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She panted heavily, steam rising from her body while she struggled to stay on her feet.
"You've come far in a short time my student," the woman before her giggled.
"N-Not far enough, I still can't see your {\Level} Princess," she groaned, finally giving in and sinking to her knees.
"To be fair, no one can," the woman pointed out, holding out her hand. She sighed and accepted the hand up, feeling the woman's magic flow through her body, restoring her {\Mana} and {\HP} in an instant.
"Even my highest spells have no impact on you,"
"Why would they?" the woman asked.
"Nothing is invincible...right?"
"You still have much to learn Twilight...But you are correct, nothing is invincible. Which reminds me, I believe it is time for your first {True Quest}," the Princess smiled, her combat mode fading away and a regal snow white dress covering her buxom frame. Twilight let out a slow breath, her combat mode disengaging, replaced with a purple sweater and jeans.
"A {True Quest}? B-But those are World Changing Events!" Twilight argued. The Princess let out a giggle.
"I am aware of this. Who better to Change this world than my {\Faithful Student/}?" she asked, a scroll materializing in her hand. She held it out to Twilight, a menu popping up before her.
"~Discovering Friendship~?" Twilight read the quest title, raising an eyebrow.
"There's no details other than entering the Quest Zone..."
"A {True Quest} isn't going to explain itself Twilight. You must learn the purpose of this quest on your own and complete it. I don't wish to add stress to your situation, but should you fail this Quest, I will die,"
"W-What?! B-But..." Twilight stopped as the Princess held up her hand.
"You said so yourself my student. Nothing is Invincible. Now go, I'm counting on you,"
"Wow, she's betting her life on your {Questing} {Skills}?" Spike whistled.
"If it's so dangerous, why can't she do it? How am I supposed to defeat something that can kill a {God}?" Twilight wondered, glancing at her companion. The Beast-kin was partially covered in Dragon Scales, his tail curled up around himself to make it easier to sit.
"Maybe it's only useful against a {God}? Maybe only a {Mortal} can stop it?" he suggested.
"That could be it, but there's no details beyond ~Enter //Eraville~" Twilight sighed.
"You've met every requirement thrown at you before this, I mean, how else would you get a {Legendary} like me?" Spike beamed proudly. She wanted to knock him down a peg but couldn't argue. Spike was a one of a kind pet drop, gifted to her for her conquests as a solo adventurer.
\NOW ENTERING PVP ZONE\
Twilight jolted at the announcement, a red light filling the entire train.
"PVP Zone? Why?!" she demanded. The sounds of Combat Modes Engaging echoed around her, causing her to swear as she activated her own. She glanced at Spike, his scales thickening and his eyes glowing
"Accessing...//Eravil. A small Trade Town and Locked PVP Zone. Players are only safe from Combat inside of {Homes} or {Business'}," he explained, the glow fading. Twilight swore again, glancing around the train. Oddly enough, even though everyone was in Combat Mode, no one was fighting. Everyone seemed calm in fact, as if they weren't about to try and slaughter each other.
Who would be crazy enough to make the first move? she realized.
"The Forums say its a rather nice place, even though its a PVP Zone. Fights only seem to break out in proper duels, though there are those that visit just for the sake of being able to -PK- in a {Town}. -PK- is heavily frowned upon and the {Town} has no issue attacking together," Spike continued, calming her slightly.
\PLEASE EXIT THE TRAIN\
"Here we go..." Twilight breathed as she stood. She watched in surprise as people calmly filed down the aisle one at a time, all in Combat Mode but no one Engaging. Twilight took her place in the line, each exiting and presenting their {Combat Cards}.
"That was...anti-climatic..." Twilight mumbled as she entered the town, Spike crawling on all fours alongside her. The Dragon-kin scoffed as he stood up proudly on two legs.
"I told you not to worry," he beamed at her. She shook her head, flipping open the *QuestLog.
~Discovering Friendship~
-Enter Eraville [Complete]
-Survive The Event [Incomplete]
"Survive the Event?" she mumbled, glancing around. There didn't seem to be any NPC's or Icons to follow.
