Truth or Dare? 2: Mysteries Unlocked

by Super Spike

Round 3: Help From a Friend

"Gold Watch?!" Gallus exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help," he answered. "I'm going to find the source of the problem." After a short pause, he looked at the group with determination in his eyes. "No, we're going to do that."

"But how?" Silverstream asked. "We searched both upstairs and down."

"Did you check the attic?" Gold Watch asked.

"Well, no," Silverstream answered.

"We didn't know that there was one," Ocellus said.

"Let's go there," Gold Watch said. "I know where it is."

As he walked inside, the door slammed shut and revealed a carved message written reading 'Round 3' on the door. The group jumped in shock.

"Well, I see that you finished the second round," Gold Watch said worriedly. "Where's Sandbar?"

"He lost," Yona said sadly as she walked away and came back with the turned Sandbar.

"Meow," he said.

"Oh," Gold Watch said sadly. "Well, let's go upstairs."

Yona put Sandbar down and the group walked upstairs and saw a string hanging on the ceiling.

"That?" Gallus responded as he pointed to it.

"Yes," Gold Watch answered. "You need to pull it down."

Gallus flew to the ceiling and pulled the string, revealing a set of stairs.

"No way!" Silverstream responded in excitement.

"Let's go," Gold Watch said.

The group walked upstairs and took a great look at the place.

"I see a bookshelf," Ocellus pointed out.

The group quickly grabbed several books.

"New Life, Mansion Growth, Another House Awaits," Ocellus read the titles. "Rules and Records. Guys, I think I found something that might help us.'"

"Let's see," Gold Watch said.

Ocellus opened the book and the group checked out what was written in it.

The Rules of Truth or Dare

1. There are five rounds in each game.
2. Each player must tell the truth and do whatever dares they are instructed to pass the game.
3. Each dare is timed.
4. Each dare given a severity level, starting from level one and going all the way to level five.
5. If you lie, you will turn into a cat.
6. If you fail to complete the dare within the time limit, you will turn into a cat.
7. If it's the first dare that is failed, the dare will do you if the severity of the dare is level three or greater. Otherwise, you will turn into a cat.
8. The transformations are permanent. Players that are turned will have to spend the rest of their lives as cats equal to their original lifespans as they were from their previous species's.
9. Players are permitted to share the dares as long as the one that is dared takes part of it.
10. Once you start the game, you must end the game in the house.
11. Players can only play the game once. They cannot play another game.
12. Up to ten players can play in one game. If an eleventh is with the group, the first ten that take their first turns will be a part of the game. The eleventh player will not be permitted to play.
13. Non-players cannot participate in sharing dares, even if they played in previous games.
14. If a player is turned, the said player cannot participate for the rest of the game.
15. If all players are eliminated, either by turning or dying, any player that's still alive will be chained in the house and can never leave.
16. If at least one player wins, the turned players will not change back, but will be free to leave the house.

"Wait, what?" Gallus responded in shock. "If we all lose, we'll be trapped here forever?"

"I guess," Gold Watch answered as he pointed to the seventh rule. "But it's rather odd that none of my friends ever got punished by a dare for not doing it."

"What was the first dare that wasn't done?" Gallus asked.

"One of friends had to kiss my sister," Gold Watch answered. "I guess since the dare was minor, it just skipped the warning and eliminated her instead."

"Guys, check this list out," Ocellus said as she pointed to the page that she was on in the book.

Game Records

October 31, 1948

Players

Ball Back
Batter Up
Sweet Tooth
Sugar Plums
River Raft
Tin Can
Calm Mind

Eliminated

Ball Back
Batter Up
Sweet Tooth
Sugar Pluma
River Raft
Tin Can
Calm Mind

June 25, 1975 - June 27, 1975

Players

Grapefruit
Rocket Launcher
Pool Table
Sandcastle
Cream Heart

Eliminated

Grapefruit
Rocket Launcher
Pool Table
Sandcastle

October 31, 1978 - November 1, 1978

Players

Fruit Basket
Cereal Bar
Cheerilee
Mushroom
One Ball
Spot X
Torch

Eliminated

Fruit Basket
Cereal Bar
Mushroom
One Ball
Spot X
Torch

October 31, 1994 - November 1, 1994

Players

Rumble
Diamond Tiara
Button Mash
Dinky Hooves
Pipsqueak
Twist
Gold Watch
Silver Spoon

Eliminated

Rumble
Diamond Tiara
Button Mash
Dinky Hooves
Pipsqueak
Twist
Silver Spoon

October 31, 1995 - Present

Players

Silverstream
Yona
Gallus
Ocellus
Sandbar
Smolder

Eliminated

Sandbar
Smolder

"Wait, what?" Gallus responded in both confusion and worry.

