It had finally happened. He was in another world, one of adventure and excitement. Many would be concerned, but he knew the rules of that game. He was a pro! The best! With a new sword in mouth, he set out to conquer that new world.
It had finally happened. He was in another world, one of adventure and excitement. Many would be concerned, but he knew the rules of that game. He was a pro! The best! With a new sword in mouth, he set out to conquer that new world.
"Finally." Button Mash let the joypad fall from his tired hooves. "At last..." With tired... everything he rose to his shaking hooves. He had defeated Swordmasters of Troom. He rated it a 8/10 as RPGs went, staggering towards bed with low groans.
Still, he had completed it, utterly. 100%'ed it! "Yeah..." He nosed open the door to his room and slowly plodded inside. "Time for bed." He struck the soft mattress with the force of a hundred angry suns, so hard he fell through it, right to sleep.
Wait, no, this wasn't sleep. He was falling, literally falling. The wind was whistling past his flapping ears as his hooves began to windmill as if he could catch himself, but there was nothing to catch, just air. Beneath him, the world was rushing up to greet him.
He saw something there, sharing the sky with him. It was a small... no... it was far away. It had big wings, relatively. Oh, it was a dragon, neat! Not one of those two legged ones that visited Ponyville sometimes. It was a big one, breathing a cone of fire at something on the ground. A fight? Neat! Oh wait, he was still falling. That required attention.
He had quite a way to go to the ground. Screaming was an option, possibly a good one. But he also had a whole continent to look at, and it wasn't Equestria. It was... Oh! He recognized that land mass! He was falling onto Troom! He began to clap giddilly despite his plumetting. "Awesome!" But he didn't want to arrive on Troom as a pancake. He had to do something about that.
What would the Swordmasters of Troom do? Hm. Cast Hover to avoid damage! But he didn't have any spells... yet... He had to find magical spells, some in shops. There were few shops to pick while falling through the air. Somepony should fix that...
Wait, there was what they did in Chapter 2! A specific call to summon the Birds of Evelon! He only heard the electronic warbling version of the song. It'd have to do. He opened his mouth wide and let out the low-quality chirp as best he could against the hurricane whipping past his fuzzy face.
He wasn't falling anymore. With a thump of striking something, he was suddenly being carried away on a feathered back. It was a huge bird! There were others taking up formation on either side. He was the pointed from of a flight of the huge birds. He began to laugh, timidly at first, but it rapidly built to a wildly manic whooping. He was on Troom, riding huge flying birds! "Yes! Onwards, my valliant steeds!"
He jumped as something landed on his head. Reaching up, he discovered his propeller beanie had managed to find him. "Today is shaping up!" But he couldn't just fly around forever, right? He had to land somewhere... "The first town." He pointed and the bird veered in that direction, leading the flock for the trip. "They'll have low level monsters for me to beat up!"
Also an inn. That he was tired started to resurface in his mind and body with the threat of immediate doom fading away. Maybe sleeping first would be the right thing to do...
The huge bird landed just outside of town and extended a wing to the ground. "You mean?" The bird nodded at him. "Thanks for the ride." Button hopped onto the wing and slid down with a whooping cheer, only stopping when he crashed to the ground and rolled forward. By the time he got his wits back around him, the birds were gone, flying off to wherever huge birds liked to hang out.
That is when he noticed he had an audience. There was a group of ponies gaping at him. Some where tall and thin ponies with extra pointy ears. Some were stocky and thick ponies with big beards. One of them, coming closer, was a short little pony with fur that went down across their hooves. "Hello!" greeted the smaller pony. "You must be very important, with that mount."
Button peeked back at where the bird had been. "Um. Oh, yes!" He stood up tall. "I'm on a quest! For the sake of all of Troom!" The crowd of ponies gasped in shock. "Have no fear. But I do need a place to rest. The trip here was quite ardu... ardou... hard! It was really hard. Can I stay in the inn? Just one night." The next day, he figured, he could grind up money properly.
A stocky pony got a hoof around the smaller pony and pulled them back. "Just because ye rode one of them doesn't mean ye can go an' make demands!" He had an obvious accent. With his beard, Button placed him as a dwarf! Awesome, a dwarf pony. "Ye not be a noble, so that isn't flying, unlike you."
Button considered his options. "Well... I'm really tired... What can I do?"
The little pony hopped onto the dwarf pony's back. "You can stay with me! You're small enough. I'm about to have first dinner. Want to join?"
First dinner? Awesome, halfling pony! "Yeah!" The crowd was thinning out, with the issue seemingly resolved. "Promise, I'll get some gold tomorrow."
"How?" The little pony hopped clear of the dwarf. "I don't mind you staying the night. You seem nice."
"Yer too trusting, Little Feather." The dwarf huffed softly. "Call if ye need any help."
Little was too busy leading Button through the small town. "I live right... there!" He pointed to a small house, about half the size of all the other houses around it. It was perfectly foal sized. "What's your name?"
"Button Mash." He was looking around with wide eyes. It really was the starting town. It was in way higher resolution up close and personal compared to the graphics he had originally seen it in. "So cool..."
"Are you cold? I'll get a blanket." The little pony hurried inside, leaving the door open.
An open door was an invitation, one that Button Mash accepted, kicking it closed behind himself. Smells. Every new home had a smell, and Little Feather's was no exception. Delicious was the first word Button Mash could think up, as if someone had prepared a thousand feasts over as many years, each as wonderful as the next, their echoes calling to him, making his belly rumble with need. He hadn't eaten the night before, too busy playing the game that he was instead living. "I'm not cold, promise." It was actually warm and cozy. "Thanks, by the way..." A random NPC didn't owe him anything, he figured. Being polite couldn't hurt!
"You're welcome." Little was rushing back with a pile of blankets in his hooves. "Here you go." And suddenly the blankets were thrown over Button Mash, despite his claims of not being cold. "All better?"
"Great..." Button Mash flicked his ears at his new little friend. "What's for dinner? It already smells great."
"A pony after my own heart!" And off he went, vanishing into the house. "Just wait there!"
He came back in a flash, a platter bouncing on his back. He let it slide off in front of Button Mash and rushed off to get another, and another. Four in total. Little Feather placed his hooves over two of them. "I present, dinner!"
"First," added Button with a nod.
"First," agreed Little Feather. "As if one was ever enough." Pop, he took the lids off the platters, revealing the glistening food and allowing a fresh waft of those old smells turned new again. "Eat up!"
Button Mash ate well, but only once. As soon as he finished the first dinner, which he rated as 'yummy', he flopped into the provided bed. He didn't fall through into a new world that time, other than sleep. The next day he woke up to the sensation of being watched. "Woah!" He turned to see a face right near his. Little Feather was right there. "Were you watching me sleep?!"
"Yes." No shame, no a shred. "How are you going to get gold? I'm realllly curious. Can I help?"
Button considered the little pony. Well, he was about the same size, but he was an adult, and Button Mash was a foal. Button would eventually outsize Little Feather, who would remain the same small size. Halflings were funny... "Well! If you have adventuring equipment, that'd be a huge help... Or I'll be punching slimes."
Little's eyes went wide. "You'd do that!? I usually run away when I see a slime."
Button sagged. "So, no on the equipment?"
"I want to help... Oh!" Little didn't dash away for once, waving for Button to follow him into the kitchen. "Here." He waved at a dazzling array of kitchen knives. "You can have one. Pick whichever you like... Except that one!" He suddenly grabbed one off the display. "My mom gave me that one... And that one!" Another vanished with a snatch. "Been in the family for over thirty generations!"
Proper swords they were not, but they were a step up from punching things. Button felt over the collection slowly, arriving at a large butcher's knife. "Oh yeah..." It was like a sword, right? "You're the best!"
"Aw! Thanks." Little hugged Button without further prompting. "Good luck! Don't get hurt."
"I'll try not to... Off to adventure!" He left a waving Little Feather and rushed out into the light of day. He giggled at all the fantastical ponies around him. He wanted to talk to them all, but he needed money first! Being a beggar didn't get one a lot of friends, aside of Little Feather.
He hurried out of town and looked around. "Alright, random encounter time." But nothing was jumping at him. "Oh, right." He began going in small circles. That was how one attracted random encounters, duh.
A wet gloopy noise drew his attention. There was a puddle of slime, its eyes swirling as if dizzy. Had it been watching him? "Ah ha! My first foe! A slime, perfect." In the game, slimes were the lowest run of enemies. All they could do was bump against you for a single point of damage when they even managed to hit. They were perfect.
It was kinda cute though, wobbling there, dizzy. "Aw."
It recovered from its dizzy spell and leaped at Button Mash in a show of speed. "Hey!" He ducked low under it and popped his knife into his mouth. He began to hum the game's battle music to himself as he took a ready stance. He was a low level adventure. Attack was really the only option he had. He jumped at the slime just as it had a moment before.
It proved it was better at jumping, thumping into his chest with a dull thud and accompanying pain, as if a basketball were hurled at him. "Ow!" That was what a hit point felt like? He didn't like it.
But he had a weapon and could show the slime what it was like. "Hi-yeah!" He thrust forward with his entire body, plunging the dagger against it, but it bounced away instead of being cut. "Oh, right." It was a butcher knife, the edge was on the side. "I got this." He jumped to avoid the counter strike, starting to bounce a bit. "I got this!" He was fighting, and it was kind of fun, if a little painful.
He dove for it with a sweep of his neck. "Gonna cut you up like a carrot for mom!" He brought down the heavy butcher blade with a loud thunk as it hit the ground past the ooze. The creature fell either way, two unhappy pieces that faded away in a rainbow puff of sparkles, leaving behind a few coins and a straw hat. "Loot!"
His adventure had properly begun. He knew the monsters. He knew the locations. He was gonna win the game, and with it, the entire world! And then, maybe he'd go home and tell his mom all about it? That was how that worked, right?
There was a problem! It wasn't, like, a deadly one but he'd collected tons of newbie equipment from chasing slimes down relentlessly. He couldn't wear 4 straw hats nor wield 5 wooden swords.
But which was better than the other, and which did he try to sell off later? Or were they all the same as each other? Just glancing at them didn't reveal the hints. Holding or wearing them didn't feel any different. In the game, he remembered them just having stats you could see when you went to the equipment screen.
Which was a thing he didn't have. He just put a hat on his head or grabbed a sword in his mouth. There had to be another way. Button squinted at the collection of hats he held atop his two hooves. Wait. He squinted harder, bringing another reality into focus. Over each hat was an array of numbers and statistics. "Score!" He'd found the equipment screen! He began sorting through the hats, picking the one with the best numbers to adorn his head. "I'm not giving you up." He tucked the propeller beanie away, promising to put it back on when the adventure was over.
Which was when he had a thought. He pulled the beanie back out and squinted at it. Low stats, that made sense, but it had a little funny symbol. It gave a status of some kind. What status? He focused in on that symbol and it became clear. Hover. "Ha!" He hugged the beanie close. "If I'd just held onto you, I would have hit the ground all nice and safe." He tucked the beanie away in his pocket along with the rest of the lesser hats. "Now for weapons."
He squinted at the knife. No special stats, just numbers. "And the bats." He set out the wooden swords in a line and began examaning each in turn. Squinting, he could make out which were better and how. "You." He plucked up the best of the wooden swords. "You cause poison. How?" Whatever, RPGs did not always have to make sense. He tucked the rest away. His pockets shouldn't have held so much stuff, but easily dismissed as more RPG logic.
"A fine day of grinding." He got a trotting jog back into town. "I left a pauper, and return a rich pony." Actually, what was the going rate on coins? They may not translate the same as the game. Still, he was pretty sure he had a good haul.
"Hi! Welcome back." Little Feather came galloping up with a big smile. "I'm glad you're alright. Oh." He looked over Button Mash curiously. "And you found things." Little Feather reached up, brushing a hoof on the new straw hat. "Wow! You really are an adventurer."
They weren't so tough! Um. "Wait, does nopony fight those slimes?"
"Only the guards." Little pointed to a perfectly average earth pony in chainmail. "They take care of monsters that get too close to the town. Only adventurers go out and bring the fight to them." He bounced around Button Mash. "Like you!"
"I have this under control!" Button slapped his chest. "Oh, since you're here, maybe you can help. First, here." He drew out the butcher knife and offered it back towards Little. "This helped a lot, but you can have it back."
"I am going to need to clean this." Still, Little did take it back, tucking it away just as Button was in the habit of doing. "Are you going?"
"I must." Button Mash took on a stoic stance of heroism, or so he hoped. "The world won't save itself!"
"How heroic!" Little Feather, at least, was convinced. "Good luck. If you need a place to rest, just let me know."
"Wait, the second thing." Button produced a large bag that jingled with coins. "How much is this worth?"
Little Feather trained his small ears on the jingling package. "Um... Let me see." He brushed one of his hooves on the bag until it was put down and he could nose inside. "Mostly gold pieces. Um, sir, it can get a little complicated..."
"Complicated?" Button set a hoof atop his bag. "They have a value, don't they?"
"Sure they do, sir." Little bobbed his head quickly. "But that changes depending on where you are. Here, in this sleepy village, they're worth the most. In the middle of a big city, less."
"Are ya talkin' about inflation?" The dwarf pony from the day before stepped in just behind Little Feather. "A powerful sorcery, aye. The closer you are to the heart of civilization, the more powerful it gets."
Button clopped a hoof to his face. Hence the inns and things getting more expensive as you went through the game. He was no expert on the idea of inflation, but the basic idea worked out. "So, here, how much is this?"
"A good deal!" Little swatted at the bag. "Don't spend it all here, sir, or you'll invite that magic to our town."
That was all too much economics for Button Mash to grasp. "Sure." Not like the starter town had loads for him to stock up on. "I will have to, um, head closer to that magic, soon, like maybe now..." He rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. "Thanks again!"
But not before enjoying a comfy stay at the inn, with food and drinks and wenches! He was flanked by two mares, a pegasus elf and a standard model unicorn that were... cuddling him. He did not quite get what the appeal was. He'd read that was the thing that adventurers did after a hard day's work and wanted to try it himself, only to find the whole thing confusing in its lack of appeal. He couldn't know he was too young to 'get' that, but they hung off every word he said, and he appreciated that, so he spent the time describing his super amazing battles and swinging his poisonous wood sword about and they were quite willing to be an eager audience and to feed him whenever he was taking a break.
The bed he rated as alright, but Little Feather's house was comfier. Figures a halfling pony would have that down.
Rested with all his hit points restored, Button Mash jumped out of the inn with a cry. "Time to... shop, actually." He hurried across the little town to a shop that had a big scroll over its door. Inside was a wizened elven bat pony. "Oooo!" He rushed the counter for a better look at the fantastical pony. "You look awesome."
"Thank you?" The elven bat pony inclined a sharp ear at the little potential customer. "I am told you are an adventurer. Is that correct?"
"Yep!" He slapped down his bag of coins. "An adventurer that wants to learn some magic!"
The shopkeep glanced at the coins, most of his attention on Button Mash. "Alright. I would feel bad if I didn't ask, but can you read magic scrolls?"
"What?"
The elf-bat reached down and plucked up a scroll, setting it on the counter. "Then your first purchase will be this. For one hundred coins, I will use it on you to allow you to read magic scrolls. Then you can do it yourself from that point forward. The other option is to learn it the slow way, but I know few adventurers that want anything 'the slow way' if there's an option to get it in any other way."
