private [RP] Equestria Online

[Stormbringer 346]

@Frosty V,

 

Storm perked his ears once more as Frost vanished. He snapped his head over. "Whaaaa?" He stood up, scared by the sudden dissipation. He drew his sword, looking around. He was obviously spooked, never having teleported before. "W-what happened to him? Is he dead?" Storm looked around, scared.

[toby rogers 258]

@@Frosty V, Lightning woke up to being teleported, to where he would not know for a few seconds, a few seconds later he was standing next to frost, he looked over at him"Hey frost,you know why we're here, cause i don't." he said thinking about the multiple reasons for being teleported here.

[Frosty V 309]

@defearonthedestroyer, @StormwingThePony

 

Frost turned his head as another pony appeared to be teleporting in next to him. He smiled when he saw Lighting. Frost shrugged when Lighting asked him if he knew why they were there. "Im not sure, maybe an opening ceremony for the game. Looks as if all the players are being teleported here." He said in a serious and puzzled tone as he scanned the crowd for anypony he knew.

[GameytheGeemer 147]

@@Frosty V,

"You can bet that they are." Chain Mail said, appearing with his bottle of vodka. "Probably some official orientation thing." He said as he took a swig of vodka.

 

"Now, I just have to pawn off all these swords. Now that I've got to Lvl. 6 from all the forging, I can make better weapons." He said, now more to the crowd than to any one pony. 

[Stormbringer 346]

Storm himself soon began to dissipate, to his own horror. "I-is this the end of the game..?" He dropped his glass of cider as he disappeared, phasing away. He felt himself being lifted off - so he just looked up and let whatever it was that was doing this have its way.

[Super Derpy 535]

Thunder was chugging down here cider. Then the other ponies started just disappearing. First Frost, then Lightning, and finally Storm. "Where did they all go?" she said silently to herself starting to get worried. But soon her own body started to dissipate and when she reappeared it was in the Town of Beginnings square with her friends from the tavern and a few other ponies she did not know.

[Stormbringer 346]

Storm was looking around as usual. "Why were we all teleported here? Is there a game-wide meeting or something..?" His hoof was drawn back a little, prepared to draw his trusty black broadsword if needed. Maybe this is just a big trap or something, he thought silently to himself.

[Scratched Disk 48]

@ @
 

Zephyr shook his head, "As far as I know, there are no experience requirement for areas. It has to be an event!" Zephyr opened his menu to see if anything was listed there, however as hard as he looked he couldn't find anything. "nope... nothing here." Zephyr closed the menu with a sigh. He took another look around, there wasn't anymore teleportation flashes happening. "Everyone must be here." Zephyr thought "If an event is going to happen, it will be happening now."

Edited December 13, 2013 by Zephyr Vortex

[IridscentNionios 1,420]

@, @Timelord RegularPony  Terra needed to vent his frustration and decided to grab his hammer smashing it on the ground left and right shouting "Mother*apples* moronic, idiotic, time-wasting game!!! Once i find the one who made this stupid game i will this... and this... and then i am gonna smash their heads and throw them into Tartarus!!!" He took some breaths gritting his teeth. Gasping as he was he wiping his head and took one deep breath. "It's okay... i am fine now... i think..."

[Scratched Disk 48]

@ @ @ @ @ @@Frosty V @ @@ChristophR @@DarligPegasi @@Super Derpy @@NewSupaLuigiBros @@Midnight Blade @@GameytheGeemer
 

Confusion was setting in and the noise was deafening. "Look!" Somepony shouted, "Up there!" The noise quickly died down then became quiet save for a single sound, much like a ringing of a gong. Every eye was focused on a single thing, a red flashing "Warning" sign. After a few seconds another pop up beside it saying "System Announcement". Then it proceeded to spread across the sky like wildfire. Soon the entire sky was covered with red signs.

 

The surrounding area was bathed in a red glow that gave off an eery feeling. Zephyr quickly became uncomfortable with the situation. But nothing could prepare him for what came next.

 

From between the cracks of the signs a deep red liquid began to well up. It oozed towards the ground very similar to blood. This was enough to make Zephyr's stomach churn. About half way down, the liquid changed directions and flowed into a center mass, where it proceeded to become larger. It proceeded to grow in size and then began to form a shape of a pony. After the last few drips from the ceiling. The form stood up and shed it's outer blood to reveal a set of robes. The beta testers recognized the designs on the robes and a whisper through the crowed that those were the robes of a Game Master. The figure was over 10 stories tall. The sheer size would have been enough to frighten Zephyr, but what did him in was the fact that he had no face. It wasn't that it was dark inside the hood, but rather he was invisible.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Zephyr Vortex

[Scratched Disk 48]

@ @ @ @ @ @@Frosty V @ @@ChristophR @@DarligPegasi @@Super Derpy @@NewSupaLuigiBros @@Midnight Blade @@GameytheGeemer @

 

The looming figure spread it's hooves and then spoke. "Attention players," The voice was loud and echoed off the walls, "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." Zephyr became rigid with shock, and my throat, and perhaps my neck back in the real world as well, stopped working for a second.

 

"I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Equestria Online's system." Kayaba continued "Part of...the system?" Zephyr questioned. "Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will. ...Also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted... The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions." It was as if Zephyr's mind was refusing to believe what had just been said. But Kayaba's short statement pierced through all the confusion like a cold steel dagger. The pulse will destroy our brains, in other words... Kill us.

 

"Haha...what's he saying? That pony, has he gone nuts? He's not making any sense. The Nerve Gear... It's just a game. Destroy our brain... How is he going to do that?" Zephyr weakly shouted. But then it dawned on him... Zephyr remembered reading in the instruction manual how the Nerve Gear worked. The infinite signal sensors in the Nerve Gear's helmet emitted small electronic pulses to send virtual signals to the brain. If this was turned up, it is possible to end up heating the water in the brain like a microwave.

 

"To be a little more specific," Kayaba continued, "dislocation from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully get rid of the Nerve Gear. The result... "The metallic voice took a short breath here. "...regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world forever."

 

Zephyr's head tried to reject what Kayaba had just said. But his body betrayed it and my knees started shaking violently. He stumbled back a few paces on his weak knees and managed to keep myself from falling. "...don't believe it... I don't believe it."

