//------------------------------// // Reclaim the Kingdom (Part 2) // Story: Equestria Legends Online // by Shadowflame //------------------------------// Lexus ”FROSTLIGHT! Quicker than a flash, Shadow flew like a flaming bullet firing towards the castle in a frantic hurry. “Wait, Shadow!” Lexus tried to call out, but it was too late. The alicorn’s scream and flight path over the ruined city had been enough to alert them of his presence. ‘Them’ being the nightmare monsters that flew above the city like a plague. And now because of Shadow’s outcry, a whole swarm of them had noticed their whole group in the square. Lexus ground his teeth in slight agitation, gripping his spear in his forehooves, “Look out, everybody! We’ve got baddies from the air!” The Elements of Harmony gathered up as a group, all keeping relatively close to one another as they watched these horrific creatures drop out of the sky down towards them. Whoever could let loose with arrows and magic, but that did only so much. Lexus felt a cold twinge in his spine, a small feeling of uneasiness in his team’s regard. The sheer number of these monsters was overwhelming when seeing them converge on their target all at once. There were hundreds of them blotting out the crimson sky, a sight Lexus found to be familiar like the hundreds of changelings in Chrysalis’ hive, except these monsters were on average twice the size of a changeling. And not to mention they looked way freakier than any changeling. The monsters closed in quickly, and before they reached striking distance, Lexus uttered a small curse under his breath, “Frickin’ Hell, those other players better get here soon-“ A bright flash of light in the square interrupted his thoughts, and likewise blinded the oncoming monsters into a halted daze. Lexus glanced towards the center of the light, and to his relief, saw Flare Tingle standing there in all her Celestial (pun) glory. Lexus was glad to see the alicorn there to help, but a grin crept up at the corners of his mouth when he saw what was standing behind her. Suffice to say, it was a small army, roughly about a hundred players, most of which were pegasi. They filled the square, both on the ground and hovering in the air, all completely armed and weapons drawn at the ready. Even though now their numbers were only half that of the monsters that had suddenly become aware of the absurd number of players who had suddenly appeared there, Lexus didn’t feel an ounce of fear. A small glance around to his teammates let him know they were relieved as well. None of them had seen an attacking force of this size on their side since the first few boss battles. Needless to say, this was a welcome change to their usual flow of fighting. Lexus chuckled under his breath, “Heh, and to think this is only a third of all the players coming.” Flare Tingle narrowed her eyes towards the swarms of monsters above, before raising her own weapon towards them and crying out to the army she brought, “ATTACK!” With a roar of a hundred battle-cries, the army of pegasi took off to the skies, charging right for the swarm of monsters. Likewise, the nightmarish monsters resumed their descending flight, right towards the oncoming force. And with all the intensity of war, the two forces clashed against each other like thunder as the massive aerial battle broke out. Instantly, the air was alive with the screeches of monsters, the sound of steel ripping through digital flesh, and any other sound that could be heard within a battlefield. But though the monsters outnumbered the army of players, they were outmatched. Suddenly, as the battle took place over the near empty street, another flash of light illuminated the square. As soon as the light disappeared, MidnightDreams, the Princess Luna lookalike, stepped forward, the whole of the players from Manehatten following right behind her. They were all varied in race, equally pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns, numbering at least another hundred to the rallying force of the players. Midnight drew in a deep breath, tilting her head up towards the air as she let loose the Royal Canterlot Voice, “SPREAD OUT AND KILL EVERY MONSTER THOU SEEST! WE MUST NOT LOSE OUR HOLD ON THIS SQUARE!” With that, the hundreds of players scattered through the streets and through the air. Pegasi flew up to the battle above to help the Cloudsdale force, while a few unicorns and archers picked off the nightmare monsters from the ground. The rest who couldn’t take part in the aerial fight spread out to the outlying streets, only to meet other ground-bound monsters who had been drawn to the sound of the commotion. The roar of