"You are reading my mind." Button Mash shoved his hoof into his bag and began pulling out heaps of coins and forming them into stacks of ten for counting, coming up with ten stacks. He could math! "And with this, I'll read magic."
The shopkeep brought down a hoof with a heavy thud, drawing the hundred coins towards himself. "A done deal. Now, I will read this." His wings made for handy hands as he drew the scroll apart and began reading the strange arcane words from it. Button could feel memories he never had surfacing. He had read tons of scrolls. It was easy! "And there. A fair trade."
Button was down a good collection of his coins, but could read magic! "Awesome! So..." He poked at his bag. "Hook me up with awesome spells like fire blast and ice jet!"
"Fitting spells for an adventurer." He nudged the bag. "But you don't have the coins, and I'm not permitted to offer such high level spells anyway. How about Spark and Chill? Fine starting spells to get a grasp on while you work your way."
Spark? Chill?! Those were the weakest elemental spells. Still, he had to start somewhere, right? "Alright..." He was only going to get so much from the starting town. "One of those then." Coins and scrolls exchanged hooves. "Later!" And off he dashed with his new booty, giggling the whole way.
He dropped off the lackluster equipment at the general store that was happy to pay him for it, and he was off. "Good bye, starting town!" It had a name, he was sure of it, but it was all the way in the start of the game. He'd forgotten it. It was the starting town, and that was all he needed to know.
Little Feather was kinda cool though. But Button had a wide world to save and bad guys to kick the back ends of! With quality equipment worn and equipped, he boldly marched onto the grassy fields. "On to the second town!" He could remember the second town. You had to loop back to it later in the story. "That was a nice touch..." Seeing older NPCs popping up a second time.
A sweet move. He just had to cross the fields, then pass a mountain trail, and, in the game, be ambushed by the baddies.
Hm. "Is that going to happen?" He wasn't the original protagonist. They had no reason to ambush him. Maybe they would, which would mean he was the protagonist. Maybe they wouldn't, in which case he was just some guy... who knew all the secrets. Both possibilities were kind of exciting when he thought of them. He would win either way! Though if there was a protagonist out there, trying to save the world, what then?
"Duh." That meant Button would become the best mentor ever and point that clueless hero at all the good stuff. "That would be funny..." He pushed through the grass towards the increasingly towering mountain ahead of him. "But first, get past this."
"Rawr!" A bipedal figure of flame and rock stood before him.
Button drew his poison sword and began to dance in place, humming the combat music as he went. "You look tougher than some slimes." But still a low level enemy, to his remembering. "You're going down!"
To the flame-rock creature's credit, it took one solid thwack and didn't immediately die, unlike the slimes. "Woah!" It caught Button across the side and sent him flying to land in the tall grass, eyes swirling. "Ow..." But it was also coming closer to finish the job. "No you don't! Chill!" Magical swirls rushed out from Button Mash in all directions, gathering in large snowflakes that crashed against the charging monster.
With a great hiss of steam, the ice blast put part of its fire out and the creature staggered in pain. "Ha, didn't expect that, did ya?!" Learning magic, good idea. He could take advantage of elemental weaknesses a lot easier with them. "You're looking a little sick, hm?"
It wasn't the cold rush, but the sword had done its job. The rocky thing was losing bits of itself as the poison ate away at it, costing it precious hit points. "I have such a good idea." Button proceeded to not fight it anymore. He led it on a merry chase, laughing all the while as it tried desperately to catch up, but the rock flame thing wasn't as fast as a hyper colt, and it met failure, stumbling forward into pieces, the poison finishing its job.
"Loser!" called Button Mash, marching up to claim his earned loot.
Button ascended the dread mountain. Well, it wasn't the tallest or most foreboding in the lands; he remembered worse. Still, it was the tallest he'd ever climbed on his own hooves before. The enemies were also inching up in levels. This made complete sense to him. He felt silly for not noticing on his own, but one time he was clobbered and, stars dancing, he was left squinting and discovered the enemies had equipment scenes too. He could see those levels and other various stats, even if there wasn't time to admire them in the middle of a scrap.
But there was one vicious monster that would stay still for him to examine. He curled a leg into his field of view and gazed upon it, able to see his own stats for the first time.
"Huh." Adventurer was a class, a jack of all trades, master of none kind of deal. This also made sense to him. He could scrap physically or hurl his spells. It did mean he could learn a healing trick or two, as soon as he found those spells. It was also one of the least interestingly named classes, but such was the fate of those who would save the world.
What followed was a laundry list of statistics. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, all that stuff. "Hey!" His Intelligence was lower than the others. "Not funny!" He was super clever, thank you very much RPG world!
He had no statuses. He had exactly that many gold on hoof. Good! The monsters were dropping coins and sometimes other loot for him to collect. Button had 13 experience points to go for the next level. "Awesome." He had a level, which meant he was getting stronger! "It's worth whalloping monsters then." Even when they didn't have upgrades for his equipment, he figured. Levels were levels. "Wonder if I could take out one of those rock thingies in one hit now..." He wasn't going to go back to check.
One negative, the games never bothered with things like camping or stuff unless it was part of a FMV sequence. The trick was that he was living in FMV mode the whole time. When it got dark and he got tired, he had to sleep! He couldn't just ignore time like he could when he was playing the game.
He hadn't bought a lot of camping supplies. Who needed that in video-game RPGs? So he got a crash course in doing it the hard way. Plus! Spark worked really good at starting camp fires, so he wasn't chilly. He just had to collect a bunch of wood and not set himself on fire. That only happened once!
He arrived at the top of the mountain. "Woah." And he could see the world! Well, the continent, a good chunk of it. It was like when he was falling, without as much panic. A thought tickled at him. He could try calling those birds, couldn't he? But you had to be in the right spot to do that, and on the Overworld. He was pretty sure a mountain pass did not qualify. Besides, it wasn't time to call them. He had last time out of an emergency.
"Hello." A mare in chain armor approached at a light walk, a smile on her face. "I didn't expect to see another traveler."
Button perked his ears, silent a moment before he remembered how to talk. "Wow, it's been a while."
"Crazy, right?" She closed with Button, standing perhaps a bit too close. "It's been so long since I saw another pony." She seemed a standard pony, pegasus. Her cutie mark was stitched onto her rump's armor, showing a sword colliding with what looked like a goblin's head. "Oh! My name's Sidestep. What's yours?"
Button offered a hoof. "Button Mash. Nice to meetcha!" He snuck in a squint to see her stats.
SidestepType: Hero Element: Air Class: Sword Maiden
"Cool!"
Side inclined her head at him. "It is a little chilly up here."
Oops! "Um, you... look like a sword maiden. I've never met one before, in person."
She stood up, but that wilted. "I'm not a very good one," she admitted with a sigh. "But, yes. You have amazing perception to notice that." She curled a wing to pat at a sword's hilt. "I would show you, but this is to be drawn only when used, and you have given me little reason to need to use it."
"Aw, wait..." He realized that was a good thing. No reason to make the sword maiden feel a need to ue her sword. "Would you be mad if I said I kinda hope a monster shows up so I can see it?"
Her cheeks darkened swiftly. "That has meanings, Sir Mash. Do not casually ask a Sword Maiden to watch her battle unless you are her paramour or her master, and you are neither." She deflated anew. "Not that I have one of those."
"Why not?" he asked without hesitation.
She gave him a dirty look, but sat on her haunches. "If I did, I would be in their court, enforcing their will, or protecting what is theirs. I am a new maiden, and no master has taken me in yet. I adventure to prove my worth and change this. I missed my last big chance, so I continue. Diligence will win in the end. For what purpose do you wander, Sir Mash?"
"That's a fair question... Um." But did he have a good answer? "I am here to save the world!"
She recoiled. "Truly? Then we are two ponies on the same leaking ship."
Button blinked softly. "Have no fear! I will succeed."
"I doubt that." She casually tapped him on the nose. "The world is already saved. Neither you nor I can save what is already saved."
That answered as many questions as it raised. "But... It can't... How..." He flopped forward in a crash on his belly. "How?! I need to get home, and beating the... That was my ticket home!" He began to stomp his hooves on the ground, striking with the sides as he thrashed. "This isn't fair!"
Sidestep set a hoof on his back as he performed his tantrum. "I felt the same way when I realized I had missed my opportunity. I hear it was quite the battle... I would have dearly wished to have taken part."
"It was pretty cool..." Button sat up, wiping his face. "Alright, be cool!"
"As you mentioned, it is already chilly." One mission, complete. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah... Alright. I... alright." He frowned with thought. "There has to be another way to win, and I'm going to find it!"
"That is the spirit." She looked him over slowly. "Where are you headed now? I am going to Stony Brook."
"Oh! That's the name!" She looked at him oddly. "Sorry, I just came from there. There's nothing interesting there, promise." He waved off the idea. "I'm going that way." He pointed what was forward in his travels. "I was gonna get ambushed and--"
"--A very poor ambush." Sidestep squinted at him. Did she see menus? "That is, if you already know it's coming. Who dislikes you enough to prepare an ambush?"
"Nobody..." There would be no ambush. All the specific events already happened, shoot... "Which... means right now I'm an adventurer. I will adventure! I'll find a new victory condition."
"That is heartening to hear." She stood up. "I wish you luck on your journey."
"You too!" He waved excitedly and resumed his journey, even if he wasn't sure what the sword maiden planned to do. "New plan... New plan! He could check out all the dungeons and things and see what the world savers had left behind. He'd be the top scavenger around. With any luck, they missed a lot of stuff.
Unless he was the last savior. If that last group had been him, going for 100%, then there wouldn't be anything of worth left behind, all scooped up. "Only one way to find out!" He descended from the mountain in great leaping jumps. "First, a town." And a bed, and a bath, and good food. He had plenty to look forward to.
Button got to take out his frustration on a few new enemies on the way down, including one new dropped weapon. "Nice stats." The numbers were all higher, but no fun status. Still, numbers! He took the spear and swung it around, teeth clenched around the middle of it. "Awesome."
He took a moment to be thankful he was an adventurer. They could use basically any weapon they got their hooves on. If he was a sword maiden, besides the first obvious problem, he'd be stuck to only swords. A sword maiden didn't use a spear, that would be silly. Dishonor upon her and her family! But an adventurer had no such rule.
The ground became even as he found a road and began to follow it. "Civilization, here I come!" There were few monsters on the road itself, another positive. Following it, he found his first... It could count as a city. A small city? Still a city. Stony Brook had been a village. He hurried to reach the city proper. "Just in time." It was growing late in the day and if he could avoid another night of camping, he was all for that.
"Excuse me." He went up to a guard in heavy scale mail, a stocky dwarf unicorn. "I'm new in town and I'm looking for an inn. Where do you suggest?"
"Oh? Welcome." The guard nodded at the adventurous Button Mash. "You be a good person and we shouldn't have a problem. Keep your weapons bound, kindly." He pointed to the spear Button had ready. "Need help with that?"
Bound? "Uh... Sure?"
The dwarf unicorn sat next to Button and got to tying a string around the spear that attached it to him. "You look new to the idea. They don't have that rule where you're from?"
"Nope." Button peered at the bright blue string. "What's it for?"
"If you wanted to draw it." He tapped at the spear. "You'd have to untie the string first. That time gives ponies a chance to leave, but also gives you a chance to calm down. It also gives us a chance to hit ya one on the head for makin' trouble in our fair city! But... It does mean you can untie it, which is important if we mess up and a monster ends up in here."
"Oh... neat." Button stopped playing with the spear. "So, an inn?"
"Right over there." The guard pointed the way. "Tell them Flint Spirit sent you." He nodded mid-turn. "Keep your nose clean and enjoy your visisit."
"Yes!" He sprang for the inn with a big smile. "Neat!" It was larger than the one in Stony Brook, with more ponies of various sorts. He saw a big hulking demonic earth pony sipping a drink. "What?" He veered off towards the new curious person. "What are you?"
The demonic pony laughed at the question. "You come to me to ask that first? How rude. If you did not appear so young, I would invite you on a little walk."
A few other ponies shied away. Button didn't catch that hint. "Is it a secret?"
"It is not a secret." He brought down a hoof on Button's head, smooshing his straw hat. "Since I will have no peace otherwise, I am a fire born. Now go and mind your own business." He casually shoved Button away. "We are here to eat and sleep."
"Cooool." Button found a seat for himself with a big grin. Fire Born hadn't been one of the party members, so he never really got to know them outside of them lurking in the background at times.
He might have been stuck, but at least it was an interesting world. He just had to figure out how to win.
The next day, Button charged out the door, ready to... What was he doing? Right! There were dungeons waiting to be plundered and all their valuable loot claimed. He knew where to look, he just had to go get it. What could he get at that level?
As he contemplated this, somepony was rude enough to poke him on the shoulder. "Busy." But they poked again. "What is it?" He wheeled on the pony and squeaked. It was that big demonic one, the fire born. "O-oh, hi! Did you need something?"
"Flint said you're an adventurer."
"Yep!" Button stood up tall at that. "That's me. Why?"
"Where's your badge?" The fire born poked Button right on his shoulder in the same spot. "You should be wearing it. You are lying, or breaking the rules. Which is it?"
"Wait." Button looked to the larger pony's shoulder, where a badge did rest. He hadn't noticed it before, as he had little reason to look for it. What did it mean? Wait. He squinted.
Burning Question Element: Fire Rank: Third class
"Third class?"
Burning's ears flattened. "You know how to read a badge and still profess ignorance." He brought his hoof down firmly on Button's head. "You test my patience, small adventurer."
Button flashed a big smile. "I didn't know you had to have one. So, uh, where do I get one?"
"Impossible." Burning shoved Button away, sending the colt tumbling to the ground. "Come with me. If they hear I let some adventurer wander off like this, it could be on my head next." With low grumbles, he led the way with lashes of his thick tail.
Button followed, adjusting his hat as he went. "You don't need to be so pushy all the time."
"If you do not like it when I am blunt." Burning smiled at him, flames licking around his lips. "I can get hot instead. Would you prefer that?"
"Nope!" What a choice. "So... that place?" He pointed to the building they seemed to be headed towards. He had seen it in the game but had no reason to go inside. The saviors of the world were not adventurers, technically. They didn't belong to the adventurer's guild.
Mind, no reason to go inside meant he couldn't go inside. They probably never even drew what the inside looks like, just the fronts for players to see. New territory!
"That place." Burning did not slow in his approach. "It is only with the blessing of the guild that we can operate. To do so outside of it is to invite trouble on yourself and all other adventurers." He pushed open the door with a hoof and stood there, holding it open.
Button perked an ear. "Oh, um, thanks." He hadn't expected such sudden courtesy from the fire born.
"I can't let you wander off." Oh. He was keeping Button in sight.
Button scurried past the looming presence to check out the supposedly super important guild. Inside looked like a tavern or an inn or something. There were ponies at tables, drinking and chatting. The main difference is that all the ponies there looked armed, minus the spellcasty ones that looked ready to do that with staves or orbs or whatever else they needed.
Burning shoved him from behind. "To the counter." He thrust a large hoof at the long counter. "Talk to Sally Evenhoof. She's good with newcomers."
