.buck//Moment

Applejack felt her body collapse limply to the floor as chaos erupted all around her. Struggling, she breathed laboriously, glancing up at the door. Or, more accurately, where the door was a few moments ago. Now, there was instead a thick cloud of dust, pieces of oak shrapnel strewn across the room. The lead pegasus was growling, lacerations across one of his sides. One of the others was howling in pain, covering his face with a hoof. The metal bar was torn in half roughly, lying in the doorway.

A shadowy figure appeared in the fog, slowly approaching. As the ringing in Applejack's ears wore off, she heard a familiar voice call out.

“Well look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. What does that make us?”

A second figure appeared beside the first, and as the dust cleared she couldn't help but grin at Scratch and Clef standing side by side. While Scratch was smirking giddily, her companion stood still, eyes staring intensely at the pegasi surrounding Applejack.

“Scratch, I'm not answering that,” Clef broke the glare long enough to glance disapprovingly at her as she brushed her coat free of dust and shrapnel. Her ukulele hung limply by its strap, intermittently arcing bolts of electricity into the ground.

Scratch groaned, giving her companion puppy dog eyes. “C'mon Clef! Pleeeeeease?” Her lower lip trembled slightly and she sniffed sadly.

Clef sighed, placing a hoof over her face. “...Big damn heroes, ma'am.”

Scratch's expression instantly switched to a maniacal grin, as she adjusted her stance and wrapped her oversized blade in magic, swinging it through the air like it was nothing. “Ain't we just.” She gestured to Applejack with her sword. “Sorry to interrupt folks, but you've got somepony that belongs to us, and we'd like her back.”

The leader's muzzle hardened in anger as he drew his own blade, equal in size to Scratch's. “This is guild business. You can't think to cross the Runed Blades.” A couple of the other pegasi followed their largest's example, drawing their own weapons; jagged daggers. Clef scoffed.

Scratch tilted her head at the earth pony. “You see this mare with the ukulele?” Clef raised it, strumming it once. Applejack watched in fascination as electricity ran up and down the strings as she did. Scratch glanced to the orange mare momentarily, “now I'm not saying you weren't easy to find”, her attention snapped back to the pegasi, “but this area was pretty out of our way and she didn't really want to come here in the first place. Mare's looking to kill some ponies.” A bolt of lightning whizzed past one of the smaller pegasi's heads, causing him to jump and whimper.

“So really”, she twirled the blade effortlessly, grinning at the group of smaller pegasi, who were visibly far less confident, “it should be her you should be worried about crossing.”

The leader growled, scowling at the two ponies, who stared back unflinchingly. He stood his ground for a few moments, then reared up and roared.

“Nopony speaks of the Blades that lightly. Attack!”

A couple of protested murmurs answered him, and he whirled round on his companions. “Don't tell me you've gone soft! Take these fools out!”

One of the pegasi quivered. “But sir... aren't they-”

“Hah! As if those good-for-nothing mercs would help a penniless newbie. Just some showmares in over their heads.” Spinning back, he gritted his teeth around the blade, crouched low, then leapt.

For most ponies, the sight of a massive slab of muscle charging forth at breakneck speeds carrying a sword their size would be enough to terrify and send them running. Clearly, this was the reaction he'd been expecting, so when Scratch met his blade grinning, his expression faltered momentarily before he pushed on, screaming in rage.

“Clef! You ready?” Clef nodded, closing her eyes and placing a hoof on her instrument as the three other pegasi charged her. Applejack watched in horror, wanting to call out a warning as time seemed to slow, but her voice caught in her battered throat and she couldn't pull her eyes away. The three had their blades drawn and were closing in, ready to strike.

Then Scratch began to sing.

As the words reverberated through the room, shaking Applejack to her very core, she heard the soft notes of the ukulele intertwine with them, complimenting and supporting. Her will was rekindled, and she dug into her inventory and downed a healing potion, feeling her body warm as her health refilled. Forcing herself up, she spotted her blade discarded carelessly by her side and picked it up, flourishing it before looking to her companions. She saw the pegasi moving in slow motion as Clef danced around them, eyes still closed in focus. They were becoming sloppier, less accurate, as she dodged their blows calmly, her face the epitome of serenity.

Across from her, the battle between Scratch and the lead pegasus was a different affair entirely. The two berserkers met blades, sparks flying off around them. The pegasus was screaming in anger, bearing down on her with harrowing blows, but she met every single one, singing back in a firm, tranquil voice. Her eyes, however, told of her fury raging within. With each word, she grew louder, more firm, until she'd turned the tables, bearing down on him with every strike as he withered under her relentless musical and physical assault. Now that she noticed, Scratch's head bobbed up and down along with an inaudible beat. Applejack couldn't help but stare, awe-struck, as the two entirely opposite mares worked in unison, their song filling her heart with courage and pride.

