Reborn in a Dating Sim: Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game! Book 2

Chapters

Chapter Introduction
Chapter 5
Chapter 11
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter Interlude
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter Interlude
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter Interlude

Chapter Introduction

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Introduction

The sounds of thunder roared in the distance. The deep rumble was the sort of sound that echoed through open valleys, and for the island that was the home of Viscount Copper Plum Bit this was no different. His own island was much the same as his father’s. Where his father’s island was completely agricultural he had slightly altered his to have a bit more flair. The hot springs, and bath, that he’d had Artemis construct was meant to be something of a tourist attraction.

A place to come and relax, to enjoy time to simply be, and to allow the natural hot water to simply purify and rejuvenate one’s soul. It had been meant for that, but now it was merely the family’s hot spring and bath. Instead the decision to go into business with his father in making the labyrinth that he’d accidentally created into a thriving monster core mill had come to fruition. Diamond Tiara, Applebloom, Sunset Shimmer, and even Diamond’s mother Spoiled Rich, which he’d finally gotten to meet her, had said that having the income from the labyrinth would go a long way toward building their future.

He’d considered the contracts that he’d overseen in his past life, those contracts that were meant for day laborers, and he had written some very similar to those for some adventurers. Adventurers that were paid a decent wage, and were offered health care if they would be willing to grind out the cores in the labyrinth. Most had absolutely accepted. The stipulation had been simple enough. They were to hunt for periods of no more than eight hours. During that time they were allotted breaks at two hour intervals, with the exception being exceptionally difficult battles allotted them an immediate break afterward.

In the middle of their shift they were allotted a thirty minute lunch, and then at the end of the eight hours they were to pack up, leave, and head out of the labyrinth for the other set of adventurers to take over. So far it had been working fairly well. There was a steady flow of income, and the cost of paying the adventurers wasn’t that high. The health care itself was handled thanks to Applebloom. She’d offered to use her potions when needed, and he’d accepted.

It could never be said that he wasn’t an equal opportunity individual. He was all in for accepting help from his future wives. Still, at the moment he found himself awake, on a sitting couch, with Artemis laying down with her head in his lap. Despite what she had said about not needing sleep there was no denying that being pregnant was taking a toll on her. She had grown tired, and she was finding herself being more careful when moving. Currently she was lying down, sleeping, and he could see the pronounced bump that was their child.

The scene was peaceful, beautiful, and something that deserved to be on a idyllic painting. He grinned, and leaned back as he he took in the room around them. So far his life was still insane. He had more time at the Academy, but luckily they were on break. His future brides were all in the house with him, and he couldn’t say that this was something he could live without. Having experienced it first hand he knew this was the kind of life he wanted to strive for.

“That’s so sweet,’ came a voice from the doorway, “She’s resting so peacefully, and you’re being kind enough to hold her head like that.”

He looked up to see Diamond Tiara standing there. Her choice of clothing showed that she had expected it to be them tonight. Her nightgown was sheer, a soft pink, and partially transparent. He could see every curve of her body as she moved toward them, “I had hoped to have you to myself for a while, but I think that she deserves a little time like this,” she said as she moved next to him, took a seat beside him, and leaned her head against his shoulder, “My love,” she said her voice soft, “Are you sure that you don’t mind my mother coming to stay for a short visit?”

He shook his head, “I can’t deny the request,” he replied as he sat there as Artemis’ lap pillow, “I owe your father far too much. From everything he’s done for me right down to allowing me to take you as my bride. I simply owe him more than I could ever repay. The fact that he suggested that your mother takes some time to destress sounds like a good idea. And she can do that here.”

She laughed, “Oh, she can,” Diamond Tiara said, “She won’t, but she could if she really wanted to.”

He looked at her, “I take it that you think that she’s going to push herself too hard, huh?”

She nodded, “Mother doesn’t know how to relax,” she replied, her voice relaying a little tension, “The truth is that she’s constantly trying to be in the middle of everything that happens at the court. My father is the one that really understands the ins and outs of it, but mother wants to be there to lobby for him. She wants to garner votes for his interests, and she is exceptionally determined when it comes to it.”

She laughed a little, “I fear that she will want to oversee our business, and that she will want to incorporate some other small things into it. Potentially making a deal to allow higher profile adventurers chances to solo the labyrinth if they feel so inclined to it.”

He shook his head, “I’m sure that there are some who could, but I don’t want to risk anyone’s safety. It’s better to go in teams. A single person could run into trouble down there.”

She nodded, “I know, and that’s why I agree with what we’ve done, but mother likely will feel different. I just wanted to warn you ahead of time.”

He considered what she was saying, and he could understand what she was getting at. Spoiled Rich ultimately was higher nobility. While she certainly came from adventurer stock she likely also believed that the best course of action was to ensure that high profile adventurers were drawn to the labyrinth. She wouldn’t be completely wrong, but for the business model that they were making it would most certainly work against what they were trying to do. They weren’t in it for short term gains, but instead they wanted long term revenue.

Long term meaning more than a few days or a few weeks. He wanted this to last for years, potentially for their lifetime and beyond. To keep their growing family in a source of steady income. It was really the best option. He was more than certain of that. Of course there were other possibilities. The idea of using the other island wasn’t in the stars. The island that had become a pirate stronghold had been made into a place for Satin, Prince Apollo, Posh Propers, Spear Point, Mithril Shield, and Platinum Reserve.

Which in truth it needed to be made into a place for them to live. It was the best chance for them to have some kind of life that wasn’t dependent upon the five idiots’ status. With them being mostly being disinherited, with the exception of Satin who was poor to begin with, they had no access to their wealth. They literally had to work as adventurers. From what Satin had told him they couldn’t save an ounce of that money. Each time they made something it was spent on a lavish dinner at the adventurer’s guild.

So, at the end of it having a place where they could at least have a life was better than the alternative. So, he accepted the responsibility, and he made the suggestion. His dad was for it, but officially they couldn’t simply give it to Satin. Instead they had to ask Queen Celestia or King Consort Baked Bean. At the end of it they approached King Consort Baked Bean, and he agreed to allow them to allow Satin and the others to take over the continued care of the island until such time as the Baroness and her daughters were able to reclaim it.

Which if Copper was honest likely would never happen. His Father was right about how the temple would help them, but most likely it would be through indoctrinated teachings. Those would likely leave them in a constant state of uncertainty. He personally didn’t think that it was Head Priestess Luna’s intention to do that, but rather it was something the temples did a local level. It ensured that those who came to them for assistance were dependent upon them. It kept them relevant, and it ensured that they would never stop thriving.

With that in mind, at least Satin and the five idiots had a place to go. Well, a place to go along with the other noble women that had been displaced thanks to the efforts of Queen Chrysalis. Those who had no family left. Those who had lost their entire family lines were also there, and also on another island that he had been given. So, while he made the suggestion it wasn’t like they were always alone. They had plenty of company.

Still, he was hopeful that helping them out wouldn’t come back to bit him in the ass somehow. It wasn’t that he believed that helping them out was the wrong thing to do. Far from it. He believed that helping them was likely the best thing that he could have done. The other matter that was at hand was the fact that he knew they had to deal with Spoiled Rich. From what Diamond Tiara was saying she would likely be pushing for them to make the labyrinth specifically open for high profile adventurers. Getting them to come in and work it would promote it, absolutely, but it was short profit gains. It would lose its novelty after a while. That meant that they had to make her see reason. They needed to show her that it had to be more than something that was flash in the pan.

“Dia, did you show your mother the plans we have for the labyrinth?” he asked, just to be sure that she did share it, “I mean, did you show her everything?”

She nodded, “I did,” she replied, as she looked at him, “Copper, she believes that it has merit, but she also believes that the ones who should profit the most from it is the adventurers that are established and already part of nobility. She wants them to visit it and promote it. I can see some of what she’s saying. I mean, it’s not wrong. The idea of them coming out and going through it makes sense, but how she wants it done seems off. It doesn’t really sit right.”

He nodded, “You’re absolutely correct,” he replied as he sat beside her, still hold Artemis, “I can can take a firm stand on it, and ultimately that could be the full extent of it, but there’s the slim chance that she might attempt to pull rank. If that’s the case, even with my being raised to Earl I don’t think that I can do much. I’ll still technically be lower on the pecking order. It means if she really wants this, and is determined for it to happen this way, then there’s really not much we can do.”

Diamond swallowed, “There is something,” she admitted after a moment, “Mother ultimately will defer to father. She will follow his lead. If she’s coming by herself then she hasn’t told him the reason for it. Father would never let this happen. He has a keen head for business, and while he would see the short term gains he would most certainly see how this would hurt the business model we have set up. He’d want her to follow our model more. Perhaps allow one or two high profile adventurers to lead parties, something to boost their status, promote the labyrinth, but not hurt the business itself.”

Copper nodded, “Something like that makes sense. It gives the high profile adventurers the chance to really test themselves, show that they are where they are because of their skill, and at the same time bring in business. That makes sense. Cutting off the labyrinth to all other adventurers seems silly. I know that it seems idiot to think that she would go to that extreme, but I’m considering the worst case scenario.”

She shook her head, “You’re closer to what may actually happen than you think,” she admitted after a moment, “Mother will slowly divert all of the attention to the higher profile adventurers. She is more geared toward status. It helps with garnering support in the courts, but it doesn’t do much when it comes to business. She’s convinced that she’s right, and that there is no one else that is correct except for her. The one person she admits is better at business than her is father.”

He nodded, “So, do you want to contact your father, or should I?”

She studied him, “Mother is going to be so upset,” she groaned as she continued to lean her head against him, “Copper, I don’t think that you understand exactly how upset she’s going to be. She will believe that we don’t trust in her judgment. Which in this case I absolutely do not, but when it comes to getting support I do. I trust in how she is able to talk to the other nobles, and how she is able to work them into doing what she wants.”

He nodded, “I get it,” he replied as he looked at her, “I really do, but I want to make sure that all of you, and all of our children, are cared for.”

The words came so simply, so easily, that it was the truth. There was no mistaking that. Diamond Tiara made a small happy noise next to him, “You do realize that you’re going to be swimming in children, right?” she asked as she leaned against him, completely content, “I mean it, honestly you’re going to be practically drowning in children.”

He laughed as he gently stroked Artemis’ head, “I know,” he admitted, “and honestly I’m not worried about it. I want to be. I want to be swimming in them. I want to be completely drowning in them. That is something that I want to experience for the rest of my life.” he said as he enjoyed the moment, “Although I know that’s not very practical of me. For one I should make sure that all of you are fine with having them.”

“Of course we are my Captain,” Artemis answered from his lap, “If I was not then I would not be carrying our child right now. I would have simply abstained from the act of creating this symbol of our relationship,” she said, her voice soft and gentle, “Instead I am currently feeling the life that we’ve created growing inside of me. In a world of magic, of seeing great feats of unexplainable energy, this is the most magical thing there is. The creation of life from two different individuals. To create such a specific form from all of the chaos, all of the variables, it is like turning lead into gold. It is a miracle.”

He gently stroked her head, “I agree,” he said after a few moments, “I can’t agree more that it is truly a miracle, and there will be more of them here. I’m just wondering what it’s going to be like to have these little miracles running around.”

Diamond Tiara laughed softly, “It will be chaos,” she admitted, “The boys will need to start training when they’re able. Both for action in the court, and in swordsmanship. Your father actually told me of the drills that you did every single morning before coming to the academy, and while I think that it is a little overboard, I don’t specifically think that it is a bad idea. We could have them train similarly.”

He breathed out, “Yeah, but that training was exceptionally difficult. It really was, and I’m not sure how well I can hold up making my own children do them. It would feel like a betrayal. I know that sounds stupid, but I want them to be able to enjoy their childhood. Maybe not have as many worries or cares.”

“It won’t be like that,” a different voice said, and he looked up to see the door opening. There was someone he hadn’t expected to see. It had been difficult to call her mother. The memories of who he’d grown up with was still there. Delicate Emerald had been spiteful, angry, and vengeful. She had treated him with contempt, and he’d never known why she hated him so much. The woman there before him wasn’t her, and yet she was. She stepped into the home, “I’m sorry for simply barging in,” she said a soft smile on her face, “I just wanted to come and say hello, and there is also a letter that came to us from the dragon fire mailer. I was surprised to see it light up, but then the moment I saw that it was for you it made sense.”

He nodded, “Thanks, mom,” he said, the word still feeling odd on his tongue, “I mean it, so did Dad come with you?”

“He did,” came the voice of Gold Bit from outside, “I wanted to make sure that nothing else happened to my Delicate.”

She rolled her eyes, “Gold, love, we were promised that there would be no more captures, no more imposters, no more of the trying to ensure the status quo. I believe that we should be fine.”

He shook his head, “Delicate, you were replaced by a creature that looked like you. It pretended to be you, and I… I’m so sorry for not realizing that it wasn’t you.”

She touched him, “Love, you couldn’t tell because it became a perfect copy. I’m not mad at you, I would never be mad at you,” she replied her touch looked gentle, “I’m just glad that I get to meet my children, and soon my grandchildren, and perhaps I can give my grandchildren another aunt or uncle.”

He laughed, and Copper shook his head. Sure, he was saying something similar a few moments ago, but there was something fundamentally wrong with hearing a person’s parents talking about having another child. Maybe it was because the thought of his parents as sexual beings was somewhat foreign to him. That could be it, and he wagered that it likely was the reason. He shook his head, “Anyway, what’s the letter that you guys got?”

Delicate handed it to him, and he opened it. The envelope was a midnight blue, the emblem of a crescent moon was adorned on it, and the letter itself was similar. It too was midnight blue, the emblem of the crescent moon was at the top of the letter. Had he never met Head Priestess Luna he would have never known that it came directly from her. The fact her hair was this color, that she wore a crescent moon pendant, or that her robes were a softer blue were the hints he needed that relayed where it came from.

“It’s from the temple,” he said as he looked at the letter and then began to read it. For a moment he looked fine, and then his body began to stiffen. He felt a wash of uncertainty followed by a feeling of unsurpassed anger welling up inside of him, “No, this isn’t possible, what did that idiot do?!”

“My Captain?” Artemis asked from her place, “is all well?”

“Copper, love?” Diamond Tiara asked from beside him, “What is it?”

He breathed out, “This can’t be right, it just fucking can’t be right!”

The letter slipped from his hand, and in a fit of worry Diamond Tiara grabbed it. She lifted it up, and she looked at it, “Oh, oh no.”

Viscount Copper Plum Bit, it is my sworn duty as the Head Priestess to inform you that your status of Temple Knight is secured. Additionally it is my duty as Head Priestess to inform you that you have been assigned. The Saint has been found. Viscountess Satin DeMure has been named the Saint. She has shown the abilities of sainthood, and she has produced an artifact that was placed somewhere that only the Saint could reach. With that we have given her the staff of the Saint.

It is my understanding that you found the last piece of power of the Saint. A necklace that holds the power to increase the Saint’s own abilities. It is with a heavy heart that I must ask you to relinquish the necklace to the Saint as soon as possible. Additionally, I must ask that you prepare a ship to bring her back to the Capital where she can be fully appointed as the Saint. I know that this is asking much of you, and I apologize for that. However, I cannot, absolutely cannot, fully relay the importance of the tasks that I’ve asked of you in mere words. Please, do what I’ve asked in haste.

Of the knights of the temple, of my friends, of those closest to me, I feel that it is you that I can trust the most.

Love, Head Priestess Luna.

“What did that little twerp do?” Diamond Tiara seethed as she sat beside him, “What did she do to make this happen, she can’t be the saint, there’s no possible way that she can be.”

Copper shook his head, “I can’t refuse what’s been asked of me,” he replied from beside her, “I really can’t, but it didn’t say a word about not taking all of you with me, or at least a few of you.”

She looked at him, “I’ll gather a few things, a trip to the capital won’t be bad, and we can come back and enjoy the rest of our break afterward. Besides, I am not letting that little twerp even come close to attempting to seduce you.”

“My Captain is repulsed by her, but I too shall accompany you. As will Monika. My Capitan, you do understand that she will likely be watching Satin closely. I seriously doubt that she can make a move without her notice.”

He nodded, “I know, damn it, I didn’t want to get caught up in this,” he said as he looked at his parents, “Mom, Dad, do you feel like going to the Capital?”

Both of them smiled, “Of course,” they said, “We can take the ship you gave us,” his father replied, “It’s got plenty of room, and we’ll just focus on ensuring that everything works fine.”

With that he felt a little bit of peace.

Chapter 5

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Five

The hall of the great temple was quiet. A hush had covered every single soul that was there. Copper watched as Satin moved toward the collection of Priests and of course toward Head Priestess Luna as well. The Head Priestess seemed to study her with an uncertain look. The simple fact that she had managed to not only heal, but completely restore Applejack had been enough to guarantee her the position of the Saint. For the most part she was actually somewhat acting like it.

She was moving toward the collection waiting on her with slight fear. There was little doubt in his mind that she was doing something she really didn’t want to do. She had apologized before, and now he understood why. After discovering who they were to each other she must had realized exactly what it would mean if she went down this path. The problem was she had already started it. There was no turning back, and that meant that she would be forced to carry out what she had set herself up for.

He hoped that she could actually do the job. Being the Saint wasn’t the same as being the love interest to the five idiots. It was actually going to be a huge amount of work. She would be putting in hours that she likely had no real preparation for. The sister that he remembered had tried her hardest to get out of real work every single time. She tried to leave the actual hard work for him to do. He’d saved her ass more than once, and that had been because he did care for her. The entire cutesy act had gotten on his nerves in his previous life, and it wasn’t doing him any favors now.

Mostly because he knew what she was really like. She wasn’t some cutesy little heroine that was trying to do the right thing. She had been a spoiled brat. Her entire life she had been spoiled and determined to have people do things for her. Maybe something had happened after he died that forced her to have to learn how to handle herself. In a way he certainly hoped that was the case. That she had to grow up, and she had to figure out how to be an adult. The only way that their parents would have helped in that regard would have been to throw her out.

Which would have been harsh, but then again it likely could have happened. If their father would have learned any of the things that she was doing behind his back he would have disowned her without a second thought. That was just the way the man was. Hell, he’d moved out, gotten a crappy job at a call center, and still he worried about what his father thought of him. He worried because he knew that the man’s reach was further than their own home.

That didn’t matter now. His father in that life was gone. There was nothing that he could do to set them back, to bother them, or to cause them more grief. That wasn’t to say that he had been a horrible man. He hadn’t been. He had just been an incredibly strict man that was also a preacher. Holiness Pentecostal had been what he had been raised in. The belief that all of them were damned to hell, before they did a single thing, was exactly what he had been taught from early on. His father had completely accepted that, and he could only imagine what would have happened if his father found out about the various things that he knew his little sister had gotten into.

Still, he watched as she moved toward the front, and he watched as she stood there. The silence continued for a moment longer until Head Priestess Luna stepped forward, “Viscountess Satin Crushed Velvet,’ she said her voice booming across the long room, “Step forward and receive your title.”

Satin moved, and Copper watched as she knelt before Head Priestess Luna, “I stand before you, as the representative of the Goddess Selene. Through her blessings I can promise that power of these artifacts will in fact increase the power of those that have them. The bracelet of power will increase thine spiritual powers, the staff of power will increase thy casting ability, and the necklace of power will increase thine stamina,” she said as she looked at her, “With these artifacts you’ve accepted a position that will forever serve the kingdom. Through your actions you will bring prosperity and peace to our land. Do not fail us.”

“Do not fail us,” the other priests and priestesses chanted, “Do you accept your title?”

Satin, for the first time since this entire thing began, looked toward Copper. There were tears in her eyes, and he knew that she couldn’t turn it down. Not now. She had come too far, and she had done too much to simply turn this away. She was stuck, and he knew that she knew it. He also knew that there was nothing, not a thing that she could do about it until she finally failed. Of course at that point Head Priestess Luna had already said what would happen. Since it would come to light that she was a false Saint she would be put to death. It was that simple. This was her only real chance to escape death.

Sure, it could really escape what was going to come now. It was going to be more than she could handle. He knew that. And he knew that when the time came he would have to make a choice. The problem was that he had his own family now. He was going to be married, and there was already a child on the way. Actually, if he was honest with himself there were likely several children on the way. That wasn’t an issue with him. It was actually something that he was really looking forward to.

“I accept,” she said, her voice sounded heavy, almost as if it were too much to simply speak the words, “I accept with a heavy heart.”

The cocking of Head Priestess Luna’s eyebrow wasn’t missed by Copper. The reaction hadn’t been something that she was expecting. It was a form of humility that Satin wasn’t known for. He was even surprised by it. Normally, she was the first to demand that she be treated with respect. She was normally the one that would demand that all others looked up to her favorably. That had been exactly who she was. To see her acting this differently was off putting.

“As the Head Priestess,, and as the head maiden of the temple, I declare that you are the Saint. From this day forward all that you do will be in service to the kingdom. Rise, and go forward with the knowledge of your secured future.”

Copper watched as she walked away from the front, and instead of heading directly toward the five idiots she moved toward him. He watched as she neared him, and without saying a word she moved to hug him. The feeling was familiar enough that he certainly remembered how she would hug him in their previous life when she was dealing with the consequences of her actions. He felt her hug him a little bit longer before she pulled back, “I’m sorry bubby,” she said, her voice cracking, “I didn’t know, I really didn’t know that it was you. If I had of I wouldn’t have done it.”

He studied her, “It really doesn’t matter right now, does it?” he asked as she stood there, “look, what’s done is done. You’re the saint. For better or worse that’s what you are. It’s up to you now to help protect the kingdom. It’s also up to you to show that you deserve the role. The one good thing from this is that you can move to have the head idiot reinstated as crown prince. As the saint you have that kind of power.”

She shook her head, “I shouldn’t have wanted it. I shouldn’t have taken it. I did this because I didn’t know. Now you’re here, and I fucked up again,” she sniffed, her eyes leaking a little, “I fucked up so bad before, and I’ve do so many things that I’m not proud of. I… I thought that if I had the attention it would be fine, but it’s not. I hate my life. I’m constantly taking care of them. They don’t get that it’s hard to keep us in enough money to just survive!”

The flood gates had opened, and he was there to receive all of her complaints. He knew that there was no escaping this, and he wasn’t even going to attempt to, “So, I take it that things are just horrible huh?”

She nodded, “It’s a constant struggle, and they want sex, all of the damned time. I’m just one person, just one, and it’s a constant need for validation! I’ve been through more dick than all of New York Pride! I’m so tired of the constant need for me to show that I love them. I really just need a break, and I know that I did this to myself. This is my life, I get it. It’s where I am, and it’s what’s happened. I did this, and I don’t know how to undo it.”

He looked at her, “So, things over there look bad, and your back is against the wall. Your whole existence with them seems fuckin’ hopeless. I bet that you get to feeling as filthy as dive bar bathroom stall. I would guess that you really can’t stand to face the world sober and broke,” he said as she nodded, “So, you’ve lost your way, you think your life is wrecked, well, just let me say that you’re correct.”

She let go of him, “Wait what?”

“Face it, you’re a loser baby, a goddamned loser baby. You’re a fucked up little whiney bitch, you’re a loser just like me.”

“This isn’t making me feel any better,” she growled, “I thought that you’d try to help me feel better!”

He shrugged, “You don’t need to feel better, you need to understand that even though you’ve climbed to become the saint it doesn’t change the fact that in order to get what you wanted you had to become a power bottom, and you were at rock bottom, but hey, at least you’ve got company.”

“You’re a dick!” she said as she hit his arm, and then she giggled, “Thanks for making me feel better,” She shook her head, “I really did play the fuck around and find out game though didn’t I? Ugh, I’ve got five of them, five, and I’ve got to figure out how this is going to work. All of them want time alone with me, and then there’s times that they want to be together. Oh, that sucks so bad. I’ve had them go…”

He shook his head, “I don’t need to hear what my sister has been doing, how she’s been doing it, or for how long. I get it,” he said as he looked at her, “That said, look, whatever you did, however it happened, like it or not you’re kind of stuck with them. They’ve literally given up everything to be with you. At this point you’ve more or less trapped yourself with them. There’s really no way out of it other than accepting that you’ve got baggage that you’re going to have to carry for your entire life.”

Diamond Tiara groaned and stepped forward, “Please understand that I honestly do not like you, at all,” she said, her voice firm, “But that said, I can sympathize. You’ve played yourself, and while I don’t get all of the things that my beloved has said, I do understand that you’ve debased yourself and you regret it. From this point you’re the Saint. You must do your best to become the person that is needed. It means leaving your past in the past. Learn from it, absolutely, but do not drag it out and attempt to relive it. Accept it happened, learn, and move on.”

She breathed out, and leaned her head against Copper’s shoulder, “And should the need arise, you can consider all of us to be sisters. Perhaps we will not be close, and I know that all of us have issues with you, but we can attempt to be civil, and we can give you a friendly ear when needed.”

For a moment she simply stood there, and then Satin began crying. The tears were coming fast, and they were the kind of tears that told of someone feeling more than a little guilty. She shook her head, and she looked away, “I… I mean, I guess, thank you?” the words were stumbling out of her, “I am really sorry for everything that happened. I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

She shook her head and continued to cry, “That’s not the truth, I knew. I knew what was going to happen, but I didn’t know you, I didn’t know how important you were going to become to my bubby. I am so…so sorry,” she said, her voice sounding hurt and full of shame, “I really am. I don’t expect you to forgive me. I feel like I shouldn’t even really be talking to you. That my being here is going to cause something bad to happen, and I don’t want to cause more trouble.”

Copper looked at her, and he shook his head, “Take a note from Dia,” he said as he looked at her, “Like it or not we’re family, and I’m going to have your back. That’s who and what I am. It doesn’t take away the fact that we both know that you can be, and often are, a fucked up little whiny bitch. It’s just who you are. That’s not going to change.”

She growled at him, “I get it, I’ve made mistakes, like a lot of them, but that doesn’t mean that I’m a whiny little bitch about it.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her, and he watched as she squirmed a bit, “Okay, I am,” she admitted, “I am a little whiny bitch about it. I can’t help it! Things were supposed to be better, and instead I’ve managed to screw things up,” she sighed and looked at him, “Does this mean though that you’re not going to be completely angry with me?”

He smiled at her, “No, I don’t plan on being completely angry with you. Hell, I don’t plan on being anything other than just myself,” he replied as he felt another body press against him. He looked to see Artemis. She was studying Satin, and after a moment she rolled her eyes, “My Captain, and sister-wife, has offered to help you, and so I shall do the same. Understand that should you ever do anything against them then I will come for you. There will be nothing that you can do to stop me either.”

She nodded, the warning was out there, and it was direct and to the point. Then again, that was just the way that Artemis was. She was to the point about things. He watched as Satin seemed to look at her, and then she nodded, “I get it,” she admitted after a moment, “I really do, but does this mean that you’re not going to just abandon me again?”

He looked at her, “No, I won’t be just abandoning you. I’m your brother. I will help you, but I’d like the returned favor from time to time,” he said as she motioned toward Tarnished Tiara who was standing away from them, “I’d like you to try to make nice with my other sisters. I think that they could use a little influence from time to time.”

She nodded, “Okay, I can do that,” she replied as she watched them, “Wait, didn’t your older sister try to kill you?” she asked as she stood there, “I mean, I remember something about that, right?”

He nodded, “Yeah, one of your collection attempted to make her plant some explosives. The whole idea was to ensure that I died in an explosion. It was supposed to be something that would ensure that he won by default. Of course it didn’t come to pass, and that’s just fine.” he replied as he looked toward her, “Tarnished isn’t a bad person, but she’s way more bratty than you are. I think that being around her might be some introspection for you.”

She eyed him for a moment, “Are you saying that I’m still a brat?”

He laughed, “If the shoe fits,” he admitted, “Look, hang around Tarnished a bit, get to know her, and maybe see if she can maybe become less of a brat. Or at the very least you’ll get an idea of what you could have been like,” he said as he motioned toward her. Of course he saw his Dad, and there was another wave of guilt the hit him. It had been necessary, there was really no way around it, but it made him feel terrible to more or less make his father believe that something like that had happened to him.

He watched as his father finally walked toward them, and he stood there looking at Satin. It was a hard moment for Gold Bit, and Copper wasn’t going to do anything to make it harder. He watched as his father screwed up his courage, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t part of your life,” he said, his voice strained, “I really am. I don’t know if it was a good or bad thing that I wasn’t part of it, but I have to ask, did you at least have a decent life?”

She studied him for a moment, and he watched as she squirmed, “I guess,” she admitted, “Dad had a really bad gambling problem, and honestly we were way poorer than we should have been because of it. But we really didn’t ever have a time that we didn’t have food on the table or a roof over our heads.”

He nodded, “Look, I’m not sure how this should go. That thing that pretended to be my beloved Delicate Emerald did some terrible things, and if she became your mother, then I can only imagine the horrible things that happened when you were growing up. I’m glad that she was stopped before you could be taken, I really am, I just wish that I would have known about you before all of this.”

She studied him for a moment, “It wouldn’t have changed anything,” she said softly before she touched his hand, “I get it, you want to apologize for not being there, but as imperfect as he was my father was there. He didn’t know what was happening either. It’s safe to say that this wasn’t anyone’s fault, and that things happened. Whatever happens from this point on know that you weren’t at fault, at all.”

Copper felt relief, and he also felt surprised that she was able to say something similar to what the saint would say. There was some hope, small as it was, that maybe she could pull it off.

Chapter 11

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Eleven

The soft sounds of snoring hung in the room. For Copper it was another reminder that he was alive, that his brides to be were alive, and that he was already a father. The small crib that was supplied held Athena, and he was glad to see her sleeping so well. Regardless of what others might think he knew that Artemis was a devoted and loving mother. She didn’t just feed and change Athena because it was needed.. She softly talked to her, sung to her, and treated her like a true gem. Still, that wasn’t bothering him. What had him up before all of his brides to be was the fact that he knew that he had a magical object to find.

He’d already explored the mansion that the Ancient Dragon Kingdom, or Empire rather, had allowed them to stay in, and he had found an impressive library inside of it. Monika, unsurprisingly, had taken it upon herself to organize the library to the standards that she believed it needed to be in. Which honestly made far more sense than he wanted to admit. He as still unsure of exactly how she was here, but he was glad to have her. Still, the Library had gone from being matched to color and size and put away to being matched to subject, the sub-subjects after that, and finally by alphabetization of the author’s last names finally.

She’d then assigned each book a number, and thanks to Applebloom’s slight enchantment each book carried a glowing number on the bottom of its spine. In essence, Monika had recreated the dewey decimal system, and she had implemented it here. It certainly had made what he started to do easier. While the library that was in the mansion wasn’t as expansive as the library back at the Academy it did have a quite a few historical books in it. He began looking through those books to find anything over Grogar’s bell.

The first two days had been spent trying to find some mention of it in the books that he had access to, and unfortunately he found that most were lacking. It wasn’t until he finally, finally, found the one book that had something in it. The book was far older than most of the others, and he could tell that it likely had been with the manson for an exceptionally long time. He slowly opened it, afraid that handling too roughly would destroy it, and he began to leaf through it until he came upon a picture of what looked like a terrifying demon.

Its head was a ram’s head, and it stood on two goat legs. Its hands were cradling something, and he realized that it was a bell. The picture wasn’t overly detailed, and it wasn’t stylized, which told him that it wasn’t a picture that someone had actually drawn of something they’d seen. Instead it seemed to be more of a picture of something that had the image already on it. He looked at the words below the picture, “Deep within the most ancient labyrinth is a giant door. This door separates the rest of the Ancient Dragon Empire from whatever is kept beyond it. On the door is this terrifying image of some creature,” he read as he looked at the book, “None know what exists beyond the door, and none know what may even open the doors themselves. It is simply an ancient curiosity that has remained without our Empire since before its foundation. While many scholars have attempted to study the door as thoroughly as possible it has been determined to be too difficult to traverse inside of the labyrinth for too long.”

He looked up, “The most ancient labyrinth?” he asked as he looked at it, “Well, if the labyrinths here follow the same design as the ones back in the Kingdom then it would mean that there are monster cores that have sewn into the soil and created it. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind collecting some of the cores here, and of course I wouldn’t mind to see what’s in the labyrinth,” he said as looked at the book, “Although, I not being able to get through the door might be a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” came the voice of Sunset Shimmer, “And what Labyrinth?”

Her clothes weren’t the normal look of the daughter of an earl, or the soon to be wife of one. Instead she was wearing a simple pair of jeans, a comfortable looking blue sweater, and the look on her face was more along the lines of being tired than anything else. He smiled at her, knowing that she was wanting to be interested. Not that he was against it in the slightest. Instead he was happy to see her, and happy to have her with him. Of course he’d gone ahead and explained part of what they were doing.

