Equestrian Earth: A Paladin's Quest

Chapters

Chapter 1: Luna's Request
Chapter 2: Grinding with Wolves
The Armory
Chapter 4:Lessons
Chapter 5: A Paladin's Past
Chapter 6: Armoured Paladin
Chapter 7: An Abrupt Encounter

Chapter 1: Luna's Request

Equestrian Earth: A Paladin’s Quest

Chapter 1: Luna’s Request

“Black Paladin, you must see this interesting new game!” Princess Luna shouted at her personal guard. Black Paladin slid out of the shadows he had been hiding in near the door, opening the ebony doors. The inside of Luna’s room was covered in video game posters such as Haylo: Reach and Portal 2. Luna was sitting at her desk on her new computer that had been personally customized by her friend, Chaotic. She was wearing an interesting headset that supposedly allowed a pony to enter the video games they played.

Black Paladin had never truly grasped why his Mistress of the Night was so interested in the strange things, but he was not one to question her happiness. She glanced over at him, holding the glasses so she could see him without actually seeing the video game world.

“Ah, there you are Black Paladin,” She said, smile on her face. “I believe I have found a game that will interest you greatly. I know you like the times where war was common and this game seems to capture this aspect perfectly.”

“What is the name of this game My Princess?” Black Paladin asked, intrigued. “Though, I do not actually own any of these systems. I prefer Warhoof and Warhoof 40K.”

“It is called Equestrian Earth and it runs on the computer,” Luna snickered. “And I think I can help you afford the games subscription. I did help with the production.”

“Ok, I will try it, only if I can get one of those cool head thingies,” Black Paladin tried to get her to agree.

“Sorry, you would have to talk to Chaotic later about getting a set. It is not mine to give away,” Luna said, tapping her headset. “I could get you an appointment after we go and buy your computer and game copy. I don’t think have sold out just yet but we should hurry down before they do. The game is flying off the shelves.”

“All right, let us get going then Princess,”

Three hours later, Black Paladin was sitting down at his new computer. He had created an account and Luna had paid for his first few months of subscription to the game. He had wanted to see Chaotic about the visual reality headset, but he had been out. Eventually, he would have to go back down and find the stallion.

He started up the game, watching a cool and dynamic opening video that he was unsure of what was the story behind the game. He logged in and was prompted to create a character class. He uploaded his skin that Luna had helped him put on his computer before being asked a class and race. He picked the obvious unicorn, tapping his own horn. The class choices were very diverse, from assassin to mage to warrior. He had glanced over the game guide but had decided that playing the game would work best for him.

He finally decided on the class that best represented him and was part of his name. The Paladin, a warrior who fought for truth and also was assisted by magic in their quest to purge the world of evil. It fit him perfectly, though he worked for Princess Luna, the mare of night. Then he noticed a cool system that would allow him to use night magic with devotion to the Goddess of the Moon.

‘Now, that is what I call a Luna edition,’ Black Paladin chuckled to himself. He selected the class and used his own name as the avatars name. Mainly because very few ponies actually knew who he actually was. Maybe this game would get him some publicity. He was met with a bright flash of the screen as the game automatically accepted his choice and moved him forward.

He was met by an Alicorn made out of coding, which he found strange. Maybe it was just a glitch his game was experiencing.

“Greetings, Black Paladin and welcome to the game of Equestrian Earth,” The Alicorn said, the voice feminine. “In this world you will find many ponies and make many allies along the course of your journey. You will also meet new enemies and rivals who will push you further than you have ever dreamed. You shall never be alone with your friends backing you up, but sometimes you may run across things that only you can do by yourself.

“I wish you luck on your quest. Have fun on your journeys through the realm. Be warned that some areas are more dangerous than others, and the farther away you travel, the harder the challenges. Have fun,” The Alicorn disappeared and he was again blinded by a large flash of light. When he opened his eyes, Luna’s avatar was standing in front of him, waiting for him. He glanced around to see the city was massive. Giant buildings rose out of the ground and many smaller houses were lined perfectly along the street. Many other players were running around the city, doing jobs and quests.

One group of ponies caught his attention, mainly because a certain pink pony pulled a chalkboard out of a cloud. He was seriously confused on how the game engine could possibly be keeping up with something that should not have existed in the game in the first place. Then he stopped questioning the game engine when a giant tower was knocked over and a "Oopps, sorry." was heard.

“It took you awhile Black Paladin,” She giggled. “But the Goddess always takes her time with the new players. Maybe you can help me double the fun of this game with some grinding.”

Black Paladin smile up at the princess, or at least he grinned at the screen. “Princess, I think I am going to fall in love with this game.”

Authors Note: Hey everypony. This is just a spin-off from ChaoticNote’s story Equestrian Earth. Please support the guy because he truthfully is a much better and awsomer writer than I am. And his is actually the original and should answer a lot of questions you may have. Black Paladin is my OC, so no stealing. If you wish to use him, please get my permission first. And also support my own story, Shades of the Past, at this point still underdevelopment.

Chapter 2: Grinding with Wolves

Chapter 2: Grinding with Wolves and Mushrooms

“So, Princess, what do we do in this game?” Black Paladin asked as Luna lead him into a bazaar. “There has to be some sort of point or else ponies would not be attracted.”

“You do a variety of jobs or quests to earn money and other things. A greater variety comes from running your own business or joining groups and guilds,” Luna explained in her most studious of voices. “Maybe if you try hard you can get to my level.”

“And what level would that be Princess?” Black Paladin looked up at her, seeing a large sign he hadn’t originally seen before. It displayed some sort of title but the number that caught his attention was the giant 20. “You’re level 20?!”

“Yes, my Paladin,” Luna giggled. “I am afraid that I cannot do any grinding with you. The monsters would be at my level, not yours. You’ll have to figure this out for yourself I believe. I must go finish up some quests and get new ones so I can level up. I will not lose to my sister.”

“Celestia is online also?” Black Paladin stared up at the princess. “This is not a disaster waiting to happen.”

“I suggest you not make fun of me, Paladin,” Luna stuck her tongue out at him. “I am your superior.”

“Good point,” Black Paladin snickered, scratching his head in real life. He sighed wondering how it would be if he ever were to get a cool headset to play on. Something told him it would be an even better game if he could control every action of his avatar. He looked back at the screen to see that Luna had disappeared into the crowd leaving him alone in the midst of a bunch of players.

“I guess I should go try and grind for levels,” Black Paladin mused to himself. He opened his map trying to find an area that would prove to be an easy hunting ground for him. He decided that the Forest of Timber would be an easy area based on the fact that it was closest to his current position. He headed out into the wilderness, searching for the mobs he had heard about from the talks of other players he had passed on his way out of the city.

He had to admit, the graphics of the game were surreal. Everything seemed to be real and textured to look like it was really made out of wood and not just a bunch of pixels on a screen. He heard a rustle of the trees off to his right and a low growl. He saw that two timber wolves seemed to have aggroed to him, both glaring at him hungrily. Black Paladin pressed one of the keys on his keyboard that was hot keyed to his basic attack, which was his sword.

He got a satisfying smack as his sword made contact with the side of one of the wolves and saw numbers appear above its head. It was accompanied by a health bar as well as a number that seemed to indicate the timber wolfs level. He guessed it was the exact same level as he was because there was a one in what he believed was the level display. He then remembered that a second wolf had been accompanying the first as he saw his own avatar receive a swipe of a paw. Without any armor, he took the full force of the blow and saw his health bar drop.

“Buck,” Paladin cursed in real life looking at his hotbar. There was another ability linked to his 2 key, so he pressed it without any knowledge of what it would do. He was rewarded with a spell that seemed to heal his own wounds by encasing him in a glowing aura that also warded off attacks. He continued to hack at the wolves until both were dead on the forest floor.

