A Bright Dawn

[Ash Williams]

They all dog piled on each other after exiting through the portal. Ash lifted his head for a split second to see where they ended up at and realized they were now inside the battle-worn courtroom that they fought in before. Finally, the liberators succeeded their mission and Ash realized that they were the only ones alive in this once darkling filled town. Everyone looked up too with Ash and they all got off each other then looked around the room. Ash wasn't too sure to start celebrating or anticipate anything else Nebula had up its sleeve. They all had their weapons drawn for any kind of threat that was hiding. All of them were beaten up and appeared as if a fight broke out, they would be hanging on a loose thread if they had to face another Nebula leader. Silence fell upon them but suddenly one of them uttered words to fill the quiet room.

"I think we won?" Revan said while holding his sword and looking around for anymore Nebula forces.

Ash let out a sigh of relief and put his boomstick back in his holster. Revan did put his sword away and Celestia followed afterward.

Their advanced gauntlets went off with two words filling the screen with green text.

VERSE LIBERATED

"We did it. We finally fuckin did it!" Ash said loudly with victory in his voice and boastfulness about completing the mission.

"Hey, language," Celestia followed in a stern voice but soon a smile was formed on her face, knowing they had saved the Pale Moors.

"Excuse me then, your highness," Ash said in a jokingly tone with his charisma smirk while looking back at Celestia.

Revan felt the excitement in his heart from them surviving and freeing The Pale Moors from Nebula's grasp but his feelings sunken down from realizing they lost their friends on the way. Sombra's death impacted him the most since he was starting to become friends and listening to his ways as if he was a teacher.

"Sombra…" Revan uttered but try to not let his emotions overwhelmed him during their victory.

Celestia heard the word he said and trotted over toward Revan to stand by his side for comfort. She rested her head against his side to comfort him and he suddenly realized the warm contact that her head made against his skin. He stroked her head with a softly touch to try to feel better that he still had his friends that made it out alive. Ash just stood there watching the heart-touching scene but didn't interrupt it as he waited for them to finish. He did hate it that Yu Kanda didn't make it out alive and does put a thought that he would like to meet that prime again. He wished that he made it out alive on this kickass of a journey. A couple minutes passed, and Ash stretched his arms out. He was wanting to go and finally spoke to get their attention.

"Now are we just going to stand here like hippies or are we going to walk out like champs?" Ash questioned, making Revan's and Celestia's attention turn toward Ash who was ready to go.

"Sorry, I got carried away a little," Revan responded, getting over the sorrowfulness and stopped stroking Celestia.

Ash turned away and began walking out of the courtroom as the other two followed him. They walked together to the entrance of the courthouse and opened the double doors with a cool morning breeze coming in. The liberators walked down the steppes and seen before them the aftermath of the battle they won. No sign of corpses was here as if they just vanished from the scene. They continued to walk with confidence down the town's street. A conversation was struck up with the trio, but it was a friendly one. Ash never knew that he would like this sort of team he got paired with but in the end, there was one reward that they received immediately and that was friendship.

The town also felt brighter with no more Nebula life clinging to this remnant village and no smoke was present in the town. All the fires had gone out and the dripping purple vines that held the wooden stakes together were turned back to normal looking vines.

They were curious about what happened to the remaining survivors of Dr. Psyche's dungeon if the poor secondaries made it out alive.

"Where are the survivors you saved, Revan," Celestia spoke with a soft tone right next to him.

"I couldn't tell what happened to them when we were rushed to escape," Revan answered looking back at Celestia with a concerned look.

"Well, maybe they found a backdoor to get out of that place and ended up somewhere in The Pale Moors," Ash stated while looking around to see if they appeared in this town.

Before they got out of town, the morning sun started to rise with a few clouds in the sky but the weather that Ash felt was the brightest weather he ever felt when he came to this rundown verse. They look toward the horizon and see the beautiful morning sunrise before them.

Before they made their way out of town, a group of people at the front gate approached them. The liberators could tell that it was the escaped Dr. Psyche's prisoners. It was good size group but the liberators still didn't know if that was everyone present. Who stood in front of the escapees was an old balding man with white hair and a long beard to go along with the color of his hair. The man's face had wrinkles and appeared that he's been here for a long time in this verse. His eyes were brown and his teeth weren't in bad shape. The height of the man was 5'8 inches and his weight was normal. He held an old wooden cane that helped him walk and wore dirtied clothes just like the rest of everyone.

The liberators met face to face with him but an olden fondly expression appeared on the old man's face.

"Thank you so much for destroying these abominations that took over our precious town. I didn't think no one would ever come out this far in The Pale Moors to discover what happened to our home." the old man said with a tear of happiness that was formed in his eye.

"Well, we were sent by a scientist in Coruscant named Dr. Regal who told us that this verse was in serious danger and we had to stop these creatures who were apart of an organization known as Nebula," Revan said with bravery that was shown from his personality.

"Unfortunately, only three of us survived to complete the mission. Two primes sacrificed their lives to stop Nebula and one had to leave with no choice." Celestia followed, looking up at the old man in a friendly manner.

"All of us are just speechless with our prayers being answered. We can't thank you enough for saving this settlement's future." the old man spoke with thankfulness and praise to the liberators.

"It's ok gramps, no need to get over the top sappy about our help. We normally try to do things like this around here," Ash stated ease the old man's emotion.

"No, you don't understand. Half of our population died or were created into inhuman horrific experiments when we were trapped in that hellish whatever that verse was and we lost all hope until all of us regained that final hope thanks to you, primes. If you folks need a place to rest, feel free walk into this town and we'll be telling generations about your heroic efforts for this town and the verse," the old man ended then reaching out to shake hands with Ash.

Ash grabbed the man's hand with his iron hand and shook it with respect. The town's people were pleased by the sight of primes and cheered for their good deeds. All of them surrounded the liberators and celebrated their victory. After a minute of thanking the primes, they walk back into town but the old man still stood in front of the trio.

"Sorry if I didn't introduce myself earlier since I was caught up in my emotions, my name is Hershel and I'm the mayor of this town named Hillside." Hershel greeted the primes with each friendly smile and handshake.

