The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds

by Kamahido

Chapter 6 - Walking Through the Darkness

Arc, Rose, Spike and Tempest leave the small house and step out into the cold night air. Tempest turns to Arc.

“Now then, what did you hear?”

“I… don’t know.”

Tempest rolls her eyes. “You don’t know?”

Spike frowns. “I heard it too!”

Rose kneels down to his level. “What did it sound like?”

Spike thinks for a moment.

“Kinda like… chimes of some kind. Sorry, but it’s hard to describe.”

“Which way was it coming from?”

“I’m not sure.”

Tempest frowns. “Too busy hiding under a blanket?”

Spike looks embarrassed. “…kinda.”

Arc glares at Tempest as he points with his spear. “Lay off. It came from this way.”

“Are you certain? I don’t want to waste any more time than I already am.”

“Yes. Follow me.”

Arc leads the group down the road to the outskirts of town. Tempest turns to him impatiently.

“How certain are you? There’s nothing this way.”

“My scanners don’t show anything. Then again…”

“I SAID THERE’S NOTHING!”

Arc narrows his eyes. “Really, Tempest?”

Tempest sighs. “Nothing of any real interest, that is.”

Arc stops and turns to face Tempest. “Then this should be a really short trip then, right?”

Tempest pushes past him angrily. “Just keep walking.”

A short time later they arrive at the mouth of a large cave. Spike hides behind Rose.

“This place gives me the creeps! Can’t we come back later?! Like, tomorrow morning?!”

Arc shrugs. “I suppose we could. But we’ve come this far. Rose?”

“Nothing on my scanners.”

Tempest chuckles. “Well, it was worth a shot, eh?”

Rose shakes her head. “No, no. I mean there’s literally NOTHING in there.”

Spike peeks out from behind Rose. “Um… what?”

“My sensors scan in all directions, including above and below me. However, strange as it may sound, according to them there’s literally nothing in front of us.”

Arc turns to Rose. “Isn’t it more likely that your sensors just can’t pierce… whatever is in there?”

Spike thinks for a moment. “Yeah! Twilight made you to be hyper-observant after all.”

“That would make sense, yes. But if it were a simple matter of jamming me, I would at least be able to ascertain that.”

She gestures to the black maw before them.

“If not for my optical sensors, I would say there was nothing but emptiness before us.”

Arc turns to Tempest. “So… any idea what’s in there?”

“How would I know?!”

Spike hides behind Rose again. “WOAH!”

Arc narrows his eyes. “That was a rather strange reaction from you, Tempest.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“The tone of your voice. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was…”

Tempest interrupts him as she storms toward the cave. “Shut up and let’s go!”

Shrugging, Arc turns to the others.

“Let’s follow her.”

Spike appears nervous. “Are… are you sure that’s a good idea?!”

“No. But what choice do we have?”

Rose sighs. “None, I suppose. Other than to go back the way we came.”

Spike smiles. “We could do that! I mean, do we REALLY want to know what that sound is?!”

“I do, yes.”

Rose looks to him. “I can take Spike back if you want, Arc. Then I’ll rejoin you.”

Spike shakes his head vehemently. “N-no! I want to stay with the group!”

Tempest turns back. “Are you three coming or not?!”

Arc nods. “Yeah, I guess we are.”

The four enter the cave and look around.

“Not much to see here. Rose?”

“My optical sensors don’t detect anything out of the ordinary in here.”

Spike shudders. “Other than being spooky you mean?!”

Tempest shakes her head as she continues on in the lead. A nervous look crosses her face.

“It… it’s just a cave! Stop being such a scardy dragon!”

Arc turns to Spike. “You still hear that?”

“Y-yes! What IS it?!”

“That sound… it… I can’t really describe it. But it feels almost like it wants us to find its source.”

Tempest glares at them with barely controlled rage. “I’m telling you it’s NOTHING!!!”

Her words reverberate through the cavern, echoing along the stone walls. Arc narrows his eyes.

“If you’re so certain there’s nothing here, why are you so passionate about convincing us otherwise, Tempest?”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Arc tosses aside the Spear of Righteousness. He storms over to Tempest. Grabbing her by the front of her leather armor, he knocks Light’s Bane from her hoof.

“Don’t I?! You’re hiding something! A blind person could see THAT!”

Spike nods. “Why?! What’s here?!”

Tempest grits her teeth angrily. “Get OFF!”

