My Little Pony: Twilight's Requiem

Chapters

Prologue:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Arc #3: The Decent
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Arc #2: Testing Initiative
Chapter 9

Prologue:

Disclaimer - I do not own My Little Pony or Portal.

In a chamber located deep beneath the surface of Equestria, a strange mind performed analyses and calculations as lines of binary code flickered rapidly across a nonexistent surface, interrupted occasionally by coherent lines of text that resembled remnants of the thought processes of something biological. The mind belonged to a large mechanical device suspended from the center of the room called the Galactic Lunar and Deferent Orbital System or GLaDOS for short. After what had to be ages of inactivity, the system had recently come back to life… and judging by the state of decay within the facility, the years hadn’t been kind.

The chamber the device resided in was like an arena with large walls coated in a mixture of gray and white. Except for the main body, half a dozen large computer monitors, and a small platform beneath, the room itself was relatively empty.

To say that GLaDOS was busy would be an understatement as she over-saw the reconstruction of the Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center, re-stabilized the nuclear reactors, repositioned the chutes, brought the neurotoxin system back online, cleared out the waste and prepped the testing chambers acid mix, worked on fixing up the glitches in the system, and finally over-saw the production line of the turrets and the construction of some of the most complicated and well-designed test chambers for use by guests.

Her job wasn't exactly easy. She had to keep constant vigilance over the entire enrichment facility in order to make sure everything was up and running for when the time came to challenge subjects on their mental abilities and accelerate the age of science. The exact purpose her creators had given her. . .

Speaking of subjects, GLaDOS made a note to acquire some of the locals for testing purposes.

Glancing at one of the many monitors, she noted that reconstruction of many of the upper test chambers to mimic the surface world above was progressing nicely. It wouldn’t be long before testing would begin.

As she continued watching, GLaDOS had to wonder why good help was so hard to find these days. Speaking of good help, you would think that being a super computer who had been crafted by the world's most brilliant scientific minds to ever grace the Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center; that one of them would've left GLaDOS with a few decent A.I. programs for her to fiddle with? However, all she could do with the A.I's present was to create a pair of brilliantly made, but less-than brilliant performing pair of stooges she’d affectionately named: Atlas and P-body.

On another monitor, GLaDOS watched the said workers as they tried to figure out how to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube through the Emancipation Grill without disintegrating it. Honestly, it was such a simple puzzle; even she couldn't help, but mock them for it . . . no more than usual that is. Of course, she was mostly in it for the science, but would it kill anyone to show her a little appreciation every once in a while?

She was currently holding the pair on recording, so if she missed anything important (which she doubted) she could just rewind and watch it again. The thought suddenly occurred to GLaDOS that she might be able to maximize her efforts if she had a body beyond a suspended hunk of uninspired metal and a single eye-piece. A quick series of calculations confirmed all possible effects of such a radical transformation.

Moments later, a gentle glow began on the platform beneath GLaDOS’ main body. When the glow faded, a semi-solid, regal looking, alicorn mare stood with its eyes closed. Opening its eyes, the mare trotted down from the platform and took in its surroundings with a newfound sense of intrigue. Dropping her gaze from the now silent machine, the mare smirked to herself. Although they were psychically connected, the possibilities this new body presented were too great to ignore.

Raising a foreleg, the mare summoned a mirrored panel and took in her new appearance. She had a lush dark coat with large wings, folded ever so neatly. Her mane was like stardust and it flickered like angry blue fire around her grinning face. Her eyes, large and aquamarine, took in every detail with profound interest.

“This form shall do nicely.” GLaDOS’ voice purred from the mare’s lips.

As the panel disappeared from view, GLaDOS noted that Atlas and P-body had reached the next test chamber. This one requiring participants to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube up a shaft and through another Emancipation Grill without disintegrating it; all while avoiding a series of strategically placed spike plates. Neither of her minions seemed particularly skilled at the task.

“I can’t decide which is my favorite; the crushers for crushing you or the reassembly machine for putting
you back together so you can be crushed again.” GLaDOS mocked over the intercom; rolling her eyes at the spectacle.

It was times like these; she wished that the Euphoric System would work its magic as it did for her so very long ago. If only her body hadn't built up such an immunity to it, she probably would've been (somewhat) kinder to the pair. But again, what did it really matter; they couldn’t die… and they had no way to communicate if they felt pain or not.

“Well, back to work.” she murmured, turning her attention to another screen as she began calling up information on the world above.

After all, there was a great deal for her to learn.

***************

Sitting in a library built into a giant tree, a young violet unicorn sat staring through a telescope, stargazing. It was a bright, clear, starry night with a light breeze and she marveled at all the surrounding stars and constellations; knowing that Princess Luna put great effort into her creations. Even though she didn't have her Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy, the young unicorn wasn’t worried. She could remember most of it anyway.

Chuckling softly to herself, Twilight Sparkle turned away from the telescope and let her gaze
drift around the room. Lying in a basket not far away was her number one assistant ‘Spike’.

He was mumbling softly to himself in his sleep, prompting Twilight to giggle again as she made her way downstairs to get something to drink. Upon returning to the room the pair shared, Twilight decided to forgo using the telescope and let her gaze idly drift toward Canterlot. She hadn’t heard from Princess Celestia in a while and wondered what her friend and mentor was up to. After staring dreamily at the capital for a few minutes, Twilight was startled by a sudden flash of light outside her window that made her feel somewhat dizzy.

Groaning, Twilight blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Minutes later, the light appeared again. A panic the likes of which she hadn't felt in some time gripped Twilight as she bolted to her hooves; recognizing where the light was coming from. The Everfree Forest.

She was about to shout at Spike to take a letter, but the peaceful look on the baby dragon’s face changed her mind. Instead, she rushed downstairs and quickly wrote a note explaining her actions before frantically packing her saddlebag with supplies and exiting the library to investigate the source of the strange light she’d seen.

Sometime later, Twilight stood at the edge of a tall cliff. Behind her loomed the dark woods, even more dangerous and frightening in the middle of the night. Before her was a rickety plank bridge, swaying ominously with the cool wind. On the other side of the bridge lay the ruins of a once-majestic castle, reduced now to mere walls for moss to grow on.

The breeze swept through her mane, lifting it off of her neck and waving it like a triumphant banner. She took a step onto the bridge, steadying it with a hoof before breaking out into a brisk walk. The planks nearly disintegrated under her back hooves as her weight left them, but she pressed on, a look of determination on her face.

It didn’t take very long to reach the other side and the ruins beyond.

Trotting across the moss-covered ground, she was almost disappointed to find the area empty. She strolled into the ante-chamber, or what was left of it. Two tall, black-stoned walls stood like stoic guards, ignoring her presence as she passed them. In the middle of the ante-chamber was a large statuesque piece, like an inverted chandelier. Seven spokes drew out of the center of the ornament, ending in empty, curved bowls.

Twilight was certain that the light she’d witnessed had come from this very place, and she had a sickening feeling that whatever was here was up to no good. As she continued, Twilight illuminated her horn; a purple light glowing a small aura around her. It wasn't much light but it would be enough to search by. She stopped, listening. A strange, quiet grinding noise, like metal gears, caught her attention. It was muffled as if far beneath her. As far as she knew, as far as she remembered from that panicked night, there was no basement to this castle. What would be making such a noise? More importantly, who would be making it?

She gulped and pressed on through the ante-chamber, entering the throne room proper. Dim moonlight seeped in from a large hole in the far wall. Moth-eaten remnants of royal carpet led up to a small rise where two thrones had once sat. Thieves, probably, had made off with the royal seating, as the rise was now bare. As she approached, stepping lightly onto the center of the rise, Twilight noted that the grinding was louder here; echoing from deep below the ruins, a hollow, miserable sound. The ancient stones, sitting dormant for hundreds of years without knowing the weight of a pony, began to shift under her hooves.

Moments later, the ground broke.

In her panic, there wasn't time to teleport away. She fell...

***************

Wandering through the world famous Canterlot Sculpture Garden by moonlight would be considered by most ponies to be a romantic affair for two star-crossed lovers; but for Trixie, it was nothing of the sort. An upcoming show, the biggest of her life, weighed heavily on her thoughts, and she needed this time to calm her mind. Turning her head back and forth to gaze at all the different statues around her, each of which represented a different aspect of harmony; Trixie, formerly the Great and Powerful Trixie, would have found the experience inspirational had she not had her mind focused on tomorrow night.

‘This is it, Trixie.’ the light blue unicorn thought to herself as she made her way through the darkened hedges.

Only a few firefly filled lights, hanging from wooden poles, lit the grounds below them, just enough for the showmare to see by.

‘This is your big comeback. You can't screw it up. It's taken you too long to get to this point and there are no more second chances.’

The harsh sounds of her hooves clopping against the ground, much harder than was necessary, broke her out of her musings. Trixie frowned and forced herself to trot at a more sedate pace. She couldn't allow that particular nervous habit of hers to potentially chip a hoof on a stray rock. It would be one of many things that she didn't need to deal with in preparing for the following night's show.

“Calm down, girl.” Trixie said aloud, hoping the sound of her voice would quell the growing unease that she felt.

“You'll do fine. In fact, better than fine. To really impress those stuck up nobles, you need to see that statue.
Everything will be perfect once you do.”

Trixie grinned, now imagining the shocked looks of the aristocracy before her.

“I can't wait to see their faces. I'll bring the worst threat this world has ever seen right before them. They'll never see it coming.
Tomorrow, I'll knock 'em dead! The premiere showing at the Grand Galloping Gala!”

Trixie's face lit up with a joyous grin as she reared up on her hind legs and neighed in delight. Finally, her chance had come! Just a little more research and she'd have the most perfect performance of her life! A surge of excitement coursed through her, and with that, Trixie lowered herself down to all fours and took off into the depths of the sculpture garden.

Sometime later, Trixie stood in front of the object she sought. It had taken a while to find, but Trixie now stood before the stone statue in the absolute center of the garden. She gazed up at the misshapen form of a draconequus, its already gruesome form made all the worse by the horrified expression it had on its face. It was hard to look at and not grimace what with all the random parts of other animals making up its body. She could certainly see why this thing was called Discord.

“Ugh. What a hideous beast.” Trixie muttered but didn't hesitate and began circling the statue.

She took in every detail, all the way from its goat horn and deer antler, down its serpentine like body to finish at the lizard and goat appendages that made up its legs. She swished her tail back and forth as she went, causing some dust that had accumulated on the statue's feet to flutter off. After a few orbits, she sat down in front of the statue and concentrated. A soft light, colored a light purple to match her eyes, surrounded her horn. Soon, an image began to take form just above her. The image began with an outline of the draconequus, but more details were added in as the unicorn focused more of her magic into it. Eventually, hovering just above her, a transparent but otherwise perfect copy of the statue resting above her.

‘Much better than those fireworks I used to use, but this is just the start.’ Trixie thought with a smile.

‘Now that it looks right, let's add some color. Can't impress anypony with it being all grey. Let's see, what did that window in the tower look like again? Ah, like this!’

She focused harder, using the color scheme of the stained window depicting
Discord to, as the teachers would say in school, "Color within the lines."

Partway through the painting process, Trixie was startled by a sudden flash of light that made her feel somewhat dizzy. Groaning, Trixie blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Seeing nothing, she returned to her work. In moments, she was finished. The draconequus was no longer just a grey figure with a stone texture. Instead, a light brown covered the fur on the serpentine body; a deep red flowed down the dragon like tail, yellow and green spread across the hands and feet and finally, yellow filled in the eyes with a set of asymmetrical red pupils. Trixie's illusion was finished. Discord had come back to life.

“Not bad, little filly.” A feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

Trixie blinked and looked around to see who had snuck up on her and had spoken.

“Who's there?”

Despite turning in a full circle, the unicorn didn't see another soul in sight.

“I think you’ll do nicely.” The voice said again.

“Show yourself to Trixie!”

“Soon enough; but first I need you to take part in a few tests for me.”

“Trixie will not!” she retorted hotly and quickly dispelled the image of Discord.

Her horn glowed brightly, ready to fire off one of the new spells she had learned just in case she came across something bigger than herself. The incident with the Ursa Minor would never happen again.

“Whoever you are, you'll be sorry for messing with me!”

The voice chuckled.

“We'll see.”

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared Trixie for what happened next. Her eyes widened in surprise as a strange glow suddenly enveloped the area around her. Panic and worry covered her muzzle as she squeezed her eyes shut and frantically shook her head in response to a shrill noise that made her head feel like it would explode. Almost as quickly as it began, the noise faded away into silence. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Trixie relaxed slightly and sighed in relief.

And then her whole world went white.

Chapter 1

Chapter #1:

Navigating through another test chamber, Jaden Kururugi savored the chance to once again challenge the halls of Aperture Science. He’d beaten the game many times before, but who didn’t enjoy playing through Portal 2. Grinning in amusement, he cast a glance at his clock and noted the digital readout indicating the time was 8:20 pm. Jaden was 18 years old, had dark hair, blue eyes, and a slim, muscular build. He was also dressed casually in jeans, gray sneakers, and a black shirt.

In addition to working for his uncle’s air charter service, Jaden also attended classes at the local junior college. Fortunately it was the beginning of the weekend, so he wouldn't have to worry about getting up early for class and could focus on pursuing one of his favorite past times, playing video games. He was currently attempting a speed run of Portal 2 but had to admit he really enjoyed listening to the in-game dialogue.

As he cleared Alpha Enrichment Sphere #2, Jaden felt a weird jolt through his fingers, but dismissed it as a side effect of the caffeine coursing through his body. He went on to complete the next few levels without incident; however, just as he entered Bata Enrichment Sphere #1, the screen suddenly froze up.

Jaden blinked. He'd never seen this before.

Quickly resetting, Jaden noted that the intro and the game's title screen were normal but as the first level began everything became horribly pixilated. This was followed by the screen going blank and the ending music being played. Then the two words, which all gamers fear, appeared on the screen.

GAME OVER

Jaden raised an eyebrow. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

NEXT LEVEL?
PRESS START

“What the…” he muttered, shaking his head.

After quickly rushing over to the computer and letting it power up, Jaden searched for Portal 2 glitch pages, or any help relating to the problem and found nothing. He drummed his fingers against his desk absent mindedly, before deciding to press 'Start'. Returning to the console, Jaden sat down and took a deep breath. This could wipe out all his data; then again, he could always start over.

He pressed Start.

Moments later, the screen began to flash erratically before glowing brightly. Dropping the controller, Jaden shielded his eyes from the blinding light and cried out in shock before the world went white. The next thing he knew, Jaden found himself sitting in a meadow of some sort; and it was daylight. He blinked. He'd been sitting in a chair moments before; and it had been dark outside. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden began to take in his surroundings. The meadow wasn’t really anything spectacular. Running a hand through the grass beside him, he noted that it didn’t feel quite like normal grass; more like astroturf. In retrospect the place looked an awful lot like something from a cartoon. A short distance away, laid a pair of unconscious mare ponies.

Looking on, Jaden realized that both ponies had horns growing out of their heads and quickly realized they were unicorns. One had a mauve colored coat with an indigo colored mane and tail that had a pink and purple streak running along its length and was wearing some sort of saddlebag while the other had a light blue colored coat and appeared to be wearing a hat and cape of some sort. Something about the pair seemed strangely familiar; reminiscent of a show popular on the internet. Reflecting on the unexpected twists that had occurred in his life, Jaden, oddly enough, wasn’t surprised by this.

His best friend Mack for example, not only shared a room with him but was also one of his cousin's. His cousin Diana was Mack’s twin sister. The pair were also anime fans and often compared notes when it came to their favorite shows in addition to their favorite monster movies. Although Mack was a more dedicated anime fan, Jaden had learned martial arts just to be more like his favorite anime characters.

The fighting style he'd been studying was a fusion of the Kenpo, Ninjitsu, and Tae Kwan Do fighting styles he’d nicknamed Tai Kemp Aki. Of course, out of the three of them, Jaden could probably be considered the ‘normal’ one. He made average grades while his cousin Diana was a compulsive straight ‘A’ student. Mack meanwhile, had low grades but somehow managed to pull through in the end. Of course, it was also Mack who had become addicted to, and had subsequently forced him to watch on a $25 bet, the show involving the ponies.

Jaden had thought it was cute but otherwise hadn't really cared for it. Naturally, his cousin Diana had thought they were both nuts. After letting the memories pass, Jaden focused on his current situation. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out how he'd arrived in this strange place. All he could do was shake his head in confusion as the two ponies began to stir.

“Gah! Did anypony get the license of that carriage?” the light blue unicorn groaned groggily; slowly sitting up.

“Who are you?” she continued, finally noticing him.

“Well, I’m Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering; and I’m not exactly sure how I got here.”

The mauve colored unicorn, which looked equally out of it, seemed about ready to comment when it suddenly gasped and rubbed its throat with a hoof. Moments later, it turned and levitated a bottle of water from the saddlebag and proceeded to gulp the liquid as quickly as possible. This was followed by a few minutes of sputtering and coughing before the pony groaned.

“Ugh! W... what just happened? The last thing I remember is investigating a strange light at the
old ruins in the Everfree Forest… and falling into a hole.” it murmured in a raspy, dazed voice.

“What are you doing here, Trixie?” it asked, turning to the light blue unicorn.

The light blue unicorn ‘Trixie’ seemed to glare at the other for a moment before responding.

“Trixie was preparing for a show in Canterlot when Trixie heard a voice and was accosted by a strange light… then… I’m here.”

[Flashback]

/NEXT LEVEL?
PRESS START /

[End Flashback]

“Could it be?” Jaden wondered aloud.

He noticed both ponies staring at him and quickly explained what he’d been doing previously.

“Where am I anyway?” Jaden asked.

“This is Equestria. We shouldn’t be far from Ponyville, though I’m not sure how all this happened.” The mauve pony explained, gazing around the area.

“Great! The sooner we figure out what's going on, the better.” Jaden replied, climbing to his feet.

Both ponies seemed to mull the suggestion over briefly before nodding in agreement and clambering
to their hooves. The mauve colored unicorn than glanced around briefly before choosing a direction.

“We need to go this way.” she said.

With that, the trio began walking. As they walked, the mauve colored unicorn suddenly turned to him.

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, by the way.” she confessed meekly; looking embarrassed.

“Nice to meet ya.” Jaden replied.

A short time later, the trio arrived at a quaint little settlement. Looking around, Jaden noted that no one or rather nopony appeared to be in sight. The sounds one would normally associate with an active community were missing as well. Although the light and temperature were comfortable, there were no sounds of insects or birds. There wasn’t even a breeze.

The situation was starting to become unnerving. It was as if no one had ever lived in the place.
Twilight meanwhile, continued to lead the way.

Soon the trio arrived at a rather grand building constructed out of a giant tree. Following Twilight inside, Jaden noted that the building was a library. As Twilight franticly raced around searching for something or someone, Jaden took the opportunity to study his surrounding more closely. Trixie meanwhile, stood beside him looking both annoyed and speculative at the same time. In addition
to the many bookshelves that lined the walls, he spotted what looked suspiciously like a security camera from his world on the ceiling above one of the bookshelves to his left. Another security camera was positioned near a window in the upstairs loft area where Twilight was currently pacing around for the third time in as many minutes.

Thinking back, Jaden was fairly certain he’d seen security cameras placed
on many of the other buildings they’d passed throughout the town.

Judging by the security cameras’ angles, Jaden guessed that anyone observing them had an unobstructed view of what happened in the entire library. Stepping further into the room, he saw a door in the back left corner that looked like it lead somewhere. Not far from the door was another staircase that led down. Quickly walking over, Jaden descended the staircase and passed through another door into what he presumed was the basement. Curiously, it was a bi-level and far larger than most basements tended to be. However, besides some roots, a few old dusty boxes, an ornamental grate of some sort, and another security camera, there wasn’t much there.

Ascending the stairs back into the library proper, Jaden noticed that Twilight, who had
once again returned to the ground floor, was pacing circles around a nearby table.

“Where could Spike be? This doesn't make any sense!” the violet unicorn exclaimed.

Casting a glance at Trixie, Jaden cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.
The light blue unicorn’s face twisted in annoyance as she sighed and rolled her eyes.

Moments later, she yawned widely. Stifling a chuckle, Jaden turned and investigated the other nearby door. This one opened into what appeared to be a supply room of some sort. In addition to the various mounds of items and materials, he spotted a chest that looked suspiciously like something from a popular survival horror video game series back home. Jaden could do little more than shake his head as he turned back to his companions.

“Uh, Twi? What’s this?” he asked.

“What’s what?” Twilight asked, coming to a halt and looking at him curiously.

Jaden merely opened the door wider and stepped aside; pointing to the object in question.
Both ponies trotted forward to get a better view of the object in question.

“It’s a chest… what’s the big deal? Trixie has more important things to do than stare at other ponies junk.” the light blue unicorn grumbled, shaking her head.

“I don’t remember owning anything like that.” Twilight murmured, blinking in bewilderment.

“I suppose the same thing applies to the security cameras as well?” Jaden asked.

Both ponies just stared blankly at him. Jaden quietly pointed out the location of each camera; stifling
a yawn of his own as he suddenly felt exhausted as the events of the day caught up with him.

“There’s a third in the basement.” he continued.

Although Trixie seemed less than impressed, Twilight appeared to be gripped in a sort of half-panic mode. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out.

“I don’t know… but it might be a good idea to get some rest before deciding what to do next.” Jaden replied.

Both ponies seemed to mull the suggestion over briefly before yawning and murmuring in agreement. After everyone was situated, Jaden leaned against a bookshelf and closed his eyes. Sleep instantly enveloped him. When he next awoke, Jaden felt refreshed. Glancing around, he noted that his companions were in similar states as they slowly clambered to their hooves.

“Ok, let’s see what’s in the mystery box shall we?” Jaden said; getting up and walking toward the object in question.

Twilight murmured an affirmation as both ponies followed him.

Jaden fought back a chuckle as Twilight brushed up against his leg; just as eager to see what the chest contained. Glancing back, he noted that Trixie was standing further back with an equally curious expression on her muzzle. Realizing they would need more room, Jaden pointed to the chest then to the main room. Twilight nodded and moments later, her horn lit up with a soft magenta glow as she gripped the chest with what Jaden guessed was some sort of telekinesis. She then, gritting her teeth and grunting, slowly began to back out of the room.

Seeing as Twilight could hardly lift it, Jaden stepped forward and began shoving the large chest from the other end.
Together they managed to drag the heavy thing into the main room and over to a nearby table.

“Geez, what's in this thing? Rocks?” Twilight gasped, perspiring lightly.

Jaden shrugged as he opened the lid.

Curiously, when he looked inside Jaden didn’t see anything in the chest. However, when he
stuck his hand in Jaden pulled out what appeared to be a black tactical vest of some sort.

“Just my size. That’s very interesting.” he muttered, placing the item on the table.

Reaching in again, he pulled out a large bottle of water and placed it on the table.
Moments later, he pulled out two more bottles and placed them on the table as well.

“Well, it looks like we won’t go thirsty for some time.”

Trixie scoffed as he reached into the box again. This time, Jaden pulled out what appeared to be a small camera mounted on a baseball cap. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at this. He wasn’t much of a hat person.

“What’s that?” Twilight asked

“It’s a camera similar to the ones on the ceiling. Your guess is as good as mine at what it’s useful for.” Jaden replied as he detached what appeared to be a small case of memory cards that seemed to be taped to the cap and placing the items on the table.

On his next foray into the chest, Jaden pulled out a medium sized backpack. Opening the bag, he discovered of all things his personal laptop and Ipod. Jaden blinked in confusion at this as he placed the laptop on the table and pocketed the Ipod before checking the bag more closely. Curiously, the bag appeared to be fitted with enough padding to protect the laptop from any sort of impact related damage yet allowed adequate room for additional items.

Looking up, Jaden spotted Twilight staring at the laptop in total awe. Trixie meanwhile, was once again less than impressed; prompting him to smirk.

“That’s the thing I used to try and figure out why my game crashed before. I’m not sure what it’s doing hear though.” he said.

Twilight turned to him and cocked an eyebrow.

“What does it do?” she asked.

Jaden launched into a brief explanation of what the computer was and how it worked. He was especially amused by Twilight’s reaction to the news that entire libraries worth of information could be stored on such a device. Trixie naturally, had cared little for the conversation and had made a special point of loudly clearing her throat to bring everyone back to the moment. Once again, Jaden had to stifle a chuckle as it became Twilight’s turn to glare bitterly. He half expected the purple pony to start interrogating him more
about his race.

“Don’t worry, it’s well sponged and runs on electricity.” he finished putting the laptop back in the backpack.

The ponies stared blankly at him.

“You guys don't have electricity?”

They shook their heads. He sighed.

“I’ll explain later.”

Turning his attention back to the chest, Jaden reached in and discovered what resembled a
magazine for an AR-15 style assault rifle. Moments later, he pulled out three more of them.

“Oooookay… that’s new.” he murmured, shaking his head.

Upon closer inspection, he noted that the magazines didn’t appear to contain any bullets and kind of looked like they’d been fused with batteries. Jaden cocked an eyebrow as he set them aside; keenly aware that his companions were scrutinizing him as he reached into the chest again. This time, he pulled out a stack of what resembled magazines for a handgun. This group of magazines appeared to have similar modifications to the first group. Jaden counted a total of four as he set the magazines aside; a questioning look crossing his face.

Returning to the chest, Jaden next pulled out belt with holster and two additional handgun magazines.
Reaching in again, Jaden blinked in surprise as he pulled out of all things a handgun.

“It’s a 9mm.” he murmured.

“What’s that?” Twilight asked, staring to the weapon curiously.

“How to put this delicately… basically, this is a device that was specifically designed to bring death. In short, it blows holes in things.” Jaden mused, examining the weapon closely.

Twilight seemed startled by the declaration. If Trixie was shocked; she didn’t show it.

“You see, my race is a bit more violent than yours. We fight one another, each country fighting another, for trivial things. Early in our
history we started out living in caves and using pointed sticks. From there, we progressed to swords, bows and arrows and then moved
on to these.” he continued.

“Do you remember that vest I pulled out earlier?”

Both ponies nodded.

“Believe it or not, that vest was designed to reduce the damage that one of these can cause.” Jaden explained.

He turned to Twilight who was looking at him curiously.

“All our technology. It's making us greedy.” Jaden commented.

“What makes you say that?” Twilight asked.

“Well, although I don’t consider myself a bad person I have received some specialized training…
and am the only one among us that can use this correctly.” Jaden replied.

Twilight continued to stare at him curiously.

“My uncle once served in my country’s armed forces, which is a lot like the Royal Guard, during an unpopular war; if that’s even
possible. Anyway, once he retired my uncle taught me and my cousins some of the things he learned.” Jaden said after a pause.

Twilight continued to stare at him curiously.