"Sally? Alright." Button raced across the area, taking note of the other interesting ponies he saw on the way. An elf pegasus mare, a half-orc earth stallion, and others taunted him with being there and not having time to go check them out.
There were about four ponies at the counter, most of them normal-looking. Sally was a smiling pegasus. "Hello there." Her eyes darted to his bare shoulder. "Are you here to submit a quest?"
"Neat! But no." He reared up, placing his hooves on the counter to see Sally better while talking to her. "I wanna join. I'm already good at adventuring."
Sally looked past Button to Burning near the door, watching them. "Ah, I see. I'm glad you've come to your senses. We'll need to test you first. The tests cost 20 coins."
20 coins would have been a considerable amount, until he had farmed his way across the mountain. Button quickly fished out the requested currency. "Here ya go!" Wow, inflation was already taking effect. "What's next?"
"This way." She looped around the counter to a side hallway. "We value your privacy, sir...?"
"Mash! Button Mash." He kept up with her easily as they entered a new hall with curtains on either side, like a fitting hallway. "So what do we do here?"
She waved her hoof slowly. "I don't think anypony is here right now, so pick whichever booth you like and stand in the center. I'll do the rest."
Button played a quick game of eenie minie moe and dashed into the selected booth. Inside was a glass platform, perfectly round. "Huh..." He wandered up onto it, tapping at it with his hooves with the tink tink tink of hoof against glass. "On it?"
"Good, stand still." He could hear buttons clicking. The floor lit up under him and a wave of energy emerged from it like a disc that went up and down his small form, scanning him maybe? Pop, his personal equipment screen appered, without squinting! "Can you see it?" Sally asked from outside.
"Yep!" Button inclined his head at the information, though it was all stuff he'd seen before. Nothing new there. "What now?"
"With your permission, I'll join you."
"Oh, sure." His stats weren't like a super secret, so far he knew.
She pulled the curtain with a sweep of her wing, just enough to slip inside herself and close it behind herself. "Very good." Her eyes were on his sheet, not him specifically. She drew out a clipboard and got to taking notes. "You really are an adventurer." She tapped a quill on where the class was noted. "A lot of ponies use the word without knowing which they're referring to.
"Yep!" Button considered squinting at her, but things seemed out in the open. "So what class are you?"
"Oh, I don't have one." She waved that away. "I don't adventure, I just work here. Now for page two."
Page two? She casually reached out a hoof for the screen and made a swipe from left to right, making it flip over and reveal the next page Button didn't even know existed. "What?!" She arched a brow at his reaction. "Sorry... never saw that before."
Sally smiled gently. "But you have seen the first page then?" She was taking notes of what was on that second page. "Naughty colt! You've already scored an impressive number of monsters for not being a registered member. If you weren't here signing up, we would have more serious things to discuss. Thank Burning on the way out."
Button nervously laughed, rubbing behind his head, causing his hat to flop. "Yeah, uh... I didn't know." Still, a second page of info. It had his monster slaying stats, broken down into types of monsters. 'Mystical Connections: Birds of Evelon' "Wait, it knows that?" He pointed to the floating letters.
"Hm?" She looked where he was pointing. "I was going to ask about that." She leveled her quill at Button. "Somepony of your level shouldn't have anything there. The birds of Evelon are a mythical creature that only responds to a specific cry that nopony knows! The last ones that are rumored to have that knowledge are the ones that saved the world. You, somehow, have forged a connection with them." She folded her arms in front of herself. "Have you edited your sheet?"
Button blinked rapidly. "You can do that?!"
Sally relaxed a little. "That is a better no than many answers... Yes, you can. There are magics that will change what it displays. The truth will not be altered, but it would fool us taking a look. Some prefer to keep this entirely hidden." She waved a hoof at the floating sheet. "We'd have to ask them to disable it while they joined. I can't write down what I can't see."
"Makes sense... Sneaky ways to hide what you are, neat... But that's all true, promise! I didn't edit a thing." He crossed his heart and stuffed an imaginary cupcake in his eye.
"As you say, and I am inclined to believe you, but that only raises more questions." She flipped onwards to the next page. "Let's see your potentials. Hm..." Graphs. A lot of them. Many different colors battling for supremacy. Sally seemed to understand what it was saying, taking notes. "You've already started using magic... You have no specific talents, except..." She brought up two hooves and swept them apart as if someone was zooming in on a touch display, causing the sheet to zoom in on a specific part.
Innate Talents: Scan(Level 2), Meta Knowledge(Level 5)
"Scan explains why you've seen the sheet before. You can take a peek without this." She pointed to the glass platform Button stood on. "Very useful. But that other one... I've never even heard of that, and level 5, very high indeed... Have you experienced... whatever it is?"
She ran her hoof down the sheet, her wings slowly moving in flapping motions behind her. "You have how much? How are you holding that?" She squinted at him. "Empty your pockets."
"What?" Still... "Um, alright..." And out came his poison bat, and a few other random weapons and entire suits of armor and other things he had found on the way there. "I planned on selling this stuff, but I never got around to it."
Sally spread her hooves wide over the collection of stuff. "You are a little thing, no offense, but you must have another talent." She squinted at the sheet that betrayed nothing. "Without Pocket of Holding, the things in there still weigh things, and even that has a level, like everything else." She beamed suddenly. "I have Pocket of Holding level 1. Very useful for my work at times." She shooed Button off the pad and stepped up.
A new sheet appeared and she quickly flipped to the abilities, zooming in on Pocket of Holding (Level 1). "See? You don't have that, so... There are a lot of questions..."
Button considered the mystery before them. "Well, let's pretend a moment I am being sneaky about that, which I'm not, but let's pretend. Is that against the rules?"
Sally opened her mouth, but words failed to emerge. "Hm... Technically no." She made a new note. "But I will record that you have talents we haven't recorded. Now, as a new adventurer, you would be fifth class, but your level is too high. You'd die of boredom, poor thing, doing fifth class assignments." She drew a four in the air with a wing. "So I'm putting you in fourth class. Don't gloat about it. The others will get annoyed."
Button pointed off. "I want to explore the Cave of Lost Whispers first."
She took half a step back. "That's very dangerous! Especially alone. Get a party. Don't you want to get some assignments instead? Doing those is good experience and you get paid, on top of anything the monsters happen to drop. It's a win/win, and far less dangerous."
"A party..." The game had given you a party pretty early on. It was designed with multiple heroes at any given time. "Right... How do you get a party?" Going out and socializing was not one of Button's specialties.
"That's something a lot of ponies do right here." She went up to the wall and pressed her hooves against it. A card popped out, made of some ceramic with bright colors, then another cloth patch. She brought back both, attaching the cloth patch to his shoulder and offering the card. "These prove you're in the guild. Welcome!"
5 - You Must Gather Your Party Before Venturing Forth
"Finally." The dour fire born seemed, for a moment, pleased. He was looking at Button's shoulder and its new badge. "Level four? There is a story there. Tell it." That did not sound like a request.
Button flipped an ear back. He had just been told not to gloat about that. "She said--"
"I do not care what she said." He smooshed Button's poor hat, a habit he had. "Out with it."
Well! "Alright." Button veered off, the hoof slipping off his head as he jumped up into a seat at a round table and got comfy. "As you already know, I've already been adventuring."
"Which is against the rules," the demonic pony reminded, taking a seat at the same table, though he occupied all of the chair instead of a little bit of it like Button. "And then?"
"So she looked at my sheet." Button made a gesture of the rectangular sheet. "And I had enough levels that she was all, 'Well, can't make you a total scrub, you're already past that!'." No, that wasn't what she had said exactly. "So she let me skip a grade."
"Huh..." He crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What do you plan to do now?"
"Cave of Lost Whispers!" Button clapped joyfully, only for that to deflate. "She said I need a party before I go there." But inspiration! "Wanna join?"
"Hm? You aren't taking assignments?" He directed a hoof at a board that ran the entire length of one of the walls in there. "Safer ways to make money."
"I don't care about that." Button waved it away. "I want treasure! I plan to find all the secrets." If there were any to be found. He still wasn't sure about that, but only one way to know for sure! "Not grind missions for xp and gold forever."
"Hm." He sat back with other low grunts of thought. "Maybe she has a good eye... Why she has her job." He loomed in over the table, glowering at Button. "Most who join are very happy to do those tasks, earn gold, live well."
"Nope!" cried Button in proud defiance. "I want to explore at least one real dungeon."
"You have your eyes on others?" He crossed his arms. "Big ambitions."
"The biggest." Button grinned up at the larger pony, his tail wagging behind him energetically. "So, wanna join?" Surely a big fire born would be useful to have around! Something big and meaty would be a great shield. Button had many talents, but tanking was not one of them, and if he could stop being the one in front, that sounded like a great idea!
Burning curled a hoof on himself. "Burning Question." He leveled the hoof on Button. "Button Mash? What buttons do you mash?"
"What questions do you burn?" snapped back Button with a grin.
Burning burst into deep laughter, swatting Button on the shoulder with enough force to make the colt jolt with each impact. "Ha! Good. I am third grade. You are fourth. I will not join your party. You will join mine. That is the nature of things."
Button wanted to be the one in charge! "I know where to go and where to look."
"I found excellent guide, but is still not leader of my party." The logic seemed straightforward to him. "Now, we go and explore?"
Button pouted at the larger pony with all his considerable pouting skills.
"Leaders don't pout." Burning poked Button in the center of the chest. "Lesson for later. Maybe you lead party one day." But that day would not be right away, he said without words. "Ready to go?"
"Ugh! Fine... Yeah, I'm ready." He sprang to the ground. "I get first dibs!"
"First dibs on what?" Burning joined him in leaving. "As guide, you first inside."
"First pick of the stuff we find." He rubbed his hooves together. "There are specific things I want."
Burning raised a brow. "I see... No 'claiming dibs' on things you can't use, little pony."
"You going out with the newbie?" called out a grizzled adventuring half-orc unicorn. "Without a mission?"
Burning waved that question off. "We don't need a mission where we're going."
The room became laughs and calls as Burning became the topic of the moment.
Not that Button was paying attention to that. "That's... fair." If they found a sword big enough for Burning to want, what would Button do with it? "Let's get so much stuff we all get what we want."
"Now you are talking." He knocked the door open and stepped through it without waiting for Button, unlike the first time. "Come!"
As if the world somehow 'knew' he had a companion, the monsters began showing up in greater numbers to match. Where he could get away with running into one, two on rare occasions, at a time, there were two or three and even four once in a while. "I meant to get better spells!" A small thing Button had never gotten around to while they were in town. Some AoE spells would have been handy against the larger number of foes.
Not that Burning seemed to mind. He could crush things between his hooves when not gusting out flames or slamming the ground so hard that fire erupted in big flumes that scorched anything foolish enough to challenge him. As stoic as he was in general, he came alive in battle, mocking and laughing as he stomped his enemies.
"Have something for you." He reached into his pocket and drew out what looked like an atom, with orbiting things around a nucleus of other bright colors. "You can cast spells." He thrust the strange thing at Button. "Take it."
Button accepted it but... "What is it?" He squinted at it suspiciously.
Spell: Healing Touch
"Oh awesome! How do I use it?" Spells, in the game, were just items. You clicked use, and it was used. He could read scrolls, but that was not a scroll and had no writing.
Burning thumped his own chest. "Why I'm leader." He put a hoof on the swirling spell. "Like this." He suddenly slammed the magical atom into Button's chest, where it fell into him with a strange sensation of electric tingles.
"Oh! Wow... So..." Button hopped back. "Healing Touch!" His hooves glowed with a pale white light. "Right, touch..." He scampered forward and tapped Burning with a glowing hoof.
"Better." Burning nodded. "Kept that a while. Now good use. We reach cave soon, get sleep."
"It is not time to sleep yet," cautioned a new voice, a female. Sidestep was approaching them in the gloom of the late evening. "I thought I wouldn't find you, Sir Mash."
Burning scowled at her. "You know her?"
"Sideswipe!" He waved at her excitedly with a big smile.
"Sidestep," she corrected, sitting with them. "You were correct. There was nothing there. I asked about you and they said you joined the adventurer's guild, and the guild said you went in this direction."
Button Mash inclined his head slowly. "Glad to see you, but they really shouldn't just tell anypony where I am who asks."
Sidestep smiled coyly. "I might have claimed to be your mother, Sir Mash. Please forgive me."
Button Mash burst into merry laughter. "No way! You don't look anything like my mom."
Sidestep angled an ear off to the side. "I would imagine not. What does your mother look like?"
This got Button thinking about his mother, a world away... "She'd have so much fun here..." Unlike most foal's mothers, his mom knew which way was up! She'd probably be super awesome as an adventurer! The more he thought about her, the more he missed her. He had to get back to her, eventually, somehow.
"Is alright." Burning was watching him. "Don't need to share a sad story."
Button started. Oh, they had assumed he had some dark and terrible past, and his mom was... super dead or something. "She's alright! I'm just far away from her, and I miss her... That's all... Um, that counts as a dark past, right?"
Burning swatted his side. "Very dark." He did not seem to think it was all that dark, or even moderately shaded. "You are young to be so far from home."
Sidestep nodded at Burning. "Nice to meet you. I am a Sword Maiden, working to prove myself. You are?"
"Ah. We are adventurers." He pointed at himself, and then Button. "We are going to explore a dangerous place."
Her eyes shone with the idea. "May I accompany you? Facing great and terrible creatures will let me have a chance to prove myself." Her wings flapped eagerly behind her. "Please."
Button saw she was looking at him. "Um, he's the party leader," he admitted with a sigh, pointing at Burning.
Burning nodded. "Is true. You are not an adventurer. Still, not breaking any rules. Sword maidens do their own adventuring. But your rules are still rules." He wagged a hoof at her. "No looting. Kill for glory and to prove worth. Want to kill for money, join adventurer's guild."
She bobbed her head eagerly at that. "You two may take what we find. If you give me anything, you do so without pressure or commitment. I am here to prove my abilities and nothing else. If I pick up anything, it is for survival alone."
Button rubbed behind his head. Such complex social rules were not part of the original game, but the party was busy saving the world, so... "So if you're hurt and you find a healing potion, drinking it down isn't bad?"
Sidestep nodded at Button. "Precisely so, but keeping the potion 'just in case' would be inappropriate. If I am not in immediate need, I would let you two have it. I can keep my share of coins, but must tithe most away in the hopes that it earns the interest of a lord. Purchasing a better blade is permitted." She set a hoof on her sword at her side. "What is a sword maiden with an inferior sword?"
"What about after you have a lord?"
She blinked softly. "Then I would not need coins. The lord would provide them to me. Any I kept would be turned over to them as quickly as possible as tribute. Their success is mine, and I would delight in seeing their wealth grow as I performed what they asked of me."
Burning shook his head slowly. "You will get used to it. He knows a lot about some things, and nothing of others." He flopped over and curled. "But it is time to rest. Sleep, Sidestep. You are welcome in party."
"Thank you!" She curled, wing drawing out a blanket to toss over herself. "I will show my worth in battle."
Button realized then that he'd get to see Sidestep kicking butt as a sword maiden. That was something to look forward to. "G'night!" he bade his party mates, closing his eyes and trying to drift off, with little success. "Side?"
"Yes, Sir Mash?"
Phew, she was still awake! "I learned a healing spell. So I'll be using that, if you get hurt."
