AiE: Hard Mode


                                            >You are Anon!

                                            >And you're freaking out!

                                            >Why?

                                            >Because you went to sleep in your lumpy bed, not in a dingy prison cell!

                                            >Wait.

                                            >You're a fucking idiot.

                                            >It's a dream!

                                            "Hahahaha!"

                                            >Okay.

                                            >Let's do this.

                                            >You stand up, and move toward the cell door.

                                            >Next, you punch it with all your might.

                                            "Get some!"

                                            >*Bang!*

                                            "Ahhhhh! Fuck!"

                                            >That hurt like a bitch!

                                            >"Is somepony there?"

                                            >You'll worry about your mangled hand later.

                                            >...Some...Pon-

                                            >"Are you, uh... What ARE you?"

                                            >You see a small, weird, white horse.

                                            >Why is it weird?

                                            >First off, it's talking!

                                            >Secondly, it has wings, and a light pink mane and tail.

                                            >Not to mention, it's armored.

                                            >"Hello?"

                                            >She's getting frustrated.

                                            "Let me out. For some reason, I can't leave, despite being lucid."

                                            >"What the hay are you talking about!?"

                                            >You hear a loud crash in the distance.

                                            >"Forget it, we're in danger." She moves her head to her side and mouths a key ring.

                                            "Sure, sure."

                                            >She finally unlocks the cell door.

                                            >As you step out, you notice she has a sword.

                                            "If we're in danger, I'm gonna need a weapon too."

                                            >"Can I trust you?"

                                            "Enough to let me out."

                                            >"As far as I know, nopony even put you in there."

                                            "Whatever. There an armory around here?"

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Follow me. I can't be wasting time like this."

                                            >She heads towards the stairs at a brisk pace.

                                            >When you reach the top, you see the source of the noise.

                                            "So. What's, uh... You come here often?" You see a large monster destroying the foundation of the building you're in; which you assume to be a castle.

                                            >You can't be expected to take any of this seriously.

                                            >"What are you... Just follow me, alright!" She was taken aback at your sorry attempt to flirt, then ran to a corridor on the right.

                                            >Fine.

                                            >You'll humor the weirdest dream you've ever had.

                                            >After some running, she opens the door to the armory, and you follow her in.

                                            >But, why are you so damn tired?

                                            >"Take only what you can use, if anything. Hey, you alright?" She looks at your panting form with mild concern.

                                            "I never knew dreams could be so exhausting." You say, after catching your breath.

                                            >"Do you want to die?" She says, deadly serious.

                                            >Whoa.

                                            "Uh, not really, no." Suddenly, you're feeling the intensity of the situation.

                                            >"Then bucking wake up! This is not a dream!" She tosses her sword in front of you, and grabs a bow instead.

                                            "..."

                                            >"This is a world where chaos reigns, and our beautiful land was overtaken by a cruel monster who we thought we could trust!" She sheds a few tears, quickly shaking them away.

                                            >"So stop acting like you don't care, like nothing matters because it's a dream." She's trying to control her emotions.

                                            >You pick up the sword.

                                            >It's not that heavy.

                                            "Alright. After we kill that fat monster out there, you have to tell me what's actually happening in this world, okay?" You would grab a shield, but it would only weigh you down.

                                            >One hit from that thing, and you're dead.

                                            >"Fine. If you live long enough." She makes her way to the door.

                                            >You're still not fully convinced that any of this is real, for obvious reasons, but you're not willing to risk your life on a whim, either.

                                            >So you'll do the safe thing and pretend it 'is' real.

                                            >You follow her out.

                                            >"Do you have any combat experience at all?" She looks hopeful.

                                            "No, you just cut the other guy 'til he dies, right?"

                                            >You're not 'that' clueless, you just can't help messing with people sometimes is all.

                                            >"For my sanity, I'll just assume you're joking."

                                            >Smart.

                                            "So, dumb question, but, can you fly with those?" You ask, feeling her left wing.

                                            >"YES! I-I mean, yeah! Don't do that again, okay! They're sensitive!" She's blushing hardcore.

                                            >So cute!

                                            >Also, that was probably weird!

                                            "Sorry, I won't."

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Where the hay did you even come from? I've never seen anything quite like you."

                                            >That's a question.

                                            "I'll tell you after. If you live that long." You give a small smile.

                                            >She returns it.

                                            >Oh, you're here.

                                            >It seems that it's finally calmed down.

                                            >Not for long.

                                            "You ready?" You both hesitate before approaching the monster.

                                            >"Isn't that my line?"

                                            "Probably."