“Now let me see how much experience I gained,” Black Paladin glanced at his experience bar and found that it had only gotten to about a quarter full. He realized that this was going to take longer than he originally thought. If he was going to be out here in the world he would need some more equipment and it wouldn’t hurt if he had some other reason to be out.

He decided before he would go back he would grind to the next level and collect some items to get money to pay for some basic equipment. He spotted some strange mushrooms bouncing around in a nearby clearing and began to stalk them. The moused over each of the creatures, making sure they were within his level range finding that they were. He prepared himself for combat, checking out the two spells he actually had access to. One of them was the one he discovered against the timber wolves but another seemed to be a melee buff.

It detailed that he could mask his weapons in a magical aura of night that would deal extra damage to enemies over a period of time. That would be an excellent spell he would need to remember for later battles and when it came time to upgrade things.

“All right mushrooms, let us do this,” Black Paladin grinned to himself as he launched out of cover into the middle of them, activating his night aura enchantment. He struck at the mushrooms left and right, activating his magical shield when he needed a heal. By the time all of the mushrooms were dead on the ground, Black Paladin had leveled up and filled his experience bar another half way full.

He smirked, reaching down to loot the mushrooms when he heard a giant explosion from close by. He quickly grabbed all the items off the dead shrooms as he rushed over to where he assumed to explosion had come from. He stopped at the edge of a river, unsure of what would be located inside it. He saw a group of ponies, the exact same group that had seem to broken the games physics engine. A lavender pony faded in what he assumed was the respawn system of the game. He would need to be careful of whatever had blown up because it seemed like a one way road to respawn.

“Guess I will get back to the city before logging off for the night,” Black Paladin yawned in real life. He glanced down at the clock and saw that it was midnight. He hoped Luna would understand why he was so late tomorrow if he slept in. He was going to be in so much trouble.

The Armory

Chapter 3: The Armory

Black Paladin was again poised to log onto Equestrian Earth. He had his stuff spread out and the visor on his forehead, just below his horn. Princess Luna had made playing this game his job to keep his mind active instead of being bored as a guard again. Since nothing was the same as 1000 years ago, his skills and services were no longer needed by the Princess. He had been fine with this decision, but had asked to at least be able to use the guards barracks to keep himself in shape and to store his gear.

Luna had complied and given him a space to store his stuff, right next to the Captain of Celestia's guard. Black Paladin wished he could have the experience from his life transferred into the game, but that unfortunately would never happen to him for the moment, so he was still forced to grind. Last he had been on, he had seen another unicorn blown to pieces by a mushroom. He hoped that would never happen to himself.

"Welcome back," The game displayed on the screen as he slid the visor over his eyes. Again, he felt the slightest bit of a pull in his mind before he was greeted by the world of Equestria Earth. He was standing in the midst of a bazaar filled with all sorts of odds and ends. He checked his wallet, which he kept stashed in his chest plate to see how much money he had accumulated from grinding on the timber wolves and mushrooms.

"Armor," Black Paladin looked up, checking for a sign. "I need to buy myself a decent set of armor before I set off on my adventure again." He glanced around, hoping to find someone to tell him or any sign, but he seemed to be out of luck. Wherever he was, it was a potions area where many mages and alchemists were busy at the stands. None of them would be able to give him information on anything that was armor related. He decided that it would be best to head for the downtown district of the city and attempt to find an armor shop in that district.

As he walked down the street, he was approached by many players and npcs asking him to trade. He kept declining until it was driving him nuts. He caught a glance of a back alley to his left and quickly galloped for it, hoping the others would stop pestering him. He exhaled when he saw nopony follow him. Satisfied, he strolled down the alley, making sure no other pony attempted to stop him from continuing on with his business. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't another pony that got in his way.

"ROAAARR!" Black Paladin narrowly missed the swipe of claws, feeling the air in front of him move. Standing tall, blocking his path, was a cheetah. It seemed as though Black Paladin had walked into an alley that tended to spawn creatures. He drew his blade and activated his shields as the claw again struck at him. It instead was met by the shield, but it still made contact with Black Paladin. He glanced up to see that the cheetah was thirteen levels higher than he was. He had no idea how difficult of a fight this was going to be with such a level gap between him and his opponent.

"Black Paladin, get down!" A voice shouted from the sky. Paladin ducked, hearing the whistle of arrows as they sailed over his head, impaling themselves into the flank of the cheetah. He looked back a quick second to see Luna standing at the end of the walkway. She had her bow drawn and launched another volley of arrows, killing the cheetah. Somehow, Black Paladin also gained experience from the kill also. With that he leveled up to level 5 from the influx of experience points.

He gained a new ability from the level up, which he immediately activated. It brought out a large deal of energy from his horn, which blasted the wall next to him in a shower of stars. "Sweet, a Star Blast spell. This will definitely work for my future battles I have planned."

"Black Paladin, art thou alright?" Luna smirked down at her guard. A light blue pony walked around from behind Luna, looking more than smug at him.

"Trixie thinks that he looks very pathetic," The unicorn mare sneered. "Luna, why do you bother yourself with such peasantry?"

"Trixie, calm yourself," Luna snapped at Trixie. "Black Paladin, this is my new apprentice, Trixie. I am attempting to teach her manners as well as humbling her in the use of her powers. I was hoping you could be of use when I am not around to watch her. Like now. I have duties that must be taken care of in Hoofington. I charge both her protection and studies to you for the time being."

"Yes, my princess," Black Paladin conceded. He really didn't need to look after another pony when he was playing games, especially one this fun. A thought crossed his mind. "Am I looking after her in game as well?"

"If she allows it, then yes, you may," Luna smiled at her paladin. "Now, I have about an hour before I must leave. What were you doing before I showed up to save you?"

"I was on my way to find an armory," Black Paladin shrugged, still unsure of where he was truly going. "Any clues on the where I can find one?"

"You are heading the wrong way," Trixie sighed. Black Paladin merely glared at the mare. She was going to be a pain to look after, that he was sure of. "Shall we be off then? I would not like to hang around this nasty sty."

Trixie trotted off, her cloak billowing out behind her. Black Paladin drew his eyebrows together and did the most natural thing that came to him. He facehoofed. Luna threw a grin of 'I'm sorry' at her paladin, showing that she herself was also disturbed by Trixie's behavior.

"Black Paladin, I must again remind you that she is my new apprentice," Luna informed him. "You remember how much dangers there are tapping into that kind of magic. And that there exist ponies who will hate what you have become." Black Paladin could only remember all to well the pain he had felt of being thrown from society after accepting the apprenticeship to Luna. It was as if he had signed a pact with Discord himself.

"Luna, I will keep her safe using all the powers at my disposal," Black Paladin sighed, knowing that he had no other option. "I will also help her understand that there is more to this world than being bragging about powers you truly do not have. I only hope to save her before anything hurts her."

"That is very noble of you Black Paladin," Luna whispered, a smile spreading across her face. "I'm proud at how far you have come." Black Paladin felt a blush cross his face, but was interrupted by Trixie, who was impatiently waiting for the two.

"Are you two slowponies coming?" She asked, seeming not to care that she was directly speaking to both a high ranking officer and the Princess of the Night. Black Paladin followed the mare, trying to figure out what to say and when would be a good time to say something.

"So, Trixie, is there anything I need know of you?" Black Paladin spoke up, casting a side long glance at the blue unicorn. She seemed amused by the question, like he should have known from the beginning who she had been.

