One hundred years ago, deep within the great deserts of Southern Equestria, the hidden tomb of the long forgotten Pharaoh Atem Gah'mes had finally been uncovered after over a millennium of being sealed off from the world. Archeologists of the highest caliber, guided by local militia acting as defenders, had sought the tomb for academic desires after learning of its existence from ancient pre-Equestrian texts and legends about the cursed ruler of the ancient desert. What they expected to find was a burial chamber filled with wards against the cursed Pharaoh. What they did not expect was a decently intact and extravagant chamber decorated in gold, silver, and gemstones. Even more surprising, along with an intricate and dignified sarcophagus of the Pharaoh, was a tablet of marble, etched in a long forgotten language, implanted with five golden artifacts and two empty sockets, each of them imprinted with the Eye of Anubis.
While their expectations of the tomb were pleasantly dashed in favor for such a discovery, tragedy still struck the team. Two of the guardians that helped them on their journey pulled crossbows upon the unsuspecting researchers and their own comrades, and began to fire. A few of them lost their lives, while several had been injured in the attack. One of which was the yellow coated and black maned earth pony named Golden Trail. As he lay upon the ground, the light leaving his eyes, visions of his fallen colleagues and the marauders desecrating the tablet fading, he began to hear a voice.
"It doesn't have to end this way," the voice said.
Gazing about, Golden Trail spied a curious, golden sphere, etched in mysterious hieroglyphs, half buried in the sand of the tomb. Drawn to it with the last of his energy, he crawled with all his might and clutched the strange artifact. Upon a simple touch, the peculiar object glowed like the sun itself, and as he held it close to his barrel, the desperate archeologist blacked out.
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"When he next woke up, it was three days later. The wounds he sustained had miraculously vanished, and he was back in town, within the inn's room he had rented. The marauders had disappeared, and the surviving members of his group were hospitalized. It was a tragic day indeed, but one thing was for certain. All but one of the artifacts were gone, and he possessed the last of them. Despite his oath as an archeologist, he was compelled to keep the golden treasure. To keep the little sphere safe in his private possession." The gruff, light brown stallion finished his tale with a smile as he looked down towards his little son within the crib, Button Mash. The small, dark grayish brown foal with the moderate tangelo and streaked, light orange mane absentmindedly suckled his own hoof as he watched his father with twinkles in his amaranth eyes.
"Honey, are you telling Button that story again?" a mare's voice asked from down the hall.
"Heh, yeah, but he seems to enjoy that particular one," the stallion answered with a wry smile, "I mean, just look at 'im!" The little colt cooed and gurgled in response as he watched his father intently, whom walked off to the nearby closet, rummaged through the contents, and brought out a small, old wooden box, intricately carved in majestic designs. He brought it over to Button's crib, and opened it. The little colt's eyes widened to the shiny golden color of the contents, and uselessly reached for the box. The stallion's laugh was hushed, as he closed the box again. "You see this, Button? This is that artifact I told you about: It's a puzzle sphere. Passed down from my great grandfather, to my grandfather, to my father, and then to me. When my grandfather had received it, it was in pieces, as if it were dismantled by his father sometime in his life. He tried to put it back together, but he could never figure it out. No one in our line has. Then again, not a single one of us was as smart as my great grand-pappy." He laughed gingerly, as the little colt kept reaching, but was just too small to grab the box. The father sighed, wandered back to the closet, and placed it back inside, tucked away within the dark and unknown. "One day, my son, it will be yours to have, and yours to solve. I can tell that you'll be the one to do it."
As he gently tucked the small child in, passing him his favorite teddy bear with outstretched forelegs, he gave the little one a small goodnight kiss before he left Button's room. "Goodnight, son," he whispered, "I'll see you in the morning." The door slowly closed behind him, as the small foal drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
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~ ~ Twelve Years Later ~ ~
"MOOOOOOM! I'm off to school nooooooow!"
It was a sunny day in the little town of Ponyville, as children from across the neighborhood and surrounding area all proceeded out their doors and to the school house. Some were accompanied by parents, while others grouped up with their friends. While the former was out of the question in regards to Button Mash's busy mother, the latter was also off the table, despite being more desirable. It had been a few years since his best friend Sweetie Belle moved out of Ponyville with her sister, and not a day went by where he missed seeing her. Regardless, he tried to keep a pep in his prance, reassuring that he'll meet her again when it's his turn to leave town for his own pursuits. So he trekked alone through the comfortably familiar town, saddle-pack well fastened to his frame, cap resting upon his mane, and mind buzzing with all sorts of musings and ideas in the relative silence.
