Author's Notes:

Super sorry that this took so long.

I helped write up a crossover chapter with fellow author NightStream in his story Beast Out.

This story was heavily re-edited to make sure that the crossover made sense and I hope you all enjoy the crossover on his story as well as this new one. The sneak peak I had in the previous chapter had to be moved up to the next chapter because it made this new one FAR too long. So anyway, next chapter is already being written and you can expect it in a week or two from the date this chapter was written.

"Mr. Shaper it's so beautiful," a tiny pegasus filly praised as her teacher sculpted Princess Celestia's and Princess Luna's image out of a cloud. Every detail of the cloud sculpture was perfect after months of patience and skilled hoofwork. The sun shinned radiantly against the cloud Celestia's wings, presenting the image of a majestic goddess. The dark rain cloud that formed Luna's figure fiercely displayed small bursts of lighting that illustrated the power of the sculpture's namesake.

The masterpiece was almost done as Mr. Shaper put the finishing touches on Celestia's horn. He held his breath as he molded the condensed water vapor in his hooves, and finally released it when the horn took shape. His apprentice gleefully squealed her excitement as the piece was finished, and he flew back a couple meters to marvel at his work. Months of his labor had given form to a splendor that looked even more beautiful than the image he had held in his imagination.

For weeks he would accumulate pieces of clouds with the right color hue and density he required. On days where the weather was perfect, he would mold his cloud sculpture early in the morning till the sun fell upon the horizon. On days where the weather was hostile, he would tirelessly try to keep his sculpture from falling apart by using a special tarp that protected his art from the outside world. It was exhausting, every day challenged him, but his work was finally complete. He could look upon his work with pride at last, and he reveled in the praise his apprentice offered.

"When will you show it off at Canterlot Mr. Shaper?" His apprentice asked.

"Three days from now my apprentice. In three days, I'll be richer than any artist in the history of Equestria. Such a unique and perfect piece of art of our beloved princesses will have every noble lining up with their bits to buy my work." He paused for a moment to smell the air before continuing. "I can smell the mountain of bits waiting for us my apprentice."

The filly giggled at her teacher's enthusiasm before something in her peripheral vision caught her attention. She saw a black speck in the distance that swiftly became bigger the more she stared at it. Panic gripped her mind when she realized that the object was coming towards them, and she pushed her teacher out of the way before it could hit them. A huge black metal airship passed them and the wind left in its wake blew them hundreds of yards away from their original position.

The mysterious object that passed them was already far beyond the horizon before teacher and apprentice could regain their bearings. They flew back towards the sculpture, only to find it obliterated and nothing but a memory. The apprentice rubbed her teacher's back to comfort him as he hovered in the air, traumatized by the destruction of his work.

"I'm going to go cry on that cloud over there," Mr. Shaper said as he drifted away on weary wings.

"Yee-Haaaa!" I hoot loudly as I pushed the Fury’s thrusters further. The starship was difficult to understand at first, but Jack was a patient teacher. I was a great visual learner and Jack showed me the function of every little button on the pilot’s console as he flew us out of Ponyville. The starship controls were ultimately very different from the plane controls I studied and practiced with back home, but I adapted fast.

Jack would let me fly the ship a couple times from the co-pilot’s seat and would immediately take back the controls whenever I made a mistake. Eventually it got to the point where I didn’t need him as a safety net and I told to relax in the captain’s chair so he could plot out my flight path on the star map console. He trusted me with his new toy, and made sure to let me know that we weren’t going to take this ship on a joy ride. We have royalty on board, so this wasn’t the best time to take any risks.

I ignored him of course. I was flying a freaking spaceship! And there was no way in hell I wasn’t going to do everything I could to enjoy every single second of it.

“CHRIST! Damn it Katy slow down! You could’ve hit those pegasi back there,” Jack scolded as moisture from some weird cloud we hit soaked the window on the front view port.

I responded first by making the Fury do a loop de loop, causing the artificial gravity within the ship to fluctuate briefly to give us all a feeling of free-fall. I quickly turned my head towards Jack to give him a cocky grin before turning back to the console.

“Oh come on, I had the ship far away from them when I passed. All they should of felt was a nice breeze.”

He gave off a frustrated growl at my response before our attention was drawn towards a retching sound coming from down the hall in the lounge area. Before Jack could press the intercom button to ask what was going on back there, we heard talons hitting the hallway floor, and I looked back to see Falca walking onto the bridge with vomit covering the once elegant feathers on her chest.

“Sergeant Star vomited from that last trick you performed up here. Can we get a bucket for him and a mop for what he left on the floor? Also, do you-,” she paused to indicate her feathers before continuing, “have anything that can help me wash this off?”

“Oh geez, don’t worry I’m sure I have something that can help. Ok Katy, that’s enough with the fancy flying. Fly smoothly and get back on course towards the coordinates I sent to your console.” A set of latitude and longitude coordinates appeared on a planetary map screen next to my console, and told me the appropriate flight path to take. “When I get back here I’ll expect to see you flying safely and slowly. If you feel like you’re still having problems, just flip the auto-pilot switch. You got this?” Jack asked making sure I understood everything before he left to help our passengers.

