-Earth, Saint Canard, Museum Medieval Art Exhibit room, Dormarch-
“What’s the next instruction Spot?” We had to hurry this up, I was judging this by the look of worry on Pom’s face.
“Do we know the De Ville’s name?” What does that have to do with getting Pom free Spot? I looked down at the blood circle and waited for the next instruction. It had to be almost broken right?
I didn’t want to look Pom in the eyes, despite the fact that I couldn’t feel any anger from her.
“Artisia De Ville, I asked if she Athena De Villa and she stated that she was related.” Pom replied. “Are you alright Dormarch, I know this situation is not the best, but you kind of seem upset.”
“Give me a moment, step back and keep the entire circle on screen.” Spot stated from the PET, I did as the zombie chicken asked.
“I expected you to be more upset with me…” Looking up into her eye I didn’t see anything but worry in them.
“Why would I have reason to be upset, are you still connected to the PET and is it going to kill you soon?” That’s what Pom was worried about?
“Yes I’m still connected to it, but no I’m not going to die unless it is destroyed or I actively disconnect from it…” I let that statement drift off as Pom gave me a sad look.
“Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you if it isn’t ‘that’ hanging over your head?” Pom was still being truly nice to me. “Knowing that you could die at any minute due to an accident is scary to me, considering the device keeping you alive is so small and fragile looking.”
“Well… I could have come out of the PET sooner and possibly prevented some things from happening.” I looked away again. “That’s a reason for you to get mad.”
“Don’t worry about the things you can’t change back then Dormarch, you’re here ‘now’ and I’m quite thankful for that.” I looked up at Pom speaking gently to me, her eyes were focusing on my own. “Once you get me out of this, the first thing I’m going to do is hug you.”
“Can’t you be a little angry with me?” My statement was met with a smile.
“I’m too happy that we’re even having a conversation in person to be more than slightly disappointed that you couldn’t come out sooner to experience things alongside us.” Sighing loudly Pom looked up at the chains holding her legs and the ceiling she was hanging from. “I have quite a few ideas as to why you didn’t and it’s understandable that you’re both too shy and scared, because goodness knows I haven’t gone a month without nearly dying throughout an entire year and things tend to get scary around me. It’s likely my fault that you’re like this, guess I’ll have to try harder just for you.”
“The way things tend go for us, that sounds like a bad move Pom.” Blinking in confusion at the lighthearted giggle I was receiving I tilted my head up at her as I kept a close hold of the skeleton key. “Also how is this your fault? If anything it’s my fault for being the way that I am!”
“A big hug, first thing, once you get me down. Maybe a kiss to the forehead too for my brave little knight in shining armor coming to rescue me from the crude witch’s dungeon.” Pom promised with a bright smile. “Oh the stories I used to read in exile from Meadow Hills, only I’m living them now… and it’s completely horrifying being in this exact position.”
“Speaking of getting you down… swipe the skeleton key through the circle two degrees to the right of straight north. I still don’t want you actively touching it.” Spot brought my attention back to the circle and I started moving to do as she said. “That should deal with most of our problems, afterwards I want you to wipe away or smudge the symbol to the direct southwest, the crossed out X, without breaking the circle. That should ruin the circle completely, but will leave it actively running, so be careful to not let anything else touch it anymore afterwards. It’ll be a huge drain on this Artisia and she won’t be able to do as much blood magic. She was good at not making mistakes herself, but no one said that mistakes can’t be made after the magic was already in effect and she did leave her circle open for being manipulated.”
“Thanks Aunty Spot.” If I was a part of Pom and Dolly’s families, then I might as well call the magical zombie chicken my aunt too.
Life was weird when you were a digital lifeform from some other reality.
-Staircase maze dimension, Shanty-
One second the minotaur be distant from Dolly, the next its eyes be spinning in reverse and it be glowing red and moving at twice the speed trying to cleave Dolly in two. She be leaping out of the way onto the back right pillar and the minotaur followed by swinging it’s axe upwards sending a blast of cutting force out of its axe at Dolly who scampered out of the way around the pillar.
She hopped off the backside of the pillar and went into a slow falling hover while looking my way with worry.
After that upwards swing the minotaur be swinging for me next without pause and I be flipping backwards onto the pillar behind me and scampering up it backwards as he sent several horizontal blades of energy at me. A tiny bit of my beard be missing after the last swing, at least it not be my head.
