PAO: Pony Art Online

Floor fifty-one's grasslands wasn't like any of the previous lush landscapes in PAO. Aside from a few regions, most of the map was covered in dry, tall grasses, and sparsely populated with trees. Accordingly, most of the mini-bosses were not locked up in underground caves or dungeons, they were free-roaming beasts of the grasslands. The open fights gave players more maneuverability to avoid attacks, however, as Aria could attest, the high speed beasts were annoying to chase down.

"The field cat's circling around; get up that tree and ambush it." Aria did as Grieve Blossom told, aiming her greatsword down as the party's Tank taunted the massive cat. It was at least twice the size of the stallion's character model, but he stood his ground like he was the one with the advantage.

The beast launched itself at the player, shooting over his shield and spear. It would have been a clean strike to the head had Aria not dropped down and pinned it down through its neck.

The cat threw her off, ripping her blade out along the way. Its health dropped by a tenth; they still have fifty percent to go. The Tank retaliated with a heavy smack from his shield, stunning the field cat long enough for Grieve Blossom and Iceblood to skewer its belly with their broadswords.

Iceblood's signature ice enchantments glowed, flaring up in bright flashes as his sword coated the mini-boss in a layer of ice, slowing it down. Aria took the chance to take a swing at the cat's neck again, chopping a bright red gash at where its jugular veins should have been. Unfortunately, she couldn't land a bleeding strike, and the cat's claws threw her back.

The Tank charged it, but this time the cat was ready and knocked him down with a ear-ringing roar. Aria snarled at the cat. They shou have had an easy time of killing it, but the original plan for a party of four Knights and two ex-Nighthavens got scrapped when the Knights realized they didn't have enough of either. A party of four was the minimum to complete this mini-boss, but with only three Damages and a Tank with no healing support, it was a tall order.

The Tank was wedging his shield into the cat's jaws now, jabbing his spear into its mouth. The critical hits did impressive work of reducing its health, but he had to back of as the cat tried to claw his plate armor off. Aria jumped back into the fight, hitting the cat on its left side while Iceblood struck its right. They held it in place with their swords, wrestling it to the ground as Grieve Blossom leaped down from the tree and stuck his sword in the field cat's eye.

"Finish it off!" he shouted, grunted as the cat clamped its jaw shut on his foreleg and shook him around.

Aria drew her sword from the mini-boss and swung the blade down on its neck, decapitating the field cat. Its head rolled on the ground, breaking into specks of light as the rest of its body despawned. It was almost disappointingly anti-climatic, after chasing down the mini-boss for ninety minutes, tracking it as if they were really hunting it.

Iceblood dropped onto the ground, drinking a health potion to recover from the fight. "Damn, I feel like the game just wants to waste our time," he complained after finishing his potion. "I don't want to think of what it'll be like in another ten floors."

"It'd be easier if we had more players," Aria replied. Even though the group treated her like one of them, she still felt like the odd one out. That, and she did not appreciate working harder just for a lack of volunteers.

"At least you're here," Grieve Blossom told her, offering a bottle of cider from his inventory. "We couldn't have done with without you." Aria accepted the drink quietly. She never even expected kindness from Sunset, let alone random players like Grieve Blossom, and she didn't know how to react. So they sat quietly, letting their stamina slowly recover as they ate their lunch.

While Aria sat silently, Grieve Blossom and Iceblood were sorting through their messages. She never understood how guilds managed to produce so much junk mail. Coordinating Nighthaven was never as time consuming as the Clearing Group guilds seemed to be, which surprised Aria when she considered how much time she spent manipulating them into searching for Sonata. All that time, and she was hidden under some rock no one had heard about. She curse herself as she ate, ignoring the look their Tank gave her as he noticed her self-loathing.

Iceblood dropped his salad. His eyes were bulging as he read the message a fellow officer had sent him. He tapped on Grieve Blossom's shoulder and showed him the message. Grieve Blossom reacted similarly, spitting his cider out in shock and distorting Iceblood's message screen.

"What's the matter?" Aria asked, shooting a look at the two stallions. The Tank was curious as well, and walked up to read the message. He stared for a moment, and then began laughing to himself.

Iceblood and Grieve Blossom looked at each other. Iceblood decided to be the one to say it.

"The Knights of Yore might be in a bit of a bind at the moment," he explained to Aria, "you see, what we've been doing technically hasn't been approved by everyone else. We're doing it only within our guild for now, but judging by the message, that's not good enough."

He walked over and flipped his menu around for Aria to read. She blinked for a moment, clearing her eyes to make sure she read it correctly.

Dear Iceblood,

I was discussing how to revise our training plans for our new allies with Allegretto this morning. One of the leaders of the Cutie Mark Crusaders came by the guild hall right before lunch, Sweetie Belle, I think (the one with the white coat, I know that for sure). She was shouting some profanities and being really pissed about the Nighthaven program. Allegretto tried to calm her down and talk. Something went wrong, because the Crusader leader ended up challenging Allegretto to a duel. The fight's tonight on this floor's Colosseum.