He gave a slight sigh at the thought of his past as he checked his very bare flank, almost out of habit. While he had some sort of speculation of what he hoped his mark would be, it turned out that he was undoubtedly perhaps the latest bloomer of the lot. Even Sweetie and her friends, despite their best efforts over the years, were unable to make any headway for him. The attitude around blank flanks had long since become considerably more pleasant, at the very least, making his recent years relatively easy. He smiled with the memories of those that were responsible for such a change, ever grateful for the lasting effects his dear friend left behind, despite his own lack of progress in realizing his talent.
And so, like the previous days before him, he reached the school house with the other kids, getting ready for a brand new day. Also like the previous days before him, the routine played out smoothly and quickly: Lessons of the world around them, questions asked and answers received, experiments and trials attempted, all strung together with recess and lunch breaks, before it was inevitably time to go back home. Every day was the same, boring event, not helped by his own lack of social interaction. Sure he did attempt to make new friends over the years, even after Sweetie left, but it never took off as well. His own fascinations and passions were a far cry more fringe than most outgoing, extroverted ponies, let alone children. No one gave much of a flip that he was extremely good at chess, or that he could solve a puzzle cube in an hour, complete an advanced puzzle in dozens of minutes, or never even lost a one-on-one match in "Them's Fightin' HerdsTM". It didn't bother him, though. Even if no one even came close to the level of interest he had for games and puzzles, there was no doubt in anypony's mind that becoming the best with them was certainly taking a step towards his true calling. It was just a normal, average day.
At the very least, today's subjects held Button's Interest. In mathematics, they were continuing the studies of probabilities, fractions, and percentages, even discussing how it applies to both regular life and recreation, citing Las Pegasus as a prime example. In Literature, they were taught the merit of character flaws and character foils, how both heroes and villains compliment each other in terms of the story in some way, shape, or form, and how character dynamics and personalities can play off each other. History was all about the ancient desert ponies and the pharaohs that ruled them, and how many of the tombs and lost temples have only been recently uncovered.
As the day came to a close and the evening matured to a warm orange glow, the children left school for another night and returned to town; to play, be with friends, and ultimately return to their loving families. Mothers and fathers greeting them with warm smiles and hugs, questions about their day, and the occasional lecture if trouble was ahoof. Button Mash was no exception, as he returned to his comfy home and a loving mother.
"MOOOOM! I'm HOOOOOME!"
It was a simple home, like most others: Warm, golden yellow walls framed with dusty rose painted corner support beams housing handcrafted furniture and decorated with various nick-knacks. Pictures of the family dotted the walls and surfaces, presenting a proud mother and father with their baby colt, solo portraits for the sake of class and remembrance, and the occasional photo of a happy memory. Button looked up to the portrait of his father. A former excavator and archeologist, mustache enthusiast, and loving husband and provider that left an impact on his young heart. It was hard to believe he could remember him so well even now, even after so many years have gone by since he passed from heart problems.
Never the less, the ponies left behind were strong, both wife and child, brave even in the face of such sorrow, and despite hardships and occasional bumps in the road, they continued to live happy. In the land of Equestria, especially in Ponyville, it was hard to imagine anything else happening that could make Button’s life at home more difficult, and he’d prefer to keep it that way. Honestly, the relative safety of the small town and protection by the Princess of Friendship is exactly why it was so peaceful. Especially with such strange things happening all over the world, with Canterlot as the prime example of the bizarre; It went from the shining beacon of love, tolerance, and prosperity to a saccharine city with a few ticks hiding at its underside. The Princesses have tried to bring the peace back up to par, but due to being swamped by the Nobles’ demands and the complaints of everyday citizens, it hasn’t been easy to getting anything restored. At least someone there took up the mantle of Mare-Do-Well to try and put the city back under control. It was always so cool for Button to read about her exploits in crime fighting, something he wished he could emulate. An average, silly colts’ dream.
Life was good for the little colt and it very much seemed like nothing was gonna change that.
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Dark, darker, yet darker still, the average day bled into a cursed night, as the Royal Guard scoured the town from snout to tail. Their presence, an unusual sight by most in the sleepy little town at the best of times, was almost chilling after word got around the drowsy populous that something horrible had transpired.
At the center of it all was the Castle of Friendship, home to Twilight Sparkle, which was situated at the top of Ponyville. Dozens of guards were lined up while the leader of the platoon conversed with the honored Princess herself.
“I’m really sorry I can’t be any more help than this,” Twilight apologized, giving a small bow.
“It is quite unnecessary to apologize, Princess,” He replied humbly, “Normally, we wouldn’t dare impose such a task on you, but our hooves are tied at the moment. The house has been ransacked beyond reasonable repair, and the poor boy doesn’t have anywhere to go. No close relatives live within a reasonable distance to the victims, and there aren’t even any orphanages near enough to be used for lodgings.”
“Well, I have enough room to hold onto the little guy for the time being, that’s certain,” she admitted, “I just can’t believe something like this could happen to my Ponyville.”
“Times are strange these days, Princess Sparkle.”
