The hut was silent. Several guards, Jeff, and Dash were at a temporary loss for words, all while Scott was unconscious, unaware of what was happening around him. In any other case, this probably would’ve been a normal situation, but this was pretty out there.

Dash sighed, rubbing her hooves against her temples. “Okay, before anypony, or anyone decides to draw a weapon, let me be the first to say, this is the strangest situation you’ve seen the human in since he got here,” The guards looked at each other, rightfully concerned, but not objecting to the mare’s words. “And this pointy-eared dude in the fancy rags is from another world, who came to help… trust me, I don’t entirely understand any of this as much as the next guy, but you have to believe me when I say, this guy is one of Scott’s allies. AKA, someone you can trust.” Dash tried to explain.

“..It's called a Roc’s Cloak..” Jeff whispered in annoyance that Dash called it rags.

Dash shrugged and looked a bit disinterested, though the smug grin on her face told a different story. “Zap Apple Jam, Applesauce, same thing, minor difference, pretty boy.” Dash casually remarked.

The pristine white stallion with bat wings stepped forward. “And how can we trust your word as the truth? You ditched the guard the moment you were about to join us! That’s the most blatant show of disrespect you could display to the royal guard, and since then, you haven’t exactly been the most trusted pony in these kinds of situations, regardless of how strange the circumstances are.” Zapp explained firmly.

Dash rolled her eyes and trotted towards the bat pony. “Uh, last I checked, I was there with Scott, when some murder-craving alien torched the country club! We’ve been trying to formulate a plan on how to stop this thing, and we don’t have that much time to think of anything else! From what I’ve slept through, these two have been dealing with some serious horse apples without you,” Zapp felt rather threatened when Dash phrased her words like that, but kept his composure. “And now he’s dealing with a bit of an information overload. Scott’s passed out on the couch, transformed into whatever blondie McElf-boy over here is, and we don’t have a plan! Where did you and your little hoof troop even go!? I stuck around, and the rest of you were gone! Remind me, who can’t be trusted again?” Dash reprimanded.

“Leeet’s just take a moment to breath..” Jeff said as he slowly got up from his seat, sensing that tensions are currently high. “It's been a very rough eight hours, I’d explain why but it’d be best we wait for Scott to rest up from the knowledge dump he had..” the Hylian said with a calm voice of caution.

Dash and Zapp looked at each other, then back at the unconscious Plumber. They both backed away and refused to look at each other, though it’s clear they both had their own concerns about the human being, well, currently unavailable. Zapp sighed, grabbing an apple from the bag of produce. “So, let’s start from the beginning, and slowly work our way up from there. Start with introductions, who and what are you?” Zapp asked the Hylian.

"I'm Jeff, a Hylian, which is a form Scott is now after making and giving him a magical mask. A pleasure to meet you." Jeff said as he held out a leather covered hand.

Zapp cautiously stepped forward and placed his hoof in Jeff’s hand, allowing the Hylian to give a firm but gentle shake. “So, how did Scott end up like this again?” Zapp inquired, gesturing to the “Hylian” that was peacefully and blissfully unaware of what was happening around him during his unconscious state.

Dash groaned. “The reason he looks like that is because of some fancy magic mask Jeff made for him.” Dash explained.

“Take note I did mention magic, so of course it's not gonna look like a normal mask until Scott willingly takes it off him.” Jeff explained further, earning some strange looks from Zapp.

Dash sighs, clearly starting to get a headache. “Just think about it, pal. If Scott could already use some weird watch to turn into alien monsters, is it really that hard to believe that there might be magic masks that can do the same thing?” Dash asked, trying to apply logic to Jeff’s explanation.

Zapp opened his mouth to say something, only to then immediately close it and look at the floor in embarrassment.

Dash smiled, feeling proud that she got a win out of that, but soon enough, Dash was focused back on the topic at hand. “To briefly explain things, Scott and I were on our way back to the hut to formulate a plan against this psycho alien hitman who wants Scott dead. When we got back, we found an ancient stone-thing that wasn’t there before, and one thing led to another, we summoned Jeff here to our world. If you think that’s crazy, you’ve heard nothing of the sort.” Dash explained.

Zapp took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Let’s say I believe you, where do we go from here, Dash?” Dash shrugged her shoulders, which frustrated the bat pony a fair bit. “Well, if you have no ideas, how about we go back to Canterlot Castle, see if Scott can explain things to them, since they’ve been panicking the whole time about a magical imbalance!” Zapp stated sternly.

“Yeeaaa, a lot of that would be because of me teaching Scott new things, I’ll explain further once we get to Canterlot, because it’s gonna end up as quite a long list…” Jeff said before letting out a soft sigh.

Zapp was now mildly surprised. “What exactly did you teach him, ‘How to frighten the princesses 101?!’” Zapp tossed the leftover apple core over towards the fireplace. “How long is this list going to be exactly, from the throne room to Time square in Manehattan!?” Zapp asked rhetorically, the tone of his voice getting higher as he panics.

