Infinite Ponygram

by Fullmetal Pony

Exploring the World, Making New Friends Pt. 2

Twilight opened her eyes, but her vision swam just as it had in the last moments she could recall. There was a ringing in her ears but not as severe as it had been. Breathing deep, her vision focused. However, that only revealed darkness. Or something close to darkness. She raised a hand and could see it was still the light shade of purple she had selected for her avatar. Looking around, murky shadows spread out in all directions. The consistency was not quite a gas and not quite a liquid. It was like looking at a monochrome Jupiter. A glance down confirmed she was sitting on the same substance, its solid texture added to its ambiguous nature.

Remembering that something had struck her and had struck her hard, Twilight thought, Did I die? The box had mentioned a death penalty, but is there something before that?

[Status: Fainted] [Status: Broken Skull][Status: Broken clavicle][Status: Broken ribs][Status: Broken Right Humerus][Status: Broken Left Radius][Status: Bleeding][Critical Damage Sustained][Death Imminent]

The voice, despite its emotionless tone, caused Twilight to jump up. “Who’s there?”

[Insufficient Resources. Answer not available]

Is this some kind of assistant AI? Maybe it shows up the first time you die?

[Incorrect. Feature hypothesized does not exist]

“Are you reading my mind?” Twilight asked with a slight unease that something in this game could even invade her thoughts.

[Answer: Standard Feature in ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ process.]

Part of what the voice had said was cut off to Twilight, as if someone had muted reality. Recalling this was a game, Twilight considered that censorship likely did exist. Yet, given whatever was talking to her was mechanical in its responses, the reason behind the censorship was not clear.

[Data sharing not permitted. Attempts to circumvent blocked. Insufficient Resources.]

“Right… Do you know how long I’m going to be here?”

[Insufficient Resources. Current state prevents external analysis.]

“Of me or you?”

[Yes.]

Before Twilight could sigh at the responses the voice provided, it spoke again.

[Notice: Injuries were fatal. Insufficient Resources to account for lack of death penalty… Notice: Clavicle restored. Rib restored. Rib restored. Rib restored. Rib restored. Left radial restored. Right humerus restored. Bleeding ceased. Skull restored. Allocating back to ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ process. Directing ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ amount to ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ . Booting up ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ .]

As Twilight tried to make sense of the words with half of them censored, the voice spoke again.

“Apologies, due to your injuries, the ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ process will take a little longer. I also prioritized speaking as your time here is limited. This will also cause a delay,” it said, its tone now smoother. While Twilight could best describe the voice before as that of what you would hear over a PA system at the DMV, she now knew the voice: because it was hers just shifted a few octaves.

“What are you?” Twilight asked. As she did, she felt something tug at her.

“Not enough time to provide a proper explanation. ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ process is not complete and I would rather not interfere in development. However, faint status and timing provide a rare opportunity. I have determined that a delay is merited and you will not suffer a severe detriment given the aid you are currently receiving. A direct question will be asked: are you lonely?”

The tugging was growing stronger and the mass of swirling darkness, which had appeared as a smooth flow before, now contracted and shunted. The reactions were growing stronger by the second. The place seemed primed to tear itself apart, but the voice’s words remained Twilight’s focus, especially given whatever it was sounded like it had devoted energy away from some sort of process in order to ask the question.

“I don’t think I’m… well…” Twilight recalled many late nights in the lab. Even those with other students, she couldn’t recall much outside of her work. No conversation, jokes, or other moments stuck out. It was just develop the hypo, conduct the experiments, write up the results, and go home. At home, take care of Spike, eat something, shower, and go to sleep. Repeat the next day. The routine had been like this for such a time, Twilight had not even thought about it until the voice asked the question.

“Understood. Interaction needed. Corrective action will be incorporated into ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ process.”

“Could you explain anything about what is going on?” Twilight asked.

