//------------------------------// // Commanders // Story: Equestria's Strife Online // by Crystalis McCloud //------------------------------// "So this menu is for forming parties? What's the purpose for that?" Twilight asked as she tapped a hoof on the menu button. A window popped up in front of Animus in response. The invitation had been sent to him since she had been facing him. He tapped the confirmation button, and the window vanished into thin air. As proof of their party, her Hp and Mp bars appeared just beneath his in the upper left corner of his vision. "Being in a party has a number of advantages. For one, you and your fellow party members can see each other's condition at all times. If you're in trouble and taking damage, your allies will know right away that they need to rush to your side," he explained. "Then there's drops. When you fight monsters and other players, and defeat them in battle, they drop three different things, items, money, and experience points. Those are divided amongst the party, and while you don't get as much, you can fight tougher monsters in larger groups when you are in a party." "Experience Points?" Spike asked from his seat beside the two of them. "Experience Points are a numerical value of growth. Stronger enemies give more experience points, which in turn will increase a player's strength in the form of 'levels' when certain amounts are collected," Animus explained as he flicked through the menu and tried to find the player stat screen. Finding the right menu, he opened it up and gave it a quick look over. "Sounds like those tabletop adventure games that my brother used to play when he was in school," Twilight compared, bringing a small smile to Animus as he browsed. It seemed there were some surprising similarities between this world and his. They even had their own sort of D&D nerds. The first thing that he noticed was there was no level indicator on his character data. Scanning the rest of the information, he also couldn't find any of the usual equipment information that should have been there either. He could see stats, and another health indicator. The most interesting part, however, was the solitary piece of equipment listed next to that. Lvl 1 Casts - Lance Reaper. Next Level: 1250 Beneath that was a list of skills. Spear -  Lvl 1/100 Glaive - Lvl 1/100 Battle Scythe - Lvl 1/100 Light Armor - Lvl 1/100 Huh. That was interesting. When he had played SAO, he had been a spearman, so seeing a spear skill wasn't that surprising. In that game, however, the skills had ranged from one to one thousand. If even this was different, then there were likely a lot more that was different from SAO. This singular piece of equipment was really the most curious part, though. "What's this here? It says that I have some sort of equipment called Casts. Never heard of them before," he wondered aloud. "Casts?!" Twilight said in surprise. Mimicking him, she went through to the same menu. "Casts were the name of special magical weapons created thousands of years ago. They were made by taking a special metal with certain properties and placing countless enchantments on it while forging it into a gauntlet. The results were nearly indestructible weapons that took the shape of weapons most suited to their weilder." The menu popped up under Twilight's hoof, and Animus took only a quick glance at the backwards letters from where he sat. Lvl 1 Casts - Spellshot His gaze went back to his own menu as he scrolled through as many different windows as he could. He still listened intently as Twilight entered what he had quickly come to call Lecture Mode. He had found out the hard way that not listening resulted in a smouldering glare whenever the obsessed unicorn caught his attention wandering. "According to the books I've read on the subject, Casts bind to the latent magic in their wielder. The magic that flows naturally through them shapes the weapon, and they will always form weapons that perfectly suit the abilities of the user," Twilight explained without looking up from her own window. "Though I don't know what these other details are. Bracer Beam? Impact Cannon? Bunker Spine?These names mean nothing to me. At least cloth armor makes some sense, though Casts are supposed to just be weapons." "Well, those guys, Discord and Yuto did change a lot of things. Maybe they turned Casts into something that generates both weapons and armor?" Animus offered the explanation that made the most sense to him. "There are no spaces for armor shown on the equipment menu. If you combine that with the level display next to the Cast name, that leads me to only one assumption." "And that would be?" Twilight asked. "Evolving weapons," Animus said simply. "Instead of experience points going to the player themselves and making them stronger by leveling up, the points go into the Casts and your weapons and armor evolve and grow stronger with use. If that’s the case, then actual character growth will likely be minimal. That sort of structure would support skill and proper use of techniques over simply overpowering your enemy." "Sounds complicated," Spike muttered, flicking his own claw through the air and giving the menus a try for himself. "I'm already getting lost in all the mumbo