"Your welcome to stop by anytime you folks want to! All though it will take a long time for this place to heal and I'm guessing Dracula's army is still a thing now." Hershel said with an ecstatic nature to each liberator.

"Thank you so much, mayor. We'll kindly take your offer." Celestia said, welcoming the mayor's friendship.

The liberators all agreed to stay in the town for a little longer to rest up before heading their separate ways.

Hillside didn't come close to the size of Darkshire but it did have an appearance to be a more of a quieter town that doesn't get a whole of attention compared to the main settlement of Darkshire.

"I still can't believe we made it out alive. At first, I didn't think we would get along well but here we are, walking off like a wild west trio that just saved the town from a bunch of bandits," Ash said as the worn out liberators walk back into town with the mayor.

The trio felt tiredness come over them from the hard fights they fought for this verse. They were ready to rest and be refreshed for anything that the Omniverse had to offer them.

"Well, I will say there is something that we valued greatly back in the land where I used to live and that is the power of friendship," Celestia stated fondly about Equestria as they continued to move with ease.

"We probably should get to know each other more about our backgrounds," Revan stated finally opening up toward Ash as his ally.

[Revan Noctis]

Their valiant victory had come at last as the sun continued to rise over the liberated town known as Hillside.
In truth none of the primes had truly known what they had gotten themselves into and many sacrifices had been made, the people here seemed to also be grieving for how many had been lost to Nebula’s sinister plans.
He had gotten to know Ash quite well on their adventures together and together with Celestia the pair had agreed to stay with Ash and rest in the newly reborn town. The people here forever grateful offered the three of them whatever they desired, of course Revan would never take advantage of such generosity but the chance to relax and heal was certainly too good to pass up.

All around them the people of the town were returning to their former lives, salvaging tools and supplies wherever they could they got to work rebuilding the burned and broken ruinous structures. After the mayor had left them with directions the team had travelled down the ash coated streets toward a more large structure.
Examining a small sign revealed it was a simple yet charming inn. The three walked along a stone path toward a large wooden door that looked strong and heavy yet had obvious signs of having been slightly burned most likely in the attack that had led to the capture of the townspeople. 

The door swung open to a woman in a blue dress and brown hair, the woman put on her best smile as her brown eyes fell over them.

“Welcome to young ghost inn soon to be newly opened.” The woman stated proudly.

“We’re sorry if you’re not open yet but my friends and I desired a place to stay and the mayor said yours would be our best chance.” Revan knew the people out here were used to rebuilding from attacks yet was unsure how well they would do after the damage Nebula had caused.

“There’s still a fair amount of fire damage throughout but rooms are available, I’m afraid food is in short supply right now but our assortment of beverages in the cellar have survived.” The woman moved out of the way motioning them in with a hand gesture.

The inn was little more than a bar and a few tables and chairs and a half burned rug on the floor, few decorations had survived but some like a painting of the town before it’s destruction still remained for all to see.

“It will be some time before new supplies from other towns start travelling here again but we can hold out until then.” The woman said from behind them.

“My name is Mary and my husband and I used to own this place, he didn’t make it.” Mary glanced down at a black mark on the floor before looking up again with a feeble smile clearly doing her best to look grateful despite her inner suffering.

“We’re sorry for the losses your town has suffered.” Revan was no stranger to tales of villages that had been the target of marauding bandits but to be under constant threat from savage inhuman beasts was a horrible burden.

“Many of our people evacuated the town when those nasty things arrived, I do wonder if any will return now that things have become peaceful again.” Revan knew the people here had been through quite a lot even for those that lived in the Pale Moors.

“The town will be in here later for their drinks but for now you can have the place to yourself, pick whatever rooms you want upstairs and they are yours.” Revan looked toward the stairs with the thought of rest very much on his mind.

[Celestia]

The Pale moors, it seemed, were always a dreary place.  The place seemed to be in a perpetual haze, with a constant chill in the air.  If Celestia's current experience represented the common state, actually seeing the sun was likely a rare occurrence, and the days were typically lit by the more muted light of the sun through the clouds.

In other circumstances, Celestia might have found this mildly depressing.  The sun had once been her domain, so to be more distant from it was something she found hard to see as positive.  And more than that it often was, or was at least interpreted as a harbinger of happiness and peace.  To see the denizens of this realm have such limited access to it  would typically be disheartening, and provoke feelings that must be overcome.

Despite all that, at the moment Celestia found comfort in that atmosphere all the same.  For all the shade, it was still a brighter place than the one they just came from.  And now that she looked, it seemed to have a subtle, if sparse, beauty all its own.  She even had to admit that perhaps it was a good thing not to be in the brightest of places, after being in the twisted version of this realm for so long, the full light of the sun might have been overwhelming.

Their group was invited into the town, and offered a place to stay, despite the fact that town itself had just been ravaged by those same forces that gave the primes so much trouble.  Celestia was of half a mind to leave them alone, so as not to put any additional strain on their recovery, but her own body reminded her that she too needed the rest.  She'd pushed herself hard, and while they had ultimately survived Psych's poison, it would take some time to fully leave her system.

The town was remarkably intact considering what it had gone through, although after a moment's thought she realized that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.  The strength of the invaders had likely precluded much in the way of armed resistance, and then the Nebula forces in this region had been after test subjects rather than conquest or destruction.  The bigger cost was not to the structures of the Hillside but to the inhabitants.  It was a terrible cost to the town, but at least had the saving grace that less would need to be rebuilt as the town recovered, and it meant there was some pre-existing shelter which the primes could use.  Granted, the tavern they were invited into wasn't built to accommodate equines, but Celestia was able to make due by grabbing a couple cushions and seating herself near her comrades.  They also had some wood at the ready, and after a brief inspection of the fireplace Celestia used her magic to start a fire there.  She'd add replacement logs to their supply later, for now she wanted to feel some warmth.  Despite her somewhat changed outlook, the Moors were still a cold place.

Once they'd all had a chance to settle, Celestia's companions brought up a good point.  Somehow, they had managed to journey as far as they went and overcome threats of the scope they had faced, yet they still new next to nothing about each other as people.  While it is true there are few better ways to get the measure of someone than a 'trial by fire', that was no replacement for a proper introduction.

