//------------------------------// // The Magical Fantasy Adventure // Story: These are the Stories of the NLAC // by Blake Skies //------------------------------// Chapter 2: The Magical Fantasy Adventure As the bus turned the corner onto the long street ahead of it, Meteor Might could hardly sit still. After nearly five years of talking to Lemon Zest online, sharing everything from the newest rock hits to various adventures around their respective countries, the two were finally able to meet in person at last. Her legs jittered with anticipation. Just one more stop, and she would be at Canterlot High. It was an odd place to meet her longtime friend especially considering how much she had told her about the rivalry between this school and Crystal Prep. This just made the impending meeting all the more exciting, simply because Meteor would finally be able to look Lemon in the eye and say 'I told you so!’ No matter how many times she asked Lemon about why her school was in such a heated rivalry with Canterlot High, all the answers she received were rather mundane to say the least. It was always 'we're so much fancier' or 'they have such big egos' and 'I have better grades than them'. Since when was Lemon someone to care about grades so much? The only times she would usually mention grades in casual conversation was in rating the latest Deathclop album. But this was something she could ponder over another day, because now she had finally reached her stop, just outside the large horse statue that apparently had been found to be a gateway to another dimension full of magical ponies. Meteor couldn't help but chuckle every time Lemon told her that. A world full of magical talking ponies who sing about friendship, Meteor thought to herself as she pressed a button to stop the bus. What kind of Faustian mind would come up with a ridiculous concept like that? Picking up the spare golf bag her dad had leant her; Meteor adjusted her knee-length tartan skirt, pulled her denim jacket over her red t-shirt and hopped off the bus, thanking the driver on the way out. She had chosen this outfit today for two specific reasons: One, it was her most iconic look, which she wore in most selfies she uploaded to social media, and two, it would be quick and easy to remove. After years of telling Lemon about her lifestyle, the day that her friend told her that there would be a naturist party going on at Canterlot High when she was due to visit made her eyes light up like a Christmas tree! But even better than that, it was a fantasy themed naturist party! Two of her favorite hobbies, rolled in to one, the exact time she was due to take her first holiday to America! A small, makeshift sign pointed the way to the club area; down a short flight of stairs to the basement level of the school. Her heart was beating like the blast of a kick drum, every muscle in her body pushing her to leap down the stairs and find a place to leave her clothes as soon as possible. When she pushed through the curtains that shielded the entrance from the outside world, she was greeted with a mass of multi-colored bodies, all with various accessories to make themselves look like any given fantasy race or class. However, upon shifting her gaze to the far right corner of the room, Meteor's jaw dropped in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. What she saw was simply atrocious, disgusting, and abhorrent! There stood a yellow-skinned girl with vines in her pink hair, green paint streaked across her body. She was partaking in a mock duel with another girl, sky blue with rainbow colored hair, wearing only an explorer's hat and open jacket. But what really drew Meteor's attention was the weapons; those horrible, unbelievably inaccurate weapons! The pink-haired girl wielded a five-foot long Amazonian spear, and she was swinging it from side to side as if it were a sword. Even worse, the rainbow-haired girl had a grossly over-sized survival knife, the hilt sprouting a curved spike at each end. Meteor was all too familiar with these kinds of replicas. Lemon Zest frequently sent her designs of fantasy weapons from popular video games, all of which produced toys that replicated the nonsensical designs. “Welcome to the NLAC!” a friendly voice chirped next to Meteor. “My name is Cheerilee. May I take your name to check it off the list?” “Changing rooms,” Meteor said flatly. “I'm sorry; I didn't quite catch that-” “Changing rooms. Where are they?” “Oh, they're just off to the left, first door you come across. But can I-” Without another word, Meteor stomped off to the changing rooms in a huff, completely ignoring anything else Ms. Cheerilee had to say. Seconds later, she emerged again, all her clothing removed and in their place a narrow-domed helmet, a shield that was almost as long as she was tall, and a historically accurate Persian scimitar. From the amount of times she had read the entire 'Music of Frost and Lava' series, Meteor had her partial cosplay crafted to match the description from the books word for word. Using her shield to push past the other party