"That's... amazing," Aria mused. From her perspective, a Clearing Group player looking for a PVP fight was a joke. They were renowned for beating dungeons and floor bosses, but fighting a thinking person was a much different than fighting the game's basic creatures.

Iceblood crossed his forelegs. "Amazing fight, sure. But infighting among the leadership won't look good. Plus, if the fight's happening tonight, then the rest of the day's going to be preparations for the event. I don't think anyone's going to train or grind."

"Does that mean we're not taking a break?" the Tank asked.

Iceblood looked back at him and his ridiculous comment. "No, of course we are. It's the fight of the year, and if other players get to watch, then damn it, so do we!"

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Applebloom and Scootaloo were wise to watch from the edge of their private office. Sweetie Belle was furious at the news they had been given. Eight cells specifically made for high-level Nighthaven players were found empty only two hours ago. Word had already spread about the vote to use the player-killers as extra Clearing Group fighters, leaving the community just as split over the event as the guild leaders were.

Arguments, even small riots, began popping up in central cities across every floor as players stood their ground on the vote. Supporters of the Knights cheered, congratulating Allegretto and her officers for taking initiative, while the other half of PAO's community were horrified that murderers were outright released.

Some took it as a cause for panic, holing themselves up with their friends in their houses or instanced areas to hide from a resurgence of killings. Other players held parties and celebrations to welcome and forgive the player-killers, convinced good-will would foster stronger relations and get everyone out of the game as soon as possible.

Most of this happened in densely populated lower floors, but reports and messages always made their way back up to the Crusaders, and CMC was at the center of it.

"She has to be shitting us!" Sweetie Belle shouted, flipping her desk over. "The votes aren't even done counting, and Allegretto's already going behind our backs. "There's chaos in every level of the community because of this!" Sweetie Belle drew her sword, itching to break something.

Scootaloo held her back with a wing. "Take it out on Allegretto, Sweetie Belle. The table was kind of expensive." Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and relaxed herself.

"Speaking of which," Applebloom added, "why the hell did you challenge her to a duel? The fight's become a public event, and I reckon the whole Colosseum's gonna be filled with players."

"I had to do something," Sweetie Belle said, though regretting her decision already. "It's just how she did it, going behind our backs and letting go so many prisoners."

Scootaloo shrugged, not as worried by the threat as Sweetie Belle "To be fair, we could probably handle eight players, even if they were elite Nighthaven assassins. It's not like anyone's died."

"But what about the law?" Sweetie Belle asked. "We can't just forgive murderers less than a month after they've been convicted."

"We know, but what can we do about it?" Applebloom replied. "It's up to the players to decide now, and with how much emphasis is on the fight, whether you win or lose could define the outcome."

"I can't believe that, not after all friends players have lost to Nighthaven," Sweetie Belle said. She started pacing the room again, imagining what would happen if she lost. Gamers liked winning, and supporting Allegretto's decision, no matter how drastic, would seem like the better bet if Allegretto was the winner. Still, the community would split in two after that. Even if using the player killers became officially allowed, there'd be so many protests from the friends of victims.

The same would go if she beat Allegretto. Sweetie Belle didn't doubt that some players were kind enough to even give killers a second chance. They'd resist the offical decision, and probably try to take matters into their own hands like the Knights.

Both scenarios played out in Sweetie Belle's head, and she liked neither of them. It'd be better to win and get players on her side, but it still wasn't ideal.

Frustrated, she knocked her head against the wall, getting her horn stuck in the wood. "I screwed up girls."

"You sure? We could just pull your horn out," Scootaloo offered.

"No, I mean the fight!" Sweetie Belle shot back. "Any way we play it, I don't think the PAO's community's going to be the same."

It was a true enough statement, but Applebloom and Scootaloo were there to support their friend. "Considering everything we've survived, I don't know if the community can ever stay the same," Applebloom grunted as she and Scootaloo pulled Sweetie Belle's horn out of the wall.

"Things are different from how they were months ago, and things were even more different before then," Scootaloo said, fixing the hole in the wall with a piece of wood from her inventory. "Remember when we first started the Crusaders? Back then, no one thought we'd make it past the first floor."

"Can't forget," Sweetie Belle answered back, "but..."

"We beat the boss after that, and we opened the portal to the next floor," Scootaloo continued, bypassing Sweetie Belle's doubts. "And ever since then, we've been beating challenge after challenge. The game's just harder now, with new challenges to face. But as long as we do it together, we'll be the ones who win in the end."

Sweetie Belle smiled, appreciating the support from her friends. She wasn't fully convinced conflict would be the best choice, but the decision was already made. Now it was just a matter of seeing it though.

"Now, about winning," Applebloom said, "y'all got any idea how to beat Allegretto? From what I hear, she's an unstoppable fighter in and out of the dungeon."

Sweetie Belle wanted to punch herself in the face. She actually hadn't thought about fighting Allegretto until now, and she only had a few more hours until sun down.

But Scootaloo stood there smirking. "Oh, I've seen her fight. She's no Rainbow Dash, but she'll give you a run for your money if you don't watch out for that shield and sword combo she uses."