"That's ominous..." Spike added, relaxing back on all fours.
"Say it to my face!"
"Ah'll do more than that ya feathered no-good GAH!"
"Of course she's here..." Twilight groaned, turning towards the sounds of fighting. Just a short distance away stood none other than Rainbow Dash in her sleek skintight combat suit, decked out in a Full black bodysuit with blue trim, the armor hugging her slender frame from neck to toe, even extending out into an exhaust for her wings.
Before her was someone Twilight didn't know, but she recognized the {Title}
{\Child Of Terra/}
Only twenty players in the entire world held that title. Why Rainbow chose to anger one of them was beyond her, but she would have to take action. Rainbow Dash was the best info broker she had after all, having resources beyond even Spike. And he could tap directly into Files.
"Come on then!" Rainbow shouted, her wings flaring out the exhaust of her suit. The woman in front of her grinned as runes etched themselves across her skin. She wore only a dirtied sleeveless shirt and a pair of jeans, but all she needed was that title for people to know she meant business.
"Ah ain't gonna hold back," she warned.
"Tch, you dunno how to hold back," Rainbow scoffed, hopping into the air and spinning, slamming her leg into the woman's head. The woman tilted with the kick, slipping her arm around Rainbow's leg and rolled, entangling her limbs in Rainbow's and slamming into the ground.
"Fuck! Okay! Fifteen bits!" Rainbow yelled
"Twenty!" the woman yelled back.
"Deal!" Rainbow gasped as the woman let go of her and hopped to her feet.
"Ah swear Rainbow, ya always end up payin' twenty, why the need t' scrap with me every time?" the woman deadpanned.
"Gotta make it fun somehow," Rainbow chuckled.
"What the fuck..." Twilight sighed. Rainbow blinked, glancing over and waving.
"Yo! Twilight! What are you doing here? Lookin' for treasure?" Rainbow grinned. Twilight already knew what was coming next.
"Calm down, i'm not buying anything today," she stated quickly, stopping the Skyborn in her tracks. Rainbow's services were...Expensive, to say the least. But she always delivered.
"And just what are you buying that requires you to make a scene?" Twilight wondered.
"Only one of the best things you can experience," Rainbow chuckled, tossing a sack of coins to the woman. She bounced it a bit in her hand and gave a nod, the sack vanishing. In its place appeared a small case that was quickly handed over to Rainbow.
"I just wish there was more," she sighed.
"I'm concerned," Twilight admitted.
"Shoot, ain't nothin t' be concerned 'bout. Jus' a bottle o' th' finest cider money can buy," the woman grinned.
"You fought a {\Child Of Terra/} over the cost of a bottle of booze?" Twilight scoffed.
"Hey! It's not just ANY booze! This is the greatest thing ever made!" Rainbow argued.
"Aww, touches my heartstrings t' hear ya say that,"
"Yea, yea, just keep me posted when the next batch is good,"
"So, are you going to introduce yer friend Dash or do ah gotta give ya another whoopin'?"
"Oh! Uh, this is Twilight Sparkle, you know, The {\Faithful Student/}?" Rainbow waved her hand. The woman quickly bowed her head.
"Whoa! No! You don't have to do that! I mean, you're a {\Child Of Terra/}! That's far more impressive," Twilight said quickly.
"That means a lot t' hear. Ain't too many that seem t' respect it. Names Applejack," she smiled, holding out her hand. Her name slowly came to life below her title, Twilight smiling as she shook her hand.
"It is one of the Locked Titles. I can't even begin to imagine how you obtained it or WHY a Skyborn would dare to fight you," Twilight glared at Rainbow.
"Me an Rainbow go back a ways, ah ain't too keen on her choice o' income, but everyone's got bills t' pay. Still, seein a Faithful Student in th' flesh, that ain't somethin everyone can say. What brings a bigshot like you t' //Eravil?" Applejack asked.
"Oh um, just an assignment. The details are a bit...vague. Actually, there aren't any details other than to be here..." Twilight admitted.
