flipside. A dangerous enemy who used the power of the heroes, defeated. We… we can do this. I can do this! So what if a world has been destroyed and it seems like all hope is lost?! Let’s keep fighting anyway!”

“YEAH!” the crowd shouted—including Starlight, who made sure to wave to Tippi to let her know she was okay.

“Eggman, tell me everything the master control can do,” Tippi said. “We might need all of it.”

~~~

Shadoo stood in the emptiness, feeling it eat his essence away bit by bit.

Why hadn’t he foreseen this? Why had this slipped past his radar? He could see any major shifts in the future, and he was pretty sure his end was one of those things!

“Unless you are but an insignificant mite on the cosmic scale.”

Shadoo whirled around, coming face to face with Dimentio. “...You. I remember you.”

“Ah ha ha ha ha! Like a man shaking hands with a clown, I am surprised! But if that Pixl’s memory of before is returning, you no doubt have the same capacity.”

Shadoo transformed into Twilight and unleashed a massive beam of energy at Dimentio. He simply sidestepped the entire thing, chuckling all the while.

“Stand still!” Shadoo shouted.

“Oh, no, I rather enjoy being alive, thank you. Buuuut… I don’t enjoy you being alive. I just came by to watch you suffer! Please, continue draining your energy. It’ll make it end faster.”

Shadoo surged forward, slicing at Dimentio at a blind rage, continuing even as his essence dripped off, dissipating into the white nothingness. He swung, chopped, sliced, and used every ability at his disposal… every last one of which Dimentio found laughable.

“How…” Shadoo breathed. “How did the heroes do anything to you!?”

“My my my, assuming they actually defeated me, are you?” Dimentio cackled. “Ah ha ha ha! How narrow minded.”

Shadoo charged… and became nothing more than a puddle of dark sludge evaporating in the winds of nothing.

“Well, that was satisfactory.” Dimentio snapped his fingers, vanishing from the dead reality once more.

Minion Report

Nastasia and Count Bleck sat alone in the central chamber.

Nastasia adjusted her glasses, trying not to think about the pain she felt across her neck. “Yeah, so, just got a quick ping from Dimentio. We’ve had a little insubordination.”

The Count made no response.

“Yeah, according to his report, Mr. L and Lulu took on a hero-fighting initiative and… only Lulu came back. I accept full responsibility. It was m—”

“You were occupied.”

“I believe they left before th—”

“Do not chasten yourself, remarked Count Bleck. What is done is done. The prophecy will not be fulfilled without sacrifice.”

“So, ‘K…. Um, and just another quick update on Mimi. Yeah… she, um, also left the castle.”

“Did she now? ...Well, Count Bleck will leave you to dispense the minion discipline.”

“Count… um… did Rarity, um…”

“What that unicorn said is of no consequence. Count Bleck feels fine.”

Nastasia swallowed hard. “It’s just, well, uh, that, um…”

“Leave me.”

“Oh, um, of course, yeah… please excuse me.” Shaking slightly, she left the central chamber.

Count Bleck sighed. “I should have taken her in an instant. That whole encounter was a mistake. A terrible mistake.” He folded his hands together. “It almost…” He looked at one of the spirograph designs on the wall, grimacing. “Could… could that really have been you? In that fluttering…” Turning away, he pulled his cloak closer to himself. “No, no. Completely impossible. I should know that better than anyone. Besides…”

He summoned the Chaos Heart to his hands, looking into it with a forlorn expression. “It’s far too late to do anything now. The prophecy has been set in motion and no one, not even I, can stop it. No one can stop this now...”

~~~

“Timpani! What did you do with her? I must see her!”

“Still your tongue, Blumiere… Can’t you see you’ve been duped by a dirty human? You have brought shame to my name… and to the entire Tribe of Darkness!”

“And so what if I did? That doesn’t matter to me! She’s my entire world!”

“Well, then it will interest you to know… that she no longer resides in this world.”

“What… What do you mean by that?!”

“This is the price those who resist their own fate must pay, my son.”

“She… No… It can’t be so!”

“Someday you will see, son. Our kind and humans must never mix.”

~~~

The woman wept.

She wept for all who suffered. All who were pained.

Just because it was necessary did not mean it was pleasant to think about. So many suffering, dying, lamenting…

But it couldn’t be otherwise. It had to be.

So she gripped the pen once more, allowing a few tears to fall to the page. She let them dry before continuing.

Alone

The first thing Vivian did after getting her bearings was rush to the stone heart and look it over. Pulling it out of the ground, she found that, aside from a few clods of dirt clinging to it, it was exactly the same as before. Relieved that there was no damage, she brushed off the dirt with her hands and held the stone heart high, allowing the sun to light it up.

No Void? Vivian cocked her head, examining the perfectly pristine sky. Every world has the Void easily visible at this point…

She looked around, finding no sight of her friends—or anybody, for that matter. All she found was her hat, which she quickly scooped up and dusted off. Realizing she had nowhere to store the stone heart, she stuffed it into her hat, making it bulge. At least I have my hands free now, she thought as she set the hat on her head. Heavier than normal, but not in danger of falling off. A benefit of wearing it low, like she usually did.

Taking a few minutes to clean her bangs and get the most offensive sticks out of her hair, she found herself thinking deeply. Could this be someplace outside the Void’s influence? I think Data talked about a wider multiverse theory at some point, but… how did I get here, then? She scratched her chin. Or, I could be in Aslan’s Country, though Caspian said you usually only go there when you’re dead.

Oh.

Vivian certainly didn’t feel dead, but she did remember Dimentio showing up and things getting… explosive. It hadn’t hurt, but then again, did people ever remember the pain of their death? She’d have to ask around about that. If she actually was dead.

She quickly resolved to test the “dead” theory. No matter where she was, if she was already dead, she shouldn’t be able to feel pain, or at least, not get injured. What kind of afterlife would let you get injured? She pinched herself and felt it—but quickly realized a slight stinging sensation didn’t really qualify as actual pain. Perhaps she could drop the stone heart on her head to test that?

I suddenly feel like I’m being very, very stupid.

Once again, she looked around. “Hello?” She called, hands to her mouth. “Anyone out there?” Someone else could help me figure out what’s going on. “Hello?”

She got no response, but she did hear a rustling in the bushes behind her. Turning, she made sure to keep up her gentle smile. “...Hello? Don’t worry, I don’t bite. I’m just lost.”

A man in full plate armor rose out of the bushes—human, and with many scars across his face. His sword was impressive, but covered in blood that had dried on it long ago. This, coupled with his look of absolute rage, told her a few things.

One, there was most definitely pain and injury here.

Two, she wasn’t dead.

Three, she was about to be if she didn’t act fast.

“Die, daemon scum!” The man shouted, slashing his sword at her.

“Eep!” She ducked into the ground, becoming nothing more than a shadow in the dirt. The man wasn’t smart enough to realize she had become the shadow—and he wouldn’t have been able to do anything even if he had figured it out, since shadows couldn’t be touched.

Moving his head from side to side, the man’s jaw tightened. “Clever blighter…” On edge, he moved out of the clearing and back into the forest. Vivian was able to move with him since she hadn’t taken anyone into the shadow with her, making sure she remained within his shadow so as not to draw attention.

He said nothing the entire way, but he was always on edge, as though the forest itself wanted to kill him. For all Vivian knew, it might. She was glad that she could hide in the darkness all she wanted, it made things a lot easier for her.

Her suspicions were confirmed when a humanoid monster burst out from behind a tree and swung an axe at the man. The man twirled with amazing grace, embedding his sword in the thick-furred chest of the bull-headed thing. The beast’s axe fell to the ground while the man swung his leg into the beast’s side, knocking it over. In one fell plunge of the sword, it was over.

In her shadowy form, Vivian shivered. This world was a lot less welcoming than the previous ones she’d visited. She hoped she didn’t have to stay long.

Eventually, the man burst out of the forest onto a dirt road. “Finally…” He didn’t sheathe his sword, but he visibly relaxed. After checking the positions of the sun and moons, he set off down the road.

Vivian decided to let him go. Now that she had some idea of where to go, there was no need to hang around someone who wanted to slice her in half. When he was out of her sight, she popped out of the ground and stretched her arms out. She started lazily drifting along the road in the direction he went.

This went on for hours. Just her, alone, drifting along an empty forest road without a soul in sight. She hadn’t even seen any signs of civilization besides the road itself. Looking down, she couldn’t even see any footprints of the man she was supposedly following.

Slowly, she realized that she’d never been adventuring alone before. She’d always been with Beldam, or Mario, or Twilight, or somebody. Never in her life had she been left completely to her own devices.

No, don’t cry. You’re doing fine. You have the Heart and you have a goal. You already burned down a forest once—you don’t need to do it again.

With a renewed smile, she continued forward with vigor. Shortly thereafter, she saw the smoke trains indicative of a town nearby. Getting excited, she picked up the pace, and sure enough, she could just make out a town up ahead. Finally.

To her immense dismay, the moment she got close enough to be seen, the people started shooting arrows at her. With a resigned sigh, she dropped into the ground and moved forward as a shadow, passing under their armored feet.

“...You sure that was a daemon out there?”

“Sure as me mum!”

“I’m pretty sure daemons aren't real, musta just been an ugly beastman.”

“A purple beastman?”

“I’ve seen weirder.”

Vivian continued along, entering the town proper as her little, innocuous shadowy self. She found that it was inhabited entirely by humans, most of whom were poor and tired looking, not to mention dirty. Was there even a bath in this town, or was it all just dirt and grime?

She passed by the river that ran through the town’s edge—an ugly, brown thing that Vivian didn’t want to touch, let alone bathe in. There were a few old, grizzled men sitting on the dock and pulling out very sad-looking fish that flopped into a rusty bucket. Their faces were rather despondent and forlorn, like most of the people in this town.

The buildings themselves were worn down, patchwork jobs made from substandard wood, imperfect glass, and covered in weeds. It was just sad, really, how decrepit this entire place was.

The worst part was the graveyard. There were a lot more stones in that field than people in the town. Most of them looked rather recent, and hastily thrown together at that. No wonder everyone was acting like they had very little to live for.

She was starting to get hungry—and tired, to boot. She could go without food for a while, but she needed to find a place to sleep before the sun went down. Trying to travel while half-asleep didn’t seem like a good idea in this world.

Setting out, she found a large barn near the edge of town. Cautiously, she made her way under the doors, finding it to be largely abandoned, without a single animal. However, the hay was fresh, and it was piled so high she couldn’t see through it in her shadowy form. She popped up, glancing around with mild interest. A ton of hay. That’s all that was in here, covering every square foot of the floor. It was relatively fresh, too.

It would be comfy enough to lie on and sleep, though if anyone came in while she was sleeping… She was just going to have to hope hiding under the hay would work well. Before she could completely shroud herself, however, the doors to the barn flew open.

“Eep!” Vivian ducked into the shadows, her vision obscured by hay once more.

“Hey, hey…” a calm, soothing voice came to her ears. “I don’t wish to harm you. Please, don’t be afraid.”

Cautiously, Vivian rose from the shadows, rubbing her hands together nervously. “You… you’re not going to try to cut my head off? You don’t think I’m a monster?”

The man she was speaking to was old, with a long white beard and a gnarled, twisted face. However, unlike everyone else she had seen so far, he was smiling. Despite his ugly appearance, she actually found his demeanor rather soothing.

Vivian smiled at him. “Thank you. I’m… I’m Vivian, and I’m very lost.”

“They call me Old Man Richardson. But you can call me Rich.” He waved a hand. “Come, the barn is no place for a young lady like yourself to sleep. I have a couch you can use.”

Vivian clasped her hands together. “Oh, thank you! I don’t know how to repay you!”

“Just come to breakfast in the morning and enjoy yourself!” Rich chuckled. “Follow me.”

Vivian followed him—though she dipped into the ground as a shadow as soon as they went outside.

“How marvelous,” Rich said, chuckling. “This way.” His house was not far. Like all the other buildings, it was in a place of disrepair, but it showed some signs of being tended to. The bushes outside were cut into the shape of spheres and the front door had an actual welcome mat.

Once inside, Vivian popped out of the ground. The house was dark, and a little damp, but it was homey. There was a soot-filled fireplace, a small bookshelf only a third full of books, and a few chairs littered around a table. The couch in question was in surprisingly good condition, considering where the man lived. Not a scratch on the dark green piece of furniture.

“I hope it is to your satisfaction?” Rich asked.

“Better than hay,” Vivian said, flopping onto the couch. “Thanks again. Can’t wait for breakfast!”

“Neither can I.”

Wyrd Ways

Breakfast was a delicious one of eggs and fried vegetables that Rich cooked himself. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was definitely delicious considering Vivian hadn’t eaten anything the day before.

“So, Vivian…” Rich said, folding his hands and leaning in. “Tell me about yourself.”

“Oh… I’m Vivian! I’m… not from around here. At all.” Vivian chuckled. “I… Oh, where to start?”

“The beginning?”

“I don’t remember much of that, but sure. I was born to the Shadow Queen in the Tribe of Darkness, though I don’t remember any of that, since we were banished from our realm right afterward—um, is this making sense?”

“I think I understand well enough. Do continue.”

“Well, after we were banished, the Shadow Queen went on a rampage and was eventually sealed away. I… I was told by my sisters that she was amazing and that we needed to work to free her. I ended up… making sure she would never return.”

At this, Rich’s eyes widened. “A rebel?”

“Well… I guess? I kind of just… got tired of my sisters treating me like trash. They’re better now that mother’s out of the picture, but it was hard. So I finally got to live my life for a while until I got pulled on the crazy adventure I’m currently on.” She decided not to talk to him about the Void consuming all worlds. The Void wasn’t here, he didn't need to panic. “I’ve met a bunch of friends on this quest, and we’ve explored many different worlds! But… our enemy recently attacked us and separated us. I have no idea where I am, but…” She took off her hat, setting the stone heart down on the table. “I do know I need to find a way to restore this.”

Rich held out a careful hand. “...May I?”

“Sure.”

Rich stroked the edge of the stone heart, a soft smile coming to his face. “Well… there’s something here, all right. It’s… what is this?”

“It’s a Pure Heart,” Vivian said. “Every world has one. It… represents the essence of love and creation inherent in each world. Something… drained it of its power.”

“And you seek to restore it…” Rich stroked his beard. “Well… that is going to be difficult here in our world.”

“Oh?”

“Any magic not carefully studied at the colleges of Magic is quite illegal, punishable by death.”

“Ah.” Vivian tapped her fingers on the table. “Well then, that would explain why everyone wants to cut me up.”

“However,” Rich said, sitting down. “I may know of some… people who could assist you. Like-minded individuals such as myself who see things like you and I. It will take time to call them together, but come they will for something as monumental as this.”

Vivian clasped her hands together. “Really? Oh, I’m so lucky I ran into you, Rich! Thank you!”

“You’ll have to stay for… a week, I believe. But I do not believe you have anywhere else to go.”

Vivian shook her head. “Unless you have any idea where my friends are.”

“If they look anything like you I believe they will be killed on the spot.”

“They’re stronger than that. But…” Vivian went ahead and described her friends.

“This Caspian will be able to walk freely, and Toph will so long as she does not ‘earth bend’. But all the others, I see no safety in the Empire.”

“The Empire? Empire of what?”

“Just… the Empire.”

“Creative name.”

Rich shrugged. “Talk to the Emperor.”

“That’s probably a bad idea, huh?”

“Maybe, maybe not. The new Emperor has been issuing reforms in regards to magic, he may understand your plight. Getting to him, however, would be impossible. Altdorf is the largest and most well-defended city in the Empire.”

“Then I guess I’ll just wait here until those friends of yours arrive.” Vivian smiled. “Thank you for doing this.”

“Don’t thank me yet!”

~~~

And so a week passed. The days were largely the same—Vivian would wake up, talk to Rich a bit, do some reading from his bookshelf, and then go to bed. She was in hiding, and Rich was an old man who never seemed to leave the house except to purchase food. He must have had a store of money somewhere, but Vivian never tried to figure out where it was. It was his business, after all.

She told him many stories about her adventures, but Rich told her very few about his. He’d described his life one of the days as “boring, uneventful, without young love, and ending in a cabin with more books than the average man.” He would occasionally talk about how he came across the books, since it was uncommon for someone to even have a book, but that would inevitably lead to his rather boring days of education, which Vivian eventually admitted she didn’t really want to hear. Nothing ever happened in them.

A few times, she demonstrated her magic for him. She pulled him into the shadow with her once, though he did find it unsettling. She’d also gotten into the habit of waking up just before him and lighting the fireplace.

He was always willing to listen to her, though, and she found that she loved telling her story. She never did mention the Void—didn’t want to worry him—but she left virtually nothing else out.

On the sixth day of her stay, he approached her with a concerned look on his face. “They’ve arrived, but they won’t come down to town. They’re waiting for us just up the road in Delberz.”

“Oh… how am I going to get there?”

“I could put you in one of the grain sacks… it’d be uncomfortable, but it’d keep you out of sight.”

Vivian nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve been waiting around for a week and nothing’s happened. I’m going. Even if I have to go in a sack.”

Rich shook his head and chuckled. “Of course, Vivian.”

Less than an hour later, Vivian was in a grain sack set on the back seat of a carriage, sitting right next to Rich. They were the only passengers aside from the driver, and the driver was exceptionally quiet and unresponsive. Vivian had no idea what he looked like since she’d been put in the sack before arriving.

It was a bumpy ride to Delberz, not to mention a little tense since Vivian couldn’t see where they were going. Luckily, they made good time, and by the time the sun was starting to set Vivian could hear the sounds of a much larger settlement. Instead of the quiet solemness of the place she’d been living for the last week, there was a lot of shouting—most of it either angry or coming from someone trying to sell something. There was a suspiciously large number of people trying to sell pies, from what Vivian could hear.

The smell was worse, though. There was no calm country air here, only the smell of an unsanitary city mixed with animal dung and who knew what else. You’d think with so many people selling pies, she’d be able to pick up a scent of fruit, but all she got was some strange meaty smell that utterly disgusted her.

Rich slung her over his shoulder and she did her best not to make any noise at all. It was enough, since nobody stopped him to question what he was carrying. He paid the second half of his ferry and took Vivian deeper into the city.

Vivian all but held her breath the entire time, tiring herself out rather quickly. However, the sounds of the city eventually abated, and Rich opened a door and shut it silently behind him.

“Brother Richardson,” a deep, monotone voice greeted.

“Brother Boris,” Rich said, taking a slight bow. “Are the others already here?”

“Yes.”

“Very well, gather them.” Gently, Rich set Vivian down on a table. “I’m afraid you’ll have to stay in there a bit longer, I don’t want them all asking the same questions over and over again.”

“All right,” Vivian said.

“Is that…?” Vivian heard Boris ask.

“Yes, now shush while we wait for the others.”

Vivian waited patiently for everyone to arrive. She felt several people sit down around the table, but she wasn’t Toph, she couldn’t sense any more than that. Eventually, however, the shuffling stopped and a woman spoke.

“Brother Richardson has brought us together to examine an… unusual entity. Do you care to begin?”

Rich cleared his throat. “Thank you, Sister Eliza. I want you to know she is slightly bashful, and try not to overwhelm her—she is rather skilled in aqshy. Now… Vivian, would you like to come out?”

“Yes,” she said, letting out a sigh of relief. She untied the knot on her side of the bag and poked her head out, making sure to keep her hat on tight. “Hello everyone!”

The group around her consisted of eight people—five men, three women—no two of whom looked alike. Rich was the oldest, but he also smiled the widest. The man she presumed to be Boris was young, muscular, and had no hint of a smile anywhere on his face. Two of the women were twins, each with soft smiles, though one had white hair while the other had black. Another man was clearly extremely drunk while his companion wore a dapper suit that looked oddly out of place.

At the head of the table sat Eliza, a middle-aged woman with the most distinctive feature of all—a glowing purple scar that ran from just above her left eye to the crease of her smirking mouth. “Incredible…” Eliza said.

“Thank you,” Vivian said, smiling brightly.

“I’ve never seen a daemon so… stable.”

Rich coughed. “I am uncertain she is what we would consider a daemon, sister. She claims to come from another realm, but if it were the Realm of Chaos, she has not seen it since the day of her birth.”

Vivian shrugged, unsure exactly what all of that meant.

“I have never heard of such a thing,” Eliza said. “Then again, she is clearly unique, aren’t you Vivian?”

“I have some sisters,” Vivian said. “But… they’re in another world right now.”

“That you don’t know how to return to.” Eliza nodded slowly. “Well, it is possible we will be able to help with that. As you may know already, we are a sect of practicing wizards who operate… outside the laws of the Empire.”

Vivian nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think I’d get help from anyone else. Seeing as, well, everyone thinks I’m a daemon.”

“Even if you are, we would not turn you away,” Eliza assured her. “All minds need to be respected and understood in these times. Now, Rich mentioned an artifact?”

Vivian nodded, pulling the stone heart out of her hat. “Here it is. Can you… restore its power?”

Eliza carefully traced her finger around the edge of the stone heart. “Something this magnificent is far beyond any of our power. But… we may have another way. Vivian, are you aware that there is a realm of pure magic parallel to this one?”

“I… no?”

“It is true.” Eliza’s smile widened. “And there are beings within that realm that can offer us assistance.”

“Really? What are they like?”

“They are very… different from us, and so many people fear them, calling them daemons. But they are the most magically inclined beings in the world. If we can contact one, perhaps they will know what to do to restore this… precious heart.”

“How do we do that?”

“As it happens, whenever we meet we call upon one of them anyway,” Eliza said, standing up, stone heart in her hands. “You can accompany us for the ritual.”

“Oh, that sounds exciting!”

“Then we shall begin immediately. Come.” Eliza gestured for everyone to follow. “The sanctum is this way.”

They passed through a set of stone doors that led them into a large, round room lit with torches that burned with pink fire. On the back wall was a symbol carved out of blue stone; a circle with a spike coming out the right side and a stylized flame coming out the left. On the floor was a complex series of geometric markings that interlocked to form an impressive magic circle.

It was also made entirely out of blood and had a human skull in the center.

It was at this point that Vivian realized she had really, really screwed up. But the doors had already sealed shut behind her, there was nowhere she could go.

Great great great great great… Vivian glanced around, quickly looking for something she could use. She could vanish under the ground and leave through the door, but these people were wizards, who knew what they could do? If she ran, they might… do something to her. And plus, Eliza still had the Heart. She wasn’t leaving without that.

But she couldn't do this alone. Okay… now would be a real good time to have some help. Uh… The various people started chanting. The skull burst into pink flames and a fleshy eye began to form in the center of the symbol. What would Twilight do? Magically teleport out of here. Toph would smash her way out… Tippi would ask someone else. Cosmo would make friends with them but I’m pretty sure I’ve already done that and it’s not really working. Data would out-think them, and… Caspian would let out some silly remark and then scream “in the name of Aslan” or something.

Wait. She winced as the skull was reduced to ash and the eye popped out of the symbol, floating in the air, currently lifeless. Wait, Aslan! Hey! Uh… Caspian says you’re everywhere and I believe him so now would be a really good time to give me some protection!

Nothing came to her. All she could do was tremble as a sound like thunder rumbled through the chamber, and a disc of rippling flesh with metallic spikes poking out of it formed, a single eye in its center.

“Oh, wise Lord D’mirik,” Eliza said with a slight bow. “We have need of your counsel in the eyes of our Lord Tzeentch.”

D’mirik didn’t pay attention to her—it stared right at Vivian.

Flight From the Grasp of Tzeentch

“What is this filth you have brought me?” D’mirik bellowed, shutting his eye tight. “I cannot bear to look upon her.”

Eliza trembled. “She… is a daemon from another realm…”

“She is no daemon. No daemon could have such a spark of ‘divine’ protection and live.”

Vivian gasped. It worked!

“Destroy her at once. Your Lord Tzeentch will not abide consorting with such entities.”

Vivian’s smile vanished. It worked too well.

“Does Tzeentch have no use for knowledge of the other worlds?” Rich asked. “Or… a Pure Heart?”

“What?”

Eliza held up the stone heart for D’mirik to see. He recoiled from it in visible pain. “Any creature that carries a Pure Heart is against the throes of Chaos. The artifact cannot be destroyed, so you must lock it away where none may see it. As for her, my command stands. Eliminate her.” The disc tossed the stone heart to the ground. “I see your hesitation. I will show you mercy, for you do not understand what is happening. I will destroy her myself.” Magic charged around the disc’s edges, but before he could release anything, it exploded in his face. “...Remarkably like the Shallyan protection. You will have to kill her by other means. Do not fail me.” He vanished, leaving the room as it once was.

“You heard our Lord,” Eliza said, pressing her hands together. “Eliminate her.”

Vivian unleashed the Fiery Jinx, catching the clothing of all of them aflame. She jumped for the stone heart in the midst of all their shock, pulling it close to her chest. This was a miscalculation—Eliza had managed to completely ignore the flames tugging at her cloak and completed her spell. A burst of pink flame erupted from her hands, engulfing Vivian.

Who was fortunately immune to fire, even pink chaotic fire.

She twisted around Eliza and punched her in the back, triggering a fiery explosion. Then, not wanting to give the other wizards a chance to do anything, she dropped into the ground and slipped out under the door.

She’d barely made it a meter before some kind of noxious explosion of festering blood broke the doors down, a spell cast by Boris. He drew a long, thin blade and recited a few words, prompting it to start dripping copious amounts of black tar that came from nowhere, burning the ground where they dropped.

Something told Vivian she wouldn’t be immune to that tar, even in shadow form. She jumped out of the ground and cast the spell she used least of all—Infatuate. She blew him a kiss with red sparkles, and he was suddenly so confused he tripped over his own two feet, dropping his magic sword as he fell.

Vivian jumped back into the shadow as some magic bolts flew past her, one of which had definitely come from Rich. She slipped out into the chamber she had talked to all of them on the table, and then out further into the alleyway.

Someone kicked the door open and charged out—the twin sisters, both singing a beautiful song in unison. A song that asked Vivian to just stop and return to them. They meant her no harm…

Vivian was not saved by her own ingenuity, but by a stroke of luck. The very same man she had met that first day appeared in the alley, drawing his sword. “It’s not every day a witch hunter gets this lucky…”

The twins stopped singing at once. Eyes wide with fear, they ran further down the alley. Eliza, when she came out, did no such thing. She snapped her fingers, bathing the witch hunter in a burst of pink fire. He ignored it—running forward, swinging his rusty blade right for her head. She ducked, grabbing him by the wrist.

“You are out of your element, hunter.”

“And your days are over, treacherous heretic.”

They both screamed. Vivian didn’t know what happened. She ran away, deeper and deeper into the city, refusing to come out of her shadow for even a moment. None of that was something she wanted to repeat.

From now on, she wasn’t just going to trust the people in this world.

~~~

Vivian didn’t sleep that night. She’d gotten plenty of rest on the carriage ride, to start with. But she also didn’t have anywhere to sleep. The city was a lot more densely packed, so there wasn’t going to be any barn for her to check into. There were just… dense buildings and lots of people, even at night. She almost thought there were more people than there should be.

She found herself drifting in the shadows of what appeared to be a temple district. Various structures carved of brilliant marble surrounded the street, each one devoted to a particular god or goddess or spirit. The largest one had a symbol of a hammer on it coupled with a two-tailed fireball.

“Sigmar! Sigmar! Sigmar reborn!” The people in front of that temple were cheering.

Finding no interest in the shouts, she moved on, coming to a smaller, white temple with a dove on the front. There, a woman in white robes was tending to a man with a mangled arm.

“May Shallya ease your pain,” the robed woman said, tying the man’s arm up in cloth.

Shallya? Vivian perked up. The disc-thing mentioned that name… said my protection was like it?

Curious, she approached the temple as her shadow. She slipped up the front stairs and into what she assumed was the priestess’ shadow, following her into the white structure. It was beautiful inside; clean, well kept, but also filled with people who were injured or sick. Some were crying as the white-robed priests tended to them.

There really were too many people in this town. The temple was not designed to hold this many, not even close. It filled her with a sense of sadness. She wished—oh how she wished—she could help them. But if she showed herself, it would all be over.

I should just leave… there’s nothing I can do here.

As she thought that, a familiar face rounded the corner carrying a bucket of water in his hands. He was a human in a green cap and blue overalls with a magnificent mustache under his nose. Vivian gasped. Luigi! Mario’s brother! What… what is he doing here?

Luigi ran around, offering the hurt water and doing whatever the priests were telling him to do. Given the sweat dripping down his brow, he was running himself ragged and probably hadn’t slept in quite some time. But he was a familiar face—he wouldn’t run from Vivian.

She followed him around in his shadow for a while, waiting for him to get away from the crowds. But, for the longest time, he didn’t. He ran bandages from person to person, served up creamy rice slop to everyone he could, and even helped fold some priest robes before he entered a hallway with no one else in it.

“Psst!” Vivian hissed.

“W-what?” Luigi stammered.

“Down here!”

Luigi looked down at his shadow, frowning. “What…?”

Vivian moved around a bit. “It’s Vivian!”

“V-Vivian!?” Luigi took a step back. “You can’t be here, they’ll throw you in the holy water and then y—”

“I’ve been following you for an hour like this, I’m fine. But we do need a place to talk.”

Luigi nodded. He quickly trotted out the back of the temple to the outhouses, jumping into one and shutting the flimsy, wooden door.

Vivian popped out of the ground. There was barely enough room for both of them in the confined space. “Well this is… awkward.”

“Uh, yeah!” Luigi chuckled nervously.

“So, why are you here?”

“I dunno. I don’t remember anything. One minute I was in Castle Bleck fighting some baddies with Rarity and then… I woke up in a ditch outside the city. This place is terrible, Vivian! Everyone tries to rob you, there are monsters in the woods, and the temples are too busy with all the refugees!”

“Refugees from what?”

“I… I dunno, I was too scared to ask. But there’s been a lot of talk about daemons…”

“I know. They’ve been calling me one. I’ve had to spend most of my time hidden away.”

“Terrible…” Luigi frowned. “Do… you know why you’re here?”

“I think something went wrong when Dimentio tried to kill me,” Vivian said.

“Who?”

“One of Bleck’s minions. Instead of exploding, I ended up here. A world with no Void…” She frowned. “I also have this.” Carefully, and not without elbowing Luigi in the face, she pulled out the stone heart. “This… is a Pure Heart. It’s broken and has lost its power. Do you know of anything that might be able to restore it?”

“Uh, well…” Luigi scratched his nose. “All I know is that the guys at the Sigmar temple are goin’ all crazy about the new Emperor being Sigmar reborn, that he can do anything, even end Chaos… whatever that is.”

“I heard good things about the Emperor too… though not from the nicest people.”

“Everyone seems to like him,” Luigi shrugged. “Maybe there’s something to it.”

“Maybe…” Vivian stuffed the stone heart back into her hat. “Unless we can think of something else, our goal is to find the Emperor, then.”

“W-what? You’re not thinking of leaving the city, are you?”

“How else are we going to get to him?”

“Travel is extremely dangerous and there are monsters in all the forests!”

Vivian cocked her head slightly. “Do you want to spend your entire life stuck in this town and never see home again?”

“Er… no.” Luigi sighed. “All right, I guess we have to go, huh? An adventure…”

Vivian smiled brightly. “Thank you, Luigi!” She kissed him playfully on the nose before disappearing back into the shadows.

Dazed, Luigi walked out of the outhouse, holding his head.

“Oh, one more thing,” Vivian whispered. “How did you get into Castle Black?”

Luigi shrugged. “Some orange guy with four arms? I dunno. He was there when it happened, though.”

“...Huh. Weird.”

Author's Note

Luigi, the optional party member, has joined the party!

Luigi’s Abilities: A Primer.

Press [REDACTED] to charge up a super jump, allowing you to reach amazing new heights!

In battle, Luigi can swing his hammer with the best of them!

An Eventful Ride

The Emperor resided in the capital of the Empire, Altdorf, as was to be expected. It was a significant distance to the south, several days’ journey, in fact. Which meant they would either need to hire a carriage or attempt walking the entire distance. The first was problematic because they had no money to speak of. The second was problematic because the forests surrounding the road were filled with monsters that, apparently, liked to attack weary travelers.

Vivian preferred the idea of walking. She believed she could hold herself in a fight and loved the idea of not being hidden in a sack the entire time. Luigi wanted to use a carriage since he did not believe in his ability to fight nightmarish creatures of the night and didn’t have to worry about being in a sack on the ride. When asked where they would get the money, Luigi suggested they find some way to use her abilities secretly to get it.

In the end, it came down to rock paper scissors, and Vivian won. They set out the following day without a carriage or a sack.

“See? This is fine!” Vivian said, spinning around and holding her head to the sky. “We’ve got the warm summer air, a Void-less sky, and all the time in the world to enjoy ourselves!”

Luigi tightened his grip on his hammer. “Until the daemons surprise us and eat us and wear our flesh as jackets!”

Vivian sighed. “Come on, I’ll hide you in the shadows if I have to.”

To Vivian’s credit, they did make it the entire day without encountering a single monster or enemy of any kind. The few carriages that passed by didn’t see them because Vivian would always duck them into the shadows before anything could be made about her “daemonic” appearance.

Unfortunately, they did not make very good time, and night fell before they reached the next town. Vivian poked her head into the woods and found a nice clearing just off the beaten path where she made a fire.

“H-how can I sleep?” Luigi asked. “There are monsters all around us..”

Vivian nodded. “Good point.” She found a couple old, dead, fallen trees and had Luigi help carry them back to the campfire. She slowly began to break all of the wood into small, manageable chunks that she spread in a dense circle around their campsite. Carefully, she shoveled dirt up from the ground around the edges of the circle, creating a sort of outer ring.

Then she lit the entire thing on fire, creating a wall of fire around them.

“There we go!” Vivian clapped her hands. “Those logs are big enough to burn for hours.”

“So I’m supposed to sleep in a raging ring of fire?”

“Yep!”

“...It’s too hot.”

Vivian sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “You can sleep outside the ring where the monsters can get you, if you want.”

“No thank you!” Luigi dropped to the ground, pretending to fall asleep immediately.

Vivian rolled her eyes. She realized the irony in their situation. She’d been concerned about not having anyone to follow on the adventure, and now she was undoubtedly the leader of this little group of two and was concerned that Luigi didn’t have it in him to handle all of this. How the tables turn. She let out a yawn and laid down inside the central fire, allowing the flames to soothe her into the land of dreams.

She was woken up by an arrow piercing her hat. She jumped up, finger burning.

There was a beastman standing outside the ring of fire, drawing his bowstring back to fire again. She burst his entire weapon into cinders with a thought. “Get out of here!” Vivian shouted. “Shoo!” She threw some fireballs just to add to the warning.

“Wha?” Luigi grunted, sitting up. “What happened?”

Vivian burnt the arrow in her hat before he could see it. “Nothing, just an interruption. Go back to sleep.”

The next time she was woken up by the sound of Luigi screaming. With a groan, she lifted her head, more annoyed than afraid to find a dozen beastmen all standing around the ring of fire—which was nowhere near as hot as it had used to be—all apparently waiting to ambush them the first chance they thought they could get past the fire.

“Tenacious little…” Vivian twirled her finger, lighting all of them on fire with Fiery Jinx, sending all of them running in a panic. She took one look at the sad state of the fire ring and sighed. “All right, that’s not going to burn until morning… why’d I think it would…” With a yawn, she left the fire ring to gather more wood.

An arrow struck her hat again.

Vivian decided enough was enough and just lit the forest on fire, grabbed Luigi, and sunk into the shadows. Since it required focus to maintain the shadow state, she would not be getting any more sleep that night. But the beastmen were pretty determined to ruin her sleep schedule, so she figured she might as well just deal.

When morning dawned, they were surrounded by ash. Vivian popped out of the shadow, only to find that Luigi had somehow managed to fall asleep during the whole ordeal. With a sigh, she gently nudged him awake. “Hey. It’s morning.”

Luigi’s eyes flew open. “Monsters!”

“All either burnt to ash or running away from the forest fire I caused.” Vivian rubbed the back of her head. “You were… right. We should have tried for the carriage.”

“I knew it!”

Vivian facepalmed. “Yes, yes you did…”

~~~

They arrived in the next town, Vivian hiding in Luigi’s shadow. They still had no money, and if they wanted a carriage, they were going to have to scrounge up some money.

“You could just… steal it,” Luigi suggested.

“Luigi!” Vivian gasped. “These people are hard-working and very poor individuals. Why would I steal from them?”

“...Steal from the thieves?” Luigi shrugged.

“I… hmm.” Vivian paused, thinking about it. “If we could find a thief…”

“Hey, bud, are you talking to your shadow?” a man passing by asked.

“Uh… yep!” Luigi laughed nervously. “That’s me! Luigi talks-to-his-shadow McGee!”

“...Right.” He rolled his eyes and continued walking.

“We need to be more careful,” Vivian whispered.

“Well, we need to find a thief! How are we going to do that?”

Vivian, who had spent a large chunk of her time in a certain thief-ridden city known as Rogueport, knew exactly how to do that. Go to the market and watch. Vivian ended up doing that while Luigi wandered around rather aimlessly, leading her around the marketplace in his shadow. She couldn’t see as well as she would have liked, but she could still get what she needed.

Apparently, this town had a particular obsession with selling fish from the nearby lake, fish of all sorts lined in rows, sorted by species and size. Vivian wondered if you could play them like a xylophone. It took a fair bit of effort to get herself to focus on the task at hand: find a thief. Specifically, a thief who would have a stash. Someone who was experienced and wouldn’t be noticed. Someone like… a child covered head to toe in rags so his face couldn’t be seen. Bingo.

She left Luigi’s shadow, moving around slowly so as to not draw attention to herself. She eventually ended up in the kid’s shadow, following him around as he robbed a grand total of five people. This is the guy. She stayed in his shadow even as he ran to the outskirts of town and ducked behind a tree, jumping down a rather well-hidden hole. Had she not been a shadow at the time, she would not have been able to fit. Genius.

To make matters even more interesting, the actual tunnels under the ground were a maze. It was so complicated Vivian was concerned she wouldn’t be able to find her way back. She began to wonder if maybe there was more to this kid than just being an excellent thief.

Her concern was momentarily dissipated when the kid arrived at his hoard, and what a hoard it was. Gold, silver, and copper pieces everywhere mixed with several items of significantly less value: glass beads, metal plates; basically anything that was shiny was apparently worthy of being put in the treasure pile.

When the kid took off his robes, Vivian’s concern returned in full force. He wasn’t a kid at all, but rather some kind of humanoid mutant rat with warts all over its fur. It stuck its snout into the gold and breathed in deeply, letting out a chuckle before saying something in an unknown language. Then it went deeper into the caves where Vivian heard lots of squeaking from other, presumably similar rat creatures.

Cautiously, Vivian rose out of the shadow and started piling gold coins into her hat. The rats didn’t seem to notice, so she got to fill all the space the stone Heart wasn’t occupying. With a smile, she turned to leave and remembered the maze-like nature of the tunnels. How was she going to get out?

She got an idea.

She hated it.

With a deep breath, she turned back and called to the rats. “Hey! I’m stealing all this stuff you stole!” She ducked into the shadow as quickly as she could. As expected, the rats came running on all fours, running right past her actual position and out into the tunnels. Gotcha. She followed them out in their shadows. They were faster than her, but their enraged squeaks kept telling her where to go until she was at the entrance once again. Several rats were standing there, hissing in the light of the day, looking left and right for her. Naturally, they found nothing.

Eventually, they started grumbling at each other and returned to their cave. Now free from mutant rat-man eyes, she moved along the ground back to town, finding the shadow of a woman to hide in until she got back to the market. It took quite a few hops, but she eventually got back to Luigi.

He was talking to his shadow. “So… how long do I wait here? ...Still giving me the silent treatment, huh?”

“Luigi, I’ve been gone for quite a while,” Vivian whispered.

“...Oh.”

“I’ve got the gold though. I’m afraid I don’t know who they stole it from, though, so we can’t return even a portion of it.”

“Eh, I’ve got no problem with that.”

“Still talking to your shadow?” the same guy from earlier asked.

“Oh no... let’s just get that carriage.”

~~~

They almost made it all the way to Altdorf in the carriage.

Almost.

Four days traveling without incident (with Vivian in a sack) came to an abrupt end on the last day of the journey. The sun was high in the sky, lighting a pleasant summer day. The driver was a midget of a man with wild hair and a perpetually bored expression while Luigi and Vivian sat in the back, only speaking to each other in whispers. For his part, the driver didn’t seem to care that Luigi appeared to be completely crazy.

The beastmen attacked without warning. One moment, the horse was trotting along nicely. The next, it had three arrows in its neck and it was down while two dozen beastmen charged out of the forest and assaulted the carriage. They embedded axes in the sides with their battle cry while the driver let out a panicked scream and climbed onto the roof of the carriage. It would not stop them for long.

Luigi swatted a few of them back with his hammer, but even he couldn’t handle this many at once. “What are we gonna do!?”

Vivian sighed. “Hold on.” She pulled herself out of the sack and cast her Fiery Jinx, burning all the beastmen in the face simultaneously—however, none of them ran, they only looked at her with more rage.

Vivian pressed her hands together. “You’re not going to leave? You’re not going to leave? I demand, in the name of the great Lord Tzeentch, that you leave this carriage now before I burn every last one of you down to the bone and use those bones in my rituals!” She lit her hand on fire.

She was fairly sure the beastmen didn’t understand her, but they had understood the name Tzeentch. One look at her fiery fist and they suddenly decided it was a good idea to back away, retreating into the woods from the supposed servant of Tzeentch.

“W-woah!” Luigi stammered. “How’d you do that?”

Vivian sighed. “I lied. And… it was a pretty disgusting one. I don’t… feel good about it at all.”

“But you saved u—”

The driver pointed at Vivian. “Daemon!” He ran away in a random direction, screaming at the top of his lungs. “Daemon!”

Vivian facepalmed. “I saved us, but now we’re stuck in the middle of nowhere without a functional carriage.” She hopped off the carriage and started moving toward Altdorf. “C’mon. We’ve got a long road ahead of us…”

“How long?”

“It’ll be nighttime by the time we arrive and we’ll have to wait for the gates to open in the morning long.”

“Oh…”

Sure enough, night fell before they arrived at Altdorf. Vivian was ready to turn anything that attacked them into burnt cinders the instant it appeared, but, bizarrely, nothing tried to attack them on their entire trek. After the assault on the carriage, there was no sign of any animals, let alone beastmen.

This made Vivian very, very uneasy, and she wasn’t sure why.

She wouldn’t have been able to sleep even if she wanted to that night, so she was aided in her silent vigil, waiting for the gates of Altdorf to open. From outside, Altdorf wasn’t very impressive because there was a huge wall that surrounded it on all sides, with only a few spires of the tallest buildings visible over it. Those few tips she saw sparkled, but they were hardly any indication of what actually lay within the capital city of the Empire.

“Vivian?” Luigi asked, yawning.

“What?”

“How are we gonna get to the Emperor?”

“I’ll worry about that when we actually get in the city.” Vivian stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes. “Ugh…” She still had that nasty knot in her stomach that had remained ever since she’d stopped the beastmen from attacking the carriage. It hadn’t gone away—if anything, it had gotten worse.

But it kept her up. In an odd way, she was thankful for that.

The silent night wore on. But, eventually, the sun rose, and with it the gates of Altdorf opened. Vivian disappeared into Luigi’s shadow and they entered the city. They didn’t bother to see any of the sights—Luigi went to the first inn he saw and paid for a room.

They were asleep in seconds.

Altdorf

Vivian knew she was dreaming but she was terrified anyway.

“HELLO, LITTLE BLASPHEMER.”

She had no idea what was speaking, but its voice gargled with the power of the cosmos and drove its way into her mind by sending scratching spikes through her nonexistent skull, taking her consciousness hostage.

“YOU KNEW, YOU KNEW WHAT WAS COMING. THE MOMENT THE WORDS LEFT YOUR MOUTH…” There was a hand/tentacle/flipper caressing her chin. Laughter from three different voices, one synthetic, filled her awareness. “WELL, GUESS WHAT? I’M HERE. LET’S CHANGE OUR LITTLE… RELATIONSHIP. LET’S TEACH YOU WHAT THE NAME TZEENTCH REALLY MEANS.”

There was a burst of white light, and a moment of peace for Vivian.

“A BLESSING! SO, MY DISC WAS NOT EXAGGERATING. THE OTHER WORLDS DO SUCH STRANGE THINGS WITH SPIRITS, DO THEY NOT? LET’S JUST REMOVE THAT…”

“This child is not yours.”

Vivian couldn’t see him—couldn’t see anything but a kaleidoscope of random colors—but she imagined a lion anyway.

“GO BACK TO YOUR WORLD.”

“I am in my world.”

“I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR YOUR ENDLESS GAMES.”

“You are not to touch her in this manner. You know the rules.”

A rippling laugh that mixed together the sound of alligators dying, cactuses growing, and stars crying tore at Vivian’s mind. “YOU KNOW THE RULES AS WELL! YOU WERE THERE WHEN THEY WERE WRITTEN, AFTER ALL.”

“Yes.”

“THEN I CURRENTLY HAVE CLAIM OF HER.”

“Yes. What you are doing now is not part of that claim.”

The voice screeched like chalkboards being shattered by antimatter explosions. “RULES ARE SO BORING… BUT VERY WELL. I WILL KEEP MY PIECES WHERE THEY BELONG. AND SHE WILL STILL BECOME ONE OF MINE. AREN’T YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, VIVIAN?”

And Vivian woke up in a cold sweat, trying to scream but not able to.

“Woah!” Luigi jumped up from his bed. “Geez, calm down there! I was just trying to wake you up!”

“A… a… nightmare…” Vivian wiped the sweat from her brow and looked outside. It was morning. “...It’s still morning?”

“Morning the next day. You slept through all of it, day and night!”

Vivian swallowed hard. “Luigi, I think something’s happening to me. This world… this world isn’t good for me.” She opened and closed her hands, trying to get some grip on reality, “I… the name I used on the carriage.”

“Tzeen—”

“Don’t say it!” Vivian hissed. “I said it, and it got into my head! It… wants me for something. Something terrible…” She shivered. “We… we need to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“To the Emperor, then?”

“To the Emperor.”

~~~

The royal palace of Altdorf was an extremely impressive Gothic-style construction with many looming towers composed of dark brick that looked down on the city below, their dark spires eclipsing the light of the sun like a claw around a bird’s egg. For what was supposed to be a symbol of hope for the Empire, it came across as gloomy and ominous, a reminder of power and the pain of the past.

In the distance, the much more colorful towers of the colleges of magic glinted in the sun, contrasting greatly with the dull monolithic gigantism of the royal palace itself. And yet, the people of Altdorf didn’t seem to notice the ominous nature of the structure. As they passed, they looked upon it with awe and reverence, and occasionally one of them would make a remark about ‘Sigmar reborn’ and offer some kind of prayer in the palace’s direction.

The outer palace gates were, naturally, guarded by impressive soldiers in full plate armor. However, there was someone else with them—an elf, by the looks of it, sitting at a desk with a big smile on her face.

Vivian didn’t know why, but she was one hundred percent positive that elves weren’t supposed to smile that big.

“Welcome to the royal palace!” The elf waved as Luigi walked up. “How can we serve you, citizen?”

“Uh, yeah,” Luigi rubbed the back of his head. “Kinda wonderin’, what do you need to do to get an audience with the Emperor?”

“You convince me you have an exceedingly urgent and important message, or you provide a reference!” She leaned in, tilting her head to one side. “I bet you don’t have either of those, do you?”

“Well, I might have the first, but I don’t think I want to explain it out in the open…”

“Ah!” She leaned back, returning her head to its original position. “Of course! I can schedule a meeting with the Emperor’s security chief. Though I will warn you, she gets angry if you waste her time!” The elf clapped her hands. “Really angry!”

This is unnatural, Vivian thought. Really unnatural.

“So, what’ll it be?” the elf asked, tearing at her desk with her well-polished fingernails.

“I’ll, uh… maybe come back once I’ve thought about it.”

“Of course! And thank you for visiting the palace, citizen! Your contributions to the Empire provide the energy we need to stay alive! Come again soon!”

Vivian waited until they had walked a few steps away before whispering anything. “That was really, really messed up.”

“Mama mia…” Luigi agreed.

“We’re going to need to find a way to word our mission without being exposed, or just… sneak in?”

“We can’t sneak in past all those guards! And there are wizards. Someone is gonna see you!”

“We’re probably going to have to t—” The sound of shouting back at the reception desk made her shut up.

“I am the King of Narnia! You will let me speak to your Emperor on a matter of grave importance that extends beyond the petty needs to schedule things properly!”

The elf’s grin did not falter. “I’m sorry, Narnia is not in any of my records, and they are quite extensive. Do you know all five-hundred and three different known tribes of lizardmen? I thought not! If any major power ‘Narnia’ existed, I would know of it. And I would know the lineage of its kings!”

“In the name of Aslan, listen to me!”

“Aslan, a lord or deity I am also not familiar with. Please, citizen, if you continue to make such a racket I will have to arrest you for causing a scene!” She leaned in, pupils dilating to pinpricks. “And we don’t want that! Do we?”

Caspian—for of course that was who it was—waved an angry hand and marched away from the desk.

“That’s Caspian,” Vivian hissed. “Go say hello.”

Luigi nodded. “Um, hey, Caspian!”

“So…” Caspian whirled around, drawing his sword on Luigi. “You fiends follow me here, even to this place?”

“W-what?” Luigi stammered, taking a few steps back. “What did I say!?”

“Have at thee, Mr. L!” Caspian lunged forward, slicing. Luigi barely lifted his hammer up in time, catching the blade in its wooden head. Luigi pulled back and performed a super jump, landing several meters away from Caspian.

Caspian prepared to charge—but Vivian had already entered his shadow. “Caspian! That’s Luigi, not Mr. L!”

“Wh-what?” Caspian stumbled, tripping over his own two feet. “Vivian, ho—”

“Shhh! Not in public!”

“Does there seem to be a problem?” The elf was standing up, walking towards them.

“No, ma’am!” Caspian said, sheathing his sword. “I just mistook this fine… green fellow for a savage murderer I knew from my travels! It’s all been cleared up!”

“Good!” The elf clapped her hands and returned to her desk.

“...How can one smile so much and still have the countenance of ice?” Caspian wondered.

“No idea,” Vivian whispered. “Now go apologize to Luigi.”

Caspian turned back to the shaky, trembling Luigi. “Well… you certainly don’t have the demeanor of Mr. L. But you look exactly like him. Even the hat is close! He fights using a hammer! Vivian, are you certain?”

“Yes.” Vivian said. “Plus, Mario looks a lot like him. Humans in my world tend to be kinda like this.”

“Hmm…” Caspian shook his head, extending a hand to Luigi. “Terribly sorry about that, I appear to have gotten carried away. Truce?”

“T-truce,” Luigi stammered, nervously shaking Caspian’s hand.

“Now, what is our current mission?” Caspian asked.

Vivian continued whispering. “Meet the Emperor and give him the stone Heart, he might be able to do something with it. ...And we’ll explain our situation as well. Maybe find a way to go home.”

“Well, they certainly won’t let us in. I have been trying for… quite some time.”

“Which is why we’re going to break in,” Vivian said.

“I hate this idea,” Luigi moaned.

~~~

“I still hate this idea,” Luigi said from the base of the palace’s outer walls.

“All you have to do is jump, and jump really well,” Vivian said from the sack on Luigi’s back. “You’ll have no problem with that, right?”

Luigi nodded, clenching his fists tight. “That’s right… I’m Luigi! Luigi Jumpman Mario! Warrior of the Bleck Resistance, seeker of the Marvelous Compass, and brother to Mario! Letsa go!”

Caspain nodded to them. “And I… am on distraction. Are you sure I shouldn’t go?”

“You’re heavier than me,” Vivian said. “Luigi needs full range of motion. You would probably know how to talk to the Emperor better, but… I might need to take out some guards.”

“Of course,” Caspian nodded. “Forgive me for questioning your plan.”

Vivian took a moment to reel. “W-wait, you’re the King, you’re the one in charge right now!”

Caspian tapped his head. “I do not believe that for a moment, Vivian. You’re the leader, now.”

“W-well then…” She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”

“Any time.”

“Now go be distracting.”

Caspian saluted, running to the front section of the palace walls. “Hey! Witch-teeth! It’s me again, and this time I’ve got a thing or two to get off my chest… starting with your head!” There was silence where Luigi assumed he was drawing his sword. “Have at thee!”

That was the signal. Luigi super jumped over the top of the outer wall, landing in a shrubbery cut to look like a swan. As expected, there was nobody in this section of the garden. The guards that were guarding the front gate who might have seen him jump over were busy staring at the scuffle with Caspian.

Luigi snuck around the inner edge of the wall, away from the front doors of the palace. He passed many decorative shrubs and a handful of trees that didn’t look quite as healthy as they could have been. Soon, he arrived at the part of the palace closest to the wall—the stables. Naturally, it was guarded, but only by a lone soldier who looked rather bored.

Luigi nudged Vivian. Carefully, she poked her hand out of the sack and lit a distant bush on fire.

The guard saw it instantly. Leaving his post, he ran for the bush and tried to beat it out, yelling for help. For the moment, no help came—which was enough time for Luigi to super jump on top of the stables. Now that he was on the palace itself, navigation would be easy. He jumped higher, and higher, from one tower to the next with relative ease.

In truth, the royal palace really was heavily defended. Not even the most skilled assassins could get in easily, and invading wizards found that the royal enchanters had those avenues covered.

Nobody had expected a man who could jump thirty times his own height would try to infiltrate the palace. To be fair, it was a perfectly reasonable assumption, no known power in this world could accomplish that.

Otherworlders really did have an unfair advantage.

Luigi stopped in front of a window several stories above the ground. “This it?”

Vivian poked her head out of the sack. “Hmm… yes, this is the floor where the throne room is. Naturally, it’s not next to any of the windows, so we’re going to have to be stealthy to actually reach him.” Vivian snapped her fingers, burning the lock on the outer window.

This set off the magic alarm in place on the window.

They may not have planned for jumping men, but they did plan for wizards trying to enter through unexpected avenues.

“Go go go!” Vivian all but shoved Luigi through the window, jumping out of the sack herself. The hall on the other side had three guards, all with large swords. Vivian fireballed all three of them. Two couldn’t handle the heat of their armor, while the third surged forward only to get a Luigi hammer to the face. Vivian burned the next set of doors down, rushing through the lavishly carpeted rooms of the palace without a care for the ancient, decorative tapestries everywhere. They were easy to burn, so they could be useful to her.

Luigi ran after, jumping all over the place. This confused all the guards immensely, only making it easier for Vivian to light all of them on fire. A few serious burns were enough to put most of them out of the fight because of the searing pain, but these were the royal guards—some were always able to push through the pain and keep fighting anyway. They found Vivian impossible to hit because she kept ducking beneath the ground and Luigi impossible to hit because he never spent any time on the ground.

It looked like they were going to steamroll the guards all the way to the Emperor. Until the wizard showed up, that is.

He had brilliant silvery robes and numerous magical runes etched into his face as if he were made of metal. He raised a hand, unleashing a burst of intense light. Luigi and Vivian were instantly blinded by it and thrown back into a large set of double doors. Even though she was blind, Vivian grabbed Luigi and pulled him beneath the ground—but as Vivian had feared, magic was able to hit her in shadow form. Another burst tore her out of the shadow with enough force to break down the double doors.

Suddenly, all the fighting stopped. Slowly, her vision began to return to her. She was lying in a large room with red and gold carpet that led up to a massive throne covered in gold and hammer iconography. Sitting on the throne was a thin, albeit muscular man in flowing robes who held a massive enchanted hammer that glittered with dozens of precious gems. This, no doubt, was the Emperor himself. To his side stood an extremely short girl who looked more like a child than a royal advisor, but she wore the robes of the office nonetheless. Her most defining features, aside from her teal-white hair, were a pair of red leather gloves she wore on her hands.

The Emperor stood up, fixing Vivian and Luigi with a stern glare. “Why have you disturbed me?”

Immediately, both Luigi and Vivian felt a power wash over them. Their minds suddenly aligned with the Emperor’s.

There was no way they wouldn’t answer the question completely and truthfully. The Emperor had asked a question: and he always got answers to his questions.

Karl and Jenny

“We were seeking your audience,” Vivian said, bowing to the Emperor. “We need your help to save all worlds from destruction.”

“Strange words, for a daemon,” the Emperor said, tapping his gilded hammer.

“I am not a daemon… I think. I am Vivian, and I come from a distant world. This is Luigi. He comes from a different world.” Some part of Vivian wondered why she was being so… forthright. Yes, this was the plan, after all, to talk to the Emperor. But she felt like she needed to tell him her entire life story.

The Emperor glanced at his young aide. She shrugged, giving him no input. Returning to Vivian, the Emperor folded his hands together. “Are there any others with you?”

“Yes! King Caspian is at the gates, providing the distraction. He’s probably been taken into custody by now…” Vivian put a hand to her mouth. “I do hope he’s okay.”

The Emperor turned to the wizard who was standing awkwardly in the entrance of the throne room. “Go, bring this Caspian to me.” The wizard ran off without even bowing in respect.

Returning to his untimely visitors, the Emperor took a few moments to drum his fingers on the top of his magic hammer. “I am… curious. Explain what it is you believe I can do for you.”

Vivian pulled off her hat and took out the stone heart. “This is the Pure Heart of a world that was recently drained by the Void that seeks to consume all worlds. It was in the world when it fell, draining it of all its power. We have been seeking a way to restore it, and all the people have such faith in you, a belief that you can do anything. Can you…?”

“I do not know,” the Emperor admitted. “Why should I try?”

“Because we need all eight Pure Hearts in unison to break the curse of the Void on all worlds! Without it, we have no hope. No way to save all that we care for!”

“Hmm…” the Emperor frowned. “I need to test to see if you’re telling the truth. Tell me—both of you—what is the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

Vivian responded immediately. “I burned an entire village of koopas to death because my sister told me to!” Why am I saying that?Her smile didn’t falter. Everything was fine.

“I…” Luigi’s nose twitched. “I… I once dropped a Yoshi off a cliff. But…” Luigi frowned. “I feel like I’ve done something worse that I can’t remember.”

“Strange words…” the Emperor said, scratching his chin. “But that is to be expected if you really are from another world.” He walked down from his throne down to Vivian. “Give me the Heart.”

Vivian handed it over to him without a second thought, a dumb smile plastered on her face.

“It has power.” He turned it over in his hands, tracing it with the tips of his fingers. “And it most definitely is not Chaos. Either they are telling the truth, or the Ruinous Powers have somehow made them think they are while also creating an artifact with no Chaos in it whatsoever.”

The advisor nodded. “It seems legitimate. Some of the madder cultists have claimed to see other Realms entirely through the Warp. It’s not impossible.”

“Hmm…” the Emperor twisted the stone heart on top of his fingers. While he was pondering, Caspian was dragged into the throne room and thrown to the ground behind Vivian and Luigi.

“I demand better treatment!” Caspian spat, bloodying the carpet. “This is no way t—”

“Who are you?” the Emperor asked.

Immediately Caspian’s anger was gone, replaced with a serene expression. “I am Caspian the Tenth, King of Narnia, servant of Aslan, my Lord.” He bowed respectfully to the Emperor. “I apologize for my appearance and my attitude, it is unbecoming of my position.”

“But understandable,” the Emperor said. “All three of you are from different worlds?”

“Yes,” Vivian answered. “Luigi and I are from Lumash, Caspian is from Narnia.”

“How many worlds are there?”

“Eight, plus in-between places.”

“Name them.”

Vivian rattled off the names like she was reading out of a textbook. “Earth, Diqiu, Mobius, Hume, Narnia, Lemash, Equis, and we haven’t visited the eighth one yet, as far as I know.”

“Oddly specific names,” the advisor admitted. “Detail-oriented as well...”

“Is our world the eighth one?” the Emperor asked.

Vivian cocked her head. “I do not know. It could be, or it could be a distant part of one of the others.”

The Emperor sat back in his throne, still holding the stone Heart. He turned to his advisor, smirking slightly. “I believe I’m going to try it.”

The advisor nodded. “I’m… curious,” she admitted.

The Emperor lifted the stone Heart into the air… and dropped it. Vivian, Luigi, and Caspian didn’t have the capacity to feel worried, so this didn’t mean anything to them—and they didn’t react when the Emperor picked up the bejeweled magic warhammer either. As the stone heart fell to the ground, the Emperor swung the hammer with impossible speed for any normal man. The head of the Warhammer flashed with a brilliant white light as it made contact with the stone heart.

Reality skipped.

For a moment, Vivian could think clearly, and the world was all wrong. Cubic segments of it had moved to the side, leaving holes of darkness where distant blinking lights shone through. Sound skipped, jumping back to the same buzzing noise over and over again. The Emperor’s hammer was in two places at once, and everything seemed to flicker.

And then it was over. Vivian’s strange sense of peace returned, only heightened by a beautiful sight in front of her. A bright purple Pure Heart, fully restored, floating just above the ground. The Emperor reached out to touch it—but it pushed him back. “What?”

“It will only accept the chosen, now,” Vivian said, walking up to it and taking it in her hands. “I can touch it, and so can Caspian. I… thank you, Emperor.”

The Emperor nodded—clearly weakened by the whole ordeal. “That artifact needed more power than I had given in my entire life…” He slumped into his throne, breathing heavily. “But, seeing it… I can tell how pure this essence is. What does it represent?”

“Love and creation,” Vivian said. “This one… I think it represents a love of a people for their culture. The crystal ponies of the Crystal Empire and… well, Twilight didn’t really tell me enough about them to know for sure.”

“Crystal ponies…” The Emperor shook his head. “Just like old times, hmm?”

The advisor nodded, but didn’t smile.

“Welcome, otherworlders,” the Emperor said, raising one of his hands. “I am Emperor Karl the Second, rumored Sigmar Reborn and retriever of Ghal Maraz. This is my aid and childhood friend, Genevieve ‘Jenny’ Hahn. She may not look it, but she is significantly older than I am. I apologize in advance for the identity crisis you will suffer once you leave my presence and realize you could never have disobeyed anything I asked of you. I was born with the ability to influence people, and as you can see, it has served me quite well—and it has served the Empire.”

“It cut away a lot of the bureaucracy,” Jenny admitted. “It was a little strange when he was still a kid, though.”

“But the Thousand Thrones are behind us!” the Emperor clapped his hands. “Please, distant adventurers, tell us what else we may do to aid your quest to save all worlds.”

“We need to return to the other worlds,” Vivian said. “Or… find the door to this world. It’s confusing…”

“Do you not have the capacity to return yourself?”

“No. We were sent here against our wills by Dimentio, one of our enemies. We were separated from the other heroes of the Light Prognosticus and have no idea where we are.”

Jenny lifted a hand. “I have a suggestion. It is unbelievably dangerous, but it may work.”

“Hmm?” the Emperor raised an eyebrow.

“The Chaos Portal at the North Pole. It is a stable connection to another realm.”

“That would be suicide!”

“Not with that,” Jenny said, pointing at the Pure Heart.

“It… it would shield them, wouldn’t it?” The Emperor let out a chuckle. “Very well! Heroes! Do you wish to sail to the Warp Portal at the top of the world in hopes that it can take you home?”

“Yes!” all three said in unison.

“Even knowing that it is the source of all daemonic influence in this world and has brought much of the world to absolute ruin? Even knowing that massive city-destroying beasts stalk those wastes?”

“Yes!” Caspian and Vivian said. Luigi shook his head rapidly.

The Emperor smirked. “Well, I’m sure they can convince you later. Jenny, see to it that they get a ship. And give Vivian the robes of a red wizard so she will be accepted as one of ours and not a daemon.”

“Mo’cookies?” Jenny asked.

“What other ship would I give them?” the Emperor nodded. “It has always been missing one thing that the original had: a quest to save the world.”

“...You named your boat Mo’cookies?” Caspian asked.

“I had an elf friend,” the Emperor explained. “He was… not quite right in the head, but somehow managed to become a wizard of the forest. Unlike most of his kind, he had quite the sense of humor. Life wouldn't be the same without his contribution to the Empire.”

“...What about that elf at the receptionist desk?”

“Oh, her? I hired her because she makes people uncomfortable. I get less meetings that way.”

“Ah.”

“Right this way,” Jenny gestured for the three of them to follow her. “I will suit you up for your ship. And please, try not to punch me when you get out of the range of Karl’s aura. That gets… annoying.”

“Okay, okay,” Vivian said. “Oh! There’s something I’ve got to do first.”

“What?”

Vivian lifted the Pure Heart into the air and grinned. “We got a Pure Heart! For real this time!”

Frigid Waters

Mo’cookies was a remarkably small vessel with paddle wheels on both sides. It was constructed from high-quality wood and was well-maintained—though, given the low amount of wear, it was rarely taken out. It had only three rooms: the main cabin, a storage area below decks, and an engine room. Strangest of all, the engine did not appear to operate on steam or human power, but rather some kind of magic crystal power.

Vivian was still rubbing her head. “I… I still feel weird.” She was currently dressed in brilliant red robes that covered every part of her except her face, which was largely shrouded by her hair anyway.

“Karl does that to people,” Jenny admitted as she wrapped up the extremely short tour of the ship. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m worrying about it.”

“Then be glad he’s not going with you.” Jenny jumped off the boat and back onto the royal docks. “The ship is yours.”

“We may not be able to bring it back in one piece,” Caspian pointed out. “If we find the way out…”

“The last Mo’cookies exploded when it reached its destination,” Jenny said. “We can always make another one. Need to, actually; the mechanism is highly experimental.”

“...Fun.” Caspian adjusted his sheath, looking at the boat with uncertainty. “Well, she’s seaworthy, but if we hit a storm… well, that would be unpleasant.”

Jenny shrugged. “It stays upright just fine.”

“You… sure?” Luigi asked.

“Enough.” Jenny sat on the edge of the dock and pulled out a flute, starting to play a slightly haunting melody. She no longer seemed interested in them, instead focusing on the clear waters of the massive river that passed Altdorf by.

Caspian nodded. “I suppose that’s our cue to set sail… without a sail.” With a frown, he walked into the cabin. There was a wheel for steering, but there was also a lever that had a bunch of ‘speed’ numbers on it. There was a red line at six, though the lever could go all the way to nine.

He checked the map on the wall for their journey. Altdorf was in the middle of the continent, but the river eventually led to the ocean via the port city of Marienberg. Most would think that going north would require traveling along the shores of Kislev, but they had one of the Empire’s best maps; they would need to sail to the northwest to get around the annoyingly placed peninsula of Norsca before arriving at the Northern wastes. At that point, the plan was to have Vivian burn a hole through the ice until they got to their destination. A ton of provisions and winter coats had been provided, of course.

It was going to be a long journey, even in this rather speedy “magic boat,” Caspian realized.

With the crack of his neck, he put the speed setting on two. There was a churn in the engine room below him and the boat began paddling away at a decent pace. Even though he was unfamiliar with the boat’s operation, he was a master sailor and knew exactly how to drive it gracefully down the river.

Jenny kept playing her ominous song as they drifted away. Caspian swore he could still hear it in the distance an hour later.

~~~

Mo’Cookies paddled along through the open ocean at night, a small light on an endless sea of black-lit only by starlight. There were no moons in the sky.

Luigi was leaning against the railing, twiddling his thumbs. He didn’t move until Caspian came up from below decks.

“Is she…?”

“Nightmares,” Caspian said. “Her sleep is restless. The darkness is gnawing at her. She is protected somewhat, but I do not see her withstanding forever.”

“What’re we gonna do?”

“Be her friend. Help her through it. Do whatever we can. Get her away. And if she turns on us, we stay at her side, even if that means fighting her.”

Luigi pulled his hat over his eyes. “I wasn’t ready for this.”

“None of us were,” Caspian said. “I would never have considered laying my life down for a creature of the darkness before this journey. Now I intend to do exactly that, should it come to it.”

“Bu-bu—”

“Luigi.” Caspian put a hand on his shoulder. “You do not have to prepare yourself for that. Not having the strength to make the ultimate sacrifice is no shame. It is only human.”

“R-really?”

“Really.”

“Thanks…”

“And, Luigi? You’re stronger than you think.”

Luigi stayed silent, staring out into the ocean.

“And if I ever needed proof that you weren’t secretly Mr. L, this conversation is it. That guy…” Caspian shook his head. “He was so proud and arrogant and rude and…”

“If I ever see him, Imma whack him with the hammer of Luigi time for insulting the ‘stache with his attitude!”

“You sure like your mustache…” Caspian shook his head. “Good night, Luigi.”

