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                   Adventures in Halferd                   
                     -by Jake the Dog-                     
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                 Big Things in Small Boxes                 
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Big Things in Small Boxes
     Sliver Melodies awoke to a bright day. She laid in bed a bit longer since she had the whole morning free. Today was bound to be a good a day. After all, today was Sunday, and she was going t o perform at the club tonight with her brother, Silver Mic, and Vinyl Scratch. Every time she went there, she felt so alive. She didn’t really speak, like the rest of her life, but she did make amazing music.  That coupled with Vinyl’s bass and Mic’s singing and they were a terrific threesome.
     She got out of bed and walked downstairs to make some breakfast. She didn’t really feel too hungry, so she fried up a few eggs. Once they were done, she sat down and them in peace until Mic leapt down the stairs.
     “Mornin’ Melody!” He walked over to the stove. She was glad he didn’t use her full name. It was long and seemed cumbersome. “What?” he turned to her. “No eggs for me?”
     She shook her head, smiling as she finished the rest of her eggs.
     “Fine, I’ll make my own.”
     Melody got up and left the house, deciding to visit the bazaar and see what was for sale. The party at the club started at noon, so she only had a few hours to shop.
     The first bazaar few bazaars were trinkets and pots, those sorts of things. She found one selling quilts, but none of them interested her. She passed many other interesting things, but nothing stood out. She came upon a stand named ‘Magic of Games’ and decided to check it out.
     The stand had some oddly shaped boxes stacked around it, a box for keeping money, and the pony running it. He was old looking and smelled of fish. “Welcome.” He pointed at one of the odd boxes. “Are you wanting to by a game? Only five bits.”
     Being a fan of games, and since it only cost five bits, she bought one. She took the box and finished her trip around the stalls but found nothing else. She went home and stored the box on her shelf. Vinyl and Fluttershy were coming over tomorrow, so she figured she’d run it by them then.
     She checked the clock. 11:36. She hustled over to the club, wanting to get there a little early to set up her stand. When she got there, the place was open, but wasn’t packed. That wouldn’t happen until noon. She found Vinyl and Mic on stage, setting up their equipment. She stored hers in the club’s storeroom because she never performed anywhere else. She grabbed it and dragged it to the stage.
     “So.” Vinyl said. “We still on for tomorrow? I’m ready.”
     “Yeah.” Mic said. "I think Fluttershy’s coming over as well. Don’t know what we’re going to do.”
     Silver Melodies spoke in a soft, almost inaudible tone. “I bought a new game.”
     “What’s that?” Vinyl said, moving her bass cannon to position. “A new game? Sounds like fun.”
     Mic placed his voice distorter next to his microphone. “You think Fluttershy would play it? I don’t know if she’s one for games. “
     Melody shrugged her shoulders as she adjusted her synthesizer. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t.
     The clock hit noon, and instantaneously, the doors burst open and a flood of people streamed in. The old music that had been playing stopped as everyone found their spots. The lights dimmed and different colors lit up the stage.
     Mic grabbed the microphone. “Let’s get this party started!!!”
     Melody flipped on her track, adding a few notes here and there, sending them through the whole club. Vinyl’s bass cannon blared to life, vibrating the walls and shaking ponies were they stood. They all cheered and screamed as the trio rocked on. Vinyl got her DJ mixer and let the dubstep commence, while Melody added the right notes to make the perfect mix. Mic held the mic fast. “Yeah!!!”
     The music blew the crowd away and the dancing broke out. Melody let the track play out and grabbed her microphone. She waited for the part in the mix where the music stopped to nothing but a techno sound. She sang her part into the mic, which made the crowd go crazy. The dubstep followed and soon the song was over. They set their tracks to loops and stepped down into the crowds. They made a beeline for the punch, only stopping to shake hooves and accept praise. When they got there, they each got a cup of punch and started a conversation.
     “So where’s Pinkie Pie?” Mic said. “She’s normally at these clubs, especially on nights like this.”
     “No one’s seen her since yesterday. She’s just gone.” Vinyl said, taking a sip. “Actually, there’s rumors of ponies goin’ missin’ all over Ponyville and even other parts of Equestria.”
