NormanOnline Level5 (The Face of my Beloved)

Be Norman.

>You don’t know where you are.

>Everything is black.

>You are not even sure you ‘see’ things.

>Maybe you’re blind.

>This idea does not even scare you.

>You feel too tired to even panic.

>Then, a voice reach your ears.

>“Are they alright? If anything happened to them I would never be able to look at them in the eyes…”

>You missed her voice so much.

>But hearing her so worried is beyond agonizingly painful.

>“100% unarmed. He did not do any permanent damages on their files so I’ll be able to fix these in a matter of minutes.“

>Who is this? Her voice is also familiar.

>You try to say something or move, but you can’t feel anything.

>“I must admit Rarity, you were right, he was surprisingly good. We could certainly find better, but it would take too long…”

>“Puh-lease, better than him? No-one on this server, the entire net or even the world is half the man he is…”

>“I was talking about his battle performance.”

>“Trust me my dear, together, with everyone, we will succeed, I promise you.”

>“Your confidence warms my heart, but our opponent is already on the move. There, data repaired. I’ll have to log them out however. Is this okay with you?”

>“One moment please then.”

>A silence, then another feeling you yearned for so much.

>The velvet of her lips on yours.

>“My friends, thank you so much for your efforts, I’ll see you tomorrow, do not be late, I beg of you.”

>You try to move your arms, to call for her, to reach for her, to hold her close, all these words that you could not tell come back in a wave.

>But no matter how hard you struggle, only silence answers.

>Suddenly, colors fill your brain and feelings come back to your body, starting from your head before reanimating your legs.

>For a moment, you are unable to breathe.

>Thankfully, brain hasn’t forgotten and you inhale as much air as possible.

>The FIGear is still on your head, on its screen appears ‘A connection error has occurred, emergency mode activated. Please remove the FIGear.’”

>The emergency log out is still as unpleasant as ever.

>Complete paralysis for maximum 5 seconds is really not something you want to experience more than necessary.

>A quick glance to your watch and you realize that you were out cold for much longer than you thought, it is almost midnight.

>Rarity’s mail said that tomorrow will be your only chance to see her.

>You’ve lost way too much time!

>Your phone’s ringtone prevents any forms of further reflection.

>“Norman? Thanks Celestia you’re alright.”

>Why thanks to the principal? Ho right, magical horse thing.

>“Yes, how about you? And the others?”

>“Brad is with me and he just called Scott who’s fine as well. Brad, call RD Next and tell Scott to ring Pinkie, Norman, you phone FlutterShy and I’ll check on AJ then Blue, tell everyone to go on skype!”

>After a couple minutes verifying if everyone was still among the livings, the team agrees to call it a day despite your protest.

>You lie in your bed, wide awake, your mind about to burst from the questions swirling in it, about Rarity, the other voice and that hacker.

>You do not notice sleep taking you.

>But your dream is troubled by nightmares.

>They have no shape or colors but the idea that you cannot save her is the common point between all of them.

 

Be [spoiler]unknown[/spoiler].

>You close Skype and lean back in your chair.

>This feeling is still lingering in your mind and body.

>This horrible feeling of mute agony.

>Like fading away.

>You want to choke the psychopath who designed this emergency log out system, it’s a fucking torture program.

>However, this time there was a difference.

>The voices.

>Did you dream them?

>You need a fucking drink.

>As you come back from the kitchen with a glass filled with amber liquid and as many ice cubes as possible a photo catches your eye on the wall.

>The smile on the face of the girl sharing the picture with you seems to cast away half of your worries.

“Maybe… I should… She’s certainly not asleep right now.”

>You go back to your room and grab your phone.

>You know her number by heart.

>Only one other shares that honor.

>The first tone is not even over when she picks up.

>“Well well well, look who’s still breathing and kicking.”

“Sorry to bother you, do you have some time, just to talk.”

>A silence.

>Is she hesitating or…

>“Wait in front of your home, dress like a normal guy, we go grab a drink in my joint. You pay.”

“I won’t drink, I got stuff to do early morning.”

>“Ugh! You pussy… Fine… Be there in a sec’.”

