The Multiverse. A collective of universes so unbelievably massive, holding every possible world in it, that no mortal can truly comprehend it.
No, seriously. Try to think of the largest number you can honestly think of. Try to imagine every individual part of its massive size. No matter how high you can go, you cannot fathom even a tiny percentage of what the multiverse is. Hell, I've been to so many worlds I can't even remember most of them, and even I haven't been to more than maybe 1% of its entirety.
And who am I, you ask? Well, I go by many names, each one as valid as the last. The Black Knight. The Agent of Enoch. Tibirus ze Baikal. Jericho. But most people just know me as the World-Jumper. My purpose as such an individual is to protect high-value individuals and items from the various powers in the multiverse, and to enact the will of my master, Enoch.
Throughout my travels, I have been sent to all manner of strange and bizarre worlds. But none can really match the years I spent on World E-95532-M, or as I call it, Equestria-14. This is a detailing of the events that transpired following my arrival, and all the subsequent mayhem that was around me and from me.
A Fall from Grace
World D-75663-K
Designation: Resolution
Planet Argus, Segmentum Ultimum
40kverse
Before I was sent to the land of friendship and pretty ponies, I was fighting for my life in the grim darkness of the far future. For whatever reason, I seem to end up in the 40k worlds a lot. At least at the moment, I didn't have to steel my mind against Chaos, or fear that I'd be getting eaten by Tyranids.
Here, it was just fighting Orks. Dirty, dirty Orks.
"Why won't you talking mushrooms die?!" I shouted as my bolter gun unloaded into another horde of the greenskins. While a few went down, many of them had shielding a la jury-rigged Forerunner tech in their armor. Thus, the only way to take them all out was hand-to-hand alongside the Space Wolves, Spartan IVs and Blood Angels. Leman Russes and Scorpions were blasting away at Gargaunts and Orkish tanks, and all around me lasers and bullets and plasma was flying around fast and furious.
Why is their Forerunner tech and Spartans in 40k? And why am I fighting here? Well, there's two reasons for this.
1) This type of crossover event is called a "Precision Strike", and its orchestrated by the multiverse gods. They like to create diversity and change by trading, copying and combining things from different worlds. They also remove things and exile them as a favor for their mortal puppets, but that's a different thing entirely. Here, for example, a UNSC fleet surrounding a Forerunner installation was transported to the northern reaches of the Imperium. They also had the misfortune to fall under attack from an Ork WAAAGH!
2) I am what you may call a "Crossover Specialist". My task, more often than not, is to make sure the two groups -both the travelers and the natives- survive long enough for cultural interaction and hybridization to occur. Here, I had to call in a few favors with the Inquisition, Mechanicus and the Astartes -(favors for saving the Imperium at prior points in its history)- to take the fleet in and get the Forerunner tech. Unfortunately, the installation got taken early on, and now we were waging a Crusade to get the system back.
Which leads us back to right now.
"'CAUSE WEZ DA ORKS, AND WEZ DA BEST KRUMPAHS AROUND!" The Ork Warbozz told me- and by told, I mean shouted and yelled, as all Orks do. He would've said more, but I chose that moment to punch him in the face. If it were in Astartes armor, it would've killed him. As such, I was in EVA armor, which- while augmenting and adding to my human body- didn't have the necessary kick needed to beat him.
I raised the bolter again, but as I pulled the trigger I realized it was out. I also realized that all my other normal weapons- both Imperial and UNSC- were out. Well, that's not good. I thought. If I can't shoot him, and I can't overpower him... then perhaps its time to show this green bastard what I'm capable of. I smiled, as this was my favorite part of the job.
I tossed the gun at the Warbozz, and summoned the energies of the multiverse to me. The Force, the Warp, magic, all were at my command. The Ork caught the gun, and was soon after hit with my boot to his gut. Doubled over, I latched onto his robotic arm and gave another kick. It was with a combination of super-strength and Force powers that removed his arm from his body.
The Warbozz, with typical disregard to pain, punched me back, actually sending me flying a couple yards. I landed firmly on my feet, and summoned the powers of Magic and Force to me. With Elemental Fire in my left arm, and Force Lightning in my right, I blasted the Ork with a single curse: "Burn, bitch! BURN!"
