A Good Share of Lives

by Sea Pony

Stage 9

``Mister Sonata?!`` The word flew out of my mouth before I through what I was saying, He was surounded by a little group of ponies all of them a sort of weird gem floating above their head, that mean they were players. Most of them was green but one of them was yellow which made me a little uncomfortable.

I quickly learn that green mean good players, yellow mean a player that stole, or kill a criminal player but didn’t activate a bounty quest for the player in question. And red mean they have kill innocent players or NPC, for this game we are consider NPC’s so we can’t know if they kill ponies or artificial inteligence. ``How do you know my name filly?`` Sonata ask narrowing his eyes at me.

I gulp nervousely, quick I need to make a believable story! ``Eh, I heard of you because you slay some monsters in front of my town!`` I said with a nervous grin which was pretty useless since the hood was hiding most of my face.

``Well I’m not sure if I should believe but why the buck not? Anyway, a young filly like you should not be in this forest go back home your parents must be worried.`` He said impatently tapping his paw at the ground.

``Wait a minute maybe it’s a quest NPC, she could be important maybe she is part of a side quest for bonus XP.`` Said a changeling in the group. I also learned that the players can be either one of the three race of ponies or a changeling, a lot have chose to be the changeling since they can become any races for a limit of time.

``No! Our goal is to beat this tower we will not have a filly in all of this!`` Sonata said glaring directly in the eyes of the player, in the corner of my eyes, I saw a old brown unicorn stallion with a gray mane and beard, he had a green bowtie and a navy blue suit, his cutie mark was a simple scroll, but for some reasons he gave me a chill just with his smile.

``You’re way too defensive of her, she’s just a artificial intelligence it’s not like it would matter if she died.`` Said the changeling smugly, Sonata grit his teeth but keep silent. The same old stallion cast silently a spell without nopony noticing and sudenly a screen appear in front of all the players.

‘Do you accept ‘Sea Pony’ as a party member?’

Yes No

Eh? Since when did this game know my nickname?! And since when normal ponies can be add in a quest? This made no sense at all! Sonata had also a confused expression, all the players press ‘yes’ without hesitation. ``Ok Sonata I think we lost enought time here let’s go inside we have to clear these floors.`` The changeling said, Sonada nod still confused. I shrug and follow them I had come this far, I wouldn’t back away now because of illogic events.

- - - - - -

The entrance was the castle of the royal pony sisters, Discordhad construc the entire tower as a extention of the castle. When we enter inside of the castle a strange white platform was in the middle of the room. The players and Sonata all began to stand on it I shrugh and join them.

As soon as the last of us step on the weird thing the ground under me began to shake. Just when I through I could breath a sigh of relief, the platform began to rise at high speed. As we go through the stages we saw stairs going through all the tower with doors leading to all Discord’s chalenges.

Finally the platform came to a suden stop, I look up to see a magical barrier blocking us from the upper floors. That probably how Discord make us do all his chalenges, we can’t go through the others as long as we didn’t complete the room of this level.

``Here we are stage nine, the next level will be one of the element of harmony, I think we can make two stages tonight and relax by killing trash mobs around Ponyville to gain XP after that.``
Suggest a Earth pony mare in the group most of the other player cheer at the idea of clearing two rooms in one go.

Sonata was the next to talk to the group. ``Ok guys let not rush in we don’t know what traps there could be in there, let make a list of what class we have and then-``

``Alright let’s do this, LEEERRROOOYY JENKINS!!!`` A massive Earth pony cried before rushing in the room.

``Oh Celestia he just ran in`` Said Sonata before making a face hoo- claw? ``Let’s follow him quick!`` The players and Sonata quickly rush in the room, I quickly follow behind. All the room was grey everywhere we look.

In the back of the room was the statue of two big minotaurs in heavy armor they each had massive swords bigger than me, the pony who rush in was in the middle of them. Before him was a wall with the symbol of the sun and the moon with a little hole in the middle.

He lift a medallion looking like a ying yang and insert it inside. The strange wall emit a blue light before sliding open like a door. Inside was a simple looking ball of crystal, the player quickly pick a bow and shot a arrow on it.

