Ch2: More than a Game
Twilight hummed softly, glancing at the clock every so often.
"You know, its been more than ten minutes Twi." Rainbow pointed out, glancing at her marefriend from the corner of her eye. Twilight smiled, turning the next page in the Daring Do book they were reading together.
"I know. But like you said, this is something every kid in town is going to be talking about. It wouldn't be fair if Scootaloo got left out. Lets just give her a little while longer." Twilight giggled.
"Heh, and you say i'm the one with the soft spot." the pegasus grinned, snuggling closer to Twilight as they continued to read. Time continued to tick by, Twilight frowning as half an hour passed.
"I thought Spike would've at least tried to pay attention to the time." she murmured, crawling out of the comfort of Rainbows embrace and making her way upstairs. She sighed, finding her assistant and daughter still deep within their game.
"Alright you two, playtimes over." she sighed, reaching for the cords.
"Ah ah ah. I wouldn't do that if I were you Princess." a voice spoke up. She froze, looking around the room.
"Down here." the voice called out. Twilight glanced down, seeing a hologram hovering above Spikes helmet.
"Sorry I couldn't be there in person. You may recognize me. I am Dr Dickson Accord, please don't bother with questions as this is a pre-recorded message set to trigger around your magical signature." the hologram chuckled, tucking his hands into his coat pockets.
"By now the user of this helmet is deep within my world and enjoying themselves. At least, if they are still alive anyway." he rocked back on his heels
"You see, anyone who dies in the world I have created will suffer the same fate in reality. You may be wondering why I would do such a thing. But as a fellow scientist I am sure you can understand my wish to observe the actions of those trapped in my realm.
Now, I understand you might want to free your friend or friends from this fate, but let me warn you that should you attempt to remove the NervGear you will trigger the failsafe and end the life of those close to you. The Helmet will also explode, so, lets not tinker with it. Toodles!" the hologram vanished, leaving Twilight to simply stare in shock.
She grit her teeth, turning to the computers and then back to Spike and Scootaloo. She was more than confidant in their gaming skills, the trophies that adorned several rooms of their home attested to that, still, the idea that one mistake could cost the life of her friend or daughter...
"Rainbow!"
"Consarn it Applebloom, yer dinner is gettin' cold!" Applejack yelled as she knocked on the door. She grabbed the doorknob, frowning as it refused to turn. The farmer reached into her boot, pulling out a spare key and unlocked the door, finding her sister still playing her game.
"Alright Bloom, games over." she reached for the Helmet, gasping as a figure sprung to life.
"Hello parent or guardian or friend or what have you, this message..."
Rarity frowned, idly tapping her foot as she sat at her kitchen table alone.
"Sweetie Belle is never late for dinner..." she mumbled worriedly, making her way upstairs to check on her sister.
"Sweetie Belle? Is everything okay?" she called out. Her heart started to race when she was answered with silence.
"I'm coming in!" she called out in warning, blinking as she realized the door was locked. The unicorn glanced around to make sure no one was watching, her horn lighting up for a moment to undo the latch from the other side. She slowly pushed the door open, finding Sweetie Belle still playing her game, though the mare was visibly sweating.
"I told her that game was a bad idea." the unicorn sighed, reaching for the helmet and crying out as a hologram sprang to life.
"Hello parent or guardian or..."
"Ponyville general hospital, whats your emergency?" Nurse Redheart asked in a calm manner over the phone.
"Red, its me. Look, I need you." Thunderlane said quickly. She blushed bright red, clearing her throat.
"Thunder, I-I can't right now. I'm working."
"What? N-No! not like that. I mean, maybe later, but this is serious. Its Rumble. I was gonna surprise him while he was playing his game, ya know, just give him a little scare, then this crazy picture thing told me he's trapped and if I touch his helmet it'll kill him!" Thunderlane continued to panic.
"What? Are you sure?" she frowned.
"Yes I'm sure. It was that Doctor guy, uh...whats his face..."
"Doctor Accord?" she asked.
"Yea, thats the one. Look, can you come down here and help him out? Is there anyway for me to get this thing off him?" Thunderlane was frantic at this point.
"Just calm down baby bird. I'll be right there." she cooed.
"Thanks Red...you're the best..." he sighed, the line going dead. She lowered the phone, blinking as it started to ring again. In fact, all of the phones were going nuts. Parents and friends were all calling for help, afraid to touch the helmets. Some had even attempted to remove them and were in critical condition.
"Oh gods...whats happening..."
Pinkie screamed as loud as she had ever screamed, moments later several explosions went off. The baker panted heavily as she rushed into a house.
"DON'T DO IT!" she screamed, but she was too late. A young mother removed the NervGear from her sons head, gasping as the device began to rapidly beep. Pinkie threw up her arms, crying out as the explosion sent her flying backwards.
She grunted as she rolled across the ground, her vision blurry and her ears ringing. In the distance she could hear sirens and screams of people nearby.
"Hold on Pinkie!" Rainbows voice reached her before she passed out.
"Rainbow!" Twilights voice reached her, the speedster tossing her wings out wide and rushing up the stairs.
"Whats up?" she asked with a grin. Twilight leaned against the table where the computers sat, shaking and crying.
"Whoa, whats wrong?" Rainbow put a hand on her shoulder, gasping as Twilight buried her face in her chest.
"Twi..."