“G’night.”

~~~

Unlike carriage rides, which end in disaster often enough that they have a reputation for being nerve-wracking, boat rides are largely uneventful. The ocean is big, and if you’re not sailing near any shore, you’re not likely to run into anyone else. Rumors of sea monsters are also largely exaggerated; oh, they exist, of course, but they rarely attack ships since they aren’t very paletable things.

So they sailed north, further and further into the frigid waters.

It was getting to the point where Caspian was wearing his coat at all times and Vivian periodically lit herself on fire just to get herself significantly warmer—only for a few seconds at a time, though, so she didn’t catch the boat on fire. She’d ditched the red robes a long time ago.

Luigi spent most of his time in the cabin sleeping. Or pretending to sleep while being wrapped up in seven layers of blanket.

Currently, Caspian and Vivian were looking to the north under a white overcast sky. Mo’cookies was moving along at a brisk six speed, which was far faster than any sailing boat Caspian had ever run. Still, they’d been at sea for a few weeks.

“I believe we have to be getting close,” Caspian said. “I’ve been consulting the map. There’s only a guess on where the Northern Wastes begin, but even accounting for that, we should be able to see it soon. Within a day or two.”

“Mmm…”

“...Have you been having those nightmares again?”

Vivian nodded slowly. “They haven’t stopped. Whatever that… thing is, it wants me. I don’t know why. Maybe just to say it can take me. But every other night, it sends something to me. It’s… very vague and I can never remember it.” She hugged herself tight. “I don’t like sleeping anymore.”

“Then we shall leave this world and this nightmarish entity. Until then, Aslan always watches over us.”

“Mhm.”

“An—well, I’ll be!” Caspian pointed to the edge of the sea with his finger. “I think I see it!”

“Where?” Vivian put a hand to her face, scanning for land. “I don’t see anything…”

“It’s solid white, Vivian, almost mistakable for a cloud.”

Vivian narrowed her eyes, scanning the edge of the horizon—and discovered that Caspian was right! Just at the edge of their vision, a pure white hunk of land drifted into view. Soon, it covered the entire horizon with its flat, icy sheen.

“Luigi!” Vivian called, running into the cabin. “Luigi, we made it to the Northern Wastes!”

Luigi groaned, rolling over in his pile of blankets.

“Don’t you ‘five more minutes’ me, mister!” She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out. Of course, he was in his coat, but the sharp motion was enough to wake him up.

“W-we’re under attack!”

“No, silly, we’ve just made it!” Vivian dragged him back outside to the railing where they could all look at the incoming land. Sure, it was going to be cold and brutal and probably filled with daemons, but it was their destination.

Luigi was the one who saw trouble first. He pointed to the left. “Uh, what’s that?” There was a black dot moving perpendicular with them along the shore of the Northern Wastes. Caspian took out a spyglass and examined it.

“Bother, that’s a rather large boat,” Caspian said. “And it looks like a warship. I believe I can make out cannon ports.”

“...Will we get to the shore before them?” Vivian asked.

“Not at this speed.” Caspian grimaced. “I don’t want to figure out what kind of welcome that ship will give us. Hold on.” He ran into the cabin and took hold of the wheel. “This might be a little bumpy.” He pushed the lever all the way to speed nine, taxing the engine to its absolute maximum. The usually calm rumble of the engine gave way to sparking noises and loud scraping. Mo’cookies was not designed to go this fast for very long.

Good thing Caspian didn’t need it to for much longer.

Instead of going straight for the shore, he twisted Mo’cookies to go in a northeasterly direction, both shortening the distance to the shore and attempting to widen the distance between them and the ship. The warship was definitely slower than them, but it also had less distance to travel. Caspian could have solved this by taking a more gentle slope toward the shore, but that would have taken too much time. As it was, he wasn’t sure he’d make it before the engine exploded.

“They’ll be within firing range soon,” Caspian called. “Vivian?”

“On it!” Vivian said, lighting her fingers on fire. “Let’s see what they’re going to try…”

Instead of cannonballs, it turned out to be a rain of arrows. Luigi jumped into the cabin to hide from the assault while Vivian remained outside, releasing a few fireballs at the ship before ducking into the shadows. The fireballs hit the black ship dead on, lighting one of its sails on fire. In return, the archers started shooting flaming arrows.

Vivian giggled to herself. A quick wave of her hands was enough to dissipate any flames that caught on Mo’cookies.

The noises of the engine got significantly worse. Everyone heard something snap. The left wheel stopped turning, prompting Caspian to drop the speed to zero to keep from turning away from the land. However, they were remarkably close, and they had more than enough speed to reach the land. In fact, they looked like they were going to crash into it.

The attacking ship finally decided to shoot a cannonball at them, though it flew right over the ship and into the water past it. The second one fell short, prompting Vivian to fire more fireballs back at the attackers. The third attack… that hit Mo’cookies engine.

“Uh oh…” Caspian said.

Vivian pulled both Luigi and Caspian close.

The engine exploded in a shower of white energy and noxious flames, launching the three of them into the air and onto the icy land of the Northern Wastes. They slid a fair distance, picking up piles of snow with their faces serving the purpose of snowplows.

Vivian got up and shook her head, getting the snow out of her hair. “Is… everyone okay?”

“Mama mia…” Luigi said, rubbing a bump on his head.

“Nothing’s broken,” Caspian groaned, standing up, finding his boots suitable for walking on the frigid ice and snow. “So…”

The ship fired a cannonball at them, making a crater in the snow just past their current location.

Vivian pressed her hands together and created a disc of fire in front of her. “Follow me!” She called, using her fire to melt the ice and snow away, creating a tunnel into the frozen earth. Luigi and Caspian jumped in after her as she carved out an underground tunnel going directly north.

Two more cannon shots went off, but they stopped once they realized their prey had gotten away. Just to be safe, Vivian brought the cave down behind them, preventing any possible on-foot pursuers from following them.

“W-wow!” Luigi said. “That was some pretty impressive work, Vivian!”

“Thanks!” Vivian said, shooting a pink fireball into the air for celebration.

She didn’t notice that it had been pink. She continued burning the tunnel through the ice, bringing them closer and closer to their destination.

Savage Wastes

Water was easy to come by in the frozen wastes, Vivian made buckets of it just by melting the ice. She was no longer tunneling since that took a ton of energy, so she had to specifically melt sections of the ice to get the needed water, but they didn’t get thirsty that often. Most of her fire went to keeping herself warm.

However, food was a problem. They’d had at least two weeks worth of food left on Mo’cookies when it was blown up, and now they had none. It had now been a full day since they landed, and nothing edible had appeared. Not even some kind of penguin. It was all endless, unrelenting ice.

Under normal circumstances all of them could probably go a month without food. However, they were exerting themselves continually in the immense cold, even with their massive fur coats. Vivian’s fire was taxing her immensely. Without food, she was going to run out of fuel eventually, no matter how much ambient magic existed in the Northern Wastes.

But they trudged on. What else could they do? Their goal was the north pole. They knew not how far it was. All they knew was that they were far enough north that the sun no longer set, eternally staring down at them. However, it was the red moon that dominated the sky. Vivian knew enough about how orbits worked to realize this didn’t make any sense—moons did not get bigger when you got further north. But it got bigger anyway, and it moved around the sky less, too, because apparently it thought the laws of physics and consistency were just suggestions and not strict limitations built into the fabric of reality.

Vivian didn’t think about it too much. She was too weak to waste time pondering such a thing. All she had was spent on keeping her warm.

So, naturally, she didn’t see the desert until Luigi pointed it out to her, a short way to the east.

“What in the…?” Vivian cocked her head.

“It bears investigation,” Caspian said.

They diverted course, coming to a circular section of the ice that wasn’t. It was filled with sand—and very hot sand, at that, melting the snow around it into a sort of miniature moat. Crossing over, all three of them found that the cold was all but gone, replaced with the oppressive heat of a desert in an equatorial region.

Within the sands there were several tall cactuses, a pillar of worn down rock, and a single owl that hooted at them from within its burrow.

Caspian took off his winter hood and revealed his face. Snapping his fingers, he pointed at a cactus. “Cacti are edible.” He pulled out his sword and started hacking at the tall plant like it was a tree. Once it was damaged enough, Luigi smacked it with his hammer and down it came, crashing into the ground with an immense thud. Caspian ran to the top of the cactus first—while the body was edible, it wasn’t as succulent as the fruits that grew at the top. He cut off the red prickly pears and gathered them in his coat, depositing them in the middle of the group a short while later.

Vivian flash-cooked them. Without much care for how good they tasted, they dug in, careful not to prick their fingers on the spines. Even so, they ate every last one of them in record time, demolishing all the succulent fruits with ease.

“Right…” Vivian said, taking a breather once they finished. “Now, why is there a desert in the middle of the arctic?”

“Chaos,” Caspian said. “We were warned that strange things happened around the portal. Visions of other worlds. Mutations. Daemons.”

“So we must be getting close,” Vivian said.

Luigi shivered, despite still wearing all of his coats in the extremely hot desert. “Into the belly of the beast…”

As they continued talking, Caspian carved up the rest of the cactus. It wouldn’t taste anywhere near as good as the fruits, but it would serve as an excellent source of food on the road. Very dense in fiber, though notably lacking in certain nutrients. Luckily, they didn’t exactly need a complete meal, just enough to keep them going toward the northern Chaos Portal.

Vivian took out the Pure Heart, smiling at its purple glow. “Looks like we’ll be needing to use this, soon.”

“So, uh… how do we use it?” Luigi asked, scratching his head. “I’ve never been clear on that.”

“The Pure Heart is defensive in nature. It rejects those who are not chosen, and if we’re right its pure power will just purge daemons completely.”

“If the Emperor was right…” Luigi shuddered.

“Well, we’re about to find out!”

To be clear, she meant they’d find out in the next few hours or perhaps days, not right that instant. Her words turned out to be more immediately prophetic.

A red hand erupted from the sand with six fingers, three of which had mutated eyes somewhere on them. The sharp, black nails dug into Luigi’s leg while the creature beneath the sand let out a deep, guttural growl.

Luigi let out a panicked yell, swinging his hammer down on the hand, smashing it and squishing oozing green slime over the sand. The hand was forced to release Luigi, but it wasn’t done. Another hand burst out of the sand and began to pull the full behemoth from the depths. Grains poured off the monstrous humanoid form, catching in its oversized mouth that was utterly filled with bloody, jagged teeth. Muscles rippled along its limbs, each pulsing at a seemingly random rate, giving the entire body a twisting, chaotic feel. Its lengthy tongue flicked out, making a sound as though it were burning the air itself.

With a roar, it jumped Luigi, teeth bared.

Vivian held out the Pure Heart. The daemon let out a screech of agony as its hands were vaporized into nothingness by an invisible barrier. It took a few steps back, stared at its stumps in disbelief, and then decided to charge again. This particular daemon wasn’t the smartest in the world. It dissipated into dust mid-jump.

“...It works,” Vivian reported.

“No kidding…” Caspian said, sheathing his sword. “I am not certain I could have taken that beast.”

“Luigi, is your leg fine?”

Luigi nodded. “Didn’t get through the coat!”

“I guess you’re lucky you kept your coat on, then.” Vivian handed the Pure Heart to Caspian. “Hold it, and keep it close to us. I’ll be using fire.”

From that point on, they always remained close to each other, with Caspian holding the Pure Heart to protect them all. Even when they sat down to eat the cactus rations, he never took his hand off the Heart.

It soon became very obvious that they would all be dead without it.

~~~

The daemon was the size of a skyscraper and it carried with it a lash suitable for attacking cities. It swung the building-thick ropes down at the group of three, who were currently huddling together under Caspian. He held the Pure Heart high, vaporizing the section of the daemonic weapon the moment it made contact with the invisible aura.

The massive daemon was confused by this so it swung a few more times until its lash was absolutely nothing. Cursing its weapon in a tongue that made Caspian’s head hurt, it decided to stomp on them.

This was quite possibly the dumbest thing it could have done. It collapsed into a heap as the barrier ate through its leg, disintegrating it from the inside out. Once it had lost enough of its mass, it just dissipated into chaotic particles of red dust, blowing in the wind.

“Wh-wh-wh…” Luigi stammered.

“We’re alive,” Caspian said, trembling slightly. “We need to keep moving. I’d hate to see what would happen if one of those things gets smart and just throws a normal boulder at us.”

“There might not be normal boulders soon enough,” Vivian said, pointing forward. The polar climate was once again giving way to another, but this upcoming area wasn’t like the deserts, jungles, oceans, moon rocks, or caves they had encountered on the way here. No, this appeared to be a field of pulsating flesh with bones poking up instead of trees. The land rose and fell as though it were breathing.

When they arrived, they found that the Heart reduced the ground to dust.

“This is going to make it difficult to walk across,” Caspian said.

“Guess we’re going around…” Vivian sighed. “There has to be a better way.”

“There is!”

The three of them looked up. Standing several yards away from them was a purplish daemon with a beak and three claws on each hand. “Yes, I’m the one who spoke.”

Vivian narrowed her eyes. “Why would you help us?”

“Simple, really. I’d rather not die to the destruction of all worlds.”

Vivian cocked her head. “Your world doesn’t have the Void in it.”

“Our Lord Tzeentch informs me that the threat is real and present to our world. Therefore, I wish to extend a hand of… friendship.” The bird somehow managed to smile, filling Caspian with a sense of unease. “If not friendship, then at least a sense of mutual cooperation against a common enemy.”

Vivian frowned. “...I’m listening.”

“We daemons of the waste can open portals directly into the Warp. You need not march all the way to the North Pole. Just enter and continue your journey.”

“And it could be a trap,” Caspian said. “I don’t exactly trust you.”

“Understandable! So how about this alternative: I order the mutant humans of this land to build you a bridge out of non-chaotic materials?”

Vivian scratched her chin. “And… what would we give you?”

“Just your ear. So I may speak. Serve as your guide to the Warp and Chaos…”

Vivian nodded slowly. It seemed reasonable enough. After all, even monsters liked to live. If Tzeentch really had found the Void somewhere—perhaps in the Warp itself—no doubt it would ask its servants to stop it however possible. “I think we’ll take that bridge ide—”

“No,” Caspian said, putting a hand in front of Vivian. “Vivian, your nightmares have been getting worse.”

“Yes, how does th—”

“It still wants you. Helping us allows this daemon to get close to you. To fill your mind with disgusting thoughts.”

The bird daemon shrugged. “And what if that is true? Is it really so bad to listen to the words of Tzeentch? It’s just a… different point of view.”

Vivian withdrew a few paces. “No… I’m not letting you.”

“Are you certain, little shadow? I assure you, the power of the Changer of Ways will be a huge boon in your mission to save the worlds…”

“I said no!” Vivian threw a pink fireball out of her fingers that hit the daemon and disintegrated him in an instant. She stared at her hand in disbelief. “...That’s not…”

“We need to get you out of here,” Caspian said, shaking his head. “We need to find a way around.”

Vivian nodded absent-mindedly, still staring at her trembling finger. What is it doing to me?

~~~

They eventually did find a way around the biome made of meat, taking a walk through a perfectly normal jungle. This close to the north pole, there was hardly any polar climate at all. Had they not come through the Northern Wastes themselves they would never have known this was in the middle of the planet’s ice cap. They passed through the jungle and found a desert, then a canyon, then a river that flowed to nowhere, a realm made entirely of purple geometric shapes, and an ocean of mercury. All was chaos.

The deeper they went, the more disordered it became. All the life aside from the three of them was horribly mutated. Trees developing fleshy nodules, animals growing second heads, and fleshy monstrosities scooting around, hungering for blood. However, the more mutations something had, the more painful it was for them to be near the Pure Heart. Nothing that attacked them could do so for very long.

But Vivian still had to use her fire sometimes. The pink fireballs were coming more and more often the deeper they went into the chaos, and every time she cast a spell she felt something gnaw at the back of her mind. The worst part? She knew it should be much, much worse than it was. But none of them were getting any mutations, even though occasionally they would watch a tree mutate before their very eyes.

The Pure Heart was their lifeline. The only purity in the entire Chaos Waste.

Vivian hoped—prayed—that they were almost at the portal. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could handle before she lost it. And she was pretty sure that was exactly what Tzeentch wanted.

Let there be light at the end of the tunnel let there be light at the end of the tunnel let there be…

They crested a hill and, to their shock, they found a village. Built out of various colors of wood, stone, and strange mucus-like substances, the houses were otherwise akin to what one would find in a normal human village. There was a well, a few barns, and some farms. Granted, the farms were growing mutated crops and no two barn animals looked the same, but it was a life of sorts.

The inhabitants of the town were human, once. Every last one of them suffered from multiple heavy mutations; be it another arm, eyes all over their skin, extra heads, or metallic skin. Some looked oddly beautiful in a way, such as a woman with scales instead of skin and four eyes. Others were hideous, such as the girl that was little more than a head with spidery legs skittering around.

When they saw Vivian and the others, they recoiled from the Pure Heart out of fear.

“Oh, how terrible…” Vivian put her hand to her mouth. “If we go in there, we hurt them…”

“We’ll go around,” Caspian said. “I’m more shocked that these people are alive. The daemons surely would feast readily on a settlement this large.”

A tall, snake-like mutant rang a bell. In response, a humanoid in a yellow outfit burst out of the largest building, holding a weapon in his hand, pointed directly at Vivian and the others.

Vivian’s jaw dropped. “Data!?”

Data, still in his Starfleet uniform and completely unmutated, lowered his phaser. “Oh, it is you. It is good to see you again. Welcome to my village.”

Behind the Curtain

“Data…?” Caspian scratched his head. “How are you… alive?”

“It is a long story.” Data cocked his head to the side. “I will have to tell it outside the village, the Pure Heart will be harmful to them.”

“Yeah… we know,” Vivian said.

“Also, is there a reason you have Mr. L with you?”

Luigi groaned. “I’m Luigi! Luigi Mario! I am not this Mr. L guy!”

“The resemblance is remarkable, but duplicates are not the strangest thing.” Data gestured for them to follow him. “Let us walk and talk.” He began leading them through a forest, going even further north. “So, do you know where Twilight is?” Seeing their dour expressions, he nodded. “Ah. And none of the others. No contact with Flipside, either?”

“We’ve got nothing,” Vivian explained. “Just… hoping the Chaos portal will provide a way home.”

“I suspect it will, but not in the way you think it will. I should start from the beginning. After the assault by Dimentio, I ended up here, in the Chaos Wastes. My first few days were difficult, to say the least. The massive daemons were immune to phaser fire and even my advanced physical abilities weren’t enough to maintain dominance. So I hid—until I discovered that setting the phaser to a specific frequency would disintegrate any daemon instantly. Then I was the most powerful entity in the Wastes.”

“We’ve had to rely on the Heart to protect us,” Caspian said.

“You would be dead otherwise. I am curious how you managed to rejuvenate it.”

“The Emperor of… the Empire. A ways south.” Caspian shrugged. “The people said he could do anything, and it turns out he could do this. I’m not entirely sure what he was—some god in human form, or what.”

Data nodded, though he clearly wasn’t satisfied by the answer. “Regardless, I had power. The mutants of the land began to notice, and since I did not threaten them if they did not threaten me, they began to congregate. Because of my power, I was able to defend them, and they could make their village. The first week was difficult—the daemons never stopped attacking—but I required no sleep or rest. The daemons eventually gave up and moved on to other places to attack.”

“Do we need to take them with us?” Vivian asked. “Help them?”

“It wouldbe of little use,” Data said. “Their condition is terminal. They never last long before they lose their minds and become ravenous hunters. Every day, the village has to put down several who change, just as more come in. Their lives are nothing but suffering, and if you were to cure them with magic I suspect there would be nothing left.”

“How… horrible.” Vivian shuddered.

“It is the nature of this Chaos,” Data said, shaking his head. “It is a shame, but it was not pointless. In the midst of all these seemingly random biomes, there are some which hide strange technology. The mutants were able to find me many parts to work with.”

“Work on what?”

“A solution to our problem.” He led them over a hill made out of gold and diamonds. Once they crested it, at long last they saw their destination: the Chaos Portal. A great ring of pure darkness that spewed endless, pure, eldritch magic onto the world below, twisting the ground next to it into another form every second. Daemons poured out of the gateway, writhing, unable to keep their forms. Around the portal, however, something was constant: massive stone machinery that dwarfed even the tallest mountains. They appeared like fingers attempting to grasp the portal—or perhaps they were the ribs of some long-dead cosmic monstrosity. It was the brilliant glow of their dancing runes that made everyone realize the sky was pitch black, even though it was supposed to be an endless day. The motionless red moon occupied a full tenth of the void above, as if watching all of them.

Something was off, however, and in a more fundamental sense than endless unrestrained mutation. Every now and then, the portal would stop moving as if frozen for an entire second, occasionally existing in two places at once or appearing as though it were cut in half. Reality was inherently unstable.

“That’s it…” Vivian said, holding out a hand. “The portal.”

Come. You will be welcomed. You will be home.

“It is inadvisable to get any closer,” Data said. “We may be immune to the mutation, but the ground beneath us is not. It could turn into water and then stone fast enough to trap us within, down there.”

Vivian, you are shadow, you can pass through anything. Come home.

Data directed them to the closest stone machine, which just happened to cut right through a hill of gold and diamond. “All we need is right here.” Affixed to the edge of the ancient monolith was a tower cobbled together from various technological sources, twice as tall as Data. He passed through a shield around it effortlessly, gesturing for the others to follow.

“What is this?” Caspian asked, passing through the shield.

You can save the world, Vivian. And then there will be nothing you cannot have. You could be like your mother, except with no mistakes.

“It is a reality beacon,” Data explained. “It is supposed to probe the nature of the simulation.”

“Simulation?” Luigi cocked his head.

“Yes. This world is not ‘real’ in the same sense that the others we visited are.”

That’s it… it’ll all be over soon…

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Caspian scratched his head.

“This entire world is generated by a computer.” Data pointed at the chaos portal. “And it’s having difficulty rendering that object over there: the portal. This is a weak point in the simulation. Perhaps it is weak because it simply cannot manage all the chaotic randomness, or perhaps it is a connection to something outside the simulation. It does not matter which for our purposes.”

“So, wait, hold on…” Caspian held up a hand. “I can’t believe I’m asking you to explain something in more detail, but… how can we be in a computer? I’ve seen those devices of yours, they do not display real things, they are a bunch of lights on a screen.”

“Ah, you’ve misunderstood. See, I am technically a computer. An android is just a computer set to exhibit sapient appearance and behavior.”

“You are more than ‘just a computer’ my friend.”

Data nodded. “True. I was copied from the mind of my creator, Dr. Noonian Soong, but then I was placed in my neural net—which was a computer. It is possible that a similar process was involved in placing us here.”

Your true destiny is so close to being realized.

Caspian glanced to Luigi. “I’m afraid I’m not understanding this. You?”

Luigi shrugged. “I think I kinda understand the whole simulation thing? But not-a really. I don’t think it matters how this happened, maybe?”

Data opened his mouth to explain further, but shut it of his own volition. “Perhaps further explanation is not required. What is required that we escape.”

I intended to break it with this beacon, though I doubted it could exaggerate the weakness enough to have any visible effect. With the Pure Heart, however, I am sure we can break free.”

“Very well,” Caspian lifted up the Pure Heart.

Move, little one! Faster!

“Where’s Vivian?” Luigi asked.

Vivian let out an “eep” of panic. She didn’t know why, but her previously slow descent into the valley of chaos became a run. In her haste, she forgot to descend into the shadows. This was both her mistake and her saving grace. Above the shadows, she was an easy target for Data. One phaser blast direct to her back had her down. She groaned—not unconscious, but not able to move very quickly either. She felt the energy of Chaos entering her…

Data jumped down to her, leaving Caspian and Luigi in the shield. He picked her up. She didn’t have the strength to fight.

“DON’T YOU DARE!” A booming voice called from the portal itself. It made Caspian and Luigi fall to their knees, tears pouring down their faces while screams of despondent hopelessness escaped their mouths. Data was completely unaffected.

Vivian felt as though the voice was trying to protect her. She needed to help it. She tried to muster the willpower to burn Data, but she only lit a small fire on the edge of his uniform that quickly went out. Vivian had no more in her but a sense of failure and loss. She couldn’t go where she needed to…

“LET HER COMPLETE HER PATH.”

Data paid the voice no mind. He ran back up the hill, returning to his reality beacon.

“I WILL HAVE HER, ANDROID.” Daemons began to surge out of the portal—thousands of them, mostly the kinds that looked like discs and birds. “YOUR TOY IS POINTLESS.”

Data jumped into the shield, dragging Vivian with him. He grabbed the Pure Heart from the bawling Caspian and placed it in the center of the beacon.

“THE REALITY OUTSIDE IS NOT FREE OF ME!”

“I will take the chance that it is better than this,” Data said.

“Ȓ͖̻̰̹̦̓͛ĔͩE͍͆͟ͅE̫̠̦͚̜̟̘ͣͮ̔͑G̏͂͋K̵̼͕̫̰̞̄̊͗ͤ́H̞ͨ̄̊͞T̽̂ͧ̇H̙͊ͮ̈́̏ͬE̺̝͓͖͖͋̂ͥS͈̺͖Ķ̰̟̖̞͇̱̭ͮK̝͍̙̭K̞̤ͫͬ̍̍͌̽ͣḰ̈́!̮̫͖̎ͨ͊͆̔͋!͏̟̖͕͍̦͙̦”

Data pulled a lever. The Pure Heart rotated rapidly within the machine as it sent a pulse of deep, purple energy into the stone structure it was affixed to. The shifting runes all turned to the same color, focusing a beam of Purity right towards the direct gateway to the Warp.

The explosion contained colors that didn’t exist and fractal patterns that tore into the very minds of those who witnessed it. Entire cubic chunks of the world became completely black and empty, revealing what lay behind them—distant blinking lights. A door. Data flipped open his tricorder and began tapping on it furiously, attempting to establish a data link to the machines on the other side.

The obvious glitches confused the already delirious Vivian. What did they mean? She understood this was a simulation, but why specifically the black cubes? And… why was the portal she wanted to enter so susceptible to disruption?

“YOU WILL STAY!” the voice roared. The daemons were almost upon Data and the others—several of which were carrying ordinary rocks to attack without getting dissolved by the Pure Heart. The shield absorbed the first few volleys, but it would not be able to handle much more.

Data established a link to the once-hidden machines, but this did not stop his furious typing; he still needed to get out. Another boulder hit his shield, dissipating it.

For a moment, Vivian felt hopeful. Maybe she would get to go.

“YOU WILL ALL BE MINE…”

“Exit, single-use override 8273644219!” Data shouted.

A golden door with blinking lights around the frame appeared to the left of the Data’s beacon, sliding open to another realm. Data quickly threw Vivian, Caspian, and Luigi through. Lastly, he pulled the Pure Heart out of the beacon and jumped just as a boulder hit him in the back—tossing him through the door. The bounder ceased to exist as soon as it tried to pass through the door.

“NO—” The doors slid shut and there was absolute silence.

For a moment, there was only falling. The four of them drifted in darkness for a moment, unsure of where they were.

Then, unceremoniously, they dropped to the ground, all letting out a series of oofs.

Vivian’s eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright. “I… I’m okay?”

“You should not be moving around yet,” Data cautioned.

Vivian snapped her fingers, creating sparks of orange fire over and over again—no hint of the pink stuff at all. Internally, she no longer felt any desire to enter the Chaos portal. Now there was the much more reasonable disturbed fear response. “I’m… I’m free! I made it out! Haha, yes!” She ran up to Data and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, Data, you saved me!”

Data cocked his head. “I do not believe th—”

“Oh, psh, Twilight’ll be fine, I was just being flirty.” Vivian stretched her arms, letting out a tense chuckle. “Ah… I feel great! No more crazy Chaos in my head! Woo!”

“I’m glad you’re back,” Caspian sniffed, wiping his face. “Luigi and I… are not doing quite so well.”

“Worst… headache… ever…” Luigi said. He had not stopped crying. “Too much…”

Vivian carefully lifted Luigi up and hugged him. “You got this far, Luigi. Now it’s time for a break from all that nonsense. All right?” I sure hope it’s more than a break...

“A-all right… We’re still watching you, though!”

Vivian nodded. “Of course, of course. We’ll know if he’s really gone if the dreams have stopped. But we’ll deal with that later. For now… where are we?”

Data pulled out his tricorder. “Unknown…”

The physical appearance of the location was of a run-down metallic hallway. The door itself was golden, but covered in scratches and a few patches of greenish lichen. Above the door was an inscription that read “1BYA.” All around the door—and the walls of the hall—were an innumerable number of clocks and hourglasses. Now that Vivian was paying attention to it, she could hear ticking. It was so much ticking happening all at once she hadn’t realized that was what it was, since it had all blended together into one constant noise.

Wordlessly, they walked down the hallway to the light at the end of it. The endless clocks were soon behind them, and they emerged on a metallic balcony coming out the edge of a mountain. Rigid titanium stairs led all the way down to the valley below, which was filled with blues and greens and a few unnatural-looking purples, telling of interesting alien plants. Beyond this, several features stood out as bizarre. One of the mountains had a perfect cube balanced on its tip, the shape comparable in size to the mountain itself. A bunch of multicolored gemstones passed by in the wind, as though they were just specks of dust. One mountain had a circular hole cut into it that occasionally pulsed with a pink light, while a river seemed to flow into the sky right next to it. Further in the distance, there was a floating crystal of amber coloration larger than most skyscrapers, a metallic ring orbiting its center.

The world was fantastically bizarre, and filled with what appeared to be both the highest magic and the highest technology.

And there, right above the amber monolith, there was the Void, covering a fifth of the sky.

Vivian hadn’t seen it in so long, she’d almost forgotten that it was a problem. It was a background detail in her mind, not a constant presence like it had been at the start of the adventure.

The question remained…

“Where are we?” Luigi asked.

Author's Note

That is a good question.

Where are they?

-GM, master of gotcha.

The Heart PIllar

“Can any of you explain what the heck you just did?”

Vivian, Data, Caspian, and Luigi looked down the titanium stairs to see a short, angry-looking girl who was very familiar. Her hair was a pale teal color and done up in a side ponytail, and she wore a green and blue suit made out of a futuristic material that had shoulder pads. Most importantly, she had two bright red leather gloves on her hands.

“...Jenny?” Vivian asked, cocking her head.

“That’s the name!” Jenny clapped her hands together. “So, since you know who I am, I bet you know why I’m upset?”

“I’m… very confused.” Vivian shook her head. “You were just… in there.” Vivian pointed at the cave with the clocks and the golden door.

“A-oh. Oooooh.” Jenny facepalmed. “Just what I needed, a bunch of idiots playing ‘escape the simulation.’ Never gets old…”

“Did we do something wrong?”

“Oh, you bet you did! The Cave of the Past is hooked directly to the Datasphere’s Power Network. Normally there’s supposed to be safeties in place, so, I don’t know, it doesn't make a nearby star go supernova trying to supply the proper amount of power! Something you did a month ago made Calvar-four go up like a Christmas tree! And then today the alarms start going off...”

Data glanced at the Pure Heart. “You did say you rejuvenated the Pure Heart through the Emperor, Vivian.”

Vivian jumped forward. “What Data means is that we didn’t even know we were in a simulation and are very sorry about your star.”

Jenny pointed at the Pure Heart. “What is that thing?”

Caspian tapped his chin. “How about… we’ll tell you if you tell us what we were just inside of and why you’re in both places.”

“Ugh, you talked to old me, didn’t you? She’s such a bore.” She tapped her fingers on the stairs’ railing. “Fine, you have yourself a deal. I am Jenny of the Red Gloves. That cave right there leads to a nearly perfect simulation of the world as it was one billion years ago, back before everything went kablooey several times over and I learned how to go with the flooooow.” She waved her arms to illustrate her point.

Vivian gulped. “D-does that mean the Chaos is still around?”

“In small pockets,” Jenny said, shrugging. “If you’re scared of the big ugly Chaos gods, only Tzeentch is still any trouble, and he’s mainly restricted to the crater these days. The universe got too big and crowded for him.” Jenny smirked. “Did you have some trouble in there, little missy?”

“Uh, well, yes…”

“Well it is his favorite playground these days. I still have no idea how he inserted himself into the code, but it’s not like it matters.” She kicked her heels back, grinning. “Sooo, gonna explain to me what that Pure Heart thing is?”

Data nodded. “This Pure Heart is the core of the Equis universe’s reality and a manifestation of the concept of love. We are collecting one from every universe to stop the Void from consuming all worlds.”

“Ah.” Jenny glanced at the Void. “Wait, that’s you guys?”

“No no no!” Vivian waved her hands. “We’re not causing it, we’re trying to stop it!”

“Good. Get it out of here, it’s messing with my business.” She wrung her wrists for a few seconds. “This planet’s supposed to be the core, but nobody cares when a giant world-ending muncher is in the sky…”

“Uh, I’m wondering,” Luigi said, poking his head out from behind Vivian. “You said the door led to a billion years ago?”

“Duh. Did I not already explain this? I’m pretty sure I already explained this.”

“Then are you a billion years old?”

Jenny gave him a thumbs up. “Yep! Was mutated by Nurgle when I was young, and haven't grown an inch since! I’m also completely indestructible!” With one of her hands she snapped her fingers, summoning a magic blade that cut off her foot. It grew right back. Another finger-snap later returned the boot into existence around the foot. “Bingo!”

Vivian paused. “Doesn’t that… hurt?”

“Oh yeah, a lot. But after a billion years of pain, you kinda learn to ignore it. Let’s see…” She started counting things off on her fingers. “I’ve been burned alive, vaporized, cut into tiny cubes and fed to a snake-god, walked through lava, survived three years in the vacuum of space, stabbed through the eyes, transformed into a frog, thrown into a black hole, a—”

“We get it,” Caspian interrupted. “You basically can’t die.”

“Yep! The best part is that my brain is about as big as any human’s, so I can’t store all the memories. Every now and then I pick up a book from a few million years ago and discover that I was queen of a peace-loving race of priests. It’s like reading about another person!”

“Right…” Vivian wasn’t sure what to make of this girl.

Data stepped forward. “We need to return to Flipside. You have lived a billion years, do you know anything of interdimensional travel?”

“I know how to access alternate planes of reality, but they’re all within the same universe, at least that’s what the Datasphere tells me.”

“Datasphere?”

“You know what the Internet is?”

“Yes.”

“Let the Internet stew for nearly a billion years, extend across the entire known universe, and spontaneously develop self-awareness. That’s the Datasphere.”

“A fascinating concept,” Data said.

“But that’s a ‘no’ on getting us out of here?” Luigi asked.

Jenny smirked coyly. “I didn’t say that, my mustachioed friend. I think I’ve seen that Pure Heart on an inscription somewhere recently. It might be able to help you out.”

“How far away is this… inscription?” Caspian asked.

“Other side of the planet.”

Vivian sighed. “Buckle up for another lon—”

Jenny clapped her hands. With a poof all of them teleported to the other side of the planet.

“—g journey aaaaaaand we’re already here.”

They were standing at the base of a tall, black structure the size of a mountain that was shaped like someone had drawn what they thought a spider looked like from a textbook description, and then proceeded to throw as many of those metal spiders as possible into a tower.

“...How is this thing going to help us?”

“Not this thing,” Jenny said. “That just happens to be here. We have no idea what it does.”

Caspian shook his head. “This massive tower is here and you have no idea?”

“That’s generally how things work here, bucko. So much stuff has been left behind there’s stuff nobody understands everywhere.”

“Then what do you want to show us?”

“This.” Jenny turned her back to the spidery tower and entered a small wooden shack sitting on the side of a perfectly normal river. “Hurry up!”

Letting out a sigh, Vivian followed Jenny inside. The home was a simple sort, though in addition to the usual fireplace, furniture, and pictures on the wall there were also a few pieces of broken technology and magic crystals littered around. Jenny descended the stairs to the basement, so the others followed.

The basement was not a traditional basement. It was a cylindrical room with a crystal pillar in the center that currently held nothing within its grasp. This did not stop Vivian and the others from recognizing exactly what they were standing in. It was smaller, yes, but the brick patterns on the ground were the same, the way shape of the pillar was identical, and the atmosphere…

It was a miniature version of the Heart pillar room in Flipside.

Jenny tapped the base of the column. “See this here? This inscription shows that Heart thing of yours bei—”

Data all but threw the Pure Heart into the pillar. As had happened several times before on Flipside, the pillar pulsed with the color of the Heart—purple. The colors in the bricks shifted to match for a brief moment. However, instead of the door appearing on a platform a few floors above them, the door appeared on the wall directly before them. It was a beautiful, vibrant purple and exactly like the ones on Flipside.

“...I take it this is exactly what you needed,” Jenny said, gesturing at the door.

“Yes,” Vivian said. “It… it’s taking us to the next world.”

Caspian pulled out his sword. “Then we shall g—”

The Pure Heart popped out of the pillar into Vivian’s hands.

“What?” Vivian cocked her head to the side. “Flipside’s pillar doesn’t do that.”

“It is smaller,” Data suggested. “Maybe it is not intended to be a permanent slot for the Heart.”

“The door’s still here,” Jenny said. It vanished the second after she completed her sentence. “Wise guy…”

“Okay,” Vivian clapped her hands together. “Here’s the plan. Put the Heart back in, wait for it to pop out, then grab it and run through the doors. Ready?”

“Uh…” Luigi blinked. “Maybe we sh—”

“Ready,” Data and Caspian reported.

Vivian tossed the Pure Heart into the pillar, generating the door again. After it popped out, she caught it and ran through the door, Luigi, Caspian, and Data right behind her.

Jenny waved at them. “Goodbye, interdimensional hero weirdos!”

The Return

Tippi fluttered just above the main Flipside platform, examining the colors of the doors. “Red… Orange… Yellow… Green… Blue… Blue again… and…” she pointed at the slot for the empty door. “That will be purple.”

“Good color recognition skills,” Starlight teased.

“Including the nonexistent,” Iroh chuckled as he tapped the Starfleet communicator he’d been provided. “How’s it going down there?”

Eggman’s voice responded. “We’re almost ready, don’t get your beard in a twist.”

Iroh shrugged. “Looks like we’ll be waiting a minute or so longer.”

Tippi took the opportunity to look at the creamy sky. These days, it was completely filled with starships, space stations, and even a few of the mini-planets taken from Lumash. The Comet Observatory itself was even in the sky, with Rosalina taking a somewhat active role in the evacuation of her universe now that the heroes’ quest was long done in her world. That said, she was still rather difficult to get ahold of.

Mobius’ primary planet was almost entirely evacuated at this point. It was rather sparsely populated, so they only filled up about two starbases total. It was a little harder to evacuate the other planets in the universe since the doors to Flipside wouldn’t open right next to them, but they were making progress on a workaround. Flipside and the surrounding skies were getting rather crowded, but every day new stations and ships from Hume arrived alongside mini planets from Lumash. Was it a sustainable setup? If Tippi was being honest, probably not, but it was working. And, with their current experiment, they might be able to save everything.

“Pushing through to the next universe without all the Hearts…” Tippi said, letting out a small laugh. “We can do it. We’ll go to the eighth world, find the last Pure Heart, and use all but one to break through to the Void! We can do it.”

“You sure have been excited these last few weeks,” Iroh observed.

“I. Have. Confidence!”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “She’s discovering new aspects of herself every day.”

“Yes! My confidence, my determination, my spearheading nature, Blumiere, my aerodynamic flight subroutines!”

“Huh?” Starlight blinked.

“Let’s get this show on the road!”

“I’m still busy,” Eggman’s voice called. “Standby, impatient little infants.”

“Geez,” Starlight said. “Who put a bee in his bonnet?”

“He used to be a villain,” Tippi commented. “I’m starting to wonder if all this ‘being the good guy’ is getting to him a bit.”

Iroh shook his head. “He’s just learning the values of a balanced identity, and is resenting himself for it.” He took a slow drink of a cup of tea. “I’ve seen it before, in my nephew. Before long he’ll be a decent person.”

“Oooh, all part of your long-term plan?” Starlight smirked. “Clever.”

Tippi fluttered forward. “Well, I think we’re all going to be better because of what we’ve done in this City. We’re coming together, stronger than any force that has ever existed in the history of the multiverse!”

Starlight raised an eyebrow. “Probably not technically correct, but I appreciate the feeling behind it.”

“Thank you, Starlight. More people could stand to be as appreciative as you.”

“I thi—”

The purple door suddenly appeared on Flipside’s platform.

“Wow!” Tippi called. “Eggman, that was faster than I was expecting!”

“I haven’t done anything yet,” his voice came back. “What are you talking about?”

“But there’s a doo—”

The doors flung open, dumping Vivian, Caspian, Data, and Luigi onto the ground in a heap with the Pure Heart. The next moment, the door was gone.

“V-vivian?” Tippi stuttered. “W-what? Heart? Door? How!?”

“I don’t understand what exactly happened either!” Vivian said, jumping up with a laugh. “But we’ve got a Pure Heart for you!”

“Wh… Bu… Th...”

Starlight stepped forward. “It appears Tippi has stopped working. Hey guys. No Twilight?”

“We did not locate Twilight, Toph, or Cosmo,” Data reported. “They may still be in whatever world we were just visiting.”

“I was thinking we would end up in the purple door’s world,” Vivian said, scratching her chin. “Not back in Flipside…”

“It doesn’t matter!” Tippi cheered, landing on Vivian’s hat. “You’re back, and that means we’re going to get the others back too! Oh, everyone will be so happy to see you, and there’s so much I want to show you, and…”

Vivian raised a finger. “Can we go sleep?”

“Oh, uh, right!” Tippi laughed nervously. “I’ll get everything I need from Data. Rest of you, down and…” she stopped to stare at Luigi.

Luigi sighed. “I am Luigi Mario. Mario’s brother. Vivian knows me. I am not this ‘Mr. L,’ and if I ever get a hold of him I’m gonna show him what it really means to be Luigi!”

“...All right.” Tippi fluttered over to Data. “So, tell me everything.”

“At precise—”

“Okay not everything, just… more than usual.”

~~~

Vivian, Caspian, Luigi, and Starlight descended through the elevator.

“You know,” Starlight said, turning to Luigi. “Rarity really misses you.”

“Oh… Right… Imma sorry, I dunno what happened after all that.”

“It’s okay. We’ll be at Castle Bleck soon enough. Until then… would you like to join me here? I’ve been running drills and preparing people for when we take Bleck on directly. Someone who was in there personally would be a great help.”

“I…” Luigi glanced at Vivian and sighed. “I guess I’m not a hero of legend, huh?”

Starlight shook her head. “No. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be just a regular old hero.”

“You have it in you, old chap,” Caspian said, clapping him on the back. “With that jump of yours and that hammer, I’m sure you’ll give them everything they need.”

“Yeah… yeah, that’s right! Imma Luigi! Number one!” He lifted his hammer into the air. “I won’t let you guys down!”

When the elevator reached the main floor, Starlight led Luigi away while Caspian and Vivian marched to Ty Lee’s inn. To their surprise, Ty Lee was actually there, sitting behind the counter without her pith helmet. For once, she didn’t have a smile.

“Ty Lee,” Caspian nodded.

“Hello and welcome t—Caspian!?” Ty Lee’s smile was suddenly back in full force. “Starlight was saying there might be a chance you survived but I wasn’t sure and given all the stuff that’s happened and…” She pulled both of them into a tight hug, giggling the entire time. “Oh, this is just the best!”

“Too… hard…” Caspian gagged.

“Right, right, you must be exhausted! Please, go to your beds, rest.” She released them and shooed them away. Caspian nodded in respect before flopping unceremoniously upon his mattress.

Vivian waited back for a moment. “Ty Lee… are you okay?”

“I’m… fine.” Ty Lee nervously played with her hair.

“No, she’s not,” Amy said, walking in through the doors and leaning against the counter. “Neither of us have been doing all that well since the Pit.”

“Oh, the Pit…” Vivian cocked her head. “Did you guys get to the bottom?”

“Yep,” Amy said, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. “Got full control over Flipside, too. All the systems are at our disposal, including some of the more advanced stuff we didn’t know existed.”

“That sounds like a good thing.”

“We lost a lot of people,” Amy said, grimacing. “Too many. And there was this freaky shapeshifting shadow demon that tried to take control of the entire city and attack Tippi, but…” She tapped her fingers against the wall. “Ah, whatever. Point is, no, we’re not fine, and Ty Lee needs to stop pretending like everything is fine.”

Ty Lee shrank back from Amy’s outburst, hiding behind the counter as though it could protect her from the harsh words. “I… I’m sorry. I’m always the happy one, it’s hard not to be.”

“And I’m always obsessed with Sonic.” She laughed bitterly. “I don’t think I care about that anymore. Silver lining, huh?”

Vivian shook her head. “It’s still terrible. You both… I’m so sorry I wasn’t here, that we weren’t here.”

“Wouldn’t have changed anything,” Amy muttered. “Though I’m gonna say this.” She pulled out her hammer and aimed it at Vivian’s head. “You stop the Void. You stop it and make all that we’ve sacrificed mean something. Okay?”

“O-okay…” Vivian said, backing away.

“Good.” Amy put her hammer away and dusted her dress off. “Now, I have a date with a nice Bajoran man and I need to blow off some steam so I can treat him decently. Enjoy your nap.” She skipped off.

After she was gone, Ty Lee allowed herself to smile slightly. “It really might have been good for her, in the end.”

“I… that seems messed up.” Vivian shook her head.

“There’s a man who wants to destroy all worlds for seemingly no reason. That’s also messed up.”

With a sigh, Vivian nodded. “G’night, Ty Lee.”

“Good night.”

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47938.4

Some of the heroes of the Light Prognosticus have returned,and with them comes the miraculously restored Pure Heart of Equis. The door to the last Pure Heart has generated and the Enterprise is preparing for tomorrow’s mission to the last world.

It is strange, to think that, after so long of feeling like we were going to have to find alternative solutions, suddenly the end is in sight. We only have to obtain one last Pure Heart and then we can open a gateway directly to Count Bleck’s castle.

I find myself thankful for all this time we spent in uncertainty. While, yes, it has moved many worlds closer to destruction, we have lost no more. During this time we’ve allocated our resources intelligently, evacuated as many as we can to Flipside, trained our people for an assault on the Castle, and in general simply prepared for what is to come. Before, we might have charged into the Castle with no organization, no plan, and we would have been discarded easily.

Now, we are cohesive. Now, we will be ready.

I look forward to meeting this Count at long last...

~~~

As always, the moment Vivian opened her eyes, she felt rejuvenated by the magic of Flipside. She hopped out of bed and took a moment to stretch her arms, letting out a satisfied breath of air.

Sleep well, little shadow?

With a smile she adjusted her hat and tested her fire, prompting an orange spark to fly into the air.

“Ready?” Caspian asked, having just completed adjusting his armor.

“Mhm!” Vivian gave him a thumbs up.

“Any nightmares this time?” Caspian asked.

Not that you remember.

“Not that I remember,” Vivian said, grinning. “I’m really free.”

He grinned at her. “Then we’ve got some people waiting for us.”

Together, they left the doors of Ty Lee’s inn. Data and Tippi were waiting for them on the other side… and so were so many other people. Humans, Klingons, Mobians, ponies, goombas, Romulans, and so, so many others were lining the street—and the moment Vivian and Caspian came out, they began applauding. A banner hung over the street, with the words GOOD LUCK, HEROES printed on it. Whistles and cheers erupted from all sides, and even a few flowers were thrown at them.

“We have not succeeded yet,” Data observed. “Yet they insisted on throwing this celebration.”

“Once we get the last Heart there won’t be time to celebrate it,” Tippi said. “We’ll rest… and then we’re going into the belly of the beast. This… this is the last time we’ll be able to do this.”

“Ah.” Data nodded. “Shame Twilight and the others had to miss it.”

“It really is,” Vivian said, frowning. “I hope they’re okay…”

“They’ll find their way to us, somehow,” Tippi said. “I know it.”

Vivian nodded with a soft smile. “So do I!”

“Statistically, th—” Data began.

Caspian put a hand on the android’s shoulder. “My android friend, I believe this is one of those moments where you have a disadvantage.”

“Ah.”

They marched to the elevator, the crowd still throwing things at them and cheering. They even got several snacks for the road, eliminating the need for breakfast this time around. With cheers and happy smiles, they were pushed into the elevator by a city of happy people.

...A city of desperate people whose homes were nearing destruction.

Once in the elevator, Caspian pressed his hands together. “The… weight of our mission has…”

“Fallen on you?” Tippi suggested.

“Yes. It… it almost seemed like a fun adventure, even after Equis fell. But seeing them all, begging…” He shook his head. “We cannot fail.”

“We won’t,” Tippi said. “We’ve come too far.”

The elevator didn’t go all the way to the platform before stopping. Instead, they were let off at the Light Prognosticus room, where Iroh was sitting reading in front of Merlon’s main screen.

I want to wish you luck one last time.<< Merlon said.

Vivian nodded. “Thank you.”

“We will do our best,” Caspian promised. “And we shall bring you that final Pure Heart.”

I hope that you do. And Tippi?<<

“Yes?”

Take care of yourself.<<

“I will.”

“ ‘In the darkest night a light will shine, summoning the heroic spirit to be reunited at the journey’s end,’ “ Iroh read from the Light Prognosticus. “You will find them.”

“Ah.” Data nodded, satisfied. “You had not told me you were basing your supposition on the Light Prognosticus.”

“We weren’t,” Tippi said.

“...Ah.”

Caspain patted his friend on the back. “You’ve got a long way to go, Data. Let’s make it there together, shall we?”

“By all means. Goodbye, Merlon. Iroh.”

“Bring them home,” Iroh said, grinning. “And maybe stop by for some tea afterward!”

Vivian giggled. “We’ll see!”

Vivian, Caspian, and Data returned to the elevator, which took them to the top of the platform. Luigi and Starlight were waiting for them there, bowing extravagantly to the purple door. Above them, the Enterprise hovered, ready to join them in the new world.

“The last Heart lies beyond,” Starlight said, putting on her “wise and ominous” voice. “Go, and fulfill your destiny!”

Vivian nodded, taking in a sharp breath. “Here goes nothing…” She flung the doors open and jumped in.

Minion Existence

Once again, Count Bleck and Nastasia were alone in the central chamber. They hadn’t exactly called a lot of castle-wide meetings lately, so it was usually just the two of them standing, looking out at nothing.

“So, yeah, we’ve got confirmation that they restored the Pure Heart,” Nastasia said. “They’ve only got one more to find.”

“They’ll never find it,” Bleck said, shaking his head. “We have had our forces searching that world for the last Heart ever since this started. No one has found it.”

“Sir… their Prophecy notwithstanding, don’t you… want them to find it, at this point?”

“Bleh hehehehehehe… whatever gave you that idea, Nastasia?”

“We’ve been letting the Resistance do whatever they want, haven’t sent out any minions to attack the heroes, aren’t calling meetings, and, um, you’ve been acting different, a lot.”

Count Bleck lowered his hat. “...There is some part of Bleck that wants a final showdown with the heroes, Bleck! Let them get as close to victory as they can and watch their success slip from their grasp…”

“Um, Count… you sure that’s it?”

“...I really shouldn’t have let Rarity push me,” Bleck sighed.

“I already knew. Did you think I didn’t?”

“No, no, of course not.” Bleck lowered his hat. “...Yes. I do want them to come here. At the end, they’ll know the pain I feel, and understand why this must be done.”

“I understand,” Nastasia said with a curt nod. “I’ll keep the minions busy running around with the Resistance, make them think they’re doing good work.”

“Thank you, Nastasia.”

Nastasia smiled softly. “Anytime, Count.” She jumped into the Void, going elsewhere.

Count Bleck was alone once again. Carefully, he flipped open the Dark Prognosticus, turning to the last page. “ ‘And the final Heart will complete the circle, banishing all love and hate.’ “ He shook his head. “It comes.”

“What comes, Count?”

Bleck shut the book in a hurry, looking down to see Dark Oak standing upon his pillar. “Bleh heh heh heh, Bleck! Bleck has not summoned you, Dark Oak!”

“I came on my own time,” Dark Oak said. “I have noticed a few… discrepancies.”

“Oh?”

“The Castle has begun trembling with the Void.”

“The Void grows large, Dark Oak. Its power is difficult to contain.”

“Yes. But not impossible?”

“Not at all. The Chaos Heart provides me with the capacity to protect all that I desire.”

“Desires are curious things,” Dark Oak folded his hands behind his back. “And I believe I understand yours.”

Count Bleck narrowed his eyes. “Do you really?”

“I am now certain of it. And I want you to know… I agree.”

Count Bleck’s jaw hung open for a few seconds before he returned to his mad laughter. “Bleh heheheheheheheh! Bleck! Lulu did well in bringing you to me, Dark Oak! Very well, you know your true purpose, so carry out your duties as you see fit!”

“There will be no change, Count. The worlds… will end.”

Castle Halls

O’Chunks and O’Chunks walked down a hallway together. Anyone knew that one of them had to be Mimi, but nobody who looked really had much of an idea which was which.

That is, until they started talking.

“Do yeh ‘ave teh look like that, lass?”

“Why, does it bother you when a sweet little girl gets big stronk musklees?”

“Please!” O’Chunks snorted. “Yeh can’t even sound like me.”

“Hmph!” Mimi said, folding her massive arms.

“Plus, we all know yer not a sweet little lass.”

“Mimimimimimimimi,” Mimi chuckled. “Yeh got dat roight!”

O’Chunks facepalmed. “Yer doin’ it all wrong.”

With a grunt, Mimi transformed into her standard little girl form. “Fine, fine, I’ll prance around and look for all the cutie-pies! You know, we did get a few with the new resistance reinforcements. I can’t wait to get my hands on one of those Klingons!”

“I don’t getcha at all.”

“Nor should you try!”

“Hmph.” O’Chunks sagged, dragging his fists across the ground. “So, uh… yeh know anythin’ about Lulu?”

“Huh? W-what would I know?” Mimi tried to fake a smile.

O’Chunks bought it. “Well, I dunno. She’s just been… off. I worry ‘bout her and thought, maybe, she jus’... talks to the only other lass ‘ere.”

“First off, O’Chunks, you should know better than to make assumptions! Secondly…” Mimi dropped the smile. “Something’s wrong with her. I saw her crying. She ran away when I tried to ask what it was about.” Mimi patted her shirt down. “O’Chunks, you remember where you came from, right?”

“Yep!” O’Chunks lifted his fist into the air. “Champion o’ wreslin’ in Lumash ‘till the Count picked me up an’ showed me the world!”

“And I remember who I am too,” Mimi said. “No, I’m not telling you.”

“Aww, I was expectin’ a story…”

“My point is that Lulu doesn’t.” Mimi furrowed her brow. “She has no idea who she was before she came here.”

“Mr. L didn’t either, ‘e seemed fine.”

“He was an idiot.”

“I thought I was th… ‘ey!”

Mimi rolled her eyes. “O’Chunks, for once in your brainless life, I’m not trying to insult you.”

“Oh. ...Wait.”

“Just drop it,” Mimi sighed. “Yes, something’s wrong with Lulu. She wants to know who she is.”

“I know who she is! She’s one o’ us! Lemme find ‘er and tell ‘er that…”

A dark, ominous chuckle filled the void around them. “I’m afraid that’ll have to wait…” With a rush of cold, ghostly wind, the head of Cortez appeared with Sonic the Hedgehog riding on top of his hat. “You lot have to deal with me!”

“Bring it, boney!” O’Chunks shouted, raising his fists.

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” Mimi cackled, twisting her neck around until she transformed into her true form.

Sonic pressed his hands together. “Still disgusting.”

“What’s the matter Sonic? Did you miss me? I missed you!”

“Egh, and I thought Amy was terrible,” Sonic said.

“We’ll see how terrible I can be!” She jumped, surprised to find six skeletal hands grabbing her legs and pinning her to the ground. “N-no fair!”

“I gotcha lass!” O’Chunks shouted, breaking through the hands with his fists. “Ain’t nothin’ gonna out chunk me!”

Sonic burst out of nowhere, spin-dashing O’Chunks in the face, sending him flying. This would not have been enough to take O’Chunks down—but seven flaming ghosts appeared and doused him in fire that gave him a run for his money. Still, he managed to stand strong… until Worf shot him in the back with a phaser. He collapsed.

“O’Chunks!” Mimi transformed into a mouse and scurried over to O’Chunks, opening a Void portal and diving through. They appeared elsewhere in the castle.

“Ooogh…” O’Chunks groaned. “Didya get the number on that train?”

“O’Chunks…” Mimi looked around at the black walls of the castle. “Are we… weak?”

“I… I dunno, lass.”

~~~

A voice from Cortez came from Rarity’s Starfleet communicator, pinned to her ear like an earring. “Yarrr… they got away, again.”

“As expected,” Rarity managed, looking at the Void-filled sky with a blank expression. “You may try again at your leisure.” And once we catch them, what then? Bleck comes to save them or he doesn’t, it doesn’t matter either way.

She lifted a hoof into the air and pointed at a seemingly random spot in the sky. Metarex ship 423… boom. On cue, the bomb her team had set on the ship exploded, the fireball triggering a few more critical reactor failures along the way. And there goes that section of their… absolutely endless fleet of Metarex ships and bizarre monsters.

Rarity kicked back. She was currently sitting on a couch she’d had dragged up here so she could watch the sky light up from the various missions her reborn Resistance was pulling off. The first week, it had been amazing. Every now and then a new fireball in the sky, a report that they defeated one of Count Bleck’s minions, and a better understanding of the layout of the Castle.

It had been well over a month. The same successes kept coming, but nothing ever changed in the situation at the Castle. They’d largely stopped running into plans to stop them. The ships just exploded, the castle was explored, and the minions never seemed to be actively looking for them.

They didn’t matter. Not to Bleck, anyway. Not anymore.

In a way, Rarity knew she should be grateful. She’s broken through Bleck’s exterior and he felt no need to keep up the charade of “gleefully stomping out the resistance.” She wasn’t losing people anymore. But now she realized how truly worthless the entire operation was. If Bleck wanted to, he could march through every hall in his castle with the Chaos Heart and exterminate them all.

But he didn’t want to do it. It wasn’t that he was too lazy, but he didn’t actually revel in their screams. He just wanted to destroy all worlds… because someone hurt him.

That’s all that matters, Rarity thought, shaking her head. Finding out who hurt him. There has to be a way to bring him out of it… She laughed to herself bitterly. And then what? He’s already destroyed so much. How could he return?

“Who am I?”

Rarity whirled around, summoning her blade and pointing it at Lulu. “I was beginning to think I could brazenly sit on any balcony I wanted and no one would come for me!” Rarity let out a sharp laugh. “But do not think I would let my guard down for even a second.”

“Who am I?” Lulu asked, tears running down her face.

Rarity frowned. “Oh, no, not you too…”

“Who am I Rarity?”

“You’re Lulu, Count Bleck’s wizard. Mixture of simple elemental and effect spells mixed with esoteric enchantments that require words. You’re also human and… a child.”

“That’s what I am now!” Lulu’s hand lit on fire. “I know you can see beyond the veil… So tell me who I am.”

“A very disturbed child with identity issues who has come to an enemy seeking companionship.” Rarity cocked her head. “I’m willing to give it, but you’re going to have to put that fire ou—”

“Tell me!”

“You’re broken!” Rarity drove her sword into the ground.

“I already bloody know that! That’s not good enough! What am I behind this mask!?”

Rarity frowned. “How would you know about th—”

“Tell. Me.”

“Darling…” Rarity shook her head—then she kicked Lulu across the face and blasted a laser beam at her, knocking the child to the ground. She pointed her sword at Lulu’s neck. “This is the point at which you either run away… or you talk with a much more reasonable head.”

Lulu spoke a few words. Rarity was expecting to need to defend against a spell, but instead, she felt nothing.

“Who am I?”

“You are Lulu, and I can’t help you find who you really are.” Rarity frowned. “What am I saying…?”

“That spell… should make you tell the truth!” Lulu whimpered. “You can’t be immune to it, you… you can’t lie…”

“I… what?”

“I’m just one of those mindless mind-controlled drones, aren’t I?” Lulu asked.

“I don’t think so…” Rarity said, cocking her head. “They don’t have… personalities.”

“Don’t think I don’t know who Mr. L is…”

“Huh?”

“You’re… useless.” She finally created a Void portal behind herself, falling through it, leaving Rarity behind.

Rarity sat down, dissipating her sword.

“Is anyone here actually evil?” Rarity asked no one in particular.

~~~

“You… you saved me.”

“I suppose I did. I could not bear to see someone in such pain…”

“You look like you’re in pain yourself.”

“I… am. I am looking for someone. Have you seen a human girl, with great white hair and a rainbow ribbon?”

“No, I have not. ...A Dark One looking for a human girl? Has she wronged you?”

“Nothing of the sort, I assure you. We… we were close. And I cannot find her.”

“Oh… I see. I’m so sorry.”

“She’s out there, somewhere among these worlds.”

“Um, do you really think she’d be in these drifting interdimensional rocks?”

“No. But I have looked in many places already… I must go. My search continues.”

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, no, you are weak, and you have no need to follow me.”

“Um, you saved my life, and you look like you could use a friend. I’m coming with you to find this girl, and that’s final. ‘K?”

“...Okay.”

~~~

The woman set her pen down, contemplating evil.

Evil was always, always, the corruption of that which was good. Life was good, but with the power given to it, life could go awry. It was the same with people. Everyone had their own quirks, personalities, desires… but everyone was somebody.

Even the worst offenders loved their families, their spouses, their pets, beauty…

Everyone had a reason for where they were. She knew that better than most.

But, in the end, the person at the end of those reasons was still responsible. Evil was evil, and no amount of tragedy or regret could undo that.

Only one thing could.

Once more, she set her pen to the page and the words flowed like water.

The Beanstalk

“No, seriously, why are you guys back?” Jenny asked.

“So this is where you were…” Tippi said, ignoring Jenny and taking a look around the miniature Heart pillar in front of her.

“Um, hello? I’m standing right here, technicolor bug?” She waved her arms rapidly as if needing to draw attention to herself.

“Oh, uh, right!” Tippi fluttered up to Jenny. “We are searching for your universe’s Pure Heart.”

“You just left with one!”

Vivian moved in front of Tippi. “That was from a different universe. When we plugged it back into our machine, it led us here, which means this universe is the last one with a Pure Heart.”

“Oh.” Jenny tapped her fingers against a wall. “Well, I’m going to be about as helpful finding it as jack-diddly-nothing. This was the only structure I knew about that had anything to do with the Heart. And I’ve been studying it all day, and haven't gotten anything new.”

“Then we’ll do what we’ve done in every other world,” Caspian said, smirking. “Have a look around.”

“In that case…” Jenny extended a hand. “In the name of Dracogen Enterprises, I, Jenny, welcome you to the Ninth World.”

“The… Ninth World?” Tippi fluttered slowly. “Clearly this isn’t the world described in my databanks—Gaia—but there are only eight worlds.”

Jenny shrugged. “We call it the Ninth World.”

“Why?”

“Not really sure.”

“An intriguing mystery,” Data said. “However, Tippi, are you able to sense the location of the Pure Heart?”

“No,” Tippi said. “And I’m not sure it’s because it’s offworld. This universe has so much… buzzing in the air that I almost can’t sense anything.”

“That would make it difficult to locate Twilight by the Element of Magic.”

“Oh, that’s right, we should look for them too…”

Jenny snapped her fingers—how she did this through the gloves was anyone’s guess. “I might be able to help you after all!” She reached behind her back and pulled out a small metal rod. With a flick of her wrist, it extended until it was a full-sized staff, complete with a blue icosahedron-shaped crystal. “Behold—the staff of holding!” She flicked it forward, prompting a round, black object with a large “8” on it to drop into her free hand.

Vivian cocked her head. “A magic eight-ball?”

“A what?” Caspian asked.

Data lit up. “A toy invented in 1950 by Albert Carter i—”

“This isn’t a toy,” Jenny interrupted. “The eight-balls are connected to the Datasphere in a way no other cypher ever has been. You ask a question and shake it and it will always be right. It generally only likes yes or no questions, though, so this may take a bit. Luckily I have a ton of these. Ahem. Do you know where the Pure Heart is?” Jenny shook the ball and looked through the window.

My sources say no.

With a shrug, Jenny tossed the eight-ball over her shoulder. Flicking the staff again, another eight-ball appeared. “All right, let’s try this again. Does the Pure Heart exist in this universe?”

Without a doubt.

She dragged another one out of the staff of holding. “Is it outside the standard reality?”

Signs point to yes.

“That’s not very commital,” Vivian said.

“If it doesn’t know it’ll give me some ‘ask later’ nonsense,” Jenny explained, pulling out another one. “Is it in another dimension?”

Ask again later.

“See? There. Datasphere has no idea if it’s in another dimension or some construct or what. That actually narrows our options quite a lot since the Datasphere knows what’s in most of those. And…” Jenny flicked the staff again, but instead of getting an 8-ball all she got was a ruby statue of a rat skeleton. “...I’m out? I always carry more than that in the staff! Uuuugh…” She sent a beam of light out of the staff, absorbing the statue back into it. “Guess what this means?”

“Exploration?” Caspian suggested.

“Nope! We’re going back to the Beanstalk to look at the archives!” She clapped her hands together. “Well, I’m going back, you’ve all never been there.”

Data nodded, tapping his communicator. “Data to Enterprise, we are going to be moved to an area called the Beanstalk. Do not be alarmed.”

“Acknowledged,” came Picard’s response.

“Oooh, you got contact with your boss?” Jenny smirked. “Nice.”

“Yes. The Enterprise should be directly above us.”

Jenny clapped her hands, and suddenly they were all on the surface again, in the shadow of that strange spidery tower. Sure enough, the Enterprise was floating in the sky a fair ways up, likely performing scans.

“Huh. Spaceship. Sweet.” Jenny rubbed her hands together. “Wait till you see what I’ve got…” This time she didn’t bother clapping her hands when teleporting them. They slung around the world, appearing with a flash of light on a road made out of blue, cracked stone. Further along the road was a city, though it was unlike any city Vivian and her group had ever encountered. Buildings seemed to be thrown together from completely random situations. There were those that looked like normal human settlements, while other structures were made of pure crystal, blue metal, or some unidentifiable material. A red tower burst with magical energy while a cubic building sparked with electricity that it pumped to the rest of the city through traditional power lines. A mixture of fantastical and technological objects occupied the skies: massive iridescent butterflies, hovercraft, floating gyroscope contraptions, dragons, and a number of things that were unrecognizable.

However, it was the center of the city that drew the most attention. A tower constructed seemingly of marble and amber plating, it was relatively thick at the bottom but soon gave way to a blue-gray pillar of metal that went higher and higher and higher until it vanished into the sky. It seemed to have no top at all.

“I take it that’s the Beanstalk?” Vivian asked.

Jenny nodded. “Yep!”

“Fascinating,” Data cocked his head. “Am I correct in assuming it’s a space elevator?”

