After a small discussion, it was decided to follow the path of the other key. Why not take the occasion to advance in both remaining paths after all? So, as long as the two paths remained in the second floor, and will complete as much of it as possible before they would have to go either to the first floor again or to the third floor.
To they took the hallway in their right which was surprisingly empty of doors. There was just one in the right at the beginning, but that was all. After that, it was just one long empty wall in the left (with a few gargoyles and armors), and a wall full of windows showing what seemed to be a military training yard in the right.
However, after a long walk interspersed of small fights against ghosts and possessed objects, when the hallway turned to the left, the left wall curved into a small arc of circle with a double door. At both sides of the door were mechanisms that seemed to miss something.
Clearly, it wasn't a key that would open this one.
Walking West in this section of hallway where the windows in the right now showed the graveyard, they then finally found the door that the key of the East Wing opened, the only door in the left wall.
So the ponies opened the door, but immediately stopped short of entering the room behind it.
Before the whole floor of the room revealed to be a conveyor belt, and a rather fast one. Walking on it without watching out like they almost did would have no doubt caused them to fall. The conveyor belt was going from East to West before disappearing under a huge roller that took the entire western wall. If they fall, then they would end up crushed by it.
At the East, the room ended in a circular wall, probably the same circular room than the door with the mechanisms was leading to. At the right of this wall, in the southern part of the room opposite from them, was the exit.
They will have to run on this conveyor belt until reaching the door, without falling.
And they guessed that it wouldn't be that easy.
There were also a lot of gears of various sizes a little everywhere on the walls, making the roller work. One of the gears traversed the circular wall, and another traversed the southern wall, indicating that there will be more mechanisms in the connected rooms.
"Reminds me of the Old Clockworks," commented Apple Bloom. "The gears, the conveyor belt..."
"Thankfully, Ah don't think we'll find any explosives here," said Applejack.
"Come on, we're in a castle, not an excavation site camouflaged as a clock factory," said Apple Bloom. "The only reason why there'd be explosives would be if the ghosts here used them to attack us."
"Which will NOT happen there!" suddenly shouted a feminine voice, getting the attention of the ghost hunters. Near the other door, the ghost of a mare was now present. She had a copper-colored coat with a rust-colored mane that had clearly not be brushed since forever, and she was wearing really weird glasses, gear-shaped with small lens. "There're already enough explosions because what I create sometimes blow up, I don't need to add bombs." She gave an exasperated shake of her head at this before she talked again. "Anyway, how about you hurry to go on that conveyor belt so I can start to try to kill you with my inventions? I can't wait to see them in action against you!" she said excitedly.
The hunters exchanged looks before Little Ghost said "How about I just fly over the conveyor belt to directly catch you?"
The mare took out a huge multi-barreled cannon and pointed it at the filly ghost. "Try if you dare! That thing can fire ten Cruciospectro-Beams per seconds! You will be on the floor yelling in pain before you know it! If I were you, I would remain with my friends where I'm safe!" She then hugged the cannon. "Oooh! Wait until I show this baby to Brainy! He will love it! Brainy is the one who came up with the Cruciospectro-Cannon, for your info," she added for the hunters.
"So what we call Poltergun beams are actually called Cruciospectro-Beams?" wondered Sweetie Belle. "I prefer the name we gave, less of a mouthful."
«Knowing what 'crucio' means, I prefer too. My name is less barbaric,» said E. Gadd.
"Ah fear to ask, but what does it means?" asked Applejack.
«It comes from 'cruciatu', meaning 'torture'. To be more exact, 'crucio' means 'I torture'.»
"Okay then, Ah prefer Poltergun beam too," said Applejack, and the fillies all nodded.
"WILL YOU GO ON THE CONVEYOR BELT, YES OR NO?!" yelled the ghost mare out of patience.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Sheesh..." She then fired a Poltergun beam, or Cruciospectro-Beam, whatever, at the mare.
Only for the mare to reveal that she was entirely surrounded by some kind of shield that absorbed the beam as she howled in laughter.
"AAAAH AHAHAAH! What do you think? A little gift I got from Brainy! Projectiles won't work against me! You have no choice but to come at me! SO GET ON THAT BUCKING CONVEYOR BELT!"
Apple Bloom frowned. "Alright. Ya're asking for it." She then jumped on the conveyor belt and began to run on it, followed by the others
"YES! FINALLY!" shouted the mare before she opened the door. "You can cooome~!" Then, several flying machines came through the door. Some of them were entirely round with a single propeller and a lens while others were more cubic with two propellers, two lens, and a gun at the bottom. Both kinds of drones regularly released steam.
