Dimension: My Little Pony
Planet: Equestria Earth
Specific Location: Ponyville
Time: Twenty-two years after the death of the Paradox
"Depy? Derpy!"
Derpy started as August's voice puller her out of her memories. "Huh? Oh… Hi August!"
August cocked his head to one side. "Are you okay?"
Derpy nodded her head quickly. "Yeah… yeah… Ummmm… What were we talking about again?"
"We were discussing Doxia's mission with you," said Gene quietly, regarding Derpy's glazed-over look with interest.
Derpy started again. "Oh! That's right! I have lunch with Doxia tomorrow!"
August grinned. "You guys have been having lunch every Wednesday for the last twenty years, or so I've heard. Anything interesting going on we should know about?"
Derpy blushed and stuttered.
"August! Stop making her nervous! Whatever goes on in her life is for her to know, and you to find out! Now would you mind telling me why you look like a human today?"
August himself jumped at the sound of the musical voice behind. He turned to see Starlight trotting up to them.
August grinned sheepishly and looked down at his feet. "I… I'm going on an adventure…"
Starlight smiled sweetly, knowing very well that she made August feel nervous. She had been his babysitter and Ponyville teacher (after Cheerilee retired) for as long as he could remember, so whenever he met her out of context of those two scenarios, he felt very exposed. After all, she probably knew more about him than he did himself. "Oh, an adventure. That's very exciting. I hope you will remember the number-one rule… right?"
August scuffed a foot on the ground as he mumbled, "Always stay safe."
Gene began to chuckle as Starlight said, "That's right. Keep your head down. And if you are attacked, go for the throat or the head. Enemies generally don't protect either of those very well, but ensure you are using a sword or high-velocity projectile weapon before looking for those weakspots."
Both Gene and August stiffened and looked at her in shock. Starlight began to laugh.
"My goodness! You two are so easy to confuse! So, tell me… what kind of adventure are we talking about?" laughed Starlight.
"Oh… er… well… We are going on an adventure across the multiverse to uncover some special pieces of armor," explained August.
Starlight nodded her head sagely. "Ahhhh… A quest to find mystical armor! Well… I wish you two all the luck in the world. And remember, I am good friends with Doxia, so if I see fit, I WILL make him go after you two."
August grinned sheepishly. Starlight blinked at him expectantly, and there was a long pause. Then finally August exclaimed, "Ah! That's right! Hugs!"
He got reached forward and hugged his babysitter tightly. She returned the hug and said, "I'll be keeping my eyes on you, mister; but do not forget… In any situation, choose to do what is right. We are the light in this multiverse, a lighthouse in the sea of darkness, and we must act like it."
August nodded his head as eased away. "Of course…"
Starlight smiled sweetly, and then beckoned Derpy to follow her. The two mares then trotted away.
August rubbed the back of his head furiously as he began to blush. He then mumbled something unintelligible. Gene just laughed a bit and patted him on the back.
"Come," said Gene, "Your parents are at Susnet's house for some kind of reunion or something. Let us go say goodbye."
The two worked their way through Ponyville as they strolled off to the house. As they went through town square, no pony gave them a second glance. Ever since the death of the Paradox, the My Little Pony dimension had become a hub of activity for interdimensional travelers, so it was not uncommon for humans to be seen walking and talking with ponies all over Equestria.
In a couple of minutes, August and Gene had made it to Fluttershy and Sunset's house. August knocked on the door. It was answered by Fluttershy.
She smiled sweetly at them. "August! Gene! It is so nice to see you both. Come in!"
August nodded to Gene and the two stepped into the living room.
Caustic Rain, Princess Luna, Sunset, Flaming Star, and Twilight were all there. August gulped. He had not expected the room to be so full. However, before he could change his mind and run away, Flaming Star said, "August! So nice to see you! Don't worry, Caustic Rain has told us all about your upcoming adventure."