"T-They...they...oh gods..." Twilight sobbed. Rainbow held her close, utterly confused. Twilight finally managed to pull herself together and explain the situation.
"So...if we try an take em off, they'll explode?" Rainbow asked. Twilight nodded, sniffing and rubbing her eyes.
"Okay, well its no biggie. We get a doctor in here, get some kind of IV or something going and just wait for them to beat the game, easy peasy." Rainbow grinned.
"I-I don't think its that simple Rainbow. What if...what if..." Twilight choked as the tears returned.
"Hey, hey, chill. They've played WAY too many games Twilight. Theres no way they are gonna lose. Now come on, lets go get a doctor and get this sorted out, kay?" Rainbow brushed her thumb against Twilights cheek, wiping away her tears. Twilight nodded, gasping as an explosion went off nearby.
"Oh no...someone tried to...oh gods..."
"Twi, get to the hospital. I'm gonna spread the word through town. Go!" she ordered, diving out the window and flying through town. House after House, explosions either went off or frantic parents were calling the hospital. Rainbow froze as a loud scream reached her, her eyes latching onto Pinkie Pie rushing into a house moments before an explosion went off.
"Pinks no!" Rainbow zipped down to her friend, putting two fingers against her neck and sighing in relief when she felt a pulse.
"Hold on Pinkie!" she picked up her friend, holding her bridal style as she flew high above Ponyville.
"LISTEN UP EVERYONE!" she yelled, flaring out her wings, letting them buzz against one another. A small thundercloud built up behind her as she buzzed her wings faster until a loud boom filled the air. All eyes turned to her.
"Thats more like it. Alright! I want everyone to calm down! We are aware of the situation and we are doing our best to handle it! DO NOT REMOVE THE HELMETS! We are in a code red people!" Rainbow yelled. She lowered herself to the ground, gasping as ponies surrounded her.
"What do we do? how do we get our children back?!" they demanded.
"Whoa! Just hold up a sec! My kids in there too. Look, all we know is that we can't take off the helmets and they can't get out of the game. First things first, we gotta get some experts on this.
I've already talked to Princess Twilight and I'm sure she'll contact Princess Luna and Princess Celestia and we'll have this taken care of in no time. For now just go home and watch after your kids." Rainbow said, doing her best to calm everyone down. She sighed as several ponies were carried on gurneys, badly burned or missing limbs from the explosions.
"What kind of nutjob makes a thing like this..."
"Hello Celestia. By now you have probably realized that your dear sister is now trapped in my domain. I wouldn't bother trying to free her of my little gadget.
Any attempts to do so, whether physical or magical will result in triggering the failsafe, thus ending your sisters life and setting off a class 4 explosion powerful enough to tear through any kind of barrier you might be able to craft."
"What do you want?" Celestia glared at the hologram.
"You are probably wondering what I want out of this. Well I apologize, as this is but a recording made in advance to respond to your magical signature. Though I will grant you this Celestia. I want a world of my own, a world where I stand at the top, a world where I am the god the people adore. A world where I control everything.
You know, when a pony is faced with death we get to see their true colors. In such situations, they do whatever they can to survive. What if you could observe and document such a thing in a controlled environment?" he grinned.
"So you've done this for mere research?"
"Did I do this for the research? Well partially yes. I am rather curious how your sister will respond to this situation, especially after the whole Nightmare Moon Fiasco. Oh! Its almost time to address my subjects. Toodles!" the hologram vanished, leaving Celestia to stare at Luna's prone form. She grit her teeth as she marched out of the room.
"Bring me Doctor Stable."
Luna stepped out of the Inn, glancing over the crowd of panicking ponies.
"We know you are afraid. That you only wish to return home and that many of you refuse to leave the safety of this town. But the task we must undertake cannot be done alone. I beg of you, those of you with the strength to do so, step forward and assist us in escaping this realm." Luna spoke. The ponies fell silent, none of them wanting to take the step forward. Spike stood tall next to Luna, drawing his greatsword and stabbing it into the ground.
"I, Spike Swiftshrike, stand with the Princess." he called out. Button Mash drew his Longsword, mimicking the dragon.
"I, Button Mash, stand with the Princess!"
"I, Rumble Lightstrike, stand with the Princess!"
"I, Sweetie Delia Belle, stand with the princess!"
"I, Scootaloo Gumdrop, stand with the Princess."
"Heh, yer name is Gumdrop?" Applebloom grinned, her friends glaring at her.
"Uh...Ah, Applebloom Apple, stand with the Princess." she mumbled.
"We understand if you wish to stay here and we encourage a few of you to do so. This is no longer a game. We are at war with a madman and those who step forward will become soldiers in this war. Those of you who remain here, we ask you to protect the ponies of this town." Luna spoke softly. Several ponies joined them, drawing their weapons and standing proud, while others volunteered to protect the town of beginnings.
"Don't worry everyone. We're gonna beat this game!" Button cheered, raising his blade. Though he was answered with half hearted cries.
"Let us be on our way." Luna said softly, patting his shoulder.
"Alright...everyone form up in parties of six." Button ordered, taking the lead.
"Shouldn't the Princess be in charge?" a spearman asked.
"We trust in the wisdom of the Beta testers young warrior." Luna answered for him, following behind Button and his party.
"Hmph, why are the cutie mark losers up there?" Diamond fumed, gripping her spear. Scootaloo glanced over her shoulder, seeing Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon in the crowd.
