The Mind Makes It Real, As Does Magic

It is the second day in this reality for Zeref. For all the time he has been there, he has stayed locked up in the guest room that Twilight generously let him have. Despite his aggressive acts from yesterday. He lets out a sigh as he looks out the window he was standing in front of, watching ponies come and go. Out of all the things that had to be true, anthro ponies existed in another world. Seems like the bronies and furries back home were onto something. Shaking the thought, he decides it is time to make amends. He walks over to the door and opens it, walking out and down the hall to Twilight’s room. He could hear the slight sound of papers in a book being flipped ever so often. He reaches up and gets close to knocking on the door, then pulls back for a moment. He shakes his head then finally knocks on the door. It was quiet for a moment.

“Yes?”

“Twilight? It’s me. May I come in? I wish to speak with you.”

“”Ah, yes please come in Zeref.”

He opens the door and comes in, looking over at Twilight who seems to be rather dressed...comfortably. A tight fitting cut off shirt and black booty short. Zeref maintained his cool though. He walks in front of her bed and stands there for a moment, then taking a deep bow.

“Twilight...I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. I shouldn’t have been so harsh to you when you didn’t know what was going on. I...just freaked out and wanted to go back home. And I was willing to do anything to do it. I just wanted you to know..I am sorry.”

He said before coming up from his bow. Twilight closed her book and got off her bed. She walked up to him with her eyes locked onto his, those big purple hues seeking through his icy grey gaze. She was quiet for a few moments, Zeref only blinking a few times. She smiled gently and wrapped his arms around him in a warm hug.

“I forgive you Zeref. And I completely understand why you did what you did. But you and I both know you wouldn’t have put me in real danger. I could hear it in your voice...despite how scary you were.”

SHe was soooo soft and warm, Zeref just wanted to hug her back, her breasts pushed up against his lower torso, and they were very very nice. But Zeref maintained his aloofness and just stepped back as he was released. Twilight seemed a bit saddened that he didn’t return a hug, but understood. Zeref looks around the room as he noticed her headgear and her PC. Apparently their computer designs didn’t differ from his world’s very much.

“So..that is your rig huh?”

He said as he quickly changed the subject, walking over to the machine and runs his hand along its chassis. He looks back to her, seeing a smile form on her face again.

“Mhm! I put it together myself!”

“Mind if I take a look inside?”

“I..I suppose you can, just be careful…”

Zeref chuckles lightly and removes the side of the case.

“Don’t worry Twilight, I am a builder of computers myself, I have been fond of them since the age of five. Everytime computer lab came around in school, I was always the first to be there in my chair and starting up the machine.”

Twilight’s eyes brightened as he told her his experience with computers.

Scarey..but so very intelligent.

She thought to herself as she watched him look around in the machine. He reaches in and wipes the dust from a few vital parts of the machine, then looks to her.

“Make sure you keep your rig clean on the inside, dust build ups will affect its performance in the long run. Also,how long have you had computers in this world? Is it a recent thing? Or has it been longer?”

“Oh...well we have had computers for about ten years now. It is something that came from your world out of a rogue portal I assume. We had to make some tweaks to the power supply though. We use magic crystals instead of what came with it originally.”

“I see. And it looks like you followed the same evolution steps with the other parts as we did. You graphics card seems to have the same design as an Nvidia GForce GTX 760…”

He turns with a teasing grin and crosses his arms.

“I am very disappointed in you Twilight,I figured a princess would have access to the latest tech. My rig runs a GTX 1080. But, it looks like the motherboard is pretty decent. Along with the sound card and everything else. I can’t say anything about your processor. But over all it is a decent rig.”

He turn closes the case back up and turns to see her eyes wide and her muzzle agape with shock.

“Uh...Twilight?”

She shakes herself back from her shock and smiles nervously.

“O-oh! Sorry...it has been hard to find another pony around here who understands these machines so well. Both inside and out. It is rather..admirable.”

She said as she drags her hoof against the floor, her hands behind her back.

“So...would you be opposed if I picked your brain for a few minutes Zere? You seem like a very intellectual man.”

Zeref laughs lightly.

“Oh Twilight. Just because I am good with computers doesn’t mean I am a super genius like you. Sure I was going to college for business administration, but still. I am just a simple human who lived a rather...unwanted childhood. But that is a story for another time.”

He said as he walks over to a chair. Just as he was about to sit down, something in his pocket...rang? Just how many items followed him through the magic bridge yesterday?! He reaches into his coat and pulls out the cellphone that is issued to you in the game, and the number was...oh boy…

Zeref clicks the side of the phone as the speaker retracts...which was awesome. He had a cellphone like this when he was younger because of the movie. He puts it up to his ear and speak.

