//------------------------------//
// What We Must Do; Part 1 
// Story: Equestria's Strife Online 
// by Crystalis McCloud 
//------------------------------//

Rarity hummed contentedly as she trotted along the cobble road towards the edge of town. Her destination; a new building constructed near the border of Everfree. The building was a simple but roomy two-story design, with a thatched roof and a mosaic of red and brown bricks making the building look warm and inviting. Beside the door hung a carved wooden sign depicting two swords crossed over a potion bottle and set over a burlap sack. It stood in stark contrast with the dark and gloomy forest behind it, and was nestled nearly on the edge of the town's safe zone.

Of course, had this been Rarity's shop, she never in a million years would have chosen this location. Honestly, it stood out like a rosy red thumb on the edge of town, and the forest certainly didn't help that either. Where was the sense of aesthetic? Sure, it looked cosy enough, but if it had the audacity to be where it was, at the very least it should try to compliment the nature around it, right?

Alas, it was what it was. At least it wasn't an utter offense to the senses. If she did her best to ignore the design flaws, it was actually pleasantly quaint. Perhaps that was the point? Regardless, it was the farthest thing from her own tastes.

It had only been up for two days now, but the shop had already become a familiar landmark and stopping point for players on their way in and out of the Everfree Forest. Here they could buy supplies to prepare for the dangers they'd face within, and then sell the materials and items they earned once they were finished. In that way, this was actually an ideal location. It was right on the path most traveled out of the southeastern side of town, so it spared many a trip from one side of town to another. No other combat supply shop had such a prime location.

Finally reaching the shop, she pushed the door open. She was greeted by the musical chime of the door shaking a bell. It was a common feature of most any place of business, including her own, and made her feel right at home.

Rarity stepped aside and graciously held the door open as two customers were heading out. She even recognized them, a woman and stallion, as customers she'd seen in her own shop. They recognized her as well and each shook her hoof in thanks for her expert services. She accepted their thanks modestly, as always. A lady must not let popularity or compliments go to her head after all.

Once the two of them were on their way, Rarity let the door close and returned her mind to business. The first thing she noticed was that the owner wasn't at his usual spot. The counter right by the door was barren, which meant he had to be helping customers farther in the back.

Rarity gracefully wove her way between a sparse crowd of customers that were browsing shelves stocked to the brim with all sorts of goodies. Everything from potions to crystals; from the eye of a serpent to the condensed essence of a spectre. This shop had just about everything a warrior could need when heading into danger, and everything crafters could need to make those things for themselves.

"Thank you for your business, enjoy your blueberries, Derpy." The familiar, friendly voice of the shopkeep floated to her ears, guiding her along.

She rounded the last set of shelves, and was greeted by the beaming smile of the most memorable googly-eyed pegasus in Ponyville. The eternally cheerful Derpy trotted up to Rarity, holding a sizable basket between her teeth, stuffed to the brim with the aforementioned berries. As usual, one bright eye fixed itself directly on Rarity as she stopped, but the other was looking in almost the complete opposite direction.

Derpy did have the most curious eye condition in all of Equestria, but she was also one of the sweetest creatures in the whole world, right up there with Fluttershy. It was little wonder that everyone in Ponyville loved her. Even Rarity couldn't deny that just about any time she saw Derpy, she smiled.

"Hewwo mish Rariddy," Derpy garbled through her occupied mouth. "You gettin' materiawsh for your shawp?"

Had it been absolutely anypony else, Rarity would have scolded them for speaking with their mouth full. With Derpy, however, one just couldn't help but simply smile.

"Why yes, my dear," Rarity answered, bowing her head slightly. "Agil has promised me a nice portion of the items brought to him by our adventurers. I need them to make the cloth dyes, hair dyes, and fabrics that I'll be using." Glancing down at the basket, full to burst, she asked, "What ever do you need so many blueberries for?"

As soon as she asked, she knew how silly the question was. There was only one reason Derpy could need blueberries. "Muffinsh!" Derpy cheered, her tail wagging energetically behind her. She placed her basket on the floor and pulled a muffin from her inventory, displaying its fluffy, flavorful goodness. She declared proudly, "I make them myself. A muffin a day keeps me happy and strong."