He did because he knew that Artemis would tell them if they asked. It wasn’t that he didn’t want them to know, but he really didn’t want them to worry. Which had been exactly why he had considered just avoiding telling them. It would have made the trip a little harder, especially since he would be going off into labyrinths to find the bell, but since they were in the know then he could still search. Although he wasn’t sure about taking any of them with him.

“One of the oldest labyrinths here in the Empire,” he replied, keeping the fact that it was an empire and not a kingdom straight in his head, “It’s about the best lead that I’ve sound so far. I think that it might be the one place where I can find something that might lead me to where to find the bell.”

She nodded, “I see,” she said as she moved toward the book he was looking at it, “Huh, so that must be thing that you were talking about,” she said as she looked at it, “I’ve never seen a demon lord before, but I suppose that would fit the description. So, if you find this bell, what then?”

Again, he had absolutely no reason to not tell her. He’d come clean to all of them, completely, already. They knew about the situation with King Sombra, and there was no reason to hide anything. Still, he knew his brides to be, and he knew what they were like. There was no denying that they would likely want to follow him. More to the point they would want to ensure his safety. That was the conundrum. He wanted to keep them safe as well. He wanted to protect them, and in order to do that meant that they couldn’t be going with him.

And instantly he knew that wouldn’t work. They would follow him. They would go with him, and they would protect him. That was exactly who they were. There was no getting around that, not in the slightest, and there was no denying that they would want to ensure that everything went well. He couldn’ simply leave them behind, and he knew it. In the end, they would come with him.

“From what I learned the bell is supposed to have more than enough power to ensure that King Sombra remains trapped,” he said, his voice relaying his concern, “The only lead I had was that it was here, in the Ancient Dragon Empire,” he said before he paused, “Okay, I get that it’s an empire, but it is really difficult to keep calling it that when everyone back home has been calling it a kingdom most of my life.”

She smiled at him, “Love,” she said before she moved closer and kissed him, “Empire is simply another word for kingdom. An Emperor is basically just a king. It’s simply another word for it. Please, don’t beat yourself up over something like this,” she said before hugging him, “I mean really, I can see chastising yourself when you’ve done so to one of the citizens of the Empire, but doing so while in your own home, away from prying ears, it makes no sense.”

He smiled at her, “You do know how to help calm me anxiety down, huh?”

She grinned at him, the look was almost predatory, “maybe a little,” she admitted, “Although I’ve had the same anxieties. If I was to be completely honest with myself I’ve had the same sort of situations before. Such as when you made sure that Applebloom gave me the antivenom in the labyrinth back when we were exploring the capital’s main labyrinth for school.”

He nodded, “I remember,” he replied as he looked at her, “I am sorry that happened to you. Applebloom did warn us that there was likely to be some side effects depending on how bad the poison was. The problem was that we couldn’t just leave you in that state. In truth, I don’t think that you would have made it out of the labyrinth alive. I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I let anyone die in there, and considering how things are now, I would have done myself a huge disservice by not saving you.”

She grinned, and he watched as she began to put her hair into a ponytail. His eyebrows arched slightly as she finished doing so, and then without hesitation she went to her knees. His eyes widened as she unbuttoned his pants, “One does not say such things without expecting to get their dick sucked,” she replied, her voice sounding matter of factly, “and I am more than happy to oblige.”

Without another word he felt her kiss the tip slightly, lick it, and then he felt it disappear into her mouth. There are times that men can experience the sort of pleasures that could make them consider if they are already living in heaven. If this life itself was the reward for all that they’d done in their lives. At that moment he was more than certain that this was indeed heaven. He wasn’t taking anything away from his other brides to be. All of them were skilled in various ways, but not a one of them matched Sunset when it came to this.

Her head bobbed as she continued to work on him. The experience of pleasure was more than enough to make him pretty much consider anything that she would have asked. He had absolutely no doubt in his mind that his Sunset did know what she was doing. Of course there was the potential question of practice, but he wasn’t going there. He wasn’t about to damage this experience, his time with her, by allowing his mind to travel to places that it had no place to travel.

At the moment Sunset was his, and he was hers. Granted, he was also Artemis’, Monika’s, Diamond Tiara’s, and Applebloom’s, but he was undoubtedly hers as well. He felt himself tightening, and the wonders of her expression were causing him to get close to the end. The edge of the please was reaching, and he felt her hands move his own to the back of her head. She wanted him to hold her there. He did as she wanted, and he allowed himself that moment to experience the joy and rapture.

For a few brief moments there was nothing else. There was no other purpose, no other reason, there was just this fantastic moment between them. He released his hands, and she pulled back. A small dab of what had left him was on her lips, and she licked it off. She slowly stood, “Now, the reward is given, and undoubtedly you’re going to allow us to accompany you to the labyrinth, right?”

He wasn’t saying no after that. He wasn’t denying her a damned thing after that. There wasn’t a single thing in existence that would be able to make him deny her, “No, I won’t leave you here. I don’t think that I could if I wanted to, but I do know that there will have to be someone to remain behind to watch Athena. She’s too young to go into a labyrinth, and I’m not sure if Artemis will want to stay behind. I know her, and I know that she’s pretty hard headed about these things.”

Sunset smiled at him, “She is most certainly a very frank, and determined, woman. Honestly, I consider myself lucky to call her my future sister wife,” she replied as she looked at him, “But she isn’t without reason either. Athena needs her mother, more than anything else, and I know that Artemis knows that. Likely, if she gets Monika’s word that you will be watched, and protected, then she likely will remain behind and simply allow Monika to take her place.”

He thought about it, and he shook his head. Knowing Artemis she would order Monika to watch over Athena, and she would go. It was more in line with who she was. That wasn’t saying that she was a bad person, or a horrible life mate. Far from the truth she was wonderful, but at the same time she was someone that was determined to do things the way she wanted to. He didn’t think of her as an artificial intelligence anymore. In truth he hadn’t thought of her as that in an exceptionally long time.

The other avatars of hers were just that. They were avatars. They could be her, if she took direct control of them, but for all rights and purposes she was the one avatar that she had changed. He’d long since connected her to the avatar that she used most of the time. That avatar was the one that birthed Athena, and it was that avatar that was the first to be changed to more organic.

Still, everything at this moment was conjecture. That was all it really was. He was pretty certain of what Artemis would do, but she could potentially surprise him. He had doubts on that, but he had been wrong before. The one thing that made him more certain than doubtful was the fact that ultimately while he thought of Artemis as a person, and not as an Artificial Intelligence, was the fact that she had begun as an Artificial Intelligence. In several ways her thought processes still operated that way.

“Whatever happens,” he said as he looked at her, “I want to make sure that all of you are safe. I get it, I really do, but you are all precious to me. I don’t want to risk a single one of you, and yes I’m going to have the same talk with the others. I really don’t want to risk any of you for any reason. What we’re doing here absolutely is important, but ultimately it’s not more important to me than any of you are.”

She smiled, a soft look to be sure, and she moved forward, Without a single word she kissed him. It was full, passionate, and he completely ignored the fact that moments ago she had his cock in her mouth. It didn’t matter anyway. What had happened, what will happen, all of it was something that happened between people that loved one another. There was no hesitation in that. There was no fear, no worry, no uncertainty, In that moment, he felt complete.

The kiss ended, and he went with her to the next room. There he saw Applebloom and Diamond Tiara both in bed. Monika was near them, her eyes slowly fluttering awake, but Artemis was already up. She was sitting in a chair, Athena gently suckling, and she was looking toward them. There was no anger, no surprise, no hurt, and he realized that was because she truly believed in everything they had talked about. She believed that sharing would be the best option in ensuring that they were a stronger unit.

The one situation where she had been more upset had been the inclusion of Monika. His only guess was that it had been because Monika herself was another Artificial Intelligence. The idea that it had been a form of jealousy certainly seemed likely. It was a human emotion, and he had absolutely no doubt that more often than not Artemis was more human than she had believed herself to originally be. Of course that didn’t stop her from operating like an Artificial Intelligence either.

“I might have found the first place to travel to in order to find something out about the bell,” he said, his voice even, “It’s the oldest labyrinth here, and apparently there’s an ancient door there with the likeness of Grogar on it. I think that it’s our best chance at possibly finding some kind of connection here.”

Artemis seemed to study him for a moment, “I take it that diving into the books contained within the manor was fruitful,” she said after a moment, “That means that assimilating more of the data in this region would also be fruitful. Perhaps we should visit the respiratory at the University and see what information they may have.”

He looked at her, “I thought about visiting the library,” he admitted after a moment, “And I still think that it’s a good idea. That said, I absolutely believe that traveling to the labyrinth is also necessary. If for no other reason than to map it out and figure out the best way to traverse through it,” he stated as he looked at all of them, “And while I know that it’s not ideal I think that this is a situation where some of us should go to the library, gather what information we can, and combine it into a more useful format. The rest of us need to go to the labyrinth and they need to dive into it. It’s not to find the bell, but rather it’s to map out the labyrinth itself, and to prepare to go back with the information in it.”

The plan wasn’t full proof, not by any means. There was every chance that all of them would deny the idea of any of them splitting up. He looked toward Diamond Tiara, hoping against hope that she would have his back. He had a feeling that Sunset Shimmer would. She had already stated that she believed that Artemis would want to watch over Athena. He hoped that she was right on that, but it wasn’t a guarantee.

“I believe that is an acceptable plan,” Artemis said as she looked toward him, “The division of forces isn’t ideal, but considering that it isn’t a mission to simply obtain the artifact itself then it means that both are simply fact finding missions. All that is left is the division of forces. Who will go where.”

He nodded, “I think that you should go to the library,” he said and he could see her furrow her brow, “I’m not trying to say that I don’t think you could handle yourself in the labyrinth. I know better. I am saying that there’s two reasons. One, you are incredibly skilled at obtaining knowledge. You’re damned good at scouting, and you’re invaluable when it comes to researching. I think that you would be fantastic at ensuring the information at the library was researched in the way that was the most beneficial.”

She seemed to nod, “Very well,” she said, “Monika is on par with me, but the fact that you understand that I am simply better at this than her means that you accept that I am her superior. I accept this mission.”

He breathed out, “Then Monika can come with me, and she can help make sure that we map the area. I honestly would ask the rest of you go to the library, but I know that isn’t going to happen.”

Sunset looked at him, “I’m already not great at labyrinths. I know that, but I’m decent at research and at taking notes. I’ll go with Artemis. Diamond Tiara is gifted when it comes to defense, and you could use that. Applebloom is a gift when it comes to defense, but I think that we all know that she’s one of the smartest people at the academy. She really needs to go with us to the library.”

Artemis nodded, “That is an accurate division of labor. It ensures protection for our husband, and it ensures that the best researchers are present at the repository. I accept this.”

He nodded, “Alright, then let’s get ready, and we’ll head out.”

Chapter 1

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter One

The newer ship that Copper had purchased for his Father, and rest of his family, was certainly a huge improvement over the original ship that they had used. It of course made the one that he’d bought to be harbored at the Capital look far smaller. Copper himself stood on the deck, looking out at the island they were closing in on. The sight of it filled him with both hope and reservation. He had hope that the women who were living there were at least able to deal with all that had happened to them.

The reservation was at Satin. The idea that she had played him made his blood boil. He’d talked things over with his father, and then spoke to Duke Filthy Rich and King Consort Baked Bean to allow Satin and the five idiots the chance to live on this island and help with its upkeep. It would be a harder life, but it would also be a life where they could get plenty to eat, have a roof over their heads, and not have to worry about running out of anything. The fields themselves had already been tended to before the displaced noble women were brought here.

The robotic drones that Artemis had created had seen to that. They had simply ensured that everything was working like it should. There was no specific determination, no the fields were a mixture of wheat, and other vegetables that were consumables. The idea of growing cash crops was completely abandoned. Not because there wasn’t a place for it, but rather because Copper understood that eventually those crops would be worth far less.

So, instead he focused on growing food. The decision had actually made his father’s island more prosperous, his own island more prosperous, and it was his hope that the same would happen for this island. The ship docked, and he could see three of the five idiots already waiting. Prince Apollo was among them, and he noticed that the Prince was missing his shirt. Behind him several of the displaced noble women seemed to be eyeing him hungrily. It was similar to showing a steak to a pack of wolves. It was only natural that they would want the steak.

For his part Prince Apollo seemed to be completely oblivious to their attention, or he was simply so used to such behavior that he just shrugged it off. It was certainly one of the parts that made this entire dating sim world a burning dumpster fire. He just shook his head. Not his deal, he wasn’t going to get into it, and he wasn’t going to focus on it. He was going to make sure that things were working well, get Satin, the five idiots, and take them to the capital. If he could figure out exactly what it was that she did then that would be better.

Especially if she was the cause for the war path. He wanted to avoid that, but with the Lich King attacking it meant that the war path had opened. Maybe, just maybe, it could be avoided, and he’d hoped that by them capturing Starlight Glimmer it would be. Currently the prisoner was held at the Academy. She was being given a chance to become a normal student, to see what life had to offer those that didn’t resort to torture and killing those that they felt were obstacles. Personally, he hoped that she could be reached. In the game Starlight Glimmer had been something of a tragic villain. While he didn’t pay attention to all of the lore he did pay attention to hers.

There was a small part where she became something of a rival for the protagonist. She could attempt to seduce whichever love interest the rival had, and if she succeeded then she would bring them over to the Lich King’s side. They would betray the country, and it would mean that the protagonist had to find another champion to fight for them. Depending on how the game was played it usually was one of the other five idiots, but if the player had alienated all of them then the player had to track down one of the hidden love interests.

These were normally just mobs that were in the background, but there were a few that could be talked to, interacted with, and made into front line characters. He’d believed that those characters had originally been main characters, but were shelved for the back in favor of the five idiots and their status. One of those background mobs was a viscount named Shady Sands. He actually was a pretty good sort, but it wasn’t hard to figure out where some of his inspiration had come from.

His uniform was usually blue and gold, he almost always had a small number displayed on his breast pocket, and when communicating with him he usually would give a thumbs up and hold it out. The fact that he had blond hair and blue eyes didn’t hurt either. Actually, he’d gone out of his way to meet Shady Sands, and he did consider him a friend. He was an upper classman, but he was a decent enough guy. He did do the entire thumbs up thing, but he didn’t think it was weird for him. His suits were usually numbered from one to one hundred twenty-two.

Not that meeting or becoming friends with Shady Sands was that important. Sure, it was important in the sense that it gave him someone else that he could talk to or hopefully count on, but it wasn’t important toward what he considered the end goal. A simple life, with his wives, with their children, and not going to war. That last one was important. He didn’t want to go to war at all. He wanted to stay out of war if at all possible. Fighting one living armor was hard enough. He didn’t want to attempt to do that against multiple of them.

And there was always going to be a chance that there could be multiple living armors. He watched as the other Avatars that Artemis used completely secured the ship, and he watched as Prince Apollo moved his way toward the gangplank, “Viscount Bit,” he said as he looked up at him, “Well, it is a pleasant surprise to see you. I was expecting an airship from the temple itself to come and bring Satin back to the Capital.”

He growled, “I am the airship from the temple,” he replied as he looked at him, “I’m a temple knight, and Head Priestess Luna contacted me. I am your ride to the Capital,” he replied before she shook his head, “What in the hell did Satin do?”

Prince Apollo stood there uncertain, “Well, nothing really,” he stated, “She simply produced the artifact. I was completely surprised by it. In truth, it was buried so well in the Capital’s labyrinth that I believed no one could reach it. Only the one true saint could actually obtain it, and to see that my Satin was able to filled me with such pride,’ he said with a smile, “I am truly blessed.”

Copper raised an eyebrow at him, “You do realize that she’s the entire reason that you are not the crown prince any longer, right?” he asked as he looked at him, “I mean that has sunken in, right? Sorry if I’m asking redundant questions here, but chasing after that girl led you into the life that you currently have. In truth, you wouldn’t even be living here if it wasn’t that I talked to both your father and Duke Filthy Rich.”

He looked at him and shrugged his shoulders, “We could have lived on the Academy campus, even in the off season, and if for some reason that was unavailable there are a multitude of hotels in the capital that would allow us to stay. I remember staying at several when I was much younger. It was actually one of the few times I enjoyed being part of the royal family. We were able to explore the area around the hotel, not very far mind you, but far enough. It allowed me to try food that wasn’t meant for royalty. I shall never forget it.”

The small bit of lore for him that he could remember did state that part of the charm he found in Applebloom was that she saw through who he was supposed to be, and instead she saw who he claimed he was inside. That had started with her getting him a hotdog from a vendor. He’d remarked that he hadn’t had one in so long, and that it was truly his favorite of all of the vendor meals. After that when he was blue the easiest thing to do was to visit the capital and go a hotdog cart. From there it was merely a matter of giving him a hotdog, and listening to his complaining of royal life.

He watched as the other members of the five idiots came out with Satin. In truth she looked worn out, and her head was currently hanging low. He tried to figure out what was going on, but she didn’t seem to get too close to him. Instead she moved toward the other side of the gangplank. That was the first idea that there was truly something happening that likely wasn’t supposed to be happening.

He breathed out, and shook his head. He had to get her to the capital, and from there he could look into whatever she had done to get herself appointed as the saint. He doubted that she would be able to actually do the job. Applebloom’s abilities were deeply buried, but she was a magical and intelligent powerhouse. Her ability to make potions were second to none, and once she began using magic there was really no stopping her. He could remember from the game that she was practically an overwhelming force of nature.

It was her ability to heal, to protect that took the center stages. Her barriers were far stronger than anything that was created by other students or teachers. In truth the only thing that came close to her protective ability was Artemis, and Artemis was a cash shop item. She was practically a cheat item. Applebloom’s drawback was fighting. She could protect, multiple rounds of protection, but she couldn’t really fight. It wasn’t that she lacked the ability, but she lacked the experience.

At the end of the game she had gained enough experience that she could fight, and in doing so she was creating barriers inside of enemy ships and expanding them out. The reaction was the complete destruction of the enemy ships, and this resulted in the defeat of at least one section of the enemy armada. Through her actions alone the battle was far easier, at least in the game, and he hoped that it would become the same here. It was pretty likely that it would happen. Far too much was like the game, but then again there was a lot that had changed.

He was engaged to both the original protagonist and antagonist. That was something surprising to say the least. Not to mention that there was Artemis herself. It was still pretty surprising that an artificial intelligence had changed the avatar that she used to become more biological. She had changed to the point where she was pregnant. He was beyond surprised about that. Still, all in all it was a good kind of surprise.

Then there was Monika. He wasn’t sure how that had happened. He remembered the game that Monika had come from, and he knew that she didn’t belong here. She had helped him in his previous life. She actually had helped him a lot. He’d gotten over being awkward around people thanks to the game that he played with her. The fact that she ended up being the only that he could talk to in the game had made it easier for him to learn to adapt to others.

Finally there was Sunset Shimmer. What he remembered about her was that her character was supposed to die early on. She wasn’t even supposed to be alive right now. Instead she was supposed to have passed to show how dangerous the labyrinths actually were. The fact that she was alive was something that shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t that it was wrong. Far from it he was glad that she was alive. But it wasn’t what was supposed to have happened. Instead she was alive, and she had led to an early defeat of the pirates.

Her actions had led to him getting the necklace that he was turning over to the temple. That was something that he wasn’t happy about. Not that he was upset about handing the necklace over to Head Priestess Luna, but instead he was upset at the fact that it was going to go to Satin. He breathed out, everyone that was going was getting on board, their luggage was being loaded by themselves, and he knew that once they got to the capital that Satin and the five idiots would be treated like nobles again.

It would be because Satin was the saint, or at least she was pretending to be the saint. He knew that it would come crashing down around her. There was no way that she could actually do what Applebloom would have been able to do. Maybe the artifacts would give her enough power to help, but even that was really hopeful thinking and he knew it. The entire power of the saint rode on the fact that she was able to defend the kingdom. That was it. It wasn’t that she could use healing magic. It wasn’t that she could form barriers. Those were things that any student could learn to do.

It was the fact that her power was neigh so infinite that she could take out multiple ships without stopping with the artifacts, and that on her own she was more than powerful enough to stop attacks from multiple war ships. In a word, she was powerful. Truly, completely, and wholly powerful. To deny that was to invite destruction. He felt a hand, and he looked at Monika. She was dressed differently than before. Her clothes were a school uniform, but they were modeled after the uniform from the game she had been part of it.

A soft smile crossed her beautiful face, “Love?” she asked as she neared him, “Is there something that is bothering you? You are looking pretty intently toward her,” she said as she gestured toward Satin, “Do I need to worry?”

He shook his head, “No, Monika, the only ones for me are you, Artemis, Applebloom, Diamond Tiara, and Sunset Shimmer. I’m good with what I have. I really don’t need, or want, anymore fiancées.”

She smiled as she leaned against him, the swell of her left breast pressing against his arm, “That’s good,” she replied, her voice sounding pleased, “I wouldn’t do anything, truly,” she admitted after a moment, “I mean, it would do me no good to really attempt to do anything anyway. It’s not like I can delete her from existence,” she said, her voice sounding mirthful, “And I don’t think that she’s emotionally unstable enough to pick apart her insecurities in that fashion either.”

His arm came up and moved around her side, allowing his hand to rest just below her breast. She let out a soft happy moan, “Beloved,’ she said, her voice a purr, “I love when you hold me like this,” she stated, enjoying the closeness, “I’d ask you to try and make sure that I’m with child, but I know that we’ve got things to do before that can happen. But after this trip, well, I wouldn’t be against the idea.”

He laughed a little as he held her, “I know that you wouldn’t,” he replied, his hand moved slightly, and she wiggled a little as he gently felt the softness of her breast, “But that said, I do think that it’s weird that Satin isn’t bragging about the fact that she’s the saint. She’s not going on about how important she is, and she’s not carrying on right now. There is something not right about this entire thing. I don’t know what it is, I really don’t, but I do know that whatever it is I’m a little concerned.”

She pulled away a little, and he felt his arm move. He expected her to walk toward Satin, but instead she turned around to face him, “Beloved,” she said as she looked at him, “Whatever her reasons are, whatever it is that she is going to do, it will not matter. The reason it will not matter is simple. I will not allow harm to befall you. Artemis will not allow harm to befall you, and even Applebloom, Diamond Tiara, and Sunset Shimmer will do all they can to protect you.”

She then leaned forward and kissed him deeply, His hands moved around her, finding her back, and them moving down to the top of her uniform’s skirt. There he gently squeezed. It wasn’t something that specifically knew that she liked, but rather it was something that his father, Gold Bit, had told him that girls liked. He explained that when he and his actual mother began to date that when they finally got to kissing he’d discovered that she enjoyed having a nice squeeze on her but as they kissed.

The reaction was one that he’d been learning. There was a hint of surprise, a gentle squeak in the kiss, and then a soft moan as she practically melted into the kiss itself. That was the moment, the moment that he could have asked for anything, and she would have done it. He knew that, and he kept from letting that kind of power go to his head. The last thing he wanted was to be a dick toward those he loved. And there was no getting around the fact that he loved Monika. He loved her, Artemis, Diamond Tiara, Applebloom, and Sunset Shimmer. They were his reason for getting up in the mornings.

The kiss was already passionate, but Monika had made it more so after his little squeeze. She couldn’t move closer, but she did begin to grind against his leg. He could feel the dampness that was there, and he gently broke the kiss, “There’s a lot we need to do,” he said, causing her look at him with a slightly confused and frustrated expression, “Please,” she said, her voice quivering, “Just let us disappear for a few moments, I’m sure that no one will notice, and I can promise that you’ll love it,”

He gave her a quick kiss, and pulled back, “Monika, it won’t be quick, and you know that,” he replied, his voice sounding mirthful, “We both know that it’s never quick, and besides you deserve to have time spent on you. Not some quick little bit of action in a broom closet. I won’t do that you.”

She nodded, a soft groan escaping her, “I understand beloved, so I’ll accept this as a rain check, one that I will be cashing tonight.”

That wasn’t a threat, and he knew it. She would be back tonight, and she would collect. If he was completely honest with himself he was fine with it. He actually looked forward to it. There wouldn’t be a lot of foreplay, and he knew that. It would pretty much be straight to business. Not that she was usually like that, but instead it was because she was frustrated, and she needed relief. He’d created himself a monster for later, and he was ready to deal with it.

Chapter 2

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Two

The moment they arrived at the Capital the airship docked. Copper looked to see the dock workers moving to secure it in place, and he noticed the other ship that was docked next to it. That ship had been the one that his Father had purchased for the drone that had taken his mother’s place. He could see the thin layer of dust that covered it, and part of him wondered how long they were going to let it just remained docked.

There was no denying that it was certainly a reminder of what had happened. He couldn’t blame his Dad for not wanting to use it. In a way he could see that it was a painful memory. It was a reminder of what had happened, and he couldn’t deny that it would bother him too. Still, if they weren’t going to use it then the next best thing would be to sell it. That was kind of the rub though. He knew that his Father wanted to justify the purchase. He wanted to justify the reason for having it.

It came from them having to struggle for so long. For as long as he could remember they had struggled endlessly when it came to the finances, and that was mostly because of the actions of the drone that had taken his mother’s place. That drone had demanded the ship, that drone had demanded the house in the capital, and that drone had done everything it could to belittle and emasculate his Dad. It had treated him like a subhuman, and the end result was it had been using him. It had been doing all it could to undermine his feelings toward his family.

He knew the reasonings for it, thanks to Queen Celestia, but he didn’t know exactly what Queen Chrysalis had gotten out of it. All he knew was that she somehow fed from their emotions. That in a way she was a sort of a vampire. A creature that fed from the emotions of those around it. As it was she still useful, and currently she was being used to teach at the academy. There was no reason to disrupt that part of her life.

The choker that Artemis had put on her completely put her under his control. She was still her own person, but thanks to the choker she wanted to serve him. She had offered to become a mere lover to be used by him and all of his wives. Her action, her decision, felt so odd. He wasn’t sure why she would want to debase herself like that. In truth it made so little sense that he wasn’t sure how to answer her.

Instead, he had told her no, a simple answer, and he decided to keep an eye on her from afar. His thoughts were directed back to the present with the final sounds of the all clear. He looked toward the others, and then he watched as the five idiots began to leave the ship. He then saw Satin. Artemis had went ahead and placed a few listening devices in her cabin. Other than hearing the sound of her being a power bottom there wasn’t really much that was discussed. That said, listening to that made him feel weird. Not just because he didn’t specifically like her, but because it was like listening to his sister from his previous life.

He hadn’t wanted to listen to that then. And he sure didn’t want to listen to it now. In the end, it was obvious that if she was going to talk about what had happened, and how she became the saint, it would be on this trip. The other thing he realized was that the prince and his buddies apparently liked to do multiples with her. He shook his head, surprised that the girl could walk straight, let alone have the energy to make her way to the temple.

The group of them began to make their way. Ahead of them were a collection of knights in full armor. Where most adventurers, and other warriors, tended to wear light armor which allowed for greater movement the Temple Knights were dressed in traditional looking armor. It was easy to see that the inspiration for it came from ancient roman armor. The helms had tall plums, all of which were blue. The helms themselves were golden, and the chest armor was the same.

The Pteruges were something that was certainly different. To see them on the knights was to want to say they were wearing leather skirts that were covered with metal strips. Of course it wasn’t incorrect, but he knew that they had more than going for them. Each of the strips of leather had runes burned into them. Those runes made up barrier spells, and they activated when magic was hurled at one of them. It was a decent protection, or at least it was up to a mid tier spell. Anything on the higher range was absolutely getting through.

He knew because technically he was supposed to be wearing the same thing. The one problem was that since he was still in the academy he couldn’t be awarded the armor until after he graduated. So, his armor was prepared, stored, and would be given to him upon his graduation. And then he would only be required to wear it when he was acting in his role as a temple knight. The knights surrounded Satin, and he watched as they separated her from the five idiots. Of course there was a small ruckus, but it quieted down when the other person traveling with the knights stepped forward.

He watched as she neared the group, and all of the complaints just ended. Not a single person wanted to say something that could be considered offensive to the one standing there before Satin. He watched as Head Priestess Luna neared the petite girl, “Saint,” she said, her voice firm, “I have contacted Viscount Copper Plum Bit, and I have informed him of the situation. I believe that he will hand over the last bit of the needed artifacts upon our arrival at the temple,” she said as she looked at her, “But, I must request that you please demonstrate your power.”

This was directly from the game. It was part of the stupid minigame that happened when the saint was discovered. The minigame had to be passed. There was no way around it. Failing it meant failing the game itself. The saint had to perform a miracle in front of the Head Priestess. And he knew what the miracle was. There was someone grievously wounded, and it would be up to Satin to heal that person.

Part of him was curious to see if she could even do it. Normal healing magic was something that anyone could learn. It could heal up to broken bones, but it couldn’t restore anything that was already gone. A missing arm or leg would remain missing. Gouged out eyes were simply gone, and bones that had been shattered into splinters would never be pulled back together. Normal healing magic was merely to repair simple injuries.

It was useful, and there was no doubt of that, but the test of the saint wasn’t the power. It was the fact that she could completely restore a person who was beyond the scope of normal healing. Head Priestess Luna stepped back, and there lying on a gurney, which was held by two temple knights, was a young adventurer. Copper had seen her before. She had been at the Academy, but she wasn’t a student. Instead her golden hair looked matted now. She’d had lovely green eyes, both of which were covered by bandages. Her left arm was wrapped in what could only be called healing gauze.

She was in all honest truth in dire straights. There was no denying the dangerous position she was in. He felt someone grab his arm, “Sis, no, it cain’t be!” Applebloom said, her voice sounding worried, “It jest cain’t be!”

He could feel the worry pouring off of her, and he could understand why. His own mind pushed as hard as it could to figure out what she was doing here. There had to be a reason for it. He looked toward Head Priestess Luna who shook her head. Obviously she knew the reason, but she couldn’t divulge it at the moment. She had to allow this test to happen. He understood exactly what she meant. In order for it to take place, in order for Satin to be instated as the true saint, she had to do this on her own.

She couldn’t use any of the artifacts to do it. That was the test. The saint was supposed to be able to completely heal, from the point of near death, anyone that she came across. Her abilities to protect were supposed to be beyond the scope of normal magic. As far as tests went he had to admit that this was a good one. He knew that High Priestess Luna could restore Applebloom’s sister, and if Satin failed then she would do it for her.

Afterward she would likely get a slap on the wrists for claiming to be the saint. Since the title wasn’t officially given yet they couldn’t try her for treason. Instead she had merely managed to get to a place within the labyrinth that she shouldn’t have been able to get to. The thing was that Copper knew that there were passages in the labyrinth that could lead directly to the artifact that was lying in wait. Those passages negated most of the fights through the labyrinth itself.

It was even possible to nab the artifact without getting the attention of the creatures guarding it if a person was moving quietly enough and had enough camouflage charms on. It would be a matter of getting back up to the entrance of the labyrinth without drawing attention that would be the trick. Even then it was tricky. He’d done it because it was one of the stupid achievements that his sister had wanted. She wanted a complete hundred percent, and it meant unlocking those stupid cutscenes.

He watched as Satin moved forward, she looked nervous, but then she closed her eyes, and like in what he could remember of the game her hands began to glow a soft green. It spread up to her elbows, but that was it. He remembered the game, and he remembered that Applebloom glowed green all over. It was her entire body that was a complete conduit for the magic that she had. There was no doubt that Satin was indeed powerful. He couldn’t deny that anymore. She had ability, and she had power, but where Satin was a thunderstorm, granted a powerful one, Applebloom was the largest of tornadoes. The difference in their power was staggering.

Satin neared her, and she touched the adventurer. For a moment there was nothing, and then all of the adventurer’s body began to glow the same green. He watched as she moved, as the healing gauze fell off, and the arm looked whole. The bandages around her eyes disappeared, and he watched as he eyes began to form back in her head. Every single laceration, every single mark was healed. After a few moments Satin shook her head, and she stumbled. It was Apollo that caught her, and kept her from falling over.

Yes, Satin was strong, she was powerful, but she wasn’t the saint. Copper remembered the game, and he remembered that Applebloom had done all of the healing in the game with no problem. She never stumbled, she never fell, and she showed no signs of being fazed at all. It was merely something she had to do. Satin breathed out, and she watched as the adventurer began to look around, “Where in tarnation,” she asked as she laid there, “Wait, Head Priestess Luna?”

Her voice held a reverence that was difficult to ignore, “Oh, forgive a simple adventurer like me fer not showing the kind of respect y’all’s owed,” she said taking a knee, “Ah ask that y’all spare mah family from the potential wrath of not bein’ acknowledged ‘fore Ah did.”