“No. I was helping to prepare him for this one alien that Dins knows where he is now, probably waiting to strike just as suddenly as that one mad creature that was here hours ago.” Jeff said as Zapp raised his voice. The Hylian didn’t want to say ‘human’ as to further concern the guards of a third alien being around.

The rest of the guard were very much concerned by what the Hylian meant, concerning a ‘mad’ creature, but they quickly derailed that train of thought, unsure as to what could happen if it continued. Before the conversation could move forward any sooner, Dash soon took notice of an obvious missing pony among the guards. Dash looked carefully amongst their ranks, and could confirm that a certain orange filly was not present.

Dash gritted her teeth and grabbed one of the guards by their necks, pulling them close. “Where’s Scootaloo!? Tell me now, and maybe I won’t consider ripping through you like a monster on the prowl!” Dash growled.

The guards were actually a bit startled by the pegasus, but then said filly waltzed right into the doorway, to which Dash immediately rushed over to hug and squeeze Scootaloo tightly. “Hi, Rainbow!” Scootaloo wheezed out, smiling.

Rainbow Dash let the filly go, smiling from ear to ear just knowing Scootaloo was safe. However, Scootaloo soon noticed the Hylians in the room. One of them being Jeff, and the other, being an unconscious Scott, unbeknownst to the filly. Scootaloo immediately tried to put on an angry face, then yelled out and charged at the unfamiliar humanoid figures.

Scootaloo first targeted Jeff, jumping at him to try and tackle him down. Jeff lowered his body and moved his hands down, catching the irate pegasus as he flailed her tiny wings rapidly like a dragonfly. “Aww, that’s cute, she thinks she’s dangerous.” Jeff stated.

Scootaloo continued to flail in Jeff’s hands till she finally had enough, deciding to try and bite the Hylian’s hand in an attempt to get free, only for her to hurt her teeth on the leather covered glove, making Jeff frown. “Alright, alright, settle down. Tensions are already high enough as it is.” Jeff said as he reached into his pouches quickly, soon taking out a beautiful yellow gem. “I’ll give you this if this would help gain your trust?” Jeff said hopefully.

Scootaloo’s sights were now fixated on the gem. She smiled and immediately jumped up, snatching it out of the Hylian’s hand. She then landed onto the unconscious Hylian’s stomach, giving the Plumber an abrupt wake-up call as the filly hopped off the couch, holding the gem close.

Scott groaned loudly, grabbing his face as he gave a not-so-gentle tug on the mask, unaware of what exactly was happening, or why it felt like he got kicked in the gut again. Blue and purple lights started to envelop the Hylian, and in a flash of light, Scott was back to his normal self again, letting the mask drop to the floor as he held his stomach. “Really, the gut again?! Why is it always the gut, would it kill these ponies to spread the pain around!” Scott was reeling for a moment, but then soon noticed everyone, besides Dash and Jeff, looking at him in surprise and shock. “What, do I have something on my face?” Scott asked.

“I thought you’d be out longer.” Jeff said with a nod.

Scott groaned and rubbed his eyes, all while Zapp immediately stepped forward. “Scott, I know you must be experiencing the rudest awakening at the moment,” Zapp pulled Scott’s arm, trying to get the human out the door. “But we need to go back to Canterlot, the princesses are in a panic!” Zapp stated worriedly.

Scott managed to pull his arm free, slowly letting his eyes readjust to his environment. He was back in the hut, and as much as he wanted to question why or how, he was soon thrown off by how the outside looked from the window. It was practically the afternoon, and the Sun was nearly ready for sunset.

Scott slapped his face a couple times and looked over at Jeff. “Oh, you’re still here? Well, if the princesses are freaking out… then I might as well bring my new pals along for the ride, the more the merrier!” Scott declared.

“Well of course,” Jeff said with a chuckle, only to stop mid laugh to clear his throat. “We’d best head on over to the princesses before they send more guards thinking somethings gone wrong.”

Scott shivered at the thought. “Last thing I need is more guards. Zapp and the other eight guards are enough, nine if you count Dash.” Scott remarked, picking up Scootaloo and placing her on Dash’s back.

Scootaloo was confused, but soon felt a hoof pat her head. Dash smiled as she got the filly’s attention. “I’ll tell you all about it on the way, squirt. Just promise me you’ll be on your best behavior, your aunts will probably tan my flank for keeping you out for more than a day, anyway.” Dash stated.

As the ponies and the two Displaced heroes started running and or flying down the path, hoping to cut through the woods and shave off a bit of some time, the sky continued to get darker, all while the moon started to rise, emitting a crimson glow.