"Oh great, those two are here." Scootaloo groaned.
"Chill Scoots. We've got bigger problems." Spike said under his breath. She pouted, crossing her arms as she marched beside Spike.
"Alright, we'll break up the parties into groups. Group A will take the vanguard position and draw Aggro while Group B will Switch for the kill. Understood?" Button asked the crowd.
"Why should we have to fight?" Diamond demanded. Button sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Because you joined this group. Thats what this group is. Its not a free ride to the next floor. We are the team that is making the path to the next floor. If you aren't here to fight, then go back to town." Button ordered.
"Just who do you think you are to boss me around?! I don't care if you got to Beta Test, I am still..." Diamond blinked as Applebloom slapped her.
"Jus' shut it already! Ah'm sick an tired o' yer nonsense Diamond! This ain't some stupid joke! Ponies are riskin' their lives an ya'll are bein' a big fat stupid baby 'bout it!" She yelled.
"H-How dare you...!"
"ENOUGH!" Luna yelled. Even without her magic, her voice still held much of its power and was more than enough to silence the arguing.
"Will someone kindly guide back those that wish to return?" Luna asked. A pair of swordsman stepped forward, bowing their heads to the Princess.
"Hurry back, we will need you." she smiled, wishing them well.
"Well...that worked out. Way to grow a pair AB." Scootaloo chuckled.
"Ah dunno what came over me...ah jus'..."
"Do not be ashamed Applebloom. This is a life or death situation and though it was not the proper way to go about it, what you said was very wise." Luna commended her. The group continued their march through the fields, many of the monsters already hunted down during the first few hours of the game.
"This isn't good..." Spike murmured.
"What do you mean? The path is safe and clear." Luna pointed out.
"What he means is that there isn't anything for everyone to level up on. Not until we get past the next town anyway. We're strong, but we aren't enough to take on a Floor Boss." Button elaborated.
"Floor Boss? Thats the big guy at the end of each floor right?" Scootaloo asked.
"Yea. You can guess the level of an FB by the floor its on. It ranges from 10 to 20 levels above the floor level." Rumble explained.
"So...the boss could be 11 or 21?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Right. We'll need a good margin of safety if we want to avoid any casualties. Which means everyone needs to at least hit level 20 if we wanna take down the boss." Button drew his sword, slashing at the air. the group gasped as a figure took shape, hissing and buzzing its buglike wings as it turned and ran.
"What the heck is a changeling doing on the first floor?" Rumble grit his teeth as he drew his Katana.
"I dunno. I almost didn't see it..." Button gripped his sword tightly.
"Looks like he's a scout. We can't let him get away. Scootaloo! You've gotta hit that thing!" Button called out. She fumbled with the pouch of throwing picks, pulling one out.
"H-How do I even use these?" she stammered.
"Go with your instinct!" Button yelled. She chewed her lip, taking a slow breath and twirling the pick between her fingers. She blinked in surprise as a targeting reticle filled her vision, lining up with the changeling.
She grunted, chucking the pick as hard as she could, grinning proudly as it sank between the changelings wings.
"Throw another!" Button yelled, taking off after the changeling. Rumble tagged alongside him, both with swords ready.
Scootaloo chuckled, grabbing another pick and lining up her shot, sending it soaring past the two swordsman and right into through the changelings wing and into its shoulder, sending it plummeting to the ground.
Button roared as he leapt into the air, slicing clean through the changeling with Rumble coming up behind him to finish the kill. They sighed in relief as the changeling shattered.
"That was close..."
"What do you mean? That was awesome! Did you see me back there?!" Scootaloo boasted.
"Scoots, if that thing had gotten away we would've been swarmed by Soldier Bugs. That guy was just a scout and it took both Button and Rumble to actually kill it. The worst part is theres no telling how many more are hiding around here, seeing as scouts have invisibility." Spike explained.
"Oh...well crap."
"Spread out, look for a shimmer in the air. If you see so much as a flicker, attack it. I don't care if you end up swinging at air, we can't afford to let any scouts get away." Button ordered.
"You heard him. Spread out!" Luna backed up the order, drawing her longsword and keeping her eyes peeled.
"So uh...just how tough are these Soldier Bugs?" Scootaloo asked, gripping her dagger hilt and wishing she had a bigger weapon.
"They are a mini-boss on the 8th floor." Spike said under his breath.
"They killed us twice in the beta." Rumble sighed, gripping his Katana tightly.
"Oh...good...I feel soooo much better." Scootaloo drew her dagger, eyes scanning the area.
"The next town shouldn't be too far away. If we can just...oh gods..."
Twilight sighed as several of her machines beeped in the background. Spike had been carefully lifted onto a gurney for a makeshift bed, medical supplies flown in from Canterlot spread across the room. Rainbow panted slightly as she sat down a box from her latest flight.
"J-Just a few more to go..." she chuckled weakly.
"Rainbow...y-you can take a break. We have enough right now for the town, especially with things calming down." Twilight reasoned.
"Nuh uh Twi. I just got three more trips and then I can chill." she offered her marefriend a smile, pausing and planting a kiss against Scootaloo's forehead, careful to avoid the machines strapped to her. She put a hand against Spikes shoulder as she sighed.
"Be careful in there you two..." she said softly before taking off out the window towards Canterlot. Twilight sighed as she watched her go, jumping in surprise as the door opened behind her.