 

Kayaba continued to speak "Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and internet media are all repeatedly reporting this situation, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have given, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax...and concentrate on beating the game."

 

"But I ask of you all to understand that Equestria Online is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality....from now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment that your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever, and at the same time, your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear."

 

"Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word."

 

"Clear...all 100 floors!?" Zephyr shouted as he raised a hoof to the sky. "And how do you want us to do that? I heard that getting up was crazy hard even during the beta testing!" This was true. During the two months of beta testing, the one thousand players that had taken part had only managed to get to the sixth floor. Even if ten thousand ponies had dived right now, how long would it take to get through all 100 floors?

 

However much Zephyr tried to accept these as facts, it was impossible. Just five or six hours ago, He had posted on his Scratched Disk Facebook page, did a quick doodle on his drawing tablet and had some pizza rolls to relax before all of this. Now he couldn't go back to all that? And this is now the real reality?

 

"Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this."

 

Zephyr was confused for a moment, but he heard other plays opening their menus, so he proceeded to open his. he maneuvered to his inventory and at the top was a item with the "New" icon on it. It was listed as "Hand Mirror" I selected it and it appeared in my hoof. I stared hard at it, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Zephyr looked at the whole of the mirror and a gray body blue maned unicorn looked back at him...

 

And then...

 

(Alright! 2nd stopping point. For those of you who have read the light novel, I did take some of the dialog for Kayaba from it, that way I wouldn't have to start, rewind, and type out everything from the anime. I encourage you to copy and paste Kayaba's dialog, and add your own reactions to it! I'd love to see how your character would react!)

[toby rogers 258]

 

@ @ @ @ @ @@Frosty V @ @@ChristophR @@DarligPegasi @@Super Derpy @@NewSupaLuigiBros @@Midnight Blade @@GameytheGeemer @

 

The looming figure spread it's hooves and then spoke. "Attention players," The voice was loud and echoed off the walls, "Welcome to my world. My name is Kayaba Akihiko. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." Zephyr became rigid with shock, and my throat, and perhaps my neck back in the real world as well, stopped working for a second.

 

"I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the main menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Equestria Online's system." Kayaba continued "Part of...the system?" Zephyr questioned. "Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will. ...Also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted... The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions." It was as if Zephyr's mind was refusing to believe what had just been said. But Kayaba's short statement pierced through all the confusion like a cold steel dagger. The pulse will destroy our brains, in other words... Kill us.

 

"Haha...what's he saying? That pony, has he gone nuts? He's not making any sense. The Nerve Gear... It's just a game. Destroy our brain... How is he going to do that?" Zephyr weakly shouted. But then it dawned on him... Zephyr remembered reading in the instruction manual how the Nerve Gear worked. The infinite signal sensors in the Nerve Gear's helmet emitted small electronic pulses to send virtual signals to the brain. If this was turned up, it is possible to end up heating the water in the brain like a microwave.

 

"To be a little more specific," Kayaba continued, "dislocation from an outside source of electricity for ten minutes, being cut off from the system for more than two hours, or any attempt to unlock, dismantle, or destroy the Nerve Gear. If any of these conditions are met, the brain destruction sequence will start. These conditions have been made known to the government and the public through mass-media in the outside world. On that note, there have been several cases where the relatives or friends have ignored the warnings and tried to forcefully get rid of the Nerve Gear. The result... "The metallic voice took a short breath here. "...regretfully 213 players have already exited this game, and the real world forever."

 

Zephyr's head tried to reject what Kayaba had just said. But his body betrayed it and my knees started shaking violently. He stumbled back a few paces on his weak knees and managed to keep myself from falling. "...don't believe it... I don't believe it."

 

Kayaba continued to speak "Players, there is no need to worry about the bodies that you have left on the other side. As of this moment, all TV, radio, and internet media are all repeatedly reporting this situation, including the fact that there have been numerous deaths. The danger of having your Nerve Gear taken off has already all but disappeared. In a moment, using the two hours I have given, all of you will be transported to hospitals or similar institutes and be given the best treatment. So you can relax...and concentrate on beating the game."

 

"But I ask of you all to understand that Equestria Online is no longer a simple game. It is a second reality....from now on, any form of revival in the game will no longer work. The moment that your HP reaches 0, your avatar will be gone forever, and at the same time, your brain will be destroyed by the Nerve Gear."

 

"Players, there is only one way to be freed from this game. As I have said before, you must get to the top of Aincrad, the one hundredth floor, and defeat the final boss that resides there. All players still alive at that time will be immediately logged out of the game. I give you all my word."

 

"Clear...all 100 floors!?" Zephyr shouted as he raised a hoof to the sky. "And how do you want us to do that? I heard that getting up was crazy hard even during the beta testing!" This was true. During the two months of beta testing, the one thousand players that had taken part had only managed to get to the sixth floor. Even if ten thousand ponies had dived right now, how long would it take to get through all 100 floors?

 

However much Zephyr tried to accept these as facts, it was impossible. Just five or six hours ago, He had posted on his Scratched Disk Facebook page, did a quick doodle on his drawing tablet and had some pizza rolls to relax before all of this. Now he couldn't go back to all that? And this is now the real reality?

 

"Then I will show you evidence that this is the only reality. In your inventories, there will be a gift from me. Please confirm this."

 

Zephyr was confused for a moment, but he heard other plays opening their menus, so he proceeded to open his. he maneuvered to his inventory and at the top was a item with the "New" icon on it. It was listed as "Hand Mirror" I selected it and it appeared in my hoof. I stared hard at it, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Zephyr looked at the whole of the mirror and a gray body blue maned unicorn looked back at him...

 

And then...

 

(Alright! 2nd stopping point. For those of you who have read the light novel, I did take some of the dialog for Kayaba from it, that way I wouldn't have to start, rewind, and type out everything from the anime. I encourage you to copy and paste Kayaba's dialog, and add your own reactions to it! I'd love to see how your character would react!)

 

Lightning was quiet till the end of  Kayabas speach and sighed "That's it I've got to stop buying mass produced multiplayer games, one in three end up like this, why do they always end up like this." he said going back to the inn to drink, then maybe buy and sell some stuff.

