//------------------------------//
// (44) A Live Audience 
// Story: Canterlot High's D&D Club 
// by 4428Gamer 
//------------------------------//


Sunset Shimmer’s POV
Canterlot High, Outdoor Lunch Area
Wednesday, 12:20 PM
 




 
Over the last few weeks, all of us had been using the outdoor cafeteria area. The weather was that perfect spring temperature and had a light breeze helping to keep the clear sky’s sun from bearing down on us. Last week was the only time it ever rained on us. It was the worst time for it, but since then if it ever got even remotely cloudy we ate indoors.
 
The cafeteria entrance was only a short walk away and we could see through the large picture windows at the rest of our lunch period. We weren’t usually the only ones outside anymore, but the tables were spaced out enough where we had our privacy.
 
And today, that privacy was handier than ever. Most of the school’s rumors were now completely focused on us. Mostly because of one of the most unfathomable things that anyone could have ever thought of happening. Twilight missed a day of school. Queue the gasps.
 
Even though she was relatively new to Canterlot High, her love of academics was well known. That, coupled with the couple of Crystal Prep students that also transferred here at the same time, and people understood how shocking it was for her to miss a single day. Everyone assumed that even sickness wouldn’t stop her. And they would be right. When we checked on her yesterday, it seemed like the doctors were the only ones stopping her.
 
When she came back this morning and she was distant for most of her classes, it only added to the mystery. Add to the fact that our group was usually the center of weird rumors—which were normally true, but that was still secret from most of the transfer students –and everyone was hounding Twilight for what was going on.
 
Pinkie and Rarity’s conditions also didn’t help matters. Both yesterday and today, Rarity had been wearing designer jeans to hide the bandages and braces on her knees. But it couldn’t hide the extra effort she had to put in getting out of her seat from each class. Pinkie had the opposite problem. She could move and act like she always did, but her bandages were scattered in places she couldn’t hide. She looked like she had been in a scrap.
 
Then, there was the fact that every one of the seven of us were dead tired yesterday. We were forced to stay at that hunter’s house late Monday night. Late past midnight. We were each spoken to the police individually at the scene and since none of us had a plan for how to avoid talking about magic, but explaining ourselves, the police nearly arrested us for not having our stories straight.
 
It was only because of the Detective that Applejack called in advance, Detective Soarin, that we were let go. He didn’t know the full explanation either, but he knew that Rarity had helped since school ended. And, at the end of the day, we were right. None of us could explain why, but we were.
 
In the end, we were allowed to go home. We were probably being watched and investigated nonstop now, but we were free. But now our mental and physical exhaustion only added to the rumors.
 
Finally, to cap it all off, was Story. By this point, people thought he was connected to us in some way. And he had an obvious, massive bandage wrapped around his head that at least pulled the focus away from Twilight. It drew so much attention, in fact, the teachers let him wear a beanie to school. Even Mr. Doodle let him get away with it. And when they saw Rainbow and the others helping him move from class to class today, the rumor mills considered him a permanent addition to our group by lunch.
 
In fact, he and Rainbow Dash were the ones we were waiting on. Rainbow insisted on helping Story move through the cafeteria crowd while I and Applejack kept near Twilight and Fluttershy with Pinkie and Rarity. People wanted to be polite and help them out or give their sympathies, but there was the occasional person using that excuse. Those ones wanted to figure out the rumors.
 
Aloe, Lotus, and Ms. Cherry Blossom were still in the hospital. And since Monday night, they were still comatose. News of their disappearance, and subsequent rescue, was kept a secret to everyone but the ones who knew it in the first place. But the amount of time they were comatose started alarming the doctors.
 
Second to that, the police were trying to determine whether we should be charged for breaking and entering, and vandalism. All of us, but Twilight, were at risk of being officially charged. It all revolved around their safety.
 
While all of this went through my head, I glanced at my bag beside me. Twilight insisted on bringing Spike with her today. More so out of emotional support than anything else. However, none of us wanted her blanking out and losing her balance with him inside. I offered to let him ride with me for today.
 
It’s more exercise than I thought. I watched as Spike hopped out of my bag and walked beside Twilight’s leg before curling up for a nap. Apparently, riding around in my backpack was ‘bumpy’ for him. He couldn’t sleep like he was used to with Twilight. I don’t know how she carries him around all day. The balance and upper body strength to keep him and your books is an all-day workout.
 
As I rolled and popped my shoulders for the seventh time out here, Twilight set her spoon down and rubbed her head for a few seconds. She was fighting off another migraine. This was becoming normal for her by now and we had seen her suffering like this all morning.
 
“Uh, Twi?” Applejack spoke softly. She was set up beside her. “Are ya certain it was a good idea ta come in today? No one would fault ya fer takin’ one more day ta yerself.”
 
“Mm-mmm.” Twilight hummed as she shook her head. She stopped after two turns, clutching her head harder. “No. I’m fine. It’s getting easier. Besides, I need to get over whatever that Nothic did to my memories before ma...math class.”
 
None of us were happy hearing that. It was like watching a boxer force themselves up to their feet for the tenth time.
 
“You know~,” Pinkie sang with a smile. “Mr. Prism was worried when he didn’t see you in class yesterday. I’m pretty sure he’d let you take a make-up test on Friday. Once all the Nothic stuff is gone?”
 
Twilight paused, considering the idea. “Do you think that would be alright? It feels like that would be an unfair advantage.”
 
“Twilight,” I started. “If there’s anyone who was gonna ace that math test with or without help, it’d be you. I don’t think anybody’s going to think you passed because you had an extra couple of days.”
 
Twilight let herself smile for a second. “Thanks girls. I’ll...think about it.”
 
At about that time, the doors to the cafeteria opened and Rainbow Dash held onto her lunch tray with one hand while keeping the door open with the other. She waited long enough for Story to step through before taking Story’s lunch tray and carrying it for him.
 
And here he comes. I prepared myself before noticing a short look from Rarity as she took a bit of mac n’ cheese. I know, I know. I won’t.
 
When we all went to the hospital to check on Twilight and Aloe and the others, they checked in on Story too. I didn’t go with. Although, while we were alone, Twilight admitted to me what she told him.
 
“I can still carry my own tray.” Story Spinner trailed behind Rainbow Dash sheepishly. “But I appreciate it. Thank you.”
 
“Eh. It’s no biggie,” she told him, setting it down. He was settled between Twilight and Rainbow and far enough from my side of the table to keep the peace. “And if you or Twi need us to help you guys with anything, just shout.”
 
“But maybe not too loud if you’re close to Mr. Doodle’s classroom,” Pinkie warned them. “He’s been a little upset this week.”
 
“More than usual?” Rainbow asked with a smirk.
 
“I was in his class earlier,” Fluttershy admitted. “He seemed a little upset that the teachers forgot his birthday.”
 