"It has our names listed and those that have been eliminated," Silverstream stated in worry.

"Wait a minute," Gold Watch said. "Cream Heart? She played too?" He then realized something. "Wait a minute. That dare from last year: one of my friends had to turn her into a cat. I think I know why that dare not only affected Spike, but also her."

"How so?" Silverstream asked.

"The game was tying up loose ends," Gold Watch explained. "It was turning the one pony that didn't fall victim to the curse. It was trying to wipe clean of the previous players."

"Then why is her name not listed in the eliminated players list?" Gallus asked.

"Because she won the game," Gold Watch stated. "The game just simply turned her much later to get rid of the previous players to be certain that all previous players were cursed, even if they won the game previous game." Realization then hit him. "If that's the case, then Cheerilee and I are still in danger!"

"I really hope it doesn't come to this," Ocellus said worriedly.

"Regardless, we have to finish the game," Gold Watch said. "According to the rules, I can't participate in the game, but I can help make sure you all survive." He pulled out some equipment from his saddlebag. "I have some bandages, alcohol, and tweezers."

"What's with the tweezers?" Gallus asked.

"In case glass shards get on you," Gold Watch answered.

"Oh," Gallus responded.

"We got some equipment, too," Ocellus said.

"Then we have lots of backup in case anything more than just a few minor injures happen to any of you," Gold Watch stated in confidence.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Silverstream responded. "Let's finish this!"

As if on cue, a carving sound was heard on the floorboard. Silverstream turned to the noise and saw the message: Cut off Gallus's tail.

"What?!" she responded. "I can't do that!"

Out of nowhere, a pair of sheers fell from the ceiling and landed on the floorboard.

"One minute..." the eerie voice sounded.

"Just do it," Gallus said. "Just get it over with.

"No!" Silverstream shouted. "I can't!"

"You have to," Gallus said worriedly. "I don't want to see anything bad happen to you!"

Silverstream hyperventilated a bit, but then calmed down.

"Okay," she sobbed.

She picked up the shears and placed them between Gallus's tail.

"Ready?" she asked him.

"Do it," Gallus said sadly.

With reluctance, Silverstream pressed the handles of the shears together. As she did this, Gallus screamed in agony. Nevertheless, within a few seconds, the blades pressed together and the tail was cut off.

"AAAHHHH!" Gallus screamed as he was bleeding fast. "IT HURTS!"

Silverstream fell to the floor and sobbed.

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Quick!" Gold Watch exclaimed. "I got bandages! Let's stop the bleeding!"

Gold Watch grabbed an alcohol bottle and poured it all over the wound, causing Gallus to scream more and writhe on the floor.

"Sorry!" Gold Watch sobbed as he turned to the rest of the group. "Hold him down!"

Silverstream and Yona did so, while Ocellus continued looking through the book. As soon as Gold Watch bandaged the stump on Gallus, Ocellus turned to the group in shock.

"Guys, look at this," she said as she pointed to the page that she was on.

The group turned to her and looked at the page's contents.

October 31, 2002 - November 1, 2002

Players

Rumble
1. What is your greatest fear? N/A
2. Jump out of your bedroom window. 3
3. Stand on the fire for five seconds. 4
4. Stab your wing. 4
5. Drop Diamond Tiara off of the balcony. FAILED 5

Diamond Tiara
1. Stand on your hind legs for thirty seconds. 2
2. Tell Sweetie Belle about your crash on Button Mash. N/A
3. Hit yourself in the head with a plate 3
4. Stab Gold Watch. FAILED 5

Button Mash
1. Did you lose a very important video game? N/A
2. Hit your mother in the head with a hammer. FAILED 5

Dinky Hooves
1. What is the truth about your mother's cross-eyes? N/A
2. Turn Cream Heart into a cat and Spike into a pony. 4
3. Push Pipsqueak down the staircase. FAILED 4

Pipsqueak
1. Jump off the staircase from top to bottom. 3
2. Drink the hard cider. 3
3. Be pushed down the staircase. 3
4. Break the window with your head. 3
5. Cut off seven whole living body parts. FAILED 5

Twist
1. Did you eat a candy cane on the ground? N/A
2. Eat the dog food in the bowl. 2
3. Down the laxative bottle. 3
4. Eat the jar of cockroaches. FAILED 4

Gold Watch
1. Is your favorite color pink and do you like to wear dresses while in your bedroom? N/A
2. Put on the dress and dance to the classical music. 1
3. Eat your feces. 4
4. Hold your breath underwater for two minutes. 4
5. Pour a bucket of bleach on your head. 5

Silver Spoon
1. Kiss Diamond Tiara. FAILED 1

"Whoa!" Gold Watch responded.

