//------------------------------//
// Taking a Break 
// Story: Continuing the Dream 
// by Blue Breeze 
//------------------------------//

Author's Note: Believe it or not, no warning this time, as there's no fighting or even carrying on to the next gruesome floor. Just stick with it and don't complain. We'll get back to your precious action scenes with ponies trying to brutally murder each other in the next chapter. Anywho, on with the story.

Grim sits in his throne in both shock and anger at seeing his defeat Alloy. He eventually has a mini-blowout, swinging his forelegs at the portal, but only distorting it.

"That idiot!" he shouts in anger. "Alloy, that fool! How could he let himself be defeated so easily?! This is what happens when you let your anger get the best of you!"

"You're one to talk, hothead." Graze taunts. "Haha, you look like you're about ready to blow a fuse."

"SILENCE!" Grim takes his empty wine glass and throws it at Graze, the pegasus stallion ducking under it just in time.

"Woah, chill out!"

"I AM CHILLED OUT!" he takes the wine bottle and throws it in Tombstone's direction, barely missing him. Grim takes a deep breath as he sinks back in his throne. "No matter. They still have five more floors to go through. What am I so worried about?"

"About how they're going to kick your flank?" Graze says in a smartflank tone.

"Shut up!"

"Whatever. I gotta take a leak."

"Then use the bloody chamber pot we set there for you." Grim says, getting annoyed again.

Graze looks over at thechamber pot that had been set near the wall he is chained to. "But... it's full."

Grim smirks. "As I said, use the chamber pot."

Graze gets a bit upset at that. "I'll show you a chamber pot!" he takes it and throws it at Grim.

Having heard his shout, Grim dodges it. "HA! You missed!"

"I wouldn't say that." Tombstoe says. They look at him to see the chamber pot sitting upside down on his head. "*sigh* I hate my life."

"I hate your life too, Tombstone." Grim says. He looks back at the portal and looks to see all of us just sitting around. "What in the world are they doing now?"

"Uh, I think that's what you call 'taking a break'." Graze says.

"They have the nerve to just sit around and "take a break" in Taurtarus? My domain? Fine. Let them have their little break, for soon they will only have to deal with even more torture from the upcoming circles."

"I'm just tingling with excitement."

Grim growls. "I thought I told you to shut up."

Back on the fourth circle

Having just gotten through what was probably our toughest fight yet, we decide it'd be best to just lay around for a bit to save our strength. Probably should've brought some pillows and blankets to sleep with, but oh well. There aren't any trees around to make a fire, but luckily the giant, molten baths of gold are pretty good sources of heat, so we don't need to worry about getting cold.

I'm getting a bit hungry, so I pull out a chimicherrychonga. "Mmm, come to papa." I take a bit out of the delectable treat.

"Where'd you get that from?" Rhino asks.

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest. I think Pinkie calls it hammerspace."

"Interesting. I gotta learn how to do that."

"Also, I brought you a little something special." I say, grinning.

"What?" I pull out a jar from behind me. "STRAWBERRY APPLESAUCE!"

"Yep, your favorite."

He runs over and takes it from my hoof. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he pops the top off and starts eating it. "Ah, much better."

"What is your deal with that stuff anyway, bro?" Dark asks. Rhino simply ignores him as he continues eating. "Um, Rhino?" he goes to him and waves a hoof infront of his face. "Hello?"

Dark is ready to slap him, but Rhino grabs his hoof. "I can hear you, I'm simply just ignoring you."

"Ignoring me? Why?"

"Because ever since we've met you've caused me nothing but pain. I ignore those I don't like."

"Yeah, Rhino explained all those things he did to me were Dark's idea." Vine says. "I forgave him after he gave me a nice azalea bush."

"Hmph, fine. I don't care." Dark says. He gets a sly look as he looks over at one of the piles of coins. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got plundering to do." he goes over to a pile and starts grabbing coins. "Just because I can't be in this pile doesn't mean I can't take from it."

Suddenly, Alloy's head pops out, scaring Dark back. "You worms! You cannot defeat me! No being can!" he tries to struggle, but is unable to move under the weight of the gold.

I smirk as I lean afainst the pile. "Well, what are you gonna do about it? You seem to be under a lot of pressure right now."

Ice facehoofs. "That pun was terrible."

"You know you love it."

"Hey, I've got an idea." Zeph says. He pulls out a marker and goes over to Alloy.

"Hey! Get away from me!" Alloy demands.

"A little over here... A bit over there... And voila! My masterpiece!" he steps back to show he drew some large glasses and a mustache on Alloy's face.

We all burst out laughing from the sight. Some of us literally rolling on the floor laughing.

Dark gets up. "Hey, Zeph. Let me see that marker."

"Sure."

Zeph hoofs him the marker and Dark starts drawing. He steps back. "What do you think?"

We all burst into laughter again, this time from Dark drawing a penis on his face.

"That is awesome!" Drax says.

"I think it suits him!" Orion says.

"I'LL SEE THAT YOU ALL BURN FOR THIS!" Alloy screams.

I calm myself enough to talk. "Okay, that's enough of that. Let's leave him alone now."

We leave off from the piles of gold and head over to a more secluded spot, away from all of the loud machinery and screaming souls. And especially the screaming Alloy.

Rhino sighs as he finishes the jar of applesauce. "Thanks a lot for that, Blue. It was great."

"No problem, dude. I thought you'd like it."

"I think he likes it way too much. How could he finish an entire jar of that junk so quickly?" Dark says, but Rhino still ignores him. "Come on, Rhino. You can't ignore me forever." Dark gets an idea as we walk by a giant vat of gold. 

This can't be good.

He pushes Rhino, making him fall toward the giant vat. "Woah!"

Just before he falls in, Dark pulls him back. "Ha, I saved your life. Now are you going to talk to me?"

Rhino huffs heavily, now looking angry. Luckily though he doesn't have the red stripes, so no danger right now. He turns around at Dark, looking very mad.

"Am I going to talk to you? No! You're a jackflank! I've done nothing but try to be nice to you, but you're just to big of a jerk! And when I try ignoring you, you pull junk like that and nearly get me killed!"

"I pulled you back in."

"That's not the point! The point is that you've done nothing but cuase me pain since we met. But if you try anything like that again, you're the one who's gonna feel the pain!" he gets in Dark's face, trying to intimidate him.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Dark starts pushing back. "Oh, yeah? Well, I say bring it on. You'renot that tough. You don't even have any powers. I could easily take you down."

They both continue pushing and growling at each other before I step in and push them apart. "What is wrong with you guys? I'm sick of always playing referee with you. Can't we go one day without a fight?"

"He started it." Dark says.

"Me? YOU started it when we met!" Rhino says.

"Enough! You two juat go your opposite ways and go cool off. It's already bad enough we have to fight monsters down here. I'm not gonna let us start fighting amongst ourselves.

They both give a huff before turning opposite ways and walking off to each be alone.

This is going great. Not even half way done and we're already at each other's throats.

I can tell the next circle isn't gonna be easy.