Ruby Palace Vignette - Twilight of a New Era · 6:37pm Nov 28th, 2021
Twilight sat in the booth of Sugarcube Corner with her new friends. It was intimidating having all of them there, despite the various conversations. Six friends were more than Twilight’s none. It was a shock. Fluttershy was petting spike, Pinkie Pie was posting on social media, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having a thumb wrestling match for the extra cookie, they had been prevented from doing an arm-wrestling match for it because they didn’t need to be slamming the table with everyone’s drinks and such on it. Rarity was sketching style ideas for Twilight to wear instead of her old Crystal Prep uniform.
Earlier that day, the final day of the friendship games had happened. She had unleashed the magic, turned into a monster, and caused havoc. All in the pursuit of knowledge and then acceptance. These girls accepted her anyway, which is why she transferred to CHS, to be with her friends. To be normal. That decisions came with needing to solidify her school schedule in the next two hours so that she could start on Monday. All she needed to choose were two electives. She wanted to choose something with her new friends in it.
“We all have varied schedules,” Sunset said. “However, we all are taking Japanese for our language credits. CHS has a foreign exchange program for seniors. You need to pass Japanese one-o-one with an A, plus some other things to get accepted, but the first step is making sure you know the language enough to handle living in a foreign country.”
“I already have my language credits covered,” Twilight explained. “I’m fluent in Latin.”
“Yeah, but you still have free slots,” Sunset replied. “You have the minimum covered, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take another language, so long as you have all of the minimum requirements covered. If you learn two languages instead, is that a problem, academically or personally?”
“Well…” Twilight said, stalling as she thought. “No, it isn’t technically a problem. It just lacks efficiency.”
“Is there something else you would rather be doing with that class time?” Rarity asked as she grabbed her backpack. “Here I still have one of the fliers in my backpack.”
“This has a dress half sketched on the back of it,” Twilight said as she took it.
“Oh, that is where that sketch went,” Rarity laughed. “If you could just not get it dirty, or set it on the table, I kind of need that back for the design.”
“Sure,” Twilight said, quickly reading the flier. The bottom right had the information she needed, the exact requirements for getting into to the program. “A foreign exchange program is an interesting idea. Crystal Prep didn’t do that sort of thing, but parents pay to have their kids in Crystal Prep. The school wants them in class to make their money, not in a foreign classroom. Having this program on my college applications would be great. It could also be fun and I admit, it is a unique experience that is once in a lifetime.”
“I know there is at least one open seat in our class,” Rarity said. “Third period, Japanese one-o-one. I’m sure you won’t have a problem catching up.”
“I do want to take what classes I can with you all,” Twilight said as she entered the class into the online form.
“Oh, Pinkie and I are in Japanese one-o-two, fourth period,” Sunset clarified. “And Fluttershy is in Japanese one-o-three during second period. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I just happened to be taking Japanese before we decided to all try for the foreign exchange program.”
“So, are you joining us?” Dash asked.
“Yes,” Twilight nodded. “Let’s all go to Japan for a semester!”
I'm always looking for guild names, player names, creature names (with abilities) and such, because coming up with them all on my own isn't easy. Feel free to drop suggestions, but no guarantees.
Guild Name Suggestion: The Guardians of Friendship, or the GOF? for suneset and friends?
I wanna toss out another sugestion too while i am thinking about it, and this is more a suggeion you could add to the plot in order to have asides like in the previous version of this story.
Now onto my idea/Sugestion! In another fic I have read on Fanfiction.net called Mystic Knight Online. Harry Potter gets trapped in SAO after winding up against his will in Japan. And while his in there people outside caring for him find a way to view the events going on inside SAO through a hardline linked from the NERVGEAR to a Pc and or Laptop. The players however are totally unaware of this even as the method of being watched is spread around.. the view was as if a camrera was just over the players shoulder. Interstingly Kayba had not intended to allow this to be possible but decided to allow it as it would have no effect on the players seeing as they didnt know
I sugget what if something similer happened here and Sunset and friends, as well as the many other players had people watching them? It could allow chapters were we see reactions from the watchers about the events taking place inside of SAO.
