Chapter Eight: Knowledge Check
“They were fluff monsters, fluff!” Socks insisted repeatedly, as he had done so for the past ten minutes that Trixie had been hitting him. “I knew you five could handle them, I don't see what the problem is. Mwali's the one who fell in and triggered it, hit him!”
The zebra edged away from them, “Had Trixie not tripped and found the ground, I could've made the jump and we would all be safe and sound.”
“Well... you did roll a one,” Topstitch pointed out.
This revelation caused a momentary shift in Trixie's targeting. Her lapse in concentration was enough that Socks could poof himself away, appearing beside Luna on the other side of the room. The moon princess was busily cleaning her gear. The sticky substance from the spider eggs proved difficult to remove without a cleaning agent. As the haberdasher appeared to take shelter behind her she slowly turned until they were eye-to-eye.
“You don't blame me, right Princess?” Socks pleaded.
Luna shook her head and replied evenly, “You have said that the rules prevent you from interfering, have you not? If that is the case I am sure you would have helped us, were it that you could."
“Exactly,” said Socks, his tone full of relief. “You all did splendidly anyways. A few more rooms like that and you'll be hardened veterans.”
“A few rooms like that and I may have to take an early retirement when we get back to Canterlot.” Topstitch sighed and stretched until his back popped, “That took years off my life.”
“Worrywart,” the haberdasher retorted. “Rest up here as long as you like, I can give you an introduction to the area if you want,” Sock's grin stretched up to his ears. He prepared his spooky game-master voice for the exercise.
Topstitch waved a hoof to cut him off, “I think we can see for ourselves, unless there's hidden yetis or giant snakes we should be aware of.”
The chamber they'd wound up in was anything but welcoming. At one point or another it had been the home of the spiders they'd encountered. A layer of sticky webbing coated the walls and stretched from the corners of the room to the ceiling. There were many small pods around the walls, which even Trixie wasn't sure she wanted to search. The floor had been remarkably spared, but it was coated in places with a thick goo, similar to what they'd found in the mess hall before.
Although their break felt well-earned they decided to continue on before long. If nothing else it seemed prudent to get as much done as possible while Socks was actually there to be of use. The far end of the room split off into two tunnels. The one which the rails followed had been caved in – Socks confessed that this was the path to the heart of the mines, where the spiders now lived. With Luna once again taking up the lead they embarked down the only path which was left to them.
The further they went the more signs there were of some sort of defense having been set up. There were barricades that had to be dismantled to advance, and more weapons could be found littering the hall. All of it was slathered in the same goo. Trixie was careful to step around the spots where it had congealed into small puddles. The others were likewise hesitant to touch the substance, or anything for that matter. Topstitch was still keeping an eye out for traps, but the slow tense crawl it forced them to move at wasn't doing anything for the group's nerves.
Eventually they made their way into another room, with several others branching off of it.
“It appears to be some sort of laboratory. Alchemy tools are spread out across wooden tables all around the edges of the room. Bottles and beakers glisten, some half full with murky liquids. A host of plants in varying forms litter the tables nearest you, leaves, seeds, stalks, the various herbs used to conduct whatever experiments took place here. A dusty notebook sits atop the table in the center of the room, along with a set of large fangs and a tuft of hair. At the far end of the room is a staircase, the top of which you cannot see.”
“Hatter...” Trixie warned, drawing back her hoof to strike Socks again.
Joe shivered, “Homey place,” he commented.
The haberdasher threw his hood over his head so that Trixie would not see him smiling. “What's first order of business?”
“Can I identify any of the plants?” asked Topstitch.
“What self-respecting ranger couldn't?” chided Socks as his notebook flitted into existence beside him and turned a few pages. “With your skill, you can deduce that most of these are expensive herbs not found locally. Most are toxic hallucinogens, but a few can be used for healing salves.”
Mwali sniffed at a few of the plants beside the seamster. “I recognize these from back home,” he said. “Chuki lily breed anger when breathed in, but can also be used to create a deadly toxin.”
“Shh!” Socks rushed over to silence the zebra, “No outside knowledge, that's called meta-gaming.”
Mwali stared cluelessly between the haberdasher and the plants on the table beside him.
“Meta-gaming!” Trixie snapped, “Using knowledge your character wouldn't know to gain an advantage in the game. Any Nightmare player should know that.”
“Ah,” Mwali growled, “Of course, I should have remembered. Then, what do you expect me to do? I can't forget what I already know.”
That stumped the haberdasher for a moment. True, he couldn't really expect Mwali to gobble up the plant as a player might have in a normal game. “Well... try and keep it to a minimum,” Socks replied. When he'd designed the dungeon he hadn't specified any of the plants by name, so he supposed the random assortment in the lab around them was his price for being negligent.
Trixie rolled her eyes and began combing the outlying rooms for trinkets. A few bits here and there, a shiny ruby necklace hidden in a drawer. The greedy mare bagged a few expensive-looking instruments and turned the barracks upside down looking for hidden compartments. On one of the tables of the main room she found what she was positive had to be windigo fur, which she knew to be particularly valuable. She dragged Joe from table to table, using him and his bag of gear as her own personal bank.
Meanwhile Luna's priorities had been set on the notebook Socks had pointed out in his description. Dusty was correct, it hadn't been touched in ages. The spine crackled obtrusively as she opened to a page at random and stuck her nose into its contents. A caricature of a snarling wolf was the first thing she saw, along with a list of notes detailing the beast's common traits. As she flipped through she saw numerous references to the Nightmare Court in earlier, diary-like, entries. The later sections of the book were dominated with recipes and research notes which Luna couldn't make much sense of. She paused on a page wherein a jagged stone was illustrated many times over.
“Lunar Quartz,” the princess read, “Lycanequus catalyst.” She thought for a moment on that before she had an idea, “Topstitch, could you determine the purpose of these recipes?”
“Oooh,” Socks practically squealed, “No, as a matter of fact he can't. Those are too advanced for him, it's a shame too. They're really important, just not in this quest.”
Luna contemplated the book and the pictured stone. It could've easily passed for the rocks Trixie had been gathering throughout the mine. “Then it would be wise to hold on to the tome?”
The haberdasher hesitated. Even with his hood up Luna could tell he must be frowning as he battled with his desire not to spoil anything. “Yes,” he said as he caved, “you should probably keep it.”
