//------------------------------// // Story - [Striders of Blackfall] // Story: MLP: Actualization Online // by Slendy //------------------------------// ---~[Previously on MLP: Actualization Online]~--- we looked to Nox, who threw her broken mask aside, shattering upon contact with the ground, a scowl matching her conflicted gaze "Ok-ok-ok, hold the metaphorical phone, you were a girl this whole time?" "Hope you liked that introduction, though I'd keep it into the spirit of Halloween or Nightmare Night, in this world's case. The name's Gambit, Nightmare of Equivalent Exchange, and I'd like to say." He paused, bowing once to us. "Hello..... [Canternlot Castle] "You know, now I look at this place, its like the person who constructed this place was compensating for something." That got a soft chuckle from a few of us, before Nox snorted, the girl acting as a guy looked through her mask with a bemused expression, the lights of the mask narrowing at me "As funny as that comment was....why in the name of Irene are we here again? Thought our mission for today was to find the missing train piece?" Nox questioned me, which I was still gunning for, we just needed to see the others before we moved out on a separate errand "We will, but Celestia wanted us to meet with the team who wield the chosen relics to open the Raid Lair, just so we know who we'll be working with, and vice versa." I explained, before I pushed the massive doors open, and entered a large, circular room, with a massive table, with chairs in the center of the place, with a pristine crystal lacrima dangling from the ceiling above us, its contents humming a soft, golden glow of light On one end of the table, I saw the Princess herself from the Nightmare Night festival, a pleasant smile gracing her muzzle upon our arrival. "Nice to meet you all again, I hope the festival was to your liking?" Celestia asked us warmly, as I grinned from ear-to-ear. Oh, and it seems Celestia had met some of us previously on the 31st, which makes sense how she knows some of us, though I wonder if Luna's around? "Hell yeah, you know how to truly go all out for my favorite time of the year, I even got me some new stuff from the event." I happily complimented, before I heard the door open behind us. "Oh, guess we'll talk about last night at a later date?" "I would like that, Mr Hat, but right now I would like all of you to meet the ponies that wield the relics of this kingdom's most darkest secret." Oooh, ominous! Seeing the doors open brought us to our attention, the group of six ponies trot into the room, their weapons, and armour clanking off each other as they walked into the light of the room The first, most likely their leader, was a brown unicorn. His mane was dirty blonde, and tied in a warrior's wolf tail, same for his tail, his eyes were cobalt, and he had a beard. His body was platted in gold armour, the same type as the Royal Guard, so it was certainly rare, but not uncommon, but he wore a golden greatsword, with rubies dawning the hilt, and guard. [Laxus - lvl 34] To his left was another unicorn mare with a pink coat like Pinkie's, and with a long, white mane and tail. Her eyes were emerald green, and she wore red robes, with gold, and white lines across the middle, rim of her folded hood, back, and some arcane runes on the back. Whist she carried an oak staff on her back, with a topaz twisting around the branches at the top. She was one of the three with a sweet smile on their faces. [Summer - lvl 29] Last on the left was a Changeling, with crimson wings, and eyes, and had black leather adorning his black body, with a bandana covering his mouth, and a small, red scarf around his neck. I liked his style already. He looked to have wolverine claws strapped to his hooves, both back and front too. [Ambulas - lvl 32] The two on his right were....oh wow, twins. They were both pegasus mares, with one having a black coat, and the other a white. The first on the right had white eyes to her black coat, whist her mane was a short white, and wild style, tail matching too. She wore a set of armour I saw in Ponyville before, named 'Rogue', due to its pirate-like style, belts, leather tunic, stitching, the whole pirate look, complete with two silver cutlasses to her sides. She, and her 'sister' were the only others with welcoming smiles. [Yin - lvl 31] Her 'sister' was the same, only colours were reversed, and she wore chest armour, shoulder pads, gauntlets, hip armour, and a small helmet over her