Since the hunters were already busy running on the conveyor belt, Little Ghost was the only one who could attack those drones, but the mare began to fire at her with her multi-barrelled cannon, so the filly ghost had to cover herself behind the others. As she attacked the drones, she discovered that the round ones were bombs, causing huge explosions when they were destroyed while the others were simply drones with a gun. Because of those ones, Apple Bloom had move left and right to dodge their projectiles. At least, the drones could only fire once every few seconds.
In total, Little Ghost had to destroy seven bomb drones and four gun drones before they stopped coming, and once the ponies came too close, the mare passed through the door, deciding to wait them in the next room. It was not long after that the hunters reached the door and entered the next room.
Again an elongated room with the exit at the other end, but this time, instead of a conveyor belt, there was a small pit with spikes at the bottom, and the only way to pass it would be to jump from giant horizontal gear to giant horizontal gear.
And like before, the ghost mare was present at the exit. "Hey! I don't think I presented myself! I'm Copper Gear! The castle's super mechanic who provides the whole place with electricity! Well, mostly Brainy's laboratory. I think it's the only place that uses electricity here. Anyway, try to reach me again~!"
The hunters were more than happy to start, but they quickly understood that it won't be as easy to reach her as just jumping from gear to gear. There were other gears serving as obstacles, or causing stuff to move as obstacles. There were even some of the gears that served as platform that moved. Also, on the gears were some weird bots that looked like sledgehammers on springs, and there were some of the gun drones flying around.
Again, Little Ghost had to remain close to the others as she destroyed the drones to not be hit by the CS-Beams constantly fired by Copper Gear. Meanwhile, the others had to deal with the spring bots, doing their best to avoid being hit by their hammerhead while destroying them anything that worked, mostly electricity and water. Because of the spring, the direct blows were slightly less effective on them, the blows causing them to bend backward before balancing back at the ponies' face like a punching bag hit too hard.
At least, a good buck from Applejack was generally enough to explode them without causing the balancing stuff.
In the end, the most dangerous stuff in the room were the obstacles moving in the way of their jumps. One bad timing and it would be a drop to the spikes below. It wouldn't cause anything for Applejack, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, but for Apple Bloom, it would be an assured death, and she couldn't turn into a ghost because of Copper Gear constantly firing at them with her cannon. If she turned into a ghost, she would immediately be writhing in pain, hit by the CS-Beams.
So, instead, at least one of the others remained close to catch Apple Bloom if she missed her jump.
But she didn't miss any of her jumps in the end, and before long, they forced Copper Gear to fly to the next room as they got too close. Then, they reached the exit door and passed it.
In the next room which wasn't really large, the main danger quickly revealed itself. Like in the other rooms, gears were present, and those ones activated big crushers. Thankfully, there were no bots or drones this time, and Copper Gear couldn't fire through the crushers so Little Ghost was safe.
Again, passing the crushers was a question of timing. At least, there was a small space between each crushers so the ponies hadn't to rush.
After passing five crushers, they reached the end of the room where the exit door was, in the western wall.
And they entered a much bigger room...
Where a huge mechanical four-legged thing awaited them.
The ponies looked in awe at it. It was easily four times Applejack's size, a round pod lifted by four spider-like legs full of gears and constantly expelling steam that ended in four big feet that could crush a grown pony. Its main body was actually rather small in comparison, but hanging from it was a multi-barrelled cannon like the one that Copper Gear used. Two other, smaller cannons were present at the front, two arms ending in scythes were at the sides, and at the top, there was a cockpit with a chair, some levers, and some buttons.
And Copper Gear was in it, laughing maniacally.
However, she and the mecha weren't alone. There were also bomb drones, gun drones, and spring bots. But most astonishing of all was the presence of pony-shaped robots that were like the mecha, steaming and possessing some gears. Those robots were well armed, each possessing two mounted cannons.
"I'm so glad you weren't killed! Now, I can show off my Copper Gear REAPERTM! My little pet project! Be ready! Death is coming for youuu~!" shouted Copper Gear as she made the mecha advance before she began to randomly and joyously sing "Die die die diediedie die die~! Diiie diiie diiiiiie~!"