“Don’t worry little bro I got this. Go help your girlfriend, and tell Vigilant I’m sorry,” I replied while hoping he would take the bait and get a little defensive for calling Falca his girlfriend.

“Falca is not my girlfriend Katy, just a very good friend. Stop trying to embarrass me again and focus on the flying.” He said sounding annoyed.

I gave him a lazy wave to reassure him and I heard his heavy footsteps travel down the hallway along with the clicks of Falca’s talons. I deaccelerated the ship a little bit and brought it back on course to our original destination. Now that I was alone on the bridge with just my thoughts, I relaxed and reveled in the feeling of flying again. It was an amazing feeling to look out the window of a flying vehicle and see the world pass underneath you. The feeling was enhanced when you knew you were the one in control of your flight. That carriage ride from Canterlot to Ponyville I had a week ago was nothing compared this.

This feeling I felt was a mix of joy, excitement, and a little bit of pride. But if I had to describe the feeling of flying in just one word, it would simply be freedom. Nothing, not even that bitch gravity, could keep you from where you wanted to go when you were up here in the sky.

“BY THE MAKER, IT’S EVERYWHERE.” I cringed as it sounded like Jack’s other droid companion 2V-R8 discovered the mess that Vigilant made in the lounge.

As soon as the alien siblings left to enjoy their time together in the griffin lands, Twilight Sparkle made her way back to the library to continue her study on Undyne’s helmet. Spike asked her if she wanted anything to eat or drink anything as she worked and Twilight responded that she had a craving for some tea right now. As Spike disappeared into the kitchen to carry out her request, the purple unicorn closed her eyes and performed a deep analysis spell on the helm.

The flow and structure of the magical enchantment within the token continued to baffle her. Even if she examined it for days without end she wasn’t sure if she’d ever understand the enchantment, let alone know how to use its supposedly extradimensional capabilities. The enchantment configuration was like a math equation problem where the commonly known symbols for addition or division were replaced with entirely foreign ones. Even if she sat there for days trying to find patterns to make sense of the semi-familiar parts of the enchantment, there were still parts of it that made no sense at all in her mind.

Nonetheless, Twilight was determined to make herself worthy of the praise that Princess Celestia gave her at Town Hall earlier. She would not fail her teacher, and she would not fail Undyne.

Spike returned with some tea and it broke her off from the use of the deep analysis spell. Thanking Spike with a smile, Twilight closed her eyes and enjoyed her beverage just as the helm began to glow briefly for a moment.

I placed the Fury on auto-pilot so I could examine the non-vital functions of the rest of my console. As soon as I flipped the switch, I had a strange faint feeling of someone calling out to me. My eyes roamed around the bridge in confusion as I felt it again, and I cupped a hand around my right fin to better hear the call. After a while I was about hit the intercom button to see if someone from the lounge was calling me until I heard a loud male voice in my head.

‘KATY I COULD REALLY USE SOME HELP RIGHT NOW!!!,’ the male voice yelled in my head, making me cringe. I closed my eyes and grasped my head like I was nursing a headache when the voice surprised me. I heard a strange crisp sound and opened my eyes to see a strange tall grey void in the middle of the bridge.

I slowly got up from the pilot’s chair as I eyed the void, and after a few seconds, I sensed that the person I heard was in grave danger. The voice I heard in my head was replaced with choking sounds, and I yelled for Jack to return to the bridge. I never took my eyes away from the grey void as I heard Jack’s heavy footsteps coming from behind me. He came into view on my right and seemed just as surprised as I was. I was about to ask Jack what he thought it was, until I remembered what The Merchant told us in our hallucination back in Ponyville.

“Jack I-I think this is a portal to another Displaced’s universe. I heard a man call for help in my head, and I think he is using a copy of my token to make that call.” Jack looked at me still looking surprised, and seemed to be trying to comprehend what I said before I continued. “I think I need to step through it in order to help him.”

Now Jack looked alert and scared.

“Wait! We don’t really know what this thing is. It could be some sort of… I don’t know… a trap maybe? You’re not going anywhere near it Katy,” Jack said while blocking the portal from view.

“Jack, I appreciate that you’re worried about me, but someone is in deep trouble. I think I can hear him choking in my head,” I said trying to dissuade my brother from blocking me. It had little effect on him as he refused to budge and then threw his arms up to block his sides to further limit any path towards the portal. I knew he meant well, but he should know that I can’t ignore this.

“There is someone out there calling for help, my help. You know as well as I do that there is nothing that will keep me from helping those that are hurt and in danger. Please Jack, let me go help whoever needs me.” Jack started to look defeated as I pleaded to him, and he slowly brought his arms back down to his sides. He likely remembered when I went to the aid of strangers all the time when we were just normal humans back on earth. I always stood up for those who couldn’t defend themselves, and a new body still hasn’t changed that fact about me

“Then I’m coming with you, we’ll face whatever danger this stranger is facing together.” Jack said as he placed a clawed hand on my shoulder. I shook my head at this.