Still, despite the general agreement, the moment that followed was quiet.  All of them were exhausted from their recent ordeal.  “I suppose I would be as good as any to begin,” Celestia eventually said, reclining on her cushions.  “I was royalty, and lead my country, where I came from prior to the Omniverse.  Though I must confess, I haven't been using my title since my arrival, as what is a princess without subjects?”  She smiled a small, tired smile.  “I must admit, I am finding it to be something of a reprieve of my duties...former duties.  Even if this is still much that could be done.”

Celestia felt that would be enough to start.  Her new friends could ask anything they wished to know in particular, and she would volunteer more information soon enough.  “Ash,” she said, looking toward him.  “I've never seen anyone who fights quite like you do, where did you learn such unique tools?”

[Ash Williams]

"No offense but I was weirded out when I first saw you since I never seen any kind of talking magical ponies but only where I was from, little girls would like to play, watch shows, or read books that involved magical ponies," Ash joked about while sitting in a rocking chair near the fireplace with his gun prompted against the side of the fireplace.

He didn't really mean it in a rude manner but how long Celestia has been around Ash, she's gotten more knowledge about his kind of personality which was way different compared to hers and Revan's

"It's ok, I figure that some in the Omniverse know that it is strange to encounter my kind," Celestia stated in a kind manner and wasn't offended by what Ash just said.

"Well first off if I can remember correctly, that I went on a weekend trip with my girlfriend at an isolated cabin in the woods. There was a book that was called the Necronomicon, a book that wasn't meant for the living to read. I accidentally awoke something in the woods while examining the book that came for my girlfriend first. At that moment, I had no choice but to put her down with my chainsaw. Later, it eventually got into my hand, so I was forced to lock it off by sawing my hand off with the chainsaw. Apparently, the book said I was the promised one to stop evil. I remember that I time traveled back to the medieval times to stop the evil once again. So, here I am stuck in another madhouse and hoping that I can find a way back home that I been seeking for a long time now." Ash presented while rocking slowly back and forth in the chair that made a creaking noise each time he rocked.

"Oh my, I can tell you came from a harsh time of your life. I'm sorry for your loss," Celestia remarked with a frown about the events he was involved with.

"Thanks," said Ash quietly under his breath about Celestia's condolences.

"For now, I have been living in Darkshire to help its people from the evil that has taken over The Pale Moors and fight against it to make this a better verse to live in. Hell, I heard days before The Pale Moors was once a livable verse and there were more people living here then there is now. I've also heard about that we got Dracula on our hands who's a vampire that controls an army of goons to cause trouble here. One day, I hope I will have the chance to kick that guy's ass." Ash continued with the feelings of weariness after everything that just happened.

"Hey since you said you had the title of a princess, do you still think about making a kingdom of something or just decided to take a break from that position? Since while being here, I've realized there are primes out there that like making themselves big or important to the Omniverse," Revan questioned while resting near the fireplace as well.

"Well, I never put thought into about doing anything like that while I been here," Celestia stated while staying warm from the heat of the fire.

"It's all down to you now, Revan," Ash said while they look back at him and awaited if he would like to share a little more about himself.

[Revan Noctis]

The newly created flames spread a kind warmth throughout the building bathing over the interior inhabitants seated in a long needed comfort. His companions he had fought beside now sat with him in deep discussion as they brought up their pasts for the purpose of further getting to know one another.
He himself had listened intently, to his surprise Celestia had revealed her royalty. Despite being a talking equine Celestia’s world had been most like his own. Ash appeared to have far more in common with those he had seen living in the alien world of Coruscant where technology and magic were the same, his weapons were a testament to how strange his world must have been.

Ash Williams had quite a dark tale to tell, having spoken of being forced to kill his lover and even removing his own hand. He shivered at the thought of having to remove his own corrupted extremity. Ash next spoke of time travel, it was clear this strange warrior had already suffered being pulled from his own world before. The Pale Moors as they were so called were quite a dangerous place, the mention of Dracula did not fail to remind him of Illidan and the monsters attempt at a massacre of innocents.

Recalling his first large battle he had been apart of he thought back to that rainy night. “I remember you from the assault.”

The words took Ash by surprise for a moment thinking back to the city and the battle that had almost completely undone his hard work plunging the verse into darkness forever. A grin came to his face as the memory returned to him.

“Yeh, thanks for the help” he waited hoping Revan had more to say.

“I’m happy to help, and I am sorry for your loss.” Revan would never have expected that having your world destroyed by such powers was possible.

“I hope your subjects are managing well without your guidance, I hope you both make it to where you want to be.” both of them had reasons to return home yet they had all done so much good for the poor souls here.

“My world did not have magic, or very advanced technology, though it was no less dangerous.” compared to all he had been through memories of his own world seemed mundane and unimportant.

“I was a warrior, I killed those that challenged the rule of the monarchs I served.” he scoffed at the idea of how foolish and small minded his own people were, how foolish and small minded he himself used to be.

“I would hate it if either of you thought less of me for my less righteous past, but I have saved innocents from those that would spill their blood without mercy before, it’s just that in my world demons and monsters were thought to be mere myths.” Revan hoped many of his companions questions had been answered.

“Revan, I cant say I’ve been a saint since that day in the woods either.” Ash added considering Revan at least more civilised than those barbarians that had almost fed him to a deadite.

The woman who owned the establishment approached the group gracefully with a warm and friendly smile as she waited for them to acknowledge her presence. “I would like to inform you that we have managed to get our baths working, I am sure you would all appreciate a chance to bath.”

“Thank you Mary.” the thought of a wash seemed a good addition to this down period they would be smart to savour as long as possible.

[Celestia]

Ash's question was something worth considering, Celestia reflected.  She'd been speaking truthfully when she'd said she hadn't given it much thought, arriving in a new plane tended to leave one a little disoriented.  And the Omniverse wasn't just a single plane, so there was a lot to take in.  Now might be a better time to think about it, she considered.

