Bridlewood - Early That Next Summer

Gregory hovered in midair, the early summer breeze blowing through the trees as every element under his control orbited him. Ice, fire, water, lightning balls, and balls of light and dark circled him, creating a sphere of the elements he controlled. He was seated in a lotus position with his hands on his knees, eyes closed and face serene.

“How long can he stay like that?” a female voice whispered.

“According to Twilight, he can stay that way for almost an hour, maybe three,” came a second voice, this one male.

Gregory didn’t respond to the voices, instead sinking deeper into the magical meditation he had continued to perfect ever since everything had come to a conclusion. He had a nearly constant companion in Celestia, who he’d grown rather close to in the months since things had calmed down, but she wasn’t there at the moment.

“Hey you’re not gonna hit him with that rock are you?”

“What? Me? No just with this.”

A snowball, one that had been orbiting him, flew through the air, but instead of hitting him it struck an invisible shield of spherical wind, surrounding him with little bits of ice and snow. Two of the other snowballs lanced out, striking the two intruders squarely in the face. Without even opening his eyes, he spoke, but his voice had a strange echo to it. “Never sneak up on someone or try to hit them with their own snowball,” he chided them gently.

“Spoilsport,” Andrew said as he dropped the snowball that was previously a rock.

Gregory slowly lowered himself to the large glowing crystal over which he had been hovering, standing on its tip without even a hint of a balancing act. He opened his eyes, which were glowing for a few seconds before they returned to their sapphire blue normalcy. “So,” he said, “what brings you two traipsing around and disturbing my meditation in the middle of this nice early summer day?”

“Well, if you must know,” Andrew said.

“Oh, I must, I must,” Gregory replied, his voice back to normal as he quoted Blazing Saddles.

Andrew rolled his eyes. “As you know, our wedding is next month,” he began, “and while Rainbow managed to get her bridesmaid and while I managed to convince Jason to be my best man our officiate sort of bowed out at the last minute and we need a new officiate.

Gregory eyebrows shot up. “Is everything okay with the former officiate?” he asked in a concerned tone.

“He’s fine, but the reason was because he didn’t realize how overbooked he was. He wouldn't be able to get here in time.”

Gregory nodded in understanding. “Poor stallion,” Gregory said.

“Yeah, he’s the guy that wedded my parents but oh well,” Rainbow said.

Gregory nodded. “Are you asking if I could reach out to the dragon who officiated mine and Ember’s wedding?” he asked.

“Oh no,” Andrew said. “We were actually wondering if you could officiate our wedding.”

His eyebrows shot up again. “Me?” he asked. “I’m not officially ordained by any church, you know?”

“True, but you are a demigod and rumor has it they have connections with the afterlife in a sense,” Andrew replied.

Gregory’s grin was almost devilish. “You want me to bless the union with my godlike status?” he teased.

“You are amongst the few with powers that could rival both Celly and Lulu,” Andrew grinned.

“Yeah, plus we can’t ask Celestia because she hasn’t done those since her removal from the throne,” Rainbow added. “Something about alicorn law or something.”

“Huh, I see,” Gregory nodded. “Well, if you two really want me to officiate, then I’d be honored.”

“Great! We just have one thing to ask of you,” Andrew said.

“What’s that?” Gregory asked.

“No weird cultural reference jokes and no meme references,” he deadpanned.

Gregory snorted. “I make no promises,” he said with a grin. “If I want to say ‘Mawaige!’ then I will.”

The two nodded and walked away. “Think you might regret this?” Rainbow asked.

“This is the one gamble I don’t mind if I win or lose,” Andrew said.

Seeds of Yggdrasil - One Month Later

Andrew stood in front of the bathroom mirror adjusting his bowtie. “Is this how Stacy and Gregory felt?” he asked himself as he wiped off the bit of sweat on his brow. He’d be lying if he told anyone his nerves weren’t shot. After one final adjustment he went outside and down the hall to the room where New Years was celebrated. Hard to believe it had been nearly a year and finally he was ready to tie the knot with the mare she loved. There at the train platform was Connie, wearing a new livery that was once her old color, Conrail Blue. “Amazing we never got rid of this nor the tracks that lead here,” he said to himself.

“Well we had considered opening a special course for any creature looking to seek work in your ever growing industry,” Gregory said as he walked up to him. He was wearing a well pressed tuxedo and some pastoral robes he’d asked Rarity to make for him.

“Still, it doesn’t make my nerves easy to handle. Seriously, look at my hands. They're shaking,” he said.

“Trust me, you’ll be fine,” Gregory said with a smile. “You’re marrying a pegasus who loves you. I married an actual head of state. That was even more terrifying. Now come on, let’s go.”