August bit his lip and looked worriedly at his mother. She was well known for shutting down his little escapades with excellent tact, and considering the fact that he was about to enter the possibly dangerous unknown, he could see her telling him that he was grounded for eternity with ease.
Luna cocked her head to one side as she considered her son with interest. Finally she said, "The Amethyst Empire needs you, so I will not argue. I understand how important this could be to the multiverse. However, son, I must ask you… is this what you want?"
August sighed. "I… I don't know. I just want an adventure SO BADLY."
Luna nodded her head. "I know. You may have said otherwise out loud… but I know."
"Remember," said Flaming Star seriously, "The multiverse is not a friendly place. Since the fall of the Infernal Realm, there might be fewer demons to worry about, but there are plenty of those scoundrels left, and there is a plethora of mercenaries, thugs, and assassins still lying in wait. Keep your eyes open. Do you have a weapon?"
August nodded his head stoutly. He held out the Inquisition Blaster that Doxia had given to him. Everyone but Luna seemed surprised to notice the powerful weapon in August's hand. Gene noticed this.
"Ma'am? Have you seen this weapon before?" he asked quietly.
"She sure has peeps!"
The voice came from Doxia, who had suddenly materialized from behind August and Gene, causing them to tumble heads-over-heels in surprise.
"Doxia!" gasped August, "Please stop doing that!"
Doxia chuckled, "I'll stop when I want to stop, young'un. But I have to admit, August, your mother is one smart pony."
August cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"
"Well," explained Doxia, "When your mother learned that we wanted you to go on an adventure, she said she would only allow you to do so if we gave you a weapon. Now this is where it gets brilliant. From the accounts that Caustic Rain gave her about the Paradox's final moments, she deduced correctly that the weapon he used to kill himself was probably one of the most powerful weapons in existence. Thus, she told me she would only allow you to go on the adventure if we gave you that weapon the Paradox had. Thus, that is why I gave you the Inquisition Blaster earlier. As I said... pure genius."
August looked at his mother in awe. She just smiled quietly. "I just want you to be safe... son."
"Well, isn't that just cute?!" said Doxia loudly. Then he began to chuckle as he said, in a kinder, quieter, tone-of-voice, "You be safe, August."
Doxia then teleported away without another word. August holstered the Inquisition Blaster and turned to his friends and family. Now he looked ready. He had a blaster strapped to his waist, the Kanohi Olmak in his right hand, and the holopad in his left.
Luna rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "Be safe," she murmured.
Caustic Rain then joined the hug.
In a moment, they all let go and August turned to Gene. Gene nodded, and August activated the Kanohi Olmak. A golden-glowing portal opened up to the BIONICLE dimension. August then checked the holopad to ensure they were going to the right place, then he stepped through the portal, with Gene right behind. The portal then closed with a little "pop."
They found themselves on a beach. It was very quiet, and the waves gently lapped at the shore. Off in the distance they could see a lush forest, and even farther off in the distance they could see a white capped mountain, with smoke rising from the very top.
"Weird…" muttered Gene, looking around, "I don't see anyone."
"It's because this place is abandoned," said August, looking at his holopad, "It appears that nothing but wildlife and fauna are here…"
Gene nodded his head slowly. "Ohhh… Okay. So… where are we supposed to go?"
August shrugged. "I don't know."
Gene blinked. "Wait… what? What do you mean, 'I don't know'? Aren't you, like, a Detector or something? Dellor the Detector! Do your thing!"
August lightly shoved Gene. "Stop it! I have no idea! Give me a sec'!"