[IridscentNionios 1,420]

@,@Timelord RegularPony  @i am become death @Dreamless @SuperMarioKingdom @Frosty V @Kyurem@ChristophR @DarligPegasi @Super Derpy @NewSupaLuigiBros @Midnight Blade @GameytheGeemer @Cartophile 

Terra was stunned... afraid... and furious. The fuck was this Gayaba, Kayaba guy? What the buck did he think he was doing? Selune... what did you get me into? Gah! She wasn't responsible... hell she might even be trapped here as well. No he trusted her... she would never do that. His anger was focused at the giant guy up there.

"You must have a real superiority complex in order to do something like this! Who the hell do you think you are? And do you really think the Princesses will not find you? They will find you... If i don't get to you first that is!" 

What a serious a-hole... he thinks he is some sort of fucking god here? A-hole...

[GameytheGeemer 147]

 

 

"I think that most of you have discovered the fact that the log out button has disappeared from the mane menu. This is not a bug; it is all part of Equestria Online's system." Kayaba continued "Until you get to the top of this castle, you cannot log out of your own free will. ...Also, the discontinuation or dismantling of the Nerve Gear from the outside is strictly forbidden. If these things are attempted... The signal sensors in your Nerve Gear will emit a strong electromagnetic pulse, destroying your brain and stopping all of your basic functions."

 

"Please tell me this isn't just a huge practical joke on ponies like me, PLEASE tell me this isn't just a huge practical joke on ponies like me." Chain Mail said when  this was said. When he looked around and saw that the ponies were starting to look less and less perfect in terms of facial structure and more like ponies actually would. 

"YES" He said, pulling out the hoof mirror and looking at himself. He had put in his real information, so the actual changes were negligible. 

[Anneal 2,194]

4 Hours Ago

 

The doorbell rang, making a lively bell sound. A mare was sleeping on her wooden desk, snoring, her drool seeping out of her mouth onto the papers. She mumbled once, tensing her hooves before continuing her snores.

 

Ding-dong. The middle-aged, gray earth pony groaned, turning her head to the other side of the desk.

 

"Damn it, Synapse, if you don't open this cursed door within the next ten seconds, I'm going to open it for you!" the pony outside shouted.

 

"Ngh..." Slowly, Synapse rose from her table, blindly searching for her glasses. She touched every corner of her desk, until she stumbled off her chair and opened her eyes, seeing a slightly blurry figure. Synapse reached for it, wearing the glasses, and blinked. Suddenly, her vision has become sharp, and she stood up sluggishly, moving towards the door and twisting the lock, allowing it to freely move outward.

 

"Hey, sis," Synapse muttered to the mare in front of her. They both appeared to be identically the same, with the exception of Synapse herself having a longer mane and being nearsighted. "It's a weekend, so what do you want me to do?"

 

Synapse's twin sister, Stereo, rolled her eyes, and revealed a cardboard box. "I need you to keep this for a few weeks or so, since we're moving to a new house."

 

Synapse smiled. "So how's you and your filly going along?" she asked.

 

"It's tiring to deal with her every day, though she's learning some things," Stereo answered.

 

"Oh," Synapse muttered, picking up the cardboard box.

 

Stereo took a look at her watch, and she immediately jumped into a rushed attitude. "Ah, I've been staying here for too long that I'm nearly late for my morning radio shift! Just keep it in perfect condition before I get back; see you later!"

 

And with a dash, she was off. Synapse sighed, closing the door, and moving the cardboard box inside. Synapse returned to her work, which included keeping files on patients and setting up appointments before returning to sleep. On her non-work days, sleep was a luxury; it wasn't often she got a full ten hours of sleep.

 

Synapse organized the papers and cleaned up the house for a bit, but soon she found herself idling around and unable to sleep. She did not feel like going outside either, as there was nothing for her to do outdoors. Finally, she glanced at the cardboard box. Maybe she won't mind if I check what's inside... Synapse thought.

 

She searched for a small cutting knife, and sliced open the box on it's taped opening. The flaps flew open, and what was inside surprised her. It appeared to be a helmet, only appearing more like the retro-futuristic devices she saw on in the featured sci-fi movies in the theatre.

 

"Nerve Gear Number 8936..."

 

------------

 

Synapse read the manual aloud, wearing the Nerve Gear upon her head. Technology was more complex than she thought; ponies could now read neural messages with this "new generation gaming console", or as they called it. This was interesting to Synapse, and she decided to try what teenagers thought were cool in this time of year.

 

"Make sure your NerveGear™ is plugged into the a source of electricity, and turn on your NerveGear™. To start the game, say the command 'Link Start'. See your system instruction booklet -"

 

Synapse did not manage to finish reading the directions, as immediately, she was taken into the game. When she suddenly awoke, Synapse had realized that her room, her table, her house had disappeared, being replaced by an infinitely stretching meadow. Synapse was now on the middle of a cobblestone road, suddenly realizing that she had entered the game.

 

Synapse made her first attempt to move, only to be intercepted by a large screen that said "Create Your Character". On the top were empty slots for personal information; the screen reassured that the gaming company will never reveal or leak information to others.

 

She decided to be honest on giving out her personal information, from birthday to height and weight. There were also some complex ones as well, such as mane color, eye color, coat color, and species. Synapse put it all in: gray mane, dark green eyes, earth pony, light gray coat.

 

Then came the character creation. Synapse started off with making her eye color lighter, her mane more of a bluish-green mix, and a clear white shirt. It wasn't big changes; after all, she didn't want to "mutate" herself. For the class, she started what seemed like a fairly nice class. When she was satisfied with her changes, she pressed the yellow "Enter" button.

 

Again, she teleported into a small village, dropping from a few feet onto the ground. Despite the fall, Synapse fell no pain. An axe promptly feel next to her, and her clothing was replaced with white light armor with yellow highlights, resembling the ones the Royal Guard Infantry ponies wore. She picked up the axe nearby her; it at first felt heavy, but somehow changed in weight within a few seconds, Synapse suddenly able to wield it with her mouth. Synapse stumbled for a short time, until it felt stable.

 

The axe itself was relatively short in length; it was made of a stone edge tied to a wooden handle that was only the length of her hoof. Then she was shocked to see that this was not the class she wanted; in fact, it was far from that. Biting her lip, she proceeded on.