"I feel even more confident, Sir Mash." Silence grew thick in the air, but she broke it before he had to. "I am a sword maiden, you know this. What profession do you call your own?"
"I'm an adventurer!"
Silence grew around them, but she spoke at last, "I may have misspoke. You are an adventurer by trade, but there are many forms of adventuring. What class do you possess within your guild?"
Oh! "Why didn't you ask my class in the first place?" Duh, silly... "I'm an adventurer, though, really. An adventurer with the adventurer class. Kinda funny if you think about it."
"Is your large companion also of the adventurer class?"
"That I am not. I am of the 'It's late and I need to sleep and I will start mashing heads together if I have to' class. Very rare. Do you want a demonstration?"
Silence returned, and sleep with it, on order of Burning Question, who did not tolerate burning questions. Ironic, really.
Sidestep proved she could use the sword at her side, and the rest of her while she was at it. She darted in, around, and above enemies, slicing them to bits with all the grace that Burning showed in brute strength.
With her in the party, the universe knew, and the number of enemies that showed up again swelled, never less than three, but up to five or six creatures at a time as they battled across the plains towards the hilly target that came closer with their steps. "One thing." Sidestep landed next to Button, coming down with her blade through a jack-in-the-box enemy that faded away with the punishment. "Why do you wear a straw hat? It makes you look less skilled than you are."
Button peeked up at the rim of the hat he hadn't found a replacement for yet. "It was the best one?"
Burning came over with a snort. "That wasn't a choice? I thought you just liked it."
Button squinted at the two of them, but stopped that as their sheets began to open in his vision. "What do you mean?"
Sidestep reached for a ribbon in her mane and pulled it free. It became an armored helmet there at the end of her hoof. "Burning was not speaking falsely. You are strangely unknowing of some things."
Button began to applaud wildly. "Awesome! How do I do that?" He grabbed the straw hat off his head. "Become, um..." Something awesome... "A super amazing helmet of awesome!"
Burning pressed a hoof against Button, tipping him off at a precarious angle. "That's not how that works. You can make things look like other things, that you have or had. Something else you wore in the same place. Miss Sidestep has worn that ribbon before, and made her helmet take its appearance. "
He flexed a powerful arm. "Do you think I wear no armor? Ha! That would be foolish, but I hide it. Fashion choices are a part of adventuring."
Button inclined his head at the seemingly unarmored pony. He had been taking hits quite well. Button thought it was on account of just being awesome, but maybe some quality armor was also involved? Wait...
In the game, swapping out armor and much anything but weapons didn't change how a character looked. A limit of the game, but he was in the game, and the rules had come with it. "Of course..." It made sense! "Which means..." He put his hoof on his straw hat, but didn't hit the rim. There was no rim.
His twirling beanie was back! On his head! With the stats of the straw hat. "Awesome!" Sadly, it didn't, the hat, have the float status like the real beanie did, but hey, thems the rules... "Thanks!"
Sidestep did not hide that she was admiring, or confused, by the constantly twirling blades of his beanie. "Is this some artifact you found?"
"Um. Yes." That felt safe to go with. "The original would stop you from taking fall damage, and protect you from earthquakes and stuff!"
"How remarkable." Sidestep nodded with admiration. "And interesting in appearance. Never have I seen the like of it." She resumed her walk towards the hills. "Come. Let's see if we can make it before the day is done."
As it turned out, they could not. They got close, but it was time to rest, and they did. While they camped, Button decided to sate his curiosity, squinting at Burning Question to conjure the fire pony's sheet.
Burning QuestionType: Hero Element: Fire Class: Berserker
"Neat," he quietly whispered to himself as he reached out a hoof and swept, unsure if it'd work. It did! He got to the next page of stats, revealing all sorts of stats on how many monsters Burning had encountered and such. Ah ha. "Mystical Connections: Gurin's Volcano"
"What?"
Burning threw another log onto the fire to keep it going. "You have been staring quite intently at me. Do you need something, or do you wish to profess your undying love? You are too young to interest me."
Button colored swiftly at the idea. "No!" Besides, Sidestep was more his speed... "What's Gurin's Volcano?" Some ponies would have been more discrete about how they asked, but most ponies were not Button Mash.
Burning scowled at him. "Nothing that concerns you. That is not where we're headed."
"No..." Wait. An NPC had mentioned it, once in some random town. "Oh yeah."
"You know of it then?" He cocked a brow at Button. "What even brings it up?"
Button hadn't admitted to anypony he could see sheets other than the lady at the guild. "Um, so.... I--"
"Can scan." Sidestep sat next to him. "Which is how he knew I was a sword maiden before I told him."
Button jumped in place. "Hey! Where'd you come from?"
"I do not have to tell you everywhere I go." She remained seated at his side. "I noticed his perception right away."
Burning slapped his forehead. "How stupid of me. That is how you read my badge, without knowing what it was. And how you knew that monster, the purple one with the big eyes. You knew it was weak to fire. You scanned it, didn't you? Ha! I found a great scout indeed."
Well, there went that secret... "Yeah... You're not mad, are you?"
"Only that you didn't just tell me. That is a useful talent. Normally we have to use items to do that, and they are one use, or very heavy and stationary, like the ones the guild uses. Either way, not cheap or easy to have at hoof."
Sidestep waved at Burning. "So what is this Volcano?"
Burning crossed his arm. "And this is the downfall to that being around. All fire born have a tie to that volcano. It is where our power springs from. They say that if that volcano ever were to go cold, then no more fire born would come to be, the end of us." He snorted softly. "So I am in no rush to adventure there. Leave it be."
Sidestep let out an appreciative 'ah'. "I am just a pony." A pegasus if one wanted to be specific, which she didn't bother with. "Part of me is curious what it would be like, to have such connections. Sir Mash, do you have any connections? You look like a normal pony to me, aside that enchanted helmet."
Technically, he did have a connection! But that felt like one he didn't need to gloat about. "Regular pony, that's me," he got out not quite sincerely. "Four hooves and a tail." He shook all five named parts to prove they were there and pony shaped. "But that doesn't matter. What makes you special is what you do, not what you are!"
Burning clapped in several slow motions. "That is strangely wise, coming from you."
So he had heard it in a video game! He didn't need to admit that. "I say smart stuff!"
Sidestep pressed her hooves to her own chest. "Words to live by. I will endeavor to be special in my actions and not worry over what I am. Sir Mash, it is a blessing I happened on you. Let us begin our proper venture tomorrow."
The next day, they came on the cave. Soft whistling winds rushed past them, the lost whispers that gave the cave its name. "Awesome!" Button rushed ahead into it, looking around with wide eyes. "It's just right..." But so much better details than his game system could ever have done. "So cool..."
"It is not very cold." Burning trailed behind him. "Does your scanning ability show you where the treasure hides?"
Sidestep advanced at Burning's side. "I think that is a term he uses. Things that are cold are more appealing. I cannot say I understand why."
`"It's not that!" Ugh, explaining things to adults took too long. "The first treasure should be over here." Button advanced confidently down the stone corridor. "Take a left at the first, yep!" He veered left, avoiding the right path that would lead out towards the next point of interest, if one were on the quest to save the world, which he was not. "And--"
Several wet slippery noises announced the arrival of enemies, watery snakes that wielded curved blades and flicked the air with their forked tongues. "Oh right, monsters..." It was easy to forget sometimes that one did not wander around caves without random encounters.
Did the water snakes have a weakness? Yep! But not of an element he had a spell of. Dang it. Lightning was what was called for with water monster. At least he knew not to bother with fire. With a great roar, Burning charged into the frey without a hint of hesitation. He might have been fire aligned himself, which meant their attacks hurt more, but his blades were cold steel... maybe?
Button realized he couldn't be sure what Burning was actually using, but he had drawn a sword for a change instead of smashing things with his hooves. He squinted at the rapidly swung blade, drawing up its stats.
Water SlicerType: Weapon (Sword) Element: Water
There were loads of other stats under it, but he had gotten the important parts. A water weapon against water things would be better than a fire thing, but not ideal. Still, one worked with what one had. "Healing Touch!" Button charged forward to help with the ouchies his big berserking friend was getting.
"Sky above." Sidestep ran a hoof along her blade as it crackled with electrical power. "Give us the blessings of the angry clouds." Clouds formed along her blade, bolts of lightning arcing through them, joining with the electricity the sword was forming. "Thunder strike!" She brought down her blade, not on an enemy, but in front of them, the lightning leaping out at them. Some tried to come back at her, but washed harmlessly off her as if she were simply untouchable by the lightning, leaving most of it to course through the screaming forms of the water snakes.
"Awesome..." Watching Sidestep take charge in combat was always an inspiring sight. "Leave some for me!" Button charged into battle. He had no elements at all. On the downside, it meant he couldn't take any advantage of weaknesses. On the positive side, it meant he always did some damage, even if not the highest amount, on everything! He got to try out his new mace, smashing the water apart with wet splashes. "Take that, and--" He dove backwards in time to see a scimitar wetly slash at the space he had been in.
Burning's hoof came down in a mighty cry, slamming the scimitar against the ground. The flame that rushed out didn't bother it much, or the water snake that held it, but the hooves had a physicality, and being slammed into the ground trapped the scimitar. "Lass!"
"Already on it." She jumped to his back, just the hop off it towards the snake, coming down with her blade to cleave the monster in half in an angry burst of electricity from her blade. "There would need to be twice as many of you to challenge us."
As if conjured by her call, new wet slithers greeted them. "I should refrain from my taunting..." Still, Sidestep was moving back to the battle. Complaining about it wouldn't make it go away.
"No, you keep that up." It was awesome when Sidestep made witty banter! Or at least Button had decided. "Let's take them down!"
One downside of living the adventure, random encounters didn't always wait politely for you to finish one before the next got started. Button made a quick calculation in his head. The level of the cave was... And they were... If they were running into that much of a fight, they couldn't just charge the next spot without grinding up some levels, for themselves and their equipment and actually rounding out his spell selection!
There would be plenty to do before they took on their next adventure.
"Yes!" Button jumped onto the treasure chest. It was enormous. Compared to an adult, it was sizable, but he was no adult, and it was huge! It was also just like it was in the game, and he was all on board for that. "This is so great." It meant the adventurers who saved the world were not him, and did not 100% the game. There would be treasure to find besides the random encounter stuff.
Burning stepped up towards the oversized box. "Well, what is inside it? We are not taking the chest."
"Oh, right." If it were up to him, he would take the chest. It'd look neat in his room! Pity he didn't have many ways to reach his room... Huff..." He grabbed the lip of the opening and fell backwards off the chest, dragging it along with him. With a loud creaking pop, the chest flew open in a burst of light that was entirely unrequired, but also cool. Inside was a sword, hovering just over the chest in a position that would have been impossible a moment before.
Sidestep's eyes shone, but she didn't reach for it. "Sir Mash, can you use your talent of yours? Is that better than the sword I already carry?"
"As you request, m'lady." He burst into giggles. "I always wanted to say that." To a real lady, of course. A filly or his mom did not count for that!
Buttons squinted at the sword. Lightning element. Of course. That woulda been handy a fight or three ago! He looked over its numbers with a low whistle. They were nice compared to the mace he had. "But..." He had to look at her sword. Air element, like she was. Decent stats, but not as high as that sword. "This is an upgrade," he announced. "Enjoy!"
Burning nodded in agreement. "I won't hold a sword maiden back from a new sword of all things. Have at it, lass."
Sidestep patted the blade sheathed at her side. "How does your weapon compare to this?"
Button inclined an ear. "Huh? Your sword's pretty nice, better than my mace, but that's still an upgrade." He waved at the sword hovering over the chest.
"Then I propose a trade." She took the sword, lightning arcing along and off it. "I accept this." She drew her original blade free and thrust it towards Button hilt first. "You accept that. Then two of us are better than where we began."
Sidestep's sword? "Neat!" He grabbed the offered hilt and began swinging it around wildly. "Burning, you want the mace? You like more than one weapon." He'd seen it! Well, if hooves counted as a weapon. Burning's hooves certainly deserved to be counted as lethal weapons.
Burning chuckled softly. "I wouldn't mind it." He set out a hoof for the mace to be handed over, where it suddenly grew larger, becoming his-sized. "We all got an upgrade." He shoved the mace away. "I'd say that's the end of our jaunt, but I get the feeling it ain't."
"No way!" Button pointed back the way they had come from. "This is just the first chest in here, not the last." Button marched towards adventure, and loot, but there was a big arm in his way. "Huh?"
Burning poked the eager colt. "Sorry to bother, but what is your plan?"
Sidestep cocked a brow. "He is an adventurer, adventuring. Is that not normal? You are one too. Don't you want to do this?"
Burning turned a hoof upwards in a shrug. "Sure. Lots of us are happy doin' what's asked, earnin' gold enough to live the way they want to. This ain't no job. Just shovin' our head right into danger, and he don't care. Figure he has a plan, or he's crazy, and I'm getting real curious which it is."
Well... every time he'd tried to be sneaky, it had failed, so... "I know where the treasure is, and I want to get it, all of it." He clopped his hooves together. "Like that!" He twirled to point at the box they had just opened. "I want to win."
Sidestep applauded gently.
Burning was not joining in. "What is it you're winning?"
"Um..." Well, he wasn't saving the world... "Look, I can see stats." He tapped the side of his head. "I want my numbers to be the highest. Is that so wrong?!"
Burning quirked a little smile. "Not exactly. I'm just wondering what you want to do with those large numbers." He directed a hoof at Sidestep. "She wants to serve a lord. I know where her numbers are going."
Sidestep blushed on being mentioned. "You make my motivations sound so simple..."
"Compared to his? Maybe they are. So what will you do with those large numbers?"
But it wasn't true. Button didn't even have those grand aspirations. "Um... Look... I just wanna win... so I can go home."
Somepony was touching his face. It was Sidestep, brushing a few tears aside. "Tears do not suit you, Sir Mash. If you wish to return home, should we not go there directly, instead of seeking lost treasures?"
His cheeks burned, realizing he had looked like a big sissy in front of the pretty pegasus warrior. "It's not that easy... Home is not even a direction I can point at. I don't even know how to go that way. I'm pretty sure winning is what I gotta do, so I'm winning. Now..." He wiped his face clear. "Are you gonna help me win?"
"You already had my blade." Sidestep advanced back down the hallway, looking around for trouble as she went.
Burning chuckled as he nudged Button ahead. "Well, at least I know what we're fighting for. Let's get you home 'Sir Mash'. You know, she only calls you sir, right?"
Button's sorrow turned to a bright red embarrassment. "No way!" But he thought back on it. She hadn't used the 'sir' title on anypony but him. "What does that mean?! Is it good?!"
Burning laughed, walking past him with heavy hoof falls. "Why don't you ask her yourself? Pretty sure she'd prefer it if you did, but she may not say it."
But there were monsters that didn't care even one drop about the colt's confusion, and the battle resumed. The sword felt good in his mouth as he lashed out at the enemies. Sure, he wasn't a sword maiden and couldn't do the fancy moves she did. No great big lightning zaps for him, but he could slice things up, and the air element meant it swirled and whooshed as he did it, and that was cool!
Those that had come before had found some of the chests, a fact he was ready to gripe about. "Aw man." He kicked the chest that was rude enough to already be open before Button even reached it. "The heroes got here first."
Burning huffed. "What heroes?"