The princess turned the book to Joe's care. The stallion managed to shove it into his bag with only minor rearranging of Trixie's loot.
“Guess having the character with the highest strength automatically makes me the pack mule,” he said as he adjusted the bag on his back.
Luna smiled sympathetically, “Perhaps thy burden would not be as great, were you not carrying a castle's worth of cutlery and candlesticks.”
“Yea,” said Joe amicably. He tipped his head towards the azure unicorn picking through a pile of multicolored rocks, “Keeps G&P in a good mood though.” Joe winked.
While they picked over the rest of the lab Topstitch tested out another of his ranger skills. The seamster went through the plants with Socks' help and ground them together into vile smelling pastes using the tools which were already at hand. He didn't have much of a clue what he was doing, but the dice which rolled over his head as he worked landed on consistently high numbers. Socks assured him that the salves would work as an effective healing agent by the time he was finished.
Once he was finished they mounted the stairs at the far end of the room and ascended onto the next part of the dungeon. They climbed in groups of three, Trixie, Luna, and Joe at the lead whilst the others trailed along behind. While the other five walked with a purpose Socks lollygagged and gradually fell further behind. The others hardly noticed it, but he didn't dare risk disappearing again until they were all occupied.
“Hey,” said Joe, bringing the haberdasher from his thoughts. “What's up next? More spiders, puzzles?”
Socks hummed, a little longer than was necessary to consider the question. Luna flashed him a look over her shoulder, and her authority was not lost on him. He replied sheepishly, “I'd planned an encounter just up ahead. Beyond that landing is the last staircase. It shouldn't be too much trouble.”
“We're not used to fighting,” Topstitch reminded him. “It's easy when you're just saying what you want to happen, but we have to actually fight now.”
“Relax, it's like a dream. You'll be fine, even if you get hurt,” Socks smiled reassuringly before he recalled that they would not see it with his hood up.
“I would not be so certain,” warned Luna.
Trixie cast a sidelong glance at the princess. “What do you mean?”
“I am Princess of the Night, the stuff of dreams are my domain. As such I am familiar with the sensations and rules of the sleeping world. When a dream seems real enough we may experience them, in part, in the waking world as well.” Luna's face scrunched as she tried to think of a way to explain it to them. “Think of when you dream that you are running, and wake with tired limbs, or when you fall from a great height it feels as though you were dropped onto your bed.”
They stopped climbing the stairs. Luna's words hung in the silence as each of them considered what that could mean. Joe chuckled, as if she would reveal her words to be a joke in just a moment. Topstitch considered the dreams he'd had in the past, and how even the most realistic were like Saturday morning cartoons compared to the brilliant tapestry that was Age of Nightmare. Mwali's concern was carefully guarded by his stony expression, though he and Trixie weren't far behind the seamster's train of thought.
Socks rolled his eyes behind the shadow of his hood, “That's crazy talk. It's just a game, I'm no magical expert, but I know illusions can't hurt you.”
Luna furrowed her brow, confused and irritated that he would question her. “If the mind can be fooled then the body will respond. What we perceive to be real is far more important than what we know to be false.”
“Except we know it's a game,” the haberdasher laughed. “We already know it's all fake, so there's no harm.”
“Hah!” Trixie laughed, a little too sharply. She continued with a light stutter, “O-obviously he's right. The Great and Powerful Trixie studied all kinds of illusions, even the best ones can't harm anypony. There's nothing to be a-afraid of, it's just a g-game,”
Luna gazed at each of them in turn. Trixie fought to hide the momentary tremble of her hooves, but the princess took note. Continuing to press the matter wasn't doing anything for the group's morale. She offered a curt nod before replying, “I hope the two of you are correct, but remain on your guard all the same.”
Mwali cleared his throat from above them on the stairs. When they looked to him he said, “If we could come back to matters at hoof, we should discuss a plan. Fighting is not so much about the number of battles a warrior has seen. A foal can strike down a stallion if you but give him a knife and tell him where to place it. To win is to know calm within the chaos of combat.”
“Exactly,” purred the haberdasher. “Stop being such pessimists, you'll be fine as long as you play the game with a cool head.”
More quickly than any of them would have liked, their hooves found the next landing. The six of them spread out at the mouth of a wide hallway. Pillars were carved into either wall, stretching towards a ceiling that was high enough they could not see it. Visible in the shadows were small alcoves, not unlike those the spiders had come from in the halls before. Princess Luna gently bit the grip of her sword and took an experimental step forwards.
Socks edged away from the group. He took one last glance to make sure they weren't paying attention to him before he faded away. Just before he left his ghostly voice echoed past his five companions, “Rolling spot checks.”
The ponies looked around in alarm. A green die appeared above each of their heads and began rolling. Mwali put his hoof on his spear and joined Luna at the head of the group as Trixie readied a spell and the others likewise tensed. They bunched together in a tight circle and quickly got their hooves tangled, only serving to worsen their apprehension. One by one the dice stopped rolling, giving each of them their scores. Trixie, 5; Topstitch, 8; Joe, 9; Luna and Mwali both had a 15.
As if someone had suddenly flicked on a light Luna and Mwali could suddenly make out shapes in the dark. Dark lupine figures with dim white eyes, skulking around the group and crawling from the gaps in the walls. They weren't normal in size either, each of them was nearly as tall as the alicorn princess. A chill ran down Luna's spine as the nearest one began to growl, in a flash of steel she whipped out her sword to answer it. Mwali glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, silently sharing his input. They were outnumbered.
“What is it? Trixie demands you tell her.” The showmare squeaked in surprise as the hairs of Donut Joe's tail brushed against her hind leg. To her eyes they may as well have been standing in pitch blackness. Trixie could hear long claws scratching on stone, she could smell the musk of the predators surrounding them, but she couldn't see them at all. Even Topstitch and Joe could only see vague outlines at the edge of the torchlight.
“Steel yourselves,” said Luna, her voice barely above a whisper.
Mwali scuffed the floor with his hoof. “Stay close to each other, and watch your backs. A lonely pony is easy prey for a wolf pack.”
“Wolves?” Trixie exclaimed.
“There is no disgrace in running,” Luna's features were hard as she focused all her energy on the opponents circling them. “If need be I shall hold them here, and return for you when the battle is finished.”