 

There were ponies here and there; some, who were NPCs, stood idly in a static position, near motionless; others were most likely players, mingling and talking to each other. "Hey, have you tried the Beta version?" "Yeah, I expect to get past the tenth floor, at least." "Would anyone care to trade with me?" "Anyone know a shortcut through the fourth floor?"

 

Synapse wandered about, finding a few who offered quests. One offered her to find his crates; another wanted her to go to the Unchartered Caves, wherever that was, to save the poor colt's sister; one even told her to slay a few boars to make some stew.

 

At first, Synapse was trying to get familiar with the actions and features. Synapse found out, after resurrecting from being killed by a boar, that the bar on top of her was her health bar, the small sky blue bar below it was her hunger bar, and the thicker, empty bar was where her mana or energy went, depending on whether she wanted to go with arcane magic and enchanting or pure weapon power. She tested with other commands as well. There was a "Party" screen, which allowed her to start a party, invite someone to it, disband it, or join someone else's. There was also a "Guild" screen, which she was too low leveled to access, and a "Skill" screen which marked her skill on a special subject.

 

Synapse grinned; she was getting the hang of this game.

 

---------

 

When Synapse finished her first few quests, she went to a town inn to call it a day; after all, she needed a snack and a nap, and had to proceed with her work. Opening up the menu, she searched for the "Log Off" button.

 

...Only it wasn't there. Synapse raised her eye; perhaps she was searching at the wrong place. But the Options, the Map, the Character screen, none of them had any "Log Off" button. She became a bit shocked by this, and wanted to notify other ponies what was going on with her screen.

 

Apparently, nopony knew what was going on as well, and had the same problem. Some assumed it was a "bug", and others believed that the game was updating. She still didn't have all her question asked, until she was instantly teleported to the Main Lobby with a large crowd of ponies, with some other species here and there. Everyone was as confused as her.

 

That is, until the administrator talked. In that instant, the crowd's questions were answered with shocking responses. They weren't supposed to log off, and if they valued their lives, they shouldn't. They had to beat the game, otherwise everyone would be stuck in here forever. Death in not-so-virtual reality was now death in real life.

 

Synapse didn't know how to react to this. She was supposed to out of here by now. She wanted to be back to bed. Most of all, she should have never opened the box. And when her avatar appearance disappeared, she lay there, silent.

[Scratched Disk 48]

@ @ @ @ @ @@Frosty V @ @@ChristophR @@DarligPegasi @@Super Derpy @@NewSupaLuigiBros @@Midnight Blade @@GameytheGeemer @

 

"Ah!"

 

Zephyr was engulfed with a bright white light for a few seconds. When it vanished, everything seemed normal. "No," Zephyr thought "Something is off." Zephyr quickly looked around, the area looked the same, however many ponies seemed to have under gone some transformation. Zephyr had also noticed that his head seemed a little lighter, and his back seemed heavier. This however, felt more natural than before. He shook his head and reached up with his hoof to rub his eyes, when he noticed the color. "Oh no no no no no..." Zephyr muddered. He grasp the hand mirror tightly and stared hard at the face staring back at him. This was his face. He twisted his head around and saw his wings, his tail... It was him!

 

When Zephyr looked around again, the crowd was no longer filled with people who looked like characters from a fantasy game. A bunch of normal looking young ponies had now taken their place. It was like something you'd see if you gathered a bunch of people in real life at a game show venue and dressed them up in armor. Distressingly, even the sex ratio had changed greatly.

 

"How could it have done this?!" Zephyr bellowed. Then it dawned on him. "The scanners and the calibration!" He remembered reading about the scanners in the booklet and the body calibration when he first put the head gear on. "I guess this is what he meant by 'reality', but I never thought that he would mean this extreme!" Zephyr pondered. "But why is he doing something like this?" He wondered out loud expecting someone to answer him.

 

A few seconds later a voice, sounding almost solemn, sounded from the blood red sky.

"You will all most probably be wondering 'why?' Why am I—the creator of both the Nerve Gear and EQO, Kayaba Akihiko—doing something like this? Is this a sort of terrorist attack? Is he doing this to ransom us?"

It was then that Kayaba's voice, which had been emotionless up to now, seemed to show some signs of emotion.

 

"None of these is the reason I am doing this. Not only that, but now for me, there is no longer a reason or a purpose in doing this. The reason is because...this situation itself was my purpose in doing this. To create and watch this world is the only reason I have created the Nerve Gear and EQO. And now, everything has been realized."

 

Then after a short break, Kayaba's voice, now emotionless again, sounded. "...now I have finished the official tutorial for Equestria Online. Players, I wish you luck." This last sentence trailed off with a faint echo.

 

The huge robe rose soundlessly, and started sinking, hood first, into the system message that covered the sky, as if melting. Its shoulders, then its chest, then its four legs merged into in the red surface, and then a final red stain spread briefly. Right afterward, the system message that had covered the sky disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. The game had returned to its normal state, apart from the fact that a couple of rules had been changed.

 

The crowd of ten thousand players gave a proper reaction. Yells. Clamors. Shouts. Curses. Begging. And screaming. The ponies that had changed from game players to prisoners in a matter of minutes crouched clutching their heads, waved their hooves about, grasped each other or started to swear loudly. Zephyr was no exception.

 

Feeling a rage building up in his stomach, Zephyr equipped his lance, and spread his wings wide. Too long had he just sat there and whimpered to himself like a colt. He puffed his chest and challenged Kayaba, "Get back here and answer to your crimes coward!" With his hoof planted, he sprang forward and lunged into the sky! With a mighty flap he was airborne. Fueled by his rage and hatred he prepared for the next flap...

 

"Warning: Invalid Command"

 

*Thud*

 

Zephyr crashed face first into what appears to be the only pile of mud around. He stood up and brushed himself off. "Oops" He chucked "Forgot that Pegasus can't fly in this game!" Embarrassed, he looked around to see if any pony was laughing at him, but realized that his 'accident' was the least of their concerns.

 

What he saw was devastating. Players were clutching their legs in fetal positions. Others were screaming, and crying. Others still denied everything with a lifeless look in their eyes. Some appeared to be fleeing the area, he wondered what they could be thinking, that they could run away from the situation? (Little did he know, that those were the beta testers who knew what to expect.)