“I suppose,” she muttered, before a thought came to the forefront, “Have you found anything out on who did this?”
“We have, but it isn’t much to go by at the time being. Aside from the remains from the explosive we found, all we have been able to figure out is that at least two individuals were involved. One of them is possibly of griffon origin, if the feathers found are any indication, but we cannot guarantee the theories presented by our forensics team. Tracks were also found, but were mixed well with tracks from other ponies. It would take days to properly sort out which are which.”
“Right,” she sighed. “Well, thank you for giving me a rundown of the situation. I suppose you’ll be notifying Princess Celestia and Princess Luna as well?”
“While this is a local matter,” he started with a grimace, “Despite the victim’s... ‘living’ condition, it’s obvious that the attempt on her life is what put her in this situation. In any case, attempted murder is still quite the crime. It’s something that will need to be taken to the high court of the Princesses’. If... When we do find them, it’s very possible that the surviving able victim will be called to identify the perpetrators and testify against them. He’ll need to be kept safe until such time.”
“I’ll keep a close eye on him,” she reassured. She looked behind her, able to see into one of the rooms that he was placed in for the time being. The door was cracked open enough to reveal her forced guest was huddled up on a couch, desperately hugging his belongings within a saddle-pack.
“We know you will.” The commander of the platoon gave a small bow, before ending with a short thank you and wishing her a good night. Twilight responded in kind before she gently closed the door, held against its surface for a moment before sighing and dropping to the floor. So many questions ran through her head, and not a single one of them had an answer she didn’t dread. And here I was hoping to start up my School of Friendship by next week, she thought bitterly. Not with this horrible cloud over the town, that’s for sure.
She looked back to the room with the door slightly ajar, and decided to check in on her incidental guest. She slowly approached the room and pushed the door open further before stepping inside. She got closer to the little colt, whom was still clinging to his stuff, sobbing weakly to himself.
“Button?”
He gave a sniffle as he pried his bleary eyes away from his bag and looked towards Twilight. “Wh-where’s my m-m-mom?”
Her breath hitched for a moment, not entirely unprepared for the question, but still lacked a decent answer. “She’s,” she started, trying to find the right words, “Not here...”
“Whe-when can I g-go b-b-back home?” he asked, trying in vain to hold back his tears.
“I...” She was once again caught without an answer, as her eyes briefly pulled away from the little child’s pathetic, shivering form and pleading eyes in favor of looking into the dark of the room. “I can’t say. You’ll be staying here until...” Eyes coming back to Button made her heart fracture, forcing her to reconsider her words. In trying times, she was never one for tactful responses, but this was a situation that needed it the most. Mustering up all of her willpower, she reconsidered what she was about to say, and instead told the poor child, “You can stay as long as you need to, Button. You don’t even need to go to school tomorrow if you don’t want to. You’ve been through quite a bit, and it might do you some good to get some much needed rest.”
Button simply nodded, before returning his gaze to his saddle-pack, which he clung to just a bit tighter.
Twilight gave a sigh as she looked at the clock and noticed it was an hour away from midnight. With a little summoning spell, a fluffy pillow and a decent sized blanket materialized out of the air and floated towards her guest. “Here. Make yourself comfy. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be in the room next door tonight. Ok?”
Button simply nodded again, pulling away from his saddle-pack, only to take the bedding and threw it to one side of the couch, not wanting to make a bed for himself for the time being.
She stood silent for a moment, wishing she could do more for the little boy. If it weren’t for the time of night and what he just went through, it wouldn’t have been a bad idea to have Spike help cheer him up. She shook her head, realizing that considering the “what ifs” wasn’t going to do any good, and instead opted for the only thing she could do. “Goodnight, Button. Remember, I’ll be just next door if you need me.” With that, she slowly backed out of the room and closed the door, leaving the child alone.
For a few moments he sniffled, clinging to his belongings, too upset to be tired. His sore eyes, sick of staring into the now dulled and stained colors of his saddle-pack, now gazed around the room. Despite the shadows that were just barely pushed back by the lamp on the nearby desk, it was clear enough that Button was in some sort of lounge or study. Bookshelves could just barley be seen, but he couldn’t make much detail out of the darkness. It was somewhat comforting and inviting, even if his own soul was still shivering and on edge. His eyes wandered to the nearby clock as it slowly ticked away in the silence.
He gave a shaky sigh as his eyes began to drift into empty space, no longer interested in looking at anything. As the interest dwindled, so too did the mental wall he placed after the incident. Slowly but surely, be began to think about what just happened only a handful of hours ago.