She didn't need long.  Ruling in the Omniverse came with some particular obstacles.  “While the idea of taking up leadership again has some appeal,” she followed up to Ash's question, “I would not wish to force anyone here for my sake.”  That ruled out summoning a kingdom of her own, for the most part.  “And then those places which already exist here, have leaders from what I have seen.  Even if my guidance could be helpful, I have still only recently arrived, and usurping another is as likely to do harm as good.”  She paused for a moment, before adding, “I suppose if I were ever asked, I would likely agree to a position.  For now however, I am content to be a 'free agent', of sorts.”

Celestia sat quietly after that, giving Revan more of a chance to speak.  She was glad she did, for the swordsman's past also had a heavy topic.  He used to be an active contributor to something very brutal, if not fully aware of what he was doing, and he felt badly about it.  Guilt could be a healthy reaction, and one should never forget the mistakes one's made or risk repeating them.  All the same, one must be able to move forward, instead of focusing too much on past regrets.

Revan was worried about being seen as less in the eyes of his companions, and that was something which should be replied to.  Celestia filled the silence which followed with a faint sigh.  “Everyone does things which they regret over the course of their lives.  Some of those are more serious than others.  I have my share too...” She looked away for a moment, before looking back at Revan, smiling.  “What's important is that we move past them.  As long as you keep trying to move forward, I won't think any less of you.”

The group was saved from the heavy conversation by the tavern's owner returning, to inform them that the building's baths had been returned to working order.  “A bath sounds wonderful,” Celestia mused, before looking back to her companions.  “Perhaps we should call it an evening then, and leave further conversation for the morning?  I believe we're all exhausted,” she struggled to a standing position before adding, “I know I am.”  She began moving in the direction of the rooms, though lingered in case Revan or Ash had any last thoughts they needed to share.

[Ash Williams]

"Well, I'm crapped out too and all this fighting to save this dreaded verse made me wore out. I'll see you guys in the morning but by tomorrow, I should be making my way back to Darkshire," said Ash, while getting up from the rocking chair then stretched his body from sitting in the chair for a long time.

He started making his way to where the rooms were at for the guests and so did his teammates. The Innkeeper kindly showed the heroes where they were going to be sleeping at. Each room was identical to everyone else's just how it was set up. Ash would have to admit, he thought the inns back in Darkshire were a little nicer on the appearance but than again, this town was trying to rebuild itself after Nebula took over it. The rooms had their own bath areas for their privacy which was nice since they weren't all the same gender. By this point, Ash was used to no running water in this verse but did miss the 21st technology he used when it came to showering.

Their rooms were set up nicely and they all went into them, closing the doors behind themselves. Revan and Ash used the orbs of omnilium to summon fresher clothes while Celestia didn't really need to. It didn't take them too long to wash after from what happened last night, but they took their time to relax as much as possible. Soon after they finished cleaning themselves, the liberators went straight to bed without wasting time. Ash couldn't wait to finally lay down on an actual mattress and not to worry about anything trying to kill him. It didn't take too long for him to fall asleep as well with the others. As they slept, the town continued to rebuild itself and stay on watch for anything threatening coming their way.

The liberators slept throughout the day although all of them were used to staying awake throughout the daytime then going to bed at nighttime. They continued to sleep hard like a rock and wasn't disturbed by anything. Ash rolled around in his bed with covers while his eyes were shut tight. Celestia and Revan didn't move a muscle while sleeping. Snoring could be heard in Ash's room while he produced sounds which could was noticeable behind his door but it didn't bother anyone. They continued to sleep for about nine hours. By then, Revan woke up and realized it was around the afternoon time.

After Revan awoken so did Celestia and Ash with their minds fully rested and ready for anything. They came out of their dorm rooms and greeted each other even wondering if themselves slept well. Afterward, their stomachs began to grumble for food and figured they should head out into town for something to eat. Ash mentioned by the time they would finish catching something to eat, he would make his way back to Darkshire and didn't mind if they wanted to still follow him back to the town.

[Revan Noctis]

The meeting with the others had gone well though no reason it shouldn’t have gone any worse, with that it was time to bathe and then to get some sleep to recover from the massive amounts of fighting. Revan watched as Ash made his way off to his room after informing them of his intention to set out for darkshire tomorrow. He looked over to the white Alicorn, Celestia seemed calm but he would be surprised if the pony princess didn’t have a lot on her mind.

“He’s an interesting one.” Revan grinned having been amused by Ash’s humorous personality.

“He hides his pain well, he must believe some good can come from his fighting.” Celestia spoke calmly in agreement with her robed companion.

I guess rest would be for the best, you’re fine with getting to your room?” Somehow the equine didn’t seem all that out of place with their human centric accomodations.

“Good night Revan.” She said as she hopped up on all four hooves and trotted towards the stairs.

“Rest easy Celestia.” He said hoping it would be the same for him.

Raising himself onto his own legs he made his way to the wooden stairs and began to climb the steps up to the second floor which seemed to have been damaged less than the lower floor. He approached a large wooden door and opened it, the door creaked as it swung open revealing a small and basic room yet strangely it looked like the best thing since Sombra’s guest room. A second door to the side as it too swung open revealed access to a hot bath which he could tell by the steam would be most comfortable. He removed his battle damaged and robes preparing for the bath as he pondered how he was supposed to go about getting a change of clothes.

Over time it seemed his armour and clothes regenerated so long as he wore them, being a supposed Prime he figured this was some new inherent power he had to work with. Using the power of Omnillium he spent a few minutes seemingly mending his armour and robes as the battle damage seemed to wipe away. Getting into the bath he felt a serenity of warmth overtake him, it seemed this was the first real opportunity he had managed to relax since coming to this strange world. Suddenly however he heard a knock on his door, removing himself from the tub and placing on some white robes that were provided made his way to the door of his room.

Opening the door he found none other then Celestia standing on the other side with rosey cheeks and a smile that warmed his heart. Revan stood for a few moments in silence simply staring into Celestia’s eyes before coming back to reality and shaking his head.

“Sorry to disturb you Revan but I have a large request to ask of you.” Celestia looked embarrassed it seemed.

“Come in I’m sure it won’t be too much trouble.” Revan moved aside as the alicorn female entered as the door shut behind her.