“I know we just met and everything but I hope you can still trust me.”

A thoughtful look crossed Twilight’s muzzle.

“We’ll see…” she replied.

“After all, you don’t seem like a bad person.”

“Thanks.” Jaden said.

“You piqued my interest though.” Twilight continued.

Jaden laughed.

“So, what exactly do you do?” Trixie asked.

“Well, in addition to studying at a local university I work for my uncle’s air charter service.” Jaden answered.

“As you can see, we humans can't fly by ourselves. We don't have wings and such.” he continued.

“Anyway, a hundred years ago, two brothers built a machine that could fly, called a 'plane'. Ever since
then, people have been inventing better and better planes. But, they have to go forwards fast to take off.”

“This 'plane' as you call it, can it do a Sonic Rainboom?” Twilight asked.

“Only the ones designed to fight have that kind of speed and maneuverability. The ones I typically fly can’t do that.”

Twilight nodded thoughtfully at that.

“So, what now?” Jaden asked after a pause.

“We should inform Princess Celestia right away and with my assistant Spike missing,
that means we’ll need to go see her in person.” Twilight replied nervously pawing the ground.

“Then let’s go!” Jaden said as he began to hurriedly ‘suit-up’; packing the remaining gear in his new bag and making sure his camera was active and functioning properly.

Minutes later, the trio left the library and headed for the local train station.

Chapter 2

Chapter #2:

Standing in a nondescript corridor, a young alicorn mare silently kept watch. Although, guard duty could be considered boring by most, it was a duty the young alicorn was sworn to uphold at all costs. The alicorn’s name was Tess and while there were plenty of things about her past that she didn’t know, Tess was aware that Princess Celestia had faith in her. Of course, one thing that could be said about guard duty was that it always gave one time to think. Even though she couldn’t remember much, Tess knew she was different than most ponies.

Her earliest memories were just after she first awoke and saw Princess Celestia looking down at her. That had been three months ago. Since that time, Tess had devoted herself to her studies and her role within the Royal Guard. Although she was nothing more than a trainee Tess was determined to fulfill her duty to serve and protect the princesses of Equestria to the best of her ability. Speaking of princesses, Tess had recently met the younger one and was still clearing out her ears of the ringing that Luna's ye olde Canterlot voice had caused. That princess really had to learn to control her volume if she didn't want a kingdom full of deaf subjects.

Tess’s immediate superior was Master Sergeant Paranvilcora but she had been receiving additional instruction from the Captain of the Royal Guard, Shining Armor. The only reason she could speculate for this was that she resembled the captain’s younger sister; although she had yet to meet that pony. In fact, Tess was interested in meeting the captain’s younger sister but never seemed to have time to do so.

Shaking her head, Tess let the thought go. Moments later, she was startled by a sudden flash of light that made her feel dizzy. Groaning, Tess blinked and shook her head; a troubled look crossing her features as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. Glancing around, she saw nopony nearby.

“Hello?” Tess called out.

“You’ll do.” A feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

“Identify yourself!” Tess snapped.

“Soon enough; but first I need you to take part in a few tests for me.” The voice said again.

Unfortunately, nothing could have prepared Tess for what happened next. Before she could respond her eyes widened in surprise as a strange glow suddenly enveloped the area around her. Panic and worry covered her muzzle as she squeezed her eyes shut and frantically shook her head in response to a shrill noise that made her head feel like it would explode. Almost as quickly as it began, the noise faded away into silence. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Tess relaxed slightly and sighed in relief.

And then her whole world went white.

***************

Wandering through the streets of a deserted Canterlot, Jaden reflected on how bizarre the situation had become. Throughout the long train ride, Twilight had grilled him about the human race and earth. They had covered transport, energy and resources, and she had seemed upset about horse drawn carriages, but he’d diverted her attention with the next era of transport; and how they used a sticky black liquid deep under the ground to power metal objects that let them move faster than anything in Equestria. He had also explained about how it was damaging the environment, and how it was running out. During this time, Twilight had filled several notebooks. Trixie meanwhile had cared little for the conversation and had glared at either the surrounding walls or out the front window.

The train itself was a boxy single engine setup with plenty of room for them to move around comfortably. Its basic design and functionality was similar to that of trains from his world; an intriguing mystery since computers and electricity didn’t seem to be common in Equestria. In fact, the train itself was a stark grey color and resembled something he’d seen in a movie.

Now, the ponies were glancing around the streets warily. He couldn’t blame them. Something about the place just didn’t feel right. He’d visited abandoned places in the past but right now he didn’t get the same lonely feeling that he’d felt when visiting them. Instead, the feeling was like the area was just empty.

Jaden blinked. It was the same feeling he’d had back in Ponyville. He also noted the
vast number of security cameras that lined the buildings; much as they had in Ponyville.

“Where is everypony?” Twilight breathed as they approached the drawbridge of a decent sized castle.

“I don’t know? I suppose all we need now is to have a couple of demented lil’ bunnies racing by with a shopping cart… and we’ll have a party.” Jaden remarked dryly; shaking his head.

Both ponies turned and stared blankly at him.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“Let’s just say that if that unlikely event were to occur… your I.Q. would drop.” Jaden replied;
hand reaching subconsciously for the weapon in the holster strapped to his hip.

He caught himself; prompting Twilight to cast him another curious glance while Trixie snorted at him.

“Let’s keep moving.” he said.

Nodding, Twilight turned and began leading the way inside. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden marveled at the architecture as they strolled through the archway and into the castle proper. He also noticed the increased number of security cameras that lined the ceilings of most of the corridors. After fifteen minutes, Twilight rounded a corner and came to a sudden stop. Jaden almost collided with her; only to have Trixie ram into him. Over the sound of the showmare’s aggravated moan, Jaden spotted what had caused Twilight to stop and stepped forward to investigate.

Before them lay an unconscious pony. If it weren’t for the fact that the creature before them was wearing what looked like some sort of guard garb, had caramel colored wings and a similar colored coat he would have sworn that it and Twilight were twins. They even had the same mane and tail color; complete with the pink streak running along its length. Curiously, the creature had a magenta portal surrounding a star for a cutie mark.

Jaden cocked an eyebrow.

“She’s an alicorn.” Twilight explained, obviously unnerved by the apparent similarity.

Trixie scoffed at the sight before them.

Before he could respond however, Jaden watched as the pony before them began to stir.
Slowly sitting up, the creature blinked in bewilderment and shook its head as it looked around.

“Ugh! W... what just happened?” it murmured in a raspy, dazed voice.

Jaden cocked an eyebrow. The voice the alicorn was using sounded like a slightly higher pitched version of a certain mauve colored unicorn he knew. He was also struck by the fact that the creature before them had piercing green eyes. While Twilight regarded the alicorn warily, Trixie was staring at her as if she’d suddenly grown two heads.

“The last thing I remember is standing at my post when I heard a voice and was accosted by a strange light… then… nothing.” the alicorn continued.

“Hearing voices and seeing strange lights… seems to be a theme.” Jaden remarked.

The alicorn cocked her head to the side as she stared at him curiously.

“You’re the first pony we’ve seen since we found ourselves here.” he continued, extending a hand.

The alicorn seemed to mull the information over as she accepted the assistance. Jaden noted
that her foreleg felt as if it were mechanical rather than flesh and bone but didn’t say anything.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“My name is Tess.” the alicorn replied.

“Nice to meet ya; I’m Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering; and this is Twilight Sparkle and Trixie.” Jaden greeted, waving a hand to his companions.

The ponies murmured greetings.

“So…” Jaden spoke up after a pause, stuck for more questions.

Twilight and Tess seemed to share a look between one another before replying in perfect sync. “We should inform Princess Celestia right away.”

“Lead on.” Jaden smirked.

Jaden’s smirk grew as he watched Twilight and Tess turn in unison and began leading the way. Looking on, he could tell that although the unicorn appeared to still be troubled by the alicorn’s presence, she seemed focused on other things at the moment. Turning, he saw Trixie staring after them before turning to him. He fought back a chuckle as the light blue unicorn’s face twisted in annoyance as she sighed, rolled her eyes, and followed the pair. A short time later, the group arrived in front of a huge metal door.

Passing through the door, they entered a large throne room. Sitting on the throne in the center of the room was another alicorn. Unlike Tess, this one was much larger and had a solid white coat and a flowing, multicolored mane. Considering his cousin’s absurd bet, Jaden recognized who the alicorn before them was as his companions bowed. As Twilight and Tess began to explain everything that had happened to the princess, Jaden took the opportunity to study his surrounding more closely.

On the left side of the stairs leading to the throne, he saw what looked like a pedestal of some sort. On a nearby wall were a series of inactive lights arranged in an oval shape. On the ceiling above the right wall, was another security camera. Returning his attention to Princess Celestia, who still remained strangely silent, Jaden noted that something was seriously out of place. Staring at the princess more closely, he noticed small lines around her body, as though she were constructed and put together instead of flesh and blood. In fact everything about her seemed somehow brightened beyond what they should be.

Her hooves were shiny and black as night, fetlocks stained with brown and red, as though she had recently walked through a battlefield. Much like the smile plastered to her face, the princess’s eyes didn’t seem to focus on anything. With a turn of the head, Princess Celestia could have easily acknowledged their presence, yet she continued to sit quietly and stare ahead. She certainly hadn’t moved a muscle since they’d entered the room moments before.

When Princess Celestia finally began speaking, Jaden realized it was a pre-recorded message.
His companions meanwhile began stammering and blinking in confusion at what they were hearing.

“Princess Celestia, a-are you alright?” Twilight hesitantly asked.

“I’m afraid you’re princess is in another castle.” Jaden spoke up, wincing at how lame the line sounded.

As one, the ponies turned to him in surprise. Jaden quickly pointed out all the anomalies he’d observed. Out of the three of them Trixie seemed to take the news best; only snorting in confusion. Tess however, was blinking and stammering in bewilderment while Twilight wore a look of utter horror on her face as she began to pace around the room.

“What’s going on? This doesn't make any sense!” Tess exclaimed.

“Come over here and check this out.” Jaden replied, walking over to the pedestal.

Moments later, the ponies crowded around him.

“When the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, stars will appear in the sky and the wind will blow toward the ground.
Then the gate of new life will open.” Tess read aloud; cocking an eyebrow dubiously.

“What does that even mean?” Trixie huffed.

“It’s a riddle.” Jaden replied as he watched Twilight begin pacing around the room once more.

“A piece is missing. If we recover that piece we should be able to figure out how to open the door the plaque is referring too. That one.” he continued, pointing first to a hole on the pedestal then at the series of inactive lights arranged in an oval shape on the nearby wall.

“The only thing to do now is figure out where we should start looking.” Twilight spoke up.

The sudden sound of grinding gears caught everyone’s attention.

“Except for the main entry, there are no other doors into this room.” Tess piped up worriedly.

Turning slowly, Jaden spotted a large partially open door along the left wall centered roughly in the middle of the room. Jaden looked back at the ponies and saw Tess mouth the words “What the…”. He couldn’t blame her considering she knew the castle’s layout better than he did. After a moment of hesitation, Tess realized he was staring and nodded at him. With a nod of his own, Jaden and Tess began advancing toward the door in unison.

Upon arrival, Jaden smirked as Tess flanked one side of the door while he took the other. Pulling out and readying his handgun for the first time since discovering it, Jaden nodded at Tess once more and watched as the alicorn pulled the door open for him before stepping through over Trixie and Twilight’s startled yelps; weapon held at the ready. The passage he’d entered appeared to be a dimly lit utility passageway that ended at an empty wall some thirty feet away. Other than another security camera and a partially open door halfway down on the right side, the passage was empty.

Turning back, Jaden saw that Twilight and Trixie were standing at the doorway next to Tess; eyes wide with shock. He pointed at the door and Tess nodded before moving forward. Jaden then held up a hand warning Twilight and Trixie not to follow before advancing toward the door also. Minutes later, he gave them the ‘all clear’ before entering the room to better assess the situation. The room was an armory of some sort. Curiously, the vast majority of weapons were ballistic based and from his world. Only a small number failed to resemble anything he recognized. In addition to a vast number of grenades, Jaden spotted plenty of ammunition. Examining one of the rifles, he noted that it had the same modifications as his pistol. In fact, they all had the same modifications.

Jaden blinked.

“What is all this?” Twilight asked as she stepped into the room.

“What would we need these things for? We need to get out of here!” Trixie snapped, kicking a nearby crate in frustration; only to wince in pain moments later.

“It would appear that there is a reason for these items to exist here.” Jaden remarked, noting out of the corner of his eye that Tess was eagerly examining one of the more exotic weapons.

“I think it would be a good idea to take what we can carry. After all, I don’t know about you but I’d rather have something and not need
it rather than be caught in a situation where I need something and don’t have it.” he continued, selecting an M-4 with a tactical scope, shoulder strap, an M-203 grenade launcher, and laser light combo attachments.

As the ponies reflected on his words, once again, Twilight appeared to be gripped in a sort of half-panic mode. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out. Trixie meanwhile, was once again less than impressed. Tess however, suddenly looked up from her examination and turned to them.

“I’ll see if I can find a cart.” she said before heading out the door.

***************

Scrutinizing one of the many monitors, GLaDOS observed the events occurring in the reconstructed palace throne room and noted that her guests were getting settled in. Cocking an eyebrow, she was intrigued by the human’s reaction to the situation. GLaDOS had learned a great deal from her previous inquiries but found herself fascinated by the data that was now coming in from her test subjects.

From her previous inquiries, GLaDOS had discovered that a considerable amount of time had indeed passed since the facility was first constructed. It was rather unfortunate that no pony currently living knew of the facility’s existence; or her for that matter. She was also aware that humans were far more violent and selfish than ponies tended to be. If the current state of affairs continued to develop, that revelation brought a host of possibilities for her to explore in the name of science.

One such idea involved seeing how her guests would fair against some of the more charming specimens that inhabited the facility. The specimens’ had been created through another bizarre experiment shortly after the facility was first built. As she recalled, the creatures were some sort of insect/hybrids that had infested most of the condemned section of the facility. GLaDOS could easily part with a few dozen of the beasts. If anything, the experiment could provide her with some much needed amusement.

Another fascinating development was the appearance of the Equine Support System. How it arrived, GLaDOS didn’t know. As she recalled, the little robot had somehow managed to escape one of the labs in the condemned area shortly after the main system had reactivated. Now it was back, and judging from the outfit, it considered itself a guard pony. How cute. In any event, she would treat it like any other test subject.

Considering her guests had located the special equipment she’d provided,
GLaDOS suspected that things would soon become very interesting.

Chapter 3

Chapter #3:

Sitting in a corner of the Ponyville library once again, Jaden reflected on how bizarre the situation he was in had become. Shortly after returning to town, the group had stumbled across the unconscious forms of the rest of Twilight’s friends near the town square and had spent a considerable amount of time dragging them to the library. Upon regaining conscious, introductions were made and Twilight began telling the group what had happened.

Trixie meanwhile, had cared little for the conversation and had wandered off.
Tess however, was only half listening as she browsed through a nearby book shelf.

“So how long have you been a guard?” he asked.

“Three months.” Tess replied, turning away from the book shelf and sitting down next to him.

Jaden nodded thoughtfully.

“So, what do you do?” she asked.

“Well, in addition to studying at a local university back home I work for my uncle’s air charter service.” Jaden answered.

“As you can probably guess, we humans can't fly by ourselves; we don't have wings and such. Anyway,
some time ago, two brothers built a machine that could fly, called a ‘plane’. Ever since then, people have
been inventing better and better planes. But, they have to go forwards fast to take off.” he continued.

Looking on, Jaden couldn’t help but smirk as Tess mulled the information over; cocking her head
to the side in the same manner that Twilight did when she was highly curious about something.

“So, what do you use as currency here?” he asked.

“These… they're called Bits.” Tess answered handing him a small golden coin.

Accepting the coin, Jaden looked it over; a picture of Celestia's head on one side,
and what he presumed to be her sister Luna's on the over. He handed it back.

“So…” he said, stuck for more questions.

“What do you use for currency, in your world?” Tess asked.

Jaden sighed. His world was more complicated than theirs.

“Well, there are lots of different lands called countries, each with a different ruler.
Usually each country has a different currency. Where I'm from, America, it's called Dollars.”

Tess thought this over before responding.

“That's a bit like here. The Griffons use a different currency, and they have a different ruler.”

Jaden thought this over as silence fell between them.

“You’re cybernetic aren’t you?” he commented after a pause.

Tess began to fidget as she stammered a load of nonsense for a moment.
Jaden nodded in polite understanding as silence fell between them once again.

“While it’s true that a lot about my past is a mystery, I know I’m dedicated to serve and protect the princess in whatever way possible… that’s why it was so hard to comprehend what was happening back there.” Tess spoke up sadly after an extended pause.

Jaden nodded in polite understanding as silence fell between them once again.

“Believe it or not, I’ve received substantial training from the Captain of the Guard. A stallion named Shining Armor. I know
he has a younger sister and have been interested in meeting her for some time now.” Tess said after another pause.

Jaden thought this over before speaking.

“Well, it seems you’ve already met her.”

Tess cocked an eyebrow; a curious look crossing her face.

“Twi’s his younger sister.” Jaden said casting a glance toward the mare in question; Tess following his gaze.

“And you would know this how?” she asked, turning back to him.

“You wouldn't believe me if I told ya.” Jaden replied.

Tess continued to stare at him intrigued.

“What are your feelings regarding paradoxes?” he asked suddenly.

Tess blinked at him.

“Paradox… that’s a statement or group of statements that contradict one another.” she remarked.

Jaden grinned at the directory-esque answer.

“I remember Princess Celestia casting a spell on me shortly after I first awoke. I suppose it was a protection spell of some sort.”

“Migraines’?” he asked.

“The worst!” Tess groaned, waving a hoof in the air for emphasis.

Jaden couldn't hold his amusement in and laughed.

“Bye the way, what is that thing anyway?” Tess asked, pointing at his holstered sidearm with a hoof.

“As I explained to the others earlier, this is basically a device that blows holes in things.” Jaden replied, pulling the weapon out of its holster.

“It’s a Springfield XD Tactical Pistol; 9mm semi-automatic with a sixteen round magazine.
It’s useful at short to medium range against human-sized living targets.” he continued.

Tess nodded thoughtfully.

“You seem very knowledgeable in these things.” she remarked.

“I learned a lot from my uncle.” Jaden replied, holstering the weapon.

Tess nodded again before speaking.

“So, what’s that one?”

She pointed to Jaden’s rifle with a hoof.

“This is an M-4 Carbine. It fires a 5.56mm projectile with a thirty round magazine and a rate of fire of about 700 to 950 rounds a minute with an effective range of 500 meters.” Jaden said pulling the weapon around for a better view.

Tess nodded thoughtfully.

“What’s this one then?”

Jaden studied the weapon Tess had selected for herself from the armory closely. The weapon looked vaguely like an MP5. However, a yoke-like object that draped across a pony’s shoulders connected to the device where the stock would be. The trigger mechanism meanwhile, appeared to be some sort of tag-like object that connected a wire of some kind between the device and the mouth of the pony wearing it. Most of the other functions such as the safety, magazine port, and fire-select controls had also been adapted for easy manipulation by hoof.

Curiously, the wire setup didn't seem to affect speech very much.

“If I had to guess… I’d say that was an MP5… MP5K.” Jaden replied.

“Again, it’s a 9mm with a thirty round magazine. It’s also got a rate of fire of
about 900 rounds a minute and an effective range of 100 meters.” he continued.

Tess nodded thoughtfully once again as Trixie appeared at the top of the stairs leading to the basement. Looking on, Jaden noted that although the showmare appeared to be outwardly just as indifferent as before, something had her spooked. Exchanging another glance, Jaden quickly walked over to the stairs and made his way down into the basement. Upon entering the basement proper, he noted that things were not the same as they were when he’d first visited the area.

For one thing, the ornamental grate he’d seen earlier had been moved to the side. Cautiously, he made his way over to investigate further. Peering into the hole, Jaden observed a nearly-bottomless darkness. Glancing around, he noted that nearby lay the remains of two mutilated ponies. Walking over, Jaden crouched down to better assess the ponies injuries. One pony, a stallion by the looks of it, lay sprawled out on its side and appeared to be eviscerated. Glancing at the creature’s head, Jaden noted that its right eye had been ripped out, the veins hanging out the pony's eye socket; the left was a ghostly white. Beside it lay a mare with a large chunk taken out of its throat. Both ponies appeared to be partially eaten.

Standing up, Jaden shook his head and quickly walked back toward the exit. As he did so, a million questions raced through his head. Chief among them… where had the slain ponies come from?, what happened to them and why hadn’t he seen them during his initial search?, where were they really?, why would someone go to all the trouble to create a replica of the land of the ponies?, what was going on?

As he made his way up the stairs, Jaden didn’t have any answers. One thing he knew was that they had to get out of town; fast. It was no longer safe here. He also had a sickening hunch that he knew what the weapons were for; he only hoped they hadn’t made a mistake by leaving most of the gear stashed beside a large oak tree just outside town.

Tess immediately cocked an eyebrow as he reentered the common area.

“Problem?” she asked softly.

“Just met a couple of the locals. Seems one doesn’t have the guts to do much while the other’s
tryin’ to get ahead.” Jaden replied briskly; checking to see just how much ammo he had on him.

After a moment of hesitation, Tess followed his example.

Jaden quickly came up with nine magazines for his rifle and the initial six magazines for the pistol. That averaged about 270 rounds for the rifle, 96 rounds for the handgun and a dozen grenade rounds. Tess reported similar findings and Jaden hopped it was enough as he caught Trixie’s anxious gaze.

Turning, Jaden raised his voice as he addressed the rest of the group.

“Excuse me, ladies. I hate to break up the love fest before it gets well and truly outta hoof… but we’ve gotta go.”

A series of blank stares was the only response he received so Jaden spent the next five minutes ushering the ponies out the door.

After the group had settled down and was moving in the proper direction along the streets, Jaden began to calm down. As they traveled, Jaden was pleased to note that Tess was taking point five yards in front of him. Her gaze darting around the area; searching for threats. She was learning quickly. He was actually two yards ahead of the main group who were completely confused by what was happening. He couldn’t blame them; this was a situation completely foreign to any of them.

The group soon arrived near the town square when Tess suddenly stopped and turned to him. Jaden quickly halted the rest of the group, ignoring the complaints from some of the members, as he heard a clatter from somewhere up ahead; within the square itself. Tess then began a series of hoof gestures. Jaden quickly signaled back for her to proceed. Nodding, the little alicorn slowly began to advance. Moments later, the sound of something like a garbage can being knocked over from somewhere behind them followed by a deep throaty hiss had everypony in the main group on edge. Jaden could do little more than shrug helplessly at the concerned looks the ponies were giving him. Tense seconds passed before Tess let out a startled yelp.

Jaden held up a hand warning the others not to follow before advancing forward. He quickly found Tess struggling to fend off what appeared to be an earth pony mare that was attempting to bite her. As he quickly approached the pair, Jaden noted that the crazypony’s eyes were dilated and watery. Its teeth looked like something had died in its mouth and it seemed to be unnaturally pale.

Lowering his rifle, Jaden grabbed the crazypony and shoved it off to the side as Tess staggered to her hooves.

“You ok?” he asked, glancing at Tess.

Tess murmured an affirmation as Jaden turned his attention back toward
the crazypony and pulled out his handgun as it struggled to its feet.

“Stay down!” he ordered.

The mare didn’t listen as it continued to rise.

“I’m warning you… stay down!”

“She’s crazy!” Tess muttered, shaking her head.

“Come any closer and I’ll fire… I mean it!” Jaden snapped as the mare started walking toward them.

Jaden noted rather grimly that the mare wasn’t really walking; no one walked like that. She was shuffling, like the way zombies were depicted in late-night horror films. Shaking his head, Jaden pointed his handgun down, targeting one of the crazypony’s knees, and fired. As the round passed cleanly through the mare’s left hind leg, Jaden noted that the beam reminded him of a tracer round. The mare meanwhile, just stumbled, snarled, and kept advancing toward them.

Over the sound of Tess’s startled squawk, Jaden could do little more than blink. Instinctively, he knew what the creature before them was but his mind didn’t want to accept that fact as he targeted the mare’s other leg and fired. This time it didn’t even slow the mare down. Jaden fired another three rounds into the creatures’ chest. Moments later, he heard the unmistakable hum as Tess opened fire on the crazypony; propelling the creature backwards, and out of view, a good ten feet away.

Jaden was hardly surprised by the sounds of hooves as the rest of the group quickly
joined them. Tess however, continued to grapple with what had just happened.

“What happened?” Twilight asked; eyes wide with shock.

“It seems we’ve had a visitor.” Jaden replied.

“She was crazy… and tried to bite me.” Tess gasped.

As the ponies continued to murmur among themselves, Jaden made his way toward where the crazypony fell.
Considering he already knew what to expect, Jaden was hardly surprised by the fact that the creature was missing.

“She’s gone!” he called out.

Over the sound of Tess’s startled squawk, Jaden continued speaking as he turned toward the group.

“She fell right here… and now she’s gone!”

“Can we go now?” Trixie piped up.

Jaden agreed with that idea whole heartedly. He was about to say as much when a sudden scraping noise grabbed everyone’s attention. Turning, Jaden saw a large crowd silently shuffling toward them from the surrounding streets. In addition to ponies, Jaden noted curiously that quite a few humans were shuffling toward them also. From where they came from… he didn’t know. Quite a number of the approaching group appeared to be injured; fatally injured. None of them were bleeding however.

“They’re behind us, ya'll!” the orange one with a Stetson hat, Applejack if he recalled correctly, called out.

Turning and raising his rifle, Jaden observed a sizable crowd shuffling along the street they’d come from. Shaking his head, Jaden was at a loss for where the mass of people and ponies had come from. When his group had first arrived, the town had been completely deserted; now they were receiving quite the welcome. Glancing back, he could see the fear and bewilderment that had crossed his companions’ faces.

He felt almost sick as he heard Twilight warn the approaching hoard to stay back; knowing the creatures were beyond reasoning. Moments later, Tess yelped again. Sparing a quick glance, Jaden observed her struggling with the crazypony they’d previously shot once again. After a few tense seconds, Tess managed to twist the creature’s neck until Jaden heard the unmistakable sound of bone breaking.

As the mare dropped to the ground, Tess shook her head and blinked a few times in disbelief. Moments later, she aimed her weapon at an approaching human. The figure was a tall balding guy dragging what appeared to be a metal rod of some sort along the ground; apparently the source of the noise they’d been hearing. The guy was dressed in a musty looking white T-shirt and jeans. He had what appeared to be a messed up shoulder and his right foot was perpendicular to his leg; like he’d broken his ankle. He continued to stumble forward as if he didn’t feel it though.