Button waved at the empty chest. "The ones that saved the world? Every time we run into an empty chest, they got it instead of us."
Sidestep blinked slowly. "We travel in their hoofsteps? How... remarkable... How do you know this is the way they came?"
Oops! There was no easy way to explain that, even if he wanted to be open. "I can feel where the treasure is. If it wasn't them, who else would have taken them?"
"Point." Button didn't fight the alternative proposed. "Coulda been them, but I bet it was the heroes." He marched away from the sadly empty chest. "Doesn't matter! We got more treasure to find!"
With Sidestep equipped with a lightning sword, they had the edge they needed to press through the caves with little true resistance. There was only one chest they hadn't reached. Button pointed across a clear patch of stone. "Right past there, after the boss."
Burning raised a brow at that. "Boss? What boss? The guild bosses are far away."
Sidestep drew her blade with her head half bowed. "You speak strangely, Sir Mash, but so far not wrongly. If you beleive there to be a 'boss', then there is."
"Aw, thanks." It was nice having a pony that trusted him, but also... "There may or may not be..." The heroes may have mashed it to bits. They kinda had to. Did it respawn? One way to find out! He strolled out into the room. "Hey, boss, gonna jump me or not?"
"Dang it!" A dark-dressed pony emerged from across the room, glaring at Button Mash. They were a crystal pony and an elf with long ears even for a pony. "This should be a safe place for me to study. Why are you here?"
Button clapped his hooves, recognizing the pony. One of the early bosses! "You tried to stop the heroes, and got your tail kicked."
The pony turned red with anger and embarrassment. "I was not prepared for them, but they left anyway and I could return to my work! What do you know...? Are they spreading rumors about me?! Those fiends." He drew a long thin rapier and bounced to two legs. "You came here expecting an easy battle, but that couldn't be further from the truth."
Burning took several heavy steps forward. "He's not alone. We're adventuers, here looking for treasure. We don't actually care about you. Step aside and we don't have to get anypony hurt today."
"Oh, that's rich." He swished the rapier in the air, glaring at the lot of them. "Brigands then, asking politely I not resist as they plunder my home."
Sidestep took a slow step back. "I am no brigand. Such is not the way of the sword maiden. If this is your home, we claim no right over it."
Button, if it needed to be reminded, was not a sword maiden. "I'm checking out that chest. And you're a bad guy anyway, so get out of the way, or let the battle music begin."
The affronted crystal elf blinked slowly. "What?"
"Ya get used to it." Burning slammed his burning hooves together. "If ya survive the day. So getting out of the way or not?"
"I wasn't prepared the last time some wastrels wandered through. It won't be true again." He leveled the rapier at Button. "We'll start with you. I'll teach you the manners your father should have, if you even have one of those."
Button squinted at the guy, but he was already charging, and way too quick. Button was sent flying to bounce off a rock wall with an oof. Burning smashed a hoof down at where the crystal elf had been a moment before, fire and rocks exploding from the point of impact. "Stop movin' so fast!"
Button rolled up to his haunches, stars swirling about his head in his dizziness. He could see Burning was fighting the guy, but neither side was taking the victory easily. "Ah ha." But that meant nopony was looking at him. He gathered his hooves up, energy swirling. "Prepare to be blasted!"
One downside of announcing one's intent when in the middle of battle, others can hear what one had in mind. The elf aborted their strike on Burning to lunge at Button, rapier first. The pointed tip came at him far too quickly, just to stop in the middle of the air.
Burning slammed the pony down into the dirt, spraying rocks over the area with a great roar of battle. "Did you forget who you're fighting with?!"
"That's my tank!" Button hurled his fiery dart at the nimble rapier wielding baddy. "You had your chance!"
A pity the elf kicked Burning into the way of the magical assault just in the nick of time. Burning roared with anger, but not much pain. "Your friend has poor aim," taunted the elf, bouncing to his hind hooves with rapier at the ready. "Come on then. You want to take my things? Over my dead body."
Buttons parried an alarming jab of that rapier. "Watch where you're pointing that!"
Burning was rubbing his hooves together, fire building between them as he glared death at the wiry crystal elf.
That elf danced around Buttons, putting him between the elf and Burning as he prodded and tested Buttons still developing defenses, leaving thin slices on the small colt. Buttons rapidly realized that if he had come alone, he woulda been in big trouble! Also that hurt, like a lot. With a wide arc, Buttons swung his new air sword. "Back off!"
The elf danced away from the swing as if it were a simple matter, laughing all the while. What he didn't plan was that dodging Buttons put him in a better position for Burning's attack. The fiery opponent thrust his arms forward, hooves touching. Much like a mythical martial artist, he hurled a fireball from those touching hooves. "Burn!" he roared.
The thin elf pony jumped to the side out of the way of the oncoming ball of fiery doom. "Too slow!"
"Keep thinkin' that." The fire was still a part of him, bound by his will, and Burning angled his body, causing the fire to turn with it as it swerved towards the pony. "Coulda just let us through."
Buttons decided that was a fine time for a, "Healing Touch." And banished his ouchies away in that momentary lull. "Get 'em!"
"You..." He nimbly jumped over the fireball. "Can't--" He ducked under the ball as it looped back on him. "keep this!--" He jinked to the side, fur singing when the balls passing. "up!"
"Can you?" taunted Burning, guiding his burning ball of magic to swerve and dance with their foe. "Gonna get tired eventually."
"Sir Mash." Sidestep was at his side, nudging him with a hoof. "If this is his home, what right have we to what is his?"
"Uh... Kinda busy... Can this wait?" Button charged into the frey. "And you, stop moving!" He lunged with his sword, unable to land a hit on the nimble warrior, but perfectly capable of distracting and slowing. It was just enough for the ball to reach the elf pony. Heat and a roar of flames filled the area as he fell over, burning.
The pony with that name snorted. "Finally... For all your speed, your Stamina stinks." He stomped over to the prone and burning pony. "Let me put that out for you." Which he did by beating the flames out with tremendous slams of his hooves, pulverizing the once agile warrior against the stone ground without a trace of sympathy. "Why did you think you had a chance?"
Button looked away. As awesome as pixelated violence was, seeing it in person, against a pony, was a bit... too much. "We win..." He didn't feel like cheering just then. "You alright, Burning?"
"A few scratches, it is nothing serious." He shrugged his heavy shoulders. "Now where is that chest? It better still be closed."
Sidestep crossed her arms, hovering on her wings. "I do not want what you find there, even if it is the grandest blade I have ever seen."
Button's ears flagged. With the excitement of battle ebbing, he could see that Sidestep was upset. "Um, sorry... I know it's hard to... imagine... but that chest, if it's there, isn't even his. It was here before he was."
Burning patted his hooves clean of the mess he had made of their former enemy. "How can you be sure? No matter. Let's see if it's even there, after all that it better be."
Rather than ponder that, Button charged where the crystal elf had come from originally. Beyond was a bedroom with an almost comically ornate bed that didn't fit the rest of the cave they were in. It also had a writing desk, a pitcher of wine? And, hizzah, a big chest just sitting there. "Not to argue, but why didn't he open it? It's right there." Button trotted up to it with a little smile. "Glad he didn't."
Sidestep flew in at a sedate rate. "That is very curious. Can... I am not an adventurer. We have found closed chests with things inside, and open chests with nothing. Can you... not put new things in a chest?"
"I don't think so?" At least, Button never could in the game, but why would they bother adding that to the game? Maybe it worked differently. Who knew?!
Burning didn't seem to care, throwing open the chest with a grunt. With a bright sparkle, a book hovered over it, along with a collection of neatly folded clothing. "Ha! He did open it. These were his, I imagine." He knocked the clothing aside. "Unless they are enchanted, useless."
Button squinted over the clothes, but they didn't even have stats. Well, they did, but they were basically zero. Just clothes. "Nope, just fashion."
Sidestep waved at the book floating in the air. "If the clothes were his, why would this not be?"
"Because I have an idea!" Button hopped up and snatched the book. The chest stopped glowing. "See? Now go ahead and put something back in."
"Hm?" Burning took a tunic off the floor and dropped it in the chest, where it lay sadly. Nothing glowed.
"In fact, I bet..." Button dropped the book back in the chest, to no effect. "Once you take what's in, out, that's it. Which means he never took the book out, which also means it's ours, guilt free."
Burning swatted Button on the back. "Ha! Today we learn something new. Now, identify that book with those magic eyes of yours."
Sidestep landed on the edge of the chest. "Was he using the chest as a light? I would have been curious what the book was..." She peered down at the abandoned book. "I do not approve of how it was gained... But if he had no claim over it..."
"You're curious right now." Button giggled as he climbed up next to her to be able to see the book. "What are you?" He squinted to find out.
Tome: Travel of Sir Egarone
"Sir Egarone?" mumbled Button even as he read it. "Who's that?"
Sidestep gasped an octave higher than normal. "Sir Egarone? He is a lord of quite some renown. Does this book relate to him?"
Button swatted at the book, all the way at the bottom of the chest as it was. "The Travel of Sir Egarone. That's what it's called."
Sidestep began to clap eagerly. "We must return it!"
Burning raised a brow. "Yeah that ain't happenin'. He's in no state to enjoy a good book."
Sidestep scowled at the large fire element pony. "Not him. This is a historical artifact."
Button inclined his head at the book. "Huh..." Not a spell book or something? Boo... But still... "Will they pay us for it?"
Sidestep crossed her arms. "I just said it is a historical artifact. We can't not return it, so others may study it and learn of our past."
Burning reached to brush Sidestep off the chest, but she took to the air, hovering over it instead. He huffed at her. "It is ours. You said as much. Selling it sounds like a good idea. Ponies get to study it all they want, and we get some coins for all the trouble we went through to get it." He snorted with sudden annoyance. "Somethin' so valuable and that joker was using it as a bed light. He deserved what he got."
Button flashed a smile. "Idea! Would turning this over get you a lord?"
Sidestep pinkened swiftly. "It may. It would be a good showing to make such a discovery. But I have no right to it. I said I would only claim swords and specifically foreswore the contents of this chest. By any and all rights, I can not claim any inherent justification to it now."
Burning stomped one hoof down. "We are selling that, sir Mash." He said the title in a slightly mocking way, teasing the colt. "And I want a share. This is not optional."
"Easy easy." Button waved his hooves wardingly at the agitated large pony. "We will sell it." Sidestep sagged. "But! There's nothing saying she can't take credit for it. She let us sell it because her promises say she couldn't keep it, and she had no lord to turn it over to, which she would have if one was smart enough to take her."
Sidestep suddenly grabbed Button, squeezing him. "You are too kind! Your... ethics could use a little polish, but a kind heart beats in that chest." She released the blushing and flustered colt to flop off the side of the chest to the ground.
Burning shook his head. "I don't care who 'takes credit' if we get our coins." He reached into the box and grabbed the book at the end of his hoof, stuffing it away. "With that settled, let's head back... unless there's more? This is the last one of this place, right?"
Button sat up. "Hmm... Yep. If we go that way--" He pointed to a tunel leading right past the room they were in. "That'll come back outside on the other side of the hill we started in."
Sidestep hopped into flight to the entrance of that tunnel. "Then let us leave. We can always circle around the hill without as much danger. This place is filled with monsters."
Burning shrugged at that. "But that's the long way, which means more time to run into other monsters. I say we go right back the way we came." He pointed to the tunnel leading into the maze they had finished. "Besides, in here, we have the right weapon. You can swat those water snakes away easily."
"He has a point." Button looked between the two options. "That way--" He pointed to where Sidestep was. "The monsters get tougher." It was further along the quest to save the already saved world. "Probably easier to go back the way we came, even if it's not as interesting." He turned to head back in. "We'll come back, later, when we're ready to kick more tail!"
"Ha, already dreaming of the next. Love it." Burning marched at Button's side with a big grin.
They pushed back through the monster-infested caves with no serious obstacles to their path. Sidestep marched at Button's side. "One thing, Sir Mash." He glanced up at her. "It is not unknown for a sword maiden to accept a young lord, even if they are too young to be a proper ruler of land."
Button blinked, coloring at that. "M-me?!"
"You are still finding your place." She nodded at this fact. "And you require a good guide. Your eyes are set high, and already you march towards it. If you would desire it?"
Burning snorted softly. "Figured you were chasing him some time ago, lass."
Button looked between his companions. "Um... So what does being a 'lord' mean, exactly?" That wasn't in the game!
"It means, in your case, that you seek to become a ruler of land and its ponies. That you wish to become a good and just ruler, and that you will have a sword at your hip." She pointed to herself, that sword. "If you deviate, I will guide you back towards a just path. If you refuse, then you will lose me, and I will seek another in disgrace." She perked an ear at Button. "You would not do that to me, Sir Mash."
Mash squeaked. No pressure! "Of course not! Um... But what happens if I go home, where there are no lords or sword maidens or nothing and..."
Sidestep looked baffled at the idea. "Is that why you know so little of common things? As your sword, I am in your service. I will help you reach your goals, even if that goal is far from here. I will follow you to another world, you have but to request it. I will leave you just the same, if you request it."
She sounded completely certain of her words, her will unbending steel. "At your word."
With the dungeon, or cave more accurately, defeated, they could return to the city with no real resistance. The random fights were easy enough to dispatch for adventurers of their risen calibre. Buttons rushed for the adventurer's guild, just to run right into his larger companion. "What's the deal?"
Burning pointed to a store close by with a big book for a sign. "You're an adventurer. We have money. Time to get new spells. The more you have, the more useful you are to me and yourself."
Sidestep began nudging Button towards the store. "I am unaccustomed to that profession. You fight with a sword as well as spells. Are you equally capable?"
With the idea made clear, Button hurried in his steps to get to the magic. "Yep, jack of all trades. And this jack wants some new spells!"
Grabbing new spells was the start, not the end. They had a rhythm, and they got to it. Button led them to the dungeons one at a time as they prepared for them, taking the loot and mashing the monsters while they were there for whatever random drops and goodies they happened to have.
Button was smiling most of the while. He had a sweet sword maiden, a big body guard, and he could fight himself. He was an adventurer! They'd win and figure out the way to get home. Both of his friends had promised to help him do that, and he had faith in them. Besides, getting all the loot was proving to be as fun as it was profitable.
Whenever they stopped by a guild hall, ponies recognized them. They were starting to build a bit of a reputation. "Crack Scout." Button grinned a bit silly at the title. "The one who knows where to look and points the way."
Sidestep nodded. "And his blade." A simple title, but she seemed pleased with it.
Burning laughed at the two. "I did not ask them to, but they gave me the top. Burning Giant and..." The Crack Scout and his blade, as the party had become known. "I'm not that large, but stories, who can control them? Each place you bring us to, Button, is more dangerous than the last, but we are more prepared each time. We find great treasures and stock on more supplies. Where is next?"
Button considered that while gazing at a drawn map of the world. "We've been there and there..." He pointed at each dread location they had tamed. "So the next would be..." He trailed a hoof along the path of the savers of the world. "Here."
Sidestep leaned in for a better view. "Near the factory where they make the airships?"
"It is the factory where they make the airships." Button clopped excitedly. "With any luck, maybe we can snag one of those. That'd make trips a lot faster."
Burning crossed his heavy arms. "That is still in use. That is less adventuring and more stealing."
