Scratched Disk

Zephyr knew that these ponies had no intention of letting him leave there alive. Nor would he make it out of the dungeon without his gear. He knew he had to fight. Dirt a begun his circle around the chest when Zephyr leapt forward and quickly opened it causing the trap to spring. A large ax swung down and caught Dirt right in the middle of his ribs. The force knocked the wind out of him as he was flung against the wall. Just as he thought, Twitch's Icon changed from green to yellow. The other two were standing dumbstruck which gave Zephyr his chance. Using his long reach, he stuck Plasma in the side and pushed him against the other wall, which jarred him just enough for Zephyr to make a dash out. Twitch recovered from shock just in time to see Zephyr spread his wings and leap over him. Without checking Zephyr once again bolted down the hall way. Frustrated roars began from behind him as he galloped down the halls. His lungs were burning, and his calves ached, but he ran on. He could hear the hot pursuit of the three behind him, but he knew even with them weaken, there still would be danger in fighting them. He didn't want to kill, but he knew that's what it would come to if they caught up. He turned a corner to a long hallway and as he raced down, he noticed a trap icon on the floor. Taking the risk he ran to it and pressed it, hoping that he didn't just seal his fate. Immediately a stone pillar appeared behind him that shot up to the ceiling. Several more appeared before him that were more slow, but he knew what they were trying to do. They were going to box him in alive. Zephyr leapt from one pillar to the next, as they continue their climb up. Slowly the gaps were closing. Zephyr with one final leap, cleared the last one, and the pillar finished with a loud boom. Zephyr sat against the pillar panting for breath. "You think that you're so smart, but we will get to you and I will personally wring your throat!" A muffled taunt from Dirt called. Zephyr once again checked his map, and now he was ever further from the entrance. "Will I ever be able to find the way back?" He wondered. After a few more minuets, he got up and began to walk again.

"Well well well... What do we have here?" A brown coat earth pony sneered at Zephyr. "Looks like we have a mouse on our hooves!" replied a dirty looking dark red earth pony. He hoisted a scimitar onto his shoulder. "Ya, YA! Do you think he has the cheese?!" stated a very hyper yellow Pegasus. The earth pony reached over and smacked the Pegasus in the back of the head spending him sprawling onto the ground. "Shut your trap!" demanded the earth pony. The Pegasus got back onto his hooves and continued to bounce around. While the chaos proceeded, Zephyr took a moment to scan his foes. They didn't have any sneak skills so he could read everything off them. The brown earth pony appropriately named "Dirt" appeared to be the leader of the group. Though he was level 4 he had some good gear, most likely the loot off of other ponies. The red pony's name was "Plasma" and he was level 3. He seemed to have the highest overall sword skill, no doubt the brawn of the group. The last jittery Pegasus was "Twitch" with the level of 2. He didn't seem to have any fighting skills but rather focused on tracking and trapping skills. Zephyr knew that he out leveled them, however with no means of escape, a 3v1 is going to be a very difficult fight. He had to make every move count. Dirt slowly walked towards Zephyr with his 2H sword pointed at him. "You know, that was a nasty trick luring us to those goblins. And I take that personal." Zephyr's mind was racing, he knew that up close, Dirt had the upper hoof. If only he could... Yes! Zephyr had a plan! It was a long shot, but he had to try. Dirt continued, "Well you have one of two options... Give us your gear, and we might let you live. Or die." Zephyr watched the distance between them. He would have one shot at this, and there it is! ((Alright! Let's get this show back on the road!))

The Goblins gave a loud shriek when they spotted Zephyr. Zephyr had not faced one of these before so he didn't know what to expect. He assumed that they were like other MMO games he played. In the sense that they were quick, but relatively low on attack and defense. That however wasn't his biggest concern. He had to finish this battle soon and pray to Celestia that the other ponies didn't hear anything. He looked over the two disgusting goblins in front of him. Both were a pale green with long pointed ears. they had scraps of cloth around their torso, and some beat up boots. One Goblin had a hatchet that appeared to made out of a stick, some string, and a carved hip bone of some creature. The other one had a very rusted dagger. Zephyr was well aware of the minimal post he had to work with, so he dropped his lance to the floor and reached for his dagger. The goblin with the hatchet attacked first. He had quite the amazing jump that it startled Zephyr for a moment, but like he figured, the goblin was clumsy, as he exposed his belly. Zephyr quickly step to the side to avoid the attack, then plunged his dagger deep into the belly of the goblin. It gave a loud shriek and dissipated in a explosion of polygons. The other goblin was quick to act, he rapidly closed the distance by bounding off the walls and was on top of Zephyr in moments. The goblin slashed at Zephyr in a upward arc, Zephyr attempted at blocking, but the goblin switched directions at the last second and caught Zephyr right across the nose. He bounded back laughing. Zephyr charged the goblin to see if he could catch it before it would move, but the goblin simple jumped onto the wall on Zephyr's right, and bounced behind Zephyr giving him another slash in the flank. All the while mocking Zephyr with his laughter. "Curses!" Shouted Zephyr "He's making me look like a colt! If only I could..." Then a idea came to his head. He put his head down again and charged the goblin. The goblin tilt his head and got into position to jump again. "Bingo, I got you now you little nymph!" Zephyr shouted. Right as the goblin was leaping over Zephyr, he raised his wing and caught the goblin like a mitt catches a baseball and flung the goblin to the ground. Pinning him by Zephyr's hooves, he dealt the finishing blow across the goblin's neck. The 'Victory' screen appeared displaying the col and the exp, but Zephyr had little time to rejoice, as he could hear the hoof beats of the other ponies closing in on him. He knew that they were too close and this time he wouldn't get away cleanly. He grabbed his lance off of the floor and bolted down the adjacent hall way. He just barely made it back into the room with the chest when three ponies appeared in front of the door. Zephyr had to come up with a plan and fast!