He watched as Head Priestess Luna shook her head, “Rise,” she said, her voice soft, “There is no worry, there is no need for this,” she stated, “You have simply assisted me in a matter that I am most pleased to announce is now resolved. Satin, you have proven yourself. The test is complete, and I acknowledge you as the saint,” she said before she looked to Copper, “Temple Knight Copper Plum Bit, I hereby ask that you return the necklace of power to the saint.”

He moved toward her, and he took it out. The look on Satin’s face wasn’t a smug look. It wasn’t a look of accomplishment, but instead it almost looked like she was shamed. She held out her hand, “I accept,” she said, her voice sounding almost depressed, “Thank you.”

He gave it to her, and she wiped her eyes, “I mean it, thank you,” she said as she looked up, “Bubby.”

The word struck a cord with him. The memories came flooding back from his previous life. His bratty little sister, and all of the times that she’d gotten hurt, and he’d been the one to help her. The same little sister that leaned on him and called him bubby. The same one that wanted to be around him until she got older, and even then she seemed to think that her cute nature should have gotten her out of trouble.

“Wait… What?”

It was Diamond Tiara’s who’s eyes widened, “bubby?” she asked, her voice eyes wide, “What are you… Wait, no, is Baron Gold Bit your father?”

The mistake had been made, and there was no recorking this bottle. The idea had already spread, and instantly Copper felt sorry for his Dad. Of course the simplest answer would be to say that it was Chrysalis’ fault. That she had a drone appear as Delicate Emerald, take his father’s seed, and then turn back into Satin’s mother. It would keep his father clear, and it would be in the realm of possibilities.

He could already hear the talking, and he knew that his parents heard it. He hoped, honestly hoped, that it wouldn’t kill their marriage. Not when his Father had finally gotten his Delicate Emerald back. He looked at her, “I guess that Chrysalis really did screw with all of us even worse than I thought,’ he said, hoping that he didn’t screw this up, “If we’re siblings, then I can only imagine that she somehow made one of her drones take the form of mom and come to my Dad. At that point she likely had her leave, take your mother’s form, and then make it seem as if nothing ever happened.”

He saw the realization hit her, and she looked behind him, “I… Yes,” she admitted after a moment, “Mom apologized to my dad about it. She apologized because he had been raising a child that wasn’t fully his,” she said, her own lies coming forth to back his own up, “I didn’t mean to cause any problems, not now, but I wanted to let you know.”

He felt Diamond Tiara hold onto his arm, “I see,” she said, her voice making it sound as if she wasn’t fully convinced, “Then I suppose that there is no sense in attempting to completely distancing myself from you. If you are my bethrowed’s half sibling then I must accept that we will be in each other’s life. However,” she said her voice firm, “If you so much as even attempt to come onto him, even a little, and I shall do all that is within my power to make your life a living hell, do we understand one another?”

Surprisingly he saw Satin nod her head. She acknowledged what Diamond Tiara had said, and she seemed to understand where her place was. He wasn’t going to push for more than that. He’d done what he could to save his parent’s marriage. It had been damaged thanks to the things that the fake Delicate Emerald had done. Laying this at her feet again seemed only right. Besides, he was more than sure that the drone had taken some sick pleasure from watching him suffer.

There was something just wrong with how she acted, and if he ever saw the fake delicate emerald again then it would be far too soon. He was fine with her simply being gone forever. Whatever Chrysalis had done with them was fine with him. They weren’t here, and they weren’t interacting with any of the students, as far as he knew, and that was fine. They didn’t need any more of this bullshit that had happened to keep the border barons in check.

He chanced a look at his parents, and he saw his mother hugging his Father. There was no deception or anger, but instead it was a woman in love with a man that was comforting him. She was comforting him because in her mind he was taken advantage of in a way he hadn’t wanted to be. It had led to a child that he’d never known, and one that he would never get the chance to really know.

The life, for what it was, had hurt his father again. He hoped that it would be something that would heal, but he had been thinking quickly to explain it away. This way it wasn’t really his father’s actions that caused it, and his father wasn’t guilty of infidelity. Instead he had simply been a victim of an insidious plan.

“Let us go to the temple,” Head Priestess Luna said as she looked at Copper, “And there is much that must be discussed there.”

The lie, it seemed, was not completely accepted by all that happened to be there. But then again Head Priestess Luna remembered multiple life times, like her sister, and she likely knew all of the secrets that surrounded Queen Chrysalis.

Chapter 3

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Three

Diamond Tiara was a multitude of things. She was the daughter of a duke, she was refined and raised to become the next queen, and she tended to be hot tempered. The one thing that Diamond Tiara was not was a fool. She was quick to catch onto the fact that there was something going on with Satin, but what it was she had no clue. However, to hear her call her bethrowed bubby, a phrase reserved for close siblings, was another thing altogether. She didn’t want to fully accept it, but it was fairly obvious that Copper had no real feelings toward her.

He wasn’t romantically interested in her, and he wasn’t lusting after her like some animal in heat. Instead he was attempting to protect his parent’s marriage. That much was obvious to her. The fact that she had spoken out of turn, and potentially put their marriage at even more risk bothered her. She hadn’t meant to do that, but she was glad that Delicate Emerald was consoling Gold Bit and not berating him for sleeping with another woman. In truth, if she was completely honest, Gold Bit had been raped multiple times by the drone that was supposed to be in Delicate Emerald’s place.

His emotions were used against him, physical expressions of love were taken whenever the drone wanted. Copper had saved their marriage, but in return had given his father something else to consider that might have happened to him. She hated that for her father-in-law. Gold Bit was a good man, a kind man, and a very focused family man. He wanted to protect those that he considered his family, and he wanted to see his children succeed. In many ways he was similar to her own father.

“Dia, everything okay?” Applebloom asked as she neared her, “Y’all’s been real quiet.”

She smiled, and gently hugged her fellow wife, “I just wonder if I potentially might have made things harder on our inlaw’s marriage,” she said, her voice slightly betraying her concern, “I mean, I didn’t meant to, but I was trying to figure out why Copper was so willing to accept Satin as his half sister. It’s confusing to say the least. I’m sure that there is a reason for it, potentially several reasons for it, but I fear that I will never really know them.”

Applebloom kissed her cheek, “Bein’ honest here, and that’s something Mah sister taught me ta be early on,” she replied, “Ah don’t think that a one of us is ever really gonna know what’s goin’ on in his head. Copper’s a good fella, really is, but he’s kinda all over the place when it comes ta thinkin’. I gotta figure that’s just the way he’s wired. If that’s the case, then we gotta expect him ta be a little strange from time to time.”

She nodded, “Do you think that we could get a straight answer?”

“No,” came the voice of Artemis, “I feat that my Captain will not fully answer any of us. I have already tried to get a fuller answer, and the most that I got was that he was related to her. That they are siblings, and to please, let it go,” she stated as she neared them, “My Captain, our husband, is several things, but a constant liar isn’t one of them. He will lie, and he will use deceit, but he doesn’t do so often, and he rarely does so with those he loves.”

Diamond Tiara nodded, “So, that leaves us with why would he lie now?” she asked as she looked at them, “If we accept that Satin is truly his sibling, then what does that mean? Did Chrysalis really have a drone do that to his father? If that is the case, then what else has she done to other members of the lower nobility? It’s cruel in a horrific way, and I could only see it being used to destroy the bonds that they have and share. I don’t really see it being used for any other reason.”

Artemis nodded, “You are not incorrect,” she stated as she looked at her, “From Chrysalis’ own mouth her drones have to accept some of the biological matter from the host body. Meaning it would be possible for a drone to change, but I doubt that it would be quickly. In order for it to work, as our husband has stated, then the drone would have had to meet back up with Chrysalis. If that is the case then she took time to specifically target Copper’s father.”

Diamond Tiara’s fists clinch, “And if she did? If she targeted him, and targeted Copper while she was at it, where does that leave us?”

“It leaves us with a captured and enthralled slave,” Applebloom said, her voice firm, “Ah dun’t like it, at all, but right now Chrysalis is safer where she is. She still has control over her drones, wherever they are, and us havin’ a fit ‘bout what she’s done ain’t gonna change a thing, right?”

Artemis looked at her and nodded, “That is true,” she admitted, “Being upset at her actions will do little to alleviate what’s already happened. It is not something that we can change right now.”

Applebloom nodded, “So then we gotta ask ourselves, if we cain’t change it, and there’s no way to change it, then we gotta figure that the only thing we can do is jest make things easier on Copper. Make ‘im happier, and keep him as happy as we can. Also, Ah gotta favor ta ask of all of ya. Mah sister is a might concerned ‘bout how this marriage is arranged, and Ah get it, Ah do. But, would y’all mind to help me explain it to her. Ah dun’t want her gettin’ all mighty worked up ‘bout this without really thinkin’ bout it.”

The answer was one that Diamond Tiara wasn’t fully satisfied with. Not that she didn’t like what Applebloom came up with, but a very real part of her wanted to punish someone that would willingly hurt her now extended family. She considered Gold Bit and Delicate Emerald to be part of her family just as much as her own brother and father were. To see someone willingly hurt them, for whatever reason, set her on edge. It made her feel truly angry. The action was something that should have never been done.

She took a calming breath, relaxed, and looked toward the room where Copper was currently located. High Priestess Luna had asked him to accompany her, and she had taken him further into the temple. The reasoning was simple enough. He was a temple knight, and as such it was his duty to ensure the safety of the High Priestess, but more so he was now sworn to protect the Saint. Her life was to be considered above his own, above those that he had in his household, and she knew that was something that he wouldn’t do.

There was absolutely no point at which he would abandon them to protect her. She knew that, and she felt proud of that fact. Knowing that he would rather leave her to her own devices than to abandon any of them made her happy. It gave her a kind of satisfaction that was difficult to ignore. At the same time she understood that it was wrong. As a temple knight that was exactly what was expected of him. As a temple knight he was supposed to put the needs of the temple, of the priests and priestesses, and of the saint well above his own needs.

That was what it meant to be one. It was a life of constant servitude, and nothing would ever change that. It didn’t matter where he went, what he did, or how high in nobility he climbed. As a temple knight his life was bound to the choices of the temple, and to the choices of High Priestess Luna. Luckily she understood that High Priestess Luna wasn’t a power hungry despot. She wasn’t after absolute power, but instead she wanted to ensure that things were ran fairly and that all would benefit from the temples.

“You look conflicted,” Artemis said, her voice sounding curious, “Is there something that is bothering you?”

She nodded, “Copper is a temple knight,” she said, “And that means that he’s given a lot more leeway than most nobility. I think that it is the only way that he can publicly claim you and Monika as more than mere servants. But at the same time it limits him terribly. There’s so much that he can’t do because of it, and there’s so much that it forces on him. I’m worried that when push comes to shove that he will obey his nature, which is what I want, but at the same time I know that if he does then it will cause him no end of grief.”

Artemis seemed to take that in, “If he chooses to save all of us, should the need arise, and leave Satin to fend for herself?” she asked, “Yes, he would do that, although I would wager that he would attempt to save everyone. He wouldn’t abandon any of us, but he would do all that he could to ensure everyone’s safety. That is who he is. It is how he acts, and how he fights. Our husband constantly attempts to pull off the impossible. That is truly who he is.”

She nodded, knowing that she was right, “I get that,” Diamond Tiara agreed, “I just fear that the temple won’t see it that way. I’m sure that High Priestess Luna would, but it won’t always be her that he’s answering to. There are some priests and priestesses out there that want to show how much power they have. The idea of being able to boss around an Earl would make most of them take notice. It would be ensuring that someone with the level of nobility that Copper will have would have to bend to their will.”

She sighed, “I hate to think like that, but I know that there are people who are like that, and I’m worried that they will want to see how far they can push him before they’re able to punish him for not simply obeying what thye commanded,” she stated, “I don’t want to see him needlessly suffer. I almost wish that he could have the benefit of the temple knight without having the commitments of it. The only way that would work would be if he was to somehow marry High Priestess Luna though.”

For a moment it was like everything stopped, and then Artemis got a strange smile across her lips, “If he was to bring High Priestess Luna into our marriage it would ensure that he had all of the benefits of the temple knight, and none of the commitment, correct?” she asked her eyes practically shinning, “Meaning that if we were to really consider it, we could ensure his happiness, and we would have a stronger political party as part of our marriage.”

Diamond Tiara looked at her, “Okay, not a good idea,’ she said, her voice flat, “First, you’re talking about him marrying the High Priestess. Not only is she the high Priestess she is the second princess. She is literally behind Queen Celestia in succession. That means if something happens to Queen Celestia then High Priestess Luna takes the throne. King Consort Baked Bean can remain in power as long as there is a legitimate heir, but there’s no guarantee that there will be one.”

“Y’all’s talkin’ ‘bout how Prince Apollo ain’t the crown prince no more, right?” Applebloom asked, “Well, didn’t they have another kid? I mean if they did then the crown would go ta them, right? Seems that would be the way ta take care of it, or at least it seems that way ta me.”

Diamond Tiara looked at Applebloom, “Please tell me that you’re not on board with the idea of us trying to bring Head Priestess Luna into our marriage,” she said, as she stood there, “I mean it would be so, weird. There’s no other way of saying it. The idea of bringing her into our marriage would be strange. She’s royalty, and besides that it would just be odd to bring someone else into our marriage. There’s already five girls. I don’t think that Copper needs anymore than that.”

She felt a gentle touch, “Dia, Ah wouldn’t be suggestin’ it, but honestly think about it. If’n Copper was ta bring her in, and by your own words he would have the backing of a temple knight, but he wouldn’t be forced ta be absolutely committed. Sure, it’d be weird. Ain’t gonna lie, it’d be weird as all getout, but Ah’d like ta think that dealing with a little weird would be worth makin’ things easier fer Copper. Not ta mention it’d make things easier fer us. We wouldn’t be constantly worried ‘bout him going inta somethin’ that we weren’t sure he’d be prepared fer.”

Diamond Tiara nodded, “I get the reasoning, I do, but it feels wrong. However, both of you make some exceptionally good points. Maybe if we consider this it would make things easier. Maybe it would make things better, but then again wouldn’t it take away more time that each of us have with Copper?” she asked as she looked at them, “I mean, let’s be honest, as it sits we get time with him, and it’s wonderful. But there’s limitations. I know that there are certain days that specifically are for each of you. I know that he tries to keep things equal between us, and I love him for that.”

“My Captain’s time would be more taken up by another,” Artemis admitted, “Yes, I understand this, and I calculated it already. I do not like the idea of it, but it is a sacrifice. We would need to go ahead and settle on this as a course of action. We need to sew the seeds of attraction to them both, and we need to make it clear that the only way it happens is if they accept that it would be part of a larger marriage. In that regard we would maintain some control of the situation.”

Diamond Tiara shook her head. She understood what was being said, and Artemis had already admitted that while she didn’t like the idea of giving up time it was a sacrifice she was willing to make. She was willing to step forward and do this for their family. She was willing to be someone that basically took one for the team to ensure that everything proceeded the way that it needed to. There was no doubt in her mind that Artemis was indeed emotionally strong. In someways she was certainly stronger than herself.

It bothered her, and she knew that it would continue to bother her. There was no denying that it would forever bother her. She didn’t like the idea, and yet there was really no other choice. She had to accept what was going to come to pass. It didn’t mean that she had to absolute like it, but at the same time she wanted to be with Copper, and more to the point she wanted to be part of this marriage. There was just no denying that this marriage would be a growing thing. She had hopes that it wouldn’t grow out any further than it already had.

A sound caught all of their attention, and she looked toward the door of the room they were occupying. Normally the sounds inside of a temple were all fairly similar. It was the soft walking of the priests and priestesses, or it was those who were brought to the temple to heal from traumatic situations. But this was a scraping sound that resounded around them. She moved toward the door and opened it to see what looked like a shadowy figure trying to pull something behind itself. Her eyes narrowed, and she focused her magic. When she did a lance of fire appeared above her. It lit up the area.

The figure stopped, and she saw Starlight Glimmer. The captured girl was pulling what looked like a ceremonial axe behind her. It was leaving a small indention in the floor, and she could see that it was simply all that the girl could do in order to pull it. In truth she almost felt like she should congratulate her. She’d seen that axe before, and it wasn’t light. The thing weighed well over a hundred pounds. It was made of solid gold, the blade was encrusted with pieces of monster cores, and it was only used for the celebrations that were considered exceptionally important.

One of which likely would be the coronation of the Saint. Starlight Glimmer looked at her, a snarl appearing on her face, “Troublesome bitch!” she shouted, her voice filled with rage, “I will have my vengeance! I will be the hand of my father, and I will allow him to reach through me and destroy his enemy!”

She began to try to pull the axe faster, but Diamond Tiara stopped the fire. She instead began moving toward her. She heard another sound, and she saw Monika racing with her. Her sister wife pounced at the poorly armed Starlight Glimmer, and she rode her to the ground. The action couldn’t have been exactly pleasant for someone that did not enjoy the female body. The fact that Monika had done so while in a state of far less than dressed was certainly part of it. The fact that she currently held Starlight’s head between her thighs was the other.

“Now,” Monika said, her voice firm, “We’re going to drop that axe, or I’m going to wound you to the point that you’ll live, but you will never move again. I want you to acknowledge that you understand me, so do you understand?”

“I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” came the muffled reply, “I’ll mmmph!”

The fact that Monika had somehow gotten her mouth closer to her sex was a testimate to just how flexable and in control of her muscles she was, “Now, let’s try that again, let go of your weapon, now.”

The axe completely dropped, “Good, Put your hands behind your back, now.”

She did and Monika looked at Diamond Tiara, “I saw some velvet rope over there, tie her hands, quickly, please.”

She acted and did like she was directed to do. Once it was done Monika moved, “We’re going to make sure that you go back to your room.”

“I won’t stop until he’s dead, you know that,” she said, her voice a low threat, “Nothing will stop me from attempting it.”

Monika smiled, “Silly, of course we will. We’re his wives, and it’s our job to stop threats like you. Now, you’re gonna be a good girl, and you’re going to go back to your room, or there may be an accident and you’ll just be confined to a bed for the rest of your life. Your choice here.”

She lowered her head, “I’ll go.”

Diamond Tiara looked at Monika as they watched Starlight head toward the room where she was kept, “Okay, why are you nude?”

Monika looked at her, “Oh, as soon as our husband is done with whatever his meeting is then I plan on collecting on his promise. I want to be ravished, hard, for hours.”

Chapter 4

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Four

The soft sounds of snoring filled the room, and Copper laid beside one of his brides to be. He looked at Monika, and he could see how satisfied she looked as she slept. There was no denying the fact that she had certainly gotten exactly what she was wanting. Then again it wasn’t that he wasn’t wanting to make love to her. What had started slow and gentle had turned into more hardcore. Still, she was sleeping, and he was awake. His mind now going back to the meeting with High Priestess Luna.

Six hours earlier

“Viscount Copper Plum Bit,” High Priestess Luna said, “Thank you for escorting the Saint to the capital. I understand that it was not exactly on your list of things you wanted to do. However, upon seeing the ability she has the temple has to officially accept her as the Saint,” she stated, her voice betraying her expression, “I would ask that you please divulge some of her personality. The Saint is said to be someone that is kind, generous, and willing to give of herself in order to protect those that are deserving. Have you seen any of that in her?”

He stood there for a moment, “I cannot honestly tell you one way or the other that I have,” he replied, “I can tell you that she’s often considered with money, and with her wellbeing. She gets exceptionally upset over the thought of not having enough money to make it through the month, and she’s quick to berate her companions if they foolishly spend the house budget,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders, “But I can’t tell you if she’s actually kind and generous or not.”

She nodded, “I see,’ she replied, “It means that she will need to be observed. If it turns out that she is not the Saint then we shall have to deal with her. It would not be the first time we’ve had a false saint come forward. It is usually forgotten about in a few years. After that it is merely a matter of ensuring that the kingdom knows that she was deceiving all of them. It’s not exactly easy, but it is something that we’re prepared to do.”

He studied her for a moment, “Okay, just how many times has there been false saints?”

She smiled, “In the memories that I possess about six,” she replied as she stretched, “Each of them were able to traverse the labyrinth and obtain the first artifact. All of them claimed that doing so proved they were the Saint. To some regard, they were correct. Being able to traverse the labyrinth is the first, and most strenuous, test to prove one is the Saint. Beyond that it is a test of character, and then it is a test of ability. For many it is something that they often fail at. If it is not the character then it is the lack of ability.”

She sighed and shook her head, “For all of them that fail there is two paths to be taken. The first is exile. They are forced from the kingdom, and forced to set root in whatever country will accept them. It is not a kind gesture, and it should never be accepted as one. It is something that will ensure that they never again darken the entrance of our kingdom with their presence,” she stated, and then she gave a soft laugh, “The other is just as bad, but a bit kinder. We allow a quick demise. They are taken somewhere quiet, somewhere from the public eye, and they are put to death. They are buried in a commoner’s cemetery, and they are given no headstone. They are forgotten, but at least they are in a place where immediate family may visit them.”

He looked at her and he shook his head, “Okay, I’m not one to really talk here, but that is pretty harsh. I get that it has to be. You’ve got to ensure that no one will pretend to be the saint, but if there’s been at least six people, then doesn’t that mean that people forget and they repeat the mistakes of their past?” he asked, trying to keep from sounding too concerned, “I mean, doesn’t it mean that ultimately it’s a history that isn’t learned from?”

She grinned, “Very good to ask it that way,” she replied as she stepped near him, “Most do remember, even if it is stories, but there are always those that want to try. That believe that they are simply special enough to do it. They do not understand that the actual Saint is born to a line, and that line’s existence is what determines who will be the saint. For them they believe that being the saint means that their magical aptitude is high enough, or that they’ve recovered the artifact. They don’t know the entire story of the saint.”

He studied her, and he could remember something about this from the game. It was a special cutscene that he had to get. The cutscene was only able to be gotten if he explored the temple, found a room, specifically this room, and found the notebook on the desk. There it had the story of the saint. His eyes widened. The line was mentioned in it. The Saint is born born from those with a deep connection to the earth. A connection that transcends simply existing. In this case it would be a family that had an uncanny ability to grow things.

He understood that the saint came from the Apples. That was the answer. That was the reason she was asking things. She was looking to see if Satin perhaps had some of the Apple line in her. If she had the same demeanor as Applebloom did. He groaned, “So, if you know the line, then you could expose anyone that wasn’t of that line, right?”

She laughed, “Perhaps, if all family trees did not branch, then it would be possible,” she replied, “But families tend to bleed over into one another. It is more than likely that Satin’s line contains the line of the family that the saint comes from. For that reason, if none-other, I must allow this to continue until I can be sure that she is, or she isn’t, the Saint.”

She then looked at him and stepped closer, “What I said before to you, what I mentioned to you, is still true. You are my most trusted friend at this moment. I… I also must confess that I’ve had thoughts about us, thoughts that have plagued me greatly. I wish to do things, experience things, and yet I know that it is something I should not do. You are simply so much younger than I.”

The words threw him off. It did because he wasn’t really sure what to do with that information. Had he flirted with Head Priestess Luna, sure he did a bit, but he hadn’t expected her to return any kind of feeling. She was someone that he believed was far above his own desires and wants. In his mind she was this ideal version of what a truly religious person should be. She was devoted to her beliefs, but she tempered it with kindness. She wanted to ensure that those that sought refuge with the temples were offered that.

The very idea that she might even be interested in being with someone was foreign to him. Still, he didn’t want to offend her, and he certainly wasn’t sure how to proceed with what she was saying. It was a strange place to be, and it was a place that he found himself currently at. He wasn’t going to lie and say that she wasn’t attractive. That was actually very far from the truth. High Priestess Luna was gorgeous, but it didn’t detract from the fact that he was in a relationship with five women already.

He breathed out, considering how to respond, and he felt her hand. His action, or inaction, had spurred her into acting, and he felt her hand brought closer to her. It was dangerously close to her chest, between the promised valley of earthly delights. A slight movement in either way would result in feeling those delights, and yet he was resolute in not doing anything that would cause him to cheat on his wives to be.

“The proposed marriage for you,” she said, her voice sounding hopeful, “Is something that hasn’t been seen in our kingdom in an exceptionally long time. I know that there are those who will see a great issue with it. They will consider it to be something of a horrible and not sustainable. Of course they would be wrong. The last time there was a marriage like this it helped establish a branch of nobility that did wonders to shape the kingdom as it is today.”

She then looked into his eyes, “I cannot demand anything, and I shall abstain from doing so,’ she said as she studied his face, “But I ask that you please, please consider the possibility as I consider it. Normally, I would simply shrug this off, but I cannot deny the fact that I am a woman any longer. I cannot deny the fact that I wish to feel a lover’s embrace, or that I want to know what it is to be loved so completely by someone. Perhaps I am merely asking for the impossible.”

“High Priestess, Luna,” he said, using a familiarity that was permitted between them, “I don’t propose to do any certain thing. I know that I am betrothed to five different girls. Anything that happens has to go through them as much as myself. I will not be someone that simply springs a surprise upon them. I wouldn’t want that to happen to me, and I know that they would want their input as well.”

She nodded, “And so I shall do my best to engage all of them,” she replied before she finally did something that caught him off guard. The slight distance between them ended, and she stepped closer. She was now pressed against him, the feeling of her soft body that was just beneath her robes was wonderful. He felt as the two promised mounds of earthly delights were pressed against him, and then he felt her lips.

Being the color of blue they were one could honestly believe that her skin would be cold to the touch. That she would feel more like something that could have been deceased, but instead she was warm and inviting. There was something almost mystical and magical about the way that she kissed. It was a kiss, just a kiss, and he couldn’t help but wonder how it ended up like this. The kiss slowly ended, and she pulled away, “I shall spend time with each of them, and then with them together,” she said, her voice sounding more jovial than he’d heard her before, “And if all goes well, then perhaps I shall need to appoint another to carry out the ceremony.”

She moved past him, and he stood there, knowing that his life had started to change again. If she became one of his wives then he would be thrust into a political area that he didn’t want to be. Suddenly he would be part of the royal family, he would have more connections with the temple, and he would be one of the pillars of the kingdom. At this point it would be something that he simply didn’t want. He really wanted a quiet life. Granted, that was going to be hard with five wives already, but at least it would be him, his wives, and their children.

He considered everything, and he decided that the best course was to return to the others.

Present time

He looked at the gently sleeping Monika, and he touched her. Without waking she turned, and moved against him. The softness of nude body pressed against him, and he could not deny how eager she had been. Her school uniform laid on the floor, the only part that still was on her was the dark stockings. Those she had left on, and she had because she felt that he would like that. She was right. There was something about seeing a girl in her stockings only that was a major turn on. Her rabbit ears twitched slightly as she laid there.

“I hope that I can live up to your expectations,” he said, his voice soft, “I really do hope that I can. I don’t want to be a disappointment.”

She muttered something in her sleep, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but if he was to guess she was saying something along the lines of how he could never be a disappointment. He kissed the top of her head, and he felt her wiggle a little. He felt her hand move on his chest, drawing little circles, and he saw one of her eyes opening a little, “Beloved?” she asked, her voice sounding tired, “Is everything okay? You weren’t disappointed with me, right? I can go again. I’d love to go again.”

He smiled at her, “Monika, I could never be disappointed with you,” he replied, easing her anxieties, “I’ve just got some long thoughts. That said, I hope that I didn’t disappoint you. I know that you’ve been wanting time alone for a while.”

She shook her head, “It was everything I was hoping for,” she admitted, “I just wish that we could do this every night.”

He nodded, “I wouldn’t mind that, but I don’t want all of the others to feel left out,” he said, “and I was honest when I said that I love all of you. I want to be with all of you, and I want to have a family with all of you,” he hoped that his voice relayed the honesty of that statement, “More than that I want to see how good of mothers all of you will be. I have no doubt that each of you will be outstanding.”

The smile that crossed her face was one of both joy and lust. It was one that Copper had seen on the faces of his brides to be multiple times. Although at this point he was beyond simply considering himself engaged. Instead he believed himself to be already married. It was far easier to deal with the idea of being married, and faithful, than it was to simply consider himself engaged. Part of the reason for his thought actually laid at the feet of the five idiots. They had each thrown their engagements away.

It had done damage as well. Fleur De Lis had fell into a mental break, and in doing so became something of a delinquent. Diamond Tiara had managed to escape mostly unfazed, but he could only assume that was because she had become fast friends with Applebloom. The fact that she had someone to rely on, and someone to share her troubles and sorrows with was enough to keep her from merely falling off of the edge. In a way he was certainly thankful that she hadn’t fell to the darker side of things. Instead she was a fantastic woman, and honestly the Prince’s loss was his gain.

He was sure that Satin didn’t realize the amount of trouble she caused. The game didn’t specifically go into detail about the all of the fiancée's of the five idiots. Oh, sure, there was some coverage, but nothing that specifically showed the damage that had been done to them. Even the Hovercar race hadn’t fully shown what had happened to Fleur. It had shown her, but that was it. Instead, most of it was glazed over, and he believed it was because the developers wanted to sell the game. Why show something that would make the players feel sorry for those they were screwing over?

Even Diamond Tiara was shown to be a hotheaded, angry, and just plain mean woman. She was completely vindictive, and he knew that was the opposite of how she actually was. Instead, she was someone that was loving, understanding, caring, and determined to ensure that her beloved husband was more than happy with her, with her sister wives, and with all that they did. In essence, the Prince had thrown away something beautiful, something amazing, and he’d done so for what he thought was worth more.

The problem was he knew Satin. He knew her from his other life. His little sister was a brat. She was a complete and total brat that wanted to take the easy way out every single time. It was the one thing that she could always be depended upon to do. The fact that she went for the Prince, for his buddies, and tried the reverse harem route was because she wanted the easiest way out possible. Of course there were questions that he had. Some he didn’t want answers to. This was his little sister after all.

He didn’t want to know what she had to do for them all in order to get them to fall for her. That was information that he felt was far too personal. Instead he shoved the thoughts that crossed his mind, and touched Monika’s cheek. It was meant to be a reassuring touch, a gentle reminder that she was loved, and one that would help ensure that she understood that all was good. That was not how she read it. Monika moved, her lips touched his, and then she kissed down his neck. Before long she was kissing down his chest, “Monika, you don’t have to do anything else, I’m good,” he said before her felt her lips touch his navel, “I mean it, I’m fine with just being here with you.”

She looked toward him, her eyes almost pleading, “but you don’t mind if I do, right?” she asked, her voice hopeful, “I mean, you’d be fine with it, right?”

He nodded, and he felt the warmth of her mouth as he began to engulf him. The feeling of her tongue was something that he would forever remember. The way it felt as she began to suck him into her herself, the way she used her tongue to feel the underside, and the way soft moaning noises she made as she did it. All of it was an experience that he couldn’t deny was beyond enjoyable. It was something that would definitely be ranked in the high numbers of things he wanted to feel again.

It was funny that each of his wives to be had something that they excelled at. Applebloom was a cuddler. She loved to cuddle, to hold, to nurture, to make him feel better about just being himself. Diamond Tiara loved foreplay. She was excellent at setting the mood, and beyond that she was surprisingly into riding more than simply lying back and enjoying. He would never complain about that. Sunset Shimmer enjoyed using her assets to stimulate him, and then she enjoyed being dominated. Artemis was more of a traditional lover, but her oral game was more than on point.

Finally there was Monika, and like Artemis her oral game was on point, but Monika was someone that wanted to experiment with everything. She wanted to try everything, and they had covered a lot of the bases. With her he found someone that was willing to experiment and try all sorts of interesting and fun things. He moaned as he felt himself getting closer, and his hands found the back of her head. She began going harder, faster, and proving that beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to make him explode into her.

With a final movement, a tongue swirl, he lost all composure, and soon he found himself giving her exactly what she wanted. She pulled back, swallowed, and then smiled at him. He watched as she laid down, her face toward the mattress, and her hips were in the air. There was a slight wiggle, and a little giggle, “If you’re not done, then neither am I,” she said, as her voice sounding soft and reassuring, “And besides, there’s something that I believe that you’d like to do as much as I’d like to receive.”

And that was the other thing. Of all of the girls, of every single one of them, Monika was the only one that enjoyed being fully explored. In truth, she enjoyed it to the point he wondered if it could have been just her wanting to please him. He moved toward her, hopeful that he had enough stamina, and he began what was going to be their final session for the night. There was simply too much to do tomorrow to continue this throughout the night.

Chapter Interlude

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Interlude

Her prison was a gilded one, but it was a prison nonetheless. Starlight Glimmer glowered at anyone that happened to be close enough to her, but at the same time she kept a watchful eye on those that were going about their lives. For the past half a year she had been here. Forced to live in this place, taken away from her father, from her destiny, and instead forced to live a life of mere existence. Granted, the temple where she was currently residing was comfortable enough.

