//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: The Labyrinth of Deceit 
// Story: The Legacy of the Rider II: Hidden Harmony 
// by MrAwesome343 
//------------------------------//

	Chapter 5: The Labyrinth of Deceit


They stood at the entrance to the green maze. "This will take forever!" Pinkie Pie complained.
"Duh," Rainbow Dash said, stretching her wings, and Taro his. They jumped into the air to take flight.
"Ah-ah-ah!" Discord said. At the very release of the syllables, Rainbow's, Taro's, and Fluttershy's wings disappeared and Taro's ring dropped to the ground. As Taro landed, he picked it up and put it on. He looked around as Twilight and Rarity screamed about their horns being missing as well. Discord appeared in front of them. "I'm not the biggest fan of rules, but for this game, there are some. No flying and no magic." He gestured toward Taro. "I can't take away yours, so you're just going to have to settle without using it. If you break these rules, the game is over and I win!" He immediately disappeared.
"Alright guys. Together, we can do this," Taro said, taking a step forward. All the other ponies did the same. "We just need to stick together..." As if on cue, the hedges blocked the exits and each other. Everypony started to panic.
"It's all right! Just meet at the middle!" Twilight shouted. Instantly everyone set off down the labyrinth's twisted trails. Well, except for Fluttershy, who sat there panicking.
Taro walked down the twisted maze, making random turns. Some of the walls even seemed to rearrange themselves, making passages even more confusing. Taro had figured he had gone to the same place at least five times already. He knelt down and studied the ground. To his surprise, he didn't just find his own foot prints, but he found a set of hoof prints as well. He looked up and down the maze. Nothing. No one. He scratched an arrow into the ground, pointing the way he went. 
The chambers moved again. Hmm, left or right? I went left before, I could end up going in circles. He gasped. "Right! I if I just keep going in the same directions, I should be able to navigate pretty well!"
He made several right turns and a left at every changed wall, marking his direction each time. He had just cleared his next turn when he was met with Isron. "Hello Taro, my student. How is your time in Equestria?" 
Taro looked at him in doubt. How can Isron be here when he was supposed to be at home, training Jarden? "Pretty well, except for this." Taro silently searched through Isron's mind. Well, he would have, but it wasn't there. Taro searched for the energy around him. He found Twilight with Apple Jack on the other side of the maze, Fluttershy a few passages away, Rarity with a rock on her back, Rainbow Dash halfway to the center, and Pinkie Pie... well, she was just being Pinkie Pie, being an unknown distance away. She was Pinkie Pie far away, that's where she was. She was in Pinkie Pie. But of all of these entities, there was no Isron.
"Yes, well... Maybe I should aid you," Isron offered.
Taro walked up to Isron, looked him in the eyes... and punched him square in the nose. Isron was knocked back and held his face in pain. He looked back and smiled. He delivered a punch to Taro's gut. Taro clenched his stomach in pain. 
Quickly, he kicked at Isron's face, who blocked it by passing his arm by it. Taro spun around, regaining his balance and round house kicked him across his face. Isron stumbled back and thrust his fist toward Taro's neck. Taro deflected it and Isron tried bringing up his foot to kick him. Taro was faster. He threw his foot over Isron's knee and forced it back down. Taro tried punching Isron across the face, but he blocked it and hit Taro in the shoulder. Isron went for another hit, but Taro grabbed his arm, twisted him closer, and elbowed him in the face, then quickly kicked him across the back, knocking him down. Isron flipped over, getting back to his feet, wincing in pain.
"Just like old times, huh Taro?" Isron said, holding his back.
"Shut up, I know you're not him," Taro replied, fists up.
Isron punched at Taro's face, and Taro after Isron's. They met each others chins with their fists. Neither retreated as they threw a second punch, only to meet their own fists. Taro spun around and elbowed him across the face again. Taro jumped up, spun, kicked him again in the face, the dropped to the ground, tripped him, and, on his way down, kicked him in the stomach. Isron lay there, holding his... everything. "You've gotten much better,my student," he said through gasps of pain.
"I could never beat the real Isron." Taro delivered a forceful kick to his head, nearly tearing it off his shoulders. Isron went motionless. Taro continued down the maze as the fake Isron turned into dust. A passage opened, holding Twilight, Apple Jack, and Rarity, who was holding a gigantic boulder.
"Taro!" Twilight shouted in excitement. "Finally! You're not acting weird, are you?"
Taro looked past her to Rarity. "Why is there a boulder on her back?"
"It's not a boulder! It's a diamond!" she shouted back.
"No, that's a boulder."
"Don't even try, I have already. Let's go,"
Twilight said, leading the way.