As Rarity looked at the muffin, she couldn't help but feel a nagging bit of hunger. It had been about a half day since she'd eaten, and the little pastry looked absolutely delectable. Even as her hungry eyes admired the succulent berries embedded in its puffed top, the item's stat window suddenly popped up. Whenever one focused on an item, these little screens, visible only to that player, would appear. It was rather annoying at times, but it was just a matter of learning how to only trigger it when you wanted.



Blueberry Muffin
Consumable
Effect Duration: 1 Hour
Recovers 75 Hp per minute
Recovers 40 Mp per minute
Grants 5% AGI buff (non-stackable)



That last part was the most interesting part. Sure, bigger and more complex food items had larger and longer-lasting effects, but an agility boost of five percent was a nice amount for something so simple. If Derpy had one of these all of the time, then it certainly would explain why lately she had been that much quicker at her job.

Speaking of which…

As Derpy tucked her muffin back into her inventory, Rarity pulled out something of her own. It was a tightly rolled scroll, bound with a red ribbon, and she held it aloft with her magic. She asked, "Since I caught you here, would you be a dear and deliver this to Mayor Mare for me? There are some rare materials I need for a special order that aren't in Agil's stock."

Derpy took the scroll, wide-eyed. "Oooo, what kind of special order is it?" she asked.

"That, my dear, is a surprise," Rarity said with a grin. "All that I'll say is that it's something I've been trying to get the commander to agree to ever since I took charge of his wardrobe."

"The commander?" Derpy repeated, promptly putting the scroll away. "I can't wait to see it!"

Rarity chuckled at the show of enthusiasm, beaming all the while. "It absolutely will not disappoint. It's not anything huge, but it is perfect for him," she claimed.

After a few more pleasant words, the two of them parted ways. While the mailmare headed out to make her delivery to city hall, Rarity rounded the next row of shelves. There, she finally found her quarry. Agil was helping an earth pony stallion, taking a vial filled with a viscous amber liquid from the top shelf.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, "I'm still working on getting some stepping stools for you guys to reach up here."

"It's no bother at all," the stallion smiled. "I'm just glad you had this Alpha Timberwolf Sap. This is the last one I needed to commission my first weapon upgrade. You just saved me a day's worth of hunting in the Everfree to find it."

Agil grinned broadly, slamming his fist against his chest. "That's what I'm here for. You'll find almost everything this region of Equestria has to offer here at Agil's Everything Emporium," he said, chest swelling.

Rarity could feel a small smile playing at her lips as she waited for Agil to be unoccupied. The drastic changes that had already swept over Ponyville were rather amusing when she thought about it. Ponies willingly traveling into Everfree. Fighting monsters that only weeks ago would have sent them into a panic. It all would have been completely unthinkable before this game started, and yet--

Once the stallion went on his way, Agil spotted Rarity and gave her a wave. "Well if it isn't one of my best customers. What can I do for you?" he greeted with the same broad smile she'd seen on him every day.

It was time for it to begin. The song and dance of business, and Agil was one of the finest in the craft that Rarity had ever encountered. Every visit to him was a battle in itself.

"I'm here to purchase some more materials," she answered. "I'm running low on moonbloom blossoms, manticore mane hair, timberwolf bark, cocatrice eggs, and mana dust. I need one hundred units of the first four, and six hundred of the dust. Lastly, I need as much spider thread and beast hide that you can spare me."

Agil tapped his chin in thought for a few seconds before saying, "Alright, so if we average out about ten bits per unit for the first order, that comes up to ten thousand. I can spare about three hundred threads and four hundred hides, and averaging out those to fifteen bits each that should make... Ten thousand and five hundred. Alright then, if that's all you need, then it will cost you twenty thousand and five hundred bits."

"Twenty thousand? Now hold on a moment there, dear," Rarity said, stomping a hoof down. "I had an order much like this one a week ago and you only charged me ten thousand. Why in the wide realm of Equestria did the prices double already? All of those materials are native to our territory too, so the price should be lower than that." Just what was he thinking? The price was much too inflated

 Agil shook his head, turning to one of the shelves and starting to straighten out some crooked items. "Rarity, you should know that it's not that simple," he sighed. "Yes, they are local materials, but there is only so much of it to go around right now. The monster parts are easy enough, but so far none of the natural resources have started to respawn. On top of that, we also have to keep up a steady supply of trade to the territories that don't have the materials we can gather. The resources here aren't just for us to use."

