//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Tangled in a Funny Cog // Story: Unidentified Path Forward // by Partycannon_ //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle after a long sleep under a large oak tree got up and began trotting. She was headed to a town that she had on her old map, she has never heard of the place so she hoped that it would be quite and allow her to live in peace for a little while. However when she got over the hill, there stood ruins filled with foliage and not a single pony in sight. Sweetie was less then enthusiastic but with lack of another goal she decided to check it out anyways. A pegasus finally reached the town she searched endlessly for, the ancient artifact had to be here, it had to be. The female pegasus had different shades of grey in her mane. "I hope the plants here isn't as dangerous as the other towns. Aw, who am I kidding, I hope its more dangerous!" said the mare. "I am not sure where I am, but it looks like this place... I think I know what I need to do here," the earth pony looked at the ruins. He's a orange stallion with brown puffy hair. He turns back to a rubber chicken. "Isn't that right... Boneless..." -:: 2 Neutral Ponies: Within: 1 Mile ::- -:: Approximately: 64 Hostiles: Everywhere ::- -:: Hostiles: Nonmoving Combatants ::- 'What the hay does that mean? Also why do random ponies show up every time there is an enemy?' Sweetie complained in her mind. Sweetie looked around for enemies but only saw plants, she felt that the plants were moving and just decided to stay as far away from them as possible. She noticed that the town had four roads, they where respectfully the directions of North, East, West, and South. The roads met in the center of town and there was a big fountain that had stone ponies holding up stone fish with holes as mouths, Sweetie assumed this is where the water would come out but there was not a drop to be found also the foliage overtook most the fountain. Sweetie also decided to watch the two ponies as they got closer to the fountain but they where on opposite roads and didn't notice each other because of the large fountain blocking their view. She noticed that she recognized one of them but couldn't pin point it. The other pony was no one she recognized but looked out of place in a forgotten town. While the pegasus looked around for what Sweetie assumed to be traps or a hidden entrance while avoiding the foliage. The earth pony trotted up to the fountain, he decided to try and poke at the foliage. "WAIT DON'T POKE THAT!" Sweetie shouted and instantly threw her hoof in her open mouth. However Sweetie was to late, the foliage was poked. Both ponies heard and turned to her but the ground began to rumble. They both darted over to sweetie, the pegasus turned back to the fountain once she got within twenty or so feet. The fountain began to crack while the ground continued to rumble. "Hey, you know your not supposed to touch plants you don't know right?" said the pegasus. The fountain cracked all the way to the top and split with the ground revealing a huge vine with a bright pink pedals in the shape of a mouth at the end. "Heh, oopsie!" the earth pony gave off a smirk while rubbing the back of his head. "Well its too late now!" the pegasus let out a sigh. "Watch the kid, I got this!" she grew a smirk. 'Pony watching became the pony getting watched huh?' thought Sweetie with a dead panned expression. 'Wait I'm a robot!' A root flew out of the ground as it grew spikes, it attempted to land on the group of three non plants. However all three of them jumped out of the way, one however, was pulled by the earth pony. "Hey little filly it seems like you need a smile!" said the earth pony. "Well we are getting attacked by a plant creature right now," Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Here you want a balloon?" the earth pony brought out a balloon in the shape of a plant. "Um, no thanks. Also look out behind you," Sweetie said pointing her hoof at a vine getting ready to wrap around the two of them. "How about hitting a piñata?" asked the earth pony while blindfolded, hitting the vines. "I'm good, there is also a vine above us getting ready to hit us," Sweetie said just staring at the earth pony. "Wow, you got good senses. Do you like sports?" said the earth pony now wearing a red jersey winding up and hitting the vine. "Not interested, behind me," Sweetie answers in a dull tone. "You have to love food right?" the earth pony shoots a large cake from a catapult hitting a plant behind her. "Its okay," Sweetie blinks. "Alright that should take care of it for now," said the pegasus trotting up to the two of them. "So, what the hay are the two of you doing here?" "I had a sense that I needed to cheer some pony up," said the earth pony. "Uh, I don't need cheering up and there is no pony else here, unless you need it?" Sweetie looks to the pegasus as she gives a fake smirk. "Also I'm not saying." "How do you know its only us three?" asked the pegasus. "Not counting the plants there is only the three of us and boneless," replied the earth pony. "Who? Anyways off topic, you two need to leave. That plant monster can come back at any point now and I don't do teams," said the pegasus. "Wait are you, Daring Do? Rainbow Dash would totally want an autograph. Wait, I never read any of her books but isn't Daring Do under fiction?" asked Sweetie putting a hoof up to her chin. "Yeah I'm Daring Do," said the pegasus uninterested. "But you guys need to leave now!" "Are you sure you don't need cheering up?" said the earth pony with a wide grin. "You seem upset!" -:: Ground: Beginning to Crumble ::- "Hey guys," said Sweetie. "I am not upset, you guys just need to leave, its dangerous!" Daring Do said angrily. "Guys!" said Sweetie again. "Do you need a cupcake?" the earth pony pulls out a pink cupcake with rainbow sprinkles. "GUYS!" Sweetie shouted. "Oh forget it!" The ground then concaved under their hooves and the three of them fell down a newly formed hole. The first one up was Daring and she began to investigate immediately while the earth pony pulled Sweetie out of the dirt and began lighting some light sticks. The shadows did not like the light sticks but the earth pony shooed them away. "Whoa! Who knew that this town was built over some ancient ruins from pony past." Daring investigated the walls made of fantastical brick work then a large stone door with words written across it. "Its Old Equestrian, it reads: Another ponies laughter is key." "Uh, can I leave now?" asked Sweetie, shadows entangling her hooves. "No, I actually need you two for this one," said Daring continuing to