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I like the GOF. I'm sticking with the Wondercolts, but I wonder if there is a way I could incorporate it in. As to your other suggestion, that is an interesting idea. Canon SAO's server did allow for them to know the rough position of each person. I don't plan on any asides or watching episodes, but the idea is intriguing.
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And if you ever want it i can drop the link to the Mystic Knight Online story
hehe, just a few suggetions I deicded to pitch your way! I am glad you found em interesting
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I wish I had time for leisure reading, but I have so much to do with school. I have Thesis Hours about to start. Drop it anyway so I can have it on hand if my schedule frees up. Thanks.
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no worries! and here you go! Mystic Knight Online Chapter 1: An Opportunity and an Unwanted Trip, a Harry Potter + Sword Art Online/ソードアート・オンライン Crossover fanfic | FanFiction
flying spaghetti monster. tomato sauce spray. hows that? and the noodles can be used like the pokemon move 'bind'....
on a more serious note- i actually look forward to this story when it's finally time.
i was thinking a wyvern or drake type lesser monster on a higher floor, can shed it's scales similar to Charybdis (that time i was reincarnated as a slime) could be a good crafting material drop source.
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There will be more wyvern and drakes throughout Aincrad. Hehehe. Binding attacks, that physically hold you, are a great idea.
I'd be the first person to admit that I am not a writer and really have zero experience doing so outside of school assignments.
I do, however, have some rough outlines for a SAO/MLP crossover story that I had put together a couple of years ago and I'd be willing to toss the basic into of that story's MC at you in a DM if you're looking for extra characters (LGBTQ+ ones in particular).
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especially when dealing with plants, or some kind of aquatic creatures.
I hope i am not the only one who hopes Fluttershy gets anotehr deadly animal as a familer/partner. Like another snake for instance lol
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There are some things that are changing, many that will be familiar, but some will be the same. The girls are in the same setting/situation, they will react the same. Colorra is one thing I am keeping. I love the snake too much.
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I was definitely thinking high level plant monsters. Maybe something semiaquatic, but without a swimming skill, you drown in SAO. Especially if you have gear on that is heavy. Most people avoid the water.
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makes sense, i think 'Bofuri' was the only vr mmorpg i saw that had swimming aspects an skills.
colorra is adorable.
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She is absolutely adorable. I love the dynamic of Doom and Colorra. Doombunny is getting a bit of an overhaul. All of the girls' game characters are to some degree. I'm changing up some skills, especially if you paid close attention to when I brought skills into the mix and in what order.
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yea, this way it gains more structure and detail.
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I am not passing over the details. I have worked out skills list for all of the characters. Some stop earlier than others because after level 100, I am not sure where many of them will be. Kirito was Level 97 at Floor 75 and I plan to keep his progression the same. It gives me a good model for how the game mechanics of leveling and experience work.
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i always got the impression leveling was a pain, no matter what, and incredibly slow for some reason.
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It is. Klein was constantly leveling, but Kirito had him by over 10 levels. Plus, it is a duel leveling system. Actions that give you overall level, which allows for more HP, skills, etc, and then a skill's individual level which caps at 1000.
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Yay for Colorra !
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reminds me of final fantasy 2, dawn of souls. you can hit your own char. in combat... this helps increase hp.
use of magic increased mp, or holy/healing magic increased spirit... etc.
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Such a classic game with so many fun features like that.
Just a few ideas.
Maybe an item giving dragon that grants you a weapon based on your stats but you don't get to choose what kind of weapon and it's from a quest that a player can only do once.
A rare dragon mount that you can customize before getting with unchangeable abilities that are different per player.
Lycanthrope NPCs that have rare drops and only spawn Halloween night.
