Anon Quest: 5.2 The Inbetween

Mission #5.2 The Inbetween

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTtc7R99ur8

>After Junebug returned; safe from the terror of the Colonist Moles, she began to calm herself, aware that her heart (and those burning inner thighs) probably can’t handle such extensive running. She’s SUPPOSED to be a leisurely Neighagra Falls tour horse after all, so long distance sprinting isn’t exactly her forte.
>Team progress has been fair.
>Total earnings are up to 125 bits. Anon’s gained +5 defense due to his active role in the party, though he’s already had to go through a mana potion because of it. They also bought a ‘Heart Red Peach’ for 100 bits after meeting the checkpoint merchants Flim and Flam three battles in, letting them recover Fluttershy’s health by 30.
>It SEEMED like a raw deal, but Flim reassuringly told Applejack, “Our prices are the fairest in all of Equestria. If you think you’re being swindled, feel free to take the next ten miles to the Crystal Empire and compare prices.”
>Currently the party are getting some much needed rest in the caravan, as Pinkie plays on her instrument to pass the time.
>Rarity notes, “That’s quite an interesting song you’re playing.”
>“It sounds new.” says Fluttershy.
>With nary a flaw in her playing, she responds to Fluttershy.
>“Pssh, not really. I hear Anon hum little tunes to himself all the time. I’ve just been taking the time to do something with em.”
>Rainbow, who had no plans of joining the conversation, turns to Pinkie, somewhat surprised.
>“Anon can hum?”
>“Uh huh! He can also sing and dance! One time I followed him to the graveyard, and I caught him waltzing with a-”
Pinkie!
>She pauses for a moment before laughing fakely in embarrassment.
>“I-I’m talking too much,” she says blushing slightly.
>Content that his personal life is left personal, Anon goes back to staring out the window between Rarity and Fluttershy.
>His mind is trying to process what Pinkie’s song relates with, but he can’t put his fingers on what. It might have been some kind of sea tune 40...50 years ago? Maybe it was an old melody about the warriors of the sky.
>Anon doesn’t gain much time to think though, as he soon sees a strange figure cruising along the right side of the caravan.
>It’s difficult to make out, but it appears to be a cloud. Something about it triggers a deep nervousness in the corners of his mind.
>Dash quickly notices as well, announcing to the party, “There’s a cloud following us...I’m gonna go punch it.”
Dash, don’t!
>Already in action, Dash throws the caravan door open and rushes into the air to get the drop on the mysterious nimbus.
JUNEBUG, STOP RIGHT NOW!
>She grinds to a halt, as Anon exits the door after Dash, quickly followed by his friends.
>“This isn’t right,” Anon thinks to himself, unaware that the same scenario happened in one of his past lives.
>Rainbow then dives from the sky, ready to buck through whatever substance this floating mass is supposed to be, only to be electrocuted by a powerful discharge of lightning.
>To her dismay this “cloud” has the natural ability “Reverse Ambush”, saving it from her first attack and removing ⅕ of her HP in the process, taking her down to 80/100.
>As Anon and the others make it to the scene, they’re finally able to take a good look at the mysterious figure.
>It begins emitting a grayish mist from it’s body, covering the grass as it sprouts a set of lamb-like legs. A grey monkey’s tail then shoots out of it’s hindquarters, and from the front, a head fades into existence, resembling a cow skull with yellow ram horns.
>Fluttershy, supposed lover of all creatures begins to tremble as she asks the party, “Wha-wha-wh-what is that?!”
It’s a sky chimera.
>This is perfect. This is better than perfect.
>You regret never getting to use the Mountain-Type Chimera from that dragon quest, but a Sky-Type Chimera more than makes up for it. Unpredictably huge movepool, 200 HP, attacks twice per phase, and you just rolled initiative. Red Anon’s fuming in real life right now because he doesn’t want to deal with this garbage.
>You need to take full advantage of the blessing the enemy cards have given you.

*BREAKDOWN*
>Applejack’s a Guardian and naturally knows “Cover”. No matter who you target, AJ can use 5 MP, take their place, and soak up the damage with her +10 defense.
>Anon’s going to probably make Pinkie give someone an offensive buff, or alternatively, use her to heal AJ if her cover fails...It’d be smart to target Pinkie, since she’s the only healer in the group...unless Anon has “Soul Split” to split his health with someone, but considering he’d lose health in the process, that’d definitely be a last resort if anything.
>Suddenly, the solution arises. You know what three abilities to choose, and you know exactly how you’ll play this out.