“It’s just that I don’t feel so safe here, back home I would have pets, guards and even my sister to alert me to danger yet here I have nopony.” Celestia seemed to be suffering from a case of home sickness.

“I know just how you feel, I mean I never had much of anyone to watch over me but I spent a fair amount of time in camps where soldiers were always on duty.” Revan felt bad for the princess but there was nothing he could do to get her home.

“If it’s not too much trouble perhaps I could sleep in your bed tonight?” Celestia seemed to blush as she said it but recovered quickly once the words had been spoken.

“Of course, allow me to just finish getting changed, make yourself comfortable.” he felt disappointed his bath had been quick but slipping off his white robe he put on some black sleek silk sleeping clothes.

Exiting the bathroom he found Celestia already layed out on the bed looking up at him, she had not seen him before without armour on. “I really enjoyed the baths, did you?” Celestia he noticed had washed her body before coming to his room as was evident with it being more fluffier then usual.

“Get some sleep, we may leave with Ash come morning.” Revan began to lean down prepared to sleep on the floor.

“Revan, what are you doing?“ Celestia peered over the bed looking down at him.

“Trying to get some rest.” he spoke up to her wondering why she sounded so shocked.

“Revan, we are friends, I didn’t come here to kick you out of your own bed.” Celestia reached down a hoof to help him up.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to sleep in the same bed as a princess, besides maybe we sleep differently.” Now it had been Revan’s turn to blush as he stood at the side of the bed.

“Well since you care so much about my title, don’t make me give you a royal order to go to bed.” Celestia snickered as Revan walked around to the other side of the bed before climbing in.

“Eyes shut, Little to no movement, dreams?” she asked Revan curiously.

“Sounds about the same.” replied Revan realising he hadn’t dreamed in a while.

“See we aren’t so different.” Celestia smiled at Revan one more time happy that even here in the Pale Moors friendship had prevailed.

“Good night Celestia.” Revan said finally relaxed and calm.

“Good night Revan.” Celestia wondered what they would dream of.

[Celestia]

It was, Celestia thought, a little out of character of herself to ask for company like this.  She always strove to be the anchor, keeping collected and holding firm so that others could draw support from her.  Showing too much weakness would cost her that capacity, and so she had done before, and so she had planned to continue.

But then, perhaps that itself was the very problem.  Celestia had said it herself earlier, this was not her homeland.  Earlier, she had said it to mean she didn't have as much responsibility, that her previous role of a figurehead (among others) no longer applied.  It also meant, she now realized, that several things she'd grown accustomed to were no longer present.  And while ordinarily such things wouldn't affect her this much, the whole group had been through an ordeal, and in a place with next to no sun no less.  Perhaps she had earned a moment of weakness, and perhaps it would be better to spend the evening with company rather than alone.  Any ramifications that came from it were something that could be addressed later.

Besides, sleep was calling to her.  Celestia knew, more than anything else, that she needed the rest.  And the bed was awfully comfortable...

---

Celestia found herself standing above a vast lake.  Or perhaps it was an ocean, but she couldn't say for certain.  Wherever she was, it was nearly pitch black, with the only thing she could readily make out was water beneath her, stretching out in all directions away from her save for up and down.  She was, she saw, the only nearby source of light, reflecting off of the surprisingly choppy water below.  She regarded herself for only a moment, noting the steady glow coming off of her coat, though in the dream she could find no part of that out of place.

A little more unusual was the fact that she was standing.  A natural act perhaps, but there was no ground for her to stand on.  Celestia should have been swimming at least, and yet here she was, several paces above the water itself.  She looked down, watching the waves for a moment, though they were not inclined to give up their secrets to mere observation.  She did however see a glint to the waves that wasn't explained by the light she was giving off.  She looked up.

Now that some time had passed in the blackness, she could make out more details.  The blackness above her wasn't as pure as she thought.  There were motes of light scattered across it.  Celestia's first thought was stars, but when she took an exploratory step she noticed the slightest of shifts in their position.  This was no night sky, but the roof of a vast cavern.

She did not however feel the need to investigate just yet.  Her improving vision revealed to Celestia soemthing else, a shape still a ways distant but out across the sea rather that above her.  She could only see its silhouette, but already it stood out as the most noteworthy thing within her vision.  She approached.

As she drew steadily closer to it, she began to hear a noise, sounding faintly like stone, grinding against itself as it shifted around.  The noise grew steadily louder the farther she travelled, and the closer she got.

Just as she was almost close enough for her own illumination to shed some light on the structure-

---

Celestia woke up.

The transition a dream to the waking world was less jarring than she might have feared, although it still took a moment to adjust.  Celestia opened her eyes to see that normality, or at least as much as she could find here, reasserted itself.  She was back inside the comfort of a building and, she noted, someone else's bed.

That wasn't really somewhere she wanted to be known as staying, but she was in no rush.  She took her time, easing herself out of bed.  That felt like the best sleep she'd had in ages, if only by virtue of what had preceded it, and said previous adventure was still fresh in her mind.  The restful night had done wonders, but she could still feel some lingering affects of the toxins.  It was no cause for concern though, they would fade in time.

The three of them woke up at roughly the same time it turned out, meeting each other outside their rooms shortly after waking.  Ash suggested food.  “A meal would be nice,” Celestia had agreed, “although I think it would be better to make our own.  The town will have enough that needs to be done without needing to supply us as well.”  A while ago she had discovered that it was fairly easy to conjure things such as food when one had time, and time was something they had in abundance right now.  She let her companions make her own choices, but she found a quiet place for herself to work.

When all three had accounted for food they reconvened.  Ash was headed back to Darkshire.  “I'm not sure where I'm headed,” Celestia eventually replied, “I still know far too little of this place to have a firm destination.  However, the gate should be around there as I recall, I will likely need to move that direction regardless.  If we're going the same way, at least that far, it would always be nicer to travel with friends.”  She smiled, before turning to her other companion.  “And you, Revan?  Where are you headed after this?”