goers, Meteor marched over to the dueling corner and dropped her back on the floor. “Listen up and listen well, all ye who seek combat!” she announced, the projection of her voice combined with her distinct accent grabbing everyone's attention. “I have observed yer fightin' style, and I find ya technique ta be severely lackin'. Listen to me, and ya just might learn a thing or two!” “Oh. My. Gosh!” the rainbow-haired girl exclaimed, grinning like a little kid after meeting their new puppy. “Fluttershy, that's a direct quote from 'A Waltz with Griffons'! I think this girl means business.” “Who forsakes the business of Jungle Queen Fluttershy?!” Fluttershy bellowed, though she soon reverted back to her usual, meek self. “Oh, um, sorry...got a bit carried away there. Do you know this girl, Rainbow Dash?” “We have never met before this day,” Meteor said, shifting her shield to reveal the full length of her body—including her more masculine genitals—the final representation of how she was assigned the wrong gender at birth. “However, if you will allow me, then I shall teach you all of the skills needed to effectively become the perfect warrior.” Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash looked at each other, sharing a brief shrug before they both agreed to...whatever it was Meteor was suggesting. The armored girl spent the next few minutes rummaging around in her bag, pulling out a variety of different (and historically accurate) training weapons for the two to try. Fluttershy settled on a pair of curved daggers, while Rainbow instead favored the longer-bladed katana, both suiting fighters who used their agility and speed to outmaneuver their opponent. Meteor proceeded to instruct them on everything; from posture to reading the opponent. By the time she was done, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were pacing around each other around the makeshift arena, lunging in and clashing their blades, before inverting their stances to strike at each other again. “Don't leave your guard open!” Meteor called, banging the hilt of her sword onto the table next to her. “Back away when one of ya gets a hit and prepare for the next round. We need ta keep up a level of sportsmanship around here.” “Well, well, it wouldn't be a fantasy party without at least one lecture from Meteor Might!” A familiar voice came out from behind the crowd of onlooking students. Pulling off her helm, Meteor's eyes went wide with delight when Lemon Zest stepped forward – buck naked except for a black pirate hat, eye patch and a belt which holstered a pair of toy flintlock pistols. “Meteor ya scurvy lass!” Lemon said in a painfully forced Scottish accent. “How ya been enjoin' tha festivities?” Dropping her weapon, it was all Meteor could do not to crush Lemon in her arms as she leaped towards her, embracing her in the biggest hug she had ever given a person in her life. “Lemon! Oh my gosh, it's amazin' ta be meetin' ya at long last,” Meteor's voice was on the verge of cracking up, tears of joy falling down her cheeks. “And just look at ya! I told ya you'd enjoy bein' naked one day soon. Didn't I tell ya so?” “Yes, yes you did,” Lemon said, reverting back to her normal accent for the moment. “I can't thank you enough! I've got so much to tell you about the NLAC.” “I don't doubt ya do, Lemon,” Meteor replied, gesturing to the arena. “But I think we have some important business ta take care of first. Do ye have an idea o' how long I've been waitin' ta test mah skills against ye in a duel?” “Far too long,” said Lemon. “But I hope you've got some spare weapons for me. I don't think these guns are particularly fair!” “What kinda gal do ye take me for? Of course I've got weapons! All suitable for this party, of course. Nothin' sharp.” “Then let’s get to it! Show me what ye got ya lilly livered scallywag!” - The Nightmare Rider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Emerald Peace and Flutter Heart enthusiastically set their bags down in the changing room. They had brought materials for their costumes themed to this party’s fantasy setting. They then undressed themselves and joined their fellow nudists at the party. Being their second party, they interacted with the other partygoers more openly. Passing by a few creatively costumed people, they reached the body painting area. “I’ll go first,” Flutter kissed her boyfriend’s cheek as she picked up a brush and dipped it into the pink colored paint. She slowly began to paint markings onto her body. After finishing her torso, she handed the brush to Emerald and turned around. “Care to do my back, love?” “Of course,” he began to paint similar markings on her back, taking extra care when he reached her rear. She giggled a little at the feeling. “Okay, my turn.” He grabbed another brush and reached for the white paint. Painting all over his front area, giving him the appearance of a white underbelly, he then moved to his upper arms painting them white as well. “You look great, Em,” Flutter smiled as they waited for their paint to dry. “Wait till you see the whole costume,” he