The smell of ozone filled her nostrils as the ukulele's notes also grew louder and firmer. Electricity coursed through the metal frame, arcing into the walls and ground as Clef continued her dance, not once breaking her stride. The pegasi were becoming slow, feeble, as she danced literal circles around them. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped, leaping backwards and opening her eyes. Focusing on the three, all grouped up, Clef pointed her ukulele as the song reached a crescendo, and strummed one final chord. The electricity pooled in the neck, before bursting forth in a blinding beam of energy, incinerating the pegasi where they stood. Applejack didn't even get a chance to hear them scream as their bodies vanished into golden dust.

Simultaneously with Clef, Scratch's singing reach it's peak as she raised her voice, visible shockwaves slamming into the pegasus, causing his legs to buckle and his hold on his weapon to falter. Faster than Applejack could blink, she twirled her sword deftly, disarming her opponent and launching his blade across the room, where it clattered with a series of metallic clangs, skidding to a halt. His breath was laboured and sweat poured down his face as he sat there weakly. Scratch looked him over before beckoning for Applejack to join her.

Momentarily, she hesitated, before accepting and trotting towards them. Clef settled behind him, instrument still glowing with excess power aimed at the back of his head. Static caused his short mane to stand on end as he lay defeated. Applejack was ushered to stand in front of him, and Scratch forcefully grabbed his chin, lifting it up and making him look at Applejack. His eyes were empty and tired, his mouth open slightly from exertion.

“I want you to remember that face,” Scratch stated steadily, “Remember her, and tell all your friends she is under our protection. If they want to get her, they have to go through us.”

The pegasus looked blankly at her. “Who... who are you?”

Grinning, the unicorn stabbed her sword into the ground at her hooves. “I am Scratch, and this is my assistant-” a cough from Clef stopped her, “uh... my partner, Alto Clef.”

His pupils suddenly shrank as he looked at them, trembling slightly in fear. He muttered repeatedly in denial as he shook his head. Applejack had to admit, it was pretty awe-inspiring to see him reduced to a quivering mess. The pegasus babbled incoherently as Scratch smiled, leaning in close and whispering in his ear.

“So you go tell all your friends, this mare is off limits, okay?”

At the pegasus's rapid nods, she smirked. “Good. Let him go, Clef.” The ukulele was lowered, and the pegasus instantly spread his wings and bolted through the door, leaving behind a strong wind that messed the three mare's manes up.

Applejack blinked at the doorway, her brain slowly catching up. Idly she ran a hoof through her mane, patting it down somewhat, before turning to her saviours.

“Mighty fine show ya put on there.”

Scratch, who was attempting to straighten Clef's mane, much to her annoyance, cocked her head at her, winking. “Well, it's our job.”

Applejack paused for a few moments. “So... why'd he leave like that? Seemed pretty scared o' ya.”

Clef batted the unicorn's hooves away and turned to Applejack. “Well, we are quite the famous pair.”

“You betcha!” Scratch grinned, pulling her sword from the ground and sheathing it against her side. “Best bounty hunters you'll find!”

Applejack barely had time for confusion to root itself in her face before Clef stepped in. “We get paid by other ponies to do jobs; hunt down PKers, escort groups through events.”

“'PKers'?”

Scratch stepped forward. “Player Killers. Go around hunting down other ponies and killing them for sport.” She scowled. “Bunch of cowards.”

“So, like those guys attackin' me?” Applejack thought out loud. Clef nodded. “Ah see.”

“By the way, Applejack,” Clef took a step towards her, her mane a lot tidier than before. “What were they after?”

“Uh...” Applejack debated lying, but knew that would inevitably fail, and instead hung her head in defeat. “They wanted ta know how Ah got like this.” She gestured to the markings on her hooves. Clef seemed to consider her for a while, deep in thought.

“If you wouldn't mind me asking,” she questioned after several moments of silence, “how did you end up like that?”

Applejack averted her eyes, trying to think up some excuse, when she spotted Scratch leaning over and whispering in Clef's ear. She paused for a few moments, nodded, then looked back to Applejack. “Nevermind, it's not important.” Curiously, she glanced to Scratch, who gave her an overly innocent smile before speaking up.

“Hey, so this dungeon isn't going to clear itself.”

Both Applejack and Clef face-hoofed and sighed, eyes following Scratch as she bounded out of the room deeper into the castle. The two shared a look, smiled at each other, then stepped out of the ruined room.

