My Little Pony Realization

by Slendy

Episode 2 - Nightfall

A/N: Um, hehehe, okay, yeah, you guys really like this fic. I mean, my notifications kept going off the day I posted the notice on MLP Actualization, so really, thank you ^_^. A bit ahead of schedule but I'm in a good mood, enjoy the episode, and seeya on Friday!

---

Act I - Link Start

Fight. Level. Survive. I played those words over and over until it was second nature in time, I'm not depressed but I'm not ignorant to the state of this world. How many days people cried in the streets with friends or alone, angry, terrified, some even... left this world of their own accord. But nothing compared to just sitting in some empty tavern drinking my problems away, yeah, there's alcohol in a My Little Pony game. All while Malware sits and plays God wherever a program like him resides. I sat and watched as player names in the sever list were greyed out, I think there was around nine-hundred last I checked.

People can be idiots, and some died of their own stupidity, but not everyone had the resolve to make it through this world. Do I blame them? No, not for a second, maybe they got the lesser of two evils. Why am I writing this? Because, if by some sense of logic I die, or no one makes it out I'd atleast have the decency to jot down the events of this world, someone has too. So, this is Artorias, signing off.

---

[White-Tail Woods | Silver Fields]

In a world of magic one thing is abundantly clear if you want to survive, you have to fight, to fight is to grow stronger, and the cycle continues. Across the open fields of the region. Artorias tore across the glades like red lightning, her blade flashing a series of colors as she stripped away the lands of their monsters, a rainfall of glassy shards spilling onto the ground in her wake.

It had been two weeks, to say things were dire was an understatement as Artorias approached a gang of <Kobalt Henchmen> their maces rising to her appearance with a pack of Dire Wolves closing in around her. Placing her sword against her right hip, she let the skill flow a solid blue sheen, when they struck, the glade lit up with spectacular fashion.

<Horizontal> cleaved the mass of enemies, Artorias left to bathe in their remains as her body flashed gold with a menu popping up a second later. She had completed her quests, leveled up, and had been going all out across the glade for nearly the whole day. Drawing a long sigh, she closed her menu with her sword still balancing in her hoof somehow.

"Payday, woot-woot." She gave a small cheer and sang in almost a slur on her way back to town, almost tripping herself up with her tail. "Heave-ho, thieves and beggars never shall we die..."

---

[White-Tail Village]

As the sunset approached, players and pony NPCs roamed the town. It was small, surrounded by hills and consisted of only a number of houses, an inn, weapon and tool shops. One of the larger houses was almost regularly visited by players to start a quest called, 'Secrets of White', a quest that Artorias was struggling with fruitlessly thanks to greedy players.

"Here you go," She tossed a sack of materials into the trade menu, the player with a rather bland appearance smiling, his eyes concealed under brown bangs, he was now worry-free before the callous redhead pony. "Should get you rollin'."

"Thanks again for this, really, not many players as strong as you would actually give me a passing glance," Artorias knew the feeling, observing from the shadows as the stronger players berated those too scared to leave Safe Zones. One such stood before her. "But now I have a chance, so thank you!"

"Just hand the Bits over and consider us square for saving your ass," She replied coldly, he did, and her reward came with a small smile gracing her muzzle. "Pleasure doing business, um..." She could see his name but waited

He looked flustered but answered quickly. "S-Sorry, it's Col." She found that funny, Bits for Col she said to herself - Yeah, she may or may not be comparing their situation to a 'certain' light novel she read a few years ago, she'd admit the similarities were apparent, perhaps that's what drove Malware toward his ambition, maybe he had a network to the internet?

"Have another job you know where to find me," Artorias waved and took off with her savings, having gone up to level seven. With her jobs handled and a quest unfulfilled, she stretched. "Guess I can call it a night, monsters get rowdy at nightfall, thanks again, Ryder you asshole."

Of course, her issues are never as easily resolved as she'd like them to be. Traversing the courtyard came with its fair share of... inconvenience in the form of noise that grated her eardrums. A red tick pulsating over her head as she strolled. the beat pouring fuel onto the fire.

"Damn, look at her..." "Heard she's been helpin' players out." "I certainly wouldn't mind her helping me out alone."

"Even as a pony... you know, being viciously mauled to death by monsters sounds like fun." With a sharp pivot of her hooves Artorias made a B-line for the Silver Fields, already having a few side-quests in need of completion as she moved at a speedy pace away from the prying eyes, hoping to God to avoid hearing anything lewd. "Ugh, my life is a joke of which I must play."

---

[Silver Fields]

Artorias ducked then hopped up onto a large rock, sword raised high as she drank a potion, a red hue plastering her face while she laughed. "Coming in a meter and half tall! Weighing in at... possibly a large number! With deadly arm-like vines and a red mouth of icky, sticky, acidy gunk, we haaaave!" She dived again, slashing the plant monster in two with a bow. "The Little Sweet Flower -- Ironic, right!?"