battle literally shook the air above the square while Lexus and the other Elements of Harmony joined up with Midnight and Flare. As they all approached, Midnight gave a bit of an amused expression, “Are We late?” Violet chuckled back, “Heh heh, nope. Not a moment too soon either.” The Lunar diarch in form nodded, “Good.” She glanced around, raising an eyebrow, “Where is Shadow?” “He went ahead to the castle,” Neon answered, “But we got separated by the monsters.” Sky huffed in bitterness, “I could have followed him, but there were way too monsters and we needed to protect this square for everyone to arrive without being swamped by these things.” He glanced around towards his team mates, “We need to reach Shadow as quickly as possible, before he gets killed by who-knows-what Discord is keeping in the castle.” Flare nodded in understanding, “Yeah, you better go now. Midnight and I will take care these guys while you head to the castle. We’ll make sure the Ponyville players arrive safely. With a nod, Sky took off, with the rest of the group tailing behind him. Although, Siren was the last to follow, after quickly telling Midnight and Flare, “Oh, and we have some friends coming on the airship. Tell them we went on ahead.” “We will, now go!” Midnight shouted. The Elements of Harmony tore through the center street leading up through Canterlot and towards the castle gate. But just like anywhere else, monsters swarmed in from all sides on them. They would have more than likely been halted by the sheer number of zombies, skeletons, and… Velociraptors in top-hats(?!), had it not been for Sharky, who quickly conjured walls of ice at every side street that emptied onto the one they were on. With walls of ice blocking all monsters on the sides, the group was able to focus their efforts on cutting down the sheer number of enemies in front of them. They literally tore through the streets. As they ran, cutting down any unfortunate monster that met the group of ten head on, Sky shouted to Lexus, “I’m going cloud form and flying ahead!” Lexus nodded, “We’ll meet you there, assuming you and Shadow don’t die first.” Sky just rolled his eyes, with a smirk, “I didn’t realize you were the Element of Brutal Honesty.” With that, his form quickly evaporated into a dark cloud of smoke, before racing up into the sky and zooming towards the castle. _________________________________ Chess Queen ran as quickly as she could through the dangerous halls the castle had become. Due to the influence of Discord’s rage, the normally spacious and near-empty halls had become lined with ruthless obstacles; sharp, blood-stained spikes growing out from the walls, a flammable floor that caught fire right beneath anyone’s hoof if they weren’t careful, and even puffs of yellow gas hanging throughout the air, which would make any player instantly tear up and go into a fit of coughing if they breathed it in. These, as well as other dangers, made traversing the halls of the castle… difficult, to say the least. But fortunately for Chess Queen, who had lived in this ever-changing castle for months, she knew her way past almost all of the dangers (On one occasion, her tail had almost been severed by the teeth of a piranha plant she had failed to see in time). In fact, if not for these hazards, Chess knew she’d have been caught by now. A massive roar shook through the halls, belonging to Nightmare Pyre as he no doubt had stumbled across another hazard in his pursuit after Chess Queen. Said mare finally reached the end of the hall, which lead into the main entrance of castle. Now that she was in a safer area, one with less hazards than the halls, she glanced backwards for any signs of her pursuer. Instantly, a scream of fury rang out, accompanied by a sudden explosion of white fire, right around the nearest corner. Chess Queen grimaced, realizing that Pyre had still managed to stay fairly close on her tail, even while stumbling through the hallways. Honestly, the strength and durability of alicorns were absurd, even more so when they’re out for blood. “Chess Queen!” Chess turned to the sound of her name, only to find two Haters running up to her, panicked looks on their faces. Good, none of those mind controlled vegetables, Chess thought to herself. One of her guild members spoke rapidly, “Chess Queen! Our friends are in a fight in the south square! There’s hundreds of players, and they just suddenly appeared! It’s like everyone who’s even still alive is fighting out there!” Chess Queen narrowed her eyes, glancing back towards the hall, where Nightmare Pyre would undoubtedly come through, “So they are blitzing us?” A small grimace crossed her face, “It seems they want to end this game now, and judging by Shadowflame’s appearance, the rest of the Elements of Harmony are here to defeat Discord.