“No, if you’re right, and that this is a trap, then I’m the only one that is going to spring it. You stay here and wait for me to come back,” I said as I took a few steps towards the portal. Jack’s grasp on my shoulder tightened a bit to stop me, and I glared at him with my one eye to silently signal him to let me go. He slowly released me, but not before asking me to wait for a moment as he left the bridge to go get something.

He returned with a gray plastic bottle in his hands and told me what it was and why he got it.

“This is a water bottle I got from a fridge within the captain’s quarters. You told me how you got dehydrated back in Canterlot and how it made you too weak to move. Use this if that happens again. You also could use this as an item to heal yourself if you get hurt as well.” He said as he lifted the bottle up for me to grasp. I moved to take it, but before he released it, he said one more thing. “Promise that you’ll come back to me, please.”

My little brother’s eyes were filled with worry for me, and it warmed my heart to see that. I gave him a confident, toothy grin and placed a hand over my chest to make the promise to him and to myself.

“I promise you that I will return. And if I get lost, rest assured that we will find each other again.” Jack nodded his head accepting the promise, and released the water bottle to me. I placed the bottle in my back pocket and turned to face the portal.

I took a few deep breaths before I rushed into the void to aid whoever needed the help of a heroine.

Katy had been gone for far too long.

After telling the others in the ship what happened on the bridge, I made sure that the Fury got to the Shattered Isles with little trouble. They were all surprised by Katy’s departure to say the least. Falca and her father offered me comforting words to help with my worries and I was thankful to them for that. After Vigilant got over his unsettled stomach, he started to pace around the lounge area of the ship in worry for my sister. He made sure to avoid King Grinnail’s guards after he just vomited over their king’s daughter, and the only thing that kept him from being pummeled by them was Falca’s clemency on the matter. The droids reacted calmly to Katy’s departure, and dutifully told me that they were ready to do anything to help their master. 2V-R8 brought up a list of functions he was capable of to alleviate my stress while HK-55 told me how assassinating targets did wonders for his behavior core. I gave thanks to the droids as well for their offers of help, but I didn’t think any of what they offered could help me.

There was still no word from Katy when we arrived at the Shattered Isles and landed the ship next to King Grinnail’s castle. The king waited with us for an hour before he had to leave and attend to duties he had to postpone due to our trip to Equestria. He kept a guard with us and told the griffin to inform him when there was news of Katy’s return. Vigilant stayed with me on the ship of course, (what else was he going to do?), and Falca continued to remain at my side while we waited.

When we left Ponyville, we were supposed to be going on some sort of vacation. My sister and I were supposed to enjoy this island that was literally named after merriment and festivity for five days.

‘Why are plans such fragile things? Why does life always find a way to dash our expectations to the ground?’ I pondered as I sat down on a couch in the Fury’s lounge.

It was about mid-afternoon in the day and I was left with nothing but twiddling thumbs and restless thoughts. I envied Vigilant as he somehow found a way to nap on the floor in full armor with his hooves tucked underneath him. Falca sat next to me on the couch playing with her tail to pass the time and I believe I would have found it utterly adorable if my thoughts weren’t so distressed. The droids found other things to pass the time around other parts of the ship by being productive and tried to see if there was anything that required maintenance. I tried to meditate to pass the time, but my mind refused to calm down even when I called upon the Force to help.

Another ten minutes passed by with no success on the mediation idea, and I realized that the droids had the right idea. Back before I was just human, I used productive work all the time to silence any chaotic thoughts. If I had a test a week from now I would study for it. If I was the only one home after school I would cook dinner for the rest of the family. Hell, I’d even do some loot farming on swtor for my Sith warrior, back when he was just a character from a video game.

‘I need to be productive, that’s what I need to do,’ I concluded as I thought of things to do. I looked around the lounge for anything to do till my eyes settled on Falca, still using her tail to pass the time. Looking at her I remembered that I intended to help her people understand the technology I possessed. That was when inspiration struck, and I moved off the couch to head towards the cargo bay.

Falca’s attention was brought away from her tail with my sudden movement and she looked up to see me beckoning her to follow me. Smiling with eyes filled with curiosity, Falca followed me through the ship’s metal corridors to the cargo bay. I picked up a datapad manifest that 2V-R8 kindly made for me to help me navigate the vast hoard of loot I collected during years of MMO farming and PVP dueling matches. I skimmed through my collection of weapons and armor, all inferior to the gear I wielded now, and found what I was looking for. Raw materials and crafting items I used to create gear I would either use for myself or sell on the virtual marketplace.

