Smolder smirked as the wizard slumped on the ground, and the smirk got bigger as he dissipated into magic motes, just like a monster. “That’s right, fake. Can’t beat the real deal.” She held up her blades, but as they sizzled she opted not to put them away just yet.

She turned around to head back to her party, when a heavily armored fighter with a mace and shield stood ahead of her, raising it. She looked back, and found that she was now surrounded by the remnants of the fight on three sides.

Meanwhile, Garble was not having the time of his life. Between the twin swordsman and the archer, he was hit by something basically all the time. He could feel healing pulses from Spike, and could hear explosions from behind him. He actually needed help damnit, where was that pipsqueak?

That pipsqueak flumped on the ground, with Sandra helping him up. Ahead of them the green glowing magus grinned widely. He wasn’t doing any damage, but those explosions were annoying. They knocked people back more than did damage, but they couldn’t get up to Garble… Spike grit his teeth.

Smolder raised a hand to her mouth. "Team 2s gonna win!"

It was a desperate ploy, one that likely wouldn't have worked as well on real players, but the constructs seemed to get confused, focusing on the few who belonged to the numbered team. It was a blissful moment of reprieve, and all they needed.

Including distracting the magus for a critical moment.

Spike bounced to his feet and thrust his staff at Sandra. "Do it!"

"Already on the case." Heat gathered in a point of light, exploding outwards with the unfolding of wings. Aiden didn't create an explosion like the magus and didn't knock anything away. The magus, now right by the firebird, simply burned and screamed, and that suited both spirit and master just fine in that moment.

Spike darted ahead, no green blasts incoming, and intercepted a strike destined for Garble, grinning as he successfully directed the blade into the ground.

“Took you long enough,” Garble said, gritting his teeth as he blocked an attack from the other swordsman.

“Get the archer! I’ll keep these busy!” Spike smacked at the sword still in the ground, trying to stop the wielder from retrieving it.

Garble smirked. “Awesome,” He said, and he ran past the line, his sword behind him to the side. “You should have fled, ‘cause you’ll soon be dead!” He made a beeline, slashing across the archer, who cried out in pain.

The available swordsman moved at Spike, slicing at him with his thin blade, which Spike back stepped out of. Pursued, Spike deflected another blow, not embedding it in the ground, but striking him much less hard than if he had to block it. Two more attacks came, one blocked, one deflected like he learned. He grinned at himself.

And then the other swordsman came at him. Spike raised his weapon to deflect, managing to do it, and the other swordsman attacked, Spike rushing to block again.

Their assault was brief, but relentless, as they constantly kept him busy and it was all he could do to defend himself. Soon, their swords began to gain purchase on him, and one pulled back, shouting “Puncture!” thrusting his rapier at Spike while he was busy trying to defend himself against his twin.

It smashed to the ground, crushed beneath Garble's great weapon. He lashed out a foot, catching its wielder and knocking them back. "Picking on my friend, asking for the end." He emphasized the last syllable with a great leap, coming down with his sword in both hands down on the prone warrior, dispelling them into so much magical vapor, parts and loot dropping to the ground where there was once a warrior.

The other swordsman was taken aback, stunned, and Spike moved in, slamming a glowing rod into his abdomen, knocking him off his feet, where he stood crumpled to the ground.

Sandra came up from behind them, Crystal bowling over the warrior. “The floating magic guy is done for. What are we missing?”

“We are missing my sister!” Garble said, pointing over the ridge she had disappeared behind. “Hurry up!”

The three of them ran up to the crest of the hill, to see Smolder running around in circles, two warriors left running after her. They could not catch up, but they were also heavily, heavily armored.

Smolder saw, somewhat distant, the rest of her friends, and immediately turned, making a beeline for them. “Hey guys, come help me beat up these jerks!”

For their part, Garble and Spike started running full speed to meet her, and as she approached, she slowed to a stop, turning around to look at the enemies as her allies sped past her, colliding weapon first with their foes in a resounding clash. She simply spun her daggers as she sauntered at the two stunned foes, panting just a little.

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The three of them were a whirl of blades and staves (and crystal punches), and the two remaining enemies were thusly vanquished.

The three of them panted, Smolder plopping herself on the ground, and Sandra walked up to them. “Is that it?”

"Team three snatches victory in a stunning upset," roared the announcer. "Everyone is down, the round's over!" As if summoned by the announcement, huge chests snapped into being, dropping heavily on the ground.

"Spike!" came a new voice, Twilight's. "I think I have it worked out, but I need you to reach to me, just a little."

Spike blinked at that, the others joining him, proving that her voice was audible to more than jus him. "Uh, alright, how?"

Garble hiked his thumb at the obvious loot. "Hey, horse princess, we got loot to divvy up. Is this the best time?"

Sandra bounced up towards the source of the voice. "Princess Twilight, was it? Hello!"

"Hello again… Sandra, I recall?"

Sandra smiled hard enough for her cheeks to squeak in the effort. "That's me. What do you need us to do?"

