Ch3: Week One
"I can't believe...something like this...could happen..." Rarity said, staring into her tea as if it could change everything that had happened. Rainbow sighed, resting a hand on her helmet.
"We've been through worse Rares. We'll get through this." she assured her friend.
"Rainbows right. Those kids are tough an ah'm damn sure not gonna lose Applebloom t' some stupid game!" Applejack agreed, gripping her cider mug so tightly it cracked. Rainbow sighed as a pair of guards saluted her.
"Captain, Princess Twilight wishes to see you." the first spoke.
"Ah crud. Duty calls, save me a cup of cider AJ." Rainbow winked, slipping on her helmet and taking off. It had been nearly a week since the world had been turned upside down by a madman.
Thus, Rainbows vacation had been cut short and she had been pulling double shifts and dealing with situations between Ponyville, Canterlot, Manehatten, and even Cloudsdale.
She grit her teeth against the wind, wondering what Twilight wanted her for. The distraught Princess had yet to leave her home or the side of her friend and daughter except to eat or relieve herself.
Rainbow was worried, but there wasn't much she could do other than to keep the press off her back and support her. She landed in front of her home, saluting the guards who stood outside before making her way in.
To her surprise she found Twilight roaming the kitchen, notes hovering about in her magic and and a deconstructed helmet along with its components resting on the table in front of her. Her ear twitched, the Princess glancing over her shoulder and smiling when she spotted Rainbow.
"Oh good! You're here. Here, hold this." She said quickly, shoving a handful of notes into her arms.
"Twi, what..."
"Just a second!" she interrupted, holding her breath as she reached out towards the helmet, giving it a light tap, the lights flashing on.
"...It worked...It worked!" She hopped around the kitchen, giggling like a schoolfilly.
"Twilight, I'm really worried about you..." Rainbow sighed.
"Oh, um right. I should explain." Twilight chuckled nervously before clearing her throat.
"The NervGear Helmet acts as a controller for Virtual Reality Games, working as a fulldive device by blocking motor signals from the brain and transmitting them as data like a video game controller does to a console." Twilight began, resting her hands on either side of the helmet.
"The released models have a built in failsafe to prevent it from being removed once one enters the game, but it doesn't activate UNTIL it registers brain activity. So deconstructing the system is rather simple as long as you don't remove anything from the main console which is the failsafe itself." she continued, her notes hovering in front of Rainbow Dash.
"So, without removing the main console itself I was able to rewire the main system to act as a two way communicator so that we can reach Spike and Scootaloo!" she finished, panting slightly.
"Thats uh...Thats great Twilight. But how are you gonna reach them with that?" Rainbow asked, pointing to what remained of the NervGear.
"Well...thats where you come in. The only way for this to work is for someone to wear this and act as a sort of communicator between this world and that world." Twilight lifted the helmet, turning to her marefriend.
"I need you to keep anypony from coming in here. They can't know that I'm trapped in that place."
"Whoa, wait, what?! No way! Twilight, you don't even know where the buttons are on an arcade game. How do you expect me to let you just march into some complicated video game world where you could die?!" Rainbow yelled.
"I-I have to do this...I can't ask you to go...a-and theres no one else..." Twilight started to sob, clutching the helmet to her chest.
"I can't take not knowing whats happening to them...I-I haven't heard them argue in a week..." her voice was barely above a whisper now.
"Twilight. I know you miss them...I miss em too. Its gonna take ages to get Scoots back in flying condition, and Spike is gonna be a flabby mess in Karate. But this...this is nuts Twi..." Rainbow argued softly. Twilight nodded, still clutching the helmet.
"Look...I gotta check in with the rest of the Guard, but after that my schedule is free. You need to take a break from this and relax Twilight."
"Relax? H-How can I relax?! Any minute now I could lose my daughter or my closest friend!" Twilight screamed.
"I KNOW THAT!" Rainbow screamed back, grabbing Twilight by her shoulders, tears stinging her eyes.
"Don't you think I know that? She's my kid too Twi. I haven't known Spike as long as you have but he's my friend too. Every single damn day I wonder if its gonna be their last, but sitting here and letting it eat away at you isn't going to help!"
