//------------------------------//
// Episode 80 - Magic Spark 
// Story: EQG: Sword Art Online - Aincrad 
// by Mindrop 
//------------------------------//

Floor 50 - Algade - Front Line - Floor 64
June 30 - Year 2

Knightstar sat in her study, sipping on tea. It was simple, store-bought tea that an NPC shop sold. Heating water for tea wasn't something that required the Cooking Skill. AFCK didn't make tea, but her flavored waters were something Knightstar did miss.

She sighed and set down the paper she was reading. She was bored with it. Nothing good had happened. The Assault Team had cleared the latest field boss several days prior, leaving today's edition bland. The gossip columns were even lackluster.

Knightstar didn't even have any consultations to distract her. She had already spent the morning with her last client. He was working hard to get into the Divine Dragon Alliance. Despite her personal preferences, Knightstar did the professional thing and gave him the best path to take to achieve his goals, exactly like she had been paid to do. He wasn't Knights of the Bloodoath material anyway.

The store was doing well, but it was running itself at this point. As Floors were opening up, her information became less relevant. Knightstar needed a way to get new statistics and information about what each Floor offered.

But for now, she was set. Those problems would be solved soon. She was scouting several players and even a five person guild who could info gather for her.

The front bell chimed as the door was opened. She didn't hear what was said between her NPC shopkeeper and the customer. She was about to get up, but she heard the footsteps of her NPC shopkeeper come down the hall. She had a very telltale pace to how she walked.

She stopped at the open door and bowed. "Sage Knightstar, there is a delivery for you."

"A delivery?" Knightstar asked, surprised. She had never had a delivery. She didn't even know there was a delivery service. She stood up and walked out front.

A young boy, probably 13, was on the other side of the counter. His shoulders were barely above it. On the counter was a simple, but large, box.

"How can I help you?" Knightstar politely asked.

"You are Knightstar?" He asked.

"Yes. And you?"

"Lepul," he shrugged. "I just had to make sure that you got the package, and not an NPC. I won't get in trouble for an NPC error or someone saying they didn't get what was ordered because it was left with the NPC."

"Oh," Knightstar said. He started to walk out. "Wait! What am I receiving?"

He shrugged as he got to the door. "I am just the delivery kid. I pick things up from the crafter and deliver them to the recipient. My fee was paid in advance, so you owe me nothing."

He left without letting Knightstar ask any more questions. She was not going to try and chase him down. She was in a safe zone. Whatever was in the box, it had to be safe. Unexpected, but safe.

Knightstar popped off the top and found a bronze statuette inside, but she couldn't see what it was with it in the box. She grabbed it and lifted the heavy object out and set it on the counter.

She took a step back and took it in.  The statuette was made in the image of two horses, both reared up on their hind legs and facing each other. Balanced neatly on their forelegs was a glass orb. Inside the glass was her star mark, the one Sunset Shimmer often called a "Cutie Mark." Beside it was a pink and yellow butterfly. Fluttershy.

Knightstar picked up the glass orb and turned it. No matter how she rotated it, the Cutie Marks stayed side by side, and always facing her. When she set it on the counter and spun it, they stayed perfectly still as the glass whipped around and around, catching the light at different times. Whoever had made the orb was extremely skilled.

Knightstar picked it back up and went to set it back in place on the legs. She hadn't studied the bronze work well, instead beginning captivated by the orb. Both horses were the same down to the smallest details. Their right foreleg was slightly higher than their left, creating the perfect perch for the orb.

As detailed as it was, that was not the main feature. On the top of the base, between the reared stallions was an inscription: Friendship carries on through the ages. Around the base was wrapped: Things may come and things may go, Some go fast and some go slow, Few things last, that's all I know, but...

Knightstar didn't want to, but SAO's design magnified the expression of emotions so that everyone could understand the subtle complexities of human communication easier. Common problems were blushing more than normal and crying easier. Her eyes were watering up despite her efforts to hold them back.

It never had the chance to be a valiant effort. Knightstar knew those words and she knew them well. She didn't read them as much as she heard them sung in her head. They were lyrics in the Rainbooms's song, "Friendship Through the Ages." Twilight Sparkle started the song, and then Fluttershy took over. Those were the words Fluttershy always sang. The last line, the one on top of the pedestal, was echoed throughout the song by the others, but Fluttershy sang it first.