Fire and Energy arched from my hands to the beast, and he wreathed in pain from the righteous justice coming from me. "You think you can best the likes of ME?!" I shouted. "Me, the warrior who has fought in over a thousand wars, saved a hundred worlds, defied and defeated gods and demons alike? I am The Black Knight, and if I am to be beaten, it won't be from the likes of you!"
I stopped torching him, and raced towards my opponent. Leaping into the air, I pulled out my wrist blades- a gift from the times I had hunted alongside the Predators of Yautja Prime. "So die, foolish mortal," I shouted, "And Respect! Mah! Authoritah!" I fell upon the mighty Ork, stabbing him with my cheesy one-liner and twenty-four inches of adamantium to the throat. There wasn't so much as a growl from him as he crumpled like a ragdoll.
Around me, the combined human powers cheered and Orks broke, seeing the mighty Warbozz dead beneath me. I raised my blades in victory, and smiled. Mission Accomplished.
All of a sudden, I was encompassed in a blinding wall of light, taking me away from the battle...
* * *
When reality finally caught up with me, I found myself sitting in a particularly comfy wooden chair. Opening my eyes, I found myself in a nicely furbished study, decorated with all manner of book shelves, statues and exotic odds and ends from across the multiverse. A nearby window revealed a sun-filled garden, filled with fountains and hedges, and a gazebo filled with beautiful females of all manner of races setting up a picnic. In the distance, I could hear some classical music, 18th century classical no doubt.
Whoever lived here lived in the lap of luxury, and clearly was an individual of great importance.
"Sorry to end your mission so quickly, my faithful servant. But we have much more important issues to work upon."
I turned in my seat, and found the speaker behind me. He was a golden dragon, 6'3, bipedal with digitigrade feet. His scales glowed in beautiful, unnaturally pure light, somewhat akin to the holy glow of a saint or deity. Instead of his typical metallic armor, he wore a ceremonial robe of oriental design that had magnified his nobility. And he held himself up as an individual of great power, wisdom and authority, his every step commanding attention and respect.
This was the first god of the multiverse, the great Kingmaker and Shadow Broker, the Lord of Balance and Deity of a Thousand Motives. This was my master, the Dragon-God Enoch.
"So, How'd 40K/Halo-1957 turn out?"
"It went well enough, my Lord." I told him. "The Orks were a surprise, but the Forerunner Crusade had came just in time to save the remnant UNSC fleet. I had just terminated the Warboss when you summoned me."
"Indeed," He responded, "I would wager that this new technology and weaponry will give the Imperium just enough of an edge to not only beat the next Black Crusade, but also conquer any minor Ork Kingdom. Things will certainly become a bit more optimistic for this world. Still grimdark, no doubt, but a bit brighter, nonetheless."
"And yet you called me back before I could see it come to fruition. Why is that?"
He sat down behind the desk, reclining back in the chair. "There have been, recent events, which have made a certain world open to our cosmic influence. A world which holds great value to me, and you, if I'm not mistaken."
"Oh, do tell."
"Do you recall your missions involving ponies?"
I scratched my chin, pondering. In my life, I had worked on thousands of missions, interacting with hundreds of races. Hell, my memory had to be copied and removed every hundred years so I could still be functional. The thing is, while I am immortal, I'm not a god. Thus, my mind has many limitations when it comes to sanity and remembrance.
All the same, I thought I knew what Enoch was referring to. "Were they the talking equines who were fighting that demonic centaur and goat?"
He smiled at that. "Close, my Knight. But to be more specific, do you remember Equestria?"
That word sent a chill down my spine. Images, both good and bad, pleasant and disturbing, ran through my mind, too quick for me to recognize. I couldn't truly remember what happened there, but I knew enough that this world was very important in my life as a World-Jumper.
Enoch saw the look on my face, and smiled knowingly. "It rings a bell," I answered, "But why do you ask?"
"Like I said, this world has opened up for travel. Not necessarily for Mergers, mind you, but rather as a world to work from. A vacation home, if you will. And naturally, there are certain gods out there that would be interested in gaining turf against me, expanding their influence and such."