It was almost a blur to him, even when it transpired. He had just finished eating dinner and had wrapped up the rest of his school work for the night, getting ready to play a game, when his mom came into his room in a panic. She told him something he didn’t quite catch, then was told to gather this things quickly. He grabbed his schoolbag, and stuffed it with his toys and games, still not really understanding what was going on. He half expected his mother to chastise him for prioritizing his games and action figures but no lecture came as the sound of a crash was heard, and he was suddenly grabbed by his mother and brought to her bedroom. She hid him in the closet, and told him to stay put, no matter what may happen. He did as he was told, and stayed as quiet as a mouse, only watching what was going on through the blinds.
There, he saw it all. Shadowy figures surround his mother, arguing with her. They were looking for something and were getting desperate. She fought back and told them that she didn’t have what they were looking for. Button remembered turning away upon seeing his mother getting hit, afraid of what would happen next. He closed his ears for good measure, only hearing muffled talking and stifled cries of pain. Then, silence, which dared him to uncover his ears and open his eyes. Unable to see anything, he opened the closet door only to notice a hissing sound in the dark.
There was then a loud bang, which threw him back and slammed the closet doors, shaking everything in the enclosed space upon the sudden shock. The impact his little body made against the wall was almost enough to knock him out, but the sudden fall of something rather heavy hitting him on the head finished the job.
When he came to, his head hurt with a dull throb. Further still, the intruders were long gone, now replaced by a guard that had just finished searching the room and opened the closet door to find him inside. While he didn’t get a good look at the scene while he was being moved out, the wreckage, scorch marks, and dark stains told him everything he needed to know.
He gave a light sob at the horrible memory. Squeezing his eyes shut and scrunching up his face, Button tried his hardest to remember better times. His efforts were rewarded with memories of the last few years. Times when he came home from school to be greeted by a smiling mother and a fresh apple pie. Times when he spent the weekend nights playing video games, and his mom would step in to join him, always surprised that she could even play. Times when he came home with a bad grade and even though she chastised him for not focusing on his studies, she still found it in her heart to encourage him to do better. Being grounded for a few weeks with a gaming ban for his poor work ethic didn’t even sour the moment in hindsight.
“M-mom...”
For all intents and purposes, he was hoping the trip down memory lane would help relax him enough to finally sleep. Looking to the clock, it was far beyond his bed time by now, and while he could feel the weight of his eyelids growing heavy, it simply wasn’t enough now. He clutched his bag for a moment, before remembering that he threw a bunch of his toys and games inside when he was told to pack.
He unbuckled the flap and rummaged through the contents in the dark, barely able to see what he had actually threw in there, but recognizing a few things from touch alone. A deck of cards, his hoofheld JoyboyTM with a set of games, a colored cube puzzle, and...
Wait, what’s this? Curious about the unknown object, he pulled it free from his pack and held it up into the lamp light to get a better look. It was a medium sized box, gift wrapped in bright, birthday themed wrapping paper. The tag on it said “To: Button. From: Dad”. His eyes widened as it just stared at it, dumbfounded and lost for words. He hopped off the couch with the gift still in his hoof and set it near the lamp. Even in the new light, nothing changed. His eyes hadn’t deceived him. This was a birthday gift to him from his long gone father. Distant, blurry memories of him came and went to recall what he was like to no avail. It was far too long since he had been with him face to face and he too was far too young to have any good memories.
He gave a depressed sigh, disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to draw on any comfort from this sudden turn of events to help him cope. But then, he realized the obvious. “Wait, this is... a birthday gift for me.” He stared at it for a little longer, before he pulled away. In truth, his birthday was still a month away, and he wasn’t about to rip into it just because he felt sad. It didn’t feel right.
Then again, he thought, maybe Mom would want me to open it up to feel a little better. Button gave a wry smile, banking on the possibility that maybe his lost parents actually would have encouraged him to open the gift early in an effort to stay positive in this trying time. He gazed towards the door nearby and listened intently for activity, but not a peep was heard outside the door, or even in the next room over. Assured he was alone with no one to barge in on him, he began to tear into the present and unfold the box.
Inside was a small, old, wooden box, intricately carved with majestic designs. Suddenly, faded, blurry memories came to mind in brief flashes, with images of gold and a warm smile along with the feeling of anticipation. Button slid the wrapping away and set the box before him on the countertop. Looking it over, he noticed a bronze latch without a lock. Slowly and carefully, he raised the latch and pushed open the lid until the contents inside were entirely uncovered. Within the walls of the box was a mound of golden objects of different shapes, and a piece of folded parchment slid between the pieces. Button took out the parchment, wondering what it could be. Upon unfolding it, he learned quite quickly it was a letter, addressed to him.
Dear Button,
Happy Birthday, my dear boy. If you’re reading this, then you’re getting ready to go off on your own and become a fine young stallion. I’m sorry I won’t be there to see it, but my time has been running short for quite some time. I’m so lucky to have met your mother and have had you, and I will never forget the fond memories I’ve made while we were together. I do hope that you’ll never forget the memories you’ve made with your mother. I hope you’ve taken care of her while I was gone, my son.