"Oh, s-sorry Twilight. I didn't mean to scare you..." Fluttershy apologized.
"N-No, its fine Fluttershy. I'm the one who should apologize...I know how busy you are but..."
"I'm more than happy to help Twilight. There are plenty of other nurses to help around town." the pegasus smiled.
"B-Besides, I'm the only pony in town who knows how to tend to a Dragon." she pointed out as she hovered next to the dragon in question.
"They both seem okay. But the heart monitor keeps jumping and these readings..." Twilight blinked as Fluttershy shook her head.
"Normal Fight or Flight response. They must be fighting something." Fluttershy said softly. She glanced at her wristwatch, putting her fingers against Spikes wrist.
"Nothing to be worried about. Its a healthy heart beat." Fluttershy assured her.
"I was thinking...these helmets...they block off signals to the brain and transmit that data into the game right?" Twilight asked, pacing about the room
"What if I could reroute those signals? I would be able to communicate with them, right?" Twilight continued without waiting for an answer.
"Wouldn't tinkering with the system trigger the failsafe?" Fluttershy murmured.
"Only if I was trying to remove the helmet. But what if I just create a communication channel?"
"Well...I'm no expert, but if the helmet is using those signals for the game, changing them could cause aftereffects in the game. If you block the signal for hearing, they wouldn't hear anything in that world, but they could hear us here." Fluttershy mused.
"I thought the same thing. But I've got to try something..." Twilight sat down, staring at her machines to avoid glancing at her daughter. Spike started to pant heavily, his heart rate racing and sweat coating his scales.
"W-whats wrong?!" Twilight started to panic.
"Calm down Twilight. Its a rush of adrenaline. His body is convinced whats happening in the game is happening here and is doing its best to assist him." Fluttershy explained, adjusting the thermostat, a fan kicking to life.
"Just keep him comfortable." the pegasus smiled.
"T-Thanks Fluttershy..."
"I'm just doing my job Twilight."
"No I mean...thanks for being here. I've been a mess since...since everything..."
"As you and the girls always tell me. Panicking won't solve anything." Fluttershy did a quick checkup on Scootaloo, rolling the pegasus onto her side and stretching out her wings to keep the muscles strong before leaving to help Nurse Redheart with other patients. Twilight chewed her lip, staring at the readings on her machines.
"Just what is in there thats making you two like this?"
Spike roared as he spun, his greatsword glowing red and wind kicking up around him as he sliced through several Soldier Bugs.
"SWITCH!" Spike roared, leaping backwards. Sweetie Belle slid forward, her blade a blur as she stabbed a stunned Changeling again and again.
"SWITCH!" she cried out, jumping to the side as Spike gripped his sword in both claws, roaring and cutting the bug in half.
"Just how many are there?!" Scootaloo yelled, hopping over a soldier, planting her foot in the back of its head and kicking it directly into Appleblooms punches.
"Its an infinite Spawn until we find the Queen! If we can just reach the town we can avoid the rest of the fight!" Rumble slid backwards, crying out as a Bug tackled him
"RUMBLE!" Scootaloo pulled a handful of picks out of her pouch, chucking them as hard as she could, drawing the attention of the soldier. She grit her teeth, sliding backwards and drawing her dagger, just barely deflecting its claws.
"SWITCH!" She screamed, Applebloom roaring as her fist began to glow blue, slamming into the soldiers rib and going straight through it. The farmer panted heavily as the soldier shattered around her hand.
"We see the town!" Luna called out, dancing among the soldiers, her blade a blur of motion. Several soldiers surrounded her, all leaping at once. She spread out her stance, twirling the blade and resting it on her shoulder as she crouched down, catching their blades. Her longsword was surrounded in a green aura as she twisted the hilt, roaring and spinning the blade, slicing through the bugs outer armor.
"We could use some assistance!" She called out. Scootaloo ran forward, catching eyes with Spike. The dragon grinned, stabbing his blade into the ground and holding out his claws. Scootaloo kicked off the ground, using a falling changeling as a springboard, hopping off its head and landing in Spikes outstretched claw, the dragon grunting as he chucked her into the air. The 'pegasus' reached into her pouch, grabbing another handful of throwing picks which were surrounded in a red glow.
"PRINCESS! GET DOWN!" she yelled, Luna taking her advice and crouching down just in time for the throwing picks to rain down on the changelings, exploding on contact. Scootaloo gasped as she fell, Spike sliding under her, roaring as he spun his sword, decapitating a bug before it could leap at him.
He held out his arm, catching the dagger user and grinning as he spun, chucking her back into the fray. Scootaloo rolled in the air, burying both feet hard into a changelings back, causing it to stumble and fall into a group of spear users who took the chance to bury their weapons deep into its body.
"We're almost there!" they cheered, back to back as they fought towards the edge of town. Button's eyes widened as he saw the ground shift about in front of the town.
"STOP!" Button yelled, but it was too late. One spear user had rushed for the safety of town, screaming as something wrapped around his ankle, dragging him underground. The group froze as they watched his HP bar drop.
"Theres nothing we can do for him..." Rumble sighed.
"I've got an idea. Watch my six." Button ran forward, Rumble tailing him with his Katana ready. Sure enough, a long pink ribbon like appendage reached out for Button, snagging his ankle.