"Like Ishmael?"
"Aye, my servant. Like Ishmael."
A flash of anger and hate ran through me. As there is an equal and opposite to everything, Enoch has a brother-god named Ishmael. Like Enoch, I couldn't truly understand his motives, only so much as that they subverted mine. Having fought many of his minions and visited his "claimed" worlds, I knew he was a blight upon existence, and everything was made worse by him. He naturally attracted all that was dark and evil in a world, using those forces to corrupt a universe enough to either draw into his control, or straight-up conquer- He was a lot like Shao Khan in that respect. But unlike the Ruler of Out-World, Ishmael wouldn't bother with fighting his own battle, and like Enoch, had a multitude of servants and soldiers to do his bidding. The only individual who served him that I liked was his Agent, Zema, who had demonstrated far more honor and kindness than even most people under my master's employment. But that's a story for a later time.
"And I take it you want me there to claim it, make it all nice and pretty for you to collect?" I deduced.
"Oh, I'm not going there, that is true." The god explained. "I'm sending you there, as you clearly have the most experience and interest in these worlds. Its very peaceful for the most part, and you don't have to fear for some overarching antagonist or force there. Think of it as a reward for two thousand successful missions, my treat."
"Alright, but what do you want me to do down there? Its not like you expect me to raise an army, do you?"
"Ha, not at all. Its a simple infiltration and protection job. You sneak into the populace, befriend the VIPs, and safeguard them from any attacks. Easy, by your standards."
I thought about it. The mission did sound particularly easy compared to my usual jobs- Hell, who am I kidding, it sounded ridiculously easy. At the same time, stuff that sounds easy very rarely is. And since I vaguely remembered the place, perhaps more memories would return if I went there, giving me an advantage to whatever happened.
To top it all off, I've just wrapped up a mission. I've got nothing else really going on.
"Alright," I answered, "I'll go, so long as you don't have Darius drop me from the sky. I hate when he does that." Darius is one of the lesser gods under Enoch's influence, who is responsible for "officially" sending me from Enoch's Home to any world. "Just say when."
"When." He smiled rather mischievously as he snapped his fingers, and I fell between worlds...
* * *
World E-95532-M
Ponyville, Equestria
It was still early in the day as Twilight Sparkle and Spike were on their way to Sweet Apple Acres. Ponyville was... interesting, to say the least. Personally, she didn't care if the first pony she met in town screamed at her and ran away. She had more important things to worry about.
Twilight had been sent to this backwater town upon order of Princess Celestia, to make sure the Summer Sun Celebration went off without a hitch. What she really wanted to do was examine the legends of the "Elements of Harmony"- an ancient magical weapon that banished the threat of Nightmare Moon. But no, her teacher didn't take her seriously, and told her to, quote, "make some friends".
Not that something like that was going to stop her.
"Alright, Spike," She asked her draconian assistant, "Where should we head to first?"
The purple dragon brought out a checklist, scanning through the immediate tasks and priorities. "It says we have to go to Sweet Apple Acres." He answered eagerly. "They're responsible for catering at the party."
"Huh. Well, I'm sure that's going to-"
Twilight was interrupted by a loud bang overhead. Looking up, she saw some clouds parting away from a streaking... meteor? No, it couldn't be. Meteors couldn't talk, let alone release a long string of curse words. She couldn't (or wouldn't) hear most of what was said, but what she did pick up was: "Really? The ole' falling from the sky routine? I'm an Agent, not a bloody ODS-"
Wham!
The 'meteor' crashed a few hundred yards in front of her. She galloped to the crash site, fearing that the flier- most likely a pegasus, considering the locals- may have been seriously hurt. Spike held onto her mane tightly, listening to the pain-induced shouting coming from the crater: "Dammit, why did you have Darius do my launch, instead of you? When you do the launch, I always land on my feet, with dignity! When that half-assed servant god does it, I end up on my ass like an ignoramus!"
When the unicorn and dragon reached the crater, they came across an irate pegasus. His coat was black, except for his muzzle and hooves, which were blue. His mane and tail were a deep gold, practically the same color as the sun. The eyes were a deep blue, piercing enough to grab your attention. He also wore a reddish-brown vest, which was interesting as most ponies in town didn't wear any clothes.