“ “Wait, they have all of the Elements?” “Yes, they-“ She was interrupted as a massive explosion of white fire blasted throughout the hallway she was staring down. One of the Hater’s eyes widened in shock, reaching for his weapon, a cleaver, on his back, “What the hell was that?” Chess Queen narrowed her own, “Their leader.” The white fire dissipated into smoke, and out of the smoke, the charcoal grey, flaming white maned alicorn stepped out from the cover of gaseous soot. His muzzle was bared in a snarl, and both his sword and shield burned with the same fire that had left the hallway charred in his wake. ”Chess Queen! Your business is with ME!” Neither one of the Haters who had just appeared to the scene didn’t need to be told twice. Both turned and hightailed it towards the castle’s front doors, “NOPE! Sorry, I don’t want to be a dead man today!” “Same here! Let me know if they beat the game or not!” Chess Queen gave a bemused half glance in their direction as they disappeared from sight, groaning as she did, “Good help is hard to get these days, apparently.” She turned towards the slowly approaching Nightmare, horn igniting as she summoned two warriors herself, both of which were two armored ponies; two knights armed with lances. But before either of Chess’ knights could even make a move, Nightmare Pyre’s form suddenly became akin to a black and white blur, spearheading right between both of the armed ponies. Chess Queen’s eyes could barely follow the massive alicorn’s sudden burst of speed, and in an instant, in the wake of Pyre’s blazing trail, both knights suddenly crumpled to the ground, bursting into white flames from gaping wounds in their bodies that flickered with white fire. Chess Queen watched her knights burst into code not five seconds after having summoned them, unnerved by the fact she hadn’t even seen Pyre’s blade moving. Before she could let out a gasp of surprise, Chess found Nightmare Pyre in front of her, towering over her like bonfire in the middle of a wild windstorm. Suddenly, she felt her throat become constricted in the white grip of Pyre’s magic. She gasped and gagged as she was suddenly wrenched off of the ground by the choking grip around her neck. Instinctively, her hooves flew up to pry away the intangible arms that strangled her, but to no avail. Silently, she cursed as she gasped for breath, S-stupid game logic. *gasp* choking is still a threat, but it- urk, takes much longer than in the real world! Her focus wavered, and the tower shield she had been holding in her magic fell to the ground with a clunk because of it. Unarmed and gasping for air, Chess Queen helplessly felt herself get wrenched closer to Nightmare Pyre, until she was looking directly into his burning red eyes not inches away from hers. At this proximity, she could feel the intense heat coming from his flaming mane and tail, and had this game been more lifelike, Chess figured human skin would have become burned just by standing next to him. His voice bellowed out from his mouth like rotten smoke, ”Tell me the truth. You only killed your friend to save your own miserable hide!” “Urk!” Chess Queen winced as she felt his grip tighten across her throat. She coughed as she replied in a raspy voice, “What good what it h-have done for us to both die? If I didn’t do it, Discord would h-have done it a worse way.” She hacked as she strained for breath, “Compared to him, I performed a mercy killing.” Nightmare’s expression burned with even more fury. With a snarl, he threw Chess Queen to the ground with a thundering crack, most likely more from her own body that the marble floor beneath her. She winced in pain, but was glad that Nightmare’s grip around her neck had released itself. Pyre glared down at Chess Queen, hissing as his sword dragged its tip across the marble floor towards the unicorn’s prone, wheezing form, ”You call backstabbing your best friend mercy!? You think killing Frostlight was doing her a favor!?” Chess Queen only cough in response, trying to both clear her thoughts and catch what little breath she could. Slowly, Nightmare Pyre raised his sword above Chess Queen, as if it were a jagged cross to smite this pitiful creature that belonged in Hell. His next words he let out could have literally dripped with the venom and malice he spoke with them, like poison off a blade, ”We both know, if Discord wins here, you will die by his hand sooner or later. Why don’t I provide the same favor you gave Frostlight?” Pyre leveled his sword’s flaming tip towards