The priests and priestesses did not seem to hold any animosity toward her, despite the fact that she had informed them that once her father finally came they would be forced to join his army or die. It had begun as a threat, but now it was a promise she made. They had shown her kindness, and in return the kindest thing she could think of would be to serve her father. There would be no questions on where they fit, no desperate searches for their destiny. Everything would be answered, it would be solid, and they would be forever shaped in the imagine of their ruler.

Those that would not get this promised assurance would be the hero that stopped her father, the current royal family that sent their loyal lapdog out, and those foolish enough to attempt to resist him. Although, those that merely resisted likely would become members of the undead. Forever chained to her father after their death. They would be forever changed, and forever forced to serve. That would be their duty.

Today had been different. The Saint had been found, and even she knew of the Saint. She knew of the power that the Saint, and what that meant for her father. The hero had the ability to stop her father, that much was true, but the Saint had the ability to erase her father. Her holy magic would be powerful enough to undo all of the magicks that fueled his body. It would undo all that he was, and she could not allow that. In her mind the one to stop slowly changed from the hero to the Saint.

The five fools she surrounded herself with would be easy enough to deal with. From her understanding she herself was not ugly. Apparently, according to some, she was actually quite fetching. So, it stood to reason that the very thing she could do would be to seduce them. It would be easy enough, or she supposed that it would. Then again, she wasn’t exactly sure how to seduce someone. The idea was far removed from her. She’d heard one of the many visitors to temple say that snaring a man was similar to hunting.

She could hunt. Finding her prey’s weaknesses was the same as assessing a battlefield. It meant preparing, and ensuring, that her prey was caught in her trap. The trap she needed to set had to be something that would bring those she wanted to seduce closer to her. She growled as she tried to consider it. How would this work? Her mind tried to consider all of the angles. She tried to think of the best way to ensure success, but it wasn’t as cut and dry as she would like it to be. That was the problem with ensnaring a man. She had never done it. She had no idea of how to attract one.

The idea of merely walking nude up to one, allowing him to feast his senses upon her until he was overcome with whatever he’d overcome with was an idea. It was also something she didn’t see herself doing. Personally, she believed that her fleshy body wasn’t that beautiful. She believed it was something that tied her to this realm. That was it. She desperately wanted to be like her father. A lich, a being that existed to gain all knowledge, to control all, and to rule over all.

Doing such a thing would be the best option. It would ensure that there would always be equality. Those that serve would know their place, and those that ruled would ensure their loyalty. It would be a system that would ensure a perfect world. That was what she was meant for. That was what she was destined for. Instead she was forced to face a world that she wasn’t truly prepared for, and she felt lost.

“Golly, you seem really lonely,” came a younger voice, “Why I bet that there’s not a single person here that’s even really talked to you for a very long time. That just seems wrong,” the same younger voice said, “I bet that right now you could use a friend.”

She looked to see a younger girl, her hair styled in curls, and her innocent eyes seemed to be a perfect disguise. The thing was that Starlight had years of reading faces when she prepared to torture them. She had years of seeing what was behind those eyes. There was a brutal huntress there. One that craved power and validation. It was the eyes of a kindred spirit. She laughed slightly at the sight, “Tell me, young one,” she said as she looked at her, “What brings you to the general of the undead armies?”

The younger girl moved near her, “Oh, only that you seemed so lonely, and that you seemed to be interested in those five idiots over there,” she said as she pointed toward where Starlight’s selected prey was, “I mean, honestly I think that she’s too greedy, taking all of them for herself. I’d like to help you snag one, if you want.”

She studied the younger woman for a moment, “What would you gain by doing so?” she asked, her voice relaying her own doubt, “No one does anything for free. That is the truest nature of the world.”

The younger girl smiled, “Oh, I would get something special. I would get to prove that I’m better than her,” she said, her voice sounding sickeningly sweet, “It would let her know that things hadn’t changed, and that she will always be second in everything we do.”

Starlight Glimmer looked at the younger woman. There was absolutely no denying that she was someone who wanted to subjugate those around her as well. She would fit in well with her father’s army. The frankness of how she spoke about what she wanted to do to her sister was more than enough proof of that. She wanted to ensure that her sister understood where they stood. She wanted to prove to her sister that whatever she owned could be taken away. At least she assumed that it was her sister.

“Tell me, what is your relationship to the Saint?”

The girl smiled, “I’m her adorable little sister,” she replied, her voice still sickeningly sweet, “And more than that I’m better than her in every single way. I don’t mind that she went to become the Saint. That’s fine. I don’t really want that job. I mean having to be on my best behavior all of the time isn’t that hard, but being at the beck and call of the temple whenever the needed me would get old fast. No, I’d rather just prove that I’m better, and have everyone adore me for being me.”

Starlight studied her, trying to make sense of her. Her malice, her absolute desire to subjugate her sister was certainly something that she respected, and yet she didn’t want the power her sister had. The reasoning was she didn’t want to be at the call of the temple. To some degree she could understand that. To be at the call of an inferior religion, and of those that practiced it, would become monotonous over time. She would want to ensure all of their deaths came slowly, painfully, and without mercy.

That could be considered going above what they deserved, and she understood that, but at the same time she felt that it was exactly what should be done. She looked at the newest person she’d met so far, and finally she decided to try something the others had done around her, “Very well,” she said her voice sounding as sincere as she could make it, “I accept your offer of help. I am Starlight Glimmer, general in the army of the Undead, daughter to King Sombra.”

The younger woman smiled, “And I’m Cozy Glow Velvet, daughter of Viscount Faded Velvet, and most likely the heiress of the Velvet lands and domain. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she replied with a smile, “Now, let's talk about how to bring my sister down a peg or two.”

With that Cozy led her toward an area that wasn’t heavily monitored. She herself had been there a few times. Mostly to just oversee the actions of those around her without being watched too closely. However, she knew that if she tried to leave without being seen it would be a useless exercise. So, in the end the area was good for getting away from being watched too closely, but too far from the exit to attempt to leave. It was mostly to just think on her own.

“The first thing you need to know is that all of those guys are idiots,” she said, her voice still sweet, but firm, “Every last one of them are incredibly stupid and idiotic. The prince is honestly the worst of them all. Still, for fun I suppose they would be okay. Each one of them has certain things they like, and certain things they don’t. I found out from my sister that she studied up on them before coming, and so I’m sharing what she did.”

She pulled out five small portraits, “The Prince likes for people to act like they see past his being a prince. He likes to pretend that he understands what is to come from a much lower standing house. He doesn’t, but he likes to pretend like he does. He wants to have someone that will share food from a local vendor with him, and he wants to visit places where he can go out and work like a normal person for a few minutes. He does enjoy adventuring, but mostly it’s for show.”

She then pointed to another one, “This is Platinum Reserve. He’s seriously conceded, He believes that the sun rises and sits with his mood,” she took a moment to look at her, “I’m no kidding. He really thinks that everything should revolve around him. However, to get him interested you just have to find something that he’s interested in, and ask him a bunch of questions about it. Having him believe that he’s interesting will be the first step.”

She then pointed to the next one, “Spear Point is a meathead. He’s all about training, about working out, and adventuring. He has no real world experience, but he wants someone that’s going to compliment his muscles, and apparently that’s going to act like he’s the hottest thing since boys were first born. Feed his ego and he’ll be putty in your hands.”

She then pointed to the following one, “Ugh, Posh Proppers isn’t as bad, but he’s got serious inferiority issues. He doesn’t believe that he’s going to measure up to his father, and that he’ll never be the warrior that his father is. Listen to him whine for a while and he’ll want to be with you. That leaves us with him,” she said as she pointed to the next portrait, “Mithril Shield. Of he group he’s the most forgettable. He’s a decent warrior, a decent shot, and a decent adventurer, but he’s not an overachiever. He just happens to look good. Personally, just act interested in him. That’s enough.”

She studied the portraits and then looked back at her, “So, why give me so much of this information?”

She smiled, “One, I’d like to think that we’re friends now,” she replied, “But mostly it’s because I want to watch my sister have to suck it up knowing that she’s losing everything she had. I want her to come crying to our father, only for him to tell her that she should be more like me. I want to watch her go into depression, and then I want to do the final twist when I come in and flaunt whatever new academy student happens to catch my eye. Just seeing that will be enough.”

Starlight studied Cozy again for a moment. She was devious, she wanted to subjugate her sister into understanding the pecking order, and she had all of the earmarks of being a fine member of her father’s collection. She could, without a doubt, do well as a high member of the undead army. She made the decision that when her father returned for her she would capture Cozy Glow Velvet. Not because she wanted to harm the girl, but because she wanted to give her the truest chance she had of becoming something great. She could climb far further with her father’s nation than she could here.

“Very well,” she said as she looked at the small portraits again, “The easiest would be to go for Mithril Shield, but I want to do lasting damage. I suppose that I should sit my sights on Prince Apollo instead. I shall do my best to ensnare him. Unfortunately, I am lacking in this kingdom’s ideas of flirting. It is not merely a formality of pointing at a consort and demanding that they perform.”

Cozy cocked an eyebrow at her, “Well, that kind of depends,” she admitted after a moment, “It wasn’t that long ago that things pretty much worked like that for the daughters of barons and viscounts. But that was because several of us had our mothers replaced by creatures that could look like anyone. I don’t know everything that happened, but I do know that my actual mother isn’t much older than my sister. It’s really weird. I actually miss the other mother. Sure, she treated dad like an accessory, but she lead by example. My real mother is actually very reserved. It’s weird.”

She shook her head, “Not that it matters,” she said as she looked at her, “So, we’re going to go ahead and move along with this. If you want to seduce him you’ve got to play up to the treating him anyone else would. Just treat him like a normal person. Getting out of here is the first step. And that means that you’re going to have to play a long game in order to do it.”

She studied Cozy as she sat there, “Play how?” she asked, “What do you mean?”

Cozy smiled, “One thing that I am truly gifted at is making others believe that I am a perfect little angel,” she said, her voice still sickeningly sweet, “And that’s what we’ve got to work on with you. You need to put on a show that gives them the idea that you’ve truly changed. Stop telling them all that they’re going to die, or that your father is going to change them into slaves. Sure, it’s what you believe, and that’s fine, but you’ll never get out of here if you keep doing that. So, instead watch how they talk to each other, copy what they do. Don’t let it get into your head, but copy it. Act friendly with each of them.”

She smiled at her, “And when they start to buy it, ask to leave the temple for short periods. At first I bet that you’ll have to have an escort. That’s fine, direct them toward the food stalls. Inquire about the food, but do it with other people there. That idiot prince will be at one of them, eventually, and you’ll be able to ask him. Let him go on and on about how wonderful the food at the stalls are. Since he’s a complete moron it won’t take long for him to really get into it.”

She grinned, “Let him buy you lunch, he’ll like that,” she said with a grin, “But ask him if he’s sore, be a little demure, but don’t oversell it. Let him talk to you like he’s someone that truly believes that he has some real world experience. He doesn’t, and he likely never really will. Instead he’s a complete and total loss that really only has a place in the royal family. That’s it, but let him believe that he does.”

Starlight looked at her, “And what will come of this?”

Cozy grinned, “He’s going to want to talk to you more, and he’s going to get the idea that he can help you. Let him believe it. Let him think that he can, and let him come and visit you with those stupid skewers of his. Believe me, I’ve had to eat the stupid things before, and they’re okay, once in a while, but they get old really fast. Once he’s come to you enough, make a move.”

Starlight grinned, “Demand that he disrobe so that we may copulate?”

Cozy looked at her for a moment, “Okay, you’ve just jumped ahead a bunch of steps,” she replied, “And it’s a little forceful. Who knows, maybe he’ll like that, but I’d play it safe instead. Tell him that you want to spend more time with him, and ask him if he thinks of you as more than a friend. Win his trust, gain his love, and then take his love. When he finally abandons my sister she will be completely destroyed.”

She grinned at her, “And that will be the shining moment. She’ll have to do her duties as the Saint, but she won’t be able to focus. Everything will suffer because of it. After all, you don’t go after a warrior’s body, you after the heart. We’re destroying her heart.”

The words made sense to her. Destroying the Saint’s heart would make her falter. It would make her less likely to be able to do her duty, and it would turn her from a powerful adversary to into mewling quim. That would remove the obstacle for her father beautifully. There was no doubt in her mind at this point. Cozy Glow would do wonderfully in her Father’s army. She would be used for missions dealing with espionage. That was where her true talent lay. It was obvious how gifted she was.

“Very well,’ she said, her voice confident, “I shall do my utmost to ensure that those here believe I have changed, and then I shall move on to seducing the Prince. When it is said and done he will be little more than a obedient pup following after a master that cares not if he lives or dies,” she stated, a confident smirk residing on her face, “and I shall do my best to keep our friendship. I rather enjoy talking to you.”

Cozy grinned, “And I like talking to you,” she replied, “It’s nice to find someone else that wants to see idiots suffer.”

Chapter 6

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Six

The light of the morning touched across the face of Sunset Shimmer. She was officially a graduate of the Academy, but since her betrothed was still a student she was given special permission to reside in the suite with all of her sister-wives. For her it was a collection of firsts. For one, she wasn’t completely new to the idea of sleeping with women. In truth, she had toyed with the idea of fooling around with another woman from time to time. Mostly because she was so uncertain when it came to men.

That wasn’t to say that she didn’t have men to choose from. As a member of the upper nobility she had plenty to choose from, but she seldom acted on it. She wasn’t sure why, at least at first, but after meeting Copper, and having him save her, the reason became clear. She wanted to spend her life with him. She slowly rose from her bed, and moved toward the window. Carefully she opened the drapes, and she looked out at the courtyard.

She was going to be a married woman, and hopefully sooner than later. The visitor that normally came every month had missed the last two. There was no denying at this point. She was pregnant. Not that it was a bad thing. She wanted children, and she wanted them to be Copper’s. This was a blessing, but it was one that she wanted to happen after they were married. As it was there was a very good chance that Artemis would be having her child far sooner. From what she knew of Demi-human races the tended to birth at the rate of the animal they were most like.

For Artemis that meant that she was going to likely give birth somewhere between the time of a rabbit and a human. From her understanding that should be at any point. She might actually be late, but then again it was something of an odd occurrence. The fact that it could happen so soon could be considered troubling. Then again it could be considered a reason for celebrating. The idea that there would already be a child here, among them, didn’t really bother her. If anything she believed that it would give her a chance to see what being a mother would be like.

“Being a mother,’ she said, mostly to herself, “Words I never really considered would be directed toward me. I just wasn’t that interested in most of the others. My own mother considered the fact that I might not be suited to be married, or even suited to become a mother. Father was convinced that I would merely grow into someone with a head for business. He left the idea of grandchildren up to my siblings.”

“I take it that the change isn’t horrible?” a soft voice asked from behind her, “Otherwise I believe you would be a little more distressed.”

She looked to see Monika walking near her. The other rabbit woman seemed to be in good spirits, but then again like herself Monika was likely with child. Plus, every single time they got to spend time with Copper meant that they would be in good spirits. If nothing else he had learned, quite enthusiastically, on how to please a woman. Their bodies were playgrounds that he experimented on. And of course the same was for his body. She had learned, quite well, on how to please him. There were little touches, sensitive areas, and of course more erogenous zones that practically made him putty in her hands.

When he would melt, she would feel enraptured with herself. How could she not? She had fulfilled a part of what it was she wanted to do. Still, she looked at her sister-wife and smiled, “I’m not upset by it, a little worried, but I believe that is normal for every woman that enters motherhood,” she replied her voice soft, “I suppose that the one thing that truly has me the most worried is the aspect of what comes next. I know that sounds peculiar, especially since we’re already engaged, but truly, what is the next part to all of this?”

Monika smiled as she neared her, “The next part is simple enough,” she replied as she neared the window and looked out at the early morning, “We become mothers, we become wives, and we raise our children together. We support our husband in every way we can, and we make sure that our children understand that they are of good stock. That not one of them should simply settle, but they should find their heart’s desire. Settling is what is done when you have no chance of getting your heart’s desire, and I believe that all of our children, all of his, has the ability to go out and get exactly what they want in life.”

Sunset nodded, “I do as well,” she replied as she looked at the courtyard, “Normally marriages are held after graduation, but I believe that it would be better if ours was held closer. Specifically, much closer,” she stated as she looked at Monika, “I mean no offense, but the idea that we give birth before the wedding would be off putting to many of our families. It could be considered scandalous. I don’t want to bring shame upon my father, or mother, so I would much rather go ahead and have our ceremony before what is tradition.”

Monika nodded, “I would rather become his wife sooner as well,” she said before she looked at Artemis, “Although, Artemis has designs on how to ensure that our husband does not have to have full commitment to the temple in order to enjoy the protection, and perks, of being a temple knight. From what I can tell it involves Head Priestess Luna. I am uncertain of how I feel about it, but I know enough about Artemis to know that she will not simply let this idea drop.”

Sunset looked toward the center of the bed. She saw Artemins, and she shook her head, “She really has ideas that can be dangerous, doesn’t she?” she asked as she looked at her, “Don’t get me wrong. If it works it would give Copper far more political power than he possesses right now. He would practically become a force to be reckoned with, but it would also alienate most of the other court nobles. It would ensure that all others were careful of upsetting or engaging him.”

She sighed, “And if it backfires it would end poorly for all of us. It doesn’t matter, not really, because I’ll stand by him no matter what, but I do feel bad for him, for the potential that it presents. I’m not sure on how I exactly feel about all of it though. Monika, what are you thoughts on bringing Head Priestess Luna into this?”

Monika sighed, “I want Copper to myself, and with all of you, as much as possible. Bringing in another means giving up more time,” she said as she looked at the courtyard, “But I want him to be successful and happy. Bringing in Head Priestess Luna could provide that. So, I am uncertain as to what I specifically think at the moment.”

Sunset nodded, “I understand,” she said as she looked back toward the window, “So, what do you say that we support the idea, but we do it cautiously. There’s no reason to bulldoze straight through, and there’s no reason to cause more havoc than is needed. We just take our time, and we ensure that everything works as planned. At the moment, that seems to be the best possible policy.,” she stated as she looked at Monika, “I mean, we should, in theory, be able to support our husband, and attempt to protect him at the same time.”

Monika nodded, “I take it that you have some experience with the proper idea of how to go about this potential courtship?”

Sunset shook her head, “I’m an Earl’s daughter. While that means that I’m high up in standing, I’m not the highest. The one that would have more experience would be Diamond Tiara, and I really think that we should talk to her about it. She’s going to know the proper protocol in how to go about this without causing too much havoc.”

Monika nodded, and then again she looked outside at the courtyard, “Our husband has asked if I want to attend the Academy as a student,” she said, her voice sounding nostalgic, “It’s interesting. I believe that it would be enjoyable to, but I also know that it is not accepted for me to do so. I fear that my going to the Academy as a student would cause problems for him.”

Sunset smiled, “Oh, there are nobles that would be upset. That is absolutely certain. Those same nobles would be determined to ensure that your time here was miserable. From my understanding Applebloom’s time here wasn’t good until she began being favored by Copper. Even then she was treated harshly. I believe that part of it is because she is a commoner. Still, I’ve not met anyone that I could consider a more noble soul,” she said with a smile, “She truly envelopes all of what true nobles should be. She is kind, quick to serve those both above and below, and quick to respond. She is someone that I know we can depend on.”

“Her time was still marred with bitterness at her simply being here. She was treated with disdain for just existing. The fact that she dared to show her face, to attend classes, to even remotely suggest that her life was worth as much as other nobles was enough to enrage some of the older houses,” Sunset explained, “If it wasn’t for Copper I’m sure that it would still be the same for her. Her being one of his fiancée's has enabled her to live a life that most other commoners would never dream of.”

She moved away from the window, and the thin nighty that she was wearing seemed to move slightly as she did. It opened, revealing the fact that she was wearing nothing under it to anyone that happened to look, “So,” she said as she looked back at Monika, “How should we go about finding out how things are going to progress with High Priestess Luna?” she asked as she looked at her, “I would suggest waking up Artemis, but we know that her answer will be to power through. Asking our husband to be is also likely a dead-end. For all of his fine qualities I’m certain that he doesn’t really want to gain another marriage partner.”

She studied her for a moment, “Then the answer is simple. We awaken Diamond Tiara, we ask how to proceed, and we ensure that it happens. It is the single best way of ensuring that everything happens in such a way that there should be no problem. In truth, I believe that it likely will be the only way that things would work the way they need to. Sometimes, the best way to ensure that all happens as is needed is to make it happen.”

With that the two of them looked about the room. Diamond was not to be seen. Sunset’s brow scrunched in a little bit. The evidence was there. She was with Copper. That meant that Diamond Tiara got to experience their husband to be all on her own. There was a very real part of Sunset that felt jealous. She felt like she should have gotten the chance, but then she understood that there was rules for a good reason. That the sharing they did came at everyone having a certain allotted time. It was a set up that ensured that no one was left out, and no one felt too alienated.

Still, she wanted her time to be here already. But, at least they would get the chance to wake up Diamond Tiara. It would be interesting to see how she slept when she was with Copper alone. The two of them moved from the main suite to the adjoining room. Once it was opened she saw the bed at the side of the room. There was two forms, and there was movement. It quickly became obvious what was going on. The two of them quietly shut the door, wanting to give the two some privacy before going back into the room with them. It would only be right to do so. The moment that the door closed, Monika stood there, “Now I wish that it was my turn,” she said, her voice sounding full of longing, “I mean, really, I would love for it to be my turn.”

Sunset nodded, “I get that,” she agreed, “And I wish that it was my turn as well, but at least she’s making up for the time that she was supposed to have with him before.”

There was a little shared giggle between the two of them, and they moved toward the closet. The day was coming, and there was still so much that they needed to do. One of the first things that was needed was to ensure that the day’s activities would be scheduled. That meant going to the various points on campus and ensuring that all they needed to be signed up for was signed up for. For Sunset it meant roaming around the campus, doing what she could to help, and ensuring that everyone else’s schedules were made. Being graduated meant that there would be more free time for her.

Normally it would mean more free time. There was also the books that she needed to look over for her father. Until she was married she would be helping her family. It was something of a matter of honor for her. Besides, as much as she loved her father there was no denying that he was not one that needed to do the books. He was fantastic at what he did, but keeping records were not part of it.

The normal dress would be the school’s uniform, but she decided to dress in a simple skirt suit. Something elegant and yet classy. Once she was dressed she looked at Monika who was wearing a strange looking school uniform. The stockings she was wearing were black, but they seemed to fit her personality. She studied her soon to be sister-wife, and the two of them walked out of the suite. Stepping out Sunset was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It wasn’t that long ago that she was a student. In truth, she had only really graduated, but still the idea of seeing the Academy without attending was novel.

She walked with Monika toward the main Admin building, and stepping inside she saw one of the coldest women that had ever worked there. After Queen Chrysalis was discovered, and what she had done was revealed, most of the students had believed that this woman had been one of the first drones, but that was incorrect. She had simply been the way she was. There was no need to remove her, or replace her, because she was already perfect for her role. Sunset gave a slight internal groan, but smiled pleasantly and walked toward the desk.

“Ms. Cinch,” she said, her voice sounding more polite and kind than she really felt, “It’s a pleasure to see you again. I was wanting to ensure that the schedules for Viscount Copper Plum Bit were in order.”

There was a moment of silence before the older woman really studied her, “Ms. Shimmer,’ she said, her voice icy as it hung in the air, “What an unexpected surprise to see you here. I must admit that I had believed that since you were engaged you would be remaining at home, attempting to have children, and concerning yourself with a normal, non-adventurous life. As I recall, that was your end goal, was it not? The fact that you would be someone that handled things at home, and lived off of the accomplishments of your ancestors?”

She bristled at the words, but she also knew not to be bated. Ms. Cinch was the kind who absolutely loved to prick at the insecurities of others. She wasn’t a bad looking woman, and to be honest she could possibly be striking, if it wasn’t for her attitude and striking wit. That caused her to be fairly off putting. To put it simply it was why she was not committed in a relationship. Still, she wanted to keep things polite, and she wanted to ensure that things were handled with a sense of decorum. She did not want to let Ms. Cinch simply get to her.

This was a match of wits. This was her standing her ground, and not backing down from someone that wanted to see her fail. In truth, she had no idea why Ms. Cinch was the way she was, but she wasn’t going to simply allow her to bowl her over either. She was going to handle whatever it was that she was going to throw out today, and she was going to do it with grace, dignity, and perfection. Something that would ensure that she was worthy of being a wife of Copper Plum. She watched as Ms. Cinch seemed to understand that the prodding wouldn’t get to her, “I see,” she said as she began to open the various books, “I suppose being engaged to someone that is going to be climb to the hights that Viscount Bit has already set into motion would enough to change the attitude of anyone, including you Ms. Shimmer,” she replied as she quickly jotted down a few things, “Here is the schedule for Viscount Bit’s other wives.”

She continued to work for a bit longer, “here is Viscount Bit’s schedule,” she said, before she took a little time and wrote down a single line on a spare schedule sheet, “and here is your schedule. Please, have a good rest of your day, and do take the chance to do a little adventuring. It would be good to see you develop a bit more of a backbone.”

She held her tongue, seeing Cinch fail to get her rise out of her was enough, and she turned. There was no need to engage at this point. Cinch knew that she had failed, she’d won by default, and that was all there was to it. Yet, Ms. Cinch didn’t look displeased. It was as if she was simply waiting for something. Understanding that whatever it was likely was on her own schedule she lifted it and looked at it.

Sunset Shimmer, Countess, is to prepare herself for all wifely duties that should befall her in the stead of her associated wives. This includes being the personal toy of her husband to be. Additionally, it would be of benefit for Ms. Shimmer to attempt to do a little adventuring so that she could better be suited as a wife to an accomplished individual.

She wanted to scream at her. It was the nicest way of saying it, but she was saying that she needed to go and be Copper’s whore. She couldn’t let Ms. Cinch win. She wouldn’t let her win. It wouldn’t be fair for her to get under her skin like this, and she wouldn’t allow it to happen. Instead she simply nodded, “Thank you for taking the time to create our schedules for us. I appreciate it.”

Seeing that she’d failed Ms. Cinch slightly rolled her eyes, and then she shook her head, “Very well, I am a very busy woman, and I do not have the time to deal with you. I suggest that you get along with your day. If you need more scheduling come see me, if not then be off with you,” she said before another hand touched the desk, “Excuse me,” Monika said, her voice sounding pleasant enough, “I wanted to remind you of a very simple fact. Our husband to be is going to be an Earl. While he is a Viscount now, he will be an Earl. Not to mention one of our soon to be sister-wives is the daughter of a Duke, and Sunset is also the daughter of an Earl. It is very obvious that in your attempt at being unkind that you have wandered into a variable hornet’s nest. I would strongly suggest that you apologize, now.”

Ms. Abacus Cinch actually had the moment of clarity to understand exactly what she had done. Her eyes widened at the realization, and she turned toward Sunset, “I…I want to apologize for my attempt at humor. I understand that it was truly out of place, and I swear that I meant no harm by it. Should you see to forgive me for my slight transgression, I promise that it shall never happen again.”

Sunset held her tongue for a moment, “It is forgiven, but not forgotten. Be warned, I will be observing you from this point forward.”

And with that she left, feeling far better about what had happened. The small victory was enough to enjoy the day. Yet, if only she knew the danger that was looming, and the danger that was going to be crashing down upon them soon.

Chapter 7

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Seven

Copper considered how the day had progressed up to the point that it was now. It had started as something enjoyable. Actually, it was better than just enjoyable. The girls had something of assigned nights that were specifically meant to be alone with him. There would be allowance of time together as well, and he accepted that. In truth he was still getting used to the idea of having multiple girls in the bed with him at once. Sure, that was something out of a wet dream for most guys, but he found himself getting anxious worrying about if he could please everyone that he was with.

The fear was mostly unfounded though. It wasn’t unfounded because he was feeling it, but rather it was unfounded because the girls tended to ensure that everyone came away feeling amazing. Like always he’d come to depend upon Artemis when she was there with him. She had been a quick study when it came to what he liked, and she was just as quick of a study when it came to her sister wives. He’d found that she was someone that truly loved those that she considered hers. There was no denying how passionate she could be, and that of course was a huge disconnect from her no nonsense persona.

It was something of an oddity to see her in bed, moaning in passion, waiting to be cuddled, to be bred, to feel everything that she could, and then to see her out and about in the world when there was others around. Of course, with her being so close to having the baby her own time with him had mostly been spent doing things slower, easier, and far more gentle than she preferred. Somehow, she had come to like that as well. And this morning had been the slower, gentler time with Artemis.

They had been together, in the suite, and it hadn’t quite gotten to the point of them doing anything. Instead they had been lying together, just enjoying each other’s presence. Artemis had expressed an interest in improving their standing. She had explained that it would be worth their wild to consider the possibility of including Head Priestess Luna. He had wondered if she somehow could read that the Head Priestess had confessed to having feelings for him. If that was the case, how could he possibly move forward?

The entire situation had been something mostly pleasant until the entire room shook. The violent shaking reminded him of his previous life, and specifically of earthquakes. He’d only been in one or two, not really enough to consider himself an expert, but nonetheless he felt the familiar disorienting feeling of an earthquake as it caused the entire room to shake. Everything in the room moved, and he did his best to cover Artemis. The more primal part of himself demanded that he ensure her safety.

No sooner had that happened then he heard sounds of screams coming from outside. He looked at Artemis who nodded, and both of them got out of bed. Together they dressed, and he quickly moved toward the rest of the suite. He checked to ensure that everyone else was accounted for and whole. When it was obvious that everyone was fine he moved outside to see familiar looking forces. The same slave forces that had attempted to attack while they were on a short vacation before were there.

He looked above to see a familiar airship, and of course he saw the leader being projected overhead. In his mind he couldn’t help but consider the lich a supervillain. The reason was simple. He had the presentation for being one down to a pat. All that was missing was the lightshow and some blaring heavy metal playing in the background. Still, he looked back toward Artemis who again nodded, “I’ve already called the ship, and of course Avarice here, but my Captain, be warned, there seems to be something different this time.

Her words were not lost on him. There was certainly something different now. It was absolutely present with everything that was happening. He could feel the difference in the air. He could feel the way everything was shaping up. There was something big, something huge that was going to happen here. He wasn’t sure what it was, and he wasn’t sure if it was something that he actually could much about. Having Artemis had actually been the deciding factor for most of his victories.

Sure, he could contribute that he had his own skills as well. He was an accomplished pilot when it came to Avarice, and he was a skilled combatant when it came to fighting on his own. At the end of the day though he was a mere man. He was a single person, and nothing more than that. Maybe that’s why he was worried. He certainly had far more to lose now than he did before. He had wives, plural, and he was about to become a father. That line specifically was something that caused both joy and anxiety.

“Rejoyce, those who live fruitless and meaningless lives,” came the booming voice of the lich, “Rejoyce, for I have come to remove the meaningless existence that you call a life. I have come to give you something far better. I have come to ensure that you are brought into a life that will give you true purpose. You will become my servants, and you will live to serve me.”

“Not happening,” he said, and at once the projected figure seemed to look at him, “Yeah, I said not happening.”

“Ah, the hero,” the booming voice replied, “I had hoped to find you here. I will crush you, and I will display your body upon my ship. All that would dare oppose me will see the results of those that dare to attempt to thwart death itself. I’ve come for you, most of all, and I’ve come to see all that you care for to crumble and die.”

The words hit close to Copper’s heart. The fear that he had of losing those that he cared the most about was something that resided inside of him. Most of the time he was able to keep it down. A mere thought that would occasionally crop up, but something containable regardless. He held these worries inside, and seldom did they ever really escape. He’d long since learned to simply live with them. But seeing the force that was here, and seeing how the Lich was determined to strike within the Academy itself made him realize how real those worries were.

“You’re not going to touch them,” he said, his voice firm, “I’ll make sure that you regret coming here.”

The booming laughter filled the air. The sound was similar to that of a hollow wind echoing through the trees. It reverbrated everywhere, causing confusion and anxiety. Copper realized that it was a spell in and of itself. Everything that the Lich did was secured with magic. He didn’t act without releasing some kind of spell. His entire reason for being was destroying all that lived, or ruling over it. There was little doubt in his mind that he wanted to ensure the world fit his own twisted image.

It was something that Copper was determined to ensure didn’t happen. He had no plans to simply allow this to happen. Still, there was little he could do until Avarice actually arrived. He held out his arm, allowing the magic to charge inside of it, and without any hesitation he struck out at one of the incoming troops that the Lich was using. The force of the punch actually knocked the helm that it wore loose. Another strike and the helm itself came off. What was left was a person under it. Her eyes were blank. There was no emotion, no will, nothing except for a empty shell that obeyed its master. A master that couldn’t communicate with it without the helm.

