-Next Day, Nexus Rail, 10:25 AM-
Ash gazed out of the train windows, finally unfazed by the sea of black spread out before him. The only thing that seemed to exist in the current realm was the track suspended over nothing, which the train followed unwaveringly towards a destination that even God doesn't know where. He glanced back at the sleeping forms of those behind him, correcting himself: Gods.
Unbelievable though it seemed, Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, her cousin Magnus Chase, and Jason Grace were sitting behind him. After hours of explaining by both parties about their worlds, Ash had come to learn that the Greek, Roman, Norse, and even Egyptian Gods (though the latter kept to themselves,) were in fact one hundred percent real in their dimension. What was even more shocking was that the kids were children of the Gods. 'Half-Bloods' they called themselves; the sons or daughters of one mortal human and one immortal God. It was quite interesting.
"Although, getting that damn letter was pretty interesting, too." Percy had said. "'Proceed to the Sea of Monsters. You will find a whirlpool (not Charybdis) that Percy will be able to control near Polyphemus's island. At the bottom of the pool will be a purple pearl. Take this to Leo Valdez, son of Vulcan, and he will be able to give you a device to transport you to the World Nexus.' Sounded like a load of crap, but we had nothing better to do. We've all retired mostly from fighting, going to college, not getting impaled, that sorta thing. The easy life."
Ash stifled a laugh, pulling one of his pokeballs from his pocket. He had refused to pull any of the team out, due to their nerves (not to mention his), but now he risked it. The flash of light was muffled by his jacket, and Pikachu popped out from under the coat moments later. Ash chuckled, rubbing the electric type's head soothingly.
"This seems pretty crazy, eh, Pikachu?" he mutters.
Pikachu's reply, which Ash would have been able to understand with his Aura, was drowned out by a sudden shuddering of the train. It immediately started to slow, and most of the passengers jerked awake. That included Percy, Jason, and Magnus, all of whom had their swords halfway out of their scabbards before Ash could tell them otherwise. "Stop!" he said quickly. "The train is just slowing down."
That only made Percy and Jason more nervous, it seemed. Magnus sat down slowly, one hand still on his pommel, a gem on his necklace slowly loosing a bright glow. Only Annabeth had stayed seated, though Ash spotted one arm lowering slowly from her shoulder scabbard, where her dagger was located. "Why're we stopping if the train isn't even half way there yet?" she asked.
In answer, a voice sounds through the compartment. It was coming from hidden speakers, but it was so clear it might as well have been coming from right next to Ash. Jason and Percy had a silent argument, before sitting down, like Magnus, with their hands still on their pommels.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Xephos's voice said. "I sincerely apologize for not warning you sooner; we've got a total of ten of these Nexus Stations, you see. We're picking up as many as we can from station four, having come from station five. After that, a fresh train will pick up the rest from station four. Again, apologies for any inconveniences."
Jason and Percy seemed satisfied with that statement as they folded their beds back into seats. Magnus gazed sadly at his for a moment. "You couldn't've saved that for five more minutes?" he said depressingly, before retracting his as well.
Ash laughed as he adjusted his seat as well, Pikachu on his shoulder. When he was done, Pikachu jumped onto his lap. Percy eyed the mouse wearily. "That's one of your… 'pokemon?'"
Ash nods. "A friend. Speaking of world-specific crap, why do you guys have your swords extended? Didn't you say you could hide them? At least, Riptide?"
Jason grimaces. "The giant Enceladus destroyed my first Imperial Gold Sword, but yeah, it used to disguise itself as a Drachma."
Percy answers his side by pulling a pen cap from his other pocket, drawing Riptide carefully, then touching it to the tip of the double-edged, glowing bronze blade. Instantly, he was holding a harmless ink pen in his hand. Ash raises a brow at it, though at this point nothing could surprise him. "Why a pen of all things?"
Percy shrugs. "It used to be a hair pin, but I think it transformed as the world progressed. Seems more likely a guy would have a pen in his pocket instead of a hair pin, eh?"
"Fair enough."
At that, light flares across the windows, and the group's heads snap over to see a familiar-yet-unfamiliar station coming into view. The train stopped short of the main docking area, however, and instead waited a moment, before turning onto a side track and stopping by a smaller platform. A few people, maybe a hundred or so, filed towards the train, all with dazed looks that Ash was sure he mirrored at first, too. The doors opened and a conductor started getting people inside. Only one person was allowed in their compartment before the door closed. He took the only seat still available, across the aisle from Ash, slightly in front of the demigods.
He seemed in shock, but was alert all the same. He wore a long, black-as-night set of robes decorated with four animals; A snake coiling around his legs, strong and cunning, a badger on his back, fiercely protecting her young at her feet, an Eagle, one wing cutting down under his left arm, the other spread up over the right shoulder, looking regal, powerful, and smart, and finally, on his chest, legs hidden behind the Eagle, was a proud Lion, with an expression of looking fearlessly into the face of Death. Each of his shoulders carried a symbol of the same four animals surrounding a Charcoal black 'H,' and finally, below the crest, was a miniature banner bearing the phrase "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" wrapped in gold leaf. He had bright green eyes, glasses, and a thin, lightning shaped scar on his forehead.
