N1ghtm@r3 M00n and G@ia M@gusa: Legends of the Black-Market Cartel Guild

“This is a joke, right, mom?”

G@ia stared in disbelief at the Ar-akache. This has to be some sick joke or something...Right? Isn’t mom a human? Meanwhile, the other had begun staring at the book in her claws, muttering to herself occasionally. “13...Teenager...Age between child and adult...Oh, I see. No wonder you don’t get it. Alright...Let’s try this, then.”

Turning two of her eyes to stare at G@ia she spoke in her normally doting tone. “G@ia send me a private message. Not through voice just with text. I want to show you something.”

Immediately without thought G@ia did as she was told. Opening the PM request using her friend menu, she entered a simple ‘Hello.’ G@ia was curious about what was going on as she hit the send button. A couple seconds later, a new link appeared in her PMs. She hesitated until the Ar-akache spoke again. “It’s alright, I promise. Trust me.”

G@ia did trust her. Even though she had spent 5 years as a beast of burden; being ordered about by the Ar-akache, she had always been treated with loving care and doted affection almost motherly, in a way. Immediately, she opened the link, and her heart skipped a beat from shock; the image was a screenshot of the Ar-akache’s HUD. There were a bunch of audio play buttons, but no words. That wasn’t all, there was also an image of G@ia with three gauges beside her. A meter for emotions, health and hunger. “What- Is this what you see, Mistress?”

“Yes, my species has no written language, so anything you say or write is translated by the game to my own native language; an audio-based form of communication. Just as you are hearing me speak your native tongue in the same way. Oh, this is a right patch of dark water I’m in now.”

“Dark water, Mistress?”

Clicking her pincers as was her nervous habit, the Ar-akache gave her a command. “Come here G@ia, let me remove your collar, I can explain while I do so.”

As G@ia held still, the collar was delicately removed. “Dark water, is a term my species uses to indicate trouble. My kind hates water; be it swimming or hunting, even rainstorms annoy us so.”

G@ia was turned around to stare directly into the Ar-akache’s eyes. She watched as her owner of 5 years spoke to her, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. “It’s a lot to take in at your age, that there are other species than your own that have built civilizations, isn’t it?”

The Ar-akache had done her best to change the topic, however, G@ia seemed to have only one thing on her mind. “Mistress, why did you remove my collar? Don’t you want me anymore? Did I do something wrong?”

Her voice sounded pained as though she had been hit. Her eyes were focused on the collar in the Ar-akache’s claws. The Ar-akache was shocked at the response and then she understood.

It was as if a Spell of Illumination had suddenly brightened her vision. She doesn’t see it as slavery; she sees it as a symbol of affection. Like what a mother would give her daughter. I’ve raised her for almost half her life, why am I so surprised she sees this as my child would? Turning all of her eyes to glance down at the collar, the Ar-akache realized G@ia wasn’t that far off.

It was engraved biometal, dyed a bright purple; a dye forged from the blood of the Abrogorian Abyssal Eater. The world boss of Hajan IV made it’s home at the bottom of the ocean in highly corrosive waters. The veterans only had one piece of advice for those that would hunt it; unequip all metal-based gear. The boss had a nasty passive of instantly destroying any heavy armor or metal-forged weapon within it’s attack range.

The Ar-akache had tried and failed many times to slay the beast in the depths; determined to get the blood to dye her pets’ collar. She had even gone so far as to recruit her entire guild for the single drop; electing to pay an egregious 14.7 million stardust to replace all shattered armor and weapons (It had taken her almost two months of 8 hours a day, grinding Elite mobs on the planet, that most players wouldn’t attempt, to pay off her debt).

The forging of that collar had been a labor of love, which is the only thing G@ia saw when staring at it; the one who raised her taking back her symbol of love. “Don’t you want me anymore?”

Those words echoed in the mind of the Ar-akache as her own hearts beat within her ears. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. My baby, my G@ia of course I love you! but what can I do now? The situation was dire; the Ar-akache species was absolutely intolerant to the enslavement of sentient beings. For such a crime, she could be exiled from the guild or worse; blacklisted from every known pet shop.

The age was fine; pets were preferred as children, so they could, as G@ia had form loving bonds with their owners as they matured. Ar-akache were justly proud of their taming abilities and able to talk with fauna on a daily basis; even training them for jobs and errand running. She hadn’t questioned it for a second; it was natural after all. Now however, she was panicking with this new insight. She glanced down at her arm, at the brand on it of a sun and moon intertwined in an eclipse; the symbol of the Black Market Cartel Guild. As she did so, G@ia began to cry, causing her to instinctively gesture to her to come close for a hug.

As she gave G@ia a warm hug she felt conflicted; she loved her but had to free her. It was clear G@ia had other feelings, however. One thought however, also entered her mind. Why had G@ia’s avatar grown from a filly to a young mare within the game; especially when the characters were static in aesthetic design? More concerning as well was the fact G@ia had appeared as a mare at all; especially were she actually Human. The realm they were in was magically controlled. A new user’s mind was analyzed and the character design would only reflect how the user saw themselves. Gender, appearance, species and name were purely determined by what the game saw within the user’s mind. That appearance would not change the entirety of the account’s activity. “G@ia how exactly did you come to exist in this game?”

From the corner of the room, a silkily cold voice could be heard. “That, is what we wish to know as well, Azzy.”

Two hooves appeared as the Ar-akache whirled to look behind her, shaking. As the two hooves lowered the hood of a cloak, a figure shimmered into sight. A female Alicorn with dark blue fur, wearing a silvery set of armor and a pair of blades strapped to her front legs. The Ar-akache and G@ia both gasped in fear. “N1ghtm@r3 M00n!”