[Ash Williams]

The liberators were sitting in the living room where they rested before going to bed. There wasn't a fire lit in the fireplace but charred remains of the wood laid there. The day warmed up from how long the sun was in the sky, but the weather wasn't clear due to the Pale Moors' common dreary weather. Ash sat in a rocking chair while they chatted for the meantime. All of them enjoyed the plenty rest time they received for saving this town. The evil dead slayer remained quiet while Celestia and Revan chatted about where they were going. Ash stayed in his own mindset about what he might do when he will return to Darkshire. He didn't mind if Celestia wasn't going to stay around any longer in this verse.

"I was thinking about doing the same thing, Celestia. Besides, I don't mind still accompanying you through the Omniverse," Revan Stated in a cheery mood while he and Celestia were sitting on a couch.

Ash knew the Pale Moors didn't fit her style but for him, he was used to this environment that is filled with horrors. If they were going to leave for Darkshire, it would be better to leave while there was daylight because the night isn't safe for anyone to travel. He rocked back and forth in the rocking chair while Revan and Celestia were still conversating. Ash finally got a word out to get their attention.

"If we're planning to head out, now will be the best time to do so since the night isn't quite safe compared to traveling while the sun is still in the sky," Ash said, getting up from the rocking chair while his comrades still sat.

"Yes, it would be smarter to do," Celestia agreed while looking back at Ash in a solemn way.

"I'm okay with that too," Revan Commented about the plan of moving out right now.

"Then its settle, lets head back to Darkshire now," Ash said ready to head out.

They left the living room and made their way to the front door of the inn. The Innkeeper realized they were heading out and Mary said her goodbyes to the heroes of Hillside. All of them said farewell to Mary and wished her luck. The liberators walked down the main street of the town as it was still bustling with survivors that were rebuilding their town. They pass the courthouse on their left and realized that the mayor was outside talking to his politic colleagues. He looked at the corner of his eye and noticed the group of primes was making their way to leave town. The mayor excused himself to catch up to the primes.

"Excuse me, fellow primes!" Hershel shouted from behind while trying to walk as fast as he could but his age slowed him down.

He caught their attention and they turn around to notice it was the mayor that was calling out to them.

"My friends, are you leaving the town now?" Hershel questioned about their departure.

"Yes, we are Mayor, but we won't forget you or this town," Celestia said while in a cheery attitude to Hershel.

"Don't worry Hershel, I'll try to visit when I get a chance but Darkshire probably needs me," Ash mentioned trying not to waste too much time on talking.

"I will too but I must continue my journey," Revan commented about what Ash said but didn't really want to hurt the Mayor's feelings.

"I understand, and we have all responsibilities we need to take care of but please don't forget us. We show much of our liking of what you have done here," Hershel shared his feelings toward the trio for them to truly know.

They all paid respect to the mayor in a friendly manner than Hershel let them go. The liberators waved back at Hershel and he waved back as well. He hoped to Omni that he will see them again. After eight minutes of walking down the main street, they stand in front of the rebuilt gate of the settlement that was guarded by the local militia. Hillside's guards showed respect to the heroic primes and weren't strict on them. They saluted by their appearance and the leader of the gate squad stepped forth in front of the liberators.

"Good afternoon primes! Sgt. Shaw reporting for duty!" The sergeant introduced himself to the primes with a swift salute then stood at attention along with his squad.

"At ease everyone, we were just making our way back to Darkshire. Permission for us to leave?" Celestia said to Sgt. Shaw in a kindly manner.

"Permission granted. Stay safe out there, primes." Sgt. Shawn ordered his men to open the gate for the liberators.

They open the gate in about a minute and the primes can see the dead darkened forest ahead of them. All of them walked out of lively town and the gate closed right behind them. Guards watched from the towers that surrounded the settlement and kept an eye on the primes' safety. Ash grabbed his omnilium out of his pants' pocket and wanted to summon a transport that can carry all of them. He remembered the old car he used to drive in his previous daily life. The first car he ever bought with his hard-earned cash which was a cream yellow 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan. Suddenly, the omnilium granted his desire and the car suddenly started to take form in front of them. After thirty seconds of the car being made, the vehicle sits right in front of them which Celestia and Revan didn't think it was a bad choice.

"Aw yeah, baby! WOO!!!" Ash screamed in excitement to see his old ride returning to him.

He ran up to the car and kissed it on the hood showing how much he missed this car.

"I missed you, baby," Ash cooed to the car but Revan and Celestia tried to not look at Ash in a weird way about his affection for this car.

"Gang, I would like to introduce you to the Oldsmobile. A classic machinery to get you around in and say hello to the 21st century way of rides." Ash said quickly getting back up from kissing the hood of the car than looking back at the two in a charismatic way.

"I haven't seen much for this kind of invention and never really experienced one," Revan mentioned about the piece of technology that Ash summoned.

It was the same for Celestia but she started getting used to the Omniverse showing her new things every day.

"It's an Oldsmobile or basically just call it a car. Now, who's ready for a ride?" Ash said jingling the car keys in his right metallic hand with a firm grasp.

[Revan Noctis]

Revan had to admit he sure was going to miss the town of Hillside, the people there had been extremely nice to them and had made them feel at home. Now with the sun in the sky and after a wondrous much needed recovery the trio of liberators set out into the dangerous woods of the Pale Moors once more. Revan nor Celestia had been in the Omniverse for that long and so many things were new to them, despite this he had surely learned how dangerous the Moors could be. Ash paused pulling out his Omnillium, the substance given to them to create that which they desired at any time, Celestia had created a delicacy, an apple pie created in the pony way. 

Ash created something that he referred to as a car that he seemed quite proud of, practically throwing himself at the machine it was obvious to Revan that the man held the vehicle in great esteem. Ash held keys and shook them at him, Revan admitted he found the prospect of this vehicle quite interesting. Ash introduced them to the front door and showed how they were swung open, Revan climbed into the front with Ash while Celestia moved into the back.

“These are seatbelts.” said Ash strapping himself in.

“This doesn’t seem like the safest mode of travel.” Revan clicked his own belt into place.

“Celestia you may want to use more than one.” Ash said hoping Celestia would fit into the backseat.

“Are you sure about this Ash?” Revan asked not so sure that riding in the machine was the best decision.

