“DAMNIT, I’M FUCKING BORED AS A MOTHERFUCKER!” Rainbow Dash exploded in unfettered frustration.

She kicked a soccer ball against the wooden wall of the school gymnasium in anger, only for it to return to her at almost equal force to receive another hard kick. She ricocheted the projectile against the wall, creating a steady but fiery rhythm as she released her suppressed infuriation.

With the school nearly empty after hours, the girls spent most of their time hanging around campus, however, the normal glamor and excitement of spending time together had begun to grow dull. It's good to spend time with friends, but what if there's nothing to do with them? With no magical catastrophes popping up around Canterlot High anymore there's not much excitement in the world.

The rest of Rainbow's friends either watch her in bored silence or browse through their phones for something interesting to do or see. Maybe some magical beast roaming through a park? A crazy storm caused by haywire magic is tearing up a farm? Anything that has to do with magic at all?

Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

Not a single spark of inspiration or excitement drew them out of their disinterested minds. No MeTube videos, no memes, no video games, not even social media felt fun anymore. Worst of all, there wasn’t any strange phenomena taking place anywhere in the world.

Sunset Shimmer groaned in irritation as she flops back onto the hardwood floor of the gymnasium, disregarding the sudden shock of pain to her back. Her overwhelming sense of ennui had developed so much, any feeling—physical or emotional—had been rendered null and void.

"Where did all the excitement go?" she asked lethargically, reaching a hand up to grasp at the air out of pure boredom. "We used to fight magical monsters and strange occurrences, but now—"

"We're back to bein' regular ol' high school girls," Applejack interjected with a disgruntled sigh. "Ya think everythin's alright back in Equestria? Maybe Princess Twilight did somethin' to all them baddies? That's why we ain't got nothin' to do?"

Sunset scrolled through her phone again, but still remained conscious of her friend's question. "Eh, maybe. I mean, you know that one saying: 'Where there is light, there must be shadow... yadayadayada’. Maybe the princess has finally managed to spread enough friendship throughout the world that there's no room for bad guys to hide."

Everyone groaned in unison, validating that as a reasonable answer, but a terrible one. No evil meant no new fights, no new adventures, no new powers. Life possibly couldn't get anymore boring.

"You know...," Fluttershy peeped. With everyone so quiet, it was too easy for them to perfectly hear Fluttershy's soft-spoken voice. "...I almost enjoy the quiet, peaceful times. It lets me spend more time with my animals and my job. It's not all bad, right?" Everyone turned their heads in disbelief, eyes filled with a mix of confusion and aggravation. Her peaceful expression fell when she noticed everyone else's unimpressed faces. "Never mind."

"I just realized something," Twilight spoke up with a tinge of worry. "Has anyone seen Pinkie Pie?"

For once, everyone looked up from their phones and the current surroundings to take in what Twilight had said. Rainbow was consequently struck in the face by her soccer ball the second she turned around to look at her friend. Twilight was right: Pinkie was nowhere to be found. The girls looked around for their hyperactive friend, only to find no trace of her.

"She wouldn't just leave us, would she?" Rarity asked in disappointment. "I mean, I get that there is nothing to do, but she doesn't have to leave us behind like this."

Just as Rarity finished her complaint about her friend, the double doors to the gym burst open, startling everyone out of their skin.

"Speak of the devil," she said.

The party-girl, Pinkie Pie, stands in the doorway with a gleeful smile on her face. She joyously bounces in-place like a little schoolgirl as she holds a small parcel in her hands encased in red wrapping paper.

"HEY GIRLS!" she exclaims in her normal Pinkie voice. "Get your lazy butts up because I've got something that will cure us of our boredom!"

The other girls look at Pinkie and the parcel with curiosity and hope, but their expressions fade as they watch their friend tear the wrapping paper off to reveal...another video game.

"Another video game?" Applejack questions. "Pinkie, we appreciate the gift, but it ain't gonna help us with our boredom. Heck, we've tried just about every game out there and nothin's helped."

"Applejack's right Pinkie," Rainbow Dash adds. She scrolls through her phone while addressing her friend. "Playing video games and going to amusement parks and all that isn't nearly as fun as it used to be, especially when we became literal superheroes. How is this gonna any different?"

Pinkie grows a wide, malicious smile, which some of her friends find rather odd and disturbing. "Oh, trust me, girls. This game will blow your panties off!"

Everyone looks at her in puzzlement. "Our what?" Twilight asks.