Ever since The Merchant told me that I held the memories of the Empire’s Wrath within my neural implant, I wondered if the memories contained more just the experience of a warrior that dedicated decades of his life perfecting his skills in combat through constant warfare. I was correct when I scanned through the raw materials and new foreign memories registered within my mind. It was overwhelming knowing the proper techniques to mold duravlex into weapon modifications that can improve common blaster pistols and rifles. I even knew how to reverse engineer those very same modifications and use the raw materials to make new modifications for armor instead.

What was even more spectacular to me, was that I knew how to create more lightsabers with the materials I had available to me. LIGHTSABERS, the very weapon that has been an obsession for nerds and geeks like me for decades. I had the crafting skills to create amazing weapons, armors, medicines, and so much more. I even had an impressive array of insight on how to gather more of these materials on several other, likely unreachable, planets in the Star Wars galaxy.

Right now though, I was going to focus on something I could teach to Falca and her people. I’ll hold back on the weapons for now until they’re ready for them, but the rest of this knowledge and technology should be shared. The knowledge I hold could teach the griffins of the Shattered Isles how to create medical marvels that can be just as magical as any other spell in their world. With the help of HK and 2V-R8, I could even help them understand the military-grade computers and communications equipment that are integrated in the Fury’s hardware.

‘So many possibilities are possible with this knowledge. Life and civilization on this planet can improve immeasurably with what is held within these memories. Let’s test this knowledge out and create something practical,’ I thought as I spied a list of biochemical samples and compounds on the manifest.

“What are you going to do Jack?” Falca asked bringing my attention away from the manifest. She looked up at me curiously and I sensed that she was feeling happy at the sight of me animated and working, instead of sitting around filled with worry. I smiled down to her as I responded to her question.

“I’m going to create a simple medical marvel from another galaxy.”

Using the Force, I telekinetically lifted over a crate filled with the materials I needed and brought them over to the workbench within the cargo hold. This was no simple workbench however, this was a universal work station that can help me craft or modify anything I wanted from the game. In swtor, your companions would be the ones crafting whatever you wanted while you continued to play the game. My companions of course needed a work station to create my items, so it would make sense that they would have access to tools on the ship in a real life scenario. But I had no intention of being bereft of the joy of creating my own work now that I could physically hold the materials and know precisely how to use them.

The workbench held all kinds of tools and devices to help me create what I needed. The foreign memories told me how to use the material recycler station that can help me obtain the bare components of what I need. There was a fabricator filled with designs in its databanks that can create every individual piece of what I need. Even a robotic arm embedded into the workbench rested on standby, ready to firmly hold whatever I intended to create.
With the design of what I intended to create in mind, my hands reached into the crate to begin. I could feel the Force flowing vibrantly within me as I gave myself something better to do.

It only took an hour to create what I wanted on the workbench. Working with chemicals again reminded me of all the lab projects I would complete in the chemistry labs back in college. Using nutrient gel, nerve-dampening chemicals, the miracle substance that was bacta, and a hypo-syringe to contain it all, I created my first medpack. It was a high grade medpack compared to all the other medpacks from the game, and it filled me with pride to see it finished on the workbench. Small, red, and blocky with a syringe on the end of it, the medpack was ready to administer quick relief to any who were hurt.

Falca watched me work with complete fascination the entire time, and thankfully held back her questions until the end. I picked it up to give it to her and allowed her to examine the medpack while I used a scanner on the worktable to examine her anatomy. Like the scan that HK performed on Fluttershy’s Angel, pages of data rolled across the scanner’s holoscreen to show me the results. While I couldn’t process all the information as fast as the assassin droid could, I could use a program within the scanner to see if Falca’s griffin biology would be safely compatible with the biological compounds within the medpack. After ten seconds of data processing, the computer within the universal workbench used data files and programs from the med bay’s computer to show me that griffins would not be affected negatively by the medpack’s affects. I would have to use a larger sample size that just Falca in the future, but I ultimately considered this little project a huge success. Sadly my supply of bio materials was not unlimited, and I knew I would have to consider alternatives native to this planet if the griffins of the Shattered Isles were going to mass-produce this medical marvel.

I told her how the medpack could heal almost any kind of physical injury by helping the body regrow tissue, including nerves, skin, and muscles by promoting rapid regeneration of organic compounds. Broken bones like the ones she suffered from the Aper Major could be healed in less than a day than in a week from that red restorative gel she used. I even explained how the medpacks could serve military applications as well by telling her how soldiers from the Star Wars universe could use a medpack after being severely injured to get back into the fight.

“This is amazing Jack, your technology could revolutionize the advancement of medicine for the entire world. Imagine what we could do with your creation if we integrated it with the magic of our world,” Falca said in awe of the object in her talons.

‘My creation? Well it’s not really MY creation so to speak. The creation of the medpack probably came from some scientist in the Star Wars universe hundreds of years before the Empire’s Wrath. Heh, the knowledge to create the medpack came from the memories of the Empire’s Wrath after he spent months studying and practicing HIS craft. All I did was use his memories. I didn’t put in the work and effort, it was all… just given to me. I didn’t work hard to obtain this knowledge, these powers, this impressive body, and this ship. I’m just a 19 year old, unambitious kid who went off to college to obtain his biochemistry degree. Why do I deserve to have any of this?’ I questioned as I looked around the ship.