                                            "I really don't have a strategy, though."

                                            >"Bucking Celestia, just wait for me to distract it, then start attacking from behind!" She suddenly flies off, leaving you speechless.

                                            >Oh my god, she just...

                                            >Focus.

                                            >"Now!" She's already laying into it's head with impressive accuracy.

                                            >How is she firing that bow?

                                            >Just run, damn it!

                                            "Coming!"

                                            >It suddenly looks your way, alerted by your voice.

                                            >Fucking God.

                                            >Fine!

                                            >You continue running towards it.

                                            >"Are you serious!?" She stops firing out of shock.

                                            >It prepares a jump strike.

                                            >Shit, what now?

                                            >You keep your run.

                                            >At this point, she's just watching, frozen.

                                            >As soon as it leaves the ground, you roll under it.

                                            >Its massive impact shakes you, but you're not dead!

                                            >You turn, and make a dead sprint for its back.

                                            >Immediately, you begin climbing up, trying to reach its head.

                                            >A bit awkward since you're holding a sword, but it's squishy enough to grab easily despite that.

                                            >It starts shaking around as you near its head.

                                            >Just too late.

                                            >You thrust the sword into its head with tremendous force.

                                            >It lets out a pained roar, before finally shaking you off.

                                            >You hit the ground.

                                            >Hard.

                                            >When she comes to her senses, she sees the sword sticking out of the monsters head.

                                            >She also sees your body, unmoving.

                                            >Deciding to make a break for the sword, she kicks it with all her might.

                                            >...

                                            >You are Anon.

                                            >You wish this wasn't the case.

                                            >Pain.

                                            >"Finally awake?"

                                            "Pain."

                                            >"What? Oh, yeah, that."

                                            >You take a few painful moments to take in where you are.

                                            >A pretty decent room.

                                            >You're definitely still in the castle.

                                            >"Here, drink this. When you can move" She places a weird looking bottle on the nightstand next to the bed you're resting on.

                                            "Whoa."

                                            >"What?" She's confused.

                                            >Those amber eyes.

                                            "You're very pretty." This is the first time you've seen her without her armor.

                                            >She freezes.

                                            >After a few moments, she speaks.

                                            >"U-umm..." Or tries.

                                            "I'm not sorry." This is great.

                                            >"Thanks." She turns to leave.

                                            "Wait, can I get your name?" Should've thought of that before all the teasing. "Mine's Anon."

                                            >She turns back, the red on her face complimenting her color nicely.

                                            >"Winter Lotus."

                                            >With that, she turns and leaves.

                                            >You can't hold in a small chuckle at her name.

                                            >She stops.

                                            >Oh no.

                                            >Without looking back, she speaks.

                                            >"Meet me outside when you're able. We can't just stay here forever."

                                            "Right."

                                            >After she leaves, you spend a few moments thinking.

                                            >It's safe to assume this isn't a dream.

                                            >You have no idea what the world outside this castle is like, but it's probably really dangerous.

                                            >You're going have to learn quick if you want to survive.

                                            >Hmm.

                                            >That bottle.

                                            >You agonizingly retrieve it without standing.

                                            >It really is weird.

                                            >And warm.

                                            >Fuck it.

                                            >You pop it open and take a giant swig of it.

                                            >...

                                            >It tastes like straight-up piss.

                                            >Did Winter...?

                                            >Oh?

                                            >You feel a lot better all of a sudden.

                                            >...Do ponies have magical healing piss!?

                                            >You're gonna need to ask her about that.

                                            >Since you can stand now, you might as well catch up with her.

                                            >You grab your sword, which was leaning against the bed, and exit the room.

                                            >After a few minutes, you find your way to the entrance.

                                            >Where's the monster?

                                            >You thought you killed it...

                                            >Maybe it survived and ran off?

                                            >Outside, past the portcullis, you spot Winter sitting at a fire.

                                            >She's staring longingly into it.

                                            >It's a sad image, honestly.

                                            >You should be careful not to joke around too much.

                                            >You approach her.

                                            >She doesn't notice you until you're sitting next to her.

                                            >"..." She looks at you for a moment before returning her gaze.

                                            "This fire feels really nice." It somehow soothes you deeply.

                                            >"You should refill your flask, assuming you did drink it."

                                            "About that. It tasted..."

                                            >Careful.

                                            "Actually, how am I gonna refill it? Don't you have to, like... Piss in it for me?" You ask, very carefully.

                                            >What have you done?

                                            >The look on her face.

                                            >Complete disbelief.