*****

Fortunately for the three companions, most of the dungeon had already been cleared, which Applejack silently thanked as she stifled another yawn. They'd already gone down three floors, only needing to fight four times throughout, were currently standing at an intersection, debating which direction to take. While Scratch and Clef argued like an old married couple, Applejack rested against a nearby wall, closing her eyes for a mere moment. The sounds of the two mares faded as she slowly drifted in her thoughts, slowly falling asleep.

A hoof booped her on the muzzle, and she spluttered, snapping her eyes open. Scratch was standing a few inches away, grinning.

“Wake up, sleepy head. We're almost done.”

Clef's voice drifted from nearby. “Oh leave the poor mare be, dear. She's clearly tired.”

Applejack dropped to her hooves, shaking her head clear of the muddiness of her nap. “Ah'm awake, Ah'm awake.” She looked up, spotting Clef standing by one of the far doors, holding it open. Slowly, she trotted over and through it, tipping a non-existent hat to the earth pony, who nodded back. Scratch bounced through, and Applejack watched her brimming with energy, wondering if she might somehow be related to Pinkie.

The room they were in was dramatic, to say the least. It was far larger than any of the previous, ceiling twice as high. They were standing in a hallway which extended out into a large circular room, a balcony extending quarter-way into what appeared to be some kind of pit. Ornate tapestries adorned the walls, which radiated golden in the light streaming through a curved window which made up the far wall. Through it, all that was visible was an infinite desert, a fiery orb beating down on them from the clear blue sky. The ground was carpeted, red with gold thread weaving beautiful patterns throughout it.

For Applejack, though, the most catching feature was the large marble statue sitting just beyond the balcony. It depicted a stallion, although far leaner and taller than most ponies, dressed in exquisite regalia befitting royalty. Strange symbols were etched into the saddle on his back, of the moon and stars, but the design was none she'd seen before.

The three strode towards it, and now Applejack realised the statue wasn't sitting on a plinth as she'd presumed; instead it was floating in mid air, bobbing up and down gently, with no apparent source of levitation.

Scratch wrapped a hoof around her, snapping her out of her trance as she felt herself pulled towards a treasure chest that lay pressed against the railing. Peering over it, she stepped back from the dark abyss that leered at her from the pit, and gulped. She heard a cough and turned to see Scratch gesturing at the chest with her eyes. Applejack shook her head, raising a hoof to her chest.

“Nah, Ah can't, you were the one what wanted it,” she reasoned, but she just laughed.

“Applejack, really, take it. It's the least I can do for dragging you out here.” Scratch smiled sweetly, winking. “Plus it'll be useless for me.”

Applejack stared at her companion for a few seconds before relenting, turning back and opening the chest. Inside glowed with a brilliant light, and she reached in, feeling something metallic. Gripping it, she pulled the object out and stared in wonder as the light faded.

In her hooves was a longsword, a plain and simple handle, but the blade had a line of runes up its centre. As Applejack gingerly reached down and bit on it, the runes glowed a subtle blue and hummed pleasantly, the weightless sword gleaming. A whistle from behind her caught her attention, and she whirled to see Scratch looking impressed.

“Wow, girl. That's some luck you have there!”

Applejack looked confused for a moment before she continued. “That's a pretty rare item. Good too.”

In the corner of her screen, the orange pony saw a message pop up, flashing a couple of times.

Weapon Equipped:  Adept's Blade [RARE]

A soft glimmer shone in the corner of Applejack's view, and she glanced down to see her old sword disappear from its scabbard, which changed shape to fit her new weapon. Swinging it a few times she grinned before slipping it into its new sheath. “Seems pretty good ta me.” She bowed to Scratch. “Thank ya sugarcube.”

For a moment, she appeared to blush, but she smiled past it and nodded in response. “Not a problem, Applejack. Hope you enjoy your new toy.”

A loud yawn startled to two as they turned to Clef, who was rubbing her eyes. At their stares she froze, a light pink forming on her cheeks. “W-what? It's late, and I'm tired,” she stated flatly. Her two companions chuckled to each other before agreeing.

“Ah say, Ah've got work needs doin',” Applejack stretched, then smiled at the two mares. “Thanks fer this, nice ta meetcha,” she bowed, and Clef returned the gesture, while Scratch just held a hoof out for her to bump. After a few moments of awkwardly navigating menus while the unicorn distracted her with giggling, she managed to warp back to town, fading as she smiled at the two. Scratch stuck her tongue out at her, winking.

The two mares were left alone in the room, the silence broken by Clef sighing.

“What's up Cleffie?”

The earth pony shot her friend a look. “This was supposed to be private time, Scratch.”