Maybe also a guild like laughing coffin but a resurgence after they are gone called the Shadowcolts.
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First time I played that game I screwed myself. Didn't catch how "leveling" worked until late. So being used to other games, what did I do? "Healers in back, and conserve mp as much as possible"
But that's okay. Once I figured it out, I put the healers on the front and had someone in back with revives and proceeded to punish them severely. They were absolute beasts after I got done with them after just a few low level battles.
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Well, besides Colorra, I also liked the dynamic between Sunset and Plaudit and the quests they go through which hints of the SAO game's many administrative AIs evolving (due to Equestrian magic leaking into the game like in the first version) either to better fulfill the death game protocols or rebelling against said protocols. The part about the former even leaving or moving between floors and knowing they are AIs in a game is troubling..... and reminds me of both The Matrix and Disney's Tron franchise.
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yep. i always had the girl use unarmed combat from th ebeginning. bows sucked honestly.
thats how i realized how op umarmed combat was... by the end game she was my heaviest hitter.
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1: Interesting idea. The quest would be interesting and all it has to do is give a reward in a weapon class you have active.
2: The only mounts are horses. I am keeping that. Plus, more Plaudit!
3: I don't know about Halloween, only because I don't know if Halloween is even popular in Japan. I will have to look into that and other important holidays that would be celebrated.
4: Considering I'm going another 25 floors, and they were averaging a floor ever 10-14 days, there will be ample time to deal with PoH and a possible resurgence of LC and/or another red guild. I think Shadowbolts is a wiser name, but Shadow Colts with black and blue specifically playing on the Wondercolts to be mean is an intriguing idea.
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what about Yui?
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Like I said in the below comment, more Plaudit!
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I seriously love Sunset and Plaudit and can't wait to do more. And more of the two of them dealing with Merlin and his quests. Hehehe. Merlin is a lot of fun.
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Floor 74 onward is a huge thing. It is the crux of SAO series canon, but with Ruby Palace, I have to bypass it, but I can't screw up who Kirito and Asuna are. It is a very tight rope to walk. I have to solve Yui as well.
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May not need to research too much for the Halloween idea.
Take final fantasy 11 for example. A mmorpg from Japan that often adds holiday events, and Halloween is one on its roster. Might just be pandering to its western audience, but I see no reason SAO wouldn't do the same.
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Yui's under the latter group, i.e. AIs that try to resist the death game protocols. I'm guessing her lockout might be stronger due to her duties on ensuring the mental safety of the players, which directly challenges the death game protocols compared to other assisting AIs like the AI that gave Applejack her shield (which doesn't directly challenge the death game protocols, thus, it's a loophole the AI exploited to indirectly help the players)
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We know Cardinal locked out Yui, but we don't actually know if it was at the directive of Kayaba or not. I don't believe it was. He wasn't a cruel man. He didn't require players to die. He transported them to another world, albeit against their will, and gave them a challenge for the very real new world they lived in. I think Yui was designed to be supportive and help players, but Cardinal has immense power. We certainly see that canon later on.
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Japanese Christmas is very, very different than Western celebrations and is more of a showing of prosperity in a modern world. It is not an official holiday in Japan, although is celebrated in Aincrad, most notably by spawning the flag mob, Nicholas the Renegade during the second Christmas they are in Aincrad.
Apparently Halloween is also a huge event, mostly loved because of the costumes. It is in the running for a special event.
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Well, I was under the impression it was due to Cardinal following the death game protocols that led it to locking Yui out. It's actions were based on the death game protocols Kaiba programmed into Cardinal.
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I have a theori on why Cardinal locked Yui and possible other MHCPs away. Yuis desegnation is MHCP-0001 sugesting that ther are more MHCPs and in the first month they would ALL be going NUTTS as the players all dispear and the MHCPs are cought in a logic loop over who to help as all players need help at once.
