Chapter Six: Animal Affinity
"Trixie, move out of the way!" Mwali barked as he dropped into an aggressive pose.
A gargantuan paw came down at the azure unicorn. In the interest of not getting impaled by his claws, Trixie dove forwards, underneath the bear's forearm. The showmare landed in a heap, covering her hat with her hooves desperately. The bear scraped backwards, pulling Trixie closer towards him and scooping the unfortunate magician up into his palm. Sitting atop his paw, Trixie's eyes gaped into those of the monster as he regarded her curiously.
"You... don't suppose we could put this behind us?" Trixie pleaded, edging away from the bear's stalactite-sized teeth.
Socks chirped up at her from the ground, "Diplomacy check! Good try, Trixie, but I'm afraid it's not having much effect." The bear growled menacingly as he spoke.
"You don't say?" replied Trixie, her tone and expression meek.
The bear's giant jaws came forward. Trixie leapt daintily from its paw and tumbled slightly as she hit the ground. The snap of the bear's teeth slamming together on empty air was reason enough for the mare to recover quickly. Getting to her hooves, she ran towards Mwali. The zebra's arcane marks were glowing brightly, but he had yet to unleash any spells. Trixie wasn't even sure an illusion would work on an enchanted creature.
"It may be the wrong time to point fingers, or name names... though I think this being your fault is quite plain," Mwali commented dryly..
Trixie quivered behind the zebra as she spoke, "Trixie will gladly appoint you the new leader if and when she is devoured by an angry bear. Until then, keep that thing away from me!"
Mwali opened his mouth to reply but was cut short. The bear charged at them again, bowling over saplings and scoring deep wounds in the earth where its paws fell. Mwali and Trixie split up, each diving to the opposite side and circling around the monster as it ravaged the spot where they had been. It quickly realized where they had gone and snapped around, biting at Mwali's tail just as he cleared its range. Trixie charged her horn and fired a weak spark at the bear, which jumped up its nose and fizzled out between its eyes.
"I hope you have spells stronger than that," Mwali growled.
Trixie shushed him, "The Great and Powerful Trixie is getting warmed up!"
There was so much adrenaline, fear, and confusion in her body that Trixie was having a hard time focusing on any magic at all. One Trixie wanted to turn tail and flee, but the other Trixie could feel the deep well of magic that her character, Lulamoon de Fleur, was capable of wielding. Whether it was there, and whether she could use it were two entirely different matters. The mare's breathing was ragged and her concentration was shot, but the power was there at least.
Unlike the unicorn Mwali was quick to act, he charged forward and reared, dealing several strikes to the bear's flanks. The blows accomplished next to nothing, not even prompting the beast to turn around. Even if he had his warshoes he wasn't sure it would've made a difference. Stubborn, the zebra twisted around and bucked the bear with his hind legs. Even putting all his force into his limbs the attack only prompted a small grunt of recognition from the bear.
“Do you have a deathwish?” Trixie shrieked, “It's like you're trying to kick-box with a mountain.”
“We can't outrun a creature this size,” said the zebra as he kicked again at its dark brown haunches.
In retaliation the bear drew a thick line in the earth with its claw, headed right for Mwali. The zebra only just stumbled out of the way, but he was left off his balance and face-to-face with a hulking, confused, and angry omnivore. He jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding a paw that made the ground tremble. Without a moment to spare he ran between the bear's arms and straight underneath it, escaping on the other side. The bear gave a low rumble and tore at the ground with both claws as it became further agitated.
Trixie hunted frantically, looking for anything that could give them an edge. It was difficult just to keep her footing as Mwali's evasive dance with the bear shook the earth. The mottled green and yellow leaves blanketing the ground were practically hovering in the air with each tremor. To make matters worse, Socks had vanished. Of their surroundings neither the looming mountain nor the massive oak trees nearby seemed like a usable weapon.
