Gunsmoke

by Wanderer D

Chapter 29: Shadows

Nightmare Moon ran through the labyrinthine tunnels, ignoring any enemies unless they were fast enough to pursue her, and even then, a vicious slash of her sword would be enough to send them reeling, unable to catch up with her after that.

For what lay at the end of this quest level, it was an unusually common-looking and low-challenge dungeon crawl. By her calculations so far, a well organized and well stocked squad of at least level 30 characters would have been able to clear the first three floors and by the time they got down to where she was, they'd have leveled up a bit and have little trouble with the creatures around here.

The difficult part had been finding the entrance to this place, it being in the middle of a very high-level zone, far from Glocken and not marked on any map. The zone itself had a very unrealistic feel to it. It definitely was not lore-friendly to GGO, with floating islands interconnected by bridges, medieval-looking ruins instead of alien-like, and not many traces of technology outside of monster creatures such as mechanical insects and birds, or cyborg lizard-men and even the odd turret and robot.

Further down, Princess Luna's voice echoed in her mind, slurring and distorting slightly as if the voice itself was pushing through some sort of barrier.

Nightmare Moon nodded, zig-zagging past a pair of guards protecting what looked to be another cave... and emerging into a different zone.

Unlike the previous "natural" tunnel, this one was clearly intended to look man-made. It was little more than a long corridor, with no creatures in sight. The floor was made of dark stone, with columns rising along the wall to support a curved ceiling with chained chandeliers hanging from it, barely illuminating the whole thing.

It also felt different. There was something about it... it just felt cold and oppressive. She felt like she was being watched by hundreds of eyes, but there was no sign of enemies or other players. A soft mist swirled around the floor, reaching just above her ankles and seemed to try to cling to her with every step.

Nightmare Moon turned left, then right. Either direction looked exactly the same to her, with the corridor extending well beyond sight and into darkness. "What now?"

Left.

Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, gripping the handle of her plasma sword tightly, and set off.

Earlier...

"Was it just a dream?" Luna asked.

Princess Luna shook her head, blinking in confusion at the shape in front of them before narrowing her eyes and concentrating. Her eyes flashed with light and the world around them seemed to shake.

"I-I sense something," Princess Luna said slowly. "'Tis vague. An echo of an echo... a touch of familiar magic. True, but somehow noisy, as if there had been a crackling interference even within your dreamscape."

"But you and Celestia and... even Twilight Sparkle said that there was no more magic within Sunset's body."

"Aye," Princess Luna replied grimly. "That is true. But this magic did not come from her body. If it had when you were right next to it, there would be no interference. Nay, this came from far off. It has a smell and... a strange taste to it. Much like when Sunset and you visited me together. It smells like something burnt. Like smoke and oil."

Princess Luna shook her head and her horn glowed, enveloping them both with magic. Suddenly, Luna herself was able to smell and taste the magic that her inter-dimensional counterpart was tasting.

Luna blinked. "It's coming from Gun Gale Online! This is what the gunpowder and oil smells like."

Princess Luna frowned, gazing from her to the apparition and then back. "Most interesting. Gun Gale Online must truly have a deep connection to you both for this to happen."

Luna felt her heart flutter. "So you're saying that she's..."

Princess Luna took a deep breath and slowly everything blurred around them until Luna snapped her eyes open. They were back in Princess Luna's room, and her counterpart was looking at her with a very serious expression.

"Even if her body remains alive in a manner of speaking, we had thought Sunset Shimmer to be fully gone. While her mind might've been unresponsive, a shred or even a spark of magic would have given us hope and means to restore her. However the magic is completely gone from her body... and yet, the magic remains and reached out to you."

The princess jumped down from the bed and started pacing in the room. "What this means, I don't know. An echo of her magic might remain inside of you... but why would it be accompanied with the feelings of being in GGO?" She shook her head. "No... it means that Sunset's magic remains somehow, inside that world and in some manner it reached out to you, or you—having been exposed to it intimately—reached out to it."

"But that means she's alive, right?"

Princess Luna shook her head. "Under normal circumstances... and were the magic coming from within her body, yes. That would be correct. However, this magic does not generate within Sunset's body; it reaches to you from within a game world. It could be a trapped portion of her magic, remnants of her final battle, or even the diary which is believed to have ended somehow inside GGO and your subconscious mind connected it to an image of Sunset Shimmer."

"But it's still a chance," Luna insisted, carefully making her way down from the bed and wobbling on her hooves before walking to stand before Princess Luna. "And a chance, even a tiny one, is better than nothing."

"Well said." Princess Luna smirked before she turned and headed out of the room. "Come, we must send you back to your world... use the clasp I gave you. Hold it when you go into the Gun Gale world. I'll send my presence with you and aid you in tracking the source of magic. Be it her diary or any other source of magic, we shall find it together." She stopped to put a hoof on Luna's shoulder. "Keep hope, sister. Now that we have a lead, we shall fight until the end."

The bar was packed.

Whenever a big event happened in GGO, people would log in to watch with their friends and squad-mates. Being there was almost like being in a concert; the energy, the excitement and bets... for most users, it beat watching it from the comfort of the real world.