It was a very pointed reminder of who Knightstar truly was. Knightstar didn't sing. Knightstar was stats, numbers, and scientific calculations; even a bit of an adventurer. But she was not a singer.

Twilight Sparkle was though. And the same went for Fluttershy, who's special mark was tastefully paired with hers. The other singers were Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Sunset Shimmer, and even Pinkie Pie at times from the drums.

The gift lacked a note, but it was certainly from Fluttershy. None of her other friends would have thought to make the orb with both of their Cutie Marks. And none of the others would pair up horses either. They were not copies of the Canterlot High School Wondercolt statue that had been destroyed, by her, but they were close.

Twilight Sparkle had transferred to CHS after the Friendship Games because there she had met a set of wonderful girls who became her best friends. They had taken her as she was and helped make her a better version of herself. They had saved her from her nightmare, Midnight Sparkle, and helped her become a Twilight Sparkle that was confident both inside the classroom and outside with people. A Twilight Sparkle with friends.

And it was that Twilight Sparkle who had come into this game, gotten trapped here among friends, and then fought alongside them for their survival. And not just their survival, but on the front lines. She had even faced a boss. They had rallied together around the horse mascot which bound them together in the real world.

But Fluttershy hadn't just had a horse made. She'd had two. Two who supported the beautiful orb. One for her, and one for her friend. Coming from the outside, never having friends or caring about being a Crystal Prep Shadowbolt, the Wondercolt Horse held a special meaning. Yes, she had destroyed it as Midnight Sparkle, but it was more than just a physical statue. Each of her friends saw that statue as what they looked like as a Canterlot Wondercolt. And it was that image that Twilight Sparkle had also taken, becoming just like them. They all wore the same horseshoe symbol of the school, just like these two horses were the same.

Knightstar took a step back from it on the counter. Not only were her cheeks wet, but she now was feeling fear. She had left because of what she had said. Because she ripped into Fluttershy in such a mean manner, intentionally trying to tear her down. And then she had to get away from it all. That fear led her to where she was now.

But this was a different fear. The paper hadn't detailed any deaths on the front lines recently, or any in the major guilds. But she still had a deepening phobia that what she had last said to Fluttershy was the last words she would ever get to say. It wasn't uncommon to have that regret in the normal world, but Aincrad was a floating castle of death. Every day they were reminded of it, especially on the front lines. And Twilight Sparkle didn't want Fluttershy or Doombunny to have those be the last words she had said to her. Or the last thing any of her friends remembered her for.

Knightstar's back hit the door frame. She hadn't even realized that she had taken more than a few steps. Her mind was on one thing; her friends, who she had stupidly ran away from. The girls who actually cared and loved her for who she was, and who had seen a darker side to her and helped her through it. As well as her four new friends.

Knightstar stopped thinking. It was always her crutch. When she thought, she stopped acting and often did what she didn't want to do; like convincing herself that the Wondercolts were finished as a guild and to leave before it all fell apart. Yet the paper still mentioned them often as a guild, and what they had done in boss fights.

Her actions meant she was tearing through the streets of Algade, rushing to the teleport plaza in an effort to get to Floor 35. She jumped on, calling for the teleport before she was even settled on the plaza.

The world flashed blue and Algade was replaced by the very familiar town of Mishe. She didn't stop as she jumped off the platform and made a beeline to the Headquarters.

Knightstar grabbed the door handle to get into the visitor waiting room, but her hand bounced off of an invisible barrier, denying her hand from its target. A second later, while she was trying to process what had happened, and while nursing her hurting hand, a screen popped up. It was telling her that the building was for sale.

Knightstar backpedaled, making sure it was the right building. It was, but it no longer had the tapestries and exterior furnishings of the Wondercolts' Headquarters. It was just a plain stone-faced building now.

Absolute dread was consuming her every thought as she looked at the building. She had no idea if her friends were even in a guild together. She had no idea if the Wondercolts were around. The paper may have missed the Wondercolts falling apart. She began to panic as the reality of her separation from them set in.