"Oh, sorry, I mean, socks. Got those two mixed up, heh heh..."

Everyone brushes off the girl's mistake, but Sunset can't help but feel a little bit of uncertainty about this new game. She stands up from her resting place and snatches the game from Pinkie's loose grasp.

"Hey, give that back!" Pinkie pouts.

Sunset doesn't comply with her demands. Instead, she looks over the video game with harsh skepticism. It looks like a harmless MMORPG with the words LORD QUEST in stoic red letters at the top. The cover art consists of at least seven members of a party, each a different class and rank—mage, knight, dark mage, cleric, gunslinger, rogue, and bard—trespassing into a sinister crypt or dungeon.

“Pinkie, where exactly did you buy this game?” Sunset asks.

“Well, it’s kind of a funny story really...”

“This oughta be interesting,” Rainbow states as she and the rest of the girls sit up straight to listen to her friend’s tale.

“So, I actually left a bit early to run some errands for my sisters," Pinkie begins, "and knowing them, it'd only take a few minutes since they don’t demand much, but I got called out by some weird old lady in a fancy-looking stand."

This piques everyone's interest even more. Twilight decides to intervene and interrogate Pinkie for a bit more information.

"Do you remember what the lady looked like? Anything odd or maybe witch-like?"

Pinkie places a finger on her chin, trying to conjure up an approximately accurate image of the woman she met. "She had wrinkly, dry skin for starters. Her hands were pretty bony, like weird mangled claws—"

"I think someone could use a manicure," Rarity mutters to herself. No one seems to take notice of the fashionista's disgust as they continue listening to Pinkie's description

"She also had a raggedy old robe around her body and a hood that covered most of her face, so I couldn't even see her eyes. Uh, her hair looked like a bunch of cobwebs were glued onto her head. Ooh, and she also had a really weird voice like someone was trying to make a squeaking wrench talk."

The girls look at each other, their eyes filled with worry and confusion.

"Yup, sounds like the description of a witch," Twilight ponders.

"Or just someone who really needs a complete makeover," Rarity interjects.

Everyone stares blankly at the fashionista for her stupid analysis and continue to press Pinkie on about the encounter.

"So how did you get the game?" Applejack asks. She raises an eyebrow, patiently waiting for her friend's reply.

"Well, I just walked over and she just asked me, 'Do you seek unending adventure?'" Pinkie talks similar to how a wicked witch would sound like if she were trying to tempt children into her clutches. "And I said, yes-a-roonie! And she pulled out that game and said, 'I know how much you children love these games, so I shall lend you this. It can satisfy all of your desires.' Which I responded with, really? And she responded with 'Really.' And then I decided to get the game free of charge!"

This is obviously where Pinkie Pie should have noticed something off, but with Pinkie being Pinkie, it's obvious she doesn't take a second thought to reconsider what she had done. Even now, she's beaming like she's done a good deed, while everyone else stares at her judgmentally.

Sunset looks over the game once more, taking in the not-so inconspicuous object. "It doesn't look too suspicious...hold on..."

She turns it over to read the summary on the back but instead is met with a strange inscription that takes up all of the space.

"...Desires fulfilled, dreams granted.
The contents within, shall leave you enchanted.
Mind and soul, broken then mended,
Open the gates to adventure so splendid..."

"Sounds like the perfect way to have some fun," Rainbow Dash comments. "I say we do it."

The other girls look at her like she's crazy. Of course, none of them feel comfortable with the strange description on the back, but the last line still echoes through their minds. What if there really is some cool adventure in this game? There could be a villain trapped inside or maybe they can be transported inside once they play it. Endless thoughts run through their minds as countless, infinite expeditions and battles could take place in one simple disk.

"How safe do you think it is?" Fluttershy asks, looking to Sunset for answers.

Sunset Shimmer tightens her grip on the game cover; the plastic slightly bends under the increased force but remains strong and rigid. Every instinct and gut feeling is telling her this will be a bad idea, but the promise of action and exhilaration captivates her.

"I...think it's pretty safe. I don't know what we'll face, but we should probably give it a shot, right? And besides, we haven't lost yet, so this oughta be a sinch for us. Pinkie..." Sunset turns to face her ecstatic friend, who's currently ginning like a madman, "...is it alright if we go to your house to play it?"

Pinkie squeals like a cheerful girl getting a puppy for Christmas. "YES, YES, YES!"