Sure I played the game to obtain all this loot but that was all through a mouse and keyboard. In the foreign memories I can see the real Empire’s Wrath working hard to perfect his skills and he fought through perilous quests face to face, instead of through a computer screen. What right do I have to anything that he earned? Everything I’ve done in this world, and everything that I could accomplish, will be because I have his body.

This realization humbled me and I slowly backed away from Falca until my back thumped against the wall. I was back to thinking depressing thoughts as I slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Falca was looking at me with a worried look again, and I could sense that wanted to ask what was wrong. She placed the medpack back on the workbench and walked over to sit next to me.

“Jack what’s wrong, why are so upset again?” she asked with a smile, hoping that I may smile as well. I sighed at the question before responding.

“It’s just… the knowledge I used to create that medpack didn’t come from me. The knowledge to create the medpack and all my other new skills came from the bastard that sent me here. I didn’t really earn the things you see on this ship. Everything, including my body, are just copies The Merchant made for me, and I don’t even know why he gave them to me. Did The Merchant actually think I deserved these powers and this knowledge, or is it just entertaining to watch a kid run around in a powerful man’s skin? I can’t help but wonder if all my achievements from now on will be because of the Empire’s Wrath, not Jack Krieger.” By the end of my explanation, I lightly smacked the back of my head against the wall in frustration.

‘Damn it, I probably sounded like a huge baby to her. I got powers I didn’t deserve, whoop de doo, and here I am finding a reason to bitch about it.’

Katy got a new body too, but she is actually working hard to understand her newfound powers as Undyne. I had memories literally inserted into my brain, and had the benefit to know how to use the lightsaber almost masterfully by day one. Sure I worked to maintain that skill, but it is much harder to even obtain that mastery over the lightsaber in the first place, or in practically every discipline that requires hard work. No wonder Valkorion said I wasn’t worthy of the knowledge contained within my token.

Falca seemed to be contemplating what I said, and she smiled sadly when she spoke again.

“I know how that feels. To have almost everything practically given to you. As a daughter to one of the most powerful griffins in the world, I have access to more luxuries and power than almost any other griffin in the existence. I get to live in comfort just by being born, while some griffons have to work to the bone just to feed their families. I was born into House Hialla, I never actually earned the right.” Her words surprised me and all thoughts I had about myself were gone in an instant.

“But aren’t you working hard to become a leader of your people? I mean, you told me how you had to gain prestige and notoriety if you were ever going to take your father’s place on the throne. Wasn’t that why you were fighting the Aper Major, to earn your father’s approval and votes from other members of your House?” I argued.

She chuckled at my words and looked away as her wings shifted a little on her sides.

“I most likely would have never have been able to accomplish anything I’ve done if I wasn’t raised with the education I received. My siblings and I were given the best tutors in every field of study required by a griffin royal of House Hialla. Our best warriors taught us the ways of combat and the arts of war. Our top professors at our best universities taught us math, science, the ways of magic, and our people’s history. Even my uncle, a seasoned governor of the Summer Island, taught me the intricacies of politics before I became Lady of the Summer Island. By griffin standards I am considered to be very beautiful, and I have great genetics and a pampered lifestyle to thank for that as well.”

Her voice was starting to sound a little somber as she continued.

“There are four ways to become a member of my House. One, you marry into the House, but you’ll never actually hold any real power considering your significant other is the real member of the House. Two, you can perform great feats like you did, and have the monarch recognize you as part of the House. Three, if you are born to a lesser noble of the House, you still have to work hard by yourself to earn a membership alongside your parents. There can be no assistance from the parents since it can diminish the work the child put in to earn it. They can receive care and a general education like any other griffin, but that’s it. My little cousin Enyo became a member of the House by learning how to understand people, and was elected by the griffins of the Summer Island to become a director of public affairs for the island. She is younger than me and earned her membership without having the vast education that I had. The fourth way is how I became a member, I was simply born into it by having the monarch of the House as my father. Even if I’m not the one chosen to become the next monarch, I still have the option to choose any career path that I wish. I was born very lucky Jack.”

My respect for Falca grew after hearing her explanation. Punks with rich parents were very common back on earth. These brats sometimes never understood that they were lucky to have parents that were rich enough to bail them out of their problems. Falca’s acknowledgment of the benefits she was born with was kinda familiar to my own acknowledgment of the gifts I’ve received.

“But the fact that I was born lucky is not what’s really important,” Falca continued. “It’s what I do with what I’ve been given that’s essential. If I’ve been given the best education that money can buy, then I’m going to use it to its fullest potential. How I do that is by working to become the best possible leader that I can be. I might not be the most suitable queen of the Shattered Isles, but I can still work to help people by being the best griffin I can be. My uncle may have lost to my father in his bid for the throne, but he still became a governor of the Summer Island and had a wonderful family. You and I can do great things with our abundance of gifts Jack, there’s no need to feel ashamed of it.”