Zephyr was pulling loot from the chest as the axe came dangerously close to him, however right as he was pulling a bag of col out, a few coins escaped his grasp. With his hooves full, he reached down and grasped the coin between his teeth. The axe swooshed extremely close causing a breeze and clipping off some of Zephyr's mane. Zephyr yelped in surprise and dove into the chest before the axe was able to start it's swing again. "That was too close. It missed me by a hair. I have to be more careful!" He scolded himself. He reached up and stopped the axe. Surprisingly he was able to take the axe. Which got him thinking, if this was a room trap, why could he take the axe? then it dawned on him. It was a player made trap. He had completely forgotten about PK'ers and a dungeon would be the best place for it. He quickly shut the chest and bolted out of the room. Surely, whoever placed the trap will be back. @@Frosty V @ He considered turning back with his new found loot, but the excitement made his blood pumping. He decided against it and continued into the dungeon. He was peaking around a corner when a bell noise nearly jumped him out of his skin. He had received a message. Thinking it was from Terra, he quickly opened it, but was a little dishearten when it was from Frost. "Where had Terra gone off to?" He wondered. Casting that thought aside he opened the letter. The message read: "I don't know if you all remember me or will even read this message, but if you do I need a group to join, being a solo player is not working out well emotionally. If you are welcome to this idea just message me back with your next location or your current so I may meet with you. My skills can be relied on. Sincerely, Frost, Town of Beginnings." Zephyr took a second to give it a deep thought before replying back. He selected the 'Reply' icon and began speaking, "My Friend Frost, I remember your skills from the wolf battle, and I have to say, I'd be a fool not to team up with you. At the moment I am occupied in the dungeon, but when I surface, I'll send you another message. Hope to see ya soon! Zephyr" and with that he hit send. He closed his menu and got back to the task at hand. He took another five steps before he heard noises. First it was laughter, then voices, not monster voices, but pony voices. "Could these be the ones who set the trap?" He wondered. He realized that the hoof and voices were getting closer, and Zephyr had no choice but to try and run. He turned a corner and darted down a hall way. The voices got louder, and he knew that they were on his tail. He caught the attention of a few goblins, and quickly out ran them, but the group behind him wasn't so lucky. This was just the break he was hoping for! He dashed to a side passage and slowed his breathing. He strained his ear to hear anything. It was hard to listen over the beating of his own heart. A moment passed... then two. Satisfied that he heard nothing, he let out a sigh, and opened his map. He wasn't able to chart while on the dash, so he was in a middle of a blankness on the map. He saw the entrance and decided to see if he could work his way back around towards it. He closed the map and turned a corner... Right into a patrol of two goblins! "Crap!" Zephyr shouted and the goblins belted their challenge back. He readied his lance and prepared for an attack!

Zephyr's hooves echoed across the dungeon's floor. It was very spacious, but very cold. Torches flickered across the area, but it almost seemed to produce no heat. There was a chill in the air that no amount of flames could remove. Zephyr couldn't decide if it was due to the game or his own imagination of the danger he felt all around him. He was ten minuets in with no problems. The suspense was intense enough to cut with a knife. "I don't know what's worst, the waiting or the scare." He wondered. None the less he proceeded every step with caution. He stopped at a corner to a room and listened... He heard nothing coming from within. He peaked his head around the corner. There before him was a chest. It appeared to be unopened! Zephyr felt the adrenaline rushing as he slowly approached it. He looked all around it for any kind of traps. He found none, but to be safe he held onto his crystal. Unlatching it, he raised the lid, unbeknownst to him the trigger was inside. He never heard the trigger pull, and the trap axe started it's fatal swing down from the ceiling. It drew closer and closer to it's unsuspecting prey. And then...