combed, black mane, with a black coat over her chest-piece, on her hip was a single, blue longsword, similar to my Parting Glass. Her Cutie mark was like her sister's, a yin/yang symbol, only it was the 'Yang' section, her sister was 'Yin'. Which meant her name was.... [Yang - lvl 32] "Wait, isn't there suppose to be six of them?" Rain whispered to me, then I felt my eyes snap to her left, before my gaze sharpened, and my smug smile grew when I felt the shimmering presence behind us, the light bent to make the hidden pony near invisible, but because of my high perception.... "Mind explaining yourself, before I publicly throw you off the cliff?" I snorted with a grin, just as the cloak over his mane fell over, his hoof against his chest as he coughed, before he too smiled at me with a sickening look. The pony came around to face, pulling the hood back to allow the clear surface of the cloak turn grey, yeah, I thought so. "Nice upgrades person I can't remember the name of?" [Bombard - lvl 33] "If this is how you greet people, cheater, than I have my doubts working with you again, especially that annoying bat!" He sneered, walking back to his group. "Seems you ain't rusty either." Then, Yin grabbed his head in a lock, ruffling his mane "Seriously, get over yourself you creep!" Yin huffed, as her sister nodded with a disappointed frown, making the man grumble when he broke free. Then I turned back, coming face-to-face with the towering unicorn, he was serious buff, but not crazy, he was just twice the size of me. "Laxus, don't scare him~?" "I'm not, just....observing." Can ya maybe do it at a reasonable distance? Then he smiled, holding a hoof out to me. "Laxus, you must be White, the one who took down the first Raid Boss?" "Aye, sir. But I wasn't alone, if not for them I may as well be dead." It was true, these guys kept me alive just as much as I did. Taking that as a good answer, the stern-talking stallion backed off, moving back to his group, before he guested to them "This is my team, or guild in a better term." He explained, before Yin, jumped in front of him with a grin "We're the Striders of Blackfall!" She cheered, just as her sister joined her pose "You mess with us and you'll be sorry." She softly added, and in that one moment, I looked to Seraph with a pout "Why don't we have a motto?" I was really concerned for our reputation now "I'll think about it later." She whispered back, before Summer approached me, pushing Yin back with her magic "Sorry about them, they can be a handful, both are like a party when in the same room so it takes more than Laxus to get them to behave." Summer apologized, before she grabbed Rain's hoof and shook it lightly. "I always wanted to meet a Therstral type of player, and I heard some rumors about you too." "Y-You have?" Rain looked embarrassed at the thought, before the adult mare waved a hoof with a chuckle "Nothing bad, only that you had aided in keeping most of the low-level players safe when leveling, and that you always kept them happy in this rather bad state of events." Summer replied, before she looked to the staring Klaw, his expression dumbfounded, making her giggle, as he cleared his throat, looking towards....well about anything else but Summer. "Its nice being able to work with you all." "Same/Our strength with others can grow/We need only time." Silver replied, before Nox shook her head, knowing that his Haiku was a necessity to his speech pattern, as much as it bothered me, Silver told us in haiku that he had a speech impairment, and long lines of words were near impossible to say, but somehow when we spoke like Zer0, his words came out fluently, whether its the accent or the wording, he doesn't know himself. "Now, we must focus/The train awaits us/We must go." "'Go'? What for?" Yin asked, as Yang sat on her sister's back lazily "Our boss decided we'd find the last train piece for the rail-works, we'll be able to link Canternlot with Ponyville, more guys of higher level, and this raid's as good as gold." Seraph elaborated, then, Bombard interjected "Hold on-Hold on, did you know about this, Princess?" He demanded, pointing to me specifically, great, here we go again "Yes, one of my guards had mentioned it to me in a report, and I have seen it to be a wise course of action before you conduct this raid." Celestia explained, making the others look at each other in surprise. "I am worried for the safety of my citizens, but if repairs to the train were made, it could benefit our future