where Chess Queen’s heart lied… Or where it would have been, Nightmare Pyre hissed to himself, Heartless bitch! Chess Queen, having steadied her breathing enough to act consciously, turned her eyes up towards the burning sword pointing down at her. But little too late, she watched in horror as a cruel snarl filled Pyre’s face, spitting down at her, ”Here is my gift to you, Chess Queen; A quick. painful. death!” With a thunderous growl, Nightmare Pyre thrust his sword down, right towards Chess Queen’s che- *CLANG* The ring of steel against steel rippled through the air as Nightmare Pyre felt something strike his blade from the side, which in turn caused his sword to slip and penetrate the ground beside Chess Queen. Pyre quickly glanced towards the insufferable interruption with a glare, but who he saw was the last player he expected to be there… He felt his heart skip a beat in his chest at the very sight of them. He was a tall red stallion, with a white mane and tail, but both were rustled and messy, as if he had been sleeping on dirt for the past few weeks. He wore no armor, but instead a prison chain hung around his neck, a small link of chains trailing off where they had undoubtedly been cut. The stallion looked frazzled, but his eyes were somber as he held a single broadsword in his hoof. Nightmare Pyre’s eyes widened, his mask of fury crumbling slightly to make way for shock, surprise, and bewilderment, ”You…” Jupiter, the former head admin of Equestria Legends Online, looked back at Nightmare Pyre with a sad, solemn look, his voice full of sincerity, “Shadow, I know that’s you in there. Please… don’t do this. You don’t have to kill Chess Queen.” Pyre narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Jupiter, “Jupiter… How are you alive? Every admin in the game was killed during Discord’s coup, and he started with you!” “Why would Discord kill anyone he could use as a plaything? We both know he can’t resist the chance to torment anyone he can.” Jupiter quietly replied. It was only then that Pyre heard the gravel in Jupiter’s voice, as if he hadn’t drank a drop of water in months. His disheveled appearance, and the chain collar around his neck suddenly made sense. Jupiter went on to explain with his raspy voice, wincing as he felt the strain of talking, “Yes, the other admins were killed, but Discord personally spared me. He locked me up in the dungeon with a mirror, through which I could see everything happening in the outside world. Discord thought it’d be clever to make me watch as the world I worked so hard to create crumbled beneath his rule.” His teeth clenched together bitterly, “For the past three months, I’ve watched the surviving players die, one by one. And the whole time, Discord was peering over my shoulder and laughing at the pain I felt seeing each death.” The red stallion’s eyes shut as he felt his eyes wet, “A month after I was captured, I tried to take my own life to rid myself of this fate… but Discord wouldn’t have it. Before I could get away with the deed, he stopped me, saying he wanted me to be the last to die in this game.” Jupiter glanced back up at Nightmare Pyre, his eyes somber. Throughout the explanation, Pyre’s raging inferno of a mane had slowly died down to about that of a smaller fire, his anger momentarily displaced from fueling it. “I freed him.” Pyre glanced down at Chess Queen, the one who had uttered those words. The mare slowly lifted herself off the ground, only to stare at the towering figure before her, “During our chase through the halls, I summoned one of my monsters and sent it down to the dungeon. I had it cut Jupiter’s chains and brought him here.” Her voice never wavered in fear, uneasiness, or even in her usual emotionless tone. All she spoke with was in a undertone of sorrow, “Without your friends here, I knew Jupiter would be the only one able to calm you down. Believe me when I say I never meant to be an enemy for you at this point. Both of us only have one true enemy here.” Nightmare Pyre growled through his fangs, “You never meant to be my enemy- Isn’t it too damn late for that?” He turned his fiery eyes towards Jupiter, raising his sword into the air with his magic, ”Tell me, Jupiter. Chess Queen was the reason why the Haters slaughtered the other admins and left you in Discord’s imprisonment. Yet you tell me to not kill her. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t burn her to a crisp!” His magic flared with his shout, causing his flames to whip wildly for the moment. Jupiter said nothing for a moment, holding his sword steady in hoof. But soon he slowly made his way across the marble floors, walking until he placed himself between Pyre and Chess Queen, “Because, I love her.” At those words, Pyre’s face contorted in shock, his magic even wavering from receiving this revelation. No, this went beyond shock; Pyre’s expression looked… betrayed. Nightmare Pyre hissed between his teeth, ”What?! Jupiter, she is the enemy!” “She is no enemy.” Jupiter firmly stood his ground against the alicorn. ”How could you ever love a heartless leech like her? Pyre screamed, ”What good has she ever done to you? What about the past three months where she made you Discord’s personal torture toy?” Jupiter didn’t even blink an eye, staring down Pyre with calm, iron resolve, “The cruelty I was under was Discord’s, and Discord’s alone. “After I failed at committing suicide, I was almost driven mad by Discord. I almost lost sight of any worth left in this miserable world… but Chess Queen saved me. She came to visit me, just like I had for her when she was imprisoned in the very cell I sat in. Thanks to her, I was able to talk my way out of insanity… and the more we talked, the more I found that we weren’t all that different from each other. All we wanted was to return home, to the human world.” Jupiter quietly sighed, picking up his sword and driving the tip of it through the stone floor in front of his hooves, giving it a resemblance of a cross stuck in the ground, “Whether it was because of my gratitude, or the loneliness that she filled, I love her and I am willing to protect her at all costs.” Pyre sputtered back, sent reeling by the turn of events. He felt conflict within himself; the want to kill Chess Queen right then and there, against the respect he felt for his friend… Jupiter was still his friend, right? Pyre shook his head in confusion, “But- Are you insane, Jupiter? She’s killed more people than I can count because of her guild! She’s no better than Discord! She’s a murderer!” “None of our hands are clean either, Shadow. Not yours, not mine.” A picture of a pony flashed through Pyre’s head, one of a Hater he had cut down months ago; one that had tried to kill him first, only to be stabbed by Shadow and burst into blue code. “Tha- That was different!” Pyre shook his head, the flames around him dying down in the midst of his confusion, “She murdered! We didn’t! You can’t possibly love her, because she’s a Hater!” Jupiter narrowed his eyes, “What about Frostlight? She was one as well, ever since Chess Queen began that guild.” Pyre’s breath caught short. For a moment, he remained silent, trying to work out his tied tongue, “I… She…” But after another moment, a thought struck him, “Frostlight… before she died… she… asked me to spare Chess Queen.” A mourning look crossed his features, a grimace across his jaw, “… she knew about you two… didn’t she?” “Yes.” Chess Queen replied, stepping out from behind Jupiter, placing herself beside the red stallion. Her face showed sadness as she spoke empathetically, “She was the only other person that knew I had grown to care for Jupiter…” Her gaze lowered towards the ground, “But if those had been her last words, a wish to spare me…” The white mare let out a saddened sigh, “Frostlight… you were always too good to me.” She wiped away the sadness from her expression, glancing back up into the burning eyes of Nightmare Pyre, determination taking precedence of her features, “When I created the Haters’ Guild under Discord’s direction, I admit I was only playing sides, choosing the one I thought would be more likely to win. I was a strategist set on survival, and I had never supposed the possibility of Discord’s defeat to be a likely outcome… “I still don’t,” Chess Queen spoke bitterly, “That is… until I make certain of a factor that could play key in all of this.” Pyre narrowed his eyes, ”And what, pray tell, would that be?” In a slow movement, Chess Queen reached out with her magic, up towards the tip of Pyre’s sword, swinging the blade around so it was positioned directly towards her throat. A calm, sober look dominated the mare’s face as she spoke, “I am giving you the chance to end my life.” The entry hall became quiet in an instant, the other two ponies looking at Chess Queen with looks of startled confusion. “Chess, no!” Jupiter sternly objected. The red stallion tried to reach for the sword leveled to her throat and knock it away, but was suddenly restrained by a pair of hooves. Looking behind him, Jupiter found himself being held back and pulled away from Chess Queen by one of her own summoned monsters, a knight in armor. Jupiter struggled in the knight’s grip, trying to pry himself free as he shouted in protest, “No! Don’t do this!” Pyre watched Jupiter as he struggled, before glaring