//------------------------------// // Arc 1 - Chapter 9: The First Members Part 1 // Story: Kirsarnia // by Urimas Ebonheart //------------------------------// Kirsarnia Arc 1 - Chapter 9: The First Members Part 1 Frank and Daring arrive at the anchor where the others are waiting for them. "So we're going to bring the first candidates here now?" Jack asks leaning on his hammer. "Yes, Daring says they're ready to go and we'll need to protect them on the way here, it'll also show them what they're getting into," Frank replies. "Yeah, it's just ten ponies and the two Princesses for now," Daring says. "Good, I don't want to escort a large group before we get more members first," Frank says and walks up to the anchor crystal. "Let's get going then, I've been looking forward to this all week." The party of six teleport back to Ponyville where the Princesses, Twilight and her friends with three other ponies and a young dragon are waiting for them. Frank blinks his eyes from the bright light and looks around, he spots the Princesses and walks over to them. "Greetings, Princesses. I've been told you're all ready to go?" he greets them and asks. "Yes, these ten were the first to volunteer," Celestia replies and gestures to the gathered ponies and dragon. "We've also sent out pegasi with notices for the other towns and cities all over the world asking if they'd like the chance to join, though they will go through a background check first like you requested," she tells him. "I see, well then," Frank says and turns to the gathered volunteers. "Some of you know us already, but for those who don't, I am Frank Johnson, the Guild Master of The Dungeoneers. We will be going back to our Guild Hall through the Whitetail Woods, we'll protect you from any monsters along the way so watch us as we fight so you can see just what you're signing up for," he tells them. "This is gonna be so awesome!" Rainbow Dash says with an excited grin. She's been pumped for this all week ever since Daring told her about her experience over the last week. "Alright, stay close together and if monsters show up don't panic, we'll take care of them," Frank says and looks behind them. There are two carriages with large bird like creatures that remind the five friends of a chocobo from Final Fantasy. "I take it you're taking those carriages then?" Laura asks them. "That we are, it's the safest way to travel outside of the crystal’s influence," Luna replies. "Then let's get going, the sooner we get there the sooner we can get started," Jack says. The ponies and dragon get into the two carriages and the guards on top with the birds reins gets them going. The party follow along with three people on each side of the carriages. The trip is uneventful for the first twenty minutes but the first monster group shows up, two slimes and a single timberwolf. The ponies watch as the party groups up and begins attacking them. <)===(> Battle Theme <)===(> Frank shield charges at the timberwolf, his shield slamming into its face hard dealing 235 damage followed by a taunt getting all of their aggro. Laura raises her staff, points it at the left slime and casts her lightning bolt spell dealing 340 magic damage to it which chains for 167 damage to the other slime and 145 damage to the timberwolf. Satoshi toggles his newly learnt magic arrow skill, pulls back the string where an arrow made of blue magic forms and begins firing arrows made from his MP at the slimes dealing 220 damage killing one of them. Jack pulls his hammer back to the right behind him and throws his hammer horizontally at the Timberwolf hitting it for 180 damage and generating 10 fury before the hammer returns like a boomerang dealing an additional 176 damage killing it as well. Samantha just stands there doing nothing as these low level monsters aren't enough to seriously harm the group anymore. Daring pulls out one of the many throwing knifes Frank made for her and tosses it into the last slime dealing 125 damage killing it as well. <>---<> End Battle Theme <>---<> The ponies and dragon watch with awe as the monsters they've feared over the last twenty years were easily killed, but what confuses them is that the bodies just fade away leaving three bags behind, which Frank just casually picks up and they disappear. They continue along the path to the Guild Hall and encounter a few more monsters which were quickly dealt with. The group arrive at the Castle and the Princesses look on in awe as the once ruined structure is back in all its previous glory. They stop the carriages in front of the anchor crystal where the ponies and dragon all get out. "Welcome to The Dungeoneers Guild Hall!" Frank says with his arms spread wide. The newcomers look around at the tall white Castle, it was almost big enough to rival Canterlot's Castle. "Now then, introductions," Frank says as the party then tells the newcomers their names and classes. Twilight and her friends reintroduce themselves before the dragon steps up. "I'm Spike and Twilight's research assistant," he tells the group. He has purple scales with a light green underbelly going from his chin down to the tip of his tail. He's also wearing a pair of black tracksuit pants with purple stripes down the sides but no shoes showing his clawed feet, he also has a green hoodie with a white t-shirt underneath. Next is a white unicorn with an electric two toned blue mane and tail wearing grey cargo pants with a light blue tank top, she also's wearing purple tinted shades. "Sup! My names Vinyl Scratch also known as DJ Pon-3," she introduces herself. The next two is a mint green unicorn with a light greyish and white cyan mane and tail, she's wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pink shirt. "Hi! I'm Lyra Heartstrings, and this is my marefriend Bon Bon," she says and then hugs the pony next to her, she's a light apple greenish grey earth pony with a two toned mane and tail of cobalt blue