"Are you okay?" A soft voice asked her. It was followed by a squawk of sorts.

Knightstar whipped around and saw Silica, being familiar enough with the near legendary beast tamer's description to recognize her on sight.

"If you are looking for the Wondercolts, they moved," Silica added.

"Where?" Knightstar stuttered. Her mouth was nearly frozen as her mind and body fought for control.

"Floor 61," Silica said with a smile. "I haven't been there yet, but Doombunny says their new place is fantastic. I'll visit as soon as they are settled."

Knightstar didn't thank Silica as she rushed back to the plaza. She jumped on and called out the command to take her to Selmburg, the only real town on the whole Floor.

Knightstar had not been to Floor 61 yet. The sun was starting to slip through the Floors as it set. It reflected off of the giant lake that was the bulk of the Floor, and it blinded her as she looked to the west. The city itself was a castle on the largest island. The island was a mountain and the city only claimed the southern half. It was a beautiful, white walled castle of several barrier walls and spires.

The city was expensive to stay in, and even more expensive to buy property in. Its clean streets and beautiful square buildings were easy on the eyes. It felt like a mix of modern and medieval. The Front Lines were only a few Floors above it too. As attractive as it was, no guild had their headquarters above Floor 56. The DDA had theirs on 56, the KOB on 55. The cost of buying a headquarters of at least the same size as what the Wondercolts had previously owned would be astronomical. As financially suicidal as when she had bought their headquarters when the front line was Floor 36. The move didn't make sense.

Selmburg was a medium sized city. It was larger than most cities, but the city was much smaller than Algade or the Town of Beginnings. Still, the chances of finding their HQ just wandering the streets would be difficult. Especially since the city was built along several different elevations, which created or restricted access to different areas.

Some players were around, but not many. The Floor had been a challenge to clear, but the water meant that only a few of the larger islands had any dungeons. Some players were still staging in it for its aesthetic value, but that was it. The Front Line was far enough ahead that the bulk of the clearers had cheaper places to stay that offered them better access to their job.

Knightstar jumped as her shoulder was tapped. "Excuse me?" a male player said. "Are you alright? You don't look good. You look sick."

"I'm fine," Knightstar stuttered. She tried to make sure her hair was secure and her glasses, still nonexistent, were on straight. "I'm just shocked," Knightstar said, trying to convince him she was fine. "I have not been to Selmburg yet. And I was looking for the Wondercolts. They apparently moved here."

He gave her a suspicious look over at the change in her attitude. "Normally I charge players for my info, but you look like you need a handout."

Knightstar nodded, at a loss for words. He was obviously an info broker, but Knightstar couldn't recall his name. Her mind was shot. She just wanted the comfort of her friends.

"They are on this Floor, but not in Selmburg." he pointed off out over the water at a distant, dark, indistinct shape on the surface of the lake. "That small island, that is their home. I hear that not only did I cost them a huge fortune, it also required a difficult quest to even allow its purchase in the first place."

"How do I get there?" Knightstar asked. It was out loud, but directed at herself.

"Go to the dock and rent a sailboat," The player said.

Knightstar dashed off, completely forgetting to thank him. She got to the docks and found an NPC in his small sailboat. It was large enough it could carry a party of six comfortably, and they would never have to worry about bad weather to compromise the boat. His price wasn't bad, and he didn't ask any questions other than where she wanted to go.

Knightstar paid him and then had to nervously wait as the boat slowly journeyed to the small island. She had no control over her left leg shaking in anticipation. Knightstar had no idea what she was going to say or do. The boat ride was giving her time to think, and thinking was bad right now. She was trying to stay out of her head.

She forgot about everything as they neared the island. Each island on the floor was mountainous, and it was blocking her from actually viewing their headquarters. This island was little more than a flat topped mesa surrounded by cliffs. There was a small strip of sandy shoreline, but the dock was built over it and into the rocks. The stone stairs took her up to the top of the cliffs that surrounded the entire island, sealing it off unless you came by boat like she had. There were no boats moored to their dock, raising the question about how they got off the island. There were also no banners, or any pieces of identification. This could be the wrong location. She did have a few teleport crystals to leave if she needed one.