She was smiling again and I realized what she was trying to say. I may not have earned my powers, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use them to their fullest. I have the power and knowledge to change the world for the better, and I refuse to not take this chance I’ve been given.

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. Falca’s words were just what I needed and I curled my left arm around her neck to give her a hug.

Falca was surprised and tensed her shoulders, and I panicky thought that I may have broken some rule by touching her this affectionately. I was about to quickly move away from the hug until Falca grabbed my hand with her talons.

“No, thi-this is fine Jack,” Falca said as she curled my arm around herself a little tighter. She leaned in to hug me as well with her wing briefly before she rested her head on my chestplate. After a few moments passed with nothing else happening, I panicky tried to think of anything to make her more comfortable. I remembered something she said when we first met, and I boldly had my hand travel further towards the lion portion of her body. My clawed gauntlet roamed across her fur, and so far she wasn’t objecting to what I was doing. After stroking her fur for about a minute, she started to make the most curious sound.

She was purring.

I smiled and nearly chuckled at this revelation that a griffin could purr like a regular house cat, and my eyes began to roam across her body as I continued to pet her. I don’t think I ever truly realized how much of a beautiful creature she was. It was curious and striking at the same time to see yellow feathers intermingled perfectly with the majority of her dark brown ones. Her fur concealed layers of toned muscle, with just a tiny little bit of plump around the haunches that most likely was the result of years of royal pampering. Her wings were majestic and were likely capable of great feats of flight.

We sat like this for a couple moments, simply enjoying each other’s company. I never thought I would find someone, outside of my family, who I could divulge my personal feelings to. But then again, I am a part of Falca’s family since I joined her House. Does that mean I should consider treating her like family now?

‘She definitely deserves some serious contemplation at the very least.’ I thought as I looked down at her.

The moment was over when a circular void popped into existence before us in the cargo hold. Katy walked out of the void with a satisfied smile on her face, and her smile widened when she saw us holding each other. I thought I was going to burst an eardrum when a loud squeal of joy emitted from behind her smiling teeth.

“EEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAA!!! You two look so cute together! Oh Jack, were you trying to make a move on the princess while I was away? Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Katy said while wagging an index finger.

“SHUT UP KATY!” I yelled as I leapt away from Falca and got right up in Katy’s face. My sister continued to grin like a mad woman, and I knew I couldn’t really get mad at her. I was just happy to know she was alright.

I lifted her up into a tight bear hug, and she hugged me back just as tightly.

After telling Falca and Jack about my little adventure in an alternate universe, we decided it was about time that our vacation got underway. Apparently I was only gone for a few hours in this universe despite my long stay in Gregar’s universe. I was going to miss my fellow displaced, and hoped we could meet up soon to fight more baddies in the future. I also hoped he would take advantage of the ‘special benefits’ that came with having me as a friend as well. I patted my right pocket to make sure that his token was still there as Falca and I waited for Jack to come out of the cargo hold.

My little brother told me there was no way he was going to go on vacation in full armor, and was going to shift through his loot to find the appropriate outfit. In the meantime, I asked for Falca’s help with my now tatty tank top. I suffered a few wounds while I was away, and one of them left two gaping holes in the lower back and belly portion of the undershirt. Since most of shirt’s lower portion was in shreds, I asked Falca to use her talons to cut off the lower half of the tank top.

My spectacular abs were now on full display after Falca turned my simple top into a skimpy short tank top, and I sighed as I threw the shirt’s remains into a nearby trashcan in the ship’s lounge. I really needed to find some new clothes and hoped Rarity could make me some new ones when I got back to Ponyville. I wasn’t ashamed of my new fishy body, but I definitely didn’t want to run around Eques in my birthday suit.

Vigilant was overjoyed when he found out I returned and I could nervously tell he wasn’t going to let me out of his sight again this entire trip. I did leave without telling him again, and I actually started to feel a little guilty when I realized that I didn’t give him a moment’s consideration before I jumped through universes. It’s his job to watch over me and I was surely making that job a nightmare to deal with. I’ll have to make it up to him while we’re visiting this ‘Island of Gaiety’.”

Jack’s heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway leading to the cargo hold, and we all anticipated what Jack decided to put on for our vacation. I felt my jaw drop at my brother’s choice of clothes, or near lack of.

An ornate black metal diadem sat upon his head that blended well with his raven hair. Shadowy silk sleeves were bound across his arms with buckles strapped to his biceps. Bands around his shoulders were connected to small metal rig on his back that is likely used to carry weapons such as vibroswords or heavy duty blaster rifles. The long flowing lower robes around his legs had a split in the front that revealed that he had replaced his boots with tattered gray gladiatorial sandals that went up to his kneecaps. His lightsaber was connected to his waist by a subtle little strap that made the weapon look like it was attached to nothing. But the most glaring feature of his outfit was that he was completely bare chested!

