Re-Equestria Online

by MrShmoodlePuffs

Into The Woods

Last night was really fun. I won, but I’m guessing Pinkie Pie let me win on purpose, just to cheer me up. It was nice of her. I went back to my room after, and then went to sleep.

I get out of bed, ruffling my mane, trying to bring some sense of reality into this game, if only the logic of having messy hair after sleeping.

This time, Pinkie Pie is the one coming to knock on my door. “Hey Twi, you awake?” I hear her shout.

“Yes Pinkie, I’m coming!” I say as I walk over to the door. She smiles at me as I open it, meeting her in the hallway. “We’re going to meet them at the bridge, right?” I ask Pinkie and we walk down the stairs.

“Yes, but before that, I think we should go eat something and takes some snacks for the journey. I’m quite hungry.” She says to me.

We walk out of the hotel and head for Sugarcube Corner. There aren’t many ponies inside, and surprisingly the same pony that worked the counter our last visit is here once more.

“Hey, can I have some pancakes drizzled with maple syrup and a few scoops of ice cream, oh, and don’t forget the chocolate chips!” Pinkie asks the pony.

“I would like some waffles, also drizzled with maple syrup, and a some fruit salad on the side.” I order.

“Hey Twi, what do you want to take with us for the journey?” Pinkie asks me while the pony calls our orders to the kitchen.

“Hmm, I wouldn’t mind if we take a few oranges and oatcakes with us, maybe a fritter or daisy sandwich would be fine too if we’re kept in the Everfree Forest past lunch time.” I consider.

Pinkie Pie turns to the pony, “Okay, we would like cookies, oranges, a few daisy sandwiches, some marshmallows, oatcakes, and three of every type of fritter you have to go.” She tells the pony.

“Wow, you mares must be going on some journey or something.” The pony observes and calls our order back to the kitchen. Our food is laid on the counter. “That will be thirty bits.” The pony says. Pinkie and I both place fifteen bits on the counter, totalling up to thirty bits.

We eat at a table this time, munching on our delicious breakfast. “So, Twilight, what do you think about facing Nightmare Moon a second time?” Pinkie asks as she takes a bite out of her pancakes.

“Well, it’s terrifying, to tell the least. I mean, it was scary as is with the Elements of Harmony, now imagine it without them, fighting her with these weapon things! Weapons made for war. I bet she’s also going to be way different from when we first fought her. I just hope we succeed.” I say, the actual value of the coming battle unfurling itself in my mind.

“Well, I see you’re already done your breakfast. You eat fast when you’re worried, you know that? Anyways, it’s time we get going.” She says as she quickly devours the last of her breakfast.

We leave the bakery with our snacks in our inventories and head to the bridge. We quickly gear up on our way, Cotton Cloud and her group meet us just as we reach the bridge. This time Grey Quintus is tagging along with them as well.

“Hey girls! You ready? We currently have the general area in mind of the most efficient path, or at least that’s what Grey here is telling us. We’ll be scouting ‘round there so we can mark the best path. We won’t be fighting Nightmare Moon herself yet though because we don’t have enough ponies yet. We’re thinking up some way to gather ponies willing to join our cause. So for now, that’s it.” She greets us with a smile.

“Okay, got it. Scouting out route, getting more ponies. All good.” Pinkie Pie answers.

We head into the Everfree Forest, Grey and Cotton leading us to a certain area of the forest.

“Okay ponies! We have arrived. We’re going to sweep this path here. Everyone, spread out. We’re going in the direction of the castle, right up to the bridge. Everyone understand?” Cotton orders. We all nod, and Pinkie Pie and I go to the side.

We walk onwards, Grey concentrating on some strange gem. I’m guessing it’s the mapping gem they’re using to mark the path.

Nothing bothers us for some reason, and I see a few stones lying around, slightly resembling bugs.

I hear a noise and turn, a strange reptilian tail snaking into a bush. That’s weird. Another noise.

“Ca-cok! Bak-ba-bok!”

I stop and look around. There shouldn’t be any chickens in the Everfree Forest! Something’s wrong. This reminds me of something, come on Twilight, think!

I see the figure of a timberwolf in the darkness, but not its signature glowing yellow eyes. I nudge Pinkie, pointing towards it with my hoof. She just nods and continues walking. I keep the shadow in sight, and even when we have long passed it, the figure didn’t move.

I hear another rustle and I see a bush shake. Then another. I start waving my head back and forth, looking to find the thing causing these sounds.

Suddenly, a mass jumps out in front of us.

Scaly tail and body, the head of a… chicken?

What is so familiar about this? Something that causes shivers to crawl up my spine.

The Stare.