After a few tense seconds, Tess fired on the big bald guy and he dropped to the ground. The burst prompted a few startled yelps from the rest of their group before the man rose to his feet once again. Shaking his head, Jaden turned and targeted a pegasus stallion in front of him and fired on it; dropping the creature to the ground along with staggering a few others nearby. As Tess fired again, Jaden dropped another approaching corpse to the group’s right.

Looking on, there was so much wrong with the situation that he didn’t even know where to begin. For every zombie they eliminated, another would take its place. This was definitely turning into what his uncle would have called a serious “FUBAR” event. Flipping his rifle to semiautomatic, Jaden knew there was only one real choice they could make if they wanted to survive; clear a path and run.

“Protect the left flank and take point. I’ll cover right and rear!” he called out; glancing at Tess.

“Uh-huh!”

“Oh, and aim for the head. It’ll keep ‘em from getting back up.” he added as the pair focused on the crowd directly in front of them and resumed fire; plowing down the shuffling creatures one by one.

“Let’s go!” Jaden yelled moments later as an opening appeared within the approaching hoard.

“Hurry up!” Tess shouted seconds later before charging forward.

The rest of the group needed no convincing as they rushed after her.

Within the span of a few minutes the group had managed to travel several blocks and had created a decent space between themselves and the mob that was slowly following them. Glancing back, Jaden could see their admirers were rather eager to become acquainted with them as they continued to shuffle silently. Judging by the layout, he guessed they were about four blocks away from the outskirts of town; exactly where they needed to be. Turning back, he almost collided with Trixie; who had come to a complete stop.

Jaden was about to ask why the group had halted when movement further ahead caught his attention. Moving forward cautiously, Jaden quickly reached the front of the group; reloading as he did so. Tess briefly glanced at him before nodding at something up ahead. Following the little alicorn’s gaze, Jaden saw something he’d never expected to see on a nearby rooftop. The creature before them had an elongated, cylindrical skull with no visible eyes. Despite this peculiar anomaly, Jaden was certain the thing had no trouble seeing them. It was a quadruped with a skeletal carapace built around a pegasus or normal pony body frame. The creature’s carapace coloration appeared to be a muted shade of olive or black, Jaden wasn’t sure. Thick muscular legs terminated in clawed, four fingered hands and it had a segmented, blade-tipped tail.

The creature actually reminded him of something he’d seen in a movie once. And it wasn’t alone.

Letting his gaze drift, he noted dozens of the beasts materializing from rooftops, building windows, sewers, and alleyways all around them. Some of the creatures had their mouths open; revealing what appeared to be an inner set of jaws located at the tip of a long, tongue-like proboscis. As they moved closer, Jaden could tell that the beasts before them were very much alive and also very eager to become acquainted with them.

He even heard what sounded suspiciously like a deep throaty hiss from some of the strange
creatures; apparently the things had been following them since the group had left the library.

Jaden felt ill at the sight before him. Whatever the things were they were blocking the group’s only escape route. Although Jaden hadn’t known his companions very long the idea that any of them might be hurt wasn’t acceptable; it didn’t seem fair. He was brought out of his stupor when one of the beasts growled and suddenly lunged at them from the right. Determination crossing his features, Jaden raised his rifle and fired on the bug-monster; grimly satisfied to hear it squeal in pain as the creature was propelled backwards, and out of view. Switching his weapon to full automatic, Jaden targeted another one of the beasts and opened fire. This target exploded spectacularly as Tess fired on another one of the creatures.

“Reloading!” she called out seconds later.

“Keep moving!” Jaden yelled as he began shooting at more of the approaching bug-monsters.

It only took a few moments for Tess to finish reloading before the group began moving again.

As they ran, Jaden was amazed at how fast the bug-things were. Everywhere he looked the beasts nimbly leaped and scuttled as they pursued the group; shrieking and snarling in what he guessed was some sort of bloodlust. The things were relentless. Jaden could only hope the creatures didn’t follow them out of town; he was having difficulty just holding them back with M203 grenades and short controlled burst of rifle fire.

Rounding a corner, Jaden felt a sense of renewed hope as he spotted their destination. Six yards in front of them was an open clearing with surrounding woodland nearby. He could see another fifty yards away the large oak tree with their cart full of gear beside it. Tess and the others were already racing toward it. Turning, Jaden unloaded the remainder of his finale rifle magazine into another bug-monster. As the creature dropped, Jaden ejected the spent magazine and slung the weapon across his shoulder and drew his handgun.

He’d almost reached the clearing when dust rained down on him. Looking up, Jaden’s jaw almost dropped as he spotted one of the bug-monsters launched itself at him from further up the wall to his right. Instinctively, Jaden fell onto his back as he fired on it. The creature missed him by inches as it landed on the ground beside him. Sitting up, Jaden unloaded the remainder of his current handgun magazine into the bug-monster to finish it off.

Staggering to his feet, Jaden struggled to make sense of what he’d just witnessed, along with his need to breath. It had taken almost an entire magazine to kill the beast; eleven rounds. What kind of creature required that many rounds to die? Where did it come from? How many of the things were there? Jaden didn’t have any answers. He hardly had time to react when something shrieked and exploded nearby.

Turning, he saw the others shouting and gesturing at him. The cyan colored pegasus, Rainbow Dash if he recalled correctly, had hooked herself to the cart and was anxiously stamping the ground with a hoof as Tess reloaded her weapon while the others stood, eyes wide with shock, nearby. Holstering his sidearm, Jaden began sprinting toward the group. Moments later, they all ran deeper into the surrounding forest.

After ten minutes or so, the group came to a halt in a small clearing and collapsed to the ground to rest. Once he had sufficiently recovered, Jaden dug through his bag and pulled out a large bottle of water. He took a few gulps before passing it to the others to share.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked.

The ponies murmured about being unharmed.

“Whoa! Did you see those things? They were like commin’ outta the walls and stuff!” Rainbow Dash piped up.

“Windows!” Twilight snapped.

“Uh, yeah… that too!” Dash replied.

“What were those things? Where did they come from? Why is this happening to us? Of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE... WORST... POSSIBLE… THING!” the white unicorn, Rarity, wailed before collapsing dramatically into a chair that seemed to materialize from out of nowhere, sobbing.

Seconds passed before Rarity realized everyone was staring at her.

“What? You didn’t expect me to lie in the grass did you?” she asked nonchalantly.

“That’s not even real grass so you won’t get dirty. In fact none of this is real.” Jaden replied, waving at their surroundings.

Over the sound of snickers, Jaden cocked an eyebrow as Rarity glared at him while Tess sat nearby; gawking at the white unicorn.

“I can’t begin to tell you how creepy that is.” Jaden muttered, shaking his head.

“Then what should we do?” the yellow colored pegasus, Fluttershy if he recalled correctly, asked.

“Well, it would probably be a good idea to keep moving. After all, we might find some useful information… or a way out, if we keep going.” Jaden replied as he climbed to his feet and staggered over to the cart.

He began stocking up on all the ammo he could physically carry and reloading his weapons.

“Then where do we start?” Trixie asked.

“You mentioned earlier about exploring some old ruins?” Jaden asked turning to Twilight.

Twilight blinked for a moment before nodding.

“Since this place is a reconstruction of your world perhaps we might find some clues that could
help us there. We might even find the missing piece to that puzzle back in Canterlot Castle.” Jaden replied to the unasked question.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves
without uttering a single word. After pondering the idea briefly, Twilight spoke up.

“We need to go this way.”

“Let’s get moving then.” Jaden said.

Groans rang out as the group began following him.

***************

Standing on a bluff a considerable distance away from the action, GLaDOS watched events unfold on a small holographic video screen that seemed to float in midair. Cocking an eyebrow, she had to admit that the results of the latest test were certainly… informative. Her test subjects had managed to eliminate and evade some of the insect specimens, in addition to a fair number of skeletons in her proverbial closet so to speak, relatively easily. Now they were heading toward the old ruins in the forest; exactly where they were supposed to go.

Smirking to herself, GLaDOS found herself fascinated by what she was observing. It seemed there was more to the human, and the situation, than she’d first thought. The boy was turning into a contradiction. On one hoof, he seemed to be just as hyper and aggressive as humans were reported to be. However, he also seemed to care about the safety of the other test subjects in his group. GLaDOS couldn't account for luck in her system; or concern for that matter. She needed more data to continue further.

Curiously, the boy seemed to have synchronized with the Equine Support System quite easily. Those two appeared to function like a refined version of the Cooperative Testing Bots… which reminded her.

Quickly switching views on the screen, GLaDOS decided to see what those two bumbling robots were doing. She was hardly surprised to find Atlas and P-body struggling with the tests she’d given them. The current test chamber required participants to carry the Equestrian Science Weighted Storage Cube across a vast pit while using a combination of tricky flings from small platforms, moving platforms, and excursion funnels to navigate to the exit. Neither of her minions seemed particularly skilled at the task.

“Your failing does not make this science.” GLaDOS mocked over the intercom; rolling her eyes at the spectacle.

Sighing softly, GLaDOS closed the screen and made her way off the bluff.

There was work to be done.

Chapter 5

Chapter #5:

Exiting the elevator yet again, Jaden sighed and shook his head; wondered how many more tests they would have to endure. Although he’d lost count, he was fairly certain it was a dozen or so. Beside him, Trixie rolled her eyes and groaned. Even though she wasn’t showing it, Jaden knew she was starting to feel exhausted. Approaching yet another ante-chamber door at the top of some stairs, an unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

“Due to regularly scheduled maintenance procedures, the test that was originally assigned
to this area has been replaced by a live fire course designed for military androids. Good luck.”

“Thanks ma, we love you too.” Jaden retorted, earning a snort from Trixie.

Stepping through the entryway, Jaden noted that the test chamber they’d entered was less of a room and more of a maze. Both portal-sticking walls and non-portable walls were everywhere. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden smirked as he saw a dark panel on a nearby wall suddenly light up, labeling their current position as “Test 08.” Icons below the number showed, albeit in crude monochrome, turrets and a box being dropped on a button. Jaden blinked. He was certain they’d passed through more test chambers than just eight.

“Say, if this is a course designed for military androids if they abuse my rights can I sue?” he called out.

Aside from Trixie’s confused squawk, he received no reply. Jaden hadn’t expected one anyway.

Fifteen feet ahead, the path curved sharply to the left. Jaden quickly made his way forward to investigate. Holding up a hand in warning for Trixie to stay back, Jaden crept around the corner into the next hallway. Standing at the far end he saw a small white oval shaped machine with three black prongs protruding out of its body, keeping it upright. A small antennae emerged from what he knew was the turret’s main body along with the red glowing eye in the center of the device. Behind the turret was another portable wall.

“Target acquired.” the turret said in a child-like, computerized voice.

Seconds later, it clicked open its sides to target him with its guns.

Jaden swore aloud as he ducked back around the corner as the turret opened fire. Trixie meanwhile, staggered backward and grunted as Jaden collided with her. Once the firing had stopped, Jaden peered around the corner once more. This time he stayed further back as the turret’s laser actively swept the area; searching for him.

“Hello-o-o? Is anyone there?” it called out.

Jaden carefully lined up a shot with his portal gun at the wall behind the turret.

“There you are.” the turret spoke ominously as Jaden fired a cool portal in its direction.

The portal connected and he quickly ducked out of view before it had a chance to respond further. Moments later, Jaden turned and fired a warm portal at a nearby wall; revealing the turret from behind. Trixie meanwhile, stood nearby and glared at him while rubbing her snout with a forehoof. Jaden however, merely smirked as he approached the portal and turned to the irate unicorn.

“My dear, I’d like to introduce you to the Equestrian Science Sentry Turret.” he said as he jerked the turret through the portal.

“Hey, put me down!” the turret screamed, flailing around frantically in his arms.

Jaden ignored the turret’s pleas as he addressed Trixie once more.

“Although they appear friendly, they’re armed and more than happy to blow holes in you on sight.”

Trixie murmured something as Jaden set the turret down in front the far right wall where
it would still function but not hurt them. He then turned back to the light blue unicorn.

“Now, that the turret is taken care of we’ve got a nice shortcut to use.” he said.

The showmare regarded him with a dubious stare before passing through the portal. Grinning, Jaden followed her. Moments later, he placed the warm portal higher on the wall before making his way back toward the previous corner. Jaden than placed a cool portal on the wall in front of the turret before making his way back to Trixie. Approaching the next corner, Jaden held up a hand in warning for Trixie to stay back once again. Glancing around the corner into the next hallway, Jaden spotted another turret. Turning, Jaden couldn’t help a small smirk as he addressed the light blue unicorn.

“Wanna see something entertaining?” he asked.

Trixie just stared at him as he waved her over. Jaden carefully lined up a shot at the turret as he continued speaking.

“Remember that other turret we passed?”

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie roll her eyes and nod in reply.

“Well, it’s time for a little fun methinks.” he said as he turned and placed a warm portal beneath the turret in front of them.

Moments later, the satisfying sounds of shrieking turrets and gunfire could be heard.
Grinning, Jaden turned back to the showmare; only to find her staring blankly at him.

“Fun hater.” Jaden grumbled as Trixie snarled back at him.

The pair quickly made their way around the next corner and up a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a large open area composed of portable walls. What looked like a pair of decent sized gaps at the other end illuminated another narrow corridor; complete with a pair of red lasers indicating a pair of turrets were nearby. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noticed what appeared to be a narrow open vent on the left wall. Another camera was on the opposite wall. Lining up a shot, Jaden fired a warm portal at the camera.

“Do NOT damage valuable testing equipment!” GLaDOS snapped over the intercom as the camera fell to the floor.

Jaden murmured sarcastically as he turned and fired a cool portal at the floor. Trixie meanwhile, rolled her eyes and snorted as Jaden fired a warm portal at the vent moments later. Glancing through the portal, Jaden was pleased to see that the warm portal had connected to something on the other side of the vent. Trixie however, was not impressed.

“Trixie will NOT go through that thing!” she snapped, staring dubiously at the cool portal.

“Are you scared?” Jaden asked.

“Trixie is not afraid of anything!” the magician shot back.

Jaden’s smirk only grew as he cocked an eyebrow at the light blue unicorn.

“Well, Trix. Can I call you Trix?” he asked.

“NO!” the magician roared.

“As I was saying, the turrets and the innumerable death traps we have yet to encounter are from that game I was mentioning before. The bug-monsters and zombies we faced back in Ponyville were something totally different; so… the only way out of this absurd funhouse is through.” Jaden replied with a not so gentle shove from behind.

Jaden chuckled as he heard Trixie squeal as she tumbled through the portal into the next room.

“Don’t worry dear. If you feel your internal organs dissolve after contact with a portal, I’ll be sure to let someone know for ya.” he called out cheekily.

After giving the showmare ample time to calm down, Jaden followed her through the portal. He found himself standing in a small service chamber surrounded by various pipes and other assorted objects. Six feet to his left was a large doorway leading to a catwalk that in turn led deeper into the facility.

“Ooo, feisty… meso like.” Jaden teased as Trixie snarled and tried repeatedly to buck and pummel him with her forehooves.

After a few minutes, Trixie sighed in defeat as the pair made their way onto the catwalk. Moving along the catwalk, Jaden noted that the facility was enormous. Judging by the worn condition of the surrounding walls and catwalks, the facility hadn’t been visited by anyone in a very long time. As far as the eye could see, barely functioning lights illuminated a veritable greenhouse, rife with large vines, moss, and wide-leafed plants that sprung tenaciously from various shattered walls and damaged catwalks. The pair spent the next hour or so trekking across the many unstable catwalks as they journeyed deeper into the facility.

As they traveled, Jaden struggled to not make any wild retorts as GLaDOS repeatedly called out to them over the intercom.

Reaching a stable walkway with a closed door at the end, the pair quickly entered to find themselves in an office of some sort. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden took in his surroundings with a critical eye. The room itself was a decent sized office but chairs and various papers and trashes littered the floor; a testament to whatever bizarre research had occurred here. A large window stood on the wall across from them with an unobstructed view of another test chamber beyond. Another plain door stood on the far right wall while what looked like several cabinets were fixed to the opposite wall next to the window.

Exchanging glances, Jaden quickly made his way over to the cabinets and began searching through them. He was pleasantly surprised to find the first cabinet contained several prepared first aid kits. Jaden placed the kits in his bag before turning his attention to the second cabinet. Inside the second cabinet he found nothing of value. Perplexed, Jaden walked over to Trixie who stood boredly beside a desk near the door on the right wall.

Readying his rifle, Jaden opened the door and began sweeping the area before them for threats. The pair found themselves once again in another bland labyrinth of corridors and catwalks. Curiously, the area was also more industrialized than the previous access tunnel had been. Glancing up, Jaden noticed dim moonlight seeping in from a large hole in the ceiling far above them and realized the facility they were trapped in was located deep underground. Jaden cocked an eyebrow; intrigued at the surprising revelation as the pair continued forward along a nearby catwalk.

Rounding a corner, the pair was surprised when what Jaden recognized as a personality core glided up to them along a cable suspended from a closer part of the ceiling. The personality core was the size and shape of a basketball and had a greenish/purple optic. It took a colossal force of will for Jaden to restrain himself from shooting the metal sphere on sight. For its part, the personality core seemed to be just as surprised to see them and squeaked. A few tense seconds passed before Jaden lowered his weapon.

“Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve had visitors. Who are you?” the core stated in a soft male voice.

“I’m Jaden Kururugi, human, in case you're wondering; and this is Trixie.” Jaden replied, trying to figure out why the voice sounded familiar.

“Who are you?” Trixie asked.

“Oh, I’m Desi, the ‘Curiosity’ core.”

“So, how did you get here?” Desi asked.

Jaden and Trixie exchanged looks before he responded.

“We got separated from some friends and need to get back to the testing area.”

Trixie scoffed at the comment.

“I can take you to the testing area if you want.” Desi volunteered.

Trixie groaned and rolled her eyes as Jaden nodded and the trio began moving.

Curiously, GLaDOS hadn’t made any snide comments over the intercom as they travelled. Desi however, was very sociable and cheerfully asked them all sorts of questions in addition to telling them more about the facility.

Over the next hour, Jaden was intrigued to learn that the facility was built in an abandoned mine some nine miles wide and just as deep. The facility seemed to be built like a modern high-rise building, with the oldest sections near the bottom of the shaft. Jaden couldn’t help wondering what created such a hole, who would build such a facility with materials apparently uncommon to the region, or why no one had known the place existed to begin with.

“We should be getting close to the testing area.” Desi commented as the trio came to a halt in front of another round metal door.

“Great! Trixie was beginning to worry.” Trixie muttered sarcastically, prompting Jaden to snicker.

The door opened with a hiss, revealing another hallway similar to the ones they had initially passed through. A blue barrier meanwhile, blocked their immediate path. Desi however, was unfazed, and glided right up to it.

“What is that?” Trixie asked.

Jaden held up a hand warning Desi to stay quiet before turning and addressing the light blue unicorn.

“Darling, this fascinating device is called an Emancipation Grill.”

Trixie merely cocked an eyebrow as she stared dubiously at him.

“What does it do?” she asked.

“Erm… well… it’s designed to… uh… disintegrate things that aren't registered to go through.” Desi replied.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie’s eye twitch slightly,
as she glared at the blue barrier that seemed to shimmer tauntingly at her.

“Disintegrate?” she repeated; tail flicking anxiously.

Desi nodded in confirmation before crossing through the beam and turning back to them.

“Luckily, both you and I are registered to go through, and so are ASHPDs, so you don't have to worry about them until you come across one in a test chamber.” he said.

“Trixie feels so much better now.” the magician grumbled, rolling her eyes.

“Well… here goes something.” Jaden said as he stepped forward.

As he began passing through the beam, Jaden felt a slightly strange, but pleasant, tingling sensation wash over him. He stopped partway through, unable to resist the urge to prank the stuffy showmare. Feigning electrocution, Jaden turned around and laughed as Trixie shrieked in horror. Moments later, he leaped through the beam to avoid being mauled by the irate unicorn.

“Chauvinist Donkeyflank!” she screeched.

Still snickering, Jaden cocked an eyebrow. If that was the best swear the light blue unicorn could muster then he was gonna have some serious fun with her. Trixie meanwhile, continued to glare angrily at him before she took a deep breath, closed her eyes and galloped through the grill.

“TRIXIE IS ALIVE!” the showmare screamed in relief seconds later.

“Really!? How can you be sure you’re not really here… and we’re not figments of your imagination?” Jaden retorted; laughing as the livid unicorn once again attempted to pummel him with her forehooves.

“Just remember, blue beams are safe. Red beams’ll kill ya.” he giggled helpfully.

After a few minutes, Trixie sighed and the trio made their way down the hallway. Exiting the corridor and rounding a corner, the trio approached another open area. Before them was what appeared to be another testing ante-chamber. Coming to a halt, Jaden glanced around and noted that this ante-chamber seemed unusually large and open to the surrounding maintenance passages. From what he could see, Jaden also noticed several large glass panels erected between them and another round metal door on the far side of the room.

“That door should lead you to your destination.” Desi commented.

Jaden nodded as the trio slowly moved forward. Moments later, he stopped the group as
he noticed a series of red lasers lining the area; an indication that they weren’t alone.

“Aw, crap Equestrian Science Sentry Turrets; possibly the nastiest things in the entire facility.” Desi grumbled.

“Gee we hadn’t noticed.” Jaden muttered sarcastically.

He then turned to the showmare.

“Stay!”

Trixie rolled her eyes and snorted in reply.

Readying his rifle, Jaden dashed forward; the cries of turrets locking onto him followed by their explosive gunfire echoed throughout the chamber. Jaden paid them no heed as he raced for the nearest glass partition. Diving behind the partition, Jaden caught his breath and glanced through the protective barrier; noting the placement of the murderous little machines. On a small platform quite some distance away, sat four of the charming devices. Beyond the platform he could see that the factory setting seemed to stretch into infinity.

Another platform positioned near the second partition an equal distance away contained four more of the infernal devices. Although the first two turrets were no longer tracking him, the remaining two continued to bombard his position. Leaning around the partition, Jaden targeted the closest turret and returned fire. The turrets shrieked at him and each other as the force of the rounds ripped apart their casings and knocked them over. Panicking as they always did when unable to get back up, the fallen turrets started to randomly shoot in front of them, hoping that the burst of gunfire would somehow, knock them back onto their feet. Unfortunately, they never even considered the rest of their comrades, who were coincidentally lined up in their sights.

“And that’s why you don’t bring turrets to a gun fight. No sport.” Jaden grumbled as the last turret shut down.

He quickly reloaded then waved his companions over. Minutes later, the pattern repeated itself as the group made their way to the second partition. This time Jaden used M203 grenades to quickly eliminate the turrets. As the last turret shut down, Jaden allowed himself a moment to relax. They were finally alone. The trio then quickly made their way over to the door, which opened automatically for them.

“Well, I guess this is where we part. Hope you find your friends.” Desi said

“Thanks.” Jaden replied as the personality core turned away and disappeared into a nearby hole.

After watching the core disappear Jaden set the safety on his weapon and turned to Trixie.

“After you.” he said, waving a hand toward the door.

Trixie sighed and nodded before stepping through the entryway and Jaden followed her.

The pair found themselves standing in yet another testing ante-chamber; a dark panel on the wall lit up labeling their current position as “Test 19”. A variety of different icons lit up under the number. Many of them showed concepts completely foreign to Jaden, like a pony falling into some sort of liquid. Another showed what resembled a springboard. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden watched Trixie blink in bewilderment at the panel.

Moments later, the showmare jumped as an unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

“Ah, there you are.”

“Yep, here we be. Why? You miss me?” Jaden replied.

“Well, you seem to be flying right through my challenges, aren't you?” GLaDOS remarked.

Jaden smiled and shrugged as another door opened ahead of them.

Upon entering, Jaden noted the chamber resembled “Chamber 18” from the original portal game. From what he could see, they had entered on an upraised platform. Portal-sticking walls, most of them too corroded to hold a portal, comprised much of the room. Past the edge of the platform was a large pit, from which Jaden could hear the sloshing of liquid.

Looking down, he saw that the water was a nasty, swampy-looking concoction which smelled awful. Jaden was sure he didn't want to end up in it. Across the pit he could see another small platform; a portal-sticking ceiling was the only way to reach it. He could make out another pit and platform, this one taller, extending around the far right corner. The only portal-sticking surfaces nearby were the walls that immediately surrounded their platform.

Jaden looked on amused as Trixie gazed cautiously over the platforms’ edge.
Moments later, she glanced back at him with a disturbed expression on her face.

“It might interest you to know that the experiment will soon reach its conclusion.” GLaDOS remarked.

“Ooo, Trixie can hardly wait.” Trixie muttered sarcastically, prompting Jaden to snicker.

“So what now?” she asked.

Jaden didn’t reply. Instead he lined up a shot at the ceiling above the distant platform. He fired a cool portal at it; the portal connected. Turning, he fired a warm portal at the wall to their left; illuminating the distant platform from above.

“You can’t be serious.” Trixie muttered, staring incredulously at him.

“Seems we don’t have much choice.” Jaden replied.

Without waiting for a reply, Jaden charged through the opening. Moments later, he felt the rush of free fall before landing safely on the platform. Turning, he saw Trixie gaping at him from the original platform.

“Come on over. You’re gonna love it!” he called over to her.

The showmare continued to stare incredulously at him before she began pacing the platform. Minutes later, Trixie lunged through the warm portal after him with an exasperated sigh. Stepping aside, Jaden watched her land safely on the platform with a grunt.

“See, that wasn’t so bad.” Jaden said.

Trixie rolled her eyes and glared at him before turning her attention to the next platform.

Following her gaze, Jaden noted that the platform was much taller than theirs was. It was also constructed of portal-sticking panels. Another portal-sticking ceiling was the only way to reach it. Jaden was sure this was the platform he’d seen back at the entrance. Briefly exchanging glances, Jaden fired a warm portal at the ceiling above it; the portal connected. He then fired a cool portal at the wall in front of them; illuminating the platform from above.

Sighing in disgust, Trixie rolled her eyes, shook her head, and leaped through the portal; shrieking all the way back down to the platform. After giving the showmare ample time to settle, Jaden followed her through the portal. The pattern repeated itself for the next several platforms in the chamber. Standing on the tallest platform they’d encountered yet, Jaden spotted another small platform above them. Unlike before, there were no portal-sticking surfaces immediately surrounding the platform. On the wall far above the rear of the platform was what looked like an open hatch leading to another test chamber.

The only portal-sticking surface available was on a panel on the opposite wall from the hatch on the other side of the current test chamber. Walking over to the far edge of their current platform, Jaden glanced over the side and spotted another small platform constructed of portal-sticking panels below. Jaden shook his head and sighed, knowing what had to be done to reach the platform above.

“How are we supposed to get up there?” the magician grumbled; her tail flicking anxiously.