“An who wou’ bwame him?!” Pinkie shouted as a few crumbs of cupcake fell out of her mouth. “You should have seen the look on his face when I wished him happy birthday! His smile lasted a whole four seconds! Four!”
 
“Is he really that cranky all the time?” Story asked. A small pile of yeses was tossed back by the others. “Geez. I thought I kept asking dumb questions or something.”
 
“Nah, he prefers it when folk ask.” Applejack took a swig of her drink. “Saves him from bein’ angrier when the class gets dead quiet. And Ah guarantee ya, everybody’s happier than toads in a rain barrel when someone keeps it goin’.”
 
“You wanna know what he’s like when no one says anything?” Rainbow offered.
 
For the next ten or so minutes, everyone jumped from topic to topic. There was no magic or game-related nonsense involved. Everybody just let themselves act like it was a regular day. And for the first time, Twilight looked at ease for more than a moment.
 
Unfortunately, we would spot her staring off absently a couple times. But it only took a second before she corrected herself. One of us would ask if she was alright or apologize for bringing something up. But Twilight would apologize in return. It was a big leap from how she sounded over the phone on Monday. Or seemed from yesterday when she was discharged from the hospital. Whatever that Nothic did to her was mostly gone. But the trouble lingered on her.
 
I noticed Story with his own issue. He tried to be active in whatever the conversation was about, but Applejack and I could tell he was forcing it. He pretended to be upbeat when he really wasn’t. And, for once, I didn’t blame him. The last few days had broken me down and I didn’t have the energy to be angry anymore. Just sad.
 
I caught him glancing at me every so often during lunch. Those were the times his mask cracked the most. Like just seeing me had him on the verge of panicking. It was obvious what the reason was behind it.
 
You’re terrified of me. Aren’t you? It was that same feeling I had from Canterlot High following the Fall Formal. Fear. With the other students, it was mixed in with anger and rage for what I did. But it didn’t look like he was angry anymore. There was only fear. I think that’s what made me run out of hate the most.
 
About halfway through lunch, I watched him poking his food when the focus wasn’t on him. His tray was mostly untouched. And when he took another glance at me over the corner of his eye, only for me to stare back and force him to panic again, he finally took a deep breath and put down his spoon.
 
“Alright,” he said breathlessly, earning the attention of a few of the others. “So...I have a confession to make.”
 
Oh? I started drinking my milk to hide my expression. Is he going to admit it?
 
“What about?” Rarity asked.
 
“So...I used magic a few times yesterday.”
 
What?!
 
“Mha—?!” I turned and spat my drink onto the ground behind me, nearly spraying my bag that lay beside me with the force of a firehose. Suddenly, all that anger from Monday came whirling back. “Are you insane?!”
 
“I know! I know, I really shouldn’t have done that.” Story admitted, looking at anyone but me as everyone stared at him. “But. I-I was lying there, for hours, in that hospital bed and I realized that we needed to play the game anyways! Which meant I would need to be ready and I...I-I just tried it.”
 
Rarity and Applejack turned to watch me nearly spike my milk back onto my tray. My teeth were grinding, and I looked ready to go off into a rampage.
 
“And I know it was dumb! I know I shouldn’t have done it. I get that. I’m sorry, okay?! And I’m—sorry,” he said, finding my eyes and then quickly his feet. “And I didn’t know what I would expect. And...I didn’t expect it to be so easy.”
 
I heard him out, ready to tear into him and let him have it. All the way up until he said that. “It. You...Easy?” I blinked. “It was. It was easy?”
 
“Yeah.” He took a second to focus and nodded. “It was...It was simple. Like, I would think about what I wanted to do and the magic just...did it.” He held up his hands in this waving motion. “I expected there to be this whole complex trick behind it. Or I thought I’d fall in over my head. Maybe get stuck in a coma and have to force myself out of it, but it...no. I just said the words and then suddenly I willed my world to do...anything.”
 
The girls and I looked across one another. Then, slowly, their looks fell to me or Twilight. The two people who fell into that ‘will to do anything’ kind of attitude.
 
“And...How about now?” Applejack asked cautiously. “Ya still feel like you can do anythin’?”
 
“Well.” He let out a breath and felt the wrappings on his head. Then, he glided his fingers across the grain of the picnic table before weakly looking up at AJ. “I feel like my bandages are a little too tight. And, that if I look up any more, my stitches will scream at me,” he joked. “No. Not out here, at least.”
 
“No interest in, suppose,” Twilight started, nearly going distant for a moment. “Hoarding the magic for yourself?”
 
“Or wanting to take control everybody in real life?” I questioned pointedly. That made Story glace at me with suddenly turn white as a sheet. Okay, guess Twilight didn’t tell him THAT part. Whoops.
 
“Y-You..." He mumbled for a second and shook his head violently, only to flinch and clutch the back of it. “Owww. Ow-ow-ow-ow-owwww..." He took a couple of seconds while we looked on with worry. After he moved his hand to check for blood, and of course there wasn’t any, he tried to calm himself down.
 
“No.” He answered, faking what calm sounded like. “No, I don’t want to...do anything. I mean, maybe it’s kinda fun watching my world come to life with a blink of my eyes. And, not being in pain or having stitches in my head is also nice.” He sat up after that. “But, no. No evil-ness. I don’t think so, at least.”
 
I let myself breathe upon hearing that. If he’s not going mad, then there’s at least no threat of another Midnight Sparkle scenario. For now, at least. “You know what I’m going to say next.”
 
“That I can’t do it again,” he said. Correct, I thought. “But—” “No! Story, no buts. You can’t—”
 
“I don’t really have a choice,” he cut me off matter-of-factly. “If we’re going to fix all the problems this magic’s doing, I need to prepare for the game. And I can try keeping everything to just paper, but there’s no way of knowing how things carry over. Not to mention, the magic catches me whenever I accidentally break continuity. Which I sort of need if I’m gonna keep all this nonsense in line.”
 
I calmed myself down. I promised Rarity I wouldn’t bring everything into arguments. Plus, I wasn’t blind. I saw what my screaming was doing to him. I just focused on collecting myself before I shouted again.
 
“I have a question.” Twilight sat up. “You said you used the words to go in and prepare. Were you in Sky-Space? Or somewhere else?”
 
“All over,” he told her. “Sky-Space. In and outside Phandalin. And I’m assuming it’s not a spoiler at this point, so, I was at the lodge too.” He glanced around. Seeing no reactions, he smiled. “Cool. That wasn’t garbled.”
 
“Does that mean you saw Ravathyra and the others?” Rainbow asked. “Did they see you?”
 
“And, more than that,” Twilight steeled herself. “Did you see it in there?”
 
He tensed up. “Yes, no, then yes. And...It wasn’t good.”
 