"Shield and sword?" Sweetie Belle asked incredulously. "That's a stupid combination for a Tank; if she had a spear, she'd get a damage buff from using her shield with it."

"All the Knights say she found a unique-tier shield from a boss, one enchanted to buff swords instead of spears and lances." Scootaloo opened her inventory and equipped a shield and sword herself. "I've been trying to forge a pair that could replicate the combo she does, but nothing I make is as good as that boss-drop. Still, some training against her skills would be better than none, right?"

Sweetie Belle nodded, smiling. "Glad to have you as a friend Scootaloo."

"Yeah, I know, now lets get to the training grounds, we only have a couple hours until the fight!"

They raced out the door, Scootaloo eager to try her painstakingly crafted gear, and Sweetie Belle eager to prepare herself for the fight. Applebloom followed along, happy to watch how the both of them fought and offer a different perspective from a different angle. With her friends by her side, Sweetie Belle let herself hope that she could make the fight turn out the best it could.

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"Come on Sunset, you're not going to see the fight?" Pinkie Pie whined. "But it's going to be the biggest party we've had in forever!"

Sunset slashed her Shadow of Discord through the tall grass, butchering two elite Roaming Hyenas with a single strike. "I've got to get to the next level just to catch up with you guys."

"You know, you could just let us be twenty percent cooler than you for a while," Rainbow Dash remarked, pulling her sword out of a giant snake as it dissipated. "You had that weird headache, after all. If it took you the whole day, it must have been something serious."

"Yeah, of course Rainbow," Sunset nodded nervously. "I'm just glad I had all that time to fix the feedback, and just the feedback."

"Aw, cheer up sugar cube," Applejack said, patting Sunset's back, "you can skip training for the rest of the day. It won't kill ya."

"No, I suppose you're right AJ." Sunset said, looking down at the floor. "I'll just take out a few more hyenas for this daily quest I picked up and catch up with you all back at central."

"Oh thank goodness," Fluttershy said, taking off with her dragon already. "The last mini-boss really hurt Mr.Shiney, I really need to get him to the stable manager." She paused and turned back to Sunset. "You really should have put in an ability to heal crippled pets Sunset."

"Sorry Fluttershy," she replied, smiling apologetically. "Slipped my mind."

"Well, see ya in few," Applejack waved to Sunset as she chased after Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, who were in turn flying after Pinkie Pie.

Sunset quickly dispatched the rest of the enemies in the field without batting an eyelid. She had actually finished the daily quest about thirty kills ago, but she needed to get away from the crowd of fanatics cheering on the Knights or the Crusaders. Once any sign of movement had been eradicated by Sunset's ridiculous sword, she found one of the few trees in the grassland and climbed to the top to think.

Sunset wished she had asked the Crusaders about Aria, or at least informed them sooner. She wanted to blame the headache, say that the after effects of the magic messed with her emotions, but she felt Applejack's honesty rubbing off a bit to much when it came to this. Her friends trusted her implicitly when it came to magic, abusing that trust to cover her own ass just felt like a guilt to heavy to bear.

Even under the wide leaves and spreading branches, the sun's heat still bore down on the landscape. It was nearing evening and the floor had just barely began to cool down. Sunset laughed in spite of herself. "Serves me right for suggesting "something different" when the developers wanted to remake another ice-themed floor instead. Damn, should've listened." She instinctively wiped the sweat from her brow, even though characters didn't sweat until they were exerting their stamina.

"Oh, right." Another flaw, another reminder that this was not the real world. The real world had more people, more families; more lives that were affected by thousands being locked in a game, and a for a few, dying in it. She wanted to blame Nighthaven, but the truth was that most of the deaths were still from the game itself. The unlucky adventure was all it took to take a life.

Sunset hit her hoof against the trunk of the tree. For the sake of her friends she promised not to let her mistake hold her down, but she didn't want to forget it either. She could never forget how she was responsible, because if she did, how could she still call herself a person?

And now, this chaos over a single decision became her problem too. She didn't know if telling the CMC would have changed the situation overall, but keeping it to herself certainly didn't help. Telling them could have given them time to deal with it instead of rashly rushing the Knights' leader in a contest of personal power, adding to the already enormous fight over voting power.

"Not going to see the fight?"

Sunset whirled her head around and leaned to the side to find Aria sitting on the opposite side of the tree, their backs facing each other.

"No. You?" Sunset asked, not realizing who she was talking to in time.

Aria scoffed. "The Knights aren't bad, but they can only do so much for me. Those little CMC brats would have my head if I stepped anywhere near their turf."

"Oh, right." Sunset shifted awkwardly on her branch. "So, what're you doing here?"

"Iceblood cancelled training for the rest of the day," Aria replied, "but I decided to take a walk instead of going to the Colosseum."

"He let you leave on your own?" Sunset asked, shocked at the Knight commander's audacity.

"Of course not," Aria smirked. "I sneaked off in the crowd. I'll just tell them I got lost in the crowd."

"The deal was that you'd be supervised at all times," Sunset told her sternly. "Don't screw up the system just as it's getting started; you're not the only one affected."