The two made their way to the front of the Town Hall where they both got into position. Slowly the room began to fill up with friends and family filling out the seats reserved for them. Up in the front row sat Rainbow’s mother who was currently holding a sleeping Evangeline. Along with them were most of the new Haven Phoenixes fliers wearing their new uniform. True to their name their colors were those of a phoenix. Bright fiery reds and yellows. Gregory looked and saw his family also sitting close to the front. The rest of the Mane Six were there as well, Rarity wore a sunhat and a proper wedding dress and was doing her best not to cry out of happiness. The others were smiling as well.

Just then, Lyra, Octavia, and an organ player began playing the traditional wedding march. Everyone stood and turned as Rainbow was led down the aisle by Bow Hothoof. Rainbow wore an absolutely gorgeous wedding dress, but one that suited her. It wasn’t too fancy, but it was very clearly a dress for a wedding. The veil blocking her face couldn’t hide how nervous her smile was, however.

Andrew was still slightly shaking until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Jason mouthing the words “Relax and breathe.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy, who was her maid of honor, both approached the altar. The prismatic pegasus looked up to her groom. Gregory held up his hands as the music ended. “Please be seated,” he said to the crowd. After everyone had sat down and after Bow had joined his wife, he stood at the pulpit that had been made just for the occasion. It wasn’t decorated with any symbols on Gregory’s own request. “Dearly beloved,” he began, “we are gathered here today to witness the union of this man, Andrew Peter Wilberts, and this mare, Rainbow ‘Danger’ Dash, in the bonds of matrimony. I would have added ‘holy’, but that seems a bit on the nose, don’t you think?”

The crowd chuckled at that before he continued. “Marriage is a blessing for all involved, and I don’t just mean the bride and groom. It can, if tended like a plant in a garden, sprout unexpected additions. It joins two families together and creates a bond that is unlike any other.” He looked down at the two. “I’ve known these two for a while, and the love they’ve demonstrated to each other is genuine and as strong as any diamond and as unbreakable as the world itself.” He held up a hand and a bright bulb of light formed above the couple. “The light I have just created is representative of just how brightly their love shines.”

The light flashed brightly, turning nearly as bright as the sun before it exploded into a shower of warm sparks that fell harmlessly onto the crowd. Gregory waited for a moment until he continued. “Now then, without further ado, the couple have created their own statements before they exchange the wedding vows.” He gestured towards the two. “Mares first.”

Rainbow looked at the crowd and cleared her throat. “They say the road to success is hard but throughout most of my life I took the easy way and flew right over it rather than trot on it,” she began. “For that I only got a few glimpses of the good things and…” she then turned to Jason. “...and the bad. I have made big mistakes, but I’m a big enough mare to admit when she was wrong so many times. For that I am grateful for everything, even admittedly my still existing fanbase.” That got another chuckle out of the crowd. “But more importantly my family, friends, and someone who I'll save for the vows.”

She stepped back as Andrew stepped up. “For the humans that are with us we have made tremendous strides in what we have done in this world. Despite our rocky start and misguided motives we’ve come a long way. In the words of the first man on our moon this was just another small step for man and another giant leap for mankind.” This received murmurs of approval and agreement before he continued. “And of course we couldn’t have done it without help from the many walks of life from this world, even the new species of life,” he finished as he gestured towards Sergeant Reckless and Connie. “For all that I only have this to say: let's keep this trend going.” This received more approving nods and even some applause from various creatures.

“And now, we will exchange the vows,” Gregory said. “Face each other, please, and know that the words you are about to speak are more than just a promise or a pledge. It is a statement of truth and fact that you will be speaking to each other.” When the two had turned to face each other, Gregory smiled and opened a book. “Andrew, repeat after me,” he said. “‘I, Andrew Peter Wilberts, do solemnly swear to take you, Rainbow Dash, as my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us’.”

“I, Andrew Peter Wilberts, do solemnly swear to take you, Rainbow Dash, as my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us,” he said with emotion. “Like I’ve always said, you’ve always given me color in a world that felt gray. Whatever happens to us in the future I can only see us loving each other and raising our beautiful angel.”

If one had good eyes one could see Rainbow have a small tear in her eye. Gregory then turned to Rainbow. “Rainbow, repeat after me. ‘I, Rainbow Dash, do solemnly swear to take you, Andrew Peter Wilberts, as my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us.’”

Rainbow smiled through her tears and said, “I, Rainbow Dash, do solemnly swear to take you, Andrew Peter Wilberts, as my lawfully wedded husband. I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us,” she said. “Out of all the fans I had, you were the most eccentric but also one of the most awesome ones. Thank you for rebuilding my confidence in the sky.”

“And now, bring the rings forward,” Gregory instructed the ring bearer. Scootaloo came forward, holding up a tray with the custom made rings. Gregory turned to Andrew. “Pick up her ring,” he said. When Andrew had done so, Gregory said, “Take her hoof and place the ring on it and repeat after me: ‘With this ring, I thee wed, and with it I join my life with yours. I give you this ring as a sign that I have chosen you as my wife my lover, my partner, and my best friend to the end of my days.’” After Andrew had said the words, Gregory turned to Rainbow. “Pick up the ring and take his hand and repeat after me: ‘With this ring, I thee wed, and with it I join my life with yours. I give you this ring as a sign that I have chosen you as my husband, my lover, my partner, and my best friend to the end of my days.’”