Button stifled a sob as he continued reading.
Inside this box, as I’ve showed you so many years ago by the time you read this, is the pieces to a puzzle sphere, passed down from generation to generation. No one in our line has been able to solve it since it was first taken apart all those years ago. I’ve given up on it a long time ago because I could never figure out these sorts of things. A rock would have better luck than me, my son.
Button laughed a little.
In any case, even if you never solve it in your life, just know that me and your mother would never think anything bad of it and would always encourage your best. If you do solve it, then keep it with pride, my son. Walk tall with your accomplishment, and remember that if you can do what a few generations couldn’t do, then you can do anything you set your mind to.
I love you, Button. I hope you have had a good life and will have a better future from this point forward.
The young pony sniffled, wiping away a fresh stream of tears from his cheek as he folded the parchment up and slid it into his saddle-pack for safekeeping. Maybe, he thought, I could give solving it a shot. It might help me sleep, at least.
Returning to the countertop with the lamp and the puzzle, he emptied the contents of the box onto the surface as gently as possible. Despite his efforts, some of the golden pieces still clattered harshly against the polished wood, causing Button to freeze momentarily. Once he knew that his noise didn’t arouse suspicion, he placed the emptied container off to the side, and gazed at the pieces once again, now scattered. They shimmered and shined in the light of the lamp, looking as warm as the sun itself.
Picking up a few of the pieces, he looked them over, trying to get a good idea of how they’d fit together. Surprisingly, after giving them a once over, he realized that there were seventy-two pieces in total, seventy of them being nearly identical, and two uniquely shaped ones. About a third to a half of the nearly identical pieces had etchings and odd bumps along specific sides, almost as if the outside was supposed to be a very specific pattern. Furthermore, the surface to said specific sides of these pieces were ever so slightly curved compared to the entirely straight angles, faces, and teeth that made up what seemed to be the majority of the puzzle.
He picked up one of the two unique pieces. It was a relatively flat piece that seemed to help make up the outer part of the puzzle, with a long, thin, key-like stem that extended out the back. The flat side, opposite of the “stem”, was a pattern in the shape of an eye staring back at him. The design in question sent a small chill up his back as he placed it off to the side and reached for the second unique piece. As for the “stem”, it had small square teeth poking out in at least one of four cardinal directions the closer it got to the base. Like its twin, other unique fragment was a relatively flat piece that seemed to be a part of the outer surface. Unlike it, the outside had no design, but instead had an attached loop, as if a wire or rope were to be threaded through. Considering the size of the pieces and imagining what the completed puzzle would look like, it was safe to say that it would probably the most awkward piece of jewelry to wear if he ever decided to follow through with what his father suggested.
Button shook his head as he put the second piece down and began fiddling with the assortment of gold pieces. It was strange at first, as they all seemingly could fit together rather well. Some even could lock together quite tight, it seemed. However, he quickly realized that this was a puzzle with only ONE solution, and every single piece needed to find the perfect match.
It was quite the frustrating at first, as he fidgeted with several pieces, putting them together in pairs or clusters, only to take them apart once again when they didn’t seem to fit right with each other. It didn’t help that his frequent experimentation would yield a piece with an “outer” design to ultimately face the wrong way. He growled and grit his teeth more and more before he clacked his hooves against the desk and gave a huff. His head laid upon the polished desk’s surface as his eyes locked onto his project.
He stared at the scattered gold pieces for a moment, eyes glowering and scrutinizing the warm shine they gave, almost trying to blame the inanimate objects for his misfortune. It was a silly thing to do, as a bunch of gold puzzle pieces obviously weren’t at fault for what happened. He gave another sigh, before he lifted his head off of the desk’s surface once more, and picked up the piece with the loop. Looking it over, he noticed several grooves and slots along it’s edges, as if certain pieces were supposed to connect there. It was then he had an epiphany.
Picking up a piece with an outer design, he tried to see if it would fit anywhere. When it was a dud, he replaced it with a new piece. Button repeated this process about three more times before he struck gold, having a piece slide firmly into place with a small click. He then tried other pieces on other sides, until eventually the looped piece had four more attached to it. Looking to the underside, he noticed that the five piece clump he made had provided grooves and clues as to where certain pieces would go.
“Oh, I get it!” he exclaimed, as he grabbed a new piece and began to test the grooves and patterns. It took a solid ten minutes of testing and trying pieces until he managed to form a bowl shape out of the puzzle, with a few inner pieces installed for convenience sake. Within a half-hour, he had managed to build half of the puzzle, with the rest of the outer crust slowly forming and getting ready to close. Realizing the situation, he began removing some of the outer crust to add extra pieces, turning the singular fragments into a clump before he attempted to reattach it. However, the action became far more difficult to accomplish as one piece would slide one way, and another would need to slide in the entirely opposite direction.