look at the door. "The last time I tried doing one of these puzzles without another pony I ended up in a dungeon for a week." "I rather not," Sweetie cringed. "Listen little filly, nothing in life always goes right. Personally I would love to do this by myself but you are dealt a hand in life and you have to play with it. The best thing to do is make the best of it." Daring kicked a rock. "I couldn't have said it better myself! Plus doing these types of things is great for getting to know each other and nothing is better then making new friends and then hanging out with them." the earth pony had a wide grin. "The name is Cheese, Cheese Sandwich," he brought his hoof out to Sweetie. "Fine! My name is Sweetie Belle..." She was annoyed. "Now that we are all introduced lets start this puzzle," Daring turned to the group. "Um, why did the chicken cross the road?" "AHAHAHA! I LOVE THAT ONE" Cheese rolled on the ground and removing tears while Daring rolled her eyes. "W-Wait, I have one: I was eating a cheese sandwich yesterday and cut my mouth. That's what I get for eating sharp cheddar," Cheese was proud of that one. Daring gave that one a small chuckle. "That was the best joke you had?" "If it makes another pony laugh then that's all that matters, it doesn't need to be smart, hay it doesn't even need a punch line." said Cheese. "So it looks like your the last one Sweetie Belle, hmm let me think of a good joke," said Daring putting her hoof up to her mouth. "I got this one," Cheese's eyes narrow as he walks over to the pegasus pulling out a feather. The door opened and allowed them to go through, Sweetie Belle was not happy. The group of three continued on walking down a flight of stone stairs just to be stopped by yet another similar looking door, this time the weird letters where different. "Old Equestrian again, it reads: Tell of what allows you to go forward," Daring continued to read the line in her head over and over again. "I think it means, what lets us get up everyday? Like what drives us?" "That one is easy, the ability to make others laugh and make their days that much better," answered Cheese whole heartedly. "I guess mine is a good story. There is just something about adventures, they never turn out how you think," said Daring with a proud smile. "Um, friendship?" Sweetie responded. The two of her party members look at her. "The door didn't open, do you have anything else," said Cheese with a smile. "Fine... The hope that one day I will wake up and everything will turn back to normal," Sweetie looked down narrowing her eyes. The door opens behind Cheese and Daring while looking at Sweetie, they then turn to each other with a mixture of emotion. "Hey Sweetie Belle..." Cheese took out a large cupcake and Daring came over and put her hoof on his shoulder shaking her head in the process. "Come on you two, lets get through this. This next door should be the last one," Daring narrowed her eyes while turning to walk to the next door. Cheese was soon to follow but turned back and prompted Sweetie with a fake smile while continuing to trot to the next door. The group made it in front of yet another door with different lettering. "Same as the last two doors, it reads: Tell of your deepest fear," Daring made sure she read it right and turned back to the group. "Uh, I guess I'll go first again," Cheese cracked a small grin. "My deepest fear is that one day every pony wont be able to smile anymore and wont be able to share that emotion with others. Either that or vampire ponies," Cheese rubbed the back of his head. "Mine is, well. Of course the world ending, but something more personal would be: becoming to lazy to do anything." Daring said with a sigh. "Well... Mine is that I don't want others finding out who I really am, I am awful," Sweetie said looking down. The door didn't budge however. "Um, Sweetie what are you?" asked Daring. "I am. A robot." a tear dropped on the ground from Sweetie. Yet the door didn't open. "Sweetie Belle, hey, its okay," Cheese came over to Sweetie. "Sweetie Belle, are you really a robot," said Daring in a stern tone. Sweetie responded in a nod. "Does that mean that you have party canons in you body?" asked Cheese in a grin. Sweetie looked up, "What the hay are you talking about," Sweeties eyes continued to create tears. The illusion broke for Daring and Cheese, Cheese had no response while Daring jumped back in a battle pose but after noticing the filly was still crying she dropped her guard. Daring sighed. "I was not expecting this today, I'll give you that much. Regardless, Sweetie, can you tell us what your real fear is." Sweetie once again nodded. "The fact that my two best friends wont be my friends anymore! Also that my family doesn't love me either!" Sweetie covered her eyes with her hooves while Cheese gave her a warm hug. The door opened revealing a otherwise empty room other then a pedestal that held up a medal of a robot, a earth pony, and a pegasus holding up a flag of friendship. "Wait what? The artifact, it should be right here? If that artifact gets into the wrong hooves then the world could get torn apart and be plunged into eternal chaos," Daring rushed into the room, Cheese and Sweetie looked up into the room while Sweetie rubbed her eyes. "Eternal chaos? That does sound like a fun time doesn't it" a laughter fills the walls. "Who are you! What have you done with the artifact!" Daring narrowed her eyes. "Oh relax will you? I am just here for one reason and one reason only, how about a trade." a large snake came out of a crack in the wall and then turned into a familiar sight to Sweetie Belle. "Discord.. Shouldn't you be imprisoned in stone?" Daring scraped her hoof across the ground getting ready for a fight. "No, I am reformed you see?" said Discord while taking out a star made of gold and started picking his teeth with it. "This isn't a game Discord!" stated Daring. "Your right, it isn't and you ponies only have one option. To accept my trade, I didn't want to be here, however they were annoying me and Fluttershy asked me to so I didn't have a choice either," said Discord. "So what is this 'trade'?" Daring asked. "Simple, you hand over the robot and you get your artifact," Discord grinned. "That's... NOT FAIR!" Daring shouted. "Right, but you play with the cards that are dealt to you, isn't that right Daring Do?" answered Discord snapping his fingers. Sweetie and Discord disappeared while the star he was picking his teeth with dropped to the floor. Daring dashed over to it picked it up in her hat. "We have to save that filly now! Come on Cheese," Daring put her hat back on. "Roger" Cheese threw a cupcake in his eye.