After the exchange of the rings, Gregory turned to the crowd. He raised his hands in benediction, a pair of pure white wings glowing from behind him. “You have all borne witness to the exchange of vows and the exchange of the symbols of the love of this couple for one another. Let nothing that has transpired here be broken unless it be by the inevitably of death.” He looked down at the couple. “And with the power vested in me, by the state of Haven City’s government and whatever blessing of God or Faust I have, I now pronounce you two husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Rainbow then jumped into Andrew’s arms. Andrew used one hand to remove the veil and then kissed her. The crowd went wild and Connie blew her whistle loud and strong. Then much to everyone’s surprise Evangeline flew out of her grandmother’s hooves and into her parents’ embrace. “MA! DA!” she exclaimed.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause as the ponies began playing the wedding exit song.

At the reception outside everyone was having a wonderful time. Andrew was about to cut another slice of the cake when he noticed something. “Hey what happened to the rest of the top layer. Pinkie?”

“Hey, don’t blame me,” Pinkie said as she sat on Gregory’s lap. “I can control myself for one day.”

Rainbow then pointed to another table where Black Bird was eating a rather large slice. “I swear I have a glutton on my team.”

“Funny, I would have thought you would have had something to do with that cake, Sunbutt,” Gregory said as he looked across the table at the ancient alicorn. “You can keep that sexy figure despite eating out an entire bakery, I swear.”

“If you thought my cake addiction was bad you should see Luna and her cheese obsession,” Celestia said.

“Funny, I’ve seen that as an addiction in a few of the fanfics I’ve read,” Gregory said before he winked at her. “Yours is a sweeter addiction, though.”

Celestia blushed slightly. “You are a cad,” she said with narrowed eyes.

“Ahem,” Ember said as she slowly raised the knife while glaring daggers at her mate.

“Okay, I’ll behave,” Gregory promised.

Pinkie giggled. “The all powerful demigod, brought low by the Dragon Lord,” she teased as she snuggled closer into Gregory’s lap.

“Hey, she keeps me humble,” Gregory replied.

Rainbow then raised a glass and clinked it with a spoon. “Can I have everyone’s attention? We have one more big surprise.” Everyone turned to the newlyweds. “We like to thank you all for coming and for that we want to give you a special show. In fact, it's a little something I know Jason over there always wanted to see,” she said, turning to the changeling family. “Haven Phoenixes! Fall in!”

The team got up and straightened out their uniforms. Andrew then strapped on a jetpack from under the table. “You better not destroy that one like my prototype,” Stacy warned with a glare.

“What’s going on?” Raven asked Gregory as both Andrew and Rainbow put on headsets with mics.

“Hit it, Vinyl,” Andrew said as the unicorn DJ turned on the music and a piano tune started to play.

The new flying team started flying as Andrew began to sing. “There's a time in your life. When the world is on your side.”

Rainbow then joined in. “You might not feel it. You might not see it. But it surrounds you like a light. Makes you stronger for the fight.”

Suddenly they all went to the sky and both of them started singing. “Never letting go. Gotta learn to grow. Watch me as I touch the sky…Still I fly.”

“Now I know it's what I gotta do. Find a dream that's new. Give it all I got this time. Still I fly…”

“Still I fly,” Rainbow sang. “Feel the wind all around, all the courage to be found.”

“Who knows what's out there. I know I'll get there,” Andrew sang.

“Oh off into the sun. I know I'm not the only one that's, Never letting go. Gotta learn to grow. Watch me as I touch the sky…Still I fly,” both sang.

“Now I know it's what I gotta do. Find a dream that's new. Give it all I got this time. Still I fly!”

“Still I Fly!” the entire team sang. “Still I fly!”

“Breathe it in,” Falcon added.

“I’m gonna shine,” Hornet continued.

“It's my moment. Gotta live and live it right,” Black Hawk sang.

“I'm flyin. Flyin so strong.” Black Bird sang.

Up above the whole crowd could see Rainbow and Andrew on a cloud high above the city. “I’m movin’,” Andrew sang.

“I’m movin’,” Rainbow repeated as they both jumped holding each other.

“I’m movin’ ooonnnn-”

KRAKABOOOOOM!

Suddenly the whole sky was filled with what looked like the biggest rainboom anyone ever saw.

“Never letting go! Gotta learn to grow! Watch me as I touch the sky…Still I fly,” they both sang.

“Now I know it's what I gotta do. Find a dream that's new. Give it all I got this time. Still I fly!”

“Still we fly,” they both finished as they slowed their descent and landed gently on the ground.