Aria relaxed on the tree, immediately diffusing tension. "You're here. Who better to supervise me than the one who let me out in the first place? And, like I said, no way I'm risking my ass going near that fight."

Sunset nodded and supposed that was good enough. "I don't know if I'm going to go. As far as I know, Grieve Blossom's the only one who knows that I was involved."

"Your friends will forgive you for anything," Aria remarked.

It might have been her constant sour tone, but it sounded like an insult to Sunset. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I hear being a she-demon's an excusable crime nowadays," Aria replied. "Mind control too."

"Being forgiven once is enough Aria," Sunset said, turning around the tree to glare at her. "Friendship works both ways, and if they find out I made another mistake..." Sunset stopped, not wanting to hear what could happen, even from her own mouth.

"Sure, just hide it. Not my friends, not my problem," Aria said, pausing before adding more. "Though if your friends did find out you helped me and continued to lie about it, well, I bet I'd get a kick out of seeing that."

Sunset twisted her face, upset. "You could at least try to show some gratitude. I helped you find Sonata, after all."

"Yes, and she's doing great." Aria stretched out on her branch, letting her body fall off. She landed on the ground effortlessly and looked up to Sunset. "But be honest, this is your problem. I can't help but watch from the sidelines."

Sunset jumped down after her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"The town south of here has some pretty nice carrot cakes," Aria said, trotting along without waiting for Sunset. "You can come if you want, but you're not stopping me from trying one of these cakes."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Sunset sighed, following Aria as they galloped south.

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The atmosphere was electric as thousands of players from both sides of the argument cheered on their champion. Though Sweetie Belle was the one who issued the challenge, the Knights still pulled out all their tricks. Special-edition weapons and armor sets were being sold to the viewers in the stands, while custom banners flew in the crowd, bearing the simple symbol of the Knights. Across the crowd, Sweetie Belle could see fans waving the Knight of Yore's golden shield on a white flag or banner, cheering Allegretto's name.

But Applebloom and Applejack were as hardworking as the Knight. They marketed just as much, selling special potions and snacks. Scootaloo let Applebloom take some of her best scimitars to be signed by Sweetie Belle and sold. Her name was etched across the blade, imbued with a simple enchantment to glow in the dark. It was the perfect effect for the duel, showing Sweetie Belle's name throughout the crowd as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"Quite the commotion you stirred up," Allegretto mocked as they met in the center of the arena.

"This started with you," Sweetie shot back. "No way you could have thought you'd get away with releasing murderers."

Allegretto drew her sword and pointed it threateningly at her. "I'm not so proud as to refuse help when we need it Sweetie Belle. How many players do you think we'll need for the next boss? Fifty? Sixty? We barely have thirty players in the Clearing Group now, and the number isn't growing."

"But we don't just forgive killers," Sweetie Belle said, reciprocating Allegretto's threat with her own scimitar. "We're going to do this the right way, and honor those who died by putting those assholes back where they belong." Sweetie Belle opened her menu and targeted Allegretto, sending a request to duel.

"Then you can say kiss the months goodbye when it takes longer to clear each floor." Allegretto tapped on the screen that appeared before her, accepting the challenge. All around them, the crowd cheered as the last of the players poured in from the portal. They had come from every floor to see the fight, and wouldn't miss it even if it meant cramming themselves into a packed crowd.

To make it even worse, those in the closest seats leaned in to see the details, while those in the back wanted to see what was happening. Everyone squeezed together, eyes locking on two of the Clearing Group's legendary players. Sweetie Belle versus Allegretto, an unstoppable force meeting an unmovable object.

The duel timer ticked down. Ten seconds. In the game, Sweetie Belle gripped her sword with magic, but she could still feel her hand tight around the handle like a vice. Trying harder wouldn't increase her attributes and magically let her hit harder and move faster, but tightening her grip helped her focus.

So she focused on the dagger she carried in her left hand. It floated in the air, suspended by magic, though she could feel its leather grip along her palm. Dual wielding was uncommon, and would normally give a movement penalty. Though after training with Scootaloo, it was clear she needed a different strategy. The second weapon felt unfamiliar, but also gave Sweetie Belle more power, and with it, more confidence.

Five seconds. Allegretto's shield was marked with the same symbol as her guild's banner. A small golden shield was painted over the boss drop, though the unique shield could never conform. Even when it tried to blend with the Knights of Yore's colors, the enchantments still glowed, the runes burning along the edge, red and humming with energy.

It would have been impossible to break the defense with just one weapon. With what Allegretto had shown in past boss fights, she could parry and riposte with incredible accuracy and speed, unhindered by the shield's weight. It was her sword, according to Scootaloo. Enchanted to be lighter and buff her speed, it would let her keep up with a single weapon. Sweetie Belle decided to sacrifice some speed for a dagger, and though the light weapon barely slowed her down she felt it changed her entire fighting style.

Tick, went the game, and the timer struck zero.

Everyone barely saw Sweetie Belle move once the timer had counted down. In the cloud of dust, she was almost as much of a blur as Pinkie Pie. But to Allegretto, the dagger's penalty made just enough difference.