and light fuchsia. She's wearing a white dress with light blue and yellow stripes on the bottom and at the edges of her shoulder length sleeves. "Hello," Bon Bon says. "And hello to you as well. Now that we've introduced ourselves, you will now tell us why you want to join us," Frank says to them. Twilight wants to learn more about the anchor crystals and a new form of magic. Rainbow wants to be a dungeon delver like Daring Do. Rarity wants to join so she can gather materials for her business and to protect her little sister. Fluttershy wants to help her friends and be a healer like Samantha. Applejack wants to be stronger to protect her friends, home, and family. Pinkie wants to just have fun with her friends, and that by stopping these Dungeons she can get ponies to smile again. Spike just want's to help Twilight. Lyra and Bon Bon want to help stop these Dungeons so life can go back to the way it once was. And Vinyl wants to do something worthwhile, since the Dungeons showed up her touring and gigs were cancelled as it was too dangerous to constantly travel. The party were confused about that, that would mean Vinyl was older than she looked. Celestia then informs them that a pony's life span could be anywhere from two-hundred to two-hundred and fifty years. The group of dungeoneers were stunned at this and told them that humans only lived from sixty to one-hundred years at best. Though with their new abilities and powers that's still up for debate, only time will tell. Vinyl said she was eighty-two years old and the others were around the same age, except for the Princesses who are over a thousand years old. "Now we'll have a look at the records the Princesses brought on each of you, so please wait in one of the Castle's lounge rooms while we look through them," Frank tells them and then looks at Daring. "can you please escort them there," he asks her. "Sure, follow me everypony," she replies and tells the group of ponies and dragon. They follow her into the Castle and the five friends go into the library to look through the records. One Hour and Twenty-Seven Minutes Later The party read through the records and found them satisfactory, no criminal records at all, though Samantha says that there's something different about Bon Bon compared to the others but just can't put her finger on it and Luna has a history of getting into arguments and some fights when she’s agitated. Frank sends a message to Daring and tells her to bring the others back down to the main hall. Everyone is now gathered together waiting for the news. "We've read the records and found them satisfactory," Frank says and notices Samantha sniffing Bon Bon and then a few of the others before sniffing her again, making the ponies stare at her oddly. "That's what it was, she doesn't smell like a pony," Samantha says and both Bon Bon's and Lyra's eyes go wide. "What do you mean?" Twilight asks. "I mean she doesn't smell like the rest of you... I can't explain it other than she isn't a pony..." Samantha replies. Bon Bon looks terrified now and Lyra looks like she about to panic. "Is there something you're not telling us?" Jack asks her curiously. "Don't be afraid, while you are here you won't be harmed," Frank tells her. Bon Bon looks at Lyra and nodded to her which gets a sad expression from the unicorn. A green flame consumes Bon Bon and in her place stands a black insectoid pony with a small horn, a webbed fin where her mane used to be, a short greenish blue tail, dragonfly like wings and light blue eyes with small white dots for pupils. The other ponies gasp and back away but Lyra hugs the insect pony tightly. "Didn't see that one coming," Jack says wide eyed. "Please don't hurt her," Lyra begs. "Why would we hurt her? She's done nothing wrong," Laura replies. "B-But she's a changeling! They feed off of a ponies love until there's nothing left!" Twilight says hiding behind Celestia. "No they don't! I've been letting her feed off my love for thirty-four years and I've still felt the same as when we first started!" Lyra yells at Twilight angrily while placing herself in between them. The others look surprised at Lyra's aggressiveness. "Has she ever harmed anyone?" Frank asks Lyra. Lyra glares at him. "Never," she replies firmly. Frank then smiles at her. "Then she is welcome here, race means nothing to us. Samantha here is a leoness who is strictly a carnivore, yet we don't fear her or push her away, she's our friend," he tells her. Samantha then looks sheepishly at the ground while Lyra's grip on Bon Bon loosens. "But... then what about the rumours and stories about changelings abducting ponies and sucking them dry for their love?" Rainbow asks with a confused expression. "Actually... when a changeling gathers enough love they return to the hive to share it with the others, but sometimes the pony they gathered it from finds out they're changelings but still loves them anyway and sometimes goes back with them to the hive to stay by them... We don't foalnap ponies," Bon Bon replies with a slight dual tone in her voice. "Oh..." Rainbow says and purses her lips in thought. "So what we've known about changelings has been wrong all these years? Why didn't you tell us?" Twilight asks Bon Bon. "Our Queen tried once years ago, but the ponies were afraid of our appearance and chased us off... We've been too scared to try again since the rumours started spreading," Bon Bon tells her. Celestia frowns at that. "I guess we are to blame for letting them get out of hand and believing them ourselves," she says sadly. "Are you still in touch with your Queen?" Luna asks her. Bon Bon shakes her head. "No, I was was exiled because I wouldn't go back to the Hive... I wanted to stay with Lyra," she replies which gets Lyra to hug her again with a smile. "Good for you!" Jack says with a grin. "Okay, then let's get you all in the guild and then sort out your classes and equipment," Frank tells them all.