"You can't just shell out info like that Twi, eyes an ears are everywhere ya know," Rainbow grumbled, tilting her head. Twilight glanced around, realizing Rainbow had them held in a Private Bubble. A very expensive consumable.
"R-Rainbow! I'll pay for that!" Twilight cried out quickly. To her surprise the Skyborn shook her head.
"Consider this part of my previous service. You've got a {True Quest} here, don't you?"
"A-A {True Quest}?" Applejack gasped, her eyes wide.
"How...Right...Best in the biz for a reason..." Twilight scoffed.
"Celestia herself trusted me with one. All I know is some event is going to happen and I have to clear it...If I fail, celestia will die,"
"Whoa, thats uh...heavier than I thought...We can't really afford for our Princess to kick the bucket," Rainbow sighed, scratching at her chin.
"Tell ya what, until this Event is cleared, my services are free, but only in relation to the Quest," Rainbow winked. Twilight chuckled a little.
"Count me in, ah ain't losin' nothin today or any day," Applejack added, pointing a thumb at herself.
"Still, I don't even know what the Event IS. Just that it will be happening here,"
"Well then we just hang out, maybe crack open a bottle of cider, an wait for it to happen," Rainbow shrugged.
"We'll be usin yer bottle sugarcube, ain't gettin' a bottle outta me that easily," Applejack teased. Rainbow attempted to pout but was quickly ignored by the Gaian.
"Looks like we have ourselves a proper team though. One of each race to balance out our skills," Rainbow pointed out.
"Ah s'pose ah'll be Tank?" Applejack asked.
"With Spike as Support Tank," Twilight winked, the dragon-kin giving a proud salute. Applejack gasped and sat on her knees, cupping his cheeks.
"Well ain't you jus' th' cutest thing?!" she squealed.
"She uh...really likes animals," Rainbow chuckled nervously.
"Ah s'pose it ain't much to a {\Faithful Student/}, but ah call it home," Applejack beamed, presenting the land she owned. Twilight's eyes widened as she glanced at her map.
"Y-You own this entire plot?" she gulped.
"//Sweet Apple Acres, every last bit o' it is mine. It's where ah grow th' Apples fer that cider. Lot's more t' do in this world than jus' fight ya know?"
Twilight hadn't thought of that. There were many different jobs and not everyone was suited to combat. Most people could only ever handle either a single job or two, or they were adventurers.
So what was Applejack then? She had been quick to offer herself up as their Tank for the Event. She was also not only strong enough to overpower Rainbow Dash, but fast enough to counter her attacks instantly. Then there was the Land she owned and the amazing Condition of the trees. Had she planted every last one herself?
Twilight could only imagine the countless hours that must've been spent, the love and sacrifice poured into every moment. It brought tears to her eyes.
"A-Are ya okay? Ah didn't mean t' offend!" Applejack apologized quickly.
"N-No I just...You've worked so hard, haven't you?" Twilight sniffed, wiping away her tears. Applejack chuckled softly.
"Anythin' worth havin' is worth workin' fer. Come on, let's head inside an put together a plan,"
Applejack's home was simple, but comfortable. There were several bedrooms but it seemed only she lived there.
Maybe she intends to bring her family here? That would explain why she's worked so hard...I wonder...
"Sorry its so empty 'round here, not too many folks are really welcome here. Used t' give tours o' th' orchard til some magicky types tried t' burn it down. Had t' show em what fer," Applejack scoffed, setting some cups on the table.
"Oh yea, I remember that..." Rainbow let out a sigh.
"Ain't nothin' t' do 'bout it now. So, ya'll say theres some sort o' Event startin'?" Applejack asked as she sat down. Twilight gave a nod as she flicked open her *QuestLog.
"What do you think Rainbow?" Twilight asked. The Skyborn took a slow breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them they were filled with a blue glow while her eyes ran over the *QuestLog.
"It's pretty air tight. Never really had a chance to see a real {True Quest} before...It's the real deal though. There's conditions and a lot of hidden objectives. A lot more than just an Event..." she mumbled, the glow fading from her eyes.
"The biggest thing is that we're gonna need a bigger team and we only get one shot at each objective. We fail at any point and the Quest ends," Rainbow warned.