back at Chess Queen, “Why are you doing this? Only minutes before, you ran for your life from me, and now you’re offering it up freely. Given what you’ve told me, you have all the more reason to run like a dog with its tail between its legs.” “For your revenge,” Even as she spoke those odd words, Chess Queen stood unwavering, completely composed, “You are right; I have done many terrible things in this game, none short of murder. Ever since my talks with Jupiter, I have been preparing myself, so if one day, should I ever return to the human world, I will be ready to accept punishment for all of my crimes. We will pay for them together… Jupiter and I.” Her cold, solemn eyes gazed directly back into Nightmare’s infernal irises, “But now I see that none of my mistakes are worse than killing my best friend. I not only cut down one of my only friends, but I had taken the one you love away from you.” Her eyes slowly shifted down to the sword at her throat, “And so, I am giving you the chance to do the same.” “What will you do, Shadow? Will you take this chance? Take my life?” Nightmare Pyre stood completely motionless, stunned and silent. All he could do was watch the mare before him just stand there, completely ready to die in regret. Finally he could take this murderer’s life… just like he wanted, right? This was to avenge Frostlight… right? This is what she would… have… wanted… Would she have wanted this? Pyre’s ears rang with the distant words, Frostlight’s dying voice as she uttered her final wish, Please, spare Chess Queen. The black alicorn gritted his teeth. No, he hissed in denial, I can’t let Chess Queen live! She killed her! Frostlight’s gone! She’s gone! She’s… s-she’s gone… Slowly, a single tear rolled down Pyre’s muzzle, teeth grinding in grief. He stood stock, unwilling to move. But soon, as if he couldn’t bear it any longer, his hind legs collapsed to the floor in defeat. The magic from his horn briefly flickered before fading, letting his sword and shield clatter onto the ground of the silent hall. Pyre’s head slowly lowered down towards the ground, ears and wings drooping down in sorrow. The flames of his mane and tail flickered one more time, before falling back downwards as a red mane, Nothing will bring her back… not even revenge... Chess Queen looked on solemnly as she watched what seemed to be black smoke seep out of every pore of Nightmare Pyre, and at the same time, his black fur disappeared into his original gray. In the same manner, the rest of his armor and weapons were leeched of the nightmare as well. A few moments later, I was left sitting on the ground, heavy sobs shaking my shoulders as I mumbled, mostly to myself, “I… I can’t do it… I won’t do it, for her.” I looked back up at Chess Queen and Jupiter, who had been released from Chess’ knight’s grip. My vision was slightly blurred, but I could see them well enough through tear streaked eyes. Slowly, Jupiter approached me, placing a hoof on my shoulder. He sighed bitterly, “Shadow… I’m sorry for your loss.” He managed a weak smile though, “But… thank you, as well.” Slowly, I closed my eyes, my head drooping down towards the ground. I let my silence be my reply. Instead, I kept my efforts focused on holding back the tears. I failed miserably though, as I remembered Frostlight’s words… before she... I love you… … “Shadow!” I heard a voice call from the direction of the castle’s entrance… Wait, I knew that voice. It was Sky. Blinking my eyes open, I glanced over to see Sky standing in the large doorway. His face was filled with confusion though, no doubt from the fact he could see Jupiter, who he thought was dead, Chess Queen, who was supposed to be the villain, and me weeping on the ground before them. Sky’s eyes narrowed, “Wha- Jupiter?! Chess Queen!” Out of instinct of seeing a Hater, Sky reached to draw his swords, “What’s-“ Jupiter’s voice came as only a little more than a croak, “Hold, Sky. She isn’t an enemy. It’s alright.” Sky hesitated, but complied, looking no less uneasy though. Trotting forward into the entryhall, he walked towards me, a small bit of worry in his expression, “Shadow?” I said nothing, sadly turning my eyes back to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I could still see the scene before me. Sky stopped just beside me, glancing towards Jupiter as to make an inquiry, “What happened?” Jupiter paused, hesitant to answer. Eventually, he just sighed, “Please, stay with Shadow for now. He will be able to explain. Where are the others?” “They’re on their way here. I flew on ahead to make sure Shadow was alright.” Jupiter nodded, “Good. For now, Chess Queen and I need to leave. Right