>Anon yells to Pinkie,
Quickly, buff AJ!
>as you immediately cast “Disable”, engulfing Pinkie in a hazy blue mist from the ground that will keep her from using any ability for the next two phases.
>Fluttershy calls out for Pinkie, before flying to her aid, and blowing the mist away with her wings.
>“Are you okay?!”
>Pinkie’s eyes begin to swirl as her accordion produces a nonsensical tune of discordant notes.
>Most she can do is attack, but being weak and at a mediocre 80/80 HP, she prioritizes to defense.

>Anon predicts you’ll attack Pinkie.
>Dash is the weakest since Chimeras have no buffs to steal, but what’s the point in prioritizing the worst support? Rarity ties Pinkie at +10 Defense, but she knows ‘Mirage’ if I try anything too dangerous.

>With Twilight rolling priority, her corruptionist takes to the air and casts ‘Defense Minus’, hitting your creature with a dingy beam of dark magic, and reducing your defense by 15 for the next three turns.
>Fluttershy then darts forward, aware how deadly chimeras are, and uses her united ability “Megaton Strike”.
>In less then a second, her golden fur turns into a dirty brown, her irises become white with partial blindness, and her hooves transform into sharp claws as she lays everything on the line in a +40 attack.
>Sixty defense turns into a 45, and her 53 role becomes 93 with a +5 buff for a horrible 53 points of damage.
>Her front claws drive into your Skymera’s side, deeply piercing his wool coated flesh and causing him to give a loud, bird like  screech.
>Anon then follows with a “Wither n’ Drain”, placing his hand around your Skymera’s neck to steal a whole 2 points of damage. Even with the debuff, it’s still a 43 defense vs a 45 attack.
>You roll priority, and Skymera breaks away, melting into the mist as the Defense Minus begins wearing off.
Watch yourself Pinkie.
>You use your second chosen ability, “Thunder Ram” and with a +25 buff, rises out behind Applejack.
>You then blow the dice for luck, as you do for all important rolls.
>It pays off wonderfully, as you roll an upgraded 107 attack versus her 41 defense.
>Before she even spots him, your creature darts out of the ground in a motion swift as lightning and rams his jagged cow skull face straight into Applejack’s glorious armor clad cheeks, shattering the metal and sending her flying through the air.
>Being the omniscient being you are, you notice the backsides of everyone but the emotionless Anon tighten at the spectacle, and there’s an audible “Tsss ooh,” from Spike at the caravan, as AJ comes screaming face first to the ground, shattering her snout.
>With 66 points of damage, her health drops to 28/110, and Anon’s eyes widen as he realizes that you never wanted Pinkie in the first place.
I must save Applejack.
>Dash, having recovered from her shock, flies in like a bullet to return the favor. Poorly telegraphing her attack however, he dodges, only to take a weak blow from Rarity, who he hadn’t noticed.
>Before they can gang up on him, he disappears once again, into the mist.
>From the perspective of Applejack, you see her slowly rise to her hooves enraged and ridiculously sore, as her dizzied head catches sight of your creature rising from the ground, staring her down.
>Fully aware he’s basically calling her out, she ignores the pain and charges him at full force.
>Admittedly cocky, your creature didn’t think Applejack could walk let alone gun him down like a tank, and before he can even react his face is united with her two hind-hooves, ‘Buckey Something Something’ and The Kickmaster.
>Skymera’s skull cracks as his health drops to 121/200, bringing the battle into it’s next phase.