jumbo the two of you are spouting." "You should get used to it if you put it to use often enough," Animus assured him. "The way this looks, it seems like it is blending the leveling system many games use with the hardcore, skill focused structure. I've heard that a lot of games adopted that structure because it favors actual growth of player ability over just gaining a bunch of levels and gaining false strength that way. You can get stronger by fighting a lot, and gaining a lot of levels for your Casts, but if you fight someone who is flat out a better fighter than you, you will still get your ass kicked." A sharp smack of telekinetic magic to the back of his head followed his assessment. Animus let out a small yelp of pain at the assault, but held his tongue as he got reprimanded for using such language in front of a baby dragon. After closing up his menus and glancing over the lines and lines of notes Twilight had jotted down continuously, he took a look out the window. The sun was well past high noon, and in only a few hours nightfall would come. With what they had found out earlier, they would need to get moving soon. Plus, he really wanted to see what was happening to this world. They had stayed shut up in this study since he’d gotten here. While it had been a welcome chance to get his bearings, he couldn't stay there forever. Standing up and stretching out of reflex, Animus said, "I think that's enough for now. We need to tell someone about what we learned about Nightmare Moon coming back tomorrow. She's likely the commander of the other faction that those two mentioned." Twilight nodded in agreement, sweeping up her notes and several books she'd gathered and started placing them into her item storage one by one like he had taught her to. As each item was held up to the menu, they vanished in turn, with an effect that looked as though they were compressing into a cloud of blue pixels that was suckex into the item menu. He had to admit, for a magical pony in a seemingly technologically inferior world, she was learning pretty darn fast. Still, learning how the system worked was one thing. Whether or not she would be able to fight well was another. "I have to say, this game system does make carrying things a lot easier. No need for saddlebags or anything," Twilight commented. Once she had everything put away, she turned to the door with Spike in tow. "We'll go to the castle and see if my brother is there. He's Captain of the Guard, so if there's anyone we should talk to about what we learned, it would be him." Animus gave a low whistle as he opened the front door, fairly impressed, "You're the direct disciple of your princess in the study of magic, and your brother is Captain of the Guard? Prestige and talent must run in the family." He withheld his snarky impulse to comment on the fact that a tabletop nerd became a high rank soldier. A faint sign of a blush appeared on Twilight's face. "Thank you. I guess I have been lucky." "Oh brother," Spike grumbled, hopping on her back. "Don't sell yourself short to this human. You and your brother worked hard and have lots of talent that got you where you are." "This human has a name, you know?" Animus said as they made their way down the winding staircase. Bickering persisted between the human and dragon until they finally reached the front gate. Two ivory ponies, pegasi from what Animus had learned, stood at rapt attention on either side of an enormous pair of doors. When they spotted the human walking alongside Twilight, they lowered into what looked like battle stances. Flashes of light strobed on their hooves, revealing gleaming silver gauntlets on their hooves. In the next moment hard metal plates of armor and long spears of a fairly simple design seemed to spring forth from them in a flow of enchanted steel. Forgotten instincts kicked in, and Animus mirrored the two ponies. He took a ready position with his shoulder narrowed and his knees bent. It had been a long time since he had last fought, but his virtual body remembered the motions. The battle instincts flaring in him were a trigger, and just like they had for the pegasi, twin gauntlet appeared on his hands. His casual clothing was quickly covered as, with an odd tingling sensation, the magic and code in the Casts created pieces of dark brown leather armor. A leather cuirass, greaves, and bracers took shape, and were accompanied by a long shaft extending from his clenched fist. From the end of the pole, a crescent scythe blade curved in a reflective arc. So Casts were activated when the will to fight surfaces? That was good to know. He had been worried about not knowing how to bring them out when he hadn't seen anything in the menu. "Twilight Sparkle, step away from the human," one of the guards nickered. "We don't know his allegiance, so we cannot let him pass. Please come with us, or he may hurt you." With a concerted effort, Animus slowly straightened himself out. His Casts remained active though. No way was he letting himself be defenseless, but loosening his posture was as much of a show of goodwill as he was willing to show. Much to his surprise, Twilight stepped in between him and the guards, holding up a hoof. "He's with me, please. He's been helping me figure