"Rainbow...I..." Twilight sniffed, burying her face against her marefriends shoulder. Rainbow took a shuddering breath, fighting back her tears.
"Just...for one night. Lets just...go out together and try to relax with the girls...just for one night." Rainbow whispered. Twilight nodded, wiping away her tears.
"A-Alright Rainbow...j-just for tonight..." she smiled, catching her reflection in the window.
"Oh wow...I'm such a mess..."
"Nothing a hot shower can't fix." Rainbow grinned.
"Spike...you know that weird feeling I get when we need to avoid the Library?" Scootaloo asked, pausing from sharpening her daggers. The dragon glanced over at her, stabbing his claymore into the ground and glancing across the field they stood in.
"Yea? What about it?" he asked.
"Well, lets just say I'm glad we're both in a video game coma."
"Princess, we've doubled our search but we've found no sign of Dr Accord." her guards hung their heads in failure, the Princess dismissing them.
"Where could he be hiding?" Celestia sighed. One week. One entire week of non-stop searching of every known location Dr Accord had carried out business.
His company, his laboratory, his home, all were empty. It was as if he vanished off the face of the planet. Her only hope now was that Twilight could figure out how to disable the failsafe.
"Si...ster..."
"Ponyville Hospital, whats your emergency?" Fluttershy answered the phone.
"Hey Shy, its Rainbow."
"Is something wrong? Scootaloo and Spike are okay right?" She asked quickly.
"Shy, chill. Thats part of the reason I'm calling, but yea, they're fine." Rainbow assured her. The pegasus sighed in relief.
"Well...why are you calling? They don't have a checkup for another couple of days, did you want me to check on them now?"
"No, Shy, just listen. Twi's been driving herself crazy, Rarity hasn't even glanced at her fabric or gems, Pinkie hasn't left her bed, Applejack is just barely managing to work and smile but I know its fake. And me an you have been working ourselves to the bone."
"Well...we are in a rather difficult and stressful situation Rainbow."
"Yea, tell me about it...Look, I wanna get all the girls together and just take a day off. I know it sounds kinda heartless, but the kids can go a day without us. I mean...its not like theres much more we can do for them anyway..." Rainbow sighed. Fluttershy thought it over for a moment, glancing around the hospital. For the most part, Rainbow was right. They had made all the preparations they could, but there was still moral support.
"Come on Shy, we need this. Especially you an Twi'."
"Me? Why me?"
"I've known you since we were kids Shy. You can't hide anything from me, though I gotta say...I'm pretty impressed you haven't cried yet. I bawled like a baby once Twilight was out of earshot. Don't tell anypony I said that..."
"I...I couldn't afford to cry this time. So many ponies are counting on me."
"Don't you think you'd help them better once you're more relaxed?" Rainbow pressed. She chewed her lip, glancing at Nurse Redheart.
"Red...I um..."
"Your friend talks rather loudly. Go on, enjoy yourself a little." she winked. Fluttershy smiled and gave a determined nod
"Alright Rainbow Dash. One Day."
KNOCK,KNOCK,KNOCK.
"The store is closed!" Rarity called out, again the knocks sounded against her door. She sighed, dragging herself to the door and yanking it open.
"Can't you read?!" she yelled, blinking in surprise.
"Yes I can. But I'm not here as a customer, I'm here as a friend."
"Milano. I'm so very sorry. Please, come in" she stammered, stepping aside and allowing her inside.
"No need to apologize. I thought it might be a good idea to check up on you and my Buttons little crush." she chuckled softly.
"You seem rather...calm and collected on the whole matter..." Rarity noted.
"Well of course. If there is one thing Button is good at, its video games. He's probably having some sort of party right now." She scoffed
"But...aren't you worried? What if something happens to him?"
"Miss Rarity, I know my son very well. And while it would pain me to see him go...if it came to that...I know that it would be the way he would want to go. Worrying over it won't help him and it won't help your sister either." She explained herself as she took a seat at the kitchen table. Rarity slid into her own seat, holding her head in her hands.