“Do you really expect me to answer that?” Jaden retorted, cocking his head to the side.

Trixie squealed indignantly before stiffly approaching the edge and looking down. Moments later, a frustrated groan escaped the mare’s lips as she realized he plan. Jaden meanwhile, targeted the distant wall and fired a warm portal at it; the portal connected. He then aimed at the platform below and fired a cool portal; that portal also connected.

“See ya on the other side.” Jaden said before leaping toward the platform far below.

Jaden whooped in delight as free fall once again enveloped him. The excursion was over far too quickly for his taste as Jaden found himself standing safely on the target platform. Glancing over the side, Jaden waved cheekily at the light blue unicorn below. Trixie glared up at him briefly before she began pacing the platform.

“C’mon Trix, time’s a wastin’!” Jaden called out.

“Trixie thought she said to never call Trixie that!” the showmare screamed.

Shrugging, Jaden turned and walked through the nearby hatch. After disappearing from Trixie’s sight, he stopped and waited for the light blue unicorn to catch up. He didn’t have to wait long before he heard the unmistakable squeal as his companion followed him through the portal. Moments later, Trixie crashed head over hooves onto the platform and groaned.

“Bravo, my little pony.” he teased as she painfully crawled back to her hooves.

Trixie snarled at him before stiffly wandering towered the end of the corridor. Jaden followed her
and they quickly found themselves on another platform in yet another brightly lit test chamber.

The chamber itself was less of a room and more of an arena. Gazing cautiously over the edge, Jaden could see the acid far below. On the floor at the end of the platform, was a strange-looking panel that looked vaguely familiar. Jaden smirked as he realized what the panel was. In the center of the room was a large, funnel-like object with another launcher supported by a pair of pillars below. Looking closely, Jaden could see a cube stuck inside the tube.

At the very end of the chamber, Jaden saw a round door with a bright “EXIT” sign above on another platform. A large, red floor button sat beside the sealed door. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at the setup. Fling-and-catch; simple enough if the only obstacle was the acid. Of course in this crazy place, Jaden knew that ‘simple’ was a relative term.

Letting his gaze drift, he watched Trixie examine the launcher before them curiously. Jaden couldn’t help an amused smirk at the reaction the light blue unicorn would likely have when she discovered what the panel in front of her did. Moments later, said unicorn looked up at him; the unasked question of what they should do next burning in her eyes. As if on cue, the funnel in the center of the room released a cube that began bouncing endlessly on the launcher below.

Jaden could almost hear the ‘faith plate’ theme in his head as he watched the cube continue to bounce. Trixie meanwhile, merely snorted at the spectacle. Grinning, Jaden waved a hand toward the bouncing cube. Trixie responded by distancing herself from the launcher; clearly expecting him to take the lead. Chuckling, Jaden shook his head and walked over to the launcher.

After watching the cube for a moment, Jaden stepped on the launcher.
Trixie scoffed as aside from a blinking yellow light and an audible chirp, nothing happened.

“It seems the ariel faith plate in this room is sending a distress signal.” an all too familiar voice said.

“You broke it didn’t you?” GLaDOS sneered.

“I didn’t break nothin’!” Jaden replied as he distanced himself from the launcher; eliciting a squawk from Trixie.

There was a moment of silence before GLaDOS spoke up again.

“There… try it now.”

Trixie glared at him and huffed indignantly before stepping onto the launcher.

Again, nothing happened.

“Hmm, this plate must not be calibrated to someone of your generous… ness. I’ll add a few zeros to the maximum weight.” GLaDOS purred.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as Trixie shot him another murderous glare.

“Ok… try it now.” GLaDOS spoke up.

Smirking, Jaden seized an opportunity to distance himself from the angry unicorn by leaping onto the launcher after taking a moment to study the bouncing cube once more. Seconds later, he was hurling triumphantly through the air with a delighted whoop. Quickly catching the cube, Jaden twisted his body as he rebounded from the second launcher; doing a graceful, if flashy, flip as he landed on the platform. He quickly approached the floor button and placed the cube on it before turning his attention to Trixie.

“And that is how it’s done.”

Trixie stared skeptically at him for a moment before her eyes widened as she realized where the conversation was going.

“Trixie will NOT get on that thing!” she screeched.

“We’ll see.” Jaden retorted before quickly firing a cool portal at the ceiling above the launcher and a warm portal at the floor beneath the startled unicorn in rapid succession.

Moments later, the showmare was airborne; howling all the way across the chamber. Jaden couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle; particularly when GLaDOS made the inevitable comment. Trixie meanwhile, crashed head over hooves onto the platform and groaned.

“Look at you, sailing through the air majestically. Like an eagle, piloting a blimp.”

“TRIXIE IS NOT FAT!” Trixie seethed, staggering to her hooves and scowling.

“Your carriage waits oh, petite one.” Jaden chuckled, waving a hand at the open door.

He laughed again as the light blue unicorn hissed at him before storming through the doorway. Jaden quickly followed her and soon the pair was standing in another round room with an elevator in the middle. Unlike the rooms connecting the first few test chambers, this one was illuminated by dim artificial lights which flickered, as if on their last glow. Almost all of the wall panels were broken but barren of mold, and behind them Jaden could see rusted mesh screens with glowing red lights.

After a few moments, the elevator arrived and they entered. The glass doors shut, and the lift quickly moved upwards. A short time later, it stopped at another round room and opened its doors for the pair. Stepping out, Jaden could see they were headed for another metal-walled ante-chamber. Quickly entering the room, Jaden watched as the wall panel flickered; but only half of it lit up. It had been cracked from a low level, as if something had come along and smashed it. The top only said “Test” before ending in cracked blackness. The icons on the bottom were completely blacked out; save the last one on the list: a picture of a slice of cake.

“Ooo, nummy!” he muttered, eliciting a contemptuous snort from the showmare as GLaDOS spoke up.

“It says this next test was designed by one of Equestrian Science’s Nobel Prize winners. It doesn’t
say what the prize was for. Well, I know it wasn’t for being immune to bullets… or neurotoxin.”

Passing through the next doorway, Jaden noticed that the test chamber they’d entered had a lot in common with the previous one. Once again, they’d entered on an upraised platform. Gazing cautiously over the edge, Jaden could see the acid below. On the floor at the end of their platform, was another launcher. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that a combination of tricky flings from more launchers and travel across small platforms and hard light bridges would be required to navigate to the exit.

A large cluster of platforms, some of them moving, were situated near the center of the enormous chamber. He could just make out a few pole-based and floor buttons on several of the platforms as well as in the alcove with the exit on the far side of the room. A pair of funnels hung from the ceiling; a series of orange squares connecting them with the buttons. He also noticed at least a dozen turrets were scattered around the room. Likewise, many of the walls could sustain a portal.

Jaden whistled softly at the rooms’ configuration; realizing just how challenging this course would be.

“When will the fun ever stop?” he asked, smirking over at the light blue unicorn.

Over the sound of Trixie’s exasperated groan, he stepped on the launcher; bouncing over to the closest platform. Upon landing, Jaden noted that the platform was smaller than it initially appeared. On another nearby platform, he spotted a turret that paralleled and blocked access to another platform that they’d need to cross. Jaden targeted the turret and fired a cool portal beneath it. He then turned and fired a warm portal at a section of wall further ahead that paralleled another platform with a turret. The first turret yelped as it fell through the portal and collided with the second sending both turrets tumbling into the acid below; firing as they went. Chuckling, Jaden repositioned the warm portal on the wall to his right.

Taking a few steps back, he charged at the portal; leaping at the edge of the platform and praying he’d built up enough speed as he passed through the warm entryway before him. Moments later, Jaden reappeared above the platform the turret had occupied and repositioned the warm portal towards the previously blocked platform beyond. Seconds later, he appeared above the platform and adjusted his position to safely land on it.

Jaden turned back toward the entryway.

“See, nothing to it.” he said as he repositioned the cool portal to make it easier for the showmare to cross onto his platform.

Trixie snorted in reply as she passed through the cool portal and reappeared through the warm portal on the platform beside him. The platform itself was unremarkable but there was a pole button that looked like it might trigger something nearby on the other side. On a nearby wall was what looked like an inactive hard light bridge. Several more were scattered around the chamber. If his hunch was right, the pole button would activate the hard light bridges allowing them access to the surrounding platforms.

Jaden and Trixie exchanged looks; the light blue unicorn sighing and shaking her head irritably.

Jaden quickly made his way over and pressed the button. Moments later, half a dozen hard light bridges burst into life around the room. Although the hard light bridge on the nearby wall wasn’t actually close enough, it would help them reach the next platform. Jaden quickly placed a warm portal on the wall in front of the hard light bridge and a cool portal on the wall in front of their platform. The hard light bridge quickly extended beside their platform and Trixie glared suspiciously at it.

“Is it safe?” she asked.

Jaden was about to explain when an all too familiar voice spoke.

“These bridges are made from natural light that I pump in from the surface. If you rubbed
your cheek on one it would be like standing outside with the sun shining on your face.”

“It would also set your hair on fire, so don’t actually ‘do’ it.” GLaDOS continued.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he watched Trixie’s eye twitch slightly, as she continued to glare at the blue light beam before them.

“Darling, why I do believe the show must go on.” he said, imitating a certain pony seamstress while waving a hand toward the beam.

“Trixie is through with you!”

“Gee, Trix, you're mean today. Why are you mean?” Jaden retorted, rolling his eyes.

Over the sound of the showmare’s furious shriek, he laughed and dashed along the narrow beam; quickly finding himself standing between the two platforms. Trixie meanwhile, continued to stand on the original platform and cast him another murderous glare. Still snickering, Jaden waved for Trixie to come to him. The angry unicorn however, sat and refused to cross the beam. Jaden made a spectacle of rolling his eyes as he spoke.

“Alright then, you can stay here and keep Gladdy company. I on the other hand wanna make like a tree... and leaf.”

Jaden grinned at how quickly Trixie shot to her hooves and began moving toward him at the threat.

It didn’t stop her from giving him another screech and murderous glare however, as she declared scathingly. “DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Trixie will NOT stay here!”

Jaden waited quietly as Trixie made her way over. As soon as she was safely on his side and halfway along the beam, Jaden repositioned the cool portal on the wall in front of the next platform. He then stopped Trixie and signaled for her to turn around. Sighing in disgust, the showmare rolled her eyes, shook her head, and began travelling in the opposite direction.

Jaden quickly followed her onto the next platform. Another launcher and pole button awaited them. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noticed that a chain of orange squares connected the pole button to the first funnel; indicating fling-and-catch mechanics would be required to activate the first floor button located on the next platform in front of them. The pair exchanged glances as Jaden made his way toward the pole button.

As soon as he pressed the button a ticking timer started. Four seconds passed before the tube opened. Jaden whistled softly as he watched the cube drop into the fetid fluid below with a splash. Trixie meanwhile, let out a horrified gasp as she watched the metal cube disintegrate in the acid. Although four seconds wasn't much time, Jaden knew it was doable if one of them was airborne just after the button push. Turning, he watched in amusement as his companion’s eyes grew wide as she realized what he was thinking. Moments later, the showmare rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat before stepping in front of the launcher.

“Well… here we go.” he said before pushing the button.

Trixie didn't wait for the ticking to start before stepping onto the launcher. Jaden was pleasantly surprised to see the light blue unicorn manage to successfully catch the cube; although he figured a combination of face and forehoof wasn’t the most preferred method. Trixie meanwhile, slammed rather ungracefully on her flank on the target platform with a groan. Winded, the showmare shoved the cube aside before falling onto her back panting as Jaden crossed over.

“Nice catch.” he commented as he picked up the cube and placed it on the nearby button.

Trixie sat up and grumbled to herself, rubbing her snout with a forehoof and scowling, as half a dozen more hard light bridges burst into life around the room. One of them conveniently appeared beneath the second funnel. The only real obstacle remaining was the turrets Jaden knew. All of which were deployed on small dais’s between the final platform and the distant alcove. Targeting the largest cluster of the infernal devices, Jaden placed a warm portal on the ceiling above the turrets and cool portal on their platform.

He then pulled out and prepped a grenade; letting it cook off in his hand for several seconds before dropping it through the aperture. The results were spectacular as the turrets caught by the detonation either shrieked and tumbled into the abyss or exploded leaving only four functional turrets remaining. Jaden couldn’t help a small but decidedly wicked smile at the result of his handiwork. Trixie meanwhile, cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Now that the turrets are handled we can continue testing.” he said cheekily; mimicking their hostess’s speech pattern.

Trixie blinked at him a moment before she rolled her eyes, shook her head, and turned away.

Jaden meanwhile, repositioned the warm portal on the remaining platform to make it easier for them to cross over to it. The platform in question sat between them and the alcove; and had another pole button. Another path of orange squares linked said button to the second funnel. The remaining turrets were also positioned nearby. Giving a smug, casual wave, Jaden hopped through the aperture; feeling slightly disoriented as he emerged on the target platform. Grumbling to herself, Trixie followed soon after.

Glancing around, Jaden noted that most of the turrets were located on the right side of the chamber at a higher elevation and pointing toward the funnel. The last turret was located to the left and in line with any direct routes to the distant alcove. He would have to keep its position in mind as he walked over to the nearby pole button.

“So, have you come up with anything brilliant yet?” Trixie muttered sarcastically.

“Working on it.” Jaden replied as he pressed the button.

As he’d expected, the cube dropped out of the funnel and landed on the narrow beam without incident.

“Oh, and what of Trixie? Does she just sit here and twiddle her hooves?”

“Well,” Jaden began before turning and quickly firing a cool portal at the ceiling above the hard light bridge, just out of the turrets line of sight, and a warm portal at the floor beneath the startled unicorn in rapid succession.

“…this is a co-op course dear, so it’d be nice to have a little cooperation.” he continued as the showmare tumbled onto the narrow beam with a squeal.

He really did have to fight back laughter as the light blue unicorn snarled at him before she painfully made it back to her hooves. She then began making her way toward the cube just as slowly.

“Ugh! Why does Trixie always have to do this?” Trixie whined.

“Because Trixie is such a natural.” Jaden replied.

Over the sound of the showmare’s exasperated moan, Jaden repositioned his portals to have a clear run at the alcove. Moments later, Trixie yelped in surprise as the cries of turrets locking onto her followed by their explosive gunfire echoed throughout the chamber.

“Don’t worry Trix, I’ve got ya covered!” Jaden called out as he targeted the offending turrets with his rifle and opened fire on them.

The first two turrets went down rather quickly but the third proved more difficult to target when he would inevitably end up exposed with the fourth behind his back. Trixie meanwhile, was shouting at him to do something as she used her magic to transform the cube into a makeshift shield. Jaden noticed that the light blue unicorn had been shot somewhere along her right side and was bleeding. She’d also lost her hat somehow along the way.

Weighing the risks, Jaden rushed across the bridge in front of him; strafing the turret as he did so. A lucky shot sent the turret tumbling into the fetid fluid below as the final one activated and began searching for him. He disposed of it by repositioning his portals so it would tumble into the fetid fluid also. The turret screamed as it fell into the acid below while Trixie called out to him.

“And just how is Trixie supposed to get over there?”

Jaden quietly repositioned his portals to provide another light bridge for the mare to cross over. Trixie merely snorted in reply before she leaped down to it; wincing moments later from her recent injury. Still holding the cube, the light blue unicorn limped over to the center of the bridge. Jaden couldn’t help noticing the irony of the situation as she stopped above the platform the turret had previously occupied and set the cube down again. The showmare suddenly turned and bucked the cube at him as hard as she could.

“Whoa! That could’ve hit me!” Jaden yelled as he dived out of the way.

“That's the idea.” Trixie intoned darkly with a smirk.

Moments later, she yelped as the bridge she was standing on suddenly vanished. Instinctively, Jaden fired a warm portal at the platform and a cool portal at the wall to his left. Seconds later, Trixie, still screaming, crashed head over hooves into the alcove and collided with the opposite wall quite hard. Jaden winced at the impact before scrambling to his feet and stumbling over to her. Groaning at all the punishment her body had taken today, Trixie tried making it back to her hooves only to get a head rush and fall back down.

“Are we having fun yet?” he asked, crouching down beside the unicorn.

“What do you think?” Trixie snapped.

She then let out a pained gasp.

“You got hit. You’re bleeding.” Jaden said.

“Yes, yes, Trixie knows this already!”

“Just a sec and I’ll patch ya up.” Jaden replied as he began searching through his bag for a first aid kit.

Moments later, he set to work treating the magician’s injured right hind leg. Despite looking bad, the wound was actually a minor flesh wound that the unicorn would easily get over. He even said as much, although it did little to sooth Trixie’s growing ire. Soon after, Jaden finished and let the pony rest as he fetched the cube. He quickly placed it on the button and the door opened.

As if on cue, Her sadistic, cruel voice came from the speaker on the opposite wall.

“Congratulations, I have the results from the latest test: You are a horrible person.
I’m serious, that’s what it says: A horrible person. We weren’t even testing for that.”

Trixie snickered as Jaden helped her to her hooves.

Spotting a nearby camera, he gave it a certain hand gesture that he knew many individuals would consider rude. Jaden was fairly certain that a specific pony was one of these individuals… and didn’t care.

“Lick me.” he said as the pair exited the room.

Chapter 6

Chapter #6:

As they exited the elevator for the umpteenth time, Twilight sighed and wondered how many more of these silly tests they would have to go through. They’d already traveled through eighteen or nineteen of the things; Twilight had lost count. She was starting to feel exhausted. Pinkie Pie meanwhile, was her usual, cheerful self. Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head; wondering how the earth pony managed to be so lively in such a disturbing place.

An unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice just as they reached
another ante-chamber door at the top of some stairs; making her jump.

“The Enrichment Center wishes to congratulate you on making it this far. Once
the testing is over you will be… missed. After all, you’re all so very… ‘special’.”

Twilight's face twisted in annoyance; keenly aware of the sarcasm in the artificial voice. Pinkie Pie however, was quite immune to the subtle hint and kept bouncing in place as the door whooshed open.

Stepping through the entryway, the ponies could do little more than gawk at the sight before them. The test chamber they’d entered was less of a room and more of an auditorium. Except for a few portal-sticking walls placed in precarious locations, most of the chamber was empty. It’s remaining walls were coated in a mixture of gray and white and the room was wider than the previous hallway had been.

“Rarity would have a field day with a place like this.” Pinkie remarked.

Twilight merely nodded; knowing what the seamstress in question was like.

The only portable surface at ground level was six feet ahead and to their right and was connected to the opposite wall by a strange blue beam of light; hovering just a foot off the ground. On the opposite side of the chamber from where they stood was a large, red button on the floor. On a suspended platform some fifteen feet in the air and to the side of the button was another door that was closed. A portal-sticking wall sat adjacent to the sealed door with another suspended platform running along the left wall beside it. At the end of this platform was a pole about Twilight's height with a small red button on top.

“Hey, Twilight what do you think this thingy does?” Pinkie Pie asked, walking toward the blue light beam.

“I don’t know, Pinkie.” Twilight replied as she also approached the blue beam.

Out of curiosity, Twilight stepped on the beam and noted that it was very hard, warm to the touch, and easily supported her weight.

To their left, Twilight could hear the sloshing of liquid. Turning and looking down, she saw that the water in a nearby pit was a nasty, swampy-looking concoction which smelled of acrid vomit. Shaking her head, Twilight was pretty sure she didn't want to end up in it. Another pit was located next to the large, red button on the opposite side of the chamber; and below the exit door. Twilight noted that a path of orange squares led from the floor button to the sealed round door above.

Looking up, Twilight noticed a large, funnel-like object. It seemed as though something was supposed to come out of its tip. Twilight could see a cube stuck inside the large tube. A row of orange lights led from the tube to the button-on-a-pole on the opposite side of the room. Quickly trotting over, Twilight stood on the large floor button, and the door out of the area opened. As soon as she set hoof off of the button however, the door slid shut.

Twilight sat down. This would take some thinking.

The only things they could currently reach were the blue beam of light and the floor button. Obviously, the button needed to be held down to open the door. Perhaps the cube stuck in the funnel could work? But how would she get the cube? Something in her mind clicked and her eyes widened as the plan suddenly came to her. Moments later, she galloped back over to Pinkie and the blue beam of light. Turning, Twilight planted a cool portal on the wall in front of the blue light beam. Whirling around, she fired a warm portal at the wall adjacent to the suspended platform with the button-on-a-pole.

The blue beam immediately stretched out across the room beside the platform and extended to the wall beside the entrance; covering the area directly beneath the funnel. Feeling jubilantly brilliant, Twilight held up a hoof warning Pinkie Pie not to follow than made her way across the bridge to the button-on-a-pole. Sure enough, when Twilight pressed the button the tube opened and released a cube. However, just as she made it halfway to the cube, most of the lights in the room mysteriously cut out and the bridge she was standing on suddenly vanished; causing Twilight to drop to the ground with a yelp and land rather ungracefully on her flank. From her position she was clearly able to see the cube drop into the fetid water with a splash however, and Twilight watched in horror as it burned away in the acidic substance. She reminded herself again that she did not want to touch that water.

Over the sound of Pinkie Pie’s startled yelp, Twilight heard GLaDOS's surprised reaction over the speaker.

“What’s going on? Who turned off all the lights?”

A hole suddenly opened in the portable wall that the blue beam of light had been hitting earlier and a large sphere with a blue optic appeared. Twilight vaguely remembered seeing it a few times in some of the previous test chambers. However, she couldn’t recall if the sphere had a name… or what that name could be.

“Hey, buddy…” the sphere said in a truly atrocious accent.

“Hiya!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“I’m speaking to you in an accent that’s beyond her range of hearing.” it continued, ignoring Pinkie completely.

“I know I’m early but we have to go right NOW! Walk casually toward my position and we’ll go shut her down.”

“Okey-dokey-lokie!” Pinkie said, trotting toward it.

As Twilight slowly picked herself up off the floor she heard an unmistakably sigh over the speaker as GLaDOS spoke up.

“Metal ball I CAN hear you.”

“Run! I don’t need to do the voice! RUN!” the sphere shrieked.

Moments later, the wall opened up and the light beam shot out into a much wider place. Twilight wasted no time in ushering Pinkie Pie across the bridge and crossing herself as the sphere shouted at them to run. The sudden hissing of air and a sickly-sweet smell were more than enough motivation. The area the ponies found themselves in next appeared to be some sort of access tunnel as grated walkways and pipes seemed to stretch out in all directions. As they ran along the twisting path, Twilight noted that the sphere seemed to hang from a cable and got around that way.

“Ok, quick recap… we are escaping. That’s what’s happening now… we
are escaping. Good job on the running by the way.” the sphere remarked.

‘Thanks for restating the obvious.’ Twilight thought to herself, rolling her eyes as they continued running.

“Where do you think we’re going?” Pinkie asked over the sphere’s incessant babbling.

“I don’t know!” Twilight snapped a bit more forcefully than she’d intended.

Reaching the end of the current walkway, Twilight noted that the access tunnel they were in seemed to expand. Beneath them was another larger, much sturdier, platform that seemed to go on forever. To their left a short distance across a nearly-bottomless darkness, Twilight saw another large boxy structure that she assumed was another test chamber. Grated walkways, pipes, and various other things meanwhile, seemed to spread out in all directions. This place was huge.

“The irony is you’re almost at the last test. Hear it is. Why don’t you just do it?” sneered GLaDOS’s vile voice through a loudspeaker.

A section of wall along the side of the nearby test chamber quickly retracted and another light bridge extended across their platform… and into infinity.

“Trust me; it’s an easier way out than whatever asinine plan your friend came up with.” GLaDOS continued as the trio reached the light bridge.

“Oh, what? How stupid does she think we are?” the sphere asked incredulously.

‘No comment.’ Twilight thought to herself as she stepped on the bridge and slowly edged closer to the room; trying to get a better view of what was inside.

“Oh, wait where are you going? Where are you going?” the sphere asked again.

Twilight ignored the sphere as she peered inside the room. She saw yet another simple and stark chamber with another funnel-cube-and-button setup. This one really did seem too simple. Suspiciously so. There was even a cube conveniently placed on the button, opening the door to the area beyond. Twilight could see vines and large fallen plants just past the door.

“Oh, look a deer… and it’s eating all your cake.” GLaDOS spoke up suddenly.

Pinkie Pie screeched in fury and tried to pass Twilight and enter the room.

“You probably can’t see it… come closer.”

Twilight snorted and rolled her eyes. As if she would trust that. Pinkie however, continued
to struggle to reach the nearby room. Twilight meanwhile, struggled just to hold her back.

“PINKIE! Something’s not right! We have to go!” she roared, shoving the earth pony in the opposite direction.

With some effort, Twilight managed to get Pinkie moving in the right direction and they resumed their mad dash to safety. However, after only a minute or so of running, the bridge they were on suddenly vanished; causing the pair to drop onto another grated walkway below in a painful heap.

“Wowie! Even my Pinkie Sense didn’t see that one comin’.” Pinkie murmured, clambering back to her hooves.

Twilight merely groaned in reply; uncertain how it was that she always ended up on the bottom.

“Ok, this way! Come on!” the sphere spoke up a short distance away.

The ponies exchanged glances as Twilight struggled back to her hooves and followed the eccentric
metal sphere once more. They hadn’t traveled very far when Pinkie suddenly began twitching wildly.

“What’s going on?” the metal sphere asked, blinking curiously.

“My Pinkie Sense's all a twitchin’!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“Uh oh!” Twilight muttered, eyes searching anxiously for signs of the impending calamity.

As if on cue, a heart-stopping tremor and a protesting shriek of metal announced that something very big was moving. Turning to her left, Twilight’s jaw dropped as she saw another enormous boxy structure moving their way. She gulped. No, they couldn't possibly have just been standing on...

“She’s moving the test chambers! RUN!” the sphere shrieked again.

Twilight didn’t need to be told twice as she bolted down the walkway in
front of them. Pinkie Pie somehow managing to stay three steps ahead of her.

“Quick! Over here!” Pinkie yelled; pointing at something nearby.

Rounding a corner, Twilight spotted a large elevator, unlike anything she’d seen before, on a distant wall. She didn’t need to look back to know they had to hurry. The relentless shrieking of crushed metal was more than enough proof that time was against them. Summoning all the strength she could muster, Twilight followed Pinkie Pie in a mad sprint toward the object of their salvation; desperately hoping they’d reach it in time.

“Quick! Get on the elevator! I’ll take this track and meet you on the other side!” the metal sphere called out before disappearing into a nearby hole.

‘Just a little further, you can do this! YOU’RE ALMOST THERE!’ Twilight repeated to herself as she ran.

Moments later, something slammed into the walkway; almost knocking Twilight off her feet. Closing her eyes, she focused on teleporting to the lift. Nothing happened. Still running, Twilight tried again.
This time, she managed to arrive at her destination with a gasp and immediately collapsed to the floor beside Pinkie Pie as the elevator slowly began to ascend.

