//------------------------------// // Episode 8 - Dark Rising // Story: My Little Pony Realization // by Slendy //------------------------------// Act II - Rising Tide [Hoofprint Field | Bear Forest] She's late. I have been standing in this forest for the last fifteen minutes, alone, waiting for Rain after she ran off to God knows where leaving me stranded on the outskirts of the Waking Ruins. With a heavy sigh, I started walking forwards. "Heeeey!" I kept walking, even as the grey bat-pony flew to my side with an anxious smile. "Heh, sorry about that, got caught up trying to find a new sword, this one..." She tugged at her belt. "Yeah, it's kinda lacking now, those inky ponies were alot tougher than I thought." I didn't care. "You're stretching the idea of this partnership thin, aren't you?" Rain put her hooves behind her back while she flew gently beside me, humming thoughtfully. "Most parties I joined only had me around for one quest or hunt, then I left but," She smiled my way. "You've got a cool quest and the way you fight is was like a hero or something, that's awesome in my books!" Rain winked cheerily I was less annoyed now. Clearing my throat I made my tab public to show her the quest we received from Cassandra, herself wanting us to investigate this 'Abyss' while she, Skye, and another person hunt for the last of missing Runes, good for them not my issue, mine is catching up to the guys storming the Region Boss today, but we need one more level to really bump us up. "So, this 'Shattered Throne', what is it?" Keeping my questions brief we awaited Cassandra's explanation, Rain herself sitting like a child hearing a bedtime story, eyes wide with wonder, she does look younger than me The purple unicorn's eyes drifted to the windows, contemplating before answering. "When I was younger, I read of a time when the countries of Equestria weren't so split when the lands overflowed with all walks of life before a time they were torn and twisted under chaotic rulers and tyrants." She stared back at me evenly "One kingdom of an ancient civilization engrossed technology far exceeding any to date, even outplaying the best magic in Equestria, they had learned to tame monsters, fly high above the clouds, creating spires that touched the heavens," Cassandra looked lost in that world as Rain 'awed' while I chuffed "Give it a minute..." I whispered to her "However," My brow raised to Rain expectantly. "They dared to step beyond that which nature set in stone, they twisted life, distorted the world's designs into... a horrific beast, one amassing power of thousands, they had created life," Cassandra put her hooves together angrily. "This was one of the catalysts for the destruction of a world I only ever knew through fairy tales and myths." "They played God and paid the price, typical," I added, bemusement lacing my tone. Then I put a hoof forward. "So this, 'Abyss', it's like the remnants of their abomination, Kranon?" Her head bowed solemnly. "Very little is known beyond what I just told you, scattered relics of the old world dot this one, that sword," She motioned to my scabbard. "It too is a relic of that time, while a fragment of its former self, I will have to look into it again but all I know is that once whole it will be a formidable weapon." "I like that," My anticipated whisper had my hoof tapping the blade giddily. "Knew you were worth the trouble." With a curious look, Rain spoke next. "So those creepy ponies, they're being tainted by this stuff, aaaand you want us to stop it?" Her optimistic point was indeed correct Hardening her gaze, Cassandra put a hoof on her chin. "The race for the final Rune comes tomorrow, and while I trust in my companions I still feel unsure... however," Closing her eyes with a heavy sigh, she gazed to me. "Artorias, you are the one with the Sea Rune, the key to this ghost of the past is entirely yours to bear. I will not force a burden such as this on anyone, but if you can, please," She stood up, bowing before me as I remained as stoic as ever. "Do not allow this past sin to take away this world." [Side-Quest Added!] |Fist of Kranon| The sins of the past have started to taint Equestria, you hold the means to understanding further if you dare. The corruption spreads, cut the infection at its source within the Vault of Kranon. First, you must sever his ties to the outside realm. [ ] Defeat 'Fist of Kranon' "That just screams 'Bad' in every sense of the word, its a risk but what good are we if we can't take that chance?" Her determined face was a change of pace, though I'd say she was starting to get wrapped up in the story too much, can't say I wasn't intrigued with where this leads "There's a fine line between risk and reward in this world," I withdrew Genesis, seeing it glint in the sunlight as I smiled. "But where's the fun in worrying about our final death? I'd say that's what makes this Death Game more enjoyable." "Hmm, you think so?" I lowered my sword to view Rain's wary frown. "I kept hearing people talk about death, and being scared of leaving, some even looked like they hadn't slept in weeks, then you told me and... I get it," Her eyes returned to the road ahead, but her frown wasn't sorrowful. "Its why, since I'm stuck here too, I'll do what I can to keep people's hope burning, and the best way to do that is to