"You truly have no idea who you are talking to, do you?" Trixie sneered. Black Paladin merely nodded his head, feeling as if this was probably a bad idea. "I am the Great and Powerful Trixie. The strongest unicorn to grace the land of Equestria. Truly there is no equal to my power."

"Funny," Black Paladin chuckled at the explanation. Now he saw what made her act like a snottish foal. "You have no idea the might of a fully developed unicorn, do you. The amount of power we can channel. The true extent of the world is nothing compared to the depths of magic out Princesses can draw from. I myself have enough magic to level a quarter of Canterlot, all on a whim."

"Er, yes, well," Trixie floundered for words. "Have you ever bested and Ursa Major in battle?"

"Now, that my fair Trixie, would be telling a true bluff," Black Paladin brayed. The idea of taking down the mammoth beast was suicide, even for a unicorn with the might he had. "Is that what you claim to have done? I can see straight through your lie. At best you are nothing more than a show mare, performing simple feats of magic that you claim to be stronger than any other pony. You learn spells that help you do things that most ponies can do. I'm not wrong, am I."

"No," Trixie sighed in defeat, "You aren't wrong. It is just that I have never had any true pony want to be my friend, so I just felt as though I should be better than everyone. How did you figure my life out so fast?"

"Because Twilight Sparkle is a close friend of mine," Black Paladin smiled down upon the blue mare. "She forgives you, if you were wondering. Maybe I can help humble you, by being a friend."

"Thanks for the offer, but Trixie is a one pony show," Trixie put her snout into the air and walked faster away. Black Paladin glanced at his surroundings, noticing they had reached the forging district. "We are here."

"Yeah, I noticed," Black Paladin glanced back to see Luna walking into a shop, waving a hoof for the two of them to follow her. Trixie and Black Paladin entered the store, to find the shelves packed with weapons and armor of all quality. Black Paladin stared in awe, knowing that their was more to the armory hear than in the royal barracks. It was an armor's paradise.

"Black Paladin, you have my permission to choose any one piece of armor, and I will pay for that. The rest of it must come from your own wallet," Luna offered. Black Paladin nearly jumped with glee at hearing this. It was definitely his lucky day. But what to buy?

"Having trouble son?" A stout, orange dragon asked from behind the counter. "The names Oven, and I run this armory. Any particular item you looking for. Any enchantment? I got it all." Black Paladin appreciated the dragons offer, and he began to think of what was useful to him in the real world.

In the game, the only true senses that were extremely dependable were the eyes and ears. If any enchantment were to purchased or found, it would be helpful if he could located his enemies better so he would not fall into any sort of trap. He decided the best thing to do was possibly to have Luna buy him a helmet with a detect life spell on it. He would then purchase some more baser armor to protect the rest of his body using the rest of the money he had accumulated. If any was left, he would go and have a look at the weapons section that glinted in the fires of the forge.

"Nope, no trouble at all," Black Paladin finally answered. "Luna, I would like a helmet with a detect life spell imbued in it. I shall purchase the rest of the equipment on my own."

"That was a good choice Paladin," Luna responded, making the purchase. She opened a trade log and invited Black Paladin to join. After they were done, Black Paladin put the helmet on, to make sure the enchantment worked. He saw that the helmet wasn't anything to fancy, only an knight's helm without the front visor. Once it was fit to his head, he glanced around, seeing purple auras coming from all parts of the nearby areas. He assumed that meant that the enchantment was working.

"It looks sporting," Luna chuckled. Black Paladin realized she was referring to the fact that all he was wearing was the helm. Black Paladin quickly made all his purchases to remedy the situation, emptying his entire purse into a suit of heavy armor with greaves and shoulder plates. He used the mirror in the forge to see that he looked quite well in the armor set. It fit him.

"Well, it is time to log off now," Luna yawned, "I need to raise the moon before being off. You two should log off as well and come meet me to say goodbye."

They both complied.

...

About twenty minutes later, Black Paladin was waiting in the entry hall, watching for Luna. Two other guards were already there, stating that they were to accompany Luna on her trip. Black Paladin had given them a stern lecture on how to treat the princess and how to properly guard the princess. Both of them nearly doubled over laughing before stating that they were originally members of Celestia's guard, and had been so for nearly 20 years.

"There he is," A familiar bragging voice said. Black Paladin turned to see both Luna and Trixie walking towards the exit. Luna waved her guards over and told them to go prepare the chariot.

"Now Paladin," Luna said, giving him some parchment. "Here is the schedule of Trixie's lessons. You shall adhere strictly to that and Trixie has already been informed that she is also not allowed to deviate from it. Now have fun you two, I must be off posthaste."

Both Trixie and Black Paladin bowed in respect as the Princess took her leave. Black Paladin looked over at Trixie, who was staring at the moon.

"I have considered your offer," Trixie stated. She leaned closer to Black Paladin. "And I will accept you as a friend. But I do want to be more than that." She trailed off on the last part, nuzzling Black Paladin gently on the cheek. This had just turned Black Paladin's whole week around. Again.

Chapter 4:Lessons

Chapter 4: Lessons

Black Paladin looked over at Trixie, who was currently concentrating on levitating her entire desk at once. She had been holding the desk for almost an hour now, but the strain could easily be seen on her face. She couldn't support it for much longer, even if her life was in the balance. But Black Paladin couldn't help but be impressed. This type of magical workout would have knocked out an average unicorn a half an hour ago.

"Trixie, you may put the desk down now," Black Paladin cautioned. He cushioned the desk as Trixie relinquished her magical hold over the desk. He lowered it to the ground, gently placing it so nothing was broken. She panted for air, exhausted from the total drain of energy the exercise had caused her.

"Trixie does not remember that this was so hard when she wore the Alicorn Amulet," She groaned. "Magic seemed so much simpler when I had that artifact in my possession. If only I had that once again."

"That charm..." Black Paladin thought back, knowing exactly what he was searching for. He had known that it was in the possession of Princess Luna, who had sealed it deep within the Royal Treasury. He wondered how the Celestia had so carelessly let it slip from her grasp. "That charm is nothing but pure evil Trixie. I am unsure how to feel that you used it without any need to worry about your own health. Many ponies have gone insane under the allure of the amulet, the whispers of ultimate power that it would bestow to the one who wore it."

"And it is a ultra rare drop in EE," Trixie hinted. "Why don't we log on and play for a bit. Luna would never have to know." It was very tempting. And it would take Trixie some time to regain her stamina after the duration of time spent holding the spell.

"Fine, only because you need to rest and that is one of the best ways to do so," Black Paladin conceded. He turned to his computer, since this was now their shared room, which Luna had left for the two of them. Calling it a room was actually an incorrect statement. It was more of an apartment that was huge, but not as big as the rooms used by the royal sisters.

Trixie acted like a small foal, giddy with anticipation as she logged on and pulled her own virtual helmet. He pulled on his own, already logged on to the server. Black Paladin had heard of the incident with Trixie and the Alicorn Amulet, yet he would have done the same thing if he had been in her position. But would he have gone as far as she had with it? He didn't know the answer to that question.

"Welcome back," The game answered. It was time for a game.

...

Black Paladin waited for Trixie by the gate to the city, wondering what could be taking the mare. When they had come in game, she had said something about buying her own gear and ran off in the opposite direction, telling him to meet her at the South Gate near the plains. Black Paladin decided if he was going to wait, he was at least going out into the nearby grass to kill some of the mobs that he saw spawning. They were all pretty weak and around his current level, so he felt like he should indulge a bit to get more bits and experience. He still planned to beat Luna to reach the level cap, and these constant interruptions weren't helping.