As the pegasi and bat ponies took to the sky, with Dash making sure Scootaloo was safe during take off, Jeff pulled out his ocarina, only remembering something rather important. “Shoot, force of habit. There aren’t any owl statues here.” the Hylian said with a frown. Suddenly, Jeff’s right ear twitched upon hearing a certain pink pony’s voice speaking into it.

“Hi, Jeeeff!! Someone ordered an Owl Statue?” Before anyone could question anything, the snapping of fingers echoed out. “And presto!! Play that ocarina, hero!!” Pinkie’s voice echoed out.

"Tch.. You're doing quite a lot for me, Carniva..." Jeff said with skepticism in his voice, wondering why a spirit of parties and laughter would help him, especially when she knew very little about him other than his name alone.

A giggle echoed out. “I’m just returning the favor! Besides, better for the princesses to focus on you, rather than ME! Now, get a move on, they can really be something scary when somepony’s a no-show!” Pinkie’s voice echoed out.

Jeff shook his head in amusement, but mentally praying it remains as just her redirecting attention and not some form of interest toward him. The Hylian still remembers the many other visits in other worlds where ponies had that kind of interest. Placing the ocarina of time’s mouth piece to his lip, Jeff plays the Song Of Soaring, allowing gold wings to sprout from his back, wrap around him, and make him vanish with a bright flash of wind and scattered feathers.

Scott watched as gold wings sprouted from the Hylian’s back, and could only frown. “Everyone but me, and a couple other guards can’t fly! Fine then, let’s see if I can’t make this easier,” Scott activated the Altnetrix and selected Smudge's icon. As Scott pressed the icon down, Scott ended up not being as lucky as the Hylian he befriended. Instead of becoming an amorphous shapeshifting sludge, he ended up becoming his Detrovite form instead, now becoming significantly slower due to the increased muscle mass. “Wha-!? Gravedigger!? Of all the times this thing had to mess up!! Fine, let’s make this a bit easier!” Gravedigger stated, picking up the flightless ponies and hoisting them on his back, trying to pick up the pace.

As the Detrovite followed behind the pegasi and bat ponies, and the gold-winged Hylian was gone in a flash, it truly did seem like a return to form, even as the blood moon’s crimson light cascaded down.

[Canterlot Castle]

Jeff is first to arrive as his ball of wind lands on the ground, soon expanding and scattering the golden feathers. Luckily for the Hylian, the owl statue was sitting behind the trees, avoiding the cause of panic among the pony folk. Reaching down and unhooking the unicorn pony mask, Jeff puts it on, briefing flash as if there was a bolt of lightning in the distance.

The Hylian is now a red furred blonde maned unicorn with random splashes of greens wherever the roc’s cloak wasn’t covering. “Haven’t used this form in quite a few years.” Jeff said as he walked around a bit. The cutie mark upon his flank was that of a single triforce with sword and shield behind it.

From above, Dash and the guards eventually manage to get to Canterlot, all while something heavy stomps close behind. The guards and Dash land next to the disguised Hylian, all while Gravedigger, along with the rest of the flightless guards, eventually manage to catch up, with the Detrovite sweating and panting a lot. The Altnetrix started beeping, and in a flash of white light, Scott was returned to his normal self, with the unicorn and earth pony guards jumping off of him.

Scott dusted himself off and wiped the sweat from his brow. “I’m starting to now understand why Magister Tennyson always wanted a manual for the Omnitrix… I’m starting to wish I had a manual for this thing myself.” Scott remarked tiredly.

“Ain’t that the number one golden wish?” Jeff said with a chuckle as he trotted over to Scott’s side.

Scott sighed as he managed to get his breath back, and walked up to the drawbridge, noticing that it was closed, with only a large moat to block their path. “Hey, anyone on the other side!! We got the call that the princesses were flipping out, and we came as soon as we could to help! It’s me, Scott Baristo, the human you morons imprisoned and nearly starved for a whole month in the dungeon! I’m still not over that, you know!! Let the bridge down!” Scott exclaimed.

Dash facehoofed and sighed, feeling primarily extra stupid that she didn’t come to realize this sooner. “So that’s what Applejack was talking about last month, you’re the guy she kicked in the gut because she thought you were a Changeling!” Dash remarked.

Scott whipped around and glared at Dash, he was not in the mood to be reminded of that, but he did have to admit that she was correct. Soon enough, the drawbridge started coming down, revealing a familiar bat pony who motioned for them to come inside.

Jeff softly cringed at the mental image. "Did it leave any permanent damage? I mean Applejacks one Tartarus of a bucker…” the Hylian asked Scott in concern.

Scott groaned. “It knocked the wind out of me, and a couple pegasus dipshits knocked me out cold after. I’ll explain later, for now, move!” Scott stated, running into the castle. The pony-guised Jeff nodded as he ran after Scott, with Dash and Zapp quickly flying after the two, with Scootaloo still hanging on to Dash.