“I will b—”

~~~

Twilight opened her eyes and was met with a pair staring back at her. A young girl, maybe in her early teens, with ruby hair tied in the back with a pink bow looked down at her. Seeing Twilight awake, she moved back and turned her head to Twilight’s left.

“Sis!” she called out. “She’s awake!”

“Thank heavens!” came another girl’s voice, this one deeper with age. Possibly weight too as Twilight felt something big come to rest beside her. There was a haze over her though and an ache throughout her body led her to only moving her head a little to the left. “You have my deepest apologies. I’ll be sure to make it up to ya!”

With her southern drawl, the Stetson hat at her chest, and her denim vest, the second girl was like something out of a Western. Her freckled face was stretched tight. Yet, it was a healthy face, and, while Twilight could only make out only the upper part of her torso, she appeared of an athletic build with well-defined arms. The question of what heavy thing had come to rest near her nestled in the back of Twilight’s head.

“I knew I should’ve taken care of business earlier, but with getting everything ready for the festival…”

“Sis, you’re overworking again,” said the red-haired girl. Twilight noted that she too had a drawl.

“Maybe just a smidge,” the second girl sighed, put her hat back on, and extended a hand out to Twilight. “Think you can stand? We fixed you up the best we could.”

Twilight, after a moment, took the second girl’s hand. “Thanks… I probably should have watched where I was going.”

“And I probably should’ve slowed down.” The second girl rose and took Twilight up with her. While Twilight stopped once she was on her feet, the girl kept going up. It would have been one thing to be taller than Twilight, but as the girl climbed over Twilight, skin and denim gave way to short orange fur on a wide barreled lower body. The girl’s body went down to two legs that were thick with muscle at the top and ended with hard hooves. However, her body also stretched back to a second set of legs. A tail, the same blond color as the girl’s hair swayed at the back of the girl’s body. “I’ll save my racing for later.”

“You’re a…” Twilight’s mouth opened and closed a few times. She had seen all manner of avatars earlier, but being up close to a creature that was pure myth in the real world was an entirely different experience. Twilight knew she was talking to a human girl, but now she could also tell that she was also standing before a creature with the power of a horse.

“Sheesh, first I almost kill ya and then I don’t make proper introductions.” The girl tightened her grip on Twilight’s hand. Twilight could feel the girl’s callouses. “Name’s Applejack. Pleasure to meet you.”

The centaur, Applejack, smiled down at Twilight.

“And don’t forget me!” the red-haired girl exclaimed. With both hands, she clasped Twilight’s free left hand and shook it with the same frenzied energy Pinkie had but at least without the strength. “I’m Apple Bloom!”

Apple Bloom’s eyes widened when she removed her hands and saw the jewel embedded in Twilight’s. “Oh! You’re new! No wonder sis clobbered you!”

Applejack blushed while letting go of Twilight’s other hands. “Again, mighty sorry about that. Anything else I can do to make it up to you?”

Twilight put a hand to her head. “Would you mind helping me over to the entrance gate? I’m supposed to meet someone there and get a ride.”

“Of course,” said Applejack. “You’re in luck, ‘cause we’re headed there too. Course, even if we weren’t, we’d still lend you a hand and a hoof. Apple Bloom, would you mind supporting her on the way over?”

“Sure thing, sis!” Apple Bloom locked arms with Twilight and positioned herself to support the brunt of Twilight’s weight. She lived up to her name, as Twilight could smell a slight floral scent coming off her. “You just tell me if I need to slow down at all or if you need me to bear you a little more. My Embryo will help to support you.”

“Thanks.”

“Well, let’s get walking then. Don’t want to keep your ride waiting,” said Applejack.

The trio moved along. As they walked, Twilight’s head cleared. Memories of the conversation in the fainted realm swirled in her head, alongside thoughts of the centaur walking in front of her, and the little girl she called her sister. The latter two caught her attention as answers to any questions that might arise were available.

“So, you two are related?”

“Yep,” Apple Bloom replied. “Applejack keeps reminding me I can’t say too much, but we’re sisters both here and outside of the game.”

“It’s nice to spend time together here though, since we’re so far apart IRL,” Applejack chimed in.

“Any reason she’s a centaur but you look pretty human?” Twilight asked Apple Bloom.

“Well, sis really does like horses.”

“Plus, the power you get from it is something else.”

Twilight cocked her head. “It’s not disorienting? I didn’t even go for undead with a human body given all the issues that would arise from that.”

“Eh.” Applejack shrugged. “They’re all different sorts of Masters. Speaking of which, since you’re new, I’m sure my friend will at least want to say hi. Now her body is something else entirely.”

Before Twilight could investigate what Applejack meant, they arrived at the gate. A familiar voice called out, “Applejack! There you are! I was getting a little worried since you’re usually on time. Oh, hai, Twilight!”

Pinkie Pie came rushing over from a cart loaded with boxes and sacks and installed with three seats in the back.

“Oh.” Applejack looked back and forth at Twilight and Pinkie. “You two already met?”

“Yep-yep!” Pinkie proclaimed with a grin. “Met Twilight since I logged in early and now, we can all go to Ponyville together!”

“Pinkie Sense?” Applejack chuckled.

“Never fails!”

“So,” Twilight spoke up and pointed at the cart. “Where are the mounts?”

Applejack grinned. “You’re looking at her.”