That’s when he be changing target to charge towards Quackerjack. This thing was not being nearly this fast a second ago! Also I be realizing that Quackerjack doesn’t have the same capabilities we did, Dolly could glide and stay in the air for a long time almost as long as she needed to and I can be sticking to surfaces even if it be a drain on me to be doing it for too long.
Quackerjack be popping his can of mechanical snakes and be dragging himself out of the way of a downward swing and the minotaur swung his axe sideways at a blazing fast speed and the metal snakes tore apart by the ripping air and arc of energy that flew over him.
Quackerjack be sent skidding across the ground on his butt near the center of the room, with a pile of bolts and bits of metal sliding across the ground.
“Oh no… my nuts, and their bolts!” Quackerjack toss the can over his shoulder and rolled to the side out of the path of several streaks of energy when the axe be slamming against the ground. He be getting up to run away with a notably limp from his wrapped leg.
I be noting that the room we be in was not getting damaged by the room shaking force that minotaur be putting out. That and the minotaur be going after Quackerjack, the least agile of us, that needs to be stop.
Pushing off the pillar I be jumping down and leading with my left hind hoof, only to hit the shaft as the minotaur held up his axe to block me and then tried to slash me out of the air as I pushed off.
I be deflecting myself backwards off of his axe swing preventing it from launching an arc of energy with a kick of my other leg and went skidding along the floor when I landed. The minotaur be almost upon me before I could even be getting my senses back from that deflect.
Dolly zipped in from the side and attempted to slap at him with her board. Only she be deflected and nearly bisected in two swift motions when her board be getting knocked upwards, being able to control herself in the air be let Dolly dodge the second blow by dropping downwards and gliding backwards real fast.
That was happening as I myself be putting some distance between me and this ridiculously fast monster.
“Hey if you can give me some time, I can use the last in my pony toy series on this guy!” Quackjack ducked behind the pillar as a wave of energy struck out at where he was.
“How much do you be needing?” Because I be a bit too afraid to be close with that thing moving as fast as it was now, I be swinging around the nearest pillar as a huge wave of energy crashed against it vertically, I be climbing up the pillar a bit. “Because we don’t be having a lot of it!”
“Once I fully crank up this toy’s key it’ll be worth it, I promise!” If the last pony toy is being used Quackerjack, then it had better be being a real doozy to actually do something to this guy.
The minotaur, being far faster than before, sent me flying from the pillar just trying to deflect him before he could be taking off my head.
“Ugh.” I be slamming back first into the right wall closer to the entrance, the minotaur be charging me with his axe raised and then turned around with a swing that sent Dolly flying backwards upon the axe striking her skateboard. It took quite a bit of time before she could be regaining control in the air.
The minotaur leapt into the center of the room swinging its axe downwards sending a wave of energy at Dolly, who flipped to being on top of her board and swerved out of the way in the air. Blocking a small portion of the attack with the bottom of it that be sending her slightly upwards.
The minotaur then be raising his axe for a horizontal sweep.
“Ding.” Did I just be seeing a flash in its eye when it be making that noise? It started spinning and building up speed… did he intend.
“Be getting to cover!” I dove to the side as an explosion of air blades be filling the entire room and some even be bouncing off the walls, I be surprised that I didn’t get hit by a rebounding wave of cutting air. Looking around I saw Dolly cowering behind her board at the bottom of the next pillar over.
Even before we can even be reacting to the aftermath of that attack, the minotaur be charging for where Quackerjack was and swung around the pillar and brought his axe around.
Something be flying from the pillar that be looking like Quackerjack’s head, but I be noting that Quackerjack’s beak should not be entirely made of wood.
“Aw, you took the head off my decoy Quackerjack puppet, well that wasn’t very nice of you.” Quackerjack’s voice be coming from everywhere and the minotaur be looking around quite angrily not being able to tell where he was. “Give me a bit longer girls.”
Dolly be trying for the exit, but it be shimmering with a barrier, well I guess we be having to test that at least once during this fight. She be quickly running up and getting high up from the rooms floor as a horizontal wave of energy struck out at where she had been.
“We be trapped in here with it?!” I shouted and the minotaur turned towards the pillar I be behind. It looked between me and Dolly, then be making a chase to charge me for being closer to the ground.
Well we be having to beat this thing to survive… I moved around the pillar and leapt off towards the minotaur as it swung the axe downwards.
The axe missed and the minotaur be swinging out the shaft, pushing it upwards towards my chest with its right arm.