“Uh Jack, any reason why you picked an ‘outfit’ that makes you look like a stripper in some girl’s bachelorette party?” I asked my brother in a slightly high-pitched tone. He placed his hands on his waist and raised a brow before responding.

“In case you didn’t notice, I’m no longer that cute petite boy from back home. I have a body that NEEDS to be displayed to the rest of the world.” And to emphasize his point, he brought our attention towards his ridiculously large pecs when he made them bounce up and down before continuing. “Also this was the only thing that I had that wasn’t full body armor. Seriously, I have armor sets and Jedi robes galore but practically nothing even resembling casual clothes. This is all I got because I wanted my character to look sexy in some of his romance scenes.”

I shrugged my shoulders in acceptance of Jack’s choice of outfit and looked at the others to gauge their reactions. Falca didn’t seem to mind Jack’s outfit too much, but I noticed how her eyes traveled up and down my brother’s form very briefly. Vigilant on the other hand seemed to have an entirely different opinion on the matter.

“It wouldn’t be wise for a warrior to leave their armor behind, even when going on vacation. You never know when an assassin may try to take advantage of your vulnerable hide,” Vigilant said while rubbing his chin with his hoof. Falca laughed softly at Vigilant’s comment, and he raised a brow at her in a gesture for her to explain herself.

“You should really try to relax while you’re here Vigilant Star. The Island of Gaiety is a place where you come to ease tension, not build it up. If anyone were to come here with ill intent on our alien visitors, I’m sure Jack would sense them way before they became a threat.” Jack smiled at the confidence that Falca had in him. “Anyway, let’s get underway before we spend any more of Katy’s pardon on this ship.”

“Hell yeah, I want to see what’s so special about this getaway island of yours.” I said as we moved to exit the ship

After sending a messenger to King Grinnail to tell him of my return, a luxurious carriage carried by griffins soared us across the Shattered Isles. I poked my head through each window more than twice to get a view of Falca’s kingdom and I couldn’t be more fascinated. Equestria was beautiful and all, but its beauty was shown multiple times from the show. The Shattered Isles were completely new to me, and I envied Jack for seeing it first. The crown city of Horaca was startlingly huge and I never thought I could see a place packed with so many griffins flying through the air to go about their day to day lives. The amount of activity I saw in Horaca’s harbor was only matched by the crowds of griffins in the massive market square. Then my eyes were caught on the dozens of airships floating in the air next to Horaca’s cloud city district, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to fly them.

In our journey to the Isle of Gaiety, we also got the chance view two of the other isles. One of them was a large island rich with lavish fields of crops and different sections of the landmass were enveloped in diverse forms of weather. Griffins tended to gloomy clouds and watered their crops down below, while moving other clouds out of the way to make sure that some fields received enough sunlight. Lush vineyards dotted the eastern edge of isle and this was where Falca said the finest wines on this side of the world were created. This was the Summer Island, an island that could rival Equestira’s lavish beauty.

The second island was far smaller than any of the others. Its landscape was dominated by a large black spire that pierced the clouds and was surrounded by gigantic, blue glowing stones that floated above the ground. These stones surrounded the spire as if they were moons circling a planet, and I could feel the magic radiating off of their surfaces even when we were flying miles away from them. This was the Nether Island, home to the College of Mystics.

Finally we had neared our destination, and I had to say, the Island of Gaiety was an impressive sight. From the air, the island was shaped like a crescent moon with a wide beach covering the majority of the inside edge. A city of lofty hotels and numerous diverse buildings hugged the beach, while crowds of people from nearly every race were seen enjoying themselves in the sand. Griffins, ponies, minotaurs, zebras, even a small number of diamond dogs could be seen as we flew closer to the isle.

When I watched a few of them play in the ocean, a peculiar sight caught my eye when I saw an earth pony mare swimming faster than physically possible. As I focused my sight on the mare, I noticed that she wasn’t actually moving her hooves to swim, and was actually clinging to a mysterious figure hidden figure underneath the water. The hidden figure then revealed itself when it escaped the confines of the water by leaping through the air. The sight was mystifying when I saw that it was in fact a pink colored sea pony carrying the earth pony mare on its back. I wanted to see more of the two, but I quickly lost sight of them as we moved closer to the Island and more of it was revealed to us.

I took notice of an odd structure on the northern tip of the island that I at first thought was a colossal marble statue, but then realized it was actually a building. The statue-like construction was shaped like a griffin female resting easily on her side with her wings spread wide out in front of her as if she were giving a hug to a small child. Her wings provided shade to people as they traveled towards a large, baroque stylized entrance that was carved into her belly. The amount of detail on the statue/building hybrid was amazing as I saw carvings of large in depth feathers along her upper body and sleek fur along her lower body. When I gazed upon the statue’s head, I found it strange when I saw that its eyes were lidded seductively towards the people that came towards her.