“Dang-it!” he cussed, before he dismantled the clump and returned the outer pieces to their rightful place. Button tapped his hoof in frustration, staring at the empty pocket that had been formed. It was clear that whomever built the puzzle didn’t account for someone to do it with hooves only, as they were far too stumpy to fit a fraction of an inch inside as it were. It was then he realized why none of his long gone relatives managed to solve it. He gave a listless sigh as he glared absently to the remaining fragments that sat beside the nearly completed orb.
For a moment, his eyes grew heavy, tears welling up in them once again as his chest tightened. With the distraction of solving the puzzle starting to fade as he all but given up the attempt, the events of the night began to slowly haunt him once more. He shivered in the dark, giving a small sniffle and sigh, trying to keep himself in check to very little effect.
It doesn’t have to end this way...
Button’s head shot up after those words rang in his head. The voice sounded so familiar, yet so foreign. His heart began to soften as his tears slowed. There was something so calming and encouraging in the voice that he couldn’t help but heed its call. He gazed back to the puzzle and the pieces, before looking towards the couch where his saddle-pack still lay.
With a new spark of determination, he gathered the incomplete golden puzzle and its shards, brought it back to the couch, and placed them beside his pack. He then rummaged through the sack, and pulled out three pencils. He sat the incomplete orb between his legs so it remained stable, and set the shards as close to him as possible. Then, with one pencil in his mouth and one in each of his forehooves, he gently grabbed a piece and slowly, with careful dedication, brought the piece to the puzzle, and slowly lowered it inside. Once inside, he very gingerly pushed, rotated and slid the piece around until it found its home with a click. He repeated the process, carefully going one by one to fill in the puzzle more and more. With every successful fit, he moved on, and with every failure, he painstakingly removed the offending fragment, or fragments if it was more than one that were incorrect, and started again.
He was adamant on finishing it now, as sweat beaded at his forehead from the heavy amounts of concentration on his part. It was strange really. Not even the latest, most engaging game from his JoyboyTM managed to grab his attention as much as this old relic. Then again, perhaps the sentimental value and desire to make his folks proud is what helped motivate him.
After a while he managed to slip in the final normal piece and upon doing so he dropped the pencils he had and looked over the finished masterpiece. It was a stunning looking object, decorated in hieroglyphs scrawled all the way around in layers, with a few distinct symbols etched in specific spots. The only thing it was missing was the second unique piece. The “key” looking-one with the eye.
Picking it up and placing the loop in his teeth, he wandered back over to the desk where the truly final piece lay. As he got closer, he hazarded a glance at the clock, and learned it was a quarter past two. He had been so engrossed in the puzzle, the hours flew by and he didn’t even notice. The time nearly caused him to gasp in shock and drop the orb, potentially destroying all of his progress with a smash. However, he held strong, and silently apologized for staying up so far beyond his bedtime. Not that anyone would be enforcing it for the moment, but he had no desire to push his luck.
After this piece, Button thought, I’ll go to bed. With that in mind, he picked up the last one, and carefully began to slide it in. However, before he even got it a fraction inside, it suddenly stopped. He pushed a little harder, but it wouldn’t give. He sat there for a moment, wondering if he built it all wrong, and would need to start all over again, but then his hoof accidentally bumped the side and caused the piece to turn slightly. As he noticed this, he remembered that the “key” piece had several teeth set in different directions. He then slowly applied a small amount of pressure with his hoof, and carefully turned the key left until it hit a new stopping point. As soon as it did, the “key” gave way and slid deeper into the orb until it hit a new stop. Again, Button turned it, this time right, and pressed further in. After another right, followed by a left, he felt the piece was in the home stretch and the puzzle was nearly complete.
There was then a sudden cracking sound as the sound of the front doors began to scrape and creek. Button stopped what he was doing and swiveled his ears to get a better read. He then heard two voices, and the feint familiarity in them made his skin crawl.
“-aid all we need is the puzzle and the kid. We’ll waste too much time taking anything else. ‘Sides, this is a Princess’s castle. We’re already lookin’ at two hundred years of moon time for this.”
“Why does the boss even want the brat? Wasn’t the mare enough?”
“What, do you wanna be on the chopping block in his place? Besides, the brat’s a witness. It’s better if we have him regardless. Now, where do you think he’ll be hiding?”
Button’s face fell as the blood drained from him. It was THEM, and they were here to finish the job. Without thinking, he raced over to the door, closed it, and locked it, which made two very distinct sounds.
“You hear that?”
The little colt began to hyperventilate in fear as panic began to slowly take over. In a sudden urge to hide, he grabbed the puzzle, blew out the lamp, grabbed his bag, and hid under the couch as quickly as his little frame could, trying hard not to let his shaky breath and quickening heart give himself away. Despite the impenetrable dark, it wouldn’t be hard to see him if enough light were cast upon him at the right angle.