out what is going on here, and we have important information to share with my brother," she explained with an imploring look. "Shining Armor is the one that is in charge with Celestia missing, right?" The guards shared a skeptical look and eased up ever so slightly. However, rather than granting passage, they pulled their spears up and crossed them in front of the double doors. "I'm sorry, Miss Sparkle, we still can't let him into the castle," the same guard said, shaking his head. "You are right though, Shining Armor is one of the ones in charge right now." Twilight's head canted to the side. "One of them? Who else is there?" The guardspony shot a suspicious look at Animus and said, "Commander Shining Armor is working together with Princess Mi Amore Cadenza to get the Royal Guard back in order and restore peace here in Canterlot. The human commander has been a help too. She taught the soldiers what she knew about this accursed game." "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza?" Twilight parroted. "Commander Shining Armor?" Spike echoed from his seat. "Human Commander?" Animus joined in the cacophony of repetition. "Shining Armor and a human girl have been designated by the system as the commanders of the Canterlot forces," the second guard explained. Twilight looked up at the castle that towered before them. "Well can you at least bring my brother out here so I can talk to him?" She waved a hoof back at Animus and added, "I'm not letting him out of my sight for the time being." "Hey, its not like I'm going to run off and get myself in trouble," Animus defended his pride. "I have self control and common decency." "So says the guy that scarfed down a huge bowl of salad and four pieces of toast for lunch today like a ravenous manticore," Spike quipped with a smirk. Animus' face showed his mild irritation as he crossed his arms in front of him. His scythe leaned lazily to the side in his grasp as he grumbled, "Studying makes me hungry, and when I get hungry, I get hungry. So sue me." Ignoring the bickering human and dragon, the guard shook his head at Twilight, "I'm sorry, but he isn't here right now. Both of the commanders went into the city to calm the panicking citizens and new arrivals. Humans and ponies were practically at each other's throats in the hysteria just a few hours ago. Thankfully, reports seem to indicate that things have calmed down quite a bit since they went out there, so they should be back fairly soon." Twilight nodded in understanding, and was just about to thank the guard when a voice called out behind her. "More like right now." Both soldiers went rigid at attention at the voice. Animus and Spike, however, ended up kissing the floor in unison as a happy purple mare whirled in place and bowled the two of them over in order to hug her brother. Said brother was a broad shouldered unicorn with a nearly gleaming white coat and a short but well groomed blue mane. Above his head, spinning slowly, was something much different though. Rather than the golden gem everypony seemed to have, his icon was two golden swords crossed over each other. "Shining! How's my BBBFF? I'm so happy to see you!" she giggled happily. "BBBFF?" Animus questioned almost inaudible through a face full of cobblestone road. "Big Brother Best Friend Forever," came the answer of a similarly afflicted Spike somewhere off to his side. "Ah, gotcha." Shining Armor laughed and returned the hug, patting his little sister on the back. "Calm down, it's only been two days since you last saw me.” Gently pushing her away to regain his composure, he smiled and said, “I'm doing fine, Twily. I was actually more worried about you. Though from the looks of things, the human you met isn't so bad." He wasn't so bad? That had to be the nicest thing any of these ponies had said about him since he got here. Animus had decided; he already liked this Shining Armor guy. Even if his sister was an academic fiend that would have made this human's strictest teachers quake in their boots, Shining was already Animus' favorite pony in this whole place. "Finally someone gives me a vote of confidence!" Animus declared as he pried his face from the ground. "Gotta say it was worth the wait to be treated like more than a danger or annoyance." "You can't really blame them, can you?" a strong but gentle female voice asked him. "I mean, how would you feel if they were the ones to drop into our world?" Twilight tilted to the side to look past her brother. Standing just behind him, in a simple but elegant combat skirt, was a woman with a tender expression. She had beautiful amber hair that flowed down around her face, complimenting the subtle off-white hue of her clothes, which was further offset by small portions of deep scarlet. Just like Shining Armor, above her head was a golden icon resembling crossed swords. Looking over the woman briefly, Twilight asked, "Shining, is she that human commander?" Shining nodded, giving a polite gesture to the woman as he introduced her, "Yes, Twily, this is -" "Asuna?!" Animus blurted out, still rubbing bits of dust and dirt off of his face. He could scarcely believe it. She looked older, like she was in her early twenties, but it was undeniably her. "Holy crap, it's really