"NOW! SWITCH!" Button yelled. Rumble ran forward, stabbing his Katana through the tongue, pinning it to the ground. A loud screech filled the air, the ground rumbling around them as a large armored changeling dug its way to the surface.
"What in th' hay is that thing?!" Applebloom yelled. The soldier bugs screeched, forming around the gigantic bug. In its claws it held the spear user, its tongue held against the ground with Rumbles sword.
"Thats the Queen. She's guarding the town entrance...We're gonna have to go through her." Button twirled his sword, slicing through the tongue around his ankle.
"Spike, think you can throw us at its head?" Scootaloo asked.
"Maybe, my Strength stat is pretty high. But I dunno if I could get you that high."
"We've got this." Button grinned. He held out his arm, Rumble drawing his katana from the ground and grabbing hold of Button. He held out his arm, nodding to Applebloom. The farmer hooked her arm in his. Spike breathed in slowly, preparing himself.
"You've only got one shot at this." he warned.
"Just throw us." Scootaloo grinned, drawing her dagger. Spike grabbed hold of Scootaloo, roaring as he chucked her high into the air, followed by Button who held on to Rumble and Applebloom.
"SWITCH!" the swordsman spun in the air, chucking the pair towards Scootaloo.
"SWITCH!" Rumble followed suit, twirling in the air and tossing Applebloom after Scootaloo. Applebloom grinned, grabbing Scootaloos arm.
"HERE WE GO!" she cheered, spinning about and tossing her friend as hard as she could. Scootaloo grit her teeth, eyes wide as she stared into the eye of the Changeling Queen. She spun her dagger, glaring at the giant bug.
"Go back to Tartarus you bitch." she spat, burying the dagger as deep as she could in the bugs eye, keeping it buried in the changeling as she fell, gritting her teeth as the durability of her weapon quickly began to drop.
Looking down she watched as Spike caught Button, Sweetie Belle acting as a cushion for Applebloom, and Rumble expertly rolling as he hit the ground. Button leapt under the falling spear user, barely managing to catch him.
Scootaloo gasped as her dagger broke, leaving her to tumble aimlessly through the air.
"CATCH!" Spike yelled, throwing his greatsword to her. She gasped, catching the blade, using the momentum from Spikes throw to lift it above her. She grit her teeth, the blade glowing as she stabbed it into the changeling, panting heavily as her descent rapidly slowed.
The blade eventually dulled and slipped from the Queen, leaving Scootaloo to fall backwards, gripping the blade tightly and screaming as she fell. Spike ran forward, holding out his arms and managing to catch his friend.
"Your sword...is way...too...heavy..." she panted. They gasped as the ground began to shake, the Changeling Queen roaring in pain and stumbling about.
"We can finish it!" Button yelled, charging forward. Blades met claws as the makeshift army charged once more into the fray, cutting through the soldiers and hacking at the Queens ankles, players throwing one another as high as they could to slice through the weaker parts of the Queens armor.
Luna dashed through the crowd, running up a changelings back and flourishing her sword, roaring as she sliced through the Queen and tumbled into town. The group stared in surprise as the Soldiers stopped fighting. They all simply stood and stared.
It wasn't until the Queen toppled over that they realized the fight had been won. One by one and two by two the soldiers died off, having no queen to order them. Luna blinked in surprise as a Prize Window appeared before her.
"Queens Thorn?" she murmured, accepting the prize, blinking as a black sword appeared before her.
"Wow, a Queens Thorn. Thats a rare drop Princess." Button whistled, the wounded spear user leaning against him.
"Y-You saved me..." he chuckled, seeming surprised.
"Of course I saved you." Button scoffed.
"You go ahead and hit the Inn. We'll trigger the Gate." Spike patted Buttons shoulder, waving for Scootaloo and the others to follow him. Button lead the group through town toward the Inn while Spike lead the way towards the Gate. He placed his claw against a large stone tablet, the gate glowing with life.
"The heck is this thing?" Scootaloo asked as she walked around it.
"Its a teleportation Gate. Safe way of traveling between towns and floors. Its not really important right now, but it'll keep us from having to run through the fields" Spike answered.
"Is it always gonna be that intense?" Applebloom whined, rubbing her wrists.
"I dunno AB. The Changeling Swarm is suppose to be a dungeon Mini-boss on the 8th floor. If its all the way down here..." Spike crossed his arms and sighed.
"Everything could've changed. We'll have to be careful."
Later that Day
Applebloom sighed as she sank into the tub, letting the warm water soak into her coat.
"That feels so much better..." she murmured, laying her head back. She stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Ah wonder what AJ an Big Mac are up to...probably workin' th' fields...gettin' up early an runnin' 'round with Winona before startin' th' day...ah bet granny made her apple pancakes..." She began to shake, tears stinging her eyes.
"Bloom? You okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, sitting up in her tub nearby.
"A-Ah'm fine. Jus' a little homesick ah guess..." She sniffed, wiping away her tears.
"I don't blame you AB. Heck, its only been a day and I already miss Twilight nagging me" Scootaloo sighed.
"Though, what I really miss is my wings...and hanging with Dash...heck I'm starting to even miss school." she grumbled.
"How do you think I feel? Its like I'm naked without my horn!" Sweetie Belle whined.
"Ah don't think Button would mind too much." Applebloom grinned, waggling her eyebrows.
"A-Applebloom!"
"HEY! Some of us are tryin' to relax!" Rumble yelled from the boys side of the baths.