"But... I mean... Oh fine, I suppose I see your point," she relented. He did make a sound argument, and he was far more accustomed to this economy than her. "I'll pay your price, but do please tell me when you have more supply to sell for cheaper, would you, dear?"

"Of course," Agil nodded, "anything for a friend." He started walking to the front of the store, Rarity right behind him. "Why do you sound so strapped for cash though?" he asked as they walked. "Between your thriving business and any money you get while hunting, I'd think you'd be swimming in bits."

Rarity smiled weakly at the question, her eyes darting in the opposite direction. "Yes, well... You see, the thing is that I've never really gone... hunting... before," she grimaced at just the thought of it.

This seemed to surprise Agil, and he gave her a strange look as he stepped behind the sales counter near the front door. "You haven't fought a single monster in the last two weeks?" he asked as he tapped the top of the counter, bringing up a new menu. With a few taps to the projection, he selected each item Rarity had requested, in the quantities she had asked for, and the price of twenty thousand and five hundred bits was calculated.

"Don't get me wrong, it's impressive that you've been able to keep your business supplied and funded without the money from monsters," he told her. "Still, you really should be gathering some of your own supplies to cut costs."

Rarity shook her head, "Please, dear, I can bear having to train in basic combat skills by the instructors in town. However, I'm not the type of lady that takes any amount of pleasure in fighting."

"Spoken like a true pampered princess," a voice came from behind Rarity, turning her about to see Mia approaching the counter with Rainbow Dash at her side. She brushed a bit of her golden hair out of her eyes before resting her hand on her hip. "You just haven't experienced the exhilarating rush of barely making it through a difficult fight."

"Spoken like a true Ravager type DPS fighter," Agil chuckled, mirroring her words. "Though I don't think that's the angle that's going to convince her to start hunting."

Rainbow Dash scoffed, "Oh she'll fight. It's just a matter of time before she finds the right reason."

Agil raised an eyebrow curiously. "Pretty insightful words, coming from the biggest battle freak in Ponyville," he commented dryly.

"I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?" Rainbow said, grinning from ear to ear. "I mean, I've even managed to get Fluttershy out there a little bit, though it's slow progress." She dusted her fetlock on her chest in a cocky gesture. She seemed to be taking her role as the chief instructor pretty seriously, even if she wasn't lacking for boastfulness.

"You mean how you practically strong-armed her into fighting?" Mia pointed out, shooting a mild glare at the mare. "Fluttershy nearly died several times there, and she would have if we hadn't had a healer there to back her up. I'm telling you, she can't fight, and she'll never be able to. She's too soft. Anyone who's just as hurt when they hurt others just can't be expected to fight."

Rainbow flapped up to eye level with Mia and matched her gaze. "And I'm telling you that she'll be able to do it!" she argued. "We pegasi have warrior blood in us, so I know she can do it. It may take a while, but she will."

"We'll just have to agree to disagree," Mia said, dismissing the notion with a wave of her hand.

As their bickering continued, Rarity suddenly remembered that she was still in the middle of a purchase. Quite eager to take the chance to get away from the topic at hoof, she turned back to the counter and tapped her way through her side of the shop menu, completing the transaction.

Turning away from the counter, she told Agil, "I'm really sorry, dear, but I must get going now. I have many customers waiting on me, I'm sure you understand."

Agil waved her away with a smile, replying, "Yeah, I've been there countless times. Take care now, and I hope you'll consider going out and hunting for yourself."

Again with the hunting. What was so great about it anyway? Swinging weapons around and killing each other just to get stronger and kill some more? Even if death wasn't permanent yet, it was still wholly barbaric. It was far better to leave things like that to the Royal Guard and those with similar destinies. She was just a seamstress and fashionista, not a warrior.

She simply shook her head at him as she left, not feeling she needed to say anything more. At this point, she just wanted to be back at her boutique, where she could just focus on her work in peace.


~*~*~*~*~*~


The deafening clang of metal on metal cut through the silence of the Carousel Boutique as the door on the far end of the room swung open. The clanging banged against Rarity's eardrums, and in an instant she bolted upright, bleary-eyed, and a faint trail of drool strung from her lips to the paper on her desk. She blinked her vision clear in time to see a young man waving to her as he walked out the front door.

"Ugh," she groaned, rubbing the side of her head as her foggy brain started to come together. Her ears were hit with another loud clang just before the door the man had come in through closed, shattering her thoughts back into a muddled heap. She grumbled under her breath, "For the love of Celestia... Why did I ever agree to let her build that annex?"