winked. Soon, they were back in the changing room and brought out their bags. Flutter took out a set of fairy wings from hers, while Emerald grabbed a pair of dragon claw gloves and dragon wings. Flutter fastened the wings onto her body and gave a little twirl, looking indistinguishable from an actual fairy. Emerald pulled on the gloves which fit snugly and also made sure his wings were on straight. Finally, he pulled out a pair of prosthetic pointed ears and placed them on his regular ones, and fastened a belt around his waist that showed off a fake dragon tail. “You look amazing!” Flutter clapped excitedly, as Emerald took a small bow. “Let’s go show off,” he bared a toothy grin as he led her back into the party. The others were both awed and impressed by their creativity. “You look just like an anthro dragon, Emerald!” Fluttershy was looking over his homemade costume, admiring the detail. She had dressed herself as an anthro Pegasus. “They have always fascinated me, by the way.” “That’s pretty cool,” he smiled as he got himself a drink. Flutter was chatting with the Twilight Sparkle from Crystal Prep about how she was adapting to Canterlot High. “So you’re new here too?” The bespectacled girl asked, blushing a little as Flutter Heart laughed joyfully. “Before you transferred here, I was the newest student,” the blue-haired fairy girl replied, finding Twilight blushing at her strategically placed paint marks amusing. “You know you’re blushing, right?” Twilight went even redder at that. “I-I’m that obvious?!” She buried her face in embarrassment. “Hey, I felt the same way initially too, you’ll get used to it.” Flutter moved her new friend’s head up a little to show there were no hard feelings. She then rejoined Emerald and Fluttershy. “Fluttershy here was telling me she’s starting to attend the Green Hill Club,” Emerald told his girlfriend. “Oh, wonderful!” Flutter grinned. “Em’s family and I go there every other weekend, so I hope to see you there!” She hugged her pink-haired classmate. “Y-Yeah, me too,” Fluttershy blushed. Flutter Heart then released her from the hug, allowing her to mingle with the others. “Shall we dance like last time?” The fairy asked her dragon love. “Not tonight,” he sighed. “I work hard on this costume, and I’d hate to see it gets ruined.” “Then how about we play a game,” she smirked, knowing his competitive spirit would get the better of him. “You’re on!” He ran off with her towards the arcade area. - Markzilla6895 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Being an informant working for Dinky's rumor mill, spy network, information dispensary -whatever one preferred to call it- she had been privy to the fact that the rumors about a nudist club operating on the premises of CHS were indeed true. Or at least as far as the rumors that'd been dispensed by Dinky herself. The ones she'd heard coming from others, the ones that had been significantly exaggerated and embellished from unconfirmed sources... not so much. But that was simply the nature of the game when information peddling was the name of the game. Regardless of that fact, simply knowing that something was true, didn't really make you prepared for physically confronting it yourself, and coming face to face with what had simply been an abstract concept of thought. Attending a Friday night NLAC party for the first time was like a sudden slap in the face, or a punch in the gut, that just grabbed you by surprise. It was the sort of occurrence that earned a surprised and a blunt statement. "Damn that's a lot of boobs!" As well as a few looks back by other newbies, before it was shrugged off and ignored by those with thicker skin than others. Or earning a stern scowl from Miss Cheerilee, which warranted an apologetic wave being given in response. Fortunately the matter was dropped soon after. "I bet Shady has a lot of fun bumping into people at these parties," she stated to herself as she looked around at the others present, taking in all the countless variations of the human form that were present and on display. Folks from all walks of life, all different structures and types, just blending and mixing freely without a single concern for social standing, or any other arbitrary bullshit that would get in the way otherwise. The whole rest of the Bucket of Rejects could be here, and nobody would probably even bat an eye. If not for the lack of her phone, and the fact they were all home currently, she'd be tempted to put that theory to the test. But for now that simply wasn't going to be the case. Right now it was just her by herself, mingling and taking in the sights as she tried not to stare too hard at all the open, casual nudity that was on full display around her. That, and all the various efforts at complying with the theme of tonight's party, to varying degrees of success. The theme of tonight's party was fantasy. A very wide, very open that encompassed so many varying topics and genres, it could encompass almost anything. Unfortunately it was a genre that was largely defined by clothing, so there were a lot of interesting