“That’s generally what we use it for. If the prior worlds built it for something else, we haven’t figured it out yet. Come,” she gestured for them to follow her. “Let’s get you all acquainted with my city.”

~~~

The Enterprise had completed its initial scans of the local area. The sensors were absolutely baffled by the sheer number of bizarre structures lying around, including the spidery tower. Picard decided that, fascinating as they were, they had no indication that further research into every little curiosity would get them any closer to their goal, so he ordered them to lift out of the atmosphere.

Entering orbit, the Enterprise took a few minutes to scan the entire planet from a distance. What they found was rather bizarre.

Picard couldn’t believe what he was looking at onscreen. “Was this planet… engineered?”

“Sure looks like it,” Tails said.

The planet in question was covered in ocean on one side and had a diamond-shaped supercontinent on the other. Furthermore, the supercontinent had large, circular mountain-like formations near every corner, a clear indication that this planet wasn’t naturally formed.

“We aren’t alone up here,” Picard’s new tactical officer said—a cream-coated earth pony by the name of Sweetie Drops, though she apparently preferred to be called Bon Bon. “The planet has several ships in orbit, though most are congregated around one point. ...It appears to be the top of a space elevator.”

“Hail it. Request permission to dock, if you can.”

Bon Bon nodded, doing as said. “We got an automatic response. The top of the ‘Beanstalk’ is open for public use by ‘Dracogen Enterprises.’ We’ve also received docking procedures. They apparently have an adaptable port.”

“Make it so. Gathering information is almost always simpler from spacefaring people.”

“Captain, I’ve identified some of the ships. Metarex. Quite a lot of them, too.”

“This is a public location, yes?” Picard asked. “I do not believe they will fire on us here. But prepare to raise shields just in case.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Enterprise banked, moving toward the top of the Beanstalk. It appeared more or less like a metallic pinecone with several long metal tendrils sticking out to dock with the various ships surrounding it. As they approached, no fewer than seven ships came and left from the tethered space station.

“It clearly serves as a sort of travel hub,” Riker observed.

“This will certainly be fascinating,” Picard mused. “All the other worlds have had minimal or no interstellar government to speak of. I’m looking forward to speaking with some relative equals.”

“We’re being hailed by the Metarex,” Bon Bon reported.

“Onscreen.”

A humanoid Metarex appeared, though it wasn’t Dark Oak. This specimen was much more slender and had elongated glass ovoids instead of spheres on his body. His metallic form was almost black, though he was somehow less intimidating than Dark Oak himself. “Ah, Captain Picard! I do not believe I’ve had the pleasure. I am Black Narcissus, one of Dark Oak’s generals.”

Picard nodded. “We were aware of two generals, but we had not seen either of you. It is good to finally meet one of them.”

“You mean good to know my whereabouts so you can plan for them,” Narcissus said with a chuckle. “And I know your whereabouts too. Now, as you have no doubt guessed, this little Beanstalk is considered open to the public of any spacefarers whatsoever. If I attempted to destroy you I would be in for a world of hurt from the authorities.”

“And our backup.”

“Ah, yes, your fleet…” Narcissus chuckled. “I do look forward to engaging it in combat one of these days, but that day is not today. Just know, Picard, that you are safe while in orbit around this planet. Leave… and you will suddenly find that these cosmos aren’t quite so welcoming.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, General.”

“See that you do. Oh, and if you’re interested in having a little chat face-to-face, I will be on Beanstalk Station in one of the recreation halls for the next few hours. Do stop by for a game, I would quite enjoy it. A great opportunity to get to know one another, wouldn’t you think?”

“I shall consider it. Picard out.” They cut the channel. “Hmm. It appears I’ve been invited to dine with the enemy.”

“Obviously a trick,” Riker said.

“Quite. He wishes to get to know me so he can find and exploit my weaknesses. I think I’ll accept.”

“Sir?”

“It would only be fair game to turn it around and examine and exploit his weaknesses. Plus…” Picard adjusted his uniform. “We rarely get to speak to our enemy in a civilized fashion. This could provide great insight.”

“Be careful,” Tails said, frowning. “He lives up to his name. He’s a narcissist who likes to experiment on people.”

“Duly noted, Commander. Take us into the station. I’m curious what it has to offer us.”

~~~

The city surrounding the Beanstalk was even more remarkable and baffling up close. Beyond the fact that every building and street appeared to be made out of whatever exotic material the architect could get his hands on, the people were shocking. It wasn’t just that they were unusual; though there were a few strange humanoid fish things and dwarf-like creatures with purple growths on their back. The majority of people within the city were humans, which was to be expected… but there were also what appeared to be Mobians, ponies, fairy people, goombas, and even what Vivian was sure was a Klingon. The streets almost looked like… the streets of Flipside, if Flipside had been built out of whatever construction the people who visited had thought up.

“You like it?” Jenny asked as she led them along.

“Are you certain you have not had contact with other universes?” Data asked.

“Nope!” Jenny said with an exaggerated shrug. “It could have happened, I may even have visited another one, how am I supposed to know? Almost all the information I get about the other planes comes from the University of Doors, and they talk soooo muuuuch it’s hard to pay attention to them.”

Vivian watched as a pegasus purchased a Klingon relic from a creature made out of slime and LED lights. The pegasus turned around and scanned the device with a digital screen before shooting fire out of her wings and teleporting with a pattern not unlike the Enterprise’s transporter.

It’s like everything’s been smashed together, and everyone thinks it’s normal.

“Anyway…” Jenny led them into the center of the city, right to the Beanstalk itself. “Welcome to the home of Dracogen Enterprises! It’s a company I… inherited a few decades ago. We’re entirely responsible for making the cosmos accessible to the world once again!” She marched up to the main doors, which were made out of silvery vines and guarded by a massive, silvery robot. “Yo, Dintin, how’s it goin’?”

“My garden isn’t getting watered properly,” the robot droned.

“I’ll get the water spirits to sprinkle it for you when I’m done here.” Jenny flung the doors open, leading the group into a large hall that, at first glance, appeared to be adorned in gold on every surface. However, upon closer inspection, it wasn’t gold at all, but rather some kind of bright yellow circuitry that covered every surface that didn’t have a carpet or banner laid over it. The symbol of Dracogen Enterprises hung above their heads: a large “D” with black smoke wafting off of it, a red thumbs-up in the center ringed by a golden nine-toothed gear.

“The archives are in the basement,” Jenny said. “As well as the Numenera Duplicator.”

“Numenera?” Caspian asked.

“Oh, that’s just what we call any relic of the past that’s clearly not natural. Come on, we’ve got a lot of research to do!”

A humanoid made entirely of blue crystal appeared and held out a hand to stop Jenny. “You have meetings to attend, Jenny.”

Jenny let out a childish groan. “Ivan! Can’t you see I’m busy? The fate of the world hangs in the balance!”

“That hasn’t stopped you before.”

Jenny threw her hands in the air. “I’m taking an hour here to show these folks the archives, then I can go to my meetings with… I don’t even know, who am I meeting?”

“Yvnd wishes to speak to you concerning the moon colony.”

“Tell him I’ll be with him later!” Jenny called, already walking down the stairs. Ivan looked after her and let out a deep, exasperated sigh. The sigh of a man who had been putting up with her antics for an effective eternity.

Vivian and the others followed Jenny down into the depths of the Beanstalk, soon coming to a wide, open room with dim lighting. Every surface was hard, gray metal. In the center of the chamber was a large cubic machine composed of glass and crystal currently printing more magic eight-balls. On the edges of the walls were dozens if not hundreds of shelves all lined with technological knick-knacks, magical artifacts, and some things nobody could even hope to identify.

“Woah…” Vivian said.

“I… well, I’m impressed,” Caspian managed.

Data took out his tricorder. “I have never seen such a variety of technical implements in one place before.”

“Your guys’ worlds are boring, then,” Jenny said with a chuckle. “Archives are through this door.” She threw it open, arriving in a much smaller room with smooth, black walls. There was nothing in the room besides several rows of chairs, arranged like they would be in an elementary room classroom or meeting of some sort.

“What is this?” Vivian asked.

“The archives.” Jenny lifted a hand. “Computer! Recognize Jenny, authorize database search for all present in room.”

With a beep, the black walls came alive with an image so real it appeared to go on into infinity. A swirling logo of blue, green, yellow, and red appeared in front of them before shifting into text that said Welcome!

“Just ask it things, it’ll try to answer,” Jenny said. “Here, how about we start with… Pure Heart.”

The computer displayed dozens of images of hearts and their connection with purity rituals and prevalence of the symbol across the Ninth World. The introductory paragraphs of several texts were generated and displayed on the walls, though only one of them had anything to do with the Heart pillar they’d already found.

Vivian frowned. “Oh… this is going to be hard to absorb…”

“Not at all,” Data said. “I have already cataloged all of it. Computer, refine search in relation to this document here.” He pointed at the Heart pillar report. Immediately, the search refined and displayed more data on the area around the Heart pillar, its curious architecture, and the spidery tower next to it.

“There’s probably not much reason for you two to stick around through this,” Tippi told Caspian and Vivian. “We’re the researchers. Go, enjoy the city, we’ll let you know when we have anything.”

Jenny placed her hands on Caspian and Vivian’s shoulders. “That means you can come with me to my meeting! Isn’t that great?”

“Er…” Vivian began.

“Great! It’s decided, you’re coming with me!” She winked and teleported both of them away.

“Computer,” Data continued, not concerned in the slightest, “give me more information about the architecture, and cross-reference with other Numenera structures in the world.”

Cosmic Conundrum

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47938.5

I have accepted General Narcissus’ invitation to enjoy some recreation with him, in hopes that I may gain some insight into the Metarex, and, perhaps, Count Bleck himself. He no doubt has the same goal in regards to me. However, I believe we have the advantage since the Federation and Flipside itself have never given in to the idea of shrouding everything in secrecy. I will provide him nothing he could not find out by simply asking people who travel to the other worlds.

I have chosen to take my new security chief with me, acting Lieutenant Sweetie Drops, better known as Bon Bon. After her first few days of unfamiliarity with our technology, she has proven to be an invaluable asset with Worf still away on his mission in Count Bleck’s Castle. The unexpected trans-universal Starfleet commission program has been going exceptionally well. I do hope that, after this ends, many of our allies will petition for placement in the Federation and join Starfleet on more official measures.

To think, this all started because I needed someone to manage the Master Emerald that’s hooked up to the warp core.

~~~

Picard and Bon Bon walked off the Enterprise and onto the docking tunnel that led to the Beanstalk station. They walked side by side, though Bon Bon had to specifically slow down to keep the arrangement. She wore a yellow Starfleet uniform that fit around her front legs and stopped at her midsection, though she also wore a large set of sunglasses over her eyes. This was common practice among Equestira’s agents since equine eyes were so expressive they often betrayed emotions even in the most steel-willed of operatives.

Picard’s appearance was nothing to write home about: bald as always, wearing his red uniform with a calm dignity. There was no mistaking it: he was in charge.

The two of them passed through the sliding doors into the station proper, finding themselves on a large promenade that circled the edge of the large, egg-shaped interior. Escalators and transporter conduits ran left and right over the massive structure, stopping and starting at businesses that floated in midair on glowing blue platforms. Neon signs that advertised everything from fruit smoothies to shady banking flitted across the air.

It was Picard’s turn to be impressed by the variety of familiar creatures wandering the station, as the heroes were down on the base of the Beanstalk. Every world that had visited previously seemed to be represented here in one way or another, and nobody seemed to bat an eye at it.

“What do you make of all this, Lieutenant?”

Bon Bon put her hooves up on the promenade railing, scanning the vibrant landscape. “This universe is different from the others, somehow. It appears to be connected to them all.”

Picard nodded. “Perhaps the entire universe is under the same ‘curse’ as Ear—Terra, my home. Made to reflect all the other worlds.”

“It certainly looks like everything was thrown together in a blender and left to do whatever it wanted.”

“Ahem,” a synthetic voice said, grabbing their attention. It was a small Metarex, barely larger than Bon Bon’s head. “General Narcissus is right this way, if you’ll follow me.”

With a nod, Picard obeyed, staying close to the Metarex as it led them to a crystal teleportation platform. A crew of red fish-like aliens stepped into the pad, disappearing to somewhere else. Picard, Bon Bon, and the Metarex did the same, appearing on the balcony of one of the station’s many floating platforms. This particular one appeared to house a casino, given the images of dice and cards floating above the marshmallow-textured structure.

Picard entered, finding the interior to be well lit. There were several tables spread out around a bar, which was being tended to by a Cardassian woman and a Mobian bee. The Metarex led them past the tables filled with drunks and gamblers to a small three-seater that was occupied by Narcissus, who was busy shuffling a deck of cards.

“I hear your crew engages in card games regularly,” Narcissus said, continuing the shuffle. “Do you?”

“I rarely play,” Picard noted. “But I do know the rules of poker.”

“I’ve joined the games regularly,” Bon Bon added, taking her seat. “They’ve made me stop playing with the sunglasses so I can’t pull off good poker faces.”

“You may keep them on for this game,” Narcissus said, dealing two cards out to each of them. “Now… Captain Jean-Luc Picard. I’ve read so much about you.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Picard said, throwing some of his chips into the betting pool.

“Your record is exemplary. A living legend in your universe. One might even say you should have been chosen as the hero of your world instead of Data.”

Picard shook his head. “My place is commanding my crew. I would not be the best choice for a team of varied specialists moving with minimal regulation.”

“Is Data?”

“He seems to be doing excellently.”

Narcissus drummed his fingers against the table, throwing a few more chips in. “You know, Captain, many would consider the idea of the Federation as rather unnatural. A civilization based on the betterment of oneself, exploration, and progress—without a monetary system? How do you not collapse in on yourself?”

“Human ingenuity and no small amount of stubborn pride,” Picard responded, throwing his cards in to fold. “It most certainly isn’t perfect and we have our faults, but it has served our universe well.”

“Indeed it has…” Narcissus said, waiting for Bon Bon to make her move in the game. “High ideals so rarely survive the cold, harsh realities of space, but you are the exception. You had my respect.”

“Do the Metarex have any ideal that drives them?”

“Peace.” Narcissus bet some more.

Picard raised his eyebrow.

“I’m serious.” Narcissus leaned back, tilting his head to the side. “Your Federation has fought in wars for the sake of peace, violence is not entirely antithetical to the goal.”

“It is not, but your occupation of so many planets sure appears to be.”

“Picard, I ask you this. How can there be peace if there are two different types of people? So long as there is difference, there will be conflict. Even within your Federation, you have defectors, disagreements, arguments… until you make those around conform to your ideals.”

“We respect all the cultures within our union.”

“ ‘We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us.’ “

Picard tensed at the quote. “We are not the Borg.”

“Oh, by no means! You ask permission.” Narcissus chuckled, throwing more chips into the pot. “This changes the end result up a bit. You don’t oppress, you synthesize. In the end, the cultures within the Federation tend toward a single identity—not a mix of different identities. Conformity is a powerful tool, Captain, and you cannot stop it.” He lifted up a hand, pointing at nothing. “When you make it to the top—assuming your Federation survives what is to come in some fashion—you will have assimilated all into your coalition with the words ‘we come in peace.’ For some, it will take centuries, but as you gather more and more allies, their desire to remain unique will crumble as the new generation takes hold. And once you have everything… you will condense into one people, one culture, one way.”

Picard leaned in. “And it will be the way made from all people of the universe, working in unison. That end result would be as close to the perfect nation as could be possible.”

“I notice you didn’t say it would be perfect.”

“Perfection… is not possible. There are many things we are incapable of in our nature.”

“That nature. That nature… That nature is against peace. This is why it must be eliminated.”

“Is that what the Metarex stand for?” Picard asked. “The elimination of our nature?”

“Beyond that. We seek a return to nature, Captain. Imagine a forest stretching on for infinity, nothing but the trees to keep each other company. Its beauty is a testament to the age. In our world—and yours—those trees will eventually crumble and die, though they will have offspring. That is, until someone cuts those trees down, destroying the forest forever. In the world we seek…” Narcissus picked up a poker chip and held it up to the light, flipping it through his fingers. “In the world we seek that forest is eternal.”

“Would that world have any place for you, Narcissus?”

“Not as I am now. Not as any of us are now. But once that forest is made… there will be eternal peace. And there will be no wars because there will be no one left to wage them.”

“Except Count Bleck and his minions and whatever worlds they desire at the end of this.”

For once, Narcissus fell silent.

“The Void and the existence of the multiverse has interfered with your idea of a perfect forest, hasn’t it?” Picard pressed.

“Dark Oak has assured us that peace, and the Count granted it.”

“Then I have another question for you—would you really enjoy yourself in such a forest?”

“Not as I am now. But when the final moment comes, I will have no doubts.” Narcissus crushed the poker chip in his hands. “But for now, I will have fun and watch my enemies suffer.”

“That’s the difference between you and me,” Picard said, smiling softly. “When the final moment comes, I too will have no doubts, for I know who I am now. And yet, I still stay here, living the best life I can, often at the expense of ‘fun.’ “

“Why not revel in everything around you in this life? The worlds will end one way or another, and then what will have happened to all your noble actions?”

“They are not worthless. To throw away this life for one of abject pleasure—that is what is worthless.”

“...You are a fascinating man, Picard.”

“Um…” Bon Bon said, looking up. “I think the hand’s over.”

“Right, right.” Narcissus flipped over his cards, as did Bon Bon.

“Four of a kind,” Bon Bon called, taking the entire massive pot that Narcissus had been feeding into absent-mindedly during the conversation. She smiled innocently at Narcissus. “That was fun.”

Narcissus dug his fingers into the table. “...Another hand?”

“Yes, please!”

~~~

Jenny teleported Caspian and Vivian directly to the top of the Beanstalk, arriving within the station just as Picard began his first hand with Narcissus. Having been prepared for the station by the sights at Beanstalk City, they still had to contend with the overwhelming number of neon lights and loud advertisements.

“Ah, I remember when I first got up here,” Jenny chuckled. “There was a giant robot over there that tried to kill us. Fun times.”

“Wow. How many adventures have you had?” Vivian asked.

“I’m a billion years old, how many do you think?” Jenny leaned forward and flicked Vivian’s hat up slightly. “Think on it. I’ll wait.”

Vivian lowered her hat back down and crossed her arms. “No need to be so rude about it…”

“I kinda do.” Jenny bowed extravagantly and bounced back. “Now, where’s Yvnd?”

“You did tell him to wait an hour,” Caspian said. “It has been much less than that.”

“Oh yeah, I did. Huh.” She pulled out her staff of holding and pulled out what looked like a cell phone, except composed of meat and insect legs. “Hey! Yvnd! I’m here! Get your papery knot over here and tell me alllll about the moon stuff.”

A transporter platform next to them lit up, depositing a being seemingly made out of paper twice as tall as a normal human into their presence. It had no head, instead focusing most of its mass in a cube where its shoulders would be. It had two arms made out of long, papery strips and a single leg that looked like a tornado rather than any sort of traditional limb. On the cube, several neon-blue symbols danced in the closest thing to a face this creature had. When it spoke, the words came from every position on its body at once.

“We have much to discuss.” It pointed at Caspian and Vivian. “In private.”

Jenny threw her head back. “Ugh, fine. Here.” Jenny threw Vivian a plastic card. “That has some shin-creds, enough for something to eat at the cafe. I recommend the one across that bridge right there. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to suffer through bureaucracy.” With a huff, she followed Yvnd back into the teleporter and vanished, leaving Vivian and Caspian alone.

“I have seen many worlds on this journey,” Caspian said. “None have been as strange as this one.”

“No kidding,” Vivian said, shaking her head as she watched a pegasus pony converse with what appeared to be a sapient swarm of bees. “Let’s just… go order a coffee, or something.”

“A coffee?”

“...It’s a brown drink that gives you energy and clears your head. I feel sorry for you if Narnia doesn’t have it.”

“I’ll want to try this… coffee.”

Vivian led them across a bridge made out of blue hard-light that rippled with strange energy. At the end, they arrived at a floating metal island with an outdoor cafe, holograms of tropical trees and a beautiful beach, shutting the visual din of the Beanstalk station out for the most part. They took a seat at a table near the entrance, the closest table currently occupied by a bunch of squid-people and a floating koi fish with cybernetic implants in its skull.

“Hello, and welcome to the Cafe de Tropicana, how may I serve you today?”

“We’ll have a—” Vivian stopped short when she realized who was serving them: a small, green woman made out of plants with two rosebuds coming out of her head. She wore a simple, three-pointed white hat that identified her as an employee of the cafe. “Cosmo!?”

Cosmo gasped. “Vivian! Caspain! I was wondering where you all were!” She pulled Vivian out of her chair and into a hug. “The others?”

“Data and Tippi are on the planet,” Caspian said. “We don’t know where Twilight and Toph are.”

“But they’ll be somewhere!” Cosmo clapped her hands. “Oh, this is great! Chandra!”

A woman with three heads and five eyes looked to Cosmo.

“I’m taking my break—my friends just showed up!”

She nodded to Cosmo twice, though the third head seemed annoyed.

Cosmo removed her hat and sat down next to Vivian and Caspian. “Oh, did you want to eat something?”

“I was going to get Caspian a coffee,” Vivian admitted.

Cosmo pulled out a datapad and scribbled down an order. “Order sent, it should be here i—” with a flash of blue light, the coffee appeared in front of Caspian. “There you go!”

Caspian carefully picked up the drink and sniffed it. Cautiously, he put it to his lips. It was hot, but not too hot. Slowly, he set it down and fixed Vivian with a calm smile. “That was the most disgusting drink I’ve ever had.”

Vivian giggled. “It’s an acquired taste.”

“I wonder how one could ever acquire that taste…”

Cosmo giggled. “Oh, I missed you guys. It’s been… lonely out here.”

“What have you been doing?” Vivian asked.

“Well…” Cosmo tapped her fingers on the table. “I woke up on a distant planet with a bunch of aliens that couldn’t speak. Took me about a week to find a starship and get passage off the world so I could figure out where I was. After that, I discovered the Metarex were everywhere in this universe. They were crawling in every nook and cranny and they were always trying to attack me…” She shivered. “I was lucky I got to keep the phaser, so I could defend myself. They kept finding me, over and over…” She sighed. “I was even captured once, and before I escaped I figured out why they were here. Ever since Count Bleck recruited them, General Narcissus has been scouring this universe, looking for the Pure Heart. He can’t find it.”

“That… doesn’t bode well,” Vivian said. “We need to find it.”

“Anyway, once I escaped, I learned that this place existed. A neutral zone.” She smiled softly. “I eventually made my way here and became part of the station life. I’ve worked here for two weeks now. I rather like serving people food, it puts smiles on their faces, no matter how strange their faces are.”

“Do you have any idea why this place is so…” Caspian waved a hand in the air.

“Strange and familiar?” Cosmo shook her head. “No, I didn’t find anything out about that. All I know is that space in this universe isn’t very… full. It’s not like Hume at all, there are almost no large nations. Some sort of calamity hit the universe relatively recently and set almost every civilization into decline. The whole cosmos is a haywire mess of half-remembered technology and magic. No one really knows anything.”

“Hmm…” Vivian scratched her head. “Hopefully Data and Tippi can figure out this mystery.”

Cosmo nodded. “They always were good at research. Twilight too… I hope she’s okay.”

“We’ve found everyone else so far,” Caspian said with a smirk. “We’ll find the rest just fine, Cosmo. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, I try. I try…”

“It is easier said than done,” Caspian admitted.

“Anyway, I suppose I’ll go quit my job now.” Cosmo stood up. “Hey, Chandra? I’m finishing my shifts for today, but after that, I’ve got to go. Sorry!”

Again, two of the heads nodded and a third grumbled. It was a different head this time, though.

“Just be sure to pick me up before you leave,” Cosmo told her friends, putting her hat back on. “I’m not going to leave them understaffed just because you showed up, sorry!”

Vivian shrugged. “We’re kind of waiting anyway.”

“Keep your obligations,” Caspian said. “We will not stop you.”

Cosmo let out a soft giggle before running to a recently filled table. “Hello, and welcome to the Cafe de Tropicana, how may I serve you today?”

Information at your Fingertips

Data’s eyes focused on three separate documents scrolling past his eyes in unison. Tippi, in contrast, was only looking at one with a much slower scrolling speed. Neither of them had found much in the way of anything helpful, and they had been looking for well over a day at this point. Granted, the Enterprise research session had taken longer, but there they kept finding new things to follow. The highly incomplete nature of the Archive’s information was making future success seem unlikely.

“I do not believe we are going to find a reference to the Pure Heart directly,” Data said.

“It’s here…” Tippi said.

“You admitted that your Pure Heart sensors were heavily impeded by the nature of this world.” He glanced at her. “Is it possible that it was moved out of this world and you cannot tell?”

“I… no, no that’s not possible. It’s still here, even if it feels… wrong.”

Data nodded, taking her at her word.

“The Light Prognosticus seemed to imply we would all meet each other again.” Tippi pulled up images of Twilight and Toph she had rendered from her subconscious. “Maybe we should look for them.”

“A similar problem arises.” Data performed the searches once again just to demonstrate. “Twilight is not a unique creature in this universe, so it is impossible to pick her out from all the other alicorns that exist here. And elemental powers are hardly unusual.”

“There’s got to be something…”

“There is, but it isn’t a location or a definite answer.” Data brought up a map of the universe, complete with the primary galaxy, numerous locations around it, and the subdimensions that spiraled off the edges like a bunch of tumors. “I believe we should begin with eliminating where the Pure Heart is not, rather than look for where it is.”

“How will that help?”

“For one, we can eliminate every location that the Datasphere is directly plugged into reality.” With a wave of his hand, the vast majority of the primary plane—the one they were currently in—vanished. “And then we can run a simple algorithm to cut out places that could never hold an artifact of that power and remain stable.” A large chunk of the smaller areas of uncertainty vanished. However, this still left several subdimensions, pockets of information obscurity, and a few planets that took their security very seriously.

Tippi fluttered closer to the map. “It might help to cross-reference with every structure the Archive knows that was built by or at least related to the Ancient Wanderers. They were aware of the Pure Heart, clearly, since they made a pillar for it.”

They had already accumulated information about structures related to the Ancient Wanderers, so the cross-reference was easy. That got rid of several of the alternate dimensions. The strongest correlation occurred in the center of a small satellite galaxy to the primary one, but there were plenty of other dots in numerous other locations and dimensions.

“How can we narrow this down further…?” Tippi wondered, flying around the map.

Data cocked his head. “I believe I have a solution, but it may take some time. Cosmo suggests that the Metarex have been searching this universe ever since the Count recruited them. We simply need to look in places where they would be unlikely or unable to search…”

“To do that we’ll have to go through each possibility one at a time and assign a value to it.”

“I did say it would be time-consuming.”

“...All right, let’s try it. Once we get it down to around ten or so, if we can, then let’s start reading everything we can about those places.” She brought up a map of the satellite galaxy, frowning. “So much information in the Datasphere, and nobody who knows how to navigate it. For all we know, the Pure Heart is literally part of the floor and it’s possible we’ll just overlook it.”

“We have to work with what we have available.”

“And hope we end up finding it anyway…”

~~~

Ty Lee wasn’t working her inn—not that it ever needed to be worked in the first place—and with Eggman working on more technical projects that needed little to no exploration, she wasn’t working with him either. During the time Vivian and the others were missing, she had spent some of her time in Starlight’s training sessions, but it never felt quite right for her.

Which was why she currently wasn’t on Flipside at all. She was on the Enterprise, trying to adjust the pip on her blue uniform as best she could. Apparently, even though she’d expected to be placed on security, her knowledge of chi was classified as a medical skill—and as she’d discovered several times in the Pit, it was very useful for treating magic blockage and similar ailments. So she wasn’t just acting-Ensign Lee, she was Medic Lee. She knew how to use the equipment well enough and was just glad to be out here, but still, she was a little surprised that was her position.

That is, until today. She left her assigned quarters with a spring in her step, walking all the way to sickbay to report for duty. Immediately, she saw that some poor mint-green unicorn was on the table holding her horn and grumbling. Seeing as she wasn’t wearing a uniform, she was likely on board as a civilian passenger.

Doctor Crusher looked up at Ty Lee. “Ah, just the person I was hoping to see. I know absolutely nothing about ‘magic’ and its flow to the horn, but if I had to guess, I’d suppose that it’s blo—”

Ty Lee delivered a few careful blows to the base of the horn, releasing the tighten forehead muscles with careful precision. Immediately, the minty unicorn’s pain ended. “Woah… thanks, doc! That’s much faster than waiting for Flipside!”

Ty Lee bowed. “Don’t mention it! It’s… what I’m here for.”

The unicorn hopped up and started walking around. “Wow, I… I don’t think even Equestrian doctors could do that!”

“Fingers help,” Ty Lee suggested.

“Thanks!” She moved to trot out.

“Woah!” Ty Lee held up a hand. “I think Doctor Crusher needs to have a bit of a longer look at you just to be sure, all right?” She broke out into a big smile.

“...Okay, fine.” She jumped back up onto the bed, grumbling.

“I see you’re every bit as skilled as I was told,” Crusher said, continuing to scan the unicorn. “I can see you being a great help here, even for patients without strange, ‘magical’ ailments. Your technique is phenomenally quick and effective.”

“It was intended to be used on people who didn’t want to be poked around, so, uh, yeah.” Ty Lee broke out into a grin. “Very easy to use on people who want it to be.”

“Next time I get a patient that won’t sit still, you’re on call, Lee.”

Ty Lee nodded. “Yes, ma’am!”

Satisfied that everything checked out, Crusher let the unicorn go. “Now, you’re probably not going to be sticking around sickbay once we go out there, from what I understand you’re probably going to be the field medic. So… were you trained in basic first aid?”

“I was! But… I don’t remember much of it!”

“Then this is also going to be a learning experience for you, Ensign. You have skills, but you’ll need them rounded out. So…” She picked up a small first aid kit from under a table and gave it to her. “Let’s begin.”

“Yes ma’am!”

~~~

They held the meeting in the Enterprise briefing room. Jenny sat at the far end of the table, looking bored, while the rest of the seats were occupied; with a few people standing, even. Picard was one of the ones who sat, with Riker and Troi at his sides. Vivian, Cosmo, Caspian, and Tippi were all present as well. Bon Bon stood upright at Picard’s side and Tails just sat on the floor nearby.

“We’re going to need a bigger briefing room,” Riker said.

Data nodded. “If we are to hold meetings like this in the future, we probably will.”

“But this shouldn’t take too long,” Tippi said. “So I’ll get right to it. Simply put, we haven’t found the Pure Heart.”

“Then what have you found?” Picard asked.

“Two locations the Pure Heart is most likely to be,” Data said. “Cross-referencing places the Datasphere can’t prod with Ancient Wanderer connections and the searches of the Metarex…” He gestured at the main screen, which flipped to show two different images; one of a swirling sea of colors with multiple eyes in it, and the other a black hole with a massive web surrounding it.

“This is Celerillion and the Thon Iridescence,” Tippi explained. “...The latter of the two is easier to explain.”

“The Thon Iridescence is a digital construct that exists in a nearby satellite galaxy,” Data began. “Within the strands around the black hole, many billions of people live in a purely digitized form. It was built long before the Datasphere came online, and has kept the probes that extend the Datasphere from ever getting deep into the Thon Iridescence code. We are relatively sure Thon was actually built by the Wandering Ancients when this universe itself was very young—which makes it slightly younger than Flipside itself.”

“So it would have information Flipside doesn’t have,” Cosmo said.

“That is one benefit,” Data said. “The other is that it is able to store objects inside the digital matrix of any sort and reconstitute them at will. It doesn’t matter what the object is, so long as it can fit in the scanner. It is very possible the Pure Heart has been stored within the Thon Iridescence since the early days of the universe, under digital lock and key so no one could possibly know about it.”

Tippi continued “And since the Metarex have not thought to look outside the galaxy—yet—the Thon Iridescence will be completely uncharted.”

“There are two problems, however,” Data said. “The first, that of it being outside the galaxy, depends on Jenny lending us either a ship or a drive that is capable of reaching it quickly.”

Jenny smirked. “Oh, I’ll get you boys a drive all right, don’t you worry.”

Data didn’t pick up on her ominous undertones. “The other issue is that of the Thon Iridescence’s size. If the Pure Heart is contained within, it would be like we were opening a brand new digital universe to search for it.”

“But it is the most likely location?” Picard asked.

Data nodded. “It has the strongest ties of any location we found, and even if it is not there, the information stored within about the early days of this universe and the Wandering Ancients would be invaluable.”

Picard nodded. “And the second most likely location?”

“Celerillion,” Tippi said.

Jenny chuckled and shook her head. “The Realm of Dreams...”

“Precisely,” Data said. “Celerillion is a realm where every thought can become reality. As such, it becomes rather difficult to ascertain if anything in the realm could be considered ‘real’ outside of it. The Datasphere exists within but cannot say what is there.”

“We also connected it to the mural in the Pit of a Hundred Trials,” Tippi added. “Most depictions of Celerillion have it portrayed with eyes floating above the sky. That’s an admittedly shaky connection to the Wandering Ancients, but it’s still remarkable how it lines up. And the Metarex haven’t checked the dimension either. Because they can’t find it. The Archive informed us that Dracogen Enterprises knows of a way into Celerillion, but that we aren't cleared to know.”

“I’ll handle that too,” Jenny said. “Just need a superdrive and access to Celerillion. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.” She snapped her fingers and vanished.

“...We haven’t decided anything yet,” Riker said.

“I do not think she can hear you, Number One,” Picard said. “In any case, I believe we should pursue both of these options. The Enterprise and my crew will head to the Thon Iridescence, while the chosen of the Light Prognosticus take on Celerillion. Unless you object?” He turned to Vivian and Caspian.

Vivian simply shrugged. “It sounds like a plan.”

“In that case, dismissed. Riker, prepare the crew for unconventional methods of travel.”

Beyond the Galaxy

“What are you doing to the Master Emerald!?” Knuckles shouted.

“Reeeelaaaax!” Jenny said as she slapped yet another sticky green blob with wires coming out of it to the side of the Master Emerald. “I’m just hooking up your trademarked superdrive to your already existing propulsion systems!” She pulled out a grappling hook and launched a wire to the warp core, affixing it directly to the sticky mucus on the Master Emerald. “Booh-yeah, excellent shot.”

“But… but…” Knuckles looked to the Master Emerald, holding his hands to the side in exasperation. “You can’t be okay with this!”

The Master Emerald flashed, though it was harder to see with all the wires, pipes, and sparking magical conduits wiring around its edges.

“You… you can’t be serious…”

“I don’t like it either,” Commander LaForge said, folding his arms. “She’s doing terrible things to my warp core.”

“I’m doing wonderful things!” Jenny called, throwing a purple metallic disc onto the edge of the warp core that produced five wires that connected to different parts of engineering. “You wanna go fast, don’t you?”

“I’ll make you go fast,” Knuckles muttered under his breath.

LaForge sighed. “Yes, we want to get moving, but I wish I didn’t have to witness this… this haphazard crime against engineering to do it.”

“The technique is called cobbling!” Jenny called as she tied several wires together in a bow and fused it together with some arcane crystal. “You take whatever leftover Numenera you have from the past, smash it together, and presto, you got yourselves a superdrive!”

“It’s done?” LaForge asked.

“Just one more piece.” She pulled out the staff of holding and dropped a glass sphere with a four-layered gyroscope inside. “This… is your superdrive.”

“How does it work?”

Jenny stared at LaForge like he was asking the dumbest question in existence.

“Right, you have a ton of technology and you understand jack nothing about why any of it works.” LaForge shuddered. “This world gives me nightmares.”

“Glad I could make your sleep more interesting!” Jenny lazily tossed the superdrive sphere into the middle of the room where it rolled a few inches before coming to rest in a ring of green slime she had placed on the ground earlier. After a few seconds of nothing, the interior of the sphere began to spin so rapidly that the gyroscope was no longer visible—just a blue of red, white, and purple colors shining in all directions.

“Enable and disable here,” Jenny said, pointing to a lightswitch that looked like it belonged in an early twenty-first century home. “It’ll replace your warp drive speeds when active.”

“How fast is… ‘super one’ then?”

Jenny gave him a coy look.

“Right… no idea.” LaForge let out a tense breath. “Guess we’ll just have to try it out to see.”

“Have fun!” Jenny said, saluting. “Well, I’m going to get back to my business. I’ve got people to rob and technology to pretend I invented!” With a chuckle she vanished.

“...She was joking, right?” Knuckles asked.

LaForge shrugged, tapping his communicator. “Captain, it’s installed. It looks ugly as a Rigelian hawk-wasp, but apparently it’ll work.”

“Acknowledged,” Picard’s voice came back. “All hands, prepare for experimental travel.”

~~~

“Helm,” Picard said. “Is the course plotted?”

Tails pressed a button. “Straight line right out of the galaxy and to the Thon Iridescence laid in.”

“Good. Raise shields just in case.”

Riker raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure shields will do much at this speed.”

“It’s still a precaution. Now… Commander LaForge, engage the superdrive.”

“Done, sir,” LaForge’s voice responded.

“Helm… warp… super one.” Picard pointed a finger forward. “Engage.”

Tails pressed a button.

The Enterprise stretched like a noodle of spaghetti and every surface inside and out of the ship became a bright verdant green. The view outside became white, then black, and white again, blinking back and forth faster and faster until nobody’s eyes could detect the blinking and it was just gray. There was no sound, and all the races on board with a sense of smell swore the scent of root beer was everywhere.

The oppressive silence ended with the sound of something shattering. The Enterprise reconstituted itself into a normal, non-spaghetti shape and all the colors returned to normal. The root beer smell persisted, though.

“R-report,” Picard stammered.

“Uh…” Tails shook his head. “We’ve… been traveling for four hours.”

“Four hours?”

“According to the outside universe. According to the internal chronometer, twenty seconds.”

Picard nodded slowly. “Well… where are we?”

Tails pressed a few buttons, displaying the view outside on the main screen. It popped up a beautiful picture of the purplish spiral galaxy they had just left, swirling slowly through the cosmos. Near the edge of the galaxy, they could see a soft purple spark that was the Void.

“You know, I just realized…” Tails scratched his head. “The Void’s light can’t have gotten out this far in this universe, or in any of the others where we were traveling faster than light. How come we can see it?”

“Starfleet has two theories on that one,” Riker said. “Either the Void projects itself faster than light, or if we were to attempt to manipulate time to see it, the past would also have the Void. Out of a fear for world-ending paradoxes, we haven’t really investigated much further.”

“Oh.” Tails blinked. “Well, we’re pretty close to our original destination.” He changed the view to that of the Thon Iridescence. The satellite galaxy was almost devoid of stars, so there was very little in the way of their view. They could already make out the supermassive black hole around which Thon was built, its halo of radiative light paradoxically making the black hole’s edge brighter than any nearby star. The strands of Thon itself were nearly impossible to see, but every now and then a web-like strand would reflect light and be perfectly visible for a few seconds. Amidst these strands walked monstrous moon-sized spidery creatures with ten legs that continually weaved the dreams of billions together.

Beyond these strands was a loose cloud of yellow crystal cubes the size of moons. The cubes were known as Greeters, and they were the primary connection to the Ancient Wanderers; for their crystalline surfaces had the exact same brick design and orientation as Flipside and the heart pillar back on the planet they’d just left. Their primary purpose was also to scan visitors and transmit them into the digital world of Thon itself.

To Picard’s disappointment, Void portals were depositing a Metarex fleet around Thon, and had been for quite some time. How did they know?

“Sir, we’re being hailed,” Bon Bon reported. “By a Greeter and Narcissus.”

“The Greeter is just sending out a standard greeting, correct?” Picard asked.

“It appears so.”

“Then answer Narcissus.”

Narcissus appeared on the main screen, hands clasped together. “Well, it appears we are to cross blades sooner than expected, Captain. I’m afraid my machines have already been beamed into Thon for quite some time and have a rather impressive head start—and I have no intention of letting you even get close to a Greeter. Come any closer and I will open fire.”

“Understood. We’ll find another way around you.”

“Even with your speed, Picard, I will shoot you down.”

Picard cut the channel. “Bridge to Lieutenant Knuckles.”

“I’m here,” Knuckles responded.

“Back in Narnia, the Master Emerald was able to jump us forward significant distances in an instant. Do you think it could do that with a shuttlecraft without moving the Enterprise?”

“...That should be easier, actually.”

“Good. I’ll prepare a team. Explain to the Master Emerald that we want to be transported directly to the opposite side of one of the Greeters, out of sight of Narcissus.”

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47938.7

I am about to order the away team into Thon. They will effectively be cut off from the ship while in Thon, not because of a lack of communication, but because ten hours in Thon will correlate to a single minute in the real world, causing far too much of a discrepancy. We will be on our own.

I have made the selections for the team, five in total. I find myself wishing Worf and Data were here, for they would be my first choices for this mission, but I have a different, mixed crew now, and I shall trust them to uphold their duties.

There is one choice I am hesitant about, but Doctor Crusher assures me Ensign Lee will be invaluable for her adaptability, charm, and relentless determination. In a digital realm, I find myself thinking that adaptability will be the most indispensable of skills.

There is only one last thing to take care of before departure: my first officer.

~~~

“No, I can’t allow it,” Riker said, giving Picard the traditional “first officer” stare. “Captains do not accompany away teams, their ship needs them.”

Picard leaned against the open door of the shuttlecraft, nodding. “And in most situations, you are correct, Number One. However, I wish to oversee this mission directly, and due to the time discrepancy, I cannot do that from the Enterprise. There are other reasons I could cite—my diplomatic success, first contact protocols, etcetera—but I don’t think I need to.”

Riker sighed and shook his head. “I can see there’s no changing your mind.”

“That would be a correct assumption. And seeing as we’re out of communication range with Starfleet…”

“I know, I know, your word is final. I do want my objection to be on the record.”

“Duly noted,” Picard said, smiling softly. Pausing for a moment, he placed a hand on Riker’s shoulder. “Take good care of them, Will. It won’t seem like long to you. But to us, we might feel as though we’ve experienced an entire week. Keep her warm for me.”

Riker nodded. “Of course, Captain.”

“Now… I believe I have a Master Emerald Express to catch.” With a wave, he entered the shuttlecraft. He took his seat as the copilot, leaving the pilot’s seat to Tails. On the two seats behind them sat Counselor Troi and Ensign Ty Lee, cautiously waiting for the mission to begin. Bon Bon had to stand, but she had herself braced for a bumpy ride even though they weren’t expecting one.

“All right. Our mission is as follows.” Picard turned to the team. “We are to get into the Thon Iridescence through the Greeter’s upload protocol. Once inside, we will make our way to one of the primary digital nexuses and begin asking around. If our intel is correct, we will have three hundred in-simulation hours to get in and get out before we are locked from an easy exit. In that time we must locate the Pure Heart or some information that can put us on the trail of the Pure Heart. Each of you brings a vital component to this mission. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Captain!” All four said in unison.

Picard tapped his communicator. “Lieutenant Knuckles, now.”

“Working on it…”

It took a while, but eventually the Master Emerald’s power was diverted to the warp nacelles of the shuttlecraft, tinging them a beautiful green color. While still inside the Enterprise’s shuttle bay, the shuttle was condensed to an insignificant green speck and jumped all the way to the far side of one of the yellow Greeter cubes. Its surface dominated their viewscreen, and could easily have been mistaken for a nearby planet had they not seen it from a distance previously.

“This is Commander Tails on a secure channel, hailing the Thon Greeter.” Tails pressed a few buttons, putting the moon-sized cube in front of them. No Metarex seemed to be stalking them.

The Greeter’s voice came back—a soothing, feminine voice that sounded like a convenience store announcer. “Welcome to Thon! Do you wish to upload?”

“Yes,” Picard said.

“Then allow your ship to be guided. Thank you!” A yellow tractor beam shot out of the cube, latching onto the shuttlecraft. Carefully, the beam pulled the shuttlecraft in, depositing it floor-down onto the cube face. Elsewhere on the cube were hundreds of abandoned ships, no doubt ones that had once been full of people who uploaded and never returned.

“Here goes…” Bon Bon said. “Brace yourselves.”

“Uploading…” the Greeter said.

A bath of yellow light filled the shuttlecraft. It wasn’t painful, but it was immensely destructive. Once it had completely taken hold of their essence, all five of them were reduced to nothing more than gray dust sitting on the floor of the shuttlecraft.

They had entered the Thon Iridescence.

Gateway of Dreams

Since Jenny had decided she was going to spend her time working on the Enterprise, there was no instantaneous teleportation to their destination for Vivian and the others. Instead, they were taken out by Ivan the crystal man on a hovering glass disc that looked a bit like a flattened hamburger in certain angles of light. There were no natural seats on the disc, so Dracogen Enterprises had fused a few reclining sofas to the top so passengers could enjoy their flight in comfort.

Only Caspian seemed to actually be comfortable. Vivian, Tippi, and Cosmo were holding onto the cushions for dear life while Data kept his gaze as blank as always.

Ivan, to his credit, didn’t have traditional facial features so it was hard to tell what he was feeling, but his sagging body posture indicated he found the entire ordeal boring and tedious.

They blasted over the plains of the Ninth World, hovering over mysterious pits of discarded shrapnel, ancient robots that walked in circles, floating trees that lashed out at whatever passed, and even a surging cloud of all-devouring shrapnel. The variety of the Ninth World never seemed to end, always pushing the perception of what was considered ‘normal’.

“Hello there, brain-vat tadpoles from the day after last week!”

Vivian turned her head to the side sharply, taking in the being floating alongside their hovercar; a robed figure with no visible limbs, only a strange fogged window where she expected a head to be, giving it the appearance of having only one eye under a dome.

“What is that!?” Vivian asked.

“It’s just Ezermond,” Ivan said. “Ignore him, he never makes sense.”

“The last known checkpoint in the maze can be found in orange,” Ezermond agreed.

“I find this cryptic entity concerning!” Caspian said.

“He’s harmless,” Ivan said. “Also, you can’t get rid of him until he wants to go. Trust me. I’ve tried. Most tenacious philethis in existence.”

Ezermond floated slightly above them. “Screw in the lightbulb and hold a pow wow!”

“He does seem…” Cosmo scratched her chin. “Out there.”

“Turn it into a peach and avoid chaotic party blowers!”

Vivian tried to ignore the creature, but it only leaned in closer to her, as if it were trying to get a closer look at her individual strands of hair.

“Love covers all. See the forest from the trees. Claim your heritage,” it said. And then it was gone.

“Uh…” Vivian glanced at Ivan with concern.

“Don’t try to figure it out. It’ll only bring you pain.” Ivan let out a deep sigh. “Trust me.”

“O...kay.”

“We’re almost there, anyway.” Ivan took the hover disc down toward a somewhat tall hill in the middle of a grassy field, atop of which stood a small cathedral composed of an alien substance the color of burnt amber. While it was solid, it also appeared as though it was flowing with the refractive patterns of a watery surface. In front of the main double doors there were two humanoid guards, one with the head of a fish-dog and the other of a hairless bear with tusks.

Ivan stepped off their glass hoverboard and opened a trunk he’d kept under his seat. “You’ll be needing these.” He provided them four gold circlets with a purple crystal shard set in them. Cosmo, Vivian, and Caspian all put the circlets on their heads, finding that they shrunk to fit perfectly. Ivan had to put one on Tippi, but it shrunk perfectly to fit the little point of rainbow light that served as her head. “These will keep your thoughts muted in Celerillion. They won’t do anything until you get there.”

Data took his but didn’t place it on his head, rather simply hanging it off his uniform next to his phaser. “I will be sure to use it if needed.”

“You should be fine,” Ivan said. “If you can keep your thoughts in check.”

“I am an android. I am aware of all my thoughts. There will be no subconscious interference.”

“Yeah…” With a sigh, Ivan turned to the guards of the mysterious cathedral. “Right. I’m Ivan. Remember me?”

The guards stared at him blankly.

“...I was with Dracogen Enterprises when they came through here and helped Provenance?”

This got the guards' attention. They both nodded in unison.

“These people need passage. They won’t be asking her for any wisdom or favors.”

Nodding in unison once more, they reached for the doors and pulled them open, revealing an interior made of the same amber substance but filled with a soft, puffy mist that limited visibility.

“Good luck,” Ivan said, walking back to the hovercraft.

“Wait!” Tippi called. “You haven’t exactly told us what we’re even doing!”

Ivan sat back down in his chair and facepalmed. “You’re at the Cathedral of Provenance. Go in, talk to Provenance, she’ll get you to Celerillion. You know what to do once you arrive.”

“Yes, bu—”

Ivan took off, leaving them behind.

“For the love of…” Tippi let out an exasperated grunt and flew through the doors. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The moment she entered the mist, a hazy image of Ivan getting smashed to bits with a hammer appeared. Tippi sputtered and backed out. “Th-that’s not fair!”

“It appears this place shows what we are thinking,” Cosmo said, reaching out a hand to brush away an image of her bound and gagged, being loomed over by Dark Oak. “However disturbing that may be. And because we know it reveals what we’re thinking, we immediately go to what we don’t want others to know we think.” Her image quickly became an image of herself, except very, very confused as her mind was turning into a literal pretzel.

Vivian’s thoughts ended up being of her mother, the Shadow Queen. However, the apparition couldn’t say anything, merely looked angry and aggressive—and slowly mutated before her eyes into a bird-like being of chaos. Caspian showed remarkable control over his thoughts, focusing on an image of Aslan that prowled around him protectively.

Data’s thoughts held so many ideas at once that, when he entered the mist, he was surrounded by a bunch of tiny apparitions. Vivian could pick out Twilight, Picard, Enterprise schematics, the circlets they were all wearing, and a mental map of the Cathedral with dots where everyone was currently standing. “Wow. Impressive.”

Data cocked his head. “How so?”

“Just… you think about so much.” Vivian smiled. “And your thoughts say a good bit about who you are.”

“Does that have anything to do with the mental image you have of me serenading Twilight under the moonlight?”

“AUGH!” Vivian waved her hands in a panic, turning her thoughts back to her mother. The nightmares are a lot more preferable.

“Let’s hurry through this,” Tippi said, brushing past an image of Count Bleck looking strangely nice and comforting.

They soon made it through the mist and arrived at a set of marble double doors. Pushing through them, they ended up in the main sanctum. Once, this brilliant room had appeared to be made out of light coming directly from heaven itself, filled with pillars of pure sun and clouds that led up to a brilliant throne.

Today, it was an ordinary marble hall with a hairless, dark-skinned woman in orange clothing snoring loudly on a plush, velvet couch precariously set upon a boring and nondescript throne. Her arms were exposed, revealing strange orange markings that appeared similar to circuitry, though it looked like a natural part of her arm rather than something grafted on. Curiously, she wore one of the circlets everyone but Data was wearing.

“Provenance?” Data asked.

The woman opened an eye and closed it again.

“...Hello?”

“I’m retired,” the woman groaned. “Get your god-business elsewhere. I’ve got serious sleeping to do.”

“But we require your assistance.”

“Did you not hear me? I’ve retired from the whole ‘god’ thing.” She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “I thought I had Jenny send that message across the whole Steadfast and Beyond…”

“Jenny is the one who sent us here,” Tippi said.

“Oh. Her. Of course she still wants favors from me.” Provenance threw her head back and started scratching her ear. “You can tell her I’m done doing her favors. The debt has to stop somewhere.”

“Please, Provenance,” Vivian said, coming forward and bowing. “We are on a quest to save all worlds from destruction.”

“Aren’t all the heroes, these days…”

“We need passage to Celerillion. Ivan said you’d tell us how to do that.”

Provenance stared at her in disbelief. “That’s… that’s it? You just want to use my portal?”

“You… have a portal?”

Provenance pointed at an orange door on the side of the chamber. “Celerillion is on the other side of that door, knock yourselves out, I don’t even have to do anything.”

“Thank you!” Vivian said, scurrying to the door.

“We are in your debt, fair maiden,” Caspian said with a nod. “Though, if you have a portal to Celerillion…”

“They didn’t tell you anything, did they?” Provenance let out an amused laugh. “I have a portal because I’m originally from there. I’m a Tonbrium, a creature that has been taught to shape reality with her mind by the world of dreams. I have to wear this,” she tapped the circlet, “because that power got away from me in this realm. When you go in there, your thoughts will be able to kill you. You seem prepared enough… though I hope your talking machine has a very stable imagination. Otherwise, poof, everything could explode.”

Data nodded. “We were briefed on that particular aspect of the mission. I assure you, I have several self-control protocols enabled. Though, while we’re here, have you heard of anything called a Pure Heart hidden in Celerillion?”

“Nope!” Provenance laid back on her couch, closing her eyes again. “Your best bet for tracking down some legendary lost treasure is to find a cerebral husk—you’ll know it when you see it, since unlike everything else it’s eternally unchanging—and see if you can find one that still has knowledge locked in it somewhere. Maybe you’ll get lucky.”

“It sounds like we may be going on a wild goose chase,” Caspian pointed out.

“You might be,” Provenance yawned. “Now get going, I’m still learning to appreciate the joys of the sensation of sleep…”

With a shrug, Vivian opened up the doors and stepped through.

She ended up on top of a rippling ocean that, while it appeared liquid, was somehow solid. Numerous geometric shapes floated past her, several of which had wolves sitting on top of them. The sky was blue in one section, orange in another, and was replaced by a massive trail of food in between. Above all, however, there were eyes. They opened up in random locations across the world, looked around, and then closed as if they’d never been there. Fish flew overhead and beneath the waves while massive humanoids with spidery legs ran around, shrinking the closer they got to Vivian. A golden whale floated in the far distance, letting out a beautiful song that filled the hearts of all with great sadness, prompting a mountain with a face to throw a flaming boulder at it.

It was a realm of dreams. All thoughts realized to their fullest extent.

The thought both excited and terrified Vivian.

Author's Note

Oh look at that, today marks the day the patrons on Patreon have access to the ending. And the drafts on the discord server go to the end of Chapter 7.

Just lettin' you know!

-GM, master of orbs.

Domain and Quorum

Picard opened his eyes.

All things considered it looked rather boring. He was standing on a simple stone circle atop a green hill on a brisk summer day. Almost, but not quite, like a hill he had visited back home many times. In front of them was a doorway with a shimmering, mirror-like surface inside instead of a door.

“...Report,” he said.

“Here,” Troi said. “I’m fine, and as far as I can tell everything’s the same. My body, my mind, my empathic senses… everything’s in working order.”

“I’m fine too!” Ty Lee said, jumping up and down. “I’m in a computer! I still have no idea what that means but I still think it’s cool.”

“All good here,” Tails confirmed. “Bon Bon?”

Bon Bon lifted up her sunglasses to check the function of her eyes. “All good here. Even got my connection to the earth. Hard to believe that I’m just a bunch of electric signals right now.”

“Actually,” Tails began, “the Thon Iridescence doesn’t use electricity for most of its function. …Dracogen Enterprises had no idea what it does use, but it isn’t electricity.”

“For once, we don’t need to understand it to use it,” Picard said. He rolled up the sleeve on one of his arms, revealing a number counting down from one hundred hours, and a second number that stayed still at two hundred. The files in Dracogen Enterprises’ Archive had told him about this—the timer was how long they had in-simulation before the Greeter would check this realm to see if they wanted to be reconstituted. They would have three sets of one hundred hours before they were stuck. The other number was the starting value of the world’s currency they had available—femtos.

The Archive had also told them something else. “Lieutenant Drops, remind me of the procedure for making a... quorum.”

Bon Bon nodded. “We leave through that door and all think, together, that we want to break off and make a new realm within the construct. After we do that all our thoughts about what we want it to be will be averaged and a new area will be created. If we don’t use it regularly it’ll fade into nothing because of underuse.”

Picard nodded. “We all need to think of what kind of place we wish our base of operations to be.”

“Why not just recreate the bridge of the Enterprise?” Troi asked. “It’s a place we’re all familiar with, and it will provide us the structure to keep working as a crew.”

Bon Bon and Tails agreed without reservation. Ty Lee frowned. “I don’t hang out on the bridge that much…”

“You should be able to say you don’t want your mind to be part of generating the quorum,” Bon Bon said.

“Oh, okay! Then… let’s do this!”

Picard stepped up to the shimmering door to the rest of Thon. “I… know we should be able to stick together just through mental will, but let’s link hands for this first jump.” He took Troi’s hand, and in the end they created a chain with Bon Bon taking up the rear. “Prepare yourselves.”

He took a step and his body was gone. Suddenly, he was nothing but a mind floating in a nexus of endless tunnels. To his intelligence, it appeared as an endless web of bluish tendrils that focused at certain areas like neurons. The instinct to go and explore was almost impossible to resist, but he had a mission, and that came first. Willing to pop outside the web, his awareness was automatically pushed out into an area with nothing, vaguely aware that four other minds were following him. He asked the construct to make a new realm for him—and those following him. It allowed it. There was a burst of light, and he felt something enter his mind and ask what the desired realm was to be.

The bridge.

It asked a question. Enable replay? Picard answered yes immediately. He did not want to be able to be shot and killed in his own realm.

Then he stepped out of a shimmering surface where the turbolift should have been right onto a perfect replica of the bridge of the Enterprise. The rest came in behind him—though Ty Lee was in the back, rather than with the rest, and their physical link had been broken in the process of creation.

Picard was not worried. He strode down the aisle to the Captain’s chair and sat down, smirking. “I believe we’ve done it. Well done, everyone.”

Bon Bon took her station at tactical. “Most of these consoles are completely blank.”

With a hop, Tails jumped to the helm. “No warp control at all, sir.”

“I wouldn’t expect there to be,” Troi said. “After all, we’re the only thing that exists.” She sat down at operations rather than her usual seat, just to see what the console was like.

Ty Lee examined the spot the Enterprise’s schematics usually were. It only showed the bridge and the few rooms directly adjacent to it: Picard’s ready room and the briefing room. “I’m gonna see if the food replicators work.” She ducked into the briefing room, leaving the rest to examine the bridge.

Picard looked up at the screen. Pressing a few buttons on his chair, he was able to bring up an animation of stars trailing by, as if they were at warp.

“Nice touch, sir,” Troi said.

“Thank you, Counselor. Now…”

Ty Lee ran back from the briefing room, delivering a cup of piping hot Earl Grey tea into Picard’s hands. “Replicators work a-ok!”

“Good.” Picard took the cup and took a moment to appreciate the aroma. “I don’t know what I would have done without them. Now, of course, we must begin our mission. The Pure Heart and information about the Ancient Wanderers. We know almost nothing about this world except…” He decided to try something, simply willing that the Enterprise computer knew what they knew about the Thon Iridescence. Pressing a button on his console, he was delighted to see blue text appear in front of the moving star background. Entry Point. Enterprise Bridge. Ecatora. “These are the three realms we know about. Where we arrived, where we are now, and the public city coordinates Jenny provided for us. We know next to nothing else about how to navigate this web or where we can even find what we’re looking for. So keep your eyes peeled. And, if we ever get separated, remember—return here. This is where we will operate.”

“Yes, sir!” they all agreed.

“Now… I think it’s time we paid Ecatora a visit.” He stood up and adjusted his uniform.

“Recommendation, sir,” Bon Bon said. “Establish a forcefield that will only recognize us stepping out of the turbolift… shimmer. It is unlikely a hostile entity will enter, but we don’t want to take chances.”

“Make it so.”

Bon Bon pressed a few buttons and the bridge forcefield generators created a barrier around the turbolift: a circular area just large enough for two people to stand. It dissipated the moment Picard approached it.

With a deep breath, Picard locked his hands behind his back. “No chain this time. Now… we fly to Ecatora.” He stepped through, once again entering the bizarre web. He found it much easier to move now that he’d already done it once, easily able to check that the other four were linked to his mind.

He thought about the coordinates to Ecatora, and the Thon Iridescence heard him. The network sped by like every strand was but a single fly shooting by on a highway, narrowly missing the cars that were Picard and his crew. Ecatora itself was a brilliant realm that could be seen even from far, far away in Thon. It was the brightest “star” in the sky. Once you saw it, you could never lose it.

They entered…

Picard walked out of a large shimmering wall with the rest of his crew. To the left of them a troop of floating bubble creatures poured out, and to the right a massive centipede scuttled along. Sensing it wouldn’t be proper to stand and stare in awe while others wanted to enter Ecatora, Picard made sure he continued moving forward while he appreciated the sights.

Already, he knew that gravity was unusual. He had taken three steps and he was on a flat black street at a direct ninety degrees from the entrance he had just come out of. Once he had gained some space, he allowed himself to stand and stop moving to appreciate the world.

It was a city. It was every bit as varied and complex as the Beanstalk Station, except with a big difference: back on the Beanstalk, it had been possible to discern patterns. Groups of ponies, Mobians, and races with discernible features. Here, in the city fueled by imagination, there were no patterns based on previous experience. The people varied so much that a group of humanoids seemed almost out of place for how similar they were, especially given the matching uniforms. Buildings ranged from ramshackle wooden huts to skyscrapers made out of dark clouds to floating islands made out of imitation bone. The only constants were the sky and the ground; the former a constant deep evening blue, the latter a matte black covered in neon-colored lines that snaked all around the city.

Turning around, Picard saw his crew all turning their heads to see the sights. The irony was that the greatest of all was right behind them; a replica of the black hole that Thon itself was built around, sitting in the center of the black ring that was Ecatora, placed such that, for most of the city, it appeared as a black sun that never quite set.

“Marvelous…” he said, a soft smile coming to his face. “Absolutely marvelous.”

“I want. To try. Everything.” Ty Lee said, quickly realizing she was getting excited and subsequently forced herself to stifle her excitement. “But that can wait.”

“Just stick together,” Picard ordered. “Otherwise, our only course of action right now is to try everything.”

“Ah, newcomers?” A floating brain in a jar drifted over to them. “You’re all still in matching uniforms, too. I bet you just arrived fresh off your ship, huh?”

“Yes,” Picard said, believing honesty was a good policy for the time being.

“So, you guys immigrants, or you here for a reason?”

“We have a purpose here, to seek an artifact known as the Pure Heart and to gather information about the wise builders of this digital construct.”

“Don’t know nothin’ about the Pure Heart, and I know very little about the mad lads who built this place,” the brain chuckled. “But I’m sure there’s stuff somewhere around Ecatora for your pleasure. Few things to be aware of. One: replay’s not enabled, so don’t go doing anything stupid like upsetting one of the bigger avatars or tripping over and breaking your head on the pavement. Don’t wanna die on your first day here, do we?”

Ty Lee shivered. “No, I very much like being alive, thank you.”

“Two:” the brain continued, “the neon roads on the ground are shortcuts that whisk you to other parts of the city. Step on them with intent to use them and they’ll take you to their pre-coded destination. I wouldn’t use them at first, easy to get separated from the group with them.”

“Noted,” Picard said.

“Three: if you’re ever looking for free information about Thon, the public library’s a good place to look. It’s one of those buildings that duplicates itself everywhere, you’ll be able to find it almost all the time. In fact…” He pointed at a short building made of red brick with a holographic book floating above it. “That’s one of them right over there. They all link to the same information network, but you can’t use them to teleport around, unfortunately.”

“That shall be our first destination.”

“Four: here’s the last and most important one. The femtos you got on you? They will not get you very far, not even in the cheap markets. If you ever want to purchase anything in Thon, even information, you’re going to need more than the… thousand you probably have between you. Find a way to get work. What did you all do before?”

Picard smiled. “Various things. But… more than anything else, I led this crew as explorers to strange, new worlds—of which this place is a part.”

“It just so happens there’s a Navigator’s Guild here, they always need more explorers to work out the maze of the Thon Iridescence. Well, good luck!” He floated away.

“Was he being truthful?” Picard asked Troi, to which she nodded. “Good. Then… we’re going to that library.”

Together, they moved over the few streets required to get to the library. It was a little strange to walk alongside monstrous beasts, fluttering clouds, and multi-segmented beings that couldn’t actually exist in the real world, but they never felt in danger. They were in a city where anyone and anything was welcome.

However, when they finally saw the library doors, they were shocked. There, standing at the top of the steps, was none other than Twilight Sparkle, horn lit.

“Twil—”

Picard was too late. She had already teleported away. In a city this large, she could have gone anywhere—if she hadn’t left the city for another part of Thon entirely.

“...New mission,” Picard said. “Find Twilight.”

Android's Dream

“Oh my…” Tippi managed upon entering Celerillion. “It really is like entering a dream.”

“Except every single thing we thought would become reality if we didn’t have these circlets on,” Caspian reminded her.

Cosmo looked up at the eyes that kept blinking in and out of the sky. “I wonder who thought those up…”

“Eyes are very common in a lot of stories,” Vivian said. “So... probably a lot of people.”

“Focus is engaged,” Data said, appearing next to them with even more of a robotic posture than normal. “Caution: I will not be able to hold complex conversations in this focused state. Do not request things of me unless you are certain you wish me to follow it through to the literal fullest. Until you say otherwise, I shall continue with my plan.”

He focused his imagination. As an android with a limiter in place, this was pathetically easy. First… he created a screw, then the beam the screw wound into, then the wires that went through the beam, then the coating to seal all the components in place. Satisfied that the section was functional, he moved to make several dozen components at once. Screws, bolts, wires, screens, conduits; it all took shape in front of him one bit at a time, coming together at an exponentially faster rate. He dared not skimp on the details—he made sure to specifically bring to mind every single component from his internal blueprint and assemble it the way it would have been assembled in the physical world, albeit much faster.

Beams became hallways, wires became weapons, and chambers became warp nacelles. In the end, he had fully recreated the Enterprise as it had been when it flew off of spacedock, complete with the shimmering of fresh letter decals on the hull. Imagining that its transporters would take everyone to the bridge, it did. Mechanically, he sat in the Captain’s chair.

Celerillion bowed to Data’s will. No other thoughts interrupted his own.

“W-well then,” Tippi managed a little shocked at how quickly that had transpired. “I… guess we should go.”

“Scanning for areas of interest,” Data droned, looking straight ahead with a blank expression.

“I can’t sense the Pure Heart,” Tippi said. “If anything, there’s more interference here than elsewhere.”

Data had the screen display what was going on outside. Multiple versions of the eyes were looking at them intently. The angry mountain glared at them and threw flaming rocks. A simple thought from Data and the Enterprise’s phasers disintegrated the boulders. This seemed to make the mountain even angrier, so Data simply pushed the Enterprise into impulse speeds and sped away.

Then the sensors located a place of interest.

“Possible cerebral husk,” Data announced, turning the Enterprise around in a full one-eighty. However, before he pushed it into impulse again, suddenly an intruder was standing on the bridge. He was similar to Provenance in appearance with his dark skin, hairless head, and circuit-like designs on his arms, but his face was completely emotionless.

“What are you?” the intruder asked.

“I am an android,” Data responded, not taking his eyes off their thousand-yard stare. “What are you?”

“Jek of the Tonbrium. Your mastery over creation is astounding.” He cocked his head. “How do you make such detailed constructions without losing yourself to your imagination?”

“I am an android.”

“Maybe we can answer,” Vivian suggested. “He’s a machine—you know what a machine is, right? Right. He’s a machine that self-programmed before coming here to absolutely fixate his imagination so the world wouldn’t end up killing him if he wondered what would happen i—”

Jek held up a hand. “Cease talking. You are outsiders. Outsiders often speak without discipline. The wrong words can end another’s mind by introducing an evil idea.”

“Oh, sorry!” Vivian realized that meant she was talking, so she slapped her hands over her mouth.

“Your circlets appear to keep your dreams from manifesting. A powerful tool. Cannot be created, for it will work until I consider that it does not.” As he said these things, an exact copy of the circlet appeared on his head and vanished a moment later. “I warn you, do not engage with the inhabitants of this world. With a thought, they will kill you—or you them.”

“We seek the Pure Heart,” Caspian said, choosing his words carefully.

“I know of no Pure Heart. Machine.” He turned to Data. “Imagine it for me.”

Data generated the red Pure Heart, showing it to Jek before dissipating it. “Yours may be a different color.”

“I have seen no such thing,” Jek said. “Nor have I seen it imagined before. You should visit a cerebral husk to investigate. Again, avoid interaction. That is all.” Then he was gone.

“...He risked his life by coming to us,” Cosmo observed. “We could have said the wrong thing and… poof.”

“I’ve thought about thinking about exploding several times since we arrived,” Tippi said. “I’m very glad we have these circlets.”

The Enterprise passed over the mountain again. This time it was swinging the sky whale around like a club, trying to knock the Enterprise out of the sky. Data maneuvered around it with ease. Up ahead was what he had identified as a cerebral husk: a dark hunk of rock vaguely shaped like a skull, the only thing in the entire sky that wasn’t shifting and warping with twisted imagination. It was constant, and it was tremendous. Easily the size of a moon when viewed from their current angle, it invited them to the corpse of some long-forgotten mind.

“Entity standing on cerebral husk,” Data reported. “Onscreen.”

The screen zoomed in on the rocky surface where a single lone humanoid in a bloody, yellow starfleet uniform stood. He held a phaser that was black in color and shared Data’s completely blank expression.

Data twisted his head to the side. “Psychic attack. Compensating.” A spark flew out of his ear. “Difficulty.”

“D-data?” Vivian put her hands to her mouth. “Oh no…”

Cosmo ran to the tactical console and locked phasers on the not-Data thing manually since Data himself was occupied. “Firing phasers!”

The Enterprise unleashed its orange beams onto the creature, but it blinked out of existence before it was hit. It appeared directly on the bridge of the Enterprise, staring right at Data. More sparks flew out of the android’s head. “Error. Error. Error.”

The not-Data lifted his phaser and aimed at Data’s head.

“Foul beast!” Caspian shouted, swinging his blade at the imposter. With his free hand, not-Data smacked Caspian aside, hitting him across the forehead. Caspian went flying…

And his circlet fell off.

Cerelillion heard Caspian’s thoughts… and obeyed.

The mind does strange things when it’s afraid. When it fears for its life or for the lives of others, the fear warps the imagination, often into the worst possible outcome of what is feared. The existential threat of the “worst-case scenario” was a terrible and brutal killer of men in Celerillion, and it would have killed Caspian were it not for one thing—he believed he had someone watching over him. His thoughts of the worst-case scenario were replaced with thoughts of the proud, beautiful lion that he served.

But once the primary difficulty of the “worst-case scenario” was surpassed, the secondary arose: that of fear warping memories and images through tapping into the base survival instincts of humanity. The lion that projected from Caspian’s subconscious was regal, powerful, and dangerous. But all the kind and understanding qualities were gone.

