Equestrian Earth the MMORPGby Chaotic NoteChapters*Chapter 02: Taking The First Steps [Revised 2.0]*Chapter 03: Life Skills [Revised]Chapter 04: Going Nowhere but Forward [Revised]**Chapter 05: And a New Day Dawns**Intermission 01: Recording 10812*Chapter 06: The Cloud Library*Chapter 07: Tricky Problems*Chapter 08: Back into the Real World*Chapter 09: Canterlot Nights & Morning Headaches*Chapter 10: Gaming with Trixie [Revised]Intermission 03: Life of a Code WarriorIntermission 04: Quillium**Chapter 11 Part 1: Trouble in Trottingham Town*Chapter 11 Part 2: Confrontation*Chapter 11 Part 3: History will Haunt*Chapter 11 Part 4: The Mare Who Waited*Chapter 11 Part 5: True Strength*Intermission 05: Cloak and Daggers[April Fools 2015] Chapter ₯₰Ω Part 11vity - The Final Chapter***Chapter 01 : Everypony Starts Out as a BeginnerIntermission 02: Remembrance and a Teacher's Duel*Chapter 02: Taking The First Steps [Revised 2.0]**Chapter 02: Taking The First Steps [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 2 ~ Edit by ultra1437 and Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Ever since the creation of video games, the fantasy of stepping foot into the virtual realm of video games was set inside the dreams of all gamers. The idea of stepping into a video game and interacting with everything inside it was an incredibly sweet, desirable cake that everypony wanted a slice of, but seemed to be just out of reach. Virtual reality became an integral part of science fiction through the course of its time. About a year ago, a team of ponies lead by Princess Luna, had combined their knowledge of computer programming, neural science, and magic to bake the fictional delectable treat into reality. The I.P.V. was born, otherwise known as the Interactive Player Visor. Although most like to call it the Pony Visor just because it was made in Equestria. Either way, it wasan incredible marvel of science and magic combined. It had the power to immerse the wearer’s mind into the many worlds so different from Equestria, giving them the chance to explore games on a level of immersion unlike any other. News spread fast, and everypony bought tickets to get on board of the hype train. Anypony who had bought it was immediately blown away by the I.P.V.’s results. When inside the game, everything felt extremely real. Holding an object felt real, throwing felt real, moving felt real, hearing felt real, breathing in the game felt real. That was the raw definition of the I.P.V.’s capabilities. And games with top definition HD graphics looked so very real with the Visor. Some even claimed it was even harder for them tell what was real after exiting the game. Twilight knew they were just exaggerating from excitement. It was easy to tell which is fake and which is real, but she must admit that as somepony with a soft spot for fictional worlds, she fell in love with video gaming right away and virtual reality later on. Of course, there were limitations to the VR tech, but that’s because it was mostly the games. Very few of them actually had the graphics quality to meet the full potential of the I.P.V. because they were made before VR programming existed, and thus were limited. Some games added extra features to include stuff like more flexibility in player movement, but most were simply just ported in order to allow I.P.V. capabilities, and Twilight felt like the developers could have done more. She understood that they were on a budget, and programming a true VR game was very expensive. Despite her complete satisfaction with her purchase and use of the Visor, she always felt something was missing. Equestrian Earth filled that hole. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight couldn’t help but hang her jaw in amazement. The city she spawned in was, in laymare’s terms, beautiful. Actually, it was less than a city and more like a megalopolis. Led up to a tower’s crown by her friends, Twilight soon figured out why a cloud had randomly smacked into her face on the way there. They were on a gigantic floating sky city. Rainbow Dash was comfortable with fluttering in the air, but the others were just leaning over the rails, hogging all the tourist binoculars. Towering citadels dotted the cityscape with gleaming buildings and roads that seemingly glowed underneath the bright sun. The island was so huge, it even had a couple mountains nearby! Looking out towards a coliseum, her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she saw the flying twin dragons. There were serpentine in appearance, with emerald scales gleaming like the gems, and graceful long manes graced the back of their long neck. Harnesses were around their heads and seemed to be attached to the island, most likely pulling it. Twilight had lived in Canterlot for almost her entire life, and grew to know quality architecture, but she felt that this would give Equestria’s own capital a run for its money. After all, a flying metropolis pulled by dragons is very cool. Applejack had a tickled smile as Twilight’s jaw hung open. “You alright there, sugarcube? Your mouth is as open wide like the sky.” “Y– yeah.” Twilight stammered, still staring through the binoculars. “I’m just a little surprised. I mean, I’ve been to Cloudsdale, but a floating land of this size is just mind blowing to me! And then there are those dragons that looks like they can swallow Tom. “I thought we weren’t going to speak of him again.” “Sorry!” Twilight guiltily smiled. “So, where are we anyway?” “This ‘ere place is called Aeroslida,” Applejack said, “it’s one of the fanciest, shmaniest places in all of Old Equestria. That’s what the makers of the game called this world.” “It’s simply fascinating dear!” Rarity let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes as she leaned on Pinkie who didn’t mind holding her. “You’ve should have seen the capitol building. It is purely divine and majestic. And the prince who lives there, oh he is so handsome and such a hunk of a stallion!” Rarity opened her eyes and saw her friends regarding her with raised eyebrows, most likely for her last statement. She lightly coughed into the back of her hoof. “For an NPC anyway.” Twilight giggled. “Obviously the city has you romanced.” “Quite.” Twilight looked towards Applejack. “Hold on for a minute though. If this is Old Equestria – like you said – how come I never heard of Aeroslida? I’m pretty sure I would have come across it in my history books.” Rainbow shrugged. “It’s a video game, Twilight. Places like this one are all just stuff the game makers have made up. It may not be real, but I think it’s totally awesome. And that’s good enough for me.” Twilight rubbed her muzzle in thought a little. “I see… well I guess that’s alright, but I can’t exactly call this game one hundred percent accurate in Equestrian history. Let’s get started right anyway, shall we? I assume this game has some sort of leveling system, correct?” “Of course there is,” Applejack said. “But there’s more to the Level Up system that sorta sets it apart from other MMOs. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down with readiness in her wide smile. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Can I answer that, AJ?” Applejack tipped her hat to Pinkie. “Sure. Take it away, Pinkie!” With a grin, Pinkie Pie dug her hooves into a pink satchel she had been carrying on her back and pulled out a graduation cap and a stick pointer. She then leaned across the rails and stuck her hooves into a random passing cloud, dragging out a large blackboard easel from its fluffy depths. To any passing players below that happened to be looking up at the tower, it was a completely unorthodox moment. To the girls, it was Pinkie Pie being herself. Using chalk, Pinkie Pie drew a couple of crude drawings of creatures with horns on the board, as well as ponies. They resembled the doodles of foals. “Okie doki loki! So, there are two Level Up systems that both contribute to your overall Main Level. There is the standard leveling system call the Main EXP System. You simply gather experience by completing any quests the NPCs give you as well as defeating monsters, and the EXP goes straight into your EXP bar.” Pinkie then drew a hammer, anvil, and a sewing needle and spool. “And then there is the second system called the Life Skills System. This is different from the Main EXP system as you work on your Profession Skills, which affect how well you perform your virtual career in this game. But since it’s really easy to put a lot of effort into the profession, it improves your Main Level only by little, but it improves your Life Skill levels normally. “Each Life Skill level is individual. For example, the Level of your Cooking Skill can only be improved by performing deeds related to food like ingredients gathering or cooking. There also Life Subskills, like the ingredients gathering thing I’ve mentioned earlier. That’s called Harvesting. There are Life Subskills for almost every Life Skill. An example of this would be Mining, which can be raised by gathering earthly materials used for making weapons and armor, and developing that Subskill also increases Blacksmithing, albeit slowly.” She softly kicked a leg of the chalkboard and it folded into a square box. She stuffed the cap and everything else into her bag and turned back to her friends with a smile. “Any questions?” Save for Rarity and Applejack, all of their jaws hung open wide, completely shocked at the party mare’s surprisingly elaborate, educational lecture. Somewhere in the city, the physics engine was put to work as one of the buildings crumbled to the ground due to the fault of a certain blond pegasus. Which was absurd, considering it was a Guard Station, and Twilight had read that they were literally programmed to be indestructible. A derpy voice echoed throughout the city, “Oops! My bad!” “Wow Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, breaking the group silence. She elbow nudged Pinkie. “I didn’t know you were such an egghead about this.” Pinkie Pie shrugged a little, grinning. “Actually I got all that from the game’s manual, but I did a little research around the internet before the game was released.” Rainbow laughed, clenching her stomach in mid-flutter. “The manual? Nopony ever reads the manuals of any video game, ever!” “Hey, Ah read the manual too, Dash,” Applejack cut in. “What’s wrong with that?” “Manuals are a waste of paper. Everything can be figured out by just playing the game.” “But the manuals can provide useful tips.” “Tips? More like spoilers to me.” While the two had a friendly debate about the efficiency of manuals, Twilight had her eyes on the city’s rooftops. She didn’t know why, but she had the urge to do so. Was somepony watching them? Before she could mull it over, she was poked from behind. Applejack gestured towards the city gates while the others were going down the stairs. “We’re ‘bout to head out on a grinding session, and Rainbow Dash said she has a pretty good place in mind. Wanna come with?” Twilight looked back at the rooftops. “Sure, why not?” She trotted with Applejack, catching up with the others. “By the way, what’s ‘grinding’ again? I haven’t exactly played an MMORPG before.” “Oh yeah. Right. I forgot to tell you guys about that,” Rainbow added. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Sherpwood, a dense forest area, was one flight down from Aeroslida in Pegasi-powered chariots. All around, there were signs of entry, except for the arc formed by the trees. The large trunks formed an impenetrable barrier to the world outside of it. When Twilight stepped in, she had expected the thick coat of leaves would block out the sun and there would barely be any room to move. Surprisingly there were a few open pockets in the canopy for sunlight to pour through, and the trees inside weren’t so tightly clustered with each other. The sunlight didn’t matter anyway, because all around in Sherpwood, there were yellow sunflowers that glowed brightly like the star they were named after, except they weren’t so blinding. Other than that, it looked like a pretty normal forest. That is, until Rainbow led them deeper into the forest. With every step further into the forest, Twilight noticed the sunflowers becoming more and more sparse, taking their light with them. Only the colors of the twilight hours remained residing in the thickness. Shadows slept nearby near plant life and among the trees, moving only when their hosts rustled at the cold wind, which was strange as Twilight didn’t expect there to be wind in such a tightly secured place. Yet their chilling whistles were present. Finally, they had arrived at the destination Rainbow had suggested, and Applejack didn’t look all too pleased. “Rainbow Dash… ” “Yeah, AJ?” “When you said ya had a great place to grind, Ah wasn’t expecting this.” “What’s wrong with it?” “Well first off, those things are huge.” “Nothing wrong with big things. The bigger, the better right?” Rainbow grinned slyly, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. Applejack snorted her disapproval at Rainbow’s innuendo. “Then mind telling me how the hay, are we supposed to take them down?” The monsters that Applejack was referring to were two giant walking stumps, topping at nine feet tall,with twigs sticking out from their gnarled body, their bark as dark as evergreens. Beneath them, they had twisted roots wrapped around each other, roughly resembling two legs. Their moss-coated wooden bodies creaked each time they moved forward, and caused the ground to shiver under their steps. Twilight remembered reading about such creatures long before playing the game, but Treants weren’t supposed to have half their bodies missing. Looking above them, however, she could see floating name tags that read Trunts. Probably a pun, seeing how it sounded similar to stump and half of their body was missing. “Well, they’re chopped in half already. We can just finished the job.” Rainbow shrugged, not taking the situation lightly. “And they can’t see very well either. Won’t be a problem.” “Rainbow, all of us are Level 1 right now, and they’re Level 25. They’ll stomp us to death! Literally! Just look at their size!” Rainbow sneered. “What are you, AJ? Chicken?” A silence fell upon the group, with only the sound of low growls between the two rivals. Their eyes fought a battle with sharp stares and bladed lips. Applejack was like a sea of fire, burning with determination and strength while Rainbow Dash was bold and confident like a bird of prey. Their rivalry never went unnoticed by Twilight. Ever since the Iron Horse competition, they had been fueling that fire with more dares and contests, and their tussles didn’t diminish at all. Especially in video games. Rarity coughed. “Well I believe now is the best time to pack our suitcases and leave while we can. I suggest you two should just save your fighting for elsewhere.” Rarity turned away from them and looked at the others. “What do you girls say? Pinkie, you agree with me, right?” “Sure! Why not? Doesn’t matter to me!” Pinkie grinned. “Um, girls?” “How about it, Twilight. Shall we go, darling?” “Girls? Rainbow and Applejack are– ” Twilight nodded, “Yeah. I saw a couple mushrooms that were at our Level on the way here. They could be safe to fight.” “Girls? This is really, really important– ” “Splendid! Then let’s make haste straight away!” “Girls!” Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity all looked at Fluttershy with a collective, “What is it?” Fluttershy twiddled with her forehooves. “Um, Rainbow Dash and Applejack just charged towards the Trunts.” Twilight’s ears drooped as she looked at the clearing. Rainbow and Applejack did indeed charge in without them noticing, and their Health Bars were already knocked at. “Oh no.” A large shadow covered over the bush they were all hiding in. Twilight looked up to see three Trunts staring at them with their nonexistent eyes. “H– how did they even– ” Rarity looked around in panic and found the source of their predicament. A sharp gasp was caught in her throat. “Twilight, your hoof.” Twilight looked down and lifted her right forehoof to see a crushed, tiny sprout underneath. Small, pink petals were lying about, crumpled from under Twilight’s hoof. “What is this?” “Th– that’s a Treant Sproutling, and it was a white Madonna lily. A Queen variant.” Rarity looked back up at the Trunts and squeaked, “And you squished it.” “… Oh buck me.” Twilight immediately thought that they needed to get out there right away. She tapped into her mind’s eye and focused on her and the mares around her. Her horn lit ablaze with purple energy, and soon their bodies were covered in the same glow. Twilight pulled them away from the bush and into the clearing just before the Trunts angrily stomped on it with their huge root feet, their earthly grumbles filling the air. The landing was rough as Twilight had no time to be precise with her levitation, earning her a few scrapes. Quickly, she got onto her hooves and helped up the others. “Is everypony okay?” “Yes we are. Fluttershy, do you have your Support Spells ready?” Rarity asked, making a stance filled with determination. “Y– yes I do, but there has to be another way, r– right?” she stammered, terrified of the giant trees. “M– maybe we can reason with them?” “After Twilight killed their unborn queen? Doubtful.” A drip of sweat dripped down from Rarity’s forehead to her nose. “Oh dear, this sudden turn of events is not good for my skin.” She took out a cloth and dabbed her forehead. Twilight winced through her teeth. “Oh I’m sorry that this happened. I didn’t know I had stepped on something so important to them.” “Relax, my dear. None of us noticed earlier. It could easily have happened to any one of us.” They all backed off slowly as the Trunts advanced, mindful of the pair of enemies behind them. It seemed that while Applejack and Rainbow Dash were keeping them quite busy, they were also unaware of what was happening to the others. Twilight thought about calling out to them for help, but they were already engaged with the Trunts, so not the best idea. Looking for more options, Twilight went to search her Inventory for anything possibly useful. Only, there was one problem. She didn’t have a bag, and another thing… “I don’t know how to open my Inventory!” Twilight yelped. “Just sweep your hoof in the air and think of opening the Menu! The game can respond to your thoughts!” Rarity shouted. Twilight did what Rarity said and to her delight, a holographic Menu opened up. “Thanks!” “Why are we shouting?” Pinkie asked at the top of her lungs, joining the small chorus duo. She wasn’t taking the tough situation seriously. Twilight ignored Pinkie’s question and searched through her Inventory furiously. There must be something she had to start off with. Almost every game with an Inventory system did! To her despair, the bag was barely empty and she found no weapons, but there were five Slow Health Regen Potions and five Slow Mana Regen Potions. Something to help sustain her, but she still felt nervous about the lack of a weapon. “Rarity, I don’t have anything to use against the Trunts! What should I do?” “What Class did you begin as?” “Mage Apprentice!” “You’re a Unicorn, Twilight, and Unicorns don’t start with Wooden Staves as Tier 4 Mages!” “Really?” “Yes! You use your horn, and think of one of the Spells you have!” Rarity’s horn lit up like a bulb as she swept it towards the Trunts’ direction. “Like so! Gem Flock!,” Various spots on the ground in front of Rarity glowed brightly. Pointed gemstones of varying small sizes blossomed out before her, shot up, and flew around circular formations. She narrowed her eyes and focused on all the gems to start making them spin like power drills. The Trunts thundered forward like boulders down a mountain, crushing everything unlucky enough to be in their path, with the three players in their sights. Twilight and Fluttershy shied away, but Rarity stood boldly and unleashed her spectrum of projectiles at the Trunts. The gems pieced their thick armor like they were butter, coming out through the other side of their bodies, although some stuck in the more resistant plates. They were knocked black slightly by Rarity’s Gem Flock, and soon their bodies were decorated like Christmas trees, and their Health Bars surprisingly chipped away. Twilight’s eyes had widened in slight amazement. She had seen impressive combat in video games before, but the way the gems had sliced through the wood, the different stumbles each of the Trunts had in reaction to the impacts. It was all fluid and looked very natural, as if they weren’t programmed to do that. Twilight didn’t have a word to describe it, but she really liked the game so far. “Darling? Do you want a turn?” “H– huh? Oh, um, yeah sure! Should I shout out the name?” “You don’t have to, but” – Rarity clenched her hoof in front of her chest – “it just feels exhilarating to shout out Attack Names!” Twilight gave her a small nod and smile before turning back to the Trunts. They were still recovering their footing from Rarity’s attack, so she needed to act fast. She racked her brain as she tried to remember what skills an Apprentice Mage could do. She read it online before playing. What was it? Oh, right! “Magic Missile!” Twilight focused on her magic again, feeling energy coursing into her horn. She thought of firing pure energy at the Trunts, and her magic obeyed. A blue bolt of pure energy shot forth from the tip of her horn, breaking loose towards the Trunt in the middle. The spell packed quite a punch, knocking it onto its back. Twilight didn’t stop there and continued the barrage until she heard the sound of two more timbers falling down. Rarity clapped. “Excellent job, darling. It’s a good thing they don’t have arms, or dealing with them would be quite more troublesome.” “They’re not defeated though. Good thing they don’t seem to be able to get up very well.” Rarity turned towards where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were. “Now if only they hadn’t charged rashly in the first place.” Twilight gently smiled. “Well we all make mistakes, Rarity, but that’s why we’re a group. To cover each other’s mistakes.” Rarity gently sighed. “That’s true. Although I still wish they would set aside their rivalry once in a while.” “That wouldn’t be like them,” Twilight chuckled. Rarity gently laughed along. “Of course, darling.” “U– um, girls?” Fluttershy softly spoke, “Pinkie Pie jumped in as well, a– and it seems we have exploding mushrooms coming in.” Twilight looked up ahead and indeed saw Pinkie swinging around on a system of grappling ropes that weren’t hooked onto the trees earlier, but somehow they were just there. Also, there were green-spotted, walking mushrooms about the battlefield. A few craters were made in their dying spots as Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie all knocked them all away. The good thing was that the sentient mushrooms were somehow damaging the Trunts by a lot with their explosions! One died from the exploding fungi. A brilliant light shined from beneath Twilight, and Twilight saw her Level in the Heads Up Display soar from Level 1 to Level 8. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh boy.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Mage Adept (TS) has Leveled Up to Lv 8! Tier 4 Class: Mage Apprentice ~ HP Increased: 350 ⇒ 630 (+10 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 500 ⇒ 850 (+ 65 from SPR) 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Manual Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 30 ⇒ 65 ~ SPR Increased: 30 ⇒ 65 Skill Point Allocation: [Magic Missile] Lv 1 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Singular target. Your magic conduit glows brightly before shooting forth a bolt of pure energy at your enemy, blasting the target backwards. The main bread and butter of all Mage Apprentices. Magic Damage – Level 5: 30/50/70/90/110 (+ 75% INT) [Magic Influx] Lv 0 ⇒ 3 Type ~ Active Description ~ Self target. Look deep within yourself and tap into a pool of your untapped power to give yourself an extra boost in magic damage. Increases the damage of all your Attack Spells by a certain percentage (after calculations of the INT multiplier). Buff lasts for 3 minutes. Magic Buff – Level 3: 1/2/3/4/5% *Chapter 03: Life Skills [Revised]Chapter 03: Life Skills [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 3 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Twilight groaned as a wave of pain throbbed throughout her head. It felt like a herd of buffalos went ahead and stampeded over her head. It sure felt like that. She picked herself off the chilling, stone floor and looked around the room for an exit. It was really dark, so she had to feel the walls for a handle. After a good amount of effort and time, she felt the curve of one and pushed it out of the way. The sunlight first blinded her as she takes in the view of the sparkling city again. How long was she out for? Not for long it seemed as the sun was still out high in the sky. She decided to go for a walk, not wanting to hang around the building she assumed to be an area for respawning. It was really dark, and didn’t have a warm feeling to it. It was just the nature of respawning after all. Ponies around her went on their daily activities; some of them were speaking with the shop keepers at the market stalls; some of them were just hanging about, talking about who knows what. A title name popped up above the marketplace as she entered its vicinity. Player’s Bazaar She trotted past the stalls, pausing every once and a while to look at the various items players were selling. Every half second, one of the merchants would promote their goods in shouts. “Hey there! Are you interested in this nice staff? It’s only two hundred seventy-five bits!” “Potions here! Get your sparkling potions! You there, do you want a potion? I have a nice lavender bottle that matches your coat!” “Hello there! Would you like a sonic screwdriver? Made it myself! It makes this really nice sound – all sonicky-wonicky. And it will fix almost everything!” Twilight didn’t mind the various shouts and comments the shop keepers made. They were just promoting their items and business to make some extra in-game money. From what she knew, that was pretty normal in MMOs. In fact, she wouldn’t mind stopping by one of the stalls to purchase an item. The sonic screwdriver sounded really useful, but completely expensive. She looked inside her Inventory to see how much money she had. 3 Gold Bits and 48 Silver Bits. Not a lot, and the items around seemed to be of really high quality at top notch levels, and high quality means high prices. “Twilight! There you are!” She looked back to see Rarity and the others running towards her. Pinkie leapt for her with arms outstretched. “Incoming!” Twilight let out a loud Oomph as Pinkie glomped her to the road. “Augh. Hey Pinkie. Nice to see you too.” Twilight peered around Pinkie’s head to look at the others. “What happened to me? Why did I respawn?” “Them Trunt monsters that you knocked down earlier got to ya after we Leveled Up. And then them green mushroom varmints showed up and started blowing everything up! We were lucky to get out of there before it could get anywhere worse.” “We were worried sick!” Rarity added. “We didn’t see you at the Respawning House so we assumed you encountered a glitch. Are you alright, my dear?” “Yes I’m fine.” Pinkie got off Twilight and helped her up. “I was just taking a look around the Bazaar, waiting for you guys.” “Ooh, did you find a charming sugar pipe?” Pinkie Pie asked. “A what?” “A Charming Sugar Pipe! It’s one of the really really, really, really, really rare ingredients I need to complete my recipe for the ultimate dessert. The Yellow Ultimate Malt Cake, or as I like to call it, the YUM Cake! I only have the Edible Diamond Flower right now and I need the sugar pipe, a Weeping Joy Seed, the scale of a Candy Cane Hydra, a Golden Apple, and the dynamite of the Creeper Mushy!” “A what?” Twilight said. “A Creeper Mushy.” “It was those explody things that came after us earlier,” Applejack explained. “Uh, Pinkie, why do you need the dynamite from that?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, those things pack quite a punch. And I don’t think gunpowder would taste good in cake.” Pinkie rolled her eyes with a wide smile. “Because the dynamite gives the cake an explosive flavor, silly filly!” “Well there were plenty of them back there. Enough to fill twenty pastures,” Applejack said. “One of them must have dropped one.” “Yeah I know, but we’d had to have kill them before they explode. Otherwise,” – Pinkie diagonally swung a right hook upward – “boom goes the dynamite!” Pinkie sighed as she sat down on the cobble road. “And the Trunts were too much for us still. We had to get out of there as soon as Twilight went down. Other than you, Twilight was one of our best knockbackers.” “Knockback?” Twilight interrupted. “You mean what I did with the Magic Missile?” “Yepperooni.” Rarity hummed in thought. “So Pinkie Pie, what are you going to do with such a rare delicacy?” “Well, I was thinking of making two of them. One for all of us, and one for sale! Gummy put a lot of care and effort into the calculations of the recipe and he’s very sure that it’ll sell for the highest bidder! It should be able to provide anypony who eats it three hours of healing nonstop at a rate of 5% health per second!” “Wow,” Twilight said in a breath. “That’s amazing… wait, Gummy? Your pet?!” “Yepperooni! Here are the notes.” Pinkie tossed a piece of paper to the unicorn. Twilight skimmed over the poorly written symbols and mathematics, thinking that this was another one of Pinkie’s jokes, but as she read further and further, her pupils grew bigger and bigger. The writing seemed to be done by a little colt in pre-school, but the theoretical numbers and equations looked like they were hand crafted by college professors and prominent scientists! “Wow Pinkie, I didn’t know you were such a genius!” she exclaimed. “This is impressive!” “I didn’t write that. Gummy did.” “Okay Pinkie,” Twilight said, still not believing the alligator could write. “But still, using the Candy Cane Hydra Scale’s rejuvenating properties and the boosted stimulate of the Weeping Joy Seed together is incredible! And the Sugar Pipe’s ability to extend the time limit… I don’t even know what these are but the items seem to be attuned with each other if you had the math done right, which you did.” Pinkie nodded. “Sooo?” “So what?” “Did you find the Charming Sugar Pipe?” Pinkie asked. “O– oh no I didn’t. I’m sorry, Pinkie. I wish I could have found it, but I don’t think anypony here is selling it right now.” Twilight handed back the papers to Pinkie. “Oh.” Pinkie dropped her head in disappointment, but then lifted her chin up with a smile. “Well that’s okay! There’s always another time.” Pinkie raised her hoof at the sky, shaking it. She yelled at the clouds at the top of her lungs, “I’ll find you yet, Sugar Pipe!” “Well Ah’m all for desserts and everything, but we still haven’t shown you the entire city,” Applejack said. “How ‘bout Ah first show you my tavern? Ah could get you a nice tankard of cider.” “Oh heavens no Applejack,” Rarity said. “Twilight needs to have the proper set of clothing if she is going to go out there again. We can’t have you dying on us dear. You should visit my boutique.” “Nuh uh. What she needs is a bag of auntie Pinkie’s ole fashion sugary bottle of soda!” “Um, I think she could use a pet,” Fluttershy quietly suggested. “I know a nice pet shop nearby that we can take her to. Th– that is, if that’s okay with you, Twilight.” Fluttershy let out a squeak as Applejack pulled her in a one-arm hug. “We can take her to that pet shop after we get ‘er a drink! Twilight, you’re thirsty, right?” Rarity flipped her mane, heaving a sigh. “Please, Applejack. Can’t you see Twilight is in desperate need of some proper equipment? She did just start the game after all, and so did all of us. Besides, I want to see how my new shop looks and start leveling my Sewing Skill.” Rainbow Dash walked next to Applejack. “I dunno, Rarity. I’m with AJ on this one. I want some cider.” “But what about my soda?” “You can make it at my tavern, Pinks. Bought the necessary items needed. You can fill a pool ten times over in a matter of minutes!” “Hold on girls!” Twilight had easily caught their attention. “What are you all talking about? Applejack, Rarity, you two own places here in the game?” “Oh right, Ah’ve forgot to mention that,” Applejack said, blushing slightly. “We all have what I guess can be called jobs here in the game.” Twilight raised her eyebrows in interest. “Jobs? This game has an actual economy system, beyond the ingame money system and markets that can be run by players?” “Sort of Twilight,” Rarity said. “You see, with the Life Skills System in place, we can make use of them to apply towards various service in the game. Applejack and I have bought a couple buildings to use for our purposes. She has a tavern, and I own a boutique! Like Applejack’s, the boutique was worth real bits. You would have to pay to own a virtual building here as it takes up memory spaces, and it costs quite a bit, but it was well worth putting a small dent into my wallet. I can gather quite an income from this.” “Same here,” Applejack chimed in. “Ah’ve already checked around my place, and it’s apple-tastic! Two beautiful, bona fide floors, one for the rooms and one fer drinking! Ah aim to make it the best inn in the city, where you can get the best drinks and food around and a good night’s rest.” Applejack crossed her forelegs with a proud smile on her face. “Ah even got a couple players to help around.” “I see,” Twilight said with a hum. “I might try to get a profession here, but I don’t know what Life Skill to prioritize.” A small ha escaped Rainbow Dash’s mouth. “Too bad there aren’t any Life Skills for reading. I’m pretty sure would get that maxed in a heartbeat.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the jab. “How about Writing?” Rarity suggested. “I’m very sure you’ll do wonderfully, Twilight.” “Writing? There’s even a Life Skill for that?” “Why yes! I’m sure with the right materials, you’ll be able to publish a book here!” “Hmm… sure, why not? It’ll sure be a rewarding experience! Although I don’t see how I can Level Up a skill for writing when it’s all up to the mind. It’s not exactly the most technical skill.” “I don’t know, darling. That’s something you probably have to find out yourself.” “Do let us know, though. When you got it all figured out and everything,” Applejack said. “But first things first, have ya decided where you wanted to go to? Mah place or Rarity’s? Twilight weighted the options in her mind, judging the pros and cons. But in the end, it didn’t seem to really matter since she was planning to visit them all. However, Twilight was curious about Rarity’s offer of brand new equipment. “Well, I think Rarity has something interesting to offer for all of us. Is that right?” “Correct, darling,” Rarity smiled. “I do have something made for each and every one of us.” “Okay, let’s go to Rarity’s first. We can hang at the tavern afterwards.” “Well, Ah guess that’s fair,” Applejack tipped her hat towards Rarity. “Lead the way, Rares.” They walked towards the center of the bazaar with Rarity in the front, where more fabulous items and booths were at. Each shop stand after the last was more elaborate as they went deeper in to the market, changing from simple wood to tents with silken tapestry for tarps. At the center of it all stood a brilliant boutique that shined with silver walls and crystal windows. The dome of the building was crafted out of a large diamond, and the frame of the door was decked with embedded rubies and sapphires. At seemingly perfect timing, the sun rose high above Rarity’s shop, its rays bouncing off its roof and casting a rainbow assortment of colors all over the market and the sky. Ponies everywhere in and near the Bazaar looked up at the sky in awe, admiring the light show. “Welcome to my humble abode,” Rarity said with a small chuckle. “The Crystalline Boutique, where everything is sweet and magnifique!” She held the door wide open. “Please, you girls first.” Twilight and the others stepped inside, and their breaths were taken away as the vast assortment of dresses and armor greeted them – literally. The enchanted servants floated across the floor, the end of the robes just barely touching the surface. Twilight and the others shook hooves with their sleeves, gauntlets, gloves, or whatever they had before they returned to their work. The inside of the shop looked very similar to the Carousel Boutique, apart from the fact that the walls were made of silver and crystal, having a shinier appeal. “Wow Rarity, how were you able to afford all this?” Twilight asked. “I had a big order a couple weeks ago, and I was saving the money for just an occasion like this. Worth every shiny bit!” A squadron of four sets of heavy plate armors came over with a red velvet couch. Rarity let out a little fit of joy as they carried her upon it. “I feel like a princess here!” Rainbow blew away a lock of her mane dangling in front of her eyes, bored out of her mind already. “Whatever, can we just go already? I want to go get wasted on Applejack’s juices.” “You can lose yourself in liquor later, darling. Right now, we need to find you the perfect fit.” Rarity dragged Twilight over to the clothes stand hung with silky robes. After picking out a few outfits, she once again lugged her to the dressing room. “Okay dear, here are a couple of outfits that would look absolutely gorgeous on you.” “Okay, but can I ask a few questions– ” “No time for that, darling.” Rarity pressed the items into Twilight’s forehooves, giggling and singing. “It’s time for a maaakeover!” MagiAdept received the following items from FashionatingDiamonds. ~ Sparkling Robes of Armament Attributes – A Leveling Item. Max Level: 10 Prerequisite(s) – Minimum Level: 8. INT 75. SPR 75. Description: A purple cloak with silver stars brightening its form. Gives the wearer +10 Armor and +25 Magic Resist. Upon Leveling Up, the item receives a permanent bonus of +5 Armor and +10 Magic Resist. When item reaches maxed level, it gains a permanent passive. When the wearer’s health goes below 10%, a powerful shield surrounds the user. The Shield Bar equals to 50% of the wearer’s total HP, blocks the physical damage and magic damage by 50%. Shield may be taken down by the wearer at will. After the shield disappears or breaks, it goes on a Cooldown of 5 Minutes. ~ Cloak of Undetecting Attributes – Enchanted Item Description: A cloak with the colors of shimmering water. Makes the wearer invisible to mobs and enemy players. Mobs and enemy players cannot look at user directly. Illusion breaks when making loud noises or sudden movements. Twilight gasped in awe. “Wow Rarity, these look really nice.” “Oh please don’t say that until you’ve put on the dress, my dear.” Twilight tried on each outfit, careful to not break the seams or ruin them in any way. After all, it’s Rarity’s work and must be treated with diligence, but it seemed it wasn’t necessary as the clothes just flash onto her as soon as she poked a hoof into them. She stepped out of the room with each outfit, and was greeted with a chorus of applauses from her friends and the enchanted servants. “You look mighty fine with them robes on,” Applejack said. “Super-duper fantastic!” Pinkie added. Twilight softly rubbed where her chest was, appreciating how comfortable it felt. “Thank you, Rarity. This will surely help me throughout the game! Should I pay you for them?” Rarity smiled and gave her a little hug. “Oh there’s no need for that dear. They’re on the house. Anything for a good friend of mine.” “Wow, now I really have to thank you. I’ll be sure to find a way to make it up to you.” “Really now, there is no need.” “But I insist!” Twilight giggled. Rarity rolled her eyes with a grin of her own. “Well alright, if you must.” “Hey Rare. How about us?” Rainbow Dash walked closer to Rarity. “Do we, um, get cool outfits?” “As a matter of fact, I’m glad you asked that, Rainbow Dash. In addition to Twilight’s outfit, I’ve made each and every one of you your own custom outfit. They’re upstairs, on the second floor.” With excitement in their hooves, the rest of the ponies rushed up the stairway, wondering what the fashion designer had in stores for them. Twilight twirled around in the violet robe, admiring the sparkles and glows of it that flowed out from the hem like fairies. It felt as if it was made recently, although she couldn’t help but get a sense of familiarity from it. “This is beautiful, but I can’t help but feel that I’ve worn this before.” “It should be. I was inspired to recreate our Gala dresses here, but of course in armor and robe sets. I’ve gotten a look at the tier of armors around our level, and I was absolutely horrified by their bland looks! I’ve never seen such dull colors mixed together in my entire life. I couldn’t stand seeing you all wear such things, so I’ve decided to take up the responsibility of making all of our armor.” Rarity then blushed with a small grin. “That is, until we start seeing better equipment later on. The amount of materials I used was very expensive, and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to afford more of it. I’ve yet to actually sell anything from my shop.” Twilight studied Rarity’s expression, and then looked back down at her robe. She admired the silver shine the star decorations had. She knew she was very generous, but this felt beyond too much. “Rarity… I really don’t know what to say now, but thank you.” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rarity in a hug. “You’re absolutely welcome, darling.” Rarity returned back the embrace. They shared the moment for just a bit longer until Twilight pulled away. “By the way, where did you find the time to make these? You were with us the entire time since I’ve logged on, and this robe looks very difficult to make.” “Oh I was logged onto the game for quite a while now and familiarized with our friend’s classes. I also had taken the guess that you were going to be playing a mage when Rainbow Dash said she was going to show you the game, and making items is pretty fast.” “It is?” “Yes. All I needed was gather the materials I need or want, a sewing kit, and just started sewing. As soon as I start that, the materials will start to digitize into the equipment I made.” Twilight tilted her head to the side in confusion. “I’m… I’m not sure if I really understand that. So you just thread a needle into the materials?” “I’m sorry, but that’s the simplest way I can explain how it works. Maybe I should explain how armors and weapons are created?” Twilight nodded. “Well when working with metals to create swords or armors, usually you need forge, an anvil, hammer, as well as a trough of water to cool it down. Some require more complicated equipment, but those three are the bare minimum. The most easy path of steps is simply to place the metal in the forge for a certain amount of time, depending on the metal you’re using – oh and the forge has to be heated of course!” Twilight giggled. “Of course, Rarity.” A small grin crept on Rarity’s lips. “Anyway, continuing on. After the metal is heated, you place the metal on the forge – with a tong – and hit it with a hammer. Depending on your Blacksmithing skill, it may take some time until you don’t need to hit the metal anymore. Once the metal has received the appropriate amount of hits, it shall transform into what you’re making. And then you need to cool down your piece.” “Hmm… okay I think I understand, but what will the metal transform into this ‘piece’ I want?” “You need to have a blueprint as well.” “A blueprint?” “Why yes. There are blueprints for all sorts of equipment pieces. Some have the full set listed, while others are for separate pieces. There is a slot in all anvils to place the blueprint in. That’s basically how the game knows what you want to make. Same thing for the dresses actually, except it’s slightly more the complicated part is in creating the design.” “How so?” Rarity touched her lower lip as she remembered. “Well like armor, I needed materials. But these items are actually custom made, and I had to figure out how the materials would contribute to the equipment. Each of them hold different attributes in them, attributes that add to the stats of the equipment, such as Magic Resist and Armor. For example, a Mana Crystal would have the attribute of Mana, which can allow the equipment to give the wearer some bonus Mana. The higher quality of the material, the better the stats.” Twilight studied the robe she was wearing currently. It looked very expensive and rare. “So the materials used for my robe are… what did you use?” Twilight raised her eyebrows as she noticed Rarity adopted a nervous look, then quickly smiled. “Um, let’s just say I know a friend or two.” “Really? This ‘Leveling Item’ thing seems to be pretty powerful. I can’t imagine that very many items have that sort of attribute.” “Oh no, Twilight. Almost half of the items created by the developers are Leveling Items,” Rarity hastily said. “Are you guys done talking already?” Twilight and Rarity turned towards the stairs, where Rainbow Dash was walking down with the others. “Sorry we took so long. Fluttershy had a pretty difficult time trying to get her dress on.” “Sorry.” Applejack patted her on the back. “It’s alright, sugarcube. Anyway, how do we look, Twi?” Twilight studied what her friends had on. Applejack had a long green chainmail cape going down her backside to the ends of her hindhooves, with a leather saddle cover her back. The cape was tied to a fake-leather, green collar around her neck. It had a red medal on the front of the collar in the shape of a red apple. Twilight guessed that was where the collar is locked at. Applejack was also wearing gold horseshoes on with green tinted on its edges. Her Stetson hat was still relaxing on her golden locks. On her back was a large metal hammer. It didn’t look anything interesting, but Twilight had noticed the flat ends of the war hammer were shaped like apples. On her main body was a gold gauberk with a layer of a cloth shirt underneath, its sleeves reaching down to her fetlocks, and on top of that were pieces of light iron armor. Rainbow Dash almost looked like Applejack, except she didn’t have any chainmail or iron armor. Her main source of protection was a set of light leather armor with a rainbow lightning bolt patterned on each of her shoulder pads. A long, flowing rainbow cape with tattered ends extended across her back, and a picture of her cutie mark adorned it. Tiny gold laurels were sitting behind her ears, and situated over her muzzle were large orange glasses with sharp, acute, pointed edges. Pinkie Pie at the attire of a pink ninja, with a mask over her muzzle and a couple inventory accessories wrapped around her hooves that were meant to hold sharp shurikens. Over her head was a hood with a white and red stripe pattern, reminding Twilight of sweet peppermint candy. Around her midsection was a long white sash that barely touched the floor, and on her back was a satchel. The coloration obviously didn’t call for stealth, but knowing Pinkie, she could appear from anywhere. Twilight can recall those moments all too well. Last but not least, Twilight looked over to Fluttershy. It would be an understatement if Twilight were to say that she was a breathtaking sight. Resting upon her dainty pink mane was a flower crown weaved with blue and pink flowers of exotic design, and she wore a thin light green dress with sleeves that looked like thin vines wrapping around her forelegs. The tail of the dress went just a few inches above the floor. Around her neck was a large, blue, butterfly-shaped jewel that was connected to a green cape on her. Hanging from her ears were earrings in the shape of blue butterflies. “Wow, you all look great!” Twilight exclaimed. “Thanks Twilight, that means a lot to me,” Applejack grinned. Rainbow Dash grunted. “Well everything looks pretty great on me, and rainbow is fine, but I would like something a little different.” “Don’t like the color?” Rarity asked. Rainbow nodded. “Well that’ll be an easy fix. Follow me, darling.” Rainbow and Rarity went up the stairs while the rest of the girls stepped down, deciding to wait in the living room. They talked about what’s been going on in their life outside of the game, having discussions of the usual to bide their time. After a few minutes, Rainbow and Rarity came back down, although Rainbow’s attire didn’t look all that different. “Where’s the new color?” Applejack asked. The others girls, except for Rarity, spoke out their confusions as well. Rainbow just sneered at as she presented herself, brandishing the back of her cape to her friends as she stood on her hind legs. “They’re right here!” The colors of cape suddenly changed from ones of a rainbow to the shades of a phoenix, the main body of it red while the tattered tails were orange, resembling tongues of fire. On her cape, the cutie mark was the only thing that stayed the same. The light brown hue of her armor changed to grey, although the rainbow bolts kept their colors. To add a finishing touch, Rainbow began to wrap bandages around the forearm of her legs for an even tougher appearance. “So, how do I look?” Rainbow flashed a confident smile as she looked over her shoulder. They all applauded, smiling their approval. “Wow Rainbow. I didn’t know it would be possible, but you just looked twenty percent cooler!” Twilight exclaimed. “Rarity, how does this work?” “A Color Changing enchantment scroll and some colored dye. I discovered that if you use this enchantment scroll on an item, it gains a couple extra slots for dye items. I have plenty in my shop, and Rainbow can switch between colors whenever she likes. Certainly does save me the trouble of recreating the items all over again. Applejack nodded as she got up. She went over to Rainbow and lifted a part of her cape. “The colors certainly do fit you, Dash. I wonder how you would look though in blue colors though.” “I don’t know. Rarity, do you have some?” Rarity lightly touched her lower lips in thought. “Hmm… no, I actually don’t believe I don’t. I’ve used up all the blue dye I had for Twilight’s robe. It was incredibly hard to make it right and took me so many tries.” “Oh… well that’s okay!” Rainbow grinned. “Grey and red looks fine on my anyway.” “I– I think it looks wonderful on you too,” Fluttershy gently smiled. “Pinkie, what do you think of Rainbow’s outfit?” Everypony looked towards Pinkie with expectancy. She was silent the whole time and had the look of a pro poker player on her face. It was slightly unnerving. “You wanna know what I think of Rainbow’s outfit, Fluttershy?” “U– um, sure? I– I would like to know?” Fluttershy said, her tone hesitating to speak out the words. Pinkie stood up on the couch, much to Rarity’s displeasure. “I think –” Pinkie reached behind the couch and pulled out a blue cannon, decorating the air with confetti “– that we need a party for this pronto!” The girls relaxed and grew big smiles on, giggling. “Well of course, Pinkie Pie! This does call for a celebration,” Rarity said. “Our first day in Equestrian Earth is certainly a day that won’t come around again. I’d say we make the best of it!” Rainbow moved around, watching her cape fly around. “So this is all on the house then?” “Absolutely! I can’t dream of charging you all for these gifts.” “As will mine.” Applejack announced, walking towards the door. “Cause the round of drinks are on me! To the tavern, everypony!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The Sweet Fruit Tavern stood tall and proud on the outskirts of the marketplace, smelling of cider and excitement. From outside, Twilight thought its huge girth and height was enough to fit an elephant in with enough room for it to comfortable walk around. Inside, her ears were greeted with the sound of people enjoying themselves and having conversation with one another. The atmosphere was friendly and warm, and the food shared the same quality. Floating candles were about, lighting the room in their bright glows. Applejack flashed a smile at her friends before going behind the bar. “Welcome to the Sweet Fruits, girls. This right ‘ere is the best place to get a nice, cool drink or a warm bed to sleep in.” She dipped her head below the counter and grabbed a tankard of cider. “Here, try this one, Twi.” Twilight eyed the golden liquid. Due to the incredibleness of the game, she was able to detect something strong from the drink as brought her nose closer for a sniff. “Is this liquor?” “Of course it is, Twi. This is a tavern Ah’m running after all. Not a salad bar.” Twilight hesitated as she reached for the drink, curious about how strong the drink would be if she was in a game. Never before did she hear anything about the possibility of people getting drunk off alcoholic drinks. Deciding to not chicken out in front of her friends, she took it all down in one gulp. The sweet taste splashed down her gullet like a holy river, its flavor strong and beautiful. Twilight tried to guess what the side hint of flavor. Was it cinnamon? Finished, Twilight slammed the tankard down and released a breath of satisfaction. “That was absolutely delicious.” Now Twilight was suddenly curious about the game’s capabilities. Never before was she able to taste anything that deeply before. The way the flavor exploded upon her mouth, the refreshing fluids that wetted her throat, it had all felt very real. Maybe she should try one more. Luckily for her, Applejack was ready to oblige, sliding another tankard towards her. “Care for another? Like Pinkie said, it’s time to party.” She looked over to a familiar red stallion that was manning the station as well. “Hey Big Mac! Can you get the special kegs from the back and passed them?” Big Mac nodded and went to the storage. As he left, Applejack leapt onto the counter and shouted out to the entire tavern, “Drinks are all on me, everypony! Here’s to day one of Equestrian Earth!” The players of the tavern filled the room with roars of cheers, delighted to drink to their bellies’ worth. Meanwhile, Twilight was drenching the second down her throat with much gusto, tipping the tankard way too far up. She didn’t even care that she was spilling some on her robe, which Rarity whimpered at. Much to her delight, the drink was just as good as the last. The sweet aftertaste of the first one didn’t impact it as much. “Whoa! Slow down there, girl!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, although smirking. Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulders. “Darling, this is worrying me. Maybe you should go easy on the drinks.” “N– naw I’m fine!” she insisted, taking a third cider. Twilight felt her head spin a little as she finished that one. “Oh wow Applejack, you’re a – Hick! – a really great maaree.” Rarity turned Twilight around by the shoulders, wanting to talk face to face. Rarity let out a gasp as she saw one of her eyes slightly looking the other way. “Twilight, I think you had enough.” Rainbow scoffed, crossing her forelegs. “What are you talking about? She looks completely fine to me.” Rarity frowned. “Applejack.” “Relax, Rarity. I’m sure a drink or two wouldn’t hurt.” “She had three, and Big Mac is already passing her another one.” Applejack had leapt back down and passed out more of the beverages to each of them of them. Twilight eagerly took one and drank it all down while Rarity lightly pushed hers away. “I’ll just have some water, thank you very much.” “Why not?” Pinkie asked. “The cider is pretty good. Although this party could use a little something more. I’m thinking of streamers, dancers, a built-in roller coaster, cupcake pizzas, and one giant cheese wheel.” Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “A giant cheese wheel?” “I dunno. I just feel like having one!” Pinkie drank the entire tankard’s trove and shivered as it settled in her stomach. She then burst out of her seat with energy, joining the rest of the tavern in the festivities in joyous bouts. Already there were balloons being tied to everyone. Applejack chuckled as Pinkie continued to make the party better. “So Rarity, I’m guessing you want don’t want to get buzzed?” “Well one of us should be sober to get a hold of the situation in case something goes out of control.” Rarity accepted a glass of water from Applejack. “I feel like I should be that responsible one at the very least.” “Whatever you say, Rarity,” Rainbow said between her cider slurps. “Don’t be such a downer though.” “Do not worry about me, Rainbow Dash. I won’t be a rain cloud.” Rarity said before taking a sip from her water. “I just hope that this game isn’t as deeply immersive as the game creators advertised it. I would imagine that the hangover would be horrendous– Oh sweet Celestia, Applejack! How many did you give her?!” “What in Celestia’s beard are you talking about?” Applejack demanded as she looked towards where Rarity was staring at with a gape. She then shared the same sentiments. Somehow, Twilight managed to slip away from the group and joined Pinkie in the delightful hilarity that was drinking. She was at a table with a stallion, and stacks upon stacks of empty tankards were beside them. Twilight’s stack was much taller, and she was only adding more to it with each passing moment. From the audience were chants of “Chug, chug, chug,” adding to the loud atmosphere. “’ow in the ‘ell are ya drinkin’ so much, lass?” her opponent grumbled as he drank down another. “I dawn’t knaw wat ya talkin’ a– HICK! – about,” Twilight slurred heavily. The stallion started to tip back and forth in his seat. He stared at the next liquor, and then set it down. “Well lass, looks like – hick – ya won this’in.” He then fell off his seat into a drunken stupor, causing a massive uproar among the audience, for a stallion got his plot kicked at a drinking contest by a mare. By Pinkie’s lead, they lifted Twilight from her seat and started to toss her up in the air in the wake of her victory. Rarity deeply frowned. “Oh no. The poor dear is probably getting sick from that.” Rarity pushed her way through the crowd and caught Twilight in a web of her magic. Twilight looked left to right in slight confusion, but eventually succumbed to how comfortable Rarity’s magic was. “Okay everypony, I believe my friend has had enough for today. Go on now, back to your celebration.” The crowd mumbled among themselves, and Rarity caught a few words of her being a stick in the mud, but she didn’t care. Rarity settled Twilight down in an empty chair, trying to balance her every time she tipped. Twilight giggled and snickered in spite of her state. “Eeyyy Rarity, wat are you doin’ here?” “Just trying to prevent you from making a foal out of yourself,” Rarity sighed. “Eey Rarity.” “Yes, Twilight?” “Did I eva tell ya dat ya pretty?” Rarity felt her cheeks growing warm. “Um, I believe you may have. I don’t recall though.” Twilight nodded with half closed eyes and a silly, lopsided smile. “Eey Rarity.” “Yes?” “You are suuu prettay.” Twilight then fell unconscious, crashing her head on Rarity’s shoulder. Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled. “Okay, okay. Let’s get you upstairs now.” Rarity carried Twilight onto her back and made her way to the other girls. “Applejack, I’m going to take Twilight into one of the rooms if that’s alright with you.” “That’s fine by me. Honestly, Ah wasn’t really expecting this to happen,” Applejack said with a chuckle. “Take care of her. We’ll man the fort here.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The drinking had gone on for at least a couple of good hours. The air was still fresh with enjoyment, and it looked like everypony still had room in their belly for more cider. Applejack was thankful for the fact that food was quick and easy to make in the game, but she was starting to worry about the fast drop rate of her apple supply. So much cider was being consumed, she was afraid she might lose the entire stock. She wished she could go back on her word and start charging for the drinks, but it wouldn’t feel right to Applejack. The people in her tavern seemed to be enjoying themselves, and all Applejack could do is pass out more drinks and rest her head on the counter. “What’s wrong, Applejack? You look like you got a pickle in your mane,” Pinkie said. “Not really, but Ah think Ah’m starting to regret this party. Mah apple supply is dropping faster than Granny on a bad day.” “We can always get more,” Rainbow suggested, shrugging slightly. She filled her tankard again from a nearby keg. “I mean, apples aren’t very expensive are they?” “Nope they aren’t, but the apples we’re using are prime quality. I’ve actually bought some seeds and some high quality magic growin’ powder thingy in order to start up this place. I still have the seeds of course, just not the time to grow them. Mah farmin’ skill ain’t as high as it is in real life.” “Um, Applejack?” “Yeah, Flutters?” “Um, are you sure you’re running out of cider? The kegs here still seem to be full.” Fluttershy did have a point. She hadn’t rechecked on the stocks, but she was fairly certain that nopony in the tavern weren’t drinking too much. Oh how very wrong she was. Applejack felt a nudge to her shoulders, and looked up to find Big Mac slightly beaded in sweats. He leaned in towards her ear. “Applejack, main kegs are getting’ drained.” “What?!” Applejack harshly whispered back, her pupils shrunken. “That quick already?! How are we going to get more cider?” “Unless we tap into the batch for next week, eenope.” Applejack silently cursed and let out a short growl under her breath. The reserves of cider were meant for next week. Each week, Applejack estimated that at least fifty large kegs of cider would be used. If a week’s worth had already plummeted, that could mean a really huge loss of profit, and the next harvest wasn’t until next month. This would mean she was forced by actually buy apples, but Applejack knew she didn’t have enough to pay for an entire week’s worth. Just as when she was about to abuse the countertop with her hooves, she heard somepony calling for her. “E– excuse me, miss, but are you Ms. Applejack?” Applejack turned towards the four newcomers who were waiting patiently for her response. They looked pretty nervous and awed. “That would be me. And who do Ah ‘ave the pleasure of talking to?” A light brown stallion with an even paler tone of mane and tail stepped up first. Resting on his head was a thin metal circlet, and around his neck was a black cape with strange symbols on it. They looked like something Twilight would study. Holstered by his side was a smooth, blunt weapon that looked like the combination of a hammer and mace. It had strange runes inscribed on it as well. He adjusted his rimless glasses. “Oh where are my manners? I’m, um, Paperback, and these are my friends. Meet Night Stalker, Dilluted Livo, and Nitro Rush.” “Yo,” Night simply said. His coat was the tone of rugged charcoal and almost sized up to her brother. His mane looked as if it was drenched in crimson paint, or if was left to burn in the fire and the color was left as a result. Eyes were dark brown like burnt wood. His choice of armor pieces were just two shoulder pauldrons, leaving his flank bare. Applejack noticed his cutie mark was unusual: a drawn bow with a flaming arrow notched into it. “Hey, what’s up?” Dilluted Livo said, crossing her forelegs with a confident smile. Her voice sounded shy and quiet, but to Applejack, it seemed her personality didn’t match. Like Night, she was also a dark color, but had a shade that reminded Applejack of the dead of midnight. Her wing tips were red, and her mane matched her coat with beautiful stripes of violet drawn from one end of her mane to the next. All Livo had was a thin t-shirt with big, loose sleeves, making her seem like an easy target, although Applejack noticed there was something hidden in one of her sleeves. Nitro Rush didn’t say anything, but his bouncy jumps and wide smile made it obvious. His coat was blue, but that was all that Applejack could tell about how the stallion looked as a black cloak was hiding away most of his body. Although she could see two bumps on either side of him, so he was probably a pegasus. A large white scythe was resting on his back and strangely had Celestia’s cutie mark on it. “Hello,” Applejack said. “So what brings you here?” “Um, we overheard what you said about cider. Are you running out?” Paperback asked. Applejack sighed. “Yes. That’s the truth, but Ah’ll be right as rain. Ah just gotta scrape up enough bits to buy enough apples to last next week so we can use the reserves without trouble.” “Well if that’s the case, then I might be able to help you with that.” Applejack raised her eyebrows, and then adopted a serious look. “Go on… ” Paperback smiled, although it looked more like a smirk to her. “Well you see, Aeroslida is hosting a tournament with cash prizes… and something a little more.” The farmer’s ear twitched at the mention of cash and the little bonus. “Okay, you have my attention.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight can say without a doubt that she will never take up drinking heavy alcohol again because the hangover she was having right now is sickening. She woke up feeling as if she was wacked in the end by a rubber chicken. A rubber chicken being wielded by a titanic minotaur. She could barely see anything, as if somepony had poured water over her eyes, and had taken quite more than a few blinks to be rid of it. Her ears were ringing at a constant pitch that annoyed her to no end, supplying her massive headache. As she sat up from the mattress she was laying on, a cold glass of a blue, wispy drink was pressed against her cheek. She turned to see Rarity holding it up. “Here darling, drink this. This should help ease the pain.” Twilight couldn’t really understand what Rarity was saying, but she understood her intentions clearly. She took the glass, tiredly but graciously nodding, and drank the smoky liquid. Immediately the headache was already fleeing from her mind, and she can see and hear better, although it was still murky and her head still slightly smarted. Nonetheless, she was happy with what she got. “Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight winced, rubbing her temple. “Augh, remind me to never hit the bottle if I ever get near one.” “I’ll be sure to do that. Maybe even go as far as to scold you with a newspaper,” Rarity said, giggling. Twilight rolled her eyes as she placed down the drink on a nearby nightstand. “Well I’m ready to go back down.” Twilight went towards the door and walked out with Rarity in tow. As they walked down the quaint hall, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what she had just experienced. Did she actually pass out from being drunk. If so, then that is pretty incredible and realistic for a game. Twilight just hoped she didn’t actually waste hours on ends from doing that. “Hey Rarity?” “Yes darling?” “How long was I out for?” “About a couple hours. I almost fell asleep while waiting for you to wake up.” Yeah. Definitely never hitting the booze again. Not unless she can handle staying conscious. Maybe she should start small? No, Twilight promised with Rarity to never drink again. Hopefully, it would never come to pass. Soon after walking for a bit, Twilight can hear the party still going on from the first floor. Twilight can see the floating candles as she turned around the corner. “We’re almost there,” Twilight said, picking up the pace. Rarity matched Twilight’s speed as they trotted out into the open and down the stairs. As they stepped downward, Twilight can see her friends still hanging around at the bar. Twilight waved to them when she got closer. “Hey girls! Sorry to worry you there. The drink was great, Applejack, but I don’t think I’ll be having another any time soon. Sorry to say that,” Twilight said with a small laugh. Twilight’s smile suddenly faded into a curious frown as she saw Applejack was just staring into her tankard. Before she could ask, the apple farmer turned towards her. A smirk was on her face. “Hey Twi. Ah have good news for yah. We’re gonna enter a PvP tournament.” Chapter 04: Going Nowhere but Forward [Revised]Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 4 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Twilight finally finished sorting out the books. This time it was fairly quick to accomplish, because she promised Spike that she would let him play along with her in Equestrian Earth. Her little assistant practically worked overtime with the friendship letters and magical scrolls for it. With his extra effort, they managed to reorganize the library, clean from corner to corner of the house, and squeezed in enough time for host the spot for the field trip of Cheerilee’s class. Nopony ever said that being a librarian was easy. Twilight stretched her neck as she placed the last book into its cozy home before she let loosed a huge yawn. Today was starting to bite back into her vitality. Time to get some relaxation. She made her way to the bathroom to freshen up before going to bed. As she brushed her teeth with Colgate-brand toothpaste, her mind wandered off to the melodramatic moments of yesterday. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “What do you mean we’ve been challenged?” Twilight demanded hastily, slamming her hoof on the counter. A couple glasses on it did a little jig before settling. “I’ve only played for about a few hours! We’re not ready for this! I’m not ready for this!” “Calm down Twi,” Applejack said calmly, like a mother would to a heated child. Twilight didn’t feel relaxed. “Our matches aren’t until tomorrow night, and we’ll have plenty of time to train for the battle.” “How can we get up to par with them in time? I died getting to Level 8! Died!” “And ya respawned,” Applejack chuckled. She then tapped a hoof to her chin, gazing up at the ceiling. “Well actually Twi… if we had killed another Trunt, you would have been around Level 12, or even 14 if we fought the exploding shrooms. Of course, if it wasn’t for the fact that Rainbow Dash rushed in.” Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat, crossing her forelegs with a small frown on her lips. “Hey, I wasn't the only one that went in. Besides, I don't care about the lower level mobs. Those are for the slow eggheads.” Applejack scoffed a little at Dash’s remark. “The point Ah’m making, Twi, is that yesterday’s grinding spot was mistaken. With our team of six, we should have been taking down monsters at Level 5. Of course, now we can handle tougher ones. We should go for the ones at Level 12 or 13. Maybe Level 14 mobs if we need to level up faster.” “Wait why?” Twilight tilted her head confusedly. “Ah think experience gets distributed evenly among teammates. We can easily over power any mobs if they're only a few levels above us and don't aggro too many.” “Well that was a useful piece of information I could have known early,” Twilight said with a deep frown, grudgingly crossing her forelegs. “Hey, I’m sorry alright!” Rainbow Dash protested. “I didn’t really think Twilight would die from it.” Twilight lazily waved her hoof in the air. “No, no it’s not your fault, Rainbow Dash. Everypony makes mistakes. At least we don’t lose anything at death.” She raised her eyebrow as Rainbow chuckled with an awkward smile. “Well actually, we sort of lose ten percent of our in-game bits at death.” Time felt slow at the counter. Everypony else around the mares were just happily drinking the night away while tension was brewing around Twilight. A little jump in their hearts happened when Twilight suddenly attacked the counter with her forehead. “Like Ah said, what Rainbow did was really risky,” Applejack muttered, trying to break the ice. “Well you should have peeled those Trunts off Twilight in the first place. You’re the Paladin of our group, aren’t you?” Rainbow accused. “Ah’m still a Cadet, Rainbow. I’m not that tanky yet! Those Trunts coulda smashed me flatter than a pancake!” “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that dear. I’m sure you’ll stack up your health much higher than it is now,” Rarity said. “We have until tomorrow night to work on raising our levels. That’s more than enough time to grind.” Pinkie Pie stretched her back until it cracked softly. She let out a deep, relieved sigh. “Well I don’t know about you guys, but I can feel it’s almost morning. The Cakes want me to get started on the first batch of cupcakes, and the frosting needs to be blue ‘cause I’m expecting rain today! See you all later.” Pinkie opened up her menu and logged out of the game in a pink beam of light that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. When the beam vanished, so did she. “I should wake up as well. I have a big order to fill from Canterlot. Fleur needs twenty dresses for an upcoming play she’s directing,” Rarity said, logging off after Pinkie in a purple beam. Twilight opened up her holographic menu. “I should get up as well. See you girls later.” She pressed on the option to log off, ending her nightly session. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The sun was just starting to settle on the horizon, painting it orange. It wasn’t completely dark yet. The girls had agreed to log on a bit early to spend as much time as possible to get ready for the match. This includes numerous nighttime hours of grinding and questing, not to mention hundreds of Pinkie's potions used to heal everypony. 'In fact, she should be in Equestrian Earth now, brewing them,' Twilight thought. Pinkie had dropped by the library to return a book, and told her about “hitting the hay” a couple hours early in order to gather enough ingredients to make the potions. Twilight climbed onto her bed with the visor already on her pillow, ready to be worn. She was thankful that the technology allowed her to not only play the game as realistically as possible, but also allowed her to get some rest at the same time. It was a strange process that involved mana crystals inside a special compartment of the visor, filled with relaxing energy. As a user played the game with the visor while sleeping, the crystals pour their energy into their body, sustaining it while the brain can focus on the game. The latest model of the visor was able to do this thanks to Luna’s knowledge of dreams and sleep, her friend being a bit of a tech wiz, and Twilight’s expertise in the nervous system. With the nerve simulators giving the player a realistic feel of the virtual world, and the magicka crystals powering the device, it became a beautiful mixture of magic and science working together harmoniously. The soft purr of the visor is one of the many proofs of that as Twilight switched it on. As she dug herself underneath the blanket, Twilight activated the wireless settings on the visor, staring at its antenna as it glowed purple. As Spike crawled into his bed basket, she levitated a green and purple custom-made visor, specifically designed to be a snug fit onto his small head. She propped the Visor over her eyes, watching the numbers starting to fly across her vision like flocks of birds. “I’m really glad you’ve made me an account, Twilight. Saved me quite a bit of time from making it myself,” Spike said before slipping his visors on. “No problem. You can properly thank me later by getting to Level 15 though,” she replied. A great laugh erupted from Spike’s mouth, only to dim a few seconds later. “Wait… by tonight? You can’t be serious, Twi. Twi?” It was already too late for the drake to ask her any more questions as Twilight had succumb the Visor’s pull. The numbers of the visor suddenly swirled into to a blue vortex, inducing Twilight into a deep sleep state, yet she stayed conscious. To her, sleep used to be something to do at night when she needed rest, and Twilight could never tell when she would actually fall asleep. But thanks to the Visor, she now understood a bit of it. Falling into sleep was a weightless feeling, and yet she felt her body darting at high speeds as if she was flying. There was also the feeling that she was being carried by a river that was gentle, yet fast too. It was difficult to describe in perfect words, but in a general gist, the process of entering a virtual game world was very fluid. And it only took a few seconds. Twilight can see a bright light at the end her bright tunnel, and soon digitized into the world, several hundred feet in the air. She looked down and let out a huge yell, but it did very little to stop her fall. Luckily, a friendly face entered her view and Twilight calmed down, but her savior didn’t seem too concerned. In fact… she looked very relaxed. “Yo Twilight, what’s up?” Rainbow asked as she fell free next to Twilight in a reclined posture. She was sporting those anime sunglasses again, and didn’t seem to be paying attention to “Oh hey, Rainbow Dash. I’m just falling to my death here. Nothing too important.” “That’s cool.” “Just save me already.” “Hmm… I don’t know.” Rainbow took one glance at Twilight and hollered in laughter as she saw her bulldogged face. “Okay, okay! I’ll save you, Twi. You know I didn’t mean it!” Rainbow swept Twilight from the air into her hooves and glided her down. “Very funny, Rainbow,” Twilight angrily huffed. “Oh don’t be such a nark,” she snickered. As soon as Rainbow made contact with the ground, Twilight got off and rubbed the length of her foreleg. It was shivering. “Sweet Celestia, I have no idea how you can actually handle flying high in the air, Rainbow. I really hope that doesn’t happen to me again.” “I never did take you for the kind of type to be scared of heights.” Twilight rolled her eyes “I’m not. It was just that I was falling! No offense Rainbow, but I hope I never get wings.” “Can’t you use magic to get them?” “Yeah, but they’re made of gossamer and morning dew, remember? It’ll burn up if I go too high, and they won’t last forever anyway. Besides, I get the feeling that I won’t use them much anyway.” “Oh Ah wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Twilight turned around to see Applejack and the others walked to them. “As long as you’re you, Ah don’t care if ya got wings or not.” Applejack gave Twilight a brief, strong embrace. “Anyway, glad you can make it, Twi!” “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Twilight said with a smile. “By the way, I hope you girls don’t mind me bring Spike along for the ride.” “Of course we won’t!” Rarity said. “My wittle Spikey-Wikey is the most helpful dragon I’ve ever known. He’ll be a great accessory to our team.” “Accessory?” Twilight asked. “You know. Every outfit needs a good accessory to go with. Without accessories, it will feel incomplete.” “Nice analogy there, Rarity,” Applejack said. She then surveyed the area. “Say… where is the little feller anyway?” Twilight opened her mouth to try to answer, but a scream from high above interrupted her flow. Twilight looked up to see a purple dot breaking a hole through the clouds, hurtling towards them. The screaming got louder. “Oh no,” Twilight whispered, recognizing who it was. Twilight quickly willed a list of Skills to emerge out of thin air in front of her and scanned through it. “Hold on Spike! I got you!” By a golden chance, Twilight had Telekinesis among her magical abilities. Wasting no time, Twilight focused on Spike and her horn lit ablaze in purple energy like wildfire. Spike calmed down as he no longer felt like he was falling. He opened his eyes to see he was encased in a familiar glow and looked down to see Twilight sweeping the sweat from her forehead. “Nice job there, Twi.” “Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight gently lowered Spike to the ground, who then started kissing the ground as soon as she released him. “Oh sweet merciful Celestia, I hope that never happens again!” Before he could regain his composure, Rarity ran up to him with a tight squeeze. “Ooh my poor Spikey-Wikey! Are you okay? Oh I hope you didn’t hurt your scales!” Spike’s purple cheeks turned red. “I– I’m fine, Rarity! Don’t worry about me.” While Spike was distracted by Rarity’s coos, Rainbow leaned into Twilight’s ear. “Should we tell him?” Twilight was slightly confused at Rainbow statement until she waved her hoof around towards the city. “No!” Twilight snapped back in a hushed voice. “He just had a terrifying experience! I don’t want to tell him that we’re high above the actual ground!” “What was that?” Twilight swerved her head around at Spike and shook her head with a nervous smile. “N– nothing! Say, what took you so long anyway?” Spike rubbed his head, his eyes still having a dazed shine to them. “I don’t know. I think I was in this white void of some sort, and there was this… Alicorn? I think it was an Alicorn at least.” “That would be the Goddess, Spike,” Applejack said. “Mysterious, but she’s friendly enough to greet all the newcomers from what Ah gathered. Apparently, she runs almost everything in the game Ah think.” “Really?” Twilight asked. “I thought it were the developers and programmers of the game that run this world.” “Yes and no. The Goddess works in conjunction with them Ah believe.” “Huh, that’s pretty interesting.” Twilight rubbed her chin. “I wonder just how much she is capable of processing. It must be quite a lot for her to handle all this data. It’s not like this game is one megabyte.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look I know this Goddess seems important and all, but can’t we get a move on already? The tournament happens in about four hours.” Twilight nodded. “Then let’s get started. But first, let me assess our resources.” Everypony groaned, but didn’t question further as Twilight brought up a checklist. “Okay, Pinkie you have the potions ready?” Pinkie held up what seemed to be ten, jingly sacks in each of her forehooves. “Absolutely, positively ready!” “Okay. Equipment check. Rarity?” “I’ve checked everypony’s equipment except yours and Spike’s. Do you mind?” “Of course not. Here you go,” Twilight said, sending info of her equipment to Rarity by sliding a floating, holographic window of it towards her. “You’ll find everything is in tiptop shape.” “How do I do that?” Spike asked. “Just think about wanting to see your equipment and a window of it should pop up in front of you.” Twilight leaned her neck towards Spike, narrowing her eyes. “Although, it doesn’t seem like you have any armor on at the moment.” “Am I supposed to have something on?” “Well yes I think so. I’ve checked my inventory yesterday night and found I had a Cloth Robe that I never used because Rarity gave me something better.” Spike hummed in thought. “Okay, give me a second. I think I might have something.” The tip of his tongue stuck out as he searched through his inventory, poking at its many tabs until he landed one for Equipments. “Ah! Here we go!” Spike selected something and suddenly a white outline shined on his body, manifesting into a light brown tunic with a leather belt. Rarity had Spike completely underneath her gaze, judging the poor excuse for defense. “Hmm… well it’s not the best, but it’ll have to do for now. I’ll think of something better for you to wear once we get back to Aeroslida.” “Sweet! Thanks, Rarity!” Spike smiled. He then looked at the city all around him. “So this place is called Aeroslida?” “Here it comes,” Rainbow mumbled to Twilight with a snicker. “Why yes it is!” Rarity answered. “It is the most beautiful sky city that I’ve ever set hoof upon, and I’ve seen Cloudsdale. No offense, Rainbow Dash, but I find architecture that has more than the color white and blue to be much more interesting.” Rainbow shrugged. “None taken.” However, Spike was slightly more alarmed. “S– sky city???” Rarity looked back at Spike with slightly raised eyebrows. “Hmm? Yes that’s right. Is there something wrong?” Spike’s eyes darted back and forth, up to the sky, then down to his purple, clawed feet. Although to Twilight, it seemed like he was looking past them. “U– uh nothing, Rarity! Everything is cool!” Rarity tilted her head, regarding Spike with gentler eyes. “Oh Spikey, are you still shaken from that horrendous fall? I assure you that nothing bad like that will ever happen to you.” Spike made several noises, most of them being Aah and Uhh before he heaved a sigh. “Okay… you promise?” “Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” ”For-Eevver!” “Pinkie,” Twilight scolded softly. “Sorry! Couldn’t help it!” she giggled. Twilight chuckled slightly. “Alright then. We should go now right away. We can’t afford to waste time with an upcoming battle on the horizon.” “Right!” they all shouted in unison. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The Sky Tram: an impressive hub for chariots of varying sizes, each with a giant hawk at the reigns, ready to take any player anywhere at a moment’s notice. As Twilight and her friends walked up to it, she couldn’t help see it as a tree with a lot of bird nests upon its stone branches. Usually, this place would have a flood of players, but as Twilight neared the ticket booth, she couldn’t help but notice a huge crowd forming around the station’s plaza and the raised platform in the center. On top was a light blue pegasus with the Night Guards helping her. Twilight could help but see the mare as familiar, but she didn’t make the connection until Rarity pointed it out. “Wait a second... is that Princess Luna?” Rarity asked. Indeed it was Princess Luna, but she didn’t have a dark coat and starry mane! Her appearance was the same as the first day Twilight saw her after Nightmare Moon’s defeat, with her pale-blue, short mane and small stature. She and her Night Guards were standing upon the platform, passing out what appeared to be fliers to the growing crowd. In an attempt to catch their attention, Twilight waved her hoof high in the air and called out, “Princess Luna!” It was successful. Luna looked up from the crowd and searched for who yelled her name. When she spotted Twilight and waved over with a smile. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you, for today is a glorious day!” They trotted up the platform, the crowd parting to make room for them. “Really? Why’s that?” Twilight asked. “Today I’m forming a guild, Twilight! I was worried that nobody would notice me as I don’t have my horn anymore as you can see.” Twilight looked and her pupils widened. Truth was there as Luna’s pillar of magic was really gone as if Discord had plucked the thing. “But it seems the programmers are working something that could change that! Sooner or later, my sister and I can play as alicorns again!” “That’s really great for you,” Twilight said. “Wait… Princess Celestia is playing this too?!” “Hmm? Of course, Twilight. She is a unicorn right now.” Luna flipped her mane. “But just because we are not in our ascended form right now, doesn’t mean we are not strong. We have both trained long and hard on the first day, currently in a friendly race to see who can reach the top. Right now, I am in the lead at Level 41 while she is but only 2 Levels behind me! As of right now, we are the top two players in Equestrian Earth!” The crowd gasped and applauded in awe as Luna’s character profile appeared above her head. It designated her as a Level 41 Magicka Archer, with her Magic Attack, Speed, and Precision stats valued well over the hundreds. As the crowds cheered, Twilight could hear her friends chattering behind her, impressed with Luna’s progress. A light chuckle then pierced through the crowd’s chants, catching the attention of everypony around the platform. “Gee Luna, I know you’re a showoff, but you shouldn’t parade around like that.” A few of the Night Gaurds parted, revealing an orange unicorn with a stack of fliers held in his magical grip. He adjusted the blue glasses upon his muzzle. “After all, you might gain a few certain rivals, and we don’t want that.” “Well that’s what makes video games fun, isn’t it? To have somepony to boil your blood, to give you that rush, the feeling of a brutal race?” Luna smirked. “Colorful words, and yes of course that is what makes playing games fun, but really this is just a tad bit of warning I wanted to give to anypony who wants to challenge your majesty. I know how heated you can get in a competition.” “And as one of its programmers and my scribe, you wouldn’t dare try to usurp me, would you?” She asked sweetly, batting her sleek eyelashes at him. The stallion coughed into his forehoof. “Of course not, your highness.” Luna chuckled, her chest puffing out slightly. “Either way, I’m not about to let my sister pass me, even though she may have gotten a head start!” “She tricked you into thinking that somepony was eating the last of your moonpies. Of course she would get a head start,” he said, passing out more of the fliers. “But she hasn’t bested me yet! She had all that time and I’m still two level above her! No pony denies Luna first dibs and gets away with it!” The crowds cheered at her small victory speech. Luna got caught up in the moment and pushed on, to get the crowd to chant her name louder. While Luna was distracted by the crowd’s adoration, the stallion jumped down and squeezed through them towards Twilight. He grunted as he found it slightly difficult, but managed to push on through. His finish was poorly done, however, as he tripped over as he exited the sea of players. “Sentinel ‘Noteworthy’ Quill. It’s good to see you.” Twilight said with a small grin. “Hello sweetie,” he said, managing a cheeky grin. “Missed me?” Twilight raised her eyebrow. “What?” “Oh sorry,” he chuckled, despite almost breaking the only things that allowed him to see. As he got up, he adjusted his glasses and massaged the back of his neck. “It was this Saturday’s Doctor Whooves episode. River Song was featured in it and I can’t her infamous catchphrase out of my head.” “Oh, I’ve seen that!” Pinkie said with a big smile. “Temporal Smith was really amazing this week!” “I know! Although I feel that Time Turner would have executed it better! He’s the best Doctor!” “Nope, Smith is ten times the actor that Turner is!” Pinkie said, taking a step towards Sentinel with a confident smirk traced across her muzzle. Noteworthy mirrored her actions. “Nope! Turner can do better.” Pinkie shoved the end of her nose against his. “Smith!” “Okay, okay, we all get it. You both love Doctor Whooves!” Twilight said with an indifferent tone, trying to defuse the situation that was turning into a staring contest. “So, what are you doing here?” Noteworthy blinked and broke his eyes away from Pinkie’s line of sight. She still kept her eyes on him. “Oh, I was just helping out Luna with – I guess you can say – a little project.” “What would that be?” “Oh nothing too huge. Just a bet between Celestia and Luna on who could form the biggest guild by the end of this year. This gathered quite a bit of attention over Haydit. And by the end of the year, Canterlot Colts will be holding a special event where we will reenact the final battle between Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia!” “Oh, a battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmar– ” Twilight shook her head. “Wait, Princess Luna is going to become Nightmare Moon?!” “Nightmare Moon?!” Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind Applejack. Applejack gently patted Fluttershy on the head. “Don’t worry, sugar cube. Ain’t no Nightmare Moon gonna hurt ya. Isn’t that right, Sentinel?” “Of course not! It’s just going to be Luna in costume, and will strictly be in the game. I don’t think she is going to be transforming into Nightmare in real life, and Luna would never dare to hurt the innocent. Besides, Nightmare Moon in real life is scary enough.” He then held back his tongue momentarily as he thought about it a little more. “Although… I would like to see her all of her radiance again. Luna looked pretty nice in black.” “Sen, don’t kid that sort of thing around me,” she grumbled, close to a growl. He laughed. “Why not?” He then raised his forehooves high in the air as Twilight’s horn sparkled menacingly with magic. “Okay okay I promise no Nightmare Moon in reality! Or rather, I’ll ask Luna not to go overboard… again.” “Okay then.” Twilight grimaced at the thought of Luna raging. It was never pretty. “Anyway, I should go. The girls and I are going to grind.” “Alright then.” Twilight smiled. “Take care.” “Okay then. You too.” Twilight nodded as she and the others trotted towards the chariots. Suddenly, a loud BEEEEP was heard, and Twilight felt her shoulder being tugged back gently. “Excuse me for a second, Twi, but there seems to be something strange in your Inventory.” Twilight was taken aback. “Strange? I’m pretty sure I just have normal stuff in there.” “Sorry Twilight. Just a precaution.” Sentinel opened up a holographic window and Twilight gasped a little. How did he open her inventory? He didn’t bat an eye however as scanned the selection, inspecting at a fast pace. His eyes then landed upon the Violet Robes of Armament and quickly pulled it out directly from the Inventory’s slots. The square icon glowed momentarily before expanding into the flowing robe it signified. “Twilight, this item… while I was a programmer on the team, I’ve never seen a Leveling Item with such a low level requirement. Usually, Leveling Items start appearing around at Level 30 or so. And should I mention that there have been some shady players going around, selling materials that shouldn’t really exist?” Sentinel regarded Twilight with raised eyebrows. “So, where did you get this robe?” Twilight glanced around the corner of her eye and saw Rarity tapping her hooves the tiled, stone ground in a nervous manner. She could see her eyes darting back and forth and all around as if she was looking for a means of escape. “Um… I purchased it at a random shop!” Sentinel slightly glowered. “Really now? Because this says it was crafted by somepony.” “Oh, really? It does?” Twilight giggled nervously, sweating bullets. Rainbow narrowed her eyes and got up into his face. “Hey look dude, Twilight’s stuff is none of your business! What makes you think you can just search her stuff without permission?” she growled before suddenly finding herself being pulled back by Twilight. “Well I am a programmer of the game, therefore it is my job to find any abnormal anomalies that could potentially ruin the game. Sorry Rainbow, but it’s sort of my job. Although I suppose I should have asked nicely before searching recklessly.” “It’s alright,” Twilight assured. “I understand you’re just doing what you need to do. But is my item really that bad.” “Well I don’t know yet. That’s what I want to find out,” Sentinel said as he patted the robe. A holographic window drew out from the item, listing the item’s name and all of its attributes. Sentinel pointed at a small icon of a threaded needed and spool next to the item’s name. “Yes, and this kind of craftscoltship, or should I say craftmareship, is very well done. Almost as if it was hoof-stitched, instead by machine, by whom I consider to be the finest fashionista in all of Equestria.” He glanced towards Rarity. “Have anything to say, Rarity?” Rarity didn’t meet his gaze and kept her eyes on Twilight’s robe. She took a few steps back. “I, errr, think it’s really lovely. Twilight, you have to show me where you bought it. I could use a dress like that myself.” Sweat started to bead down her forehead, which she quickly took care of with a handkerchief. “Is it me, or is it suddenly getting hot around here? Sentinel, you and the programmers certainly know how to make everything feel so realistic. Truly you are an expert!” Sentinel raised one of his eyebrows as he got on his hind legs, falling backwards onto a chair materializing behind him in what appeared to be blue data numbers. He crossed his hindlegs together as well as his forelegs, waiting for an answer. Rarity continued to look back and forth between him and her friends, looking trapped like a cornered animal. The town’s clock tower seemed to tick on and on. Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and let out an exasperated groan, her lips quivering. “Okay! I admit it! I may have purchased something suspicious off some hoodlum in a dark alleyway, but I did it for the sake of art! It wasn’t like I knew I was doing anything wrong! Couldn’t a friend try to do something nice?!” Sentinel’s lips curved into a faint frown and he sighed as Rarity continued to make a fuss. He looked back at the Armament robes, at Twilight – who was shrugging at him – and then back at Rarity. Then to everypony’s surprise, he folded the robe neatly. He then hung his hoof over it and blue numbers started to shower from his sole, seeping into the fabric. The robe was then secured into Twilight’s bag. “Sorry to cause you trouble, Twilight. It seems like I was mistaken that you were in possession of a hacked item.” “Huh?” Sentinel coughed softly. “And certainly your friend, Rarity, was not soliciting with those punks. And I wouldn’t worry about any other of my coworkers to search that item because it is a legitimate item.” Twilight had a muddled expression for a moment, but then made a small O with her lips. “Riiight, and we were certainly doing nothing wrong. Isn’t that right, guys?” The mares and Spike looked at each other before nodding without question. “Okay then. We’re free to go take our chariot ride now… are we?” Sentinel nodded. “Yes you are. Again, sorry to waste your time.” He winked. Twilight rolled her eyes once more. “It’s alright. No harm done. Twilight wondered how in Equestria could Luna deal with him on a daily basis. He could be an absolute sweetheart sometimes, but his wackiness is somewhat impossible to deal with. Then again, she was friends with Pinkie Pie. She and her friends boarded a chariot big enough to accommodate all of them with enough room to spare. There were even benches molded in there for sitting. The door swung close as Twilight – the last one – stepped into the chariot. Checking a clock counter next to their ride, she could see they wouldn’t leave for another five minutes. As Twilight began to don her violet mage robe, Sentinel came over to the chariot. “By the way, are you guys competing in the Aeroslida tournament? I’ve seen the list of teams competing, and your names were on it.” “Yeah. How did you know?” Rainbow asked. “Luna and I are going to be the play-by-play announcers for the battles. We’d need to know the name of the players so we don’t mess up on pronunciation and all that stuff.” Sentinel pulled away from the chariot as timer dinged. As the eagles began to flap their wings, he quickly said, “Just a heads up! Your opponents have some Rogues, a Spell Warrior, a Paladin, a Bard, and a Rune Specialist. You might wanna pack in some firepower! They’re quite the powerhouse combination!” “Noted!” she yelled back as the chariot flew away from the Sky Tram, watching it get swallowed by the clouds along with Aeroslida. At this point, she began to feel the wind biting at her body, leaving cold marks behind. She attempted to defend against it by hugging herself, but it did very little. Spending so much time in Aeroslida, where it magically felt sunny and warm, she forgot how unforgiving Mother Nature could truly be. Her teeth chattering and the winds tearing at her mane was proof of that. Twilight then felt somepony wrapped their hooves around her, and soon the embrace grew into a group hug. “These winds can be beasts, Twi. They really gotta give these chariots some protection,” Applejack commented. “I should tell Sen that next time,” Twilight agreed, her teeth still chattering. “I mean it’s great that they even got temperature to feel real, but I think it’s a little unnecessary here. They should give these chariots some roofing and walls or something.” “Oh! Maybe replace these chariots with carriages? I’ve always adored carriages,” Rarity said. “I don’t really care as long as we get something. Even these winds feel rough for me, and I don’t do group hugs that much,” Rainbow commented. “That’s a lie. I think you do more group hugs here than everypony else. Even me!” Pinkie giggled, tugging a couple more from everypony else except for Rainbow. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ As always, Sherpwoods was still standing tall and unwavering, just like how Twilight left it. When she got crushed of course. This time, however, she was determined to leave this forest in one piece. Crazy walking trees weren’t going to be in the equation this time, so she was sure of her survival chance being about 87.99 percent positive. This time, the party was taking a different path, one that was much lighter with the glowing flowers and did not give a sickening twist to their hearts. Although that didn’t mean that they weren’t keen on their hooves. The faint crunching sounds of critters prowling around were still present. “So what are we grinding on this time?” Twilight asked as they trucked through the tall grass, keeping an eye out for monsters. “Well this time, we’re just gonna take on some timberwolves,” Applejack said in a low voice, although everyone in the group could hear her as they stayed quiet. “They provide a good amount of experience for our levels, and are ¬¬– in mah opinion – easier to handle than dem big ole tree walkers.” “Still on about that, Applejack?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, I already kinda admitted that was my bad.” “Nah. Not really. Ah was just providing an example to compare the timberwolves to.” “Well they sounds like a great place to start at if any,” Twilight said. “Ssshhhh!” Everybody stopped in their tracks and stared at Pinkie. “I’m getting a twitchy tail, shivering hooves, and blinky eyes!” “W– what does that mean?” Spike asked nervously. “Monsters are nearby!” Twilight nodded. “Then let’s tread with caution.” It didn’t take too long for the crew to find their target. Like last night, they decided to approach the monster area with stealth, hiding in some large undergrowth. Rarity silently pointed at the ones with flowers, and Twilight understood the message. Timberwolves had a very good sense of smell, and the sweet scent should cover their musk. Hopefully. Twilight prayed to Celestia that the sweet scent would disguise them long enough, and for the time being it looked like they were going to get away with it. The cornucopia of their eyes was a small knoll in the middle of wide clearing. In the side of the hill was an opening to a den filled with timberwolves. Some were mildly resting, occasionally scratching their bodies with their hind legs. The pups were predictably energetic and were playfully fighting each other in mock combat while their guardians watched over. Twilight couldn’t help but softly smile. The calm scenery was the opposite of what Twilight expected from timberwolves. She expected for there to be vicious wooden mutts with snarling, mossy fangs to be patrolling the area, looking for unwary prey and travelers to feast upon. She didn’t think that it would be in a timberwolf’s nature to be passive. Twilight thought about suggesting to her friends to move on, but she then reminded herself that this was a game and that the timberwolves ahead of her were monsters with precious experience points to gain from. Setting her mind on the goal, she carefully scoped out the area. It wasn’t dark, but the lighting wasn’t particularly bright either. She couldn’t see into the depths of the den, but judging by the size of the hill, she estimated that it could hold up to at least twenty fully grown timberwolves. It’d be quite a fight if there were actually that many in there. There were quite a lot of pups outside of the den. Twilight could see about twelve of them. There were also four adult timberwolves outside with them as well. If her assumptions were correct and each pup had different parents, then the most probable amount of timberwolves she guessed was thirty six – including the pups. “Looks like we’re in for quite a long battle,” Twilight quietly announced. “Yeah. Ah see it too. Must be thirty or so wolves here,” Applejack said. “How do you know?” Twilight asked. “If you live on the edge of the Everfree, you would know,” Applejack said with a humph. “I’ve learned to track down timberwolves back to their homes after they harassed the cows on mah farm so much. Ya learn to know how many could fit in a cave after seeing so many.” Twilight nodded. “Any ideas on how to combat against them then?” “Well for starters, we shouldn’t let the battle stretch like rubber. Remember how dem timberwolves transformed into that giant one? The battle could get pretty nasty if we let that happen.” “But the timberwolves will just do it anyway. Their wood pieces seem to be sentient, even after death.” “Which is why I propose this.” Applejack turned to Twilight with a smirk deadly enough to stop a cockatrice. “Fire.” “Fire… as in fire spells?” “Naw Ah’m just thinking of getting a lighter, tape it to the end of a stick, and charge ‘em.” Applejack kept a serious composure until she couldn’t handle Twilight’s incredulous gaze. “Hehe, sorry Twi. Yes Ah was talking about spells. Ya got some, do ya?” Twilight looked through her Ability List. “Ummm… yeah I do! Incinerate. It says here that it unleashes fire from whatever magical conductor I use.” “Perfect, although right now, ya don’t have a magic dohicky to shoot spells from.” Twilight gulped, and then immediately coughed as Rainbow smacked her on the back. Luckily, this didn’t seem to draw any unwanted attention from the wolves. “You got this, Twi! We’ll cover you and make sure that no harm comes in your way.” Twilight managed a smile. “I – *cough* – I appreciate that. Although you didn’t have to hit me on the back so hard.” “Sorry. Thought it would help with the pep talk.” Rainbow drew her sword of many colors. “Let’s do this!” “Rainbow wait!” Too late. Rainbow Dash had already thrown herself into the clearing, lunging with her sword held high. Twilight said with a heavy sigh, “Figures. Okay everypony here’s the plan. We pair up. Spike, you stay close to Rarity. I need you to protect her while she helps me thin out the pack. Fluttershy, you are to be with Applejack. Your job is to buff her with spells while she keeps them at bay. Pinkie, support Rainbow Dash in picking off stragglers. Got it?” “Got it!” They shouted in unison. The fight kick started like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill. Rainbow, being the first one in, had the first chance to strike. One of the patrolling timberwolves near her looked up from its path and looked like it was caught with its paw in the cookie jar. It didn’t take long for turn into a pile of wood as Rainbow raised her rainbow sword high and swung down. Its severed head rolled on the grass first before the body dissembled. A number in the hundreds floated high from the in a yellow spikey bubble, indicating that she had dealt a critical strike. It didn’t take long for the other timberwolves to gather their senses and lean their bodies as if they were going to lunge. The pups whimpered and ran into the safety of the den. One of the larger timberwolves, one with bushels of red, fuzzy leaves around its neck, glared at the group before lifting its chin high and bellowed a loud howl. “Careful, Twi! That one is callin’ its friends!” Applejack warned, pounding the ground hard as she charged into the fray. “I see it!” Twilight shouted back as she held herself back. She stood up on her hind legs and focused her magic, imagining a burning ball of purely red fire in the sole of her hoof. Her horn flared up with magic, but with her usual purple hue, there was a reddish tint. In what seemed like ten seconds flat, she felt heat pressing on her hoof. Twilight pulled her hoof as far back as possible, her eyes on the howling monster. “Take this! Incinerate!” She pitched the ball high into the air, watching the fireball curve with a trail of orange particles before it starting going down. The spell cracked straight down onto the Red Brush Timberwolf’s mouth and immediately, the howling stopped. The flames consumed its body before bursting in a large explosion. Waves of orange flames rippled through the air, going through and damaging four timberwolves near it. They ran around in panicked circles before starting to roll on the ground in an attempt to stop the flames. The fire didn’t care and kept burning. One by one, the timberwolves died quickly due to their weaknesses to the fiery element, their bodies crumbling into dark ashes. Twilight could see her Experience Bar stacking up well. “Nice job, Twi! Keep ‘em comin’!” “You got it, AJ!” While Twilight kept on throwing tossing out fireballs, she looked at her other teammates to see how they were doing. Within a few leaps to her left, Spike and Rarity were taking care of softening another part of the pack. Rarity kept harassing the wolves with her gem spells, whittling their health down little by little as Spike kept them away with the swings of his sword. One dared to get a little close, prompting Spike to growl and warned it away with the pokes of his short bronze sword. He looked towards Rarity momentarily to say something, only to find himself almost disarmed. The timberwolf took advantage of his distraction and clamped its jaws on his blade, viciously pulling on it. The weapon didn’t stay trapped for much longer as a crystal the size of Spike erupted from the ground underneath the monster monster and punched it hard in the belly, sending it flying. A short distance in front of Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy were keeping the timberwolves away. Applejack was happily batting away the timberwolves one by one as the shy pegasus kept on bolstering her with support spells in the form of songs. Once in a while, Twilight would see blurs of blue soaring high in the air before crashing back down towards the wolves. Every time Rainbow dived, a storm of twigs would fly in the air, only to rain back down in devastated pieces Like Rainbow, Pinkie was a blur as well, causing the wolves to be weaker as she spammed her skills on the battlefield like an avalanche. Every once in a while, Pinkie would toss out potions for the team to use, healing their health and mana. ’Seems like we’re making some great progress,’ Twilight thought as she kept barraging the mobs with fireballs. It did seem like they were going to be able to clear the den without trouble, but quickly her assumptions were swept away as the air began to vibrate with howls from a distance. “Looks like we got another wave of wolves incoming!” Rarity commented. “Bring them on, then!” Rainbow shouted as she sliced at another timberwolf. It had rolled away in a dodge and tried to bite back for a counter attack, but the sky athlete was too fast for it as she slashed it away. “Down!” Inside her mind, Twilight grimaced. They were going to be here for a while. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ 1AmTh3Party(PP) has Leveled Up to Lv 16! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Junior Ninja 80 Attribute Points are gained; 8 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ DEX Increased: 53 ⇒ 85 ~ MOB Increased: 77 ⇒ 125 Skill Point Allocation: [Needle Pricks] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Multiple – Up to 5 targets. Throw out an array of thin needles at the chosen target(s). Needles are dipped in poison that reduces the afflicted stats by 5%. Physical Damage – Level 5: 15/40/55/70/95 (+ 60% DEX) [Candy Shroud] Lv 0 ⇒ 3 Active ~ AOE. Throw down a bomb that creates a cloud of pink smoke in a 10 feet radius area for 8 seconds. While within the cloud, the player is stealthed and gains bonus armor and magic resistance. Attacking or using any abilities reveals her for 0.55 seconds. Enemies inside the smoke are slowed. (Sleep potions can be used to enhance the ability. Cleansing Items used to counter Sleep Status are recommended for the player.) Armor and Magic Resist – Level 3: 10/20/30/40/50 Slow – Level 3: 14/18/22/26/30% That really smells good. Can I rest here? RainStreak (RD) has Leveled Up to Lv 18! (From Lv 9) Tier 4 Class: Swordsmare 90 Attribute Points are gained; 9 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 70 ⇒ 115 ~ DEX Increased: 36 ⇒ 54 ~ MOB Increased: 49 ⇒ 76 Skill Point Allocation: [Dash It!] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Multiple – Locks onto 3 total targets. Become untargetable momentarily and weave your way through your enemies at lightning speed, cutting at their limbs/appendages to reduce their movement speed. Can proc other abilities on the enemy targets (such as a Burn Enhancement). Physical Damage – Level 5: 35/55/75/100/135 (+ 100% STR) [Eagle Eyes] Lv 0 ⇒ 4 Maxed! Buff ~ Targets self. Focuses your mind and you’re able to see weak points on the enemies. Striking those spots would deal extra damage. Lasts for 10 seconds. Extra Damage – Level 4: 15/30/60/100/150 (+ 150% DEX) LassoLass (AJ) has Leveled Up to Lv 16! (From Lv 9) Tier 4 Class: Paladin Cadet 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 44 ⇒ 65 ~ END Increased: 62 ⇒ 90 ~ SPR Increased: 44 ⇒ 65 Skill Point Allocation: [Celestia’s Blessing] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active/Buff ~ AOE. Your weapon acquires a large glow around them in the shape of a large hammer, giving it a powerful attack damage bonus and longer range. It lasts for 10 seconds, or you can choose to cancel it early by pounding the ground to deliver the Sun Slam, causing powerful shockwave of light to erupt from impact in a 20 feet radius area. The Sun Slam deals magic damage. Physical Damage Bonus – Level 5: 30/50/70/100/150 (+ 50% STR) Shockwave Slam – Level 5: 100/110/120/135/160 (+ 110% SPR) Feel the fury of Celestia’s tantrum. [Shrug Off] Lv 0 ⇒ 2 Passive ~ You passively gain bonus armor and magic resist. At Lv 5, you gain a 250 HP shield when you enter combat and it resets after not taking damage for 16 seconds. After exiting combat, the shield disappears in 3 seconds. Bonus Armor and Magic Resist – Level 2: 25/50/65/75/95 Glimmering Riches (Ry) has Leveled Up to Lv 15! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Apprentice Mage – Earth Aspect 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 72 ⇒ 114 ~ SPR Increased: 58 ⇒ 86 Skill Point Allocation: [Explosive Gems] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Magically pull out an army of sharp and volatile gems from the ground and launch in any direction you choose to fire at. Max amount of gems that can be pulled out upon each activation is 5. Magical Damage (from each gem) – Level 5: 15/20/25/30/40 (+ 25% INT) [Healing Pillar] Lv 0 ⇒ 2 Maxed! Active ~ Summon a crystal pillar that radiates properties of healing to you and your teammates. The bonus health regen buff heals at a percentage per second. The pillar requires a 30 second summoning time before activation. The summoning can be delayed by enemy attacks by 5 seconds. The properties of the pillar can extend around in a 10 meter radius. Healing Percentage – Level 2: 1/2% per second Bunny (FS) has Leveled Up to Lv 12! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Songtress 40 Attribute Points are gained; 4 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 46 ⇒ 58 ~ SPR Increased: 84 ⇒ 112 Skill Point Allocation: [Stampede of the Amphibians] Lv 0 ⇒ 4 Active ~ Beckon an pack of dog-sized salamanders to command. They are at your disposal. Upon Lv 5, you gain an extra alley in the form of a Flame Salamander, a monster with a ranged fire attack that deals 60 magic damage. Attack Damage of Minions – Level 4: 25/30/35/40/50 (+ 10% INT) Game over, mare! Game over! Scaling Hotness (Spk) has Leveled Up to Lv 13! (From Lv 1) Tier 4 Class: Young Adventurer [Default] 120 Attribute Points are gained; 12 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 30 ⇒ 90 ~ END Increased: 30 ⇒ 90 Skill Point Allocation: [Dragon’s Breath] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! This skill is reserved to those who picked the Dragon race. Active ~ AOE. Lick the area in front of you with a bout of green, draconic fire. Reaches up to 5 feet, and can prolong the attack for 5 seconds. Leaves targets with a Burn Effect that lasts 20 seconds and deals 5 magic damage per second. Burn Effect can be doused by water or wind. A special ability of this skill is that it’s able to put out fires that are colored red. Magical Damage per second – Level 5: 10/15/20/25/30 Whoa! Stronger than ghost peppers! Scaling Hotness has 7 Skill Points left over<< MagiAdept (TS) has Leveled Up to Lv 17! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Apprentice Mage 90 Attribute Points are gained; 9 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Manual Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 65 ⇒ 110 ~ END Increased: 65 ⇒ 110 Skill Point Allocation: [Magical Intervention] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active Buff ~ Boost your allies with a buff that increases their attack and magic damage by 5%. Time Duration – Level 5: 30/50/70/90/120 seconds Can it compete with Divine Intervention? [Incinerate] Lv 1 ⇒ 5 Active ~ Manifest and bring forth a great ball of fire to throw at your foes. Explodes upon contact and leaves a Burn Effect on any enemy target that comes within contact of its flames. Magic Damage – Level 4: 40/65/90/115/145 (+ 100% INT) Not as good as a Pyroblast, but it’ll do. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Wow Twilight,” Applejack said, scratching the back of her colorful mane. “Think ya went a little too far?” Twilight bit her bottom lip as she surveyed the clearing around her. She tried not to breathe too much of the noxious air that flowed from the grass. “Well it’s not like didn’t mean to. I mean, the fire spell was the only thing that was keeping them from reforming into a Timberwolf King.” “It’s perfectly alright, dear,” Rarity assured. “This is the kind of firepower – no pun intended – that we all need to win. We’ll blow the competition straight out of the water!” “Yeah! You’d have to admit that you pretty much wiped the floor with them,” Rainbow laughed. Twilight looked down slightly, feeling slightly pink. She jotted down a mental note to not go overboard with fire spells in a forest, where everything can burn easily. She hadn’t realized until it was too late, but Incinerate kept true to its nature and spread far and wide. It was only due to Spike and his innate magical fire that was able to combat and douse the flames before it could spread any further. Although by the end of it all, it was already too late and the grassy area resembled the remnants of a bad barbeque that had turned for the worse. “Well we shouldn’t stay here any longer. That tournament is ‘bout to start in a few, and Ah don’t wanna miss it,” Applejack spoke. Twilight nodded as she turned away from the blackened hill. “Then let’s not waste time any further.” As they began to make their journey back to the Aeroslida, Twilight couldn’t help but allow herself a wide grin. The grinding session went off without a hitch! Twilight had anticipated for it to take longer, but they managed to finish much faster thanks to everypony’s coordination. To her, nothing felt more amazing than dancing on the clock with ease. Being on time is just one of life’s many treats. She felt like nothing could rain on this train. “Whoa Twilight!” She felt her eyes popped out as Applejack pulled her back by the cape. She gagged a little and coughed for air. Applejack immediately let go. “Oops! Sorry ‘bout that.” “What was that for?”Twilight inquired as she rubbed the apple of her throat. “Look in front of ya.” Twilight turned around and stepped back slightly. A large chasm was split across wide just baby steps away. On the other side, Twilight could see the trees thinning out, revealing the brighter light of the outside. As she peered over the edge, she could see the split cleaved deep into the ground. The black reminded her of nothingness. She gulped deeply. “W– wow. That’s a pretty b– big drop,” Fluttershy stuttered, staying behind Applejack. “Yeah no kidding. How are we supposed to get across?” Spike asked. “Guys look!” Rainbow pointed towards the right. There was long bridge of wood, spanning across the gap like stretched, chewed gum. However, what was more interesting was the guy guarding it. “Is that a… troll?” Rainbow couldn’t be more right. Five feet tall, green leather skin, covered in warts, hefty mouth tusks like a warthog and reek of swamp littered with rotten bananas, this guy could make a skunk gag. That alone didn’t make him interesting though. Twilight expected this from trolls outside of the game. What made him interesting, however, were the orange vest and jean shorts that gripped around his body. It had torn holes in it, yet was still hanging on like a stubborn wrestler. All in all, the guy looked slightly scary, and at the same time, absurd. “Let’s go say hi to him!” Pinkie chimed as she started bouncing towards the troll. “Wait, Pinkie! We have to think this through!” Twilight insisted. It was already too late though as she was already there. Rainbow shrugged. “Should we just go with the flow?” “I see no other choice, Twilight,” Spike added. Fluttershy’s legs were trembling. “D– do we have to? H– he looks r– really unfriendly.” Twilight hung her head and slowly shook her head. “I kinda hope I could tell you otherwise, Fluttershy. Let’s go meet ourselves a troll.” As they walked up to the troll, preparing for what could come, the troll stomped on the ground. “Hold it right there,” the troll sternly spoke, his voice gruff and rough like two trees scraping against each other. “O– oh my,” Fluttershy whimpered. She looked at a nearby bush, contemplating whether she should hide in it or not. “Hold it, buddy.” Rainbow Dash said with a heated tone. She flew up in front of his face. “What do you mean we should stop? We’re kind of in a rush here.” “You’ve heard me clearly! Nobody crosses my bridge unless they pass the test!” Rainbow pounded the soles of her forehooves together, squinting her eyes. “I have a test too. It’s called Don’t Test the Dash.” Rainbow was defused quickly as she was pulled down to the ground by Twilight’s magic. “Whoa there, Rainbow. I wouldn’t want to mess with this guy. We’ve just gotten out of a grinding session remember? We’re not in any condition to fight.” Rainbow Dash flew back up, although respecting Twilight’s request and kept her distance from the troll. “Come on! He’s blocking us from the tournament, the one we trained all night for! As if I’m gonna let that slide!” “Calm down, he said we just have to pass a test,” Twilight spoke, lightly leering at the troll. “Isn’t that right?” “Why yes it is very simple. You pass the test, or I eat you.” The words hung in the air before showing the party with the chills, except for Pinkie Pie who had a silly smile. “Eat us! Why conssarnit, Twilight! You sure you want to do this?” Applejack asked, adjusting her hat. “I’m sure I can pass it,” Twilight said with confidence. Although she didn’t really believe in that. She hoped with that she would be able to pass the test. The troll belched. “Are you ready?” “Y– yes I am.” “Okay then, here’s the question.” A silent, tense moment passed, with the forest air breathing wind before the troll asked, “What is my name?” “Well buck! We’re screwed,” Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hooves up in the air before letting them fall down to her hips. “I’m going to just kick this guy in the face.” Before she could start any sort of fight though, Twilight held her down again with telekinesis. Although like Rainbow Dash, she looked pretty upset. Twilight glared at the troll. “Okay. That's completely unfair.” “Everything is fair in this part of the woods! The Forest Mother has assigned me the task of guarding this bridge every Friday, and I do it with pride. Now, answer the question!” “I don’t know who this Forest Mother is, but she is going to have to deal with us when I’m through with you!” He chuckled menacingly, “I doubt it.” Twilight snorted angrily through her nostrils, feeling her face flushed as Rainbow Dash. Twilight considered the temptation of pounding his face with a Magic Missile until Rarity tapped her on the shoulders. “What is it?!” “Twilight, before you get us all killed would you please take a look at his name tag.” “His name... tag?” She looked at the troll’s vest for a name tag. Right there, in plain sight, was a name so very simple, his grandmother could have named him. Marty. “Um, is your name Marty?” Twilight asked. “Are you sure that’s your answer?” the troll replied, not betraying any emotions. “Umm,” this time Pinkie tapped her shoulder. “We’re not sure if this guy’s name is Marty. He could have killed the last guy, and took his vest!” “That’s true,” Applejack agreed. “Oh come on, you seriously believe a player about his size of him came up to him, with a vest that says Marty on it?” Twilight asked petulantly. “Twilight, look!” Spike pointed off to the troll's right side, where a sign read Marty guards this bridge. “I really think your name is Marty.” Twilight insisted. The troll supposedly called as Marty crossed his arms, “Oh really now? Perhaps I’m just another troll filling in for a guy on his lunch break, and maybe he lent me his vest. Are you sure that is your answer?” “That could also be true,” Pinkie added. “Pinkie!” “Sorry Twilight.” It was Applejack's turn to poke Twilight. “Err, Twilight? There’s an employee of the month plaque. Like right there.” Applejack pointed at a wooden plaque that had a picture of the troll's and his name underneath it. Twilight looked at the picture, then back at the troll in front of them. They matched. Twilight glared once more. “Okay, your name is definitely Marty. You had your fun. Now let us through!” The troll bared his teeth in a smile, “Oh ho ho, really now? Most of us really do look alike, you know. I really hope that’s your answer.” “Oh my Celestia, you are impossible!” Twilight screamed in frustration. “Hey! Hey! Yo, Marty!” The mares and Spike turned their heads around to see another troll, except this one was in a denim jacket, and his skin color was orange. “Yo Marty! Joe’s party is coming up tonight! You’re bringing the mead, right?” “Yeah, I’m bringing the mead, John! I’ll see you at the party!” Marty shouted after him. “Cool! Later bro!” Jonn said before stumbling off into the woods. The entire group looked back at "Marty," their glares sharp enough to pop balloons and maybe give a troll or two a couple bloody wounds. “That friend of yours called you Marty,” Rarity said through her clenched. “I’ve never seen that guy before in my life.” “He said that you were bringin’ the mead,” Applejack added. “I’m bringing no mead to no place. You can’t prove that.” “That guy literally just said you were bringing the mead,” Dash shot back. “And he called you Marty,” Pinkie added with a happy smile, oblivious to the heated atmosphere growing around her friends. Anger that was directed at the hulking, troublesome troll. “Okay! That’s it, your name is Marty! Can we please just go through?!” Twilight bellowed at the top of her lungs. “Oh are you sure now? I hope that’s your final answer because I’m really hungry,” he grinned, his sharp rows of teeth glimmering a little in his drool. “Yes, your name is Marty.” Marty leaned his body towards the mares, looking quite intimidating. “Well then, you know what I think? You know what I think?!” He then stepped off to the side with a wide smile. A sudden change of pace. “You are correct. My name is Marty. You must be the most intelligent pony I’ve met, or heck, of the entire world! People everywhere will sing of your genius mind! The clouds will boom at your steps! The gods shall– ” “Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever. Come on girls. We’re going,” Twilight groaned. They walked across the bridge, not once looking back. Marty the troll kept listing off the various compliments, oblivious to the absence of the players. Rainbow had something to say that everypony in the party whole-hardheartedly agreed with. “That guy is a fucking idiot. What kind of moron had the genius idea of putting him there?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Achoo!!" “Bless you. Are you coming down with a cold, Sen?” Luna asked, covering her mic. Sentinel rubbed his nose. “I dunno, but I felt like somepony had talked about me a while ago.” “What makes you say that?” “Beats me,” he spoke before turning on his microphone. “And now, ladies and gentlecolts, the moment you've all been waiting for! It’s time to see some action!” The gathered crowds cheered as they screamed for battles and blood to be shed. Somewhere, in a waiting room of the arena, Twilight’s team was checking on their equipment. Fluttershy practiced her songs while Applejack secured her armor. Rarity and Spike were just talking to each other while Rainbow and Pinkie were off testing their weapons in the dummy doll room. Meanwhile, their smart and courageous leader was twisting her mane in a bunch, running various back up plans for back up plans for battle plans of defense strategies in her mind. She bit her lower lips, and her hooves were shaking. Noticing this, Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Come now, dear. You’re getting the battle jitters.” “What if we lose? This is our first official battle in the game,” Twilight gulped. “Relax dear, you’re the leader of Team Awesome. You’ve lead us through many firefights of Haylo and Call of Cutie, guided us in the land of Minecraft, and directed an entire army through the battlefields of Planetside. This game shouldn't feel as different as those, and you’re more than capable than you think.” “Yeah! Don’t think about the prospect of failure, Twilight. We’ll definitely win this,” Spike with a poised thumbs up. Twilight sighed, breathing more calmly. “Thank you, Rarity, Spike.” A light caught her eyes as a pair of large gate doors leading to an arena opened up. Twilight could feel her heart pounding again as she slid off the bench, onto her hooves. The others have rejoined with Twilight, Rarity, and Spike, standing by their side. Rainbow adjusted her sunglasses. “Here we go.” Luna’s voice echoed. “And now, for our first pair of contestants! Team Awesome versus Team Packers!” **Chapter 05: And a New Day Dawns**Chapter 05: And a New Day Dawns A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 5 ~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Author Notes: Let's see if we can find any references in here. “I hope you all are as excited as I am, because the Skydome is going to RUMBLLLE!” Twilight winced as the piercing sound of cheering spiked through her eardrums. The audience clapped and stomped for exciting battles, and she’s going to have to cater. As she stepped into the arena, she looked around the circular coliseum and noted how many were seated in the stands. But there were none. Instead, the patrons were watching from high above, floating on seats and platforms made of blue-grey clouds. It was much like Cloudsdale’s coliseum. From their mouths, Twilight could distinct two names. Team Awesome, and Team Packers. She could see giant foam fingers raised up high as well as a couple poster boards with their names. Twilight looked away, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of the viewers. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Rainbow Dash rallying up more cheers. How in Celestia could Rainbow Dash handle so much attention? The arena was the opposite of the unique stands, being completely flat and stone. Standing here made her feel vunerable. So far during the grinding sessions, she had the trees for cover. Here, she and her friends are running targets. High above the crowd was a floating box for announcers. It was adorned with two pairs of golden bells and its walls were colored with the theme of the night sky and a crescent, white moon. In it, Sentinel and the princess of the night herself were standing behind the mics. The ceiling did not exist at all as the roof opened up to the ozone above. Across the arena were their opponents. Twilight hadn't met them before but they fit Applejack’s description of them. “Okay ladies and gentlecolts!” Luna shouted. “Today we have a little treat for you, for the Elements of Harmony are competing today!” The cheers intensified in her ears. They were really getting riled up. They must have been a big deal. “Yes that’s right! They walk among us in the world of Equestrian Earth, gracing us with their presence,” Luna said. “Their magic of friendship triumphs all that stands for evil! They are truly heroes! Give it up for Team Awesome!” Twilight made a note to buy some ear plugs after the match. The crowd can be really bucking loud if they wanted to. Her team didn’t seem to mind however as they waved towards the crowd. Fluttershy, however, was shying back from the noise. “And in this corner,” Sentinel began. “Are a couple of new players to the Skydome! They, however, had made quite a rustle in the Cloud Library yesterday as they fended off the wind elementals and protected the sacred scrolls, books, and players that could have been torn apart by their whirling magic. Again sorry for the monsters, they were a glitch. But they'd pushed on through, sent the wind demons from whence they came, and now are here to try their luck in the Skydome! Give it up for Team Packers!” The crowd didn’t cheer as much as they did for Twilight’s team but it was still loud enough to let the other team know they’re recognized for their heroic deeds. Team Awesome and Team Packers walked towards each other to the middle of the arena to get the match ready. “Players, shake hooves” Luna said. “Oh come on, is that really necessary?” Sentinel asked. "I want to see the action right now!" Luna raised her eyebrow with an incredulous gaze. “What? Is courtesy not important to you?” Sentinel slowly broke eye contact with her. "Umm, uh, go ahead whenever you guys are ready!" Twilight quickly checked through their team. Just as Applejack described, she could see Paperback, Night Stalker, Livo, and Nitro Rush in their ranks. There were, however, a couple new players that Applejack hadn’t mentioned. A pegasus colt stood beside Paperback with a purple bandana wrapped around his wild blue and red mane. It sort of made him look like a mare if she thought about it. His coat was cyan, like Dash’s, but it was a darker variety like sea green. He wore a white Greek-styled robe that reminded Twilight of the great artisans and scholars of old. The other member was a unicorn mare with a blue purplish coat that goes well with her blond and cyan mane. Her mane was styled similar to a combination of Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s, and she wore a black cloak with her hoodie held back to show off her mane. “Howdy!” Applejack greeted. “I believe we’ve met before.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you again Applejack,” Paperback smiled. “I’m glad you’ve accepted our challenge. To be honest, I never really thought you would agree to face us.” “We take challenges very seriously,” she casually said. “It’s our motto to do the best we can be. Glad to be up against you.” “Same here.” “Wait,” Rainbow Dash said. She got up against Paperback’s face and sized him up. He gave her a nervous smile. “Why are you up against us anyway, and how did you know us? Ponies don’t just causally walk up in a bar and issue a fight. Are you a spy?” “What? No no, nothing like that,” he quickly said. “This match actually wasn’t really my idea.” Rainbow Dash glared at him. “Okay maybe it sort of is. But really, to be honest, one of our friends was a really big fan of yours and the only way I could think of properly meeting with you would be to go up against you. Everypony knows that the Team Awesome clan loves to overcome challenges.” Twilight looked around for the fan to see a giddy pegasus behind Paperback. He was practically bouncing up and down for joy with a big and goofy smile on his face. ‘That’s probably him’, she thought. “Are you Nitro?” Twilight asked. “Applejack had mentioned you before.” “Yes! Yes I am!” he smiled. “I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you!” “It’s nice to meet you too,” she smiled back. Nitro was shaking in joy and was bouncing up and down again. “So,” Twilight said. “I don’t believe AJ has mentioned you two before. What’s your name?” she said to the cyan colt. “My name is Sound Wave,” he gave a short, courteous bow. “Nice to meet you Twilight.” “And my name is Chalice Longshot,” said the blue purplish mare. “I’ve been looking forward to our match today. It’s such an honor to go up against you.” “I wouldn’t know about that,” Twilight chuckled. “There are far better players than us.” “Well, I don’t know about me, but it’s obvious that I’m the best there is!” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings. “Really now?” Applejack grinned. “Ah wouldn’t say that about last week when ah bucked you into last week.” “That was luck!” Rainbow fired back. “Your shotgun just happened to hit the barrel behind me. That wasn’t skill.” “Well hay now the scores don’t lie.” “Wanna bet?” “Oh you wanna bet your rainbow colored tail ah do!” “Girls!” Twilight shouted. The two looked at her with surprise written all over their faces. She looked at them sternly as a mom would over a foal that just broke a very important object. “We’re in the middle of something here?” she said. “Err, sorry Twi,” Applejack apologized. “Uh yea, what she said.” Rainbow Dash avoided Twilight’s eyes. Twilight sighed in exhaustion. She turned back to Paperback’s team who were obviously giggling at the two mares’ antics. Paperback just gave her a knowingly smile. She returned back a sheepish one. Paperback offered Twilight his hoof and she took it with a vigorous shake. “Good luck,” he grinned. “And may the best team win,” she smirked. Team Awesome went back to their end of the stone field as the crowds cheered on. As her friends checked their equipment, Twilight’s mind was processing the other team’s status and players. Sentinel mentioned yesterday that they had two rouges, and from what Applejack said before Night Stalker must be an archer and Livo was the thief class. They seem to be close to each other from the way their body language was. Kind of like brothers and sisters were. As for Chalice she seemed to be– “Okay teams! Get ready to fight!” Luna shouted. “Five! Four! Three!” ‘Oh horse apples,’ she thought. Not enough time for her to assess the situation. She would just have to figure out what made the other team tick on the fly. “Two! One,” Sentinel yelled. “Battle On!” Night Stalker drew his bow and notched a couple of arrows in a blink of an eye. He released the two missiles and sent them flying towards Twilight. She didn’t have time to react and thought she was already out of the game. Her worries were set aside as Spike set the projectiles ablaze with dragon fire. Livo took advantage of the distraction, already closing in the large gap between her and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash didn’t give her the chance as she swiped at her with ‘Dash It’. Livo parried the strike and returned with a counter, but failed as Rainbow did a front flip over her. She quickly turned around for another strike, but Livo blocked it with his black-night dagger. Rainbow Dash continued slashing at Livo as she parried each one. She didn’t give the black pegasus any room to strike back. Chalice meanwhile was concentrating on forming some sort of magic symbol on Paperback’s war hammer. Twilight assumed her to be the Rune Specialist and she was giving his weapon a power boost. She focused her mind to charge up huge amounts of energy. Particles of magic substances swirled around her horn and formed a white sparkling ball. The Magic Missile. Twilight fired at Chalice to stop her progress, but a line of musical notes blocked its path. Twilight saw Sound Wave giving her a grin as he continued to weave the veil of music from his harp. The Missile persisted however and continued to plow through the wave of notes, pressuring Sound to keep up the music. His brow began to sweat and the barrier began to falter. After a few passing moments, the Missile broke through and made a beeline for Paperback. He grinned however as he took a swing at the glowing energy, his new rune boost now glowing with magic. The two forces caused a huge explosion and both teams covered their eyes to protect from the dust. When the cloud dissipated, the ponies could make out two figures in the dust. One of them was holding a now-very-larger-than-god hammer. “Oh what the buck?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Oooh, looks like that rune was a byproduct from the Experimental Arcane Labs!” Sentinel said over the mic. The crowds cheered louder at the persistence both teams had shown. Chalice looked pretty proud of herself. “Not bad for a first test huh?” Chalice smirked. “I’d hope so. You said this could possibly blow me up right?” Paperback asked. “Possibly.” “Guess I’ll have to take that chance.” Paperback ran forward and brought the hammer down in the area in front of Twilight. A spike of rocks however burst out of the ground and blocked his attack. The hammer smashed about a third of the way through before the stalagmite halted its progress. Twilight looked behind her to see Rarity levitating an array of gems behind her. “Stand back dear. I've got this one.” Rarity fired a couple of Explosive Gems at the feet of Paperback. He leapt back leaving his hammer behind. The explosion launched the hammer into the air, and Twilight looked up to see a white blur being launch by another outcropping of rocks. Rarity met with the hammer and pulled her hind legs in. “Take –” Rarity slammed down her hindhooves on the hammer, sending it flying towards its owner “– this!” Paperback’s pupils grew wide open and he brought his forehooves up, bracing for impact. The hammer bashed down on his owner, continuing to push him down the arena like a train, but he pushed back as well. The results left him sliding across the floor, struggling to stand upright. Twilight winced as she witnessed it. His hooves must practically be burning right now. Rarity landed on the ground with grace and fired her last remaining gems at him. The hammer slowed to halt just in time for him to quickly grab the handle and swung at the gems, batting them away towards the walls. “Oooh, nice moves. He has some great reflexes there,” Sentinel said. “I’m seriously surprised he was actually able to carry that thing.” “I think Rarity should have aimed at the ground beside him and split her gems. He would have no chance of deflecting two separate attacks,” Luna commented. “Luna, remember what Marshal said?” Sentinel asked. She groaned. “No helpful comments.” “Yep. Moving on. Oooh looks like Fluttershy is bringing out the big guns!” Twilight looked to her right to see the shy pegasus talking to a group of salamanders the size of large dogs. She didn’t notice Fluttershy was singing from the start of the match, calling on her animal friends to help. She seemed to be giving them a pep talk. “Now remember, we are fighting the other team, but don’t hurt them. Just annoy them for a bit okay?” Fluttershy gently asked. The lizards cocked their heads a little and blinked with blank expressions. Twilight facehoofed for what seemed to be the tenth time in this game. She heard music again and looked at Fluttershy, but she wasn’t singing. She looked around to see Sound Wave strumming his harp again. The lizards moved with the sound of the music, and their eyelids drooped a little as the music played. They were lulled to sleep and they dropped to the ground with closed eyes. Fluttershy gasped at this and she looked at him with perplexed eyes. He gave her a winning smile. “Sorry! Thought they could use a nap!” he shouted over. Fluttershy’s eyes pleaded for help as she looked at Twilight. Her only attack skill was nullified so she was in trouble. Twilight looked at Applejack to see the farmer surveying the battlefield. It seemed like a couple of Packer’s team were also choosing somepony to fight. “You know, this should be a fast paced match but it looks like only a couple of ponies are only in the fray,” Luna said. “Well given it’s their first PvP, I’d say a full battle should start now,” Sentinel replied. Twilight nodded towards Applejack and gestured her towards Sound Wave. She got her message and hefted her own war hammer towards him. He gulped and looked at Night Stalker for help. He nodded and notched an arrow towards Applejack. She brought the hammer up to block for the arrow, but musical notes started to pelt her side. Twilight looked at Sound Wave to see him firing the pesky notes. Her brows furrowed a little as she launches a barrage of small Magic Missiles to block the musical notes. Night Stalker fired a couple of arrows at Twilight to stop her attacks, but Spike burned them to ashes. He looked quite annoyed right now. “Okay, is that how you want to play? Let’s play!” He brought his hooves to his mouth and whistled into the air. A few moments later, a red blur came down from the sky and pummeled the little dragon to the ground. Spike kicked the new arrival off and looked at his new opponent. It was a large hawk the size of Spike and had feathers the shade of flames. Spike chuckled nervously and tried to give it a friendly handshake. It didn’t look so impressed. It peaked forward to give Spike a deadly strike but he rolled to the side to avoid the sharp beak. The bird left a crack on the concrete. Spike gulped a little as the bird gave him a mischievous smile. The dragon ran like hell with the bird in pursuit of his tail. “How do you like my bird? Her name’s Crimson Flair. Be nice to her!” Night shouted over to Spike. He heard the air whistle to his right and he leapt backwards to avoid a huge hammer. He looked over to see Applejack smiling at him. “I don’t think he took kindly to that,” she grinned. “What can I say? He was begging for playtime.” He dodged her incoming strike as she pounded the spot where he was at. He notched a couple more arrows and set them flying towards her. AJ recovered quickly from her attack and swung her weapon to the side, dispatching the two arrows with no sweat. As he prepped another arrow onto his bow, she ran forward and hurtled over the gap between her and Night. She raised the hammer over her head and it glowed with a brilliance of light like the sun. As Night stared at awe in the hammer, Applejack swung the hammer overhead towards the bowcolt. Sentinel sharply breathed through his teeth. “Oh this will hurt hard.” He snapped back into focus and rolled backwards to avoid the direct hit. The impact of the Celestia’s Hammer, however, was more than enough to send the archer flying to the wall. He landed with a pained grunt before digitizing into respawn mode. The electronic board that showed all the participants of the match had Night Stalker’s picture crossed out with a red X, declaring him defeated. Meanwhile, Twilight was holding her own against the barrage of Sound Wave’s musical notes. She was almost there as the length of her attack was pushing back against his. Just as soon as victory seemed to be hers, she spotted a blur of a blade coming at her. She yelped as she ducked and jumped back as another swipe was swung. She saw Nitro with the outrageously large scythe in his mouth. “Sorry if I happen to hit you,” Nitro said, although his message muffled through scythe’s handle. Twilight understood what he said though, and smiled. “It’s okay. Doesn’t matter if you can’t hit me. You probably won’t anyway.” He returned a grin of his own before getting all serious again. He twirled around to swing the scythe again. Chalice entered the fray with rune imbedded rocks, and tossed them towards Twilight. She dodged every single one of them and noticed that each of them was exploding into random effects. One of them exploded into pebbles, and another had vines bursting out of them. The fury of Nitro’s blade and the storm of the rune rocks were easy to avoid, but it left Twilight with no room to counter. It was a good thing that Twilight practiced dodging attacks during her grinding session with the Timber Wolves, but it wouldn’t do her any good if she can’t fight back. As she evaded another swipe from Nitro, she couldn’t help but wonder where Pinkie Pie was. ‘Where the Tartarus is she?’ she thought. As these thoughts entered her mind, Chalice stopped throwing her runes as she felt a prick on her flank. She yelled out an “OW!” before looking at her bum to see a needle sticking out of her cloak. “What the?” Chalice said, her tone starting to get slightly tipsy. “I feel wooozZzZzZ.” Chalice was dead asleep as she fell flat on her face. Nitro gave her look mixed with confusion and concern before flinching at a sudden pain on his back. He fell to the ground with a candy kunai impaled on his back as well as Pinkie Pie in her ninja outfit behind him. He digitized in similar fashion as the board marked him K.I.A. “Where were you Pinkie Pie?” Twilight demanded. “I was fending for myself against these two!” “Sorry!” Pinkie apologized. “I was helping out Fluttershy with her animals with my Super-Duper-Sugary Perky-Derpy-Werpy-Super-Squeezy Soda Supreme!” She explained with one breath. “They’re over there where Paperback is now.” Twilight looked over to see the Spell Warrior fending off a wave of lizards as they tried to bite his legs. He swatted at all of them with his hammer, but couldn’t fend off the storm of gems Rarity has produced. When it looked like the battle was in her favor, her MP ran out and she collapsed from exhaustion. “Ha ha! You’ve lost all your MP!” Paperback shouted. “Now I shall– AAAAH!” He had forgotten the pack of lizards he was defending against and the reptiles swarmed over him with claws and teeth. A bright light glowed from the pile of scales, indicating that he was respawning. The board confirmed the defeat for Twilight. She noticed that Sound Wave’s picture was crossed out as well. “And Sound Wave?” Twilight asked. “Asleep as a baby colt in a cushion of cotton candy!” She directed Twilight over to Sound Wave who was fast asleep in a pink shroud of Pinkie Pie’s Candy Cloud smoke. “Huh. Shouldn’t that just slow them down though?” “I added a few drops of Aunt Pinkie’s Party Crasher formula,” Pinkie winked. She brought out a couple of bottles with what seemed like milk in them. The bottles were baby bottles. Twilight decided to not ask why. “It’s a special milk formula I use to get Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s foals asleep. Works like a charm!” “And the needles?” Twilight inquired, asking about Chalice. “Same formula,” Pinkie said. “Also, Fluttershy helped me sing Sound Wave to sleep when the formula wasn’t enough for him.” Fluttershy shyly smiled as she walked up to them. “Oh it’s just an old foal song I learned when I was a filly. My parents used it when I had trouble sleeping.” Twilight was about to say otherwise until she heard a cry out from where Rainbow Dash was fighting Livo. She turned around to see both mares grasping onto one another, both of them still standing strong. Each other’s blades, Livo’s midnight-black obsidian dagger and Dash’s multicolored sword, were sticking out of the other opponent's back. Rainbow Dash was panting a little and grinned as a stream of blood dripped from her mouth. “Not bad kid. You got lucky though,” she coughed. “Thanks. Although you had the chance to dodge,” Livo wheezed. “Heh! Like I said, it was a lucky shot.” “Rematch some other time?” “Sure.” Both pegasi glowed with bright light before digitizing to their respective Skydome locker rooms. The leader boards glowed with green light as they updated the defeat of the recently defeated mares. The board blared out a siren, alerting the audience the end of the game. “There you have it folks! Give it up for Team Awesome!” Luna shouted. The crowd cheered on as Luna announced their victory. Twilight smiled at her first triumph in the PvP Skydome. Only just a ton more adventures and battles to go. The announcers released the lock on the doors to the locker rooms so that each team could leave the Skydome. Twilight and the rest found Rainbow Dash leaning against the doors of the lockers, waiting for her team. “Hey, what's up?” “What's up?” Applejack frowned. “You just took a knife to the belly. You okay?” “Yeah, a little toy like that can’t hurt me. She got lucky.” “Still, I know you like to play action games a lot, and for the last few months you've been trying them out with the Visors. Don't think I wasn't surprised that you got yourself impaled,” Rarity said with a grin. “Are you sure you’re not losing your touch?” “My touch? Since when did I ever need to have one? Having a touch means you could lose it! Skills are where its at!” “Uh huh. Yes. That and a knife up your stomach,” Rarity smirked. "And just for the record, both do sort of mean the same thing." “Whatever. It was a tie anyway because she got lucky.” “Well I think you should brush up on your skills Rainbow Dash. Maybe you’ll be as graceful as me one day.” “Oh why you!” Twilight sighed in exhaustion as the two mares argued over whose better. She went to the doors that led to the Skydome offices. “Come on you two, we should go pick up the prize.