now, we’re the most ill suitable for battle.” Sky nodded in understanding, and Jupiter began leading Chess Queen out of the castle. Out of my field of view, I could hear Jupiter call back, “I wish you luck, but be careful. When you fight Discord, you’ll need to be prepared for anything.” Soon, all I could hear was the sound of their hooves against the marble floors, until finally they left the hall and all was silent. Slowly, Sky sat down beside me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. But after some time had passed, the blue unicorn asked, “What’s wrong?” … “S-she’s gone,” came my quiet reply. “Who?” I shut my eyes as another wave of tears threatened to roll, “Frostlight… she’s dead.” I heard Sky’s breath catch slightly, “… What happened?” I remained silent. I didn’t want to relive it again. “Who did it?” Sky asked, a tint of hostility in his voice, as if he were going to hunt them down, whoever it was. I simply shook my head in reply. I didn’t want him to know. I didn’t want to have Sky get angry if I told him Chess Queen did it, and she had just walked out the door less than a minute ago. I had already been angry, and look at what had come of it; nothing, except for me almost breaking my promise to Frostlight. Breaking my promise to fulfil her last, dying wish… I had spared Chess Queen, just like I said I would… and I intended to keep it like that, in respect for Frostlight’s memory. Suddenly, I felt Sky’s hoof nudge me. “Shadow, look!” I heard Sky say, surprise in his voice. I opened my eyes, but to my surprise, there was a little window of text in front of me. And what it read astounded me: Achievement Get: Courage (Activate The Element of Courage) I quickly glanced down at the my element, which had been sitting around my neck this whole time. To my surprise, the gem was still white, but instead of a plainly shaped gem, I wore a gem shaped like my cutie mark: fire. White fire… the irony wasn’t lost on me. Sky glanced at me in confusion, “That’s great and all, but how’d that happen? What triggered it?” I puzzled over it for a moment, touching my newly activated Element of Courage with a hoof. But after a moment of silence, the answer suddenly became clear. After realizing the answer to Sky’s question, the first thing that came out of my mouth was a single, underwhelming, “Oh…” With a hoof, I gingerly wiped the moisture out of my eyes, “I understand.” “What?” I glanced back at Sky, a weak smile on my face, “I finally realized what I was missing this whole time.” A small chuckle escaped me, “Sure, I was courageous already and always did what I thought to be right… but I still didn’t fully get just how far the extent of courage reaches. True courage isn’t about fighting every battle like a hero, or even retreating from one. It’s being able to make the hard choices, despite all risks that could scare someone away from the right answer. In the end, it’s merely taking a look at the bigger picture and pursuing the best outcome, because that’s what we would feel to be the right choice.” I sighed, more out of exhaustion than anything, “In this case, courage wasn’t knowing how take a life, but when to spare one.” Slowly, I glanced up towards the ceiling, silently hoping that wherever she was now, Frostlight could still see me. A tiny smile pried at my lips as another tear rolled down my cheek, Thank you, Frostlight… I wouldn’t have learned this lesson without you. A feeling of loneliness still clutched my chest, as a reminder that I could never see her again, … And also… thanks for the memories we shared together. …Goodbye… Goodbye, Frostlight. I’ll love you long after Discord falls and we escape this game… I swear on my life, I’ll keep that promise. ____________________________________ “In here,” Chess Queen ushered to Jupiter as she opened the door. It had been a few minutes since they had left Shadow and Sky at the castle. In that time, Chess had led them both into a more secluded part of the city, away from the raging battle throughout the city. Because of all the action, all the monsters in the area had been drawn towards the commotion, leaving this part of the city relatively deserted. They now found themselves in the basement of one of the only buildings that still stood above the rubble of the city. It wasn’t much, but Chess and Jupiter agreed it would be the best place to hole up in until Discord was defeated. After being imprisoned for three months, with no chance to hunt monsters for experience, Jupiter found himself helplessly under-leveled. As for Chess Queen, she was more of a defensive fighter, plus there was always the chance that a player recognized her and tried to