It was harder than she expected, but Allegretto kept up with both weapons, tossing back Sweetie Belle's flurry of strikes. Sweetie Belle still didn't give up. If Allegretto could block forever, then she could attack forever.

Allegretto threw Sweetie Belle. It wasn't a simple toss, she had given her the chance to overextend her attacks and lose balance. With her shield Allegretto easily lifted her off the ground like a pig on a plate, twisting her body and slamming Sweetie Belle back into the dirt. Half the crowd cheered.

Sweetie Belle was quick to get back on her hooves, raising her scimitar and dagger to block as Allegretto charged forward with her shield. The dirt scraped along her hooves as Allegretto shoved her back. She took the force of the blow surprisingly well, reacting fast enough to leaped over a strike from Allegretto's sword.

Landing behind the Knight, Sweetie Belle whirled around and slashed her blades across Allegretto's hind legs and back, stunning Allegretto for a moment even though her heavy armor deflected the blows with ease. Allegretto picked up her pace, treating Sweetie Belle with a larger degree of seriousness.

It seemed they were synchronized, matching each other blow for blow, but it slowly became apparent that the weight of the shield was wearing down Allegretto's stamina quicker than Sweetie Belle's, whose sword and dagger also gave her the chance to land a second attack while the other weapon was being blocked.

Allegretto, however, kept herself calm. Her health had barely dropped, and Sweetie Belle had gotten too confident with her advantage. One slip up, and she was able to duck under the scimitar and knock away the dagger. She pulled back her sword and thrust it into Sweetie Belle's side, puncturing her light armor effortlessly.

Sweetie Belle shifted her stance to maneuver around and retaliate, but Allegretto continued with a direct smack against her face with the shining shield. Sweetie Belle's vision blurred, and she was only able to raised her sword and dagger to catch another strike from Allegretto's sword. But in the corner of her eye, she spotted the edge of the shield punching strait into her shoulder.

Allegretto spun swiftly, delivering another blow to Sweetie Belle's chest with a powerful buck, sending her flying for a few meters. Sweetie Belle rolled and leaped to her hooves, only to be slammed face first back into the arena floor. Allegretto had jumped into the air, letting her weight follow her shield as it crashed down onto Sweetie Belle's head. The blow left her dazed, giving Allegretto the chance to slash a flurry of strikes onto the Crusader's back.

The rule of the duel was the first one to one percent health lost. Sweetie Belle guessed that was her once the duel bell was sounded. She pushed herself off the ground and looked up. The screen in front of her was the same humiliating message that was displayed above their heads for the whole arena to see.

Winner: Allegretto!

Half the crowd cheered, while the other half began shouting every kind of profanity imaginable. Sweetie Belle suspected most of those complaints were aimed at her for losing.

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Cake was good.

The small town didn't have much else aside from the small shops and patches of generic green grass around it. Beyond that, the tall grasses surrounded the town like they did everywhere else. Aria and Sunset sat on one of the benches in the center of the town, eating their cakes and watching the wind blow through the swaying grassland.

"Are you sure you can't help me fix the game?" Sunset asked once they had finished their plates.

Aria nodded her head. "I am one hundred percent sure that I don't know anything about your programming."

It wasn't what she wanted to hear. Sunset had thought that a Siren could easily help complete the spell to reset the game, especially when the Digisphere's entire magic was centered around an altered form of the Sirens' gemstone.

"It has nothing to do with the programming," Sunset told Aria. "In fact, that's the whole problem. I need to make a spell from my admin console that can directly take control of the servers, while bypassing whatever's interfering with the game in the first place. I've found a few glitched items caused by the interference, but they're not enough to figure out the right spell."

Aria just shrugged. "We may have used magic, but Adagio was the one who knew about magic, and she was no where near to being a wizard. All we understood was that singing made negative energy, and that gave us power."

"Really? You cause mass chaos everywhere you go and you don't even know how you do it?" Sunset folded her forelegs.

"Sorry to disappoint, but it came so naturally we barely even questioned it." Aria looked down at her empty plate of cake and licked it clean.

Sunset figured if magic was a dead end, it would be better to change the topic. "Speaking of the other Sirens, how's Sonata doing?" She knew Aria would open up a bit more about that.

"Sonata's fine. She's settled in a nice town house by the Knights of Yore's guild keep now that I'm with them. She comes by every night after training and we just chat about things. The guards don't like visitors in the 'Nighthaven' barracks, but Grieve Blossom always clears away the complaints."

"Nice to have friends, isn't it?" Sunset was glad to see Aria be able to reform her ways.

Still, Aria rolled her eyes at the sentiment. "Don't start preaching all that. I still know what you did before you met your friends."

Drudging up that fact didn't bother Sunset. "And look at how far I've come. It could happen to you too, if you let it."

"Thanks, but I'd rather be myself," Aria said. She stretched out and leaned back on the bench, enjoying the warm breeze. "Never needed anyone else but the other Sirens. And since I hate Adagio's guts right now, that makes me happy with Sonata."