Caspian quickly forced his circlet back onto his head, but the damage was already done. Celerillion had a new entity, and it thirsted for blood. It jumped the thing that was assaulting Data, biting into the neck and tearing out digital components. Once separated from the main body, the imaginative structure of the components dissipated into nothing more than shadowy dust. Three more guttural bites and the not-Data was utterly destroyed.

Somehow, despite having not attacked a being with blood or even substance, the lion’s teeth were a bloodcurdling red. It slowly turned, predatorily moving toward Caspian, teeth bared.

“You’re not him,” Caspian said firmly. “It… it shames me to see my mind produce such a false image.”

“Data!” Tippi called. “Data, imagine it away!”

Data was unresponsive. Every couple seconds he would move something, indicating he was at least partially functional, but nothing was being imagined whatsoever.

The lion prodded toward Caspian, teeth bared.

“I will stand against a false image!” Caspian declared, drawing his sword. “Even though I will fall to my own hubris, I will stand to the end!”

The lion nodded in a brutal respect to Caspian. Then, slowly, it lifted a paw and pointed at Cosmo.

“No, don—”

The lion jumped Cosmo. She pressed down on her phaser, scoring a direct hit, but the image was immune to the attack. With a light yell, she ducked and rolled under the lion’s pounce—but it still managed to claw through her outer leaves. Twisting around, the lion moved in for the killing blow. She wouldn’t be able to dodge it.

Vivian didn’t waste time thinking. She removed her circlet, keeping her eyes shut as tight as she possibly could, cutting out all else. He is a good lion. He is a gracious lion. He is a powerful lion. He will not abandon us. These are all the things Caspian said… So let the right one appear!

She slammed the circlet back on her head and opened her eyes. As she’d hoped, there were two lions on the bridge now—one with a bloody, dripping mouth, and the other with a calm, regal expression.

“You have no business here,” the new lion said. “Begone.”

The bloody lion vanished into the winds of Celerillion.

“A-aslan?” Caspian asked.

Aslan nodded curtly to Caspian—but quickly turned to Vivian. “Well done.”

“Bu-bu-bu—” Vivian stammered.

“Blessed is she who has not seen.” His face seemed to smile at her. “Do not be afraid. I am he, I am no fake. No perfect fake could exist, for then it would become me, and I am.”

“I shouldn’t’ve sorry I um…”

“Child. Now is not the time for fruitless wondering and destructive self-doubt. There will come a time where you will examine your life for what it is, and understand what was good, and what was evil. Today, you have victory.” He laid his head next to Vivian, brushing her with his mane. “Relish in your new light.”

Vivian couldn’t help but smile—even if she was still completely speechless.

Backing up, Aslan returned his focus to Caspian. The King of Narnia hung his head. “I have failed you, my Lord. I have no right to stand.”

“You never did. Stand anyway.”

Taking a deep breath, Caspian rose to his full height.

“Son of Adam, not everything is in your power to control. Rest. The evil within you is exposed, it will not live long.” He lifted his head up and shook his mane, letting out a roar to the sky.

When he turned to leave, Cosmo held up a hand. “Um… thanks for the save.”

Somehow, he seemed more delighted at this than anything they’d seen before. “You are welcome, Cosmo.”

Then he was gone.

“...Well then…” Tippi said. “Is... it even possible to tell if…? I… You know what, I’m not going to ask.” She fluttered over to Data. “Data?”

Data’s head flopped to the other side.

“He’s down,” Caspian said. “We need to get him back to Starfleet.”

Vivian took a deep breath, gathering her wits. “We do need to—but there’s also a cerebral husk right outside. We… we should see if we can find what we need on it, first.”

Caspian nodded slowly. “Right… it may not be easy to get here again.”

“Cosmo? Can you run the transporters and the ship?”

Cosmo examined the cuts in her leaves, finding them not to be that serious. “Sure! I’ll have you in and out. Just… hmm.” Cosmo took the communicator off Data’s uniform and tossed it to Caspian. “Just call me when you want to be beamed back.”

Tippi fluttered over to Vivian and Caspian. “Energize.”

Cosmo pressed a few buttons and the three of them appeared on top of the solid rock of the cerebral husk. They could feel the death within the ground, and if any of them had not had their circlet, they would have imagined themselves into a decaying heap of flesh before being reduced to nothing. As it was, they were just unnerved. It was impossible to tell the entire structure looked like a skull from afar, but it was as though the husk wanted them to know the entire time they were on its surface.

Vivian focused upward at the beautiful eyes blinking through the sky. They filled her with an inner peace the rock below didn’t.

“This…” Tippi paused. “This place is different.”

“How so?” Caspian asked.

“Everywhere else, there’s been this buzzing in my sensors. Ones that let me know the Pure Heart is somewhere in the universe. While here, on this husk, I feel nothing. This dead thing is a hole. There is no Pure Heart here—I can only sense the Pure Heart being away from this.”

“And you’ve never felt this before?” Caspian asked.

“Never,” Tippi confirmed. “Even near the Void, I feel something. This is… as if part of the Pure Heart itself had died, if that makes sense?”

“Not really,” Vivian admitted. “But at least we know it’s not here.”

Caspian tapped his communicator. “Cos—” the communicator burst into flames, making Caspian tear it off and throw it to the ground. “What in blazes!?”

Suddenly, there was a Tonbrium in the middle of the three of them, and this individual was a lot less chatty than the previous one. He imagined a massive hammer in his hand and brought it down, only for Caspian to roll out of the way—but not before an imagined snowball hit him in the face, making him move as though time were slowed down.

Vivian shifted behind the Tonbrium and punched him in the chest, lighting him on fire. All he had to do was imagine that he was no longer on fire, and he was fine.

This is going to be problematic.

Vivian turned to the shape of the Enterprise and started shooting fireballs. I need to get Cosmos’ attention. Come on, Cosmo, come on!

The Tonbrium imagined that Vivian could no longer shoot fire, so she couldn’t. She backed away from him, fearing the Tonbrium would imagine her into a plate of food or something, but Caspian ran to her rescue—stabbing a sword right through the warrior’s chest.

He imagined Caspain’s sword didn’t exist and that he was fully healthy.

“I keep losing my swords,” Caspian muttered.

The Tonbrium imagined a whip aflame, cracking it in the air.

“Be careful, you might hit yourself!” Tippi called. The instant she said this, the whip cracked onto the Tonbrium’s back. “That’s right, try not to think about hitting yourself!” The whip seemed to take on a mind of its own, whipping the Tonbrium across the back—but he regained control of his mind, glaring right at Tippi.

“Listen closely,” Tippi said, fluttering a fair distance from him. “Your arm is essentially just a very large sausage being cooked by the inner fire of your bones. The more you move, the more your internal organs burn the material you’ve ingested over the day. The flames of the organ systems within you are always a split second away from failing…” He tried to imagine her freezing solid, but the focus required to do that made him think about his foot bursting into flames. Seeing the weakness, Tippi pushed. “You are on fire. You must stop thinking about fire to stop being on fire. Use that mental discipline of yours to force the fire of fire out of your mind—fight fire with fire, as it were, like I’m doing, firing at you with words you cannot ignore about the burning blight of your buttocks.”

Suddenly the Tonbrium’s butt lit on fire. His posture remained passive, though, and he attempted to keep his expression flat.

“Also don’t think about ice,” Tippi suggested. “Especially not growing from your head down, stabbing through every little part of your skin like it’s a—” he swung his hammer, but she noticed he wasn't generating any more imagined weapons. “—a trampoline net, that you need to jump and jump and jump on until it shreds like rubber right down the middle, snapping and popping with every little piece of the thread—or spinal cord, your pick.”

The Tonbrium’s bones started cracking, but he still moved forward, simply because he knew how to avoid thinking about his own death while also fixating on his life. Tied up in his own thoughts as he was, he would still move toward her. Still—

“Oh look at that, Vivian just cast Explosion.”

Vivian did not cast Explosion until Tippi had said that, and then an explosion erupted from her finger and threw the Tonbrium off the cerebral husk and onto the ground below.

“Huh,” Vivian said. She checked to make sure her fire powers were back. “Neat.”

“Creatures like us that can say anything without endangering ourselves really are monstrous here,” Caspian said. “No creature of that sort would be able to do what you just did, Tippi.”

“I try,” Tippi said, giggling slightly. “Now, we just need to get Comso’s attentio—oh no.”

The mountain beast that they had seen several times before was running right at them, throwing a boulder not at the Enterprise, but the three of them on the cerebral husk.

“Cosmo!” Vivian shouted. “Now would be a good time t—”

The transporter picked them up just before the boulder smashed into the husk.

“—o beam us up,” Vivian finished on the bridge.

“Your communicator broke, didn’t it?” Cosmo asked.

Caspian nodded. “Quite. Now, what is this mountain’s problem?”

Cosmo pressed a few buttons, putting the mountain on screen. She had to fire phasers to destroy the incoming boulders. “I have no idea. It certainly seems very fixated on us, though…”

Splintered Twilight

Captain’s Log, Thon Iridescence.

I am aware this log will never be read since this Enterprise is not connected to the other, but I feel the need to record a log anyway.

We have joined the Navigator’s Guild and have proven invaluable to its efforts to explore and understand distant digital realms. The work pays well. However, despite this, we are no closer to completing our goals. While we have heard rumors of Twilight, we can never pin her down, and the information we originally entered Thon for is hard to come by.

Over half of our allotted time has elapsed. I fear that if we do not start making progress soon, this mission will have been a failure.

~~~

It seemed that even within the digital realm of Thon, where people could become anything they wanted, bigoted hatred remained for those deemed “other.” When Picard had taken that job with the Navigator’s Guild he’d half expected to run into situations he’d never even dreamed of before. As it turned out, there really was nothing new under the sun.

“You keep your true form, and yet you protect the blasphemers,” a humanoid being with silver skin was saying, a scar across his left eye. “Why?”

“Because I believe in freedom,” Picard said. “This world is the ultimate expression of freedom. We are permitted to do what we wish to ourselves—even if, often, we choose to alter ourselves to our own detriment. That freedom to ruin ourselves—or to better ourselves—is what makes us who we are!” Picard gestured with a hand at the sea of humanoids behind the silver speaker. “You seek to remove that freedom. By removing the choice, you make yourselves and everyone else lesser for it.”

“They can still choose between their true selves and death.”

“That is no choice at all, my friend.” Picard said, shaking his head.

“It would be like…” Picard’s only companion, Troi, took a moment to think before continuing. “It’d be like someone coming from another realm and claiming you had no right to speak a certain word, or think about a certain topic, or to enjoy a certain meal.”

“We do not go that far,” the being asserted.

“But the arguments for such things are the same!” Picard turned to address the entire company. “You say it is wrong and detrimental to the soul to change one’s form, and you may be right! But it is also wrong to engage in pathological lies, greed, vile mockery, and even murder itself. Yet, seeing as you are planning on committing murder on a vast scale to right this ‘unreal heresy,’ you do not find murder something worthy of being corrected.”

Behind the crowd, Picard noticed Ty Lee and Bon Bon stealthily moving along the edge of the back wall toward the control panel that held the digital corruption weapon. Tails had deduced how it worked and had told them how to disable it stealthily. The hope was that it wouldn’t be necessary, but they couldn’t take a chance that some young resentful man would press it anyway.

The silver man frowned. “The murder is, in fact, quite detrimental, but the betterment of society is worth it.”

“Then where does it end?” Picard asked as Ty Lee kicked the control panel with her foot, popping a chip out that she caught in her free hand. “Do you purge the heretics who change their forms? Then purge the ones who revel in lies? Do you not see where this ends? Eventually, you will remove choice from people entirely.”

The being nodded slowly while Ty Lee snapped the chip in half and jumped onto Bon Bon’s back. It looked like they were going to fall onto the crowd, but a stealth grappling hook embedded itself in the fleshy ceiling and whisked them soundlessly out a window.

“I implore you,” Picard continued as though nothing had happened. “Consider rethinking your position. We are free—so long as our choices do not harm others. Do not take it away.”

“We shall consider it,” the silver man finally said. “You are free to go.” He gestured at the doors.

Picard bowed. “Thank you for listening to us.” Respectfully, he and Troi walked out of the building to a realm with a blue sky and completely natural forests. Ty Lee and Bon Bon were waiting for them. Wordlessly, they all nodded and walked down the dirt path together.

Once they were out of earshot, Picard turned to Troi. “Do you think they will listen?”

“I think their leader will listen.” Troi locked her hands behind her back. “I am unsure of the others.”

“As well as can be expected, then.”

“I am curious, Captain.” Troi turned to him with a thoughtful expression. “What do you really think of all the citizens of Thon who alter their forms?”

“I think almost everyone in this place is trying to lie about who they are, most of all to themselves,” Picard said. “This digital realm is an escape, a bigger escape than anything ever can be. I agree with them that, by readily altering themselves, they throw away the unique part of their identity. Though, naturally, I would go to the ends of the earth to defend their right to do such things. I meant what I said about freedom.”

“We need to be able to make mistakes, or what’s the point?” Bon Bon added.

“Precisely, Lieutenant.” About this time, they arrived at the shimmering veil that led to the rest of Thon; a hole in a mountain’s side that was guarded by four humanoid beings. They lowered their guns and spears.

“You may leave,” they said.

Before Picard’s crew could move, however, there was a flash of magenta light, depositing a purple alicorn at the gate. Without looking behind her, she jumped through.

“Twi—” Picard sighed as he realized she was gone. “It’s been a week and we never see her for long…”

Bon Bon turned to the guards. “What was she doing here?”

“We have no idea,” a woman responded with a shrug. “She started showing up about a month ago. The first few times we just killed her for trespassing, but she kept appearing so she probably had some kind of replay artifact. We just stopped attacking her after a while. She comes and goes as she pleases.”

Picard nodded in appreciation. “I extend my gratitude—but we still must be off.” He led his crew through the mirror just as he heard an angry scream from far behind them. Just in time.

~~~

After reporting their mission’s success to the Navigator’s Guild, they returned to the Enterprise bridge, where Tails was sitting in the first officer’s chair. He sat bolt upright when they arrived. “Did it work?”

“Their chip is smashed,” Ty Lee confirmed, dropping the two halves of the chip onto the ground. “They’re not going to be able to replace that!”

“Thon is saved from a digital war,” Picard said. “We’ve done good work. Commander, add another Twilight sighting to the list, in the Pure Hills realm. She has apparently visited regularly, and was killed multiple times.”

Tails logged it into the computer. “She really must have one of those replay artifacts. No idea how she obtained a permanent one, though, most people think that’s impossible.”

“Twilight has a way of doing the impossible,” Bon Bon said.

“Good point. Anyway, while you four were out, I wasn’t able to find anything in the records we purchased. Just lots of hearsay and weirdness that may not even be true.”

Picard sat down in his chair and pulled up their remaining time on the main screen. One hundred and twenty-four hours left, twenty-four before the next exit cycle. Frowning, he pulled up the “map” of Thon, plotted with every single sighting of Twilight, both by themselves and by people they’d talked to. There was still no pattern.

“Any ideas?”

Everyone shook their heads. They had already tried camping out at the entrances to worlds she returned to regularly—she never seemed to come back to them while they were watching. If this was just bad luck or some other force at work, they had no way to tell. Some of the people who had met her had claimed to tell her that “Captain Picard” was looking for her, but she never reacted to this.

It was all deeply troubling.

Furthermore, they’d still found nothing about the Pure Heart and only unrelenting rumors about the Ancient Wanderers—or the Architects, as they were known to the people of Thon. They were no closer to any of their goals, despite having earned a fair amount of cash from their work for the Navigator’s Guild. It appeared that what they wanted to know just wasn’t available for purchase.

“I’m open to suggestions,” Picard said, scratching his chin.

“I could run the Ecatora markets again,” Ty Lee said. “Maybe I’ll find something this time.”

“If we can think of nothing else…”

The red alert lights came on as a Thon avatar materialized at their shimmering entrance, just behind the forcefield.

“Cancel red alert,” Picard ordered, turning his chair around and discovering that he recognized the blue fish-cat from the Explorer’s Guild. “Ah, Rachi. What brings you here?”

“You did real good on that last mission. Real good.” The fish grinned, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth. “But, how about, instead of direct femto payment, I give you some information you’ve been dying to hear.”

“What kind of information?” Picard asked.

“About that little purple horse you’re always talking about.”

“Done,” Picard said. We have little use for excess femtos anyway.

“Good…” The fish chuckled. “She’s been sighted in the realm known as the Library of the Lost several times over the last week, to the point at which the people who visit there almost always see her.”

“Of course she’d spend all her time in a library,” Bon Bon said, shaking her head.

“Where is the Library of the Lost?” Troi asked.

The fish snickered. “You’ll have to pay up for that information, lady.”

“I’ll have a thousand femtos transferred to you immediately,” Picard said. “Now, the coordinates?”

“Sure thing!”

~~~

The Library of the Lost had no exterior; they appeared on a shimmering surface at the base of a square wooden pillar, walking onto a red, carpeted floor. Around the pillar were eight other pillars, though all of these were not solid wood, but were rather carved into bookshelf shapes absolutely filled with books on all four sides.

This pattern of eight bookshelf pillars surrounding a wooden center repeated itself for infinity. Every “central” pillar had a shimmery surface that could serve as an exit to the library, never more than a few seconds’ walk away from any location. In addition, the “central” pillars had ladders that went both upward and downward to other floors that were effectively identical to the first.

As far as they could tell, the library had no end in any direction.

“...If she’s here, we’re going to be searching a while,” Bon Bon said, walking up to one of the bookshelves. “Oh no.”

“What?” Tails asked.

“The books aren’t sorted. If I know Twilight, she’s probably trying to organize this place.”

“Actually, that’s more of a habit of mine than anything else,” Twilight said, flying by with a pile of books in her hooves. “I spend most of my time researching. Speaking of, there’s no time to waste! Bye!”

“Twilight!” Picard called. “Stop!”

Twilight turned back, smirking. “Can’t stop, won’t stop!” It was at this point Picard realized Twilight had no horn—that it was a pegasus flying by. But the Twilight they’d seen out in Thon had a horn for certain.

“Curious…” Picard scratched his chin. “It is clear that something strange is going on with Twilight, if it even is her.”

“Uh, yeah, that’s her,” Twilight said. As she walked up to him, Picard noticed that her mane was dyed black and she was chewing bubblegum, though she had a horn again. “But I’m also Twilight. How can I, like, help you, or whatever?”

“Don’t you remember me?” Picard asked. “I’m Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise.”

“Not ringing any bells.” She blew a bubble and popped it. “But I’m not exactly focused on memory. One of the others might know you. So let’s get rollin’.”

“There’s… more than one of you?” Ty Lee asked.

“Obviously.”

“...Okay then.”

“Stop boggling vacantly at the nonsense, I don’t have all day. There’s quality brooding I need to get back to.”

Ty Lee mentally dubbed the black-maned Twilight “Edgy-Twilight” in her head as they followed her through the Library of the Lost. As they got deeper and deeper, they started to see more and more Twilights. There was an earth pony with a blank expression reading a book about rocks. There was an alicorn with a completely white coat and fire for a mane. There was even a human Twilight walking around on her hands as if it were completely normal.

“What is going on?” Troi asked.

“I’m just gonna let one of the wordier ones explain it,” Edgy-Twilight said. “I don’t want to get into an argument over the disambiguation or proper use of the word ‘Splintering’ at the moment. I don’t even want to be here, but you know how it is, just one endless book to the next.”

The density of Twilights increased as they moved until they found an area of the Library that could hardly be called a library, but instead was a pile of massive books arranged into the shape of a fort. Twilights crawled all over the structure; some adding new books to it, others carefully swapping books out. There was a large variety in the Twilights, for while most were purple alicorns, there were a fair number of other pony types, alternate mane styles, and palette swaps. Most of them glanced at Picard’s team without recognition.

However, at the front arch of the book fort, there was a simple unicorn Twilight who wore triangular golden earrings. When she saw Picard, she let out a squee of glee. “Ohmygosh! It’s you! You… you’re really Picard, right? I’m not just getting a fake memory here?”

Picard lowered himself to be closer to eye level with this Excited-Twilight. “I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship, Enterprise.”

“And I’m Twilight Sparkle Splinter Seven!” She bowed slightly. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here, maybe you can help us with our problem…”

“Maybe you should explain what you are, first?” Troi asked.

“Right! We should go talk to Splinters One, Three, and Fifty-six about that. We probably have time. Probably.” She led them into the book fort, filled with many more Twilights, most of which were pouring over massive tomes, searching for information of some kind or other. None of them looked like they were finding what they wanted.

Toward the back of the first bookish room, there were three Twilights. The first looked exactly like Twilight normally did, horn and all, while the other was the same except she had bright blue eyes. If Ty Lee had to guess, these were One and Three. Which would mean the earth pony with three eyes was Fifty-six.

Splinter One recognized them immediately. “Oh! Oh thank Celestia someone finally showed up! I… Seven-hundred-two! How long has it been since I came online?”

“Eighty-two years, Thon time,” the miniature Twilight said from atop a pencil eraser embedded in the floor.

“You’ve…” Troi sat down, placing her hand on One’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry you’ve been alone for so long.”

“Me? Alone? Psh, naw, I’ve had the other Splinters to keep me company! And I take vacations to the other realms of Thon all the time. Though… uh… yeah I don’t remember your name, which one were you?”

Troi smiled sadly. “Counselor Troi.”

“Right, yes, of course. Uh… Captain Picard, no idea, no idea, Bon Bon. ...Bon Bon? What are you doing on a dangerous mission near the edge of the universe?”

Bon Bon smiled awkwardly. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me. ...If you’re really Twilight.”

“Oh, I am, I’m the only exact copy among the Splinters,” One said. “Though, uh, naturally I’m eighty-two years older and so much wiser!”

“And nuttier,” Three added. “One-twelve had to perform psychological evaluations on all us early Splinters a while back to keep us from forming a book cult that probably would have culled in the Thon glitch patrol. General rule? If you run into a low number, chances are they’re probably not all that mentally stable if they seem anything like the original.”

“We are fine, though,” One huffed. “Seriously, how do you exp—”

“The Book of Boregal,” Fifty-six deadpanned, staring One right in the face.

“I said never bring that up again!” One shouted at the top of her lungs, tossing a few books over.

“Point made,” Three said.

“I didn—ugh!” One put her hooves over her eyes. “Okay, yes, time hasn’t really been good to us unless we were lucky enough to be splintered far from the original. Those without strong memories seem to do better.”

“I’m afraid we still don’t understand what’s going on,” Picard said. “Can you explain… simpler?”

“I will,” Fifty-six said, closing her normal eyes but keeping her third open. “Twilight awoke already part of the Thon Iridescence over a month ago in real-time, but it’s been almost a century Thon-time. It didn’t take her too long to figure out where she was, but once she did, she realized she had an opportunity: she could stay in Thon and have plenty of time to research possible methods of defeating Bleck without the constant threat of the Void overhead. So she began researching.

“But, she soon realized she would slip away as time wore on. By the time she left, left to return to the heroes, she wouldn’t be the same and might even have developed some serious mental conditions due to the strain she was putting herself through. She was considering leaving for the sake of the others and their relationship; that is, until she found the Splinter artifact.

“When first used, it created One, a nearly perfect copy of her in every way. A few more times, it created Two and Three, who were derivatives of a derivative, and started to deviate further from the main template. Now she had friends, and a reason to stay. Unfortunately, she didn’t understand how the Greeter’s timer worked and it ran out during this time, trapping her in Thon. Rather than wasting time searching for an alternative exit, she decided to put herself in stasis, leaving the continued research to her Splinters—us.

“So here we are. Several hundred strong at this point, researching tirelessly. Trying to find information on the Pure Heart, the Void, and alternative ways to leave Thon. We’ve… found nothing on those three in the library, though our operatives exploring the other realms have found possible ways to leave Thon.”

“You’ve just been sitting here for years?” Troi said, gawking.

“Well, we have,” Three confirmed. “The original is locked in stasis with only a couple weeks of extra experiences. She should be fine.”

“Assuming there are no side effects from the stasis,” One commented.

“Oh. Yeah. Right.”

“Wait…” Bon Bon cocked her head. “The gray people said they’d killed you several times. ...You don’t have a replay artifact, do you?”

“I do,” One said. “As the only one with all of the original’s memories, I’m deemed important enough to carry it. But none of the others do.”

“You’ve been throwing your own lives away?”

“There’s a lot of us,” Three said. “It… doesn’t make me feel very great, but the nine-hundreds seem to volunteer for it a lot. They even went out and kept throwing themselves at that guy with the board game realm, it only took them six attempts of that game of life and death to get the prize.” She held up a white sphere that swirled itself like a shell. “Cortex key. One of the rarest things in the Thon Iridescence.”

“What does it do?” Tails asked.

“Grants you access to the primary Cortex of Thon,” One explained. “Where you can, in theory, control everything you need to. We’re planning on sending somepony there the moment we get anything solid on the Pure Heart. Or when we get fed up. We’re getting pretty close to fed up at this point.”

“You’ve been fed up a grand total of twenty-four times!” called another Twilight from across the room.

“One-twelve, you weren't around for the first years! How could you know?”

“Statistics!”

Picard scratched his chin. “You know, I find it strange that you’ve found nothing on the Pure Heart, alternative exits, or the Void. Surely you’ve come across something?”

“Not in this library,” Three muttered. “It’s like the topics were stricken from the record. And this is supposed to hold every physical book in Thon somewhere on its shelves!”

Picard leaned forward. “Have you found any passages about… the Wandering Ancients?”

“Oh yeah, loads.” Three levitated a book out of a nearby wall. “They built this place and a lot of other structures across the entire Ninth World. Not entirely sure why but we weren’t exactly researching them directly, just found references to them as we were studying.”

One pointed at the book Three had levitated out of the wall. “That’s a cookbook. Not the Wandering Ancients Compendium.”

“What?” Three glared at the book in confusion. “But I’d been so sure…” She placed the book back in the wall and looked at the books around it. “All right, who moved the Compendium? I was keeping it for later reading!”

“I don’t think anypony’s been here since you put it back,” One said.

“I can confirm,” Fifty-six droned. “None have approached here since you last put it away.”

“But… wait, that means it just vanished? How?”

Picard’s grimace deepened. “Perhaps the same reason you’ve found no reference to the Pure Heart or other methods of escape in the library all these years you’ve been here.”

“That…” One’s eyes widened. “Eighty-three couldn’t have been right… That… There’s no curse here, I looked for one!”

“If the curse keeps you from finding what you’re looking for…” Three breathed.

“Oh my Celestia,” One said, putting a shaking hoof to her head. “We’ve… we haven’t been on a wild goose chase this entire time… One of us would have noticed…”

“Unless the curse tries to stop you from noticing, too,” Fifty-six said. “And the only reason we’re able to think about it is because these newcomers have shown up who aren’t in the curse’s grasp.”

“That it.” One lit her horn on fire. “I’m burning this library to the ground.”

“Leeeet’s not get too hasty!” Ty Lee said. “You still found a lot of interesting things! Like… the Cortex! And stuff about the Wandering Ancients!”

“I… suppose that is useful…” One dissipated the fire on her horn. “If there’s no real point in continuing research in this forsaken traitorous place, we might as well just wake her up and go look at the Cortex.”

“Which is a possible exit,” Fifty-six reminded her. “As we got from the outside sources.”

“Right.” One tossed her head back. “Okay everyone! We’re waking up the original!” She lit her horn, pulling a wall of books open as if it were some kind of secret door. On the other side stood Twilight Sparkle, frozen in a cube of ice, a serene, sleepy expression on her face. The Element of Magic sat snugly on her head.

“...You froze her solid!?” Ty Lee gasped. “That’s… what!?”

“She’s fine.” One said. “So long as we thaw her out slowly a—”

“Replay’s enabled for everyone in this realm,” Three said, pulling what looked to be a miniature bazooka out from her mane. “Let’s just do this the quick way.”

Before anyone could do anything, the bazooka unleashed a rocket that hit the ice cube and exploded, disintegrating not only the original Twilight but a few of her Splinters as well, while catching some of the books on fire as a bonus.

A second later, Twilight and all her destroyed Splinters popped back into existence, perfectly healthy. Twilight took a moment to examine herself. “I don’t feel very cold…”

“I blew you up to make it go faster,” Three said, lowering her bazooka. “As an added bonus, you don’t even feel the cold. Replay’s great, huh?”

“It’s like a video game.” Tails shook his head. “Bizarre.”

“So…” Twilight glanced around at all her Splinters. “Geez, you made a lot.”

“One thousand four hundred and twenty,” Fifty-six recited. “The youngest—we call her Fourteen Twenty—is that floating eyeball over there watching everything ominously.”

Twilight looked at the eyeball watching her with nervous concern. “Er… okay.” She turned to Picard. “And you somehow found a way into this universe?”

Picard nodded. “Vivian managed to restore the stone heart and open a doorway back here.”

“That’s wonderful news! We just have to go get the last Pure Heart now!” She clapped her hooves excitedly. “...Why is no one else excited?”

“Turns out, we’ve spent eighty-two years in a cursed library,” One muttered.

“Eighty-two years!? Curse!?”

One coughed. “Yeah, so, the library prevents you from finding what you’re looking for and, apparently, tries to keep you from thinking about how strange it is that you can’t find what you’re looking for.”

“I did wonder why it was called the Library of the Lost,” Twilight said, scratching her chin. “So… we’re just giving up then? After a thousand Splinters?”

“Oh, no, we found some unrelated things that might help.” One tossed her the Cortex key. “This’ll get you to the main control of the Thon Iridescence. If you take Eleven with you, she should be able to access the mainframe and get you an alternative exit with Picard and the rest. Maybe something else useful is in there, I don’t know.”

“So halfway giving up?” Twilight suggested.

“I guess so.” One shrugged.

“Um… question.” Bon Bon glanced at all the Twilight Splinters. “Are you all coming with us?”

“Oh, no,” One shook her head. “I don’t want to try to push your Twilight out of her life. Plus, I’ve made one for myself here in Thon. I didn’t spend all my time in the library. Just… ninety-nine percent of it.”

Twilight glanced over the dozens of Twilights. “...I’ve created an entire species of digital creature.”

“Yep!” Three winked. “Thanks, ‘Mom,’ you’re the best!”

“I am unsure how to feel about this.”

“Wait until you hear about the no-replay missions…”

“The what?”

“Nothing important!” Three laughed nervously. “Let’s just get you to the Cortex. Eleven!”

An alicorn Twilight with extra-pointy ears appeared in front of them all. “Yes?”

“It would be very logical of you if you took Twilight and Picard’s away team to the Thon Cortex and made use of what you can there, yes?”

“Most logical,” Eleven agreed, turning to Picard and Twilight. “Shall we?”

“Well…” Twilight ruffled her feathers. “Just let me say goodbye to the Splinters and we can get going, then.”

~~~

Eleven, Twilight, Picard, Troi, Ty Lee, Tails, and Bon Bon arrived in the Thon Cortex. There was no sign of the entrance portal. There was no sign of anything at all. The entire realm was a seemingly endless plane of white with an equally white sky.

“I… I don’t like this place,” Twilight shivered.

“I’ll work quickly,” Eleven said. Lighting her horn, she prodded the ground with a specific spell. A small console rose up out of the ground, creating a holographic display in a language no one but Eleven recognized. “Even so, this will take time. Have patience.”

Twilight shivered. “Okay…” She turned to Picard and the others. “So, why are you here?”

“We believed it was possible that the Pure Heart was here,” Picard said. “I’m beginning to think it isn—”

“It isn’t,” Eleven confirmed. “I just performed a search algorithm through all of Thon’s scanning procedures. The Pure Heart was never scanned.”

“That answers that question,” Bon Bon said. “Maybe we’ll at least get something on the Wandering Ancients, so this trip isn’t a complete waste of time.”

“Working…” Eleven said.

“How are the others?” Twilight asked Picard.

“As far as I know, they’re doing fine—though we haven’t located Toph yet.”

“Ah.” Twilight frowned. “Has Data... or Caspian taken my role?”

“Actually, Vivian has!” Ty Lee said, grinning.

“Vivian.” Twilight smiled. “That’s… that’s great for her. Not who I would have expected, but amazing nonetheless. I hope she won’t push me out.” She frowned. “...I’ve only felt like I’ve been gone a few weeks. But… it’s been over a month for them, hasn’t it?”

“They’ll welcome you back, don’t worry,” Troi said. “Cosmo was accepted back just a few days ago from their perspective. That little trick you pulled by putting yourself in stasis will ensure you won’t feel alien to them.”

“That was the intent,” Twilight admitted. “...I feel like I should thank you, Picard, for coming to get me.”

“Anytime,” Picard said with a nod.

“Right. Well…” Twilight tossed her mane back. “Let’s return to the real world.”

“Found something,” Eleven said. “Not the exit—I found that a while ago. I found something on the Wandering Ancients. It seems to detail the history of this universe… starting before its creation.”

“Let’s hear it,” Picard ordered.

“It starts with a scientist named Merlon…”

The Beginning

“My name is Merlon,” a voice rang out from the console Eleven had just activated. “And I am making this record for those who care—care to know the Tragedy of my Tribe.”

Twilight, Picard, and the others all fell silent, hanging carefully onto every word.

“It all started when we found the pair of prophetic books—the Dark Prognosticus, and the Light Prognosticus, bestowed to us by an unknown multiversal wanderer. The Dark was a terrible book that told of the destruction of all worlds, while the Light told of how the worlds were kept from destruction. Both had correct prophecies within their pages, and neither had shown anything incorrect. But, as we researched them, those who touched the Dark book went mad. It was not the book itself—it had no enchantment—but the words within that somehow spoke directly to all those who held it, as if the words within were written with the intent to destroy the specific people who opened it.

“In the end, this caused the Tribe to split. Instead of engaging in a multiversal war, which might bring about the very end both sides sought to avoid, we went our separate ways. I stayed with the Tribe of Light and the Light Prognosticus, while the Tribe of Darkness under their deplorable Shadow Queen went to another end of existence.

“I was placed in charge of constructing that which the Light Prognosticus foresaw—the city of Flipside. Powered by the only Pure Heart that would permit our direct use, that of Earth, it stood as a testament to a bright future where, one day, the chosen heroes would rise and gather the Pure Hearts to end the future threat of darkness. After coding myself into the city’s AI and creating an interface for Flipside—ironically in the form of a shadow—I left my AI self to run things while I turned to another project, trusting my assistants Biggs and Wedge to provide the physical presence required.

“I should not have done this, but this other matter had been my life’s work. You see, my rise to prominence within the Tribe came from the proof that all worlds had once been one, and that there had been only one true Purity Heart at the start. We called this first world Eden. After realizing that the world of Eden had split into the other eight, I set out trying to find a way to replicate this process. Studying the Pure Heart of our home universe, Gaia, I set out on the largest and most involved experiment I know of—the attempt to create a new universe.

“To me, Flipside was just a momentary distraction from this goal. A necessity, and an annoying one at that. But… now I’m glad I at least left something, even if it is broken.

“Regardless, once I left Flipside to itself, I returned to my work. I focused everything I could on our Pure Heart, and I had believed I figured out how to do it. If I could forcibly sever the Pure Heart from our world—not just remove it from the universe, but destroy all connections utterly—it would create a new world in the inner spaces, forcing Gaia to generate a new Pure Heart. All the calculations worked out. There should have been no danger.

“I missed something. I still don’t know what it was, but I missed something. When I severed all connections, the Pure Heart did, in fact, create a new universe. The Ninth World. It was a bizarre place that didn’t seem to have its own idea of what to be, rather, taking ideas, patterns, and shapes from all the other universes to create its bizarre patchwork. And yet, nonetheless, it was a beautiful world. A success.

“If only its creation hadn’t heralded the destruction of Gaia.

“A new Pure Heart did, in fact, form in place of the severed connection. But it was not worthy of the word ‘Pure’ in the slightest. It was a slurried mixture of colors, ideas, and was simply unstable. I simply call it the Experiment, now. The Experiment was unable to hold Gaia together. The universe shattered into many pieces, bleeding across the spaces between worlds. Worst of all, it released the power of the Void unto the multiverse. Previously, Enuo’s attempt to enslave the dimensions of Gaia had been limited purely to Gaia and its various realms. Now… well, the Void is docile, but it’s connected to every universe. I remember enough of the Light Prognosticus to know it most likely is the power by which all universes will be threatened.

“With our world in ruins and much of our people dead, we attempted to move to Flipside. But the construct I created to manage the interface had turned against us—I had to deactivate him and work on another interface, but she didn’t work either. And the shadow… he almost destroyed Flipside. He did drive us all away.

“With our numbers limited, we retreated to the world we—I—had created, the Ninth World. We thought maybe, if we found the Pure Heart, there might be a way to undo this. But… we couldn’t find it. We built great machines and even some replicas of what was on Flipside, but all we could do was prove it was here. We never discovered its location.

“So we built Thon instead. A digital construct that, from the outside, appears to be a paradise for anyone who wishes… but its primary purpose was to serve as a relic. As a memory. A memory of who we were. Whoever finds this message, please, take the cultural archive of our Tribe of Light. Do what you can to save the worlds. Find Flipside. And fear the Void.

“This is Merlon… and this is my final message.”

The audio cut out.

Eleven pressed a few buttons, generating a cubic data crystal. “This contains their cultural archive.”

Picard grabbed it tight. “I will treasure this and see it finds a suitable home.”

“Might wanna make sure that home will last,” Eleven said. “The Void is eating everything.”

Picard nodded, turning to Twilight. “I believe it is time to go.”

Twilight nodded. “Yes. Eleven? Return us… to the real world. And make sure I appear next to them, if you can.”

“Done.” Eleven pressed a button.

~~~

The Greeter bathed the shuttlecraft in yellow light, reconstituting Picard, Tails, Ty Lee, Troi, and Bon Bon in the main room. Twilight materialized in the trunk, but she quickly got herself into the main cabin with a quick teleport. “You know… I was expecting to feel different when I got out there. I don’t, really.”

“Thon feels as real as anywhere else,” Bon Bon said.

Picard shook his head. “That world in there was as real as anything out here. Those people were people, and those worlds were lived in. Just because they lived in a land of zeroes and ones while we live in a land of atoms and light does not mean we are any more real than them.”

“Of course, sir,” Bon Bon bowed respectfully.

“Now…” Picard adjusted his uniform. “We had originally been planning a highly risky maneuver to get past the Metarex blockade around Thon.”

“Metarex blockade!?” Twilight blurted.

“Oh yeah, we forgot to mention that, didn’t we?” Ty Lee giggled. “Whoops.”

“But now…” Picard turned to Twilight. “How far can you teleport us? Your absolute maximum range?”

“With the Element of Magic I can teleport myself nine thousand two hundred and one kilometers,” Twilight said, grimacing. “Probably closer to one thousand if you want the entire shuttlecraft. You actually want me to teleport that far, don’t you?”

“Their ships don’t occupy a wall that thick, and we had the Master Emerald teleport us to get here.” Picard turned to Tails. “Take us out, but stay behind the Greeter for now. Twilight, if we just need to teleport forward and not to any destination, can you teleport while the shuttlecraft is moving?”

“Probably. But I’m going to need a few minutes to charge this much magical energy. Let me gather it before you punch it.”

“Just tell me when you’re ready.” Picard turned to Tails. “Prepare a message for Riker to send the moment we’re moving, let him know to expect us and provide transporter assistance.”

“All right…”

“Everyone else, brace yourselves.” Picard gripped his armrests. “This is not going to be as smooth as our arrival.”

Everyone did as instructed. Bon Bon pressed herself to the back wall since the seats weren’t designed for her, while Twilight simply focused on her magic. Already, her horn had three layers of magical energy surrounding it, and she was nearing the limits of her capacity.

“R-ready,” she stammered.

“Commander Tails…” Picard pointed forward. “Engage.”

The Shuttlecraft whipped out from behind the cube, speeding toward the Metarex blockade form within. It jumped to a low warp speed—nowhere near high enough to prevent the Metarex from reacting. They launched their missiles and flak weapons in one huge burst.

“Now!” Picard shouted.

Twilight teleported the Shuttlecraft—while still at warp—over the missiles and well past the Metarex blockade. This did not stop the Metarex from firing at them from the other direction. However, now they were close enough for the Enterprise to swoop in, transporting them back into the shuttle bay.

The moment they were safe, Picard tapped his communicator. “Get us out of here, Number One!”

“With pleasure,” Riker’s voice returned. “All hands, prepare for superdrive!”

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47938.7, supplemental.

It feels as though it has been over a week since my last log, even though the stardate has not changed. Our primary mission—to find the Pure Heart—failed, though we did establish that the Pure Heart was not in the Thon Iridescence. However, we did find out a large amount of intel regarding the Wandering Ancients and their history. We also learned of their fall and the answers to why the Ninth World is the way it is. And, furthermore, why it is called the Ninth World when there are only eight.

In a way, it appears this tribe is responsible both for our ability to fight the incoming Void, and for the Void itself. I do not fully understand the scope of this relation just yet, but I hope the answers are hidden somewhere within the data crystal we recovered.

Even better, we have reclaimed Twilight, and are soon to deliver her to the rest of her friends. Hopefully they are having more luck in Celerillion than we did in Thon.

I find myself wondering what those Splinters are doing in Thon, now that they no longer have a quest or an original to look to… I’m sure their society will be an interesting, if bureaucratic one.

Golem Tears

The mountain kept throwing boulders at the Enterprise, which it kept shooting out of the sky with ease.

“There’s something about this mountain…” Tippi said, fluttering closer to the main screen. “It’s important.”

“A way to the Pure Heart?” Caspian asked.

“Maybe...”

“Wait…” Cosmo pressed a few buttons zooming on on the mountain rather than the rocks it was throwing. “Watch this.”

The mountain stomped its foot into the ground, shooting a boulder into the air, which it then proceeded to launch at the Enterprise. It made the exact same motion again, though this time with the other leg, punching another one.

“That…” Vivian frowned. “That looks familiar.”

“That’s earthbending,” Cosmo said. “That’s Toph.”

“It can’t be…” Caspian shook his head. “She’s not a giant monstrous mountain!”

“Unless she thought she was for a moment,” Cosmo said.

“...We have to change her back.”

Vivian bit her lip. “Data’s out, and none of the rest of us can forcibly shape reality without endangering ourselves…”

“She’s not imagining herself bursting into flames,” Tippi pointed out. “I think… we should try to get her to imagine herself as she is, not as this thing.”

“How are we going to do that?” Cosmo asked.

“The same way I lit a man on fire down on the cerebral husk.” Tippi fluttered toward Cosmo and landed on the console she was manning. “We talk to her.”

~~~

The monster only knew one thing: destroy. Eat up the earth and pummel it into oblivion. Stomp on all those who stood in its way. That was all that mattered. Run, stomp, destroy. The fact that the earth always returned after it destroyed it was only a failure on its part, not indicative of anything else.

That was all it knew until the strange people began to take shape on the ground. It tugged at something, deep within its recesses. Buried deep beneath the rocky, chiseled exterior.

When they teleported off the ground, the monster had enough imagination to think it could still sense them, so it could—in a strange flying ship that just made it sad. Sadness turned to anger. Anger turned to destruction.

It threw rocks, but they were all deflected. It lit them on fire and continued to throw them. The ship ignored it, so it followed, fixated on its goal. It had to destroy the source of this feeling, for that was what it knew.

And then it stopped, looking at her. Shrugging off her boulders like they were nothing. It tried to imagine a successful attack, but it was always reminded of it’s failure. It would always fail. Nothing could go through, not anymore. But it must destroy.

That’s what it was, a failed monster. Pathetic, really.

With a roar, it attacked more, and more, and more.

A synthetic voice called from above. “Your name is Toph Beifong.”

The ship was talking to her now, giving her a name. That was ridiculous, she had no name. She was just a lump of featureless rock with no real depth. Just an angry, angry mountain.

“You are a human. Two smooth arms with three bony joints, the last of which holds your hand. Five fingers, which you use to bend your earth.”

The monster grabbed hold of a rock, sinking her massive fingers into it and hurling it into the sky.

“You have two legs that are much like your arms, but they end in feet, feet that you dig into the very earth itself to feel everything around you.”

She put her heel into the ground, lifting up a pillar of rock towards the ship. It was really hard to hit, there in the sky. The cocky idiots inside needed to be taught a lesson.

“You remember, what you were, I can see it. I didn’t even have to describe your clothes, your face… but you’re made of flesh and bone, Toph. You were never made of the earth—you controlled it. It served you, you were not its servant.”

Her hair stood on end as she swung her fists at the starship, hoping to puncture through its shields. It needed to suffer. It was too close to her.

“You’re not a monster. You’re a kid—a young, young woman thrust into situations she really shouldn’t have. Do you remember? Do you remember your home?”

Flashes of towns appeared around her, only to crumble by her feet. Images of half-remembered faces danced through her senses, only to vanish. Fire. She felt fire.

“You are Toph Beifong. You are not a monster, and you are not made of stone. You are a flesh and blood human being who has many, many friends in the world who would do anything for her. You are loved.”

“Stop it!” Toph shouted, driving her fist into the ground and causing an earthquake. “Stop it, Tippi!”

“Toph, you are a headstrong, arrogant, self-centered piece of work that runs from her problems.”

“I’m going to grind you into fairy dust!” She vaulted toward the Enterprise atop a rocky pillar, fists pulled back.

“Toph, you are a determined, compassionate, beautiful child with an integrity I envy.”

Toph punched the shields of the Enterprise, bouncing off them harmlessly like a fly. Tears flew out of her eyes.

“Toph… you’re blind. And, somehow, that has made you the strongest of us.”

“Strongest of what!?” Toph shouted.

“Your friends. Cosmo, energize.”

Toph was caught up in a transporter beam and deposited on the bridge of the Enterprise. She thought it was rather cold in here, so it started to snow. The snow dissipated the moment Vivian slammed Data’s backup circlet on her head. “Got her!”

“Got… me?” Toph wiped her eyes. “Hold on, what just…?”

“We are in a universe that will do everything you imagine,” Cosmo said. “...Including turn yourself into a rampaging mountain monster, apparently.”

“I… geez.” Toph rubbed the back of her head. “It’s all such a blur. I was so angry and I—”

Toph was floating in a sea of a color she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t sense anything, but the sparkling color was all around. It seared into her mind, burning like a brand.

She collapsed onto the bridge, breathing heavily.

“Did… did we miss something?” Vivian asked.

“No, she’s herself,” Caspian said. “Something else is surfacing.”

“I need to remember…” Toph said, shaking her head. “There… I found something. Or… something found m—”

Toph was a small pebble, crying, shrinking, about to shrink itself into nothingness because it could only think about how tiny it was. How much it was nothing. But before it did, there was a barrier. The color pushed her back. Protected her. She got so angry she wanted to explode. The color didn’t allow that either.

Toph stumbled over to the first officer’s chair, bewildered. “It’s… I’m seeing a color I don’t know. I… Tippi! What are the Pure Heart colors?”

“...Red, orange, yellow, green, sky blue, indigo, purple, and pink.”

“Pink…” Toph grinned. “Kinda between red and purple, right?”

“Some types of pink are.”

“Close enough!” Toph clapped her hands, looking up.

Why did she need to keep being saved? This place was torture to her mind, but it would never let her go. It always protected her. It had chosen her. But why?

“I know where the Pure Heart is,” Toph said, clapping her hands together.

“Where?” Caspian asked.

“We’re currently inside of it.”

~~~

The real Enterprise transported Picard and Twilight to the surface of the Ninth World just outside the Cathedral of Provenance. The two guards took one look at them with their bizarre, animalistic faces and let out a joined sigh. They pulled the doors open, letting the two of them into the sanctum.

Both walked with a determined purpose in mind. They had been warned that the fog would project their thoughts, and knew their attempts to out-think it would likely be useless, so they resolved just to keep walking until they reached the other end. Next to Picard images of himself augmented with Borg technology appeared, alongside the faces of a few dead crewmen—countered by the decidedly happy image of his current crew. Twilight had images of her friends as well. On one side, a set of five other ponies locked behind black bars. On the other side, Data, quickly filled in with the rest of the chosen heroes.

They reached the door and pushed it open, finding Provenance herself sitting in her throne at attention. In front of her were Tippi, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and VIvian, all in perfect tip-top shape.

Twilight ran to them, sweeping Data up in the hug first before telekinetically forcing all the others to pile on as well, getting only mild resistance from Caspian. Tears in her eyes, she let out a laugh. “I… I’m so glad to have you all back.”

To her surprise, it was Toph who hugged back the hardest. The poor girl couldn’t even talk, all she could do was grab Twilight harder.

Picard, respectfully, stayed a fair distance behind. Provenance walked up to him. “So you’re the boss?”

“I’m a Captain,” Picard said. “Not their boss.”

“Hmm.” Provenance shrugged. “Well, glad you decided to drop by. This should be a very, very interesting series of events.”

“Let them have their moment.”

“I wasn’t rushing them!” She paused. “You’re welcome, by the way. I fixed your robot’s fried brain.”

“Thank you. ...His name is Data.”

“Sure. Right. Whatever. I’m retired, I don’t need to be regal and correct all the time.”

Twilight, finally, released all her friends. “Okay… okay. What do you need me to do?”

Toph pointed aggressively at the door to Celerillion. “Open those doors. Don’t go inside.”

Twilight obeyed, twisting the doors open, revealing the sky of eyes and rippling ground of the other dimension, not all that surprised to see a perfect replica of the Enterprise on the other side.

“Now, use that Element of Magic,” Toph said. “Do what you did in Lumash. Connect us and talk to it.”

Twilight nodded. She found it significantly easier to tap into the Elemental power within her now that it was physically on her head. To her delight, the magic of the rest of the Elements—those supposedly destroyed with Equis—responded to her connection to the people around her. Colors released from herself, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and Vivian. The rainbow came to a point around Tippi and blasted forward into Celerillion.

Come to us, Twilight asked.

The doorway began to ripple and buckle from a sudden unimaginable force. The eyes, ground, and false Enterprise all began to shrink down, down, down. Cerebral husks flashed past their eyes, minuscule black specks in a sea of color that was slowly, but surely, consolidating into a soft but brilliant pink.

Toph’s eyes widened as slowly, but surely, it came into full focus for her. The last color. The last Pure Heart. Spinning in a now-empty doorway.

Tippi flew over to the Heart, fluttering so close her reflection took up most of the Heart’s crystal edge. “This Heart… is different from the others,” she said, turning back to the group. “It contains within it a realm of dreams. Whatever love it represented once, it no longer does. Now, it represents the love of imagination itself—the devotion to stories, to ideas, to the very thoughts that drive us. It is a testament to the force which drives us to create, and a reminder that even lovingly crafted creations can go awry. The imagination is a powerful tool—and it can be a deadly one.”

She touched her wings to the Heart, caressing its side. “This is the last one we need. The last emblem of reality... the last emblem of love. We have seen the love of imagination, of culture, of friends, of devotion, of leaders, of family, of romance, and of the worlds we live in. It’s… it’s clear to me now that love is much more than just two people coming together and throwing caution to the wind. It is more even than the deep, old connection between an old married couple who have seen life through together. That is but one aspect of love, and… and there’s so much more to love! These Hearts…” she pointed at the Pure Heart behind her. “Show us, without a shadow of a doubt, that love is baked into the very existence of all the worlds. And right now, someone is trying to take that love away. We can’t let him.”

“No,” Twilight said, a proud smile on her face. “No, we cannot.”

“So let us take this Heart!” Tippi shouted. “And… we’ll show Count Bleck what its power really means!” She landed on the Pure Heart and spread her wings wide. “WE GOT A PURE HEART!”

Minion Preparations

The news had finally come. The central chamber was full when it reached Count Bleck’s ears.

“What!? ...Spat Count Bleck in utter disbelief. Surely this news cannot be true!”

“I’m afraid so,” Dark Oak reported. “My source confirmed the last Pure Heart in their clutches.”

“Ah ha ha!” Dimentio chuckled. “They will be here before long, my Count.”

O’Chunks stamped his feet. “Whuh?! Izzat true? Then what’re we doin’ twiddlin’ our biscuits ‘ere!? Count Black! Lemme go throw ‘em a nice welcome party… I’ll bring the punch!”

“Yes, yes,” Count Bleck said, extending a hand. “To your positions, minions!”

“And do it quickly,” Nastasia added. “They will be able to break the Chaos Heart’s curse. Our Void travel will be limited, if functional at all.”

“Yeh can count on me!” O’Chunks jumped away into a Void portal.

“Yes…” Mimi chuckled malevolently. “We’ll throw a party. A party those party poopers will never forget! Mimimimimimimi!” She jumped into her Void.

Lulu left wordlessly, refusing to even look up at Count Bleck.

Dark Oak paid her no mind. “Count, I will hold them back until the very end. To my last breath.”

“Count Bleck believes you will,” Bleck said, nodding in respect. “You are devout, Dark Oak.”

The Metarex leader bowed respectfully before vanishing into a portal of his own, leaving only Dimentio. The jester smirked. “Naturally I do not need to be in a hurry… but I shall prepare nonetheless.” As if something had occurred to him, he snapped his fingers. “Oh! One moment… Dear Count, does the name Blumiere ring a bell?”

Count Bleck’s posture straightened slightly—not enough to go off of. It was Nastasia’s sudden gasp that gave it away, not that Count Bleck was going to give Dimentio the satisfaction.

“Where did you hear that name, Dimentio?” the Count asked.

“Oh, just something that butterfly Pixl was yammering on about. I suppose there’s no reason to pay any mind to it. Ciao for now, my Count!” He was gone with a burst of time and space, leaving only Count Bleck and Nastasia.

“Count Bleck! If… um…” Nastasia took in a deep breath, composing herself. “If that Pixl is who you think it is, there’s still time. You can stop the prophecy from destroying everything!”

The Count remained silent, frowning deeply.

“Yeah, because, if that’s really her… if she’s alive, you have to stop all this!”

“You know not what you are saying Nastasia. The prophecy can no longer be stopped. Not by me. Not by anyone.”

Nastasia sighed. “Yeah, I’m on board with what you’re saying… but there must be a way. There must…” She looked him in the eye, speaking the next words with almost a whisper. “Lord Blumiere…”

The crazed smile—the facade—returned in full force. “Bleh heheheheheh. The man known as Blumiere died long ago. Now there is only Bleck!” He held out a hand to the darkness, forming a Void in his hand. “The Dark Prognosticus’ choice to fulfill the prophecy! Nothing more!”

“But…”

He ignored her. “Come to Count Bleck, heroes! If you hope to save these worlds, then come! Bleh hehehehehehehehehe! BLECK!”

Waiting For the Dawn

Since Tippi wasn’t strong enough to actually carry the Pure Heart, it was Twilight who ended up taking it back through the door to Flipside. When they walked through the door, they received a massive amount of applause—which, in all fairness, was to be expected. They had all the Pure Hearts. Their primary mission… was complete. All that remained was to follow through.

With a silly smile, she lifted the Pure Heart into the air with her telekinesis. “The journey is done, but the day is not won. I know you’ve all been preparing for quite some time, but that doesn’t mean we can celebrate yet. The longer we wait to attack the Castle, the more we will lose. So… one day. One day, and we charge into the belly of the beast. Be ready.”

“Yes, Twilight!” The crowd responded. They made a path down the middle for the heroes. Standing tall, all seven of them made their way to the elevator and descended all the way to the Heart Pillar room. Twilight all but threw the pink Heart into the pillar with all the others. It nestled into the flow with the other seven forming a complete color wheel that twisted itself into a figure eight shape, pulsating within the pillar with the core essence of eight worlds.

“You know, that opens the door to Earth, doesn’t it?” Caspian asked.

“It should,” Tippi said.

“I’d… like to look through it,” Caspian said. “Not go in, we don’t have time for an adventure right now, but… I’d like to see it.”

“Not a problem,” Twilight said, turning back to the elevator, but stopping just outside one of Merlon’s screens.

Well done, heroes.<<

“Thank you! But… the work’s not done yet.”

No. The Light Prognosticus insists you make it to Bleck. Be careful.<<

“We will.” They entered the elevator and went back up to the main platform. Most of the people who had been there had already transported away, giving them space to spread out and appreciate what they’d accomplished.

Every side of the eight-sided platform had a door. The red crimson of Diqiu, the succulent orange of Mobius, the stellar yellow of Hume, the lush green of Narnia, the innocent blue of Lumash, the dark indigo of Equis, the powerful purple of the Ninth World, and the simple pink… of Earth.

Caspian walked to these new, Pink doors, and opened them—careful not to go through. On the other side he saw rolling hills and well treated trees surrounding a homely mansion that was running with electricity. A smile grew across Caspian’s face. “Yes...” He slowly shut the door. “That is enough for me. For now, let us rest… and prepare.”

“There’s nothing stopping you from going through,” Twilight said. “Their world is a simple one, from what we know.”

“It… I feel it wouldn’t be right.” The smile never left his face. “I am blessed enough to receive the glance.”

Twilight bowed her head, deferring to his judgement. “All right. In that case… to the inn.”

~~~

Captain’s Log, Stardate 47938.8

As I turn in early today to get the proper rest required for tomorrow, I find myself apprehensive. This is far from the first battle I’ve had to wait for, and I am far from alone across history in waiting for the dawn to break on a coming battle. Even considering that I’ve been given the honor of commanding the fleet due to my experience isn’t what makes this time different.

Perhaps it is the stakes. This is truly a situation where failure is not an option. Reports tell me that Mobius is already breaking up and that chances are good it will not last until the completion of our mission. Depending on how long it takes, it looks as though Lumash and my own world may fall as well. It’s times like this I pray Twilight’s assumption is correct—that everything will be restored with the defeat of this monstrous Void.

And yet, I find myself doubtful. Doubtful that this multiverse is kind enough to allow the loss to be undone.

Although… the Pure Hearts suggest the very fabric of reality itself is built upon love. That gives me hope. Hope that whatever happens, the beauty of our relationships will triumph.

~~~

Twilight woke up last. Everyone was there—including Data, who had no need to sleep but had chosen to remain at their side for the last night nonetheless.

Letting out a big yawn, Twilight stood up. “Hmm… Should I give another good speech? I hear I’m pretty good at them and there’s starting to be an argument about if I’m better than Picard or not.”

“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time for speeches later,” Toph said, cracking her knuckles. “Right now, I think I’d like to enjoy possibly my last day on earth. ...the multiverse. Whatever, you get what I mean.”

Twilight nodded. “How… are you doing? I wasn’t there, I didn’t see what it was like…”

“I didn’t see what it was like either.”

“Har-de-har.”

Toph chuckled. “I’m fine. Really, they convinced me to think about me as I am so I… kinda just did? ‘Giant rock monsters’ don’t really have much need for carrying memories or thinking very much, so I don’t remember much aside from when the Heart was stopping me from blowing myself up by thinking too hard.” Toph shrugged. “I do know it was terrible and that I’m glad that the entire place is sealed up where I can’t get to it anymore.”

“The mind is an uncontrollable beast,” Caspian said.

Vivian chuckled softly. “I don’t know... “

“Do you really think you could pull that trick of yours again?”

“Nope!” Vivian grinned. “And if Aslan hadn’t actually come it would have been terrible but I’m still going to enjoy the harmless fantasy.”

“...So we learned nothing about the dangers of fantasy from Celerillion, then?” Tippi asked.

Vivian shrugged.

“Okay.”

Cosmo stretched herself out. “Well, if we’re going to be enjoying our last day here, I’ve got some people I’d like to talk to. I’ll meet you at the platform when the time comes.” With a cutesy wink, she hopped out of the inn and toward the rest of Flipside.

Caspian shrugged, walking out with Vivian in tow. Tippi fluttered out as well, though she flew upward instead of following the street.

Toph yawned. “I think I’ll go talk with Iroh and then fall asleep in the middle of his stories. It’ll be amazing.” She clapped her hands together and jumped out, leaving only Data and Twilight behind.

Data turned to her, cocking his head. “Should we talk?”

“Probably,” Twilight admitted, folding her ears back. “I… yes, I think we probably should, at least briefly.”

He sat down on the bed and tilted his head forward slightly, waiting for her to talk.

“So I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen for you,” Twilight managed, and once that was out, her mouth just kept moving at a million miles an hour. “And I’m not entirely sure how I can fall for—no that’s not right, I know exactly how, you can keep up with me, you show interest in not only the science of the world but also who I am, you both understand things about me no one else understands and don’t understand things that make me fascinated, you…” She stopped herself. “You’re amazing, Data. Simply… amazing. But I’m not sure this can work. You… don’t have emotions. You strive to have them and understand them in such a determined way it gives you a spark of life and a spirit like anything else…”

Data held up a hand. “Before we continue, I will remind you that I do have an emotion chip sitting on the Enterprise, I just haven't installed it.”

Twilight put a hoof to her mouth. “That… that’s right, I’d completely forgotten about that! In that case… well I don’t want to get my hopes up but I totally am! Let’s install it and… see where it goes.”

“I will most certainly do so after our final mission. I do not wish unforseen emotional difficulties on the final mission.”

Twilight couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Oh… well, that’s a good and very reasonable decision.”

“Your emotions tell you otherwise?”

“Yep! See, if I’ve learned anything from talking to Cadence, it’s that emotions this close to the heart entirely override the logic centers of the brain. And… as we’ve seen on this quest of ours, that can be a good and a bad thing.”

Data nodded. “I believe I understand.”

“You don’t, but I appreciate the effort. It’s… part of the reason we’re even having this conversation. You try so hard. It’s… very admirable.” She smiled. “Come on. Let’s go enjoy this last day. Maybe I should take you out to lunch, or something.”

“Is it not the male who traditionally does the taking out?”

Twilight snickered. “In your world, maybe. But I think we both know we’re just going to Ten Forward, so the point is moot.” She pushed the door of the inn open, walking with Data out into the street.

Celestia was waiting for them with a sad smile. “I… I am sorry Twilight, I can see you’re attempting to enjoy yourself, but this may be the last time I can give you this.” She levitated a journal with a sun emblem on the front of it to Twilight. “Sunset wrote… many things in it.”

“O-oh…” Twilight stared at the journal in shock. “I… guess I should read it.”

“She found out how to transmit more than just words, Twilight. You will get to see her face.”

Twilight swallowed. “Data… let’s go back into the inn and look at this.”

Data cocked his head. “Are you certain?”

“I think I might need an emotionless pillar of stability right now.” She was already feeling the tears come to her eyes as she stroked the journal—Sunset Shimmer’s journal. “Th-thank you, Celestia.”

“Thank you, Twilight, for all you’ve done.” Celestia bowed to the much smaller alicorn before taking off to elsewhere in Flipside.

Twilight took in a sharp breath. “Okay…” She trotted back into the inn and opened the book. “Let’s see what she has to say…”

~~~

“So,” Iroh said as he poured tea for Vanilla and Toph. “I hear you were a giant boulder-flinging mountain for a while.”

“Yep!” Toph said, downing the entire cup in a second. “Two words. First: awesome. Second: stupid.”

“But it was your own mind that told you to become that monster,” Iroh said.

“My mind also tried to blow myself up a few times. Everything in that world was made from thoughts. ...I bet if I thought I could see, I would actually have been able to see.” She shivered. “There’s too much power there. Apparently Tippi talked a guy into defeat just by suggesting he light on fire in very descriptive ways.”

“You were afraid.”

“Who wouldn’t be? You’re your own worst enemy there.” Toph tapped her fingers against the table. “I know I was. I was even their enemy. And… geez, it all seems so petty.”

Iroh cocked his head. “What does?”

“Everything. Like… before all this started, I was running away because I didn’t want to be a teacher who failed to give her students anything. Now I just… I’ve been a jerk, jeopardized the mission, refused to trust, and tore myself up into a mountain monster while all worlds get torn apart. Everything that felt like such a big deal before… it’s trivial.”

“They meant a lot to you at the time, do not forget that.” Iroh took a moment to smell the aroma of his tea. “Just because you have moved on to larger games of life and death does not mean your earlier struggles are meaningless. They made you who you are today. Able to face those problems.”

“I haven’t been facing a lot really well…”

“But you have friends who hold you up.”

“Yeah…” Toph frowned. “Still, I’ve messed things up a lot.”

Vanilla spoke up this time. “And you’re still one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Toph.” Vanilla smiled brightly. “Just keep getting back up and you’ll do fine.”

“Heh.” Toph traced her finger over the edge of the table. “Maybe you’re right… Nevermind, you’re definitely right, what am I saying?” She laughed, and Iroh and Vanilla joined her.

~~~

“Hello, Doctor Eggman!” Cosmo cheered, jumping into the control room at the bottom of the Pit.

“If that was an attempt to scare me, you have failed miserably,” Eggman deadpanned, not looking up from the primary control console.

“I’m just dropping by. It’s the last day and I’m going around visiting people—and that includes you.”

“You’re wasting your time. Nothing interesting down here.”

Cosmo hopped to the other side of the console and peered over the top of it at him. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re working on?”

“A conundrum,” Eggman said. “The eight Pure Hearts, together, have enough power to hold the Void at bay indefinitely. We can save… Flipside and the surrounding structures.”

“That means we have a fallback!”

“No, it doesn't.” Eggman drummed his fingers on the bottom of the console. “Because we need to eject the Pure Hearts to destroy the power Count Bleck gains from the Chaos Heart. And once we do that, our protection will be gone, and I suspect the Pure Hearts will be largely drained.”

“But we’ll have won at that point, right?”

“It’ll stop the Chaos Heart’s power. It won’t stop the Void. And it won’t stop him. That last part will be up to you seven, if the Light Prognosticus is to be trusted. It’ll come down to you and him, in the end.”

“We’ve come this far.”

“You were the chosen of a prophecy. Need I remind you that he is a chosen one as well?”

Cosmo shook her head. “Nope. But we have many things he doesn’t have.”

Eggman snorted. “What, friendship? I’m pretty sure his minions actually are rather fond of him, from what I hear.”

“Huh? Oh, no. I mean, we do have that, but I was thinking more of seven of us, one of him, have Toph throw a giant boulder in his face kind of thing.” She smiled innocently.

“Cosmo… you never cease to surprise me.” He grinned. “Oh ho ho ho ho ho! Yes, why not, throw a boulder into his smug, dark face. That’ll show him.”

“That’s the spirit!” Cosmo lifted a fist into the air and jumped.

“What strange times we live in…” Eggman shook his head.

“I think you like it.”

“Hmm?”

“Being the good guy for a change.”

“My dear, I assure you that I’m only doing this to further the reach of the Eggman Empire. When Bleck is down you and I will be at each other’s throats again.”

“...That might be true. But I think I know you a bit better, now. You’ve always been smart enough. You could have taken over the world with extreme force and brutality if you really wanted. But… that’s not what you want. You want the thrill of a fight, the adrenaline rushing through your veins as you face your nemesis, and the joy… of an adventure.”

Eggman snorted. “Don’t go pursuing a psychology degree.”

Cosmo shrugged. “I still think it’s true. See ya, Eggman.” She walked away. As she began to move up the stairs, Ty Lee cartwheeled down in her Starfleet uniform, landing at Eggman’s side.

“Ah, Ty Lee.”

“I’m so excited!” Ty Lee called. “And nervous, very nervous, but also excited! We… we’re going to save the worlds!”

“Or die horribly.”

“Even that’s a little exciting! And… horrible. But hey, at least we all have each other, right?”

Cosmo shook her head as the two friends conversed. Eggman, when are you going to learn where you’re happiest? Among friends. Friends you don’t try to fight in giant robot battles every week.

She left the two to catch up.

~~~

It took Twilight several hours to get through Sunset’s journal. Not because there was a ton of stuff in it—most of it was brief, to conserve space—but because she kept bursting into tears at the memory of a friend, reading about a life she’d lived far apart from Twilight.

After the portal to Equis had ceased functioning due to the massive shift in the time constants, Sunset was cut off from her homeworld. She had to live the rest of her life as a human, which would have been fine. Early on, she went through a graduate program to study the fundamental nature of physics on a subatomic level. She became virtually the only source of Equestrian magic on Earth—Hume’s Earth, that is. Much of the early sections in the journal were brief updates about her becoming a great scientist, occasionally working with a man named Christopher Thorndyke. It was a happy time, and Sunset was slowly uncovering the time disconnect between the universes, understanding why the portal wasn’t working.

And then World War Three erupted on the face of the Earth and everything fell apart. Her research lab was destroyed and, as far as Twilight could tell, Sunset never saw her friends from Canterlot High again after that. The journal shifted to a darker tone, where Sunset stopped being the great scientist and became a highly prized warrior. The only human with magic, magic she had honed over the years, was a great asset—which prompted her to stop trying to end the war, instead waiting it out in the shadows as a strange hermit, practicing magic away from prying power-hungry people. Several of the passages sounded old, bitter, and angry.