Scott ran down the halls, feeling the carpet against the bare soles of his feet as he traversed the bright marble corridors. Scott could feel his heart racing faster than it ever did before, and for a moment he felt terrible, but in the next moment, he never felt so alive. It had been a while since he ran like everything was on the line, it felt genuinely invigorating to the Plumber, but now wasn’t the time to think about that.

Jeff galloped alongside Scott; his hooves echoing throughout the halls. The hylian’s cloak whipped wildly as he ran. “I’m seriously sorry about causing the princesses panic, I didn’t know they sensed magic that well..” Jeff said with a frown.

Scott shrugged his shoulders as he kept running, with Dash and Zapp now flying above the pair. “It’s fine, I’m sure an explanation or two will fix this… maybe, depending on what their freakouts are like, to be honest!” Scott reassured, noticing a large set of double doors, as well as the muffled panicked cries and shouting of Celestia and Luna, as well as two other feminine voices.

Scott ran forward, charging shoulder first towards the doors. The Plumber yelled out and jumped at the doors, forcing them open as he rolled on the floor. Scott got back to his feet as he held his shoulder, only to then notice a pair of purple striped hooves adorned in gold rings in front of him. Scott looked up, noticing the same striped unicorn he saw before, only now, he had a better view of what she looked like. Dark purple hair with white streaks, a spiky and messy tail, and a luxuriously cared for mane, with a singular golden earring.

The mare was surprised, backing away slowly as she seemed to try and hide her face, seeming almost entirely shy. Jeff softly blinked as his eyes looked up and down the zebra in surprise of how different she looked compared to his homeworld’s Twilight. '..This world’s just full of surprises..' the heroic pony thought.

Scott sighed. “Um, pardon me, miss…” Scott started trailing off, he was struggling with names again.

The mare slowly raised her head, and cleared her throat. “I-I’m… Gleaming Dusk… I’m Princess Luna’s student… you must be looking for them, right?” Gleaming introduced meekly, a bit of light pink starting to glow in the mare’s face.

Scott nodded, trying to look around for the princesses, but clearly can’t seem to actually find them, despite hearing them not even a moment ago.

“..But didn’t we just hear,” Jeff pauses as he looks around in confusion. “Them?”

Gleaming nodded her head, a look of concern and worry formed on her face as she looked to the ceiling. “They have been panicking about a supposed ‘imbalance’ related to magic. I personally don’t know what’s gotten into them, but it’s got them panicking like no tomorrow… I’d like to help, but Sunset, being Celestia’s student, she’s the only one who can usually reign them in. I-I don’t have the power, nor the magical potential to assist.” Gleaming explained.

In a flash of light, the two princesses reappeared, with a black maned mare standing in-between them, holding the princesses still as they frantically flailed around. “At least this isn’t like last time, when someone ate the last shortcake. I swear, I love my mentor, but she has a serious addiction to sweets!” Sunset stated, dropping the two princesses in a moment.

“Celestia does love her sweets, though.” Jeff said with a nod.

Scott frowned, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, so what’s going on with you two, if I may inquire? From the sounds of it, you make it seem like the castle’s on fire!” Scott remarked. The pony-disguised Hylian silently wonders if the two sisters found out about Carniva’s escape.

Celestia stands up, flaring her wings as she looks down at the Plumber. “Scott Bariso, a magical imbalance is a serious matter. When there’s an imbalance, it typically means that there’s a sudden shift in the natural order,” Celestia dusted herself off as she lowered her head down to Scott’s level. “In this particular case, foreign magic has been introduced to our lands yesterday, we were wondering if you had any ideas, or any involvement with magic that isn’t native to Equestria. We also felt a dimensional imbalance, so kindly tell us… what have you been up to, and dare I ask why you’ve indulged in such acts?” Celestia questioned, a blank expression could be seen on her face.

“That would be because of me, Princess Celestia.” Jeff began, calling her by her full title as to not be disrespectful to her.

Celestia was surprised, as well as concerned. “One of my little ponies is the cause behind this?! How is this possible?” Celestia examined the pony-guised Jeff. “I see no wings on your body, so you clearly aren’t an Alicorn, but there’s clearly some sort of foreign aura entangled around your very soul. What is thy name, my loyal subject?” Celestia asked.

“In this form, I go by the name Protective Shield, but..” Jeff pauses to look over at Scott. There is some hesitation with Jeff as he reaches with a hoove to place it upon the howling stone necklace around his neck. Celestia is confused, but also very curious as to what’s about to happen. Returning his gaze to Celestia, the unicorn resumes. “My true name is Jeff, and I’m not from this world.” Jeff introduced.