efforts at getting past that stumbling block. In most cases it was body paint, and strap on prosthetics like wings, horns, ears, tails, etc. whatever they could use. And then there was the one guy who had gone head and shoulders above the rest, and showed up with his entire body painted up to look reptilian. That earned another surprised whistle from her. Now that was dedication right there. As she watched lizard man walk on by, she wound up catching sight of another person at the party who was looking right back in her direction. Right back at her actually. "Fleet Foot?" she asked, easily recognizing the blue-skinned track member, whose idea of fantasy was apparently little feathery wings being strapped to her ankles. "Yes? I'm sorry, do I know you?" Fleet Foot asked back in her usual accented tone, a look of confusion on her face as she spoke. "You look familiar, but I can't seem to place you..." "That's probably because most folks are busy looking at my leg rather than my face," she replied. Fleet Foot looked down in response, noting the efforts at going along with the theme of tonight's party, before a look of realization crossed her face. "Ah! Now I recognize you," she stated, "although I must admit, your name currently eludes me. I don't recall ever hearing it before..." "Just call me Strut. Most everyone else does anyway," she replied and extended her hand. "Strut," Fleet Foot repeated as she shook the other girl's hand. "I thought that was attached to you in some way, but I didn't want to come off as being rude. Might I ask how you came to gain such a... unique moniker?" "I wound up getting saddled with it by an annoying little blind girl when she found out my prosthetic leg was the reason it sounded so odd to her when I walked. At first I used to hate it; I thought she was making fun of me. But then I learned she wasn't being mean, she just has her own way of addressing people," Strut stated, frowning at the memory. But the frown was short-lived as she smiled again. "There are worse things to be called. Besides it's fitting; I can still strut my stuff. Or at least what there is to my stuff anyway." This led to a shared amused laugh between the two. "Well speaking as one girl to another, you look fine," Fleet Foot admitted. "Although I'm curious. What fantasy aspect did you pick to go with tonight?" she asked as she look over the girl's left leg and right arm, and what they were covered in. "Well when I first heard about the theme I was gonna go with prosthetics to make myself look like I've got an metal endoskeleton; you know, T-100 style. But somebody decided that the whole cyberpunk sub genre wouldn't go with the overall theme," she stated in an agitated tone, practically growling as she spoke the last bit. "So since I couldn't do that, I decided to make it look like my limbs were woven out of wood by nature magic. Or at least that's what I was shooting for. I think my aim was way off though." Fleet Foot waved her hand dismissively in response. "It's fine, it's fine! Nobody's competing with each other here, it's all about having fun. Just settle in and relax." "Yeah. Right now, though, that's a little easier said than done," Strut stated as she rubbed at her upper right arm. "I don't know how to relax around naked people. I... tend to appreciate the human form," she admitted. Fleet Foot laughed mirthfully and reached over to pat Strut on the back reassuringly. "Yes, it can be a bit overwhelming to experience the first time around, even for those who think they can handle it. You'll be alright, though, just try to be polite," she explained. Strut wanted to laugh in response, but managed to refrain from actually doing such. Politeness wasn't exactly a concept that was foreign to her, but what passed for politeness with her usual group tended to differ from what others defined it as being. "No guarantees, but I'll try," she replied, before deciding it was time to change the subject. "So then do you mind showing me around? Maybe you can point out some of the highlights of these parties?" "I would love to." Fleet Foot nodded, "Follow me." - Charlie K ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Moondancer skipped down the halls of Canterlot High giggling to herself, her large black hat dancing as she went. This was defiantly like a fairy tale situation for her. The outfit she had chosen for tonight wasn’t too far out of place for this party: a witch. Sure outside of the hat and some matching knee high boots and socks she had nothing on, but she was a witch none the less. And as she skipped through the halls of the school, she was proud of her choice of costume. Everyone else had either opted for a mythical creature or mage with long robes. Very few had actually gone for the traditional witch of the fairytales of old. And while her costume didn’t exactly resemble that of an ancient character it was good enough. The fact that she was mostly naked didn’t bother her in the slightest. She wasn’t a nudist, not in the complete sense of the word, but she did love coming to the NLAC parties. Despite