                                            >After a few moments of silently opening and closing her mouth, her face hardens, and she wordlessly grabs it from your hand and holds it near the fire.

                                            >She reaches it to you after holding it there, seemingly catching the fire inside.

                                            >It feels full.

                                            >She crosses her hooves, staring expectantly at you.

                                            "...It tasted like piss."

                                            >"Ugh. Look, we should probably leave before something else finds us."

                                            >Being fed up with you is probably better than whatever she was thinking about before.

                                            >That's a win in your book.

                                            >She's already walking away.

                                            >You follow, leaving the comfort of the fire.

                                            >After catching up, you speak.

                                            "I've noticed your lack of armor. And a weapon."

                                            >"Well, we're flying to our destination, so they're just extra weight."

                                            >By now, you both stand near an edge.

                                            "What do you mean?"

                                            >You have a suspicion, but you want to hear her say it.

                                            >"You're... Going to ride on my back."

                                            >There's that blush again.

                                            "Will that even work?"

                                            >"Of course it will. I've pulled chariots much heavier than you. Through the air."

                                            >Also, she carried you to that bedroom, so she probably knows what you weigh.

                                            >"You seem to be in shape, if that fight earlier is any indication."

                                            >Well, here goes.

                                            "Should I just..." You gesture to her back.

                                            >"Yeah, hurry up."

                                            >Aww, she's so embarrassed.

                                            >You won't be an asshole about it, though.

                                            >You carefully position yourself onto her, taking note not to crush her wings.

                                            >"Please don't make this weird."

                                            "When have I ever done that?"

                                            >She says nothing, no doubt wanting to throw you off.

                                            "Hey, where are we going anyways?" Probably important.

                                            >"One of the last places that haven't been ruined by the Demons."

                                            >Demons...

                                            >"Ponyville."

                                            "Ponyville?"

                                            >"What?"

                                            "Just checking."

                                            >"Yeah? How are you with heights?"

                                            "Wha-"

                                            >Ohhh, you lucky bitch.

                                            >...Ah ha!

                                            "Umm. I-I'm great! With heights, I mean! Not a problem, ehehe..."

                                            >"That's great!"

                                            >With that, she runs and leaps off the edge.

                                            >Uhhh?!

                                            "Fuuuuuck!"

                                            >You grip her as best you can.


                                            >...

                                            >You're jolted awake by some sort of impact.

                                            >You appear to be lying on your back.

                                            >It's not very comfortable.

                                            >You spot Winter sitting next to you.

                                            >She looks winded.

                                            >Your eyes meet.

                                            "...Can we never talk about this? That'd be nice."

                                            >Her eyes narrow.

                                            >"I'm soaked in your tears, my neck hurts from your death grip, and all you do is mess with me. I can talk about this anytime I want."

                                            >Tears, huh?

                                            >You fell as a kid.

                                            "Fine. Sorry, I guess."

                                            >Her expression softens.

                                            >She takes a few moments to contemplate.

                                            >"I'd be scared too, so I can't hold the first two against you."

                                            >Hmm.

                                            >Your back hurts.

                                            >You take in this mutual feeling of understanding, then rise to your feet.

                                            >You seem to be on the edge of... Ponyville, right?

                                            >It's in much better condition than the castle.

                                            >You see no damage.

                                            >Winter is still catching her breath.

                                            "Need a lift?"

                                            >At first, she has this "Are you joking" expression on her face.

                                            >A few moments pass in silence.

                                            >She barely contains her devious grin.

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Only cause it'll save time. A-and you owe me..."

                                            >Someone, er, somepony's excited.

                                            >After teaching her how to hold on properly, you give your first ponyback ride.

                                            >She's not that heavy.

                                            >On your way into Ponyville, you remind yourself how weird this has been.

                                            >She's awful squirmy.

                                            >You can't help but notice how much she's enjoying the view.

                                            >You're tempted to joke about the fact that she's a pegasus, but you'll just let her have this.

                                            >It's early in the morning, so you aren't surprised by the lack of movement in this town.

                                            >Wait, is that a big ass tree? With a door?

                                            >Well, you know your first stop.

                                            >You hear no objections from Winter, so you continue towards it.

                                            >Before you reach the door, it opens.

                                            >Out walks a purple pony.

                                            >Huh. Unicorn.

                                            >She makes quite an amusing face at the sight of you and Winter.

                                            >"W-Winter!?"

                                            >Winter dismounts, very red.

                                            >The unicorn looks like she'll act at any moment.

                                            "Umm, my name is Anon. What's yours?"

                                            >She continues staring at you.