Irritation bubbling up from her muddled, half-awake brain, Rarity lifted herself up from the desk. She trotted right over to the door the offending noise had come from and threw it wide open with her magic. No sooner did she do so, then another clang struck her eardrums. Gritting her teeth, she stormed in and protested, "Liz, why in the wide realm of Equestria must you insist on making such an infernal racket so early in the morning?"

One last clang reverberated through the air before Lisbeth looked up from her workbench, where the curved blade of a scythe sat. The weapon glowed a bright orange that cast an eerie light on her features. The once auburn hair was now a vivid shade of pink that matched her eyes, a change that had been courtesy of Rarity's own services.

Lisbeth placed a hand on her hip, pointing her hammer at a clock on the wall her. "Morning? It's nearly noon. Not my fault that you work yourself so hard that you pass out," she said before bringing her hammer down once more on the weapon.

"Ugh, this is no way to start off a Monday," Rarity grumbled, silently acquiescing the point to Lisbeth.

"Yeah, about that," Lisbeth said after another hit, "It's Tuesday, not Monday. You were out for a whole day and a half."

"Th-that long?!" Rarity gasped, her face going flush. Just how many customers had walked by and seen her drooling all over her desk? "Oh, how utterly embarrassing. How could I have let this happen?"

The look that Lisbeth shot her couldn't have screamed 'You're kidding, right?' louder. The blacksmith rolled her eyes and said, "Oh I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that you've decided to perform so many services? Honestly, a salon, designing and producing fashionable casual wear, and making cloth and leather armor upgrades. You end up working almost all hours of the day with barely any sleep! To be honest, I'm surprised it took this long for your brain to give out. We may have inexhaustible virtual bodies, but we still need sleep and relaxation for our minds."

Rarity's ears folded back against her head at the fierce scolding. Again, the reasoning was without flaw. She had no sound argument against it, but that didn't stop her from trying.

"I have to play my part, though," she said, still trying to defend her actions. "Everyone is working so hard fighting, so I have to do everything I can to assist as well. Sure, the only combat related item I help with is the armor, but one shouldn't overlook the importance of appearance either." Most of her work was cosmetic, yes, but she stood by the value of it, and her numerous loyal customers could prove her point.

Lisbeth sighed, "Even so, you really need to take care of yourself before you start thinking of others." She pointed across the workbench to the far wall and said, "Look, even the commander understands the importance of a nap."

Rarity's gaze tracked the line of her finger to see the familiar form of Animus slumped down in a cozy looking chair. How he managed to sleep through the infernal banging in here was a marvel to her, but he was indeed napping. It was actually kind of adorable seeing the busybody leader in such a state.

"Granted, I don't think he's gotten a full eight hours of sleep since the war started, but he rests whenever he can," Lisbeth explained, turning a pointed look at Rarity. "Which is more than can be said of you, Miss Workaholic."

Okay, perhaps she was going a tad overboard. Being able to work constantly for much longer stretches of time was a craftspony's dream. Still, she couldn't let down all of her loyal customers, could she? She'd never had so much business before, and all of it local. Before, she would be designing suits and dresses for the social elites in distant cities, but now she was creating outfits for pony and human alike that were anything from trendy to high fashion. Not only had her style exploded in countless new directions, but she had more customers than she knew what to do with... and perhaps that was part of the problem.

"I see your point," Rarity relented. She sheepishly kicked at the floor with her forehoof. "I'll try to slow down a bit. I must seem a real fool, pushing myself till collapse."

“Not at all. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand getting lost in your work, but you gotta balance it out,” Lisbeth said and shook her head and swung one last time before lifting the superheated scythe up by its black stave. The thin, curved blade started twisting and expanding as the upgrade took hold. Once complete, the glow of heat faded, and the new weapon was revealed. The stave hadn't undergone any change, but the blade had grown twice as long, three times as broad, and was now a stunning shade of blue that glittered translucently in the light of the room. It had gone from looking like a rudimentary farming tool to being ready to cleave a foe in twain. Lisbeth had done well with this upgrade.

That translucent, crystal-like quality to the blade was quite stunning as well. Rarity had seen a number of improved weapons leave Lisbeth's side of the building, but nothing quite like this. "Why dear, however did you get the blade to look like that?" she asked, curious.