“Exactly where is Trixie supposed to run?” asked the showmare, nearly shrieking at the princess as she spun in circles looking for the unseen horrors.
Donut Joe put a hoof on Trixie's head and steered her gaze in the direction of the nearest wolf. Once her eyes were locked he jerked his head, lobbing the torch in his teeth towards the darkness. It arced past Luna's protective wing and carried its aura over the muscular gray canine. Its fangs were bared, saliva dripped from its jowls. It barked as if cursing them, startling Trixie, and dove out of the light that had revealed it. Joe pushed Trixie back towards the center of their circle and drew his sword.
“Gotta fight at some point, Your Highness. I'd feel a lot better covering your back than waitin' it out.”
“Technically I'm the villain here, and I can't help you out,” Socks' matter-of-fact voice came to them, more of a reminder than an apology. He tittered and finished, “But good luck!”
That was all the warning they needed to know the wait was over. Topstitch gripped one of his knives fiercely, even as a sense of dread overwhelmed him and made the stallion sick to his stomach. Trixie couldn't tell where to aim, and the uncertainty frightened her far more than the actual prospect of battle. While Donut Joe lacked the expertise of their princess or Mwali he had played a little minor league baseball, and he assumed a batter's stance and mindset.
Mwali's hexes glowed against his fur, a magical flare shot skyward. As one the wolves began their attack, hoping to sink their fangs into flesh before the light could betray their presence. It hit the roof, cracking and bathing the entire hallway in a gory shade of red. Luna raised her buckler just in time to bat away encroaching fangs of the first wolf. It yelped as hard metal studs impacted its jaw and smote it upon the ground. Topstitch slashed wildly to no avail as another wolf tried to attack them from behind, when it prepared to pounce Trixie blasted it off its feet with Magic Missile. All the while little green dice rolled and bounced in the sky, an unwelcome distraction to the five combatants.
The princess was like an omnipresent barrier. A wolf nipped at Trixie's tail, only to be concussed by Luna's hoof. Another two had teamed up on Donut Joe, only to have Luna's blade gnash at their flanks and paws. She beat off their assailants by the score even as they were attacked from all sides. One moment she was on her hooves, barreling towards the next victim, and the next she was floating overhead, assessing where she was to be needed next. She was quicker than any pegasus, and her expression was anything but benevolent. For those moments it wasn't difficult to see the ferocity of a pony who had once threatened all of Equestria.
Mwali was no disappointment either. The zebra's stripes were almost hypnotic as he spun, dashed, and lunged across the battlefield. Snapping jaws narrowly missed him time and time again, but his aim was rarely askew. The spear he had harvested moved and struck as through it was a part of him, the stinger of some bizarre and terrifyingly large scorpion. His focus was offensive, and his success was brutal as he stared into the milky eyes of a snarling beast and drove the broadhead of his spear right between them.
“Is he a zebra or a lion? Sheez,” said Joe, pausing in the combat to admire the warrior.
Topstitch spared a glance as well, only to wish he hadn't. Even in the red glow of Mwali's flare he could make out the coppery rivulets running down the length of the zebra's weapon. “He's a butcher,” the seamster observed.
“Gah!” The princess's surprised yelp prompted them to turn.
A wolf had finally gotten the better of Luna. Whilst she was preoccupied it had pounced at her back and the gargantuan creature now attempted to wrestle her into submission. The others watched in horror as their princess thrashed and attempted to throw it. Luna kicked her head back as far as she could, hitting the monster in the snout and dazing it, but it retaliated by raking its claws along her back, scoring a light wound at the base of her wing. The princess gasped in pain and redoubled her efforts when a long metal shaft punched through the back of the wolf's head and protruded from the other side.
Topstitch watched, wide-eyed, as the monstrosity rolled unceremoniously from the monarch's back. It stared blankly back, its jaws frozen mid-bite, as Mwali tore the spear free again with an undignified ripping noise. Droplets of blood speckled the zebra and the princess beside him even as she turned to offer her thanks. There wasn't much time to dwell, however, as there were still a great many opponents to face.
Ears laid back, their approach more cautious, the wolves had learned that their prey was less incapable than they'd expected. Each one growled and bared its many teeth as they circled the ponies and watched for the best opening. It was impossible to see where they looked with their dim orbs, but there wasn't much guessing. They clustered wherever Luna wasn't, they sniffed the air and lapped at it as if relishing in the fear they sensed from those she tried to protect.
Mwali's muscles could practically be seen quivering with anticipation beneath his skin. His orange eyes flitted from wolf to wolf as the canines circled around them like sharks in the waning red light. Luna cautiously wrapped her wing around him, almost physically restraining him as he began to lean forwards. She shot a glance at Trixie, which was received with confusion. The princess tipped her head towards the wolves, looking between the showmare and the canines erratically.
“Trixie is not a mind reader!” the showmare wailed.
Luna sighed and rolled her entire head in exasperation. “Perhaps a bolt of lightning or some other projectile might distract our opponents,” said Luna, loudly, and pointedly. “It would certainly be easier to deal with them, if only there were some way we could scatter their ranks.”
The wolves snapped loudly, one or two paused and cocked their heads at Luna. It was as though they understood, and they began to prowl closer. Trixie's lips formed a small 'o' and she began to charge her horn, fixing a stern glare on the approaching canines. Mwali tensed again, and this time Luna mirrored him, signaling silently to Joe as well. The tingling sensation in her appendage turned to a burning, Trixie lowered her horn at the lead wolf and fired.
A backlash of heat washed over her face and tickled at the hairs of her neck. A sphere of swirling orange jumped lazily off her horn and smashed into the canine like a water balloon. The creature's eyes widened and it yelped in fear and pain as a wash of flames painted its coat red and its fur fell off in smoldering clumps. The fire began inching towards the other wolves and spread as though the floor was coated in oil in the direction of each opponent. The wolves ceased their circling and some collided in a heap of matted greasy fur in their attempts to escape the Creeping Flame spell.
“Now!” cried Luna, diving into the fray once more.
Just like that they were all on the offensive. The wolves were in such a panic they couldn't reassemble and resume their tactics, Luna pinned two of them together and dealt critical blows that rent their sides open. Donut Joe hacked at one's head, very nearly severing its neck entirely. Trixie let fly more magic, arcs of lightning, bolts of amethyst that disoriented or blasted aside the oncoming mass of howling creatures.