"Aw shut it, I bet if you could you'd take a peek!" Scootaloo teased. A gender barrier kept such things from happening of course, but that didn't stop some ponies from trying. The baths fell silent, each pony buried in thoughts of home.
"How long do you think it'll take us to get out of here?" Sweetie Belle spoke up.
"Well...considering we still have another field between us and the floors main dungeon...I really couldn't begin to tell you." Button answered
"To be honest, it could take months, maybe even a year." Spike added.
"However long it takes us, one thing is certain. We will escape this place." Luna said as she climbed out of her bath. She paused for a moment, realizing she was lacking a horn and had to reach for her towel.
"Oh yea...I forgot...you had magic and wings Princess..." Scootaloo mumbled.
"We have done without such things before in worse situations. We will manage." Luna replied.
"Ah guess ah lucked out..." Applebloom shrugged.
"Yea, lucky you." Scootaloo griped, leaning over the edge of her tub.
"Aw c'mon. Don't be like that Scoots. Ya'll seem t' have th' hang o' things. Like when Spike threw ya to save th' Princess. Or when we threw ya to take down that Queen." Applebloom pointed out.
"It wasn't the same as flying Bloom. Falling like that...its like someone clipped my wings. And my only dagger broke..." Scootaloo sighed
"Well, we got plenty of Col trying to reach this town. I'm sure we can buy you a better one." Sweetie Belle smiled. Scootaloo returned the smile with a slight blush, watching her friend climb out of her bath. Sweetie Belle wrapped a towel around herself, making quick work of drying her coat.
"I'll see you girls back in our room." she peeked her head out into the hall, making the quick dash down the hallway to their room, tapping her key against it to open it. Across the gender barrier, Spike sat in thought.
"Hey B, mind changing the privacy settings?" Spike asked softly. Button glanced at the barrier, flicking something on the available menu. The wall solidified, cutting off sound between them and the girls.
"Whats up?" Button asked. Spike sat up, glancing between Button and Rumble.
"You guys are thinking what I'm thinking right? About the changelings?" Spike wondered. The two sighed as they nodded.
"They shouldn't have been here. If they were a normal encounter, what is the boss gonna be like?" Button murmured.
"You know...maybe they were here on the first floor, but they weren't as tough as before. Maybe they are still forced to the Floor Limits." Rumble pointed out.
"True, still...that means most of what we know is useless."
"Not exactly. We know the monsters and bosses from here to floor 10. So what if they are mixed and matched? We still know who they are and we know their patterns." Button grinned.
"We've got this dude." he chuckled, wrapping a towel around his shoulders.
"Yea...guess I'm just worried..." Spike shrugged.
"Oh, yea, worried. C'mon buddy, don't think I didn't see the way you were staring at Scoots." Rumble grinned. Spike jumped, glaring at the 'pegasus'
"Don't argue Spike. We know when you're watching a mare." Button chuckled.
"Guys, c'mon, she's like my sister." Spike tried to argue, looking between them. The two glanced at each other, bursting into laughter.
"Yea, right. Well, if you aren't going after that then I guess I will. Pretty sure I can still do a mating dance without my wings. I'll just have to get creative." Rumble teased.
"No way Rumble. You keep your hands away from Scootaloo!"
"Ohhhh, so ya do like her." he grinned.
"If I admit it will you shut up?"
"...maybe."
"I'm scared of losing her. What if I screw up and something happens to her? I'd lose my best friend and Twilight and Dash would lose their kid...I'd have to live with that mistake...knowing I fucked up..." the dragon hung his head.
"Spike, shes tough, they all are. We aren't gonna lose anyone." Rumble said softly.
"I feel the same way about Belle. But my choices are to leave her here and risk her coming after me, or take her along and help her get stronger. I'd rather be there and be able to protect her then see her vanish from my friend list after I abandoned her." Button sighed, patting the dragons shoulder and making his way to their room.
"He's right ya know. Besides, I don't think Scoots would even let you try an ditch her." Rumble chuckled as he dried off.
"Yea...guess I'm stuck with her." Spike chuckled.
"Her vital signs show she is doing well Princess. Though, if the reports from Princess Twilight hold any value, which I fully believe they do, then what Dr Accord said is true. Any attempts at removing the device will result in death." Dr Stable sighed, glancing at a monitor.
"There isn't much more I can do for her beyond this. I fear all we can do at this point is wait and hope."
"Thank you Doctor. Your help is much appreciated." Celestia smiled, squeezing her sisters hand.
"Just doing my job your majesty. Speaking of which..."
"You are dismissed Doctor. I know you have many others to help."
"Thank you Princess. Call if you need me!" he bowed, making his exit. Celestia kept her attention on her sister, focusing on the steady beep of the machines strapped to her.
"Huzzah! Finally, after many months of waiting it has arrived!" Luna cheered happily, holding a copy of Blazing Blades Online out towards her sister.
"A game?" Celestia blinked, staring at the case.
"Not just any game dear sister. A new form of game. You will recall that we ventured out to explore this world once before in what the children call a Beta. It was a marvelous experience sister, one I wish to share with you" Luna smiled, presenting a NervGear to Celestia.
"You know I do not have time for such things Luna."
"Surely your protege can handle matters of state long enough for you to see the wonderous sights of the Great Tower?" Luna pleaded, pouting cutely and fluttering her eyes.