And then… something changed. She met a man named Zefram Cochrane, though it wasn’t the man himself that changed her outlook—it was what he did, building the first warp capable ship, working off research she had started before the war broke out. This led to First Contact, and the first long section in the entire Journal.

When you get this, Twilight, I want you to know that… this world has hope. Before we launched the Phoenix, they came, people from the future. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise… (“If this is time travel,” Data offered. “It has not happened yet for me.”) …They came to save the project. And the short time they were here, they told of a great Federation of Planets that this Earth was a part of. I… all this pain seems worth it, now. Losing you, losing my friends, even. I’m sorry if that sounds crass, but I think it’s true. Maybe I’m just trying to cope, to come to terms with all that happened. But right now… Right now, I am certain. I am certain that the brilliance of this future will make up for it all. I hope that, when the time of our worlds connects once more, you will be able to see this future. (Twilight let out a delighted, sorrowful laugh at that). And… I’ll do my best to live that long. This is a human body, but it’s filled with magic. With that future to look forward to, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

After this, somehow Sunset had discovered how to transmit holograms. They still took up some space on the page, but were able to display a lot more messages. She sent images of the technology she was working on, the ships she helped design, and, eventually, the names she had to take since she was starting to live just a little too long. Sunset Shimmer. Aurora Samwise. Synthia Oroboros. She got rather creative with them as time went on.

“A man named Jean-Luc Picard was born today,” Sunset’s recorded voice played from the page. “I’ll wait to meet him. But I know the future is almost here.”

“Are you… still alive?” Twilight found herself asking, turning pages, getting closer and closer to the end.

“I was on the Enterprise-D today. ‘Lieutenant Shinjo.’ We encountered the being known as Q, and I got to witness first-hand the man Picard is. He’s not quite as old as I remember him, naturally, but I can still see that spark. But then… Q took me aside, and said it was time for me to come with him. I said no, but he said it wasn’t a choice I got to make. So… it looks like this is the end of the line for Lieutenant Susan Shinjo. I’ve only got a page left anyway, might make use of it.”

On the last page, a fully rendered three-dimensional hologram of Sunset Shimmer appeared on the pages. She was taller than Twilight remembered, and her hair was significantly shorter. While the hair remained its usual red and yellow self, Sunset’s skin tone had been changed to be a more neutral human color. At some point, Sunset had given herself pointed ears, though Twilight wasn’t sure exactly why. They weren’t quite as pronounced as a full Vulcan’s, but it set her aside as not quite human—perhaps intending to be a halfbreed?

She wore a red Starfleet uniform similar to Picard’s proudly.

“Hello, Twilight,” Sunset said, smiling. “It’s… well, for me, you’re just a memory that happened several lifetimes ago, an old friend I write to every now and then and never hear from. For you, as best as I can tell, you’ll get this a week or so after you lose contact with me. It’s… hard to think of how much time has passed. I want you to know, though, that I’ve lived a very full life, more than I had any right to. I was a scientist, a mystic sage, an explorer… I even got to be a starship captain there for a while. But you probably know all that from the rest of the Journal.

“There’s so much I want to say to you… but the last page can only hold so much video. Just... I want you to remember that none of this would have been possible if you hadn’t given me a chance all those years ago and helped me look past my anger. I owe you my life. And I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to stop sending things to you.

“There’s this race called the Q. A bunch of beings so powerful they make Celestia look tiny. They’ve been watching me ever since I arrived, and, apparently, now they want me to go with them. I… don’t have a choice. I’d ‘interfere with their trial’ or something dumb like that. So I guess I get to be all-powerful but don’t get to do anything.” She chuckled. “Preferable to being vaporized!

“Anyway, when you get this—and they assure me you will get this one day—just remember me for who I was, okay? I’m not sure if what I’m going to become will be… recognizable. But we’ll see, eh? Just… remember. That’s all I ask.”

“I will,” Twilight said.

“I guess this is goodbye, in a way. So… goodbye, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Lead your ponies well. And tell Celestia I’m sorry we never got around to having that lunch.” She shook her head. “One more thing. The Q want to meet you when you can get back here. Bring Discord along. He’s important for some reason they didn’t exactly want to tell me.” Sunset let out a deep sigh. “Well, I’m out of time. Here’s to the next stage of life.”

To close the message, Sunset held up her hand and parted her fingers down the middle, a gesture several Vulcans had given Twilight. “Live long, and prosper. I know I have. I can only wish the same of you.” The message ended.

Twilight was smiling brightly. “...I sure hope all of us do, Sunset.” She wiped her eyes, turning to Data. “We should get Discord and go to the Q. This might… be important to our mission.”

“Are you sure you are up to it?” Data asked.

“I… all evidence to the contrary, I actually feel really great right now.” Twilight beamed, face still wet. “She lived her life well. That’s more than I could have asked.”

~~~

Picard had never seen a creature quite like Discord. Tall and snakelike, but also made of a mish-mash of other organisms in such a way that it made looking at him rather painful. And then there was his voice.

“Glad to be on board, Captain!”

It sounded very, very similar to Q, and it bothered Picard enough that it was hard to keep his smile steady. The way Discord bowed overtop of the bridge’s tactical console only made things worse.

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Discord. We will be underway shortly.” He turned to Twilight. “You can show him around as you wish.”

Twilight nodded. “Thanks for doing this, if anyone can grab Qs attention, it’s you—from what Data tells me.”

Picard nodded slowly. “Regrettably, that does appear to be true. But he will only show if he wants to. Data, a moment, please?”

Data and Picard walked into the ready room and sat down. “Data, what do you know of this Discord?”

Data took a moment to access his memories. “Prior to his abduction by Count Bleck, he was the Spirit of Chaos on Equis, an entity who shared a large number of similarities with Q, although with a notably higher level of empathy. He tormented their world until Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony turned him by showing their kindness. He has been their close friend ever since—until the Count took him and used his chaotic nature fused with the breaking of Cadence's vows to empower the Chaos Heart, according to a prophecy in the Dark Prognosticus.”

“The others all responded to love, even broken love…” Picard scratched his chin. “The Chaos Heart responded to the blasphemous opposite. It was not hate. It was destructive, false love.”

“According to Luigi and Starlight, hypnosis was involved.”

“I feel as if there's more to it.”

“I am afraid I cannot see it if there is.”

Picard nodded slowly, contemplating. “How is he now?”

“His power is slowly returning to him, but his abilities are nowhere near that of Q’s right now. He attempted to create a rubber duck and it used up almost all of his capacity.”

“Perhaps… Q can restore him?”

“Perhaps,” Data admitted. “He does seem to be related, and Sunet’s message asked specifically for him to be taken.”

“But Q powers cannot function outside our universe.”

“Precisely why I believe we are being summoned, to solve that particular mystery.”

“Hmm…” Picard sat back. “...Data, in a few hours we will be charging down the throat of the man that has caused this entire calamity.”

“I know.”

“It feels… final.”

“I have the same sensation.”

Picard stood up, walking to his window, taking in the appearance of Flipside. “Is the experience in Narnia fading for you, too?”

“Not at all sir. My memory is perfect.”

“I suppose that’s another advantage of yours.”

“Do you wish me to remind you?”

“Perhaps another time, Data.” Picard folded his arms behind his back and let out a sigh. “We must focus on the mission ahead. Lions of immense power will not step in to solve our own mess.”

“Who’s to say he won’t?”

“And I think that’s a place where you have a disadvantage, Data,” Picard said. “It’s… a feeling.”

“Ah. I should inform you that, after completing this mission, I am considering installing the emotion chip.”

“Oh?”

“Twilight appears to have become attracted to me in some fashion, and expressed a desire to continue only if I could express emotion.” Data frowned. “I may be oversimplifying.”

“Data? You, oversimplifying? Never.” Picard returned to his chair, leaning into his hands. “I can say I’m surprised, but thinking about it, the two of you are rather similar. Big minds with big dreams.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I wish you luck, Mr. Data. ...I wish all of us luck.”

~~~

Caspian had only been told he “needed to get up here.” So he’d jumped into the elevator and slid all the way to the top platform of Flipside, coming out to see three very familiar faces standing next to Iroh. They were young, human children—older than Caspian remembered them, but still undeniably the Pevensies; the Kings and Queens of Narnia that helped him reclaim his throne. Though, there were only three—Peter, the eldest; then Susan next to the youngest, Edmund.

“Caspian!” Peter called, waving.

“Peter!” The two men clasped their hands around the others’ arms and entered a great embrace. “What are you doing here?”

“The door,” Peter pointed at the pink one. “Appeared right outside our property. We walked in the moment we noticed.”

“Apparently,” Edmund said, “being told you can’t return to Narnia does not mean you can’t go to other worlds.”

Susan nodded slowly, a look of mild disbelief on her face.

“Susan?” Caspian cocked his head. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I had almost convinced myself it was all a dream.” She held out a hand, approaching the green door cautiously. “But… it’s behind this door, isn’t it? Narnia?”

Caspian nodded. “It is.”

“We cannot go, Su,” Edmund said. “We can’t go back.”

“We can,” Peter said. “But Aslan said we were not to return, so we shall not. It is as simple as that.”

“Right.”

Caspian smirked. “Well, you’ve come for something else, then. We’re just about to organize a raid on this terrible best of a man that’s trying to destroy all worlds. The legendary Kings and Queen will be of great help.”

“I doubt it,” Peter said. “We… are not in Narnian air. Our experiences… aren’t coming back to us.”

“It still feels like a dream,” Susan added. “I’m sorry, Caspian.”

“We’re just a bunch of plucky kids,” Edmund shrugged.

“Of course, of course,” Caspian nodded in understanding. “You’re welcome to stay in Flipside as long as you’d like. Might even get to see some fireworks.” He winked.

“I must ask…” Peter stepped forward. “Have you seen Lucy?”

“No, I have not. I have her cordial with m—”

“I am not asking for her cordial. She… disappeared off the face of the Earth some months ago.”

“Concerning…” Caspian shook his head. “But no, I have not seen h—” He froze. “No…”

“No, what?” Susan asked, putting a hand to her mouth.

“Iroh,” Caspian said. “Do you have one of those tablet things? Bring up a picture… of Lulu.”

Iroh took a data pad out of his robes and pulled up what Caspian had asked for. Caspian winced as he saw the image, turning it to the other three. “This is her.”

“What… is that garrish thing she’s wearing?” Susan asked.

“Magician’s robes.” Caspian frowned. “Lucy… If I had to guess, Count Bleck has hypnotized her and has her working for him under the name Lulu. We’ve… actually fought her a few times, not realizing who she was.”

“The expression’s too angry to be Lucy,” Peter said, taking the data pad. “But it’s definitely her face.”

“Oh, no… she’s on the enemy team…” Susan whispered.

“Aslan will come through for her,” Edmund said. “He did for me.”

“And I will do all in my power to protect her.” Caspian bowed to Peter. “You have my word as King of Narnia, Peter.”

“Bring her home, Caspian.”

~~~

Twilight and Discord were on the bridge when the Enterprise transitioned back to Hume.

“Here goes nothing…” Picard cleared his throat. “Q! We have bro—”

In the middle of his sentence, he, Twilight, and Discord were all teleported to a strange western-style road in the middle of nowhere with a single, decrepit waystation. On the porch of this waystation sat two individuals—Q himself in his standard red starfleet uniform, and a woman with hair of fire in a similarly colored uniform.

“S-sunset?” Twilight stammered.

“To you, yes,” she said, smiling warmly. “To all else, I am Q. Isn’t that right, Q?”

Q rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, get on with it.”

“He’s your experiment.” Sunset said.

“You’re the one who wanted to be here.”

“Um, excuse me?” Discord asked, snaking forward. “Do you mind explaining what’s going on?”

“I would like some answers as well, Q,” Picard demanded. “You’re hiding things from us.”

“We’re aware of the motion of every molecule in your meaty body,” Sunset said, twisting her hand to create a miniature version of Picard and then disintegrating it. “If we shared such things your mind would explode.”

“I had hoped you would be a more reasonable member of the Continuum.”

“A reasonable Q is one who sits and never does anything.”

“So dreadfully boring,” Q muttered.

“And responsible, until it’s not.” Sunset pointed at Picard, and he suddenly felt warm all over. “I admired you, Picard. I admired you for a long time. Even though your original meeting has not yet come.”

“Do you have no regard for the temporal continuity of reality?” Picard asked.

Sunset smirked. “Captain, captain, captain… I will use my powers to ensure the timeline takes the course it already took, assuming reality still exists in a few years. For now, time and loop continuity are broken by the Chaos Heart. Do try to keep up.”

“S-sunset…” Twilight stammered.

“Twilight, I did warn you before I changed that I wouldn't be the same.” Sunset looked at her—or, perhaps, through her—and smiled sadly. “I still cherish those memories, but they seem like… like the memories of a childhood, now. A precious childhood, yes, but so… small.”

Twilight folded her ears back. “O-oh…”

“Egh, enough of this petty sentimentality,” Q groaned. “We have a purpose here, and it’s not to get nostalgic or drive Jean-Luc to minor insanity.”

Picard raised an eyebrow. “I was under the impression that was your hobby.”

“It is. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do hobby things anymore. Because today…” he pointed at Discord. “We need to address the draconequus in the room.”

Discord slithered up to Q. “So, great and powerful mastermind of all that is fun and amusing, Q of the strangest letters of the alphabet… Spill the beans!” Focusing all his energy, Discord managed to produce a can of beans and kick it over, pouring the beans on Q’s shirt.

Q snapped his fingers to teleport the beans away. “Fine. You, Discord, are an experiment.”

“His experiment,” Sunset emphasized.

“Yes, yes whatever. See, we wanted to explore the other worlds—”

“He was bored out of his skull and couldn—”

Q threw his hands up in the air. “Since you seem to know the story so well, why don’t you tell it?”

Sunset’s eyes flashed, and a book hit Q in the face. “By all means…” She turned to the others. “In ancient times, shortly after the destruction of Gaia, there was a Q that was bored: Q. He knew of the other worlds, but he also knew that Q powers never function outside Hume. So he sought to create something new that would go out into the world. Contacting the expert of dimensional travel at the time, the Shadow Queen, he began allowing her to influence the world of Hume in exchange for her help. Somewhere, sometime, he developed with her an entity that could use Q-like power in any realm.”

“Me, obviously,” Discord said, smirking. “Cool, I didn’t know I was getting an origin story today. This deserves a celeb—”

“You are but a fragment of the original entity,” Sunset interrupted. “The All-Q had to be destroyed. It was able to find the Experiment instantly and threatened to use it and the Dark Prognosticus to end all worlds just because it could.”

“That doesn’t sound like me at all,” Discord pouted.

“Which is why you aren’t dead,” Q said.

“...Oh.”

“You are the only cohesive fragment of his essence we know of,” Sunset continued. “And you are a remarkable being. But this also means you are unimaginably important—and exploitable. There’s a reason Count Bleck chose you to empower the Chaos Heart. What you were before was one of the Dark Prognosticus’ chosen, like the Shadow Queen and Count Bleck. You are, so far, the only one to escape its tragedy.”

“Escape?” Discord snorted. “I appear to be powerless.”

“But your powers return, with time, and you have many friends.” Sunset lifted his head with a finger, making sure he looked right at her. “But you have a tragedy to end. You know what you must do.”

Discord swallowed hard. “I… I guess I do.”

“Do we get to know?” Twilight asked.

“No,” Sunset said matter-of-factly. “Continue your mission as you have planned. What he does is none of your concern.” She folded her hands and smiled sadly at Twilight. “And with that, our purpose in being here is gone.”

“Th-that’s it?” Twilight stammered.

“I am sorry, this is probably the last time they will permit me to speak with you. My ideas are… not very well-received in the Continuum. I was ascended more as a way to keep me from using extra-dimensional magic against their world order than anything else. I both love them and hate them for it. Don’t worry about me—there are infinite books in the Q Continuum.”

Twilight nodded slowly, swallowing hard. “That… sounds amazing.”

“I would offer to take you with me, but we both know you don’t want that.”

“Yeah…”

“Then goodbye, Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset said, cupping her head under Twilight’s chin as if the alicorn were a beloved pet. “I will miss you.” Her eyes flashed.

They were back on board the Enterprise.

“...That was a trip,” Discord said, though he was visibly distracted.

“Right…” Twilight took a breath. “I guess… that was what we came for.”

Picard nodded. “Lieutenant Knuckles? Return us to Flipside.”

~~~

Vivian floated up to Starlight as she watched her team engage in combat training. Cadence jumped Luigi, pinning him to the ground while Amy smacked Discord away with her hammer.

“...I didn’t know Discord was in your team,” Vivian said.

“Showed up an hour ago,” Starlight explained. “He said something about ‘what we must do’ to Cadence and suddenly Cadence was breathing down my throat to let him on. He’s a terrible fighter but apparently he needs to be here.” She tossed her mane back. “What brings you here?”

“Just looking to talk with Luigi for a bit.”

“All right… Take five!” Starlight waved for her team to stop fighting. Discord and Cadence went off to the side, talking to each other in hushed tones. Amy and Luigi walked up to Starlight and Vivian.

“I’m ready,” Amy said, gripping her hammer. “I’m ready. I’m gonna smash that Bleck’s face in for all he’s done.”

“Uh… sure!” Luigi said, sliding a few steps away from her. “That sounds, uh, great.”

“Yes. Great.”

Luigi turned to Vivian with desperation in his eyes. “So, Vivian, what’s up?”

“Just dropping by to see how you’re doing!” Vivian blew him a playful kiss. “How are you doing?”

“Eh, okay. Looking forward to seeing the Resistance again. Then I guess we… win and go back home? ...Sure doesn’t feel like we can go back home.”

“Who said we had to?” Vivian asked. “Flipside is a home of its own, we could just stay here if we wanted.”

“I… Hmm. Not sure I want to do that, either.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I dunno.”

Vivian shook her head, smiling. “Luigi, you’ll have to decide at some point what you want to do.”

“I know.” Luigi rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll do it later.”

Vivian rolled her eyes. “If you say so, Jumpman. Good luck!”

“You too!”

“Also don’t let Amy smash you to pieces.”

Luigi laughed nervously. “No promises there.”

“I heard that!” Amy shouted. Luigi let out a yell and took off at a high run while Vivian only giggled. Amy, for her part, didn’t chase him. With a grunt, she put her hammer away and stared into the Void.

Starlight’s horn started ringing—something the unicorns in Flipside were using to receive information much like a cell phone. She turned to answer it.

“...It sneaks up on you,” Amy said, forlorn. “It was just a speck in the sky when we first came here, but now…” She gestured at the Void taking up half the sky. “We’re flying right into that. That thing that’s almost eaten my home.”

“Has,” Starlight said, coming back from her message. “...Mobius was just devoured.”

“Which one’s next?” Vivian asked. Does it matter, shadow? Every world wiped clean replaces chaos with emptiness...

“Hume or Lumash,” Starlight answered. “We’re not sure. We no longer have the option to evacuate more. We’re mobilizing now.”

Vivian took this as a cue to get to the top of Flipside and wait for the others.

~~~

They would be leaving in less than an hour.

Tippi had called them all together in the Light Prognosticus room. She wanted only her friends and Merlon to be present for this.

Vivian was the last to arrive, scrambling through the elevator, breathing heavily. “I… I made it!”

“Good. Now that you’re all here…” Tippi took in a deep breath. “Merlon, you go first.”

Gladly. The final leg of the journey has come. I need to do some last things with you.<<

“Anything,” Twilight said with a slight bow.

First, take the Light Prognosticus with you. You may not be able to reach it ever again, and it should be there in the final moments.<<

“I grabbed a staff of holding from Jenny,” Tippi said, pointing at the staff in question, laying on the ground. “Cosmo, would you like to carry it?”

“I would be honored.” Cosmo grabbed the staff and pointed it at the massive tome of the Light Prognosticus, sucking it into the main crystal. “We have the words of the prophecy with us.”

Yes, you do. Secondly, we need to be able to deliver the Pure Hearts to you in an instant when you need them. I need to inject all of you with pattern enhancers. Normally, these are used to make it easier to transport you away from danger, but today they will be used to deliver the Pure Hearts to you the moment you need them.<<

“Can we use it to ask for backup?” Caspian asked.

Sadly, no, only the Hearts themselves will be able to pierce the barrier because they are connected to you on a deep level. Everything else would be lost in the Void.<<

“We must be sure only to ask for the Hearts when we absolutely need them,” Tippi said. “They will lose energy even when used against the Chaos Heart directly. We cannot waste that energy on any other task.”

“No special defense against darkness, got it,” Vivian said. “Got it.”

“The injector is right there.” Tippi gestured at a cylindrical machine from the Federation. Everyone but Tippi herself took it—it wouldn’t play well with her circuitry.

“And now…” Tippi landed on the podium the Light Prognosticus had been resting on. “I have something I need to tell you all. I wasn’t always a Pixl.”

At this point, none of them were surprised at such a mild revelation. They nodded slowly, not understanding the point yet.

“I… I used to be human, but for most of our adventure I didn’t remember anything about it. I wasn’t supposed to, since I was in a bad place when I was transferred into this Pixl form by Merlon. But ever since you all saved me at Narnia… something snapped in my mind and I’ve started remembering flashes. I dismissed these as unimportant, but…” She paused.

“But?” Twilight asked, encouraging her to continue with a smile.

“...But I think it is important now. I’m sure—absolutely positive—that my human self used to know Count Bleck. Though, in the memories, his name is Blumiere.”

Vivian gasped. “The… Blumiere that helped defeat the Shadow Queen with the Experiment?”

“I think so. I think that’s how he got hold of the Dark Prognosticus… and how he activated the Chaos Heart. Using the Experiment’s remnant. He was its Chosen, so he could do what he wanted with it.”

“So, how did you know him?” Data asked.

“...I’m fairly certain we were married,” Tippi said.

That got a reaction of shocked silence from the six of them.

“From… what little I can remember, he went against the wishes of the Tribe of Darkness in courting me, and that his father punished him for it by sending my human self to wander the multiverse, cursed for eternity. Well, not actually eternity. My body died, and I was transferred to this one without the curse.”

“He was a nice man, wasn’t he?” Cosmo said.

“He was,” Tippi admitted. “I’m not sure what he’s been through to bring him to this… but maybe as I remember more I’ll figure it out. I just… I wanted you to all be informed.”

Twilight lifted Tippi off the podium with her wingtip, smiling. “Tippi, thank you for telling us. We’ll help you with these memories however you can, and if you can’t bring yourself to fight him… just let us know. Okay?”

“I will. But I can’t let half-remembered feelings get in the way of our mission. The worlds are more important than them.”

“But we aren’t always stronger than them,” Cosmo said. “It will be hard for you. Don’t be ashamed if you have to stop.”

“I’ll punch him for you if you can’t,” Toph said.

“She cannot punch at all,” Data added.

“I don’t think this is the sentiment she’s looking for,” Caspian said.

“It’s not,” Tippi giggled. “But it’s part of what makes you all amazing. So many different kinds of people… joining together to become the best of friends. Heroes.” She fluttered into the air. “Let’s go show him that we won’t let these worlds fall into nothing!”

“Yeah!” The six of them cheered, scrambling back into the elevator. Including a joyfully laughing Tippi.

However, somewhere in the back of Tippi’s mind, she was crying. She hadn’t told them everything. She’d been honest about her memories and the past.

But they don’t need to know that this body is failing and temporary. We need to stand together in strength, not in fear.

~~~

The final preparations were underway. Twilight stood on top of the main platform, looking at all the doors around them, one by one. Going through the rainbow, starting with red and cycling all the way to pink. Each door held a story behind it, and not just the story of her traveling through them to gather Pure Hearts. People lived behind those doors, entire civilizations had risen and fallen, complex histories twisted together in ways Twilight could never hope to fully understand. Every world, all on its own, was too big for her mind.

And there were eight of them. Eight fully fleshed realities whose stories they had only scratched the surface of. Yet, the seven chosen heroes were to save them.

She felt small.

“There’s so much…” Twilight shook her head. “How can we even know what we’re fighting for?”

“We do not need to know,” Caspian said. “We only need know that it is right.”

“I think we were led through all the worlds for a reason,” Cosmo said. “I think it’s the same reason there wasn’t just one hero—so that we would form connections with every world. So that we would get a tiny understanding of what exactly we were fighting for. All the people we’ve encountered… the good, the bad, the strange… they’re all counting on us, even if they don’t realize it.”

“Our journey has seemed an unlikely one,” Data mused. “Improbably placed in situations that are difficult, but precisely what were needed to push us onward.”

Toph snorted. “More often than not singling me out for being a stubborn dolt.”

“We’ve all grown,” Tippi said. “Not just you, Toph.”

“Yeah, you were just the loudest about it,” Twilight said.

Toph folded her arms. “Gee, thanks.”

“We have all learned,” Caspian said. “The prophecy has led us through where we needed to be to become who we are now.”

“One must wonder why we were given special attention,” Data said. “Back in the gauntlet, we wondered what made us heroes. I do not believe that question has been answered.”

“I don’t think anything really does make us ‘heroes,’ “ Tippi said. “Not more or less than anyone else. But the worlds needed someone to save them, and we fit the mold. We were chosen.”

“But it couldn’t have been anyone else,” Twilight asserted. “We… are here because we were meant to be.”

“The prophecy is a strong one,” Caspian said.

“But there are two prophecies,” Toph pointed out. “We’ve been following one. Bleck has been following another.”

“They can’t both be true,” Tippi said. “One destroys, the other heals. They oppose.”

“And yet, neither has been wrong,” Data said.

“The final moments will show the true fate of the worlds.” Tippi fluttered far above them. “And we are going to see to it that the fate is continuation!”

Twilight nodded. “Still… all the enemies we’ve encountered… they weren’t Bleck. They weren't chosen like we were. Our… luck might not protect us against him.”

Toph clapped her hands together. “That’s why we’ve got a big honking armada! Look, I know you guys can see it up there. A fleet!”

Twilight smiled. “It almost makes you think we don’t even need to be here, not really. They could take care of it themselves.”

“But we know that’s not true,” Vivian said.

Twilight nodded. “And I don’t know why we know that… But we’ve been put on this journey. The Pure Hearts have accepted us, and we keep being told to push onward. I’m not sure what it means, but I’m not going to worry about that right now. Now is not a good time to be questioning our free will.”

“...Maybe it is,” Cosmo said. “Maybe our choices are what determine which prophecy comes true.”

Twilight paused, looking intently at the door to the Equis emptiness. “...Trying to cheat the prophecy won’t help.” She looked knowingly to Caspian. “We can’t try to second-guess what will and won’t result in success, failure… or how much our actions do or do not influence what happens. We’re going to charge into Count Bleck’s castle, and we’re going to do whatever we can to stop this destruction.”

“Anything?” Cosmo asked.

Twilight nodded. “Anything. Even if we may find it unpleasant. ...We’re guaranteed to find some of it unpleasant. It will be a large battle.”

Caspian drew his sword and tapped the tip to the ground. “It will change who we are and how we see each other. But no matter what, we must stand by each other. Our bond is our strength.”

Cosmo curled her hands into determined fists. “Right!”

“Picard to Data,” Picard’s voice came from Data. “It’s time.”

Data nodded. “Acknowledged. Whenever you’re ready.”

Twilight let out a long breath. “This is it, everyone. Do your best. I love you all—and I’m so proud of each and every one of you.”

The Enterprise’s transporter beam picked the seven of them up, carting them away to their final preparations.

~~~

All around Flipside, doors opened to each of the remaining universes, allowing last minute reinforcements to arrive. Armies upon armies poured into the city of Flipside until it was almost impossible to find a place in the once-abandoned city that didn’t have a person. When the doors to Diqiu opened, large spiritual creatures akin to manta rays came through, wishing to defend their land together with the ships and technology of other worlds.

Hume’s doors allowed the entry of the Borg into Flipside space for the first time, with over a dozen cubes. Nobody trusted them for anything, but they didn’t attack. They wanted the worlds to survive as much as anyone. Further reinforcements from the other nations of Hume came as well: the Tholians, the Breen, and a few space entities that nobody could identify. Not a single Q, of course.

Narnia had no ships to offer, and its soldiers were meager. But they were the most honorable, brave, and fantastical—ranging from massive centaurs to minor river gods to star-like beings that walked with light shining from them. They let out a shout of “For Aslan! For Narnia! For all Worlds!” that soon got several others chanting with them.

Lumash was minimal in space faring races, but the Comet Observatory itself had Rosalina and a few small mushroom-shaped ships around it. They were ready to bring a suitable challenge to Count Bleck’s forces with their mastery over gravity.

The Ninth World was the most surprising: despite having very little galactic structure, there were a large number of people piloting spaceships from the prior ages of the world, and no small number of these ship captains fancied themselves heroes. When Jenny put out a universe-wide call for help, hundreds had come, ranging from tiny rust buckets to massive ships made of organic plant matter fused with plastic crystals that dwarfed even a Federation Starbase.

The most welcome addition, however, was a spherical craft constructed by the Twilight Splinters.

“Twilights of Thon reporting for duty!” One reported using a digital avatar to the entire fleet. “You’ll find that we’ve spent the last several Thon months building the perfect ship of war! And, the best part? We’re all digital! So technically the crew compliment is zero!” She winked.

“Welcome to the fleet,” Picard said from the Enterprise, which was currently sitting at the front of well over two thousand ships, staring at the creamy nothingness of the Flipside sky. “I believe it’s time. ...Open a channel to the entire fleet.”

“Done, sir,” Bon Bon said.

“I won’t belabor the point with a long speech,” Picard announced. “No doubt you have all heard many rousing speeches from me and your other leaders over the course of the last day. So I’ll cut to the chase: we are about to drive this fleet directly into the belly of the beast, the Void itself, where Count Bleck’s castle lies. The fate of the multiverse depends on our actions here, today. Failure is not an option.” He raised his fist into the air. “And from what I’ve seen over these past few months, with enemies becoming friends and new worlds accepting new ways of life, I do not believe even for a moment that failure is a possibility. Today, we end the Void and stop this senseless, nihilistic violence!”

He sat down in his chair. “Doctor Eggman, you have control of Flipside. Open the door.”

From his position in the Heart Pillar room, Eggman smiled. “With pleasure, Captain.” He pressed a button on the screen in front of him; a re-routed version of the controls in the bottom of the Pit. All eight of the Hearts shone brilliantly.

In the air before the fleet, a circle began to appear. At first, it was just a black line moving in a circular pattern, then it was two, and then it was several criss-crossing in all sorts of ways until a massive circular door had formed, made of four segments. Unlike the other brightly colored doors that Flipside had generated, this one was a pure, inky black with purple highlights, much like the Void itself. The doors let out a rumbling shudder before sliding open to the world on the other side.

“Picard to the Fleet of All Worlds…” Picard said, pointing forward. “Engage.”

Mobilization

There was one Metarex general who hadn’t gotten to do anything since they were recruited besides repair machinery. His name was Pale Bayleaf, and he spent all his time commanding the Metarex fleet that sat in the skies patrolling Castle Bleck. There was never anything there to fight, just other things the Count had flying in formation with them. Remnants of Lost Gaia ranging from crystal dragons to far… stranger and more disturbing things.

Pale Bayleaf himself was a metallic humanoid like the other Meatrex, but he was almost white in coloration and had three small orbs on his face instead of a single large one.

He tapped his fingers on the primary console of his ship. He was getting so bored sitting here, protecting the Castle. He wanted those so-called “heroes” to get here already so he could blow them to smithereens. Dark Oak got to fight them directly, Narcissus got sent on a treasure hunt, but Bayleaf? Bayleaf got to sit.

It was driving him stir-crazy.

“Incoming transmission,” the ship’s computer told him.

“From who?”

“Unknown.”

Bayleaf suddenly straightened in his chair. “Well, the only ones who would have this frequency and refuse to identify themselves would be… the Resistance.” Fascinating. “On screen.”

A crisp image of none other than the leader of the Resistance, Rarity Belle, appeared on his screen. The unicorn was sneering. “Ah! I finally get to place a face to the nameless machine whose ships I’ve been blowing up for the last few weeks.”

“Your terrorist tactics have done little to impede the fleet,” Bayleaf said. “But I agree, it is nice to finally get a face to the name.”

“Strange, I barely even know your name. Took a lot of shouting at O’Chunks in one of our scuffles to get him to dredge it out, and even he didn’t seem sure. You’re basically a nonentity in this conflict, Bayleaf.”

“That will all change soon.”

“I’m afraid not, Darling.”

Bayleaf cocked his head. “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean you are about to be very, very dead.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“As of now, the Pure Hearts have disabled the Chaos Heart’s curse, removing your ease of Void travel. So you will not be able to escape when I press this button.” She levitated a controller with a small red button on it. “It’s amazing what Cortez’s ghosts can sneak onto a ship.”

She pressed down before Bayleaf even got a chance to give off a roar of rage.

~~~

Rarity stood atop one of Castle Bleck’s towers, reclining on a couch she’d towed up there. She watched as a brilliant fireball filled up the sky, indicating the destruction of Pale Bayleaf’s ship. Her smile only widened as the fire continued billowing. “I do believe you’ve become a monster, Rarity. Arrived barely able to hold your swords straight, now look at you. Reveling in the painful death of an enemy.” She flicked out her magic blade and stuck it into the black ground. “I was running out of legitimately evil targets. I really should thank you for existing, Bayleaf. Oh wait, you don’t, not anymore.”

Rarity let out a mad chuckle, kicking her couch off the top of the Castle into the Void below. “Now, let’s really turn this show up to eleven.” Turning to the front of the castle, she waited until she could make out the circular outline of a massive black doorway forming. The moment the doors’ outlines fully formed, she tapped the communicator hanging from her ear. “Blow everything.”

It wasn’t the sky that exploded. It was several points within the castle, forming a perfectly straight line all the way to the central chamber, making the labyrinthine nature of the Castle completely moot. It was a long journey, and it would no doubt be crawling with enemies soon… but it mattered.

“ ‘The Resistance is pointless,’ “ she mocked, to no one in particular. “How’s this for pointless!?” She tapped the communicator again. “Trigger the cave-ins.” Numerous other explosives went off, this time collapsing access tunnels to the path they had just created. There were a few places they couldn’t cut off— but that was where Rarity’s forces would be waiting. The coming heroes were going to get a clear shot for the center if she had anything to say about it.

Luckily, her assumption that she didn’t have to worry about the sky was correct. The massive door in space opened, revealing Flipside itself surrounded by the massive fleet of the Alliance of All Worlds.

It was the most beautiful thing Rarity had ever seen.

“You brought this on yourself, Count,” Rarity whispered. “I hope this is what you wanted.” She turned tail and descended the stairs into the Castle interior once more.

~~~

“Blumiere, my son, don’t! Even your ancestors could not handle that dark book… If you open it… there’s no telling what might happen!”

“I do not care, Father! A world without her is empty. A life without her is empty. Speak, Dark Prognosticus! Teach your dark history! I await your command!”

“BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!”

“Blumiere… What have you done?”

“Silence! The first prophecy beckons. I will erase everyone in this blasted Tribe!”

“Blu-Blumiere! Don’t do this! Blumiere!”

“Blumiere is no more! I am Count Bleck! And no one shall stand in my way! BLEH HEH HEH! BLECK!”

~~~

The woman didn’t set her pen down this time—she kept going, kept writing, kept pushing for the end. She fully admitted to herself that she was getting into it. Her heart beat with the heroes and their quest and yearned for it to reach its final, complete end.

Of course, she knew where it would end. She’d known before she’d written the first word.

Now was not the time for deep contemplation.

But, contrary to what the Fleet of All Worlds thought, it wasn’t the time for brutality either.

Unfortunately, people have a habit of ignoring the appropriate times for things.

In the end, though, that’s part of what made the multiverse so interesting. The freedom to choose. To listen, or to reject. To listen is good, but to choose to listen is better.

To be good is fine. But to choose good is righteous.

To choose love…

The Battle of Castle Bleck

Picard stood in the center of the bridge of the Enterprise, hands folded behind his back. On the screen in front of him was none other than Count Bleck himself. The few pictures they had of the man didn’t do him justice. As he breathed, the jagged edges of his mouth twitched, his reddened eyes pulsated, and the crystal he wore around his neck seemed to reflect light at impossible angles.

“I am Captain Jean-Luc Pic—”

“Count Bleck knows who you are! Bleck!”

Picard lifted his head slightly. “Then you know what I represent. The Federation. A cooperative force of many different peoples seeking to learn more about the world we inhabit. I also represent the Alliance you see behind me, a force born not out of a desire for peace and cooperation, but out of fear—fear for what you have done.”

“Get to your point.”

“We do not have to engage in bloodshed,” Picard said. “Hand over the Chaos Heart.”

“Bleh heheheheheheheheh!” The laughter made Picard wince with its volume and harsh, angry tones. “The only way to end this is to kill me!”

“We will search for an alternative if you hand yourself over. I give you my word.”

Bleck shook his head. “You are a man of principle, they have chosen well to place you at the front of this assault. But know this! You are no better than the rest of existence. You, the highest of all men, bright, intelligent, humbled, and morally good, still suffer and still cause suffering. You are only ‘good’ because you were raised in a situation where the lie of love could be believed. In a world that coddled the ‘human spirit’ against all laws of logic and reason! You are among the best men… and you are the strongest warrior for the lie. Bleck! Bleck spits at your ideals!”

“You claim that our principles are lies. I say they cannot be. Across the multiverse, we are born with an innate understanding that there is good and evil in the world—that there is right, and there is wrong. Tell me, why would we have this if it was a lie?”

“It is useful for survival, says Bleck. A species of pathological nihilistic murderers does not survive. A species of cooperative seekers of truth does. But that’s the irony: to survive and thrive, they must believe truth exists! But the more they seek, the more they find all that they held dear is built upon nothing! What is the basis of justice? Of compassion? Of cooperation? Of love?”

“I believe the hearts we carry aboard Flipside are the answer to your question, Count.”

The Count chuckled softly. “All existence is based on love, that is what you are saying, is it not? Foolish. It is not based on love. It is based on its own preservation. To love is to wish the best for the recipient—to desire no harm. If the worlds truly were love, there would be no suffering, for nothing would desire to harm anything. There would be. No. Pain.”

“Pain is what gives us meaning!” Picard shouted. “What kind of love would create a world where we are nothing but mindless, brain-dead, happy machines? What would be the purpose?”

“There can be none,” Bleck said matter-of-factly.

A chill ran up Picard’s back. “Do you really think you can do better with your new worlds?”

“Bleh heheheheheheheh!” Count Bleck leaned in as close as the camera would allow. “You’re a clever man Picard. I believe you already know the answer to that question.” He cut the channel.

Picard’s eyes widened. He hadn’t spoken of himself in the third person. With the pit in his stomach growing ever deeper, he gave the order.

“Picard to the fleet. Talks have broken down. Engage the enemy.”

The Enterprise fired the first shot, a single phaser blast to the main Metarex ship: Narcissus' carrier. As if he hadn’t realized that he was in the most dangerous spot in the fleet, his ship backpedaled while the others moved forward in unison. Without the Void to transport them around with ease, the once dangerous Metarex armada that provided so much trouble in Hume was suddenly significantly weaker. Not to mention the fact that the Flipside Fleet was much more prepared than the last time a major space battle had broken out. Fire was exchanged across the empty divide, lasers mixed with torpedos and magic lances. The explosions filled the sky so that it became impossible to see what was going on with the naked eye, but very few of the ships relied entirely on visual sensors.

Klingon birds of prey pushed through the dust faster than any of the other ships, zooming between the Metarex ranks and performing daring striking runs. There was a fifty percent casualty rate among the Klingons in this strategy, but they saw that as indicative of the glory of the battle.

Some jump-drive enabled ships from the Ninth World appeared in the midst of the fleet, releasing multicolored spheres that exploded into numerous bits of shrapnel, taking out dozens upon dozens of ships. The Blue Typhoon burst out of the cloud, releasing its flak cannons and shooting robotic replicas of Sonic into the Metarex fleet. Diqiu spirits phased right through the shields of the enemy, tearing many ships apart from the inside out. The Borg blasted through brazenly, the Romulans flanked, the Federation attacked directly as a formation, and all in all the Metarex fleet was in terrible shape after only one minute.

“Rarity to Enterprise,” Rarity’s voice came in on the comm.

“Go ahead,” Picard said, believing the Enterprise was currently in a safe position within the fleet.

“Worf is currently transmitting coordinates for the landing party and the heroes, as well as a few points of interest where some rooftop assistance would be helpful.”

“Understood. Number One, see to it that they are transported properly.”

“Aye, sir,” Riker said, running toward the turbolift.

At this point, Flipside itself started its assault. The outer weapons powered by the Pure Hearts themselves converted normally defensive energy into a rotating beam of rainbow power, slicing through ships as if they were made of butter. All attacks on Flipside were shrugged off as though they were harmless, the shield of the Pure Hearts more than enough to take care of them.

Castle Bleck’s point defenses, in contrast, were largely non-functional due to sabotage by the Resistance, barely able to lob off inky attacks at all, most of which were shrugged off or dodged.

Narcissus’ ship was feeling the pressure, even as it continued to weave left and right in an attempt to flee all possible threats to its General’s life.

It was this ship that the Comet Observatory decided to target. Rosalina ordered it forward—but targeted no weapons. She left that to her passengers: Princess Celestia and Luna, each of whom had several dozen of the micro-planets from Lumash in their telekinesis. Massive hunks of rock, metal, and other materials flew with amazing agility through the wall of ships between the Observatory and Narcissus’ ship. The first few micro-planets that hit disintegrated on Narcissus’ shields. The fourth, an egg shaped piece of metal, punched right through the engine and engulfed half the ship in an explosion.

The Metarex fleet was in disarray.

But they had never been intended to be the Castle’s primary line of defense. No, that duty fell to the beasts of Gaia that slept on the bottom of the disc. With the fleet decimated, proven to be worthless, they awoke. A swarm of crystal dragons similar to the one encountered in Hume attacked the fleet from below. Some were easy to shatter based on the information gathered on them previously, but others had different resonance frequencies and began to eat through ships like they were pieces of fried chicken.

And they were far from the only ancient creatures. Strange machines unfolded, massive dragons roared, and angelic beings as large as starships themselves rose to defend the castle. Most were mindless monsters at this point, and the few that weren’t fought with hypnosis from Nastasia, making them no more than people turned into mindless monsters.

The largest of them, some kind of massive four-legged machine rippling with discs of blue-white magic, stood on top of the disc and fired a lance that pierced through five starships at once, reducing them to rubble.

“Switch to defensive formations!” Picard ordered. “We can no longer brag with our superior firepower—we have to play smart!”

Riker returned to the bridge.

“I trust they made it?”

Riker nodded. “They should be arriving at the doors right about now.”

~~~

Twilight and company transported down to the surface of the disc, only a few meters from the main entrance—a massive double-door made out of white wires on the smooth blackness the rest of the Castle was made of. However, in that short space, there was a horde of the Castle forces. Some were Metarex, and there were a couple hypnotized ponies—but the vast majority of the defensive forces came from the half-remembered shards of Gaia. Floating crystalline entities, large bees with multiple stingers, four-legged beasts with one eye… The chosen heroes could not hope to take them alone.

Luckily, they were not supposed to. The Enterprise had transported them down. Numerous other ships had transported down their foot soldiers. The vast majority of these were of one particular race that believed in the honor of battle.

“TODAY IS A GOOD DAY TO DIE!” Thousands of Klingons shouted, pulling out both bladed weapons and blasters, attacking the enemy forces. They were not prepared to deal with the Klingon’s level of ferocity in battle. Metarex drones and Gaian beasts fell one by one.

Twilight winced as she witnessed a Klingon drive a blade into an enemy pony. When the plan was conceived, everyone knew there were going to be hypnotized enemies on the other side. Every soldier had been briefed on being careful around them, but everyone had known from the start that it would not, could not be bloodless.

However, there was a plan to counteract that at least somewhat.

“Make way!” Ty Lee shouted, jumping around the battle in a Starfleet uniform that displayed, in bright red, a medical cross. She jumped with agility and grace over attacks and blasters, shooting down ponies with a tagging gun that transported them to a distant sickbay. “Doctor Lee is in the house!”

Twilight smiled. We’re still trying.

She and the other six were running, not participating in combat—merely rushing directly for the doors as one unit. Their largely-Klingon allies had originally attempted to spearhead the enemy’s fortifications to cut a path, but the enemy was cohesive enough to spread out their efforts, keeping them from reaching the door.

That’s when phase two came into play. Amy and Luigi came out of nowhere, jumping over their allied forces and bashing aside the enemy with hammers. Cadence teleported in with a brilliant blue flash of light, encasing most of the enemy between them and the door in crystal. To finish it up, Starlight levitated the mass of enemy soldiers into the air and threw it, clearing the path in one fell swoop. “Move, Twilight!”

Twilight had already been charging her teleport. With a poof of magic, the seven of them were at the main doors. They were locked, of course, but Starlight had already cut a square hole into it—one that Discord was guarding in an absolutely adorable little soldier outfit.

“You look great!” Twilight called as she ran past.

“Hmph,” Discord muttered. “I get no respect.”

On the other side of the doors, there were still guards—two large bird-like creatures with fiery wings, reminiscent of the much larger phoenixes fighting in the sky. In here, at this entrance, the heroes didn’t have any backup.

But there were also fewer enemies and Toph was an absolute monster on the battlefield. With a single motion, the earthbender twisted the black material of the castle into perfect rectangular pillars of darkness, crushing both birds against the ceiling. “It’s earth, but it sure likes to bend into nice geometric shapes!”

A troop of ponies ran at them from further inside the castle, mindless but murderous. Data stunned all of them with ease, allowing the seven chosen to keep running, deeper, further into Castle Bleck.

“Remember—stay straight!” Twilight called. “They’ve cut a path for us and most of the enemies should be kept clear of it!”

“If their plan goes well!” Caspian reminded her. “As I recall we only knew of the plan the moment we arrived!”

“It still makes it a plan! I trust Rarity to have thought out every detail to the best of her ability. It’s what she’s good at!”

“Keep moving!” Toph shouted, throwing black cubes at a few Metarex drones that had managed to crawl through the front doors.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” Vivian shouted back, igniting a nearby mechanical dog on fire. “...Why didn’t he use all these Gaian monsters when we were searching for the Pure Hearts?”

“He didn’t want to…” Tippi said.

“That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I recommend—” Caspian drove his blade through a Metarex’s head. “—not worrying about motive at the moment and instead worrying about survival, hmm?”

“It does seem pertinent!” Data called, catching a type of boomerang in his hand and crushing it.

“We’re in,” Twilight said, letting out a burst of magic that knocked down every enemy in the hall in front of them. “We just need to get to the center.”

They ran deeper and deeper into Castle Bleck...

Muscles and Tussles

“Ha-HAH!” Rarity shouted, slamming her hoof on the table and upsetting the holographic display of the battle slightly. “Oh, we’re winning.”

“It appears so,” Worf admitted. “The battle in the skies is evenly matched, and highly distracting. The exterior of the Castle has become… a stalemate. It is only the interior sites that are uncertain.” He pointed at the few points in the Castle where combat was happening, trying to keep the Castle forces from interfering with the journey of the heroes. “If the aerial battle cannot push any landing parties to the top of the Castle, we will not hold for long enough.”

“We have to, you know we do. And we will.” Rarity smirked. “We don’t need transporters to win this one. How soon until Twilight reaches us?”

“Soon, assuming she is not held up.”

“We’ve kept that hall clear, it should have nothing in it.”

“Then soon, despite the fact that they are not running at full speed.”

“They need to conserve energy,” Rarity huffed. “Not all of us are career soldiers, you know.”

“You have fought honorably and skillfully. You make an excellent soldier.”

Rarity sucked in a sharp breath. “I understand that’s a compliment in your society, so I will take it as such. But it is quite the opposite in mine. Soldiering—the kind we’re doing now, not the defensive guarding of posts—is seen as distasteful on Equis. What I’ve become is quite nasty.”

Worf nodded in understanding. “You don’t seem badly affected by it.”

She smiled at him with wild eyes. “That’s because I’m Rarity, darling.”

“I don’t follow.”

“Oh, you will, you will.” She summoned her blade to her side. “I’m going out to clean away some mooks. Keep an eye on the tactical situation and call me if anything goes particularly south.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And tell Cortez to stop being such a show-off if he calls in. It’s unbecoming.” Fully aware of her hypocrisy, she let out a decidedly unladylike laugh before leaving the room.

~~~

A fair distance into Count Bleck’s castle, there were no enemies to speak of. Twilight and the others had slowed down their blind run to a brisk walk, allowing them to regain energy as they marched through a hall of darkness that gave way to a massive hole in the wall leading to yet another hall.

“I can’t imagine trying to find our way through this place without Rarity…” Twilight said.

“A-hem!” Toph waved her arms. “If this hole wasn’t here you’d have to go through the door on the left, jump down the slide, walk up the corkscrew room and choose the fifth to last door.”

“...As I said, I can’t imagine trying to find our way through this place without Rarity. You can’t map all the way to the central chamber, can you?”

Toph stomped her foot on the ground as hard as she could. Her grin quickly faltered into a deep frown. “No.”

“Then we must thank her when we meet her,” Caspian said, twirling his sword around. “She is somewhere within the castle, yes?”

Twilight nodded. “We should pass by her waystation on the way to the central chamber.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Tippi said. “You did talk a lot about your old friends back when we first started this mission.”

“Too much,” Toph grumbled.

“...I don’t think I’ve heard much,” Vivian said. “What’s Rarity like?”

Twilight smiled. “She’s generous, fashionable, a true lady of culture, refined, careful, and understanding. She’s also apparently a lot more determined and resourceful than I gave her credit for, though I really shouldn’t be surprised. Still… leader of the Resistance?”

“I’m sure she was the perfect mare for the job,” Cosmo said. She currently had her nose in the Light Prognosticus, having recently discovered the Staff of Holding’s ‘levitate’ function that kept the book open in front of her without straining her arms with its immense girth.

“She is, I suppose,” Twilight admitted. “But my brother is here. I do wonder why he didn’t take command.”

“Emotionally compromised by the situation with his wife, perhaps?” Data asked.

“Maybe. ...I hope I get to see him. And Rarity. And… well, all of them.” She smiled brightly. “I’m going to throw them all a feast. And a party. No, I’ll have Pinkie throw the party. And there’ll be—”

“GRAH-GOOGLY!”

O’Chunks leaped out of a hidden trapdoor in the ground, pausing to flex in front of them. “I’ll be a—”

Cosmo let out a yell and swung the staff of holding, hitting O’Chunks right in the face with the levitated Light Prognosticus. He was so shocked by the sudden slap that he stumbled backward, dumbfounded.

“Cosmo!” Tippi gasped. “You can’t just… use the Light Prognosticus as a weapon!”

“...I dunno,” Cosmo said, shaking the Light Prognosticus around with the Staff. “I think it’s pretty effective.”

“Howzzat fair?” O’Chunks muttered. “I didn’t even give me bit!”

“Oh, sorry!” Cosmo put her free hand over her mouth. “I just… kinda reacted. You know. Enemy, running to the center, end of all worlds?” Cosmo smiled innocently.

“Aight, you’re forgiven, lass.”

“Thank you!”

“What is wrong with you two?” Toph facepalmd. “We’re enemies!”

Cosmo folded her arms. “That doesn’t mean we have to be jerks to him.”

“Yeh! Show some respect!” O’Chunks stomped on the ground to emphasize his point.

“Ugh…” Toph cracked her knuckles. “Data, extrapolating from your previous experience with me and O’Chunks, tell me, how likely is it he wins this encounter with me?”

“Zero point one three percent,” Data said.

“Ay, that’s a one in ten shot!” O’Chunks laughed.

“No, that would be thirteen in ten thousand.”

“Oh.” O’Chunks shook his head. “No matter, I’ll take those odds and tell ‘em where to shove it!”

“And it was calculated only against Toph. Your chances against all of us are so slim I would spend more time pronouncing the zeroes than the significant digits.”

“Eh… wut?”

“Oh for crying out loud.” Toph lifted her hand and created a square pillar, smashing O’Chunks into the ceiling. “I’ll get rid of him quickly.”

“No yeh won’t!” O’Chunks grabbed a cube she threw at him and crushed it in his hands. “I’ve been trainin’! Yeh got nuttin’ on me!” He struck a pose, flexing his arms. This time, it actually served a purpose, much to Toph’s bewilderment. He grew to double his previous height, standing half the way to the massive hall’s ceiling. “Hah! Lookit me, the new, improved, O’Chun—”

Toph smashed him into the ceiling again, following it up with folding the ceiling’s material around him and dragging him into the ground. “Improved my foot.”

He burst out with such alarming speed that Toph never stood a chance. He grabbed her by the foot and threw her over his shoulder, slamming her into the ceiling and then into the floor.

“Okay…” Toph grumbled, standing up. “You know what…? I don’t need to get injured to prove a point. Everyone, little help?”

Data fired his phaser first, but it did absolutely nothing to O’Chunks. “Curious…”

“I got me one o’ them fancy magic force fields!” O’Chunks laughed. “Yer fancy toy can’t do nothin’ to m—”

Data opted to just punch him in the stomach, knocking him over. Cosmo swung the Staff of Holding, smacking O’Chunks in the face with the Light Prognosticus again to minimal effect. With an innocent grin, she shrugged. “Book smash is ineffective! I repeat, book smash is ineffective!”

“Havin’ fun, are yeh?” O’Chunks whipped back into a standing position and jumped for Cosmo, only to get Caspian’s shield to the face. “Oi! Wot is it with yeh and my face? I… wait a minute, yer the one who stabbed my eye!”

“You got it back,” Caspian noted.

“Still hurt!” He brought his fist down.

“Enough,” Twilight said, freezing O’Chunks in a block of ice and levitating Caspian out of the way. “Vivian, if O’Chunks so much as moves, burn his beard off.”

Vivian raised both her fingers, sparking them with fire. “With pleasure!”

O’Chunks moved, breaking out of the ice in a rush. Vivian’s fire went right to his face, but his forcefield prevented the fire from getting through. “Uh…”

“Stop,” Twilight ordered. With her telekinesis, she grabbed O’Chunks and lifted him off the ground.

“Wha… ay! Ay, pumme down and fight like a man!”

“One, not a man. Two, no.” Twilight lifted her head and smirked cockily. “You know, when we first met, I don’t think I had enough strength or will to lift something with your girth and strength of will. But this journey has hardened me, given me the opportunity to increase my capacities. I am stronger than when we first met, O’Chunks. And I’m not putting you down until I’m sure you aren't a threat.”

“I’m always a threat!”

“Toph, throw cubes into his skull until he gets knocked out or delirious or something.”

Cosmo winced. “That’s… going to hurt.”

“It is. But I’m already trying sleep spells and muscle relaxant spells. They simply don’t work on O’Chunks. And I can’t imprison him since he could just break out of anything. And I’m not wasting magic carrying him with us the entire way.”

Toph cracked her knuckles. “All right, Chunky. If you want this to be over quick I recommend you start feeling sleepy.”

“I have a suggestion,” Data said, raising his hand. “Now that he is immobilized I do know the Vulcan nerve pinch. I can administer it to him.”

“The wot now?” O’Chunks asked.

“If it’ll be less ugly, please do,” Twilight encouraged.

With a nod, Data walked over to O’Chunks and precisely pressed his fingers to an area at his neck, pressing down on a major nerve cluster the vast majority of humanoids shared.

“Heh! That ain’t gonna… do…” O’Chunks began to shrink back to his normal size. “Nuttin…” His eyes rolled into the back of his skull and he went limp.

Twilight set him down. “Well. It looks like we can expect resistance as we approach the central chamber after all. At least his personal minions.”

“We’ve beat them all before, we can beat them all again!” Toph declared. With a wince, she rubbed her bruised arm. “This time without challenging them to one on ones or anything dumb like that.”

“Agreed,” Tippi said.

“It is not precisely true that we’ve beaten them all before,” Data said. “We never engaged Dark Oak in direct combat, merely ship-to-ship.”

“Oh…” Cosmo frowned. “That’s right, if we run into him… he was able to keep Sonic at bay even with all seven of the real chaos emeralds.”

“We’ll deal with him if we get to him,” Twilight said. “Right now… we keep moving.” She led them onward, deeper into the black halls of Castle Bleck.

Mimicry

Twilight and company continued to move along through the cleared halls of Castle Bleck. Every now and then they heard something explode above them, probably a ship or another creature getting destroyed. It was hard to tell.

However, shortly after one of those explosions, they felt the entire Castle shake.

Cosmo looked up from the Light Prognosticus. “Did something crash into the Castle?”

“No, that’s been happening all the time,” Toph said with a frown. “That… was the same kind of tremor the Void gives when it grows.”

“So it trembles here too?” Caspian narrowed his eyes. “Wait…”

“That would suggest the Void is damaging the Castle,” Data concluded.

“Why would he want to destroy his own Castle?” Vivian asked.

Twilight thought for a moment. “Maybe he doesn’t even think the Castle itself is worthy of being in the new worlds he creates. He wants a completely blank slate.”

“I’m not sure that’s it…” Tippi said.

Twilight looked at her with concern. “Have you remembered something?”

“Nothing specific. But… I don’t feel like that’s who he is. He hated the Tribe of Darkness, not the Castle. And… I don’t know.”

“It’s okay, just tell us if you remember anyth—”

“HELP!”

The seven of them stood at attention as none other than Rarity came running at them with a light scream, galloping away from a massive slime creature that her sword was doing absolutely nothing to.

Twilight leaped into action, freezing the slime solid. Data shot it with his phaser, shattering it before Toph could do anything.

Rarity threw herself into Twilight’s embrace, hugging her tight. “Oh, thank you, thank you! I… I’ve had enough of this place. I… I’m done, darling. Simply done.”

“It’s okay, Rarity, it’s okay…” Twilight said, stroking Rarity’s mane. “It’s all over now. We’ve got you.”

“And we can’t go back,” Toph pointed out.

Twilight frowned. “Oh. Right…”

“It’s fine,” Rarity said, sniffing. “I just… like being with you. I missed you.”

“I missed you t—”

“Well! Isn’t this a sad excuse for a duplicate!”

Looking up, Twilight saw Rarity again, though this Rarity was covered in several different colors of blood, had part of her left ear torn off, and was swinging her magic blade around like it was some kind of toy.

“Mimi,” Toph said, pointing at the bloody Rarity.

“Oh for Celestia’s sake, Twilight,” the bloody Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s me.”

“D-don’t listen to her!” the clean Rarity said. “She’s a monster! Look at all of that on her, I would never do such a thing!”

Twilight glanced back and forth between the two of them. Turning to the bloody Rarity, she shook her head. “You can’t…”

The bloody Rarity winced in legitimate hurt. “I was worried I’d changed, but so much that a groveling whelp could pass for me more than the real me? For shame, Twilight.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, it’s time to play the who knows more embarrassing secrets about Twilight game. Twilight, you secretly snuck into Sweet Apple Acres two weeks before our abduction to look at Smarty Pants.”

Twilight’s eyes widened, staring at the bloody Rarity. “No…”

“You, Twilight, once spent an entire weekend in your castle organizing books, and then you came out and got neurotic about Discord’s orange joke. During your time on Earth in a human body, those teenage hormones drove you to a mad romantic fling with some man I don’t even know. You’ve secre—”

“S-stop,” Twilight stammered. “R-rarity… what happened to you?”

“I’ve been fighting a war behind enemy lines for months, dear,” Rarity said with a sigh. “I’m not the mare you once knew.”

Twilight swallowed hard, nodding as a tear ran down her cheek. Then she trapped the other Rarity in a magic box. “All right Mimi, how about you give up the a—”

“Mimimimimimimi!” Mimi shouted, transforming into a massive blob that broke through the corner weakness of the box. “I’m not done yet!”

There was a flash of smoke… and then there were two Datas, staring at each other, equally motionless.

Twilight sagged, putting her hooves over her eyes. “I can’t do this. I can’t keep seeing her take the forms of my friends. I just…”

Rarity tapped her hoof on the ground. “Well unfortunately I can’t ask this… Data, right?”

“Affirmative,” both Datas said in unison.

“Ugh…” Rarity rubbed her temples. “I don’t know him. One of the rest of you has to figure this out. Tell me which one to stab.”

“S-stab?” Cosmo stammered.

“Mimi’s one of the few of Count Bleck’s inner circle I can actually consider evil. The rest are all varying shades of gray that keep throwing me pity stories, except Dark Oak, but we’ve tried—stabbing him doesn’t work.” She drove her sword into the ground. “Let me have this.”

“Rarity…” Twilight reached out a hoof.

“Don’t lecture me on personal morality right now, dear,” Rarity said. “If I hadn’t done all of this, you wouldn’t be getting your chance to go after Bleck like you are now. Who else would have taken charge?”

“Sh-Shining Armor?”

“He’s a depressed stallion. Not broken—he’s fine—but he’s not in the mental space to be the absolute leader. Nope… that fell to me. Because I could be… vicious.” She smiled sadly. “Can’t be undone, sadly.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Rarity.”

“It isn’t your fault, Twilight. I’m just… different, now. I’m still your friend.”

Twilight smiled. “I never doubted that for a second.”

“You doubted if I was the real Rarity just a second ago.”

“You know what I meant!”

Rarity smirked coyly. “Just messing with you.”

“Perhaps we should return to the issue at hand?” Caspian asked, gesturing at the two Datas. “How are we going to tell them apart?”

“Data physically cannot have emotion,” Twilight said. “Any expression of it is an emulation he uses to connect with others.” She tilted her head back. “Data, turn off your emulative expressions.”

“Done,” both said in unison.

“Good. Now… we need to figure out how to trigger an emotional response from Mimi.”

Toph grinned. “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Hey Mimi!” Toph shouted, clapping her hands together. “Let’s talk about how much of a whiny little brat you are because that’s a great thing to talk about! You think you can do anything but all you do is spend your days calling people names and dreaming about ‘cutie-pies’. News flash: no guy is going to want to be with a broken, mutant, clockwork spider freak! You’re like a second-rate replacemen—ah, there it is.” Toph flung a cube directly into one of the Data’s faces. The other turned to her, staring blankly. “Well done, noticing the twitch in the mouth.”

“It was motion. I was feeling for all motion. I knew one of the random insults would hit, eventually.” Toph folded her arms. “Please turn your emulations back on, that stare is really creepy.”

Mimi threw the cube off her, defaulting to her little girl state. “I am not a replacement! My brother was an arrogant idiot who thought death was the solution to everything! He was all shadow, no brains! I was necessary”

“Shadoo…?” Tippi fluttered. “Wait, you were… the one before me?”

“Guilty as charged!” Mimi giggled. “Mimi, ancient shapeshifting construct designed for Flipside. Deemed too ‘childish’ for function. Replaced by a scatterbrained butterfly who can’t do anything. Joyous, isn’t it?”

“Oh for Tartarus’ sake!” Rarity shouted. “Do any of you not have some kind of sob story!?”

Mimi cracked her neck to her side. “I think all of us do, even Dimentio!” She twisted her head around again and again. “I catch him staring off into space, clenching and unclenching his fists every now and then…” The spider legs sprung from her cubic center, reverting her to her true state. “And then he started accusing the sky of being wrong.”

“Mental issues, not surprised,” Toph said.

Rarity grimaced. “You all better have a plan for dealing with her while her invulnerability shield is up.”

“I do,” Twilight said, eyes white, the Element of Magic glowing like a star. Light shot from her, Toph, Cosmo, Caspian, and Data, collecting at Tippi. However, this time, the purple beam didn’t come from Vivian—it came from Rarity. The burst of rainbow focused through the pixl and hit Mimi dead on. It wasn’t strong enough to defeat her utterly, but it was enough to remove her invulnerability shield.

Vivian, not entirely sure what not being chosen for the Elements meant, still took the opportunity to punch Mimi in her spidery center, lighting her on fire. “Got her! We just need t—”

Rarity moved like a wraith, swinging her sword around in a brilliant arc that chopped off four of Mimi’s legs at the stem before the shapeshifter even knew what was happening. She twisted onto her back hoof, punching upward with her other hooves to knock Mimi over, where she could bring her blade back around and cut the rest of the legs off.

“Mimimi...mi?” Mimi’s cubic green head stammered in confusion.

Rarity pointed her blade right at Mimi’s core.

“Rarity…” Twilight warned.

“Relax, I’m not going to kill her,” Rarity said. “That was too sad of a show to warrant that, anyway. She just needs to know where she stands so she doesn't try anything.”

With a puff of smoke, Mimi turned into her girl form. “You… you doofuses suck. All of you.”

“Yes, well, I suck the most then.” Rarity dusted off her chest. “We’ve gotten you, and it wasn’t even very hard.”

“Hmph.”

“Twilight?” Rarity called. “Do you still have those sealing spells?”

Twilight nodded, lighting her horn. Mimi found her arms and legs bound by a purple rope that surrounded her with a soft blue aura. “She won’t be transforming unless you remove those. Her power is sealed.”

“I… I…” Mimi bit her lip, clearly trying not to cry. “This isn’t fair.”

“You’re trying to destroy all worlds…” Tippi said. “We… don’t have the luxury of playing nice.”

“G-go away.”

“It would be unwise to leave her unsupervised,” Data said. “These spells can be easily undone.”

“I can stay,” Vivian offered. “I wasn’t part of the rainbow, s—”

“No,” Rarity interrupted. “I was simply the bearer before you. You are Generosity now. You are Twilight’s new beacon of sacrifice and sharing. I’m just a warrior.” She smiled sadly. “You’re her support now. I will stay behind with Mimi.”

“You sure?” Twilight asked her.

“Absolutely. I have Resistance things to do, anyway. Go, continue on your way. And Twilight?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.” Rarity shook her head. “Not for becoming like this, but for treating you as I did when you didn’t recognize me. I don’t recognize me. I shouldn’t have expected you to.”

Twilight pulled her into a hug. “All is forgiven. And I can’t wait to get to know the new Rarity when this is over.”

“It’ll be quite an adventure, that’s for sure.”

“Stay safe.”

“Save the multiverse.”

Twilight broke out into a grin, nodding. Without another word, she turned and led her heroes further into the castle.

Mimi started crying once they were out of sight.

“Oh, do chin up, you’re a monstrous half-mechanical spider,” Rarity muttered. “Getting defeated isn't the end of the world.”

“I’m… wh… the Count is never going to be proud of me. I’m a failure…”

Rarity sighed. You think my pity would be dead by now…

Behind the Red Mage

“Stop,” Twilight ordered, frowning. “Something’s wrong up ahead.”

“...I don’t sense anything,” Toph said.

“You wouldn’t.” Twilight lit her horn, scanning the hall in front of them. “Throw a cube ahead of us.”

Toph stomped into the ground and bent a cube into the hallway. The moment it crossed an invisible barrier, the cube was incinerated by a dozen simultaneous bolts of lightning from the walls.

“Magic traps,” Twilight confirmed. “And there’s a lot of them.”

“Can you disable them?” Data asked.

“Normally? Maybe. With the Element of Magic? Definitely.” She took a step forward and lit both her horn and the Element, sending a beam of magic forward to disable the lightning trap. It worked like a charm—the trap was far from sophisticated, just hard to see. “Stay behind me, step where I step if you can. I’m clearing all I can for my safety but there might be other layers off the beaten path.”

Single-file, they marched deeper into the Castle, Twilight cautiously burning away all the trapping spells. Cosmo put away the Light Prognosticus so she could watch where she was stepping. An unusual silence fell over their usually conversation-filled journey. The sense of unease wafted through the group because they knew which of Count Bleck’s servants was skilled at the most magical spells. They also knew what Caspian had found out earlier.

But no one ever ambushed them. They made it all the way through the hall of traps, finding only an empty hall on the other side. Still on edge, they kept moving forward… until they saw a girl in a red cloak before them, sitting on a chair in the middle of the hall. Her robes were disheveled, her hair messy, and her eyes wild. Numerous shimmering auras surrounded her, indicative of several layers of magical protection.

“Good afternoon!” Lulu greeted, not able to sell a cheerful mood in the slightest.

Twilight flared her wings defensively. “...Hello.”

“This is a rather interesting situation, isn’t it?” Lulu tilted her head. “You’ve gotten past my traps and now have to face me. One minion in a long, long line to the Count. I’m just a stepping stone to you.”

“And what are you to yourself?” Caspian asked.

“Bloody nobody.” Lulu stood up, letting out an ancient incantation that summoned a bunch of bees to her hand.

“That’s not true. You’re Lucy. Lucy Penvensie.”