When the wolves began to counterattack Luna wasn't there to defend. The princess had been slowed considerably by the attacks from before, and she had landed herself in the thick of battle alongside Donut Joe. The wolves came at Trixie as if they'd found a buffet, and Mwali was her last vanguard. The zebra stabbed at one, kicked another, and peppered his attacks with powerful illusions that left the wolves chasing their own tails or rolling helplessly on their backs.
“Trixie-” Topstitch's cry was cut short. The wolf pinning him to the floor put its full massive weight on his chest, making it difficult to breath. Claws thicker than a dictionary punched through the first layer of his armor and threatened to go further.
A bolt of lightning hit the snarling creature in the flank. It yelped wildly and lowered its head, resting its muzzle on the ground. Topstitch took the opportunity, twisting his neck and burying the throwing knife in his teeth within the wolf's side. Fresh warm blood flecked the unicorn's face, he could taste the copper. It felt like waking up from a dream, he realized what he'd just done as the wolf's full weight fell on him. Topstitch could feel the beast's great heart, its beat slowly coming to a stop. His head fell back to the stone, and he stared blankly at the ceiling, his jaw agape in horror.
“Noble seamster!” bellowed Luna. A moment later her midnight coat was in view as she knocked the dead wolf off of Topstitch. She offered him a hoof even as she spat out her sword to inspect that he was alright.
“F-fine,” he stammered, getting back to his feet. He saw Trixie watching him, a modicum of concern creeping over the fierce glaze that had taken over her face. It wasn't like her usual competitive stare, it was something mean.
Luna chewed her lip. “You look unwell, do not persist if you are unable. I will cover your retreat.”
Princess Luna, patron saint of the night. Protector of pony kind. Here she was, not a princess of an idyllic society, but a goddess of war. Topstitch couldn't answer her, nor even move as he stared at her coat, stained and speckled with drying blood. Her sword lay forgotten, but it was painted just the same by the colors of combat. Elegant, beautiful, kind Luna. Was this really the same socially awkward mare he'd met in Socks' foyer?
He never got to ask. Luna was abruptly stolen from his vision by a gray mass slamming into her from the side. The princess shouted and grunted, striking the wolf about the head and sides as it pinned her to the ground and broke several links of her chainmail shirt. Instinctively she tried to hit it with magic, but not even sparks fizzled from her horn. As the wolf's hot breath beat down on her cheeks she looked frantically at her sword, laying mere feet away at Topstitch's hooves.
Trixie looked around at the sound of the princess's yells, but found herself face to face with another adversary. The showmare yelped and fired off a bolt of lightning down the wolf's throat, prompting a small explosion in her own face. It blinded her, and tossed her backwards. The world was a buzzing daze of colors as a striped figure delivered a harrowing kick to another wolf which had come to pick her off.
“I got it,” shouted Joe over the combat. He vaulted Trixie's prone form and made a beeline for the pinned princess and the stunned Topstitch.
Joe hit the wolf like a battering ram. It rolled off Luna's form and fought to regain its composure nearby. The alicorn heaved deep breaths as the use of her lungs returned to her and felt her chest, where blood has surfaced on the cloth vest beneath her armor. The confectioner stood over her with a smile that defined knightly demeanor, in spite of his gruff appearance.
“Topstitch,” Luna breathed, panicked. In an instant she rolled over and flexed her wings, preparing her patented acceleration boost as she locked eyes on the wolf that had just been knocked off of her. Without hesitation she snatched the sword from Donut Joe's own teeth and launched herself at the wolf like a missile.
The blade caught the haunches of the wolf, causing its hind-quarters to collapse under its own weight, tail wagging frantically as the confused creature turned about. Luna smashed the side of the wolf's head with her buckler and turned round to kick it across the floor. The princess turned to Joe and lobbed his sword to him before scooping up her own.
Topstitch swallowed a lump in his throat. “Luna, I-”
“I will cover your retreat, noble seamster.” Her stare felt like a brick to his muzzle. “Do not linger here.”
Topstitch's heart was somewhere in his throat as his hooves began moving. He didn't know where his mind was. They carried him across the hall, back to the stairway and the laboratory below it. He slipped momentarily in what he realized had to be blood, but was hardly slowed in his flight. All the while his thoughts repeated, echoed, in his head: coward.
Donut Joe watched him go. “He gonna be okay?” the confectioner asked.
“He is safe for now,” Luna replied. Her eyes lingered on the stairs, a vivid picture of the seamster's terrified face still plain in her mind.
By that time Trixie's head had recovered and she was back up. She and Mwali were fighting off what remained of the wolves, but they were still badly outnumbered. They had become too spread out, and the wolves had begun to regroup. One went for Mwali, dodging his spear in mid-air, it gripped him about the neck with its teeth. The zebra twisted with the wolf's movement so that it would not tear out his throat. With Mwali preoccupied the others closed in, deftly avoiding Trixie's rain of magical attacks.
The wolf on Mwali's neck landed beside him, it growled through a mouthful of hair and flesh. He took the opportunity to hit it, sharply, in the ribs. The wolf yelped, its grip loosening only marginally as Mwali pulled back and came free, but not without the wolf's teeth raking thing bloody grooves across his skin. Fresh blood tinted his fur around the wounds as he gasped and stumbled away from the canine. The wolf snarled and prepared to pounce again when a long nicked blade punched through its side and into its heart.
Trying to be everywhere at once was taking its toll on Luna. The princess breathed heavily as she left her sword to momentarily hang beside her while she stretched her jaw. She surveyed the battle, saw Joe take over where Mwali had faltered and wildly beat off the wolves which had come close to Trixie. The confectioner was far from a practiced warrior, but he fought with spirit. They were winning, if only just, but the frown that Luna wore would have suggested otherwise.
Mwali caught her gaze and noticed her fatigue. He closed his eyes briefly and allowed himself a moment to breathe before he leveled his gaze at the tired royal again. “Fight on, princess,” he breathed. “The day is not yet won.”
Luna closed her eyes as well. “There is no victory where there is death,” she replied solemnly. The princess craned her neck to retrieve her sword and flexed her wings as she prepared to re-enter the fight.