"A bigger team..." Twilight frowned.
"If it's team members, ah think ah know a few people. One of em...well, She's a bit of a nut, but she's good at what she does. Th' other one can be a bit of a pain in th' ass, but she's probably th' best healer you'll ever find," Applejack offered.
"I've got someone I can bring in too. I know you like runnin things Solo so you can really let loose, but you can't meet the Req's for this without a Team," Rainbow added on. The Magian was quick to cave in.
"This isn't some random adventure. My Teacher's life is on the line. I'll do whatever it takes!"
"Glad t' hear it. Ya'll are more'n welcome t' stay here, jus don't go burnin nothin down," Applejack teased.
"Ow...my feelings..." Spike whined, letting out a squeak as Applejack whirled around and pulled him into a hug
"Ah'm sorry! Ah know ya'll wouldn't hurt anyone that didn't deserve it!" she apologized quickly. Twilight held back a laugh, placing a hand on the Gaian's shoulder.
"I-I think he was only joking Applejack, but we'll be sure to keep magic and fire under control while staying in your lovely home," Twilight promised. Applejack simply nodded, tensing up slightly as the dragon in her arms lightly nuzzled her cheek.
"Should I uh...'Leave ya'll alone'?" Rainbow teased, crying out as a boot nailed her in the forehead, knocking her to the floor.
Twilight let out a sigh as she sat in one of the many bedrooms, Spike curling up on the floor and letting out a loud yawn.
"I know you're worried Twilight, but things'll work out. Always do. Oh! Don't tell anyone else about the Quest. All they need to know is that Celestia gave you a big quest worth a lot of {EXP} and {Bits}," Spike advised. She reached over and scratched behind one of his ears.
"I love you Spike, see you later?"
"Always,"
Selena groaned as she awoke, glancing over at her phone, mild music playing as the Log-Out Sequence finished. She sat up and stretched, gasping as her back popped. She ran her hands through her bed hair, giving her long golden locks a shake and brushing them back behind her head. With practiced ease she reached a hand to her bedside table, grabbing a scrunchie and tying her hair back.
She hopped out of bed, shifting along the carpeted floor to the bathroom.
"GOOD MORNING!" A voice boomed within her room. She shrugged off the attempt on her life as she did every morning and continued to shuffle along.
"Aww, don't be like that. I just wanted to check in on my favorite guest!" the voice continued, a little drone hovering in front of her.
"What do you want?" She spat at the bot.
"How was your day? Anything new?" The bot asked in a singsong voice.
"Celestia gave me a new quest," she admitted with a shrug, reaching for her toothbrush.
"Oooh, very interesting. No news on what she's up to?"
"She doesn't trust me with information like that and you know it. The Faithful Student only learns the Lessons prepared by the Princess. Sure, I have access to Higher Archives but I can't get into the Forbidden Library," she argued, tired of the same routine.
"She'll let you in eventually, just keep it up and you get to live comfortably!" the drone reminded her before slipping into its dock on the wall.
"Yea..." Selena sighed. It was going to be a long day.
"Yo! Selena? You in there girl?"
"Huh?! Oh, yea, sorry. I uh...Just a lot on my mind, you know?" she chuckled nervously as she snapped out of her daze.
"Yea, tell me about it, or don't. I don't have to remind you about your 'mom' do I?"
Selena gave a grim nod of acceptance. Enter Jasper, her only real friend in the outside world and Human to the Skyborn Character, Rainbow Dash. She was a bit short for her age and kept her dark brown hair cut short and slightly spiked, making her look more like a boy if not for her girlish face and gentle curves.
She didn't know all of Jasper's story, but the two of them were in similar situations. Jasper got by with her Intel business in-game and a few adventures they had gone on together.
She was also the only player who knew she was the Avatar of The Faithful Student.
"It was a bit of a rough morning, you know?" Selena scoffed, jasper nodding in understanding.
"Oh, mom wondering what you're up to, huh?" Jasper asked, getting a nod back as well as a gentle punch to her shoulder.