“Trust me Revan you and Celestia are gonna love this.” Ash turned the keys with a wide wild grin.

“Time to see just what this baby can do!” Ash yelled out excited for the chance to drive this amazing car.

The engine roared to life much to Ash’s glee, using a wheel as a means of controlling the vehicle as well as things he stepped on the sedan began moving forward. At first a slow and steady pace was all that was needed but shortly after clearing the trees the car sped up at a faster speed moving toward Darkshire. Revan couldn’t be entirely sure but Ash did not seem to be the safest controller of the car. They were bound to be at Darkshire in no time at the speed they were now travelling, the vehicle bumped and shook along the makeshift road driving them to their next destination.

“Hope we aren’t interrupting the evil that’s sleeping at this time of day!” Ash yelled hoping in truth that he woke Dracula from his prescious beauty sleep.

[Celestia]

Celestia did have some reservations about leaving the town so soon after the crisis that had befallen it.  They had suffered a terrible tragedy, from which they would need time to recover, and Hillside was situated in the middle of a dangerous area.   All the same she too would need time to recover, from essentially the same cause, and could do limited good in her current state.  That, and the town was clearly fortified.  They'd lasted this long, and their recent losses were due to particular circumstances.  They would be able to endure.

There were it would seem plenty of distractions on the way, though whether that was fortunate or not remained to be seen.  Ash recreated an old vehicle of his with omnilium, and by his own enthusiasm toward his creation, it had been something dear to him.  Celestia found the device fascinating, though not with the same excitement that its creator did.  She could see potential of such things for transportation, and the vehicle itself had a curious look to it, however mechanical devices had never been an area she invested much time in.

Celestia declined the suggestion of seatbelts.  A part of her choice stemmed from lack of familiarity with them, the other was with her own durability and capacity for flight.  If something were to go wrong, she could escape the car easily enough on her own.  Meanwhile if she was tangled up in the belts, she could lose precious time struggling out of them should something unfortunate occur.  Otherwise the seats were fairly comfortable, if not really designed for an equine, and she sat in the back without reason to complain for the duration of the ride.

She had to admit, riding in this vehicle proved to be a smoother adventure than traveling in Revan's had been.  It wasn't something she would hold against the swordsman though, he likely had even less experience with such machines than the alicorn had.  The journey was still rough regardless, if due to the condition of the road rather than any fault of the vehicle.  She was tempted to finish the rest of the trip in the air, but she had to admit the car would get to their destination much sooner.

And safer, in its own way.  There was little of interest on their route, so Celestia took the time to observe the countryside they were passing through.  It wasn't particularly varied either, but it did give her a glimpse of the local fauna.  Not much, but enough to paint a dire picture: shuffling humanoids, with limbs optional, what might have once been natural critters twisted into concerning new forms, and distant things the appearance of which she couldn't fully classify, all made distant appearances.  Fortunately, they didn't have to deal with them.  The noises the car made as it traveled scared off a number of the smaller creatures, while the larger ones either couldn't catch up, or didn't find catching them worth the effort.

Finally, after a period of traveling that seemed to blur together, the jumbled skyline of Darkshire's houses and fortifications appeared on the horizon, and only a few minutes after that they had arrived close to the town's centre.  It was as close as the vehicle could manage, without risking damage to either itself or the town.

Celestia climbed out, taking a moment to stretch before turning back to Ash.  “This is where we part ways, I believe.  You'll be staying here, yes?”  She assumed so at least, given things he'd said previously.  Otherwise she might have made him an offer to join her on her travels.  “I'm afraid I won't be.  I'd like to find the sun again, while I'm recovering.  And there are still many realms I have yet to see.”  Then she smiled.  “I'm glad to have met you, and I hope the next time we see each other the circumstances are more fortunate.”

Celestia stepped aside then, in case Revan had partings words of his own, to either Ash or herself.  She intended to head to one of the 'hubs of civilization' after this.  The swordsman would be welcome to come with her, if he had no outstanding desires or obligations, though she'd hope he felt no obligation toward her.

[Ash Williams]

The Oldsmobile shut off from Ash turning the ignition to deactivate and took out the keys. As of the town, it was bustling with life with people passing by and eyeballing at the strange transportation vehicle that was rarely seen in this verse. As they got out of the vehicle, the evil dead slayer desired for the car to disappear which it did from the Omnilium's action. The car receded back into the rainbow-colored orb by being broke down into sparkles that retreated to the orb Ash held. He put the Omnilium back in his pants pocket and looked back at Celestia who was departing.

"I'll see you later than, princess," Ash waved goodbye to the powerful yet magical Celestia.

"Wait!" Revan yelled loudly to get Celestia's attention, making her turn around before she moved on.

"I'll go with you, it sounds dangerous to travel alone and meet unfamiliar verses without any help," Revan continued enough for Celestia to hear which she still liked the idea of companions to travel with her.

"Very well Revan," Celestia responded in a cheerful and heartwarming way at Revan's proposal.

"Ash, it was nice knowing you and I would be happy to cross paths with you again. Maybe someday," Revan said looking back at Ash with a welcoming expression on his face.

"Yeah, we should kick evil asses again sometime," Ash replied with a charismatic smirk at both primes.

"Before we head out, its best to connect with our communicators in the case for emergencies or for other occasions," Revan mentioned bringing out his communicator.

Ash remembered buying a Communicator from before and thought it that was a clever idea to keep in contact with each other. Each of the primes linked their communicators together with a USB cord that exchanged information back and forth. Once the electronics were done gathering information, all the communicators lit up with a green light that they were good to go. Ash unplugged the cord from their communicators and put the wire back in one of his pockets.  

"Well, now it's the appropriate time to departure. Ash, take care of yourself and keep Darkshire safe. Your welcome at any time to contact me for anything," Celestia pronounced her final goodbye as Revan and she made their way to the gateway that was located at the center of the town.

