//------------------------------// // The Search Begins // Story: Link Start! // by UsefulRamen //------------------------------// In Kirito's and Asuna's Castle Suite the Next Morning "Do you think you could probably fight Gleam Eyes without almost killing yourself?" Asuna jokingly asked. Sure she was joking, but there was still a hint of seriousness in her voice. "Sure thing. Just don't go flying too far away from the fight when you get punched." Kirito threw back with the same exact tone as Asuna. "Sh- Shut up! May I remind you that my health bar wasn't almost gone...unlike someone I know. My god." Asuna said as she playfully hit Kirito's shoulder. "So are you ready to go to through with the search today, or does cute wittle Kirito-kun need his beauty rest?" Asuna teased. Kirito just rolled his eyes as he put on his 'Cloak of Midnight' and 'equipped' his to swords: 'The Dark Repulsor,' and 'The Elucidator.' Asuna took a much longer time to get ready than Kirito because she cared about how her hair looked (unlike a certain black swordsman). Kirito made his hair (or rather mane) look decent but apparently not decent enough according to Asuna because she was brushing his hair a little too much. It looked a little awkward considering she had to do it with her mouth. "Okay, okay. I get it Asuna, I need to brush my hair 100x more." an annoyed Kirito said as he rolled his eyes. Asuna eventually stopped, but only because she had to finish combing, and brushing her hair (Yeah. I'm just gonna call it hair for the two). Kirito used this opportunity wisely and made a great escape to the hallway right outside the room. "Kirito!" Twilight greeted as Kirito jumped high up in the air with a slight...let's just say...yelp...yeah...yelp of surprise. "What the HELL!?" Kirito loudly yelled. He was more surprised than he thought (geez this is sad). Then Asuna heard Kirito's...yelp and came to his apparently much needed rescue (whatever). "What? What happened?...oh. My god Kirito. Your such a baby. Good morning Twilight." Asuna said with a slightly agitated tone. "Good morning Asuna. I just came to tell you that there's some breakfast ready in the dining hall. Princess Celestia let us stay for the night too." Twilight informed. "Are there pancakes?" Kirito excitedly asked. "Mhm! Different kinds too." Twilight answered as she thought about whatever flavors she was going to eat. "Ooooh. What kinds of flavors?" Kirito's mouth was starting to water. He didn't even noticed the angered look that over took Asuna's face. "Well there's all kinds of different flavors. But you should see for yourself." Twilight said as she giggled at Kirito's reaction to such things. "Wow. That almost sounds better than-," Kirito began as he glanced over at Asuna who was now very intimidating for some reason,"never mind." Kirito finished as he quickly looked down at his hooves. "Let's get going. Don't want to miss the pancakes now do we Kirito?" Asuna angrily teased. "Uh. Yeah. Right. Heh. Pancakes." Kirito nervously commented. In the Dining Hall "Good morning Kirito and Asuna!" All the ponies greeted simultaneously. "Good morning everyone!" Asuna happily returned. "So let's get down to business." Asuna suggested. "Pancakes?" Pinkie and Kirito asked in unison. "No!" The rest of the ponies, including Asuna yelled (except for Fluttershy who just watched and giggled in the background). Apparently the gang was having the same problem with Pinkie Pie, as Asuna was having with Kirito. "Aww, but we're all here." Pinkie tried to persuade. "Just be patient Pinkie." Rainbowdash said in her usual raspy voice. "The same goes for you Kirito." Asuna said as she shot him a 'just wait' glare. "Fiiine." Kirito and Pinkie said at the same time. They were easily planning on how to get around being caught trying to get pancakes earlier than the rest of the ponies. "So here's what we'll do," Kirito whispered as he began explaining his master plan," you keep them distracted from looking at the table with the pancakes somehow while I sneak as much as I can off of that table. Sound good?" Kirito finished. "Got it!" Pinkie whispered, and they put their badly-put-together plan in action. It failed miserably and both Kirito and Pinkie Pie had to wait until the rest of the group got their pancakes. Their day started rather lively. In the Castle Garden "So where should we start?" Asuna asked. "How about in that forest I saw near Ponyville?" Kirito suggested. As he mentioned it, the group of six ponies and a dragon trembled with fear. "Y-y-you mean t-the E-Everfree F-Forest?" Fluttershy fearfully asked. "Nopony goes in there darling." Rarity added. "Why? What's wrong with it?" Asuna curiously asked. "W-well the animals in there fend f-for themselves." Fluttershy stated. "And the plants grow freely." Applejack added. "There's mud, and muck everywhere" Rarity also added shortly after Applejack. "The weather isn't pegasi controlled either." Rainbowdash said. So far, Kirito and Asuna were more surprised to hear the way they do life here in Equestria 1,000x more than the forest because to them, it sounded like a typical forest. They couldn't even approach the idea of understanding why these ponies were so afraid of it. Pinkie was paying 99.9% of her attention to random things, 0.1% to the conversation. Apparently she was in her own little dream world