“The Nothic?” Fluttershy asked, shrinking back. “Was it scary?”
 
“The Nothic,” Story started with a shaking breath. “Was dead. Killed by your characters while we were away from the game.”
 
The rest of us let that sink in. We already assumed it had gotten to Twilight through our characters. And I figured out from seeing Stostine in Sky-Space that our characters moved around when we weren’t playing. But to finally hear it all be confirmed made us feel unnerved.
 
“How are they doing now?” Rainbow Dash asked, leaning forward so Story could see her in his peripheral. “How bad did that freak get to them?”
 
“And what about Vareén?” Twilight asked cautiously. “If the Nothic used her to get to me, is she...how is she?”
 
“They’re all fine. Now, at least,” Story revealed. “But...it killed most of them.”
 
We all had our own reactions. Rarity cupped her mouth. Rainbow and Pinkie let their jaws hang open. Fluttershy simply lost the color in her face and Applejack shielded hers from view entirely with her hat.
 
Twilight was the only one that seemed prepared for the answer, but nonetheless she seemed to scrunch back. “And was Vareén okay? What was she like?”
 
Story took a few seconds to calm himself down. “...Ravathyra, Stostine, and Vareén were the only survivors. That time around.”
 
“That time?” I asked. Story looked to Applejack, who pulled back her hat in time to catch his gaze.
 
“AJ, you remember each of those headaches I had?”
 
“The four of ‘em, yeah,” she replied, her voice a little hushed.
 
“The way Stostine and Ravathyra talked. It was like death didn’t faze them. Not like it should’ve. The others were all..." He paused, looking around. He had our attention, but he saw Fluttershy, and even Pinkie at this point, beginning to shut down.
 
“...I found the others in Sky-Space,” Story said, switching gears. “They were all up there just lounging. Don’t ask me for details, but I knew that they had died. Even so, they had no injuries. It was like they were reset.”
 
“So, th-they were okay?” Fluttershy meeked out.
 
“Yeah.” Story smiled. “They were okay. Thorn Wielder was meditating up there. She seemed relaxed.”
 
“Story.” Twilight held his arm for a second, staring at him intently. “Vareén. Please. How was she?”
 
Story and her fell into a staring match. Each time Twilight asked, it got more pressing. He was avoiding the question. And now that she was staring him down, he wouldn’t get away ignoring it.
 
“...” Story glanced at the rest of us. Even me, although he regretted it on his end. None of us said anything back. Either out of curiosity for ourselves or care for Twilight. And when Story looked back and saw Twilight still staring, pleadingly, he started to relent.
 
“Give me a second.” Story took his arm back and reached for his backpack, pulling out a wristwatch. “Okay. A little less than thirty minutes for lunch.”
 
“What’s the watch for?” Rainbow blinked. “You have a phone, ya know.”
 
“You can’t wear a phone.” Story started putting it on his left arm. “And you only bring what you wear, apparently.”
 
“To Sky-Space?” I sat back. Come to think of it, he’s right. We’d hold onto pencils or papers whenever going to Sky-Space, but we’d only be there with our clothes. “How’d you figure this out?”
 
“Like I said,” he started, tapping some buttons on the side. “I’ve been there a few times. I wanted to, erm. S-See what I could get away with?” He curdled at his own words and my gaze even as he only stared at his watch. “I know, yeah, that sounds so bad phrased like that.”
 
“It’s...fine,” I pulled back. “Still, you can’t be reckless when it comes to magic like this.”
 
Story opened his mouth to retort but sighed and nodded. “I know. Trust me, I’m not excited to keep screwing around with it. And, when this is over and everything’s fixed, I fully intend on staying far away. But, until then—"
 
He looked over to Twilight. “We can do something we have done before. Sky-Space. I don’t think I can answer everything for you before lunch is over. And if we want any chance of playing after school today, it might be worth putting any kinda worries to bed now. So, would you rather check before or after we eat our food?’
 
“Wait, today?” Pinkie blinked. “But today’s Wednesday! Shouldn’t you be playing with Gilda, and Big Mac, and your other group?”
 
“I already dealt with that,” he revealed. “One picture of me in a hospital bed, and they completely understood that the game was cancelled.”
 
“That explains why Gilda called me yesterday.” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself.
 
“I was actually going to ask about that,” I admitted. “We already lost yesterday. If you and Twilight are feeling up to it, we’re starting to fall into a deadline. We need to start playing more often. Whatever may happen to Principal Celestia, we need to get to that part of the game.”
 
“About that.” Rarity sat up. “I arrived at the office this morning to ask about Principal Celestia. According to the front office, she has been out since Friday. What’s more, Vice Principal Luna has apparently been drowning in work this week. Any problems the students have are being brought to the guidance counselor’s attention.”
 
Story and I locked eyes. Wrong, we both determined. Whether the front office staff knew the truth or not, they weren’t telling anyone. And Vice Principal Luna wasn’t seeing anybody either. The work was likely an excuse.
 
Maybe it’s for the best that the rumors stay on us, I figured. If everyone was focused on us, maybe we could save Principal Celestia before anyone realizes what’s going on.
 
“I’m clear to run it today. But for now.” Story changed the subject, looking back towards Twilight. “What do you say? You wanna check in on her?”
 
Twilight didn’t spend time considering the idea. She held out her hand. “Yes. I need to see if she’s okay. And if not, I want to try and help where I can. In any way I can.”
 
Story nodded, glancing at her hand. “You know, we don’t have to actually...You know what? Sure.” He took Twilight’s hand. She probably did so out of concern. Twilight had only been there once. And now she was gonna be there alone.
 
“Okay, I have an alarm on my watch,” Story told us. “It flashes the screen when it’s done. We’ll try and be out soon after.”
 
“Do ya need us ta back up?” Applejack asked, ready to stand. “Every time we’ve gone ta Sky-Space, it drags everyone nearby.”
 
“I think I figured that part out.” He told us. “It was like that time with Rainbow Dash and Gilda. If I only focus on a specific character, only their player comes in. Maybe your characters get dragged to Sky-Space, but you should all be fine. Like Sunset and Fluttershy were back on Friday. So, as long as I focus on ‘the person I’m holding onto,’” he half-joked, using Twilight’s hand as emphasis. “I think we’ll be fine.”
 
I crossed my arms. “And you’re sure about this?”
 
“Not entirely,” he stuttered, his bravado failing at me. “But, even if it does, we know how to get out! It’ll work out...maybe?”
 
My mouth formed a non-existent line. It’s really hard not to call him out on how reckless this is.
 
Twilight gave me a brave face. “We’ll be okay. I promise. And I’ll make sure nothing goes wrong.”
 
I let myself focus on my friend’s words rather than Story’s shaking and returned a smile of my own. “Right. I know you will.”
 