Lisbeth grinned with delight, pulling a small blue crystal no bigger than an apple from her inventory. With a flick, the stone was sent spinning up and towards Rarity, who caught it with her magic.

"It's a special kind of crystal, a lot like a sapphire," Lisbeth explained as Rarity examined it. "However, where sapphires and the like have actual uses in crafting important items, this Azurite and others like it are nonessential cosmetic enhancement items. They're pretty rare too. We were lucky to find three in time for the upgrades, and that's the spare fourth."

"I see," Rarity said, nodding in understanding. "It was a marvelous choice picking this color too. It matches the armor I made for the commander to a tee."

"That's the point," Animus said, stirring in his seat. He pushed himself up from his lazy reclining and rubbed at his eyes with a yawn. "So the last upgrade is done now, Liz?"

"Sure is! Check it out for yourself, Commander!" Lisbeth said, hefting the scythe and tossed it to Animus.

He called out his Casts and caught it deftly before spinning it on his fingers. He examined the blade and checked the stats of the weapon before letting both the weapon and the Casts disperse.

"Commander this, Commander that," he sighed. He stood and stretched out his arms over his head. "Ya know, I can deal with most calling me that, but I work closely with the two of you. Could you just call me Ani instead?"

"Sure thing, Ani," Lisbeth said, a devious glint lighting in her eye. "Though with that new scythe, I won't make any promises that I won't go spreading around the title of Azure Reaper for you."

Ani paused for a moment in thought and called the weapon out once more. "The Azure Reaper, huh?" he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips. "That's definitely a title that would strike fear into our enemies. I like it. A hell of a lot more than Commander."

It was a good title, Rarity had to agree. Ani was the only player in the territory that was known to wield a battle scythe type cast, and there was an undeniable intimidation factor to such a weapon. A title to match was quite fitting. There was just one problem.

"That's all well and good, but if you're our leader, you should at least look the part!" she interjected. She shot a look up and down Ani, from his plain dark blue jeans to the faded blue t-shirt, it all looked wrong. Don't even get her started on his brown hair, but that was an issue for another time. "Why are you not wearing the formal attire I made for you? I don't care if you wear your casual clothes in private, but when you are in public where your soldiers can see you, you need to look like the leader you're supposed to be."

She stared him down along the line of her muzzle, and he sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I get it, Rarity, I really do," he said, nodding. "Still, do my clothes really have to be so stuffy and fancy? I feel like a snob just wearing it."

With a quick couple of taps through his menu, Ani's clothes flashed brightly and changed into the flashy duds that Rarity had designed. A deep sapphire colored dress jacket laid over a simple white button-up. Then there was was matching pair of slacks with two white stripes running down the outside of the pant legs. Last of all was a glossy pair of laceless shoes, also following the white on blue pallet of the rest of the outfit.

Rarity looked over the clothes then looked him in the eye indignantly. "And just what is wrong with this look?" she asked. "You look very professional and regal, if I do say so myself."

Animus adjusted the collar of his jacket, looking all the more uncomfortable. "It's this top and the shoes," he explained. "I wouldn't mind wearing all of this to a meeting or some formal event, but walking around town I just feel like a spoiled rich kid trying to show off. I hardly feel like a warrior and leader of the Ponyville forces in this."

"Well," Rarity replied, raising a hoof, "Isn't that what the look of your new armor is supposed to be for? It's pretty much a warrior version of this formal wear." Why was he even letting something like that bother him? There wasn't anything wrong with looking fabulous.

"Yeah, but a leader walking around with his Casts active at all times?" Ani argued back. "I already tried that one day, and everyone seemed more nervous. Being battle ready in the middle of town makes me seem on edge and worried for my safety."

Oh, he could be so stubborn! Why couldn't he just wear his formal attire around town, and his casual clothes at home? "I really don't understand you, Ani," she sighed. "No one here would think you're a snob just because of a few fancy threads. You're our leader, and you were obviously chosen because of the respect you earned from all of us, so what exactly are you so worried about?"

It was only there for a second, but Rarity detected the slightest flush rising up beneath Ani's cheeks. Curious. Whatever could that be about?

"I--," he began, but stopped short. He closed his eyes for a moment in thought before continuing, "I guess you're right, Rarity. I've just been a bit stressed lately, and it's been making me feel a little self-conscious." Leaving the dressy clothes on, he walked past her on his way out. Before he went out the door, he added, "Just forget I said anything. The clothes are fine; wonderful even. Thank you both for everything, but I have to go organize the dungeon clear parties."

