Kayaba flew through the code, lab coat fluttering behind him. Despite that he was merely consciousness, he liked to go about in physical form. Otherwise it was rather disorienting. He could now create worlds without the need of sleep or other life based necessities. Already he had helped a multitude of users create brand new worlds and once in awhile he checked up on the survivors of Sword Art Online.
It was during such a time he discovered that Kirito was logged into a new Sci-fi game called Gun Gale Online. After watching for some time, he deduced that Kirito was in no trouble and went back to his code surfing. He usually saw things as the coding but he could make them appear as their window would on a computer or console.
He had recently found a website, in fact multiple websites, dedicated towards a show about prismatic ponies. At first, he didn't get the fascination with these creatures, but then he "watched" the show himself. It was well written, the characters were relatable, so he enjoyed it.
He was visiting one of the sites when, at the end of the page's coding, he saw a strange light. Almost tunnel-like. Coasting towards it he could still see nothing. Then, after entering the tunnel, a light flashed, and he found a user options menu in front of him.
Welcome to Equestria!
Username: Heathcliff
Status: GM
Password: ******
As a GM you have been granted Alicorn-hood. Use it well.
Kayaba looked at the screen, shocked. He knew no one had created an Equestria VR, Hasbro still held the rights to such a thing and in all likelihood, never would as it was a major money consumer as well as time. Deciding to see what this could possibly be, he yelled Link Start, and his vision went black.
"Twilight? There's some... stallion lying on the balcony," Spike called out, looking to the unconscious form of Kayaba.
"I swear if its another of Rainbow Dash's pranks I'll-" Twilight gaped. Lying on the balcony before her was something, somePONY, impossible. A male alicorn. The only one she had ever learned of, aside from the black and red one who died seconds after it happened due to um... something.
"Ugh..." The stallion groaned. "Why did that have to hurt?"
"WHO ARE YOU?" Twilight said in a mixture of a gasp and a shout.
"One moment... I've got to get rid of the headache..." Kayaba pulled up his menu and found the Headache Cure. Guzzling it down, he looked back to the lavender alicorn who had a look of wonder on her face. This can't bode well...
"WHAT IS THAT? HOW DID YOU DO THAT? DOES IT-" she was cut off as Kayaba activated his crystal and ended up in the Canterlot gardens. A flock of birds flew from around him and he sighed.
"Those would have been some hard questions to answer," he said aloud, sitting on his haunches. Looking around at the tranquil garden he realized how much more peaceful it was than Aincrad. It would be some time before his crystal finished the cool down, so he could wander. After standing a voice called out, "My questions will likely be even harder to answer."
Kayaba sighed and turned around to face Princess Luna. "Better you than Princess Twilight."
"First of all, Who are you?" She asked, watching the stallion closely.
Kayaba raised an eyebrow, "The name I will use here is Heathcliff."
"What is your land and what are you an alicorn of?" Luna responded.
"My land would be Aincrad and I suppose games?" Kayaba muttered.
"Why are you here?" Luna asked.
"I'm not exactly sure myself. I was surfing the internet and saw a tunnel of light at the end of the code stream," he replied, raising his head slightly. "I believe what happened is a sort of bridge formed between our worlds."
Luna tilted her head, "The internet?"
Kayaba took a deep breath, "This is hard to explain. Imagine, everyone, everywhere, is connected by a sort of electricity that send images, sound and the written word."
"Like an instant mailing system?" Luna asked.
"Exactly, but world wide," Kayaba explained.
"Oh... That could have some interesting applications," Luna muttered. Kayaba nodded. It was quite useful in his home world. He opened his menu and equipped his armor. Standing up he walked over to Luna.
"I take you want me to meet with your sister?" Kayaba asked the blue alicorn. She nodded quickly and turned, quickly trotting towards the doors, never letting him see the blush that graced her face for the first time in centuries. He was calm, cool, and collected. All the things she liked in a stallion.
After the guard opened the doors and let her and Kayaba through into the throne room. When they entered, Twilight, Celestia, and Cadence were arguing profusely. Celestia and Cadence insisted that there was no male alicorn ANYWHERE and that it was illogical that he could have landed on her balcony.
"Princess, I told you. I really saw him!" Twilight insisted. To her dismay her mentor refused the idea. That was before Kayaba coughed.
"Sister, Niece, and Twilight, may I present Prince Heathcliff, Lord of Aincrad and All Games," Luna said, still blushing. Normally, in the case of a human, they would have gasped. Ponies have always had a bit of a flair for dramatics. Celestia and Cadence fainted while Twilight jumped around singing.
"I told you~ I told you~ I was right~ I was right~"
"I think Pinkie is wearing off on her..." Luna muttered. Kayaba sighed. Things sure had a way of moving rather quickly in Equestria.