“Thank you.” Then, Twilight turned to Story and nodded. Story shifted his tray to the side and Twilight followed the example before he took a slow breath and closed his eyes.
 
“Alright then. Let’s start a story.”
 
Within seconds, the two slowly fell against the table, sound asleep. However, as we all watched for a few seconds in silence, we started to notice the sound of heavy snoring.
 
“Heh. Guess they really are asleep.” AJ chuckled. “Fella’s snoring like a chainsaw in a pine forest.”
 
“Uh, Applejack?” Rainbow leaned down a little. She was right beside the two of them and Story’s face was facing towards her. “That’s not him.”
 
“Are you sure?” Rarity blinked. “Because Pinkie and I see Twilight, and she’s not snoring.”
 
“Not unless she secretly practices ventriloquism in her sleep,” Pinkie added.
 
Wait, so, who’s snoring? The only ones in the group are us seven girls and Story. So, if not us then— Every alarm bell went off in my mind. Oh no! NO! You’ve gotta be kidding!
 
I stood up from my seat, casting a wide look around the other students around us. Who? Who got dragged in?!
 
Only one or two students spotted me staring down everyone in the vicinity. Maybe I was too paranoid, but I had to be sure. But, when it looked like no one else was passed out, I focused on the sound itself.
 
It’s right beside us. But if not us, then...wait. I glanced down at my bag. It was still empty, and Spike was still missing from it. “Oh. Huh.”
 
“Who is it?” AJ glanced around herself, but when I walked around the table and knelt beside Twilight, everyone else watched as they saw me pick up the deepest sleeping dog of the hour.
 
He was laid up against Twilight’s leg the entire time. We didn’t hear him snoring until now, probably because he was still awake. He just wanted to be beside her. And now, even picking him up and giving him a little shake didn’t work. He was in Sky-Space.
 
“Good news, I guess. It’s someone in the group.” I gently set him down on the bench beside Twilight.
 
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Fluttershy asked. “He won’t get hurt while he’s in there, will he?”
 
“He’ll be fine,” Rainbow told her. “I dunno about outside of Sky-Space, but while you’re in there, nothing can hurt you. If I had to guess, those two are probably trying to calm Spike down from screaming.”
 
“Yeah, Ah’d wager that’s about right.” Applejack glanced around. The one or two people who caught my gaze when I looked around were now watching in curiosity at Twilight and Story. “Should we really be havin’ these two sleep like this?”
 
“I don’t think we have a choice in the matter,” Rarity told her. “The best we can do is be here for them when they come back.”
 
And so, we waited. It got a little awkward just ignoring our friend and Story passed out on the table, but as the minutes stretched from five to ten, we eventually found enough small talk to distract ourselves.
 
Up until Rarity’s phone buzzed. Like her life depended on it, she dug it out of her pocket and opened it up, only to look disappointed immediately.
 
“Everything okay?” Pinkie asked her.
 
“I suppose so,” Rarity said disheartedly while typing a message on her phone. “I keep hoping it’s a message about Aloe or Lotus waking up. And when it isn’t, I feel terrible that I’m getting upset at whoever’s reaching me.”
 
“I think the magic’s trying to course correct what happened,” I told them. “None of them have woken up yet. We know it’s the magic, but the only thing I can think of is that fate needs them to be trapped like they are in the game.”
 
“So, the magic’s trapping them asleep?” Rainbow Dash frowned. “I thought it had to be believable or something.”
 
“Normally,” I told them. “But we defied it. At this point, I don’t know what’s supposed to happen. But if we try defying fate again, it might push back harder than just putting people to sleep.”
 
“We do it by the book,” Applejack translated. “Ah think we can manage that. Now that they ain’t in danger in some floodin’ bunker, we can go about it the right way.”
 
I nodded. “You’re right. I won’t deny it, saving them was the right call. And.” I glanced at Story’s sleeping body. Then Rainbow Dash. “You and Story were right. We needed to act. I realize that now.”
 
“Of course we were!” She smiled back at me. “Look, however fate or whatever wants to punch back, we can handle it. And we won’t leave anybody behind! That goes for us or anyone this magic messes with.”
 
“I’ll drink to that,” Pinkie said, holding up her milk carton. “And the next order of business is charging into that lodge and saving that family those mean ol’ Redflans took.”
 
A few of the others held up their cartons or soda cans in reply, with myself doing the same after some hesitation. “Speaking of, is everyone’s schedules clear for playing after school?”
 
“Ah’m clear,” Applejack told me. “Ah evened out takin’ Monday off by workin’ double yesterday. Ah just gotta get AB ta drive back with Mac.”
 
Rainbow groaned softly. “I’ll need to call outta practice today, but it’ll be worth it to see that Nothic freak and the rest of those thugs get dealt with.”
 
“I always have time for games,” Pinkie cheered. “Especially games that help save the world!” Meanwhile, Fluttershy nodded along at me.
 
However, when we looked at Rarity, she started looking a little concerned at her phone. “I am too, of course. Although, there’s a snag.”
 
“Do you have to work after class today?” Fluttershy asked her.
 
“No, not that.” Rarity shook her head. “After hearing about my knees, the Boutique’s owner is letting me take it easy for the rest of the week. They just want me to work on a few design ideas. So, I’m available. Although so is Sweetie Belle now.”
 
“Sweetie Belle? What do you mean?”
 
“Well, I just got a message from my mom,” Rarity turned the phone to show us. “Apparently, Sweetie’s Choir rehearsal was cancelled. And our mom has a business meeting this afternoon. I need to drive her home.”
 
“She’s in Choir practice?” Pinkie asked, smiling wide. “Good for her! She’s a great singer!”
 
“Ah mean, that ain’t too much of a problem?” Applejack asked. “Big Mac sat in on our game over the weekend. He said it was a regular game in his eyes. Won’t it be the same here too?”
 
“That’s a good point,” I told her. “Story’s recklessness aside, this is something we’re prepared for. Plus, Sweetie Belle already knows about magic firsthand. If we play the game like it’s normal, which we already have to do, everything should work out fine.”
 
“Urgh.” Rainbow Dash held her face in her hands. “I just realized. That means she’ll hear me using my accent.”
 
“What’s wrong with that?” Pinkie curled her head to the left. “Your accent is so fun to hear!”
 
“What’s wrong with it is that she’s gonna tell Scootaloo about it! Then everybody that Scootaloo talks to is gonna find out I have an accent! Then the school!”
 
Applejack snickered, ignoring Rainbow’s glare. “If that’s the biggest worry we got, Ah think this’ll go fine.”
 
Just then, Story’s watch screen started flashing blue and green. After listening close enough, we could hear the faint buzz coming from it. It was shaking his arm.
 
“Do you think it works inside of Sky-Space?” Fluttershy asked.
 
“If not, Twilight’s gonna kill him for making her late to math class,” Rainbow teased.
 