At once, the various robots in the room attacked too, and the hunters were forced to separate to deal with them, especially the pony robots who revealed that, of their two cannons, one was a cannon firing normal projectiles while the other fired CS-Beams. Speaking of CS-Beams, Copper Gear began to use her multi-barrelled cannon to fire at Little Ghost who had started to destroy the gun drones.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!" shouted the mare with a big smile.
"I'm already dead!" shouted back Little Ghost who rapidly flew around the mecha near the walls without stopping to avoid the beams.
"I DON'T CARE! DIE! Die diediedie diediedie diedie~!"
Copper Gear was however calmed down by the clones of goo who fired electricity at her and her mecha, not bothered by any of the cannons. With a growl, the mare went to attack them, attempting reap them with the scythes or to crush them under the feet of the mecha.
The hunters used this distraction to destroy the various robots. Thankfully for the hunters, only a total of a little over two dozens were present in the room, and it took only a few seconds for all the bomb drones to disappear, reducing their number by about fourth, and the gun drones rapidly followed.
The pony robots were the more annoying to deal with. They were more solid than the others, tried to keep their distance as they fired with their two cannons, and if somepony managed to get close enough, they would reveal a blade extending out of their fore right hoof to defend themselves.
But they all had the same big weakness: electricity and water. None of the bots resisted long against these.
But Copper Gear eventually managed to destroy the clones of goo (who almost immediately came back out of their respective Poltergusts), and she turned to go after Apple Bloom, the two cannons at the front firing at her while she raised the scythes. Apple Bloom had to run to avoid the bullets, the cannons thankfully only firing one each per second, and she fired back electricity at the mecha.
Only for a two probes to come out beside the cannons, and Apple Bloom's bolts of electricity were absorbed by them. When the filly stopped firing, the probes then fired the electricity back at her, and the filly saved herself by turning into a ghost.
Which left her vulnerable to the multi-barrelled cannon at the bottom, but as it fired at Apple Bloom, the cannon was suddenly destroyed by an explosive ball of energy sent by Little Ghost.
Copper Gear looked down, understanding that her main cannon was gone. "Well... Crap..."
With the main danger destroyed, Apple Bloom and Little Ghost attacked the Copper Gear REAPER with everything they had, quickly joined by the others who had finished to deal with the robots.
Understanding that she had to do something, Copper Gear made the mecha erratically stomp around and also made it swing its scythes in all directions, making approaching it very dangerous. More than once, the ponies were almost crushed by the feet, and Applejack was beheaded by one of the scythes. But, rapidly, the mecha was damaged to the point that it stopped working and began immobile just before Apple Bloom had to return to normal.
Copper Gear pulled the levers and pressed the buttons, to no avail. "Come on! Come on! Resist! My best invention can't be destroyed that easily!" She was answered by the mecha dropping on the ground, heavily smoking. "Damn it!" she yelled before she turned to look at the ponies. "I spent years on it! You could have been more gentle with it, given it better chances, you heartless monsters!"
Apple Bloom gave the mare a deadpan look. "Do ya really think we care about a stupid mecha?"
"Stupid? STUPID?!" yelled Copper Gear before she took her multi-barreled cannon from her cockpit. "I'll show you stupid! That 'stupid mecha' was the result of years and years of hardship littered with explosions and failures! That 'stupid mecha' could have put to shame anything all those so-called inventors created until now! That 'stupid mecha' could have started a new era of technological wonders! It was EVERYTHING but STUPID!!!" she then yelled before she fired at Apple Bloom, hitting her with dozens and dozens of CS-Beams.
But the filly wasn't affected by them and she advanced toward the mare who was still firing at her, blinded by rage. Once she was clone enough, she activated her Poltergust and caught her, making her drop the cannon. After a few slamming and a Power Surge, Copper Gear was captured.
And a key appeared along with a note. When Apple Bloom took it, it read:
AH AH AH AH! If you read this note, then it means that you somehow managed to destroy my Copper Gear REAPERTM and to capture me! Well...
TAKE THAT!
While you passed the crushers, I unleashed my bots in the hallways of the castle! AH!
Signed: Copper Gear
Apple Bloom groaned. "Until the end..."
«Yeah, from what I read about her, she always made sure to have the last word. She was a mechanical genius, but she used that genius to rob and to kill. When she was caught, she destroyed absolutely all her inventions, schema, and even what she robbed before killing herself by stabbing her heart. Nothing could be recovered excepted her body and some remains of her projects. Still, from those remains, we were able to create the first engine ever,» said Twilight. «If she hadn't been so evil and crazy, she could have advanced Equestria's technology by a few centuries. Why do nine genius out of ten always turn evil?»