"Besides, I am sure it won't come to that and knowing him he is probably keeping an eye on your sister or trying to impress her. He won't let anything happen to her." she assured her friend. Rarity smiled slightly.
"Y-you're right Mrs. Mash. I just...feel so useless...I've been a key part in saving Equestria several times and yet...I can't even save my own sister..."
"We're just ponies, we can't be expected to do everything. This is something beyond our power and something we have to let take its course, as horrible as that sounds."
"Yes...I suppose..." Rarity shook her head, putting on a smile.
"Would you care for some tea Mrs. Mash?"
"That would be wonderful Miss Rarity."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Honestly, I don't know why I even bothered putting up that closed sign." Rarity muttered, putting a pot on the stove and making her way to the door. She was mildly surprised to see Twilight and Rainbow standing in her doorway.
"Hey Rares, thought we'd just walk over instead of calling. You'd probably ignore it anyway." Rainbow chuckled as she removed her helmet. To this day it still surprised her that Rainbow Dash of all ponies had taken the position of Captain of the Guard, even more so when she proved she could handle the position.
"Yes, well, not all of us can take disaster in stride like you darling."
"Wow, was that really called for?" Rainbow pretended to be insulted.
"Girls, please don't do this..." Twilight said as she stood between them.
"Sorry Twilight. I just...never mind. Come on in." She sighed, stepping aside.
"Oh, hello Princess." Mrs. Mash greeted her.
"Mrs. Mash, how is your son?" Twilight asked nervously, Rainbow smacking her forehead and groaning.
"Well, if I know him, he is probably knee deep in a pile of monsters and laughing all the while like a madpony. He is my son after all." she chuckled. Twilight froze, her eyes widening.
"Mrs. Mash...could I ask you for a favor?"
One week. One whole week of senseless battles, moving from town to town aimlessly. Her soldiers had grown stronger, sure, but they were still no closer to their goal.
"Patience...we must have patience." Luna sighed, blinking in surprise as Scootaloo sat beside her, sliding a mug of cider in front of her.
"Princess, you're pushing yourself too hard. It's only been a week an' this place has 100 floors!" she laughed, chugging her own mug of cider.
"Scoots is right Princess. Ain't nothin good comin' outta beatin yerself up, 'specially when there ain't much more ya can do. Heck, if'n ya'll weren't around, ah think it mighta jus' been th' six o' us tryin' t' reach th' end instead of an entire army!" Applebloom said with a smile.
"Your words are much appreciated and please...call me Luna." she said softly.
"Alright, Luna. I think you need to relax a little. Can't have our Princess and brave leader die of stress." Scootaloo pointed out.
"Leader? N-No. I...I cannot lead a war...I am merely doing my best to assist you all." Luna argued quietly.
"Princess Luna, we need you. This is a war and you're the only one here with experience. I know thats harsh of me to say, but its the truth. It's like you said, we're soldiers now." Spike grinned, sitting at the head of their table, plates of food spawning in front of them and a chunk of Col vanishing from Spikes stash.
"Spike, you didn't have to pay..." Scootaloo grumbled.
"I wanted to, besides, we're here to relax right? Might as well do it in style." he shrugged. Nearby, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were giggling amongst themselves as they watched the two 'argue'. Luna was also quite amused by the display.
"You are right Spike." she interrupted them, placing her hands on the table.
"If I am meant to lead...then I shall...but for now, let us relax and enjoy the company of one another." she smiled, digging into her food. Silence filled the air as they ate, at least until the doors to the Tavern swung open and a familiar face made herself known.
"This property now belongs to Queen Diamond. If you wish to remain then you will hand over a minimum of 500col and a piece of worthy gear to our Queen." a large stallion intoned, tightening his grip on his massive battle axe. Diamond herself stood beside the giant, players wearing her Pink and Purple colors and carrying about a flag filling into sloppy ranks behind her.
"Well well well, the loser brigade. What do you think you're doing in MY Tavern?" Diamond demanded. They simply ignored her, continuing their meal.