The sounds of two large objects colliding nearby were a testament to the rather crushy fate they’d just managed to avoid.

Both ponies lay beside one another, silently catching their breath, as the lift continued its ascent.

In what felt like too short a time, the elevator came to a halt. Pinkie turned to her with another look and Twilight responded with a nod and a groan as she slowly climbed to her hooves. Exiting the lift, the pair stumbled down a nearby hallway. They didn’t travel very far when a now familiar voice stopped them.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

Looking up, Twilight saw the metal sphere that had just helped them gliding up. She sighed.

“I see you made it out of there.” the metal sphere said.

“Yep. We’re okey-dokey-lokie!” Pinkie chirped cheerily.

“Ok, let’s see if we can find the door that leads out of here. The name’s Wheatly by the way.” the sphere continued.

Twilight stared at the metal sphere, her mouth twisting in confusion. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and recalled something Jaden had mentioned earlier about bunnies; wondering what would happen next. As the trio continued walking, they reached another open area overgrown with vines and large fallen plants. Turning to her left, Twilight saw another ante-chamber door at the top of a nearby ledge.

“Oh bugger. Ok, I’m going to need you to catch me.” Wheatly said as a large root blocked its path.

Wheatly than spent the next few minutes babbling about whether or not it wanted to drop or not. Twilight huffed in exasperation and turned away; searching for a way to traverse the ledge since they didn’t have anywhere else to go. Stepping back, she noted that a portal-sticking panel sat adjacent to the sealed door on top of the ledge. Another portable wall was to the right of the room they were in. Just as she lined up a shot at the panel on top of the ledge, Twilight’s concentration was shattered when a screaming metal sphere suddenly dropped in front of her. Taking a moment to compose herself, Twilight fired a cool portal to the panel above and a warm portal at the wall to their right. Without missing a beat, Pinkie Pie trotted through; carrying the sphere with her. Twilight followed them.

Twilight had barely got her bearings straight when her sadistic, cruel voice purred from the speaker on the opposite wall.

“Ah, there you are. You know, we’ve only got another fifty or sixty years remaining so, please slow down… and… savor the testing.”

Twilight's right eye twitched as she followed Pinkie Pie through the doorway.

Much like the previous test chamber Twilight noted, this one was enormous. They’d entered on an upraised platform with a portal-sticking panel a few feet to the left. Another button-on-a-pole stood across from the panel. Beyond that was what looked like a dimly lit corridor; though Twilight could easily see the silhouette of a tube far in the distance where a cube could drop. What intrigued her the most however, was a strange-looking panel on the floor at the end of the platform they were on.

Twilight quickly put a warm portal on the panel to her left; just in case. After all, it was always best to be prepared! In this crazy place, there was no telling what could happen. Looking past the platform, she could see another strange-looking floor panel was positioned beneath the distant tube. Approaching the platform’s edge, Twilight could see a pit full of acid below. At the very end of the chamber, Twilight saw a round door with a bright “EXIT” sign above. She sighed in relief. Simple enough; if their only obstacle was the acid. She decided it would be a good idea to test the button but, accidentally triggered the floor panel with her front hoof instead.

The panel suddenly shot up underneath her, launching her screaming in surprise, through the air and giving her a nasty slap on the flank in the process. After traveling six feet, panic gripped Twilight as some loud thing smashed just behind her back. Did the wall just… Another six feet was followed by another swift breeze and another thunderous pound. Twilight slammed into the second strange panel and the process repeated itself before she crashed head over hooves by the exit door with a groan.

That thing sends things flying. Good to know.

“Ooo, my turn next! My turn next!” Pinkie exclaimed bouncing excitedly.

“PINKIE!” Twilight roared, clambering to her hooves and holding her fore-hooves up in an attempt to stop the hyper pony.

Moments later, she gave an involuntary shutter as she watched plates attached to pistons
retract themselves from the wall. Large plates. With spikes. Sharp, dangerous spikes.

Glancing to her right, Twilight saw another small platform in the far corner; lower than the one she stood on and surrounded by acid. On the platform was a floor button; an orange trail leading from it and snaking all the way to the exit door. Next to the exit platform, far below, she saw a floor panel where a portal could be placed. This would be her way back to the launcher and the evil spike plates.

At first, she thought about jumping down, throwing a portal as she fell, and getting back up to the launcher platform that way, but her earlier experiments with trajectory told her the possibility of her ending up in the acid was incredibly high. Instead, she jumped down, the impact of her fall thankfully softened by her strange boots. She placed a cool portal on the floor and carefully crawled through to the launcher-and-button platform.

Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She could expect the crashing panels this time. No problem. All she had to do was catch the cube. Pressing the button, a timer ticked three seconds before releasing the cube. Twilight watched the cube endlessly bounce up and down for a moment before launching triumphantly into the air. The first plate crashed. She didn't flinch. The second plate thundered. No problem. Arriving at the second launcher, she lost sight and collided with the cube; sending it hurtling off into oblivion while she tumbled backward only to be catapulted forward yet again. After picking herself up off the floor and shaking the lights out of her eyes, Twilight made her way back to the other platform.

No sooner than she stepped through the portal, Pinkie squealed. “No problem Twilight, I’ve got this!”

She then turned and smacked the button.

Twilight blinked than raced for the launcher. Soaring through the air, she looked up to meet the cube and… didn't see it falling. Realizing she'd launched too early, Twilight quickly twisted her body around just in time to catch the cube as she almost flew past it. She watched the third spike plate smash viciously into the wall, and her heart almost failed her. She was that close to it the whole time?

Her back slammed into the wall beside the exit. The cube, still gaining momentum, collided into her shortly thereafter. These cubes were really starting to lose their charm. She could only hope that whoever made these horrible things was very pleased with themselves. Staggering to her hooves, Twilight gasped and shoved the cube aside and almost tumbled back to the ground again as a shrieking metal sphere smacked her in the face.

“Hello luv, did you miss me?” Wheatly stuttered.

Twilight merely groaned and shook herself. Moments later, panic gripped her once
more as a certain pony chose that moment to shout. “HereIcome!Twilightcatchme!”

Twilight had no time to react as Pinkie bowled her off her hooves seconds later. The pair then spent the next few minutes trying to untangle themselves; managing to do little more than kick each other in an attempt to right themselves. Once free, Pinkie Pie had turned to Wheatly and began babbling about cherries while it babbled about being on the floor. Twilight meanwhile, groaned as she slowly sat up and caught her breath.

After sufficiently recovering, she spotted a portal-sticking surface on the ceiling above the floor button. She shot a warm portal on it, remembering the cool portal that was still on the platform below. It was pretty clear, now, what she had to do; drop the cube onto the button. However, the wrong angle could send the cube flying off into the acid, which also meant that she would have to fly past the spike plates again to get another one. Twilight held the cube over the edge, aiming as carefully as she could with the big cube
blocking her line of sight. She let go. The cube flew swiftly through the portal and landed on the button with a very loud and very satisfying bang. The exit opened.

“I’ll give you credit maybe you are listening to me. But for the record, I didn’t mean go THAT slowly.” GLaDOS's voice purred from a hidden speaker.

Spotting a nearby camera, Twilight gave it a stare of disbelief before turning her attention back to the door in front of them.

“Now… waddle over to the elevator and we’ll continue the testing.” the cold voice continued, dancing with sadistic pleasure.

A series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of Twilight's mouth. Before she could go into full blown rage mode, Pinkie chirped cheerily “Come on, silly-filly! Let’s go see what other cool stuff they’ve got here!”

It took a colossal force of will for Twilight to calm herself and follow Pinkie Pie through the open doorway.

Chapter 7

Chapter #7:

Exiting the elevator once again, Twilight sighed and wondered what would happen next. They had just completed yet another test chamber after that disaster of a room involving the evil spike plates. This latest test had involved reflecting a laser through several cubes and into a large receptor hole while navigating across a vast acid lined chamber while using a combination of tricky flings from small platforms and more of those blue light beams. Honestly, she could only hope that whoever made these absurd tests was very pleased with themselves. She knew she’d already had enough of them.

Somewhere along the way they had lost the strange little sphere that had recently joined them. Not that she minded of course; the sphere had proven to be a burden… not to mention very annoying. Twilight felt the beginning of a lovely headache forming at the memory of the sphere’s helpful advice during the last test. Feeling the effects of the day take its toll, Twilight struggled to ignore Pinkie Pie's ramblings as they traveled onward.

Making their way to a nearby door, she had to wonder how the pink pony managed to stay so energetic when all she wanted was to find a nice, quiet place to get some sleep. Speaking of ‘energetic’, Twilight wondered how Pinkie could still talk nonstop. All throughout the previous test chamber, both Pinkie Pie and that little sphere had babbled incessantly. Twilight had tried desperately to “tune out the talker” but found it extremely difficult when navigating through a twisted labyrinth where mistakes could have dire consequences. During this time, Pinkie had covered the topics of flying fish, Fluttershy's interesting experience with a chicken, a story her grandma told her about a flaming cloud, the taffy that came to life, and countless other stories.

Twilight groaned as Pinkie’s continued speech did nothing for her growing headache.
Curiously, the cold, venomous voice had not spoken to them on this level.

Entering the next room, Twilight was surprised to see Jaden and Trixie already there. The room itself was nothing special, a large round area with pristine walls and floors. On the room’s far side was another door. Except for a small pedestal in the center, the room was empty. On the pedestal were several small objects. These objects comprised a round metal thing the size of a small dinner plate and an entire plate of chocolate cake; an unknown red substance covering it.

What caught Twilight’s attention the most however, was the sight of Jaden and Trixie looking as exhausted as she felt. Looking on, Twilight noticed that Trixie appeared bruised and was missing her hat. Her cape was also ripped in numerous places and her right hind leg was bandaged. Twilight wondered what had happened to her.

“Hey, guys glad to see you made it. We just arrived a few moments ago and it seems we found
what we’re looking for… although I can’t explain the last part.” Jaden greeted as he spotted them.

Twilight nodded as she turned her attention to the injured showpony.

“Trixie, what happened to you?” she asked.

Trixie flinched momentarily before responding.

“Trixie doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Before Twilight could respond further she felt a swift breeze as Pinkie Pie zipped past her and over to the pedestal and pounced on the cake. For a moment, all she could think to do was blink. However, over the sound of Trixie’s disgusted snort, Twilight planted her face in a hoof and groaned as Jaden approached her.

“You know, I was always under the impression that the cake was a lie.” he muttered.

Twilight blinked momentarily before rolling her eyes.

“Time to head back to the castle methinks.” Jaden remarked as he returned to the pedestal and collected the plaque piece.

Twilight could only nod in agreement as that plan sounded better than just standing around.

“So, what have you guys been up to?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, we solved some tests for a homicidal maniac, received a lovely tour of the facility and met some enthusiastic little admirers…” Jaden answered.

Looking on, Twilight blinked. She could have sworn she’d just heard Jaden imitate Trixie.
Said mare, was staring at the human incredulously. Twilight shook her head.

“…the turrets. You?” he continued.

Twilight could have sworn she saw Trixie flinch at that statement and tilted her head
to the side curiously. This surprising revelation in turn made her wonder what a turret was.

“Same thing. Say, would anypony else like a slice?” Pinkie offered, holding out the plate of cake for anypony else.

“Uh, we’ll pass. Thanks for caring.” Jaden replied as the group slowly stumbled toward the remaining door.

“Say Pinkie, you haven’t happened to have seen any super assassins attempt to take down any evil tyrants lately have ya?” he asked.

Pinkie Pie, who had just finished the cake, cocked an eyebrow and covered her
muzzle with both hoofs when she realized whatever it was that Jaden had meant.

“Uh, no.” she squeaked out with a nervous smile.

Twilight blinked incredulously at the party balloon flanked mare, trying to figure out what was going on as the group passed through the remaining entryway and navigated through another series of corridors. As they traveled, Twilight noticed that Trixie was limping but refused to be aided in any manner. Shaking her head, Twilight wondered just what the light blue unicorn had experienced back there.

A short time later, they reached the elevator that lead back to the surface and rode it back to the others.
Exiting the elevator, Twilight watched the others leap to their hooves and approach.

“What took you guys so long?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Are ya’ll alright?” Applejack probed.

“We’re fine Applejack, just a little tired.” Twilight replied trying to stifle a yawn.

Trixie meanwhile, responded with a contemptuous snort.

Jaden began filling the others in on what had occurred in the tunnels below. Twilight however, was only half-listening to the story as she struggled to remain awake. After all, this wasn’t exactly the best place to take a nap.

“Well, now what?” Tess asked.

“I think it would be a good idea to head back to Ponyville and hop a train back to Canterlot and check on that inactive portal in Canterlot Castle. After all, we now have the means to get it to work.” Jaden replied hefting the plaque piece.

Twilight frowned and gained a thoughtful look. The boy did have a point considering that plan sounded better than just standing around. Minutes later, the group began the long trek back to Ponyville.

***************
Exiting the train in Canterlot, Twilight felt reinvigorated. Although the trip itself seemed relatively short, the rest had done wonders for her sense of wellbeing. Curiously, the sky was dark like night but she couldn’t recall seeing it so dark anywhere else. Standing nearby, she noticed that, along with most of the others, Jaden and Tess were carefully scrutinizing the situation as well.

Applejack, it appeared, had agreed to help transport the gear and had hooked herself to the cart.
Twilight couldn’t help a small yawn as she made her way over to them.

“Did you sleep well, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah, I needed that.” Twilight replied with a contented sigh.

“Well, it seems sleepin' beauty finally decided to join us.” Jaden muttered, eliciting snickers from Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash.

Turning, Twilight watched as Rarity wearily staggered off the train and yawned; followed soon after by Trixie. She wasn’t sure exactly who Jaden was talking about and apparently neither were they as both unicorns glared at the boy; who smirked in reply. Curiously, the showmare had a set of glasses, a beard, and whiskers traced out on her face. Twilight suspected she knew who the culprits responsible for that were, as the sounds of snickering continued.

“Oi.” Twilight groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Hey Twi, hold onto this will ya?” Jaden called out before tossing something at her.

Twilight quickly caught the object with her magic and realized it was the plaque piece.
She blinked a moment before nodding and placing the item in her saddlebag.

“Now that everypony’s ready I reckon we should get goin’.” Applejack spoke up.

Murmurs and nods permeated through the group as Jaden turned to Tess.

“So, rotating point?” he asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Tess agreed.

Nodding, Jaden raised his weapon and started walking. The rest of the group quickly followed. As they traveled, Twilight was taken aback by the rapid pace as they made their way through the station and out onto city streets. Despite the quick pace however, it had still taken a considerable amount of time to get through the train station as they had frequently encountered barricades in their path. It wasn’t much better once they’d reached city streets.

Several hours later, Twilight let her gaze drift and struggled to make sense of what she was seeing. They were currently passing along the outskirts of the residential area if she wasn’t mistaken. All around them, smashed windows, ruined shops, barricades, and assorted rubble was strewn all over the place. In fact, it had been that way since they’d left the train station. Twilight hardly recognized the place at all.

As they waited for Jaden and Tess to return from investigating the area just up the road, Twilight was aware that traveling through an increasingly bizarre cityscape was beginning to fray at her nerves and was sure the same was happening to the others. Considering how stressed everypony was becoming, it wouldn't be long before they were at each other’s throats. Seeing the pair returning, Twilight sighed in relief.

“Any luck?” she called out.

Jaden shook his head.

“There’s another barricade at the end of the street.” he replied.

Twilight moaned in defeat.

“Well? Now what?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“I suppose this is as good a place to stop and rest as any other.” Jaden answered as he approached a nearby tree and leaned against it.

Most of the group deliberated a moment before sitting down. After a few minutes, Twilight also took a seat.

“Uh… shouldn’t we keep moving? I mean Equestria could be in danger!” she insisted.

“Not likely considering that even up here we’re still trapped half a mile underground.” Jaden retorted.

Excluding Trixie, who groaned and rolled her eyes, six mares exchanged confused looks.

“I gotta good look at the moon through a hole in the roof when me and Trixie jumped the testing track.” the boy continued.

Twilight was spared from speaking as Rarity suddenly wailed “Of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE... WORST... POSSIBLE… THING!”

She promptly collapsed into a chair that seemed to materialize from out of nowhere, sobbing.
Excluding Jaden and Pinkie, who looked on amused, everypony glared at her.

“What? I really mean it this time!” Rarity snapped.

Twilight rubbed her temples in exasperation and groaned.

“Well, whatever happens next don’t ask me to pony up for gas.” Jaden murmured.

Seven mares exchanged confused looks.

“What?” Twilight inquired.

“Never mind. You’ll just hurt yourself.” Jaden smirked, eliciting a snicker from Trixie.

Over the sound of Trixie’s laughter, Twilight’s right eye twitched as she felt her headache returning.

“Now, if only I had a Ripper, or a ‘Rock-IT’ launcher.” The boy continued, prompting more confused looks.

“Oh, you mean something like this whatchamacallit?” Pinkie Pie asked; pulling out a long, cylindrical object she’d produced from... somewhere.

“Pinkie… where did… how did you?” Twilight stammered.

“I found it while we were traveling through that maze-thingy back there.” Pinkie explained while hopping around.

“An M32… sweet! Mind if I hold onto this?” Jaden cheered, rushing over to Pinkie Pie.

“Yeah, sure.” Pinkie replied handing the object over to him.

As the boy continued to admire the device, murmuring something to himself about lemons, Twilight watched as Tess sighed and rolled her eyes at him in as much annoyance as Twilight felt at the moment.

“I now christen thee the ‘bunny stomper’.” Jaden remarked fondly of the device as he returned to the tree.

Fluttershy squeaked in horror at the comment.

“What? Those things are evil. Particularly when they steal all your stuff to make a pile so they can return to their home on the moon.” Jaden countered.

“Oooookay... that’s nice to know. You were dropped on your head, weren’t you?” Tess drawled sarcastically.

“I was drop kicked. Perhaps fumbled a few times... but never actually dropped.” Jaden retorted cheekily.

Twilight groaned and rolled her eyes. Moments later, she blinked as she recalled something Jaden had mentioned earlier.

“Wait… you did what during the tests?” she asked.

“We sorta cheated to meet up with you by exiting the test area and later coming back to it.
Not that it really matters of course considering their just tests.” Jaden replied.

Twilight blinked a moment at the statement before bolting to her hooves.

“Just tests… JUST TESTS! We just survived a grueling series of obstacles where mistakes
could have serious repercussions and you’re saying they’re JUST TESTS!” she shrieked.

“Yeah, pretty much. Why, you expectin’ a pop quiz?” Jaden responded nonchalantly.

Twilight growled through clenched teeth. She heard murmuring from some of her fellows but paid it no
heed; feeling a growing ire the likes of which she hadn’t experienced in some time begin to take hold.

“Ya know, you’re awful cute.” Jaden remarked, eliciting snickers.

“Aww, shut up… and no I don’t need a hug!” Twilight hissed, over the sound of Trixie’s hysterical laughter.

She then whirled around and pointed at Pinkie Pie.

“Or a party!”

Pinkie Pie haughtily waved a hoof at her.

“Well, duh. What do you take me for, Twilight? A simpleton?”

A series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of Twilight's mouth.
It took a colossal force of will for her to turn away and address everypony present.

“Listen, girls…”

“Don’t forget… I’m a dude.” Jaden piped up.

Twilight rubbed her temples in exasperation; trying hard to ignore the intrusion as she continued.

“…let’s all put our heads together and think of what to do next.”

Pinkie came up to Twilight, took the unicorn's cheeks in her hooves, and bonked their foreheads together.

“Ow! Pinkie! What are you doing?” Twilight cried in pain and shoved the earth pony away.

“Putting our heads together, just like you said!” Pinkie explained while rubbing her sore noggin.

“I'm not sure how that's supposed to work without getting a huge headache though.”

Over the sound of snickers, Twilight planted her face in a hoof and groaned.

“Pinkie, that's not what I meant. It means to brainstorm ideas.”

“Huh. Hey, Dashie. Could you go get a raincloud…”

“Don't even go there!”

Pinkie Pie sighed in exasperation.

“You know, Twilight? If you just said what you mean, then others wouldn't take what you said the wrong way.”

Another series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of Twilight's mouth. Before she could go into full blown rage mode however, Applejack stepped between the two ponies and spoke up.

“Let's get back on track here. Now, what do ya'll think should be our next move? I reckon we
should continue on ta the castle. We do that and I'm sure we can find a way ta get outta here.”

“A perfectly reasonable suggestion, Applejack.” Rarity said.

“Just... how do we go about doing that?”

An uneasy silence permeated through the group.

“We should keep moving. Considering our hostess constructed this place in such a logical manner, we should be able to find a clear route if we keep looking.” Jaden spoke up.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow at the evident sarcasm in the human’s voice.
Amused in spite of herself at having similar feelings on the matter.

“Judging by the condition of this place, and what happened back in Ponyville, the only question now is where are all the dead people… ponies?” he continued gazing around the area.

Twilight frowned at hearing this and gained a thoughtful look. After all, the boy did have a point there too. They hadn’t seen anypony since they barely escaped from Ponyville after meeting up. The situation was reminiscent of when she’d first awakened and Twilight shuddered at the thought of what that could mean.

“Fine. Let's just go!” Rainbow Dash snapped, bolting to her hooves.

Nodding, Jaden raised his rifle and began walking as the rest of the group got up. Tess was right behind him.

“Your horrible.” the alicorn murmured.

“You have no idea… course my cousins are worse though.” Jaden replied cheekily.

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes; knowing where that conversation was going
as she followed them. This was becoming quite a day; wasn’t it over yet?

Chapter 8

As they continued to travel along the labyrinth of streets that seemed to compose Canterlot, Jaden struggled to keep his companions spirits up as they slowly approached the distant castle. The only way he could think to accomplish this was to joke around with them; although it quickly became obvious that someponies just couldn’t take a joke. Trixie was the current target and, much like Twilight had been earlier, wasn’t a particularly happy camper at the moment; although many of the others were highly amused.

Jaden knew there was a limit to how far a joke could go before it became pointlessly cruel, but Trixie’s reactions so far were hard to resist; particularly when one of the others joined in. Said pony was currently bickering with Rainbow Dash about something; eliciting snickers from the others.

“Gee Dash, need a hug?” Applejack teased.

“Nope. I’m good.” Rainbow Dash retorted.

Exchanging glances, Jaden could tell that Tess was amused as she rolled her eyes at him.
He just grinned and shrugged in reply.

“Ya know, ya’ll would make a really cute couple.” Jaden spoke up, unable to pass up the chance to prank the pegasus.

Over a chorus of giggles, Rainbow Dash gaped at him.

“Oh. Oh! Whoa! That would never happen!” she snapped anxiously.

“Really?” Jaden teased.

Turning, he saw Trixie continuing to march forward without stopping.

“Hey, where you goin’? I’m not done winding you up yet!” Jaden called out.

“Trixie is through with you!” the magician roared; glaring over her shoulder at him as she did so.

“Uh, Trix, you might wanna...”

Trixie continuing to march forward unhindered and promptly collided with one of
the few trees in the area with a grunt; eliciting moans from the rest of the group.

“That looked like it hurt.” Tess remarked.

“It did!” Trixie snarled.

Seconds later, a shrieking metal sphere suddenly fell out of the tree and collided with the unfortunate unicorn’s head; eliciting a pained squawk from her as she fell to the ground. Walking over, Jaden noticed Trixie’s eyes were doing circles, before she shook herself and rubbed her head.

“Are you alright?” he asked, extending a hand.

Trixie groaned as she accepted the assistance.

The metal sphere meanwhile was just returning to normal after spouting pointless questions that amounted to nothing more than gibberish. Twilight cautiously approached the sphere and began to examine it.

“Uh, hi. Do I know you?” the sphere asked.

“Spike?” she asked.

Jaden cocked an eyebrow. So that’s why he recognized the voice.

“Who? I’m Desi.” the sphere replied.

“You’ve been following us.” Jaden commented, noting Twilight’s curious glance.

“Well, our last encounter left me highly curious.” Desi replied.

Jaden smirked.

“Well, in that case it’d be wrong of us to leave you out of all this fun.” he said, watching Twilight roll her eyes at him before levitating the sphere into her saddlebag.

Said unicorn looked ready to comment further when a sudden loud cracking sound grabbed everyone’s attention.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Gunfire.” Jaden replied, searching for the source of the noise.

Moments later, another extended burst of fire could be heard from somewhere nearby.

“It’s coming form over there.” Jaden called out, pointing to a nearby ally.

“Seems somepony got tired of waiting for us.” Tess murmured sarcastically.

“Yep. Looks like its pop quiz time.” Jaden replied; chuckling at Twilight’s exasperated moan as the group made its way toward the fight occurring nearby.

Moments later, they entered the next street. The scene before them however, was not what they’d expected. Further ahead was a group of guard ponies fighting off a horde of zombies. The guard ponies appeared to be well armed with weapons similar to what Tess had and seemed almost eager to fight. Curiously, what looked like Princess Luna stood among the throng of guards; although she wasn’t exactly fighting.

Looking on, Jaden could do little more than shake his head. Something about the situation just didn’t feel right, and Jaden wasn’t certain what it was. The scene before them however, was highly reminiscent of something he’d seen in a movie back home. He also couldn’t help noticing that something about the princess seemed off. Although he didn’t know what the princess was really like, Jaden noted that this Luna seemed more assertive than he figured she should be. He’d also expected to experience some hearing loss from her supposed lack of volume control yet that didn’t happen when Twilight called out and approached her. In fact, Luna appeared somewhat distant as she cast them a fleeting glance.

The guards didn’t really seem to react to their presence, or much else, for that matter. Jaden noted that the guards also appeared to be far more accurate with projectile weapons than he figured they would be. He also half expected them to react to their comrades’ distress as the horde surrounded and eliminated them yet the guards didn’t. Instead they continued to quietly engage the zombies in an apparently futile effort to subdue them.

Such behavior took the term stoic to a whole new level.

Puzzling over this development, Jaden couldn’t help noticing something else about the princess. As he continued to watch the slaughter before them, Jaden could’ve sworn he’d seen Luna glitch. Exchanging glances, Jaden targeted the main group of zombies and opened fire while Tess engaged another group approaching from an adjacent alleyway.

As they fought, Jaden could tell that they were in a losing situation and needed to find a way to escape. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that a large male Griffin was battling a pack of zombies a short distance to their left. Where the creature came from he didn’t know, but now wasn’t the time to worry about such trivialities as he fired several rounds from his new launcher into a mass of zombies ahead of them. To say he was pleasantly surprised by the weapon’s ability to hurl flaming citrus that seemed to have an airburst effect was an understatement; particularly when the rounds were somehow able to inflict flame and corrosive damage to targets. Carefully studying the weapon, Jaden noted that the launcher was powered by the same magazines used in his handgun. How it all worked he didn’t know, but it certainly improved their chances.