He left, looking very tired as he closed the door behind him. Had he always looked so weary, or was this a recent thing? Rarity felt a bit ashamed that she didn't know the answer to that question. She had been so absorbed in her work that she had shut out a lot of the world around her. It was easier to forget about war, death, and all the unpleasantness of this game when she sunk herself into her designs. The most she ever heard of it was from conversations with her own customers.

It helped that business had never been better, and she had even more traffic since she allowed Lisbeth to build the extension off of the back of the boutique. Weapon and armor upgrades in one place just made sense, even if there was a bit of noise pollution every now and then.

Still, Ani didn't look like he was doing too well. Sure, he was getting more sleep than she had, but his job was far more stressful. Getting bent out of shape over how fancy the clothes she'd made for him were? That really didn't seem like him.

"Just what has gotten into that boy?" she asked wistfully as she stared at the door. "He didn't have any complaints when I made those for him. He really seemed to love them."

Lisbeth sat down in the chair behind her workbench and chimed in, "I think it's because of the situation with Commander Twilight."

"Twilight?" Rarity repeated. She turned a raised brow to her. "Why do you think that she's making him like this?"

Lisbeth crossed her arms, reclining in her seat. "I heard that they got into it a few days ago," she explained. "Twilight's be running solo into the Everfree ever since the war started, and she barely interacts with anyone except us shopkeeps. Ani was trying to convince her to start helping him again, but she started really laying into him. She criticized him in just about every way you could imagine, from his attitude to how he dressed. She said he isn't taking this war seriously and letting his title go to his head."

"This coming from the mare that's throwing herself into danger at every turn and ignoring all of Ponyville?" Rarity scoffed. "She has no right to criticize. She may be dedicated to rescuing Celestia, but Animus is the one who has actually taken responsibility for his position."

Honestly, just what was Twilight thinking?

Lisbeth shrugged again, saying, "Whatever the case, it seems Ani took it a lot harder than he probably should have."

Rarity sighed and remembered the azurite stone she was still holding in her magic. Sending it back over to Lisbeth, she wondered aloud, "But why? He's in the right."

Lisbeth retrieved the stone and placed it back in her inventory. "Maybe he wants to appeal to her, hoping that it will get her to listen to reason. He's been relentless in trying to get her back on his side, since the more reckless she is, the more it puts the rest of us in danger."

This really was a horrid situation. Twilight had seemed so right for the position of commander when she stood up to Nightmare Moon. She and Animus had spoken and fought brilliantly together, and yet not even an afternoon had passed before she went rogue. Just what was she thinking?

Ugh, things like this were so depressing and frustrating to think about, and none of it was doing anyone any good.

Letting out another long sigh, Rarity changed the subject, "Where did you hear about their little spat anyway, Darling?"

"Rainbow Dash told me," Lisbeth replied. "She was taking a nap on a cloud nearby when it happened and overheard every word."

"Sleeping again?" Rarity said. "Honestly, for being the fastest flier and strongest pony warrior in town, she can be quite lazy."

She started turning back to the door. She had a lot of work to catch up on since she'd been asleep for so long. Though... perhaps this time she'd take it a little easier. There was plenty of time for both work and relaxation, and the last thing she needed was to collapse like that again.

"I know exactly what you mean," Lisbeth called as she left, returning to work herself. "I know an idiot just like that. Strongest swordsman I know, but the hopeless lout is always dozing off somewhere."

"Sounds like quite the frustrating guy," Rarity said with a smile, on her way out.

"In so many more ways than one," Lisbeth agreed as the door closed.


~*~*~*~*~*~


"Achoo!"

The sudden sound of a violent sneeze startled a young mare from a deep sleep. She suddenly bolted upright, eyes bleary as her heavy lids blinked. She lifted a hoof to brush her long white mane out of her face, looking around in a daze.

"Trikshie is awake! Trikshie did not fall ashleep!" she slurred out, rubbing her eyes.

The continuous rattle of wheels on a dirt road filled her ears as she looked around. She was inside her travel wagon, laying on her makeshift bed of blankets and pillows. Why was she here? Last she remembered, she had been pulling her wagon along the road.

A long yawn interrupted her thoughts, and the head of a man with short black hair poked in from the seat up front. "What's the matter Trixie? Did you sleep well?"