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.”

>“I know.”

 

 

Day of the rendez-vous.

Be Norman.

>You’re on skype with the entire team once more.

“Please everyone! We have to go back! We are wasting time!”

>“I-I’m not sure Norman… Yesterday was… Really scary.” Stammers Yellow.

>“That thing might still be there!” adds Scott.

“It’s not a thing! It was a hacker!”

>“It’s even worse in my opinion… Who knows what he wants…”

>Purple, over-analyzing won’t lead us anywhere.

>“I say it’s a good enough reason to go back! This time I’ll make him bite dust!” exclaims Dash.

>“Ah’ll have ta agree with Norman. We have ta go back, for Rarity.”

>“Can we vote?” asks Brad.

>“Where Normie is going, I am going!”

>“Miss Pie, please, do not yell in your microphone… I will continue as well.”

>Under the pressure of their friends, Twilight, FlutterShy and Scott finally accept to finish the dungeon.

>But not before hearing a “You are all crazy and gonna get us all killed!” by Green though.

 

>To everyone’s great relief, you are back in the last room you were before shit hit the fan and the Tower is not falling apart.

>With renewed zeal, your team sprint through each floor of the dungeon.

>The battle succeed each other at a manic pace and get tougher after every victory, however as Brad’s battle axe cleaves in two the last monster, Scott calls for a break.

>“Have you seen that kill Norm’? That naga could not handle my girth!”

“Pfff. Brad, can you do a full day without lewd joke?”

>“Tried, not possible.”

“Hehehe.”

>“Alright team, only the boss is left to murder and this entire adventure will be over.”

>You are so close.

>“Like last time, we’ll enter only when we have as many buffs as possible and full HP and MP.”

>After 3 minutes of spell spamming and potion guzzling, you activate the doors.

>The room is once more circular, however, the walls are covered with large red curtains, from time to time, a gust of wind push them open to reveal pane-less windows looking over a sea of dark clouds.

>“Whoa… I don’t remember this Tower reaching the clouds…” marvels Rainbow looking at the storm outside.

>“The lore said that the Towers are gateways to other Stratum that were corrupted by the Winds of Madness. To find such illogic things is commonplace in every Tower.” Explains Twilight, looking at the architecture of the room rather than the hiding spot of its resident.

>“I need to re-read this one day.” thinks Dash out loud.

>FlutterShy readying an arrow on her bow is your clue that she spotted the enemy.

>“On your guard y’all, it saw us!” warns AJ.

>Hidden behind a set of curtains is a monstrous crow like creature, the main differences between it and the animal on which it is based being its size, with the creature being three meters tall sitting, the cuirass made of random bones of large beasts and purple cloth and a set of fingers with razor sharp claws on the wing articulation.

>Instead of putting himself on guard, Scott throws his arms in the air and let out an inarticulate scream of rage.

>“Why the fuck do we keep getting the worst bosses possible! First Alexander and now Jekaterina Of Arsenic! The game is out to kill us! As if having you all suicidal wasn’t enough!”

>“… Sooo… What’s the deal with the giant bird?”

>As if to demonstrate, the boss opens its beak, revealing a mouth filled with retractable pointed teeth.

>“Oo-kay, that’s scary.”

>Before vomiting thick black smoke on the ground.

>With unnatural speed, the foul mist spreads around the room, as you wonder what’s the point of this as it does not reduce your visibility, you give the new ailment on your HUD a quick read.

>And your heart stops for half a second.

“Listen! Avoid to be hit at all costs! The next wound will cleanse us of all our bonuses and deal damage for each! With the quantity we have on us, it’s almost 1 hit K.O!”

>“Good fucking job Scott, you really made sure that thing could kill us as fast as possible!”

>“Fuck you Dash! She is even rarer than Alexander!”

>“Move!” yells FlutterShy as her heaviest arrow hits the monster between the eyes, stunning it before it could close its beak on the bickering players.

>Jekaterina retreats with a flap of its powerful wings, disappearing in the storm outside.

>“Form a circle!” commands Purple right as the avian tears through the curtains behind her, its talon aiming for the yelling mage.