                                            >Well, she's not making this easy.

                                            >"Twilight, it's fine. He's not hollow."

                                            >Seems Winter recovered just in time.

                                            >Also, hollow?

                                            >"Are you sure?"

                                            >"Yes. He even helped me kill a demon in Canterlot. He may be annoying, but he isn't a threat to us."

                                            >Twilight got a sad look at the mention of Canterlot.

                                            >She gets into a more friendly posture.

                                            >"...My name is Twilight Sparkle. Come in and we'll talk."

                                            >She turns and enters the tree again.

                                            >You whisper to Winter.

                                            "It's a tree! With a door!"

                                            >It must've been your excitement, and the look on your face.

                                            >After shaking her head while trying to hide a smile, she simply trots in.

                                            >You duck into the fun-sized door.

                                            >...It's a goddamn LIBRARY!?

                                            "O-oh, wow."

                                            >"Hmm?" Twilight looks back. "What is it?"

                                            "It's nothing."

                                            >She turns fully toward you.

                                            >"You can tell me."

                                            >You doubt this pony will judge you...

                                            "Well, I love reading. And if I'm going to learn about this place, what better way than to read its books?"

                                            >She got a twinkle in her eye just then.

                                            >An actual fucking twinkle.

                                            >Suddenly, books are flying off the walls.

                                            >"Ooooh!" She does a little trot in place. "You're in luck! This library has all you need to learn about Equestria's wonderful history and its inhabitants!"

                                            >You contain the need to run at the sight of unicorn magic.

                                            >Winter notices your discomfort.

                                            >"Actually, there's no time to read a lot of books. We were going to the smithy after this."

                                            >Hmm.

                                            >Makes sense.

                                            >"No no, there's only a few essentials!"

                                            >She settles on three dictionary-esque books.

                                            >"See?"

                                            >She wears a convincing smile.

                                            >Well, she tries to.

                                            >There's no way you can read all of that in a reasonable amount of time.

                                            "Uhh, why don't you just give me your best summary instead?"

                                            >What were you thinking?

                                            >Out comes the chalkboard.

                                            >Winter wears a concerned look.

                                            >Yeah, you thought Equestria was in dire straits.

                                            >Maybe this is where Twilight finds her joy?

                                            >You don't want to see that smile disappear.

                                            >Look at her go.

                                            >Right as she's about to start her spiel, Winter interrupts.

                                            >"Why don't I explain it to him on the way to Rarity's?"

                                            >Damn it, Winter.

                                            "Hey, you go on ahead." You start nudging Winter toward the door. "It won't be long."

                                            >"H-hey!" She tries to manoeuvre away.

                                            "At least this way you can warn, uh, Rarity about me. Last thing I need is to actually get attacked on sight."

                                            >With a sigh, she relents and exits on her own accord.

                                            >"Don't take too long, we have important things to do."

                                            >Like what?

                                            >Too many damn mysteries.

                                            >Hopefully Twilight will solve most of them for you.

                                            >After closing the door, you turn back to Twilight.

                                            >Seems she lost most of her optimism.

                                            >You can fix that.

                                            "Hey, weird question, but do you have anything I can eat? I haven't eaten since I got here."

                                            >Unless you count that funky flask of NOT horse piss.

                                            >"Yeah, I might have something- oh! Are you an herbivore or a carnivore?" She gets an apprehensive look on her face.

                                            >That's pretty important.

                                            >They ARE ponies, so they probably won't have a lot of meat lying around.

                                            "Omnivore." She relaxes a bit. "So, a salad or something similar is fine."

                                            >"Got it."

                                            >Aaand she dissapeared.

                                            >This is probably fine.

                                            >Might as well check out one of those books.

                                            >Approaching the table, you decide against sitting down.

                                            >It's like you're in kindergarten again.

                                            >Alright, let's see.

                                            >'A Hearths Warming Tale', 'E, U, P (A), for Dummies', and 'Hypnosis Induction, a How-To'.

                                            >Ignoring the last one, you go to pick up the second one.

                                            >Oh, she's back.

                                            >And bearing gifts!

                                            >Well, one.

                                            >A plate of Waff- salad.

                                            >"I hope you enjoy!"

                                            >A chill ran down your spine for some reason.

                                            >She notices your contemplative expression.

                                            >Right, fuck everything, you're starved!

                                            "Trust me, I will." You carefully retrieve the plate from its place in midair. "Thank you!"

                                            >"Oh, its nothing."

                                            >She takes a seat.

                                            >She then notices one of the books she picked out.