efforts." "Is this true?" Yang asked, tilting her head with a neutral expression, as Yin deflated, dropping her sister. "Ow...." "Aww, but I wanted to fight the Boss~?" Yin frowned, tapping one of her cutlasses dully. Then she snapped back into shape, "You'll only be gone today right? We can still do the Raid tomorrow!?" "Aye, that's the plan." I replied, as she clapped her hooves together, before she darted before me, my glasses falling slightly from her sudden approach, as my face grew red from her forehead pressed to mine with a smile. I could see it now, her eyes were filled with stars, she was completely hyper by nature. "U-Umm...." "Looks like you are a chick-magnet?" Seraph balled over in a fit of laughter, as my face rose in temperature "Can I join you, please~?" Yin was....wanting to team up with us? I mean sure, we're doing that for the raid, but....ah heck with it "Sure, just do me a solid first?" I asked kindly, making her face brighten "Whatever you need!?" "Get off my face." Dying of embarrassment woman! Sensing my dilemma, she sheepishly looked at me, yelping as Yang dragged her back by the tail, staring neutrally at her sister "Stop getting attached to guys, you're mine." She complained, as Yin patted her sister on the head sweetly, before hugging her with dramatic tears "I'm so sorry, I promise to only pay attention to you." "Love you too." Yang replied, leaving Nox to pat my back, her blue eyes wide and flashing to indicating her blinking "This is a weeeeeird group of players?" Now with that out of my face, I was left with only one problem. Bombard, who was still glaring at me "Laxus, you can't be serious, after all the trouble went through to get here!?" He snapped, just as I passed Laxus, giving him a nod "We'll be back for the morning, gather other players too for the raid, we'll get the train up and running." He nodded back, before I stopped mid-walk, a blade to my throat. "Ok Skeletor, why don't you take your bony ass back to your inn, before I get agitated." "Only way you're leaving is if you drop that Relic. If you didn't screw around back at the Raid Lair, maybe those three guys would still be alive." I heard a collection of gasps at that, even Laxus turned to look at Bombard with surprise, the guy must be the strong, silent type in the face of turmoil, seeing how he observed, even holding a hoof out to stop Yin from approaching "You want to use the dead as a bribe....?" I whispered coldly, my smile all but gone, I wasn't joking now, some lines are never to be crossed.....never! "You swine...." "What did-" *Bam-Thud* I saw my cursor turn yellow for a split second, before it turned green again, I didn't pay it to mind, I watched the blade drop to the marble floor, before I kicked it away, pinning Bombard under my hoof, he was stronger than me, but that meant shit if you were caught off-guard. Then I glared down at him, a single simple frown on my face, whist my eyes were pinpricks of rage. "You ever think to tell me what to do, and you'll regret it, I'm no ones lab rat, got that?" I snarled, before I threw him back. "Don't ever disrespect the dead." With that, I walked away, eager to get the mission underway [Canternlot Train Yards] "What part of this was a great idea!?" I yelled, flying behind a train cart, looking over to see a spear skin my glasses, knocking me atop the train cart's roof, whist the lancers attempted to find a way up. I turned my head, seeing Silver, panting on his haunches, his daggers resting in front of him. Rain was punching another down from the side of the cart, throwing it to the group of crystal monsters below. That was ten of them, we had killed eight. Then, I rolled to my left, as Yin came flying down onto the train cart, face-planting the roof with a groan. "Well, the the gang's all here, now we can die together!" "We are trapped/All exits cut/What now?" We all looked at each other, trying to figure out our next plan of action, but against the horde below us, it wasn't that we were concerned for, it was the piece of the train that we found in the warehouse across from us, the doors thrown open by two Hollow Fangs, their bodies curled up in anticipation of our offence The piece was sitting in the back on a pile of parts, and looked to be a two person job to carry out of the sealed area where the guards waited for us, and with it now being mid-day, that was an hour ago, and not a single on of us had an idea, well, there was one. The plan was to have Silver and Rain carry the