They docked and Knightstar jumped off the boat, making it rock in her haste. She rushed down the dock to the stone stairs. She bolted up them and then slid to a stop at the top. She had caught glimpses of the building, but it wasn't at all like she expected.

Simply put, it was a castle. There were no tapestries or any guild identification features on the outside. The design of the castle was reminiscent of later medieval or early renaissance castles, which were mostly aesthetic and mimicked the look, rather than having full defensive functionality like a true medieval castle. The invention of cannons had destroyed the viability of the quintessential castle, but there was still prestige to owning one, or a mansion that looked like one. The same would logically happen in SAO. This castle had walls and a gatehouse, but it would never survive a true medieval siege, yet a siege could never happen in SAO, making that fact irrelevant. The walls did serve a good purpose. It made a clear barrier as to what was their headquarters and safe, and what was not. They also blocked from view what the guild was doing. Anyone could visit, but they would never be able to see what was happening behind the walls unless invited inside.

From where she stood, Knightstar could see a building directly behind the gatehouse that rose up above the short walls. It only had three rows of windows, but there was more height than the standard 14-foot height of a building's floor. It had to be leaning towards 25 feet. In the center of the building, behind the gatehouse, rose a tall spire to overlook the entire island. There was at least one other building behind the walls, but she couldn't quite tell what it was supposed to be.

As she started to move forward, she paused. Off to her right was a teleport plaza. That was how they could come and go without needing a boat back to Selmburg. No doubt the plaza ID was being kept quiet.

Knightstar continued, crossing the field to the gatehouse. The first doors were open, allowing her in. The second appeared to actually be the doors into the main building. She tried the handle and it opened. She stepped in and found herself in a large meeting room. There were two sitting areas, one on each side of the center hallway between the double doors she had just come through, and the double doors on the other side. It was the same furniture from their Mishe headquarters.

Knightstar stepped further in. On the other side would be a panel for her to notify them that they had a visitor. She tapped the wall and it popped up. She rang the alarm and stepped back. Knightstar didn't want to sit down. She was too nervous. She had no idea what she would even say.

She was waiting for a while and began to consider that they were not home. It was still early evening, not quite dinner. Most likely they were out. And if they were in a dungeon, they would not have gotten the message.

Those thoughts were dispelled as the door opened. A young woman, slightly older than her, was in the doorway. She was dressed in a blue and yellow cooking outfit. A yellow horse head was embroidered on it.

"May I help you?" she asked, giving a slight bow in respect.

"I'm looking for the Wondercolts," Knightstar stated. She paused, unsure what to say next. Her name was a safe bet. "My name is Knightstar."

A smile flashed on her lips. "Miss Knightstar. Of course. I am Jade. Please, follow me."

Knightstar followed after Jade. Jade didn't say anything else as she led her through a turn and two hallways. They passed by the kitchen close enough for Knightstar to hear a lot of noise and AFCK laughing. She also could smell freshly cooked food.

Jade opened a door at the back of the building. She beckoned to Knightstar to head out first and then she followed. Knightstar didn't get far as her feet automatically slowed while she took in the inner courtyard. There were two more buildings and the stones ended on the edge of a small forest inside the confines of the castle. What caught her eye was the miniature soccer pitch they had installed. There were a few players playing 4 on 4 on the stone ground. On the other side of the field were two sets of bleachers, which were filled with a scattering of players in various styles of what the inhabitants of Aincrad considered casual clothes. At least a dozen were watching the game. Knightstar didn't immediately recognize any of them.

The first person Twilight recognized was Rainbow Dash, who had the ball. She slipped it past the midfielder and then past their defender. She was all set to kick the ball, and most likely score, except in her awareness of the playing field, she saw Knightstar. Her toe was all that caught the ball and it shot off, completely missing the goal and going out of bounds. All Thunderborne did was stop and stare with a slightly open mouth at Knightstar. The rest of the players froze too, first looking at Thunderborne, then at Knightstar.




Knightstar (TS): Lvl 69 – One-Handed Sword – Shield – Equipment Appraisal – Parry – First Aid – Battle Regeneration – Light Metal Armor – Search – Armor Pierce