He clutched his belongings, eyes closed, hoping against hope that THEY would search anywhere else. He even hoped that they’d barge into Twilight’s room, spook her, and get turned into frog-oranges for their troubles. To his luck, the door he just locked was clicking gently, as if something was picking at it.
Oh no, oh no no no no, they’re coming, they’recomingthey’recomingwhatdoido? He shivered, hugging his things tighter, trying not to scream out of abject terror, only for a voice to whisper right next to him.
Button... Buuuuuuuutton...
“Wh-... what?”
It’s your fairy godfather, Button...
“Fairy... Godfather?”
Your fairy godfather. Listen to me, my dear boy. You must finish the puzzle.
“Wait... why?”
Finish it, and you can live happily ever after, Button.
“B-but-”
Finish it... ... If you can just trust me... if you can just BELIEVE in me, I’ll make all of your dreams come true, and make the nightmares go away.
Button swallowed hard, eyes barely able to make any sense of the darkness around him. To his frightened, young mind, as he gazed towards where the puzzle would be sitting, he could swear he could feel the eye of the piece stare back at him intently. With a withered, labored breath, he turned it once more, before pushing the piece all the way in.
Two clicks were heard, and suddenly, two lights began to erupt into the darkened room. Soon, however, the silvery night light that came from the hallway was swiftly swallowed by the intense golden warmth that came from under the couch.
As soon as it happened, however, it all ended as everything suddenly went black.
Power... absolute power is mine once again.
Let the games begin.
=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=#=
It all happened so fast. They were supposed to break into the castle, nab the kid and treasure, and hightail it out of Ponyville to rendezvous in Canterlot to make the trade and receive payment. Easy job, easy bits. What they didn’t expect was a blinding light, the feeling of being thrown halfway across the universe, and landing hard enough to be knocked out. When consciousness returned, there was nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see.
“Ooooooh, my head,” a gruff voice groaned. “Hey, Way! You still with me?”
“Sweet Celestia, my back...” whined Way, “Yeah, I’m still here, Will. Can hardly see you. Mind turning on a light?”
“Hold up,” Will replied, as his horn flared up, giving the two some light. Way’s blue eyes squinted as he adjusted to the sudden illumination coming from his tan coated and black maned associate. Will looked down to his dark green partner with the brown mane with a hint of annoyance shown in his amber eyes. “What?”
“You know I hate when you don’t warn me when you turn on the light.”
“You asked me to... oh, forget it. I’m not in the mood to bicker with your dumba-”
“Welcome, gentlecolts, welcome,” an unfamiliar voice announced. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Atem, King of Games. I will be your opponent for tonight.”
The two looked about the dark, even swiveled their ears about, trying to find the source, but came up with nothing. It wasn’t until a spotlight appeared above a figure not a hundred yards away from them that they finally realized who was there. It was a unicorn, roughly the size of a young adult stallion whom was dark grayish brown. He confidently flipped his moderate tangelo and streaked, light-orange mane, flicking the angular, golden strands that seemed a bit unnatural in color to the rest of him. Around his neck, on a bit of string, hung a golden sphere with a giant eye of a sort presented at the front.
“Wait, is that-?” Way stammered out.
“I think that is!” Will finished.
“I know you’ve been looking for this,” he chuckled, lifting the orb slightly with the mauve magic from his horn, “but I’m afraid this is as close as you’ll get for the time being. I have no desire to lose it after I’ve been waiting for SO long to have it completed... not without playing a game, first.”
“What? A game?” Way questioned.
“Yup. Hopscotch,” he declared, summoning a single six-sided die from thin air, “If you win, the boy will come with you quietly, and you can have the puzzle. No questions asked, without a fight. If I win, you leave and never come back.” Light suddenly shone down, revealing a hopscotch path, fifteen boxes long.
“What makes you think we’ll play your stupid game? What’s going to stop us from just rushing up, tackling you to the ground, and MAKING you give us what we want?” he inquired further with a growl. Will, however, eyed the new pony with caution, feeling something fundamentally off about everything.
“A penalty.” Atem stated flatly.
“A penalty? What’re you going to do? Flail around with that bundle of twigs you call a frame at me?” he laughed mockingly, before he started galloping towards the host
“Way, Stop!”
But it was too late. Before Way could even get halfway towards him, Atem stomped his hoof once, clicking his tongue in disappointment and annoyance. Suddenly, the floor disappeared without warning, Way began to lose his balance, and fell screaming into the abyss.
“WAY WORD!!!” Will shouted, rushing and crouching to the edge, watching as his accomplice disappeared into the true darkness below. He suddenly felt a shiver run up his back as he just as quickly could no longer see him, right before the space in front of him where the ground had disappeared became solid again.