     “Just rumors?” Mic said. “Or is there some truth to them?”
     Vinyl shrugged. “Ah, I don’t know. Maybe, maybe not.”
     Mic changed topic. “You seen that bazaar yet? There’s some pretty weird stuff there. I saw a metal owl that could open and close its eyes on it’s own.”
     “Naw, I don’t go to things like that. Not unless they have somethin’ like music equipment.” Vinyl finished her punch. “Well, better get back up there. Those wubs won’t make themselves!”
     She left, leaving Mic and Melody alone. “Actually,” Mic said, “I gotta go see if Kinetic made it. See ya in a minute.”
     Melody just sat there, drinking her punch. A few ponies congratulated her on the performance, but she didn’t do much else. With Vinyl’s wubs washing through her, she let herself enjoy this night.
     They sat around the table, with the box in-between them all. Melody stared at it. It looked so odd. How was it a game? She grabbed it and took another look at it.
     “So how does it work?” Vinyl asked. “Do you open it?”
     “Have even tried yet?” asked Mic.
     Silver Melodies shook her head and tried to pop the lid off. After a bit of struggling, it came off with a hiss, almost causing her to drop it. Out of it slid a piece of paper and a small orb. Mic picked up the paper and Vinyl snatched the orb.
     “Place the orb in the middle of the table.” Mic said.
     Vinyl gave him a weird look. “What?”
     He pointed at the paper. “That’s what it says. Place it in the middle of the table and have everyone stare at it.” He scanned the paper some more. “The only other words on it are ‘Dragons on Burning Ember Mountain’.”
     Fluttershy spoke up. “Well, sounds kinda like, witchcraft or something.”
     “Naw, don’t be silly. What’s the harm in trying it out? We didn’t come here just to sit around and talk, right?” Vinyl placed it where she should.
     Melody stared at the orb. It seemed so alluring.
     “Well, actually, I was hoping…”
     Melody didn’t hear the rest of her sentence. She had the sudden feeling of being sucked into the orb before everything went black. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She tried to flail around, but felt like she didn’t have any limbs. Or even her body, like she was a spirit.
     The darkness parted and she found her eyes closed. She opened them to see she was in a small room. It had several chests, a sign, and a path leading to a door. She took a second look around the room. Where was she?
     A flash of light exploded behind her, making her jump. She whipped around to see Mic standing there. He seemed disoriented, but that passed. “Melody? Where are we?”
     Another flash, followed by another one, and Vinyl and Fluttershy were standing there, Fluttershy having a terrified look on her face. She calmed down a bit when she saw her friends, but still seemed panicky.  “Where.. where are we?”
     Mic took a look at the sign. “Either we’re all having the same weird dream, or we’re in some other dimension, right?”
     He read the sign out loud. “Welcome to the first of many magical real-life RPG’s in a series called ‘Halferd’. In this quest, you must find and kill the dragon of Burning Ember Mountain.”
     Fluttershy squeaked. “Dragon?”
     “If this is your first time playing, pick a chest. It will have everything you need to start off as the class of your choice. Otherwise, you may exit this room and begin your quest.”
     He took a look at the chests. Each one had a word inscribed on it. He turned back to the sign. “You will find many others who have undertaken this same quest. You may choose to help them, or hinder them, or ignore them. You decide.  But you cannot leave the world of Halferd until you slay the dragon. Once you are ready, you may leave.”
     Fluttershy was shaking. “Kill… a dragon? I don’t want to kill something.”
     Vinyl Scratch dashed toward the chest with the words ‘Alchemist’ on it. She flung it open and began to rummage through its contents. Mic choose ‘Warrior’, pulling out a large sword and eyeing its fine blade. Fluttershy stood still, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.
     Melody picked the chest with the word ‘Mage’ on it. She was familiar with RPG games, having played many herself. She had always liked wizards and magic and stuff. While she, like every other unicorn she knew, had a basic grasp of magic, she wanted to be more powerful, knowing more spells. She opened the chest. Inside, there were robes with blue, glowing lines streaking them. She slipped it on and pulled out a satchel. Inside it she found several herbs, some food and a bottle of some strange liquid. She slid the satchel on and pulled out the last thing. A staff. The top of it was glowing red, and she took a good look at it. She had no idea how to use it.