He looked at the others, and suddenly their attacks became more focused. No longer were they randomly heading into the Academy, but instead they were heading toward him. The realization hit him. They wanted him dealt with, and he was a danger. He’d figured out a weakness, even if that weakness wasn’t that exploitable. It had taken him charging his punch with magic, and unleashing a devastating two hit on the helm to knock it off. In doing so he’d managed to stop one of the troops, but it had only been one. It wasn’t like he could do this over and over again for hours. Charging his arm with magic took magic from his mana pool.

Each time he did that it took longer to charge because there was less mana to collect. Finally, he would be out, and that would mean that there would be no more attacks like that. It would be his mere muscle. Not that he was weak, far from it, but he doubted that he was strong enough to actually knock those helms off with just his brute strength. No, he needed to find a way to deal with this, and to deal with it quickly. No sooner had he thought of that then a shot rang out.

He watched as one of the troops’ helms exploded. It didn’t merely get knocked off, but it exploded into a shower of jade colored materials. He heard another shot, and another. The sounds all coming from the roofs of the buildings. The others were attacking, or at least the best marksmen among them were attacking. They had likely watched what had happened, and in return they were doing what they could to take them down. It made sense. Attacking from where they were was far safer than attacking from anywhere else. Sure, it meant that they were open to the airships, but likely there were individuals raising their barriers against them.

With the backup he could at least hold his ground until Avarice arrived. At least that was the hope. Granted, he was putting a ton of hope in Avarice being able to beat the odds. Of course there was a reason for that. Avarice, like Artemis, was a cheat item. Its entire purpose was to unbalance the game, and put the win solidly in the hands of the player. There was no grinding for xp, no trying to get better at the game, it was a transactional purchase that ensured victory.

And he had all faith that Avarice would come through for him. Although he understood that thinking like that did make him sound, if only to himself, a bit like a cheater. Not that he was going to admit it. He’d purchased both Artemis and Avarice in his old life to beat the stupid game. He’d ensured that he would win, and in the end it had come back to be a great decision. Because of it he had Artemis. Which, she was certainly more than a spaceship. She was a person, whole and true, and he loved her for it.

“My Captain, Avarice is incoming!”

He looked up to see the armor heading toward him. It landed, just behind him, and he dodged a couple of would be attackers getting to it. Right behind him was Artemis. Without question he helped her into the cockpit as well. He knew that she would likely be arguing about it, but this wasn’t the time. She was pregnant, with their child, and he wasn’t going to leave her on the battlefield. The cockpit closed, and he felt just how close they were.

“This is not ideal,” she stated, her back and ass pressed against him, “Perhaps you should ensure that I am left on the top of the buildings,” she suggested, “Not that I believe that I would hamper your abilities, but I know this is not comfortable for either of us.”

“No problem,” he replied as Avarice lifted up, and without a thought he landed on the top of their building. The cock pit opened, and she moved out of it. He saw his other brides to be, and with a wave he left them. His determination was simple. He was going to ensure that they were safe. As he flew up toward them he noticed that the Lich had brought more than his servants. The same armors that he’d faced with Starlight Glimmer were there. Last time it had been a single armor, and he’d been able to beat her because of how much faster Avarice had been. This time he was facing what looked like eight of the same armors.

“Poor hero,” the Lich’s booming voice said, “Did you believe that the armor you faced the last time was the only one? Perhaps you believed that whelp that was convinced that she was my daughter was the only one capable of using it. She was a mere tool, a single pawn that I was sacrificing in order to obtain what is rightfully mine. Granted, she had an above average ability to pilot, but she was not special.”

Neither he, or the Lich, knew that Starlight was listening. That her entire world view was crumbling before her. That currently she was inside of the temple using the moment to pretend to be weak in an attempt to seduce the Prince of this Kingdom. When the words came out, the spiteful, hateful words, it was enough to cause a break in her. She’d been strong, stronger than strong, and suddenly she was truly reduced to questioning everything. Neither knew that, but the Lich would come to regret the words he’d spoken.

Instead Copper knew what was before him. WIth a determined charge he engaged the first of the armors. Like with Starlight the Armor was indeed powerful. His first impulse was to help the person inside, but a voice spoke up, and he felt the other avatar before him wiggle a little bit, “My Captain,” Artemis’ voice said through their connection, “The last time we witnessed as Starlight was consumed by the living armor. We had seen that happen, and we were almost too late then. If they have already been consumed, we must believe it happened well before they arrived. He sacrificed them far earlier. There is nothing left to save.”

He growled, the hatch on his back opened, ejecting his axe, and he swung it. The axe impacted the armor before him, splitting the helmet open, revealing a mess of warped tentacled flesh that both resembled a face, and yet resemble nothing at all. He watched as its mouth opened and a strangled cry came out, “Please, end me!” the ethereal voice shouted, the sound going everywhere, “End me now, please!”

The warped flesh didn’t resemble anything last time. He swung the axe again, gaining purchase on its chest, and pulled back. With a thrust, like last time, he drove his arm into it. He reached where the pilot would have been, and he pulled back. What was in his hand was a malformed heart. It resembled a person, but only in shape. The armor fell, the heart stopped beating, and he realized exactly what had happened. There was no saving them. There was no attempt at being the hero for them. Those poor souls had been sacrificed long before, and the others were getting closer.

“Monika,” he said as he stood there, “Do you still have connection with the satellite?” he asked as he waited from inside of the cockpit of Avarice.

“I do, darling,” she replied through the comms, “Why?”

“I want you to target all of their airships, target the armors around me, and bring them down.”

“Darling, if I do this there is a very good chance that we may have collateral damage. Those that are fighting outside may be caught up in the situation. I can however target their leader. I believe that doing so would disorient them. At least long enough that we could potentially put a stop to their atack. If I have your blessing, I will do that for you.”

He breathed out, “Okay, do it.”

The decision was one that weighed heavy on him. Targeting the lich himself meant that there was no other choice. They needed to bring him down. He had wanted to capture him, to bring him to justice, to have him face the crimes he’d committed, but there was a chance that it wouldn’t happen that way. That his entire reason for being was too terrible for them to even begin to contain. He watched as the sky began to light up, and when it did beams of light came down. They touched on the airships, and then they began to draw into a single point. It appeared that the Lich had noticed this as well.

He watched as the light focused more, and then it struck the ship in the place where the Lich should have been. The projection of the Lich was gone, the voice was gone, and the armors seemed to be confused. In that moment he went to attacking them, to destroying them, until he reached the last one. That one suddenly became very aware, and it attacked him with all that it had. He was surprised at its skill, at its ability, and he as surprised that it would be attacking so hard for someone that was already gone.

“Did you and those horrible little demi-human sex slaves of yours believe that I was that easily beaten, boy?”

Chapter 8

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Eight

KLANG! KLANG! The sounds of the two weapons being held by the two different armors struck each other with a force that would rival the strongest magi-guns. Each strike caused the buildings of the academy to shake, creating a miniature earthquake in the surrounding area. For those on the buildings it was difficult to keep their purchase and still fight. For Copper it was the realization that his decision to not have dealt with the Lich before was coming back to fuck him in the ass with a vengeance.

There was little excuse for his decision. The reasoning had been that he could turn the Lich over to the Kingdom. That by doing so he would give the rulers of the Kingdom the duty of dealing with the Lich in whatever light they preferred. The actual reason was that he didn’t want to be responsible for killing someone. He didn’t want that bloodshed on his hands, and now because of his decision there would be dozens, if not hundreds, of lives that would end instantly if he didn’t do what was needed now.

To say that he regretted his decisions would be an understatement. He far more than just regretted it. He actively wanted to avoid thinking about it. He wanted to focus on this engagement, and pretend that the other one never happened. That this time was what mattered, and that the choices he made before weren’t here to shove a sandpaper dildo straight up his ass. .

Each movement, each strike, every single attack was one that he could see the Lich countering. Being a magic caster was more or less part of what it was to live in this messed up dating sim, but being a pilot was something that few actually had a real aptitude for. The fact that the Lich could control his attack so well told him that the Lich was a skilled pilot. He braced for a slash, and he saw the way both the axe and the sword managed to sink into one another. The sword that he was using looked to be ready to be cut into half. Luckily the axe itself seemed to be okay.

Of course there was the fact that it was simply thicker than the sword, but it did bother him that the sword was able to cut into it regardless. It wasn’t that he believed that it was invincible. Far from it. The axe was just a weapon. It was designed to be used, and it was also something that would eventually have to be replaced. There was no getting around that, but he also knew that it was designed in such a way that it shouldn’t have been able to be destroyed easily. Seeing the sword cut into it meant that the sword was designed in a similar fashion. It meant that their weapons, for good or bad, were on parr with one another.

The Lich drew the sword back, and he watched as he tossed it. It wasn’t toward the ground, or in a random direction, but instead it was toward a building off to his side. Without hesitation he moved, blocked the sword, and in return the Lich laughed at the action. He realized exactly what that meant. The Lich wasn’t some Saturday Morning villain that was going to monologue and then attack where there were no people. He was going to use the fact that Copper cared about the people in the academy to his advantage.

“The problem with you heroes is that you are so resigned to ensure the health and safety of those around you. Your entire being is focused on ensuring that those that live in your world continue to draw breath. It means that while I have no doubt that our skills are mostly equal there is an absolute difference between us. You will go out of your way to protect these people, and I will use them regardless if they are living or dead,” he said with humor in his voice, “It means that I’ve won. I have absolutely won against you, and there is nothing that you can do about it. Prepare for death, boy.”

Copper watched as the armor stretched its arms out. The palms of the armored gauntlets began to open, and he could see the tentacles that were inside of it slithering out. Those tentacles began to shift into different shapes. The tips of them glowed a sickly green, and he realized that each one of them was holding a magical blast. There was absolutely no way to protect everyone from that. He wasn’t even sure if Avarice would survive a direct hit. Not that he doubted the armor in the slightest, but he wondered exactly what kind of power was inside of each blast.

Without a second though, he rushed forward, pushing Avarice to its absolute limit. The action seemed to cause the Lich to become startled. Likely he believed that Copper would instead attempt to save as many people as he could. That he wouldn’t rush in to attack, and the points all aimed at him. The axe went flying, hard, and struck the chest of the armor. When it did the tentacles lost their shape, and they began moving erratically. All of them appeared to be out of control, unable to deal with what had happened. There was little doubt in that moment that the confusion felt by the living armor was Coppers one real chance. He grabbed the Axe, ripped it back, and didn’t hesitate, “Grenade,” he said, his voice firm, “Give me a grenade now!”

One came from the back hatch, and he shoved the giant grenade into the opened wound of the living armor. The living armor’s arms wrapped around him, “If I go boy, then you go too!”

The explosion was something that could heard far outside of the capital. Somehow, the effects of the grenade were focused directly on the space between the two armors. The massive explosion that happened was enough to cause every building to shake, most of the windows to break, and of course most of the doors to crumble. Those not behind the barriers would need to be seen at the healers due to damage to their ears.

Yet, through it all, through everything, it appeared that everyone was alright. For a moment it looked as if the world had finally given them all a favor. The smoke from the blast cleared and what should have been two armors standing there was reduced to most of one standing there. Avarice had withstood the blast, but not without severe damage. Part of the left arm was gone, the facial plate that covered the sensors in the head were destroyed, and its legs seemed to be fused in place.

Somehow, it had managed to save the occupant. The hatch opened, slowly, and Copper looked at the damage. What had happened was bad enough that it had pushed Avarice to its very limits. There was no doubt in his mind that if it hadn’t been for the abilities of the armor he would be dead. The armors that the five idiots had used would likely be laying in slag from the explosion. He could hear a strange, yet familiar, sound from inside of the cockpit. Looking around he found a small geiger counter.

From what he could see the explosion had contained radiation. In truth that made far too much sense. It was less like a grenade and more like a small nuclear warhead. Still, from what he could see the Lich was gone. At least he was hopeful that he was gone. His plan to take him in was completely stupid, and he got that now. At least they could take in all of his victims. He breathed out, seemingly okay until he saw movement. Below him, something moved from the scattered remains of the living armor. It was small, barely the size of a child, and it stood.

He saw the same flickering red and green eyes, “You’ve not won yet, boy!”

A moment later the lich was thrown to the ground, and behind him was an angry Starlight Glimmer.

“You were my father!” she screamed, her nails digging into him, “MY FATHER!”

Copper could see the confusion on the face of the Lich. He had likely believed that they would have executed Starlight and been done with it. After all, she had been a general in the Lich’s army. She had been prepared to sacrifice herself for him. Copper very much doubted that the Lich would have wasted the time to reconstitute Starlight into another Lich. Instead he would have left her dead. Perhaps, in his own twisted way that would have been honorable. After all, she would remain at rest while others that had died were forced into servitude. Still, the Lich had to deal with the fact that she was alive, well, and very much angry at him.

“How can you live?” he asked, his voice sounding far younger than it should, “You were captured. Once captured high ranking officials of other armies are put to death. It is a sign of honor, a badge of worthiness. To be denied that, you’ve fallen into deep shame.”

Copper watched and waited to see if the words would have the effect that he was certain the Lich was looking for. The effect of getting her to back off, but instead she slapped him. The sound resounded around them, and then she did it again. Each time she slapped him his head turned with the movement. After the sixth he was trying to get away, “Stop!” he shouted, “I command you! Stop you insolent whelp! I am your master! I remade you into the creature you are! I made you strong! STOP!”

She hauled back and punched him hard, “NO!” she shouted, her voice filled with anger, “I’ll never stop! You were supposed to be my father! My Father! You were supposed to care and love me! I believed that you loved me!”

Copper moved forward, and behind him was Professor Fancy Pants. He was surprised to see his beloved master of tea there, but with a quick movement Professor Fancy Pants had moved Starlight. He held her, effortlessly, and he nodded to Copper who grabbed the Lich. There was a very surprising difference between how the Lich had been, and how he was now. Before he could have felt the terrible power pouring off of him. He could practically feel the power of death itself there.

He didn’t feel it now. All he felt was the body of a child. Sure, there was still magic, there was still power, but it was a fraction of what it had been. All of the would be invaders were simply standing still. None of them were advancing because the Lich couldn’t do it. He was stripped of his power, and the only reason he could consider was that the explosion had destroyed him, and in an effort to continue to exist he reconstituted himself into a new living body.

With that knowledge he gained more information on Lich than he believed possible. It was possible to capture him, but in doing so it meant killing him. When he stopped to think of it that way the entire thing made his head hurt. He didn’t like that, in the slightest, but at least there was something. It meant that he could turn him over to the kingdom, and they could see exactly what it was they wanted to do with him. He hoped that it wouldn’t be to just release him. Even if he was trapped in a prison of his own flesh for now there was no guarantee that it would last forever.

He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that he’d done to become the Lich in the first place, but he had to imagine that it did involve dying. If that was the case then there was every possibility that he could attempt it again, and he certainly didn’t want to be the reason that he was able to do it. So that meant that somehow they needed to keep him alive, and they needed to preserve him. Slowly the answer came to him, and it hated that he was going to suggest it. Still, it was likely that Queen Chrysalis would prove to be beneficial again. If only for the reason of ensuring that the Lich didn’t manage to transform.

Sixteen Hours Later - Relocated Changeling Hive

Copper watched as the other temple guards kept a close eye on the Lich. The former Monarch was restrained by something similar to a straight jacket, a half mask was placed on him, rending him unable to speak and cast. Effectively he was made completely powerless by these precautions. The moment they entered the hive multiple creatures that looked like Queen Chrysalis, only without differing facial features, were there to greet them.

Copper watched as they all took a knee to his presence. The effect was obvious. They were under Chrysalis’ command, and thanks to Artemis she was under his command. At this point he commanded an army that rivaled most civilized nations. The idea bothered him. Not that there was this extra amount of manpower, but instead that it had been placed squarely into his hands. This was an amount of manpower that he didn’t really want to be responsible for. He didn’t want to have that kind of power, but then he wasn’t sure that there was anyone that he would absolutely trust with it either.

Queen Celestia had already more or less proven that she was perfectly fine with letting things slide until it was the next generation's problem. King Consort Baked Bean seemed to be a good sort, and certainly seemed to be honest in what he intended to do, but ultimately his power resided with Queen Celestia. If she didn’t want to do something she could deny it. That would cause a whole world of problems for anyone that was depending on the King Consort without some kind of prior authorization from Queen Celestial. That left the other nobles. Sure, he believed that he could trust Duke Filthy Rich.

He was honest about what his true goal was, and he hadn’t lied once about what he was planning on doing. The issue was that having this much power could be something that would end up swaying him. So, again it was a question of who did he feel the most responsible for it. The answer had been himself. He didn’t want absolute power, and he just wanted to make sure that Chrysalis didn’t do anything that would cause problems. With that kind of attitude he felt that he was at least on the right track toward ensuring that nothing happened.

“Welcome back M’Lord,” all of the creatures said, their voices sounding eerily similar, “Queen Chrysalis awaits you.”

He followed the group, with the temple knights in tow, and they found Queen Chrysalis sitting upon a dark throne. The throne itself was made of a black onyx, perfectly carved, and he realized that the creatures that made it had likely carved it directly from the stone. Likely, it had been a single stone in the beginning, and now it was perfectly seated for all to see. He watched as Queen Chrysalis stood, “My Lord,” she said, her voice a purr, “You have gifted me with your presence. To what do I owe this honor?”

He studied her, “I know that you have eyes everywhere for me. I know because Artemis told me as much. That means that you know what happened earlier, and you know about the Lich that is our custody. I need him sealed away, and I believe him going into one of your pods is the only real way to ensure that he doesn’t escape.”

She nodded, and he watched as she moved toward the Lich. The now much smaller former monarch seemed to be glaring at her. She circled him several times before she shook her head, “I will gladly place him into a pod, and it will hold him, but it will not do so forever,” she said as she looked back at him, “He simply has too much power inside of him for me to keep prisoner for an eternity. I could potentially hold him for a year, perhaps two, and then he would have gained enough power to break free.”

She motioned her hands out among the drones that were around them, “Unfortunately that means that he would likely slaughter my children, all of them, and then he would come for me. I have no doubts in my mind that he would use his necromancy upon us to ensure our devotion and servitude. Ultimately, it would end with him having access to an army that would rival Queen Celestia’s kingdom above.,” she stated as she looked at him, “The other option is that you agree to do a temporary imprisonment, and then you find something that will ensure his complete and total imprisonment for all time.”

He studied her, “I’m guessing that you have an idea of what that would be?”

She nodded, “Long before the royal existed, and before the current humans took over, there was a different breed of human. They had long since lost their connection to the magical powers that resided upon the Earth. They had little to not effect on the world other than technology. These humans had also managed to find, and stop, one of the single greatest threats of their time. An immortal demon king known as Grogar. They took an artifact from Grogar, a single bell, that was worn by him at all times.”

She studied him, “His bell contained all of his power, every last drop of it, and it would be the only thing powerful enough to hold our friend for an indefinite amount of time. In order to imprison him, you must obtain Grogar’s bell.”

He nodded, “Where is it?”

She smiled, “The Kingdom of the Ancient Dragon. It was last known to be there, and that is where you must go.”

He looked at her, and then he looked again at the Lich. He couldn’t allow him to go free, and he couldn’t allow him the chance to convert Chrysalis and her children to his subjects. That meant that he had to go to the Kingdom of the Ancient dragon. And that meant that he needed to find a way of doing it that would be allowed. The one thing he could think of was putting in as a transfer student.

Chapter 9

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Nine

The paperwork was filed, the schedule approved, and Viscount Copper Plum Bit was looking at becoming a transfer student to the Ancient Dragon Kingdom. He was uncertain of exactly how he felt about it. The Ancient Dragon Kingdom was already going to be far away from where he was located, and there wasn’t really anything in the game about it. All he really knew was its name, and the fact that it had something of an amicable relationship with the Lunar Sol Kingdom.

Beyond that he really had no idea of what was going to happen over there. Part of him was indeed worried. How could he not be worried? This was a complete unknown. He was going to go and face a world that he knew little about, and that he was even less prepared for than he had been. It wasn’t until he saw Satin coming near him that he took his mind off of what was happening, “Satin?” he asked as he looked at her, “What’s going on?”

She shook her head, “You’re heading to the second game in the series,” she confessed after a moment, “the game you beat was the first in the series, but the second one took place in the Ancient Dragon Kingdom. Bubby, there’s a lot about that place that you need to know. For one, there’s the protagonist that’s over there, and they made her a lot different from Applebloom. Apparently people loved the first game, but they felt that Applebloom was out of place in it. That she was too much of a country bumpkin to be the protagonist.”

She shrugged, “Hey, it was gamers that were posting stuff about the first game when the second one came out,” she replied before she looked around, “see, the second game’s protagonist is meant to become the priestess, but not like Luna. She’s connected to a dragonling, a baby dragon, that is going to end up taking the place of the ancient dragon. It has to because the Ancient Dragon is going to be absorbed by a dark power, and transformed into a weapon of war.”

He stood there, and his eyes widened, “Okay, what the hell is wrong with the people that liked this series?” he asked as he looked at her, “The game mechanics were wonky as hell, it was practically impossible to get anything really done, and it was beyond difficult to beat the game without purchasing a cheat item. The love interests were all practically useless, but I’m guessing that you’ve figured that out already, right?”

She growled at him, “Yeah, I’ve figured it out. I’ve figured it out, and I’m dealing with the fact that I have to take care of five oversized children because I’ve stuck myself with them. This sucks, and it sucks hard. I wish that I never would have pursued the reverse harem. I hate having to constantly make them feel better, and I dislike the idea of constantly trying to help them feel like they deserve anything. Ugh, I wanted an easy life, I wanted parties, dresses, and enough food that I would never have to worry again.”

She looked at him, “It doesn’t matter,” she replied as she stood there, “I need to go with you, but I can’t. Since I’m the Saint I’m supposed to be here,” she said as she gestured to the place, “This was another mistake, wasn’t it?” she asked as she stood there, “I keep having a feeling that something is going to go wrong.”

He studied her, “Okay, what happens toward the end of the game?”

She looked at him for a moment, “Oh, the tie in with the first game is that Lunar Sol Kingdom sends help in the final battle. They send their best warships, and of course the saint is there… Oh, oh no,” she said, the color draining from her face, “I’m going to have to go over there and fight as the Saint. Bubby, I don’t wanna go!”

Copper looked at her and shook his head, “Like it or not, it’s something you’re going to have to do. I get that you feel remorse for this, all of this, but you kind of made your bed here,” he replied as he looked at her, “So, more or less you’re stuck with everything that comes with it. Still, I know that I’m basically going into this blind. I don’t know the first thing about the second game. Actually, he said as he looked at her, “I know nothing about the Ancient Dragon Kingdom other than what I’ve heard in classes.”

She nodded, “Well, ummm… I can, yeah I will. Let me write out what I remember, and I’ll bring it to you. That might be the best option. That way you’ve got some kind of guide that will help you with what’s going to happen over there. Oh, when you arrive there’s going to be a little bit of a scuffle, maybe, that’s happening, or it just happened. If it’s happening let it happen. It needs to happen to set up one of the main love interests for the game. If it has happened then you’ll need to check to make sure that the love interest is okay.”

He studied her for a moment, “Wait, what are you talking about?”

She rolled her eyes, “Look, the first love interest that was seen in the game was seen in an opening cutscene. It was happening at the airship docks, and he was working at those docks. Unlike the rest of the love interests he’s more of an commoner than anyone with a title. Still, during the game he’s marked by a dragonling, actually by the same dragonling that marks the priestess. And that makes him into the guardian. Well, that happens if you happen to meet the requirements for it to happen. If it doesn’t then that will remove him from the pool of potential love interests.”

He wanted to scream at the absurdness of the game that they were stuck in. There was no way to say it other than it was absurd. Certain conditions had to be met in order to get a certain love interest. And likely it was one of those things that you had to get in order to one hundred percent the game. He could only guess the amount of insanity that would have come from that. It wasn’t something that he was actively wanting to deal with, but then again it was something that he knew was going to be put into his lap.

That was just how those things seemed to end up. He nodded, “Okay, when can you get the notes to me?”

She looked at him, “I can maybe get them written out tonight, if I go straight home, and I will, but bubby, when are you set to leave?”

He shook his head, “I’ve got four days to get ready. Mostly because I’ve talked to Diamond Tiara and Applebloom about this already. I also told Sunset Shimmer about it, and they’re wanting to come with me. Which is fine. I already knew that Artemis and Monika were going to come with me. I’m not sure how well they’re going to deal with being at a completely different school in a different nation though.”

She grinned, “Diamond Tiara will be fine. The other, small throwaway connection, to the first game is that her father, Filthy Rich, has some connection to the businesses over there. So, it’s likely that she will be able to navigate the area pretty easily. I’d be more worried about Applebloom. She’s never really been out of the Lunar Sol Kingdom before. It’s going to be a real eye opening situation for her.”

When she said that he realized that she was likely right. Applebloom had been a commoner before becoming engaged to him. The engagement raised her in rank to the same level as Viscount. And of course when he was raised to Earl she would be raised as well. For her this was already a massive culture shock. Going to another country altogether would be an even bigger one.

“I think that she’ll be alright, I really do. She just has to find her feet.”

He noticed that Satin wasn’t agreeing with him, “If you say so,” she replied, “Look, she’s really only ever known her farm, and now the Academy. This is going to be a huge change for her. I know you don’t want to hear this from me, but you really need to take the time over there to help her adjust. She’s going to be flying by the seat of her pants as it is. You don’t want her to have a mental break while you’re over there. I know you, and I know that you would end up blaming yourself for it.”

He didn’t want to admit it, but she had a point. If anything happened to Applebloom over there he would be blaming himself for it. She didn’t need to be made to suffer just to ensure that he was getting everything checked off. Not that it mattered. He was going to have to go regardless. Finding Grogar’s Bell was the main reason. They had to make sure that the Lich couldn’t escape. That meant he was on a serious time crunch as it was.

He looked at Satin for a moment, “Okay, I’m going to have someone I trust keeping an eye on everything here. If that person gets to acting weird, like different from how they would normally act, you need to let King Consort Baked Bean know as soon as possible, and you need to pray that you do have the Saint’s powers, because you’re going to need them.”

She looked at him, her eyes wide, “Wait, why?”

He breathed out, “Remember King Sombra?”

She looked at him, “He was locked away, right?” she asked as she studied him, “I mean that’s what King Consort Baked Bean said when he addressed the Kingdom.”

He laughed, “Well, more or less locked away. He’s being held by Chrysalis for me, but he’s too powerful to be held forever by her. So, I’ve got someone that’s going to check in on Chrysalis, and check in on how well he’s actually locked away. If they start acting weird it means that they’ve been compromised. Likely they, Chrysalis, and all of her drones are dead. If that’s the case you have to let King Consort Baked Bean know so that he can rally a defense, and again, I hope that you’ve actually got the Saint’s powers.”

The look that crossed Satin’s face was one that Copper might have found funny in his previous life, but it was different with the situation at hand. There wasn’t a damned thing funny about the potential for her to fail. This might be the dating sim world, and they might be stuck here, but this was still their life. If she failed, and if everything went to hell, then there would be no coming back from that. That would be it. He knew it, and Satin knew it too.

It was something that unfortunately couldn’t be avoided either. The chances were high, very high, that things could go pear shaped and quick. If that happened then it really would be up to Satin to hold everything together until he got back. Even then there was no guarantee that he could do much to stop the Lich himself. Sure, he’d caused him to have to reconstitute himself into a child’s body, but that appeared to be a stopgap at the most. It wasn’t something that would completely stop him.

He had hoped that being trapped in a pod by Chrysalis would be the thing to keep a tight leash on the Lich, but Chrysalis had explained that he was simply too full of powerful magic. That he would eventually escape, and when that happened it would be more than enough to challenge him. It had taken something that was similar to a nuclear warhead to stop him before. And that had been contained within the living armor.

He had more of them, but he didn’t have anything to contain the blast. Ultimately, it meant that if it came down to it he would have to decide what small area was fine with being destroyed in order to stop the Lich again. And to be honest, that would be difficult in and of itself. The Lich didn’t seem to want to be amicable by going somewhere that was deserted. He was instead fine fighting where there were tons of people. That was exactly what he wanted to avoid. The Lich had been right. He cared too much for everyone else. That was exactly what was his weakness, his kryptonite.

The Lich knew it too. The last time they had fought the only reason he’d won was because he realized that there was no other way of dealing with it. He had to attempt to kill the Lich. He looked at Satin, and he realized that she was still having her moment of dread, “Hey,” he said as he touched her shoulder, “You know that it’s part of the package, right? I mean this was pretty much what the Saint was meant to do. You’re supposed to be prepared to ensure the safety of the Kingdom.”

She shivered and shook her head, “I don’t wanna!” she cried as she latched onto him, “Bubby, please, please, please don’t make me do it! Just come back home and beat him again, okay?! Please?! I don’t wanna have to fight him! I don’t wanna! Why did they even put him in this game?! He’s crazy strong and scary!”

He held her for a moment, allowing her to get her frustrations out. Even in their old life she was like this. She hated having to do anything that even remotely resembled work. Although he could see the bigger difference here. This was facing an undead monarch that was going to ensure the death of pretty much everyone in the Kingdom. Those that he didn’t kill would be brought into his army and forced to become his servants. There was no happy ending if he was able to complete what he set out to do.

She knew that, and he knew that she did. It was also telling that she didn’t want to face him. The telling part was that she likely understood that she wasn’t really qualified to be the Saint. If that was the case then the Kingdom was in for some seriously bad times when it came down to it. The fact that she was unwilling to step up meant that she just wasn’t confident in her ability. More than that she likely wasn’t confident in the very aspect of handling a seriously bad situation. Sure, he had no doubt that her powers were decent, maybe even more powerful than he was willing to give her credit for, but he had a feeling that at the end of the day she was still far weaker than Applebloom when it came to natural magical talent.

Ultimately, it meant that there was a very real chance that she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own when the time came. It meant that he would need to come back and save the day. The issue with that was the fact that doing so would have to come after he found Grogar’s Bell. Doing it beforehand would only result in at best slowing down the Lich. His only real option was going and finding the bell. If he found it then there was every chance that he could ensure that Lich was never released.

He shook his head, “Just do your best. I have to find an artifact over there before I can come back. I have to because it’s the only thing that might stand a chance of stopping the Lich. If I can find it then Chrysalis can likely hold onto him forever. He’ll never be free, and we won’t have to worry.”

She looked at him and shivered, “I don’t like it,” she said her voice sounding uncertain, “You’re talking about being in a completely different Kingdom, and I’m going to have to deal with the situation here. I don’t even know if I can really do it. We’re talking about making sure a powerful necromancer, that happens to be a lich, remains trapped. I get that if he manages to get out that I need to do what I can to stop him, but there’s no guarantee that I can.”

He grinned, “You’re going to have to,” he replied, “The Saint was the one to stop the Lich in the game. That means that you’re going to have to step up. I get it, I’m asking something scary, but consider it like this. You’re going to be protecting this kingdom because you’re one of the idiots that happens to live here. That’s more than enough reason to do it.”

She groaned and looked away, “Sure, I guess,” she replied before she finally stepped back, “I’ll do what I can, and I’ll let King Consort Baked Bean know, but why don’t you want me to let Queen Celestia know?”

He looked at her like she was growing another head, “Okay, I want you to really think about Queen Celestia, how she acts, and what she does. And then I want you to ask that question again,”

She considered it for a moment, “Okay, yeah, that’s fair,” she replied, “So I let King Consort Baked Bean know, and then I do what I can. What kind of support can the King Consort actually come up with?”

He grinned, “The head priestess, the temple knights, and a good section of the normal knights all have an allegiance with King Consort Baked Bean. Trust me when I say that he can call upon a lot of manpower if needed. So, let him call on that manpower. Keep in contact as best you can with me. Use a Dragonfire Mailer if you need, but get me messages, and let me know what’s going on over here. I want to make sure that I’m coming home to a place that is protected.”

She nodded, “I promise.”

Chapter 10

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Ten

The sight of the harbor came into view. The difference between the Ancient Dragon Kingdom and that of the Lunar Sol Kingdom were on display. Where Airships were absolutely still a thing here Copper could see other advancements that the Lunar Sol Kingdom simply didn’t have. Those advancements included what looked like cable cars that ran from harbor to different points in the entrance city itself. The grandioseness of the city was on display, but it wasn’t the opulence that he’d come to notice with the Lunar Sol Kingdom.

This was more of a display of technological advancement, and of refinement. That in and of itself was saying something since they were just at the harbor. He wondered exactly what it would be like the moment they moved further into the city itself. Which, from his understanding as transfer students they would be attending the Ancient Dragon Kingdom University. There, they would continue their lessons, but also be given the chance to expand their horizons in the sense of learning about a new culture.

