//------------------------------// // Quest - [Worlds Collide] // Story: MLP: Actualization Online // by Slendy //------------------------------// [System Reboot....] [Data Restored] [Username: Purplrain] [Beginning Playback] [Opening III: Cross The Line] Three weeks have passed, and the Defeat of the Second Raid was behind everyone now, with more players beginning to join in the cause of hunting down the remaining Lairs across MLP: AO, not much progress had been made, yet the rise of more experienced players grew, even ones that had decided against the thought of death had picked up arms, but not many had made it far, that didn't make anything dwindle, in-fact, it only made everyone more eager to try. More news reports of Black Hat, White's brother, had begun to make their way to others, how he had complete control over Griffonstone thanks to an update, whilst his small Guild consisting of Serafin, Morana, Gar'i, and Black himself, The Lunar Crusade. Apparently, they had made the connection of Canternlot to Griffonstone one their way to us three weeks ago and had made the railways to Las Pegasus and an air-carriage to Cloudsdale. He and White were quite alike, but that may have been due to their bet, or rivalry, whichever it is. For the Striders of Blackfall [Laxus. Summer. Yin. Yang], they had decided to become a branch of our guild, that, and most players from the Raids had joined both The Eternal Flame and Striders, making our guild more notable for higher-paying Quests and Requests of other players. In a way, we're growing much stronger since...Bombard, I guess he did something even in death, he made us stronger. I'll be sure to hold onto that... [Golden Bull Inn] It was hard to peer into the comfortably small room due to the little light that split its way through the blinds, allowing a partial section of the room to be aglow with Actualization Online's sunlight. Among shelves sat old weaponry, mainly consisting of Bo Staffs of metal and wood, and another assortment of materials made to forge the weaponry that hung on pegs or sat collecting dust. In the corner of the room was an 'L' shaped desk, propping up picture frames. One had Rain smiling alongside Pinkie, the two aglow from leveling up, another of the whole Guild, new members too, and the Striders of Blackfall. The last, sitting in the center was a simple picture taken before the horrors of the Death Game, with Rain sheepishly smiling with White beside her, his cheeks red from how close they were. "ZzzZZzzz...." The soft snoring had come opposite of the desk, where a small single bed had been lumped up with covers, the only indication of life coming from the fluffy ear that poked out from under the sheets, and the slow rise and fall of the covers too. Purplrain was at peace under the warmth that surrounded her form, not a hint of bitterness to her slumber *Notification Sound* "Ugh...." It didn't last. The hoof had coiled its way into the air, swiping down to bring the Menu up, before the dazed, azure eye lazily winced at the bright text, quickly moving her hoof to bring the notification up, and for the bright text to dim for her poor eye-sight. Finally, her hoof shakily pressed the 'Message' tab [Sender - Sky Zaffre] [Location - Hollow Shades] [Subject - Sup, Purplrain] Hey, don't particularly know when you'll get this, but when and if you read it, I require....some assistance- "Huh? Sky....who....is that?" Rain's mundane start to her day had been met with an increasing amount of curiosity, her leathery wings shuffling her body to move above the covers, her head resting against the board of her bed -So, I'll cut to it. Since your little performance in that 'Raid' that I watched, I'd like to ask for your help in a problem, concerning this world, and probably everyone else in it. I can't say much in this message, this....unnerving feeling that someone is watching my every move has my paranoia on high alert. If you accept, find me in Hollow Shades, at the local tavern, or if you see a girl wearing red and black, whilst holding a War scythe, check with her. Look, I need you to keep this on the down-low, only bring those you know can keep their mouths shut, no offense, but your boyfriend White is a little....well, ahem, he reminds me of my....dated days. Anywho, seeya when I can, kid. Sincerely, Sky Zaffre Rain felt a little heat rise to her cheeks at the mention of her and White as an item, while it flattered her, thoughts of the Raid, and what Yang teased her about came back, and she quickly shook her head clear. But, if what this Player meant by problems was as bad as he mentioned, maybe telling White would be bad on her end, not