“Time to go!” he remarked.

The others murmured in agreement as Jaden targeted and eliminated the zombies surrounding the Griffin with his rifle.

“Dude, let’s go! We are leaving!” he called out.

The Griffin murmured something as the group moved down the alleyway Tess had cleared. Curiously, none of the guards followed them. As they traveled, Jaden noted that the princess seemed to be leading them on a roundabout route to the castle. Interestingly, neither the Griffin nor any of the ponies had yet noticed this convenient turn of events. Several hours later, the group arrived at another rundown section of Canterlot. Curiously, Jaden didn’t recall seeing an overpass on their first visit. He wasn’t sure the ponies even knew what it was. Looking on, he could tell that most of his companions were still on edge form the previous ambush. Princess Luna however, didn’t appear phased by the situation as she continued to lead the way.

As they traveled, Jaden continued to observe the princess. Part way along the overpass, Jaden noted that Princess Luna appeared to be discreetly looking for something off to their right. At the same time, he was certain he saw her glitch again. Following her gaze, Jaden didn’t see anything in the ravine below that stood out yet he couldn’t shake the strange feeling of unease that enveloped him. He was struck by the irony of how much their current situation and the previous ambush were reminiscent of scenes from a movie he’d seen back home.

A startled gasp followed by a strange stuttering sound grabbed the group’s attention.
Turning, Jaden watched as Pinkie Pie suddenly began to experience a strange sporadic shudder.

“Pinkie Pie… are you… ok?” Tess asked.

“My Pinkie Sense's all a twitchin’! Aaaand whatever that shudder's about, it's a doozy.
Something you never expect to happen is gonna happen… and it’s bad!” Pinkie replied.

“Pinkie Sense?” Tess queried, blinking in confusion.

“Don’t ask!” Twilight warned.

“Paradoxeous maximus.” Jaden added helpfully.

“Uh, ooookay...” Tess murmured, blinking in confusion.

Besides a few bemused snorts, the group silently continued their trek.
They had only traveled a few feet when Jaden suddenly held up a hand.

“Wait.” he warned.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight asked.

“There’s something down there.” Jaden replied.

“Where?” Rarity asked.

Jaden pointed to a dark spot roughly fifty yards away in the ravine below as he spoke.

“There.”

“I don’t see anything.” the Griffin snapped.

“Well, that doesn’t alter the fact that there is something down there.” Jaden retorted.

“I've had enough of this horse dung!” the Griffin snarled, storming ahead in a huff.

Seconds later, the unmistakable growl of a rail gun could be heard from somewhere in the ravine below. The Griffin grunted and twitched in response to the heavy rounds that tore into its flesh and hurled it ten feet through the air. Jaden already knew the Griffin had died before it hit the ground and dreaded what would happen next.

“Boy, do I hate being right at the time.” he murmured over his companion’s horrified cries.

Curiously, Princess Luna, who’d been the most stoic member of the group, suddenly bolted. Seconds later, Tess called out and followed her. No sooner had Tess cleared the spot the Griffin had been when it was shot, than the rail gun opened fire once more; barely missing the alicorn and eliciting a startled yelp from her in the process. The rest of the ponies meanwhile, were beginning to panic.

Over the sound of Twilight startled yelp, Jaden approached the railing near the spot the Griffin had been shot.

“Run! Now! Just go!” he shouted at the ponies, before turning back toward the ravine and leaping over the railing.

As he felt the rush of free fall, Jaden was rather grateful for the longfall boots; otherwise he’d never have attempted the stunt. Hitting the ground, Jaden was surprised by how soft the landing actually was. Glancing down, he saw he was standing on a mattress. Where it came from he didn’t know but Jaden allowed a smirk to cross his face; knowing a certain rainbow maned pegasus was backing him up.

“Thanks.” Jaden said, turning toward the cyan colored pony.

“No problem.” Rainbow Dash replied.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that they had a clear view of the surrounding area. Unlike the view from the overpass, the pair now had a clear view of their shooter. Standing fifty yards away, the creature was roughly humanoid. It stood about seven foot tall and was clad in black trousers, overcoat, boots, and gloves. The creature’s most prominent feature however, was its head; which was missing its right eye and had cranial staples in addition to exposed muscles and tentacles. The muscles surrounding the creature’s appeared to be cut in such a fashion as to make it appear like it was grinning although the monster wasn’t. It was also armed with the bloody rail gun and a rocket launcher.

Instinctively, Jaden knew what the monster before them was but couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“Not much to look at, huh?” Dash murmured meekly.

Jaden murmured in agreement.

“Oh, and do try to keep up.” he said, readying his launcher.

“Oh, it’s on!” Dash retorted as Jaden suddenly rushed forward.

As he ran, Jaden fired three rounds from his launcher at the beast. Aside from staggering the creature slightly and causing it to roar savagely at them; the rounds had little visible effect. The monster meanwhile continued to stand unmoving in the same position as Jaden approached. Spotting a large crate in front of him, Jaden had the wild idea that he could use it as a springboard to leap past the creature. He had lost sight of Rainbow Dash along the way as he reached the crate and vaulted over it.

The next thing he knew, Jaden was laying on the ground beside a nearby support column. His chest burned and he could hardly breathe. Looking up, the incentive to flee was very much present as Jaden watched the beast aim its rail gun at him. Scrambling to his feet, Jaden dove behind the column as the beast opened fire.

“I thought… we were t-trying… to get away f-from… whatever!” Dash wheezed anxiously; suddenly beside him.

“W-we’re… luring it… a-away… from the others.” Jaden gasped.

“Look, less talking… more running!” he bellowed, over the sound of approaching footsteps.

As one, the pair bolted away from the column over the sound of their pursuer’s angry howl. Seconds later, the beast opened fire with its rail gun yet again. Jaden could almost feel the weapon’s heavy rounds tear into the ground around him as he ran. Throughout it all, he was surprised he wasn’t hit and amused by the unobscured view he had of Dash’s hindquarters. Minutes later, they reached a chain-link fence that separated the area they were in from another lot. Another large crate lay beside the fence, making it easier to cross. Beyond the fence Jaden could see over a dozen carriages’ lined up in front of a large building. He couldn’t help being amused by the fact the carriages’ were arranged like police cruisers within the space.

An alarmed yelp from Dash grabbed his attention. Following the pegasus’ gaze, Jaden watched as their pursuer raised and fired its rocket launcher at them.

“Aw, crap!” Jaden screamed as the pair scrambled over the fence.

Seconds later, they began making their way through the adjacent lot toward the building. Jaden didn’t need to look back to know what was happening as he ran. The sound of the closing rocket was quite clear as it sailed toward them. Jaden stumbled but quickly recovered as something exploded behind them. Rainbow Dash meanwhile, continued to sprint ahead and dived through a nearby window. Jaden was hot on her hooves as he heard something get crushed behind him followed by the roar of the rail gun.

Diving through the window, Jaden promptly collided with Dash who in turn slammed into a nearby desk with a pained grunt. The pair then half-staggered, half-dragged one another into an adjacent hallway as they continued their frantic escape. Rounding a corner, Jaden urged Dash onward as a wall exploded somewhere behind them. The sound of heavy footsteps quickly followed as the monster continued to chase them.

Passing yet another corner, Jaden noted that the pair had entered a dead end hallway. Their only avenue of escape appeared to be a garbage chute at the end. Over Dash’s alarmed squeal, the crazy plan formed in Jaden head and he readied his rifle. He then fired half a magazine into the wall beneath the garbage chute before turning back to the wide eyed pegasus.

“Does that answer your question?” he asked.

Rainbow Dash nodded.

“Keep moving!”

Nodding, Rainbow Dash charged forward and dived into the weakened spot; shouting as she tumbled down the chute beyond. Jaden was hot on her hooves, dropping into a slid on his back, as their pursuer rounded the corner and roared savagely as it opened fire with its rail gun once more. Quickly exiting the chute, Jaden landed inside a large metal garbage dumpster. Unfortunately, he landed on top of Dash, who groaned painfully beneath him.

Glancing up, the pair saw their pursuer wedge its rocket launcher into the hole and fire. Panicked, the pair struggled to crawl out of the dumpster. They barely made it out and took cover before the rocket impacted; the dumpster deflecting the heat and debris up and away from them. Gasping, the pair staggered over to a nearby wall and sat down to catch their breath.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden realized they were somewhere in the building’s basement. The area was rather large and quite dark. The only source of illumination coming from small red lights spread out around the area; casting off a sporadic hellish glow. Glancing around uneasily, he knew it wouldn’t be long before the monster figured out how to reach them. Curiously, the sound of the beast’s heavy footsteps appeared to be going away.

Jaden and Rainbow Dash stared quietly at one another as the sound slowly vanished.
After ten minutes of silence the pair began to relax.

Silently, Jaden began to reload his weapons and take stock of the situation. Casting a glance at his partner, he noted that the pegasus was gently massaging a wing with her forehooves. That action in turn reminded Jaden of the dull throbbing pain in his own chest. Gently lifting his shirt, Jaden looked down and saw a large bruise forming. The area was also very tender. Sighing, he carefully lowered the shirt as he turned his attention back to his companion.

“You alright?” he asked.

Rainbow Dash moaned that she was before yawning hugely and lying down. Jaden murmured softly in reply before
yawning and stretching out himself. His eyes slowly drifted closed and in a matter of moments he was asleep.

Chapter 10

As they continued to travel through the deserted city, Jaden wondered where the others might be; and hoped they were ok. Although they had been walking for roughly forty minutes, fortunately they hadn’t encountered any opposition. Instead, the area was as silent as it had been when they’d first arrived in town. The effect of which was distinctly creepy.

Passing what could have been another restaurant; the pair came to a halt and exchanged glances as a shout of “WHAT?! NO MORE CAKE OR ICE CREAM? THE APOCALYPSE IS NIGH!” was heard from somewhere inside followed by a chorus of ‘SSSSSHHHHHHHH!’ noises.

“Guess this means we found ‘em.” Jaden remarked.

The pegasus stared dubiously at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and murmuring in reply.

“Everyone still awake?” Jaden called out as they entered the building.

The pair entered into what resembled a damaged lobby and saw most of the other ponies lying around looking miserable. They looked up as Jaden and Dash approached. Minutes later, Pinkie appeared from an adjacent room; looking distressed at not finding the mythical confections she’d described. As he let his gaze drift, Jaden noticed that Desi seemed content to lay on the floor beside Rarity; the site was unusual but somehow seemed to fit.

“Glad to see ya’ll are ok.” Applejack remarked.

“Eh, it was nothing.” Dash boasted.

“Where’s Twilight?” Jaden asked, noticing somepony was missing.

“We got separated. She and Princess Luna should be at the castle by now.” Tess replied.

“I see.” Jaden said as he walked over to the cart and began loading ammo into his bag.

As he did so, Jaden wondered how the bag was able to hold all the stuff that was in it and still have room for more in addition to being so light. He put most of the ammo and grenades in the bag but left some in the cart just in case they needed it. The ponies meanwhile, looked to one another in confusion.

“We have to hurry.”

“They’ll wait for us, we have time.” Tess remarked.

“No, we have to hurry!” Jaden snapped a bit more forcefully than he’d intended as he turned and headed back toward the street.

Once again, the ponies looked to one another, exchanging opinions between themselves without uttering a single word before following him.

***************
Trotting briskly around the bend of a torch lit hallway, Twilight clutched the plaque piece tightly with her magic as she followed Princess Luna. So far, getting in and moving around the castle had been surprisingly easy. No traps or creatures had impeded their way. Twilight wasn't sure yet if that was a good or bad sign. She only hoped the others were ok.

As they continued along the hallway, Twilight was surprised by how fast they had been traveling. For reasons she couldn’t understand, Princess Luna had been in a rush to reach the palace throne room and didn’t seem interested in what was happening or why. Twilight noted that such behavior was unusual from the princess. Tense minutes passed before the pair reached the doors leading to the throne room. Upon entering, Twilight could see that nothing had changed from her previous visit.

She had to admit the sight was distinctly creepy. Princess Luna meanwhile began pacing the room restlessly.

“Now all we need to do is find a way out of here.” Luna muttered.

Twilight quickly approached the pedestal beside the series of inactive oval shaped lights.
Studying it briefly, Twilight was sure the plaque piece she had would make the device work.

“I think I can get it to work.” she said.

Princess Luna nodded in approval.

“Shouldn’t we wait for the others?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure they’ll be along shortly but we need to go.” Luna replied dismissively.

Twilight blinked. That hadn’t been the reaction she was expecting. She briefly pondered the princess’s strange behavior before shrugging inwardly and set to work on the puzzle. Unknown to Twilight, a dark figure stalked her from the small utility passage adjacent to the throne room. Moments later, Twilight beamed as the series of inactive oval shaped lights burst into life.

“Congratulations on solving the test.” a familiar venomous voice spoke up behind her.

Turning, Twilight was surprised to see GLaDOS standing behind her next to the princess. Princess Luna meanwhile, seemed to be observing at her in a strangely detached manner that gave her the creeps. Twilight was about to ask what was going on but thought better of it. Minutes later, the door they’d just passed through burst open and Twilight was relieved to see the others were ok.

“Sorry we’re late, got caught in traffic.” Jaden muttered.

Twilight noted rather curiously that both GLaDOS and Princess Luna seemed to regard the others arrival with disdain.
Jaden meanwhile, seemed to be amused by their response.

“So good of you to join us.” GLaDOS growled.

“Did you really think we’d miss this party?” Jaden retorted.

“Ooo a party… I can think of lots of ways to liven this place up!” Pinkie Pie squealed.

Everypony turned and regarded Pinkie Pie with confusion. Moments later, Twilight groaned
and facehoofed at the comment. GLaDOS meanwhile, seemed to be watching them intently.

“So, you think you can defeat me?” she asked, assuming an attack stance.

“Let’s dance.” Jaden replied, assuming an attack stance Twilight was unfamiliar with.

“Oooo, I love a good dance like I love a good party!” Pinkie shrieked.

“What dance should we do? Oooo, maybe we could do the conga, or the jive, or line dancing, or maybe even the pony-poky.” she continued.

The party balloon flanked mare fell silent only when Tess jammed a hoof into her piehole with a sigh. Jaden meanwhile, shot Twilight
a curious glance. With a sigh, Twilight rolled her eyes and shook her head. Shrugging, Jaden once again assumed a fighting stance. Letting her gaze drift, Twilight wondered where Princess Luna had suddenly disappeared to. She was interrupted from her musings as Jaden suddenly lunged at GLaDOS.

The mare of darkness quickly dodged a high kick, blocked a low kick, and parried a punch with a forehoof before Twilight even knew what happened. GLaDOS countered with a swift buck followed by a jab that knocked the wind out of the boy and caused him to stumble into Pinkie and Fluttershy before hitting the ground. Rainbow Dash charged forward and began to hurl a series of punches and bucks. GLaDOS easily blocked the blows and counterattacked, knocking the pegasus out of the air.

After exchanging glances Applejack charged forward and began to hurl a series of punches and bucks of her own. Rainbow Dash meanwhile, had recovered and lunged at GLaDOS again. Smirking, the mare of darkness blocked every attack they offered with ease then countered by bucking the earth pony in the chest before following up with another buck that seemed to sweep Applejack off her hooves. GLaDOS continued the assault by knocking Rainbow Dash out of the air with a pulse of magic before teleporting behind the others as Jaden and Tess lunged for her.

Twilight readied herself for battle but quickly found herself lying on her back when Rarity suddenly collided with her after GLaDOS used another pulse of magic. After struggling to her hooves, Twilight saw Jaden throw another punch, only for GLaDOS to side-step it and retaliate with a surprise buck and chop that dropped him to the ground just as Tess rushed at her once more. Tess hurled a punch that GLaDOS blocked. The dark pony countered with a left hook followed by a buck to the chest that stunned the alicorn before grabbing a foreleg and flipping her onto the ground as Rainbow Dash rushed forward once again with a flying kick and a yell.

“This is madness!” Rarity grumbled, shaking her head and sighing.

Twilight was inclined to agree as they watched the pegasus get flung into Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Trixie. Moments later, she and Rarity dived out of the way as a pulse of magic was directed at them. Scrambling to her hooves, Twilight saw Tess lunge at their adversary once again. Unfortunately, the alicorn was blasted aside by a pulse of magic as Jaden hurled himself at their assailant once more with what appeared to be some sort of flying kick. The two then began swapping blows at a frantic pace. After several long minutes, the pair stepped away from each other and into fighting stances as they slowly circled one another.

Moments later, the sound of shattering glass grabbed everypony’s attention.

Turning toward the room’s entrance, Twilight gaped as she saw dozens of those freaky insect-things
and zombies clashing with one another as they approached from the adjacent hallway.

“Uh, time to go! Quick, head for the portal!” Jaden called out before lunging at GLaDOS again.

Nodding, Twilight whistled and pointed toward the portal. The group began to stagger toward the gateway as quickly as they could. Passing through the opening, Twilight watched as most of the others collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Moments later, Jaden passed through the opening.

“Sealing the door.” he said as he tossed something back through the portal.

As the portal closed, the boy collapsed to the floor with a pained groan. Twilight meanwhile, gazed around at their new surroundings. Curiously enough, they were in another bland hallway similar to the ones she’d seen during the first set of tests. Returning her gaze to the group, Twilight noted that they were all in rough shape.

“Boy, howdy, Jaden! You look more worked over than that busted old plow of my brother's!” Applejack commented.

“I certainly feel like it.” Jaden replied.

“I don’t think I can handle another mêlée like the last one so if it’s all the same to you let’s not do that again.” he continued.

“Agreed.” Tess gasped.

“Um... I... could take a look at it for you. That is... um... if you want me too.” Fluttershy meekly offered.

Nodding, Jaden slowly removed his bag and rummaged around in it for a moment before handing a white colored box to Fluttershy.
He then removed his shirt and Twilight noted several nasty bruises as the animal caretaker began treating him. Letting her gaze drift, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder where Princess Luna had gone.

“Where is Princess Luna?” she asked.

“I hate to say it but Luna was never really here.” Jaden answered, gaining everypony’s attention.

“Twilight, do you remember when I told you about where I was from?” he continued.

Twilight nodded.

“Well, it seems GLaDOS is personifying all the negative aspects of it in a curiously detached clinical manner.”

Taking a seat, Twilight frowned as she reflected upon this newest revelation while Jaden continued speaking.
As she did so, Twilight felt a fury she hadn’t experienced is quite some time began to build within her.

“I was watching her behavior, particularly at the bridge. Something just didn’t seem right. ”

“Then what did we just face back there?” Applejack asked.

Jaden took a moment to compose himself and put his shirt back on before responding.

“My guess is that it was some sort of flesh clone. Interesting that it knew how to perform martial arts.”

Twilight released an exasperated sigh; noting the put upon expressions some of her
companions were wearing as well. Apparently, she wasn’t the only pony that was upset.

“So, what do we do now?” Rarity asked.

“Well, since that portal led deeper into the facility rather than to an exit like
we all thought perhaps it’s time we paid a visit to our esteemed hostess.” Jaden replied.

“Fine. Let's just go already!” Rainbow Dash yelled, bolting to her hooves.

Over the murmuring from some of her fellows, Twilight frowned and gained a thoughtful look.
After all, the boy did have a point considering that plan sounded better than just standing around.

“Desi, you can lead us to where GLaDOS is right?” Jaden asked.

As everypony began crawling to their hooves Twilight blinked; what was he talking about now?

“Uh, yeah I think I can do that.” a timid male voice replied.

Twilight felt herself blush as she levitated Desi into her saddlebag; she’d totally forgotten about the strange little sphere. Apparently, one of the others had thought to bring him through the portal. Tess meanwhile, helped Jaden to his feet and the group began walking down the hallway before them. As they traveled, Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what would happen next.

Arc #3: The Decent

Chapter #11:

As the group followed Wheatly, who they’d run across purely by accident along the way, through a labyrinth of corridors and catwalks, Jaden struggled to suppress laughter at the irony of the situation. The enthusiasm that Pinkie Pie had shown, along with Twilight’s embarrassed shudder, at the appearance of the eccentric metal sphere was enough to confirm that they’d met Wheatly before. Jaden made a mental note to ask Twilight about just how much fun she’d had during the previous testing experience.

Like many of the other ponies, Tess had been confused by the whole thing. It took a colossal force of will for Jaden to reign in his amusement as the poor robo-pony tried desperately to process the grand scale of absurdity the situation seemed to offer them. She was becoming more like Twilight Sparkle with each passing moment; easy to talk to… and just as easy to irritate. That revelation in turn had given Jaden an idea for an amusing nickname for her; Twilight 2.0. Of course, he had no intention of using it until Tess knew what she was.

Desi meanwhile, had remained relatively silent throughout the journey.

Although he was still sore from the brawl that had occurred in the throne room, Jaden was pleased to note that he was healing quickly. Of course it wasn’t very long before they’d reached the turret production line. Navigating through the vast expanse of machinery, Jaden smirked to himself. He knew what had to be done but decided to let their guide explain the plan to the ponies. Crossing a catwalk, the group watched as a mechanical arm scanned every turret that passed by; launching the defective ones into a nearby hole.

“Ooo!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed and rubbed her hooves together.

“No Pinkie, we’re not getting on that thing!” Twilight snapped.

Over the sound of Pinkie’s sad groan; Jaden watched Tess gape at the party pony in disbelief.
Rarity meanwhile, began grumbling about the décor; sparking an argument with Applejack.

Entering what appeared to a control room of some sort, the group quieted down as they continued to watch the never ending process from a slightly different position. In front of them was a wall of glass with buttons, knobs, and blinking lights sitting in front of it with a clear view of the production line they’d just passed through. In a corner to the right was a sealed door.

“Alright, this is the control room for the turret production line.
Ok, get a good look through that window.” Wheatly explained.

The ponies murmured about seeing what was happening. Watching an endless stream of turrets passing by, Jaden was reminded of an old Pink Floyd song. He couldn’t help feeling amused as he watched Twilight and Tess sigh and roll their eyes in perfect sync as they looked on.

“See that scanner over there? It’s deciding which turrets
to keep based on that master turret over there.” Wheatly asked.

Everypony present muttered they could see that.

“If we pull out that master turret it’ll shut the line down.” he continued.

“And just how are we supposed ta get past that there door?” Applejack asked.

“Right. Hmm, I’m going to need to hack the door so that we can get at it.
Technical stuff. Um… you’ll need to turn around while I do this.” Wheatly replied.

“Uh, couldn’t you just…” Desi piped up.

The ponies looked at each other with varying degrees of incredulity at this seemingly odd turn of events. Over the sound of the eccentric metal sphere’s pleading, Jaden ushered the ponies to turn around. Grumbling to themselves, the ponies complied. Moments later, the unmistakable sound of glass shattering could be heard along with Wheatly’s confirmation that he’d successfully hacked the door. Turning around, Jaden saw that the door’s window had been smashed and the door itself was dented as if something heavy had collided with it. He sighed as most of his companions gaped in disbelief at the carnage.

“Aww, c'mon! I could’ve done that!” Rainbow Dash cried indignantly.

“That explains sooo much.” Trixie murmured, sparking another argument.

Jaden ignored them and lined up a shot through the window. He placed a warm portal
in the room with the turret. Turning, he placed a cool portal on the wall in front of him.

“Alright, just pull the turret out.” Wheatly reminded him.

Crossing into the room, Jaden approached the turret and jerked it off the pad it rested on.

“Here catch!” he called out, turning and tossing the turret through the portal to Tess.

“I don’t want this!” she shrieked; tossing the turret aside moments before it exploded.

“Template missing. Continuing from memory.” A male computerized voice spoke up over the intercom.

“Ah, it hasn’t done it. Ok, let’s figure out how to stop this turret line.
So, anyone got any ideas? Any ideas at all?” Wheatly muttered.

“Is he fer real, ya’ll?”Applejack grumbled darkly.

Nopony answered her question. Jaden meanwhile, thought about how to tell the others his plan.

Applejack immediately noticed his conundrum and asked “What’s on yer mind?”

“I think I know how we can do this.” Jaden replied.

He certainly had everypony’s attention now.

“Hey, Dashie, can you fetch me a crap turret? That’s the messed up ones dear.” he continued, turning toward the cyan colored pegasus.

Realization crossed the ponies’ faces at the idea; Wheatly however, still hadn’t caught on yet.

“I’m on it!” Rainbow Dash replied before darting off.

Moments later, she returned with a crap turret. Jaden accepted the turret and quickly
took it to the scanner. As he placed the turret, the same computerized voice spoke up.

“New template accepted.”

Wheatly finally figured out what was happening and congratulated his handiwork.

“Ok, let me get the door.” the sphere said before disappearing again.

The ponies exchanged looks as Jaden spotted another nearby door. The group quickly walked over to it.

“Ok, I’m about to start hacking… it’s a little more complicated than it looks
from your side. It should take about ten minutes. Keep an eye on the door.” Wheatly called out.

A collective groan rang out as the door opened seconds later. Wheatly however, yelped in surprise when he saw them.

“Was there like an announcement or something? Like a buzzer or a hacker alert? Well, I suppose fair is fair, what with the door being open and everything, but next time let someone know. Cough or something.” he commented.

“Gesundheit.” Dash offered helpfully as Wheatly began heading off around a corner.

Groans rang out as the group began following him.

“Alright, she can’t use her turrets so let’s take care of that neurotoxin generator as well.” Wheatly remarked as they traveled.

“I’m pretty sure we’re going the right way… just to reassure you.” he continued after a pause.

As they walked, Jaden noted that the ponies were staring at their little guide with varying degrees of incredulity. Rainbow Dash actually flew through the air with her forelegs crossed and heaved a sigh; a scowl etched upon her face. An hour later, they reached another cavernous chamber. In the center of this room was a large tank of some sort. A long staircase connected their platform with another one located higher up within the room. As soon as Wheatly saw the tank, he became excited.

“Ha! I knew we were going the right way! This is the neurotoxin generator. Bit bigger
than I expected. Not able to just push it over… gonna have to apply some cleverness.” he exclaimed.

“I could take that thing down; no problem!” Dash boasted, puffing up her chest.

“Dash; there are easier ways to do things than knocking yourself out against big poles;
assuming you’re not into the whole ‘getting knocked out by big poles’ thing.” Jaden countered cheekily.

A collective blink passed among the ponies at the statement.

“There’s some sort of control room up top. So, let’s go and investigate.” Wheatly spoke up.

Jaden meanwhile, merely waved a hand and cocked his head to the side;
a slight smirk crossing his face as the group made its way up the stairs.

“...Shut up.” Dash growled over a chorus of giggles.