"I've noticed moments when you--"

Smolder threw open a chest with bright flashes, different things spilling to the ground with different colored glows based on their rarity. "Ooo, a purple!"

"Yes, that!" exclaimed Twilight excitedly. "Let me get my--"

Garble got the next chest open. "Aw man, buncha greens and a white?"

"Ready! Do that again."

There was only one chest left. Spike jogged over to it. "Dibs." The other two dragons respected the sacred oath of the dib, and he got his hands on it. "Ready?" He threw it open, hoping for good loot, and to help Twilight somehow.

There was a flash of light as he opened it, and he heard a “Yes! Yes! Whatever you’re doing now clarifies the signal!” A few hoofsteps. "Can you do that again?"

Sandra waved at the three vanishing chests, their contents littering the area. "We're out of chests to open, sorry. So, what are you up to?"

"Trying to help," she replied miserably. "I'll just have to keep working. I'm closer, I know it!"

Spike reached for a blue-glowing sword and jogged over to Garble. "Hey, this might be your thing."

"Ooo, thanks." He snatched it up and held it high, squinting at it just so to reveal its statistics. "Mmmm, nah. Our smith did a good job with the one I got." He lightly punched Spike in the shoulder. "Thanks for checking though."

Sandra was fixated on the invisible but audible spot. "Say, I have an idea."

Something fell over. Some books. "What's that?" asked Twilight, her voice approaching.

"Right now, you're basically just a voice in our world, a spirit, if you will, so…"

Smolder suddenly slid in front of Sandra. "You're kidding."

"I'm not kidding." Sandra put her hands on her hips, looking to Smolder, then past her to the unseen point that held Twilight. "If you accept my help, you can visit us, and help us!"

Smolder turned to face Twilight's voice. "But you'll be her summon, her pet."

"They are not pets!" Sandra stomped a foot. "They could leave any time they wanted, so Twilight can go home if she doesn't like it, but she could also help us."

“It sounds like I’d be making a link with my magic? I’m right now just talking into my horn, more or less… but if I were too… hangon!”

The silence hung over the four people in the party, looking at each other for the voice they weren’t even sure was coming back.

“Okay I got it!” Twilight’s voice resounded from nowhere.

“Got what?” Spike asked.

“An astral projection spell! It normally allows you to just sort of float around as a spirit somewhere, although usually it’s pretty easy to dispel. If I use this I might be able to make whatever link Sandra is looking for.”

“See, Twilight is fine with it!” Sandra said, shooting a quick glare at Smolder. She then calmed down, starting to focus, trying to find it out.

“Oh, uh, start casting it, Twilight!” Spike announced.

“You don’t have to shout I can hear you just fine,” the disembodied voice replied. "Now if I… Oh, oh! Perfect." Unseen, she dove between worlds, well, just a part of her, barely a fragment by many measures.

Sandra could feel the presence of a spirit, purple, with soft fur and a bright smile. Big wide wings and a long pointy horn. "Twilight?" she asked in that mental space of hers. "Is that you?"

"It would appear so." She looked left and right in that strange empty space. "Where are we?"

"We're, um… inside me? In my head, I think. We have to make a deal." She thrust forward a hand. "I promise to respect your power and wishes and help protect your friends. I ask that you help me do that, so they can get home, to you."

Twilight stepped forward, her hooves making not a sound on the ground that wasn't even a surface. "That seems like a fair deal, but you also sound like there's something else there." She inclined her head faintly. "I hope we can learn each other, so you share that with me. For now, I will agree to these terms."

Sandra wilted as the possibility of being discovered for her flaws came up, only to brighten as Twilight pushed right past them. "Then I call you."

She opened her eyes and ran her staff in a circle, tracing a perfect circle of purple. "Come forth, Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Magic!"

Emerging from the hovering circle, Twilight burst into being as if caught mid-leap, hitting the ground with a firm clop of all four hooves.

Spike and Smolder both cheered, charging their friend. Garble looked a bit muted compared to them. "Oh, Pony Princess, welcome aboard."

But Twilight said nothing to them, though she gently embraced her wayward little brother and student. She stood up and pointed to her throat, then shook her head.

Sandra blinked. “You are adorable!” She almost ran up to hug, but stopped and coughed. “I mean. Good. Good.”

“I don’t think she can talk,” Spike said, looking up and down. “And she also looks… a little different?”

Twilight spirit nodded, and then looked at herself. She was the same color as always, except that she had a faint glow about her, the color of her magic. Her hair and tail was slightly translucent, and she couldn’t see that change, but her pupils were gone, replaced entirely with that color.

Sandra waved at the representation of Twilight. "It's not… exactly her, but it's her, inside. Outside, she's my summon. I bet she can do all kinds of things."

Twilight turned on her summoner, horn glowing. Sandra could hear the thoughts that were otherwise silent, "I am in your magic. I will be limited by what you can do. But I'll do my best to help us all get through this."