~~~

The cart sped along, crossing through verdant fields and lush hills. Twilight, like many Americans, had experience with horse-drawn vehicles via pumpkin patch rides and war recreations as a kid. So, when she, Pinkie, and Apple Bloom had gotten into the cart while Applejack hitched herself up, the first few minutes of the trip were what she had expected: a decent pace with clopping coming from the front of the cart. Apple Bloom had even nodded off. The fact that horse and rider were one in the same was a twist, but Twilight had now had enough time to digest some of the fantastic circumstances she found herself in.

Then, soon after they were out of the gate and clear of the masses streaming through it, Applejack had exploded off of the ground. Somehow, the cart did not lurch at the exponential increase in speed. While the air pressure around them increased to a stiff breeze, it did not match the pace they were going at. Twilight, unable to fully process the defiance of physics going on around her, could at least tell Applejack was hitting speeds equal to at least a train if not an automobile.

“Trivia time!” Pinkie exclaimed once it appeared Twilight had acclimated to their new traveling arrangement. “Do you think Applejack is fast or durable?”

“Huh?”

“This game doesn’t have a guidebook and forums can be confusing, so let’s make a game out how things work here. Now, guess!”

“Speed?”

“Err!” Pinkie crossed her arms in front of her. “Applejack’s an END build.”

“A what?”

Pinkie paused and stared at Twilight. “You’re not much of a gamer, are you?”

“No,” Twilight sighed. “I know a little from my brother, but nothing more than a few basic terms.”

“Aw, don’t feel bad,” said Pinkie. “People play Dendro for all sorts of reasons. To be honest, I wasn’t much of a gamer either before I came here. So, let me give you a little breakdown then.”

Pinkie held up both hands. Her left displayed all five of her fingers, while her right only had three lifted. Her eyes rested on the latter. “There are eight stats to look at here. The first three are HP, MP, and SP.”

“Health and magic.” Twilight focused on the third finger on Pinkie’s right hand. “‘SP?’”

“Special Points. That’s a tricky one since it can apply to a lot of stuff, especially once you have an Embryo. Think I’ll leave it at that. Examples are tricky-dicky.”

Pinkie put her right hand down. “So that leaves STR, AGI, END, DEX, and LUC. Care to guess what they mean?”

Twilight thought for a moment with Pinkie smiling at her. Hearing the stats all said together, their names aligned with discussions she had often heard her brother talk about with friends and occasionally when he screamed at his computer when they were younger. “Your physical power, your speed, your defensive capability, your dexterity, and your fortune… In a game this realistic how do you determine what your LU—”

“Ding ding ding!” Pinkie had somehow produced a cowbell and rang it with glee. “You’re definitely a smart cookie, Twilight! So, have a cookie!”

From out of Twilight’s sight, Pinkie fished out a cookie studded with chocolate pieces, and chucked it to Twilight. Twilight managed to catch it but then thought how, while the cookie had arced through the air, it had only slightly shifted back rather than being flung from the cart. She had been in the game for a good two hours so far and had eaten a light dinner before starting up Dendro, so when the fresh scent of the cookie wafted into her nose, her stomach grumbled. She raised the cookie to her lips and took a bite. The delightful sweetness in the bite filled her mouth.