Further inland and connected to the city beach were three city districts that stretched northeast, southeast, and directly east. The northeast district consisted of diverse buildings similar to the beach city, but had multiple street performers and luxurious market stalls lining the main road with a street square that had a massive ornate fountain in its center. The southeast district had fewer buildings and looked more like a park filled with emerald trees and a crystal clear lake.

The eastern district had the least amount of buildings, and its main road led towards a colosseum that sat on a hill in the center of the island. The colosseum was undoubtedly the district’s main attraction as it seemed to overshadow nearly every other attraction on the island. It was like staring at the roman colosseum back when it was in its prime and entertained an entire empire. The cheers of a crowd could be heard even when we were miles away in a flying chariot. The four arches on the axes of the building were decorated with dozens of statues depicting warriors from multiple races in full battle attire. An old statue of a zebra stallion garbed in light tribal cloths and pelts held a spear in the crook of his hoof. A pegasus mare statue in a scale armored chestplate carried no weapons in her hooves, but had sharp metal blades lining the edges of her feathers. Another statue depicted a minotaur that held no weapons or gear but displayed thick corded muscles that could easily rival Jack’s. Astonishingly, there was even a grand statue of Celestia standing amongst the other warriors with a sword sheathed at her side.

There were multiple griffin statues, however, one stood out among the rest on the top. The marble feathers on his head were long and braided together to hang off the side of his face. His broad shoulders and hulking stature was outfitted with primitive armor consisting of wood, steel, and leather. He held in his right talons a Japanese naginata spear covered in a mystic bright light at the blade’s tip. Falca came up next to me at the window and noticed what I was staring at.

“That is my ancestor Hialla, the griffin that formed my family’s House and became the first Warden of the Shattered Isles. He created the Titan Arena to test his might against warriors from all over the world. Back then the Arena was just a pit in the middle of the hill, but you can see how far it’s come over the centuries of my House’s existence,” Falca explained to me.

We landed on the roof of one of the larger luxury hotels in the city and were met with an entourage of griffins anticipating our arrival. The males wore sleek black tuxedos with ribbons tied onto their tails while the females wore crimson vests and skirts with tiny bells tied to their own tails. Each gender carried a tray of food and formed a single file line along different sides of a red carpet that led straight to a closed elevator door. After we all disembarked from the carriage, Falca gave off an annoyed sigh at the sight of the griffin entourage.

“What’s the matter Falca?” I asked as I tried one of the cheese squares on one of the platters. It was a little too bitter for my tastes.

“I was hoping we could avoid him for a little bit as you both enjoyed the island. But I suppose father must have warned him of our arrival. Might as well get this over with,” Falca answered as she shifted uncomfortably on her hind paws and talons.

“What are you talki-,” I said before cutting off my own sentence when I heard a ding coming from the elevator.

The doors opened and released a dense fog from within its confines. Two griffins carrying a gray box by a handle in their beaks walked out of the fog, and I realized that it was the boxes that were creating the weird fog as it dispersed the precipitation from an opening at the bottom. Next walked out two dark green and black feathered griffin females with eagle-like upper bodies that… wait a second… they had a pony’s hindquarters instead of a feline’s, they were hippogriffs! Each carried two sheathed scimitars on their flanks that almost covered their cutie marks. The green feathered one’s cutie mark depicted a cobra with drops of venom dripping from its fangs, while the black feathered one’s depicted a python constricting itself around some sort of prey animal.

The two hippogriffs stood at attention on each side of the elevator door and raised a wing towards the door before closing their eyes and opening their beaks. They sang a steady single high note as the fog dissipated and revealed the last occupant of the elevator.

It was another griffin, a very… different… looking griffin. His avian features portrayed a falcon like Falca’s, and his feathers were colored a deep midnight purple. The irises of his eyes were gold like Falca’s as well, and his talons were fitted with rings that comprised of multiple gemstones like rubies, sapphires, and diamonds. His lion hide was painted with black stripes that stretched all the way to his paws and to his tail where a small black silk ribbon was tied off at the end. He wore a black and purple suit and vest without the tie and had a few of the upper buttons unfastened to show off more of the feathers on his chest. He stretched his wings out wide as he stepped off the elevator and every single deep purple feather was perfectly aligned as the evening sun shinned radiantly upon them.

His beak was curved in a smile and his eyes were lidded as he regarded Jack and myself. He gracefully strolled across the red carpet towards us and the two singing hippogriffs rested their wings to their sides as they followed the griffin. As soon as he reached us he brought his right wing across his chest as he bowed before us and the singing hippogriffs ceased to bow as well. He slowly rose back up, the hippogriffs perfectly synchronizing with him, and finally spoke at last.

“Oooooh yes,” he said with a pause before continuing. “You two darlings are more exotic to look at in person than in the papers. I am Prince Thistle, second born to my father King Grinnail of House Hialla, Keeper of the Titan Arena, proud owner of the House of Selene, and lover of everything new and exotic. Welcome to the Island of Gaiety."