We waited for a few seconds, watching the two of them until Fluttershy started to lean forward. “Um. Is. Is Twilight okay?”
 
At once, every one of us leaned forward or moved around the table to get a look at her. Tears were streaming down her face and, very softly, she was taking in short breaths. Twilight was crying. Beside her on the bench, Spike was reacting too. He was fidgeting in his sleep as his snoring turned to light whining. Then, when Rainbow walked back around to her spot, she saw Story’s face. Not as much as Twilight, but he had tears too.
 
“She’s not in trouble, is she?” Fluttershy asked, not taking her eyes away from our friend.
 
“N-No,” I told them, recognizing the symptoms. “I think she’s fine. Just upset, is all.”
 
It took another minute or two before all three of them reacted. Simultaneously, they jerked awake, with their shoulders tensing and their heads flinching slightly. Spike altogether rolled onto his legs and shook his head with the jingle of his collar working like a small bell to let us know they were back.
 
“Oh, finally!” Spike shouted in joy. “Grass! Floor! Sweet, beautiful floor!” He jumped off the bench and just let himself roll around on the floor.
 
“Ah.” Story lightly clutched his stitches. “Ah-ah-ah-ahhh. Every time.”
 
“Hey y’all,” AJ greeted worriedly. “Welcome back. Erm, how’d it go?”
 
Twilight let out this shaking breath, wiping her eyes with her wrist before she realized she was crying. “Was...Was I crying out here too?”
 
A few of us hummed in response, with Fluttershy speaking up. “How do you feel? Is Vareén alright?”
 
Twilight went to answer, but held her breath, electing instead to finish wiping her eyes. “She...She didn’t look good. Story said he was able to put our characters back to normal, so she’s not injured. But it invaded her mind. Worse than mine, I think.”
 
“She looked really scary,” Spike called out from beside the table. “⎐☍⊑ ⍜⍀⍀⋏⊑☌ ⎅⍜⍜ ⟊⍀⍀⌇⏚ ⎅⍾☌ ⍙☍⊑⍾ ⟊⍀⍙ ⎅⍜⍜ ⟊⎍⎅⏚!”
 
“Spike, we didn’t get any of that,” Rainbow said plainly. “If we’re not supposed to know, it gets all krrrrrrrrrckkk on us.”
 
Spike sat up and looked like a light went off in his head. “So that’s why I couldn’t understand what Story and Twilight were talking about.”
 
“We were talking about Vareén’s story while we were in there,” Story translated. “We only had so long, but it at least gave us enough time for something.”
 
Twilight nodded with a sad smile forming on her lips. “Yeah. Maybe it won’t be as helpful as we want it to be, but when we finished, Vareén looked a little better.”
 
“I think it’ll help,” Story told her. “And, in other news. I think that Nothic is getting restless.”
 
“What do you mean?” Rarity frowned. “Restless how? I thought you said our characters killed it.”
 
Story shook his head. “Your characters were either heavily injured or dead. The only way to put them back to normal was by resetting things. Which meant the Nothic was reset too. I have it stuck, but it's trying to get out every second it’s in there.”
 
“It wants to get us again,” I realized.
 
Rarity gave him a determined look. “You had better make sure it doesn’t get out. Or reach Vareén and the others again.”
 
“That’s the plan,” he told her. “Thankfully, it’s not getting out.”
 
“And you’re sure about that?” I frowned. “It’s actually stuck?”
 
For the first time since arriving at this table, Story looked confident. “Do you know one of the easiest mistakes a DM can make? It’s stonewalling.”
 
“Stonewalling?” Fluttershy blinked.
 
“Or. Maybe not stone exactly." Story opened his milk carton. “Wood works just as well. You’ll see.”
 




3rd Person POV
R⊑☌br⎅nd ☍un⍙ing L⍀☌ge





 
Underneath the elven structure in the woods was a fissure. A massive gash in the earth that ran across an open cavern, splitting the lodge’s basement in half. A chilled air made the dark chamber seem a complete contrast to the summer’s heat outside while the stench of rotting flesh compounded the temperature to make it feel like the cavern was a failing freezer of meat.
 
“No…NO!”
 
On the southern end of the chamber was a tunnel leading out into the forest at the bottom of the hill. Just yesterday, a bugbear rushed out to strike down a child who had discovered this tunnel only for the goblinoid to be killed by an elven druid. 
 
That tunnel was now blocked by a makeshift wooden palisade, held shut by two bugbears and Platick behind them who held out a bullseye lantern to assess the work.
 
“NOOOOO!”
 
The bugbears and Platick, however, remained unmoving. Frozen in time as was the majority of the world. The bugbears were being commanded by the human to ensure that the barricade was as close to sealed as possible. They knew that Thorn Wielder could turn into anything between rodents or beasts of burden, and so they had to ensure that there wasn’t any way for a squirrel or rabbit to shimmy through a hole and emerge as a caster bent on destruction.
 
“NOT AGAAAAIIIIIIIIN!”
 
There was only one source of sound from within the lifeless chamber. The talons of a lithe monstrosity clattered against the fissure’s walls, emerging out the top of it with his massive green eye staring at the wooden wall in fury.
 
It tore down this wall numerous times now. And each time, the Nothic was reset in its fissure, the wall was remade. Sometimes, it was remade stronger. Instead of driftwood, it was hardwood. The number of nails and where they were put in improved. The integrity became more capable. Each improvement was a new way to trap the Nothic in its repetitive, hungry hell. This time, the bugbears were the newest addition. Before, it was Redbrands.
 
The Nothic raged, rushing at the barricade, ripping and tearing however it could. In the earlier attempts, it tried to rot the wood with his gaze. Wood was just a plant’s form of flesh, after all. Except, like the frozen beings, the wood was immune to its gaze.
 
But claws worked. And after an endless onslaught, time unimportant to the Nothic’s rage, it finally made a dent. Sadly, it had taken its toll. The Nothic’s claws were chipped and bleeding from the splinters and surface he struck against, and his lungs screamed for him to rest.
 
Not that it mattered. This wasn’t the only palisade. It was only the first. Another ten feet beyond this palisade was another. Wood, nails, bugbears, and the damnable human that killed him that first and only time. And then another. And another and another and another and another and another, spanning a full hundred feet for simply an attempt at freedom.
 
The first couple of times, the Nothic got close. Two, maybe three barriers away from the forest. And then whatever mad god lorded over this fake reality undid it all. Threw the Nothic back in its hole and made it do it all. Over. Again. Ad infinitum.
 
The Nothic shrieked, turning and swiping its claw right at Platick’s face. It did nothing. In fact, it did the reverse. One of the Nothic’s talons snapped right off his claw, sailing into the darkness of the cavern. Platick’s face was unmarred.
 