Only a few minutes remained before the beginning of the last match to decide the team that would represent the American server of GGO vs the Asian Server and crowds had already gathered all over Glocken to watch the event.

Information brokers navigated through the tightly-packed throngs of people, sharing their knowledge about the participants for a price and encouraging people to place bets on one team or another.

Here and there previous participants sat sullenly at their tables, trying not to look too depressed that their team wasn't one of the two being highlighted at that exact moment on the large screens hanging from the ceiling at the center of the bar.

In a private booth, with thick walls separating them from the crowd, but not enough to dull the sound, Surgeon grimaced, going over his notes once more.

"It just doesn't feel right, you know?" Thunderbird said, head propped on his hand. "Without Mirage we're not a full team. And I just... never expected a friend to die for real here."

The Lion grimaced. "We owe it to her to win. If we respect her memory at all, we can't give up." He snorted. "After a real life and death battle, this match almost feels like kids' play."

"I wonder if that's how the SAO survivors feel about games?" Heavy Collar asked while he balanced an empty beer bottle on the tip of his finger.

"Que importa?" Coyote shrugged. "We're here now, and we can still win." He turned over to Surgeon. "Nightmare Moon is online, even if she's not here. When the tournament starts, she'll join us."

Surgeon nodded. "The system will pluck her from wherever she is to bring her in. Right now, however... we need to discuss XCOM."

"What's there to discuss?" Thunderbird asked. "I know we're short one person, but—"

Surgeon shook his head. "We won't lose, but we need to know what to do now."

Coyote raised and eyebrow, while the others leaned in closer.

"What do you mean?" Collar asked.

"XCOM has probably watched our videos to figure out a strategy against us, so they already know our biggest weakness."

The others blinked, then looked at each other.

Surgeon smirked. "We plan when we get there. In all our battles we've taken time to plan our moves because our enemies remain passive. We take our time figuring out a strategy while they get defensive positions and get comfortable, then we strike fast and hard. We don't give our enemies time to regroup. However, that means that if we don't have time to analyze our surroundings, we'll be sitting ducks. Or at least that's what they'd assume.

"While their tactics are not as decisive as ours, XCOM's teamwork is on par with our own, and I daresay better at small, clustered fights. They'll stick to a formation and move forward immediately. They won't stay still for us to destroy at our convenience."

"That doesn't sound too good for us," Thunderbird said nervously.

"It isn't," Surgeon replied with a shrug. "XCOM will try to lure us and ambush us. But unlike other teams, they won't stay static. As soon as they get to the map, they'll move to covered positions, and as soon as they see one of us, they'll move to prepare their ambush before luring us in.

"We can't afford to fight them head on either," he added, summoning a screen on their table. "They have a balanced team on all fronts and two very experienced veterans. Even if Mirage was here, they'd know her well enough to be able to counter her.

"They know we're on another level than the other teams, so they'll be more cautious, but they'll follow the same pattern of behaviour to move into position," Surgeon said. "Striker and Surial will move first with Wallflower and Butcher to secure their immediate area while Sukiru will go for the closest high position to get the most area for her to shoot. She'll scope the area ahead of the squad's movements. In the meantime Rock and Ripp3r will be flanking behind, providing back up for Sukiru and moving with her from location to location."

Surgeon sighed. "We can't stop to plan. They know how dangerous that is when it comes to our team. They'll move fast to ensnare us. You guys remember what happened to Team Daybreak. They thought they had time because everyone else likes to play the waiting game."

The Lion leaned back. "And you're sure they'll follow this tactic?"

Surgeon nodded. "It hasn't failed them yet, and their team is experienced enough to take opportunity when they see it. They won't give us a chance to plan once we're in there and we can't follow their same tactics and hope to win."

Thunderbird grimaced. "So we're going to get owned."

"No," Surgeon said with a snort. "We've taken down two boss level monsters that would have destroyed entire squads. We're not newbies or just lucky. I have a strategy. It'll be tough, but they won't expect it."

"Well, you're the boss for a reason, I guess," Coyote said taking a swig of his bottle. "Como dicen las monjas: que sera sera."

"Doesn't Nightmare Moon need to know? She should be here now," Thunderbird asked.

Surgeon frowned. "She's on a mission. Don't worry, the strategy is simple enough to tell her as soon as we see her." He paused. "Her role is very straightforward, but we need to be prepared. There's a few things I want done the exact moment we get there and have a chance to do so. And for that, we need to be ready right now."

Heavy Collar grunted. "Well, what's the plan?"

Surgeon grinned.

Despite the length and eeriness of the corridor, there were no monsters to be seen. After a few minutes walking from lighted area to lighted area, she eventually saw something in the distance. A white light that came from straight ahead, rather than above.

Encouraged, Nightmare Moon started trotting towards it.

I feel Sunset's magic emanating from that room, Princess Luna's voice said softly. But there's something else... I feel we are not alone, despite appearances.

Nightmare Moon nodded, slowing down and sticking to the wall. She pulled out her rifle and looked through the scope.