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause. Evangeline on the other hand was just staring up at the sky at the many colors that danced across the sky like a curious animal looking at its reflection in water. Rainbow picked up her daughter and faced her upwards. “See that? You might make that yourself one day.”

Jason walked up to them. “Wow,” he said. “Now I’m really glad I decided to remove your punishment. I actually forgot how amazing it would have looked. So…thank you.”

“What? Didn’t you see me do a double boom at the race?” Gregory asked incredulously.

Jason put a hand to his chin and pondered. “Nope, didn’t see it.”

“He was a bit drunk at that time,” Chrysalis added.

Gregory laughed. “Fair enough. Now then, let’s keep this reception going, huh?”

It was another few hours later when a crowd gathered at the train station. The newlyweds waved goodbye from the window of a special VIP coach. “Heads up!” shouted rainbow as she tossed the bouquet in the air.

It went flying until it was caught by none other than Rarity. “Yes!”

“Nice catch, sugarcube, but now you need a partner,” Applejack grinned.

Rarity was silent until she said, “...Oh bother.”

With a blow of the whistle, Connie pulled out with the coach which had the banner JUST MARRIED hanging from the back.

As everyone waved goodbye, Gregory felt something on his side. He looked down to see Pinkie rubbing against him like a cat. “If you start going ‘MRRRP’, then we’re gonna have a problem,” he teased. “You as an abyssinian would be cute as hell, though. I wonder if Twilight can use that spell she used to change you into breezies to turn you into an abyssinian…?”

Pinkie giggled, then looked up, her emotions shifting. “Can we talk? It's something personnel.”

Sensing the seriousness in her tone, he nodded. “Come with me,” he said as he led her to the Briarwood. He rarely took anyone to his meditation area, as it was one place where he could experience privacy away from the world. Only those he trusted the most were ever allowed there.

When the two reached the spot, he turned. “Welcome to my private meditation spot,” he said, standing on the tip of the crystal in the center with practiced ease. “Not many know this place. So, what is it you wanted to talk with me about?” He climbed down from the crystal and sat down in front of her, looking at her expectantly.

“It's about…your herd,” she simply said. “How has Twilight adjusted to it? Matter of fact how did you and Ember adjust?”

Gregory leaned against the crystal, patting the ground. When Pinkie sat down, he looked up and sighed. “It’s not been easy,” he admitted. “Ember took a loooot of convincing, mostly by Twilight. There were some trials Ember put her through, but she took them like a champ. Ember acknowledges Twilight now. Why do you ask?”

“Well…two questions, but I think I should first ask, if you were able to take on a third would you?” Pinkie asked nervously.

“If I liked being around them, sure,” he said, “but more importantly, if the other girls would accept them. Their opinions would matter immensely, especially Ember’s. She’s a fiery individual, no pun intended.”

Pinkie giggled at that a little. “Okay, well this might make my next question a bit easy. Have you ever had to decide between two creatures you had a crush on?”

“Whoo boy, well, my romantic life, aside from my current one, has not been great,” he admitted. “My first and only girlfriend was a manipulative cheating bitch, and the couple other girls who I did like turned me down quite brutally. I don’t think I’ve ever had to choose between two, though.”

“Oh okay,” she said. “The point is I need some advice. There are two guys I have a crush on. One who I knew for a long time and the other who I made more happy memories with. And lately…well, let’s just say I know how Stacy feels when two of her tanks fight inside her head.”

Gregory smiled and reached over to run his hand through her mane. It seemed that only he had the capability to tame that mane, having paid a bunch of attention to it whenever he stroked it. “Well, these two guys are lucky to be on your radar, Pinks,” he said. “You’re a beautiful and caring young mare who loves very deeply. You have an amazing love language, and you’ve grown so much in the past few years from that bouncy mare I knew from the show. Tell me, can you see yourself being with both of these stallions for the rest of your life?”

“Funny you say stallions,” she chuckled, “because only one of my crushes is a pony.”

That caught his attention and he smiled even more. “Then he’s a lucky male, wherever he is,” he said, putting an arm around his friend. “But think about this: a relationship, a serious one, is a lifetime commitment. You’re not just devoting your love to someone, but a friendship as well. It’s a lot of work, but in the end, if both sides put in the effort, it’s worth it.”

“Okay but I think you and the other humans can take a guess on who one of my crushes is,” she said grinning.

“I refuse to call him by his pony name and am just calling him Weird Al,” Gregory laughed. “Besides, that’s who voiced him.” Gregory had turned Pinkie into a massive Weird Al fan over the course of their friendship.

Pinkie laughed harder but soon calmed down. “The other crush is, well…a more complicated story.”

“Hmm, complicated huh? How so?” Gregory asked.

Pinkie sighed and looked up to the trees. “He’s so great. He’s lucky to have friends that respect him and he’s always willing to put himself in danger for anyone but sadly his heart has already been claimed twice.”