After everything she's done, Sunset almost felt hurt that she wasn't included. But she took it as Aria acting tough. "So where does that leave Grieve Blossom and me? Grieve was one of the players who got Sonata out of her prison, and I helped you get to this point."

"Grieve Blossom's part of the Knights, which makes him a teammate. And despite what you'd like to think, you and are just acquaintances." Aria swiped her hoof and opened her menu, trying to direct attention away from the conversation. Luckily for her, the rest of her party had filled her inbox with messages.

"Well, looks like I'm needed by the Knights. They're probably wondering why I left the party and ran off on my own." Aria hopped off the bench and started walking out of town.

But Sunset wouldn't let Aria get away that easily. "I'll help you explain. They'll trust that I was watching you if I'm there to say it." She trotted up next to Aria. "Besides, I'd love to hear about how you're bonding with the other Knights."

"No."

"But they're your new team. Which is basically like new friends, when you think about it."

"No."

Aria tried to outpace Sunset, but even as they galloped back towards the central city they moved side by side.

"How about training?" Sunset continued asking. "Do anything fun to build up your teamwork skills?"

"Stop following me!" Aria shouted. She didn't know why Sunset found so much amusement getting her to open up to more friends, but no matter how much she refused to answer, Sunset just kept prodding her social life all the way back to the city.

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The CMC sat miserably in their guild keep. Not only had Allegretto won, but the public consensus was that the Knights were taking a progressive approach to beating the game, which was a plan worth trying at least. With over a sixty percent majority from the votes collected that morning, just one week after the duel, the other guilds of the Clearing Group would have to follow in the Knights' hoof steps and train their own ex-Nighthaven members.

"I can't believe I lost," Sweetie Belle said, tossing her weapons onto the floor. "I had her on the ropes!"

"Yeah, it was looking like my training worked pretty well," Scootaloo added. "You should have totally beat her."

Applebloom closed her message menu and grunted at both of them. "Well Sweetie Belle didn't, okay? It's time to get over it and do our part in the Knights' plan. We don't want to look like we're not trying our hardest."

"Who cares what the community thinks?" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. "They're all idiots if they think it's alright to start opening positions to murderers and criminals."

"Well, we're already a couple days behind schedule," Applebloom reminded, swiping open her menu again. "I'm already getting messages from my sister and the others asking when we're going to start preparing for the next boss fight."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "We can do the fight without getting player killers involved. I'll send out the alert to wrap up training and begin gather crafting supplies."

"I'll finish up the new weapon upgrades and start forging some brand new gear too," said Scootaloo, already ordering her inventory by the types of metals she had to craft with.

"But we're still just a little short on staff," Applebloom stopped them, "we need thirty percent more of everything if we're going to beat this boss if it's anything like the last one. Fighters, potions, gear, and probably even levels, even the Slumbering Giants are pulling up everything they can get, and they haven't tried for a boss this hard since floor forty-eight."

"Hold on, thirty percent?" Scootaloo paled. "That's going to be at least another whole day of non-stop crafting! I bet the same goes for Roseluck and all our other crafters."

"Yeah, I know. But Sunset brought the Clearing Group up to this floor a little earlier than expected, so now we need everything we can get to be prepared." Applebloom equipped her shield and spear and headed out the door. "I'll go see if I can rally some of the lower level players to do some overtime, but I don't reckon we'll get much farther if we don't play along with the Knights for now."

She left the two to sort out their own jobs. She trusted Sweetie Belle to get a handle on the guild's coordination, and Scootaloo was always great with picking up the pace and getting the other crafters fired up for a raid. That just left the matter of recruiting more players. Applejack and her friends would already be fighting, and they already said they'd rater stay away from complex guilds.

Applebloom shook her head. For a moment, just a moment, she considered going over to the Nighthaven prisons for more fighters. She had almost accepted that the Cutie Mark Crusaders would one day need their own murders, but there was no time at this point. With the rest of the community rallying to the Knights, Allegretto wasn't going to hesitate using the excitement to get more glory.

She considered the alternate plan, the system the Crusaders were going to use to bring lower leveled players into the Clearing Group. Many of the players within their new system would have been in danger for a boss raid so quickly, but more crafters would at least take some pressure off of players like Scootaloo and Roseluck.

The problem was getting a hold of players with enough potential to squeeze into the Clearing Group. There were a lot of low level guilds, but taking big leaps were not their forte. Well, except for one. But with the Realm of Glory hit so hard, Applebloom wasn't sure if any of their members would be up for another risk.

It was possible. She could just offer the help of the Crusaders to whomever needed it. Yet, sounding desperate or suicidal wouldn't be the best impression to give to the other players.

She needed help, she decided. Applejack would just tell her to do what she thought was right, which didn't really help. Fluttershy, sad to say, didn't have any leadership skills to make that call. Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were both loose cannons, and probably would go with their gut before thinking it all through.

She wracked her head. It seemed Sunset was the best player to help, but she was so busy Applebloom didn't know if they'd have time to talk it over. As she left the guild hall, the sun was dipping below the grassy horizon. Applebloom chuckled to herself.