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight sat at the edge of the park as the clouds rolled by her. If it wasn’t for the cloud boundary layers that rested beneath the city and formed the extra length of ground, she could have fallen to her virtual death. The two groups, Team Awesome and Team Packers, sat next to each other as they both admired the shiny gleam of the diamond key. It glowed with a brilliance of light as the sun reflected off its surface. Rubies were implanted in the rims of the gold key ring. The item could be worth as much as Rarity’s shop, except for one thing. “Too bad it’s untradeable,” Paperback said. “Still I wonder what it could unlock.” “It says that it could unlock Crystal Chests,” Twilight read in the description that hovered above the item. “Does that mean anything to you guys?” “Oh OH! I know!” Nitro said with glee. “I’ve been around long enough to explore the dungeons around here. The players in there told me that unimaginable wealth and power could be rewarded to the players that open them!” “That sounds fabulous my dear Nitro!” Rarity winked. “Perhaps we should share it with you when we find one.” “Rarity!” Rainbow Dash said with tense voice. “We kinda had to fight them for this key here!” “Ah but if we hadn’t fought them today, we wouldn’t have even been in the Skydome at all!” Rarity justified. “Besides, a little sharing couldn’t do a little harm if the chest is full of diamonds and rubies. “But what if it was just one weapon?” Rainbow Dash argued. “Well I’m pretty sure we can work something out.” “That’s fine,” Paperback said. “You guys won it fair and square. Besides, meeting you girls is treasure enough.” “I like this guy’s thinking!” Rainbow Dash said as she wrapped one arm around his shoulder for a friendly hug. Night Stalker’s bird, Crimson Flair, gave a shrill cry as it ruffled it feathers. He chuckled a little as Spike hid behind Twilight’s leg. “It’s okay buddy, she just wanted to say that she enjoyed the battle and would like to have a rematch someday,” he explained. “Would that be fine?” Spike relaxed a little. “Uh… yea sure. Any time!” Twilight smiled a little and looked out to the spacious and green land below her. “Whatever this means for us, the outcome couldn’t be any clearer,” Twilight said. “We’re going out to explore the world! Adventure is a-go, team!” As her friends cheered on at this revelation, she brought out a list of the friends that she wrote down. “By the way, you don’t mind if we add you do you?” Paperback seemed a little shocked at this offer, but then a smile formed on his muzzle. “Y– yeah sure! That would be great!” The ponies excitedly brought out their friend’s list and wrote each other’s identification name down. Obviously, this meant to Twilight that they would be seeing each other more often in the future, and what can she say about that except she values friendship more than ever now that they’re all in this together. The more the merrier she says. The sun warmed brightly as they each chatted about their adventures in Equestrian Earth and the adventures they might have together. It was a good day. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ A dark hooded pony crept his way through the dark. He hated being here. It reminded him of the dark dungeons beneath Canterlot. There was no such thing as cleanliness within its stones, and was populated by more than a few colony of rats. This cave felt no different. He entered a vast chamber that could only be a home of a gigantic being. The chamber was decorated with furniture that was made out of the bones of animals, monsters, and demons alike. The room was lit with purple, forbidding fire that set the torches ablaze. In the center was a throne of more bones and skeletons, but it also emitted horrifying vapors that formed the faces of the poor souls used to fuse the marrows together. Upon the throne was a dark deity whose figure was shrouded in darkness, but his form was shown quite enough to let the pony know he was taking the form of a physical being. But the figure wasn’t quite one either. He was something more. The figure was watching the only other light source in the room that wasn’t purple, an image of sunshine and grass with a group of ponies lying down on the grass. He seemed particularly interested in one lavender unicorn. “My lord,” the pony said. He bowed to the figure, knowing that insolence is his one way ticket to being digitized forever. The figure’s voice was deep like the bottom of a dank gorge, and it was filled with malice and deception. It oozed with a vile aura and it sends out pulses of evil and gave the pony the need to cower into obedience. He resisted however, knowing that he will become just like the poor souls in this figure's grunt army if he gave way to the dark. I’ve told you a many times, my Spade. You do not need to bow to me. “It is a matter of respect my lord. I serve you with all my power and respect.” He said humbly. The figure chuckled darkly before giving the image his attention again. So what do you know of this mortal? “That she wields it sir. And that the Goddess has taken quite an interest in her.” The deity took several moments to reflect on the matter. I see. So she has already chosen her Champion huh? Well no matter. I shall find mine soon enough. My Champion shall be my Ace in the hole. He shall tear one in the Goddess’s plan. “Yes sir.” Soon this land shall be mine. And I’ll have the Goddess on her knees as I rule this world. It’s all part of the game, Spade. All part of the game. “Yes sir.” The hooded pony turned around to retreat to his quarters. Oh, and tell the others that they should be ready for the oncoming storm. We are almost prepared to enact phase 1. Go do my bidding, my Spade. The last word breathed out a blast of warm air that was not necessarily being friendly to the hood pony’s nose. The hood was blasted back, revealing the pony’s face. “Yes my lord, and my name isn’t Spade. It’s Raynor.” The dark tyrant chuckled. Yes of course. Go now ‘Raynor,' and fulfill your promise. **Intermission 01: Recording 10812**Intermission 01: Recording 10812 Playback Recording Canterlot Colt Studios October 08, XXXX 2:58 PM The recording started out with the camera swaying its lens back and forth around the room. The room it was surveying was filled with electronic servers and computers that served the purpose to run the world of Equestrian Earth. Most of the monitors ran their screensavers while the servers hummed with magical and electric energy. In the center of the room was a large cylinder column with wires and tubes connected to each and every monitor and computer. The column was colored snow white with red maroon for its rims. Written around the top rim of it was the word ‘Goddess’. Surrounding the pillar were several pods with opened glass covers that were connected to the center object as well. Unlike the continuous hum of its companions, this particular server was singing a melody with its harmonious voice. In the far right, a door sliding open could be heard and three sets of hooves entered the room; two colts and one mare. The mare had a coat of orange and curly orange mane locks that draped down from her hair. Her cutie mark was a smiley jack o’ lantern. One colt was the color of beige and had a red mane with one blue stripe lining towards the left of his eye. The other colt had a yellowish tan color with a black colored mane that had no specific hair style. The only distinctive look on him was a scar that ran down on his right eye. It made him look kinda cool and handsome. The center server stopped singing and greeted the new comers. “Hello there! It’s good to see you again,” it chirped. “Hey Goddess, what’s up?” the red mane colt replied. “We have our first beta tester coming in today. I’ve told you about this guy right?” “Yes of course. It’s good to finally meet you!” “It’s nice to meet you too,” the scarred colt responded. “I’m really excited for this.” “I am too!” The orange mare walked towards one of the open pods. “But I do have to ask: You do know what you’re getting into? This is dangerous.” “Of course. I’m the first beta tester and you guys don’t know what will happen if the game starts. That’s why I’m here right?” “You don’t have to do this you know,” the other colt concurred with the mare. “I know we promised the guy who wins first place in the contest that he slash she will be the first one to play the game, but we’re still weeks behind the release date. We won’t know what will happen to you.” “Do not worry about the boy, Sentinel,” the Goddess assured. “I’m perfectly capable of protecting him from any danger he might face.” Sentinel gave the server and the colt a concerned look. He sighed in resignation, knowing he can’t talk the two out of this, especially the Goddess. She’d been looking forward to this as much as any other pony who wanted to win the chance to play the game before anypony else. “Alright then. Pumpkin Fest, set him up,” he said. Pumpkin gave him an uneasy look, but complied with his orders. She started tinkering with some of the controls inside the pod and gave the leather seat inside a hard pat to let the colt know it’s ready to go. He stepped inside the pod and made himself comfortable as much as possible. She gently lowered a visor that connected to the top of the seat and set it over his eyes. She lowered the glass cover over the colt and closed the pod, which gave off the sound of an air hissing. Sentinel walked over to the control panel of the Goddess and adjusted the settings of the colt’s destination. “Okay, we’re going to be sending you to one of our many beta towns. How does Old Ponyville sound?” Sentinel asked. “Couldn't have been any better choice,” the colt muffled through the glass. He rested his hoof over the initiate lever. “Okay, you ready? I’m about to send you in.” “Go for it.” Sentinel pulled down the switch and held his breath, waiting for the tester's response. Pumpkin looked as anxious as her co-worker and was biting the tip of her hooves. It was a really bad habit for her. The Goddess however was humming a tune that sounded really familiar, and was feeling all calm and relaxed, unlike the two ponies that were nervously waiting for the colt's reply. “So how are you feeling?” Pumpkin Fest asked. The colt’s voice resonated from the speakers of the pod. “Never better! Wow, you really got all the details down! I can see Sweet Apple Acres, and the town looks more rustic than ever!” Sentinel let out a breath of relief. “That’s good. How’s your movement?” “Normal. It feels as if I was actually walking for real.” “Any unnatural sensations or feelings?” she asked. “Nope.” “Okay good,” he said. “Now I need you to try out-“ The pod began to give out electrical sparks. Pumpkin Fest yelped out as one of the flickers zapped her flank. She ran behind the safety of Sentinel, who wasn’t exactly as calm as you would think. “Oh no, oh no, oh no" he muttered under his breath, then utter swears in his former language. "This isn’t good!" “Dude?” the colt weakly asked. “I don’t feel too good.” “Fest,” he asked sternly. “Help me disable the pod. I’m not having this guy die here.” “Y-yes, Sentinel!” The two technicians let their hooves fly over the controls and switches, not pausing for a single moment. The Goddess was crying out in pain as the electrical surge flowed in her circuits. The energy now took on a light glimmer of red. “Hang in there you two! Everything is going to be alright!” he assured. “I’m fine,” the Goddess managed to say through her pained voice. “Just get the boy out of there!” The two ponies worked even faster to troubleshoot the crisis, not even flinching as the sparks electrocuted their hide. The camera recording fuzzed after several seconds before going out. A flash of a demonic face appeared before the end transmission. Recording Ends. October 08, XXXX 3:09 PM Playback Again? *Chapter 06: The Cloud Library*Chapter 06: The Cloud Library A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 6~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 A mare raises her purple Hoof in the air, proclaiming her Mark on the world. A goddess of the world looks down and Smiles upon the adventuress. The Tides of the Winds flow to the Adventurer's favor. Five Friends stand by her at attention, fully prepared to go where she takes them. "The Sun shines in our favor, everypony! The Air moves for our victory! "With our combined Efforts and Friendship, we shall take to the World by Storm!" “What will you have today, madam?” “I’ll just have a daisy sandwich,” Twilight Sparkle replied, not even looking at the café’s menu. An older gentlecolt, sporting a brilliant mustache, diligently picked up café's small pamphlet. He politely nodded towards her and commented, “It shall be out shortly madam.” She nodded in return and the waiter left her to her thoughts. She’d been here in the game for several minutes now with Spike, waiting for her friends to arrive. However, she hadn’t received a single ping that announced their arrival online. They were all supposed to catch a ride to Trottingham, which was scheduled to leave in a few minutes. Unfortunately, this was the last scheduled ride because of the server overload. So everypony that didn’t use any of the aerial transports are either stuck on the floating city, or they would have to ask other pegasi to glide them down. This was extremely dangerous though, so the librarian decided to relax in a café recommended by Rarity. As she sipped on her cup of tea, she thought on the lecture she’d have to give to her friends about ‘Being Tardy’, a couple of pings on her Friends List broadcasted the arrival of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Twilight exasperatingly took out a slip of paper and a quill from her Scrolls Inventory. She began writing on the Private Messaging Letter (PML), an item that allowed ponies to send instant messages to their friends. It was a very convenient tool, especially for a certain unicorn that wanted to give a scolding to her friends. As she placed the tip of the quill upon the parchment, the cloudy skies above began to darken and a droplet of water fell on the paper. Twilight looked up with dread, knowing that the paper will probably get ruined. Virtual reality is very similar to life, and water was no exception. She could already feel the drops seeping down through her mane, leaving behind a cold, wet feeling. Twilight hastily wrote down a message to the both of them to rendezvous at the Cloud Library for shelter. If they’re going to take shelter from the rain, might as well be a place of her choosing. Besides, she wanted to find out more about the Diamond Key her friends won after yesterday’s PvP match. No time to explain girls. Just meet me at the Library for shelter. See ya soon. Without a moment to lose, she stuffed the slip back into her pouch, not evening wanting to find out what her friends’ responses were. She poked the sleeping dragon, who was now taking a nap on one of the café’s chairs. Spike woke up with a groan and rubbed the grits out of his eyes. He let out a big yawn and shot Twilight an indifferent look. “What is it Twilight?” he groaned groggily. “Are they here ye- WHOA!” Twilight grabbed Spike with a magical glow and tossed him precariously onto her back. She swiftly swiped her books off the table, quickly sorted them out in her sack, and trotted past the waiter who was bringing her sandwich. He looked at Twilight with dazed eyes as she made a beeline for the Library. He looked back at the plate he was holding, and held his breath at his sudden remembrance. “Madam!” he called after Twilight. She stopped and quickly turned to look at him. He raised the sandwich higher in the air and stated, “You have forgotten your sandwich.” He yelped a little as the sandwich sparkled with a purple glow, and shot straight out of the platter. As it chased after Twilight, he could see a swarm of bits coming from her direction and gently stacking themselves on the plate. He carefully counted out the bits, still amazed by the sudden departure of his customer. When he was satisfied with the pay, he walked back into the café wondering if he’ll ever get a normal day. He still wasn't used to these strange adventurers that just waltzed in and out of the little coffee shop. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight speedily rushed past numerous hasty players in her way as each of them tried to make their way under a nearby roof. Unlike modern times in Equestria, pegasi of olden times had little control over the weather back then. They didn’t have the technological advances that Cloudsdale currently has now, and relied on the guidance of the winds to guide the clouds for their weather. Since Equestrian Earth was based around that time, she could imagine that today wasn’t looking good for the pegasi NPCs. They’re obviously not going to get any vacation time soon. After a few blocks down the wet, cobblestone street, the golden dome of the Cloud Library looming over the city came into view. It wasn’t as huge as Canterlot Castle in real life, but it was large enough to give Twilight the sense of being insignificant and small. She didn’t slow her run as she burst through the large, wooden doors that looked like they belonged more as a fortress’s front gates. She gave a little shake to rid herself of the water that tortured her cold body, leaving wet puddles all over the carpet. She heard a little yelp as she shook her body more. She looked over her back to see Spike holding tight onto her mane, desperately trying to keep his balance. He was giving her his best angry glare; He may still be a baby dragon, but those angry eyes sure unnerved her. Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry about that, Spike.” He harrumphed in irritation, and jumped off his caretaker’s back. As Twilight tried to give Spike her best apologetic smile to make everything seem better, she felt a poke at the crook of her neck. She turned around to see a yellow colt and a bunch of upset ponies, who were dripping wet. She looked at soaking players, then at her dry self. Instantly, she made the connection. “I believe this is your water Miss?” the colt asked with an edge in his tone that could have cut diamond. “Oh sorry, sorry, sorry!” Twilight apologized, using a dry towel she had on her. She used it to soak up all the water she had sprayed all over the others. The victims nodded with appreciation and went their separate ways back into the realm of books. As she tucked the tool back into her bag, she looked around for signs of a pink mane and a dash of rainbow in the crowd that was forming in the reading area. The place was filled to the brim with tables, but there was enough space between them for ponies to walk through comfortably. It remind her of her days in Magic School, when she would read through the pages of its thrilling, magical textbooks with accuracy and speed. She liked to read slowly, but she can read fast if she put her mind to it. As she reminisced down memory lane, she spotted a bobbing fluff of cotton candy bouncing over the crowd. As the pink fluff burst out of the sea of ponies, it revealed itself to be the top of Pinkie Pie’s mane. “Hiya Twilight!” Pinkie Pie joyfully exclaimed. “This place sure is crowded. I would like to throw a party in here, but the mean lady told me to no.” She pouted a little and moved her hooves around uncontrollably like she was dancing, or that she needed to use the little filly’s room. “Pinkie, this is a library,” Twilight sorely explained. She then held up a hoof. “You can’t throw parties in a sanctum for knowledge.” “I threw plenty of them at your place,” Pinkie replied with a bemused look. “Which doesn’t mean you can throw them here!” Twilight stretched her back a little. It was a bit tense from carrying Spike and running at the same time. She looked around for a tell-tale of Rainbow Dash’s mane, but couldn’t spot the prismatic sheen of her hair. “Have you seen Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked Pinkie, cocking an eyebrow in askance. “Nope, haven’t seen her all day,” Pinkie Pie answered dejectedly. “Although it’s technically night time right now, since we’re sleeping at the same time and letting our visors access our nervous system. That lets us play in this open simulation world. But it’s day time currently, but the rain clouds made the entire city's grounds dark... so it’s sorta like night time.” Pinkie Pie kept on ranting. “But I think it could be night time now in-game, since the time system is 10 minutes equals 1 hour. So 240 minutes equals 1 day in-game, and 240 minutes equal 4 hours, so that’s a long time for us to play. My usual sleep time is around 8-11 hours so I could stay in this game for 2 ¾ day cycles and-“ Pinkie’s explanation was suddenly cut off by Twilight’s hoof, as it stuffed itself through her lips. Twilight’s mane looked kinda frazzled, for reasons that would be obvious to a normal pony's eye. “Pinkie, no,” she commented bluntly. “No more, okay?” Pinkie Pie got Twilight's annoyed message, and metaphorically zipped her mouth the best way she can with Twilight’s hoof in the way. Twilight removed her hoof from Pinkie's mouth, and let out a sound of disgust as she wiped Pinkie’s salvia off her purple hoof. “Let’s try to find Rainbow Dash,” Twilight decided. She looked back to both Pinkie and Spike as she continued, “She’s gotta be in here somewhere.” Pinkie Pie and Spike nodded and followed her lead as Ponyville’s local librarian went into the depths of the towering bookshelves. As Twilight weaved her way through the shelves, she found herself emerging from the other side of the reading area. As she stepped out into the candle’s warm light, her bag shivered with vibration. She opened it up to find her PML updated with Rainbow Dash’s message. The answer itself was very vague to Twilight, but still clear enough that she wasn’t coming anytime soon. In the middle of doing something important. I’ll drop by later when I’m finished. Btw, the other girls want me to pass on a message. Applejack had to go to Manehatten for the Apple & Orange family reunion. Rarity is staying up tonight to finish some orders from Canterlot, and Fluttershy has some sort of animal to take care of. It’s actually a phoenix from the Everfree forest, so that’s pretty cool I guess. Also, it’s kinda hard to write with just my mouth. Sorry, that’s why it took me so long to respond. The guys at Canterlot Colt studios need to work on that. I guess I should stop writing, gtg work on this thing. ~Rainbow Dash “Well it looks like the others aren’t coming,” Twilight sighed with resignation. “Well, might as well gather around for some intel. Pinkie, the reason I called you here is because I want to find out about diamond keys before blindly heading out for our journey for the crystal chests. We might find out about a location for one nearby.” “Okie doki loki!” she cheerfully chirped, bouncing in place for a few seconds. “Come along Spike! We have many tomes to go through.” Spike groaned with anticipation of the stacks of books he’d have to carry for Twilight. He stomped off after Twilight, as she trotted around looking for the librarian of the building. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight let out a large groan as she flipped the pile of books. Fortunately, there wasn’t a crowd of ponies in her area. They would have surely told her off for yelling in the library. Pinkie Pie and Spike looked on with concern as Twilight rubbed the wrinkles around her eyes. They were tense from all the books she had gone through, and the millions of words from those pages stuck to her eyes like faux glue. Yet absolutely nothing about diamond keys or crystal chests came up in the scrolls, encyclopedias, textbooks, history books, and tomes she had read in the past hour. Not even the Celestia-damned picture books gave her any clues. All she could glimmer from the texts were tales and legends of what the crystal chests possessed. Piles of gold bits showered in fountains, as lucky adventurers opened them. Heavenly weapons rose from the inner depths of its sparkling chambers, giving heroes the strength and might of a minor Alicorn. Armor that was forged from the fires of elder dragons gave its bearer protection equivalent to several mountains inside mountains. The only facts that she could capture from these stories were that the chests were extremely rare, and even more so were the keys to open them. Twilight could only imagine that she had a diamond key because she was friends with Sentinel. She somewhat resented that. It felt like he just gave her the key to send her on a wild goose chase, but she couldn’t hate him forever. After all, this entire chase had ignited a fire in her heart. This was a challenge to her, and these tales only bolstered her desire to find the treasures within the crystal chests. As her breath was slowing to a more manageable, calm level, she thought on the matter. Pinkie and Spike let out a sigh of relief as Twilight didn’t release her raging form. The ‘inner Twidash,’ her friends had taken to calling her in that state. Theyd gotten the name from the popular Ponymon games that Pinkie Pie had gotten her hooked on. As much as she liked the game, she was annoyed at her friends’ insistence for her to accept the nickname. To her, it sounded like some sort of weird shipping name for Rainbow and herself. She didn’t want to mention that though, since it would provide the girls more ammunition for their sleepovers. As she gradually calmed down to a tolerable state, she felt a suspicious presence nearby. She’d felt this shadowy presence before: Above the rooftops of Aeroslida, when she logged on the game for the first time. She jumped to her hooves and ran out of her reading corner to chase the being. She took Spike, and even Pinkie Pie, by surprise as she ran around the corner. “Twilight?” Spike shouted after her. “Where are you going?” Twilight didn’t answer his question as she swiftly laced through the bookshelves, like a thin sewing needle in Rarity’s dresses. In the time she spent thoroughly exploring the library for books on the diamond key, she came to know this place like the back of her hoof. She could feel the presence gaining speed as it was fleeing from her, but she knew that it was all in vain as she learned a pretty cool trick the night before. She was glad that Paperback took the time to share the spell with her; the process of how to use it was easy, after he shared the spell. After all, it was her specialty in real life. She concentrated the magical energy in her, as her horn flared up like a match. She focused on a picture of what the top of the bookshelves would look like. After she was okay with the image, she released the energy and initiated the spell. It teleported her in an instant, as it whisked her away to the top platforms of the shelves. She quickly looked around for the player that was stalking her, and saw a player in a dark cloak jumping from shelf to shelf with accuracy. She could catch a shade of yellow as her prey’s wings were revealed with each jump. The pony was gliding silently, to mask its escape. As Twilight started to run after the pony, Pinkie Pie called out after her. “Twilight!” she yelled. “Where are you?” “Up here!” Twilight shouted back. “Somepony was stalking our every move!” “What?! How rude! She didn’t even say hi to us! Grab on Spike!” Spike sounded hesitant. “Wh-what are you talking abou-AAAH!” Twilight spotted the two as Pinkie Pie rose up with Spike frantically holding onto her pink hood. Pinkie Pie gracefully landed on one of the platforms and made a couple of bounds across the gaps between shelves. After a couple of effortless leaps, she took her place next to Twilight. “Where is she?” she demanded. “She’s going to feel sorry for not saying hi to me! I wanted to throw her a party!” “You haven’t even met her Pinkie,” Twilight bluntly stated. “I’m not even sure if it is a she or a he. I didn’t see their face.” “Doesn’t matter!” Pinkie exclaimed, looking around as well to see the shadowy figure escaping from her. “Come back here!” She swiftly bounced after the pony in pursuit, with Spike yelling along the way. Twilight ran alongside with her, teleporting along the way to catch up with Pinkie’s unnatural ninja speed. After several minutes of chasing the pony down, they’ve reached the end of a hallway. It didn’t look like anything special, and there were no signs of the figure’s disappearance. Twilight carefully looked around, not wanting to be on the receiving end of any traps that the pony might have left behind. She had quickly learned that in video games, the shadowy pony that you chase always leaves traps to mask the presence of a secret entrance. She looked around for a lever or a button that could have been used to open a secret door. After a few seconds of searching, she found that one of the hanging wall candles were unlit. She pulled on the mount that held the candle and it gave way to a dim hallway behind it. As the door opened, the unicorn's every nerve shouted at her to not go down. It sent out waves of sinister power, and evil through her fur. However, these things were what she was born to go up against. Braving through the dark hallway is no more difficult. “Twilight,” Spike started with a hint of worry in his voice. “I’m not sure if I want to go down there.” “We have to Spike,” Twilight replied to him with determination in her voice. “I want to know what this guy is up to.” “But we don’t even know this pony. Why would we want to go after this guy? He might be dangerous!” Spike's arms flailed wildly for emphasis. “Because he knows about us! He obviously doesn’t want us to find out about him. I would like to ask him or her myself.” “I’m with you the entire way, Twilight,” Pinkie decided, with resolve. “I want to be friends with this pony.” Twilight shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Pinkie Pie could be so innocent sometimes. She stepped into the cobblestone hallway with her two companions behind her. Her vision grew darker and darker as she walked blindly into its depths. After several passing moments, she started to see the end of the tunnel, glowing red from an unknown light source. She emerged out of the darkness, to witness a huge chamber large enough to hold a blue whale. The room was filled with cobwebs, and red torches lined the walls with its crimson light. Several towering columns were left standing as they supported the rocky ceiling above. At the end of the chamber, a huge archway stood strong with a black sheen. Its surface glimmered with a black sheen, as if it was smoothed from the side of a volcano. The inside of the archway glowed with vicious purple as the portal flowed within it. The shadowy figure stood in front of the gateway as it basked in its brilliance. “Hey! Who are you?” Twilight bellowed after the figure. The pony was startled as he turned around. His sudden movement tossed his hood back, giving Twilight a peek at his muzzle. His yellow coat was paled to the point of looking almost snow-white. The bright, purple light showed off his messy, black mane as it tossed in the musky air. His face wasn’t chiseled handsomely like a hero, but he gave Twilight the impression of the cool guy from school. A vicious scar ran down through his right eye, starting from his eyebrow and stopping right at his cheek. His good eye shone with a brilliant bright red, as it burned with determination. “Oh wow!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “He looks kind of cute.” The colt was taken aback at the compliment. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and took a step forward accusingly. “Who are you and what do you want?” she demanded of him. “I want answers. You’ve been following us since the start, haven’t you?” The colt shied away a little at Twilight’s attentive perception. He dug into his cloak’s pockets and brought out a runed scroll. He quickly tossed the magic scroll in front of him and it suddenly busted into black smoke when it touched the ground. “Sorry Twilight,” he smirked. “You’ll have to catch me next time.” Twilight’s eyes widened with anger. “Hey! Wait!” she bellowed after him. It was too late however as he stepped into the portal. As the last of his tail disappeared, the gateway dissipated, leaving the group to deal with the smoke. A black figure emerged from the lightless cloud, and it gave off an unearthly growl. It was a black, giant Timber Wolf, the size of a double seated chariot. Its wooden skin had a sheen of black, glimmering faintly, and grey smoke was rising off from the cracks of its hide. Its red, deadly eyes spotted the group, and its deadly mouth drooled black slime at the anticipation of fresh ponies. Twilight Sparkle yelped as the wolf made a quick dash towards her. She jumped into the air as it charged right underneath her, baring its sharp canine teeth. Both Pinkie Pie and Spike quickly leapt to the left, with Spike leaving behind a fiery present of his green Dragon’s Breath. His attack burned the right side of its face, leaving it howling in pain as the fire consumed its body. That didn’t last long however as the smoke around it smothered the fire, extinguishing any burn effects that Spike caused. The monster howled darkly into the chamber, threatening the torches to go out. Twilight fearfully looked at the light sources, praying to Celestia that they wouldn’t go out. She landed behind the Timber Wolf and safely teleported away to a distance. As one of the torches went out, she cast an Incinerate spell upon the charred stick. The torch flared back to life because of the spell, but this time it had a bright orange flame instead of its original red color. “Spike!” she yelled out to the pair. “It’s trying to take out the torches! Stop him from howling while I re-light any torches he puts out!” Spike nodded with affirmation, and let out a couple more Dragon’s Breath attacks toward the beast. The wolf halted his howling to dodge the blasts. The wolf bounded towards the small dragon with its maw open wide, ready to gulp down the bite-sized dragon, with one chomp. It didn’t get the chance, however, as Pinkie Pie bashed the wolf with a huge lollipop from Celestia-knows-where. The impact shattered the weapon, dealing extra damage to the wolf as the mouth-watering shards pierced its hide. It staggered a little and let out a huge yawn. Pinkie Pie’s sleepy milk formula was doing its charm. As Twilight’s hopes were rising, they were quickly shot down like stone, as the smoke gathered in its mouth. The wolf snapped its derpy eyes back into focus and its face quickly took on an angry visage. Before Twilight could say anything to warn her friends, the wolf swiftly tackled against Spike’s small form. As the little dragon was down, the wolf grabbed his leg with its sharp teeth and tossed him in the air. Time seemed to slow down as Spike was falling down. The wolf had his mouth wide open, anticipating its much-needed meal. Pinkie Pie let out a scream as Spike landed in its jaws, his scaly purple tail and legs sticking out. Wolf closed its mouth crunched on the bones, letting the limbs fall to the floor. A shower of blood was tossed about as the wolf picked up the tail and shook it violently around in the air, and some of it landing on Twilight’s face. Something that tasted like iron landed in her open mouth. Pinkie Pie sat down on her haunches, sobbing up a lake, although a sound wasn’t uttered from either of them. Twilight’s vision was growing darker and darker with each passing second. For a moment, she thought the wolf was extinguishing the flames again, but it wasn’t. It was her rage building up again as Spike, whom she took as her adoptive son, died right in front of her by that thing. That monster. The thing that was going to be a Dead, Piece, Of, Wood. Her vision blurred crimson, as she charged the wolf. Her eyes let out tears salted with fury as her horn charged up with Magic Missile. She let out a stream of magic bullets that slammed into the monster like a train. It knocked back the wolf several meters away, but it landed on its feet with unnatural grace. Twilight didn’t know she had it in her, but she roared like a ferocious, wounded lion towards the Timber Wolf. It intimidated the monster for a moment, but it then sneered cruelly at Twilight’s angry cry. “YOU STUPID, BUCKING MUTT!” Twilight screeched, her scream pounding and bouncing in the chamber. “HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT!” Twilight conjured up a ring of wildfire, as she cast Incinerate around the vicious beast. The wolf looked around all smug as the flames closed in on it. It let out a huge bark and snuffed out Twilight’s attack. This attack actually damaged Twilight’s health as the air swept her off her feet. She and Pinkie slammed into the walls and she could feel her health cutting away. When she fell to the ground, the pain was almost unbearable to Twilight, which shouldn’t be right. The pony visor should have blocked 80% of what the actual pain should have felt in real life. As she tried to get up, she suddenly panicked. She couldn't feel her legs. Twilight cursed as she tried to get her legs to work, but all she could do was let her body slide to the ground. The wolf arrogantly howled in victory and slowly walked over to their still forms. It was taunting her. Twilight silently swore that she’ll get her vengeance on the wolf. She can’t quit here. She tried to get up again, but only managed to exert all of her strength. As the mutt drew closer and closer with its snarling mouth, Twilight could hear a small whimper coming from Pinkie Pie. She remembered that she was here as well, and was now terrified for her life; unlike the angry unicorn right beside her, plotting the wolf’s downfall. “It’s okay Pinkie Pie,” Twilight gently whispered. “I’m going to get you out of here. I promise.” Pinkie Pie turned to see Twilight all bloodied up, but was also smiling gently with reassurance. It made her feel a bit better inside, but it doesn’t change the fact that the wolf was about to gobble them up. To Twilight, the feeling was mutual as well, when Pinkie Pie formed a small, sad smile of her own. As the wolf stopped right above them, Twilight could feel drips of its saliva falling down onto her face. The wolf opened its mouth over Twilight’s head and stretched it wide to fit her head. As it brought its teeth upon her, a cyan blur dashed into the wolf, sending it flying across the room. Twilight raised her head up to see Rainbow Dash smiling down on her. She could feel her hoof gently patting on her mane. “You did your part, ya egghead,” Rainbow Dash whispered softly, glad to know her friend was alright. “It’s my turn now.” Rainbow Dash swiftly turned towards the wolf’s direction and flared her wings up, preparing for flight and fight. It only took her to flap her wings once to achieve the unmatchable speeds, tackling the wolf again at the height of her wingpower. Twilight could feel her strength coming back to her again as a familiar dragon fed her a sweet drink. The sugary substance healed her wounds right away, as their magical healing properties traveled around her body, regenerating any loss of blood she had and fixed her broken bones. “Sorry Pinkie,” Spike apologized remorsefully. “I had to use your potions to heal you both.” He yelped as Pinkie Pie gave him a huge bear hug as she exclaimed, “It’s okay Spike! I’m just happy you’re still alive!” The party mare’s face then scrunched into confusion. “How did Rainbow Dash get here anyway?” “I told her we were in trouble, and I showed her the way here. It didn’t really take much to convince her.” “But the spawn point is so far away!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I don’t even think I can go around the city that fast. How did you find her so quickly?” “Well Pinkie,” he chuckled. “I had a little help from a certain programmer.” “Hey girls. Sup?” Twilight glanced up to see Sentinel also standing by, grinning from ear to ear cheekily. He had changed his mane since she last saw him. It was still the messy shape as always, but now it was colored red with two blue stripes of different shades lining down. The stripe pattern reminded Twilight of her mane’s style. He was strangely standing on his hind legs, making him taller than usual, and he had an opened laptop in his hooves. His brilliant, blue eyes shimmered as they reflected the blocks of code off his screen. “S– Sentinel?” Twilight asked quizzically. “What are you doing here?” “Well, I just happened to have spotted Spike all by his lonesome at one of the spawn houses. He was quite shaken up, and told me what had happened,” he explained. He sucked in a little air through his teeth before continuing, sounding a bit impressed and disturbed. “I have to say this; getting swallowed in one bite is one hell of a way to go. Anyway, he told me that you girls were in trouble so I decided to lend a hoof. I knew Rainbow Dash was in town so I used a couple of shortcuts to transport us to her location. After that, well, we went over to the library in a jiffy, and here we are.” He gave Twilight a silly smile, like his actions weren’t a big deal. “Being a programmer for this game is fun, once you get to enjoy the perks!” Twilight slowly nodded, her expression still shocked. “Th– thanks, Sentinel. I don’t know what would have happened to us if you hadn’t come. B– but Spike here is– ” “Perfectly fine, and like I said, it’s because of him that I’m here.” Twilight turned her gaze to Spike, who was blushing profoundly in his spot. “It wasn’t such a big deal, honest! I just told him what happen that’s all.” Spike scratched his chin. “Although I can’t really remember what happened before I respawned. How the heck did that happen anyway?” Twilight stood there for a moment before deciding to tear up a little. She gave Spike her best motherly hug and cried a little. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you, Spike.” Spike was slightly shocked by her tears, but returned the hug stronger with a chuckle. “It’s wasn’t a big deal. I would have done anything to save you.” “Yes, but really I’m just happy you’re okay. You seriously gave me a scare when it ate you.” Twilight’s heart broke a little as Spike pushed a bit away from the hug, although she could see the shock on his face. “I was eaten?!” <----------------------> Rainbow Dash's BGM <----------------------> The very heartwarming moment lasted only for a few moments, before the wolf’s body was slammed into the wall next to them followed by a very angry mare. The wolf didn’t even get to let out a snarl before Rainbow Dash grabbed it by the tail, and tossed him away from the others. Rainbow Dash gave Sentinel an angry glare not because he did something wrong, but because it seemed like she had been through Tartarus and back. The wolf must have been something else to damage the swift Pegasus that much. “I can’t damage this bucker. What’s going on?” she angrily shouted, demanding to know why the monster was still up and fighting. Sentinel popped some rimless glasses out of thin air, and placed them upon his muzzle. “Well let’s take a look here...” He browsed through the laptop and gave a long whistle. “Wow, level thirty? No wonder you couldn’t kill him,” he then tapped a few buttons on his keyboard to bring up more data, then squinted at the screen, bewildered by the data he was receiving. “Huh, there’s something that’s preventing the monster from losing health points. A god-mode hack!” With the utmost precision, the sandy-brown unicorn turned towards the growling Timber Wolf, and then pressed down on the Enter key. The laptop shivered a little before shooting a bright, blue beam of light at the monster, covering it in a blue sphere of swirling data. It snarled loudly as it attempted to break free, but it couldn’t as the stream of code withstood its strength. Gradually, a stream of red fog was coming out of the cracks in the wooden monster’s hide, joining the rest of the blue data. The red fog was destroyed as the blue numbers enveloped it, destroying away the data that gave the monster godlike endurance. Suddenly, the timber wolf’s nameplate appeared above the monster, showing its designation name: Shadow Timber Wolf. That quickly changed, however, as the blue numbers flying around it swallowed the name, altering it to Shadow Timber Dog. It took a while for Rainbow Dash register what just happened, before raised an eye brow with an amused look on her face. “S.T.D.? Really?” she chuckled knowingly. “Hey, I gotta have some fun too, 'cause I can’t join you in this fight,” Sentinel reasoned. “This is the best I can do as an admin.” “Whatever, he’s going down.” Rainbow Dash pulled out a multi-colored sword from her sheath. “Wait a second. I can lower the monster’s level too, so that you can have an easier fight.” “No thanks. I like the challenge.” “You sure?” Rainbow Dash looked back and him, looking at him with a smirk. “Do you really need to ask me?” With her piece spoken, she charged forward at the creature like a speed demon, flying through the air like a sharp arrow. The wolf anticipated her move and opened his mouth to roared at Rainbow Dash, letting out a blast of air hit her. She however didn’t get hit as she intercepted the jet of air with the point of her sword, cutting through the gale with the tip of its blade. Before it could finish its vicious roar, Dash curved around the wolf and flanked around to its left. She quickly swung her sword down to his neck for the final blow, but it anticipated this and quickly spun its head up and chomped on the rainbow blade, preventing the attack from fully killing him. Drips of dark blood went loose from the wolf’s mouth, but it didn’t let go of its hold on the weapon. Rainbow Dash didn’t care about the trapped sword, as she had another tool stashed up her wings; her hoof. She brought it down to deliver a swift punch to the wolf’s eye, causing it to cry out in a pained howl. Taking advantage of the open window, she rapidly used Dash It on the beast, aiming for all of his legs. She sliced at each and every one of his heels, causing him to howl even more. A Speed Down symbol appeared over his head. The symbol was a downward arrow and a pair of wings beside it, signifying the beast’s loss of agility. The Timber Wolf glared angrily at his opponent, now seeing it as not food, but as a foe of equal power. It was something that posed a very serious threat to him. Wanting to end the fight quickly, it let out a howl of deadly proportions, and it deafened everypony's ears in the room. The situation turned even more mind-boggling when the wolf’s shadow started to shiver violently, as if it was badly wounded. In response of the howl, several tendrils of solid darkness made their appearance as they rose from the wolf’s shadow. The tip of each one was sharpening until into they resembled some very pointy spears, looking very deadly and dangerous. The wolf continued howling as it commanded the shadow tendrils to dart towards Rainbow Dash, intending to impale her. Not worried at the slightest, she angled her way through the storm of shadows as she made her way towards the wolf. Then something amazing was starting to happen as Rainbow Dash raised her sword above her head. It seemed that the light the sword was giving off was playing tricks on Twilight, but she swore that she was seeing more than one Rainbow Dash in front of her eyes. In fact, Twilight was seeing a small army of them. Each one of them was seemingly unharmed as the shadows attacked them. Rainbow Dash’s blade shined with pristine light each time another Rainbow Dash appeared. Was this one of Rainbow Dash's new skills? The Rainbow Dash army finally dissipated when one of them reached within striking distance of the wolf, leaving behind the solitary Dash to deal the final blow. The real Rainbow Dash, with no hesitation, swiftly ran the blade through the monster's throat, finally putting an end to the monster's horrific howls. Both the Timber Wolf and the tendrils both faded away into shadowy dust as its health bar emptied. Rainbow Dash was left the last mare standing, panting breaths of musky air. She tried to lean against one of the pillars for some much needed rest, but she missed it by an inch and Rainbow Dash found herself falling towards the ground. Not really caring, she closed her eyes and awaited the hard impact of the stone floor, only to meet with the soft landing of Twilight Sparkle's soft, purple coat. The mare mage smiled as Rainbow Dash tiredly accepted the help, and wrapped one of her wings around Twilight. “Come on, Dash. I’ll get you some cider.” Rainbow Dash has reached Lv 22! She has gained the following Skills! ~Dash It – Rank 3: 110% Dmg. Rush through your enemies with a blade weapon. Aim for their calves to lower their Movement Speed. Debuff stacks up until all of the target's legs are cut. The percentage of Movement Speed lost is # of Legs Cutted/# of Monster Legs Next Rank: 20%+ Dmg. ~Spectrum Slash: Buff Skill. Used with ‘Dash It’ skill. Adds 30% more Dmg to ‘Dash It’ and gives it a Light Attribute. Gives the user the ability to create fake images of the user from the light of the blade. Holograms are cool. Twilight Sparkle has reached Lv 20! She has gained the following Skills! ~Magic Missile – Rank 4: Charge up a single blast for 240% Dmg or release a barrage of 3 smaller blasts for 40% each. Cooldown for Full Charge is 10 seconds. Cooldown for Barrage is 3 seconds. Next Rank: +10% Dmg. Knockback effect added. ~Incinerate – Rank 3: 170% Dmg. AoE. Inflicts Burn Dmg that deals -20 hitpoints to inflicted enemy overtime. Next Rank: +20% Dmg Burn your enemies to a crisp! Pinkie Pie has reached Lv 18! She has gained the following Skills! ~Lollichop: 150% Take out a large battleaxe in the shape of a lolipop. It shatters upon impact, unleashing shards of delectable goodness that can pierce through enemy's armor. Deals 10 HP dmg per sec X per shard. Next Rank: 10%+ Dmg. 5 HP Dmg per second for each shard. ~Sweet Needles! – Rank 3: Throw candy-disguised trauq darts to lower your all your opponent’s stats by 7%. Next Rank: 1%+ effect. ~Candy Cloud – Rank 3: Throw a candy-dust infused bomb that lowers your opponent’s speed by 50%. AoE. Next Rank: 10%+ effect. That really smells good. Can I rest here? ~Extend Jump: Increases your jump height by 50%. Next Rank: Double Jump. Almost like flying. Spike has reached Lv 16! He has gained the following Skills! ~Dragon’s Breath – Rank 4: 210% Dmg. AoE in front of Player. Inflicts Burn Dmg that deals -20 hitpoints to inflicted enemy over time. Can continue to cast it until MP is drained. Next Rank: 20%+ Dmg. I don’t know how to say this, but you are almost a fully grown dragon. ~Iron Tail: 150% Dmg. Smack your opponent with a tail as strong as iron. Knockback effect included. Next Rank: 30%+ Dmg. Totally not a stolen move from a certain pocket monster game. *Chapter 07: Tricky Problems*Chapter 07: Tricky Problems A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 7~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 No more than ten minutes later, a squad of players had already formed around the entry way to the dark tunnel. Some had lab coats, while others had hard hats. They were all checking out the entrance with blue-light scanners or simply taking out its cobblestone bricks, for physical examination. They immediately made way for Twilight as she carried the tired Dash out the stony passageway. Some nodded to her in sympathy, other ponies just ignored the duo and carried on with their work. However, there was one pony that caught Twilight’s attention. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried out in surprise. “What are you doing here?” Her mentor smiled warmly at her most faithful student before speaking, “I heard troubling news that a certain lavender unicorn was in trouble, so I came to help out. However,” She turned to regard their new arrivals, as Sentinel and Spike appeared out from the dark halls. “It seems that you were in good hooves.” “It’s a pleasure of mine to help my friends, Princess Celestia,” Sentinel pleasantly added. “Friends are, after all, life’s most gifted treasures.” He swept the dust off his laptop before opening it again. The LCD screen brightened his face up as he scrolled through the passageway’s data being monitored. His emotions getting more troubled with each passing line of information. “Besides, as a Code Warrior, it is my job to find out these annoying bugs and buggers,” he admitted, a serious look on his face. “This hallway is no different matter.” "Code Warrior?" Twilight asked. "We're a division that was created as soon as the game was fully finished. Our job is to fix glitches and ban hackers. Because of the way VR programming works, we have to do it inside the game itself. Get right to the core of the problem. It's a lot easier than looking through the mess of code these games have." He snapped the laptop closed and carefully stowed it away into his saddlebag. He then took out a single note and quickly wrote a message on the sheet of papyrus. He handed the note card to one of the lab coat ponies and turned his attention back to Twilight. “It seems that you guys have stumbled upon hacker territory,” he shook his head in disapproval of its existence. “Honestly, I don’t know what would motivate a pony to make a hidden room, but at least this will help us track down the guy. You’ve helped a lot by pursuing that mysterious pony.” His face suddenly turned into curiosity, “By the way, you never told me what the guy looked like. Anything you can tell us?” Twilight pondered for a moment as she searched her memories. “Well, if I remember correctly, I think that he was a pegasus.” “Go on.” “His coat is pale yellow, has red eyes, and has a scar on his right eye,” Twilight summarized. As she listed her descriptions, a flash of emotions passed on Sentinel’s face. It quickly disappeared though, just as fast as it had appeared. Twilight wouldn’t say it out loud, but she could have sworn the look he gave would have been at home on the guilty. She had seen that face too many times to count, when she caught Spike hoarding a few items from the town. He still had that problem ever since he started maturing. “Thanks.” Sentinel went over to whisper something to a gryphon when another stallion came over to Twilight. He had a look of annoyance and a gruff muzzle to complete his disproval. The Earth Pony was muscular in stature and was dressed down in military uniform. It reminded of her brother’s own uniform that he would wear at formal military meetings and parties. “Sorry,” the brusque stallion barked officially. “But we can’t let any players witness our investigations. You’ll have to leave the vicinity immediately.” “Oh come on Roast,” Sentinel half-complained, half-whined. He looked over his shoulder with an irritated look. “There’s no need for any harsh judgment. They just had a bad day.” “I wouldn’t care if they came out of the belly of a dragon,” Roast disagreed whole-heartedly. “Our work is confidential to the eyes of the players. Code Warriors are not supposed to be known either! Not until later! Why did you think I had all the ponies escorted out of the library?” he shot a condescending glare at the unicorn. “Well so-o-orry Mr. Roast,” Sentinel rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Sorry if I’ve made your job harder.” To Twilight, the two stallions didn’t seem to be the best of friends. Both of them stared each other down, for what seemed to be hours on end. It continued on until Roast finally scoffed and walked away, to check on the tunnel. Sentinel continued to glare at the hulking stallion, until he was gone from his sight. He gave an apologetic smile to the mares. “Sorry that he gave you a hard time,” he apologized quickly. “He is, err, very dutiful in his work. And he’s right about one thing, Code Warriors aren’t exactly supposed to be world-wide news. The higher-ups think that we would receive negative feedback if the players know that there are people like us that can dramatically alter the game. They might think we're hackers, too OP, or something.” “That’s okay,” Twilight assured him sympathetically, holding a hoof to her chest. “We needed to leave anyway. Rainbow Dash needs a little rest, and I don’t think a library full of busy staff players would be the proper place for her.” Twilight waved goodbye to her mentor and the Code Warrior before making her way towards the exit. As her tail disappeared in the forest of books, along with Spike’s and Pinkie Pie’s, Sentinel shot a look of worry at Celestia. She in turn nodded, frowning seriously. “Do you think they should know what we're really dealing with?” Celestia pondered this for a moment before replying, “No. It is best that some secrets are best kept hidden. Even from my beloved student. If she know what we were facing, she would insist upon helping us. Just let her relax and enjoy the game.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash downed another mug of cider, as the bartender hoofed her one. The Sweet Fruit was always a great hangout for the girls, after a long day of adventure. However, Twilight made sure to stay away from the 'hard' drinks. So this time, she had a cup of non-alcoholic cider. Rainbow Dash, in the meantime, was looking pretty recovered from her 9th mug. By all math and scientific equations, a normal pony should of collapsed at the 7th, but the prismatic mare still managed to hold on to her wits. “Thanks for the drink, Quick Drink,” Rainbow Dash thanked the bartender. The colt just nodded in her direction and went back to tending the other customers. “So Twilight, what did you need from me at the library in the first place?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Originally we were going to go to Trottingham, but a couple of someponies made it late to the game,” Twilight replied, an annoyed edge in her tone. “I had to stay behind so I wouldn’t get separated from you girls.” “But the rides are infinite,” Rainbow Dash objected. “Aren’t there always another ride?” “The servers were overloaded today,” Twilight explained. “The last one was about two hours ago.” “Oh.” Rainbow Dash sheepishly ran a hoof through her colorful mane. “I’m that late, huh?” Twilight grumbled in agreement, “Anyway, the reason I called the both of you was that I needed an extra hoof on gathering info about this diamond key.” She opened her inventory and levitated the glimmering key out of its hold. She made sure to hide it from sight, so its glaring sparkle wouldn’t attract undue attention. “I couldn’t make a hoof or tail out of this thing,” she explained, disappointment evident in her voice. “So, I went to the library, searching for anything about crystal chests and their keys,” she sighed in frustration. “I didn’t find anything in its tomes.” She then cocked an eyebrow and shot curious look at the pegasus, “You never really did tell us why you were busy. What could be more important than research?” “I was working on a new skill!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly. She unsheathed her multi-hued sword, and admired it for a moment. She twisted it around; making the light bounce off the flat side of the blade. The spot where the light bounced to then glowed and another cyan mare suddenly appeared with a grin. Twilight mouth dropped open in surprise, and then closed in recollection of the fight, when Rainbow Dash struck down the wolf. “Wow! That’s so cool!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves for a few seconds. “I mean I could do that too in real life, but I don’t do it often because it would attract too much attention. I have this magic mirror in the Cakes’ basement, it’s how I create my copies, but like I said, I don’t use it much. But I don’t think it has that awesome lightshow that you sword has, and that is pretty cool!” “You bet!” Rainbow Dash boasted, trying to ignore the weird first half of Pinkie’s speech. “This skill is pretty cool right? I mean, having two Rainbow Dashes is pretty amazing.” She sheathed her sword and the decoy dissipated. “I’ll admit it. If it weren’t for my new skill we all would have been that wolf’s next meal.” “Wow,” Spike stated, his voice full of admiration. “That is pretty cool! What’s it called?” “Spectrum Slash.” The four chatted for a while. The majority of their topics were about the process of how Rainbow Dash acquired the skill. Apparently, a lot of paperwork had to be done with the Schools of Learning. She explained how there was a school for all sorts of classes, and the Scouts' Academy, where was she applied for the custom skill. Dash had to talk it up with the school’s administration, which apparently was run by a faction in the game’s staff. The after the paperwork was filled out, it was only a matter of training for a time, until she got the skill down. It cost her a few hooful of bits, but it was well worth it in the end. The group of friends decided that they could use a bit a fresh air, however works in a virtual world, so they walked towards the grassy Cloud Park for a little relaxation. As they neared the central water fountain, they could hear a chorus of fanfare and drum rolls from the crowd surrounding it. A colorful stage could be seen rising above the sea of players, coupled with a few fireworks being set off. The rockets filled the air with vibrant colors, causing the crowds to cheer in ecstasy. A mare’s voice could be heard booming over the thrilled crowd. “Come one and all! Witness in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie wows you with her magical prowess!” “Oh no,” Rainbow Dash facehoofed in annoyance. “That can’t be Her. Can it?” “That’s Trixie!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully squeaked as the bright azure mare emerged from the smoke on stage. The mare had the same wizard hat Twilight saw when she performed, but she was also gowned in a spectacular lavender robe, adorned with stars and crescent moons. She still had the same, smug look on her as she landed on stage. “Why are you so happy?” Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie with an irritated edge. “Well, she may not be as good as Twilight,” Pinkie Pie explained. “But she knows how to put on a good show!” “If she wasn’t a complete bucker all the time,” Rainbow Dash objected petulantly. “Come on girls,” Twilight chided. “Let’s just see how she’s been doing.” Trixie was really getting the crowd to eat out of her hoof. They awed at each magic trick Trixie conjured up. Compared to the last performance Twilight saw in real life, the tricks the boastful mare pulled off were amazing. Instead of the ‘rabbit out of the hat’ and ‘sawing a pony in half’, she manipulated with a lot of fire elements. She painted the cloudy skies with a rough sketch of dragons and phoenixes. She animated scenes of great battles long past, and set them ablaze with her flames. If Twilight didn’t know any better, she would have thought that Trixie was a goddess of fire. The show came to a spectacular end, as Trixie amazed the crowd with an actual phoenix, bursting out of an egg of fire. The ‘birth’ of the legendary bird had drawn lines of beautiful shaded patterns over the skies. It caused the heavens to glow wondrously with a vivid, orange hue. It reminded Twilight of the hearth fire in Celestia’s bedroom, as she would study underneath her teacher's wings. The crowd slowly dispersed as Trixie started packing up. Twilight could see a couple of bulky warriors were helping her bundle up her wooden stage. One was heavily armored, with a night pattern crossing over the armor's plates. The armor itself, really only covered his back, leaving his cutie mark, coat, and mane exposed. His furry, chestnut brown coat went well with his cutie mark. Three dark patches surrounded his main insignia: two crossed, silver swords. Twilight can tell that the stallion was obviously a hard-worn veteran of battle. The other warrior was a dark burgundy gryphon. His eyes glowed with purple, as the areas around his eyes were shaded with the color. His eyes were the same color as well. Snow white feathers adorned the top of his head, but the most prominent feature was the warrior's lower half. His silver plate-mail armor revealed enough, for Twilight to observe that the gryphon had the back paws and tail of a great silver wolf. That bit made her shiver with a bit of tension. A Cynogryphon. A very rare breed of gryphon, half dog and half avian. As the group of friends neared with each step, Twilight started to bead with sweat. The last time Trixie left Ponyville, it was on good terms. She still couldn’t help but feel that she still wasn’t satisfied. Did Trixie still harbor a grudge towards her? What if she retaliated with one of those fire spells? Her thoughts were quickly answered, as Trixie noticed them. Her small smile suddenly turned into a sly smile. Her dark violet eyes took on an intense edge. The two warriors sensed trouble, and placed their guards toward Twilight. Twilight guessed she could start with a polite greeting. “H-hey Trixie,” she stammered slightly. “How has life been treating you?” Trixie harrumphed with a cold tone. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is doing just fine. What are you doing here?” Why is Trixie still cold towards me?, Twilight thought. She remembered Trixie departing from Ponyville with a bright attitude. “Nothing that concerns you!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She quickly made an angry dash for the showmare, only to be stopped by Twilight’s telekinesis magic skill. Her tail was pulled back to the ground as Twilight tried to avoid any unnecessary violence. Trixie’s guards drew their weapons, but Trixie waved them away. Twilight could feel something was up. She could sense adrenaline emitting from the magician, because it looked like she was trying very hard to burn her to a crisp. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can still see that you’re still trying to tame your friends,” Trixie scoffed offhandedly. “Especially that one. You should put a leash on that wild pegasus.” “WHY YOU LITTL-.“ Rainbow Dash’s insult was cut off as Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof. “Calm yourself, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight told her. She turned towards Trixie. “Why are you acting like this toward us? I thought we were friends!” Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying very hard to get out of the librarian’s tight grip. Trixie was enjoying the sight of the unicorn actively restraining the furious pegasus. “That doesn’t seem to be the case, with Rainbow Dash trying to attack me just a bit ago,” Trixie pointed out. “You’re very lucky that I held my associates back, or they would be tearing you into pieces.” The cynogyphon nodded his head in agreement, but the stallion seemed very uneasy with the possibilty of fighting Twilight and her friends. The tension drew taught in the air, as the two unicorns stared each other down. Twilight was trying very hard to look sincere and calm, while Trixie was giving her nothing, except a cold wasteland of hate and envy. Twilight gulped as the showmare stomped her hoof on one of the stage's wooden planks. The two warriors suddenly got into battle stances, the stallion looking very shocked and sorry for what has to come. “Sorry, but it looks like that would be the case,” Trixie apologized with no real concern in her voice. The air around Twilight grew warmer, before the bookworm realized the worst had come to pass. She let go of Rainbow Dash and concentrated on a safe spot to teleport to. She quickly teleported, appearing a few meters away from the circle of fire. Pinkie Pie was high up in the air along with Rainbow Dash, while Spike stayed behind, unharmed by the flames licking his purple scales. Spike shot a few blasts of Dragon’s Breath, while Pinkie Pie brought out a large lollipop. Rainbow Dash was already embedded in combat with the stallion and the cynogryphon, weaving through their attacks with fake copies of herself. Twilight could feel the heat surrounding her again. This time, she made sure to teleport inside the pool of the water fountain. She could feel the coolness of the water, as it washed over her mane. It wasn’t much, but it should provide some protection against Trixie’s burning fire. She pounced on the staged and faced towards Trixie. The showmare saw the coat of water dripping down Twilight and scoffed at the appearance. “It looks like the heroine is willing to get wet to avoid The Great and Powerful Trixie’s wrath,” she insulted Twilight. “Be that way then.” Trixie lowered her horn towards Twilight. The unicorn could see the particles in the air gathering around the magician’s horn, giving it a vivid glow. She was charging up a Magic Missile. Twilight lowered her head to charge up a Magic Missile of her own. She was almost charged up enough to unleash the blast when a booming voice made its presence known in the air. “ENOUGH OF THIS VIOLENCE!” the voice boomed. A light wave blinded Twilight, to the extent she could only see whiteness. As her vision cleared up, she realized her magic was canceled, as well as Trixie’s. That didn’t surprise her as much as the two princesses between the both of them. The ponies around the vicinity bowed as their rulers settled themselves. Twilight realized with horror, that her mentor had probably been watching her actions. She got down to the wooden floor and closed her eyes in fear of disappointing Princess Celestia. “Rise, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice spoke softly, yet sternly. Twilight looked up to see the disappointed look on her mentor’s face. She winced at the stern face she had to see. It was not a good sight to see in your life, as your beloved teacher stared down at you in disapproval, especially since she was the co-ruler of Equestria. Princess Luna was equally looking severe as she gave Trixie the same stare. “What do you have to say, my student?” they both questioned the mares respectively. Twilight’s eyes grew large in surprise. Trixie was a student under Princess Luna? How could she have not known that before? The troubling silence grew until Princess Luna spoke. “We’ll speak of your actions later in the morning,” Luna softly, but sternly spoke. “For now, I would like you to get some rest. You have a big day ahead of you.” Trixie gave Princess Luna a look of sad understanding, and got up from her kneeling position. She glanced at Twilight and shot her a look. Another time. Trixie brightly digitized as she logged off from the game. Her two companions looked at each other before logging off as well. Twilight looked at her friends, to see them looking worried as well. She turned back to Princess Celestia to see what she had to say. “Why did you fight with her?” Celestia asked Twilight, looking on with concern. “Player killing outside of PvP matches is illegal in the game. It promotes unhealthy hatred, and spawn-camping at the Re-Spawn Houses.” “I’m sorry Princess Celestia,” Twilight apologized profusely. “I tried to reason with her but-“ “No buts, my faithful student. I know it’s not your fault, but you could have tried to not retaliate against Trixie.” Celestia shot an irritated look at Luna. The Princess of the Night sheepishly shrugged as she added, “We apologize for our student’s behavior. We’ll try to sort it out with her tomorrow.” Princess Celestia nodded before turning back to her student. “It will be morning soon. You should wake up, you have a big day ahead of you.” The princess rubbed her head against Twilight’s neck with comfort, showing no hard feelings were had. The two goddesses then digitized, as they logged off. Twilight looked up at the sky where Celestia had gone. She then turned to her friends as she walked off the stage. She looked at the troubled mares and her assistant, and tried to give them a warm smile. “See you girls in the morning,” Twilight murmured softly. The girls nodded slowly before Twilight brought up the quit screen and logged off for the night. *Chapter 08: Back into the Real World*Chapter 08: Back into the Real World A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 8~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 Twilight’s irises were greeted by thin streamers of light that were piercing through her window blinds. They splashed around the room, in an array of golden puddles. She winced as Spike opened them up, letting the full force of light shine in her eyes. She squinted her eyes a little, to avoid temporary blindness. There was one thing for sure that the bookworm had determined about the visors. They don’t make very good replacements for sunglasses. She set aside the visor on her nightstand, and went to the bathroom to freshen herself up. Spike, as usual, already brushed his teeth and went downstairs to prepare breakfast. Twilight ran a hot shower, after a minute, she tested the water before stepping into the marble tub, making sure it wasn’t too scalding. She then stepped into the warm rain and completed her regular cycle of lather and rinse with her shampoo and conditioner. As she washed the night sweat away, she thought about Trixie, and last night’s fight in Aeroslida. Why in Equestria didn’t Celestia tell her that Luna had a new student? Was it private information or something? Twilight would understand that, but the ponies around town already knew she was Celestia’s prized pupil. She would have assumed that with Luna gaining a new student, gossip would soon follow. Were they keeping Trixie an absolute secret? Out of sheer frustration, Twilight viciously smashed her hoof against the wall tiles. She heard a tiny crack from the stone walls. This only made her aggravation a bit worse. After a few more stressful poundings to vent her frustration, she looked at the damage she had dealt. The poor wall had a few new cracks in it. The circles of damage were connecting to each other, forming an intricate web design. Twilight sighed as the cracks started to spread on their own. She quickly fixed the growing problem, with a glow of magic. After the refreshing wash she dried herself, until her coat was all fuzzy and soft. She then made her way downstairs, towards the kitchen. A waft of fresh pancake bliss flared up her nostrils. It was a pretty heavenly smell. She sat down on the cushions she used for seats, and waited for Spike to hand out the pancakes. As Spiked handed her plate to her, she saw that he was cooking them with light blueberries. The azure shade of blue reminded her of the showmare. Twilight gave out an audible sigh. “What’s wrong Twilight?” Spike asked, a very concerned look upon his face. “It’s nothing Spike,” she murmured dejectedly. “It doesn’t seem like nothing,” he grumbled. Twilight groaned out of the frustration. “It’s just that- why is Trixie even Luna’s student? It just doesn’t make any sense! I thought we were friends the last time she left Ponyville!” “I don’t know. Maybe she forgot,” Spike suggested to get her confidence up. “But that doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight levitated a fork, and prodded her stack of breakfast cakes in a depressing manner. “She seemed so angry last night.” “W-well, at least you had good intentions.” “But what’s the point of good intentions?” Twilight angrily took a bite out the delectable goodness, then pushed the plate away. “Sorry Spike. I guess I’m not hungry.” Twilight gloomily walked back up the stairs again, and plopped right on the bed. She had no idea what she should do today. Obviously, she should apologize to Trixie, maybe even talk to her for a while. Honestly, she never thought that Trixie would attack her again. Apparently, fate had other plans, and she was going to follow them. She just hoped it won’t end up going down in flames. “Spike!” Twilight called out loudly. “Take a letter to the Princess.” The little dragon came up the stairs with a quill and paper. He dipped the quill in an ink well on Twilight’s nightstand, and waited for Twilight’s words. “Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began. “I’ve been considering my previous actions from last night, as of late. The turmoil and frustration inside me won't stop flowing. I want to put a stop to that, so I’ve made my decision. I'm going to stop by Canterlot for a little visit. I want to strengthen my relationship with Trixie, and hope for that best that she’ll accept me once more. I know I already accepted her. Hope to see you soon. Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” “Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,” Spike repeated as he finished the letter. He rolled the message up into a scroll, tied it with the usual Royal ribbon, and washed it all over with his green fire. The scroll burst into sparkling ashes and floated its way through the window. Twilight started packing her saddlebags for anything she might need for the trip. Maybe she’ll stop by Sugarcube Corner for a little apology treat she could offer. That would be a nice thing to do for Trixie, right? “Twilight, are you sure it’s such a good idea to see Trixie?” Spike asked, doubt obviously edged in his voice. “Yes,” she replied to him with assurance. “If I don’t resolve that matter with Trixie, nothing good will come of it. A wise pony once said that actions speak louder than words. I’m pretty sure that both the visit and the apology combined, will form an even greater combination.” Spike was about to say something, but then he started to look a bit queasy. He burped up more green flames, with a scroll in tow. Twilight captured the scroll in mid-air with magic and unveiled the letter with ease. Dear my most faithful student, I understand that you would like to fix the bridge between you and my sister’s student, but perhaps you could wait for a day? Ms. Lulamoon has been getting a bit difficult as of late. Not even Luna could get a moment to talk with her about you. I won’t stop you from coming over, but perhaps you could maybe avoid her for a day. I would love to have tea with you sometime, while you’re here. It’s been a while since we’ve had a conversation face to face. With utmost sincerity, Princess Celestia “Trixie doesn’t want to see you?” Spike questioned her uneasily. He was reading the letter along over the mare's shoulder with her. “I don’t think so Spike,” Twilight told him. “She seemed to be just as frustrated as I, only more irritated.” Twilight swung her bags over her back, and started for the door. She felt a pull on one of them. She looked down to see Spike nervously fidgeting with his claws. “Um, can I come with you?” Spike asked quietly. “Sorry Spike, but somebody needs to watch the library while I’m gone. I get the feeling I’ll be in Canterlot for a long time.” “Okay,” Spike looked down dejectedly, as he adjusted the bags' straps. The bags felt a bit more comfortable on her now. “Just be careful, alright?” Twilight gave him a warm hug and rubbed one of her cheeks against his own. “Don’t worry, I will.” Twilight watched Spike close the door behind her as she made her way for the train station. The skies seemed to be clear as day, with the sun smacked right on its blue canvas. It seemed to her that her mentor was trying to make her day a bit brighter, but Twilight didn’t feel any chipper. She noticed a cyan blur pop out from one of the hoofful of clouds in the sky, and was making a beeline for her. Twilight slowed to a trot as Rainbow Dash glided down towards her. “Hey Twilight!” Rainbow Dash flittered in the space next to the bookworm so she would stay in mid-air. “What’s up?” Twilight considered telling her about Trixie, but held back at the last second. “Oh ummm, I’m just going for a walk!” “Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes,” Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “Just a regular old walk.” “Really?” she asked, this time with doubt. “That’s a lot of stuff to be carrying for a, ‘simple walk.’” Dash did hoof gestures to emphasize her increasing suspicion. “Are you going somewhere?” “Errrrr,” Twilight mangled the excuse she was going to give. She would have expected this type of questioning from Applejack, but Rainbow Dash completely threw her off. What was she supposed to say now? She couldn’t just tell the headstrong pegasus that she was going to visit Trixie. She could say she was going to Canterlot, but that would obviously lead Dash to asking another question. Just as she was considering her thoughts, Spike rushed from the treehouse with a small booklet in his hand. “Twilight! You forgot your train pass,” Spike yelled as he ran towards them. By the time he handed Twilight the pass, he collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Twilight nervously turned back towards Rainbow Dash. She was glaring at the anxious bookworm, looking quite demanding for a proper answer. “Oh,” and Spike mentioned, breathing heavily with each word. “When you... Get there... Tell Trixie... I said hi...” He then took a small nap right on the spot. “TRIXIE?!” Twilight winced as Dash yelled the name at the top of her lungs. She rubbed the side of her ears, to ease the pain they just experienced. She could feel herself feeling a little panicky. The beads of sweat were more than enough proof for her. “How could you go see Trixie!?” Rainbow Dash bellowed. “That showmare is nothing but a big show off!” “Please, Rainbow Dash. You must understand that this is a very serious matter,” Twilight explained reassuringly. “I don’t want to have any problems with Trixie, so I’m going over there to apologize an-“ “You’re gonna say sorry?!” came another exclamation from the pegasus, as she pointed a hoof at her. Twilight could feel her ears bursting a little. She rubbed her forehead from the headache she was developing before she spoke, “Yes. I’m going to say sorry to Trixie.” Dash couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She started to say something, and then touched down on the ground with undeniable fury. She repetitively stomped on the earth to emphasize her stand on the situation. She huffed and puffed, circled around in the spot, than gave Twilight a hard and long stare. After what seemed to be hours, the athlete groaned loudly and shot up in the air. Twilight looked up to see the cyan blur slowly turning into a spectrum of colors. A low rumble could be heard in the space above her. It was like the sound of thunder in the distance. She tried to continue her walk, trying not to think of what her other friends might think of her decision. Dash would obviously tell the others. This wasn’t a small matter to them, and it wasn’t one to Twilight either. She could see the train station as she turned around the corner of a building. The train itself was slowing to a stop as it arrived. Twilight quickened her pace to a trot, because she might as well get there before any more of her friends show up with more questions. “Twilight! Wait!” Twilight looked behind her to see a gaggle of mares, including Pinkie Pie, chasing after her. She gulped and broke into an all-out gallop. “Stop runnin’ yah hear?” Applejack shouted worriedly. “We jus’ wanna talk!” “No!” she yelled back. 'Almost there!' she thought quickly. “Why not, my dear Twilight?” Rarity daintily shouted over. “There’s no need for you to act so unreasonable with us!” Twilight tried to ignore the comment, and kept on going. She attempted to teleport past a crowd of ponies to throw them off, but Rainbow Dash was flying above the open channels, guiding the group of friends through a safe course. Twilight tried teleporting again, but she was already tired from running all this way. Twilight thought to herself that she needs to get into better shape. She was almost there at the gates, when all of a sudden; Rainbow Dash tackled her into the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” Rarity yelled at her. “There was no need to pummel her like that!” “Well she wouldn’t stop!” Dash justified herself. “That is no excuse to treat a friend that way!” “But she was-“ she was cut off by Rarity, is what she was. “No! Excuse!” each word was punctuated with a stomp of a hoof. As Rarity and Rainbow Dash were arguing over each other, Twilight dusted herself off. Applejack was trying to settle the two down, but had no luck in subduing the two mares. Fluttershy tried to speak over them, but couldn’t bring herself to anything more than a tiny whimper. Pinkie Pie was yelling as well, but she was chatting about how gummy worms were a different species from earth worms. Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. “It was my choice, okay!” Twilight screamed, silencing the other five simultaneously. The sudden outburst stopped the entire dispute. Twilight could feel all of her friends’ eyes paying close attention to her. The few other ponies in the vicinity also looked over to see what all the fuss was about, but made no other movements to get closer. A vegetable stand was knocked over, and a cute and adorable voice could be heard throughout the town, along with the wail of a vegetable farmer. “Opps! My bad!” “Nooo! My cabbages!” the farmer cried dejectedly. “Twilight my dear,” Rarity began. “Is it really necessary to go to-“ “Yes!” Twilight insisted impatiently. “I’m not about to let this pass me by.” “But why to her?” Rainbow Dash questioned Twilight, disgust in her tone. “I can’t stand that show off!” “Please, Dash,” Applejack immediately replied. “You’re not making this any better.” “Oh what? You’re taking her side now?” she accused Applejack, pointing a hoof at the mare. “What ah’m sayin’ is that what Twilight is doing now doesn’t change anything,” she explained her reasoning simply. She turned her attention towards Twilight, “What ah’m curious about is this: why?” Twilight sighed and explained to the girls of what happened between her and Trixie the last time they talked. Trixie was sincerely sorry for what she had done, and they both left on good terms, but for reasons unknown to Twilight, the mare attacked her in the game last night. After placing out her reasons for visiting Canterlot, Rainbow Dash huffed and puffed. “I don’t know Twilight. Maybe she still hates us,” she grumbled childishly. “Trixie was really ashamed of her actions, Rainbow,” Twilight repeated, her tone scolding. She turned to regard the rest of the group,“I’m just not sure what happened to her. It seemed like we had such a good friendship.” “Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “But that was only for a moment. You did say she’d left Ponyville after that fancy magic show you presented to Princess Celestia and those Saddle Arabian nobles right? A lot could have happened between now and then.” “Maybe,” Twilight considered Applejack's suspicions as she pawed at the ground. “I know what you all are thinking, but I’m going to Canterlot alone.” “WHAT?!” The mares were suddenly bombarding Twilight with questions. They were mostly about why wouldn’t she bring her friends with her. There was the occasional whine from Rarity; how she wouldn’t be able to get another look at Canterlot's dress style. It kinda broke her heart to shock them with this news, but it was necessary. Chances are, Trixie will probably rather like to talk with her alone, than with her and all of her friends at once. She turned her back towards the others. “Sorry everypony,” Twilight heaved a sigh. “I’ll be back soon.” The others all gave Twilight a gloomy, pouty face. Rainbow Dash was more of a grumbling stare, but she had a shine of grief in her eyes as well. They knew they would never be able to talk her out of this mess. “Alright sugarcube,” Applejack concluded the discussion sorrowfully. “We hope you have a nice trip, but be sure to tell Trixie we all said hi. If she’s as sorry as you say she was, then ah would kindly like to share a mug of cider with her, someday.” Twilight turned back with a sincere smile, “Of course I will.” Twilight could see her friends waving goodbye, when she picked out her seat in one of the train booths. She waved back to them, and kept on waving until Ponyville disappeared from sight. She let loose a breath of relief from her lungs as all the tension passed away from her spirit. That wild confrontation was exhausting! She wouldn’t want to be in that type situation ever again! She knew that her friends would react that way, but she would have thought Rainbow Dash would be the one to try to stop her. Then again, the pegasus was always rushing to action. Twilight allowed herself a small and quiet chuckle. She was kind of happy they would be so concerned about her, but this was one path she would have to walk alone. Well, at least for the time being. She hoped her friends would slowly start accepting Trixie as well, at least Applejack seemed keen on that. As these thoughts circled around her mind a uniformed train conductor stopped by and asked for her ticket. He was an old, brown coated stallion with a grey mane and beard. She hoofed the ticket to him, and took back a hole-punched slip.“Thank you for riding F.S.T. Express today, Miss. Sparkle,” the conductor tipped his navy blue cap to her. “We’ll be arriving Canterlot shortly. Enjoy your trip.” “Thank you,” Twilight replied as she watched him go. Twilight yawned a little bit and decided to take a quick nap. She would need to conserve her energy for the royal city. She came too when the train whistle blew a high pitch sound. The train had arrived at Canterlot, a bustling city as usual. Full of highly esteemed scholars and snobby, rich nobles, just the hometown she remembered growing up in. She remembered being a little bit of both back then, before the entire ‘Nightmare Moon doomsday’ thing, and the discovery of the Elements of Harmony. Before she even met her friends. She hummed a nostalgic tune as she walked through the crowds, making her way to the castle. It was a pretty quick trip. Nopony tried to stop and talk to her as she passed them. Either they were too busy, or they didn’t recognize her. It was probably both. Even though everypony in Equestria knew about the Elements of Harmony, they didn’t exactly quite know what the true identities of their bearers were. Only the residents of Ponyville knew, because she and her friends all lived there. Either way, it was pretty convenient for Twilight. She wouldn’t have to worry about celebrity-hungry ponyrazzi or random waves of fans impeding her. After a quick trot, she made it at the gates. She showed the guards her official identification as usual, and they let her in. “Good morning Ms. Sparkle,” one of the guard mares spoke. “Celestia was expecting you.” “Thank you,” Twilight replied as she trotted through the gates. “You have a good day Ms. Sparkle,” she called after. She then resumed her usual position. Twilight nodded towards the guards’ direction, and looked back at the castle. The stone walls were shining a bright sheen of white. The golden rims and domes helped capture the glory of the sun’s bright rays as they reflected its light. A flair of purple also dotted the outlines of the windows, along with an army of banners and flags. Twilight wasted no time, as she made her way to the throne room, where Princess Celestia was most likely residing in. Her guess wasn’t wrong as she stepped into its halls. Celestia smiled and stepped down from her throne to greet her beloved pupil. They both nuzzled each other warmly, before the goddess shooed away the guards from their duties, and walked Twilight down the halls. “It’s good to see you, my student,” Celestia welcomed her student in her heavenly tone. “It’s good to see you too Princess,” Twilight replied with joy in her voice. “I suppose you’re here for Trixie, am I correct?” “Absolutely.” Twilight adopted a look of concern. “What happened to her? Why is she mad at me again?” “I’m not sure Twilight,” Celestia replied regally. “But I’m sure we left off last time as good friends!” Twilight insisted rather loudly. She couldn’t understand why Trixie would want to fight her. Celestia shrugged with her wings. “I’m sure you two still are. The reasons for Lulamoon’s behavior last night though are rather… oh how do I put this, clouded?” Twilight only looked on, hoping to gleam a spark of an answer from her adored mentor’s eyes. None appeared. “All I know is,” Celestia continued solemnly. “Is that I’ve ended up speaking to Trixie about this. She would actually very much like to talk to you.” “She does?” one of Twilight's eyebrows quirked skyward at that. Celestia nodded to her short question. Both student and teacher happened upon a set of large, midnight-blue, double doors. They were decorated with a cluster of glorious stars that seemed to twinkle brightly. A sprinkle of nebulous clouds were scattered across its canvas, along with a large, silver moon complimenting the center of the two doors. “Is this…?” Twilight asked, not sure what to say next about her revelation. “Yes, Twilight,” Celestia confirmed Twilight's half-asked question. “This is my sister’s room.” Celestia pushed the doors wide open, revealing a rather simplistic kind of room. The walls were lined with posters of various video games, including those of Trot 4 Dead 2 and Haylo 4. A majestic, starry-blue bed however made itself known in the space. The blankets and pillows on it all had a certain theme to the night sky. A large plasma television could be seen out of the corner of Twilight’s eye. Its wide screen faced towards the bed, making it very convenient for any of its viewers to lie on the cushy mattress. An open balcony could be entered from the far side of the room. A line of silky, light blue curtains covered the entryway to the spacious terrace. The center of Twilight’s focus, however, was what was in front of her. Directly in front of her, at the base of the bed, was a small coffee table. Sitting across from each other was the azure showmare, and the night princess herself. A powerful, chestnut brown stallion was sitting on the side between the two mares. They were both in the middle of a card match while the stallion was watching intensely. It was Magic: The Gathering. An awkward moment passed as they looked up from their interrupted game. The ponies stared at each other, with the centerpiece being between Trixie and Twilight. If Trixie was mad at Twilight, she didn’t show it. She had quite the poker face on her. The staring continued until Luna coughed. “Oh excuse me! Oh dear if you look at the time,” Luna started quickly as she looked down at a nonexistent watch on her hoof. She took hold of the stallion’s ear by the teeth and pulled him away, out the door. “Ow owow owow!” the stallion cried out loudly. “Please! Watch the ear, your majesty!” “Now’s not the time, Paladin!” Luna forcibly chuckled, giving him an intent stare from the corner of her eye. He gave an audible gulp. As the two passed, Twilight could see that he had three patches of black on his flank, with twin broad swords crossing each other on the blank prints. His mane was a darker brown variety. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that he looked a bit familiar. That passed when Celestia nudged her towards Trixie. Celestia leaned down to Twilight's ear and whispered, “I’ll leave you two alone.” Celestia. The princess that had taught her mostly everything magic trick she knew, the one mare that won her undying loyalty to, the fair goddess who she could always depend on, had just left her in a room. Alone with one who could possibly be a friend, or her worst enemy. She turned around and gave Trixie a nervous smile. “He-e-ey Trixie,” Twilight grinned anxiously, stumbling over her greeting somewhat. “What’s up?” *Chapter 09: Canterlot Nights & Morning Headaches*Chapter 09: Canterlot Nights & Morning Headaches A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 9~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) “So uh, how’s life?” “Fine,” came a simple reply. “Okay… beautiful weather we’re having.” “It’s nice…” Twilight was panicking that she might have already broken the twig. Why was Trixie being so distant with her? She wouldn’t even look at her. She was just staring at the wall! Why? Why? How was she going to get to the sorry part, if they couldn’t even find common ground?! Twilight moaned a bit, and walked circles in place. It was a bad and embarrassing habit of hers, but she couldn’t help to do so right now. When she finished her tiny tantrum, she looked back at Trixie. The mare was giving her weird looks. It looked like she was trying to comprehend what on earth Twilight was doing. She blushed madly. She didn’t think Trixie would see! ‘Of course she was going to see!’ Twilight angrily scolded to herself. ‘You’re standing right in front of her!’ “You know, it’s kinda funny how I’m here in this room. With you. Just the two of us in Luna’s room.” Twilight chuckled lightly to try to elevate the atmosphere. It failed. Trixie went back to staring at the wall. She was looking nervous as well. Twilight saw this as strange. Wasn’t Trixie really riled up last night? “Is everything alright?” Twilight asked sincerely. She then launched into her apology, “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.” ‘Well that was easy,’ Twilight miserably thought. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Trixie quietly answered her question. “I’m doing fine.” Yet, Trixie was looking very guilty and awkward as Twilight herself felt right now. Honestly, Twilight couldn’t help that Trixie should be feeling the same way Twilight did. She had no idea what wrong she did to Trixie. She could feel her bad side egging her on, You should show that bitch what for! Nopony starts a duel with Twilight and gets away with it! Especially in video games! Her good side, however, replied with, Don’t listen to the red meanie! She’s everything that stands for bad! If I were you, I would give her a hug! Hugs always make others feel better! You should know, Pinkie Pie gives them all the time! Those thoughts jockeyed for control in her mind for a few seconds, before the hug thought won out. Nothing more, nothing less. It was just a clear stream of commands telling her body to embrace Trixie. A hug wouldn’t hurt, right? Twilight rushed over to mare, and gave her a comforting squeeze. The magician was taken aback from the sudden embrace, but didn’t make any moves to stop Twilight. “W-what are you doing?” Trixie asked uneasily, stammering her words somewhat. “Giving you a hug.” Twilight gave her a quick smile and another squeeze. Twilight held that hug for a few soothing moments, before she let go. She chuckled awkwardly and sat on the other side of the table. She looked at the cards that were abandoned from the interrupted game. “So, what were you two doing?” Twilight casually asked. “Princess Luna was just teaching me in the form of a game. She hid its moral quite well,” Trixie picked up a card with six mares on it before continuing, “The trick was to use everything I had, to win. Be resourceful and all. This card was what made me realize what the lesson was truly about.” She shifted attentively. “Also, it reminded me of a certain mare,” at that, Trixie looked away to the balcony outside. Twilight’s eyes widened at Trixie’s last statement. She politely brought her hoof out, her body language asking if she could see the card. Trixie passed the card to her. Twilight looked it over with extreme interest. It was just as she thought. The six mares in the picture had somewhat resembled Twilight and her friends. The complete set of the Bearers of Harmony. “Hey, um, Twilight?” Twilight looked up from the card to see Trixie rubbed her forehooves nervously. She gave a shaky, but serene, smile. “Since you’re in Canterlot and all, how bout we go around for a bit. There’s a festival happening tonight.” Twilight wanted to say no, and get to her visit's point, but Trixie seemed eager to show her around. Well… as eager as Fluttershy would. She decided to go along with Trixie's plan for now. Twilight felt that they could use a little bonding time. Besides, she could use a little relaxation. Her muscles were all stressed from the journey. “Sure, why not?” Twilight excitedly replied. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ She could see a whole team of unicorns magically setting up the entire City's canvas. Strings holding up red and green orbs were in the process of being hung from building to scaling building, and some of the beautiful evergreen trees were decorated with bright and colorful ornaments as others had the finishing touches added to them. The lights on the trees were lit up, showing off a vibrant aura of color. Even though it was broad daylight, Twilight had to look away from the blinding wonder. The mare that was assigned to them quickly dimmed them, while a group of stallions and mares were singing a chorus. Twilight mentally knocked herself in the head for her forgetfulness. In her hurry, she forgot that it was almost Hearth Warming’s Eve. She should probably take a look around, in hopes of finding a proper gift for each of her friends back home. Of course, there was also Shining Armor, she quickly thought he could probably go for a new suit, Cadance, who perhaps wanted a scrapbook? She got a letter from her earlier announcing the soon-to-be newborn, Princess Celestia, whom Twilight never could figure out what she wanted, and Trixie… “GAH!!” Twilight exclaimed as she broke out of her stupor. “Is something wrong?” Trixie looked at Twilight with concern. Twilight quickly wiped the sweat off her brow, “Nothing! Nothing!” She then considered her thoughts, and decided to go for it. There’s no point to beating around the bush anymore. “Actually, no, Trixie. There is something I want to say,” she gently placed a hoof on the showmare’s shoulder. “I really don’t know what I did to hurt you. I don’t know what made you so angry to attack me last night, but if I did something wrong, then I just want to say that I’m sorry.” Trixie just looked at her befuddled, as if Twilight told her the definition of a complicated word, and that she still didn’t understand it as she replied, “T-that’s why you were acting so weird around me?” “Y-yeah. Why?” Trixie shuffled her hooves on the cobblestone road. “W-well. To be honest, you haven’t done anything wrong. I’m the only one that was in the wrong last night.” It was Twilight’s turn to be confused now and she posed a question, “Then why did you attack me last night?” The tables seemed to have switched, with Trixie growing anxious while Twilight was looking on confusedly. “Well, the thing is... I was kind of a bit je-“ “Trixie! Is that you?” a voice suddenly interjected. The two mares turned around to see a cute-looking brown colt, with a green, spiky mane rushing towards them. He had a cutie mark of a golden bowl with a ball of flames lighting the insides of it. The colt pointed at the row of street lamps lining the stone roads. “We want to give the lights inside of it a really nice glow, but our main decorator caught the sniffles. Think you could lend us a hoof?” “Sure Passion,” Trixie smiled serenely. The azure mare wasted no time at all as her horn glowed with magic. A swarm of light blue orbs flew around her, as her horn’s aura grew brighter. The orbs then shot at each lamp’s glass case, bouncing around the insides of it a little before staying still. The stunning effect gave off a nice afterglow to the lamps. An illusion of candy canes and golden bells, was displayed around some lamps. Some others had crescent moons and sparkling stars. The ponies around the square were struck with awe as they appreciated the lighting display. The pony Trixie called Passion, gave her a light shoulder punch. “That was awesome! Thanks Trixie. You always know how to light up a show,” he looked over to Twilight. “So, who’s your friend?” Trixie gestured towards her before speaking, “Oh, this is Twilight Sparkle. She’s a fellow apprentice, like me.” “Oooh!” he realized. He gave Twilight a knowing wink, “You’re Princess Celestia’s student right? Trixie told me a whole lot about you. Well, allow me to introduce myself and the others.” He quickly turned and pointed at himself and the others as he called out their respective names. “I’m Passionate Light, and these are my friends: Amiable Starstreak, Feather Duster, and Bolt Strike.” Amiable Starstreak was a confident, yellow pegasus mare, with a blue and orange mane. Her cutie mark was a falling star, with a trailing of smaller stars following it. Feather Duster was a shy, light-brown pegasus mare, whose head wore her simple, white mane beautifully. She grinned a little while showing her cutie mark, a duster with feathers on it. Bolt Strike was an orange pegasus colt, with a showy, yellow mane that looked like it could have been zapped by a lightning bolt. It certainly looked like one. His cutie mark was an outburst of three lightning bolts, all parallel to each other. He looked as gleeful as an athlete who just won the gold medal. “Say Trixie,” Amiable started with a small grin. “It’s almost getting dark, and we were planning to hit the club tonight. Wanna come with? Twilight can come along too if she wants.” “Sure,” Trixie quickly answered with glee. She gave Twilight a sly grin. “I don’t know about you, but this night club amazing.” “Drinks are on me,” Amiable offered. “Well-l-l,” Twilight droned on. The thing is, Twilight never went drinking before. If she had the slightest clue of what night clubs offered, which she did, it was alcoholic beverages. Her mom warned that if she wasn’t careful, she could end up on the wrong bed, which, by the way, was how she met her husband met. Good thing it ended beautifully for the both of them. Still, she couldn’t stop there. Trixie was just about to reveal something to her earlier, but she didn’t quite get to finish it. She might as well stick around for the ride. “Sure,” Twilight accepted Amiable's offer. “Where’s this club at?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight found herself at the entrance of Jazz Beau et Techno. She had a slight clue of what beau could stand for, but jazz and techno were clear enough. She never heard of this club before, she never tried to explore Canterlot to find its many hidden gems, but she knew what to expect out of the place. The suave bouncer let them in, nodding to both Amiable and Trixie. It seemed that the two mares were well known in the city. Twilight remembered getting those approving looks from others back then. She still noticed them today as she walked around with the others. A soul-lifting spell greeted Twilight as she entered the club halls. She could see the small band of ponies playing the tune, with a dark cyan-blue pegasus at the lead, wielding a brass saxophone as her instrument of power. She had a wild blue-and-red mane, and looked like she was enjoying herself immensely. Strangely, the player looked quite familiar to Twilight. As much as she wanted to find out her identity, she had a goal to achieve here. She could always get to that later. Everywhere, ponies were walking up to Trixie and Amiable. They were giving them polite greetings and hoofshakes. They were quite friendly with Twilight and the others as well. The bartender noticed them, and quickly filled with a plate of drinks for the group. He hit every single glass with the utmost of accuracy, making sure not a drop of precious liquid was missed. He placed the platter of the tall glasses onto the glass counter. “We’re glad to have you here,” the bartender then tipped his white cap to them and headed off to take care to the other clubbers’ needs. Passionate leaned towards Twilight’s ear and whispered as best he could over the music, “Amiable is one of Canterlot’s more recent social powerhouses. She has strong ties with the great Octavia and DJ-Pon3, which is why we were easily allowed in. She’s also an avid volunteer with many of Canterlot’s events and charities. Amiable was often the co-leader of most of them.” “How did you get to know her?” Twilight whispered back. “Childhood friend,” he winked. “We go way back,” he turned and looked at Amiable with a look, as if remembering exactly how far back they went. “Passion!” Amiable walked up to him with a drink in hoof. “We’re about to hit the dance floors soon,” She downed the entire glass of the crimson liquid in one gulp. She still looked like she could go for more as she offered, “Wanna come?” “Sure!” they both scampered off to one of the nearby dance floors. Passionate and Amiable went off to join the others. Trixie stayed behind with Twilight. She magically floated the tall glass towards her. “Care to try some?” Trixie asked, turning to Twilight. Twilight hesitatingly went for the glass, and then shook her head. “Is it safe?” “Don’t worry. I asked the bartender to water it down. Besides, it’s re-e-eally good.” Trixie was lightly rubbing the rim of the glass along Twilight’s cheeks as she gave Twilight an honest grin. Twilight decided to give in and try it. As the liquid splashed around her mouth, she instantly tasted apples. The crimson spices and flavor were dropping shells of excitement onto her taste buds. Her eyes gave a little happy twitch as they derped a little. The wave of intense zest smacked into her like a sunny Saturday morning. She knew the taste anywhere. “Is this apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres,” she mused aloud to herself. “The one and the same,” Trixie confirmed Twilight's thought. “Your friend really knows how to brew a mean drink. This one time, I tried a small glass of the strongest barrel. I was immediately knocked out when the drink touched my-“ “Trixie? Are you gonna get that flank on the dance floor, or what?” Amiable shouted, looking over. “Coming!” Trixie gave Twilight an awkward smile. “We should talk later.” Trixie downed the rest of her drink in one gulp before heading back to the others. She made sure to hand the drink over to the bartender before heading off to join the others. Twilight sighed and took a place at one of the counter seats. She heard the mic pitch ring, as a pony adjusted it before speaking. “Welcome ladies and gentlecolts! How’re we all doing tonight?” The crowd answered with a cheer. “Well then, I’m happy to announce that your night is about to get tangy! These two don’t need a long intro, because their presence speaks for themselves. Please welcome, the ever beautiful and musical extraordinaires: DJ-Pon3 and Octavia!” The chorus of roars was amplified even louder as the denizens of the club rooted for the legendary duos to step up the plate. Octavia had her classical, wooden cello at her disposal, along with her small team of players ready to support her. DJ-Pon3 was rising up from the depths of the stage, her platform lifting her up along with her chosen deck of silver turntables, and a twin pair of night-black sound-blasting basses. A thin curtain of smoke was floating up as well, temporarily shrouding the disc jockey and her purple shades. The two nodded to each other before starting the beat. The crowds at the tables and lounge chairs applauded for a bit, before nodding their head to the beat. Some of them relaxed a bit as they calmly listened to the gorgeous melody of classical and dubstep being strung together. The dancers were at their best, as they weaved a couple attractive moves together. Twilight felt her soul being lifted up again, but was then dampened as she saw Trixie enjoying herself. She was still racking her brain at trying to figure out the mare. What was she going to say? It was something about ‘je-‘. What did ‘je-‘ stand for? As she thought long and hard about the puzzle, before a hoof tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to see the same cyan pegasus smiling at her. From afar, the familiar musician looked like a mare, but now that she got to see the pegasus up close, the coltish features started to show up. She knew that face anywhere (kind of). “Sound Wave?” she voiced her thought. “That’s right!” he gleefully answered. He took a seat next to Twilight. “I was starting to wonder when you’ll take full notice of me, but you wouldn’t give me a second glance,” he shot a sly look at her. “You were just too busy with that marefriend of yours. The one in the purple cape, am I right?” Twilight warmly blushed red as she stammered, “W-what? No! We’re just friends! That’s all!” Sound Wave gave a light chuckle before hoof bumping her shoulder. “Relax Twilight, I’m only kidding. It’s great to actually see you in real life.” Twilight nodded warmly as she agreed. The last time they met, it was in Equestrian Earth, when Twilight and her friends faced against Paperback and his team in the battle arena. After the battle, the two groups of ponies became fast friends. Sound Wave smiled a bit before looking at her curiously. “So, what’s a mare like you doing up in Canterlot? Official business?” he asked. “Kind of,” Twilight groaned in annoyance. She quickly explained to Sound Wave the reason why she was in Canterlot. The battle she and Trixie had, the morning her friends found out about her plan, the moment she met with Trixie, all the way up to here at the club. Sound Wave nodded at each and every single detail, giving Twilight his full attention. After she was done, he pondered for a moment before answering, “Well Twilight, I don’t know what to say except, play it cool. Trixie’s bound to tell you what’s up.” “I know,” Twilight fumed. “It’s just that these distractions...” she gritted her teeth in annoyance. “They just keep butting in! All I wanted was a quiet conversation with Trixie. Why can’t I have that?!” “Whoa, calm down Twilight! Your mane is smoking,” Sound Wave pointed at the white wisps flowing from her hair. Twilight panicked lightly before patting out the tiny sparks. She heavily sighed again, and moped a little on the counter. Sound Wave as about to suggest something, until one of his friends called him over. “Sorry Twilight, I gotta go. It was nice talking to you.” Sound Wave spoke as he slid off his seat. “You too,” Twilight slowly answered back. He gave her a quick nod before trotting off, leaving Twilight to wallow a bit in her wonderings. The lively night droned on for a long time as the ponies around her partied like it was doomsday, Faust forbid. Twilight tried her best to enjoy her time, but her questions still came back to haunt her consciousness. She tried to find Trixie in the crowd, but she found herself lost in a deep sea of light, music, drinks, and ponies. Colorful, colorful ponies. She gave up trying to find Trixie before going back to her spot at the counter. She rubbed her head a little from the tiny headache she was developing. As she moaned in exasperation, she looked up again to see Trixie at the counter all by her lonesome. Twilight saw her window of opportunity, and dived right in. “Hey Trixie! Listen, we need to talk.” Twilight grabbed Trixie and swiveled her around so that they would be facing each other. She was met with a mare smelling of strong apple cider. “Not naww! Can’t cha see am busy?” Trixie drawled drunkenly. “Trixie? Are you okay?” “Mmmmhm, Yesh! Twizz is per-fact-ly ffiine.” Trixie slurred and took another swing of cider. Twilight snatched the glass away from her, “I think you had enough, Trixie.” She seemed to disagree with Twilight, as the fact was that she desperately tried to get her glass of cider back. The two shared an awkward dance as Trixie quested for her precious drink. Her violet eyes spun circles in a dizzy state. She was giggling as if she was sharing a nice tickle. “Twalight! Stahp it,” Trixie laughed. “Yuur making the room spin.” Twilight ended up putting the glass down on the counter discreetly, making sure Trixie didn’t notice. She then tried to have Trixie stand up straight, but that epically failed when she stumbled a bit. The two mares crashed to the ground, with Trixie all sprawled on top of her. She was cuddling up to Twilight now, enjoying Twilight's nice warmth in her drunken state. “Trixie, how many drinks had you have?” Twilight demanded in a calm tone. “Ah lost’sh count afta twenie something,” Trixie nuzzled her a bit. “U smell nice.” “Umm, thanks?” 'Well that escalated quickly,' Twilight thought. She grunted a little as she hoisted the drunken mare onto her back. She searched around for the others. “Where’s Aimiable and the others?” Twilight asked the tired mare. “Ah don’t know,” she drawled even more. “I rememba dancin’!” Twilight looked at the dance floor, but it was hard to spot anypony's distinguishable features. The ponies loved to dance, and they do it fast. It was like watching a bunch of sea currents intertwine at a swirling whirlpool. It was that hard to keep track of one pony in there. She gave up after a few minutes of searching, and decided to find a quiet, soft place to place Trixie. While she couldn't find a quiet spot, she certainly found a spare couch with fluffy cushions. Nopony was occupying it, so she causally tossed the mare onto the sofa. She was about to take her place on the couch, until Trixie dragged her in close with a giggle. Twilight tried to break free from her grip, but Trixe had a fast hold on her. This mare was freakishly strong! Twilight was about to pull of some telekinesis to solve the issue, but then Trixie whispered softly into her ears. “Hey! Hey Twalight! Ah have a secret to tell you!” she whispered softly, giggling a little bit at the end. Twilight’s ears perked up at this notification. She waited so long for this moment, that she wasn't about to let this slide. “Go on.” “Ookay, but you can’t tell Twalight! She’ll just get mad at me, ookay Twalight?” ‘Twalight’ couldn’t help but grin at Trixie’s statement as she responded, “Okay Trixie, I won’t tell Twilight.” “You promish?” Twilight performed the honorary Pinkie Promise. It seemed appropriate. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Trixie took a moment before answering. Her words came out in meshes, but the meaning was very clear. “I’m jealous of Twalight.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. Trixie was jealous? Of her? The hug might be tight, but she stayed quiet to let her continue her story.. “It’s just that, ah never knew what made Twalight so talented. She had an aweshome amount of skhills compared to me. When ah was made Luna’s student, I found out that Twalight was takin’ lessons from Celestia. That made me weally jealous, and ah wanted to prove mahshelf to her, so I gave her dah cold shoulders and challenged her again.” Trixie slowly shook her head, and quietly shed a tear. “Ah’m a horrible friend. Ah shouldn’t have done that. Now Twalight ish mad at me.” Twilight’s heart broke a little when she heard that. She felt Trixie loosen her grip on her. She wanted to break free from the embrace, but she instead turned around and returned Trixie’s hug. She stroke her silver-blue mane. “Don’t worry Trixie. I’m pretty sure Twilight isn’t mad at you,” Twilight comforted her drunken friend. “Weally?” “Really,” Twilight nodded as best she could, given the circumstances. Trixie yawned a little. “Well, that’sh good. Ah’m gunna shleep fur a bit.” Twilight gently smiled. “You go ahead and do that.” She waited until she heard the small snores of the Great and Sleepy Trixie. She attempted to get out, but Trixie regained a tight lock around her. She then yawned a little. Her eyelids drooped a little to the sound of the musical beat of Octavia and DJ-Pon3. Her head nodded a bit before her mind dozed off. Her vision turned black as she slept quietly beside her friend. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight groaned a for a moment as she woke up. It was a bright morning obviously, from the rays of light that was streaming through the windows. The club seemed dead, as there weren't any melodies filling the air, and most of the ponies from last night had left. Only a couple were left, some of them in lazy states like her. The music however was still banging on her eardrums, leaving a morning headache in her mind. Trixie was lightly snoring beside her, stilling hugging Twilight from last night. It wasn’t as tight as before, so she was easily able to slide out of it. Twilight felt around her mane, only to be met with the texture of dreaded bed hair. She scolded herself for not bring a brush with her. As she tried her best to comb the messy nest to a more appropriate look, she was greeted with a familiar cough from behind. The blood in her veins froze as fear held a tight grip over her throat. With wide eyes, she slowly turned around to be met with a certain prismatic daredevil friend of hers. “Twilight, you are so screwed,” Rainbow Dash chuckled arrogantly. *Chapter 10: Gaming with Trixie [Revised]*Chapter 10: Gaming with Trixie [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 10~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) --------------------- Last Morning --------------------- Rainbow Dash kept on waving as the train carried itself away, towards the shining castle known as Canterlot. She kept the smiling poker face she wore up, until the train turned around the bend of trees, completely out of sight. She dropped the faux grin, and gave Applejack a demanding look. Applejack, despite being an honest mare, had a sly shine in her eyes. “We’re going to be tagging along, aren’t we?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack simply nodded, putting an end to her suspicions. “Of course we’re gonna. I am a might too curious of what Trixie has been up to lately. We haven’t seen her in a while,” she then looked at Pinkie Pie expectantly. “Got everything we need?” The party pony nodded immediately, absolutely bursting with excitement. It was as if her body was fueled by three certain blank-flanks on the verge of acquiring a cutie mark. “Yepperoni! I got everything we could possibly need for this adventure.” She pulled out five pairs of saddlebags from out of nowhere. It earned her a couple of perplexed looks, but her friends simply chalked it up to Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She handed them all their supplies, everything they could need for the trip. Rainbow Dash opened up hers to see a bunch of high tech-looking equipment. The bag was full of gadgets, with some of them had blinking lights and wizzy looking levers. Others looked like they may have come straight out of a Con Mane movie. Wondering about the gadgets, she raised her eyebrows at Pinkie. “Where the heck did you get these?” Pinkie Pie had a sly smile on her face as she spoke, “I had some spare time to make these swell babies. Twilight helped me earlier with some blueprints.” She pulled out a couple of blue scrolls out of her bag. The party mare’s oval eyes brightened up like stars, “I asked Twilight if I could borrow them. I knew that they would be helpful for our vacation to the Crystal Empire! Where did you think I got that suit?” “For the last time Pinkie,” Applejack chided. “It wasn’t a vacation.” “Oh I don’t know about that Applejack,” Rarity gracefully nodded, agreeing with Pinkie Pie. “The Empire was absolutely gorgeous, and the crystal ponies were absolutely divine!” Rainbow Dash went through the bags, and pulled out a black, latex suit. Similar to the one Pinkie Pie wore during their adventures at the Crystal Empire. It was meant for the most stealthy and devilishly slim of all ponies. In other words, it looked to be a very tight fit, “Seriously Pinkie? This is wa-a-ay too tight to for us. There’s no way we could fit in these!” “Oh, don’t worry your prismatic mane, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity assured her friend. “I’ve made these fabulous suits to fit for all sizes.” Rainbow Dash nodded and roughly stowed the suit back in her bag before she asked, “So how exactly are we gonna get to Canterlot? The train just left.” “Oh don’t worry,” Applejack added, with utmost confidence in her voice. “Ah’ve already got that covered.” She lead the group of mares around the alleyways, weaving her way between a few buildings. They soon arrived at a green hill with a large, familiar, hot-air balloon standing on top of its crown. It had a pair of thick reins strapped to it, ready to be worn by a pair of escorting ponies. The farmer gave Rainbow Dash an apologetic smile. “Sorry Rainbow, but you and Fluttershy are going to be playing chauffeur for us.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ ------------- Present ------------- “And that’s how we got here,” Rainbow summed up her story. She sized up Twilight, and cautiously sniffed her. “Are you sure you two didn’t do anything last night?” Twilight felt her eye twitched a little at the vibrant mare’s question. This was the fifth time she’d been asked today. “For the last time, Rainbow Dash, I didn’t commit any adultery!” “Oh, I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash didn’t sound very convinced. “A lot could have happened at night.” The blue pegasus adopted a smirk upon her lips before adding, “You did always seem to strike me as the crazy one.” Twilight groaned in aggravation, “It was only that one time. I really did believe I was going to be sent to Magic Kindergarten!” Rainbow trotted over to Trixie’s limp body, and started harassing it with pokes. The only rewarding reaction she got out of her was a couple of light snores. Twilight thought it was a bit cute. She wanted to lean forward to get a closer look, but she snapped out of the trance as quickly as it came. She remembered she had a job to do. Trixie’s unconscious form glowed purple, as the librarian levitated the tired mare over her back. She gently lowered her, adjusting the body so that it was a snug fit. Twilight looked around for Trixie’s friends, and found them passed out at a nearby booth. They’ll probably be fine. She thought about how Rainbow Dash might tell the others about this little incident. Not wanting to make the others worry, Twilight gave her a pleading look. “Look Rainbow, you have to promise me that you won’t tell the others,” Twilight begged. “I can’t imagine how they would react.” Rainbow grinned. “Ah don’t worry about it. My lips are sealed.” She then poked Twilight in the ribs with her elbow. “Although, I guess this means I have leverage, don’t I?” “Oh shut up, Rainbow,” Twilight deadpanned. She walked past her chuckling friend. “Relax Twilight,” Rainbow jokingly saluted her. “You have my word. I won’t tell anypony.” Twilight felt her fear fading quickly, and her disapproving glare was quickly replaced with a friendly grin. “Alright, I trust you.” The rainbow mare nodded, “We should get Trixie to Princess Luna, shouldn’t we?” “Yup,” Twilight confirmed, nodding herself. “We should find the others though. Where are they anyway?” Rainbow Dash answered her question by letting the bookworm follow her through the city. Within a few trots around the city’s blocks, the two mares (and one passed out magician) found themselves reunited with their friends. They shared a brief group hug, happy to see each other okay. Twilight then shortly explained her situation at Canterlot, twisting a few words here and there around the part where she was being cuddled by a drunken Trixie. Rainbow nodded at each one, backing Twilight’s words up. She felt a bit guilty about lying to her friends, but it was a white lie. She didn’t want them to get any suspecting thoughts of what possibly could have happened at the bar. “Well, at least you and Trixie made up,” Applejack summed up her thoughts simply. “Yes,” Twilight agreed. She turned around and made her way for the castle, “We should go soon. I suspect that Princess Luna is waiting for Trixie.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It had been an hour since Twilight and her friends met up with the night princess, and they were all around a table in Luna’s bedroom, having a cup of tea near them. Celestia was also nearby at hoof, quietly listening to Twilight’s nightly adventure and her friends’ tagalong. She was sipping a cup of jasmine tea, enjoying the soothing, warm taste of the liquid. Luna seemed to be at rest as well. She was pretty calm, despite the fact that her student got a little tipsy. Speaking of the mare, Trixie was soundly asleep on Luna’s plush mattress. “Is that all?” Luna asked, not sounding a bit worried. “That’s all?” Twilight asked. It was unheard of that mentor, such a Luna, wouldn’t be concerned about her student’s misconduct. Drinking counted as misconduct, right? “Well, I must admit that this wasn’t the first time Trixie has tried to drown her sorrows with the bottle,” Luna explained solemnly. “This has happened a couple of times before. I reminded her more than a hooful of times, to halt this troublesome habit of hers, but I ultimately can’t interfere with my student’s own personal life,” She rose up, and looked at Applejack. “In all cases that I had my guards pick her up, they told me that most drinks she had were apple cider of your family’s brand. Tell me, are they addicting?” “No, your highness,” the farmer assured her. “Apple Family Apple Cider is now always non-addictive. We’ve recently found a way to rid the alcoholic side-effects. The only thing in that bottle that makes ponies come back to it is its sparkling taste.” “How’s that possible?” Twilight asked, her head tilting to the side slightly. Applejack tipped her hat to the lavender mare with a sly wink, “That’s a blood-family secret you’re asking there, Twilight.” Celestia finished her cup, and started to get up from her kneeling and spoke softly, “Well, that was a nice story you’ve shared with us. It must have been a nice adventure you’ve all had, but as much as I would love to stick around, I have duties to attend to.” She gave each of the mares a sincere smile before walking out the chambers. Luna chuckled as she got up, ”Well I don’t have any today.” She gave them a playful look, “Say, it has been a while since I’ve played Equestrian Earth. I’m sure by now that somepony must have passed my level, and I’m not about to let that slide past me.” “Wait a second. You’re asking us for help?” Rainbow Dash quickly asked. “Well, it’s not every day that I get to travel with some companions, in-game.” Luna lowered her horn next to Trixie’s. Her horn began to glow a soft blue, causing Trixie’s eyes to wake up. Luna retracted her head, having her magic continue on. A storm of I.P.Vs flew out from underneath Luna’s bed, each of them floating next to Twilight, her friends, Trixie, and Luna. Trixie groaned as she rubbed the side of her temple. “What time is it?” Trixie asked drearily, shifting her hooves to rub her eyes. “Adventure time,” Luna replied, a huge smile stretched across her face. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight went through the familiar flow of data as she entered the game. The usual, female, digital welcome she received sounded in her ears again, just like so many times as she went into the world of Equestrian Earth. She looked around the green area of Aeroslida’s park to find her team mates waiting at the central fountain. Twilight trotted up to each of them, taking care to remind herself of their current levels. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all a bit behind her and Rainbow. They should probably catch up soon. The prismatic mare herself was still at the same level of 22. She flew a little bit above the others, flapping her wings as she went along. Twilight turned to Luna, and had her ears perk up in surprise. Luna was at a whopping level of 55. Way too high and elite, compared to Twilight and her friends. They turned towards Luna, noticing her level as well. “Wow princess,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “You’re like- a giant! How did you get to that level so fast?” The night princess simply shrugged, but she had a clever smile painted on her face, “I get around.” She sat down on her haunches, and brought her forehooves together. She spread them out, forming a blue, holographic screen in front of her. She appeared to be peering down a list as she spoke to herself, “Hmm, let see. Who’s above me?” She muttered a few names rapidly before grimly pausing at the one above her name, “Oh. No way. Sentinel?” She viciously grabbed the screen, and drew it right up to her, giving it a mean look. As if she couldn’t believe the truth in front of her. “I knew that colt was avoiding me the past days for a reason! How could he betray me like this?!” “Um,” Trixie nervously started. “Maybe he was just simply doing his job? You once told me he was a Code Warrior righ- Mmmhmm!“ the rest of her sentence were placed on hold by the power of a navy blue hoof in her mouth. “Shush!” Luna cried out. “Nopony was supposed to know that! Not even I was supposed to tell you that!” “Um, princess?” Twilight asked. “He told us a while ago.” “Told you what, dear?” Rarity asked, with curious eyebrows curling up. “That he’s a ga- !” Pinkie tried to chirp. She also had a hoof shoved up her mouth, courtesy of a panicking Luna. “What has you on edge?” Applejack asked Luna warily. “She was about to tell us something.” “Ooh nothing,” Luna covered up her anxiety with a mask of a smile. Luna whispered something in Pinkie’s ear in a quick manner. Pinkie nodded the best she can, with her head in Luna’s tight grip. It was released when Luna came up to Twilight. “Say um, can I possibly take a quick moment of your time?” “Su-u-u-ure?” Twilight replied, certainly unsure if she wanted to have a private chat with Luna. Her exit was closed however as Luna dragged her away to a few meters away from the others, not only earning her a couple strange looks from Twilight’s friends, but also from the surrounding players. “Twilight, be honest with me. How many others know about G.M.s?” Luna asked. “Um, so far only Spike, me, and Rainbow I believe.” Twilight gave her a curious look. “What’s so important about keeping Sentinel’s identity a secret?” Luna was looking very serious. “N- nothing really. Code Warriors are actually supposed to be kept a secret because of the nature of their job.” “What’s their job again? I kinda forgot,” Spike said. “To keep an eye out for hackers,” Luna drew a large circle in the ground. “This circle represents the world of Equestrian Earth.” She drew a couple of other, smaller shapes in the bigger circle. “These smaller circles are the hackers. You know, the quirky cheaters who try to find tiny nicks in the system of the world. The producers are afraid that they might be able to try to find a way to abuse the system, like make cash out of it for nothing. Some parts of the game economy revolves around real money. If one were to, say, duplicate a very rare item, he could get very rich. Very quickly.” Luna then drew a bunch of crude squares. “This is where the Code Warriors comes to play. Their job is to rid a hacker’s account as quick as possible. They keep their identities hidden by playing the identity as a player of the world. They’re fast, efficient, and sometimes ruthless. However, they’re not immune to being removed from the game as well. Not too long ago, a ‘banning’ program utilizing stolen code was being used by a few hackers to permanently sever a player’s connection to the visor, thus preventing them from using that inflicted visor again. A few unfortunate ponies who experienced this claimed that the sensation was quite… shocking.” This was all disturbing news to Twilight. She was now worried for her friend’s safety, and Luna’s as well. “But princess, wouldn’t you be an important target as well?” “Ah, don’t worry about me Twilight,” Luna smirked slyly. “The banning code that was leaked was locked in a beta stage. So far, any hackers with it can only remove a player by PKing them with a melee attack.” Luna then chuckled softly, “My only concern is the one who had made such a thing.” “Do you know who it is?” “Unfortunately, I do not. Sentinel has worked with a professional team of agents to track the IP address, locating the area where the hacker had published it to the web. The foalish hacker didn’t think through his plan quite well when he posted it on a forum, boasting that he had found a way to get rid of ‘nasty’ players and Code Warriors. The bad part was that the IP address led them and the guards to an abandoned shack in the middle of the forest. Any traces of anypony living there was already long gone. We still don’t know who had made it.” Twilight nodded in understanding, “So, I should keep my friends close, right?” “And improve on your skills. Remember, hackers are players too. You can PK them,” Luna winked. “Which means you and I will have to get stronger.” Twilight smile quickly widened, “I’ll gladly take you up on that challenge.” She changed her smile to a serious frown, “But that means that we’ll have to tell my friends as well. They could be in danger of being banned as well.” Luna adopted a disapproving look, and then calmed down to a serene one. “Alright Twilight, if you believe they’ll keep Sentinel’s identity a secret. I would hate to see him get banned by some swindler.” Twilight gave Luna her word. The both returned to the group, and told them of about everything she and the night princess had just talked about. After a long explanation, Pinkie Pie raised her hoof. “Yes, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. She wondered what kind of question the party mare had. “Twilight, couldn’t the developers just send out a widespread news bulletin about this mess?” Pinkie questioned innocently. Everypony except Luna gave her a curious look. It was surprising that the overly excited mare would have such an intriguing question in her mind. Twilight looked towards Luna. Luna only looked exhausted, as if she had this conversation a hundred times. “Sentinel told me that his superiors didn’t approve of the idea,” she groaned in exasperation. “They’re worried about their image. They believe a message like that will have players doubting the safety of the game, and will soon quit playing. It will be disastrous step-back on their plans.” “That’s just crazy talk,” Applejack objected. “Everypony should know about it.” “I know it is,” Luna agreed. “But they’re not willing to take a step further in this matter. Our only hope is that the G.M.s will locate the hacker, and destroy the code, as soon as possible,” she looked at each of them in the eye. “Just promise me that wouldn’t go spreading this around. I worried that somepony might panic and spread word of this. It will cause mass hysteria.” They all gave her their honest word, in the form of a Pinkie Promise. Luna sighed in relief as if she got a huge boulder off her chest. “So where are we off to this time, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked. She carefully considered her options. Aeroslida was a great place, but she could have a fresh change of scenery. They could all use a new spot of training for the others to grind in. Three certain mares in the group would surely appreciate a higher rate of experience. “Luna, you’re a level 55. Do you know a good spot for us to train in?” Twilight asked. “Well, when I was at your level, I was around Trottingham at the time,” Luna pointed at the general direction the sky-tram station’s location. “We should easily arrive there by chariots.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The ride to Trottingham was a tad bit long, but Twilight didn’t mind. The weather was very fair to her traveling team today as the warm rays of the digital sun hugged their forms. The chariot space was large enough to fit all eight mares into it, with walking space to spare. Twilight noticed how Luna’s nametag above her was different. It read Moon Shimmer. “Princess?” “Hmm?” “How come the name tag above you isn’t your name?” Twilight knew for certain that their name tags were the same as their real world name. At least until now. “Oh. This?” Luna poked the name tag. “It’s just the nickname option I’ve set before. You can change what you want your name to be in the settings.” “Oh.” Twilight went back to staring at the clouds. It wasn’t long for the blue scenery to decide to change to a greener setting. Twilight looked around her to see a small but bustling town, filled with players and npcs alike. Trottingham wasn’t as impressive as the sky island metropolis, but it was just as lively. A number of players were going around, chatting with the npcs in a lively manner. It appears that the npc’s dialogue system has drastically improved, seeing how some players were having very extended conversations with them. Twilight couldn’t tell if she was still playing the game, or if it was real. The only digital mark that reminded her that Equestrian Earth was a game were the nametags, HUD, and various holographic screens that popped up every once and a while. “So princess, where to?” Applejack asked, anxious to get better. Luna courteously gestured towards a stack of luscious green hills near the town, letting the group know where they were heading next. The grass seemed to be brighter than any other. Twilight didn’t know why she thought that, it just came to mind. That wasn’t the most impressive thing about the hills though. What caught her attention were the towering waterfalls that seemed to be falling from the sky. No, not seemed. The waterfalls were falling from the sky. To make it even more mind boggling, they were all in the colors of the rainbow. Even from a distance, Twilight could hear the thunder of the torrent pounding the hills with what seemed to be an infinite amount of water. Gallons upon gallons of rainbow juice were being watered down on the bright hills. To make it even more beautiful, the light of the sun bounced off the sheets of water, causing a multitude of rainbows to dance among them. She couldn’t help but remember seeing this before. “Isn’t that Winsome Falls?” Applejack asked. “I remember camping there once before in real life. Mah little sister sure enjoyed it.” “That is correct Applejack,” Luna confirmed. She turned to regard the falls sagely, “Truly, a beautiful sight to behold. The hills shine bright due to the expansive supply of water being poured down from Cloudsdale.” Twilight looked up towards the sky, where the waterfalls were being poured from. Sure enough, she could make out a group of cumulonimbus clouds stacked together, supporting a huge city in the sky. “Cloudsdale huh?” Twilight wondered. “Is it possible to go up there?” “Yes,” Luna replied. “But right now, we should be concerned with our training,” Luna started to go off in a different direction. “Right now, we should focus on gathering potions needed for the journey. Anypony want to come with?” Pinkie Pie was the first one to raise her hoof. “Oh! I’ll go! I need to look around for more ingredients.” Rarity was next. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I certainly do have an eye for these things.” “Wait a second,” Rainbow Dash interrupted the conversation. “What are we supposed to do then?” “Well Dash,” Applejack replied. “We could always take a look around town. There’s bound to be some side-quests we can take in Winsome Falls.” The mares agreed, and said their temporary good-byes before heading off to their objectives. Despite the game’s version of Trottingham being based upon a old version of the town, it was still pretty spacious. It left Twilight’s group running around left and right, asking around for any side-quests they could do. Some were easy, while others sounded downright difficult. An npc merchant even demanded for his Zap Apple to be dipped in a certain, golden pond, for the sake of making the apple and its seeds to be more valuable. “You better be careful though,” the npc warned her. “I’ve heard rumors of a powerful monster guarding the pool. You best be on your guard.” Twilight paused to breath for a moment, wheezing with each one. “W- will do.” “Alright then, you take care now! Oh, and make sure you- hey! Where are you going??” Twilight didn’t even want to wait to hear what else he had to say. She just tiredly waved good bye to the stallion, and walked off to the planned meeting spot. Her friends dragged along with her. Out of all the ponies, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the only that seemed active. The cyan mare was doing occasional back flips in mid-air as they all shuffled forward in the dirt. “Come on you slow pokes,” she complained. “We’ve only went around a couple of blocks.” “I counted fifteen, Dash,” Twilight moaned. “Why am I so tired? Don’t we usually all have the same running stamina in games?” “I think this game actually bases your running stamina from real life,” Fluttershy whispered. “It’s just multiplied a few times.” “Th- that’s just a bit too realistic.” The purple mare almost tripped as she continued, “Why can’t we just have unlimited sprint?” Rainbow Dash laughed a little at Twilight’s gloom. For some reason though, that happiness ended shortly. The usually confident athlete suddenly tensed, her eyes shot daggers towards a general direction. Twilight lifted her head to see three pegasi coming their way, all them were stallions carrying short swords in their scabbards. They had all donned various types of leather armor. “Hey hey hey!” the brown one in the middle exclaimed. “If it isn’t Rainbow Crash. How’s it going? Bumped into a few clouds these days?” “Ugh,” Rainbow Dash muttered loudly with venom. “What are you guys doing here?” This time, the darker brown stallion spoke. “Hey now, we’re just playing the game like everypony else. There’s no harm in that, right Rainbow Crash?” Twilight could feel Rainbow’s resentment growing by the minute. She was almost literally radiating waves of rage. “How about you guys just leave?” Dash angrily suggested. “Right now? But we were having such a lovely chat,” the grey stallion rebutted, sarcasm marking his voice. “Yeah! What Score said!” the light brown one added. “Why don’t we catch up for old time’s sake, Rainbow Crash?” Rainbow couldn’t take it any longer. With a shout of rage, she swept in for a deadly strike, but not before Applejack grabbed her by the tail, keeping a tight hold on the multi-colored tail by the teeth. “Naw hol ih righ har Ash,” Applejack demanded through her teeth before pulling the riled-up mare down. “There’s no need to waste your energy on these jerks,” she shot an angry glare at the trio. “Now what was that all about?” “Yeah, why are you picking on my friend?” Twilight asked, demanding to know what’s going on. “Oh no reason,” the light brown stallion innocently replied. His floating name tag indicated him as Hoops. “We just wanted to say hi to our good pal.” “Yup,” the darker one confirmed with a sly, dishonest smile. His name was Dumb Bell. 'It seems appropriate for him,' Twilight thought. “Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat, we should be going,” Score added. “The Treasure of Winsome Falls is waiting for us to take it.” Score was then immediately punched by Dumb Bell. “You idiot! They weren’t supposed to know that!” “Oops,” Score tried to apologize. “Sorry DB.” “And what treasure might you be talking about?” Applejack inquired quickly. “Th- that’s none of your business!” Dumb Bell stammered. “Look lady, we gotta go. Smell ya later!” With that goodbye, the trio quickly left, flying towards Winsome Falls. Twilight could see them snickering all the way, and Rainbow Dash was left simmering with fury. She angrily looked towards Applejack. “What the hay, Applejack?!” Dash yelled. “I could've taken on those dorks!” “Sorry Dash, but I didn’t want to see any fighting. We best be saving up our strength for the grinding, remember?” “Oh please, I could of taken them out in ten seconds flat, and that’s not an exaggeration!” Twilight watched the two mares bicker: Applejack concerned about Dash's wellbeing, and Dash worried about her pride. After a few minutes of arguing, Twilight spotted Luna and the others coming towards them. She quickly clapped her hooves to garner everypony’s attention. “Look girls,” Twilight said. “We can’t afford to start fighting amongst each other. We should get moving as soon as possible. Besides, the others are here.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash shot a glare at each other before submitting to Twilight’s orders. “Alright then,” Applejack nodded. “Pft,” Rainbow responded. This is going to be a long day, Twilight thought. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The journey towards Winsome Falls was a bit long, but rewarding. Luna was right when she said this place was good for them. From all the monsters they’ve killed on the way, Twilight and her friends had reached level 30 in what seemed to be an instant. They’ve even managed to complete some of the side-quests along the way. However, the pace of monsters changed quickly as soon as they’ve reached Winsome Falls. The beautiful landscape was untouched by monsters. There wasn’t a single lizard pony, hydra snake, slime ball, or even a wolf. This bothered Twilight a lot. Usually, the wilderness would have monsters, right? But there wasn’t a hide, hair, feather, scale, or skin to be found of one. The more Twilight’s group delved into Winsome Falls, the more she realized that there wasn’t any sort of animals at all. Not even a single bird in the air. After a few minutes delving into the area, the bookworm could tell that something wasn’t right. “Luna?” she whispered, not wanting to alert the others yet. “Yes, Twilight?” “Are you noticing this?” Luna made a quick surveillance around her. “Yes, I am.” “This shouldn’t be, why haven’t we seen any monsters yet? This is statistically impossible!” “Hmm,” Luna pondered. “Unless some other outside force is causing the situation at hoof.” Twilight felt a creeping chill crawl up her spine. “Are you saying… hackers?” Luna grimly nodded. “Perhaps the pony is using some sort of hack to draw all the monsters towards him in quick succession. That way, he or she could quickly grind without taking another step. Or perhaps it’s a monster removal program. Either way, this upsets me.” At this point, the others were starting to get restless as well. Rarity nervously fidgeted with a new staff she received from a random monster drop. An ornate, wooden staff with three blue crystals at the end of it. “Girls? Is it me, or does this place seem a bit… empty?” “It ain’t just you Rares,” Applejack added. “This place smells of deceit.” “Maybe the monsters are playing hide and seek!” Pinkie Pie innocently suggested, oblivious to the possible danger around them. “We should go look for them!” “That’s what we’re trying to do Pinkie,” Dash replied, obviously irritated. “Where the heck are they? We should be swimming in monsters right now.” “Ah don’t worry about it Dash,” Applejack smirked slyly. “You’ve probably scared them off with your new tiara.” The other girls (except for Rarity and Luna) giggled a little at Applejack’s comment. Rainbow Dash embarrassingly adjusted her new head gear. “For the last time, it’s a circlet,” Rainbow Dash insisted. She used to have a rainbow-hued bandana over her head, but she replaced the cloth with the shiny, golden crown. Blushing lightly she admitted, “Plus, it gave me a bigger speed boost than the other one.” “Oh, come on now, darlings,” Rarity spoke up. “I, for one, think Rainbow Dash looking absolutely marvelous!” Rainbow Dash still fumed about Applejack’s sly statement about her circlet. She felt that it was cool looking. Twilight, however, was more concerned about their surroundings. “Come on now girls, we may have a serious situation on our hooves. Keep alert for anything.” “But Twilight, dear. What’s to worry about?” Rarity asked, quirking an eyebrow at the mare. “Don’t you see that there aren’t any monsters around?” Twilight waved a hoof to show her point. “Well yes,” Rarity added. “Anypony could see that this place is as empty as a blank canvas!” she started to become distracted by the Winsome Falls’ beautiful scenery, again. “Oh my, this place just breathes inspiration to me. Applejack, when are we going to go camping again?” Before Applejack could make a move to answer her question, a desperate cry for help could be heard from over the next hill. Everypony tensed up, taking their battle positions, waiting for whatever danger may lie in wake for them. Instead of a receiving fearsome monster, they came face to face with fellow player. He was very pale, and his entire body was shivering violently. Twilight recognized him as Dumb Bell from the town earlier. “Please! You need to help me!” he cried. “My friends are in trouble!” “Hold it right there,” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms, keeping a steady place in the air. “Why the hay should we help you? I thought all stallions like you were tough,” her sarcastic tone couldn’t have been any more blunt. “L- look, if it’s about that Rainbow “Crash” comment we’ve made, than I’m sorry! You just have to help- ” Dumb Bell couldn’t finish what he was saying. A black blur came out of nowhere and had carried him off, dragging him to whatever doom awaited the poor pegasus. Everypony stood in shock, transfixed by what they’ve just witnessed. Luna shook her head and ran after the stallion and the black creature. She shot everypony a stern glare. “Well?” she demanded. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Nopony argued with her logic. They’ve tailed alongside the night princess to chase after the black menace that had just captured Dumb Bell. Whatever was waiting for them is anything but good, Twilight thought. Without a doubt, this black blur has to be connected to the mysterious lack of monsters in the area. After a few leaps and bounds across the landscape, they’ve arrived at the top of the tallest hill. The HUD indicated this place to be Winsome’s Golden Reservoir as the huge words appeared at the top area of her vision. The place did not look like anything that was home to a golden water pool. The place was screaming darkness to her. The area was heavily swarmed by patrolling shadow monsters, each of them in constant shifting forms. The only place that indicated the spot of their heads were the glowing pair of red orbs that suggested to be their eyes. They were gathering around a huge black archway that held the space of an ominous, purple portal. The same kind of portal Twilight saw underneath the Cloud Library. She looked around for the mysterious, robed stallion that caught her eyes that night. He didn’t seem to be around this time. She turned back towards the gateway to see Dumb Bell get thrown into a group of tied up players. It seemed that they were being held captive by the shadow creatures, but for what? Her questions were put on hold for now; they have innocent bystanders to save. She didn’t even have to wait to give a command; Rainbow Dash was already starting the assault. The cyan mare seemed to know that they were on a tight clock, and the others seemed to catch her drift. Twilight unleashed her Magic Missile upon a nearby group of shadow monsters. The impact had detonated the area, causing a tempest of pebbles and dirt to fly everywhere. She fired a couple more barrages into the cloud of dust, followed by a flare of lightning she called upon from the sky. She didn’t stop there though. She dove into the smoky cloud and called upon her magic. A gust of wind started to flow through her robes, which blew the surrounding dust away from her eyes. She was greeted by a bunch of angry shadow creatures as soon as the dust cleared. They all leapt at her one at a time with the intent to kill, but they were met by a punch of wind in their face. Twilight repeated for each creature, knocking them all to the ground. She stood her ground, and looked towards the sky. Her eyes started to glow as the storm clouds started to gather again, this time over her head. The lightning pierced the heavens, and struck her horn. With a bit of effort, she pointed her horn at each creature, redirecting the lightning to their still, gassy form. The plasma bolts seemed to do the trick as each of their bodies were dissipated by the powerful spell. She turned back towards the others to see how they were doing. Everypony was seemed to be doing fine on their own, but none of them were as graceful and effective as Luna and Trixie were. The duo seemed to have fought together for centuries. Both of them anticipated each other’s moves, and supported them with an attack of their own. Trixie had conjured up a ball of fire over Luna. The night princess then promptly fired a gust of arrows into it, causing them to catch fire. Twilight realized that Trixie and Luna had combined their skills to create a storm of flaming rain. The arrows seemed to be tracking each shadow monster, following them and putting an end to their grotesque lives. The fight seemed to be over in an instant, which was good for Twilight. It meant that her skills had vastly improved. She turned back towards the gate, and let out a gasp of surprise. That pale yellow coat, that messy black mane, his brilliant red eye, and the one that was scarred. There’s no doubt in Twilight’s mind, it was the mysterious stallion again. He wasn’t donning his black robe time, so she could see what he was wearing underneath. He had a simple, black jacket over his body. It apparently had two holes on the side of it, because it was leaving out a pair of raggedy wings to breathe in the open, revealing him as a pegasus. “Who are you?” Luna demanded, her voice carrying over the tone of the infamous Royal Canterlot voice. Twilight had to plug her ears to avoid being damned to a deaf life. “Why are you here? Are you the pony responsible for the capture of these players? Speak, or we shall call the local enforcement!” The pony quietly stared at them, but not before setting something on the rim of the archway. He then quickly jumped off the black archway, and turned around for a glide through the portal. “Wait!” Twilight shouted, but it was too late. The object he placed suddenly exploded, causing the archway to collapse on itself. Twilight viciously stomped on the ground with her right hoof. She let him escape her without answering her questions… again. As she cursed herself for letting him go, she felt a hoof on one of her shoulders. She looked up to see Luna staring at her sympathetically. “We shall look further into this case, but for now we have ponies to attend to,” Luna reassured her solemnly. Twilight Sparkle has reached Lv 30! She has gained the following skills. Magic Missile - Rank 5: Charge up a single blast for 250% Dmg, or release a barrage of 3 smaller blasts for 50% each. Cooldown for Full Charge is 10 seconds. Cooldown for Barrage is 3 seconds. Lightning Strike - Rank 3: Strike your opponent for 150% Dmg, or release a steady stream of plasma bolts for 100% Dmg for 5 seconds. Cooldown for single strike is 5 seconds. Cooldown for stream is 30 seconds. Next Rank: +10% Dmg Wind Blast: Throw off opponents for 5 Dmg. Knock back effect. Doesn't work on 'giant' creatures. Intermission 03: Life of a Code WarriorHigh above the ground, a huge blimp was floating through the sky. Below the blimp was a large enough compartment box to set up base in. Sentinel was staring out the window, pondering about tonight’s assignment. He stared at the sky above him. It was pretty dark, considering the fact that their mission had to begin at night. It wasn’t exactly the most dangerous, but there was still the chance that they could be PK-ed. After all, his superiors didn’t allow Code Warriors the use of god-mode cheats or mods. It would have made the job a whole lot smoother, but to be honest, Sentinel would have hated it if the job was easy. He preferred a challenge. A hard one. One that he expected out of most video games he plays. He adjusted his staff, his hooves stiffened from the tension. The inside of the blimp compartment was a bit decked out. It had a nice ballroom theme to it. A wall of television-like screens covered one side of the room. The displays were filled to the brim with an ocean of codes and information, and they were constantly updating every few moments. The screens glowed brightly, basking the area around it in a ghostly blue. Sentinel heard somepony come up from behind him. He turned around to be met with a familiar face. The slender stallion known as Rough Diamond swept a hoof across his jet black mane, which complemented his creamy white, wool coat. He had a grin on his face, and his twitchy wings showed he was obviously excited for what’s to come. “So, what’s the battle plan,” Diamond asked. He was a fellow Warrior that he could rely on, Sentinel thought with a smile. Diamond’s utmost accuracy with the deadly bow and arrow proved to be really useful in most of their raids. He had a couple of leather pads guarding his shoulders and shins. The confident guy always did like to travel light. “The battle plan has always been the same Dia,” Sentinel said. “We go in, PK them, and get out before anypony notices we were here.” A completely orange mare by the name of Pumpkin Fest looked at him with concern on her face. Her braided mane swayed with the wind. “Sir? I’ve wanted to ask. Why have you choose me for this mission? I’m not even good at the game yet!” “Don’t worry about it!” Sentinel confidently complied, wanting to assure the earth pony. “You’re gonna do great!” Her face blushed into a deeper orange, and her blue eyes sparkled with admiration. “Are you sure? I mean really. I always messed up during our game nights,” she confessed. “Totally sure!” Sentinel winked. “I wouldn’t want to have any other pony by my side. All of you!” Diamond, Pumpkin, and a few others in the room eagerly nodded. They smiled gratefully for his inspiring words. “Okay everypony, gather around the table.” Everypony did so. Sentinel then gestured towards the map on it. “Okay, let’s review the mission so we’re all on the same page. We’ve recently caught wind of a guild leader using abilities that are not specific to his class.” Sentinel brought out a photograph of a pony using a staff. He also had a bow slung across his back. “Even more so, this guy has been PKing players outside of the PvP arenas. Remember this face, and this operation should go smoothly” A hoof rose from among the team. “Um, sir? Permission to speak freely, sir?” Sentinel recognized him as one of the newer stallions that were hired last week. “Go ahead. What’s your name?” “Target Code, sir!” the lean stallion responded. He ruffled his chestnut brown mane and coat, looking nervous as a jumpy rabbit. “Um, why couldn’t we just go ahead and ban the leader from the computers? Is it necessary to go in and PK him?” “Target- may I call you Target?” The newbie nodded. “You see Target, the game of Equestrian Earth is really huge. I mean really really huge. The servers house a large number of players. We have about five of them dedicated to just storing everypony’s data, and we’re always buying new ones. Also, the game mechanics doesn’t house identifications. In fact, we don’t have actual game id at all, just nicknames.” Sentinel referred to his own nametag above him, which stated Chaos Galore. “These nicknames can be changed at any moment, and uses up less megabyte than permanent identification names. If we were to use them, this game would lag as if it was being covered in honey. Does that make sense?” Target Code nodded, understanding the situation. Sentinel turned his attention back to the flat sheet of paper that housed information of the guild leader’s stronghold. “We have a couple spies in there keeping an eye out for his arrival. When he logs in, Beta team will activate the lock-down perimeters, preventing anypony from logging in or out of the area,” he continued. “Everypony in there is a Celestia damned cheater. Our spies have confirmed that. Don’t let your guard down, and take out anypony you see. Don’t worry about the spies themselves. They’ll log out after giving the signal.” He rolled up the map and stowed it away into a pack. He then took out a small pack out of his inventory. He opened it to reveal a small bundle of glowing, purple potions, enough of them for the entire team. He hoofed one bottle to each of them. “Drink these potions, guys. We’re going to drop onto their base without parachutes, so these will prevent any unnecessary fall damage.” Sentinel uncorked his bottle and raised it in the air. “Good luck everypony.” They all bumped their potions to his as if they were celebrating a night of drinks. Sentinel then quickly downed the entire drink, letting the violet liquid wash his throat. It tasted like a sour grape that was forcibly dried underneath the sun in the middle of a desert. He grimaced as the unpleasant swig landed in his stomach. It wasn’t exactly a mug of butterbeer, but at least it’ll prevent any untimely death in the next few hours. Everypony apparently shared his opinion. A buzz was heard from a nearby radio. Everypony looked towards it, giving the little box their full, undivided attention. “Hello, Alpha team? This is Lt. Sparky reporting in.” Sentinel went over and pressed a small button on it. “This is Moderator Sentinel. You’re clear to report. What’s the update?” The Code Warrior in the radio’s voice crackled a little, but it was still comprehensible. “Objective has arrived in the enemy base. I repeat. Objective has arrived in the enemy base. We’re clearing out now. Good luck Alpha team.” The buzz died as the speaker hung up his end of the line. Sentinel went over the other side of the room opposite of the computers, with the others walking behind him. Another voice buzzed in, this time from the intercoms. “This is your captain speaking. We’re about to let the bay doors drop, please stand clear.” Sentinel equipped a couple of earphones to his ears. He turned up his handy I-Pon to his preferred soundtrack. The rock was sound to his pleasure. The walls then suddenly transformed as it parted, revealing a set of iron walls beneath the faux surface. The iron walls then dropped down, hanging by the hinges in the cold air. Sentinel turned around towards his team. “Okay everypony, remember to equip your wing suits. Course correction only! You don’t wanna end up like Haybale,” he said, going through his inventory at the same time to equip the armor. “What ever happened to Haybale?” Pumpkin asked, looking a bit scared. Sentinel ignored that question, not wanting to freak her out. Diamond, however, was willing to try to answer. “Nopony knows,” he grinned. “The poor bastard wouldn’t speak. Whatever happened to him probably scared him shitless.” The time for small talk was then suddenly cut short. Sentinel Quill dove head first out the door, with all of others jumping out with him into the freezing wind that awaited them. Intermission 04: QuilliumThe skies above Aeroslida were a bright and spacious blue that seemed to illuminate the very air with a warm radiance. The various birds flew in and out of the street signs, while NPCs and players alike roamed the stores. Street vendors called out their wares as well as negotiated prices with a few buyers. Not only this, but groups of players were also excitedly describing their most recent tales to each other, and anticipating what they wanted to do next. A few were even trading items, weapons, and information on certain creatures. It was just another day in the world of Equestrian Ear– “GET OUT OF MY STORE!” The sudden outburst wrenched across the skies, startling the birds and several ponies in the street. Nothing happened for a time, so most of them just shrugged it off and continued on their business. None of them knew that the voice had come from a small bookstore that was located in a secluded part of the city. Inside, the store was littered with various scrolls, tomes, a few quills, and a couple of maps of the certain locations in the world. Several bookshelves full of books lined the walls with only a few tables in between. At that moment, a player, a stallion with a light green mane and coat and was robed in a black cloak, was standing before the shop owner, who was a brown unicorn with a shockingly grey mane, which was short and combed a bit untidily to the left. The old stallion was looking quite angry at the player before him. Slowly, the player lifted a green hoof to his ear and massaged it a little. “Did you have to yell so loudly? You nearly broke my ear drums there.” He calmly told the disgruntled shop owner. The shop owner puffed out his chest and glared at the player. “I want you out of my shop, and you’d better hope I never see you here again. I can do more than just ‘yell loudly’ you know.” “Oh really?” asked the player. “And what’s an NPC going to do to me?” “This ‘NPC’ knows far more than you could ever begin to know.” They stared at each other for a time, and then the player shrugged his shoulders and stepped away. “I’ll leave for now, but we will come back Quillium. Sentinel would very much like to speak with you.” The NPC known as Quillium didn’t even move. The player shrugged again and left the store, a tiny ringing from the bell above the front door echoed throughout the now empty shop. Giving a deep sigh, Quillium leaned down and began to pick up the papers he had knocked over earlier in his magic. He seemed a whole lot older just then after speaking with the player. Annoying Code Warrior… he thought as he placed the papers on a nearby table, can’t leave me alone for one week…even though one week here is like a day *there***. Just then, the bell rang again, signaling that somepony had just come in. Thinking it was the Coder again, he rounded on the visitor with revived ferocity. “DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO– ” He stopped mid sentence. A tiny grey Pegasus foal was pressed against the door, startled by the hostile store owner. Quillium softened his gaze when he recognized the lad. “Buzz…” he said. The foal, realizing that Quillium wasn’t mad anymore sat up on his haunches and smiled. “Hello Mr. Q. Who was that pony you were talking to just now?” Quillium couldn’t help but smile a little at his quick recovery. “Nopony of particular importance Buzz.” He told the foal. “What is it that you want today?” Buzz happily hopped onto all four of his hooves and bounced up to Quillium. His smile growing all the bigger as he did so. “Gust and Windy keep telling me that you used to know an actual NPC adventurer!” He happily proclaimed. Quillium’s smile faded upon hearing this. “And why would you come here then?” “I wanted to make sure they weren’t pulling my leg,” he replied. Buzz looked down and began to trace his little hoof on the carpet, like he was getting in trouble for something. “I’ve always been told that NPCs shouldn’t even try to go on an adventure like the players…cause you know…we might get killed…” “An all too true fact for us I’m afraid…” Quillium said. He turned his back on the foal and began to reshelf a few tomes that had been discarded earlier. Buzz looked up again and began to follow him around the small store. “So?” He asked. “So…what?” Quillium asked back. “Did you know an NPC adventurer?” Quillium sighed and turned towards the foal again. “Buzz, do you know why NPCs don’t usually go on adventures like the ‘players’ often do?” “Cause unlike the players, us NPCs could actually get killed out there. We don’t regenerate like them.” “Correct.” Quillium said with a smile. “And do you know why we ask players to go on ‘Quests’ for us if a certain task we want done is too dangerous?” “Um…” Buzz said. “For the same reason?” “Correct again. And it is that same reason that we are forever banned from taking part in those PvP battles at the Skydome.” “Cause if we die…” “We don’t ‘come back’ like a player.” Quillium concluded. Satisfied with his explanation, the store owner continued replacing the old and sometimes new tomes back in the surrounding shelves. Buzz stayed where he was for a moment, not moving except for the occasional twitch of his wings. He then proceeded to follow Quillium around the store again. “Is that why you don’t leave your store?” He asked. “Partly…” Quillium replied. He set the last book inside a shelf, then went over to the pile of knocked over quills. His earlier argument with the Coder had gotten little out of hoof. “But you can’t just stay here forever.” Buzz observed. “I do have to leave my store for my home you know. I don’t actually live here like most folks seem to think.” “I know…but then again you never leave Aeroslida!” Quillium sighed again while setting the quills back in their respective cup beside the ink wells. He walked over to the nearest map and began rolling it up. “Actually…I do leave Aeroslida…I just don’t leave for long periods of time like others.” “What do you do then?” Buzz hopped into a chair that was beside Quillium and eagerly looked at the old shop keeper. Out of all the foals I have ever met in my life… Quillium wondered, You have to be the one to ask the most questions… He chuckled a little just then. The shop owner was used to answering a lot of questions. From weapon lore and creature knowledge, to the occasional food recipe, he was always glad to answer a question, and yet why is this foal so intent on learning more about him? Quillium decided to answer the question to at least try to sate his curiosity by answering, “Sometimes I have to go to other towns to gather more books for my store. I can’t run a business without new stock every now and then.” Buzz nodded his head and gazed around himself at all the books around him. Happy that he wasn’t asking any more questions, Quillium walked over to another section of his store. Here, he carefully selected a simple novel and returned to the colt. Buzz looked at him, and then the book. His eyes grew wider as he read the title. “’The First Great Heroes of Our Age’? What’s that about?” He asked with wonder in his voice. “It’s about the first of our kind who dared to venture into the first dungeons of this so called ‘game’ that we live in.” Quillium replied. He set the book on the table before the foal and smiled as he began to read it. “NPC adventurers? For real? Cool!” For the next hour or so, Buzz reveled in the first stories of Equestrian Earth when it was first being created. How the Coders had come to them, the NPCs, at one point so they could beta test a few dungeons before the game was released. He even learned how a few NPCs continued to go into these same areas, even after they were infested with creatures and traps, just to see if they could survive for real. During this time, Quillium entertained him even further by telling Buzz of the actual history of their ‘real’ counterpart, Equestria Prime. Not only that, but he also got the colt a snack of bread with his famous strawberry jelly. Buzz was happily eating a slice with copious amounts of the red substance when he popped the question once more. “Did you know any NPC adventurers? Like the ones in the book?” Quillium stared long and hard at the young foal. He stared so long that Buzz began to think that he might have broken him somehow. He was considering on calling a Coder when he at last spoke. “I did…but only one.” He said. His tone was a little sad. Buzz stared at him with wonder again. It was then that he glanced at the clock. “Oh my gosh! I have to go!” He quickly devoured the rest of the bread and hopped off the chair. He gave Quillium a quick hug and galloped out the door. Just before he did, he turned around and smiled at the ancient stallion. “Thank you for the stories Mr. Q. And the jam was delicious!” He turned suit and bolted out the door, the bell just above it ringing in the near empty store. Quillium hadn’t moved an inch. He gazed after the boy and sighed. “I knew one…” he angrily muttered under his breath. “And one is enough for me.” **Chapter 11 Part 1: Trouble in Trottingham Town**Chapter 11 Part 1: Trouble in Trottingham Town A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 1~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Luna had left the game a while ago to tend to her nightly duties, explaining about how her sister will make a fuss if she doesn’t raise the moon in time. After their short goodbyes, the princess promptly logged out of the game, leaving the mares to roam in the digital town, Trottingham. They’ve soon went around town to turn in the plethora of quests they’ve finished in Winsome Falls, and retreated back to the inn, where they had a generous round of drinks. The inn, at the moment, was filled to the brim with various players. The feel of the place was very friendly and loud, and there was plenty of chattering amongst the occupants. Dash’s group was no different from the others as they were listening to a long-kept secret that Applejack was revealing to them. “And the thing about it is that Caramel actually likes stallions,” Applejack harshly whispered. Rarity raised one of her eyebrows. “Really? How do you know this?” “Ah saw how he was eyein’ Big Mac. The stallion didn’t even try to hide it. He was always comin’ down to the farm to try to help mah brother with the work. Ah also overheard him shooting out a few subtle hints here and there. Was casual with the flirting as well.” Applejack motioned the waiter over for a refill. “I swear to Faust that Caramel is now just coming up with excuses to leave his work.” “Oh my. I always did find him to be a bit nicer than most stallions. I suppose it could be that side of him contributing to the matter.” Rarity took a small sip from her slim glass. Unlike the other girls, she didn’t prefer the wooden mugs and requested vintage wine. “Maybe we should throw a party for them! Hook them up together!” Pinkie happily shouted. “Pinkie, I don’t think that would be the smartest way to go,” Twilight scolded her. “Also, I wouldn’t be too sure about all this, Applejack. Maybe he’s just really friendly towards Macintosh for another reason. You can’t just make assumptions based on actions alone.” “Yes,” Trixie added, siding with Twilight. “I think the two are just friends. I don’t see why those two would be together. From what I’m hearing from you, it sounds like Caramel is just being forthcoming.” Applejack flustered a little with her cider. “You wouldn’t know about what I’ve seen, Trixie. Ah’m telling you that Caramel has a crush on mah brother! You can’t just— look Ah know for a fact that Caramel has been hanging out with my brother ever since he moved into Ponyville. You can’t ignore that.” Trixie frowned a bit, and then started paying her mug of cider more attention. “Alright, if you really insist on believing that. To be honest, I think you’re being a bit too paranoid about this. It’s not good for you.” “Maybe Caramel is just being a good friend,” Fluttershy quietly suggested. She was enjoying a small cup of tea. “But Applejack, you sound like you wouldn’t want Caramel to be around Macintosh. I don’t see anything wrong with two stallions being… together.” Fluttershy blushed a little, and let out a small squeak. “O- of course, I didn’t mean it like that way.” “It’s okay Fluttershy. However, I’m not against the fact that Caramel might be a coltcuddler. Ah don’t disapprove it at all, but I’m nervous that Mac might not have caught onto this and doesn’t share the same feelings with Caramel. Ah’m afraid that sooner or later, Mac might accidently hurt the poor stallion’s feelings.” The mares took a moment of silence to think about what Applejack just revealed to them. Then Rainbow Dash peered into the bottom of her mug, gazing at the shallow pool of apple cider that was left in her mug. What would she do in Caramel’s horseshoes? She felt like she had the answer in her grasp, however, she didn’t really know how to make of it. There seemed to be only one solution, but it was a risky one. She decided to suggest it anyway. “I don’t know, AJ,” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe we should tell him about it. The big guy has gotta figure it out someday.” Applejack backed away from the table in surprise. “What? No! Ah can’t do that! That’ll just make the matter worse!” “I have to agree with Applejack on this,” Rarity said. “Wouldn’t it be better if Caramel were to confess to Macintosh himself? I’m sure it’ll feel more honest coming from the coltcuddler in question.” Rainbow Dash winced a little. “Okay, okay. So it was a bad idea. No big deal.” Applejack slumped in her chair. “It’s okay, sugar cube. Ah know you didn’t mean anything by that. I’m just… I’m just confused.” The group sat there in silence again. What seemed to be simple gossip had turned into a dramatic soap opera. Or at least, that’s what Rainbow Dash thought it felt like. The sky-cyan pegasus downed the last mouthful of her cider, and got up from her seat. “Well, I’m not going to stick around for much longer. I’m gonna go outside and see what we can do for the next few hours,” Rainbow Dash announced, walking towards the open door. “Okay. Don’t take too long,” Twilight called after her. “It won’t.” Rainbow Dash assured, quickening her pace from a slow trot to a run out the door and into the town square. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Trottingham was a nice place. Its rustic buildings held up a nice, friendly atmosphere and it would have made the average pony long for simpler times. However, this wasn’t exactly the type of place meant for a dare devil like Dash. She knew she was meant for the open skies, where the floating cities were. Massive citadels like Aeroslida inspired awe in ponies, and were constantly moving. Just like Rainbow Dash. Trottingham, though, was down to the earth, and was miniscule compared to the air strongholds. The small town may be next to some pretty awesome and cool places like Winsome Falls, but she felt that if it had something like a flight course, or something similar, then it would brighten up the place. At least, that was her opinion. Rainbow Dash walked from NPC to NPC, conversing with them along the way. Normally the mare would like to rush things, but these guys would sometimes tell her about places that just breathed excitement. The local blacksmith, sharpening his newly made sword, was telling her about Ghastly Gorge. She had been to the real deal before, but something about how the old stallion described it made her feel like it was a challenge again. “I heard that those slick serpents were at it again, banging inside the walls of the rocky valley with their mighty roars. Those eels are causing a huge disturbance in the area, and it could only mean that something is amiss.” The brown-bearded earth pony propped the sharpened sword up on a wooden display rack. “The guards at Ghast village are paying a mighty sum of bits to whoever could figure out the cause. If I was an adventurer like you, I would probably take up a good team and storm the rugged ravine.” “I already have a good team,” Rainbow Dash proudly told him. “Best friends I could ever ask for.” “Really now? That’s good. That’s good.” The blacksmith took a shield from an iron bench, and starting banging out the dents on an anvil. “Be sure to keep them close to you. Good friends are what you need in this world.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “So, um, about any jobs my friends could take in the town…” The blacksmith took a moment to ponder, searching his mind for any memory of any tasks that could be done. “Well little missy, there was a steady increase of patrolling guards around town. Nopony else noticed, but I know for a fact that something is amiss. I would ask them myself, but I’m far too busy here at my shop. If you could go ahead and ask them for me that would be appreciative. Not only for me, but it’s for the whole town as well.” “Will do. I’ll come back with the news soon.” Rainbow Dash took back some of the repaired gear the blacksmith had fixed for her. She tossed an adequate amount of bits towards the blacksmith, who had expertly caught it. “Thanks by the way.” The blacksmith had a proud twinkle in his eyes. “No problem. Blacksmithing is what I do.” He waved good bye as Rainbow Dash took flight after she put on her gear. It was used equipment, but Rainbow Dash felt like a million bits after putting them on. That old guy really knew how to fix stuff. She flew a few circles above town square, searching for any shining tattle tells of a patrolling guard’s body armor. It was morning right now, and the guards usually polish their armor in the morning, giving them a really swell shine to them. But somehow, she could not capture a glimpse of their equipment at all. Were they sleeping in? That was something Rainbow Dash would do, but she didn’t think a couple guards would shirk on the job, much less an entire squadron of them. Dash decided to fly towards a different part of town, hoping that they would probably be around in a huge group. It would explain why there wasn’t any guards spread out in the town square, where they usually would be. Sure enough, her suspicions were right on the mark. Rows upon rows of guards were standing tall in a square group in front of an unusual building. It wasn’t exactly the strangest building Rainbow Dash had ever encountered, but it certainly looked a bit out of place in a town like Trottingham. The tall building was standing at three stories high, and was built out of white stone instead of brown wood. Small flags had decorated the walls with the Trottingham insignia on it: an earth pony with a pitchfork and a shield. A big flag pole stood at the front of it, proudly displaying its symbol and color. It reminded Rainbow Dash like a headquarters for a guard force, but she had seen the Trottingham guard station before. This building was something else. At the stairs leading to the entrance, a stallion suited in a white uniform seemed to be reading off something in his hooves. Rainbow Dash couldn’t hear what he was saying, so she swooped down in a nearby alleyway where she could easily eavesdrop on the conversation. As she made her landing, a dirty cat yowled in surprise, angry from being woken from its nap. She silently cursed, and motioned the cat to go away. Indignant, the cat swiped at her menacingly, and leapt into the darker parts of the alley. Hopefully, the pesky animal didn’t give away her position. Peering from her hiding place, Rainbow Dash could see that the stallion was still talking to the group of guards. She swept the sweat off her eye brows, and heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn’t noticed. Gathering her wits about her again, she lent her ears into the banter. Now that Dash had a closer look, she could see that the stallion in white was a pegasus and had a stormy grey coat. His snow-white hair and tail were a bit unkempt, splaying out all over the place as if the guy didn’t care about getting a proper haircut for either of them. It was clear, however, that he got a trim every now and then. She could notice that the pegasus had a few noticeable bangs here and there. She had the local spa do that with her own mane sometimes when it grows too wild. His flank proudly displayed his cutiemark: a pair of yellow pegasus wings being showered upon with snowflakes by a white snow cloud. Rainbow Dash bit her lower lips. She didn’t know why, but she somehow remembered seeing this stallion somewhere before. The thought kept slipping her mind though. However, as the words from the stallion’s mouth kept flowing, her mind finally grasped the needed memory. “Is that… Silvercast?” Rainbow Dash wondered. It was him, Snowy Silvercast! Dash allowed herself a small smile as she took a small trip down memory lane. Seeing him here in the game made her nostalgic for older times, when she had a huge adventure with her friends. What’s he doing here in the game though? Wasn’t he back home on some sort of business? Maybe the game was sold in his country as well. Rainbow Dash pushed the questions out of her thoughts. She needed to know what was up in the town. “I want a division in the market district and patrolling the alleyways as well. I don’t want any stone left unturned until we find the perpetrator. Understood?” Silvercast demanded, reading off a long list in his hoof. All the guards saluted him and shouted out loud, “Yes sir!” The pegasus swept a hoof across him. “Then spread out! Don’t expect any rest until real-world sun up. Players’ lives in the game are at stake here.” The guards complied with his orders and trotted out in small clusters, looking for whoever they were looking for. That last line placed a bit of concern in Dash’s mind. Lives were at stake? What’s going on? What did Snow mean by that? Was something bad going to happen? A lot of questions were growing in Dash’s mind, and her eyebrows knotted at that. It was irritating. Dash waited for the right moment to pop out from her hiding place, making sure nopony was around to discover she was there. When the correct time showed itself and when Snowy wasn’t looking in her general direction, she quickly rolled away from her hiding spot and corrected herself to make it look like she was just casually strolling along the main path. Dash looked around, and smiled. Nopony ever saw her. Snowy hadn’t noticed her yet either, so she made a move to wave towards him. Before she could though, a creeping suggestion had popped into her head. Dash pondered for a moment, and then developed an evil, evil grin on her face. Since it had been a while that they had last saw each other, why not give him a nice surprise? Dash mischievously giggled as she silently took the sky. Snowy hadn’t noticed her yet as he was too preoccupied with his list. “He won’t be for long,” Rainbow Dash impishly thought. The pegasus flew around the sky, gathering around bits and pieces of clouds along the way. White ones, grey ones, dark ones, it didn’t matter. However, the darker shades of fluff were more important. Every now and then, Rainbow Dash would look down to see if Snowy had noticed. Luckily, he didn’t. Once she had gathered enough cloud pieces, she combined them together, making sure to stomp or punch in any lump of cloud that was out of place. The product was a ready-to-use lightning cloud. Small and safe enough for one pegasus to move around. With care of course. Once finished with her masterpiece, Dash tapped into her ninja-like skills, and floated the cloud over the unsuspecting chump in a stealthy way. He would never see this coming! On the cloud, she raised both her arms in the air, gathering every force she had behind them. She waited for a minute to pass… then another. Snowy looked up. *CRASH* Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the cloud, causing a massive lightning bolt to strike down on the ground beside the poor stallion. Shocked, Snowy had leapt away from the blast, comically crashing into a hilarious heap. She howled in laughter after witnessing his reaction. “Oh wow! That was awesome!” she hollered, unable to control her cackling fit. He looked up again, his eyes widened in shock. “Dash? Is that you?” “In the dash,” she joked. “That wasn’t very nice you know.” “Yeah, but you’ll forgive me anyway.” Dash smirked, knowing that he would easily forgive her. He was always a big softie. Snowy glared at her from down below, and then rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose just this once. And don’t you dare pull another one on me!” “Won’t happen again.” Rainbow Dash kicked the cloud apart into harmless pieces. “At least… not in the same form,” she deviously added in her mind. He slowly started to calm down. “Well Dash, I haven’t seen you in a long time.” Snowy motioned her over to sit by him. “How about you come down here? We have a lot to catch up on.” The blue pegasus made herself as comfortable as she could of the marble stairs, and gave Snow her full, undivided attention. “Yeah. I’m always wondering what you’re up to each day.” “Every day?” he teased. Dash playfully slugged him in the side. “Not every day, you idiot.” He laughed. “Sorry, Dash. Couldn’t help myself.” “So… what are you doing here? Did you buy the game?” “Yep. Just like everypony else over here. Magistrum isn’t that far away from Equestria you know.” “Why are you here though?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I didn’t know you were allowed to order NPCs around. Maybe I should report this to the admins about this.” she joked. “Hay! I’ll have you know that I’m assigned as one of the game’s patrol units,” he confidently said. Rainbow Dash raised one of her eyebrows. “Really? Who hooked you up?” Snowy gave her a knowing smirk. “Who else do you think would give me this job?” Rainbow Dash gave it some thought for a good minute or two. Who would give Snow a job in the game? She didn’t think that the guy would have any connections to the development team behind Equestrian Earth… except for one other guy. “It’s Sentinel, isn’t it?” He nodded. “Correct. This is actually more of a favor he called in rather than a job. One day while playing on this game, he found me in Aeroslida and asked if I could help him with a little something.” He brought out the list he had with him. “This is it. Orders from his superiors. You should probably read this.” Rainbow Dash took the parchment from him, and read one of the paragraphs out loud, “Recently, there have been reports of players being randomly killed within the town of Trottingham, and having all their items stolen. While PvP outside of PvP Arenas are known and uncommon, the stealing of items after their deaths was alleged to be of illegal tampering with the game’s code. Victims have described the suspect to be a yellow pegasus with a scar on his or her face. Be sure to keep an eye out for the pony, and bring the hacker to justice.” Snowy took back the paper. “That’s right. There’s a hacker loose in Trottingham, and I’m in charge of bringing this jerk to justice. It was the least I could do for Sentinel, so I said yes. And now here I am, looking everywhere for where ever this pony may be.” Rainbow Dash nervously shuffled her wings. Something about the description made her think a bit again. The description of the suspected hacker was completely identical to the stallion she, Luna, Trixie, and her friends had saw a few hours ago in Winsome Falls! Was this hacker and the mysterious pony one and the same? “Snow,” Rainbow Dash said in a serious tone. “There’s something I have to tell you. I think I may have seen this guy before.” Snowy was stunned by this news. “You have?! Where?” Rainbow Dash quickly summarized the story about the events leading up to where she met the yellow stallion. How Trixie had appeared in Aeroslida and attacked Twilight, how Twilight went to Canterlot to confront her and found out about the petty jealousy Trixie had and how the ex-showmare apologized (in her own way), and how they teamed up with Luna to go on a grinding session and found the scarred pegasus. Snowy listened quietly, attending to every detail she spouted out from her recent adventures in the game. “Well, it sounds like you and your friends had gone through a lot in the past few days.” He got up from his spot, and spread his wings. “I’ll be sure to tell the Sentinel about this. I’m sure he and his colleagues would like to know about this. You be sure to tell your friends about what’s going on too. I don’t want to know that you guys are getting mugged.” Rainbow Dash scoffed at the idea. “It’s not like it’s going to happen. I’ll tell them anyway. You can be sure of that.” He nodded towards her. “I’ll see you around. It’s been nice chatting with you.” Snowy soared into the open blue skies. “Same here!” she called after him. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Back in the inn room where the mares were sleeping in for a bit, Rainbow Dash was recounting what she had found out in the town of Trottingham. The blacksmith’s tale of Ghastly Gorge, playing catch-up with Snowy Silvercast, and going back to the blacksmith to tell him the troubling news. It was a long story, and it has sent everypony except Trixie in the room on the edge, leaving them with varying amounts of concern. Applejack, standing against the wall next to the bed Rainbow Dash laid upon, was the first to speak up. “So you’re sure that the stallion we saw earlier is here in Trottingham.” “He might be,” Rainbow Dash said. “The description was really close. It has to be him!” “But why would he go around killing ponies for their items? It doesn’t add up.” Twilight objected. “Maybe he was desperate,” Trixie suggested, tending to her hooves with a hoof buffer. “Those players that were tied up next to the portal were probably going to have their items stolen. If I was a hacker and wanted to do a clean job of stealing items in-game, I would probably create a gateway to a location hidden from the admins I could easily access without the fear of being caught, kidnap players and send them through the portal. From there I could use a program to steal their items, kill the player, then move the gateway to another location.” “But darling, the portal we saw earlier was enormous!” Rarity pointed out. “There’s no way that stallion could hide that.” Trixie shrugged. “A portal could look like anything. Maybe it was big because the guy was over compensating for… a little something something.” She gave the dress designer a sly wink. Rarity took a moment to try to figure out what Trixie had just said, then gasped in shock. “Trixie! How uncouth of you!” The azure mare let out an evil chuckle. “What can I say? It’s probably true. Am I right?” Rainbow Dash allowed herself a small laugh as well. What Trixie said was kinda funny. “Right. It’s probably just that.” The two mares hoof bumped each other, much to Rarity’s displeasure at the thought. “Well girls, I do hope you know that size isn’t everything. A gentlecolt must also be well mannered and humble.” “Yeah, and I bet he must be great with the tongue too,” Trixie added. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack snickered a bit at the comment. However, Twilight and Rarity blushed a bit. Fluttershy was brighter red to a great degree, covering her mouth in alarm. “W- well…” Rarity stuttered. “Twilight, help me out here!” “What? No! I’m not going to be a part of this!” Rarity turned back, and huffed in disappointment at Rainbow Dash and Trixie. “Honestly, this is why mares are stereotyped as being immature all the time! It’s perverted thoughts like these!” “Come on, Rarity. Lighten up will ya?” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re just having a bit of fun.” Rarity turned around, not facing Rainbow Dash. “Having fun doesn’t cut foalish behavior.” Twilight let out an exhausted sigh as she looked out the window. “Well girls, the moon is up. It’s time for us to get some rest. Don’t want you girls getting exhausted before we go out there again.” The mares agreed and retired to their respective beds. However, there weren’t enough of them to go around, so some of them had to bunk together. Rarity and Applejack had no trouble with this since they had both shared one before at Twilight’s house. She and Trixie, however, had to be coaxed into sharing a bed. Despite their discomfort, Trixie was the first one to say yes. “What?!” Twilight asked in disbelief, almost to a near-shout. “Well, it’s obvious that we have no other choice. You know Fluttershy isn’t used to sleeping with somebody else in the bed,” Trixie reasoned. The shy, yellow pegasus in question peeked from underneath her covers. “I’m sorry,” she quietly apologized. Twilight heaved another sigh. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. It’s fine.” And finally, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash would be taking the last bed together. It was the one next to the only window in the room. “Ooh! This is going to be so much fun! We can pitch a small tent with the blanket, and have a lantern in there, and tell each other ghost stories, and make smores, and stay up all night, and—” Pinkie couldn’t continue with Dash’s hoof on her mouth. “Please, not tonight,” Dash tiredly said. Pinkie nodded vigorously before Dash let go. “Okie doki loki!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash’s lungs couldn’t take it anymore. For what seemed to be the past few days, Rainbow Dash had been running through who knows where. The dark forest she was in held no light source for her to indicate what she was running to except for the silver moonlight above. She could tell it was a forest because her face greeted the bad side of a tree a few minutes ago. She stopped for a quick rest beneath one of the towering tanks of a plant, giving her body the privilege to suck in more precious air. Her usually strong muscles shivered gratefully as they were allowed to rest for a bit. She could hear the crumbling leaves underneath her hooves cry out in several loud crunches. Now that she could think straight, Rainbow Dash tried to remember why she was running in the first place. For one thing, the forest was way too creepy for her taste. She didn’t know where she was running to, but anyway was better than this dank place. She moved on to continue, but a loud roar had pierced through the air, sending a cold chill down her spine. It was animalistic, and very unearthly. As if it didn’t come from the mortal plane of Equis. It sounded like it came from behind her. Slowly, she craned her neck to see what was behind her. She could feel her forehead sweating a bullet storm. What if the creature wanted her to look behind? To see the whites of her eyes, and know that she was there? Her head was almost there, and she could see what was behind her out of the corners of her eyes. Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn forward. She could just stop there, and continue running. She looked back. There was nothing there. Laughing out of sheer terror, Rainbow Dash twisted her body towards the direction where she was looking at, and started walking backwards. It made sense to know if something was chasing after you, right? Not much later, Rainbow Dash felt her haunches bump into something. She could feel her throat gasping for air as the dreaded fear clawed at it. She didn’t want to look behind her, but she had no choice now. It was too late. End of the line. Kaput. She turned around, and was met with a masked face. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and quickly sat up, almost letting out a fearful scream. Fortunately, she had the sense to cover her mouth before she could possibly wake up her friends. It would have probably made them angry afterwards, and give them an excuse to laugh at one day. The time Rainbow Dash had woke up screaming in the middle of the night. That would have been something to talk about. Victoriously, Rainbow Dash silently cheered for herself. “Not tonight,” Rainbow Dash thought, thankful that her friends still don’t know that she could get scared sometimes. What time was it anyway? Was it still dark outside? Rainbow Dash turned towards the open window to see if it was day time or not. The virtual moon was still high in the sky, indicating that she should go back to bed. It was a good thing too. Her eyes were being persistent on going back to sleep. She smoothed out the blankets over her, making sure that they were able to keep her warm for the remainder of the night. She then crashed back onto her pillow. Her eyes began to close and… wait. The window was open?! Rainbow Dash shot straight up from her pillow again and double checked the window. She wasn’t imagining it at all. The window was clearly open, exposing the room to the cold air outside. Why was it open? Did somebody invade their room while they were sleeping? Was the unknown pony still in the room? Was it the hacker, looking forward to slitting one of her friends’ throats? Not on her watch! Rainbow Dash swerved around to see if the would-be killer was still there. Once again, her suspicions were confirmed. Standing over Fluttershy, who was softly snoring, was a cloaked assailant with a polished knife. The pony’s figure was very slim but was also slightly taller than her. The cloak covered around his entire body except for his eyes, giving him an intimidating appearance. In the dark at least. “Oi!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Get away from her.” The hacker looked up. “Wha—” The pony didn’t get a chance to speak as Rainbow Dash pummeled the hacker to the ground, causing him to drop his weapon. Repetitively, Rainbow Dash attempted to beat the living life out of him for threatening one of her friends, only to have each of her punches blocked. The both of them wrestled with each other, attempting to gain dominance over the other. The struggle was really rough, and they couldn’t find a good position to lock the other in, and was forced to let each other go. They then followed it up with a trade of vicious blows and kicks, all of them once again being blocked. Rainbow Dash gave up the hoof-to-hoof combat, deciding to switch to a different tactic by standing on her hind legs and draw her multicolored sword out from the sheath around her waist. She would never take her sword off her, unless if it was necessary. The sword’s glowing brilliance pierced the darkness within the room, and was enough to blind the intruder into a standstill moment. Taking advantage of the handicap, Dash swung a couple slashes at the mysterious pony, knocking off several points off his health bar. She couldn’t tell if the hacker was a mare or a stallion, but judging from the tussle she just had with the pony, she was going to assume it was a stallion. The guy didn’t exactly look too happy with her bloody gift, and took a battle stance against her after picking up his knife off the ground. He then immediately rushed forward, and slashed the blade towards her head. She immediately blocked the deadly strike with the flat of her sword, and then lined her next combos with a series of hilt bashes and blade slices to his body, surely leaving dark bruises and bloody wounds. Somehow, the stallion managed to escape her clutches, and gave her a return present in the form of a deep cut to her left shin. She winced as the pain from her leg intensified, feeling a trickle of warm, red blood running down her leg. However, she wasn’t going to let some punk stallion beat her in a sword fight. She was Rainbow freakin’ Dash for crying out loud! With little effort, she used her wings to fly across the room, and slam her body against the stallion to the floor, knocking the wind out of him. The pony groaned as he attempted to get up, but Dash stomped on his chest, pinning him against the floor. “Alright. You had your fun,” Rainbow Dash sneered. She reached for the pony’s mask. “Now let’s see what you’re hiding under that—” “What the Tatarus is going on?” Applejack loudly demanded, getting up from her bed. “Who’s interrupting my beauty sleep? Can’t a lady get any rest?” Rarity yawned. Seeing that the other ponies were awake, the mysterious hacker grabbed something from a pouch, and threw it against the floor. Immediately, a cloud of smoke burst from it, shrouding the room in a vision-blocking veil. Rainbow Dash coughed from the smog that was entering her lungs, and strained her eyes to see where the attacker was. However, the dense smoke hid him from her vision, and she could hear him making his escape out the window. “Hey! Wait up!” Rainbow Dash yelled, finding her way to the window. She looked outside to see where the attacker had gone, but was only met with the still silence of the village. Frustrated, Rainbow Dash ruthlessly kicked the wall beneath the window. Celestia damn it, she missed her chance again. For the second time tonight! Damn it, couldn’t she do anything right today? With a vicious glare, she looked out the window again, this time at the stars. “I swear to Celestia that I’ll find you,” Rainbow Dash vowed. “and when I do, I won’t be so friendly like I was tonight.” *Chapter 11 Part 2: Confrontation*Chapter 11 Part 2: Confrontation A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 2~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) The mares were around the same table again, with their mugs of virtual cider and beer to discuss about what in Celestia’s mane had happened. Applejack and Rarity had woken up from the loud disturbance caused by Rainbow Dash and the attacker, but some of them had actually slept throughout the entire ordeal. It struck the cyan pegasus weird at how the other mares were sleeping soundly while she, self-acknowledging to be one of the heaviest sleepers in Ponyville, had woken up in the middle of the night when the mugger was still silent as a cat stalking its prey. Her cider was still as good as the one from yesterday was, but not even the sweet taste of the apple-brewed nectar could push away the stormy thoughts floating around in Rainbow’s mind. For some reason, she couldn’t get that hacker out of her mind. She was supposed to be the best… so why couldn’t she overcome this bucker?! “So, you really think last night’s attacker was him?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion, referring to the events in the game last night. “I’m one hundred and twenty percent sure!” Rainbow Dash replied insistently, waving her hooves in the air irritably. “The player was really strong. Stronger than even a mare like me or Applejack would be, and we already know that hacker we keep bumping into was a stallion. It’s gotta be the same guy!” “I don’t know, darling. I can tell what the general size of a pony could be just from one look, and this hacker we’ve met before seemed to be a bit more lean than most stallions,” Rarity chimed in, her horn flashed and an image of the luscious shape of the mysterious stallion’s body appeared. She silently cursed the cloak he was wearing for hiding away the eye-candy, but didn’t show it in her expressions, lest her friends would notice the inappropriate thoughts she was having. “Sure, he has some very well toned muscles, but he’s definitely got the Applewood celebrity look. I say that his body actually parallels with you two,” she finished, a hoof pointing to Applejack and Rainbow. “Wh– what!? Me with a celebrity look?” Applejack sputtered, shooting her friend an embarrassed look. “Consarnit Rarity, whatever gave you that silly idea?” “What? I’m just stating what I felt was true. Admit it, you've caught a few mares and stallions looking at your way before. I certainly know you’re eye-catching,” Rarity replied, oblivious to Applejack’s anxiety. Applejack quickly pulled her hat down to cover the angry blush she had, “Ah– Ah don’t believe this.” Trixie leaned over to Rainbow Dash and whispered conspiratorially, “Looks like the farmer is hiding something from us.” She gave Rainbow a smirk and asked, “Wanna pry?” Rainbow Dash shook her head, not caring about what Applejack really thought of Rarity. Right now, the only things on her mind were the bedroom attacker and the yellow pegasus stallion. They had to be connected somehow! “Really? What about last night?” Rainbow asked Rarity, wondering about Rarity’s eye memory. “Did it look like they matched? The hacker we saw at Winsome Falls and last night.” “Sorry Dashie, darling. I didn’t catch a good glimpse of our ‘friend.’ My eyes were still half-closed when you and that ruffian woke me up with that awful tussle.” Rainbow crossed her forehooves across her chest and loudly grumbled from the back of her throat, “Whatever. I’ll find this guy anyway.” There was a stunned silence amongst the few groups of players that were hanging around in the bar. They were all listening to the discussion about the hacker, and to them it was unheard of for a player to pit themselves in an unfair fight. Rainbow’s friends, however, knew Rainbow Dash was a brash mare. She doesn’t walk away from a challenge. Still, this didn’t mean that it sat well with Twilight. She spoke reassuringly, “Rainbow. I know the stallion we’ve met has been giving us trouble in the past, but I’m still not sure if the Trottingham Hacker is the same guy. I suggest that we move onto the next town and leave it to the game’s officials to handle the problem. You did say Snowy was here, so I’m sure he’ll take care of the situati– ” “I don’t care!” Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs. Pounding a hoof on the table she continued, “Twilight, this stallion has been giving you and us a lot of trouble for the past couple of days! He sicced a timberwolf on both you and Pinkie, kidnapped a bunch of players for whatever Celestia-damned scheme he has, and almost killed Fluttershy for her items! I had enough of this sicko! I’m bringing him down, no matter what kind of hacks he has!” “Rainbow, I don’t think that’s exactly a good idea,” Twilight warned Rainbow, concerned for her friend's safety. She put a hoof on Dash's shoulder and asked, “What if this isn’t the same guy? What if he kills you and steals your stuff?” “That won’t happen,” Rainbow boasted with the utmost of confidence. She got up from her seat, and stomped towards the exit, “He’ll have to get it over my dead body first.” “What?! But that doesn’t sound fun!” Pinkie was a bit shocked by Rainbow’s sudden declaration. The other mares — except for Twilight and Trixie who both shared a concerned look for the cyan pegasus — clamored out to her along with Pinkie, worried for Rainbow Dash’s sake, but she didn’t listen as she dashed out of the inn. Their voices were cut off abruptly as she slammed the door behind her closed. While she did value her friend’s opinions, her mind was made up. Rainbow wasn’t about to have some cheating punk escape her without finishing the fight. Plus, the total bastard went after poor, little Fluttershy, for crying out loud! That didn’t fly fine by the flying athlete. If Rainbow wasn’t doing this for her own pride, then she was doing this for her shy, best friend. 'Nopony lays a hoof on Fluttershy and gets away with it on my watch!' Rainbow Dash angrily thought, vowing once again to bring the jerk hacker down. But the big problem was that she had no idea where to start her prowl after the criminal. The only lead she had was by his appearance alone; she doubted that the guy would walk around town in the middle of broad daylight, with or without his tattered cloak. If she remembered correctly, she gave that sucker a few presents in the form of sword slashes, so unless if he fully healed himself he should be covered in bandages or be struggling to walk. 'Then again… he probably has a stash of health potions somewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, considering that he steals other players’ stuff, after killing them,' Rainbow Dash grumbled as the possible scenarios popped up in her head. If her assumption was true, then this search would be more difficult than she originally thought. 'Well… I shouldn’t waste any time by just standing here,' Rainbow decided, spreading her wings in preparation for takeoff. 'I should probably go back to the white building from before. Snowy might be able to give me a few more clues on where this guy could possibly be.' With her decision made, she leapt off the ground with her wings spread far apart. She flapped them a few times, before she found herself high enough in the sky to glide effortlessly above the town. The wind under her wings felt serene as water flowing in the river; flying to Rainbow Dash was like swimming to a seapony. It was pretty easy, and felt amazingly natural to her. Because of her strong link to flying, she was able to reach the white building much faster than a strong earth pony would. Seeing the building coming into her vision, Rainbow angled her descent to land just in front of it. Not skipping a beat, she touched down on the ground and ran around in a circle in an attempt to bleed off her momentum. Steadily, she slowed her run to a slow trot, and then down a simple walk. Rainbow swept her mane's colorful bangs away from her eyes, so she could garner a better look at the building. As she did, she felt her hoof brush along the multicolored cloth of her bandana, and the silver metal of the adorable, tiny wing pins of the band that were tucked behind ears there. While she did love the amazing speed stats her gear gave her, she felt that her armor could use an upgrade. It’s been a while since she had new, more powerful equipment on her. Rainbow decided to ask Rarity if she could help her out with this. After all, the unicorn fashionista was the group’s main equipment manager, and thus was responsible for providing equipment for each of her friends’ defenses and improving them, as needed. “I just hope she doesn’t make mine a dress though,” Rainbow quietly chuckled to herself. She opened the door to the white building, and took a peek around inside it. To her surprise, the building's interior didn’t match with any of game’s old-fashioned style for buildings. The building’s interior strongly reminded her of a corporate lobby. There was a huge, granite topped desk at the front with huge words, “Information Desk,” printed on its face. For some odd reason, the desk rose up to about her height, only stopping a couple inches below her. When Dash walked towards it, she saw that the desk's height was confined to only the front-facing portion. On the other side of the mini-wall was a couple mares in white uniforms, who were tending to the computers that were lined up on the desks. They were sitting down on chairs, so it gave Rainbow Dash the sense of being taller than she should be when she looked down at them. One of the mares, not intimidated by the height illusion, looked back at Rainbow and asked politely, “May I help you?” “Um, can I see Snowy Silvercast? I need to ask him something important.” “Mister Silvercast is currently not on duty right now. He had important business matters to attend to, so he left. You actually missed him by a couple minutes,” the mare gave Rainbow an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but is there anything else I can help you with? Maybe direct you to the next available Admin who could help you?” One of Rainbow's forehooves made its way to her chin as she considered the offer for a bit before she replied, “Sure. Is there anypony else?” “Well I haven’t checked the list yet, so I’ll have to make sure,” the information desk mare rapidly tapped a few buttons on a virtual keyboard that just popped up in front of her, and then sucked in air through her teeth. “Oooh, I’m sorry Miss… ” “Rainbow Dash.” “I’m sorry Miss. Dash, but there isn’t anypony else I can direct you to. Is there anything else?” Rainbow grumbled, but the mare didn’t notice, “No. I’m fine for now. Thanks anyway.” She turned to leave the building. “I’m sorry,” the mare apologized sincerely. She hesitated a moment before she called out to Rainbow, “Wait! Is it okay if I can ask you something?” Rainbow, with a small grumble, looked back at her. “Sure. What is it?” “Is there a specific reason you came here in the first place? Nopony really comes to a Admin Headquarters, unless if there’s something urgent you need to report. Is there a glitch or hacker you want to report? Or maybe even a disturbance in the town?” “This is a Admins HQ?” Rainbow took another look at the entire lobby. The modern design of the room certainly did feel out of place from the rest of the medieval game world. “Yes. All of our headquarters are scattered around in the major cities of the game, where we predicted there will be the highest concentration of players. Trottingham has a decent average of players every hour, so we had one built here. We’ve also built it in response to the recent upswing in hacker spottings around here,” the mare then adopted a serious look on her face. “If you need to report any information about the Trottingham Hacker, I can definitely help you with that.” “Oh… well actually, I came here to look for information on the hacker. I don’t really know anything about the hacker myself.” “Are you sure? Any information would be useful to our cause.” “Well… the hacker had invaded the inn room my friends and I were sleeping in, but he escaped before I could catch him. The inn’s name is The Trotting Mug.” The mare quickly typed numerous keys on the keyboard, jolting the information onto the computer’s database. She issued Rainbow Dash a quick ‘Thanks.’ “There was also this thing out at the WinsomeFalls area. Somepony had a portal that wasn’t supposed to be there. Did Snowy already tell you guys that?” The mare quickly ran through the folders of reports from the last few hours, and quickly located it. She opened the folder, and ran her eyes though the document. “Hmm… yes. Snowy did report a past incident in the Winsome Falls fields. We’ve had a team of Artificial Intelligence Guards, or A.I.G.s if you prefer, led by Admin Pinpoint. Other than the rubble left behind by the broken portal, we found nothing else.” “Damn,” Rainbow swore under her breath. “Well… thanks anyway.” The mare nodded, and turned her attention back towards the computer she tended to. Rainbow heaved a heavy sigh, and turned back to the exit. Maybe she could find the guy as she walked out the door. Exciting things usually happen when the hero least expected it, right? “Oh my Celestia! Is that Rainbow Dash!?” somepony, another mare in the room, cried out in a tone that Rainbow Dash knew all too well: a fan's squeal. Rainbow turned around, bracing for the inevitable impact that would pound her body to the ground. A mare tackled into her cyan body at rocket propelled speed, causing the both of them to crash against the polished floor. Rainbow grumbled a bit as she saw stars going around her head, and she felt as if a wrecking ball had slammed into her side. Whoever had glomped her must have been really strong. That’s what Rainbow assumed until she craned her head forward to see who tackled her. To her slight surprise, the 'wrecking ball' was actually a pegasus smaller than her; she was probably about a head shorter. Her pale blue coat reminded Rainbow Dash of the lake outside of Ponyville, and her fluffy, white mane was similar to a cloud. Rainbow Dash peered around to see the mare had a pair of daggers sheathed on a leather belt strapped around her chest and withers. She turned back towards the mare’s face, only for her eyes to be greeted by a pair of sea-green eyes filled with absolute glee. “Ugh… um… who are you?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly unsettled by the wide stare she was receiving. “Oh! My bad Rainbow Dash!” The mare got off Rainbow and offered a hoof. Rainbow gladly took it and was helped off the floor. “My name is Morning Shower, and I’m your biggest fan! I’ve seen you at the Best Young Flier Competition, and you were absolutely amazing!” She took in deep gasp. “Hey! Do you think you can show me some tricks please? That would be amazing!” Rainbow Dash chuckled a little. She expected this kind of behavior from Scoots, but never from another mare. She’s small, but Rainbow guessed that Morning was maybe only one year younger than her. She wondered how long Morning had been a fan of hers. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. Thanks.” Rainbow dusted her coat and wings. “Unfortunately, I don’t exactly have the time right now to show you what I got. Maybe some other time we can hang out. Until then, I’ll catch ya later.” “What?! Oh please, Rainbow Dash! I’ve always wanted to meet you so badly in person, but you never really come to Cloudsdale!” Morning Shower dove down to get a firm hold on one of Rainbow’s leg with a strong hug. “Please! Take me with you!” “O– oh come on! I’m really busy right now!” Rainbow tried to pull away, but Morning wouldn’t let go. She was desperately holding onto her leg as if her life depended on it. “How about this,” Rainbow started to offer. “If I become friends with you, will you please let me go?” Morning’s pupils widened to dangerously cute levels. “Really?! Oh that would be awesome!” Morning immediately let go, and swiftly brought out her Friends List scroll. She quickly scribbled a name on it, and Rainbow immediately received Morning’s request to be friends with her in the form of a blue panel that popped out of existence in front of her. With what seemed to be the tenth heavy sigh today, Rainbow halfheartedly pressed YES and watched another name appear on her own Friends List as she pulled it out of her inventory. With Morning’s name inscribed on the list, she stuffed it back into her light saddle bags, and turned back to the door for an exit. Of course, she would have been able to leave if Morning hadn’t taken a hold on her leg again. “Morning, what now?” Rainbow groaned. “I really have to go do something real quick!” “But I want to hang out with you!” Okay, now she felt Morning was asking a bit too much. The clearly obsessed mare would only slow her down on her search for the Trottingham Hacker. With a glace, she took a look at Morning’s Player Stats. The glowing blue profile panel, like a passport, listed all of the numbers that Morning had on her character. 'Rogue, Level 15, more concentrated on defense and health rather than speed and attack,' Rainbow listed off Morning's stats in her mind. It was clear that this mare had no real idea on how a real Rogue works in the game. Maybe Morning probably wasn’t used to Rogue classes in the first place. Rainbow wondered if the mare was more used to tanky warrior classes, but decided to try out for the speedier style. If the stats could talk to Rainbow, they would be saying “Don’t take this mare! She’ll only hurt herself!” But on the other hoof, the excited pegasus’s eyes were just screaming out loud “Please take her! She really wants to hang around with your awesomeness!” Pulled by two dominant choices, Rainbow couldn’t choose which one to go with. Leave the mare who obviously adores her, or let her stick around, slowing her down. Rainbow grew more and more uncomfortable as Morning’s eyes starting to well up with tears. They now spoke of nothing but eternal sadness behind their green windows. It broke Rainbow’s heart a bit to see Morning so desperate for Rainbow’s attention. Perhaps she should indulge her fanmare. “Well… oh alright,” Rainbow finally relented, throwing her hooves up in the air out of surrender. “I suppose you can tag along for a little while.” Morning Shower let out a huge, excited gasp, and then held Rainbow in her tight bear hug once more. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Rainbow Dash! You won’t regret it!” “I think I already am,” Rainbow strained to answer, barely feeling her lungs. She thanked Faust that this was just a virtual game. Morning saw what she was doing to the poor athlete, and quickly released Rainbow from her vice-grip hug. “Oops. Sorry Rainbow Dash,” she nervously giggled, trying to lift up the awkwardness. “So, um, what was this important thing?” she asked, her voice like a happy songbird. Rainbow struggled to stop herself from grinning a little. Morning sounded really glad to be able to come along with her. She then remembered why she came to the Headquarters in the first place, and frowned. “Well, I’m actually looking for information on the hacker. I’m not sure where to actually start.” “Oh! You’re looking for him too?” “… Excuse me?” Morning stiffened into a stand and gave her a salute that a Royal Guard would be proud of. “I’ve volunteered to be one of the many players to look for the Trottingham Hacker. While other players are strictly advised to not go looking for this trouble maker, a few can sign up here at the HQ so that we can help the Admins find this guy.” Morning stopped the stance for a moment to dig through her saddlebags. She brought out a blue, diamond-shaped crystal from within her inventory, the center of it held a glowing white orb. “I can use this to send an emergency signal to any Admins in the area, if I happen to see the hacker. It’s really exciting to be part of such a good cause!” The mare bounced up and down in pure joy, not noticing the crystal was slipping from her grasp until it was too late. “Oh no!” she shouted out and dove to catch it. It was quite a fumble, but Morning managed to catch the darn thing after it slipped out of her hooves a couple more times. She giggled a little, “Sorry Rainbow Dash. This thing is like soap!” Rainbow managed to give out a small grin for this one. Morning was, at the very least, kind of funny and amusing to be around. 'I guess it wouldn’t hurt to… keep her around,' Rainbow thought, still hesitating slightly because of her feelings. She still wasn’t very keen on letting the mare go on such a dangerous task with her, but Morning had already signed up for this, didn’t she? 'Well… guess there’s no harm to bringing her along.' “Morning! What’s the hold up?” Rainbow looked around to locate who was talking, and saw that it was coming from a paper-white unicorn stallion with a brown, mane and unkempt tail. His black steel plated armor only covered his hooves, chest, and barrel, so his cutie mark of a game controller was showing. Sheathed were his two daggers on either side of his flank. He looked like the kind of guy that would talk a lot when he wasn’t so busy. With his choice of weapons, he was obviously a Rogue. His floating profile also revealed that his real name was Kenyis. Rainbow looked past him and saw that he wasn’t alone. A light grey stallion, who was also another unicorn, with a spiky, black mane and tail was wearing a long trench coat covered with numerous bandoliers of round lead bullets and a bandolier of red-taped dynamite strapped across his chest. Holstered on his each side of his coat, were two pairs of flintlock revolvers with six barrels each. They looked like the kind of guns Rainbow would expect old fashioned pirates would carry. The stallion, himself, had a silly, gleeful look to him; he somehow reminded Rainbow of Pinkie Pie, if she were crude. Rainbow identified him as Lead Storm, and his class type was simply a Gunslinger. Not a very common choice, as players saw them to be incredibly overpowered, but in reality their guns were just as powerful as crossbows. From what Rainbow heard, gun weapons were also more expensive as well, even in the regular NPC shops. There was also an earth pony mare by the strange, exotic name of Capricorn. She reminded Rainbow of a hipster-styled Twilight with a whip-thin, black scarf around her neck. Her eyes spoke volumes of her intelligence, but there was also a spark of creativity behind them as well. The black leather armor she was wearing didn’t make any noise at all as the mare moved, but Rainbow could hear the slight ring of chainmail underneath all that padding. Her coat's color was grey, and was accompanied by blue eyes and dirty-blond hair. She was also a classified as a Rogue. And then… there was the giant, massive guy, Corniger. A towering Minotaur with a pair of great horns, standing on two cloven hooves, grey as stone, and had muscular arms bigger around than her head. Even from a mile away, you can’t mistake this guy as small. Ironically, his style of outfit and class didn’t match his outward facade. Apparently, the Minotaur was actually an Elemental Magus, and a very high level one at that. Rainbow heard that these spell casters can conjure a constant hail of magic to keep their opponents busy, so they were mostly pitted against more powerful monsters to whittle them down, while their teammates handle the weak cannon fodder. Apparently, Morning really did know these guys as she waved at them. “Oh, hi guys! Look! I found Rainbow Dash!” Kenyis chuckled. “I know that, but weren’t we going to go looking for the hacker?” “Of course! I’m just going to go search with Rainbow Dash!” Kenyis took a small step back, taken aback by her answer. “What? You can’t be serious. I thought we agreed to go looking for him together, and now you’re going to ditch us for some mare?” “She isn’t just some mare! She’s Rainbow – freakin’ – Dash!” Morning shouted in a loud outburst. She quickly regretted it as she saw her friends’ shocked expressions. Morning clenched her hooves against together, and shook them both towards Kenyis. “Just this once ple-e-ease? It will only be for a day!” Kenyis didn’t really know what to say. He knew Morning was a huge fan of Rainbow Dash, even though he had never seen her before. Only heard stories, but he assumed them to be exaggerated. He looked towards his companions for some support, but they shook their heads silently. Irritated, he rolled his eyes at them, and turned back towards the pleading mare. “I… I don’t know, Morning. Don’t you think it’s safer to stay in a group? Why don’t we go with yo– ” Morning rushed over to him to jam a hoof in his mouth. He let out a yelp before she quickly whispered in his ear, “No! Please! Just me and Rainbow! Please? I need you to understand this.” Kenyis pulled her hoof away from his lips. “What?” he whispered back. “I don’t get why you need to be alone wi– ” “Please! I just want to spend a lot of time with her, and honestly, I feel like you guys are just going to ruin my mojo.” Morning gave him an awkward grin. “Sorry,” she quickly added. Kenyis stared at her with a disproving look, and slapped his hoof against his forehead. “Ugh, fine. You can go with her. Just come back soon, alright?” Morning beamed a grin at him. “Yep!” Rainbow, looking from afar at the door, was waiting for Morning to come back. She wondered what they were really talking about. It obviously had something to do with her. Before she could explore what possible conversations they were having, Morning and Kenyis shared a quick, friendly hug and the pegasus came rushing back to Rainbow with yet another gleeful smile on her face. “You ready to go?” Rainbow asked, opening the door for Morning. “Yep!” she chirped. Morning looked towards the open door, and her eyes widened again. She realized that the great Rainbow was holding the door for her. “Oh… my… Celestia… Thank you Rainbow!” She gave her a quick hug, and rushed out the door. Rainbow, rolling her eyes, was about to leave as well, until Kenyis called out, “She can be quite a hoofful, Rainbow Dash! Good luck!” “Won’t need it!” Rainbow chuckled, looking very confident with her sharp smug. As she left to go after Morning, however, she quietly thought to herself how it was going to be a very long day. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “So, have you seen him?” Rainbow asked an NPC running a potion stand. The potion merchant propped her chin up with her hooves and leaned over the counter. “I dunno. My mind isn’t exactly capable of remembering things.” She then smirked slyly, “Maybe my memory will be refreshed if I get a few bits.” “Wait, what?” Rainbow asked angrily. “What the hay?! I’m not going to pay you any bits!” “I’m just saying… I mean, I might have heard a thing or two about the hacker, but I’m having trouble remembering,” she explained as she shot Rainbow a knowing look. Rainbow frowned a bit. She had dealt with these greedy kinds of NPCs before. She tried intimidating them before, but she only succeeded in making them run away in fright. Sighing heavily, she dug though her bag of bits. She relented angrily, “Okay, how much do you want?” “I dunno. Maybe… twenty bits?” Grumbling, Rainbow dug out the exactly amount of bits, and offered them to the potions mare. Smirking even more, the NPC reached out for it to take the b– “Hold it!” Morning shouted, swatting away the potion merchant’s hoof away. The NPC’s eyes widened in surprise, and recoiled from her shout. Morning's tirade continued loudly, “You did not just try to take bits away from the Rainbow Dash!” Morning smacked both of her hooves down on the stand’s counter hard and yelled, “Apologize!” “W– what? Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” she apologized, cowering a bit. “I actually haven’t seen the Trottingham Hacker! I heard he only attacks players! That’s all I know about the guy! Please don’t kill me?” she whimpered. Morning Shower growled deeply, as if she was a dog who didn’t get her favorite ball. Before she could say anything else, Rainbow pulled her away from the scared NPC, and started comfort Morning by patting her on the head. Although, Rainbow couldn’t help but grin a little at the trembling NPC, watching it squirm a little, but she quickly hid it so she wouldn’t see. “Sorry about that,” Rainbow apologized to the NPC. “My friend here is a little feisty. She’s just really excited. Um… thanks for the info by the way.” “N– no problem! Just get her away from me! I would like to be alive today!” Rainbow nervously chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll do that.” Rainbow started to drag the now-calm pegasus away from the stand towards nowhere in particular. After a considerate distance away from the NPC, Rainbow let Morning go. “What the hay was that for?!” Rainbow asked. “I had everything handled!” “W– wha?” Morning stammered, looking a bit confused. “B– but that mare wasn’t treating you right. I thought you were really angry about it, so I wanted to… you know… help.” “Well you didn’t have to do it like that,” Rainbow scolded her as if she was a child. “You scared her!” “Well… maybe little… but you have to admit that it was kind of funny,” Morning added, her tone almost sounding like she was asking a question. Rainbow pursed her lips, and then smiled and threw a hoof around Morning's shoulders as she replied, “Okay… maybe it was a little funny.” She frowned slightly and removed her hoof from around Morning, “But don’t do try to threaten others. We might not be so lucky next time if you scare them away.” “O– okay. I’ll try.” “Good.” Rainbow looked around to find another NPC or player to interrogate. Finally, she set her eyes on a blue unicorn walking around in white robes and a wooden staff on his back. “Let’s go ask him.” “Okay,” Morning responded, following her idol. Rainbow trotted after the stallion for a few moments before calling out, “Hey! You there! We have a few questions!” The player turned around. “Huh? Well what kind of ques– ” Before the stallion could even ask, Morning dashed ahead of Rainbow and got up in his face. She looked very serious as if there was an urgent matter, while it was true, it was quite rude. “Have you seen a suspicious looking pony in a dark cloak running around?” Morning demanded of him, poking him with a hoof. “He’s a dangerous hacker, and we are looking for him to bring him to justice! He’s yellow, and has a scar over his face! Have you seen him? Do you know him? Are you perhaps in cahoots with him?” The stallion, his mouth wide open, couldn’t answer as he was in a bit of shock. He didn’t respond until Morning shouted, “Hello?! Speak up dude! This is serious business!” “I– I don’t know anything! I just got here!” The player turned around in a perfect 180 degree, and ran away down the road. “Sorry! Maybe next time I’ll be able to help you a bit,” he called back towards them. However, he sounded like he wasn’t really going to keep his promise. “Um… okay!” Morning shouted after him. “Take care!” The stallion didn’t respond, not wanting to talk anymore with Morning as he disappeared around the corner of a building. Morning huffed out a sigh of annoyance, disappointed that she wasn’t able to get any information out of him. Maybe she would get a lead from the next pony. She looked towards Rainbow Dash to see what she thought, only to see disapproval written all over her face. “Morning, what did I tell you?” Rainbow groaned, face hoofing. “Um… not to look so threatening?” Morning answered, unaware to what she had done. “Yes, and what did you just do again?” “What? I wasn’t being a threat! I was just asking him questions,” Morning replied simply. “And you scared him away!” “B– but I didn’t mean to!” The lake-blue Pegasus pawed at the ground with her hoof, reflecting back at what she could have possible done wrong. Now that she thought about it, she was being kind of loud. And in his face. With a sad frown and realization, she said mostly to herself, “Oh… maybe I did scare him a little.” Rainbow sighed, worried that if this keeps up, they would never get anywhere. Knowing that she was a bit short on time, she knew what had to be done. 'I hate to do this,' Rainbow thought dejectedly. 'But I can’t have this mare dragging me down.' “Morning… ” Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her shoulder, starting to regret what she was about to say, “maybe you and I should take a break.” “Huh? A break? But we’ve just started our investigations together!” “No, no, Morning. Not that kind of break. I’m saying that maybe we should just go our separate ways. You know, divide and conquer,” Rainbow added reassuringly. “We can cover more ground that way!” However, Morning stayed silent, lowering her head so Rainbow couldn’t see her eyes. “Um… Morning? Are you okay?” “Okay? Y– yeah. I’m just peachy.” Rainbow knew, though, that Morning was lying. Morning’s voice sounded cracked and high pitched when Morning spoke. It was evident that this conversation was not going very well for Rainbow. The cyan mare cringed when she saw wet droplets falling from Morning’s face, making small little splashes on the ground before the salty liquid was absorbed by the ground. Rainbow cursed under her breath, not sure how to handle the situation. Maybe if she tried to comfort her, everything will be better. “Oh come on, Morning. Don’t be like that,” Rainbow cooed softly, trying to soothe the tears away from the crying mare. “I– I meant that splitting up to cover more ground was good idea, you know?” Rainbow then immediately face hoofed herself. 'Way to be so smooth, Rainbow Dash,' she thought to herself. Rainbow waited for Morning’s response, nervous that it would only further this talk down the hill it was rolling across. Unfortunately, she was correct. “Y– you don’t mean that, Rainbow Dash,” Morning cried softly, her eyes still away from Rainbow’s sight. “You just want me gone, don’t you?” Rainbow nervously chuckled. This was getting extremely awkward for her. “What? No! I’m saying that you seem like a really awesome mare! You probably would work better without a partner like me holding you down.” “But I want to be your partner!” Morning cried out louder, lifting her head up towards Rainbow. The Element of Loyalty winced as she finally saw the large river of tears flowing down from Morning’s eyes. Morning sniffed a bit before saying, “I’ve always wanted to meet you for so long! You were my biggest hero, after I saw you save that mare and the Wonderbolts! You were really cool! I’ve always wanted to get to know you better, and I wanted to be like you!” She lowered her head, and continued to sob softly, “I still think you are the coolest… you don’t need a mare like me to bring you down.” Rainbow, wanting to stop her from crying, attempted to hug Morning. She, however, quickly pulled away from her embrace as soon as Rainbow tried to reach around her shoulders. Immediately, Morning sprinted away from her, too ashamed to even look at her greatest heroine. “H– hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Rainbow shouted after her, but made no moves to chase after. Morning didn’t respond, and only disappeared through the crowd of players. Some of them looked at the mare, and then looked back at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow dejectedly sat down in the street, head bowed in shame. Some of them had given Rainbow looks of pity while others were silently judging her. Rainbow, looking up after a few moments, saw their reactions, and she stepped back a few inches before flying away from the scene. Once again, she could feel the cool air beneath her wings, but it did nothing to ease Rainbow from this stress. She tried to fly after the fleeing mare this time, but she couldn’t see a hair, nor hide of her. It was as if she disappeared out of thin air. “Damn it,” Rainbow cursed. “What’s wrong with me?” *Chapter 11 Part 3: History will Haunt*Chapter 11 Part 3: History will Haunt A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 3~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) “What was I thinking? I really screwed up bad back there!” Morning scolded herself as she walked down the main street. Players in Trottingham looked pretty happy as they played the game. Some were wandering the streets seeing what sights the game offered, while others were hanging out in shops and taverns, crafting, marketing and spending their hard-earned money. They were probably having a great time, but Morning Shower was presently having just the opposite. She never felt so low in her life; felt so trapped at the bottom of a pit. She felt as if she'd never pull herself back up from this mess. She had been looking forward to meeting her greatest idol, to be able to talk to her in person. Sure, she only knew about Rainbow Dash and her exploits for a couple years, but the prismatic daredevil had already earned a special place in her heart the moment Morning gazed upon her. And with one swift, horrible mistake, she dashed all hopes of being possible friends with her hero. What a time to be living in. “Where did my life go wrong?” Morning grumbled, remember the time when that motivational speaker came to Cloudsdale. Despite it being a year ago, that memory felt only like yesterday. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Cumulonimbus Central Park: a frequent location for pegasi to visit for picnics, festivals, and concerts. It’s also known to be one of the few places where titan-cumulonimbus clouds, larger than life cumulonimbus clouds, naturally exist in the weather-controlled country of Equestria. Around Cloudsdale, there was talk about Iron Will and his upcoming assertiveness seminar. It was being hosted at the park, and there was always one topic that came up when the air-dwelling denizens talked about it. Where in Celestia’s sun was he going to stand? Clouds certainly couldn’t be condensed and compressed enough to hold up his obviously heavy weight, and it’s been known that Minotaur have strong magic resistance in their hides. So how? The day of the seminar arrived, and a huge crowd had already come bustling around the park, filling it to overflowing. As the pegasi gathered, they conversed. As a result, there was a veritable cloud of noise that distracted many a passerby into taking a look. Most of their conversations mentioned what they were expecting. Their words were not exactly hurtful or mean towards their would-be host, but they were wondering and questioning how and when the motivational speaker would arrive. Morning was excited to see the man-bull for herself. She had never seen such a creature before. Only from reading books and travelling magazines that she had read from her dentist’s office. Now, she was here to witness one such individual. Dainty, her friend who had nothing better to do, decided to humor her and come along and see the show. The mare tossed and turned her head around to see where the lumbering behemoth was supposed to enter from, causing her purple, curly mane to bounce gracefully in the air. “Okay, we’re here. I don’t see where this Iron Will character is, though. I thought you said he would be here,” Dainty grinned, obviously not believing that the minotaur would actually show up. “Well I didn’t make any promises,” Morning huffed, looking around for him as well, “although I thought the poster said he would be here by now.” “Well it is three past noon,” Dainty noted, watching the sun’s position in the sky, careful to not gaze directly at the star, lest she blinds herself. Her alabaster coat glistened under its rays like frosted crystals. “He’s running a little late, isn’t he?” “I suppose,” Morning mumbled. Where in Celestia’s beard could he be? Had she wasted her time for nothing? Maybe her afternoon would have been more productive with a nap, or maybe a trip to the mall? Hot Hooves was having a fandom sale today, and she had her eyes set on that amazing Doctor Whooves shirt, the one displaying many of the Doctor’s companions. Maybe if she flew right now, she could grab one before they were all taken. “Morning? I’m hungry. Can we just go grab some food instead? I’m feeling like corn cobs right now,” Dainty pleaded to her friend, her stomach growling. Morning glanced at her friend with consideration, then towards the curious crowd. “Well… I suppose so. It looks like he isn’t coming. Let’s go to the mall.” “Great! Let’s go get ourselves stuffed– ” Before Dainty could finish what she was going to say, an announcer over the loud speakers around blared. In a loud tone the voice announced, “Ladies and gentlecolts! Thank you so much for your patience, for now it is time to bring you all the minotaur you’ve been waiting for! I-ron Will-l-l!” Fireworks exploded wildly in the air like rocket confetti, splashing the sky with vibrant colors. Morning could have sworn the sky wasn’t blue in those few moments, The display was awe-inspiring enough to silence the crowd. The spectacular show did not end, however, as a grand rock-star stage, supported by blimp-sized balloons rose from the cloud-layer with a blue minotaur posing on stage. Along with his furry goat companions, he was showing off his impressive blue armor. Oh, wait a second, those were his were his muscles. His well-toned, delicious, polished muscles. “Holy horse apples,” Dainty stated, summing up Morning’s thoughts quite well. Adding in the fact that it stopped perfectly at this elevation, Morning couldn’t help but wonder how long it took to plan this event. It probably took weeks to determine the perfect amount of force needed to ascend. In retrospect, that all doesn’t really matter now. What mattered now is that there was a minotaur, a heavy guy, floating among the pegasi in the clouds. “He-e-e-ello-o-o Cloudsdale! How are you all doing today?” Iron Will shouted out, demanding to know the crowd’s answer. Excited by the sudden show Iron Will put on, they cheered out exuberantly. However, the motivational speaker placed his hand next to his ears as if he was having a hard time hearing. “I’m sorry! That wasn’t loud enough. I asked, ‘How are you all doing today?’” The crowd went completely nuts this time, determined to show the minotaur their exhilaration. Iron Will nodded with satisfaction. “Now that’s more like it!” The minotaur threw his fist up towards the skies, basking in the hyped up cries of excitement. The cheering crowd stomped on the clouds in favor for Iron Will, further charging the atmosphere with energy. Morning smiled as she looked around the entertained ponies. This Iron Will sure did know how to make a flashy entrance. The minotaur nodded his head in approval and surveyed the energized audience. Calling out to the audience, he asked, “Okay, so I’m assuming you all are here today because you have trouble standing on equal footing among your peers, am I wrong?” Morning could have sworn everypony around her, excepting for Dainty, shook their heads and confirmed Iron’s comment. Morning, like many of the pegasi here, had a few problems in social conversations. Her issues tend for her to be her voice dropping in volume or being unable to stand against or with another. In layponies’ terms, she had the tendency to be shy. “Well, if you all are need of help, then I shall be there for you!” Iron Will promised, sweeping an arm out toward the crowd. “I shall show you the ways of 'Being the Iron Wall,' or the 'Path of a Tall Tree!' I will teach you all how to be the powerful voice in the discussions among your fellow ponies! I shall tutor you all on how to not be a doormat.” He then studied the audience once more with his beady, fierce eyes. “But first, I will need a volunteer… you! The light-blue pegasus in the back with a rainy cloud for a cutie mark!” At his words, he pointed to the crowd in Morning's direction. Turning their heads, the audience searched for whom Iron Will was pointing at. Their eyes set gathered on Morning. Shying away behind her friend, Morning called out with a quiver in her voice, “M- me? Did you call?” “Yes, you! Come up here!” Morning let out a terrified shriek as she felt something pick her up. She quickly looked below her to see she was being lifted up by a pair of rams with their large, curly horns. They delivered the poor victim brave volunteer up to Iron Will on the stage in what felt like ten seconds flat. “U- um… hi,” Morning greeted Iron Will, who looked quite menacing now that she was up close and personal with him. However, he had a confident smile on his face. He must have gotten at least a few dozen compliments from a lot of mares with those firm stomach plates of his. They looked as if they can withstand the godlike weight of a thousand snowy mountains. “So little missy, what's your name?” “M- Morning Shower,” she squeaked, feeling her confidence fading. “Well, Morning. I’m guessing that you have a natural case of shyness. Perhaps you have a few friends who talk over you?” Iron Will presumed, walking around her like a detective. She nodded her head slowly, confirming his deductions. “And I suppose you came here to change all that?” he continued in a loud, booming voice. “W- well, I guess you can say that I’m a little curious, and… a little desperate.” Dainty’s ears twitched slightly at those last words. Her slight grin turned to a sad frown as she absorbed Morning's statement. Desperate? What did Morning mean by that? Dainty made a motion towards her friend, as if she was going to grab her back close to her, but her hoof couldn’t reach far enough. She considered stepping up there, but that would just attract attention towards her, which would extremely awkward in this situation. Finding herself with no other suitable options, she stayed here she was, watching her friend about to confess something. “Desperate? What do you mean, lil’ missy?” Iron asked, with piqued interest this time. “Well… there’s this stallion that’s been bothering me… ” The watchful crowd mumbled among themselves again. This time they shared questioning whispers. Most of them had no idea what she meant, but those who had seen her around the city before knew what was up; in fact, they all shared a neighborhood with her Like their neighborhood, they shared her burden and troubles. Nevertheless, they kept quiet, not wanting to say anything about it, lest things should go bad. “Stallion? Is this individual hitting on you or something?” “N- no. He wasn’t flirting with me or anything. Its rather the opposite… ” Kneeling down, Iron Will lowered himself as much as possible, without having lay down and asked, “So, is this stallion hurting you?” “… Yes. And a few others as well.” “I see. Well, I’m not too sure how I can help you directly with your problem, but I can teach how to stand up for yourself. Are you willing to learn?” Morning was hesitant to speak her mind, but deep down, the resistance to her fear was rising to take control of her decision. It was as if Iron Will had lit a spark inside her heart, and set it aflame. Looking into the strong minotaur’s eyes – which had concern in them – she nodded. Iron Will stood up proudly as he spoke, “Great! Now let’s start with the first exercise. Billy here will be acting as a bully from high school… “ +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It had been a few days since Iron Will's seminar in Cloudsdale. Resting in her quant cloud home, Morning was taking a sip of her coffee. For some odd reason, she felt a little more confident getting up from her bed. She guessed that it was probably Iron Will's help. After the free lesson he gave her at the seminar, she decided to pay for another day of private lessons. He guided her through many drills, such as standing up to bullies or practicing her assertive voice. It took a lot of strength out of her, but she felt her will growing stronger with each passing moment under Iron Will's tutelage. After that, Iron Will felt that his work in Cloudsdale was done for awhile, packed his things up, and left for the next town. With her mug in one hoof, she paced towards a window that showed her the view in front of her house. Outside her house, a peaceful neighborhood bathed in sunlight. Some of her neighbors' foals were frolicking and jumping around in the cloud puffs like it was snow, holding a miniature battle with cloud weaponry. Their parents were out on their porches, watching their children contentedly. Some of them even participated in the foals’ combat match, laughing and chuckling all the way with the little ones. It was a rare and beautiful sight to behold for Morning as she – and all the other pegasi in the area – knew there was something sinister controlling their neighborhood’s fate. But they weren't due to come for another week or so. So far, Morning and her neighbors outlook for the day looked bright. There was no need for any trouble. That was what Morning thought, until she saw a flock of grey clouds floating over their homes. A sudden chill ran down her spine from the sudden temperature drop. This wasn’t any sort of exaggeration as Morning could actually see her hot breath coming out as she exhaled. For any other ponies, this would seemingly seem an extremely strange phenomenon. Grey clouds don’t appear out of nowhere, for no reason. For Morning’s neighborhood, it was a familiar omen, meaning something dastardly coming through their streets. The parents, heeded the grim signs, harshly whispered to their foals to come back in their houses for safety and protection. The foals, not ones to argue with their older guardians, quickly ran towards them for warmth and reassurance, for they too knew the dangers of staying outside during these times. Morning knew, that if it came down to a conflict, not even their front doors would be able protect them. With no time to spare, Morning set her coffee down on a nearby table before quickly rushing to close the curtains on all of her windows, negating any chance of being spotted from the outside. She double checked to see if they were locked, as well as her doors. Thankfully, they were already secured. Coming back to the window she was at before, she peeked out the curtain's gap, looking outside to see what was up. Within seconds her suspicions were confirmed: Master Wind’s gang was back. The lead stallion of the mafia group was smug as usual. His white teeth looking confident and bright. But underneath that pearly-white smile of his laid a nasty interior of dishonesty and ruthlessness. His yellow coat had the same hue as a bit, and his evergreen mane waved in the wind like grass would. His red eyes were predatory: sharp, and venomous; they were the same as they always were, even from the moment Morning first made eye contact with him. She couldn’t count how many times she had wondered about the number of people Master Wind had stared down, with those poisonous eyes of his. A tough, buff stallion would cower before his menacing glare. Just one glance would be enough to let bystanders know he was trouble, and not somepony you messed with. If they didn’t pay any notion to his eyes, a quick look at his cutie mark, an image of a coiled snake, would make them shy away. Morning tightened her grip on the curtain, making herself as invisible as she could be to the devious gang without losing sight of them. She clenched her teeth together as she looked upon the diabolical pack, feeling like her head was blowing steam out from her ears. Why were they here? They weren’t due for a few days! Maybe they were just coming a bit early for a surprise visit to catch all of them off guard? Whatever plan they had, it wouldn’t be very pretty. Outside, one of his henchmen, dressed in a black suit with a pair of glasses upon his muzzle, kept his hoof on the short iron club in his holster as he studied the houses, “So boss, where do we start?” “Stay in line, Sneaks. We’re not here to collect. We’re just here to remind our kind friends who their gracious host is,” Master Wind smiled, his voice sweet as bitter melons slathered in honey. “After all, they should be grateful for our services. Keeping their… nice homes safe from filthy, low-life thugs. Underneath its pure, fluffy clouds, Cloudsdale is really dangerous, don’t you think?” “Of course, sir. You’re right as always, sir,” Sneaks tersely replied. Master Wind slightly nodded towards his crony, before turning his attention back to the houses. He adjusted the diamond encrusted, gold bowtie around his neck before announcing, “Well I think we’ve overstayed our welcome. Time to check back at the coop.” He and his followers spread their wings apart, ready to take flight. That is, until Wind's ears perked at the sound of a melodious voice. “Hmm? Hold on now for just a moment boys,” he ordered, his voice holding a tone of amused curiosity. “Do you hear that?” Caught by his sudden interest, Morning started to search out the voice's source. Deep inside her heart, however, there was a bubble of horror beginning to well up inside her, threatening to burst. It was the tune to a song that she listened to often, from one specific individual for most of her life. One that she knew would follow her to the grave, and would gladly love it to. She knew who was singing. “No. It can’t be. Dainty,” Morning whispered to herself, trying to deny the possibility of her friend visiting today. But she was. Right there, walking down the cloudy sidewalk was her best friend, wearing her best pearl necklace: the one that she received from her late aunt. She looked very merry as she trotted down the street, as if she was surrounded by a field of her favorite lilies. Despite the light-hearted and sweet scene, Morning could see nothing but a foreboding, dark cloud hanging overhead. She couldn’t tell if it that thought was more literal or figurative at the moment, as the skies above were gloomy and frowning. “No, Dainty. Run. Run away,” Morning mumbled, her voice threatening to crack. “Don’t come any closer, Dainty.” She wanted to run out there to stop her. To yell for Dainty to escape before it was too late, but Master Wind already had that crazed smile on his face. It looked as if he had won a million bits in the lottery. To run out there would do nothing, for she knew he had already placed a target over her friend’s face. With a quick clap of his forehooves, his underlings had moved to surround Dainty in a dome-like formation. Dainty, who didn’t notice them until it was too late, uttered a small gasp. Her eyes quivered in horror. “W- what is the meaning of this?” Dainty proclaimed, trying to look brave. “I- I don’t want any trouble from you fine stallions.” The stallions didn’t answer, keeping their stone-steady eyes on her. Dainty felt awkward and violated as the numerous pairs of eyes inspected her curvy form, her emotions being mixed in a batch of anger and fear. “P- please leave me alone. Whatever you guys what, I’ll gladly pay it! Just please don’t lay a hoof on me!” “Oh! I’m terribly sorry for the rude welcome, but my boys couldn’t help but rush to the front door to say hi,” Master Wind explained, finally drawing Dainty’s attention to him. “W- who are you?” Dainty backed away from the stallion, but quickly found out she was still trapped. “Do not fret, young mare. I just have a friendly proposition to give you,” Wind offered, a draconequus-like grin. “Give me that pretty necklace of yours, and I’ll let you live.” “W- what? No! I’m not giving you my necklace!” Dainty shouted, her gaze turning furious. “Tch. Don’t play like you made the rules of this game. I only want your pretty little accessory.” “My aunt dove the depths of the most dangerous coral reefs to find these pearls! I’m not going to just give them up to a low life,” Dainty hissed at him venomously. She attempted to push past Master Wind, tolerating enough of his poisonous attitude. However, she found herself roughly restrained by his henchmen as grabbed each of her forelegs. Dainty shrieked as soon as they grabbed her, crying out for help. However, none of the ponies inside their houses dared to come out. As for Morning, she stood still, distressed. She was unable to believe what transpired before her eyes. She wanted to move her hooves, to run out and push them away from her friend, but her body was frozen in fear. ‘Come on, Morning! Dainty's in trouble! You've got to move!’ Morning thought, but she even had trouble breathing. ‘Why can’t I move? I’m not that afraid of him… am I?’ Outside, still struggling against her muscular bonds, Dainty stared down her horrible captors' leader. She furiously exclaimed, “You won’t get away with this, whoever you are! Mayor Cloudpuff and the guards will lock you away for good!” Dainty smirked a little in confidence that the local law enforcement must be arriving soon as somepony in the neighborhood must have seen her in trouble. Where are they, anyway? Shouldn’t they be trying to help as well?! As questions swam around in her mind, her confident smile was wiped away, as Master Wind laughed. “Oh I’m afraid they won’t be arriving anytime soon. You see, I have the mayor and the guards’ commissioner in my pocket. I know more about them than anypony ever will, including all of their deepest, darkest secrets,” Master Wind reached out for her necklace, fondling it a little. “Blackmail,” Dainty hissed. “There is no depth you'll go to 'win,' is there?” “No, and I prefer to call it ‘cash info.’ How do you think my boys get paid?” “Then why are you here? There’s no reason for you to be lurking your slimy wings around this neighborhood,” Dainty glared, trying to keep his hooves away with her teeth, but the brutes just kept her from reaching him. “Because it’s fun to keep tabs on everypony in this city? After all, what use is power when you can’t show it off?” Master Wind took one last look at the shiny clam orbs, then looked up at her eyes, unafraid of the pure ferocity inside them. “You know, I think I’ve been looking at the wrong pearls. Their beauty was just added to by their wearer.” Dainty stopped struggling for a moment, looking slightly confused, and then realized what he had meant. “O-o-o-oh no. I am not some mare you think you can pick up easily. You’re disgusting, and definitely not my kind of pony.” Master Wind ignored her insults, and just continued to inspect her. “Hmm… well you could use a little polish. I suppose you’ll be a whole lot more valuable... once I’m through with you.” “… No. You’re not going take me! You’re not going take me!” Dainty yelled out loudly, as she flailed about, her rear hooves tried to kick the horrible villains away , but the thugs just restrained them as well. “Don't worry. Once I’ve trained you enough, you’ll beg me to bend you over,” he sneered. Spreading his wings once more, he commanded to his subordinates, “Let’s go, stallions. We’re burning daylight here.” “No! No!” Dainty cried out in agony. “Somepony save me!” “Oh shut up. Who is going to save you? Everypony here is afraid of me!” Master Wind boasted. “Who, out of all these cowards, hiding in their ‘safe’ homes, will step up and try to play hero?” “I will!” Master Wind whirled around towards the newcomer, looking absolutely caught off guard for once in his life. He quickly then replaced his shocked expression with an irritated one. “Who dares to interfere?” “Me! Morning Shower!” she shouted out with pride. “I’m not going to let you cart off another innocent mare, and especially not my best friend!” “Another mare?” Dainty cried out as she struggled to free herself. “How many has he kidnapped?!” “Far, far too many,” Morning answered morosely, defiantly staring at the yellow villain. Master Wind stared down at her for a couple passing moments, and then laughed out as if he was looking at a silly puppy. “And how are you going to stop me? You’re just one mare! There’s nothing you can do about it,” he declared, clapping his hooves. “Gentlecolts. Seize her. I think I shall have two new mares for tonight.” “Yes boss,” one of them chanted, immediately diving for Morning. Morning, as brave as she could be, stood her ground before the menacing thugs, not flinching in the slightest. A bright bonfire was lit inside her body as she barreled forward into what seemed to be the brawl of her life. Determined to avoid getting captured, she dove and leapt over their grabby hooves, making sure to give them a kick in the head every now and then to impede their progress. She even delivered a few jabs into their sweet, precious spots, which was bound to make any male wince in sympathy if he were to witness such a painful attack. If there was one thing she was glad about the private lessons Iron Will gave, it was that he taught her some pretty sweet moves. Like a monkey, she danced around the brutes, making them look like a bunch of fools as they clumsily tried to go after her. As his irritation grew immensely, Master Wind shouted out disappointedly, “What are you buffoons doing?! Seize her already!” Morning laughed with joy as he fumed. She never thought Iron Will’s physical workout would actually get her this far! It was the only reason why she was still free! With her nimble legs and fleeting wings swimming through the air like a hawk, she felt like she could take on the world! But as she was at the height of her prowess, she felt a sharp jab to the back of her head. Her skull rung with pain, and her whole entire world spun as her body crashed into the clouds. As she met the soft ground, she cried out in pain. Despite the workout, she was simply taken out in just one direct hit. It felt as if somepony took a baseball bat to her skull, which was pretty unpleasant to say at the least. Her ears rung pretty badly too, as she could barely hear what anypony else was saying. Morning heard Master Wind mutter something to his subordinates, but she couldn’t really make out his words clearly. All she could listen to was the sound of a dull whistle. “Hmph. Well, I think it wasn’t very necessary for me to step in, but somepony needed to stop making you lot look like complete idiots,” he frowned, glaring at Morning with disapproval. “I think I shall give her a special lesson tonight. Anyway, we’ve delayed our leave long enough. Tally ho, my young chums.” As he stepped out of Morning’s dizzy vision, she felt her tired body roughly being hauled onto somepony’s back. She could feel her spine curving at an uncomfortable angle. “You monster! You beast! Brutal bastard! You can keep me, but leave Morning alone!” Dainty screeched out. “I’m afraid that is not a choice you can demand,” Master Wind hissed, clearly annoyed by how much time they were wasting by staying and talking. “You two are under my leash now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Um. Sir? There seems to be somebody else coming down the street.” “Oh, what now? I would very much like to go home no- Is that a minotaur?” Morning struggled to stay awake, to keep conscious. But as the darkness swirled around her vision, all she could hear was the sound of more conflict arising in the background. Her sleepy mind then took over, and all she saw was black. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Alarm clocks. Morning, despite her name, really hated alarm clocks or anything that woke her up with constant noise. When a constant beeping greeted her ear drums, her mind unenthusiastically woke up with a grumble. Her muscles barely responded as she tried to swing her forehooves around to shut the damned beeping off, and it only made her a bit angry. Giving up, she decided to just open her heavy eyelids. “Look who’s awake! Rise and shine, Morning.” “Wha? Who’s there?” Morning called out, rubbing the sleep grits out of her eyes. The voice sounded extremely familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. “Just me. Iron Will.” “Iron Will?” she yelped out in surprise, her eyes suddenly wide awake. However, she soon received a shush from the minotaur. “Shh! There are others resting here, you know,” Iron Will shushed her, his finger over his lips. Taking a look around the room where she was apparently placed in, she recognized it as one of Cloudsdale's Cloud Hospital's rooms. She had been here a couple times when Dainty got sick with a severe case of pneumonia. She remembered some good times spent here as she would come up with silly and inventive ways to cheer her best friend up. While it wasn’t the best of times, they managed to have some fun in those grey moments. “O- oh. Sorry,” Morning apologized softly, lowering her voice. “But what are you doing here? I thought you left already.” Glancing away, Iron Will began to rub the back of his neck. “Well I did, but I couldn’t help but come back to see what was up. When you told me a stallion was bothering you, it really got my horns in a twist. I’ll admit that even after the Iron Mood course, I was still worried that it wouldn’t really work out in your favor. So I decided to come back and see who was bothering you. As it turns out, it was much worse than what you told me.” “Y- yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you everything.” “It’s alright. I’m just glad I was able to step in.” “Well, thank you for saving me, Iron. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you,” Morning nodded with gratitude, smiling at her hero. She then looked around and asked, “Say, where is Dainty? Is she alright?” And just like that, the mood in the room turned frigid. Iron Will looked at Morning as if she was some sort of ghost, then looked down with a deep, sad grimace on his face. He broke eye contact with her, like one side of a bridge in a terrible earthquake falling. “W- what’s wrong, Iron?” Morning asked, her heart suddenly filled with concern. In the back of her mind, something cold and malicious whispered to her, but she ignored it. It, however, only kept whispering louder in response. Apprehension appeared in her voice as she asked, “Dainty is fine, right? I mean you must have scared away those brutes! They don’t have her anymore, do they? Please tell me!” Iron Will stayed silent for what seemed like the longest couple minutes of her life. A breath could barely be heard among the two as Morning’s heart monitor drowned out any additional sound. Any other sound, except for the one of her thumping heartbeat. She felt like an ice cube was forcefully pushed down her throat, leaving it a cold and dreadful numbness. Morning wanted it to stop. She wanted the room to be filled with light again. But when Iron Will opened his mouth, she knew her hope was going to die. “Morning… Iron Will can do many things, but there are just some things that are out of Iron Will’s control. I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t save her in time.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Morning wiped away the tears strewing down her cheeks, but the painful memory just wouldn’t stop forcing her eyes to flow salty rivers out of her. Master Wind, known for being slightly insane, had brought out a lethal weapon that originated from the gryphons: a jeweled, golden flintlock. With a shout, the pegasus shot at the minotaur, but missed terribly. He ended up shooting Dainty, hitting her right in one of her lungs. Upon hearing the news, Morning grew more depressed and angrier every single day. She would feel the burning rage inside her again, when something ticked her off, and she would waste and direct all of her emotions on the poor being who did so. Most of the time, she held no ill intentions toward anypony. Those that garnered her ire would never bother her again; they were usually at the bars where Morning would spend her days, drowning her sorrows at the bottom of the glass. Being supportive as he always was, Iron Will helped her control the flaming anger inside her, by teaching Morning the importance of exercise. Every day, she would take fleeting flights around the city of Cloudsdale, improving her flying skills. One of the managers of the weather factory saw her moves, and asked her if she wanted a job. Morning immediately seized the opportunity for a higher paying job. Technically, she was still living off the money her parents gave her until she got a job, so it wasn’t like she had a better choice. As the days passed, she found a new role model: Rainbow Dash. Hearing of her adventures and heroic deeds, Morning strived to be just like her. Finding ways to help others was hard, considering that the mayor had finally taking stronger actions towards crime, but volunteering at her local charities was an okay path. She really had hoped to meet Rainbow Dash one day, but Morning never thought her anger issues would've bothered her again. Resigning to the fact that Rainbow probably didn’t want to talk to her again, Morning dug her diary out of her satchel. It was amazing how she was able to document her thoughts onto a virtual book in-game. She didn’t think the guys who made this game would even consider using an in-game book like this, but having a diary was possible. In fact, she actually decided to copy her real life diary entries into this one. Speaking out loud to record her thoughts into the virtual book, she started, “Dear diary, today was both terrific and terrifying at the same time. Honestly, I never thought the day I would meet Rainbow Dash would come, but it did! She was just as cool as everypony said she is! She's better looking than the posters of her I have! But… I messed up big time. “My anger got the best of me, and she saw a some of my ugly side. I really thought I wouldn’t go that far overboard, but I guess the fanmare inside of me is stronger than I thought… heh. I guess I’ve been playing too much of this video game. Maybe I should starting getting into the habit of exercising again. Heck, I can see my muscles getting thinner as I speak. “But… that won’t change the fact that Rainbow Dash isn’t too happy with me right now. I should make things right. I will make things right with her. I don’t want to leave a possible friendship on such a sour note... ” Morning, lying on her belly, pondered whether if she placed down enough of her thoughts for the day. Maybe if she really does mend things with Rainbow, she could add some good news to her book of personal thoughts. Slightly rejuvenated with willful hope, she stood up from her spot and stretched her legs. As she was about to stow away her diary, however, a somewhat shy voice startled her. “E- excuse me, b- but I couldn’t help overhearing you mentioning Rainbow Dash. Do you know her?” “H- huh? Yeah,” Morning replied, craning her head around to see who was talking to her. As she did, she couldn’t help but think that he sounded familiar. “Why ask me?” “Because –” Morning felt a sudden, blunt jab to the back of her head, prompting her to collapse to the dirt. “– I have score to settle with you two bitches,” the unknown voice growled as it took on a menacing tone. Morning griped loudly like a wounded dog, as she felt her hooves being hogtied, the rope not being very gentle with her legs. Her vision was getting blurrier by the second, but Morning curved her neck to see who the mugger was. To her horror, she realized why his voice was memorable to her, for she saw the stallion’s gold-yellow coat, tree-green mane, and red-snakelike eyes. “Hello sweetie,” Master Wind whispered harshly, his tongue slimy with venom. “Did you miss me?” *Chapter 11 Part 4: The Mare Who Waited*Chapter 11 Part 4: The Mare Who Waited A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 4~ Not yet edited by ultra1437, but is edited by Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Capricorn hadn’t had the pleasure to go on her own in the game in such a long time. Usually she had her team mates walking beside her, but not this time. She’s treading on a path by herself, looking for her friend. She remembered the day she first logged onto Equestrian Earth. As soon as she placed a step on the stone road of Aeroslida, she stumbled upon a ragtag group of players looking for a new teammate. Morning Shower had a megaphone while the others were holding up signs, advertising their growing group. It was one of the most anime-ish she ever saw, and it filled her with laughter. Capricorn wasn’t really the type of pony to be all cuddly with others, but she did enjoy their company. It was nice to just be there in their conversations, and their team synergy made beautiful music in battle. Which is why she was a little nervous when Morning Shower ran off on her own with somepony else. If there was anything she knew about Morning, it was that she could get a too enthusiastic about impressing people she liked. She would take things above and beyond of what she should do. Since they were out to question people about a dangerous criminal, Morning might take their investigations a little too far. She remembered one time when Morning was asked to go get tickets for a chariot ride to Cloudsdale. It had been thirty minutes since she had left, so they had to go search for her. When they did, what greeted them was a rather hyped up duck race with Morning hosting the betting pool. She explained later that she didn’t have enough money to get the tickets, so she decided that holding bets for a duck race would get her enough for them. Honestly, Capricorn thought that grinding would have been a slightly better option, but hey. It got the group some new gear as well. But this was different. Morning was out there, getting involved in something dangerous. She didn’t know a lot about hacking, but she’d imagine that hackers in a virtual game are one of the scariest things possible. From what she had heard, they had the power to control and alter anything around them in order to turn the tables to their advantages. Rainbow Dash was there of course, and even though Capricorn doesn’t have a clear idea on what kind of mare she was, she knew Rainbow was the kind of mare to keep somepony like Morning down to earth. So why did she still have that creeping feeling crawling inside her? “I have to find her,” Capricorn mumbled to herself as she walked between the buildings. As she came towards a way out into the market, she saw a square object lying on the side of the road just outside the alley. “Why hello? A book?” As she came closer to the book, she could read the title on it. She almost wished she hadn’t. “Oh no.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “So you really don’t know about this guy?” “Nope. S-s-sorry, ma’am.” “Are you re-e-eally sure? I mean, a lot of people have told you that you’re vat-deep in the Underworld. There has to be something you know about this hacker.” “I can only know s-s-so much, ma’am. I won’t lie about maybe being one of the best information brokers-s-s out there, but even this-s-s guy eludes-s-s me.” “Maybe I can interest you in some –” Rainbow Dash brought out a small pouch of bits and held it up the hooded python’s face, “– bits.” “Even if I did take thes-s-se, I s-s-still can’t tell you a thing. I s-s-simply do not know, and that is-s-s the truth.” Rainbow Dash stowed away the money. “Well… alright. You take care then.” Trottingham’s information broker, a hooded Naga by the name of SilverTongue in the game, nodded before slithering away, melting into the dark alley’s shadows. Most players wouldn’t want to toy with people like him, much less make eye contact. Superstitious tales warn to not look at them in the eye, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t afraid of those stories of eternal petrifaction. And surprisingly, SilverTongue was a gentlesnake despite having a shady job. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t give her the information she wanted, and she’s starting to lose her patience with it. Just like how… she lost patience with Morning earlier. Rainbow angrily lashed at the ground with her stomps, frustrated with herself. Over the years, Rainbow Dash has built up the reputation of being one of the coolest mares around, so why couldn’t she have handled the situation coolly? She honestly never thought that having fans would shake her mind so much. It was amazing to be noticed. Scootaloo was proof of that. The filly loved her. But if upsetting a fan brought her this much guilt… “It’s not your fault, Rainbow Dash. I mean, she did drive away those people,” Rainbow grumbled to herself. “But… ugh! I didn’t have to do that!” Rainbow slammed the side of the building next to her with the back of her hoof. “I… I gotta set things straight. Gotta make this right.” Rainbow rubbed the back of the hoof she used earlier before stepping out from the alleyway and into the open. Her next stop should be to message friends about her current situation. Surely they could help her find Morning. Before she could even spread her wings, however, a tackle from the side pushed her to the ground, throwing up dust on both of them. “Hey what gives?!” Rainbow coughed, pushing her assailant off. She gave her attacker a closer look. “Wait aren’t you– ” A sudden, painful slap greeted Rainbow’s face, strong enough to knock a few health points off of her. Capricorn reeled the hoof back, fire dancing her eyes. “How. Dare. You.” “How dare I? How dare I!?” Rainbow repeated with vigor. She stood up to meet Capricorn eye to eye. Her scowl then melted into a nervous smile. “Oh wait. Did Morning tell you what happened earlier?” she softly chuckled, making a poor attempt to alleviate what was sure to be a tense confrontation. “No, she didn’t,” Capricorn flatly replied, staring dead straight into her eyes. “O- oh. Well I might as well tell you anyway since you’re here. You see, I kinda– ” “Allowed her to get kidnapped?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening. “Come again?” Rainbow Dash backed off as Capricorn stomped into her personal bubble. Her chest roughly brushed against Rainbow’s. “Kidnapped. As in stolen, whisked away, and gone from her friends!” Capricorn growled. Her tone rose with each word. “I knew something wrong was going to happen, but never would I think it would come to this. Let me guess: you told Morning off because you were slightly irritated and she took off in a flash. Because of that, she’s gone! Is that it?” Rainbow could only manage an, “U-u-uh– ” “Just ’uh?’ Is that all you can say now?” Capricorn pulled a book from her inventory and shoved it into Rainbow’s chest. Rainbow, her breathing slowed, read the title of it. Morning Shower’s Diary. “How did you– ” “I found it on the ground, dirtied and soiled. Morning always keeps her most precious entries in there. They were secrets that she even wouldn’t entrust to us, her friends. We respect that, and I know for sure that she wouldn’t just leave it lying around for just anypony to pick up.” Rainbow handed the book back into Capricorn who swiped it away. “Look I’m sorry, alright? I know an apology isn’t going to cut it right now, but I am truly sorry. I was just about to go look for her actually.” Capricorn just continued to glare. “Just about? Why didn’t you look earlier?” “I had other things on my mind! But I’m going to make this alright. I’m gonna go find her. I promise!” “No you’re not. I don’t want you anywhere near her anymore. You’ve done enough.” Capricorn turned her back from Rainbow, storming off. “Where are you going?” Rainbow called after her, although making no attempts to chase after. “To go find my friend!” Capricorn bellowed back. And with an incredible sprint, the Rogue was gone. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Rainbow has been gone for quite a while. Should we go look for her?” Applejack asked Twilight who was reading a book called The Advanced Guide on Ganking. Rarity, who was playing cards with Trixie and Pinkie Pie, nodded. “I agree. Rainbow Dash does have the tendency to get herself between a rock and a hard place.” Trixie placed down an Ace of Hearts. “I’m pretty sure she could take care of herself. I know her type, and you girls should know it too. She probably doesn’t want help.” “Don’t say that, Trixie,” Applejack growled. “This is serious!” “Bartender! Can I have another C.C. Butterbeer?” Pinkie requested at the top of her lungs, waving an empty bottle of one high in the air. “Coming right up!” A crisp, cool glass bottle of Cotton Candy Butterbeer was tossed towards her, which Pinkie expertly caught with her mouth before landing back on her chair. “I’ll have one as well!” Trixie hollered with a smirk. “Put it on Twilight’s tab!” “Hey!” “Oh don’t worry. I’ll pay you back later,” Trixie chuckled as she caught hers with magic. Pinkie and Trixie uncapped their drinks and clanged them together in a celebratory toast before gulping down their mouthwatering contents. Twilight rolled her eyes and turned towards Applejack. “I would go and help Rainbow, but I think she left with the impression that she wanted to do this by herself.” “But Twili– ” “No buts.” “Butts are good. They’re soft and cushy to touch,” Trixie commented with a subtle smirk. Twilight frowned at that. “Trixie!” Applejack pounded the surface of the table, shooting glares at Trixie. “I swear tah Celestia that you don’t take anything with the least bit of empathy! Aren’t you even a bit concerned?” Pinkie tossed down a red Uno card with a five on it into the card pile. Rarity silently shook her head towards Pinkie while the silly mare giggled. Trixie, however, was no longer interested in the cards. “If it makes you feel better, than yes I am slightly worried. But your daring friend left here with quite the impression. I’m not about to pick up my tail just to interrupt Rainbow. I don’t think she’ll thank me for it, and I get the feeling she’ll come back soon enough.” Twilight slipped a bookmark in her book before storing it into her inventory. “Trixie makes a good point. We’re just here to relax and enjoy a game, Applejack. Hackers are not our business and should be left to the authorities suitable for this task.” “But what if Rainbow gets herself in trouble?” Applejack questioned, looking quite frustrated. “She’s our friend and you’re telling us we should ignore her?” She struck it right in the heart. Everypony except Trixie glanced down at the floor, avoiding Applejack’s eyes. Trixie heaved a soft sigh and laid down her hoof of cards. “Honestly I don’t think you know what is truly at stake here. It’s something that you apparently don’t understand clearly enough.” “And what would that be, showmare?” Applejack growled. Trixie brushed the dust off her shoulder. “Pride.” Applejack opened her mouth to retort back, but seemed to struggle with her jaws. “Didn’t you pay attention to Rainbow last night? She looked like somepony had taken her cupcake and smashed it down to the ground. She had flames in her eyes that night, and she definitely had the right to be. I would be if somepony had stolen something precious from me.” Trixie glanced towards Twilight. Twilight only looked away, pink colors blossoming lightly in her cheeks. “Anyway, this is something that Rainbow will have to do herself. Enlighten me, Applejack. How do you think she would feel if suddenly her friends decided to butt in with help that she never wanted in the first place?” Applejack scanned the table, her eyes trailing at the cards, at the drinks, and finally back to Trixie. “If I was Rainbow, I would probably feel bullheaded as an ox.” “See? I knew you would say th– ” “But she would also know that we came to help her because it was the right thing to do. Rainbow may be stubborn, but even she understands how important teamwork is, and I’m not about walk away from her.” Applejack tipped the front end of her hat up, giving them all a strong look. “Now who’s with me?” After a short moment, Twilight was the first to raise her hoof. Shame was painted in her eyes. “I am. I’m… I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten such an important thing. Rainbow Dash is still our friend, and what do friends do? They help each other. I can’t even call myself an acquaintance to her right now.” The others slowly raised their hooves up as well, leaving Trixie the last one left. Trixie heavily sighed once more. “Alright if you all really are going to do this, then I might as well come.” Trixie jabbed towards Applejack. “But only to see what would happen. I’m not about to get myself fully involved in this.” “That’s fine. You can come along and see how wrong you are,” Applejack smirked. Trixie rolled her eyes, crossing her forelegs across her chest. “Now let’s go find Rainbow. She can’t be too far since the hacker is most likely stationed here.” Fluttershy raised her hoof slightly. Applejack quickly caught that and turned her head towards her. “U- um. I- I don’t think we need to look, um, far. She’s right over there.” They all looked towards the front door, finding Rainbow standing underneath the open frame. Her eyes were shaky, and her breathing was raspy. “Guys, I can’t believe I’m asking you this now, but I need your help.