"I see a room... it's different from anything else I've seen in GGO... the walls are paneled white, and there seems to be a large metal table in the middle. I don't see anyone or anything there." She turned around and glanced behind her.

Things seemed normal. Or as normal as the corridor could ever be. Still, she shared the feeling that something was not right with the princess, and not only that, but that something was aware that she was there.

Hurry. Princess Luna urged. It's either our imagination or an actual threat, and the more we stall the more imminent it becomes.

Not seeing a problem with that logic, Nightmare Moon nodded and moved forward, until she was at the threshold of the room.

She gasped. "How did that get here?"

In the middle of the room, as she had seen from her scope, was a table, but now that she was in front of it, she could clearly see what was on top.

Next to a pile of data-pads, resting as if it belonged right in the middle of a dungeon in a video game, was Sunset's diary... and floating next to it...

Remarkable, Princess Luna's voice reflected her surprise. This is most unusual, I had truly not believed your vision to be more than your subconscious translating the magical signal.

"I-is that really..."

Indeed! That is the egg-like entity from your dream, Princess Luna whispered, barely containing a happy edge to her voice. And not only that, dear sister! That is Sunset Shimmer's magic and soul!

Eyes wide, Nightmare Moon slowly entered the room. It felt almost sacrilegious to do so.

Her steps echoed in sudden, absolute silence until she reached the table.

Carefully, almost reverently, she extended her hand and caressed the side of the egg with the tip of her index finger, fearful that it might break or disperse into nothing, so fragile it seemed.

But the fingertip encountered resistance, and soon she picked it up carefully. "This is... can we bring her back?"

It appears so, sister, Luna's voice echoed. Although I must discuss the method with Twilight. I imagine it is not as simple as doing the logging out. Furthermore, we must be very careful not to damage the egg under any circumstance, or at best Sunset might lose part of her memories, or her magic... we know not wh—

"Luna?" Nightmare Moon asked, blinking. "Princess? What—"

Luna! Sister, you must escape! Princess Luna's voice was urgent, even afraid. 'Tis here! Brace yourself!

Sending the egg into her inventory, Nightmare Moon turned around, pulling Twilight out and her sword, facing the door.

In the distance, she could see a shadow advancing towards them, and just as it reached the edge of one of the fields of light, said light would vanish. Slowly, as it approached, the whole corridor was becoming darker.

Quick! You must use the item of transportation!

Luna shook her head.

Luna! Sister!

"I can't!" Luna hissed. "This field is protected from that!"

In the distance the shadow started moving faster towards them, and Nightmare Moon took the shot. She fired once, twice... three times into the upcoming darkness. She could hear a roar of anger and as the mass of shadow and mist drew nearer. From within the miasma, she managed to make out two glowing green orbs, glaring at her. The shape of a mouth opened, only visible due to some sort of unholy red aura inside.

She ignited her plasma blade and prepared to fight.

The shadow reached the door, misty claws grasping both sides of the door as if to pull itself in, fangs opening impossibly wide, eyes gleaming red and green...

Nightmare Moon slashed down, sword tracing light behind her swing.

"It's our turn!" Pinkie screeched, popping out of a barrel next to Rarity in a shower of confetti and sparkles.

She ignored the gasping, chest-clutching girl, to do a cartwheel followed by a jump. "Yay!"

"Alright, girls," Applejack stated, standing up and picking up her guitar. "We have an audience waiting and three songs to sing."

She looked at each of the others. "Ah know that there's a lot in our minds, but we're goin' to do our best because we know we can, and we owe it to ourselves and those that ain't 'round anymore. Are we gonna do this?"

She got smiles from the others and a nod from Rainbow Dash. Taking a deep breath, her rainbow-haired friend gave her a resolute if small smile. "Let's get 'em, girls."

The group stepped out onto the stage, where the cameras focused on them and replicated them on a large screen behind them. As they took their places, Rainbow Dash stepped forward and, grabbing the microphone, looked straight at the audience.

"As some of you know, one of our dearest friends is not with us anymore. Tonight we sing not only to win, but to make her proud! Hit it, girls!"

WELCOME TO THE FINAL ROUND

The battleground was a land of stone and water. They could hear waves around them and two cliffs on either side of the small beach framed a narrow path into a deep, foreboding jungle. Up in the distance, structures rose; old buildings wrapped in vines and half-destroyed by nature.

Nightmare Moon gasped, falling to her knees as her teammates appeared one by one around her.

"Well, you really look like you have seen better days," Thunderbird stated, looking down at her, only to be elbowed by the Lion.

"Estas bien, Nightmare Moon?" Coyote asked, helping her up.

Nightmare Moon shook her head, still shivering. "I almost died."

"We all die in thi—ow!" Thunderbird turned to growl at the Lion, who just glared back at him.

"Were you successful?" Surgeon asked.

Nightmare Moon took a deep breath, then nodded hesitantly. "Partly, I just—"

She stopped when the sky above them swirled and dark mist slammed into the jungle ahead.

"I just don't think it's XCOM and us alone anymore..." she whispered.