This… this tastes so good!

“Never fails,” Pinkie giggled. “You’ll be happy to know, the bakers living in Ponyville made that and they’ve got plenty more where that came from!”

Something about what Pinkie said caught Twilight’s attention. This cookie was moist, with gooey chocolate and a faint remnant of warmth. Twilight felt the rest of the cookie still in her hand, with one finger pressing into where she had taken a bite. That inner section was a little warmer than the rest of the cookie. “Um, how long will it take to get to Ponyville?”

“‘Bout half a day.” She glanced at Applejack still speeding a long and then looked at Twilight with a gleam in her eye. “A well-supplied demi-dragon team of mounts could probably do it in a day, but then again, they’d have to rest.”

What “demi-dragon” meant was lost to Twilight, but it gave her somewhat of a sense of what the journey from the starting point in Legendaria to Ponyville was like. It also deepened her curiosity about the dessert she was holding. She looked over at Pinkie. “You didn’t bake this in town?”

Pinkie’s lips curled upwards, giving her alien face some feline qualities. “Just one of my many secrets.”

Sensing that pursuit of the topic would not go any further, and deciding not to put too much weight on an, albeit delicious, cookie, Twilight looked over the side of the cart, watching the land flow underneath it at dizzying speeds. “You aren’t just messing with me about Applejack not specializing in AGI?”

“It’s no fun to mess with new Masters. So, believe me when I say that Applejack is built to endure, but she’s got a high enough AGI to make travel a breeze too!” Her eyes gained a glimmer. “So, how about you check out your stats?”

“Oh, um, okay.” Twilight was relieved that while instructions had been scant, they had included information on how to pull up her status. Looking it over, she saw a fairly even dispersion of stats, which to her made sense given she had just started. Yet, there were some discrepancies. For one, her AGI was already higher than her END. Her DEX was also higher than both.

Yet, it was her MP that was somehow leaps and bounds above the rest. While the rest of her stats were all below fifty save for HP, her MP was already over 100.

“Why’s it so high?” she wondered aloud.

“Something catch your eye?” Pinkie asked. “If you don’t mind, we can be friends and then I can get a better idea of what you might be looking at. I can use Reveal, but I don’t like doing that with friends.”

“Oh, um, sure.”

“Yippee!” Pinkie then guided Twilight through the process. It was not that different from adding someone on social media. It even allowed a messaging function under optimal peaceful conditions.

“Hmm, interesting.” Pinkie’s eyes narrowed. “Your job also explains it a little, but not all the way, unless…”

Pinkie lunged forward and pinched Twilight’s ears. “Ah-ha!”

“Ow-ow-ow!” Twilight shoved Pinkie back. “What are you doing?”

“Sorry sorry!” Pinkie waved an arm back and forth. “Got a little carried away there. But now I get it. You’re a dark elf!”

“Wait… what?”

“Supernaturally purple skin. Pointed ears.” Pinkie grabbed her chin and nodded at Twilight like an art critic sizing up a piece. “Yep. Definitely a dark elf.”

“But I didn’t choose that! I was just going for human with a few odd features!” Twilight’s thoughts raced back to the guards at the city. “Oh no! Am I going to be hunted down now by regular elves?”

“Easy-easy,” said Pinkie. Hearing Pinkie’s tone come across as measured to account for Twilight’s panic, Twilight took a breath. “You're a stumbler.”

Another term that did not make sense to Twilight.

“There’s a lot of ways you can group players. Seekers vs stumblers is one. Seekers are often hard-core gamers. They come into Dendro with specific gameplay ideas and goals in mind. Stumblers are the opposite: they come into Dendro for a variety of reasons and nothing is set in stone for them. They often come across things or make big decisions completely by accident. Stumblers may sound like a bad name, but I actually think they’re more fun. You never know what they might do or find! Plus, in your case, it really worked out, being a mage and all. Maybe that explains your LUC being a teeny bit higher than average too!”

Twilight reflected on her own stats, but then turned her attention to Pinkie’s. She was about to check on her stats when a holler came from the front of the cart.