Scott motions to Jeff to take off the mask, then looks to the princesses. “I can assure you, this isn’t what he normally looks like… not sure if that makes things better or worse, but you’ll have to let me explain to the best of my abilities,” Scott nodded towards Jeff, letting him know that it was alright to take the mask off. Letting go of his howling stone neck, Jeff's horn lights up in a gentle emerald green, using a telekinesis spell to grab hold of his face. Blue and purple energy swirls around his face, and with a brief flash Jeff returns to his original form, with the unicorn mask in hand. Celestia and Luna are surprised, very bewildered to see the Hylian’s true form, yet at the same time, relieved, to a degree. “Your highnesses, this is Jeff. He’s what the goddess of his world, Nayru, would call a Hylian, a magical elven species not native to Equestria, and most certainly not native to the world I came from. I assure you, he’s no threat to anyone, other than the evil’s bane. He’s, as of recently, my friend, my guest, and above all else, the guy who is training me to deal with a psychotic alien hitman who was responsible for torching the country club, and injuring numerous ponies in the process.” Scott sheepishly explained.

Celestia was very much confused. “Evil’s Bane? I never thought I’d hear disharmony and unruly chaos be described in such a sinister manner, but if he stands to help those in need, then I suppose that’s not a cause for alarm,” Scott let out a sigh of relief. “However, I’m rather curious as to why he’d have a mask to turn himself into a pony in the first place. I sense no inherently evil or dark magic coming from it, but I must ask, anyway. Should I be concerned about this?” Celestia questioned cautiously.

"My Master Sword has gone by many names and wielded by the many heroes of the past. Evil's Bane, the sword that seals the darkness, the sword of resurrection, and lastly, the sacred sword. As for why I had a mask to change my shape, I did so out of caution, considering what Scott told me that the ponies don’t react to species that aren’t natural to this world.” Jeff explained as he hooks the unicorn mask onto his belt. “The influx of magic you sensed near Scott’s home was me using magic and teaching Scott here one of them.” Jeff explained.

Celestia and Luna gave a confused look towards Scott, who returned the favor with a deadpan expression. “Don’t give me that look, you had me imprisoned in the dungeon for a whole month, starved and thirsty as hell, over a misunderstanding! If it wasn’t for Luna saving me from death’s grip, you’d be conquered, enslaved, then killed by a rogue genocidal Galvanic Mechamorph by now!” Scott crossed his arms in disbelief. “Besides, I need to learn these things because it’s important for Equestria’s survival. You tasked me to handle the aliens, and I will handle them… the ones that aren’t exactly nice, kind or misunderstood, anyway. There’s always the chance that the Altnetrix will fail on me when I need it most, like it did a couple miles ago on foot. My point is, dangerous stuff is coming, and unless you wanna imprison or exterminate anyone or anything that can help me save your land from an alien invasion, then you’ve doomed your kingdom to die!” Scott stated in his defense.

The princesses looked at each other, then back at the Hylian. “Well, if it’s not too much to ask, mister ‘Jeff’, but where is it that you hail from?” Luna asked.

“Another Equestria across the void vastly different from this one.” Jeff explained with a nod.

That got the princesses’ attention. Celestia was surprised, and Luna was shocked. “There are more Equestrias?!” The two sisters yelled in unison.

Scott facepalmed and groaned. “Oh brother, here we go again…” Scott snided.

"Infinite and growing still; each Equestria whose creation starts and continues differently, following either a different timeline or a whole different world completely. To put it in more simple terms, if any of your apprentices is familiar with this, think of the multiverse theory." Jeff explained as he gestured his hand through the air.

Gleaming Dusk nodded her head. “I was actually reading a book about that yesterday. When Celestia said there was a dimensional imbalance, I had to wonder if it was the work of something capable of casually walking between worlds,” Scott and Jeff froze for a moment, then gave each other a knowing look. “But once the princesses started panicking about a magical imbalance, they wanted to get an explanation from the one they trusted to handle situations similar to this.” Gleaming explained.

Well," Jeff began to say as he chuckled. "Less walk and more.." the Hylian paused to rotate his hand. "Leapt through the void using Twili magic and Farore's Wind." he explained, earning a mixture of expressions and reactions.

Scott let out a dry chuckle, before a look of nervousness formed on the Plumber’s face. “Or simply just appearing out of nowhere, due to just being a time walker.” Scott stated, earning more mixed expressions and reactions from the poor zebracorn.

Luna raised an eyebrow at Scott’s words, but decided to forget about it. Sunset Shimmer, on the other hand, trotted up to Jeff, smiling from ear to ear, with a quill and notepad held up by her magic. “May I please ask about what kinds of magic you usually specialize in?” Sunset inquired, becoming very giddy as she seemed to shake in place.

"Ooooh boy and there's that familiar gleam in a pony’s eyes I've seen all too often in many equestrias i’ve visited..” Jeff said as he placed his leather covered hand onto his face, gently laughing as he looked upon the unicorn nerd.