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Darling, before you begin, you should drink first. Your throat sounds absolutely parched!” Rarity said as she levitated a cup of steaming warm cider towards Rainbow. She had one ordered before Rainbow asked them if they could go upstairs into the room before they hear what she had to say. Everypony except Twilight and Applejack were resting on the beds. Fluttershy was on her stomach next to Rainbow who was sitting on the edge of the second bed, facing away from the window. Pinkie was on the first bed on her back and limbs spread out in angel formation. Her head hung on the edge as she looked up towards Rainbow, and was twirling a peppermint candy ninja star. Rarity was on the same bed as Pinkie, although she had a couple pillows underneath her forelegs to make her rest more comfortable. Trixie was alone on the third bed, next to the window with her hat shading her eyes as her head was laid on a pillow. “Thanks Rare,” Rainbow coughed before sending the sweet contents into her stomach. The warm touches of the drink soothed her windpipe. “Wow. This is some really good stuff.” “I know. I’m still surprised every time I have a meal here. I even catch myself drooling on the pillow every morning after I have a couple bites. I would have never imagined I would do such an unladylike thing, but I just can’t help myself.” “That’s great and all, but I would really like to know what happened,” Applejack said, turning towards Rainbow. “We were really worried about you. Some of us anyway,” she said as she casted a quick gaze at Trixie. Rainbow didn’t notice the slight frown Trixie had. “Well to make the story quick and short, I messed up pretty bad.” Applejack raised one of her eyebrows. “How so?” “Yeah! What could you have down that could possibly made your smile upside down?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, your frown is really sad and everything! I never seen you this down before. Not even when Applejack ran out of cider! You must have down something really, really, really, really ba– ” Twilight had a cupcake stuffed in Pinkie’s mouth, immediately subduing her. Pinkie sighed with content, dazed and distracted in a cupcake daydream. “Pinkie, Rainbow can’t tell us what’s wrong if she keeps being interrupted.” “It’s fine, Twilight,” Rainbow assured, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hoof. “She’s right though. This is probably one of the biggest mess-ups I could have possibly made.” “Could you please elaborate? I get the feeling we don’t have all day,” Trixie said with an annoyed frown. Twilight shushed at Trixie before Rainbow gathered up her thoughts. “I… I kinda met somepony today.” Rarity’s interests were snatched up. “Oh? Who is it? An old friend? Possibly a stallion you knew before?” “No it wasn’t anypony like that. Her name was Morning Shower, and she’s a big fan of mine.” “Wait, I know this story.” Everypony except for Rainbow turned to look at Trixie. She had her hat lifted up a little to look at Rainbow. “You drove her away in frustration, didn’t you?” “What are you going on about, Trixie?” Applejack scowled. “Rainbow is great with anypony who admires her! She would never dare to upset any one of them!” To Applejack’s surprise, Rainbow shook her head. “No. She’s right. She ran away when she believed I was mad at her.” Rainbow lowered her head even farther in shame. Applejack couldn’t even meet her eyes. “And to be honest, I was a little angry with her. But I would never even imagine I would ever get into this situation.” The mares all looked at each other as awkward silence blanketed the room. Twilight was the first to break it. “Well I’m sure it’s not that bad as you think it is. I mean, everypony gets upset every now and then– ” “But do they usually lead them being kidnapped?!” Rainbow suddenly burst out in a shout, her eyes filled with tears and her brows furrowed deep. Twilight’s eyes widened, recoiling a little. “W- what?! Kidnapped???” “O- oh my. That sounds very horrible,” Fluttershy said in a hush tone, which was ironically heard by everypony in the room due to the second silence. It didn’t stay for very long. “What in tarnation do you mean she was kidnapped?” Applejack demanded. “How did upsetting a fan of yours end up getting her in deep water?” “Well this is quite interesting,” Trixie mumbled to herself quiet enough for none of them to hear. A distinct sound wings flapping from the window caught her attention. There were no birds to be found, but instead there was a scroll sitting in the frame of the open window. A green satin ribbon had it tied up. “Why hello? What do we have here?” Meanwhile, Rainbow had already revealed Morning’s diary to the others. None of them bothered to read it though as what Rainbow had to say was already enough. She had a small, sad smile. “I couldn’t help myself, but I had to take a peek in her diary. Can you believe she stayed up for three nights straight in order to lift weights with her wings alone? Just in order to impress me with her flying skills when I come over to Cloudsdale? That’s some crazy dedication right there!” Her smile went 180 into a frown again. “Trouble is, I actually did go to Cloudsdale a few days after that entry was written down. She said she performed a couple nice tricks when she saw me in town, including writing my name in the sky with clouds. How could I have missed that?! I would have loved to see that!” Twilight walked up to Rainbow and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a soft smile. “Hey don’t kick yourself so hard for this. There’s no way you could have possibly known that happened. I remember you complaining to me after you came back about how you were stuck inside the Weather Factory, filing paperwork the entire day?” “Yeah I guess. I just wished somepony could have saw that and told me though. I definitely would have loved to meet her had I known,” Rainbow groaned, throwing her back against the bed. “And now this happens!” Applejack placed a hard stomp on the wooden floor. “Well don’t you fret any longer, Rainbow. We’re gonna help you find Morning right now, but not before you pick yourself from that self pity pool of yours. It really wasn’t your fault this happened ya know.” “That’s right, Rainbow,” Fluttershy nodded. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you assisted with her kidnap.” “But it feels like I did.” Rainbow rolled onto her side, facing away from Fluttershy. “I don’t even know where she could be.” “Well I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore.” Everypony turned towards Trixie once more. Even Pinkie snapped out from her cupcake dream. Trixie was slowly waving an opened scroll inches above her vulnerable belly. “I think our Trottingham Hacker is challenging us now.” Rainbow suddenly stood up on the mattress, her nostrils flaring and eyes burning. “He was the one who kidnapped Morning? Where is he?” Trixie confidently smirked as if she knew all the secrets to the world. “Winsome Falls. The caverns beneath them to be specific.” +Ω ‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Morning’s stomach was rustling restlessly. Not the greatest feeling in the world to wake up to. Her head felt like it was taken for a ride in the washer and dryer. It felt like tides were being thrown left and right inside of her, the waves of acid crashing against the fleshy walls of her stomach. She tried to suppress the growing feeling in her belly down, but it was kind of hard to tell which way was down as she was hanging upside down, tied in a tight coil of rope hanging from the dark ceiling. In the end, she unfortunately lost the battle and lost her lunch, virtual daisy sandwich and all. She looked around to see nothing but darkness. The air reminded her of wet bread, and gave her body quite a chill as well. The only source of light was the lantern the hung beside her. “Ugh,” Morning groaned weakly, “that was disgusting.” “Quite. You’re getting my floor all messy, ya cunt.” Morning swiveled her head around. “Who’s there?” “Why it’s me of course. Don’t you recognize me?” her captor said, removing the shadows from him as he stepped into the dim light. Morning narrowed her eyes, a scowl erupting across her face as she hissed, “Master Wind. Or should I say Ass Wind?” “Oh my. Still the feisty mare from all those years ago,” Wind chuckled with a smile of amusement. “If my memory serves me correctly, weren’t you just a shy little doll before you decided to play as the hero?” “I ‘played’ hero because there had to be somepony to stand up to assholes like you,” Morning growled, struggling against her bonds. Though the more she fought, the tighter the rope coiled around her. “Tsk, tsk. When will you ever learn that heroes don’t always leave flowers in their wake?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Master Wind simply sneered towards her. “It means it’s not always sunshines and rainbows. When you defied me on that day, you made a very nasty enemy. I bide my time well, staying out of the searchlights of those pesky government dogs. I even had to change my face a little every now and then.” “Then why are you the same way you looked before?” He shrugged. “I just thought you might appreciate a little bit of nostalgia, a taste of the good ole days.” “They weren’t good ole days to me, Wind. Now let me go!” “Oh ho ho I’m afraid I will not,” he said, a black cane with a ruby crystal crowning it materializing in his hoof. “You see, I’m fishing for a big catch today, and I’m in need of some bait. Fortunately, it seemed like a rather large worm had squirmed right into my path, and I get the feeling that my prize wanted a big one.” Morning stopped wiggling in her rope cage for a few moments before growling, “Rainbow Dash will kick your sorry ass.” “I’m afraid that’s where you are wrong, doll. You see, I have very good friends with me today.” Master Wind sat upon an exquisitely carved wooden chair that materialized out from a gush of blue data from the ground. He made a couple claps. The sounds bounced around the walls a couple times before Morning saw something coming out from the darkness. Her breath was trapped her throat as two monstrous creatures limbered on their tree trunk-sized legs. They resembled a hybrid creature cross between a lizard and a bear that was dipped in liquid darkness. Their feet and body embodied the massive furry beast while their heads were reptilian-like. Black slime pooled under where their bared teeth were, but what truly horrified her was who was in the cage that the two carried on their backs. “Capricorn!” Morning cried out, struggling to swing towards her. However it was no use. Her friend looked like she was knocked out cold, and she wouldn’t wake no matter how loud she shouted. Master Wind’s soft chuckle slowly grew into howling, evil laughter. “Oh this will be fun!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ When one thinks of Winsome Falls, they expect gushing amounts of water and rainbows to fill the air, so naturally they also expected the Winsome Caverns must be colorful and pretty. However, the ugly truth of the caves is that it is a cesspool of the rainbows’ wastes. Rainbows are known to be incredibly spicy due to a component in the spectrum that glued all of the colors together in perfect seven lines. When the rainbow collides, that component is separated from the combination, free to be its foul self. And Winsome Caverns is the tank of that nasty stuff. The mares had arrived at the mossy entrance of the Winsome Caverns, the rim of its large mouth toothed by hanging stalactite and rising stalagmite. Even from more than twenty meters away, the band of adventurers could detect the cave’s noxious stench in their nose. Rarity was by far the most disgusted, going as far as to wear a hazmat suit. It was similar to the one Rarity owned out in the real world, except its air tanks were made out of ruby. “Do we have to go in there, darlings? My readings are telling me that this gruesome, icky, nasty, horrid place has a 9.3 scale rating of radiation that gives anypony in there a magic debuff, and an 11.0 rating on the E.W. scale.” “I’m afraid so,” Trixie said, reading the ransom note once more. “The hacker does claim to be here. So far, it’s our only lead.” “Then I say we go in, whoop this guy’s ass, save Morning, and put this guy’s sorry flank into the cage,” Rainbow said, punching her two hooves together. “Now who’s with me?” Applejack slightly raised her war hammer up. “Right here, Rainbow. Right here.” Twilight stepped up right next to Rainbow. “So am I. We’re not going to let his actions progress any longer.” “Me too! Me too!” Pinkie bounced up and down with a grin hidden behind her cloth mask, although her eyes sparkles were practically screaming excitement. Rarity sighed. “Well I suppose I have to.” Fluttershy silently nodded while Trixie just heaved a sigh. “Then it’s settled!” Rainbow shouted, charging straight into the depths of the cave. “I’m coming to save you, Morning!” “Rainbow Dash, wait!” Twilight shouted after her, racing after the blue dasher. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Trixie soon trailed after her, leaving only Rarity and Fluttershy behind. Rarity was about to muster up her courage to step further towards the cave when Fluttershy gently pulled on her tail. She slightly pulled on the sleeve of her leafy cape. “Do you, um, have an extra suit? I don’t think I’m well equipped for such a dangerous place.” “Why of course, darling!” Rarity said, dropping another set of the suit for Fluttershy’s inventory to suck up. Fluttershy selected the suit in her bag and equipped it. It appeared on her in a bright, quick flash. “Which reminds me, I need to refresh our team’s equipment. I’m afraid we need to be better equipped for the future, but the problem is that I’m running out of bits.” “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll get by. Hopefully.” Fluttershy smiled softly. Rarity turned her gaze towards the jaws of the cave. “I sure hope you’re right. I’m not even sure if Twilight’s Robes of Causeaway will protect her, and that’s the strongest gear out of all ours!” “It is?” Rarity nodded. “Oh yes. Nullifying 75% of a physical attack is quite enormous, but I’ve noticed the monsters around here are quite stronger than the ones we’ve encountered before. We only got by because of team work.” “Well I have faith in our friends.” “As do I, dear Fluttershy. As do I.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rain Spice Bats are flying, elemental cave creatures made out of water that can blind a player by throwing spicy water projectiles from their wings. A colony of them didn’t stand a chance as Rainbow meteored into their home. The sheer wind-filled force from her harsh landing blew them all away. Rainbow had landed on some mud, getting her dirty, but she didn’t the slightest bit of attention to it. All she had on her mind was– “Morning! Where are you?” “Rainbow, be quiet!” The blue rogue craned her head around to see Twilight and the others arriving. “We don’t want to alert the hacker’s attention. Who knows what traps he may have set up for us?” “I don’t care what he throws at us! After what he did, I just want to give him a piece of my mind and a hooful of broken teeth!” Rarity inspected the area. “Please think more carefully about this, darling. Twilight does make a valuable point. This is an unknown enemy we’re dealing with here. From the rather uncouth writing on the letter, I can easily tell you that he is absolutely not a gentlecolt. I’ve never seen such arrogance ever since I had the utter displeasure of meeting Blueblood.” “Well he certainly does have leverage on us,” Trixie said. “If I was in his shoes, I would have written a note like that as well.” Applejack scowled. “Of course you would.” Trixie strutted up to Applejack and bumped chests with her, a sly grin gracing her lips. “Why yes I probably would. I’d imagine that he had a lot of fun writing that letter. That nickname he gave you specifically was cute. Does he happen to know you personally?” Applejack growled, “And what’s that supposed to mean?” “Oh please. He called you a ‘Curvy Cowgirl.’ That’s a mighty delicious word for somepony to use isn’t it, cowgirl?” Applejack aggressively pressed her snout against Trixie’s grinning one. “Don’t you dare call me that again. I was willing to give you a second chance, but I can see you haven’t really changed at all, showmare.” “You haven’t exactly been friendly with me either, Applejack. Your tone is just laced with red.” “Well you seem to have a good talent of getting on my nerves easily.” “Would that be tiptoeing or treading?” “Why I ‘oughta– ” Twilight pushed herself between the two and pushed them apart from each other. “Please! No fighting, girls! Now is not the time for bickering.” “Twilight, aren’t you seeing this? Trixie is still her downright nasty self! I don’t see any of the ‘good’ changes you said she had after that magic duel you two had!” Trixie brushed the dust off her chest. “I’m trying really hard here, but I believe most of your friends don’t trust me very well.” “Well with that behavior, I can certainly see why Applejack is a little furious with you,” Rarity frowned. “I like you!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I like everypony!” Applejack turned towards Rainbow. “How about you, Dash? What do you think of Trixie?” “She’s fine I guess,” Rainbow Dash said, although not looking at Applejack and was eyeing the various tunnels branching out from the main chamber they were in. “Seems like a good drinking buddy to have.” “Why thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Trixie said, grinning at Applejack’s slightly deeper scowl. “Rainbow Dash!” “W- well if Rainbow Dash likes her, I guess she’s an okay pony,” Fluttershy mumbled. Applejack shoved her hat down to cover her eyes. Just as she did, a voice boomed out from deep within the caves. It reminded Rainbow of snakes, and was definitely masculine. “Well what do we have here? Guests? Oh my, it’s certainly early to have them. I haven’t even set up the appetizers yet.” Rainbow stomped a hoof towards the general direction of the voice, although the echo made it difficult to determine where it was coming from. “Where are you? Where’s Morning Shower? Show yourself, coward!” she bellowed. “My my, what strong words you have. If you really want to meet me so bad, then why don’t you come and join me? Here, I’ll even give you a road to start on.” The rocky walls started to rumble, the earth groaning beneath their hooves. The cave was getting darker, and as Rainbow Dash turned around, she could see why. The entrance was closing. “No!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew towards the closing mouth, although it was too late as the light bit of light was choked out and her hooves punched against solid rock. It pained quite a bit, but it didn’t stop her from hitting the wall. “You bastard! Don’t you dare bucking cage us in here!” “Isn’t this what you wanted though? To have a confrontation with me?” “I’ll punch your lights out!” Rainbow roared as she turned around and dived down one of the tunnels. Twilight reached out towards Rainbow. “Wait! Don’t do it, Rainbow! It’s a tr –” The tunnel where Rainbow Dash went through immediately closed. “– ap… ” Twilight fell onto her knees. “Oh no. It’s Discord all over again.” “This guy is playing smart with Rainbow Dash’s mood,” Trixie noted, dropping her grin for a more serious frown. “Sorry Twilight, but I don’t think we’re going to see Rainbow Dash for a while.” Applejack stepped between Twilight and Trixie, looking straight into the magician’s eyes. “And what do you propose we do now?” Trixie wasn’t intimidated. “Why we stick together of course. Safety and power in groups.” “Well what about Rainbow Dash?” “She can fend for herself. She may not be the brightest out of all of us, but she has the grit to make up for it.” The two stared into each other’s eyes, silently fighting a battle of will. Applejack’s blazed while Trixie’s was stone and unmoving. Finally, Applejack’s glare was doused a little. She looked away from Trixie. “Fine. I just hope Rainbow is gonna be alright.” She walked over to Twilight and offered a hoof to her. “Come on, Twi. Get up. We got as criminal to lasso.” Twilight nodded, and took Applejack’s help as she picked herself off the ground. Pinkie Pie, not alarmed by the sudden twist on their plan, bounced happily ahead of the group. “Come on, girls! I think the voice came from this way!” “Well we better follow her, darlings. We shouldn’t lose her too,” Rarity said, trotting after Pinkie. She muttered ‘ew’ and ‘gross’ as red mud splattered more on her hooves with each step, even though the hazmat suit protected her. Fluttershy followed closely behind her. Soon, the other three joined them, descending into the darkness with them as Pinkie sang a silly song about giggling at the ghostly. A small smile grew on Twilight, feeling her spirits lifting up a little. They’ll surely find Rainbow again. They got to. *Chapter 11 Part 5: True Strength*Chapter 11 Part 5: True Strength A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 5~ Not yet edited by ultra1437, but is edited by Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Rock Golems, Rain Spice Bats, Glow Slimes, and Luminescent Giant Musrats were just one of the few denizens of the Winsome Caverns, and none of them were a match for the sharp edge of Rainbow’s blade as she sliced through them all. Experience Points just stacked on top of each other before they could pour into her EXP Bar. The golems’ would attempt to pound her down with their fat fists, but their limbs would be severed off before getting toppled over by kicks. A satisfying crash would happen as she sent their rocky bodies crashing and crumbling to the ground. Rainbow didn’t know exactly where she was going as she blindly fought through the mossy underground, but she never felt lost when she was following the taunts of the hacker. “Yes that’s right. Come over here, foal.” “I’m not a foal, asshole!” They had danced this verbal fight for quite a while since Rainbow was separated from her friends. Every time the hacker spoke, Rainbow would lash back with threats. Her eyes were furrowed deeply, and her nostrils flared with hot air. The most infuriating thing about him was that he kept calling her a little foal. It definitely did not make her a happy pony. According to her clock in the upper right corner of her HUD, about ten minutes outside of the game had passed. Ten minutes is too long, and this jerk was just playing around with her. In his eyes, she was a just a little game piece on his board, and that pissed her off greatly. “Oh dear Rainbow Dash, it’s certainly fun to see you fuming, but I don’t see why you have so foalish about this. All I did was take an annoying stalker off your hooves.” “She isn’t annoying,” Rainbow growled gruffly, cutting down a Rain Spice Bat flying towards her. “And she has more balls than your weak flank.” “You do realize that you’re in my turf right now, foal? This is my hideout, my sea, and the tides certainly don’t take any prisoners. Your ship has set sail away without you as soon as you stepped into my waters.” “Why don’t you just shut your trap and face me already, or are you too much of a pussy for that?” The hacker’s disembodied voice yawned. “You’re a boring foolish foal. It’s time to switch up the verse.” Before she knew what had happened, Rainbow found herself falling through the ground. She looked up to see a hole had opened up and gobbled her. She soared up, but a new ceiling has formed over her already. “Nah ah ah. No exits for you. Only forward. F, O, A, L.” “Graah! I’ll crush you!” Rainbow thrust her sword up high towards the rocky ceiling, but failed to pierce through. She’d almost lost control of her weapon as the recoil bounced into her blade, causing it to shiver violently with a ringing sound. Faced with no other choice, she rocketed down the narrow cylinder of a tunnel, a growl rolling off her tongue. This guy just loved to get on her nerves. Exiting out of the hole, a dome-like chamber awaited her. As soon as the last of her tail left the narrow tube, the hole closed up as well. Looking around, all she could see was foggy darkness below and the orange torches lined up on the curved walls. The light didn’t seem to want to go any further into the dark than ten feet. So far, she had been flying in the dark, depending on Pinkie’s Nocturnal Vision Potions she drank after the first tunnel she went through, but the torches eased the strain in her eyes. She fluttered around to get a better look of her surroundings, but before she could take note of her environment, she heard a small hiss from below. Reacting on pure instinct, she folded her wings and dived downward as something huge pounced towards her. Rainbow tucked her legs in and landed a roll on the ground before hastily getting back onto her feet. The hissing sound was uttered again and something was running towards her with heavy steps. It was apparently heavy enough to make the ground shake. Rainbow deeply scowled. Whatever was in the room with her, it was huge and agile, and that combination of attributes didn’t sound very good for her. Rainbow reflexively strafed to the right to dodge the creature. She could hear it sliding to a halt and changing direction towards her again. It had good hearing as well. Staying in the dark didn’t seem like a good idea, so she backed off fast into the light. Drawing her sword, she kept her watchful eye on the dark fog of inky smoke, trying to determine where her foes were. It was quite hard to tell though due to the fact that the torches on the other side can’t seem to pierce through the fog, so that means no shadowy outlines for her to see. Although with her hearing senses, she guessed that probably only two of them were in there. She started to fly around the chamber, careful to not make contact with the fog. She heard more hissing from the dense cloak, followed by the sound of something coughing up. Suddenly, something dark shot towards her from the fog. The first thing that came into her mind was to fly up, and luckily enough she managed to avoid the attack as it smacked into the wall just a few inches below her. It stuck to the wall for a bit before sliding down in a splat. It was a gooey, dark ball of slime. Rainbow choked out a sound of disgust. Rainbow pointed her sword towards the fog and demanded, “Hey! Quit it!” A barrage of dark smile balls flew towards her in response. Rainbow felt the wind knocked out of her as one tackled her in the belly. A surprising large amount of her Health dropped, bringing her Health down to 2928. She only had 3510 HP to begin with, which was very squishy compared to other players, so Rainbow can’t really afford to take any more hits. Another wave was fired, and she zigzagged around in the air, swatting away whatever slime balls she couldn’t evade with the flat of her blade. Even though she couldn’t see into the fog, her ears told her about the creatures moving inside it. A couple or three set of four limbs? That obviously meant she was outnumbered. Despite the odds, Rainbow smiled. There was nothing like a good challenge. Her smile lasted for only a moment before she bolted straight into the dark fog again, hacking and slashing the best she could at the creatures. She got a couple hits off them, seeing a couple numbers in the hundreds fly into the air before something grabbed her leg. Swiftly, Rainbow was swung around before being thrown all the way against the wall, her left wing feeling the full brunt of the impact. She landed on her legs and steadied herself before testing her damaged wing. She winced as it responded with what felt like a thousand bee stings. Definitely can’t fly now. A roar that rivaled dragons was released, a warning for her to dodge again. She rolled to the side just in time to avoid the monster’s punch. She looked at the wall to see the end of a shadowy, furry limb extending from it. Rainbow traced her eyes from the limb all the way to the owner’s face. Rainbow grew a small grin, chuckling lightly with a large gulp going down her throat. “Wow. You’re one ugly mother bucker.” How could she describe this chaotic freak of nature? If a crocodile and a bear were to be left alone… Rainbow got the feeling that this hideous thing would be the product of that. The head of a lizard – resembling one of those cool komodo dragons Fluttershy had once before – and a body to rival Harry the Bear. Mud was caked on its fur hide, and its rancid jaw was missing a couple of jagged teeth. It also had holes in its teeth. Are those worms moving inside them? If there was a dictionary definition of weird and ugly, this guy was it. Of course, Fluttershy would probably slap her if she ever made that comment in front of her, but this guy was definitely born for it. Baring its sharp rows of toothy weapons in a snarl, the Level 32 Shadow Beazard dragged its right paw across the wall towards Rainbow. She ducked her head down, avoiding the dangerous swipe of its claws, and countered with a diagonal slash, aiming for the nearest limb. A deep gash decorated across the beast’s right arm, letting loose black slime to splatter around. Some of it soiled her armor. The Beazard roared directly at her in anger, and a foul stench of what suspiciously smelled like meat entered her lungs. Flies would have loved it. “Ugh. What the Tartarus have you been eating?” Rainbow coughed, covering up her nose. The Beazard roared in reply and snapped its nasty jaws at Rainbow, but she gave it no chance for its teeth to reach her as she thrust her blade up its throat. She pulled away with ease after twisting the blade a little, letting loose a stream of black slime from the stab wound. The Beazard fell to the ground with a large crash, causing the ground to tremble slightly. She rested her blade onto her shoulder pad, striking a confident pose as she admired the sight. “Weren’t so tough now were you?” Rainbow scoffed, sticking her tongue out and lowering her left eye’s lower lash bed a bit. A classic taunt. Surely she had won that fight, but her smug demeanor slightly melted as the Beazard struggled to its feet and uttered another bloody roar. It started to charge towards her again. Rainbow swiftly somersaulted over the bear just in time avoid a crushing end, and somehow she managed to stay within the light. The sound of rocks fall along with a pained bellow told her the Beazard probably crashed its cranium into the wall. Using this opportunity Rainbow quickly took a look at her stats. It seemed silly, but Rainbow wanted to confirm what Level she was. She made a swipe with her sword in front of her, and the Stat Window slid into view. She was Level 28. Just four levels below the monster. “Damn it.” Rainbow sliced at the Stat Window. It closed in a cloud of smoke. “No wonder it was still alive and kicking.” Just as she closed her Stats, a jabbing, cold sensation hit her hooves. She tried to move, but couldn’t. The slime projectiles had glued her to the ground. Suddenly, Rainbow was tackled from the front and was rammed all the way against the wall. Rainbow squirmed as she felt her body being slowly crushed like a can, her ribs moving in very uncomfortable places. Rainbow Dash mentally facehoofed. In the moment of checking her Stats, she had forgotten all about the other Beazard in the room. The second Beazard growled as it pushed its cranium against Rainbow. She could feel bars of her HP being chopped off with each second. Somehow, she managed to keep a grip on her sword, and the hoof holding it was free. In a desperate move, she ran her blade through the Beazard’s right eye, a squishy sound coming from it. The beast let loosed a painful roar, releasing Rainbow Dash as it stumbled backwards. She didn’t stop right there though as she used Dash It to cut at the back of its paws, hindering its movement. The Beazard got on its hind legs, rising to an impressive height before swinging its forelimbs around in a wild fashion. It was astonishing, considering she had just sliced into its limbs. Rainbow used Dash It once more, but this time with the Spectrum Slash buff aiding her. Multiple mirror copies of Rainbow Dash were birthed from the sword as it glowed, taunting the Beazard as they swarmed around it together in a tornado formation. The monster attempted to hit the copies, but it failed to hurt them as they were just illusions. The real Rainbow ran towards the lumbering beast, flanking from its blind side with her blade steady. Within striking distance, Rainbow darted up and jammed the sword straight into the side of the Beazard’s upper rib cage. The Beazard’s HP drastically lowered as a Critical Strike of immense damage popped above it. She must have pierced its heart or something. With a final roar, the Beazard fell onto its side in a giant heap with Rainbow Dash standing on top. In the upper left corner of her HUD, she could see her Health was dangerously in the yellow, just at 59%. Just when Rainbow Dash felt like she could rest a little, she felt her body being flatten against the dead corpse. While she wasn’t looking, the other Beazard had pounced and body slammed her hard, and it felt like mountains were being piled on top of her body. She was out of breath, and found relief as the monster got up. Rainbow watched with dread as her HP Bar on her HUD dropped down to about 10% of its prime. Only 352 HP left. Rainbow coughed up some blood. Another 13 Health dropped. “F– fuck,” Rainbow weakly groaned. Rainbow craned her head around and saw the Beazard lifting one paw high into the air. It was obvious that it was going to crush her underneath its claws. Rainbow, using all of her strength, rolled over to the side to dodge. Although she had forgotten she was on a Beazard and fell a couple feet to the floor, feeling her head knock into the unforgiving surface. Even when lying in near defeat, she could barely believe it. It only happened in a matter of seconds, and she had failed. Rainbow was going to fail saving Morning, and she was going to be beaten by some stupid freak that was obviously the hacker’s creation. No. She couldn’t give up right now. Rolling onto her back again, she raised her sword towards the bear as it swung its limb down towards her. She made a slight adjustment, to allow the point to be directly in the paw’s path. Just about when the paw was about to be impaled, somepony in the room commanded it to stop. “Halt! That’s good enough… for now. I want to finish her off myself.” Rainbow’s eyes regained a bit of fire as she heard the familiar voice, finding some newfound strength to struggle back on her hooves. It was the hacker. At its master’s command, the beast slowly backed off, keeping a careful glare on Rainbow. A gust of wind danced throughout the chamber, pushing away the fog and allowing the torches to flood the room with light. Rainbow could see right now that the room she was in wasn’t very empty. In fact, it had a live audience the entire time. In the center of the room stood a black stone throne that was slightly higher above the rocky ground, on top of a hill of rock. On each side of the throne were metal cages on floating gem platforms. In the cage to Rainbow’s right, she could see a struggling Capricorn in her tight rope bonds. To her left, Morning Shower also bound. She could see that they both had cloth gags over their mouths, and had purple bruises scattered over their faces and legs. On the throne, she could see a yellow stallion, his face, shadowed underneath the hood of his dark cloak. He sat with one leg on the knee of the other with his back reclined. It just spoke smugness. “Hello Rainbow Dash. We finally meet. Face to face. Just what you wanted, correct?” Rainbow glared at him. “You,” she uttered in a growl. “So you’re the one causing trouble around Trottingham? I should wipe that stupid smile off your face right now!” She looked above the stallion to see if there was a nametag floating above him, but there wasn’t one there. The Beazard growled at Rainbow’s threat, but the stallion hushed it. “Relax, my dear. You shall have your fill of blood soon.” The stallion brought his forehooves together, resting his elbows on the throne’s arms. Rainbow could feel his gaze upon her. “And you’re the mare from last night. You gave me quite a bit of trouble, and I can see that your hold true to your name with that repulsive color splotch you call a mane. Now be honest with me really, did your mother drop you in a rainbow vat when you were born?” “Shut your tra– ” Rainbow coughed violently with blood; 25 of her Health was dropped. “Still have a bit of fight left in you? Well no matter. You won’t win anyway. I’ll see to that,” the stallion declared as he got up from his throne. He spread his wings wide and glided down, landing near Rainbow. The platforms holding the cages lowered all the way to the ground, landing roughly. When the cage settled, Morning wormed her way over to the bars to get a closer look at Rainbow, her pupils shrinking as she saw her captor drawing closer to her idol as he chuckled. Rainbow kept her sword lifted for as long as she could, but eventually she couldn’t endure holding her arm up in such bad condition. At least now she could finally see underneath his hood. He had green hair. Wait a second. “Hold on,” Rainbow narrowed her eyes, “you’re… you’re not that guy from the library.” The hacker stopped in his steps. “Excuse me?” “W– well there was this… ah who am I kidding,” Rainbow spat, looking downward. “You probably don’t know him anyway.” “Hmm… oh wait. Are you talking about Raynor?” Rainbow looked towards him again. “That’s his name?” “Ah yes, Raynor. He mentioned how your purple friend had caught onto his plans, and he unfortunately had to run with his tail between his legs!” The hacker chuckled. He then laughed up a storm. “Oh! And you annoying cunts caught him again just a few hours ago! He couldn’t even clean up his own mess. Just left the portal gate to crumble right in the middle of plain sight! Oh, I never remembered laughing so hard in my entire life.” As he hollered in mirth, a black cane with a red, curved handle and blue flame paint job on the bottom materialized on his back. He drew the cane and pointed the fiery end directly at Rainbow’s face, inches from her eyes. “But because of your meddlings, I was unfortunately assigned to gather information on you and your friends.” He sighed, “Oh, if only you had stayed asleep for just a couple more seconds, my job could have been quick and painless, and I wouldn’t have to waste precious time setting up this trap.” The flat end of the cane flipped opened up like a cap, revealing the inside of it to be hollow. The cap, still attached to the cane, then transformed into a target symbol. Taking a closer look at handle, Rainbow can see a trigger. Piecing the parts together, Rainbow realized the cane was actually a very strange gun. Her eyes widened. The corners of the stallion’s lips curled upwards venomously. “We had a fun time together, but I’m afraid this is the part where we part ways. Don’t worry though. While you’re respawning, I’ll just collect whatever data residue is left on your digital corpse, yada, yada. You can blame the programmers for making this a bit complicated. Normally, anywhere else, all I needed was a computer, mouse and keyboard, and access to the internet to steal precious information, but the new kind of programming that came with the creation of virtual reality tech and programs made it possible to put down walls that could even stump the best of hackers. Took me months to come up with a program that can hide my identity here, and I have to continuously update it because the bucking patches they release every single week. Like really, do they even freaking sleep?! Dear gods it is annoying how they… ” Master Wind continued to rant on about how annoying everything was hard for him to commit malicious deeds on the net thanks to the introduction of VR programming, and at that point, Rainbow felt like being shot would be better than this torture. She then saw Morning banging her head against the bars, and the rage in her heart boiling again. She shot an iron glare at him. “You won’t get away with this. My friends will be coming soon, and they’re going to kick your sorry ass to the moon.” The stallion whacked her head with the end of his cane gun. “I’m afraid they won’t get very far. Remember this, Rainbow Dash. Remember the name of the stallion who wiped the floor with you. Your Master Wind.” The trigger was pulled. A loud shot resonated like one big firework. Damage was dealt. Blood was spilled everywhere. It wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Twilight! Behind you!” Applejack pushed Twilight to get behind her and raised her bronze war hammer. The Rock Golem, an animated being with two stumpy legs and arms with round boulders for fists, sent a punch flying towards Applejack. She managed to block it with her weapon and counterattacked with a wide swing of her hammer. With every ounce of power, she pounded the flat end of her weapon against the large opal embedded in its chest, shattering it into rainbow colored pieces. With its life core gone, the Golem fell down and crumbled into a pile of rocks. Two Rock Golems that were camouflaged in the rocky walls pulled themselves from their rest places. A couple more acting as weirdly shaped rock formations got up as well, make it four. They formed a semi-circle around Applejack and advanced towards her. Applejack swung her war hammer towards them like a bat as she awkwardly walked backwards on her hind legs. “Go on! Get!” Before the Golems could take another step towards her, four blue, fiery bolts came from behind Applejack and struck them all in their opal life cores. Trixie leapt over Applejack, getting into the center of the Golems. Applejack was about call her out for being reckless, but a bright light shined from Trixie, paining her eyes. She averted her gaze. Trixie’s staff glowed like a bright star as she spun it over her head. With a confident smile, Trixie shouted, “Moon’s Blazing Fury!” She slammed the butt of her staff onto the ground and waves of blue flames expanded around her. It was an impressive display of power as the flames danced around her. It was like Trixie had unleashed a miniature hurricane, and she was the eye of the storm. Trixie watched her fire flooded over the Golems and their Health Bars melting away like butter. The heat soon created cracks in their opal life cores before exploding them, and the Golems crumbled into worthlessness. Trixie brushed away a lock of her mane that was in front of her eyes as she gathered up all the coins that were dropped from the Golems. “Well that was easy.” Fluttershy peaked out from the hill of rock she was hiding behind from. “I– is it over?” “Hey! Ah had that all under control!” Trixie turned around to see Applejack stomping angrily towards her. “That was a really reckless move ya made! You could have got yourself killed there!” Trixie rolled her eyes and slid her staff onto her back, allowing the invisible game mechanics to magnetize her weapon against it. “Oh please. I was perfectly fine thanks to you. You made a pretty good distraction.” “Distra– Ah’m no distraction!” “Why not? Aren’t you the Tank of the group? You’re supposed to take hits.” “Ah’m not supposed to just take hits,” Applejack scowled deeper. “You can see that Ah deal damage as well if you didn’t have your head up so high all the time.” “Hey, just because I’m better than you– ” “Enough!” Twilight yelled. “Can’t we just get along just for now? I had enough of your bickering!” She pointed at Trixie all accusing-like. “Trixie! We don’t have anything toxic between us, right?” Trixie blinked a couple times before turning her gaze away. “Of course, Twilight. I’ve learned my lesson since that duel of ours.” “Then I want you to stop treating Applejack like that. I don’t know what’s with you, but I know you’re better than that!” Trixie sighed in a hardy mood. “Sorry, Twilight. I’ll try to not let it happen again.” Applejack had a smirk on her face until Twilight glared towards her. “And Applejack, I want you to stop fighting with Trixie!” “Me? But she started it!” “But you’re also not keeping a cool head on the matter, Applejack. You’re also letting these arguments with her drag on!” “But Twilight, Trixie doesn’t take anything seriously! She ain’t even concerned about Rainbow Dash or anypony at all!” “Hey! I’ll have you know that I’m also a pony with feelings. I care about others too,” Trixie retorted, slightly resenting Applejack’s accusations. Applejack glared at Trixie. “That’s a lie! You don’t care about anypony at all! So far, Ah only saw you caring about yourself!” Trixie was about to snap back, but then Twilight got between them. “Applejack, I said that’s enough. If you want to settle matters with Trixie, you do it on your own time, but now, we have two mares that are by themselves in a dark dungeon with a hacker on the loose. You’re worried about Rainbow aren’t you?” “Well yes, of course Ah am!” “Then focus on that. No more of this fighting with Trixie. After all this, I want you two to make up.” “Oh come on, Twi!” “Fight, fight, fight! Kiss, kiss!” Pinkie shouted, bouncing on her tail like a spring. Her lips were then stuffed again by cupcakes. “No. None of that either,” Twilight said. Fluttershy, who was staying out of the fight until now, went by Twilight. “Um, maybe we should go take a look around and see if there is a way out. I don’t like this room.” Twilight nodded. “You’re right. There could be more Golems in the walls. With all these opals in the rocks, there’s no telling if there is more of them.” She looked towards Rarity as she began walking with Fluttershy in tow. “Come on, Rarity. You know more about caves then I do.” “Well I suppose so,” Rarity sniffed, looking around the cavern with critical judgment. “I don’t like them though.” The three went on to find any more tunnels exiting the cave room, leaving Applejack and Trixie to be by themselves along with one occupied Pinkie. An awkward silence fell upon them. Trixie wanted to say something, but seeing Applejack’s displeased look convinced her it was not the best idea. Deciding to leave the farm pony to her thoughts, Trixie followed after Twilight. As she did, Pinkie finished up her snack and bounced after Trixie. She stared at Trixie. Trixie ignored the pink thing for a bit, but found her gaze slightly unsettling. After a few seconds, Trixie turned her head towards Pinkie, still walking. “What do you want?” “Trixie, where were you after that day?” “Huh?” “I mean, I know you were being a big meanie, taking over Ponyville and all, but that’s because that Alicorn thingy was making your mind into noodles! Noodles of eeeevilness and bad things, so I forgave you and everything for stealing my mouth and I wanted to give you the biggest party you ever had, but I couldn’t find you anywhere!” “… Huh?” Pinkie Pie giggled, “I wanted to throw you a party, silly! But you weren’t there, so what gives?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Well I wasn’t in Ponyville obviously. I couldn’t stay there, even after making amends with Twilight. It was obvious that none of the townsfolk like me there, so I moved on.” “Why didn’t you stay? I probably could have got Ponyville to like you.” “After whipping two of their foals, they would never.” “Don’t ever say never, silly filly! I definitely could have made you the most popular mare in town if I tried,” Pinkie smiled. There was something weird about this mare. Trixie knew it. “Why are you being so nice to me right now? I took away your mouth and your nose too if I remember correctly. It’s a miracle that you were able to live without breathing somehow!” “Well I’m Pinkie! I have my ways.” “Like how did you even?” Trixie was slightly befuddled. “I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of magic Twilight used to keep you alive.” “Oh Twilight didn’t help me.” “She didn’t?! But how– ” “Spoilers, Trixie. Spoilers.” Trixie was about to rant about how it was impossible for a pony to live without oxygen for more than ten seconds, but decided she didn’t want her brain to turn into noodles. “You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know anyway.” Out of nowhere, Pinkie pressed a cold bottle against Trixie’s cheek. “Butterbeer?” “What the?” Trixie took the bottle. “Um, thanks I guess?” She looked at Pinkie once more and yelped as Pinkie was suddenly carrying a Santa-sized bag on her back. She burst out, “What on Luna’s moons do you keep in that? Butterbeer?” “Yep! I just bought enough to fill an entire tavern!” Pinkie pulled one out of the bag and bit the rim of the metal cap. Somehow, she was able to open it without breaking any teeth, and drank it. “That’s… how much did it even cost?” “Used twenty gold bit, and they are worth every coin!” Pinkie finished one and started drinking another one. “That’s… insane. You’re insane.” Pinkie laughed, “I get that a lot!” Trixie chuckled along with her. “I don’t know how Twilight can handle you.” Speaking of Twilight, Trixie could see her, Fluttershy and Rarity were in front of three open tunnels up ahead with a holographic map floating in front of them. “Hey what’s going on here?” Rarity turned around. “Oh just looking at a map of the Winsome Cavern. Twilight purchased one before we came here, and I’m not liking what I’m seeing. This place is full of twist and turns. If it wasn’t for this map, we’d be as blind as bats!” “Well actually, bats aren’t really blind. They just use echolocation to help them see in the dark,” Fluttershy said. Trixie didn’t really care about that bit of animal trivia. She was more concerned with the map. “It’s that hard, even with our own mini-maps?” Rarity nodded. “Well we would be able to find our way out, but navigating our way towards the hacker will be quite difficult. First off, we don’t even know where he is. Just look at how big this area is!” Trixie inspected the map. Rarity was right. Like Discord’s mind, the caverns had crazy twists and corners all tangled up in one big mess of pathways and rooms. There were plenty of chambers about which they haven’t entered yet, and it could take several nights to explore the caves. “And to make matters worse,” Twilight spoke, “we haven’t heard anything from the hacker at all, which means we don’t have a good idea of where to go.” “Oh, oh, oh! Twilight, I have an idea!” Pinkie held her hoof up high like a schoolfilly wanting to answer the teacher’s question. A sigh escaped Twilight’s lungs. “Well what suggestion do you have, Pinkie?” “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!” Pinkie Pie smiled as if it was the best idea in the world. Twilight had an expression that told otherwise. “Please no? We have to make educated decisions here.” “You mean guess?” Trixie asked. “I– No! Educated decisions! Make a logical choice and… ” Twilight rubbed her temple. “Oh who am I kidding? We have no choice but to guess at this point. We’ll go with Eeny, Miny, Moe.” “Yay!” Pinkie cheered as she made a cartwheel to the front. She planted her tush down and started to chant the foals’ rhyme, pointing to a different tunnel with each word. As they watched Pinkie work her magic, Applejack was walking towards them. “Hey what did Ah mi– Whoa!” She had tripped. Applejack rolled out of control, crashing into the others as if she was a bowling ball. In a completely mess, they all rolled into a tangled bundle. Applejack found Trixie’s leg propped under her chin. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, a large, circle glowed beneath them. It bathed them all in its brilliant blue light, but it didn’t sound very friendly. It made a sound as if some sort of sci-fi laser cannon was charging up. It had intricate curves and patterns inside it. It was a rune. “It’s a trap!” Twilight struggled to get on her hooves. “Run!” Her warning was too late though. The ground beneath them cracked as the rune worked its destructive magic into the rocks. It was torn asunder, and revealed a large chamber as the party of mares fell in it. Quickly, Pinkie searched her inventory. “Hang on, everypony! I know I have something for an emergency like this!” She pulled out a white ball. “Aha! Relax, everypony! I have this under contr– ” “Just do it already!” Trixie yelled. “Okay!” With all her might, Pinkie threw the ball down below them. It bounced with a thud before expanding rapidly into a plush mattress. Everypony landed safely onto it, with Trixie hugging it tightly. They were all slightly shocked, except for Pinkie. “Whee! That was fun! Let’s do that again!” “No. Never again,” Trixie said. She looked around to see they were all enveloped in dark fog. In the darkness, Trixie can make out the shape of the rubble that fell with them, but she could barely see them. “Um… is it me, or is this room unnaturally dark?” The ceiling above them glowed with blue numbers before it closed off. “Never mind. I stand corrected. It was brighter before. Can we leave now?” A storm of snarls answered her. “… I guess that’s a no.” “Everypony form a circle, back to back!” Twilight ordered. “Make sure nothing escapes our vision!” “How can we even see in here? I really do feel as blind as a bat!” Rarity cried out as she hurried with the others to make a circle. Fluttershy quivered as she stood next to her friends, quickly saying, “I would like to correct you on that statement, Rarity, but right now I’m d– d– downright t– terrifiiied!” She started to panic, causing her to go into hyperventilation, but then Pinkie gave her with a paper bag, also rubbing her back with a small smile on her face. “There, there, Fluttershy. Auntie Pinkie is here. Just think happyy thoughts. Butterflies, bunnies, and cute kitties. Think of the adorable kitties.” Fluttershy slowly nodded as she breathed in the paper bag, calming down. Applejack looked up. “Ah would ‘ave lassoed us a climbing rope by now, but this darn cave is against us too, apparantly.” Trixie raised one of her eyebrows as she looked towards the sound of Applejack’s voice. “You actually have a rope with you?” “Well of course I do!” Applejack yelled back. “Ah don’t feel right without something to lasso with! Could never know when rope will come in handy.” “I think rope should be the least of our concerns right now,” Twilight said as her horn glowed. “Magic Missile! ” She fired the blue spell into the darkness, but to her surprise, the bolt fizzled out faster than a lit match in a rainstorm. “W– what the heck?” She fired off another, but that burnt out as well. “I can’t use magic in here! But Trixie was able to do it upstairs.” “That’s because my INT is higher than yours,” Trixie sneered. “Didn’t you tell me you kept your SPR and INT balanced?” “O– oh… ” Trixie chuckled in amusement with a bit of smugness. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I got this.” To prove a point, she twirled her staff above her again, both ends of it was lit with green fire. “Ashes to Dust!” She then sent her staff flying forward into darkness, the weapon still spinning like a boomerang, but she lost sight of it when the flames were snuffed out. “What the Tartarus?” In the next second, a distinct whirling sound was heard before Trixie was smacked in the forehead by her returning staff. She could see stars dancing around her head, which meant she was Dazed. She suddenly found herself stumbling in random directions. “Ow, that smarts!” Rarity held her back into the safety of the group, shooting distrustful glares at the darkness embracing them. “Please control yourself, dear. There’s no telling what can happen here, and your magic won’t do so well here. Though I find this impossible to believe, but the Magic Debuff down here is ten times stronger than above! Your INT would have to be in the thousands if you even want to deal the smallest amount of magic damage.” “Is there anything you can do about this?” Twilight asked. Rarity shook her head. “Unfortunately I cannot. I’m magic based as well, and so is Fluttershy.” Trixie glanced at Pinkie Pie and Applejack. “Which means… ” Applejack noticed how Trixie looked at her, and then started to understand. She took the war hammer on her back and slammed it on the ground in front of her. “Which means it’s us Earth Ponies’ time tah shine!” “Sweet! Pinkie Pie in the house!” Pinkie pulled out a pair of peppermint-colored shurikens from her back satchel. “Time to get this party started!” An explosion of action was unleashed as Applejack and Pinkie let loose. Thanks to Applejack’s passive skill, Shining Icon, she gained bonus Armor and Magic Resist once she started swinging, and her body glows brightly as well. It was incredibly helpful in dark places. Once she started shining, Applejack could see that their enemies were Shadow Beazards. According to the almanac that all players receive once they enter the game, Fascinating Creatures and Their Locations, Beazards were creatures that loved to dwell in caves. However, there weren’t supposed to be any Shadow variations in Blue Zones like Winsome Falls. Shadow Monsters were stronger counterparts of their originals, and they were all supposed to be in the Badlands. Unfortunately, the book did not provide any detailed descriptions of the monsters other than a picture of it and its location on the map. But it did not matter to somepony like Applejack. She felt like she didn’t need to know their weakness. All it took for her is to land a really good smash. The head of Applejack’s steel weapon steamtrained through the air in an arc as she swung from the hip, crushing against the side of the Beazard’s ugly mug. The devastating blow had it flying off its paws, sending it to the side for several feet. The Beazard got up and charged towards Applejack, but found its jaw hitting the floor again as Pinkie landed her hooves harshly on its head. Pinkie Pie leapt away from the Beazard, leaving a bagful of cupcake bombs lying around it. The fuses ran out, and they detonated a huge explosion, painting the area with frosting.. “Now that is what I call sweet!” Pinkie said, cartwheeling away. From Trixie’s point of view, it was wrecking her mind to see Pinkie move. To put it lightly, she was all over the place. Sometimes she would be there, but every few blinks, Pinkie would escape Trixie’s sight only to appear somewhere she wasn’t looking at. Candy-colored ninja stars would fly in flocks around the chamber, disappearing in the dark. Somehow, Pinkie was landing her targets in areas where Applejack’s light cannot reach because she could see numbers floating upwards, indicating that damage was being dealt there. However, she would see the occasional green number pop up, and it would be a huge number. That struck Trixie as odd. How on Equestria were these Beazards healing? There’s no way such wild, crazed monster could heal themselves unless… “Twilight, did you learn a spell that can scan environments?” Trixie prayed she had. “Yes I do. Why?” Trixie sighed with relief. “Great. Can you scan the air?” “I can try, but I don’t see how it’ll help us right now.” “Just do it. I need to confirm something.” With a slight shrug, Twilight performed Insightful Learning and a green cone of light extended from her horn. She moved it around, catching data from the smoky fog. “There. I got it,” Twilight said, stopping the spell. “Send the data over to me.” Twilight looked through her Inventory Window, scrolling through the list of items until she found it in her Journal Tab. She messaged a copy of the data over to Trixie. Trixie thanked her before reading her findings. With each word she read, her suspicions were slowly being confirmed. “What did you find, Trixie?” Twilight asked. “… Twilight? You see the green numbers, right?” Twilight looked around, and spotted one pop up just now. “Yes, but how are they healing? They aren’t Support-Type mobs, so I don’t see how they could– ” “It’s the fog, Twilight. The fog is healing them much faster than Applejack and Pinkie can damage.” “W– what?! But how?” Twilight shouted in surprise. “This fog is Umbra Mist, and Shadow Monsters thrive in its cold, dark conditions. The fog itself is laced with dark magic. It’s what’s also causing our magic damage to fall like balls of dry rice grains.” “That’s no good,” Twilight said. “Applejack! Pinkie Pie! Did you hear all that?” “Ah did, and Ah don’t like it!” Applejack said, facing off a Beazard caked in pink globs of sugar. “This fella won’t stay down!” “I’m having trouble too! These guys apparently don’t like what I did to their hair,” Pinkie said as ran away from furious Beazards covered in colorful pastries. “There must be something we can do,” Applejack yelled. “Anything!” She knocked the Beazard into the air, and Pinkie threw a lollipop battleaxe at it. It had a burning tag on it. Its sharp blade sunk deeply into its back, and the tag suddenly exploded, causing an explosive burst of candy shards to fly. The Beazard’s body hit the ground. It was still alive and kicking like mad. “Celestia damn it, why won’t it stop!” Applejack roared as she leapt forward and smashed her hammer over its head. Still. Fucking. Alive. And then… the fog healed it again. Rarity, at this point and time, was trembling in her suit and held onto Twilight for support. “What can we do, darlings? This battle feels like it’s been going on forever, and we’re just sitting ducks here!” “Yeah… ” Trixie looked around at the Beazards chasing after Applejack and Pinkie. “So why aren’t we bear food yet?” “U– um, that would be, um, me.” The three mares looked at Fluttershy who had a sheepish smile on her face. “I had a bag of powder made from the flowers that grow on Skunk Stalks. They smell nice, but I remember reading something from the Cloud Library that certain animals absolutely abhor the scent. Dragons actually hate this scent, so I decided to buy some. Since these Beazards seem to be half lizard, I thought I would give it a try.” Fluttershy pointed at the ground around them. They looked down to see they were standing in a circle of the powder. “Wow. That’s really clever, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, taking a bit of the powder from the ground and watched it fall away from her hoof. “When did you get it?” “Just soon after the game. I– it was pretty cheap.” “Wait… but Spike was with us before. How come he wasn’t repulsed by it?” “I kept it in, um, a glass jar, Twilight.” Fluttershy revealed the container of the powder. It had the bag inside it, and the jar was sealed tight by an enormous cork. “Well that was certainly enlightening, Fluttershy, but we’re still in quite a bit of trouble,” Rarity said, still hanging onto Twilight. “I get the feeling that these unruly creatures will gather up the courage to charge towards us sooner or later.” Rarity looked at the group of Beazards that were chasing after Pinkie Pie. One of them had stopped to look back. The corner of its slimy lips seemed to curl into a wicked grin. Rarity shuddered. Trixie, meanwhile, was scrolling through her list of spells. As a powerful Flame Witcher, almost all of her magic had devastating effects that can turn the battlefield into a frying pan at any moment they are released. Unfortunately, all of them are currently useless here in this stupid chamber. Trixie kicked aside a rock. Any one of her spells will have no effect at all, but there was one that might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, it was also her weakest spell. “It’s getting cold in this cave. I’m going light us a fire,” Trixie announced. “At least we can stay warm until we die and respawn back into town.” Twilight frowned at Trixie. “Don’t say that. We need to stay alive long enough to find Rainbow Dash and Morning Shower. They’re currently by themselves and are at the mercy of a hacker.” “So are we, Twilight.” Trixie sighed as she sat down, cupping her hooves together in the center of the group. She softly spoke, “Ignis Aeternus.” A ball of flame was born in her hooves, small but was warm enough to comfort the small group. The darkness around them seemed to shy away from the new light. “Wow,” Twilight mumbled. “Do you have to keep feeding Mana into it?” “Nope,” Trixie answered. “Ignis Aeternus, it means Fire Everlasting in Dratin, the language of the Dragons. It’s a spell that will create this small ball of flames. It exists as long as I want it to. Mostly I use it when I go into cold areas. Sealed it in a jar like Fluttershy’s, but only smaller. It can only deal 1 damage per second if I use it to hit somebody, and the Blaze aftereffect only lasts for three seconds. It’s one of the weakest, most useless spells in the game if not the most weakest.” Rarity released Twilight and rubbed her hooves together as she brought them closer to the fire. “Well I wouldn’t jump to those conclusions so quickly, darling. Well it’s quite helpful right now. My hooves were starting to become ice cubes for a moment.” “It’s our only comfort, before our inevitable end of course,” Trixie sighed, “Applejack and Pinkie Pie are strong, but they can’t keep this up forever.” Trixie continued to stare at the flame, loathing at what it signified, and didn’t look up until she grew tired of looking at the fire. Three pairs of eyes were giving her weird stares. Trixie, slightly caught off guard, sputtered, “W– what is it? Does Trixie have something on her face?” Twilight lifted a hoof and pointed slightly at her. “Did… did you just admit that you think Applejack is strong?” Trixie’s cheeks bloomed with pink colors. She then gave Twilight an angry glare. “Ssssshhh! T- Trixie did!” Trixie harshly whispered. “But don’t say that out loud!” “Why not?” Rarity asked, whispering at a softer level. “I think Applejack would like to hear that.” “I would never say that in front of her!” “Um, but why?” Fluttershy asked, fitting nicely into the current conversation. “Trixie’s business is none of yours,” she hissed. Twilight tilted her head to the side. “I don’t get it, Trixie. Can’t you and Applejack just get along for once?” “Th- that is impossible for Trixie,” Trixie scowled. “Why not? It’s not hard to give out a compliment or two– ” “B– because Trixie doesn’t like to admit there are others better than her yet! You’re an exception, Twilight, as well as the Princesses, but nopony else! Happy?” “Well… that’s actually a really petty reason, Trixie. Why can’t you just be nice to Applejack? You’re nice to us.” Trixie crossed her forehooves. “Not as nice as you think Trixie is to you.” She huffed. “Trixie… I have always rode solo ever since I was young. I never really made a lot of friends, and my sisters never liked me.” “You had sisters?” Twilight asked. Trixie nodded. “Yes. I was the youngest of seven, and I never really got along with any of them. I was often called the runt of the litter by my siblings, always ridiculed. They would always do it when my parents weren’t looking.” “I don’t think you’re a runt,” Twilight said. “S– so do I,” Fluttershy spoke. “Thank you, but it doesn’t matter now.” Twilight gave Trixie a look of sympathy. She tried to put herself in Trixie’s hooves, but it was hard to imagine her brother jeering and insulting her. He was her B.B.B.F.F., and Trixie must surely have somepony that cared a lot about her. “Trixie, I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time accepting this. One of your sisters had to have liked you.” Trixie pawed at the mossy surface of the cave. “Well… there was one…. ” She didn’t say anymore after that, and her head hung low. Twilight lowered hers to meet Trixie’s eyes. “What was she like?” “… She would always tell me… to never give up. She’s sort of like… like Luna and… ” “And who?” “… And… ” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Flexibility. Being adaptable, and resourceful. Using the surroundings, and what you have on you, to win. Am I right?” “Well done my student. Using everything you have at your disposal is a sure way to win. If you don’t give it your all, then you can never see victory. Same thing applies to studying and exploring the field of magic. If you don’t take extra measures to solving the problem, then you’ll find yourself stuck in one spot.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ ”What’s wrong, Trix?” “My project group! They’re holding me back, and we’re going to fail the magic fair because of that! They don’t agree with any of my ideas, even though they’re great and amazing!” “Well what did you suggest?” “I wanted to tame an Ursa Major, but they’re complete scaredey cats.” “Um… Trix, I don’t think it’s a safe idea for you to be around an Ursa Major.” “But sis, I’m a powerful unicorn! I’m the best at magic in my entire class!” “He he, I know you are, and I’m sure when you grow up, you’ll tame an Ursa Major of your own.” “Y– you think so, big sis?” “Of course, silly filly, but I don’t think you should do it alone.” “What do you mean?” “Well, an Ursa Major is quite a big and scary creature. You know of the legend of Hearther and the Bear, do you?” “Of course! Hearther is the bravest knight in all of Equestria, and she wields a big sword called Excu– Exclee– Exu– ” “Excalibur.” “Excalibur! And she took down the giant Ursa alone with her sword!” “I don’t know, Trix. Aren’t you missing something else in your story?” “Umm… I don’t think so? Did I?” “Yes. Hearther’s band of warriors, the Knights of the Hay Table. They helped her defeat the scary Ursa Major that was threatening the lands of Equestria. If it wasn’t for their help, Hearther may have never been able to defeat the beast. Do you see what I’m saying?” “Um… I guess?” “What is it then?” “Um… I’m sorry, big sis. I don’t know.” “Ahaha, that’s okay! That’s okay! The answer is simple: make friends.” “But nopony at the school wants to be me friend. They all hate me!” ”Now you know that’s not true. You’re a smart filly, Trix. You know that as much as I do, and I know you’re the kindest, sweetest thing to ever exist! I know you’ll make friends someday. Remember that they are there to help you grow stronger, and that you should be strong for them as well. Just like how you should be strong for your team. I’m sure whatever idea they came up with, it’ll be great, but they can’t do it without your support. Teamwork and friendship are the most powerful things to ever exist.” “Um… okay, big sis! I’ll try to be nice to them.” “That’s the Trix I know! Now, do you want to go get some ice cream? My treat.” “Oh yes please! Can we go now please?” “Ha ha ha, of course, Trix!” “Yay!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “… Teamwork and friendship are the most powerful things to ever exist.” Twilight blinked. “What was that? I couldn’t really hear that.” Trixie lifted her head up. Twilight recognized something in Trixie’s eyes. She’d seen it in herself so many times when she looked in a mirror. It was determination. Trixie got up, the small ball of fire in her hoof. “Applejack! You said had some rope, right?” “Sure do! Why did you ask?” Applejack grunted as she smashed away a Beazard leaping towards her. “Toss ‘em over here! As much as you can!” Applejack didn’t question Trixie’s motives and pulled the rope out of her Inventory as she ran. “Here!” She threw them across the chamber, towards Trixie. She caught them with ease. “Thank you, Applejack. Pinkie, give me a dozen of your best Butterbeer!” “Coming right up! Be careful to not drop them! They’re slippery!” In midair, Pinkie Pie pulled out a sack of Butterbeer from her satchel and tossed it over to Trixie. She caught it by the neck of it with her magic. “Thank you, this will help very well,” she said as she uncapped one. Then she cut a length of the rope with her magic and soaked it in the bottle’s fluid. “What are you doing,” Twilight asked. “It’s a simple plan, really, but it’s a plan that will definitely turn the tables.” On Applejack’s side, things weren’t looking so hot for her. The Beazards kept battering their paws at her with enormous strength that could topple trees, lowering her Health Bar down to the red area. Her wall of Health and Armor was usually enough to last for three day and nights of grinding if she never defended and only attacked. By the end of it, she would still have a good strong 25% of Health, but these monsters managed to cut it down to even less than that in a matter of ten minutes or so! Pinkie Pie was able to keep three of them on her tail, and her health is still full green, but the energetic pony looked like she was about to actually tire out. Applejack can’t let that happen. The Beazards would tear her to pieces if they ever reached her. As the horrid thought was on her mind, she didn’t notice she was backed into a corner, until it was too late. “Oh buck.” Applejack started to dart away, but the two Beazards had already trapped her like a mouse. “Celestia fucking damn it.” No clear openings, no way out. Applejack’s legs were straining to keep her up, and her tail was past its limits, so no balance for her. It was an unfair standoff in the monsters’ favor, and she didn’t like it one bit. She silently declared that Umbra Mist was too overpowered. If only it was gone, her friends would be able to clean up this fight easily. Keeping her war hammer between her and the Beazards, Applejack grunted, “Looks like this it, fellas. Just you and me.” “Nope! I’m not gonna let you hog all the fun!” Applejack could barely see her, but she knew the voice belonged to Trixie. She instantly recognized the smugness in her tone. Soon after Trixie had uttered those words, something small and fiery came into existence from Trixie and it soared high into the air, arcing towards Applejack’s direction. She expected the flame to fizzle out, but somehow it miraculously stayed alive. As soon as the fire made contact with the ground, the shattering sound of glass cried out and soon a puddle of fire was born from where the fire had crashed. The fog in Applejack’s area had disappeared completely, allowing Applejack to see the Beazards and all of their ugliness. Soon, more fire puddles sprouted throughout the chamber as Trixie threw more of them. One by one, the fire bathed the entire arena in glorious, warm light, burning away the Umbra Mist’s void. In Trixie’s hoof, Applejack can see she was tossing Pinkie Pie’s Butterbeer up and down with a length of rope poking out from it. The end of it was on fire. When Applejack looked at her Health Bar, she saw that the Magic Debuff was completely gone. “Makeshift molotovs,” Trixie shortly explained. “Thanks to your rope and Pinkie’s delicious drinks, my fire will grow bigger and stronger and forever.” She tossed the last Molotov at one of the Beazards chasing Pinkie Pie, setting it on fire. The fire grew over the entire monster, consuming it completely. The Beazard separated from the group as it tried to pat the flames away, making it an open target. Twilight’s eyes widened and she took a look at her hooves. A familiar blue glow formed between them. Suddenly smiling, Twilight threw the Magic Missile at the burning Beazard. The spell exploded on impact, knocking it off its paws as well as half of its Health. Trixie boldly stepped out of Fluttershy’s circle, picking up her staff from the ground with her magic and spun it over her head again. “Ashes to Dust.” Trixie, with all of her might, launched the spinning staff towards the downed Beazard, obliterating it into data dust. “Now it’s our turn to strike!” Applejack stared at Trixie for a couple seconds before adopting a confident smile of her own. “Right behind you, Trixie!” At the melody of Fluttershy’s supportive Song Buff spells, the mares unleashed complete devastation upon the Beazards. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It all happened so quickly. Faster than Rainbow’s eyes could keep track of. In one moment, Master Wind had Rainbow under his boot, ready to shoot. In the next, he was on the ground, lying in a crimson pool of blood with an enormous steel arrow impaled through his rib cage. A river of his fluids ran from the wound, staining the ground. He struggled to get up, craning his head up, but was hit immediately as two more arrows whizzed through the air and buried themselves into his neck. His body twitched for a few moments before stopping. The chamber then started bursting with flashes of light, followed by multiple loud bangs. The white light had flooded Rainbow’s vision with its glory. “Augh! What the hay?” Rainbow yelled, her eyes pained by the sudden light show. She then felt something grab her shoulder. “Hey! Let go of me!” She fought back against the thing. A deep voice entered her ears. “Relax. You’re only going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that.” “Oh yeah, then how do I know you won’t? I bet you’re one of his lackeys!” “I’m not, now quit your fussing.” Rainbow felt a sharp stab in the upper part of her right forearm. “Ow! I knew it! You do work for him, you good for nothing piece of– ” “Calm down! For Celestia’s sake, you sure do like to jump to conclusions.” Rainbow’s vision was starting to come back to her, white circles left in her eyesight. She blinked them away and saw the player sitting over her. In his hoof was an empty potion bottle with a needle cap over it. Rainbow looked at her Health Bar and saw it was fully restored. Rainbow patted her chest took deep breaths. Her lungs didn’t feel like she was being crushed under an elephant. She looked past him and saw the other Beazard was lying still on the ground with a huge steel arrow sticking out of its back. “What the?” Rainbow mumbled, slightly confused. “Did you heal me? And you killed that thing?“ He nodded, “Of course I did. Why would I not do that? You were almost beaten down to Tartarus there. I can’t just leave you lying here. Wouldn’t be right.” The player then left Rainbow to go see the cages. As Rainbow got to her hooves, she could see he was wearing a grey chainmail suit wrapped over his body from neck to the fetlocks of his hooves. He wore green leather armor over it. A brown cloak covered over his back and hind legs, and over his head was a brown hood. Upon quick and careful observation, Rainbow could see small, familiar bumps underneath the cloak on either side of him. She guessed they were possibly wings he was hiding. He also sported green goggles with bronze rims that went over his black face mask. Above him, Rainbow could see his Player Name: Alseer. Upon reaching Morning’s cage, Alseer touched one of the bars. The cage glowed brightly before it disappeared with a shattering sound, light particles left dancing in its place before they faded away. Alseer did the same thing with Morning’s bonds and Capricorn’s, freeing them. “There we go. The cages and ropes were preventing you from logging out, so you should be free to exit the game now or use any Escape Items.” Morning rubbed the sores where the ropes wrapped around her. “How did you know that?” Alseer chuckled, “A good superhero never reveals their secret.” Morning looked at him with her jaw hanging open and her pupils wide. “A… superhero?” “Yep!” He laughed. “Although I think I was pushing it a little too much there? Maybe I should just stick with hero.” “But why are you here?” “Oh, well, you see I hunt down hackers and cheaters. The Coders are limited in their operations, so I do whatever I can to help.” Alseer looked at Rainbow. “I’ve actually been chasing this guy down for quite some time, but it wasn’t easy to narrow down his hideout until Rainbow came here.” Morning’s eyes widened even further and seemed to sparkle. “Wow… that’s so cool.” Rainbow walked up to Alseer. “Hold on a second, how do you know my name?” She pointed at the Player Name above her. It read RainStreak. “I mean, I can understand it if you were a fan of mine, but you don’t seem to be one. So what gives?” Alseer looked at Rainbow, then at Morning, then back to Rainbow. He coughed once into his hoof. “Oh, uh, you’re very well known around Equestria, Rainbow Dash. Being an Element of Loyalty does give you quite a bit of celebrity status.” Rainbow stared at Alseer, doubt and suspicion baking inside her, but then dropped the skeptical look. “Not a lot of ponies that I’ve met in real life seem to care, but I’ll give you that.” “Of course. Now, I believe there is a certain somepony waiting for you.” “O– oh right.” Rainbow turned towards Morning, an awkward silence falling between them before it was broke by Rainbow suddenly hugging her, smiling. “Morning! I’m glad you’re okay. You made me worried sick to my stomach, squirt!” “Y– you were worried about me?” “Of course I do! It’s my fault that you got kidnapped!” Rainbow released Morning from her life-squeezing embrace. She noticed there were even more bruises on Morning’s body, and that the feathers in her wings were tattered. She felt her voice croak, and a troubled expression grew on her. “M– Morning, you’re hurt.” Moring looked down at her chest, and saw the bruises. “Oh these? D– don’t worry about them, Rainbow! These are just tattoos I have! Honest!” Morning laughed profusely. Her laughter made her sides hurt – literally – and made her wince tenderly with her eyes shut closed. “… Morning.” She opened her eyes to see Rainbow was mad, although slightly crying. “Please don’t lie to me. It’s really my fault that this happened to you, and you’re making me feel worse by trying to make me feel better. After all… I’m just a weak coward.” Her expression softened as she soothingly rubbed Morning’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Morning was about to say something, but then she dropped her gaze. “… Okay. Can we go get Capricorn too?” “Of course. I’ll carry her on my back and we ca– ” “Watch out!” Rainbow Dash turned her head around to see a red energy ball coming towards her at high speed, its burning tail slithering in the air. In Alseer’s hoof, a crossbow materialized and he aimed at the blood lusted projectile. A silver bolt was short forth and pierced through the ball, splitting it in half before the ball exploded. A particle show of red fire and smoldering ashes rained down on the ground, painting speckles on the rocky floor with their bright colors. A trail of smoke was snaking out from the end of Master Wind’s cane. It was quivering as Master Wind struggled to aim. “I’m –” Master Wind hacked up some blood, staining the ground even further, “– I’m not done with you yet! You bitches are going to pay for what you did to me!” Alseer started to walk towards him, unafraid of the weapon in his hooves. Master Wind changed his aim over to him and started shooting madly, desperately pulling the trigger multiple times. None of the volatile bullets ever reached Alseer as he simply dodged them with a tilt of his head or side step. “So you think you’re hot stuff, huh?” Master Wind sneered, despite the blood streaming from his mouth. A holographic panel appeared in front of him and he quickly selected a couple things before closing it. A crazed smile splited Master’s muzzle, his eyes glinting like a madpony’s. “Let’s see you try to dodge somebody with Aimbot and homing projectiles! Die!” He began bombarding Alseer again, this time his cane automatically lined right at Alseer’s head. Balls of energy were sent flying straight towards Alseer, but the markspony fired off shots of his own and destroyed them before they could get him. With every premature detonation increasing by the number, the path between Master Wind and Alseer grew redder, and Master’s smile was slowly melting into hot anger. “I- Impossible! There’s no way you can beat me!” Master Wind kept on shooting until his gun clicked dry. He ran out of bullets. Master Wind, in a frenzy, quickly scrolled through his Menu to log out, but was immediately interrupted by a kick in the face from Alseer. He then pressed a forehoof on Master’s cheeks, his body and Master’s glowed momentarily before he was pulled away. Master Wind laughed out loudly. “I don’t know what you did, but it’s too late now! I’m gonna log out, and you’ll never catch me again!” He went through his Menu again and his wild grin was dropped when his escape option was completely gone. “W– what the Tartarus?! What did you do to me?” “The same thing you did to Morning and Capricorn,” Alseer responded. “I simply just gave you a taste of your own medicine.” “What?!” Master Wind snarled. “Filth! You’re a hacker too then?” Master Wind’s angry expression melted away into feebleness as Alseer pressed his face against his. It was impossible for him to see past the thick green tint of his goggles. “Call me what you want, but understand that I’m not scum like you and the other cheaters. I hunt you down and bring you to justice. Normally, I would teleport you into the nearest Coder Headquarters right now and have you arrested for online harassment, but I think others would rather like to do that themselves. Enjoy your last moments of freedom while you can.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Yellow tape boundaries had surrounded the entire area, around the entrance to Winsome Caverns. NPC Guards and Coders had set up parameters and issued investigation parties to search the dungeon. Other players who had heard of what occurred here had gathered around, only to be kept away by the NPCs. Whispers and talks in the crowds were mostly about the Code Warriors. Apparently the game makers, Canterlot Colt Studios, thought it was a good time to reveal the existence of the Coders about a couple hours ago. With all these troublesome hackers going around, they believed it would be best to have a shining icon for everybody to look up to, and it shook the VR community hard. The forums over on the EE Hubnet, the largest fansite and community for Equestrian Earth, had a torrential burst of threads popping in it, all of them having topics relating to the Code Warriors. It was a mixture of positive and negative feedback, but the Coders kept working on, like nothing happened. It didn’t really matter to Rainbow, however. She was just glad they got out of that mess, and got some medical attention right away. Apparently, the game also had a staff team of professional therapists to help those who had problems concerning mental health. Mostly though, they just get players who had been playing the game for too long. However, Morning was doing quite well and Capricorn was there to support her. As for Rainbow Dash, she and her friends had decided to give Morning some time to talk with Capricorn. They went to go rest upon a nearby hill and were retelling their stories of what went down with in the caverns. When Rainbow finished up her story about the hacker and the mysterious pony, Rarity asked a question. “And he disappeared without a trace? He sounded quite odd, and I can’t imagine calling him a superhero.” “Yeah. Alseer is kind of weird, but he’s pretty strong. And he just upped and vanished in an instant,” Rainbow said, lying down on the grass. “Kinda irritated me a bit though. I wanted to fight Master Wind myself.” “But you got your flank handed to you right?” Trixie said, hollering in laughter. “Hey! I totally could have beaten those two Beazards by myself. It was just the fog that was giving them the advantage.” Twilight nodded. “I’m pretty sure you can. But this Raynor guy you’ve mentioned… ” “What? Do you recognize the name?” Rainbow asked, noticing Twilight’s pause. “Mmm no I don’t. Although it’s a name that we’ll have to remember. I get the feeling we’ll see him again in the future,” Twilight frowned. “Yeah, and I’ll be the first one to punch him in the face,” Rainbow chuckled. “And Ah’ll kick him in dah hindquarters!” Applejack laughed along. “Ah’m just glad you made it out alright.” “Excuse me, ma’ams?” Rainbow Dash looked up to see a stallion in white uniform and beret walking towards them. It was one of those Coder guys. “Sorry to interrupt, but we would like to talk to you about the hacker.” “Of course. Is there anything we can do to help?” Twilight asked. “No, no. We have it under control.” “What’s going to happen to him?” Rarity asked. “Well normally we would just go with the proceedings to ban his IP address, but since he committed the acts of severe online harassment and holding players as hostages against their wills, he will not go unpunished. In the real world, authorities will come and arrest him. You won’t see him again, I assure you.” Twilight sighed with relief. “That’s good.” “Also, there is the question of reward still standing.” Rarity bulldozed over the mares and stood chest-to-chest against the Coder, her eyes gleaming with money symbols. “Did you say reward?” Rarity was soon knocked back into her senses as she was magically pulled away from the surprised Coder by the ear. “You’re scaring him, Rarity,” Twilight said. She then gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that, sir. It won’t happen again.” “No harm done,” he chuckled as he reached into his vest. “But yes, we do want to thank you for aiding in the capture of this hacker. It’s a brave deed you all have done, and I believe what we have to offer is not enough.” The Coder pulled out a small, dull pouch a large enough to fit snuggly into a schoolfoal’s hooves. He tossed it over to Rarity for her to catch. Rarity frowned as she caught it, judging the bag’s appearance and size. “Well you’re certainly right when you said it’s not enough. I risked my life going into an icky, mossy, muddy cavern ran by a madpony!” “All of us did,” Trixie added. “Is this some sort of joke?” He shook his head. “No it is not. Take a look inside.” Rarity felt all eyes upon her as she loosened the string around the pouch’s neck. A brilliant glow powerful enough to rival the sun’s was unleashed from the pouch as soon as she opened it. “What in the heavens?” Rarity whispered as peered inside. She then screeched out loud, “Five thousand Aetherium Crystals?!” She fainted, keeping a tight clutch on the bag. “Aetherium Crystals? What the hay are those?” Applejack asked, scratching her head. The Coder went on to explain. “Well you see, Aetherium Crystals are a special type of currency in the game. They’re only obtainable from Super Bosses and Raid Bosses, and can be used to purchase very special and unique items that can be bought at Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.” Trixie nodded, “I’ve heard about them. The more powerful the Super Boss is, the more Crystals are dropped. I don’t know much about the items that can be bought by the Crystals, but I know that Princess Luna has some powerful equipment. From what I saw, those weapons are pretty powerful. More powerful than you can imagine.” Trixie pulled on the pouch, but found it quite hard to take from Rarity’s grip. Finally, the fashionista had relinquished her hold on it. Trixie reached inside and pulled out a brilliant diamond-shaped crystal that glowed with the colors of an aurora. Trixie gazed deeply into its colorful depths. “Wow. They look better than I had imagined.” “Ooohhh, that’s a superdoperifcly shiney biny!!” Pinkie Pie yelled joyfully. “Quite,” the Coder smiled. “Also, there is somepony who would like to talk to you.” The Coder stepped aside to reveal Morning Shower who had been hiding behind him. Rainbow raised her eyebrows at her. “Well I think I am done here. I shall leave you to your own businesses. Take care.” The Coder walked back to his fellow coworkers. Nopony dared to speak up at all while Morning and Rainbow stared at each other, with Morning looking slightly more nervous. “U– um, hi Rainbow Dash.” “Hey kiddo,” Rainbow softly smiled. “How did it go?” “Pretty well. The therapists say that I’m in good condition to continue playing the game.” Morning slightly blushed as she gazed away. “I, um, just wanted to say thank you for saving me. I thought you’d hate me forever after what I did.” Rainbow heavily sighed. “There’s no way I would hate you for that. You were just trying your best to impress me. That’s all. And frankly, I don’t think I deserve your gratitude.” Morning whirled her head towards Rainbow in shock. “But why? You saved me from that dreaded stallion. You came, to save me!” Rainbow couldn’t bear to look at Morning anymore. “But I was the one that drove you away. If I hadn’t, you probably wouldn’t have gone through that. I’m just a weak coward.” “But you’re not weak!” Morning insisted. “Yes I am! I’m an idiot for driving you into Master Wind’s hooves and I know it!” Morning tried to look into Rainbow’s eyes, but she refused to face Morning, even when she moved around in attempts to get in her vision. After a minute of this absurd behavior, Morning finally had enough and did the unthinkable: she slapped Rainbow Dash. Hard. “Ow! Why did you do– ” Morning grabbed her by the cheeks, and then grabbed Rainbow into her embrace. “Rainbow, listen to me please. I believe in you, Rainbow Dash. If you hadn’t come down there to save me, I probably would have been a goner. What Master Wind said, are all lies. Facing him by yourself took real courage, and admitting to your own mistakes takes even more. Forget what he said about you, because you’re the strongest pony I know.” “But– ” Morning slightly pulled back from the hug to place a hoof on Rainbow’s lips. “No buts. You’re brave, strong, incredible, amazing, and fast. You’re the coolest pony I ever had the honor of meeting, and that’s more than I could ever ask for.” Rainbow blinked several times before her cheeks grew slightly warm. Pulling away from Morning’s hoof, she mumbled, “D– don’t mention it… and thanks.” She smiled at her. “That made me feel a little better.” “I would hope so,” Morning grinned back. She then got off Rainbow and shyly blushed again. “Um… Rainbow Dash?” “Hmm?” “I wanted to give you something, but I didn’t have to chance to do so back in town. Since I have to log off soon, I want to give it to you now.” Out of her inventory, Morning pulled out two soft and cuddly things. Rainbow gasped sharply when she saw them. “A– are those– ” “Limited edition plush dolls of Daring Do Adventurer Spitfire and Power Pony Soarin? Yes indeed.” Rainbow squealed in joy without shame, as Morning pressed them into her arms. “It took a lot of time and effort, but I managed to make these items exist in the game. I had to raise my Sewing Skill Level by a lot in order to make them. They also provide helpful speed and critical damage boosts as well.” Morning fiddled with her forehooves. “I also have them in real life. If you ever come by Cloudsdale, I’ll be sure to give them to you personally.” Rainbow took a second to let the moment sink in. She then gave Morning a hug. “That would be incredible, Morning. Of course I’ll come by and visit!” “R– really?” “Really.” Morning pulled away from the hug. “C– cool! I also have something else for you too!” She reached into her Inventory again and soon, a plush doll of Rainbow’s likeness appeared in her hooves. From the rainbow mane and tail to the blue coat and cutie mark, it highly resembled her. It was also dressed in a miniature Wonderbolts outfit. “I made a real one after I first saw you perform the Sonic Rainboom in Cloudsdale, at The Best Young Flyer Competition. I was so sure you were going to be made into a Wonderbolt back then, and I still do now.” Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was hearing. To think that there was somepony who believed, so much in her dreams... She accepted the doll, holding it with care. “Thank you, Morning. It’s awesome.” Morning beamed brightly as she heard that. “Well I gotta get going now. It’s going to be morning soon.” “Alright, Morning.” Rainbow hugged her one more time. “I’ll be sure to visit you first thing when I log out.” Morning giggled, “I'm looking forward to it.” Rainbow watched as Morning scrolled through the Menu and selected, log out. Rainbow looked up into the sky as Morning disappeared into a blue beam of light and soared high above the clouds. She rested easy as she lay back onto the bristly grass. The sun’s rays felt perfect. “I’ll see you around, sky mare. I’ll see you around.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Time Turner was a stallion of many outfits. He was a famous actor, a genius of mechanical science, a theorist of time magic, historian, and a brilliant programmer. He enjoyed long walks on the beach and the company of close friends. He also enjoyed video games, and Equestrian Earth was by far the most beautiful. It was jaw-dropping for him at how this virtual reality world felt so real to him. Every scent was right on the mark, every color on everything he ever saw were correct, every drop of the rocks, the chirping of birds, the diverse personalities that each NPC had. They all felt genuine. If he was able to, he would love to spend the rest of his days sitting on its beautiful hills, drinking tea. But of course, the night in the real world couldn’t last forever, but it was long enough for him to enjoy the game. Relaxing on a comfortable blanket with tea and snacks nearby was an experience that Time Turner felt that all queens and kings would strive for. All that was missing was a friend to share it with. “Hello Doctor.” Time Turner smiled as he looked up at the player standing over him. “Hello Alseer. How was your night so far?” “It was good I guess.” Alseer sat by Time Turner on the blanket. “Have anything to eat?” “I have muffins,” he said, offering one on a small plate to him. “Oh my favorite! How did you know?” Alseer laughed as he took it, saying a quick ‘thanks.’ “I know you better than anypony else. Muffins being your favorite form of snack and meal is no secret.” “You know I’m just messing with you, Time Turner,” Alseer chuckled. “I know,” Time Turner smiled. He looked down from the hill at where Winsome Caverns were at. They were far away enough to not be spotted by anypony from over there, but were close enough to see everything that was happening. “So I guess you just left him there?” “Yeah. I get the feeling that Rainbow Dash would hate me if I teleported him away, without giving her the satisfaction of turning him in herself,” Alseer grunted. “You know how she can get.” “Of course I know. I know she can be nice sometimes, but she has a rough brush of brashness on her shoulders.” Time Turner looked away from the Coder operations to glance at Alseer. “Does she know who you are?” “No, I didn’t give myself away. It would raise too many questions.” “Yes, yes, right. That was silly of me to ask. By the way, how long are you going to keep that disguise up?” “Oh sorry,” he said as he scrolled through the Menu. The face mask and hood were de-equipped, revealing a grey face and blond mane that were hiding underneath them. Alseer moved the goggle lens over to her forehead, revealing a pair of golden, beautiful eyes looking in different directions. She deactivated the voice changer, making her voice from deep to her bubbly self. The Player Name above her changed from Alseer to her real name. “There. Is that better?” she giggled. Time Turner smiled. “Much better, Ditzy. Much better.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Streak (RD) has Leveled Up to Lv 35! Tier 4 Class: Swordsmare ~ HP Increased: 3500 ⇒ 3575 (+10 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 950 ⇒ 975 (+10 from SPR) 10 Attribute Points are gained; 3 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 124 ⇒ 127 ~ DEX Increased: 86 ⇒ 88 ~ LUK Increased: 195 ⇒ 200 Skill Point Allocation: [Warning!] All current skills are already maxed out! Must Ascend to a Tier 3 Class in order to gain new skills! Recommend Tier 3 Class(es): ― Bladesmare- Sword wielders who rely on equal amounts of attack and defense. Can become a Heroic Captain at Tier 1. Can utilize shields and one-armed weapons. ― Mercenary- Sword wielders who are all about attacking. Can become a Champion Duelist at Tier 1. Can utilizes one-armed weapons or two-armed weapons. Rainstreak has accepted the quest to become a Mercenary. LassoLass (AJ) has Leveled Up to Lv 34! Tier 3 Class: Blessed Knight ~ HP Increased: 4400 ⇒ 4500 (+162 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 1750 ⇒ 1800 (+119 from SPR) 10 Attribute Points are gained; 3 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 111 ⇒ 114 ~ END Increased: 158 ⇒ 162 ~ SPR Increased: 116 ⇒ 119 Skill Point Allocation: [Bright Barrier] Lv 3 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Singular. Targets yourself or an ally. It casts a spherical light shield around the target and protects them from physical and magic attacks. Cannot defend against traps or trap-based attacks. Disappears after 10 seconds. Lv 5 - Gives an HP Shield of 400 (+25% of the Blessed Knight’s HP). After the shield breaks or disappears, light will explode around the player in a small radius of 3 feet, dealing 150 Magic Dmg (+10% of the Blessed Knight’s HP). [Light’s Extension]Lv 4 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Upon activation, your weapon deals bonus Light-Based magic damage and gains a bright glow around it. Lasts a time limit of minutes equal to the Skill Level. Lv 5 - Gives your weapon bonus Light-Based magic damage of 100 (+75% of SPR). Disappears after 5 minutes. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ MagiAdept (TS), you have received a message. Would you like to open it? ([Yes]/No) MagiAdept has chosen Yes. Your message is from System Notifications. Dear MagiAdept, We would like to remind you that you’re now Level 36. All players are free to play in whatever style they want, but it is recommended that players must ascend through more powerful Tier Classes in order to explore more dangerous territory and receive better loot. There are plenty of options for you to choose from. If you’re having trouble deciding which Class you want to Ascend to, you can talk to the nearest Player Guide to help make your choice, or you can ask other players for advice. We hope whatever choice you make, you’re happy with it. Message End. = :Rainbow Dash: Mini Arc Ends = *Intermission 05: Cloak and Daggers*Intermission 05: Cloak and Daggers “Okay, spit it out already. How the hell were you able to recreate this?” A glassy diamond prism glowing red was tossed onto the table. Its red light partially painted itself on the interrogatee. “There’s no way that any hacker would be able to know how to lock down a player’s option to log out, so what the buck gives? You better give me answers, or there will be something nasty in stores for you.” Master Wind eyed his little invention, and then chuckled to himself. “And what makes you think I’ll tell you, Coder?” Sentinel made a low rumble in the back of his throat, his lower lips curling and showing teeth. He slammed his forehooves on the wooden table, and pointed the ceiling lamp’s light directly into Master’s eyes. The hacker didn’t blink. “You’ll tell me because this stunt you’ve pulled is enough to land you a lot of years in the dungeon, but if you answer honestly then you maybe be able to get out within a decade.” Sentinel viciously threw the lamp at Master’s face, tempted to break his muzzle, but the wire it hung from was stubborn. It swung back and forth, casting light around the room. It wasn’t much, being a small room with nothing but a table, a chair, and three occupants with one of them virtually chained to the said chair. This room was specifically designed to be slightly separate from the game, something hidden right underneath the code’s surface. Only fellow Coders could enter such rooms, and were mostly lounges to hang at. But of course, small rooms like this one were perfect for questioning. ‘If only this one was easy to cooperate with,’ Sentinel thought with a scowl. “You’re not the authorities, and therefore do not have the right to arrest me," Master said. “No, but we can call the guards upon you. A couple of our guys have already traced you to your location.” Sentinel swept his hoof across and a list of virtual documents popped up. He grabbed one and slammed it in front of Master Wind. “So far, you’ve been stealing personal information from Luna knows how many players in the past few days. We also received a lot of complaints from them, and they said they had lost significant amounts of bits from their bank accounts just hours after you sacked them.” Sentinel shoved his face against Master’s, shooting angry glares at his eyes. “That is just very uncool, stealing thousands of bits underneath our noses. Just who the hell do you think you are?” A thin smile spread across Master’s lips. “That would be classified, my good sir.” “Why you little shi– ” Sentinel felt being tugged back by his shoulder. He looked back to see his partner, Roasted Brawn, slowly shaking his head at him. “What is it,” Sentinel asked, a scowl upon his muzzle. “We need to talk,” he grunted. Roast pulled Sentinel away from the table, bringing him to the light’s edge. Sentinel shrugged off his grip, not liking being dragged around at a time like this. “What the hay, Roast? Out of all ponies, I didn’t expect you to stop me.” Roast looked back at Master with a frown. Looking at the criminal, he could see the venom and lies just oozing from him. The way the hacker looked pleased with himself and was relaxing on the metal chair unsettled his stomach, even when he's detained in cuffs heavily programmed to resist hacking. “There’s something bothering me.” “Wouldn’t be the first time.” “I’m serious.” “As always.” Roast shoved Sentinel in the shoulder, his muzzle wrinkling in irritation. “Damn it all, will you let me finish?” Sentinel rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ve been looking at the list of complaints from players from the past few weeks. There are sparse, but there have been reports of strange activities happening all over Equestrian Earth. I’m talking about shady players hanging about, areas that couldn’t be entered, and complaints of accounts being compromised from time to time.” “Hackers, I assume?” Sentinel sat down and rubbed his noggin. “This is all giving me a headache. I had thought the game would be entirely secured for players, free from hackers, but somehow they managed to break through the thousands of firewalls we have. Seriously, each of them was coded differently to protect against any attempts to break through them! And our encryption system has a system tighter and more complex than a spider web. We covered all corners!” Sentinel heaved a great sigh. “Do you think it has something to do with what happened on… that day?” Roast nodded, scratching his grizzly beard. “I believe something in Goddess was damaged. She’s responsible for maintaining 99.999% of the defenses, as well as making new ones.” Sentinel lowered his head even further. “It’s entirely my fault. I should have done more to stop it. Should have been quicker.” Roast frowned and then gave Sentinel’s shoulders a couple shake. “Ey, ey, ey, pull yourself together, mate. What happened to them ain’t your fault.” “But I should have seen something! I could have prevented it but” – Sentinel stomped against the virtual floor furiously – “I didn’t! I wasn’t able to stop it in time!” “Don’t beat yourself up for this. What’s done was done, and we should focus on fixing it in the present, ‘kay?” “… Okay. How’s Raynor doing by the way?” “He’s doing alright. So far, though, he hasn’t responded to any of our signals.” “I don’t understand. We have gotten Canterlot’s finest healers and doctors to check on him. They’re able to detect any sort of disease, natural or magic, and all they could tell us was that he is asleep! How the Tartarus can a pony sleep for weeks on end?” “I don’t know. Like I said before– ” “Something strange is going on,” Sentinel finished. “I know… why haven’t we contacted authorities yet? We should have this guy behind bars as soon as possible. He’s clearly a threat to anypony and anybody online.” Roast glanced back at Master Wind. The hacker returned it with a silent, smug smile. “He isn’t working alone.” “What makes you think that?” “These attacks, reports of strange black gates, and this hacker who somehow was able to prevent a player from logging out… only the Goddess is able to do that, and she only does when we Coders are suppressing hackers, preventing them from escaping.” Roast heaved a sigh, lowering his head. “Why does virtual reality have to be so damn complicated? With regular games, all we have to do is sit behind a computer, get a report, and ban the hacker with just a click.” “I don’t know. This is all fairly new to me as well.” Sentinel lightly bumped Roast’s shoulder with a small grin. “But hey, it wouldn’t be as exciting, now would it?” Roast chuckled. “I suppose not, but that sort of action ain’t for me. I’d rather investigate.” Sentinel chuckled along with him. “And beat up hackers for answers.” His smile faded away as he looked back at Master. “We should try to get more answers out of him. If he doesn’t answer, we’ll hand him over to the Guards.” “Fine by me.” The two stallions went back to the table, with Sentinel leaned on it. “Okay scum, we’ve decided to give you one more chance. If you cooperate, then I’ll put a good word for you. Maybe the guards won’t bruise you as much.” Sentinel’s confident smirk faltered as Master began uttering a dark chuckle that grew into a hollering laughter. “What’s so damn funny?” “Oh you poor, insolent, ignorant fools, you truly have no idea what is happening, do you?” Roast narrowed his eyes, a grimace upon his profile. “What in Celestia’s beard do you mean? What the Tartarus are you planning? Are there others like you? Answer us!” “Oh don’t worry. You’ll be getting your answers soon enough. My friends will definitely make sure of that.” Master pretended to look at a watch on his hoof. “In fact, they should be arriving to the party any second now.” Sentinel deepened his glare. “Just what are you trying to pull here? You think your hacker friends are going to save you? Only a Coder can enter this virtual room! You’re stuck in here with us until we get you behind ba– Roast?!” His friend had suddenly started chocking, grasping at an invisible around his throat. His eyes bulged in shock, and his frantic breathing shortened into faint gasps. Sentinel quickly moved towards him to help, but soon was pulled back by the neck as well. He tried to fight back, but soon felt something wet forced over his muzzle. A sickly sweet smell entered his lungs. His hearing started to distort with loud, constant rings, and his head felt incredibly tipsy. His hooves quivered, unable to support his weight. Darkness infected his vision as his eyelids grew heavy, and soon so did his mind. The two stallions fell to the floor before columns of light surrounded each of them, logging them out. Soon after their quick departure, another pillar of light appeared where they were. A player draped in a dark cloak, his face hidden, was revealed from it. His stature was large and bulky as a bolder and as he stepped near the light, a black muzzle could be seen poking from underneath the lax hood. It wasn’t smiling. But Master Wind was. “Oh hello there! So glad you can make it. Took you boys long enough.” Master could feel his virtual bonds sliced away, no doubt caused by the newcomer. With a wave of his hoof, Master conjured a pot of steaming tea and a couple cups. He poured a drink for himself and his friend. “Care for one?” “No.” The cloaked being’s voice was low and smooth like honey, but his tone didn’t carry the same sweetness. Master clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. There’s no need to be all grumbly and ho-hum, Club.” “Our mistress is not happy with your work. She would want to see you right away.” “Oh what could she want from me? I’m but an old stallion.” Master Wind propped his hind legs onto the table without a care in the world. Club rested his hooves on the table, leaning his face closer. Master could see his scowl deepening. “Stallion? Have you gone native?” “No I have not.” Master gargled his drink in the back of his throat before draining it down his pipe. He hummed with satisfaction. “Ahhh, hot liquids are always a great way to clear the body’s system, almost as hot as a good dose of lovemaking.” “You are one of the best illusionists in your generation, and age does not affect us as much as it would to ponies,” Club continued, spitting the last word with a heavy hint of disgust. “You better have a good excuse as to why you’re performing with carelessness, or she’ll have your head. Is your horn flaccid?” “Let’s not bring my horn into this. Incredibly rude you are,” Master frowned. “Try telling that to the queen.” Master kept the frown on his muzzle, even as he drank the rest of his cup’s tea. Finished, he traded the cup for the illegal item on the table, peering deeply into its crimson glow. With a deep sigh, he said, “Well, I can easily say that this will not be one of my best nights.” [April Fools 2015] Chapter ₯₰Ω Part 11vity - The Final ChapterSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.***Chapter 01 : Everypony Starts Out as a Beginner***Chapter 01 : Everypony Starts Out as a Beginner A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 1 ~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos ~ edited again by ultra1437 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Old Theme: Persona 4 Arena -Reach out to the Truth (Replaced the theme because Reach out to the Truth videos keep getting hacked down by copyright infringement or something.) The day was vividly beautiful, and the blessed sun shined yellow upon all the ponies out in the open, basking them in a coat of gold. Younglings ran throughout the town as they played, basking under Celestia's warm rays, while the older mares and stallions went about on their usual business. Twilight Sparkle, a lavender unicorn mare, leisurely sat on her couch in the living room. She was doing nothing complicated, like experimenting with potions, but was instead enjoying a nice cup of jasmine tea and a nice book. To her right lay her wooden table, grown right out from the very floor of her tree house. It’s where she kept most of her science notes, friendship letters, and where she composed most of them as well. To her left sat her larger-than-life television. It was coupled with her own movie film projector, a modern Featherstation 3, and the new XBuck-360 Slim. It was an odd combination of technology for a pony in Ponyville, with the old-fashioned projector working aside two very advanced pieces of technology. When most ponies asked her what was with the game consoles, she simply replied that she played video games from time to time, and that was the truth. Well, almost the truth. She didn't play all the time though. She still loved to experiment with new elements of magic, perform tests with nature’s various plants and mysterious herbs, and she especially enjoyed studying the magic of friendship. Reading books like the one she had in her hooves was a nice way to pass the time as well. However, what she didn't anticipate today was the cyan, rapid blur of a pegasus dashing through her doors. Literally. As she burst through the doors, Rainbow Dash, with her slim saddlebags on, shouted out, “Twilight! Twilight! A new game was released today!” “Oww, what is it Rainbow Dash? Can’t you see I’m busy today?” Twilight complained, rubbing her ears. “Sorry Twi, it’s just that I’ve played a little bit of it today and it’s so bucking awesome! You have to try it!” She looked around for the bookworm for a moment before calling out, “Hey, where are you?” “Try looking down.” She looked below her rump to see a mass of purple & pink highlights lying underneath her. “Oh! Sorry Twi!” Rainbow Dash leapt off the poor unicorn, giving her some breathing space. “Eh-heh. Sorry for the broken door, but hey! You have to admit, I do know how to make an epic entrance!” Twilight chuckled to herself, “By crashing into other ponies? I bet so. Anyway, what’s this about me and this game?” “Oh right!” Rainbow Dash stuck her head in one of her saddlebags. She pulled out a rectangular, decorative box. It was inscribed with a Da Spinichi worthy picture of heavily armored colts and robed mares on the cover. The stallions were armed with huge swords while the mares were sporting ornate staves. “Luh halld Eehestia Uath!” she proclaimed through the box, muffling her words. “Uh, Rainbow Dash? I didn’t quite catch that,” Twilight mentioned, trying to make sense of Rainbow's muffled exclamation. Rainbow Dash spat out the game. “It’s called Equestrian Earth. It’s this really big game where a bunch of players can log in at once and go on adventures together, in the land of Equestria! You can fight a whole lot of badass creatures too, like dragons, and trolls, and wereponies." Rainbow Dash splashed right back into the bag. The excited athlete dug out a blue visor with rainbow bolts signed on the sides. “The I.P.V. works with it! The first MMORPG to ever be compatible with virtual-reality tech!” "Rainbow Dash, you do know the correct term is equeswolf right?" Dash blew Twilight a raspberry before adding, "O-of course! I already knew that." She groaned in annoyance, "Look, are you gonna play the game or not?" Twilight looked at her friend for a few moments, and then placed her hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Rainbow Dash, as much as I would like to play this game with you, I have a lot of things to do this week. Books to reshelf, magic to study, and I already have these other video games that I could play,” she reasoned. “And RPGs are heavily time consuming. Why would I need this one?” "You never played an MMORPG before?" "Nope." Rainbow Dash blew her rainbow colored hair out of her eyes. “Because practically everypony in Ponyville has bought the game, and it’s really awesome? Also this game is set in that old medieval whatever stage.” She moved in closer to the unicorn’s face. “And,” she whispered, edging closer to the unicorn, “I hear that Star Swirl the Bearded could be found in this game.” Twilight’s eyes lit up and she squealed in return, “OHMIGOSH! Really!? How?” She adored Star Swirl the Bearded. The historical icon was her biggest hero! He was second only to Celestia, of course. The cyan pony shrugged. “I don’t know. From all the trailers and interviews that came out, it sounded like Celestia and Luna helped out with the details of the game's history and lore. Luna herself personally had a hoof designing the guy. She seemed to know a lot about the old colt it was based on, so the story writers asked if she could fill them in on the subject.” The librarian, meanwhile, was bouncing around the pegasus in a very happy fit. She was literally jumping with joy. A lot was known about Star Swirl in the textbooks, but his personal journal entries were never found. Only the products of his study on magic survived throughout time. If Luna herself lent her knowledge of him into the game… Twilight viciously grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and brought her closer to her face. “How many bits?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight locked herself in her house for several hours. So far, she had been busy making an account on the website, creating her character, molding a mountain of cushions to serve as her throne of relaxation, and gathering her preferred snacks for game night. As she sat in front of the glowing monitor, Twilight thought to herself that she couldn’t believe that all it took to convince her to buy the game was a mention of Star Swirl the Bearded. If the game was as awesome as Rainbow Dash claimed it was, then the 20 bits per month subscription would be worth it. She pressed the start button and activated her I.P.V. It took her through a vortex of digitized, bright blue code and pixilated dots. When the light show ended, she opened her eyes. She was floating in the middle of nowhere. So far, only a blinding light in front of her served as her waypoint, but as she squinted her eyes, she could make out the outline of a graceful figure. The mysterious being was very tall, in comparison to her, and the light's source glowed from behind her, making it nigh-impossible for Twilight to determine who it was. From what little Twilight could make out, the figure appeared to be female. “H-hello? My name is Twilight Sparkle!” she introduced herself politely. “Hello there Twilight Sparkle,” a melodious voice called out. The voice definitely belonged to a mare. Twilight imagined it belonged to a motherly deity. “I’ve been expecting your visit for quite some time,” the figure continued on in its smooth voice. “I'm expecting great things from you.” “What? How do you know I was coming? Who are you?” Twilight asked. The other mare chuckled for a second, “Not who, Twilight Sparkle, what. I may seem to be a pony to you, but I am just the central A.I. of the game here. I may be based on another pony, but at the core, I’m just a program.” Twilight looked at the other mare as her mind was filled with wonder. It was also somewhat tinged with an edge of sadness. This artificial program knew of her own existence, but chose to refer to herself as an it. Twilight, on the other hoof, didn't think of her as an it. To Twilight, the mare appeared as lifelike as herself. The other mare suddenly chuckled a little. The tone was beautiful, and pure. Her voice resonated with a chime in the neospace's air. “You may be wondering why I seem to be such a downer,” she spoke softly. “Well, I don’t know much about the mare I was based on, but from what I can tell from my memory bank, this particular mare was incredibly truthfully honest. That honesty runs right down even into her bones. I’ve been explained to many times, that she does this sometimes to playfully tease others. Or, as modern ponies may call it, ‘rustle their jimmies’.” “Really? Who told you that?” Twilight asked. “Hmm, I believe it was somepony named Celestia.” Twilight’s mind suddenly sparked with questions. The shock was obviously enough. This A.I. was based on somepony from her mentor’s life. It ignited the curiosity inside of her. Before she could ask any questions though, the mare suddenly started her questions. “So my little pony, which character would you like to load?” Twilight started to object until a cache of save files popped into existence. Not wanting to waste time, she chose a pre-loaded save file that she had created before playing. A starter mage class. The character's race was based on an Equestrian unicorn. She selected the file, and then pushed the menu out of the way to get a closer look at the A.I., hoping to gleam a good vision of her appearance. “Okay Twilight, you are about to enter a wonderful world of magic and friendship, where you will meet friends old and new,” the figure explained. “However, this world also contains much of the magic's darker side and old monsters of lore, so be sure to keep your allies close at hoof. Good luck.” The light behind the figure rapidly brightened, becoming an all-encompassing, piercing light. Twilight had to shield her eyes from the light's attempt to blind her. “Wait! At least tell me who you are,” Twilight bellowed into the mass of light before her. The figure took some time to consider her question, and then responded softly, “You may refer to me as the Goddess.” Twilight’s vision then turned white, and all signs of the Goddess dissipated from around her. When she came to, she put a hoof to her forehead as a strong headache passed through her system. “Note to self: lower the game's brightness,” she mumbled. “Ah’ wouldn’t worry about them fancy graphic bars. Ah think it’s jus’ a phase.” Surprised, Twilight bolted upright and opened her eyes to see five of her friends leaning over her. Some of them were dressed in padded armor, while others were downed in robes similar to her own. Applejack lent a hoof to Twilight, and she graciously accepted it. The bookworm dusted the dirt off her shoulders and knees. “Thanks Applejack. So, shall we get started? I figure that I'll need to do a lot of exploring.” Intermission 02: Remembrance and a Teacher's DuelThe skies above the royal sisters’ garden were clear like glass. Nothing much was up there except for the patches of clouds that dotted the blue space, and the occasional pegasus. It was as if somepony took a brush of white paint and made a few dashes on a canvas. The princess of the night, with her long and mystical mane, stepped into the green vicinity with her loyal warrior, Black Paladin, by her side. She looked around for a certain blue mare of hers. Ever since this morning, Trixie had been avoiding her and Paladin as if her delicate life depended on it. It’s impressive how her apprentice could already stalk away into the shadows in the few months of training she received. All her previous students couldn’t keep up with the magical instructions Luna gave out to them. They either failed, or succumbed to the insanity that is the darkness of Lunar Magic. She could recall the moments she first met her student in a snap. Luna was visiting all the nearby towns for official business of Canterlot. It had to deal with the increase of parasprite infestations, and it required the utmost and personal attention of a noble and powerful mage, and since all the other officials were packed with work on that day, her sister sent her instead. Not only was Luna quick and powerful like the wind, but she was also considered one of the more “persuasive” ponies in Equestria. No doubt, she wouldn’t even need her magic. She could just scare the pests away. Trottingham was the last town on the list. It was pretty far away from Canterlot. While she was fighting the infestation there, she always felt a slight twitch in her right ear. It was like a slight buzzing of a bee. She couldn’t tell why her ears were acting up like that. When Luna finished off the last of the parasprites, she was about ready to leave until a certain former showmare caught her eye. Trixie was but a poor vagabond on the dirty road when she found her. Her luxurious, blue-silver mane was diminished to nothing more than rags of sweat and mud. The azure blue coat was caked with bundles of dried grass and even more stains of dirt. Luna’s heart couldn’t help but shatter a little. It was as if somepony shot a bolt of magic at her heart, but she survived the encounter and required a surgeon to heal her wound. She’d been in that situation before when nopony wanted or cared for her (except for Celestia). It was a darker time for Luna. She approached the poor pony and knelt down beside her. The princess wrapped one of her wings over the drifter’s back to keep the mare warm. She felt her body twitch a little beneath her wings. “Hello little one,” she cooed. She had practice from her sister to be more approachable (and less imposing) to the ponies of Equestria. “What’s your name?” The mare didn’t answer her. “Is something the matter? I would love to help you.” “…No thanks.” Luna perked her ears up a little. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. Could you speak a little louder?” “N-no thanks. I’m fine your majesty. There’s no need to converse with a lesser pony like myself,” she said softly. Luna was about to think of a spirit-lifting comeback to that depressing statement, when she became aware of a steady stream of magic right underneath her. She didn’t notice it at first, but there was a powerful pool of magic in the town, and it seems that she’d just found the source. “Oh ho, but I beg to differ,” Luna countered. “It seems that you have a lot of potential in magic.” “No I don’t,” the mare murmured. “Everypony still hates me.” This comment intrigued Luna a bit. “Whatever do you mean?” The mare peered over to her from underneath her wing. She told Luna her name was Trixie, and began telling her life story. How she grew up in the very town that they were in. How she discovered her special talent for magic, and becoming a very popular showmare. When the topic of the story shifted to her first meeting with Twilight Sparkle, a match was struck in Luna’s mind. She’d remembered Tia telling her about her student’s encounter with a certain azure magician. She could of stop the mare at that moment, but Luna let Trixie continue on. After Twilight saved Ponyville from certain destruction at the paws of an Ursa Minor, Trixie ran away from the town. Everywhere she went; ponies were tormenting her for being a fraud. Some even called her a lunatic for bringing the Ursa Minor itself to the rural village. Apparently, the rumors of the Ursa attack were twisted as the news traveled around Equestria. Trixie spoke of how her anger towards Twilight grew more unstable, so she came up with a way for vengeance. She told Luna how she honed her magic to become even stronger. To challenge Twilight to a battle of wits: A magic duel. Luna (yet again) caught a strange detail about her story. Celestia had received a letter from Twilight. How Trixie came to town with the Alicorn Amulet. It was a dark and dangerous artifact forged in the sinister times of Discord’s era. He was tampering with the elements of nature, trying to figure out a way to turn his pony minions into powerful super soldiers. He came up with the Alicorn Amulet. Unfortunately, every test subject he had tried on turned even more chaotic. Every single one of them tried to overthrow the being of chaos in order to rule Equestria themselves, but that didn’t deter him from his throne. When she and her sister sealed him in stone, they scoured everywhere for any signs of the relic. Nothing turned up. Celestia knew that the power of the amulet would corrupt anypony to a degree that anything they do wasn’t their fault. The dark influence would have eventually turned the bearer of the amulet into another and sinister being. To a point when the bearer wouldn’t be themselves. Celestia said that she’d met up with the potion brewer known as Zecora. They came up with a solution to guard the artifact in the zebra territory’s badlands. Hopefully, that would be the last they’ve heard of Discord’s amulet. As for the magician, Celestia at the time decided to pardon the mare. Anyway, Luna tuned back into the real world after her long trip down memory lane. Trixie was just finishing up about the aftermath of the duel. How she asked Twilight for forgiveness. Everything seemed to turn out alright for the former showmare, but she was still affronted from everywhere she went. She went on from town to town, until she stopped here. She didn’t have the strength to go back to Ponyville, the one town that might possibly accept her, so she decided to herself that her resting place would be her hometown. “I’m so pathetic,” Trixie summed up. Luna, at that moment, suddenly got on her hooves. “Nope,” She stated as she levitated the tired, but struggling mare onto her back. “W-what are you doing? Put me down!” Trixie weakly attempted to yell. Despite being at the pit of despair, the azure bundle of magic was still attempting to fight back. “Nope,” Luna said again. She took a line of sturdy rope from a nearby shop, with the owner insisting that it’s on the house. “Please! I’m nothing but dirt on the ground,” Trixie pleaded. “I don’t want to trouble you.” “Nope,” she repeated. The night princess was obviously not going to take no for an answer. She gently wrapped the rope around her and Trixie, but made sure it was tight enough and that it wouldn’t tangle her wings. She then spread her feathery limbs apart as she prepared for a quick flight back to Canterlot. “B-but why?” she asked, wanting to gleam an answer from the goddess. Luna returned her question with a sincere and confident smile. “Because I believe everypony deserves a second chance, and I’m not about to leave my student behind.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Princess Luna.” Luna quickly snapped back into reality. She looked beside her to see Black Paladin giving her a very quizzical look. “Are you okay your majesty?” he asked, with concern. “You seem distracted.” “I-I’m fine my paladin,” she quickly answered. “I was just taking a (oh how do ponies say it nowadays?) small trip down memory lane.” He grunted in understanding. He had those moments as well every now and then. Every day, the world seemed to get stranger and stranger to him, and it was not because he was placed out touch from the world for a thousand years like his master. He believed it was partly due to the reveal of the recently chosen Harmony Bearers, but he would never directly put the blame on them. Nor say it out loud in front of them or any of the princesses. Luna and Paladin walked through the hedge maze, hoping to find any signs that Trixie might of took refuge in there. There were no clues, nor any glimpse of her student’s signature hat or cape. She was slightly getting irritated from this prolonged search. They were scheduled to have a lesson today, and Luna felt like this was the most creative one yet. Paladin just calmly walked beside her. If he was just as annoyed about the search as the night princess is, he didn’t show it. He was very well trained as a soldier. They had reached the center of the maze of shrubs. The area was filled with a pasture of exotic flowers and various kinds of plants. A circular mirror pool was lying contently in the midst of this small paradise. Sitting by the bank of the pond were Trixie and Celestia. Her prodigy was donning her trademark purple cape as usually, but seemed to be missing out on her hat. She was making the time go by skipping stones across the water, while her sister was comfortably watching beside the mare. The two of them seemed to be having a conversation in small and soft whispers. Their responses to each other were like a breeze in the grass. Luna wanted to interrupt and talk to her student alone, but she waited patiently for Celestia to finish. It took a few moments for Celestia to finish. Her eyebrows rose up a little when the sun goddess noticed her counterpart nearby. She gave a quick smile to Luna, and whispered something in Trixie’s ears. Trixie quickly turned around with a surprised look on her face. Her ears then drooped with certain shame. She looked nervously awkward. “Um, sister?” Celestia only gave Luna a small nod. “I’ll be in the throne room if you need me. I’m expecting a certain somepony to come by.” Luna gave her sister a curious look, but the goddess didn’t give her any answers as she flew away towards the castle. She turned her attention towards Trixie and frowned. It wasn’t a big, disgusted frown, but it was the disappointed one. Trixie shrank back and was tracing small circles in the dirt with the tip of her hoof. “Trixie Lulamoon,” Luna greeted in a regal tone. “Yes milady?” she timidly asked, with the expectation of being lectured harshly. Luna was having thoughts of doing so, but she sighed when her student had the puppy eyes. She resigned with a huff, and drew her student closer to her with her wing. Trixie eyes widened with realization, and accepted her comfort with a small nuzzle. Luna’s heart leapt a little from the daughterly affection her student was giving. Luna returned the favor with one of her own. Paladin looked away, but didn’t show any signs of discomfort. “We have been looking for you,” Luna said, with a chuckle. “Sorry for being so distant,” Trixie apologized. “I just needed to clear my head a little.” Luna hummed with acceptance. “It’s alright my faithful student.” She gave Trixie a sly grin. “You know, we could skip today’s lesson if you don’t feel like you’re up to it.” “What? No!” Trixie giggled. “Come on teach! You know I look forward to each one!” Luna could tell that Trixie wasn’t kidding. At first the magician didn’t seem like the studious type, but Luna was surprised by the amount of prior knowledge Trixie had to illusionary magic. It was one of the edges her student have in learning the field of Lunar magic. Her inner will was strong as well. “Well then.” Luna got up from their hug and gestured Trixie towards the castle. “Shall we get going?” Trixie nodded and followed her, along with Paladin. The trio wasted no time getting to Luna’s room, except for the few greeting exchanges they had with some of the nobles and the castle’s staff. One of the few places they’ve took the time to sit down and learn. Most of the lessons Luna taught to Trixie were usually on the go. Everywhere they went together, Trixie usually had a saddle bag with a textbook and some parchments used for some spare note taking. Within a few turns and hallways, they’ve reached Luna’s inner sanctum. Well, more like somepony’s room rather than the personal domain of a goddess. The curtains and the mattress were very impressive, but everything else in the room looked like it belongs to a normal, young lady. Paladin dragged a small coffee table towards the footend of the bed, and started to go out the door. “Wait.” Paladin looked behind him. Luna was waving him over. “How about you stay for a while? This lesson doesn’t really require the most decisive of guarding.” “Are you sure your majesty?” he asked. “Yes,” Luna said, with her voice adapting an annoyed tone. She felt like they had this conversation a hundred times over (which happened to be a little bit over true). “I’m not teaching some ancient form of spell to her today.” “You aren’t?” Trixie’s eyebrows rose, along with figurative question marks popping up behind her. “Nope. Instead of magic, it’s going to be a lesson of the mind.” Luna took a silent, deep breath and concentrated on a focal point. Her horn glowed with a light, cobalt blue aura. The space beside her warped a little as its center point sparkled. A pair of deck of cards was conjured. At first, her student adopted a sign of confusion, but as she looked closer she could see the logo on the back of one of the cards. It says ‘Magic the Gathering’. Trixie’s expression only got more constructed with more questions. At this point, Paladin closed the door behind him and took a spot at table. He waited patiently for the highly anticipated match to unfold. Luna felt accomplished and warm at the sight of her curious student. “Um, Luna?” “Yes my student?” Luna said happily as she magically shuffled the two decks. “I hate to ask, but what’s the does Magic the Gathering have to do with today’s lesson?” Trixie asked. “I’ll answer them shortly,” the goddess simply answered back. “Just as soon as I finish shuffling.” Trixie sighed as she waited for her mentor to finish. When Luna was pleased with her results, she handed Trixie one of the decks and laid down hers. Trixie does this as well, and drew the appropriate amount of cards. Luna had a few choices of ocean land cards, some spare sea creatures, and an instant spell. “Are you pleased with your choice?” Luna asked. “Yes,” Trixie answered back. “Good, because I’m not going to give you a chance to re-choose your hoof.” “Huh?” she responded, now looking truly confused. This was strange for a match of MtG, because at the start of the duel you can choose to mulligan. Mulligan allows the player to shuffle what’s in their hooves, and draw a new set of cards (only to draw one less with each go). Luna could tell that Trixie was about to question the motive behind her decision, but then she held her tongue back. Luna smiled as her student seemed willing to play along. Luna flipped the coin to decide who’ll go first. The two mares called their side. The coin decided to go in Trixie’s favor. Her student decided to place down a land card for the fire element. From what she had gathered from the look of her first card, she was playing with a fire deck. Adaptable, fast, and dangerous. ‘Just her kind of magic,’ Luna chuckled at her inside joke. Luna decided to retaliate against her student with a seaside land card. With the way that the battle is turning out now, it looks like it’ll truly be a battle of the opposites. The cool and collected versus the willful and burning. Trixie placed down another land card, and waited for her mentor’s turn. Luna wasted no time as she placed down one of her monsters. “I summon the almighty Seapony Harp!” Luna soundly smacked the card onto the table surface. It had 1 power and 2 toughness, but its special ability allowed it to switch its capabilities, giving it 2 powers and 1 toughness for the user’s current turn and the opponent’s next one. At the cost of one blue mana. Of course, it can't be affected by equipment Trixie rubbed her chin a little, and then placed down another land card. Luna’s eyes glinted at the opportunity. “Alright then,” Luna said. “With my Sea-Foal now out of its summoning illness, I shall activate its special ability. It now has 2 powers and 1 toughness at the cost of one blue mana.” She could imagine Trixie’s 20 life going down to 18. In order to keep track, Luna prepared a bag of gummy bears, and gave twenty pieces to each of them. She then promptly took two of Trixie’s bears (much to her dismay) and ate them. She giggled as she witnessed her student’s expression turning into horror. “Hey! That’s mine!” “Too bad,” Luna giggled. Today’s lesson was going to be fun, but of course Trixie will have to learn the meaning behind the session. It was ironic, considering the fact that Trixie’s deck had shared the nature of that trait as well. Trixie moaned as Luna joyfully enjoyed the delectable juiciness of the treat that is the gummy bear. Luna could tell that her student was now devising a strategy to eat all of her precious twenty candy pieces (which by then, Luna hoped Trixie would learn the lesson). After a few turns of plotting, attacking, and casting spells at each other (with the card’s effects), Luna was down to 3 life while Trixie was down to a measly 1. Despite the absence of physical activity, the two mares were both out of breath and were wiping sweat off their foreheads. Their match was so intense. Luna could feel her own heart pounding like war drums, as well as her student’s. The goddess had a legendary beast on her side of the plane. It was a sea dragon of immense proportions. It was known for drowning countless fleets and armadas. The ocean drowned with the blood of the innocent, and battle-worned heroes. The 7 attack power was more than enough to defeat Trixie’s puny life. Luna dubbed the creature a name so horrifying and powerful, mares around would scream out of fear and beg for mercy. For its name was this: Miss. Catpaws – The Fuzziest Ship Destroyer. Truthfully, it was a picture of a furry seacat. An Angean breed to be exact. Celestia advised her to not use the card, for fear that her student wouldn’t take her seriously. But that doesn’t seem to be case now as Trixie was practically shaking with fear. Luna could tell that it wasn’t the card that frightened her, but it was the results of her might failing the lesson. She sighed as she waited for Trixie to start her turn. “Come on now,” Luna moaned. “Sorry!” Trixie apologized hurryingly. “But I just can’t seem to figure this out!” “Figure what out?” Luna knew all too well what Trixie was racking her brain for, but she wanted to hear her answer. “Nothing nothing!” Luna’s hoof and taste buds weren’t being so patient. They want to feel the texture of another gummy bear. Both minds were working together as her hoof inched towards the bag of gummy bears, but Luna’s conscious snapped them out of it. They’ll get their prize in the end, no matter the outcome of the duel. Trixie looked back and forth towards the card and her own hoof. To Luna, it seemed that her student was running out of moves. Out of curiosity, Luna decided to take a peek at Trixie’s next card. It wasn’t like she was cheating or whatever. It’s just that she wanted to know if Trixie has a chance of winning. What she got out of the magical scan was a nice surprise. Luna smiled as she dimmed her magical glow. It looked like Trixie was too distracted to notice anything. Luna decided to comfort the mare. “Is everything alright?” she asked. Trixie looked up at her teacher, and gave a huge sigh of disappointment. “No, it’s not.” “What is it then?” Trixie waited for a few moments before answering. “Twilight Sparkle.” Luna’s ears perked at this shocking news. Out of all the answers she anticipated, she didn’t expect her sister’s student to pop into the conversation. She waited for Trixie to go on. “It’s just that, I never knew Twilight was Princess Celestia’s student,” Trixie explained. “It caught me off guard. I know she’s an adapt user of magic, but I didn’t know it was due to her privileged training under the princess.” She let out a deep breath, as if she was getting something big off her chest. “Honestly, when I became your student and found out about this tiny bit of information, my passion of competition with her rose again.” There was a slight pause between the two before Luna asked. “Is that the reason why you attacked in-game?” Trixie looked away with a pained expression. “Yes.” “Would you attack her in real life?” “What? No! Nononono!” Trixie quickly responded with a frightened voice. “I would never do such a thing! She may be a rival to me now, but we’re still friends!” Luna’s mind shifted towards that time her student and Celestia had in the garden. A certain comment came to mind. I’m expecting a certain somepony to come by. She decided to throw a random stone. “Is there by any chance that Twilight is dropping by today?” Trixie’s expression turned from depression to shock. “H-how did yo-” “Trust me my student, I can tell how these events would work out. That conversation you had with Celestia wasn’t been just about the weather was it?” Trixie huffed out a small breath. “No, she told me that Twilight was coming to Canterlot today.” “And?” Luna asked for her to continue. “And, I’m going to apologize to her for the surprise attack, and explain why I did so.” Trixie slumped in her spot, looking relaxed now that she professed the reasoning behind her online attack on Twilight and her friends. “Well then, then I suppose that my curiosity is now satisfied for now. Should we continue on with the duel, or is there something else you would like to know?” Trixie’s eyes brightened up with questioning. “Actually, yes. Why are we having this duel?” “Well,” Luna said, deciding to give her a hint. “What’s the most important trait to have in battle with another mage?” Luna could tell that Trixie was racking her brain again. “Well, you need to be smart.” “That’s part of the answer, but there’s more to it than that.” “Creativity?” Luna shook head. “While being creative in battle is a good thing, it certainly won’t help when the time calls for action.” Trixie drawled out an ‘um’ before answering. “Magic?” Luna laughed in an outburst. She suddenly stopped herself when she saw Trixie blushing furiously. She let out a few more chuckles before apologizing. “Tell me,” Luna smiled. “How do you win in a match of cards? More specifically, this game.” “Umm, by having a good set of cards?” Trixie answered with uncertainty. “Close, but you’re getting there.” She gave out a huge groan of displeasure. “I’m sorry teach, but I don’t know what you’re trying to teach me-” Trixie looked like she was about to give up, until she drew her next card. Her eyebrows raised a little, and then her face gave a bright grin. Then she looked puzzled as she saw her teacher grinning as well. She looked back at her card, and then her land plots. She looked back at the amount of gummy bears Luna had, and back at hers. She developed a confident smile. “Flexibility. Being adaptable, and resourceful. Using the surroundings, and what you have on you, to win,” Trixie boldly answered. “Am I right?” Luna gave her an honest clap. “Well done my student. Using everything you have at your disposal is a sure way to win. If you don’t give it your all, then you can never see victory. Same thing applies to studying and exploring the field of magic. If you don’t take extra measures to solving the problem, then you’ll find yourself stuck in one spot.” She gave her a sly smile, knowing that her three gummy bears were coming at an end. “Now then, mind telling me what you have there?” “Well,” Trixie started. She showed Luna an instant spell card. The name was The Purple Mare’s Many Uses of Everything. The cover of the card was a lavender unicorn rising up into the air, with five other ponies beside her. The debris around them was flying up with the entity and her eyes were glowing pure energy. It was like staring into the face of oblivion. “This card,” Trixie explained. “Allows me to take away as much lives from you at the cost of double the mana.” She then showed Luna the amount of land plots she had. “As you can see, I have just enough to take you out. 3 lives with 6 mana. Prepare yourself, for I’m about to begin my tur-” “Yes Twilight, this is my sister’s room.” The three ponies’ attention reared towards the door as Celestia and Twilight walked in. An awkward moment paused between all of them. Luna thought quickly on how to deal with the matter. “Oh excuse me! Oh dear if you look at the time,” Luna started quickly as she pretended to look at a wristwatch. She took hold of the Paladin’s ear by the teeth and pulled him away out the door. “Ow wow wow!” the stallion cried. “Please, watch it your majesty!” “Now’s not the time Paladin!” Luna forcibly chuckled while giving him an intent stare from the corners of her eyes. Her loyal soldier gulped loudly as he reeled back from her intense glare. She could see her sister leaning over to Twilight to whisper something, and then head out the door with her. She closed the doors behind her. Luna released Paladin’s ears, and looked at her sister with a regal pose. She tried to not look like nothing weird had happened. Celestia only chuckled as they heard Twilight trying to say hi to Trixie, only to stammer with her words. “Mind telling me what’s up?” Luna asked bluntly. “Perhaps,” Celestia chuckled. “Join me for tea?” Luna dropped her gaze and replaced it with a warm smile. “Umm, yeah sure. Come along Paladin.” “Y-yes ma’am.”