“Oh no! Everypony, be careful! Don’t look into its eyes, it’s a cockatrice!” I shout, covering my eyes.

It lets loose a piercing cry, and I hear it’s wings batting, suddenly a shadow looking over my face. Instinctively, I bat it away with my hoof, almost opening my eyes.

There’s a thudding of hooves against something, and another piercing squawk is heard again. “Okay, we need to get rid of that thing. Everyone, try to get yourself in a line and we’ll try to corner the bird thing. Don’t look at it.” I hear Cotton yell.

I shuffle around trying to pinpoint the cockatrice’s noise. Hissing in my face, it starts to claw me with its sharp talons. Keeping my eyes closed, I sliced my hoof-claws through what I suspect are its wings. Immediately flung off balance, I hear it fall to the ground with a thump.

“Hey you! Get off me!” Pinkie shouts and I hear her hooves batter against the cockatrice’s body.

“I’ve got this!” Cotton commands, and then I hear her running towards Pinkie Pie. I hear her sword slash through the cockatrice, and the inevitable explosion of sparkles.

I slowly open my eyes, still wary. I see Cotton standing next to a wide eyed Pinkie Pie. “How did you know where it was?” Pinkie asks her.

“I opened my eyes. I had guessed that it was kept busy looking at you, and so I took the chance.” She says simply to us.

“You could have been turned to stone!” I tell her frantically.

“I know, but it was a risk I was willing to take. If I hadn’t, I knew somepony was going to eventually open their eyes in hopes of defeating the cockatrice before it could turn them to stone.” She explains.

“Come on, we’re almost there. We just need to record a the rest of the path and we’ll be done.” I hear Grey call to us.

We resume our line formation. I’m so glad nopony got turned to stone. That would have been disastrous, as the only way to turn them back would be for the cockatrice to stare at them again.

I hear howls. More timberwolves? Come on, haven’t we had enough?

They jump out from the woods, in almost the exact same formation as we are, except there were twice as much of them compared to us.

“ Okay, you know the drill! Back to back or diamond dog style!”

Me and Pinkie go back to back, and I see what they meant by diamond dog style. They jump out in one place, slashing at the near timberwolves, then pop up in another place, bashing a few in the head.

I have my sword equipped along with the weapon grip, and I slash at the timberwolf charging at me.

I jump onto my back hooves and claw the onslaught of timberwolves. Using a spark spell to throw the timberwolves up in the air, I let my blade run through their twig bodies as they fall back down.

The number of timberwolves dwindle at a concerningly slow rate, and I take a peek at my health bar to see it’s almost half way down, deep in the orange, not a green tinge to be seen.

“Everypony, circular formation! We have them now!” Cotton orders, and we oblige.

We have them surrounded now, and we slowly walk inward, attacking any timberwolf to come within striking distance.

We dart forward, quickly taking out the rest of the timberwolves.

“Okay, everypony all right?” I ask, looking around. I can see Pinkie’s health bar under mine, and it’s twice as low as mine, already red. “Pinkie! Are you alright?” I ask as I rush to her side.

“Don’t worry Twi, I have a health restoration potion. I found a few in the magic shop where you bought your spell scrolls.” She mumbles weakly, and a glass of some bright green liquid, slightly similar to a lime smoothie, appears before her, and she quickly picks it up and drinks it. The climbing rate of her health bar significantly quickens, and in no time it’s back at green.

Mine’s filling up too, but not as fast.

We walk onward and finally get to the bridge. “Okay everypony, that’s it. Do we all have our teleportation gems? I don’t really feel like going all the way back.” Grey asks us, already taking out his teleport gem.

Pinkie and I both take out our teleportation gems, and I see the rest of the group do the same.

“Ponyville.” I tell my teleportation gem, and I hear everypony else echo my words.

Author's Note:

Hey, sorry for the wait and such a short chapter!

I was having a bit of trouble with the action part, as I was having trouble with creatures that could spawn within the forest that are at least mostly cannon. I was also a bit busy with stuff IRL/ gaming. I thought about adding more to the chapter, but then it would just make you wait longer, so I'm putting that in the next chapter.

I know, I know, three days is more than enough time to make a great quality chapter, but I'm human. I procrastinate. I distract myself. I'll try to do better.

OH, and btw next chapter should come like tomorrow.

Comments

[MrShmoodlePuffs]

6703284

Thank you, I hope you do. I'm not the best writer, heh heh, especially when I have to think about what the character would do (especially one that has its own mind and personality), so I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.

[jvmontero]

looking forward for the development of the history, I really like the history.

[MrShmoodlePuffs]

6706201

Thank you, I hope you do enjoy it

Moustache Spike is best