A tendril of smoke curled underneath the unicorn's nose, provoking a small cough. Little fires still burned across the path Trixie had made to the cave. In hindsight, she really had gone overboard with her devastation. Then again... go big, or go home. In any case, it gave her an idea. As Mwali avoided the bear's attacks, growing fatigued with every near-miss, Trixie gripped a burning frond with her magic, raising it high into the air. The unicorn licked her upper lip and ignored the scene before her, the mare's face was pure concentration. A few minor adjustments, a lot of guessing, and a flick of her horn. Trixie swung the frond and let it fly.
Years spent aiming 'rogue' bottle-rockets at the stages of rival entertainers finally paid off. The giant burning leaf landed directly atop the bear's head. Abruptly the coarse hairs all around the hungry animal's face caught fire. It tried to swipe the fire away, bellowing as it raked its claws down its face in pain. Mwali was nearly crushed, forced to flee as the blind creature thrashed wildly in its attempt to clear its eyes of ash.
“Who's the mare?” Trixie shouted, smiling pridefully and raising a hoof for her striped companion to bump.
Mwali snorted and pushed her foreleg away, “You buy us time, at best. We need more than ashes or hooves to put this bear to rest.”
“Is the rhyming truly necessary?” Trixie gave the zebra a scathing stare.
“It helps me think,” he retorted.
Their window of escape wasn't much to work with. The bear was already starting to recover, the flames licking at its face had been quashed. If the trembling cave dweller had been angry before, now it could only be described as absolutely livid. It carved trees in half, flung boulders from the mountain every which way. The bear obviously no longer cared whether it was demolishing ponies or scenery.
The showmare cracked her neck loudly. “You know what?” she said, her fur bristling as she stepped forward. “Trixie single-handedly defeated the Lich Emperor when her party fell. It was Trixie who reclaimed the Draconomicron from the Lost City of Javec!” The mare's horn began to glow and crackle as she went on, “Who slew the doppelganger who had imprisoned the entire town of Drullmer? Oh right, Trixie again.”
Mwali just stared at her. “You've lost your mind,” he blurted.
Trixie laughed callously, “We're just getting started, this is Trixie's specialty after all. Countess Lulamoon de Fleur Mariotte will not be defeated by a mangy beast with a singed uni-brow.”
“Marvelous... now you're getting your head in the game,” A voice echoed through the clearing from every direction at once. It was undeniably pleased, but there was something else in his tone. Something much more sinister. It took Trixie a long moment to recognize the voice to be Socks, and she shared a glance with Mwali to confirm it. “You've got an attack of opportunity. With a thirteen over Mwali's ten, Trixie has initiative.”
As the unseen dungeon master spoke a pair of familiar emerald dice appeared in the sky, only now they were giant. The golden number thirteen blazed for a moment on its face before fading away. Trixie realized that if she didn't act quickly the bear would recover and she'd lose her chance. Unlike in a normal game, she didn't have much time to think about her options. When in doubt, practice the basics.
“Trixie casts Magic Missile on the bear!” the unicorn shouted. She then shut her eyes and poured magic into her horn.
A surge traveled up her tail and all along her body. Trixie dug her hooves in on instinct as the surge hit the tip of her horn. With a blast like a cannon a spear of purple light arced off her horn, kicking the unicorn back on her rump with the force of its departure. Another die appeared against the clouds above them, rolling itself and landing on a smoldering five. The missile buried itself into the bear's back, a wave of plum-colored energy washing over its girth. The beast convulsed and gave a frightening roar as it whipped around to face her.
“Solid hit, good roll!” Socks commented, his voice echoing once more in his usual playful tone.
Trixie ignored him for the time being, “Stripey, do something!”
Mwali lost a step, realizing she meant him, and looked quickly from Trixie to the wild animal they were fighting. All of a sudden the tables were turned. Their confidence had traded places, and now Mwali wasn't sure what to do. He hadn't stopped to consider that the rules of a battle might be different in the world of Nightmare. If his character wasn't any good at fighting then he wasn't going to do any damage by just kicking and punching. There wasn't much time to figure out what he was meant to do instead.