                                            >Blushing, she goes to place it back.

                                            >You stop your fork just before your mouth so you can speak.

                                            "I-if it's not too troubling, could you explain that one to me? You did pick it out, right?"

                                            >You can't help your curiosity.

                                            >She sighs.

                                            >"Well, I'm not proud of it, but I tried using it to make teaching unicorns effective combat magic easier. By opening their mind to suggestion, I can really streamline the learning process. Basically, without induction, they might try putting their own spin on something. This way, I can guarantee that they'll learn even faster, and stop them from growing bad habits. And because I already have near perfect control over my magic, I can simply take them through the motions of mentally preparing a spell the same way I would. Of course, I only do this with their consent."

                                            >Cool.

                                            >You speak in between bites of your salad.

                                            "I thought it was for something a bit kinkier, but that also works."

                                            >With an unhealthy amount of red on her face, she speaks.

                                            >"Of course not! This is a sacred place! I-"

                                            >She realizes she's been fooled, and calms down.

                                            >After some interesting breathing excersize, and a thoughtful look, she's ready.

                                            >"Sadly, not many of them gave it a chance, and..."

                                            >Tears make their way down her face.

                                            "Hey, you don't have to talk about it."

                                            >She attempts to compose herself.

                                            >"R-Rarity accepted without hesitation. She knew a bit already, so it was pretty easy to work from there."

                                            >Her expression darkens.

                                            >"Lyra, she... She agreed to it, and it worked wonderfully! But... When the demons arrived in Ponyville, she couldn't act. She was too scared."

                                            >You think you've heard enough.

                                            >She's starts sobbing.

                                            >"It's not fair! Damn you Celestia! Why can't you defend yourself!? We needed you! We need you..."

                                            >It might not be your place, but...

                                            >You embrace her.

                                            >She grips you tight, wailing as if she lost everyone for the first time again.

                                            >To think you wrote all this off as a silly dream.

                                            >You won't make that mistake again.

                                            >Never again.

                                            >You don't know how much time passed, nor do you care to know, but she's calm now.

                                            >"Th-thank you. I'm sorry about that."

                                            >You both end the embrace.

                                            >"You should probably catch up with Winter."

                                            >She manages a small smile.

                                            "Yeah." You stand up. "Why don't we go over the other two books sometime? Maybe before I leave Ponyville?"

                                            >"Yes!" She clears her throat. "I'd like that."

                                            >With a small smile of your own, you make your way to the exit.

                                            >Seems the sun is done hiding for today.

                                            >You open the door and duck through it.

                                            >Wow.

                                            >This place looks a lot better during the day.

                                            >Off to Rarity's.

                                            >Uhhh...

                                            >Where is that again?

                                            >Fucks sake.

                                            >You have no clue!

                                            >After some careful thinking, you decide to head in a random direction.

                                            >Luckily, somepony blocks your path.

                                            >She's sporting some lightweight armor.

                                            >Woah!

                                            >Looks like this pegasus got real intimate with a rainbow.

                                            >With envy in your heart, you greet them.

                                            >"What do you think you're doing, hollow scum!"

                                            >Or not.

                                            "H-hey! I'm not that thing you said!"

                                            >The nerve!

                                            >It's like they've never seen a human before!

                                            >Hmm.

                                            >You should probably be careful with this one.

                                            >She looks like she could easily mess you up.

                                            >Maybe it's the fact that she appears to be shadow boxing right in front of you.

                                            >Now that you look more closely, she has no idea what she's doing.

                                            "Hey? Equestria to uninspired art project, do you copy?"

                                            >"Huh?" She stops in a standing position. "D'you say something?"

                                            "I'm not your enemy."

                                            >She lowers herself to all four hooves.

                                            >You have no idea how she was standing like that.

                                            >Add that to the list of things you're frustratingly confused about.

                                            >"Says you!"

                                            >Oh my sweet merciful God.

                                            >You walk away.

                                            >Now, if you were Rarity, where would you live?

                                            >No, that won't help.

                                            >"Don't walk away from me!"

                                            "Then follow me. Maybe you can point me to Rarity?"

                                            >You don't even look back.

                                            >You know enough about this pony.

                                            >She flies to catch up.

                                            >"Ugh, fine!" From her position flying next to you, she points straight. "Just keep going this way. It's a big building that look like a carousel, you can't miss it."

                                            >Strange, but okay.

                                            "Got it."

                                            >"And no funny business!"

                                            "I would never."

                                            >There's a minute of silence.

                                            >Guess she's just gonna follow you there.

                                            >She's not bad company.