“LEt Me oUT!” The Nothic shrieked to the sky. “LET! ME! OUT! i WiLl BE FreE! YOUR FalsE WORlD iS frail! i wiLl eScAPE, TwILiGhT! hEAR mE, I WiLL!”
 




Rarity’s POV
Ms. Cheerilee’s Classroom
Wednesday, 2:43 PM





 
It had been a half hour since school had let out and I was made to watch as everyone else set up the tables and chairs for our club. Because of my knees, the rest of the girls didn’t want me dragging or picking up chairs or tables. I was left absently spinning Ms. Cheerilee’s chair from one side to another.
 
Story and Rainbow were the ones missing again. I wasn’t sure where Rainbow Dash was, but Story had to make a small trip outside of school. Although, my suspicions told me it was my fault where both were.
 
I had told Sweetie Belle to find us in Ms. Cheerilee’s room after school for the D&D Club. As per Sunset’s request, I didn’t explain that there was a magic problem, but that didn’t change much. Sweetie Belle ended up telling Applebloom who in turn wanted to sit in on the game as well.
 
Despite being at the mall the other day, Applebloom didn’t seem too suspicious. She simply wanted to see what this new club Applejack was a part of. And where there’s two Crusaders, the third is never far behind.
 
My guess was Rainbow Dash was out talking with Scootaloo. She was likely trying to convince Scootaloo not to come in the nicest way possible. But, Scootaloo took the bus home normally. If she was here, that meant she now skipped it for this club. But unless one of us drove her home, she was now here until the game was over.
 
Meanwhile, Story Spinner was on his way to pick up his little brother. It was already worked out with the school from his family that Story was going to pick up Button Mash. He was originally going to drop him off with Fluttershy’s family and then double back here, but when he learned about our budding audience, he told us this would give us more time.
 
Sunset was less than thrilled to hear about the small cast building up. For just Sweetie Belle, we could handle one extra person. But when her friends, plus Story’s brother, and then Ms. Cheerilee for good measure, it was slowly becoming a concern.
 
“Ya know Applebloom,” Applejack started after sliding one table against the other. “If yer gonna be watchin’, ya can’t be causin’ a ruckus. Which means ya can’t be chatterin’ the whole time.”
 
“Ah know, Ah know,” Applebloom droned from one of the student desks. She had her homework unpacked and was taking the chance to do away with it. “We won’t get in the way. Still, Ah didn’t expect ya ta be so serious about this. Ah know Big Mac’s all in on it, but you? Ah thought you’d hate playin’ a thief.”
 
“Ah ain’t—err.” Applejack cleared her throat. “Ah mean, Platick ain’t a thief. He’s uhh...A merc.”
 
“Isn’t that what all of your characters are?” Ms. Cheerilee asked from behind her desk. Previously, she tended to her work in the front office after class. Up until 3:23 PM, according to Story. But due to her broken arm, she settled for staying in her classroom the whole time. “I thought you were all mercenaries.”
 
“Not mercenaries. Adventurers,” Pinkie corrected with a sweep of her arm. She oversaw the chairs along with Fluttershy. “And we’re about to stop a bunch of bad guys from bullying a whole town of nice people!”
 
Just then, the door opened, with a less than enthused Rainbow Dash followed soon after by a grinning Scootaloo. “Woohoo! Slacking off in school!”
 
Called it, I celebrated with a smirk.
 
“Is that right?” Ms. Cheerilee asked, crossing her good arm over her bad. She watched Scootaloo flinch at the sight of her. “Scootaloo, I don’t think I need to remind you that you’re still behind on some of my assignments.”
 
“Oh, uh, yeah, well...heheheh..." Scootaloo’s excitement died as she found a desk beside Applebloom and Sweetie, who were trying not to laugh at their friend’s misfortune. “Don’t worry Ms. Cheerilee. I’ll have it done.”
 
“In five years,” Applebloom stage-whispered to Sweetie Belle, who giggled along.
 
“Har har, laugh it up.” Scootaloo let her backpack fall to the floor and fell into her chair. “How was math class? Silver Spoon give you any trouble?”
 
“No, not really.” Applebloom closed her math book for the moment. “Ah ended up tryin’ ta play the bigger person. Gave her one a’ the calculators we got fer the farm’s tax stuff yesterday.”
 
“Wait, what?” Applejack looked over. “Applebloom, that was awfully nice of ya.”
 
“Yeah, well. Ah figured it was the right thang ta do. She tried actin’ high n’ mighty about it, but she still took it. Ah think she appreciates it more than she lets on.”
 
“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed, smiling down at his sister while he sat on top of the desk beside her. Since she wouldn’t take a ride home, Big Mac was sticking around too.
 
“So, how’s the game work anyways?” Sweetie asked me. “I tried looking it up after school, but it had so many rules.”
 
“You don’t need to know all of them yourself,” I told her. “Not at first. That’s where the Dungeon Master comes in.”
 
“But aren’t you trying to beat him?” Scootaloo asked, pulling out her textbook. “Why would he help you?”
 
“It’s not exactly an us-versus-him game,” Twilight told her as the door opened again. “The DM tells us what happens, and we react accordingly.”
 
“Uh oh. The players are plotting again.”
 
From the door, we watched as Story, along with his little brother, entered the room. Button seemed to be buried into his portable game and ignorant to anything going on around him while Story pulled a rolling chair in behind him.
 
“Oh, I’ve seen you before,” Sweetie said aloud. “I have theatre class right after you! You’re in Miss Zecora’s Theatre III, right?”
 
“That’s right! Nice to see another drama geek for a change,” he joked, chuckling to himself. It was another front he was putting on, but it wasn’t insincere. If anything, he was enjoying the brevity. “Welcome to D&D Club. I, uh...I didn’t expect to see a full-on audience.”
 
He looked over to Button. I didn’t see the two of them together too much on Monday, but seeing them standing together, and both with multicolored beanies, it was easier to see the resemblance. “Hey Button? You mind sitting with them?”
 
“Sure,” he muttered, walking in the direction Story lightly pushed him towards. Applebloom rolled her eyes at the boy’s laser focus on his game while Scootaloo seemed totally distracted.
 
“What’re ya playing?” She asked.
 
“Ballad of Glyphs.”
 
We watched Scootaloo lose all interest and groan while Sweetie’s gasp reached a new octave. Oh, not this hobby again.
 
“I LOVE Ballad of Glyphs!” Sweetie exploded. “Did you already beat it?!”
 
“Oh, definitely,” Button said, landing in the chair beside her. “I got it when it came out, but I’m trying to 100% it.”
 
“Neat! Wait.” Sweetie listened for any sign of music from the game. She, and the rest of us, heard nothing. “You’re going for the Mute Mode Achievement?”
 
Scootaloo gave her a bored look. “You don’t even have a Joy Boy, why do you know the achievement names?”
 