even though she was obviously awake. "I don't see the problem with it. It seems like a regular forest to me-" Kirito was abruptly cut off by Twilight. "But that's not all. There are dangerous creatures in there." Twilight commented dramatically. "Yes! Finally, some action!" Kirito whispered to Asuna who was clearly thinking of something else at the time. But apparently noticed what Kirito said. "Shut up you jerk! Can't you see that they're clearly terrified of that place? Geez, have a heart for once." Asuna scolded Kirito. "Why, what did he say?" Twilight innocently asked. "Nothing, never mind." Kirito quickly responded. "Well, it does seem the most likely place that Gleam Eyes could be in, but we could start the search somewhere else if you like." Asuna kindly suggested. "No, no. We've been in that forest plenty o' times, so we should be fine." Applejack admitted. "Then why are you guys so afraid of it then?" Kirito asked. "Because just the thought of all those things we said about it earlier combined makes it...absolutely... TERRIFYING." Fluttershy replied. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, me and Asuna will do our best to protect you." Kirito said as he did his signature 'ruffling of the hair' to Fluttershy. "O-okay." Fluttershy agreed in defeat. "Wait. You can actually use those things?" Rarity asked astonished. "I thought they were just there to complete your outfits." She added to her question. "Huh. I don't know if I can dual weild in this form though." Kirito doubted. "I can fix that." Twilight said. "How? Kirito's an earth pony?" Spike piped up (finally). "With a new spell I've been working on. It can change an earth pony into either a unicorn, or a pegasus." Twilight almost bragged but caught herself before she did. "It only works on earth ponies though." she added. "Cool. Well, we better get going." Kirito excitedly said. "S-so we are starting at the Ever Free forest?" Fluttershy shakily asked as she conitued to tremble at the name. "Sorry darling." Rarity apologized feeling sympathy for Fluttershy. "Well, let's go!" Asuna said loud enough for everyone to hear. "Right!" They all said. At the Entrance of Ever Free "You ready?" Kirito asked determined. "Yeah!" They all confirmed simultaneously. "Then let's go!" Kirito almost rushed into the forest but before he did, he remembered that it wasn't a dungeon first of all, and second, he wasn't a solo player anymore (he wasn't even a player, and besides, even without the group of ponies and a dragon, he would still be doing this with Asuna by his side), and third, the ponies weren't as recklace, or adventurous as he was when it came to this place. "Oh. Right. Oops." Kirito quietly murmured to himself. "Okay. L-lets just hurry up a-and g-get t-this over w-with." Fluttershy began to tremble and shake even more now that she was actually there. She was talking like a broken record player. Asuna was the first to comfort her because she seemed to be one of those kindhearted ponies Fluttershy had ever met (aside from Celestia). "Thank you Asuna." Fluttershy thanked truly grateful to have met her. The group of eight ponies (and spike) made their way through the forest never running into monsters of any kind (much to Kirito's annoyance, and boredom). Then, in the stillness, the silence was broken by a near by howl. In fact, the howl was so loud, that it felt like whatever was making that long animal song was right next to the ponies. "What was that?" Kirito asked with excitement beginning to grow in Kirito's onyx eyes. "That, Kirito my friend, would be a timber wolf." Applejack shivered. Yes! Finally! Some action! I've been waiting so long. A battle is about to begin. Kirito thought to himself. Asuna gave him a 'bruh' look and an 'I'm gonna kill you later' glare shortly after. She was happy that she and Kirito might actually be able to fight something but also felt guilty about feeling that way around the ponies (and Spike) who were clearly scared of timber wolves. Growling and groaning noises began to fill the air in the area as the shaking of the ponies (and Spike...I think you get the point (except for Kirito and Asuna who were reaching for their swords with their mouths). "Hey Twilight! Now would be a good time to make me and Asuna unicorns now!" Kirito said as he prepared himself for battle. Twilight nodded in agreement, and began to perform the transformation spell (which may I remind you that she hasn't fully mastered yet). With a lavender flash of light from Twilight's horn, Kirito and Asuna were now pegasi- wait...Pegasi!? (Geez this is sad). "Twilight! Try again! We're pegasi! Not unicorns!" Kirito shouted desperately as the growls and groans got closer, and closer until ROAR! There, standing tall on two legs, with a cobra for a tail, and two red piercing glowing eyes, stood <> with the timber wolves who appeared to be his new minions. Twilight saw this, and immediately tried the spell again, and this time, was successful. Kirito asked for a quick lesson on how to use levitation, and him and Asuna learned fairly quickly. Him and Asuna ordered the ponies to either stay back, or keep the timber wolves ready while they took care of the red-eyed beast. Kirito and Asuna then began to charge it, making a huge warrior cry as they went officially restarting the fight that should have been over so long ago.