                                            "My name's Anon. Feel like sharing yours?"

                                            >She looks you up and down, making her final judgment.

                                            >"...Rainbow Dash."

                                            >Good thing this wasn't the first name you heard.

                                            "That wasn't so hard, eh?"

                                            >She scowls.

                                            >"Where did you even come from?"

                                            "Well, I woke up in the Canterlot dungeon."

                                            >No need to add the fact that you're probably from a different universe.

                                            >After some deep thought, she gives up.

                                            >"You sure you aren't from the Badlands?"

                                            "I've never even heard of that."

                                            >The conversation falls off.

                                            >You spot the building just up ahead.

                                            "So, that's where the blacksmith is?"

                                            >"Yeah, Pinkie Pie."

                                            >Who's this now?

                                            >You thought Rarity was the blacksmith.

                                            >Forget it.

                                            >Let's just get there.

                                            >You finally reach the door, and give it a knock.

                                            "Anypony home?"

                                            >"One second, darling."

                                            >You have a guess as to who that is.

                                            >"No, I'll get it!"

                                            >A much higher pitched voice cuts in.

                                            >You really hope Winter warned them.

                                            >"I insist, dear."

                                            >Oh boy.

                                            >"Let's both go! It'll be fun!"

                                            >"Pinkie, dear, it's just the front door. I can-" You hear a sigh. "Alright. Together, then. Do you remember the line?"

                                            >"Yupperooni!"

                                            >The doorknob glows blue, then it opens.

                                            >You see a very pink pony swing it open, also revealing a white unicorn with an absurd mane and tail.

                                            >You think you have this figured ou-

                                            >"Welcome to Rarity's-"

                                            >"-And Pinkie's!"

                                            >And then together.

                                            >"Fantabulous Everything Under The Hammer Emporium!"

                                            >In their excitement, they failed to notice you.

                                            >Rainbow clears her throat.

                                            >They open their eyes.

                                            >Rarity is pretty shocked.

                                            >Pinkie, however.

                                            >You've never seen a more happy pony.

                                            >"Well, I was gonna watch you to make sure you did nothing evil, but I doubt I need to here. If I find out you did something, you're gonna wish you woke up in Tartarus."

                                            >Goddamn.

                                            >That can't be a fun place.

                                            >It's a good thing sarcasm isn't evil.

                                            >"H-how can I- would y-you like to..."

                                            >Winter...

                                            >What did you do?

                                            "Is Winter here? We were going to show up together, but I got hung up at the library."

                                            >Looks like you interrupted her struggle.

                                            >"Yes."

                                            >You sigh internally.

                                            "...Can I come in?"

                                            >"Yes."

                                            >Guess she found a solution.

                                            >This won't be awkward at all.

                                            >She moves to let you enter.

                                            >Yep, this is where the sausage is made.

                                            >Or weapons and armor in this case.

                                            >Seems to be sorted by separating the more fashion-like gear from the practical ones.

                                            >Wearing armor for fashion?

                                            >Why not.

                                            >You spot Winter at a table.

                                            >Eating hay.

                                            >You walk over.

                                            >Rarity is content with letting you make distance between the two of you.

                                            "Hay."

                                            >She looks up.

                                            "Hey."

                                            "So." Whoosh. "What in all did you tell Rarity?"

                                            >You tried to be pleasant.

                                            >She looks confused.

                                            >"What? I told her that you weren't a monster, that you're on our side."

                                            >That's actually surprising.

                                            "Then why is she so afraid of me?"

                                            >"Well, no offense, but you look like a hollow."

                                            >Are you shitting me?

                                            "And you didn't think to mention that? What even is that?"

                                            >"Oh. Sorry, I wasn't thinking." She eats another mouthful of hay. "I was very hungry from the tiring flight here. Anyway, it's a bipedal-"

                                            >You suddenly start looking around the workshop.

                                            >You're forgetting something.

                                            >Something...Pink.

                                            >"-that attacked her and her sister-"

                                            >Oh my god.

                                            "Okay, I get it, I get it!"

                                            >Alright, no mystery there.

                                            >Where's her sister, then?

                                            >You're afraid to ask.

                                            >If you find a moment, then you will.

                                            >For now...

                                            >"Hey."

                                            >You turn to face the source of the voice.

                                            >"Sorry about that. Sometimes I get a little excited, Hehe..."

                                            >Right! Pinkie!

                                            >How could you forget such a cute pony?

                                            "Don't worry about it. You should've seen me at the library."

                                            >Even if you hid most of your excitement.

                                            >"Hmm."