“It’s a good game!”
 
“It’s a boring game,” she corrected.
 
“Is not!” Sweetie, and Button, both turned to glare at her, objecting in unison. Scootaloo simply lifted her arms in mock surrender, but she and Applebloom were more entertained by the reaction than anything else.
 
“Welp. They're friends now,” Story told me, not bothering to hide his smirk.
 
“Mm-hmm.” I nodded back, watching as the others began to gather up at the table, preparing papers and miniatures alike.
 
“So, Ms. Cheerilee?” Story looked over to her as he set up his own swivel chair at his usual spot. “How long do you think we can play?”
 
“I spoke to my friend who’s been carpooling with me,” she told him. “She’s willing to pick me up at around 6PM. So, three hours.”
 
“Huh. Alright then.” Story started pulling out his notes. “So basically, the usual amount of time.”
 
“Does the game normally take that long?” Scootaloo sat back.
 
“It’s not just one game,” Fluttershy told her. “We play what we can and then keep playing the next time.”
 
“So, it’s like one of those never-ending games?”
 
“Not exactly,” Sunset spoke as though lost in thought. “We'll finish it. It just takes a lot of effort.”
 
Story nodded along. “That said, let’s not waste anymore time.”
 
“Absolutely,” Spike said, jumping up onto the table. “Now I finally get to see what this loo—Woah!”
 
“Waaah!” Button Mash screamed in surprise, nearly dropping his Joy Boy.
 
Twilight quickly pulled Spike back off the table and watched along with all of us as every set of eyes fell to Button Mash. The only one in the room who didn’t already know about the talking dog.
 
But Button’s scream wasn’t pointed at Spike. It was at his own propeller beanie pulled over his eyes by Scootaloo who acted faster than anyone else in the room.
 
“Hey! What’re you—NO!” Button screamed at his Joy Boy. “Why?! Why would you do that?! This boss had three phases! It’s a twenty-minute level! Now I gotta play it all over aga-hi-hi-hiiiiinn!” He was on the point of sobbing.
 
A little dramatic, don’t you think? I thought plainly.
 
Regardless, everyone took a sigh of relief. And as we did, Twilight bent down towards Spike and spoke slowly. “You can watch, but no talking. Please?”
 
“Sorry! I thought everyone here knew!”
 
“Hey, it’s okay!” Sweetie Belle tried to tell him. “You nearly had it! You can do it again, right?”
 
“Yeah, but it’s so hard! It’s the world seven boss.”
 
“That’s the Tempo Tyrant, right?”
 
“No, that’s world eight,” Button told her, his sobs dissipating to the distraction. “This one’s the Undead Crescendo Conqueror.”
 
I looked to Story. “Is it bad that I recognize those names from second-hand knowledge?”
 
“You’re asking the absolute wrong person,” he told me. “But professional opinion? I'm afraid your sister’s a gamer.”
 
“Oh. The tragedy.” My voice was drowning in so much sarcasm, a lifeguard couldn’t save it.
 
The two of us shared a laugh before Story sat down and clapped his hands together as loud as he could, bringing all attention of the classroom to himself. Teacher included. “Alright, I think we’re set.”
 
“What about the maps?” Fluttershy asked him. “Did you have enough time to make them since the hospital visit?”
 
“Eh, I’ll draw ‘em as we go. I can work fast enough. Besides, something tells me you’ll be able to work out the chicken scratch. You know.” He said that last part with a shrug. He didn’t seem sure of himself, but he was leaving the details up to the magic.
 
“As long as you know what you’re doing,” Sunset said warningly. We were starting to lean a little hard into the few things we had learned. But then again, we couldn’t afford to waste another day.
 




Glemerr’s POV
O⌖⍙sid⊑ ⍙he S⍜e⊑pi⍾⟊ G⌰an⍙





 
It was hard to tell how we were holding up since the Nothic fights. For a whole day, we tried to kill it before it could kill us multiple times. And that last time had to be the scariest one since we found out it knew our Players.
 
But in the end, it was just really tiring. It felt like taking laps around the worst turf of Alderstone, with your head on a swivel and your elbows up. But then, when we got sent back to Phandalin without all dying, we started to lose it.
 
The whole time, Ricven was cursing at the sky. At the world and Master alike, while Stostine just laid down beside Vareén’s unconscious body and waited. Rava, Platick, and I were the only ones trying to stay focused.
 
But when we finally realized the Nothic wasn’t coming, either because of the Master or the world just giving us a break, we all relaxed. In fact, I think we all did nothing but lie about being lazy. Or at least, tried to.
 
Then, an hour after that, we saw it. The woods leading to the hunting lodge had this...bubble around it. Without any warning, it spread out like a shockwave and even in the night we could tell there was this wave of magical power. It was like a sphere of pure blackness.
 
We thought it was rushing at us. And a few of us started running. Thorn almost chopped her vine off again just to try fleeing. But before she could, we realized it stopped. It made it to the edge of the forest, stopped, and then shrunk back in on itself.
 
But we were fine. The smartest among us realized it was focused on the hunting lodge. On the Nothic-beastie. The Master, or at least we assumed so, was resetting only it.
 
It would keep happening only on the forest. But every couple of times, we would watch a place in Phandalin have an orb of blackness pop up for a second. One was in the Griffonbound Vendors. Another was the Stonehill Inn kitchen. That time, we noticed there was something different. Fresh slabs of salted meat and fresh tea leaves to use in the tavern.
 
I considered it the Master’s way of sending an apology. And it was a delicious apology.
 
“So, how do ya guys start anyhow? Do ya, like, roll ta see who goes first?”
 
“Huh. Dat’s a new voice, I pointed out. I, Stostine, and Thorn were set up at one of the tables I brought outside the Sleeping Giant. We didn’t want to leave Thorn Wielder out here alone anymore, so we made this kinda picnic setup.
 
“I think I recognize it,” Platick told us. He, Rava, and Ricven were playing cards on the other table I set up. Ricven dragged out a chair for him to stand at height with the others. “It’s...Yeah. Yeah, my Player has a sister.”
 
It was also because of Platick that we set up probably a good ten lanterns. We wanted him to see while we were out here in the night air since time didn’t move.
 
“Nah, they only roll when they start fighting something,” another young voice told them. This one sounded scratchier, but still a girl’s voice.
 
“Oh! Now there’s a voice Ah think Ah know,” Rava blurted out, setting her cards down for a second. “That one’s, erm...Squirt, was it? That’s what Dash Lass calls ‘er, at least. That’s where she came up wit’ Itty Herbeck, Ah think.”
 
“Hey, be a little quieter! He’s getting to the end of phase one.”
 
It was a third voice. This one was definitely another little girl, but when we glanced around, no one said anything.
 