     She saw one last thing, a slip of paper, in the chest. She picked it up and read it. It explained her equipment. The robe increased her magic, letting her cast more powerful spells for longer duration. The herbs were nevercry herbs, used for curing poison. The potion was a potion of healing. The staff was a staff of fire, used for casting any fire spells much easier than on her own.
     She began to get nervous. Would she actually have to kill something? She didn’t want to kill.
     “Fluttershy!” Vinyl said. “Why don’t you pick the Druid class?”
     “Druid?”
     “Yeah, you know. Control animals, master of nature, that sort of thing.”
     “But would I have to kill?”
     “No, I don’t think so.”
     Melody turned around to see Mic standing there in armor, with a sword slung across his back. Vinyl was dressed in some weird armor, and had no weapons other than a dagger. She also had a large satchel.
     Melody pointed at the bag, and Vinyl understood her meaning. “It’s full of crazy potions like explosions and smoke and stuff.”
     Fluttershy finished and Melody took a good look at her. She was dressed in a robe that looked like it was made of leaves. Otherwise, she looked like herself except her staff glowed green. She looked sheepishly at everyone. “I guess the staff can make angry animals my friend.”
     Mic laughed. “Wow, look at us. All decked out. I guess this is a real RPG?”
     Vinyl smiled. “Let’s get going and find out.”
     Mic lead, followed by Vinyl. Melody and Fluttershy held the rear. Fluttershy spoke up. “I hope we don’t have to get violent.”
     Apparently, Fluttershy had never played and RPG. Melody dreaded it, but she knew that these games just became violent. It was part of an RPG. The thought made her sick, but she pushed it aside for now. She had to focus on understanding this new world of Halferd.
     They opened the door and stepped into a field. The sky was blue and the grass was green. There was a forest to their left. It looked kind of evil. Beyond that was a massive mountain, alone, with no other mountains around it. To their right was a small town, with simple walls and such constructed around it. In front of them was a flat land. She turned around and saw more forests. They seemed less evil and more magical, like a certain aura rested over it. Her eyes widened. Where did the door go? No one else seemed to notice.
     Vinyl pointed at the mountain. “Ya think that’s where we need to go?”
     Mic shrugged. “I think we should check out the town first. They might have some information.”
     Fluttershy looked around. “This place is lovely.”
     Indeed it was. It seemed all the colors were richer and more vibrant here. The air was crisper and seemed to carry a faint taste, like the smell of flowers, but tasting it. It was weird and hard to explain.
     Vinyl and Mic started off, leaving Melody and Fluttershy. She saw them leave, grabbed Fluttershy, and chased after them. If they were going to make it through this, they’d have to stick together.
     She looked again at the sky. How were they going to do this? They were already splitting up, Fluttershy was scared, and she was unsure how to handle all of this. Maybe there were some clues in the town ahead of them.

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                      Getting Started                      
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Getting Started
     The city gates were closed when they got there. It had taken them a mere ten minutes to traverse the plains. Silver Melodies had stopped Silver Mic and  Vinyl Scratch while they caught up with a whistle. Once they were together again, they finished to trip to the cities.
     Melody looked around. It was still day time, high noon from the looks of it. Why were the gates shut? She had played enough to know this probably meant some sort of problem.
     Mic stepped up. “Hey? Can you let us in? We need to get supplies and information.”
     After a few seconds, a guard popped his head over the wall. “Who goes there?”
     “A group of travelers. We are seeking information and rest from the road. Why are the gates shut?”
     “Have you lived in a cave these years?  A dragon is on the loose. There are those who would help him in his destruction. How shall we know you are not an enemy?”
     “Uh…” Mic turned to his companions. “Any ideas?”
     Melody shook her head. Vinyl scratched shrugged. She turned to Fluttershy, who had her back to the wall. “Fluttershy? Any ideas?”