Trixie had nearly exhausted herself fending off the wolves. There were only a few left, but they were big ones, wolves which had already taken many hits from her magic or the swords of her allies. At a guess, Trixie called them mini-bosses. Hulking monsters that made the others look like pups, and only grew all the more terrifying as they persisted in spite of the bloody gashes marring their hides. One still smoldered from a fire spell as it reared down on Joe, its teeth locked against his blade, forcing the stallion back as easily as pushing a cart.
The wolf lashed out with its paws, scoring wounds on Joe's muzzle. He fell back, only to be caught by another monster and unceremoniously thrown to the ground. Trixie shot the second one with a bolt of lightning but she was quickly distracted by a third wolf coming at her from the side. The showmare gave a squeak of surprise and reared up, attempting to pivot so she could turn around, instead she punched the wolf in the jaw. The world soon became a whirling mass of colors as the wolf collided with her and they tumbled together in a mass of fur and cape into the nearby wall.
“See to her aid, I will assist the confectioner.” Luna swept past Mwali in a gust of wind. There was already another wolf on her tail, quite literally nipping at the ethereal mass of 'fur'.
Donut Joe was struggling to get his bearing again. His sword had been lost somewhere and there was another furry customer standing before him, ready to attack. Its tail swished lazily through the air like a retriever who'd just brought back its master's Frisbee. It barked at him, almost inquisitively. Joe stretched his aching neck and cocked his head at this behavior. The wolf continued to stare, growling briefly before barking again.
“I don't speak much dog,” Joe replied, keeping his eyes on the wolf as he inched slowly towards his lost sword.
It barked again, lunging forwards as Joe went to grab the weapon. At a blow from his hoof the sword spun and skittered within his reach, he snapped it up and drove it into the wolf's shoulder as it came near. The beast's head missed his own by inches, and he could hear its breath in his ear as it twitched and emitted a low whine. It pulled its head back and exposed its jaws, preparing to attack again. With no space between them he couldn't get his sword out of its arm.
The wolf lunged, and Luna arrived in the nick of time. The princess came in at breakneck speed and twisted at the last moment, bucking the wolf with her hind legs and sending it careening into one of the pillars jutting from the wall. It cried out for help, a call that was answered by the wolf already behind the princess. As she spun around and slowed from hitting its companion the wolf jumped, claws outspread to wrap around her and drag her to her death. Luna planted her feet firmly and swung her sword around to her front. The wolf was already in the air, it had no chance of avoiding her.
The noise was sickening. The impact was painful. Luna slid back as the wolf speared its full weight upon her sword. Its paws flailed just above the floor, it moaned balefully as it struggled to get free of the metal embedded in its chest. Luna was just tall enough that she could see directly into its eyes, long enough to see the milky white give way to normal blue eyes, almost those of a pony. She watched fear and pain flash in its expression. The wolf opened its mouth again, to let out its heartbreaking cry, and Luna wrenched her sword towards its heart, silencing it for good.
The princess took a deep, shaky breath. The wolf's eyes were blank once more. She couldn't tell if she'd imagined it, but what she saw lingered with her.
“Sheez, you're some sort of super hero,” Joe's voice made her jump and look back down at the stallion as he admired her work.
A low growl behind them reminded her that there was still another predator in their midst. Luna bit gently on the sword protruding from the corpse before her and gave it a tug. At first it refused to come out, forcing her to go so far as to brace a hoof against its chest. She pulled again and slid the blade free at an agonizing pace as she listened to the wounded dog's limping footsteps.
Trixie was recovering from her daze a second time. Something was hitting her repeatedly, her cheeks already stung from the first two blows. It hadn't occurred to her that one could become so dizzy from battle. As the red room around her began to take its natural shape again she made out a stripey hoof being drawn back again, and the incoherent mumbles of its owner.
“What do you think you're doing!” Trixie yelled, pushing away his hoof and repeatedly slapping the air just in front of his chest. “Are you out of your pony mind? What would possess you to strike The Great and Powerful Trixie?”
Mwali blinked dully, caught with his tongue in his throat. “I- you- I didn't mean to-”
Trixie forced herself back up, wavering like a drunk on her unsteady hooves. She pointed an accusing hoof at a spot to Mwali's left. “This is being added to a long list of debts you owe Trixie, you will be my servant until the end of time if you don't find a way to limit your stupidity. Don't forget you still need Trixie to get out of here!”
The zebra simpered anxiously as he considered slapping her again. As much as he hated to admit it she was right, Trixie was still his best way out of the game if things didn't go as planned. He bowed his head and masked his low growl by clearing his throat instead. “Of course, consider my apology, Miss Trixie.”
The unicorn heaved a sigh and stared at the ground. Her gaze lingered a little too long as she felt she might be sick. “Trixie forgives you this once.”
Mwali rolled his eyes and turned away.
Beside Luna and Joe were two slain wolves. Mwali had dispatched the one entangled with Trixie what felt like ages ago. Only one beast remained, awkwardly trapped between the two groups of battered and bloodied combatants. Its gaze swapped between them like a metronome that had lost its pace and its growl was a continuous sound. It was backing away from them, back towards the staircase at the exit end of the hallway.
Trixie looked between Mwali and Luna, the two bloodstained warriors who had dominated the battlefield. Neither one made a move, though they stared at the beast with an icy intent that could have killed it on the spot. It was as though they were all frozen in time, and only Trixie and Joe had realized it as they shared their confusion in a glance.
“Yield, mourn for your brothers, but do not force me to end your life.” Luna's tone was hard, but her expression faltered. Liquid had pooled at the corner of her eye, and she was finding it difficult to hold the wolf's stare.
To their surprise it didn't run, but it didn't attack either. It cried out, one long lingering howl. It looked around, eying each of its fallen pack-mates. The wolf took a step backwards and raised its head again, howling once more, there was something almost desperate in its voice. It didn't sound worried, or confused, it sounded lonely. The last echoes died out with no reply. The wolf didn't waste any time, it spared them one last glance before it turned its tail to them and fled. It scrabbled through one of the alcoves in the wall, and it was gone.
The sound of metal rang through the hall. Luna's sword dropped at her hooves and the mare looked skyward, resembling a wolf herself after she carefully folded her wings at her sides. The princess collapsed to the ground, her eyes closed as her head came to rest between her hooves.