The wagon slowed to a stop as Trixie cleared her head with a vigorous shake. "Trixie was not sleeping on the job. Trixie was just resting her eyes for a bit. She did not fall under that infernal spell of yours, Kirito," she protested groggily.

"What spell?" Kirito asked, stifling another yawn.

A second head poked in through the front of the wagon, this one a young girl with long black hair. The child giggled and said, "It's your most powerful area of effect skill, Daddy. Whenever you nap, others around you fall asleep too. You even made Trixie fall asleep while she was pulling the wagon, hehehe."

"Pffft," he scoffed, giving his daughter a playful shove, "What's so wrong with napping anyway, Yui? Like I always say, naps are an important part of the Aincrad sword style."

How that even worked, Trixie would never understand. With how much this lout dozed off, he could almost be considered comatose at times. Still, his talent with a blade was unmistakable, even to her, and she didn't know the first thing about swordplay. Not only that, but though she loathed to admit it, his skills had helped tremendously in making her performances a huge hit. Her stage tricks and his blades dazzled audiences in every town they passed through.

Speaking of which, she had fallen asleep while pulling the wagon, right? "Who is pulling the wagon if Trixie is not?" she asked. She pulled herself up onto her hooves and stretched out before walking to the front of the cart.

Yui leaped back with a bright grin as Trixie climbed up onto the front seat, sitting beside Kirito. The young girl raised her hand and waved it around before standing between the posts sticking from the front of the wagon and declaring, "That would be me!" The harness that Trixie had strapped between the posts to pull with had been removed, and Yui placed a hand on each one, pulling the whole thing along as though it were nothing.

"Trixie is starting to think that this whole family must be secretly demons," she muttered in awe as Yui kept pulling them along despite the weight, which was far from insignificant. "There's no other explanation for why you two are so ridiculously strong."

"Haha, funny you should say that," Kirito laughed, his eyes glazing slightly in fond recollection. "There was one time in Alfheim that I cast an illusion spell on myself. It was supposed to make me look like a monster, and the type depended on my abilities. Wouldn't you know it, I turned into a giant horned demon and gobbled up my terrified enemies."

Sweet Celestia! Even a game he played considered him equal to a beast from the depths of Hades? For such a mild mannered and seemingly unreliable man, Trixie had to admit that she was coming to both fear and respect him in equal measure. It was fortunate that his fierce qualities seemed to be reserved for his enemies. She should probably count herself lucky to have him and Yui as friends and allies instead.

Kirito interrupted her wandering thoughts, asking, "So once we make it to Ponyville it's a short train ride to Canterlot, right? How long till we make it there?"

Oh right, he was traveling with her so he could find his wife, wasn't he? Pulling up the map from the menu, Trixie glanced over it, tracing a line across it with her hoof. "First we have to pass through Trottingham, and then Hoofington. After that, it's straight to Ponyville. Trixie believes that with the three days to perform in each town, we should be there in a little over two weeks," she estimated.

Kirito nodded, reclining back in his seat. "Guess it's gonna be a while before we see Mommy, alright Yui?" he asked.

Yui, skipping and humming a tune happily as she pulled them along, turned back for just a moment to smile and nod.

Trixie was starting to feel guilty that the child had been pulling them along this whole time while they had slept. She should be the one pulling her own wagon, just as she always had. Such a task was nothing for The Great and Powerful Trixie, after all.

"Hey Yui, why don't you come sit up here now? I want to see if I can shave a day or two off of that estimate."

Wait, did he mean he was going to--

"Alright, Daddy!" Yui beamed even wider, bringing the wagon to a stop and trading places up on the seat with Kirito. She sat down beside Trixie, clapping her hands in excitement.

Trixie, however, was in a panic. He was going to pull the cart. Kirito was going to pull. No, not again. Not after last time.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie objects! She can't handle this again, and she doesn't think the wagon can either," she attempted to dissuade him. "Trixie can pull it just fine."

Kirito chuckled and grabbed hold of each post, prompting Trixie to wrap her hooves tightly around Yui in fearful anticipation. "I thought you said that Mahogany Mend's Wagon of Wonders could handle anything?" he teased her. "We shelled out a lot of our profits for this thing, so it should be able to handle a brisk jog."

Gripping the posts tight, he dug his feet into the dirt, narrowing his sights down along the path. Without warning, he shot forward like a rocket, yanking the wagon along with him with a sudden, violent lurch.