                                            >So this is the blacksmith, huh?

                                            >That fact makes her even cuter to you.

                                            >"Do you need anything in particular?"

                                            >Straight to business.

                                            >You hope you get to know her outside of this.

                                            >Maybe you can stay in Ponyville for just a little while.

                                            "Well, I'm not an expert, so I trust you and Winter's judgement."

                                            >You hear a "hmph!" from the other side of the workshop.

                                            >"Don't forget about moi!"

                                            >What.

                                            >You turn to see her approaching you.

                                            "I thought Pinkie made this stuff." You gesture to the various weapons and pony-sized armor laid neatly throughout the shop. "What do you do?"

                                            >"You're right, I don't know the first thing about the crashing and bashing that goes into making these barbaric tools. What I DO know, is how to make them even the slightest bit fashionable, or even more practical on occasion. Does that suffice?"

                                            >Wow.

                                            >What happened to her in the last three minutes?

                                            >No complaints here.

                                            "Yes."

                                            >Winter gets your attention.

                                            >"It might take a while to make something suited to you, so in the meantime, why not-"

                                            >"Here you go!"

                                            >Directly in front of you, Pinkie holds a set of stylish lightweight leather armor, as well as a better sword than the one you used in Canterlot.

                                            >"It's not leather, silly! It's imitation leather!"

                                            >You hear audible disgust from Winter and Rarity at the mention of leather.

                                            >Imitation leather?

                                            >Funny, you don't remember mentioning leather in the first place.

                                            >You're getting a weird feeling from Pinkie.

                                            >It's unexplainable.

                                            >"Aren't you gonna take it?"

                                            >She wears a reserved smile.

                                            >You take the armor and turn it over in your hands.

                                            >Strangely, it looks like it'll fit you.

                                            >You put it on over your clothes.

                                            >Despite being a perfect fit, it feels odd.

                                            >Naturally, since you've never worn anything like it.

                                            >You'll get used to it.

                                            >"Don't over think it."

                                            >She gestures with her head to the sword.

                                            >You take it, noticing a bit more heft than the last one.

                                            >"Trust me..." She murmurs in a quiet voice.

                                            "Hmm?"

                                            >She gets a worried look on her face.

                                            >"Uhh, trust me when I say that this'll do those evil demons in!"

                                            "I'd say."

                                            >It's pretty solid over all.

                                            >You doubt it'll be breaking any time soon.

                                            >"And when you get tired of carrying it, just use the sheath attached to your armor! Isn't that just the handy-dandiest?"

                                            >Looking down at your left side you note aforementioned sheath.

                                            "You really thought of everything, huh?" You say, putting away the sword.

                                            >"Y-yeah! Hehe~"

                                            >She clears her throat.

                                            >There's no way she was expecting you.

                                            >The only other humanlike thing you've heard of so far are these hollow things.

                                            >Surely she isn't making gear for those.

                                            >So what the hell is going on?

                                            >You hear movement from the stairs.

                                            >Turning, you spot a much smaller pony descending them.

                                            >Rarity's gone still.

                                            >When they spot you, they freeze as well.

                                            >What follows is the loudest scream you'll probably ever hear.

                                            >If you ever hear anything again.

                                            "Aghh!"

                                            >That hurt like a bitch!

                                            >You apparently fell on your ass.

                                            >Well met, young pony.

                                            >As you begin standing, you hear laughing from the direction of Winter and Pinkie.

                                            >Rarity and 20k kHz are nowhere to be seen.

                                            >Winter speaks, snickering.

                                            >"Don't tell me she scared you."

                                            >Okay, you won't.

                                            "Where were we?"

                                            >She looks disappointed.

                                            >"We're pretty much done here."

                                            >Guess so.

                                            >Wait.

                                            "You still need equipment, don't you?"

                                            >She starts blushing.

                                            >Perfect!

                                            "Did somepony forget while she was eating?"

                                            >She's angry.

                                            >Yesyesyes!

                                            >"No. Just go explore Ponyville while I take care of that. Got it?"

                                            >Awww.

                                            "Fine."

                                            >But first.

                                            "Thanks a lot for this, Pinkie. I'll be sure to stop by again."

                                            >Before you realize it, she's hugging you.

                                            >"No problemo! And please do!"

                                            >You return the hug.

                                            >The warmth you feel reminds you of that fire in Canterlot.

                                            >It's nice.

                                            >She whispers.

                                            >"I have a good feeling about you. Please help us."

                                            >...

                                            >"I don't know how much longer I can hold on..."

                                            >This pony is hurting.