He pushed a hand nervously into his pocket and settled, glancing around curiously. He caught Ash's eye, sighed, then took his hand out of his pocket and held it out to Ash in a warm greeting. "Hello," he said tiredly. "I'm Harry Potter."
"Ash Ketchum," Ash responded, shaking Harry's hand firmly. "So what world are you from?"
Harry grimaced. "I suppose nothing will surprise you at this point."
Ash laughed. "These teens behind me are half-gods, supposedly. I think I can handle it."
Harry shook his head in disbelief, and, after shaking hands with Percy and his friends, launched into an explanation of the wizarding world. The idea that their three worlds could have been as drastically different from each other as they were was astounding; from wand waving to sword fighting to elemental creatures. And yet, several similarities showed themselves as well; the forces of good and evil clashing being one of the biggest presented.
"So," Jason pointed at the emblem on Harry's shoulder. "'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus.' Why is your motto the Latin translation for 'Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon'?"
"It's the wizarding version of 'Let sleeping dogs lie," Harry responded, sounding surprised. "Hogwarts… Well, it's not dangerous, but putting almost every witch and wizard in Britain in a school together isn't exactly the correct definition of 'safe' either. I think the bigger question is how you knew what it meant in the first place," He shot back good-naturedly.
"My father is the Roman form of Zeus: Jupiter. One of the side affects of having an all-powerful, grumpy old Sky God as your pops is the ability to understand Latin easily, or at least no harder than English," Jason responded, leaning back in his chair and grinning.
"My dad is Poseidon," Percy added. "Annabeth is a daughter of Athena, and Magnus, a son of Frey. I can understand Greek easily myself, and apparently Magnus can read Old Norse. I only recently met him, so I don't know much."
Magnus winced. "Reading isn't too hard, but screw the accent, I can't speak it for the life of me."
That statement earned a laugh from the rest of the small party as the train started to move once again.
-Nexus Rail, 6:55 PM-
Harry reclined comfortably in his chair, having finally been able to relax. The day had been extremely unnerving; levitating himself on to that tower, finding that stupid pearl, and, to his great surprise, found that he had been able to apparate to the Nexus. He had been quite within the confines of the school's magical borders, meaning that someone quite powerful had to have removed them in that one area, much more so as he or she didn't alert the other staff to his or her presence while doing so. The frights didn't stop there, he had found himself in that white room, comforted by an old man in a suit that practically rained rubies and sapphires, but far from feeling convinced, Harry had drawn his wand and nearly been shot because of it.
He groaned inwardly at the memory. Over his mournful thoughts, a growling sound erupted behind him. He jumped slightly in surprise and turned to look at the teens behind him. The boy in the forest green shirt, Magnus, was blushing profoundly, while his friends howled with laughter.
"Hey, I'm hungry," he defended himself weakly.
"It's closing in on 7 PM," the older man in front stated. Ash was about Harry's age, making him thankful that someone with a bit of maturity had been invited along. Of course, he had surrounded himself in his magical 'pokemon' creatures, so Harry didn't exactly trust him, either. He seemed kind enough, but anyone that had a giant ape with a mane of flames for a friend, as demonstrated earlier in a compartment that just happened to defy the laws of space-time, could stay a few steps away from him.
"Attention, passengers." The speakers flared to life again, crystal clear as before. "Dinner will be served shortly."
Sure enough, a moment later the clock hanging above the doors chimed seven and the doors themselves slid open. Cooks came bursting forth, arms and hands laden down heavily with food and drink. Harry heard a small dinging sound at his feet. Before he could react, a small panel, about an inch tall, popped out between his feet and spread outwards, pushing his shoes to the side. This oddities' objective was made clear moments later as a bar popped up from the floor, rose to stomach height, and expanded into a thin but sturdy single person table. A few waiters arrived and took everyone's order in a neat and orderly fashion. In moments a dark skinned man had stopped by Harry's side.
"What'll it be today, Sir?" He asked, his tone gruff but kind.
Harry looked confusedly at him, then back around the car. As far as he could tell, no menus had been distributed. The man must've read his expression, because he laughed.
"I forgot to tell ya," he said, chuckling. "Unlimited menu. You say it, we make it. Whatever you like."
Harry nodded appreciatively at this. After all, this train has rooms that defy the laws of space-time. Hell, this whole TRIP defies and disproves everything he'd ever learned. Why couldn't they have an infinite menu?
A few minutes later (again, the cooks impress by defying gravity in order to access a ceiling panel, apparently the kitchens were located in some invisible compartment atop the train. Why not?) Harry was enjoying an impressive steak, courtesy of the chefs. The rest of the occupants of the train car had been served as well, and the quiet clinking of forks and knives was the only sound throughout the compartment.
