//------------------------------// // The maze, part 4 // Story: Truths of a prophecy // by Cookiedash //------------------------------// 'RRRRRRAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW' It sounded in the distance, "What in tarnation wus that?" Applejack shouted as she jumped about 10 hooves in the air. "How many times? I. Said. SHHHHHHHH!" Pinkie Pie scolded "Sorry Pinkie. Ah didn't mean ta be so loud." "Well, next time, don't be so loud. Now, SHHHH." "Sorry. Hey, is this where ya found the orb?" "Yes. Now, come on, looks like somepony else is there already." Pinkie Pie and Applejack crept carefully into the clearing. A familiar stallion with three very familiar fillies where standing close to a large, freaky looking statue. A blue orb was held tightly to the creature's chest. Night Walker and the crusaders seemed to be freaking out about something. Night Walker looked like he had seen a ghost and was hyperventilating, while the crusaders were running around in circles as if something was chasing them. Suddenly, Scootaloo stopped screaming and running, she had spotted something. Now, she looked directly at Pinkie and Applejack, who had hidden in the darkness of the passageway. "Uhh, hello? W-Who's there?" "It's only us, Scootaloo." Applejack replied, before a pink hoof quickly slapped itself onto her mouth "Shhh, we don't know if we can trust them. They might be something that this maze has crated to lure us in." Mphh, mmmfff!" Applejack tried to say "Applejack?" Scootaloo called, Applejack nodded her head and started moving into the light, but was dragged back by the sour, pink earth pony next to her. "Don't move. We can't trust it." Applejack had finally had enough, taking a leaf from Pinkie's book, she licked the hoof that was holding her mouth shut and jumped into the light. Pinkie quickly removed her hoof with a disgusted 'eew' and fell backwards from the force of Applejack's jump. The commotion between Night Walker and the other two crusaders stopped instantly and they stared at Applejack. Then, they realised that they had been screaming at each other and quickly said a few apologies, before turning their attention back to Applejack, and the pink pony who was now slinking her way out of the dark. Rarity was currently helping Fluttershy carry an unconscious Twilight through the maze. Fluttershy had already explained what had happened, multiple times, and Rarity still couldn't believe it, Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, fainted because Fluttershy explained something. She felt Twilight stir on her back and knew she was waking up, Fluttershy seemed to have felt it too, and they both stopped and looked back at the horn-less unicorn. Carefully, they put her down on the ground and nudged her. One of Twilight's eyes flickered open, and then the other. She groaned as light poured in and shut her eyes again. Slowly, she moved a hoof up to her face and rubbed it. Then, groggily, she sat up. She looked around and saw her two friends. "Ughhh, my head." "T-Twilight? Are you ok? I-I'm sorry." She heard Fluttershy whisper "Yes, Twilight dear, how are you? You've been out almost an hour." "How do you know that? The sun hasn't changed position since we entered this stupid maze." "Pegasus senses." Fluttershy replied "Mmmm, right. Owww, I got a headache. What happened?" "Well, umm, it seems that dear Fluttershy hear, may have given you an explanation that caused you to faint." "...Oh, I remember now, the half an hour long explanation, Fluttershy gave me without breathing...Right." "So, why did you faint?" "Why? WHY? BECAUSE! She didn't take a breather!" "Umm, Twilight, us Pegasi are known for being able to hold our breath for long periods of time, it's one reason why we can survive high altitudes." "B-But Rainbow Dash runs out of breath when Pinkie hugs her!" "Pinkie squeezes all the breath out of Rainbow before she can hold it, Rainbow has no air in her lungs. Pegasi still need to breathe, we can just hold it longer than most ponies." "..." "Umm, Twilight?" "...Oh dear." Paul was angry. He was angry at that weird voice who seemed to know his friends. He was angry at the stupid voice who made a 'deal' with him. He was angry at the evil voice who implied that he had broken Pinkie Pie. He growled and looked up at the sun. It hadn't moved from it's position sitting high in the sky since they entered the maze. Did that mean that time was frozen? Or that what was happening was actually happening really fast but he felt like it was taking forever. He had long since become lost in the endless tunnels of wall, and bush, but he plodded on all the same, trying to find his friends, at one point, he thought he heard a scream, but it was too distant to really tell, and when nothing more came, he shrugged it off. That stupid voice had told him that he would go and find Rainbow Dash, all Paul had to do was fix Pinkie. But, how was he supposed to fix Pinkie if he couldn't find her? And, what if the voice doesn't hold up it's end of the bargain? What if it can't. It's just a voice, after all. Paul stopped and pondered this for a second. He remembered there being nothing under the hoof of the giant robot when it had lifted it's hoof. Maybe the voice did hold up it's end of the bargain and had gone back in time to save Rainbow Dash, but then that didn't explain why everything went in slow motion as the hoof came crashing down on the rainbow maned pegasus, with nothing appearing to get her out of there, and if that did happen, why wasn't the voice thing crushed too? Paul shook his head, it didn't make sense, Rainbow must have figured a way out herself, but, if that was the case, then, why didn't she come back to them? Then there was what the little orange filly, Scootaloo, had said, 'SHE'S PROBABLY OUT THERE, HURT!' Was what she had said, what if she was right? What if Rainbow had found a way to escape, but was injured in the process, and couldn't make it to the portal in time? Suddenly, Paul's face dropped, if-if that was the case, if Rainbow had really survived, and was injured, then, then, they had just left her! Alone! Hurt! What if she died afterwards? Because her wounds weren't seen to? What if she managed to survive that first stomp, but continued to be assaulted by the giant robot pony?! 'Now now, you know that isn't true, after all, the giant robot had neither salt or an ass.' Paul was confused for a second 'An ass is a donkey. stupid mutt' Paul growled at the voice, remembering that he hated it, and hearing what it had said under it's breath, 'And, don't worry, I'll uphold my end of the bargain, I just have to find your dear friend, she can be very, slippery, when it comes to escaping.' Then, the voice vanished again. Paul didn't know what the voice was talking about when it said that Rainbow Dash was 'very slippery when it came to escaping' and he wanted to find out, just as soon as he found his other friends and escaped the maze. "...Uhh, Hi, Pinkie..." Sweetie Belle said slowly, as much as she was used to the Pink ponies antics, something was off about her. "Howdy, sis!" Applebloom called "Am Ah glad ta see you! Now, we jus' need ta wait fer the others!" "Yeh. I hope they don't take too long, or we'll be waiting for hours!" Scootaloo said "How do you know? The sun hasn't moved at all since we entered this maze!" Asked Sweetie Belle "Pegasus senses." Came the reply. "What I'd like to know is, 'why is Pinkie Pie acting like that? Last, I remember, she was super hyperactive and cheerful, now she looks as if that kind of behavior couldn't come from her." Night Walker asked "Ah don't rightly know." Applejack said "Ah think it might be 'cause o' Rainbow. Pinkie always did love pullin' a good prank with her, and they were best friends, ah guess maybe she's takin' the hit harder than the rest o' us." "Poor Pinkie." Sweetie Belle sympathised, then she realised that her orange friend was sniffling beside her, "Aww, don't be sad Scoots. I know you miss her, but I don't think she'd want her number one fan crying over her. She'd want you to be cool and live up to her standards." Scootaloo smiled, despite herself. "Thanks Sweetie, your a great friend." She then gave her a quick hug before pulling away, blushing a bit from submitting to the sappyness. "Hmm, well, I hope Pinkie gets better soon. And, while we're waiting for the others, why don't we try to get the orb down?"