“I’m afraid Way will be suffering a penalty and won’t be playing the shadow game. Now... Will, was it? You can either play my game, or leave. The choice is yours, but I STRONGLY suggest you avoid repeating what your friend did. You REALLY don’t want what he’s going through now.”
Will gritted his teeth as he weighed his options. While the whole situation was beginning to scare him, his job’s success took more precedent, and failure scared him more than what ever happened to Way. “Fine. I’ll play.”
“Excellent,” Atem said, clacking his hooves together, as he tossed the die in Will’s direction. It bounced one, two, three, four times before it rolled the rest of the way to Will’s hooves. “The rules are very simple. All you have to do is reach me. You roll the die, and you hop that many squares towards me. You get three rolls.”
Will counted the number of spaces, before looking back to the die. “I just need to roll a total of fifteen?”
“All you have to do is reach me. You get three rolls.”
“Alright,” Will said, as he jiggled the die in the air and rolled it down the hopscotch path. When it came to a stop, it landed on a one. Will’s face fell, realizing that his entire attempt was shot. “A... a one...”
“Ooooh, that’s gotta sting. With a one, even rolling two sixes in a row wouldn’t get you enough spaces.” Atem pawed at his chin for a moment, before flicking his tangelo mane with the gold strand to the side, giving a wry smile. “Tell you what. I’m a good sport. I’ll say that one is a freebee. You still have three rolls. Make them count, now.”
Will’s heart skipped a beat, realizing he was given a second chance. He could still finish the job, get paid, and live in some peace and harmony for once. Sorry, Way, he thought, I’ll toast to you if I don’t see you again. He picked up the die once again and jiggled it in the air for a moment. Closing his eyes tight, he prayed hard for a high enough roll, before he let the little cube fly. It hit the ground with a clack and tumbled down the path, landing on a six. Will split an ear-to-ear grin as he laughed at the luck. Seven. I’ve got seven, now! If I can at least get a total of eight, I’m golden!
“Lucky throw,” Atem cheered. “Two more rolls. Can you get another six?”
Will picked up the die again and jumbled it about before setting it free. It rolled to a stop and landed on a three.
“Ouch, that’s not the best roll there, but you can still make it on your next roll!”
A three, Will thought, split between being elated that he’s so close to winning and terrified of having a low roll. Gambling wasn’t something he dabbled in much in his life, but he knew of the rush it could give somepony, especially under the right circumstances. He decided to smile, and shoot a glare at his host. “You’re going down! The next roll wins the game. Get ready to fork over the kid and puzzle.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Will rolled the die once more, which stopped about a few paces way from Atem’s hooves. It landed on five.
“YES! YES! A FIVE! I GOT A FIVE! I-”
“Lost. You lost. I’m sorry. Very close though.”
Will paused. “Wh-what? But, I rolled a five! That should be enough to get a total of fifteen!”
“Fifteen? Oh, no, no no no. I never said you needed fifteen paces. I said you needed to reach me, but fifteen is just one space too short.” Atem then stepped to the side, revealing he was standing on the number sixteen.
“Wh.... WHAAAT?!” He screamed, “No! NOOOOO! A SIXTEEN?! YOU CHEATED!!!”
“Oh, on the contrary. In fact, If I remember correctly, I even gave you a slight advantage, being the good sport that I am. I haven’t even moved since the game began. You simply lost, my friend, and that’s all there is to it.”
“You... YOU...” he growled, gritting his teeth hard. Will suddenly screamed as he attempted to charged the now very short distance between them to take Atem down. Atem, however, stamped his hoof once, and caused the ground below him to rise up. Before he even realized what had happened, Will slammed his face against the rock wall that was now where his quarry was, and slid back down painfully. Rising back to his hooves wearily, he shook his head and rubbed his face, trying to push away the pain.
“Can’t handle the loss, can you? Well, for the attempt on me, I’m afraid I have no choice.” He then clicked his hooves together and flared his horn. “Time for a Penalty Game!”
“Penalty game?” Will uttered, before he heard the sound of ground give way. He spun around quickly, only to witness exactly what he heard. The solid ground all around the area aside from the numbered spaces disappeared, as the numbered spaces themselves began to shake before falling, one by one, starting from the first one. The color drained from his face as, in a panic, he flung himself back to the risen space and tried to climb, only able to get a few inches off the ground and then pathetically slide back down. Before he could even attempt it again, the ground below him gave way, and he suddenly dropped. As he fell, he watched Atem look over the side, staring directly at him. The light above him put him in a silhouette, but something was wrong. From the silhouette, he could see two glowing eyes, with the symbol of a third eye in a rainbow of colors shining where his horn should be.
As Will fell into the true darkness below, he could hear the sound of sinister, mocking laughter ring all around him, suffocating his very being. “I’d say, where there’s a Will, there’s a Way, but neither of you really had it in you. Oh well, have a nice trip. See you next fall!” Then, everything went black.