Sidestep gestured at Burning in a grand wave. "There are limits even for him. The airship factory cannot be said to be an adventure."
The heroes had a completely legit, world ending, reason to be there, doing their thing. "Oh fine..." Button did not. "But that means the one after it will be extra hard and we'll have to show off all our moves." He thumped down on a forest. "Eternal Night Forest."
Burning whistled softly. "That is a dangerous place. I would have avoided it entirely, normally... But we have somepony who knows where its secrets lie." The temptation was clearly too powerful. "Let's be careful, but we are going."
"Your sword is ready to be drawn." Sidestep nodded with grave intent. "At your word."
And they went, daring into the depths of the forest along narrow paths that were covered in fog, mysteries, and far too many monsters of a worryingly high level. It was a fine time for Button to work through his spells. "Flame Nova!" He could finally hit more than one thing! The spell exploded into a delightfully bright burst of flames that could catch them all. Best part? It knew friend from foe and just casually didn't hurt the ponies he didn't want to hurt. Which also meant he could use it all willy nilly.
Burning shoved a sinister walking tree back. "Are you trying to challenge me?" He pushed with heavy hooves on the arboreal foe. "I can handle the fire, little scout."
"Sure, but they're walking trees. Gonna be weak to fire." He squinted at one to be sure.
Except it wasn't weak to fire. Acid? Really? Button had a spell for that!
Sidestep sliced the branches free of a defeated tree and kicked it away. "The beasts are much more... intense than before. How much further? We may wish to withdraw soon, or we risk losing from fatigue."
"Acid Rain!" Button conjured a sudden, but brief, downpour of burning acid on the field, to the trees wailing lament. "The first chest shouldn't be too far up ahead. Ooo, hope it has something good."
They pressed on into a clearing. In the game, you had to go the 'wrong' way to find it, but there was no 'right' way when one wasn't on a specific goal. "There!" He rushed for it with a big smile. "And it's still closed!" He jumped for it with a twirl, landing on it... but it was glowing. Why was it glowing?
"Button?" Sweetie Belle was peering at him oddly, standing not far away from the chest with her horn shimmering. "You're here too?"
Burning scowled as he closed. "We were here first!"
Sweetie stuck out her tongue. "Button, tell him the truth. I got there first."
Button flipped his ears back, looking between Sweetie and his friends. Sidestep was giving him 'the look' that demanded he be a good lord. "Ugh! Yes... The chest was glowing when I landed on it, and that was her." He pointed at Sweetie accusingly. "Who shouldn't even be here! Sweetie, what are you doing here? You're gonna get hurt."
Sweetie giggled at his concern. "Aw, thanks for caring, but I know this game."
Button sat on the chest. "You do? You do?! Since when? I thought I was the only pony in Ponyville that liked this game."
Sweetie rolled her eyes at that. "Some of us play at home, Button. I don't have to wear a hat or anything." Her eyes were on his twirling beanie. "Now shoo. My partners should..."
As if summoned, two other ponies emerged from the fog. A small halfling pony and a stocky dwarf pony. The dwarf nodded. "Ah, ya done found one. And some... friends?"
Sidestep pointed. "They wear the badges of the same guild." Which meant they were adventurers. "Are there rules if two adventuring parties should meet?"
The halfling bounced around Sidestep. "And you're not wearing one. So you're not. Why are you here?"
Sidestep clapped her hooves together silently and bowed forward. "I am his blade. Sidestep, sword maiden." She then gestured to Button. "I claim no treasure save what he decides to give me."
Sweetie's giggles were legendary. "Ooo! Button has a mare following his every word, hmm? How interesting..."
Sidestep frowned at that. "I dislike the way you are saying that. Do not imply impurities on my lord."
Button rubbed awkwardly behind his head. "We're friends, um... both of you." He pointed at Sidestep and Sweetie. "She's from my home."
Burning clapped his flaming hooves. "Then she can tell us how to return you there, if that's still what you want."
"Yeah..." She wrinkled her snout. "Still looking! Now, since I got here first, I'm taking what's in that chest." She casually opened the chest, which threw Button right off it. "Ooo!" She grabbed the glowing treasure for herself and her friends and they wandered off, chatting about what to do with it.
Sidestep offered a hoof to help Button back onto their own hooves. "You say they are a friend, my lord, but I am uncertain how I feel about them."
"Welcome to my world." Button Stuck out his tongue at where Sweetie had gone. "Well, we better get to the next chest before she does! Are there any rules for two parties in the same place?" He looked to Burning for that answer.
Burning grunted, flames licking the air in his frustration. "It's bad news to have two parties who aren't teamed up in the same place, makes bad blood. Still, we don't know which of us got here--" He pointed down and around at the whole of the forest. "First, just this chest. And I didn't come all this way to turn back!"
Sidestep frowned faintly. "For being an associate of yours, my lord, she was not especially cordial."
"She has her game face on." He smiled despite it all. "I can get that... Well! If she's serious, then I'm serious too. Let's get to the next chest!"
Burning roared with approval. "Lead the way!"
With a communal cry, the party surged back into the forest, to run headlong into monsters eager to slow them down. They weren't all trees, but at least button knew to bring acid in on them. The laughing hyena things were hard to get a squint on. They were so fast, and their sharp bits were, well, too dang sharp. He had to focus on not being ripped apart instead of taking the time to examine them.
"Woohoo!" came drifting through the foggy forest.
"Aw!" Button almost threw his sword to the ground, but there was a hyena grinning at him way too large, as if daring him to finish disarming himself. "Right..." He kept the sword and finished the fight. As a consolation, one of the mushrooms left a goodie for them in the form of a pile of coins. "Nice." He passed that right to Burning to carry. "That mighta been Sweetie getting to another chest. We have to hurry up."
"Bad blood," grunted Burning as he stormed forward. "And good reasoms to make mistakes. Keep your wits sharp."
They found the next chest at the end of a winding path, there by itself. It was still closed even. "Huh." Button mosied up to the chest, eyeing it. "I knew I heard her... Why didn't she open it?" Trap? Could be a monster in a box, those were a thing... But if she had triggered that, the chest would be open. He squinted at the chest.
Chest
Oh, fine. No sneaking peeks...
Burning grunted as he sank to his haunches. "Why haven't you opened it? You're usually the first one."
Sidestep inclined her head. "He is not wrong. My lord, does something bother you?"
"Just..." He reached for the chest and pressed up and... it didn't open. "Huh?" He got both hooves on it and pulled, but it didn't move.
"Let me." Burning punched the chest, but it didn't open, or even wobble. "What sorcery is this?"
That was when Button remembered. "It's a puzzle chest!" And surely he remembered... "There's a first button back there!" He raced back to the start of the path and stomped a mushroom with a squeak and a 'ding'. "Sidestep, stop right there!" She froze entirely. "Look to your left. See that flower? Pull it."
She peered at the odd lily sprouting from the tree. Still, her master had ordered it, and she yanked it with a click and a new 'ding'.
"Almost!" Button pumped a hoof with victory. "She found it but didn't know the puzzle. Last part, back to the chest." They hurried for the chest, to find it was sorrounded by a new wave of monsters. They fought hard and valiantly, heaving for breath against the tougher monsters.
Wait. Button could see the halfling pony that was with Sweetie sneaking in over to the chest. "No!" But he had to jump out of the way of a great pound of the ground. The monster didn't care about his treasure woes. "Not fair!"
With a pop and sparkle of magic, Button could see the short pony throwing open the chest, but Button was busy battling for his life. "C'mon..."
Burning slammed his hoof down, not on the ground, but on the back of the would-be thief. "You just broke a rule." With a great heaving throw, he hurled the halfling pony against a screeching bush of a monster. "Respect."
Sidestep sliced the reaching branches of another monster free. "We respected your find. Return the favor! How dishonorable."
"You can't blame me for trying." The small pony stuck out his tongue and scurried to the company of his party, sitting with them and watching the battle play out.
"I sure can," huffed Button as he brought down his sword, shattering an enemy into sparkles and xp. "Not cool."
Sweetie booped her party mate on the nose. "He's not wrong. That was very unsporting. I forgot how to unlock this one, but Button sure didn't."
Button grinned at the admission that he had better knowledge, at least in that specific case. "Thank you, Sweetie. We'll be taking that one."
Burning shoved the last enemy back and smashed it into bits with a terrible stomping. "Glad that's settled then."
With the combat complete, Button rushed for the chest. The glow was already gone, but the treasure remained. A book. But not just any book. "Awesome!" He plucked it out with a big grin on his face.
Sidestep inclined her head. "Another historical document? How delightful."
"Nope!" He shook the book at his friends. "This one's awesome. Use it and lightning zaps everything. It's good for the entire game."
Sweetie clopped her face with a hoof. "The thunder tome?! This is where that is? Shoot..."
The dwarf companion of Sweetie inclined an ear at her. "I take it you recognize that artifact then?"
The halfling squinted at Button. "This is no game."
Burning slammed his hooves together. "Remember that before you try to steal from a fellow adventurer!"
Sidestep considered the ensorcelled tome. "Do you need to be a spellcaster to make use of that, or is the magic innate to the book?"
Button offered it towards her. "Just hold it up, give the bad guys a nasty glare, and let the lightning roll in."
Sidestep accepted the offering. "You are too kind, my lord. I will make use of it in your stead to clear our way."
Burning hiked a brow. "Don't you prefer slicing things up personally?"
Sidestep hugged the book. "Lightning is... kindred to me. When there are many foes, this will be put to good use."
Sweetie giggled at the sight. "Well, at least you look like you'll enjoy it. Alright, enough watching Button find treasure. Let's go!"
"Wait." Button rushed in front of her. "Shouldn't we, you know, gang up to figure out a way home or something?"
Sweetie curled a hoof to her chin. "I'm still having a good time, Button. It's right out of one of Spike's comics. You know he got sucked into a comic world once, and he got out. We'll figure out a way, so why not have fun until then?"
Button frowned with thought, advertised by the twirling of his propeller beanie. "You're... not wrong, I guess." He couldn't think of a more direct way to go home, and moping about it wouldn't get him any closer. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Sweetie huffed, turning and putting up her nose. "You're not the only pony that ever liked this game, Button. I'm pretty good at it!"
"It's not a game," noted the halfling.
"Shut up!" grunted most of the ponies present in unison.
Sweetie started back down the path. "Come on. We won't find any treasure standing around here. Maybe see you at the guild, Button!"
The dwarf dipped his head as he turned to follow her. "Nice meeting you all. Let's get through this place and touch bases so we don't stomp on each others' hooves in the future.
The halfling stuck out his tongue with a loud myah before rushing off after his friends.
Burning huffed softly. "Two of them seem alright. We'll share a drink after we get back, but we aren't back."
Sidestep bobbed her head firmly. "We are already here, and my lord requires the treasure we can secure. Where to next?"
Both were looking to Button. He considered his remembered map of the area. "That way." He led the way onwards. "We have actual competition now. I don't think she's lying. And if she remembers things even half as well as I do, she'll head for the chests too."
Burning thumped against Button from the side, almost knocking him over. "We've already proven she isn't as good a scout as you are, Sir Mash." He sounded like he was joking a little with the title. "One of you knew how to get past that puzzle, and they're in my party."
"Let's go!" Button, perhaps inspired, rushed forward. Lightning crashed with a clap of thunder, catching a new group of monsters he'd barely had a chance to see. "Nice." Already, his loyal blade was enjoying that book. But would that mean he wouldn't... no. She was already wading into the thick of things, slicing with her blade just like she was meant to. A way to start fights? Yeah, that was alright.
He sliced one monster across its goblinoid face as he sprayed a tree with an acid stream. "We got this!"
Having the other party put a time pressure on them to press on as quickly as they could, but Burning acted as the brakes. "If we don't survive, it won't matter what we find or don't. This place is already testing us. We're doing great, let's keep the tempo, lads."
The sounds of battle were not their only companion anymore. Shouts, explosions, and mixtures of cheers and groans came from the other party pressing through the forest. That they were there was hard to ignore. "Are we that loud?" asked Button. "I don't think we're that loud."
Burning laughed at that. "Sure we are. We just don't have much reason to care usually."
Sidestep fluttered her wings fitfully. "Perhaps we should work on that, to attract less beasts to our location."
Button waved at where the last shout came from. "Or... hear me out... Maybe it isn't all bad they're here. There's only so many monsters, in theory. Maybe they're busy with Sweetie's crew."
Burning grunted as a ghostly foe passed through him, which was more painful than one would first think. "If this is them thinned out, then thanks to them for making this easier." He clapped his hooves in a burst of fire, forcing the spectral being back. "Let's focus on keeping our hides intact."
"Right right." Button washed the ghost down with flecks of ice, locking it in a cube that Burning could smash to pieces violently. "We got this!"
The two parties were fairly well matched, making it feel like it was more luck than anything else who would arrive at a chest first. At least there weren't any further attempts to purloin from the other.
"What are you doing here?" Button peered at Sweetie's group, coming to join them around a small fire.
Sweetie shrugged. "There's one rest spot here, and this is it." She pointed at the campfire. "We need rest too!"
The dwarf nodded as he sank down next to the fire. "It's been one hell of a day."
"You can say that again." Burning reached into his saddlebag and pulled out a jug. "For those of you old enough, a drink to celebrate another day well spent?"
The dwarf raised a mug he pulled out with amazing speed. "I'll drink to that!"
Button wrinkled his nose at the drinking exchange between everypony but himself and Sweetie. "I tried the 'adult drink' before. It's nasty."
Sweetie perked an ear at him. "You did?! Naughty..."
"I was curious!" Button threw up his hooves. "Are you gonna say you didn't try anythin'? We're in a whole new world."
"Yeah..." She sank to her belly, chin on her arms. "I tried a few things."
Button perked. "Like...?"
"None of your business." She stuck out her tongue at him. "But they have ice cream that's in whole new flavors." She licked her lips with the memory of the treat. "Mmm... Expensive, but worth it."
The halfling pony rolled his eyes. "She wastes way too many coins on that!"
"Featherhoof?" Button sat up. "Do you know a Little Feather?"
Feather perked an ear at that. "That's my cousin, why?" He squinted at Button suspiciously.
Button raised his hooves. "He's a friend! Helped me out when I first showed up and got me going. Huh, cousin eh? He's nicer than you are."
Feather reddened at the comparison. "He's too nice. It'll get him hurt someday... Glad you weren't that case... When did you last see him?"
Button counted to himself with taps of his hooves. "Um... A moon or so ago?"
Sweetie gasped with amazement. "We must have come around the same time! Where'd you end up?"
Button smirked victoriously. "In the air." He pointed up. "Falling really fast. But I managed, and ended up in the first town."
"No way!" Sweetie burst into light giggles. "Lucky..."
Burning grunted as he turned. "Falling? And how did you survive that? How high are we talking, Mash?"
Button pointed up as best he could, waving a hoof in the direction. "I could see the whole continent! It was a nice view, if a little scary..." He grabbed his hat. "This saved me." A lie, but he wasn't sure if he should reveal the birds just yet. "No falling damage with this baby. Um, the original." He reached into a pocket and pulled out the real beanie. "See?"
Sweetie tilted her head. "I don't see, but you survived, so I'm going to take your word for it."
Button considered Sweetie curiously, wondering... "Did you find the sheets?"