It hit him like a sack of potatoes. He suddenly felt very nervous and pointed to his chest. “Me?” he asked quietly. Pinkie was silent for a long moment but then Gregory could feel her head moving up and down. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Wow…I had no idea. You hid your emotions very well from me.”

“Yeah I guess that's why I’m a champion of hide and seek,” she said, chuckling a bit. “And was good at hiding things like eye patches in Ponyville.”

He chuckled softly, then looked over at Pinkie. “Well…um…do you want to talk to Twilight and Ember about this too?” he asked gently.

“I don't know…maybe Twilight but Ember… I don’t think she likes me that much,” she replied.

“She doesn’t hate you,” Gregory said. “She’s the stoic type. She also finds you a bit harder to understand than other ponies, but I’m sure if you give her a chance, she’ll warm up to you like she has with Twi.”

“And if she doesn't?” Pinkie asked.

He sighed. “Well, if she doesn’t then she doesn’t,” he said. “I’ll run interference for you, though. No matter what happens, I will never stop seeing you as a friend. Even more if things go forward.”

Pinkie smiled as she nuzzled up to her friend. “If it doesn’t work, do you think maybe…Cheese is thinking about me?”

“He definitely seemed to think about you in the show,” Gregory said.

Meanwhile Cheese Sandwich was trotting up a trail when he felt something. “What the hay?!” he asked himself. “I feel…a disturbance. What do you think, Boneless Two?” The rubber chicken on his back said nothing. “You’re right,” he said. “Maybe I should check out Haven City.”

Gregory could feel himself in an almost familiar setting. The once soft mattress that had his wife and marefriend had been replaced by a hard tile surface. “Oh great,” he said to himself. “What Backrooms level am I in this time?”

He got up and to his surprise he saw a tall ceiling and two rows of long benches. “A church?” he muttered. He then heard a door open, the sound echoing through the building. Then, a middle aged female human with red hair and wearing white robes approached the altar. As he watched, her form shimmered and she became a pure white alicorn with red mane and tail. She didn’t seem to notice him, so he began quietly backing up, not quite feeling welcome in this place and not wanting to interrupt whatever she was doing.

Suddenly the door behind him opened, revealing an old man with gray hair, glasses and wearing robes. At first he was shocked but then smiled at Gregory. “Ah, welcome young one. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Um…sorry for intruding-” he began before he stopped, the words registering. “Wait, what now? I’m expected?” He turned back only to yelp as a pure white dragon with red horns and spines had appeared in front of him. “YAH!” He held his beating heart and began hyperventilating to calm down.

“Calm down child, I am no enemy,” she said in a calm maternal voice.

He wanted to sit down, but something inside him told him that he was not worthy to sit even on the floor. Something told him he wasn’t even worthy to stand in this massive cathedral. “I, I uh…I shouldn’t be here,” he said.

“You’re right,” the old man said. “You shouldn’t be here unless you were invited by our dear friend here.” When Gregory turned back the old man was replaced by a locomotive. It appeared British in design and on the smokebox door was a humanoid face that reminded him of a certain blue tank engine.

That didn’t make him feel any better and he looked between them, panic rising inside him. The dragon was now a pale white griffin with red plumage and claws. He tried to back away from them, heart thumping in his chest harder and harder. “I…I should go!” He turned and started running.

He didn’t get far as he suddenly bumped into a set of legs . He looked up to see what looked like a robot made of gold. The more he looked around the more he saw strange characters that looked almost familiar to him.

His senses were being overwhelmed by the intense emotions, and he became so overwhelmed that he lost all consciousness, falling down and slamming into the ground hard.

Despite that, he could still hear voices. “Wow, of all the things he’s strong against he can't handle this?” came a voice.

“No, you are wrong,” a female voice said. “He was not adequately prepared to be in such a holy place and be in the presence of all of us despite my warnings.”

“Perhaps once he wakes up, it should just be you Faust. This is your creation he is from.”

“No, it must be all of us,” Faust said. “He is terrified of us by instinct. We must hold back our divinity. I did warn you all of this, but none of you listened.”

“Oh come on Faust,” came another voice. “The realms we built are suffering, with yours being in serious disrepair. He needs to know now or your creation will die along with you. We can’t lose another.”

“I said hold your holy breaths,” Faust said sternly. “That is what terrifies him on an instinctual level. That will do no harm.”

The voices became indistinct as he slipped further and further unto unconsciousness.

When he woke next, he was lying on a large couch covered by a white sheet. He shot up, gasping heavily as he looked around. He was alone in what looked like a medieval mansion’s parlor. There were a few windows which looked out to a forest covered in mist. He exhaled slowly, no longer feeling the pressing presences he’d felt before.

That didn’t last long, however. He felt several presences begin to approach and the fear began rising up in him. Not knowing what else to do, he did what the instincts inside him, the windigo instincts he now realized, told him to do. He got on his hands and knees and knelt, putting his forehead to the ground in supplication. He heard the door open and several gasps of alarm. He didn’t dare speak, not feeling worthy to do so.