Lulu frowned. She recited another incantation that didn’t seem to have a visible effect. “Say that again.”

“You are Lucy Penvensie, youngest of four siblings, legendary Queen of Narnia, and servant of Aslan.”

Lulu gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. “You… you’re telling the truth. You… know who I am!” She broke out into a large, legitimate smile. “I knew it! I knew I was just one of those hypnotized mooks, I’m supposed to be elsewhere! I’m no—”

All emotion drained from her face as if something had snapped inside of her. Her breathing slowed to a neutral level and her gaze became distant, almost mindless.

“The hypnosis just took over,” Tippi said. “Talking isn’t an op—”

“Fira,” Lulu said, monotone. The swirl of fire erupted from her hands, blocked quickly by Twilight’s magic barrier. Lulu didn’t stop the onslaught of spells. “Blizzara.” The ice impacted Twilight’s shield. “Thundara.” The bolt of lightning was enough to burst the shield, but the instant this happened Vivian cast Fiery Jynx, Data fired his phaser, and Toph threw a cube of rock at Lulu.

All of it bounced off her magic shielding, doing her absolutely no harm.

“Dispel those shields, Twilight!” Toph shouted, throwing more rocks at Lulu that didn’t do anything.

“Working…” Twilight said, focusing on the Element of Magic and removing the barriers around Lulu one at a time. There were dozens—far too many for her dispelling efforts to take care of quickly.

“Silence,” Lulu said. The spell formed a ring around Twilight, forcing her horn to stop channeling magic. She still had a connection to the Element itself, which was immune to silencing spells, but it cut her speed of removing Lulu’s shields in half. The bees Lulu sent at her distracted her even further since Twilight had to cast a magic burst through the Element of Magic to take them out.

“I’m not sure I can do this!” Twilight called.

“Book!” Cosmo shouted, slapping Lulu with the Light Prognosticus. It knocked her back but did nothing else. “Maybe we can keep her from moving?”

Toph encased Lulu in a cube of rock. Unfortunately, this did not stop Lulu from casting spells. A whirlwind formed around the rock, throwing sleet and hail at the heroes while another spell reduced the cube to rubble. “Bio,” Lulu said, casting a truly horrific spell that started to rot the flesh on Caspian’s shield hand. Twilight, once again, had to stop removing Lulu’s shields to keep Caspian from losing his hand.

“Quick,” Lulu cocked her head, loading two spells at once into that single spell. “Confuse; Meteor.” Twilight and Toph were hit by the first, so when the flaming rocks appeared they couldn’t dodge properly, getting tossed to the side.

“We need a new plan!” Tippi shouted. “If we lose too much energy here, we won’t stand a chance against Bleck!”

“I’ve got it,” Caspian said. With the hand Lulu had blackened using the Bio spell, he removed the healing cordial from his armor. While Lulu cast a fireball, Caspian jumped her and smashed the cordial over her head. At first, the glass tore at his hand, but the released healing juices within restored it back to full health immediately. Lulu’s shields prevented the glass from cutting across her face—but it had never intended to prevent healing magic from passing through. The perfect restorative potion soaked right through her shields and into her hair.

The life came back to her eyes and she fell to her knees. “Wh… wh…”

“...Lulu?” Caspian asked.

“I… no.” She shook her head, shakily standing up. “It’s…” She jumped into Caspian, throwing her arms around him. “It’s Lucy. I’m Lucy…” She let out wave upon wave of tears into his neck, hugging him tighter and tighter. “Thank you.”

“Thank Aslan that worked,” Caspian said with a laugh, pulling her up and swinging her around. “The nightmare is over now.”

“Y-yes… quite.” Lucy released Caspian and wiped her face. The first thing she did was tear her hat off her head and stamp it into the ground, glaring angrily at it. “I never wanted this… magic. I never…”

“How did you get it?” Caspian asked with a careful, smooth voice.

“I… There was a warrior with four arms, I’m using his magic.” Lucy frowned. “I was walking home from school and… he was just there, on the street, looking so out of place. So I asked him if he was from Narnia. Then… he grabbed me and took me away. He looked like he wanted something, but then there was this earthquake, and we were taken to this castle.” She gestured at the walls. “I was alone until Nastasia found me, and, well…” With a sigh, she looked at the ground. “And then I was Lulu.”

“...Gilgamesh?” Twilight frowned. “Starlight said he was an ally, if a bit confusing.”

“He… might be, now,” Lucy said. “I think he doesn’t like the Void—who does—but he’s not a nice person.” Lucy looked at her hands. “I’m not supposed to remember being Lulu, that’s not how the hypnosis works. But… I do. I remember… everything…” Tears started rolling down her face. “I-I’m so sorry. I tried to hurt you. I hated you. I… I returned to Narnia when Aslan said I couldn’t…”

“That was not you,” Caspian said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It was the evil within you. It is not you, and it never was.”

Lucy sniffed. “R-right.”

“Now… we’ve got to keep moving, Lucy. But back a ways there’s a friend of ours, Rarity. She can protect you.”

“H-how will she know I’m not Lulu? I… I tried to do terrible things to her.”

“Tell her I sent you,” Twilight said. “Also, tell her that I told you about that one time she dressed up as a farm pony and faked a country accent to try to impress a stallion.”

Lucy blinked. “Is that… something you should have told me?”

Twilight smirked. “Yes. She was spouting my secrets a few minutes ago. If she asks, tell her it’s fair play.” She chuckled.

Lucy nodded, turning to walk back down the hall, but something stopped her. “A-after all this is over, I’m using the spell to forget things on myself to remove all this magic from me. I’m not supposed to remember the wizard’s book or the spells of Gaia. But, right now, we might need it.” She took a deep breath. “Cura. Cura. Cura.” Slowly, she cast the healing spell on all the heroes who weren’t Caspian. “And Caspian… I’m sorry for making you break the cordial.”

“It was your gift, Lucy,” Caspian said. “It is only fitting that its last act be to save you.”

Lucy smiled. “Thank you.” With a curtsy, she took off in a run down the hall.

“Do you think the others are hypnotized?” Tippi asked.

“Dark Oak isn’t,” Cosmo said matter-of-factly. “But Dimentio… Does anyone know anything about Dimentio?”

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought. “Hmm… no. No, I don’t, he seems… different from all the others, though.”

“I wonder if we’ll run into Mr. L,” Caspian said. “I do feel the need to duel that man again.”

“We’ll only know if we keep moving,” Toph said, taking point. “So move it!”

~~~

Rarity walked toward the entrance of Castle Bleck, Mimi on her back. At first, Mimi had been an unrelenting whiner, but after ten minutes of that, she quieted down and just started sulking. Rarity wasn’t complaining, it was a lot better than childish babbling.

As she passed through a hole blasted in the Castle wall, she heard a deep groan come to her left. It was O’Chunks, barely conscious, leaning against a wall with a meaty hand to his head. “Grah… googly…”

“It appears they chunked you rather well, hmm?” Rarity observed with a smirk.

“Sh… shut it…” O’Chunks managed through his delirium.

“I don’t think I will. You claim to be strong, O’Chunks, but you’re really the weakest of all the minions. Easy to outmaneuver, outwit, and goad into a fight.” She gave O’Chunks a patronizing pat on the head. “There are other attributes besides raw strength, you know.”

“I… gah, not enough brain to think right now…”

“Of course,” Mimi muttered. “Never had a brain to begin with…”

“Geh…” O’Chunks wasn’t in the mood to banter with her.

“Pathetic,” Mimi grumbled.

“You’re one to talk,” Rarity said. “I suppose we’ll leave him. There’s not much he can do for u—”

“Waugh!”

Lulu, with one of her Haste spells on, had run so quickly she’d tripped over an uneven part of the hole in the wall. She landed face-first in front of Rarity, groaning.

Rarity summoned her blade and pointed it at the back of Lulu’s head. “Lulu, of course. It seems I’m on minion babysitting duty.”

“W-wait!” Lulu stammered. “I’m not Lulu! Caspian cured me of the hypnosis—I’m Lucy Pevensie, servant of Aslan! Twilight told me to come to you and to tell you about that time you dressed as a farm pony to impress a stalli—”

“And that’s all I need to hear.” Rarity dissipated the blade. “Fair play, I suppose.”

With a relaxed sigh, Lucy sat up. “Th-thank you. And for what I did as Lulu, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“You can say that again,” Rarity said, checking to make sure Mimi was still secure.

Mimi craned her head to look at Lucy. “You… really were someone else?”

“Yes. I’m… sorry for how I treated you, too. You were just worried for me. And you, O’Chunks.”

“Yeh…” O’Chunks grunted.

Rarity cocked her head. “Wait… you remember everything you did as Lulu?”

“Oh, uh, quite right.”

Rarity sat down, tossing Mimi to the side. “You could be a very useful source of information. Tell me… what do you know?”

“Well, I think it all started with Gilgamesh…”

Author's Note

As of now, the entire story's drafts are available for anyone who wants them on the discord server! ( https://discord.com/invite/eTuseTh ).

Which means we're getting real close to the ending here, folks! I hope you enjoyed the journey thus far and I hope you'll enjoy where we're going...

-GM, master of ENDINGS.

Meanwhile...

“Just got a report, sir,” Riker told Picard. “Lumash suffered a massive surge in Void activity. It’s gone, sir.”

“Hume?”

“Still stable, but we don’t think it will be for much longer.”

Picard frowned. “They need to hurry. There won’t be any worlds left to save, soon.”

They both looked up at the main screen, watching the battle unfold. Currently the fleet was engaged with an army of strangely angelic beings glistening with light and ominous wings. They cut through shields like they were nothing and brought down both divine light and corrupt darkness on the ships of the fleet. The most effective weapons against them were Flipside’s Heart Cannons, of course, but the Comet Observatory and some of the Ninth World ships were proving to have effective methods for taking them out, in addition to Diqiu’s spirits.

Picard still found it a little ridiculous that they were shooting phasers and torpedos at what were essentially minor deities. It was almost as though Gaia had a theme baked into it of powerful, yet defeatable, entities. He wondered if he would have preferred it if the Q were like this. Would it have given an illusion of power?

“Just got a report from Worf,” Riker said, tearing Picard from his observations of the battle. “The internal forces of the Castle are regrouping closer to the center, trying to break down the blockades the Resistance has set up. They won’t be able to hold them off for long—we need to get some of our ground troops in there.”

“A spearhead that far into enemy skies will be unbelievably dangerous,” Bon Bon said.

“It’s a risk we’ll have to take,” Picard said, standing up. “I’m about to give an order I have a feeling I’ll regret later, but I don’t have time to reconsider. Hail the Borg.”

“We are Borg,” the hive-mind replied. “Speak.”

Picard pressed a button. “I need you to assimilate their strongest soldier.” On screen appeared the four-legged robot-machine-animal with glowing blue-yellow discs all around it. “Enemy chatter calls it the Ultima Weapon. Take it over and use it to provide cover for a spearhead operation.”

“Resistance is futile.” Picard wasn’t sure if that was an agreement until the Borg cubes all broke off from their previous engagements and essentially rammed into the monstrous Ultima Weapon.

“Beam back the primary strike teams,” Picard ordered the Fleet. “All carriers: form into a spearhead around the Enterprise, beta formation — if you don’t know, information is being sent to your computers now. Assault ships, form around the rest of us and push forward—the inner castle needs backup now.”

The ships moved remarkably quickly, with the troop carriers forming a spike around the Enterprise, shortly followed by a shell of more aggressive assault ships. The multicolored and multinational force pointed straight for the center of Castle Bleck.

“Engage,” Picard ordered. “Protect the carriers at all costs!” Since the Enterprise was in the center of the formation, it did not get an opportunity to shoot as often as the others did, but it still got off a few phaser shots amidst the chaos. The ships pushed forward, cutting through angels and shattering crystal dragons. Flipside provided cover fire at first, but soon they were out of the floating city’s effective range, leaving them alone.

The angelic creatures—an inordinate number of which only had wings on one side of their body—started attacking from the sides. The assault ships fought valiantly, but their missiles were just that: missiles. Not divine rays of light from a blade they could barely look at without feeling their eyes burn. The formation was going to collapse.

Now would be a good time for…

“Resistance is futile.” The Ultima Weapon stopped firing on the Flipside Fleet and instead turned its cannon on the largest monstrosities attacking the spearhead, vaporizing them with the outrageous beam that had already destroyed over a hundred ships. The sky filled with angelic corpses.

However, the sudden twist was not to last—for whoever had controlled the Ultima Weapon before managed to order it to self-destruct despite the Borg’s assimilation. It disintegrated into nothing, taking a few of the Borg cubes with it. Once again, the Castle’s forces moved in, threatening to break up the spearhead once more.

“We got your back, Captain!” the Twilight Splinters called, teleporting their sphere to the front of the spearhead. Some kind of complex magic spell froze every attack that threatened the spearhead in an instant, triggering an inverse reaction that blew up the angelic beings’ faces. “Temporal inverted charge! ...That won’t work again, make use of it!”

“We will,” Picard said. “Carriers! Begin transporting to the castle roof in these locations…” He sent indicators to two areas. “Then return to the Fleet as fast as you can. Assault craft, keep the landing parties safe until they are inside and out of danger!” Picard turned to Bon Bon. “Send our teams down and get us out of here.”

The transporters activated, depositing hundreds of people down to the castle surface. All the carriers that had functioning warp drives jumped away—including the Enterprise. The rest either decided to remain and fight even with their damage or attempted to run at sublight speed. Neither of the two categories fared very well, in the end.

But the assault craft remained, and for the most part, their mission was a success. They took the hits for the ground troops, allowing them to seep into the Castle below to deal with the internal fight.

“Mission success,” Picard declared, sitting back down in his chair. “Resume normal combat operations, offer assistance to the Borg should they require it.”

“I’m never going to get used to that,” Riker said.

“Me neither, Number One. Me neither…” He pressed a few buttons. “Photon torpedo volley at the entity they call ‘Ozma.’ Fire.”

~~~

“All right, people!” Starlight said, bringing up a holographic map with her horn now that they were inside the castle. “Our goal is three flights down, where the Resistance needs backup! Team B has the other front—go go go!”

The soldiers that weren’t part of her team directly—largely composed of Romulans and Starfleet officers—ran off with her orders. Her team of Amy, Luigi, Cadence, and Discord stayed closer to her as she moved. They started in the back, but with two teleports from Starlight, they were suddenly in the front, sliding down flights of stairs and through dark hallways with alarming speed. Starlight and Cadence unleashed beams of magic energy so fast the few enemies in this part of the castle fell to the side easily.

They soon came to the choke point—arriving at a scene where the Resistance was pushing the Castle forces away, this segment consisting mostly of slime monsters and hypnotized ponies. There would be no beam-out medical treatment here, and it had already gotten bloody. The Resistance forces were wearing thin, despite having Cortez and Sonic both jumping around the enemy, the wall of ponies mixed with Klingons couldn’t hold much more pressure.

“Squeeze them!” Starlight ordered, turning her horn into a revolving gatling gun of magic bolts, hitting the enemy force from behind. Suddenly, the slimes and ponies realized they were stuck between a Resistance barricade and a fresh load of enemy combatants. The hypnotized ponies were unable to feel fear or panic in their state, so they continued whaling on the Resistance fortifications. The slimes, on the other hand, didn’t have the required cohesion. Some attacked one side, others rushed to the newcomers, while some others attempted to flee, sure the battle was lost.

This gave Luigi and Amy ample opportunity to squish slimes into nothing with their hammers. Discord, for his part, shot his gun at the disgusting blob creatures, exploding their gooey matter everywhere. But compared to Starlight and Cadence, the three of them were admittedly small fries. With immense bursts of magic, entire waves of slimes fell away—and this was before the Romulans started using their disruptors with the Starfleet phasers to boil away those who were getting past the attacks.

“Yar!” Cortez shouted. “The tide has shifted!”

“What took ya so long?” Sonic asked, bopping a pony on the head with a spin attack. “We were squeezin’ hard for a while there!”

“It’s not easy to get this close,” Cadence responded as she froze much of the floor over with her crystal. “Lost a lot of ships getting them here.”

“We’re thankful for the assist!” Pinkie shouted, jumping over her and smashing a slime with a squeaky hammer. “Yeah!” She lifted her hammer up with Amy and Luigi. “Hammer trio!”

“Hammers are the superior weapon of choice,” Amy agreed.

“Yep!” Luigi said.

Sonic blinked. “Amy!? What are you doi—”

Amy jumped past him and stopped a large earth pony from cracking his skull in with a hammer. “I’m part of the reinforcements, Sonic.” She gripped her hammer tightly. “This is war. Maybe stop treating it like so much of a joke.” She ran off into the fray, not giving him a second glance.

“Hmm…” Cortez said, sliding his head over to Sonic while using his other bones to slap enemies aside. “It seems your little Amy problem has taken care of itself. Heh.”

Sonic blinked. “I… huh.”

“She also has a point,” Pinkie said. “This is serious. I may be all smiles all the time but even I know this is terrible. But right now…” She jumped up and smacked the largest slime monster with her hammer. “Now, we have victory.” She lifted her hammer into the air and let out a cheer. “We held them off!”

“Yes!” Starlight shouted. “We got them! Hah!”

What few enemies were still around were either surrendering, running, or not of any significant danger. The Resistance’s wall had held.

“Now the heroes can move along a—”

A four-legged robot crashed through the ceiling, composed of a metallic hull with numerous blinking lights. The four legs affixed to a singular ovoid center, on which there was a yellow slit that might have been an eye. A single stick protruded from its top, like an antenna. Its name was proudly printed on its side: Omega.

“A challenger!” Cortez shouted with a devious laugh. “Take this, you little robotic bug!” He drove a blade right into it, snapping the poor sword in half. He opted to engulf it in blue fire instead, burning it to a crisp. It didn’t care.

The light on top of it flashed. >EXECUTE ENCIRCLE.EXE.

A golden circle appeared around Cortez—

—”What is this thing?” Starlight asked, trying to scan Omega, but only getting her magic reflected back at her.

“It hasn’t done anything,” Amy said, cocking her head to the side. “Is it… confused?”

“It’s an enemy, I’ll take care of it!” Luigi jumped forward and brought his hammer down on the machine.

ENCIRCLE.EXE. A circle surrounded Luigi—

—”It doesn’t look confused,” Starlight commented.

“It looks evil,” Discord said, folding his arms. “Seriously, have you seen it? Ominous machine, glaring at all of us. It’s a wonder it hasn’t attacked yet.”

“Uh…” Pinkie tried really, really hard not to look nervous. “Y-yeah, it totally hasn’t done anything…”

Omega looked right at her.

“Ponyfeathers. Everyone, it’s erasing people from exist—”

ENCIRCLE.EXE

—”I feel like we’re missing something,” Cadence said. “Has the Resistance seen this before?”

Sonic shook his head. “Never before.”

“I think I’ve seen a few of them outside, fighting the ships,” Starlight said. “Let’s try to make contact to figure out what it’s doin—”

ENCIRCLE.EXE

“—g,” Cadence finished.

“Did you just answer your own question?” Sonic asked.

Cadence shrugged. “Come in, Enterprise, this is Caden—”

ENCIRCLE.EXE

“This is the Enterprise. We’re a little busy, what’s your reason for calling?”

Amy looked at the Starfleet badge she had pinned to her dress. “I called?”

“Technical glitch, then. No harm done. Picard out.”

“Something’s wrong,” Discord said. “Something’s very wrong. I… I’m not strong. How did I even get here? How did I defeat all these slimes?”

“I…” Amy frowned. “Okay, that is weird.”

ENCIRCLE.EXE. A ring appeared around Discord…

...Focusing all his energy, he snapped his fingers, tossing the ring away. “What was that!?”

“I don’t know, but it attacked!” Amy pointed at Omega. “Destroy it!”

The Romulans and Starfleet officers fired their energy weapons at Omega, only to come in contact with its shields. It took one look at the number of forces and realized encircling them would do little to cut down their numbers, so it tapped into its other weapons. Two large cannons burst out of its sides and charged up an attack.

That is, until Amy brought down her hammer on the cannons, bending them so they shot the ceiling instead of the army. Sonic entered a spin attack and hit Omega so hard one of the legs flew off, landing next to Discord—

ENCIRCLE.EXE

—Amy was smashing Omega alone, and that was how it had always been. Just her, backed up by an army. She was the leader, she was the… none of this made any sense but she knew this robot had to die, so she kept flattening it, over and over, until it finally mustered enough energy to attack her.

ENCIRCLE.E—

Discord drove Omega’s discarded leg right through its eye. Omega’s internal circuitry couldn’t handle this and it exploded, tossing Discord and Amy to the side.

And with its destruction, all those who had been encircled re-appeared just where they’d been.

“Oh, good, you guys figured it out.” Pinkie wiped her brow. “I was worried there!”

“Figured what out!?” Amy stammered. “I just hit it with a hammer until Discord made it explode!”

“That… was a terrible power,” Starlight said, taking a few steps back from the machine’s smoldering wreckage. “I was sure none of you had ever existed…”

“How could you forget this face?” Cortez asked, chuckling.

“That’s exactly it. I can’t and I shouldn’t have.” Starlight shivered. “I’m glad it’s toast, let’s just leave it at that.”

“At least our mission is still a success,” Cadence said. “And we’re all still here. ...Wait, where’s Luigi?”

“Everyone else reappeared…” Amy took a moment to scan around, frowning. “I don’t see him.”

“Where could h—”

They were interrupted when a small force of bruised and battered Resistance fighters appeared behind the Resistance blockade. Shining Armor strode to the front of the group, Fluttershy right behind him.

“Our blockade…” He sighed. “Has fallen. The reinforcements weren’t enough. We had to fall back.”

“Twilight and the others don’t have a clear shot to the Count anymore,” Fluttershy added, looking at the ground with shame.

Cadence ran to Shining Armor, pulling him into a kiss-filled embrace. “We’ll worry about that later. Right now… I just need to…” She began crying. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t…”

“You’re back now.” Shining pulled her close. “That’s all that matters.”

Amy looked at the two of them… and couldn’t help but smile. In the midst of bad news, there was still a beautiful reunion between two who had been separated for so long.

And it was about to repeat itself.

“I saved the day, did you hear?” Discord said, sliding up to Fluttershy. “Stabbed a robot with his own leg.”

Despite the gruesome nature of the description, Fluttershy giggled. “Gruesome. And chaotic.” She fluttered until she was eye level with his head and pulled him into a hug. “I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through this.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but couldn’t, for she’d just kissed him on the cheek and stunned him into absolute silence.

“Oh, I’m sorry, it’s probably too tense for th—”

Discord picked her up and kissed her back in a twirling dance of a motion.

And with this one act, Discord did what he was meant to do, and everything changed.

~~~

The Dark Prognosticus.

No one, after obtaining this amazing artifact, ever found happiness.

Right?

Crack.

~~~

Count Bleck felt the Chaos Heart change. The original evil that had created it had just been undone… and yet, its power did not falter.

Holding it in his hands, he stared deeply into its deep, dark surface. And it told him something new, something the Dark Prognosticus had never confirmed.

The game was different, now. A darkness had turned to light.

Count Bleck broke down in tears, dropping to the ground, pressing his hands into the edges of his pillar in the central chamber. Then he pulled his head back and looked to the ceiling, laughing as loudly as he could. “BLEH HEH HEH HEH HEH! BLECK! There is no end to the tragedy! It… it cannot be stopped!”

He looked down… and there was a lion standing on a pillar above his, which should have been impossible.

“When the worlds end, they will end out of love,” the lion said. “Not out of hate.”

Bleck pointed a shaking hand at him. “That… is exactly what I’m afraid of.”

The lion nodded, and was gone, leaving Count Bleck to weep.

~~~

Rosalina stood within the Comet Observatory, hands behind her back. She watched as ships and angels exploded outside, while her Lumas rushed around to offer assistance with their own stellar weapons. An explosion shook the Observatory, prompting a pen to roll off her desk and onto the ground with an ominous clatter.

Dimentio appeared behind Rosalina. “You could end it all with a shake of that wand of yours.”

Rosalina didn’t turn to look at him. “Your hopes are misplaced, Dimentio.”

“Ahahahaha!” Dimentio drifted around her like a loose moon. “I have no hopes of getting a response from you.”

“That was not what I was referring to, and you know it so well.”

“Stop me,” Dimentio demanded.

Rosalina looked away from him, fixing her gaze on the Enterprise drifting through the sky.

“Break one of your rules. You wrote them. You have the right.”

“You do not play the Adversary well,” Rosalina said. “There are far more effective ways to tempt.”

“Like a broken record in a time loop, you never change.” Dimentio threw his hands into the air. “No matter how different you look.”

Rosalina fixed him with a sad, mournful eye.

Dimentio let out a guttural growl. “...I have somewhere to be.” With a twist of space, he was gone.

Rosalina closed her eyes, tightening her grip on her wand. As she felt the Chaos Heart’s influence change, a small smile came to her lips.

~~~

“I… I remember everything!” Tippi said, suddenly.

Metarex Conspiracy

“You remember?” Twilight gasped at Tippi. “Tell us everyth—”

Dark Oak dropped from the ceiling, landing in the hall just in front of them. “I do not need to hear your pointless memory.”

Tippi fluttered back in shock. “What in—were you waiting for us?”

“I was waiting for the proper moment. I would find your memories dull, boring, and meaningless. It would be of a woman who no longer exists.”

“I exist!” Tippi shouted. “My name was Timpani!”

“Was,” Dark Oak said, clenching his fists. “Even you recognize that you are not her. He recognizes that he is not Blumiere, either. You cannot hope to change his mind.”

“We’ll see about that when we get to him! I have a few choice words…”

Dark Oak held out one of his hands. “He has suspected your identity since you encountered him in Equis. He has done nothing to stop this assault.”

Tippi fluttered closer to him. “We have the Resistance’s reports. He changed. He stopped caring.”

“He never cared in the first place.” The Castle floors rumbled under their feet. “Do you know what that trembling means, Tippi?”

“I…”

“You’ve known what his true goal is for quite some time, even before you regained those memories of another life. I’ve seen it. But you never told them?”

Comso frowned. “Tippi, what’s he talking about?”

Tippi fluttered away from Dark Oak. “I… it was just a theory and… how do you know?”

“We’ll get to that momentarily.” Dark Oak leaned in to Twilight. “Perhaps you can guess what the Count’s actual goal is.”

Twilight took a step back. “...It’s not to make all worlds new in his image.”

“Precisely. He is under no illusion that he has the ability to create perfect worlds, he does not even believe such things can exist. This Void is final.” He spread his arms to the sky. “The worlds will end and then there will be nothingness!”

“How… How could he!?” Twilight shouted. “I understand trying to fix things with drastic measures, but… but leaving there with nothing? How?”

“I… Oh no… why… Blumiere…” Tippi sounded like she was crying, even though her Pixl form didn’t support tears.

“I have a better question,” Cosmo said, pointing the Staff of Holding at Dark Oak. “How can you support this!?”

“You still do not know what the final goal of the Metarex is, little traitor.”

“W-what?” Cosmo stammered.

“We sought absolute peace. Before our plans were interrupted by the Void and all dimensional interaction was ended, we were to use the light between worlds to end all animal life in the universe and replace it with a single, beautiful, eternal forest. There would have been nothing else, no change, peace for eternity.”

“That’s not peace!” Cosmo sputtered. “That’s just a lack of people!”

“Peace does not exist so long as people exist,” Dark Oak said. “Even us, though we are plants, have intelligence. I would gladly have become the tree in that forest of eternal, serene peace. But the Count has proven that even that is not possible, for the trees will compete for resources, and the world itself would eventually end to be replaced by something complex once more. The only peace that exists… is nothingness.”

“Wait…” Toph pointed at Cosmo and Dark Oak. “You’re both plants?”

“Yes, that metal is just armor,” Cosmo said. “We hail from the same homeworld… but we are not the same people. His hunted mine down to extinction, leaving only me. We… were an insult to their ideas that… I never really understood why until now.”

Dark Oak pointed a finger at her. “You still do not fully understand. Ask yourself this, why do you live? Why you, out of all the seedrians?”

Cosmo clenched her fists. “I got away.”

“Wrong. We let you think you got away. In reality, we captured you and put an information recorder within your brain matter. It was originally intended for you to be the spy for Sonic and his crew, but then you became much, much more useful when it turned out you were the Light Prognosticus’ chosen.”

“W-what?” Cosmo shook her head rapidly. “No, that’s not possible.”

“You are the reason we knew where to find you,” Dark Oak said. “You are the reason Narcissus knew to go to the Thon Iridescence. You are the reason Mr. L and Lulu were able to go directly to the Hag’s cave in Narnia. You were the reason we were able to get to Lumash’s Pure Heart and trap you there for an entire month.” He leaned in. “You’re a traitor to your friends, Cosmo.”

“I…” Cosmo took a step back. “How…”

“She’s no traitor,” Twilight spat. “You’re just evil.”

“See it as you wish,” Dark Oak said. “The information I’ve gathered on the seven of you through her is more than enough to counteract any combat strategy you may have—unless you wish to waste the energy of the Pure Hearts on me. Which I very much hope you do.”

“Eat this.” Twilight’s eyes went white as she activated the Element of Magic, tapping into the connection she had with her friends, unleashing the rainbow through Tippi and right into Dark Oak. He held up his hand and caught the energy directly, dissipating it across the edge of his armor.

“H-how!?” Twilight stammered.

“I built the latest version of my chassis to resist the Chaos Emeralds,” Dark Oak said. “After observing your ‘Elements’ in action, it was a simple matter of recalibrating it to resist their very similar energy. And just in case you want to figure out something with your unpredictable Magic of Friendship…” He backhanded Tippi, flattening her against the wall, knocking her out of the fight entirely. “You’re one down.”

Cosmo fired her phaser and swung the Light Prognosticus. Both hit, and both were utterly useless. Dark Oak kicked her to the side like a doll, using his arm to sweep Caspian in the middle of his attempt at a shield bash. They were pawns to him.

“Three down.”

Twilight, Data, Toph, and Vivian attacked as one unit. Data threw his phaser, set to overload, but Dark Oak shot it out of the sky before it got close enough to harm him. At the same time, he lifted a foot and kicked Vivian in the face, keeping her from dragging him into the void. He allowed Toph’s first boulder and Twilight’s first magic bolt to hit him, but after that, he moved with such agility predicting where Toph’s rocks were going to come from based on her movements and using a tiny energy shield around his left hand to deflect Twilight’s attacks.

Toph and Data jumped in, attempting to use their power to pry apart his armor. Data’s android body proved to not be strong enough to overcome the refined synthetic metal, but Toph was able to pry a small opening at the foot.

But this was exactly that Dark Oak had wanted. He pushed his arms back, intending to knock both of them silly. Data managed to dodge the attack, but Toph was knocked to the ground so hard she stopped moving.

Data jumped back to Twilight. “We lack the necessary skills to defeat him.”

Twilight winced. “I… I’m thinking, give me some time.”

“I do not believe I can.”

“I can!”

To the shock of everyone present, a Void portal appeared behind Dark Oak, depositing none other than Gilgamesh himself into the fray, twirling a halberd around.

“How are you using the Void without the Chaos Curse!?” Dark Oak demanded.

Gilgamesh ignored him. “Look at you. Reveling in your victory. You’re only winning because you’ve studied their behaviors and habits like a creepily obsessive boyfriend. You know their arsenal. You don’t know mine.” He pointed his halberd at Dark Oak. “So let’s do this, toaster!”

Dark Oak grabbed the head of the halberd and broke it off, punching forward with his other fist. Gilgamesh tried to catch it with his two left hands, but physical muscles were next to nothing against Dark Oak’s pure, refined mechanism. Gilgamesh had to jump back, pulling out four swords and slicing at the machine. Three of the blades broke, but one glowing amber blade embedded itself in the metal chassis. Seeing this, Dark Oak twisted his arm to the side, forcing the amber blade out of Gilgamesh’s hands so he could use it.

“Hey! No fair!” Gilgamesh said. “That’s mine!”

“All’s fair in love and war,” Dark Oak growled, driving the amber blade forward.

“So I guess this means you like me? Flattering, but also kind of disgusting.” He pulled out a set of enchanted machine guns and filled Dark Oak with lead. Naturally, his armor was more than impervious to the assault. “You’re a little tough, I’ll give you that.”

“You are a nuisance,” Dark Oak said. He jumped forward, grabbing Gilgamesh by the legs and throwing him into a wall. Gilgamesh pushed off with three of his arms, using the fourth to grab a grenade and throwing it at Dark Oak. The Metarex caught the grenade and let it explode in his hands, surrounding him with smoke but otherwise leaving him unharmed.

“That’s just ridiculous.” Gilgamesh pulled out a spear that glowed with blue light and stabbed forward. Dark Oak chopped it in half before it even arrived. While Gilgamesh was pulling out yet another weapon, Dark Oak plunged the amber blade into the warrior’s chest with a shocking burst of speed.

“You are nothing,” Dark Oak breathed, leaving the sword in Gilgamesh and pushing the warrior over. “Just an insect.”

Gilgamesh fell back into a Void portal, vanishing.

“That was your last hope,” Dark Oak said, turning back to Data and Twilight. “It has failed you.”

“You’re only winning because you’ve planned for us,” Twilight said, narrowing her eyes. “However, just because I only use a small number of spells usually, it doesn’t mean I don’t know more.”

“They all follow similar patterns.”

“They do. Unless I specifically try to copy another spell style.” She grinned, remembering back to the times they’d fought Lulu. “Quick.” Suddenly time froze, and she was given the opportunity to cast two spells at once. “Thundara.” Then she repeated the incantation of befuddlement, as a result hitting Dark Oak in the face with a thunderbolt and a headache at the same time. “Meteor,” she continued, driving a molten rock onto Dark Oak’s faceplate.

“I know her tricks as well!”

“I bet you don’t know this one.” She smirked. “Cura! Cura, Cura, Cura!”

Her magic went out and restored health to all her downed allies. “A lot faster than my usual magic, I must say,” Twilight chuckled.

“I should have taken you out first,” Dark Oak breathed. He charged her.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Twilight turned her horn a disgusting, dark green color. “...Bio.” A swift ripple of green magic enveloped Dark Oak. It would have done absolutely nothing had Toph not opened up a hole in his metal casing earlier. The spell found its way to his interior—to the plant-based creature within. The spell began to rot away at his inner legs, and without a magic shield of his own, he couldn’t stop it.

He tripped over his rotting leg, falling to the ground with a thud. “It… matters not…” Dark Oak said, trembling as he was torn apart on the cellular level. “The army… has blocked your little hallway. You cannot get to the Count, now.”

“That matters a lot,” Twilight said, a tear rolling down her cheek. “I’ve killed you, in cold blood. I… I could stop it now, you’re weak enough, but… I’m not going to.” She swallowed. “Rarity… said something about there being no evil people in this Castle. That’s not true. You… have no heart to change. You d-deserve this.”

“You sound uncertain…”

“I’m not uncertain. Just…” She bit back tears. “I had hoped there weren’t any actually evil people anywhere. That it was all dark magic or misguided ideals or… or something that could be fixed. Could be helped.”

“Naive…” Dark Oak laughed. “All people are evil. There are no good people. Those who seem the best… they are the ones who live the biggest… lie…” He crumbled to the ground, nothing more than an empty husk of metal.

“You just… wow.” Toph put her hands on her hips, nodding in approval. “I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I…” Twilight wiped her face. “I know there’s been death on this journey before, but it was always… more out there. This was personal. I did this. I didn’t have to—I… I thought it was good.”

“No arguments here,” Toph said, shaking her head.

“He was a threat and showed no signs of changing,” Data added.

Caspian nodded. “We must be strong. There are terrible things that must be done for the sake of what is good and just.”

Twilight turned to Cosmo. “...What about you?”

“He… he turned me into a monster,” Cosmo said, shuddering. “I… I’m happy and so angry that I’m happy.” She rushed Twilight into a hug and started bawling on her shoulder. Twilight did much the same.

Tippi fluttered forward. “He’s… he’s gone now. He can’t hurt us any more than he already has.” The castle rumbled. “We should keep moving.”

“How?” Toph asked. “You heard him, the army’s still up ahead.”

“I can try… sneaking around, looking for another path,” Vivian suggested. “I c—”

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! No.”

Before they could figure out where the mysterious laugh was coming from, all seven of them were taken up in a warp of spacetime, vanishing from the hallway.

Back in Flipside, every light on Eggman’s console flashed red.

“Oh dear…” He grimaced. “I just lost their signals.”

Grand Tour

The Void occupied two thirds of the sky, looming large over the sprawling city of Ba Sing Se. There was no panic—for there were very few people still in the city, or the entire planet, for that matter. Diqiu was perhaps the most successful evacuation story in the entire multiverse; the only large group that had elected to stay in the universe were the majority of the spirits, and they patiently waited for the end in their own realm. In the physical world, there were a handful of families here and there who’d refused to give up their land. They were prepared to stare death in the eye rather than give up their homes.

It was in this mostly deserted world that the heroes of the Light Prognosticus appeared.

“Wh-what!?” Toph stammered. “This is… home! How on earth did we get here?”

“That was a Dimentio warp,” Twilight said. “He… he just ejected us from the castle! We have to call Flipside, tell them what happened. We have to regroup…”

Data pressed his communicator. “Data to Flipsi—”

The dimensional warp came again, and they were gone.

~~~

Flat, white, nothingness with the occasional colorless tree or junked robot slowly being absorbed into the absolute emptiness. Mobius evacuation of the main planet had been rather successful… but the rest of the galaxy was not so lucky. Colorless pillars and rubble in the far distance were all that remained of those many vast and varying civilizations.

Cosmo recognized where they were immediately. “No… no…”

“They got their forest…” Caspian growled. “Empty white nothingness.”

“Eggman to Data,” Eggman’s voice came in from the communicator. “Where the heck are you?”

Data tapped his communicator. “Dimentio appears to be zapping us across dimensions. We were in Diqiu, and now we’re in the blank Mobius. I do not know his intent.”

“Just stay there, we’ll get you.”

“I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” Vivian said. Her words turned out to be prophetic.

~~~

Starfleet Command was located in San Francisco, and what had been a scrambling panic of yells and screams about half an hour ago was now nothing more than a bunch of people staring at the sky. Completely, utterly, absolutely covered in the Void. It would not be much longer until Terra was consumed.

It was in the midst of this solemn, quiet observance that the heroes appeared, standing atop one of Starfleet Command’s many tall, white, elegant buildings. Below them was a world of peace, a world of prosperity, and a world with great potential for peace and progress and acceptance.

“...It’s so quiet,” Toph said, grimacing.

“The end has come for them,” Twilight said as she felt the entire world start to shake and break much like Equis itself had. “We’re too late…”

“They stand dignified,” was Data’s only comment.

“Twilight!” Sunset shouted, appearing before them in a flash of light. She looked pained, as if something was trying to drag her away. “Don’t let hi—” She let out a screech of pain, but remained in place.

“I’m not sure we can…” Twilight frowned. “Dimentio… can keep us away as long as he likes.”

“Not that! Discord has completed his purpose! Don’t let him und—” In a flash of white light, she was gone.

The heroes were whisked away as the final end came. Terra, the world that “suffered” the curse of interdimensional mimicry, was wiped from existence.

~~~

The sky was nine-tenths full of the Void. It was so large it was already starting to eat away at the edge of Narnia, devouring bits and pieces of the ocean as it expanded. In the midst of this world, however, the lamp post still stood in its forest, shining bright.

The talking animals of the forest had come to gather around it, seeing it and the green Flipside door as some kind of beacon of hope, of stability—a reminder that there were other worlds, and that those worlds were fighting too.

The seven appeared around the lamp post.

A badger stared in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“Being toyed with,” Toph growled.

“I’ve had enough of this,” Caspian declared. He marched to the door to Flipside and pushed it open, walking onto the platform. He stood there for no more than a second before they were whisked away yet again.

But he still got to see the explosions in the Void’s sky, and the Void itself eating away at Castle Bleck’s edge.

~~~

Lumash was nothing as well. A wide plane of white extending for everywhere, with the occasional small, colorless mini-planet dissolving into nothing.

“Why are you doing this!?” Twilight shouted to Dimentio. “What’s the point of showing us all these worlds again!? We already know they’re dying!”

“Or dead…” Vivian said, unable to stop from tearing up at the sight of her home, gone. Lifeless. Lumash’s evacuation was one that had not gone well, since space was big and the physics confused the evacuation team. A lot of people had been there when it fell. People she knew…

“Dimentio is trying to get into our heads,” Tippi said. “We can’t let him. Stand strong.”

Reality opened up and took them elsewhere.

~~~

Nobody said anything in Equis. It was just as white and empty as last time they were there. They refused to give Dimentio the satisfaction.

We’re bringing it back, Twilight thought. We’re bringing it BACK.

After sitting in silence for about a minute, they were taken to the next world.

~~~

They appeared just outside the Beanstalk, looking at the sky above, almost entirely filled with the Void.

“Ah. You guys,” Ivan said. He was sitting outside the Beanstalk, leaning against one of the walls. “Guess saving the worlds isn’t going well, huh?”

“Not… really.” Vivian admitted.

“Shame.” He shook his head. “I did like them a little bit.”

“Me too,” Vivian said.

“Been a lot of looting and crazed panic, y’know. If you listen closely you might be able to hear Jenny shout at the sky to bring her more ships to throw at the battle.” He shrugged. “I don’t think it will make much difference if she gets more.”

“We all must do what we can,” Twilight encouraged. “Even in the face of such horror.”

“I always do that,” Ivan said. “I’m just not happy about it.”

Twilight managed a soft smile. “All right. That’s good.”

With a burst, they were taken elsewhere.

~~~

Earth—the real Earth—sat in a void of stars, the sun shining down on it and the moon orbiting a fair distance away. There was no visible sign of the Void anywhere.

Twilight and company appeared on the moon, and Twilight was fast enough to cast an air-breathing spell before anyone suffocated. “...Everyone okay?”

“Y-yes…” Vivian said, looking around. “Wait… where’s the Void?”

Data held up his tricorder, pointing it at the Earth. “It is manifesting inside the planet. I do not know how big it is… but it is threatening to tear apart this reality. From these scans, I believe Earth will go last, out of all the worlds.”

“I always said I wanted to visit their world,” Caspian said, hands on his hips. “I still want to. This… this is a joke, meant to gain a response from us.”

“I wonder what his game is…?” Tippi thought aloud.

With one last shimmer, they were moved once more.

~~~

They appeared not in Castle Bleck or Flipside, but on top of a crystal platform sitting in a sky that was half the cream color of Flipside’s original location, a fourth an empty black expanse, and the rest covered in the Void.

“Where… where is this?” Tippi asked.

“This is the Void Control Node!” Dimentio answered, appearing behind them, a fair distance off the edge of the crystal platform. “Completely useless now that Gaia itself is shredded like highly classified documents in the midst of a change of power, but it serves as a reminder—a reminder that Enuo built the great Void to control his world. He built it… because of the Dark Prognosticus.”

“Cease these games, harlequin!” Caspian demanded.

“Cease? My my, you really don’t understand me at all, do you, servant King? Games are all I know!” Suddenly, he was behind them. “Today’s game is to show you all creation and make you feel it. How does it feel? To see such death and destruction? To stand in the remnant of a world that doesn’t know how to die? To know that I have the power to end you in an instant and you’d never be able to do anything about it?”

“Why don’t you?” Tippi asked.

“You want answers? You’ll have to jump like a tap dancer learning his craft by way of a gun shooting the floor where he stands!”

“We won’t play your games!” Twilight shouted.

“It’s funny how you think you have a choice.” He snapped his fingers.

~~~

Vivian opened her eyes to see a monstrous, twisted thing of chaos staring down at her.

“No! You’re gone!” Vivian shouted.

“You can’t be rid of me that easily,” Tzeentch said. “I had been hoping to remain hidden within your subconscious until well after this business with the Void was dealt with… but this Dimentio fellow has removed that plan” He traced a twisted, shifting finger under her chin. “You have to face me now.”

“I was protected!” Vivian shrieked. “I was saved, and you were just a simulation!”

“Jenny did tell you I was still around, little shadow.” Tzeentch laughed like a sink made of cockroaches being thrown into five-dimensional space. “I just adapted to new circumstances. And I shall adapt again, and again, and again! Your protection is never absolute. Your actions have consequences…”

“I won’t serve you,” Vivian said, looking away from his impossible shape. “I won’t!”

“But you are a creature of darkness, of chaos. We share a source, Vivian… and united, the world could change.”

“Yeah! Change into your hands!”

“Change for the better!” Tzeentch twisted around her like a donut. “I am not evil, just as you are not. I represent change. Not war, pestilence, or mad revelry—change! And you can be the catalyst! Already, by defying Bleck, you bring change. With me at your side, your vision of the future could come to pass!” Images of a future where everyone was smiling surrounded her. Confetti flew everywhere, those thought dead were alive, and even the evilest were given a shot at a new life. Vivian sat in the midst of her friends, laughing underneath a smiling sun.

“I don’t want that!” Vivian shouted.

“It’s funny you think you have a choice…”

“Unfortunately, she does,” Dimentio said, appearing behind Tzeentch. “She doesn't want you. So like an unwanted orphan, I must give you the boot!”

Tzeentch’s form twisted into a mix of geometric shapes and piles of rotting flesh. “You have no power, harlequin!”

“Ciao!”

Vivian could only wail at the inhuman screech that met her ears. Tzeentch clawed at reality, refusing to be nonchalantly ejected. “Harlequin, you overextend yourself! You play with powers you do not understand!”

“Wow! How amazing! LIke a rock adrift in open space… you know nothing!”

“You f—”

Tzeentch was removed without so much as a noise, leaving only the mad laughter of Dimentio behind.

~~~

Caspian was gifted with a very different scene. There were two chairs—one for him, and one for Dimentio.

“I think I’m going to talk to you directly,” Dimentio said, smirking. “Since I have a more… personal relation to your particular bent. Or maybe I just can’t resist, like a moth to a flame.”

Caspian realized he had no weapons, so he didn’t even try to attack. “What is your game?”

“Let’s talk about your loyalty—no, your faith—in that golden lion of yours. He is your protector, the source of all that is good in your eyes, and you would give him your all, yes?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“And you speak the truth. Ah ha ha ha!” Dimentio adjusted his mask. “Let me ask you a question. He created Narnia. Why is there suffering?”

“It was not always that way. Jadis—”

“He could have removed Jadis. It would have been easy. He could have done it all with a simple roar. Not even that, a blink, a thought. That is… if he is who you think he is.”

“Your words will not dent my loyalty.”

“I suppose not…” Dimentio clasped his hands together. “I suppose I just want to plant a seed for the dramatic reveal that’s coming later. Borrowing a line from a distant cousin of mine, it’s going to be a doozy.”

~~~

Data felt something… new in his mind. Performing a self-diagnostic, he was shocked to find that someone had installed the emotion chip into his neural net.

“N-now is not a good time!” he stammered, standing bolt upright with a slight shiver. “Focus on the mission.” He tried to turn it off, but it wouldn’t let him. “Ah. Well. I suppose this is part of the game. This fills me with… with…”

“What’s the problem, Data?” a woman with blonde hair in a yellow Starfleet uniform asked. “Are you… upset?”

“Ah. Tasha. More illusions.” Data smiled awkwardly. “You’re dead and thus you don’t exist.”

“What kind of thing is that to say to a woman?”

Data shook his head. “You are just a figment generated by Dimentio or some force.”

“Feel me, Data!” Tasha grabbed his hand and lifted it up. “I’m real!”

“A-all evidence to the contrary, y-you are not real.” Data pushed back, slapping her to the side. “I did not—no, I am—”

“Data?” Twilight asked. “What have you done?”

Data looked down. Tasha’s neck was snapped. “I… I did not hit her that hard! I just…”

“You were emotionally compromised!” Twilight shouted. “You can’t deal with this! You’ve become a monster, like your brother!”

“I never mentioned Lore!” Data spat back. “I am not… him. I will never be him. I will be… Starfleet.”

“It’s amazing how knowing the truth doesn’t change your emotions at all, isn’t it?” Dimentio asked. “Such trouble.”

“I…” Data turned to punch Dimentio. He just vanished.

“Well well well, this has been most fascinating…” Dimentio chuckled.

~~~

Cosmo saw herself as a massive, beautiful tree. But… it wasn’t in the gauntlet. It was back in Mobius, a world that didn’t exist anymore.

“You know,” Dimentio said from all around her. “I once knew someone, and I knew him very well. He said that those like us are never told what would have happened.”

Cosmo watched as the Blue Typhoon lifted into the sky, pointing its main cannon at the tree that was herself.

“I disagree. Here is what would have happened, Cosmo. Here is where your original heroic journey led you…”

Tails pressed a button, firing the weapon. It hit the tree of Cosmo dead on. Cosmo felt the pain in her very soul.

“Your treachery destroyed everything in that world, too. Except, you had to sacrifice yourself to make up for it. Worse still… you made him do it to you.”

“N-no…” Cosmo stammered.

“Who are we to say we know who we are? That was you. That is you. And it may be you yet.”

“It… it must have been for a good… cause…”

“Who cares if it was? Imagine the pain. I’m sure you can…”

“I…”

“Or there’s the alternative.” Dimentio snapped his fingers, showing Cosmo all her friends walking to the gallows like the one in Rogueport. “That you are a very, very successful Metarex spy.”

“Stop!”

There was a sickening crunch.

Cosmo fell to her knees. “What kind of cruel monster are you who does this for his own amusement?”

“Who said it was just for my own amusement?”

~~~

“You’re a—”

Toph plugged her fingers into her ears. “Nope! I’m not going through this! I’ve had enough of having my mind scrambled, turned into a pulp, manipulated, and thrown to the curb! I get it, I’m a runaway but I’m learning to accept responsibility, I’m not a monster, I’m not the biggest liability in the group, I’ve gone through it all already, okay!? So just shut up!”

Dimentio dropped the illusion he had of her fighting a million clones of herself, all with murder in their eyes. “Ah ha ha ha! You truly have been through a lot, even more than I realized!”

“Can it, jester face.”

“Threats?”

“No. A request. Backed up by rage.”

Dimentio shrugged. “Fair enough. Since you saw my game before it happened, you get a pass. Congratulations, you win!”

Toph didn’t know a party blower could be sarcastic sounding until she heard the noise he made next.

~~~

Twilight saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity lying on the ground, dead as doornails. It was not hard for her to discern that it was all fake, but that didn’t stop her from bursting into tears.

“You’re so cruel…” Twilight said, kneeling down to stroke Rarity’s head with a gentle wing. “What purpose does this serve?”

“To get you to let them go,” Tippi said, leading the rest of the chosen alongside her. “They’re from your life before, Twilight. We’re your friends now.”

“W-what!?” Twilight stammered.

“We’re their replacements,” Toph said. “Get used to it.”

“I’m sorry… but it’s true,” Cosmo shook her head. “We were given to you so you could let them go.”

“You could have replaced me with Rarity,” Vivian added. “But you chose to keep me instead of her. That was your choice.”

“You want us more, too,” Data said, extending a hand to her.

“I… I do like all of you,” Twilight admitted. “Love, even. Perhaps we have made a stronger bond that I’m refusing to see. But that does not mean I will abandon my old friends or my new friends.”

“Really?” Cosmo looked about ready to cry.

“Also you aren’t even my friends, your apparitions, trying to get an emotional rise out of me.” She turned to the sky. “This isn’t going to fly, Dimentio!”

“Oh, but it already has!” Dimentio appeared in front of her. “And you won!”

~~~

Tippi fluttered in an expanse of darkness. Count Bleck stood in front of her, flipping through the pages of the Dark Prognosticus. He didn’t see her.

“I have brought you here to end him,” Dimentio said, delivering a knife to Tippi. “He is about to uncover a new prophecy that will accelerate the Void.”

Tippi was baffled for a moment as to how she was holding the knife.

“It has to be you,” Dimentio said. “The tragedy surrounding you is the only thing strong enough to break through it all at once. For the sake of all that remains, you must kill him.”

“I… I…” Tippi could only see the kind face of Blumiere.

“Now! Or all dies!”

With a scream, Tippi drove the knife forward.

The noise was sickening.

~~~

Twilight was the first to appear back in Castle Bleck in an abandoned square room that definitely wasn’t on the main spearhead path the Resistance had cut through to the central chamber. It was… somewhere she didn’t even know.

Toph appeared next, landing flat on her face. “Well, that was fun.”

“What happened to you?” Twilight asked.

“I told Dimentio I already knew everything wrong with myself and it got him to shut up.”

“Oh. ...I got to watch all of you tell me to abandon my old friends for dead.”

“That’s messed up.”

“I almost feel as though it were some kind of test.”

Cosmo appeared, flopping onto the ground. She was crying profusely. “I… I… I got you all killed. But it wasn’t real it…” She pulled Toph into a hug. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Not planning on it.”

“Why was he putting us through those trials?” Twilight wondered. “Why not just… disintegrate us? Snap fingers, send us to the vacuum of space, let us suffocate?”

“You made air on the moon,” Toph said.

“There are other ways to quickly take care of us.”

Data appeared next, dropping right in front of Twilight. Shakily, his face formed into a wavering smile. “Y-you’re beautiful.”

Twilight flushed. “You… have emotions? How did h—”

Data, not fully understanding what he was doing, pulled Twilight’s face to his and kissed her. Twilight, for her part, didn’t make any efforts to stop him.

Toph whistled. “Nice.”

Data broke it off. “Oh, sorry. That was a glitch in the system and not part of th—”

“It was nice,” Twilight said, putting a calming hoof on Data’s shoulder. “But I think we have more pressing things right now. Can you…?”

“I do not believe I have the capacity to put these feelings down entirely. I… cannot turn the chip off. But I shall make the attempt.”

“Thank you, Data. For… a lot of things. Hopefully, now you can really feel my gratitude.”

“There is a… sensation in my chest.”

“Wow you really have never experienced emotions,” Toph snorted. “This is going to be great!”

“Toph, you’ll need to tread carefully around Data,” Cosmo said. “He’s never had any emotions before. What if you were offended for the first time in your life?”

“I… oh. Crud. I’m going to have t—”

Caspian dropped onto the ground, landing awkwardly on his shield. “Ow.”

“I swear, Dimentio’s dropping us down at convenient times just for his amusement,” Toph said, folding her arms.

“It is a reasonable deduction,” Data said. “What do you think he is going to do to us? Will we stay in his game? Will w—”

“Data, breathe,” Twilight said. “What you’re feeling now is panic brought on by fear. Take deep breaths in, and deep breaths out. It will force your body to relax your mind.”

“But I do not need to br—”

“This is an emotional diagnosis, not a technical one, just start breathing.”

Data did as was asked, taking a moment to calm himself with the breaths. It was working—though he did jump when Vivian was deposited.

“I… I…” Vivian shivered. “I… the chaos was still in me.” She held her head, rocking back into the wall. “I can’t…”

Twilight trotted over to her, putting a wing around her. “Vivian… it’s okay, you’re here now.”

“I don’t understand why…” Vivian used a shaky hand to adjust her hat. “Why’d he do that? Why’d he let me know?”

“He had a… chat with me,” Caspian grumbled. “He’s utterly and completely mad.”

“No surprises there,” Toph said.

“What do you think he did to Tippi?” Cosmo asked. “I can’t imagine…”

“It was terrible,” Tippi said, having just appeared. “And it—”

“Was all an elaborate test!” Dimentio shouted, appearing before them in a twist of dimensional energy. To their shock, Gilgamesh appeared at his side. “And you’ve passed! ...Though some of you just barely.”

“A test!?” Twilight snorted. “What was it a test for!?”

“A test of your mettle,” Dimentio said. “Dark Oak informed you of Count Bleck’s true goal, yes? Yes, of course, there’s no reason for me to pretend I haven’t been watching you from the shadows this entire time.” He snapped his fingers, though this time it didn’t seem to do anything. “The explanation is simple, really. I needed to know you had the willpower to withstand the Count. Because, I don’t know about you, but when I signed up for this I wanted to make a world in my image, not to be reduced to absolute nothingness.”

“...You want us to defeat him?” Toph asked.

“Precisely!” Dimentio clapped his hands together. “Like a third-grade teacher’s pet, you have jumped on the answer! Yes, I need you to defeat him. The Chaos Heart makes him utterly invulnerable to my attacks, so despite my mastery of all dimensions, he is beyond my power. But you… you have the Pure Hearts, and you have each other. If we team up, we will be more than enough to take him on!”

“I don’t exactly trust you,” Twilight said.

“You shouldn’t. I’m a psychotic man who wanted to recreate reality in his own image. However, this is self-preservation we’re talking about here.” Dimentio said. “If you don’t believe me, how about some examples? When we ‘fought’ before, I never ended it in an instant by dumping you into a nearby volcano. I’ve given the Resistance many opportunities to fight back—even fed them some information a few times through Gilgamesh here, my little buddy. He was stuck here because of the Chaos Heart and had an innate connection to the original Void construction, so he already hated Bleck. I also permitted Starlight to take the statue back to Flipside.”

“How can we be sure you really did those things?” Cosmo asked.

“Cosmo, you are incapable of seeding your life without the genetic material from a male of your species.” Dimentio summoned a stick and threw it at her feet. “I harvested that and gave it to you while you were empowered in Lumash. Consider it my gift: the continuation of your species. ...And yes, I know you have some seeds in Flipside.”

Cosmo put her hand to her mouth. “That… that really was you.”

“The best part? You’d still be stuck there, as an immobile tree, if it wasn’t for me. I’ve been guiding you to this point the entire time. Hoping that you would be able to aid me in my quest to keep from dying a horrible death.”

“I also don’t want to die,” Gilgamesh added.

“As you can see, Gilgamesh is a few screws short of a toaster, and he’s already gotten himself mortally wounded today, but he does well enough.”

“I don’t want to work with Dimentio,” Tippi told the others. “Let’s take Count Bleck on ourselves. We can do it.”

“We have no idea where we are or how to get to him,” Caspian pointed out. “I don’t believe we have any choice, Tippi. Dimentio is the only one who can take us there.”

“And even if we did get back, there’s an army in the way…” Vivian said.

Twilight nodded. “I’m sorry Tippi, but we have to. And… I might have let him help anyway.” She extended a hoof to Dimentio, smiling. “I’ll accept your hand as an ally… and as a friend.”

“Ah ha ha ha ah!” Dimentio shook her hoof. “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle! You won’t regret this!”

“Now can you let Data deactivate his emotion chip?”

“I’m afraid your Federation scientists will have to do that, I may have overstepped when I put it in him. It fused to his matrix—I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Data nodded slowly. “I shall… attempt to remain adequate. I will be fine.”

“All right,” Twilight said to Dimentio. “I’ll trust you.”

Dimentio clapped his hands. “Now, if you’re all ready, I can warp us directly to the Coun—”

There was a thud on the other side of one of the doors. With a pointed finger, Dimentio threw the doors open, revealing a very confused-looking Luigi.

“...Luigi, what are you doing here?” Vivian asked.

“That is a very good question,” Dimentio said, hand to his chin.

“I, uh, have no idea. At all.” He scratched the back of his head. “Can I… stick with you guys?”

“We’re about to go face Count Bleck,” Caspian said. “Are you sure you want to do that, old friend?”

“It is terrifying,” Data added.

“...What kind of hero would I be if I turned that offer down?” Luigi asked. “Of course I’m in!”

“Then we have our plus one!” Dimentio declared. “Now is everyone ready?”

Twilight looked around at the group. Dimentio, Gilgamesh, Luigi, Vivian, Caspian, Data, Cosmo, Toph… and Tippi. Some were uncertain, some were afraid, and some were tired.

But everyone was ready.

With a coy smile, Twilight quoted one of her other friends.

“Make it so.”

Tippi and Count Bleck

Nastasia wasn’t sure what tipped her off, but she sensed when they were about to arrive. She and Count Bleck had never really thought the Ghosts of Gaia would be able to stop the arrival of the heroes once they realized that Dark Oak had gone offline. But the feeling Nastasia got seconds before they warped in, that was something else. A sensing of the arrival of great fate, power… and tragedy.

They warped in with Dimentio. Nastasia wished she could say she was surprised—but she’d never really trusted the jester with the inexplicable ability to travel anywhere in the multiverse, seemingly without limit. His origin was unknown, his motives were unknown, and he seemed to treat everything as a joke.

But the Dark Prognosticus had spoken of him, so Count Bleck allowed him to join. Tentatively at first, but giving him more and more as he proved himself useful.

Nastasia moved her eyes to the rest with him. Two of them weren’t the heroes. The first was that infernal, irritating Gilgamesh that could still somehow use the Void. Apparently, he was related to the early days of the Void itself, somehow, but Nastasia didn’t care about that at the moment. She also didn’t care all that much about the once-Mr.-L Luigi. Just another familiar face.

It was the heroes that drew her attention. Twilight: regal, strong, empathic, deeply hurt by what she’d experienced. The blind warrior, Toph: proud, self-sufficient, and determined. Cosmo, the weakest, but the most caring among them. Data, the… well, he was supposed to be emotionless, but he looked absolutely terrified at the moment. Something must have happened. Caspian was clearly the generic dashing warrior King the reports suggested he was, and Vivian… she looked so different from the members of the Tribe of Darkness Nastasia had helped destroy so long ago. She looked… innocent. Still smiling, even now.

And then Tippi. Tippi.

It hurt Nastasia to look at the Pixl. She couldn’t imagine what it must be doing to the Count.

“So, you have recruited a traitor?” Count Bleck snarled.

“Ah ha ha ha, my Count!” Dimenito said, waving his finger. “It is you who betrayed me! You have no intention of giving me a world to shape as my own. You lied like a fly painting itself yellow to appear as a bee!”

The Count shrugged. “It is true. It was a necessary lie, of course.”

“Oh, naturally, if I were in your shoes I would do the same.” Dimentio clasped his hands together. “But, see, I have this thing called self-preservation instinct.”

“You have more than that, Dimentio,” the Count said. “There’s always been more to you than meets the eye.”

Dimentio tilted his head to the side. “Have you found out my secret, yet?”

“No. And Bleck does not need to. For your treachery and secrets will end with Count Bleck!”

“I… have a question,” Tippi said, fluttering in front of Dimentio. “How?”

“How? Bleck scoffs in confusion.”

“How can you do this? How can you, who once held all life as precious, destroy it all? Did all of that mean nothing to you!?”

Bleck lowered his hat over his eyes, remaining silent.

“Answer me, Blumiere!”

Bleck held out a hand, gripping his scepter tight. “Your question needs no answer! Count Bleck has spoken enough of the reasons!” He summoned the Dark Prognosticus to him. “And even if there were anything to say, I am chosen, just as you are!” He spread his hands wide, laughing. “We are destined to be enemies!”

Cosmo summoned the Light Prognosticus. “We don’t have to be.”

Twilight nodded, stepping forward. “You can stand down, Count. I… I believe you know who Tippi used to be, and Tippi knows who you used to be. It doesn’t have to end in tragedy. You can come down from your pillar, and we can find another way.”

“Fools!” Bleck shouted. “The only way to end this is to end me, Count Bleck!”

“...I don’t want to…” Tippi said. “I… I remember everything, now… Please... “

“These feelings matter not!” Bleck decried. “We shall duel, and our battle shall be worthy of the last conflict existence will ever see!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “We’ll do what we have to.”

“I count on it.” Count Bleck adjusted his cape. “Nastasia, it is time for you to leave.”

“O-oh,” Nastasia swallowed. “As you wish, Count.” She jumped off her pillar, landing next to the exit door. Before she left, she stole one last glance into the room, catching Twilight’s sad eyes. Nastasia nodded to the alicorn and closed the doors behind her.

Then Nastasia burst into a run. Already, she heard the battle starting behind her—she needed to hurry. Just to the left of the central chamber, there were a few of the more interesting and potentially useful relics of Gaia—crystalline entities that would obey every word spoken to them, magitech machines designed to soar around the world, and a couple of magic spells. But she only cared about one of them.

A black convertible car. It looked somewhat normal compared to the rest of the items in the room, but it was exactly what she needed. A car that had carried heroes across one of the many planes of Gaia. There had been many like it, and Nastasia had no way to know which one this was—but it had a proud name. The Regalia.

And she was about to drive it recklessly through Castle Bleck in a panic.

She hopped in, turned the key, and sped off at alarming speeds. She whipped out of the storage room and into the main hall—aiming directly for the tunnel the resistance had made all the way to the central chamber.

With a tense grimace, Nastasia slammed her foot on the gas pedal and blasted through the halls as quickly as possible. There were a few points where the floor wasn’t precisely flat due to the explosives that had been used recently, but she pushed through them anyway, no matter how much they scratched the Regalia’s finish.

The moment she saw the gathered forces of her army, she started bashing the horn as much as she could. “Make way!”

When your boss who hypnotized half of you starts driving at you in a black car traveling at over one hundred miles per hour tells you to “make way,” you get out of the way. Crystal ponies and monsters alike dove to the side, cutting a path for the Regalia to push through just in the nick of time.

Nastasia didn’t take her foot off the gas for a second. With no more obstacles in her way, she drove further and further toward the edge of the Castle. It took much longer than she would have liked, but she eventually arrived at her destination: where three minions and a white unicorn were standing around a pilfered Starfleet communicator, listening to Picard.

“...I suggest you stay where you are,” Picard was saying. “It’s too dangerous to try anything in your situation.”

Rarity huffed. “Please, captain, Lucy and I have the lunks under control.”

“Who you calling a lunk?” Mimi spat. “O’Chunks, I understand, but me!?”

“Yeh!” O’Chunks grunted. “...Oh wait…”

Nastasia skidded to a stop right next to their position. “Get in! All of you!”

Rarity drew her blade. “Why in the name of all that still exists would I listen to you?”

“Dimentio has betrayed Count Bleck.”

“Oh, really? That sounds like great news, actually.”

“Let me repeat that. Dimentio has betrayed Count Bleck. The extremely intelligent master of dimensions who never told anyone what his motives were? I know you want to stop the Count, but think for a moment what this might mean. ‘K?”

Rarity blinked. “Well… when you put it like that…”

“Just get in,” Nastasia said.

Rarity shrugged. “Fine, fine, I’m not untying Mimi though until I decide it’s necessary.”

“Whatever, just g—”

Rarity hopped into the passenger’s seat, setting Lucy and O’Chunks in the back with Mimi in O’Chunks’ lap. “Step on it, darling.”

Nastasia wasted no time, flooring it to get back to the central chamber.

“Change of plans, darling,” Rarity told Picard through the communicator. “It appears as though I’m rushing with Nastasia to deal with a little coup d'etat that Dimentio fellow has planned. I will cut off her head if it turns out to be a trap, don’t worry.”