"Sheets?" She laughed at the idea. "I know this whole... thing feels like the game, but we don't have sheets, um, outside the guild anyway."
Sidestep offered a kebab of veggies towards Sweetie, held with a wing. "Here, eat. And maybe talk? I would know more of this world you come from. The lord may return to it, and if he does, I will follow him. May I trouble you to know more of it?"
Sweetie's horn glowed as she accepted the skewered veggies. "Looks great!" She took a big bite out of it. "Mmm, and just the right amount of spices... We come from Equestria." She looked to Button. "You alright with me talking about home?"
Button started. "Oh! Um, thanks, for checking... It's alright. Equestria is a big country full of ponies like us." He waved between himself and Sweetie. "Earth ponies and pegasi and unicorns. If you go way up north--"
"--you get crystal ponies. But no elves, dwarves, or halflings." She pointed at the dwarf and halfling in the party as she went over those. "Less tribes, but still ponies."
Sidestep spread her wings out. "They have pegasi, so I will not stand out. I don't wish to bring trouble to my lord."
Burning shook his head. "Sword maidens... You're so set on following your lord anywhere?"
"Wherever he has need of me," agreed Sidestep. "That is my duty. And he is a worthy lord so far. Tell me, does Equestria have wild beasts and brigands in need of battle?"
Sweetie considered that with a soft humming. "Mmm, most of the towns are... mostly safe, but there are plenty of monsters, yep! Especially the further out you go." She waved a hoof into the distance. "The big big big towns, the cities, have ponies that may not be nice."
Sidestep inclined her head. "You act as if you could not adventure before, but your home had monsters. Why did you not adventure there, my lord?"
"Well..." Button rocked in place, eyes cast towards the darkened canopy above. "We had monsters, sure, but most ponies just stayed away from them."
Burning shrugged at the idea. "Most ponies stay away from them right here. What's the difference?"
Sweetie hopped to her hooves. "The difference is here we can go fight them, and there they'd tell us to stop getting into trouble... And probably throw us back in school."
"Yeah!" Button pointed at Sweetie with a big grin. "She gets it."
Sidestep sank next to Button. "If you are capable of paying for a formal education, you should take advantage of that, m'lord."
Button peered at his loyal blade. "Afford it?"
Sweetie shook her head. "Our parents send us."
"Yeah! That. I don't pay for it."
This made Sidestep look all the more pleased. "You really are a lord. Your friend is a lady?" She looked to Sweetie with new curiosity. "I had no idea. My apologies."
Sweetie giggled, but did not argue the misunderstanding. "Button has a mom. She's the one that'd chase him to school if she had to, and could. She isn't going to do that here. I doubt she knows where here even is."
The dwarf pony put his mug away. "It's real nice having some extra company, but we both got plans for the morning. Time to get some sleep."
Burning sunk to his belly with a dull thump of his weight coming to a half. "You are a pony of wisdom. Good night."
Button did his best to curl and relax, but something was off. He was being watched. He looked around as quietly as he could. There. The halfling was watching him intently. Button did his best to ignore it, but the staring had no end to it. Glancing about, he could see his other party mates were already passed out. Not wanting to wake them up, or risk Burning's fury, he rolled up to his hooves and walked off like he needed a moment behind some bushes.
It was not a surprise when he heard the crackling of broken branches, someone else joining him. "Is that you, feather?"
"Featherhoof," corrected the halfling, closing in. "You aren't one of those 'they all look the same' ponies, are you?"
"I like Little Feather a lot, actually." Button turned to the other halfling. "But you're a crook."
"Look..." Featherhoof glanced away towards where the others were resting, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I just want Miss Sweetie to notice me. I figured... If I brought her a treasure, she was so... She was really mad when she couldn't open the chest." He worried his hooves. "If I could get it to her..."
Button hiked a brow. "Sweetie?" Her estimation of Featherhoof's taste dropped a step. "Random gifts won't impress her. She's a pony of action!"
"Action..." Featherhoof dug out a pad and wrote that down. "You are too kind. I thought you were still angry with me."
"I am!" But he couldn't quite scowl at the little pony. They were so cute! And he wasn't a threat at the moment to Button's treasure. "But I'll forget about it if you promise to stop being a jerk."
"You obviously know her. Are you... friends? More than friends?" Featherhoof scootched closer with each question. "How long have you known her?"
Button hopped back, beanie twirling in the motion. "Relax. We're just friends. Why do you even care?" His young mind not immediately putting those pieces together. "Oh." There it clicked, brows coming together. "Are you trying to be her special somepony? You know she's gonna, like, leave forever, and also she's way younger than you... I think? How old are you?" He studied the halfling pony and their foal-like hints mixed with adult hints to create a confusing end result.
Featherhoof inclined his head. "She does have a youthful look, one of many things I like about her." He sighed with the deep throes of romantic approval. "But I have to win her heart first."
Button snorted softly, an aborted laugh. "Do... Oh, oh oh. What kind of pony do you think she is?"
"Kind of pony?" Featherhoof looked baffled by the question, mouth moving with unspoken words as he tried to put it together. "A wonderful one. A competent one. She's been a steadfast partner."
"Not that." Button waved that right away. "Like he's a fireborn." He pointed to the slumbering Burning. "And he's a dwarf, and you're a halfling. With me?"
"Oh! Why didn't you ask that in the first place?" He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "She is obviously a halfling, like me, and you."
Button blinked slowly. "Right.... Did she tell you that?"
"No. It's obvious. Look at her stature." He pointed to where Sweetie was curled comfortably with the others. "And already an adventurer, like us. What else could she be?"
"What if... hear me out... What if she's just really young? Me too, since we're on the topic." He grinned at the confused halfling. "We probably shouldn't be adventuring at all, but we are."
Featherhoof crashed to his haunches. "What? But... She's not a halfling?" One could almost see his little worldview tilting on its axis. "So... Oh... Oh oh.... Oh." He flopped forward onto his belly. "I've been chasing that?!"
Button patted the top of the broken halfling. "Yeah..." Surely there was something more he could say? "Um... You didn't know, but now you do. It's not as if you were here just for that." But Featherhoof was only looking more haunted, not less. "Or maybe you were..."
"You don't understand." He forced himself into a sit. "How could you? I've been competing against a foal! And losing!" He threw up a hoof. "And losing!"
"If you thought I was a halfling, why did you ask if I thought you all looked the same? That'd be kinda funny for another halfling to be bad at spotting halflings."
"It's an insult! Not all insults make sense." Featherhoof clopped a hoof to his face. "I don't even care about that anymore... I must be loose in the head, chasing a foal like that. Maybe I'm the one that can't tell one halfling from the next! What kind of--" He was knocked over backwards, a waterskin bouncing off his head with a meaty thump of the two coming to a violent meeting that sent him tumbling. The waterskin flopped to the ground, robbed of its momentum.
"Shut up," grunted out Burning, trying to go back to sleep.
Button peered skeptically at his large, and dangerous, friend. "Ow..." He placed a glowing hoof on the bashed halfling's back, lending a healing spell. "Good luck with that," he whispered and rushed back to his starting point to curl and sleep.
The next morning, Sweetie's party was down to just herself and the dwarf. "Where'd Featherhoof go?" Button looked around, but saw no halfling anywhere. "Run off ahead?"
Sweetie tossed a crumpled note at Button's head with her magic. "I don't think so."
Button grabbed the note and unfolded it for a peek.
Good morning.
I am sorry to write this, but I have been living a lie. This isn't your fault. I was the fool, and I will remove myself. I wish you nothing but luck, but it will be without me.
Step lightly, Featherhoof
"Oh..." Button rubbed at his cheek. "Sorry."
"Why are you sorry?" Sweetie peered at him skeptically. "You didn't chase him away."
"Uh..."
Sweetie's brows went up together. "Did you chase him away?! How?! Why?!"
The dwarf joined in the skeptical peering. "You two weren't getting along, but it wasn't that bad. What happened?"
Button groaned in a loud echo of his frustation. "Sweetie, he thought you were a halfling."
Sweetie inclined her head slowly. "But I'm not."
The dwarf started. "Yer not?!"
"No? Did I say I was?" Sweetie turned to her dwarven friend. "Just a regular unicorn, that's me."
The dwarf clopped a hoof on his head. "Poor lad... no wonder he ran away. Just gonna hope he doesn't get into trouble. We're a long way from the nearest guild house for somepony to decide to go solo like that."
Sidestep looked back and forth as each pony spoke, confusion clear on her face. "What is the problem? M'lord is quite young." She smiled at Button. "But I can be in their presence. The love one might feel towards a young pony simply must take a different form. He is my lord, but also, in some ways, my child. And I am, in some ways, a mother. We will not have a romantic connection. That would be quite unseemly."
Sweetie burst into laughter. "Ow... You've been shut down." She was eyeing Button as she said it. "I hope you weren't hoping for a 'romantic connection'."
Button began to glow red. "N-no! Sidestep is awesome! She slices the monsters all--" He swiped at the air wildly as if he was wielding a sword and going to town, trying badly to imitate the precise strikes Sidestep would perform. "It's like, um, art. I could watch it all day."
Sidestep colored faintly. "M'lord... I wield your blade for you. What you wish struck down will be. That is the oath I have sworn." She put a hoof on her chest with a content smile. "I am pleased you enjoy my form, but let us keep that to an artistic appreciation of form."
Burning kicked dirt into the smoldering remains of the fire. "This is all well and good, but we're wasting the day away here." He turned to the other party. "Are you going on, or turning back? Sorry Button lost you a member. Doesn't sound like he meant to..."
The dwarf heaved a heavy sigh. "No, don't think he did. Just pointed out a truth Featherhoof was not ready for. Maybe I wasn't either. If you're a foal, why are you out here?" He raised a shaggy brow at Button. "Question goes for you, even if you have less reason to care about my questions."
Burning shrugged with a grunt. "I know he won't no halfling, just some little punk that thinks he can take on the world." He flashed a great and almost feral grin. "And he's managing it so far. My little crack scout. No regrets so far." Childhood safety, clearly not high on his mind.
The dwarf let out a strained laugh. "Seems they are two cut from the same cloth." He looked between Sweetie and Button. "But one of their parties was in on it, and the other fooled themselves right proper. Now... Ah ain't leavin' a foal out to fend for themselves. We are still a party until, at least, we get back to town. Couldn't live with myself otherwise."
Sweetie smiled brightly at her party mate. "Thanks for not just vanishing. Are we... going on, or not?" She waved a hoof at the spooky forest full of monsters and treasures. "I'll get it if not... We were planning on three, not two..."
"Oh... nah... The spirit's been taken from me. Let's get you back. Where are your parents, anyway?" They left without further words on the matter.
Burning started down the path back into the forest instead of away from it. "Let's go. We got the place to ourselves now. Finally... Two parties in the same place, nothing but trouble. Lucky for us, the trouble came for them this time."
Sidestep was at Button's side as they ventured forth. "I do not wish ill on them, and hope they have a safe trip back. They are no threat to my lord."
"The threat's right there." Button drew his sword into his mouth. They had gone far enough away from the safe spot for the monsters to take notice of them. There was no time to consider the intricacies of some other party. They had to put their game faces on and cut their way forward. There was treasure to be found, and none of them were ready to give up on that.
As rough as entering the forest had been, they were catching up. Nothing like a nice rush of experience points from monsters a bit over one's own level. Dangerous, sure. Difficult? Sure. That didn't dissuade Button or his team and they had no competition, allowing them to find all the chests the heroes of the world hadn't claimed.
"Now... There's one that, of course, may be taken, but, more importantly, if it hasn't been taken, has a boss inside."
Sidestep raised a brow at this warning Button was giving. "Boss of what, m'lord?"
Burning smiled perhaps savagely. "I'm starting to understand him. If he says it's a 'boss', he means the biggest and baddest around."
"That!" Button pointed at Burning with a triumphant grin. "Exactly. If the monsters around here were a 10, power wise, this'd be a high 11 to 12. Not impossibly strong, but noticably stronger. Are we ready for that? I mean, maybe it's nothing but an already open chest, but..."
Sidestep put a hoof on his shoulder. "But you wished to confer with us ahead of time. M'lord, this is a wise decision. Burning, how do you feel?"
He slammed his hooves together with an explosion of fire. "If that chest's not open, we'll be the one taking it, and no monster is going to stop us. Do you know what element it is by chance? That'd give us a right edge it would."
Shoot. He scrunched with the distant memory of that boss. He'd overleveled for it, and its element wasn't that important, but if he could recall what it was... A dragon, he seemed to recall, laughing at the idea of a whole dragon in a chest. "Dragon..." he repeated out loud. "Oh!" It hit him. "I hated that one..."
Burning rolled a hoof. "Can you be a bit more specific, Button?"
"They have this move, sneezes one of your members right out of the fight, so you have to win with what's left." Button pointed to one and the other of his friends. "And it's random, and you can't avoid it."
Sidestep scowled at the idea. "I can see why you'd be upset, m'lord. If either of us were banished, I would be quite upset."
Burning roared with laughter. "Oh, but if it's me, then it's alright? I appreciate you being honest about it."
Button waved a hoof quickly. "We're a team. All of us are awesome." He didn't want to be down his big tanky fire pony or his elegant sword mare. And being knocked out of the fight himself would be lame! "We could just skip this one... But let's take a look at least. Maybe we're worried about nothing and the chest will be open."
Sidestep took a step forward. "Let us see. If it is open, as you say, there is nothing more to be discussed."
They smashed through a few monsters foolish enough to get in their way. "Ooo." It'd been a while since Button saw an entirely new spell. Spells only dropped from monsters rarely, with most gotten from stores. Squinting at it revealed its name. "Stop? Awesome!" He eagerly gobbled up the spell. Besides shoving it into one's chest, swallowing it also worked. The spell was his.
Burning watched the exchange curiously. "What spell was that?"
Sidestep also didn't look upset at Button casually claiming the spell. "I did not think I would find a lord skilled in spellcraft. It is an interesting thing. As you enjoy my swordplay, I find myself admiring your magic. If that is not improper, m'lord."
Button colored faintly, learning what it was like to be on the other side of that. "N-neat..." Being admired by Sidestep wasn't an awful thing. "The spell does what it's called. It stops an enemy in place. They can't move or do anything for a little while, which can make a big difference."
Burning raised a brow. "So if that dragon's about to sneeze, you cast that on them?"
Button crashed to his haunches. How had he not thought of that strategy?! He crashed both hooves against his face, burying his shame. "That's so obvious! That's why they put the spell here in the first place! How did I miss that?!"
Burning snorted a bit of flame from his nostrils. "Well, then we have less to fear. It would seem our scout isn't perfect, but who is?" He resumed forward motion. "Now let's see if this chest is even here."
As it turned out, the chest was there, but hung open. The heroes had claimed it on their way past. "Aw..." Buttons pawed at it. "Dangit..."
Burning shrugged at the empty chest and the colt mourning it. "We got plenty out of this place. No point cryin' over what we didn't get. Let's fight out of here and get back to town. This has been a great trip."
Sidestep set a hoof on Button's side. "He is not wrong. You have grown and enriched yourself, m'lord. Let us celebrate it and consider our next move."
"One thing." Burning started on the way out. "Do ye happen to know what was in that chest? Ain't there no more, obviously."