 

Zephyr felt crushed by the seer amount of emotions surging through the crowd and decided to also flee the city. "I can't just sit idly on my hooves!" He decided then and there, to try his best- no, he would be the best that he could be! With his spear grasped tightly, he galloped off, away from the town, away from the other players. He ran head on, and never looked back.

 

That day changed his life forever.

Edited December 21, 2013 by Zephyr Vortex

[aRegularPony 306]

Sparkey looked at the Game Master unfazed, expecting that no pony would see that he hadn't changed form. He looked over the panic that was being caused by the speech that was given by Kayaba, and grinned a little. His smile quickly faded though, as he didn't want to stand out. He quickly walked away, trying to get to a place to train.

[Frosty V 309]

@@GameytheGeemer, @

Frost stared at the other ponies and then to himself as he turned into his normal self. He had relatively the sane build as before except he was a few inches taller, just like he was in the real world. He looked at the others that had joined his party and grit his teeth. "Keep calm. Don't loose your head. Its a game...one that can be beat....I'm a beta tester dammit!" He cursed at himself. "You two, we need to find a shop and fast..get up on supplies before the other ponies trample us to death." He muttered, expecting supplies would he even more scarce because of this new twist to the game.

[GameytheGeemer 147]

@@Frosty V,

"Oh, yes, I quite agree that we should." Chain Mail said, jumping in the air and running on the back of the crowd. "At the same time, I won't be trampled to death, After all, I can crowd run." He said, pulling out his blade and showing off for a second before sheathing it. To the casual onlooker, Chain Mail was identical now to the way he was before the shift. To the deep observer, he had slightly lower cheek bones and otherwise a few negligable changes along with some scars that were covered with armor ATM.

[Anneal 2,194]

Several Hours Later

 

Results — EXP: 22, Bits: 25

 

Synapse sighed. It wasn't fast enough. She was still at Lvl. 3, and killing worms was getting her nowhere to increasing it. She glanced at her health, which was almost two-fifths depleted (HP: 233/380). Shuddering, Synapse opened her backpack and immediately took out a piece of bread, restoring some of her health.

 

...She didn't know she was doing. Synapse was already getting nervous when her health bar was nearly reaching yellow. She wasn't acting like this before; it was probably because of her fear of dying. She didn't want to die. Anybody in their right mind would want to survive. 

 

Synapse sat down, her axe in one-hoof. You're a psychiatrist, Synapse. You can get over this. She began to summarize everything that happened. Soon after the gate opened, she immediately rushed out of the plaza, going Celestia knows where. She didn't know what she was doing; at that time, her mind was shrouded in fear, though she had to eventually come to the fact that she was running from nothing, chased by nothing, attacked by nothing. 

 

She shook her head, tears running down her already cold cheeks. She was no better than the ponies that froze and cowered. She would never win the game, even if she tried. She couldn't even fight a little monster. No, Synapse, you're better than that, stop acting like a little foal, stop, stop, stop –

 

Synapse stopped. She was lying on the ground, her face nearly wet, partly covered in mud, at least in the virtual reality. Somehow realizing something, she took out her mirror. Synapse never took it out of her backpack when the game master had told them too; she was stuck in her own little world at that time. But she stopped, and took a good look of herself.

 

...I look pathetic. 

 

Was that how was she was meant to be? A pony lying in the dirtied ground? What would her sister think? Her parents? Her family needed her, and she was here, doing nothing but giving up. Would they want that? 

 

Synapse shook her head. No, I shouldn't doubt myself, she thought. If I ever want to get out of here alive...to see my family again...to return to the real world...I have to beat this game! 

 

Maybe she was the lucky one out. She had noticed the monsters here were more abundant than back at the starting hunting grounds. It was something she didn't notice, but that was new. And she was Lvl. 3 already. Synapse grinned; a rookie would kill to get in her position now. No wonder...she was fighting the harder ones. 

 

And finally, she stood up. If she was going to die, she was not going to die here. Synapse picked up her light axe, and starting walking back to the road, out of the meadows. She then increased to a trot, and sprinted toward the next village. 

 

They're going to have some quests there. Possibly, all hope isn't lost yet. I could just be looking for it in the wrong place.

[Scratched Disk 48]

"HYAH!"

 

Zephyr thusted his lance at a wolf, only to scrape at the wolf's leg. The wolf ignored the attack and leapt in the air at zephyr. Ducking down low and shifted to his right, Zephyr nimbly dodged the wolf's attack.

 

"HA! You can't touch this!" Zephyr shouted at the wolf. "You know, this is actually fun!" A low growling behind him snapped him out of his thoughts. Zephyr twisted around, but was too late. Another wolf was already on top of him and slashed at him with his claws. Zephyr was lucky to have turned around as his armor absorbed a bit of the attack, but still left him in the yellow.

 

"Crap! I gotta stay focused! Ok, let's think about this!" Zephyr had played enough RPG games to know that every monsters has a system. "These wolves came in a pack of 3, they recognize that they can't attack me from the front..." A low growl from behind him started, but he didn't let that interrupt his thinking. "... They surround their prey."

 

The wolf from behind leapt at him again, but this time he was ready for it, and side stepped it. As the wolf was passing by, he followed through with the butt of his lance and smacked it hard on the ribs. The wolf gave a loud yelp, and quickly returned to position. He was already in the yellow.

 

"Ok, so they alone are fairly weak." Zephyr realized. two of them shifted towards each other in front of Zephyr as the third one circled around to his back. "They want me to focus the front! That way they can attack from the rear!" That was their system! As the wolf prepared to strike again, Zephyr was ready for it.

Once again came the low growl, and the lept. Zephyr turned hard on his hooves and thrust the lance into the belly of the wolf. The wolf's hp bar depleted to 0, then it's body shattered into little polygons and vanished.

 

"1 down, 2 to go, I can do this!"

 

With the lost of a wolf, the remaining two proceeded to move in a circle pattern, but this didn't phase Zephyr. He purposely focused on the one in the yellow. He strained his ears for the crunching on the wolf's paws behind him. With the leap, Zephyr once again spun around and slashed at the wolf with his lance's tip like a sword. Cutting the wolf's head clean off. First the head, then the body shattered like the first one.