you. You're Lightning Flash Asuna!" Her presence was like a little flame of hope that lit up in Animus. With someone like her here, things might not be so bad. All eyes turned to Animus as he gawked at the swordswoman. Expressions ranged from surprise, to confusion. "I haven't been called by that particular title in a long time," Asuna noted. Clasping her hands behind her back, she leaned forward to examine the young man. "Do I know you? My friends are the only people I know that still remember that I was ever called that." "Well, yes and no," Animus said. He pulled himself up with the support of his scythe. Looking at the weapon, he figured it was no longer needed, and in an instant his Casts, and everything that had come with them, vanished. "You probably won't remember, but we met seven years ago in the Town of Beginnings. I fashioned the necklace made from Yui’s Heart." It was a small memory, probably not much but it meant a lot to him. A look of surprise spread across Asuna's face as she looked close at Animus. "You're that little boy from the first floor?! Really?! Kirito said he was going to be meeting you today, before all of this happened. I can't believe you got pulled into this too." "Who's Kirito?" Twilight interjected curiously. "Oh, sorry. Twilight, right?" Asuna addressed the mare. "Kirito is my husband." "Yeah, Lightning Flash Asuna and Kirito the Black Swordsman are practically legends. Their skills with a blade are among the very best," Animus explained excitedly. "Though I gotta say, I don't know if I should hope that Kirito is somewhere here in Equestria too." Asuna nodded with a weak smile, "I know what you mean. I want him to be with me, but I don't want him to be in another dangerous game like this." Twilight looked between Asuna and Animus with a mixture of confusion and interest. There was something that happened a long time ago, but every time she heard Animus allude to it, he just as quickly dropped the subject. Shaking her head, she spoke up, "Sorry to interrupt, but there are important things we need to discuss. Animus and I did a little research this morning, and we figured out what's coming tomorrow that marks the beginning of the game." That got Asuna and Shining Armor's attention. Pleasantries were quickly dropped as Shining asked, "So what exactly is coming?" "Nightmare Moon," Animus said bluntly, "Or as I hear she's more commonly known, the Mare in the Moon." Shining Armor stiffened noticeably. The name carried weight with it among ponies. An enemy strong enough that their princess, powerful enough to raise and lower the sun and moon, had to use an outside source of powerful magic to defeat her. That source was the Elements of Harmony that Discord and Yuto had supposedly deleted. The only known method of defeating the Nightmare was gone permanently, and the pony that defeated her was nowhere to be seen. The prospect of her returning now had to be terrifying. "Do you remember what day it is tomorrow?" Twilight asked, her expression growing more and more serious as she looked to her brother. Realization dawned on Shining as he confirmed what they had learned. "It's the one thousandth Summer Sun Celebration." "Yup," Spike piped in as he climbed up on Twilight's back again. "And according to the legends, on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aide in her escape." Asuna listened on in silence. Every once in a while she would give a short nod of understanding. She had to be organizing the new information in her head. The mark of any decent gamer was learning as much about a world as possible with every little bit of info you can get, and filling in the blanks with the most likely possibilities. It was also a common skill of anyone that read or watched lots of fiction. "I think its safe to assume that the game system is moving the sun and moon automatically, with Celestia missing," Animus gave his best assumption, "but I wouldn't be surprised if once Nightmare Moon returns, she'll be able to freeze the cycle in eternal night, like the legend says." "There's one good thing though," Asuna offered. "With the game system in place, there is a good chance that a long period of night won't have the catastrophic effects it should. Climate should stay the same. Crops should still grow. That's one blessing we have. Even if she does impose eternal night until she is defeated, we won't be on a countdown to total catastrophe." "But if none of this happened, then Celestia would still be around, and she could use the Elements of Harmony to defeat Nightmare Moon again," Twilight pointed out with a poorly hidden note of frustration. "Not our fault," Animus muttered. "We're just as much victims as you are." Both Twilight and Asuna gave him a light glare, making him cringe involuntarily. "Being snide and combative doesn't help anyone, Animus," Asuna scolded him. "You're right. I'm sorry," Animus sighed. As well as he felt he was handling this situation, he couldn't deny that the stress was having some effect on him. He was only human, after all. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he kept the conversation rolling. "Right now, my biggest concern is finding out where she will show up. I want to see what the deal is with this other faction," he explained. "What?! Don't tell me you're thinking of joining up with Nightmare Moon?!" Twilight barked, her eyes narrowing at him. "I'm not saying I will, but I'm not saying I won't!" Animus shouted back at her with equal volume. "I want to go home! I have a life to get back to! I don't know how I intend to beat this game yet, but I won't make that decision until I know what the sides are in this game. If I have to, I'll make my own allegiance! " Twilight took a step back at the ferocity of his retort, and he could see the guards at the door start to tense up. Undeterred, she raised a hoof to object, but was cut off as Asuna stepped forward, looking him straight in the eyes. Her razor sharp brown eyes stared into his with an frightening ferocity. He could almost see all the incredible battles she had fought reflected in them. There was no anger in her eyes, but it felt like she was going to bore a hole into his soul. He felt strangely naked under her gaze, but he met it as unflinchingly as he could. After a while, her look softened, and a small smile graced her lips. Turning away, she looked to Twilight and Shining and said, "Let him do as he pleases. He's not being malicious or dishonest. If he does end up on the other side, then I won't hold anything against him." Shining Armor gave a nod of understanding, but Twilight didn't seem quite as convinced. She spoke out again, but curbed the edge out of her voice. "But why? Why would you just let him go and possibly join up with Nightmare Moon?" "Because it is his decision to make," Asuna said simply. "How would you feel if someone tried to talk you into taking a side you didn't want to?" Twilight lowered her eyes, ears wilting slightly as the truth of Asuna's words sank in. She looked to Spike, sitting on her back, who nodded to her. A reluctant sigh puffed from her muzzle, "Alright, I understand." "Thank you very much," Animus thanked Asuna with a short bow. "I guess it's to be expected of the former second in command of the Knights of the Blood Oath." Asuna gave a nod in answer. She really was every bit the leader that tales told of back then, and just as intimidating too. Her beauty and ferocity were legend, and the ponies were lucky to have her. "If you're really set on this, I think I know where you should go. Command Menu; display territory map," Shining Armor announced, and at his command a large map popped into the air in front of him. Floating as though resting on a table, the map showed what had to be the nation of Equestria. Dark border lines cut the map into pieces, each denoting a territory that had at least one town or city in it, but as many as three at most. "Here," the pony commander indicated with his hoof. The map zoomed in on two areas, one dominated by a large mountain with a large dot on the side of it labeling the city of Canterlot. Just to the south, in the next territory, were two smaller dots. One, set inside a large forest called the Everfree, was marked as the Palace of the Royal Sisters. Just on the edge of the forest was the second dot, which was a town called Ponyville. "This palace is in ruins now, but it was where Celestia defeated Nightmare Moon a thousand years ago. If I had to guess, I would say she is most likely to appear in Ponyville, just to the northwest of there. Given its close proximity to the palace, and the fact that Celestia was going to be raising the run from there this year, that makes it the ideal place to look," he explained. The info did add up. If there was anywhere that was most likely to be her first appearance, it would be there. From the looks of the map, Ponyville wasn't all that far away. There was even what looked like a train line running between here and there. He could be there well before nightfall if he left soon. The map vanished and Animus knelt down to grasp Shining's hoof in both hands, giving it a firm shake in gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you very much." The unicorn commander gently withdrew his hoof and said, "Think nothing of it." Straightening himself up on his feet, Animus could feel a touch of tension in the air. He wasn't making things easy for anyone, he knew, but he couldn't just make a rushed decision on something like this. There was a lot at stake, without even taking his life and future into account. "I should go then," Animus said with a sigh. Turning to Asuna, he added, "It was wonderful seeing you again. Give my best to Kirito if you ever see him, and if I come across him, I'll send him your way." Asuna reached out and took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "It was good to see you again too, and I hope we meet again soon." A small smile tugged at the corner of Animus' lips. Turning around, he looked to Twilight and Spike. "Thank you both too. You were hospitable when you didn't have to be, and helped me learn a bit about this world." Twilight raised an eyebrow at him. "Why are you thanking us like you're saying goodbye? We're coming with you," she declared with a matter of fact huff. Both Spike and Shining Armor gave a start at the proclamation, both shouting in unison, "What?!" Spike was so surprised that he teetered off of Twilight's back and hit the ground again with a thud. Grasping his