The ball instanly glow brighlty before extanding it’s light into all the room. I watch in wonder as the ground made of stone was transformed in dirt and grass. Sonata narrow his eyes and look around. ``Well this is beautiful and all but why did this room change like that? There must be a reason.``

The stallion who did all that cried from the end of the room. ``I don’t know but I don’t see the statue anymore!`` I couldn’t see him since he was hidden by tree that was blocking my view. Sonata open his beak to say something back when I loud scream interupt him.

``AAAAAHHH!`` It was the voice of the stallion that had just spoken. I began to sweat and my eyes go wide as I back away from where the scream came from. Sonata quickly took the massive bow of his violin and press on a small button that made appear a massive blade hidden into the bow.

All the players took his example and took their weapons except for this weird brown stallion who was smirking at the situation. ``Ok the the supporters go to the left and the offensif players come with me!`` Sonata scream, I quickly follow behind him.

As much I would like to stay behind after this awfull scream, I’m more the offensive type when it’s come to it and I would be useless with the supporter. I gallop with the team to search for the stallion that just scream. When we pass all the trees there was nothing to see where the stallion was before.

I saw a arrow being shoot behind us in a bush before we could react a armored minautor charge at the changeling of our group and impaled him with his horns. Before he could even touch the wall of the room the changeling explode in blue shards.

``Everypony in defensif formation!`` The players obey him as Sonata took a potition to play his violin, he played a quick tune before a lighning bolt was send on the monster. The metalic armor made in sort that he received the shock in every parts of his body.

1500=> 750

The bar of his healt was reduce to half in a instant but that seem to enrage the beast even more and he threw a part of his armor and his massive sword on the ground. He took a sort of katana before charging at the griffin. My eyes widden in panic, from what I knew these monster had no soul nor they have real inteligence which make them invulnerable to my songs.

But the players ordered me even if they didn’t have a real body. Because connect to these pile of data was the mind of a real living being, but still they didn’t suffer like Sonata would and they were less important so I did the first thing that came to mind.

``♪Adventurer of another world
Who feel no pain in this discord♫
♫Help you troubled leader
Because it’s... My order? ♪``

What? Try to find words that rhyme in a moment like this, I dare you it’s not easy. Sonata was too focused one the minotaur but seem confused as to why I was singing in a moment like this. Instanly as I finish two of the players came in front of Sonata with a shield but it was pretty useless as the monster gave a powerful kick on their legs that wasn’t cover by their protection.

The adventurer instanly disapear in shards like the other. One of the three last remaining pony in our group throw himself in the back of the monster and pierced the minotaur with a powerful motion.

The minotaur began to thrash everywhere knocking the player on the trees, the pony died like all the other as his healt points reach zero. But soon after he died the boss fell on the floor and explode too.¸

750=> 0

Just as the player began to finally rest from this battle the other minotaur jump from the top of a tree in the middle of us. We heard several hoofsteps coming our way and I saw the support team rushing in our way shooting arrow to the monster.

1500=> 1276

The monster roar in anger and hit the ground with his two fist making lost the balance of everypony except me and Sonata, we lift ourself from the ground since we where the last ones with wings in the group.

The armored boss was about to charge at the players but everypony was surprised when I charge at him. I gave a kick on his helmet wich was a little useless so I decide to put a block of ice around my forehooves and smash it on his head.

1276=> 842

The minotaur was quick to kick me and took a small sword, before I could react he swung his sword, my eyes widden in shock before my head was decapitated. Everypony scream in shock as liquid splash everywhere. Sonata gasp before his eyes contorted in rage and regret, he had fail, the filly died he could have stop this but he was just a faillure just like he was in Griffonya he would always be.

Author's Note:

Fact of the day: The minotaur in this chapter are heavily inspired from the darknuts in Zelda.

Comments

[Sea Pony]

I have used almost all my supply of chapters I kept to update everyday like I did, so the next updates will be slower since I have to write them as I go on. So sorry for the inconvenience and have a good day I will do my best to not make all of you wait too long.