                                            "I'll do my best." You hold her tighter. "I promise."

                                            >A few moments pass before she pulls away.

                                            >After sharing a look with Winter, you exit the shop.

                                            >You hope that little pony didn't hurt their voice as much as they hurt your ears.

                                            >Maybe you'll meet them later.

                                            >But if they're just gonna scream again...

                                            >"H-hey!"

                                            >You turn back to the shop's entrance, and spot the little one approaching you.

                                            >What a cutie.

                                            >They finally reach you.

                                            >"Umm. Listen, my friend Applebloom has been really sad since her sister left and never came back. Could you please try to find her? Please?"

                                            >Oh jeez.

                                            "Hold on. First off, do you know where she went?"

                                            >She takes a second to think.

                                            >"I think she went to the border between here and the Badlands to keep the monsters out."

                                            >This place again.

                                            "And where is Applebloom?"

                                            >Might be able to learn more from her, even if she's another kid.

                                            >Or her parents.

                                            >"Should be in the Crusader's clubhouse near Sweet Apple Acres."

                                            >This is a lot.

                                            "And where is that?"

                                            >She gets an incredulous look on her face.

                                            >"How did you not see it on your way here? It's HUGE!"

                                            >That voice crack made you almost cover ears on instinct.

                                            "I- well, I was asleep."

                                            >"Huh?"

                                            >Nope.

                                            >You'll never tell.

                                            "Alright. I'll go see this Applebloom and find out more there."

                                            >You ignore her protests and walk away swiftly.

                                            >Unfortunately, you never got the directions.

                                            >Shit.

                                            >Anyway, might as well get a few things straight.

                                            >Ponies are, or were, defending Equestria from the demons at the border.

                                            >You can only hope that the one you fought in Canterlot is one of a kind.

                                            >Another thing.

                                            >There was a princess at some point.

                                            >The way Twilight worded it makes it sound like she may not be around anymore.

                                            >Regardless, it was probably her idea to send ponies out to the border.

                                            >That doesn't explain why this place is so empty.

                                            >She no doubt had a large collection of guards and other infantry.

                                            >Unless there were volunteers.

                                            >Fuck...

                                            >How long ago did that happen?

                                            >It's all speculation for now.

                                            >It's hard to stay positive with all these awful things you've been hearing.

                                            >For now, you'll focus on finding Sweet Apple Acres.

                                            >Who knows? You might run into someone new.

                                            >Who are you kidding?

                                            >You’re definitely going back for directions.

                                            >”Wait!”

                                            >What’s this?

                                            >As you turn, you realize that the directions came to you.

                                            >In the form of a small white unicorn, short of breath.

                                            >She takes a moment to gather herself.

                                            >”Why did you run away?”

                                            >She wears a little pouty face.

                                            “I wasn’t running, I was... sprinting.”

                                            >”Wha? There’s a difference?”

                                            “Oh, you bet.”

                                            >She’s lost in thought for a second.

                                            ”Hey, before I forget, mind pointing the way to Sweet Apple Acres?”

                                            >She shakes her head, halting her train of thought, and answers.

                                            >”Sure. Follow me.”

                                            >Guess she’s coming with.

                                            >Probably for the best.

                                            >You don’t want to show up on someone’s doorstep alone, for obvious reasons.


                                            ...

                                            >On the way, you decide to ask some questions.


                                            >She seemed to struggle to say anything more, as if she didn’t want to admit something.

                                            >Maybe more lighthearted with this one.

                                            >She’s had it rough, from what you’ve heard.

                                            >But, how do you have a normal conversation in this place?

                                            >The mention of almost anything is enough to remind one of the circumstances.

                                            >Maybe she’s better at it than you are.

                                            >So...

                                            >You’ll let her start.

                                            >...

                                            >A minute passes.

                                            >You sneak a look in her direction.

                                            >You wish you hadn’t.

                                            >She has a faraway look, nearly no life in her eyes.

                                            >She’s too young for this world.

                                            “Hey.”

                                            >Her eyes light up, as if a switch was flipped.

                                            >She looks over.

                                            “You use magic too, right?” You ask, nodding towards her horn. “Like Twilight and Rarity?”

                                            >At the mention of Twilight, her expression falls a bit.

                                            >”Y-yeah. Not nearly as good, though.”

                                            >As expected, you suppose.

                                            >But not what you were getting at, mind you.

                                            “Still, it must be pretty cool, right?”

                                            >”Umm, sometimes, I guess.”

                                            >Wow, you are terrible at this.

                                            >Could be worse, though.