 

One on one now. With his lances reach, he could very easily keep the distance between him and the wolf. He studied the wolf's movement pattern. "The single wolf, threatens by snapping his jaw, but attacks with his claws." The wolf, step to his left and strikes with his right. Zephyr easily deflected it with the shaft of his lance. The wolf jumped back and snapped at him in a taunting gesture.

 

With that pattern set, Zephyr could easily determine when to strike. When the wolf step left, Zephyr readied his movement. As the claws swept across his right, Zephyr shifted to his right effortlessly dodging his strike, and before the wolf could move, he finished the battle with a smooth thrust into the wolf's chest.

 

The final wolf shattered into polygons and a small victory screen appeared.

 

Victory!

EXP Received: 120

Col Received: 15

Items dropped: Wolf Fur (x3), Wolf Teeth (x1)

 

Zephyr walked a short distance and slumped against a rock. He took a few deep breaths to slow his heart. He tilt back his head and closed his eyes, feeling the sun on his face. His mind wandered back to when he was in the military academy.

 

"That's right... Fighting wolves here, is not that much different from fighting Timberwolves back at home... Only, that was a simulation." Zephyr never saw field time, but did receive basic training. It was do training for a class, get first year of college free, how could he not accept that offer? Little did he know that those few bruises made back then, was saving his hide now!

 

Zephyr propped himself up with his lance, and looked back at the wolves in the distance. Even if they were 2 levels ahead of him, he knew now how to fight them! He looked at his menu and went to the quest page:

 

Quest: Big Bad Wolf

Pack Wolf Slain 3/12

Alpha Wolf Slain 0/1

 

The reward for this quest was a big one, so Zephyr wanted to finish it before the sun went down that day. He started walking in the direction of the next group of wolves...

[Anneal 2,194]

Hollow Shades, Floor 1, Day 2.

 

Synapse had never expected players to go so far already.

 

Some were already at least twice the lever number as her, already equipped with unseen items. Shocked, Synapse kept herself quiet, and when she repaired some of her weapons and clothing, she immediately ran to the inn and hid there for the entire night. 

 

The next day, she was calm again from all that over-reactive episode that happened yesterday. She sat idly, saving her new crystal spot on the inn, paid another 50 Col for a second night's stay, and practiced her axe swings with her new weapon, the Iron Axe. She had acquired it after breaking her primary weapon, forcing her to purchase another weapon from the NPC blacksmith shop.  Synapse had been exploring her own menu and reading the FAQs, studying the modified system, and organizing her backpack. 

 

Synapse had learnt a good deal that night. But with great knowledge came great sorrow; she noticed the "Currently Online" bar in the "Party" option, and noticed that at least another one hundred players died the day before. To remember the tragedy, Synapse began to keep a journal, writing down the number of players online and alive at that time, and what happened that day. As long as she was here, she would continue writing down everything.

 

After that, Synapse returned to searching her other menu bars and buttons. So the skill slots increased and can reach a mastery level...mine's is *knock* one-hoofed axe, axe throwing, parry *knock*, clue searching, weight limit *knock*, tracking, hey, is anypony there?

 

Wait a minute. That last one wasn't from her. 

 

Synapse looked up, seeing a short colt peek through. He was grey, and like her, an earth pony.  She rolled her eyes, and stood up. "You are intruding my space. Please get out," Synapse said soothingly. She didn't want to raise her voice on such a little pony.

 

"Sorry, ma'am," the colt answered. "I thought this was supposed to be the room I rented."

 

"You probably got the wrong–" Synapse paused in mid-sentence as she saw the colt present a room key, similar to hers. 

 

"Told you," he added. "Maybe we're sharing the same room. There isn't much space in the inn, after all."

 

Surrendering, Synapse moved back. "Enter," she said. "...How old are you?"

 

"Twelve, ma'am," he replied. "My username's PaperSword, though my real name's Shady Daze."

 

Synapse glanced at her own username. "Mine's is Crevass, though I prefer my real name, Synapse."

 

Shady stared at her. "Wow! That's a pretty cool name."

 

Synapse smiled. "Well, I'm supposed to be a psychiatrist. I kind of came up with the name after I was working with some papers. Kind of had some scientific surge running through my head at the time. Then I came up with the name."

 

The colt laughed shortly, throwing his equipment, and jumping onto a separate bed. No words were exchanged against them for a few minutes, until Synapse finally spoke. "How did you get into this game?"

 

Shady hesitated and rubbed his hoof on his head, appearing to be in deep thought. "Well...I bought the game. A friend of mine, who was a gamer, introduced me to it. He bought his own as well." 

 

Synapse raised her eyes. "Is he here, in this game?" she asked. 

 

Shady shook his head. "No, he was grounded when his mom found out he camped outside the entire night without her permission and was grounded," Shady said. "For once, being a troublemaker prevented him from being sucked into this game."

 

Synapse exhaled in relief. "Well, at least that's one less victim."

 

"Well, he was a beta tester too, so he taught me some skills," Shady suddenly said, changing the subject. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here. Want to see how good I am?"

 

"How are you going to do that?" 

 

Shady quickly pressed a few menu buttons of his, and on Synapse's side immediately popped out a duel request. "I set it on thirty percent health, which is more than enough so that a critical hit doesn't accidentally take your health bar to zero," he assured.

 

"Wait, what?" Synapse was confused. "You can duel in this game?"

 

"Yeah," he answered. "Why, didn't you know that?"

 

Synapse felt embarrassed. Hoping not to reply to that question, she pressed the "Accept" button, and within a split second, Shady and her protection barrier shattered, and a window between them popped out, saying "DUEL: PaperSword vs. Crevass, Custom Mode. Time: 3:00". At the same time, Shady's floating cursor above him turned red, and he was now vulnerable to attacks. The time began counting down as well.

 

Before Synapse could react, Shady was already charging at her, taking away some of her health. He was continuously attacking her, depleting more and more of her health bar in such a quick time period. Surprised, she began a counter-attack, swinging her axe to parry his sword. After that, Synapse sliced, which Shady dodged. He did not, however, anticipate her thrust, and soon afterward, he was hit on through the edge of his front hoof.