Tossing aside the empty bottle Artorias spun in a helix between two vine whips, severing the arms while lashing out with <Sonic Scream>, the concussive sound wave scattering the shards of glass for her eyes to catch sight of three more arms thrashing through the trees, one whipping her side and another her thigh.

"Watch the assless chaps you scumlord!" She was indeed, not wearing assless chaps and merely liked saying the one-liner. With a graceful twirl that no drunk should have, she brought her sword low, the scarlet light humming in the moonlight as the three monsters crawled into the open. "Three on one, I like those..."

The three plants shivered, turning white before bursting before her very eyes, to which she blinked slowly at the sight of a player in basic gear and a blue tunic, a simple steel chestplate, and a familiar sword housed within a blue field of magic. The icon appearing as friendly to the mid-skill-activating Artorias.

"...odds," She whined, stomping her foot. "Aw come on, Skye I was about to make a good one-liner!" She snapped, crossing her forehooves at the relaxed smile on his face

"Good to see you too, also, please don't," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I could hear you across the forest."

Artorias blinked. "Were they good?" He shook his head, hoof waving side-to-side. Artorias turned away with a pout. "...You're no fun."

"Are you drunk? I thought that debuff was removed halfway through Beta?" That inquiry led to her laughing out loud, swinging her blade across the forest behind her as another Sweet Flower slumped to the forest floor

"Yeah, I thought so too," She held out another spiked health potion. "I haven't drunk alot but keeps my mind away from... uhh... something -- Besides the point, what's up? Besides making my job of completing that damn quest harder?"

"I was out leveling just," He held out the silver sword with a black handle and amethyst fixed into the center of the hilt, the Silver Grove, as it caught the moonlight. "Got this on the first day too, wasn't easy either, not with everyone taking up the hunting spots until nightfall."

He didn't need to know why Artorias was out here, and seeing a friendly face again was assuring, he had worried one day Riot or Artorias would appear with their name crossed out like the rest, but that was just needless worry. Artorias crossed her hooves, looking around as if expecting something.

"A one percent drop, right?" She turned, eyeing the forest with her sword and buckler rising. "Hope you haven't lost all your energy, fellow gamer," Then he felt it as she did, a subtle rumble in the earth. "'Cause tonight, we dine in hell!"

Before the storm, Skye deadpanned beside her, and she nodded bashfully. "Y-yeah I realized as soon as it left my mouth, do not drink alcohol, stuff's a temporary solution at best."

"You killed one of the spore-carriers, didn't you?" He couldn't help but chuckle next to her. "You're crazy."

"Oh, I will use that against you in the future, trust me, boy." Cracking her neck the forest moved in a dark wave, the vines snapping out from between the pines as both players evaded the ambush

True to the dangers of the night, the level of the Sweet Flowers had grown, and many came charging at the scent left by the spore-carrier. Skye took the right, hacking through arms that snapped at his blindspots, forcing the monster out for close-range attacks. With a single sheer of <Horizontal>, the plants were torn apart, his sword and level being enough for the smaller ones, two large ones sprung out, grabbing his left forehoof while trying to ensnare the right.

Tugging his left hoof back, Skye bent the vine, slicing at an angle that sent it spinning into the larger monster, his sword radiating a deep red as he brought the Silver Grove skywards, dividing the beast while rolling from another vine whip, side-stepping back followed by a quick duck, slicing in two horizontal strikes of sky blue, bringing the beast down.

Artorias on the other hoof spun on her knees, <Sonic Scream> reverberating through three smaller Sweet Flowers, blowing them back into a larger one as it snatched her leg, swinging her upside down as she smirked. "No skirt on this chick, buddy!" With a twist at the hips, her hoof pried itself free, spinning like a buzzsaw of blue, tearing five mobs apart in a stroke of moonlight.

She hopped down beside Skye, bowing as the plants exploded behind her, then a dozen pairs of eyes eagerly awaiting in the darkness behind her like crimson daggers. Artorias stood upright, peering over her shoulder before paling, a sweatdrop trickling down her forehead.

"Ehehehe, this might be a long night..." Skye facepalmed. Both beta testers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, standing in a parallel guard, daring the attackers to make their move.

---

A long night later...

Tired and utterly through with so much as a single vine, the duo made their way back to town, the rare item in-toe. Between them they had slew exactly one-hundred Sweet Flowers, both gaining another level from the mindless grind that slowly dulled as they tried blindfolding themselves to make it atleast challenging as the other acted as their eyes, all it did was improve their proficiency in Detection. Eventually, they settled on using old, cheap weapons as throwing knives to pass the time.