Gene rolled his eyes. "Oh great. This is going to be the shortest adventure ever. And after all those teary hugs and farewells too… maybe we could camp out here for a couple of days, and then return…"
August abruptly stiffened, and his eyes went blank. The shoreline had triggered something. Inside his head, a memory that was not his own began to play out. Inquisitor Blue, walking along the shoreline. He looked battered, tired, and fatigued. In fact, it looked like his spirits had been crushed to the point of despair. Blue stopped for a moment, his heavy armored boots sinking into the moist sand. He looked about for a moment. Then he looked at the smoking mountain in the distance. As he studied it intently, he reached up and slowly detached a large metal shoulder plate, the one with the black Amethyst insignia on it. He held the plate in front of his masked visor for a moment, as he studied it as well. Then, with metal shoulder plate in hand, he began to make his way to the mountain…
"August! Earth to August! Snap out of it!"
August jumped as he was pulled from the memory. He shook his head as if to clear it, and his eyes refocused.
"Did you see anything?" said Gene, shaking him firmly by the shoulders.
August nodded his head slowly. "Yeah… yeah. I did. I saw Blue. We're looking for the shoulder plate… It's somewhere on the mountain we see… Ummm… The Mangai Volcano, I believe. Follow me!"
August strolled off at a brisk pace. Gene ran to catch up with him. When he did, he said, "I don't understand! Why are we walking? Couldn't we just teleport?"
August shook his head, "No. We're walking. I have a feeling that Blue never actually got to the top. I am thinking he left somewhere before then… So either on the rocky slopes, or in the jungle surrounding the volcano. Come on!"
The two continued to work their way through the sand towards the lush forest before them. Little did they know, however, that they were being watched.
Dimension: My Little Pony
Planet: Equestria Earth
Specific Location: The Frozen North, Stallion Empire
Time: Twenty-two years after the death of the Paradox
Lyric took a deep breath while his eyes were still tightly shut and sighed. Weird. Last time he remembered, it was the middle of the winter. The air should have been sharp, frozen, harsh, and bland. Instead, the air he was breathing was sweet, and smelled of lush forest. He took another deep breath and sighed. The air certainly smelled sweet. It was a warm haze that surrounded his muzzle, and it felt like nothing he had felt before.
It felt like heaven as the warm haze surrounded his face. He tried to snuggle in closer so that he could breathe in the sweet scent and feel the warmth on his cheeks.
"Um… Lyric? Could you stop doing that?"
Lyric's eyes snapped open at the sound of Summer's voice. He had been pressing his face into the female Pegasus's forehead. Her mane was swathed around him like a gentle blanket, and he noticed one of her wings was draped over his waist. Her blank eyes were looking up through him with an air of surprise. She even looked a little bit scared.
Lyric leapt up and fell over into the dead fire pit, stirring up cold ashes.
"By the Emperor! I'm so sorry!" he gasped, "I was asleep! Honest! I had no idea…"
Summer got up and fixed her mussed-up hair. "It's okay Lyric. What happened?"
"I felt like it was… it was spring," muttered Lyric, "I've never felt that before…"
Summer smiled, her blank eyes sparkling. "I understand. I forgive you. At least you didn't kiss me."
Throwing caution to the winds for no reason whatsoever, Lyric immediately said, half-jokingly, "Oh, of course... But would you like me to?"
Both began to blush profusely.
"No," said Summer, though she looked as amused as she looked embarrassed.
Lyric turned his face away. "Sorry," he mumbled, "I don't know where that came from."
Summer immediately brightened up. "That's okay. Hey, what are we doing today anyway?"
Glad for a chance to immediately switch the subject, Lyric said "Oh! Yeah! Well, we're about a day's walk from the nearest town. It's a nice, cozy place. If we hurry, we can make it by nightfall, just in time for me to put on a performance!"
Summer's face beamed like a warm sun slicing through overcast skies. "Wonderful! I would love to hear you play! Well? What are we waiting for?"
Lyric got up and stretched. "Yeah, yeah… I'm going as fast as I can, Miss Bossy…"
Summer smiled as she reached over and picked up his large saddle bag. It was already packed. She tossed it onto her own back as she explained, "I cleaned up everything while you were still asleep. Well, that is until you decided that I was a teddy bear and grabbed me, that is."