This allso have to take in that the MHCPs are just that Mental Helth Care PROGRAMS. They would not be programed to actually treat or be trusted to do it. I have read an fanfic that sugested that Yuis aperans as a child is part of her programing, smal and harmles so as to not scare players away while she finds away to encurage them to seek profesional help. Other MHCPs might have differant aproches.
As for Yui in the greater story, I have tre aproches:
1. Canon. whit extra teasing of Kirito and Asuna for having found a way to a have a child and not telling anyone. Yui die.
2. Wondercolts help whit rescuing Thinker from the sublevels giving them the extra man paoer to do a full rescue whit out Yui using admin tools(that was why Cardinal erazed her). Yui lives.
3. Use the same item Silica did to revive Pina. Yui is rivived.(this one is dubius)
If you go whit 2 or 3 Kayaba would still be reviled at 75 boss(or so I am asuming) and maybe makes some coment about wishing Kirito and Asuna luck whit their little famely and make a proper get away. the Knights of Blood are dissalushend and disolvs some retiaring from the front line and others join other guilds, Kirito, Asuna and Yui join Wodercolts as it is propably the child frendliest guild around.
And now for my sugestion for a guild and a few members:
Guild name: The Varangian guard
Leder: Harvard(Norwegian)
Counsil members: Huin(swed), Vreki(dane)
I dont think I need to explain the insparation for the guild name, as fore the memders they were in Japan fore one reson or other and got cought up in SAO. Having a dane, norwegian and a swed thier are going to be a lot of bad jokes and frendly barbs flying, and as Sweden and Denmark has the dubius honor of having the most wars between two countris and a few was over how gets to rule Norway, having the norwegian in charge is an equaly hit to the national pride to bothe of them.
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While I'm not opposed to the idea, I think it's use would mainly rely on how much focus you want on characters outside the game. If people are watching, then it should be mentioned in the story. If no one within the game is aware of it, then the story would need to cut to scenes happening outside the game.
It could be an interesting concept, seeing people on the outside treating it like a form of entertainment, while the players treat it like fighting a war for survival. It would add another level to how society becomes enamored with blood sport, coliseum fights, and the battle royale genre. It would probably impact how the Woldercolts and the other survivors readjust to normal society after beating the game. In addition to PTSD and catching up with their academics, they would probably have to deal with unwanted fans. Players that decided to roleplay as a villain, such as Laughing Coffin would have it even worse, since there would be video evidence of their actions, rather than the plausible deniability that they have in canon.
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In the games, "Infinity Moment" and "Hollow Fragment" there is a character, Strea, which is another mental-health program, similar to Yui. While the games are not treated as canon, there is a good chance more programs existed. One would not be enough. Several dozen would be wisest. You would only need at max, five bases with specific counseling techniques and protocols, and then alter appearances and names for the rest. Yui was certainly designed to be viewed as a child and non-threatening.
Those are three solid suggestions with plenty of wiggle room on each path. I can't wait till we get to that part, so y'all can either lavish me with praises, or bash me for my decision on that critical issue. lol. I believe my choice is logical and satisfactory.
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I like your suggestions. I follow a comic strip, "Scandinavia and the World," and having a group of college aged foreign exchange students from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark would be very fun. The three nations are like brothers who pick on each other, but as soon as an outside group pokes at any of them, the three brother lock arms and fight together. lol. A good friend of mine is Danish, and I have known a Norwegian and a Swede. I tend to side with the Norwegians and Danes against the Swedes. lol.
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There is certainly a lot that could be done and it could easily be turned into a spectacle with fans. It would lose the adventure tale though, which Ruby Palace is still rooted in.
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Yeah, the (hypothetical) impact I'm thinking of wouldn't be felt until near the end of the story. The game would more or less become an unethical kind of streaming culture. On a smaller scale, it just feels like a way for characters outside of the game to follow along. If you aren't showing any of that, it wouldn't be needed at all.