"Mmm, oh! Armor. A helmet." He reached up and tapped at his beanie-clad head. "Fire element, and stops, um, stop from happening..." He sagged as he walked. "Which was another hint! Wow, I really dropped the ball there."
Sidestep inclined her head as she moved alongside him. "But it was to little effect. We did not encounter the beast, and even if we had, Burning had arrived at the answer. No person, even a mighty lord, can face all of the world alone. That is why you have a blade, and other allies to fill in the spaces."
"Hm, would have liked that helmet." Burning shrugged and marched despite that. "Nothing fer it."
Sidestep reared up, just to bow towards Burning. "You have been a loyal assistant to my lord. We will redouble our efforts to find you a worthy piece of armor."
Burning broke into laughter at this. "I'm the one in charge of this party! Lord or not, that hasn't changed."
Button shrugged at both of them. "I thought we were, you know, equal?"
Sidestep blanched at the idea. "M'lord, you are my lord. We can't be equal. You are as high above me as the sky is above you. This is the way of things."
Burning twitched an ear up. "If she didn't already claim you as her adopted child, that'd worry me, or amuse me... Both probably." He inclined his head at the sword maiden. "You aren't mad at me, hm? He may be your lord, but I have the higher rank in our guild." He patted at the badge on his shoulder. "And this is adventuring guild business! So I'm in charge of this party."
Sidestep took a step back. "My lord has agreed to take part in this. To violate its rules would thus be dishonorable. Unless he commands it, I will assume he does not wish that. You are the ruler of this party, but not of me. I am his." She directed a hoof at Button. "But I will obey his command, which was to assist this party, and so I follow your directions."
"That's a mighty roundabout way of sayin' yer on board. Fine then." Chest behind him, he started back the way they came. "There any more chests around here?"
Button laughed nervously as he took off after Burning. "She's just an honorable warrior... I like it." His eyes sparkled with the romantic ideals of the honorable warrior pony. "So cool... Um, treasure, let's see..." Mentally, he ran through the map of the forest they were in, searching for any chests through the depths of his memories. "Oh, there may be one more, but it's lame, just a few coins. Not even worth checking."
Burning swatted Button firmly on the back. "This is another reason I hang around. That saves us time and danger. Then, we're done it sounds like. Another dungeon, tamed." He slapped his great hooves together. "Let's go celebrate! Any gold we get on the way out goes towards that party."
Button jumped into the air with a hoof pump. "Aw yeah!"
They fought their way out of the forest, no monster able to stop their desire to get back to civilization. The monsters of that part of the overworld were laughable in comparison. They hadn't followed the hero's journey, instead retreating, so the monsters only got weaker, mashed to bits before them.
"Welcome back." The dwarf pony was in the adventuring tavern of the town, nodding at them. "How'd it go? That I left it undone still rightly itches at me."
Burning stepped up and sank on the chair across from the dwarf. "We cleared it out fer you, promise." He nodded with certainty. "Where's that young one? Besides mine."
"Little Miss Belle?" He pointed across the way to where Sweetie was peering at job posters. "She won't quit no matter how much I tell her to, and I'm not her father, so ah can't rightly force the matter."
Button waved it off, seated to the side of the two grizzled adults. "She'll bounce right back to her hooves, just watch."
The dwarf raised his mug of spirits. "That's what I'm afraid of. Now that ah know the truth, can't bring myself to just... let her wander off to some unkind end."
Sidestep sat across from her lord. "If she is from the same place as you, my lord, might she share similar talents?"
Button considered that. "She knows stuff like I know stuff, but not as well." Oh, how prideful he looked. "But what else does she have? She can't examine stuff like I can... But that's all stuff she can't do. Sweetie!"
Half the room turned at the sudden shout, including Sweetie Belle. "Button? You're back." She trotted right up to their table and hopped nimbly up onto the table. "Welcome back, even if you cost me my party!"
"Hey, I'm still here."
"True, sorry." She waved at the dwarf pony. "This is Sure Shale, by the way. He's great, and he didn't abandon me, like some feathery ponies." She rolled her eyes at the memory of that abandonment. "Why'd you call me? I'm not giving up the adventuring thing."
Button shook his head quickly. "Well, neither am I! I wasn't asking about that. We were just curious what skills you had. We're both from the, uh, same place, so if I got a thing or two, why not you?"
Sweetie sank, head going onto two supporting hooves. "You can look and see, Button. Go on, stare at me."
"You're making it sound weird!" Button colored vividly. "Stop that!"
Burning nudged Button. "She may have, but it's still permission. Have a peek and settle our curoisity already."
"Alright, alright." He narrowed his eyes into a squint at Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie BelleType: Hero Element: None Class: Bard
"Bard?"
Sweetie perked an ear. "I am?!" She reached out into nothing, horn glowing, and pulled out a lyre from nowhere. "I am!" She began playing joyfully, filling the area with spirited adventuring music.
Button reached out for the floating words and swiped them as the guild worker had done. Yep, a page two appeared with more information. "I would never have guessed that on my own..."
Innate Talents: Meta Knowledge(Level 3), Pocket of Holding(Level 3), Song of Unity(Level 5)
"Song of unity?" Button inclined his head, squinting at the words. "What's that?"
Sweetie halted her playing. "What? I have that too? This whole time I was a bard with awesome bard powers and I wasn't using it?!" She tossed her lyre away, it fading away as it sailed through the air. "I feel silly. I can try singing it and see what happens?"
Button shook his head quickly. "It's level 5! As high as my, uh, 'meta knowledge'. And that's pretty powerful."
Burning grunted. "Can't argue that. Your knowledge is something else." He leveled a hoof at Sweetie. "So yours has to be too, at level 5."
"News!" An orc of a pony charged into the area with a scowl. "News! War has erupted."
Another adventurer squinted at the orc pony. "We're an adventurer's guild. We don't get involved in wars."
"Sure, but the other side's Millie-steps!" The group filled with gasps of alarm. "And they're bringing their monsters with them!"
The secretary at the front desk brought down a gavel smartly. "The heroes banished the monster lord. How can anycreature bring them back, and lead them in an army? Explain this."
Sweetie blinked at the sudden plot. "That is not in the game... I don't think?"
"We're past the game." Button rubbed at his cheek. "Anything that happens now is not in it." He hopped in place, beanie bouncing on his head. "But forget that. How did you not know you were a bard? Didn't they do that whole big scan thing when you joined the guild?"
Sure Shale put a hoof over his face. "That was my first hint that something was awry. The miss here isn't in the guild."
Burning gaped at his new dwarven friend. "Why are you anywhere with her then?" He leveled a hoof at Button. "I shoved that one to the counter. That ain't somethin' to negotiate about."
Sidestep clucked softly, but her eyes went to Sweetie, not Sure Shale. "You had something to do with this impropriety, didn't you?"
While they were having this chat, the loud argument about the return of a new threat to the lands was being hashed out. The secretary went over and began tacking down missions one by one, leaving the board a barren wasteland. "You all know the deal. We can't send anyone outside a city during these things. We don't want you dying out there."
The room groaned as one, but the actual arguments about it were few and far between. They weren't heroes. They didn't want to face what was coming.
Burning prodded the other extra-worldly foal, peering at Sweetie. "Well, this won't stand! You want to risk your young life, fine, but you follow the blasted rules while you do it!"
Sure Shale slumped with obvious shame. "Don't tell them."
Burning glared at Sure. "Fer all we know, there's somepony out there looking fer that little lass! The rules are there fer a reason." He prodded at Sweetie all the more firmly. "Get up there and sign up. Tell 'em ah asked and found out and pointed you that way. Maybe they won't toss any books at you."
Sweetie squirmed in place. "Okay... Button, wait for me?"
Button bobbed quickly. "'Course! Then we gotta talk about this new thing." He waved at the mostly empty job board. "If it's like the last one, things could get real rough."
Sweetie flashed a bright smile. "That just means we might get to be heroes."
Burning grunted at that. "We're adventurers, not heroes."
Button had seen Sweetie and his designation. Two of them were heroes. The other three? Maybe heroes too? Could become heroes, hanging out with heroes, doing hero things... He tapped his hooves together before looking to Sidestep. "Are you ready to be a hero?"
Side perked. "M'lord? If you would wish it of me, I would gladly do so. I was ready to become one before. That is how we met."
Button had forgotten that! "Oh yeah! Well, here's your second chance."
Burning pinned his head between his hooves. "Gonna guess that invite goes fer me too."
Button watched Sweetie walk towards the counter. "Duh! Besides, think of all the treasure we may find on the way. We'll be the first ones there this time."
Burning hummed softly. "You make a compelling case there... On the other hoof, you sounded like we're leavin' the parts you know."
Button saluted sharply. "That just means I have to do my job and scout! For real!"
Sidestep smiled with pride at her small lord. "As if he would allow his assignment to go unfulfilled. I will be the blade of this party, this should go without saying."
Sure Shale peered between the three. "Really? We just heard of it and you're already charging in?"
Burning shrugged at that. "You get used to it..."
Sure Shale took a big swig from his mug. "Let's see how Miss Belle does."
Sweetie was being escorted into the back by a cheerful stallion of a secretary. "I had no idea," gushed the secretary. "To think, such an enterprising soul, working unlicensed. That's against the rules, you know."
Sweetie sagged a little, but kept up easily enough. "I was just told, which is why I'm here."
"I'm glad to hear it." He waved to the room. "Step inside and we'll get you signed up properly." Much like Button before her, she was invited to step onto a platform that scanned her with more power than Button could muster. "Bard. No element..." He took busy notes as he read through her stats, swiping along to the next page. "Song of Unity?!" He recoiled, going pale around the end of his snout. "Please... wait here a moment." He scurried right out of the room, leaving a baffled Sweetie behind.
"Is that power that unusual?" she asked of the empty room. Alas, the scanners provided no reply.
The secretary fled to the table where the others were waiting. "Do any of you have a relationship with Miss Sweetie Belle?"
Sure peered at Button. "Pretty sure only Button and I qualify."
"Both friends," finished Button. "Why?"
"No... A lot of reasons." The secretary slumped with a tired huff of air. "She has the song of unity."
Burning waved towards Button. "He told us as much. You know what it does then?"
"Yes, yes I do... But I had to be sure first." He looked over at the ponies at the table. "In order for it to work, she needs a party. She has one of those, good good... She has to be a hero... which she is..." He swallowed thickly. "Awful young for a hero, but one can't age gate destiny... Are you willing to face what lies ahead if she joins you? If not... I will turn her down gently."
Burning slammed a hoof down on the table. "Blast it all," he fumed, fire escaping in angry gusts. "She's a hero?!" He shoved at Button roughly, almost knocking him clear of the table. "And there you were, already planning it! You knew! You could see it, couldn't you?! Blast it all..."
Sure leaned back. "Do we all have to go?"
"Five." The secretary raised but one hoof. "That is the magic number, including her. Five in total. It can't be coincidence that just the right number of ponies is right here... sirs, ma'am... I just wanted to be sure before I told her."
"Told me what?"
The secretary yelped like a startled child, coming down from his jump to be facing Sweetie, who was not waiting in the scanning room. "You were supposed to stay in there!"
Sweetie inclined her head towards the table. "Why are you whispering to my party instead of talking to me?"
The secretary laughed a bit manically before he could catch himself. "Ahem, yes, of course..."
Button hopped down next to Sweetie. "This is it!"
"What is it?" Sweetie peered at him curiously. "You hear something?"
"Yes. This is how we finish the game, this game. We go with you and punch the bad thing in the face." Button excitedly danced in place. "And then it's done, ta da!"
Burning hiked a brow at the description. "You that ready to leave this behind?"
Sidestep swatted at Burning, elbowing him from the side. "M'lord has said before that he wishes to return home. That has ever been his goal." And because her lord had said it, it was law. At least in her eyes.
Sure Shale pushed his empty mug away. "Well, looks like the only way I stop foalsitting is to get the foal back to where she belongs."
The secretary relaxed. "Good... Good good. Alright then. That skill you have requires friends that will stand at your side. In your moment of darkness, you can and will draw on it to save yourself, and the world around you. Do you accept this responsibility, Miss Belle?"
Sweetie perked an ear. "It's like sis' element? I get to pull it out when a big enough baddie needs to be dealt with? Neat!"
"Right?!" burst Button in eager agreement. "I'm super jealous." Despite the words, he was grinning like a fool. "Does that make you Twilight Sparkle?"
Sweetie laughed musically. "I'd rather be Rarity." She stuck out her tongue. "But I guess so, if I'm the center of it. That makes you..." Button grinned, tense and shaking with anticipation. "That makes you... Applejack. You see things how they are and keep ponies' head straight."
"Applejack? Not my first pick, but... alright. I'll be the party's Applejack."
Burning blinked at the exchange. "Yer both usin' a lot of words we ain't never heard before. Well, I know what an Applejack is. Any in stock? I feel like I could use one right about now."
The secretary headed towards the scanning rooms. "One moment." He scurried off and returned with the badge and card. "Now you are a proper member of the guild." He nodded to Burning. "You've already made friends with an experienced agent that can break down the basic rules for you."
Burning grunted softly. "One 'perk' of being a veteran is being looked to for knowing this stuff. Get up here." He tapped the center of the table easily with a long arm and hoof. Sweetie bounced up, looking at him curiously. "The guild? Where we're going, we won't be thinking about it much. End lesson. If we survive and you still exist, I can teach you more about it. If not, it doesn't matter."
Sweetie blinked at the blunt explanation. "I guess there's a point there..." She pointed to the picked clean job board. "We won't be doing much there."
Sure Shale sighed at that. "No jobs while the world is in peril for anyone below 2nd grade." He glanced aside at Burning. "You could get some jobs."
Burning snorted at that. "Could, won't. Jobs like that pay the bills, but they're boring! Boring as anything can be."
Sidestep smiled brightly. "The gods smile on my lord's venture, providing the very key to its success." She nodded at Sweetie. "It is clearly meant to be, m'lord. Let's see your wishes made true."
Sweetie accepted the card and stuffed it away. The badge she seemed less sure about, turning it this way and that in her glowing magic.
Burning reached for it, plucking it free of her magic and swiftly attaching it to her shoulder. "There you are. Welcome to the guild."
Sweetie beamed joyously. "Officially! So... you're joining my party?"
Button sat next to her. "About that." He pointed to Burning. "He's the highest ranking member here, so..."
"So I'm in charge," grunted Burning to make that clear. "Welcome to my party." He sighed softly. "Which is going to go save the world. Blasted world just got saved! How many times does a world need savin'?!" He perked as a mug was set in front of him. "Thanks." He nodded to the waiter already dashing off. With a sniff, he confirmed. "Ah, applejack." He got to nursing that with a pleased rumble.
Button swatted at Sweetie's back. "Welcome aboard! Now, I'm the more experienced at this game, so just let me--"
She popped a hoof in his mouth, silencing him. "We're already outside the game, and I was a fan too!"
Sidestep scowled. To her credit, she avoided drawing her sword on the situation. "Unhoof my lord."
Sweetie pulled her hoof free with a cork popping sound. "Protective, isn't she? Either way, I'm a partner, not a lackey, so get way over that."
Button crossed his arms with a huff. At least he had Sidestep to be definitively in charge of... "If you know so much, where do we need to go first?"
"That's obvious." She pointed to the map of the world posted on the wall. "We head for the problem! And probably run into trouble along the way."