"You and your friends had to do all of that?" Silverstream asked in shock.

"We sure did," Gold Watch answered.

"What are the numbers for?" Gallus gasped, still in excruciating pain.

"I think those are the severity levels of the dares," Ocellus theorized.

"What about our game?" Gallus asked.

Ocellus turned the page and saw the their current game record.

November 1, 2003 - Present

Players

Silverstream
1. Make out with Ocellus. 1
2. Shave your mane and tail. 2
3. Cut off Gallus's tail. 4

Yona
1. Are you cheating on Sandbar? N/A
2. Smash Headmare Starlight Glimmer's front desk. 3

Gallus
1. Place your talons on the hot stove. DARE DID HIM 3
2. Did you go to 'The House of No Return' last night? N/A

Ocellus
1. Eat Gallus's burnt flesh. 3
2. Pull two teeth out. 3

Sandbar
1. Knock one tooth out of you. 3
2. Set Yona's mane on fire. FAILED 5

Smolder
1. Do you think that Cozy Glow's punishment was too harsh? FAILED N/A

"Wait a minute," Gallus said. "How did it somehow get written down if we're the only ones in here?"

"I think that the book must automatically write it whenever a turn is taken," Gold Watch theorized.

"I guess that the ones that say N/A mean that those turns were truths instead," Gallus said. "Therefore, there wouldn't be a severity level because it involves telling a truth instead of physically harming yourself or others."

"I think so," Gold Watch responded.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Yona spoke up. "Let's finish this!"

All of a sudden, a plank fell with a message written on it.

"Chain yourself to a pipe," Yona read.

"Three minutes..." the voice sounded.

"Where's the pipe?" Yona responded in worry.

The trap door then opened.

"I think we have to go downstairs," Ocellus said as she picked up another book along with book of records.

The group walked downstairs to the ground floor and then another door opened that led to what seemed to be the basement of the house.

"Down there?" Yona responded in worry. As she walked downstairs, the door slammed shut before the rest of the group could walk downstairs, causing Yona to scream in horror. "HELP! OPEN THE DOOR!"

Gallus grabbed the doorknob and tried to turn it, but to no avail. He then tried to body slam the door open but that didn't work either. Ocellus then used the magic coming from her horn to try to open the door, but nothing happened.

"We can't open it!" she called out.

"Hurry!" Gold Watch shouted. "You're running out of time!"

Yona then hyperventilated. The basement had no lightbulb and it was dark to the point where she could barely see anything.

"Yona can't do it!" she shouted.

"You have to!" Silverstream called out. "If you don't, you'll be cursed too!"

"Okay," Yona gasped.

She walked downstairs and saw the pipe along with a chain and a cuff tied to it.

"Yona found it," she said. As she was about cuff one of her hind legs to the pipe, a few cockroaches crawled towards her, causing her to scream. "HELP!"

"Do it!" Gallus shouted.

Yona breathed heavily, then she calmed herself down, swept the cockroaches away from her, and cuffed herself as fast as she could. Afterwards, the cockroaches ran off and the basement door opened. Immediately after that, the group ran downstairs to help their friend.

"Are you okay?" Gold Watch asked as Ocellus used her magic to disintegrate the cuff, freeing Yona.

"Yona think so," she sobbed."

"Let get upstairs," Gold Watch responded.

As the group began walking towards the staircase, they heard a mewing sound coming from a distance.

"What the?" Gallus responded in confusion.

The group walked to the source of the sound. What they saw shocked them.

"Meow," an elderly-looking gray cat with a white mane and tail said.

"Oh you poor dear," Silverstream responded in worry. She picked up the cat, only to find a chain tied to his hind leg. "What the?"

"Oh no," Gold Watch said in worry.

The group looked around and saw skeletons of cats in different areas of the basement still chained up.

"This must be where the turned players go if they all lose the game," Gold Watch said nauseously. "I guess that the only reason why me and my friends aren't here is because I won the previous game."

"But which game ended up like this?" Gallus asked.

"I think it was the one from 1948," Ocellus answered. "According to the records that we read, it is the only game where no one won."

"I guess that it would make sense," Gallus said. "Since this cat looks very old."

"Guys, look!" Ocellus called out as she showed the book of records to the group.

The group turned to her to see the page that she was on.

Yona
1. Are you cheating on Sandbar? N/A
2. Smash Headmare Starlight Glimmer's front desk. 3
3. Chain yourself to a pipe. 3

"How did it do that?!" Yona exclaimed in shock.

"This book is more powerful than ever," Gold Watch said. "It must record our dares and actions on them."

"So, it records each of our moves?" Gallus asked.