Then came a chuckle. “My my, Faust you really do have him. If I didn’t know better he sees you as his next Jesus.”

“Oh hush, Budiansky,” Faust replied in a stern voice.

Hoofsteps approached him and he did his damndest not to tremble in abject terror. He was in the presence of actual deities! The windigos inside him, what remained of them, were recoiling in terror as well despite actually being creations of Faust. He felt his nose began bleeding as well. That told him that this was no dream. This was real. They were going to smite him down for blasphemy, he just knew it!

“Be calm child,” Faust said in a calm tone. “And rise.”

He tried doing so, but he was too scared. He tried to speak, but now nothing came out. “I think perhaps he may not be ready,” Budiansky’s voice said with what sounded like disappointment.

That made Gregory even more terrified. He was certain that they would erase him from existence. All he could think of at the moment were his family and friends.

“Is that really what you humans think of your deities?” Faust asked in a near surprised tone. He tried to respond, but his voice was still mute. He didn’t dare to move, the terror from the windigos inside him keeping him paralyzed. Then to his surprise Faust started to laugh. “My my, as much as I understand you humans and your fear of Judgement Day this isn't that day. We’re not here to smite you.”

Something was draped over him, and the fear lessened greatly. He felt like he could breath, but the fear was still present. He slowly got up, still on his knees trembling. He looked up to see that Faust was now an abyssinian with white fur and red eyes, ears, and tail. The others looked the same as before. He nearly pissed himself when he saw them again, barely holding it in. “I-I…” he stammered, then clamped up again. He instead decided to look down at the sheet that had been draped over him. It looked like it had been made of silk that shimmered with captured sunlight and moonlight. It was incredibly comfortable and he wrapped himself up in it, his head the only part of him visible.

“Please breathe in and breathe out and slowly regain your words,” Faust encouraged calmly.

He took in a breath, then hastily realized he was obviously in the heavenly realm, breathing in whatever sanctified air these deities breathed in. He fell back on his ass, a fresh wave of panic passing through him, but he tried his best not to scream. He then tried putting the sheet over his entire body, and that helped even more. He could still see the heavenly beings, only through the veil of the sheet. He was reminded of the tale of Moses seeing God’s back and needing to put a veil over his face. “My…my most sincere a-apologies,” he said timidly.

“Don’t apologize, child,” Faust responded. “It's obvious despite your ever increasing power you weren’t ready to be in our presence yet.”

He swallowed, trying to get his throat dry. “I…I’m sorry,” he repeated, unable to say anything else. The fear was lessening the longer he remained under the sheet.

“Again, don’t be sorry,” she said. “Please calm yourself and then we can talk.”

It took a bit longer than anyone there expected, and he still needed to remain underneath the sheet which was a rather silly sight to behold, but eventually he was seated before all of them, all three facing him. Facing him like judges facing their prisoner, he thought. He was alone on the couch while the others sat on the opposite couch. He couldn’t help but see them judging him despite their constant reassurances.

“I can understand your fear and confusion,” Faust began. “But don’t worry once we’re done here you’ll wake up in bed fresh as a daisy. Perhaps you would be more comfortable if we were our human counterparts.”

In a flash of light the three gods were now humans. It helped, but the fact that they were still facing him down and he was alone didn’t do too much. He swallowed again, holding the ambrosia they’d given him but that he hadn’t tasted yet. The liquid inside trembled as he did.

“Allow us to introduce ourselves properly,” Fasut said. “I am Goddess Faust, maker of the entire Gaia multiverse.”

He swallowed again and began to bow his head once more, but the old man spoke up next. “I am Awdry, maker of the sudrian multiverse and many worlds where the machines live. And this here is our good friend Budiansky, maker of the Cybertonian multiverse,” he said, gesturing to the man on the other side of the couch. “Yeah I was the big robot you ran into.”

Still feeling more isolated than ever, Gregory put the untouched cup down, bottom lip trembling. “Yo-Your Eminences…” he stammered.

“You might say that but we aren’t the only ones. There are others but given your reaction so far it wouldn’t be prudent for you to meet them all at once.”

Even mentioning them sent a fresh wave of fear through him. He retreated back further into the couch. “Y-Yeah…” he said.

Faust cleared her throat. “We invited you here because we wanted to tell you we are proud of what you’ve done.”

He shook his head nearly violently. “I-I-m not worthy of s-such praise,” he muttered.

“Nobody is,” Faust responded. That made him flinch even more, but she continued. “Still, not many could gain the powers I once had and managed to use them. And to think I was originally gonna give them to another human.”

Awdry jabbed her side. “Don’t bring that up. You might make him feel worse.”

It was too late for that, however. Gregory looked down, avoiding eye contact even more. “I-I see,” he said.