The clattering and bouncing of the wagon, accompanied by a terrified scream and infectious laughter, filled the silence of the perpetual night as the travelling trio moved onward.

"Trixie will not forget thiiiiiiis!"


~*~*~*~*~*~


Applejack sat behind the till at Agil's Everything Emporium, perusing a stack of papers in the late evening hours. After several long moments, she let out a long sigh and she straightened out the pile in front of her before reclining back in the soft chair. It had been a long day on the farm, and to top it all off, there were these.

The documents in front of her were records from the till at the emporium. She had agreed to help Agil by looking over his profit margins. She also looked over his stock of inventory and made notes of how much came into and left the store, and how frequently. Any influx well beyond the demand would be shipped to other territories by train to be sold.

It was a good experience. Reading all of this was very informative on just how the economy was changing from how it used to be. She would be able to take this information and apply it to her own business selling apples and apple products, and thinking on it, she could probably even predict which items were going to be trending soon. It felt like she was really coming into her role as one of Ponyville's economic advisers thanks to opportunities like this.

There was, however, one thing that she'd found that had her really concerned.

She was about to go to Agil with those concerns, when the front door was suddenly flung open with a loud bang. The sound nearly sent Applejack leaping right out of her fur, and she whirled to see... no one?

That was weird. Why would the door suddenly--

"Agil! Where's Mister Agil?!" two voices suddenly screamed from her side.

"AAAAH!" Applejack screamed back, teetering and crashing to the floor, chair and all. Catching up with her pounding heart, she calmed herself down and peered up to see the faces of two young fillies clambering to get their heads over the counter. Applejack recognized them as classmates of her little sister, Apple Bloom. "Diamond Tiara? Silver Spoon? Just what in tarnation are you doing out here so late?" she asked, getting up and setting the chair right.

The little fillies were on the verge of tears, much to Applejack's alarm. Diamond Tiara, a pink filly with a curly mane streaked with lilac and white, spoke up first. "We didn't mean any harm, Applejack. We didn't want anything bad to happen to them, we swear!" she bawled.

"Honest!" Silver Spoon agreed. The little gray filly bobbed her head up and down and sent her normally tidy light gray, braided mane into a frenzy. "We didn't want this at all!"

Applejack slammed a hoof down on the counter, startling the two into silence. "Now calm down a second you two, Ah can't make a lick of sense out of yer babblin'," she said calmly, waiting for them to ease up and speak normally.

"What's all this racket?" Agil's voice came from farther in the store. The giant of a man soon appeared from around one of the many shelves of product and came up to the till. His normally cheery expression turned to one of concern as he saw the fillies in tears. "I could hear the shouting from all the way upstairs. What's going on?"

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked between Agil and Applejack with looks of terrified guilt. They were silent for a few seconds, hesitant to speak, but finally blurted out together, "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo are trapped in an Everfree Dungeon and there are bad guys everywhere!"

"What?!"

"Mah sister?"


~*~*~*~*~*~


Unbeknownst to those inside of the emporium, Spike and Kai huddled just outside of the front door, which was still open just a crack. "Did you hear that? Those girls are in trouble," Kai whispered, an excited grin spreading across his face.

"And that's good?" Spike said, leveling a flat look at his friend. "It wouldn't be so bad if they were defeated and respawned back here, but they could be captured and taken prisoner by Nightmare."

"Well of course that's not good," Kai agreed, turning more serious. "This is our chance, though; we've trained long and hard to prove ourselves as knights, and this is our moment. A knight will not stand idly by when there are maidens in peril!" He placed a hand on Spike's shoulder, getting the two of them pumped up.

"Right! We'll save them!" Spike exclaimed in as quiet a voice as he could manage. “Just one more step towards being strong enough to protect Twilight!”

Leaning in close to the door, Kai listened in for a moment more before saying, "They're saying that the dungeon is farther in the forest. To the north of the abandoned cottage."

"I think I know the area," Spike nodded.

A devious grin spread across Kai's face as he realized something. "Hey, isn't Sweetie Belle Rarity's sister?" he pointed out. No sooner did the words leave his mouth than Spike grabbed Kai by the wrist and bolted for the forest, dragging the cackling boy.

"We've gotta save them fast!" Spike shouted before he and Kai disappeared into the dark trees of the Everfree Forest just behind the store.