//------------------------------//
// The Dungeon 
// Story: Around A World: Equus 
// by Dragon Shimmer 
//------------------------------//

Matt and Icey are running away from the big boulder that tries to crush them. When Matt sees a space that is enough for him and Icey, he quickly turns to it and drags the blue dragon to him. The boulder rolls away. Matt takes a peak to see if some traps can be activated anytime. He jumps out and walks to the door, but the door is blocked by that boulder. 

Matt takes out his broadsword. "I wonder how many soldiers are dead with this trap?"

"Many through." Icey sighs. "This is the first time I see this trap that was put behind the dungeon door."

"I thought you are not surprised by that." Matt slashes the boulder into two, making Icey surprised. The swordsman cracks his neck. "We really need a shield for this."

"But maybe my dad is standing in front of this dungeon right now... I guess."

Matt and Icey come inside the next room. There is lava under the ground with many stone poles on the lava. Matt looks around the dungeon. Icey flies to the other side but the swordsman pulls her tail back.

"Hey, I don't like someone pulling my tail." Icey rubs her tail. "That's rude."

Matt throws a big stone in the air. The wall starts appearing with many crossbows and shooting at the rock. Icey looks at the lava and gulps. The swordsman is warming up. "At least you are not going to be a hedgehog. I have experienced it before."

"And why are you here?" Icey taps his arm. "Are you a ghost?"

"No, I'm a human." Matt taps her cheek. "I thought dragons were supposed to be swimming in the lava."

"That's a fire dragon job." Icey slaps his hand away. "Anyway, how can we get there?"

Matt starts jumping on the first pole and lands on it safely. Icey follows the swordsman but the ice dragon is tripped and falls out the pole but Matt manages to catch her claws. The swordsman pulls the dragon up.

Matt sighs. "Becareful. Your claws are quite sharp here." 

"Sorry. I never learned to jump perfectly like you."

"Maybe you're right." Matt points at the other side. "We have to get there before your father comes to finish me."

"This will be long." 

Matt and Icey start jumping on the pole. The swordsman jumps first and the dragon jumps after that.





Diana is enjoying the tea on the table after upgrading the airship a little bit. She is watching many dragons setting camp in front of the dungeon. Sunset sits next to her and asks. "Hey Diana, I have a question."

Diana sips some tea. "Do ask."

Sunset taps herself. "What am I to all of you?" Diana spills her tea and laughs out loud. The orange dragon glares at the black cat. "No, I am serious, not joking."

"Is it obvious?" Diana facepaws. "Oh wait. I forgot that you have some 'disease'. Sorry about that." Diana pours another cup of tea. Okay... what do you think about them?"

"Well... all of you don't want me to have to work hard while I can do this." Sunset rubs her chin. "While Spike always wants me to recover as soon as possible, Twilight and Matt worry about me."

Diana huffs. "Honestly, you are quite annoyed. I bet that you want to join with others, right?"

"To not be a burden." 

Diana sighs and lies on the table. She already knows this time will come, but she doesn't know that it come too soon. Diana stands up. "I will bring an old weapon of yours."

 The black cat takes out a wooden staff. The orange dragon grabs the staff, then stares at it for a while. "I feel something familiar to this. It's just like... I used this weapon a lot."

Diana gives her a smug and eats some shortcake. Suddenly, many armored dragons are landing in front of them. All of them have spears. A dark blue dragon with two green horns points at them. "You are not allowed to park this airship here."

Sunset is going to explain but Diana raises her paw to stop her. The black cat starts to lie. "Sorry, our airship has a little problem, so we have to park here."

"Hard to believe." The dark blue dragon commands his soldiers to check the airship. They see the ship's steering wheel is broken. The dark blue dragon nods. "All right, we trust you this time. Can I know your name?"

"Diana." 

All of them quickly point the weapon at her. The black cat rubs her whisker while Sunset doesn't know what to do. The dark blue dragon yells at her. "Where is my sister? What have you done with her?"

"Oh, bet that this is her brother." Diana cracks her neck and takes out the sword. "If you want to know, defeat me first.".

The dragons start charging at them, but they all stop by a firewall. Diana turns to Sunset and sees that the orange dragon is breathing heavily. Sunset's eyes are just telling her that she is ready to fight.



Twilight, Spike, and Shining Armor are going inside the dungeon. They are walking in a long hall. The group is entering a room. Inside the room, there are many giant gold coins around. It also has a big chest in the middle of it. Shining Armor and his guards are confused about this chest while Twilight and Spike are doing something. A moment later, Spike and Twilight shoot a fireball at the chest.