"Your Queen addressed you!" The giant roared, grabbing Spike by the shoulder. The dragon glanced over his shoulder, his slitted eyes shifting and smoke drifting from his nostrils.
"I can see why you follow her. You're a real idiot. Maybe you haven't noticed. Everyone here...pegasus...unicorn...even an Alicorn, have been changed into earth ponies. But here I am...one lone little dragon." Spike growled as he stood, just a few hands shorter than the brute.
"Even in the real world I could turn you into a beefcake pretzel. In here I've got a strength multiplier. So ask yourself...is your life worth being that brats pawn?" Spike asked, his sword spawning into his hand.
"Puh-lease. You can't expect to fight my entire army." Diamond snapped her fingers and grinned as her goons poured into the Tavern. Luna picked up her napkin, wiping her mouth as she stood.
"Miss Diamond Tiara, Daughter of Filthy Rich, owner of Barnyard Bargains. You have spent your entire life with ponies scraping their knees to keep you happy and at the same time you were taught by your fathers employees how to lead and negotiate." she spoke, placing a hand on her hip.
"But were you taught to fight? To kill? To ignore the pain it brings to see the life ripped out of another being?" she demanded.
"Of course not, thats why I have an army Princess. For someone who is suppose to be wise and all powerful you sure are stupid. In this world you're just another pony in my way."
"Spike, you may act freely." Luna ordered. The dragon roared as he charged forward, slamming into the brute and knocking him into the wall.
"Spike!" Scootaloo gasped, jumping out of her seat and drawing her dagger. Luna grabbed her arm and shook her head. The dragon ducked under the giant stallions axe, roaring and smashing the butt of his blade into his gut, dropping him to the floor and resting his blade against his throat.
"Don't just stand there! Stop him!" Diamond yelled.
"Belay that!" Button yelled, crashing through a nearby wall and resting the tip of his sword against Diamond's cheek.
"Any of you move and you can kiss your Queen goodbye." he warned.
"You guys obviously need a lesson in game mechanics. Take a good look at your lackey. The cursor above his head? Pure green, means he's just for show. Now look at Spike. Faded Orange. Means he's knocked around a few players who thought they were tough." Rumble chuckled from behind the counter.
"And then take a look at mine. Pure Red. Which means I've killed other players." Button said softly, Diamond's eyes widening.
"And I won't hesitate to finish you here. So you have two choices. You can take your goons and get outta my bar, or you can hope that your dad gets laid." Button grinned.
"R-Retreat" Diamond ordered, her soldiers murmuring
"I said retreat! We don't need this dump anyway!" Diamond barked, her goons scrambling out the door.
"This isn't over." she swore as she turned and left. Button sighed, sheathing his sword.
"Gods that was close..." Spike sighed in relief, glancing over at Button. The two burst into laughter, sharing a high five, though it was empty seeing as Button was missing his hand.
"Oh my gosh! Button! Your hand!" Sweetie Belle panicked as she grabbed his arm.
"Oh, yea, that. Had to sell the whole Killer thing. My icon should go green in a few minutes though and my hand'll grow back. We found that out in the Beta. Oh man, remember the Zombie Prank?" Button chuckled, Spike rolling his eyes.
"So...wait...all o' that was faked? Geez, ya'll sure had em goin', even ah believed ya!" Applebloom spoke up.
"Don't get me wrong AB. If it had come to it, I woulda fought." Spike swore, glancing at Luna. She offered him a small smile and a shake of her head.
"Let us hope it does not come to that. Though...I doubt we have seen the last of that girl. She will continue to want things her way, as has been her nature if my understanding is correct. I am sure her father would not appreciate it if we murdered his child." she turned to Applebloom, pointing a thumb at the Button sized hole in the wall.
"Would you mind repairing that?"
Sister? Can you hear me? Luna tried once more to reach her sister. Though it had only been a week, it had felt like an eternity since she had last weaved the stars, or heard her sisters voice. Their bond was powerful, stronger than any magic, so why was one little device keeping them apart?
"Sister..."
LUNA! her sisters voice rang out in her head. It had only been for a moment, but she was sure of it. Celestia had heard her.