She moves to hit Arc in the face, but he grabs her hoof in the palm of his gauntlet. Tempest swings at him again, but quickly finds her other hoof in Arc’s grasp. He begins squeezing.

“What aren’t you telling us?!”

Tempest looks him in the eye angrily. “Why you…!”

Rose cries out. “Arc, look out!”

Tempest moves to kick Arc in the gut with her back hooves. Arc sees her intentions and throws all his weight forward pushing Tempest onto her back. He puts both knees on her hind legs pinning them to the ground as he continues to hold her front hooves.

“Take your filthy claws off me, you freak!”

“Sure! As soon as you tell me what you’re hiding!”

Struggling as best she can Tempest finds herself unable to escape Arc’s grasp. She turns her head to look away from him defiantly. In response he intensifies his grip on her hooves.

“Come on… TALK!!!”

Tempest begins to sweat as the strain on her hooves becomes stronger, but retains her silence. Rose looks nervous.

“Arc? What’s gotten into…?”

“My friends might be in danger here! Are they?!”

Tempest looks up at him angrily but says nothing as Arc’s grip continues to tighten. There is a loud snap as one of her hooves cracks.

“TALK!!!”

Her other front hoof snaps as her back legs flail as best they can. Arc slams her shattered hooves to either side, nearly dislocating her shoulders in the process. Tempest screams out in pain. Cherry cries out telepathically.

“Arc! You’re hurting her!”

Arc continues, ignoring Cherry’s pleas. “You can’t regenerate if I keep squeezing! I can keep doing this as long as I have…!”

Suddenly Arc takes a heavy blow from one side, knocking him over. He sits up quickly.

“What the… how did you…?”

Looking over to Tempest, Arc sees Spike standing between them, seething.

“Stop it, Arc!”

“But…!”

“This isn’t what a hero does!”

“I’m trying to keep you and Rose safe!”

“HOW?! By becoming like her?!”

Spike points a claw at Tempest.

Cherry screams out in his head. “ARC! STOP!”

“Ch-Cherry?! But, I…”

“This isn’t you! Just… stop!”

Arc takes a step back and leans against the cave wall. He allows himself to slide down it to a sitting position. “I… I don’t know what came over me. All of a sudden I was just so… angry!”

Removing his helmet, Arc lets it fall to the ground. Spike walks over to him and stands in his lap to look him in the eye.

Spike nods. “I know how you feel. Back then I was just so angry I couldn’t help but charge at you. Sorry about that.”

“What… what happened to us, Spike?!”

Spike feels Arc’s forehead. “I… don’t know. But I didn’t like it. Your forehead feels kinda warm, Arc.”

Arc removes a gauntlet and feels Spike’s forehead. “So does yours.”

Rose walks over to Tempest. “I don’t like this! My sensors show all three of you have a slightly elevated internal temperature.”

She moves to help her sit up but Tempest smacks Rose’s hand away angrily.

“Get away from me!”

“Arc, I’m sensing increased testosterone levels in all of you as well.”

Spike looks worried. “What?!”

“That would explain the violent outbursts. Are we going to be okay?”

Rose nods. “Yes. But all of you shouldn’t stay here any longer than necessary. The effects may not be so easy to counter next time.”

Tempest sits up as her hooves heal. “Yes. I had a hard time not killing you a moment ago, Arc.”

Arc clenches a fist. “Bring it on, Tempest!”

She rolls her eyes at him. Arc looks at her apologetically.

“S-sorry.”

Tempest stands up. “Perhaps you’re right, Arc. This place does feel… strange.”

“So you going to tell us about this cave now?”

She retrieves her spear. “We should keep moving.”

Tempest continues deeper into the cave. Arc angrily takes a few steps toward her before Rose and Spike grab him.

“Think calm thoughts, Arc!”

“Yeah! This isn’t the time or place to be fighting Tempest!”

Arc nods. “I… you’re right. Thanks you two.”

The pair nod and allow him to pass. Arc and company continue on together until they reach a massive set of steel doors.

“This thing looks pretty old, eh Tempest..”

“Yes. It would appear to predate the town as well.”

“Did you know it was here?”

Tempest shakes her head. “I honestly did not. My parents told me and Cerulean Skies to stay away from this part of the forest.”

Spike raises an eyebrow. “Did you listen?”

Tempest sighs. “Mostly.”

Rose looks to her, confused. “What do you mean ‘mostly’?”