“Be careful. Picard out.”

~~~

When the door was closed, Count Bleck let out a deep laugh. “BLEH HEHEHEHEHEHEHEH! Face your demise as all worlds crumble to nothing!”

“Everyone, let’s do this!” Twilight lit the Element of Magic, tying all seven of the chosen together while Luigi, Dimentio, and Gilgamesh fell back. Six beams of color intersected at Tippi and blasted toward Bleck in a spiral of white laced with all six of their colors.

The Chaos Heart manifested and turned the beam jet black, removing its power in an instant. “Fools! Your Elements of Harmony are nothing to the power of destruction and hate that brews within this Heart!”

“You need to use the Hearts!” Dimentio called. “Now or never!”

“Data!” Twilight called. “Do it!”

Swallowing hard, Data tapped his communicator. “Data to Flipside… release the Hearts.”

Count Bleck charged them, the Chaos Heart creating a wall of spiked darkness to end them.

“Ah ha ha ha!” Dimentio said, holding the wall in place with a ripple in space-time. “Not this time, dear Count.”

The Chaos Heart created a spear of darkness and threw it at Dimentio, though he teleported out of the way easily.

“Hearts incoming,” Eggman said. “Get ready.”

Back in Flipside, Eggman was tapping buttons furiously preparing for a sudden drop to near-zero power. “Here goes…” He pressed a button, and the Heart Pillar went black—only the eight colored points inside giving off any light. They all formed in a line, going from red to pink, angled in the exact direction needed to reach the signal of Twilight and the others. “Fire!”

All of Flipside went dark.

The eight Hearts streaked through space in a chain with their tips pointed forward, twirling ever so slightly as they moved to give the chain an overall appearance of a corkscrew. They hit the outer walls of Castle Bleck and phased right through, not damaging a single wall of the structure. They rushed into the central chamber, swirling around Tippi in a perfect ring of eight.

“I’m sorry,” Tippi said. Flapping her wings, she asked the Pure Hearts to neutralize the Chaos Heart’s power. They obeyed, swirling around Count Bleck and the Chaos heart in a rapid, colorful motion that soon looked like a sphere of utter Purity.

The black constructs of the Chaos Heart vanished. Upon completing their task, the eight Pure Hearts became dulled—not stone, for they still glowed softly with their colors, but they no longer floated, instead falling to the ground as though they were simply regular crystals. Like them, the Chaos Heart was dulled, but as Count Bleck still had his grip on it, it didn’t fall.

“Heheheheheheh…” Count Bleck gave off an exaggerated shrug. “Well done, you have removed the Chaos Heart’s immunity! But you know what remains?”

“What?” Toph deadpanned.

“COUNT BLECK!” He lifted his arms, summoning a massive Void vortex behind him. “Still the chosen of the Dark Prognosticus, still the Master of the Void, still the instrument of your doom!”

Cosmo smacked him in the face with the Light Prognosticus, cracking his monocle. “Yeah, well, we’re none of those things!”

“Get him!” Twilight shouted. She rushed forward with her friends, horn ablaze—

“And so I strike, like an unseen dodgeball in an echoing gymnasium!”

Dimentio appeared behind Count Bleck and flashed a magical explosion into the back of his head. Before Bleck could do anything, there were seventy Dimentio duplicates shooting magic at him and kicking him.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this, Count!” Dimentio said from all the clones at once. “It’s aggravating having to hide my power so you don’t feel threatened, so I can explain being ‘defeated’, and so I can be a good little minion!” He grabbed the Count by the neck and drove him into the ground with a resounding tremor that shook the Castle more than the Void itself had. “You were the fool! The duckling that thought the Prognosticus was his mother! Hah! You’re nothing more than an old fool blinded by pain.”

Count Bleck grunted, struggling against Dimentio’s grip, but he only brushed away a harmless duplicate.

Suddenly, there was only one Dimentio. “You’re one of the most pathetic men such a prophecy could have chosen. But I suppose that is the way these disgusting prophecies go. Yet another reason to hate this.”

The Count threw a hand wide. “Bleck! Your power is incredible, but I am the Void! The ancient construct of Gaia, consumer of worlds!” He summoned a Void portal behind Dimentio, intending to trap him in a twisted nexus of space and time that would slowly drain all of his essence. “You are nothing to its power!”

“Ah ha ha ha ha!” Dimenito snapped his fingers, forcing the Void to vanish.

“Bleh heh HUH!?”

“Don’t you get it, Count?” Dimentio asked. “I was there when the Void was built. I was the one who gave the Prognosticus to Enuo. I was the one who made sure Exdeath found it. I was the one who led the Prophecies to the Ancients, to the Shadow Queen, to the All-Q, to you, and all the others in between! Ah ha ha ha ha! I am the speck of dust that won’t go away, the background character that draws the attention of all the viewers! I am the Master of Dimensions, Dimentio!”

For the first time, real, legitimate fear crossed Count Bleck’s face. “You… how long have you been attempting to recreate the worlds in your image?”

“Eons,” Dimentio breathed, the vile rage dripping from his mouth. “And here’s another chosen of the Dark Prognosticus that just re-fu-ses to play nice. So I’ll take care of you, too, and move on to the next time.”

“We won’t let you,” Twilight said, stepping forward. “You aren’t a hero, Dimentio. You’re just a villain whose plan keeps going awry.”

“You’re nothing,” Dimentio said, shrugging. “You could just use the Pure Hearts so I could finally end this nonsense. Be happy, you’re getting your worlds saved because of this. The Prophecy will probably wait until the end of your natural lives before rearing its beautiful head again. I just have to…” Dimentio trapped Bleck inside of a white box. “Squash a little bug.”

Luigi jumped forward and brought his hammer down on the white box, shattering it. The hammer traveled all the way through, smacking Bleck on the head and knocking him all the way to the ground. In the process, Bleck dropped the Chaos Heart onto the ground.

“Blumiere!” Tippi shouted.

“Stealing all the glory…” Dimentio let out a “tut tut” noise. “Following in the footsteps of your brother? Really?”

“Hey!” Luigi pointed at Dimentio. “Imma stopping you from vaporizing him!”

Dimentio generated a ball of magic in his hand. “He must be ended to stop the destruction. The Chaos Heart’s connection must be severed.”

“You can shut it!” Gilgamesh shouted.

“...The warrior clown shouts in defiance? Color me… confused.”

“First!” Gilgamesh started counting off his fingers. “You totally ruined that fight. None of us got to do much of anything! You took all the fun out of it. Second! You created the Void which means you’re responsible for my Curse!”

“I didn’t create the Void, that was Enuo, an—”

“Third!” Gilgamesh interrupted. “I’m suddenly a lot less cool on the whole ‘make worlds in your image’ thing!”

Dimentio snapped his fingers, triggering an explosion next to Gilgamesh’s face that knocked him to the side. “This is why I never get minions. You could learn a thing or two from me, Count.”

The bruised and battered Count was barely able to rise to his knees. “And you could learn… From me… I see the world is broken, and I know I would do no better… What makes you think you can?”

“Experience,” Dimentio breathed. “You never watched the worlds weave together for eons, like hairs into a disgusting garment. It’s built wrong.” Dimentio created another magic ball in his hands. “I’ll build it right.”

“Stop,” Twilight ordered, standing between Dimentio and Bleck. “You have done enough.”

“Not going to let me have the satisfaction?”

“No,” Twilight deadpanned. “In fact, after this is over, I’m hunting you down. That man back there is broken and sad. You… you’re psychotic.”

Dimentio laughed. “Glad you noticed!”

“We’ll figure out what to do with him. Your work is done, Dimentio.”

Dimentio shrugged. “Fine, fine. I trust you to do what needs to be done. Ciao!” He vanished in a ripple of spacetime.

“...I appreciate the gesture, but it is pointless,” Bleck—no, Blumiere—said. “You must end me to stop the destruction of all worlds.”

“Can’t there… can’t there be another way?” Tippi asked.

“The only other way would be to find a new chosen for the Chaos Heart, and there are none of those around. I am surrounded by heroes. Not villains.”

“You’re not a villain!”

“Timpani… I was so wracked with grief, I let myself become this. I chose to become a monster so…”

“So you could make the worlds prove they should exist,” Cosmo said. “That… that they would defeat a monster like you and prove the power of love was worth something.” Tears formed at the edges of her eyes. “You… you wanted to be proven wrong this entire time.”

“And I have been,” Blumiere let out a bitter laugh. “Only, now, now that I see you are here, Timpani… I am not as pleased to go. I… I needed to die, knowing others could have love, but not me. But now…”

“There has to be some other way!” Tippi shouted. “There… Twilight? The Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight lowered her head, shaking it sadly.

“Toph? The Avatar can… can alter his spirit, right?”

Toph grimaced. “I don’t think that’s how it works”

“Cosmo?” Cosmo couldn’t even look Tippi in the face. “Data?” Data couldn’t stop crying. “Caspian?”

“Only by the power of Aslan,” Caspian said, shaking his head.

“Well Aslan isn’t here, is he!?” Tippi shouted at the top of her lungs.

“I have done so much evil,” Blumiere said. “If he seeks to save me, he will do so through my death. You know this, Caspian. I see it in your eyes.”

Caspian couldn’t look him in the eyes any longer, turning away.

“Hurry, heroes,” Blumiere said. “The worlds are being devoured as we stand here.”

Twilight bit her lip, summoning a magic blade. “Will this… will this restore what is lost?”

Blumiere shook his head. “New worlds will rise where those empty ones are now. However, what is gone… is gone, as far as I know.”

“Blumiere…” Tippi said.

“Timpani… go, live your life. I know you will not be able to find another man, but promise me you will not end up where I have. Borrowing a phrase from a culture I destroyed… Live long, and prosper.”

“I… Blumiere, I’m so sorry.”

“Oh.” He looked away. “You… do not expect to live long.”

“No. I don’t.”

“What!?” Toph shouted. “What are you talking about, Tippi?”

“This… digital mind is unstable. I am unsure if it is curable. Without Hume computers and AI research, it almost definitely isn’t.”

“We’ll take you to the Ninth World,” Twilight said. “My Splinters can care for you and figure something out.”

“It… it’s worth a try.”

“Then I wish you enjoy as much life as you have left, Timpani,” Blumiere said. “Go, appreciate what remains—and explore the new worlds that rise in their place.”

“I… I will.”

Blumiere plucked the gem he wore around his neck and tossed it to Vivian. “I leave the mantle of the Tribe of Darkness to you.”

“M-me!?” Vivian stammered. “But I don’t even remember!”

“And that is for the best. Our history is terrible and full of evil.” He turned to Twilight. “Leader of the heroes of the Light Prognosticus, give me my wish.”

Twilight angled her sword up. “I’m sorry we have to do this.”

“And I am sorry as well. To think that this is what I wanted.”

“Blumiere…” Tippi said.

Twilight swung the blade... and stopped short of his neck.

“I… I can’t.” Twilight sat down. “I… I’m sorry, I can’t do it. Not to you.”

“Oh for the sake of my festive hat!” Dimentio appeared in the room once again. “I grow bored of this nonsense. I don’t actually need him dead, I just wanted to have the satisfaction, but apparently we need to get this show on the road!” He pulled out a shimmering rainbow star taken from the rainbow gauntlet of Lumash. “Time for your big entrance, Mr. L!”

“W-what!?” Luigi stammered as the star hit him, unlocking his full potential.

“Grab the Chaos Heart, Man in Green.”

Luigi jumped over to the Chaos Heart and picked it up. It accepted him wholeheartedly.

Tippi landed on Blumiere’s shoulder. “What… what is going on?”

“A chosen of the Chaos Heart,” Blumiere realized, eyes widening.

“He really was Mr. L?” Caspian asked, stunned.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Dimentio laughed, floating in front of the Heart-holding Luigi. “You have no idea how hard it was to get Gilgamesh in the right place at the right time, bring Luigi here, get him hypnotized, break his hypnosis so he could become accepted as a hero, and then bring him back here so he could steal control of the Heart from right under your little noses! The Chaos Heart may reject me as its chosen, but Luigi is under my control, now. It is effectively mine.”

“Dimentio… how?” Blumiere stared at him in disbelief. “How would you know of the prophecy of the Man in Green that far ahead? How did you read it and not fall?”

“Oh, the answer is simple, my Count.” Dimentio clapped his hands, taking both the Light and Dark Prognosticus and levitating them above his head. With a snap of his fingers, both books opened up and released all of their pages into the air. The covers fell to dust as the swirling vortex of pages coalesced into a single massive brick of carefully arranged papers. A new cover appeared around them, lined with both dark and light elements, focused on a single star-shaped crystal in the center cover. It fell into Dimentio’s arms.

“This is the Prognosticus. And I wrote it.”

Blumiere could do nothing more than stare at him.

Dimentio flipped to the last page. “This one was particularly badly mangled when the book was separated… but completed, it reads ‘the Man in Green shall rise with another’s will and a loving hatred will be born anew.’ “ Dimentio slapped the book shut with a twitch of his neck. “Mr. L? I think you need some fresh hatred to empower that heart of yours. I shall bestow you mine, so we may dance like a man and a mistress who has her charge wrapped around her delicate finger…” Dimentio shattered his form into a thousand diamonds, surrounding Luigi and the depowered Chaos Heart. The faster the diamonds whirled around, the more darkness returned to the Heart. A twist of the Void swirled around the Heart, Luigi, and Dimentio’s diamonds.

Everything was taken into a blender and spat out into one. A dark head manifested, a massive Luigi-like hat appearing on top of it. Spikes of ugly, disconnected points weaved together, creating an elongated neck that stopped at a jester’s body. The neck punctured through the body, forming legs and arms that ended in massive shoes and fists that were cartoonishly oversized, each one twice as tall as a person.

“GREEEEEEEEN,” the thing shouted, making everyone cover their ears in pain. For a moment, its eyes were blank white voids… but then a yellow spark came into them. “Oh, pardon me! Like a newly awakened bird, it appeared I needed a moment to re-adjust. But no matter. Now I have all I need… to become the King of All Worlds!”

“I will not permit it,” Blumiere said, standing up. “I demand that the Chaos Heart return to m—”

“Not chancing that,” Dimentio said. With a click of whatever dark tongue was inside of him, Blumere was teleported away—Tippi still on his shoulder. “And while I’m taking care of unforeseen complications…” Another click and all the depowered Pure Hearts were sent away as well. “There we go…”

Dimentio’s head snaked toward them, twisting back and forth like a king cobra. He lowered himself to face the six remaining heroes. “Congratulations, heroes of the Light Prognosticus! You have completed your destiny and defeated Count Bleck, saving all worlds from destruction!”

Twilight stared the thing that was mostly Dimentio in the face, unwavering. “We’ll stop you too.”

“Then this should make an excellent battle for the fate of everything! Viewers on the edge of their seats as their plucky runt David takes on Goliath! The play for the end of all, your siren song; The Ultimate Show!”

Author's Note

Hey guys! This story will wrap up soon--I might start releasing the last few chapters quicker, like I did with Amber Ashes, I haven't decided for sure yet.

However, I DO know that I have started a brand new awesome Omniverse project, Omniverse VIII! Since this story's ending, why not poke your nose into the Transcendental Sequence?

-GM, master of kegs.

The Ultimate Show

Author's Note

Been a while since I thought something needed boss music...

-GM, master of ENJOY!

The Ultimate Show

Without Tippi, Twilight knew the Elements couldn’t be focused properly in the way she’d been using them, so she didn’t even try. Sensing the same barrier around Dimentio that had been around Count Bleck, she knew she needed to try something desperate. She focused all her energy into the Element of Magic and turned it all pitch black. Her eyes became inky pits of nothingness and she pointed her horn right at the monstrosity that was Dimentio.

“My my, what forbidden magic you know!” Dimentio cackled. “I do wonder, where did you pick up that one?”

“You’d be surprised what you can find in the restricted section.”

“The Death of Time has generally unpleasant consequences whenever cast… I think I’ll just…” Dimentio clapped his massive hands together and suddenly all Twilight’s built up dark magic was gone, just like that. “Yes, that’s much better.”

Twilight stared at him in shocked fear. “How did…”

“I am one of the oldest magicians in the multiverse and I have the direct power of the Chaos Heart and this baffles you? C'est la vie…” He flicked her to the side like a fly. “I invented the precursor to that spell, Princess. I’ve been through many separate systems of magic from before your world was even born, and I’ve synthesized them together through the bonds of realities that don’t exist anymore. I am the magician! You’re just an imitation of the art I’ve perfected. How about a demonstration?” He cocked his massive head, and suddenly Twilight was frozen solid. Then she was on fire. Then she was made entirely out of bees. Then she was back to her normal self except she had no eyes. He restored her eyes, but drained her energy to an absolutely basic level, she couldn’t even stand.

“Do you understand now?”

“Y-yes…” Twilight said.

“If only our precious Count had the required background to truly make use of this Heart. Such a shame it will never choose me directly, I’m the only one who actually knows how to use it. Those Ancients were amateurs. So!” He turned to the rest of the heroes. “Who wants to go next?”

Toph and Vivian attacked in unison, launching fire and massive chunks of the wall at him. He let them hit him, bouncing right off his dark barrier. “I was hoping for a better show, but clearly only Twilight knows anything interesting…” He slapped Toph aside, embedding her in one of the room’s pillars. With his other hand, he grabbed Vivian.

“I’m going to keep you in the darkness forever,” Vivian spat, grabbing him and entering the shadow. Suddenly, there was no Vivian or Dimentio.

“There is no way that worked,” Data said. “...Right?”

His assessment was correct. Dimentio burst out of the shadow, flinging Vivian into the air as he did. “More boring down there than I was expecting.”

Vivian clutched the gem Blumiere had given her. “If this is the mantle of the Tribe of Darkness… do something!”

The Castle heeded her instruction. It summoned a great dragon into the room from the ghosts of Gaia and turned it on Dimentio. A brilliant blue flare erupted from its mouth, engulfing Dimentio’s entire monstrous form.

Dimentio emerged unharmed and teleported the great dragon far, far away. Then he stomped on Vivian before she had a chance to vanish into the shadow, flattening her purple form. “I don’t need you turning this Castle into a merry-go-round…”

“Aaaaaaa!” Cosmo shouted, somehow having got ahold of the entire Prognosticus. She slapped Dimentio across the face with it. It did nothing more than be annoying.

“You really do have a thing for disrespecting holy texts, don’t you?” Dimentio asked, grabbing hold of her by one of the leaves that made up her dress. She froze solid. “Perhaps, like a wilting flower, you need to understand your own mortality.”

He plucked the leaf. She let out an inhuman scream and fell back, inner water leaking out from the now severed stem.

Holding the Prognosticus on his finger, Dimentio chuckled. “You know, I hated this book when I wrote it. It told me things I didn’t want to hear. Prophecies I despised for their nature. But now, I understand. I understand how to bend them, how I was always supposed to bend them. I was always meant to take creation in a new direction, away from his cryptic, shallow, impossible pain. I am the editor, hired to change the book for public consumption.”

Dimentio turned to Caspian suddenly, staring him down. “What say you, King?”

“I can do nothing.” Caspian threw down his sword and shield. “I am at your mercy.”

“A smart one.”

“But I also know that Aslan will not permit this.”

“Really? You know that for a fact?” Dimentio dropped the Prognosticus in front of Caspian. “By what power do you think I wrote this Prophecy? Do you not know what it takes to be a prophet?”

Caspian took a step back. “You... can’t be.”

“Oh yes, I used to be quite different. Until I wrote this. Until he revealed to me what it all actually was. All this love… it’s a lie. He claims it’s not, he claims it’s perfect just the way it is, but I know better! I’ve seen better! I’ve been to the mountain and had the purposes revealed to me, and I rejected them!”

Caspian took a step back.

“If you saw the full truth of the matter, you would flee as well. You would turn your back on your precious little lion and join me in my crusade to remake the worlds without mistakes!”

“I do not serve because of what I see! I serve because of who he is!”

“Then you are a terrible judge of character.” Dimentio grew bored with Caspian and threw him away, knocking the wind out of him with ease. He turned to the last one standing—Data, who was coddling Twilight, shivering. “And you… you’re just afraid.”

“Y-yes…” Data said. “It is… pointless to resist you. All we can do… is beg.”

“Then beg.”

“I…”

“No,” Twilight said, breathing. “Data, I’ll do it.” She took a few steps out of Data’s arms and collapsed in front of Dimentio. “Dimentio… I do not understand why you’re doing this. I don’t think any of us can, your words are strange and it doesn’t make sense to us. We… we are too small. But I beg you, don’t destroy the worlds. There’s so much history, so much experience, so many people, and so much love put into them. They are powered by the connections between us all. Please, do not do this evil—you know it is wrong.”

“I would listen to you,” Dimentio said. “But, there is a small problem. The worlds cannot be shaped until they are all erased. All I can do… is bring a few with me. Do not worry, I will take you into the new worlds. Perhaps a few others. Those who are the most… interesting.” With a wave of his hand, suddenly Picard was standing in front of them.

“What in the—” He took one look at Dimentio and tensed. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“Congratulations, Captain!” Dimentio said, grinning. “You have been chosen to emigrate to the new worlds! I’m making selections from the rest of your fleet now, saving them from the Void’s consumptions. Since I don’t want a crowd I’m moving most of them to random spots in the castle, you understand.”

“I do not understand what is going on, but I refuse,” Picard said. “I will not benefit from this genocide of all existence!”

“I’m not giving you a choice,” Dimentio cackled. “You will survive! And when I’m given control, I will reshape everything however I see fit. I’ll remake existence to be better. Clean up every mistake of pain, judgment, choice…”

“How can you know those are mistakes?” Picard shouted.

“They are what make us who we are!” Twilight added.

Dimentio shrugged. “See, the Count was right, but for the wrong reason. He saw the world through a single tragedy and it colored everything. He had no objectivity. I’ve seen all tragedy. You couldn’t possibly hope to comprehend what it means to have that revelation. You write a massive, holy book dictating the end times of all worlds… and only then are you told. Told what was hidden from you.”

Twilight shook her head. “I… please. Stop this.”

“I know I asked for begging, but like a mother offering her children sweets, I grow tired of the nagging.” He shot a lightning bolt at Twilight, immobilizing Data in the process. Only Picard remained standing in the room. “Lucky you, Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Perhaps you were the hero after all.”

Picard set his jaw. “I am no hero. I am just a man.”

“One of the best. The Count thought you were dangerous. I find you… fascinating. The product of a series of impossible events, intertwining deeper and deeper like the DNA of all species. You are too good to be a man. But not perfect enough to be… what I am trying to be. You… make the perfect voice of reason.”

“If you want a voice of reason, stop this madness!”

“Your services are currently not required! That will come when it is time to create what has been lost anew. Now…” He clapped his hands. “Let’s see… Diqiu, Narnia, the Ninth World, and Earth still remain, with a few pockets of Gaia clinging here and there. Looks like the Ninth World is going to go soon… Sit, Picard, and watch the end of all things with me.”

Minion Loyalty

The Regalia sat, parked, on the other side of the door to the central chamber. Nastasia, Rarity, and the others watched as Dimentio took his new, hideous form.

“Luigi…” Rarity whispered, swallowing hard.

“This is bad…” Lucy whimpered. “Very, very bad…”

“No, really!?” Mimi blurted. “It’s bad!?”

“We need t’...” O’Chunks took a breath. “T’ get in there and stop that traitor!”

“We can’t…” Rarity shook her head, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. “Unless Nastasia thinks her hypnosis will work, we’ve got nothing.” She watched as Blumiere and the Hearts were warped away. “And they just lost the Hearts. There goes that last-minute-savior plan.”

“Or it gives us exactly what we need.” Nastasia jumped back into the car. “Rarity, untie Mimi. Lucy, heal O’Chunks. I think we’re going to need all we can get.”

“...I’m deciding to trust you,” Rarity said, removing the restraints from Mimi. For the moment, at least, Mimi remained in her green girl form.

“Cura,” Lucy said, rejuvenating O’Chunks.

“Now…” Nastasia ran into the room the Regalia had been stored in, coming back out with a snowglobe-like object that held numerous magical sparkles and a green and yellow ring linked around each other. “This is a dimensional transponder. It was one of the many rather unreliable methods of dimensional travel before the Chaos Heart curse was enacted. That curse has been lifted. We can use it.”

“To do what?” Rarity asked.

“To go wherever Dimentio threw the Count.” She jumped back into the Regalia. “Everyone in the car. I have no idea what kind of time discrepancy we’re going to experience, so hold on tight, ‘K?”

Everyone put on their seatbelts.

Nastasia smirked. “Those won’t help much.” She shook the device… and they felt like they were drowning in water. They could see nothing, and the fact that they felt like they were drowning didn’t appear to be killing them… but it was suffocating, like moving through syrup in the opposite direction it was flowing. It was wholly unnatural.

But needed.

~~~

Tippi and Blumiere stood, alone, in the middle of the green cube that was Dimension D. Around them were the de-powered, useless Pure Hearts.

“Maybe… maybe we could…” Tippi trailed off.

“Our love is already tainted,” Blumiere said. “It is the reason all of this happened. The tragedy of love turned into hate… it is what brought this about. Restoring our bonds would have an effect on the Chaos Heart. It cannot restore the Pure Hearts.”

“But we have to restore them! We… we can’t let it end like this!”

“I know that,” Blumiere shook his head. “I know that better than anyone, but there is simply nothing we can do. We are trapped here, either until the Void consumes us or Dimentio releases us in the ‘new worlds.’ “

“Which won’t be good worlds. They’ll be designed by a madman! That… that’ll be worse than what we have now, not better!”

“Try telling that to him. He makes the Q look humble in comparison.” He tapped his scepter against the green wall, sighing. “We finally have each other… and all we can do is argue. Perhaps we should hope. Maybe… he will have mercy on us. If he gains what he wishes, he could craft you a new form.”

“I wouldn’t want that!”

“You wouldn’t?” Blumiere held his hands wide. “You wouldn’t want to be healed so you could spend eternity with me? In a world where we can be safe? Like I promised you?”

“Blumiere…”

“It would be wrong… but my heart beats too strongly to not hope at the possibility.”

“I…” Tippi sighed. “I feel the same way. But that doesn’t change the fact that we need to stop him.”

“It is merely a hope for a silver lining if we fail. ...Though I still do not see what we can do in here.”

“We… can enjoy each other’s company for a while.”

“For the first time in a long, long while.”

So they sat down and talked. Blumiere talked of his quest to find her, and Tippi talked of her cursed wanderings through the multiverse. Of Nastasia, and of Merlon. Of how they both felt.

“I… I had hate too,” Tippi admitted. “I’m lucky I was able to forget the hate of my wanderings and forge new friendships without those memories. If I hadn't… I may have gone where you did.”

“You could never do such a thing.”

“Couldn’t I? You held life so dear, cherished it perhaps more than I did at times. And I was the one who refused to listen to reason first, you just kept me doing it.”

Blumiere chuckled. “All of this would never have happened if you just let me go after you tended to me that day.”

“You know I couldn’t do that. Utterly impossible.”

“Lies, but I’ll believe them.”

Tippi giggled. “...We let our love consume us, didn’t we? So much so that… that it led to here.”

“Should we not have sought each other out to the ends of existence?”

“Maybe not,” Tippi admitted. “It… it’s caused a lot of pain for a lot of people that aren’t us. Maybe… Blumiere, I love you, but… maybe we placed ourselves on too high of a pedestal.”

“Is it possible to be too proud of someone else?” Blumiere wondered. “...Perhaps…”

“I… If there was a way to go back, to do it differently…”

“We wouldn’t be able to.”

“Agh!” Tippi fluttered. “I feel so trapped! This… everything about this makes me feel wrong inside! That… the beauty we shared doomed it all. We were reckless, young, and… And we’ve got to fix it! We’ve got to fix what we’ve done!”

“What I’ve done, Tippi.”

“It was both of us and I don’t care anymore, this is my problem too! I’m with you, you’re with me, now we’ve got to get out of here!”

“And then what? Dimentio is invincible. Only the Pure Hearts can weaken him. Even then… his power is formidable.”

“And we can’t even get out of here, I know, I know…”

With a comical pop, a black car appeared with Nastasia, Rarity, Lucy, Mimi, and O’Chunks in it.

“Um… we’re here.” Nastasia said, adjusting her glasses.

“I want it on the record…” Rarity said, coughing. “That I am never doing that again.”

“We have to do it to get back, ‘K?”

“Sassafras…”

“Nastasia! My minions!” Blumiere walked to them. “...And Rarity?”

“Coughing,” Rarity coughed. “Give me a minute, will process you later.”

Mimi jumped out of the car and rushed Blumiere into a big hug. “I’ve missed you!”

“I missed you too, my child.”

“Woah! You’re talking different! I like it!”

“Things have changed, Mimi.” Blumiere adjusted his hat. “Dimentio has betrayed us, as you no doubt know. We need to think of a way to stop him.”

“We just go back with you and you’ll slap ‘im to oblivion!” O’Chunks said. “That’s the Count I know!”

“He already bested me in battle,” Blumiere said, shaking his head. “I do not have all the power, O’Chunks.”

“But… you have us,” Rarity said, standing up. “And together we might be able to figure out a little something.”

Blumiere looked at her in surprise. “You’d pledge yourself to me? I… we face a common enemy a—”

“Shushamush!” Rarity hissed. “This isn’t just some ‘enemy of my enemy’ nonsense. I can see it in your eyes. You’ve removed the mask. Completely. I see in those eyes a man I would follow to the ends of the earth. You’ve done terrible things and I’ve imagined brutally eviscerating you with my blade seeeeeeveral times over the course of these last few months. But you have changed. So I give myself to you. Not to save the worlds, but because you deserve it.”

“You might be being a bit generous there,” Tippi said.

Rarity tossed her mane back. “You like it?”

“Oh. Right. Element of Generosity,” Tippi deadpanned. “Nevermind, keep being completely insane.”

“Thank you.”

Blumiere turned to the last person in the dimension—Lucy. “You… are no longer Lulu.”

“No. I’m Lucy. But I remember everything.” Lucy walked up to him, staring right into his face. “You were kind to Lulu. Through all that mad laughing and evil plotting, you actually cared about her. All of us.” She pulled him into a hug. “You always wanted to be proven wrong.”

“And we don’t care that you lied to us,” Mimi said. “Okay, well, I kinda do, but I don’t care right now! You’re hurting and everything’s changed so let’s just forget all that.”

“Yeh!” O’Chunks cheered. “Like Lucy said, yeh were always nice! ...Unlike some people.”

“Um…” Nastasia walked up, doing her best to ignore O’Chunks. “You have us, sir. All of us. Your loyal minions, ready to do whatever is ordered, ‘K?”

Blumiere let out a laugh. “ ‘K, indeed, Nastasia. Thank you.”

The red Pure Heart lifted off the ground, floating between them with its brilliant crimson light.

“The… Pure Hearts!” Tippi gasped. “They’re…”

“Revitalizing,” Blumiere laughed as the orange and yellow lifted next. “Love bears all things. Love believes all things. Love hopes all things. Love endures all things. This loyalty… it is a form of love.”

“Not the love of the good leader,” Tippi said. “It is… it’s the love of forgiveness, of understanding, and… it’s almost like that of a family.”

“One big happy family,” Rarity chuckled. “Of a bunch of people who tried to kill each other on a regular basis. This is amazing, best thing ever.”

“We have the Hearts,” Blumiere said. “That is enough to counteract the Chaos Heart. But what of Dimentio?”

“Um… I might have a solution on the Dimentio front, Count,” Nastasia said.

“Do tell. And please… it’s Blumiere now.”

Author's Note

This will be the last double-chapter update...

...Because I have decided that, for the finale, this will be the WEEK OF WORLDS APART! One chapter a day until we complete on Friday! ARE YOU READY FOR THE CLIMAX EVERYBODY!?

I know I am!

Oh, and now that all/most of the things that happen in the main game have already occured and can't spoil you, I can finally share this great series of songs from the game with added lyrics. Truly awesome:

-GM, master of the ultimate show!

The Ultimate Show, Reprise

Dimentio watched as the Ninth World started to crumble. “Ah, Picard! Come, see.”

Picard refused to move.

“I said come s—” Dimentio stopped himself. “Hold on, dimensional interference, it should pass and then you’ll witness the g—”

The front door of the central chamber exploded as a sleek but rather battered black car drove through it at high speed, depositing a sight that was highly unwelcome to Dimentio; Nastasia, Lucy, Mimi, O’Chunks, Rarity, Blumiere, Tippi, and all eight Pure Hearts. Since Tippi was one of the chosen, with a little levitation magic it was a simple matter for her to “carry” them here.

“Take this!” Tippi shouted, willing the Pure Hearts upon the Chaos Heart once again. They found its essence inside Dimentio and canceled it, breaking its protection once again. All Hearts became dull… but the monstrous form of Dimentio with Luigi and chaotic power still remained.

“Nastasia, did I ever tell you how much your constant meddling was aggravating? Like a hornet that just kept stinging and avoiding the bug zapper’s sweet embrace of death…” Dimentio snapped his massive fingers… and nothing happened.

“I don’t know how your dimensional powers work, Dimentio,” Natassia admitted. “So I turned on every device with any sort of capacity for dimensional interference in our treasury. Um, the interference should be so extreme you won’t be able to go anywhere, ‘K?”

“Silence!” Lucy cast, locking Dimentio’s magic within himself. “And that should take care of your spells!”

Rarity summoned her sword, grinning. “I believe that makes you stuck, darling.”

“Ah ha ha ha ha…” Dimentio shook his massive head. “I will admit, this does make things… annoying. But there is something to be said for making The Ultimate Show an actual battle with stakes! The heroes of the Light Prognosticus have fallen to the wayside, and in the final moment it is not them who bring the hope—it is the villains!”

“I object to that label!” Rarity shouted.

“Obviously the illustration isn’t perfect, but this should make for the proper duel! The last battle the worlds will ever see—that’s what you wanted, isn’t it Count?”

“I am Blumiere,” he said, striding forward, picking the gem of the Tribe of Darkness off of Vivian’s downed form. “And you are trespassing in my family’s heritage.”

Dimentio moved like lightning. His massive hand stretched out and flung Lucy to the side, taking their healer out of the equation with precision. In making this move, he left himself open to all the others. O’Chunks grew to a massive size and drove his fist into Dimentio’s nose, shattering the construct of darkness into several shards that reformed once he’d finished the punch.

“MIMIMIMIMIMIMIMI!” Mimi shrieked, jumping onto his foot and tearing through it with her spidery legs.

Rarity had teleported on top of his hat, driving her blade into his eye with vicious intent, backed up by Picard shooting the other eye with a phaser set to maximum, removing both eyes from existence. But, much like the nose, they reformed a few seconds after destruction.

“He keeps reforming!” Tippi called. “What do we do?”

Blumiere focused on the crystal. “I summon the Child of Gaia: Leviathan!” Nothing happened.

“Ah ha ha ha ha ha!” Dimentio cackled. “Your precious summons won’t work if I’m trapped here! You have no Chaos Heart and no Tribe of Darkness, Count. You are weak.”

“He ‘as us!” O’Chunks shouted, jumping over a punch from Dimentio and grabbing the black, spiked limb that connected the hand to the body. With a loud yell, he tore the arm clean off and threw it to the side. “That’s how yeh do it!”

Mimi turned some of her spidery legs into a buzzsaw and cut the foot off from the body as well. “How’s it feel to lose your legs, huh!?” The arm and leg attempted to reform, but Mimi and O’Chunks took them away from the main body, leaving it with only one arm and one leg.

“Bring those back!” Dimentio slid across the room to his missing limbs, only for Rarity to teleport on top of his body and slice her blade into this neck. She had to put extra energy into it to sever the connection, but she made it all the way through, removing the head from the body.

Unfortunately, this did not end Dimentio, merely confuse him as both his head and body kept moving without any regard for what was going on. “I will not be made a fool of!”

Blumiere lifted his scepter, gathering a sphere of dark magic at its tip. “You play the part too well, Dimentio. How can we not?”

“Ah ha ha h—”

Blumiere sent the dark shadow bolt into Dimentio’s disconnected face, rolling it across the room.

“Destroy the head!” Picard shouted, firing his phaser. Mimi, O’Chunks, and Rarity charged.

And then Lucy’s Silence spell wore off.

“Stop,” Dimentio said. Mimi, O’Chunks, and Rarity froze in time. Dimenito levitated his head, arm, and leg back onto his body and let out a relieved sigh. “You actually had me worried there for a moment! For I was a man, hanging from the edge of a cliff! But then, destiny smiled upon me and showed me the way! I will become the King of All worlds, and I will do it right! Ah ha ha ha ha ha h—”

“Silencega,” Gilgamesh said, locking Dimentio’s magic again. “That’ll keep you quiet for a long, long time.”

“I never should have hired a minion!” Dimentio shrieked. He somehow managed to pull a massive wooden hammer out of nowhere and bring it down on Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh jumped on top of the hammer, seemingly having recovered from all his injuries.

“I decided I don’t like you!” Gilgamesh rushed forward and drove a halberd into Dimentio’s chest.

“To have minions, one must earn them,” Blumiere said. “Gain their trust.” He kneeled down to the small, frail, and out-cold Lucy. “Be kind to them.” He took her in his arms and cradled her gently.

“But you lied to them!” Dimentio hissed, trying to clap Gilgamesh between his hands and failing as he jumped all over the place.

“I… have been forgiven for that. And much, much else. And… I do not know why.”

“I’ll tell you why,” Tippi said. “You’re not an evil man. You were a good man trying to pretend to be an evil man.”

“I did a lot of evil things…”

“It is not the action that makes a man good or evil,” Picard said. “What you must look upon is the heart. They saw who you really were, and that’s who they followed.”

“Um, yeah.” Nastasia adjusted her glasses. “We really are yours, Blumiere.”

“Heh heh heh heh…” Blumiere pulled his hat back on. “Go, my minions! End this insult to our bond! Destroy this traitor!”

“With pleasure!” Rarity said. She, Mimi, and O’Chunks ran forward once more. Picard aimed his phaser, while Nastasia pulled out some kind of gun that shot red beams. All of these things hit Dimentio’s body at once, just as he’d finished stomping Gilgamesh into a Gilgamesh-shaped hole in the ground.

Dimentio didn’t fall over from the combined impact, he merely stumbled a short way back. “Enough!” He poured his energy into his feet and launched into the air, tearing right through the ceiling and exposing the room to the outside, where they could see the Void swirling.

This was a mistake. Had he not used Luigi’s super jump, the Flipside Fleet would never have noticed him, and he may have stood a chance fighting solely against Blumiere’s team—though even then, it was close.

With a dozen space-age weapons locking onto him the instant he appeared and throwing off his aim, he was crippled. With parts of his body and face disintegrating into diamond dust from phaser fire, photon torpedoes, and other assaults, he still followed through with his attack—a foot aiming for them at terminal velocity.

O’Chunks caught it. In his hands. “Yeeesh! Yeh weigh a lot, Dimentio, yeh should go to the gym more often!”

“No…” Dimentio said. “No, not the oaf! I will not be counteracted by the brainless monkeying oaf!”

O’Chunks tore Dimentio’s foot off and started punching it. This time, the damage didn’t get repaired.

“He’s falling apart!” Picard shouted. “Don’t relent!”

Mimi took the other foot, transforming into a massive shark to chew it into oblivion, leaving nothing but loose diamond dust.

Being legless did not stop Dimentio from fighting. He punched forward with both of his hands, knocking O’Chunks and Mimi to the side—but his force was weak. Both managed to recover. Rarity teleported overtop of one of his arms, slicing her empowered blade through it, allowing Mimi to devour the hand. Picard and Nastasia focused on the other hand, vaporizing it bit by bit as they assaulted it.

“No!” Dimentio shouted, parts of his face started to peel off into nothing. “This can’t be happening! I had all the power, I had the prophecy dancing in my hands! I was going to do it better!”

“You’re arrogant!” Picard shouted. “Who are we, but flawed creatures, to bend the worlds to our designs!?”

“That… is a very good question!” Dimentio's disintegrating head turned to Picard. “What right did the worlds have to be created in the first place!?”

“I do not know. But they are here. We must make the most of what we have.”

“Ah… ha ha…” He exploded. The Chaos Heart, Luigi, and the normal-sized Dimentio flew out, all three of which looked heavily weakened and battered.

Rarity wasted no time. She burst into a gallop, summoned her blade, and drove it right into Dimentio’s chest, piercing his heart.

Dimentio gagged. “Ah ha ha… ha.”

“I have been waiting a long, long time for an opportunity like this,” Rarity said with a sneer. “Thank you for providing it, darling.”

“You think you’ve won…” Dimentio cackled, coughing up bluish-purple blood. “Bold of you to assume I won’t have the last laugh… Heh…” He went limp.

Rarity tore her blade out of him and flicked it dry onto the ground. “Good riddance.”

Luigi stared at her in abject terror.

Rarity could only smile awkwardly. “People change, dear. People change.” Seeing that he probably wouldn’t accept her, she decided to walk away from him and report back to Blumiere. He was standing next to the Chaos Heart. “So, boss, what do we do now?”

“He’s a monster,” Blumiere grimaced, shaking his head. “He’s somehow keyed the Heart to absolute destruction. If he can’t have the worlds, no one can.”

“Can’t Luigi just… take control himself?”

“He could. If you killed him. Or I could take the Heart back, and you could kill me.”

“Blumiere…” Tippi said.

“And either way, the worlds will still be gone.” Blumiere shook his head. “Three, maybe two remain at this point. What kind of multiverse is that, filled with nothing and such tragedy? No… There is something else we can do.” He reached his hand to Tippi. “And you can do it with me.”

“I…” She landed on his hand. “Whatever it is, I will do it.”

“We will not return. But… we can set this right. We set this in motion. We can end it.”

“Anything, Blumiere.”

“Then… everyone, start your healing spells. Heroes, villains, minions, whatever Gilgamesh is… and follow me when you’re done. Luigi, can you carry the Chaos Heart?”

“O-okay,” Luigi stammered, picking it up.

Blumiere, for his part, picked up the Prognosticus. “Heroes, gather up the Pure Hearts. We will need them too.”

Twilight—who’d just gotten healed—walked up to him and frowned. “What… are you planning to do?”

“Restore the Heart of Eden: the Purity Heart.”

Bells

The door to the wedding altar opened. Tippi and Blumiere walked in first, followed by Nastasia, Mimi, O’Chunks, Picard, Rarity, Luigi, Gilgamesh, Twilight, Toph, Cosmo, Data, Caspian, and Vivian. It was quite the gathering.

“This… this is where it all started,” Rarity said. “Where the Chaos Heart was born.”

Blumiere nodded. “Yes… where I followed the prophecy of the Dark Prognosticus.” He lifted the Prognosticus in his hands, gesturing to the altar. “Timpani… do you still love me?”

“Yes, Blumiere,” Tippi said. “Of course I do.”

“Then… we must climb this staircase and set right what I… what we put wrong.”

“We should have used our love to cherish the worlds…” Tippi said. “Not rebel against them, against our home.”

“I know that now better than ever.”

“ ‘Ey… Count?” O’Chunks walked up. “What’re yeh doin’? I… I don’t understand…”

Blumiere tipped his hat up, looking O’Chunks in the eye. “The Chaos Heart cannot be disbanded without a death, O’Chunks. It must either be mine or another chosen of the Chaos Heart. And… I am lucky enough to possess true love, which means… Timpani and I can do something better than disband the Chaos Heart. We can restore Purity with… a sacrifice.”

“But then you’ll… be gone!” Mimi shouted. “I… I don’t want you to go!”

“I have done so, so much evil,” Blumiere said, lowering his hat and shaking his head. “This is the only way to atone.”

“And I… I don’t have long to live,” Tippi said, turning to Twilight and Data. “I know you have ideas on how to save me, but... I think I need to do this.”

Twilight nodded, tears in her eyes. “We’ll… we’ll miss you.”

“The worlds will remember your great sacrifice,” Caspian said, bowing.

Data couldn’t stop bawling. He tried to hug Timpani, but hugging a partially digitized butterfly isn’t really possible. Instead, she just landed on his head and stroked his hair, calming him down. “There, there, Data… It’ll all be fine. And these emotions? You’ll learn to love them.”

“It does not feel like that will happen…”

“They are what allow you to love Twilight. Start there.” She fluttered into the air, turning to the rest of the heroes. “I… I am proud to call all of you my friends. Toph, you are the strongest and most annoying person I know, I wouldn’t have traded the chance to know you with anything.”

“G-glad to hear it!” Toph stammered, trying to keep a big smile.

“Cosmo, you are the kindest soul I have ever met.”

Cosmo bowed to her in silent dignity, unable to speak.

“Caspian, you are noble, just, and maybe just a tad arrogant.”

Caspian nodded in resignation, a slight smile crawling up his face. “Although we have known each other for a short time, I feel as though I have known you for eternity.”

“I feel the same… about all of you.” Tippi turned to Vivian. “You give me hope, Vivian. You are the darkest among us… but that smile. Thank you for it.”

Vivian put a hand to her mouth in embarrassment.

Blumiere tossed the gem back to Vivian. “You’re still inheriting this.”

Vivian grasped the crystal, nodding. “I won’t let you down!”

Tippi turned to Gilgamesh last. “I know you have my curse, and I know you think of it as a boon to your life. But remember… the wandering doesn’t have to last forever. You can find a way out. ...Think about it.”

Gilgamesh made no response.

Lucy walked up to Blumiere, tears in her eyes, pulling him into a hug. “I… I barely got to know you.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Blumiere said. “But this is for the best.” Slowly, he turned to Nastasia. “...Nastasia, I’m sorry. I know how you feel, and I could never return it to you.”

“It… it’s fine,” Natasia said, wiping her eyes. “You were loyal. That was good, ‘K?”

Blumiere nodded. “Find a new life, Nastasia.”

“I… I’ll try.”

Blumiere looked up at O’Chunks, Mimi. Lucy, and Nastasia. “I could not have asked for finer minions. I release you all, to live your lives to the best of your ability.”

“C-Count…” O’Chunks stammered.

Mimi nodded. “We’ll do it! We’ll make you proud!”

Blumiere stopped at Luigi. “Do not hurt yourself for the darkness you did. It was not you, but the evil that was in you, and the acts of a vile man. You are a hero, Luigi. The Chaos Heart merely chose you to turn that idea into a blasphemy. Don’t let it win.”

“R-right,” Luigi stammered.

“And Rarity…” Blumiere strode to the unicorn. “I think I owe you the most thanks out of anyone here. Had you not broken through my exterior when you did, I may not have come to terms with… wanting to lose.”

Rarity nodded curtly. “And I… hate you for so, so many things. But, in a roundabout way, you’ve shown me who I am, and shown me how far we should be willing to go to save those in the darkness.” She bowed to him. “It… was an honor serving with you.”

“Well…” The room shook. “It’s time.” Blumiere let Timpani land on his finger, and they moved to climb the stairs. Picard was already there, having procured the Prognosticus.

“I do believe… you’ll need a witness, will you not?” Picard asked.

“We are already married,” Tippi pointed out.

“But that was between two people who are no longer with us,” Picard said. “You are different people now, if you accept it or not. You were torn from each other and thought the other dead. If you want to properly renew your vows…”

“Thank you, Picard,” Blumiere said with a nod. “You… I can’t imagine a better man to bless our renewal.”

Tippi giggled. “ ‘Make it so!’ “

Picard gestured for the two of them to climb the stairs to the altar. He approached them with the Prognosticus, setting it down on the altar between the two of them. Luigi ran up after them, setting the Chaos Heart on top of it, before jumping back to the bottom of the stairs. Twilight teleported up all eight Pure Hearts.

“I have overseen many weddings as the Captain of a large starship,” Picard said. “But I have never overseen one who carries on it the fate of all worlds. So we… will make this short. Blumiere, do you take… Timpani to be your lawfully wedded wife, until your days be over?”

“I do.”

“Timpani, do you take Blumiere to be your lawfully wedded husband, until death do you part?”

Timpani’s fluttering increased in speed. “I do!”

“Then… I pronounce you, once again, man and wife. ...I would say you may kiss the bride, but that may prove difficult.”

Timpani giggled, flying over to Blumire’s finger and landing on it. “This’ll work just fine.”

Blumiere looked at her with a deep, contemplative smile. “There were so many things I wanted to say to you… but I could not find the words.”

“Oh, Blumiere. Only one thing matters to me now. I didn’t return your question down there. Do you still love me as well?”

The Chaos Heart twitched. It began to revitalize… but not with a black, inky color of hate, but rather a beautiful pale gray light.

“Of course,” Blumiere said, wiping a tear from under his monocle. “I have thought about you every moment since you disappeared. But… I have caused you much suffering.”

Tippi stretched her wings back. “Perhaps… my life would have been more carefree without you, that is true.”

“But I had to be with you,” Blumiere said.

“And that is what caused all of this,” Timpani said, barely noticing the gray Heart floating next to them. “We… we should have been better. We tried to hide, tried to be secretive, tried to ignore the rest of the world and stay in our love.”

“That is what we must set right,” Blumiere said. “We… are not all that is in the world. There is so, so much more. We shouldn’t love each other in spite of it, we should love each other for it!”

“Yes!” Timpani cried out. “Yes, restore the love we have for everything and everyone! I love these worlds, Blumiere, and I love you!”

The Pure Hearts themselves began to react. Not to Timpani’s and Blumiere’s love for each other—that was the gray Heart. No, the Pure Hearts recognized a much deeper, all-encompassing love coming from the two of them. The love… for everything and everyone. A pure love that shut nothing out, let everything in… A love that set right the mistakes of the past.

A tear fell down Blumiere’s cheek. “And I love you, Timpani. Hundreds of thousands of years from now, that fact will not have changed.”

The entire room began to shake, trembling. The Pure Hearts swirled around the gray Heart, twisting and turning in increasingly complex patterns until they folded into each other. All nine Hearts fused into one brilliant white light of absolute Purity. The Heart of Eden, the seed of all creation.

Contained within it was the altered Chaos Heart, reverted to its true form. What the Experiment was meant to be. It remembered all that the Chaos Heart had consumed. And, with its power… it began to restore.

There was a blinding flash of white light that blocked the altar from the view of those at the bottom stair… only Picard could still see Blumiere and Timpani and… Aslan, standing opposite Picard. Behind the lion stood several other figures, including Rosalina, partially obscured by fog.

Blumiere only had one thing to say to the figures. “Remember us…”

The lion smiled warmly. “Tonight… you will be with me in paradise.”

The light became too much for Picard.

As it consumed the entire room, everyone could hear the bells. Great, immense wedding bells that heralded the end of destruction…

~~~

Ring.

The Void collapsed in on itself; not just returning to the limited state it had been in Gaia, but completely collapsing, never to exist again.

Ring.

The purple clouds around the fleet and Castle Bleck vanished, revealing the cream-colored sky Flipside had known for so many years. Cheers broke out among the entire fleet. Celebrations erupted, champagne was opened, and confetti was strewn everywhere. All the armies stood down.

Ring.

An old man in Ba Sing Se who had refused to evacuate watched as the Void drained itself from the sky, vanishing into nothing. He grinned. “I knew I didn’t have to leave!”

Ring.

With a flash of white, Mobius returned. Somewhere deep in space, there was a confused alien crab-like creature who felt like he’d just been eaten by a purple vortex and couldn’t understand how he was still alive. He was thankful, though.

Ring.

Starfleet Command re-appeared. Applause and cheers broke out, and there was much kissing and hugging.

Standing atop one of the skyscrapers, Sunset smiled. “Looks like you didn’t doom us after all.”

“What did I tell you, Q?” Q said.

“Shut up, Q.”

Ring.

The Queen of Narnia looked up at the sky and watched the Void vanish. She smiled as cheers erupted out in the streets outside the castle—her husband had done it.

In the distance, she heard a triumphal roar.

Ring.

Mario woke up in his bed, feeling like… Luigi had just been through an ordeal, but everything was fine now. He poked his head outside and saw that the Void was no longer there.

Elsewhere, in Rogueport, there was a lot more overt celebration since they’d understood what was going on. They decided to have no mafia-gang wars for an entire day! That was unheard of!

Ring.

Twilight’s castle stood bright, reflecting the brilliant sunlight onto a fully restored Ponyville.

A white unicorn filly with pink and purple pastel curls stuck her head out of a Boutique.

“I… I guess everything’s fine,” Sweetie Belle said.

Ring.

“TAKE THAT!” Jenny shouted at the spot the Void had been. “That’ll teach you to mess with Jenny! Nobody messes with Jenny!”

Ivan let out a deep sigh. So nothing was going to change at all.

Ring.

An old professor sitting in front of a pink door felt an earthquake suddenly… stop. He smiled. All is safe.

Ring.

Ring…

Ring…….

~~~

“Timpani… do you remember the promise we made to each other that day?”

“Yes, I remember… If there was a place where we could be happy together, we would find it.”

“Will you come with me to that place now?”

“Blumiere… Of course… I will always be with you…”

The Choice

“Twilight…”

“Ergh… five more minutes.”

“Twilight.”

Twilight opened her eyes. She was no longer in the central chamber of Castle Bleck, but instead on the top of Flipside platform. There were no active doors at all, and the only other people up there were the ones who had witnessed the final act of Blumiere and Timpani.

Picard was standing over her, extending a hand. With a smile, Twilight took his hand and stood “So… it worked?”

Data was grinning, holding up his tricorder. “Not even a trace of the Void! And… and we believe all worlds were fully restored. The ships eaten by the Void in the battle have returned! Yes!”

Picard looked at Data. “That emotion chip has… done interesting things to you, Commander.”

“I feel great!”

Picard put a hand on his shoulder. “I can tell. You’ve entered a new stage of life, Data. I know you will do well.”

“Thank you, Captain.”

“So… uh…” O’Chunks rubbed the back of his head. “I feel a little awkward now…”

“Just smile and be nice,” Lucy suggested. “It’ll all work out.”

“I… Uh…”

“I’m… um…” Nastasia adjusted her glasses. “I’m not sure what to do now. He’s… I…”

Picard leaned down and placed a hand on Nastasia’s shoulder. “He’s with her now, in paradise.”

Nastasia’s smile widened—remaining even when she burst into tears. “I… Blumiere… I’m so lonely but I’m so happy and… I don’t know…”

Twilight put a wing around her. “You’re welcome here, Nastasia. All of you are.”

Rarity coughed. “For what it’s worth, I do apologize for trying to cut off your head. Multiple times.”

“I deserved it,” Nastasia said. “I… followed him to the letter. To the extreme. I’m… not going to do that anymore. It’s a new chapter, ‘K?”

“Woah, like, what?” Mimi reeled back. “Nastasia being nice?”

“I’ve seen crazier things,” Rarity said, chuckling. “Like an anti-social mare with no friends becoming the Princess of Friendship itself.”

Twilight chuckled and pulled Rarity into a hug. “It’s good to have you back.”

“I… I’m looking forward to having some stability,” Rarity admitted.

“Minor problem with that,” Gilgamesh said. “Your doors aren’t working and without the Void I have no curse, so no jumping dimensions. Sooooo…” He shrugged. “We’re kind of stuck here for now.”

“A new chapter it is, then!” Caspian drew his sword. “We will sail across the sea between worlds, looking for our homes! And then we will bring all of them… together!”

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered.

“Um… how?” Luigi asked.

“Experiment, have fun, live dangerously!” Rarity chuckled.

“Or I could work on the Castle and see what it has in it,” Vivian offered.

“Or that…” Rarity turned back to Luigi. He still flinched from her gaze. “...I am sorry, Luigi. Looks like it just isn’t going to work, huh?”

“Er…”

“It’s fine. I think my delusions of finding a man have been supplemented by me turning into a complete badflank.” She winked. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Bad… flank?” Luigi cocked his head.

Mimi rolled her eyes. “She means ba—”

The Enterprise appeared just above Flipside. “Riker to Picard.”

“Here, Number One,” Picard responded.

“...It’s good to hear your voice. All the enemies have stood down and celebrations are breaking out. So far even the Borg are still behaving, though they’re clearly working on assimilating what’s already been destroyed.”

“Good. Let me speak to the Fleet. I need to make sure we stay unified—the Hearts are gone, so we’re not sure how any one is going to get home.”

“You’re on an open channel.”

Picard cleared his throat. “This is Jean-Luc Picard calling to the Fleet. Well done, everyone, from the foot soldiers to the pilots to the medics, you’ve all performed admirably. From friends to enemies, we came together to save all worlds—and we have succeeded! Those worlds that have been previously lost are restored, and the threat of the Void has been extinguished forever!” He paused for a moment, letting that sink in. “However, we lost the Hearts in the attack. So while we have an absolute victory, we don’t have a way to return home quickly. Go, enjoy your celebrations, but tomorrow we will need to come up with a plan to return to our worlds.”

Twilight let out a sharp gasp. “I… I don’t think we need to worry, Picard.”

“Why not?”

The Purity Heart appeared in front of them, casting its brilliant white light upon all. From it, there seemed to emanate a great lion’s roar that filled the ears of everyone on Flipside, Castle Bleck, and everywhere in between. A voice entered the minds of all, but it wasn’t quite that of a powerful lion, or an ancient woman of the stars… it was both, and yet so many more, and yet it was no voice they had ever heard before. It was everyone they had ever known and also a singular unknown.

People of All Worlds, the Wood Between Worlds has almost completed its thaw, and once it is complete the worlds will no longer be connected as they are. Time will flow like many rivers once again. But while they still flow in unison, there is one last gift for you all.

The Purity Heart flashed brightly, and all eight doors appeared around Flipside’s platform, flinging open to the worlds they connected to. Right now, you have a Choice to make. You may each return to your world or remain here, in the in-between places. It is not your mind that is asked to make the Choice, nor your words, and not those close to you. Your Hearts are asked. Every last one of you has a place you want to be, if you know it or not. And that wish, that deepest desire of your heart, is known. In respect for what has happened here this day… it will be granted.

Twilight felt worried at first. How would she choose? Which group of friends, which of her adventures, which… which of her homes?

But then, when the Choice came to her in the light of the Purity Heart, all those worries vanished. Suddenly, it was perfectly clear. She knew where she belonged, and she knew she could never have made any other choice. She closed her eyes and let out a soft laugh. If only every decision could be this simple.

~~~

The red door in the Jasmine Dragon shuddered. Iroh watched, slightly sad, as it fell into nothing, cutting his shop off from the rest of the multiverse.

“Well…” Aang said, shaking her head. “That was an adventure.”

“Quite the understatement, young Avatar.” Iroh turned around, expecting to find a ton of people who had been evacuated from Diqiu all surrounding his shop and filling Ba Sing Se. But he found no such thing, just a handful of soldiers particularly close to him.

“I figured more would come back…” Iroh said, scratching his chin.

“They did,” Toph said, stomping her foot to feel throughout the city. “They… were sent back to their homes.”

Iroh let out a laugh. “Small conveniences!”

“You… you came back?” Aang said, turning to Toph. “But you were one of their heroes!”

“I’ve got unfinished business here,” Toph huffed. “Need to teach the next generation of metalbenders even if they’re a bunch of idiots. I’ve got a few more ideas that range from hitting them in the head with books to sappy friendship speeches.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve come to your senses,” Iroh chuckled. “At long last.”

“Hey! I’m a slow learner. ...Maybe they are too.”

“Did anyone not come back?” Aang asked.

Iroh nodded. “I do not believe Ty Lee returned with us.”

“...I hope she likes her life over there.”

“I’m sure she will. That woman would enjoy her life anywhere.”

~~~

The Master Emerald sat on its pedestal, shining its light on the Mobians who had returned. Like Diqiu, most of the Mobians who’d been evacuated were returned directly to their homes. However, a few of the Master Emerald’s closest remained.

Tails and Cosmo clasped each other’s hands and kissed.

“I… I thought you weren’t going to come back!” Cosmo said. “You fit in so well on the Enterprise I figured you’d want to keep exploring!”

“And you were one of the heroes, I thought you were going to stay!”

Cosmo giggled. “It looks like both of us wanted to go home.”

“Hmph,” Shadow grunted. “Sappy.”

Vanilla shook her head. “Beautiful.”

“Well, I’m going for a run,” Sonic said. “Knuckles, is your island still open?”

Knuckles folded his arms. “Just don’t put the Master Emerald in a spaceship again.”

“All right.” For once, his smile faltered before he took off into a run. “See ya!” He blasted off.

“...I don’t think Amy came back,” Tails said, looking around.

“The girl’s finally moved on,” Knuckles said. “That’s good for all of us.”

“Yes, but… still. I’ll miss her.”

“And Eggman,” Cosmo said.

Tails rolled his eyes. “I am not going to miss Eggman.”

“He was a good man. Just… confused.”

Tails shrugged. “Agree to disagree, Cosmo.”

She chuckled. “Oh, all right.”

~~~

Picard stood on the bridge of the Enterprise, looking out at a sea of stars. Numerous ships from Hume were there with him—every single one from the fleet, if he had to guess.

“Number One, report,” Picard ordered.

Riker pressed a few buttons on his console. “Universe is stable… Despite having the Master Emerald ripped out of engineering all systems aside from the superdrive appear to be operational… We’re missing every single crewmember from another universe…”

“As expected.”

“And… a few of our own, sir.”

Picard nodded. “I’ll want that list in my ready room.”

“Commander Data is on that list, sir.”

Picard closed his eyes and nodded slowly. “...I still want it in my ready room, Number One. And do not grieve—he is not dead. In fact, I think he is living life more than he ever has before.”

“Sir,” Worf said. “We are being hailed by… multiple factions at once.”

Picard adjusted his uniform and shook his head. “It never ends, does it? Open a channel. Let’s see if we can keep this peace…”

~~~

Caspian stood, looking at Narnia’s lamp post, an eternal reminder of other worlds.

Narnia’s connection to them was not done, he was sure of it. But for now… Narnia was its own again. With just a few missing subjects who found a life for themselves on Flipside. He wished them luck.

“We will thank Aslan for bringing us home!” Caspian declared, turning to the animals and assorted Narnians around him. “And as soon as we return to Cair Paravel… a feast! That will last a week to celebrate all the distant worlds we have explored!”

“HEAR HEAR!” The animals cheered.

~~~

Luigi stood in the central square of Rogueport, arms crossed.

“Well,” Professor Frankly said. “That’s that, it seems.”

“I guess Imma gonna just… go home, now. See Mario.” Luigi smiled. “I haven’t seen Mario or the Princess in forever.”

“You won’t have to wait.”

Luigi turned around, seeing Princess Peach and Mario walking toward him. He rushed his brother into a hug and both of them burst into laughter under the watchful eyes of Peach and Frankly.

“Another good ending,” Frankly said.

“Can there be any other kind?” Peach asked.

“Don’t ask me, I’m old and cynical.”

Peach chuckled, though stopped when she saw Beldam appear. “Oh! Beldam!”

“...Looks like Vivian’s gone,” Beldam said.

“Oh!” Luigi jumped up. “Yeah, that makes sense. Blumiere gave her the sigil or something of the Tribe of Darkness. She owns the castle now.”

Beldam paused. “So the ungrateful runt… has inherited everything.” Beldam let out a chuckle. “She was the best one to get it out of all of us. She’ll turn that place into something other than a freak-show.”

“Don’t you miss her?” Peach asked.

“I’m an old cranky woman, if I did, do you think I’d admit it?”

“It is our way,” Frankly admitted.

“Well,” Peach bowed. “I invite you all to the Mushroom Kingdom for a feast, if you wish.”

“Are you kidding?” Frankly jumped up and down. “It’s free food! Of course we wish!”

“I hear you make an excellent cake,” Beldam said.

~~~

Fluttershy woke up just outside the Castle of Friendship.

“She’s awake!” Rainbow Dash called, swooping down to her.

“You sleep hard, Fluttershy,” Applejack said, helping her up.

“They were worried, but I knew better!” Pinkie giggled.

“We… we’re home,” Fluttershy said, smiling. “We… we’re home!”

Discord leaned down and picked her up. “Yes! We’re home! Everything’s going back to normal, ha ha HAH!”

“Not… quite everything,” Celestia said, walking up to them.

Fluttershy stopped smiling. “What… what do you mean?”

“Rarity’s not back,” Applejack said. “And…”

Slowly, Celestia lifted the Element of Magic up in her magic, setting it before the four mares. “Twilight has chosen to stay… with her new people.”

“But… she’s a Princess!” Fluttershy said. “She…”

“She was a Princess torn between two kingdoms,” Luna said, walking up. “She had to choose. And… we all know how the Choice was presented to us. It was presented to her in the same fashion. She chose with her heart.”

“She and Rarity are doing fine,” Pinkie insisted. “Don’t worry!”

“Is… is it really better this way?” Fluttershy asked.

“You saw what happened to Rarity,” Pinkie said. “...It happened to you and me too, but not as much. Would she have been happy going back to being a seamstress?”

“I… no.” Fluttershy shook her head. “Probably not.”

“And we have no idea what Twilight’s been through,” Applejack said. “Who knows? All we know is that, even if she’s not here, she’s still our friend.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow shouted. “Nothing is ever going to change that!”

“Although, I do have to admit I’m slightly upset at her,” Celestia said.

“Oh? Why?” Pinkie asked.

“I don’t get to retire anymore.”

Pinkie giggled. “I’m sure you can rule for a few more centuries, no problem.”

“I was looking forward to it…” Luna grumbled. “Sister, can’t we just let Cadence do it alone?”

“I am not ruling everything by myself!” Cadence shouted from a short distance away.

Celestia gestured toward Cadence, giving Luna a smirk. “Ask question, get answer.”

“Ugh, fine...”

Pinkie stood up and cleared her throat. “Everyone. We’ve just saved all worlds and our home is back! Do you know what this calls for?”

“...A party?” Rainbow deadpanned.

“A PARTY!”

~~~

“Hah! We win! Yeah!” Jenny did a little jig in the streets of Beanstalk city. “Take that, stupid Void, oh yeah, oh yeah.”

Ivan frowned. “You were on Flipside delivering more troops just a moment ago. Why have you returned?”

“Because this is Jenny of the Red Gloves’ home and you can’t get rid of me that easily!”

Ivan sighed. “No… I suppose it was too much to ask for.”

“That’s the spirit!” She put her hands on her hips, smiled, and breathed in the air of a world not in danger of being ripped apart by an all-consuming Void. Which smelled exactly the same as it had before. Dusty, with little flecks of metal around due to all the old machinery.

Dintin, the large robot, walked up to Jenny. “Call from the Twilight Splinters. They want to offer their services or… something.”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Jenny clapped her hands. “I’ll take it! Let’s bring the Ninth World somewhere new!”

~~~

Lucy stood with her brothers and sister outside a large mansion, looking at the place where the pink doors had just disappeared.

“There’s only one last thing to do…” Lucy said. She pressed her hands to her head and recited the spell for forgetting things, casting it on herself and removing all knowledge of all the spells she’d learned. Feeling them slide out of her head like fish from the hand, she turned to her siblings and jumped into their arms, hugging them tightly.