---

Sunset Shimmer takes the mystical CD out of its case and inserts it into Pinkie's Game Station 5. The girls sit on the bed, waiting in anticipation, wondering if it'll even play since it's supposed to be a magical item, but fortunately, the screen comes to life. At first, it's just a blank, white screen but soon, the words Lord Quest drop onto the background, one red letter at a time. The image of the seven party members traveling through the dungeon-type area appears as well, completing the scene on the case cover. Just underneath the main text, in small letters, the words PRESS X TO BEGIN SUMMONING flash on the screen.

Grabbing the controller in her hands, Sunset presses the requested button. The screen fades to black and a small spark of light flutters from the darkness. It’s just a small ball of light with fairy wings keeping it afloat. It leaves small bits of fairy dust everywhere it flutters in the dark room like a mobile salt shaker. Finally, it stands still once it comes close to the girls. It seems to jump in surprise once it manages to get close enough to them.

“Oh, joy! Are you the foretold heroes that will save the land of Emacula?” the fairy ball asks in a high pitched voice.

Sunset raises an eyebrow in puzzlement. “Wait, heroes?” She looks back at the rest of the girls to see them wearing similar expressions of confusion. “I’m not the only one who heard it mention plural, right?”

“No, sugar, you’re not goin’ crazy...I think?” Applejack responds.

Looking back at the screen, Sunset sees three options to choose from: “Yes we are.”, “No we are not.”, and “What do you mean ‘heroes’?”

“Okay, this is already starting to get weird,” Sunset mutters as she nervously fidgets with the controller. “Let’s see what happens when we choose the third option.”

She chooses it and the fairy ball jumps in surprise again. “What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean, there are at least seven warriors waiting to be transported to Emacula to save it from its inevitable doom! Am I correct?”

Another three options appear for Sunset to choose from. “That’s right!”, “No way!”, and “Are you able to see us?”

The girls look at each other in fear and bewilderment. They search around the room to make sure no cameras are anywhere spying on them. Nothing out of the ordinary was found.

“Pinkie, the Game Station 5 doesn't come with a camera, does it?” Sunset asks fearfully.

“No. Neither does my TV.”

Sunset goes ahead and chooses the last option. Once again the fairy ball bounces in place. “I can see and hear you girls out there. You did buy a magical video game, right? It’s pretty obvious there was gonna be some weird twist to this whole thing.”

“Nope! Nope, I ain’t doin’ this!" Applejack leaps out of the bed and marches over to the console. "I ain't gonna deal with no video game that can hear and see everything we do."

The ball of light bounces frantically as it tries to dissuade her from pulling its plug. "Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute! At least hear what I have to say! Don't you want your little adventure?"

This stops Applejack in her tracks before she can grab hold of the console's wire. She glares at the TV with a skeptical look, still unsure about this weird scenario.

"And how can you do that, huh?"

"Uh, magic, duh?" the ball replies blatantly.

Without a clear warning, the fairy ball radiates a powerful blue light that fills the entire room. It's so strong it's even piercing through everyone's eyelids, temporarily blinding them and fogging up their vision. As the light fades, everyone opens their eyes slowly to see a horrifying sight. Their bodies have become pixelated and cubic like fictional computer software. Small binary 1's and 0's orbit around each girl like floating particle effects. They move their limbs, only to find out they can not feel anything. No sensation, no movement, not even pain.

"What the hell did you do?!" Sunset explodes. She tries to touch her body, but her hands phase through her as if she were a spirit. "Am I dead?!"

"Don't worry, I'm just performing the summoning procedure. It's completely painless," the fairy replies. "Now, when you arrive, you'll end up pretty dazed so don't try and stand up too fast. I'll explain everything the moment you girls make it to the character selection area."

Before the girls could respond, they can see bits and pieces of their digitalized bodies being plucked and pulled into the TV. They try to run, but their pieces autonomously fly into the screen, disappearing on the other side. Rainbow Dash and Applejack hang onto the bedposts but their lower halves are almost gone, leading up to the disappearance of their top half and then their hands, finally sucking their screaming heads into the screen. The rest of the girls hug each other in desperation as they fly into the TV and disappear without a trace. The screen shuts off, leaving a black screen of emptiness and an empty room in its wake.

Maud Pie sticks her head into the room to see only the game controller sitting unattended on the ground. She could have sworn she heard her sister screaming just a second ago, but she's clearly not in the room. She shrugs and walks away while feeding Boulder a few cheez-nips before setting him to bed.

Next Chapter: Character Selection Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 58 Minutes