get stronger and conquer the Bosses!" "Your optimism astounds me," My dry remark made her nearly trip as she wore a flat stare "Coming from Miss. Moody that's something," I heard car breaks in my ears as Rain walked ahead of me, then I chuckled, a smile twisting "Oh, I think we'll get along just fine, little one," To add salt I petted her on the head, seeing her cowlick bob while she flailed her hooves at me. "Sorry, short-stack, what's that?" "You wanna go!? I'm up for a fight!" Now a fire burned in her eyes, but I just pulled her down to ground level, hoof to my ear "Sorry, I couldn't hear you all the way down there." If a kettle was boiling it too represented Rain's expression as I cackled loudly "I'm only a head shorter than you!!" She screamed, steam pumping from her pointy ears A joke comes to mind. "So, several idiots walk into a glade..." My mellow voice began, then the ground shook with a tremendous rumble, then the screaming began. I sighed. "Interrupting my joke, honestly." "Artorias, let's go -- Wah!" I yanked Rain back to the hillside, keeping her legs from springing into action "Hold it, young grasshopper, first, we observe," She pouted but sat down next to me as I did my hardest not to laugh, but nothing could hide my smile. "I should have brought a drink with me, this is quality." In the open field below near the lake surrounding Hoofprint, a group of players were struggling with the newly manifested Mini-Boss. Large, black rocks jutted from the ground like a sickness, the grass tainted and grey while this monster tore across the ground, the shockwaves of its attacks throwing the players to the ground, some dipping into the yellow, one pegasus flew up high, dispersing small fireballs from his hooves under a mage cloak. It was a large, stone-brick golem. A sapphire core for an eye and joint between the cubic waist and pillar-carved legs. A dark-red flame hissing across its ancient, mossy form. The very arms themselves were built like clubs or the very pillars ripped from the base. But again, the corruption tainted its form, spikes protruding across its back and down the right arm. <<>> "Take a look at the debuff on the lemons," Prodding my hoof down, some of the players had these black particles swirling around their bodies. "I've never seen that before." "A new debuff?" Then Rain paled. "We need to help them, they're strong-looking members are paralyzed!" I brushed off her worries. "They'll be fine..." Then the golem stomped over their bodies, creating a black cyclone with its arms, tearing their health bars apart and down into the red as my eyes blinked wide. "I give idiots too much credit." "Arto-- huh?" Rain was left speechless behind me as I brought my blade across the core, twisting back with a leap, slashing upward sharply, splitting a few spikes while the boss stumbled back Reacting immediately to my intrusion, the golem's body curved back slightly, left arm folded back and in a flash, the dirt underneath my feet split, my eyes bulged for a moment at how sudden the assault was. Diving backward with a kick I skidded from the burst of red flames. "So this thing's faster than it looks, keeping that tabbed..." "!" Raising my voice the golem's left arm narrowly skimmed my tail as I used the momentum to soar across the field, slicing through the joints with four straight slashes of flames, rippling across the body. The arm swung through the embers, a torrent of wind tearing into the trees nearby. I flanked the lumbering golem, striking across the backs of the knees, hastily tracing again with a twirl, snapping Genesis across the edge of the torso, the strike chipping Muru as it swung both arms down to crush me so I slid between the legs, swiping once with , bringing it down to a knee. Above, the purple blur zipped onto the field as Rain carved a crackling yellow square through the back, a roar from Muru effectively pointing out the critical hit. Frozen momentarily, Rain could easily outmaneuver it, since it had two stubby legs to lug around so much weight. Abruptly, the golem's flames flickered and gathered prominently around both arms, the second Rain flew within a few feet of it, the body pivoted on the sapphire orb connected at the waist. I brought my buckler to bear while Rain swept back herself with a startled gasp. The entire torso spun around like a whirlwind of stone, the updraft created a funnel of red flames. That was unexpected, but now I understand how these guys got caught off guard so easily, it had way more skills, just like the boss guarding Genesis. Also -- Hot, very, very hot! I patted my mane quickly from the spray of embers. "Artorias, switch!" Rain waved, slashing across the left arm to divert into the ground. Dashing forward I noticed her smile as I tossed my sword skyward, landing a less-than-effective punch to the orb, diving over the spin of the fists to whisk my hoof toward Genesis, the blade a harsh orange Balled in my left hoof I allowed a sharp burst of red glass to course over me, the added combined during my descent. Rain distracting Muru while our audience watched, catching flies. came down like a collision course. A single, wide slice pulverized the ground under us, large bolts of crimson traced my body and blade as I landed behind the severed right arm, the joint shattering. What came next was within