“...Bossman? Is that you?”

“Hello Mr. Schwarzwald. I am calling you to make sure you are...unharmed. We noticed in the system that your RSI was dragged into a disturbance. We had a back up ready and it is now back into our system. So whenever you return, all should be fine. My question is: What exactly happened?”

“I will have to explain to you when I see you.”

“It’s just as well. I will need you to jack in within the hour. I am calling a meeting. Have you as our most trustworthy human operative, I believe it is necessary to have you there.”

“Ah, I will do so then. Usually when you call meetings, something big is going to happen. Do we still meet in the same building that is in front of the Mara North hardline?”

“Indeed, we...hope to see you there, Mr. Schwarzwald.”

“One more thing before you go, bossman. Is Agent Pace still around. Cause..in all honestly, she was pretty hot.”

The conversation when quiet for a moment, then a monotone, but alluring voice came over the phone, which made Zeref grin.

“I am glad you still find me so attractive even over all the years, Mr. Schwarzwald. Yes, I am still here, as are all the other agents.”

“Huh, coworker reunion, how nice.”

“I will never really...understand you humans and your odd...customs and such. But I will not lie, I and the other agents have taken a liking to you. Even if Agent grey will not admit it.”

“Agent Pace, that information is….irrelevant.”

Agent Grey said with a straight face, but Zeref knew that the program didn’t liked to be found out. Zeref could have sworn he heard Agent Pace talk with a slight smile.

“See you soon, Mr. Schwarzwald.”

The line clicks and goes dead, Zeref chuckles and closes the phone back up. He places it back in his coat, turning to find Twilight leaning in as if she was trying to listen on his conversation. Zeref arched a brow.

“Twilight...it is rude to listen in on phone calls you know?”

She crosses her arms under her breasts and hmphs a little.

“Well, how do you even have that device here?! And how did he even get a call through to the real world?! And more importantly, who is this Agent Pace?!”

She emphasised on the last part. Was...she getting jealous that he was talking about another female? Zeref was going to have fun with this.

“I don’t know, and I don’t know. But don’t tell me...that you are getting all flustered because of a sentient program that I happen to find attractive. If you saw her, you couldn’t blame me.”

“I am NOT getting jealous!”

She said as she turns away from him with a pouty face. Zeref chuckled light, then blinked as he remembered.

“Shit..my headgear. I need to go find it..”

Twilight turned around with her wings lifted a bit.

“Oh! Don’t worry, I brought it back with us when we brought you here yesterday. Princess Luna also mentioned that she is having her company work on a rig just for you. She...felt really bad about what happened.”

Zeref arches a brow.

“Moony is making me a rig? Awfully kind of her. I guess I can’t be mad at her now then…”

He said as he then looks to Twilight again.

“May I borrow your rig until mine gets here then?”

Twilight blinks and grins wickedly.

“Fine, but on one condition, mister. I get to pick your brain when you return, and I get to watch what goes on.”

She said as she leans over and turns on the monitor, doing this shows off just how nice her rear was. God damnit all. Zeref shakes his head and looks around, seeing she indeed did bring his headgear in and dusts it off. He plugs it into her computer and nods.

“I suppose that is fair enough. Thank you for letting me use it.”

He said as he walks over to her bed, stopping for a moment and looks over to her

“I uh...hope you don’t mind..”

“Oh no! Please do what you need to do..”

She said as she looked away from him with a slight blush on her face. He nods and sits on her bed, placing the headgear on and lies down against her pillow, closing his eyes and exhaling.

“Jack in, Mara North hardline.”

Zeref’s body goes numb, like last time, and his vision is brought into the game, he opens his eyes and looks down at his clothing and himself as he walks out of the hardline. Looking around to see fresh new players staring at him with wide eyes and open mouths.

“He is only level ten, and his stats are through the roof…’

“Not only that, but look at his name. You think he is the same one we have heard about?”

The whispers went on and on as he turned and walked around the bench that sat by the hardline, accidently bumping into a player that he did not notice, she lets out a gasp as she nearly falls forward, but he catches her in time.

“Ah, pardon me..uh, Topaz.”

“Oh not a problem ,darling. At least you were kind enough to make sure I didn’t fall.”

That voice..that hair color and the style of clothing she wore. Those deep beautiful sapphire eyes. Noooo. Nononono. She would never play a game like this! Even Twilight was in shock when she was watching. Azrael looked in the direction of the monitor which was normally behind the character, as if looking directly at Twilight mouthing to her, ‘You don’t think…’.

“No...there is just no way!”