He spotted many mobs to hunt, thanks to his new helmet of reveal life. He knew exactly where they were headed and would easily be able to take down groups without aggroing another group that would overwhelm him. He decided the closest group to him would do, unleashing his star bolt, attracting the group. The group of bear cubs rushed out of the hedge, attempting to claw him. He casted his shield, smashing the first bear cub with his sword and meeting the next with a kick from his hoof. The next one struck his shield, causing some damage but Black Paladin's armor absorbed the blow handily.

"That all you got?" Black Paladin grunted, swinging his blade into the cubs face, causing it to back up from the pain. He rolled left, dodging another swipe from the second bear. He began to think that the mother bear would never come as his experience bar slowly filled from each bear cub that fell and respawned. Of course, this game loved to be accurate to how every thing worked in nature.

Momma bear came rushing out of a nearby treeline, charging forward at full speed with a large roar. It didn't get far as a fireball flew through the air and exploded in momma's face. Black Paladin could understand what had happened and really didn't need to look back to know that Trixie was launching a barrage at the bears to help him out. Under her fire and Black Paladin's sword, the mob lasted only a few minutes more.

"That was very foalish of you Paladin," Trixie scolded, walking down into the grass with Paladin. She snuggled up close to him for no reason. "You should be more careful in the future. I would hate to lose you."

"Eventually you are going to explain what it is between us," Black Paladin sighed. "I don't understand mares so whatever is going between us is definitely new to me. And I would rather not be atomized by Princess. Not like she would actually do something like that."

Trixie chuckled, pulling away from Black Paladin. "I think I'd rather be confusing. So, what is our plan for today?"

"I was thinking of heading south to find a dungeon," Black Paladin pulled out his map. Trixie looked over his shoulder, interested in what was on the page. "The Crystal Caverns. Supposedly home to a pack of Diamond Dogs. There loot should get us a good bit of money. Not to mention the experience drop as well."

"Sounds fun, but we may have to get off while we are in the cave," Trixie mumbled. "We do have a schedule to keep with our lessons. As much fun as they are."

"Only because Luna hasn't really gotten into the true tests of training," Black Paladin packed up his map. "I guess we should just grind on the local mobs until we have more time to go hunting through the caves. It would probably be better if we had some levels as well. The mob boss is said to be level 15. You are only level 7 and I am just now only level 6."

"Rewind," Trixie snapped. "What do you mean the princess hasn't gotten to the true tests of training me? How you would even know?"

"Now isn't that a story," Black Paladin chuckled. "Tell you what. We grind for an hour, I'll tell you my story during out next session. Deal?"

"If Trixie must be patient," She sighed in defeat. "Let's go mob hunting then."

It was a pretty simple hour of grinding, thanks to Black Paladin's helmet. Trixie and Black Paladin made an excellent team, working as a single unit to deal with any mob. Trixie drew in the mobs while Paladin acted as a shield, blocking most of the damage while dealing back a decent amount. They both were having a lot of fun gaining experience as well as finding some pretty decent loot. Trixie had found a new hat while Black Paladin was able to expand his bag size and get a better shield for his arm.

At the end of the hour, both Trixie and Black Paladin returned to the city gates, exhausted from the exercise they had been through. Black Paladin had gotten to level 10 after all the ending blows he was able to get. Trixie had gotten to the same level, though she claimed that she was close to a level up but she was tired of the game for the moment, and probably because she was impatient.

"So, you going to tell me your story?" Trixie stretched out. "I have been dying to know the entire time."

"Yes, yes. In the real world." Black Paladin said, taking off his virtual reality helmet. He breathed in and out, getting used to not having it on. He looked around, light stinging his eyes as they adjusted. He met Trixie in the hall outside. She was dressed in her cape but she seemed to have ditched her hat for the moment.

"Come on, let's go get something to eat," Black Paladin grinned. Trixie crumbled but complied with her mentor for the moment, hoping he would keep true to his promise. "The virtual world may not seem like much of an exercise, but man do I sure get hungry.

Walking into the Royal Dining Hall, Trixie and Black Paladin spotted Princess Cadence and Shining Armour farther down the table, talking to themselves. Black Paladin took a seat at the end of the table, Trixie slumping into a chair next to him.

"What would you like?" A servant asked.

"Trixie would like some sunflower salad," The light blue unicorn ordered. "And be light with the dressing will you."

"Yes milady," The stallion bowed. "And you sir guard?"

"I'd like 3 corn cobs and a bushel of apples, if you wouldn't mind." Black Paladin spoke up before leaning back in his chair, looking up at the high ceiling above him. Trixie grumbled beside him and Paladin smiled a bit to himself. "I think you are cute you know." He said out of completely nowhere.

"What?" Trixie blushed. Black Paladin blushed as well, before remembering one small detail about the room. He glanced down farther to see Cadence giving him a wink. "You think I'm cute?"

"Yes, I really do," Black Paladin put his hoof on hers. "Now, about that story?"

"I've been dying to hear it," Trixie laughed. "You've kept it long enough. Now spill."

Chapter 5: A Paladin's Past

"My story I guess begins when I was born," Black Paladin began while Trixie made herself comfortable in her chair. "My parents and siblings were earth ponies. My family thought I was a freak. I was treated like an exile, even among my own family. I never knew love or compassion around them and that turned me cold.

I took to the streets soon after I learned how to depend on myself. That was rough."

"I think I know the feeling," Trixie sighed. "Being shunned. Even by ponies who should love you. It's a rough life style." She looked into his eyes but there was no emotional change in Black Paladin.

"This was 1000 years ago Trixie," Black Paladin explained, "things were a lot different and worse. Canterlot never existed. It was the Everfree City at the time, where the two sisters ruled over Equestria. I lived in the city and knew the streets around it like the back of my hoof eventually. It wasn't until I had been living on the streets for about two years that Princess Luna found me."

"What were you like then?" Trixie wondered. Black Paladin noticed that the servant who had brought their food was sitting down in the background, listening as well. Princess Cadence and Shining Armour also were listening, though they hid it well.

"I was a thief," Black Paladin sighed. "I stole some fruit from Princess Luna while my two friends distracted her. We ran down the alleys, not knowing that Luna also knew the streets as well as we did. She found us within minutes, in our hideout no less. It scared the three of us beyond belief, because we had never been caught before. We thought she was going to be angry at us, punish us, or throw us into the dungeon. We never expected her to show us compassion and take us home with her."

"Wow," Trixie mouthed. "Princess Luna is a great pony, isn't she?"

"My sister sure is," A voice said from behind the pair. Looking up, Black Paladin saw Celestia looking down on the two with a smile. "Please, continue your story. Don't mind me or the others." Paladin saw that a lot of guard ponies and servants had formed a circle around him, obviously intrigued by his story.

"You do know what my story is Princess Celestia, right?" Black Paladin remembered that he had told her once they had all gone through some dangerous trials a little while back.

"Yes, I do," Celestia grinned, taking a seat. "But others deserve a chance to know who you are as well."

"As you wish," Black Paladin bowed. "So, where was I? Oh, right. Luna took us home, sneaking us in. For a few months, she fed us and kept us in her area of the palace. We were her little secret and she was our savior."

"Who were your friends?" A servant spoke up. Black Paladin knew the question would eventually come up and he was prepared for the emotional problems of it.

"Galeful Knight and Night Blade," Paladin sighed. "They are here now as well, though they went their own way after a month of being awakened in this time. I still receive letters from them. They are happy being able to live their lives in a world where problems are less consistent."

"I'd like to meet your friends one day," Trixie smiled. "But do continue."