“I haven't memorized my spells,” he called back, gritting his teeth.
The mare gave a groan that was audible even over the roar of the bear. It was upon them now, taking a swipe at the zebra. Mwali wasn't so lucky that time, too distracted to get out of the way, he was struck with the full blunt force of the bear's paw and batted through the air. The zebra landed in a heap and rolled up to the mouth of the cave. As he shook himself off he looked up and saw Trixie retreating into the treeline and firing off another purple spear.
It was his turn again. Mwali knew he only had a few seconds to act. It was unfair to call it a 'turn' at all. In the real world he could've spent as much time as he needed. Fighting in real-time should've been a comfort to the zebra, it wasn't exactly something he was unfamiliar with. Of course in the real world he knew his strengths, and a good kick to the head would set anyone's eyes rolling into the back of their heads. Without time to think about how his 'character' would fight, Mwali called on the first spell he could remember that wasn't Detect Magic.
The arcane marks across his hide began to burn and glow. It felt like pressing his skin against a hot frying pan. Mwali didn't even want to think about how many times he'd used the detect spell or how much magic he had left. Either way, the end result of using more magic was more pain. The zebra had a nagging suspicion that the game's creators hadn't considered how difficult it was to fight while your flesh was burning from the inside out when they designed the hex system.
“Flash,” he grunted, calling on the spell.
A shock spread out the tattoos. The heat from each hex intensified briefly before the energy dissipated. A small globe of light appeared in his hoof, which he slung expertly towards the bear. The spell impacted at the same time as the bear lopped off the top of an oak tree, sending a mass of branches down on top of Trixie. Mwali's orb exploded with the most blinding light the zebra had ever seen, causing its caster to flinch to the side, gasping as he rubbed his eyes.
For better or worse, though, the attack worked. The bear stumbled away from Trixie before it could dig her out of the foliage. It wailed in confusion as it was blinded for the second time in their fight. Trixie's head poked out from the tangle of leaves and twigs just in time to take advantage, firing off another blast of energy right at the bear's chest. The colossal beast's wail turned to a full-blown scream as it flopped down on its back. Trixie reared up and whooped, only to lose her footing and fall back into the thicket.
“You know, Flash only distracts opponents for one turn,” Said Socks, somewhere far above them.
Mwali's eyes snapped back to his opponent. The bear was rolling over, and as luck would have it the first thing its giant eyes fell on was a stripe-covered equine. Two thoughts came to mind, one was an expletive that would flush the face of any grandmother, the second was a spell. He winced as the hexes began to burn again, and he drew a circle in the dirt. Hoping that it would be sufficient he stepped back just as the drawing began to glow a soft blue.
As soon as he was finished the bear was barreling towards him. Mwali turned tail and ran, staying in line with the circle he'd drawn as best he could. When he reached the mountain he skidded to a stop. As planned the great animal passed right over his trap. With a sound like thousands of pieces of glass shattering on the ground several spires of ice sprung up from the ground and encompassed the bear. It thrashed and made loud cries of protest, its movements cracking the surface of the thick ice as the cold prison slowly built itself around its prey.
“Ether Sword!” a voice called out.
Mwali turned his head to see Trixie waving her hooves at him from the forest. The zebra nodded, his hexes lit like silver fire, and burned with the same ferocity. Mwali stomached it with hope that he could deliver the final blow, and galloped at the trapped bear. Flames licked the air around his muzzle and a weapon began to take shape from it. A blade made entirely of fire. Mwali bit down on the handle, prepared to drive his enchanted sword into the bear's hide as-
Pain. Pain shot through his sides. Pain seized up every muscle in his body. Mwali tumbled to the ground, his weapon dispersed before he even hit the dirt. His body may have stopped moving, but his hexes still felt like they were on fire. The zebra let out an involuntary yell. Agony left him twitched, wide-eyed, and disoriented as he willed his body to move. He heaved shallow breaths into the grass beside his prone form, waiting for some response. Instead he heard the shattering of ice, and the bellow of a beast which had had enough of their stalling.