When you do finish songs, do you send PM's to the person they are meant for?

I have always been a fan of the Xbox's "Knights of the Old Republic" game. But for new and extremely fun, I would go with the First "Force Unleashed" for the Wii. The combo of skills and the boss battles make this game so entertaining along with the plot twists in almost every chapter.

Zephyr knocked a few more times, but meet with the same response. "Maybe he already headed out" He thought. "I'll check back later." And with that he turned and left the inn. Zephyr waled to the edge of town and looked in the distance. "So the dungeon has already been invaded?" He took his time and thought deeply of it. "The rewards that people have been boasting of, are quite amazing. This might just be the push that I need to join the top ranks!" Zephyr knew that he doesn't have the levels of the beta testers, but if he could survive a few hours in there, he would have equipment that would be on par with that of those testers. But there end lies the issues. Surviving. He had no doubt in this new equipment, but rather the new monsters. He had not faced anything other than the wolves by himself and even then they knocked him on his flank. "No, I've gotten better!" He almost shouted as if to convince himself. He knew that it would be challenging, however he wasn't the same ignorant newbie that he once was. With his new determination, he set out for the dungeon. It was mid day when he arrived. He received a map in town which was quite accurate that led him straight there without too much issues. He defeated a few boars on the way so that he would have something to eat should this trip go longer than he wished. The dungeon's entrance was as gloomy as he imagined. Piles of skulls were scattered along side the door, signs were placed around saying things like, "Keep out!" or "Danger". He couldn't tell if these signs were part of the game, or if players post them there. He walked boldly up to the door and opened it. He was greeted with a cold blast of stale air. "I will not be stopped here!" he exclaimed boldly and took his first step in.

@ Zephyr swallowed a large bite from his sandwich, he never really considered what was happening to his body on the other end. "I suppose that they have us hooked up to IV's... But I wonder how long that will last. I'm sure that they are doing everything that they can, but that just means we have to get out of here sooner." He was no beta tester, but he felt that even them would have no idea about what was going on. He munched on the last bite, stood up and brushed the crumbs off. "Kayaba is a smart stallion, I'm willing to bet that he has made every precaution to make sure that the players wouldn't die from something so insignificant as sever issues! At the same time, I'm sure that he has the entire system wrapped around his hoof, and hacking into it will be no easy task. we just have to trust that those in the real world know what they are doing and we just have to do our best to survive!" Even as he was saying it, he was doubting his own words. "Were they making any progress? It's been over 3 days, they surely have to have thought of something by now." He looked back to the sky as if he might find some answers there, but only the clouds and the birds seem to respond. He looked back to the battle and the ponies that he met. Even if this was just a video game, he felt more alive in here than he did in a long time. And even if he has to watch his back every moment, it gave off his own kind of thrill. One that he hadn't felt at home when he spent hours on the computer. The warm rays of the sun seem to agree to what he was saying, and he felt more cheerful. Picking his sword back up he looked to Terra and asked, "You ready to head back now?" @ It was late afternoon, when Zephyr received a notification. Apparently Synapse had accepted his friend request. "That's good," he thought "That pony seems to have her head screwed on right." She was a pony that he felt that he could trust, even if she seemed to distance herself from others. He turned his head and looked at Terra. Terra noticed and gave a smile, Zephyr returned the smile and thought, "Terra is another whom I can trust on, I know that everpony has their secrets, but Terra seemed quite open." He saw the town in the distance and increased his pace. "So we are close to finding the dungeon?" Zephyr was getting excited for the upcoming battles. Time to get some new equipment. Day 5 The dungeon has been found and several players have been exploring it. Rumors tell of strange new monsters with great treasure to be had. Zephyr had spent day 4 with Terra who had used the sword and took the metal from it to make a new lance and dagger for Zephyr. Terra had gained a level from it, and Zephyr had sold the wolf's drops to buy new armor and supplies. At last, they were ready for some dungeon diving. He walked up to Terra's door in the inn and knocked. "Terra? You up?"