---

>As the dice roll in your palm, you focus your dead eyes at Anon as you speak to the party.
Well, it’s no secret who I want to attack this phase. Tell me brother, /do/ you have Soul Split?
>“...Yes,” he says as he stares you back down in discontent.
A Soul Split would bring her to 73 HP. With the cap policy, that’s just barely enough to survive whatever I could throw.
>You blow your dice and begin shaking them vigorously.
Rolling for your team Anon?
>“No one dies on my watch.”
>Anon begins shaking the dice ferociously in both hands, and with a glimmer of hope, slams them onto the table with his palm.
>As his hand rises, the party’s eyes widen in disbelief at the results. Almost simultaneously, they yell in surprise, ”98!” Except for Anon who says it with confidence and pride.
>Pinkie hugs him as tight as she can as the party begins to hoop and holler complements.
>Spike tells him, “That’s INCREDIBLE Anon! There’s no way he can beat you with a n-”
Ninety-Nine.
>The party’s joy and happiness soon turns to rage and incoherent yelling; throughout the ‘YOU’RE CHEATINGs’ and the ‘HOW DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENINGs’ Rainbow Dash rises from the table, and walks into the kitchen announcing “I’m done. I am SOoo done.” You know she’ll come back though.
>Anon, faithful you don’t cheat yells at you, “THOSE DICE ARE CURSED!”
Nonsense, who ever heard of something being cursed with luck. Anyways, I cast “Tornado.”

---

>Applejack’s vision is fading as she slowly begins to lose herself to internal injury. She’s determined to a fault however, still pushing against this monster as he tries to resist the force of her powerful legs.
>They hadn’t realize this, but your Skymera can in fact speak, and as she struggles against him, he smugly tells her, “I always pluck the loveliest flower first.”
>“Come again?” she says slightly confused.
>Soon, the mist emanated by your creature begins to rotate around the two at a slowly increasing pace.
>Anon tries to cut in, desperate to use his ability Soul Split to save Apple Jack, but as a result, he only becomes included in your final ability, Tornado.
>The ground erupts into a spiraling tower of fog, changing the sunny sky that Junebug was enjoying so very much, into a gray and cloudy mess.
>Applejack is pulled into the air with the Skymera following her. Anon is then lifted, along with the still confused Pinkie, who still can’t understand why her songs aren’t working.
>Pinkie and Anon are thrown out of the air early on however, only experiencing mild damage from a +10 attack.
>Applejack, still trapped rises to a much greater height; reaching a good dozen or so meters in the air.
>Rainbow and Fluttershy are trying their hardest to enter this vortex of terror, but it’s simply too strong a force for them to manage. Rainbow came close breaking into the eye once, but unable to make an immediate stop she was pulled out a few seconds later.
>The move finally completes, as the tornado disperses into a blinding fog that bathes the sky and ground.
>For a moment, no one knows what just happened, but as Anon makes it to his feet and hears a hard thud land not to far in front of him, he comes to the horrid realization.
>After a +20 buff attack to the main target Apple Jack, she took 37 points worth of damage, sending her HP to 0/110. Applejack has officially died.