Trixie had made a mistake. She saw Mwali fall down and knew immediately what had happened. The zebra had reached the end of his endurance, and the magic hexes were getting revenge for his abuse of them. With how he'd been acting like her personal compass it was a wonder he hadn't given out sooner. Regardless, it was obvious that he didn't have the energy to keep going, at least until the hexes let up on him. It was her mistake, and now she was left to deal with it.
“Trixie hates guilt,” said the mare as she glared at Mwali, half-hoping that he'd miraculously get up and run away. All that accomplished was wasting time.
Another powerful surge of magic went through her body. Trixie held her breath and braced herself as she aimed her horn. A blue light appeared at the tip, it glowed benignly in place before detaching with a loud snap. The light turned into a streak and zig-zagged erratically through the sky. Trixie immediately felt dizzy, as though the bolt had sapped the energy right out of her. No time to lose, she shook it off and vaulted a tree trunk in her path, headed for the bear. The lightning struck it at the base of the neck and caused a tremendous convulsion. The bear fell over on all fours, its back smoking and its limbs twitching as it moaned in a mix of confusion and pain.
As Trixie neared she threw her head to either side wildly, putting minuscule shots of magic in each gesture. Small telekinetic whips lashed across the bear's hide. It scored the ground several times, uninjured, but frustrated. Trixie turned tail as soon as she'd gotten its attention and bolted for the entrance to the beast's own cave. Seeing that its home was now at threat the creature loped after her, one of its paws dragged along behind it as though paralyzed.
“H-how about some p-personal space?!” Trixie stammered, failing to sound confident as the bear closed in behind her. Its breath traveled over her spine and she heard the growl in its throat picking up volume as it prepared to snap her up whole.
Before it could she whipped her horn upwards, throwing all the energy she could muster into it. The entire cave trembled as though she'd lobbed a sack of dynamite. The stone archway cracked and began to cave in on itself. Seeing the explosion, the bear faltered just long enough to get clocked on the head with a piece of stonework that was easily larger than a stagecoach. More rubble fell, pinning the creature.
Trixie kept running, a wall of dust hot on her flanks. It quickly swallowed her, obscured all vision, and forced her to take refuge in the folds of her cape. The showmare choked on the thick air and slowed down, allowing her raspy breaths to regain some clarity. A long pained cry echoed to her from the entrance. Trixie's eyes shot open as she heard scrabbling claws against stone. The bear was still coming.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Trixie gasped. Her lower lip trembled as she got to her hooves and galloped further into the cave. When she chanced a glance behind her she could only see the bear as a large shadow. The entrance to the cave was all but blocked off now, which left Trixie trapped with a giant angry wounded bear, in the dark.
To make matters worse she then collided with something. Trixie gave a shrill 'ouch!' as her nose bumped against something very solid and cold, which gave a metallic ring on impact. A quick spark jumped up her horn, a small light formed at its tip. It was just barely enough to see by, and Trixie quickly realized that what she bumped into was a large minecart. A number of gems were inside, nestled amongst common stone and glinting in the light of her horn.
“Well...” Trixie hummed slowly. She finished in a sob, “at least The Great and Powerful Trixie was wealthy.”
“You can't just give up!” an incredulous voice echoed. Socks materialized before her, hooves crossed in dismay as he regarded her, not with concern, but with disgust. “I'm disappointed. Hurt, wounded even!” he said. The haberdasher's voice took on an increasingly whiny temperament as he went on, “It's no fun if you just give up, that's why we're all here, right?”
Trixie was dumbfounded. She retorted, “Forgive Trixie if it's wrong to draw the line once we got trapped in a board game. If you'd included 'risk of fatal injury' on your invitations Trixie never would have come!”
“Well...” Socks looked ashamed, “Granted, it's not what we had planned... but it's still only a game. Not just any game, it's Nightmare!”