that she thought he'd go and yell it to the world, just that the last time someone of a mysterious background appeared...Bombard. While he never showed it, Ambulas had struck a bad cord in White. Again, she tried not to think of it and focused ahead on what to do with the information given to her. Who could be good at aiding her, and keeping everything silent? "Silent....." Rain echoed her own thoughts before her tongue clicked to her realization. "I think I know. See, I can do this too, no sweat....aaaaand I'm talking to myself....huh, so this is what its like to be White, huh? Weeeeeird." Not wasting time, Rain threw the covers off her therstral form, stretching slowly to sigh at her muscles popping, before quickly swiping her right hoof down to bring her menu up, flicking to her 'Equipment', she stared for a moment at her armour, seeing the white bars over her armor reach the halfway point, whilst her Bo-staff and gauntlets were still high, all stats towards physical and overall magic damage. The former being more universal. At the duration, Rain stuck her tongue out, furrowing her brow. "Hmm...I could get them repaired today, but, Sky would be in a village, and its only about an hour by foot, given how the map size of Equestria isn't exact, and travel by foot wouldn't take too long with two others...I wonder..." Rain's muttering kept her mind's bubbling curiosity at bay, for now "Seraph, for the last time. We. Don't. Have. M-O-N-E-Y." My ears flicked at the voice overpowering the rest among the cafe, my gaze was drawn to the irritated best friend of mine, White, who rubbed his mane with his hooves, with Seraph resting back on her chair, her hooves behind her head, along with her cunning grin under a hazel hood. "You took the rest of my money for the info about the Invincible, remember?" "Oh right, I did do that, aww well, nothin' worth reapin' you for." Her winning streak remained, yet I just rolled my eyes, moving to cross over the balcony ahead of the steps, towards the east hall of rooms, deciding to leave him to dig himself out of debt, I may be his friend, but that didn't mean I wanted to be conned either. "How about you give me that sweet chestplate, you know, for a friend?" "Bite me, rat!" I giggled at the last I heard of their conversation, making my way to the room that housed the pony I required for my mission. I needed two that were both powerful and could handle themselves in a pinch. White was busy handling the management of both the Guild and finding the next Raid Lair, so asking him would be bad, and since he has a tendency to be apprehensive to shady characters now, telling him of 'Sky' would only make the situation far tenser than it needed to be, besides, he asked for me specifically, I didn't need White to worry about me Ever since he became my mentor in a way months ago, I've never got the chance to give a real thank you, maybe this quest would offer a rare item? A One-Handed sword? "What are you doing?" Huh? My head turned to the shadow in the corner of my eye, while I was currently alone, it didn't make sense as to why I turned to face my reflection in a mirror. All I did was see my own golden eyes stare back at me, shrugging, I continued on my way "Ooook? That was strange." Mentally calming myself, I pressed on down the next turn, yet again, another mirror "You honestly think this will change anything?" My hooves dug hard into the floorboards. I felt it, my voice caught in my throat, my eyes looking back at.....me, not my avatar, not with those blue eyes...It was my user, but her eyes had turned to a brilliant shade of ocean blue, and my head throbbed at the mere gaze shared, it....really hurt, images I never wanted to picture came back, reluctantly in bits and pieces. "This won't change how White views you." "....It's....just in my head... it's not-" I wanted it to stop, I didn't need this, I refused to see any of this! "Real? Like your false delusion of companionship? Not you, not someone as frail as you." Stop it....my hooves her shaking, and the more I tried to look anywhere felt painful, each tug forcing me to stare back. "White only pities you." "Just like all the rest." I felt something snap in me, a tug on a string "No-!" "Are you well?" I suddenly leaped back, nearly throwing a punch at the hoof that grazed my shoulder, but the player in question wasn't me, those same eyes were back to normal, they were me again. I finally released the breath I withheld, looking back to the frown that stuck to Silver, his eyebrows raised with alarm. "Frozen in place/Unwavering/Shaking." "I-Its fine." I lied. "Just had a strange dream last night." I wish that were the