"After a few more months, Luna decided to train us," Black Paladin shuddered. He remembered some of the pain that those trials had caused him, becoming a Shade of the Night. One of Luna's closest and most well kept secrets. Assassins. Spies. It didn't matter the job. They were deadly enough to complete it all. "I'll spare you the details. During our training we all received our cutie marks. Mine is a symbol of war magic."

"War magic?" Trixie gasped. War was pretty nonexistent, but Luna would have informed her of battles in the past and other such things between kingdoms that were now Equestria's allies.

"A foreign concept that you need not worry yourself about," Celestia stared at her. She then glared at Black Paladin as if to say be careful. Black Paladin swallowed, knowing that he should be careful. Thanks to video games though, some of the ponies understood what war meant.

"So anyways," Black Paladin coughed. "Princess Luna saw my potential in magic. So, she took me under her wing. Not literally per say, but she made me her student, though I will not be in any history book. I made sure there was never anything out there. Like it matters if I'm telling you all this now though."

"So, you really were Luna's pupil?" Trixie looked over at Celestia, who merely shrugged her shoulders in confusion.

"I would not know," Celestia responded. "I was unaware of Black Paladin until a few months ago."

"Remember, I was still a secret," Black Paladin chuckled. "Now anyways, after many years of study under Luna, I felt rebellious. I was a teenager at that time. I left and began to explore Equestria on my own, wishing to see the world and wanting to do something more than being locked in a castle. Of course, Luna wasn't for it, so I left without her knowing what I had done. I didn't even leave a note. I will regret that decision for as long as I live, which mind you is currently very long."

"But you came back right?" Trixie looked deep into his eyes, searching for the answer herself. "You would have had to come back."

"To end up in this time, yes," Black Paladin shifted in his seat. "Though it was many years until that happened. I wandered the world of Equestria and far beyond the borders, into gryphon territory as well as dragon territory. I worked from the shadows of the society, watching the nobility and workings of the realms. I learned a great deal about who I should be and realized that Luna was where I wanted to be. She took care of me like a mother."

"Paladin," Trixie smiled at him. "That is an amazing story."

"Not much of a story," Paladin sighed. "To much things are left unfulfilled. My life, gone from me, now here in this time. I do not know where I would have been if things had never actually changed. But, I would never had met all of you amazing ponies. Sometimes, life has certain reasons to it. I could never have escaped this, even if I had run to the edge of the world once I had left Luna."

"Black Paladin," Celestia spoke up from her spot. "Know that you are a hero to many ponies here, who may have not be here today if it wasn't for your bravery."

"Thank you Princess Celestia," Black Paladin bowed in respect. "But somethings shall never be able to escape my memory of a time since lost."

"I know how you must be feeling," Celestia stood. "Luna had similar troubles understanding the time change when she was finally free of Nightmare Moon. You are not alone. You have friends in this time, as well as myself and Luna to speak to. You have no need to feel as though you have lost your life. You can go anywhere, we are not keeping you."

"I know Princess, but this is where my life is," Black Paladin looked over at Trixie, giving a slight blush. "Besides, somepony in this time has caught my eye."

Trixie blushed back at him and somehow Black Paladin felt like a little colt next to his best friend in the world without anypony else. She stared deep into his eyes and he stared into her vibrant purple eyes. Paladin felt himself at a shortness of breath and for the first time in a while he felt nervous.

"Black Paladin?" Trixie sighed. Black Paladin breathed in time with her, waiting for the question. "Would you like to go out sometime? Maybe for a drink or something? Get out and see the world?"

"I would like that," Paladin smiled. He felt happy, beyond any other feeling he had ever known. "I would like that more than anything else."

"Ok lovebirds," Shining Armour broke the two's trance. Black Paladin shook his head and gave an awkward grin. "Why don't you come with me Paladin. You need to serve your shift at some point. Join me on the graveyard shift and we can talk."

With that, Black Paladin was dragged off, his last sight of the room Trixie and her adorable smile. Black Paladin smiled in return, happy to finally have a special somepony.

Chapter 6: Armoured Paladin

Black Paladin watched the moon rise into the night sky. It was a beautiful sight as always to watch even though he couldn't begin to grasp the amount of magic it took for Luna to do something so amazing. The stars began to shine like individual gems, each one twinkling along with its brothers and sisters. It was a relaxing yet amazing experience that Black Paladin had missed while he slept. Every night, he would come and watch this event and reflect.

The night air was cold, biting at his exposed areas. His armour protected him from most of it and kept him warm but it didn't truly bother him. He was used to the cold that the night brought. It was comforting to him. He looked to his right, down the rampart to where Shining Armour was standing watch. They had both taken there turn on guard together so they could talk. Something Black Paladin had tried to avoid for a long time coming.

"So..." Shining Armour murmured, his voice shaking slightly. It made Paladin smile that he wasn't the only one nervous. "You do know that Cadence has some hoof in what happened in the cafeteria, don't you?"

"It does not matter," Black Paladin turned to face his counterpart. They were both in full regalia, but they had different armour patterns. While Shining Armour wore the purple and gold of a captain of the Solar Guard, Black Paladin wore the ancient armour of a Lunar General. "I feel my heart soar when I am around Trixie. I do not understand it, but it is comforting to know that there may be somepony out there for me."

"Something to protect," Armour smiled back at him. "I know the feeling. I would do everything to protect Cadence."

"Even disobey Celestia?" Black Paladin queried. It had never crossed his mind that he had yet to ask Luna of this boon. Or how she would react. He shivered not from the cold, but from the thought of eventually bringing this up before the Princess of the Night.

"If it meant disobeying her, yes." Shining Armour sighed, staring off into the distance of the city below. "This city, Canterlot. It is my home, but Cadence is where I belong. Even if we somehow lost everything, if I still had her, I would have a home to protect."

"Family is an important thing," Black Paladin sighed, a mist cloud forming. "I wish I had known my family, even for a little while."

"You ran away from them," Shining Armour seemed angry at this. "You gave up your chance to know them and the love they would have given you."

"They never loved me," Black Paladin turned away and stared up at the mountain, fighting back the emotions. "They despised me for being a unicorn. An odd-ball in a family of Earth ponies. They had a reputation of being royal guards and generals. If anypony else knew I was born from them, they would have been laughingstocks. The day I ran from my home was the day I first saw the moon and the sun. The first time I was truly free to think and act for myself."

Shining Armour opened his mouth, but no words came out. Black Paladin stalked down the wall, to a statue at the very end of a phoenix. Even though it was stone, Black Paladin could remember that this had been here the night he had been put to sleep. It hadn't aged a day. Out of everything else, this one tiny insignificant statue hadn't changed once. Black Paladin felt the same way, that his life would never change, no matter where he went.

"You found a new family though," Shining Armour whispered. "Luna found you and took care of you. Everyone here treats you as one of their own. Don't live in your past Paladin. I know it must be hard for you, but don't let your past ruin what you have right now. There is a mare downstairs that likes you a lot and has shown that she likes you."

"What if I screw up!?" Black Paladin shouted. "I will not live with the idea that I messed up. That I messed up another ponies life. I have done it to many times before. I do not want to hurt her."

"Oh, I see now," Shining Armour smiled.

"What are you going on about?" Black Paladin huffed, boiling on the inside.

"You are afraid of failure," Shining Armour turned around. "You want to be perfect. You are afraid that someone will get hurt if you screw up. You know what? Grow up. Nopony is perfect. Don't live your life on the fence. Get off and enjoy yourself. If you fail, so what! You have to live with it and just move on. I thought you were a great stallion Paladin, but it seems I was wrong."

"Where do you think you're going?" Black Paladin yelled. He galloped after Shining Armour, stopping in front of him. He placed a hoof on his chest plate and stopped him. "Who do you think you are to speak to me like that!?"