«Easy. Genius tend to develop an ego, and many go to the point that they estimate themselves worthy of ruling the others with their might,» said E. Gadd. «Or they estimate themselves to be above laws and morals and experiment with everything, even if it means torturing other beings, for science. Okay, I admit that I experiment on ghosts, but I make sure that the experiments have the best conditions for them. And the ghosts of Evershade Valley are willing. And I never go too far.»
Apple Bloom snickered. "This isn't what yer assistants told me."
«Don't listen to them, they easily scare over nothing. Unless my hands are forced, my experiments are never risky.... At worst, they get a burn, or a headache, or a sore back. Only I am risking my life, sometimes. But such is the life of a scientist!»
Apple Bloom giggled and joined the others who had gathered. With a nod, they passed the exit door at the Southwest of the room; entering a smaller room that was almost entirely empty excepted for a dead potted plant in a corner and a pony robot who attacked them and was quickly destroyed. There, there were two doors: one East and one South. The key they got was leading South.
South was a living room where two spring bots and a normal unicorn ghost attacked them.
At this moment, Apple Bloom decided to give names to the robots since they will apparently become regular encounters. So she named the robot ponies Metallions, the spring ones Springs, the bomb ones Bomber, and the last ones with the guns Hunters.
Once the threats in the room were gone, the ponies saw that the key actually opened a door in the western wall. However, if the map they had was to be believed, then this door was just leading back to the hallways. They hadn't visited this section of the hallway yet so it wasn't visible in the map, but it wasn't hard to guess because the entrance of said section was present further South, and one of the entrances of the Great Hall was just in front of the door (but was still locked).
However, since the key was just opening this door, then it meant that they had to search, or else, they would have nothing to continue this path (and this would mean that this whole ordeal with Cotter Gear would be for nothing).
Thankfully, there were two more doors in the living room, one East and one South, and there was also another one back in the previous room, in the eastern wall, so they knew where to search. The South door, however, only led to a bathroom.
This place seemed to be Copper Gear's apartments.
The East door of the living room led to Copper Gear's dinning room, and after dealing with more Springs and a Hunter as well as an earth pony servant ghost, they continued East into the kitchen.
There, on a table beside a sink, they found a wooden fan. After fighting the local threats (a Metallion, an unicorn cook, a Slitherer, and a Trickster), Applejack took it. Seeing the hole in its back, it could apparently be placed somewhere.
«I think I know where it goes. Remember that door with the mechanisms?» said E. Gadd.
"Oh, Ah see," said Apple Bloom as she looked at the fan. "We blow air at the fan, and it'll open the door."
"But it means there's a second somewhere," said Scootaloo.
"Which must be somewhere behind the door we haven't been through yet, in the other room," said Sweetie Belle.
"Eeyup," said Apple Bloom.
So they returned in the room between the arena where they fought Copper Gear and the living room, and they passed the East door there, entering what revealed to be Copper Gear's workshop. A lot of tables with gears, metal stuff, wires, tools, papers, robot parts, and some unknown other inventions were present. The ponies didn't dare to touch the inventions.
There were a lot of bots present in the room. Half a dozen Bombers, three Hunters, two Metallions, and four Springs, along with a pegasus ghost armed of a wrench. Probably another mechanic who had been helping Copper Gear. With electricity and water, it didn't take long to destroy all the bots, starting with the Bombers before they could explode on the ponies. However, a Boggy appeared and used the remains and all that was on the tables as projectiles to attack Apple Bloom. Some were too big to be sucked up by the Poltergusts, so Apple Bloom had no choice but to dodge until Applejack managed to capture the Boggy while Scootaloo got the pegasus.
This left the way open for the next, and last room: Copper Gear's chamber. And on the bed was the second fan.
But before, they had to deal with a small group of Pranksters, a Bulky, a Hider, and a Metallion. The Wraith that came during the fight gave them a small scare, but their Polterguns quickly forced it into submission before it could turn any of the ghosts into more Wraiths.
Once all the ghosts were captured, and the Metallion was destroyed, they finally took the second fan. They then returned to the living room where they returned into the hallway, and they began their trek back to the door with the mechanisms.
They decided to pass by the hallways rather than going all the way back through the rooms with the crushers, gears, and conveyor belts because it would be less dangerous.
Even if it meant fighting ghosts, possessed objects, and robots while holding the two fans.