Right now I'm thinking about what the girls would do after the game is beaten. They'd probably have the option of going to the SAO survivor school like all the others. I'm just considering if they would do it, split up, or stay together.
Another thought that crossed my mind is what would happen if Sunset was scanned by the Soul Translator. While the NerveGear used scans of one's body to create their in game avatar, the ST connects directly with the user's fluctlight or consciousness. I'm imagining if Sunny was ever talked, or forced, into it, she'd have a Unicorn avatar in the Underworld.
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Sunset using the ST could be loads of fun. Maybe a dragon, as unicorns don't exist in the Underworld. It also could be argued that since it is virtual, it would register any user as human and place them in an appropriate form.
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I figured that the ST would scan the users 'inner self,' and create an avatar based on that, regardless of species, or if it exists within Underworld's lore. It wouldn't be an issue for most, since pretty much everyone that uses it would have been born and raised human. I'm not sure if it would recreate her magic though, since Rath would have no basis for it in their world programming. Maybe the ST would use the bit of data from Sunset's scan and work it into her Sacred Arts somehow. Maybe as a Secret Skill, or as an Incarnation.
As for how Sunset ended up in that position in the first place, I'm imagining that the Japanese government would have a lot of questions after finding out Sunset Shimmer doesn't have any documentation that is more than a couple years old. There'd be even more questions if they found evidence of her magic. I don't think they'd let her go so easily after she escaped SAO, regardless if she decided to return to Canterlot or stay in Japan.
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As a foreign national, Sunset wouldn't be held over the papers. Especially after she had a legal student visa.
Her magic would have to translate to a Sacred Art, or maybe special equipment? She would receive a very high Object Control Authority and System Control Authority.
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I suppose part of that comes down to headcanon for Sunset's legal status. Personally, I imagine a combination of forged documents and making a point to not set off any red flags that would get the feds involved. In this case, her documents would be good enough to get a passport, but not hold up to a thorough background check.
In any case, while Rath is associated with the Japanese government, they're not really bound by the law or ethics. While testing the ST, Kirito had parts of his memory blocked off for security reasons. They later kidnapped him, and refused to tell his family where he was being held. Even if it was to save his life, it shows that they can act outside of the law. If they saw that the Wondercolts had some kind of psychic or paranormal abilities, they might see it as a threat to their own Defense research. They couldn't hold most of them against their will without causing an international incident, but if they found out Sunset wasn't a legal citizen, they might have more leeway in keeping her for a time.
Anyways, this is all hypothetical, and way outside the scope of Ruby Palace. It would mostly depend on how involved they became in future SAO arcs after Aincrad. Maybe they just all went home, and played ALO occasionally together while going to college a few years late. The end.
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Hypothetical, but fun.
Have you ever gotten a passport, travel visa, or had a federal background check? The only thing a passport doesn't care about is criminal record. Getting a Visa often requires a check for criminal record. A background check essentially focuses on criminal records or legal issues. I was 16 when I had my first federal background check because we were looking at adopting, so every family member had to have one. All that comes back is the basics of birth records and no criminal history (unless you have gotten yourself in trouble). All Japan would get is the same information they got on the student visa. It would have her as an enrolled high school student, a delayed birth certificate, drivers license, any traffic tickets and criminal records not sealed by the court. And after SAO, Sunset would be older than 18, meaning many juvenile criminal records are wiped from the system. She is a legal citizen of wherever Canterlot is actually located.
And the final issue is that Kirito still needs to be the one Rath needs. I need to keep Kirito intact. That is a tough challenge.
Are the vignettes part of the later story?
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Yes. Not in the same way the pilot episodes are, but they are canon to Ruby Palace. I am considering compiling them and having them as a published "vignette episodes" chapters along with the Pilot Episodes all available when the story launches, along with the first few episodes. I am planning a "shotgun" launch, where I have all of the pilot episodes, the vignettes, and 1-2 regular episodes when the story initially launches, with a few other chapters getting released over the next few hours.