Quest For Salvation

by Chrome Masquerade

Chapter 2: Logging In....

Carlos was excited. Today he'd bought the new MLP game that was becoming a sensation all over the world.

"I can't WAIT to tear into this!" he very nearly squeed with excitement.

Currently he was setting up his computer for the purpose.

Carlos was largely a man of simple tastes. He lived on enough to keep his bills paid, his stomach full and his computer upgraded. So, he naturally had a relatively updated computer.

He was looking over the back of the box the game came in. "Strange. There's no system requirements."

For most, that would be something of a red flag at least, but he just shrugged it off.

When he put the disc into the cd drive, a flash of light occurred.

"Aw jeez! I forsee seizures and lawsuits for this company!" he exclaimed.
When he could see again, he was surprized to find a virtual reality headset.

"Babe? What was that flash about?"

That would be his fiancee, Stellara. "Come and take a look!" he beckoned.

As she walked into the room, a smaller flash produced a second headset.

Glancing at each other briefly, they tentatively lifted the headgear and put them on.

And THEN things started to get interesting....

---

Their consciousnesses reappeared, as humanoid energy constructs. They looked kind of like silhouettes, but with eyes.

"Where are we?" Stellara asked the obligatory question. All around them was a blue and white background of digits.

A voice said, "Welcome to the gateway!"

Looking up, the two saw a white figure floating slowly toward the ground. It turned out to be...

"Princess Celestia!" they said in unison, bowing to her.

"So gracious! But not quite. I am CelestAI. And this is the gateway to a new adventure for the two of you. But first! You have to create a character! So, what'll it be? Would you rather enter Equestria as a pony?"

Three images appeared depicting an Earth Pony, a Pegasus and a Unicorn, and then a few subspecies thereof.

"Or would you rather be a part of one of the other races?" Images of a Changeling (two of them, actually. One black and one coloured), a Gryphon, a Dragon, a Hippogriff, a Minotaur, a Yak, and a Deer.

Carlos went first, choosing the Pegasus option, with the Solar sub-option(1). Shortly thereafter, his being was reconstructed, appearing as a black Pegasus(2). Then a new descriptor bar appeared.

Racial Bonuses:
+4 DEX
+2 CON
-2 WIS
+2 Perform
Adrenaline Rush
Pocket Space: All ponies have an inner Pocket where they can store practically anything, up to 500 pounds in some cases, without feeling any strain.
Inner Light: Solar Pegasi have the ability to use their magic to make scintillating displays of light, directly harm enemies, and more.(3)
85% Immunity to heat damage.
Weather Magic Lv 1 (Can only rank up to 4 without Weather Mage class)
Desperation Move: Solar Flare - when at critical HP (or when angry enough) can use the power of their inner light to blind all enemies within range, also dealing 1d8 damage to each per success. Damage and blindness duration increases with level up.

Giving himself the once over, he said, at length, "Cool." suddenly a bar appeared in front of him that said, 'Name?'
He tapped a hoof to his chin as he thought. "Call me... Chrome Masquerade." Another bar appeared. 'Class?'

"What's the selection?" he queried.

The bar extended into a selection of classes.

Bard
Berserker
Fighter
Healer
Druid
Illusionist
Knight
Monk
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Speedster
Warlock
Weather Mage (Specialized class)
(More coming!)

"What's with the ones that are struck through?" he asked.

"Those are ones that your race can't select. Other races will have classes that they specialize in and some that they can't pick." CelestAI answered matter-of-factly.

"Oh. I guess i'l choooooose.... Bard. I've always been supportive of my friends in times of trouble, and am known to be something of a Jack of All Trades."

"Wonderful!" CelestAI clapped her hooves. "It's always good to see those types."

Then Stellara, getting the idea, selected a Pegasus also, but this time a Lunar Pegasus.

"Oooh! Interesting choice!" CelestAI said.

With that, she materialized as a light gray Pegasus with membranous, batlike (or dragon-like, if you prefer) wings.

Racial Bonuses:
+4 DEX
+2 CON
-2 CHA
+2 Spot
+2 Stealth
Night Vision
Adrenaline Rush
Pocket Space: All ponies have an inner Pocket where they can store practically anything, up to 500 pounds in some cases, without feeling any strain.
Inner Darkness: Lunar Pegasi can use their magic to manipulate the shadows around them, or create them where they should usually not be, among other applications.
Weather Magic Lv 1 (Can only level up to 3 without Weather Mage class.)
Desperation Move: Eclipse - Can channel their Inner Darkness ability to throw a large area into total darkness for his/her enemies, while giving themselves and their allies a large boost to speed, stealth, sight and attack power.

Seeing that, Stellara said, "I'll choose... Illusionist. I've always been good at that. Call me Silver Masquerade."

Chrome nodded. "It's true. She has."

A new bar came up.

Subclass?

it immediately started showing a selection.

Acrobat
Actor
Aerobat
Artist
Chef
Entertainer
Guard
Martial Artist
Musician
Soldier
Thief

CelestAI glowered at the last entry and then punched it, sending the letters flying. "I wouldn't tolerate that and i'm pretty sure that my counterpart wouldn't either."

Chrome chose Entertainer while Silver chose Martial Artist.

Just then, their Cutie Marks appeared, one was a pair of ponified drama masks while the other was a pair of nunchaku and a few throwing stars

"Now, of course," CelestAI said, "That'll be what you look like when you're grown up."

"What?" both of them said at once.

"You see, i can't create something from nothing. So..."

The newly minted poinies shrank down, becoming tiny compared to the solar princess's doppelganger.

"Fortunately, there's a space to fit you two in!"

They wre levitated into the portal behind her and the gate closed after.

---

Warm. He detected warmth, but not much more. He couldn't open his eyes, not that it would do him a lot of good.

If he could have the gift of sight, he'd notice another form beside him, largely asleep.

Suddnly there was a rumbling sound. Muffled voices could juuuuuust barely be heard.

"Psh! C'mn! Y'knd'ths!"

He began moving, rather rapidly for his current form.

Shortly thereafter, he fell out into a much colder environment, which started him crying.

Still having his ears folded over, he could't hear much. But he was joined shortly thereafter by another voice.

"Congratulations, miss Mask. You have a healthy filly and colt."

The mother cuddled the little ponies, cleaning them off as best she could.

Little did she know that in her forelegs slept the next generation of heroes. Hopefully the ones that their world needed.

Author's Note:

1: In this case, there was regular, Solar, Lunar and Crystal.
2: Yes, this is my ponysona. And I'm gonna use it!
3: Think of it as if Dazzler was a pony.