a spur of the moment, "Rain, come on!" I glanced sharply while avoiding another two thrusts of its remaining arm noting her somewhat perplexed expression twisting to a bright smile. "Duck!" I did, then lifted my shield as her hooves bounced off its face, seeing her hooves skim by the hurdling fist, blade a cherry red High above the boss' reach, Rain swung with a diagonal slash from her bottom right, followed by a horizontal slash from the left. When she slid by the front of the golem, she concluded with another diagonal slash, this time from the top right as she drove the blade through the stone. Now I sped onto the scene, switching once more as Muru missed its mark. "Im'ma about to rock your four-meter world," I blinded it with a flash from my buckler, dashing to the right of a blind swing as my sword carved through the tainted stone, the health dropping into the red. Then it roared... somehow, pushing me back as the flames turned dark red. Lowering my arm I flashed a grin and slid across the ground, a whirlwind fluttering above me while my left back hoof hummed, Rain dug a quick flurry of thrusts into the orb, stunning the boss as I performed a breakneck backflip, hoof swiping the edge of Muru's form while the left it stunned again. Responding, the golem charged toward us, shaking the ground with each quaking step. I held my body low, sucking in a breath as I observed the left arm bending backward, each second was critical to my next move, if I messed this up I might need more than a healing crystal to pry me from the earth like a dumbass tree. Exhaling, the arm swung low, tearing apart the ground as I dived over the arm and Rain ducked to the left. I swung myself up and around the thick arm, pushing off the surface as Genesis tore across the orb's face, and I felt the golem pull at the intrusion of the blade. Rain swiping the legs once to bring it down. This very attack forced Muru into a state of sporadic twitches, the dark energy crackling across the weathered stone, and my chance was lighting up before me. Stomping down with my left, I bent my body to the side, pulling my arm back as the radiant blue aura gathered inside the orb. "Horizontaru Aku!!" One pull from right to left fractured the orb, the golem swaying backward, then I pried Genesis from the left, shattering the orb within as the body became catatonic, body flashing blue before I faceplanted the grass with a wave of glass. With a flop I rolled onto my back, hoof waved high, "Nailed it." The cheering began, with Rain pumping her own hooves high with a hearty laugh as she landed. Then came the praise and that nickname again. "You're really her, the Red Warrior!" "I thought she was with the assault team?" "You both are amazing, you saved our asses!" "...She's pretty cute..." "I know right!" "And they just keep coming and they won't stop coming..." My muttered verse fell on death's ears while I stood up, then blinked as my body flashed gold. "Oh?" That boss alone was worth... "Holy crap we went up two levels from a single boss!?" [Artorias - Lv. 20 -> Lv. 22] [Purplrain - Lv. 18 -> Lv. 20] "Woohoo! Think that's high enough to catch up to the assault team?" Rain asked curiously, smiling bashfully at the comments she received herself. A valid question though we should be good given the nature of the boss [Side-Quest Complete!] |Fist of Kranon| [✔] Defeat 'Fist of Kranon' [Rewards] 3895 EXP | 1224 Bits | Sapphire Crystals X3 | Blackrock Stone X2 With that out of the way, time for what's next on the agenda, "Hey, who's the leader here?" Between the talks, an earth pony in full body armor stepped up, and he looked nervous, visibly shaking somewhat "I-I am, Ma'am," I kept my silence. "Thanks again, I-I did try to talk them out of this f-fight but they--" "Yeah-yeah, idiots looking for glory -- Question, where's the assault team right now?" It's been a while and today was the twenty-seventh as Rain recalled. The player thought about it, then waved to the forest, more particularly the distant pillars poking through the treetops "Well, I-I heard they left an h-hour ago, they must b-be at the boss right now," That was bad news, primarily it means we have to play catch-up, but more worryingly is that innocent people might end up dead because their egos never bothered to look into changes to the boss "Right, okay; Oi, Rain!" She jumped at her name. "Limber up, we got some climbing to do!" Without a Teleport Rune nearby we have to take the long way, shouldn't be hard, the map's always made public before the boss "All the way over there?" She bent her body back to view the spire in the distance, eyes spinning. "R-really, there's not some... quick way, is there?" "What was it you spouted before, about, 'I'll do what I can to keep people's hope burning, and the best way to do that is to get stronger and conquer the floors'?" I don't deal with those that go back on their word. However, Rain looked visibly surprised, mouthing something. "What?" A small, easy-going smile appeared. "Hehe, nothing, you're right, so let's go!" Hmph, that's better "You can claim you beat the boss or whatever, I don't care," I waved dismissively to the party's leader, grabbing a teleport crystal to save for lost time. "We've got a bigger score in mind." "Happy hunting~!" Rain waved "Teleport, Waking Ruins!" To Be Continued...