It was difficult for Trixie to share the stallion's enthusiasm. “Last time Trixie checked being eaten alive wasn't in the guidebook.”
“Trix, I'm hurt, truly,” this time Socks actually looked it. “I couldn't let you get hurt, I mean not really. Look, as the dungeon master I'm in control, right?”
The mare nodded, though she wasn't paying attention as she peeked around Socks to see where the bear was. The scraping noises had stopped along with the growls.
“Sooo, no harm done! If things get too dangerous, poof! I say a few words and the danger's all gone.”
It was hard to argue with that logic. Thus far Socks seemed to have exercised significant control over the world around them. It was nothing short of a miracle that she and Mwali had managed to avoid the bear's attacks without any severe injuries. In hindsight, with Socks nudging the results of the battle it seemed a lot less lucky. Trixie peeked around his side again, but the bear was nowhere in sight, not even a silhouette in the darkness.
“We keep playing... and you keep us out of danger?” Trixie asked.
“What's the alternative, kill off my own friends?” Socks gave a chuckle, despite the bleak undertone of his statement. “Within reason, you know. I'm giving you a free pass here, since it's all a little sudden, but I can't just make enemies disappear all the time. It'd ruin the whole game.”
Trixie lunged forwards, wrapping her hooves around Socks' neck in a deadly vise. “YOU INSUFFERABLE INSANE CRUEL HEATHEN OF A HATTER. WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL TRIXIE THAT WE WERE SAFE THIS ENTIRE TIME!?” Small embers flew off of her horn, threatening to set fire to Socks' cloak.
The haberdasher spluttered and choked, trying to pull away. Trixie's grip was surprisingly strong, for a time he thought he might actually suffocate. At least until he recalled that he had been thrown into a world where he was the omnipotent and all-powerful dungeon master. Socks vanished from the unicorn's grip, leaving her to fall on her face, still raging as he appeared again a few feet away. Socks clapped his hooves together excitedly, he'd always wanted to know what teleporting was like. There it was, sort of disappointing actually.
“Calm, calm!” he chanted, “Say a mantra if you must. Really, I thought you would've figured it out on your own. I mean, you couldn't think I'd just let you get eaten.”
“Yes,” she replied, her expression stale as she rubbed her twice injured nose.
Socks regarded her wryly. “Fine. If you're not going to be an adult about this I'll just go and see how the others are doing.”
“Bring them here, you lunatic. Trixie isn't going to blunder around in the woods trying to find them... There's treasure here.”
“Oh of course, mother. Right away.” Socks replied sardonically, fading away into the background. His voice became bodiless again, “You check on our striped friend, I'll take care of the others.”
Trixie peered around the tunnel for a moment, confirming that he had gone. She didn't bother conjuring a light and walked in darkness back towards the entrance. The mare's shoulders quivered, making her steps unsteady. Her breaths were deep and ragged. Trixie sniffled loudly, echoing off the stone walls. The mare forced a laugh, muttering to herself about a 'stupid cold'. She raised a foreleg to wipe her face, and ignored as it came away from her eyes with damp fur.
The mouth of the cave was still littered with stone, though the bear was nowhere to be seen. On the other side she could hear Mwali. The zebra was calling out, and she could hear him shifting rubble from the outside. So he was fine at least, that was good. It seemed like as good a time as any to take a small break. Trixie leaned against the wall heavily, her eyes glazed as she allowed herself to slide to the floor. The mare wrapped her cape around herself and laid her head on her hooves. After a brief moment of silence she stirred, then again, she sobbed soundlessly as she listened and waited for Mwali.
* * *
Donut Joe collapsed to the ground in a spray of leaves. The stallion breathed heavily as he rolled onto his back and stared up at the forest canopy. “I guess...” he paused to breathe, “this is where livin' off your own product... lands you, huh?”
A thoroughly winded Topstitch grumbled assent before taking a dive to fall down beside the sweet maker. “Just glad... we got... away,” he huffed, laying his muzzle in the soil.