     She spun around. “Huh?”
     Upon seeing Fluttershy’s face, the guard did a double take and disappeared. “Hold on one moment.” He shouted down.
     The gates opened enough for them to get through, then shut once more. Waiting for them was the guard, helm off, staring at Fluttershy. “Hope you find what you’re looking for.” He bowed to Fluttershy. “Good day, ma’am.”
     Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice the guards obvious affection and simply nodded his direction with a quiet, “Thanks.”
     Melody made a mental note to use Fluttershy’s charm when they needed it. It might come in handy.
     They wandered the streets, looking for some where to gather information. Luckily, whoever created this ‘game’ had the sense to leave the writing in normal, pony language and not some ancient writing. They passed several shops, but they realized they had no money. Many of the buildings were only homes, or manors. One was even a graveyard.
     Finally, they found one named ‘The Dancing Nymph’ and decided to check it out. It sounded like a bar. Before they got inside, Melody noticed a shadow in the alleyways. She did a double take, then saw nothing. She was wary now to make sure they didn’t get ambushed.
     Inside was loud and lively, with many different ponies here drinking and dancing and singing. Melody wondered just how many in this room were actually from the real world and how many were from the game. It was strange to think about.
     Mic went straight for the bar, followed by Vinyl. Melody tried to keep up, but without Mic in front of her to carve a path, she got shut off by the crowd. She gave up and just found a table with Fluttershy to sit by.
     She looked around, still wary of what she had seen in the shadows. She might have been seeing things, but she knew from experience that things in the shadows were almost never good.
     She knew it would be hard for her in this world without being able to speak much. It wasn’t that she couldn’t. She just didn’t, and didn’t want to. It was strange. But she wouldn’t really be able to find information or communicate without speaking.
     A sudden bang followed by screaming and shouting caught Melody’s attention. She turned to the source of the commotion. Vinyl Scratch was behind Mic, who had his sword drawn. Another pony stood in front of him, his own sword drawn. He pointed at Vinyl.
     “She’s a vampire! Look at her eyes!”
     Melody saw her eyes, and indeed they were red, but that was normal. Vinyl always had red eyes. But the people here didn’t know that. It was kind of an abnormality.
     “She is not!” Mic shouted back. “She was born with them!”
     “Ha!” the other pony said. “You are probably just her servant!”
     Another pony spoke up. “A mage can tell a true vampire.”
     “Ah yes” the first pony said. He pointed at none other than Melody. “You there!” Melody was taken back. She pointed at herself. He nodded his head. “You can tell if she is a vampire. Come forth and tell us if she is one of those abominations.”
     Melody walked forward, but was kind of scared. She knew that now she’d have to talk. If she didn’t Vinyl would probably die. She stepped up to Vinyl. She knew all the qualities of a vampire, so she pointed out how her friend didn’t have them.
      She started in a soft tone, not really wanting to speak but not having a choice. “Well, um… vampires have fangs.” She pulled open Vinyl’s mouth, much to the annoyance of the DJ. “She doesn’t… have any. Um… also,” she pointed at her eyes. “Her eyes are red, but vampire eyes… well, they are normally… um… bloodshot.”  She pointed at Vinyl’s skin. “And, uh… her skin is… well… not pale. White, but note pale…”
     She stepped back, thinking she had given enough information as to why she wasn’t a vampire. Of course, anyone could have noticed that. It didn’t take a mage, which made her more upset because she had to talk due to their blind rage.
     The pony stood down with a reluctant nod and soon the crowd dispersed. Melody rushed over to Vinyl to check on her. She saw a big bruise and a few scrapes on her back, but nothing else. Vinyl turned in annoyance to Melody. “You could have asked for me to open my mouth.” She laughed. "I forgot I don’t have my glasses. Guess I should be more careful, huh?”
     Mic nodded, sheathing his sword. He turned to Melody. “Good job sis.” He looked around. “Where’s Fluttershy?”
     Melody pointed to the table she had been sitting at. Sure enough, Fluttershy sat still, haven’t moving even an inch since she sat down.