little sister by the shoulders, Shining shook her lightly while questioning, "What are you talking about? There's no way I could let you go, Twily! It could be dangerous!" Twilight shrugged out of his grip and pulled Spike up onto her back again with her magic. The look she gave her brother undeniably said that she had made up her mind and nothing was going to change it. "Just about everywhere is dangerous now," she said with conviction, "and I'll go stir-crazy if I just sit around here doing nothing but reading books, as much as I love them. I want to do everything I can to defeat Nightmare Moon so that we can get Celestia back." She bumped Animus with a rough nudge in the side. Then, with the kind of look he had seen her give a book she was reading, she added, "Besides, you still need to tell me a lot more about these kinds of games. Like all that stuff I saw in the menu about sub-classes, maps, and messaging. But most importantly, you're going to show me how to fight." ~*~*~*~*~*~ Shining Armor let out a long, frustrated sigh as he made his way into the throne room with Asuna. The soft blue glow of his magic surrounded the large doors and swung them closed behind them. The gentle swordswoman rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. "You're worried about your sister?" she asked knowingly. Yet another sigh forced its way out of him. She had hit the nail on the head, but really, it wasn't that hard to guess in the first place. "Yes," he admitted. "Even if Ponyville is the closest town to here, I can't help but worry about what could happen to her, and I wouldn't be able to do anything. This is war, and I'm not sure she fully understands what that means. Humans and ponies will die before this is over. I don't want her to be a part of that." Both of them stopped and bowed before the throne as they raised their heads to see an alicorn with soft pink coat and beautifully curled, multicolored mane and tail sitting in elegant regalia. The young Princess Cadance rose from her seat and walked over. Dipping her head, she nuzzled against Shining's cheek and motioned for both of them to rise. "Please, no more bowing, both of you. With everything that is happening, the last thing we should worry about is formalities. Plus I'd rather have my fiance standing beside me than bowing before me." Both rose and nodded in understanding. Shining took the hint and happily moving to stand beside his beloved and return an affectionate nuzzle to her. "So I take it Twilight has gone blazing down some path her heart is set on?" Cadance asked them. A small smile appeared as she recalled the strong will and passion Twilight had, even as a filly, back when she was her foalsitter. "Yeah," Asuna confirmed, "She should be on her way to Ponyville right now with an old acquaintance of mine. We believe that is where Nightmare Moon is most likely to appear first, and they insisted on going." "I really wonder if I should have told that boy where it was," Shining worried aloud. "You made the right choice," Asuna assured him. "You saw it in him too, didn't you? He doesn't want to choose a side until he knew both. He won't accept any allegiance that he doesn't believe in, and won't let anything sway that resolve. That is the kind of determination that inspires those that see it. He has the qualities of a leader, and when he does choose a side, I have a feeling he will draw others to him, and become a commander. That's why you told him about Ponyville, isn't it? So far it is the only territory that doesn't have at least one commander on our side established." Shining Armor nodded, though he didn't seem all that convinced by her words this time. "I just hope he chooses our side. The fewer we have to fight and kill to win this damn game, the better. And he had better not harm a hair on Twilight, or I'll make sure he regrets it." "I'm sure Twilight will be fine, Shiny," Cadance said with a light peck on his cheek. "She's strong, like her big brother, and you know even better than me how useless trying to stop her would be." "That's what worries me," he explained. "She may think some things through to ridiculous degrees, but when her emotions get the best of her, she gets reckless. Don't forget how antisocial she can be. Once she gets into her head that she has to do something herself, it's almost impossible to get her to accept help." Asuna walked over to a nearby wall and looked at a gorgeous piece of stained glass depicting the two royal sisters sealing away Discord. Looking over the scene, she said, "Well if there's one thing I learned about these games, it's that they have a strange way of bringing people together. I have faith that everything will turn out for the best." "Yes, as do I," Cadance agreed, walking up beside Asuna to admire the artwork, "and I really hope I get to meet your husband someday. I can tell that you love him as dearly as I love Shining Armor." "Trust me, if he's here, you'll definitely get to meet him," Asuna laughed. "That bonehead would and has fought against an enormous army all by himself just to find me." Cadance laughed and cast a glance over to where Shining sat fretting over every little worry that popped into his head. "Sounds like something my Shiny would do too."