//------------------------------//
// Episode Six: Regret 
// Story: VRMMOEQGRPG 
// by Yarael-BJ-Poof 
//------------------------------//

5.16.17  8:00A  F#08

The hotel room door burst open as Soarin marched in, tooting a bugle as loudly and tone-deaf as humanly possible. 

"Rise and shine mofos!!! We got a root-tootin' rip-roarin' adventure to go on, and—"

Soarin's voice trailed off as he saw the entire female section of the soccer team wearing nothing but their underwear. Revealing underwear. Soarin had no idea Fleetfoot used C-cups. He unconsciously licked his lips.

The girls screamed, covered their bodies up with their sheets, and started to throw things at Soarin. He rushed out of the room covering his head, groaning "Sorry, my bad! Jesus Christ!"

As he left, Spitfire slammed the door behind him so hard that it rattled the windows. The fact that the weak hinges didn't shatter was impressive. After several moments of awkward silence, Spitfire whispered for the room to hear, "The only reason we still keep him around is because he's the only one who can do a recovery powerhouse kick! Got it?

The other girls seemed reluctant to agree, but they nodded their heads anyway.

Spitfire peeked out the door and rolled her eyes when she saw Soarin sitting in the middle of the hallway rubbing his neck. "Serves you right, punk," she sneered, while adjusting her flowered bra.

Half an hour later, the female members of the soccer team were downstairs in the lobby. Fully clothed. Some wore extra clothes just to spite Soarin.

They found him snickering with the guys on the team. Spitfire picked up "milk machines" and "change of pants" before she pulled him up by his ear and yelled in it.

Soarin submitted immediately, followed by a chorus of fake apologies. "Don"t any of you guys get any ideas. You will regret it." Spitfire glared daggers at Wave Chill and Silver Zoom, who cackled like idiots. 

Before the battle of the sexes could turn into a cold war, High Winds asked from the rear of the group, "Where's Zelda? He did agree to go with us, didn't he?" 

"I'm here, I'm here! Hold up!"

The so-called "Zelda" was Wind Waker, a rather laconic and timid boy of fifteen. He was an astounding goalie, and was announced student of the week six times in the past year. 

Fire Streak stood up and rubbed his hands. "Welp, the gang's all here. Now we just wait for Little Miss Hotshot."

Cloudchaser raised an eyebrow. "Who is this Little Miss Hotshot now? I'm pretty sure we all logged on and everything."

Soarin scratched the back of his head. "Rainbow Dash. I forgot to tell you girls."

This elicited a collective gasp of surprise and excitement. If their star player was here too, then they could all beat the game as a team.

Spitfire smirked. "Speak of the devil." They all turned to look toward the door, from which entered Rainbow.

"Heyyy, guys! What's shakin' yall?" Rainbow greeted her old schoolmates with fist bumps and Dutch rubs. 

Spitfire gave her an overview of their experiences, as well as their plan for the near future. By the time she was finished, Rainbow's friends had entered the hotel and greeting everyone. 

The rules didn't specifically say the players had to use only swords to attack. Several team members had bought rubber balls weighted with a small amount of sand to use as a replica soccer ball, as well as a projectile weapon.

Lightning Dust rubbed her hands. "So, who's ready to get this show on the road?"

Rainbow yelled, "Let's go blow a hit on those motherfu—" she was cot off by Sunset's hand slapping over her mouth.

"There are children present," Sunset growled, gesturing towards Miu. "I would kindly suggest you refrain from your usual profane mannerisms."

Rainbow pulled Sunset's hand off her face. "Okay, geez. It's not like she hasn't heard that shi—um, stuff before. I mean, she goes to freakin' middle school! If you ask me, the kids swore a hell of a lot more than they do now."

Spitfire chuckled and adjusted her glasses. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's because they had just learned they could use those words without their parents' knowledge. Until the principal finds out."

"Sombra? Oh yeah, that guy was pure evil. Remember when he suspended that one kid for a week just for farting in class?"

"Yep. Heard his parents built an outhouse for him so they wouldn't have to bother with his lavatorial duties."

"Hehehe, doodie."

"Um, it's fine if you use those words."

The timid voice of Miu interrupted the crude discussion of the high school students.

"My big sister used them all the time. She did just to spite Mom and Dad." Miu shifted her feet. "I miss her."

Blaze came over and hugged her. "I'm so sorry, dear. That must hurt a lot."

Rarity said, "But you're safe with all of us now, darling." She looked up at the large group of athletes and added darkly, "I think."