They walked away and disappear into the Darkshire's daily crowd of citizens that were going about with their daily business. When Ash couldn't see them anymore, he felt his throat was dry from the day and thought now would be the perfect time to grab a beer at the usual Tavern he has been living in since he came to Darkshire. It took him a good chunk of time to get to the tavern while navigating through the streets of the town. He still had his ear open for anything bad to happen but no monster or evil being appeared since their fortification of Darkshire was well made. When the sun was setting down, he arrived at the tavern that he has now called home. The doors opened to a lively scene of daily drinkers and off-duty Darkshire guards/soldiers that populated the tavern.

Ash felt happy he was finally back at his comfortable place and free from his hero duties. He walked up to the bar and sat down on one of the free stools. The bartender noticed Ash and made his usual drink which was a freshly brewed beer. He slid the mug across the counter toward Ash, catching the drink with his steel hand. Foam bubbled at the top of the mug that gave off a quenching look for a good homemade beer. Ash moved the mug up toward his lips and contacted the foam with his mouth. He started drinking and it tasted great after a long journey of fighting off an alternate darkness that threatened Omniverse. Some of the Darkshire's militia noticed Ash returning and greeted the hard-working prime.

The evil dead slayer explained his absence and the adventure he just finished. None of them haven't heard of Nebula before and didn't realize this verse was exposed to a greater threat than Dracula. They were fascinated by his story who he was up against and the friends he made along the way. The ones that listened to him raised a glass to his return and they drank the night away in an uplifting way.

[Revan Noctis]

After a long rest and a ride back along the dark and gloomy land in the strange technology that Ash seemed so familiar with. He had overall found the journey back to Darkshire surprisingly easy and peaceful considering how dangerous the Moor’s truly were. The arrival back at Darkshire reminded Revan of the battle against the horrific horde that had once invaded the city and if left unchecked would probably do so again. Ash wandered off after they had combined their communication devices, it was good to know that Ash was somebody the Moors could count on. 

Revan moved with Celestia through the streets of Darkshire observing its citizenry who despite all they had been through had adapted well to the harsh realities of what the verse had against them. “I am happy to know we helped these people, even if they will continue to have other problems.”

The gates that travelled between verses had been among the first of the strange new structures that he had been introduced to and wondered where else they could potentially go, he did though wonder how all these people had ended up here. He had seen Coruscant for a short time and if the technology hadn’t been beyond his imagination some of the people there certainly were strange. Then there had been the island in the middle of a boundless sea, there Revan had chosen to travel with Celestia and it seemed the island had also fallen under the control of the same empire.

“This is a strange world that we have been brought to, I wonder what secrets are out there.” Revan wondered just how many different verses and diverse people there truly were.

“So Celestia, do you believe that it is time that we moved on?” Revan had been in the moors long enough that he coud not entirely help but feel like it was partly his responsibility to protect the people here, he certainly wanted to return at some point and do more for those here.

“What do you hope to achieve next?” Revan was unsure where he should go next, though he guessed that there was more to learn about their circumstances then what currently presented itself.

[Celestia]

They'd said their collective goodbyes, Ash returning to his previous place in the moors, and as such Revan asked the natural question of whether or not they should move on.  Celestia considered for only a moment.  “Yes, I believe it is time.  This seems like a place where there is always something that could be done, for those looking for ways to help.”  She looked around the town as she spoke.  “However, there's a limit to what we personally could do, right now.”  She smiled, amused at herself as she realized she was probably giving more information than he needed.  “I still need to see all the component planes of this place.  And after spending so much time in the Moors, I was hoping to go someplace more in line with my element.”

As the two of them started walking through Darkshire, ultimately making their way toward the city's edge, Revan followed up his question with another, this time asking what it was Celestia was hoping to accomplish.  Celestia paused for a moment, not having thought about the question she was taken a little off guard by it.  “I'm not entirely sure,” she said as she resumed walking.  “Long term...I would eventually like to leave.  However, escaping this place is not going to be as simple as knocking down a wall.  The best first course of action I believe, would be to visit each component verse in turn, and see what can be done once I'm properly informed.”

They'd been walking as they spoke, and so it didn't take long for them to reach the edge of the city.  That was convenient, as the edge of the city was where they were heading.  There were two gates at the edges of Darkshire.  One of them, they both knew, lead back to the Nexus.  They'd come through that one when they first arrived here, which felt like ages ago, even if was only a few short days.

The Nexus wasn't a destination of much interest though.  Or if it did hold secrets, they were hidden much better than Celestia or Revan could yet find them.  Naturally, the pair headed for the other gate.  “This is it then,” Celestia spoke, as they'd stopped to admire the arch they were about to step through for a moment.  The other side promised something brighter and more colourful than their current locale, if perhaps no less dangerous.  Celestia looked to Revan and smiled.  “Our first steps into yet another new world.”  They'd already said the farewells they'd needed to say, and they would be keeping in contact with that person anyways.

Not waiting a second longer, she strode through.

[Revan Noctis]

Revan walked down a stone path alongside Celestia, the world they had found themselves was one that had no shortage of dangers and those that could use their help. Celestia’s words seemed true, infact it seemed the everybody needed their help in one way or another.

Revan had seen a great many things so far but got the feeling that he had only scratched the surface of what this world had to throw at him. Despite this he felt compelled to go further, to face his fears and in time emerge victorious.

“Somewhere with more sunshine?” he asked rhetorically with a warm grin.

Celestia made it clear that eventually she hoped to leave, he certainly understood her desire as her world had most certainly sounded far better off than the one they were currently in. He himself had every intention of likewise exploring and learning as much as he could although he had come to quickly realise safety was far from guaranteed.

Revan had noticed since coming here, he had the opportunity to become a hero, to truly help those that did their best to coexist in this world, he was proud of that. As they passed the gate to the Nexus he noticed something else, he was glad of his new friendships.

“You’re right, the people here will need our help again soon enough.” Revan hoped the people of the Moor’s continued with some respite from their great ordeals.

“So it is.” Revan replied finally laying eyes upon a new gate that would surely take them to somewhere they had not been to before.

“I promised the people here I would return, but for now I must seek answers, let’s hope we find some.” Revan stepped forward taking a glance back over the Moor’s one last time.

“Let’s hope things work out.” said Revan stepping into the gate just after Celestia.

<To Call of Friendship>