Jeff smiled as he started to explain. “Magical songs, elemental magic, healing, some shapeshifting, pocket dimension pouch,” Jeff pauses as he gestures to the two pouches that were attached to his belt. ”Enchant rings, empowering my sword or arrows with Light and elementals. The rest of the stuff I've got is mostly weapons and equipment that helps me with dungeon exploration and combat, especially against dangerous big monsters. And before you ask no, I can't show all of my equipment other than the Roc's Cloak you're seeing wrapped around me that allows me to jump high. As for the transformations I do so through the use of masks, either ones I created, or from healing spirits or removing curses.” Jeff explained to the best of his memories, and hoo boy does the Hylian Hero alot of.

Scott let a mild chuckle escape him, only to then notice Gleaming staring up at him with the same stuff. “From what Princess Luna has told me about you, you can transform into other species, correct? Could you show me all of them, for documentation purposes?” Gleaming inquired with a wide smile.

Scott simply sat down, letting out a sigh of defeat as the zebracorn looked at him with an expected look.. “Great, now I have another one to deal with… fantastic,” Scott sighed and held up the Altnetrix for Gleaming to see. “This is the watch that transforms me into numerous species, though for the time being, it’s only five species I can currently turn into… technically six, if you want to count the Hylian mask Jeff made for me,” Gleaming was writing down every word as she continued to listen. “I have yet to transform into my fifth form, gained from said alien hitman that Jeff was training me to deal with. It’s known currently as a Sotoraggian, and since the Altnetrix tends to take a bit to recharge after every transformation, maybe at one point, I’ll let you observe this transformation up close, should it be alright with Princess Luna.” Scott explained.

Gleaming was writing incredibly fast, flipping through the pages as she continued to write and sketch down the last bit of information Scott had to give. “I sincerely look forward to such an event. I know the princesses tasked you to handle the aliens that have been… well, less than scrupulous, and definitely villainous in Equestria, but I do believe that there are lifeforms that are actually rather friendly. I mean, if your elven friend is anything to go off of, I’d say there’s a chance!” Gleaming stated with a smile.

“Not all of them though, so it helps to be careful with whom we meet. Scott is lucky to have found my howling stone token first and summoned me first instead of someone vile.” Jeff explained, causing Sunset’s ears to perk up curiously at the mention of a stone.

Scott smiled and gave the Hylian a thumbs up. “Yeah, it’s honestly rather sobering to have a friend who knows what it’s like to be in my situation, or at least just be a nice and kind individual… It helps to forget the bad times, and focus on remembering the good that came with it.” Scott stated briefly, wiping away a single tear from his eye.

“And those are times I’ve got plenty of, due to me being a Hylian, which I forgot to mention live longer than normal humans.” Jeff explained, causing Sunset to write even more.

Scott snickered, rolling his eyes as he looked out to the outside, feeling his smile slightly falter as he beholds the blood moon, only to then watch it fade to a normal night sky. Scott closed his eyes, thinking back to how he’d usually be out at this time of night, catching fireflies and not having a care in the world. Scott opens his eyes, bearing witness to an overhead view of Canterlot, a city that reeks of prejudice.

Scott feels a hoof on his arm, soon snapping out of his trance. Gleaming looks up at the human, seeing the solemn and mildly pained expression on his face, despite trying to hide behind a smile. “Oh boy, I think it’s finally starting to settle in… knowing this is the world I’m stuck in, and going home… going back to the world I knew… that’s definitely not happening anytime soon, is it?” Scott asked, looking over at Jeff.

“..It.. well. Mmm… it's a very mixed bag. It is possible to return home, but it is super difficult. There is a never ending number of worlds out there, and even if you were one day to get strong enough to travel the void without harm and without needing a token to be summoned with and by someone, it would take you a long time to find your Earth. As Applejack would often say to me ‘It's like trying to find a golden needle in a haystack.’” Jeff explained with the deepest of frowns.

Scott took a deep breath, feeling his entire being shake and shutter momentarily, feeling the stinging sensation of tears in his eyes, yet he kept the smile on his face, trying to not bring everyone else down with him.

Scott tried to steady his breathing, but he felt too shaky to focus. The Plumber sat down on the ground, and for a moment, the smile on his face…

It fell apart.

Scott slumped against the glass, hanging his head low as the tears started to cascade down his face. He had no concrete idea as to what he should do, probably because he’s finally realizing that this situation he’s in, there’s nothing he can do to change it.

Even if by some rare and extra lucky miracle he unlocked Alien X, the most legendary transformation in Ben Tennyson’s arsenal, there was no guarantee that his powers would even work. Scott covered his eyes with a hand, trying to save face, but by this point, one has to consider just letting everything out.

Scott Baristo. A Plumber, a hero, a hard worker, but deep down… he’s broken, and despite putting himself back together, something broke him again.