     Mic took a cup of ale and followed Melody to the table. They were soon joined by Vinyl. “So,” Vinyl said. “Thanks. I wonder what we would have had to do if you hadn’t spoken up. By the way, you have a lovely voice.”
     That made Melody blush, but she didn’t feel any better about having to talk.
     “Okay.” Mic said. “Based on what the guard said, and a small conversation I overheard before Vinyl was attacked, that mountain we saw is our destination. The dragon is also a High Dragon, which I guess means that is very old. Don’t know how that will affect us.”
     Vinyl spoke up. “Being old will probably mean its old and slow, right?”
     Mic shrugged. “I guess. Anyway, since we don’t have any money, we’ll have to either leave now with what we have, or try to make or find money here.”
     “I suggest we leave now.” Vinyl said.
     “But we could get good stuff, like food, or something.” Fluttershy spoke up.
     Melody couldn’t get the image of the shadow she had seen out of her head. She got up and decided to check it out.
     “Hey melody!” Mic called out. “Where ya going?”
     She didn’t stop and stepped out of the bar. She found the alley and peered inside. Nothing.
     “Melody!” Vinyl called out. “What are you doin’?”
     She pointed at the alley. She looked again, and this time heard a rustle. But not from the alley. This time from a nearby building. She turned to see a shadow in the window highest from the ground. It moved, then uttered a “Pssst!”
     Melody was confused, but wary and curious. She walked toward the building.
     “Melody? What’s going on?” Mic asked.
     She ignored him and entered the building. She climbed up the steps and found the only room on the top floor. She carefully opened the door and crept in.
     “Melody!” Vinyl whispered. “What are you doin’?”
     She entered the room and looked around, followed by her friends. Once they were all in the room, Fluttershy spoke up. “Uh… maybe we shouldn’t be here… let’s go!”
     She made a bolt for the door, but it was slammed shut before she could exit. A shadowy figure dressed in skin tight clothes and a cape stood next to the door, holding it shut. Fluttershy jumped back. “Eeep!” she scrambled to get behind her friends.
     Mic stepped forward. “Who are you?”
     The figure removed the mask it was wearing to reveal Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy got up. “Pinkie Pie?”
     “Yep! Bet you didn’t think you’d find me hear, did ya?”
     “Actually, I wasn’t expecting to find you at all.”
     “Well, you did!” Pinkie laughed a bounced around the room.
     “So, what are you doing here?” Mic asked.
     “Yeah.” Vinyl added. “And what was with the whole sneaking and shadows?”
     “Oh!” Pinkie said. “I needed to talk to you. And the shadows were just for fun. Plus, as you can tell from my attire, I am a rouge, so shadows are kinda my thing.” She smiled wide.
     “What do you need to talk about.” Mic asked.
     “I want to join you on your quest!” She began to speak very quickly. “You see, I found this game back in Ponyville and decided to try it but I ended up here and then I tried to go alone but I almost got lost then I almost died then I almost got lost again then I got in a fight and now I don’t want to go alone and the ale here is delicious!”
     Everypony stared at her. “Okay.” Vinyl said. “You can come with us. You got any money?”
     Pinkie threw a bag of gold at the floor. “Twenty bits!”
     Vinyl scooped up the coins. “I hope we can get something useful with these.”
     “Only one way to find out.” Mic headed out the door.
     After their visit to the market, they now had some extra food, supplies like rope, and sleeping blankets for everyone. They had all taken one last trip to the bar for a refreshing drink with the last of their money.
     Once they were all ready, they got together at the city gates. The guard, upon seeing Fluttershy again, opened them immediately.
     Once they left, Pinkie Pie bounded over to her friend. “Ooo! Looks like someone has a crush on you!”
     Fluttershy looked perplexed and turned to Mic. “Who?”
     “That guard!” Pinkie said. “Didn’t you see the looks he gave you?”
     Fluttershy blushed and turned her head while Pinkie Pie. Eventually, Pinkie’s jokes and positive attitude got everyone into a bright spirit. Melody knew the trip would be long, but she was glad Pinkie Pie was with them.