*Chapter 02: Taking The First Steps [Revised 2.0]**Chapter 02: Taking The First Steps [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 2 ~ Edit by ultra1437 and Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Ever since the creation of video games, the fantasy of stepping foot into the virtual realm of video games was set inside the dreams of all gamers. The idea of stepping into a video game and interacting with everything inside it was an incredibly sweet, desirable cake that everypony wanted a slice of, but seemed to be just out of reach. Virtual reality became an integral part of science fiction through the course of its time. About a year ago, a team of ponies lead by Princess Luna, had combined their knowledge of computer programming, neural science, and magic to bake the fictional delectable treat into reality. The I.P.V. was born, otherwise known as the Interactive Player Visor. Although most like to call it the Pony Visor just because it was made in Equestria. Either way, it wasan incredible marvel of science and magic combined. It had the power to immerse the wearer’s mind into the many worlds so different from Equestria, giving them the chance to explore games on a level of immersion unlike any other. News spread fast, and everypony bought tickets to get on board of the hype train. Anypony who had bought it was immediately blown away by the I.P.V.’s results. When inside the game, everything felt extremely real. Holding an object felt real, throwing felt real, moving felt real, hearing felt real, breathing in the game felt real. That was the raw definition of the I.P.V.’s capabilities. And games with top definition HD graphics looked so very real with the Visor. Some even claimed it was even harder for them tell what was real after exiting the game. Twilight knew they were just exaggerating from excitement. It was easy to tell which is fake and which is real, but she must admit that as somepony with a soft spot for fictional worlds, she fell in love with video gaming right away and virtual reality later on. Of course, there were limitations to the VR tech, but that’s because it was mostly the games. Very few of them actually had the graphics quality to meet the full potential of the I.P.V. because they were made before VR programming existed, and thus were limited. Some games added extra features to include stuff like more flexibility in player movement, but most were simply just ported in order to allow I.P.V. capabilities, and Twilight felt like the developers could have done more. She understood that they were on a budget, and programming a true VR game was very expensive. Despite her complete satisfaction with her purchase and use of the Visor, she always felt something was missing. Equestrian Earth filled that hole. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight couldn’t help but hang her jaw in amazement. The city she spawned in was, in laymare’s terms, beautiful. Actually, it was less than a city and more like a megalopolis. Led up to a tower’s crown by her friends, Twilight soon figured out why a cloud had randomly smacked into her face on the way there. They were on a gigantic floating sky city. Rainbow Dash was comfortable with fluttering in the air, but the others were just leaning over the rails, hogging all the tourist binoculars. Towering citadels dotted the cityscape with gleaming buildings and roads that seemingly glowed underneath the bright sun. The island was so huge, it even had a couple mountains nearby! Looking out towards a coliseum, her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she saw the flying twin dragons. There were serpentine in appearance, with emerald scales gleaming like the gems, and graceful long manes graced the back of their long neck. Harnesses were around their heads and seemed to be attached to the island, most likely pulling it. Twilight had lived in Canterlot for almost her entire life, and grew to know quality architecture, but she felt that this would give Equestria’s own capital a run for its money. After all, a flying metropolis pulled by dragons is very cool. Applejack had a tickled smile as Twilight’s jaw hung open. “You alright there, sugarcube? Your mouth is as open wide like the sky.” “Y– yeah.” Twilight stammered, still staring through the binoculars. “I’m just a little surprised. I mean, I’ve been to Cloudsdale, but a floating land of this size is just mind blowing to me! And then there are those dragons that looks like they can swallow Tom. “I thought we weren’t going to speak of him again.” “Sorry!” Twilight guiltily smiled. “So, where are we anyway?” “This ‘ere place is called Aeroslida,” Applejack said, “it’s one of the fanciest, shmaniest places in all of Old Equestria. That’s what the makers of the game called this world.” “It’s simply fascinating dear!” Rarity let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes as she leaned on Pinkie who didn’t mind holding her. “You’ve should have seen the capitol building. It is purely divine and majestic. And the prince who lives there, oh he is so handsome and such a hunk of a stallion!” Rarity opened her eyes and saw her friends regarding her with raised eyebrows, most likely for her last statement. She lightly coughed into the back of her hoof. “For an NPC anyway.” Twilight giggled. “Obviously the city has you romanced.” “Quite.” Twilight looked towards Applejack. “Hold on for a minute though. If this is Old Equestria – like you said – how come I never heard of Aeroslida? I’m pretty sure I would have come across it in my history books.” Rainbow shrugged. “It’s a video game, Twilight. Places like this one are all just stuff the game makers have made up. It may not be real, but I think it’s totally awesome. And that’s good enough for me.” Twilight rubbed her muzzle in thought a little. “I see… well I guess that’s alright, but I can’t exactly call this game one hundred percent accurate in Equestrian history. Let’s get started right anyway, shall we? I assume this game has some sort of leveling system, correct?” “Of course there is,” Applejack said. “But there’s more to the Level Up system that sorta sets it apart from other MMOs. Pinkie Pie bounced up and down with readiness in her wide smile. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Can I answer that, AJ?” Applejack tipped her hat to Pinkie. “Sure. Take it away, Pinkie!” With a grin, Pinkie Pie dug her hooves into a pink satchel she had been carrying on her back and pulled out a graduation cap and a stick pointer. She then leaned across the rails and stuck her hooves into a random passing cloud, dragging out a large blackboard easel from its fluffy depths. To any passing players below that happened to be looking up at the tower, it was a completely unorthodox moment. To the girls, it was Pinkie Pie being herself. Using chalk, Pinkie Pie drew a couple of crude drawings of creatures with horns on the board, as well as ponies. They resembled the doodles of foals. “Okie doki loki! So, there are two Level Up systems that both contribute to your overall Main Level. There is the standard leveling system call the Main EXP System. You simply gather experience by completing any quests the NPCs give you as well as defeating monsters, and the EXP goes straight into your EXP bar.” Pinkie then drew a hammer, anvil, and a sewing needle and spool. “And then there is the second system called the Life Skills System. This is different from the Main EXP system as you work on your Profession Skills, which affect how well you perform your virtual career in this game. But since it’s really easy to put a lot of effort into the profession, it improves your Main Level only by little, but it improves your Life Skill levels normally. “Each Life Skill level is individual. For example, the Level of your Cooking Skill can only be improved by performing deeds related to food like ingredients gathering or cooking. There also Life Subskills, like the ingredients gathering thing I’ve mentioned earlier. That’s called Harvesting. There are Life Subskills for almost every Life Skill. An example of this would be Mining, which can be raised by gathering earthly materials used for making weapons and armor, and developing that Subskill also increases Blacksmithing, albeit slowly.” She softly kicked a leg of the chalkboard and it folded into a square box. She stuffed the cap and everything else into her bag and turned back to her friends with a smile. “Any questions?” Save for Rarity and Applejack, all of their jaws hung open wide, completely shocked at the party mare’s surprisingly elaborate, educational lecture. Somewhere in the city, the physics engine was put to work as one of the buildings crumbled to the ground due to the fault of a certain blond pegasus. Which was absurd, considering it was a Guard Station, and Twilight had read that they were literally programmed to be indestructible. A derpy voice echoed throughout the city, “Oops! My bad!” “Wow Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, breaking the group silence. She elbow nudged Pinkie. “I didn’t know you were such an egghead about this.” Pinkie Pie shrugged a little, grinning. “Actually I got all that from the game’s manual, but I did a little research around the internet before the game was released.” Rainbow laughed, clenching her stomach in mid-flutter. “The manual? Nopony ever reads the manuals of any video game, ever!” “Hey, Ah read the manual too, Dash,” Applejack cut in. “What’s wrong with that?” “Manuals are a waste of paper. Everything can be figured out by just playing the game.” “But the manuals can provide useful tips.” “Tips? More like spoilers to me.” While the two had a friendly debate about the efficiency of manuals, Twilight had her eyes on the city’s rooftops. She didn’t know why, but she had the urge to do so. Was somepony watching them? Before she could mull it over, she was poked from behind. Applejack gestured towards the city gates while the others were going down the stairs. “We’re ‘bout to head out on a grinding session, and Rainbow Dash said she has a pretty good place in mind. Wanna come with?” Twilight looked back at the rooftops. “Sure, why not?” She trotted with Applejack, catching up with the others. “By the way, what’s ‘grinding’ again? I haven’t exactly played an MMORPG before.” “Oh yeah. Right. I forgot to tell you guys about that,” Rainbow added. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Sherpwood, a dense forest area, was one flight down from Aeroslida in Pegasi-powered chariots. All around, there were signs of entry, except for the arc formed by the trees. The large trunks formed an impenetrable barrier to the world outside of it. When Twilight stepped in, she had expected the thick coat of leaves would block out the sun and there would barely be any room to move. Surprisingly there were a few open pockets in the canopy for sunlight to pour through, and the trees inside weren’t so tightly clustered with each other. The sunlight didn’t matter anyway, because all around in Sherpwood, there were yellow sunflowers that glowed brightly like the star they were named after, except they weren’t so blinding. Other than that, it looked like a pretty normal forest. That is, until Rainbow led them deeper into the forest. With every step further into the forest, Twilight noticed the sunflowers becoming more and more sparse, taking their light with them. Only the colors of the twilight hours remained residing in the thickness. Shadows slept nearby near plant life and among the trees, moving only when their hosts rustled at the cold wind, which was strange as Twilight didn’t expect there to be wind in such a tightly secured place. Yet their chilling whistles were present. Finally, they had arrived at the destination Rainbow had suggested, and Applejack didn’t look all too pleased. “Rainbow Dash… ” “Yeah, AJ?” “When you said ya had a great place to grind, Ah wasn’t expecting this.” “What’s wrong with it?” “Well first off, those things are huge.” “Nothing wrong with big things. The bigger, the better right?” Rainbow grinned slyly, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. Applejack snorted her disapproval at Rainbow’s innuendo. “Then mind telling me how the hay, are we supposed to take them down?” The monsters that Applejack was referring to were two giant walking stumps, topping at nine feet tall,with twigs sticking out from their gnarled body, their bark as dark as evergreens. Beneath them, they had twisted roots wrapped around each other, roughly resembling two legs. Their moss-coated wooden bodies creaked each time they moved forward, and caused the ground to shiver under their steps. Twilight remembered reading about such creatures long before playing the game, but Treants weren’t supposed to have half their bodies missing. Looking above them, however, she could see floating name tags that read Trunts. Probably a pun, seeing how it sounded similar to stump and half of their body was missing. “Well, they’re chopped in half already. We can just finished the job.” Rainbow shrugged, not taking the situation lightly. “And they can’t see very well either. Won’t be a problem.” “Rainbow, all of us are Level 1 right now, and they’re Level 25. They’ll stomp us to death! Literally! Just look at their size!” Rainbow sneered. “What are you, AJ? Chicken?” A silence fell upon the group, with only the sound of low growls between the two rivals. Their eyes fought a battle with sharp stares and bladed lips. Applejack was like a sea of fire, burning with determination and strength while Rainbow Dash was bold and confident like a bird of prey. Their rivalry never went unnoticed by Twilight. Ever since the Iron Horse competition, they had been fueling that fire with more dares and contests, and their tussles didn’t diminish at all. Especially in video games. Rarity coughed. “Well I believe now is the best time to pack our suitcases and leave while we can. I suggest you two should just save your fighting for elsewhere.” Rarity turned away from them and looked at the others. “What do you girls say? Pinkie, you agree with me, right?” “Sure! Why not? Doesn’t matter to me!” Pinkie grinned. “Um, girls?” “How about it, Twilight. Shall we go, darling?” “Girls? Rainbow and Applejack are– ” Twilight nodded, “Yeah. I saw a couple mushrooms that were at our Level on the way here. They could be safe to fight.” “Girls? This is really, really important– ” “Splendid! Then let’s make haste straight away!” “Girls!” Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity all looked at Fluttershy with a collective, “What is it?” Fluttershy twiddled with her forehooves. “Um, Rainbow Dash and Applejack just charged towards the Trunts.” Twilight’s ears drooped as she looked at the clearing. Rainbow and Applejack did indeed charge in without them noticing, and their Health Bars were already knocked at. “Oh no.” A large shadow covered over the bush they were all hiding in. Twilight looked up to see three Trunts staring at them with their nonexistent eyes. “H– how did they even– ” Rarity looked around in panic and found the source of their predicament. A sharp gasp was caught in her throat. “Twilight, your hoof.” Twilight looked down and lifted her right forehoof to see a crushed, tiny sprout underneath. Small, pink petals were lying about, crumpled from under Twilight’s hoof. “What is this?” “Th– that’s a Treant Sproutling, and it was a white Madonna lily. A Queen variant.” Rarity looked back up at the Trunts and squeaked, “And you squished it.” “… Oh buck me.” Twilight immediately thought that they needed to get out there right away. She tapped into her mind’s eye and focused on her and the mares around her. Her horn lit ablaze with purple energy, and soon their bodies were covered in the same glow. Twilight pulled them away from the bush and into the clearing just before the Trunts angrily stomped on it with their huge root feet, their earthly grumbles filling the air. The landing was rough as Twilight had no time to be precise with her levitation, earning her a few scrapes. Quickly, she got onto her hooves and helped up the others. “Is everypony okay?” “Yes we are. Fluttershy, do you have your Support Spells ready?” Rarity asked, making a stance filled with determination. “Y– yes I do, but there has to be another way, r– right?” she stammered, terrified of the giant trees. “M– maybe we can reason with them?” “After Twilight killed their unborn queen? Doubtful.” A drip of sweat dripped down from Rarity’s forehead to her nose. “Oh dear, this sudden turn of events is not good for my skin.” She took out a cloth and dabbed her forehead. Twilight winced through her teeth. “Oh I’m sorry that this happened. I didn’t know I had stepped on something so important to them.” “Relax, my dear. None of us noticed earlier. It could easily have happened to any one of us.” They all backed off slowly as the Trunts advanced, mindful of the pair of enemies behind them. It seemed that while Applejack and Rainbow Dash were keeping them quite busy, they were also unaware of what was happening to the others. Twilight thought about calling out to them for help, but they were already engaged with the Trunts, so not the best idea. Looking for more options, Twilight went to search her Inventory for anything possibly useful. Only, there was one problem. She didn’t have a bag, and another thing… “I don’t know how to open my Inventory!” Twilight yelped. “Just sweep your hoof in the air and think of opening the Menu! The game can respond to your thoughts!” Rarity shouted. Twilight did what Rarity said and to her delight, a holographic Menu opened up. “Thanks!” “Why are we shouting?” Pinkie asked at the top of her lungs, joining the small chorus duo. She wasn’t taking the tough situation seriously. Twilight ignored Pinkie’s question and searched through her Inventory furiously. There must be something she had to start off with. Almost every game with an Inventory system did! To her despair, the bag was barely empty and she found no weapons, but there were five Slow Health Regen Potions and five Slow Mana Regen Potions. Something to help sustain her, but she still felt nervous about the lack of a weapon. “Rarity, I don’t have anything to use against the Trunts! What should I do?” “What Class did you begin as?” “Mage Apprentice!” “You’re a Unicorn, Twilight, and Unicorns don’t start with Wooden Staves as Tier 4 Mages!” “Really?” “Yes! You use your horn, and think of one of the Spells you have!” Rarity’s horn lit up like a bulb as she swept it towards the Trunts’ direction. “Like so! Gem Flock!,” Various spots on the ground in front of Rarity glowed brightly. Pointed gemstones of varying small sizes blossomed out before her, shot up, and flew around circular formations. She narrowed her eyes and focused on all the gems to start making them spin like power drills. The Trunts thundered forward like boulders down a mountain, crushing everything unlucky enough to be in their path, with the three players in their sights. Twilight and Fluttershy shied away, but Rarity stood boldly and unleashed her spectrum of projectiles at the Trunts. The gems pieced their thick armor like they were butter, coming out through the other side of their bodies, although some stuck in the more resistant plates. They were knocked black slightly by Rarity’s Gem Flock, and soon their bodies were decorated like Christmas trees, and their Health Bars surprisingly chipped away. Twilight’s eyes had widened in slight amazement. She had seen impressive combat in video games before, but the way the gems had sliced through the wood, the different stumbles each of the Trunts had in reaction to the impacts. It was all fluid and looked very natural, as if they weren’t programmed to do that. Twilight didn’t have a word to describe it, but she really liked the game so far. “Darling? Do you want a turn?” “H– huh? Oh, um, yeah sure! Should I shout out the name?” “You don’t have to, but” – Rarity clenched her hoof in front of her chest – “it just feels exhilarating to shout out Attack Names!” Twilight gave her a small nod and smile before turning back to the Trunts. They were still recovering their footing from Rarity’s attack, so she needed to act fast. She racked her brain as she tried to remember what skills an Apprentice Mage could do. She read it online before playing. What was it? Oh, right! “Magic Missile!” Twilight focused on her magic again, feeling energy coursing into her horn. She thought of firing pure energy at the Trunts, and her magic obeyed. A blue bolt of pure energy shot forth from the tip of her horn, breaking loose towards the Trunt in the middle. The spell packed quite a punch, knocking it onto its back. Twilight didn’t stop there and continued the barrage until she heard the sound of two more timbers falling down. Rarity clapped. “Excellent job, darling. It’s a good thing they don’t have arms, or dealing with them would be quite more troublesome.” “They’re not defeated though. Good thing they don’t seem to be able to get up very well.” Rarity turned towards where Rainbow Dash and Applejack were. “Now if only they hadn’t charged rashly in the first place.” Twilight gently smiled. “Well we all make mistakes, Rarity, but that’s why we’re a group. To cover each other’s mistakes.” Rarity gently sighed. “That’s true. Although I still wish they would set aside their rivalry once in a while.” “That wouldn’t be like them,” Twilight chuckled. Rarity gently laughed along. “Of course, darling.” “U– um, girls?” Fluttershy softly spoke, “Pinkie Pie jumped in as well, a– and it seems we have exploding mushrooms coming in.” Twilight looked up ahead and indeed saw Pinkie swinging around on a system of grappling ropes that weren’t hooked onto the trees earlier, but somehow they were just there. Also, there were green-spotted, walking mushrooms about the battlefield. A few craters were made in their dying spots as Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie all knocked them all away. The good thing was that the sentient mushrooms were somehow damaging the Trunts by a lot with their explosions! One died from the exploding fungi. A brilliant light shined from beneath Twilight, and Twilight saw her Level in the Heads Up Display soar from Level 1 to Level 8. Twilight rolled her eyes. “Oh boy.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Mage Adept (TS) has Leveled Up to Lv 8! Tier 4 Class: Mage Apprentice ~ HP Increased: 350 ⇒ 630 (+10 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 500 ⇒ 850 (+ 65 from SPR) 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Manual Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 30 ⇒ 65 ~ SPR Increased: 30 ⇒ 65 Skill Point Allocation: [Magic Missile] Lv 1 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Singular target. Your magic conduit glows brightly before shooting forth a bolt of pure energy at your enemy, blasting the target backwards. The main bread and butter of all Mage Apprentices. Magic Damage – Level 5: 30/50/70/90/110 (+ 75% INT) [Magic Influx] Lv 0 ⇒ 3 Type ~ Active Description ~ Self target. Look deep within yourself and tap into a pool of your untapped power to give yourself an extra boost in magic damage. Increases the damage of all your Attack Spells by a certain percentage (after calculations of the INT multiplier). Buff lasts for 3 minutes. Magic Buff – Level 3: 1/2/3/4/5%
*Chapter 03: Life Skills [Revised]Chapter 03: Life Skills [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 3 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Twilight groaned as a wave of pain throbbed throughout her head. It felt like a herd of buffalos went ahead and stampeded over her head. It sure felt like that. She picked herself off the chilling, stone floor and looked around the room for an exit. It was really dark, so she had to feel the walls for a handle. After a good amount of effort and time, she felt the curve of one and pushed it out of the way. The sunlight first blinded her as she takes in the view of the sparkling city again. How long was she out for? Not for long it seemed as the sun was still out high in the sky. She decided to go for a walk, not wanting to hang around the building she assumed to be an area for respawning. It was really dark, and didn’t have a warm feeling to it. It was just the nature of respawning after all. Ponies around her went on their daily activities; some of them were speaking with the shop keepers at the market stalls; some of them were just hanging about, talking about who knows what. A title name popped up above the marketplace as she entered its vicinity. Player’s Bazaar She trotted past the stalls, pausing every once and a while to look at the various items players were selling. Every half second, one of the merchants would promote their goods in shouts. “Hey there! Are you interested in this nice staff? It’s only two hundred seventy-five bits!” “Potions here! Get your sparkling potions! You there, do you want a potion? I have a nice lavender bottle that matches your coat!” “Hello there! Would you like a sonic screwdriver? Made it myself! It makes this really nice sound – all sonicky-wonicky. And it will fix almost everything!” Twilight didn’t mind the various shouts and comments the shop keepers made. They were just promoting their items and business to make some extra in-game money. From what she knew, that was pretty normal in MMOs. In fact, she wouldn’t mind stopping by one of the stalls to purchase an item. The sonic screwdriver sounded really useful, but completely expensive. She looked inside her Inventory to see how much money she had. 3 Gold Bits and 48 Silver Bits. Not a lot, and the items around seemed to be of really high quality at top notch levels, and high quality means high prices. “Twilight! There you are!” She looked back to see Rarity and the others running towards her. Pinkie leapt for her with arms outstretched. “Incoming!” Twilight let out a loud Oomph as Pinkie glomped her to the road. “Augh. Hey Pinkie. Nice to see you too.” Twilight peered around Pinkie’s head to look at the others. “What happened to me? Why did I respawn?” “Them Trunt monsters that you knocked down earlier got to ya after we Leveled Up. And then them green mushroom varmints showed up and started blowing everything up! We were lucky to get out of there before it could get anywhere worse.” “We were worried sick!” Rarity added. “We didn’t see you at the Respawning House so we assumed you encountered a glitch. Are you alright, my dear?” “Yes I’m fine.” Pinkie got off Twilight and helped her up. “I was just taking a look around the Bazaar, waiting for you guys.” “Ooh, did you find a charming sugar pipe?” Pinkie Pie asked. “A what?” “A Charming Sugar Pipe! It’s one of the really really, really, really, really rare ingredients I need to complete my recipe for the ultimate dessert. The Yellow Ultimate Malt Cake, or as I like to call it, the YUM Cake! I only have the Edible Diamond Flower right now and I need the sugar pipe, a Weeping Joy Seed, the scale of a Candy Cane Hydra, a Golden Apple, and the dynamite of the Creeper Mushy!” “A what?” Twilight said. “A Creeper Mushy.” “It was those explody things that came after us earlier,” Applejack explained. “Uh, Pinkie, why do you need the dynamite from that?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, those things pack quite a punch. And I don’t think gunpowder would taste good in cake.” Pinkie rolled her eyes with a wide smile. “Because the dynamite gives the cake an explosive flavor, silly filly!” “Well there were plenty of them back there. Enough to fill twenty pastures,” Applejack said. “One of them must have dropped one.” “Yeah I know, but we’d had to have kill them before they explode. Otherwise,” – Pinkie diagonally swung a right hook upward – “boom goes the dynamite!” Pinkie sighed as she sat down on the cobble road. “And the Trunts were too much for us still. We had to get out of there as soon as Twilight went down. Other than you, Twilight was one of our best knockbackers.” “Knockback?” Twilight interrupted. “You mean what I did with the Magic Missile?” “Yepperooni.” Rarity hummed in thought. “So Pinkie Pie, what are you going to do with such a rare delicacy?” “Well, I was thinking of making two of them. One for all of us, and one for sale! Gummy put a lot of care and effort into the calculations of the recipe and he’s very sure that it’ll sell for the highest bidder! It should be able to provide anypony who eats it three hours of healing nonstop at a rate of 5% health per second!” “Wow,” Twilight said in a breath. “That’s amazing… wait, Gummy? Your pet?!” “Yepperooni! Here are the notes.” Pinkie tossed a piece of paper to the unicorn. Twilight skimmed over the poorly written symbols and mathematics, thinking that this was another one of Pinkie’s jokes, but as she read further and further, her pupils grew bigger and bigger. The writing seemed to be done by a little colt in pre-school, but the theoretical numbers and equations looked like they were hand crafted by college professors and prominent scientists! “Wow Pinkie, I didn’t know you were such a genius!” she exclaimed. “This is impressive!” “I didn’t write that. Gummy did.” “Okay Pinkie,” Twilight said, still not believing the alligator could write. “But still, using the Candy Cane Hydra Scale’s rejuvenating properties and the boosted stimulate of the Weeping Joy Seed together is incredible! And the Sugar Pipe’s ability to extend the time limit… I don’t even know what these are but the items seem to be attuned with each other if you had the math done right, which you did.” Pinkie nodded. “Sooo?” “So what?” “Did you find the Charming Sugar Pipe?” Pinkie asked. “O– oh no I didn’t. I’m sorry, Pinkie. I wish I could have found it, but I don’t think anypony here is selling it right now.” Twilight handed back the papers to Pinkie. “Oh.” Pinkie dropped her head in disappointment, but then lifted her chin up with a smile. “Well that’s okay! There’s always another time.” Pinkie raised her hoof at the sky, shaking it. She yelled at the clouds at the top of her lungs, “I’ll find you yet, Sugar Pipe!” “Well Ah’m all for desserts and everything, but we still haven’t shown you the entire city,” Applejack said. “How ‘bout Ah first show you my tavern? Ah could get you a nice tankard of cider.” “Oh heavens no Applejack,” Rarity said. “Twilight needs to have the proper set of clothing if she is going to go out there again. We can’t have you dying on us dear. You should visit my boutique.” “Nuh uh. What she needs is a bag of auntie Pinkie’s ole fashion sugary bottle of soda!” “Um, I think she could use a pet,” Fluttershy quietly suggested. “I know a nice pet shop nearby that we can take her to. Th– that is, if that’s okay with you, Twilight.” Fluttershy let out a squeak as Applejack pulled her in a one-arm hug. “We can take her to that pet shop after we get ‘er a drink! Twilight, you’re thirsty, right?” Rarity flipped her mane, heaving a sigh. “Please, Applejack. Can’t you see Twilight is in desperate need of some proper equipment? She did just start the game after all, and so did all of us. Besides, I want to see how my new shop looks and start leveling my Sewing Skill.” Rainbow Dash walked next to Applejack. “I dunno, Rarity. I’m with AJ on this one. I want some cider.” “But what about my soda?” “You can make it at my tavern, Pinks. Bought the necessary items needed. You can fill a pool ten times over in a matter of minutes!” “Hold on girls!” Twilight had easily caught their attention. “What are you all talking about? Applejack, Rarity, you two own places here in the game?” “Oh right, Ah’ve forgot to mention that,” Applejack said, blushing slightly. “We all have what I guess can be called jobs here in the game.” Twilight raised her eyebrows in interest. “Jobs? This game has an actual economy system, beyond the ingame money system and markets that can be run by players?” “Sort of Twilight,” Rarity said. “You see, with the Life Skills System in place, we can make use of them to apply towards various service in the game. Applejack and I have bought a couple buildings to use for our purposes. She has a tavern, and I own a boutique! Like Applejack’s, the boutique was worth real bits. You would have to pay to own a virtual building here as it takes up memory spaces, and it costs quite a bit, but it was well worth putting a small dent into my wallet. I can gather quite an income from this.” “Same here,” Applejack chimed in. “Ah’ve already checked around my place, and it’s apple-tastic! Two beautiful, bona fide floors, one for the rooms and one fer drinking! Ah aim to make it the best inn in the city, where you can get the best drinks and food around and a good night’s rest.” Applejack crossed her forelegs with a proud smile on her face. “Ah even got a couple players to help around.” “I see,” Twilight said with a hum. “I might try to get a profession here, but I don’t know what Life Skill to prioritize.” A small ha escaped Rainbow Dash’s mouth. “Too bad there aren’t any Life Skills for reading. I’m pretty sure would get that maxed in a heartbeat.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the jab. “How about Writing?” Rarity suggested. “I’m very sure you’ll do wonderfully, Twilight.” “Writing? There’s even a Life Skill for that?” “Why yes! I’m sure with the right materials, you’ll be able to publish a book here!” “Hmm… sure, why not? It’ll sure be a rewarding experience! Although I don’t see how I can Level Up a skill for writing when it’s all up to the mind. It’s not exactly the most technical skill.” “I don’t know, darling. That’s something you probably have to find out yourself.” “Do let us know, though. When you got it all figured out and everything,” Applejack said. “But first things first, have ya decided where you wanted to go to? Mah place or Rarity’s? Twilight weighted the options in her mind, judging the pros and cons. But in the end, it didn’t seem to really matter since she was planning to visit them all. However, Twilight was curious about Rarity’s offer of brand new equipment. “Well, I think Rarity has something interesting to offer for all of us. Is that right?” “Correct, darling,” Rarity smiled. “I do have something made for each and every one of us.” “Okay, let’s go to Rarity’s first. We can hang at the tavern afterwards.” “Well, Ah guess that’s fair,” Applejack tipped her hat towards Rarity. “Lead the way, Rares.” They walked towards the center of the bazaar with Rarity in the front, where more fabulous items and booths were at. Each shop stand after the last was more elaborate as they went deeper in to the market, changing from simple wood to tents with silken tapestry for tarps. At the center of it all stood a brilliant boutique that shined with silver walls and crystal windows. The dome of the building was crafted out of a large diamond, and the frame of the door was decked with embedded rubies and sapphires. At seemingly perfect timing, the sun rose high above Rarity’s shop, its rays bouncing off its roof and casting a rainbow assortment of colors all over the market and the sky. Ponies everywhere in and near the Bazaar looked up at the sky in awe, admiring the light show. “Welcome to my humble abode,” Rarity said with a small chuckle. “The Crystalline Boutique, where everything is sweet and magnifique!” She held the door wide open. “Please, you girls first.” Twilight and the others stepped inside, and their breaths were taken away as the vast assortment of dresses and armor greeted them – literally. The enchanted servants floated across the floor, the end of the robes just barely touching the surface. Twilight and the others shook hooves with their sleeves, gauntlets, gloves, or whatever they had before they returned to their work. The inside of the shop looked very similar to the Carousel Boutique, apart from the fact that the walls were made of silver and crystal, having a shinier appeal. “Wow Rarity, how were you able to afford all this?” Twilight asked. “I had a big order a couple weeks ago, and I was saving the money for just an occasion like this. Worth every shiny bit!” A squadron of four sets of heavy plate armors came over with a red velvet couch. Rarity let out a little fit of joy as they carried her upon it. “I feel like a princess here!” Rainbow blew away a lock of her mane dangling in front of her eyes, bored out of her mind already. “Whatever, can we just go already? I want to go get wasted on Applejack’s juices.” “You can lose yourself in liquor later, darling. Right now, we need to find you the perfect fit.” Rarity dragged Twilight over to the clothes stand hung with silky robes. After picking out a few outfits, she once again lugged her to the dressing room. “Okay dear, here are a couple of outfits that would look absolutely gorgeous on you.” “Okay, but can I ask a few questions– ” “No time for that, darling.” Rarity pressed the items into Twilight’s forehooves, giggling and singing. “It’s time for a maaakeover!” MagiAdept received the following items from FashionatingDiamonds. ~ Sparkling Robes of Armament Attributes – A Leveling Item. Max Level: 10 Prerequisite(s) – Minimum Level: 8. INT 75. SPR 75. Description: A purple cloak with silver stars brightening its form. Gives the wearer +10 Armor and +25 Magic Resist. Upon Leveling Up, the item receives a permanent bonus of +5 Armor and +10 Magic Resist. When item reaches maxed level, it gains a permanent passive. When the wearer’s health goes below 10%, a powerful shield surrounds the user. The Shield Bar equals to 50% of the wearer’s total HP, blocks the physical damage and magic damage by 50%. Shield may be taken down by the wearer at will. After the shield disappears or breaks, it goes on a Cooldown of 5 Minutes. ~ Cloak of Undetecting Attributes – Enchanted Item Description: A cloak with the colors of shimmering water. Makes the wearer invisible to mobs and enemy players. Mobs and enemy players cannot look at user directly. Illusion breaks when making loud noises or sudden movements. Twilight gasped in awe. “Wow Rarity, these look really nice.” “Oh please don’t say that until you’ve put on the dress, my dear.” Twilight tried on each outfit, careful to not break the seams or ruin them in any way. After all, it’s Rarity’s work and must be treated with diligence, but it seemed it wasn’t necessary as the clothes just flash onto her as soon as she poked a hoof into them. She stepped out of the room with each outfit, and was greeted with a chorus of applauses from her friends and the enchanted servants. “You look mighty fine with them robes on,” Applejack said. “Super-duper fantastic!” Pinkie added. Twilight softly rubbed where her chest was, appreciating how comfortable it felt. “Thank you, Rarity. This will surely help me throughout the game! Should I pay you for them?” Rarity smiled and gave her a little hug. “Oh there’s no need for that dear. They’re on the house. Anything for a good friend of mine.” “Wow, now I really have to thank you. I’ll be sure to find a way to make it up to you.” “Really now, there is no need.” “But I insist!” Twilight giggled. Rarity rolled her eyes with a grin of her own. “Well alright, if you must.” “Hey Rare. How about us?” Rainbow Dash walked closer to Rarity. “Do we, um, get cool outfits?” “As a matter of fact, I’m glad you asked that, Rainbow Dash. In addition to Twilight’s outfit, I’ve made each and every one of you your own custom outfit. They’re upstairs, on the second floor.” With excitement in their hooves, the rest of the ponies rushed up the stairway, wondering what the fashion designer had in stores for them. Twilight twirled around in the violet robe, admiring the sparkles and glows of it that flowed out from the hem like fairies. It felt as if it was made recently, although she couldn’t help but get a sense of familiarity from it. “This is beautiful, but I can’t help but feel that I’ve worn this before.” “It should be. I was inspired to recreate our Gala dresses here, but of course in armor and robe sets. I’ve gotten a look at the tier of armors around our level, and I was absolutely horrified by their bland looks! I’ve never seen such dull colors mixed together in my entire life. I couldn’t stand seeing you all wear such things, so I’ve decided to take up the responsibility of making all of our armor.” Rarity then blushed with a small grin. “That is, until we start seeing better equipment later on. The amount of materials I used was very expensive, and I’m not sure how I’ll be able to afford more of it. I’ve yet to actually sell anything from my shop.” Twilight studied Rarity’s expression, and then looked back down at her robe. She admired the silver shine the star decorations had. She knew she was very generous, but this felt beyond too much. “Rarity… I really don’t know what to say now, but thank you.” Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Rarity in a hug. “You’re absolutely welcome, darling.” Rarity returned back the embrace. They shared the moment for just a bit longer until Twilight pulled away. “By the way, where did you find the time to make these? You were with us the entire time since I’ve logged on, and this robe looks very difficult to make.” “Oh I was logged onto the game for quite a while now and familiarized with our friend’s classes. I also had taken the guess that you were going to be playing a mage when Rainbow Dash said she was going to show you the game, and making items is pretty fast.” “It is?” “Yes. All I needed was gather the materials I need or want, a sewing kit, and just started sewing. As soon as I start that, the materials will start to digitize into the equipment I made.” Twilight tilted her head to the side in confusion. “I’m… I’m not sure if I really understand that. So you just thread a needle into the materials?” “I’m sorry, but that’s the simplest way I can explain how it works. Maybe I should explain how armors and weapons are created?” Twilight nodded. “Well when working with metals to create swords or armors, usually you need forge, an anvil, hammer, as well as a trough of water to cool it down. Some require more complicated equipment, but those three are the bare minimum. The most easy path of steps is simply to place the metal in the forge for a certain amount of time, depending on the metal you’re using – oh and the forge has to be heated of course!” Twilight giggled. “Of course, Rarity.” A small grin crept on Rarity’s lips. “Anyway, continuing on. After the metal is heated, you place the metal on the forge – with a tong – and hit it with a hammer. Depending on your Blacksmithing skill, it may take some time until you don’t need to hit the metal anymore. Once the metal has received the appropriate amount of hits, it shall transform into what you’re making. And then you need to cool down your piece.” “Hmm… okay I think I understand, but what will the metal transform into this ‘piece’ I want?” “You need to have a blueprint as well.” “A blueprint?” “Why yes. There are blueprints for all sorts of equipment pieces. Some have the full set listed, while others are for separate pieces. There is a slot in all anvils to place the blueprint in. That’s basically how the game knows what you want to make. Same thing for the dresses actually, except it’s slightly more the complicated part is in creating the design.” “How so?” Rarity touched her lower lip as she remembered. “Well like armor, I needed materials. But these items are actually custom made, and I had to figure out how the materials would contribute to the equipment. Each of them hold different attributes in them, attributes that add to the stats of the equipment, such as Magic Resist and Armor. For example, a Mana Crystal would have the attribute of Mana, which can allow the equipment to give the wearer some bonus Mana. The higher quality of the material, the better the stats.” Twilight studied the robe she was wearing currently. It looked very expensive and rare. “So the materials used for my robe are… what did you use?” Twilight raised her eyebrows as she noticed Rarity adopted a nervous look, then quickly smiled. “Um, let’s just say I know a friend or two.” “Really? This ‘Leveling Item’ thing seems to be pretty powerful. I can’t imagine that very many items have that sort of attribute.” “Oh no, Twilight. Almost half of the items created by the developers are Leveling Items,” Rarity hastily said. “Are you guys done talking already?” Twilight and Rarity turned towards the stairs, where Rainbow Dash was walking down with the others. “Sorry we took so long. Fluttershy had a pretty difficult time trying to get her dress on.” “Sorry.” Applejack patted her on the back. “It’s alright, sugarcube. Anyway, how do we look, Twi?” Twilight studied what her friends had on. Applejack had a long green chainmail cape going down her backside to the ends of her hindhooves, with a leather saddle cover her back. The cape was tied to a fake-leather, green collar around her neck. It had a red medal on the front of the collar in the shape of a red apple. Twilight guessed that was where the collar is locked at. Applejack was also wearing gold horseshoes on with green tinted on its edges. Her Stetson hat was still relaxing on her golden locks. On her back was a large metal hammer. It didn’t look anything interesting, but Twilight had noticed the flat ends of the war hammer were shaped like apples. On her main body was a gold gauberk with a layer of a cloth shirt underneath, its sleeves reaching down to her fetlocks, and on top of that were pieces of light iron armor. Rainbow Dash almost looked like Applejack, except she didn’t have any chainmail or iron armor. Her main source of protection was a set of light leather armor with a rainbow lightning bolt patterned on each of her shoulder pads. A long, flowing rainbow cape with tattered ends extended across her back, and a picture of her cutie mark adorned it. Tiny gold laurels were sitting behind her ears, and situated over her muzzle were large orange glasses with sharp, acute, pointed edges. Pinkie Pie at the attire of a pink ninja, with a mask over her muzzle and a couple inventory accessories wrapped around her hooves that were meant to hold sharp shurikens. Over her head was a hood with a white and red stripe pattern, reminding Twilight of sweet peppermint candy. Around her midsection was a long white sash that barely touched the floor, and on her back was a satchel. The coloration obviously didn’t call for stealth, but knowing Pinkie, she could appear from anywhere. Twilight can recall those moments all too well. Last but not least, Twilight looked over to Fluttershy. It would be an understatement if Twilight were to say that she was a breathtaking sight. Resting upon her dainty pink mane was a flower crown weaved with blue and pink flowers of exotic design, and she wore a thin light green dress with sleeves that looked like thin vines wrapping around her forelegs. The tail of the dress went just a few inches above the floor. Around her neck was a large, blue, butterfly-shaped jewel that was connected to a green cape on her. Hanging from her ears were earrings in the shape of blue butterflies. “Wow, you all look great!” Twilight exclaimed. “Thanks Twilight, that means a lot to me,” Applejack grinned. Rainbow Dash grunted. “Well everything looks pretty great on me, and rainbow is fine, but I would like something a little different.” “Don’t like the color?” Rarity asked. Rainbow nodded. “Well that’ll be an easy fix. Follow me, darling.” Rainbow and Rarity went up the stairs while the rest of the girls stepped down, deciding to wait in the living room. They talked about what’s been going on in their life outside of the game, having discussions of the usual to bide their time. After a few minutes, Rainbow and Rarity came back down, although Rainbow’s attire didn’t look all that different. “Where’s the new color?” Applejack asked. The others girls, except for Rarity, spoke out their confusions as well. Rainbow just sneered at as she presented herself, brandishing the back of her cape to her friends as she stood on her hind legs. “They’re right here!” The colors of cape suddenly changed from ones of a rainbow to the shades of a phoenix, the main body of it red while the tattered tails were orange, resembling tongues of fire. On her cape, the cutie mark was the only thing that stayed the same. The light brown hue of her armor changed to grey, although the rainbow bolts kept their colors. To add a finishing touch, Rainbow began to wrap bandages around the forearm of her legs for an even tougher appearance. “So, how do I look?” Rainbow flashed a confident smile as she looked over her shoulder. They all applauded, smiling their approval. “Wow Rainbow. I didn’t know it would be possible, but you just looked twenty percent cooler!” Twilight exclaimed. “Rarity, how does this work?” “A Color Changing enchantment scroll and some colored dye. I discovered that if you use this enchantment scroll on an item, it gains a couple extra slots for dye items. I have plenty in my shop, and Rainbow can switch between colors whenever she likes. Certainly does save me the trouble of recreating the items all over again. Applejack nodded as she got up. She went over to Rainbow and lifted a part of her cape. “The colors certainly do fit you, Dash. I wonder how you would look though in blue colors though.” “I don’t know. Rarity, do you have some?” Rarity lightly touched her lower lips in thought. “Hmm… no, I actually don’t believe I don’t. I’ve used up all the blue dye I had for Twilight’s robe. It was incredibly hard to make it right and took me so many tries.” “Oh… well that’s okay!” Rainbow grinned. “Grey and red looks fine on my anyway.” “I– I think it looks wonderful on you too,” Fluttershy gently smiled. “Pinkie, what do you think of Rainbow’s outfit?” Everypony looked towards Pinkie with expectancy. She was silent the whole time and had the look of a pro poker player on her face. It was slightly unnerving. “You wanna know what I think of Rainbow’s outfit, Fluttershy?” “U– um, sure? I– I would like to know?” Fluttershy said, her tone hesitating to speak out the words. Pinkie stood up on the couch, much to Rarity’s displeasure. “I think –” Pinkie reached behind the couch and pulled out a blue cannon, decorating the air with confetti “– that we need a party for this pronto!” The girls relaxed and grew big smiles on, giggling. “Well of course, Pinkie Pie! This does call for a celebration,” Rarity said. “Our first day in Equestrian Earth is certainly a day that won’t come around again. I’d say we make the best of it!” Rainbow moved around, watching her cape fly around. “So this is all on the house then?” “Absolutely! I can’t dream of charging you all for these gifts.” “As will mine.” Applejack announced, walking towards the door. “Cause the round of drinks are on me! To the tavern, everypony!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The Sweet Fruit Tavern stood tall and proud on the outskirts of the marketplace, smelling of cider and excitement. From outside, Twilight thought its huge girth and height was enough to fit an elephant in with enough room for it to comfortable walk around. Inside, her ears were greeted with the sound of people enjoying themselves and having conversation with one another. The atmosphere was friendly and warm, and the food shared the same quality. Floating candles were about, lighting the room in their bright glows. Applejack flashed a smile at her friends before going behind the bar. “Welcome to the Sweet Fruits, girls. This right ‘ere is the best place to get a nice, cool drink or a warm bed to sleep in.” She dipped her head below the counter and grabbed a tankard of cider. “Here, try this one, Twi.” Twilight eyed the golden liquid. Due to the incredibleness of the game, she was able to detect something strong from the drink as brought her nose closer for a sniff. “Is this liquor?” “Of course it is, Twi. This is a tavern Ah’m running after all. Not a salad bar.” Twilight hesitated as she reached for the drink, curious about how strong the drink would be if she was in a game. Never before did she hear anything about the possibility of people getting drunk off alcoholic drinks. Deciding to not chicken out in front of her friends, she took it all down in one gulp. The sweet taste splashed down her gullet like a holy river, its flavor strong and beautiful. Twilight tried to guess what the side hint of flavor. Was it cinnamon? Finished, Twilight slammed the tankard down and released a breath of satisfaction. “That was absolutely delicious.” Now Twilight was suddenly curious about the game’s capabilities. Never before was she able to taste anything that deeply before. The way the flavor exploded upon her mouth, the refreshing fluids that wetted her throat, it had all felt very real. Maybe she should try one more. Luckily for her, Applejack was ready to oblige, sliding another tankard towards her. “Care for another? Like Pinkie said, it’s time to party.” She looked over to a familiar red stallion that was manning the station as well. “Hey Big Mac! Can you get the special kegs from the back and passed them?” Big Mac nodded and went to the storage. As he left, Applejack leapt onto the counter and shouted out to the entire tavern, “Drinks are all on me, everypony! Here’s to day one of Equestrian Earth!” The players of the tavern filled the room with roars of cheers, delighted to drink to their bellies’ worth. Meanwhile, Twilight was drenching the second down her throat with much gusto, tipping the tankard way too far up. She didn’t even care that she was spilling some on her robe, which Rarity whimpered at. Much to her delight, the drink was just as good as the last. The sweet aftertaste of the first one didn’t impact it as much. “Whoa! Slow down there, girl!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, although smirking. Rarity placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulders. “Darling, this is worrying me. Maybe you should go easy on the drinks.” “N– naw I’m fine!” she insisted, taking a third cider. Twilight felt her head spin a little as she finished that one. “Oh wow Applejack, you’re a – Hick! – a really great maaree.” Rarity turned Twilight around by the shoulders, wanting to talk face to face. Rarity let out a gasp as she saw one of her eyes slightly looking the other way. “Twilight, I think you had enough.” Rainbow scoffed, crossing her forelegs. “What are you talking about? She looks completely fine to me.” Rarity frowned. “Applejack.” “Relax, Rarity. I’m sure a drink or two wouldn’t hurt.” “She had three, and Big Mac is already passing her another one.” Applejack had leapt back down and passed out more of the beverages to each of them of them. Twilight eagerly took one and drank it all down while Rarity lightly pushed hers away. “I’ll just have some water, thank you very much.” “Why not?” Pinkie asked. “The cider is pretty good. Although this party could use a little something more. I’m thinking of streamers, dancers, a built-in roller coaster, cupcake pizzas, and one giant cheese wheel.” Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “A giant cheese wheel?” “I dunno. I just feel like having one!” Pinkie drank the entire tankard’s trove and shivered as it settled in her stomach. She then burst out of her seat with energy, joining the rest of the tavern in the festivities in joyous bouts. Already there were balloons being tied to everyone. Applejack chuckled as Pinkie continued to make the party better. “So Rarity, I’m guessing you want don’t want to get buzzed?” “Well one of us should be sober to get a hold of the situation in case something goes out of control.” Rarity accepted a glass of water from Applejack. “I feel like I should be that responsible one at the very least.” “Whatever you say, Rarity,” Rainbow said between her cider slurps. “Don’t be such a downer though.” “Do not worry about me, Rainbow Dash. I won’t be a rain cloud.” Rarity said before taking a sip from her water. “I just hope that this game isn’t as deeply immersive as the game creators advertised it. I would imagine that the hangover would be horrendous– Oh sweet Celestia, Applejack! How many did you give her?!” “What in Celestia’s beard are you talking about?” Applejack demanded as she looked towards where Rarity was staring at with a gape. She then shared the same sentiments. Somehow, Twilight managed to slip away from the group and joined Pinkie in the delightful hilarity that was drinking. She was at a table with a stallion, and stacks upon stacks of empty tankards were beside them. Twilight’s stack was much taller, and she was only adding more to it with each passing moment. From the audience were chants of “Chug, chug, chug,” adding to the loud atmosphere. “’ow in the ‘ell are ya drinkin’ so much, lass?” her opponent grumbled as he drank down another. “I dawn’t knaw wat ya talkin’ a– HICK! – about,” Twilight slurred heavily. The stallion started to tip back and forth in his seat. He stared at the next liquor, and then set it down. “Well lass, looks like – hick – ya won this’in.” He then fell off his seat into a drunken stupor, causing a massive uproar among the audience, for a stallion got his plot kicked at a drinking contest by a mare. By Pinkie’s lead, they lifted Twilight from her seat and started to toss her up in the air in the wake of her victory. Rarity deeply frowned. “Oh no. The poor dear is probably getting sick from that.” Rarity pushed her way through the crowd and caught Twilight in a web of her magic. Twilight looked left to right in slight confusion, but eventually succumbed to how comfortable Rarity’s magic was. “Okay everypony, I believe my friend has had enough for today. Go on now, back to your celebration.” The crowd mumbled among themselves, and Rarity caught a few words of her being a stick in the mud, but she didn’t care. Rarity settled Twilight down in an empty chair, trying to balance her every time she tipped. Twilight giggled and snickered in spite of her state. “Eeyyy Rarity, wat are you doin’ here?” “Just trying to prevent you from making a foal out of yourself,” Rarity sighed. “Eey Rarity.” “Yes, Twilight?” “Did I eva tell ya dat ya pretty?” Rarity felt her cheeks growing warm. “Um, I believe you may have. I don’t recall though.” Twilight nodded with half closed eyes and a silly, lopsided smile. “Eey Rarity.” “Yes?” “You are suuu prettay.” Twilight then fell unconscious, crashing her head on Rarity’s shoulder. Rarity rolled her eyes and smiled. “Okay, okay. Let’s get you upstairs now.” Rarity carried Twilight onto her back and made her way to the other girls. “Applejack, I’m going to take Twilight into one of the rooms if that’s alright with you.” “That’s fine by me. Honestly, Ah wasn’t really expecting this to happen,” Applejack said with a chuckle. “Take care of her. We’ll man the fort here.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The drinking had gone on for at least a couple of good hours. The air was still fresh with enjoyment, and it looked like everypony still had room in their belly for more cider. Applejack was thankful for the fact that food was quick and easy to make in the game, but she was starting to worry about the fast drop rate of her apple supply. So much cider was being consumed, she was afraid she might lose the entire stock. She wished she could go back on her word and start charging for the drinks, but it wouldn’t feel right to Applejack. The people in her tavern seemed to be enjoying themselves, and all Applejack could do is pass out more drinks and rest her head on the counter. “What’s wrong, Applejack? You look like you got a pickle in your mane,” Pinkie said. “Not really, but Ah think Ah’m starting to regret this party. Mah apple supply is dropping faster than Granny on a bad day.” “We can always get more,” Rainbow suggested, shrugging slightly. She filled her tankard again from a nearby keg. “I mean, apples aren’t very expensive are they?” “Nope they aren’t, but the apples we’re using are prime quality. I’ve actually bought some seeds and some high quality magic growin’ powder thingy in order to start up this place. I still have the seeds of course, just not the time to grow them. Mah farmin’ skill ain’t as high as it is in real life.” “Um, Applejack?” “Yeah, Flutters?” “Um, are you sure you’re running out of cider? The kegs here still seem to be full.” Fluttershy did have a point. She hadn’t rechecked on the stocks, but she was fairly certain that nopony in the tavern weren’t drinking too much. Oh how very wrong she was. Applejack felt a nudge to her shoulders, and looked up to find Big Mac slightly beaded in sweats. He leaned in towards her ear. “Applejack, main kegs are getting’ drained.” “What?!” Applejack harshly whispered back, her pupils shrunken. “That quick already?! How are we going to get more cider?” “Unless we tap into the batch for next week, eenope.” Applejack silently cursed and let out a short growl under her breath. The reserves of cider were meant for next week. Each week, Applejack estimated that at least fifty large kegs of cider would be used. If a week’s worth had already plummeted, that could mean a really huge loss of profit, and the next harvest wasn’t until next month. This would mean she was forced by actually buy apples, but Applejack knew she didn’t have enough to pay for an entire week’s worth. Just as when she was about to abuse the countertop with her hooves, she heard somepony calling for her. “E– excuse me, miss, but are you Ms. Applejack?” Applejack turned towards the four newcomers who were waiting patiently for her response. They looked pretty nervous and awed. “That would be me. And who do Ah ‘ave the pleasure of talking to?” A light brown stallion with an even paler tone of mane and tail stepped up first. Resting on his head was a thin metal circlet, and around his neck was a black cape with strange symbols on it. They looked like something Twilight would study. Holstered by his side was a smooth, blunt weapon that looked like the combination of a hammer and mace. It had strange runes inscribed on it as well. He adjusted his rimless glasses. “Oh where are my manners? I’m, um, Paperback, and these are my friends. Meet Night Stalker, Dilluted Livo, and Nitro Rush.” “Yo,” Night simply said. His coat was the tone of rugged charcoal and almost sized up to her brother. His mane looked as if it was drenched in crimson paint, or if was left to burn in the fire and the color was left as a result. Eyes were dark brown like burnt wood. His choice of armor pieces were just two shoulder pauldrons, leaving his flank bare. Applejack noticed his cutie mark was unusual: a drawn bow with a flaming arrow notched into it. “Hey, what’s up?” Dilluted Livo said, crossing her forelegs with a confident smile. Her voice sounded shy and quiet, but to Applejack, it seemed her personality didn’t match. Like Night, she was also a dark color, but had a shade that reminded Applejack of the dead of midnight. Her wing tips were red, and her mane matched her coat with beautiful stripes of violet drawn from one end of her mane to the next. All Livo had was a thin t-shirt with big, loose sleeves, making her seem like an easy target, although Applejack noticed there was something hidden in one of her sleeves. Nitro Rush didn’t say anything, but his bouncy jumps and wide smile made it obvious. His coat was blue, but that was all that Applejack could tell about how the stallion looked as a black cloak was hiding away most of his body. Although she could see two bumps on either side of him, so he was probably a pegasus. A large white scythe was resting on his back and strangely had Celestia’s cutie mark on it. “Hello,” Applejack said. “So what brings you here?” “Um, we overheard what you said about cider. Are you running out?” Paperback asked. Applejack sighed. “Yes. That’s the truth, but Ah’ll be right as rain. Ah just gotta scrape up enough bits to buy enough apples to last next week so we can use the reserves without trouble.” “Well if that’s the case, then I might be able to help you with that.” Applejack raised her eyebrows, and then adopted a serious look. “Go on… ” Paperback smiled, although it looked more like a smirk to her. “Well you see, Aeroslida is hosting a tournament with cash prizes… and something a little more.” The farmer’s ear twitched at the mention of cash and the little bonus. “Okay, you have my attention.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight can say without a doubt that she will never take up drinking heavy alcohol again because the hangover she was having right now is sickening. She woke up feeling as if she was wacked in the end by a rubber chicken. A rubber chicken being wielded by a titanic minotaur. She could barely see anything, as if somepony had poured water over her eyes, and had taken quite more than a few blinks to be rid of it. Her ears were ringing at a constant pitch that annoyed her to no end, supplying her massive headache. As she sat up from the mattress she was laying on, a cold glass of a blue, wispy drink was pressed against her cheek. She turned to see Rarity holding it up. “Here darling, drink this. This should help ease the pain.” Twilight couldn’t really understand what Rarity was saying, but she understood her intentions clearly. She took the glass, tiredly but graciously nodding, and drank the smoky liquid. Immediately the headache was already fleeing from her mind, and she can see and hear better, although it was still murky and her head still slightly smarted. Nonetheless, she was happy with what she got. “Thank you, Rarity,” Twilight winced, rubbing her temple. “Augh, remind me to never hit the bottle if I ever get near one.” “I’ll be sure to do that. Maybe even go as far as to scold you with a newspaper,” Rarity said, giggling. Twilight rolled her eyes as she placed down the drink on a nearby nightstand. “Well I’m ready to go back down.” Twilight went towards the door and walked out with Rarity in tow. As they walked down the quaint hall, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what she had just experienced. Did she actually pass out from being drunk. If so, then that is pretty incredible and realistic for a game. Twilight just hoped she didn’t actually waste hours on ends from doing that. “Hey Rarity?” “Yes darling?” “How long was I out for?” “About a couple hours. I almost fell asleep while waiting for you to wake up.” Yeah. Definitely never hitting the booze again. Not unless she can handle staying conscious. Maybe she should start small? No, Twilight promised with Rarity to never drink again. Hopefully, it would never come to pass. Soon after walking for a bit, Twilight can hear the party still going on from the first floor. Twilight can see the floating candles as she turned around the corner. “We’re almost there,” Twilight said, picking up the pace. Rarity matched Twilight’s speed as they trotted out into the open and down the stairs. As they stepped downward, Twilight can see her friends still hanging around at the bar. Twilight waved to them when she got closer. “Hey girls! Sorry to worry you there. The drink was great, Applejack, but I don’t think I’ll be having another any time soon. Sorry to say that,” Twilight said with a small laugh. Twilight’s smile suddenly faded into a curious frown as she saw Applejack was just staring into her tankard. Before she could ask, the apple farmer turned towards her. A smirk was on her face. “Hey Twi. Ah have good news for yah. We’re gonna enter a PvP tournament.”
Chapter 04: Going Nowhere but Forward [Revised]Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 4 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Twilight finally finished sorting out the books. This time it was fairly quick to accomplish, because she promised Spike that she would let him play along with her in Equestrian Earth. Her little assistant practically worked overtime with the friendship letters and magical scrolls for it. With his extra effort, they managed to reorganize the library, clean from corner to corner of the house, and squeezed in enough time for host the spot for the field trip of Cheerilee’s class. Nopony ever said that being a librarian was easy. Twilight stretched her neck as she placed the last book into its cozy home before she let loosed a huge yawn. Today was starting to bite back into her vitality. Time to get some relaxation. She made her way to the bathroom to freshen up before going to bed. As she brushed her teeth with Colgate-brand toothpaste, her mind wandered off to the melodramatic moments of yesterday. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “What do you mean we’ve been challenged?” Twilight demanded hastily, slamming her hoof on the counter. A couple glasses on it did a little jig before settling. “I’ve only played for about a few hours! We’re not ready for this! I’m not ready for this!” “Calm down Twi,” Applejack said calmly, like a mother would to a heated child. Twilight didn’t feel relaxed. “Our matches aren’t until tomorrow night, and we’ll have plenty of time to train for the battle.” “How can we get up to par with them in time? I died getting to Level 8! Died!” “And ya respawned,” Applejack chuckled. She then tapped a hoof to her chin, gazing up at the ceiling. “Well actually Twi… if we had killed another Trunt, you would have been around Level 12, or even 14 if we fought the exploding shrooms. Of course, if it wasn’t for the fact that Rainbow Dash rushed in.” Rainbow Dash shifted in her seat, crossing her forelegs with a small frown on her lips. “Hey, I wasn't the only one that went in. Besides, I don't care about the lower level mobs. Those are for the slow eggheads.” Applejack scoffed a little at Dash’s remark. “The point Ah’m making, Twi, is that yesterday’s grinding spot was mistaken. With our team of six, we should have been taking down monsters at Level 5. Of course, now we can handle tougher ones. We should go for the ones at Level 12 or 13. Maybe Level 14 mobs if we need to level up faster.” “Wait why?” Twilight tilted her head confusedly. “Ah think experience gets distributed evenly among teammates. We can easily over power any mobs if they're only a few levels above us and don't aggro too many.” “Well that was a useful piece of information I could have known early,” Twilight said with a deep frown, grudgingly crossing her forelegs. “Hey, I’m sorry alright!” Rainbow Dash protested. “I didn’t really think Twilight would die from it.” Twilight lazily waved her hoof in the air. “No, no it’s not your fault, Rainbow Dash. Everypony makes mistakes. At least we don’t lose anything at death.” She raised her eyebrow as Rainbow chuckled with an awkward smile. “Well actually, we sort of lose ten percent of our in-game bits at death.” Time felt slow at the counter. Everypony else around the mares were just happily drinking the night away while tension was brewing around Twilight. A little jump in their hearts happened when Twilight suddenly attacked the counter with her forehead. “Like Ah said, what Rainbow did was really risky,” Applejack muttered, trying to break the ice. “Well you should have peeled those Trunts off Twilight in the first place. You’re the Paladin of our group, aren’t you?” Rainbow accused. “Ah’m still a Cadet, Rainbow. I’m not that tanky yet! Those Trunts coulda smashed me flatter than a pancake!” “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that dear. I’m sure you’ll stack up your health much higher than it is now,” Rarity said. “We have until tomorrow night to work on raising our levels. That’s more than enough time to grind.” Pinkie Pie stretched her back until it cracked softly. She let out a deep, relieved sigh. “Well I don’t know about you guys, but I can feel it’s almost morning. The Cakes want me to get started on the first batch of cupcakes, and the frosting needs to be blue ‘cause I’m expecting rain today! See you all later.” Pinkie opened up her menu and logged out of the game in a pink beam of light that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. When the beam vanished, so did she. “I should wake up as well. I have a big order to fill from Canterlot. Fleur needs twenty dresses for an upcoming play she’s directing,” Rarity said, logging off after Pinkie in a purple beam. Twilight opened up her holographic menu. “I should get up as well. See you girls later.” She pressed on the option to log off, ending her nightly session. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The sun was just starting to settle on the horizon, painting it orange. It wasn’t completely dark yet. The girls had agreed to log on a bit early to spend as much time as possible to get ready for the match. This includes numerous nighttime hours of grinding and questing, not to mention hundreds of Pinkie's potions used to heal everypony. 'In fact, she should be in Equestrian Earth now, brewing them,' Twilight thought. Pinkie had dropped by the library to return a book, and told her about “hitting the hay” a couple hours early in order to gather enough ingredients to make the potions. Twilight climbed onto her bed with the visor already on her pillow, ready to be worn. She was thankful that the technology allowed her to not only play the game as realistically as possible, but also allowed her to get some rest at the same time. It was a strange process that involved mana crystals inside a special compartment of the visor, filled with relaxing energy. As a user played the game with the visor while sleeping, the crystals pour their energy into their body, sustaining it while the brain can focus on the game. The latest model of the visor was able to do this thanks to Luna’s knowledge of dreams and sleep, her friend being a bit of a tech wiz, and Twilight’s expertise in the nervous system. With the nerve simulators giving the player a realistic feel of the virtual world, and the magicka crystals powering the device, it became a beautiful mixture of magic and science working together harmoniously. The soft purr of the visor is one of the many proofs of that as Twilight switched it on. As she dug herself underneath the blanket, Twilight activated the wireless settings on the visor, staring at its antenna as it glowed purple. As Spike crawled into his bed basket, she levitated a green and purple custom-made visor, specifically designed to be a snug fit onto his small head. She propped the Visor over her eyes, watching the numbers starting to fly across her vision like flocks of birds. “I’m really glad you’ve made me an account, Twilight. Saved me quite a bit of time from making it myself,” Spike said before slipping his visors on. “No problem. You can properly thank me later by getting to Level 15 though,” she replied. A great laugh erupted from Spike’s mouth, only to dim a few seconds later. “Wait… by tonight? You can’t be serious, Twi. Twi?” It was already too late for the drake to ask her any more questions as Twilight had succumb the Visor’s pull. The numbers of the visor suddenly swirled into to a blue vortex, inducing Twilight into a deep sleep state, yet she stayed conscious. To her, sleep used to be something to do at night when she needed rest, and Twilight could never tell when she would actually fall asleep. But thanks to the Visor, she now understood a bit of it. Falling into sleep was a weightless feeling, and yet she felt her body darting at high speeds as if she was flying. There was also the feeling that she was being carried by a river that was gentle, yet fast too. It was difficult to describe in perfect words, but in a general gist, the process of entering a virtual game world was very fluid. And it only took a few seconds. Twilight can see a bright light at the end her bright tunnel, and soon digitized into the world, several hundred feet in the air. She looked down and let out a huge yell, but it did very little to stop her fall. Luckily, a friendly face entered her view and Twilight calmed down, but her savior didn’t seem too concerned. In fact… she looked very relaxed. “Yo Twilight, what’s up?” Rainbow asked as she fell free next to Twilight in a reclined posture. She was sporting those anime sunglasses again, and didn’t seem to be paying attention to “Oh hey, Rainbow Dash. I’m just falling to my death here. Nothing too important.” “That’s cool.” “Just save me already.” “Hmm… I don’t know.” Rainbow took one glance at Twilight and hollered in laughter as she saw her bulldogged face. “Okay, okay! I’ll save you, Twi. You know I didn’t mean it!” Rainbow swept Twilight from the air into her hooves and glided her down. “Very funny, Rainbow,” Twilight angrily huffed. “Oh don’t be such a nark,” she snickered. As soon as Rainbow made contact with the ground, Twilight got off and rubbed the length of her foreleg. It was shivering. “Sweet Celestia, I have no idea how you can actually handle flying high in the air, Rainbow. I really hope that doesn’t happen to me again.” “I never did take you for the kind of type to be scared of heights.” Twilight rolled her eyes “I’m not. It was just that I was falling! No offense Rainbow, but I hope I never get wings.” “Can’t you use magic to get them?” “Yeah, but they’re made of gossamer and morning dew, remember? It’ll burn up if I go too high, and they won’t last forever anyway. Besides, I get the feeling that I won’t use them much anyway.” “Oh Ah wouldn’t worry about it too much.” Twilight turned around to see Applejack and the others walked to them. “As long as you’re you, Ah don’t care if ya got wings or not.” Applejack gave Twilight a brief, strong embrace. “Anyway, glad you can make it, Twi!” “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Twilight said with a smile. “By the way, I hope you girls don’t mind me bring Spike along for the ride.” “Of course we won’t!” Rarity said. “My wittle Spikey-Wikey is the most helpful dragon I’ve ever known. He’ll be a great accessory to our team.” “Accessory?” Twilight asked. “You know. Every outfit needs a good accessory to go with. Without accessories, it will feel incomplete.” “Nice analogy there, Rarity,” Applejack said. She then surveyed the area. “Say… where is the little feller anyway?” Twilight opened her mouth to try to answer, but a scream from high above interrupted her flow. Twilight looked up to see a purple dot breaking a hole through the clouds, hurtling towards them. The screaming got louder. “Oh no,” Twilight whispered, recognizing who it was. Twilight quickly willed a list of Skills to emerge out of thin air in front of her and scanned through it. “Hold on Spike! I got you!” By a golden chance, Twilight had Telekinesis among her magical abilities. Wasting no time, Twilight focused on Spike and her horn lit ablaze in purple energy like wildfire. Spike calmed down as he no longer felt like he was falling. He opened his eyes to see he was encased in a familiar glow and looked down to see Twilight sweeping the sweat from her forehead. “Nice job there, Twi.” “Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight gently lowered Spike to the ground, who then started kissing the ground as soon as she released him. “Oh sweet merciful Celestia, I hope that never happens again!” Before he could regain his composure, Rarity ran up to him with a tight squeeze. “Ooh my poor Spikey-Wikey! Are you okay? Oh I hope you didn’t hurt your scales!” Spike’s purple cheeks turned red. “I– I’m fine, Rarity! Don’t worry about me.” While Spike was distracted by Rarity’s coos, Rainbow leaned into Twilight’s ear. “Should we tell him?” Twilight was slightly confused at Rainbow statement until she waved her hoof around towards the city. “No!” Twilight snapped back in a hushed voice. “He just had a terrifying experience! I don’t want to tell him that we’re high above the actual ground!” “What was that?” Twilight swerved her head around at Spike and shook her head with a nervous smile. “N– nothing! Say, what took you so long anyway?” Spike rubbed his head, his eyes still having a dazed shine to them. “I don’t know. I think I was in this white void of some sort, and there was this… Alicorn? I think it was an Alicorn at least.” “That would be the Goddess, Spike,” Applejack said. “Mysterious, but she’s friendly enough to greet all the newcomers from what Ah gathered. Apparently, she runs almost everything in the game Ah think.” “Really?” Twilight asked. “I thought it were the developers and programmers of the game that run this world.” “Yes and no. The Goddess works in conjunction with them Ah believe.” “Huh, that’s pretty interesting.” Twilight rubbed her chin. “I wonder just how much she is capable of processing. It must be quite a lot for her to handle all this data. It’s not like this game is one megabyte.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look I know this Goddess seems important and all, but can’t we get a move on already? The tournament happens in about four hours.” Twilight nodded. “Then let’s get started. But first, let me assess our resources.” Everypony groaned, but didn’t question further as Twilight brought up a checklist. “Okay, Pinkie you have the potions ready?” Pinkie held up what seemed to be ten, jingly sacks in each of her forehooves. “Absolutely, positively ready!” “Okay. Equipment check. Rarity?” “I’ve checked everypony’s equipment except yours and Spike’s. Do you mind?” “Of course not. Here you go,” Twilight said, sending info of her equipment to Rarity by sliding a floating, holographic window of it towards her. “You’ll find everything is in tiptop shape.” “How do I do that?” Spike asked. “Just think about wanting to see your equipment and a window of it should pop up in front of you.” Twilight leaned her neck towards Spike, narrowing her eyes. “Although, it doesn’t seem like you have any armor on at the moment.” “Am I supposed to have something on?” “Well yes I think so. I’ve checked my inventory yesterday night and found I had a Cloth Robe that I never used because Rarity gave me something better.” Spike hummed in thought. “Okay, give me a second. I think I might have something.” The tip of his tongue stuck out as he searched through his inventory, poking at its many tabs until he landed one for Equipments. “Ah! Here we go!” Spike selected something and suddenly a white outline shined on his body, manifesting into a light brown tunic with a leather belt. Rarity had Spike completely underneath her gaze, judging the poor excuse for defense. “Hmm… well it’s not the best, but it’ll have to do for now. I’ll think of something better for you to wear once we get back to Aeroslida.” “Sweet! Thanks, Rarity!” Spike smiled. He then looked at the city all around him. “So this place is called Aeroslida?” “Here it comes,” Rainbow mumbled to Twilight with a snicker. “Why yes it is!” Rarity answered. “It is the most beautiful sky city that I’ve ever set hoof upon, and I’ve seen Cloudsdale. No offense, Rainbow Dash, but I find architecture that has more than the color white and blue to be much more interesting.” Rainbow shrugged. “None taken.” However, Spike was slightly more alarmed. “S– sky city???” Rarity looked back at Spike with slightly raised eyebrows. “Hmm? Yes that’s right. Is there something wrong?” Spike’s eyes darted back and forth, up to the sky, then down to his purple, clawed feet. Although to Twilight, it seemed like he was looking past them. “U– uh nothing, Rarity! Everything is cool!” Rarity tilted her head, regarding Spike with gentler eyes. “Oh Spikey, are you still shaken from that horrendous fall? I assure you that nothing bad like that will ever happen to you.” Spike made several noises, most of them being Aah and Uhh before he heaved a sigh. “Okay… you promise?” “Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” ”For-Eevver!” “Pinkie,” Twilight scolded softly. “Sorry! Couldn’t help it!” she giggled. Twilight chuckled slightly. “Alright then. We should go now right away. We can’t afford to waste time with an upcoming battle on the horizon.” “Right!” they all shouted in unison. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The Sky Tram: an impressive hub for chariots of varying sizes, each with a giant hawk at the reigns, ready to take any player anywhere at a moment’s notice. As Twilight and her friends walked up to it, she couldn’t help see it as a tree with a lot of bird nests upon its stone branches. Usually, this place would have a flood of players, but as Twilight neared the ticket booth, she couldn’t help but notice a huge crowd forming around the station’s plaza and the raised platform in the center. On top was a light blue pegasus with the Night Guards helping her. Twilight could help but see the mare as familiar, but she didn’t make the connection until Rarity pointed it out. “Wait a second... is that Princess Luna?” Rarity asked. Indeed it was Princess Luna, but she didn’t have a dark coat and starry mane! Her appearance was the same as the first day Twilight saw her after Nightmare Moon’s defeat, with her pale-blue, short mane and small stature. She and her Night Guards were standing upon the platform, passing out what appeared to be fliers to the growing crowd. In an attempt to catch their attention, Twilight waved her hoof high in the air and called out, “Princess Luna!” It was successful. Luna looked up from the crowd and searched for who yelled her name. When she spotted Twilight and waved over with a smile. “Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. It is good to see you, for today is a glorious day!” They trotted up the platform, the crowd parting to make room for them. “Really? Why’s that?” Twilight asked. “Today I’m forming a guild, Twilight! I was worried that nobody would notice me as I don’t have my horn anymore as you can see.” Twilight looked and her pupils widened. Truth was there as Luna’s pillar of magic was really gone as if Discord had plucked the thing. “But it seems the programmers are working something that could change that! Sooner or later, my sister and I can play as alicorns again!” “That’s really great for you,” Twilight said. “Wait… Princess Celestia is playing this too?!” “Hmm? Of course, Twilight. She is a unicorn right now.” Luna flipped her mane. “But just because we are not in our ascended form right now, doesn’t mean we are not strong. We have both trained long and hard on the first day, currently in a friendly race to see who can reach the top. Right now, I am in the lead at Level 41 while she is but only 2 Levels behind me! As of right now, we are the top two players in Equestrian Earth!” The crowd gasped and applauded in awe as Luna’s character profile appeared above her head. It designated her as a Level 41 Magicka Archer, with her Magic Attack, Speed, and Precision stats valued well over the hundreds. As the crowds cheered, Twilight could hear her friends chattering behind her, impressed with Luna’s progress. A light chuckle then pierced through the crowd’s chants, catching the attention of everypony around the platform. “Gee Luna, I know you’re a showoff, but you shouldn’t parade around like that.” A few of the Night Gaurds parted, revealing an orange unicorn with a stack of fliers held in his magical grip. He adjusted the blue glasses upon his muzzle. “After all, you might gain a few certain rivals, and we don’t want that.” “Well that’s what makes video games fun, isn’t it? To have somepony to boil your blood, to give you that rush, the feeling of a brutal race?” Luna smirked. “Colorful words, and yes of course that is what makes playing games fun, but really this is just a tad bit of warning I wanted to give to anypony who wants to challenge your majesty. I know how heated you can get in a competition.” “And as one of its programmers and my scribe, you wouldn’t dare try to usurp me, would you?” She asked sweetly, batting her sleek eyelashes at him. The stallion coughed into his forehoof. “Of course not, your highness.” Luna chuckled, her chest puffing out slightly. “Either way, I’m not about to let my sister pass me, even though she may have gotten a head start!” “She tricked you into thinking that somepony was eating the last of your moonpies. Of course she would get a head start,” he said, passing out more of the fliers. “But she hasn’t bested me yet! She had all that time and I’m still two level above her! No pony denies Luna first dibs and gets away with it!” The crowds cheered at her small victory speech. Luna got caught up in the moment and pushed on, to get the crowd to chant her name louder. While Luna was distracted by the crowd’s adoration, the stallion jumped down and squeezed through them towards Twilight. He grunted as he found it slightly difficult, but managed to push on through. His finish was poorly done, however, as he tripped over as he exited the sea of players. “Sentinel ‘Noteworthy’ Quill. It’s good to see you.” Twilight said with a small grin. “Hello sweetie,” he said, managing a cheeky grin. “Missed me?” Twilight raised her eyebrow. “What?” “Oh sorry,” he chuckled, despite almost breaking the only things that allowed him to see. As he got up, he adjusted his glasses and massaged the back of his neck. “It was this Saturday’s Doctor Whooves episode. River Song was featured in it and I can’t her infamous catchphrase out of my head.” “Oh, I’ve seen that!” Pinkie said with a big smile. “Temporal Smith was really amazing this week!” “I know! Although I feel that Time Turner would have executed it better! He’s the best Doctor!” “Nope, Smith is ten times the actor that Turner is!” Pinkie said, taking a step towards Sentinel with a confident smirk traced across her muzzle. Noteworthy mirrored her actions. “Nope! Turner can do better.” Pinkie shoved the end of her nose against his. “Smith!” “Okay, okay, we all get it. You both love Doctor Whooves!” Twilight said with an indifferent tone, trying to defuse the situation that was turning into a staring contest. “So, what are you doing here?” Noteworthy blinked and broke his eyes away from Pinkie’s line of sight. She still kept her eyes on him. “Oh, I was just helping out Luna with – I guess you can say – a little project.” “What would that be?” “Oh nothing too huge. Just a bet between Celestia and Luna on who could form the biggest guild by the end of this year. This gathered quite a bit of attention over Haydit. And by the end of the year, Canterlot Colts will be holding a special event where we will reenact the final battle between Nightmare Moon and Princess Celestia!” “Oh, a battle between Princess Celestia and Nightmar– ” Twilight shook her head. “Wait, Princess Luna is going to become Nightmare Moon?!” “Nightmare Moon?!” Fluttershy squeaked, hiding behind Applejack. Applejack gently patted Fluttershy on the head. “Don’t worry, sugar cube. Ain’t no Nightmare Moon gonna hurt ya. Isn’t that right, Sentinel?” “Of course not! It’s just going to be Luna in costume, and will strictly be in the game. I don’t think she is going to be transforming into Nightmare in real life, and Luna would never dare to hurt the innocent. Besides, Nightmare Moon in real life is scary enough.” He then held back his tongue momentarily as he thought about it a little more. “Although… I would like to see her all of her radiance again. Luna looked pretty nice in black.” “Sen, don’t kid that sort of thing around me,” she grumbled, close to a growl. He laughed. “Why not?” He then raised his forehooves high in the air as Twilight’s horn sparkled menacingly with magic. “Okay okay I promise no Nightmare Moon in reality! Or rather, I’ll ask Luna not to go overboard… again.” “Okay then.” Twilight grimaced at the thought of Luna raging. It was never pretty. “Anyway, I should go. The girls and I are going to grind.” “Alright then.” Twilight smiled. “Take care.” “Okay then. You too.” Twilight nodded as she and the others trotted towards the chariots. Suddenly, a loud BEEEEP was heard, and Twilight felt her shoulder being tugged back gently. “Excuse me for a second, Twi, but there seems to be something strange in your Inventory.” Twilight was taken aback. “Strange? I’m pretty sure I just have normal stuff in there.” “Sorry Twilight. Just a precaution.” Sentinel opened up a holographic window and Twilight gasped a little. How did he open her inventory? He didn’t bat an eye however as scanned the selection, inspecting at a fast pace. His eyes then landed upon the Violet Robes of Armament and quickly pulled it out directly from the Inventory’s slots. The square icon glowed momentarily before expanding into the flowing robe it signified. “Twilight, this item… while I was a programmer on the team, I’ve never seen a Leveling Item with such a low level requirement. Usually, Leveling Items start appearing around at Level 30 or so. And should I mention that there have been some shady players going around, selling materials that shouldn’t really exist?” Sentinel regarded Twilight with raised eyebrows. “So, where did you get this robe?” Twilight glanced around the corner of her eye and saw Rarity tapping her hooves the tiled, stone ground in a nervous manner. She could see her eyes darting back and forth and all around as if she was looking for a means of escape. “Um… I purchased it at a random shop!” Sentinel slightly glowered. “Really now? Because this says it was crafted by somepony.” “Oh, really? It does?” Twilight giggled nervously, sweating bullets. Rainbow narrowed her eyes and got up into his face. “Hey look dude, Twilight’s stuff is none of your business! What makes you think you can just search her stuff without permission?” she growled before suddenly finding herself being pulled back by Twilight. “Well I am a programmer of the game, therefore it is my job to find any abnormal anomalies that could potentially ruin the game. Sorry Rainbow, but it’s sort of my job. Although I suppose I should have asked nicely before searching recklessly.” “It’s alright,” Twilight assured. “I understand you’re just doing what you need to do. But is my item really that bad.” “Well I don’t know yet. That’s what I want to find out,” Sentinel said as he patted the robe. A holographic window drew out from the item, listing the item’s name and all of its attributes. Sentinel pointed at a small icon of a threaded needed and spool next to the item’s name. “Yes, and this kind of craftscoltship, or should I say craftmareship, is very well done. Almost as if it was hoof-stitched, instead by machine, by whom I consider to be the finest fashionista in all of Equestria.” He glanced towards Rarity. “Have anything to say, Rarity?” Rarity didn’t meet his gaze and kept her eyes on Twilight’s robe. She took a few steps back. “I, errr, think it’s really lovely. Twilight, you have to show me where you bought it. I could use a dress like that myself.” Sweat started to bead down her forehead, which she quickly took care of with a handkerchief. “Is it me, or is it suddenly getting hot around here? Sentinel, you and the programmers certainly know how to make everything feel so realistic. Truly you are an expert!” Sentinel raised one of his eyebrows as he got on his hind legs, falling backwards onto a chair materializing behind him in what appeared to be blue data numbers. He crossed his hindlegs together as well as his forelegs, waiting for an answer. Rarity continued to look back and forth between him and her friends, looking trapped like a cornered animal. The town’s clock tower seemed to tick on and on. Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and let out an exasperated groan, her lips quivering. “Okay! I admit it! I may have purchased something suspicious off some hoodlum in a dark alleyway, but I did it for the sake of art! It wasn’t like I knew I was doing anything wrong! Couldn’t a friend try to do something nice?!” Sentinel’s lips curved into a faint frown and he sighed as Rarity continued to make a fuss. He looked back at the Armament robes, at Twilight – who was shrugging at him – and then back at Rarity. Then to everypony’s surprise, he folded the robe neatly. He then hung his hoof over it and blue numbers started to shower from his sole, seeping into the fabric. The robe was then secured into Twilight’s bag. “Sorry to cause you trouble, Twilight. It seems like I was mistaken that you were in possession of a hacked item.” “Huh?” Sentinel coughed softly. “And certainly your friend, Rarity, was not soliciting with those punks. And I wouldn’t worry about any other of my coworkers to search that item because it is a legitimate item.” Twilight had a muddled expression for a moment, but then made a small O with her lips. “Riiight, and we were certainly doing nothing wrong. Isn’t that right, guys?” The mares and Spike looked at each other before nodding without question. “Okay then. We’re free to go take our chariot ride now… are we?” Sentinel nodded. “Yes you are. Again, sorry to waste your time.” He winked. Twilight rolled her eyes once more. “It’s alright. No harm done. Twilight wondered how in Equestria could Luna deal with him on a daily basis. He could be an absolute sweetheart sometimes, but his wackiness is somewhat impossible to deal with. Then again, she was friends with Pinkie Pie. She and her friends boarded a chariot big enough to accommodate all of them with enough room to spare. There were even benches molded in there for sitting. The door swung close as Twilight – the last one – stepped into the chariot. Checking a clock counter next to their ride, she could see they wouldn’t leave for another five minutes. As Twilight began to don her violet mage robe, Sentinel came over to the chariot. “By the way, are you guys competing in the Aeroslida tournament? I’ve seen the list of teams competing, and your names were on it.” “Yeah. How did you know?” Rainbow asked. “Luna and I are going to be the play-by-play announcers for the battles. We’d need to know the name of the players so we don’t mess up on pronunciation and all that stuff.” Sentinel pulled away from the chariot as timer dinged. As the eagles began to flap their wings, he quickly said, “Just a heads up! Your opponents have some Rogues, a Spell Warrior, a Paladin, a Bard, and a Rune Specialist. You might wanna pack in some firepower! They’re quite the powerhouse combination!” “Noted!” she yelled back as the chariot flew away from the Sky Tram, watching it get swallowed by the clouds along with Aeroslida. At this point, she began to feel the wind biting at her body, leaving cold marks behind. She attempted to defend against it by hugging herself, but it did very little. Spending so much time in Aeroslida, where it magically felt sunny and warm, she forgot how unforgiving Mother Nature could truly be. Her teeth chattering and the winds tearing at her mane was proof of that. Twilight then felt somepony wrapped their hooves around her, and soon the embrace grew into a group hug. “These winds can be beasts, Twi. They really gotta give these chariots some protection,” Applejack commented. “I should tell Sen that next time,” Twilight agreed, her teeth still chattering. “I mean it’s great that they even got temperature to feel real, but I think it’s a little unnecessary here. They should give these chariots some roofing and walls or something.” “Oh! Maybe replace these chariots with carriages? I’ve always adored carriages,” Rarity said. “I don’t really care as long as we get something. Even these winds feel rough for me, and I don’t do group hugs that much,” Rainbow commented. “That’s a lie. I think you do more group hugs here than everypony else. Even me!” Pinkie giggled, tugging a couple more from everypony else except for Rainbow. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ As always, Sherpwoods was still standing tall and unwavering, just like how Twilight left it. When she got crushed of course. This time, however, she was determined to leave this forest in one piece. Crazy walking trees weren’t going to be in the equation this time, so she was sure of her survival chance being about 87.99 percent positive. This time, the party was taking a different path, one that was much lighter with the glowing flowers and did not give a sickening twist to their hearts. Although that didn’t mean that they weren’t keen on their hooves. The faint crunching sounds of critters prowling around were still present. “So what are we grinding on this time?” Twilight asked as they trucked through the tall grass, keeping an eye out for monsters. “Well this time, we’re just gonna take on some timberwolves,” Applejack said in a low voice, although everyone in the group could hear her as they stayed quiet. “They provide a good amount of experience for our levels, and are ¬¬– in mah opinion – easier to handle than dem big ole tree walkers.” “Still on about that, Applejack?” Rainbow asked. “I mean, I already kinda admitted that was my bad.” “Nah. Not really. Ah was just providing an example to compare the timberwolves to.” “Well they sounds like a great place to start at if any,” Twilight said. “Ssshhhh!” Everybody stopped in their tracks and stared at Pinkie. “I’m getting a twitchy tail, shivering hooves, and blinky eyes!” “W– what does that mean?” Spike asked nervously. “Monsters are nearby!” Twilight nodded. “Then let’s tread with caution.” It didn’t take too long for the crew to find their target. Like last night, they decided to approach the monster area with stealth, hiding in some large undergrowth. Rarity silently pointed at the ones with flowers, and Twilight understood the message. Timberwolves had a very good sense of smell, and the sweet scent should cover their musk. Hopefully. Twilight prayed to Celestia that the sweet scent would disguise them long enough, and for the time being it looked like they were going to get away with it. The cornucopia of their eyes was a small knoll in the middle of wide clearing. In the side of the hill was an opening to a den filled with timberwolves. Some were mildly resting, occasionally scratching their bodies with their hind legs. The pups were predictably energetic and were playfully fighting each other in mock combat while their guardians watched over. Twilight couldn’t help but softly smile. The calm scenery was the opposite of what Twilight expected from timberwolves. She expected for there to be vicious wooden mutts with snarling, mossy fangs to be patrolling the area, looking for unwary prey and travelers to feast upon. She didn’t think that it would be in a timberwolf’s nature to be passive. Twilight thought about suggesting to her friends to move on, but she then reminded herself that this was a game and that the timberwolves ahead of her were monsters with precious experience points to gain from. Setting her mind on the goal, she carefully scoped out the area. It wasn’t dark, but the lighting wasn’t particularly bright either. She couldn’t see into the depths of the den, but judging by the size of the hill, she estimated that it could hold up to at least twenty fully grown timberwolves. It’d be quite a fight if there were actually that many in there. There were quite a lot of pups outside of the den. Twilight could see about twelve of them. There were also four adult timberwolves outside with them as well. If her assumptions were correct and each pup had different parents, then the most probable amount of timberwolves she guessed was thirty six – including the pups. “Looks like we’re in for quite a long battle,” Twilight quietly announced. “Yeah. Ah see it too. Must be thirty or so wolves here,” Applejack said. “How do you know?” Twilight asked. “If you live on the edge of the Everfree, you would know,” Applejack said with a humph. “I’ve learned to track down timberwolves back to their homes after they harassed the cows on mah farm so much. Ya learn to know how many could fit in a cave after seeing so many.” Twilight nodded. “Any ideas on how to combat against them then?” “Well for starters, we shouldn’t let the battle stretch like rubber. Remember how dem timberwolves transformed into that giant one? The battle could get pretty nasty if we let that happen.” “But the timberwolves will just do it anyway. Their wood pieces seem to be sentient, even after death.” “Which is why I propose this.” Applejack turned to Twilight with a smirk deadly enough to stop a cockatrice. “Fire.” “Fire… as in fire spells?” “Naw Ah’m just thinking of getting a lighter, tape it to the end of a stick, and charge ‘em.” Applejack kept a serious composure until she couldn’t handle Twilight’s incredulous gaze. “Hehe, sorry Twi. Yes Ah was talking about spells. Ya got some, do ya?” Twilight looked through her Ability List. “Ummm… yeah I do! Incinerate. It says here that it unleashes fire from whatever magical conductor I use.” “Perfect, although right now, ya don’t have a magic dohicky to shoot spells from.” Twilight gulped, and then immediately coughed as Rainbow smacked her on the back. Luckily, this didn’t seem to draw any unwanted attention from the wolves. “You got this, Twi! We’ll cover you and make sure that no harm comes in your way.” Twilight managed a smile. “I – *cough* – I appreciate that. Although you didn’t have to hit me on the back so hard.” “Sorry. Thought it would help with the pep talk.” Rainbow drew her sword of many colors. “Let’s do this!” “Rainbow wait!” Too late. Rainbow Dash had already thrown herself into the clearing, lunging with her sword held high. Twilight said with a heavy sigh, “Figures. Okay everypony here’s the plan. We pair up. Spike, you stay close to Rarity. I need you to protect her while she helps me thin out the pack. Fluttershy, you are to be with Applejack. Your job is to buff her with spells while she keeps them at bay. Pinkie, support Rainbow Dash in picking off stragglers. Got it?” “Got it!” They shouted in unison. The fight kick started like a snowball rolling down a snowy hill. Rainbow, being the first one in, had the first chance to strike. One of the patrolling timberwolves near her looked up from its path and looked like it was caught with its paw in the cookie jar. It didn’t take long for turn into a pile of wood as Rainbow raised her rainbow sword high and swung down. Its severed head rolled on the grass first before the body dissembled. A number in the hundreds floated high from the in a yellow spikey bubble, indicating that she had dealt a critical strike. It didn’t take long for the other timberwolves to gather their senses and lean their bodies as if they were going to lunge. The pups whimpered and ran into the safety of the den. One of the larger timberwolves, one with bushels of red, fuzzy leaves around its neck, glared at the group before lifting its chin high and bellowed a loud howl. “Careful, Twi! That one is callin’ its friends!” Applejack warned, pounding the ground hard as she charged into the fray. “I see it!” Twilight shouted back as she held herself back. She stood up on her hind legs and focused her magic, imagining a burning ball of purely red fire in the sole of her hoof. Her horn flared up with magic, but with her usual purple hue, there was a reddish tint. In what seemed like ten seconds flat, she felt heat pressing on her hoof. Twilight pulled her hoof as far back as possible, her eyes on the howling monster. “Take this! Incinerate!” She pitched the ball high into the air, watching the fireball curve with a trail of orange particles before it starting going down. The spell cracked straight down onto the Red Brush Timberwolf’s mouth and immediately, the howling stopped. The flames consumed its body before bursting in a large explosion. Waves of orange flames rippled through the air, going through and damaging four timberwolves near it. They ran around in panicked circles before starting to roll on the ground in an attempt to stop the flames. The fire didn’t care and kept burning. One by one, the timberwolves died quickly due to their weaknesses to the fiery element, their bodies crumbling into dark ashes. Twilight could see her Experience Bar stacking up well. “Nice job, Twi! Keep ‘em comin’!” “You got it, AJ!” While Twilight kept on throwing tossing out fireballs, she looked at her other teammates to see how they were doing. Within a few leaps to her left, Spike and Rarity were taking care of softening another part of the pack. Rarity kept harassing the wolves with her gem spells, whittling their health down little by little as Spike kept them away with the swings of his sword. One dared to get a little close, prompting Spike to growl and warned it away with the pokes of his short bronze sword. He looked towards Rarity momentarily to say something, only to find himself almost disarmed. The timberwolf took advantage of his distraction and clamped its jaws on his blade, viciously pulling on it. The weapon didn’t stay trapped for much longer as a crystal the size of Spike erupted from the ground underneath the monster monster and punched it hard in the belly, sending it flying. A short distance in front of Twilight, Applejack and Fluttershy were keeping the timberwolves away. Applejack was happily batting away the timberwolves one by one as the shy pegasus kept on bolstering her with support spells in the form of songs. Once in a while, Twilight would see blurs of blue soaring high in the air before crashing back down towards the wolves. Every time Rainbow dived, a storm of twigs would fly in the air, only to rain back down in devastated pieces Like Rainbow, Pinkie was a blur as well, causing the wolves to be weaker as she spammed her skills on the battlefield like an avalanche. Every once in a while, Pinkie would toss out potions for the team to use, healing their health and mana. ’Seems like we’re making some great progress,’ Twilight thought as she kept barraging the mobs with fireballs. It did seem like they were going to be able to clear the den without trouble, but quickly her assumptions were swept away as the air began to vibrate with howls from a distance. “Looks like we got another wave of wolves incoming!” Rarity commented. “Bring them on, then!” Rainbow shouted as she sliced at another timberwolf. It had rolled away in a dodge and tried to bite back for a counter attack, but the sky athlete was too fast for it as she slashed it away. “Down!” Inside her mind, Twilight grimaced. They were going to be here for a while. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ 1AmTh3Party(PP) has Leveled Up to Lv 16! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Junior Ninja 80 Attribute Points are gained; 8 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ DEX Increased: 53 ⇒ 85 ~ MOB Increased: 77 ⇒ 125 Skill Point Allocation: [Needle Pricks] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Multiple – Up to 5 targets. Throw out an array of thin needles at the chosen target(s). Needles are dipped in poison that reduces the afflicted stats by 5%. Physical Damage – Level 5: 15/40/55/70/95 (+ 60% DEX) [Candy Shroud] Lv 0 ⇒ 3 Active ~ AOE. Throw down a bomb that creates a cloud of pink smoke in a 10 feet radius area for 8 seconds. While within the cloud, the player is stealthed and gains bonus armor and magic resistance. Attacking or using any abilities reveals her for 0.55 seconds. Enemies inside the smoke are slowed. (Sleep potions can be used to enhance the ability. Cleansing Items used to counter Sleep Status are recommended for the player.) Armor and Magic Resist – Level 3: 10/20/30/40/50 Slow – Level 3: 14/18/22/26/30% That really smells good. Can I rest here? RainStreak (RD) has Leveled Up to Lv 18! (From Lv 9) Tier 4 Class: Swordsmare 90 Attribute Points are gained; 9 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 70 ⇒ 115 ~ DEX Increased: 36 ⇒ 54 ~ MOB Increased: 49 ⇒ 76 Skill Point Allocation: [Dash It!] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Multiple – Locks onto 3 total targets. Become untargetable momentarily and weave your way through your enemies at lightning speed, cutting at their limbs/appendages to reduce their movement speed. Can proc other abilities on the enemy targets (such as a Burn Enhancement). Physical Damage – Level 5: 35/55/75/100/135 (+ 100% STR) [Eagle Eyes] Lv 0 ⇒ 4 Maxed! Buff ~ Targets self. Focuses your mind and you’re able to see weak points on the enemies. Striking those spots would deal extra damage. Lasts for 10 seconds. Extra Damage – Level 4: 15/30/60/100/150 (+ 150% DEX) LassoLass (AJ) has Leveled Up to Lv 16! (From Lv 9) Tier 4 Class: Paladin Cadet 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 44 ⇒ 65 ~ END Increased: 62 ⇒ 90 ~ SPR Increased: 44 ⇒ 65 Skill Point Allocation: [Celestia’s Blessing] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active/Buff ~ AOE. Your weapon acquires a large glow around them in the shape of a large hammer, giving it a powerful attack damage bonus and longer range. It lasts for 10 seconds, or you can choose to cancel it early by pounding the ground to deliver the Sun Slam, causing powerful shockwave of light to erupt from impact in a 20 feet radius area. The Sun Slam deals magic damage. Physical Damage Bonus – Level 5: 30/50/70/100/150 (+ 50% STR) Shockwave Slam – Level 5: 100/110/120/135/160 (+ 110% SPR) Feel the fury of Celestia’s tantrum. [Shrug Off] Lv 0 ⇒ 2 Passive ~ You passively gain bonus armor and magic resist. At Lv 5, you gain a 250 HP shield when you enter combat and it resets after not taking damage for 16 seconds. After exiting combat, the shield disappears in 3 seconds. Bonus Armor and Magic Resist – Level 2: 25/50/65/75/95 Glimmering Riches (Ry) has Leveled Up to Lv 15! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Apprentice Mage – Earth Aspect 70 Attribute Points are gained; 7 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 72 ⇒ 114 ~ SPR Increased: 58 ⇒ 86 Skill Point Allocation: [Explosive Gems] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active ~ Magically pull out an army of sharp and volatile gems from the ground and launch in any direction you choose to fire at. Max amount of gems that can be pulled out upon each activation is 5. Magical Damage (from each gem) – Level 5: 15/20/25/30/40 (+ 25% INT) [Healing Pillar] Lv 0 ⇒ 2 Maxed! Active ~ Summon a crystal pillar that radiates properties of healing to you and your teammates. The bonus health regen buff heals at a percentage per second. The pillar requires a 30 second summoning time before activation. The summoning can be delayed by enemy attacks by 5 seconds. The properties of the pillar can extend around in a 10 meter radius. Healing Percentage – Level 2: 1/2% per second Bunny (FS) has Leveled Up to Lv 12! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Songtress 40 Attribute Points are gained; 4 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ INT Increased: 46 ⇒ 58 ~ SPR Increased: 84 ⇒ 112 Skill Point Allocation: [Stampede of the Amphibians] Lv 0 ⇒ 4 Active ~ Beckon an pack of dog-sized salamanders to command. They are at your disposal. Upon Lv 5, you gain an extra alley in the form of a Flame Salamander, a monster with a ranged fire attack that deals 60 magic damage. Attack Damage of Minions – Level 4: 25/30/35/40/50 (+ 10% INT) Game over, mare! Game over! Scaling Hotness (Spk) has Leveled Up to Lv 13! (From Lv 1) Tier 4 Class: Young Adventurer [Default] 120 Attribute Points are gained; 12 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 30 ⇒ 90 ~ END Increased: 30 ⇒ 90 Skill Point Allocation: [Dragon’s Breath] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! This skill is reserved to those who picked the Dragon race. Active ~ AOE. Lick the area in front of you with a bout of green, draconic fire. Reaches up to 5 feet, and can prolong the attack for 5 seconds. Leaves targets with a Burn Effect that lasts 20 seconds and deals 5 magic damage per second. Burn Effect can be doused by water or wind. A special ability of this skill is that it’s able to put out fires that are colored red. Magical Damage per second – Level 5: 10/15/20/25/30 Whoa! Stronger than ghost peppers! Scaling Hotness has 7 Skill Points left over<< MagiAdept (TS) has Leveled Up to Lv 17! (From Lv 8) Tier 4 Class: Apprentice Mage 90 Attribute Points are gained; 9 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Manual Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 65 ⇒ 110 ~ END Increased: 65 ⇒ 110 Skill Point Allocation: [Magical Intervention] Lv 0 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Active Buff ~ Boost your allies with a buff that increases their attack and magic damage by 5%. Time Duration – Level 5: 30/50/70/90/120 seconds Can it compete with Divine Intervention? [Incinerate] Lv 1 ⇒ 5 Active ~ Manifest and bring forth a great ball of fire to throw at your foes. Explodes upon contact and leaves a Burn Effect on any enemy target that comes within contact of its flames. Magic Damage – Level 4: 40/65/90/115/145 (+ 100% INT) Not as good as a Pyroblast, but it’ll do. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Wow Twilight,” Applejack said, scratching the back of her colorful mane. “Think ya went a little too far?” Twilight bit her bottom lip as she surveyed the clearing around her. She tried not to breathe too much of the noxious air that flowed from the grass. “Well it’s not like didn’t mean to. I mean, the fire spell was the only thing that was keeping them from reforming into a Timberwolf King.” “It’s perfectly alright, dear,” Rarity assured. “This is the kind of firepower – no pun intended – that we all need to win. We’ll blow the competition straight out of the water!” “Yeah! You’d have to admit that you pretty much wiped the floor with them,” Rainbow laughed. Twilight looked down slightly, feeling slightly pink. She jotted down a mental note to not go overboard with fire spells in a forest, where everything can burn easily. She hadn’t realized until it was too late, but Incinerate kept true to its nature and spread far and wide. It was only due to Spike and his innate magical fire that was able to combat and douse the flames before it could spread any further. Although by the end of it all, it was already too late and the grassy area resembled the remnants of a bad barbeque that had turned for the worse. “Well we shouldn’t stay here any longer. That tournament is ‘bout to start in a few, and Ah don’t wanna miss it,” Applejack spoke. Twilight nodded as she turned away from the blackened hill. “Then let’s not waste time any further.” As they began to make their journey back to the Aeroslida, Twilight couldn’t help but allow herself a wide grin. The grinding session went off without a hitch! Twilight had anticipated for it to take longer, but they managed to finish much faster thanks to everypony’s coordination. To her, nothing felt more amazing than dancing on the clock with ease. Being on time is just one of life’s many treats. She felt like nothing could rain on this train. “Whoa Twilight!” She felt her eyes popped out as Applejack pulled her back by the cape. She gagged a little and coughed for air. Applejack immediately let go. “Oops! Sorry ‘bout that.” “What was that for?”Twilight inquired as she rubbed the apple of her throat. “Look in front of ya.” Twilight turned around and stepped back slightly. A large chasm was split across wide just baby steps away. On the other side, Twilight could see the trees thinning out, revealing the brighter light of the outside. As she peered over the edge, she could see the split cleaved deep into the ground. The black reminded her of nothingness. She gulped deeply. “W– wow. That’s a pretty b– big drop,” Fluttershy stuttered, staying behind Applejack. “Yeah no kidding. How are we supposed to get across?” Spike asked. “Guys look!” Rainbow pointed towards the right. There was long bridge of wood, spanning across the gap like stretched, chewed gum. However, what was more interesting was the guy guarding it. “Is that a… troll?” Rainbow couldn’t be more right. Five feet tall, green leather skin, covered in warts, hefty mouth tusks like a warthog and reek of swamp littered with rotten bananas, this guy could make a skunk gag. That alone didn’t make him interesting though. Twilight expected this from trolls outside of the game. What made him interesting, however, were the orange vest and jean shorts that gripped around his body. It had torn holes in it, yet was still hanging on like a stubborn wrestler. All in all, the guy looked slightly scary, and at the same time, absurd. “Let’s go say hi to him!” Pinkie chimed as she started bouncing towards the troll. “Wait, Pinkie! We have to think this through!” Twilight insisted. It was already too late though as she was already there. Rainbow shrugged. “Should we just go with the flow?” “I see no other choice, Twilight,” Spike added. Fluttershy’s legs were trembling. “D– do we have to? H– he looks r– really unfriendly.” Twilight hung her head and slowly shook her head. “I kinda hope I could tell you otherwise, Fluttershy. Let’s go meet ourselves a troll.” As they walked up to the troll, preparing for what could come, the troll stomped on the ground. “Hold it right there,” the troll sternly spoke, his voice gruff and rough like two trees scraping against each other. “O– oh my,” Fluttershy whimpered. She looked at a nearby bush, contemplating whether she should hide in it or not. “Hold it, buddy.” Rainbow Dash said with a heated tone. She flew up in front of his face. “What do you mean we should stop? We’re kind of in a rush here.” “You’ve heard me clearly! Nobody crosses my bridge unless they pass the test!” Rainbow pounded the soles of her forehooves together, squinting her eyes. “I have a test too. It’s called Don’t Test the Dash.” Rainbow was defused quickly as she was pulled down to the ground by Twilight’s magic. “Whoa there, Rainbow. I wouldn’t want to mess with this guy. We’ve just gotten out of a grinding session remember? We’re not in any condition to fight.” Rainbow Dash flew back up, although respecting Twilight’s request and kept her distance from the troll. “Come on! He’s blocking us from the tournament, the one we trained all night for! As if I’m gonna let that slide!” “Calm down, he said we just have to pass a test,” Twilight spoke, lightly leering at the troll. “Isn’t that right?” “Why yes it is very simple. You pass the test, or I eat you.” The words hung in the air before showing the party with the chills, except for Pinkie Pie who had a silly smile. “Eat us! Why conssarnit, Twilight! You sure you want to do this?” Applejack asked, adjusting her hat. “I’m sure I can pass it,” Twilight said with confidence. Although she didn’t really believe in that. She hoped with that she would be able to pass the test. The troll belched. “Are you ready?” “Y– yes I am.” “Okay then, here’s the question.” A silent, tense moment passed, with the forest air breathing wind before the troll asked, “What is my name?” “Well buck! We’re screwed,” Rainbow Dash said, throwing her hooves up in the air before letting them fall down to her hips. “I’m going to just kick this guy in the face.” Before she could start any sort of fight though, Twilight held her down again with telekinesis. Although like Rainbow Dash, she looked pretty upset. Twilight glared at the troll. “Okay. That's completely unfair.” “Everything is fair in this part of the woods! The Forest Mother has assigned me the task of guarding this bridge every Friday, and I do it with pride. Now, answer the question!” “I don’t know who this Forest Mother is, but she is going to have to deal with us when I’m through with you!” He chuckled menacingly, “I doubt it.” Twilight snorted angrily through her nostrils, feeling her face flushed as Rainbow Dash. Twilight considered the temptation of pounding his face with a Magic Missile until Rarity tapped her on the shoulders. “What is it?!” “Twilight, before you get us all killed would you please take a look at his name tag.” “His name... tag?” She looked at the troll’s vest for a name tag. Right there, in plain sight, was a name so very simple, his grandmother could have named him. Marty. “Um, is your name Marty?” Twilight asked. “Are you sure that’s your answer?” the troll replied, not betraying any emotions. “Umm,” this time Pinkie tapped her shoulder. “We’re not sure if this guy’s name is Marty. He could have killed the last guy, and took his vest!” “That’s true,” Applejack agreed. “Oh come on, you seriously believe a player about his size of him came up to him, with a vest that says Marty on it?” Twilight asked petulantly. “Twilight, look!” Spike pointed off to the troll's right side, where a sign read Marty guards this bridge. “I really think your name is Marty.” Twilight insisted. The troll supposedly called as Marty crossed his arms, “Oh really now? Perhaps I’m just another troll filling in for a guy on his lunch break, and maybe he lent me his vest. Are you sure that is your answer?” “That could also be true,” Pinkie added. “Pinkie!” “Sorry Twilight.” It was Applejack's turn to poke Twilight. “Err, Twilight? There’s an employee of the month plaque. Like right there.” Applejack pointed at a wooden plaque that had a picture of the troll's and his name underneath it. Twilight looked at the picture, then back at the troll in front of them. They matched. Twilight glared once more. “Okay, your name is definitely Marty. You had your fun. Now let us through!” The troll bared his teeth in a smile, “Oh ho ho, really now? Most of us really do look alike, you know. I really hope that’s your answer.” “Oh my Celestia, you are impossible!” Twilight screamed in frustration. “Hey! Hey! Yo, Marty!” The mares and Spike turned their heads around to see another troll, except this one was in a denim jacket, and his skin color was orange. “Yo Marty! Joe’s party is coming up tonight! You’re bringing the mead, right?” “Yeah, I’m bringing the mead, John! I’ll see you at the party!” Marty shouted after him. “Cool! Later bro!” Jonn said before stumbling off into the woods. The entire group looked back at "Marty," their glares sharp enough to pop balloons and maybe give a troll or two a couple bloody wounds. “That friend of yours called you Marty,” Rarity said through her clenched. “I’ve never seen that guy before in my life.” “He said that you were bringin’ the mead,” Applejack added. “I’m bringing no mead to no place. You can’t prove that.” “That guy literally just said you were bringing the mead,” Dash shot back. “And he called you Marty,” Pinkie added with a happy smile, oblivious to the heated atmosphere growing around her friends. Anger that was directed at the hulking, troublesome troll. “Okay! That’s it, your name is Marty! Can we please just go through?!” Twilight bellowed at the top of her lungs. “Oh are you sure now? I hope that’s your final answer because I’m really hungry,” he grinned, his sharp rows of teeth glimmering a little in his drool. “Yes, your name is Marty.” Marty leaned his body towards the mares, looking quite intimidating. “Well then, you know what I think? You know what I think?!” He then stepped off to the side with a wide smile. A sudden change of pace. “You are correct. My name is Marty. You must be the most intelligent pony I’ve met, or heck, of the entire world! People everywhere will sing of your genius mind! The clouds will boom at your steps! The gods shall– ” “Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever. Come on girls. We’re going,” Twilight groaned. They walked across the bridge, not once looking back. Marty the troll kept listing off the various compliments, oblivious to the absence of the players. Rainbow had something to say that everypony in the party whole-hardheartedly agreed with. “That guy is a fucking idiot. What kind of moron had the genius idea of putting him there?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Achoo!!" “Bless you. Are you coming down with a cold, Sen?” Luna asked, covering her mic. Sentinel rubbed his nose. “I dunno, but I felt like somepony had talked about me a while ago.” “What makes you say that?” “Beats me,” he spoke before turning on his microphone. “And now, ladies and gentlecolts, the moment you've all been waiting for! It’s time to see some action!” The gathered crowds cheered as they screamed for battles and blood to be shed. Somewhere, in a waiting room of the arena, Twilight’s team was checking on their equipment. Fluttershy practiced her songs while Applejack secured her armor. Rarity and Spike were just talking to each other while Rainbow and Pinkie were off testing their weapons in the dummy doll room. Meanwhile, their smart and courageous leader was twisting her mane in a bunch, running various back up plans for back up plans for battle plans of defense strategies in her mind. She bit her lower lips, and her hooves were shaking. Noticing this, Rarity placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “Come now, dear. You’re getting the battle jitters.” “What if we lose? This is our first official battle in the game,” Twilight gulped. “Relax dear, you’re the leader of Team Awesome. You’ve lead us through many firefights of Haylo and Call of Cutie, guided us in the land of Minecraft, and directed an entire army through the battlefields of Planetside. This game shouldn't feel as different as those, and you’re more than capable than you think.” “Yeah! Don’t think about the prospect of failure, Twilight. We’ll definitely win this,” Spike with a poised thumbs up. Twilight sighed, breathing more calmly. “Thank you, Rarity, Spike.” A light caught her eyes as a pair of large gate doors leading to an arena opened up. Twilight could feel her heart pounding again as she slid off the bench, onto her hooves. The others have rejoined with Twilight, Rarity, and Spike, standing by their side. Rainbow adjusted her sunglasses. “Here we go.” Luna’s voice echoed. “And now, for our first pair of contestants! Team Awesome versus Team Packers!”
**Chapter 05: And a New Day Dawns**Chapter 05: And a New Day Dawns A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 5 ~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Author Notes: Let's see if we can find any references in here. “I hope you all are as excited as I am, because the Skydome is going to RUMBLLLE!” Twilight winced as the piercing sound of cheering spiked through her eardrums. The audience clapped and stomped for exciting battles, and she’s going to have to cater. As she stepped into the arena, she looked around the circular coliseum and noted how many were seated in the stands. But there were none. Instead, the patrons were watching from high above, floating on seats and platforms made of blue-grey clouds. It was much like Cloudsdale’s coliseum. From their mouths, Twilight could distinct two names. Team Awesome, and Team Packers. She could see giant foam fingers raised up high as well as a couple poster boards with their names. Twilight looked away, trying to avoid making eye contact with any of the viewers. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Rainbow Dash rallying up more cheers. How in Celestia could Rainbow Dash handle so much attention? The arena was the opposite of the unique stands, being completely flat and stone. Standing here made her feel vunerable. So far during the grinding sessions, she had the trees for cover. Here, she and her friends are running targets. High above the crowd was a floating box for announcers. It was adorned with two pairs of golden bells and its walls were colored with the theme of the night sky and a crescent, white moon. In it, Sentinel and the princess of the night herself were standing behind the mics. The ceiling did not exist at all as the roof opened up to the ozone above. Across the arena were their opponents. Twilight hadn't met them before but they fit Applejack’s description of them. “Okay ladies and gentlecolts!” Luna shouted. “Today we have a little treat for you, for the Elements of Harmony are competing today!” The cheers intensified in her ears. They were really getting riled up. They must have been a big deal. “Yes that’s right! They walk among us in the world of Equestrian Earth, gracing us with their presence,” Luna said. “Their magic of friendship triumphs all that stands for evil! They are truly heroes! Give it up for Team Awesome!” Twilight made a note to buy some ear plugs after the match. The crowd can be really bucking loud if they wanted to. Her team didn’t seem to mind however as they waved towards the crowd. Fluttershy, however, was shying back from the noise. “And in this corner,” Sentinel began. “Are a couple of new players to the Skydome! They, however, had made quite a rustle in the Cloud Library yesterday as they fended off the wind elementals and protected the sacred scrolls, books, and players that could have been torn apart by their whirling magic. Again sorry for the monsters, they were a glitch. But they'd pushed on through, sent the wind demons from whence they came, and now are here to try their luck in the Skydome! Give it up for Team Packers!” The crowd didn’t cheer as much as they did for Twilight’s team but it was still loud enough to let the other team know they’re recognized for their heroic deeds. Team Awesome and Team Packers walked towards each other to the middle of the arena to get the match ready. “Players, shake hooves” Luna said. “Oh come on, is that really necessary?” Sentinel asked. "I want to see the action right now!" Luna raised her eyebrow with an incredulous gaze. “What? Is courtesy not important to you?” Sentinel slowly broke eye contact with her. "Umm, uh, go ahead whenever you guys are ready!" Twilight quickly checked through their team. Just as Applejack described, she could see Paperback, Night Stalker, Livo, and Nitro Rush in their ranks. There were, however, a couple new players that Applejack hadn’t mentioned. A pegasus colt stood beside Paperback with a purple bandana wrapped around his wild blue and red mane. It sort of made him look like a mare if she thought about it. His coat was cyan, like Dash’s, but it was a darker variety like sea green. He wore a white Greek-styled robe that reminded Twilight of the great artisans and scholars of old. The other member was a unicorn mare with a blue purplish coat that goes well with her blond and cyan mane. Her mane was styled similar to a combination of Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s, and she wore a black cloak with her hoodie held back to show off her mane. “Howdy!” Applejack greeted. “I believe we’ve met before.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you again Applejack,” Paperback smiled. “I’m glad you’ve accepted our challenge. To be honest, I never really thought you would agree to face us.” “We take challenges very seriously,” she casually said. “It’s our motto to do the best we can be. Glad to be up against you.” “Same here.” “Wait,” Rainbow Dash said. She got up against Paperback’s face and sized him up. He gave her a nervous smile. “Why are you up against us anyway, and how did you know us? Ponies don’t just causally walk up in a bar and issue a fight. Are you a spy?” “What? No no, nothing like that,” he quickly said. “This match actually wasn’t really my idea.” Rainbow Dash glared at him. “Okay maybe it sort of is. But really, to be honest, one of our friends was a really big fan of yours and the only way I could think of properly meeting with you would be to go up against you. Everypony knows that the Team Awesome clan loves to overcome challenges.” Twilight looked around for the fan to see a giddy pegasus behind Paperback. He was practically bouncing up and down for joy with a big and goofy smile on his face. ‘That’s probably him’, she thought. “Are you Nitro?” Twilight asked. “Applejack had mentioned you before.” “Yes! Yes I am!” he smiled. “I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you!” “It’s nice to meet you too,” she smiled back. Nitro was shaking in joy and was bouncing up and down again. “So,” Twilight said. “I don’t believe AJ has mentioned you two before. What’s your name?” she said to the cyan colt. “My name is Sound Wave,” he gave a short, courteous bow. “Nice to meet you Twilight.” “And my name is Chalice Longshot,” said the blue purplish mare. “I’ve been looking forward to our match today. It’s such an honor to go up against you.” “I wouldn’t know about that,” Twilight chuckled. “There are far better players than us.” “Well, I don’t know about me, but it’s obvious that I’m the best there is!” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings. “Really now?” Applejack grinned. “Ah wouldn’t say that about last week when ah bucked you into last week.” “That was luck!” Rainbow fired back. “Your shotgun just happened to hit the barrel behind me. That wasn’t skill.” “Well hay now the scores don’t lie.” “Wanna bet?” “Oh you wanna bet your rainbow colored tail ah do!” “Girls!” Twilight shouted. The two looked at her with surprise written all over their faces. She looked at them sternly as a mom would over a foal that just broke a very important object. “We’re in the middle of something here?” she said. “Err, sorry Twi,” Applejack apologized. “Uh yea, what she said.” Rainbow Dash avoided Twilight’s eyes. Twilight sighed in exhaustion. She turned back to Paperback’s team who were obviously giggling at the two mares’ antics. Paperback just gave her a knowingly smile. She returned back a sheepish one. Paperback offered Twilight his hoof and she took it with a vigorous shake. “Good luck,” he grinned. “And may the best team win,” she smirked. Team Awesome went back to their end of the stone field as the crowds cheered on. As her friends checked their equipment, Twilight’s mind was processing the other team’s status and players. Sentinel mentioned yesterday that they had two rouges, and from what Applejack said before Night Stalker must be an archer and Livo was the thief class. They seem to be close to each other from the way their body language was. Kind of like brothers and sisters were. As for Chalice she seemed to be– “Okay teams! Get ready to fight!” Luna shouted. “Five! Four! Three!” ‘Oh horse apples,’ she thought. Not enough time for her to assess the situation. She would just have to figure out what made the other team tick on the fly. “Two! One,” Sentinel yelled. “Battle On!” Night Stalker drew his bow and notched a couple of arrows in a blink of an eye. He released the two missiles and sent them flying towards Twilight. She didn’t have time to react and thought she was already out of the game. Her worries were set aside as Spike set the projectiles ablaze with dragon fire. Livo took advantage of the distraction, already closing in the large gap between her and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash didn’t give her the chance as she swiped at her with ‘Dash It’. Livo parried the strike and returned with a counter, but failed as Rainbow did a front flip over her. She quickly turned around for another strike, but Livo blocked it with his black-night dagger. Rainbow Dash continued slashing at Livo as she parried each one. She didn’t give the black pegasus any room to strike back. Chalice meanwhile was concentrating on forming some sort of magic symbol on Paperback’s war hammer. Twilight assumed her to be the Rune Specialist and she was giving his weapon a power boost. She focused her mind to charge up huge amounts of energy. Particles of magic substances swirled around her horn and formed a white sparkling ball. The Magic Missile. Twilight fired at Chalice to stop her progress, but a line of musical notes blocked its path. Twilight saw Sound Wave giving her a grin as he continued to weave the veil of music from his harp. The Missile persisted however and continued to plow through the wave of notes, pressuring Sound to keep up the music. His brow began to sweat and the barrier began to falter. After a few passing moments, the Missile broke through and made a beeline for Paperback. He grinned however as he took a swing at the glowing energy, his new rune boost now glowing with magic. The two forces caused a huge explosion and both teams covered their eyes to protect from the dust. When the cloud dissipated, the ponies could make out two figures in the dust. One of them was holding a now-very-larger-than-god hammer. “Oh what the buck?!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Oooh, looks like that rune was a byproduct from the Experimental Arcane Labs!” Sentinel said over the mic. The crowds cheered louder at the persistence both teams had shown. Chalice looked pretty proud of herself. “Not bad for a first test huh?” Chalice smirked. “I’d hope so. You said this could possibly blow me up right?” Paperback asked. “Possibly.” “Guess I’ll have to take that chance.” Paperback ran forward and brought the hammer down in the area in front of Twilight. A spike of rocks however burst out of the ground and blocked his attack. The hammer smashed about a third of the way through before the stalagmite halted its progress. Twilight looked behind her to see Rarity levitating an array of gems behind her. “Stand back dear. I've got this one.” Rarity fired a couple of Explosive Gems at the feet of Paperback. He leapt back leaving his hammer behind. The explosion launched the hammer into the air, and Twilight looked up to see a white blur being launch by another outcropping of rocks. Rarity met with the hammer and pulled her hind legs in. “Take –” Rarity slammed down her hindhooves on the hammer, sending it flying towards its owner “– this!” Paperback’s pupils grew wide open and he brought his forehooves up, bracing for impact. The hammer bashed down on his owner, continuing to push him down the arena like a train, but he pushed back as well. The results left him sliding across the floor, struggling to stand upright. Twilight winced as she witnessed it. His hooves must practically be burning right now. Rarity landed on the ground with grace and fired her last remaining gems at him. The hammer slowed to halt just in time for him to quickly grab the handle and swung at the gems, batting them away towards the walls. “Oooh, nice moves. He has some great reflexes there,” Sentinel said. “I’m seriously surprised he was actually able to carry that thing.” “I think Rarity should have aimed at the ground beside him and split her gems. He would have no chance of deflecting two separate attacks,” Luna commented. “Luna, remember what Marshal said?” Sentinel asked. She groaned. “No helpful comments.” “Yep. Moving on. Oooh looks like Fluttershy is bringing out the big guns!” Twilight looked to her right to see the shy pegasus talking to a group of salamanders the size of large dogs. She didn’t notice Fluttershy was singing from the start of the match, calling on her animal friends to help. She seemed to be giving them a pep talk. “Now remember, we are fighting the other team, but don’t hurt them. Just annoy them for a bit okay?” Fluttershy gently asked. The lizards cocked their heads a little and blinked with blank expressions. Twilight facehoofed for what seemed to be the tenth time in this game. She heard music again and looked at Fluttershy, but she wasn’t singing. She looked around to see Sound Wave strumming his harp again. The lizards moved with the sound of the music, and their eyelids drooped a little as the music played. They were lulled to sleep and they dropped to the ground with closed eyes. Fluttershy gasped at this and she looked at him with perplexed eyes. He gave her a winning smile. “Sorry! Thought they could use a nap!” he shouted over. Fluttershy’s eyes pleaded for help as she looked at Twilight. Her only attack skill was nullified so she was in trouble. Twilight looked at Applejack to see the farmer surveying the battlefield. It seemed like a couple of Packer’s team were also choosing somepony to fight. “You know, this should be a fast paced match but it looks like only a couple of ponies are only in the fray,” Luna said. “Well given it’s their first PvP, I’d say a full battle should start now,” Sentinel replied. Twilight nodded towards Applejack and gestured her towards Sound Wave. She got her message and hefted her own war hammer towards him. He gulped and looked at Night Stalker for help. He nodded and notched an arrow towards Applejack. She brought the hammer up to block for the arrow, but musical notes started to pelt her side. Twilight looked at Sound Wave to see him firing the pesky notes. Her brows furrowed a little as she launches a barrage of small Magic Missiles to block the musical notes. Night Stalker fired a couple of arrows at Twilight to stop her attacks, but Spike burned them to ashes. He looked quite annoyed right now. “Okay, is that how you want to play? Let’s play!” He brought his hooves to his mouth and whistled into the air. A few moments later, a red blur came down from the sky and pummeled the little dragon to the ground. Spike kicked the new arrival off and looked at his new opponent. It was a large hawk the size of Spike and had feathers the shade of flames. Spike chuckled nervously and tried to give it a friendly handshake. It didn’t look so impressed. It peaked forward to give Spike a deadly strike but he rolled to the side to avoid the sharp beak. The bird left a crack on the concrete. Spike gulped a little as the bird gave him a mischievous smile. The dragon ran like hell with the bird in pursuit of his tail. “How do you like my bird? Her name’s Crimson Flair. Be nice to her!” Night shouted over to Spike. He heard the air whistle to his right and he leapt backwards to avoid a huge hammer. He looked over to see Applejack smiling at him. “I don’t think he took kindly to that,” she grinned. “What can I say? He was begging for playtime.” He dodged her incoming strike as she pounded the spot where he was at. He notched a couple more arrows and set them flying towards her. AJ recovered quickly from her attack and swung her weapon to the side, dispatching the two arrows with no sweat. As he prepped another arrow onto his bow, she ran forward and hurtled over the gap between her and Night. She raised the hammer over her head and it glowed with a brilliance of light like the sun. As Night stared at awe in the hammer, Applejack swung the hammer overhead towards the bowcolt. Sentinel sharply breathed through his teeth. “Oh this will hurt hard.” He snapped back into focus and rolled backwards to avoid the direct hit. The impact of the Celestia’s Hammer, however, was more than enough to send the archer flying to the wall. He landed with a pained grunt before digitizing into respawn mode. The electronic board that showed all the participants of the match had Night Stalker’s picture crossed out with a red X, declaring him defeated. Meanwhile, Twilight was holding her own against the barrage of Sound Wave’s musical notes. She was almost there as the length of her attack was pushing back against his. Just as soon as victory seemed to be hers, she spotted a blur of a blade coming at her. She yelped as she ducked and jumped back as another swipe was swung. She saw Nitro with the outrageously large scythe in his mouth. “Sorry if I happen to hit you,” Nitro said, although his message muffled through scythe’s handle. Twilight understood what he said though, and smiled. “It’s okay. Doesn’t matter if you can’t hit me. You probably won’t anyway.” He returned a grin of his own before getting all serious again. He twirled around to swing the scythe again. Chalice entered the fray with rune imbedded rocks, and tossed them towards Twilight. She dodged every single one of them and noticed that each of them was exploding into random effects. One of them exploded into pebbles, and another had vines bursting out of them. The fury of Nitro’s blade and the storm of the rune rocks were easy to avoid, but it left Twilight with no room to counter. It was a good thing that Twilight practiced dodging attacks during her grinding session with the Timber Wolves, but it wouldn’t do her any good if she can’t fight back. As she evaded another swipe from Nitro, she couldn’t help but wonder where Pinkie Pie was. ‘Where the Tartarus is she?’ she thought. As these thoughts entered her mind, Chalice stopped throwing her runes as she felt a prick on her flank. She yelled out an “OW!” before looking at her bum to see a needle sticking out of her cloak. “What the?” Chalice said, her tone starting to get slightly tipsy. “I feel wooozZzZzZ.” Chalice was dead asleep as she fell flat on her face. Nitro gave her look mixed with confusion and concern before flinching at a sudden pain on his back. He fell to the ground with a candy kunai impaled on his back as well as Pinkie Pie in her ninja outfit behind him. He digitized in similar fashion as the board marked him K.I.A. “Where were you Pinkie Pie?” Twilight demanded. “I was fending for myself against these two!” “Sorry!” Pinkie apologized. “I was helping out Fluttershy with her animals with my Super-Duper-Sugary Perky-Derpy-Werpy-Super-Squeezy Soda Supreme!” She explained with one breath. “They’re over there where Paperback is now.” Twilight looked over to see the Spell Warrior fending off a wave of lizards as they tried to bite his legs. He swatted at all of them with his hammer, but couldn’t fend off the storm of gems Rarity has produced. When it looked like the battle was in her favor, her MP ran out and she collapsed from exhaustion. “Ha ha! You’ve lost all your MP!” Paperback shouted. “Now I shall– AAAAH!” He had forgotten the pack of lizards he was defending against and the reptiles swarmed over him with claws and teeth. A bright light glowed from the pile of scales, indicating that he was respawning. The board confirmed the defeat for Twilight. She noticed that Sound Wave’s picture was crossed out as well. “And Sound Wave?” Twilight asked. “Asleep as a baby colt in a cushion of cotton candy!” She directed Twilight over to Sound Wave who was fast asleep in a pink shroud of Pinkie Pie’s Candy Cloud smoke. “Huh. Shouldn’t that just slow them down though?” “I added a few drops of Aunt Pinkie’s Party Crasher formula,” Pinkie winked. She brought out a couple of bottles with what seemed like milk in them. The bottles were baby bottles. Twilight decided to not ask why. “It’s a special milk formula I use to get Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s foals asleep. Works like a charm!” “And the needles?” Twilight inquired, asking about Chalice. “Same formula,” Pinkie said. “Also, Fluttershy helped me sing Sound Wave to sleep when the formula wasn’t enough for him.” Fluttershy shyly smiled as she walked up to them. “Oh it’s just an old foal song I learned when I was a filly. My parents used it when I had trouble sleeping.” Twilight was about to say otherwise until she heard a cry out from where Rainbow Dash was fighting Livo. She turned around to see both mares grasping onto one another, both of them still standing strong. Each other’s blades, Livo’s midnight-black obsidian dagger and Dash’s multicolored sword, were sticking out of the other opponent's back. Rainbow Dash was panting a little and grinned as a stream of blood dripped from her mouth. “Not bad kid. You got lucky though,” she coughed. “Thanks. Although you had the chance to dodge,” Livo wheezed. “Heh! Like I said, it was a lucky shot.” “Rematch some other time?” “Sure.” Both pegasi glowed with bright light before digitizing to their respective Skydome locker rooms. The leader boards glowed with green light as they updated the defeat of the recently defeated mares. The board blared out a siren, alerting the audience the end of the game. “There you have it folks! Give it up for Team Awesome!” Luna shouted. The crowd cheered on as Luna announced their victory. Twilight smiled at her first triumph in the PvP Skydome. Only just a ton more adventures and battles to go. The announcers released the lock on the doors to the locker rooms so that each team could leave the Skydome. Twilight and the rest found Rainbow Dash leaning against the doors of the lockers, waiting for her team. “Hey, what's up?” “What's up?” Applejack frowned. “You just took a knife to the belly. You okay?” “Yeah, a little toy like that can’t hurt me. She got lucky.” “Still, I know you like to play action games a lot, and for the last few months you've been trying them out with the Visors. Don't think I wasn't surprised that you got yourself impaled,” Rarity said with a grin. “Are you sure you’re not losing your touch?” “My touch? Since when did I ever need to have one? Having a touch means you could lose it! Skills are where its at!” “Uh huh. Yes. That and a knife up your stomach,” Rarity smirked. "And just for the record, both do sort of mean the same thing." “Whatever. It was a tie anyway because she got lucky.” “Well I think you should brush up on your skills Rainbow Dash. Maybe you’ll be as graceful as me one day.” “Oh why you!” Twilight sighed in exhaustion as the two mares argued over whose better. She went to the doors that led to the Skydome offices. “Come on you two, we should go pick up the prize.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight sat at the edge of the park as the clouds rolled by her. If it wasn’t for the cloud boundary layers that rested beneath the city and formed the extra length of ground, she could have fallen to her virtual death. The two groups, Team Awesome and Team Packers, sat next to each other as they both admired the shiny gleam of the diamond key. It glowed with a brilliance of light as the sun reflected off its surface. Rubies were implanted in the rims of the gold key ring. The item could be worth as much as Rarity’s shop, except for one thing. “Too bad it’s untradeable,” Paperback said. “Still I wonder what it could unlock.” “It says that it could unlock Crystal Chests,” Twilight read in the description that hovered above the item. “Does that mean anything to you guys?” “Oh OH! I know!” Nitro said with glee. “I’ve been around long enough to explore the dungeons around here. The players in there told me that unimaginable wealth and power could be rewarded to the players that open them!” “That sounds fabulous my dear Nitro!” Rarity winked. “Perhaps we should share it with you when we find one.” “Rarity!” Rainbow Dash said with tense voice. “We kinda had to fight them for this key here!” “Ah but if we hadn’t fought them today, we wouldn’t have even been in the Skydome at all!” Rarity justified. “Besides, a little sharing couldn’t do a little harm if the chest is full of diamonds and rubies. “But what if it was just one weapon?” Rainbow Dash argued. “Well I’m pretty sure we can work something out.” “That’s fine,” Paperback said. “You guys won it fair and square. Besides, meeting you girls is treasure enough.” “I like this guy’s thinking!” Rainbow Dash said as she wrapped one arm around his shoulder for a friendly hug. Night Stalker’s bird, Crimson Flair, gave a shrill cry as it ruffled it feathers. He chuckled a little as Spike hid behind Twilight’s leg. “It’s okay buddy, she just wanted to say that she enjoyed the battle and would like to have a rematch someday,” he explained. “Would that be fine?” Spike relaxed a little. “Uh… yea sure. Any time!” Twilight smiled a little and looked out to the spacious and green land below her. “Whatever this means for us, the outcome couldn’t be any clearer,” Twilight said. “We’re going out to explore the world! Adventure is a-go, team!” As her friends cheered on at this revelation, she brought out a list of the friends that she wrote down. “By the way, you don’t mind if we add you do you?” Paperback seemed a little shocked at this offer, but then a smile formed on his muzzle. “Y– yeah sure! That would be great!” The ponies excitedly brought out their friend’s list and wrote each other’s identification name down. Obviously, this meant to Twilight that they would be seeing each other more often in the future, and what can she say about that except she values friendship more than ever now that they’re all in this together. The more the merrier she says. The sun warmed brightly as they each chatted about their adventures in Equestrian Earth and the adventures they might have together. It was a good day. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ A dark hooded pony crept his way through the dark. He hated being here. It reminded him of the dark dungeons beneath Canterlot. There was no such thing as cleanliness within its stones, and was populated by more than a few colony of rats. This cave felt no different. He entered a vast chamber that could only be a home of a gigantic being. The chamber was decorated with furniture that was made out of the bones of animals, monsters, and demons alike. The room was lit with purple, forbidding fire that set the torches ablaze. In the center was a throne of more bones and skeletons, but it also emitted horrifying vapors that formed the faces of the poor souls used to fuse the marrows together. Upon the throne was a dark deity whose figure was shrouded in darkness, but his form was shown quite enough to let the pony know he was taking the form of a physical being. But the figure wasn’t quite one either. He was something more. The figure was watching the only other light source in the room that wasn’t purple, an image of sunshine and grass with a group of ponies lying down on the grass. He seemed particularly interested in one lavender unicorn. “My lord,” the pony said. He bowed to the figure, knowing that insolence is his one way ticket to being digitized forever. The figure’s voice was deep like the bottom of a dank gorge, and it was filled with malice and deception. It oozed with a vile aura and it sends out pulses of evil and gave the pony the need to cower into obedience. He resisted however, knowing that he will become just like the poor souls in this figure's grunt army if he gave way to the dark. I’ve told you a many times, my Spade. You do not need to bow to me. “It is a matter of respect my lord. I serve you with all my power and respect.” He said humbly. The figure chuckled darkly before giving the image his attention again. So what do you know of this mortal? “That she wields it sir. And that the Goddess has taken quite an interest in her.” The deity took several moments to reflect on the matter. I see. So she has already chosen her Champion huh? Well no matter. I shall find mine soon enough. My Champion shall be my Ace in the hole. He shall tear one in the Goddess’s plan. “Yes sir.” Soon this land shall be mine. And I’ll have the Goddess on her knees as I rule this world. It’s all part of the game, Spade. All part of the game. “Yes sir.” The hooded pony turned around to retreat to his quarters. Oh, and tell the others that they should be ready for the oncoming storm. We are almost prepared to enact phase 1. Go do my bidding, my Spade. The last word breathed out a blast of warm air that was not necessarily being friendly to the hood pony’s nose. The hood was blasted back, revealing the pony’s face. “Yes my lord, and my name isn’t Spade. It’s Raynor.” The dark tyrant chuckled. Yes of course. Go now ‘Raynor,' and fulfill your promise.