She shrugged, an eternal grin on her muzzle. “What? Don't act like you didn't have fun!” Clef coughed quietly, murmuring a few reluctant agreements. “Besides, the night's still young.” Scratch wrapped her hooves around her companion, pulling her into a hug.

“Yes, but,” the bard started, pressing a hoof gently against the unicorn's chest and pushing her away. “Now I just want some sleep.”

“Aww, poor baby,” Scratch teased, ruffling her mane, earning a scowl. Clef batted away her hoof irritably.

“Not only am I older than you, I'm stronger than you,” she seethed. “I could cause you so much pain you wouldn't be able to stand for a week.”

“Ooh, is that a threat or a promise,” Scratch cooed, winking at the spluttering mare as she strutted away, grin looking like it'd tear her face in half if it grew any wider. After taking a few dozen steps, she looked over her shoulder and batted her eyelids at her companion. “Well, you coming Cleffie?”

Heavy breathing was all that could be heard as the earth pony closed her eyes and calmed her anger. She paused as she thought carefully about her next statement. “Did you mean what you said about that mare?”

Scratch looked confused for a moment, thrown by the sudden change in subject. “Who, Applejack?” she turned to face her fully, “Yeah.”

Clef looked into her eyes. “Why?”

“Well...” she began, but fell short. It was a good question. “I uh... Don't really know. I guess she seemed pretty nice and dependable...” she trailed off, tapping her hoof to her chin in thought. “You know, I really don't know.”

Clef considered her for a few moments before shrugging and striding past her. “Well, don't go making this a habit. I don't need to play foalsitter for every newbie you pick up.”

Scratch shrugged, turning tail and following her companion out into the hallway. “Of course not, Cleffie,” she smiled subtly, “And I feel that mare in particular can handle herself.” For some reason.

“I could tell by the way she was jumped by those Bladers.”

“Yes well,” Scratch rolled her eyes, “she needs to level a bit first, then she'll be fine.”

“Of course. Oh, and Scratch?” Clef stopped short, causing the deep in thought unicorn to walk into her and bounce off.

“Yeah?” She rubbed where she'd headbutted her companion. That was something she didn't want a repeat of.

Clef turned and stared into her soul with icy daggers. “Never call me 'Cleffie' again.”

Gulping besides herself, Scratch stared back, far less firmly. “Or...?”

“Or I will bury you where even Celestia cannot find you.”

Forcing a grin, Scratch licked her lips. “Is that a challenge... Cleffie?”

One last time, the castle filled with the sounds of violent combat.

*****

Applejack felt the town form up around her as her world stopped wavering. Blinking a few times, she trotted into the empty main street.

“It's late, but Ah might as well do some restockin' while Ah'm here” she mumbled to herself as she searched for the items shop. It took her a few minutes of blind wandering, but she eventually came up to the stall. There was one other pony there, the only other pony she'd seen in town. Amiably, she trotted up behind the cloaked figure, focusing on the stallion in the store. She'd finally read the manual, and with Rainbow's input the shop interface had pretty much been the only thing she'd understood first time. Making her selections, she restored her stash of healing potions, bought some antidotes for clearing status effects, and was about to leave to log off when she caught a glance at the pony beside her.

The unicorn.

With a firey mane.

“Violet!” The mage jumped, twirling around, startled. Upon recognizing her friend she flashed a sheepish smile.

“O-oh hey Applejack... fancy seeing you ar-”

“Violet, Ah thought y'all said ya were goin' ta bed.”

Violet fidgeted. “I am. I will. When I finish this.”

“Look,” Applejack placed a hoof on her friends shoulder. “Y'all're gonna be way too tired tomorrow as it is. Get. Some. Sleep.”

Violet looked about to accept, when a thought flashed across her vision and she scowled at her. “Hey, what about you? I thought you were going to bed!”

She blushed. “Ah will... When Ah finish this...” she trailed off. Violet pouted at her.

“Well I'm not logging off until you log off,” she all but shouted.

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Neither am Ah.”

They glared at each other for several tense moments before Violet spoke, not breaking the stare. “We log off together. And don't log on afterwards.”

Applejack nodded. “Agreed.”

For a few more moments, they were silent, before Applejack spoke up. “Pinkie Pie Promise?”

Violet paused for a second before nodding in agreement. “Okay,” she relaxed, her opponent copying. The two raised their hooves in unison, reciting the promise and performing the matching actions simultaneously.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“Cross mah heart an' hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.”

Applejack giggled quietly as Violet winced, misjudging the last action and poking herself. Once she'd recovered and the two calmed, they stared intently at one another before nodding.

“Night Violet.”

“Night Applejack.”

The sound of two ponies logging out echoed throughout the empty town, as the two set about getting some well earned rest.