case, I hated lying, but....no, don't think about it, don't think about it. Shaking my head, I regained my composure. "I was actually looking for you? Good timing." "Why?" One worded answers made my explanation run its course "I see..." That was it? No questions? I mean, it IS Silver I was talking to, he's not big on questions. "Transport can be acquired/Only a small walk/What of another?" "I guess we can bring someone else, just to be safe of course," I replied evenly in thought over our plan. It was simple, meet with Sky, talk about the situation, resolve the situation, then 'Boom', we're done, but saying it was easy is much easier than actively accomplishing it. Removing my hoof from my chin, I pointed to him. "What about, Nox?" He shrugged passively. "Sure." Then he knocked on the door beside us, wait, we were in front of her door the entire time? How did I not see that? "Nox." "I heard everything, sure, but if we're going back to see 'him', it might be a one-way trip." See who now? Ok, I feel like I'm being excluded "Possibly." Silver agreed with her on whoever they were talking about "So, any chance I can, oh you know, be let in on who you're talking about?" My inquisitive stare made Silver step back slightly, while a deathly silence loomed over us, if anything, Silver feared me since his little mockery of me months back, I wouldn't hurt him...just make him paranoid enough to keep on his toes - Jesus, I've gotten dark, I think I should stop doing hunting quests for a while "...You still alive out there?" Nox whispered out the door "Does that mean you're in, Nox?" I asked kindly, and half-hoping she'd agree "Eh, sure, so long as I get a split of the reward I'm grand." My ears perked up at that "Thank you." I was actually happy both of them agreed without much suspicion on the guy who messaged me "Simple support quest, and if they'll be four of us, should make it fun." Nox grinned, the door creaking open to reveal her in the animated mask again, her eyes a soft pink. "So, where do we start?" [Gambit's Emporium] "I fucking hate you, Silver." Nox growled at the sight of the massive complex the two had led me through, to my surprise, it was located in a less-spokified version of the street added in the Holloween Event, and this was the 'Creature' the two had encountered with White, my reaction was less than formal, since I was trying not to scream, while picking my jaw off the floor at the sight of the massive creature that turned at our entry with massive, golden eyes, and a jack o' lantern smile "Hehehehe, how nice to see you two again! I've so lonely!" That sounded almost sad, if not for his laugh, but then I saw his shadow consume my entire body, his glowing eyes narrowed mischievously at me, and I swore I saw Nox and Silver step away from me. "Who's this? Purplrain?" "I-I uh...h-hi." I waved with a shaky hoof, and suddenly, he slowly shrunk down to an average height of a human, making all logic within me vanish at the sudden change in appearance "Nice to meet you too, finally, someone with manners!" He gaped, holding a hand out to me, so I quickly accepted it, shaking his with a normal amount of strength, for a moment I thought he would shake my hoof off. "Now then! What does the girl-boy, Zero, and Miss Rain what with not-so-little ol me?" After a moment to regain my composure, I looked over my shoulder to Nox and Silver, with both nodding for me to ask the awaiting - why was he upside down in the air? "Okay...Gambit, we wanted to know if you can teleport us to a small town outside of Canternlot." I brushed my left hoof down to bring my menu up, setting it to 'Public' so he could see my map, to which he placed a hand on his chin to watch over my shoulder. "Someone wanted me to come to Hollow Shades, something about this world, and a problem he's found." "Hmm...I wondered when someone would realize it, didn't think it'd take this long, but aw well." Gambit shrugged, leaving us to ponder on that statement, did he know about this too? What's happening to this world now? "I'll help, teleportation is a cheap gimmick with me, so anything of value will do." I was about to agree, then he raised his hand. "Oh, right, who was it that sent you that message, makes it easier to pinpoint a spot to drop you all, hopefully not off a cliff?" "His name was Sky Zaffre," I answered quickly, and for a moment, Gambit looked to be going for a reply, but he froze, his hand lowered, and his eyes widening at the name "Wait -- did you say, 'Sky Zaffre', as in those were the exact words, coming from the message?" He was now dangerously close to my face, his head against my muzzle, scrunching it up "Mmmhmm." My