//------------------------------// // Labyrinth, the Second // Story: Where the Sun is Silent // by Cynewulf //------------------------------// She came into the large room without even realizing it. It stopped her up short with its inexplicable differentness. In the mindless race she’d been running, she’d almost forgotten that there was a world beyond the hall that seemed to change with every passing moment. She shivered, then looked back at the chasing darkness. It stood still, blocking off the way she’d come from. She had a feeling it would stay there until she left this room, so Twilight let herself sit and breathe. Wearily, the unicorn turned her head and examined her surroundings. The room seemed to be a crossroads or nexus. Other halls branched off in almost all directions. Some of the halls were blocked off by the same solid darkness she’d been fleeing from, while others were free of the sinister force. Still others had doors that she could see on either side. The halls with doors scared her the most, as they had a sinister look to them. They were rotting and dilapidated wood portals into places she had no desire to enter. Something about them just repulsed her. The low rumbling voices never left, but they were softer now. Out of them, two new voices began to differentiate themselves. She groaned softly as two more shades came to torment her with illusions. “I’m telling you, if I can just get a little higher—“The first illusion took on the high-pitched, cracking voice of Rainbow Dash. “No. Please, Rainbow, dear… no, please. I’m serious. If nothing else, humor me. That darkness isn’t natural. If it’s the same as that awful… stuff behind us…”The second sounded an awful lot like Rarity. Exactly like Rarity when she’s genuinely worried and not just complaining. “It doesn’t move like that stuff. Rares, this is killin’ me. You have to let me get my hooves off the ground. C’mon! Please, don’t make me beg. I’ll just be a second. Just stretch my wings. Just a quick little circle. Celestia, Rarity, I’m fast and you know it! Let go of my leash!” The illusion with Rarity’s voice spoke again. “Rainbow, please. I know you don’t believe me, but do this for me. Please?” The voice drew the last syllable out to an almost insufferable length. Her disbelief evaporated at Rarity’s articulated frustration. Nopony could hope to approximate her friend that well. With hope, she called out to them. “Girls?” “Twilight? Is that really you? Oh, marvelous! We’re coming!” Rarity answered from down the hallway, and Twilight realized that she could see them the distance. Still, something held her back—with the wrongness of this place, she would wait until they were here beside her before she celebrated. They raced towards her. To Twilight’s horror, the void followed them from a distance. Seeing it actually move at full speed was awful beyond words. It seemed to almost slither. We’re being herded towards something. The first thing Twilight did was capture them both in a tight embrace. Rarity, who seemed to be on the verge of tears, accepted it. Rainbow, however, wriggled free after a moment to get some space. Both of them smiled at her, glad to be reunited. “Twilight, have you seen Fluttershy yet?” Rarity asked when they had separated. “Not yet. I’ve been calling for her as much as I’ve been calling for you two, and she hasn’t answered.” Rainbow cut in. “If I could just fly up for a second, I could—“ Rarity rounded on her, startling both of her companions. “As you love me, Rainbow Dash, you will shut your foolish, Celestiadamned mouth and keep all four of your damn hooves on the Goddess-forsaken ground!” Each word was snarled, Rarity’s polite and cultured voice twisted into pure venom. Twilight backed away almost without thought. Rainbow, however, stood her ground with hard eyes and a stubborn air. Rarity’s unbridled fury subsided after a moment. The steel in her spine buckled, and she said in a softer voice, “Rainbow… I’m sorry I snapped at you, it was unbecoming. This place has me on edge, you know that, right? Please, please trust me. If only for a little while longer.” Rainbow sniffed. “It’s cool,” she said shortly. The angry air remained, but she looked away, towards the darkness above them. Twilight began to agree with her that it was indeed true sky. They were all quiet for a moment. Twilight was off to the side, feeling awkward and out of place. She looked around her and then back to her friends, unsure what words might help, if any. Rarity, took a step forward and tentatively nuzzled under her marefriend’s chin. Rainbow’s attention broke, and she accepted the affection. Her demeanor changed almost instantly, as she looked away from the abyss above their heads. Rarity had eyes only for Rainbow at that moment, as she tried to heal the wound and perhaps to convince Rainbow some other way, Twilight thought. It all made her heart ache. Twilight missed her fiancé. Was Macintosh coming for her? Was he out there, where the sun could still speak and see, ready to cross through some portal? She could see him rushing through a portal that she knew in her heart Celestia would create, with flashing eyes and strong hooves to beat away whatever might be out there waiting. But she soon remembered the illusory whisperings from her hall and shied away from thoughts of Macintosh coming to her. Instead, watching her friends’ quiet affection, she again missed Macintosh’s embrace, warm and safe. She just wanted to go home. Flank to flank, Rainbow and Rarity turned towards her. Rarity seemed a little sheepish, and Rainbow gave her a halfhearted, lopsided grin. “We don’t mean to leave you in the cold over there, Twilight.” Rarity spoke for them both. “You must be positively at wit’s end.” Rainbow tried to chuckle, but it came out weak as a newborn foal. “Yeah, c’mon over, Twi. No filly-foolin’. I promise.” Twilight forced a chuckle as well, and scooted closer. Three friends huddled together in the cold, at the center of a featureless room. They said nothing, and the only movement was the occasional nuzzling and quiet fussing of Rarity over Rainbow. It was what she did, what she’d always done. Usually, it seemed silly to Twilight. In these surroundings, it was a blessed bit of normalcy. And it did help, a little. The aches in her hooves and heart lost their edge. I’m coming home, Macintosh. And after this, I’m never going more than five feet away from you.