"No, Luna. Twilight has learned much in her time as a Princess, but she isn't ready to handle the nobles just yet. Perhaps I will join you another time."
"I see...we had hoped to start our adventure with you...b-but this is fine! When you finally do join us we will be strong enough to protect you!" Luna cheered, shoving the device into her sisters hands and making herself scarce to enjoy her game. Celestia stared at the device, letting out a sigh as she placed it on her desk.
"I should have joined you Luna..."
"Just make sure she is comfortable and if anything goes wrong just give us a call." Fluttershy smiled, squeaking as Applejack hugged her tightly.
"Thanks Shy...a-ah dunno what we'd do without ya..." she sniffed. The pegasus hesitated for a moment before returning the hug.
"I-I'm just doing my job!" Fluttershy said quickly.
"Its more'n that Shy. We've all been runnin' ya ragged, but ya'll are jus' takin' it with a smile...it means a lot t' all of us." Applejack smiled, sitting next to Applebloom.
"I-I'm happy to help Applejack." Fluttershy smiled, stepping out of the room, blinking as she bumped into Big Macintosh.
"Hows she doin' Miss Shy?" he rumbled softly.
"Oh, well, she's as healthy as can be. Just keep her comfortable and g-give me a call if something seems wrong." she stammered, hiding behind her hair. He simply nodded, seeming lost in his thoughts. Fluttershy chewed her lip, wanting to say something more. But what was there to say?
"Twilight? Hey, Twilight!" Rainbow shook her, causing the slumbering Alicorn to jump and glance around.
"Huh? Rainbow? Oh my gosh I fell asleep!" she gasped, glancing at her machines.
"Twi' its cool. I just thought you might wanna sleep in bed."
"I need to keep an eye on these readings in case something happens." Twilight argued.
"They can go ten minutes without you babysitting them Twilight. I'm worried about them too, but sitting here isn't gonna do anything to help them." Rainbow said softly.
"I...I know that. But..." she clenched her fists, blinking as Rainbow set something on the table. Glancing over, she saw a NervGear helmet.
"How...?"
"Princess Celestia had a spare. She thinks you can figure out what makes it tick. I was gonna wait until you got some rest but...this is who you are Twi'. When a friend is in trouble you stop at nothing to help them." Rainbow smiled. Twilight grabbed the helmet, looking it over slowly.
"I'm gonna go check on Pinkie. Just call if you need me" Rainbow whispered, kissing her cheek. Twilight nodded absentmindedly, several tools floating in her magic. She would have to be careful not to trigger the failsafe...
Jab, jab, weave down and back, hunch low and slide forward, bounce on the toes and go for the uppercut. Applebloom went through the motions in her head, breathing slowly and focusing on the dummy before her.
She slid forward, arms up to protect her face and jabbed twice with her right, weaving down and stepping back as if avoiding an attack before hunching forward and sliding in, roaring as her entire arm began to glow blue, smashing her fist hard into the dummy. She blinked, staring in shock as she realized she had torn the head off. Moments later the entire dummy shattered, another spawning in its place.
"That was a heck of a punch." Rumble commented. The farmgirl spun, finding her friend watching her from the roof of the Inn.
"Its one o' th' skills ah have as a Martial Artist. Its kinda hard t' pull off though. Ain't nothing stayin still long 'nough fer me t' hit em an it only works in a combo." she sighed.
"It might work in a dungeon. Maybe if you can get em to try and strike at you when you go for the uppercut, or if you get em against a wall." Rumble suggested, hopping down beside her.
"How do ya do that?" she asked, pointing at his feet.
"Huh?"
"That silent landin' thing or fallin without gettin hurt."
"Oh, I've got acrobatics as a passive skill. Its normally somethin Katana users get for a speed boost, but it has other uses. Like avoiding fall damage, or jumping higher. You just gotta know where to put your points."
"Mind showin me?" she chuckled nervously, showing him her menu and unused points.
"Geez, you were fighting without any upgrades? Thats...pretty impressive. I guess you'll need strength, endurance, and agility." he pointed out the stats for her.
"Ow..." Pinkie whined. She glanced around the room, finding Fluttershy reading over a chart. It only took a moment for the pegasus to notice she was awake.
"Oh my gosh! Pinkie! You shouldn't be moving!"
"uhhhh, why? I feel fine! OW!" she winced, sitting up too quickly and collapsing back into her pillows.
"Thats why. You were lucky to survive that blast..."
"Blast?" Pinkie blinked, memories rushing back to her.
"Oh...d-did they make it out?" Pinkie stammered. Fluttershy's silence was answer enough. Pinkie gripped the bedsheets, eyes watering.
"You did all you could Pinkie. It was very brave of you." Fluttershy tried to comfort her. The baker simply stared at the cieling in silence.
"C-Can I be alone for a while?" she whispered. Fluttershy chewed her lip, nodding and giving her friends hand a squeeze before stepping out of the room. Nurses were warned to avoid the room. Moments later, the screaming started.
Those who were new to Ponyville didn't know Pinkie Pie very well. She was just the strange baker who seemed to be every where at once and always trying to make every pony smile.
So when the screaming started, none of them knew how to react. It was even stranger when ponies lowered their heads in silence, seeming to ignore the screams that filled the town.
"Just what in Celestia's name..."
"You're new here aren't you?" Rainbow interrupted the stallion. She glanced towards the hospital, having just left a few minutes ago. Pinkie had still been passed out when she visited, but it was obvious now she was wide awake.