**Intermission 01: Recording 10812**Intermission 01: Recording 10812 Playback Recording Canterlot Colt Studios October 08, XXXX 2:58 PM The recording started out with the camera swaying its lens back and forth around the room. The room it was surveying was filled with electronic servers and computers that served the purpose to run the world of Equestrian Earth. Most of the monitors ran their screensavers while the servers hummed with magical and electric energy. In the center of the room was a large cylinder column with wires and tubes connected to each and every monitor and computer. The column was colored snow white with red maroon for its rims. Written around the top rim of it was the word ‘Goddess’. Surrounding the pillar were several pods with opened glass covers that were connected to the center object as well. Unlike the continuous hum of its companions, this particular server was singing a melody with its harmonious voice. In the far right, a door sliding open could be heard and three sets of hooves entered the room; two colts and one mare. The mare had a coat of orange and curly orange mane locks that draped down from her hair. Her cutie mark was a smiley jack o’ lantern. One colt was the color of beige and had a red mane with one blue stripe lining towards the left of his eye. The other colt had a yellowish tan color with a black colored mane that had no specific hair style. The only distinctive look on him was a scar that ran down on his right eye. It made him look kinda cool and handsome. The center server stopped singing and greeted the new comers. “Hello there! It’s good to see you again,” it chirped. “Hey Goddess, what’s up?” the red mane colt replied. “We have our first beta tester coming in today. I’ve told you about this guy right?” “Yes of course. It’s good to finally meet you!” “It’s nice to meet you too,” the scarred colt responded. “I’m really excited for this.” “I am too!” The orange mare walked towards one of the open pods. “But I do have to ask: You do know what you’re getting into? This is dangerous.” “Of course. I’m the first beta tester and you guys don’t know what will happen if the game starts. That’s why I’m here right?” “You don’t have to do this you know,” the other colt concurred with the mare. “I know we promised the guy who wins first place in the contest that he slash she will be the first one to play the game, but we’re still weeks behind the release date. We won’t know what will happen to you.” “Do not worry about the boy, Sentinel,” the Goddess assured. “I’m perfectly capable of protecting him from any danger he might face.” Sentinel gave the server and the colt a concerned look. He sighed in resignation, knowing he can’t talk the two out of this, especially the Goddess. She’d been looking forward to this as much as any other pony who wanted to win the chance to play the game before anypony else. “Alright then. Pumpkin Fest, set him up,” he said. Pumpkin gave him an uneasy look, but complied with his orders. She started tinkering with some of the controls inside the pod and gave the leather seat inside a hard pat to let the colt know it’s ready to go. He stepped inside the pod and made himself comfortable as much as possible. She gently lowered a visor that connected to the top of the seat and set it over his eyes. She lowered the glass cover over the colt and closed the pod, which gave off the sound of an air hissing. Sentinel walked over to the control panel of the Goddess and adjusted the settings of the colt’s destination. “Okay, we’re going to be sending you to one of our many beta towns. How does Old Ponyville sound?” Sentinel asked. “Couldn't have been any better choice,” the colt muffled through the glass. He rested his hoof over the initiate lever. “Okay, you ready? I’m about to send you in.” “Go for it.” Sentinel pulled down the switch and held his breath, waiting for the tester's response. Pumpkin looked as anxious as her co-worker and was biting the tip of her hooves. It was a really bad habit for her. The Goddess however was humming a tune that sounded really familiar, and was feeling all calm and relaxed, unlike the two ponies that were nervously waiting for the colt's reply. “So how are you feeling?” Pumpkin Fest asked. The colt’s voice resonated from the speakers of the pod. “Never better! Wow, you really got all the details down! I can see Sweet Apple Acres, and the town looks more rustic than ever!” Sentinel let out a breath of relief. “That’s good. How’s your movement?” “Normal. It feels as if I was actually walking for real.” “Any unnatural sensations or feelings?” she asked. “Nope.” “Okay good,” he said. “Now I need you to try out-“ The pod began to give out electrical sparks. Pumpkin Fest yelped out as one of the flickers zapped her flank. She ran behind the safety of Sentinel, who wasn’t exactly as calm as you would think. “Oh no, oh no, oh no" he muttered under his breath, then utter swears in his former language. "This isn’t good!" “Dude?” the colt weakly asked. “I don’t feel too good.” “Fest,” he asked sternly. “Help me disable the pod. I’m not having this guy die here.” “Y-yes, Sentinel!” The two technicians let their hooves fly over the controls and switches, not pausing for a single moment. The Goddess was crying out in pain as the electrical surge flowed in her circuits. The energy now took on a light glimmer of red. “Hang in there you two! Everything is going to be alright!” he assured. “I’m fine,” the Goddess managed to say through her pained voice. “Just get the boy out of there!” The two ponies worked even faster to troubleshoot the crisis, not even flinching as the sparks electrocuted their hide. The camera recording fuzzed after several seconds before going out. A flash of a demonic face appeared before the end transmission. Recording Ends. October 08, XXXX 3:09 PM Playback Again?
*Chapter 06: The Cloud Library*Chapter 06: The Cloud Library A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 6~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 A mare raises her purple Hoof in the air, proclaiming her Mark on the world. A goddess of the world looks down and Smiles upon the adventuress. The Tides of the Winds flow to the Adventurer's favor. Five Friends stand by her at attention, fully prepared to go where she takes them. "The Sun shines in our favor, everypony! The Air moves for our victory! "With our combined Efforts and Friendship, we shall take to the World by Storm!" “What will you have today, madam?” “I’ll just have a daisy sandwich,” Twilight Sparkle replied, not even looking at the café’s menu. An older gentlecolt, sporting a brilliant mustache, diligently picked up café's small pamphlet. He politely nodded towards her and commented, “It shall be out shortly madam.” She nodded in return and the waiter left her to her thoughts. She’d been here in the game for several minutes now with Spike, waiting for her friends to arrive. However, she hadn’t received a single ping that announced their arrival online. They were all supposed to catch a ride to Trottingham, which was scheduled to leave in a few minutes. Unfortunately, this was the last scheduled ride because of the server overload. So everypony that didn’t use any of the aerial transports are either stuck on the floating city, or they would have to ask other pegasi to glide them down. This was extremely dangerous though, so the librarian decided to relax in a café recommended by Rarity. As she sipped on her cup of tea, she thought on the lecture she’d have to give to her friends about ‘Being Tardy’, a couple of pings on her Friends List broadcasted the arrival of Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Twilight exasperatingly took out a slip of paper and a quill from her Scrolls Inventory. She began writing on the Private Messaging Letter (PML), an item that allowed ponies to send instant messages to their friends. It was a very convenient tool, especially for a certain unicorn that wanted to give a scolding to her friends. As she placed the tip of the quill upon the parchment, the cloudy skies above began to darken and a droplet of water fell on the paper. Twilight looked up with dread, knowing that the paper will probably get ruined. Virtual reality is very similar to life, and water was no exception. She could already feel the drops seeping down through her mane, leaving behind a cold, wet feeling. Twilight hastily wrote down a message to the both of them to rendezvous at the Cloud Library for shelter. If they’re going to take shelter from the rain, might as well be a place of her choosing. Besides, she wanted to find out more about the Diamond Key her friends won after yesterday’s PvP match. No time to explain girls. Just meet me at the Library for shelter. See ya soon. Without a moment to lose, she stuffed the slip back into her pouch, not evening wanting to find out what her friends’ responses were. She poked the sleeping dragon, who was now taking a nap on one of the café’s chairs. Spike woke up with a groan and rubbed the grits out of his eyes. He let out a big yawn and shot Twilight an indifferent look. “What is it Twilight?” he groaned groggily. “Are they here ye- WHOA!” Twilight grabbed Spike with a magical glow and tossed him precariously onto her back. She swiftly swiped her books off the table, quickly sorted them out in her sack, and trotted past the waiter who was bringing her sandwich. He looked at Twilight with dazed eyes as she made a beeline for the Library. He looked back at the plate he was holding, and held his breath at his sudden remembrance. “Madam!” he called after Twilight. She stopped and quickly turned to look at him. He raised the sandwich higher in the air and stated, “You have forgotten your sandwich.” He yelped a little as the sandwich sparkled with a purple glow, and shot straight out of the platter. As it chased after Twilight, he could see a swarm of bits coming from her direction and gently stacking themselves on the plate. He carefully counted out the bits, still amazed by the sudden departure of his customer. When he was satisfied with the pay, he walked back into the café wondering if he’ll ever get a normal day. He still wasn't used to these strange adventurers that just waltzed in and out of the little coffee shop. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight speedily rushed past numerous hasty players in her way as each of them tried to make their way under a nearby roof. Unlike modern times in Equestria, pegasi of olden times had little control over the weather back then. They didn’t have the technological advances that Cloudsdale currently has now, and relied on the guidance of the winds to guide the clouds for their weather. Since Equestrian Earth was based around that time, she could imagine that today wasn’t looking good for the pegasi NPCs. They’re obviously not going to get any vacation time soon. After a few blocks down the wet, cobblestone street, the golden dome of the Cloud Library looming over the city came into view. It wasn’t as huge as Canterlot Castle in real life, but it was large enough to give Twilight the sense of being insignificant and small. She didn’t slow her run as she burst through the large, wooden doors that looked like they belonged more as a fortress’s front gates. She gave a little shake to rid herself of the water that tortured her cold body, leaving wet puddles all over the carpet. She heard a little yelp as she shook her body more. She looked over her back to see Spike holding tight onto her mane, desperately trying to keep his balance. He was giving her his best angry glare; He may still be a baby dragon, but those angry eyes sure unnerved her. Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry about that, Spike.” He harrumphed in irritation, and jumped off his caretaker’s back. As Twilight tried to give Spike her best apologetic smile to make everything seem better, she felt a poke at the crook of her neck. She turned around to see a yellow colt and a bunch of upset ponies, who were dripping wet. She looked at soaking players, then at her dry self. Instantly, she made the connection. “I believe this is your water Miss?” the colt asked with an edge in his tone that could have cut diamond. “Oh sorry, sorry, sorry!” Twilight apologized, using a dry towel she had on her. She used it to soak up all the water she had sprayed all over the others. The victims nodded with appreciation and went their separate ways back into the realm of books. As she tucked the tool back into her bag, she looked around for signs of a pink mane and a dash of rainbow in the crowd that was forming in the reading area. The place was filled to the brim with tables, but there was enough space between them for ponies to walk through comfortably. It remind her of her days in Magic School, when she would read through the pages of its thrilling, magical textbooks with accuracy and speed. She liked to read slowly, but she can read fast if she put her mind to it. As she reminisced down memory lane, she spotted a bobbing fluff of cotton candy bouncing over the crowd. As the pink fluff burst out of the sea of ponies, it revealed itself to be the top of Pinkie Pie’s mane. “Hiya Twilight!” Pinkie Pie joyfully exclaimed. “This place sure is crowded. I would like to throw a party in here, but the mean lady told me to no.” She pouted a little and moved her hooves around uncontrollably like she was dancing, or that she needed to use the little filly’s room. “Pinkie, this is a library,” Twilight sorely explained. She then held up a hoof. “You can’t throw parties in a sanctum for knowledge.” “I threw plenty of them at your place,” Pinkie replied with a bemused look. “Which doesn’t mean you can throw them here!” Twilight stretched her back a little. It was a bit tense from carrying Spike and running at the same time. She looked around for a tell-tale of Rainbow Dash’s mane, but couldn’t spot the prismatic sheen of her hair. “Have you seen Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked Pinkie, cocking an eyebrow in askance. “Nope, haven’t seen her all day,” Pinkie Pie answered dejectedly. “Although it’s technically night time right now, since we’re sleeping at the same time and letting our visors access our nervous system. That lets us play in this open simulation world. But it’s day time currently, but the rain clouds made the entire city's grounds dark... so it’s sorta like night time.” Pinkie Pie kept on ranting. “But I think it could be night time now in-game, since the time system is 10 minutes equals 1 hour. So 240 minutes equals 1 day in-game, and 240 minutes equal 4 hours, so that’s a long time for us to play. My usual sleep time is around 8-11 hours so I could stay in this game for 2 ¾ day cycles and-“ Pinkie’s explanation was suddenly cut off by Twilight’s hoof, as it stuffed itself through her lips. Twilight’s mane looked kinda frazzled, for reasons that would be obvious to a normal pony's eye. “Pinkie, no,” she commented bluntly. “No more, okay?” Pinkie Pie got Twilight's annoyed message, and metaphorically zipped her mouth the best way she can with Twilight’s hoof in the way. Twilight removed her hoof from Pinkie's mouth, and let out a sound of disgust as she wiped Pinkie’s salvia off her purple hoof. “Let’s try to find Rainbow Dash,” Twilight decided. She looked back to both Pinkie and Spike as she continued, “She’s gotta be in here somewhere.” Pinkie Pie and Spike nodded and followed her lead as Ponyville’s local librarian went into the depths of the towering bookshelves. As Twilight weaved her way through the shelves, she found herself emerging from the other side of the reading area. As she stepped out into the candle’s warm light, her bag shivered with vibration. She opened it up to find her PML updated with Rainbow Dash’s message. The answer itself was very vague to Twilight, but still clear enough that she wasn’t coming anytime soon. In the middle of doing something important. I’ll drop by later when I’m finished. Btw, the other girls want me to pass on a message. Applejack had to go to Manehatten for the Apple & Orange family reunion. Rarity is staying up tonight to finish some orders from Canterlot, and Fluttershy has some sort of animal to take care of. It’s actually a phoenix from the Everfree forest, so that’s pretty cool I guess. Also, it’s kinda hard to write with just my mouth. Sorry, that’s why it took me so long to respond. The guys at Canterlot Colt studios need to work on that. I guess I should stop writing, gtg work on this thing. ~Rainbow Dash “Well it looks like the others aren’t coming,” Twilight sighed with resignation. “Well, might as well gather around for some intel. Pinkie, the reason I called you here is because I want to find out about diamond keys before blindly heading out for our journey for the crystal chests. We might find out about a location for one nearby.” “Okie doki loki!” she cheerfully chirped, bouncing in place for a few seconds. “Come along Spike! We have many tomes to go through.” Spike groaned with anticipation of the stacks of books he’d have to carry for Twilight. He stomped off after Twilight, as she trotted around looking for the librarian of the building. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight let out a large groan as she flipped the pile of books. Fortunately, there wasn’t a crowd of ponies in her area. They would have surely told her off for yelling in the library. Pinkie Pie and Spike looked on with concern as Twilight rubbed the wrinkles around her eyes. They were tense from all the books she had gone through, and the millions of words from those pages stuck to her eyes like faux glue. Yet absolutely nothing about diamond keys or crystal chests came up in the scrolls, encyclopedias, textbooks, history books, and tomes she had read in the past hour. Not even the Celestia-damned picture books gave her any clues. All she could glimmer from the texts were tales and legends of what the crystal chests possessed. Piles of gold bits showered in fountains, as lucky adventurers opened them. Heavenly weapons rose from the inner depths of its sparkling chambers, giving heroes the strength and might of a minor Alicorn. Armor that was forged from the fires of elder dragons gave its bearer protection equivalent to several mountains inside mountains. The only facts that she could capture from these stories were that the chests were extremely rare, and even more so were the keys to open them. Twilight could only imagine that she had a diamond key because she was friends with Sentinel. She somewhat resented that. It felt like he just gave her the key to send her on a wild goose chase, but she couldn’t hate him forever. After all, this entire chase had ignited a fire in her heart. This was a challenge to her, and these tales only bolstered her desire to find the treasures within the crystal chests. As her breath was slowing to a more manageable, calm level, she thought on the matter. Pinkie and Spike let out a sigh of relief as Twilight didn’t release her raging form. The ‘inner Twidash,’ her friends had taken to calling her in that state. Theyd gotten the name from the popular Ponymon games that Pinkie Pie had gotten her hooked on. As much as she liked the game, she was annoyed at her friends’ insistence for her to accept the nickname. To her, it sounded like some sort of weird shipping name for Rainbow and herself. She didn’t want to mention that though, since it would provide the girls more ammunition for their sleepovers. As she gradually calmed down to a tolerable state, she felt a suspicious presence nearby. She’d felt this shadowy presence before: Above the rooftops of Aeroslida, when she logged on the game for the first time. She jumped to her hooves and ran out of her reading corner to chase the being. She took Spike, and even Pinkie Pie, by surprise as she ran around the corner. “Twilight?” Spike shouted after her. “Where are you going?” Twilight didn’t answer his question as she swiftly laced through the bookshelves, like a thin sewing needle in Rarity’s dresses. In the time she spent thoroughly exploring the library for books on the diamond key, she came to know this place like the back of her hoof. She could feel the presence gaining speed as it was fleeing from her, but she knew that it was all in vain as she learned a pretty cool trick the night before. She was glad that Paperback took the time to share the spell with her; the process of how to use it was easy, after he shared the spell. After all, it was her specialty in real life. She concentrated the magical energy in her, as her horn flared up like a match. She focused on a picture of what the top of the bookshelves would look like. After she was okay with the image, she released the energy and initiated the spell. It teleported her in an instant, as it whisked her away to the top platforms of the shelves. She quickly looked around for the player that was stalking her, and saw a player in a dark cloak jumping from shelf to shelf with accuracy. She could catch a shade of yellow as her prey’s wings were revealed with each jump. The pony was gliding silently, to mask its escape. As Twilight started to run after the pony, Pinkie Pie called out after her. “Twilight!” she yelled. “Where are you?” “Up here!” Twilight shouted back. “Somepony was stalking our every move!” “What?! How rude! She didn’t even say hi to us! Grab on Spike!” Spike sounded hesitant. “Wh-what are you talking abou-AAAH!” Twilight spotted the two as Pinkie Pie rose up with Spike frantically holding onto her pink hood. Pinkie Pie gracefully landed on one of the platforms and made a couple of bounds across the gaps between shelves. After a couple of effortless leaps, she took her place next to Twilight. “Where is she?” she demanded. “She’s going to feel sorry for not saying hi to me! I wanted to throw her a party!” “You haven’t even met her Pinkie,” Twilight bluntly stated. “I’m not even sure if it is a she or a he. I didn’t see their face.” “Doesn’t matter!” Pinkie exclaimed, looking around as well to see the shadowy figure escaping from her. “Come back here!” She swiftly bounced after the pony in pursuit, with Spike yelling along the way. Twilight ran alongside with her, teleporting along the way to catch up with Pinkie’s unnatural ninja speed. After several minutes of chasing the pony down, they’ve reached the end of a hallway. It didn’t look like anything special, and there were no signs of the figure’s disappearance. Twilight carefully looked around, not wanting to be on the receiving end of any traps that the pony might have left behind. She had quickly learned that in video games, the shadowy pony that you chase always leaves traps to mask the presence of a secret entrance. She looked around for a lever or a button that could have been used to open a secret door. After a few seconds of searching, she found that one of the hanging wall candles were unlit. She pulled on the mount that held the candle and it gave way to a dim hallway behind it. As the door opened, the unicorn's every nerve shouted at her to not go down. It sent out waves of sinister power, and evil through her fur. However, these things were what she was born to go up against. Braving through the dark hallway is no more difficult. “Twilight,” Spike started with a hint of worry in his voice. “I’m not sure if I want to go down there.” “We have to Spike,” Twilight replied to him with determination in her voice. “I want to know what this guy is up to.” “But we don’t even know this pony. Why would we want to go after this guy? He might be dangerous!” Spike's arms flailed wildly for emphasis. “Because he knows about us! He obviously doesn’t want us to find out about him. I would like to ask him or her myself.” “I’m with you the entire way, Twilight,” Pinkie decided, with resolve. “I want to be friends with this pony.” Twilight shook her head with a roll of her eyes. Pinkie Pie could be so innocent sometimes. She stepped into the cobblestone hallway with her two companions behind her. Her vision grew darker and darker as she walked blindly into its depths. After several passing moments, she started to see the end of the tunnel, glowing red from an unknown light source. She emerged out of the darkness, to witness a huge chamber large enough to hold a blue whale. The room was filled with cobwebs, and red torches lined the walls with its crimson light. Several towering columns were left standing as they supported the rocky ceiling above. At the end of the chamber, a huge archway stood strong with a black sheen. Its surface glimmered with a black sheen, as if it was smoothed from the side of a volcano. The inside of the archway glowed with vicious purple as the portal flowed within it. The shadowy figure stood in front of the gateway as it basked in its brilliance. “Hey! Who are you?” Twilight bellowed after the figure. The pony was startled as he turned around. His sudden movement tossed his hood back, giving Twilight a peek at his muzzle. His yellow coat was paled to the point of looking almost snow-white. The bright, purple light showed off his messy, black mane as it tossed in the musky air. His face wasn’t chiseled handsomely like a hero, but he gave Twilight the impression of the cool guy from school. A vicious scar ran down through his right eye, starting from his eyebrow and stopping right at his cheek. His good eye shone with a brilliant bright red, as it burned with determination. “Oh wow!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “He looks kind of cute.” The colt was taken aback at the compliment. Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes and took a step forward accusingly. “Who are you and what do you want?” she demanded of him. “I want answers. You’ve been following us since the start, haven’t you?” The colt shied away a little at Twilight’s attentive perception. He dug into his cloak’s pockets and brought out a runed scroll. He quickly tossed the magic scroll in front of him and it suddenly busted into black smoke when it touched the ground. “Sorry Twilight,” he smirked. “You’ll have to catch me next time.” Twilight’s eyes widened with anger. “Hey! Wait!” she bellowed after him. It was too late however as he stepped into the portal. As the last of his tail disappeared, the gateway dissipated, leaving the group to deal with the smoke. A black figure emerged from the lightless cloud, and it gave off an unearthly growl. It was a black, giant Timber Wolf, the size of a double seated chariot. Its wooden skin had a sheen of black, glimmering faintly, and grey smoke was rising off from the cracks of its hide. Its red, deadly eyes spotted the group, and its deadly mouth drooled black slime at the anticipation of fresh ponies. Twilight Sparkle yelped as the wolf made a quick dash towards her. She jumped into the air as it charged right underneath her, baring its sharp canine teeth. Both Pinkie Pie and Spike quickly leapt to the left, with Spike leaving behind a fiery present of his green Dragon’s Breath. His attack burned the right side of its face, leaving it howling in pain as the fire consumed its body. That didn’t last long however as the smoke around it smothered the fire, extinguishing any burn effects that Spike caused. The monster howled darkly into the chamber, threatening the torches to go out. Twilight fearfully looked at the light sources, praying to Celestia that they wouldn’t go out. She landed behind the Timber Wolf and safely teleported away to a distance. As one of the torches went out, she cast an Incinerate spell upon the charred stick. The torch flared back to life because of the spell, but this time it had a bright orange flame instead of its original red color. “Spike!” she yelled out to the pair. “It’s trying to take out the torches! Stop him from howling while I re-light any torches he puts out!” Spike nodded with affirmation, and let out a couple more Dragon’s Breath attacks toward the beast. The wolf halted his howling to dodge the blasts. The wolf bounded towards the small dragon with its maw open wide, ready to gulp down the bite-sized dragon, with one chomp. It didn’t get the chance, however, as Pinkie Pie bashed the wolf with a huge lollipop from Celestia-knows-where. The impact shattered the weapon, dealing extra damage to the wolf as the mouth-watering shards pierced its hide. It staggered a little and let out a huge yawn. Pinkie Pie’s sleepy milk formula was doing its charm. As Twilight’s hopes were rising, they were quickly shot down like stone, as the smoke gathered in its mouth. The wolf snapped its derpy eyes back into focus and its face quickly took on an angry visage. Before Twilight could say anything to warn her friends, the wolf swiftly tackled against Spike’s small form. As the little dragon was down, the wolf grabbed his leg with its sharp teeth and tossed him in the air. Time seemed to slow down as Spike was falling down. The wolf had his mouth wide open, anticipating its much-needed meal. Pinkie Pie let out a scream as Spike landed in its jaws, his scaly purple tail and legs sticking out. Wolf closed its mouth crunched on the bones, letting the limbs fall to the floor. A shower of blood was tossed about as the wolf picked up the tail and shook it violently around in the air, and some of it landing on Twilight’s face. Something that tasted like iron landed in her open mouth. Pinkie Pie sat down on her haunches, sobbing up a lake, although a sound wasn’t uttered from either of them. Twilight’s vision was growing darker and darker with each passing second. For a moment, she thought the wolf was extinguishing the flames again, but it wasn’t. It was her rage building up again as Spike, whom she took as her adoptive son, died right in front of her by that thing. That monster. The thing that was going to be a Dead, Piece, Of, Wood. Her vision blurred crimson, as she charged the wolf. Her eyes let out tears salted with fury as her horn charged up with Magic Missile. She let out a stream of magic bullets that slammed into the monster like a train. It knocked back the wolf several meters away, but it landed on its feet with unnatural grace. Twilight didn’t know she had it in her, but she roared like a ferocious, wounded lion towards the Timber Wolf. It intimidated the monster for a moment, but it then sneered cruelly at Twilight’s angry cry. “YOU STUPID, BUCKING MUTT!” Twilight screeched, her scream pounding and bouncing in the chamber. “HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU FOR THAT!” Twilight conjured up a ring of wildfire, as she cast Incinerate around the vicious beast. The wolf looked around all smug as the flames closed in on it. It let out a huge bark and snuffed out Twilight’s attack. This attack actually damaged Twilight’s health as the air swept her off her feet. She and Pinkie slammed into the walls and she could feel her health cutting away. When she fell to the ground, the pain was almost unbearable to Twilight, which shouldn’t be right. The pony visor should have blocked 80% of what the actual pain should have felt in real life. As she tried to get up, she suddenly panicked. She couldn't feel her legs. Twilight cursed as she tried to get her legs to work, but all she could do was let her body slide to the ground. The wolf arrogantly howled in victory and slowly walked over to their still forms. It was taunting her. Twilight silently swore that she’ll get her vengeance on the wolf. She can’t quit here. She tried to get up again, but only managed to exert all of her strength. As the mutt drew closer and closer with its snarling mouth, Twilight could hear a small whimper coming from Pinkie Pie. She remembered that she was here as well, and was now terrified for her life; unlike the angry unicorn right beside her, plotting the wolf’s downfall. “It’s okay Pinkie Pie,” Twilight gently whispered. “I’m going to get you out of here. I promise.” Pinkie Pie turned to see Twilight all bloodied up, but was also smiling gently with reassurance. It made her feel a bit better inside, but it doesn’t change the fact that the wolf was about to gobble them up. To Twilight, the feeling was mutual as well, when Pinkie Pie formed a small, sad smile of her own. As the wolf stopped right above them, Twilight could feel drips of its saliva falling down onto her face. The wolf opened its mouth over Twilight’s head and stretched it wide to fit her head. As it brought its teeth upon her, a cyan blur dashed into the wolf, sending it flying across the room. Twilight raised her head up to see Rainbow Dash smiling down on her. She could feel her hoof gently patting on her mane. “You did your part, ya egghead,” Rainbow Dash whispered softly, glad to know her friend was alright. “It’s my turn now.” Rainbow Dash swiftly turned towards the wolf’s direction and flared her wings up, preparing for flight and fight. It only took her to flap her wings once to achieve the unmatchable speeds, tackling the wolf again at the height of her wingpower. Twilight could feel her strength coming back to her again as a familiar dragon fed her a sweet drink. The sugary substance healed her wounds right away, as their magical healing properties traveled around her body, regenerating any loss of blood she had and fixed her broken bones. “Sorry Pinkie,” Spike apologized remorsefully. “I had to use your potions to heal you both.” He yelped as Pinkie Pie gave him a huge bear hug as she exclaimed, “It’s okay Spike! I’m just happy you’re still alive!” The party mare’s face then scrunched into confusion. “How did Rainbow Dash get here anyway?” “I told her we were in trouble, and I showed her the way here. It didn’t really take much to convince her.” “But the spawn point is so far away!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I don’t even think I can go around the city that fast. How did you find her so quickly?” “Well Pinkie,” he chuckled. “I had a little help from a certain programmer.” “Hey girls. Sup?” Twilight glanced up to see Sentinel also standing by, grinning from ear to ear cheekily. He had changed his mane since she last saw him. It was still the messy shape as always, but now it was colored red with two blue stripes of different shades lining down. The stripe pattern reminded Twilight of her mane’s style. He was strangely standing on his hind legs, making him taller than usual, and he had an opened laptop in his hooves. His brilliant, blue eyes shimmered as they reflected the blocks of code off his screen. “S– Sentinel?” Twilight asked quizzically. “What are you doing here?” “Well, I just happened to have spotted Spike all by his lonesome at one of the spawn houses. He was quite shaken up, and told me what had happened,” he explained. He sucked in a little air through his teeth before continuing, sounding a bit impressed and disturbed. “I have to say this; getting swallowed in one bite is one hell of a way to go. Anyway, he told me that you girls were in trouble so I decided to lend a hoof. I knew Rainbow Dash was in town so I used a couple of shortcuts to transport us to her location. After that, well, we went over to the library in a jiffy, and here we are.” He gave Twilight a silly smile, like his actions weren’t a big deal. “Being a programmer for this game is fun, once you get to enjoy the perks!” Twilight slowly nodded, her expression still shocked. “Th– thanks, Sentinel. I don’t know what would have happened to us if you hadn’t come. B– but Spike here is– ” “Perfectly fine, and like I said, it’s because of him that I’m here.” Twilight turned her gaze to Spike, who was blushing profoundly in his spot. “It wasn’t such a big deal, honest! I just told him what happen that’s all.” Spike scratched his chin. “Although I can’t really remember what happened before I respawned. How the heck did that happen anyway?” Twilight stood there for a moment before deciding to tear up a little. She gave Spike her best motherly hug and cried a little. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Thank you, Spike.” Spike was slightly shocked by her tears, but returned the hug stronger with a chuckle. “It’s wasn’t a big deal. I would have done anything to save you.” “Yes, but really I’m just happy you’re okay. You seriously gave me a scare when it ate you.” Twilight’s heart broke a little as Spike pushed a bit away from the hug, although she could see the shock on his face. “I was eaten?!” <----------------------> Rainbow Dash's BGM <----------------------> The very heartwarming moment lasted only for a few moments, before the wolf’s body was slammed into the wall next to them followed by a very angry mare. The wolf didn’t even get to let out a snarl before Rainbow Dash grabbed it by the tail, and tossed him away from the others. Rainbow Dash gave Sentinel an angry glare not because he did something wrong, but because it seemed like she had been through Tartarus and back. The wolf must have been something else to damage the swift Pegasus that much. “I can’t damage this bucker. What’s going on?” she angrily shouted, demanding to know why the monster was still up and fighting. Sentinel popped some rimless glasses out of thin air, and placed them upon his muzzle. “Well let’s take a look here...” He browsed through the laptop and gave a long whistle. “Wow, level thirty? No wonder you couldn’t kill him,” he then tapped a few buttons on his keyboard to bring up more data, then squinted at the screen, bewildered by the data he was receiving. “Huh, there’s something that’s preventing the monster from losing health points. A god-mode hack!” With the utmost precision, the sandy-brown unicorn turned towards the growling Timber Wolf, and then pressed down on the Enter key. The laptop shivered a little before shooting a bright, blue beam of light at the monster, covering it in a blue sphere of swirling data. It snarled loudly as it attempted to break free, but it couldn’t as the stream of code withstood its strength. Gradually, a stream of red fog was coming out of the cracks in the wooden monster’s hide, joining the rest of the blue data. The red fog was destroyed as the blue numbers enveloped it, destroying away the data that gave the monster godlike endurance. Suddenly, the timber wolf’s nameplate appeared above the monster, showing its designation name: Shadow Timber Wolf. That quickly changed, however, as the blue numbers flying around it swallowed the name, altering it to Shadow Timber Dog. It took a while for Rainbow Dash register what just happened, before raised an eye brow with an amused look on her face. “S.T.D.? Really?” she chuckled knowingly. “Hey, I gotta have some fun too, 'cause I can’t join you in this fight,” Sentinel reasoned. “This is the best I can do as an admin.” “Whatever, he’s going down.” Rainbow Dash pulled out a multi-colored sword from her sheath. “Wait a second. I can lower the monster’s level too, so that you can have an easier fight.” “No thanks. I like the challenge.” “You sure?” Rainbow Dash looked back and him, looking at him with a smirk. “Do you really need to ask me?” With her piece spoken, she charged forward at the creature like a speed demon, flying through the air like a sharp arrow. The wolf anticipated her move and opened his mouth to roared at Rainbow Dash, letting out a blast of air hit her. She however didn’t get hit as she intercepted the jet of air with the point of her sword, cutting through the gale with the tip of its blade. Before it could finish its vicious roar, Dash curved around the wolf and flanked around to its left. She quickly swung her sword down to his neck for the final blow, but it anticipated this and quickly spun its head up and chomped on the rainbow blade, preventing the attack from fully killing him. Drips of dark blood went loose from the wolf’s mouth, but it didn’t let go of its hold on the weapon. Rainbow Dash didn’t care about the trapped sword, as she had another tool stashed up her wings; her hoof. She brought it down to deliver a swift punch to the wolf’s eye, causing it to cry out in a pained howl. Taking advantage of the open window, she rapidly used Dash It on the beast, aiming for all of his legs. She sliced at each and every one of his heels, causing him to howl even more. A Speed Down symbol appeared over his head. The symbol was a downward arrow and a pair of wings beside it, signifying the beast’s loss of agility. The Timber Wolf glared angrily at his opponent, now seeing it as not food, but as a foe of equal power. It was something that posed a very serious threat to him. Wanting to end the fight quickly, it let out a howl of deadly proportions, and it deafened everypony's ears in the room. The situation turned even more mind-boggling when the wolf’s shadow started to shiver violently, as if it was badly wounded. In response of the howl, several tendrils of solid darkness made their appearance as they rose from the wolf’s shadow. The tip of each one was sharpening until into they resembled some very pointy spears, looking very deadly and dangerous. The wolf continued howling as it commanded the shadow tendrils to dart towards Rainbow Dash, intending to impale her. Not worried at the slightest, she angled her way through the storm of shadows as she made her way towards the wolf. Then something amazing was starting to happen as Rainbow Dash raised her sword above her head. It seemed that the light the sword was giving off was playing tricks on Twilight, but she swore that she was seeing more than one Rainbow Dash in front of her eyes. In fact, Twilight was seeing a small army of them. Each one of them was seemingly unharmed as the shadows attacked them. Rainbow Dash’s blade shined with pristine light each time another Rainbow Dash appeared. Was this one of Rainbow Dash's new skills? The Rainbow Dash army finally dissipated when one of them reached within striking distance of the wolf, leaving behind the solitary Dash to deal the final blow. The real Rainbow Dash, with no hesitation, swiftly ran the blade through the monster's throat, finally putting an end to the monster's horrific howls. Both the Timber Wolf and the tendrils both faded away into shadowy dust as its health bar emptied. Rainbow Dash was left the last mare standing, panting breaths of musky air. She tried to lean against one of the pillars for some much needed rest, but she missed it by an inch and Rainbow Dash found herself falling towards the ground. Not really caring, she closed her eyes and awaited the hard impact of the stone floor, only to meet with the soft landing of Twilight Sparkle's soft, purple coat. The mare mage smiled as Rainbow Dash tiredly accepted the help, and wrapped one of her wings around Twilight. “Come on, Dash. I’ll get you some cider.” Rainbow Dash has reached Lv 22! She has gained the following Skills! ~Dash It – Rank 3: 110% Dmg. Rush through your enemies with a blade weapon. Aim for their calves to lower their Movement Speed. Debuff stacks up until all of the target's legs are cut. The percentage of Movement Speed lost is # of Legs Cutted/# of Monster Legs Next Rank: 20%+ Dmg. ~Spectrum Slash: Buff Skill. Used with ‘Dash It’ skill. Adds 30% more Dmg to ‘Dash It’ and gives it a Light Attribute. Gives the user the ability to create fake images of the user from the light of the blade. Holograms are cool. Twilight Sparkle has reached Lv 20! She has gained the following Skills! ~Magic Missile – Rank 4: Charge up a single blast for 240% Dmg or release a barrage of 3 smaller blasts for 40% each. Cooldown for Full Charge is 10 seconds. Cooldown for Barrage is 3 seconds. Next Rank: +10% Dmg. Knockback effect added. ~Incinerate – Rank 3: 170% Dmg. AoE. Inflicts Burn Dmg that deals -20 hitpoints to inflicted enemy overtime. Next Rank: +20% Dmg Burn your enemies to a crisp! Pinkie Pie has reached Lv 18! She has gained the following Skills! ~Lollichop: 150% Take out a large battleaxe in the shape of a lolipop. It shatters upon impact, unleashing shards of delectable goodness that can pierce through enemy's armor. Deals 10 HP dmg per sec X per shard. Next Rank: 10%+ Dmg. 5 HP Dmg per second for each shard. ~Sweet Needles! – Rank 3: Throw candy-disguised trauq darts to lower your all your opponent’s stats by 7%. Next Rank: 1%+ effect. ~Candy Cloud – Rank 3: Throw a candy-dust infused bomb that lowers your opponent’s speed by 50%. AoE. Next Rank: 10%+ effect. That really smells good. Can I rest here? ~Extend Jump: Increases your jump height by 50%. Next Rank: Double Jump. Almost like flying. Spike has reached Lv 16! He has gained the following Skills! ~Dragon’s Breath – Rank 4: 210% Dmg. AoE in front of Player. Inflicts Burn Dmg that deals -20 hitpoints to inflicted enemy over time. Can continue to cast it until MP is drained. Next Rank: 20%+ Dmg. I don’t know how to say this, but you are almost a fully grown dragon. ~Iron Tail: 150% Dmg. Smack your opponent with a tail as strong as iron. Knockback effect included. Next Rank: 30%+ Dmg. Totally not a stolen move from a certain pocket monster game.
*Chapter 07: Tricky Problems*Chapter 07: Tricky Problems A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 7~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 No more than ten minutes later, a squad of players had already formed around the entry way to the dark tunnel. Some had lab coats, while others had hard hats. They were all checking out the entrance with blue-light scanners or simply taking out its cobblestone bricks, for physical examination. They immediately made way for Twilight as she carried the tired Dash out the stony passageway. Some nodded to her in sympathy, other ponies just ignored the duo and carried on with their work. However, there was one pony that caught Twilight’s attention. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight cried out in surprise. “What are you doing here?” Her mentor smiled warmly at her most faithful student before speaking, “I heard troubling news that a certain lavender unicorn was in trouble, so I came to help out. However,” She turned to regard their new arrivals, as Sentinel and Spike appeared out from the dark halls. “It seems that you were in good hooves.” “It’s a pleasure of mine to help my friends, Princess Celestia,” Sentinel pleasantly added. “Friends are, after all, life’s most gifted treasures.” He swept the dust off his laptop before opening it again. The LCD screen brightened his face up as he scrolled through the passageway’s data being monitored. His emotions getting more troubled with each passing line of information. “Besides, as a Code Warrior, it is my job to find out these annoying bugs and buggers,” he admitted, a serious look on his face. “This hallway is no different matter.” "Code Warrior?" Twilight asked. "We're a division that was created as soon as the game was fully finished. Our job is to fix glitches and ban hackers. Because of the way VR programming works, we have to do it inside the game itself. Get right to the core of the problem. It's a lot easier than looking through the mess of code these games have." He snapped the laptop closed and carefully stowed it away into his saddlebag. He then took out a single note and quickly wrote a message on the sheet of papyrus. He handed the note card to one of the lab coat ponies and turned his attention back to Twilight. “It seems that you guys have stumbled upon hacker territory,” he shook his head in disapproval of its existence. “Honestly, I don’t know what would motivate a pony to make a hidden room, but at least this will help us track down the guy. You’ve helped a lot by pursuing that mysterious pony.” His face suddenly turned into curiosity, “By the way, you never told me what the guy looked like. Anything you can tell us?” Twilight pondered for a moment as she searched her memories. “Well, if I remember correctly, I think that he was a pegasus.” “Go on.” “His coat is pale yellow, has red eyes, and has a scar on his right eye,” Twilight summarized. As she listed her descriptions, a flash of emotions passed on Sentinel’s face. It quickly disappeared though, just as fast as it had appeared. Twilight wouldn’t say it out loud, but she could have sworn the look he gave would have been at home on the guilty. She had seen that face too many times to count, when she caught Spike hoarding a few items from the town. He still had that problem ever since he started maturing. “Thanks.” Sentinel went over to whisper something to a gryphon when another stallion came over to Twilight. He had a look of annoyance and a gruff muzzle to complete his disproval. The Earth Pony was muscular in stature and was dressed down in military uniform. It reminded of her brother’s own uniform that he would wear at formal military meetings and parties. “Sorry,” the brusque stallion barked officially. “But we can’t let any players witness our investigations. You’ll have to leave the vicinity immediately.” “Oh come on Roast,” Sentinel half-complained, half-whined. He looked over his shoulder with an irritated look. “There’s no need for any harsh judgment. They just had a bad day.” “I wouldn’t care if they came out of the belly of a dragon,” Roast disagreed whole-heartedly. “Our work is confidential to the eyes of the players. Code Warriors are not supposed to be known either! Not until later! Why did you think I had all the ponies escorted out of the library?” he shot a condescending glare at the unicorn. “Well so-o-orry Mr. Roast,” Sentinel rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Sorry if I’ve made your job harder.” To Twilight, the two stallions didn’t seem to be the best of friends. Both of them stared each other down, for what seemed to be hours on end. It continued on until Roast finally scoffed and walked away, to check on the tunnel. Sentinel continued to glare at the hulking stallion, until he was gone from his sight. He gave an apologetic smile to the mares. “Sorry that he gave you a hard time,” he apologized quickly. “He is, err, very dutiful in his work. And he’s right about one thing, Code Warriors aren’t exactly supposed to be world-wide news. The higher-ups think that we would receive negative feedback if the players know that there are people like us that can dramatically alter the game. They might think we're hackers, too OP, or something.” “That’s okay,” Twilight assured him sympathetically, holding a hoof to her chest. “We needed to leave anyway. Rainbow Dash needs a little rest, and I don’t think a library full of busy staff players would be the proper place for her.” Twilight waved goodbye to her mentor and the Code Warrior before making her way towards the exit. As her tail disappeared in the forest of books, along with Spike’s and Pinkie Pie’s, Sentinel shot a look of worry at Celestia. She in turn nodded, frowning seriously. “Do you think they should know what we're really dealing with?” Celestia pondered this for a moment before replying, “No. It is best that some secrets are best kept hidden. Even from my beloved student. If she know what we were facing, she would insist upon helping us. Just let her relax and enjoy the game.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash downed another mug of cider, as the bartender hoofed her one. The Sweet Fruit was always a great hangout for the girls, after a long day of adventure. However, Twilight made sure to stay away from the 'hard' drinks. So this time, she had a cup of non-alcoholic cider. Rainbow Dash, in the meantime, was looking pretty recovered from her 9th mug. By all math and scientific equations, a normal pony should of collapsed at the 7th, but the prismatic mare still managed to hold on to her wits. “Thanks for the drink, Quick Drink,” Rainbow Dash thanked the bartender. The colt just nodded in her direction and went back to tending the other customers. “So Twilight, what did you need from me at the library in the first place?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Originally we were going to go to Trottingham, but a couple of someponies made it late to the game,” Twilight replied, an annoyed edge in her tone. “I had to stay behind so I wouldn’t get separated from you girls.” “But the rides are infinite,” Rainbow Dash objected. “Aren’t there always another ride?” “The servers were overloaded today,” Twilight explained. “The last one was about two hours ago.” “Oh.” Rainbow Dash sheepishly ran a hoof through her colorful mane. “I’m that late, huh?” Twilight grumbled in agreement, “Anyway, the reason I called the both of you was that I needed an extra hoof on gathering info about this diamond key.” She opened her inventory and levitated the glimmering key out of its hold. She made sure to hide it from sight, so its glaring sparkle wouldn’t attract undue attention. “I couldn’t make a hoof or tail out of this thing,” she explained, disappointment evident in her voice. “So, I went to the library, searching for anything about crystal chests and their keys,” she sighed in frustration. “I didn’t find anything in its tomes.” She then cocked an eyebrow and shot curious look at the pegasus, “You never really did tell us why you were busy. What could be more important than research?” “I was working on a new skill!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly. She unsheathed her multi-hued sword, and admired it for a moment. She twisted it around; making the light bounce off the flat side of the blade. The spot where the light bounced to then glowed and another cyan mare suddenly appeared with a grin. Twilight mouth dropped open in surprise, and then closed in recollection of the fight, when Rainbow Dash struck down the wolf. “Wow! That’s so cool!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing on her hooves for a few seconds. “I mean I could do that too in real life, but I don’t do it often because it would attract too much attention. I have this magic mirror in the Cakes’ basement, it’s how I create my copies, but like I said, I don’t use it much. But I don’t think it has that awesome lightshow that you sword has, and that is pretty cool!” “You bet!” Rainbow Dash boasted, trying to ignore the weird first half of Pinkie’s speech. “This skill is pretty cool right? I mean, having two Rainbow Dashes is pretty amazing.” She sheathed her sword and the decoy dissipated. “I’ll admit it. If it weren’t for my new skill we all would have been that wolf’s next meal.” “Wow,” Spike stated, his voice full of admiration. “That is pretty cool! What’s it called?” “Spectrum Slash.” The four chatted for a while. The majority of their topics were about the process of how Rainbow Dash acquired the skill. Apparently, a lot of paperwork had to be done with the Schools of Learning. She explained how there was a school for all sorts of classes, and the Scouts' Academy, where was she applied for the custom skill. Dash had to talk it up with the school’s administration, which apparently was run by a faction in the game’s staff. The after the paperwork was filled out, it was only a matter of training for a time, until she got the skill down. It cost her a few hooful of bits, but it was well worth it in the end. The group of friends decided that they could use a bit a fresh air, however works in a virtual world, so they walked towards the grassy Cloud Park for a little relaxation. As they neared the central water fountain, they could hear a chorus of fanfare and drum rolls from the crowd surrounding it. A colorful stage could be seen rising above the sea of players, coupled with a few fireworks being set off. The rockets filled the air with vibrant colors, causing the crowds to cheer in ecstasy. A mare’s voice could be heard booming over the thrilled crowd. “Come one and all! Witness in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie wows you with her magical prowess!” “Oh no,” Rainbow Dash facehoofed in annoyance. “That can’t be Her. Can it?” “That’s Trixie!” Pinkie Pie cheerfully squeaked as the bright azure mare emerged from the smoke on stage. The mare had the same wizard hat Twilight saw when she performed, but she was also gowned in a spectacular lavender robe, adorned with stars and crescent moons. She still had the same, smug look on her as she landed on stage. “Why are you so happy?” Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie with an irritated edge. “Well, she may not be as good as Twilight,” Pinkie Pie explained. “But she knows how to put on a good show!” “If she wasn’t a complete bucker all the time,” Rainbow Dash objected petulantly. “Come on girls,” Twilight chided. “Let’s just see how she’s been doing.” Trixie was really getting the crowd to eat out of her hoof. They awed at each magic trick Trixie conjured up. Compared to the last performance Twilight saw in real life, the tricks the boastful mare pulled off were amazing. Instead of the ‘rabbit out of the hat’ and ‘sawing a pony in half’, she manipulated with a lot of fire elements. She painted the cloudy skies with a rough sketch of dragons and phoenixes. She animated scenes of great battles long past, and set them ablaze with her flames. If Twilight didn’t know any better, she would have thought that Trixie was a goddess of fire. The show came to a spectacular end, as Trixie amazed the crowd with an actual phoenix, bursting out of an egg of fire. The ‘birth’ of the legendary bird had drawn lines of beautiful shaded patterns over the skies. It caused the heavens to glow wondrously with a vivid, orange hue. It reminded Twilight of the hearth fire in Celestia’s bedroom, as she would study underneath her teacher's wings. The crowd slowly dispersed as Trixie started packing up. Twilight could see a couple of bulky warriors were helping her bundle up her wooden stage. One was heavily armored, with a night pattern crossing over the armor's plates. The armor itself, really only covered his back, leaving his cutie mark, coat, and mane exposed. His furry, chestnut brown coat went well with his cutie mark. Three dark patches surrounded his main insignia: two crossed, silver swords. Twilight can tell that the stallion was obviously a hard-worn veteran of battle. The other warrior was a dark burgundy gryphon. His eyes glowed with purple, as the areas around his eyes were shaded with the color. His eyes were the same color as well. Snow white feathers adorned the top of his head, but the most prominent feature was the warrior's lower half. His silver plate-mail armor revealed enough, for Twilight to observe that the gryphon had the back paws and tail of a great silver wolf. That bit made her shiver with a bit of tension. A Cynogryphon. A very rare breed of gryphon, half dog and half avian. As the group of friends neared with each step, Twilight started to bead with sweat. The last time Trixie left Ponyville, it was on good terms. She still couldn’t help but feel that she still wasn’t satisfied. Did Trixie still harbor a grudge towards her? What if she retaliated with one of those fire spells? Her thoughts were quickly answered, as Trixie noticed them. Her small smile suddenly turned into a sly smile. Her dark violet eyes took on an intense edge. The two warriors sensed trouble, and placed their guards toward Twilight. Twilight guessed she could start with a polite greeting. “H-hey Trixie,” she stammered slightly. “How has life been treating you?” Trixie harrumphed with a cold tone. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is doing just fine. What are you doing here?” Why is Trixie still cold towards me?, Twilight thought. She remembered Trixie departing from Ponyville with a bright attitude. “Nothing that concerns you!” Rainbow Dash shouted. She quickly made an angry dash for the showmare, only to be stopped by Twilight’s telekinesis magic skill. Her tail was pulled back to the ground as Twilight tried to avoid any unnecessary violence. Trixie’s guards drew their weapons, but Trixie waved them away. Twilight could feel something was up. She could sense adrenaline emitting from the magician, because it looked like she was trying very hard to burn her to a crisp. “The Great and Powerful Trixie can still see that you’re still trying to tame your friends,” Trixie scoffed offhandedly. “Especially that one. You should put a leash on that wild pegasus.” “WHY YOU LITTL-.“ Rainbow Dash’s insult was cut off as Twilight covered her mouth with a hoof. “Calm yourself, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight told her. She turned towards Trixie. “Why are you acting like this toward us? I thought we were friends!” Rainbow Dash seemed to be trying very hard to get out of the librarian’s tight grip. Trixie was enjoying the sight of the unicorn actively restraining the furious pegasus. “That doesn’t seem to be the case, with Rainbow Dash trying to attack me just a bit ago,” Trixie pointed out. “You’re very lucky that I held my associates back, or they would be tearing you into pieces.” The cynogyphon nodded his head in agreement, but the stallion seemed very uneasy with the possibilty of fighting Twilight and her friends. The tension drew taught in the air, as the two unicorns stared each other down. Twilight was trying very hard to look sincere and calm, while Trixie was giving her nothing, except a cold wasteland of hate and envy. Twilight gulped as the showmare stomped her hoof on one of the stage's wooden planks. The two warriors suddenly got into battle stances, the stallion looking very shocked and sorry for what has to come. “Sorry, but it looks like that would be the case,” Trixie apologized with no real concern in her voice. The air around Twilight grew warmer, before the bookworm realized the worst had come to pass. She let go of Rainbow Dash and concentrated on a safe spot to teleport to. She quickly teleported, appearing a few meters away from the circle of fire. Pinkie Pie was high up in the air along with Rainbow Dash, while Spike stayed behind, unharmed by the flames licking his purple scales. Spike shot a few blasts of Dragon’s Breath, while Pinkie Pie brought out a large lollipop. Rainbow Dash was already embedded in combat with the stallion and the cynogryphon, weaving through their attacks with fake copies of herself. Twilight could feel the heat surrounding her again. This time, she made sure to teleport inside the pool of the water fountain. She could feel the coolness of the water, as it washed over her mane. It wasn’t much, but it should provide some protection against Trixie’s burning fire. She pounced on the staged and faced towards Trixie. The showmare saw the coat of water dripping down Twilight and scoffed at the appearance. “It looks like the heroine is willing to get wet to avoid The Great and Powerful Trixie’s wrath,” she insulted Twilight. “Be that way then.” Trixie lowered her horn towards Twilight. The unicorn could see the particles in the air gathering around the magician’s horn, giving it a vivid glow. She was charging up a Magic Missile. Twilight lowered her head to charge up a Magic Missile of her own. She was almost charged up enough to unleash the blast when a booming voice made its presence known in the air. “ENOUGH OF THIS VIOLENCE!” the voice boomed. A light wave blinded Twilight, to the extent she could only see whiteness. As her vision cleared up, she realized her magic was canceled, as well as Trixie’s. That didn’t surprise her as much as the two princesses between the both of them. The ponies around the vicinity bowed as their rulers settled themselves. Twilight realized with horror, that her mentor had probably been watching her actions. She got down to the wooden floor and closed her eyes in fear of disappointing Princess Celestia. “Rise, Twilight Sparkle,” a voice spoke softly, yet sternly. Twilight looked up to see the disappointed look on her mentor’s face. She winced at the stern face she had to see. It was not a good sight to see in your life, as your beloved teacher stared down at you in disapproval, especially since she was the co-ruler of Equestria. Princess Luna was equally looking severe as she gave Trixie the same stare. “What do you have to say, my student?” they both questioned the mares respectively. Twilight’s eyes grew large in surprise. Trixie was a student under Princess Luna? How could she have not known that before? The troubling silence grew until Princess Luna spoke. “We’ll speak of your actions later in the morning,” Luna softly, but sternly spoke. “For now, I would like you to get some rest. You have a big day ahead of you.” Trixie gave Princess Luna a look of sad understanding, and got up from her kneeling position. She glanced at Twilight and shot her a look. Another time. Trixie brightly digitized as she logged off from the game. Her two companions looked at each other before logging off as well. Twilight looked at her friends, to see them looking worried as well. She turned back to Princess Celestia to see what she had to say. “Why did you fight with her?” Celestia asked Twilight, looking on with concern. “Player killing outside of PvP matches is illegal in the game. It promotes unhealthy hatred, and spawn-camping at the Re-Spawn Houses.” “I’m sorry Princess Celestia,” Twilight apologized profusely. “I tried to reason with her but-“ “No buts, my faithful student. I know it’s not your fault, but you could have tried to not retaliate against Trixie.” Celestia shot an irritated look at Luna. The Princess of the Night sheepishly shrugged as she added, “We apologize for our student’s behavior. We’ll try to sort it out with her tomorrow.” Princess Celestia nodded before turning back to her student. “It will be morning soon. You should wake up, you have a big day ahead of you.” The princess rubbed her head against Twilight’s neck with comfort, showing no hard feelings were had. The two goddesses then digitized, as they logged off. Twilight looked up at the sky where Celestia had gone. She then turned to her friends as she walked off the stage. She looked at the troubled mares and her assistant, and tried to give them a warm smile. “See you girls in the morning,” Twilight murmured softly. The girls nodded slowly before Twilight brought up the quit screen and logged off for the night.
*Chapter 08: Back into the Real World*Chapter 08: Back into the Real World A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 8~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song: Color - Code Geass OP1 Twilight’s irises were greeted by thin streamers of light that were piercing through her window blinds. They splashed around the room, in an array of golden puddles. She winced as Spike opened them up, letting the full force of light shine in her eyes. She squinted her eyes a little, to avoid temporary blindness. There was one thing for sure that the bookworm had determined about the visors. They don’t make very good replacements for sunglasses. She set aside the visor on her nightstand, and went to the bathroom to freshen herself up. Spike, as usual, already brushed his teeth and went downstairs to prepare breakfast. Twilight ran a hot shower, after a minute, she tested the water before stepping into the marble tub, making sure it wasn’t too scalding. She then stepped into the warm rain and completed her regular cycle of lather and rinse with her shampoo and conditioner. As she washed the night sweat away, she thought about Trixie, and last night’s fight in Aeroslida. Why in Equestria didn’t Celestia tell her that Luna had a new student? Was it private information or something? Twilight would understand that, but the ponies around town already knew she was Celestia’s prized pupil. She would have assumed that with Luna gaining a new student, gossip would soon follow. Were they keeping Trixie an absolute secret? Out of sheer frustration, Twilight viciously smashed her hoof against the wall tiles. She heard a tiny crack from the stone walls. This only made her aggravation a bit worse. After a few more stressful poundings to vent her frustration, she looked at the damage she had dealt. The poor wall had a few new cracks in it. The circles of damage were connecting to each other, forming an intricate web design. Twilight sighed as the cracks started to spread on their own. She quickly fixed the growing problem, with a glow of magic. After the refreshing wash she dried herself, until her coat was all fuzzy and soft. She then made her way downstairs, towards the kitchen. A waft of fresh pancake bliss flared up her nostrils. It was a pretty heavenly smell. She sat down on the cushions she used for seats, and waited for Spike to hand out the pancakes. As Spiked handed her plate to her, she saw that he was cooking them with light blueberries. The azure shade of blue reminded her of the showmare. Twilight gave out an audible sigh. “What’s wrong Twilight?” Spike asked, a very concerned look upon his face. “It’s nothing Spike,” she murmured dejectedly. “It doesn’t seem like nothing,” he grumbled. Twilight groaned out of the frustration. “It’s just that- why is Trixie even Luna’s student? It just doesn’t make any sense! I thought we were friends the last time she left Ponyville!” “I don’t know. Maybe she forgot,” Spike suggested to get her confidence up. “But that doesn’t make any sense!” Twilight levitated a fork, and prodded her stack of breakfast cakes in a depressing manner. “She seemed so angry last night.” “W-well, at least you had good intentions.” “But what’s the point of good intentions?” Twilight angrily took a bite out the delectable goodness, then pushed the plate away. “Sorry Spike. I guess I’m not hungry.” Twilight gloomily walked back up the stairs again, and plopped right on the bed. She had no idea what she should do today. Obviously, she should apologize to Trixie, maybe even talk to her for a while. Honestly, she never thought that Trixie would attack her again. Apparently, fate had other plans, and she was going to follow them. She just hoped it won’t end up going down in flames. “Spike!” Twilight called out loudly. “Take a letter to the Princess.” The little dragon came up the stairs with a quill and paper. He dipped the quill in an ink well on Twilight’s nightstand, and waited for Twilight’s words. “Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began. “I’ve been considering my previous actions from last night, as of late. The turmoil and frustration inside me won't stop flowing. I want to put a stop to that, so I’ve made my decision. I'm going to stop by Canterlot for a little visit. I want to strengthen my relationship with Trixie, and hope for that best that she’ll accept me once more. I know I already accepted her. Hope to see you soon. Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.” “Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle,” Spike repeated as he finished the letter. He rolled the message up into a scroll, tied it with the usual Royal ribbon, and washed it all over with his green fire. The scroll burst into sparkling ashes and floated its way through the window. Twilight started packing her saddlebags for anything she might need for the trip. Maybe she’ll stop by Sugarcube Corner for a little apology treat she could offer. That would be a nice thing to do for Trixie, right? “Twilight, are you sure it’s such a good idea to see Trixie?” Spike asked, doubt obviously edged in his voice. “Yes,” she replied to him with assurance. “If I don’t resolve that matter with Trixie, nothing good will come of it. A wise pony once said that actions speak louder than words. I’m pretty sure that both the visit and the apology combined, will form an even greater combination.” Spike was about to say something, but then he started to look a bit queasy. He burped up more green flames, with a scroll in tow. Twilight captured the scroll in mid-air with magic and unveiled the letter with ease. Dear my most faithful student, I understand that you would like to fix the bridge between you and my sister’s student, but perhaps you could wait for a day? Ms. Lulamoon has been getting a bit difficult as of late. Not even Luna could get a moment to talk with her about you. I won’t stop you from coming over, but perhaps you could maybe avoid her for a day. I would love to have tea with you sometime, while you’re here. It’s been a while since we’ve had a conversation face to face. With utmost sincerity, Princess Celestia “Trixie doesn’t want to see you?” Spike questioned her uneasily. He was reading the letter along over the mare's shoulder with her. “I don’t think so Spike,” Twilight told him. “She seemed to be just as frustrated as I, only more irritated.” Twilight swung her bags over her back, and started for the door. She felt a pull on one of them. She looked down to see Spike nervously fidgeting with his claws. “Um, can I come with you?” Spike asked quietly. “Sorry Spike, but somebody needs to watch the library while I’m gone. I get the feeling I’ll be in Canterlot for a long time.” “Okay,” Spike looked down dejectedly, as he adjusted the bags' straps. The bags felt a bit more comfortable on her now. “Just be careful, alright?” Twilight gave him a warm hug and rubbed one of her cheeks against his own. “Don’t worry, I will.” Twilight watched Spike close the door behind her as she made her way for the train station. The skies seemed to be clear as day, with the sun smacked right on its blue canvas. It seemed to her that her mentor was trying to make her day a bit brighter, but Twilight didn’t feel any chipper. She noticed a cyan blur pop out from one of the hoofful of clouds in the sky, and was making a beeline for her. Twilight slowed to a trot as Rainbow Dash glided down towards her. “Hey Twilight!” Rainbow Dash flittered in the space next to the bookworm so she would stay in mid-air. “What’s up?” Twilight considered telling her about Trixie, but held back at the last second. “Oh ummm, I’m just going for a walk!” “Really?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Yes,” Twilight chuckled awkwardly. “Just a regular old walk.” “Really?” she asked, this time with doubt. “That’s a lot of stuff to be carrying for a, ‘simple walk.’” Dash did hoof gestures to emphasize her increasing suspicion. “Are you going somewhere?” “Errrrr,” Twilight mangled the excuse she was going to give. She would have expected this type of questioning from Applejack, but Rainbow Dash completely threw her off. What was she supposed to say now? She couldn’t just tell the headstrong pegasus that she was going to visit Trixie. She could say she was going to Canterlot, but that would obviously lead Dash to asking another question. Just as she was considering her thoughts, Spike rushed from the treehouse with a small booklet in his hand. “Twilight! You forgot your train pass,” Spike yelled as he ran towards them. By the time he handed Twilight the pass, he collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Twilight nervously turned back towards Rainbow Dash. She was glaring at the anxious bookworm, looking quite demanding for a proper answer. “Oh,” and Spike mentioned, breathing heavily with each word. “When you... Get there... Tell Trixie... I said hi...” He then took a small nap right on the spot. “TRIXIE?!” Twilight winced as Dash yelled the name at the top of her lungs. She rubbed the side of her ears, to ease the pain they just experienced. She could feel herself feeling a little panicky. The beads of sweat were more than enough proof for her. “How could you go see Trixie!?” Rainbow Dash bellowed. “That showmare is nothing but a big show off!” “Please, Rainbow Dash. You must understand that this is a very serious matter,” Twilight explained reassuringly. “I don’t want to have any problems with Trixie, so I’m going over there to apologize an-“ “You’re gonna say sorry?!” came another exclamation from the pegasus, as she pointed a hoof at her. Twilight could feel her ears bursting a little. She rubbed her forehead from the headache she was developing before she spoke, “Yes. I’m going to say sorry to Trixie.” Dash couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She started to say something, and then touched down on the ground with undeniable fury. She repetitively stomped on the earth to emphasize her stand on the situation. She huffed and puffed, circled around in the spot, than gave Twilight a hard and long stare. After what seemed to be hours, the athlete groaned loudly and shot up in the air. Twilight looked up to see the cyan blur slowly turning into a spectrum of colors. A low rumble could be heard in the space above her. It was like the sound of thunder in the distance. She tried to continue her walk, trying not to think of what her other friends might think of her decision. Dash would obviously tell the others. This wasn’t a small matter to them, and it wasn’t one to Twilight either. She could see the train station as she turned around the corner of a building. The train itself was slowing to a stop as it arrived. Twilight quickened her pace to a trot, because she might as well get there before any more of her friends show up with more questions. “Twilight! Wait!” Twilight looked behind her to see a gaggle of mares, including Pinkie Pie, chasing after her. She gulped and broke into an all-out gallop. “Stop runnin’ yah hear?” Applejack shouted worriedly. “We jus’ wanna talk!” “No!” she yelled back. 'Almost there!' she thought quickly. “Why not, my dear Twilight?” Rarity daintily shouted over. “There’s no need for you to act so unreasonable with us!” Twilight tried to ignore the comment, and kept on going. She attempted to teleport past a crowd of ponies to throw them off, but Rainbow Dash was flying above the open channels, guiding the group of friends through a safe course. Twilight tried teleporting again, but she was already tired from running all this way. Twilight thought to herself that she needs to get into better shape. She was almost there at the gates, when all of a sudden; Rainbow Dash tackled her into the ground. “Rainbow Dash!” Rarity yelled at her. “There was no need to pummel her like that!” “Well she wouldn’t stop!” Dash justified herself. “That is no excuse to treat a friend that way!” “But she was-“ she was cut off by Rarity, is what she was. “No! Excuse!” each word was punctuated with a stomp of a hoof. As Rarity and Rainbow Dash were arguing over each other, Twilight dusted herself off. Applejack was trying to settle the two down, but had no luck in subduing the two mares. Fluttershy tried to speak over them, but couldn’t bring herself to anything more than a tiny whimper. Pinkie Pie was yelling as well, but she was chatting about how gummy worms were a different species from earth worms. Twilight couldn’t take it anymore. “It was my choice, okay!” Twilight screamed, silencing the other five simultaneously. The sudden outburst stopped the entire dispute. Twilight could feel all of her friends’ eyes paying close attention to her. The few other ponies in the vicinity also looked over to see what all the fuss was about, but made no other movements to get closer. A vegetable stand was knocked over, and a cute and adorable voice could be heard throughout the town, along with the wail of a vegetable farmer. “Opps! My bad!” “Nooo! My cabbages!” the farmer cried dejectedly. “Twilight my dear,” Rarity began. “Is it really necessary to go to-“ “Yes!” Twilight insisted impatiently. “I’m not about to let this pass me by.” “But why to her?” Rainbow Dash questioned Twilight, disgust in her tone. “I can’t stand that show off!” “Please, Dash,” Applejack immediately replied. “You’re not making this any better.” “Oh what? You’re taking her side now?” she accused Applejack, pointing a hoof at the mare. “What ah’m sayin’ is that what Twilight is doing now doesn’t change anything,” she explained her reasoning simply. She turned her attention towards Twilight, “What ah’m curious about is this: why?” Twilight sighed and explained to the girls of what happened between her and Trixie the last time they talked. Trixie was sincerely sorry for what she had done, and they both left on good terms, but for reasons unknown to Twilight, the mare attacked her in the game last night. After placing out her reasons for visiting Canterlot, Rainbow Dash huffed and puffed. “I don’t know Twilight. Maybe she still hates us,” she grumbled childishly. “Trixie was really ashamed of her actions, Rainbow,” Twilight repeated, her tone scolding. She turned to regard the rest of the group,“I’m just not sure what happened to her. It seemed like we had such a good friendship.” “Yeah,” Applejack agreed. “But that was only for a moment. You did say she’d left Ponyville after that fancy magic show you presented to Princess Celestia and those Saddle Arabian nobles right? A lot could have happened between now and then.” “Maybe,” Twilight considered Applejack's suspicions as she pawed at the ground. “I know what you all are thinking, but I’m going to Canterlot alone.” “WHAT?!” The mares were suddenly bombarding Twilight with questions. They were mostly about why wouldn’t she bring her friends with her. There was the occasional whine from Rarity; how she wouldn’t be able to get another look at Canterlot's dress style. It kinda broke her heart to shock them with this news, but it was necessary. Chances are, Trixie will probably rather like to talk with her alone, than with her and all of her friends at once. She turned her back towards the others. “Sorry everypony,” Twilight heaved a sigh. “I’ll be back soon.” The others all gave Twilight a gloomy, pouty face. Rainbow Dash was more of a grumbling stare, but she had a shine of grief in her eyes as well. They knew they would never be able to talk her out of this mess. “Alright sugarcube,” Applejack concluded the discussion sorrowfully. “We hope you have a nice trip, but be sure to tell Trixie we all said hi. If she’s as sorry as you say she was, then ah would kindly like to share a mug of cider with her, someday.” Twilight turned back with a sincere smile, “Of course I will.” Twilight could see her friends waving goodbye, when she picked out her seat in one of the train booths. She waved back to them, and kept on waving until Ponyville disappeared from sight. She let loose a breath of relief from her lungs as all the tension passed away from her spirit. That wild confrontation was exhausting! She wouldn’t want to be in that type situation ever again! She knew that her friends would react that way, but she would have thought Rainbow Dash would be the one to try to stop her. Then again, the pegasus was always rushing to action. Twilight allowed herself a small and quiet chuckle. She was kind of happy they would be so concerned about her, but this was one path she would have to walk alone. Well, at least for the time being. She hoped her friends would slowly start accepting Trixie as well, at least Applejack seemed keen on that. As these thoughts circled around her mind a uniformed train conductor stopped by and asked for her ticket. He was an old, brown coated stallion with a grey mane and beard. She hoofed the ticket to him, and took back a hole-punched slip.“Thank you for riding F.S.T. Express today, Miss. Sparkle,” the conductor tipped his navy blue cap to her. “We’ll be arriving Canterlot shortly. Enjoy your trip.” “Thank you,” Twilight replied as she watched him go. Twilight yawned a little bit and decided to take a quick nap. She would need to conserve her energy for the royal city. She came too when the train whistle blew a high pitch sound. The train had arrived at Canterlot, a bustling city as usual. Full of highly esteemed scholars and snobby, rich nobles, just the hometown she remembered growing up in. She remembered being a little bit of both back then, before the entire ‘Nightmare Moon doomsday’ thing, and the discovery of the Elements of Harmony. Before she even met her friends. She hummed a nostalgic tune as she walked through the crowds, making her way to the castle. It was a pretty quick trip. Nopony tried to stop and talk to her as she passed them. Either they were too busy, or they didn’t recognize her. It was probably both. Even though everypony in Equestria knew about the Elements of Harmony, they didn’t exactly quite know what the true identities of their bearers were. Only the residents of Ponyville knew, because she and her friends all lived there. Either way, it was pretty convenient for Twilight. She wouldn’t have to worry about celebrity-hungry ponyrazzi or random waves of fans impeding her. After a quick trot, she made it at the gates. She showed the guards her official identification as usual, and they let her in. “Good morning Ms. Sparkle,” one of the guard mares spoke. “Celestia was expecting you.” “Thank you,” Twilight replied as she trotted through the gates. “You have a good day Ms. Sparkle,” she called after. She then resumed her usual position. Twilight nodded towards the guards’ direction, and looked back at the castle. The stone walls were shining a bright sheen of white. The golden rims and domes helped capture the glory of the sun’s bright rays as they reflected its light. A flair of purple also dotted the outlines of the windows, along with an army of banners and flags. Twilight wasted no time, as she made her way to the throne room, where Princess Celestia was most likely residing in. Her guess wasn’t wrong as she stepped into its halls. Celestia smiled and stepped down from her throne to greet her beloved pupil. They both nuzzled each other warmly, before the goddess shooed away the guards from their duties, and walked Twilight down the halls. “It’s good to see you, my student,” Celestia welcomed her student in her heavenly tone. “It’s good to see you too Princess,” Twilight replied with joy in her voice. “I suppose you’re here for Trixie, am I correct?” “Absolutely.” Twilight adopted a look of concern. “What happened to her? Why is she mad at me again?” “I’m not sure Twilight,” Celestia replied regally. “But I’m sure we left off last time as good friends!” Twilight insisted rather loudly. She couldn’t understand why Trixie would want to fight her. Celestia shrugged with her wings. “I’m sure you two still are. The reasons for Lulamoon’s behavior last night though are rather… oh how do I put this, clouded?” Twilight only looked on, hoping to gleam a spark of an answer from her adored mentor’s eyes. None appeared. “All I know is,” Celestia continued solemnly. “Is that I’ve ended up speaking to Trixie about this. She would actually very much like to talk to you.” “She does?” one of Twilight's eyebrows quirked skyward at that. Celestia nodded to her short question. Both student and teacher happened upon a set of large, midnight-blue, double doors. They were decorated with a cluster of glorious stars that seemed to twinkle brightly. A sprinkle of nebulous clouds were scattered across its canvas, along with a large, silver moon complimenting the center of the two doors. “Is this…?” Twilight asked, not sure what to say next about her revelation. “Yes, Twilight,” Celestia confirmed Twilight's half-asked question. “This is my sister’s room.” Celestia pushed the doors wide open, revealing a rather simplistic kind of room. The walls were lined with posters of various video games, including those of Trot 4 Dead 2 and Haylo 4. A majestic, starry-blue bed however made itself known in the space. The blankets and pillows on it all had a certain theme to the night sky. A large plasma television could be seen out of the corner of Twilight’s eye. Its wide screen faced towards the bed, making it very convenient for any of its viewers to lie on the cushy mattress. An open balcony could be entered from the far side of the room. A line of silky, light blue curtains covered the entryway to the spacious terrace. The center of Twilight’s focus, however, was what was in front of her. Directly in front of her, at the base of the bed, was a small coffee table. Sitting across from each other was the azure showmare, and the night princess herself. A powerful, chestnut brown stallion was sitting on the side between the two mares. They were both in the middle of a card match while the stallion was watching intensely. It was Magic: The Gathering. An awkward moment passed as they looked up from their interrupted game. The ponies stared at each other, with the centerpiece being between Trixie and Twilight. If Trixie was mad at Twilight, she didn’t show it. She had quite the poker face on her. The staring continued until Luna coughed. “Oh excuse me! Oh dear if you look at the time,” Luna started quickly as she looked down at a nonexistent watch on her hoof. She took hold of the stallion’s ear by the teeth and pulled him away, out the door. “Ow owow owow!” the stallion cried out loudly. “Please! Watch the ear, your majesty!” “Now’s not the time, Paladin!” Luna forcibly chuckled, giving him an intent stare from the corner of her eye. He gave an audible gulp. As the two passed, Twilight could see that he had three patches of black on his flank, with twin broad swords crossing each other on the blank prints. His mane was a darker brown variety. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that he looked a bit familiar. That passed when Celestia nudged her towards Trixie. Celestia leaned down to Twilight's ear and whispered, “I’ll leave you two alone.” Celestia. The princess that had taught her mostly everything magic trick she knew, the one mare that won her undying loyalty to, the fair goddess who she could always depend on, had just left her in a room. Alone with one who could possibly be a friend, or her worst enemy. She turned around and gave Trixie a nervous smile. “He-e-ey Trixie,” Twilight grinned anxiously, stumbling over her greeting somewhat. “What’s up?”
*Chapter 09: Canterlot Nights & Morning Headaches*Chapter 09: Canterlot Nights & Morning Headaches A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 9~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) “So uh, how’s life?” “Fine,” came a simple reply. “Okay… beautiful weather we’re having.” “It’s nice…” Twilight was panicking that she might have already broken the twig. Why was Trixie being so distant with her? She wouldn’t even look at her. She was just staring at the wall! Why? Why? How was she going to get to the sorry part, if they couldn’t even find common ground?! Twilight moaned a bit, and walked circles in place. It was a bad and embarrassing habit of hers, but she couldn’t help to do so right now. When she finished her tiny tantrum, she looked back at Trixie. The mare was giving her weird looks. It looked like she was trying to comprehend what on earth Twilight was doing. She blushed madly. She didn’t think Trixie would see! ‘Of course she was going to see!’ Twilight angrily scolded to herself. ‘You’re standing right in front of her!’ “You know, it’s kinda funny how I’m here in this room. With you. Just the two of us in Luna’s room.” Twilight chuckled lightly to try to elevate the atmosphere. It failed. Trixie went back to staring at the wall. She was looking nervous as well. Twilight saw this as strange. Wasn’t Trixie really riled up last night? “Is everything alright?” Twilight asked sincerely. She then launched into her apology, “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.” ‘Well that was easy,’ Twilight miserably thought. “Oh, don’t worry about me,” Trixie quietly answered her question. “I’m doing fine.” Yet, Trixie was looking very guilty and awkward as Twilight herself felt right now. Honestly, Twilight couldn’t help that Trixie should be feeling the same way Twilight did. She had no idea what wrong she did to Trixie. She could feel her bad side egging her on, You should show that bitch what for! Nopony starts a duel with Twilight and gets away with it! Especially in video games! Her good side, however, replied with, Don’t listen to the red meanie! She’s everything that stands for bad! If I were you, I would give her a hug! Hugs always make others feel better! You should know, Pinkie Pie gives them all the time! Those thoughts jockeyed for control in her mind for a few seconds, before the hug thought won out. Nothing more, nothing less. It was just a clear stream of commands telling her body to embrace Trixie. A hug wouldn’t hurt, right? Twilight rushed over to mare, and gave her a comforting squeeze. The magician was taken aback from the sudden embrace, but didn’t make any moves to stop Twilight. “W-what are you doing?” Trixie asked uneasily, stammering her words somewhat. “Giving you a hug.” Twilight gave her a quick smile and another squeeze. Twilight held that hug for a few soothing moments, before she let go. She chuckled awkwardly and sat on the other side of the table. She looked at the cards that were abandoned from the interrupted game. “So, what were you two doing?” Twilight casually asked. “Princess Luna was just teaching me in the form of a game. She hid its moral quite well,” Trixie picked up a card with six mares on it before continuing, “The trick was to use everything I had, to win. Be resourceful and all. This card was what made me realize what the lesson was truly about.” She shifted attentively. “Also, it reminded me of a certain mare,” at that, Trixie looked away to the balcony outside. Twilight’s eyes widened at Trixie’s last statement. She politely brought her hoof out, her body language asking if she could see the card. Trixie passed the card to her. Twilight looked it over with extreme interest. It was just as she thought. The six mares in the picture had somewhat resembled Twilight and her friends. The complete set of the Bearers of Harmony. “Hey, um, Twilight?” Twilight looked up from the card to see Trixie rubbed her forehooves nervously. She gave a shaky, but serene, smile. “Since you’re in Canterlot and all, how bout we go around for a bit. There’s a festival happening tonight.” Twilight wanted to say no, and get to her visit's point, but Trixie seemed eager to show her around. Well… as eager as Fluttershy would. She decided to go along with Trixie's plan for now. Twilight felt that they could use a little bonding time. Besides, she could use a little relaxation. Her muscles were all stressed from the journey. “Sure, why not?” Twilight excitedly replied. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ She could see a whole team of unicorns magically setting up the entire City's canvas. Strings holding up red and green orbs were in the process of being hung from building to scaling building, and some of the beautiful evergreen trees were decorated with bright and colorful ornaments as others had the finishing touches added to them. The lights on the trees were lit up, showing off a vibrant aura of color. Even though it was broad daylight, Twilight had to look away from the blinding wonder. The mare that was assigned to them quickly dimmed them, while a group of stallions and mares were singing a chorus. Twilight mentally knocked herself in the head for her forgetfulness. In her hurry, she forgot that it was almost Hearth Warming’s Eve. She should probably take a look around, in hopes of finding a proper gift for each of her friends back home. Of course, there was also Shining Armor, she quickly thought he could probably go for a new suit, Cadance, who perhaps wanted a scrapbook? She got a letter from her earlier announcing the soon-to-be newborn, Princess Celestia, whom Twilight never could figure out what she wanted, and Trixie… “GAH!!” Twilight exclaimed as she broke out of her stupor. “Is something wrong?” Trixie looked at Twilight with concern. Twilight quickly wiped the sweat off her brow, “Nothing! Nothing!” She then considered her thoughts, and decided to go for it. There’s no point to beating around the bush anymore. “Actually, no, Trixie. There is something I want to say,” she gently placed a hoof on the showmare’s shoulder. “I really don’t know what I did to hurt you. I don’t know what made you so angry to attack me last night, but if I did something wrong, then I just want to say that I’m sorry.” Trixie just looked at her befuddled, as if Twilight told her the definition of a complicated word, and that she still didn’t understand it as she replied, “T-that’s why you were acting so weird around me?” “Y-yeah. Why?” Trixie shuffled her hooves on the cobblestone road. “W-well. To be honest, you haven’t done anything wrong. I’m the only one that was in the wrong last night.” It was Twilight’s turn to be confused now and she posed a question, “Then why did you attack me last night?” The tables seemed to have switched, with Trixie growing anxious while Twilight was looking on confusedly. “Well, the thing is... I was kind of a bit je-“ “Trixie! Is that you?” a voice suddenly interjected. The two mares turned around to see a cute-looking brown colt, with a green, spiky mane rushing towards them. He had a cutie mark of a golden bowl with a ball of flames lighting the insides of it. The colt pointed at the row of street lamps lining the stone roads. “We want to give the lights inside of it a really nice glow, but our main decorator caught the sniffles. Think you could lend us a hoof?” “Sure Passion,” Trixie smiled serenely. The azure mare wasted no time at all as her horn glowed with magic. A swarm of light blue orbs flew around her, as her horn’s aura grew brighter. The orbs then shot at each lamp’s glass case, bouncing around the insides of it a little before staying still. The stunning effect gave off a nice afterglow to the lamps. An illusion of candy canes and golden bells, was displayed around some lamps. Some others had crescent moons and sparkling stars. The ponies around the square were struck with awe as they appreciated the lighting display. The pony Trixie called Passion, gave her a light shoulder punch. “That was awesome! Thanks Trixie. You always know how to light up a show,” he looked over to Twilight. “So, who’s your friend?” Trixie gestured towards her before speaking, “Oh, this is Twilight Sparkle. She’s a fellow apprentice, like me.” “Oooh!” he realized. He gave Twilight a knowing wink, “You’re Princess Celestia’s student right? Trixie told me a whole lot about you. Well, allow me to introduce myself and the others.” He quickly turned and pointed at himself and the others as he called out their respective names. “I’m Passionate Light, and these are my friends: Amiable Starstreak, Feather Duster, and Bolt Strike.” Amiable Starstreak was a confident, yellow pegasus mare, with a blue and orange mane. Her cutie mark was a falling star, with a trailing of smaller stars following it. Feather Duster was a shy, light-brown pegasus mare, whose head wore her simple, white mane beautifully. She grinned a little while showing her cutie mark, a duster with feathers on it. Bolt Strike was an orange pegasus colt, with a showy, yellow mane that looked like it could have been zapped by a lightning bolt. It certainly looked like one. His cutie mark was an outburst of three lightning bolts, all parallel to each other. He looked as gleeful as an athlete who just won the gold medal. “Say Trixie,” Amiable started with a small grin. “It’s almost getting dark, and we were planning to hit the club tonight. Wanna come with? Twilight can come along too if she wants.” “Sure,” Trixie quickly answered with glee. She gave Twilight a sly grin. “I don’t know about you, but this night club amazing.” “Drinks are on me,” Amiable offered. “Well-l-l,” Twilight droned on. The thing is, Twilight never went drinking before. If she had the slightest clue of what night clubs offered, which she did, it was alcoholic beverages. Her mom warned that if she wasn’t careful, she could end up on the wrong bed, which, by the way, was how she met her husband met. Good thing it ended beautifully for the both of them. Still, she couldn’t stop there. Trixie was just about to reveal something to her earlier, but she didn’t quite get to finish it. She might as well stick around for the ride. “Sure,” Twilight accepted Amiable's offer. “Where’s this club at?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight found herself at the entrance of Jazz Beau et Techno. She had a slight clue of what beau could stand for, but jazz and techno were clear enough. She never heard of this club before, she never tried to explore Canterlot to find its many hidden gems, but she knew what to expect out of the place. The suave bouncer let them in, nodding to both Amiable and Trixie. It seemed that the two mares were well known in the city. Twilight remembered getting those approving looks from others back then. She still noticed them today as she walked around with the others. A soul-lifting spell greeted Twilight as she entered the club halls. She could see the small band of ponies playing the tune, with a dark cyan-blue pegasus at the lead, wielding a brass saxophone as her instrument of power. She had a wild blue-and-red mane, and looked like she was enjoying herself immensely. Strangely, the player looked quite familiar to Twilight. As much as she wanted to find out her identity, she had a goal to achieve here. She could always get to that later. Everywhere, ponies were walking up to Trixie and Amiable. They were giving them polite greetings and hoofshakes. They were quite friendly with Twilight and the others as well. The bartender noticed them, and quickly filled with a plate of drinks for the group. He hit every single glass with the utmost of accuracy, making sure not a drop of precious liquid was missed. He placed the platter of the tall glasses onto the glass counter. “We’re glad to have you here,” the bartender then tipped his white cap to them and headed off to take care to the other clubbers’ needs. Passionate leaned towards Twilight’s ear and whispered as best he could over the music, “Amiable is one of Canterlot’s more recent social powerhouses. She has strong ties with the great Octavia and DJ-Pon3, which is why we were easily allowed in. She’s also an avid volunteer with many of Canterlot’s events and charities. Amiable was often the co-leader of most of them.” “How did you get to know her?” Twilight whispered back. “Childhood friend,” he winked. “We go way back,” he turned and looked at Amiable with a look, as if remembering exactly how far back they went. “Passion!” Amiable walked up to him with a drink in hoof. “We’re about to hit the dance floors soon,” She downed the entire glass of the crimson liquid in one gulp. She still looked like she could go for more as she offered, “Wanna come?” “Sure!” they both scampered off to one of the nearby dance floors. Passionate and Amiable went off to join the others. Trixie stayed behind with Twilight. She magically floated the tall glass towards her. “Care to try some?” Trixie asked, turning to Twilight. Twilight hesitatingly went for the glass, and then shook her head. “Is it safe?” “Don’t worry. I asked the bartender to water it down. Besides, it’s re-e-eally good.” Trixie was lightly rubbing the rim of the glass along Twilight’s cheeks as she gave Twilight an honest grin. Twilight decided to give in and try it. As the liquid splashed around her mouth, she instantly tasted apples. The crimson spices and flavor were dropping shells of excitement onto her taste buds. Her eyes gave a little happy twitch as they derped a little. The wave of intense zest smacked into her like a sunny Saturday morning. She knew the taste anywhere. “Is this apple cider from Sweet Apple Acres,” she mused aloud to herself. “The one and the same,” Trixie confirmed Twilight's thought. “Your friend really knows how to brew a mean drink. This one time, I tried a small glass of the strongest barrel. I was immediately knocked out when the drink touched my-“ “Trixie? Are you gonna get that flank on the dance floor, or what?” Amiable shouted, looking over. “Coming!” Trixie gave Twilight an awkward smile. “We should talk later.” Trixie downed the rest of her drink in one gulp before heading back to the others. She made sure to hand the drink over to the bartender before heading off to join the others. Twilight sighed and took a place at one of the counter seats. She heard the mic pitch ring, as a pony adjusted it before speaking. “Welcome ladies and gentlecolts! How’re we all doing tonight?” The crowd answered with a cheer. “Well then, I’m happy to announce that your night is about to get tangy! These two don’t need a long intro, because their presence speaks for themselves. Please welcome, the ever beautiful and musical extraordinaires: DJ-Pon3 and Octavia!” The chorus of roars was amplified even louder as the denizens of the club rooted for the legendary duos to step up the plate. Octavia had her classical, wooden cello at her disposal, along with her small team of players ready to support her. DJ-Pon3 was rising up from the depths of the stage, her platform lifting her up along with her chosen deck of silver turntables, and a twin pair of night-black sound-blasting basses. A thin curtain of smoke was floating up as well, temporarily shrouding the disc jockey and her purple shades. The two nodded to each other before starting the beat. The crowds at the tables and lounge chairs applauded for a bit, before nodding their head to the beat. Some of them relaxed a bit as they calmly listened to the gorgeous melody of classical and dubstep being strung together. The dancers were at their best, as they weaved a couple attractive moves together. Twilight felt her soul being lifted up again, but was then dampened as she saw Trixie enjoying herself. She was still racking her brain at trying to figure out the mare. What was she going to say? It was something about ‘je-‘. What did ‘je-‘ stand for? As she thought long and hard about the puzzle, before a hoof tapped on her shoulder. She turned around to see the same cyan pegasus smiling at her. From afar, the familiar musician looked like a mare, but now that she got to see the pegasus up close, the coltish features started to show up. She knew that face anywhere (kind of). “Sound Wave?” she voiced her thought. “That’s right!” he gleefully answered. He took a seat next to Twilight. “I was starting to wonder when you’ll take full notice of me, but you wouldn’t give me a second glance,” he shot a sly look at her. “You were just too busy with that marefriend of yours. The one in the purple cape, am I right?” Twilight warmly blushed red as she stammered, “W-what? No! We’re just friends! That’s all!” Sound Wave gave a light chuckle before hoof bumping her shoulder. “Relax Twilight, I’m only kidding. It’s great to actually see you in real life.” Twilight nodded warmly as she agreed. The last time they met, it was in Equestrian Earth, when Twilight and her friends faced against Paperback and his team in the battle arena. After the battle, the two groups of ponies became fast friends. Sound Wave smiled a bit before looking at her curiously. “So, what’s a mare like you doing up in Canterlot? Official business?” he asked. “Kind of,” Twilight groaned in annoyance. She quickly explained to Sound Wave the reason why she was in Canterlot. The battle she and Trixie had, the morning her friends found out about her plan, the moment she met with Trixie, all the way up to here at the club. Sound Wave nodded at each and every single detail, giving Twilight his full attention. After she was done, he pondered for a moment before answering, “Well Twilight, I don’t know what to say except, play it cool. Trixie’s bound to tell you what’s up.” “I know,” Twilight fumed. “It’s just that these distractions...” she gritted her teeth in annoyance. “They just keep butting in! All I wanted was a quiet conversation with Trixie. Why can’t I have that?!” “Whoa, calm down Twilight! Your mane is smoking,” Sound Wave pointed at the white wisps flowing from her hair. Twilight panicked lightly before patting out the tiny sparks. She heavily sighed again, and moped a little on the counter. Sound Wave as about to suggest something, until one of his friends called him over. “Sorry Twilight, I gotta go. It was nice talking to you.” Sound Wave spoke as he slid off his seat. “You too,” Twilight slowly answered back. He gave her a quick nod before trotting off, leaving Twilight to wallow a bit in her wonderings. The lively night droned on for a long time as the ponies around her partied like it was doomsday, Faust forbid. Twilight tried her best to enjoy her time, but her questions still came back to haunt her consciousness. She tried to find Trixie in the crowd, but she found herself lost in a deep sea of light, music, drinks, and ponies. Colorful, colorful ponies. She gave up trying to find Trixie before going back to her spot at the counter. She rubbed her head a little from the tiny headache she was developing. As she moaned in exasperation, she looked up again to see Trixie at the counter all by her lonesome. Twilight saw her window of opportunity, and dived right in. “Hey Trixie! Listen, we need to talk.” Twilight grabbed Trixie and swiveled her around so that they would be facing each other. She was met with a mare smelling of strong apple cider. “Not naww! Can’t cha see am busy?” Trixie drawled drunkenly. “Trixie? Are you okay?” “Mmmmhm, Yesh! Twizz is per-fact-ly ffiine.” Trixie slurred and took another swing of cider. Twilight snatched the glass away from her, “I think you had enough, Trixie.” She seemed to disagree with Twilight, as the fact was that she desperately tried to get her glass of cider back. The two shared an awkward dance as Trixie quested for her precious drink. Her violet eyes spun circles in a dizzy state. She was giggling as if she was sharing a nice tickle. “Twalight! Stahp it,” Trixie laughed. “Yuur making the room spin.” Twilight ended up putting the glass down on the counter discreetly, making sure Trixie didn’t notice. She then tried to have Trixie stand up straight, but that epically failed when she stumbled a bit. The two mares crashed to the ground, with Trixie all sprawled on top of her. She was cuddling up to Twilight now, enjoying Twilight's nice warmth in her drunken state. “Trixie, how many drinks had you have?” Twilight demanded in a calm tone. “Ah lost’sh count afta twenie something,” Trixie nuzzled her a bit. “U smell nice.” “Umm, thanks?” 'Well that escalated quickly,' Twilight thought. She grunted a little as she hoisted the drunken mare onto her back. She searched around for the others. “Where’s Aimiable and the others?” Twilight asked the tired mare. “Ah don’t know,” she drawled even more. “I rememba dancin’!” Twilight looked at the dance floor, but it was hard to spot anypony's distinguishable features. The ponies loved to dance, and they do it fast. It was like watching a bunch of sea currents intertwine at a swirling whirlpool. It was that hard to keep track of one pony in there. She gave up after a few minutes of searching, and decided to find a quiet, soft place to place Trixie. While she couldn't find a quiet spot, she certainly found a spare couch with fluffy cushions. Nopony was occupying it, so she causally tossed the mare onto the sofa. She was about to take her place on the couch, until Trixie dragged her in close with a giggle. Twilight tried to break free from her grip, but Trixe had a fast hold on her. This mare was freakishly strong! Twilight was about to pull of some telekinesis to solve the issue, but then Trixie whispered softly into her ears. “Hey! Hey Twalight! Ah have a secret to tell you!” she whispered softly, giggling a little bit at the end. Twilight’s ears perked up at this notification. She waited so long for this moment, that she wasn't about to let this slide. “Go on.” “Ookay, but you can’t tell Twalight! She’ll just get mad at me, ookay Twalight?” ‘Twalight’ couldn’t help but grin at Trixie’s statement as she responded, “Okay Trixie, I won’t tell Twilight.” “You promish?” Twilight performed the honorary Pinkie Promise. It seemed appropriate. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Trixie took a moment before answering. Her words came out in meshes, but the meaning was very clear. “I’m jealous of Twalight.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at this. Trixie was jealous? Of her? The hug might be tight, but she stayed quiet to let her continue her story.. “It’s just that, ah never knew what made Twalight so talented. She had an aweshome amount of skhills compared to me. When ah was made Luna’s student, I found out that Twalight was takin’ lessons from Celestia. That made me weally jealous, and ah wanted to prove mahshelf to her, so I gave her dah cold shoulders and challenged her again.” Trixie slowly shook her head, and quietly shed a tear. “Ah’m a horrible friend. Ah shouldn’t have done that. Now Twalight ish mad at me.” Twilight’s heart broke a little when she heard that. She felt Trixie loosen her grip on her. She wanted to break free from the embrace, but she instead turned around and returned Trixie’s hug. She stroke her silver-blue mane. “Don’t worry Trixie. I’m pretty sure Twilight isn’t mad at you,” Twilight comforted her drunken friend. “Weally?” “Really,” Twilight nodded as best she could, given the circumstances. Trixie yawned a little. “Well, that’sh good. Ah’m gunna shleep fur a bit.” Twilight gently smiled. “You go ahead and do that.” She waited until she heard the small snores of the Great and Sleepy Trixie. She attempted to get out, but Trixie regained a tight lock around her. She then yawned a little. Her eyelids drooped a little to the sound of the musical beat of Octavia and DJ-Pon3. Her head nodded a bit before her mind dozed off. Her vision turned black as she slept quietly beside her friend. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight groaned a for a moment as she woke up. It was a bright morning obviously, from the rays of light that was streaming through the windows. The club seemed dead, as there weren't any melodies filling the air, and most of the ponies from last night had left. Only a couple were left, some of them in lazy states like her. The music however was still banging on her eardrums, leaving a morning headache in her mind. Trixie was lightly snoring beside her, stilling hugging Twilight from last night. It wasn’t as tight as before, so she was easily able to slide out of it. Twilight felt around her mane, only to be met with the texture of dreaded bed hair. She scolded herself for not bring a brush with her. As she tried her best to comb the messy nest to a more appropriate look, she was greeted with a familiar cough from behind. The blood in her veins froze as fear held a tight grip over her throat. With wide eyes, she slowly turned around to be met with a certain prismatic daredevil friend of hers. “Twilight, you are so screwed,” Rainbow Dash chuckled arrogantly.
*Chapter 10: Gaming with Trixie [Revised]*Chapter 10: Gaming with Trixie [Revised] A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring ArcChapter 10~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) --------------------- Last Morning --------------------- Rainbow Dash kept on waving as the train carried itself away, towards the shining castle known as Canterlot. She kept the smiling poker face she wore up, until the train turned around the bend of trees, completely out of sight. She dropped the faux grin, and gave Applejack a demanding look. Applejack, despite being an honest mare, had a sly shine in her eyes. “We’re going to be tagging along, aren’t we?” Rainbow Dash asked. Applejack simply nodded, putting an end to her suspicions. “Of course we’re gonna. I am a might too curious of what Trixie has been up to lately. We haven’t seen her in a while,” she then looked at Pinkie Pie expectantly. “Got everything we need?” The party pony nodded immediately, absolutely bursting with excitement. It was as if her body was fueled by three certain blank-flanks on the verge of acquiring a cutie mark. “Yepperoni! I got everything we could possibly need for this adventure.” She pulled out five pairs of saddlebags from out of nowhere. It earned her a couple of perplexed looks, but her friends simply chalked it up to Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She handed them all their supplies, everything they could need for the trip. Rainbow Dash opened up hers to see a bunch of high tech-looking equipment. The bag was full of gadgets, with some of them had blinking lights and wizzy looking levers. Others looked like they may have come straight out of a Con Mane movie. Wondering about the gadgets, she raised her eyebrows at Pinkie. “Where the heck did you get these?” Pinkie Pie had a sly smile on her face as she spoke, “I had some spare time to make these swell babies. Twilight helped me earlier with some blueprints.” She pulled out a couple of blue scrolls out of her bag. The party mare’s oval eyes brightened up like stars, “I asked Twilight if I could borrow them. I knew that they would be helpful for our vacation to the Crystal Empire! Where did you think I got that suit?” “For the last time Pinkie,” Applejack chided. “It wasn’t a vacation.” “Oh I don’t know about that Applejack,” Rarity gracefully nodded, agreeing with Pinkie Pie. “The Empire was absolutely gorgeous, and the crystal ponies were absolutely divine!” Rainbow Dash went through the bags, and pulled out a black, latex suit. Similar to the one Pinkie Pie wore during their adventures at the Crystal Empire. It was meant for the most stealthy and devilishly slim of all ponies. In other words, it looked to be a very tight fit, “Seriously Pinkie? This is wa-a-ay too tight to for us. There’s no way we could fit in these!” “Oh, don’t worry your prismatic mane, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity assured her friend. “I’ve made these fabulous suits to fit for all sizes.” Rainbow Dash nodded and roughly stowed the suit back in her bag before she asked, “So how exactly are we gonna get to Canterlot? The train just left.” “Oh don’t worry,” Applejack added, with utmost confidence in her voice. “Ah’ve already got that covered.” She lead the group of mares around the alleyways, weaving her way between a few buildings. They soon arrived at a green hill with a large, familiar, hot-air balloon standing on top of its crown. It had a pair of thick reins strapped to it, ready to be worn by a pair of escorting ponies. The farmer gave Rainbow Dash an apologetic smile. “Sorry Rainbow, but you and Fluttershy are going to be playing chauffeur for us.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ ------------- Present ------------- “And that’s how we got here,” Rainbow summed up her story. She sized up Twilight, and cautiously sniffed her. “Are you sure you two didn’t do anything last night?” Twilight felt her eye twitched a little at the vibrant mare’s question. This was the fifth time she’d been asked today. “For the last time, Rainbow Dash, I didn’t commit any adultery!” “Oh, I don’t know,” Rainbow Dash didn’t sound very convinced. “A lot could have happened at night.” The blue pegasus adopted a smirk upon her lips before adding, “You did always seem to strike me as the crazy one.” Twilight groaned in aggravation, “It was only that one time. I really did believe I was going to be sent to Magic Kindergarten!” Rainbow trotted over to Trixie’s limp body, and started harassing it with pokes. The only rewarding reaction she got out of her was a couple of light snores. Twilight thought it was a bit cute. She wanted to lean forward to get a closer look, but she snapped out of the trance as quickly as it came. She remembered she had a job to do. Trixie’s unconscious form glowed purple, as the librarian levitated the tired mare over her back. She gently lowered her, adjusting the body so that it was a snug fit. Twilight looked around for Trixie’s friends, and found them passed out at a nearby booth. They’ll probably be fine. She thought about how Rainbow Dash might tell the others about this little incident. Not wanting to make the others worry, Twilight gave her a pleading look. “Look Rainbow, you have to promise me that you won’t tell the others,” Twilight begged. “I can’t imagine how they would react.” Rainbow grinned. “Ah don’t worry about it. My lips are sealed.” She then poked Twilight in the ribs with her elbow. “Although, I guess this means I have leverage, don’t I?” “Oh shut up, Rainbow,” Twilight deadpanned. She walked past her chuckling friend. “Relax Twilight,” Rainbow jokingly saluted her. “You have my word. I won’t tell anypony.” Twilight felt her fear fading quickly, and her disapproving glare was quickly replaced with a friendly grin. “Alright, I trust you.” The rainbow mare nodded, “We should get Trixie to Princess Luna, shouldn’t we?” “Yup,” Twilight confirmed, nodding herself. “We should find the others though. Where are they anyway?” Rainbow Dash answered her question by letting the bookworm follow her through the city. Within a few trots around the city’s blocks, the two mares (and one passed out magician) found themselves reunited with their friends. They shared a brief group hug, happy to see each other okay. Twilight then shortly explained her situation at Canterlot, twisting a few words here and there around the part where she was being cuddled by a drunken Trixie. Rainbow nodded at each one, backing Twilight’s words up. She felt a bit guilty about lying to her friends, but it was a white lie. She didn’t want them to get any suspecting thoughts of what possibly could have happened at the bar. “Well, at least you and Trixie made up,” Applejack summed up her thoughts simply. “Yes,” Twilight agreed. She turned around and made her way for the castle, “We should go soon. I suspect that Princess Luna is waiting for Trixie.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It had been an hour since Twilight and her friends met up with the night princess, and they were all around a table in Luna’s bedroom, having a cup of tea near them. Celestia was also nearby at hoof, quietly listening to Twilight’s nightly adventure and her friends’ tagalong. She was sipping a cup of jasmine tea, enjoying the soothing, warm taste of the liquid. Luna seemed to be at rest as well. She was pretty calm, despite the fact that her student got a little tipsy. Speaking of the mare, Trixie was soundly asleep on Luna’s plush mattress. “Is that all?” Luna asked, not sounding a bit worried. “That’s all?” Twilight asked. It was unheard of that mentor, such a Luna, wouldn’t be concerned about her student’s misconduct. Drinking counted as misconduct, right? “Well, I must admit that this wasn’t the first time Trixie has tried to drown her sorrows with the bottle,” Luna explained solemnly. “This has happened a couple of times before. I reminded her more than a hooful of times, to halt this troublesome habit of hers, but I ultimately can’t interfere with my student’s own personal life,” She rose up, and looked at Applejack. “In all cases that I had my guards pick her up, they told me that most drinks she had were apple cider of your family’s brand. Tell me, are they addicting?” “No, your highness,” the farmer assured her. “Apple Family Apple Cider is now always non-addictive. We’ve recently found a way to rid the alcoholic side-effects. The only thing in that bottle that makes ponies come back to it is its sparkling taste.” “How’s that possible?” Twilight asked, her head tilting to the side slightly. Applejack tipped her hat to the lavender mare with a sly wink, “That’s a blood-family secret you’re asking there, Twilight.” Celestia finished her cup, and started to get up from her kneeling and spoke softly, “Well, that was a nice story you’ve shared with us. It must have been a nice adventure you’ve all had, but as much as I would love to stick around, I have duties to attend to.” She gave each of the mares a sincere smile before walking out the chambers. Luna chuckled as she got up, ”Well I don’t have any today.” She gave them a playful look, “Say, it has been a while since I’ve played Equestrian Earth. I’m sure by now that somepony must have passed my level, and I’m not about to let that slide past me.” “Wait a second. You’re asking us for help?” Rainbow Dash quickly asked. “Well, it’s not every day that I get to travel with some companions, in-game.” Luna lowered her horn next to Trixie’s. Her horn began to glow a soft blue, causing Trixie’s eyes to wake up. Luna retracted her head, having her magic continue on. A storm of I.P.Vs flew out from underneath Luna’s bed, each of them floating next to Twilight, her friends, Trixie, and Luna. Trixie groaned as she rubbed the side of her temple. “What time is it?” Trixie asked drearily, shifting her hooves to rub her eyes. “Adventure time,” Luna replied, a huge smile stretched across her face. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight went through the familiar flow of data as she entered the game. The usual, female, digital welcome she received sounded in her ears again, just like so many times as she went into the world of Equestrian Earth. She looked around the green area of Aeroslida’s park to find her team mates waiting at the central fountain. Twilight trotted up to each of them, taking care to remind herself of their current levels. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all a bit behind her and Rainbow. They should probably catch up soon. The prismatic mare herself was still at the same level of 22. She flew a little bit above the others, flapping her wings as she went along. Twilight turned to Luna, and had her ears perk up in surprise. Luna was at a whopping level of 55. Way too high and elite, compared to Twilight and her friends. They turned towards Luna, noticing her level as well. “Wow princess,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “You’re like- a giant! How did you get to that level so fast?” The night princess simply shrugged, but she had a clever smile painted on her face, “I get around.” She sat down on her haunches, and brought her forehooves together. She spread them out, forming a blue, holographic screen in front of her. She appeared to be peering down a list as she spoke to herself, “Hmm, let see. Who’s above me?” She muttered a few names rapidly before grimly pausing at the one above her name, “Oh. No way. Sentinel?” She viciously grabbed the screen, and drew it right up to her, giving it a mean look. As if she couldn’t believe the truth in front of her. “I knew that colt was avoiding me the past days for a reason! How could he betray me like this?!” “Um,” Trixie nervously started. “Maybe he was just simply doing his job? You once told me he was a Code Warrior righ- Mmmhmm!“ the rest of her sentence were placed on hold by the power of a navy blue hoof in her mouth. “Shush!” Luna cried out. “Nopony was supposed to know that! Not even I was supposed to tell you that!” “Um, princess?” Twilight asked. “He told us a while ago.” “Told you what, dear?” Rarity asked, with curious eyebrows curling up. “That he’s a ga- !” Pinkie tried to chirp. She also had a hoof shoved up her mouth, courtesy of a panicking Luna. “What has you on edge?” Applejack asked Luna warily. “She was about to tell us something.” “Ooh nothing,” Luna covered up her anxiety with a mask of a smile. Luna whispered something in Pinkie’s ear in a quick manner. Pinkie nodded the best she can, with her head in Luna’s tight grip. It was released when Luna came up to Twilight. “Say um, can I possibly take a quick moment of your time?” “Su-u-u-ure?” Twilight replied, certainly unsure if she wanted to have a private chat with Luna. Her exit was closed however as Luna dragged her away to a few meters away from the others, not only earning her a couple strange looks from Twilight’s friends, but also from the surrounding players. “Twilight, be honest with me. How many others know about G.M.s?” Luna asked. “Um, so far only Spike, me, and Rainbow I believe.” Twilight gave her a curious look. “What’s so important about keeping Sentinel’s identity a secret?” Luna was looking very serious. “N- nothing really. Code Warriors are actually supposed to be kept a secret because of the nature of their job.” “What’s their job again? I kinda forgot,” Spike said. “To keep an eye out for hackers,” Luna drew a large circle in the ground. “This circle represents the world of Equestrian Earth.” She drew a couple of other, smaller shapes in the bigger circle. “These smaller circles are the hackers. You know, the quirky cheaters who try to find tiny nicks in the system of the world. The producers are afraid that they might be able to try to find a way to abuse the system, like make cash out of it for nothing. Some parts of the game economy revolves around real money. If one were to, say, duplicate a very rare item, he could get very rich. Very quickly.” Luna then drew a bunch of crude squares. “This is where the Code Warriors comes to play. Their job is to rid a hacker’s account as quick as possible. They keep their identities hidden by playing the identity as a player of the world. They’re fast, efficient, and sometimes ruthless. However, they’re not immune to being removed from the game as well. Not too long ago, a ‘banning’ program utilizing stolen code was being used by a few hackers to permanently sever a player’s connection to the visor, thus preventing them from using that inflicted visor again. A few unfortunate ponies who experienced this claimed that the sensation was quite… shocking.” This was all disturbing news to Twilight. She was now worried for her friend’s safety, and Luna’s as well. “But princess, wouldn’t you be an important target as well?” “Ah, don’t worry about me Twilight,” Luna smirked slyly. “The banning code that was leaked was locked in a beta stage. So far, any hackers with it can only remove a player by PKing them with a melee attack.” Luna then chuckled softly, “My only concern is the one who had made such a thing.” “Do you know who it is?” “Unfortunately, I do not. Sentinel has worked with a professional team of agents to track the IP address, locating the area where the hacker had published it to the web. The foalish hacker didn’t think through his plan quite well when he posted it on a forum, boasting that he had found a way to get rid of ‘nasty’ players and Code Warriors. The bad part was that the IP address led them and the guards to an abandoned shack in the middle of the forest. Any traces of anypony living there was already long gone. We still don’t know who had made it.” Twilight nodded in understanding, “So, I should keep my friends close, right?” “And improve on your skills. Remember, hackers are players too. You can PK them,” Luna winked. “Which means you and I will have to get stronger.” Twilight smile quickly widened, “I’ll gladly take you up on that challenge.” She changed her smile to a serious frown, “But that means that we’ll have to tell my friends as well. They could be in danger of being banned as well.” Luna adopted a disapproving look, and then calmed down to a serene one. “Alright Twilight, if you believe they’ll keep Sentinel’s identity a secret. I would hate to see him get banned by some swindler.” Twilight gave Luna her word. The both returned to the group, and told them of about everything she and the night princess had just talked about. After a long explanation, Pinkie Pie raised her hoof. “Yes, Pinkie?” Twilight asked. She wondered what kind of question the party mare had. “Twilight, couldn’t the developers just send out a widespread news bulletin about this mess?” Pinkie questioned innocently. Everypony except Luna gave her a curious look. It was surprising that the overly excited mare would have such an intriguing question in her mind. Twilight looked towards Luna. Luna only looked exhausted, as if she had this conversation a hundred times. “Sentinel told me that his superiors didn’t approve of the idea,” she groaned in exasperation. “They’re worried about their image. They believe a message like that will have players doubting the safety of the game, and will soon quit playing. It will be disastrous step-back on their plans.” “That’s just crazy talk,” Applejack objected. “Everypony should know about it.” “I know it is,” Luna agreed. “But they’re not willing to take a step further in this matter. Our only hope is that the G.M.s will locate the hacker, and destroy the code, as soon as possible,” she looked at each of them in the eye. “Just promise me that wouldn’t go spreading this around. I worried that somepony might panic and spread word of this. It will cause mass hysteria.” They all gave her their honest word, in the form of a Pinkie Promise. Luna sighed in relief as if she got a huge boulder off her chest. “So where are we off to this time, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked. She carefully considered her options. Aeroslida was a great place, but she could have a fresh change of scenery. They could all use a new spot of training for the others to grind in. Three certain mares in the group would surely appreciate a higher rate of experience. “Luna, you’re a level 55. Do you know a good spot for us to train in?” Twilight asked. “Well, when I was at your level, I was around Trottingham at the time,” Luna pointed at the general direction the sky-tram station’s location. “We should easily arrive there by chariots.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The ride to Trottingham was a tad bit long, but Twilight didn’t mind. The weather was very fair to her traveling team today as the warm rays of the digital sun hugged their forms. The chariot space was large enough to fit all eight mares into it, with walking space to spare. Twilight noticed how Luna’s nametag above her was different. It read Moon Shimmer. “Princess?” “Hmm?” “How come the name tag above you isn’t your name?” Twilight knew for certain that their name tags were the same as their real world name. At least until now. “Oh. This?” Luna poked the name tag. “It’s just the nickname option I’ve set before. You can change what you want your name to be in the settings.” “Oh.” Twilight went back to staring at the clouds. It wasn’t long for the blue scenery to decide to change to a greener setting. Twilight looked around her to see a small but bustling town, filled with players and npcs alike. Trottingham wasn’t as impressive as the sky island metropolis, but it was just as lively. A number of players were going around, chatting with the npcs in a lively manner. It appears that the npc’s dialogue system has drastically improved, seeing how some players were having very extended conversations with them. Twilight couldn’t tell if she was still playing the game, or if it was real. The only digital mark that reminded her that Equestrian Earth was a game were the nametags, HUD, and various holographic screens that popped up every once and a while. “So princess, where to?” Applejack asked, anxious to get better. Luna courteously gestured towards a stack of luscious green hills near the town, letting the group know where they were heading next. The grass seemed to be brighter than any other. Twilight didn’t know why she thought that, it just came to mind. That wasn’t the most impressive thing about the hills though. What caught her attention were the towering waterfalls that seemed to be falling from the sky. No, not seemed. The waterfalls were falling from the sky. To make it even more mind boggling, they were all in the colors of the rainbow. Even from a distance, Twilight could hear the thunder of the torrent pounding the hills with what seemed to be an infinite amount of water. Gallons upon gallons of rainbow juice were being watered down on the bright hills. To make it even more beautiful, the light of the sun bounced off the sheets of water, causing a multitude of rainbows to dance among them. She couldn’t help but remember seeing this before. “Isn’t that Winsome Falls?” Applejack asked. “I remember camping there once before in real life. Mah little sister sure enjoyed it.” “That is correct Applejack,” Luna confirmed. She turned to regard the falls sagely, “Truly, a beautiful sight to behold. The hills shine bright due to the expansive supply of water being poured down from Cloudsdale.” Twilight looked up towards the sky, where the waterfalls were being poured from. Sure enough, she could make out a group of cumulonimbus clouds stacked together, supporting a huge city in the sky. “Cloudsdale huh?” Twilight wondered. “Is it possible to go up there?” “Yes,” Luna replied. “But right now, we should be concerned with our training,” Luna started to go off in a different direction. “Right now, we should focus on gathering potions needed for the journey. Anypony want to come with?” Pinkie Pie was the first one to raise her hoof. “Oh! I’ll go! I need to look around for more ingredients.” Rarity was next. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt. I certainly do have an eye for these things.” “Wait a second,” Rainbow Dash interrupted the conversation. “What are we supposed to do then?” “Well Dash,” Applejack replied. “We could always take a look around town. There’s bound to be some side-quests we can take in Winsome Falls.” The mares agreed, and said their temporary good-byes before heading off to their objectives. Despite the game’s version of Trottingham being based upon a old version of the town, it was still pretty spacious. It left Twilight’s group running around left and right, asking around for any side-quests they could do. Some were easy, while others sounded downright difficult. An npc merchant even demanded for his Zap Apple to be dipped in a certain, golden pond, for the sake of making the apple and its seeds to be more valuable. “You better be careful though,” the npc warned her. “I’ve heard rumors of a powerful monster guarding the pool. You best be on your guard.” Twilight paused to breath for a moment, wheezing with each one. “W- will do.” “Alright then, you take care now! Oh, and make sure you- hey! Where are you going??” Twilight didn’t even want to wait to hear what else he had to say. She just tiredly waved good bye to the stallion, and walked off to the planned meeting spot. Her friends dragged along with her. Out of all the ponies, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were the only that seemed active. The cyan mare was doing occasional back flips in mid-air as they all shuffled forward in the dirt. “Come on you slow pokes,” she complained. “We’ve only went around a couple of blocks.” “I counted fifteen, Dash,” Twilight moaned. “Why am I so tired? Don’t we usually all have the same running stamina in games?” “I think this game actually bases your running stamina from real life,” Fluttershy whispered. “It’s just multiplied a few times.” “Th- that’s just a bit too realistic.” The purple mare almost tripped as she continued, “Why can’t we just have unlimited sprint?” Rainbow Dash laughed a little at Twilight’s gloom. For some reason though, that happiness ended shortly. The usually confident athlete suddenly tensed, her eyes shot daggers towards a general direction. Twilight lifted her head to see three pegasi coming their way, all them were stallions carrying short swords in their scabbards. They had all donned various types of leather armor. “Hey hey hey!” the brown one in the middle exclaimed. “If it isn’t Rainbow Crash. How’s it going? Bumped into a few clouds these days?” “Ugh,” Rainbow Dash muttered loudly with venom. “What are you guys doing here?” This time, the darker brown stallion spoke. “Hey now, we’re just playing the game like everypony else. There’s no harm in that, right Rainbow Crash?” Twilight could feel Rainbow’s resentment growing by the minute. She was almost literally radiating waves of rage. “How about you guys just leave?” Dash angrily suggested. “Right now? But we were having such a lovely chat,” the grey stallion rebutted, sarcasm marking his voice. “Yeah! What Score said!” the light brown one added. “Why don’t we catch up for old time’s sake, Rainbow Crash?” Rainbow couldn’t take it any longer. With a shout of rage, she swept in for a deadly strike, but not before Applejack grabbed her by the tail, keeping a tight hold on the multi-colored tail by the teeth. “Naw hol ih righ har Ash,” Applejack demanded through her teeth before pulling the riled-up mare down. “There’s no need to waste your energy on these jerks,” she shot an angry glare at the trio. “Now what was that all about?” “Yeah, why are you picking on my friend?” Twilight asked, demanding to know what’s going on. “Oh no reason,” the light brown stallion innocently replied. His floating name tag indicated him as Hoops. “We just wanted to say hi to our good pal.” “Yup,” the darker one confirmed with a sly, dishonest smile. His name was Dumb Bell. 'It seems appropriate for him,' Twilight thought. “Well, as much as I would love to stay and chat, we should be going,” Score added. “The Treasure of Winsome Falls is waiting for us to take it.” Score was then immediately punched by Dumb Bell. “You idiot! They weren’t supposed to know that!” “Oops,” Score tried to apologize. “Sorry DB.” “And what treasure might you be talking about?” Applejack inquired quickly. “Th- that’s none of your business!” Dumb Bell stammered. “Look lady, we gotta go. Smell ya later!” With that goodbye, the trio quickly left, flying towards Winsome Falls. Twilight could see them snickering all the way, and Rainbow Dash was left simmering with fury. She angrily looked towards Applejack. “What the hay, Applejack?!” Dash yelled. “I could've taken on those dorks!” “Sorry Dash, but I didn’t want to see any fighting. We best be saving up our strength for the grinding, remember?” “Oh please, I could of taken them out in ten seconds flat, and that’s not an exaggeration!” Twilight watched the two mares bicker: Applejack concerned about Dash's wellbeing, and Dash worried about her pride. After a few minutes of arguing, Twilight spotted Luna and the others coming towards them. She quickly clapped her hooves to garner everypony’s attention. “Look girls,” Twilight said. “We can’t afford to start fighting amongst each other. We should get moving as soon as possible. Besides, the others are here.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash shot a glare at each other before submitting to Twilight’s orders. “Alright then,” Applejack nodded. “Pft,” Rainbow responded. This is going to be a long day, Twilight thought. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ The journey towards Winsome Falls was a bit long, but rewarding. Luna was right when she said this place was good for them. From all the monsters they’ve killed on the way, Twilight and her friends had reached level 30 in what seemed to be an instant. They’ve even managed to complete some of the side-quests along the way. However, the pace of monsters changed quickly as soon as they’ve reached Winsome Falls. The beautiful landscape was untouched by monsters. There wasn’t a single lizard pony, hydra snake, slime ball, or even a wolf. This bothered Twilight a lot. Usually, the wilderness would have monsters, right? But there wasn’t a hide, hair, feather, scale, or skin to be found of one. The more Twilight’s group delved into Winsome Falls, the more she realized that there wasn’t any sort of animals at all. Not even a single bird in the air. After a few minutes delving into the area, the bookworm could tell that something wasn’t right. “Luna?” she whispered, not wanting to alert the others yet. “Yes, Twilight?” “Are you noticing this?” Luna made a quick surveillance around her. “Yes, I am.” “This shouldn’t be, why haven’t we seen any monsters yet? This is statistically impossible!” “Hmm,” Luna pondered. “Unless some other outside force is causing the situation at hoof.” Twilight felt a creeping chill crawl up her spine. “Are you saying… hackers?” Luna grimly nodded. “Perhaps the pony is using some sort of hack to draw all the monsters towards him in quick succession. That way, he or she could quickly grind without taking another step. Or perhaps it’s a monster removal program. Either way, this upsets me.” At this point, the others were starting to get restless as well. Rarity nervously fidgeted with a new staff she received from a random monster drop. An ornate, wooden staff with three blue crystals at the end of it. “Girls? Is it me, or does this place seem a bit… empty?” “It ain’t just you Rares,” Applejack added. “This place smells of deceit.” “Maybe the monsters are playing hide and seek!” Pinkie Pie innocently suggested, oblivious to the possible danger around them. “We should go look for them!” “That’s what we’re trying to do Pinkie,” Dash replied, obviously irritated. “Where the heck are they? We should be swimming in monsters right now.” “Ah don’t worry about it Dash,” Applejack smirked slyly. “You’ve probably scared them off with your new tiara.” The other girls (except for Rarity and Luna) giggled a little at Applejack’s comment. Rainbow Dash embarrassingly adjusted her new head gear. “For the last time, it’s a circlet,” Rainbow Dash insisted. She used to have a rainbow-hued bandana over her head, but she replaced the cloth with the shiny, golden crown. Blushing lightly she admitted, “Plus, it gave me a bigger speed boost than the other one.” “Oh, come on now, darlings,” Rarity spoke up. “I, for one, think Rainbow Dash looking absolutely marvelous!” Rainbow Dash still fumed about Applejack’s sly statement about her circlet. She felt that it was cool looking. Twilight, however, was more concerned about their surroundings. “Come on now girls, we may have a serious situation on our hooves. Keep alert for anything.” “But Twilight, dear. What’s to worry about?” Rarity asked, quirking an eyebrow at the mare. “Don’t you see that there aren’t any monsters around?” Twilight waved a hoof to show her point. “Well yes,” Rarity added. “Anypony could see that this place is as empty as a blank canvas!” she started to become distracted by the Winsome Falls’ beautiful scenery, again. “Oh my, this place just breathes inspiration to me. Applejack, when are we going to go camping again?” Before Applejack could make a move to answer her question, a desperate cry for help could be heard from over the next hill. Everypony tensed up, taking their battle positions, waiting for whatever danger may lie in wake for them. Instead of a receiving fearsome monster, they came face to face with fellow player. He was very pale, and his entire body was shivering violently. Twilight recognized him as Dumb Bell from the town earlier. “Please! You need to help me!” he cried. “My friends are in trouble!” “Hold it right there,” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms, keeping a steady place in the air. “Why the hay should we help you? I thought all stallions like you were tough,” her sarcastic tone couldn’t have been any more blunt. “L- look, if it’s about that Rainbow “Crash” comment we’ve made, than I’m sorry! You just have to help- ” Dumb Bell couldn’t finish what he was saying. A black blur came out of nowhere and had carried him off, dragging him to whatever doom awaited the poor pegasus. Everypony stood in shock, transfixed by what they’ve just witnessed. Luna shook her head and ran after the stallion and the black creature. She shot everypony a stern glare. “Well?” she demanded. “What are you waiting for? Let’s go!” Nopony argued with her logic. They’ve tailed alongside the night princess to chase after the black menace that had just captured Dumb Bell. Whatever was waiting for them is anything but good, Twilight thought. Without a doubt, this black blur has to be connected to the mysterious lack of monsters in the area. After a few leaps and bounds across the landscape, they’ve arrived at the top of the tallest hill. The HUD indicated this place to be Winsome’s Golden Reservoir as the huge words appeared at the top area of her vision. The place did not look like anything that was home to a golden water pool. The place was screaming darkness to her. The area was heavily swarmed by patrolling shadow monsters, each of them in constant shifting forms. The only place that indicated the spot of their heads were the glowing pair of red orbs that suggested to be their eyes. They were gathering around a huge black archway that held the space of an ominous, purple portal. The same kind of portal Twilight saw underneath the Cloud Library. She looked around for the mysterious, robed stallion that caught her eyes that night. He didn’t seem to be around this time. She turned back towards the gateway to see Dumb Bell get thrown into a group of tied up players. It seemed that they were being held captive by the shadow creatures, but for what? Her questions were put on hold for now; they have innocent bystanders to save. She didn’t even have to wait to give a command; Rainbow Dash was already starting the assault. The cyan mare seemed to know that they were on a tight clock, and the others seemed to catch her drift. Twilight unleashed her Magic Missile upon a nearby group of shadow monsters. The impact had detonated the area, causing a tempest of pebbles and dirt to fly everywhere. She fired a couple more barrages into the cloud of dust, followed by a flare of lightning she called upon from the sky. She didn’t stop there though. She dove into the smoky cloud and called upon her magic. A gust of wind started to flow through her robes, which blew the surrounding dust away from her eyes. She was greeted by a bunch of angry shadow creatures as soon as the dust cleared. They all leapt at her one at a time with the intent to kill, but they were met by a punch of wind in their face. Twilight repeated for each creature, knocking them all to the ground. She stood her ground, and looked towards the sky. Her eyes started to glow as the storm clouds started to gather again, this time over her head. The lightning pierced the heavens, and struck her horn. With a bit of effort, she pointed her horn at each creature, redirecting the lightning to their still, gassy form. The plasma bolts seemed to do the trick as each of their bodies were dissipated by the powerful spell. She turned back towards the others to see how they were doing. Everypony was seemed to be doing fine on their own, but none of them were as graceful and effective as Luna and Trixie were. The duo seemed to have fought together for centuries. Both of them anticipated each other’s moves, and supported them with an attack of their own. Trixie had conjured up a ball of fire over Luna. The night princess then promptly fired a gust of arrows into it, causing them to catch fire. Twilight realized that Trixie and Luna had combined their skills to create a storm of flaming rain. The arrows seemed to be tracking each shadow monster, following them and putting an end to their grotesque lives. The fight seemed to be over in an instant, which was good for Twilight. It meant that her skills had vastly improved. She turned back towards the gate, and let out a gasp of surprise. That pale yellow coat, that messy black mane, his brilliant red eye, and the one that was scarred. There’s no doubt in Twilight’s mind, it was the mysterious stallion again. He wasn’t donning his black robe time, so she could see what he was wearing underneath. He had a simple, black jacket over his body. It apparently had two holes on the side of it, because it was leaving out a pair of raggedy wings to breathe in the open, revealing him as a pegasus. “Who are you?” Luna demanded, her voice carrying over the tone of the infamous Royal Canterlot voice. Twilight had to plug her ears to avoid being damned to a deaf life. “Why are you here? Are you the pony responsible for the capture of these players? Speak, or we shall call the local enforcement!” The pony quietly stared at them, but not before setting something on the rim of the archway. He then quickly jumped off the black archway, and turned around for a glide through the portal. “Wait!” Twilight shouted, but it was too late. The object he placed suddenly exploded, causing the archway to collapse on itself. Twilight viciously stomped on the ground with her right hoof. She let him escape her without answering her questions… again. As she cursed herself for letting him go, she felt a hoof on one of her shoulders. She looked up to see Luna staring at her sympathetically. “We shall look further into this case, but for now we have ponies to attend to,” Luna reassured her solemnly. Twilight Sparkle has reached Lv 30! She has gained the following skills. Magic Missile - Rank 5: Charge up a single blast for 250% Dmg, or release a barrage of 3 smaller blasts for 50% each. Cooldown for Full Charge is 10 seconds. Cooldown for Barrage is 3 seconds. Lightning Strike - Rank 3: Strike your opponent for 150% Dmg, or release a steady stream of plasma bolts for 100% Dmg for 5 seconds. Cooldown for single strike is 5 seconds. Cooldown for stream is 30 seconds. Next Rank: +10% Dmg Wind Blast: Throw off opponents for 5 Dmg. Knock back effect. Doesn't work on 'giant' creatures.