 

The hit did little to decrease his health. A small portion of Shady's health disappeared. Startled himself, Shady pushed her back, then landing another vertical slash and a successive spin attack. Soon, Synapse noticed her health in the yellow, and she desperately blocked his next attack with the wooden handle. She flung the sword away, and in the brief time where Shady was vulnerable to her weapon, Synapse threw it in shock.

 

The axe landed in Shady's chest, slowly allowing him to lose some health, albeit it still not enough to make it go into the "yellow" stage. In reaction, Shady made a clean cut on Synapse's neck.

 

The duel ended there. Synapse fell onto the ground, feeling the place where Shady slashed into her throat. The window between them had changed, now saying: "WINNER: PaperSword. Time: 1:26." She looked at her health at first. It was on the red, but soon turned yellow due to the game's healing effect. Shady's health, surprisingly, was still green, with barely more than two-thirds of his health depleted. Synapse bit her lip. She wasn't even close to beating him. 

 

"Good duel," Synapse commented. "I admit defeat."

 

Shady grinned. "Well, I can't blame you. You were a bit under-leveled, but it was brave of you to go fighting me like that. You were good for a newbie. Honestly, I didn't think you would accept..."

 

Synapse stopped. "So you're telling me...that I had the chance to see your level?" she questioned in disbelief.

 

"Uh...yeah," Shady admitted. "You can see other players' level and the most frequent weapon and skill used by the player before a duel, when you join a party, or when you are in a guild. For other cases, you aren't able to see it. Look, I can prove it to you."

 

Another window, thankfully not another duel, popped up. This one was for a party request, and Synapse pressed it. A small window on her right appeared, this one with Shady's health. Shady handed her a piece of bread to restore her health, and Synapse gladly ate it, then proceeded to check Shady's status. 

 

Her eyes widened. A Lvl. 7!? Synapse looked sheepishly and awkwardly at Shady. It was no wonder she couldn't beat him; he had more health, more skill, better equipment, and better stats. "Whoops..." she muttered. 

 

"Well, like I said, you're good for a newbie," Shady pointed at her axe. "'Iron Axe +1 (1 Durability)'. You even found out how to upgrade your weapon!"

 

"I just noticed a small hammer button when I talked with the NPC–"

 

"No, you could be a lower level than some players now, but you already found out a lot. You just need some training and you could be good to go," Shady interrupted. 

 

Synapse glanced at her health. It was back to green again. "Well, this is weird," Synapse said. "But I now need some help from a colt. Mind if you be my instructor?" 

 

He gladly nodded, and positioned himself again. "Okay now, so this a more complex attack you can use, which is the Sweep Stab. It's three-hit, and you got to parry, fling the weapon, and swing your axe three times, which the movement is like charging your weapon..."

[IridscentNionios 1,420]

@, Terra had changed slightly... besides him the surrounding players seemed to experience a new transformation. From what he understood from the changes that occured to him it seemed that the "Creator" of the game was an extreme fan of realism in games, and also an a-hole. He seriously just created this thing just because he wanted to observe an interesting situation? Was this guy so purpose-less? BAH! Despite that he wasn't gonna be like him... and like Zephyr said he was going to answer for him crimes one way or the other.

Lots of ponies died that day... he imagined that the change they experienced due to their avatar becoming their real self discouraged many. Not all gamers were exercised, hero-material, and athletes. Some saw the monsters of the game, looked at themselves, and simply knelt down in surrender. He tried to save some... but most just were beyond saving, they were mentally stricken by the event, some felt claustrophobic and simply resolved to suicide. He wasn't gonna do the same favor to that rotten bastard of a Game Master. 

"SCREW YOUR RULES I AIN'T ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOU! I AIN'T GONNA DIE!!!" 

He would finish the game whether that guy liked it or not... and he would let him suffer the consequense of his cause. He polished his hammer and sharpened the edges at the NPC (Non-Player Character) blacksmiths' anvil. He was an engineer before he became a royal guard. He knew his craft... so things were about to get down. An interesting quest about a wolf plague or something like that popped. The reward seemed nice... some better equipment would go a long way in finishing this game.

The wolfs apparently were intelligent... hunting in packs. Apparently the creator wanted realism in everything, but he wasn't new to combat... he carefully observed them seemingly doing nothing. But his mind was internaly preparing itself for their attacks and it wasn't long before a wolf lunged at him from the back. He swinged his hammer turning backwards knocking a hard blow into the wolf that still continued due to the momentum he had gained. With a strong hoof he pushed the wolf aside as the another two launched a simultaneous attack from the sides, he jumped making the wolves' attacks miss him by a bit and proceeded to slam his hammer down. The wolves back off a bit just enough to avoid a direct strike but still obeying the laws of physics were hit by a minor shockwave. He used that opportunity and finished one of them.

It was a bit bloody... now it was one injured wolf and another. Divide and conquer... he was the one to lunge this time at the smaller wolf finishing the job he had done earlier. The last one made a desperate attempt and snatched the hammer by the hilt. He wanted to take Terra's hammer. They engaged in a struggle where Terra finally overpowered the wolf and brutally finished to job. He didn't realise at that time that he was near the pony he had first encountered... Zephyr. When he backed down a bit to sit he bumped with his back on him...

"Oh... i'm sor... hey you are Zephyr right? The guy i met before that Game Master guy explained all the situation. Glad to be here again! You in this quest with the wolfs too? Wonna group up?"
 

Edited December 22, 2013 by nioniosbbbb

[Scratched Disk 48]

@
 

Victory!

EXP Received: 210

Col Received: 18

Items dropped: Wolf Fur (x4), Wolf Teeth (x2)

 

"Whew!" Zephyr exhaled as he wiped his brow with his hoof. "I know that a pack of three was quite easy after you figure them out, but a pack of five can be a real hoof full!" Zephyr took a moment to check out his leveling. After swiping the menu open, he navigated to the 'Level' Icon. A few of his skills were near completed.

 

Combat Level: Level 4

Single Hoofed Lance (Lv 2): 98%

Strength (Lev 2): 24%

Defense (Lev 2): 56%

Light Armor (Lv. 1): 87%

Battle Healing (Lv.1) 82%

 

"So the next battle should bring my combat level to 5, and the guide book says that a safe margin level for boss battles are the floor number + 10. So I'll need at lease 6 more levels." Zephyr looked at the quest section again,

 

Quest: Big Bad Wolf

Pack Wolf Slain 8/12

Alpha Wolf Slain 0/1

 

The reward for this quest was quite high. Enough to get him an iron lance and some more armor at lease. This was not counting for the price he would fetch for the drops. Zephyr was going through his inventory, moving items that he would sell to the bottom. He was just finishing up when...