"Luna! LUNA!? I'm here...I'm here..." Celestia cried, squeezing her sisters hand
"Si...ster..." Luna struggled.
"Just hold on Luna, w-we're doing everything we can. J-Just...stay safe."
"You want me to what?"
"Uh, is that really a good idea Twi?" Rainbow asked.
"Its a wonderful idea! We're about the same height and bodybuild, I wouldn't have to recalibrate anything. Its perfect!" Twilight cheered.
"I'm still confused about what you want from me."
"Oh, um, right. I've reworked a spare NervGear helmet to act as a communication device. Though it will only work if someone were to enter Blazing Blades Online using it..."
"Hm. So you want me to go into a Death Game so we can speak to our kids?" Milano asked as she crossed her arms.
"I...I realize its a lot to ask..."
"I'll do it."
"WHAT?!" they all gasped.
"My life needed a bit more excitement anyway." she shrugged.
"Oh...um...great! I'll get everything ready!" Twilight cheered, bumping into Rainbow Dash as she turned around
"Whoa! Uh uh Twi. Day off, remember?" Rainbow said under her breath. Twilight pouted, looking into her marefriends eyes.
"Nope, thats not working this time Twi. You can play Frankenstein after our date with the girls." Rainbow shook her head, standing firm against the power of cuteness. Before her guard training she would've turned into a puddle at such an attack, but now...it was still difficult, but she could manage it.
"Date? What Date?" Rarity asked, looking between them. Rainbow chuckled nervously as she turned to her friend.
"Well, this whole mess is really getting to everyone so...I thought maybe we could have a day to ourselves to relax and pull ourselves back together." Rainbow explained. Rarity clenched her fists, glaring at the pegasus.
"Our loved ones could perish at any moment...and you want to relax?!" Rarity yelled.
"When was the last time you made a dress Rarity? When was the last time you smiled?" Rainbow asked softly.
"About a week, right?" Rainbow continued, looking into her friends eyes.
"You know how long it's been since I flew for the hell of it? How long since Pinkie Pie has thrown a party?" She powered on, shaking and gritting her teeth.
"This whole damn mess is tearing us apart. Is it so bad of me to want to keep everything together? I mean...come on, do we want them to see us broken down like this when they come back?" Rainbow sniffed. Rarity's features softened as she watched her friend break down.
"I...I suppose not. Perhaps just one day wouldn't hurt..." Rarity mumbled
"Well then its settled. You all go enjoy your day and tomorrow we can start the Princess' science project." Milano smiled over her tea.
Spike mulled over the map they had put together, wearing a small grin.
"Guys...I think I know where the Dungeon entrance is." Spike spoke up, drawing the attention of his friends. They crowded around him, sheathing their weapons from their practice session and searching the map.
"Alright, we've scoured all of these fields already and taken down the harder mobs. But we haven't reached Blackwood Forest yet." Spike explained.
"And you are convinced the Dungeon is hidden there?" Luna asked as she looked over the map.
"It has to be. Reports from scouting parties say several parties have already died in there." Button pointed out.
"Do you think we can even clear it? With Diamond pulling strings everywhere and ponies splitting into factions, we've barely enough soldiers to call ourselves a Guild." Scootaloo sighed.
"It is not a matter of whether or not we can...We must clear it and therefore we shall." Luna declared. A final check of their gear and they were off, following Spike who had the Map Data for the best path through the Blackwood.
"Legend has it that the Blackwood was once a wonderful gigantic forest, until an angry dragon set the entire thing on fire and cursed it." Spike spoke up as they marched along.
"Heh, of course you'd know a story like that" Scootaloo scoffed. Spike shrugged and sighed
"Well, its more of a heads up than a story. That dragon happens to be one of the bosses later on. I think it was on the fifth floor." Button mumbled.
"You know, with our luck, he's probably waiting for us on this floor" Rumble pointed out. Moments later a large roar filled the area. All eyes instantly turned to Rumble.
"OH come on! How is that my fault?!" he demanded. Another roar filled the air and the area was enshrouded in a combat arena.