@@Frosty V, @, @, @ "Alright! See ya around Synapse! Don't get eaten by any more wolves!" Zephyr said as he waved back. He knew that this wasn't the last time he was going to see her. She had the "never say die" feel around her. If what she said was true, He would need to level fast to be ready for the boss. He figured that he should be at lease 10 before that battle. Zephyr turned to Terra and said, "Well some players like doing things at their own pace. Others feel that other players might get in the way. And I bet a few think that they want to keep all the loot to themselves." He pondered for a moment, "Still like what we have seen here, it's better to give equipment that you're not going to use to others. Surviving should be priority number one." He shook his head, "Some ponies would rather think of personal survival rather than others. In a way they are right. However, I can't just sit by and watch that happen." At the mention of the friends list, he opened up his and sent out requests. First to Synapse, then to Terra, followed by Sparky and Frost. After he got a response back, he closed the menu. He turned to Sparky and Frost, "So Frost you say that you were looking for a bear? I really wish I could help, but I don't think I can do it with the equipment I have now. I need to head back and buy some more gear." He pointed to the sword, "I doubt that this thing will hold up for much longer." He opened his map and looked for the nearest town with a blacksmith shop. The closest one was about half a days jog from where they were. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, he activated his mapping skill and tracking skill. He focused his trapping skill on finding a path out of the woods. He turned back to the other two and said, "You're welcome to come along if you wish, that way we can help you later. Or if you think you can handle it, you could try on your own. I bet that bear is way slower than that wolf, but might have more HP and Power behind it's attacks." He scanned the brush and found a game trail. He was about to set off, when... *Gurgle* "Oh, umm... heh heh..." He didn't realize how hungry that last battle made him. "Maybe we should stop for a moment. I know that I want to press on, and I kinda get carried away! This game is so exciting!" He opened his menu and selected a few items. First a bottle of water, next a simple sandwich (Made with cheddar and apple), last a wolf pelt. "Might as well sit on something soft!" he joked. ((OCC: Hey I might be out for a day or two, I've bought a new computer and I'm building it up from the ground up, so I'd when it will be become functional. I'll try to be back as ASAP but if the story needs to move on, assume that I'm in deep thought or give me some witty one-liners! thank you for your understanding!))

Hey! Figured that you needed a photo for your OC. I hope I got everything right! Let me know if I need to change something!

Never smoked a day in my life, and I plan on keeping it that way.

Well I'd love a slot when you get the chance! Will you PM me when you are accepting? Your art is simply stunning! And if there is a round two, I'd like to request one for Scratched Disk as well, but I'll let others have a chance first!

@@Frosty V, @, @, @ Zephyr wasn't being too effective during the battle, even with the help of two other ponies, the battle was dragging on. He glanced to the others, they were all tired. "I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up..." He wasn't doing too much damage, but that wasn't his role in this battle. All he needed to do was draw the attention of the wolf for the other hard hitters to have a clear shot. He had become quite adept at dodging, and with the light weight sword he had plenty of movement to work with. Another swipe came crashing down towards him, but with a dart to the left he nimbly dodged it and slapped the wolf on the paw. The wolf growled at and and began it's push, when Frost charged in and slid hard under the wolf. Using his mace, he smashed the wolf in the jaw dealing massive damage. The wolf was almost finished with half a bar left! With the addition of Frost, the wolf had no chance to watch from all directions. The Hunter has become the Hunted! Using a similar tactic that the pack wolves were using, the wolf's HP steadily drained. The mare with the axe dealt the final blow, the wolf shattering into many polygons. And the reward screen appeared: Victory! EXP Received: 92 Col Received: 52 Items dropped: Wolf Fur (x3), Alpha Head (x1) Quest Complete! Pack Wolf 12/12 Alpha Wolf 1/1 EXP Rewarded: 500 Level Up! Combat Level 4 -> 6 Light armor 1 -> 2 Knife 0 -> 1 Sword 1 -> 2 Dodge 0 -> 2 Battle Healing 1 -> 2 HP 794 -> 823 Zephyr was panting hard and slouched against a near by tree. "Whew! That's a incredible increase!" Zephyr Exclaimed. "I should be able to wield an Iron Lance too! With the money from this raid, I can buy a new lance, a dagger, (cause now I know how important it was to have a spare weapon with me!) some medium armor, and if I had any to spare, I could buy a new crystal!" He smiled. Zephyr knew that if he could beat this wolf, he could beat anything! He might actually survive this! He grabbed a potion from his pack and uncorked it. He was a few gulps in when he hear the mare from earlier say, "So... Does anypony need this item? It's unusable to me." Zephyr looked at her, and studied her for a moment. "Her name is Synapse..." He was thinking it was about due time to introduce himself. Clearing his throat he responded to her, "I don't have any use for it, but I wouldn't discard it so easily, like I've shown, you never know what you'll need in a pinch." Standing back up, he stretched his back and walked over to her. Holding out his hoof he said, "The name's Zephyr and I have to thank you for finding that wolf for us! Although next time, a little heads up would be nice!" He jokingly said. After shaking her hoof, he continued, "Ya, as for the shield, I feel that it might just get in the way. Never learned to use one at the academy and I feel a lot more safe with just the lance." He thought about it for a moment. "Although you saw what happened to it!" He chucked "Hey you wouldn't happen to know of a good black smith? I'm thinking of seeing if he can make a custom armor for my wings and I could use as a shield." He flexed his wings. "I don't meant to brag, but I've got quite the set and it would be a same for them to go to waste!"