Everyone put their hands up defensively. 

"Alright, good. Now should we get going, everyone?"

Several people pumped their fists in the air.

They all stepped out the door on another adventure.





5.16.17  12:48P  F#08

The group was continuing their long trek up the mountainside. The air temperature was dropping, so everyone started to put on warmer clothes. Except Pinkie, who claimed she wasn't cold in the least. Applejack looked at her in her Harley Quinn-esque outfit and sighed. 

The walk became steeper and more uncomfortable as time passed, so the group decided to take a quick breather.

Rarity half-asked, half-pleaded, "Are we almost to the top of the mountain yet?" 

Spitfire stepped back and scanned the area above them. "Nope, I'd say we've got at least another half-mile to go. Sorry for you."

Rarity slunk down to the dirt ground, accidentally soiling her fancy getup. "Carry on without me, darlings. I'll stay here, and when you come back you can tell me how it was."

Miu sat down next to her. "I'll stay here with you so you won't get lonely."

This gave everyone the warm fuzzies. Miu and Rarity had formed a surprisingly close bond over the past day and a half. It was shocking, really. The other girls liked her because she reminded them of their dear friend Fluttershy, but Rarity claimed she was just like her little sister Sweetie Belle. Whether this was true or not, they still wanted to protect her to their utmost ability.

Spitfire shrugged. "Suit yourselves." She turned to the rest of the group and yelled, "Alright, losers! Let's get a move on! Christmas Village is only half a mountain away!"

Twilight turned to Applejack. "This Christmas Village, is it true that they celebrate the holiday every month of the year?"

"Yer askin' me? Why don't ya ask Miss Captain over there? Ah don't know why we're even comin' up here."

"Okay. Captain Spitfire, ma'am!"

"What?" she answered, not turning around. 

"Why are we going to Christmas Village?"

"I thought we gave you the dirt already. We're after a rare elixir that doubles EXP and attack power for one entire floor. We get it by defeating a reindeer boss that shows up only on the day of the month Christmas is celebrated, which is the sixteenth, for some strange reason."

Twilight adjusted her glasses. "Ah. Thank you."

Soarin added jokingly, "And to eat lots of dee-licious ham aspec."

He received several slaps to the back of his head.

The rest of the walk was relatively quiet, with less wildlife noises. They had reached a layer of thin clouds surrounding the top half of the mountain, and it was snowing lightly.

It felt a little like Christmas, but there was a gloomy sensation mixed in as well. It was all rather eerie.

Pinkie clutched her body with both arms. "Okay, I might be getting a little cold now."

Applejack rolled her eyes and gave her a spare coat out of her inventory.

Pinkie accepted it and grinned sheepishly.

Finally, they all reached the top. And no one expected the beautiful sights they were greeted with.

There were quaint cottages packed neatly on either side of cobblestone streets. The stores had little signs hanging in front of them to indicate the materials being sold there. The people were milling about merrily, with some singing well-known Christmas carols and others riding horse-driven sleighs. 

It might have been the middle of May, but they all wanted it to be December again. 

As they split up to explore around, they all came together in the middle of the town, where an enormous tree stood. Its branches were sparkling with tinsel and fancy ornaments. 

"Whoa momma," Rainbow breathed. "We could have one helluva Christmas party here. If that's what we were here for, that is."

Lightning Dust glanced in her direction. "Well, we're not. Although you do have a good thought, we're after the more important stuff."

It was starting to get dark, and the snow was coming down in big, fluffy flakes. Just like an ideal white Christmas.

Spitfire announced, "We're gonna hang around for a little while longer, then well get a move on. That powerlixir isn't gonna wait forever."





"Miss Rarity?"

"Yes, Miu, darling?"

"I'm getting chilly."

"I know, me too. Maybe we should have gone with our friends instead of staying here. Heaven knows when they'll be back."

Miu nodded slowly. "Miss Rarity? I think I should tell you something."

"What's that, darling?"

Miu quietly cleared her throat before beginning. "I'm a terrible friend. My best friend Yuuki had a crush on a boy at our school and she wanted me to help her win him over. She finally went on a date with him, but then she found out he was already going with a girl in eighth grade. She blamed me and yelled at me and told me we were through. That was the day before my sister Akiko started the Sword Art Online. I'll never see either of them again..."

By the end she was choking back tears and wiping her eyes. 