“We did it,” Trixie called out, punctuating her enthusiasm with a small jump.
“Huzzah,” was the princess's dry retort.
Trixie scoffed and turned to Mwali, “What's eaten her apples? As my servant, I command you to rejoice with Trixie.” The unicorn raised a hoof to the zebra with regal poise. Mwali returned it with a dull clop and smirked at the magician.
“Time to loot?” the zebra asked.
The unicorn stalked towards the wolf which had knocked her over. Its body lay against the wall in an upright position, a deep gouge in its chest. Trixie experimentally poked at the beast, as if gold coins would spring from its withers. Instead she spotted something on its hip, indistinguishable beneath the dirt, blood, and filth that stained its fur, but it looked like an image. Trixie's face felt cold and she immediately retracted the hoof and began to hum suspiciously loud.
“Where's Topstitch?” she asked, barely restraining the highness in her voice.
Mwali looked around, but didn't see the seamster anywhere. The zebra's eyes fell on Donut Joe, who tilted his head towards the laboratory where Topstitch had fled. He looked back towards Trixie but found her spot vacant. A silvery tail slipped out of sight at the top of the stairs.
The showmare took the stairs two at a time. She nearly fell once and nearly lost her hat twice, it sat crookedly atop her head as she jostled it about. Trixie was a pony on a mission, and the goal of that mission was to find Topstitch and inquire as to why he'd missed her devastating victory in the hallway.
Trixie descended into the lab with lungs full of air, preparing to release a tirade on the seamster. What she saw made her pause and think better of it, a rare occurrence in her life. Topstitch was slumped over one of the tables, surrounded by pieces of parchment folded into strange shapes. At first Trixie thought he was doing origami, but she realized they were just paper planes. He'd already made a dozen of them. A cloaked figure sat beside him, patting the stallion gently on the shoulder, it could only be Knee Socks.
The scene was eerily similar to one Trixie remembered from their childhood. Hearts & Hooves Day could be the worst. Only that time Trixie had been the one patting – or incessantly poking – the wounded seamster's shoulder.
She let loose on him nonetheless. “Topstitch, Trixie demands you explain why you weren't paying witness to her astounding power.”
Socks turned around first, a brilliant grin on his face. It was sickening to the showmare. “Trixie! Just the mare we need, Old 'Stitch is a little bit in the dumps,” he said, his voice patronizing to the fullest extent.
Topstitch turned his head just far enough to glare with one eye at the haberdasher. “I'm not 'in the dumps',” he insisted.
“Then why weren't you watching?” Trixie whined, “I single-handedly defeated almost a dozen bloodthirsty wolves.”
Socks pursed his lips at her, but made no comment. The mare puffed out her chest defiantly, daring the all-knowing game-master to challenge her claims.
The seamster filled his cheeks with air and expelled it as he looked up at the ceiling. It wasn't like he'd expected Trixie to understand, but he felt like an idiot having to explain it. “We killed them,” he said.
Trixie stared at him dully. “We? It was Trixie who defeated them. You weren't even there!”
That brought a painful twang to Topstitch's heartstrings. The seamster winced as he continued to focus on the ceiling. “I know, and I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't watch that, not for all the bits in Equestria.”
It made sense to her, truly, it did. Trixie had never given other ponies much reason to believe it, but she empathized surprisingly well. As a pony who spent most of her days alone, on a stage, wearing her show facade, it was difficult for her to level with other ponies emotionally, even the one she'd known for most of her life. She was trying to help in the only way she knew how, mainly by being a distraction.
“What about being Trixie's number one fan? Performers thrive on the energy of the audience, what if Trixie can't win without your adoring cheers?”
The seamster tapped his hoof on the table beside him irritably. “I'm supposed to cheer as you lay waste to lives?”
“It's not even real-”
“No, no! It isn't real, but the memories will be,” Topstitch's gaze fell upon his oldest friend, a mare whose face he could paint from memory, yet he barely even knew her anymore. “Long after this is over, we're still going to have these memories. What if they get worse?”
Trixie groaned and huffed. It wasn't enough to roll her eyes. She couldn't pretend that it didn't bother her, all the fighting, but being a spellcaster had it's advantages. Trixie's contribution had been from a distance, impersonal, if it had been different she wasn't sure she could have seen the fight through either. “We're almost done,” she insisted. “After we beat the last challenge we go home, and then you'll be far too busy designing Trixie's new costume to think about this nut job’s idea of a game.”
“Hey!” Socks exclaimed, “I thought I was going to be designing your costume, this experience has given me amazing inspiration for it too.”
She shot him a stare full of doubt. “Trixie wouldn't trust you to pick up her mail after this mess.”
Topstitch intervened before the haberdasher could retort, “Look, I'm concerned. I don't want any of us living with guilt over our heads. Some of us have already seen too much of that.”
“For the last time, Trixie didn't mean to catch your tail on fire and I don't feel guilty!”
The table gave an audible thump as Topstitch turned round and smashed his muzzle into it. Several paper airplanes took flight and lazily zoomed away from his head. Socks nickered softly beside him.
Before the small planes could touch the ground Trixie snagged them in her telekinetic grip. She watched them fly up to eye level and bank around her own hat on some invisible wind before pointing their tips back at their maker. Like a squadron of kamikaze fighters they floated through the air and one-by-one poked the seamster in the side of the head before falling into a stack by his cheek.
“You have to give her something for her efforts,” Socks mused, leaning towards his friend.
Topstitch snorted. “Anything you give her goes straight to her head.”
The haberdasher chuckled, “Either way, you can't keep moping here. You've got a dungeon to finish.”
“For once Trixie agrees with you.”
The seamster wore an expression of deep thought. Trixie watched him expectantly, already halfway facing the staircase so they could leave. Eventually Topstitch sighed and said, “I want to be done with this just as much as any of you, just not if it costs us our morals.”
There was a brief silence between them. Socks regarded Trixie curiously as the corners of her lips curled as if she was about to throw up. When her lips parted a laugh escaped them that would've sounded more at home coming from a goose than a pony. The unicorn shook her head softly as more chuckles brought a tear to her eye. “Topstitch,” she said, “Topstitch, Trixie's entire childhood was based on throwing morals away. What about when Trixie cheated at cards to buy you fabric, or the time that I kicked Starry Sleight in the flank for making fun of Trixie's disappearing cat trick. You didn't safeguard Trixie's morals when she rigged the Academy for Gifted Unicorns' apprentice magician competition by weakening the stage floorboards!”