capacitor, while me and Yin fended off the horde. That was it, so many margins for error were there. "I'm sorry, I know it isn't really the time, but I just wanted you to know that I am." My attention was soon drawn back to Yin, as she sat with a guilty look on her face, as she sliced a crystal spearhead from the staff, knocking the lancer back to the horde "What are you apologizing for? Better yet, can we please discuss this 'after' death isn't currently climbing after us?" I retorted bluntly, now wasn't really the time for this, and now the monsters were beginning to try and climb to us, with the Hollow Fang's awaiting us to move for the sky to strike us "Well, after what Bombard said, I mean, he's nice, I mean it, the guy saved my sister when we were trapped in a dungeon, and from there on he's been supportive of all of us, even Laxus agrees, I just....I'm sorry for what happened back at the Raid Lair, the one he blames you for." While I was touched that she had this softer side to her, I only reached over to throw her a power potion, making she blink at the yellow liquid inside, then to me "Don't worry about it, he's got problems, but I've dealt with worse, just....don't expect Rain to hold back from tying to punch him." I mused, seeing Rain grumble something under her breath. With that, I drunk my own potion, feeling my power begin to resurface from within my body, then I stood up, smashing a hoof into the roof. "Now then, I have a plan that's suicidal, but if pulled off we may just go down as the dumbest players in history!" "Umm, sure, what did you have in mind?" Rain didn't look to certain, but given the circumstances, we had little choice for options. Then I turned to Yin, who tilted her head "Tell me, you, and your sister are like Yin and Yang, correct?" She nodded once, before I smiled wickedly, an evil glint in my eye. "Have you heard of a Warframe called Equinox?" [Lightning Seal - Shock Baton] Within a frame of time, the horde was struck with a burst of yellow lightning, stunning them as the lightning travelled between their crystal protrusions like lightning rods, stunning them all with a few seconds, meanwhile, Rain carried Silver towards the warehouse, where the train piece sat in chains suspended above the floor. For me, I leapt off the train cart roof, as my right hip flashed with a few sparks of light, the shards of colour burst from the side of me, revealing a new scabbard to my right. It was the Heart of Everfree longsword I obtained from the raid, as I drew it with my left hoof, my wings stretching out to fly over the horde, and hover low to the ground with both blades in my hooves. The longsword itself had a long, dark purple handle, with a thorn pommel, the guard was like the jaw of a Venus-flytrap, stretching the cover the base of the solid green blade, the edge shining in the sunlight on one side. Then, I exhaled slowly, opening my eyes to watch both blades hum a bright green among the recovering horde, as Yin clapped from above. "Give 'em hell, Hat!" Will do, Yin! [Inside the Warehouse] Upon entering the warehouse, two crystal knights stood in waiting, their gleaming forms turning to the Therstral and Earth Pony. The first of the knights took the lead, raising a crystal blade to its left side. Between Silver and Rain, the latter took the lead. They both came crashing into each other, this time, Rain slid across the ground, flying under its legs, then pushing her body backwards, her hooves struck its back, throwing it back, followed by Rain spinning around on her hooves, her rotating spin forcing the monster on the defence. Grinning, she pulled a hidden trigger on her Bo-Staff, and fire consumed her, multiple waves of fire scorching the dirt with constant ferocity, yet the knight stepped through the flames, damage slowly eating its health. Rain leapt through, striking horizontally from left to right, then rebounding her staff in an uppercut, the flames that licked the holes on the staff burning further into the Knight, followed by an over-arcing blade from the Knight, so she spun, knocking it backwards. In a burst of whites and blues, it was gone. Rain grinned, planting her body on the ground, and pushing up with her back hooves, where Silver had pressed his own, using the extra momentum to leap into the air above the last Knight, His dagger ignited a sharp blue, he struck down through its left side, barreling around to puncture its arm-pit, and ribs, inflicting 'Frost Bitten' upon it, ducking to the Knight's