the weird clothing requirement, or lack thereof, everyone at the parties was so nice and welcoming and the overall goal was to have fun. Who would not get behind that? “Hey Moonie!” a familiar voice called out. Moondancer turned around and saw Minuette run up. Minuette was in a painted on mermaid costume complete with some seaweed in her hair. Moondancer smiled at her friend, “Hey Minnie, how are you?” “Not bad actually though it’s a bit cold in these halls.” Minuette answered. Moondancer giggled, “Well you could go for a dip in the pool I hear the school keeps it quite warm.” “Yeah but then all my paint will wash off. And I worked so hard on this costume.” Minuette beamed. “Aww well suffer then.” Moondancer teased.” “You wouldn’t happen to know any spells that would warm me up now would you?” Minuette asked genuinely. Moondancer grimaced, “Not unless you want me to set you on fire.” Minuette giggled, “Nah I think I’ll pass on that. Where are you off too?” “Just dancing about,” Moondancer answered. “Oh really, well I’m heading upstairs. Lemonhearts is putting something together and I do not want to miss it!” Minuette smiled. “I’ll pass; I hear someone’s doing a potion making class in the science lab so I’m gonna check that out.” Moondancer told Minuette. “Alrighty then see ya later Moonie!” Minuette said running off. Moondancer chuckled as she resumed her trek through the school. She wasn’t entirely truthful with Minuette though, as the potion making class was a thing that was happening tonight. The problem was it had already happened. And Moondancer was the girl who ran it. Moondancer didn’t lie to Minuette out of malice, she just wanted to walk around the school and Minuette wasn’t a girl who could take no for an answer. Still, Minuette was going to downright enjoy whatever Lemonhearts was planning so Moondancer paid it no mind. Turning the hallway, Moondancer passed classrooms with a verity of things happening; from players playing Ogres and Oubliettes, to spell crafting, to students just making up random fantasy adventures in each classroom. Everyone was just having fun despite none of them actually wearing any clothing. Then she passed a seemingly empty classroom, where she saw only one student sitting in the classroom. She was sitting alone near the window looking outside very quietly, but what caught Moondancer’s attention was her outfit choice: It was a witch as well. At first Moondancer wanted to walk up and say hello, but she was exactly that great at conversations with new people. That being said the witches outfit the girl had on looked remarkably similar to hers, so Moondancer had to figure out the truth. “Excuse me,” Moondancer asked knocking on the door, “Are you from Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches as well?” The other girl jumped slightly but calmed down once she turned around to see Moondancer. It was then that Moondancer instant recognized her as Blueberry Cake. Her outfit was also far less revealing than Moondancer’s. While she was also primarily naked, the boots she had on went up to her thighs and the gloves covered most of her forearms. But there was no mistake in anything; the outfit was clearly the costume from Moondancer’s favorite novel series. When her eyes locked on with Moondancer she relaxed, “Oh hey Moondancer, I didn’t know you were a fan of The Worst Witch as well.” “Same to you,” Moondancer smiled walking in, “whose you’re favorite character?” “Enid Nightshade actually, she always makes me laugh.” Blueberry answered as Moondancer sat in the desk next to her. “Maud Spellbody,” Moondancer added, “I just find myself relating to her so much sometimes.” The two girls chuckled for a moment before Moondancer asked, “So what are you doing here?” “Oh I just wanted a moment alone. I love these parties but they can get so hectic at times I just wanted some peace. What about you?” Blueberry asked. “Same here,” Moondancer answered. Blueberry nodded. The duo sat for a moment in silence looking outside at the setting sun. “Kinda wish we could go outside like this.” “Well we kinda can, I mean the tennis courts and football field is open.” Moondancer answered. Blueberry raised an eyebrow, “Really?” Moondancer nodded, “They’re doing a Quidditch match there.” “Oh this I gotta see,” Blueberry smiled. “In a bit,” Moondancer answered, “I kinda like the quiet.” Blueberry nodded, “It is nice. So what spells can you do miss witch?” “Mostly frost spells,” Moondancer giggled, “Always give people cold spells.” “Really I thought you’d be good at studying spells.” Blueberry answered. Moondancer playfully scoffed, “Oh those are easy spells to learn I always wanted to master those spells that are difficult to master. What about you?” “I’m technically a necromancer,” Blueberry giggled. “You’re too sweet for that.” “Thanks but that’s the point. I always fool my victims into thinking I’m a sweet and innocent girl before pulling out the biggest surprise this side of Canterlot.” Blueberry answered. Moondancer laughed, “Well I’ll like to see that someday.” “Maybe I’ll invite you to my