"Thinking 'bout Sunset during a sunset. This supposed to be some kind of sign?" Applebloom shrugged. Maybe it was. The fact of the matter was that the day was coming to an end and she needed a solution quick.

"Sunset it is," she said.

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Sunset was worried, so she cooked. Food made her feel better, and the smell of the fresh vegetables in her kitchen already reduced her stress. Applebloom had sent her a message ahead of time, but it wasn't clear what she wanted. She just wanted to talk, hang out maybe. At least that's what Sunset wanted to think. In truth, Applebloom was probably blowing a fuse over the the Knights of Yore. She paced around her kitchen, finishing up the artichoke and spinach dip she was making for her carrots.

If she owned up to it, what would happen? Sunset imagined how all her friends would take it if she admitted to helping Grieve Blossom recruit Aria. At least it was only Aria, and not a random killer they didn't know, but that hardly made a difference. Anyways, it was too late. The majority of the community agreed with the Knights, and it had nothing to do with what she did.

There was a knock on her door. "Hey there, Sunset. Wasn't sure if you got my message, but I was wondering if we could chat for a moment. Sunset dipped a carrot into the dip and chewed on it, trying not the clench up her teeth. She opened the door gingerly.

"Come on in Applebloom!" Sunset chimed. "I was just making one of my favorite appetizer. Want to try some?"

Applebloom sat down at the dinning table but declined the offer. "I had a bite to eat on my way, but thanks."

She took her seat and ate another carrot. "What did you want to talk about?"

"This might sound weird, but I need some advise on guild stuff, specifically how to get more players for the upcoming raid." Applebloom said. "But there's so many things going on right now, I don't know how to go about it."

"This have anything to do with the Knights?" Sunset asked.

Applebloom snickered in spite of her situation. "Everything seems to have something to do with the Knights right now. Extra Nighthaven fighters are giving them the power to push the Clearing Group's schedule ahead of time. Reckon you can guess how upset Sweetie Belle is about it."

Sunset nodded meekly. She didn't like where the conversation was going already. Applebloom didn't seem to know or care specifically about the Nighthaven decision, but if they talked long enough she was sure she'd say something to give away her involvement.

"You okay?" Applebloom asked. "You've got a look on your face."

Sunset refocused on Applebloom and laughed off her worried expression. "Just thinking of how to help is all, no need for concern!"

"Um, alright," Applebloom replied. "What're you thinking about?"

Sunset searched for a cover. "Well, the first thing that came to my mind was," she paused for a moment, "the Realm of Glory. But given what happened to them, that would be a pretty bad idea."

"I was thinking the same before I came here," Applebloom said. "The Realm of Glory's the biggest guild out of all the lower levels right now, but even they can't keep up with what the Clearing Group needs, at least not combat wise."

"How about crafters?" she asked. "Most of the raid preparation's just getting all the gear prepared."

Applebloom nodded. "That's what's making me consider them a bit more, but still, I reckon more than a few would hate being asked to move forward so quickly, while others might get too excited."

"Then I'm out of ideas," Sunset shrugged. "Unless you think the Crusaders are ready to handle the Nighthavens."

"That's the last resort," Applebloom sighed back, gazing down at the table. "Sweetie Belle especially doesn't like the idea, and frankly, neither do I. It's hard, maybe even impossible, to just forgive so easily."

"Maybe that's how it's supposed to be," she replied. "No one said it would be a quick assimilation, and I don't think anyone expected it to be easy. But it has to start somewhere, and I know for sure there are some people worth giving an second chance. Take me for example."

Applebloom looked at Sunset, forgetting at that moment how she had first met her friends. Canterlot High, and the world, really changed after that Fall Formal. "But you were nothing like Nighthaven. You were just..."

"An other-worldly being hell-bent on domination of her home world by conscripting a human army?" Sunset supplied, curious to see Applebloom's reaction.

"I guess when you put it like that, you did sound pretty bad," Applebloom admitted. "But at least nobody died from what you did."

"That's because I was stopped, remember?" Sunset added. "I saw the full scale of what I was doing and changed for the better. If I had continued, I don't think any of us can say for sure what would happen."

Sunset dipped another carrot in her artichoke and spinach dip. She was out of dip now. "So maybe a second chance for the Nighthaven players could do some good too. Looking at things from their perspective, I bet some of them might not even believe that players are dying in real life. Others might just be confused, or angry. It's hard to think straight when you've had your whole life ripped from you."

"I should've just gotten you to talk some sense into Sweetie Belle a week ago," Applebloom said, imagining how much easier things would have been.

Sunset agreed. "Part of the reason why I don't do guilds. You're mess waiting to happen."

"And you're not?" Applebloom remarked teasingly. "Last I heard, there's no one but you who knows how to work magic. Quite a ruckus you stirred after taking the Draconequus down."

"Don't change the subject Applebloom," Sunset said, "you still need to figure out how to prepare for the big raid. I'd say you've got five days at most, and that's being generous."