“I… um…”

“Let it go, Rose.”

“But it might be…”

Arc shakes his head. Rose stops talking.

Spike points with a claw. “So how are we supposed to get this door open?”

Tempest shrugs. “I don’t see why we SHOULD open this door.”

Rose looks to Arc. “The source of the disturbance could be inside.”

“Little fool. Have you not considered the possibility that this door might not be here to keep us out, but something else in?”

Arc nods. “I suppose that’s possible. But if that was the case there should be a keyhole or some other way to operate the door from outside.”

Spike looks around. “Yeah, you’re right! But there’s nothing here!”

Rose thinks for a moment. “It may not be a traditional key, or lock for that matter.”

“Hmmmm… I wonder if Tempest, Rose, and I could…”

Arc is cut off as there is a loud clanging of metal from the other side of the door. Spike runs to hide behind Rose.

“What was THAT?!”

Rose frowns. “Probably trouble!”

Tempest turns to face the door, spear at the ready. “Agreed. Stand firm, everypony!”

Arc takes up a battle-ready stance. “No arguments there! Stay behind Rose, Spike!”

“Okay!”

The doors slowly open to reveal a dark, but empty entryway. Arc grins.

“That was convenient.”

Rose narrows her eyes. “Yes. Almost like someone wanted us to come inside.”

Spike shudders. “But who?!”

Arc shrugs. “One way to find out.”

Tempest shakes her head as Arc passes. “You do realize this is a trap, right?”

“Yes. Do you have a better idea?”

“I do. Go back to my house and forget about this place.”

“You can go back. I’m continuing on.”

Spike runs over to Arc. “Me too!”

Rose walks over. “I’ll join you as well.”

Tempest seethes. “Great! Now I HAVE to come!”

Arc calls out to her over his shoulder. “Hurry up or we’ll leave you behind.”

Tempest begrudgingly follows Arc and company. As they enter the cavern’s entryway it is suddenly illuminated.

“What the…?”

The doors clang shut behind them. Spike sighs.

“Great. Now we’re trapped in here.”

Tempest frowns. “Thanks to Arc’s leadership, that is.”

Arc points his spear ahead. “Only one way to go now. Rose, are you picking up anything in here?”

“No. It’s rather unsettling, as this shouldn’t be possible!”

“Keep trying. Everyone follow me.”

They follows Arc yet again. Tempest stays by his side.

“You don’t find this place a bit… strange Arc?”

“Other than it being hidden, no.”

Rose frowns. “This place is clearly not a natural formation. That means someone built it.”

Arc looks confused. “Really? What makes you say that, Rose?”

“Well, for starters, those light’s up there.”

Spike looks up. “What about them?”

“They’re manufactured.”

Tempest looks to Arc skeptically. “How did you not notice that?!”

“I… I don’t know. It seems obvious now.”

Spike puts a claw on Arc’s leg. “Don’t feel bad Arc. I didn’t notice either.”

“Hmmmm…”

“Something up, Rose?”

“Yes. Both of your brains are showing rather strange readings. How do you feel?”

Arc shrugs. “I feel okay.”

“Me too.”

Tempest frowns. “And me?”

“You check out normally.”

“It might be the Dark Power’s regenerative abilities keeping me safe. But what about you, human?”

Rose shrugs. “I don’t have a brain.”

Tempest looks confused. “Come again?”

Arc nods. “Rose is an android.”

Tempest rolls her eyes. “That cleared it up.”

Spike sighs. “That means she’s a robot.”

“I know what an android is, runt!”

Spike steps back behind Rose again.

Tempest looks Rose up and down. “That does explain how you were able to stand against me.”

“I was holding back.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Arc chuckles. “Think what you want, but Rose is quite capable of defending herself.”

“That I am.”

Spike tugs at Rose’s hand. “Uh… guys?”

Everyone stops as Spike points to a wall. Several large claw marks are haphazardly cut into the stone. Arc frowns.

“That’s… disconcerting.”

Spike looks to Rose. “Maybe they’re from a long time ago!”

“No, Spike. By the look of them, they’re fresh.”

Tempest frowns. “Define ‘fresh’.”

“Less than a week old.”

Arc sighs. “Now I’m nervous.”

Tempest looks to Arc. “Still want to explore this place?”

“Do we have a choice right now?”

“I suppose not. But we should be looking for a way to open that door.”

Arc turns to Rose. “Do you sense any lifeforms in here with us?”