Princess Luna sat in vigil nearby. The princess's mane flowed beautifully beside her, drawing attention away from her stern expression. She took deep breaths to steady her racing heart, but she was more-or-less composed. Luna's natural alicorn physiology may have been to thank for that, or it might have been a trait of her character within the game. Whatever the reason, she was in the best condition, and therefore best suited to provide watch.
“I could really go for a tall glass of cider,” said Joe, still trying to lift the tension in the air.
“We are lucky to still have our lives,” Luna replied morosely.
As a princess Luna felt responsible, both for what had already happened and the events that would follow. As long as she could remember – a staggering number of years – she and her sister had protected ponies to the best of their abilities. Now she'd once again endangered them, or at least failed to prevent it. To say she wasn't in the best of spirits would be an understatement. The princess felt wretched, entirely wretched.
Joe snorted, “Nah, your highness, we'd be lucky ta have a salad buffet. With juicy tomatoes, crispy lettuce, and my own special Polyneighsian dressing. An' don't let my mother fool you,” he assured, “I make it just right.”
When Luna's frown didn't fade Joe turned his attention back to the canopy thoughtfully. With all that had happened food was the last thing on his mind. Still, he'd do anything to lift some of the gloom that was quickly spreading. There was enough of it to outweigh a full-grown dragon. Although he'd dealt with rough spots in the past Joe didn't have much experience with alternate universes. What he did have experience with was folks in a slump, there were always those in his restaurant looking to drown the world out with a sugar rush, or for an ear to fill with their troubles.
If neither of those were an option, there was always distraction. Donut Joe rolled over before getting to his hooves laboriously. Once up he shook himself violently, dislodging a small rain of twigs and leaves over Topstitch. The other unicorn couldn't help but look up curiously, then glance over at Luna as if she might have some clue. When the princess averted her gaze in order to watch the confectioner pacing to the edge of the clearing, Topstitch decided to bite. The seamster got to his feet, shifted uncomfortably in his armor, and pursued Donut Joe.
“Wait!” Luna commanded, leaving her post temporarily. “We would do well to recuperate fully before wandering through the woods.”
Joe looked back with feigned ignorance, “Don't worry about me, highness, I'm all good to go. Just thought we should find a stream or something, get a drink. Could find a village.”
“We have already tried, I flew above the canopy and saw nothing but trees in any direction,” Luna countered, laying down and crossing her forelegs. “Our only hope may be to wait for Knee Socks to return to us with answers.”
“All due respect,” Joe began, prompting Luna to believe the opposite, “but I was never much for waiting around. If he's the boss-guy or whatever he can find us any time he wants to, that's how I see it. So we might as well get something done.”
The princess contemplated her hooves. Her reply was hesitant, “A fair point,” she said. Luna looked back at him, her gaze lingering before she sighed, “What would you propose, Donut Joe?”
Glad that he was getting his way, Joe turned to the princess and scratched his chin for a moment. “I'm not much for directions, y'know I could probably get lost in a paper bag. I think if we can figure out how to get the magic juice goin' I can poof up a way to point us the right direction.”
That may have been the most nonchalant description of magic the princess had ever heard. “We have tried that as well though,” Luna complained. “None of us have had any success.”
Topstitch leveled a thoughtful look at Joe. “Not with our horns, no... but Joe took hexes. Trixie said that he could use magic with them before, now that we're in the game we just have to find out how to trigger them.”
“Yeah, what he said,” said Joe, nudging the seamster beside him.
Luna cocked her head as she regarded the black paisley patterning on Joe's neck. The markings were unlike any she was familiar with, though they bore similarities to some ancient texts. As best she could make out they either weren't meant to be read, or they were fictional gibberish. Joe was right, though, they weren't accomplishing anything by waiting for Socks to show up. The princess nodded slowly before rising once more.
“Have you any ideas to help accomplish that?” she asked hopefully.