house one day.” Blueberry agreed, “Though we are going to have to wear more clothing than this.” “Oh defiantly I don’t think I can be naked in front of someone’s parents.” Moondancer nodded, “Here is just fine.” - Blake Skies -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Threading her way through the crowd, the vice principal of Cantorlot High and current member of the NLAC, Luna headed off towards the pastries, where she would often frequent for these parties. Not only did her sister Celestia appreciate Pinkie Pie’s baked goods dropped off at her front door, but Luna herself found them addicting. “So I see you were able to make it tonight,” a cheerful voice called out from behind Luna. “And I’m glad I did too Cheerilee. It's a pity that I couldn't make it to the last party, but I must say that the decorations are amazing,” Luna replied, as Cheerilee stepped next to her. “Yes and I've even been seeing a few of the girls from Crystal Prep. I'm so glad at how big this whole thing came out to be.” “Ah, yes.” Luna reached for a chocolate sprinkled donut. “It is quite nice to see how well the students are interacting with others outside of their own school.” “I know,” agreed Cheerilee. “But it’s also so great to see that even during summer break they are pushing themselves forward. I mean, it's not every day they get to see how much they can use their creativity in such fantastic ways.” “Indeed. I am amazed at how talented they are. Am I right to assume that someone from the Coders and Programmers club is the one who is responsible for these projections of mythical creatures?” Luna reached again for a pastry, placing the lemon pie piece on a plate that had been steadily filled up with Pinkie’s pieces of culinary magic. “Yes. I'm actually thinking of when the school year starts we could introduce a mentor program for the students.” Cheerilee looked at Luna with a questioning face. “I'll have to see,” she responded vaguely. “It was nice chatting with you, but I didn't come here just for the food,” Luna laughed. “Alright then,” Cheerilee said and walked away. Luna headed towards the flight of stairs that would lead her to her office, where she had stashed her clothes. “Oh, hey Vice Principal. I didn't realize that you'd be attending.” “Hello Ms. Shimmer. Yes, I do rather like being kept into the loop on what goes on around here and I do enjoy trying new things.” “Well, I'm glad to hear that. Where are you headed?” “My office. It'd be a pain for me to have to walk around with this plate of pastries.” “Well, yes. I can imagine so.” Sunset shuffled her feet for a second. “Actually, I was wondering… Well… I haven't exactly seen Principal Celestia around and… Well… Did Ms. Cheerilee come to you about the club?” Luna smiled in a gentle way. “I am sorry, as I am not able to divulge into that information. Ms. Shimmer, I must be off.” “Oh.” Sunset said a little bit abashed. “All right then. Enjoy the rest of the party!” Sunset continued to walk down the hall as Luna headed for her office. Once there, she placed the baked goods on her desk, next to her clothes. She quickly opened a file cabinet that she used to store a variety of drinks throughout the whole year, not just for the school year but for the whole twelve months, as Luna did have to prepare during the summer break for the next year. Selecting a raspberry and apple Snapple, she popped it open and took a long swing. She put it down and replaced the cap and walked out, walking towards the body painting area. - Luna Lily Ruby -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “Okay. This party is way more fun than I thought it would be. I can see the appeal of this nudie thing.” Brilliant Rays announced as she entered the cafeteria. She was the last of the group to arrive. Those already there were Star Dancer, Breeze Kisses, and Midnight Blossom, the unofficial leader of the group. They were all sitting on towels around one of the tables. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” Midnight Blossom said. “Everyone else?” The other nude students nodded as Brilliant Rays placed her own towel and sat down. “Great! Now, I know this isn’t our normal gaming night and I wanted to thank you for supporting me, so. . .” Midnight Blossom pulled out a thin binder and a small baggie that rattled. “Who’s up for a quest? This one’ll use the whole school! You game?” “WHAT?” Brilliant Rays shouted. “Of course I’m in.” Breeze Kisses nodded. “I’m game. Play as our standard characters?” Star Dancer asked, trying to hide a smile. “Absolutely, I’ve got all your character sheets right here.” Midnight Blossom said passing them out and handing around the bag of dice. “This’ll be non-canon. Brilliant Rays is the rogue, Shadow Stalker. Breeze Kisses plays our paladin, Forest Walker. Star Dancer is our fighter, Fire Dancer.” She placed the final sheet in front of herself. “I’m the druid, Dusk Seeker, and together we enter” She paused for effect. “‘Textalia’s Castle!’” Brilliant Rays chuckled. “Way to be dramatic. Let’s go!” “We start in the town of River Stitch, the closest