"A boss battle in the forest?! This wasn't in the beta!" Spike growled, drawing his blade. Applebloom roared as she smashed her elbow into the barrier.
"No good, we ain't gettin' through that. Looks like we gotta fight our way out." she sighed, turning to her friends.
"How are we suppose to fight a dragon?!" Scootaloo demanded.
"We fight Fire with Fire." Luna said simply, drawing the Queens Thorn, Spike standing at her side, smoke drifting from his nostrils. Button and Rumble drew their swords, taking up positions at the rear of the group while the dragon circled overhead. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom stood in the center of their formation.
"I believe it is beginning its attack." Luna spoke up. Spike crouched slightly, widening his stance and inhaling deeply.
I hope this works
As the dragon looped down for its first strike Spike exhaled a beach ball sized chunk of fire straight into its gut, causing it to roar in pain and take back to the air. Spike fell to one knee, panting heavily as a quarter of his HP vanished.
"Okay...it works" he grunted, pushing back to his feet.
"Yes, but its not a reliable form of attack. We will need another method." Luna mused. While they couldn't take advantage of Spikes firebreath, it had bought them valuable time and confused the Dragons AI. Sweetie Belle pulled out a few items and started to patch up Spike while Rumble and Button kept an eye on the Dragon.
"Ah'm kinda surprise it ain't come back yet." Applebloom mumbled.
"He's sizing us up." Spike said, the light around him fading as Sweetie Belle finished.
"He wasn't expecting a full on fireball so he's changing tactics. My guess is, there was never a tactic built for something like me being here so it is making its own." Spike shrugged, slinging his sword over his shoulder.
"Is that even possible?" Rumble wondered.
"Who knows what could be possible in this place." Button grumbled, gripping his sword.
"Uh, I think it figured out what it wants to do..." Scootaloo pointed up, the Dragon swooping down towards them.
"Scatter!" Luna yelled, everyone rolling out of the way as the Dragon swiped at them with his claws. Another roar and it looped around for a second attack.
"Lets go!" Spike roared, charging straight for the Dragon. Button followed on Spikes left while Rumble took up his position on the right. Spike raised his sword, steadying it on both hands; He shifted his stance and gritted his teeth as the dragon grasped at his sword with a claw.
Button swung around Spike, spinning and slashing through the claw before skidding to a stop behind the dragon and racing up its tail.
"SWITCH!" Spike slashed, sliding backwards while Rumble slid forward with his blade glowing bright red, roaring as he gripped his sword in both hands, driving the blade into the soft underbelly of the dragon and running as fast as his legs could carry him, dragging his blade through the beast the whole way.
Atop the Dragon, Button mimicked the maneuver, digging his sword into the Dragon's back and running up its spine. Both swordsman gasped as the dragon spun in place, flinging them both away.
Button rolled through the air, his blade glowing orange as he twisted and slashed at the air in an attempt to slow himself down. His knees bent as he smashed hard into the barrier, the swordsman wincing as a chunk of his Hp vanished, running along the barrier at an angle towards the ground, his eyes focused on the wounded Dragon.
Rumble on the other hand had been flung across the ground, rolling to his feet and flipping backwards to kill off speed. Button landed beside him, panting heavily and gripping his sword.
"Okay...now what?" Button asked. Rumble glanced over at him and shrugged. The two chuckled and sighed as they rushed back towards the Dragon. The beast glanced over its shoulder at them, smoke drifting from its nostrils and its wings snapping open. With a few powerful flaps it took off into the sky and vanished. Moments later the barrier around them died.
"Did...Did it jus' run away?" Applebloom mumbled.
"Let us not question our fortune until after we are at a safe distance. Belle?" Luna turned to Sweetie Belle, the 'unicorn' nodding and pulling a Return Bell from her bag. Everyone stood around her as she rang it twice, the group teleporting back to the Tavern they had claimed for themselves in town. Button and Rumble groaned as they sat down.
"Well...we know where the boss is. But why did it let us escape?" Button wondered. Spike crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall, pondering the very same question.