"Hey," Artorias tapped the table, alerting the NPCs to her presence. An older mare and her young child who was wrapped up in bed, a fever-stricken across his face. The wary mother approached Artorias, gasping as she saw the small, golden flower held out to her. "Took me a while, but I got the flower, Miss, here," She motioned for the NPC to take it

"Thank Celestia! And thank you so much, young mare!" The mother looked ready to tear up as she produced the flower in her magic. Artorias felt her gaze stiffen at the sight, brow raised

"She's really emotional... she sounds so genuine, but it's just some pre-made character," Something stirred in her chest. "Right?"

The mare placed a petal in a vial, a soft, shimmer of gold tinting the once deep-red potion. "Here you go, baby, drink up," As the two Quest NPCs interacted Artorias refused to budge, watching and listening to every word and sign of relief and motherly affection, almost enviously. She shook her head, why was she feeling envious? Why did... this hurt so much?

As Artorias observed the mare smiling down at her son, stroking his mane while he smiled weakly, something started to cloud the redhead's vision, her chest unbearably tight at the almost-human event she witnessed.

"Mom, stop, you'll get sick if you're near me..." Artorias sneezed, sinking into her bed as her Mom tightened the scarf around her nose and mouth, her eyes full of warmth

"Nope, you can whine all you want but there's no way I'm leaving you alone right now, missy," Her Mom was absolute on this fact, it was obvious in her eyes

"But I don't wanna get you sick too," Her shaky hand pushed against her Mom's arm. "Goooo~"

"Nope!" She popped the 'P', dabbing the cloth before resting it against Artorias' head, pulling her scarf down to shine a toothy grin. "You and I look out for one another, that was our deal, remember?" She leaned forward to ruffle her daughter's hair. "So quit fussin' and rest."

Artorias tucked herself under her blanket, shivering a little as her temperature fluctuated, but having her Mom sitting beside her the whole time made the sickness far more bearable. "Okay..."

[※•⁎·°•⁎․•°·•⁎※]

Outside, Skye no longer smiled, instead, he felt his mind cloud briefly with a recent memory. Skye awaited Artorias to finish up her questline, he didn't say what happened at the end, but it was... alot for him to manage alone. If the first day didn't already make it abundantly clear, this world wasn't going to let them through with a pat on the back, it was brutal and unforgiving when it chose to be.

The door creaked open, and he tugged himself from the wall as Artorias stepped out, the black scabbard tapping against her belt as she kept her head low, bangs covering her eyes but leaving a heavy smile on her lips. Skye stepped closer, putting a hoof on her shoulder the second she slumped back against the wall with a thud, chuckling hoarsely.

"What did you remember?" It wasn't his place to ask that, but judging from her reaction she too felt it, the weight of this world

"That we're royally fu... yeah, yeah I remember alright," She chuckled hoarsely. "I'm stuck like this for Christ knows how long, curiosity killed the cat in my case, funny that." Then she flicked her hoof up. "Got a sweet reminder of... well, something similar, something I hadn't thought of in a long... long time."

Skye too sat down, head back with a tired sigh as they watched the stars dance across the sky, players few say for NPCs, leaving the duo to mull over their woes. "But we have to try, for what's out there waiting for us,"

"But that doesn't mean we waste time here," Artorias added, eyes glossing over the amazing view with a calm frown. "Sure, we're stuck here, but grieving day in and day out, that's not surviving. This is a game, and I intend to do it my way."

"Sounds like we have similar goals," Skye smirked. "Can't be all that bad living in that body?"

Artorias laughed out loud at that, punching Skye's shoulder as he joined in. "You have no bloody idea how annoying it is you asshole!" To illustrate she stood up, giving a small twirl on all hooves. "This whole quadruple thing is still a bloody pain; And I'll have you know that despite the numerous comments about my ass in the background, I can safely say that, as much as I hate to admit, I look awesome." She struck a pose, flashing a smug grin

Skye paused, then burst into a laughing fit with Artorias, the two unable to withhold their stupidity as the night stretched on, but both companions couldn't care less.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

Life stretches on in the Death Game with Artorias' goals and a subtle realization of their situation. Things are only going to get darker next time will be the last of the introductory episodes. I hope you enjoyed, appreciate the support as always, seeya in the next episode players!

Next Episode: Official Hoofypony
Just over a month, the Region Boss has been found, and players begin to rally for the anticipated battle. Artorias does not, as she has her own, less self-absorbed goals in mind for an uncertain future.

Comments

[Mix-up]

I will get back to you on the story soon I am just very busy with studies at the moment

[Slendy]

10571158
That is fine, it's good to see your comments again ^_^

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

you know it's going to be really odd once they are free to walk around

[Slendy]

10571593
Hmm, totally