The next morning, Arsha was standing on a balcony overlooking the Mid-realm castle garden. She wore only her nightdress, not thinking about her dressing routine until she got her thoughts in order. As she looked out, the incident where her parents looked different for only a moment was still playing in her mind. She stood there, staring off into space, not noticing Bashoon approach. \u201cCaptain?\u201d she asked. Arsha gasped and whirled around. She then calmed down when she saw Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, Bashoon,\u201d she finally said after getting over her slight fright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cArsha, I wasn\u2019t attempting to sneak up on you,\u201d remarked Bashoon. \u201cSomething\u2019s on your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Bashoon, do you remember how we got the Master Wand?\u201d Bashoon goggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHaven\u2019t thought about that thing in a long time,\u201d she replied. \u201cBut yeah, I do.\u201d Bashoon smiled. \u201cIt was nice seeing other universes. Hey, remember that wanderer you beat in a circus tent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat I do,\u201d chuckled Arsha. \u201cOr when Optimus Prime and I had our 3V2R round together? We both forgot what the terms of victory were!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat prompted this trip down memory lane?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I thought I saw Megumi and Richard last night. They were dancing where my parents were. It\u2019s the first time I thought of them in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen was the last time you did?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was during the Summit before the Final War. I figured I\u2019d see her and Optimus again and they\u2019d get a tour of the Realms. \u2026That was until I got the news of Andwayla\u2019s death. Then the Final War happened and\u2026well\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOther priorities took over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomething like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI tell you what, we dodged a magic blast there. Imagine if Dr. Borg remembered that the Wand was in the Vaults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYikes! I don\u2019t think we\u2019d even be here talking about it! She and the rest of her council might have ascended to godhood permanently if that happened!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHer loss, our gain. It wasn\u2019t just winning the War that was on our minds though. Reconstruction and motherhood come readily to mind.\u201d Arsha smiled as she thought about her children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, those were really big priorities.\u201d Arsha looked out again. \u201c\u2026I wonder if the Endeavor<\/em> still has entries on them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMight be buried in the Captains\u2019 Archives,\u201d remarked Bashoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll see if Endea can pull them up this afternoon,\u201d decided Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When she finished the morning\u2019s duties as Queen, Arsha headed to the Largandra Shipyards and found the Endeavor<\/em> and Glanthelantir<\/em> moored at the docks. Arsha saw Endea standing by her hull. Endea saw her and waved her over. \u201cArsha, I need to talk about something,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d asked Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve been looking through my old databanks for yucks. I looked through the Captains\u2019 Archives and found several entries about a shape-changing prime robot and I can\u2019t find any correlations from when I first became a Mechanica.\u201d Arsha quickly guessed what, or rather WHO, Endea was talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat particular bot was from before Denstra took Oak\u2019s place,\u201d she explained. \u201cHis name is Optimus Prime and he\u2019s an old friend of mine from beyond the Realms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeyond the Realms?\u201d repeated Endea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s right. You\u2019ve heard of multiverse theory, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, that there are other groups of Realms separately contained from ours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a fact. I saw the other worlds and Optimus comes from a world where life is similar to a Change-a-tron<\/em> series.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, Optimus is a Change-a-tron?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTransformer, actually. He leads his version of the Justitrons, the Autonomous Robotic Organisms of the planet of Cybertron. Autobots, for short. Years ago, the Realms briefly merged with Optimus\u2019 universe and another one where our third friend came from in an event called the Convergence. Our third friend\u2019s name was Megumi Hishikawa, and she was the leader of a group called the Feudal Nerd Society. They also called themselves the Vortex Riders as they could become armored superheroes called Kamen Riders. Three from our world joined them and are now living in her world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait, three people from the Realms didn\u2019t fight in the Final War?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA Zephyr man named Swalmu, a Vampire man named Jandro, and a Stone Elf man named Twaldar. They couldn\u2019t have known the Final War would start. Five from Optimus\u2019 world also stayed with Megumi. They all felt like there was nothing for them. Swalmu was just another face in the crowd that was overlooked, Jandro was the last of the Grelnak Clan of Vampires, and Twaldar had sought emancipation from his abusive parents. Megumi\u2019s home gave them purpose and peace. I couldn\u2019t deny them that.\u201d Endea then cleared her mind of any ire towards them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, no. you\u2019re right. Sorry. I was thinking they were cowards. They couldn\u2019t have\u2026so, wait, why couldn\u2019t we get their help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTwo factors leap to mind. One is that we were a little more concerned with the Realms\u2019 survival and the second is that I didn\u2019t ask Megumi and her team for universe crossing technology. In all honesty, it was for the best. It kept the War contained here. Besides, it also kept the Master Wand out of Megatron\u2019s hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMegatron?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOptimus\u2019 brother and leader of the Autobots\u2019 enemies, the Decepticons. A very brutal faction of Transformers. Wanted to conquer their whole universe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSounds like they were in a war of their own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey were. The sad part is that I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s over for them.\u201d Endea then recalled something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHold on, did you say \u2018Master Wand\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDuring the Convergence,\u201d explained Arsha, \u201cMegumi, Optimus, and I participated in a tournament called the Verse Vs. Verse Rumble Royale, the 3V2R. It was hosted by a godlike race called the Chizarans and the Master Wand was the first-place prize. I won that tournament and got Realmfleet to store the Wand in the Vaults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m surprised Oyed didn\u2019t learn about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDr. Borg may have forgotten to tell him. Either she didn\u2019t want him near that kind of power, or she forgot it herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEither way, we dodged a magic blast there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou, Bashoon, and I are of the same mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Arsha and Endea talked, Glanthel overheard the whole thing. He pondered about what Arsha said about other universes and her travels before the Mechanica Rise. He headed to his ready room and made a call. An Orc man\u2019s face appeared on the screen. He had a prosthetic eye and ear. \u201cGlanthel!\u201d greeted the Orc, Admiral Rokalla Borkshorm. \u201cWhat can I do for you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can help clear something up,\u201d replied Glanthel. \u201cI overheard Mom and Queen Arsha talking about an old legend that Her Majesty retrieved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAn old legend? When was this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was during an event called a convergence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, not A convergence, THE Convergence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo, this 3V2R thing was real?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs was the prize Queen Arsha won. We have it in the Vaults. Thought she was going nuts about other universes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall me paranoid, but after\u2026after Dad\u2019s death\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I know, son. Mental health IS a must.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know the doctors and therapists tried everything, but I feel like I could have done more. And given the damage to my own psyche after that incident\u2026I\u2019m surprised the doctors called it war-shock for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeeing death like that tends to make one feel like they\u2019re on a battlefield. I assure you, though, Arsha\u2019s mental health is all right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s good to know. Thanks for the help, Sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnytime.\u201d Glanthel ended the call and looked out the window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I wonder what those other worlds were like,\u201d he mused. \u201cActual Change-a-trons. Different versions of Sailor Riders. It sounds like a little slice of the Heights to me.\u201d As he pondered, he bounced an orange ball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The next morning, Arsha was standing on a balcony overlooking the Mid-realm castle garden. She wore only her nightdress, not thinking about her dressing routine until she got her thoughts in order. As she looked out, the incident where her parents looked different for only a moment was still playing in her mind. 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