“Oof!” I grappled the shaft of the axe with my front hooves as it hit me and started slashing him in the chest with upwards slicing kicks from my rear legs that didn’t seem to be causing him much pain or even be making him flinch at all despite the damage I be doing.
He be trying to shake me off the shaft as I continued to kick out at him rapidly trying to be doing as much damage as possible, then he be turning me towards the nearest pillar.
He slammed me back first against the pillar and be threating to split me in half with the blunt metal shaft of his axe.
My frantic kicking not be stopping for even a second when he be knocking the air out of me and started crushing my torso, I be pushing back trying to alleviate the pressure with my hooves but he is being far too strong.
He angled his jagged horn towards me… he intended to impale my head if he can’t be splitting me in half?! It started forward only for Dolly to come in and save me.
Dolly came in and kicked off the pillar with a spinning blow to his horn with her skateboard, knocking him back and dropping me on the floor. She swung it around to jab him in the face only to miss.
“Dong!” The minotaur appeared in position to swing the axe and started to do so rapidly to do the room full of wind blades thing again while I still be catching my breathe.
Dolly be taking up position in front of me with a worried whine holding her board up in her right paw, then turned and held her left paw forward just as we were about to be buffeted with a massive amount of air blades. I be realizing that she can’t be blocking all of them and they be rebounding off the walls last time…
“Ar-Ro!” Dolly barks out and a blast of green wind spinning in the opposite direction actually caused the minotaur to stumble out of its spin looking to be in a lot of pain as it stumbled back towards the exit.
Dolly be looking slightly tired after doing that.
It be looking like that hurt the minotaur a lot, but why? It just be a little wind. Was it because it was magic based, or was the minotaur actively weak to it? Whatever be the case Dolly, couldn’t do that too many more times.
I got standing and be charging it horns first, the minotaur swung outwards for me at an angle and I slid under the axe to pop up ramming my horns upwards into its belly in a curved ark. Then I be getting backhanded into the nearby pillar.
The pain my possibly broken nose and back be in is worth the damage I be causing at least.
“Done!” Quackerjack announced and it was being about time. I be looking around for where he had been and saw his jump rope sliding down the front left pillar. He walked around to the center of the room in front of the entrance and he be placing down the toy. It was a yellow pegasus with pink hair, her eyes were closed and there was a key turning in her back. “Go on my little Butterfly Beamer, stare him down and let him know you’re wrath!”
The minotaur looked ready to ignore the toy and go for me, instead it be doing something that seemed to surprise Dolly as much as it did me.
“Dong!” It appeared in the middle of the room and started to swing for another spinning blades. I tried to get up to move around the pillar and Dolly already be getting to cover at the back right pillar.
The toy be stopping. Seemingly bouncing in place as it clicked and after breathing a loud sighing noise, the pegasus toy then be spreading it’s wings wide…
“Take cover!” Quackerjack shouted and rolled behind the left pillar, I be managed to take my own cover and watched as the first air blade launched off the axe.
That was when the toy be opening its closed eyes. The air blade didn’t go much further as a pair of energy beams suddenly slammed into the spinning minotaur and be stopping him entirely, they tore two holes into his upper torso.
It immediately be toppling him.
“The sad thing about that toy is, it only works once, but it’s a nice collectible afterwards! I wonder how many other toy makers can create key cranked laser blasting toy like that.” I be looking at the blue eyed toy as it stood there, Quackerjack went and picked it up to store it away. “I think that takes care of… oh come on, what would normally survive something like that!”
The minotaur, despite being cut up and having two bloody holes through its upper torso, propped itself up on its axe. Once it was fully standing again, it was doing it so easily despite the mess it was dripping onto the floor.
It snorted loudly at us loudly and bellowed as it regained that red aura that be flickering off when it be knocked over.
“What does it take to be bringing that thing down?!” This is being aggravating, we already be dealing with taking some bad hits.
“Not much more I’d think, but it certainly doesn’t look like it’ll bleed out.” Quackerjack be pulling out six bowling pins and started juggling them, then he caught them. “I finally remembered what my bowling ball does, but first I have to stick this monster with my Pin Pins! Give me some openings to stick them in and I can finish him off.”
Dolly be barking something at Quackerjack as she evaded the bull swinging out a slash of energy from its axe.
“Dong.” It appeared in the middle of the room and started to swing, but I stopped it immediately.
