Chapters I felt the hilt shiver in my grip as I blocked the blow from the massive monster's sword. I skidded backwards and I heard Sunset cry out "Switch!"
I dove to the side as she flew in, leaping into the air and unleashing a blinding fast torrent of strikes with her rapier. The monster staggered, its sword glowing with a blue sheen as it swung it down in a hammer blow. Sunset hopped backward nimbly and held her narrow sword at the ready.
"One more rush, Twilight," she said, hand tightening around her sword grip. "You go low, and I'll go high."
I nodded, taking a firm grip on the black sword held in my hand as we charged forward, my horn charging up. I could see the yellow-red of Sunset's horn as she leapt up and landed on a platform of solid magic for a moment before launching herself at the towering monster's chest as I swept in with a spinning double cut to its legs.
The monster staggered back and burst into a cloud of smoke, leaving just the two of us in the room as a chest appeared. I flicked my sword before sheathing it across my back, turning to my wife as she slid her rapier back into its scabbard.
"Well, that was fun," I said. "I hope it dropped that spell tome this time."
Sunset nodded. "We've been after that thing for a week for Fluttershy," she said, brushing her red and gold hair back. "It'd be nice to have good news for her this time."
We approached the chest and opened it, the contents instantly being stored in our inventory. I skimmed the list and smiled when I saw the item Spell Tome of Healing, Lvl 5 tucked neatly in it's alphabetized spot.
"Victory," I smiled, holding up two fingers. Sunset copied my sign and grinned.
"Let's head back to town," she said. "It's getting kind of late, and we could stand to have AJ do some repairs to our gear."
I nodded, lacing the fingers of my hands behind my head as we walked out of the boss gates and headed for the entrance to the small castle.
"Oh thank you," Fluttershy said, the winged mare clutching the book to her chest as she smiled. "This will let me raise my healing skill another level. Thank you so much for getting it, I'm sorry if it was any trouble."
"Nah," I said. "We both outranked the boss by a few levels so it wasn't like we were in danger of dying. It's just got an annoying drop rate. You should have seen the amount of junk we had to offload to the vendors before meeting up."
"Nice bit of gold earned, though," Sunset said. "And I'm sure Applejack was happy to work on her Blacksmithing skill some more."
Fluttershy was already reading the book. My wife reached over and elbowed me in the ribs.
"I thought you were the bookworm," she giggled.
"Not in here," I said. "In here, I'm the enigmatic Black Swordsmare."
She giggled again. "I'm having so much fun I almost forget where we really are," she said, glancing down at our hooved feet. "I mean, we get limited spells and amazing sword skills, but dying means that's it. No more Black Swordsmare, no more Lightning Flash."
I reached over and rubbed her shoulder. "Try not to think about it," I said. "We play with a fairly large safety margin. Nothing more than ten levels below us in soloing or pairs, and nothing more than five below us in raid parties. We're two of the stronger players, and with our friends, we have an amazing group. Fluttershy providing healing, Rainbow and Rarity for crowd control, and I'm still amazed Celestia and Luna decided to play as well. Celestia is immovable with that shield defence of hers and Luna is outright devastating with her axe. I'm glad we always fought on the same side."
She nodded. "You're right," she said. "It's just Pinkie and Starlight..."
I looked down. Those two had died shortly after the game had started after some ill-fated encounters in the world. Their characters - a bard and a sorceress - were gone forever.
A hand slapped down on my shoulder as Rainbow slid up, her belt and bandolier of throwing knives giving her an intimidating appearance.
"Don't look so long in the muzzle, girls," she said. "I just got a hot tip about an amazing encounter on level 74. You aren't going to believe the loot drops." She pulled up a list of possible drops and I stared as I saw a high-level sword listed.
"You want to go, don't you?" Sunset teased.
Still looking at the sword's stats, I smiled wolfishly.
"Come to momma," I whispered.
"This is it, girls," Sunset said as we gathered at the opening to the entrance to the dungeon. "Challereign Keep. Inside is the event boss, Samhaim the Pumpkin King, and from what we know, he has five life meters and two berserk points; one at fifty percent, one at fifteen percent."
I leaned forward and put my gloved hand on the stonework birdbath in the courtyard we stood in. "As near as I can tell, he doesn't have any summons or minions during his fight, but he does have a heal effect that needs to be shut down immediately if he uses it," I looked at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. "That's your job when not doing DPS."