reply rasped through my lips before his smile grew, and he fell back into the air, spinning as if gravity had no effect on him. "Nox, what's wrong with him?" "Many things, the list is too long though." Nox sighed, rubbed her temple at the rattling noise Gambit made "Oh-hohohoh, I love this world already! Ok, new plan, I'm sending Y'all there for free, no strings attached! Just...hehehe, send him my regards and take a picture while you're at it. Do that, and I'll give you whatever you want!" Gambit's fit of laughter had quickly died out, him wiping a stray tear from my eye. "I - hehehe - haven't laughed like that in a while, but sure-sure, I'll send you to Bluey." "Good, so when can you send us?" I asked curiously, but his look didn't make me feel very confident anymore, while his fingers rose into the air, coiled around one another. "Wait - NOW!?" "Oh...Jesus..." Nox grimaced, with Silver moving closer to Nox, making her stiffen at the contact. "H-hey, back off man!" "Wait-wait-wait, aren't you going to let us prepare!?" I cried out, but the pressure that built around us had forced my hooves to stick firmly to the ground, while an acrid taste stung my tongue "I believe in action before caution, Toodles!" *SNAP* [Hollow Remnant] "AHHHHHHH!!!" All three of us were thrown out of the sudden tear in reality, our bodies mingled on the cold, stone floor of...wherever we were, but my head was turned to the sunlight, seeing the stone walls around us, old and worn with time and weather. We all sat in the remnants of a pillaged chamber, busted and wrecked by time itself. The twisted hall we sat in seemed to be part of a passage connecting the remains of the small area To my left, an old passage was broken, the stairs towards the ground completely fallen from the supports, leaving only one way down without the use of my wings, a massive, granite door was all that remained. Strange writing is all over it, somehow untouched by time and the elements. "Where are we?" I asked absentmindedly, yet Silver and Nox only shrugged, the three of us left to stand in the center of where Gambit had dropped us, from what he said, we should be close to Sky now, but if this wasn't Hollow Shades, then did that meant he was out fighting? If so... "What is that?/A strange creature/Unknown enemy." Silver's quick grab of my wing turned me towards the doors, their groans against the strain of large, white claws pulling our eyes towards the darkness of the ruins, and towards...what is that!? A large, black wolf entered the room, white claws scraping the ground, as it's skull-like face unhinged its jaw to allow a red tongue to hang out from its jagged teeth, glowing, red eyes staring back at us with a hungry growl, a black mist trailing behind its back like smog from an open flame. [Beowolf - lvl 42] "No way...a-a Grimm? Here?" My ears flicked at that, as mine and Silver's eyes drifted to the wide-eyed Nox, the eyes of her mask dilating. But her horn still glowed, spinning her halberd into the air beside her face. "Don't hold back, this thing's attracted to our negative emotions." "Okay, that's new." I was generally surprised a mob could do that, but if this 'Grimm' is attracted to us through negative emotions, that meant - my answer came in the form of more growls behind us, forcing me, Nox and Silver to go back-to-back, facing at least eight more Beowolves, their darkened forms infecting the ground with their dark presence like a poison. "Noooox!" "I know! But you can't carry us both." Nox barked back warily, seeing the Beowolves stand by, some slowly circling all of us, trying to wait for a blind spot, their A.I have gotten smarter, why now? "A true challenge/We shall not fall." Silver boasted, clanking his daggers off the ground to dare one of the Beowolves to make a move, just their silent moves, followed by low growls made my heart race with dread, I couldn't tell when they'd attack, they were too advance, I can't...I... That was it. I was attracting them. "RAIN!" I wasn't fast enough to react, as I felt a sharp pain force it's way through my spine, my back pinned to a wall, as sharp, unbearably painful claws sunk into my left shoulder, and collarbone, my health slowly beginning to trickle away at the sudden force of the Beowolf striking me down, its mouth opened wide, eyes hungrily waiting for me to die slowly by its claws, and I couldn't reach for my Bo-staff either, it was pinned under my back too. "Get your bloody claws off her!" Nox swung down on the skull of a Beowolf, embedding her halberd through its head, using this, she pushed herself onto the neck of her weapon, pushing down like a lever, and the axe that had