kill her for being a Hater… I’ve made too many enemies to count. Chess Queen quietly sighed at the thought as she and Jupiter entered the basement’s main room and shut the door behind them. The room was a quaint little den, completely untouched by the ruin of the city. Thanks to game mechanics, this place was pristine, instead of covered with dust from being unused for three months. A few sitting chairs, a sofa, a bookshelf in the corner, a poker table, and a mini fridge in another corner made up the interior. But at the moment, neither Chess Queen or Jupiter felt like doing any of those to kill time. The two of them somberly made their way to the sofa, before plopping down onto it. Chess Queen laid her tower shield off of her back and leaned it against the arm of the couch, while Jupiter did the same with the broadsword he carried. And for a good while, neither of them said anything, just sitting there in silence as they browsed their thoughts. They had a lot to think about at the moment. Chess Queen gave Jupiter a side long glance, smiling slightly by the fact she was now alone with him again, “Here, let me remove your collar. I imagine you’d feel better with it off.” Jupiter raised a hoof to halt her, shaking his head, “No, I’d like to keep it on. After all, I’ve gotten used to it, and it sort of feels like a piece of armor. Discord completely cleared my inventory, so these are all I’ve got.” He tapped the broken chain of the collar, while glancing down at his only broadsword leaning against the sofa. Only a neckbrace and a sword… oh, how far had he fallen. It seemed like an eternity ago he was landscaping the very mountains Canterlot sat on for the game’s design. Hesitantly, Chess Queen nodded in understanding. Another pause of silence rolled through the room like thick sheet of smoke. Eventually, Jupiter broke the silence, “Hey, Chelsie?” Chess Queen blushed slightly at the sound of Jupiter calling her by her real name. It had been so long since she had used it as her own. “Yes?” “You were completely honest in what you told Shadow, right?” She nodded. Jupiter held a grim look, “Accepting all the consequences for your actions will be a very steep retribution. In a court ruling, you’d more than likely be given a death sentence.” Chess Queen nodded, “Yes, I realize that. If I ever came forward for the deaths I’ve caused, I’d be put to death for sure. But that is why I don’t intend to pay for my mistakes that way.” Jupiter raised an eyebrow, “How will you do it then?” The white mare beside him sighed, “All this time, I’ve led players astray into killing their comrades, and I’ve helped the actual murderers of this world freely enjoy taking others’ lives. But once we return to real world, I vow to spend the rest of my days doing just the opposite of that. For every individual straying towards the life of a criminal, I will lead them away from that resort. And for every murderer and killer, I will work every day of my life until they cease, whether it be behind bars or under a tombstone.” Slowly, Jupiter nodded, “… The authorities will find out everything that happened in this game. There are command logs, and full video playback of anything that happens in here. Soon, they and the rest of the world might know exactly what happened.” He winced slightly, “They’ll be able to find you. Your old life wouldn’t be safe to live without being caught.” “Which is why I intend to go off the radar.” Chess Queen meekly replied, “I will wander from place to place, keep my identity a secret.” She smiled slightly, “But the more I travel, the more likely it will be that I find the kind of people I intend to help. There are plenty of places that are in need of what I can offer.” Jupiter nodded, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at the beauty beside him, “If you are honestly going to become a vigilante like you say you will, then you will need some help if you want to go far. I offer all of my skills as a companion in your quest to pay for your mistakes.” Chess Queen smiled warmly, “I was hoping you’d suggest this. I definitely could use another piece for the game board ahead of us.” Jupiter chuckled at this, leaning in slightly, “I’ll be the rook, protector of the queen.” Chess leaned closer to him, replying in turn, “And I’ll be the queen, the key to the other side’s fall.” Soon, their lips met passionately, both of their arms slowly drawing towards the other until they embraced. They held each other close, relishing in the warmth and joy of this companionship. It was a welcome change from the living Tartarus that had been these last three months. They would be together forever from that point on.