And the Earth kept turning, largely oblivious to the doom that had been brewing at the core of their world.

~~~

Twilight opened her eyes. She stood on the top platform of Flipside. The Element of Magic was no longer on her head, and there were no doors surrounding her. She saw Data first, smiling brightly, and Vivian, also smiling—though her smile was more expected than Data’s. “So… Toph, Cosmo, and Caspian went home.” She smiled. “They’ll live wonderful lives, I’m sure of it.”

Data nodded. “They did have responsibilities.”

“But so did we,” Twilight pointed out. “And yet… we were allowed to make our choice without that holding us back. So… I don’t feel guilty about leaving them. I’m sad that we won’t see each other… but I’m not ashamed. This… this is where I need to be. Princess of… Flipside, I guess.”

“You’ll do great!” Vivian encouraged.

“And you’ll do great as well,” Twilight said. “You have quite the responsibility, looking after the last vestiges of the Tribe of Darkness.”

“I won’t let Blumiere down!” Vivian saluted.

Rarity walked up to Twilight. “Do you think you’ll be okay living with a slightly crazy mare with a stabbing problem?”

“Rarity, I’d love nothing more than to get to know you again. Have you met Data, by the way?”

“Briefly,” Rarity said. “So not really. Plus, I hear he’s gotten an upgrade.”

Data extended a hand, cocking his head. “Hello. I am Data, Rarity.”

“Charmed! If you break Twilight’s heart, I cut out yours.”

Data cocked his head. “I do not have a heart.”

Rarity chuckled. “I can see why you like this one. You two have fun.”

“...You all got choices,” Mimi said, suddenly. “But I… I was made in these in-between places. I didn’t get to pick anything.”

“But… Mimi, don’t you see?” Twilight placed a hoof on Mimi’s shoulder. “You’re the Flipside interface, now. You can finally do what you were meant to, no matter how childish everyone thought you were.”

Mimi gasped. “R-really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“You hear that, O’Chunks? I’m gonna—” she paused. “O’Chunks?”

Nastasia adjusted her glasses. “It appears that he returned to his world. Along with Gilgamesh, though I have no idea how that warrior even has a home…”

“I think… for now, he wanted to keep wandering the worlds,” Twilight said. “Maybe he was given that back.”

“Maybe. We won’t now… can’t know.” Nastasia started shaking.

“Hey, hey…” Rarity said, putting a comforting hoof on her back. “You do realize you can be the almighty secretary for someone else now, right?”

“But who?”

“Well…” Twilight ruffled her feathers. “If I’m going to be the Princess of Flipside…”

Their conversation was interrupted when a cloaked thing appeared in front of them, its single glassy eye staring at them all intently.

“Ezermond…?” Vivian asked, cocking her head. “What are you doing here?”

“Heart Pillar.” Was all he said before he vanished.

“...I think we should check out the Heart Pillar,” Twilight said with a shrug. They piled into the elevator and sank down, stopping first at Merlon’s room. There was no Light Prognosticus, but otherwise it was the same.

Congratulations, heroes. Well done.<<

“Thank you,” Twilight said, bowing.

There is a surprise waiting for you in the Heart Pillar.<<

“That was where we were headed,” Vivian said.

They descended the rest of the way, popping out. Several others were already there: Ty Lee, Eggman, Amy, Cortez, Bon Bon, and a few others. To their shock, the Heart Pillar wasn’t empty. Inside it was a gift powering the entire city—unable to open any doors to other worlds, but nonetheless beautiful and far more than they ever could have asked.

The Purity Heart shone its bright whilte light down on them all. They all felt that the future would be bright with it on their side.

It was all the proof they needed that all the hardship was worth it, in the end.

Changing the Course of Fate

The woman picked up her pen.

There are many complex fates that were interrupted and interwoven through the tragic beauty of Blumiere and Timpani’s love. It would be impossible to tell of them all, but where would we be without some sense of closure?

I will start with Earth. It was left to last for so, so often, pushed to the wayside as normal, as unconnected. But it is the oldest of all the worlds. Not in time experienced, but in terms of creation. One could say the others all branched off from it, though this is a bit of an exaggeration. Earth flowed from the same source as all the others, so naturally there would be some similarities.

Earth’s time moves the slowest of all the worlds. Hardly any time has passed for them since the Void was destroyed. The only dimensional activity they’ve had since was a connection with Narnia that the Penvensies had nothing to do with and a brief visit by Gilgamesh, who stopped by a bar and drank himself silly before vanishing. Unlike Timpani, who was horrified and destroyed by this life, Gilgamesh has come to accept it so devoutly that his idea of home is to be continually moving from one world to another.

As for Lucy, she remembered who Lulu was and the events of the end, but she didn’t define herself by them. She continued in her life as a peaceful, believing girl who impressed all her other siblings. In the end, not much changed for Earth. Lucy was still Lucy, Edmund was still Edmund, and Peter was still Peter. Susan still drifted from the memories of fantastic places, trying instead to fit into her world as though nothing had happened. Their fates will likely remain the same, but who am I to reveal if it happens exactly as it would have if the Void never came?

The Elemental Nations of Diqiu have experienced much more time. Avatar Aang’s era has come and gone, replacing it with Avatar Korra, a young girl who, as of the writing of this, is training under Toph to learn earthbending. There is no hermiting in a swamp for Toph this time, for she has devoted her life to teaching and developing new bending techniques to share with the world. She’s an old woman now, but she still has that amazing bite to her.

The experience many of the warriors and soldiers of the Elemental Nations had with the other worlds prompted them to become more unified than they previously were, and the world as a whole has been turning its eyes to the stars. There are rumors of starting up a Starfleet if they can figure out how to replicate warp drive. It is not an easy task, but it looks like after all these decades they might finally succeed. In a year they’re planning on launching someone to the moon. Remarkably fast progression.

Mobius has not experienced as much time, only a few years. But Tails has already used the restored Chaos Emeralds to pilot the Blue Typhoon into space. Without Eggman breathing down their backs and the Metarex without a goal in life, he has been able to start a sort of Federation of his own. The bond between him and Cosmo has been an inspiration to bring the races of the universe together.

Sonic, as usual, just keeps running and running and nothing ever stops him. Without Eggman around, he’s bored a lot more than usual, but he’s still doing his thing. Sometimes Tails drops him off on a random planet and lets him run around more. Knuckles, as expected, is always around the Master Emerald. No one has put it in a spaceship since it returned. The Master Emerald is perfectly satisfied with this arrangement.

The Federation experienced a dramatic growth in members after the events of the Prophecy came to pass, for the universe felt a brand new feeling of unification. Picard continued as Captain for as long as he could, eventually performing the mission where he would return to the past and meet Sunset, despite it having to happen differently without Data there. But Sunset kept her promise—she made sure it happened.

However, the Alpha Quadrant was heavily weakened, and with the improvement of the Borg from assimilating interdimensional technology, it was a hard time that forced the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, and many others to come together to push back the enemies. When the mysterious Dominion came and declared war, Cardassia fought against them, not with them as they would have before. The Borg launched a few devastating attacks, but in the end, they were countered by their own technology—for the other races had taken some technology from beyond and used it to defend themselves. Magic, as unlikely as it sounds, slowly began seeping back into Hume, to Sunset’s delight.

Some crazy Federation scientists wanted to bring Data back, using a sample of a single neuron of his matrix that they’d found on the Enterprise. However, Picard forbade it—Data made his choice. There was no need to bring him back to a world he didn’t need to be in. Because of this, research into artificial intelligence stalled, and there was no tragedy on Mars as a result.

When the Romulan Star Empire collapsed from the supernova disaster, the Federation was there to offer its support wholeheartedly. Though this means the Romulans still have many secret operatives around the galaxy, trying to prevent true artificial intelligence from being made at all costs, and nobody knows about it.

Picard, an aging man, saw his Federation rise to become the force he knew it could be. He’s old, very old, now; and a brain defect he had since birth is threatening to manifest a terminal disease. But who knows, maybe he’ll find a way out of it.

Caspian lived to a very old age. The ending of his life coincided with the arrival of Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole to Narnia, where they saved Caspian’s son and Narnia itself from an evil that lurked deep beneath the earth itself. As his life slipped from his wrinkled old fingers, Aslan granted him his request at long last—he got to walk on Earth for a short time, and then he got to see the other heroes of the Light Prognosticus once more before Aslan finally took him.

Narnia itself survived his passing, passing the crown to his son. They still prosper to this day. There are rumors that, perhaps, the end of Narnia will come soon… but that is not for me to write.

In Lumash, I continue to watch the stars. Nothing has changed there. On the Mushroom World, things are largely the same. Rogueport is still a hive of scum and villainy. Frankly still shouts in shock every time anything even remotely unusual happens. And Mario is still the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Luigi, though, he went through a change. He came back to his world ready to be a hero—no longer a joke, he became renowned the world over for his daring, heroics, and kind spirit. And unlike the last time he became famous, which was a somewhat ridiculous adventure involving a compass, this time it was real greatness. He really was a hero. He saved the world several times with his brother, including facing off against mysterious mushroom aliens and a dark star hidden beneath the earth.

And then there’s the gauntlet. Already, it’s a flowering paradise with Seedirans wandering around. They have no idea of their purpose yet, and that’s okay. After they mature a bit more, I will visit them myself and bring them somewhere new.

Equis is still the harmonious place it once was. Without Twilight rising to take the throne anymore, Discord quietly pushed his little plan to boost her confidence under the rug. He and Fluttershy married shortly thereafter, cementing Discord as the only one to escape the tragedy of the Dark Prognosticus. He and Fluttershy are now part of the ruling council of Equestria, which includes Cadence and Flurry Heart. Celestia and Luna did get to retire, they just had to wait for another alicorn to rise to the challenge.

To her credit, while Flurry Heart complains about being groomed from birth to be a ruler, she still does her job really well. Even if she’s a little too obsessed with video games. Most ponies blame Luna for this.

Pinkie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash largely went back to their regular lives. They already had fame so it didn’t increase at all. The Elements no longer functioned without all their members, but as it turned out, there were always other ways to defeat evil.

Sweetie Belle ended up taking over her sister’s fashion empire. She had no sense at all for design, but she had a sense for business and managed to work with Rarity’s close friends and business partners to keep the boutiques running for quite some time. After that was able to run itself, she ended up taking Rarity’s destiny as the Equestrian Ambassador.

Shadoo did, in fact, reconstitute in Equis after the world was restored. He is a bit of a nuisance, but the heroes of Equestria beat him every time he rears his ugly head. In a way, the ponies are thankful for him, reminding them that even in their world there is always a need to stand against evil.

The Ninth World blasted forward a thousand years and, naturally, everything changed. There are millions of Twilight Splinters now, and they basically think of themselves as a unique race. Nothing else is the same, for the Ninth World is a world of change, and it eternally shifts with tides much larger than the other realms.

Jenny is still around, because of course she is. She’s always around. Currently, she’s taken to being an explorer of the deep oceans of her planet, wondering what delightful treasures she might find. Though, mostly, she’s looking for excitement.

And that is what the worlds have been doing. That is how they are, and how they have grown. It is a beautiful multiverse that has been saved.

And as for what happened to Flipside and the others… well, that is not for me to write down. That is for others to see.

Rosalina put her pen aside and closed the little book. She put it back on the bookshelf. Stooping down, she opened a chest next to a bookshelf that contained a much larger, much more dangerous book—the Prognosticus.

“All your prophecies have come to pass,” Rosalina said, lifting the book onto her desk. “Your twisted presence is needed no more. Begone.”

The Prognosticus burst into purple flames.

~~~

Interdimensional Space was rarely the calm, creamy place that Flipside and Castle Bleck had resided in. Most often, it was a tumultuous rumble of half-remembered worlds, streaks of stars across dark backgrounds, magic run amok, and random remnants of Gaia. In one particular spot, it appeared as the interface between an ocean of stars and a sky of harsh green filled with cubes of various sizes.

In this interface, a chase was taking place. The predator: a world snake, each scale made out of a different shimmering material, some of which were on fire or glowing with brilliant radiation. The snake didn’t care about its impossibility, only that there was possible prey in front of it: a ship composed of chiseled white bricks held together by an eerily smooth black material with sharp white outlines. Overall, the ship appeared as a teardrop, though it had three disconnected rings orbiting around it at different speeds with blue electricity arcing between them, giving it the appearance of a gyroscope in the middle of a thunderstorm.

It was making waves in the ocean of stars—which actually did behave like a liquid in this area—in an attempt to distance itself from the world snake. This effort wasn’t working.

Twilight Sparkle, adorned in golden regalia and a crown made to emulate the Element of Magic, cocked her head, frowning as she examined the snake approaching on the main screen. “Well. We’ve been away from Flipside for five minutes and already we’re being chased by a monster. I swear, this place just hates us.”

“I recommend turning back to Flipside!” Bon Bon called, pressing a bunch of buttons on her console, readying weapons. “I highly doubt rippler bursts are going to work on this thing.”

“Can it follow us through a slip?” Twilight asked.

“Possibly,” Data said from his position next to her, rapidly pushing buttons. He wore a simple yellow outfit that wasn’t a Starfleet uniform, but he still proudly wore the useless communicator on it. “But Flipside’s defenses should be more than capable of defeating it.”

“Call Vivian and tell her to expect chaos, Number One,” Twilight ordered—prompting Nastasia to nod and make the call. “Engineering! How fast can you get us a slip opening?”

“Oh ho ho ho!” Eggman’s voice came from the call. “Now you want something?”

“Eggman, now is not the time to argue about your sandwich this morning.”

“I think it’s a wonderful time, Princess!”

“Stop calling me that, I’m not a Princess anymore, I’m a Chancellor. Or Captain if yo—”

“Now is probably not the best time to discuss naming policy,” Data suggested.

“Agreed,” Nastasia said. “Eggman, just get us out of here as quickly as possible? ‘K?”

“Fine, fine… Slip in five…”

“Five what?” Twilight asked.

“Seconds.”

Their ship twisted around a section of space that had more dimensions than usual, tearing open a rift in reality with a white laser. The ship paddled through the watery sea into the rift, slipping through a shortcut in reality filled with colors, puffballs, and this time little yellow faces that laughed at them.

“I am never going to understand why slipping does this to us,” Bon Bon muttered. “I feel like I lose brain cells every time we pass through.”

“At least it’s visually unpredictable,” Twilight said.

“Even unpredictability can get boring.” Bon Bon pressed a button. “Scaly is still following us, by the way.”

“He’s about to be in for a world of hurt,” Twilight reminded her.

The ship fell out of slip, drifting into the creamy smooth skies where Flipside stood. What had once been Castle Bleck was now affixed to the bottom half of Flipside, making the city even larger, and filled with many wonders of Gaian ghosts and other strange things.

Vivian appeared onscreen. “What are you bringing us!?” She wore a similar gold robe to Twilight, though she had no crown: just a circlet that went around her hat.

“Chancellor!” Twilight grinned. “I’m bringing you a world snake! Spin up the Heart, this might be fun!”

“You’ve gotten more reckless with age…”

“Tell that to Rarity,” Twilight said. “She wants me to teleport her over there so she can stab the thing.”

“Really?” Data asked.

Twilight turned her chair around to show the private messages coming from Rarity to her leg-rest’s screen.

“Ah. Of course.”

The world snake erupted from the tear in space, charging right for Flipside.

“And a one…” Vivian said, grabbing hold of the gem of the Tribe of Darkness. “And a two… and a three!” She waved her finger and grinned.

Nothing happened.

“...Mimi!” Vivian called.

“I’m working on it, I’m working on it!” Mimi called from offscreen. “The Heart had a hiccup and it needs to charge! Just need to reroute the—got it!”

A burst of white light erupted from the center of Flipside and turned the snake into gray ash that drifted away in the calm wind.

“Thanks!” Twilight said.

“You’re welcome!” Mimi said, shoving her face in next to Vivian’s.

Vivian pushed her to the side so she could talk to Twilight without her being a distraction. “You have to stop bringing monsters chasing you back to Flipside!” Vivian huffed.

“I didn’t think my weapons could handle it.”

“You have Cortez on board! He literally cannot die! Throw him at it!”

“Then I’d have to throw Rarity at it and you know how she is about getting credit.”

Vivian facepalmed, but couldn’t help but smile. “Just… just pull in for a check-up, to make sure the ship’s functioning properly.”

“Fine, fine… Take us in.”

Data plotted the course and they flew into one of Flipside’s many ship bays, landing on a runway of smooth bricks where one of Merlon’s hovering screens were waiting.

Reckless as always, Chancellor<< Merlon said the moment Twilight teleported herself and Data out of the ship.

“I’m not the ‘hero of legend’ for no reason, Merlon.”

“I do believe you were not this reckless on our first adventure,” Data said.

“True…” She reared up and kissed him on the cheek. “But let me have some fun.”

Data cocked his head to the side. “I sure know to let you have your fun.”

“Just as I know to let you have all your cats.”

“I only have twenty-three.”

Twilight glared at him.

Data broke out into a smile and winked at her.

“All right you two, break it up.” Two twin girls of human appearance walked up to them, though both Data and Twilight knew better—they were not human, but androids.

“Yeah, mom, you have to keep some of your respect!” the other twin said.

After all, Data and Twilight had built them together.

Data pulled his daughters into a hug. “Dahj! Soji! I’m back early!”

“Which means you’ve had a problem with your mission,” Dahj said. “World snake?”

“Definitely the world snake,” Soji agreed.

Dahj pressed her finger into one of the ship’s outer access ports, frowning. “Your ship is running at ninety-seven point three four efficiency, dad. Nothing for us engineers to do here.”

“You know. Besides say ‘hi.’ “ Soji waved at her parents. “Hi!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “You two are crazy.”

“Not as crazy as you,” Rarity said, having teleported off the ship herself—dragging her specialized team of Amy and Cortez along with. Amy was currently in a black combat power suit that exposed only her head and Cortez was still Cortez. Rarity herself wore no armor, just a necklace that continually surrounded her in protective enchantments.

“I could turn right around and say that to you,” Twilight huffed. “I’m not teleporting you onto a world snake’s eye.”

“I knew you wouldn’t. That’s why I kept asking.” Rarity twirled her blade into the air and tapped it on the ground, a wry smile on her face.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Of course…”

Ty Lee rushed onto the scene with a hovercart full of medical supplies. She wore a smooth, pink outfit similar to what she’d worn most of her time on Diqiu, though like Data she wore her now-defunct Starfleet communicator proudly. “Does anybody need a doctor?”

“We’ve got several cases of insanity,” Amy pointed out. “So, yes.”

“Hey!” Rarity and Twilight blurted at once.

Data cocked his head. “It occurs to me that, if the two of them are insane, we are all insane.”

“Wow, amazing, look at that,” Soji deadpanned, though she couldn’t help but smile. “Dad figured it out! We’re all completely nuts.”

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. “Well, in that case, I’ll just be off.” She cartwheeled onto her cart and smiled at them while upside-down. “I’m going to cure the dimensional bend-pox! Maybe. Hopefully. Bye!” She zoomed off, giggling all the while.

“That woman has no ‘relax’ button,” Dahj said, folding her arms.

“It’s part of her charm,” Rarity said. “Now. How about we get back on the ship and get back out there? I’m sure ther—”

You need to go back out immediately.<< Merlon said, shoving his screen in their faces. >>We are getting readings of a dimensional tear that leads to one of the universes.<<

Twilight gasped. “But… we haven’t found a tear into one of the universes since we’ve been out here! It’s been…”

“On average, twenty years,” Data said. “Though given the time discrepancy I know of at least one individual who thinks we have only been out for one year and another who lived a whole century.”

“What are we waiting for?” Rarity shouted. “Back on the ship!”

Twilight teleported back into her chair. “Nastasia, we’re in for a bumpy ride. I think.”

“Preparing for launch… again.” Nastasia’s frown deepened. “I haven’t even gotten my coffee yet today.”

After Twilight confirmed that everyone was on board, she ordered the ship into the sky. They left Flipside behind once more and danced on the edge of space.

“Is everyone ready?” Twilight asked. Getting a bunch of nods and thumbs up, she grinned. “Eggman, let’s sip on through.”

“Prepare for a bumpy ride…” Eggman reported.

“Here goes nothing,” Data said, smirking.

They went into a new tear…

...and popped out the other side instantly without any bumpy ride at all.

“Well.” Twilight blinked. “That was… anticlimactic.”

“We’re being hailed,” Data reported.

“Onscreen.”

Jenny appeared on the screen, her left eyebrow raised. “You guys were just here!”

Twilight stared at her in disbelief.

“It’s only been a thousand years! That’s hardly any time at all!”

Twilight facehoofed. “...It’s good to see you too, Jenny.”

Jenny broke out into a grin. “Welcome back to the Ninth World!”

“Thank you,” Twilight said. “Did you know we had Ezermond with us this entire time?”

“Oh, is that why he stopped showing up? I should thank you! He was really annoying!”

Ezermond appeared behind Jenny and started singing. “I’m back! At last! And it feels so great! It’s been one million archons since I’ve had to do a jig! Provide me with a handle so I can eat some milkshake!”

Jenny facepalmed. “Oh for the… Uuuuuugh…” She shook her head. “Aggravating mysterious freak aside, it’s good you’re back.”

“Oh?” Nastasia asked.

“Yeah, we’ve got a teensy itsy bitsy runaway black hole problem. Think you could help?”

Twilight nodded, smiling brightly. “We would love to. After all, that’s why we’re out here. To explore… and to help. Tell us everything we need to know.”

“Well, see, it mostly isn’t my fault…”

Credits

Author's Note

Credits

Credits

WORLDS APART
The Chosen of the Prognosticus

THE END

By G. M. Blackjack

Starring

Twilight as the Princess of Flipside

Tippi as Timpani

Toph as Professor INCOMING BOULDER

Cosmo as the Delicate Flower

Data as Logos

Caspian as The Fairy Tale King

Vivian as In Darkness There is Light

Rarity as The Consequences of Suffering

Count Bleck as Blumiere

Fluttershy as Beware The Quiet Ones

Pinkie Pie as Probably the Only One Who Really Knew What Was Going On

Starlight as MAGIC, MAGIC, AAAH!

Discord as The Keystone

Cadence as Y’know for a Princess of Love her Role is Smaller Than you Would Think

Sunset Shimmer as Q

Bon Bon as Token Equestrian Teammate

O’Chunks as GET CHUNKED!

Mimi as Arachnophobia Trigger

Dimentio as Laughing in the Face of Death

Nastasia as The Almighty Secretary

Mr. L as Luigi

Lulu as Lucy Penvensie

Dark Oak as Actually Evil

Gilgamesh as The Legendary Warrior! Yes, Really!

Iroh as With Age Comes Wisdom

Ty Lee as Excitable Combat Medic!

Aang as The Avatar’s Role has Been Diminished

Dr. Eggman as The Best “Villain”

Sonic as GOTTA GO FAST!

Tails as Genius Fox

Knuckles as “Why Doesn’t Punching Everything Solve My Problems!?”

Amy as Moving On

Narcissus as Narcissist

Captain Jean-Luc Picard as The Man

Commander William Riker as Number One

Q as Bugging Picard for Eternity

Aslan as The Pure Lion

The Hag as Plot Device

Professor Frankly as SHOUTING!

Rosalina as Cosmic Goddess

Cortez as YO HO HO HO, YAR HAR HAR HAR!

Grodus as Already Defeated

Shadoo as Superbosses Shouldn’t be Relevant to the Plot!

Rich as The Cultist

Tzeentch as Would Have Been a Big Problem if Bigger Problems Weren’t Around

Emperor Karl Franz II as Sigmar Reborn…?

Jenny of the Red Gloves as The Immortal Child

Ezermond as Tangerine

Ivan as Perpetually Sighing

The Purity Heart as Thinly Veiled Religious Metaphor

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro.

Mario belongs to Nintendo

Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon

Sonic belongs to Sega

Star Trek belongs to Paramount, currently.

The Chronicles of Narnia belong to C. S. Lewis

Warhammer belongs to Games Workshop

Numenera belongs to Monte Cook Games

Final Fantasy belongs to Square Enix

Special thanks to the commenters, as always, including SHILIC most of all (good gravy girl you work up a storm!), FanOfMostEverything, Spellflame, Teraunce, Hamster Wizard, Efadd, SuperSaiyanDIclonius, Joe Toon, MariusIoannesP, and many others.

This story was, more than anything else, a passion project. I chose what happened almost entirely on what I, personally, felt would be the best as a bit of an homage to my childhood. All the franchises featured in this story mean a lot to me and shaped who I am today. I don’t think this story is as good as Songs of the Spheres, but that’s because I wasn’t trying to make anything epic. I wasn’t trying to challenge the very foundations of reality with this story. Here… I just wanted to tell a story. A story that, ultimately, claims to be about love—but in reality is mostly just about me. These are the worlds that defined me, and this story is my gift back to them, I suppose.

While this story has little to do with Songs of the Spheres, much of it was created as a direct opposition to its themes. SotS is about shades of gray in morality, while Worlds Apart is very clearly good versus evil, though the evil itself has nuance. SotS is a truly massive story about stories themselves, while Worlds Apart is a self-contained adventure. SotS’s scale is so absurd it’s hard to imagine, while in Worlds Apart you get to know every world involved. They’re very different stories, and I think they both tell needed sides of the story.

Anyway, thank you all for reading. This story is near and dear to my heart, perhaps more so than anything else I’ve written. I thank you for coming with me on this journey. Here’s to the next adventure!

-GM, master of adventures.

~~~

And the Prognosticus burned, reducing to nothing more than ash. With its destruction, its story ended.

Naturally, the multiverse continued. But this tale of love… it is at an end.

So what did it mean, in the end? What is the meaning of the worlds, the multiverse… our existence?

The answer is not so simple that a single story could speak it.

But, perhaps, as we look back, we can see how the heroes and villains acted in the face of the destruction of all things… and see what it means to be alive.

To exist is to love. Never forget that.

[Chapter 1] An Earthen Journey

The sun rose, casting the rays of morning upon a particular building. The well-tiled orange-gold roof matched the light of the new day well while the forest green walls gave a sense of homeliness to the establishment. A simple public fountain with a large rock in the middle stood in front of the establishment’s entrance, providing a welcome scenery for those who lived in the big city. Two round windows dominated the front, giving the structure the appearance of eyes. Inside, there were many wooden tables used to serve patrons, though they sat abandoned at this early hour. Along the floor, a large green rug with golden depictions of lung dragons ran between the two rows of tables, up to the counter. At the counter, already the beautiful smell of tea was wafting from the kitchen, the most popular brews being cooked ahead of time so the early arrivals could be served immediately.

Behind this counter, at the back of the main area, a red double door manifested.

It swung inward, allowing a purple alicorn and rainbow butterfly to walk right in.

Author's Note

Told you sometimes you'd get more than one chapter.

Part of the fun of this story is going to be showing these short intro descriptions, and then asking the readers to guess what the world is. So, go on, guess!

Except those who already read ahead. That would be cheating.

Most of the Ch1 drafts are available on the discord.

-GM, master of 1.

Generosity Awakens

Rarity opened her eyes to the sight of a noxious, roiling purple sky with rippling squares of darkness throughout. Bolts of purple lightning streaked soundlessly from one end of her vision to another, unnerving her with their ghostly power.

She was in danger. That, she knew more than anything else. She didn’t move at first, gauging if there was anybody nearby that would see her move. Finding nothing in her field of view, she jumped to her hooves in a battle stance, ready to take on anyone and anything.

There was nobody in sight. She stood on top of a tower made entirely of pitch-black material, cold to the touch like metal, yet earthy like marble. At every sharp corner, the blackness was replaced by a jarring white outline, giving everything a wireframe appearance. In the distance, she saw more towers like her own, each at varying heights. She could only see three or four towers away before the dark smog of the Void clouded her view.

As far as she was concerned, this was an endless castle of darkness.

She took stock of herself, first. She was in perfect health and condition as far as she could tell; even her mane was still styled as she liked it: a complicated purple spiral. Finding herself presentable, she made sure she was ready to defend herself. She went through the list of combat spells she had learned from Twilight over the years—raising a small barrier shield to protect herself and firing a laser out of her horn. Lastly, she summoned a small, crescent-shaped blade made out of pure magic. She’d only learned this spell recently, thinking it would be a far more elegant and magically efficient method of combat that wouldn’t run her ragged by swinging her horn around everywhere; avoiding undue heat stress on her mane in the process. As she slashed the blade around with her magic, she berated her past self for learning such a spell. Now she might actually have to use it. The idea did not appeal to her.

She dispelled the blade but kept its knowledge close in her mind.

Finally, she went over what she knew. Wedding… dark magic heart… failed attack… green… and then explosion. Whatever that green thing did, it sent me… here. She glanced around, frowning. The aesthetic sure matches Bleck’s abilities. This is probably his home. I’m alone in the middle of enemy territory.

There was only one door. Seeing as she couldn’t stand here forever waiting for something to happen, she cautiously opened it with her telekinesis, looking through it from a distance. The castle interior was just as black as the exterior, though the white outlines did miracles to help her mind define its actual shape. Seeing no one on the other side, she stepped through, arriving on a sort of balcony that overlooked a lower hall.

She saw a familiar face down below; a cyan pegasus with a rainbow mane: Rainbow Dash. Rarity almost called out to her, but stopped herself. There was someone else down there—a two-legged jester creature. He snapped his fingers, and Rainbow Dash was encased in a magic box.

“Hey! Come out and fight like a man!” Rainbow kicked at the box with her hooves, doing nothing.

“My my my, feisty, aren’t we?” The jester bowed extravagantly. “Well, if I am to fight like a man, you must fight like a flighty mare! Which means you would flee the coop like a chicken in fear of its life.”

“Did you just call me a chicken!?”

“I compared you to a chicken. Really, does no one understand similes in this castle?” He shrugged. “Ah well, like a ball at the top of the hill, I must roll with it, but in what direction?” With a snap of his fingers, he and Rainbow Dash were gone in a transient ripple of space-time.

Rarity clenched her jaw. I couldn’t have done anything. I am not an accomplished magician. He would have made quick work of me. It would simply not do to have two of us captured. It… She let out a tense sigh, drooping her head toward the ground. I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.

Carefully, she made her way down a stairway into the hall below, finding that it had dozens of doors in every direction. Might as well try one… Once again, she opened it from a distance. Inside, she saw not enemies—but friends. A half dozen crystal ponies marched through the room. Seeing no enemies, she waved to them. “Yoo-hoo! Darlings, over here!”

They all turned to look at her with blank, haunted expressions.

Rarity had enough experience with magic to know when ponies weren’t in control of their minds. One of the biggest signs was when they had blank expressions devoid of emotion, and yet were stampeding toward her with the clear intent to attack.

Not wanting to engage in combat with mind-altered ponies at all, Rarity ran through another set of doors, slamming them shut behind her. She twisted around the moment she was through, bucking the part of the doors that latched, bending the material significantly with the attack. When the crystal ponies tried the door, they would find it rather difficult to open.

That probably won’t hold them for long. Scrambling for cover, Rarity ran through the room she found herself in, a large collection of pillars. There were paintings on many of the walls, but every last one of them was a solid matte black in a white frame. To most ponies, they would just assume this was a room of darkness, not of art. But Rarity saw the genius in the design—this was a room meant to respect absolute nothingness. The End. Hopelessness. It was the genius cry of some bitter decorator.

Rarity would have spent a lot of time analyzing the design choices, but she was currently running for her life and only made passing notes on it. Even this may have been too much, for she heard the crystal ponies smashing the door in, pursuing her with alarming speed.

I don’t want to fight them. She jumped through another door, entering a room with a mess of pipes running across the ceiling. I’m not sure I can.

She didn’t have to. As they were catching up, an unusual creature stepped out of a swirl of Void, standing between Rarity and the pursuing crystal ponies. It was like nothing Rarity had ever seen before: two legs, four arms, and covered head to toe in flamboyant orange armor with red highlights.

“You might wanna keep runnin’,” he said in an uncharacteristically jovial voice. “You probably don’t want to see this.”

“Please, don’t hurt them!” Rarity pleaded.

“No promises. But if you don’t run, I guarantee more will find you after I’m done making noise.” He slammed a halberd into the ground, sending out a shockwave that toppled four of the crystal ponies over. “Run!”

Rarity bit her lip—but did as was told. He’s saving me. I have no right to complain. I have no right to complain. Could I even stop him if I wanted to?

Feeling powerless, Rarity set her jaw and kept running. She passed through three more empty rooms before coming to another long hallway. This time, she ran up the stairway to the balcony and out the door. She popped out the other side, on top of another castle tower.

Five crystal ponies were up there, staring at her.

“Oh no, no no no…” Rarity said, raising a shield.

“You’re… you’re not crazy?” a green stallion asked.

Rarity peered over the edge of her shield. “You’re not crazy?”

“We’re hiding from the crazy ponies! Oh, I’m so glad they didn’t get you, Rarity!”

A raspberry-colored filly jumped for joy. “You’re gonna save us! You’re gonna save us!”

I am doing a very poor job of saving ponies so far. Rarity tossed her mane back and cleared her throat. “I shall offer you what protection I can, my fellow ponies. As the Element of Generosity, it is my duty.” She bowed slightly to them. Stay in control. If they doubt you, they doubt themselves. “I’m afraid I cannot offer much else… does anyone know what happened?”

The green stallion reiterated what Rarity already knew. They had seen the same things at the “wedding,” and then some other ponies that tried to hunt them down. Though they escaped by blocking a door with magic—they had a unicorn who knew the fuse spell. Rarity told them about the jester and the warrior that had saved her, though she left out the capture of Rainbow Dash and the ambiguous fate of their confused fellow ponies.

“So… what do we do now?” the filly asked.

Rarity forced a confident smirk. “We go back into the castle… and see what we can learn.”

She hoped she wasn’t leading them to their doom.

~~~

I remember that day well…
The room was warm.
The whole place was at peace.

“Ugh… uuugh…”

“You’re awake at last?”

“Where... am I? Is this… a human’s home? Bleccch!”

“Don’t wiggle like that. I found you at the cliff base. You took quite a fall.”

“You’re a human, correct? I don’t… repulse you? I am of the Tribe of Darkness…”

“Why would that matter? Anyone with a heart would not ignore an injured soul!”

That was the day our paths crossed.

That day… That was the day our tragedy was set in motion.

[Intro] Prognosticus

Gently, the woman twisted her fingers around the pen before twirling it in the air, contemplating how to begin.

When she set the ink to the page, the flowing motions of her hand did not stop for hours.

Today, I will tell you the story of the lost book of prophecies. It was a mysterious tome full of stories of future events. Naturally, it was highly sought after, for few and far between are those who do not wish to glimpse their future. However, no one, after obtaining this amazing artifact, ever found happiness. The reason? It held frightful secrets not meant for their eyes.

This book came to be called the Dark Prognosticus and was sealed away.

What you see before you is the tale of that forgotten book’s last owner. It is a tale of love in all its forms...

[Chapter 2] Of Hiding Hearts and Jabbing Voids

Under a Void significantly larger than in the previous worlds, an island floated in the air, cascading waterfalls down to a beautiful ocean below. The island had stark mountains and lush forests, giving it a wild feel. Were it not for the stone temple near the middle of the island, the image would have been complete.

This temple was old, so old most of the pillars had fallen apart and all the stone faces had been worn away. If there had once been inscriptions upon them in the past, there was nothing now. Overall, the temple was circular, with a ring of pillars along the outside, inside of which was an elevated circle of earth. Several other circles were stacked upon this one, given the temple a pyramid-like shape. Old, worn stairs led up to the top of the temple. Here, the prize of the structure was supposed to sit.

Supposed to. Currently, the central pedestal was empty, devoid of its prize.

Behind this central pedestal, an orange door manifested, depositing the heroes into a new world.

Author's Note

Another intro description, another opportunity! Go on, guess what the world is! We'll see if you're right next week.

-GM, master of 2.

[Chapter 3] The Rites of Command

The location was effectively a bar, though anyone who went to a bar in a more normal world would consider the drinks served there to be an affront to nature itself. That said, the atmosphere was still welcoming and friendly, not to mention significantly less rowdy than most other establishments of the sort. The counter was smooth and well cleaned, with many stools seated for close conversation with the barkeep should it be desired. However, most patrons of the establishment took to the many tables, their largely red, blue, and yellow clothes giving the place an unusually organized feel, making the occasional person wearing a different color stand out.

The bartender herself was one of those people: a dark-skinned woman wearing a flowing purple robe and a decidedly unusual hat that could have been used as a table if it wasn’t slanted to the side. She looked out over her many patrons who sat, chatted, and enjoyed the view out the window. And what a view it was: endless stars, streaking by with rapid speed. Few of the patrons looked at the familiar sight, but it was still beautiful nonetheless.

The yellow door manifested right behind the bar and the barkeep. It opened, depositing our heroes into a very public place.

There would be no hiding this time.

Author's Note

I have a feeling this one is going to be obvious, but GUESS THE FRANCHISE anyway!

-GM, master of clink.

[Chapter 4] The Jaws of Divinity

There was magic in the air. It was so intense, so palpable, that even an ordinary human could feel it. The way the sun shone through the needles of the evergreen trees was impossibly beautiful. It wasn’t unnatural—far from it. Looking upon the light as it danced made all other light seem unnatural in its presence, as if this was what light was meant to be. However, if one looked at it long enough, they would get a feeling of loss. If they were clever, they would realize this was a hint: a hint that even this light wasn’t truly perfect, merely an improvement on a scale so large physical minds could not comprehend.

If one were to take a picture of the forest, almost none of this would translate. It would appear in the photograph as a particularly beautiful glade with nothing all that unusual about it. Nothing, that is, aside from a single lamp-post seemingly growing out of the ground like a tree, lit as though it were powered by electricity, despite no power grid or even civilization anywhere in sight. In the midst of nature, it was a beacon. A beacon of what, well… no one who looked upon the lamp post knew for sure what it meant. Was it an unsightly blemish upon the natural soil, or a welcome addition to the flows of the world?

That was a question the heroes themselves would ask as the green door manifested between two trees in front of the lamp post.

Author's Note

Onto the next world: once again, I ask you to guess what it is and where we're going!

And to stick with me through this... different place.

-GM, master of bongos.

A Wisp of Nothing

Rarity stared at the can of mushrooms sitting on top of the pile of supplies. It was one among many, many cans of far more palatable foodstuffs, and yet she couldn’t take her eyes off of it. The longer she looked at it, the less hungry she felt, though it did nothing to ease the pain in her stomach.

“Rarity?”

Rarity looked up to see Fluttershy walking toward her.

“Ah, I suppose it is time for a visit…” Rarity tapped her hoof on the ground nervously. “How is your cell coming along?”

“I’ve managed to divide us into two cohesive groups. I’m taking the secondary, while Shining’s taking the primary.”

“How’s Shining doing?”

“He’s… not himself.” Fluttershy shook his head. “It’s worse than you and I. He still remembers Cadence…”

“Surely he doesn’t think…?”

“Oh, he knows, he knows she couldn’t stop it. That just makes it worse. He’s so much angrier and I can’t help him.” Fluttershy shook her head, grimacing.

“He’s a strong stallion. He’ll pull through.” Her eyes kept darting back to the can of mushrooms. Rarity, stop it!

“He will, but I’m not so sure about everypony else. They… weren’t meant to live like this. A few have started just… throwing themselves in Nastasia’s path so they can get it over with.”

“Yes…” Stop looking stop looking.

“Rarity… you can’t keep doing this.”

“I lost him!” Rarity spat. “He was mine, I kept him, I watched over him, and I sent him out and he was there and I couldn’t protect him!” She didn’t even try to stop the tears at this point. “I could only protect myself. How is that generous?!”

Fluttershy put a wing around Rarity. “I don’t think you had a choice…”

“He was more lost than we were… He was completely alone. I thought… I was sure…” She bit her lip and threw her mane back. “Choice or not, I made it out of there and he didn’t. I make it out and other ponies don’t. Why are you and I protected…?”

“You told me yourself, back when we first got here. They need leaders to hold them together. Leaders like you, me, Shining, and Starlight.”

“Yes… yes, that’s right, that’s right…” Rarity pressed a hoof against the wall to steady herself. “You’re right as always, Fluttershy.”

“I’m just telling you what you told me.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “We still have hope, Rarity. We’ll eventually break free from this, make a move on them, and end all this… evil.”

“How, though?” Rarity asked. “With Starlight we’ve started attacking, but none of our attacks seem to do anything. We take out a ship or a monster and they have more. We take on one of the main minions, they escape after they’re defeated. We don’t know how to actually hurt them without…” She thought about her sword. “...Even with that, we’ve never even seen the Count.”

“Then we need to keep working until we do find him. Then we can stop him.”

“But how?”

There was a knock at the door.

“Yes, yes, come in,” Rarity said, wiping her eyes. Whoever it was would likely understand the stress she was under, but it never hurt to keep up appearances.

“Surprise!” A pink earth pony jumped through the door, coming to a sliding stop between Fluttershy and Rarity. “Did you miss me?!”

Rarity gasped. “P-pinkie Pie!?” She pulled the pink pony into a tight hug. “Where have you been?”

“I got captured by those nasty minions then I escaped and then I got captured again but you know me, I’m never gonna stay stuck in a cage for long!” Pinkie giggled, winking at seemingly nobody. “But I didn’t know you were still out here until some orange guy told me!”

“The warrior…” Rarity leaned in. “Listen, Pinkie, this is important. Did he tell you anything about himself?”

“Nope! I don’t even know his name! But I do know he’s really fast and strong and knows something we need to do!”

“What?” Fluttershy asked.

“We need to find the statue of Cadence and Discord!” Pinkie declared, pulling a party cannon out of nowhere and letting out a burst of confetti.

Rarity blinked. “...Pinkie, we have no idea where that is. Do you know?”

“Nope!”

“And do you know why it will help us to find it?”

“Not at all!”

“Joy,” Rarity deadpanned. “Well, I suppose we don’t have anything else to focus on. Fluttershy, carry the message to Shining. I’ll get it to Starlight’s cell. Our current mission is to find that statue.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes. And Rarity?”

“Mmm?”

“If I find him, I’ll tell you as soon as I can.”

“Th-thank you, Fluttershy.”

~~~

“Hey, lady.”

Lulu looked up from her chair in the middle of an empty hallway. There was a man in a lion’s mask right in front of her face. With a shriek, she cast “Fira!” and burned away the mask with a torrent of fire.

Behind it stood a four-armed man in orange armor who was absolutely armed to the teeth.

“Who in the bloody blazes are you!?” Lulu shrieked

“Just a local weapons dealer.” He pulled out a halberd. “That wants to take you on. You seem like a good first target.”

“I’m not dealing with this right now.” She Void-portaled to another area of the castle, sitting down on a carpeted floor.

A Void portal appeared behind her.

Lulu groaned. “Whoever it is, I don’t care.”

“It’s me,” the warrior said.

Lulu jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being cut in half. “Wh-how!? Only Count Bleck’s chosen can use the Void!”

“You don’t understand the Void at all, do you?” the warrior asked, snickering. “It’s far, far older than you, Count Bleck, or even this Castle.”

Lulu spoke an alien enchantment that should have put him to sleep, but it did nothing to him. She wasn’t all that surprised. She was surprised when he took out a tommy gun studded with rubies and unleashed a hail of bullets on her. Her shield was barely fast enough to deflect them. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem? I’m bored.” He threw the gun away in exchange for four magic swords, each glowing a different color. Fire, ice, lightning, and some strange green vibrating energy blasted at Lulu.

She retaliated with her own attack. “Ruinaja!” The spell generated a silvery liquid and tossed it at the warrior.

“Reflect!” the warrior cackled, using the spell to bounce the attack back to Lulu. She took several hits and was plastered against the far wall. Weak, she activated the Void again, but with a wave of his hand, the warrior removed the portal before she could jump through. “You do not understand the Void. I do. I work its mysteries through my fingers. And I’m tired of the way you use it. So you won’t be using it anymore.” He threw several knives at her.

Lulu cast her invisibility spell, fleeing the old-fashioned way.

“Clear!” the warrior chanted, removing all magical status from Lulu, restoring her visibility. “That’s it, run little red riding hood, run.”

A void portal opened behind the warrior, depositing Dark Oak onto the ground. Lulu laughed. “You bore, I didn’t need to escape! I just needed Dark Oak to know something was wrong! Portals that nothing comes out of are very suspicious.”

“Annoying,” the warrior muttered, swinging the halberd at Dark Oak. The Metarex snapped it in half with a punch. Now that the warrior was occupied, Lulu started preparing a much longer, more complex spell.

“Well, that’s my cue to bail! See you around, losers!” the warrior jumped into the Void portal, vanishing into nothing.

Dark Oak let out a deep, guttural growl. “That was the warrior…”

“I… believe so.” Lulu shook her head. “He…” How did he know?

“The Count has some questions to answer.” Dark Oak left in a Void portal, leaving Lulu alone. The girl decided running in a random direction while trying not to cry was the best course of action.

~~~

“What… What are you thinking? There’s no possible way… no one would allow it!”

“If we can’t be happy here, we must leave for a place that will accept our love.”

“But, Blumiere, is there such a place? Think… I can’t bear to see you hurt again.”

“If our love has no home… let us spend our lives searching together! So I beg of you again… Timpani, marry me! I promise I will make you happy.”

“You… just won’t give up, will you? Of all the crazy… stubborn… foolish men…”

“Timpani, answer me, please!”

“Blumiere, I love you. Take me away. Take me to a world where we can be happy.”

The Bustling City Between Worlds

Caspian held the hands of his wife close. “Now, Lilliandil, I’m afraid I have to travel further than I ever have before. I must leave the kingdom in your hands a little longer.”

The slight glow to her face sparkled as she embraced her husband. “Who am I to stand between a King and his destiny? Go. Remove the Void from our sky. I will watch the land.”

Caspian kissed her. “I do not deserve you.”

“We do not deserve anything—yet we are gifted it all the same.”

Caspian stroked her hair. “I am away far too often. Watch over Rilian.”

She chuckled. “As if a mother would do any less for her child!”

With a slightly mocking bow, Caspian retreated from the Queen and returned to the castle balcony, where Trumpkin and Data were waiting.

Caspian nodded curtly to the android. “All my affairs are in order. Transport us to the others.”

Data tapped his communicator. “Data to Enterprise. Three to beam directly to the green door.”

“Acknowledged…” some officer Caspian didn’t recognize said. “Energizing…”

There was swirling blue all around Caspian. He had been informed that the transporter took the pieces that made him up, tore them apart, and re-assembled them elsewhere, but it had never been a painful experience. If anything, it was like swimming through a dream for a few seconds. He, Trumpkin, and Data arrived in front of the lamp post and door without incident. Cosmo, Twilight, Tippi, and Toph were already waiting for them. Toph and Twilight looked weak, but they could stand.

“Do we have everything?” Twilight asked.

Caspian checked himself over. “I have my sword, my shield…” He held up the defensive implement he wished he’d had a few times before. “All is well.”

There was a soft rumble. Turning their eyes to the east, Caspian could see the Void peeking over the tops of the trees. It had gotten much larger.

“Just three Hearts left,” Twilight said, levitating the light blue Heart out of her pack and giving it back to Caspian to hold. “You get the honors.”

“I am honored, Twilight.” With a smirk, Caspian turned to the door. “Well, I’ve never been to another world despite meeting several who come from them. Let’s see how this looks, shall we?” He pushed the doors open, stepping out onto Flipside’s platform. As he’d been warned, he had no shadow to speak of, and the sky had nothing in it aside from the Void itself. But he cared more about the doors.

The red doors had guards posted outside—that must have been Toph’s world, which wasn’t ready to face the harsh realities yet. The orange door was currently closed; Cosmo’s. Hanging wide open, the yellow doors saw a constant stream of people moving in and out, the majority of which had colored uniforms like those worn on the Enterprise. No guesswork was needed to determine what lay beyond that door.

He looked to the empty sides of the platform, wondering which one of them was Earth. ...If one was Earth.

“Data, did you ever find the Kings and Queens of old in your records?”

Data shook his head. “Never. It seems likely they were actually from the Earth universe rather than Hume’s curious situation.”

“Then hope remains that I may yet see them again.”

“Perhaps.”

Caspian grinned. “They will make such good additions to this beautiful city! Come, let us return this Pure Heart to its place.”

“Uh, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Toph coughed. “What… what color is it?”

Caspian held it up. “Blue. A light blue, like the sky.”

“You guys look up and see that all the time!?”

“Only during the day,” Cosmo said.

“The world is crazy…”

“Trumpkin?” Caspian said, turning to his dwarf advisor. “While I am away, you represent the interests of Narnia here, in Flipside.”

“Yes, your Highness.” The dwarf bowed slightly before running off to talk to someone who looked important.

Twilight led Caspian and the others into the elevator. They descended right to the Pure Heart room where red, orange, yellow, and green Hearts were orbiting around each other in a complex pattern Caspian couldn’t identify. Holding his head high, Caspian lifted the Pure Heart to the pillar. “By the wisdom and love of Aslan, I present to you your brother, Pure Hearts!” He released the Pure Heart, which floated right into the pillar with the others. The slight rumbling and light blue energy made Caspian grin.

A new door has manifested on the platform. <<

“Ah, you must be Merlon!” Caspian waved to the words on the screen. “I’ve heard admittedly not so much about you.”

“You all talked about me and not Merlon?” Tippi let out a disapproving tut sound. “He’s just as much of a friend as I am.”

I admittedly do not do much aside from watch over Flipside. Which is becoming all the more difficult as time goes on. <<

“What do you mean?” Cosmo asked.

Descend to Ty Lee’s inn, you’ll see what I mean. <<

They entered the elevator once more and dropped down to the aforementioned level. When the doors opened, they were floored.

Last time the heroes had been here, the personnel from Hume had just started moving in to begin investigations, all moving in rank and file with efficiency and purpose. Now, the image was unimaginably different. A Starfleet officer was having tea with Cream under a building that had apparently been opened up as a bar for the entire city. A few Mobians were playing in the street under the uneasy gaze of a Romulan. A Ferengi and an alligator Mobian were trying to convince a very confused talking squirrel to buy their product and not the competition’s. Elsewhere, an old human was playing trading cards with one of Eggman’s robots, both attempting to get an edge over the other in strategy.

It was no longer an empty ghost town being researched by people. It was a community.

“Amazing…” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her ever-widening grin. “When I was here, there was nobody. Nobody at all. Now, this is, this is…”

“Beautiful,” Cosmo said, clasping her hands together. “Oh, after this is all over, Flipside will be the most amazing city ever.”

“I’m sure of it. The nexus of all worlds.” Caspian grinned. “A place where a mouse can talk to an android about the merits of life and the wonders of all worlds!” Caspian clapped his hands together. “I love this place already!”

“Wait until you see the beds,” Tippi said, gesturing toward the inn’s door. It was empty inside—understandable, given the sign outside that said: “for the heroes and heavily injured only.” They stumbled in, each finding themselves a bed.

“Finally. I’m done with all of this.” Toph flopped onto a bed, letting out a satisfied sigh. Already, her burns seemed less serious.

Caspian found himself sitting on the mattress next to hers. “Toph. You do not need to feel disdain.”

“I’m a screw-up. Almost didn’t trust you guys,” Toph muttered, though it was hard to make out since she had slammed her face into the pillow.

“Who isn’t? I once ‘screwed up’ so badly that Aslan had to scramble my mind so I didn’t fully remember it. All I know is that I was angry at Edmund for some reason… I can’t imagine why.”

“So we’re all screw-ups, big whoop.”

“Yes, ‘big whoop.’ “ Caspian said, hoping he understood the use of the vernacular. “We all have our faults and our weaknesses. That’s part of what makes it so beautiful to be loved, is it not?”

“I… guess.”

Caspian leaned over to place a hand on her shoulder. “You get your rest. We can talk about this more in the morning if you wish.”

Data nodded. “Good night, everyone.”

“...Have you ever experienced sleep?” Caspian asked.

“Yes, in fact, I have. I see no need to engage in it now.”

“I…” Caspian shook his head. “Data, my friend, you are an eternal mystery. I would love to hear your full life story one of these days.”

“And I, yours.” He left the others to sleep.

Caspian had intended to speak to Twilight about the future and the next world, but by the time he thought much of it he was already asleep—still in his chain mail and everything.

~~~

“I just read your report, Data,” Picard said, addressing the android sitting across from him in the Enterprise’s ready room. “It’s not the usual report I get from you.”

“I have studied your records on your experience as well, Captain. I could say the same.”

Picard nodded with a coy smile. “The world was apparently an eye-opener for both of us.”

“I think I’ve noticed a common thread between our experiences. We were both able to put our trust in something outside ourselves.”

Picard let out a sharp chuckle. “One might even call it faith, as ridiculous as that sounds.”

“I believe that is exactly what it is, sir,” Data said. “Faith is defined as a trust in something that cannot be proven. I have faith in you as our leader, even though it is possible and expected for you to fail in that capacity eventually. I suspect you have faith in me as well, despite similar reservations.”

“But faith is usually spoken of in a religious connotation, Data.”

“Do not the denizens of Narnia consider Aslan in a light akin to a religious figure? Their devotion is comparable.”

“So what, are we the newest converts of… Aslanism?” He chuckled. “The name itself sounds ridiculous.”

“It all remains to be seen, Captain.”

Picard’s smile vanished. “That was a joke, Data.”

“My answer does not change.” He tilted his head. “Why does it make you uncomfortable?”

“I… well…” Picard forced himself to stop, remembering that Data wasn’t a human and couldn’t be expected to just know. “Think of it like this, Data. This Aslan figure was most certainly helpful and had our best interests at heart, and it was in our best interests to trust him, even if we didn’t know it at the time. It truly has been an eye-opening experience that has changed our perception of ourselves and of reality around us—honestly I would appreciate it if more of the ‘higher’ entities we encountered had an attitude closer to his. But just because we had a positive experience and learned to trust him, as you trust in me, it does not make us devoted followers that would be associated with a religion.

“No sir.”

“Good, you un—”

“I believe that is merely the first step.”

Picard let out a sigh and put his hand slowly onto his desk. “Data… I don’t think you understand.”

“That is correct. I don’t.” He tilted his head to the side. “That is why I am talking with you.”

Picard shook his head. “This…” Picard folded his hands together, waiting to find the words. “Trust and appreciation does not equate to devotion. We are not Aslan’s servants, Data. We are our own, and we make our choices as we see fit, just as he makes his choices as he sees fit. ‘Faith,’ as you’ve put it, does not equate to religion on its own. You are right, you have faith in me, and I in you, and we both have faith in the eventual destruction of the Void.”

Data nodded. “I see. So there is more to it than I thought.”

“Yes. I caution you not to throw yourself into this, Data. Choosing something or someone to put absolute trust into is a monumental decision. It is not something to be… casually declared after merely having an experience. To declare oneself allied truly in line with something is… well, it becomes the meaning of their existence.”

“I think I understand.” Data tilted his head. “Although, I find myself wondering something.”

“What is it?”

“Why do so few in the Federation profess any religion at all? Aside from the Bajorans and Worf, I have met few in Starfleet who profess anything.”

Picard couldn’t help but smile at this. “Many would like to claim that we have become ‘more enlightened’ with time and have left such ‘primitive’ things behind us.”

“But you do not agree.”

“Every culture has its value, Data, and that includes their religion, ‘correct’ or not. And even so, we do have a cause we are devoted to. We have immense faith in progress and our institutions.” He leaned back in his chair. “Perhaps too much.”

“Faith in humanity, sir?”

“I like to think we aren’t so specist. But we aren’t perfect, and we clearly have more to learn as a people as we delve further into the frontiers of reality.”

Data nodded. “We never stop learning.”

“For now, though…” Picard adjusted his uniform. “We will have to put the greater philosophical questions on hold. The worlds are at stake, we shall focus on that until the Void has been neutralized.”

“Understood.”

“And then we’ll be out exploring the galaxy again, one adventure after another…”

“Like always, Captain.”

Picard nodded, responding only with introspective silence. In the midst of this moment, Riker called. “Captain, Tippi is here to see you, as you requested.”

“Ah, yes. Data, we will continue this conversation later. Perhaps next time with the lion himself actually present.”

“If he wishes.”

“Indeed. I doubt we could get him to do anything.” He stood up with Data. While the android left the ready room, he went to the food replicator. “Tea, earl grey, hot.” It automatically dispensed his favorite drink for him while Tippi fluttered in.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, yes, I did.” Picard sat down. “I would ask you to take a seat, but I doubt that would be appropriate.”

Tippi fluttered down until she was at eye level with him. “No, it’d be fine. So… why am I here?”

Picard set his tea down and folded his hands together. “When we were searching for you, we got our hands on everything we could. Including your schematics.”

“Oh…” Tippi’s fluttering slowed a bit. “Who knows?”

“Just me and Commander LaForge as of now,” Picard said. “I needed to ask him if your condition would be helpful in finding you. It was not, so no further discussion was needed. I have told no one else, and I have no intention of doing so.”

“Thank you, Captain. I don’t… I don’t want them to worry.”

“I must ask if you remember anything of your life before. To see if we could… uncover something.”

“I’m afraid I don’t remember anything before I was fully manufactured,” Tippi said. “I was the perfect mind for the job. Lost, drifting, alone… hurt… confused…” She was silent for a while. “But that doesn’t matter now. The cascade failure won’t occur until well after the Void expands to maximum size.”

“I know. I also know that Data lost a daughter to the same type of cascade failure.”

“And if he knew of my condition he would devote all his time and resources to research a way to stabilize my imprint. We don’t have that kind of time. Even in your world, artificial minds are cutting-edge research. I… I can’t be a drain on resources to the worlds I’m trying to save. The worlds I was made to save.”

“The body you have now was made for that. Who you were before had her own destiny, I am sure. One that cannot be truly erased.”

“I… thank you, Picard.”

Picard smiled. “You are more than a Pure Heart finder, of that I am sure. Now… that will be all.”

“Thank you Ca—” she paused. “Ca—ca—ca—”

Picard stood up. “Is… is something wrong?”

“I don’t… fee—fee—fee—fee—take me to Merlo—” She stopped flapping entirely and dropped to the floor.

Picard jumped up and scooped her into his arms. “Beam me and Tippi directly to Merlon’s room, now!”

The transport was almost immediate, transporting him and Tippi right in front of the Light Prognosticus and Merlon’s main screen. “Everyone out!” Picard shouted.

Iroh and Vanilla were the only ones there at the time, and they quickly listened to the Captain’s order, climbing into the elevator quickly. After they were gone, Picard laid Tippi on the Light Prognosticus’ cover. “What’s wrong with her?”

...She should not be showing signs of mental degradation for weeks. And it would be far more subtle than this. This is something else entirely. What were you talking about? <<

“I was offering help with her condition—which she refused, as expected—and then I affirmed that she was more than just some machine built to save the world.”

She may have attempted to access lost memories because of that. She had amnesia when she drifted into Flipside. Even if those memories were still in her at that point, they might be unrecognizable now. <<

“What do we do?”

Her conscious state should reboot in about an hour. She’ll be fine, though disoriented. <<

“...I was just trying to help.”

You were affirming her self-image. There was no way for you to know it might be dangerous. Even I wouldn’t have suspected a thing. But I had forgotten the mind’s innate desire to remember. <<

“She wants to remember.”

We all do. <<

“Do you remember?”

Only bits and pieces. But I do not have amnesia, I am just beyond old. And I was uploaded completely and have endless room to grow within these walls. She does not. <<

“And transfer is not an option.”

It would make no difference. I was a fully healthy mind when I was brought online. The procedure would bring her problems along for the ride and solve nothing. <<

Picard shook his head. “I wish we could do something…”

Maybe somewhere in the eight worlds, there is something. Once this is all over… <<

“We will hunt.” Picard adjusted his uniform. “We will hunt. Mark my words.” He looked at Tippi’s still form, frowning. “...I will not inform the others of this. It will be her choice if she wishes to or not.”

Thank you, Captain. <<

~~~

Eggman dropped another probe in the hole of shadow. Amy, Ty Lee, and several Starfleet officers crowded around the main screen the probe was routing its information to. It turned on its lights, illuminating the shadow. It found itself in a cylindrical room with a red pure heart painted on one of the walls, sitting above constructions such as the pyramids, moai, ziggurats, Stonehenge, and a few other prominent architectural shapes.

“Earth,” Eggman said. “The Heart that was already here.”

“Fascinating,” a Vulcan said, tapping his datapad a few times. “Perhaps the other worlds are inscribed on the walls as well?”

“Maybe if you go down far enough,” Eggman agreed. “But the next level is the same.” The probe floated down the stairs, finding an identical room with an identical shape and mural on the wall. “And the third one’s the same with a nasty little surprise in it.” The probe descended further, finding the next room like both the others, except there was a blob of darkness in the center of the room. It paid no attention to the probe until it tried to go down the stairs, at which point a forcefield blocked its entry and the slime monster attacked, devouring the probe and reverting the screen to static.

“This is the Pit, ladies and gentlemen,” Eggman said. “A hole filled with monsters of shadow. Kill all the shadowy things in a room, and you get to go further down. However, past room three, the force fields trip in such a way that if you ever retreat back upwards, you can’t go back down without fighting through the shadows again. I sent a basic robot in and got to the seventh room before it was overrun by the shadows.”

“Could we disable the fields?” the same Vulcan asked.

“They’re powered from the inside. If we could get to the center of the Pit, probably. But that’s not going to be easy.”

“So what are we waiting for?” Amy asked, hefting her hammer. “Let’s go down there and smash shadowy faces in!”

“Nothing would delight me more,” Eggman said. “For this is the only structure of significance we’ve found in all of Flipside. But it would be foolish. We’d need an army to be able to take all those monsters down, and we aren’t entirely sure how far down it goes. We need… to prepare.”

“How long will that take?”

“I don’t know.” Eggman turned to the Vulcan. “How much is Starfleet willing to offer up to clear this pit of vermin?”

“Starfleet likely will not offer much,” he responded. “However, the Klingon Empire will likely assist simply because they would see something like this as a challenge to their honor.”

“Excellent. We can begin preparation for the mission immediately, then. It still won’t be fast… but we’ll know what we’re going for.”

“It may take even longer,” Ty Lee said. “Remember, you have a meeting later today.”

“I do?” Eggman blinked. “When do I have meetings?”

“Since Avatar Aang is finally visiting and you’re basically what we have instead of a Mobian government?”

“Oh. Right.” Eggman drooped. “Bother, I hate politics.”

“Don’t we all...” Amy said. “Speaking of, where’s Sonic?”

“How do…” Ty Lee shook her head. “Probably still running around Narnia.”

“Hmph, just like him.” Amy turned to glare at the Pit. “Who needs him, anyway? I’ve got the Pit. And the Pit is much easier to smash with my hammer.”

Ty Lee shrugged, deciding it wasn’t worth the risk of bodily mutilation to call Amy into question.

~~~

Toph was the first one up. Twilight was the second, walking out of Ty Lee’s little inn to stand next to her. “What are you looking at?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing.”

“You know what I mean.”

Toph sighed. “I’m feeling the footsteps of a talking mouse as it wanders Flipside, waving hello to everyone. He waved hello to me a few minutes ago. He hasn’t gotten very far.”

“It’s amazing how much life is here, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Toph smiled. “All thanks to us, huh?”

“And we didn’t even have to try.”

“A world-ending threat will do that.”

“But nobody will be able to forget what was made here.”

“Nobody…” Toph clenched her fists, grinding her teeth. “I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I… I want you to hear it. I’m sorry. Caspian’s a great and noble King, Data never flies off the handle, and Cosmo’s more understanding than even you are. I’m… I’m the only one of us actually making everything difficult. I panicked in the runabout, I almost made us lose Tippi, I’ve been running away…”

Twilight put a wing over Toph, smiling warmly. “Toph… you’re forgiven.”

“But I’m still a problem.”

“You’re one of us. You touched the first Pure Heart we found. You’ve been the ‘rock’ and ‘muscle’ of this group since the start.”

Toph let out a snort, but it wasn’t a bitter one. “Yeah… I have.”

“Just keep an open mind. And remember… remember what you’re going back to.”

“A bunch of idiots,” Toph said. “A bunch of idiots that don’t know how to learn properly.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really, but I might as well at least get it out there. I’m the only one in the world who knows how to metalbend. So, I took on a few students and tried to teach them how to do it. Not a single one of them has the right stuff to do it. Every day they’d come out, get everything wrong, and leave only to come back the next day. They couldn’t do it.” She turned away from Twilight. “I couldn’t teach them.”

“Ah. You’re having doubts about yourself.”

“I’m not a good teacher,” Toph grunted. “It’s a miracle Aang was ever able to learn anything from me. Look at me, quite an idiot, huh?” She let out a bitter laugh. “Quite an idiot…”

“I’m sure you taught Aang many things. But sometimes, things are hard, they take time… and from my experience leading and teaching, sometimes all it takes is a different approach to get it into their heads.”

“Like I know any other approach…”

“Can’t hurt to try, can it? I once helped my friend Rainbow Dash learn everything she needed to about Wonderbolts’ history to pass an exam. Do you know what the final solution was?”

“What?”

“Passively insert the information into her subconscious by displaying it to her while she was flying and her senses were attenuated.”

“...What?”

“It worked! I don’t care if it didn’t make any sense, it got the information into her head and it stayed to this day. I should introduce you, show you exactly how nerdy she can be. She’s a stunt flier, you know, but if you ask her certain things she can out-talk me!” Twilight let out a hearty laugh that slowly, but surely, died off into sad puffs of air. “...I miss them all.”

“We’ll get them back,” Toph said.

“She is correct,” Caspian added, coming out of the inn with Cosmo close behind. “We have a new world to conquer!”

“After breakfast.” Cosmo shoved the little sandwich lunches she had prepared before they went to sleep into their arms. “It’s already made, eat.”

And so they ate. Data and Tippi came down to join them in the middle for conversation. When they wrapped up, the conversation turned to their last unknown member.

“Daughter of Darkness… vixen… fiery…” Twilight mused.

“We’re looking for a girl,” Toph offered, winking at Twilight.

“Gee, thanks, I had no idea,” Twilight deadpanned.

“You were called the Daughter of Light.” Caspian gestured at Tippi. “Is there an inverse of your kind?”

“Pixls are unique, so I don’t think so.” Tippi’s flutters increase. “In fact, the only thing I have in my databanks is mention of the Tribe of Darkness, an offshoot of the multiversal wanderers that built Flipside. There’s not much on them, though.”

“We uncovered a reference to a Shadow Queen in my world,” Data reminded them. “Related to the Ancient Wanderers somehow. Perhaps they are of the same kind?”

“Perhaps…” Twilight downed the last of her sandwich. “Well, there’s only one way to find out! To the door!”

“We are taking the elevator,” Toph pointed at Twilight’s horn. “No. Teleporting.”

“You were fine last time.”

“Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“Fiiiine, we can take the elevator…”

The six of them wrapped up and returned to the highest platform, stepping out before the light blue door. The Starfleet guards nodded to them, beckoning for them to open the gate to a new world.

However, before they went through, the red doors opened, allowing a bald boy with a blue arrow tattooed on his forehead to walk into Flipside, eyes wide open.

Toph broke out into a grin. “Hey, Twinkletoes! How’ve you been?”

“Toph?” Aang gave her a cheesy grin. “Hey!”

“Guess what? That’s right, I’m about to go on another amazing adventure to another world while you get to sit back and… what’re you here for? Oh, that’s right, politics!”

“Yeah…” Aang scratched the back of his head. “I sure chose a bad time to take a retreat, huh?”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“So… where do I go?”

“Elevator.”

“...What?”

Toph pointed at the elevator. “That thing will take you where you need to go.”

“If you say so.”

“Good to see you, Twinkletoes. And have a nice fall.”

Aang blinked. “Have a nice fa—” The elevator closed and dropped beneath the ground, prompting Aang’s eyes to bug out, but he was out of view a second later.

“...That’s the Avatar?” Twilight asked. “He seems so… young.”

“And I don’t?” Toph asked.

“Touche.” Twilight turned her focus to the door. “Well… here we go again.” She gripped the doors in her magic and threw them open.

~~~

The woman removed her pen, taking another moment to pause. The group was almost complete—at least, complete as far as the prophecy was concerned. But they would never stop gathering, not until the very end.

Next was a place much closer to the woman’s heart than the others. A world that carried with it a surprising amount of hardship under the surface.

While what came with the world was very much needed, that didn’t mean the woman had to be happy with it. Sorrows were necessary things. The results and the hope were to be delighted in, not the sorrow itself.

The purification of fire is never pleasant while it burns.

The woman set her pen back to the page, forging onward.

[Chapter 5] The Heroes' Journey

It was a port city that, although it saw a large amount of traffic from the various nations of the world, nobody had a particularly fond opinion of. For while it was in an important and strategic location on the world stage, no larger power ever sought to own it. Likely because anyone who tried would find themselves out on the streets in nothing but their underwear with a massive headache and no money to speak of. If they were lucky.

Visitors to the city would find that it was a strange mish-mash of well-tended buildings and graffiti-covered alleys that tried their best to ignore each other’s existence. The various gangs of the city did much the same, except when they didn’t, and that always ended up… unfortunate for everyone involved.

In the center of town was the primary landmark that all who visited would remember and all who lived there paid respect: the gallows. Even though it wasn’t used as often as one might think, it always had a noose tied up and hanging, reminding everyone exactly what kind of place this was.

This city was not your friend.

And the light blue doors appeared in the alleyway just behind the gallows.

Author's Note

You know the drill: where are we?

-GM, master of where.

[Chapter ?] In the Shadow of Time

The sky was a brilliant blue and devoid of any sign of the Void that plagued so many distant worlds. White, fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the sun, while the world’s dual moons rested close to each other, currently as crescents. The silver moon shone down on the world with a calm peace, while the red moon seemed malevolent—if distant and unimportant at the given moment.

Somewhere in this world, there was a deep, dark forest filled with all sorts of nasty creatures. Some unholy mutants of flesh and magic that had no right existing, while others were the sort of gigantic monsters that were completely natural. However, all of these nasty entities were relatively far from a small clearing in the midst of the wood.

In the center of this clearing, a shadowy woman lay, unconscious, her pink hat sitting a short distance to the side. Her hair was a disheveled mess filled with twigs and leaves and dirt, but for some reason she was smiling in her uncomfortable position.

Right next to her, embedded in the ground, was a heart-shaped stone.

With a groan, Vivian sat up and yawned, feeling well-rested and ready to take on the day.

Then she realized she had no idea where she was.

Author's Note

Hmm, I wonder where we are... who's got a guess?

-GM, master of minks.

[Chapter 7] Patchwork Universe

In a world with a black, mountain-sized tower that looked like someone had taken the textbook definition of a spide—

“Hey!” Jenny shouted, hands on her hips. “You guys were just here! What gives?”

Author's Note

I mean. I suppose no one's actually managed to guess outright where we are yet...

So, guess!

-GM, master of guesses.

[Chapter 8] The Void's Destiny

Chapter 8:

The Void’s Destiny

Castle Bleck, when viewed in its entirety, was a behemoth of a structure built on both the upper and lower sides of a flat black disc. The disc itself had numerous square holes chewed out of it, giving its edge an almost pixelated feel. Above the disc, only about a fifth of the total surface area was covered by the castle itself, even though from any point in the castle it would normally be impossible to see the other side. Sometimes, it helped to have advanced fog-piercing sensors that could display obscured objects.

Floating around this castle were the numerous, familiar Metarex ships, interspersed with occasional crystalline creatures or blots of darkness. It seemed a pathetically small force compared to The Fleet of All Worlds that was currently pouring through the door.

However, there was still the underside of the disc, and it told a different story: almost entirely covered in jet-black spikes that got larger the closer to the center they were. At the very center there was a spike over a mile in length that scraped the Void clouds like a defiant claw. Nested among these spikes were massive crystal dragons akin to the one that had destroyed so many ships at Hume, ancient machines of baffling design, and angelic beings whose faces spewed hate—the legendary remnants of Gaia, most of which were complete unknowns to the fleet.

The doors closed behind Flipside’s fleet, leaving them to stare off against the forces of Castle Bleck in the midst of the swirling purple Void all around them. But no one shot—no one let out a single peep.

The Enterprise drifted out ahead of the rest of the fleet, coming to a stop in the middle of nothingness, and sent out a standard hail to Castle Bleck, asking for peace and negotiation, as was Federation custom.

Castle Bleck responded.