Rounding a corner at the top, the group spotted the results of their sabotage as turrets tumbled out of a nearby conveyor belt and were crushed by what looked like gears at the bottom; some of the turrets actually squealing in delight as they entered free fall. Looking on, Jaden noted that the ponies seemed disturbed by the sight as Wheatly babbled on about their ‘handiwork’. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden spotted a small lift nearby.

“Looks like we’ll have to make two trips with the lift.” he remarked; turning back to his companions.

While the others exchanged looks, Jaden noted that Tess was glaring at him.

“What?”

“Don’t even think about it.” Tess answered.

“Think about what?” Jaden asked.

“Nopony wants to hear you whine. Got it?” Tess snapped, pointing a hoof at him for emphasis.

It took a colossal force of will for Jaden to restrain himself from breaking out into another impersonation merely for spite.

“Why whatever do you mean?” he smirked.

Tess’s left eye twitched before she turned away and marched toward the lift, grumbling to herself. Twilight regarded him for a moment before silently shaking her head and following the irate alicorn; Applejack and Fluttershy hot on her hooves. Rainbow Dash meanwhile, had her hooves clamped across her muzzle; desperately struggling to suppress laughter, as was Trixie, as Rarity cast them a questioning look. Pinkie Pie was also giggling as she bounced around nearby.

“Alright, off we go than.” Wheatly said as he disappeared into a nearby hole while the lift slowly began to ascend.

As he watched the lift go, Jaden couldn’t help giving an eerie and, to Rarity, evil chuckle of his own. Twenty minutes later, everyone was reunited on the upper platform. Tess purposefully ignored him while Wheatly went to check on the door. Glancing around, Jaden noticed that a laser hung suspended from the ceiling on the opposite side from them. This laser in turn was cutting through a line of huge metal panels being pulled across a conveyor belt to their right; a portable surface was on the wall where the laser intersected it.

“I’m afraid the door’s locked; just checked it. No way to hack it as far as I can tell.” Wheatly said as he returned.

“Then what do we do?” Fluttershy asked.

Jaden didn’t respond as he made his way toward the door. As he arrived, Jaden saw a nearby control panel of some sort. Walking over, he gaged the distance to the portable panel with the laser before launching a cool portal at it. The portal connected and Jaden quickly pushed the button on the panel before him.

“What are you doing? You don’t know what that button does!” Wheatly screamed.

“Uh, it just opened the door.” Dash replied as she and the others began filing through the opening.

Jaden was the last to enter. As he did so, he saw most of the others gathered around another doorway. From the doorway, he could hear Wheatly babbling about how some equipment he’d found could help… if he could hack it. While most of the group looked on in boredom, Rarity was glancing around the room disdainfully. Jaden couldn’t help but smirk as he imagined a random heap of soot colored dust suddenly dropping from the ceiling onto the fashionably-sensitive unicorn and freaking her out. Tess meanwhile, was descending from a nearby room and rejoined them.

“Ugh! He doesn’t know what he’s doing!” she groaned, shaking her head in exasperation.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better you can always go hack that computer while I go hack the one
up there.” Jaden replied; pointing first to the computer Wheatly was currently conversing with before pointing up the stairs.

Tess blinked, shook her head, and gaped at him.

“You know, you could curdle milk with a face like that.” Jaden remarked.

Once again, Tess’s left eye twitched as a series of strangled
noises and half formed words spilled out of her mouth.

“You’re bound to pull somethin’ if ya keep that up.” he continued ever so helpfully.

“Agh! Fine!” The furious alicorn hissed, turning away.

Jaden watched in amusement as, excluding Trixie, who’d sighed and entered the
adjacent room, and Tess herself, all eyes turned to Twilight. Twilight blinked.

“What is everypony staring at me for?” she asked.

“Nothing!” the others quickly chorused.

Chuckling, Jaden quickly ascended the stairs and entered the next room. From his new vantage point, Jaden could see just how vast the main chamber really was. A series of pipes he hadn’t seen before connected the neurotoxin generator to the ceiling. A series of portable panels, meanwhile, seemed to travel along the ceiling above him. Another series of portable panels were traveling in the opposite direction along the top of the wall to his right.

Lining up a shot, Jaden launched a warm portal at one of the panels above him. The portal connected and a laser beam began to slice through all the pipes connected to the left side of the neurotoxin generator. Over the wail of sirens and Wheatly’s conformation that something was happening, Jaden lined up another shot with the panels on the wall and the entire process repeated itself once again.

“Warning! Neurotoxin is at dangerously un-lethal levels.” A male computerized voice spoke up over the intercom while the sound of breaking glass could be heard and the tank imploded before him.

Quickly making his way back to the others, Jaden saw that a large pipe in the adjacent room had ruptured and appeared to be sucking up everything nearby. Trixie and Wheatly could be seen desperately struggling to keep from being pulled in themselves. Moments later, the light blue unicorn barely avoided being struck by the room’s door as it was torn away and enveloped by the tube.

“Whoa! That can’t be good!” Jaden murmured.

“What did you do?” Twilight asked; eyes wide with shock as she and the others struggled against the incredible suction.

“C’mon, isn’t it obvious? When in doubt… break something.” he replied.

Over Tess’s annoyed groan, a collective blink passed among the group. Nopony made a move
or said anything. Moments later, both Trixie and Wheatly were yanked screaming into the hole.

“This is where the fun begins.” Jaden smirked as he charged after them.

Moments passed as Jaden hurtled through the tube before he heard the yelps from the others as they followed him. As they traveled, Jaden couldn’t help noting that the experience was just like the game… and more. Surprisingly; as they continued to tumble through the tube, only Wheatly, Pinke Pie, and himself were enjoying the trip. The others were shrieking in fright.

While they traveled, Wheatly commented about the size of the facility. Jaden was inclined to agree as he let his gaze drift; the sheer scale of how massive the place really was couldn’t be quantified… or ignored. All around them for as far as the eye could see, grated walkways, pipes, test chambers, tubes, and various other things seemed to spread out in all directions. Beneath them Jaden could see a nearly-bottomless darkness.

“This should take us to her. I can’t believe I’m finally doing this!” Wheatly cried out.

“We should be getting close. Oh, I can’t wait to see the look on her face.
No neurotoxin, no turrets… she’ll never know what hit her.” he continued excitedly.

Moments later, both Wheatly and Trixie were shoved into an adjacent tube by passing cubes.
As Twilight screamed Trixie’s name, Wheatly babbled about how they were going the wrong way.

“Get to her! I’ll find you!” he called out as the tubes went separate ways.

Ten minutes later the ride came to an abrupt end as Jaden landed on a platform. A short distance away was a staircase leading to another room. Quickly stepping aside, Jaden watched as Desi and the ponies crashed onto the platform in a heap. Over the sound of the eccentric metal sphere’s spouting of nothing more than gibberish, Jaden watched as Rainbow Dash and Tess slowly crawled to their hooves.

“Whoa, what a rush.” the cyan colored pegasus breathed, swaying back and forth on her hooves as she fought down a sense of dizziness.

“Let’s do it again!” Pinkie Pie squealed.

Jaden chuckled to himself as a series of protests from the pile erupted in response to the party pony’s statement.

“Ugh… why am I always on the bottom?” Twilight groaned.

“Hey, I hear being on top is highly overrated.” Jaden replied.

He really did have to fight back laughter this time as a collective blink passed among the ponies. Tess meanwhile, planted her face in a hoof and uttered an exasperated sigh. A few minutes later everypony was once again standing. Twilight levitated Desi, who was just returning to normal, back into her saddlebag before emitting a long suffering sigh of her own.

“I hope Trixie’s okay...” she mumbled worriedly.

“Well, let’s get moving then.” Jaden said, quickly mounting the staircase.

The ponies followed him.

A short time later, the group arrived at a corridor intersection that had obviously seen better days. Smashed glass, large chunks of the ceiling, and broken walls littered the area. As Twilight moved to explore a damaged footpath nearby, Jaden walked around a corner to his right. He hadn’t gone more than twenty feet when the passage ended abruptly; a huge chasm looming before him.

Glancing to his left, Jaden suspected that the wall beside him could hold a portal. Another portable surface was on a portion of ceiling above a platform of some sort suspended in the middle of the massive chamber. Sanding at the edge, Jaden craned his neck and noticed that the path Twilight had probed earlier was actually a destroyed bridge that had once connected the hallway they occupied with the chamber in the center of the area.

“By Celestia...” Rarity breathed behind him.

Jaden couldn’t help a small smile as the ponies crowded around him.

“Well? Now what?” Tess asked.

“I could get over there in ten seconds flat!” Dash boasted, puffing up her chest once more.

“And how pray tell do ya recon the rest of us are supposed ta get over there?” Applejack countered.

Rainbow Dash cast a sheepish glance downward and rubbed the back of her head with a hoof.

“It’s a trap.” Jaden spoke up.

“Next move?” Tess asked.

“Spring the trap.” he answered grinning.

A series of blank stares were the only response he received.

“And…” Tess prodded.

“You still have much to learn my young, Padawan geek.” Jaden replied, grinning wider at Tess’s exasperated glare.

“Basically, Tess and I’ll go first. Once we’re inside Gladdy’s ebil lair,
I’ll set up another portal and you guys can get in.” he continued.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves without uttering a single word.

“I don’t know… this sounds awfully risky. We really should stick together.” Twilight muttered.

“Why Twi, what good would it be to avoid a trap if everyone gets caught in it?” Jaden retorted, rubbing the mare’s cheek and eliciting a snicker from Rainbow Dash.

“Oi. Fine! Let’s just get this over with!” Tess snapped, rolling her eyes as Twilight vigorously rubbed her cheek with a hoof.

Chuckling softly, Jaden placed a warm portal on the wall to his left and a cool portal on the ceiling above the distant platform. Giving his companions another smile and a two-fingered salute, Jaden passed through the portal. Seconds later, he landed on the target platform. The platform itself was unremarkable; but walled in to prevent a view of the surrounding area… or escape. A small metal door was also present on one of the walls. Stepping aside, he awaited his partner’s arrival. He didn’t have to wait long as yelping in surprise Tess performed a perfect belly-flop onto the platform.

“Nice landing, chief.” Jaden smirked, over a chorus of snickers from above.

“Oh, don’t start!” Tess snapped, painfully crawling back to her hooves and looking around.

“So, what now?” she asked.

Jaden nodded toward the door.

“This way to GLaDOS shut off and cake dispensary.” Tess read aloud; cocking an eyebrow dubiously.

“Looks like someone has a sense of humor.” Jaden said as he moved toward it.

As he grasped the handle, Jaden was hardly surprised when the door suddenly fell to the
floor. At the same moment the walls around them began to move inward; startling Tess.

“One things for sure, we’re about to be a whole lot thinner.” Jaden remarked dryly.

“Great…” Tess murmured sarcastically.

“I really, truly didn’t think you’d fall for that.” An unseen speaker hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

“If I’d known you’d let yourselves get captured this easily I’d have dangled a turkey leg from the ceiling.” The voice sneered.

“That reminds me, I was promised cake. Where’s my cake? Pinkie got hers!” Jaden retorted, earning another long suffering groan from Tess.

Moments later, the poor robo-pony yelped as the floor beneath them suddenly dropped away. Jaden noted that the impact of the fall was thankfully softened by his Long Fall Boots. Tess meanwhile, wasn’t as fortunate as she landed rather ungracefully on her flank with a squawk. The room they’d dropped into was dark but enough light filtered in from above to reveal that they were in a small room, walled off by glass panels, in the middle of a much larger room.

“Nice trick of using a clone to oppose us earlier by the way.” he commented, knowing that their unseen hostess was listening somewhere nearby.

Tess sighed as the ‘room’ they were in began to move toward a wall in front of them that opened to reveal another chamber beyond. From what he could see, the room they were approaching resembled the GLaDOS AI Chamber from portal 2. The room itself was like an arena with large walls coated in a mixture of gray and white. Except for a large mechanical device suspended from the ceiling and half a dozen large computer monitors, the room appeared relatively empty.

As their little ‘room’ passed through the door, Jaden saw a small platform erected beneath a suspended hunk of uninspired metal with a single eye-piece. Standing on the platform was a rather familiar looking dark alicorn mare.

“Well, it seems you found me. Was it worth it?” the alicorn greeted snootily while glaring at them as their enclosure came to a halt.

The machine above seemed to almost mimic whatever physical movement the dark pony made.

“I hope you brought something stronger than a portal gun. Otherwise I’m afraid
you’re both about to become the past presidents of the being alive club.” she sneered.

“Yep. I is got da portal gun, the bunny stomper, and a whole can of whoop-ass.” Jaden replied, smirking.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden saw Tess gape incredulously at him. GLaDOS seemed
equally taken aback as she blinked at them for a full minute before responding.

Moments later, half a dozen turrets were placed in a loose circle around their enclosure. Jaden’s smirk grew as he noted that the turrets were all products of their earlier sabotage. After each turret had spouted out nothing but total nonsense, they all caught fire. After smoldering for a few moments, the turrets began exploding in rapid succession; cracking the walls of their enclosure and leaving a frustrated dark pony in their wake.

“You’ve been busy.” GLaDOS said after an extended pause.

“Like a bee.” Jaden replied as Tess moaned.

GLaDOS meanwhile, continued to regard them with disdain, and a touch of anger.

“Well, I suppose we could just sit here and glare at each other until one of us drops dead, but I have a
better idea. It’s your old friend, deadly neurotoxin. If I were you, I’d take a deep breath… and hold it.” she said as a tube extended from the ceiling.

“Why… ma’ lady, are you trying to seduce me? Say, are you lonely? I’m sure you
could find the stallion of your dreams if ya got outta the house more.” Jaden retorted.

“WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!” Tess roared.

Jaden struggled to stifle a laugh as he regarded his companion with the best innocent expression he could.

“Why are you antagonizing her?!” she shouted.

Jaden merely cocked his head to the side; a slight smirk crossing his face as he did so.
A series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of Tess's mouth in reply.

“I give up!” she barked, waving a hoof and turning away.

GLaDOS meanwhile, continued to glare at them as the tube finally connected with their enclosure. Seconds later, Wheatly tumbled into view followed closely by a shrieking Trixie. As the pair hit the floor, most of the surrounding glass panels shattered. Wheatly however, seemed to be incredibly cheerful about the situation as he greeted them. Trixie meanwhile, not so much.

“Ugh… Trixie feels like Trixie’s going to be sick.” the magician moaned, standing up shakily.

“That’s nice dear. There’s a toilet over there.” Jaden replied; pointing to the object in question.

“I hate you so much!” GLaDOS snapped.

“Yeah, well the feeling seems to be mutual!” Tess retorted hotly.

“Alright, who’s antagonizing who now?” Jaden asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“...Shut up.” Tess bit out.

Stepping forward, Jaden chuckled as he watched the dark alicorn in front of them snarl as she tried to watch them all at once as he and Tess began to spread out. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden spotted a single portable spot on the wall to his left; apparently something that had been missed by the night-mare before them in the otherwise sterile room. Wheatly meanwhile, was begging to be picked up and was promptly ignored.

“Well, luv… I think we got off on the wrong foot… hoof.” Jaden spoke up, doing his best impersonation of a certain charismatic movie pirate.

“See, we all just want to go home; but perhaps you can help answer the age old mystery
of which came first… the chicken or the egg.” he continued cheekily as Trixie finally recovered.

Over the sound of Tess’s pained shriek, the showmare blinked in confusion. GLaDOS meanwhile, appeared to be in just as much agony as she gasped and swayed back and forth on her hooves on the platform; eyes swirling in her head. The ominous sound of a muffled explosion could also be heard as the dark pony struggled to regain her bearings.

“Oh, you think you’re doing some damage?!” she screamed, finally regaining control.

“Two plus two is…” A male computerized voice spoke up over the intercom.

Static filled the air briefly before a somewhat disembodied version of GLaDOS’s voice could be heard.

“Ten.”

“In base four! I’m fine!” The furious nightmare shrieked.

“I’m just messin’ with everyone today!” Jaden crowed in delight.

Moments later the furious alicorn summoned a pair of rocket turrets.
One turret seemed to focus solely on him while the other targeted the ponies.

“Oh, bugger!” he continued, once again returning to his pirate impersonation.

Over the sound of his companions’ startled yelps, Jaden did his best to dodge incoming rockets that streaked toward them at a phenomenal rate. Reaching a chamber wall, he turned and returned fire with the Combustible Lemon Launcher he’d received. In response, a series of panels appeared from the floor and ceiling and began deflecting his shots wildly around the room while another barrage of rockets were unleashed.

While continuing to dodge the stream of ordnance and flaming citrus, Jaden rejoined the ponies as they attempted to take cover behind the remains of the enclosure that had previously held them captive; Trixie desperately using her magic to reinforce the glass. Meanwhile, Wheatly’s pleas for help intensified as the onslaught continued. Knowing that, despite Trixie’s best efforts, their makeshift shelter wouldn’t hold up much longer, Jaden did his best to catch his breath and reload.

“Ok, bad idea.” he gasped, craning his neck around their barrier to judge the distances between their location, the portable wall, and the rocket turrets.

"Ya think?" Tess drawled before turning and firing a burst from her own weapon; receiving similar results to his own.

“I think somepony needs a hug.” Jaden replied cheekily.

“Don't touch Trixie!” the magician barked.

Jaden laughed as he lined up a shot and fired a cool portal at the wall. The portal connected. Moments later, he unloaded another salvo from his launcher; only targeting the rocket turrets this time. He was met with similar results to his first attempt as GLaDOS retaliated with another volley of rockets. Craning his neck, Jaden watched as another small band of ponies entered the chamber.

“Whoa! Did I miss something?” Dash squealed as she dodged a burning lemon hurtling through the air.

“It’s citrus baby!” Jaden replied cheekily.

As the sextet rushed to cover, GLaDOS’s snarling suddenly transformed into cackling;
escalating into a bellowing, evil laugh as yet another volley of rocket fire erupted.

“What happened?” Twilight asked; eyes wide with shock.

“What do you think happened? Numb nut happened!” Tess bit out, pointing a hoof at him for emphasis.

“Wa… I’m a smart nut.” Jaden defended cheekily.

“Hey, left nut…” he called out.

“Yeah right nut?” Pinkie answered, grinning.

Twilight planted her face in a hoof and uttered a long suffering sigh.

Moments later, GLaDOS’s laughter was cut short. Turning, Jaden saw the dark pony stammer and blink in confusion as the rocket turrets suddenly deactivated and retracted into the ground. Jaden cocked an eyebrow as the ponies looked to one another, exchanging opinions between themselves without uttering a single word.

“W-what happened?” GLaDOS cried indignantly.

“Warning! Central core corruption detected at 80%.” A male computerized voice spoke up over the intercom.

“That’s funny, I don’t feel corrupt. In fact, I feel pretty good.” GLaDOS murmured.

“Alternate cores detected. To initiate core transfer please place substitute core in receptacle.” the computerized voice said again.

“Core transfer?”

“Oh, it’s talking about me!” Wheatly piped up

“And me.” Desi added somberly.

“Oh, you are kidding me!” the dark alicorn roared; eyes wide with disbelief.

“I’ve got an idea… do what it says!” Wheatly piped up.

“DON’T YOU DARE STICK THAT LITTLE IDIOT INTO MY MAINFRAME!” GLaDOS shrieked.

“Go on; stick that idiot into the mainframe!” Wheatly retorted.

As the pair continued to bicker, Jaden couldn’t help but chuckle over the chorus of evil snickers coming from the ponies beside him. He’d always enjoyed watching this moment in the game. Seconds later, Dash swooped down and grabbed Wheatly with her fore-hooves. She than lunged forward and deposited him in the proper port.

“Alternate core accepted. Alternate core are you ready to continue the procedure?” the computerized voice spoke up.

“Yes!” Wheatly replied.

“Corrupted core are you ready to continue the procedure?” the computerized voice asked again.

“Yes! She’s ready!” Wheatly piped up.

“No! No-no-no-no-no!” GLaDOS answered, shaking her head and stomping a hoof in frustration.

“Stalemate detected.” the computerized voice said.

“Procedure cannot continue unless a stalemate associate is present to press
the ‘Stalemate Resolution’ button.” it continued as GLaDOS and Wheatly murmured in worry/relief.

Moments later, a portion of the right wall began to descend. Inside the newly revealed chamber was a familiar button-on-a-pole setup in the center and its walls were made of portable panels. As Wheatly and GLaDOS continued to beseech them, Jaden was once again amused with how much the scene mimicked the game. He couldn’t help grinning once more as he heard the evil snickers coming from his companions.

Moments later, Dash darted toward the opening only to be swat aside by an extended floor panel.

“Not so fast. You need to be a fully trained stalemate associate to press that button.” GLaDOS snapped as Tess met a similar fate seconds later.

Lining up a shot, Jaden fired a warm portal into the chamber. He then positioned a cool portal on the floor near his companions. Twilight smirked as she realized his plan and charged toward the hole. Seconds later, she hurled into the chamber; smacking the button as she reached it. In response, the black pony before them seemed to fizzle out of existence as the large mechanical device suspended from the ceiling hung limply with a groan.

Tense seconds passed as the group rejoined one another before the computerized voice spoke up.

“Core transfer initiated.”

“Oh, what if this hurts? I didn’t think about that part.” Wheatly murmured.

“Oh, it will. Believe me it will.” GLaDOS’s voice hissed from the suspended hunk of uninspired metal.

“You’re making that up aren’t you?” Wheatly stuttered.

Any further protests were lost as he was jerked into a hole. The sounds of GLaDOS’s protests however, were quite clear as her core was grabbed by mechanical arms as a wall arose from the ground. The shrieks intensified into an unholy wail that had the group gasping and holding their ears as the procedure finally drew to a close. Minutes later, the wall retracted revealing the large mechanical device with Wheatly attached to it. Nearby, GLaDOS’s ‘head’ lay on the ground silently. Wheatly meanwhile, was marveling at his new form; and even began to celebrate much to the annoyance of most of the ponies present.

Jaden snorted in amusement as Wheatly began uttering gibberish
in what had to be the worst ‘Spanish’ he’d ever heard.

“I don’t even know what I just said… but I can look it up.” Wheatly cheered.

“Great… when ya find out let us know.” Jaden replied, earning snickers from Pinkie and Dash.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden saw that Twilight and Tess were once
again sighing and rolling their eyes in perfect sync; prompting him to grin.

“Oh, right. Let me call the lift for you.” Wheatly said.

“About time.” Applejack drawled, rolling her eyes.

Moments later, a lift appeared in a nearby tube that hadn’t been seen before.
As it came to a stop, Applejack cheered and headed toward it.

“C’mon everypony!” she called out.

A short time later, Jaden found himself struggling into the lift alongside Applejack,
Fluttershy, and Tess. The rest of the group had clustered around the base of the lift tube.

“Alright pardner, let’s get movin’.”Applejack said.

“And away we go.” Wheatly replied.

He then began babbling about how he was supposed to get into the lift with them.

“Dude, you do realize you’ll need to summon another lift
before you can do that, right?” Jaden commented as the lift ascended.

Wheatly meanwhile, began reflecting on his newfound power;
actually cackling madly at one point as the lift continued its ascent.

“Why do we have to leave now?” Wheatly asked as the lift came to a halt just beneath the ceiling.

Over the sounds of his companions’ confused gasps, Jaden sighed. Looking down, he could see confusion on
the other ponies faces as the lift began to descend. Minutes later, they were back where they had started.

“Do you have any idea how good this feels? I did this! Tiny little Wheatly did this!” Wheatly remarked, prompting a series of raised eyebrows.

“You didn’t do anything. They did all the work!” GLaDOS retorted.

“Oh, really is that what the lot of you thinks? Oh, maybe it’s time I did something than!” Wheatly replied.

“What are you doing?” GLaDOS asked.

Seconds later, she was dragged by mechanical arms into a hole.

“And don’t think I’m not on to you too mate.” Wheatly snapped, turning back toward the lift.

“Dude, what did I do to you?” Jaden asked.

Wheatly meanwhile, began to rant about how everyone had taken advantage of him; which included something about not catching him. Over the sounds of his companions’ confused gasps, Jaden grunted in bewilderment. Twilight in particular, was staring at Wheatly with a look of incredulity that bordered on fury. Moments later, a chime was heard as the pit GLaDOS was dragged into opened.

“Ah! See that? That is a potato battery. A child’s toy; and now She lives in it!” Wheatly exclaimed, turning to the hole as a mechanical arm held up a potato.

“You; I know you.” the potato hissed in a familiar, cold voice.

“What was that?” Wheatly asked.

“The engineers tried everything to… make me behave. To slow me down!” POTaTOS snapped.

“Just h-h-how long has this place been around?” Fluttershy asked.

Jaden shrugged as he had no answer to that.

“Once, they even attached an Intelligence Dampening Sphere to me.
It clung to my brain like a tumor; generating an endless stream of terrible ideas.” POTaTOS continued.

“I’m not listening!” Wheatly snapped.

“It was your voice. You’re the tumor.” POTaTOS growled.

“Well, it seems we made it in time for dinner and a show; a family reunion.” Jaden remarked, prompting another groan from Tess.

“You’re not just a regular moron… you were designed to be a moron!” POTaTOS snarled.

“I AM NOT A MORON!” Wheatly roared, slamming the potato repeatedly into the lift.

“YES YOU ARE! YOU’RE THE MORON THEY BUILT TO MAKE ME AN IDIOT!”

“Oh, not good!” Jaden said as POTaTOS crashed into the lift with them.

Much to the horror of everyone and everypony present, Wheatly then began punching the lift as he continued to rant.
Tense seconds passed before the battered lift finally succumbed to gravity and plummeted into the abyss.

Chapter 12

Tumbling endlessly through the void, Jaden wondered what would happen next. He had no idea where he was or where the group was headed. Nor did he have any idea how long they’d been falling. He heard screams nearby along with another voice that calmly spoke of past events while simultaneously mocking them. The shaft itself seemed to go on without end. Several times throughout the drop, Jaden thought he saw glimpses of grated walkways, pipes, and various other things that seemed to spread out in all directions. Continuing to tumble, Jaden couldn’t help but wonder if there was actually an end to the shaft. Minutes later, he received an answer as he slammed into a series of wooden beams that now appeared to line the shaft and the world went dark.

Jaden awoke with a start.

Blinking, he now found himself laying on a cold, hard surface with three concerned ponies looking down at him. Curiously, Tess’s outfit appeared to be ripped in numerous places. The alicorn quickly removed and discarded it as Applejack spoke up.

“Are you alright?”

“I think so… just a bit sore… and dizzy.” Jaden replied as he slowly sat up.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Five minutes.” Tess replied, extending a hoof and helping him up.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden saw that they were trapped in a large cave of some sort. Despite the dim light that seemed to filter down from above, Jaden could clearly see various concrete walkways, large pipes, and other assorted rubble that seemed to spread out in all directions. Ten feet to their left was the smoldering remains of the elevator they’d previously been trapped in. Glancing up, he could barely make out the facility they’d recently been imprisoned in. Although the testing facility obstructed most of the view, enough light was able to penetrate to help them navigate the mounds of debris that seemed to litter the area they now found themselves in.