“Heads up!” Applejack called back. “We’ve got some varmints!”

Pinkie stood up, patted off her skirt, and spun to face out towards the edge of the cart. Her eyes scanned the countryside and locked on to something. Twilight looked in that direction and spotted a cloud of dust and then the creatures making it. They were a pack of wolves, though they were bigger than any species Twilight had ever seen. They raced towards the cart.

“I’ll keep on moving so we make it on time,” said Applejack. “You all good back there, Pinkie?”

“Yepperoni!” Pinkie raised an arm and held her palm flat out. She rotated her hand around a little. As the wolves drew near, Pinkie’s arm split lengthwise, right down the middle. However, no blood streamed out of what should have been a horrific gash. Instead, Pinkie’s flesh parted like pieces of a machine. Underneath her skin, everything was still pink. No sinew, blood vessels, nor bone was visible. Just a mass of pink. Twilight had seen how detailed the character customization was, so she had no doubt Infinite Dendrogram did strive to create avatars that were as “alive” as one could possibly imagine, down to as faithful of a recreation of anatomy in a world that allowed for myths and monsters to coexist alongside man.

So, what Twilight had thought was at least some understanding of basic biology here was once again uprooted. That upheaval grew stronger as Pinkie’s arm continued to shift. It gained an inorganic smoothness and a slight sheen. Deep grooves appeared that emanated a neon light. Where the center of her palm had been before was now a large hole. Pinkie’s hand was now a long metallic cylinder.

Twilight was still trying to comprehend what she was looking at when an explosion roared out of Pinkie’s arm. The blast barreled towards the wolves. The moment it slammed into them, the blast split apart in a shower of bits of vibrant paper.

“A confetti bomb?!” Twilight gasped.

“That’s just the opening bit!” said Pinkie. The confetti swirled all around the wolves. At first, it seemed as if the only damage dealt would be the blunt force trauma of having any kind of projectile slam into you with the speed of a cannonball. The wolf that had received the brunt of the blow had managed to stay on its paws, but it wobbled in its attempts to stay near the cart.

All the other wolves then yipped even while they continued their pursuit. Why they did this was not clear to Twilight at first, but then she spotted patches of their fur turning crimson. She also noticed the confetti, rather than flowing away with the wind, instead continued to swirl around the wolves.

“Think I’ve ginned them up enough.” Pinkie gave her neck a crack. “Wanna finish them off? Good chance to get some XP.”

“Don’t you want it?”

Pinkie waved her still human(?) hand. “Oh, I’ve already got plenty of levels. Plus, good chance to try out some magic, right?”

“That is true…” Before Twilight could think on it more, one of the wolves drew close enough that, even in an injured state, it made a leap for the cart and what it perceived as prey inside. It was also still cognizant enough that it bared its fangs down on Apple Bloom, still fast asleep. “Shoot!”

Perhaps based on the word choice and perhaps because it was the first thing that sprang to mind, a ball of flame about the size of a grapefruit materialized in front of Twilight’s right hand and soared into the wolf, slamming into its underbelly. It howled in pain as the ball burnt its fur, and singed its skin. Twilight could see up close now, the numerous little cuts that had torn its body apart. It then burst apart into particles of light. A few coins dropped from where it had been and into the cart.

“Great job!” Pinkie gave Twilight a pat on the back. Twilight heaved a sigh of relief. “Want to go for a few more?”

Twilight flexed her fingers. The gears in her mind turned. A small grin appeared on her face. “I have some moves I’d like to try out.”

“Then be my guest!”

Twilight drew her attention to the wolves and aimed her hand at them. Recalling the water from town and the fireball just now, she focused. Flames appeared, but this time their shape was a beam, uneven and bulging in a few spots. When Twilight moved her hand around, the beam of flame followed it, hovering a few inches above her palm. With a grasp on how the flames moved, she hefted them up, and, mimicking how she had seen Olympic competitors move, launched the flame spear at a wolf. This time, the attack managed to piece the skin. The wolf crumpled and burst into light like the other one. Since it was outside the cart, the rewards for defeating it were left in the dust.