"Apparently so," Ocellus answered. She then pulled another book out. "I have another book that might help us. It's called The Origin of The Wild Eye House."

"The Origin of The Wild Eye House?" Gold Watch responded. "Wait a minute. That must be the actual name of the house! But why would it be called an eye house?"

"I don't know," Ocellus answered. "Maybe the book will give us its full explanation."

"I want to know!" Silverstream exclaimed.

"Let's take a look," Ocellus said as she opened the book to the first page.

It all began in 1859, when a young mare known as Perfect Vision built the house to live as her own home. She had a big fascination with cats and always wanted to take care of them, so she found as many stray ones as she could to nurse them back to health. At times, she had her friends over and they would often play truth or dare. Unfortunately, as a game was going on, a cat scratched on the floor of the basement and accidentally unleashed an evil aura that cursed the kind mare. Upon being possessed by the demon, she went by the name, Ponelax, and enslaved her cats, chaining in the basement until they starved to death. Wanting to give her house a name, the possessed mare called it, "The Wild Eye House". As time went on, ponies found that many cats have been going missing and soon after, some ponies went inside the house, only to never return. Before long, the police investigated and arrested Ponelax. She was executed by hanging, but she vowed revenge before the trapdoor was pulled. Ever since her death, it has been rumored that her spirit had been haunting the house and cursing those that walk inside to play the game of truth or dare or they would all turn into cats and spend the rest of their lives chained in the basement. Nevertheless, they would be fed and would live a lifespan equal to that of their original species's.

"Wow!" Gallus responded upon finishing reading. "When we're done with this game, I am so burning this house down."

"What about the cat in the basement?" Gold Watch asked.

"Oh right," Gallus answered. "We'll save the cat and then burn the house down!"

"Regardless, we have to finish the game," Gold Watch said. "Let's get upstairs."

The group did so and after they closed the basement door, Gallus looked at the deck of cards on the coffee table.

"I guess it's my turn," he said as he pulled the top card off of the deck. "Eat a one-inch sized shard of glass?"

All of a sudden, a rock was thrown from a window, causing glass to shatter from it. The grandfather clock then struck twice.

"Oh no," Gallus responded in worry as he picked up one of the glass shards. "I guess I have no choice."

"Just swallow it whole," Gold Watch said. "Don't chew on it. You'll seriously damage your gums."

"Okay, if you say so," Gallus responded while tearing up. He put the glass in his mouth and quickly swallowed it. Immediately afterwards, he felt pain coming from his chest. "Ugh! It hurts!"

"Oh no!" Gold Watch exclaimed worriedly. "Ocellus, can you cast a spell on him to get rid of the glass piece?"

"I'll try," she responded as she fired up her horn. Within seconds, a beam went into Gallus's chest as he was screaming and writhing on the floor. After a few seconds, Ocellus powered down her horn and Gallus stopped screaming and squirming. "Feeling better?"

"I think so," Gallus said while breathing heavily. "I...need...water."

"I'll go get some," Silverstream said as she rushed into the kitchen to get it. Within about fifteen seconds, she returned with a glass of water and quickly gave it to her friend. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Gallus responded as he accepted the drink and quickly drank it. "That feels better."

Ocellus stared at the deck of cards in worry.

"Well, I guess it's my turn now," she said as she picked up the card. What she saw written on it made her stare at it in horror. "Do you have species identity problems?"

"Wait, what?" Gallus responded.

"It's true!" Ocellus sobbed. "I don't know who I am lately! Sometimes, I don't feel like a changeling, but rather a pony, dragon, or bug-bear!"

"It's okay," Gold Watch said as he hugged her. "I wouldn't ever judge you for being whatever you want to be."

"I can't do this anymore!" Ocellus cried as she accepted the hug. "I want to get out of here!"

"I know, Ocellus," Gold Watch said calmly. "I want to get out of here, too. But we have to get out of the game first."

"There has to be another way out of it!" Ocellus wailed.

"I know, I know," Gold Watch responded. "But we have to do this, there's no other way. But I'll make sure that you're okay. No, we're all okay!"

"You will?" Ocellus asked.

"Of course," Gold Watch answered. "Friends always stay together and look out for each other and that's what I've been trying to do with others. You have me."

Gold Watch placed his hoof on Ocellus's shoulder and then the other creatures walked up to her and did the same thing.

"And me," Silverstream said.

"And me," Gallus said.

"And Yona," Yona said.

"That's right," Gold Watch said. "You have all of us."

"Oh thanks, Gold Watch," Ocellus said, now feeling a bit more calm.

"No problem," Gold Watch responded. "Now, let's finish this game!"

"Yeah!" the four remaining players responded.