"Reckon it's too late to go looking for Nighthavens, 'specially since I don't have a list of them," Applebloom said. She thought for a moment, before coming to a compromising conclusion. "I think it's best to just take some pressure off Scootaloo and the other crafters for now. After the boss is beat I'll have some guild members to help find the right ex-Nighthavens to recruit. Sweetie Belle will probably hate me for it, but at least that gives her some time to cool off."

"Sounds like a good call," Sunset confirmed. "Though I'm not that good at managing, so that probably doesn't mean much coming from me."

Applebloom raised her brow. "Seriously? You owned the company that made this whole game. Not to dwell on it or anything, but all this is pretty impressive for someone who's bad at managing."

"Twilight was the business end of the company," she replied. "So don't give me the credit, because it was more Twilight's company than mine."

"Well, be that as is may, I say you shouldn't sell yourself short," Applebloom encouraged. "You've been a big help, even if Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo might not be excited to hear it."

The two shook hooves and said their goodbyes as Applebloom left Sunset's house and made her way back to the Cutie Mark Crusader's guild hall. Sunset flopped down on her bed. She felt that she should have said something about Aria, that getting it off her chest and facing the reaction was better than wondering what would happen when they found out on their own.

Maybe if another opportunity opened itself up, she could speak up. Maybe, once Applebloom won over the Crusaders and all her friends went along with the Nighthaven idea, then she wouldn't have to worry about going behind their backs. Maybe she just had to sleep on it and put it behind her, like everything else that seemed to pop up in her life.

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Grieve Blossom and Roseluck walked side by side quietly. The whole raid did. They walked side by side on the path to the floor boss' fortress, a grand stone palace that jutted menacingly out of the grassy fields. Their guilds, the Knights of Yore and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, moved in awkward silence. On one side, the Knights snickered at the Crusaders and their leader's loss. On the other, the Crusaders looked grudgingly away from the Knights and ahead at the fortress, determined to do nothing but spit at the Knights when they defeated the boss.

"This is getting awkward," Grieve Blossom whispered to Roseluck as they entered the fortress. The front of the raid attacked the dungeon's defensive minions, taking them out before the rear players had to get in the fight. Over the sounds of swords clashing and field goblins despawning, no one paid attention to the whispering players.

"I know, but we just have to play along until the leaders get over it," Roseluck replied.

"I don't like it," Grieve Blossom said, ducking down as an enemy NPC flew over his head. "It sucks that we're not training together anymore. I mean, Aria's doing great at leveling up, and Iceblood's a pretty cool party leader, but sometimes I just want to take a break from the day-to-day regiment."

Roseluck agreed. "I hate that our guilds are making us act separately. I thought the whole point was to work together."

"At least your guild looks pretty focused," Grieve Blossom observed. "The rest of the Knights are getting a little too relaxed with training because they think we have more fighters."

"It's so fucking boring, you don't even know," Roseluck countered, quickly peaking back at the fight as two players ripped a mini-boss into pieces. "Preparing for the raid felt so slow. None of the crafters talked, so we just stood in the workshop for hours each day, working."

"Jeez, sounds like you have it worse," Grieve Blossom said, shoving aside his complaints.

Like most dungeons, the outer enemies offered little resistance. It was the boss itself that required both precision and coordination. Everyone had read the quest text this time, and had a good idea of what kind of boss they'd be fighting. The Field Tyrant, who had been mentioned in almost every quest for the dungeon, was supposed to a god-like being who reigned over the grasslands.

Just looking at the boss room, everyone knew not to take the boss' generic description lightly. The Knights and Crusaders went their separate ways, with the smaller guilds trailing behind whomever they supported. They immediately flanked the boss the second it spawned in, crushing it with countless debuffs.

Regardless, it was a long fight. Those unlucky enough to be caught by one of its hits knew better than to get close another time, even with potions restoring them back to full health. Even the Tanks, who stood behind their shields, backed off quickly and rotated to maximize their stamina and efficiency.

Before long, the two halves of the raid fell into a similar sort of synergy, moving the boss around and taking pressure off one another without realizing it. To Roseluck's surprise, she was able to break from her assigned party and reinforce Grieve Blossom's without so much as a complaint from Scootaloo.

They still held their grudge, but discarded it in the face of danger. Despite the best efforts of both sides to prove themselves, both the Knights and Crusaders came to a silent agreement that they'd never be able to beat a boss, let alone the game, without help.

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"No!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she looked around the town of the brand new floor. Fifty-two was nothing she wanted in a new floor.

"Oh come on Rainbow, it's not so bad," Scootaloo tried to comfort her.

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Why are there so many icy levels in this game!" She shot Sunset a burning glare.

Sunset threw her hooves up in defense. "I'm being totally honest, it's all on the developers at this point."

"That doesn't make me feel any warmer," Rainbow Dash seethed.

Applejack stepped in, pointing to the brightly lit inn by the portal. "All right, I think y'all just need a nice warm cup of cider by a fireplace. That sound good RD?"

Rainbow Dash nodded, folding her wings to block the chilling wind. "I just want to get out of this game and make whoever created this floor to pay."