It had been some time since Heathcliff had entered Equestria and he had successfully recreated Aincrad with ponies inside. There were some differences. Obviously, there were no level bosses. He sat on the 100th floor, looking out of a window he had created at Equestria below.
He had created the castle and hidden it from the view of the ponies below, only to see something that shocked him far off in the distance. Way off in the distance, beyond the farthest kingdoms, lay a darkness eating away at the code of the world. Of course, to the ponies, this was a myth. They believed the darkness to be the end of their world. Little did they know, it was far from it. Heathcliff had risked his life and flown deep into the code, only to reveal a dark, sinister castle on the back of a giant creature. This creature was having the code transmitted to it by the darkness.
Heathcliff had returned, ready to get help, and found the portal to the internet had closed. He had waited months, creating Aincrad, full of monsters, creatures, and ponies. Most of the ponies were in Guilds, working to keep towns safe from the monstrous danger. The whole effect was similar to that of Sword Art Online.
Upon realizing this, Heathcliff had began planning, waiting for the portal to open once more. Finally, the portal opened and he sent through a strand of code, its goal known to only him as it weaved its way out to the people he had selected.
Kirito had logged into Gun Gale once after saving Sinon and when he did, he found a message waiting for him. A message from someone he hadn't heard from in awhile. Kayaba Akihiko, the creator of Sword Art Online.
Kirito,
It would seem there is a bit of trouble where I've found myself. I know you may not feel like it, but I request your help. If you agree, the next time you leave the current game, it will bring you to where I am.
Kayaba Akihiko
Kirito's eyes went wide-eyed and curiosity took over. "I suppose..." Kirito swiped open the menu and tapped the log out button, his screen going dark and a tunnel of code appearing before him. As he did, he looked to his side and found all of his friends, Asuna, Klein, Agil, Silica, Snion, and Lisbeth. "What's going on?" Klein asked, "This is... bizarre..."
"It has something to do with Kayaba," Kirito said, taking a step forward, as he did, Asuna busted out laughing.
"What?" Kirito glared at her.
"You, you look like a girl!" Asuna kept laughing.
"Rub it in... Snion, how are you here?" Kirito asked, looking towards her.
"I...I logged in to get the BoB rewards and I came here instead," Snion said.
Kirito nodded, "I had done that too. Except, I got a message while in the game. Let's go ahead and move forward, shall we?"
The others nodded and made their way forward not even noticing the group behind them as they walked behind the others. The guild calling themselves the Knights of Harmony. Their leader, Shadowflame, was standing in the front, as a Salamander.
"Its them isn't it?" One of the other members asked.
A dark colored one wearing a hood waved her hand dismissively, "Does it matter? We need to move forward. Follow them."
Shadowflame nodded, "Midnight's right, we need to go." He started forward as Midnight pulled out her trident, looking at the other members.
"You never know what's on the other end," she said, flipping her hood off her head, revealing long white hair, cat ears, a delicate face, and red eyes. She looked around at her group of friends, all of them being different races from ALO than her. She lay her weapon on her shoulder and followed behind them as they made their way through the tunnel to the end, a door. Kirito and the others had disappeared well before.
"What do we do now?" Tut895 asked.
"I believe," Midnight stepped forward and grabbed the handle, "Open it." She opened the door and walked into a large, nearly empty, room. "See?"
"Good, you're here," a voice said from across the room. From the direction of the voice, a man in a lab coat walked out. He made his way towards Midnight and held out a hand, "Hullo Midnight, interesting to see you again."
Shadowflame had followed closely and raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Again?"
"Ah. Yes. You see..."
Kirito and the others did not have as much luck. They walked through the door and collapsed, as ponies, in front of Celestia's thone. Their shock was mirrored by Celestia and Luna. "So, where are we?" Klein asked, looking around.
"No idea," Agil answered, attempting to stand.
"I...You are in Equestria," Celestia said, composing herself as fast as possible. Luna, however, watched wide-eyed. "I am Celestia, a Princess of this land. This is my sister, Luna."
Kirito was the first to successfully stand and bowed to both of them, "Greetings princesses. I am Kirito, and these are my friends." Kirito gestured back towards his friends and was shocked, when he turned back around, to see Luna stifling a giggle. She looked like she was dying of laughter inside.
"What?" Kirito asked, looked around confused, only to be shocked as Luna began laughing loudly.
"You look like a girl!" Luna laughed as Kirito frowned.
"Why does everyone find this funny? Its a rare avatar! You should be impressed!" He yelled, glaring back at Asuna.
"Sorry man, she's right. Its pretty funny," Klein answered, smirking.
"One day...One day," Kirito grumbled.