---

>Sweet Celestia, my head is killn’ me.
>Shouldn’t complain though, I’m lucky I even survive somethin’ like that.
>I awaken stretched out on the ground; completely armorless, staring at a black sky of nothing above me.
“Where the hay am I?” I ask as I get up on my hooves.
>For a little, I thought that I’m all alone, until a mysterious voice catches me by surprise.
>“So you’ve finally woken up.”
>Mah hairs practically jump off my back as I spin around to see who’s talking.
What the?!
>Only a few steps away, I see a mysterious...something sitting on a pillow, surrounded by a dim light, playing with cards and dice on a table.
>He kinda reminds me of whatever Anon’s supposed to be, except he’s pale blue from head to foot, and he doesn’t really have any detail or texture aside from that this weird star-like reflection.
Where...Where the hay have you taken me?!
>“Relax, young guardian,” he says not even looking in my direction, “You’re not in any danger, you’re just dead. Rolling defense.”
What?!?! I don’t know what kinda joke you’re trying to pull, but it ISN’T funny!
>He grabs a purple can with some kind of grape logo ending in -ta (the rest I can’t see in his fingers), and takes a swig still not paying you mind.
>“Rolling attack…”
>He takes another role of those dice.
>Thinking he’s ignoring me, I almost say something I know I’d regret later, before he soon gives a response.
>“Maybe if you horses actually read the lore of Hero’s Tale, you’d know about the Plain of Death all heroes go through. My narration isn’t finished, and there’s still a chance of you being revived when your friends reach the Kingdom, so I can’t bring your soul to-”
Don’t give me that nonsense! I’ve fought enough monsters in my life to take on whatever you’re supposed to be, so give me the honest truth, or you’re in for a world a’ hurt!
>He gives an exhausted groan at my expense.
>“Suppose you need evidence.”
>Mr. Blue snaps his fingers causing the black background to fade into some kinda new existence.
>The ground sprouts with grass as far as the eye can see, the sky turns to Periwinkle, and out of nowhere an Apple Goblin with a bow and arrow appears right in front of me.
>I jump back, giving a surprised yell as I look at it’s ugly yellow mug and beady green eyes.
>Dang thing nearly gave me a heart attack.
>I almost follow reflex and leap in to attack it, but I stop with the strange realization that it’s completely frozen.
>“Reach for it,” says the blue monster by my side.
What if it’s a trap?
>“Trust me.”
>I don’t know why I would, but I cautiously step forward, and slowly bring my hoof to it’s face.
>“Go on. He won’t bite.”
>I take a deep breath and dive my hoof into his nose, but I don’t feel a thing. In fact, my hoof goes straight through his face like it’s not even there. The fact that I can’t touch him makes me soon realize, I can’t feel the grass either.
This is...just an illusion.
>“Call it what you please. PINKIE PIE?”
>From behind, I can hear Pinkie’s voice as responds with a cheerful, “Whatcha need DM?”
>I turn my head back, and I’m as happy as a dancin’ rattlesnake as I see all my friends in the distance. They’re just as frozen as this fella with the bow, but that’s beside the point.
>Anon’s in the middle of throwing a lady goblin off his back, Rarity’s usin’ that ‘Mind Shatter’ thing on a giant goblin who’s curled on the ground, Flutters’ flying away from one of these guys (can’t really tell), and Twilight’s running with Pinkie after some gangly guy with an oversized blade.
>You also notice the caravan far in the background, and an arrow that’s only a few inches from Pinkie’s neck.
>As I walk closer to the scene Pinkie then begins talkin’ with me; staring straight in my direction, but still stuck in that running pose with her accordion.
>“What are you doing out of the wagon? That bonk on the head seemed waaay too bad for you to be out right now.”
Pinkie, what’s going on right now? I wake up to this weirdo playin’ cards in the dark, and now I’m here in the middle of some kinda live portrait.
>“This isn’t art. We’re in the middle of a turn, silly. DM didn’t tell you about the Plain?”
>“I did, but she wouldn’t listen.”
>‘DM’ points to the goblin Pinkie’s charging to, and tells him, “If Pinkie can’t knock you out this turn, finish her off next.”
>“No dice, Big Blue. I’m feeling lucky.”
Wait a second. If you’re telling these monsters what to do...then YOU’RE A BAD GUY!
>I turn to my right side where DM is, and lunge forward for a sucker-punch to the face.
>I don’t see how he does it; he wasn’t even ready to react, but somehow he grabs my hoof mid swing, unfaltered, still staring at Pinkie.
>“This is becoming an irritant. Pinkie, we’ll continue in a moment. Bringing AJ here was a bad idea.”
>As I try to pull away, the world goes back to it’s cold blackness. My friends disappear, leaving me alone once again with this thing.
>The DM finally looks me face to face as he tells me, “I think my job’ll go faster if all you see is the board game.”
>He lets go of my hoof, and walks back to his table to play with his cards and dice.
>“I insist you try to get comfortable,” he says before taking a seat.
>“Rolling for initiative.”
>I don’t really know what to do. Noticing a newly appeared pillow seat, I reluctantly decide to join him at his right.
So uh, you said something about a “Hero’s Tale” earlier. Mind finishing what you were going to tell me?
>“There’s quite a bit I can tell you about your world...I suppose it’d be nice to have someone aside from the bard to talk with. By the way, would you mind rolling these dice for me?”
Oookay.
>I push the dice across the table with my hoof, causing it to roll onto a 6, and a 8.
>“Hmm...a few points higher and you could’ve had your friend Pinkie here to give you company. Oh well, better luck next time I suppose.”


---

Hey AJ, how about you make yourself useful and win this battle while I head to the john?
>“Not on yer lifetime partner,” she says with a hint of resentment.
>You laugh it off, telling her, “My old friends used to sometimes do that.”
>You rise, and walk off quietly adding, “It’s funny how casual the “experts” were.”
>Red Anon tells you, “Don’t forget that time limit bro.”
Yeah, yeah, yeah.