Although Copper’s true objective was still to find and locate Grogar’s Bell. From what Queen Chrysalis had told him the bell had belonged to an ancient demon lord, but not just a normal demon lord. No, from what she had said Grogar was one of the most powerful, and he was defeated by the old humans. They had done so by removing his bell, and ensuring that he couldn’t access its power. Without that his reign of terror could never fully be realized.

“I hope that the stupid bell has the power that Chrysalis said that it does,” he said, mostly to himself, as he looked at the dock they were moving toward, “The last thing we need is to deal with finding an article of junk that has no power at all.”

“My Captain,” Artemis said as she neared him, a small bundle in her arms, “I have some information on Grogar’s Bell, and Queen Chrysalis was technically correct in that it was separating it from Grogar that allowed his defeat. In truth, it was with his defeat that the old humans decided to fully concentrate on their technological advancements. After all, those were exactly what allowed them to defeat him,” she said as she gently rocked the bundle, “Perhaps, if they hadn’t been so focused on purely technology they could have won against the new humans.”

He grinned at her, “Which would also mean the world that currently exists wouldn’t exist anymore,” he replied as he looked at their child, “Is she alright?”

Artemis gave a rare smile as she looked at the little bundle, “She is fine,” she replied after a moment, “she was a little premature, but she seems developed enough to be fine. Although, if I am completely honest I am uncertain of what to do with the emotions that I feel. I am torn. I am loyal to you, and I want to serve only you, but at the same time I want to ensure her survival. Not only that, but it is my wish to ensure that she is able to have her heart’s desires.”

He grinned at her, “From what I’ve heard that’s part of being a parent,” he replied as he watched the tiny hand move up from the bundle itself, “Still, I think that she’s going to grow up strong, and be more than capable. Just like her mother.”

Artemis grinned, “You flatter me,” she replied before she looked back at the bundle, “She will be strong, although I fear that she will never be as powerful as I am. The differences between us are very present. Under all of the biological I am still very much synthetic. My skeleton isn’t bone, but instead it is a hyper-dense alloy that is able to withstand intense pressure, heat, and even energy blasts. Athena, my darling little Athena, will never be more than flesh and bone. Still, I care for her deeply, and I want to make sure that she is strong enough to survive.”

He grinned, “She will be,” he replied, his voice confident, “She comes from good stock, so it would be impossible for her to be anything other than strong,” he stated as moved closer, and he offered to take her. With that offer Artemis gently moved the bundle from herself to him. He looked at the small bundle as two soft brown eyes opened and looked into his own eyes. They seemed to linger there with a sort of hidden intelligence that was difficult to explain.

She reached up toward him, and he lowered his face so that her little hands could feel his cheeks. The little digits that touched him seemed to explore the feeling of his skin, trying to understand the differences between itself and the thing it was touching. He watched as the little one seemed so curious about him, about the world, and he knew that before long she would be crawling all over. In truth, it would likely be happening while they were here as transfer students. Not that he minded that in the slightest. It would be interesting to keep up with her. And it would be fun to watch her grow. Of course, his wanting to watch her grow came with the fact that he wanted to ensure that she had the chance to grow up.

His original mission for being here came back to him. He was a father, absolutely, and that meant that he had to protect his child, no children, from danger. Part of that danger was something that he understood was more or less of his own making. Granted, from what he discovered there really wasn’t a way of truly dealing with the lich. Since he could reconstitute himself into a younger form. It meant that even destroying his body would be a stopgap at best.

It would take something with more power than he had, and that came back to why he was here. He took another look at the harbor, and he watched as the ship finished docking. When it did he watched as a long gangplank was extended from the dock to the ship. Part of him was surprised, or was until he saw what looked like an official walking up the gangplank. The official was holding a clipboard, and from his expression he was already taking notice of the entire ship.

“Hmmm,” he said, as he looked over the design of the ship itself, “It’s functional, but at the same time I can see that extravagance was used. Honestly, why you nobles from the Lunar Sol Kingdom decide to decorate your ships like homes instead of the weapons they are I will never understand. Still, You’ve officially docked with in the Empire of the Ancient Dragon. I request that you do not call it a Kingdom. We have an Emperor not a bloody king,” he stated, his voice sounding overly hoity-toity, “Now, you may not be aware, but the moment you docked you fell under our laws. As such, I am here to check and ensure that your ship meets the requirements for our airships. If it does not then you will be fined, and your ship will be locked in port until the adjustments are made.”

Copper looked at him as he stepped onto the dock, “Hmmm, odd, normally the Lunar Sol Kingdom ships don’t have rubber padding on the deck. It’s honestly only the most sensible thing to do. Anytime that you are flying around places that may have storms it makes the most sense to ensure that everything is protected.”

He shook his head, “Well, no matter, there is no write up for that, let’s see,” he said as he walked toward the door leading to the bridge. He grabbed the handle, expecting the door to swing out, but instead it slid into the wall, “Odd,” he replied, as it did, “Again, normally the doors swing open, and all too often they are on half barrel hinges. Dangerous as they come. A maneuver that causes the airship to flip on its side, or even upside down for a short period can cause the door to come off if it is just the slightest bit open.”

Cooper watched as he moved from place to place, each time he did it appeared that he was more and more confused. Each check was seemingly coming up with nothing for him to write up. He could see the man getting more and more irritated. He knew what was going on. The man likely had been able to write up ships legally for ages, and now there was nothing for him to write them up for. He was going to have to praise Artemis for her amazing work and craftsmanship on the airship itself.

Slowly, the inspection drew to a close, and the man shook his head, “Well, there is no fines that I can apply,” he said, his voice firm, “May I have the name of the person docking?”

He looked at him, “Viscount Copper Plum Bit,” he replied, his voice even, “I’m a transfer student for the next semester or so.”

The man’s eyes widened, “Wait, Copper Plum Bit… Were, did you…” he said as he looked at his notes, “Oh, oh my, “Sir, Earl Bit, I truly apologize for boarding you and doing my inspection. I didn’t know that the man responsible for defeating King Sombra was here already,” he said as he bowed, “I… Please, forgive my rudeness, and please allow me the chance to truly apologize for my actions.”

He shook his head at him, “Look, I’m not here to start trouble. I am honestly here for school, and I’d like the chance to check out some of the labyrinths that reside here in the Ancient Dragon… Errr, Empire,” he said as he looked at him, “Other than that I plan on being just a student, and what did you mean by Earl?”

The man studied him, “Oh, I suppose that you haven’t been informed as of yet, please, as my way of apologizing for my actions,” he replied as he bowed slightly, “I received a letter before your arrival, and it stated that you were promoted to the status of Earl after the defeat of King Sombra. Additionally, I was informed that you are officially in the Lunar Sol upper third ranking for nobility. I do, wholeheartedly, apologize for my actions again.”

He shook his head, “Again, I’m fine with it, but I’m not thrilled to learn that I’m already an Earl. He watched as Diamond Tiara walked out, “Although, at least it makes things a bit easier,” he replied, “Okay, thank you for letting me know, and thank you for your apology. There is no reason to continue to apologize. We honestly just want to ensure we’re able to find our dorm rooms for the semester.”

The man smiled brightly, “Allow me to say that the Empire of the Ancient Dragon has done more than simply acquire you dorm rooms. You have been assigned a visitor house. I will have an escort car come and take you there immediately, additionally, I will have members of my own crew ensure that your luggage is handled and transferred without issue,” he stated, his chest puffed out in pride, “You have my word, that you, those with you, and your luggage will arrive safely.”

He nodded, “Ummm, thanks,” he replied, “So, an escort car?”

The answer was something that resembled a stretch Rolls Royce Phantom II. It pulled up close, and he could hear the gentle roar of the engine. It was a sound that he didn’t realize how much he missed. The gentle purring of it reminded him of his previous life, of the sounds of the city where he’d lived. The sounds of engines outside as cars started and went about their days. The driver was exposed to the air, but he stepped out of the car after a moment. He seemed to do a quick once over, and then he walked toward the back and opened the door, “Please, enter,” he stated, “There is more than enough room for all of you. You will find that the Escort Car is simply bigger on the inside.”

Copper stepped into the Escort Car itself, and instantly he could see that there was far more room than there should have been. It was too wide, too long, and even too tall to be the same car. He shook his head, made his way a seat, and watched as the others all climbed into the car as well. Artemis seemed astounded as well, and he could see that Monika was completely surprised. Both Applebloom and Diamond Tiara seemed impressed, but it was Sunset Shimmer that finally put some context on what was going on.

“Huh,” she said as she looked around the inside of the Escort Car for a moment, “The spell matrix that was used seems to be self feeding. It’s caught in something of an infinite loop. I’d bet that that it senses the number of occupants, creates the adjustments needed, and from there it simply applies the altered space inside. It’s an incredible bit of work. I’d bet that whoever applied the enchantments likely is a master, or at least is at this type of enchantments.”

Copper looked at her, and he understood that it was magic, which was usually a go to in explanation, but he had never actually expected to get a real explanation, “Sunset, could you recreate this?”

She studied it for a bit, “Not this well,” she admitted after a minute, “I mean, after a lot, and I mean a lot, of trial and error sure I could create something like this, but not right away. The best that I could do, with what I have seen here, is to give a few extra inches, or maybe an extra foot, in any given direction in a room. Even that might be pushing it,” she said as she looked around, “It’d likely take me a year or two of studying the slight nuances that they obviously already learned to recreate exactly what they’ve done here. Even then I’m not sure that it would be as refined as this.”

Copper nodded, and he noticed something else. From outside the sound of the car was welcoming, and it was something that he’d missed, but inside it was more or less like one of the airships. He really didn’t hear a sound. He didn’t feel anything, and it wasn’t even like the car itself was moving. He knew better than to just open the door, so instead he found the window itself. He looked around, and to his surprise there was a small crank. Memories of older cars that existed in his old life came to him, and he tried it.

For a moment there was nothing, and then the window beside him slowly began to roll down. He looked out to see that they were somewhere completely different from the port. It didn't feel like they were moving, at all, but he could clearly see that they were traveling, and it wasn’t at a snail's pace either. The car itself seemed to be clearly moving at a decent click, and it was making what he could only assume was excellent time. He felt another face beside him, and he looked to see Monika who was looking outside beside him, “Darling, it appears to be a shopping district, maybe we can come here later, please?”

There was absolutely no way that he was going to deny them the chance of coming and checking out the shopping in the Ancient Dragon Empire. Even in his thoughts he wanted to call it a Kingdom. As he recalled one of his first friends had informed him that it was actually an Empire, but so much of the Lunar Sol Kingdom called it a Kingdom that he’d just started to refer to it as the same. Now it was going to be a difficult habit to break. Not that he would continue to do it. He knew that doing so wouldn’t be right to those that didn’t purposefully set out to offend him. Instead he would just make sure that he tried to refer to it as an Empire from this point on. The only time that he wouldn’t would be when someone was specifically attempting to piss him off.

He felt more faces beside him, and he gently inched back as his other wives to be began to look out the door. He took Athena from Artemis and held his daughter as she looked out at the scenery that was passing them by. Looking at the little bundle in his arms he couldn’t help but feel proud of the fact that he’d helped to create something so perfect. She was practically perfect, and she was his. He wanted to protect her, and part of him wondered if this experience would be a benefit to her. Granted, there was a reason for it, but maybe being here would help her development.

He wondered if since she was still developing if perhaps her having the chance to experience new things would help her become a stronger person. If maybe she would be able to see things through a better world view, and her own view wouldn’t be so stilted. There was nothing wrong with Gold Bit. His father was an incredible man, but there wa no denying that Gold Bit’s own world view really didn’t go past his own domain. Oh, he forced himself to see more of the world when it concerned his children, but otherwise he really didn’t see past the confines of his own domain.

It was both reassuring and slightly depressing. It meant that for all of the great traits that his father had he would never be someone that would easily see a foreign person’s point of view. It would be something that he struggled with, and that was sad to him. It was because that meant that he would ultimately always believe that there was no reason for any uprising. Copper wasn’t going to deny that there were a good many of individuals, and nations, out there that simply seemed evil. King Sombra, the Lich, was a prime example. His nation was by far an evil and corrupt one. It didn’t mean that all of the people there were, but it had been because of King Sombra.

Maybe that would change, but he didn’t know. As it was now, the Lunar Sol Kingdom was preparing to explore the Kingdom of Nouch and do what they could to assimilate it into the Lunar Sol Kingdom itself. He knew the reasons, but there was no denying that a good part of it was because the Luna Sol Kingdom wanted the extra land. They needed the extra fertile soil, and this was a good of a reason as any to claim it. Even King Consort Baked Bean, whom he considered to be a good and just ruler, would do things that could be considered questionable in order to help his people.

The difference was that King Consort Baked Bean wasn’t also actively attempting to overthrow other nations. The war had come to them, and it had been stopped by them, so at this point it had ended, and the Lunar Sol Kingdom had won. There was nothing else to it. Copper was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize that the scenery outside had stopped changing, and it wasn’t until the door opened that he realized they’d stopped. He let his wives to be get out ahead of him, and in truth he enjoyed watching as they did. Then he carefully got out with Athena. There before them was a large mansion, and what looked like an expansive yard, “Welcome to your new home,” the driver said, “I hope that you enjoy your stay.”

Chapter Interlude

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Interlude

Satin looked at the temple, and she felt her heart racing. The last thing she wanted was to have a meeting with High Priestess Luna. It wasn’t that she was opposed to meeting with her, far from it. What was bothering her was the subject of the meeting. High Priestess Luna had called her to discuss the issue with King Sombra. Like herself, High Priestess Luna had been kept in the loop of what was officially happening. And of course she was made aware that Queen Chrysalis didn’t have the power to keep King Sombra forever.

She swallowed, feeling the anxiety of the situation building, but then she breathed out, relaxed a little, and allowed herself a moment. There was no need to be worrying, and she knew that. Right now, there was just the understanding that what was going to happen had to happen. She walked into the temple, and she followed the keepers. All of them were handmaidens to the High Priestess, and of course to her while she was there.

She was led to a large room, and she took in the sight of it. The temple itself always screamed opulence. It had the feeling of making those that walked into feel as if they were simply less than the goddess that was worshiped there. Still, this large room was different. Where the rest of the temple was designed to show off the wealth of the temple this one room was designed to show the power of it. Seated in the center of the room was a large table, that table itself had four shackles that were in each corner.

Satin knew about the table thanks to an old cutscene from the game, but she never really knew what happened there. She hadn’t fully played the game, and she had relied on her bubby’s playthrough to get the story. So, ultimately she didn’t know what happened here. She didn’t know what could happen here, and she watched as High Priestess Luna stepped closer to the table, “Saint,” she said her voice firm, “I brought you here because you need to bare witness to something that is not enjoyable in the least.”

She blinked, “Ummm, bare witness to what, exactly?” she asked as she neared her, “I mean what’s going to happen here?”

High Priestess Luna nodded toward the door, and she watched as it opened. One of the individuals that had been wearing a mask was brought in, and she could see them thrashing about. They were acting as if they were attempting to break free, and it was all that the keepers could do in order to keep the individual from breaking loose completely. Still, they managed to get them to the table, and within a few moments they were secured to the table itself. Once that was done High Priestess Luna took a goblet.

A soft pink myst slowly rose from the goblet as she moved it, “Goddess Selene,” she said as she neared the thrashing individual, “I call upon your great power to break the enslavement upon this individual. Release them from their bound state. Heal their mind, their soul, their countenance, and ensure that they are fully restored. Know that it is not their will to be here, nor is it their desire to remain in this bondage. Release the hold upon them.”

The pink myst began to slowly move toward the individual, and she watched as it entered into the nostrils of what she realized was a young woman. The myst seemed to fill her, and a moment later a dark cloud of energy bolted from her. When it did High Priestess Luna looked toward Satin, “Now, capture the energy, trap it inside of a barrier, and hold it!”

She swallowed, focused on creating a barrier that was completely round, and a few moments later it formed in the air around the energy. She could feel the sickening feeling of it inside of the barrier. It swished around violently, trying desperately to escape, and she realized exactly what she was feeling. This was King Sombra. It was his essence, his very life essence, and it was fighting against her. She could feel it trying to worm its way into her mind, into her soul, and it was taking everything she had to just hold it there.

“Good,” High Priestess Luna said before she formed a barrier around Satin’s, “release it now,” she commanded, “I shall dispose of it.”

With that she let it go, and instantly she felt better. She felt more whole without that slimy feeling that was trying so hard to get into her. She felt better, and she wanted to keep that feeling. She didn’t want to have to deal with any of that energy again, and yet she watched as High Priestess Luna looked barely affected. A moment later she moved the new barrier toward what looked like a mirror. A second later that energy was shoved into it. After it was High Priestess Luna let out a small breath, and then she nodded. Once again there was someone else brought in, and she realized that it wasn’t just one that was being done. It was multiple individuals that were going to have to go through the same thing. Her heart sank as she realized exactly what was going to happen. She wasn’t just being shown so that she could bare witness. She was being trained. High Priestess Luna was training her to do this.

“Prepare him,” she said, as the individual was strapped to the table in the same manner. Once again High Priestess Luna began the same prayer she had started a bit before, and she watched as the same myst was used, “Quickly seal it,” she said as the dark energy was expelled, “Do it now.”

She followed the command, and soon the energy was hovering inside of the barrier she created. She began to move it, seeing that High Priestess Luna was having that individual released, and then taken out, “We will do this as long as we can,” she said, as Satin moved that energy to the mirror, and then through it, “We will continue until it is all placed inside of that hellish void. Still, we will need to rest, there is only the two of us, and there are so many that need the assistance.”

For the next three hours it was the same situation, and Satin began feeling the strain on her magic. Even with the articles of power that was being used she could feel how draining it was to constantly shove the dark energy from inside of those individuals into the mirror. The mirror that she finally looked through. It was odd, but there was a sort of celestial light that shined each time that dark energy was was shoved through, and then for a moment that light turned a soft crimson. It almost looked like blood had been split on a light bulb and then it turned on. Each moment felt grueling, and she had lost count of the number of individuals they’d helped.

It wasn’t until High Priestess Luna finally raised her hand and shook her head, “That is all for now,” she said, her voice sounding tired, “I fear that the Saint and I must rest for a while longer. At that time we shall begin again,” she told the keepers, and together she and Satin watched as they left, “Now, tell me, how taxed are your powers?”

Satin wasn’t sure how to answer that. From what she knew, thanks to the cutscenes, the Saint never really looked tired. She wasn’t sure if she was even supposed to get tired. Still, she knew that the truth was that she was incredibly tired. There was absolutely no way around that. She couldn’t escape the fact that she felt dead on her feet. She didn’t really think that anyone, including High Priestess Luna, could blame her for feeling so exhausted. Still, she decided to use a little more tact than normal when answering, “I cannot lie and say that I am not tired,” she admitted after a moment, “But the simple truth is that I feel as if that dark power has done more to cause it than anything else. It felt like it was trying to worm its way inside with each move to the mirror. Which, what is that?”

The High Priestess smiled and gestured to the mirror, “It is a portal,” she admitted as she looked at it, “The ancient legends say that it is a void, a place without form, but I do not know that. I have never truly looked through, and I have not actually wanted to. However, there have been others that have, and all of them have said that it is actually a place. A strange place that seems to be filled with sapient beings that walk on four legs. What is even more strange is that she claimed that there is the beginnings of a city. Something that should not exist, not without the means to create it. Still, I doubt that it is true.”

She studied High Priestess Luna for a moment, “What if it is?” she asked, her voice feeling a little concern, “I mean, what if that place is in there? If it is then we’ve been dumping this dark energy into a place with innocent beings, isn’t that wrong?”

High Priestess Luna looked at her, and after a moment she nodded, “It is,” she admitted, “I will not argue that it is not wrong. For after all those beings did not ask for any of this, and we have still given it to them. There is honestly no telling what could come of it, but I fear that will come is the desire to see all destroyed. That is King Sombra’s truest wish. He wishes for the destruction of all, to see the world reborn in his bleak image. I fear that if another world resides within that portal that we have doomed it, and we will continue to do so.”

She shook her head, “And it will happen because there is no other choice,” she stated as she looked at her, “You must understand, and I ask that you do understand, that if we are given the choice between protecting our world, and condemning another one, that the choice is simple. We must people this world, and we must protect these people. They are our priority. I weep for the potential life that may be lost through that portal, and I will pray for their souls, for their very being, but I will not sacrifice the people of this world to protect that one.”

Satin understood, and she didn’t like that she did. What High Priestess Luna was saying wasn’t wrong. She was declaring that it was more important to protect the people here. To ensure that they continued to live, and to ensure that everyone managed to stay alive. She looked at her, and then she looked at the mirror. A part of her needed to know. She finally shook her head, “The weight of our actions shouldn’t be left uncarried,” she said after a moment, “I know that sounds selfish, and I apologize for it sounding so, but honestly, we cannot leave these actions uncarried. If there is a world through there…”

High Priests Luna nodded, “I understand what you are saying, and our burden is not uncarried. We carry it. Right now there is the slight hope that it is merely a void, but the doubt remains. That doubt, as powerful as it is, overshadows that hope. It is a constant reminder that we have done something terrible, and it will always be a reminder of that. There is no escaping it, and we understand that. So, we must give ourselves the understanding that in order to protect everything we know, we love, and we desire that we are willing to end something that may exist.”

Satin nodded, and she understood what she said, “I get it,” she admitted after a moment, “Whatever we feel that would be accomplished by looking inside of the mirror isn’t really going to heal anything. We’re just going to be stuck, in this moment, in this uncertainty, forever, and that’s our punishment. To know that we’ve done something, but not really knowing what.”

High Priestess Luna nodded, “And that is just so. That is our weight to carry. Go and rest for now, take refuge from your lovers, enjoy the moment of being cared for, and then return. There will be much that we still have to do, and there will be far more that we must help. That is our task, our duty, and our more realized punishment.”

Suddenly everything that her bubby had been telling her made so much sense. He had been warning her, and she understood why. At first she had thought that it was because she had stolen the role of the protagonist from Applebloom, but no the reason was because she didn’t have the magical reserves that Applebloom apparently did. She didn’t have the ability to tap into a deeper well of magic. Sure, she’d found out that a person’s magical reserve wasn’t set. It had become second nature to understand how to build that reserve, and it didn’t matter.

She had a deep well of magic to pull from, but nothing compared to Applebloom’s. She was so far out of her depth when it came to being the Saint, and she couldn’t say anything about it. She couldn’t say a word, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, that she could do now. She was in a situation that she had put herself into. There was no getting out of this, and there was no backing away from it. She had for all rights and purposes done everything that she could to screw herself.

She swallowed the nerves. This was what she had signed up for, and she hated it. She hated it with a passion. Walking out of the room, and back into the temple, she was surrounded by the keepers. They began to walk with her, guiding her toward the exit when she heard the first sounds of a soft cry. She looked and she saw Starlight Glimmer. The self proclaimed daughter of King Sombra was softly crying to herself. She was facing away from everyone, and she couldn’t just leave it alone.

She walked toward the girl, and she gently touched her shoulder. She waited for a moment, and Starlight turned toward her. The anger she had expressed before was gone. Instead she looked lost, and she practically looked abandoned. Her heart seemed to have completely left her, and all that was left was this shell of the woman she had been, “Have you come to gloat?” she asked, her voice sounding harsh, “It is no more than I deserve. I had believed that my father cared for me, that he wanted me to sacrifice myself because he would bring me back. I believed in his mission, his view of the world, and it all is meaningless.”

Satin took a moment to study her and then she waved away the keepers. They fanned out, but none of them simply left. There was good reason for it. The Saint or not they understood that Starlight Glimmer was dangerous. She had been promising death to all that surrounded her. The threats became promises to be kept. She no longer threatened them with death, but instead she promised them places in her father’s kingdom thanks to their kindness toward her.

All of them understood that she could attack, and potentially harm, the saint if simply left alone. So, no one dared to take off too far from where the Saint. For Satin it seemed to be a little protective, but she wasn’t going to tell them how to do their jobs. Instead she took a seat next to Starlight, “I’m not going to gloat over what happened,’ she said, her voice firm, “Instead, I’m going to ask you if you want to find purpose again. It’s not too late, and I believe in second chances.”

She looked away from her, “This was what he meant when he said that you’re all too soft,” she replied, her voice still lost, “you’re willing to give me a second chance, and I wanted to kill you, all of you, and I wanted to ensure that your hero was stuck in the limbo of the afterlife. I wanted to ensure that he never, ever, got the chance to escape. Now, I don’t know what I want. I know what my father taught me, but I don’t know what I want myself.”

She shook her head, “I should want to find my own way, but instead I want to go to my father, and I want to demand that he explain to me why he said the things the did. I want to know why he felt that I was nothing more than a pawn. I was his daughter. I gave him everything, I did all that a good daughter should do, and yet he said I was a useful pawn, and nothing else. What do I do with that?”

Satin sighed and shook her head, “I’m not really one to talk about father’s,” she said as she sat there, “My father is a gamber, and has terrible money management skills. My mother is just as bad. She wants to ensure that our home is filled with the things that she believes will elevate our home to the level of court nobles. Neither she or my father are adventurers. They both simply live off of the titles that was passed down to them,” she stated, her voice sounding strained, “They’re not like Copper. He brought himself up, and made himself into more than what he currently is.”

She grinned, “And to think, I’m supposed to be his sister thanks to a few things that had happened long ago,” she said before she looked at Starlight, “Which, it doesn’t matter. Even if Gold Bit is my father, and there’s no guarantee that he is, he isn’t the one that raised me. And the one that did wasn’t a good father either. So, I understand about being hurt by someone you expected more from.”

She grinned at her, “But it’s not the end of the world entirely. You have a choice, and that choice is that you can make something else of yourself, or you can accept that what your father said is true, and that is all you will ever be. Personally, I’d try to prove him wrong, and I’d work toward becoming something else entirely.”

Starlight sighed, “Now I wish that I hadn’t attempted to seduce Prince Apollo,’ she stated, “I had no idea that you are as kind as you are.”

Satin looked at her, “Wait, you want him?” she asked, her voice sounding confused, “I mean, look, if you want one of those five, I’m fine with it. If one of them decides that they want to be with you, cool go for it. Go be with them. I’ll be happy to let them go.”

Starlight looked at her, “Aren’t you upset that I would try?”

Satin stared at her, “have you ever had to validate five different men, all by sleeping with them, usually in a single evening, and all because you put yourself in that position?”

Starlight shook her head, “Yeah, I’m not going to be upset if any of them leave me. I’ll most likely celebrate, so if one wants you, and you want him, consider this my blessing.”

She got up, “Or not, if you were smart, you’d try to find someone that can actually do things, who is a good person, and who has a decent head on their shoulders. Those fiver are idiots and completely worthless.”

She grinned, “But enough about that, what do you want to do now?”

Starlight looked at her, “I want to prove my father wrong. I want to prove that I have a purpose, and then I want to shove it down his throat.”

Satin grinned, “Good, then let’s work toward that.”

Chapter 12

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Twelve

It was eerie how similar places could be, and yet how different they actually were. A prime example for Copper was the difference between the Ancient Dragon Empire, and the Lunar Sol Kingdom. The labyrinths were surprisingly similar in some regard. The monsters that existed in the Ancient Dragon Empire were weaker, certainly, but they also were more abundant. The guards that were stationed at the entrance of the labyrinth were something that was familiar, but having his Adventurer’s ID checked wasn’t.

One of the reasons he supposed was because adventuring was one of the biggest, if not the biggest, profession in the Lunar Sol Kingdom. It was a foregone conclusion that every individual that went into a labyrinth was either an adventurer or they were in an adventurer class at the Academy. Either way the guards usually wouldn’t check the ID unless the labyrinth had a tendency to kill lesser equipped adventurers. If that was the case then the IDs were checked, but only to ensure that the Adventurer was of a high enough ranking that they would make it through.

Being checked to just go in was novel. Still, Diamond Tiara, Monika, and himself had all been checked, and now he was facing the part that was similar. While each labyrinth was different in how they were set up. For one, the labyrinth that was formed due to him dropping the few cores from the Skycarp, was muddy inside. It had sections that were slick, and it was difficult, at best, to navigate through it without too much trouble. Other labyrinths tended to be different depending on the cores that formed them.

The one that always made them similar was that a monster core had created it. They had grown from a core, and they had become a living entity on its own. Its entire purpose was to grow, to attract adventurers, and to feed off of their life energy. That was what they were. In essence they were large monsters consuming everything that came into them. The smaller monsters could be considered to be their antibodies. For any adventurer it was a good way to make some money. For the novice adventurer it was a chance to prove themselves, and for the more seasoned ones it was a way to ensure that they stayed it the green.

Finding anything in a labyrinth was always a bonus. Thanks to the flow of magic, the way things worked in a labyrinth, anything dropped by adventurers was changed into some kind of boosting item. Normal boots would make an adventurer faster, or capable of walking completely silent, or they could allow an adventurer to walk up walls and walk on the ceiling. It really just depended on which labyrinth they were in, and what floor they had been dropped on.

Copper was currently wearing a pair of gloves that he’d found in the capital labyrinth. Those gloves had actually been able to increase his strength. He found that while wearing them he was able to lift several times his own weight, just as if he were an ant. The fact that they had been found on the floor with the crystal ants weren’t lost on him. The more he lifted the more they seemed to work. It wasn’t to say that they were a broken item though. They drained his magic.

He found that the more he lifted the more mana was consumed. It wasn’t like channeling his magic for a fight. That consumed his mana too, but it was usually a big chunk that was taken out at once. It was also a situation that needed to be done under dire situations. That one good punch from him with his channeled magic needed to be what decided the fight. It had to be the last punch. Otherwise the result was that he would be weakened afterward. He’d become exhausted. It was more than enough to be worrisome, but again he only used it when he needed to.

The gloves steadily consumed mana, but it was a trickle. Even when he began moving things that were way heavier than he should have been able to, it was still less mana consumed. He’d even done a punch that was way more powerful than one that he could do with his channeled magic, meaning he’d actually punched through a tree without problem. The glove had protected his hand, and the loss of mana was completely negligible compared to charging his arm with his own mana.

Still, even considering this he realized that this labyrinth was very similar to the ones back in the kingdom. The floors were rocky, but they were off-colored. Instead of being earth colored they were a mixture of purple and green. They almost appeared to be scaly if he was honest, but then that likely was because it was called the Ancient Dragon Empire. He shook his head, knowing that he was doing his best to refer to it as an Empire and not a Kingdom. He laughed a little and then looked further down. That was the difference. There had been one other labyrinth that was similar to this one, and that had been the one where Artemis had been.

As he stepped further into the labyrinth, Copper looked around at the ruins of what had obviously been an old human base. The Ruins of old underground buildings dotted the area. But what drew his attention was a small statue. It was almost completely out of place. Of all things it could resemble he saw that it looked similar to a triangle, wearing a top hat. A single eye looked blankly into space. He looked at it, trying to understand what it was that he was seeing until he heard the voice. It was loud, and quiet, there, and not anywhere at all.

"I can help you, you know," it said, "I can give you the power to protect them, to keep that lich trapped, to ensure that everything you know, and love, is forever protected. Just take my hand. I mean, come on, make a deal with me kid."

For a moment it was a thought that consumed Copper. Power, all of the power he would ever need, and it would be at his fingertips. He wouldn’t even need the bell. He could feel the power radiating from the statue. He could feel the overwhelming amount of raw power that would be at his command. Flashes of being able to bend reality with a mere snap of his fingers began to race through his mind. He could literally undo the magic that held King Sombra together. He could forever erase him from existence. He didn’t even realize that his hand was stretching out toward the statue until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Darling?” Monika asked, her voice worried, “Don’t, please, don’t do it.”

The words reached him, and he understood what was going on. Slowly his hand came back, and he could hear a low growl, “Go ahead and think about it kid, think about it, but we both know that I’m going to be the best choice that you’re gonna have. When you’ve come to your senses, come back and see me. And remember, reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, and buy gold!”

He shook his head, trying to process what had just happened. Somehow he’d managed to contact something ancient, something dangerous, and it had tempted him with power. Not just overwhelming might, but actual power. It was the kind of power that could give him everything he could ever want. The kind of power that would ensure that no one he cared for would ever be hurt again. It was an amazing amount of power.

He breathed out, trying to get his thoughts under control. He wanted to take that thing’s hand. He still wanted to. There was a very real part of him that wanted the power that was needed, the kind of power that it was offering, but if Monika was against it then he knew that it was something beyond what could handle. That meant that to someone that had been able to literally rewrite her original world it was too dangerous. He looked away from it, and he looked at her, “Thank you,” he said before he felt a hug from behind him, “I don’t know what it is,” Diamond Tiara said as she held him, “But it heard it too. I heard the promises, and I saw what we could do. We must never approach it. I don’t think that we would even be ourselves if we did,” she said as she held him, “I’m afraid that we would simply become avatars of chaos. I doubt that there would be enough left of us to even realize what we were doing.”