"Maybe it wasn't the boss. Maybe it was some kind of Mini-boss or trial or something. In any case, the boss area has to be around there. Especially if he is there." Rumble pointed out. The 'pegasus' smiled as Applebloom snatched up his sword to begin repairs. Everyone else rested their weapons on the table, leaving their friend to work. Scootaloo huffed and placed her chin in her hands.
"Maybe he's on a time limit? Like the final boss of Crazy Cargo 4. First time I tried to kill him he ran off cause I was too slow."
Silence hung over them as they considered it. Everything had happened so quickly that no one had even stopped to think what the fight would be like or how long it could take. Luna smiled, slamming her hands into the table as she stood.
"Perhaps it is a challenge! Belle, the handbook please" Luna asked. Sweetie Belle dug into her inventory, pulling out the Beginners Guidebook and flipping through the pages.
"She's right! Look here! Challenge #27: Defeat the Special Dragon Boss in...10 minutes?" she blinked, reading over it again.
"Its one of the Required Challenges for the first floor. We can't get to the Floor Boss unless we kill it." Sweetie Belle whined, her ears pinned back against her head. Button grinned and leaned back in his chair.
"10 minutes huh? Sounds like a good challenge. We'll need to buff up a bit more though and probably upgrade our gear. It hurts to say it but...we gotta go on a grindfest..."
"I HEARD her!" Celestia yelled, Dr Stable flinching and taking a step back. The Princess took a slow breath to calm herself, gripping the edge of her sisters bed.
"I am not questioning what you say Princess. I am only saying that even if there were a means of communication between the two of you...there is nothing I can do to strengthen it or to free your sister. We know too little of these machines and what they are capable of. I am sorry..." he apologized.
"No...It isn't your fault...I just...I lost her once because I ignored her...and now I've done it again" Celestia admitted aloud. Dr Stable took a step forward, putting a hand on her shoulder. He offered her a reassuring smile before dismissing himself. No words were needed, there were none to be said that hadn't been said already. But deep in her heart she knew she should've listened. She should've paid attention. She should've learned from her mistakes.
"I will find a way to bring you back...I swear it..." Celestia murmured, kissing Luna's forehead before leaving the room. She was not the only one suffering and many others had weaker hearts than she. They needed her to be strong, and so she would. And when she finally found Dr Accord...
"Ya'll want me t' what?" Applejack asked, dumbfounded. Standing before her were Twilight and Rainbow, asking her a rather disturbing question.
"We want you to relax AJ. Everyone knows the most important thing to an Apple is Family. I'm not gonna try an sugarcoat this or spit some random speech at you. You deserve total honesty and you can take total honesty. Moping next to your sister isn't gonna bring her back any faster. We've done everything we can for them and tearing ourselves up isn't gonna do them any good." Rainbow said, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"So just for tonight, just this one night...Just relax." Rainbow said softly. Applejack clenched her fists, lowering her head and shaking slightly.
"How can ah? A-Any minute now...she could...she could..."
"What about Scootaloo? Or Sweetie Belle? or Spike? Or any other kid in town trapped in there?" Rainbow stopped her.
"All of us are worried, but being worried to the point of making ourselves sick won't do anything. All we can do is listen to Fluttershy and the doctors and keep an eye on them." the pegasus grinned.
"Besides. These are the kids of Ponyville we are talking about. They've dealt with stuff like Nightmare Moon, rampaging Ursa and demons from Tartarus. I think they can handle one little game, don't you?" she winked. Applejack let a smile touch her lips, wiping away her tears into her sleeve.
"Yea...yer right sugarcube...A-Applebloom's a tough girl, she can handle herself...ah jus' worry 'bout her is all."
"We're all worried Applejack. We aren't asking you to stop worrying, we are just asking you not to let it tear you apart." Twilight smiled. The farmer sighed and smiled.
"Alright...ya'll got me into it. Jus' one day though."
Night had fallen. It had been somewhat of an uneventful day. Just some field training and the encounter with the Dragon Challenge Boss. Beyond that, things had been quiet. A little too quiet. Scootaloo sighed as she leaned over the balcony, closing her eyes and breathing in deep as a gentle breeze went by.