torn into its forehead shot into the air, where Nox spun the halberd around, thrusting up to pierce its neck with the spear-tip, and I final twist depleated its remaining health, shattering the Beowolf into a flurry of reds, blacks, yellows, and whites. Yet I couldn't bare it, watching Nox sudden fall to the ground, losing the connection with her halberd as the claws drove through her back, pushing her against the ground, a Beowolf had leaped into the hall from the breach in the ceiling, now she grunted on the ground, trying to push the claws out of her. "Shit...Silver, watch your - ack! Back!" Nox winced, and my shaken eyes couldn't look away from the sight of her own health joining mine in the amber, out life was being taken from us, and we couldn't even move. "Rain! Rain, focus!" I couldn't...I was...I...I couldn't even conjure a spell, anything! Please...Please Out the corner of my eye, I saw it, Silver was still holding them off, stunning a few with paralysis, but...there was one behind him, it was waiting in the shadow of the room to catch him, no...no-no-no-no... "PLEASE, NO!" "Don't worry, Rain, we got this covered." It wasn't the reply I was looking for or one I expected to hear. Yet when I opened my eyes, I only saw the trails of light that remained of the Beowolf that had pinned me to the wall, the sudden relief that came with its missing claws made me relax against the stone wall, only my eyes stared up in awe at the sight of... A man, an actual human in black armor, His armor was molded into a representation of a more futuristic 16th-century suit of armor, with blue highlights grooved into the plates of armor. His helmet was more vulture-like, with glowing, blue eyes that widened like a bug at the sight of me. All the while crests of wolves decorated his chest, alongside a pair of smooth, harpy wings. Thrusting his arms down, the gauntlets split to allow the blades of black to take place, their edges now glowing with blue energy, pointed like spearheads, curving inwards near the middle for a sleek appearance. He saved me, and to my surprise, something fast had thrown both the Beowolves off of Nox and Silver, the latter noticing the near-fatal move he was being played into, and for a moment, I felt a teary-eyed smile reach my face. "I'm sorry, I attracted them." I bowed my head at that, still noticing the other 'Grimm' in the area, yet the cool metal fingers pushed my chin up to face the armored man "Don't be, no one can control fear when they were never prepared to face it, just sit back and enjoy the show!" He calmly replied, clicking his fingers. "You're up, love!" "HYYYAH!" In a flurry of red rose petals, two Beowolves were split in two from the waist by a massive, crimson war-scythe, with a red pony holding onto it, her wings pushing her back into the air, her red cape blowing the wind created from the updraft, she had silver eyes under raven hair with crimson highlights, similar to White, and she even had a silver rose pendant for a cutie mark. "I'm gonna wiiiin~!" "Doubtful." The man replied with a snarky tone, raising his palm as a small, magic circle rotated at the palm [Draconic Seal - Fire Dust] The small blast of fire quickly erupted from his hand, blasting a Beowolf in the face, blinding it for the man to spin on his left leg, raising his right one to strike the Beowolf across the face, snapping its neck and throwing its body through the wall beside me, the cries drowned out by the height it fell from, alongside the rubble. "You know what I don't get, why we have to call out EVERY Dust-related attack we do." He moaned as I saw a Beowolf leap from above "Look out!" Nox and Me screamed, but the claws had already sunk across the man's face, the Beowolf landing in front of him, yet its arm was missing, the severed arm falling beside the man who had raised his bladed gauntlet to block the blow, yet not even a scratch was seen on the side of his face, it didn't even chip his health away "No way..." I gaped, a sudden flurry of joy rekindling in my chest again, especially since I saw his name, and I felt more than alive again at the sight of them both. An armored man and Red Reaper [Sky Zaffre - lvl ???] [Ruby Rose - lvl ???] Sky then turned his body to face the small number of Grimm that had finally arrived after the others, his arms lowered to his sides. "Ooooh, you guys a screwed now." To Be Continued... Update Purplrain - lvl 37 [Stealth class] SilverCrow - lvl 39 [Defensive class] Noximillion - lvl 38 [Support class] [New Passive Added] -Aura- You can project your soul as a shield. When facing 'Creatures of Darkness' their attacks are cut in half (I release your soul)