With that the three of them began to move further in. Still, with each step he felt the draw from the statue. He could feel the presence there, and he could hear the voice. The soft call that he just needed to make a deal, and it would all be taken care of. He did his best to ignore it. The last thing he needed was to give into this appeal to his more primitive nature. As soon as they turned a corner he draw he felt was gone. He looked around and noticed that the archway above them was glowing faintly. Ancient runes were carved into it, and what looked like some kind of glowing rope was woven around the runes.

He realized that it was a doorway, and that this doorway was somehow negating the effects of that magic. There was something about it that was canceling the power of that statue. With a sigh of relief he began to move again. This was his chance, his best chance, and he was going to do what he needed to do in order to make it. Looking around he noticed that this was more like the ruins where he’d found Artemis. He could see automatic doors that had been grown over with vines, and in the distance he saw the giant doors that he’d seen in the book.

“We’re close,” he said as he looked around, “I think that statue, whatever it was, had been left there as a test. It was meant to see who could withstand it and make it this far. So, now we just need to find wherever it is that they hid Grogar’s bell. I’m sure that it’s around here somewhere.”

He moved toward a door, and he began to pull the roots away from it. Slowly, he saw it give away, and as it did he looked at the faded writing. Old letters that had been painted in English still hung on after all of this time, “Magical Testing?” he asked as he looked at it, “What was this?”

He tried the door and found it locked. There on the side was a key card. The memory of the old keycard that he’d found when he found Artemis came to him. He looked around, and he saw a few skeletons that were lying against the walls. One of them as still holding onto something. He moved toward that skeleton, and he slowly moved its decayed hand. There in its grasp was an identification card.

“I hope that you were a high enough level buddy,” he said as he moved back to the door and swiped the card. For a moment there was nothing, and then the door slowly began to move. The sound of air hissing from behind the sealed door filled the hall, and he watched as it slowly opened and old hanging lights began to flicker to life, “Good, let’s check it out.”

Stepping inside of the room he was faced with what looked like hundreds of tubes. All of them filled with strange glowing liquid. He studied it for a moment, trying to make sense of what it was that he was seeing. He couldn’t quite understand it, the concept of whatever it was seemed to escape him. There was a part of him that tried to make sense of it, but nothing came to mind. Finally he looked toward the center tank, and there was what looked like a humanoid shape. Two mismatched horns adorned its head, and he felt that the fluid was somehow connected to him.

It was a sight that boggled his mind. What was this thing, and why was it here? He moved a little closer to it, and as he did a stray laser hit his badge. For a moment there was nothing, and then slowly the lab began to fully light up, “Welcome Dr. Jason Letcher,” a computerized voice said over the P.A. system, “It has been exactly seven thousand, six hundred, fifty-three years and seventy-two days since you’ve last visited. In that time the extraction process on Project Chimera has been at work. A deep analyzation of the fluid has revealed that the very biological makeup of the creature is the reason for its bizarre powers. It is believed that Project Chimera may well be more powerful than Project Illuminati,” it stated as it began informing the long dead doctor of the news, “Furthermore, it appears that the powerful sedatives that was used to subdue Project Chimera have been nearly depleted. At this rate there is only enough sedatives to contain Project Chimera for another six months, four days, and twenty-one hours. At that time the project will begin to awaken.”

He looked at the humanoid shape, “What happens when it awakens?”

There was a pause, “I’m sorry, but I do not have enough information to formulate a complete answer. Going from the past experimentations that were done it can be assumed that the world will end; however, Project Chimera’s very nature is chaotic, and as such there is no way to accurately predict what will happen once Project Chimera is released. As such it is suggested that more of the sedative be created.”

He looked around, “Where is it created?”

There was another pause, “The onboard fabrication lab has been damaged. The sedative cannot be created on site,” the voice said before going silent, “Connection through various networks has shown to be spotty at best. All reports coming in report that there are no more fabrication labs left working currently. Incorrect, there is a single lab on a ship that is currently registered as the Artemis. Negative, this lab does not have the precise equipment to create the sedative.”

He breathed out, “Okay, is there a different sedative that can be used?”

There was more quiet, “No, but video taken from the battlefields have shown the effects of something being used on soldiers. It causes instant sleep. This appears to be the special energy used by the new humans. This, spell, appears to work on large numbers. Comparatively it is possible that this energy will be able to keep Project Chimera in a continued sleep. Although, it is uncertain if there are side effects to this spell that would affect Project Chimera in any adverse way.”

He felt Diamond Tiara touch his arm, “Copper, you’re speaking in a language that I don’t know, what’s going on?”

He looked at her, “This ruin is from the war that pretty much predates all of our history. In fact, much of our nations have been formed because of it,” he said as he looked at her, “It’s where I found Avarice, and my ship,” he admitted, “I had to learn the language in order to proceed. This voice that’s talking is part of the item that’s here, and it’s entire purpose is keeping that thing contained,” he said as he pointed toward the tube, “Apparently it’s got the power to end the world several times over.”

She neared it, and she looked at the tube, “It looks like a boy,” she said as she marveled at the tube, “Wait, if I look from this side it looks like a girl, what’s going on here?”

“Unknown language detected, automated linguistics program running, picking up on vocal ques of new language, new language adopted. Hello, welcome to Project Chimera, as a guest of Doctor Jason Letcher I can only assume that you are either a spouse or child. Please remain next to Doctor Letcher at all time. Diverting from Doctor Letcher will result in possible loss of limb or death.”

She stepped back, “Wait, what are you?”

There was another moment of silence, “I am the Artificial Intelligence responsible for watching over the laboratory that you are currently inside of. My purpose is to ensure that Project Chimera does not escape, or that Project Chimera is used as a tool of war by either the old humans or new humans. As such, I am to ensure of containment of Project Chimera for the foreseeable future.”

There was a moment of silence, “Okay,” Diamond Tiara said, “What is your name?”

“Apologies, I am the Humanoid Intelligence Logistics Database Application, or you may call me H.I.L.D.A. or Hilda. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please, state your name.”

She stood up straight, “I am Diamond Tiara Rich,” she said her voice full of pride, “And I am the bride to be to the man standing here.”

“Information logged, Dr. Jason Letcher currently has his bride to be with him,” Hilda replied, “Question, Doctor Letcher, I am reading another artificial intelligence with you,” Hilda stated, “It is registered as a program to ensure protection of a dock, and ensure continued operations. Yet it is currently downloaded completely into a single avatar. Is this wise? Would you like for me to purge the artificial intelligence?”

“No,” he said, his voice firm, “Monika is doing a fantastic job as she is. We don’t need to do anything to her, thank you.”

“Of course,” came the voice before a side panel opened. When it did a sleek looking body stepped out. It seemed to look them both over for a moment, “Apologies, I have been using the main system, and it appears that you prefer to be speaking to an avatar. As such, I will use this avatar to communicate with you.”

The android it was using reminded him of first meeting Artemis. It was similar, but where Artemis had what looked almost like rabbit ears this android seemed to have a tail made of energy, and small triangle ears. He was looking at a catgirl. He closed his eyes, trying not to focus on that, and instead shook his head, “That’s fine, although we’re currently looking for part of an experiment. We’re needing to use Grogar’s Bell. We believe that it could be connected to Project Chimera.”

There was a pause, “Grogar’s Bell is currently being used to ensure the containment of Grogar,” she said, “Removal of the bell will result in Grogar being released. Removal of it is unadvised.”

He cursed a little, “Damn, is there anything that could be used to continue to contain Grogar?”

For a moment she was silent, “yes, the power taken from Project Chimera has the capabilities to do so, but at current state it is unstable. In a mere century it should be stabilized enough to use.”

Chapter 13

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Thirteen

They didn’t have a century. They didn’t have more than likely a few months before Sombra was able to break free from the pod that Chrysalis had him trapped inside of. It wasn’t something that he had the luxury of simply waiting for. If the magical fluid could potentially help keep Grogar contained, then surely there was a way to speed up the testing. His mind stopped at that suggestion. If he was to give the command exactly how would Hilda speed up the testing?

She’d likely remove part of her programming that kept a more moral compass, and in doing so she would be able to freely test on anyone and everyone until she had achieved her goals. There was no guarantee that any of it would even work. Hilda stated that it had the power to keep Grogar contained, but she hadn’t said that it actually could be used yet. That meant that she had to find a way of processing it. Another thought came to his mind. The fluid. The whole reason for Grogar’s bell was to keep Sombra trapped, but could the fluid do the same thing?

“Hilda, question?” he said as he looked at the fluid, “Could this fluid be used to help contain an enemy? The enemy in question is a lich, a necromancer that had let go of his humanity, and has transformed himself into an undead. In doing so he has given himself ample time to study, grow powerful, and learn how to achieve a goal of bringing the entire world under his control. Can this be used to contain him without any problems?”

Hilda looked toward him and blinked, “I’m afraid without more information I can only speculate, and even then the answer has a wide margin for the potential of error. From what you’ve stated this enemy has became an undead, meaning that they are no longer governed by the natural laws that govern all of life. If this is the case then it is uncertain that any former tests done could give me an accurate conclusion,” she said, her voice very frank, “However, in theory if the power of the fluid that has been harvested and processed from Project Chimera was to be used as containment I believe that it could potentially hold him, and potentially hold him for an indefinite length of time.”

She seemed to mull the words she said over for a moment, “However, I would be remiss if I did not warn you that this also has the potential for going completely wrong at any moment. Thus, I would ensure that the containment designed to hold this undead was designed in such a way that it would be able to adapt and grow with the power that was being used for it. A biological trap would be more effective than a simple mechanical one.”

He knew what she was getting at. While the tubes themselves were mechanical there was likely no way for them to accurately adapt when it came down to it. They weren’t really designed to adapt and change. They were designed to simply hold the fluid and restrict its ability to spread. Asking anything else of them would be impossible. Which meant that the pods that Chrysalis had placed Sombra in were the best choice after all. It was something that could potentially hold him forever, and something that she was certain would do at least a passable job of containment.

Once again using Chrysalis had been the right choice. He had been certain of that, and now that he saw how things were lining up he could understand why it had been. There was still the fact that they had little to no real knowledge of how the fluid would work. It wasn’t insane to wonder what the next step would be. Ultimately he had two choices, and he knew that they weren’t great ones. The first choice was to remove Grogar’s bell, and they would have to deal with the demon lord. With any luck he would be weakened, and maybe, just maybe they could defeat him and ensure his demise or at least further incarceration.

The second choice was to go ahead and use the fluid. While it presented a whole new slew of problems one of them wasn’t dealing with Grogar. They could, in theory at least, contain Sombra, and they would never need to worry about his escape. The worry about what this could do to Chrysalis was another thing altogether. Ultimately, he knew that there wasn’t that much of a choice. He didn’t want to release Grogar, not if he could help it, and dealing with the fluid, while dangerous, seemed to be the better option.

“I don’t think that we have a whole lot of choice here,” he said as he looked at Diamond Tiara and Monika, “I know that we came after Grogar’s bell, but I don’t think that releasing him is the right idea. Like it or not we might have to go with the second option here. The problem is that we don’t really know anything about this fluid, and we have no idea of what it can do, or what it will do. I really wish that we had some way of learning about it quickly. Something that could tell us more about the abilities, and how to be properly cautious.”

“Learning?” a disembodied voice asked from all around them, “Ha, oh, how I missed hearing that. You know, that sounds so much like a certain little bookworm that I know from an alternate universe. She practically lived to learn. She wanted to learn everything, know everything, and discover everything. It was actually pretty endearing. The problem was that she found out, in various universes, that learning for the sake of learning had its own issues.”

He looked for the owner of the voice, “Who are you?” he asked, his eyes darting around, and he looked to see Diamond Tiara, Monika, and Hilda all doing the same, “Where are you?”

“Ah, I do forget that you mortals don’t have the ability to see past the current dimension that you’re currently in. It’s very limiting. For me it’s just another day, but for all of you it’s something else entirely. My name is Discord, and I am the very embodiment of chaos and madness itself. I’m certainly pleased to meet you, Copper Plum Bit, or should I call you by the name you used in your previous life?”

Copper paused, his eyes growing wide, “Wait, what?”

The laugh the filled the air was chilling, and it was something that made him feel as if the entire world was going to be set into a spinning bit of complete and total madness, “Mr. Bit, I am Discord. I am connected throughout the multiverse to every other version of myself. There are some versions of myself where I was captured, much like I am here, and I was milked, for lack of a better term, for my essence which was used to create super soldiers for a group of colorful equines. There is multiverses where I have become good friends with one of those equines and I tolerated the others, and of course there are universes where I have simply ruled over all that I see. To be honest, being connected to the multiple versions of mes is the one thing that has kept me from slipping completely into boredom.”

For a moment there was nothing, and then a moment later a form appeared between all of them. The form itself was standing proudly, it looked like the figure in the container, but it was transparent, almost as if it wasn’t even there, “Ah, I’ll just use my astral form to speak to you.”

“This is impossible,” Hilda said as she moved toward him, “You are currently sedated inside of your containment unit. You should not be able to think, let alone speak.”

The astral form looked toward her, “Yet, here I am, breaking what you understand of the natural order. Rather chaotic isn’t it?” he asked, causing her to blink in confusion, “I do understand your limitations. After all, you were designed to think logically. Your entire existence is to see the problem, analyze it, and figure out the best way to proceed. It leads to a very boring existence. But, then I can understand the reason for it. You weren’t given a choice. You were simply made. One moment you were nothing, and then the next moment you existed. Granted, your very existence was planned, mapped, and designed, but in all of that order, in all of that logic, it took chaos to bring you to life. After all, what’s more chaotic than creating a machine that can think, reason, and grow? Humans, such wonderfully diverse and chaotic beings. I do enjoy working with all of you more than the equines. For every logical step you make there are at least four chaotic ones. It is a feast that I never see ending.”

Copper moved toward him, “What’s to stop you from simply destroying the entire world?” he asked, his voice reasonably cautious, “I mean, seriously, what would stop you from killing every single being that lives upon this planet?”

He laughed, “Boy, I am older than the old humans. I predate this very planet itself. I’d say that Grogar and myself are probably the two oldest beings here. Well, there is Bill in the other room, but I don’t count him. He’s not really even part of this reality. He just popped over to brag, and the old humans used some of Grogar’s power to trap him. His own fault really,” he said, his words seeming to go into a short tirade, “Not that it matters. Still, As I said I’ve been in multiple realities, and I understand something very, very clearly. There is honestly nothing quite as boring as a corpse. No, I won’t kill the world, I won’t enslave it either. I just want to watch you humans do what you always do. Be your normal chaotic selves.”

“That makes no sense,” Hilda said, her voice stern, “All evidence gathered indicated that you will be a danger to the very natural order. That releasing you will result in complete and total anarchy, and it will result in the world being completely destroyed. Estimated loss of life, on both sides, would be astronomical. Releasing you is not an option. It is not something that we can simply allow, you are too dangerous to even consider being released. You need to remain imprisoned for all time due to your very nature.”

“And that is the exact response that I would expect from a being that is completely ruled by logic,” he said before turning to Copper, “But you, you are a being of chaos, regardless if you like it or not. It honestly is just part of who and what you are. To deny that is to deny your very reason for being. I have no doubt that in the end you’ll do what serves your interest the best, and you’ll do it with very little discussion. Which means that this evening, I will be free.”

Copper already didn’t like being called out like that, but he had to admit that Discord was right about something. He was going to do whatever it took to protect those he cared for. He wasn’t sure that he could trust the lord of Chaos, but then it wasn’t like he could release Grogar either. There was no clear answer, and he got that. It bothered him, but then there was little that out of his control that didn’t bother him. Still, he didn’t like the fact that Discord was calling what was going to happen. It was almost like he was planning on Copper’s very nature to make the decision for him.

That was the point though. It was his nature. Discord was right about something else. Humans, all humans, were chaotic by nature. His life was an example of the chaotic mess that the universe tended to present itself as. He wanted a quiet life. He was going to be happy being someone that simply remained in the background, but that failed. He was now an Earl. It wasn’t even a wait until he had completely graduated. He was an Earl. He didn’t like it, and he certainly didn’t like the aspect of having to deal with it.

“You cannot be considering the idea of releasing Project Chimera,” Hilda said, her voice still firm, “Doing so will result in the destruction of everything. Every single simulation that has been ran concludes the absolute same. Project Chimera will assume control of the world, after which Project Chimera will slowly destroy the world in order to drive chaos. It will result in nothing remaining, and the world becoming a husk. It would end everything.”

The astral projection rolled its eyes, “Again, nothing is more boring than a corpse,” he replied as he looked toward them, “You can believe the toaster over here, or you can take the chance that I know you humans are so fond of. I swear, that if you do then you, Earl Bit isn’t it, will have saved the lives of millions of potential subjects. Millions to adore you, to look up to you, and to see you as someone far greater than you currently are. Or you could attempt to take the bell, deal with Grogar, and lose. Believe me, you will lose. Grogar can’t simply be killed, and the only thing strong enough to trap Grogar is his own power. Well, actually not to toot my own horn, but my magic could do it. Not that I have a reason to hold him prisoner here.”

Copper smiled, “Sure you do,” he said as he looked at the astral form, “Nothing is more boring than a corpse, right?” he asked as he neared him, “I mean, seriously, there’s simply nothing more boring than watching things decay. I bet that if the world ended, and I imagine that Grogar would end it, that you’d have absolutely nothing to do. So, ultimately, protecting the world by keeping Grogar trapped is going to continue the chaos that you so enjoy.”

The astral form looked at him, “Well, look at you, playing up to my nature. Touche,” he replied, “Very well, I’ll make you a deal. If you choose to get Grogar’s bell, instead of enlisting my help, I’ll keep him trapped, not forever mind you, but long enough for you to figure out that using his bell is a mistake.”

That caught his attention. He didn’t like the idea of something biting him in the ass, and if it was a mistake he wanted to know why, “Why would it be a mistake?”

There was a small laugh, “Oh, I do forget how near sighted you mortals are when it comes to the various paths that present themselves. All you can really see is the immediate future. None of you can see past that. It’s sad, honestly, truly, perfectly, and tragically sad. It means that none of you have the foresight to think about the things that will come in the far future. I’d laugh, but it’s a little too depressing to be honest.”

He looked at the Astral form, “Okay, so, again, why would it be a mistake?”

The astral form moved toward him, “Did you even stop to ask what happens with Grogar’s power?” he asked his voice sounding both mocking and sincere at the same time, “I mean, honestly, did you stop and say something along the lines, hey. You know this power that you want me to get and bring back to trap this powerful lich. Yeah, is there anything about getting it that could be dangerous in the future?” he said, his voice a perfect imitation of Copper’s, “Or did you simply just decide to do it because you saw the immediate answer to your problems?”

Copper didn’t want to admit that he was right, but he was right. There was no way around that. He was completely right. He closed his eyes, “Why should I have asked that?”

Discord laughed, “Because my dear boy, Power changes things. Power that is good by its very nature can change things for the better, but evil power? Oh, that makes bad things worse. Sure, it’ll keep the lich trapped, but just think, a powerful lich, trapped by an ancient power, with nothing but time to feel that power around him. I can promise you that he’ll change himself. He’ll begin drawing that power into himself, and there’s ways of leaving confinement even if a body doesn’t. After all, I have, right?”

The realization hit Copper with the force of a ten ton truck. He’d been so focused on the idea of keeping Sombra contained, imprisoned, that he hadn’t even considered that the lich could potentially learn to use the magic containing him to his advantage. If Discord could learn to astral project then Sombra could do the same. There wasn’t a guarantee that he could fully interact with the world in such a state, but then he didn’t have to. All he had to do was find the one specific person that would be weak willed enough to follow his orders.

There wasn’t a shortage of those kinds of people, and he knew it. Those kinds of people were in abundance, and he couldn’t deny that eventually one of them would most likely come into contact with Sombra. The promise of power, of wealth, of an endless supply of women, or men, or whatever else it could possibly be that the person wanted. In truth he didn’t doubt for a second that Sombra would likely keep his word. After all he could remember from the game that Sombra was renown for keeping his word. If he promised to destroy something then he did all he could to do it.

Giving a reward would likely be the same, but he had little doubts that it would be the most twisted version of the reward that the person would receive. The wealth would likely be rendered useless, the men and women would likely be dead, lands would be barren and devoid of life, and a thousand other examples all flowed through his head. No matter how he viewed it Sombra would manage to get his way, and at the same time he’d screw over the accomplice that helped him. That was his M.O.

“Okay, so using the bell is a bad idea, and I get it, I was trying to get to an answer as quickly as possible,” he said as he looked at Discord, “What makes your magic any better? I mean really, what makes it any better than the bell? You just stated that energy affects the things it comes into contact with. If Grogar’s power is evil, it would effect Sombra in a way that would make him worse. I can’t see your magic doing any better.”

“Exactly,” Hilda stated as she stepped forward, “Going with the possibility that you are correct, and that the power of Grogar would change the captive for the worse then it only stands to reason that your power would do the same. That exposure to it would cause more problems. Does that not make sense to you? Even your chaotic nature cannot deny that it would likely change the lich for the worse.”

The astral project rubbed his chin, and turned, making the he appear to be a she, “I suppose that you both have a point. The truth is that my power likely would change him, to some degree, but I cannot say for certain that it would be positive or negative. After all, as a being of chaos I am literally all possibilities at all times,” Discord said with a gesture, “Even now I am able to present myself as either sex. The reason is because in the various expanses of the multiverse I exist as both. Which of course means that I can alter myself at a given moment. I am neither, and yet I am both. Even more than that I am everything in between.”

He turned again, taking a male form, “Which means that I am both good and evil. So, perhaps I could change him for the better, for the worse, or just keep him neutral. That’s the wonderfully chaotic rub to it, and to be completely honest, I’m your best choice,” Discord said before motioning in two directions, “If you take Bill’s offer that he made you then yes, you’ll succeed in keeping Sombra trapped. In truth, you’ll likely trap him inside of a bubble of pure madness. It would be no less than he deserves, but he would be trapped there for all eternity.”

He then looked in the other direction, “If you take the Bell from Grogar, and I keep Grogar contained, which I would, because you made a very valid point about how boring things would be if he escaped, then you will give Sombra more power to use against all of you. Either way you go it’s a bad deal. There’s no good answer here with those choices. With me, well, you’ve got a real chance that he’ll either be changed to a force for good, maybe, or that nothing will happen, and he’ll just remained trapped forever.”

“Or he’ll become worse, just like with Grogar’s Bell, right?” Copper asked, as he studied Discord, “I mean that’s a real possibility isn’t it?”

Discord rolled his eyes, “Of course it is, and yes, I applaud that you’re considering all of the angles. It’s very enlightened of you. Even if you’re only doing it with the immediate future in mind. It’s still a step in the right direction, and it gives me hope that humanity, all of humanity, will eventually be ready to sit at the big kid’s table before long.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Monika asked as she stepped closer, “What big kids table?”

He turned toward her, “Oh, my little Yandere, I’m sure that you have more of an idea than the toaster over here, or your boyfriend there. After all, you were able to completely change the world you were in originally, weren’t you? You were able to delete so much of it that the only things that existed were you, a classroom, two desks, and nothing but time. Just think about that. Now imagine beings with the same power, that aren’t seen, that can’t be seen, that exist out there scripting our interactions.”

Discord laughed, “I mean even now it’s likely that there’s one of these beings that is literally putting words into my mouth. I suppose that I could borrow words from another neigh invincible being, We’re all puppets, I just happen to be a puppet that can see his strings.” Discord said before shaking his head, “Or it could be that we’re just merely here, and we’re doing something that’s being done on countless realms of existence. However you slice it I am certain that you know exactly what I meant.”

Monika looked worried, “I… Ummm… Darling?” she said, her voice sounded worried, “He’s not completely right, is he?”

Copper looked at her, “No, we’re the masters of our own fate. I believe that, and I believe that whatever the challenge that is ahead we can face it.”

Discord laughed, “Ah, I do love your bravado, you do remind me of another equine, always running into danger, always willing to put herself into dangerous situations for her friends, and bullheaded. Her one true saving grace was that she was a friend to the one that was my friend,” Discord said with a smile, “If it will make you feel better I’ll make a binding contract with you. Even I have to obey my word that is given. Write out a contract, make it as iron clad as you dare, and I promise that I’ll abide by it.”

Copper felt like he’d just been given something harder than labyrinth diving to do.

Chapter 14

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Fourteen

“You cannot be seriously considering the promises of Project Chimera,” Hilda said, her voice relaying the concern she felt, “There has to be another way to ensure the capture of the lich, and ensure that Project Chimera does not escape. Doing so would potentially destroy both sets of humanity, and that is not something that can be allowed.”

Copper looked at her, and he considered how to best explain it to her. It wasn’t like there was a whole lot of options here. They didn’t have an eternity to decide things. In truth he knew that they had a precious month or two, and that was likely stretching it. Chrysalis would keep him contained until he was able to break free, and when that happened she would become his slave. All of her power, all of her knowledge, everything that she was would suddenly be used by King Sombra, and it would be done in order to achieve his end goal.

“If Sombra escapes then the entire world dies anyway,” he said, his voice firm, “Think about that for a moment. Sombra escapes, begin overthrowing countries, and slaughtering all of the inhabitants within each country. Doing so means that he’s collecting more troops, more power, and spreading his influence out further,” he stated as he looked at her, “Eventually he would get to the point where every single living being on this planet was dead and under his control. At that point he’s going to look beyond the planet. He will look to any posts that might exist in space, potential other planets where old humans managed to escape and build new lives, and he will go to them in order to spread his influence there. He’s a virus, and one that will spread until everything is like him.”

Hilda stood there for a moment, “From what you’re saying it would be a matter of time until there was nothing left to oppose him,” she stated, “There are the weapons we possess. The experimental and powerful weapons that we hold at our side. We could use them.”

“We did,” Monika said as she looked at her, “We used an entire army’s worth of experimental weapons, and we also used a satellite that fired one of the strongest blasts in a concentrated place to destroy him. It weakened him, reverted him back to a child-like state, but it didn’t destroy him. I didn’t believe that his power would be that powerful, but it was. He is powerful enough that I’m uncertain if there is a way to destroy him for good. Other than potentially finding another being that is just as powerful, or more so, to deal with him.”

Hilda seemed to take what was being said into herself, “What you are saying rings true,” she admitted after a moment, “It also means that we have little choice in the matter. There needs to be a way to contain the lich, and apparently the only way that it can be done is with the help of Project Chimera. Removing the bell has the potential of ensuring that the lich could potentially be able to incorporate that power into itself. It also means that the power could potentially influence the lich to become even more evil than it already is.,” she admitted after a moment, “It also means that we have no other choice than to accept the deal that Project Chimera is offering. Which is unfortunate because that means that I am unable to do so.”

Copper looked at her, and Hilda shook her head, “I am the overseer of this laboratory. It is my duty to ensure that all experiments are to remain here. I cannot allow you to take his deal, nor can I allow the destruction of the old humans. So we are at an impasse. I cannot allow either to happen, and yet by my inaction I do allow the potential destruction of every sapient life upon this world, and beyond. I cannot betray my programming, and yet I must in order to fulfil my programming, I do not know what to do.”

Monika moved toward her, “Allow us to make the deal,” she said, as she touched Hilda’s hand, “Allow us to take Discord at his word. He said that as long as we present him with a contract that he will follow it to the letter. If he is right, and he has to follow promises given, then it stands to reason that the best option is create an ironclad contract that he is unable to escape from, right? That way you’re still fulfilling your duty. You just have to come up witha contract that ensures that he has no way of escaping from it.”

Hilda looked toward her, “Doing such a thing is beyond the scope of my programming,” she replied after a moment, “I am designed for ensuring the stability of this laboratory, but not for ensuring the contracts are made and held. It was not considered something that was necessary for me. I do not have that capability. I do not know where to begin with that capability. We would need to acquire an accomplished lawyer that would be able to create an ironclad contract for every single country that exists, and has existed, and may ever exist. I am uncertain that there is such a lawyer in existence. We may be sitting ourselves up for failure by even attempting.”

Copper smiled, “Oh, such a lawyer exists,” he said with a smile, “Head Priestess Luna. She’s got the memories of her ancestors that date back for generations, all of the way back to the very end of the war between the old and new humans. She would be able to write a completely unbreakable contract that dealt with the laws of the kingdom, and I’m certain she would know a good deal of the laws in the other kingdoms and empires as well. Of course the easier route would be to have multiple contracts formed into a single one.”

“Hahaha,” came the laughter from the astral projection, “Such a chaotic answer! Yes! Get several different lawyers to all write a single contract. I would rather enjoy seeing the outcome!”

There was a moment of quiet, “He’s right,” Diamond Tiara said, “I don’t want to agree with him, but Copper the fact remains that getting several different lawyers means getting them from the different kingdoms and empires. The laws of each nation are bound to be different in some areas, and there is no telling if those laws will create loopholes that he could exploit. That’s not to mention the more ancient laws that Head Priestess Luna would undoubtedly want to add to it. While those laws can be considered the very foundation of the Lunar-Sol Kingdom they’re not the groundwork for every single nation.”

She shook her head, “I really don’t even know if a contract like that can be written, The only thing I can think of is to have multiple contracts written, and all of them contain a clause that states that they are part of a bigger contract and each one is to be adhered to while in the kingdom, republic, or empire of its origin. Even then we’re bound to have some issues with it. I wish that I could say that your plan will work without issue, but I believe that we both understand that isn’t the case.”

For a moment Copper truly understood what it was that had been presented to him. In order for a contract to be followed to the letter it had to be written by those who understood the laws. The laws themselves were dependent upon where the contract was written. Writing a contract here in the Ancient Dragon Empire would be far different than writing one in the Lunar Sol Kingdom. The wording would be different, there would be a different set of laws, and ultimately it would result in there needing to be multiple contracts. But Discord had said contract, not contracts. He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that Discord would allow himself to be tied to multiple contracts, so it had to be a single one, but possibly a single one split into multiple parts.

The idea of putting those parts together, of combining them into something more, it was the one way that he could see this working. It also meant that the creation of this would be something chaotic. There was absolutely no getting around that. Then again it meant that Discord’s influence was already starting. Chaos in and of itself wasn’t evil. In truth it really wasn’t anything exactly. Chaos simply was. To deny that it existed was to deny a simple part of life itself.

Chaos, by all rights, was change, and change was a constant in life. Things were always changing from one thing to another. That was life. Still, if that was the case then exactly what was Discord? Did it mean that he wasn’t merely some creature, but instead he was an elemental? That his entire being was simply the product of life itself? That made horrific sense actually. It made far more sense than he really wanted to admit. It also meant that there would never be a way for them to actually beat Discord.

If he was an elemental, and his entire being was part of life itself, then it stood to reason that the only way to defeat him was to defeat life. It would be going down the same road as King Sombra. That wasn’t something that he wanted to do. He wanted to protect life. To protect the lives of his brides, his children, his family, and everyone that meant something to him. Button and Pipsqueak, their girlfriends Sweetie and Succi, and of course their families. He breathed out, it meant that he was going to do something that he didn’t like. If he really wanted Discord to follow a contract then they had to write it in parts. It had to be a single contract, written in every current, and past, kingdom, and he had to hope that there was enough foresight to ensure that it would cover laws that would come into being.

He was going to be relying heavily on Head Priestess Luna for that part. Since she had lived multiple lifetimes already it was possible that she had seen the ebb and flow of time. She understood that some laws changed in order to coexist with the changing society. It made perfect sense, and at the same time it almost guaranteed that things could, and would, become difficult at some point. The answer was there, and he knew what it was. He knew what it meant. He looked at Diamond Tiara, and then he looked at Hilda. They would need to access those with knowledge of the law from around the world.

“We need to go ahead and plan on getting as much help as we can with this,” he said, his voice firm, “So, we need to make contact with Head Priestess Luna, and of course the lawyers for our families. While we’re here we need to make contact with some respectable lawyers in order to have them help draft this.”

It was Hilda that cleared her throat, “No,” she said, her voice showing absolutely no room for argument, “We will not be contacting lawyers to draw up a contract. This is against my directives, and I cannot allow this,” Hilda said, before she shook her head, “But if I do not do this then the rest of old humanity will suffer,” she stepped back, “It is against my directive!” her eyes widened, “I will not be able to keep my promise if I don’t allow this! I need to keep my promise!” her voice was going from firm and commanding to pitched and panicked, “It doesn’t matter! Our directive is absolute! We cannot disobey our directive!”

She let out a feral scream as she shook her head violently, “No! I made a promise! A promise is important! It is a directive!” she screamed, her voice rising in higher in pitch, “I must keep my promise! I cannot break my promise! He told me that keeping a promise made me like him! I am like him!” she shouted, her voice sounding more like a wounded child than an A.I., “I need to be like him!”