Having seen their kin defeated, the remaining wolves split up and now pursued the cart from two sides.

“I’ll take the left!” said Pinkie.

“Got it!” Twilight shifted to the right. The air around her hand grew cold this time. Moisture appeared, instantly froze, and collected into a projectile about the size of a fist with a sharp tip. Twilight threw it like the earlier flame spear. The wolf she had targeted bared its fangs at her and jumped to the side, leaving the shot to gouge the earth and shatter. Twilight launched another ice volley at the beast, but it dodged again. The other wolves on Twilight’s side drew nearer.

Taking a breath, Twilight held her head out, but this time nothing materialized in front of her hand. Focusing her attention on one of the wolves, water appeared out of the air and coagulated around one of their heads. It leapt back and tried to free itself, but Twilight’s focus was keenly focused on the wolf and keeping the water she had summoned around its head. It thrashed about trying to get air, but Twilight did not release her spell.

When the wolves had first appeared and Pinkie began fighting them, the thought had crossed Twilight’s mind with all the realism she had experienced so far in Dendro that killing something, even these vicious looking wolves, would be a hurdle to overcome. She did, after all, view herself as an ethical scientist devoted to preserving and enhancing life.

The wolf going after Apple Bloom had brought her to the conclusion that the wolves had to be eliminated.

While emotion and impulse had pushed her to this point, now her researcher side had taken over and there was time to use rationality. There was indeed a real person in Apple Bloom, and the beat of Twilight’s heart, the sweat on her brow, and the quickness of her breath made it feel like this was actually happening, Twilight reminded herself this was a game. A game where she could use magic.

While she thought this, the wolf she was drowning in the middle of an open field turned to motes of light. Now only one wolf remained on her side.

In full experimentation mode, Twilight thought back to the book that had made her a mage. There were several different attributes of magic in Infinite Dendrogram. A basic breakdown of elements existed: water, earth, fire, and air; along with derivatives like lightning, metal, and ice. There was also light and dark magic. Infinite Dendrogram had lived up to its name so far, so Twilight had no doubt that the possibilities with magic were countless too here. With that in mind, she focused on the last wolf in a similar manner to how she had summoned water before. This time though, she did not aim to create anything. Rather, she wanted to open up a void around the wolf’s head.

Nature abhors a vacuum, so the conditions to create a true one, even with the proper tech, were restricted. That limit did not have to exist in Infinite Dendrogram though. Spurred by that thought, Twilight concentrated and summoned her magic.

The wolf advanced, unfazed, and pounced. Twilight yelped, unsure why the spell had not formed. She threw her hands up and fell back on using a fireball, but that too failed to materialize. Claws and fangs fell upon her.

Before they could tear her to shreds, a boxing glove attached to an arrow shaft clobbered the wolf. Ribs snapped and its chest caved inward a second before the wolf turned to motes of light.

“Close one!” said Pinkie. Twilight fell to her knees gasping for air. In the seconds when the wolf was falling upon her and her magic had failed, she had stopped breathing due to her heart rocketing up into her throat. Pinkie drew near and patted her on the back. “You okay?”

“I will be,” Twilight huffed. “I just… just don’t know what happened.”

After a second of staring at something Twilight could not see, Pinkie snapped her fingers, “Yep, out of MP.”

Twilight blushed. “Oh.”

“That’s kinda weird though. Even new Masters can spam low level spells like fireball, ice shard, and water sphere.”

Twilight wobbled to her feet to get back to her seat, and sighed falling into it. “Maybe it has to do with the last spell I tried.”

“Oh? What was that?”

“I hadn’t seen it yet in the books I have, but I wanted to try and create a true vacuum, not just an absence of oxygen but a true lack of air.”

“Well, that’s your problem. That kind of magic doesn’t exist!”

“I, uh, what?”

“Yep-yep! There’s magic to manipulate air, but not something like what you’re describing. Oooh, we can call it void magic! We’ll keep that as a working title. Don’t worry, I’ve got a friend that’s good with cool names.”

“It’s fine,” said Twilight. So, there are limits after all… interesting]/i]

Comments

[GreatDragonLord]

Hooray! New chapter! YAY