>But AJ’s magic wall divert the assault and sends the crow spinning before sprawling itself on the ground.

>Using the opportunity, Brad and you start slashing at the monster while Pinks throws a small cauldron filled with brown liquid on it.

>“Light her up!” yells the party girl as FlutterShy s’next arrow, coated in flames, ignites the oil on Jekaterina.

 >With a piercing scream, the boss flees once more in the rain.

“How good is that oil Pinks?”

>“Good enough to not be put out with simple rain, I can guarantee this much.”

>And indeed, the bird’s following flybys are accompanied by a whirlwind of ashes and burned feathers.

>After a couple more of these short attacks too fast to deal much damage, you notice a pattern, its trajectory forces your group to scatter, preventing Twilight from casting her spells.

>“It’s aiming for me when I start channeling! AJ, can you try to stun her like earlier?”

>“Nah, cooldown.”

>“Shy, how about another Ballista Shot?”

>“No, let her shoot as many arrows at it, if we don’t attack it for too long, it will regenerate, she and Pinkie are the only ones who can hit it while it’s airborne! If we have to nibble on her HP bar until it dies, so be it!”

>“Let me try, cast it once again miss Sparkle.”

>“Okay BlueBlood. Get ready everyone!”

>As the colorful wisps of energy gathers around your Arch-Mage, the team waits patiently for Jekaterina’s return.

>But nothing happens.

>Untill a pebble falls from the roof before your eyes.

“Above us!”

>With a deafening crash and the rumble of lighting, the ceiling comes crashing towards you.

>“A sacrifice is still mourning someone.” appears in red letters as a gigantic golden shield appears above you, causing the hurtling rocks to bounce away without hurting anyone.

>A quick glance at BlueBlood’s profile indicates what’s going on.

“That’s your trigger? Group invincibility for 5 seconds?”

>“Please, be awed after the fight.”

>More red words circle around the group.

>“Make your choice: a thousand secrets for you alone, or the one truth for all?”

>With a titanic roar, a colossal sword of light shoots from the bulwark and divide in two the head of the black bird which falls on the shield before sliding off of it and collapsing on the ground.

“Your own Trigger is still as terrifying as ever Purple…”

>“That’s my girl! This is how all good fight should end, with the ennemy’s face split!”

>“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

>“Victory!”

>“Welcome to the 3rd Stratum!”

>“Fuck yeah! We’re good!”

>“Hahaha! Said by the girl who did nothing this whole fight!”

>“Shut it Scott you did as much as I!”

 

>“Everyone, good job.”

>A silence.

>"RARITY!"

>Pinkie cannot grasp how fucking solemn that moment was.

>But you can only smile as Rarity is getting the group hug of her life.

>Your throat contracts and you try to not cry.

>“I knew you would come, thank you, thank you so much.” Says your goddess.

>She gives a hug to each of her friends, a humble bow to Scott, Brad and BlueBlood, before walking to you.

>“Good afternoon Norman.”

>Your battle to not cry is turning to your defavor.

>“Please don’t cry. I need you to be strong. For me.”

“I-I’m sorry, Rares I- … I need a moment… I-I missed you.”

>“I know darling, I know.”

>You are not a “hug” person. Only rarity is allowed to hug you.

>And Pinkie as well, but because she self allowed herself.

>But this once, you will extend this right to Purple and Yellow. Just this once though.

>Your little baby fit doesn’t last long, but it did you much good.

“Sorry for that.”

>“Don’t worry bro. I won’t peep a word.” whispers Brad.

>“Even the strongest man is still a child before the fairer sex.” quotes BlueBlood.

>“Aww ya two were too cute for yer own good sugarcube.”

>“I’m not for mushy stuff, glad that’s over.”

>“Hugs, really you all? How much more plebian can you get?”

>Pinkie’s eyes shines with mischievous intent.

>“I spy with my little eyes… One Scotty who wants a hug....”

>“Pinks, I won’t hesitate to stab you, don’t come any closer.”

>The following minutes are… blurred, as Pinkie threw you at Scott as a diversion to tackle-hug him with most of the group.