The others watched with blank faces as the mare listed off more, increasingly amoral, actions. Socks had already suspected that she wasn't above foul play, but the scope of her transgressions was a shock nonetheless. “You didn't poison my drink or anything, did you?” he asked. “I'd be a little upset if I get back to my body to find myself dying so that you could win the game.”
Trixie glared at him before turning her attention back to Topstitch. She reiterated, “Trixie throws her morals away, and you always cheer for Trixie. That's the system.”
The seamster could only shake his head at her outburst. He couldn't even remember half of the things Trixie had done for the sake of her act, and he didn't recall supporting the other half. While he'd always put in diligent work, she'd found the shortcuts and extreme measures to get things done without it. In a way that's what he was hoping to accomplish, to bend the rules and escape the game before anymore harm could come their way, for his own sake as much as any of the others.
For once it felt like he might actually be the one who had it right. Just like trying to use his fractured horn earlier, taking a leaf from Trixie's book of rash thought hadn't gotten him anywhere. It was a strangely comforting thought, there were no shortcuts, no way to 'Trixie' an escape. They just had to do their best and see it through to the end, and there he was, holding them all back.
Trixie sensed the change in his demeanor. She flicked her tail at him and turned away, putting her hoof on the first step. “Now hurry up, Trixie wants to see what treasure Socks put in the next room.”
When Topstitch came around the three ponies climbed the stairs together and found their companions standing at the other end of the scene of the battle. The eerie red light from before had been replaced by that of another torch. They stood at the foot of the next staircase, the steps were gargantuan, each one deep enough to be its own landing. They looked like ordinary stone steps, but there was a large golden band on the front of every third step.
“I saw somethin' like this in a Daring Do movie,” said Joe. The stallion scratched his chin as he examined the steps. “When she stepped on the wrong one fire shot out everywhere, it was intense.”
The confectioner looked around his company, hoping for some confirmation. The others weren't particularly encouraged by his statement. Neither the princess nor the foreigner had seen the film. They were too busy picturing themselves engulfed in flames to ask what happened next, or how Daring Do survived the trap. As Joe waited for them to reply he caught sight of Topstitch and Trixie, with Knee Socks trailing along behind.
“Hey ponies, welcome back,” said Joe, waving his hoof.
Luna turned around, her eyes instantly locked on Topstitch. He returned her gaze, unblinking. As best she could tell he had made a full recovery, but she watched him for a few moments longer as he and his group came to join them.
“We are glad to see you well, Topstitch,” said the princess, smiling at last.
The seamster nodded in thanks. “I'm told I missed an iconic battle,” he replied. Luna detected a catch in his delivery, which made her wonder exactly how well he was.
The princess's first instinct was to ask him directly. If she demanded information he could hardly refuse. However, she doubted he would appreciate the spectacle. It was obvious that he was already anxious about having abandoned them, and even more-so about the inquisitive stares from the others. She resigned to speak with him about it later, in private.
“At least one of us won't have to worry,” said Mwali. The zebra brought their attentions back to the problem before them, and he pointed at Luna's wings.
Luna fluttered the appendages experimentally, then winced as she moved the one which had be scratched in battle. The stairs were wide enough for her to fly up, assuming she could handle the strain. That still left four other ponies with no way past the trapped steps, if they were traps at all. “I fear Trixie is the only one light enough for me to lift,” she said, “and splitting up does not seem wise.”
“How did Daring Do get across the trap?” asked the showmare.
“Easy peasy,” replied Joe, “she didn't step on the wrong ones.”
Trixie smacked a hoof to her face and shook her head.
Without warning Mwali vaulted the first step. Topstitch shouted, Luna unfurled her wings to pursue him as he climbed onto the second landing. The zebra turned about, facing the wall, and took a brief pause to focus his energy and reevaluate his position. When satisfied he took off, he sprinted from one side of the stair to the other, and as he neared the opposite wall he angled himself and jumped towards it. The ponies below watched in awe as his hooves scraped the surface, dislodging stone and dust as he hung there as if frozen in time. Mwali kicked off with all of his might, tucked in his legs, and skidded over the lip of the fourth step.
His audience watched in open-mouthed astonishment as he stood and dusted himself off. Luna's wings were still extended, forgotten in mid-flap as she made sense of what she just watched. Mwali made the acrobatics look like it was nothing.
“He's a freakin' ninja!” Joe exclaimed.
Trixie stamped on the floor, not to be outdone. “Anything he can do, Trixie can do better!” the showmare proclaimed. She hopped the first two steps with ease and turned to the wall to replicate the zebra's trick. Just as she went to try it a pair of teeth clamped down on the edge of her cape. Like elastic it stretched out and then snapped back, depositing her at the bottom of the stairs again with a bruised rump.
Topstitch released her cape and sighed, “Do you have an acrobatic bone in your body?”
The showmare growled at him. She took a deep breath and recited as if from a textbook, “Trixie took the 'Amazing Action' feat, once per day Trixie may perform a skill check, which she has zero ranks in, flawlessly.” Trixie stuck her nose up at him and mounted the stairs again. She didn't get very far before her cape held her up again.
“Do you even know how feats work, now that we're inside the game?”
“Trixie will figure it out!” The unicorn yanked helplessly at the hem of her cape, now trapped beneath her colleague's hoof.
“I kinda wanted to see her try,” said Joe bashfully.
Whilst she struggled Luna wrapped her forelegs around Trixie's middle and gave two experimental beats of her wings. The azure mare squirmed against her would-be savior, making it difficult to gain any lift. Trixie clamped her hooves over her hat and screamed to be released as her front half lifted off the ground and her cape was buffeted by the winds from Luna's exaggeratedly slow takeoff.
“Strength check,” Socks muttered under his breath.
A pair of dice began to roll somewhere, but Luna ignored it. The princess tightened her grip on Trixie and beat her wings until they were nearly a blur. As soon as Trixie's rear hooves were off the ground she thrashed her lower half violently to one side. Luna grunted in alarm, her trajectory changing as she nearly crashed them both into the very step they were trying to avoid. Becoming impatient, when she felt Trixie begin to squirm again she jammed her hoof against the showmare's neck.