Rarity pulled her in for a tight hug. "I'm sorry, darling. They say friends come and go, but family is forever."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Rarity immediately wished she could take them back. That was the exact opposite of what Miu was feeling. She might not ever see her family again, and the only friends she currently had were the girls from Canterlot High. Rarity knew all of them were in danger of dying at any given time.

Rarity felt a sharp mix of pain, sorrow, and guilt within her heart. She tried to shake the thoughts away, but they remained, seemingly implanted in her very soul.

She knew that her friends could be dying up there. For the first time in a long while, she felt helpless. Afraid. Alone.

With a girl at her side who felt the same way.

Alone.





5.16.17  9:00P  F#08

The bell inside the clock tower struck nine. Spitfire looked up from her menu. "It's time."

The rest of the group slowly got up to follow their hotheaded leader. They could all come back victorious and with a rare item, or they could never come back at all.

Sunset, who was striding just behind Spitfire, turned to look at her comrades. No one was smiling. They looked like part of a funeral procession, and they might as well have been.

They entered the dark forest, illuminated somewhat by the fuzzy moon shining its light on the piled-up snowdrifts.

When they were fully in the forest, they stopped in a rather large clearing. Spitfire checked her menu for info, then nodded grimly.

"This is the place."

As if on cue, two bright streaks of light shot across the cloudy night sky. One departed, and they did not see where it went.

The other, however, rocketed downward and impacted into the ground hard enough to shake some snow off of the trees. As the powder settled, a monstrous reindeer towered before them, its nose and eyes gleaming an evil shade of red.

Its nametag hovered above it, revealing the creature's name to be Rudolph the Unchained. A fitting name for such a terrifying creature. 

It pawed the ground, steam shooting from its nostrils. Spitfire ordered the group to split in two: One for assault, and one for surprise attacks. Rainbow, Sunset, Applejack, and Pinkie were in the assault team, while Twilight was on the defensive. 

Spitfire roared at the monster, as well as her teammates, "FOR THE GREATER GLORY OF HONOR AND OUR OWN LIVES, ATTACK! NOW!!"

The reindeer charged, its razor-sharp antlers colliding with swords as the wielders held it back. Soarin, on the defensive side, ordered his troops to attack from behind, leaving it vulnerable for the assault team to finish it off. 

This was easier said than done. The reindeer had a disgusting eye in the back of its head, making it impossible to sneak up on it. Some fools dashed in but were blown back by a fierce kick from the deer's hind leg. They both died immediately.

Soarin screamed, "NO!" before the monster's tail sprouted teeth and grabbed him and another one of his friends, Lightning Streak. They were hurt upon landing, but they were still alive.

The assault team was trying their hardest to defeat the beast, to no noticeable avail. High Winds had managed to clip the right ear, but was impaled by a sharp antler. She was lying on the ground, moaning as her health slowly drained away.

Wave Chill and Surprise had both stabbed into the beast's massive chest, lowering its health and stats. They had both been trampled, though, causing intense pain before the world faded away. 

Rainbow had barely noticed the deaths of her friends since elementary school, as she was busy trying to get a hit in to dismember something. Without warning, the beast let out a massive roar, knocking Rainbow, Spitfire, and a few others off their feet. It charged once more, and Rainbow closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. But someone screamed, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Wind Waker, "Zelda", slashing furiously at the monster's face. He cut off a large portion of the red nose, sending blood flying everywhere and tainting the snow.

A hoof brought down on Zelda's body as the beast entered its godmode. Most everyone saw this, and they cried out as the timid, antisocial boy paid with his life saving several others.

They got up and gave it their all, swords swinging, hitting, missing. For their fallen comrades. The area started to heat up as the reindeer began to give off a fiery radiance. It leaped in the air and spread its now blazing hot legs just far enough to take everyone out in one shot.

Everyone put up their swords as a last-ditch attempt to fight. They knew it would be hopeless, and it would all be over.

And then a flash.

A sword came swinging at the reindeer and effectively cut a massive gash in its underside. The beast fell on its side and gave one last roar before disappearing in an array of lights.

Kirito dropped to the ground and sheathed his sword. He turned to look at the battered bodies of the ones who put up a fight.

The powerlixir had been rewarded to him. He got it out of his inventory and three it on the ground in front of him.

"Take care of this. You'll need it from now on."

With that, he turned and trudged off back toward the village.

The ones who knew him knew something was wrong and silently thanked him.

Everyone else was mourning the loss of their friends.

Sunset bowed her head. Their deaths were not in vain.

She was just glad Miu witnessed none of this.