Faust let out a sigh. “I don’t know how we can help your emotions, but I feel either way I should tell you the story of how I saw the world you entered.” She then walked over to the window and just stared out into the cloudy abyss. “As you know, when you arrived the world was in shambles in a moral sense, correct?” He didn’t look up, but he nodded slowly. “Remember when those other humans claimed they saw Jason’s actions? You can blame me for that. I broadcasted the trial on all those screens on that earth.”

He looked up briefly, but still felt unworthy to look, so he averted his eyes. “I see,” he said even more quietly.

“I would never approve of what your friends did to Jason, and I thought I would never see the day when one of my own tools would be used against my own children,” she said sadly. “But then you came along. The unexpected wildcard that got there before the iron war horse came. My original plan was to let Andrew become the Windigo tamer but given what they were doing I couldn’t afford to wait any longer. So I decided to let fate decide if you would be worthy of their power.”

He looked down, not sure how he felt about being some sort of damned pawn. “I…I see,” he repeated again.

“Seriously?” Budiansky asked. “No questions so far?”

“Hush,” Awdry said. “He’s obviously not well enough to even have one.”

He clenched his fists, but didn’t say anything more. Something else was beginning to replace his fear. Pure, unadulterated rage. How dare they? How dare these gods use him and others to get what they fucking wanted?! He held his emotions in check, though, hiding them under the veneer of fear.

“Don’t hide your emotions, child,” said Faust. “Like you I can feel them. But yes I admit it. I took advantage of your situation and used it so you can save the world from freezing.”

The anger burst forth instantly. He threw off the sheet, standing and pointing an accusing finger at her, his hand surrounded by lightning. “FUCK YOU!” he bellowed in utter rage. “I’M NOT SOME GODDAMNED PAWN IN YOUR SICK AND TWISTED GAME!”

Despite the hostility, Faust kept her eyes out the window. “Yes, so you say, but like another friend told me sometimes to do some good you have to be the bad guy. I took no pleasure in using you but Twilight Sparkle was out of the question given Jason’s punishment.”

He snarled at her and fired off a bolt of lightning, deliberately missing her and shattering the window instead. “Why am I here?!” he said, using his demigod voice.

Faust raised her hand and a teacup levitated to her. She took a sip before speaking. “That,” she said, pointing to him. “You are now a being that can nearly rival all my children on Gaia, maybe even beyond. That is what I need from you when the inevitable event comes.”

“Give me one good reason why I should help someone who treats others like toys,” he growled dangerously.

Faust then turned to him and gave her reply. “Because one day I will die and when that happens so do my worlds.”

That gave him pause. His anger abated slowly, and then it returned. “Why the everloving fuck would you tie your life to your worlds?” he growled.

“You think we gods chose to be tied?” Faust asked. “It’s like a nervous system. Like your body it relies on energy. The energy we rely on is generated from across the human multiverse. And lately we gods have been getting less because…well…” she trailed off as she looked down. “There are concerns from my friends that pure artistry from every human world will be replaced.”

“Yeah, that’s bullshit,” Gregory said. “Even back on my Earth, despite the rise of AI generated art, there will always be the need for true art. AI art needs something to rely on, after all.”

“On your Earth, maybe, but there are many human worlds that have now grown dependent on AI animation. One Earth now makes all movies with AI, no animation tools, no real voice actors, and no writer. When it happened I felt a disconnection. It felt almost like a stab.”

“So disconnect from those worlds!” Gregory said.

“It's not that easy,” Faust said. “The worlds we broadcasted on are as much a part of us as any organ in your body. Disconnecting is almost like giving more blood than you should.”

“So do it slowly,” Gregory argued. “There are organs in the human body that we can live without. Tonsils, appendix, one kidney, stuff like that.”

“Young man, there's more than you do not realize,” Awdry said as he stood up. All of a sudden he let out a cough and clutched his chest. Faust was by his side in an instant.

Gregory reached out suddenly, casting a spell he learned from his windigo guide. Much to the surprise of everyone there, Awdry’s cough subsided and color, albeit only a bit, came back to his cheeks. He lowered his hand. “Huh…didn’t expect that to work,” he muttered.

Awdry touched his throat, then looked up at Gregory with surprise. “It shouldn’t have,” he said.

“Awdry, what happened?” Faust asked. Awdry then lifted his hand and just like magic many orbs orbited the room. He took one of them and looked right into it. He stared and slowly smiled. “Nice to know some human worlds can restore a legacy and not leave it to rot.”

Curious, Gregory held up his hands, then cast the healing spell once more, but this time on everyone. He poured all of his magic into it, and to his astonishment, it seemed as if some of their vigor returned to them. He collapsed after that, his nose bleeding. “Whew, that hurt,” he muttered. “But did it work…?”

Faust lifted her arms and bought out an orb and looked into it. “Hmmm…it did wonders albeit not completely healed some of the more broken worlds.”