Lyric blushed profusely and mumbled something unintelligible. Then he said, "Wait! What are you doing?"
Summer was securing the saddle pack to her own back as he said that. She turned her blank eyes in the direction of his voice and replied, "I'm putting the saddle pack on. What does it look like I'm doing?"
Lyric shook his head. "I see that. But you shouldn't have to do that! I'll carry it."
He reached forward to take it off, but she warded it off with a gentle hoof. "No, Lyric! It is about time I did something useful. Why are you so worried?"
Lyric sighed. "I don't know. I guess I'm just worried about your wellbeing. Isn't it a little heavy?"
Summer chuckled. "I'm not spoiled, Lyric, I know how to carry stuff. Don't worry, I'll be fine. And if I get tired, I know that you, being heroic and strong, with save me from my burden by shouldering it yourself. But until then, please oblige me by letting me help… please?"
Summer gave him a cute, pleading smile. That sold it for Lyric.
He opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again, and then closed it again. He stood there for a moment in silence, and then finally said, "Oh… oh, alright. I'll let you carry it. Come on… let's go."
Summer actually gave a little skip for joy. Then she held out a hoof and said, "Wonderful! Let's go!"
Lyric couldn't help but smile himself, seeing her so happy. He gently took her hoof. The two then began to work their way through the frozen pine forest.
As they trotted, Lyric described the forest to her. "It has not changed much overnight," he said, "There is, however, a fresh layer of snow on the branches of the pines. White is everywhere, and it covers the heads of the green and brown spies like frosting. Sadly, the sky is overcast, so there is not sparkling, just dull snow. The trunks of the pines are as frozen as ever. There is no life, everything is just dead. Hopeless and dead."
Lyric bit his bottom lip and looked down. He felt hopeless just by describing the drab surroundings.
Suddenly Summer let go of Lyric's hand and gently groped around until she lay a hoof on a nearby trunk. She gently ran a hoof over it, and then she gently pressed an ear to the trunk. Her face brightened.
Lyric cocked his head to one side. "What is it?"
Summer turned her unseeing eyes to the sky. "There are ice squirrels living in this tree. It's cold outside, but inside a little furry family is living cozy and happy. See? Not everything in the Stallion Empire is cold… Only the exterior. Inside, there is warmth and happiness. I believe strongly that this is the case with the ponies who live here as well. Everyone has a little good in them."
Lyric's voice died in his throat as he thought about what she had said. He had never heard truer words. As he fell into a sea of memories, all triggered by Summer's wise words, he smiled slightly. He felt happy.
"Lyric? Where are you?"
Lyric immediately pulled himself back to reality. He had gone so quiet, that he had actually stopped breathing, the one thing that Summer used to pinpoint him. He took in a sharp breath. Summer smiled and held out a hoof again, "There you are!"
Lyric smiled again and took her hoof gently.
"You are one wise mare, Summer," said Lyric happily, "I thank you for your insight. It just gave me a greatly-needed ray of hope."
Summer chuckled. "Please, use the term mare for parents. I'm a filly still! Don't make me feel old."
Lyric laughed and gently shoved her. "Okay, fine. You are one wise filly."
Summer grinned happily. "There we go! Now I sound like a prodigy! Right! Lead on!"
Lyric nodded and the two continued to work their way through the vast forest, to the town far away. As they trotted, the two laughed and talked, and Lyric did his best to push the thoughts of his "musical performance" that would be coming soon.
He was stealing to survive. Summer couldn't blame him for trying to survive… could she?
Note: Okay everyone! Now that you have seen a lot of the new characters, I must ask you, out of the entirety of "A Mending Soul" who is your favorite character? Is it Sunset Shadow? Is it Miranda? Is it Doxia? I am really interested, so please let me know! Thanks! If you let me know, I will give you an incredibly life-like (yet invisible) figurine of said favorite character! Thanks!