"Do you want to fight now?!" Shining Armour snorted. "Or are you afraid of failing."

"I'll fight you, but not here," Black Paladin shoved him away. "We are doing this on Equestria Earth. Where anypony can see me trump you."

"You are on," Shining Armour laughed, shoving him away. "Follow me. And bring your visor. I want this to be as even as possible before we fight."

"Fine then," Black Paladin followed him. He spotted two guards nearby lolling about. "You two! One of you go watch the balcony. I do not want to hear any complaints. Somepony will relieve you in an hour."

The two guards looked at each other before one ran off onto the balcony. Paladin laughed, galloping after Shining Armour. It was a good thing he had thought ahead and brought his visor with him on duty, because he didn't trust it in his room, especially around Trixie and Luna. One of them would definitely mess with his account, especially since Luna knew all his codes, which he meant to switch at the next possible convenience.

Black Paladin walked into the garrison, following Shining Armour as they dearmoured themselves and put their equipment back into their lockers. Paladin kept his blade strapped to his mid, in case of any emergency. It was his normal thing to do except when he was around Luna who disliked having something like that near her. It was a peculiar thing that she disliked the idea of harming others yet she played violent games. He did not argue the issue though.

"Where are we going?" Black Paladin sighed when they were back in the castle and seemed to be going nowhere. "At this point, we are merely wandering in circles."

"Paladin, Armour, what are you two doing?" Princess Luna asked, walking down the hall. Black Paladin looked to make sure he wasn't seeing things, but it seemed as though the Princess of the night certainly had returned from her trip. "What are you doing on this glorious of nights?"

"Um... Princess Luna... we were not expecting you back so soon..." Black Paladin got out. Luna gave a small smile at her loyal guard. "What brings you back so early?"

"The matters at Hoofington where not as serious as I first thought," Luna yawned. "Merely a dream spirit having a bit of mischief. Such hilarious creatures even though they can be a bit mean. Now that I have answered your question, would you mind answering mine?"

"Delighted to Princess," Shining Armour stepped forward. "We are going to settle our differences in a battle of Equestrian Earth. If you would like to come monitor us, we are heading toward the guard lounge, which I don't think Black Paladin has figured exists."

"We have a lounge?" Black Paladin nearly shouted. "Wait, what is a lounge?"

"It seems you still have much to learn Paladin," Shining Armour smirked. Luna gave a small chuckle.

"Sure boys, I will watch your match," She giggled. "Just keep it fair."

"That was the plan," Shining Armour chuckled, galloping off. Black Paladin and Luna followed behind, all of them laughing like school-yard fillies. Shining Armour lead the small party to a remote area of the castle that Black Paladin had yet to explore. Pushing open a door, Black Paladin was amazed at the amount of technology in the lounge that was offered. It amazed him, looking at all the tvs and computers and gaming stations. Shining Armour walked over to a nearby computer and turned it on. "Come on then Paladin, logon."

Black Paladin turned on another computer and plugged in with his visor, quickly accessing the game. He logged on to the game and accessed his character, logging on. He was greeted by the tingling of the game connecting with his nervous system and the familiar voice. He took a deep breath, feeling the chilly air of the game. He opened his eyes, finding himself where he had logged off by the southern gate. The moon was out, in full beauty.

"You coming?" A character whispered to him. Paladin looked at the name, and laughed when he saw it. Shining Armour must have let Cadence give his character the name or something of a similar effect. "You weren't that hard to find actually, though Luna did help with that. Add me to your friend list."

After doing so, Black Paladin received a message from Shining Armour asking to join a party. He accepted, finding Luna in the part as well. He switched the party chat, feeling as though it would be a more private accommodation. "Hi. How is it going? Where are we meeting?"

"I'm setting a waypoint," Luna responded. "Why don't you begin explaining what is going on between you and Luna." It was not a question, but a demand. Black Paladin cursed. He had been hoping for more time to come up with an excuse of sorts before approaching Princess Luna on the matter.

"Well, I... uh... There is an explanation... uh... well..." Black Paladin stuttered. "I... this is harder than I thought."

"Do not worry Paladin," Luna chuckled. "It is more than all right. You two would make a cute couple. If you truly wish to date her as your special somepony, I would be happy for you."

Black Paladin stopped in front of a arena, the size of which he had never seen before, even in the real world. He looked down at his map, finding that his destination was set to inside the great coliseum. He pushed open a gate slowly, spotting both Luna and Shining Armour standing in the center, talking. Amazingly, Trixie was also there, sitting a bit further back. Paladin looked up at Shining Armour's level, finding that he was far outclasses by 5 levels. Paladin was still only a level 10, while Shining had achieved level 15.

Shining Armour class also differed from Paladin's. Armour was a guardian, which was actually one of the harder classes to master in the game and was a feat if anypony actually did. Black Paladin couldn't actually find any info on his class, mainly because he was the first to actually use it he had noticed.

"This does seem a bit unfair," Luna tutted. "You need to level up a bit before you two can duel Black Paladin. It is a good thing we can spawn monsters here that you can train on. When you feel ready, you and Shining Armour can have you battle."

"That sounds fair," Shining Armour smiled, climbing up into the stands along with Luna and Trixie. One of them hit a button as monsters jumped up, many different species all congregating on Black Paladin. They weren't as strong as he was, but there numbers would cause a problem. There were multiple abilities on Paladin's hotbar, but it would take all of his abilities to end this battle.

After about 3 hours of hard grinding and a few painful deaths on Black Paladin's account, he was finally at the level of Shining Armour, who was walking down the stairs, stretching. "You ready to lose?"

"I'm going to win and make you regret thinking I will back down," Black Paladin sneered. He was already warmed up and ready, while Shining Armour was cold and green. The only problem was that Paladin was exhausted from his previous grinding. Yet, he now had a serious clutch that the others didn't know about yet. A spell that allowed him to meld with the dark and disappear for a short amount of time.

"Come on Shining Armour," Paladin jested. "If I am going to win, might as well let you start the battle." Shining Armour jumped forward, his massive claymore swinging down at Black Paladin, who dodged to the left, absorbing the blow with his shield. He gets a swing in, aiming for the legs landing the blow. The claymore catches him in the side, sending him flying into a nearby pillar. Black Paladin rises, coughing up a bit of blood. He rushes forward, up and over Shining armour shooting off magical stars as he sailed over.

Shining Armour was protected by a magical barrier, which absorbed most of the damage of the magical blasts. Black Paladin landed and rolled, feeling the air breeze by as Armour's claymore sailed over. Black Paladin turned, activating his night armour and rushed forward, bashing Shining Armour in the muzzle with his shield. "I'm so not done yet."

"Neither am I," Shining recovered. Black Paladin struck out, landing a strong blow on one of Shining Armour's arms. He sidestepped, missing another sweep but getting hit by the second strike that he hadn't seen coming. Shining Armour was swinging the sword at the fastest speed that he had seen yet. Black Paladin dove away, firing off a magical blast of lunar magic, striking Shining Armour and bringing down his defenses.

"How?" Shining looked up. Deciding it was time to end the duel, Black Paladin activated his new spell, becoming one with the shadows. Shining looked up, confused as Black Paladin smashed him from the back with multiple barrages from both his sword and magical blasts, all that took Shining Armour down.

"Give up?" Black Paladin said as the duel ended. Shining Armour sat on the ground, breathing deeply, looking at his opponent. He merely nodded, unsure of what just happened.

"Shining, give up," Trixie called down. "He has you pinned."

"It is also late. You both need to get some rest," Luna walked out onto the field. "Come on you two, off the game. You can settle anything else when you both get a good night sleep."

