Hi. My name is Joshua Grimm. No, I'm not a Grimm like in that show on TV. I like the show My Little Pony, despite that it got canceled a few years back, but I think of myself as an otaku, as well. I especially liked the manga/Anime, Claymore. But one day, when I pitched my idea of crossing the two series, Claymore with My Little Pony, and creating a Virtual Reality game out of it, I got more than I bargained for. It might be a little cliché, but it went a little like this: Shit happened, shit blew up and broke down, and now I'm stuck in a shit situation. I'll leave this memory thing behind in case something happens to me. I think Twilight called it a 'Memory Magical Celestial Sequencer', or 'Memory MCS' for short.
This, is my story.
***Microsoft Development Center, Location: Somewhere in New Mexico, Time: 11:23am***
"GRIMM! GET OVER HERE!"
I got up from my workspace and trudged over to my boss' office, staring at the plaque briefly: John Joseph Jordan, CEO. Everyone just called him 'Mr J.J', or 'Mr. Jordan'. I opened his office door, and was greeted with the first 'compliment' I've ever gotten on the job. From the boss-man, anyway.
"Congratulations, Grimm. I want you on Beta testing for the My Little Claymore project. You pitched the idea, it's your problem, now," He stopped talking to take a puff of his cigar, and bellowed, "GET TO WORK!"
I bowed, and hurriedly said, "Yes sir!" bolting towards the top floor, where the project was handled.
"Joshua, what are you doing here?" A man with dark brown hair asked. Said man's name was Samuel Smith. I immediately stopped running, and turned facing him. "I've just been reassigned head of the MLP/Claymore crossover project. Beta Testing, so, I need the gear." The gear. The first VR testing system in America. Sam looked shocked.
"But Joshua, the project was-" Before he could finish, I turned it on, put on the visors, in the earpieces, and started up the system. That's when something went horribly wrong. It malfunctioned, sending a jolt through me, and the last thing I heard before passing out was Sam screaming for help and the police.
***Equestria, Everfree Forest***
I groaned, and rolled onto my side. "Damn Virtual Reality System...." I cursed under my breath, as I tried to sit up, when I realized something. The system had a Heads-Up Display, or HUD for short. The HUD was always visible, even when my eyes were closed. Something is wrong, very wrong. I could barely hear, but despite the fact that I was near-deaf, I could somewhat make out what they were saying.
"Is..t....d?"
"Do....th.....mi.......cious?"
Than one of the voices was right in my ear.
"CAN YOU HEAR ME?" The voice was incredibly loud, and I could only groan in response. That's when I realized, my clothes felt different. I shouldn't be able to feel clothes in Virtual Reality. Which means....
"Am I dreaming?" I managed to sputter, as my breathing, no longer long and deep, began to even out.
"Oh! It's awake!" A yellow pony exclaimed quietly. Wait, pony? Yellow, and it had wings. Definitely female, but this doesn't explain...It hit me. This was that show that got canceled a while back, My Little Pony. I voiced my thoughts, although I toned the language down several notches.
"The hell? How'd I get here?"
Another pony spoke, this one purple. "Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle, and I want to welcome you to Equestria, despite your....arrival." I tried to sit up, but found myself buried in timber.
"Can't you help me?" I ask, trying to seem strong, but actually, I was aching all over. I could hardly move my head as is, which means I couldn't see the next pony who spoke.
"Hey, are you some sort of alien? A spy? Are you a spy?" The pony said accusingly, as the purple one used the magic she had to lift the wood. I slowly, painfully sat up, and took the time to examine myself.
"This is real....This is fu-er....this is really real." I stopped myself from saying 'fuck', because I wasn't sure if I wanted to toss around human terms, especially one with a sexual meaning, as well as it simply being a curse word. I looked at my chest, now adorned with a pair of medium-small breasts. "Well, this oughta be fun," I exclaimed sarcastically, as I rose to my feet, a little unsteady. A quick look, and I saw that my scrawny arms were now slender, but still felt extremely muscular, and my lithe legs looked like they could move really quickly. I looked around, my eyes adjusting to the low levels of light. I saw something move quickly in the shadows, but paid no heed to it. Big mistake. I looked at the purple pony, who was apparently called Twilight Sparkle, because, hey, why should I trust TV? Talk to the real deal.
"So...any....ponies acting odd?" I asked, reaching over my shoulder, feeling the hilt of the broadsword. That's when I was slammed into from the side, by something lightning quick. "Oof!" I gasped for breath, being knocked into a wall. "What the hell!?" I pulled the sword off my back, the wicked blade glinting in the moonlight. I could sense it. A Yoma. I swung the sword down, as the Yoma lunged, but something was different. In the Anime, and the Virtual Reality Game, all the Yoma were humanoid. So why does this one feel, and look, like a pony? My sword connected with the Yoma's left...fore-leg, and sliced through like a hot knife through frozen butter. The Yoma lashed out, it's horn piercing my gut. I took in a sharp breath, slamming my free fist into the base of its neck. The Yoma began to grow in size, and I couldn't help it. I swore like a sailor. "Holy fucking shit! You're a damn Awakened Being!? FUCK NO! That's not fair! I'm brand new at this, you fucking bitch!" The Yoma, now at full size, was menacing. And I was terrified. She reached her full height, the Yoma's sheer size making her stare down at me.
"Alicia..." I whispered, feeling fear and a little confidence. I had read the Manga, I was certain I could- Wait, I stopped after Volume 24 because I couldn't find Volume 25. Shit. I don't have a fail-safe strategy, so..."The Organization will be happy to have your head, bitch!"
"You are a Claymore? Than I shall kill you, like I have so many back on Earth!" Well, I was screwed. I couldn't afford to die, not here, not now. I was not going to hold back. She used to be like me, like what I am now, before she lost control. I focused, raising my Youki to 76%. My veins bulged, and my silver iris' turned gold, tell-tale signs that I was not holding back. I raised my sword, and leaped, slamming down behind her neck, my sword clattering against her armour-like flesh. I kept swinging, my sword and arm nothing but a blur. The Quicksword technique, created by Ilane, in the Manga.
My Youki slowly rose, surpassing a Claymore's normal limits, which was around 80%. My Youki kept climbing, until it stopped at 90%. At my limit, I could now confirm it was indeed a very arousing sensation, so close to the edge. But I was strong. I kept slamming the sword into her, striking everywhere I possibly could, without getting diced myself. She split my side, pierced my gut, and nicked my back, as I swung one final time, spinning the sword in my grip. It glided through her face, and she collapsed, dead, without a brain to keep going. I landed on the ground, chest heaving.
"It can't be that easy..." I gasped between breaths. The Awakened Being had completely ruined my clothes, one breast exposed. But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was getting back in control of my Youki. I gradually decreased my Youki levels to 80%, than 70%, until it dropped completely. My last conscious thought was, 'I should have checked the data-card! There's gotta be corrupt programming on it, somewhere!' I couldn't remain conscious any longer, and fell, the last thing I remember being the sound of metal on stone, and screaming. Maybe it was my own...
Elsewhere, a mysterious entity received a communication from an unknown observer.
Assessment: The subject has poor mastery of her Youki. Her reckless behavior almost cost the girl her humanity. Proper training instructor is advised to be sent. Recommendation is not yet found.
Awaiting further instructions.