“I believe the expression I’m looking for is ‘Healer, heal thyself’,” Gregory said as he reached out his hand again, once more casting the spell, but focusing on Faust. Some more color came back to her. “I guess I’m like an antibody for the gods, huh?”

Faust smiled brightly. “Yes, and I’m surprised to say that you passed,” she said.

“Passed what?” he asked cautiously.

“The trial to be one of our disciples,” she said. “Demigods have the honor of being a disciple to the world they come from.”

He slowly stood. “Hold on there, lady,” he said, all fear gone to his surprise. “I prefer to be called something else. Call me…a contractor. Clearly, I have the ability to heal gods. Not something I thought I’d ever say.”

To his surprise Faust giggled. “Very well, contractor,” she said. “While we respect whatever choice you make in life, from this point forward we are counting on you to once in a while heal us. AI may not be on the rise in your home universe but it's slowly taking over other worlds. When that happens we need you to heal us and to keep your world alive.”

“Maybe I should call myself a mercenary instead,” he muttered. Then, he felt a shiver run down his body. “Why did that feel familiar…? Ah well.” He turned to them. “You should also learn how to talk better to mortals,” he said. “Being isolated like I was earlier did me no favors.”

The three looked at each other. “We assumed you would’ve exploded if one of us sat next to you,” Faust said.

“Well, you know what they say about making assumptions,” Gregory quipped. “They make an ass out of you and me.”

“Live and learn,” Faust sighed. “For now it is time for you to wake up and continue to enrich your world, Graystone.”

Gregory woke up feeling rather hot. He looked around, realizing the reason was a mass of pink fur lying directly on his stomach along with a hot dragon and an anthro alicorn, plus a pegasus filly and dragon hatchling all piled around him in bed. He groaned and leaned back, looking at his hand. He looked over at the table, and to his surprise the ambrosia was there. Grabbing it, he drank it down greedily. “That…was a trip…”

“What was?” Twilight asked with a yawn.

“Wild dream,” he said. He poked at Pinkie, who was now in an anthro form as well. “Hey, wake up.”

Twilight was surprised “Wait when was she-”

“AAHH!!” Ember screamed. “When and why are you in here pink menace!”

“Ember, calm down!” Gregory said, “you’ll scare the kids!”

Ember glared, but nodded. She then turned to Pinkie. “How did she turn into that form and how did she get in?”

“Never question Pinkie,” Gregory said, “remember?”

Ember just rolled her eyes and got out of bed. Spike and Cozy Glow just watched as she left. “Miss Pinkie?” Cozy asked. “Why do you even-”

“Don’t question it,” Spike said, cutting her off.

“But-”

“Ever.” Spike interrupted.

“Why am I smelling Belgian waffles?” Gregory asked.

Pinkie shot up, standing in front of Gregory with a grin. She wore a pair of black pants and a pink blouse, both of which hugged her curves. “I made them!” she exclaimed.

“Waffles?” Spike asked almost excitedly.

“Dibs!” Cozy shouted as she flew out of bed and out the door.

Gregory sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his new bed. “Strawberry syrup?” he asked hopefully.

“You betcha, now come on,” Pinkie said.

As the family gathered at the kitchen Ember noticed something else different. “Hey, where's Raven?”

Twilight then pointed to the balcony where the girl stood sitting in a chair and looking down at the streets below. “Raven, breakfast!”

The younger human/train hybrid turned away and walked in.

Elsewhere, a train being double headed by two engines made its way down the tracks leading to the harbor. “You ready for this thirty three- oh wait, I mean Collin?” Connie asked the engine behind her.

“Still a little nervous,” the engine replied.

“Just remember that these tracks are now our home. This will be like our kingdom and we’ll rule over it side by side.”

“Together?”

“Together,” Connie said warmly.

Jason just sat in his chair holding the newspaper about the recent successful Haven Phoenixes show. He then looked over to his wife feeding Suzie. He couldn’t help but smile at them. “What are you smiling about, dear?” Chrysalis asked.

“Nothing,” he replied. “Just happy we’re still here.”

Chrysalis smiled back. “Well then let's hope it doesn't end.”

“Hey, that's my shtick,” Jason said before letting out a chuckle.

Suzie reached out, then opened her mouth. “Mmma…Ma…Mama! Mama! Papa!”

Both the Emperor and Empress stared at the anthro grub in utter disbelief. Jason let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank God it's not Gregory’s asdfmovie jokes. It's a miracle.”

Suzie looked around at the mention of Gregory’s name. “Gegga? Gegga?” Her wings buzzed.

The two watched as the little one hovered in her chair. “I swear that demigod friend of yours has more influence on her,” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes.

“I’m gonna teach her to call him Gegga from now on,” Jason snorted.

The two laughed as word around the hive spread about the Princess’s true first word. Jason continued to smile as he reflected back on the past few years. There would be more challenges than he will ever face. But deep down he knew his wife was right.

After all, some things never end.

Author's Note

Thank you once again morbiusgreen for helping me co write this story.