"Yes Princess," Black Paladin bowed, logging off. He opened his eyes back to the room, where many of the guards were now playing games. There was an open bar where a few sat and drank away there day, while other guards had gotten a game of pool started. Shining Armour pulled off his own visor and looked at Black Paladin.

"I owe you an apology," Shining Armour began.

"Don't say anything," Black Paladin cut him off. "Maybe I was a bit to prideful and a perfectionist. I should not let that destroy our friendship. I admit my mistake."

"Glad you did," Shining Armour chuckled. "Let me buy you a drink."

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur for Black Paladin, who later awoke in the lounge in the middle of the pool table.

"Oh well," Black Paladin sighed, going back to sleep.

Chapter 7: An Abrupt Encounter

Black Paladin woke up in the center of a pool table, his head spinning. Around him, the game room was a giant mess of passed out guards and an assortment of gaming equipment. Not to mention empty mugs and bottles that they had gone through in the previous night.

Next to him was Trixie, who was snoring despite the fact that she considered herself a proper mare in many respects. Black Paladin chuckled to himself, remembering in a slight haze that she had outdrank most of the stallions in the room. It had been a fun night, though if he remembered, it had all ended when Luna casted a sleep spell, knocking out all the ponies in the room.

Luna herself was nowhere to be seen, which put Paladin at a disadvantage, though uncaring, mood. He also noted that Shining Armour was also missing, though he wasn't entirely clear if the Captain had left last night or had been subject to the sleep spell either. He pushed Trixie with his nose, getting a swipe of a hoof and an excuse of "five more minutes..."

"Good to see that you are up," A guard chuckled, poking his head into the room. "We should wake up Miss Lulamoon as well. You are requested to meet with Princess Luna in a few hours and neither of you are very presentable. Especially you sir." Black Paladin looked down at himself, breaking into laughter at the amount of cider that was staining his coat. He was always a sloppy drinker, especially as drunk as he got last night.

"Help me get her up then," Black Paladin waved the guard over. Together, the lifter her up between each other and started moving through the halls, keeping to the back areas where normal guests were not permitted to view. "Let's get her back to the apartments. I live next to her, so we should be fine."

"Aye, sir!" The guard responded, putting a hoof over his mouth when he realized he had shouted. Black Paladin shot him a glance but didn't say anything more. "Uh... sir? If I may?"

"Go ahead and ask your question, recruit," Black Paladin sighed, turning a corner and climbing a set of stairs.

"How are you able to stand? A friend of mine saw you drink over twenty bottles of hard cider. Everypony on the guard believed you'd be out for over a week." The guard sounded awed by Black Paladin's resistance to the alcohol.

"That cider is nothing like a thousand years ago," Black Paladin chuckled. "You ponies are light weights. The cider back then was strong enough to knock the princesses for a spin after a few bottles." The guard seemed uneasy at this statement. "Don't worry, friend. Luna doesn't drink nearly as much as she did then."

"Uh... I'll just pretend I never even heard that sir," The soldier sighed. He hoisted open a door that led into Trixie's own private apartment which was right down the hall from Luna's own royal chamber. Black Paladin's room was located at the other end of a hall, though most ponies would never find it. The door was hidden just so Black Paladin could have the peace he needed at times. "I'll just leave you two alone then, shall I?"

"That sounds good. But remember soldier, I'll know if you say anything about what happened here. And you will not like it. So, stay silent." Black Paladin glared, making the guard pony swallow in fear before running off, tail tucked between his legs. Paladin couldn't help but laugh, it was just so easy to make ponies these days afraid. "Come on Miss Lulamoon, it's time for you to wake up."

He nudged her slightly, receiving a hoof to the side of his head. That really got his blood boiling as he reverted back to his training and decided to do the next thing naturally as it occurred. "WAKE UP!" Ah, how many times had Luna woken him up like that. To many to count.

Trixie for her part did the next natural thing as well. Jumped. Screamed. Then proceeded to punch Black Paladin until she realized what was happening. "Paladin? Why did you wake me up like that?"

"How are you not hungover!?" Black Paladin asked, miffed that a mare had just overpowered him. "You drank about as much as I did, if not more!"

"Oh... Right, last night. Trixie has drunk a lot more than that. The cider was a bit weak for my taste." She casually waved. Black Paladin couldn't help but chuckle in spite of himself. "What's so funny. Does Trixie have something on her face?"

"No, but that would be even funnier," Black Paladin wiped a way a tear.

"Then what is so funny!?" Trixie said, leaping on him again. "Answer Trixie!"

"I said the exact same thing not a minute ago. At least you aren't a light weight with your beverage." Black Paladin gave her a small shove, upsetting her balance so he was on top of her. He chuckled, glaring down at her with a small smile spread across his lips. "You should know that we have to get ready to meet Luna in about an hour."

"Oh... Oh no. I guess she was expecting me to have a lesson since she has returned," Trixie sighed before using her magic to lift Paladin off of her. She rushed off into her bathroom, leaving Paladin alone for the next few hours. He decided he should go and play some EE before he was surpassed by even more ponies in levels.

In a matter of minutes, he was back online and in the arena he had logged off on, though he noticed his level had gone up even further. Must have been some party last night. His level read 20 and he now had a new set of armor, save the helmet. Even his weaponry had changed, to something a bit more comfortable for his taste. At his waist was a nice double edge blade, which matched his blade in real life almost perfectly, except the grip was off in color. On his back was a nice buckler, though it was a bit used.

He also noticed that he had a new set of moves and some upgraded moves to be using in battle. He couldn't remember what they did, because last night was still a blur to him. He decided the best place to go was to the launch of the next zeppelin to Aeroslida, one of the newer areas to have opened up for players to visit and explore for quests. He realized that it was probably best because he was out of quests for his current location.

Some of them were there, but they offered little experience to him and he needed that experience to get ahead of others. He decided to drop the quests, knowing that they were repeats for other lower level characters who were already working on them. He departed the arena, catching a glare from the sun cresting above a few buildings. He noticed that vendors were only just beginning to set up for a new day of sales for players.

Black Paladin glanced around, noting a potion vendor who was already trying to hawk his ware. A few lower leveled players were browsing his goods, though it was almost impossible to tell because of certain screens only players could see on their own. Paladin decided it was the best time to restock his potion supply. He would need ethers and health potions in case his magical shields failed him at the wrong moment.

"Good day sir!" The vendor, a unicorn stallion with a dark blue coat shouted, smiling. "Would you like some potions? No better supplies in the rest of the kingdom this side of Equestria Earth!"

"Sounds good then. I hope your supplies are worth the bits," Black Paladin chuckled, opening up the purchase screen. There were multiple potions of varying prices and strength that he could buy, though many of them were well out of his current price range, intended for the higher leveled and dedicated players. He noted that a potion that would fill both his ether bar and health was on sale for a good deal, so he decided it was best to stock up on that.

"Thank you sir! It's been a pleasure servicing you! If you don't already know, Aeroslida has recently opened and my brother is there. If you would be so kind, he seems to have forgotten his scarf. If you are heading that way, could you please bring it to him?"

"I was just heading there myself," Black Paladin nodded. The vendor smiled, reaching below the counter and bringing out a red scarf. It wasn't to fancy, though Black Paladin noted that it was enchanted with a warmth spell. "How do I know when I've found your brother?"

"Oh, right. He's like me. Sells potions. I'm sure he'll give you an in store discount for helping him out." The vendor said, turning back to his other customers, handing Paladin the scarf. Paladin stashed it in his bag before turning and walking back through the market towards the zeppelin base on the other side of the city. He had figured this out when he saw a massive blimp descend from the sky and land there.