Topstitch turned to look at Joe as well.
The unicorn in question evaded them and stared up at the trees. “I was never too great at magic either, now ya mention it.” To Joe's surprise the princess smiled. It was a small thing, barely worthy of being called a smirk, but it was there. Like a mother looking on as her child littered blocks on the floor in a feeble attempt to build a tower. Putting it like that, Joe actually felt a bit insulted.
The alicorn closed her eyes and shook her head, she approached him as she spoke, “Certainly thou already know how to use magic, we draw innate magic from our bodies and our minds, projecting it through our horns to effect results. If our horns are of no use, however, then we must find an alternative. Have thou tried focusing thy energy on your marks as you would your horn?”
Donut Joe nodded agreeably and gave it a try. He closed his eyes and tried to dredge up an ounce of magic spark, but there was nothing there. Joe opened his eyes again and gave a shrug.
Luna went on, “If thou cannot feel any magic, as We cannot, then thy magic is likely within the mark itself. It is possible an incantation of sorts is necessary to activate it, or some other physical component, such as a gesture.”
Joe chuckled, “So you're saying I should just wave my hooves around 'til somethin' happens, yeah?”
The princess smirked again, “As We see it, thou could also talk to the sky or perform a rain dance. Experimentation is thy ally, in this case.”
With the two of them getting nowhere Topstitch thought to try his own horn again, what was left of it. Standing aside, he focused on the magic within. It was there, same as in the real world, though it felt slightly alien. Topstitch formed an image in his head, a small light at the tip of his horn. Utilizing his mind's eye had always been his strong-suit. Gingerly, he pushed the energy in his body into his horn and...
Topstitch jerked his head to the side as his temple exploded with pain. Despite his best efforts he was unable to dodge the imaginary blow that had struck him near-blind. The seamster staggered about, giving sharp gasps of pain and catching the attention of his allies. Joe galloped over first, but was swiftly passed by Luna. The princess used her large wings to speed ahead and land at the seamster's side as he rested on his haunches, rolling his head about in an attempt to ease the pain, wincing and grumbling at the same time.
“Whoa, hello glowstick,” said Joe, jaw agape.
Luna shushed him sharply, quick enough to draw Topstitch's attention. Although he couldn't see his horn very well, he sure tried. The seamster's eyes were fully crossed as he inquired what the confectioner meant. Joe took a step back, allowing Luna to stand ahead of him and examine the broken auxiliary. Topstitch's horn, riddled with small cracks, was now glowing in small pulsing bands, it oozed off sparks and even gave a small snap that caused Luna to coil backwards. The princess reached up with her hoof to touch it, but she quickly thought better of it and brought the limb back down.
“Are thou insane?” scolded Luna, flaring out her wings in agitation. “Thy horn was already broken, and now is newly cracked as well. If thou does not suppress thy magic the damage is likely going to spread.” Luna stamped at the ground, causing Topstitch to lean away from her.
“Of course not!” Topstitch rebuked, “I thought I'd give it a try, we all ought to know our limits.”
“Your limit is plain then,” Luna replied harshly, temper getting the best of her. She turned away, speaking with herself instead, “We should not have condoned this. It isn't wise to tamper with magic on unfamiliar grounds.”
Joe stepped in, “Hey, highness, cool off a bit. No harm done, we'll wait for Socks to show up, like you wanted.”
“Then perhaps it is unwise to do so, as it seems to be my decisions which have undone us thus far, were I not opposed to Trixie's greedy pursuits, we might not have been separated at least.” Luna hung her head, knowing that poking at flaws would do them no good. Her hoof drew a face idly in the dirt. Luna wished her sister was there.
Topstitch got up, with a wince, and approached the princess. “You were right though, it was stupid of me to try magic. I got carried away, thinking we could get home if we found the others quickly.”
Luna nodded slowly, “Thou are worried for thy friends, Trixie, and Knee Socks. We are sorry for speaking so cruelly to you. Working together should be our chief priority, and leadership an equal burden.” The princess wasn't even sure that she believed that last bit, but it put Topstitch and Joe at ease.