Spike appears nervous. “You WANT to find somepony?!”

“It stands to reason whomever let us in is near the switch.”

Tempest nods. “Agreed. We kill them, flip the switch, and leave. Simple.”

Rose looks confused. “Um, why?”

“Why what, bot?”

Arc turns to Tempest. “Why do we need to kill someone? After all, didn’t you promise me you would stop doing that?”

“For starters, they DID trap us in here!”

Rose shrugs. “How about we just flip the switch and run then?”

Spike smiles weakly. “Or try asking nicely!”

Arc nods. “Agreed. Violence as a last resort.”

Tempest sighs. “Fine.”

The corridor before them curves revealing a series of doors on either side. Spike turns to Rose.

“Which one do you suppose it is?”

“Probably the extra-large door at the end.”

Arc nods. “That’s an even bet. But let’s check out some of these rooms first.”

Tempest turns and looks at Arc as if he were an idiot. “Why?”

“This place has, or at least had in the past, a purpose. We have to know what it was.”

Spike nods. “I’m kinda curious too.”

Rose shrugs. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. I’m sure mother would love to watch the footage I’m taking right now.”

Tempest sighs. “Fine.”

Arc picks a handle and gives it a mighty tug. The ancient door falls off its hinges and crashed to the floor. Spike leaps back

“Sweet Celestia!”

“Well, it opened.”

They enter the room. It appears to be an office of some kind. Arc turns to the others.

“Everyone spread out and look for clues.”

Spike walks toward a bookshelf. “Anything in particular we’re looking for?”

“Nothing really. Just… general clues, I guess.”

“I’ll attempt to make some scans. But I’m not too sure just how effective they’ll be.”

Tempest walks over to the desk. “Do try, tin can.”

Spike touches a book on the shelf, but it crumbles to dust.

“Woah!”

Rose walks over to Spike. “I’m not surprised that happened. Judging by the external appearance of that tome, I estimate it was over one thousand years old.”

Tempest nods. “That would explain the architecture. This furniture is stuff I’ve only ever seen in history books.”

She opens the desk drawer to see a sheaf of papers. It too crumbles at her touch.

“Nothing salvageable over here either.”

Arc feels the wall with a gauntlet. “Hmmm…”

“Find something, Arc?”

“Maybe, Spike. These walls feel like they’re REALLY thick! Like something we had back on Earth.”

Rose looks confused. “A special building?”

“They were called bomb shelters.”

Tempest raises an eyebrow. “Some kind of relief center?”

“Yeah. But this feels more like a fallback position.”

Spike’s eyes grow wide. “Like something the princesses might command the country from in wartime?”

Rose shrugs. “It makes sense.”

Tempest nods. “Interesting. Perhaps we SHOULD check out the rest of the rooms.”

Arc frowns at her. “Glad you agree, Tempest.”

The meticulously search the rest of the rooms. Each appears to be similar in design as the office space. Rose looks down the hall.

“This is the last door, Arc.”

“Good. Maybe something in here will answer some questions.”

Spike grins. “Yeah! I’m looking forward to this!”

Tempest frowns. “Looking forward to WHAT?”

“I dunno. But something tells me our answer is nearby!”

“Agreed.”

Tempest puts a hoof on the door. “Whatever.”

Pushing with all of her might Tempest is unable to open the massive doors. Rose steps forward.

“Maybe together we can do it.”

“Worth a shot, rust bucket.”

Pushing with all their strength the door still does not budge. Spike frowns.

“Maybe there’s a switch or something in one of those offices.”

Rose shrugs. “Nothing I saw in any of the rooms resembled a switch.”

Arc walks over. “Let me try.”

Tempest scoffs as she steps back. “Be my guest.”

As Arc approaches the doors slowly begin to open. Spike’s eyes grow wide.

“What did you DO?!”

“I don’t think I did ANYTHING!”

Rose nods. “Agreed. You hadn’t even TOUCHED the door yet, Arc!”

Spike takes a few steps back. “What do we do now?!”

Arc holds up his weapon. “Um… is it too late to head back?”

Rose nods. “I’m thinking yes, Arc.”

Tempest readies her spear. “Whatever.”

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Human bunker? Or picking u[ the items Arc has from Celestia and Luna?

If the claw marks are recent between the two large doors, someone else has been following clues to get there?

[Kamahido]

10344062
Very close. You'll get to find out day after tomorrow.