Light exploded.
The pool of metal dust lowered as a fountain of it spilled out of the chamber. Pilate and Bellesmith emerged just below the collapsing ceiling. They spat out filament and ash before gazing towards the brightness.
A pair of ruby eyes reflected their shocked faces. With a glinting smirk, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Yeah. I don't think so." She stuck two blue hooves in.
Belle and Pilate shrieked as they were yanked viciously out of the compactor. Just milliseconds after their tails swung free from the compartment, the sand exploded from the ceiling smashing its way towards the floor of the dust pool.
Rainbow Dash dragged the two soot-stained ponies onto a metal platform brimming with gold light. Dalton stood a few meters away, dizzy, but altogether in one piece.
"There..." He managed a weak smirk. "As soon as you told me that they fell down a chute, I knew they'd end up behind one of these compartment doors. Whoever built this place had a mind for recycling brittle substance."
Pilate wheezed, still spitting up dust. "Good to hear you too, Dalton..."
"You guys picked the worst time for an alchemist's mud bath," Rainbow Dash said. "Is anything broken?"
"I think we're fine—" Pilate began, but couldn't finish. Belle had tackled him and was baptizing his cheek with tears of joy. He smiled nervously and stroked her mane before saying, "Oh yes. We're definitely fine."
"Oh thank you. Thank you thank you thank you..." Belle sniffled and tilted her head around to bequeath Rainbow Dash a tender smile. "I'm sorry that I ever doubted you..."
"Hey, I couldn't let my saddlebag go to ruin, now could I?"
"Ugh!" Belle rolled her eyes, sniffled, and gave a weak chuckle. "You're impossible, Rainbow! If Rarity were here, she'd say—" Belle froze, clutching Pilate, her face hanging in a wince. "Uhm... Uhm, what I mean was—"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Rainbow Dash droned, waving a hoof. 'We'll sort THAT out later. In the meantime—"
"The pegasus here seems to have found a way out," Dalton said.
"Oh yeah?" Pilate asked, standing up and helping Belle to her hooves. "Where?"
"About one hundred feet up!" Rainbow Dash said. "I saw it while carrying Mustachio here along the way down to save your flanks."
"Up?!" Belle stammered. "But... But I thought there was only one entrance!"
"Maybe whatever Rainbow Dash just did made a new door," Pilate remarked. "If I'm to understand that this place has undergone some changes."
"Look, all I know is that the glowy rune thingies are there and I really wanna get the heck out of this clockwork." Rainbow Dash grabbed Dalton and offered limbs to Pilate and Belle. "Promise not to fall like dumb anvils this time?! I can only stuff so many tricks into this smelly beret to pull out later!"
"We pr-promise, Rainbow Dash," Belle said with a smile as she accepted the pegasus' limb. "And once again, from the bottom of our hearts, we thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" she shrieked as Rainbow Dash hoisted the three ponies up at lightning speed.
They were moving too swiftly to see the equine figure below them, clinging to a length of golden chains rising up through the hollow of the risen obelisk.
Soaring up towards a criss-crossing series of platforms, Rainbow Dash hovered evenly and glanced all around. "I think I lost it. Horsefeathers..."
"Over there!" Dalton exclaimed, pointing as he dangled from Rainbow's grip. "Six o'clock!"
"Just because I called this place 'clockwork' doesn't mean you get to be snarky, old stallion."
"Will you just look?! For Queen's sake!"
"Oh... Hey! You're right!" Rainbow grinned towards a glowing circle of runes. As she fluttered closer towards it, the round assortment of symbols coalesced into a ring. With a flash of golden light, a hole formed in the metal wall, revealing the forested mountains of Blue Shelf in the reddening sunset. "Awesome sauce! Let's make like the wind and... uhm... be windy!"
"You'll hear no argument from me," Pilate stammered, holding on for dear life as Rainbow Dash soared out of the magical exit.
As the blue blur vanished, the equine figure from below rode up the last length of chain and tossed himself desperately onto the golden platform nearby. Wincing, Enforcer Shell stood up on three legs, his bad limb dangling in a haphazard metal splint. As soon as he saw the circular exit beginning to fade, he gasped and broke into an awkward gallop. Hobbling and hobbling, he rushed the door, and telekinetically threw his body forward like a living missile just as the runes lost their brightness.
"Nnngh—Gaaah!"
And all was silent.