“Maybe that one’s just there,” Platick decided.
 
“Or belongs to Vareén, perhaps,” Stostine offered.
 
“No.”
 
Coming towards us from the Stonehill Inn was the last of our group. Vareén had her hood pulled much lower over her face than usual, to the point where she couldn’t see us either.
 
The whole time since the Nothic problem was solved, she didn’t say anything. Even when we woke her up after being thrown back to the start, she just put up her hood, took out an arrow, and waited. And when we were in the clear, she ignored us and walked off to her room without a word.
 
A few of us tried talking to her. She never answered. And earlier, when all of us were sent to the place in the sky, we were all thrown back to Phandalin but her a few seconds after we showed up.
 
We saw Gekio there again too. That Ooze monster still got her.
 
“Twilight doesn’t have a sister. Just a brother with a dum...with an acronym.”
 
“And so, the elf graces us with her presence at last,” Ricven cheered mockingly before throwing his cards away and clapping. “How nice ta see yer ‘amazin’ visage,’ Miss Vareén.”
 
Vareén said nothing else. Just crossed her arms and growled.
 
“Oh! I get it!” I thought out loud, punching my palm. “Ricven’s short! He can still see Vareén’s face!”
 
A few of the others chortled at that, Rava and Stostine especially while the gnome himself just stared at me with a look.
 
“Now that was uncalled for, Miss Glem!” He shouted back.
 
“Entirely,” Platick agreed. “We already know he’s short.” Earning more laughs from Rava and myself. I think I even saw Vareén try and shake off a giggle from under that hood.
 
“Shut up, you!” Ricven turned to him. “First, ya play tricks on these cards, then yer punchin’ me when I’m down! Back off!”
 
Platick rolled his eyes. “You realize I was losing almost as bad as you, right?”
 
“Also, it’s kicking. Not punching,” Vareén corrected. There she is.
 
“I’ll be punchin’ and kickin’, he don’t keep his gums closed!”
 
At that moment, the whole world quaked, catching us off guard. Some more than others. It was like before.
 
“Last time on Painting the Town Red,” the Master’s voice echoed, beginning his storytelling just as he did the last couple times.
 
“Game start,” Thorn Wielder announced, sitting with her legs crossed beside her vine.
 
“After clearing out the goblins and interrogating the self-proclaimed warlord—now war criminal—Klarg, you all set off for your original destination; Phandalin. Upon arriving, your group attracted plenty of eyes. Especially since you were the only adventurers to pass through in a while.”
 
“Hmm.” Stostine rolled a teacup in her hands. “I wonder. Were there Redbrands hiding among the crowd without capes, or do they have informants?”
 
“A little of both,” Platick told her. “Remember what I figured out?”
 
Stostine took in a breath. “Right. The shopkeep.”
 
“Don’t ya mean what yer Player figured out?” Rava snickered.
 
“It was almost the same time,” Platick argued, glancing away.
 
“Keep tellin’ yerself that,” Ricven mocked. “Ya know them girls won’t.”
 
I let out a loud Shhhhhh at them “Quiet. Dey’re gettin’ ta da part where we smashed ‘em apart!”
 
“—investigating the town,” the Master carried on. “The Redbrands started to pick a fight. You punched back, theoretically in everyone’s case but Glemerr’s—” “WOOOO! GO! TEAM! US!”
 
“At ease, Glem,” Rava told me with a grin.
 
“—and knocked down their numbers by maybe half? One bugbear from Thorn, and then over twenty Redbrands from the whole team. Not only that, but two of their captains were dispatched. Both by Ravathyra.”
 
“With help on the Tieflin’, but aye,” Rava admitted.
 
“The third one, however, wasn’t as simple,” the Master started to wrap up. “In a plan by Platick, he confronted the presumed third captain in her own home turf and singled her out so she couldn’t report to the other bandits on the group’s abilities. But Leanne was stronger than Platick anticipated.”
 
At that, we heard Platick’s Player sigh. “Ah know. Far as the whole plan went, it weren’t the strongest chain in the link.”
 
“Did she actually plan on winning that?” Platick scoffed. “The second that damn shifter shed its skin, it was obvious I lost.”
 
“But despite all the trials and close calls, you persevered,” the Master concluded. “Glemerr saved Vareén. Then Thorn. And upon finding Platick, Glem and Ricven found their care for the townsfolk rewarded as the Priestess of Tymora, Sister Garaele, had Platick in her arms. Both slumped against the store’s counter. Covered in one another’s blood, but alive nonetheless.”
 
“Right. That.” That one was Stostine’s Player, I was pretty sure. She didn’t sound thrilled.
 
“What’s got her so worried?” Ricven asked boredly. “We’re the only ones alive in here. What’s some fake priest matter?”
 
“Needless violence is needless all the same,” Stostine answered, folding her arms in her sleeves. Or, well, sleeve. One was still missing. “Although, you may have a point. This seems different. Almost personal, in a way.”
 
Things went quiet for a second. Like a full-on awkward kind of silence. Even if we couldn’t see or feel our Players, the way no one talked made it clear something was up between the Master and Stostine’s Player.
 
“Right. Well.” The Master cleared his throat. “On that note, I think that’s where we should begin. So then, everybody? Who’s ready to kill a Nothic?”
 
Saying that, it appeared. This crazy fog that only showed up in our eyes rather than around us started to pour in around us. Things started to get hard to focus on and the edge of my body started to lose feeling. Not as a numbness, but like I never had feeling to begin with.
 
“My kind of rally,” Vareén called out. “I better get a shot in.”
 
“Definitely,” Twilight replied at the perfect time. “No matter what, we take it down.”
 
“I’ll hold it down for ya,” Rava’s Player told her with her own voice.
 
“She speaks fer both of us, lass.” Rava nodded at Vareén. “Count on it.”
 
Vareén nodded back, the hood on her head loosening as she did.
 
“I can’t wait to see it,” the Master told them genuinely. “But. In order to get there...Let’s start a story.”
 
“LET’S DO DIS!” I roared, pumping my arms as high up as I could. Thorn did the same, raising her arms and scythe silently. And when Vareén slowly raised her fist, Stostine and Rava fell into it too. Which left only the fellas.
 
“Come on, guys!” I shouted, my voice getting quieter by the second. “You too!”
 
“Do it!” Vareén’s voice was hardly above a whisper, but we could see her yelling. It was more a command. She was probably realizing she was getting a little too ‘not edgy.’
 
Ricven pretended not to hear her and rolled his eyes. Platick, on the other hand, relented a little. The last thing we all saw was Platick raise up a single finger, twirling it above his head with way less excitement. But it was there all the same.
 
Then, fog. A blinding fog that put us in the back row while our Players took the reins.
 
Come on girls, I cheered them on. Plant that creepy lizard-cyclops in the dirt. We know ya can!