 

*Bump*

 

"Oh... i'm sor... hey you are Zephyr right? The guy i met before that Game Master guy explained all the situation. Glad to be here again! You in this quest with the wolfs too? Wonna group up?"

 

Zephyr wasn't expecting to see anyone this far outside of town, but when he recognized the pony standing before him, he grinned. "Sure! I'd love some help!" Zephyr figured that if he was still fatigued after 5 wolves, he couldn't imagine what the quest boss battle was going to be like.

 

"Normally in most games, I like to play solo, but this isn't most games isn't it?" Zephyr pointed out. "Besides I've read about a new system they have developed for this game where players 'switch' out and draw aggro, and I've been meaning to try it!" He gestured towards a group of 3 wolves not far from their location. "Wanna give it a try?" He asked.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Zephyr Vortex

[Anneal 2,194]

((Logically, the EXP needed to level up will significantly rise with each level, which is why on the later floors, players are mostly the same level, but they use different equipment.))

 

Mining Caves, Floor 1, Day 2

 

Spin, slash, turn, and thrust.

 

With quick movements, Synapse did a flurry of attacks onto a large blood-spider, obliterating it with her axe throw. The spider collapsed, dispersing into small hexagonal shapes and being replace with another window that gave her EXP, Col, and most of all, her quest item.

 

It was their legs, apparently. At least she didn't need to gut them.

 

Shady patted Synapse on the shoulder. "Nice job, Sy!" he praised. Synapse felt a bit guilty; the spiders she was fighting was above her level and Shady was basically doing most of the work, leaving her to finish them off.

 

"Watch out!" Shady suddenly warned, and when she turned around, another spider, this one larger than the previous ones, jumped on her. Synapse held her stance and pointed her axe blade up in defense, but she fell along with the spider. Pinned to the ground, Synapse struggled push the spider's mouth away from her shoulder.

 

Shady came to her rescue, swiping his sword and charging toward the spider. Coordinated, Synapse switched back into the fight and drove her axe into the spider's filthy head, blinding its red eyes. Synapse swiftly took it out, and decapitated one of its legs. When the spider attempted to jump on her for a second time, Synapse had already anticipated such an attack, and side-stepped to dodge, and drove the axe again on the spider's back, finally killing it for good.

 

The EXP and Col window reappeared, and, almost as if were celebrating the moment, a "LEVEL UP!" window came in succession. Her health fully regenerated, and Synapse looked at the window again, which now said the words "Congratulations! You have reached Lvl. 4!"

 

Shady clapped his hooves, and Synapse, tired, sat down in a corner. She took out her crystal, then realizing that they weren't quite done with the quest's objective. "Hey, Shady," Synapse said, huffing.

 

"Yeah?" Shady tersely replied.

 

"Do you want to finish this up?"

 

--------------

 

Synapse plopped onto her bed, exhausted. She had came out better than before. Synapse had an level increase on both accuracy and one-hoofed axe, and started an apprenticeship on textiles, which meant that she could now craft light armor equipment and some other miscellaneous items, such as bandages or traps. She had also acquired a rather appealing one sided white shoulder guard with light blue flower like patterns on it. It gave her increased armor defense and a small damage increase for parry attacks.

 

Meanwhile, Shady did not level up, though he did gain some Col. Feeling a bit sorry for the poor colt, Synapse paid for him this night's stay, and upgraded her weapon to +2 in Sharpness using her own money.

 

"So, if we're fast enough to progress to Lvl. 15...how does a guild sound?" Shady asked, lying on his bed.

 

"Sounds good, but we'll have to see when we reach that level," Synapse answered. "I've never been into much of gaming, so joining one is a first."

 

"...Do you think we can win the game?" Shady asked again.

 

Synapse hesitated. "...We'll see it to the end."

 

------------

 

A few rooms from Synapse and Shady, a player, or rather, a pony, slowly walked down the worn wooden hallway, careful not to make a creak. The pony was wearing a hood in the dark, covering the pony's face. The hooded pony moved silently, and finally paused at Synapse's door. Slowly opening it, the pony saw two ponies sleeping, one young, and another a fully grown mare.

 

Knowing it was not his or her target, the pony slithered on, closing the door and opening the next. The pony continued doing this until he/she reached the second door from the hallway, and opened that door.

 

Inside this room was a sleeping stallion, his hooves still holding a pen, a piece of paper on his chest. The hooded unknown pony entered the room. Carefully, the pony moved the stallion's backpack, taking whatever was in it, and picked up the sleeping stallion's hoof.

 

The pony used the stallion's hoof to open up the menu. "Lighting", it read in big words on the top of his menu, was his name. The stallion's hoof moved toward the "Duel" button to him, and the pony customized the settings to "Total Loss". The pony smirked, and immediately accepted the "duel request".

 

"Farewell, Lightning..." And with a quick but accurate stab onto the neck, Lightning's health began to decrease, and he woke up, beginning to burst out in pain. But before he could do so, his mouth was covered up, taking away any chance of calling for help.

 

Lightning could only manage an "Urp..." before he glanced at his health, red and near empty. Knowing his time was nearly up, he made a short glance at the pony, seeing only a crazed smile. At that moment, Lightning's health went to zero, and he could no longer resist the pony's head lock. After a few seconds, he shattered into a million pieces, and disappeared into nothingness.

 

A "Winner" window popped up, marking Lightning's permanent death and the success of the pony's murder. But now, the noise had created a problem. "Who's there?"

 

The pony abandoned his/her chances of a stealthy kill, and ran out of the inn, into the darkness. The mare who had witness the pony did not manage to see the pony's face, but the opened door and the disappearance of the player inside it made it clear of what really happened.

 

"Player killer!"

 

Instantly, all of the sleeping players awoke in surprise. Synapse got up from her bed, and came out her inn. Shady was behind her, frozen as she was. A mare came rushing to the two. Shady, half-asleep, murmured, "What's going on?"

 

The mare was calmer now. "Everypony get up. We have a killer around here."