right, he pushed up with his hooves, bringing the twin daggers to slice through the thin layer of the Knight's face, slicing through like butter, and ending in a stream of light. "Nice, now lets get that train piece." Rain instructed Silver, and the two moved on [User: White Hat] [Dual Edge - Hollow Remains] I flew for the two Hollow Fang's at the front of the line, their heads thrashing towards me, so I spun between the two, before I sliced their necks with a diagonal slash, before I flipped around quickly, holding the blade out like wings, before I flew between them again at a blink, creating another solid line of green above the first diagonal line. Then I crossed my blades, spinning upside down to face them, before I swung both blades in a downwards slash, a massive 'X' striking their bodies and faces. Then they turned white, before bursting into streams of green, and blue. I then ducked, avoiding a slash from a lancer, before I was lacerated across my left hip, then my cheek, before I flew up, bringing Parting Glass upwards, slashing the lancer, before I spun, cracking it with my hoof, before I swung both my swords to block a Hollow Fang, shattering a few scales of its crystal skin, before I continued to spin, dragging both blades through the lancer's chest, before I barely touched the ground with my back hooves, as I inverted my grip, both swords down by my right, before I pulled both up towards the left diagonally, striking two 'X' through its armour, before I spun again, axe-kicking the lancer into the ground with ease. I then leapt from its back, and onto the head of a Hollow Fang, its fangs nearly catching my hoof as I spun upside-down, using Heart to lacerate the back of its head, before I spun right-side-up, dragging Parting Glass upwards with me, intersecting the two lines. Then my blades glowed a bright orange. My muscles twitching at the strain on my body, alongside my nearly depleted Stamina bar. I only needed to by them more time! [Lightning Seal - Thunder Clap] Before I could call out my skill, I saw the massive hammer of lightning crash upon the remaining eight crystal monsters, their health bars dropping from the conductive strike, before all their bars appeared with a new symbol, 'Fear', meaning their defence was halved, leading me to grin, my eyes glowing with hope, whist I saw Yin salute to me with a wide smile. Or plan was working! This final skill was one of more powerful ones, and was going to use all my stamina, leaving me exposed to attacks until it begins to regenerate, but if are plan succeeds, then its a worthy sacrifice. [Dual Edge - Calamity] I then smashed through the Hollow Fang before me, breaking its head with a power kick, before I slid across the smooth ground, crossing both my blades close to my chest, their edges grazing my sides, before I swung out in a horizontal 'X', before I inverted the grip, bringing the blades back in another horizontal 'X', then a repeated the first move again. Fly forward slightly, I thrusted Heart into another enemy, then again with Parting Glass, driving Parting Glass downwards, sinking the blade into the concrete, before I lunged around the blade, dragging Heart through the horde. Upon grazing the ground, I inverted Heart, thrusting it too into the ground, lunging around the handle of the blade with Parting Glass clothes-lining the enemies in another horizontal arc. Spinning to a halt, I twisted my waist, inverting the grip on my left, before I spun viciously in a 360 degree motion, diagonally ascending with the blades. Then I spun forwards slowly, holding both weapons high, before I 'clanged' their edges together with an orange spark, the force erupting from the epicenter of the sound in a violent explosion. And then I landed, placing both Parting Glass, and Heart of Everfree within their scabbards, sighing as I opened my eyes slowly. *Shatter-Shatter-Shatter-Shatter-Shatter-Shatter-Shatter* "Six....teen....combo...." I heavily breathed, clutching my chest, seeing my health in the green still, that was, until the reflection shined on my health bar, causing me to fall forward with temporal weakness. "Oh crapbaskets...." I quickly flipped myself over, seeing the lancer holding his spear in both hands, the spearhead gleaming in the light, before it too erupted into a burst of blue, and white, causing me to look up at the dual wielding Yin, who happily swung her cutlasses in her hooves, before sliding them into their sheathes. Landing in front of me as she booped my