one to the evil witch Textalia’s castle. The king has commissioned us to stop her reign of clothing-stealing terror.” Midnight reads. “Was the king naked?” Brilliant Rays asked. “Yes, it was awkward.” Midnight answered. They all laughed. “When we arrive, the town appears deserted. Boarded up windows, closed doors, and not a person in sight.” Midnight continued. “I roll to cast a spell of perception to see if there are any traps.” Breeze Kisses said and rolled her dice. Midnight Blossom rolled hers and checked Breeze’s roll. “Sorry. You didn’t make it.” Midnight Blossom said. “16 or higher.” Then her voice grew serious. “You’ve activated a trap! An invisible force dazes everyone. When you recover you find your clothing has disappeared! A well-dressed woman stands in front of you. She calls herself Textalia. Roll for embarrassment.” She paused then read. “It’ll decrease agility for ten turns.” Everyone rolled. Shadow Stalker and Dusk Seeker didn’t seem too upset by their nudity. It was a different story for Forest Walker and Fire Dancer. Forest Walker let out a squeak. “I know we are all naked before the Goddess, but not in front of each other. . .” “Oh! You are going to pay!” Fire Dancer shouted at Textalia. However, she seemed uncertain if she should cover herself or brandish her sword. “Give us back our clothes!” With an evil cackle Midnight Blossom said, as Textalia, “Ho ho! But you look so much better now.” She made their outfits appear in a heap in front of her. “If you want these rags. Come get them.” Before anyone could move a magical fire consumed both her and the clothes and they were gone. “Good witch voice.” Breeze Kisses said. ”Thanks. I practiced.” Midnight Blossom smiled. Star Dancer let out a huff. “Focus.” Standing in the middle of town, Dusk Seeker rallied her friends. “Come on everyone. We know her castle is nearby. Are we going to let a little nudity stop us?” “Heck no! I’m getting all my gear back and more!” Fire Dancer said. “Well, I guess the Goddess won’t be too upset.” Forest Walker added. “Being naked will make this a good challenge.” Shadow Stalker said. Switching back to her normal voice and closing the notebook, Midnight Blossom said, “Well, let’s go.” “Wait. We’re actually going to walk around the school naked?” Brilliant Rays asked barely containing her enthusiasm. “Yup!” Midnight Blossom said. Once everyone was in the entrance hallway Midnight dropped into her gamemaster voice. “Surprisingly, there were no traps and entering the castle was easy. But after we entered, the door slammed shut. The beating of drums could be heard from somewhere deep inside the castle. A clawed foot slammed down in front of us. It’s a red dragon! The battle begins. Roll!” Forest Walker and Dusk Seeker fell into support positions while Shadow Stalker and Fire Dancer split their attack. It started out badly because everyone still had their reduced agility, but after the limitation expired they started their comeback. In one daring move, Shadow Stalker dodged a claw and pinned the dragon’s tail with her dagger. The dragon reared up giving Fire Dancer the opening she needed to plunge her sword into its underbelly. The sword melted in her hands. The dragon roared and blew a fireball that consumed Fire Dancer before it collapsed dead. Forest Walker and Dusk Seeker launched spells of protection and healing hoping it was enough. “You have defeated the dragon. You all earned experience.” Midnight Blossom said. “Forest Walker earned a boost from the Goddess that increased her healing speed. Fire Dancer survived by absorbing the essence of the dragon. She’s now covered in scales, her hands and feet are tipped with claws, horns protrude from her head, she has a tail that can cut when whipped, and her agility has increased.” “What?” Star Dancer had a look mixed between astonishment and annoyance. “My Dusk’s power is nature based and would’ve reinforced your armor. Forest’s magic comes from the Goddess and is meant for healing. Since you’re not wearing armor, they combined and used the dragon’s fire to forge your body into one that was strong enough to survive.” Midnight explained. “Besides, this isn’t canon.” She added when Star’s face didn’t change. “Hogwash, but since it isn’t canon, fine” Star said after a pause. “Lose my sword, turn me into a dragon.” Then mumbled. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter.” “Shadow, your attack speed went up.” Midnight said. “We continue into the depths of the castle.” She motioned for the group to follow and started walking down the hall. Their bare feet pitter-patted on the tile floor. “Where are we going?” asked Brilliant Rays. “You’ll find out.” Midnight grinned. “A goblin appears!” “I slash it with my claws!” Fire Dancer spat in anger. “Let see what I can do.” They battled down every hallway. Every room they entered was full of loot. Soon their pouches and packs were near to bursting, of course, none of them have any clothing or pockets. All the while they traveled up and away from the beating of drums. At the topmost level they found a door that led to a massive library. “This must be where Textalia keeps all her spell books and resources.” Dusk said. “I might find a spell that could clothe us. But you know how these places are. I need you to protect me.” No sooner had she left than the rest were attacked by giant bookworms. Shadow Stalker distracted them while Fire Dancer raced in with claws and tail ready. Forest Walker’s healing came in handy more than once. Just as the last worm died Dusk came back with an old tome. “I didn’t find anything for clothing, but I did find something that may help with our pocket issue. It’s a spell that gives us a pocket realm.” She got blank stares. “Near infinite storage?” “What?” They all chorused. “Let me cast It.” she said. She cast and felt a space open in her mind. “Okay everyone; focus on what you want in that space and it should go there.” Soon all their bags and pouches were empty, then those were gone too leaving everyone more uncovered than they were before. They didn’t seem to notice. Shadow Stalker’s daggers disappeared then reappeared in her hands. “This could be useful.” Shadow commented. Since they couldn’t go up they headed down. The drumming had died down while they were in the library, but no one commented on it. Their battles into the bowels of the castle were even harder than before. After one dungeon, they entered a room with a pool of water and a door on the far side. “Shouldn’t the pool should be filled with students?” Breeze Kisses asked. “Maybe they closed it early?” Midnight suggested. “Maybe the mermaids got tired.” Star Dancer quipped before jumping in. Halfway across the pool Fire Dancer, Forest Walker, and Dusk Seeker became ensnared by tentacles that drained their magic and energy. Thanks to her reflexes, Shadow Stalker avoided it, but couldn’t free her companions. In a last ditch effort, she dove down and plunged her dagger into the monster. She took the full force of Forest and Dusk’s trapped magic as it streaked back to its owners. “The kraken is defeated!” Midnight cheered. “Fire Dancer revived and pulled the unconscious Shadow to shore where they discovered another transformation had happened. Shadow’s skin was now like a frog’s, bright blue with black speckles. It secreted a mysterious substance. Her hands and toes were now webbed. When she woke, she discovered her legs could deliver powerful kicks and she could climb walls.” “That is so cool!” Brilliant Rays Exclaimed. “I love frogs.” They battled on until they reached the grand theater. Mounds of clothes were everywhere. They saw Textalia on the stage illuminated by a spotlight. “Welcome and congratulations!” The fashion witch mocked and struck a pose. “Too bad it was in vain. Clothing Golem, attack!” A whirlwind of clothing formed itself into a giant golem. It swung its arms wildly, throwing clothes in every direction. Slicing the clothing to pieces with her tail and claws, Fire Dancer was an unstoppable beast of destruction. Shadow Stalker discovered that the substance her skin made dissolved fabric on contact. Forest and Dusk alternated between healing and attack spells doing a fair amount of damage themselves. After one last push, they brought it down. Climbing over the mounds of tattered clothing, they rushed the stage and corned Textalia. “Give us our clothes back!” Fire shouted grabbing the witch with her claws. “Of course! They’re right there. Go on. Get dressed. Why wait?” She cackled with a gleam in her eyes. “What have you done?” Forest asked. The others readied themselves for attack. “Me?” She said with faux innocence. “I only cast a spell that would make everything you ever gained disappear the moment you got dressed. All those other fools were so easy to beat after that.” She let out a laugh that sent a chill down everyone’s spine. “Be humiliated or lose it all. Either way, I win.” “Oh that is so not fair!” Star Dancer screamed and stomped her foot. “I was starting to enjoy being a dragon. Toss it. I’m staying naked!” “I’m enjoying being naked myself!” Brilliant Rays said. “And I love frogs. I vote to stay too.” “I’ll stay.” Breeze Kisses whispered then spoke up. “I think my paladin has grown closer to the Goddess and I want to see where it leads.” “But this isn’t canon.” Midnight reminded everyone and they fell silent. “Can we make it?” Star asked in a much more subdued voice than her normal one. Midnight felt happiness well up inside her, but composed herself. “Only if everyone is okay with it.” The other two nodded. Midnight let out a sigh and smiled. “Okay.” She turned the final page in her notebook. Dusk cast a spell that bound Textalia so they could take her back to the king. Using their pocket realms they gathered as much clothing as they could and returned it to their rightful owners. The king was more than happy to get his fine clothes back. After the celebration and reward, the heroes set off for their next naked adventure. The end. The four friends cheered and left the theater and headed back to the gym for their clothes. All looking forward to the next party and what opportunities it would bring. - Clickety-Clack