Without any oxygen Trixie was more concerned with staying alive than escaping. As she hung limply and gasped for air Luna was able to gain altitude. Acting quickly, the princess boosted her captive into the air just far enough to clear the steps. On the other side Luna dropped her cargo unceremoniously. Trixie fell to the stone, gasping for breath, her hoof stretched out to some unseen phantom as she clung to life. Luna snorted and pushed the showmare's hat down over her eyes, much to Trixie's displeasure.
“Hurray,” said Joe, “how about the rest of us?”
Topstitch shrugged. “You stretch across, I'll walk over you.”
“Hey, now that's a tempting idea!” Joe replied, feigning excitement.
Socks made a noise of disgust. The others turned, distinctly aware that they'd done something wrong. The haberdasher crossed his forelegs and shook his head at them. He opened his mouth, closed it, gestured angrily and opened it again, then snapped it shut. Two sides of him were battling for control, the desire to critique their game skills and the desire to give nothing away.
“Something to say?” asked Topstitch. The haberdasher shook his head at a rapid pace.
“Helpful guy,” commented Joe.
Without any other ideas, the confectioner decided to take his chances with parkour. He tossed his sack of loot to the other side, along with his sword, and prepared the same way Mwali had. Joe was much less sure in his footing, and even less confident of his weight, but he was willing to give it a shot. Luna hovered nearby, ready to catch him as he kicked off at a gallop towards the wall. The stallion jumped clumsily and tried to twist in the air the same way Mwali had. As his hooves struck the wall instead of clinging he kept on running, and traction failed him.
“Help, help!” Joe yelled as he scrambled and stretched himself out. He kicked off the wall in a last ditch effort, shoving with all the strength his legs had. As he saw the stair coming straight for his face he lifted his head, narrowly avoiding hitting the stone with his jaw.
Somewhere behind him Trixie scoffed, “Amateur at best.”
Topstitch took a deep breath, his heart racing as Joe struggled to get up and offered him a wave. Suddenly the jump looked a lot harder than when Mwali had done it. The seamster briefly wished that he'd elected to go first instead of Joe. He clambered up the steps and got into position, ignoring as Knee Socks rolled his eyes and turned away, muttering to himself. Topstitch bolted, pounced, and rebounded off the wall. Unlike Joe, he didn't try to run, he just focused all of his intent on defying gravity for those few crucial milliseconds before kicking off, and stumbling to a landing on the other side.
“Bravo!” Luna cheered. She and Joe stomped their hooves in applause as Trixie ho-hummed and Mwali looked to the next striped step.
Topstitch followed the zebra's gaze as he caught his breath. The stairs went on quite a ways, the top of them wasn't even visible. And every third step bore the same golden stripe. Suddenly he was wishing that they'd heeded Socks' bad mood and thought up a different way to get across.
Luna played a crucial role in the exercise to come. Whereas Trixie was the only pony she could carry across she could still lend her hoof to the others. With good enough timing she was able to catch the others as they sprang from the wall, offering just enough lift to get them across safely. The cost was obvious, however, and soon all the ponies were nearly dragging themselves up the stairs to the next obstacle, except for Trixie. Luna was having trouble flying at all, let alone carrying the others.
“We're almost there,” Mwali encouraged. The zebra had already passed the gold-plated step above them. His stamina seemed almost endless, and he executed the wall jump flawlessly every time. Either their in-game skills meant less than initially suspected, or Mwali's acrobatic skill was through the roof.
The remaining four stretched their legs experimentally. Joe and Topstitch caught each other's shaky glances. Both stallions were spent. Luna took the mantle, opting to rest her wings and try the jump Mwali's way. As she jumped she still gave a small flap, and glided gracefully to the zebra's side.
Finally Trixie had a chance to prove herself just as capable. Even if she failed she still had her feat. The showmare pranced to her starting point, her tail swishing gently this way and that. She stuck her nose to the ceiling and cracked her neck noisily before lowering into a crouch in preparation. She aimed straight at the scuff Mwali's hoof had left behind on the wall, let out a laugh of contempt, and darted towards the wall. The showmare jumped, form perfect, and twisted to touch the surface. She felt the wall below, and strangely beside her, and went to kick off... when her leg cramped.
The showmare's face contorted in agony. She shouted, “Horseapples!” as she lost traction and kicked out. She spiraled through the air and came to a landing upside down, skidding across the smooth step beside Mwali.
Luna bent down to inspect her, prodding Trixie's flank. The unicorn didn't even move. She covered her face with her hooves and lay there, wanting to die. On the steps below Donut Joe was snickering and Topstitch rolled his eyes, releasing the anxious breath he'd been holding. She could hear Mwali's barely suppressed laughter somewhere to her left as well.
“I thought that was supposed to be flawless,” Topstitch called over angrily.
Socks snorted, “She didn't use her feat, she got it on the first skill check... barely.”
After getting over their stupidity Socks had actually enjoyed watching them hopscotch their way up the staircase. As the game-master he didn't share in their problems, simply teleporting himself up each set of stairs and watching as they wore themselves out. How it hadn't occurred to them that there was an easier way, he didn't know. Considering their risky plan of action he was surprised that no one had triggered – Nevermind!
The haberdasher's thoughts were wiped out as a gout of fire sprung up inches from his muzzle. He watched Topstitch's pupils turn to pinpricks as the stallion fell out of the air. The seamster couldn't scream, his expression was one of pure surprise. Trixie shrieked and threw herself after him, swallowed by fire before anypony could react. Somewhere Topstitch found the presence of mind to swear as a solid body hit him about the midsection, hooves wrapped around his barrel, and both ponies disappeared from sight.
The fire roared gleefully. Luna was screaming, Mwali held her back and attempted to yell common sense into her ear. Joe barked across, throwing his own voice into the cacophony as he desperately tried to make sense of what had happened. All at once the sound of the flames dissipated into silence and the hallway was filled with one awful noise, a dissonant cackle. The others looked incredulously to the haberdasher as he trembled. The noise came from his own lips and he kneaded the ground happily as he threw back his head to the heavens. The sound of his wretched mirth enveloped their senses, nurturing a deep sickness and a terrible fear welling within their hearts.