Black Paladin galloped through the streets, hoping to make it to the airbase in time to actually get onto the next zeppelin before it left. They supposedly ran on a fifteen minute timer and one would be back in that time. But Paladin decided it would be fun to see if he could make it there in enough time.

"WATCH OUT!" Paladin had no time to move or react. Another body smashed into him, sending him flying into a wall of a store, causing the store keeper inside to jump. Thankfully, Black Paladin hadn't lost any health points in the collision though he was unsure of who had run him over. He pushed himself up from the ground, noticing that a gryphon was sitting on top of him. "Uh... Sorry about that."

"Uh... Did anypony catch the plate of that carriage?" Somepony chuckled from the gathered crowd. Black Paladin pushed the gryphon off of him, snarling in rage.

"Who do you think you are?" Black Paladin asked, keeping his cool. He then noticed his opponent wasn't entirely a griffon. His bottom half was a wolf, which threw Paladin for a loop. He had never encountered a creature such as this in his life, or at least in real life. He hadn't even fought something like this 1000 years ago during the Griffon Wars. "What are you?"

"I'm a Cynogriffon, duh! The names Arik Crimsonwing. Now who do you think you are, demanding this stuff from me?" The cynogriffin growled, dropping into an attack position, ready to pounce. Black Paladin sighed, touching a hoof to his head. Such arrogance did not become a warrior.

"If you must know, my name is Black Paladin. If you know anything of Griffon history, I am the Wingstealer. The Unicorn of the Night. Your kind feared sleeping during that war." Black Paladin chuckled. Arik stepped back, his eyes lighting up at the name.

"You..." He mumbled. "Lies. You would have to 1000 years old now. Or even older. You can't be that pony!"

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Black Paladin shrugged slightly, using his magic to play with his sword. Arik huffed before giving up with the argument. "That's better. Now, I need to be running before I'm late for the next ride to Aeroslida."

"I'm heading the same direction. Want to walk?" Arik attempted a chance at diplomacy. Black Paladin decided to let the kid go and simply waved, letting him go ahead first. "So, what class are you?"

"I'm a Night Paladin, able to provide an impressive defense with a capable offense. And you, friend?"

"I'm a Dark Night," Arik sighed, looking around at all the other players giving him some side glances. "I tend to get some bad rep as this class though. I've never heard of a Night Paladin class. How'd you get that?"

"Luna had some connections I believe," Black Paladin thought back, not sure of how he had actually gotten a class that no pony else used. Arik had stopped, beak open. "Did I say something?"

"You know the Princess Luna!?" Arik shouted, nearly deafening Black Paladin for a moment. "Oops... Sorry. But how do you know Luna?"

"That would be telling," Black Paladin chuckled. He looked up into the sky, noticing a blimp had just taken off into the air. "We should get moving. I'll race you to the docks."

"You are so on," Arik laughed, taking off at a speed Black Paladin hadn't forseen. Though, it didn't really bother him that much. He jumped onto a roof, using his increased dexterity to make better time than Arik.

"See you there!" Black Paladin called down, laughing as he jumped to the next building that block Arik's path for the moment. The two rushed through the city, freaking out multiple ponies and others who were in the two's path. Arik attempted to force Paladin off of the roofs a few times, flying overhead and divebombing him, though Paladin moved at the last second causing the cynogriffon to pull up before crashing.

"You are never going to catch me at this rate!" Black Paladin shouted back, chuckling under his breath as he dropped back onto the street, the roofs ending at a port. There were a large gathering of players about the same level as Black Paladin and Arik who were waiting for the next ride to Aeroslida. Luckily, it cost absolutely nothing and any number of players could enter a ship, though it could cause quite a lag at times with to many players.

"Dang!" Arik sighed, taking some deep breaths. "You are fast, for a unicorn. That sentence made no sense. I thought unicorns weren't that physically strong."

"Don't know who told you that," Black Paladin took a deep breath, catching his breath. "We unicorns can be extremely resilient if we put our minds to it. Guess we should bored the next zeppelin then."

"No, I've got to get off right now. Kind of needed back in the real world. Nice to meet you Paladin. I'll be sending you a friend request. We should hang out some time later, if that's alright." Arik gave a light smile. Black Paladin, for the lack of anything better, found that he liked the kid.

"Sure, we can do some questing next time you are on. I do aim to be the best player online." Black Paladin chuckled, still remembering his goal to prove himself the strongest.

"Well, you really have a long way to go and many other ponies between here and there. I'll help, but I definitely wish you luck on that goal." Arik said, giving a wave as he logged off, his avatar disappearing. Black Paladin had gotten used to this random occurrence as characters often did it all the time. It had freaked him out at first, but now it was so common he barely even batted an eye at it.

"Black Paladin!" A pony shouted. Paladin's ears twitched, his ears in the real world. The voice wasn't coming from anypony in game. He lifted the visor, realizing that Trixie was watching him play. "Are you ready?"

"For... what exactly?"

"Luna wanted to see you as well with me," Trixie responded. "I really have no idea what she wishes to see us for, but she demanded I come grab you as well. She refused to say anything else until you were present. And she seems very angry." Black Paladin sighed, logging off the game. He knew that when Luna was unhappy, furniture was likely to start flying in random directions, mainly at windows.

"Let's get this over with then," Black Paladin cursed under his breath, levitating the headset onto his desk. He walked into Luna's room, Trixie following close behind. The first thing his eye caught was Princess Luna standing at her desk, looking over some papers with a hint of concern. "Is something troubling you, Princess?"

"Your two friends seem to be doing just fine, though Gale seems to have upset a rather large snake reservation with his clumsiness." Luna gave a small smile. She turned to the two ponies, her smile disappearing. "But that's not why you two are here. Last night may have gone a bit overboard and I should have put a stop to it. Paladin, I know you can handle your alcohol, but Trixie, you may have done some things that you aren't proud of.

"Luckily, I've erased a few ponies minds who actually remember the events of last night. Surprisingly, a few ponies actually don't prefer to drink at all. I would have assumed all the guards like a heavy drink at times. But, then again, Shining Armor drank a bit but he ended up sleeping until he was needed for his duties. He rises like a clock is in his mind. It's truly amazing."

"What is it you are trying to prove?" Black Paladin sighed, not wanting to listen to her go off on multiple tangents all day. He did have guard duty scheduled in a few hours and he would like to get prepared for it. "I'm sorry if I seem a bit gruff Princess..."

"No, you did catch me before I began lecturing," Luna blushed slightly. "Anyway, I brought you both here to inform you of a secret behind EE that my dearest friend, Chaotic Note, brought forth to me. There has been a large breakout of hackers occuring all over the game, using cheats and backrooms like there is no tomorrow. Chaotic and friends are cracking down hard on these occurrences, but I need my own eyes in the game when I'm not around. Black Paladin, you are thus reinstated as a Shade."

"Are you positive Princess?" Black Paladin mused, thinking of the possible benefits of such a move. He would have more freedom to do with as he pleased. The night would again be his to roam and reap the benefits. Nopony's secrets would remain hidden for long. But he had originally resigned to have a normal life as a guard pony, to have a life he had missed out upon.

"I need a pony with total access to any information at any time. I will tell no pony, but if Chaotic begins to wonder why you are skulking about his activities both online off, don't say anything. Just direct him towards me."

"I guess I will have to accept. If this ends up becoming a larger problem to ponies in real life, this is all on me." Black Paladin saluted, ready for the complex process of returning the imbued power of the night to his body. It was going to be a long night. And it seemed as though Trixie was going to be a viewer of the operation.