“Riptide!” I slashed my hooves forward and the resulting blast of salt water caused it agony as it staggered from being able to spin.
Dolly be choosing that Moment to slam into the back of its head while it was distracted and then she be swinging her board around on the strap twice knocking it away from me with each blow.
A bowling pin with a spike jutting out of it be entering the minotaur’s left shoulder, then its right leg. It tried to swing its axe for me. Only for Dolly to be leaping onto its back and wrapping her paws halfway around the back of its neck stopping it from moving as she dug her claws into it, she looked to be struggling with holding it still.
I moved back and started heading for the left wall.
Just how hard could I push my Goat Fly technique? If it could end things swiftly, then I can get to my fight with the museum pirates!
-Dolly-
No momentum for you speedy jerk, I’m going to absorb all of it out of you if I have to!
Two more pins entered the minotaur, one in the chest and on its neck below where I was clinging to the back of this monsters head.
It was struggling to get me off. I was using every bit of my concentration to prevent any momentum whatsoever. Since I just realized I could stop anything in place, useful for something that suddenly started moving at twice its natural speed.
This minotaur menace was about to grab me with its right hand because it couldn’t swing its weapon, but it could hardly move either arm as those were my main focus. It could still move its legs fine though.
“Dong.” It warped, but not without me still clinging to it.
So it couldn’t actually escape me holding onto it... awesome!
It tried to fall on its back to slam me into the floor and I countered by having its momentum push it back forward into standing position.
Nope, not that easy to get me off, I’m sticking to you like a horrible tick! Ugh, now I feel like one of those annoying little bloodsuckers, except fleas are still arguably worse.
Another Pin struck his right forearm and he started to slowly reach for me with his right hand, I was struggling to keep him still. He was starting to overpower me when the next pin slammed home in its right eye.
It roared in pain, but it could really react to said pain with me holding it in place. I had to force its right arm back down.
“How about I lightning strike you out!” Ugh, Quackerjack, what was that? I was just beginning to think you were a somewhat cool weirdo. “Get out of there before this hits Caper Canine.”
Quackerjack spun around on his right foot twice and threw the bowling ball like one of those Olympic guys. It split in half and I saw the electricity on the numerous spikes that the now bear trap style thing had going for it as it came.
When it got close, I let go and pushed off with my hind legs and the bowling ball clamped onto the minotaur’s chest before it could grab it out of the air. or go for me for that matter.
The minotaur dropped the clock axe and started thrashing as the bowling ball electrified its body and sent energy into the various pins stuck in it.
- Top of the staircase, Splatter Phoenix-
Agh, why do I keep losing large chunks of magic and feel so awful all of the sudden? What were they doing to my Minute-taur in there?!
Maybe that flaw in my creation was bigger than I thought.
-Dolly-
I got away from the minotaur before the pins and bowling ball exploded violently.
That had to do it right, how could something have possibly survived all of that?
The minotaur was kneeling, it gripped its axe and slowly started to stand up again.
It still had that one chunk of the exploded bowling pin lodged in its left eye and brain, how was it still alive?!
“What the dog, what is it going to take to put you down?!” The monster started to turn towards me while taking a grip on its axe with both hands ready to swing for me.
Quackerjack backed away looking horrified that it could still move after he put so much effort and his stuff into putting it down.
“Okay, that be enough of you, Goat Rocket!” Looking to the nearby wall I watched as things slowed down and Shanty shot from the wall like a rocket, she swung her hips around and brought both her hind legs into a single swing. “Double scythe!”
One swing and the flashing arc of two scythes, Shanty continued onwards to slam into the opposite wall on all of her hooves before she dropped to the floor and then flopped onto her face.
“That be… taking a lot out of me.” Shanty mumbled, she laid there for a minute with her broken nose pressing against the floor. “That whole fight be tiring... but... it be over.”
Quackerjack and I slowly turned back to the minotaur, it stood there silently with its arms held out and a wide eyed look on its face.
“That... be finishing it off.” Shanty, stood up and started walking towards the exit with a bright grin on her face. “It is now being pirate fighting time!”
Looking back I noticed something, the minotaur’s axe was missing.
“Huh, where did that go?” I looked around and then up and blinked at the sight that happened next.
The minotaur’s head slid off its neck and its axe came down to slice it’s still standing body completely in half.
“Well… uh… that... let’s just make ‘haste’.” Did the world seem slightly slower for some reason? Probably just my imagination.