muzzle. "That makes ten, we win~!" Singing happily to herself, she hoisted me up onto my hooves with a hoof, before we turned to the heavy grunts behind us, just then, Rain and Silver flew out with the capacitor between their hooves, as they smiled weakly at us, well, except Silver, who was beginning to turn red. "What took you so long?" "Shut....u-u-up." Silver breathed, whist Rain waved wearily at me, so I pointed for the exit to the train-yards, taking the safety as a guarantee, we watched as they carried off with the capacitor, leaving me and Yin to check our newly acquired loot, then, I felt my body tingle with new-found energy again, as my fur glowed a bright gold again [Level Up!] [29 - 30] [Rewards] Glass Fragments x8 Hollow Fang x5 Reflective Breastplate 800 Bits 975 EXP "Level 30, welcome to the big leagues!" Yin noticed my now level 30 mark, as I closed my tabs, seeing her place a hoof on her chin with a smug grin. "Still higher." "Still better." I retorted smoothly, seeing her go for a retort. "Do you have a sixteen hit combo?" Her hoof dropped, and her mouth shut. "Thought so." "You think after all of this, the Raid Lair, the Relic, and stuff, you think I can fight you?" Yin requested kindly, whist we walked for the secured checkpoint to this outer limit of the kingdom, seeing Silver collapsing onto the ground, as Rain hung herself over a fence. "I'd like to fight the guy who beat a Raid Boss!" "Sure, I'd like to see what skills you have with those cutlasses, maybe I could fight you, and your sister at the same time?" The thought was challenging, but then I saw Yin laugh, covering her mouth with a hoof, then i deflated. "What?" "Well....if you really want to, but my sister's been tied to my hip for years, even since we were born, and anyone who's either played a game with us, challenged us, or even watched us work together, they can all agree on the simple fact that me, and my little sister are both unbeatable." Now that was some grand bond, sort of like me, and my brother, though, I was born two years after him, but seeing how they looked the same too, it does answer that question "I look forward to that challenge then, I mean, before we showed up to Canternlot, I fought Yuuki, and I nearly won, so maybe it will be like that match." I casually replied, shaking her hoof in agreement, then I swore her jaw dropped through the earth, her eyes slowly widening at that prospect of me battling Yuuki, I guess she watched SAO too "YOU DID WHAT!? WHEN, I-I MEAN HOW, YOU....I THOUGHT-NO-NO-NO, WE'RE SO SCREEEEEEWED~!" Yin when from shocked, to baffled, to confused, and now to defeat, all in the space of five seconds, talk about bipolar, wait.... "Are you....Bipolar, by any chance?" I was now concerned for my own survival, if she got serious, that could be spelling 'DISASTER' in bold letters, red text, and maybe italic...? Instantly, Yin returned to normal, looking at me with an even expression of her hyperactive nature "Call it that if you like, but I just have a habit of....over-exaggerating....alot." She clicked her tongue at the 'T', but I relaxed a little "For a moment, I may have just felt death staring me in the face....before spat in my face." You know, the moral of today, no matter the reasons for us being here, you'll always meet some fascinating people, kind-of envy that To Be Continued.... Update Party: Purplrain - lvl 29 [Stealth class] (You) White Hat - lvl 30 [Offensive class] SilverCrow - lvl 29 [Defensive class] Yin - lvl 31 [Offensive class] Current Level: 30 Magic: Sky/Air Items: Glass Fragments x8 Hollow Fang x5 Reflective Breastplate 800 Bits 975 EXP Reflective Breastplate "Bu-Bum.....Bu-Bum......Bu-Bum....." Defense - 40 Weight - Medium Resistance (Element) - Light 15% Fire 15% Resistance (Critical) - 25% Bonus: Attacks have a chance to recoil and strike your enemy New Skills: [Dual Edge - Hollow Remains] - Shatter their armour before you cut your enemies down in an 'X' formation, can cause armour piercing (Dual Wielding) [Dual Edge - Calamity] - A 16-hit combo with spins, thrusts, and 'X' formations, powerful and fast (Dual Wielding) [Lightning Seal - Shock Baton] - Release an infectious bolt of lightning from your hoof, with a chance to Paralyze [Lightning Seal - Thunder Clap] - Drop the hammer, and release massive amounts of lightning on your enemy, chance to cause Fear New Attribute Added: -Second Wind- When you run out of Stamina, there's a chance that you will not be fatigued (Ain't nobody got time that!)