The chest reveals some sharp teeth and jumps around. Shining Armor commands his soldiers to form a position. The chest starts spilling the giant gold coin at the guards but it is bounced back to it because of the shield. Shining Armor's horn is shining and blasts at the chest. The chest quickly spills another gold coin to block it, jumps high, and going to slam at the shield but a big ice spike is on its way. The chest spills another gold coin and uses it as a shield again, then bounces away from it.

It turns to Twilight and Spike and growling. Twilight's horn and front hooves are shining purple. "Look like this mimic is not usual."

"Let's do it, then we will talk to Shining Armor and his guards."

Spike holds a fireball and rushes to the mimic. The giant mimic starts spilling the coins at him. Spike dodges them and breathes fire at the mimic. The mimic screams and starts to spill many gold coins into the sky. The room is raining with giant gold coins. Twilight quickly teleports behind it and blasts it, causing the mimic to fly to Spike. The purple dragon throws the fireballs at its mouth, then jumps on it and starts sticking it with a magic circle.

 The mimic exploded and lay on the ground. When it tries to get up, the giant gold coin falls on it and crushes it alive. After a while, all of the giant gold coins slowly disappear.

Twilight and Spike turn to the guards. They are fine under the shield spell. Spike taps Twilight's back. "That was a big mimic. I've never seen a mimic like that."

Shining Armor goes out the shield and asks. "How can you two fight like that?"

"Because... Ummm..." Spike rubs his chin, "you know, training."

Shining counters. "But... you didn't fear anything."

Twilight rolls her eyes. "If you are stabbed by a sword many times, you won't be afraid of anything anymore."

"What? Who stabbed you?" Shining goes around Twilight and sees no scares. "I haven't seen any scar on your body."

"I wish we had some." Spike huffs. "Sometimes I wish that sword didn't exist."

Shining has no word about this. Twilight looks at the guard. "Shining Armor, can you... umm... go out with your guard?"

Shining Armor shakes his head. "No way, I will protect you. What if you are injured inside here?"

"But you and your guard can't do anything here." Spike points at them. "Only the shield is not enough for this dungeon."

Shining doesn't know what to say. Twilight takes a peek inside the next room and sees there are many selekon pony soldiers and archers inside. Twilight is trying to look around but many arrows are flying at her. Twilight quickly closes the door and sighs. 

Spike asks. "What happens?"

Twilight taps the round. "There are many skeletons inside the room. Those are ponies one."

"All right. "Spike takes the shield from the guard. "We should come in." 

Shining Armor is going to stop the purple dragon. Twilight holds his tail and shakes her head. The purple alicorn opens the door but not fully, then she puts on her horn and casts a spell. Twilight closes the door quickly. The purple alicorn whispers. "Now, we have to wait."

Spike sits down. "I get it."

Shining Armor is confused about what is just happening. Her little sister is not even afraid of anything like this, far different from her about 3 years ago when she came to Ponyville. The white unicorn sighs and has to accept his little sister. 

Twilight comes to her brother. "So... are you coming with me." 

"I think... I can get my soldier outside the dungeon." Shining Armor starts leaving the room. "Good luck."

Twilight turns to the door and opens it. The room is full of purple mist and the skeleton is trying to move. Twilight creates a purple light ball and blows it. The ball starts flying through the mist. Twilight and Spike start following it and come to the next door.





Matt and Icey are heading to a door. There are too many stone walls inside. Icey feels weird because she doesn't see anything like this. Matt knocks on the wall to see if something happens. 

The swordsman rubs his head. "Weird. Not even me see this."

Icey pokes the ice spear at the wall. "Those walls do not even make a maze inside this..." she sees Matt pointing behind her. "What are you pointing at?"

Icey turns around and sees the wall looking at her. The wall starts falling on her to crush the blue dragon but Matt quickly holds her claw and throws her out. Icey gets up and forms an ice bow to shoot at it, but the arrows bounce out the wall. The wall laughs at her.

Matt shakes his head. "Not even a wall monster respects you."

"No joking." Icey is forming an ice spear. "This time will work." 

she throws it at the wall. The wall is slowly freezing. It roars and is going to crush the ice dragon. Icey quickly rolls away and the wall is completely frozen. Icey steps on the wall and sees something glowing yellow inside. The blue dragon stabs it and the wall is shattered into pieces. 

"No wonder why Diana wants to have you." Matt points at many stone walls. "But this is not a joke. They are blocking our way to go deeper."

"Then just kill them all." Icey spins the spear. There is a core inside each of them."

"Got it."

Icey and Matt start taunting the wall monster and crushing them. They really want to know what caused this dungeon.