"Pinkie is pretty weird...she feels things. When someone is sad, she feels it. When someone is happy, she's happy. When someone plans to do something terrible...its like something just...snaps." Rainbow explained.
"And when ponies die...when innocent ponies are hurt...she feels that the worst of all. When Pinkie screams...its the screams of those ponies who couldn't scream." the stallion simply stared.
"You ponies are crazy."
"Yea, welcome to Ponyville buddy." she said softly, patting his shoulder and taking off.
None of them were sure how they heard it, but without a doubt, they could hear it.
"Uh...I'm not crazy right? You girls can hear that too, right?" Scootaloo asked her friends, both of them nodded, hanging their heads.
"Thats gotta mean...oh gods, someone in town is dead..." Sweetie Belle gasped, covering her mouth as she tried to hold back her sobs. Applebloom threw an arm around her, letting the 'unicorn' cry against her.
"Its gonna be alright Belle...t' be honest. Ah didn't expect everyone t' get outta this...some ponies jus' ain't got a good head on their shoulders...But we ain't gonna lose anypony else. Ain't that right Scoots?" Applebloom glanced at her friend.
"Damn straight. Heck, we already took down some tough as nails boss. Tch, We'll be outta here in no time." Scootaloo boasted, smiling as Sweetie Belle started to calm down.
"T-Thanks girls...lets get some rest..." Sweetie Belle sniffed, wiping away her tears.
He glanced back and forth between his friends, both of them waggling their eyebrows and grinning like madmen.
"WHAT?! Rumble yelled.
"Oh, nothin. Just didn't know you liked em grown down south." Button laughed, ducking in time to avoid a pillow.
"Aw c'mon Rumble. 'Ah think ya'll are a perfect pair!'" Spike taunted, slapping a second pillow out of the air.
"Really dude? You're gonna ride my ass on this?"
"Hey, you didn't hold back on the teasing. Alls fair in war buddy." Spike shrugged. Rumble sighed, crossing his legs.
"I was just helping her train, thats all." he argued.
"Yea, sure. Rest up loverbird, we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Button chuckled.
Sister...can you hear me? Luna reached out with her thoughts, her hands gripping the railing of her balcony. Silence answered her plea, the Lunar Princess swearing under her breath.
"The device appears to cut off ALL connections to that realm..." she mumbled. She glanced over her shoulder at the Queens Thorn that had been bestowed upon her.
"I am no Queen...why would such a thing come into my possession?" Luna wondered aloud. She could only guess it was some gimmick by the creator, a way of taunting her. Though Button had claimed it was a rare drop, something she had come to understand was an item that enemies sometimes left behind when defeated. Was it a trick or a sign?
She sighed softly, leaning back in her chair and nursing a cup of hot chocolate. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her son, his chest rising and falling slowly to the beat of the heart monitor.
She counted herself lucky that Ponyville was such a small place. That and that Princess Twilight was with them. Otherwise she would have no way to ensure her son had everything he needed to win.
"I swear to Celestia, if you die in there you're grounded."
Button shivered as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
"Guys...I can't afford to lose..."
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Cool its back
5627018 No, not yet. I haven't resubmitted yet
5627245 oh well if its any consolidation you have better pacing then the writers of sword art online
I laughed at the last bit. Death is nothing compared to having an angry mom grounding you for dying in a game.
Oh how I love dark humor sometimes......this is dark humor right?......I'm not weird.
I love this story a bit more now
okay just one question how can you ground someone who is dead?
5742768 Mom's find a way
5742816
The same way I will find a way to release an army of LIGHTSABER WEILDING clowns to destroy you if you don't update within the next month.
It's not weird
5744511 Welp, one of two things is gonna happen. Somehow in between my five days of work a week at 4 in the morning each day doing literal back breaking labor for FedEx Ground I find the time to finish the next chapter - or next month I battle an army of clowns with my wooden practice sword.
5746559
Eeup
Here are some options
1 deliver an EMP of about 12000 current thus removing the lightsaber wielding parts of it
2 use a pistol to attack one and steal his lightsaber . Don't have too much fun.
The downside to #1 is that it may or may not create a series of relatively small hydrogen bomb detonations
And the most important rule is to have fun
I will also increase the deadline to May 1st
You're welcome
Great story. I realy like it!
But as an SAO fan and as a boy, I need to ask:
Do you planing to write a .5 chapter or not?
Because you already have some good pairing.
5767519 I'm not sure if I understand the question. But I do plan to continue this.
5768788
I refering to SAO chapter 16.5 the matur version.
It isn't important I'm just asking.
HELL YEAH! FIGHT SCENE WAS RIDICULOUS, BUT I LOVED IT!
But really, Spike threw... what, 4 people? As you go up in level, do you get more stat points for Strength and Agility and stuff? So at level 30 will Spike be able to chuck the whole party 10 ft in the air?
All I could think of was the Thorn from Destiny. That and a shotgun are all I use. (Also, you are missing some apostrophes in there, the "Queens ankles" and the "Queens armor".)
Also, I hope somebody gets a badass jacket real soon.
I want to see where you go with Twi, here. What is she gonna be able to do. What effect can she have in-game.
Fun so far!
Can't wait to see more of all of your stories!
I almost cried at that, to be honest.
8691687
I must be doing something right then