"Hey," Twilight called out, still observing him, "Are you alright, sir?"
The pegasus looked up at the mare and her companion. He had the look of confused recognition, as if he knew her from somewhere, but couldn't exactly place it. He shifted uncomfortably, and said, "Uh, yeah. I mean yes, I'm ok."
"Who were you yelling at?" Spike asked. "That whole time you fell, you were swearing up a storm. Did someone push you off a cloud?"
"Oh, that was all just at some schmuck who sent me here." The pegasus replied dismissively. "My boss has a bunch of folks working for him, some of them more 'polite' than others. Hey, would either of you happen to know where we are?"
Twilight arched an eyebrow. Perhaps the stallion had hit his head pretty hard during the impact. "This is Ponyville, sir." She explained slowly, just to make sure he understood. "You know, the town below Cloudsdale, just south of Canterlot? The new location of the Summer Sun Celebration?" The stranger merely nodded in understanding.
It was then that the unicorn realized something. "Oh, I'm sorry." Twilight apologized. "Where are my manners? My name is Twilight Sparkle." She nodded to her passenger. "This is Spike, my number one assistant."
"Hey there." The purple dragon greeted the stallion. "What's your name?"
The stallion's ears flicked rapidly. Clearly, the names rang a bell with him. "'Twilight Sparkle', huh?" He drew himself up, suddenly drawing up an aura of aloofness. "Well, Ms. Sparkle, I go by many names, so its a bit difficult to just give you my name. Although, for your convenience, World Jumper will suffice."
He leaped out of the little crater, landing in front of the unicorn with a dramatic flare. "Correct me if I'm wrong," He continued, "But you don't seem to be a local. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"
Twilight looked at the pegasus confusedly. There were a number things off with this guy; A strange name, a strange aura, a strange personality. She was the one who found him, yet he was the one asking questions now.
Still, she answered quickly, "I was sent here by Princess Celestia to oversee the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I've got all the documentation here with me." Spike breathed some fire, and he grabs a scroll out of the flames, with a little sun seal in the middle. He offered the scroll to the stranger to read, but the pony merely waved his hoof.
"You don't have to show me," He said, "I'll take your word for it."
The dragon opened the scroll, and raised an eyebrow. "This isn't our papers," He told them, "Its a letter from the Princess."
He began to read aloud;
Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,
I take it that by this moment, you have reached the town of Ponyville. Hopefully, its still as peaceful and beautiful as I remember it. You still have your duties as overseer of the Summer Sun Celebration. However, recent events have merited a minor... change to your original task.
It has come to my attention that you have encountered a certain pegasus by the name of "World Jumper". This particular pony will be identifiable by the purple moon and stars with wings as his cutie mark, as well as his red vest. His employer and I have made an arrangement of sorts for him, which is where you come in, Twilight. He is to accompany you on your inspections and preparations in Ponyville, as a "secondary advisor and consultant" for you. Where you go, he goes; Where you stay, he stays. He's also there to make sure you at least try to make friends while you're in town, as I know you'll just want to focus all your attention on that old mare's tale Nightmare Moon.
Best of luck down there,
Princess Celestia
Twilight stared at the dragon on her back. Her teacher had sent her to this podunk town, keeping her from trying to save the world. Then this stallion comes in from nowhere,and then Celestia tells her that he's supposed to be her partner in town? Why was her teacher doing this? Twilight knew that the Princess wasn't the type of pony to mess with other ponies' heads like this, so why was she doing this to her?
And what kind of name was World Jumper anyway?
Twilight sighed,and looked over at the stallion- it was indeed the one from the letter, as he had a purple moon/star design that wasn't that much different from her own cutie mark. "I suppose you're coming with us, then." She relented, not even trying to pretend to be happy about this.
"Alrighty, then." Jumper replied in a tone that seemed almost too cheerful for the unicorn. "Let's be off then, shall we?" He gestured forward with his wing, waiting to follow Twilight's lead. The unicorn sighed once more, and began trotting to their first destination. The strange pegasus from another world followed in tow, as the sun made its way across the sky...