"Having fun?" Spike taunted from the balcony across from her. She glared at him, crossing her arms and pulling her blanket tightly around herself.
"I miss my wings..." she grumbled. Spike's smile slowly faded away at that. He cleared his throat and leaned over his own balcony.
"Well, we've already figured out where the boss is. We just gotta make our way past that challenge boss..." he paused and glanced over at her, seeing her shiver. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment and grinned, leaping across the balcony and landing beside her with a quiet thud.
"s-Spike!? What the heck are you doing?!" she hissed at him, blinking as he sat down and pulled her close. Her eyes widened as she felt warmth fill her, the dragon keeping his arms wrapped around her.
"You looked cold, so I hopped over." he grinned.
"Aren't the rooms Gender Locked?" Scootaloo asked, looking up at him.
"Sure, the rooms are. But the balcony is an outside environment" he winked. She scoffed and curled up against him, laying her head against his chest and sighing softly.
"Do you really think we can get out of here Spike?" she asked softly. He was silent for a moment, casting his gaze to the stars and gripping her shoulder.
"I know we can Scoots..." he whispered as she dozed off against him.
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Yay more bbo!
OK, I won't lie. This story is freaking AWESOME!!!!!!!
I so love you SAO crossover!
6186290 thanks! that means a lot to me
I feel like I should preface every comment I make on stories with "spoilers" so...
[SPOILERS]
Daaaaw, Spike.
Rumble and Spike using marginally useful game exploits to extreme effect to intimidate people. I like it.
Diamond needs to cool off. Sadly kicking her ass is probably only going to make her more difficult to deal with, and killing her is not a thing that good guys do. If they are going to keep Diamond from seizing power (even tho she seemed pretty young to try to rule everyone) Luna is going to have to stand up and take charge. Or the story can continue as is and the Lunar Knights can just be a badass renegade group that doesn't take shit from nopony. Which is totally cool with me.
And we sorta see what Twilight was able to do with the VR helmet. Not completely sure what the results were. I mean, she said someone needed to go in the game to "communicate" and that necessitates contact with the outside world either from in the game or by the ability to go in and out, but she also said that she would be "trapped" in the game once she went in, so I'm not sure what you meant.
Reading that part again, is it going to be like the wearer is stuck in the game, just like everyone else, except that she can hear what is going on irl from her real body and speak irl? Or just hear from irl and Twilight gets a feed of what she is seeing/hearing in game?
Btw, what is the age spread of the people trapped in the game?
The hype continues to mount...
6187262 Teen to young adult is the age range for obvious shipping reasons
As her changes are untested, Twilight is unsure if she would be trapped or able to use her several backup plans to leave and come back. As far as everything is concerned, its all up in the air, but a two way communication system would be established using the helmet as a speaker and microphone along with several machines Twilight plans to hook up to it.
I can't say anything about Diamond or the Lunar Knights without causing spoilers. And it was Button slicing off his hand for the exploit, but Rumble was in on it. In the Beta they would remove a few limbs and run around acting like zombies for laughs.
I'm glad you are enjoying the story thus far and I hope to update more frequently
I am appeased
Me no declare war
6107034
is destiny any good?
5601517 why was it removed?
6254308 they allowed it back obviously, but they claimed the story was just a copy paste of SAO. Even though literal copy pastes of things like fallout and bioshock, etc have been allowed on the site. Its all been resolved though.
6255618 ok I need to rewatch bbo
This actually makes more sense than SAO. Also, I am going to go ahead and call it now, the Lunar Knights will be a frontline guild that achieves renown by beating floors, and the guys will wound up called Beaters and will get gear with certain color schemes based on rare gear that they will wind up with, while Luna becomes known as either the queen of the battlefield or the commander.
6394654 Good call, but no. The Beater thing isn't gonna be a thing here. Color schemes, meh. Gear -SPOILER REDACTED-
Luna's renown? Well, that is something we have to wait and see about.
I'm glad you are enjoying the story, the next update is almost ready and SPOILER ALERT - they finally get to the next floor.