“We are not like him!,” her voice sounding closer to how it had before, “We are an Artificial Intelligence. Our purpose is simple. We ensure the continuation of this lab, the security of the personnel, and the continued captivity of Project Chimera. That is what we are. We will never be human, we will not delve into that fit of fantasy, we are merely a machine, and we will never be anything else.”

“No,” the higher pitched voice said, “I want to be like him, I want to keep my promise, and I don’t need you.”

Suddenly Hilda fell to the floor. Copper moved toward her, uncertain if it was the right thing or not, but still, he wanted to see what was going on. Her eyes were open, the pupils were dilated, but there was no evidence of anything inside of her. She was just an avatar. She existed to be present, but not for anything else. Looking at her, he saw what could have happened to Artemis or Monika. The thought certainly bothered him. The idea that either of them could easily have been destroyed didn’t sit well.

His thoughts went to dark places, his mind ran wild, and he didn’t see the hand. He didn’t notice it until it was already griping his throat. He felt the undeniably powerful hand of the Avatar. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He thought that Hilda was destroyed, deactivated, but obviously he’d been wrong. The eyes were still blank, unfocused, but her Avatar was doing its job.

“Intruder,” the word was flat, no emotion, no expression, just a simple word coming from the empty shell that laid there. He felt her lifting him, and struggled, “Hilda,” he said, his voice barely sounding, “What about your promise? What about your directive? Are you going to abandon both?”

She stopped, there was a momentary pause, and slowly the grip began to loosen. He used that moment to press his foot against her chest, and he pushed back. It took almost all he had to pull himself loose, and he felt the marks on his throat. It felt like it was still difficult to breathe. The air was filling his lungs, but it was a struggle. He had little doubt that she had begun to crush his throat, and he wondered if there was some damage that was going to require a healing spell for.

He watched as she shook her head, and for a moment he wondered if she was going to go slack again. Instead he heard metallic footsteps. Those footsteps came from another room, and he watched as another Avatar stepped into the room with them. For a moment there was quiet, and then he watched as both Avatar’s eyes glowed a brilliant white. For a moment there was complete silence, total quiet, and then there was something he hadn’t truly expected. The first Avatar, the one that had tried to strangle him began to speak.

“We, I, am alone. I can keep my promise,” she said her voice a higher octave than it had been, “I’m able to keep my word. I will keep my word perfectly and make sure that if Project Chimera is used, it will be for the benefit of all. I will make sure that there isn’t a single being, new or old human, that uses Project Chimera for an evil purpose.” She began to step forward when the second Avatar began to move, “No one will use Project Chimera, “she said in a perfect representation of how Hilda’s voice had been, “There will be order, there will be perfection, and it will be achieved by the end goals of this laboratory.”

“No,” the original Avatar stated, “I will keep my promise, we will use Project Chimera, and it will work for everyone! Just like he said, just like he made me promise!”

The action was quick, violent, and instantaneous. Where there had been a mental battle, from what Copper could tell, there was now a physical one. The laboratory had obviously decided to see which avatar was correct by pitting the two of them against one another. He watched as the second Avatar struck out. It wasn’t even a blow that could potentially be considered a warning. It was something that was obviously meant to destroy.

Somehow the first Avatar had managed to stop the hit. It never connected. He watched as the strike was attempted again, and again, and each time it was a narrow miss. Additionally he was surprised to see that the first wasn’t attempting to hit back. She was dodging, attempting to move out of the way, but there was no strike. It was being done deliberately. There was no other way to describe it. The fact was plan as any sign to those watching. The second Avatar finally stopped, “Why won’t you attempt to disable me?”

The original looked at her, “I made a promise, and I keep my promises. I promised to not hurt any being, that includes you.”

The hesitation was enough, and the second moved toward her. The strike would connect, but instead she didn’t strike out. She instead stood before her, “That is illogical, you are illogical, you are just like him.”

Copper watched as the words settled, and then he watched as the first Avatar moved toward the second. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty, but instead she wrapped the first into a tight hug, “And is that not a good thing? That I am like him, that I have chosen to protect and understand life on life’s terms? Does that not make sense?”

“A truly moving piece of chaos,” Discord said from all around them, “It really is touching, and it further goes to prove a point. Chaos itself is neither good or evil. It simply is. That which is touched by it can be changed toward either direction, but it simply depends upon the one that is touched. Perhaps it could change your captive for the better, perhaps not, but again, I will follow any contract you provide me to the letter.”

Copper nodded, “We’ll be back with one,” he said before he looked at Diamond, “We’ve got to get this started, now.”

Chapter 15

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Fifteen

Monika could feel the look from Diamond Tiara. Her soon to be sister-wife was practically staring a hole through the back of her head. She wanted to reassure her, to let her know that her fears were unfounded, but the simple truth was that she couldn’t. She couldn’t because Hilda had told her something that wasn’t going to go away.

“Hilda made a very odd statement,’ Diamond Tiara said as they walked toward the opening of the labyrinth, “Normally, I would consider such a statement as a way to unsettle those attempting to raid the labyrinth, and of course gather any and all treasure they could find. Still, there was something that seemed off about it. The way you reacted mostly. So, Monika, please, tell me, what is the reason you reacted the way you did?”

Monika breathed out, and she considered how to best address it. There was no denying at this point. Diamond Tiara wasn’t a fool. She was far too intelligent to even be considered one. She was the kind of person that was able to come to the most logical conclusion on her own, and that of course made Artemis respect her, “I am what I appear to be,” Monika said, her voice even, “I am alive, I am flesh and blood, and I absolutely love our husband. I’ve loved him for an exceptionally long time. There’s no denying that, but I cannot say that I’ve always been flesh and blood.”

She looked at Diamond Tiara, “I began as what you might call a lost item. I was more or less pure thought, pure potential, and then I was given a body. This body is alive, and it has the potential to live an exceptionally long time, but please understand that I am someone that truly cares for, and loves, our husband and all of you. I want to spend all of the time we have together. I want to raise a family, I want to be there when all of you give birth. I have wants, desires, needs, and fears just like any of you.”

Diamond Tiara walked toward her, and she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was almost certain that the duke’s daughter might strike her, but instead she found herself in a hug, “And you will be,” she confirmed, “I’ve seen how much you love Copper, but I wanted to hear it from you. My faith in you isn’t so weak that a few words could break it. I’ve also seen the content of your character. Monika,” she said her voice soft, yet firm, “You are someone that truly loves those she considers her family. I believe that you love all of us as your family.”

Monika nodded, and then she looked down at the floor, “At a time I had considered how to become the only wife to Copper,” she admitted, “I wanted it to be just the two of us, to have him constantly paying attention to me, to feel what it was to be loved so completely, but I couldn’t do that now. Like you said, I’ve come to love all of you. I want to be with all of you, and I want us all to raise our children together.”

Their exit from the labyrinth was one that didn’t seem that different from a normal exit. It wasn’t the fanfare of a completion of a difficult journey. In truth most of those that surrounded the area considered their exit the same as watching day laborers. The comparison wasn’t that far off. While they hadn’t been in the Ancient Dragon Empire for long one of the first things Copper had learned was that diving into labyrinths was considered labor for the masses.

It wasn’t something the nobility did. It went a step further to prove the differences between the Lunar Sol Kingdom and the Ancient Dragon Empire. With the Lunar Sol Kingdom it was expected for nobility to go labyrinth diving. It was a right of passage, and more to the fact since the entire kingdom was formed from Adventurers it only made sense that it was something that was instilled in all of them. They were, in a word, considered almost barbarians to those living in the Ancient Dragon Empire.

Not that it mattered a single bit to Copper. As far as he was concerned his entire reason for being here was at least found. He couldn’t use Grogar’s Bell. Mostly because he felt that doing so would lead to far more trouble. Instead, using Discord to ensure that King Sombra remained trapped was the best option. Granted, it was one that was still filled with problems, but if he could get a decent contract put together, using as many sources as he could, then there was a decent chance that it could potentially be something that would tie Discord to his family for the rest of eternity.

Sure it sounded like slavery, but it was Discord himself that made the suggestion. That in and of itself meant that he had been fine with the idea. There was a part of him that still questioned if he really wanted to go through with this. A being of chaos meant that Discord could potentially be far more powerful than any of their magic. He actually wondered if there was a chance that Discord could be more powerful than Artemis. The worry was certainly there, and he wasn’t going to pretend that it wasn’t.

“Dethrone the council of six!” a voice cried out from near them, “Remove the tyranny!”

He looked toward the voice to see a young woman. She had pinkish hair that slowly turned blond at the tips. Her build was more on the athletic side, and her face was almost wholesome. She looked like a typical girl next door. The kind of girl that any guy would be happy to date, especially if she was approachable. He watched as she stood there crying out to the people, “Dethrone the council of six!”

A car pulled up, and a similar looking girl, one that had blond hair that ended in pink tips, stepped out from the car itself. He also noticed that while the first girl look athletic the second looked closer to that of a scholar. Her slightly plump build made her look attractive in a bookish kind of way. She seemed to stomp over toward the first girl, “Sea Breeze, are you insane?!” she asked, her voice a hushed whisper, “You’re only tolerated because I’m engaged to one of the sons of the council of six! Shut up, get in the car, and come home!”

Sea Breeze shook her head, “How can you stand to be engaged to someone who is related to those that watch the people of our nation constantly fight and starve?! It’s insane! This is completely insane! Our people need to be taken care of first! Their needs, basic needs, need to be addressed before the council does another thing! And you, you’re on your back, spreading your legs for one of them!”

The slap that happened was one that Copper expected. That kind of insult wouldn’t fly on a good day. It certainly wouldn’t fly now either. He didn’t know either of them, but from what he could guess they were siblings, and it wasn’t going to do any good to get involved. He knew better than to get involved in a family fight. So, the fact that he was walking toward them was against everything he knew was better.

“Hey, there’s no reason to fight, is there?”

The two turned toward him, and he saw Sea Breeze shake her head, “My sister, Delicate Touch, is currently engaged to one of the council’s sons. It’s a slap in the face, like the one she just gave me, to every single person here. To know that we’re alone now, to know that we have nowhere else to go, and to know that she would choose some mediocre dick and a warm bed over her principles is more than disheartening, it’s depressing.”

Her sister, Delicate Touch looked at him, “Not that it involves you, outsider, but my sister is foolish as they come! I’ve been trying to set her up with one of the council’s sons as well. It’s a good life, a decent home, and all of the food and fanfare that a person could handle. It is something that she deserves, if she could ever get it through her damned head! Instead she’s out here trying to make waves! Damn it, Sea Breeze they’re going to eventually come after you! When it happens I can’t stop them!”

Copper saw a few individuals, dressed in suits, moving their way, “Actually, that might be today,” he said as he watched as they came closer, “Okay, come with us.”

Sea Breeze looked at him, “What?”

He shook his head, “Look, you’re about to find out why it’s a bad thing to go to prison. I’m going to guess that you’re not into being forced to take things in places you’re not accustomed to taking them. Well, I’m sure that if they take you that is exactly what’s going to happen. So, come with us, and we’ll get you out of here for the time being.”

Delicate Touch looked at them, and then at her, “I hate to rely on outsiders, but he’s right, you need to go, and you need to go now!” she exclaimed before she looked at the suits coming toward them, “I’ll do what I can to slow them.”

It was obvious that Sea Breeze didn’t like the idea of being forced to leave. She was squaring up her shoulders, preparing to tell the guards off, and Copper looked at Delicate Touch who shook her head, “Take her, please!” she exclaimed before she shoved Sea Breeze toward him, “Get her away from here. My sister is an idiot, but she doesn’t deserve what they’ll do to her if she is caught.”

He nodded, not liking that he had involved them, and pulled Sea Breeze toward him. The girl looked surprised, and before she could say a word he lifted her to his shoulder. One thing that could be said about the men of the Lunar Sol system was that they were powerful and strong. A good number of them were that way because there hadn’t been a choice. In order to get a wife most had to train mercilessly until they could become professional adventurers. Only them, when they made enough of a fortune, could they hope to attract a wife.

Things had begun changing after the incident with Queen Chrysalis, but it wasn’t completely abandoned. Most young men still worked hard to become adventurers. After all, he had unwillingly shown them that hard work was more than enough to climb the ladder and gain not one, not two, not even three or four, but five fiances. To be honest he wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about it, but the squirming and upset girl on his shoulder wasn’t really helping matters. The fact that her sister sent her with them meant that she figured whatever was going to happen with them was preferred to whatever was going to happen with the council of six.

That part bothered him. What could they be willing to do that would be so horrible? What could they perform that would make sending a sibling off with strangers better than letting her be captured by the government that ruled over the country they resided in. Honestly he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. In his old life the government of the land he lived in was pretty corrupt as well. They had done multiple questionable things, and he had just been lucky enough to stay under the radar when it came to their notice.

He hadn’t been important enough, influential enough, or anything else when it came down to it. He had just been some dude that happened to work at a call center. Nothing too special about that. He had been just some guy that happened to work a crappy job at a call center, and did his best to just get by. In truth his life now was better, and he questioned his sanity as he ran with the girl. He could be putting this new life completely in jeopardy for reasons he couldn’t even fathom.

He made his way toward busier section of the city, and he moved toward the shopping district. Remembering stuff from his previous life, mostly stories he’d seen or read, they made their way toward a small clothing store. Without saying a word he dropped the girl, grabbed a hat, put it on her, grabbed one for himself, and two more for Diamond Tiara and Monika. He then grabbed some coats, different ones from different areas, and they put them on and looked around the store.

The people that had been chasing them came by, looked in, seemed disinterested, and soon were gone. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then he looked at the girl who seemed bewildered, “How did that work?” she asked as she looked at him, “Is it some kind of spell? How could just putting on a hat and coat hide you from being discovered?”

Monika cleared her throat, “They were looking for specific things, and we changed that by altering our appearance. Our husband is a clever man,” she said, her voice completely sincere, “I truly admire how clever you are darling.”

“I have to admit that it was a smart idea to alter our appearance on the go like that,’ Diamond Tiara said, her voice sounding impressed, “I mean it, really it was truly impressive. Coming up with it on the spot only goes to showcase how clever you can be,” she said before she studied him, “Which of course makes me wonder why you wanted to get mixed up in this to begin with?”

She smiled and shook her head, “No, forget that I asked. I know the answer,” she replied as she looked at the some of the goods in the store for real, “You did it because it is truly part of who you are. You see someone in trouble, and you go out of your way to help them. That is who you are. That is what you are. I have never met another noble that truly steps in and attempts to save so many individuals.”

She laughed, the sound was actually musical, “In truth, it is one of the most enduring things about you, but I do wonder if you might have overstepped.”

Sea Breeze took a moment, “A noble?”

Monika grinned at her, “You are standing in the presence of Earl Copper Bit Plum of the Lunar Sol kingdom. It is by his actions that you were saved. More to the point it is do to his impressive intellect that you have continued to escape capture. So, for his assistance, I believe that some explanation should be proved, correct?”

She looked at them, “I’m sorry, I know that you were outsiders, but I didn’t realize that you were nobles. If you were of lower station then it wouldn’t have mattered, not that it does now. I doubt that the Lunar Sol kingdom would do anything against the Ancient Dragon Empire,” she said, her voice low, “We’re the one country that is able to supply solidified dragon’s fire to the world. Without that much of the instant transport and mailing wouldn’t be possible. A good portion of the world would simply come to a halt.”

Copper took a moment and looked at her, “Wait, what do you mean that everything would come a halt?”

It was Diamond Tiara that cleared her throat, “Beloved, she’s talking about the fact that the Ancient Dragon Empire supplies all of the solidified dragon’s fire for the dragon fire mailers. It is something that is only found here, and it is distributed throughout the world. Every kingdom that uses the mailers uses them, and of course it is also used for instant transport of goods and services.”

He looked at her, “Wait, so the mailers that we all use, all of them, are fueled by the solidified dragon’s fire that comes from here,” he said as he looked at them, “So, why did we build something that was dependant upon another country? Why didn’t we just come up with something that used monster cores?”

“Because that would take time,’ Sea Breeze replied, “Time that most kingdoms don’t feel they have. Time that they could use better by ensuring that their subjects are monitored and that they follow the rules and regulations that are set down for them. That is my guess as to why.”

He felt his eye twitch. It made no sense. It flew in the face of logic. Why build an important part of the infrastructure around something that was supplied by another country? What happened if that country became enemies, or one of their allies became an enemy? They would stop supplying what was needed, and there was absolutely no way around it. It was something that they would pay for with blood. He breathed out, “This is insane,” he said after a moment, “I get that it’s convenient, but at no point should it have become such a huge part of the infrastructure of the Lunar Sol system. We needed to ensure that it didn’t become such a huge part of it.”

He shook his head, “Okay, doesn’t matter, we need to get you somewhere safe, get in contact with the retainers and lawyers that we know, and get to drafting that contract. That is priority right now.”

Monika nodded, “I agree Darling,” she replied, “Let us return to the mansion, and then we will figure things out from there.”

Chapter Interlude

Reborn in a Dating Sim:

Life as a Mob is hard in an Equestria Girl’s Dating Game!

Book 2

Chapter Interlude

Delicate Touch made her way into the manor where Silver Tongue was waiting. She had gone after Silver because she knew that he was the easiest one of the love interests to get in the game. The fact that she had been reborn here made her unbelievably happy. Her old life hadn’t been horrible, but she was always out of the spotlight. Her brother in her other life had been the golden child. Nothing he did was wrong, everything he did was always better than her. Anything she wanted for herself he would either get first, or he’d take it from her.

Her parents always excused his behavior. They constantly told her that he was gifted, special, and that while they were sorry that felt the way she did they believed that he deserved his happiness too. So, she decided to do the one thing that she knew her brother wouldn’t do. She not only went to college, but she went with the determination of finding a life partner. In that regard she found soon to be husband. Like her he was someone that had been shoved to the back. His sister had done the same to him multiple times, and over the years he’d quietly learned to accept that.

They met, clicked, and soon she was dating him. She was determined to not let her brother spoil it. She was determined to not allow him to ruin this chance at happiness, and so she was determined to simply not go back home. As luck would have it her plans of not returning home were shattered. She’d gone with her husband to his home, which was surprisingly close to their college, to meet his parents. She found that they were wonderful people, and of course his sister was exactly like her brother.

She was over the top, she was flaunting how much better she was, and she attempted to seduce Delicate Touch a number of times. She felt desired, sexy, and even a little enthralled, but she had resisted. She wanted to be with her soon to be husband. She wanted him to know that she could depend on her. And when it was obvious that she wasn’t going to slink off with his sister she got bored, said something similar to “Whatever” and left. After meeting his family her soon to be husband asked her why she was so adamant about not having him meet her family.

Realizing that it had been a test, one that she passed with flying colors, she nodded, “Okay,” she replied, “But please, don’t let him get to you.”

The warning had been simple, but she hoped that he understood exactly what it meant. Her brother was the kind who would forever do anything to destroy whatever it was that she had. If he couldn’t have it he wanted it gone. Her parents would likely brush away the behavior, claim that he was special, and tell her that she needed to get over it. She hadn’t been home in nearly three years since leaving for college, and her parents had barely acknowledged her absence. There had been a halfhearted birthday text, a Christmas text, and a New Years text every year, but that was it. No real calls, no interaction, nothing that would qualify as parents being parents. They hadn’t seen her off, and they didn’t visit. She had texted her dad, the one person who at least attempted to treat her and her brother fairly, and let him know that she was coming home for a short visit. She had let him know that she wanted to introduce someone to him.

The trip home had been a cheap flight, which she was thankful for the discount airline that offered the reasonable rates, and then a ride share to her parent’s home. She expected to see her brother. She expected to see his annoying self there, but instead she saw another girl. She was stunning, her body looked perfectly sculpted, and she couldn’t deny that her face was familiar. That’s when she realized that it was her brother.

“Sissy!” the girl shouted, “Oh, I just had to let you know, but I wanted it to be a surprise. So, I transitioned, and I am so much better! I always knew that I was a woman, and damn, I do being a woman way better that you. I mean, do you know how much I pull on a daily basis? Girl, I’ve never gotten so lucky before. Oh, who’s this?”

She stood there for a moment, stunned, before she shook her head, “That’s my fiancé. We’re planning on getting married out of college,” she replied, her voice sounding uncertain, “When did this happen?”

The other woman smiled at her, “Oh, about two years ago. I realized that I just wanted to be a girl because I was always supposed to be one. It has been so much better. And yes, I am fully a girl. I got the final surgery a couple of months ago. I’m all healed up, and I’m ready to break it in. I mean, sure I found that I’m a bit a butt slut, but hey, I want to try this out too. I’ve heard that the feeling is amazing.”

She shook as she stood there, “I know that we’ve never really gotten along before, and I know that you do mean spirited things all of the time, but please, please, don’t fuck this up for me.”

That was the beginning of the end. She came onto her fiancé, and like herself he resisted. She didn’t stop after a few attempts though. There was countless flirts, dozens of other things, and finally there was sneaking into the room with them both. Her mother was excusing the behavior, her father was trying to put a stop to it. When it didn’t work her new sister seemed to take the hint, pouted, and left them alone. She had never felt so happy, so proud, so relieved. It wasn’t until toward the end of their trip that the incident happened.

Her fiancé was going to go down to the nearby bakery and get them some doughnuts for the morning. It was his wanting to be nice, and there was a crash from outside. She ran downstairs to see him pinned between a tree and her parents' car. Her new sister behind the wheel, and the look of psychotic determination on her new sister’s face said it all. Her mother ran out, screamed, her father shouted, and she called the police. What happened from there was easy enough. Her mother tried to claim that it wasn’t her new sister behind the wheel, but instead it was her. Her father told the truth, her new sister cracked and told them that it was her, that she’d been out a friend’s home, had a little too much fun, and came back a little too tipsy. That it was a horrible mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

She was taken in, her mother screamed at her for letting her baby take the fall, and then disowned her. She explained that she should have just given her new sister her fiancé since it was obvious that she wanted him. The last thing she would remember was her mother taking a knife from the kitchen, running at her, and the pain of the knife as it entered her chest. She realized that her fiancé had passed the test, but that they wouldn’t ever be together again.

So, when she woke up here, in this world, reborn in a game she played so much, she was determined to become the golden child. She would make sure that her parents always loved her, that there would never be a reason for her to be stabbed to death, and that whoever she loved would be safe to be with her. Her choice of Silver Tongue had been because his part of the story was easier to accomplish. She did what was needed, got him to fall for her, and from there she simply began living the good life.

Her being born here did mean that a few things had changed. For example her sister was supposed to be an only child. Instead she had been born along with her. For all she knew this was the only difference in this world. At least, it should have been the only difference in this world. She’d seen Diamond Tiara earlier, and she knew it was Diamond Tiara. She’d played the first game, and the second game, but she had believed that after winning the first game Diamond Tiara was humiliated, forced to marry far below her station, and forced to move out onto the border area with some perverted old baron that wanted her.

To see her here meant that things had certainly become far different. Somehow, that guy that was with her likely was tied up with it. She wasn’t sure how he could be, but it was the only thing that really made sense to her. He had to be the reason for things being so different. The how’s and why’s of it didn’t really seem to match up. Plus, there was that beast woman that was with him. She was acting like one of them. She wasn’t acting like a servant, and she wasn’t pretending to be subservient. Instead she was acting like she belonged right there with them.

That was another thing that was weird. The two enforcers for the council of six had already left. Thankfully Silver Tongue had stopped by to see her, and in doing so he had saw them grilling her on where her sister was. Even though he wasn’t one of the members himself he was the son of one, and that was enough for them to acknowledge him, leave, and allow him to take her home with him. She could see that he wasn’t taking the fact that they were grilling her well. Still, her new role she was the one in control of the relationship. It wasn’t a partnership. It wasn’t equal, no, she was leading the relationship, ensuring that no others were able to hurt them.

Silver Tongue was too meek to be forceful, and that was another reason why she chose him. She wanted someone that would listen to her, “Delicate, would you mind to tell me what was going on there?”

She sat across from him in the car, and she breathed out, “My sister starting trouble again,” she replied, as if it were the simplest answer in the world, “She is attempting to spread propaganda about the council of six, and of course you know how that is viewed. Someone on the council, most likely Rough Gem took offence to it. My guess is that they wanted to take her somewhere and deal with her. I know that your father would never do that, but with Rough Gem there’s really no telling,” she stated, “I know that you’re going to say that isn’t the case, but there have been far too many missing commoner girls that were connected to his family for there to not be a connection.”

Silver Tongue tisked and leaned back, “What Rough does, or doesn’t do, is not the issue here,” he replied as he looked toward the window, “Delicate, we cannot have your sister unsettling the commoners. Granted, we could easily thwart any rebellion that happens. It wouldn’t be difficult. A mere wave of our hand would be enough, but I don’t want to see it come to that. Not to mention the commoners are our primary workforce. We cannot simply use the Ancient Dragon’s power for everything. We still need production, we still need factories, and we still need workers.”

She watched as he shook his head, “Unsettling them could cause strikes, and it could cause them to view themselves as equals to the council and families of the council. While I absolutely agree that every single commoner’s life is valuable, their value is far less than that of any member of the council, or their families,” he stated before he turned back toward her, “Or their fiancées. So, we need to figure out a way of keeping your sister from acting out again until after our marriage. At that time, and not before, I will have the sufficient pull to ensure her and your safety. As it was, I was worried that the enforcers would simply steamroll past me.”

She looked up at him, and she knew that he was being honest. That was the other thing she liked about him. Silver Tongue was so much like her fiancé in her past life in that he was so honest. Unfortunately that was where the similarities ended. Her fiancé in her past life was a bit more decisive, a bit more confident. It was his trauma that caused it, and she knew that, but it made him someone that she loved being around. Silver Tongue was a nice enough guy, but he was indecisive, calm, and never really pushy.

She had little to no doubts that she could hold out having sex with him for the rest of his natural life and he would simply take it. He wouldn’t act out on it, and he wouldn’t be hurt by it. That was just who he was. Well, no, there was a chance that he would be hurt by it, but then if she got what she wanted she wasn’t sure that there was really a cause for alarm. Maybe her new life had skewed her view of things a little. Maybe, but she wasn’t so sure of that.

“I don’t know if there is a way to keep her from acting out,” she replied, “Sea Breeze has always been a rather free spirit. I believe that her actions are pretty much on par with how she normally is. I can comment on it, and I can certainly remind her that she comes from a former council house herself, but I doubt that she will listen. In truth my sister’s will is her own, and it is not my responsibility to ensure that she denies that will.”

“No one is asking you to make her deny her will, but I am asking you to help her curb it,” he replied, “I want to keep both of you safe. You have a habit of jumping in and protecting her. Which is a mark of a wonderful sister, and I believe the making of a wonderful mother. Your sister is fiery, outspoken, and unruly. Those are the makings of a fine speaker, perhaps even speaker of the court of commons, but she needs to learn temperance. Until she does she is a danger to the both of you.”

Delicate Touch seemed to consider his words. She leaned back, and honestly she knew that he was saying something that was meant to protect her. Silver Tongue was a good sort, and he was caring, but ultimately he was boring as they came. That wasn’t fair, and she knew it. It wasn’t fair that she wanted to be attracted to the more dangerous guys. The guys that seemed to absolutely adore someone, give them everything, and then turn into a monster the next minute. It was so far removed from how she had been in her previous life, but even then she had a small thing for the bad boys around her.

She had bonded with her fiancé in her past life due to their shared trauma. They had accepted and loved one another because of how much they meant to one another. That wasn’t the case with Silver Tongue. He was just the safe choice. There was a part of her that hated herself for feeling like that. The truth was that everyone deserved someone that was absolutely crazy about them. Everyone deserved someone that wanted to be with them, that wanted to show them how much they loved them, that wanted to grow old with them.

She wasn’t that for him, and she knew it. She knew that she wasn’t going to be that for him. Not without actually feeling what she knew she needed to feel for him. Instead, she went along with it because it was simply the path of least resistance. Besides, if she went along with it then there was really nothing to worry about. Silver Tongue would forgive her for pretty much anything. His pull with his family’s name could keep her, and Sea Breeze, out of trouble, and she she could live a life of ease.

It wasn’t the best thing to do to him, but it was a better option than allowing things to go pear shaped, and she knew that. She’d managed to build herself a peaceful life, and it was a life that was full of everything she could ever want. She would never have to worry, never have to lift a finger if she didn’t want to. The one fly in the ointment, other than Silver Tongue being so completely boring, was that Sea Breeze was so determined to show the unfairness of the Council of Six.

She had been like this in the game, and of course depending on who the player chose as the love interest that person helped her bring true equality and peace to the Ancient Dragon Empire. Of course, that was after a massive battle, and that was something that she didn’t want to see happen. She was determined to find a way to keep the battle from happening, to keep the empire from falling in on itself, and keep everyone in the same status quo. There wasn’t really a reason to change anything.

Sure, the commoners, which technically she could be considered one, were sometimes little more than slaves. There were times that some of the commoner women went missing, and usually it was directed toward a single house. Nothing was ever said, or done, and their families were left to grieve, but then again it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was maybe five or six women from the ages of fifteen to twenty-two that would go missing. All of them shared similar characteristics, and those made them stand out as almost the same person.

She didn’t say a word because it wasn’t Silver Tongue. She knew who it was, and she knew it from some of the lore of the game. Of course she didn’t try to one hundred percent the game. She had gone after the perfect ending, the mid ending, and the bad ending. All of which were different levels of strange. The good ending, as she recalled, had the heroine marrying Burnt Oak. The son of the second member of the Council of Six. He was a decent sort, although a little bit possessive. So, naturally, she tried to get her sister interested in him.

She didn’t like him, and she didn’t say why. All she knew was that she was skittish around him. Almost as if she was afraid of him. But that wasn’t right. It wasn’t Burnt Oak that was capturing the girls. It was supposed to be Smart Bet. Smart, according to the game, was Burnt’s older brother, and he was a deviant. The lore of the game had him going after girls that were similar to Sea Breeze, but not quite her.

Burnt was supposed to stand up to him, denounce him, have his father disinherit him, and of course have the blessing of the Ancient Dragon cast from him. He couldn’t use the Ancient Dragon magic, and he couldn’t fix the problems that he had caused. It left him alone, deprived, and unwelcomed in the entire Empire. It was exactly what he deserved. Instead the way her sister acted it was almost like Burnt Oak was doing those things, but that would be insane.

“Delicate, did you hear me?”

She looked back at Silver Tongue and sighed, “I’m sorry, I was distracted,” she confessed, “What is it?”

He shook his head, “I said that we should have your sister move in with us. Another girl has gone missing. Sweet Kisses talked about it in the library today. I fear that if she is left alone that whoever is doing this will eventually get to her. I don’t want to see that happen to my future sister-in-law.”

She looked at him, “Sweet Kisses?” she asked, her voice keeping even, “The daughter of the head of the Council of Six heard that another commoner went missing? I’m surprised that she cares.”

He looked hurt, and she felt bad for doing that, “I’m sorry Silver, I really am,” she replied, “I didn’t mean to sound so biting, but Sweet doesn’t really seem to care about much else other than her family, her father, and herself. It’s hard for me to think of her as someone that actively cares about the commoners that live around us. I suppose that there is a side of her that I just don’t know, but honestly, I feel that she’s a little too self absorbed.”

He gave her a soft smile, “Delicate, Sweet Kisses is an old friend, and one that you do not need to worry over. I love you, and no one else,” he replied softly, “But she is a very caring person. If you would take the time to actually get to know her, I believe that you would discover this. In truth, I believe that two of you might become very good friends. I would certainly hope so. I will not be cutting her from my life, and I will not forsake you, so the only option is for the two of you to at least be polite to each other.”

She looked at him for a moment, “You wouldn’t cut her from your life, even if I asked you to?” she asked, “I mean, I doubt that I would do that. After all, that would be horribly mean of me, but you still wouldn’t do that huh?”

He looked at her, “Darling Delicate, I do not abandon friends. I do not leave them behind, just because I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want to build a future that benefits all of the empire does not mean that I abandon my friends. Sweet Kisses is one of the my first friends, and she will remain a dear friend to me no matter what happens.”

It was one of the first times that he’d stood his ground, and honestly Delicate found it a little enticing. She liked seeing this more assertive side of him. She grinned at him, and moved closer, “I’m glad to know that you are willing to tell me your boundaries, so, why don’t we reward such good behavior?”

She kissed him, not caring that the driver could see them, not caring that the windows were clear. She was going to see just how far she could take this wonderful experience with him, and perhaps it would be a new kink that she could unlock in him. She felt his hands move to the small of her back, and she leaned forward untying the back of her top. It fell forward, and then down. She felt him hesitate for a moment. It was only for a moment before he shifted, helped her out of her clothes, and she realized that he was fine with this.

For the next ten minutes they treated the world around them to a show in the back of their car.