Twilight exclaimed as she spoke to the monitor, then looked outside her window at her friend’s home and workplace. Yep, they were both thinking the same thing, Rarity. As he was about to speak with Topaz again, two agents come out of the door and approach Azrael. All the players, including Topaz backed away quickly. All but Azrael.

“Mr. Schwarzvald, we have been...awaiting your arrival. If you would please come with us so that we may get the meeting underway.”

“I see Agent Grey is as impatient as always. Very well.”

He looks over to Topaz and nods his head.

“See you around Topaz.”

He said as he walked into the building with the agents accompanying him. The whispers beginning again.

“Doesn’t he look like one of the ghost twins? I wonder what the leader of the machine faction wants with him..”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good. The machines claim to be a neutral faction and only keep peace in The Matrix, I don’t buy it.”

Topaz rubs her chin in thought, a small smile on her.

“He dresses like an exile...but even the head of the machines call upon him. Someone who knows the higher ups...very impressive…”

Topaz said in a sultry tone. Then goes about her way. Azrael walks out of the elevator that brought him to the top floor, he walks into those familiar double doors that lead him into the conference room with the long desk and comfy chairs. This place, usually looked so low grade back in the day, looked as if it was all in real life, everything did, even the player models.

“Ah, and here is our human operative now. Welcome back Mr. Schwarzwald, we’ve...missed you.”

Azrael grins at the inside joke, bowing his head in greeting to Agent Grey, and giving an extra smile to Agent Pace, rising his brows under his sunglasses as if saying ‘dat ass’. Quietly. It took Twilight everything to not chunk something at her monitor

“I swear when he gets back…”

She stops herself and blinks.

“Why am I getting so upset about this?!”

She asked as she buries her face into her pillow that she was clinging to as she sat beside him on her bed. Watching him do this, it was like he was in a movie,and she was enthralled. Azrael walked up to the table and placed his hand on it, looking between all the agents in the room. Agent Grey begins explaining.

“As you all know, with the resurrection of the simulation. There are still a few bugs to work out. And I..regret to inform you, that sign of the Assassin are showing up. The corrupted death clouds that showed up only in the Westview Districts are attempting to spread into the Richland area. If these things get into this area, we will have a crisis on our hands with the new red pills daily. Agent Taylor, the map if you’d please.”

The Agent walks up with a large rolled up map of the infected areas, rolling it across the table as the rest look upon it. Azrael’s eyes studying the map he still remembered fairly well.

“My god...they are targeting all the new redpill spawn in areas. From what I can see by their movements, they are trying to converge on them.”

“Very perceptive of you, Mr. Schwarzwald. You are our best human mind. What do you think is a decent plan to fight these...rogue programs off?”

“First off, do we still have the flint gun program running around?”

“I...am afraid we do not. It was lost whenever we tried gathering all the data to restart the simulation.”

Azrael chuckles lightly, reaching into his inventory and pulling out the flint gun and setting it on top of the table, getting arched eyebrows and slightly opened mouths from the agents.

“Never underestimate to power of a player who has been here since the beta of the original game.”

“Very….exemplary, Mr. Schwarzwald. We will take the code from this and copy it, but it is so complex we can only make a few of them at the most. Fifty replicas.”

Azrael chuckles lightly.

“Just like in the original game. Now then.”

He said as he leans onto the table more,pointing out spots on the map.

“I suggest we find out best players who can take hits the most. Give them a flint gun, and let the others handle with ranged attacks, I recommend hackers. For both high damage and healing. Gunners are always welcomed. But martial artists like me will have no effect at close range, but we can handle damage well, so give us the guns.”

Azrael looks over to Agent Grey.

“I recommend that you also get some coders the craft an anti-corruption code. There will be some players who will get corrupted by their attacks. Call it a...safeguard”

“Agreed, Mr. Schwarzwald. Very well then, we will offer help by adding a bit more firepower to these...rogue programs. In the meantime, we shall gather some of our other operatives and some of the Zion operatives as well. We know the exiles will not aid us in this.”

“When do you think we should deploy?”

Azrael asked.

“Tomorrow afternoon, when we have gathered enough humans. I will call you once we have things ready. You are dismissed, Mr. Schwarzwald.”

“Understand bossman, until tomorrow.”

Azrael said as he began to walk out of the room.

“Mr, Schwarzwald.”

“Sir?”

“It is...pleasant to have you back.”

Azrael chuckles lightly.

“Good to be back, Sir”

He said as he walked out the room and to the rooftop, looking over the crowd gathered by the hardline below and by the door.

“Ah, they must be curious as to what has happened. Good thing I chose the roof.”

He said as he brought up the option menu and hit the ‘jack out’ command. His body disappearing in a bright green light and fades into nothing. Things were going to get interesting, both in and out of the game. That’s for sure.