Rarity nodded, giving her wand a bit of a twirl as she adjusted the sleeves of the scarlet robes she wore.
"We've got this," Dash said as she gave her new bow a test pull before shouldering it next to the quiver of arrows that had replaced her throwing knives. "You can count on us."
"Fluttershy," Sunset said. "I want you to focus mainly on healing the front lines. Twilight and I should be able to keep it's attention fairly well, and with Sonata wielding a shield, he shouldn't be able to break through. Aria will be doing backup healing and offsetting debuffs if he has any."
"Where are those two, anyway?" Applejack asked as she shouldered a fairly hefty hammer.
"They're stocking up on potions in the marketplace," Fluttershy said as she wrapped an arm around Rarity's arm. "They had a pretty rough leveling trip today."
The teleport gate behind us gave a shimmering whoosh as two forms stepped through, the Sirens in question stepping through. I have to admit, I still wasn't used to the sight of Sonata in heavy armor bearing a large shield. She carried a short spear and seemed to be equipped mainly to keep someone occupied, which suited us all just fine.
Aria, conversely, was garbed in dark gray robes with arcane sigils along its lapels and cuffs and a gnarled staff was gripped in her hands while a grimoire hung from her belt via a chain. She kept her hood up which activated the effect of only her eyes being visible, both transformed into glowing ice-blue orbs.
"That the place?" Aria asked, her grumpy attitude back in place as part of her character.
"Yup," I said. "You got the assignments we messaged you about?"
They both nodded.
"Then let's get going," I said as I pulled my sword and giving it a test swing to settle it in my hand.
"Switch!" I cried, driving in as my magic sped me along the floor. Sunset hopped nimbly to the side just a moment before the tip of my sword lanced through the spot she had been standing in to slice into the chest of the kobold standing in front of me. It burst into smoke as I turned away, looking for another target but saw the last one bursting into flames as Rarity's spell went off.
"That was fun," Aria said, one of the sigils on her robe still glowing from its Deflect Attack skill. "Each mob seems to get thicker and thicker."
Sunset nodded as she sheathed her rapier. "We're almost at the boss door," she said as she consulted the map. She glanced at Rainbow. "You ok to continue?"
The archer moved her arm around a bit. "Yeah, Fluttershy managed to heal me up pretty good, but I am running low on arrows. Anyone got a sword they could loan me in case I run out?"
I scrolled through my inventory and traded her a sword with a decent damage range. "If you have to use that, stay fast on your feet."
"You forget who you're talking to?" she asked, a grin on her face.
"Actually, darling," Rarity cut in. "Sunset and Twilight are faster than you in the game, I'm afraid."
I smirked at our friend while Sunset pretended to be overly interested in her fingernails.
Rainbow's ears drooped a bit. "Right," she mumbled.
"Let's get this show moving," Sonata chirped, pointing forward with her spear. "Next stop, boss room!"
"It's litterally around the corner, Sonata," Sunset said.
"Still though," the Siren said. "We can have fun on the way to..."
She turned the corner and stopped.
"Oh."
A huge ornate gate blocked further access down the corridor.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," Aria said.
"Casters, how are your mana levels?" Applejack asked.
"Topped off," Aria said, brushing some invisible dust from her sleeve.
"Full," Rarity said, her wand still in hand.
"I could use another moment," Fluttershy whispered. "Dashie's arm took a lot of mana to regenerate."
"We'll wait for you, Shy," I said. "Can't have try this without you."
She smiled and sat to drink a potion, the rod she used as a focus resting across her lap, runes of healing and protection engraved in it's metal length.
I looked at the door and placed my hand on it along with Sunset and as soon as Fluttershy gave us the ok, we pushed the door open and walked into a gigantic throne room, the throne and figure on it hidden by shadows. As the doors closed behind us and the sconces along the walls flared into being, we got a good look at the event boss.
The skeletal figure sat on the throne with a humongous warhammer at his side, and a massive pumpkin for a head. He stood and roared as his life meter and name pane flashed into being and a debuff appeared on my stat block.
"Aria!"
"It's nothing I can dispell," she cried. "And it's only affecting stats upped by socketed gems!"
