Ponies All Day-Writing Challenge

by ThunderTempest

18:30-19:00 "Not Nearly As Easy As It Looks"

Twilight Sparkle fumbled around, attempting to light her horn, but it wasn’t any use.

“Would you please stop making so much noise, Sparkle? Trixie is trying to concentrate.”

“And how, exactly, is you concentrating going to get us out of here? You were the one who insisted on me coming with you, so what exactly am I supposed to do here?” Twilight stalked towards where she thought Trixie was, when suddenly, the other unicorn yelled out for her to stop.

“Take two steps backwards, Sparkle.”

Twilight did.

“Now take two steps forwards.” Confused, Twilight complied. A few seconds later, Trixie was scrabbling at the floor behind Twilight.

“Trixie, would you mind explaining this?”

“There’s a false panel here. Your hoofsteps sound different when going over it.”

“You can hear that?”

Trixie was silent for a while. When she spoke, it was so softly that Twilight had to strain to hear it.

“Trixie was not always just a travelling performer. Trixie used to work as an...acquirer of rare objects. Trixie is not entirely proud of this fact.” There was a click, and the stone panel in the floor slid back, and Trixie shoved her hooves in.

“Ugh. This thing is filled with bugs. Hang on...there is a lever here. Pulling it. Stay alert.” A click resounded throughout the pitch black chamber.

“Well, that can’t be good.” Said Twilight. It wasn’t. Darts began to fly through the air, but Twilight put up a shield, letting the darts impact harmlessly against it.

“Ah-ha! Round lever, four hoof grips. Get over here, Sparkle. Keep that shield up, and help me pull this up. Follow my hooves down.” Twilight did as Trixie said, and eventually found her hoof grips.

“Ready?”

“Lift!” said Trixie, and the two mares pulled the column up until it locked into place. There was a rumble, and one of the walls of the chamber dropped to reveal a passage out into daylight.

“You coming, Sparkle?” said Trixie, as she walked down the corridor towards daylight.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #316: “Sensory Deprivation Prompting”
Two or more characters must accomplish a task while in a pitch-black environment with zero visibility.