"Hey," Jeff began as he kneeled down, reaching over to pat Scott's back. "At least you know you're not the only human in this situation, so if any more tokens appear just remember they are items that come in all shapes and sizes and they were all created by those who were either once human or they are still human but they were displaced with a set of unique powers. You can make more friends, I mean if you don't mind them being different earths, but if human companionship aren't enough? Well, let me know how I can be of help, alright? Remember, you've also made a few new pony friends, even if they aren't the same as you." The Hylian said in an attempt to shine some positive light.

Scott took a deep breath, then exhaled. Scott had to admit, the Hylian had a point. He does have friends, and they may not be the same as him, but they stuck around, and continued to do all they can. Scott sighed, wiping the tears from his face as he tried to find his footing. Scott looked over at Dash and Zapp, seeing them stand nearby, looking at him with patient smiles.

Scott took a deep breath, holding the air in for a moment. Scott exhaled and sighed, he felt emotionally drained, but he felt a bit better. He wasn’t entirely at a hundred-percent, but he was getting there. Scott gave Jeff a thumbs up, and leaned against the wall. “Well, this has been a very wild time, and I’m not gonna lie, if Displaced stuff can make someone feel like this, I might need a couple days to myself to recuperate.” Scott remarked.

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance, and looked over at Scott. “Scott, what do you mean by ‘Displaced’?” Celestia asked.

Scott stood upright and cleared his throat. “From what Jeff has explained to me, there are these beings known as ‘Void Dwellers’ who take random humans and put them through a process called ‘Displacement’. Those who went through displacement were dubbed ‘Displaced’, individuals who were plucked from their realities, and either changed, or left unchanged, and placed into Equestria… or rather, their own versions of Equestria.” Scott briefly explained.

“I also mentioned there being infinites, each of those Equestrias have a Displaced.” Jeff pauses to raise his howling stone necklace. “This is called a token, an item each Displaced eventually creates and personalizes that once created, gets sucked through a portal, replicated, and sent across the void, which is basically a huge space of paradoxical chaos. Each copy is sent to those Displaced who can use those tokens to summon the one who created it for the sake of.. Well, whatever it is they need. So if by chance you see or sense more oddities, just remember it is Scott who can summon them and can freely send them back if he finds more of those tokens.” Jeff explained to the best of his abilities.

The princesses were silent, they took a moment to let all of this information sink in, all while Scott stepped forward. “So, if each Displaced has a token, does that mean I have one, too?” Scott inquired.

"Not yet though as you'll need to make it, and you can either use an existing item and empower it with your essence, or manifest one out of thin air much like I did with combining Twili Magic and Farore's Wind.. Although I have met some Displaced who were given their token upon Displacement and didn’t know it was one till they found out… Ah, that reminds me, do be careful with your copy of my howling stone. It's capable of turning you into a wolf if you focus on its energy.” Jeff explained as he rose back up onto his feet.

Scott thought about that for a moment, and simply backed up for a moment. “I’ll hold off on making a token for now, this is a lot to take in. Let me get used to… all of this, recuperate, and I’ll get back to you on that,” Scott rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Its quite alright, making the token isn't important, it's only an option if you wanted to travel to those other equestrias. However, if or when you do decide to make that token? Do me and yourself a favor; ADD a safety feature so if by chance you get summoned by something unpleasant, you can use that safety feature to send yourself back home asap and prevent any further summons by the same person.

“I can’t help but feel like I’m about to sleep. On the off chance that I ask this without sounding rude, but how exactly are you gonna get home?” Scott asked the Hylian.

“Oh, it's quite simple. Just grab hold of the howling stone around your neck and say the words ‘your contract is complete’ and I'll be my own. Please do think a bit first, if there are any last requests you’ve got, because once I’m sent home, you’ll have to go through the process of singing into it to summon me again.” Jeff said with a warning

Scott took a deep breath and sighed. “I have two last requests. I wouldn’t mind having a camera, to make it easier to capture the likeness of the bad guys that are probably trying to hide.” Scott requested.

"Hmm, Camera.. Well, there is the Deluxe Picto Box, I'll need to head on over to Memorable Lens’s Camera Shop and see if he's got anymore in stock. To avoid having to go through the trip and such, I’ll need your permission to place a Twili portal near your home, which will look like a green swirling hole in the sky, just uh.. Don’t let anypony go prodding it while it's up there.” Jeff explained to Scott, pausing to give Sunset a knowing stare.

Scott nodded his head. “I’ll make sure of that,” Scott remained a bit silent, but eventually, he did manage to find the words. “I forgot to grab the Hylian mask back at the hut, but I’m wondering if you could relay a message to Nayru, when you return to your Equestria. I know you could do it here, but I’d prefer if you wait till you go back to the Equestria you came from.” Scott explained.

“Can do, buddy.” Jeff said with a nod and a thumbs up.