"Crystals are out, too," Applejack said. "Just tried to use an anti-magic crystal to shield myself from the debuff."
"Well, this just got a lot more complicated," I snarled as I readied my sword.
Samhaim lunged forward, and the battle began.
Samhaim roared and lashed out with his warhammer, the massive weapon shattering the flagstones as we scattered.
"Whoa," Sonata said as she deflected a flying stone with her shield. "He hits like a truck!"
"Just try not getting hit!" Rainbow cried as she used her wings to jump over a tumbling chunk of the floor. She drew back her bow, arrow glowing with a sword skill and released it, the arrow bursting into flames as she fired.
I darted forward, my longsword stable in my grip as I used the recoil time to lay a double slash to the bony leg of the boss, backhand then forward. I heard the sound of Sunset's quadruple attack landing and the crunch of a hammer on stone.
"Consarn it," AJ shouted. "He's moving again!"
I ducked back as Samhaim went to kick out at us, most of us avoiding it and Sonata blocking with her shield. The force was enough to send her skidding back, grunting with the impact.
"I don't know if I can hold him, you guys," she called out. "He's a lot stronger than any of the floor bosses we've faced before.
I growled, sword powering up with another skill as I charged my horn, grabbing a loose bit of stonework. I jumped, landing on the stonework I levitated to the best height I could manage and then leaped out and released the skill I had charged, a helm cracker swing. My blade connected, then rebounded off the tough skin of the Pumpkin King's head.
I saw bolts of magic slamming into him as I dropped back to the ground, fire erupting around his clothing. I glanced at his HP bar, and saw that we had only whittled away a tiny bit of the first bar.
Aria slammed her staff down on the ground, a wash of fire rushing forward to race up the boss' leg. Rarity followed up with a blast of lightning from her wand, but a swing of the hammer deflected it, the bolt gouging a long gash in the wall. His eyes flashed blue and he zeroed in on Rarity.
"Rarity!" Sunset cried, racing over to our friend, but Sonata beat her there, her shield catching the hammer stroke. It seemed for a moment she was going to hold, but then her shield shattered and the hammer continued down, crushing her to the stone floor.
"Oh, fish sticks," she muttered before bursting into the death animation.
I paled. We hadn't lost anyone since the fifth floor. I felt rage build up and I rushed the boss, screaming as I raised my sword pulling it's attention from Rarity as she stared at the slowly disappearing bits that had been Sonata. My sword bit into it's back, the long arc creating a huge gouge. The beast turned and glared at me, an upward swing of the hammer dodged by leaping over it. Another arrow lanced out, ice crusting over one of his joints, followed by fire and lightning at the same point.
Samhaim stumbled backward and slammed his hammer pommel onto the floor, a bright light flashing and another debuff appeared on my interface, indicating that magic was now halved.
"Roadapples," Sunset grumbled as she resettled her rapier. I glanced at her, seeing the anger in her eyes. Anger that I knew was never favorable to the one that had brought it out. She caught my gaze and nodded, and together we rushed forward.
He lashed out with the haft of his hammer, causing me to halt my assault to block. "Switch!" I called out.
Sunset flew forward, her speed surpassing even mine as she unleashed another four strike combo. The Pumpkin King roared in agony and I saw that his health bar had finally lost one level. We were making progress.
Another volley of arrows and magic lanced in as I felt the healing spell from Fluttershy wash over me. I quickly got out of the way of our opponents strides to avoid another kick and saw him swing his hammer at me. I went to block the blow only for it to not land as he switched his attack out for a punch that connected with the ground near Fluttershy, the shockwave blowing her off her feet and back several yards, ragdolling as she landed.
"SHY!" Rarity screamed, turning and blasting lightning at the boss. I saw the girl struggle to her knees, only to wobble a little.
"Aria," I called, but the Siren was already in mid-cast, the argent light surrounding Fluttershy and raising her HP back to the yellow.
Rainbow cried out in pain as the backswing of the feinted hammerswing caught her across the chest, slamming her into the ground and stunning her. She struggled to get to her hooves but was crushed under another strike.
"Bastard," Applejack growled, charging in and smashing her hammer into Samhaim. "Pick on someone yer own size!"
We concentrated our efforts on the boss that had taken two friends from us so casually and wore him down.