"Come on, we'll miss our bus if we keep this up,"
"I was waiting for you!"
School. Here they could forget about the outside world for a short time, forget about the struggle of Ascension.
"JASPER!"
"Oh shit..." Jasper groaned before putting on a large smile and spinning around.
"Kat! My buddy, my pal!" Jasper laughed, grunting as she was slugged to the ground.
"THAT'S FOR YESTERDAY!" Kat yelled, adding a kick to the gut to get her point across. She had the wonderful misfortune of being even shorter than Jasper, which in itself was a feat. Her tanned skin was complimented by her dark red hair which she kept in a ponytail that dropped halfway down her back.
Selena shoved her way between the two of them, glaring at Kat.
"Hey! Whatever she did doesn't deserve all this!" she argued, glancing over at Jasper.
"What did you do anyway?"
"Nothing! I was just going to the bathroom!" Jasper defended.
"You know what you did!" Kat continued, struggling to push past Selena.
"I don't get paid enough for this shit..." she mumbled.
"We'll work this out later. Jasper, get up, you've been hit harder than that and we both know it," Selena deadpanned. Jasper leapt to her feet with a grumble.
"I'm sorry Jasper did whatever she did to piss you off. I'll hold her down later so you can beat her up, sound fair?" Selena offered.
"Hey!"
"Fine...Thanks Selly," Kat smiled, punching her arm. Selena winced and waved as Kat walked away. The little bundle of rage was stronger than she looked.
"So we're dipping out early today, right?" Jasper chuckled nervously.
"Duh, if she beats you into the dirt who am I gonna get my info from?"
"Ugh, that quiz was rough..." Jasper groaned. Selena could only roll her eyes.
"Oh shut up, you passed that in your sleep. I dunno why you want people to think you're an idiot," Selena griped.
"Hey, nerds get their asses kicked constantly," Jasper argued
"YOU get your ass kicked constantly..." Selena pointed out
"Yea, but not because anyone thinks I'm a nerd!" she scoffed. The two girls bit back a groan as a long dark blue limo pulled out beside them. Selena collected herself as the window closest to her rolled down.
"What do you want Dick?" she asked as she continued to walk.
"Mr Richard! So great to see you! Sorry about Selena, she's just had a long day, ya know?" Jasper chuckled nervously.
"Its alright Jasper, let her be," Richard waved her away.
"I just wanted to ensure there won't be any delays on that funds transfer," he added with a smile that made Selena want to gag.
"Aww, burn through your allowance already?" she pretended to pout, lifting up her arm as Richard snarled at her, revealing a rather fancy looking watch and a bright red button on its side.
"One press of a button Dick. Just.One.Press." She warned him. He cleared his throat, his smile quickly returning.
"Of course, of course. Have a great day," he chuckled, quickly rolling the window back up. Selena let out a sigh as the limo took off.
"We all know you'd never push that button..." jasper mumbled.
"No. He thinks I will. I only keep this up because it means I get o live a normal life. If it meant watching him burn...I'd press it in a heart beat..."
"Wow...Uh, Sorry. Hey, I'm here for you, ya know?" Jasper smiled nervously, letting out a squeak as Selena hugged her.
"Yea, I know,"
Selena took her time getting ready once she got 'home'. Her backpack was quickly hung up on a wall, her shoes kicked out in the doorway and her jacket unceremoniously thrown onto the couch. She made her way to the small kitchen, snatching a juice box out of the fridge and heading back to the couch, letting out a sigh as she sat down.
With practiced ease she twirled her phone in her free hand, setting it on the table and flicking past the Lock Screen. She reached into a pouch at her belt, pulling out a pair of what looked like wireless ear pods. One was placed against her left temple, the other in her right ear, all while her free hand navigated through the apps on her phone and entered her information at the Login Screen to Ascension.
She enjoyed her juice while the game ran its normal patch check and loaded up. Once it finished she made sure to lay comfortably on her side, a pillow between her knees and another held in her arm against her chest. With a soft sigh she pressed the blue button on her watch and closed her eyes.
\Log-in Successful. Welcome back Twilight Sparkle.//