Scott pulled Jeff close and whispered the message into his ear. Scott slowly pulls away, nodding to Jeff as he readies himself. “Guess this is the final goodbye… oh! I guess I do have something else for you to have, since I doubt it’ll mean much for me without anything to transmit extranet data to,” Scott pulled his badge out of his pocket and put it in the Hylian’s hands. “Here, something tells me you’re gonna need it more than I will. Consider it my way of saying thanks, for everything. Should we meet again someday, you better take care of that, it’s still alien technology. Universal translator, built-in scanner, it’s also got a flashlight setting.” Scott stated.

"Oh hey, this'll come in handy. There's been a lot of ancient Hylian words that's been a pain in the behind to translate in the Book Of Mudora.. With this, I'll be able to learn more about Hyrule's ancient, their magic, and whatever else, Dins, I could have used this a long time ago." Jeff said with glee. Feeling the gaze of a unicorn, Jeff looks over at Sunset. “...Alright, alright, if I can manage to translate more, I’ll send you a copy, I feel like it’ll benefit you both.” the Hylian said to both Scott and the unicorn nerd.

Scott smiled. “Well, if this is it, then I sincerely hope that we meet again someday. It was quite the experience meeting you, Jeff, I never thought I’d have friends before, but I guess I was too used to burying myself under my job as a Plumber. I was always so focused on helping everyone else, I forgot to help myself where it mattered. I hope everything works out for you back in your Equestria… and hey, I know my status as a Cadet is rather null and void, but with me handing my badge off to you, I’d like to think of it as my way of spreading the Plumber’s legacy to places that desperately need it. Welcome to the Plumbers, Jeff, it’s only gonna get crazier from here, but we’re all counting on you.” Scott stated, saluting to the Hylian with a proud smile.

“Tch, isn't it always crazy anyhow?” Jeff said with a chuckle as he took the badge from Scott. “Later on when you get time, you really need to write to me about the plumber's history, why are they called plumbers, the aliens.. There’s so much I’m not getting.”

Scott smirked. “Well, for starters, America’s founding fathers were the first founding members of the Plumbers, so take that for what it stands for. As for the why, good question, I’ll write to you when I figure it out.” Scott remarked, chuckling.

Scott took a deep breath, steadying himself as he grabbed the howling stone, feeling a bit bittersweet. “Jeff, your contract is complete… keep doing the right thing, pal, It’s Hero Time!” Scott spoke out.

With those words ushered, Jeff's body slowly turns into many particles, soon reforming into a wolf sitting upon the floor of the throne room, but rather than the ghost form like before, it appeared to be a wolf in clearer detail, especially those dark blue eyes full of intelligence, courage, and experience. From above, a green twili portal opens up, and with head held high toward the portal, Wolf Jeff lets out an echoing howl as his body turns into many twili particles, soon flying into the portal. Once the hero was gone, so to the twili portal, however it would eventually reappear in the sky above Scott's hut.

Scott smiled, feeling a warm sensation in his heart. “That guy’s gonna go places, and he’s gonna show every last bad guy in his world, just who exactly is the top dog over there… give them hell, pal, like they’ve never seen before.” Scott whispered.

The sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard, and Scott turned towards the princesses. “I must say, human, I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen, but perhaps you’ve made the right decision with letting that other fellow in… seems to have done you some good, and not just in training. Though, perhaps you should let us know of the next one, just so we can prepare ourselves, just in case.” Celestia informed.

Scott took a knee and nodded his head. “Of course, my deepest apologies, your majesties.” Scott apologized.

As Celestia and Luna walked away, Gleaming Dusk and Sunset followed suit, with the both of them waving goodbye as they followed their respective mentors. Scott smiled, then looked over at Dash and Zapp, who were walking back to the entrance with a very tuckered out Scootaloo sleeping on Dash’s back. Scott quickly ran after them, completely unaware of the moon’s unexpected change.

[Scott's Residence]

After a long and carefully escorted walk, Scott walked into his hut, whereas Zapp decided to escort Dash and Scootaloo back to Ponyville, which wasn't that much further. Scott yawned and closed the door behind him, laying down on the sofa as he fell asleep, too tired to notice that the mare in the moon looked a bit redder than it did before.

Author's Note

Big and massive thanks to DisplacedWriter for allowing me to cross-over with him, you need to seriously check out "[Displaced] A Forced Hero Rewrite" It's my new favorite story. Check it out!

Scott's stuff he got after the cross-over:

Deku seeds

x1 Deku Nut

Swordsmanship training

"Thunder Blade" spell (allows the caster to empower any weapon with electricity)

Hylian Mask

Deluxe Picto Box

(Scott will also get a book that's full of Hyrule's history, the many races that exist, etc. in a few days)

The one thing Scott willingly gave up:

Plumber's Badge

With this cross-over completed, it's time for things to return to a sense of normalcy.

Well, as subjectively normal as it can get in Equestria. Let's see how things work out from here. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the cross-over in general, me and DisplacedWriter had a ton of fun doing this.

The next chapter will be out soon. It's time to get back to business.