"Berserk status coming up!" Fluttershy cried, trying to keep us from taking too much damage. We all backed away slightly, trying to keep an eye on his movements, none of us knew what his berserk status was like and we didn't want to be too close to it when...
He breathed fire. Lots of fire. Most of use were able to stay clear, but the stream engulfed Aria, her death animation winking out before the flame died down. He went to start a heal phase, but Sunset and AJ lashed into him. I backed away and looked over at Fluttershy.
"Use a crystal and get out of here," I told her.
"They aren't working," she said. "I tried to use a heal crystal on myself and it wouldn't activate.
"Full crystal countermeasures?" I said, looking over. I gritted my teeth and called out. "AJ, Sunny, can you hold him for ten seconds?"
"You've got five!" Sunset shouted back.
I activated a skill I hadn't used yet, a second sword materializing in my grip as I charged back in.
"Switch!" I shouted, striking with both swords, then dropping into a guarding pose to cross block his downswing. I saw my HP dip a bit from the shock, but I wasn't seriously hurt.
"Let's go," I said, beginning my attack phase, both swords powering up under the sword skill. I started lashing into the boss, two strikes for every step.
I heard AJ's painful shout as a missed strike sent her flying.
"Gotta go faster!" I gritted, speeding up.
"Switch out!" I heard Sunset say, her rapier flashing in to land a handful of strikes.
"Berserk status upcoming!"
I spun around behind the boss, powering the sword skill again. "Gotta go faster!" I said to myself, forcing the sword skill to go off before it was fully charged and laid into the boss again, interrupting his berserk attack and forcing him to face me.
"Switch!" I shouted, seeing Sunset's rapier glowing bright purple.
"Yah!" she shouted as she leapt into the air and hit with the strongest combo she had, her eleven hit strike.
I saw Fluttershy cast an attack spell as Rarity drank a potion.
Samhaim turned and swung a strike at Sunset, but I struck with a double crosswise strike, throwing his trajectory off and Sunset merely used the hammer's haft as a ramp to leap up and unleash the eleven strike combo, Samhaim reeling from the devastating final strike.
Sunset landed near me and looked over, and I nodded as we rushed in, three swords crossing as we leapt and brought down the blades across his neck, severing the gourd that served as his head.
I panted as I caught my breath. "How many?" I asked.
I heard Rarity's voice as she quietly spoke. "Four," she said. "Rainbow, Aria, Sonata, and AJ."
I slammed a fist into the ground. I was too slow.
Sunset was about to say something when she suddenly went glassy-eyed.
"Whoa," she said. "I didn't realize it was so late. It's nearly four am, girls."
I frowned. "Already?"
"Yeah, time flies, don't it?" she said. Her armor and anthro form faded, leaving the woman I loved as she regularly appeared. "Game's over for tonight."
I sighed and felt my own anthro form fade as Sunset began releasing the dreamscape. As I sat up in the living room where we had spread comfortable pillows and blankets, all the girls save Adagio were sitting around, talking excitedly about their adventures.
"Sunset," Rainbow said as soon as she saw my wife sit up. "This was an awesome idea! How'd you come up with it?"
She pointed at Fluttershy. "From her. It's from one of her books."
Fluttershy smiled sheepishly.
"I liked it," I said. "I got to be more than a magical egghead in there."
"I was totally cool," Dash crowed, reaching over to grab AJ's hand. "You were super awesome with the weapon making, and that hammer was so huge!"
"It was fun to go at it like our lives depended on it without them actually depending on it," the farm girl mused.
"Can we do it again?" Pinkie cried, Starlight nodding eagerly along with her. "This is like Ogres and Oubliettes times ten!"
We'll see, Pinkie," Sunset said with a yawn. "Right now, we all need real sleep. To bed with you!"
I snuggled up closer with Sunset and kissed her cheek.
"What aren't you telling me about this dreamscape?" I whispered.
"What makes you think I'm hiding something?" she asked.
"I know you," I said. "And I can read your mind sometimes."
"It's not about this dreamscape," she said. "I was thinking about something for next time."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," she said.
"What would you say to being a fairy?"
Author's Note
Yeah, it's a surprise Homecoming Halloween party fic. Didn't put it in the description because it spoils the surprise.
I may have another one in the pipe soon with my SunLight daughters on the Halloween mentioned in Comparing Notes.