Intermission 03: Life of a Code WarriorHigh above the ground, a huge blimp was floating through the sky. Below the blimp was a large enough compartment box to set up base in. Sentinel was staring out the window, pondering about tonight’s assignment. He stared at the sky above him. It was pretty dark, considering the fact that their mission had to begin at night. It wasn’t exactly the most dangerous, but there was still the chance that they could be PK-ed. After all, his superiors didn’t allow Code Warriors the use of god-mode cheats or mods. It would have made the job a whole lot smoother, but to be honest, Sentinel would have hated it if the job was easy. He preferred a challenge. A hard one. One that he expected out of most video games he plays. He adjusted his staff, his hooves stiffened from the tension. The inside of the blimp compartment was a bit decked out. It had a nice ballroom theme to it. A wall of television-like screens covered one side of the room. The displays were filled to the brim with an ocean of codes and information, and they were constantly updating every few moments. The screens glowed brightly, basking the area around it in a ghostly blue. Sentinel heard somepony come up from behind him. He turned around to be met with a familiar face. The slender stallion known as Rough Diamond swept a hoof across his jet black mane, which complemented his creamy white, wool coat. He had a grin on his face, and his twitchy wings showed he was obviously excited for what’s to come. “So, what’s the battle plan,” Diamond asked. He was a fellow Warrior that he could rely on, Sentinel thought with a smile. Diamond’s utmost accuracy with the deadly bow and arrow proved to be really useful in most of their raids. He had a couple of leather pads guarding his shoulders and shins. The confident guy always did like to travel light. “The battle plan has always been the same Dia,” Sentinel said. “We go in, PK them, and get out before anypony notices we were here.” A completely orange mare by the name of Pumpkin Fest looked at him with concern on her face. Her braided mane swayed with the wind. “Sir? I’ve wanted to ask. Why have you choose me for this mission? I’m not even good at the game yet!” “Don’t worry about it!” Sentinel confidently complied, wanting to assure the earth pony. “You’re gonna do great!” Her face blushed into a deeper orange, and her blue eyes sparkled with admiration. “Are you sure? I mean really. I always messed up during our game nights,” she confessed. “Totally sure!” Sentinel winked. “I wouldn’t want to have any other pony by my side. All of you!” Diamond, Pumpkin, and a few others in the room eagerly nodded. They smiled gratefully for his inspiring words. “Okay everypony, gather around the table.” Everypony did so. Sentinel then gestured towards the map on it. “Okay, let’s review the mission so we’re all on the same page. We’ve recently caught wind of a guild leader using abilities that are not specific to his class.” Sentinel brought out a photograph of a pony using a staff. He also had a bow slung across his back. “Even more so, this guy has been PKing players outside of the PvP arenas. Remember this face, and this operation should go smoothly” A hoof rose from among the team. “Um, sir? Permission to speak freely, sir?” Sentinel recognized him as one of the newer stallions that were hired last week. “Go ahead. What’s your name?” “Target Code, sir!” the lean stallion responded. He ruffled his chestnut brown mane and coat, looking nervous as a jumpy rabbit. “Um, why couldn’t we just go ahead and ban the leader from the computers? Is it necessary to go in and PK him?” “Target- may I call you Target?” The newbie nodded. “You see Target, the game of Equestrian Earth is really huge. I mean really really huge. The servers house a large number of players. We have about five of them dedicated to just storing everypony’s data, and we’re always buying new ones. Also, the game mechanics doesn’t house identifications. In fact, we don’t have actual game id at all, just nicknames.” Sentinel referred to his own nametag above him, which stated Chaos Galore. “These nicknames can be changed at any moment, and uses up less megabyte than permanent identification names. If we were to use them, this game would lag as if it was being covered in honey. Does that make sense?” Target Code nodded, understanding the situation. Sentinel turned his attention back to the flat sheet of paper that housed information of the guild leader’s stronghold. “We have a couple spies in there keeping an eye out for his arrival. When he logs in, Beta team will activate the lock-down perimeters, preventing anypony from logging in or out of the area,” he continued. “Everypony in there is a Celestia damned cheater. Our spies have confirmed that. Don’t let your guard down, and take out anypony you see. Don’t worry about the spies themselves. They’ll log out after giving the signal.” He rolled up the map and stowed it away into a pack. He then took out a small pack out of his inventory. He opened it to reveal a small bundle of glowing, purple potions, enough of them for the entire team. He hoofed one bottle to each of them. “Drink these potions, guys. We’re going to drop onto their base without parachutes, so these will prevent any unnecessary fall damage.” Sentinel uncorked his bottle and raised it in the air. “Good luck everypony.” They all bumped their potions to his as if they were celebrating a night of drinks. Sentinel then quickly downed the entire drink, letting the violet liquid wash his throat. It tasted like a sour grape that was forcibly dried underneath the sun in the middle of a desert. He grimaced as the unpleasant swig landed in his stomach. It wasn’t exactly a mug of butterbeer, but at least it’ll prevent any untimely death in the next few hours. Everypony apparently shared his opinion. A buzz was heard from a nearby radio. Everypony looked towards it, giving the little box their full, undivided attention. “Hello, Alpha team? This is Lt. Sparky reporting in.” Sentinel went over and pressed a small button on it. “This is Moderator Sentinel. You’re clear to report. What’s the update?” The Code Warrior in the radio’s voice crackled a little, but it was still comprehensible. “Objective has arrived in the enemy base. I repeat. Objective has arrived in the enemy base. We’re clearing out now. Good luck Alpha team.” The buzz died as the speaker hung up his end of the line. Sentinel went over the other side of the room opposite of the computers, with the others walking behind him. Another voice buzzed in, this time from the intercoms. “This is your captain speaking. We’re about to let the bay doors drop, please stand clear.” Sentinel equipped a couple of earphones to his ears. He turned up his handy I-Pon to his preferred soundtrack. The rock was sound to his pleasure. The walls then suddenly transformed as it parted, revealing a set of iron walls beneath the faux surface. The iron walls then dropped down, hanging by the hinges in the cold air. Sentinel turned around towards his team. “Okay everypony, remember to equip your wing suits. Course correction only! You don’t wanna end up like Haybale,” he said, going through his inventory at the same time to equip the armor. “What ever happened to Haybale?” Pumpkin asked, looking a bit scared. Sentinel ignored that question, not wanting to freak her out. Diamond, however, was willing to try to answer. “Nopony knows,” he grinned. “The poor bastard wouldn’t speak. Whatever happened to him probably scared him shitless.” The time for small talk was then suddenly cut short. Sentinel Quill dove head first out the door, with all of others jumping out with him into the freezing wind that awaited them.
Intermission 04: QuilliumThe skies above Aeroslida were a bright and spacious blue that seemed to illuminate the very air with a warm radiance. The various birds flew in and out of the street signs, while NPCs and players alike roamed the stores. Street vendors called out their wares as well as negotiated prices with a few buyers. Not only this, but groups of players were also excitedly describing their most recent tales to each other, and anticipating what they wanted to do next. A few were even trading items, weapons, and information on certain creatures. It was just another day in the world of Equestrian Ear– “GET OUT OF MY STORE!” The sudden outburst wrenched across the skies, startling the birds and several ponies in the street. Nothing happened for a time, so most of them just shrugged it off and continued on their business. None of them knew that the voice had come from a small bookstore that was located in a secluded part of the city. Inside, the store was littered with various scrolls, tomes, a few quills, and a couple of maps of the certain locations in the world. Several bookshelves full of books lined the walls with only a few tables in between. At that moment, a player, a stallion with a light green mane and coat and was robed in a black cloak, was standing before the shop owner, who was a brown unicorn with a shockingly grey mane, which was short and combed a bit untidily to the left. The old stallion was looking quite angry at the player before him. Slowly, the player lifted a green hoof to his ear and massaged it a little. “Did you have to yell so loudly? You nearly broke my ear drums there.” He calmly told the disgruntled shop owner. The shop owner puffed out his chest and glared at the player. “I want you out of my shop, and you’d better hope I never see you here again. I can do more than just ‘yell loudly’ you know.” “Oh really?” asked the player. “And what’s an NPC going to do to me?” “This ‘NPC’ knows far more than you could ever begin to know.” They stared at each other for a time, and then the player shrugged his shoulders and stepped away. “I’ll leave for now, but we will come back Quillium. Sentinel would very much like to speak with you.” The NPC known as Quillium didn’t even move. The player shrugged again and left the store, a tiny ringing from the bell above the front door echoed throughout the now empty shop. Giving a deep sigh, Quillium leaned down and began to pick up the papers he had knocked over earlier in his magic. He seemed a whole lot older just then after speaking with the player. Annoying Code Warrior… he thought as he placed the papers on a nearby table, can’t leave me alone for one week…even though one week here is like a day *there***. Just then, the bell rang again, signaling that somepony had just come in. Thinking it was the Coder again, he rounded on the visitor with revived ferocity. “DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO– ” He stopped mid sentence. A tiny grey Pegasus foal was pressed against the door, startled by the hostile store owner. Quillium softened his gaze when he recognized the lad. “Buzz…” he said. The foal, realizing that Quillium wasn’t mad anymore sat up on his haunches and smiled. “Hello Mr. Q. Who was that pony you were talking to just now?” Quillium couldn’t help but smile a little at his quick recovery. “Nopony of particular importance Buzz.” He told the foal. “What is it that you want today?” Buzz happily hopped onto all four of his hooves and bounced up to Quillium. His smile growing all the bigger as he did so. “Gust and Windy keep telling me that you used to know an actual NPC adventurer!” He happily proclaimed. Quillium’s smile faded upon hearing this. “And why would you come here then?” “I wanted to make sure they weren’t pulling my leg,” he replied. Buzz looked down and began to trace his little hoof on the carpet, like he was getting in trouble for something. “I’ve always been told that NPCs shouldn’t even try to go on an adventure like the players…cause you know…we might get killed…” “An all too true fact for us I’m afraid…” Quillium said. He turned his back on the foal and began to reshelf a few tomes that had been discarded earlier. Buzz looked up again and began to follow him around the small store. “So?” He asked. “So…what?” Quillium asked back. “Did you know an NPC adventurer?” Quillium sighed and turned towards the foal again. “Buzz, do you know why NPCs don’t usually go on adventures like the ‘players’ often do?” “Cause unlike the players, us NPCs could actually get killed out there. We don’t regenerate like them.” “Correct.” Quillium said with a smile. “And do you know why we ask players to go on ‘Quests’ for us if a certain task we want done is too dangerous?” “Um…” Buzz said. “For the same reason?” “Correct again. And it is that same reason that we are forever banned from taking part in those PvP battles at the Skydome.” “Cause if we die…” “We don’t ‘come back’ like a player.” Quillium concluded. Satisfied with his explanation, the store owner continued replacing the old and sometimes new tomes back in the surrounding shelves. Buzz stayed where he was for a moment, not moving except for the occasional twitch of his wings. He then proceeded to follow Quillium around the store again. “Is that why you don’t leave your store?” He asked. “Partly…” Quillium replied. He set the last book inside a shelf, then went over to the pile of knocked over quills. His earlier argument with the Coder had gotten little out of hoof. “But you can’t just stay here forever.” Buzz observed. “I do have to leave my store for my home you know. I don’t actually live here like most folks seem to think.” “I know…but then again you never leave Aeroslida!” Quillium sighed again while setting the quills back in their respective cup beside the ink wells. He walked over to the nearest map and began rolling it up. “Actually…I do leave Aeroslida…I just don’t leave for long periods of time like others.” “What do you do then?” Buzz hopped into a chair that was beside Quillium and eagerly looked at the old shop keeper. Out of all the foals I have ever met in my life… Quillium wondered, You have to be the one to ask the most questions… He chuckled a little just then. The shop owner was used to answering a lot of questions. From weapon lore and creature knowledge, to the occasional food recipe, he was always glad to answer a question, and yet why is this foal so intent on learning more about him? Quillium decided to answer the question to at least try to sate his curiosity by answering, “Sometimes I have to go to other towns to gather more books for my store. I can’t run a business without new stock every now and then.” Buzz nodded his head and gazed around himself at all the books around him. Happy that he wasn’t asking any more questions, Quillium walked over to another section of his store. Here, he carefully selected a simple novel and returned to the colt. Buzz looked at him, and then the book. His eyes grew wider as he read the title. “’The First Great Heroes of Our Age’? What’s that about?” He asked with wonder in his voice. “It’s about the first of our kind who dared to venture into the first dungeons of this so called ‘game’ that we live in.” Quillium replied. He set the book on the table before the foal and smiled as he began to read it. “NPC adventurers? For real? Cool!” For the next hour or so, Buzz reveled in the first stories of Equestrian Earth when it was first being created. How the Coders had come to them, the NPCs, at one point so they could beta test a few dungeons before the game was released. He even learned how a few NPCs continued to go into these same areas, even after they were infested with creatures and traps, just to see if they could survive for real. During this time, Quillium entertained him even further by telling Buzz of the actual history of their ‘real’ counterpart, Equestria Prime. Not only that, but he also got the colt a snack of bread with his famous strawberry jelly. Buzz was happily eating a slice with copious amounts of the red substance when he popped the question once more. “Did you know any NPC adventurers? Like the ones in the book?” Quillium stared long and hard at the young foal. He stared so long that Buzz began to think that he might have broken him somehow. He was considering on calling a Coder when he at last spoke. “I did…but only one.” He said. His tone was a little sad. Buzz stared at him with wonder again. It was then that he glanced at the clock. “Oh my gosh! I have to go!” He quickly devoured the rest of the bread and hopped off the chair. He gave Quillium a quick hug and galloped out the door. Just before he did, he turned around and smiled at the ancient stallion. “Thank you for the stories Mr. Q. And the jam was delicious!” He turned suit and bolted out the door, the bell just above it ringing in the near empty store. Quillium hadn’t moved an inch. He gazed after the boy and sighed. “I knew one…” he angrily muttered under his breath. “And one is enough for me.”
**Chapter 11 Part 1: Trouble in Trottingham Town**Chapter 11 Part 1: Trouble in Trottingham Town A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 1~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Luna had left the game a while ago to tend to her nightly duties, explaining about how her sister will make a fuss if she doesn’t raise the moon in time. After their short goodbyes, the princess promptly logged out of the game, leaving the mares to roam in the digital town, Trottingham. They’ve soon went around town to turn in the plethora of quests they’ve finished in Winsome Falls, and retreated back to the inn, where they had a generous round of drinks. The inn, at the moment, was filled to the brim with various players. The feel of the place was very friendly and loud, and there was plenty of chattering amongst the occupants. Dash’s group was no different from the others as they were listening to a long-kept secret that Applejack was revealing to them. “And the thing about it is that Caramel actually likes stallions,” Applejack harshly whispered. Rarity raised one of her eyebrows. “Really? How do you know this?” “Ah saw how he was eyein’ Big Mac. The stallion didn’t even try to hide it. He was always comin’ down to the farm to try to help mah brother with the work. Ah also overheard him shooting out a few subtle hints here and there. Was casual with the flirting as well.” Applejack motioned the waiter over for a refill. “I swear to Faust that Caramel is now just coming up with excuses to leave his work.” “Oh my. I always did find him to be a bit nicer than most stallions. I suppose it could be that side of him contributing to the matter.” Rarity took a small sip from her slim glass. Unlike the other girls, she didn’t prefer the wooden mugs and requested vintage wine. “Maybe we should throw a party for them! Hook them up together!” Pinkie happily shouted. “Pinkie, I don’t think that would be the smartest way to go,” Twilight scolded her. “Also, I wouldn’t be too sure about all this, Applejack. Maybe he’s just really friendly towards Macintosh for another reason. You can’t just make assumptions based on actions alone.” “Yes,” Trixie added, siding with Twilight. “I think the two are just friends. I don’t see why those two would be together. From what I’m hearing from you, it sounds like Caramel is just being forthcoming.” Applejack flustered a little with her cider. “You wouldn’t know about what I’ve seen, Trixie. Ah’m telling you that Caramel has a crush on mah brother! You can’t just— look Ah know for a fact that Caramel has been hanging out with my brother ever since he moved into Ponyville. You can’t ignore that.” Trixie frowned a bit, and then started paying her mug of cider more attention. “Alright, if you really insist on believing that. To be honest, I think you’re being a bit too paranoid about this. It’s not good for you.” “Maybe Caramel is just being a good friend,” Fluttershy quietly suggested. She was enjoying a small cup of tea. “But Applejack, you sound like you wouldn’t want Caramel to be around Macintosh. I don’t see anything wrong with two stallions being… together.” Fluttershy blushed a little, and let out a small squeak. “O- of course, I didn’t mean it like that way.” “It’s okay Fluttershy. However, I’m not against the fact that Caramel might be a coltcuddler. Ah don’t disapprove it at all, but I’m nervous that Mac might not have caught onto this and doesn’t share the same feelings with Caramel. Ah’m afraid that sooner or later, Mac might accidently hurt the poor stallion’s feelings.” The mares took a moment of silence to think about what Applejack just revealed to them. Then Rainbow Dash peered into the bottom of her mug, gazing at the shallow pool of apple cider that was left in her mug. What would she do in Caramel’s horseshoes? She felt like she had the answer in her grasp, however, she didn’t really know how to make of it. There seemed to be only one solution, but it was a risky one. She decided to suggest it anyway. “I don’t know, AJ,” Rainbow Dash said. “Maybe we should tell him about it. The big guy has gotta figure it out someday.” Applejack backed away from the table in surprise. “What? No! Ah can’t do that! That’ll just make the matter worse!” “I have to agree with Applejack on this,” Rarity said. “Wouldn’t it be better if Caramel were to confess to Macintosh himself? I’m sure it’ll feel more honest coming from the coltcuddler in question.” Rainbow Dash winced a little. “Okay, okay. So it was a bad idea. No big deal.” Applejack slumped in her chair. “It’s okay, sugar cube. Ah know you didn’t mean anything by that. I’m just… I’m just confused.” The group sat there in silence again. What seemed to be simple gossip had turned into a dramatic soap opera. Or at least, that’s what Rainbow Dash thought it felt like. The sky-cyan pegasus downed the last mouthful of her cider, and got up from her seat. “Well, I’m not going to stick around for much longer. I’m gonna go outside and see what we can do for the next few hours,” Rainbow Dash announced, walking towards the open door. “Okay. Don’t take too long,” Twilight called after her. “It won’t.” Rainbow Dash assured, quickening her pace from a slow trot to a run out the door and into the town square. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Trottingham was a nice place. Its rustic buildings held up a nice, friendly atmosphere and it would have made the average pony long for simpler times. However, this wasn’t exactly the type of place meant for a dare devil like Dash. She knew she was meant for the open skies, where the floating cities were. Massive citadels like Aeroslida inspired awe in ponies, and were constantly moving. Just like Rainbow Dash. Trottingham, though, was down to the earth, and was miniscule compared to the air strongholds. The small town may be next to some pretty awesome and cool places like Winsome Falls, but she felt that if it had something like a flight course, or something similar, then it would brighten up the place. At least, that was her opinion. Rainbow Dash walked from NPC to NPC, conversing with them along the way. Normally the mare would like to rush things, but these guys would sometimes tell her about places that just breathed excitement. The local blacksmith, sharpening his newly made sword, was telling her about Ghastly Gorge. She had been to the real deal before, but something about how the old stallion described it made her feel like it was a challenge again. “I heard that those slick serpents were at it again, banging inside the walls of the rocky valley with their mighty roars. Those eels are causing a huge disturbance in the area, and it could only mean that something is amiss.” The brown-bearded earth pony propped the sharpened sword up on a wooden display rack. “The guards at Ghast village are paying a mighty sum of bits to whoever could figure out the cause. If I was an adventurer like you, I would probably take up a good team and storm the rugged ravine.” “I already have a good team,” Rainbow Dash proudly told him. “Best friends I could ever ask for.” “Really now? That’s good. That’s good.” The blacksmith took a shield from an iron bench, and starting banging out the dents on an anvil. “Be sure to keep them close to you. Good friends are what you need in this world.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “So, um, about any jobs my friends could take in the town…” The blacksmith took a moment to ponder, searching his mind for any memory of any tasks that could be done. “Well little missy, there was a steady increase of patrolling guards around town. Nopony else noticed, but I know for a fact that something is amiss. I would ask them myself, but I’m far too busy here at my shop. If you could go ahead and ask them for me that would be appreciative. Not only for me, but it’s for the whole town as well.” “Will do. I’ll come back with the news soon.” Rainbow Dash took back some of the repaired gear the blacksmith had fixed for her. She tossed an adequate amount of bits towards the blacksmith, who had expertly caught it. “Thanks by the way.” The blacksmith had a proud twinkle in his eyes. “No problem. Blacksmithing is what I do.” He waved good bye as Rainbow Dash took flight after she put on her gear. It was used equipment, but Rainbow Dash felt like a million bits after putting them on. That old guy really knew how to fix stuff. She flew a few circles above town square, searching for any shining tattle tells of a patrolling guard’s body armor. It was morning right now, and the guards usually polish their armor in the morning, giving them a really swell shine to them. But somehow, she could not capture a glimpse of their equipment at all. Were they sleeping in? That was something Rainbow Dash would do, but she didn’t think a couple guards would shirk on the job, much less an entire squadron of them. Dash decided to fly towards a different part of town, hoping that they would probably be around in a huge group. It would explain why there wasn’t any guards spread out in the town square, where they usually would be. Sure enough, her suspicions were right on the mark. Rows upon rows of guards were standing tall in a square group in front of an unusual building. It wasn’t exactly the strangest building Rainbow Dash had ever encountered, but it certainly looked a bit out of place in a town like Trottingham. The tall building was standing at three stories high, and was built out of white stone instead of brown wood. Small flags had decorated the walls with the Trottingham insignia on it: an earth pony with a pitchfork and a shield. A big flag pole stood at the front of it, proudly displaying its symbol and color. It reminded Rainbow Dash like a headquarters for a guard force, but she had seen the Trottingham guard station before. This building was something else. At the stairs leading to the entrance, a stallion suited in a white uniform seemed to be reading off something in his hooves. Rainbow Dash couldn’t hear what he was saying, so she swooped down in a nearby alleyway where she could easily eavesdrop on the conversation. As she made her landing, a dirty cat yowled in surprise, angry from being woken from its nap. She silently cursed, and motioned the cat to go away. Indignant, the cat swiped at her menacingly, and leapt into the darker parts of the alley. Hopefully, the pesky animal didn’t give away her position. Peering from her hiding place, Rainbow Dash could see that the stallion was still talking to the group of guards. She swept the sweat off her eye brows, and heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn’t noticed. Gathering her wits about her again, she lent her ears into the banter. Now that Dash had a closer look, she could see that the stallion in white was a pegasus and had a stormy grey coat. His snow-white hair and tail were a bit unkempt, splaying out all over the place as if the guy didn’t care about getting a proper haircut for either of them. It was clear, however, that he got a trim every now and then. She could notice that the pegasus had a few noticeable bangs here and there. She had the local spa do that with her own mane sometimes when it grows too wild. His flank proudly displayed his cutiemark: a pair of yellow pegasus wings being showered upon with snowflakes by a white snow cloud. Rainbow Dash bit her lower lips. She didn’t know why, but she somehow remembered seeing this stallion somewhere before. The thought kept slipping her mind though. However, as the words from the stallion’s mouth kept flowing, her mind finally grasped the needed memory. “Is that… Silvercast?” Rainbow Dash wondered. It was him, Snowy Silvercast! Dash allowed herself a small smile as she took a small trip down memory lane. Seeing him here in the game made her nostalgic for older times, when she had a huge adventure with her friends. What’s he doing here in the game though? Wasn’t he back home on some sort of business? Maybe the game was sold in his country as well. Rainbow Dash pushed the questions out of her thoughts. She needed to know what was up in the town. “I want a division in the market district and patrolling the alleyways as well. I don’t want any stone left unturned until we find the perpetrator. Understood?” Silvercast demanded, reading off a long list in his hoof. All the guards saluted him and shouted out loud, “Yes sir!” The pegasus swept a hoof across him. “Then spread out! Don’t expect any rest until real-world sun up. Players’ lives in the game are at stake here.” The guards complied with his orders and trotted out in small clusters, looking for whoever they were looking for. That last line placed a bit of concern in Dash’s mind. Lives were at stake? What’s going on? What did Snow mean by that? Was something bad going to happen? A lot of questions were growing in Dash’s mind, and her eyebrows knotted at that. It was irritating. Dash waited for the right moment to pop out from her hiding place, making sure nopony was around to discover she was there. When the correct time showed itself and when Snowy wasn’t looking in her general direction, she quickly rolled away from her hiding spot and corrected herself to make it look like she was just casually strolling along the main path. Dash looked around, and smiled. Nopony ever saw her. Snowy hadn’t noticed her yet either, so she made a move to wave towards him. Before she could though, a creeping suggestion had popped into her head. Dash pondered for a moment, and then developed an evil, evil grin on her face. Since it had been a while that they had last saw each other, why not give him a nice surprise? Dash mischievously giggled as she silently took the sky. Snowy hadn’t noticed her yet as he was too preoccupied with his list. “He won’t be for long,” Rainbow Dash impishly thought. The pegasus flew around the sky, gathering around bits and pieces of clouds along the way. White ones, grey ones, dark ones, it didn’t matter. However, the darker shades of fluff were more important. Every now and then, Rainbow Dash would look down to see if Snowy had noticed. Luckily, he didn’t. Once she had gathered enough cloud pieces, she combined them together, making sure to stomp or punch in any lump of cloud that was out of place. The product was a ready-to-use lightning cloud. Small and safe enough for one pegasus to move around. With care of course. Once finished with her masterpiece, Dash tapped into her ninja-like skills, and floated the cloud over the unsuspecting chump in a stealthy way. He would never see this coming! On the cloud, she raised both her arms in the air, gathering every force she had behind them. She waited for a minute to pass… then another. Snowy looked up. *CRASH* Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the cloud, causing a massive lightning bolt to strike down on the ground beside the poor stallion. Shocked, Snowy had leapt away from the blast, comically crashing into a hilarious heap. She howled in laughter after witnessing his reaction. “Oh wow! That was awesome!” she hollered, unable to control her cackling fit. He looked up again, his eyes widened in shock. “Dash? Is that you?” “In the dash,” she joked. “That wasn’t very nice you know.” “Yeah, but you’ll forgive me anyway.” Dash smirked, knowing that he would easily forgive her. He was always a big softie. Snowy glared at her from down below, and then rolled his eyes. “Well, I suppose just this once. And don’t you dare pull another one on me!” “Won’t happen again.” Rainbow Dash kicked the cloud apart into harmless pieces. “At least… not in the same form,” she deviously added in her mind. He slowly started to calm down. “Well Dash, I haven’t seen you in a long time.” Snowy motioned her over to sit by him. “How about you come down here? We have a lot to catch up on.” The blue pegasus made herself as comfortable as she could of the marble stairs, and gave Snow her full, undivided attention. “Yeah. I’m always wondering what you’re up to each day.” “Every day?” he teased. Dash playfully slugged him in the side. “Not every day, you idiot.” He laughed. “Sorry, Dash. Couldn’t help myself.” “So… what are you doing here? Did you buy the game?” “Yep. Just like everypony else over here. Magistrum isn’t that far away from Equestria you know.” “Why are you here though?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I didn’t know you were allowed to order NPCs around. Maybe I should report this to the admins about this.” she joked. “Hay! I’ll have you know that I’m assigned as one of the game’s patrol units,” he confidently said. Rainbow Dash raised one of her eyebrows. “Really? Who hooked you up?” Snowy gave her a knowing smirk. “Who else do you think would give me this job?” Rainbow Dash gave it some thought for a good minute or two. Who would give Snow a job in the game? She didn’t think that the guy would have any connections to the development team behind Equestrian Earth… except for one other guy. “It’s Sentinel, isn’t it?” He nodded. “Correct. This is actually more of a favor he called in rather than a job. One day while playing on this game, he found me in Aeroslida and asked if I could help him with a little something.” He brought out the list he had with him. “This is it. Orders from his superiors. You should probably read this.” Rainbow Dash took the parchment from him, and read one of the paragraphs out loud, “Recently, there have been reports of players being randomly killed within the town of Trottingham, and having all their items stolen. While PvP outside of PvP Arenas are known and uncommon, the stealing of items after their deaths was alleged to be of illegal tampering with the game’s code. Victims have described the suspect to be a yellow pegasus with a scar on his or her face. Be sure to keep an eye out for the pony, and bring the hacker to justice.” Snowy took back the paper. “That’s right. There’s a hacker loose in Trottingham, and I’m in charge of bringing this jerk to justice. It was the least I could do for Sentinel, so I said yes. And now here I am, looking everywhere for where ever this pony may be.” Rainbow Dash nervously shuffled her wings. Something about the description made her think a bit again. The description of the suspected hacker was completely identical to the stallion she, Luna, Trixie, and her friends had saw a few hours ago in Winsome Falls! Was this hacker and the mysterious pony one and the same? “Snow,” Rainbow Dash said in a serious tone. “There’s something I have to tell you. I think I may have seen this guy before.” Snowy was stunned by this news. “You have?! Where?” Rainbow Dash quickly summarized the story about the events leading up to where she met the yellow stallion. How Trixie had appeared in Aeroslida and attacked Twilight, how Twilight went to Canterlot to confront her and found out about the petty jealousy Trixie had and how the ex-showmare apologized (in her own way), and how they teamed up with Luna to go on a grinding session and found the scarred pegasus. Snowy listened quietly, attending to every detail she spouted out from her recent adventures in the game. “Well, it sounds like you and your friends had gone through a lot in the past few days.” He got up from his spot, and spread his wings. “I’ll be sure to tell the Sentinel about this. I’m sure he and his colleagues would like to know about this. You be sure to tell your friends about what’s going on too. I don’t want to know that you guys are getting mugged.” Rainbow Dash scoffed at the idea. “It’s not like it’s going to happen. I’ll tell them anyway. You can be sure of that.” He nodded towards her. “I’ll see you around. It’s been nice chatting with you.” Snowy soared into the open blue skies. “Same here!” she called after him. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Back in the inn room where the mares were sleeping in for a bit, Rainbow Dash was recounting what she had found out in the town of Trottingham. The blacksmith’s tale of Ghastly Gorge, playing catch-up with Snowy Silvercast, and going back to the blacksmith to tell him the troubling news. It was a long story, and it has sent everypony except Trixie in the room on the edge, leaving them with varying amounts of concern. Applejack, standing against the wall next to the bed Rainbow Dash laid upon, was the first to speak up. “So you’re sure that the stallion we saw earlier is here in Trottingham.” “He might be,” Rainbow Dash said. “The description was really close. It has to be him!” “But why would he go around killing ponies for their items? It doesn’t add up.” Twilight objected. “Maybe he was desperate,” Trixie suggested, tending to her hooves with a hoof buffer. “Those players that were tied up next to the portal were probably going to have their items stolen. If I was a hacker and wanted to do a clean job of stealing items in-game, I would probably create a gateway to a location hidden from the admins I could easily access without the fear of being caught, kidnap players and send them through the portal. From there I could use a program to steal their items, kill the player, then move the gateway to another location.” “But darling, the portal we saw earlier was enormous!” Rarity pointed out. “There’s no way that stallion could hide that.” Trixie shrugged. “A portal could look like anything. Maybe it was big because the guy was over compensating for… a little something something.” She gave the dress designer a sly wink. Rarity took a moment to try to figure out what Trixie had just said, then gasped in shock. “Trixie! How uncouth of you!” The azure mare let out an evil chuckle. “What can I say? It’s probably true. Am I right?” Rainbow Dash allowed herself a small laugh as well. What Trixie said was kinda funny. “Right. It’s probably just that.” The two mares hoof bumped each other, much to Rarity’s displeasure at the thought. “Well girls, I do hope you know that size isn’t everything. A gentlecolt must also be well mannered and humble.” “Yeah, and I bet he must be great with the tongue too,” Trixie added. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack snickered a bit at the comment. However, Twilight and Rarity blushed a bit. Fluttershy was brighter red to a great degree, covering her mouth in alarm. “W- well…” Rarity stuttered. “Twilight, help me out here!” “What? No! I’m not going to be a part of this!” Rarity turned back, and huffed in disappointment at Rainbow Dash and Trixie. “Honestly, this is why mares are stereotyped as being immature all the time! It’s perverted thoughts like these!” “Come on, Rarity. Lighten up will ya?” Rainbow Dash said. “We’re just having a bit of fun.” Rarity turned around, not facing Rainbow Dash. “Having fun doesn’t cut foalish behavior.” Twilight let out an exhausted sigh as she looked out the window. “Well girls, the moon is up. It’s time for us to get some rest. Don’t want you girls getting exhausted before we go out there again.” The mares agreed and retired to their respective beds. However, there weren’t enough of them to go around, so some of them had to bunk together. Rarity and Applejack had no trouble with this since they had both shared one before at Twilight’s house. She and Trixie, however, had to be coaxed into sharing a bed. Despite their discomfort, Trixie was the first one to say yes. “What?!” Twilight asked in disbelief, almost to a near-shout. “Well, it’s obvious that we have no other choice. You know Fluttershy isn’t used to sleeping with somebody else in the bed,” Trixie reasoned. The shy, yellow pegasus in question peeked from underneath her covers. “I’m sorry,” she quietly apologized. Twilight heaved another sigh. “It’s fine, Fluttershy. It’s fine.” And finally, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash would be taking the last bed together. It was the one next to the only window in the room. “Ooh! This is going to be so much fun! We can pitch a small tent with the blanket, and have a lantern in there, and tell each other ghost stories, and make smores, and stay up all night, and—” Pinkie couldn’t continue with Dash’s hoof on her mouth. “Please, not tonight,” Dash tiredly said. Pinkie nodded vigorously before Dash let go. “Okie doki loki!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash’s lungs couldn’t take it anymore. For what seemed to be the past few days, Rainbow Dash had been running through who knows where. The dark forest she was in held no light source for her to indicate what she was running to except for the silver moonlight above. She could tell it was a forest because her face greeted the bad side of a tree a few minutes ago. She stopped for a quick rest beneath one of the towering tanks of a plant, giving her body the privilege to suck in more precious air. Her usually strong muscles shivered gratefully as they were allowed to rest for a bit. She could hear the crumbling leaves underneath her hooves cry out in several loud crunches. Now that she could think straight, Rainbow Dash tried to remember why she was running in the first place. For one thing, the forest was way too creepy for her taste. She didn’t know where she was running to, but anyway was better than this dank place. She moved on to continue, but a loud roar had pierced through the air, sending a cold chill down her spine. It was animalistic, and very unearthly. As if it didn’t come from the mortal plane of Equis. It sounded like it came from behind her. Slowly, she craned her neck to see what was behind her. She could feel her forehead sweating a bullet storm. What if the creature wanted her to look behind? To see the whites of her eyes, and know that she was there? Her head was almost there, and she could see what was behind her out of the corners of her eyes. Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn forward. She could just stop there, and continue running. She looked back. There was nothing there. Laughing out of sheer terror, Rainbow Dash twisted her body towards the direction where she was looking at, and started walking backwards. It made sense to know if something was chasing after you, right? Not much later, Rainbow Dash felt her haunches bump into something. She could feel her throat gasping for air as the dreaded fear clawed at it. She didn’t want to look behind her, but she had no choice now. It was too late. End of the line. Kaput. She turned around, and was met with a masked face. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Dash opened her eyes and quickly sat up, almost letting out a fearful scream. Fortunately, she had the sense to cover her mouth before she could possibly wake up her friends. It would have probably made them angry afterwards, and give them an excuse to laugh at one day. The time Rainbow Dash had woke up screaming in the middle of the night. That would have been something to talk about. Victoriously, Rainbow Dash silently cheered for herself. “Not tonight,” Rainbow Dash thought, thankful that her friends still don’t know that she could get scared sometimes. What time was it anyway? Was it still dark outside? Rainbow Dash turned towards the open window to see if it was day time or not. The virtual moon was still high in the sky, indicating that she should go back to bed. It was a good thing too. Her eyes were being persistent on going back to sleep. She smoothed out the blankets over her, making sure that they were able to keep her warm for the remainder of the night. She then crashed back onto her pillow. Her eyes began to close and… wait. The window was open?! Rainbow Dash shot straight up from her pillow again and double checked the window. She wasn’t imagining it at all. The window was clearly open, exposing the room to the cold air outside. Why was it open? Did somebody invade their room while they were sleeping? Was the unknown pony still in the room? Was it the hacker, looking forward to slitting one of her friends’ throats? Not on her watch! Rainbow Dash swerved around to see if the would-be killer was still there. Once again, her suspicions were confirmed. Standing over Fluttershy, who was softly snoring, was a cloaked assailant with a polished knife. The pony’s figure was very slim but was also slightly taller than her. The cloak covered around his entire body except for his eyes, giving him an intimidating appearance. In the dark at least. “Oi!” Rainbow Dash yelled. “Get away from her.” The hacker looked up. “Wha—” The pony didn’t get a chance to speak as Rainbow Dash pummeled the hacker to the ground, causing him to drop his weapon. Repetitively, Rainbow Dash attempted to beat the living life out of him for threatening one of her friends, only to have each of her punches blocked. The both of them wrestled with each other, attempting to gain dominance over the other. The struggle was really rough, and they couldn’t find a good position to lock the other in, and was forced to let each other go. They then followed it up with a trade of vicious blows and kicks, all of them once again being blocked. Rainbow Dash gave up the hoof-to-hoof combat, deciding to switch to a different tactic by standing on her hind legs and draw her multicolored sword out from the sheath around her waist. She would never take her sword off her, unless if it was necessary. The sword’s glowing brilliance pierced the darkness within the room, and was enough to blind the intruder into a standstill moment. Taking advantage of the handicap, Dash swung a couple slashes at the mysterious pony, knocking off several points off his health bar. She couldn’t tell if the hacker was a mare or a stallion, but judging from the tussle she just had with the pony, she was going to assume it was a stallion. The guy didn’t exactly look too happy with her bloody gift, and took a battle stance against her after picking up his knife off the ground. He then immediately rushed forward, and slashed the blade towards her head. She immediately blocked the deadly strike with the flat of her sword, and then lined her next combos with a series of hilt bashes and blade slices to his body, surely leaving dark bruises and bloody wounds. Somehow, the stallion managed to escape her clutches, and gave her a return present in the form of a deep cut to her left shin. She winced as the pain from her leg intensified, feeling a trickle of warm, red blood running down her leg. However, she wasn’t going to let some punk stallion beat her in a sword fight. She was Rainbow freakin’ Dash for crying out loud! With little effort, she used her wings to fly across the room, and slam her body against the stallion to the floor, knocking the wind out of him. The pony groaned as he attempted to get up, but Dash stomped on his chest, pinning him against the floor. “Alright. You had your fun,” Rainbow Dash sneered. She reached for the pony’s mask. “Now let’s see what you’re hiding under that—” “What the Tatarus is going on?” Applejack loudly demanded, getting up from her bed. “Who’s interrupting my beauty sleep? Can’t a lady get any rest?” Rarity yawned. Seeing that the other ponies were awake, the mysterious hacker grabbed something from a pouch, and threw it against the floor. Immediately, a cloud of smoke burst from it, shrouding the room in a vision-blocking veil. Rainbow Dash coughed from the smog that was entering her lungs, and strained her eyes to see where the attacker was. However, the dense smoke hid him from her vision, and she could hear him making his escape out the window. “Hey! Wait up!” Rainbow Dash yelled, finding her way to the window. She looked outside to see where the attacker had gone, but was only met with the still silence of the village. Frustrated, Rainbow Dash ruthlessly kicked the wall beneath the window. Celestia damn it, she missed her chance again. For the second time tonight! Damn it, couldn’t she do anything right today? With a vicious glare, she looked out the window again, this time at the stars. “I swear to Celestia that I’ll find you,” Rainbow Dash vowed. “and when I do, I won’t be so friendly like I was tonight.”
*Chapter 11 Part 2: Confrontation*Chapter 11 Part 2: Confrontation A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 2~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) The mares were around the same table again, with their mugs of virtual cider and beer to discuss about what in Celestia’s mane had happened. Applejack and Rarity had woken up from the loud disturbance caused by Rainbow Dash and the attacker, but some of them had actually slept throughout the entire ordeal. It struck the cyan pegasus weird at how the other mares were sleeping soundly while she, self-acknowledging to be one of the heaviest sleepers in Ponyville, had woken up in the middle of the night when the mugger was still silent as a cat stalking its prey. Her cider was still as good as the one from yesterday was, but not even the sweet taste of the apple-brewed nectar could push away the stormy thoughts floating around in Rainbow’s mind. For some reason, she couldn’t get that hacker out of her mind. She was supposed to be the best… so why couldn’t she overcome this bucker?! “So, you really think last night’s attacker was him?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion, referring to the events in the game last night. “I’m one hundred and twenty percent sure!” Rainbow Dash replied insistently, waving her hooves in the air irritably. “The player was really strong. Stronger than even a mare like me or Applejack would be, and we already know that hacker we keep bumping into was a stallion. It’s gotta be the same guy!” “I don’t know, darling. I can tell what the general size of a pony could be just from one look, and this hacker we’ve met before seemed to be a bit more lean than most stallions,” Rarity chimed in, her horn flashed and an image of the luscious shape of the mysterious stallion’s body appeared. She silently cursed the cloak he was wearing for hiding away the eye-candy, but didn’t show it in her expressions, lest her friends would notice the inappropriate thoughts she was having. “Sure, he has some very well toned muscles, but he’s definitely got the Applewood celebrity look. I say that his body actually parallels with you two,” she finished, a hoof pointing to Applejack and Rainbow. “Wh– what!? Me with a celebrity look?” Applejack sputtered, shooting her friend an embarrassed look. “Consarnit Rarity, whatever gave you that silly idea?” “What? I’m just stating what I felt was true. Admit it, you've caught a few mares and stallions looking at your way before. I certainly know you’re eye-catching,” Rarity replied, oblivious to Applejack’s anxiety. Applejack quickly pulled her hat down to cover the angry blush she had, “Ah– Ah don’t believe this.” Trixie leaned over to Rainbow Dash and whispered conspiratorially, “Looks like the farmer is hiding something from us.” She gave Rainbow a smirk and asked, “Wanna pry?” Rainbow Dash shook her head, not caring about what Applejack really thought of Rarity. Right now, the only things on her mind were the bedroom attacker and the yellow pegasus stallion. They had to be connected somehow! “Really? What about last night?” Rainbow asked Rarity, wondering about Rarity’s eye memory. “Did it look like they matched? The hacker we saw at Winsome Falls and last night.” “Sorry Dashie, darling. I didn’t catch a good glimpse of our ‘friend.’ My eyes were still half-closed when you and that ruffian woke me up with that awful tussle.” Rainbow crossed her forehooves across her chest and loudly grumbled from the back of her throat, “Whatever. I’ll find this guy anyway.” There was a stunned silence amongst the few groups of players that were hanging around in the bar. They were all listening to the discussion about the hacker, and to them it was unheard of for a player to pit themselves in an unfair fight. Rainbow’s friends, however, knew Rainbow Dash was a brash mare. She doesn’t walk away from a challenge. Still, this didn’t mean that it sat well with Twilight. She spoke reassuringly, “Rainbow. I know the stallion we’ve met has been giving us trouble in the past, but I’m still not sure if the Trottingham Hacker is the same guy. I suggest that we move onto the next town and leave it to the game’s officials to handle the problem. You did say Snowy was here, so I’m sure he’ll take care of the situati– ” “I don’t care!” Rainbow Dash yelled at the top of her lungs. Pounding a hoof on the table she continued, “Twilight, this stallion has been giving you and us a lot of trouble for the past couple of days! He sicced a timberwolf on both you and Pinkie, kidnapped a bunch of players for whatever Celestia-damned scheme he has, and almost killed Fluttershy for her items! I had enough of this sicko! I’m bringing him down, no matter what kind of hacks he has!” “Rainbow, I don’t think that’s exactly a good idea,” Twilight warned Rainbow, concerned for her friend's safety. She put a hoof on Dash's shoulder and asked, “What if this isn’t the same guy? What if he kills you and steals your stuff?” “That won’t happen,” Rainbow boasted with the utmost of confidence. She got up from her seat, and stomped towards the exit, “He’ll have to get it over my dead body first.” “What?! But that doesn’t sound fun!” Pinkie was a bit shocked by Rainbow’s sudden declaration. The other mares — except for Twilight and Trixie who both shared a concerned look for the cyan pegasus — clamored out to her along with Pinkie, worried for Rainbow Dash’s sake, but she didn’t listen as she dashed out of the inn. Their voices were cut off abruptly as she slammed the door behind her closed. While she did value her friend’s opinions, her mind was made up. Rainbow wasn’t about to have some cheating punk escape her without finishing the fight. Plus, the total bastard went after poor, little Fluttershy, for crying out loud! That didn’t fly fine by the flying athlete. If Rainbow wasn’t doing this for her own pride, then she was doing this for her shy, best friend. 'Nopony lays a hoof on Fluttershy and gets away with it on my watch!' Rainbow Dash angrily thought, vowing once again to bring the jerk hacker down. But the big problem was that she had no idea where to start her prowl after the criminal. The only lead she had was by his appearance alone; she doubted that the guy would walk around town in the middle of broad daylight, with or without his tattered cloak. If she remembered correctly, she gave that sucker a few presents in the form of sword slashes, so unless if he fully healed himself he should be covered in bandages or be struggling to walk. 'Then again… he probably has a stash of health potions somewhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, considering that he steals other players’ stuff, after killing them,' Rainbow Dash grumbled as the possible scenarios popped up in her head. If her assumption was true, then this search would be more difficult than she originally thought. 'Well… I shouldn’t waste any time by just standing here,' Rainbow decided, spreading her wings in preparation for takeoff. 'I should probably go back to the white building from before. Snowy might be able to give me a few more clues on where this guy could possibly be.' With her decision made, she leapt off the ground with her wings spread far apart. She flapped them a few times, before she found herself high enough in the sky to glide effortlessly above the town. The wind under her wings felt serene as water flowing in the river; flying to Rainbow Dash was like swimming to a seapony. It was pretty easy, and felt amazingly natural to her. Because of her strong link to flying, she was able to reach the white building much faster than a strong earth pony would. Seeing the building coming into her vision, Rainbow angled her descent to land just in front of it. Not skipping a beat, she touched down on the ground and ran around in a circle in an attempt to bleed off her momentum. Steadily, she slowed her run to a slow trot, and then down a simple walk. Rainbow swept her mane's colorful bangs away from her eyes, so she could garner a better look at the building. As she did, she felt her hoof brush along the multicolored cloth of her bandana, and the silver metal of the adorable, tiny wing pins of the band that were tucked behind ears there. While she did love the amazing speed stats her gear gave her, she felt that her armor could use an upgrade. It’s been a while since she had new, more powerful equipment on her. Rainbow decided to ask Rarity if she could help her out with this. After all, the unicorn fashionista was the group’s main equipment manager, and thus was responsible for providing equipment for each of her friends’ defenses and improving them, as needed. “I just hope she doesn’t make mine a dress though,” Rainbow quietly chuckled to herself. She opened the door to the white building, and took a peek around inside it. To her surprise, the building's interior didn’t match with any of game’s old-fashioned style for buildings. The building’s interior strongly reminded her of a corporate lobby. There was a huge, granite topped desk at the front with huge words, “Information Desk,” printed on its face. For some odd reason, the desk rose up to about her height, only stopping a couple inches below her. When Dash walked towards it, she saw that the desk's height was confined to only the front-facing portion. On the other side of the mini-wall was a couple mares in white uniforms, who were tending to the computers that were lined up on the desks. They were sitting down on chairs, so it gave Rainbow Dash the sense of being taller than she should be when she looked down at them. One of the mares, not intimidated by the height illusion, looked back at Rainbow and asked politely, “May I help you?” “Um, can I see Snowy Silvercast? I need to ask him something important.” “Mister Silvercast is currently not on duty right now. He had important business matters to attend to, so he left. You actually missed him by a couple minutes,” the mare gave Rainbow an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but is there anything else I can help you with? Maybe direct you to the next available Admin who could help you?” One of Rainbow's forehooves made its way to her chin as she considered the offer for a bit before she replied, “Sure. Is there anypony else?” “Well I haven’t checked the list yet, so I’ll have to make sure,” the information desk mare rapidly tapped a few buttons on a virtual keyboard that just popped up in front of her, and then sucked in air through her teeth. “Oooh, I’m sorry Miss… ” “Rainbow Dash.” “I’m sorry Miss. Dash, but there isn’t anypony else I can direct you to. Is there anything else?” Rainbow grumbled, but the mare didn’t notice, “No. I’m fine for now. Thanks anyway.” She turned to leave the building. “I’m sorry,” the mare apologized sincerely. She hesitated a moment before she called out to Rainbow, “Wait! Is it okay if I can ask you something?” Rainbow, with a small grumble, looked back at her. “Sure. What is it?” “Is there a specific reason you came here in the first place? Nopony really comes to a Admin Headquarters, unless if there’s something urgent you need to report. Is there a glitch or hacker you want to report? Or maybe even a disturbance in the town?” “This is a Admins HQ?” Rainbow took another look at the entire lobby. The modern design of the room certainly did feel out of place from the rest of the medieval game world. “Yes. All of our headquarters are scattered around in the major cities of the game, where we predicted there will be the highest concentration of players. Trottingham has a decent average of players every hour, so we had one built here. We’ve also built it in response to the recent upswing in hacker spottings around here,” the mare then adopted a serious look on her face. “If you need to report any information about the Trottingham Hacker, I can definitely help you with that.” “Oh… well actually, I came here to look for information on the hacker. I don’t really know anything about the hacker myself.” “Are you sure? Any information would be useful to our cause.” “Well… the hacker had invaded the inn room my friends and I were sleeping in, but he escaped before I could catch him. The inn’s name is The Trotting Mug.” The mare quickly typed numerous keys on the keyboard, jolting the information onto the computer’s database. She issued Rainbow Dash a quick ‘Thanks.’ “There was also this thing out at the WinsomeFalls area. Somepony had a portal that wasn’t supposed to be there. Did Snowy already tell you guys that?” The mare quickly ran through the folders of reports from the last few hours, and quickly located it. She opened the folder, and ran her eyes though the document. “Hmm… yes. Snowy did report a past incident in the Winsome Falls fields. We’ve had a team of Artificial Intelligence Guards, or A.I.G.s if you prefer, led by Admin Pinpoint. Other than the rubble left behind by the broken portal, we found nothing else.” “Damn,” Rainbow swore under her breath. “Well… thanks anyway.” The mare nodded, and turned her attention back towards the computer she tended to. Rainbow heaved a heavy sigh, and turned back to the exit. Maybe she could find the guy as she walked out the door. Exciting things usually happen when the hero least expected it, right? “Oh my Celestia! Is that Rainbow Dash!?” somepony, another mare in the room, cried out in a tone that Rainbow Dash knew all too well: a fan's squeal. Rainbow turned around, bracing for the inevitable impact that would pound her body to the ground. A mare tackled into her cyan body at rocket propelled speed, causing the both of them to crash against the polished floor. Rainbow grumbled a bit as she saw stars going around her head, and she felt as if a wrecking ball had slammed into her side. Whoever had glomped her must have been really strong. That’s what Rainbow assumed until she craned her head forward to see who tackled her. To her slight surprise, the 'wrecking ball' was actually a pegasus smaller than her; she was probably about a head shorter. Her pale blue coat reminded Rainbow Dash of the lake outside of Ponyville, and her fluffy, white mane was similar to a cloud. Rainbow Dash peered around to see the mare had a pair of daggers sheathed on a leather belt strapped around her chest and withers. She turned back towards the mare’s face, only for her eyes to be greeted by a pair of sea-green eyes filled with absolute glee. “Ugh… um… who are you?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly unsettled by the wide stare she was receiving. “Oh! My bad Rainbow Dash!” The mare got off Rainbow and offered a hoof. Rainbow gladly took it and was helped off the floor. “My name is Morning Shower, and I’m your biggest fan! I’ve seen you at the Best Young Flier Competition, and you were absolutely amazing!” She took in deep gasp. “Hey! Do you think you can show me some tricks please? That would be amazing!” Rainbow Dash chuckled a little. She expected this kind of behavior from Scoots, but never from another mare. She’s small, but Rainbow guessed that Morning was maybe only one year younger than her. She wondered how long Morning had been a fan of hers. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. Thanks.” Rainbow dusted her coat and wings. “Unfortunately, I don’t exactly have the time right now to show you what I got. Maybe some other time we can hang out. Until then, I’ll catch ya later.” “What?! Oh please, Rainbow Dash! I’ve always wanted to meet you so badly in person, but you never really come to Cloudsdale!” Morning Shower dove down to get a firm hold on one of Rainbow’s leg with a strong hug. “Please! Take me with you!” “O– oh come on! I’m really busy right now!” Rainbow tried to pull away, but Morning wouldn’t let go. She was desperately holding onto her leg as if her life depended on it. “How about this,” Rainbow started to offer. “If I become friends with you, will you please let me go?” Morning’s pupils widened to dangerously cute levels. “Really?! Oh that would be awesome!” Morning immediately let go, and swiftly brought out her Friends List scroll. She quickly scribbled a name on it, and Rainbow immediately received Morning’s request to be friends with her in the form of a blue panel that popped out of existence in front of her. With what seemed to be the tenth heavy sigh today, Rainbow halfheartedly pressed YES and watched another name appear on her own Friends List as she pulled it out of her inventory. With Morning’s name inscribed on the list, she stuffed it back into her light saddle bags, and turned back to the door for an exit. Of course, she would have been able to leave if Morning hadn’t taken a hold on her leg again. “Morning, what now?” Rainbow groaned. “I really have to go do something real quick!” “But I want to hang out with you!” Okay, now she felt Morning was asking a bit too much. The clearly obsessed mare would only slow her down on her search for the Trottingham Hacker. With a glace, she took a look at Morning’s Player Stats. The glowing blue profile panel, like a passport, listed all of the numbers that Morning had on her character. 'Rogue, Level 15, more concentrated on defense and health rather than speed and attack,' Rainbow listed off Morning's stats in her mind. It was clear that this mare had no real idea on how a real Rogue works in the game. Maybe Morning probably wasn’t used to Rogue classes in the first place. Rainbow wondered if the mare was more used to tanky warrior classes, but decided to try out for the speedier style. If the stats could talk to Rainbow, they would be saying “Don’t take this mare! She’ll only hurt herself!” But on the other hoof, the excited pegasus’s eyes were just screaming out loud “Please take her! She really wants to hang around with your awesomeness!” Pulled by two dominant choices, Rainbow couldn’t choose which one to go with. Leave the mare who obviously adores her, or let her stick around, slowing her down. Rainbow grew more and more uncomfortable as Morning’s eyes starting to well up with tears. They now spoke of nothing but eternal sadness behind their green windows. It broke Rainbow’s heart a bit to see Morning so desperate for Rainbow’s attention. Perhaps she should indulge her fanmare. “Well… oh alright,” Rainbow finally relented, throwing her hooves up in the air out of surrender. “I suppose you can tag along for a little while.” Morning Shower let out a huge, excited gasp, and then held Rainbow in her tight bear hug once more. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Rainbow Dash! You won’t regret it!” “I think I already am,” Rainbow strained to answer, barely feeling her lungs. She thanked Faust that this was just a virtual game. Morning saw what she was doing to the poor athlete, and quickly released Rainbow from her vice-grip hug. “Oops. Sorry Rainbow Dash,” she nervously giggled, trying to lift up the awkwardness. “So, um, what was this important thing?” she asked, her voice like a happy songbird. Rainbow struggled to stop herself from grinning a little. Morning sounded really glad to be able to come along with her. She then remembered why she came to the Headquarters in the first place, and frowned. “Well, I’m actually looking for information on the hacker. I’m not sure where to actually start.” “Oh! You’re looking for him too?” “… Excuse me?” Morning stiffened into a stand and gave her a salute that a Royal Guard would be proud of. “I’ve volunteered to be one of the many players to look for the Trottingham Hacker. While other players are strictly advised to not go looking for this trouble maker, a few can sign up here at the HQ so that we can help the Admins find this guy.” Morning stopped the stance for a moment to dig through her saddlebags. She brought out a blue, diamond-shaped crystal from within her inventory, the center of it held a glowing white orb. “I can use this to send an emergency signal to any Admins in the area, if I happen to see the hacker. It’s really exciting to be part of such a good cause!” The mare bounced up and down in pure joy, not noticing the crystal was slipping from her grasp until it was too late. “Oh no!” she shouted out and dove to catch it. It was quite a fumble, but Morning managed to catch the darn thing after it slipped out of her hooves a couple more times. She giggled a little, “Sorry Rainbow Dash. This thing is like soap!” Rainbow managed to give out a small grin for this one. Morning was, at the very least, kind of funny and amusing to be around. 'I guess it wouldn’t hurt to… keep her around,' Rainbow thought, still hesitating slightly because of her feelings. She still wasn’t very keen on letting the mare go on such a dangerous task with her, but Morning had already signed up for this, didn’t she? 'Well… guess there’s no harm to bringing her along.' “Morning! What’s the hold up?” Rainbow looked around to locate who was talking, and saw that it was coming from a paper-white unicorn stallion with a brown, mane and unkempt tail. His black steel plated armor only covered his hooves, chest, and barrel, so his cutie mark of a game controller was showing. Sheathed were his two daggers on either side of his flank. He looked like the kind of guy that would talk a lot when he wasn’t so busy. With his choice of weapons, he was obviously a Rogue. His floating profile also revealed that his real name was Kenyis. Rainbow looked past him and saw that he wasn’t alone. A light grey stallion, who was also another unicorn, with a spiky, black mane and tail was wearing a long trench coat covered with numerous bandoliers of round lead bullets and a bandolier of red-taped dynamite strapped across his chest. Holstered on his each side of his coat, were two pairs of flintlock revolvers with six barrels each. They looked like the kind of guns Rainbow would expect old fashioned pirates would carry. The stallion, himself, had a silly, gleeful look to him; he somehow reminded Rainbow of Pinkie Pie, if she were crude. Rainbow identified him as Lead Storm, and his class type was simply a Gunslinger. Not a very common choice, as players saw them to be incredibly overpowered, but in reality their guns were just as powerful as crossbows. From what Rainbow heard, gun weapons were also more expensive as well, even in the regular NPC shops. There was also an earth pony mare by the strange, exotic name of Capricorn. She reminded Rainbow of a hipster-styled Twilight with a whip-thin, black scarf around her neck. Her eyes spoke volumes of her intelligence, but there was also a spark of creativity behind them as well. The black leather armor she was wearing didn’t make any noise at all as the mare moved, but Rainbow could hear the slight ring of chainmail underneath all that padding. Her coat's color was grey, and was accompanied by blue eyes and dirty-blond hair. She was also a classified as a Rogue. And then… there was the giant, massive guy, Corniger. A towering Minotaur with a pair of great horns, standing on two cloven hooves, grey as stone, and had muscular arms bigger around than her head. Even from a mile away, you can’t mistake this guy as small. Ironically, his style of outfit and class didn’t match his outward facade. Apparently, the Minotaur was actually an Elemental Magus, and a very high level one at that. Rainbow heard that these spell casters can conjure a constant hail of magic to keep their opponents busy, so they were mostly pitted against more powerful monsters to whittle them down, while their teammates handle the weak cannon fodder. Apparently, Morning really did know these guys as she waved at them. “Oh, hi guys! Look! I found Rainbow Dash!” Kenyis chuckled. “I know that, but weren’t we going to go looking for the hacker?” “Of course! I’m just going to go search with Rainbow Dash!” Kenyis took a small step back, taken aback by her answer. “What? You can’t be serious. I thought we agreed to go looking for him together, and now you’re going to ditch us for some mare?” “She isn’t just some mare! She’s Rainbow – freakin’ – Dash!” Morning shouted in a loud outburst. She quickly regretted it as she saw her friends’ shocked expressions. Morning clenched her hooves against together, and shook them both towards Kenyis. “Just this once ple-e-ease? It will only be for a day!” Kenyis didn’t really know what to say. He knew Morning was a huge fan of Rainbow Dash, even though he had never seen her before. Only heard stories, but he assumed them to be exaggerated. He looked towards his companions for some support, but they shook their heads silently. Irritated, he rolled his eyes at them, and turned back towards the pleading mare. “I… I don’t know, Morning. Don’t you think it’s safer to stay in a group? Why don’t we go with yo– ” Morning rushed over to him to jam a hoof in his mouth. He let out a yelp before she quickly whispered in his ear, “No! Please! Just me and Rainbow! Please? I need you to understand this.” Kenyis pulled her hoof away from his lips. “What?” he whispered back. “I don’t get why you need to be alone wi– ” “Please! I just want to spend a lot of time with her, and honestly, I feel like you guys are just going to ruin my mojo.” Morning gave him an awkward grin. “Sorry,” she quickly added. Kenyis stared at her with a disproving look, and slapped his hoof against his forehead. “Ugh, fine. You can go with her. Just come back soon, alright?” Morning beamed a grin at him. “Yep!” Rainbow, looking from afar at the door, was waiting for Morning to come back. She wondered what they were really talking about. It obviously had something to do with her. Before she could explore what possible conversations they were having, Morning and Kenyis shared a quick, friendly hug and the pegasus came rushing back to Rainbow with yet another gleeful smile on her face. “You ready to go?” Rainbow asked, opening the door for Morning. “Yep!” she chirped. Morning looked towards the open door, and her eyes widened again. She realized that the great Rainbow was holding the door for her. “Oh… my… Celestia… Thank you Rainbow!” She gave her a quick hug, and rushed out the door. Rainbow, rolling her eyes, was about to leave as well, until Kenyis called out, “She can be quite a hoofful, Rainbow Dash! Good luck!” “Won’t need it!” Rainbow chuckled, looking very confident with her sharp smug. As she left to go after Morning, however, she quietly thought to herself how it was going to be a very long day. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “So, have you seen him?” Rainbow asked an NPC running a potion stand. The potion merchant propped her chin up with her hooves and leaned over the counter. “I dunno. My mind isn’t exactly capable of remembering things.” She then smirked slyly, “Maybe my memory will be refreshed if I get a few bits.” “Wait, what?” Rainbow asked angrily. “What the hay?! I’m not going to pay you any bits!” “I’m just saying… I mean, I might have heard a thing or two about the hacker, but I’m having trouble remembering,” she explained as she shot Rainbow a knowing look. Rainbow frowned a bit. She had dealt with these greedy kinds of NPCs before. She tried intimidating them before, but she only succeeded in making them run away in fright. Sighing heavily, she dug though her bag of bits. She relented angrily, “Okay, how much do you want?” “I dunno. Maybe… twenty bits?” Grumbling, Rainbow dug out the exactly amount of bits, and offered them to the potions mare. Smirking even more, the NPC reached out for it to take the b– “Hold it!” Morning shouted, swatting away the potion merchant’s hoof away. The NPC’s eyes widened in surprise, and recoiled from her shout. Morning's tirade continued loudly, “You did not just try to take bits away from the Rainbow Dash!” Morning smacked both of her hooves down on the stand’s counter hard and yelled, “Apologize!” “W– what? Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” she apologized, cowering a bit. “I actually haven’t seen the Trottingham Hacker! I heard he only attacks players! That’s all I know about the guy! Please don’t kill me?” she whimpered. Morning Shower growled deeply, as if she was a dog who didn’t get her favorite ball. Before she could say anything else, Rainbow pulled her away from the scared NPC, and started comfort Morning by patting her on the head. Although, Rainbow couldn’t help but grin a little at the trembling NPC, watching it squirm a little, but she quickly hid it so she wouldn’t see. “Sorry about that,” Rainbow apologized to the NPC. “My friend here is a little feisty. She’s just really excited. Um… thanks for the info by the way.” “N– no problem! Just get her away from me! I would like to be alive today!” Rainbow nervously chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll do that.” Rainbow started to drag the now-calm pegasus away from the stand towards nowhere in particular. After a considerate distance away from the NPC, Rainbow let Morning go. “What the hay was that for?!” Rainbow asked. “I had everything handled!” “W– wha?” Morning stammered, looking a bit confused. “B– but that mare wasn’t treating you right. I thought you were really angry about it, so I wanted to… you know… help.” “Well you didn’t have to do it like that,” Rainbow scolded her as if she was a child. “You scared her!” “Well… maybe little… but you have to admit that it was kind of funny,” Morning added, her tone almost sounding like she was asking a question. Rainbow pursed her lips, and then smiled and threw a hoof around Morning's shoulders as she replied, “Okay… maybe it was a little funny.” She frowned slightly and removed her hoof from around Morning, “But don’t do try to threaten others. We might not be so lucky next time if you scare them away.” “O– okay. I’ll try.” “Good.” Rainbow looked around to find another NPC or player to interrogate. Finally, she set her eyes on a blue unicorn walking around in white robes and a wooden staff on his back. “Let’s go ask him.” “Okay,” Morning responded, following her idol. Rainbow trotted after the stallion for a few moments before calling out, “Hey! You there! We have a few questions!” The player turned around. “Huh? Well what kind of ques– ” Before the stallion could even ask, Morning dashed ahead of Rainbow and got up in his face. She looked very serious as if there was an urgent matter, while it was true, it was quite rude. “Have you seen a suspicious looking pony in a dark cloak running around?” Morning demanded of him, poking him with a hoof. “He’s a dangerous hacker, and we are looking for him to bring him to justice! He’s yellow, and has a scar over his face! Have you seen him? Do you know him? Are you perhaps in cahoots with him?” The stallion, his mouth wide open, couldn’t answer as he was in a bit of shock. He didn’t respond until Morning shouted, “Hello?! Speak up dude! This is serious business!” “I– I don’t know anything! I just got here!” The player turned around in a perfect 180 degree, and ran away down the road. “Sorry! Maybe next time I’ll be able to help you a bit,” he called back towards them. However, he sounded like he wasn’t really going to keep his promise. “Um… okay!” Morning shouted after him. “Take care!” The stallion didn’t respond, not wanting to talk anymore with Morning as he disappeared around the corner of a building. Morning huffed out a sigh of annoyance, disappointed that she wasn’t able to get any information out of him. Maybe she would get a lead from the next pony. She looked towards Rainbow Dash to see what she thought, only to see disapproval written all over her face. “Morning, what did I tell you?” Rainbow groaned, face hoofing. “Um… not to look so threatening?” Morning answered, unaware to what she had done. “Yes, and what did you just do again?” “What? I wasn’t being a threat! I was just asking him questions,” Morning replied simply. “And you scared him away!” “B– but I didn’t mean to!” The lake-blue Pegasus pawed at the ground with her hoof, reflecting back at what she could have possible done wrong. Now that she thought about it, she was being kind of loud. And in his face. With a sad frown and realization, she said mostly to herself, “Oh… maybe I did scare him a little.” Rainbow sighed, worried that if this keeps up, they would never get anywhere. Knowing that she was a bit short on time, she knew what had to be done. 'I hate to do this,' Rainbow thought dejectedly. 'But I can’t have this mare dragging me down.' “Morning… ” Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her shoulder, starting to regret what she was about to say, “maybe you and I should take a break.” “Huh? A break? But we’ve just started our investigations together!” “No, no, Morning. Not that kind of break. I’m saying that maybe we should just go our separate ways. You know, divide and conquer,” Rainbow added reassuringly. “We can cover more ground that way!” However, Morning stayed silent, lowering her head so Rainbow couldn’t see her eyes. “Um… Morning? Are you okay?” “Okay? Y– yeah. I’m just peachy.” Rainbow knew, though, that Morning was lying. Morning’s voice sounded cracked and high pitched when Morning spoke. It was evident that this conversation was not going very well for Rainbow. The cyan mare cringed when she saw wet droplets falling from Morning’s face, making small little splashes on the ground before the salty liquid was absorbed by the ground. Rainbow cursed under her breath, not sure how to handle the situation. Maybe if she tried to comfort her, everything will be better. “Oh come on, Morning. Don’t be like that,” Rainbow cooed softly, trying to soothe the tears away from the crying mare. “I– I meant that splitting up to cover more ground was good idea, you know?” Rainbow then immediately face hoofed herself. 'Way to be so smooth, Rainbow Dash,' she thought to herself. Rainbow waited for Morning’s response, nervous that it would only further this talk down the hill it was rolling across. Unfortunately, she was correct. “Y– you don’t mean that, Rainbow Dash,” Morning cried softly, her eyes still away from Rainbow’s sight. “You just want me gone, don’t you?” Rainbow nervously chuckled. This was getting extremely awkward for her. “What? No! I’m saying that you seem like a really awesome mare! You probably would work better without a partner like me holding you down.” “But I want to be your partner!” Morning cried out louder, lifting her head up towards Rainbow. The Element of Loyalty winced as she finally saw the large river of tears flowing down from Morning’s eyes. Morning sniffed a bit before saying, “I’ve always wanted to meet you for so long! You were my biggest hero, after I saw you save that mare and the Wonderbolts! You were really cool! I’ve always wanted to get to know you better, and I wanted to be like you!” She lowered her head, and continued to sob softly, “I still think you are the coolest… you don’t need a mare like me to bring you down.” Rainbow, wanting to stop her from crying, attempted to hug Morning. She, however, quickly pulled away from her embrace as soon as Rainbow tried to reach around her shoulders. Immediately, Morning sprinted away from her, too ashamed to even look at her greatest heroine. “H– hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Rainbow shouted after her, but made no moves to chase after. Morning didn’t respond, and only disappeared through the crowd of players. Some of them looked at the mare, and then looked back at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow dejectedly sat down in the street, head bowed in shame. Some of them had given Rainbow looks of pity while others were silently judging her. Rainbow, looking up after a few moments, saw their reactions, and she stepped back a few inches before flying away from the scene. Once again, she could feel the cool air beneath her wings, but it did nothing to ease Rainbow from this stress. She tried to fly after the fleeing mare this time, but she couldn’t see a hair, nor hide of her. It was as if she disappeared out of thin air. “Damn it,” Rainbow cursed. “What’s wrong with me?”
*Chapter 11 Part 3: History will Haunt*Chapter 11 Part 3: History will Haunt A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 3~ edited by ultra1437 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) “What was I thinking? I really screwed up bad back there!” Morning scolded herself as she walked down the main street. Players in Trottingham looked pretty happy as they played the game. Some were wandering the streets seeing what sights the game offered, while others were hanging out in shops and taverns, crafting, marketing and spending their hard-earned money. They were probably having a great time, but Morning Shower was presently having just the opposite. She never felt so low in her life; felt so trapped at the bottom of a pit. She felt as if she'd never pull herself back up from this mess. She had been looking forward to meeting her greatest idol, to be able to talk to her in person. Sure, she only knew about Rainbow Dash and her exploits for a couple years, but the prismatic daredevil had already earned a special place in her heart the moment Morning gazed upon her. And with one swift, horrible mistake, she dashed all hopes of being possible friends with her hero. What a time to be living in. “Where did my life go wrong?” Morning grumbled, remember the time when that motivational speaker came to Cloudsdale. Despite it being a year ago, that memory felt only like yesterday. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Cumulonimbus Central Park: a frequent location for pegasi to visit for picnics, festivals, and concerts. It’s also known to be one of the few places where titan-cumulonimbus clouds, larger than life cumulonimbus clouds, naturally exist in the weather-controlled country of Equestria. Around Cloudsdale, there was talk about Iron Will and his upcoming assertiveness seminar. It was being hosted at the park, and there was always one topic that came up when the air-dwelling denizens talked about it. Where in Celestia’s sun was he going to stand? Clouds certainly couldn’t be condensed and compressed enough to hold up his obviously heavy weight, and it’s been known that Minotaur have strong magic resistance in their hides. So how? The day of the seminar arrived, and a huge crowd had already come bustling around the park, filling it to overflowing. As the pegasi gathered, they conversed. As a result, there was a veritable cloud of noise that distracted many a passerby into taking a look. Most of their conversations mentioned what they were expecting. Their words were not exactly hurtful or mean towards their would-be host, but they were wondering and questioning how and when the motivational speaker would arrive. Morning was excited to see the man-bull for herself. She had never seen such a creature before. Only from reading books and travelling magazines that she had read from her dentist’s office. Now, she was here to witness one such individual. Dainty, her friend who had nothing better to do, decided to humor her and come along and see the show. The mare tossed and turned her head around to see where the lumbering behemoth was supposed to enter from, causing her purple, curly mane to bounce gracefully in the air. “Okay, we’re here. I don’t see where this Iron Will character is, though. I thought you said he would be here,” Dainty grinned, obviously not believing that the minotaur would actually show up. “Well I didn’t make any promises,” Morning huffed, looking around for him as well, “although I thought the poster said he would be here by now.” “Well it is three past noon,” Dainty noted, watching the sun’s position in the sky, careful to not gaze directly at the star, lest she blinds herself. Her alabaster coat glistened under its rays like frosted crystals. “He’s running a little late, isn’t he?” “I suppose,” Morning mumbled. Where in Celestia’s beard could he be? Had she wasted her time for nothing? Maybe her afternoon would have been more productive with a nap, or maybe a trip to the mall? Hot Hooves was having a fandom sale today, and she had her eyes set on that amazing Doctor Whooves shirt, the one displaying many of the Doctor’s companions. Maybe if she flew right now, she could grab one before they were all taken. “Morning? I’m hungry. Can we just go grab some food instead? I’m feeling like corn cobs right now,” Dainty pleaded to her friend, her stomach growling. Morning glanced at her friend with consideration, then towards the curious crowd. “Well… I suppose so. It looks like he isn’t coming. Let’s go to the mall.” “Great! Let’s go get ourselves stuffed– ” Before Dainty could finish what she was going to say, an announcer over the loud speakers around blared. In a loud tone the voice announced, “Ladies and gentlecolts! Thank you so much for your patience, for now it is time to bring you all the minotaur you’ve been waiting for! I-ron Will-l-l!” Fireworks exploded wildly in the air like rocket confetti, splashing the sky with vibrant colors. Morning could have sworn the sky wasn’t blue in those few moments, The display was awe-inspiring enough to silence the crowd. The spectacular show did not end, however, as a grand rock-star stage, supported by blimp-sized balloons rose from the cloud-layer with a blue minotaur posing on stage. Along with his furry goat companions, he was showing off his impressive blue armor. Oh, wait a second, those were his were his muscles. His well-toned, delicious, polished muscles. “Holy horse apples,” Dainty stated, summing up Morning’s thoughts quite well. Adding in the fact that it stopped perfectly at this elevation, Morning couldn’t help but wonder how long it took to plan this event. It probably took weeks to determine the perfect amount of force needed to ascend. In retrospect, that all doesn’t really matter now. What mattered now is that there was a minotaur, a heavy guy, floating among the pegasi in the clouds. “He-e-e-ello-o-o Cloudsdale! How are you all doing today?” Iron Will shouted out, demanding to know the crowd’s answer. Excited by the sudden show Iron Will put on, they cheered out exuberantly. However, the motivational speaker placed his hand next to his ears as if he was having a hard time hearing. “I’m sorry! That wasn’t loud enough. I asked, ‘How are you all doing today?’” The crowd went completely nuts this time, determined to show the minotaur their exhilaration. Iron Will nodded with satisfaction. “Now that’s more like it!” The minotaur threw his fist up towards the skies, basking in the hyped up cries of excitement. The cheering crowd stomped on the clouds in favor for Iron Will, further charging the atmosphere with energy. Morning smiled as she looked around the entertained ponies. This Iron Will sure did know how to make a flashy entrance. The minotaur nodded his head in approval and surveyed the energized audience. Calling out to the audience, he asked, “Okay, so I’m assuming you all are here today because you have trouble standing on equal footing among your peers, am I wrong?” Morning could have sworn everypony around her, excepting for Dainty, shook their heads and confirmed Iron’s comment. Morning, like many of the pegasi here, had a few problems in social conversations. Her issues tend for her to be her voice dropping in volume or being unable to stand against or with another. In layponies’ terms, she had the tendency to be shy. “Well, if you all are need of help, then I shall be there for you!” Iron Will promised, sweeping an arm out toward the crowd. “I shall show you the ways of 'Being the Iron Wall,' or the 'Path of a Tall Tree!' I will teach you all how to be the powerful voice in the discussions among your fellow ponies! I shall tutor you all on how to not be a doormat.” He then studied the audience once more with his beady, fierce eyes. “But first, I will need a volunteer… you! The light-blue pegasus in the back with a rainy cloud for a cutie mark!” At his words, he pointed to the crowd in Morning's direction. Turning their heads, the audience searched for whom Iron Will was pointing at. Their eyes set gathered on Morning. Shying away behind her friend, Morning called out with a quiver in her voice, “M- me? Did you call?” “Yes, you! Come up here!” Morning let out a terrified shriek as she felt something pick her up. She quickly looked below her to see she was being lifted up by a pair of rams with their large, curly horns. They delivered the poor victim brave volunteer up to Iron Will on the stage in what felt like ten seconds flat. “U- um… hi,” Morning greeted Iron Will, who looked quite menacing now that she was up close and personal with him. However, he had a confident smile on his face. He must have gotten at least a few dozen compliments from a lot of mares with those firm stomach plates of his. They looked as if they can withstand the godlike weight of a thousand snowy mountains. “So little missy, what's your name?” “M- Morning Shower,” she squeaked, feeling her confidence fading. “Well, Morning. I’m guessing that you have a natural case of shyness. Perhaps you have a few friends who talk over you?” Iron Will presumed, walking around her like a detective. She nodded her head slowly, confirming his deductions. “And I suppose you came here to change all that?” he continued in a loud, booming voice. “W- well, I guess you can say that I’m a little curious, and… a little desperate.” Dainty’s ears twitched slightly at those last words. Her slight grin turned to a sad frown as she absorbed Morning's statement. Desperate? What did Morning mean by that? Dainty made a motion towards her friend, as if she was going to grab her back close to her, but her hoof couldn’t reach far enough. She considered stepping up there, but that would just attract attention towards her, which would extremely awkward in this situation. Finding herself with no other suitable options, she stayed here she was, watching her friend about to confess something. “Desperate? What do you mean, lil’ missy?” Iron asked, with piqued interest this time. “Well… there’s this stallion that’s been bothering me… ” The watchful crowd mumbled among themselves again. This time they shared questioning whispers. Most of them had no idea what she meant, but those who had seen her around the city before knew what was up; in fact, they all shared a neighborhood with her Like their neighborhood, they shared her burden and troubles. Nevertheless, they kept quiet, not wanting to say anything about it, lest things should go bad. “Stallion? Is this individual hitting on you or something?” “N- no. He wasn’t flirting with me or anything. Its rather the opposite… ” Kneeling down, Iron Will lowered himself as much as possible, without having lay down and asked, “So, is this stallion hurting you?” “… Yes. And a few others as well.” “I see. Well, I’m not too sure how I can help you directly with your problem, but I can teach how to stand up for yourself. Are you willing to learn?” Morning was hesitant to speak her mind, but deep down, the resistance to her fear was rising to take control of her decision. It was as if Iron Will had lit a spark inside her heart, and set it aflame. Looking into the strong minotaur’s eyes – which had concern in them – she nodded. Iron Will stood up proudly as he spoke, “Great! Now let’s start with the first exercise. Billy here will be acting as a bully from high school… “ +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It had been a few days since Iron Will's seminar in Cloudsdale. Resting in her quant cloud home, Morning was taking a sip of her coffee. For some odd reason, she felt a little more confident getting up from her bed. She guessed that it was probably Iron Will's help. After the free lesson he gave her at the seminar, she decided to pay for another day of private lessons. He guided her through many drills, such as standing up to bullies or practicing her assertive voice. It took a lot of strength out of her, but she felt her will growing stronger with each passing moment under Iron Will's tutelage. After that, Iron Will felt that his work in Cloudsdale was done for awhile, packed his things up, and left for the next town. With her mug in one hoof, she paced towards a window that showed her the view in front of her house. Outside her house, a peaceful neighborhood bathed in sunlight. Some of her neighbors' foals were frolicking and jumping around in the cloud puffs like it was snow, holding a miniature battle with cloud weaponry. Their parents were out on their porches, watching their children contentedly. Some of them even participated in the foals’ combat match, laughing and chuckling all the way with the little ones. It was a rare and beautiful sight to behold for Morning as she – and all the other pegasi in the area – knew there was something sinister controlling their neighborhood’s fate. But they weren't due to come for another week or so. So far, Morning and her neighbors outlook for the day looked bright. There was no need for any trouble. That was what Morning thought, until she saw a flock of grey clouds floating over their homes. A sudden chill ran down her spine from the sudden temperature drop. This wasn’t any sort of exaggeration as Morning could actually see her hot breath coming out as she exhaled. For any other ponies, this would seemingly seem an extremely strange phenomenon. Grey clouds don’t appear out of nowhere, for no reason. For Morning’s neighborhood, it was a familiar omen, meaning something dastardly coming through their streets. The parents, heeded the grim signs, harshly whispered to their foals to come back in their houses for safety and protection. The foals, not ones to argue with their older guardians, quickly ran towards them for warmth and reassurance, for they too knew the dangers of staying outside during these times. Morning knew, that if it came down to a conflict, not even their front doors would be able protect them. With no time to spare, Morning set her coffee down on a nearby table before quickly rushing to close the curtains on all of her windows, negating any chance of being spotted from the outside. She double checked to see if they were locked, as well as her doors. Thankfully, they were already secured. Coming back to the window she was at before, she peeked out the curtain's gap, looking outside to see what was up. Within seconds her suspicions were confirmed: Master Wind’s gang was back. The lead stallion of the mafia group was smug as usual. His white teeth looking confident and bright. But underneath that pearly-white smile of his laid a nasty interior of dishonesty and ruthlessness. His yellow coat had the same hue as a bit, and his evergreen mane waved in the wind like grass would. His red eyes were predatory: sharp, and venomous; they were the same as they always were, even from the moment Morning first made eye contact with him. She couldn’t count how many times she had wondered about the number of people Master Wind had stared down, with those poisonous eyes of his. A tough, buff stallion would cower before his menacing glare. Just one glance would be enough to let bystanders know he was trouble, and not somepony you messed with. If they didn’t pay any notion to his eyes, a quick look at his cutie mark, an image of a coiled snake, would make them shy away. Morning tightened her grip on the curtain, making herself as invisible as she could be to the devious gang without losing sight of them. She clenched her teeth together as she looked upon the diabolical pack, feeling like her head was blowing steam out from her ears. Why were they here? They weren’t due for a few days! Maybe they were just coming a bit early for a surprise visit to catch all of them off guard? Whatever plan they had, it wouldn’t be very pretty. Outside, one of his henchmen, dressed in a black suit with a pair of glasses upon his muzzle, kept his hoof on the short iron club in his holster as he studied the houses, “So boss, where do we start?” “Stay in line, Sneaks. We’re not here to collect. We’re just here to remind our kind friends who their gracious host is,” Master Wind smiled, his voice sweet as bitter melons slathered in honey. “After all, they should be grateful for our services. Keeping their… nice homes safe from filthy, low-life thugs. Underneath its pure, fluffy clouds, Cloudsdale is really dangerous, don’t you think?” “Of course, sir. You’re right as always, sir,” Sneaks tersely replied. Master Wind slightly nodded towards his crony, before turning his attention back to the houses. He adjusted the diamond encrusted, gold bowtie around his neck before announcing, “Well I think we’ve overstayed our welcome. Time to check back at the coop.” He and his followers spread their wings apart, ready to take flight. That is, until Wind's ears perked at the sound of a melodious voice. “Hmm? Hold on now for just a moment boys,” he ordered, his voice holding a tone of amused curiosity. “Do you hear that?” Caught by his sudden interest, Morning started to search out the voice's source. Deep inside her heart, however, there was a bubble of horror beginning to well up inside her, threatening to burst. It was the tune to a song that she listened to often, from one specific individual for most of her life. One that she knew would follow her to the grave, and would gladly love it to. She knew who was singing. “No. It can’t be. Dainty,” Morning whispered to herself, trying to deny the possibility of her friend visiting today. But she was. Right there, walking down the cloudy sidewalk was her best friend, wearing her best pearl necklace: the one that she received from her late aunt. She looked very merry as she trotted down the street, as if she was surrounded by a field of her favorite lilies. Despite the light-hearted and sweet scene, Morning could see nothing but a foreboding, dark cloud hanging overhead. She couldn’t tell if it that thought was more literal or figurative at the moment, as the skies above were gloomy and frowning. “No, Dainty. Run. Run away,” Morning mumbled, her voice threatening to crack. “Don’t come any closer, Dainty.” She wanted to run out there to stop her. To yell for Dainty to escape before it was too late, but Master Wind already had that crazed smile on his face. It looked as if he had won a million bits in the lottery. To run out there would do nothing, for she knew he had already placed a target over her friend’s face. With a quick clap of his forehooves, his underlings had moved to surround Dainty in a dome-like formation. Dainty, who didn’t notice them until it was too late, uttered a small gasp. Her eyes quivered in horror. “W- what is the meaning of this?” Dainty proclaimed, trying to look brave. “I- I don’t want any trouble from you fine stallions.” The stallions didn’t answer, keeping their stone-steady eyes on her. Dainty felt awkward and violated as the numerous pairs of eyes inspected her curvy form, her emotions being mixed in a batch of anger and fear. “P- please leave me alone. Whatever you guys what, I’ll gladly pay it! Just please don’t lay a hoof on me!” “Oh! I’m terribly sorry for the rude welcome, but my boys couldn’t help but rush to the front door to say hi,” Master Wind explained, finally drawing Dainty’s attention to him. “W- who are you?” Dainty backed away from the stallion, but quickly found out she was still trapped. “Do not fret, young mare. I just have a friendly proposition to give you,” Wind offered, a draconequus-like grin. “Give me that pretty necklace of yours, and I’ll let you live.” “W- what? No! I’m not giving you my necklace!” Dainty shouted, her gaze turning furious. “Tch. Don’t play like you made the rules of this game. I only want your pretty little accessory.” “My aunt dove the depths of the most dangerous coral reefs to find these pearls! I’m not going to just give them up to a low life,” Dainty hissed at him venomously. She attempted to push past Master Wind, tolerating enough of his poisonous attitude. However, she found herself roughly restrained by his henchmen as grabbed each of her forelegs. Dainty shrieked as soon as they grabbed her, crying out for help. However, none of the ponies inside their houses dared to come out. As for Morning, she stood still, distressed. She was unable to believe what transpired before her eyes. She wanted to move her hooves, to run out and push them away from her friend, but her body was frozen in fear. ‘Come on, Morning! Dainty's in trouble! You've got to move!’ Morning thought, but she even had trouble breathing. ‘Why can’t I move? I’m not that afraid of him… am I?’ Outside, still struggling against her muscular bonds, Dainty stared down her horrible captors' leader. She furiously exclaimed, “You won’t get away with this, whoever you are! Mayor Cloudpuff and the guards will lock you away for good!” Dainty smirked a little in confidence that the local law enforcement must be arriving soon as somepony in the neighborhood must have seen her in trouble. Where are they, anyway? Shouldn’t they be trying to help as well?! As questions swam around in her mind, her confident smile was wiped away, as Master Wind laughed. “Oh I’m afraid they won’t be arriving anytime soon. You see, I have the mayor and the guards’ commissioner in my pocket. I know more about them than anypony ever will, including all of their deepest, darkest secrets,” Master Wind reached out for her necklace, fondling it a little. “Blackmail,” Dainty hissed. “There is no depth you'll go to 'win,' is there?” “No, and I prefer to call it ‘cash info.’ How do you think my boys get paid?” “Then why are you here? There’s no reason for you to be lurking your slimy wings around this neighborhood,” Dainty glared, trying to keep his hooves away with her teeth, but the brutes just kept her from reaching him. “Because it’s fun to keep tabs on everypony in this city? After all, what use is power when you can’t show it off?” Master Wind took one last look at the shiny clam orbs, then looked up at her eyes, unafraid of the pure ferocity inside them. “You know, I think I’ve been looking at the wrong pearls. Their beauty was just added to by their wearer.” Dainty stopped struggling for a moment, looking slightly confused, and then realized what he had meant. “O-o-o-oh no. I am not some mare you think you can pick up easily. You’re disgusting, and definitely not my kind of pony.” Master Wind ignored her insults, and just continued to inspect her. “Hmm… well you could use a little polish. I suppose you’ll be a whole lot more valuable... once I’m through with you.” “… No. You’re not going take me! You’re not going take me!” Dainty yelled out loudly, as she flailed about, her rear hooves tried to kick the horrible villains away , but the thugs just restrained them as well. “Don't worry. Once I’ve trained you enough, you’ll beg me to bend you over,” he sneered. Spreading his wings once more, he commanded to his subordinates, “Let’s go, stallions. We’re burning daylight here.” “No! No!” Dainty cried out in agony. “Somepony save me!” “Oh shut up. Who is going to save you? Everypony here is afraid of me!” Master Wind boasted. “Who, out of all these cowards, hiding in their ‘safe’ homes, will step up and try to play hero?” “I will!” Master Wind whirled around towards the newcomer, looking absolutely caught off guard for once in his life. He quickly then replaced his shocked expression with an irritated one. “Who dares to interfere?” “Me! Morning Shower!” she shouted out with pride. “I’m not going to let you cart off another innocent mare, and especially not my best friend!” “Another mare?” Dainty cried out as she struggled to free herself. “How many has he kidnapped?!” “Far, far too many,” Morning answered morosely, defiantly staring at the yellow villain. Master Wind stared down at her for a couple passing moments, and then laughed out as if he was looking at a silly puppy. “And how are you going to stop me? You’re just one mare! There’s nothing you can do about it,” he declared, clapping his hooves. “Gentlecolts. Seize her. I think I shall have two new mares for tonight.” “Yes boss,” one of them chanted, immediately diving for Morning. Morning, as brave as she could be, stood her ground before the menacing thugs, not flinching in the slightest. A bright bonfire was lit inside her body as she barreled forward into what seemed to be the brawl of her life. Determined to avoid getting captured, she dove and leapt over their grabby hooves, making sure to give them a kick in the head every now and then to impede their progress. She even delivered a few jabs into their sweet, precious spots, which was bound to make any male wince in sympathy if he were to witness such a painful attack. If there was one thing she was glad about the private lessons Iron Will gave, it was that he taught her some pretty sweet moves. Like a monkey, she danced around the brutes, making them look like a bunch of fools as they clumsily tried to go after her. As his irritation grew immensely, Master Wind shouted out disappointedly, “What are you buffoons doing?! Seize her already!” Morning laughed with joy as he fumed. She never thought Iron Will’s physical workout would actually get her this far! It was the only reason why she was still free! With her nimble legs and fleeting wings swimming through the air like a hawk, she felt like she could take on the world! But as she was at the height of her prowess, she felt a sharp jab to the back of her head. Her skull rung with pain, and her whole entire world spun as her body crashed into the clouds. As she met the soft ground, she cried out in pain. Despite the workout, she was simply taken out in just one direct hit. It felt as if somepony took a baseball bat to her skull, which was pretty unpleasant to say at the least. Her ears rung pretty badly too, as she could barely hear what anypony else was saying. Morning heard Master Wind mutter something to his subordinates, but she couldn’t really make out his words clearly. All she could listen to was the sound of a dull whistle. “Hmph. Well, I think it wasn’t very necessary for me to step in, but somepony needed to stop making you lot look like complete idiots,” he frowned, glaring at Morning with disapproval. “I think I shall give her a special lesson tonight. Anyway, we’ve delayed our leave long enough. Tally ho, my young chums.” As he stepped out of Morning’s dizzy vision, she felt her tired body roughly being hauled onto somepony’s back. She could feel her spine curving at an uncomfortable angle. “You monster! You beast! Brutal bastard! You can keep me, but leave Morning alone!” Dainty screeched out. “I’m afraid that is not a choice you can demand,” Master Wind hissed, clearly annoyed by how much time they were wasting by staying and talking. “You two are under my leash now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” “Um. Sir? There seems to be somebody else coming down the street.” “Oh, what now? I would very much like to go home no- Is that a minotaur?” Morning struggled to stay awake, to keep conscious. But as the darkness swirled around her vision, all she could hear was the sound of more conflict arising in the background. Her sleepy mind then took over, and all she saw was black. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Alarm clocks. Morning, despite her name, really hated alarm clocks or anything that woke her up with constant noise. When a constant beeping greeted her ear drums, her mind unenthusiastically woke up with a grumble. Her muscles barely responded as she tried to swing her forehooves around to shut the damned beeping off, and it only made her a bit angry. Giving up, she decided to just open her heavy eyelids. “Look who’s awake! Rise and shine, Morning.” “Wha? Who’s there?” Morning called out, rubbing the sleep grits out of her eyes. The voice sounded extremely familiar to her, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. “Just me. Iron Will.” “Iron Will?” she yelped out in surprise, her eyes suddenly wide awake. However, she soon received a shush from the minotaur. “Shh! There are others resting here, you know,” Iron Will shushed her, his finger over his lips. Taking a look around the room where she was apparently placed in, she recognized it as one of Cloudsdale's Cloud Hospital's rooms. She had been here a couple times when Dainty got sick with a severe case of pneumonia. She remembered some good times spent here as she would come up with silly and inventive ways to cheer her best friend up. While it wasn’t the best of times, they managed to have some fun in those grey moments. “O- oh. Sorry,” Morning apologized softly, lowering her voice. “But what are you doing here? I thought you left already.” Glancing away, Iron Will began to rub the back of his neck. “Well I did, but I couldn’t help but come back to see what was up. When you told me a stallion was bothering you, it really got my horns in a twist. I’ll admit that even after the Iron Mood course, I was still worried that it wouldn’t really work out in your favor. So I decided to come back and see who was bothering you. As it turns out, it was much worse than what you told me.” “Y- yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you everything.” “It’s alright. I’m just glad I was able to step in.” “Well, thank you for saving me, Iron. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you,” Morning nodded with gratitude, smiling at her hero. She then looked around and asked, “Say, where is Dainty? Is she alright?” And just like that, the mood in the room turned frigid. Iron Will looked at Morning as if she was some sort of ghost, then looked down with a deep, sad grimace on his face. He broke eye contact with her, like one side of a bridge in a terrible earthquake falling. “W- what’s wrong, Iron?” Morning asked, her heart suddenly filled with concern. In the back of her mind, something cold and malicious whispered to her, but she ignored it. It, however, only kept whispering louder in response. Apprehension appeared in her voice as she asked, “Dainty is fine, right? I mean you must have scared away those brutes! They don’t have her anymore, do they? Please tell me!” Iron Will stayed silent for what seemed like the longest couple minutes of her life. A breath could barely be heard among the two as Morning’s heart monitor drowned out any additional sound. Any other sound, except for the one of her thumping heartbeat. She felt like an ice cube was forcefully pushed down her throat, leaving it a cold and dreadful numbness. Morning wanted it to stop. She wanted the room to be filled with light again. But when Iron Will opened his mouth, she knew her hope was going to die. “Morning… Iron Will can do many things, but there are just some things that are out of Iron Will’s control. I’m terribly sorry I couldn’t save her in time.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Morning wiped away the tears strewing down her cheeks, but the painful memory just wouldn’t stop forcing her eyes to flow salty rivers out of her. Master Wind, known for being slightly insane, had brought out a lethal weapon that originated from the gryphons: a jeweled, golden flintlock. With a shout, the pegasus shot at the minotaur, but missed terribly. He ended up shooting Dainty, hitting her right in one of her lungs. Upon hearing the news, Morning grew more depressed and angrier every single day. She would feel the burning rage inside her again, when something ticked her off, and she would waste and direct all of her emotions on the poor being who did so. Most of the time, she held no ill intentions toward anypony. Those that garnered her ire would never bother her again; they were usually at the bars where Morning would spend her days, drowning her sorrows at the bottom of the glass. Being supportive as he always was, Iron Will helped her control the flaming anger inside her, by teaching Morning the importance of exercise. Every day, she would take fleeting flights around the city of Cloudsdale, improving her flying skills. One of the managers of the weather factory saw her moves, and asked her if she wanted a job. Morning immediately seized the opportunity for a higher paying job. Technically, she was still living off the money her parents gave her until she got a job, so it wasn’t like she had a better choice. As the days passed, she found a new role model: Rainbow Dash. Hearing of her adventures and heroic deeds, Morning strived to be just like her. Finding ways to help others was hard, considering that the mayor had finally taking stronger actions towards crime, but volunteering at her local charities was an okay path. She really had hoped to meet Rainbow Dash one day, but Morning never thought her anger issues would've bothered her again. Resigning to the fact that Rainbow probably didn’t want to talk to her again, Morning dug her diary out of her satchel. It was amazing how she was able to document her thoughts onto a virtual book in-game. She didn’t think the guys who made this game would even consider using an in-game book like this, but having a diary was possible. In fact, she actually decided to copy her real life diary entries into this one. Speaking out loud to record her thoughts into the virtual book, she started, “Dear diary, today was both terrific and terrifying at the same time. Honestly, I never thought the day I would meet Rainbow Dash would come, but it did! She was just as cool as everypony said she is! She's better looking than the posters of her I have! But… I messed up big time. “My anger got the best of me, and she saw a some of my ugly side. I really thought I wouldn’t go that far overboard, but I guess the fanmare inside of me is stronger than I thought… heh. I guess I’ve been playing too much of this video game. Maybe I should starting getting into the habit of exercising again. Heck, I can see my muscles getting thinner as I speak. “But… that won’t change the fact that Rainbow Dash isn’t too happy with me right now. I should make things right. I will make things right with her. I don’t want to leave a possible friendship on such a sour note... ” Morning, lying on her belly, pondered whether if she placed down enough of her thoughts for the day. Maybe if she really does mend things with Rainbow, she could add some good news to her book of personal thoughts. Slightly rejuvenated with willful hope, she stood up from her spot and stretched her legs. As she was about to stow away her diary, however, a somewhat shy voice startled her. “E- excuse me, b- but I couldn’t help overhearing you mentioning Rainbow Dash. Do you know her?” “H- huh? Yeah,” Morning replied, craning her head around to see who was talking to her. As she did, she couldn’t help but think that he sounded familiar. “Why ask me?” “Because –” Morning felt a sudden, blunt jab to the back of her head, prompting her to collapse to the dirt. “– I have score to settle with you two bitches,” the unknown voice growled as it took on a menacing tone. Morning griped loudly like a wounded dog, as she felt her hooves being hogtied, the rope not being very gentle with her legs. Her vision was getting blurrier by the second, but Morning curved her neck to see who the mugger was. To her horror, she realized why his voice was memorable to her, for she saw the stallion’s gold-yellow coat, tree-green mane, and red-snakelike eyes. “Hello sweetie,” Master Wind whispered harshly, his tongue slimy with venom. “Did you miss me?”