A few minutes into the food, the speakers flared to life once again. "Attention, passengers," Xephos's voice sounded. "I will be arriving in your compartments shortly, through use of a simple hologram, to introduce a guest. He will be giving a speech. I believe you will find it much more informative than the simple tour you were given at your initial arrival."
Sure enough, moments later two men materialized in the middle of the compartment. Professor Xephos was instantly recognizable, though his brown hair was unkempt and he wore a suit which this time glowed in rainbow hues, as if he was wearing a solid pearl that was constantly catching the light in the perfect way. The other man was, in Harry's opinion, the first to look like a true leader. He was older, perhaps in his late 60s, with black hair that had thin slices of natural silver in it. His eyes were dark, almost black, with flecks of gold in them. His suit looked normal (thank the Gods), and his shoes were formal.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Xephos said. "May I introduce Professor Rodine Flux, Administrator of the Universe Core Protection Squad 992, in charge of protecting the Universe Core and seeing it's visitors safely to the Dimension Axis!"
Harry clapped appreciatively along with the others. He didn't know much about this 'Dimension Axis,' but he knew about the importance of Military Ranking. This man was essentially the General of this whole ordeal, and he definetly conducted himself well.
"Thank you," Professor Flux says, his voice somewhat quiet, yet commanding attention from everyone in the room. Harry immediately recognized the similarity of the trait: Severus Snape had achieved a similar status during his teachings. "It is my genuine honor, along with my partner, Professor Jonathan Xephos, to welcome you all to the Nexus Rail, and soon, the Dimension Axis."
"I know that when you all arrived here, you were given a virtual tour of the Nexus Station. I think you all can agree with me that it was very, very basic. I apologize for the large holes it left in your introduction to this place. It is actually a very recent development. We used them that day as a sort of Beta test, you see. As we expected, it wasn't thorough in the slightest. Again, I apologize."
Flux pauses for a moment, considering the people around him, who ranged from 18 to almost 90, by the looks of one. "I suppose we should start at the World Nexus." The Admin snaps his fingers. Immediately, the scene changes. One moment they're sitting in a train compartment, the next standing, or rather floating, over a familiar train station.
"There is no need for alarm," Flux says sternly but kindly, as several people emit cries of shock. "It is all a hologram, an illusion. Now, The Nexus Station. We've a total of ten of these wondrous train stations, you see. These are placed along a series of lines we call Induction Points. They're sort of like the Ley Lines of the multiverse, in a sense. By assembling these stations across these Points, we can convert energy from any type of transportation from any world and use it to get visitors to them. I'm sure you all came here using a different means of transport." He waves a hand at Harry. "If I remember correctly, you Disapperated from your world with the pearl in your hand, correct?"
Harry nodded. "It took much longer than usual, though."
Flux nods. "That's understandable. The Core recognized the pearl and rerouted your teleportation, ending you up at one of the Station's many Rooms."
"You didn't mention you could teleport," Jason whispered to Harry.
"Whereas you didn't mention your friend Leo Valdez could build the equivalent of a levitating roller coaster, Chase," Flux responded in Harry's place. "That must've been… entertaining."
"Speak for yourself, Flux," Annabeth retorted, turning a slight shade of green. "I had to fly the damned thing. Never again," she shook her head. "Never, ever, again."
The passengers chuckled.
Flux smiled down at her. "I've no blame for you, Chase. And to answer your unasked question, I know the names of everyone in this train. It's my job to keep tabs, though the bulk goes to my good friend Xephos, here."
Flux cleared his throat. "I understand most of you are nervous. This trip will most likely defy all logical, let alone religious ideals that you know. I won't deny it. But," he continues, his face alive with passion, "it is of the utmost importance that we bring you here. We want only what is best for the Multiverse, and that can only be obtained by bringing in the best and brightest from every world. All of you have accomplished so much, achieving debts the likes of which cannot be repaid. Perhaps the following view will accomplish a start of that for you, though."
At once, the walls around the compartment seemed to vanish, so the passengers were riding on an open platform, with a perfect view of what lay around them. In all directions, a sea of endless, inky blackness flowed like an unending nightmare. The passengers looked around confusedly for a moment, before…
"Look!" someone yelled.
A light emerged in the distance. As they got closer, the train suddenly rose on a steep incline made of nothing, leveling out high above the light. With a slight shudder, the train slowed, then angled downward, so they headed down into the lights.
They saw a giant, blue, discus shaped platform, as large as ten football fields and at least 20 wide. The blue light came from lines that crisscrossed under the seemingly glass floor. All around, buildings rose, and the train leveled out as it arrived, landing in a station. A moment later it stopped, a warning beep sounded, the lights came on, and the train shuddered as it's walls reappeared and the doors opened.
They had arrived.