“This... is... beautiful. Have I ever told any of you how much I love you?” Socks' gleeful tones bounced around the clearing, distracting them all as they paused to look for the source. The pony himself materialized a short ways away, tipped forwards on the tips of his hooves as if he'd been watching the thrilling climax of a film. “Roleplaying at its finest!” he gushed, “imagine if all games were like that.”
“Speak of the DM!” Joe exclaimed.
The three ponies gathered around their robed compatriot. Socks gave a small frown, returning to his normal posture. He'd hoped they would go on a bit longer, but beggars can't be choosers. Socks eyed Topstitch in particular, gaze falling on the vein-like light-show coming from his horn, “By Celestia's plot, 'Stitch-” Luna gave him an astonished look, causing the haberdasher to smile sheepishly, “-you didn't try magic did you?”
The seamster looked away with a frown, “It was worth a try. We didn't know how long it would be until you came back.”
“Ever the logical,” Socks chided, “Rest your bedraggled hearts, I'm here! I can take you to the others as well. How are you all doing?”
Luna frowned, “We are trapped in a dimension where Our alternate self is a tyrant god-queen, and our magic proves useless,” she paused thoughtfully before looking back into Socks' eyes. The princess shrugged, “but We are whole and unharmed. What has thou found out about this game world?”
“Just that cloaks made out of shadows are the softest things in the universe,” said Socks, snuggling the black garment around him for emphasis. “I have a few ideas, but I'd save those for when we've got the whole group in one place.”
“But you're in control,” Topstitch reminded him, “Can't you just take us to them?”
Socks rolled his eyes, “Did Trix get that laziness from you then? Perhaps I should unravel the whole storyline and give you the keys to the kingdom too.”
Topstitch gave him a chastising look. “This is serious, I just want to figure this out and get home.”
“Alright, alright,” Socks yielded... partially, “there are rules though,” he said. “I can't just help help help. I have to be a proper dungeon master.”
Princess Luna raised a wing to quiet Topstitch's reply, instead she nodded to Socks. “If thou shows us the way we can walk to the others. If Trixie still retains her magic then she may be able to break this curse and send us home.”
“You all make it sound like you've hated my game,” said a dejected Knee Socks.
Luna arced an eyebrow. She smirked as she replied, “For what it is worth, We enjoyed your game a great deal. Thou certainly know how to share thy vision with thy players.”
Socks snorted. Donut Joe cuffed him on the shoulder and Topstitch offered a reassuring pat. He still felt disappointed. It seemed like the only pony who'd really had fun so far was himself. That was hours and hours of planning down the drain. Socks had been positive at least that Trixie would find it in herself to enjoy the game, despite the rather dire circumstances. Instead Donut Joe seemed to be the only one who wasn't flat out irate about the whole ordeal.
“Hate the game, not the players,” said the melancholy haberdasher. It was futile, of course, for Socks could never hate Age of Nightmare.
A/N: This chapter turned out a little bit dark! Tensions are high, and characters are taking it a bit hard. Luna in particular is struggling a bit with how she reacts to this crisis, concerned as she is for her beloved subjects. I could write a whole chapter on Luna's mindset right now, but I won't, because that would probably get boring. I really enjoyed writing this chapter because I feel like there's a lot of small tidbits that really allude to the personalities of the characters, and of course letting Trixie get a bit of revenge on her old rival, the bear, was nice.
I've been a little bit sick lately, and I took up some volunteering work for my community. As a result, the next few chapters may be a little bit slower than I would like (I try to keep to an every-other-week schedule, unless calamity strikes). However, if all goes well I'll bust it out quick and tidy up a few loose ends and you beautiful readers will be none the wiser, besides this admission of guilt.
As usual, thanks for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story if you've committed this far. There's a long ways to go yet, and I hope you'll stick around for later installments too.