*Chapter 11 Part 4: The Mare Who Waited*Chapter 11 Part 4: The Mare Who Waited A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 4~ Not yet edited by ultra1437, but is edited by Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Capricorn hadn’t had the pleasure to go on her own in the game in such a long time. Usually she had her team mates walking beside her, but not this time. She’s treading on a path by herself, looking for her friend. She remembered the day she first logged onto Equestrian Earth. As soon as she placed a step on the stone road of Aeroslida, she stumbled upon a ragtag group of players looking for a new teammate. Morning Shower had a megaphone while the others were holding up signs, advertising their growing group. It was one of the most anime-ish she ever saw, and it filled her with laughter. Capricorn wasn’t really the type of pony to be all cuddly with others, but she did enjoy their company. It was nice to just be there in their conversations, and their team synergy made beautiful music in battle. Which is why she was a little nervous when Morning Shower ran off on her own with somepony else. If there was anything she knew about Morning, it was that she could get a too enthusiastic about impressing people she liked. She would take things above and beyond of what she should do. Since they were out to question people about a dangerous criminal, Morning might take their investigations a little too far. She remembered one time when Morning was asked to go get tickets for a chariot ride to Cloudsdale. It had been thirty minutes since she had left, so they had to go search for her. When they did, what greeted them was a rather hyped up duck race with Morning hosting the betting pool. She explained later that she didn’t have enough money to get the tickets, so she decided that holding bets for a duck race would get her enough for them. Honestly, Capricorn thought that grinding would have been a slightly better option, but hey. It got the group some new gear as well. But this was different. Morning was out there, getting involved in something dangerous. She didn’t know a lot about hacking, but she’d imagine that hackers in a virtual game are one of the scariest things possible. From what she had heard, they had the power to control and alter anything around them in order to turn the tables to their advantages. Rainbow Dash was there of course, and even though Capricorn doesn’t have a clear idea on what kind of mare she was, she knew Rainbow was the kind of mare to keep somepony like Morning down to earth. So why did she still have that creeping feeling crawling inside her? “I have to find her,” Capricorn mumbled to herself as she walked between the buildings. As she came towards a way out into the market, she saw a square object lying on the side of the road just outside the alley. “Why hello? A book?” As she came closer to the book, she could read the title on it. She almost wished she hadn’t. “Oh no.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “So you really don’t know about this guy?” “Nope. S-s-sorry, ma’am.” “Are you re-e-eally sure? I mean, a lot of people have told you that you’re vat-deep in the Underworld. There has to be something you know about this hacker.” “I can only know s-s-so much, ma’am. I won’t lie about maybe being one of the best information brokers-s-s out there, but even this-s-s guy eludes-s-s me.” “Maybe I can interest you in some –” Rainbow Dash brought out a small pouch of bits and held it up the hooded python’s face, “– bits.” “Even if I did take thes-s-se, I s-s-still can’t tell you a thing. I s-s-simply do not know, and that is-s-s the truth.” Rainbow Dash stowed away the money. “Well… alright. You take care then.” Trottingham’s information broker, a hooded Naga by the name of SilverTongue in the game, nodded before slithering away, melting into the dark alley’s shadows. Most players wouldn’t want to toy with people like him, much less make eye contact. Superstitious tales warn to not look at them in the eye, but Rainbow Dash wasn’t afraid of those stories of eternal petrifaction. And surprisingly, SilverTongue was a gentlesnake despite having a shady job. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t give her the information she wanted, and she’s starting to lose her patience with it. Just like how… she lost patience with Morning earlier. Rainbow angrily lashed at the ground with her stomps, frustrated with herself. Over the years, Rainbow Dash has built up the reputation of being one of the coolest mares around, so why couldn’t she have handled the situation coolly? She honestly never thought that having fans would shake her mind so much. It was amazing to be noticed. Scootaloo was proof of that. The filly loved her. But if upsetting a fan brought her this much guilt… “It’s not your fault, Rainbow Dash. I mean, she did drive away those people,” Rainbow grumbled to herself. “But… ugh! I didn’t have to do that!” Rainbow slammed the side of the building next to her with the back of her hoof. “I… I gotta set things straight. Gotta make this right.” Rainbow rubbed the back of the hoof she used earlier before stepping out from the alleyway and into the open. Her next stop should be to message friends about her current situation. Surely they could help her find Morning. Before she could even spread her wings, however, a tackle from the side pushed her to the ground, throwing up dust on both of them. “Hey what gives?!” Rainbow coughed, pushing her assailant off. She gave her attacker a closer look. “Wait aren’t you– ” A sudden, painful slap greeted Rainbow’s face, strong enough to knock a few health points off of her. Capricorn reeled the hoof back, fire dancing her eyes. “How. Dare. You.” “How dare I? How dare I!?” Rainbow repeated with vigor. She stood up to meet Capricorn eye to eye. Her scowl then melted into a nervous smile. “Oh wait. Did Morning tell you what happened earlier?” she softly chuckled, making a poor attempt to alleviate what was sure to be a tense confrontation. “No, she didn’t,” Capricorn flatly replied, staring dead straight into her eyes. “O- oh. Well I might as well tell you anyway since you’re here. You see, I kinda– ” “Allowed her to get kidnapped?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening. “Come again?” Rainbow Dash backed off as Capricorn stomped into her personal bubble. Her chest roughly brushed against Rainbow’s. “Kidnapped. As in stolen, whisked away, and gone from her friends!” Capricorn growled. Her tone rose with each word. “I knew something wrong was going to happen, but never would I think it would come to this. Let me guess: you told Morning off because you were slightly irritated and she took off in a flash. Because of that, she’s gone! Is that it?” Rainbow could only manage an, “U-u-uh– ” “Just ’uh?’ Is that all you can say now?” Capricorn pulled a book from her inventory and shoved it into Rainbow’s chest. Rainbow, her breathing slowed, read the title of it. Morning Shower’s Diary. “How did you– ” “I found it on the ground, dirtied and soiled. Morning always keeps her most precious entries in there. They were secrets that she even wouldn’t entrust to us, her friends. We respect that, and I know for sure that she wouldn’t just leave it lying around for just anypony to pick up.” Rainbow handed the book back into Capricorn who swiped it away. “Look I’m sorry, alright? I know an apology isn’t going to cut it right now, but I am truly sorry. I was just about to go look for her actually.” Capricorn just continued to glare. “Just about? Why didn’t you look earlier?” “I had other things on my mind! But I’m going to make this alright. I’m gonna go find her. I promise!” “No you’re not. I don’t want you anywhere near her anymore. You’ve done enough.” Capricorn turned her back from Rainbow, storming off. “Where are you going?” Rainbow called after her, although making no attempts to chase after. “To go find my friend!” Capricorn bellowed back. And with an incredible sprint, the Rogue was gone. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Rainbow has been gone for quite a while. Should we go look for her?” Applejack asked Twilight who was reading a book called The Advanced Guide on Ganking. Rarity, who was playing cards with Trixie and Pinkie Pie, nodded. “I agree. Rainbow Dash does have the tendency to get herself between a rock and a hard place.” Trixie placed down an Ace of Hearts. “I’m pretty sure she could take care of herself. I know her type, and you girls should know it too. She probably doesn’t want help.” “Don’t say that, Trixie,” Applejack growled. “This is serious!” “Bartender! Can I have another C.C. Butterbeer?” Pinkie requested at the top of her lungs, waving an empty bottle of one high in the air. “Coming right up!” A crisp, cool glass bottle of Cotton Candy Butterbeer was tossed towards her, which Pinkie expertly caught with her mouth before landing back on her chair. “I’ll have one as well!” Trixie hollered with a smirk. “Put it on Twilight’s tab!” “Hey!” “Oh don’t worry. I’ll pay you back later,” Trixie chuckled as she caught hers with magic. Pinkie and Trixie uncapped their drinks and clanged them together in a celebratory toast before gulping down their mouthwatering contents. Twilight rolled her eyes and turned towards Applejack. “I would go and help Rainbow, but I think she left with the impression that she wanted to do this by herself.” “But Twili– ” “No buts.” “Butts are good. They’re soft and cushy to touch,” Trixie commented with a subtle smirk. Twilight frowned at that. “Trixie!” Applejack pounded the surface of the table, shooting glares at Trixie. “I swear tah Celestia that you don’t take anything with the least bit of empathy! Aren’t you even a bit concerned?” Pinkie tossed down a red Uno card with a five on it into the card pile. Rarity silently shook her head towards Pinkie while the silly mare giggled. Trixie, however, was no longer interested in the cards. “If it makes you feel better, than yes I am slightly worried. But your daring friend left here with quite the impression. I’m not about to pick up my tail just to interrupt Rainbow. I don’t think she’ll thank me for it, and I get the feeling she’ll come back soon enough.” Twilight slipped a bookmark in her book before storing it into her inventory. “Trixie makes a good point. We’re just here to relax and enjoy a game, Applejack. Hackers are not our business and should be left to the authorities suitable for this task.” “But what if Rainbow gets herself in trouble?” Applejack questioned, looking quite frustrated. “She’s our friend and you’re telling us we should ignore her?” She struck it right in the heart. Everypony except Trixie glanced down at the floor, avoiding Applejack’s eyes. Trixie heaved a soft sigh and laid down her hoof of cards. “Honestly I don’t think you know what is truly at stake here. It’s something that you apparently don’t understand clearly enough.” “And what would that be, showmare?” Applejack growled. Trixie brushed the dust off her shoulder. “Pride.” Applejack opened her mouth to retort back, but seemed to struggle with her jaws. “Didn’t you pay attention to Rainbow last night? She looked like somepony had taken her cupcake and smashed it down to the ground. She had flames in her eyes that night, and she definitely had the right to be. I would be if somepony had stolen something precious from me.” Trixie glanced towards Twilight. Twilight only looked away, pink colors blossoming lightly in her cheeks. “Anyway, this is something that Rainbow will have to do herself. Enlighten me, Applejack. How do you think she would feel if suddenly her friends decided to butt in with help that she never wanted in the first place?” Applejack scanned the table, her eyes trailing at the cards, at the drinks, and finally back to Trixie. “If I was Rainbow, I would probably feel bullheaded as an ox.” “See? I knew you would say th– ” “But she would also know that we came to help her because it was the right thing to do. Rainbow may be stubborn, but even she understands how important teamwork is, and I’m not about walk away from her.” Applejack tipped the front end of her hat up, giving them all a strong look. “Now who’s with me?” After a short moment, Twilight was the first to raise her hoof. Shame was painted in her eyes. “I am. I’m… I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten such an important thing. Rainbow Dash is still our friend, and what do friends do? They help each other. I can’t even call myself an acquaintance to her right now.” The others slowly raised their hooves up as well, leaving Trixie the last one left. Trixie heavily sighed once more. “Alright if you all really are going to do this, then I might as well come.” Trixie jabbed towards Applejack. “But only to see what would happen. I’m not about to get myself fully involved in this.” “That’s fine. You can come along and see how wrong you are,” Applejack smirked. Trixie rolled her eyes, crossing her forelegs across her chest. “Now let’s go find Rainbow. She can’t be too far since the hacker is most likely stationed here.” Fluttershy raised her hoof slightly. Applejack quickly caught that and turned her head towards her. “U- um. I- I don’t think we need to look, um, far. She’s right over there.” They all looked towards the front door, finding Rainbow standing underneath the open frame. Her eyes were shaky, and her breathing was raspy. “Guys, I can’t believe I’m asking you this now, but I need your help.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Darling, before you begin, you should drink first. Your throat sounds absolutely parched!” Rarity said as she levitated a cup of steaming warm cider towards Rainbow. She had one ordered before Rainbow asked them if they could go upstairs into the room before they hear what she had to say. Everypony except Twilight and Applejack were resting on the beds. Fluttershy was on her stomach next to Rainbow who was sitting on the edge of the second bed, facing away from the window. Pinkie was on the first bed on her back and limbs spread out in angel formation. Her head hung on the edge as she looked up towards Rainbow, and was twirling a peppermint candy ninja star. Rarity was on the same bed as Pinkie, although she had a couple pillows underneath her forelegs to make her rest more comfortable. Trixie was alone on the third bed, next to the window with her hat shading her eyes as her head was laid on a pillow. “Thanks Rare,” Rainbow coughed before sending the sweet contents into her stomach. The warm touches of the drink soothed her windpipe. “Wow. This is some really good stuff.” “I know. I’m still surprised every time I have a meal here. I even catch myself drooling on the pillow every morning after I have a couple bites. I would have never imagined I would do such an unladylike thing, but I just can’t help myself.” “That’s great and all, but I would really like to know what happened,” Applejack said, turning towards Rainbow. “We were really worried about you. Some of us anyway,” she said as she casted a quick gaze at Trixie. Rainbow didn’t notice the slight frown Trixie had. “Well to make the story quick and short, I messed up pretty bad.” Applejack raised one of her eyebrows. “How so?” “Yeah! What could you have down that could possibly made your smile upside down?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, your frown is really sad and everything! I never seen you this down before. Not even when Applejack ran out of cider! You must have down something really, really, really, really ba– ” Twilight had a cupcake stuffed in Pinkie’s mouth, immediately subduing her. Pinkie sighed with content, dazed and distracted in a cupcake daydream. “Pinkie, Rainbow can’t tell us what’s wrong if she keeps being interrupted.” “It’s fine, Twilight,” Rainbow assured, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hoof. “She’s right though. This is probably one of the biggest mess-ups I could have possibly made.” “Could you please elaborate? I get the feeling we don’t have all day,” Trixie said with an annoyed frown. Twilight shushed at Trixie before Rainbow gathered up her thoughts. “I… I kinda met somepony today.” Rarity’s interests were snatched up. “Oh? Who is it? An old friend? Possibly a stallion you knew before?” “No it wasn’t anypony like that. Her name was Morning Shower, and she’s a big fan of mine.” “Wait, I know this story.” Everypony except for Rainbow turned to look at Trixie. She had her hat lifted up a little to look at Rainbow. “You drove her away in frustration, didn’t you?” “What are you going on about, Trixie?” Applejack scowled. “Rainbow is great with anypony who admires her! She would never dare to upset any one of them!” To Applejack’s surprise, Rainbow shook her head. “No. She’s right. She ran away when she believed I was mad at her.” Rainbow lowered her head even farther in shame. Applejack couldn’t even meet her eyes. “And to be honest, I was a little angry with her. But I would never even imagine I would ever get into this situation.” The mares all looked at each other as awkward silence blanketed the room. Twilight was the first to break it. “Well I’m sure it’s not that bad as you think it is. I mean, everypony gets upset every now and then– ” “But do they usually lead them being kidnapped?!” Rainbow suddenly burst out in a shout, her eyes filled with tears and her brows furrowed deep. Twilight’s eyes widened, recoiling a little. “W- what?! Kidnapped???” “O- oh my. That sounds very horrible,” Fluttershy said in a hush tone, which was ironically heard by everypony in the room due to the second silence. It didn’t stay for very long. “What in tarnation do you mean she was kidnapped?” Applejack demanded. “How did upsetting a fan of yours end up getting her in deep water?” “Well this is quite interesting,” Trixie mumbled to herself quiet enough for none of them to hear. A distinct sound wings flapping from the window caught her attention. There were no birds to be found, but instead there was a scroll sitting in the frame of the open window. A green satin ribbon had it tied up. “Why hello? What do we have here?” Meanwhile, Rainbow had already revealed Morning’s diary to the others. None of them bothered to read it though as what Rainbow had to say was already enough. She had a small, sad smile. “I couldn’t help myself, but I had to take a peek in her diary. Can you believe she stayed up for three nights straight in order to lift weights with her wings alone? Just in order to impress me with her flying skills when I come over to Cloudsdale? That’s some crazy dedication right there!” Her smile went 180 into a frown again. “Trouble is, I actually did go to Cloudsdale a few days after that entry was written down. She said she performed a couple nice tricks when she saw me in town, including writing my name in the sky with clouds. How could I have missed that?! I would have loved to see that!” Twilight walked up to Rainbow and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder, giving her a soft smile. “Hey don’t kick yourself so hard for this. There’s no way you could have possibly known that happened. I remember you complaining to me after you came back about how you were stuck inside the Weather Factory, filing paperwork the entire day?” “Yeah I guess. I just wished somepony could have saw that and told me though. I definitely would have loved to meet her had I known,” Rainbow groaned, throwing her back against the bed. “And now this happens!” Applejack placed a hard stomp on the wooden floor. “Well don’t you fret any longer, Rainbow. We’re gonna help you find Morning right now, but not before you pick yourself from that self pity pool of yours. It really wasn’t your fault this happened ya know.” “That’s right, Rainbow,” Fluttershy nodded. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you assisted with her kidnap.” “But it feels like I did.” Rainbow rolled onto her side, facing away from Fluttershy. “I don’t even know where she could be.” “Well I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore.” Everypony turned towards Trixie once more. Even Pinkie snapped out from her cupcake dream. Trixie was slowly waving an opened scroll inches above her vulnerable belly. “I think our Trottingham Hacker is challenging us now.” Rainbow suddenly stood up on the mattress, her nostrils flaring and eyes burning. “He was the one who kidnapped Morning? Where is he?” Trixie confidently smirked as if she knew all the secrets to the world. “Winsome Falls. The caverns beneath them to be specific.” +Ω ‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Morning’s stomach was rustling restlessly. Not the greatest feeling in the world to wake up to. Her head felt like it was taken for a ride in the washer and dryer. It felt like tides were being thrown left and right inside of her, the waves of acid crashing against the fleshy walls of her stomach. She tried to suppress the growing feeling in her belly down, but it was kind of hard to tell which way was down as she was hanging upside down, tied in a tight coil of rope hanging from the dark ceiling. In the end, she unfortunately lost the battle and lost her lunch, virtual daisy sandwich and all. She looked around to see nothing but darkness. The air reminded her of wet bread, and gave her body quite a chill as well. The only source of light was the lantern the hung beside her. “Ugh,” Morning groaned weakly, “that was disgusting.” “Quite. You’re getting my floor all messy, ya cunt.” Morning swiveled her head around. “Who’s there?” “Why it’s me of course. Don’t you recognize me?” her captor said, removing the shadows from him as he stepped into the dim light. Morning narrowed her eyes, a scowl erupting across her face as she hissed, “Master Wind. Or should I say Ass Wind?” “Oh my. Still the feisty mare from all those years ago,” Wind chuckled with a smile of amusement. “If my memory serves me correctly, weren’t you just a shy little doll before you decided to play as the hero?” “I ‘played’ hero because there had to be somepony to stand up to assholes like you,” Morning growled, struggling against her bonds. Though the more she fought, the tighter the rope coiled around her. “Tsk, tsk. When will you ever learn that heroes don’t always leave flowers in their wake?” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Master Wind simply sneered towards her. “It means it’s not always sunshines and rainbows. When you defied me on that day, you made a very nasty enemy. I bide my time well, staying out of the searchlights of those pesky government dogs. I even had to change my face a little every now and then.” “Then why are you the same way you looked before?” He shrugged. “I just thought you might appreciate a little bit of nostalgia, a taste of the good ole days.” “They weren’t good ole days to me, Wind. Now let me go!” “Oh ho ho I’m afraid I will not,” he said, a black cane with a ruby crystal crowning it materializing in his hoof. “You see, I’m fishing for a big catch today, and I’m in need of some bait. Fortunately, it seemed like a rather large worm had squirmed right into my path, and I get the feeling that my prize wanted a big one.” Morning stopped wiggling in her rope cage for a few moments before growling, “Rainbow Dash will kick your sorry ass.” “I’m afraid that’s where you are wrong, doll. You see, I have very good friends with me today.” Master Wind sat upon an exquisitely carved wooden chair that materialized out from a gush of blue data from the ground. He made a couple claps. The sounds bounced around the walls a couple times before Morning saw something coming out from the darkness. Her breath was trapped her throat as two monstrous creatures limbered on their tree trunk-sized legs. They resembled a hybrid creature cross between a lizard and a bear that was dipped in liquid darkness. Their feet and body embodied the massive furry beast while their heads were reptilian-like. Black slime pooled under where their bared teeth were, but what truly horrified her was who was in the cage that the two carried on their backs. “Capricorn!” Morning cried out, struggling to swing towards her. However it was no use. Her friend looked like she was knocked out cold, and she wouldn’t wake no matter how loud she shouted. Master Wind’s soft chuckle slowly grew into howling, evil laughter. “Oh this will be fun!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ When one thinks of Winsome Falls, they expect gushing amounts of water and rainbows to fill the air, so naturally they also expected the Winsome Caverns must be colorful and pretty. However, the ugly truth of the caves is that it is a cesspool of the rainbows’ wastes. Rainbows are known to be incredibly spicy due to a component in the spectrum that glued all of the colors together in perfect seven lines. When the rainbow collides, that component is separated from the combination, free to be its foul self. And Winsome Caverns is the tank of that nasty stuff. The mares had arrived at the mossy entrance of the Winsome Caverns, the rim of its large mouth toothed by hanging stalactite and rising stalagmite. Even from more than twenty meters away, the band of adventurers could detect the cave’s noxious stench in their nose. Rarity was by far the most disgusted, going as far as to wear a hazmat suit. It was similar to the one Rarity owned out in the real world, except its air tanks were made out of ruby. “Do we have to go in there, darlings? My readings are telling me that this gruesome, icky, nasty, horrid place has a 9.3 scale rating of radiation that gives anypony in there a magic debuff, and an 11.0 rating on the E.W. scale.” “I’m afraid so,” Trixie said, reading the ransom note once more. “The hacker does claim to be here. So far, it’s our only lead.” “Then I say we go in, whoop this guy’s ass, save Morning, and put this guy’s sorry flank into the cage,” Rainbow said, punching her two hooves together. “Now who’s with me?” Applejack slightly raised her war hammer up. “Right here, Rainbow. Right here.” Twilight stepped up right next to Rainbow. “So am I. We’re not going to let his actions progress any longer.” “Me too! Me too!” Pinkie bounced up and down with a grin hidden behind her cloth mask, although her eyes sparkles were practically screaming excitement. Rarity sighed. “Well I suppose I have to.” Fluttershy silently nodded while Trixie just heaved a sigh. “Then it’s settled!” Rainbow shouted, charging straight into the depths of the cave. “I’m coming to save you, Morning!” “Rainbow Dash, wait!” Twilight shouted after her, racing after the blue dasher. Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Trixie soon trailed after her, leaving only Rarity and Fluttershy behind. Rarity was about to muster up her courage to step further towards the cave when Fluttershy gently pulled on her tail. She slightly pulled on the sleeve of her leafy cape. “Do you, um, have an extra suit? I don’t think I’m well equipped for such a dangerous place.” “Why of course, darling!” Rarity said, dropping another set of the suit for Fluttershy’s inventory to suck up. Fluttershy selected the suit in her bag and equipped it. It appeared on her in a bright, quick flash. “Which reminds me, I need to refresh our team’s equipment. I’m afraid we need to be better equipped for the future, but the problem is that I’m running out of bits.” “Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll get by. Hopefully.” Fluttershy smiled softly. Rarity turned her gaze towards the jaws of the cave. “I sure hope you’re right. I’m not even sure if Twilight’s Robes of Causeaway will protect her, and that’s the strongest gear out of all ours!” “It is?” Rarity nodded. “Oh yes. Nullifying 75% of a physical attack is quite enormous, but I’ve noticed the monsters around here are quite stronger than the ones we’ve encountered before. We only got by because of team work.” “Well I have faith in our friends.” “As do I, dear Fluttershy. As do I.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rain Spice Bats are flying, elemental cave creatures made out of water that can blind a player by throwing spicy water projectiles from their wings. A colony of them didn’t stand a chance as Rainbow meteored into their home. The sheer wind-filled force from her harsh landing blew them all away. Rainbow had landed on some mud, getting her dirty, but she didn’t the slightest bit of attention to it. All she had on her mind was– “Morning! Where are you?” “Rainbow, be quiet!” The blue rogue craned her head around to see Twilight and the others arriving. “We don’t want to alert the hacker’s attention. Who knows what traps he may have set up for us?” “I don’t care what he throws at us! After what he did, I just want to give him a piece of my mind and a hooful of broken teeth!” Rarity inspected the area. “Please think more carefully about this, darling. Twilight does make a valuable point. This is an unknown enemy we’re dealing with here. From the rather uncouth writing on the letter, I can easily tell you that he is absolutely not a gentlecolt. I’ve never seen such arrogance ever since I had the utter displeasure of meeting Blueblood.” “Well he certainly does have leverage on us,” Trixie said. “If I was in his shoes, I would have written a note like that as well.” Applejack scowled. “Of course you would.” Trixie strutted up to Applejack and bumped chests with her, a sly grin gracing her lips. “Why yes I probably would. I’d imagine that he had a lot of fun writing that letter. That nickname he gave you specifically was cute. Does he happen to know you personally?” Applejack growled, “And what’s that supposed to mean?” “Oh please. He called you a ‘Curvy Cowgirl.’ That’s a mighty delicious word for somepony to use isn’t it, cowgirl?” Applejack aggressively pressed her snout against Trixie’s grinning one. “Don’t you dare call me that again. I was willing to give you a second chance, but I can see you haven’t really changed at all, showmare.” “You haven’t exactly been friendly with me either, Applejack. Your tone is just laced with red.” “Well you seem to have a good talent of getting on my nerves easily.” “Would that be tiptoeing or treading?” “Why I ‘oughta– ” Twilight pushed herself between the two and pushed them apart from each other. “Please! No fighting, girls! Now is not the time for bickering.” “Twilight, aren’t you seeing this? Trixie is still her downright nasty self! I don’t see any of the ‘good’ changes you said she had after that magic duel you two had!” Trixie brushed the dust off her chest. “I’m trying really hard here, but I believe most of your friends don’t trust me very well.” “Well with that behavior, I can certainly see why Applejack is a little furious with you,” Rarity frowned. “I like you!” Pinkie Pie shouted. “I like everypony!” Applejack turned towards Rainbow. “How about you, Dash? What do you think of Trixie?” “She’s fine I guess,” Rainbow Dash said, although not looking at Applejack and was eyeing the various tunnels branching out from the main chamber they were in. “Seems like a good drinking buddy to have.” “Why thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Trixie said, grinning at Applejack’s slightly deeper scowl. “Rainbow Dash!” “W- well if Rainbow Dash likes her, I guess she’s an okay pony,” Fluttershy mumbled. Applejack shoved her hat down to cover her eyes. Just as she did, a voice boomed out from deep within the caves. It reminded Rainbow of snakes, and was definitely masculine. “Well what do we have here? Guests? Oh my, it’s certainly early to have them. I haven’t even set up the appetizers yet.” Rainbow stomped a hoof towards the general direction of the voice, although the echo made it difficult to determine where it was coming from. “Where are you? Where’s Morning Shower? Show yourself, coward!” she bellowed. “My my, what strong words you have. If you really want to meet me so bad, then why don’t you come and join me? Here, I’ll even give you a road to start on.” The rocky walls started to rumble, the earth groaning beneath their hooves. The cave was getting darker, and as Rainbow Dash turned around, she could see why. The entrance was closing. “No!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she flew towards the closing mouth, although it was too late as the light bit of light was choked out and her hooves punched against solid rock. It pained quite a bit, but it didn’t stop her from hitting the wall. “You bastard! Don’t you dare bucking cage us in here!” “Isn’t this what you wanted though? To have a confrontation with me?” “I’ll punch your lights out!” Rainbow roared as she turned around and dived down one of the tunnels. Twilight reached out towards Rainbow. “Wait! Don’t do it, Rainbow! It’s a tr –” The tunnel where Rainbow Dash went through immediately closed. “– ap… ” Twilight fell onto her knees. “Oh no. It’s Discord all over again.” “This guy is playing smart with Rainbow Dash’s mood,” Trixie noted, dropping her grin for a more serious frown. “Sorry Twilight, but I don’t think we’re going to see Rainbow Dash for a while.” Applejack stepped between Twilight and Trixie, looking straight into the magician’s eyes. “And what do you propose we do now?” Trixie wasn’t intimidated. “Why we stick together of course. Safety and power in groups.” “Well what about Rainbow Dash?” “She can fend for herself. She may not be the brightest out of all of us, but she has the grit to make up for it.” The two stared into each other’s eyes, silently fighting a battle of will. Applejack’s blazed while Trixie’s was stone and unmoving. Finally, Applejack’s glare was doused a little. She looked away from Trixie. “Fine. I just hope Rainbow is gonna be alright.” She walked over to Twilight and offered a hoof to her. “Come on, Twi. Get up. We got as criminal to lasso.” Twilight nodded, and took Applejack’s help as she picked herself off the ground. Pinkie Pie, not alarmed by the sudden twist on their plan, bounced happily ahead of the group. “Come on, girls! I think the voice came from this way!” “Well we better follow her, darlings. We shouldn’t lose her too,” Rarity said, trotting after Pinkie. She muttered ‘ew’ and ‘gross’ as red mud splattered more on her hooves with each step, even though the hazmat suit protected her. Fluttershy followed closely behind her. Soon, the other three joined them, descending into the darkness with them as Pinkie sang a silly song about giggling at the ghostly. A small smile grew on Twilight, feeling her spirits lifting up a little. They’ll surely find Rainbow again. They got to.
*Chapter 11 Part 5: True Strength*Chapter 11 Part 5: True Strength A Chaotic Production presents... The Adventuring Arc:Rainbow Dash:Chapter 11 Part 5~ Not yet edited by ultra1437, but is edited by Genghis~ Pre-read by RemareShadows and Apuppy120 Second Arc's Theme Song - Code Geass - Opening 1 (HQ) Rock Golems, Rain Spice Bats, Glow Slimes, and Luminescent Giant Musrats were just one of the few denizens of the Winsome Caverns, and none of them were a match for the sharp edge of Rainbow’s blade as she sliced through them all. Experience Points just stacked on top of each other before they could pour into her EXP Bar. The golems’ would attempt to pound her down with their fat fists, but their limbs would be severed off before getting toppled over by kicks. A satisfying crash would happen as she sent their rocky bodies crashing and crumbling to the ground. Rainbow didn’t know exactly where she was going as she blindly fought through the mossy underground, but she never felt lost when she was following the taunts of the hacker. “Yes that’s right. Come over here, foal.” “I’m not a foal, asshole!” They had danced this verbal fight for quite a while since Rainbow was separated from her friends. Every time the hacker spoke, Rainbow would lash back with threats. Her eyes were furrowed deeply, and her nostrils flared with hot air. The most infuriating thing about him was that he kept calling her a little foal. It definitely did not make her a happy pony. According to her clock in the upper right corner of her HUD, about ten minutes outside of the game had passed. Ten minutes is too long, and this jerk was just playing around with her. In his eyes, she was a just a little game piece on his board, and that pissed her off greatly. “Oh dear Rainbow Dash, it’s certainly fun to see you fuming, but I don’t see why you have so foalish about this. All I did was take an annoying stalker off your hooves.” “She isn’t annoying,” Rainbow growled gruffly, cutting down a Rain Spice Bat flying towards her. “And she has more balls than your weak flank.” “You do realize that you’re in my turf right now, foal? This is my hideout, my sea, and the tides certainly don’t take any prisoners. Your ship has set sail away without you as soon as you stepped into my waters.” “Why don’t you just shut your trap and face me already, or are you too much of a pussy for that?” The hacker’s disembodied voice yawned. “You’re a boring foolish foal. It’s time to switch up the verse.” Before she knew what had happened, Rainbow found herself falling through the ground. She looked up to see a hole had opened up and gobbled her. She soared up, but a new ceiling has formed over her already. “Nah ah ah. No exits for you. Only forward. F, O, A, L.” “Graah! I’ll crush you!” Rainbow thrust her sword up high towards the rocky ceiling, but failed to pierce through. She’d almost lost control of her weapon as the recoil bounced into her blade, causing it to shiver violently with a ringing sound. Faced with no other choice, she rocketed down the narrow cylinder of a tunnel, a growl rolling off her tongue. This guy just loved to get on her nerves. Exiting out of the hole, a dome-like chamber awaited her. As soon as the last of her tail left the narrow tube, the hole closed up as well. Looking around, all she could see was foggy darkness below and the orange torches lined up on the curved walls. The light didn’t seem to want to go any further into the dark than ten feet. So far, she had been flying in the dark, depending on Pinkie’s Nocturnal Vision Potions she drank after the first tunnel she went through, but the torches eased the strain in her eyes. She fluttered around to get a better look of her surroundings, but before she could take note of her environment, she heard a small hiss from below. Reacting on pure instinct, she folded her wings and dived downward as something huge pounced towards her. Rainbow tucked her legs in and landed a roll on the ground before hastily getting back onto her feet. The hissing sound was uttered again and something was running towards her with heavy steps. It was apparently heavy enough to make the ground shake. Rainbow deeply scowled. Whatever was in the room with her, it was huge and agile, and that combination of attributes didn’t sound very good for her. Rainbow reflexively strafed to the right to dodge the creature. She could hear it sliding to a halt and changing direction towards her again. It had good hearing as well. Staying in the dark didn’t seem like a good idea, so she backed off fast into the light. Drawing her sword, she kept her watchful eye on the dark fog of inky smoke, trying to determine where her foes were. It was quite hard to tell though due to the fact that the torches on the other side can’t seem to pierce through the fog, so that means no shadowy outlines for her to see. Although with her hearing senses, she guessed that probably only two of them were in there. She started to fly around the chamber, careful to not make contact with the fog. She heard more hissing from the dense cloak, followed by the sound of something coughing up. Suddenly, something dark shot towards her from the fog. The first thing that came into her mind was to fly up, and luckily enough she managed to avoid the attack as it smacked into the wall just a few inches below her. It stuck to the wall for a bit before sliding down in a splat. It was a gooey, dark ball of slime. Rainbow choked out a sound of disgust. Rainbow pointed her sword towards the fog and demanded, “Hey! Quit it!” A barrage of dark smile balls flew towards her in response. Rainbow felt the wind knocked out of her as one tackled her in the belly. A surprising large amount of her Health dropped, bringing her Health down to 2928. She only had 3510 HP to begin with, which was very squishy compared to other players, so Rainbow can’t really afford to take any more hits. Another wave was fired, and she zigzagged around in the air, swatting away whatever slime balls she couldn’t evade with the flat of her blade. Even though she couldn’t see into the fog, her ears told her about the creatures moving inside it. A couple or three set of four limbs? That obviously meant she was outnumbered. Despite the odds, Rainbow smiled. There was nothing like a good challenge. Her smile lasted for only a moment before she bolted straight into the dark fog again, hacking and slashing the best she could at the creatures. She got a couple hits off them, seeing a couple numbers in the hundreds fly into the air before something grabbed her leg. Swiftly, Rainbow was swung around before being thrown all the way against the wall, her left wing feeling the full brunt of the impact. She landed on her legs and steadied herself before testing her damaged wing. She winced as it responded with what felt like a thousand bee stings. Definitely can’t fly now. A roar that rivaled dragons was released, a warning for her to dodge again. She rolled to the side just in time to avoid the monster’s punch. She looked at the wall to see the end of a shadowy, furry limb extending from it. Rainbow traced her eyes from the limb all the way to the owner’s face. Rainbow grew a small grin, chuckling lightly with a large gulp going down her throat. “Wow. You’re one ugly mother bucker.” How could she describe this chaotic freak of nature? If a crocodile and a bear were to be left alone… Rainbow got the feeling that this hideous thing would be the product of that. The head of a lizard – resembling one of those cool komodo dragons Fluttershy had once before – and a body to rival Harry the Bear. Mud was caked on its fur hide, and its rancid jaw was missing a couple of jagged teeth. It also had holes in its teeth. Are those worms moving inside them? If there was a dictionary definition of weird and ugly, this guy was it. Of course, Fluttershy would probably slap her if she ever made that comment in front of her, but this guy was definitely born for it. Baring its sharp rows of toothy weapons in a snarl, the Level 32 Shadow Beazard dragged its right paw across the wall towards Rainbow. She ducked her head down, avoiding the dangerous swipe of its claws, and countered with a diagonal slash, aiming for the nearest limb. A deep gash decorated across the beast’s right arm, letting loose black slime to splatter around. Some of it soiled her armor. The Beazard roared directly at her in anger, and a foul stench of what suspiciously smelled like meat entered her lungs. Flies would have loved it. “Ugh. What the Tartarus have you been eating?” Rainbow coughed, covering up her nose. The Beazard roared in reply and snapped its nasty jaws at Rainbow, but she gave it no chance for its teeth to reach her as she thrust her blade up its throat. She pulled away with ease after twisting the blade a little, letting loose a stream of black slime from the stab wound. The Beazard fell to the ground with a large crash, causing the ground to tremble slightly. She rested her blade onto her shoulder pad, striking a confident pose as she admired the sight. “Weren’t so tough now were you?” Rainbow scoffed, sticking her tongue out and lowering her left eye’s lower lash bed a bit. A classic taunt. Surely she had won that fight, but her smug demeanor slightly melted as the Beazard struggled to its feet and uttered another bloody roar. It started to charge towards her again. Rainbow swiftly somersaulted over the bear just in time avoid a crushing end, and somehow she managed to stay within the light. The sound of rocks fall along with a pained bellow told her the Beazard probably crashed its cranium into the wall. Using this opportunity Rainbow quickly took a look at her stats. It seemed silly, but Rainbow wanted to confirm what Level she was. She made a swipe with her sword in front of her, and the Stat Window slid into view. She was Level 28. Just four levels below the monster. “Damn it.” Rainbow sliced at the Stat Window. It closed in a cloud of smoke. “No wonder it was still alive and kicking.” Just as she closed her Stats, a jabbing, cold sensation hit her hooves. She tried to move, but couldn’t. The slime projectiles had glued her to the ground. Suddenly, Rainbow was tackled from the front and was rammed all the way against the wall. Rainbow squirmed as she felt her body being slowly crushed like a can, her ribs moving in very uncomfortable places. Rainbow Dash mentally facehoofed. In the moment of checking her Stats, she had forgotten all about the other Beazard in the room. The second Beazard growled as it pushed its cranium against Rainbow. She could feel bars of her HP being chopped off with each second. Somehow, she managed to keep a grip on her sword, and the hoof holding it was free. In a desperate move, she ran her blade through the Beazard’s right eye, a squishy sound coming from it. The beast let loosed a painful roar, releasing Rainbow Dash as it stumbled backwards. She didn’t stop right there though as she used Dash It to cut at the back of its paws, hindering its movement. The Beazard got on its hind legs, rising to an impressive height before swinging its forelimbs around in a wild fashion. It was astonishing, considering she had just sliced into its limbs. Rainbow used Dash It once more, but this time with the Spectrum Slash buff aiding her. Multiple mirror copies of Rainbow Dash were birthed from the sword as it glowed, taunting the Beazard as they swarmed around it together in a tornado formation. The monster attempted to hit the copies, but it failed to hurt them as they were just illusions. The real Rainbow ran towards the lumbering beast, flanking from its blind side with her blade steady. Within striking distance, Rainbow darted up and jammed the sword straight into the side of the Beazard’s upper rib cage. The Beazard’s HP drastically lowered as a Critical Strike of immense damage popped above it. She must have pierced its heart or something. With a final roar, the Beazard fell onto its side in a giant heap with Rainbow Dash standing on top. In the upper left corner of her HUD, she could see her Health was dangerously in the yellow, just at 59%. Just when Rainbow Dash felt like she could rest a little, she felt her body being flatten against the dead corpse. While she wasn’t looking, the other Beazard had pounced and body slammed her hard, and it felt like mountains were being piled on top of her body. She was out of breath, and found relief as the monster got up. Rainbow watched with dread as her HP Bar on her HUD dropped down to about 10% of its prime. Only 352 HP left. Rainbow coughed up some blood. Another 13 Health dropped. “F– fuck,” Rainbow weakly groaned. Rainbow craned her head around and saw the Beazard lifting one paw high into the air. It was obvious that it was going to crush her underneath its claws. Rainbow, using all of her strength, rolled over to the side to dodge. Although she had forgotten she was on a Beazard and fell a couple feet to the floor, feeling her head knock into the unforgiving surface. Even when lying in near defeat, she could barely believe it. It only happened in a matter of seconds, and she had failed. Rainbow was going to fail saving Morning, and she was going to be beaten by some stupid freak that was obviously the hacker’s creation. No. She couldn’t give up right now. Rolling onto her back again, she raised her sword towards the bear as it swung its limb down towards her. She made a slight adjustment, to allow the point to be directly in the paw’s path. Just about when the paw was about to be impaled, somepony in the room commanded it to stop. “Halt! That’s good enough… for now. I want to finish her off myself.” Rainbow’s eyes regained a bit of fire as she heard the familiar voice, finding some newfound strength to struggle back on her hooves. It was the hacker. At its master’s command, the beast slowly backed off, keeping a careful glare on Rainbow. A gust of wind danced throughout the chamber, pushing away the fog and allowing the torches to flood the room with light. Rainbow could see right now that the room she was in wasn’t very empty. In fact, it had a live audience the entire time. In the center of the room stood a black stone throne that was slightly higher above the rocky ground, on top of a hill of rock. On each side of the throne were metal cages on floating gem platforms. In the cage to Rainbow’s right, she could see a struggling Capricorn in her tight rope bonds. To her left, Morning Shower also bound. She could see that they both had cloth gags over their mouths, and had purple bruises scattered over their faces and legs. On the throne, she could see a yellow stallion, his face, shadowed underneath the hood of his dark cloak. He sat with one leg on the knee of the other with his back reclined. It just spoke smugness. “Hello Rainbow Dash. We finally meet. Face to face. Just what you wanted, correct?” Rainbow glared at him. “You,” she uttered in a growl. “So you’re the one causing trouble around Trottingham? I should wipe that stupid smile off your face right now!” She looked above the stallion to see if there was a nametag floating above him, but there wasn’t one there. The Beazard growled at Rainbow’s threat, but the stallion hushed it. “Relax, my dear. You shall have your fill of blood soon.” The stallion brought his forehooves together, resting his elbows on the throne’s arms. Rainbow could feel his gaze upon her. “And you’re the mare from last night. You gave me quite a bit of trouble, and I can see that your hold true to your name with that repulsive color splotch you call a mane. Now be honest with me really, did your mother drop you in a rainbow vat when you were born?” “Shut your tra– ” Rainbow coughed violently with blood; 25 of her Health was dropped. “Still have a bit of fight left in you? Well no matter. You won’t win anyway. I’ll see to that,” the stallion declared as he got up from his throne. He spread his wings wide and glided down, landing near Rainbow. The platforms holding the cages lowered all the way to the ground, landing roughly. When the cage settled, Morning wormed her way over to the bars to get a closer look at Rainbow, her pupils shrinking as she saw her captor drawing closer to her idol as he chuckled. Rainbow kept her sword lifted for as long as she could, but eventually she couldn’t endure holding her arm up in such bad condition. At least now she could finally see underneath his hood. He had green hair. Wait a second. “Hold on,” Rainbow narrowed her eyes, “you’re… you’re not that guy from the library.” The hacker stopped in his steps. “Excuse me?” “W– well there was this… ah who am I kidding,” Rainbow spat, looking downward. “You probably don’t know him anyway.” “Hmm… oh wait. Are you talking about Raynor?” Rainbow looked towards him again. “That’s his name?” “Ah yes, Raynor. He mentioned how your purple friend had caught onto his plans, and he unfortunately had to run with his tail between his legs!” The hacker chuckled. He then laughed up a storm. “Oh! And you annoying cunts caught him again just a few hours ago! He couldn’t even clean up his own mess. Just left the portal gate to crumble right in the middle of plain sight! Oh, I never remembered laughing so hard in my entire life.” As he hollered in mirth, a black cane with a red, curved handle and blue flame paint job on the bottom materialized on his back. He drew the cane and pointed the fiery end directly at Rainbow’s face, inches from her eyes. “But because of your meddlings, I was unfortunately assigned to gather information on you and your friends.” He sighed, “Oh, if only you had stayed asleep for just a couple more seconds, my job could have been quick and painless, and I wouldn’t have to waste precious time setting up this trap.” The flat end of the cane flipped opened up like a cap, revealing the inside of it to be hollow. The cap, still attached to the cane, then transformed into a target symbol. Taking a closer look at handle, Rainbow can see a trigger. Piecing the parts together, Rainbow realized the cane was actually a very strange gun. Her eyes widened. The corners of the stallion’s lips curled upwards venomously. “We had a fun time together, but I’m afraid this is the part where we part ways. Don’t worry though. While you’re respawning, I’ll just collect whatever data residue is left on your digital corpse, yada, yada. You can blame the programmers for making this a bit complicated. Normally, anywhere else, all I needed was a computer, mouse and keyboard, and access to the internet to steal precious information, but the new kind of programming that came with the creation of virtual reality tech and programs made it possible to put down walls that could even stump the best of hackers. Took me months to come up with a program that can hide my identity here, and I have to continuously update it because the bucking patches they release every single week. Like really, do they even freaking sleep?! Dear gods it is annoying how they… ” Master Wind continued to rant on about how annoying everything was hard for him to commit malicious deeds on the net thanks to the introduction of VR programming, and at that point, Rainbow felt like being shot would be better than this torture. She then saw Morning banging her head against the bars, and the rage in her heart boiling again. She shot an iron glare at him. “You won’t get away with this. My friends will be coming soon, and they’re going to kick your sorry ass to the moon.” The stallion whacked her head with the end of his cane gun. “I’m afraid they won’t get very far. Remember this, Rainbow Dash. Remember the name of the stallion who wiped the floor with you. Your Master Wind.” The trigger was pulled. A loud shot resonated like one big firework. Damage was dealt. Blood was spilled everywhere. It wasn’t Rainbow Dash’s. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Twilight! Behind you!” Applejack pushed Twilight to get behind her and raised her bronze war hammer. The Rock Golem, an animated being with two stumpy legs and arms with round boulders for fists, sent a punch flying towards Applejack. She managed to block it with her weapon and counterattacked with a wide swing of her hammer. With every ounce of power, she pounded the flat end of her weapon against the large opal embedded in its chest, shattering it into rainbow colored pieces. With its life core gone, the Golem fell down and crumbled into a pile of rocks. Two Rock Golems that were camouflaged in the rocky walls pulled themselves from their rest places. A couple more acting as weirdly shaped rock formations got up as well, make it four. They formed a semi-circle around Applejack and advanced towards her. Applejack swung her war hammer towards them like a bat as she awkwardly walked backwards on her hind legs. “Go on! Get!” Before the Golems could take another step towards her, four blue, fiery bolts came from behind Applejack and struck them all in their opal life cores. Trixie leapt over Applejack, getting into the center of the Golems. Applejack was about call her out for being reckless, but a bright light shined from Trixie, paining her eyes. She averted her gaze. Trixie’s staff glowed like a bright star as she spun it over her head. With a confident smile, Trixie shouted, “Moon’s Blazing Fury!” She slammed the butt of her staff onto the ground and waves of blue flames expanded around her. It was an impressive display of power as the flames danced around her. It was like Trixie had unleashed a miniature hurricane, and she was the eye of the storm. Trixie watched her fire flooded over the Golems and their Health Bars melting away like butter. The heat soon created cracks in their opal life cores before exploding them, and the Golems crumbled into worthlessness. Trixie brushed away a lock of her mane that was in front of her eyes as she gathered up all the coins that were dropped from the Golems. “Well that was easy.” Fluttershy peaked out from the hill of rock she was hiding behind from. “I– is it over?” “Hey! Ah had that all under control!” Trixie turned around to see Applejack stomping angrily towards her. “That was a really reckless move ya made! You could have got yourself killed there!” Trixie rolled her eyes and slid her staff onto her back, allowing the invisible game mechanics to magnetize her weapon against it. “Oh please. I was perfectly fine thanks to you. You made a pretty good distraction.” “Distra– Ah’m no distraction!” “Why not? Aren’t you the Tank of the group? You’re supposed to take hits.” “Ah’m not supposed to just take hits,” Applejack scowled deeper. “You can see that Ah deal damage as well if you didn’t have your head up so high all the time.” “Hey, just because I’m better than you– ” “Enough!” Twilight yelled. “Can’t we just get along just for now? I had enough of your bickering!” She pointed at Trixie all accusing-like. “Trixie! We don’t have anything toxic between us, right?” Trixie blinked a couple times before turning her gaze away. “Of course, Twilight. I’ve learned my lesson since that duel of ours.” “Then I want you to stop treating Applejack like that. I don’t know what’s with you, but I know you’re better than that!” Trixie sighed in a hardy mood. “Sorry, Twilight. I’ll try to not let it happen again.” Applejack had a smirk on her face until Twilight glared towards her. “And Applejack, I want you to stop fighting with Trixie!” “Me? But she started it!” “But you’re also not keeping a cool head on the matter, Applejack. You’re also letting these arguments with her drag on!” “But Twilight, Trixie doesn’t take anything seriously! She ain’t even concerned about Rainbow Dash or anypony at all!” “Hey! I’ll have you know that I’m also a pony with feelings. I care about others too,” Trixie retorted, slightly resenting Applejack’s accusations. Applejack glared at Trixie. “That’s a lie! You don’t care about anypony at all! So far, Ah only saw you caring about yourself!” Trixie was about to snap back, but then Twilight got between them. “Applejack, I said that’s enough. If you want to settle matters with Trixie, you do it on your own time, but now, we have two mares that are by themselves in a dark dungeon with a hacker on the loose. You’re worried about Rainbow aren’t you?” “Well yes, of course Ah am!” “Then focus on that. No more of this fighting with Trixie. After all this, I want you two to make up.” “Oh come on, Twi!” “Fight, fight, fight! Kiss, kiss!” Pinkie shouted, bouncing on her tail like a spring. Her lips were then stuffed again by cupcakes. “No. None of that either,” Twilight said. Fluttershy, who was staying out of the fight until now, went by Twilight. “Um, maybe we should go take a look around and see if there is a way out. I don’t like this room.” Twilight nodded. “You’re right. There could be more Golems in the walls. With all these opals in the rocks, there’s no telling if there is more of them.” She looked towards Rarity as she began walking with Fluttershy in tow. “Come on, Rarity. You know more about caves then I do.” “Well I suppose so,” Rarity sniffed, looking around the cavern with critical judgment. “I don’t like them though.” The three went on to find any more tunnels exiting the cave room, leaving Applejack and Trixie to be by themselves along with one occupied Pinkie. An awkward silence fell upon them. Trixie wanted to say something, but seeing Applejack’s displeased look convinced her it was not the best idea. Deciding to leave the farm pony to her thoughts, Trixie followed after Twilight. As she did, Pinkie finished up her snack and bounced after Trixie. She stared at Trixie. Trixie ignored the pink thing for a bit, but found her gaze slightly unsettling. After a few seconds, Trixie turned her head towards Pinkie, still walking. “What do you want?” “Trixie, where were you after that day?” “Huh?” “I mean, I know you were being a big meanie, taking over Ponyville and all, but that’s because that Alicorn thingy was making your mind into noodles! Noodles of eeeevilness and bad things, so I forgave you and everything for stealing my mouth and I wanted to give you the biggest party you ever had, but I couldn’t find you anywhere!” “… Huh?” Pinkie Pie giggled, “I wanted to throw you a party, silly! But you weren’t there, so what gives?” Trixie rolled her eyes. “Well I wasn’t in Ponyville obviously. I couldn’t stay there, even after making amends with Twilight. It was obvious that none of the townsfolk like me there, so I moved on.” “Why didn’t you stay? I probably could have got Ponyville to like you.” “After whipping two of their foals, they would never.” “Don’t ever say never, silly filly! I definitely could have made you the most popular mare in town if I tried,” Pinkie smiled. There was something weird about this mare. Trixie knew it. “Why are you being so nice to me right now? I took away your mouth and your nose too if I remember correctly. It’s a miracle that you were able to live without breathing somehow!” “Well I’m Pinkie! I have my ways.” “Like how did you even?” Trixie was slightly befuddled. “I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of magic Twilight used to keep you alive.” “Oh Twilight didn’t help me.” “She didn’t?! But how– ” “Spoilers, Trixie. Spoilers.” Trixie was about to rant about how it was impossible for a pony to live without oxygen for more than ten seconds, but decided she didn’t want her brain to turn into noodles. “You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know anyway.” Out of nowhere, Pinkie pressed a cold bottle against Trixie’s cheek. “Butterbeer?” “What the?” Trixie took the bottle. “Um, thanks I guess?” She looked at Pinkie once more and yelped as Pinkie was suddenly carrying a Santa-sized bag on her back. She burst out, “What on Luna’s moons do you keep in that? Butterbeer?” “Yep! I just bought enough to fill an entire tavern!” Pinkie pulled one out of the bag and bit the rim of the metal cap. Somehow, she was able to open it without breaking any teeth, and drank it. “That’s… how much did it even cost?” “Used twenty gold bit, and they are worth every coin!” Pinkie finished one and started drinking another one. “That’s… insane. You’re insane.” Pinkie laughed, “I get that a lot!” Trixie chuckled along with her. “I don’t know how Twilight can handle you.” Speaking of Twilight, Trixie could see her, Fluttershy and Rarity were in front of three open tunnels up ahead with a holographic map floating in front of them. “Hey what’s going on here?” Rarity turned around. “Oh just looking at a map of the Winsome Cavern. Twilight purchased one before we came here, and I’m not liking what I’m seeing. This place is full of twist and turns. If it wasn’t for this map, we’d be as blind as bats!” “Well actually, bats aren’t really blind. They just use echolocation to help them see in the dark,” Fluttershy said. Trixie didn’t really care about that bit of animal trivia. She was more concerned with the map. “It’s that hard, even with our own mini-maps?” Rarity nodded. “Well we would be able to find our way out, but navigating our way towards the hacker will be quite difficult. First off, we don’t even know where he is. Just look at how big this area is!” Trixie inspected the map. Rarity was right. Like Discord’s mind, the caverns had crazy twists and corners all tangled up in one big mess of pathways and rooms. There were plenty of chambers about which they haven’t entered yet, and it could take several nights to explore the caves. “And to make matters worse,” Twilight spoke, “we haven’t heard anything from the hacker at all, which means we don’t have a good idea of where to go.” “Oh, oh, oh! Twilight, I have an idea!” Pinkie held her hoof up high like a schoolfilly wanting to answer the teacher’s question. A sigh escaped Twilight’s lungs. “Well what suggestion do you have, Pinkie?” “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!” Pinkie Pie smiled as if it was the best idea in the world. Twilight had an expression that told otherwise. “Please no? We have to make educated decisions here.” “You mean guess?” Trixie asked. “I– No! Educated decisions! Make a logical choice and… ” Twilight rubbed her temple. “Oh who am I kidding? We have no choice but to guess at this point. We’ll go with Eeny, Miny, Moe.” “Yay!” Pinkie cheered as she made a cartwheel to the front. She planted her tush down and started to chant the foals’ rhyme, pointing to a different tunnel with each word. As they watched Pinkie work her magic, Applejack was walking towards them. “Hey what did Ah mi– Whoa!” She had tripped. Applejack rolled out of control, crashing into the others as if she was a bowling ball. In a completely mess, they all rolled into a tangled bundle. Applejack found Trixie’s leg propped under her chin. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, a large, circle glowed beneath them. It bathed them all in its brilliant blue light, but it didn’t sound very friendly. It made a sound as if some sort of sci-fi laser cannon was charging up. It had intricate curves and patterns inside it. It was a rune. “It’s a trap!” Twilight struggled to get on her hooves. “Run!” Her warning was too late though. The ground beneath them cracked as the rune worked its destructive magic into the rocks. It was torn asunder, and revealed a large chamber as the party of mares fell in it. Quickly, Pinkie searched her inventory. “Hang on, everypony! I know I have something for an emergency like this!” She pulled out a white ball. “Aha! Relax, everypony! I have this under contr– ” “Just do it already!” Trixie yelled. “Okay!” With all her might, Pinkie threw the ball down below them. It bounced with a thud before expanding rapidly into a plush mattress. Everypony landed safely onto it, with Trixie hugging it tightly. They were all slightly shocked, except for Pinkie. “Whee! That was fun! Let’s do that again!” “No. Never again,” Trixie said. She looked around to see they were all enveloped in dark fog. In the darkness, Trixie can make out the shape of the rubble that fell with them, but she could barely see them. “Um… is it me, or is this room unnaturally dark?” The ceiling above them glowed with blue numbers before it closed off. “Never mind. I stand corrected. It was brighter before. Can we leave now?” A storm of snarls answered her. “… I guess that’s a no.” “Everypony form a circle, back to back!” Twilight ordered. “Make sure nothing escapes our vision!” “How can we even see in here? I really do feel as blind as a bat!” Rarity cried out as she hurried with the others to make a circle. Fluttershy quivered as she stood next to her friends, quickly saying, “I would like to correct you on that statement, Rarity, but right now I’m d– d– downright t– terrifiiied!” She started to panic, causing her to go into hyperventilation, but then Pinkie gave her with a paper bag, also rubbing her back with a small smile on her face. “There, there, Fluttershy. Auntie Pinkie is here. Just think happyy thoughts. Butterflies, bunnies, and cute kitties. Think of the adorable kitties.” Fluttershy slowly nodded as she breathed in the paper bag, calming down. Applejack looked up. “Ah would ‘ave lassoed us a climbing rope by now, but this darn cave is against us too, apparantly.” Trixie raised one of her eyebrows as she looked towards the sound of Applejack’s voice. “You actually have a rope with you?” “Well of course I do!” Applejack yelled back. “Ah don’t feel right without something to lasso with! Could never know when rope will come in handy.” “I think rope should be the least of our concerns right now,” Twilight said as her horn glowed. “Magic Missile! ” She fired the blue spell into the darkness, but to her surprise, the bolt fizzled out faster than a lit match in a rainstorm. “W– what the heck?” She fired off another, but that burnt out as well. “I can’t use magic in here! But Trixie was able to do it upstairs.” “That’s because my INT is higher than yours,” Trixie sneered. “Didn’t you tell me you kept your SPR and INT balanced?” “O– oh… ” Trixie chuckled in amusement with a bit of smugness. “Don’t worry, Twilight. I got this.” To prove a point, she twirled her staff above her again, both ends of it was lit with green fire. “Ashes to Dust!” She then sent her staff flying forward into darkness, the weapon still spinning like a boomerang, but she lost sight of it when the flames were snuffed out. “What the Tartarus?” In the next second, a distinct whirling sound was heard before Trixie was smacked in the forehead by her returning staff. She could see stars dancing around her head, which meant she was Dazed. She suddenly found herself stumbling in random directions. “Ow, that smarts!” Rarity held her back into the safety of the group, shooting distrustful glares at the darkness embracing them. “Please control yourself, dear. There’s no telling what can happen here, and your magic won’t do so well here. Though I find this impossible to believe, but the Magic Debuff down here is ten times stronger than above! Your INT would have to be in the thousands if you even want to deal the smallest amount of magic damage.” “Is there anything you can do about this?” Twilight asked. Rarity shook her head. “Unfortunately I cannot. I’m magic based as well, and so is Fluttershy.” Trixie glanced at Pinkie Pie and Applejack. “Which means… ” Applejack noticed how Trixie looked at her, and then started to understand. She took the war hammer on her back and slammed it on the ground in front of her. “Which means it’s us Earth Ponies’ time tah shine!” “Sweet! Pinkie Pie in the house!” Pinkie pulled out a pair of peppermint-colored shurikens from her back satchel. “Time to get this party started!” An explosion of action was unleashed as Applejack and Pinkie let loose. Thanks to Applejack’s passive skill, Shining Icon, she gained bonus Armor and Magic Resist once she started swinging, and her body glows brightly as well. It was incredibly helpful in dark places. Once she started shining, Applejack could see that their enemies were Shadow Beazards. According to the almanac that all players receive once they enter the game, Fascinating Creatures and Their Locations, Beazards were creatures that loved to dwell in caves. However, there weren’t supposed to be any Shadow variations in Blue Zones like Winsome Falls. Shadow Monsters were stronger counterparts of their originals, and they were all supposed to be in the Badlands. Unfortunately, the book did not provide any detailed descriptions of the monsters other than a picture of it and its location on the map. But it did not matter to somepony like Applejack. She felt like she didn’t need to know their weakness. All it took for her is to land a really good smash. The head of Applejack’s steel weapon steamtrained through the air in an arc as she swung from the hip, crushing against the side of the Beazard’s ugly mug. The devastating blow had it flying off its paws, sending it to the side for several feet. The Beazard got up and charged towards Applejack, but found its jaw hitting the floor again as Pinkie landed her hooves harshly on its head. Pinkie Pie leapt away from the Beazard, leaving a bagful of cupcake bombs lying around it. The fuses ran out, and they detonated a huge explosion, painting the area with frosting.. “Now that is what I call sweet!” Pinkie said, cartwheeling away. From Trixie’s point of view, it was wrecking her mind to see Pinkie move. To put it lightly, she was all over the place. Sometimes she would be there, but every few blinks, Pinkie would escape Trixie’s sight only to appear somewhere she wasn’t looking at. Candy-colored ninja stars would fly in flocks around the chamber, disappearing in the dark. Somehow, Pinkie was landing her targets in areas where Applejack’s light cannot reach because she could see numbers floating upwards, indicating that damage was being dealt there. However, she would see the occasional green number pop up, and it would be a huge number. That struck Trixie as odd. How on Equestria were these Beazards healing? There’s no way such wild, crazed monster could heal themselves unless… “Twilight, did you learn a spell that can scan environments?” Trixie prayed she had. “Yes I do. Why?” Trixie sighed with relief. “Great. Can you scan the air?” “I can try, but I don’t see how it’ll help us right now.” “Just do it. I need to confirm something.” With a slight shrug, Twilight performed Insightful Learning and a green cone of light extended from her horn. She moved it around, catching data from the smoky fog. “There. I got it,” Twilight said, stopping the spell. “Send the data over to me.” Twilight looked through her Inventory Window, scrolling through the list of items until she found it in her Journal Tab. She messaged a copy of the data over to Trixie. Trixie thanked her before reading her findings. With each word she read, her suspicions were slowly being confirmed. “What did you find, Trixie?” Twilight asked. “… Twilight? You see the green numbers, right?” Twilight looked around, and spotted one pop up just now. “Yes, but how are they healing? They aren’t Support-Type mobs, so I don’t see how they could– ” “It’s the fog, Twilight. The fog is healing them much faster than Applejack and Pinkie can damage.” “W– what?! But how?” Twilight shouted in surprise. “This fog is Umbra Mist, and Shadow Monsters thrive in its cold, dark conditions. The fog itself is laced with dark magic. It’s what’s also causing our magic damage to fall like balls of dry rice grains.” “That’s no good,” Twilight said. “Applejack! Pinkie Pie! Did you hear all that?” “Ah did, and Ah don’t like it!” Applejack said, facing off a Beazard caked in pink globs of sugar. “This fella won’t stay down!” “I’m having trouble too! These guys apparently don’t like what I did to their hair,” Pinkie said as ran away from furious Beazards covered in colorful pastries. “There must be something we can do,” Applejack yelled. “Anything!” She knocked the Beazard into the air, and Pinkie threw a lollipop battleaxe at it. It had a burning tag on it. Its sharp blade sunk deeply into its back, and the tag suddenly exploded, causing an explosive burst of candy shards to fly. The Beazard’s body hit the ground. It was still alive and kicking like mad. “Celestia damn it, why won’t it stop!” Applejack roared as she leapt forward and smashed her hammer over its head. Still. Fucking. Alive. And then… the fog healed it again. Rarity, at this point and time, was trembling in her suit and held onto Twilight for support. “What can we do, darlings? This battle feels like it’s been going on forever, and we’re just sitting ducks here!” “Yeah… ” Trixie looked around at the Beazards chasing after Applejack and Pinkie. “So why aren’t we bear food yet?” “U– um, that would be, um, me.” The three mares looked at Fluttershy who had a sheepish smile on her face. “I had a bag of powder made from the flowers that grow on Skunk Stalks. They smell nice, but I remember reading something from the Cloud Library that certain animals absolutely abhor the scent. Dragons actually hate this scent, so I decided to buy some. Since these Beazards seem to be half lizard, I thought I would give it a try.” Fluttershy pointed at the ground around them. They looked down to see they were standing in a circle of the powder. “Wow. That’s really clever, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, taking a bit of the powder from the ground and watched it fall away from her hoof. “When did you get it?” “Just soon after the game. I– it was pretty cheap.” “Wait… but Spike was with us before. How come he wasn’t repulsed by it?” “I kept it in, um, a glass jar, Twilight.” Fluttershy revealed the container of the powder. It had the bag inside it, and the jar was sealed tight by an enormous cork. “Well that was certainly enlightening, Fluttershy, but we’re still in quite a bit of trouble,” Rarity said, still hanging onto Twilight. “I get the feeling that these unruly creatures will gather up the courage to charge towards us sooner or later.” Rarity looked at the group of Beazards that were chasing after Pinkie Pie. One of them had stopped to look back. The corner of its slimy lips seemed to curl into a wicked grin. Rarity shuddered. Trixie, meanwhile, was scrolling through her list of spells. As a powerful Flame Witcher, almost all of her magic had devastating effects that can turn the battlefield into a frying pan at any moment they are released. Unfortunately, all of them are currently useless here in this stupid chamber. Trixie kicked aside a rock. Any one of her spells will have no effect at all, but there was one that might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, it was also her weakest spell. “It’s getting cold in this cave. I’m going light us a fire,” Trixie announced. “At least we can stay warm until we die and respawn back into town.” Twilight frowned at Trixie. “Don’t say that. We need to stay alive long enough to find Rainbow Dash and Morning Shower. They’re currently by themselves and are at the mercy of a hacker.” “So are we, Twilight.” Trixie sighed as she sat down, cupping her hooves together in the center of the group. She softly spoke, “Ignis Aeternus.” A ball of flame was born in her hooves, small but was warm enough to comfort the small group. The darkness around them seemed to shy away from the new light. “Wow,” Twilight mumbled. “Do you have to keep feeding Mana into it?” “Nope,” Trixie answered. “Ignis Aeternus, it means Fire Everlasting in Dratin, the language of the Dragons. It’s a spell that will create this small ball of flames. It exists as long as I want it to. Mostly I use it when I go into cold areas. Sealed it in a jar like Fluttershy’s, but only smaller. It can only deal 1 damage per second if I use it to hit somebody, and the Blaze aftereffect only lasts for three seconds. It’s one of the weakest, most useless spells in the game if not the most weakest.” Rarity released Twilight and rubbed her hooves together as she brought them closer to the fire. “Well I wouldn’t jump to those conclusions so quickly, darling. Well it’s quite helpful right now. My hooves were starting to become ice cubes for a moment.” “It’s our only comfort, before our inevitable end of course,” Trixie sighed, “Applejack and Pinkie Pie are strong, but they can’t keep this up forever.” Trixie continued to stare at the flame, loathing at what it signified, and didn’t look up until she grew tired of looking at the fire. Three pairs of eyes were giving her weird stares. Trixie, slightly caught off guard, sputtered, “W– what is it? Does Trixie have something on her face?” Twilight lifted a hoof and pointed slightly at her. “Did… did you just admit that you think Applejack is strong?” Trixie’s cheeks bloomed with pink colors. She then gave Twilight an angry glare. “Ssssshhh! T- Trixie did!” Trixie harshly whispered. “But don’t say that out loud!” “Why not?” Rarity asked, whispering at a softer level. “I think Applejack would like to hear that.” “I would never say that in front of her!” “Um, but why?” Fluttershy asked, fitting nicely into the current conversation. “Trixie’s business is none of yours,” she hissed. Twilight tilted her head to the side. “I don’t get it, Trixie. Can’t you and Applejack just get along for once?” “Th- that is impossible for Trixie,” Trixie scowled. “Why not? It’s not hard to give out a compliment or two– ” “B– because Trixie doesn’t like to admit there are others better than her yet! You’re an exception, Twilight, as well as the Princesses, but nopony else! Happy?” “Well… that’s actually a really petty reason, Trixie. Why can’t you just be nice to Applejack? You’re nice to us.” Trixie crossed her forehooves. “Not as nice as you think Trixie is to you.” She huffed. “Trixie… I have always rode solo ever since I was young. I never really made a lot of friends, and my sisters never liked me.” “You had sisters?” Twilight asked. Trixie nodded. “Yes. I was the youngest of seven, and I never really got along with any of them. I was often called the runt of the litter by my siblings, always ridiculed. They would always do it when my parents weren’t looking.” “I don’t think you’re a runt,” Twilight said. “S– so do I,” Fluttershy spoke. “Thank you, but it doesn’t matter now.” Twilight gave Trixie a look of sympathy. She tried to put herself in Trixie’s hooves, but it was hard to imagine her brother jeering and insulting her. He was her B.B.B.F.F., and Trixie must surely have somepony that cared a lot about her. “Trixie, I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time accepting this. One of your sisters had to have liked you.” Trixie pawed at the mossy surface of the cave. “Well… there was one…. ” She didn’t say anymore after that, and her head hung low. Twilight lowered hers to meet Trixie’s eyes. “What was she like?” “… She would always tell me… to never give up. She’s sort of like… like Luna and… ” “And who?” “… And… ” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Flexibility. Being adaptable, and resourceful. Using the surroundings, and what you have on you, to win. Am I right?” “Well done my student. Using everything you have at your disposal is a sure way to win. If you don’t give it your all, then you can never see victory. Same thing applies to studying and exploring the field of magic. If you don’t take extra measures to solving the problem, then you’ll find yourself stuck in one spot.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ ”What’s wrong, Trix?” “My project group! They’re holding me back, and we’re going to fail the magic fair because of that! They don’t agree with any of my ideas, even though they’re great and amazing!” “Well what did you suggest?” “I wanted to tame an Ursa Major, but they’re complete scaredey cats.” “Um… Trix, I don’t think it’s a safe idea for you to be around an Ursa Major.” “But sis, I’m a powerful unicorn! I’m the best at magic in my entire class!” “He he, I know you are, and I’m sure when you grow up, you’ll tame an Ursa Major of your own.” “Y– you think so, big sis?” “Of course, silly filly, but I don’t think you should do it alone.” “What do you mean?” “Well, an Ursa Major is quite a big and scary creature. You know of the legend of Hearther and the Bear, do you?” “Of course! Hearther is the bravest knight in all of Equestria, and she wields a big sword called Excu– Exclee– Exu– ” “Excalibur.” “Excalibur! And she took down the giant Ursa alone with her sword!” “I don’t know, Trix. Aren’t you missing something else in your story?” “Umm… I don’t think so? Did I?” “Yes. Hearther’s band of warriors, the Knights of the Hay Table. They helped her defeat the scary Ursa Major that was threatening the lands of Equestria. If it wasn’t for their help, Hearther may have never been able to defeat the beast. Do you see what I’m saying?” “Um… I guess?” “What is it then?” “Um… I’m sorry, big sis. I don’t know.” “Ahaha, that’s okay! That’s okay! The answer is simple: make friends.” “But nopony at the school wants to be me friend. They all hate me!” ”Now you know that’s not true. You’re a smart filly, Trix. You know that as much as I do, and I know you’re the kindest, sweetest thing to ever exist! I know you’ll make friends someday. Remember that they are there to help you grow stronger, and that you should be strong for them as well. Just like how you should be strong for your team. I’m sure whatever idea they came up with, it’ll be great, but they can’t do it without your support. Teamwork and friendship are the most powerful things to ever exist.” “Um… okay, big sis! I’ll try to be nice to them.” “That’s the Trix I know! Now, do you want to go get some ice cream? My treat.” “Oh yes please! Can we go now please?” “Ha ha ha, of course, Trix!” “Yay!” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “… Teamwork and friendship are the most powerful things to ever exist.” Twilight blinked. “What was that? I couldn’t really hear that.” Trixie lifted her head up. Twilight recognized something in Trixie’s eyes. She’d seen it in herself so many times when she looked in a mirror. It was determination. Trixie got up, the small ball of fire in her hoof. “Applejack! You said had some rope, right?” “Sure do! Why did you ask?” Applejack grunted as she smashed away a Beazard leaping towards her. “Toss ‘em over here! As much as you can!” Applejack didn’t question Trixie’s motives and pulled the rope out of her Inventory as she ran. “Here!” She threw them across the chamber, towards Trixie. She caught them with ease. “Thank you, Applejack. Pinkie, give me a dozen of your best Butterbeer!” “Coming right up! Be careful to not drop them! They’re slippery!” In midair, Pinkie Pie pulled out a sack of Butterbeer from her satchel and tossed it over to Trixie. She caught it by the neck of it with her magic. “Thank you, this will help very well,” she said as she uncapped one. Then she cut a length of the rope with her magic and soaked it in the bottle’s fluid. “What are you doing,” Twilight asked. “It’s a simple plan, really, but it’s a plan that will definitely turn the tables.” On Applejack’s side, things weren’t looking so hot for her. The Beazards kept battering their paws at her with enormous strength that could topple trees, lowering her Health Bar down to the red area. Her wall of Health and Armor was usually enough to last for three day and nights of grinding if she never defended and only attacked. By the end of it, she would still have a good strong 25% of Health, but these monsters managed to cut it down to even less than that in a matter of ten minutes or so! Pinkie Pie was able to keep three of them on her tail, and her health is still full green, but the energetic pony looked like she was about to actually tire out. Applejack can’t let that happen. The Beazards would tear her to pieces if they ever reached her. As the horrid thought was on her mind, she didn’t notice she was backed into a corner, until it was too late. “Oh buck.” Applejack started to dart away, but the two Beazards had already trapped her like a mouse. “Celestia fucking damn it.” No clear openings, no way out. Applejack’s legs were straining to keep her up, and her tail was past its limits, so no balance for her. It was an unfair standoff in the monsters’ favor, and she didn’t like it one bit. She silently declared that Umbra Mist was too overpowered. If only it was gone, her friends would be able to clean up this fight easily. Keeping her war hammer between her and the Beazards, Applejack grunted, “Looks like this it, fellas. Just you and me.” “Nope! I’m not gonna let you hog all the fun!” Applejack could barely see her, but she knew the voice belonged to Trixie. She instantly recognized the smugness in her tone. Soon after Trixie had uttered those words, something small and fiery came into existence from Trixie and it soared high into the air, arcing towards Applejack’s direction. She expected the flame to fizzle out, but somehow it miraculously stayed alive. As soon as the fire made contact with the ground, the shattering sound of glass cried out and soon a puddle of fire was born from where the fire had crashed. The fog in Applejack’s area had disappeared completely, allowing Applejack to see the Beazards and all of their ugliness. Soon, more fire puddles sprouted throughout the chamber as Trixie threw more of them. One by one, the fire bathed the entire arena in glorious, warm light, burning away the Umbra Mist’s void. In Trixie’s hoof, Applejack can see she was tossing Pinkie Pie’s Butterbeer up and down with a length of rope poking out from it. The end of it was on fire. When Applejack looked at her Health Bar, she saw that the Magic Debuff was completely gone. “Makeshift molotovs,” Trixie shortly explained. “Thanks to your rope and Pinkie’s delicious drinks, my fire will grow bigger and stronger and forever.” She tossed the last Molotov at one of the Beazards chasing Pinkie Pie, setting it on fire. The fire grew over the entire monster, consuming it completely. The Beazard separated from the group as it tried to pat the flames away, making it an open target. Twilight’s eyes widened and she took a look at her hooves. A familiar blue glow formed between them. Suddenly smiling, Twilight threw the Magic Missile at the burning Beazard. The spell exploded on impact, knocking it off its paws as well as half of its Health. Trixie boldly stepped out of Fluttershy’s circle, picking up her staff from the ground with her magic and spun it over her head again. “Ashes to Dust.” Trixie, with all of her might, launched the spinning staff towards the downed Beazard, obliterating it into data dust. “Now it’s our turn to strike!” Applejack stared at Trixie for a couple seconds before adopting a confident smile of her own. “Right behind you, Trixie!” At the melody of Fluttershy’s supportive Song Buff spells, the mares unleashed complete devastation upon the Beazards. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ It all happened so quickly. Faster than Rainbow’s eyes could keep track of. In one moment, Master Wind had Rainbow under his boot, ready to shoot. In the next, he was on the ground, lying in a crimson pool of blood with an enormous steel arrow impaled through his rib cage. A river of his fluids ran from the wound, staining the ground. He struggled to get up, craning his head up, but was hit immediately as two more arrows whizzed through the air and buried themselves into his neck. His body twitched for a few moments before stopping. The chamber then started bursting with flashes of light, followed by multiple loud bangs. The white light had flooded Rainbow’s vision with its glory. “Augh! What the hay?” Rainbow yelled, her eyes pained by the sudden light show. She then felt something grab her shoulder. “Hey! Let go of me!” She fought back against the thing. A deep voice entered her ears. “Relax. You’re only going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that.” “Oh yeah, then how do I know you won’t? I bet you’re one of his lackeys!” “I’m not, now quit your fussing.” Rainbow felt a sharp stab in the upper part of her right forearm. “Ow! I knew it! You do work for him, you good for nothing piece of– ” “Calm down! For Celestia’s sake, you sure do like to jump to conclusions.” Rainbow’s vision was starting to come back to her, white circles left in her eyesight. She blinked them away and saw the player sitting over her. In his hoof was an empty potion bottle with a needle cap over it. Rainbow looked at her Health Bar and saw it was fully restored. Rainbow patted her chest took deep breaths. Her lungs didn’t feel like she was being crushed under an elephant. She looked past him and saw the other Beazard was lying still on the ground with a huge steel arrow sticking out of its back. “What the?” Rainbow mumbled, slightly confused. “Did you heal me? And you killed that thing?“ He nodded, “Of course I did. Why would I not do that? You were almost beaten down to Tartarus there. I can’t just leave you lying here. Wouldn’t be right.” The player then left Rainbow to go see the cages. As Rainbow got to her hooves, she could see he was wearing a grey chainmail suit wrapped over his body from neck to the fetlocks of his hooves. He wore green leather armor over it. A brown cloak covered over his back and hind legs, and over his head was a brown hood. Upon quick and careful observation, Rainbow could see small, familiar bumps underneath the cloak on either side of him. She guessed they were possibly wings he was hiding. He also sported green goggles with bronze rims that went over his black face mask. Above him, Rainbow could see his Player Name: Alseer. Upon reaching Morning’s cage, Alseer touched one of the bars. The cage glowed brightly before it disappeared with a shattering sound, light particles left dancing in its place before they faded away. Alseer did the same thing with Morning’s bonds and Capricorn’s, freeing them. “There we go. The cages and ropes were preventing you from logging out, so you should be free to exit the game now or use any Escape Items.” Morning rubbed the sores where the ropes wrapped around her. “How did you know that?” Alseer chuckled, “A good superhero never reveals their secret.” Morning looked at him with her jaw hanging open and her pupils wide. “A… superhero?” “Yep!” He laughed. “Although I think I was pushing it a little too much there? Maybe I should just stick with hero.” “But why are you here?” “Oh, well, you see I hunt down hackers and cheaters. The Coders are limited in their operations, so I do whatever I can to help.” Alseer looked at Rainbow. “I’ve actually been chasing this guy down for quite some time, but it wasn’t easy to narrow down his hideout until Rainbow came here.” Morning’s eyes widened even further and seemed to sparkle. “Wow… that’s so cool.” Rainbow walked up to Alseer. “Hold on a second, how do you know my name?” She pointed at the Player Name above her. It read RainStreak. “I mean, I can understand it if you were a fan of mine, but you don’t seem to be one. So what gives?” Alseer looked at Rainbow, then at Morning, then back to Rainbow. He coughed once into his hoof. “Oh, uh, you’re very well known around Equestria, Rainbow Dash. Being an Element of Loyalty does give you quite a bit of celebrity status.” Rainbow stared at Alseer, doubt and suspicion baking inside her, but then dropped the skeptical look. “Not a lot of ponies that I’ve met in real life seem to care, but I’ll give you that.” “Of course. Now, I believe there is a certain somepony waiting for you.” “O– oh right.” Rainbow turned towards Morning, an awkward silence falling between them before it was broke by Rainbow suddenly hugging her, smiling. “Morning! I’m glad you’re okay. You made me worried sick to my stomach, squirt!” “Y– you were worried about me?” “Of course I do! It’s my fault that you got kidnapped!” Rainbow released Morning from her life-squeezing embrace. She noticed there were even more bruises on Morning’s body, and that the feathers in her wings were tattered. She felt her voice croak, and a troubled expression grew on her. “M– Morning, you’re hurt.” Moring looked down at her chest, and saw the bruises. “Oh these? D– don’t worry about them, Rainbow! These are just tattoos I have! Honest!” Morning laughed profusely. Her laughter made her sides hurt – literally – and made her wince tenderly with her eyes shut closed. “… Morning.” She opened her eyes to see Rainbow was mad, although slightly crying. “Please don’t lie to me. It’s really my fault that this happened to you, and you’re making me feel worse by trying to make me feel better. After all… I’m just a weak coward.” Her expression softened as she soothingly rubbed Morning’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” Morning was about to say something, but then she dropped her gaze. “… Okay. Can we go get Capricorn too?” “Of course. I’ll carry her on my back and we ca– ” “Watch out!” Rainbow Dash turned her head around to see a red energy ball coming towards her at high speed, its burning tail slithering in the air. In Alseer’s hoof, a crossbow materialized and he aimed at the blood lusted projectile. A silver bolt was short forth and pierced through the ball, splitting it in half before the ball exploded. A particle show of red fire and smoldering ashes rained down on the ground, painting speckles on the rocky floor with their bright colors. A trail of smoke was snaking out from the end of Master Wind’s cane. It was quivering as Master Wind struggled to aim. “I’m –” Master Wind hacked up some blood, staining the ground even further, “– I’m not done with you yet! You bitches are going to pay for what you did to me!” Alseer started to walk towards him, unafraid of the weapon in his hooves. Master Wind changed his aim over to him and started shooting madly, desperately pulling the trigger multiple times. None of the volatile bullets ever reached Alseer as he simply dodged them with a tilt of his head or side step. “So you think you’re hot stuff, huh?” Master Wind sneered, despite the blood streaming from his mouth. A holographic panel appeared in front of him and he quickly selected a couple things before closing it. A crazed smile splited Master’s muzzle, his eyes glinting like a madpony’s. “Let’s see you try to dodge somebody with Aimbot and homing projectiles! Die!” He began bombarding Alseer again, this time his cane automatically lined right at Alseer’s head. Balls of energy were sent flying straight towards Alseer, but the markspony fired off shots of his own and destroyed them before they could get him. With every premature detonation increasing by the number, the path between Master Wind and Alseer grew redder, and Master’s smile was slowly melting into hot anger. “I- Impossible! There’s no way you can beat me!” Master Wind kept on shooting until his gun clicked dry. He ran out of bullets. Master Wind, in a frenzy, quickly scrolled through his Menu to log out, but was immediately interrupted by a kick in the face from Alseer. He then pressed a forehoof on Master’s cheeks, his body and Master’s glowed momentarily before he was pulled away. Master Wind laughed out loudly. “I don’t know what you did, but it’s too late now! I’m gonna log out, and you’ll never catch me again!” He went through his Menu again and his wild grin was dropped when his escape option was completely gone. “W– what the Tartarus?! What did you do to me?” “The same thing you did to Morning and Capricorn,” Alseer responded. “I simply just gave you a taste of your own medicine.” “What?!” Master Wind snarled. “Filth! You’re a hacker too then?” Master Wind’s angry expression melted away into feebleness as Alseer pressed his face against his. It was impossible for him to see past the thick green tint of his goggles. “Call me what you want, but understand that I’m not scum like you and the other cheaters. I hunt you down and bring you to justice. Normally, I would teleport you into the nearest Coder Headquarters right now and have you arrested for online harassment, but I think others would rather like to do that themselves. Enjoy your last moments of freedom while you can.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Yellow tape boundaries had surrounded the entire area, around the entrance to Winsome Caverns. NPC Guards and Coders had set up parameters and issued investigation parties to search the dungeon. Other players who had heard of what occurred here had gathered around, only to be kept away by the NPCs. Whispers and talks in the crowds were mostly about the Code Warriors. Apparently the game makers, Canterlot Colt Studios, thought it was a good time to reveal the existence of the Coders about a couple hours ago. With all these troublesome hackers going around, they believed it would be best to have a shining icon for everybody to look up to, and it shook the VR community hard. The forums over on the EE Hubnet, the largest fansite and community for Equestrian Earth, had a torrential burst of threads popping in it, all of them having topics relating to the Code Warriors. It was a mixture of positive and negative feedback, but the Coders kept working on, like nothing happened. It didn’t really matter to Rainbow, however. She was just glad they got out of that mess, and got some medical attention right away. Apparently, the game also had a staff team of professional therapists to help those who had problems concerning mental health. Mostly though, they just get players who had been playing the game for too long. However, Morning was doing quite well and Capricorn was there to support her. As for Rainbow Dash, she and her friends had decided to give Morning some time to talk with Capricorn. They went to go rest upon a nearby hill and were retelling their stories of what went down with in the caverns. When Rainbow finished up her story about the hacker and the mysterious pony, Rarity asked a question. “And he disappeared without a trace? He sounded quite odd, and I can’t imagine calling him a superhero.” “Yeah. Alseer is kind of weird, but he’s pretty strong. And he just upped and vanished in an instant,” Rainbow said, lying down on the grass. “Kinda irritated me a bit though. I wanted to fight Master Wind myself.” “But you got your flank handed to you right?” Trixie said, hollering in laughter. “Hey! I totally could have beaten those two Beazards by myself. It was just the fog that was giving them the advantage.” Twilight nodded. “I’m pretty sure you can. But this Raynor guy you’ve mentioned… ” “What? Do you recognize the name?” Rainbow asked, noticing Twilight’s pause. “Mmm no I don’t. Although it’s a name that we’ll have to remember. I get the feeling we’ll see him again in the future,” Twilight frowned. “Yeah, and I’ll be the first one to punch him in the face,” Rainbow chuckled. “And Ah’ll kick him in dah hindquarters!” Applejack laughed along. “Ah’m just glad you made it out alright.” “Excuse me, ma’ams?” Rainbow Dash looked up to see a stallion in white uniform and beret walking towards them. It was one of those Coder guys. “Sorry to interrupt, but we would like to talk to you about the hacker.” “Of course. Is there anything we can do to help?” Twilight asked. “No, no. We have it under control.” “What’s going to happen to him?” Rarity asked. “Well normally we would just go with the proceedings to ban his IP address, but since he committed the acts of severe online harassment and holding players as hostages against their wills, he will not go unpunished. In the real world, authorities will come and arrest him. You won’t see him again, I assure you.” Twilight sighed with relief. “That’s good.” “Also, there is the question of reward still standing.” Rarity bulldozed over the mares and stood chest-to-chest against the Coder, her eyes gleaming with money symbols. “Did you say reward?” Rarity was soon knocked back into her senses as she was magically pulled away from the surprised Coder by the ear. “You’re scaring him, Rarity,” Twilight said. She then gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that, sir. It won’t happen again.” “No harm done,” he chuckled as he reached into his vest. “But yes, we do want to thank you for aiding in the capture of this hacker. It’s a brave deed you all have done, and I believe what we have to offer is not enough.” The Coder pulled out a small, dull pouch a large enough to fit snuggly into a schoolfoal’s hooves. He tossed it over to Rarity for her to catch. Rarity frowned as she caught it, judging the bag’s appearance and size. “Well you’re certainly right when you said it’s not enough. I risked my life going into an icky, mossy, muddy cavern ran by a madpony!” “All of us did,” Trixie added. “Is this some sort of joke?” He shook his head. “No it is not. Take a look inside.” Rarity felt all eyes upon her as she loosened the string around the pouch’s neck. A brilliant glow powerful enough to rival the sun’s was unleashed from the pouch as soon as she opened it. “What in the heavens?” Rarity whispered as peered inside. She then screeched out loud, “Five thousand Aetherium Crystals?!” She fainted, keeping a tight clutch on the bag. “Aetherium Crystals? What the hay are those?” Applejack asked, scratching her head. The Coder went on to explain. “Well you see, Aetherium Crystals are a special type of currency in the game. They’re only obtainable from Super Bosses and Raid Bosses, and can be used to purchase very special and unique items that can be bought at Canterlot and the Crystal Empire.” Trixie nodded, “I’ve heard about them. The more powerful the Super Boss is, the more Crystals are dropped. I don’t know much about the items that can be bought by the Crystals, but I know that Princess Luna has some powerful equipment. From what I saw, those weapons are pretty powerful. More powerful than you can imagine.” Trixie pulled on the pouch, but found it quite hard to take from Rarity’s grip. Finally, the fashionista had relinquished her hold on it. Trixie reached inside and pulled out a brilliant diamond-shaped crystal that glowed with the colors of an aurora. Trixie gazed deeply into its colorful depths. “Wow. They look better than I had imagined.” “Ooohhh, that’s a superdoperifcly shiney biny!!” Pinkie Pie yelled joyfully. “Quite,” the Coder smiled. “Also, there is somepony who would like to talk to you.” The Coder stepped aside to reveal Morning Shower who had been hiding behind him. Rainbow raised her eyebrows at her. “Well I think I am done here. I shall leave you to your own businesses. Take care.” The Coder walked back to his fellow coworkers. Nopony dared to speak up at all while Morning and Rainbow stared at each other, with Morning looking slightly more nervous. “U– um, hi Rainbow Dash.” “Hey kiddo,” Rainbow softly smiled. “How did it go?” “Pretty well. The therapists say that I’m in good condition to continue playing the game.” Morning slightly blushed as she gazed away. “I, um, just wanted to say thank you for saving me. I thought you’d hate me forever after what I did.” Rainbow heavily sighed. “There’s no way I would hate you for that. You were just trying your best to impress me. That’s all. And frankly, I don’t think I deserve your gratitude.” Morning whirled her head towards Rainbow in shock. “But why? You saved me from that dreaded stallion. You came, to save me!” Rainbow couldn’t bear to look at Morning anymore. “But I was the one that drove you away. If I hadn’t, you probably wouldn’t have gone through that. I’m just a weak coward.” “But you’re not weak!” Morning insisted. “Yes I am! I’m an idiot for driving you into Master Wind’s hooves and I know it!” Morning tried to look into Rainbow’s eyes, but she refused to face Morning, even when she moved around in attempts to get in her vision. After a minute of this absurd behavior, Morning finally had enough and did the unthinkable: she slapped Rainbow Dash. Hard. “Ow! Why did you do– ” Morning grabbed her by the cheeks, and then grabbed Rainbow into her embrace. “Rainbow, listen to me please. I believe in you, Rainbow Dash. If you hadn’t come down there to save me, I probably would have been a goner. What Master Wind said, are all lies. Facing him by yourself took real courage, and admitting to your own mistakes takes even more. Forget what he said about you, because you’re the strongest pony I know.” “But– ” Morning slightly pulled back from the hug to place a hoof on Rainbow’s lips. “No buts. You’re brave, strong, incredible, amazing, and fast. You’re the coolest pony I ever had the honor of meeting, and that’s more than I could ever ask for.” Rainbow blinked several times before her cheeks grew slightly warm. Pulling away from Morning’s hoof, she mumbled, “D– don’t mention it… and thanks.” She smiled at her. “That made me feel a little better.” “I would hope so,” Morning grinned back. She then got off Rainbow and shyly blushed again. “Um… Rainbow Dash?” “Hmm?” “I wanted to give you something, but I didn’t have to chance to do so back in town. Since I have to log off soon, I want to give it to you now.” Out of her inventory, Morning pulled out two soft and cuddly things. Rainbow gasped sharply when she saw them. “A– are those– ” “Limited edition plush dolls of Daring Do Adventurer Spitfire and Power Pony Soarin? Yes indeed.” Rainbow squealed in joy without shame, as Morning pressed them into her arms. “It took a lot of time and effort, but I managed to make these items exist in the game. I had to raise my Sewing Skill Level by a lot in order to make them. They also provide helpful speed and critical damage boosts as well.” Morning fiddled with her forehooves. “I also have them in real life. If you ever come by Cloudsdale, I’ll be sure to give them to you personally.” Rainbow took a second to let the moment sink in. She then gave Morning a hug. “That would be incredible, Morning. Of course I’ll come by and visit!” “R– really?” “Really.” Morning pulled away from the hug. “C– cool! I also have something else for you too!” She reached into her Inventory again and soon, a plush doll of Rainbow’s likeness appeared in her hooves. From the rainbow mane and tail to the blue coat and cutie mark, it highly resembled her. It was also dressed in a miniature Wonderbolts outfit. “I made a real one after I first saw you perform the Sonic Rainboom in Cloudsdale, at The Best Young Flyer Competition. I was so sure you were going to be made into a Wonderbolt back then, and I still do now.” Rainbow couldn’t believe what she was hearing. To think that there was somepony who believed, so much in her dreams... She accepted the doll, holding it with care. “Thank you, Morning. It’s awesome.” Morning beamed brightly as she heard that. “Well I gotta get going now. It’s going to be morning soon.” “Alright, Morning.” Rainbow hugged her one more time. “I’ll be sure to visit you first thing when I log out.” Morning giggled, “I'm looking forward to it.” Rainbow watched as Morning scrolled through the Menu and selected, log out. Rainbow looked up into the sky as Morning disappeared into a blue beam of light and soared high above the clouds. She rested easy as she lay back onto the bristly grass. The sun’s rays felt perfect. “I’ll see you around, sky mare. I’ll see you around.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Time Turner was a stallion of many outfits. He was a famous actor, a genius of mechanical science, a theorist of time magic, historian, and a brilliant programmer. He enjoyed long walks on the beach and the company of close friends. He also enjoyed video games, and Equestrian Earth was by far the most beautiful. It was jaw-dropping for him at how this virtual reality world felt so real to him. Every scent was right on the mark, every color on everything he ever saw were correct, every drop of the rocks, the chirping of birds, the diverse personalities that each NPC had. They all felt genuine. If he was able to, he would love to spend the rest of his days sitting on its beautiful hills, drinking tea. But of course, the night in the real world couldn’t last forever, but it was long enough for him to enjoy the game. Relaxing on a comfortable blanket with tea and snacks nearby was an experience that Time Turner felt that all queens and kings would strive for. All that was missing was a friend to share it with. “Hello Doctor.” Time Turner smiled as he looked up at the player standing over him. “Hello Alseer. How was your night so far?” “It was good I guess.” Alseer sat by Time Turner on the blanket. “Have anything to eat?” “I have muffins,” he said, offering one on a small plate to him. “Oh my favorite! How did you know?” Alseer laughed as he took it, saying a quick ‘thanks.’ “I know you better than anypony else. Muffins being your favorite form of snack and meal is no secret.” “You know I’m just messing with you, Time Turner,” Alseer chuckled. “I know,” Time Turner smiled. He looked down from the hill at where Winsome Caverns were at. They were far away enough to not be spotted by anypony from over there, but were close enough to see everything that was happening. “So I guess you just left him there?” “Yeah. I get the feeling that Rainbow Dash would hate me if I teleported him away, without giving her the satisfaction of turning him in herself,” Alseer grunted. “You know how she can get.” “Of course I know. I know she can be nice sometimes, but she has a rough brush of brashness on her shoulders.” Time Turner looked away from the Coder operations to glance at Alseer. “Does she know who you are?” “No, I didn’t give myself away. It would raise too many questions.” “Yes, yes, right. That was silly of me to ask. By the way, how long are you going to keep that disguise up?” “Oh sorry,” he said as he scrolled through the Menu. The face mask and hood were de-equipped, revealing a grey face and blond mane that were hiding underneath them. Alseer moved the goggle lens over to her forehead, revealing a pair of golden, beautiful eyes looking in different directions. She deactivated the voice changer, making her voice from deep to her bubbly self. The Player Name above her changed from Alseer to her real name. “There. Is that better?” she giggled. Time Turner smiled. “Much better, Ditzy. Much better.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Rainbow Streak (RD) has Leveled Up to Lv 35! Tier 4 Class: Swordsmare ~ HP Increased: 3500 ⇒ 3575 (+10 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 950 ⇒ 975 (+10 from SPR) 10 Attribute Points are gained; 3 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 124 ⇒ 127 ~ DEX Increased: 86 ⇒ 88 ~ LUK Increased: 195 ⇒ 200 Skill Point Allocation: [Warning!] All current skills are already maxed out! Must Ascend to a Tier 3 Class in order to gain new skills! Recommend Tier 3 Class(es): ― Bladesmare- Sword wielders who rely on equal amounts of attack and defense. Can become a Heroic Captain at Tier 1. Can utilize shields and one-armed weapons. ― Mercenary- Sword wielders who are all about attacking. Can become a Champion Duelist at Tier 1. Can utilizes one-armed weapons or two-armed weapons. Rainstreak has accepted the quest to become a Mercenary. LassoLass (AJ) has Leveled Up to Lv 34! Tier 3 Class: Blessed Knight ~ HP Increased: 4400 ⇒ 4500 (+162 from END) ~ Mana Increased: 1750 ⇒ 1800 (+119 from SPR) 10 Attribute Points are gained; 3 Skill Points are gained << Attribute Points Allocation: Auto Distribution Selected << ~ STR Increased: 111 ⇒ 114 ~ END Increased: 158 ⇒ 162 ~ SPR Increased: 116 ⇒ 119 Skill Point Allocation: [Bright Barrier] Lv 3 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Singular. Targets yourself or an ally. It casts a spherical light shield around the target and protects them from physical and magic attacks. Cannot defend against traps or trap-based attacks. Disappears after 10 seconds. Lv 5 - Gives an HP Shield of 400 (+25% of the Blessed Knight’s HP). After the shield breaks or disappears, light will explode around the player in a small radius of 3 feet, dealing 150 Magic Dmg (+10% of the Blessed Knight’s HP). [Light’s Extension]Lv 4 ⇒ 5 Maxed! Type ~ Active Description ~ Upon activation, your weapon deals bonus Light-Based magic damage and gains a bright glow around it. Lasts a time limit of minutes equal to the Skill Level. Lv 5 - Gives your weapon bonus Light-Based magic damage of 100 (+75% of SPR). Disappears after 5 minutes. +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ MagiAdept (TS), you have received a message. Would you like to open it? ([Yes]/No) MagiAdept has chosen Yes. Your message is from System Notifications. Dear MagiAdept, We would like to remind you that you’re now Level 36. All players are free to play in whatever style they want, but it is recommended that players must ascend through more powerful Tier Classes in order to explore more dangerous territory and receive better loot. There are plenty of options for you to choose from. If you’re having trouble deciding which Class you want to Ascend to, you can talk to the nearest Player Guide to help make your choice, or you can ask other players for advice. We hope whatever choice you make, you’re happy with it. Message End. = :Rainbow Dash: Mini Arc Ends =
*Intermission 05: Cloak and Daggers*Intermission 05: Cloak and Daggers “Okay, spit it out already. How the hell were you able to recreate this?” A glassy diamond prism glowing red was tossed onto the table. Its red light partially painted itself on the interrogatee. “There’s no way that any hacker would be able to know how to lock down a player’s option to log out, so what the buck gives? You better give me answers, or there will be something nasty in stores for you.” Master Wind eyed his little invention, and then chuckled to himself. “And what makes you think I’ll tell you, Coder?” Sentinel made a low rumble in the back of his throat, his lower lips curling and showing teeth. He slammed his forehooves on the wooden table, and pointed the ceiling lamp’s light directly into Master’s eyes. The hacker didn’t blink. “You’ll tell me because this stunt you’ve pulled is enough to land you a lot of years in the dungeon, but if you answer honestly then you maybe be able to get out within a decade.” Sentinel viciously threw the lamp at Master’s face, tempted to break his muzzle, but the wire it hung from was stubborn. It swung back and forth, casting light around the room. It wasn’t much, being a small room with nothing but a table, a chair, and three occupants with one of them virtually chained to the said chair. This room was specifically designed to be slightly separate from the game, something hidden right underneath the code’s surface. Only fellow Coders could enter such rooms, and were mostly lounges to hang at. But of course, small rooms like this one were perfect for questioning. ‘If only this one was easy to cooperate with,’ Sentinel thought with a scowl. “You’re not the authorities, and therefore do not have the right to arrest me," Master said. “No, but we can call the guards upon you. A couple of our guys have already traced you to your location.” Sentinel swept his hoof across and a list of virtual documents popped up. He grabbed one and slammed it in front of Master Wind. “So far, you’ve been stealing personal information from Luna knows how many players in the past few days. We also received a lot of complaints from them, and they said they had lost significant amounts of bits from their bank accounts just hours after you sacked them.” Sentinel shoved his face against Master’s, shooting angry glares at his eyes. “That is just very uncool, stealing thousands of bits underneath our noses. Just who the hell do you think you are?” A thin smile spread across Master’s lips. “That would be classified, my good sir.” “Why you little shi– ” Sentinel felt being tugged back by his shoulder. He looked back to see his partner, Roasted Brawn, slowly shaking his head at him. “What is it,” Sentinel asked, a scowl upon his muzzle. “We need to talk,” he grunted. Roast pulled Sentinel away from the table, bringing him to the light’s edge. Sentinel shrugged off his grip, not liking being dragged around at a time like this. “What the hay, Roast? Out of all ponies, I didn’t expect you to stop me.” Roast looked back at Master with a frown. Looking at the criminal, he could see the venom and lies just oozing from him. The way the hacker looked pleased with himself and was relaxing on the metal chair unsettled his stomach, even when he's detained in cuffs heavily programmed to resist hacking. “There’s something bothering me.” “Wouldn’t be the first time.” “I’m serious.” “As always.” Roast shoved Sentinel in the shoulder, his muzzle wrinkling in irritation. “Damn it all, will you let me finish?” Sentinel rolled his eyes. “Look, I’ve been looking at the list of complaints from players from the past few weeks. There are sparse, but there have been reports of strange activities happening all over Equestrian Earth. I’m talking about shady players hanging about, areas that couldn’t be entered, and complaints of accounts being compromised from time to time.” “Hackers, I assume?” Sentinel sat down and rubbed his noggin. “This is all giving me a headache. I had thought the game would be entirely secured for players, free from hackers, but somehow they managed to break through the thousands of firewalls we have. Seriously, each of them was coded differently to protect against any attempts to break through them! And our encryption system has a system tighter and more complex than a spider web. We covered all corners!” Sentinel heaved a great sigh. “Do you think it has something to do with what happened on… that day?” Roast nodded, scratching his grizzly beard. “I believe something in Goddess was damaged. She’s responsible for maintaining 99.999% of the defenses, as well as making new ones.” Sentinel lowered his head even further. “It’s entirely my fault. I should have done more to stop it. Should have been quicker.” Roast frowned and then gave Sentinel’s shoulders a couple shake. “Ey, ey, ey, pull yourself together, mate. What happened to them ain’t your fault.” “But I should have seen something! I could have prevented it but” – Sentinel stomped against the virtual floor furiously – “I didn’t! I wasn’t able to stop it in time!” “Don’t beat yourself up for this. What’s done was done, and we should focus on fixing it in the present, ‘kay?” “… Okay. How’s Raynor doing by the way?” “He’s doing alright. So far, though, he hasn’t responded to any of our signals.” “I don’t understand. We have gotten Canterlot’s finest healers and doctors to check on him. They’re able to detect any sort of disease, natural or magic, and all they could tell us was that he is asleep! How the Tartarus can a pony sleep for weeks on end?” “I don’t know. Like I said before– ” “Something strange is going on,” Sentinel finished. “I know… why haven’t we contacted authorities yet? We should have this guy behind bars as soon as possible. He’s clearly a threat to anypony and anybody online.” Roast glanced back at Master Wind. The hacker returned it with a silent, smug smile. “He isn’t working alone.” “What makes you think that?” “These attacks, reports of strange black gates, and this hacker who somehow was able to prevent a player from logging out… only the Goddess is able to do that, and she only does when we Coders are suppressing hackers, preventing them from escaping.” Roast heaved a sigh, lowering his head. “Why does virtual reality have to be so damn complicated? With regular games, all we have to do is sit behind a computer, get a report, and ban the hacker with just a click.” “I don’t know. This is all fairly new to me as well.” Sentinel lightly bumped Roast’s shoulder with a small grin. “But hey, it wouldn’t be as exciting, now would it?” Roast chuckled. “I suppose not, but that sort of action ain’t for me. I’d rather investigate.” Sentinel chuckled along with him. “And beat up hackers for answers.” His smile faded away as he looked back at Master. “We should try to get more answers out of him. If he doesn’t answer, we’ll hand him over to the Guards.” “Fine by me.” The two stallions went back to the table, with Sentinel leaned on it. “Okay scum, we’ve decided to give you one more chance. If you cooperate, then I’ll put a good word for you. Maybe the guards won’t bruise you as much.” Sentinel’s confident smirk faltered as Master began uttering a dark chuckle that grew into a hollering laughter. “What’s so damn funny?” “Oh you poor, insolent, ignorant fools, you truly have no idea what is happening, do you?” Roast narrowed his eyes, a grimace upon his profile. “What in Celestia’s beard do you mean? What the Tartarus are you planning? Are there others like you? Answer us!” “Oh don’t worry. You’ll be getting your answers soon enough. My friends will definitely make sure of that.” Master pretended to look at a watch on his hoof. “In fact, they should be arriving to the party any second now.” Sentinel deepened his glare. “Just what are you trying to pull here? You think your hacker friends are going to save you? Only a Coder can enter this virtual room! You’re stuck in here with us until we get you behind ba– Roast?!” His friend had suddenly started chocking, grasping at an invisible around his throat. His eyes bulged in shock, and his frantic breathing shortened into faint gasps. Sentinel quickly moved towards him to help, but soon was pulled back by the neck as well. He tried to fight back, but soon felt something wet forced over his muzzle. A sickly sweet smell entered his lungs. His hearing started to distort with loud, constant rings, and his head felt incredibly tipsy. His hooves quivered, unable to support his weight. Darkness infected his vision as his eyelids grew heavy, and soon so did his mind. The two stallions fell to the floor before columns of light surrounded each of them, logging them out. Soon after their quick departure, another pillar of light appeared where they were. A player draped in a dark cloak, his face hidden, was revealed from it. His stature was large and bulky as a bolder and as he stepped near the light, a black muzzle could be seen poking from underneath the lax hood. It wasn’t smiling. But Master Wind was. “Oh hello there! So glad you can make it. Took you boys long enough.” Master could feel his virtual bonds sliced away, no doubt caused by the newcomer. With a wave of his hoof, Master conjured a pot of steaming tea and a couple cups. He poured a drink for himself and his friend. “Care for one?” “No.” The cloaked being’s voice was low and smooth like honey, but his tone didn’t carry the same sweetness. Master clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. There’s no need to be all grumbly and ho-hum, Club.” “Our mistress is not happy with your work. She would want to see you right away.” “Oh what could she want from me? I’m but an old stallion.” Master Wind propped his hind legs onto the table without a care in the world. Club rested his hooves on the table, leaning his face closer. Master could see his scowl deepening. “Stallion? Have you gone native?” “No I have not.” Master gargled his drink in the back of his throat before draining it down his pipe. He hummed with satisfaction. “Ahhh, hot liquids are always a great way to clear the body’s system, almost as hot as a good dose of lovemaking.” “You are one of the best illusionists in your generation, and age does not affect us as much as it would to ponies,” Club continued, spitting the last word with a heavy hint of disgust. “You better have a good excuse as to why you’re performing with carelessness, or she’ll have your head. Is your horn flaccid?” “Let’s not bring my horn into this. Incredibly rude you are,” Master frowned. “Try telling that to the queen.” Master kept the frown on his muzzle, even as he drank the rest of his cup’s tea. Finished, he traded the cup for the illegal item on the table, peering deeply into its crimson glow. With a deep sigh, he said, “Well, I can easily say that this will not be one of my best nights.”
[April Fools 2015] Chapter ₯₰Ω Part 11vity - The Final ChapterSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
***Chapter 01 : Everypony Starts Out as a Beginner***Chapter 01 : Everypony Starts Out as a Beginner A Chaotic Production presents... The Beginning Arc(a pre-arc) Chapter 1 ~ edited by TLSpark and Reddened Chaos ~ edited again by ultra1437 Theme Song: "Crossing Field" Sword Art Online (AmaLee) Old Theme: Persona 4 Arena -Reach out to the Truth (Replaced the theme because Reach out to the Truth videos keep getting hacked down by copyright infringement or something.) The day was vividly beautiful, and the blessed sun shined yellow upon all the ponies out in the open, basking them in a coat of gold. Younglings ran throughout the town as they played, basking under Celestia's warm rays, while the older mares and stallions went about on their usual business. Twilight Sparkle, a lavender unicorn mare, leisurely sat on her couch in the living room. She was doing nothing complicated, like experimenting with potions, but was instead enjoying a nice cup of jasmine tea and a nice book. To her right lay her wooden table, grown right out from the very floor of her tree house. It’s where she kept most of her science notes, friendship letters, and where she composed most of them as well. To her left sat her larger-than-life television. It was coupled with her own movie film projector, a modern Featherstation 3, and the new XBuck-360 Slim. It was an odd combination of technology for a pony in Ponyville, with the old-fashioned projector working aside two very advanced pieces of technology. When most ponies asked her what was with the game consoles, she simply replied that she played video games from time to time, and that was the truth. Well, almost the truth. She didn't play all the time though. She still loved to experiment with new elements of magic, perform tests with nature’s various plants and mysterious herbs, and she especially enjoyed studying the magic of friendship. Reading books like the one she had in her hooves was a nice way to pass the time as well. However, what she didn't anticipate today was the cyan, rapid blur of a pegasus dashing through her doors. Literally. As she burst through the doors, Rainbow Dash, with her slim saddlebags on, shouted out, “Twilight! Twilight! A new game was released today!” “Oww, what is it Rainbow Dash? Can’t you see I’m busy today?” Twilight complained, rubbing her ears. “Sorry Twi, it’s just that I’ve played a little bit of it today and it’s so bucking awesome! You have to try it!” She looked around for the bookworm for a moment before calling out, “Hey, where are you?” “Try looking down.” She looked below her rump to see a mass of purple & pink highlights lying underneath her. “Oh! Sorry Twi!” Rainbow Dash leapt off the poor unicorn, giving her some breathing space. “Eh-heh. Sorry for the broken door, but hey! You have to admit, I do know how to make an epic entrance!” Twilight chuckled to herself, “By crashing into other ponies? I bet so. Anyway, what’s this about me and this game?” “Oh right!” Rainbow Dash stuck her head in one of her saddlebags. She pulled out a rectangular, decorative box. It was inscribed with a Da Spinichi worthy picture of heavily armored colts and robed mares on the cover. The stallions were armed with huge swords while the mares were sporting ornate staves. “Luh halld Eehestia Uath!” she proclaimed through the box, muffling her words. “Uh, Rainbow Dash? I didn’t quite catch that,” Twilight mentioned, trying to make sense of Rainbow's muffled exclamation. Rainbow Dash spat out the game. “It’s called Equestrian Earth. It’s this really big game where a bunch of players can log in at once and go on adventures together, in the land of Equestria! You can fight a whole lot of badass creatures too, like dragons, and trolls, and wereponies." Rainbow Dash splashed right back into the bag. The excited athlete dug out a blue visor with rainbow bolts signed on the sides. “The I.P.V. works with it! The first MMORPG to ever be compatible with virtual-reality tech!” "Rainbow Dash, you do know the correct term is equeswolf right?" Dash blew Twilight a raspberry before adding, "O-of course! I already knew that." She groaned in annoyance, "Look, are you gonna play the game or not?" Twilight looked at her friend for a few moments, and then placed her hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “Rainbow Dash, as much as I would like to play this game with you, I have a lot of things to do this week. Books to reshelf, magic to study, and I already have these other video games that I could play,” she reasoned. “And RPGs are heavily time consuming. Why would I need this one?” "You never played an MMORPG before?" "Nope." Rainbow Dash blew her rainbow colored hair out of her eyes. “Because practically everypony in Ponyville has bought the game, and it’s really awesome? Also this game is set in that old medieval whatever stage.” She moved in closer to the unicorn’s face. “And,” she whispered, edging closer to the unicorn, “I hear that Star Swirl the Bearded could be found in this game.” Twilight’s eyes lit up and she squealed in return, “OHMIGOSH! Really!? How?” She adored Star Swirl the Bearded. The historical icon was her biggest hero! He was second only to Celestia, of course. The cyan pony shrugged. “I don’t know. From all the trailers and interviews that came out, it sounded like Celestia and Luna helped out with the details of the game's history and lore. Luna herself personally had a hoof designing the guy. She seemed to know a lot about the old colt it was based on, so the story writers asked if she could fill them in on the subject.” The librarian, meanwhile, was bouncing around the pegasus in a very happy fit. She was literally jumping with joy. A lot was known about Star Swirl in the textbooks, but his personal journal entries were never found. Only the products of his study on magic survived throughout time. If Luna herself lent her knowledge of him into the game… Twilight viciously grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and brought her closer to her face. “How many bits?” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ Twilight locked herself in her house for several hours. So far, she had been busy making an account on the website, creating her character, molding a mountain of cushions to serve as her throne of relaxation, and gathering her preferred snacks for game night. As she sat in front of the glowing monitor, Twilight thought to herself that she couldn’t believe that all it took to convince her to buy the game was a mention of Star Swirl the Bearded. If the game was as awesome as Rainbow Dash claimed it was, then the 20 bits per month subscription would be worth it. She pressed the start button and activated her I.P.V. It took her through a vortex of digitized, bright blue code and pixilated dots. When the light show ended, she opened her eyes. She was floating in the middle of nowhere. So far, only a blinding light in front of her served as her waypoint, but as she squinted her eyes, she could make out the outline of a graceful figure. The mysterious being was very tall, in comparison to her, and the light's source glowed from behind her, making it nigh-impossible for Twilight to determine who it was. From what little Twilight could make out, the figure appeared to be female. “H-hello? My name is Twilight Sparkle!” she introduced herself politely. “Hello there Twilight Sparkle,” a melodious voice called out. The voice definitely belonged to a mare. Twilight imagined it belonged to a motherly deity. “I’ve been expecting your visit for quite some time,” the figure continued on in its smooth voice. “I'm expecting great things from you.” “What? How do you know I was coming? Who are you?” Twilight asked. The other mare chuckled for a second, “Not who, Twilight Sparkle, what. I may seem to be a pony to you, but I am just the central A.I. of the game here. I may be based on another pony, but at the core, I’m just a program.” Twilight looked at the other mare as her mind was filled with wonder. It was also somewhat tinged with an edge of sadness. This artificial program knew of her own existence, but chose to refer to herself as an it. Twilight, on the other hoof, didn't think of her as an it. To Twilight, the mare appeared as lifelike as herself. The other mare suddenly chuckled a little. The tone was beautiful, and pure. Her voice resonated with a chime in the neospace's air. “You may be wondering why I seem to be such a downer,” she spoke softly. “Well, I don’t know much about the mare I was based on, but from what I can tell from my memory bank, this particular mare was incredibly truthfully honest. That honesty runs right down even into her bones. I’ve been explained to many times, that she does this sometimes to playfully tease others. Or, as modern ponies may call it, ‘rustle their jimmies’.” “Really? Who told you that?” Twilight asked. “Hmm, I believe it was somepony named Celestia.” Twilight’s mind suddenly sparked with questions. The shock was obviously enough. This A.I. was based on somepony from her mentor’s life. It ignited the curiosity inside of her. Before she could ask any questions though, the mare suddenly started her questions. “So my little pony, which character would you like to load?” Twilight started to object until a cache of save files popped into existence. Not wanting to waste time, she chose a pre-loaded save file that she had created before playing. A starter mage class. The character's race was based on an Equestrian unicorn. She selected the file, and then pushed the menu out of the way to get a closer look at the A.I., hoping to gleam a good vision of her appearance. “Okay Twilight, you are about to enter a wonderful world of magic and friendship, where you will meet friends old and new,” the figure explained. “However, this world also contains much of the magic's darker side and old monsters of lore, so be sure to keep your allies close at hoof. Good luck.” The light behind the figure rapidly brightened, becoming an all-encompassing, piercing light. Twilight had to shield her eyes from the light's attempt to blind her. “Wait! At least tell me who you are,” Twilight bellowed into the mass of light before her. The figure took some time to consider her question, and then responded softly, “You may refer to me as the Goddess.” Twilight’s vision then turned white, and all signs of the Goddess dissipated from around her. When she came to, she put a hoof to her forehead as a strong headache passed through her system. “Note to self: lower the game's brightness,” she mumbled. “Ah’ wouldn’t worry about them fancy graphic bars. Ah think it’s jus’ a phase.” Surprised, Twilight bolted upright and opened her eyes to see five of her friends leaning over her. Some of them were dressed in padded armor, while others were downed in robes similar to her own. Applejack lent a hoof to Twilight, and she graciously accepted it. The bookworm dusted the dirt off her shoulders and knees. “Thanks Applejack. So, shall we get started? I figure that I'll need to do a lot of exploring.”
Intermission 02: Remembrance and a Teacher's DuelThe skies above the royal sisters’ garden were clear like glass. Nothing much was up there except for the patches of clouds that dotted the blue space, and the occasional pegasus. It was as if somepony took a brush of white paint and made a few dashes on a canvas. The princess of the night, with her long and mystical mane, stepped into the green vicinity with her loyal warrior, Black Paladin, by her side. She looked around for a certain blue mare of hers. Ever since this morning, Trixie had been avoiding her and Paladin as if her delicate life depended on it. It’s impressive how her apprentice could already stalk away into the shadows in the few months of training she received. All her previous students couldn’t keep up with the magical instructions Luna gave out to them. They either failed, or succumbed to the insanity that is the darkness of Lunar Magic. She could recall the moments she first met her student in a snap. Luna was visiting all the nearby towns for official business of Canterlot. It had to deal with the increase of parasprite infestations, and it required the utmost and personal attention of a noble and powerful mage, and since all the other officials were packed with work on that day, her sister sent her instead. Not only was Luna quick and powerful like the wind, but she was also considered one of the more “persuasive” ponies in Equestria. No doubt, she wouldn’t even need her magic. She could just scare the pests away. Trottingham was the last town on the list. It was pretty far away from Canterlot. While she was fighting the infestation there, she always felt a slight twitch in her right ear. It was like a slight buzzing of a bee. She couldn’t tell why her ears were acting up like that. When Luna finished off the last of the parasprites, she was about ready to leave until a certain former showmare caught her eye. Trixie was but a poor vagabond on the dirty road when she found her. Her luxurious, blue-silver mane was diminished to nothing more than rags of sweat and mud. The azure blue coat was caked with bundles of dried grass and even more stains of dirt. Luna’s heart couldn’t help but shatter a little. It was as if somepony shot a bolt of magic at her heart, but she survived the encounter and required a surgeon to heal her wound. She’d been in that situation before when nopony wanted or cared for her (except for Celestia). It was a darker time for Luna. She approached the poor pony and knelt down beside her. The princess wrapped one of her wings over the drifter’s back to keep the mare warm. She felt her body twitch a little beneath her wings. “Hello little one,” she cooed. She had practice from her sister to be more approachable (and less imposing) to the ponies of Equestria. “What’s your name?” The mare didn’t answer her. “Is something the matter? I would love to help you.” “…No thanks.” Luna perked her ears up a little. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. Could you speak a little louder?” “N-no thanks. I’m fine your majesty. There’s no need to converse with a lesser pony like myself,” she said softly. Luna was about to think of a spirit-lifting comeback to that depressing statement, when she became aware of a steady stream of magic right underneath her. She didn’t notice it at first, but there was a powerful pool of magic in the town, and it seems that she’d just found the source. “Oh ho, but I beg to differ,” Luna countered. “It seems that you have a lot of potential in magic.” “No I don’t,” the mare murmured. “Everypony still hates me.” This comment intrigued Luna a bit. “Whatever do you mean?” The mare peered over to her from underneath her wing. She told Luna her name was Trixie, and began telling her life story. How she grew up in the very town that they were in. How she discovered her special talent for magic, and becoming a very popular showmare. When the topic of the story shifted to her first meeting with Twilight Sparkle, a match was struck in Luna’s mind. She’d remembered Tia telling her about her student’s encounter with a certain azure magician. She could of stop the mare at that moment, but Luna let Trixie continue on. After Twilight saved Ponyville from certain destruction at the paws of an Ursa Minor, Trixie ran away from the town. Everywhere she went; ponies were tormenting her for being a fraud. Some even called her a lunatic for bringing the Ursa Minor itself to the rural village. Apparently, the rumors of the Ursa attack were twisted as the news traveled around Equestria. Trixie spoke of how her anger towards Twilight grew more unstable, so she came up with a way for vengeance. She told Luna how she honed her magic to become even stronger. To challenge Twilight to a battle of wits: A magic duel. Luna (yet again) caught a strange detail about her story. Celestia had received a letter from Twilight. How Trixie came to town with the Alicorn Amulet. It was a dark and dangerous artifact forged in the sinister times of Discord’s era. He was tampering with the elements of nature, trying to figure out a way to turn his pony minions into powerful super soldiers. He came up with the Alicorn Amulet. Unfortunately, every test subject he had tried on turned even more chaotic. Every single one of them tried to overthrow the being of chaos in order to rule Equestria themselves, but that didn’t deter him from his throne. When she and her sister sealed him in stone, they scoured everywhere for any signs of the relic. Nothing turned up. Celestia knew that the power of the amulet would corrupt anypony to a degree that anything they do wasn’t their fault. The dark influence would have eventually turned the bearer of the amulet into another and sinister being. To a point when the bearer wouldn’t be themselves. Celestia said that she’d met up with the potion brewer known as Zecora. They came up with a solution to guard the artifact in the zebra territory’s badlands. Hopefully, that would be the last they’ve heard of Discord’s amulet. As for the magician, Celestia at the time decided to pardon the mare. Anyway, Luna tuned back into the real world after her long trip down memory lane. Trixie was just finishing up about the aftermath of the duel. How she asked Twilight for forgiveness. Everything seemed to turn out alright for the former showmare, but she was still affronted from everywhere she went. She went on from town to town, until she stopped here. She didn’t have the strength to go back to Ponyville, the one town that might possibly accept her, so she decided to herself that her resting place would be her hometown. “I’m so pathetic,” Trixie summed up. Luna, at that moment, suddenly got on her hooves. “Nope,” She stated as she levitated the tired, but struggling mare onto her back. “W-what are you doing? Put me down!” Trixie weakly attempted to yell. Despite being at the pit of despair, the azure bundle of magic was still attempting to fight back. “Nope,” Luna said again. She took a line of sturdy rope from a nearby shop, with the owner insisting that it’s on the house. “Please! I’m nothing but dirt on the ground,” Trixie pleaded. “I don’t want to trouble you.” “Nope,” she repeated. The night princess was obviously not going to take no for an answer. She gently wrapped the rope around her and Trixie, but made sure it was tight enough and that it wouldn’t tangle her wings. She then spread her feathery limbs apart as she prepared for a quick flight back to Canterlot. “B-but why?” she asked, wanting to gleam an answer from the goddess. Luna returned her question with a sincere and confident smile. “Because I believe everypony deserves a second chance, and I’m not about to leave my student behind.” +Ω‡‡¥‡‡Ω+ “Princess Luna.” Luna quickly snapped back into reality. She looked beside her to see Black Paladin giving her a very quizzical look. “Are you okay your majesty?” he asked, with concern. “You seem distracted.” “I-I’m fine my paladin,” she quickly answered. “I was just taking a (oh how do ponies say it nowadays?) small trip down memory lane.” He grunted in understanding. He had those moments as well every now and then. Every day, the world seemed to get stranger and stranger to him, and it was not because he was placed out touch from the world for a thousand years like his master. He believed it was partly due to the reveal of the recently chosen Harmony Bearers, but he would never directly put the blame on them. Nor say it out loud in front of them or any of the princesses. Luna and Paladin walked through the hedge maze, hoping to find any signs that Trixie might of took refuge in there. There were no clues, nor any glimpse of her student’s signature hat or cape. She was slightly getting irritated from this prolonged search. They were scheduled to have a lesson today, and Luna felt like this was the most creative one yet. Paladin just calmly walked beside her. If he was just as annoyed about the search as the night princess is, he didn’t show it. He was very well trained as a soldier. They had reached the center of the maze of shrubs. The area was filled with a pasture of exotic flowers and various kinds of plants. A circular mirror pool was lying contently in the midst of this small paradise. Sitting by the bank of the pond were Trixie and Celestia. Her prodigy was donning her trademark purple cape as usually, but seemed to be missing out on her hat. She was making the time go by skipping stones across the water, while her sister was comfortably watching beside the mare. The two of them seemed to be having a conversation in small and soft whispers. Their responses to each other were like a breeze in the grass. Luna wanted to interrupt and talk to her student alone, but she waited patiently for Celestia to finish. It took a few moments for Celestia to finish. Her eyebrows rose up a little when the sun goddess noticed her counterpart nearby. She gave a quick smile to Luna, and whispered something in Trixie’s ears. Trixie quickly turned around with a surprised look on her face. Her ears then drooped with certain shame. She looked nervously awkward. “Um, sister?” Celestia only gave Luna a small nod. “I’ll be in the throne room if you need me. I’m expecting a certain somepony to come by.” Luna gave her sister a curious look, but the goddess didn’t give her any answers as she flew away towards the castle. She turned her attention towards Trixie and frowned. It wasn’t a big, disgusted frown, but it was the disappointed one. Trixie shrank back and was tracing small circles in the dirt with the tip of her hoof. “Trixie Lulamoon,” Luna greeted in a regal tone. “Yes milady?” she timidly asked, with the expectation of being lectured harshly. Luna was having thoughts of doing so, but she sighed when her student had the puppy eyes. She resigned with a huff, and drew her student closer to her with her wing. Trixie eyes widened with realization, and accepted her comfort with a small nuzzle. Luna’s heart leapt a little from the daughterly affection her student was giving. Luna returned the favor with one of her own. Paladin looked away, but didn’t show any signs of discomfort. “We have been looking for you,” Luna said, with a chuckle. “Sorry for being so distant,” Trixie apologized. “I just needed to clear my head a little.” Luna hummed with acceptance. “It’s alright my faithful student.” She gave Trixie a sly grin. “You know, we could skip today’s lesson if you don’t feel like you’re up to it.” “What? No!” Trixie giggled. “Come on teach! You know I look forward to each one!” Luna could tell that Trixie wasn’t kidding. At first the magician didn’t seem like the studious type, but Luna was surprised by the amount of prior knowledge Trixie had to illusionary magic. It was one of the edges her student have in learning the field of Lunar magic. Her inner will was strong as well. “Well then.” Luna got up from their hug and gestured Trixie towards the castle. “Shall we get going?” Trixie nodded and followed her, along with Paladin. The trio wasted no time getting to Luna’s room, except for the few greeting exchanges they had with some of the nobles and the castle’s staff. One of the few places they’ve took the time to sit down and learn. Most of the lessons Luna taught to Trixie were usually on the go. Everywhere they went together, Trixie usually had a saddle bag with a textbook and some parchments used for some spare note taking. Within a few turns and hallways, they’ve reached Luna’s inner sanctum. Well, more like somepony’s room rather than the personal domain of a goddess. The curtains and the mattress were very impressive, but everything else in the room looked like it belongs to a normal, young lady. Paladin dragged a small coffee table towards the footend of the bed, and started to go out the door. “Wait.” Paladin looked behind him. Luna was waving him over. “How about you stay for a while? This lesson doesn’t really require the most decisive of guarding.” “Are you sure your majesty?” he asked. “Yes,” Luna said, with her voice adapting an annoyed tone. She felt like they had this conversation a hundred times over (which happened to be a little bit over true). “I’m not teaching some ancient form of spell to her today.” “You aren’t?” Trixie’s eyebrows rose, along with figurative question marks popping up behind her. “Nope. Instead of magic, it’s going to be a lesson of the mind.” Luna took a silent, deep breath and concentrated on a focal point. Her horn glowed with a light, cobalt blue aura. The space beside her warped a little as its center point sparkled. A pair of deck of cards was conjured. At first, her student adopted a sign of confusion, but as she looked closer she could see the logo on the back of one of the cards. It says ‘Magic the Gathering’. Trixie’s expression only got more constructed with more questions. At this point, Paladin closed the door behind him and took a spot at table. He waited patiently for the highly anticipated match to unfold. Luna felt accomplished and warm at the sight of her curious student. “Um, Luna?” “Yes my student?” Luna said happily as she magically shuffled the two decks. “I hate to ask, but what’s the does Magic the Gathering have to do with today’s lesson?” Trixie asked. “I’ll answer them shortly,” the goddess simply answered back. “Just as soon as I finish shuffling.” Trixie sighed as she waited for her mentor to finish. When Luna was pleased with her results, she handed Trixie one of the decks and laid down hers. Trixie does this as well, and drew the appropriate amount of cards. Luna had a few choices of ocean land cards, some spare sea creatures, and an instant spell. “Are you pleased with your choice?” Luna asked. “Yes,” Trixie answered back. “Good, because I’m not going to give you a chance to re-choose your hoof.” “Huh?” she responded, now looking truly confused. This was strange for a match of MtG, because at the start of the duel you can choose to mulligan. Mulligan allows the player to shuffle what’s in their hooves, and draw a new set of cards (only to draw one less with each go). Luna could tell that Trixie was about to question the motive behind her decision, but then she held her tongue back. Luna smiled as her student seemed willing to play along. Luna flipped the coin to decide who’ll go first. The two mares called their side. The coin decided to go in Trixie’s favor. Her student decided to place down a land card for the fire element. From what she had gathered from the look of her first card, she was playing with a fire deck. Adaptable, fast, and dangerous. ‘Just her kind of magic,’ Luna chuckled at her inside joke. Luna decided to retaliate against her student with a seaside land card. With the way that the battle is turning out now, it looks like it’ll truly be a battle of the opposites. The cool and collected versus the willful and burning. Trixie placed down another land card, and waited for her mentor’s turn. Luna wasted no time as she placed down one of her monsters. “I summon the almighty Seapony Harp!” Luna soundly smacked the card onto the table surface. It had 1 power and 2 toughness, but its special ability allowed it to switch its capabilities, giving it 2 powers and 1 toughness for the user’s current turn and the opponent’s next one. At the cost of one blue mana. Of course, it can't be affected by equipment Trixie rubbed her chin a little, and then placed down another land card. Luna’s eyes glinted at the opportunity. “Alright then,” Luna said. “With my Sea-Foal now out of its summoning illness, I shall activate its special ability. It now has 2 powers and 1 toughness at the cost of one blue mana.” She could imagine Trixie’s 20 life going down to 18. In order to keep track, Luna prepared a bag of gummy bears, and gave twenty pieces to each of them. She then promptly took two of Trixie’s bears (much to her dismay) and ate them. She giggled as she witnessed her student’s expression turning into horror. “Hey! That’s mine!” “Too bad,” Luna giggled. Today’s lesson was going to be fun, but of course Trixie will have to learn the meaning behind the session. It was ironic, considering the fact that Trixie’s deck had shared the nature of that trait as well. Trixie moaned as Luna joyfully enjoyed the delectable juiciness of the treat that is the gummy bear. Luna could tell that her student was now devising a strategy to eat all of her precious twenty candy pieces (which by then, Luna hoped Trixie would learn the lesson). After a few turns of plotting, attacking, and casting spells at each other (with the card’s effects), Luna was down to 3 life while Trixie was down to a measly 1. Despite the absence of physical activity, the two mares were both out of breath and were wiping sweat off their foreheads. Their match was so intense. Luna could feel her own heart pounding like war drums, as well as her student’s. The goddess had a legendary beast on her side of the plane. It was a sea dragon of immense proportions. It was known for drowning countless fleets and armadas. The ocean drowned with the blood of the innocent, and battle-worned heroes. The 7 attack power was more than enough to defeat Trixie’s puny life. Luna dubbed the creature a name so horrifying and powerful, mares around would scream out of fear and beg for mercy. For its name was this: Miss. Catpaws – The Fuzziest Ship Destroyer. Truthfully, it was a picture of a furry seacat. An Angean breed to be exact. Celestia advised her to not use the card, for fear that her student wouldn’t take her seriously. But that doesn’t seem to be case now as Trixie was practically shaking with fear. Luna could tell that it wasn’t the card that frightened her, but it was the results of her might failing the lesson. She sighed as she waited for Trixie to start her turn. “Come on now,” Luna moaned. “Sorry!” Trixie apologized hurryingly. “But I just can’t seem to figure this out!” “Figure what out?” Luna knew all too well what Trixie was racking her brain for, but she wanted to hear her answer. “Nothing nothing!” Luna’s hoof and taste buds weren’t being so patient. They want to feel the texture of another gummy bear. Both minds were working together as her hoof inched towards the bag of gummy bears, but Luna’s conscious snapped them out of it. They’ll get their prize in the end, no matter the outcome of the duel. Trixie looked back and forth towards the card and her own hoof. To Luna, it seemed that her student was running out of moves. Out of curiosity, Luna decided to take a peek at Trixie’s next card. It wasn’t like she was cheating or whatever. It’s just that she wanted to know if Trixie has a chance of winning. What she got out of the magical scan was a nice surprise. Luna smiled as she dimmed her magical glow. It looked like Trixie was too distracted to notice anything. Luna decided to comfort the mare. “Is everything alright?” she asked. Trixie looked up at her teacher, and gave a huge sigh of disappointment. “No, it’s not.” “What is it then?” Trixie waited for a few moments before answering. “Twilight Sparkle.” Luna’s ears perked at this shocking news. Out of all the answers she anticipated, she didn’t expect her sister’s student to pop into the conversation. She waited for Trixie to go on. “It’s just that, I never knew Twilight was Princess Celestia’s student,” Trixie explained. “It caught me off guard. I know she’s an adapt user of magic, but I didn’t know it was due to her privileged training under the princess.” She let out a deep breath, as if she was getting something big off her chest. “Honestly, when I became your student and found out about this tiny bit of information, my passion of competition with her rose again.” There was a slight pause between the two before Luna asked. “Is that the reason why you attacked in-game?” Trixie looked away with a pained expression. “Yes.” “Would you attack her in real life?” “What? No! Nononono!” Trixie quickly responded with a frightened voice. “I would never do such a thing! She may be a rival to me now, but we’re still friends!” Luna’s mind shifted towards that time her student and Celestia had in the garden. A certain comment came to mind. I’m expecting a certain somepony to come by. She decided to throw a random stone. “Is there by any chance that Twilight is dropping by today?” Trixie’s expression turned from depression to shock. “H-how did yo-” “Trust me my student, I can tell how these events would work out. That conversation you had with Celestia wasn’t been just about the weather was it?” Trixie huffed out a small breath. “No, she told me that Twilight was coming to Canterlot today.” “And?” Luna asked for her to continue. “And, I’m going to apologize to her for the surprise attack, and explain why I did so.” Trixie slumped in her spot, looking relaxed now that she professed the reasoning behind her online attack on Twilight and her friends. “Well then, then I suppose that my curiosity is now satisfied for now. Should we continue on with the duel, or is there something else you would like to know?” Trixie’s eyes brightened up with questioning. “Actually, yes. Why are we having this duel?” “Well,” Luna said, deciding to give her a hint. “What’s the most important trait to have in battle with another mage?” Luna could tell that Trixie was racking her brain again. “Well, you need to be smart.” “That’s part of the answer, but there’s more to it than that.” “Creativity?” Luna shook head. “While being creative in battle is a good thing, it certainly won’t help when the time calls for action.” Trixie drawled out an ‘um’ before answering. “Magic?” Luna laughed in an outburst. She suddenly stopped herself when she saw Trixie blushing furiously. She let out a few more chuckles before apologizing. “Tell me,” Luna smiled. “How do you win in a match of cards? More specifically, this game.” “Umm, by having a good set of cards?” Trixie answered with uncertainty. “Close, but you’re getting there.” She gave out a huge groan of displeasure. “I’m sorry teach, but I don’t know what you’re trying to teach me-” Trixie looked like she was about to give up, until she drew her next card. Her eyebrows raised a little, and then her face gave a bright grin. Then she looked puzzled as she saw her teacher grinning as well. She looked back at her card, and then her land plots. She looked back at the amount of gummy bears Luna had, and back at hers. She developed a confident smile. “Flexibility. Being adaptable, and resourceful. Using the surroundings, and what you have on you, to win,” Trixie boldly answered. “Am I right?” Luna gave her an honest clap. “Well done my student. Using everything you have at your disposal is a sure way to win. If you don’t give it your all, then you can never see victory. Same thing applies to studying and exploring the field of magic. If you don’t take extra measures to solving the problem, then you’ll find yourself stuck in one spot.” She gave her a sly smile, knowing that her three gummy bears were coming at an end. “Now then, mind telling me what you have there?” “Well,” Trixie started. She showed Luna an instant spell card. The name was The Purple Mare’s Many Uses of Everything. The cover of the card was a lavender unicorn rising up into the air, with five other ponies beside her. The debris around them was flying up with the entity and her eyes were glowing pure energy. It was like staring into the face of oblivion. “This card,” Trixie explained. “Allows me to take away as much lives from you at the cost of double the mana.” She then showed Luna the amount of land plots she had. “As you can see, I have just enough to take you out. 3 lives with 6 mana. Prepare yourself, for I’m about to begin my tur-” “Yes Twilight, this is my sister’s room.” The three ponies’ attention reared towards the door as Celestia and Twilight walked in. An awkward moment paused between all of them. Luna thought quickly on how to deal with the matter. “Oh excuse me! Oh dear if you look at the time,” Luna started quickly as she pretended to look at a wristwatch. She took hold of the Paladin’s ear by the teeth and pulled him away out the door. “Ow wow wow!” the stallion cried. “Please, watch it your majesty!” “Now’s not the time Paladin!” Luna forcibly chuckled while giving him an intent stare from the corners of her eyes. Her loyal soldier gulped loudly as he reeled back from her intense glare. She could see her sister leaning over to Twilight to whisper something, and then head out the door with her. She closed the doors behind her. Luna released Paladin’s ears, and looked at her sister with a regal pose. She tried to not look like nothing weird had happened. Celestia only chuckled as they heard Twilight trying to say hi to Trixie, only to stammer with her words. “Mind telling me what’s up?” Luna asked bluntly. “Perhaps,” Celestia chuckled. “Join me for tea?” Luna dropped her gaze and replaced it with a warm smile. “Umm, yeah sure. Come along Paladin.” “Y-yes ma’am.”