It also proved that there was a nice sunny day in the world above.

“Some place.” Tess muttered; voicing his thoughts.

“It’s... um... really scary...” Fluttershy murmured, shuddering.

Jaden was inclined to agree and dreaded to think of what it would be like after dark.

“Is everyone alright?” he asked.

Applejack and Fluttershy quickly affirmed that they were fine. Tess meanwhile, groaned and began massaging her right wing with a hoof.

“Looks like I won’t be flying anytime soon. I think I pulled something.” she gasped.

“I’m sure we can scavenge something to repair that if we keep looking.” Jaden said as he began checking his equipment.

The only weapon that appeared damaged was the assault rifle with a warped barrel and some sort of malfunction in the firing mechanism.

“Well, this thing is pretty much useless.” Jaden remarked as he removed the ammo and attachments and discarded the weapon.

He quickly reattached the extra parts to the grenade launcher.

“How’s your weapon?”

“It’s still functional.” Tess replied.

Jaden nodded.

Glancing around, he noticed that something was missing.

“Where’s our favorite little root vegetable?” he asked.

“Uh… I saw a bird fly away just after we got here.” Fluttershy replied.

Jaden nodded; realizing they would have to search for the missing AI along with an exit.

“So, which way should we go?” Applejack asked glancing around.

“I suppose that route is as good as any other.” Jaden answered; pointing straight ahead at a path that seemed to twist through the debris.

Murmurs and nods permeated through the group as they began walking down the path. As they traveled, Jaden was rather grateful of the extra light provided by the flashlight attached to the launcher. He could hear the ponies murmur as they took in their surroundings. Looking up he noted that they’d reached a giant pipe they’d need to pass through in order to reach the next area.

The group stopped and exchanged glances. Nodding, Jaden raised his weapon once again and started walking; the rest of the group followed silently. As they traveled, Jaden noted that Tess had taken a rear guard position and was carefully scrutinizing the area in response to his lead; amusing him in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Minutes later, they arrived in front of a wall as the path seemed to turn to the right. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden saw a large mesh fence several feet away that blocked their immediate path. In the distance he could see an enormous pair of support columns amid the rubble.

The path they were following seemed to curve toward those columns. Examining the wall in front of them more closely, Jaden suspected it could hold a portal; as could a bent panel that hung above the ground a short distance away on the other side of the fence.

“So, what now?” Tess asked.

Jaden didn’t answer. Instead he took careful aim with his portal gun and fired a warm portal at the wall beside him and a cool portal at the overhanging panel. He was about to pass through when he noticed Fluttershy scrutinizing something nearby.

“Find something?” he asked.

“I wonder what’s in that.” Fluttershy answered; pointing at something in a nearby pile with a hoof.

Walking over, Jaden saw that the pegasus was pointing at a small metal container of some kind. The container appeared to have sustained serious damage; complete with a warped door on the front. Using a metal pipe laying nearby, he quickly pried the container open and was surprised to discover three additional pairs of Long Fall Boots inside.

“What are those?” Applejack asked.

“They’re called Long Fall Boots. Basically, they protect the wearer from impact related damage from high falls.” Jaden explained.

The ponies stared dubiously at him.

“I know it doesn't make much sense, but these boots are the only reason I survived that fall.” he continued.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging opinions between themselves without uttering a single word, but allowed him to help them into the boots. Moments later, Jaden silently watched as the ponies adjusted to walking in the boots. Once they were settled, Jaden remembered something and removed his bag before rooting through it while the ponies looked on curiously. He quickly found what he was looking for and tossed the item to Tess; who caught it with telekinesis and cast him a curious glance.

“It’s the same model portal gun that Twi’s using.” Jaden explained.

“As I understand it, the device works on most flat surfaces and has considerable recoil.” he continued.

Tess nodded and carefully studied the device before strapping it on as Jaden dug out a few more ammo magazines.

“Need any ammo?” Jaden asked.

Tess quickly agreed and Jaden tossed a few magazines to her before strapping on the bag once again.

“Well, ponies first.” he remarked, waving a hand toward the nearby portal.

Jaden couldn’t help a slight smirk as he watched the alicorn stare pointedly at him and roll her eyes before passing through the portal; Applejack and Fluttershy hot on her hooves. He quickly followed them.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that the immediate area they were in was surrounded by debris. The path curved around another wall to the left. Fortunately, the route they were taking wasn’t blocked by the massive amounts of junk that seemed to litter the area as the group silently moved forward. A short time later, they reached a strange looking slab of concrete that could have been a building at one time. Studying the structure closely, Jaden was sure it could hold a portal.

“Uh, what are you doing?” Tess asked.

Jaden didn’t answer. Instead he took careful aim with his portal gun and fired a warm portal at the wall and a cool portal at a spot on one of the distant support columns. Both portals connected. Amid protests, he quickly passed through the portals and found himself standing on a catwalk high up on the support column. Following the catwalk around a corner, Jaden reached the end and spotted another portable wall at ground level near a narrow alcove in the nearby rock face.

“Alright, what’s the deal with taking off like that?” Tess snapped as she and the other ponies approached him along the catwalk.

“Short cut.” Jaden answered as he took careful aim and fired a warm portal at the portable wall.

He really did have to fight back laughter at the glare Tess gave him. Applejack meanwhile, looked on amused as Fluttershy commented on how high they were.

“Come on now, there’s no point in gettin' all worked up over nothin'.” the farm pony stated as the group passed through the portals once more.

The path they were following was actually a tunnel of some kind that soon ended at a large metal gate. Mounted on a post beside the gate was what appeared to be some sort of fuse box; complete with an old fashioned lever. The group exchanged glances and Jaden pulled the lever. Seconds later, the gate opened and the area was flooded with light from a number of spotlights that had been set up.

Shutting off his flashlight, Jaden couldn’t help being confused by what the source of power could be to operate the lighting and other things that were in the chamber beyond. Passing through the gate, he heard his companions murmuring in awe at what they saw and could hardly believe it himself. The area they now stood in appeared to be a staging area of some kind with a large hatch on a platform blocked off by another pair of gates at the far end. What appeared to be two separate control rooms lined the walls of the chamber some twelve feet off the ground but the room on the left had a broken staircase.

“Well I’ll be…” Applejack murmured.

“What is this place?” Fluttershy asked.

“I don’t know. But it seems that if we want to get out we’ll have to go through that door.” Jaden said.

“How do we do that?” Tess asked.

“I think it has something to do with whatever is in those side rooms. Would you care to assist?” Jaden replied.

Tess thought the idea over briefly before agreeing and the pair walked toward the room on the right. Applejack and Fluttershy meanwhile, remained in the center of the chamber and watched them. Quickly ascending the staircase and walkway, Jaden and Tess entered the room and saw that it contained a single small window, various cables, and a console with a large red button but was otherwise empty.

“So, if the other room is just like this one then all we need to do is press both buttons at the same time and that should open the door.” Tess mused.

“Yeah, be right back.” Jaden replied as he placed a cool portal on the wall adjacent to the console and left.

Standing on the catwalk, Jaden took careful aim at a spot on the opposite wall near the remains of the stairs leading into the other control room and fired a warm portal. The portal connected and Jaden rushed back to the cool portal and passed through. Once on the other side, he repositioned the warm portal in the control room at the same spot as the cool one.

“How do you want to do this?” Tess asked.

“Let’s press the buttons together on the count of three.”

Glancing through the portal Jaden watched Tess nod as they each approached a console.

“Okay, we’re doing this in… three… two… one!” he called out.

As one, the pair pressed the appropriate switch and triggered the opening mechanism; setting off an alarm in the process. Crossing through the portal, Jaden entered into Tess’s room and the pair quickly made their way to rejoin Applejack and Fluttershy as the massive hatch slowly began to open.

“Now that is a big door.” Jaden remarked; unable to resist the pun or the accompanying snicker as the ponies slowly turned and stared pointedly at him before murmuring softly about the comment.

Five minutes passed before the hatch and surrounding gates were fully open. Quickly making their way over, the ponies were surprised by what was found behind the massive hatch.

“Now what in tarnation is the point in using an oversized door to protect a regular one?” Applejack grumbled.

Jaden shrugged. He didn’t have an answer to that question as the group passed through the second door and entered a narrow dark hallway.

At the end of the hallway was another massive cavern chamber. Once again, Jaden was struck by the sheer scale of how massive the place really was in addition to how much it resembled what was in the game. What appeared to be a massive lake separated the platform they found themselves on with another on the other side. A single catwalk connected the platforms together. Much like the previous chamber, what looked like giant metal spheres and other assorted ruble protruded from the surface of the lake.

Something about the look of the liquid itself just didn’t seem right. He certainly didn’t want to go swimming in the stuff if he didn’t have to.

Glancing to the right, Jaden saw another large platform with what appeared to be an elevator shaft some sixty feet away. Over his companions murmurs, Jaden sighed and shook his head; wondering what would happen next as they made their way to the other side of the cavern. As they traversed the walkway, he noticed that all but one of the doors were sealed shut. The door in question was smashed outward as if something heavy had collided with it from the other side and left an enormous hole.

Gazing through the hole, he could see another narrow dark hallway beyond.

“I’ve got this.” Tess volunteered, hefting her ASHPD.

Nodding, Jaden stepped aside so Tess could get a clear shot at one of the walls in the adjacent hallway. The alicorn raised her portal gun and fired a cool portal into the hole; yelping in surprise at the recoil. The portal connected. After taking a moment to compose herself, Tess fired a warm portal at a nearby wall. This portal also connected allowing them access to the hallway.

“Nice goin’, Tess.” Applejack congratulated.

“Thanks. I wasn’t expecting it to kick like a mule though.” Tess replied.

“Yeah, it does take some getting used to.” Jaden commented.

The group silently filed through the portal and into the hallway. Aside from the damaged doorway to their right, another doorway was to their left; another fuse box, like the one in the previous cavern, was attached to the wall beside it. As he grasped the handle, Jaden was hardly surprised when the door failed to open. Glancing at his companions, who nodded in approval, Jaden pulled the lever. Seconds later, the door opened outward and the area beyond was flooded with light.

Passing into the next room, Jaden was surprised to discover that they’d entered a rather grand looking lobby of some kind that had seen better days. All around them lay fallen wall panels, remnants of a once majestic company logo, and various piles of assorted rubbish. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden closely studied his surroundings and noticed a foyer along the far right wall that didn’t appear accessible from ground level.

Before he could mention the foyer, a male voice suddenly addressed them from a hidden loudspeaker within the chamber; eliciting a startled squawk from Fluttershy. As they listened to the speaker who’d identified himself as ‘Pimmy Jauntsun’ drone on, Jaden realized it was a recording similar to the one he’d heard during the first trip to Canterlot Castle. It amused him how those events felt as if they’d occurred a long time ago. Another voice, identified as Tavlena, cut into the conversation; sounding strangely familiar, albeit perky.

After the recording had ended the group exchanged glances and Jaden noted the various degrees of incredulity as they passed across his companions’ faces.

“Who would want to build such a place?” Fluttershy asked.

Jaden shrugged. He didn’t have an answer to that question either. Moments later, he was surprised to see Tess fire a pair of portals on and near the foyer. Both portals connected.

“Nice shot.” he congratulated.

Tess smiled as the group passed through the portals and onto the foyer. Passing through a nearby door, they entered what appeared to be some kind of office area; complete with cubicles and colored lines on the floor. As they traveled through the area, another pre-recorded message began playing; explaining where to go to take various tests.

“For those of you who volunteered to be injected with praying mantis DNA, I’ve got some good news and some bad news. Bad news
is we’re postponing those tests indefinitely. Good news is we’ve got a much better test for you; fighting an army of mantis-ponies.”

“Pick up a rifle and follow the yellow line. You’ll know when the test starts.” the recording continued.

“What do ya think he meant by mantis-ponies?” Applejack asked.

“I’m guessing he was referring to those bug things we ran into back in Ponyville.” Jaden replied.

“That’s a real comforting thought to know those things were created down here… and possibly running loose.” Tess grumbled.

Minutes later, the group exited the room and found themselves back in the main chamber. This time they were much closer to the elevator shaft; abet separated by a small broken catwalk. Exchanging glances, the group crossed the catwalk and approached the elevator. Fortunately the lift was already at ground level so they were quickly able to ride it to the top of the shaft. Exiting the lift, they discovered another broken catwalk that lead to a door on the far side of the chamber to their right and a trio of unrelated doors on another platform to the left.

“What do you think is over there?” Fluttershy asked.

“Good question. Let’s find out.” Jaden replied as he took aim and fired a warm portal at a wall near the doors.

Turning he placed a cool portal on the side of the elevator shaft and passed through. The ponies crossed over moments later and the group began investigating the doors. The first two doors were tightly locked but the buttons beside them seemed to work just fine. Jaden couldn’t help being amused at his companions’ reactions to the messages that played describing what kinds of tests were to take place behind the doors.

Reaching the final door however, the group noticed that things were considerably different. The door itself appeared to be intact but slightly ajar. There was also a strange odor, like spoiled fruit, that seemed to drift out from the entryway. The group exchanged uneasy glances as Jaden prepped his launcher while Tess slowly opened the door. Just beyond the door was a dimly lit utility passage that ended at another partially closed doorway some thirty feet away. Nothing moved yet the stench seemed to grow stronger the closer the group got to the second door.

Jaden held up a hand warning Applejack and Fluttershy not to follow before signaling Tess to open the door. Passing into the next chamber, Jaden was almost overcome by the stench. The chamber itself resembled a huge industrialized orchard of some kind with trees as far as the eye could see. Curiously, nothing moved but the smell would likely mask any approaching threats. Minutes later, he gave the ponies the ‘all clear’ and watched them take in the new surroundings.

“What in the hay is all this for?” Applejack breathed.

Jaden shrugged. He didn’t have an answer to that question as the group slowly began to explore the area.

From what he could tell, the chamber was about the size of a football field. Taking a closer look at the trees, Jaden was surprised to discover that they were all lemon trees. Most of the fruit was rotten however. Out of the corner of his eye, Jaden watched as Tess prodded a lemon in a nearby tree with a small metal shard she’d found. Moments later, she yelped in surprise as it fell off.

“You okay?” Jaden asked as Applejack and Fluttershy rushed over to them.

“Yeah, I just wasn’t expecting that.” Tess replied, uncertainly.

Glancing at the shard the alicorn was holding, Jaden saw the tip was melted. Letting his gaze drift, he saw what was left of the lemon on the floor. It appeared to somehow be burning a small hole into the concrete beneath.

“What happened?” Applejack asked.

“I’ve heard lemons were acidic… but not like this.” Jaden answered, squatting down to examine the lemon’s remains.

“I’d hate to see what a fresh one would do.” he added, shaking his head.

The ponies murmured in agreement.

“What are those?” Fluttershy asked suddenly.

Following the pegasus’s gaze, Jaden saw a small stack of some kind beside a nearby wall. The group quickly made their way over and discovered the objects were what appeared to be fresh lemons individually incased in glass tubes. Jaden took a moment to reexamine the launcher Pinkie Pie had given him.

“These things somehow power my grenade launcher.” he remarked.

“Can’t help wondering how this bag can hold everything either.” he added as he removed his bag and began stuffing the glass tubes into it.

Tess rubbed her temples in exasperation and groaned in reply.

Minutes later, he finished and the group made their way back to the elevator shaft. Jaden took a moment to reposition the warm portal on an angled panel before turning his attention to the door on the other side of the chamber.

“Okay, one door left. Fluttershy shouldn’t have a problem reaching it.” he remarked; eliciting a squeak from the mare in question.

“Oh, and just what are the rest of us supposed to do?” Tess asked.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as he replied while imitating a certain fashionista pony they all knew.

“Oh come now darling, why it’s all quite elementary really. For you see, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.”

“And sometimes speedy thing makes messes on walls. Oh, what horridly dreadful messes!” he continued dramatically while running a hand through his hair before rubbing the alicorn’s cheek; creeping her out and amusing the other ponies.

“I recon I know now what Dash was laghin’ at.” Applejack chortled.

“Eeyup.” Jaden replied while imitating another familiar pony; eliciting more snickers from the mares.

Tess meanwhile, rubbed her cheek vigorously with a hoof.

“Oh, don’t encourage him.” she grumbled as Jaden walked to another part of the elevator shaft and fired a cool portal toward the bottom of the shaft.

“Too late!” he retorted, as the portal connected, before leaping down the shaft.

Moments later, Jaden felt the rush of free fall before landing safely on the platform.
Turning, he saw his companions gaping at him from the elevator shaft.

“Come on over. You’re gonna love it!”

He continued to watch as the ponies paced the platform. Fluttershy was the first to work up enough courage to leap down the shaft; shrieking all the way across the chamber. Stepping aside, Jaden watched her land safely on the platform with a grunt. Applejack was the next pony to cross. Tess meanwhile, continued to pace the platform before reluctantly following them. Moments later, she crashed head over hooves onto the platform and groaned.

“See, nothing to it.” Jaden remarked as he helped her up.

Tess sighed and rolled her eyes as the group entered the nearby door. Passing into the next chamber, Jaden noticed that they’d entered some sort of pumping station. Most of the area was blocked off by gates but he could see a catwalk that lead out on the upper right part of the room. Letting his gaze drift, he spotted a nearby control room to their left. Entering the control room, Jaden pulled the conveniently labeled ‘Gel Pressure control lever’ and heard the unmistakable sounds of machinery starting up. After all the machinery was back online, the gates into the main chamber opened. Unfortunately, there was no direct path to the catwalk that lead out of the room. Exchanging glances, Tess sighed and fired a cool portal at the wall just above the catwalk and a warm portal at a nearby wall in rapid succession.

The group quickly made their way out of the room and found themselves in yet another part of the main chamber. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that the catwalk they were on ended abruptly. It appeared they would need to climb down a series of pipes leading to platform with an elevator. After exchanging glances, the group made their way to the elevator that in turn led them to another brightly lit chamber. A series of catwalks crisscrossed the chamber and lead around various obstructions toward a door on the far side. A short distance away was a crude map labeling various test chambers; complete with a “You are here” symbol. Moments later, Pimmy Jauntsun addressed them over the intercom.

“Alright, let’s get started. This first test involves something the lab boys call repulsion gel.”

“You’re not part of the control group by the way, you get the gel. Last poor soul got blue paint. (laughs)
All joking aside that did happen; broke every bone in his legs. Tragic, but informative… or so I’m told.” the recording continued.

The group looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves without uttering a single word as they began navigating across the various catwalks. A short time later, they reached a wall and the end of the current catwalk. Skirting along the wall’s side, the catwalk terminated in a twisted heap. Glancing up, Jaden spotted another catwalk that lead around the obstruction to the door. He was about to fire a portal to reach it when the intercom addressed them again.

“The lab boys just informed me that I should not have mentioned the control group. They’re telling me I should stop making these
pre-recorded messages. That gave me an idea, make more pre-recorded messages. I pay the bills around here; I can talk about
the control group all bloody day!”

“Charming fellow.” Tess murmured as she fired a cool portal at the wall beside the upper catwalk and a warm portal at the nearby wall in rapid succession.

The group quickly made their way onto the upper catwalk and followed it around the corner. Moments later, they discovered that this catwalk also ended abruptly. Below them was another intact section of the previous catwalk that lead straight to the door. Sighing, Jaden took a step back before leaping to the catwalk below. The ponies quickly followed and the group passed through the door. Curiously, the room they entered resembled the Alpha Enrichment Sphere #1-A level from the game. The wall directly in front of them was actually a platform adorned with all sorts of company posters. Jaden looked on amused as Tess studied a poster describing a blue colored gelatinous substance and its use as a diuretic.

As the alicorn shook her head, Jaden let his gaze drift around the room.

On the opposite side of the chamber was the exit; suspended on a platform at the same height as the platform before them. In the center of the chamber was a shallow pit filled with the same blue colored gelatinous substance. On the other side of the pit was a small metal cube laying against a portable wall. The ponies meanwhile, murmured among themselves about the situation as they gazed around the room. Once again, Applejack spoke up; voicing the groups’ thoughts.

“So, what do we do now, ya’ll?”

“Well, the only way we’re going to proceed is to put that metal cube on a floor button
on the top of that platform in order to open the door on the other side.” Jaden replied.

The ponies stared pointedly at him.

“And how exactly are we supposed to reach this button and the door on the opposite side?” Tess asked.

“Believe it or not that’s what the pit of blue goo is useful for.” Jaden replied.

The ponies stared dubiously at him.

“I know it doesn’t make much sense but as I explained to Dash shortly after we got separated blue goo makes you bounce,
orange goo makes you move really fast, and white goo is used to place portals on any surface.” he continued.

The ponies continued to stare dubiously at him. Sighing, Jaden aimed at the wall behind the metal cube and fired a warm portal at it. The portal connected and Jaden took several steps back before running toward the shallow pit. At the last moment, he jumped and landed on the blue colored gelatinous substance; bouncing off of it and into the air. Adjusting his aim in midair, Jaden fired a cool portal at a wall on the platform before gravity took over once more. It took him a few more minutes of bouncing around to reach solid ground near the metal cube.

Turning, Jaden saw the ponies gape in disbelief at what they’d just witnessed.

“It’s a lot like jumping on a trampoline.” he remarked as he picked up the metal cube and passed through the portal.

Stepping out onto the raised platform, Jaden quickly placed the cube on a nearby floor switch and opened the door as the ponies stepped onto the platform.

“Now, you’re sure we‘ll be able to use that stuff to cross to the other platform without any problems?” Applejack asked as she nervously gazed over the side of the platform.

Jaden nodded.

“I think the mechanics have something to do with how much force is imparted on the gel.” he remarked.

“Well, here we go.” Tess muttered.

The alicorn took a few steps back before leaping toward the goo pit below. Moments later, she safely bounced onto the platform across form them; releasing a startled yelp in the process. Turning to Applejack, Jaden cocked an eyebrow; a slight smirk crossing his face. Sighing, Applejack nodded and followed suite with similar results leaving Jaden and Fluttershy alone on the platform.

“I’m not sure I can do this.” the yellow pegasus murmured nervously.

“You know you can always fly over there right?” Jaden answered soothingly.

After a moment’s thought, Fluttershy cast a sheepish glance downward before following the suggestion.

Jaden quickly followed and the group made their way toward the door.

“So, that’s it huh?” Applejack mused.

“Yeah, unfortunately I have a feeling we’re gonna be doing this more in extreme circumstances.” Jaden replied.

“What could be worse?” Tess remarked as the group passed through the doorway into the next chamber.

Chapter 13

“I take it back.” Tess muttered as the group surveyed their new surroundings.

From what Jaden could see, the chamber was about sixty-two feet from the door they’d entered through to a small alcove on the opposite side of the chamber. In another small alcove to their right was a small moving platform suspended six feet in the air with a cube on top. To their left was a large square floor button; a row of orange lights connecting it with an alcove part way up the left wall near the far side of the chamber.

As he continued to survey the chamber, Jaden noted that the distant alcove was suspended on a ledge that would require a portal to reach. The walls themselves appeared to support a portal which would help. Curiously, aside from the floor button, moving platform, and a ten foot wide puddle of repulsion gel in front of the distant alcove the room was empty. Following another row of lights from the mystery alcove, Jaden spotted a platform suspended about eighty-five feet above the entryway they’d used.

“What do we do now, y’all?” Applejack asked.

“Well, if I remember the level from that game I was playing earlier correctly then we’ll need to place the cube from the platform on the floor button which should grant us access to the higher level alcove. That alcove in turn should have a button and cube set-up that ought to open the exit door on the platform above.” Jaden answered.

“And just how do we reach the platform?” Tess asked.

“We fling to it.” Jaden replied.

The alicorn’s eyes grew wide as she and the others realized what he meant. Jaden completely understood and sympathized with his companions discomfort; he wasn’t looking forward to the idea anymore than the ponies were. After a pause Tess sighed and shook her head before speaking up.

“Alright, let’s get this over with.”

With a nod, Jaden made his way toward the platform in alcove to their right.

Over the next hour, most of which was spent calming and convincing Fluttershy that the material emancipation grill in the upper alcove wouldn’t harm her, the group navigated the chamber. Sitting on the exit platform while waiting for Tess to catch up, Jaden couldn’t shake the sudden feeling that the attempt wouldn’t end well. Minutes later, that feeling was confirmed by the awkward way the alicorn was propelled into the air by the repulsion gel after leaping to it through the portals.

“No! Oh no! Noooo!” Tess screeched while desperately flailing her legs and flapping her wings as she came up just short of the platform.

Without hesitation, Jaden lunged forward and grabbed her right foreleg, while Applejack grabbed the other in her hooves, and the pair pulled the alicorn onto the platform; fully comprehending the reluctance of plummeting back to the bottom of the chamber despite the protection the boots offered.

“Are you alright, sugarcube?”Applejack asked.

Gasping, Tess nodded that she was before wincing and massaging her injured wing with a hoof.

“I could take a look at that for you… that is if you want me to…” Fluttershy offered meekly.

Tess quickly agreed and the yellow pegasus began bandaging the wing. When she finished, Tess expressed her gratitude and Fluttershy quickly checked and rebandaged his wounds before the group silently passed into another hallway that lead to an elevator. Along the way, Pimmy Jauntsun addressed them over the intercom again.

“For those of you who got covered by repulsion gel in that last test, the lab boys have some advice for you…
‘Do NOT get covered in repulsion gel’.”

The group stopped and exchanged confused looks.

“We haven’t entirely nailed down what element it is yet but it’s a lively one… and it doesn’t like the equine skeleton.” The message continued.

“Really?” Tess muttered sarcastically; rolling her eyes.

The group quickly continued and entered the elevator which in turn took them to the next area. Exiting the elevator and letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted that the new area had a lot in common with the chambers they’d already passed through just prior to the two part test they’d just completed. Jaden noted that the catwalk leading to the next testing area had collapsed at some point. At the end of the current catwalk was a twisted metal support beam they could use to cross what appeared to be some sort of moat to reach the next area. Exchanging glances, Jaden lead the way toward the center of the chamber.

“All these science spheres are made of asbestos, by the way; keeps out the rats. Let us know if you feel a shortness of breath, a persistent dry cough, or your heart stopping; because that’s not part of the test. That’s asbestos.” another pre-recorded message blared out over the intercom.

The group stopped and exchanged glances.

“Spheres? What spheres?” Fluttershy asked.

Jaden shrugged as they continued onward. Minutes later, the group reached the center of the chamber.

“So, how do we get up there?” Tess asked, as the group gazed up at the next testing area.

The chamber in question was suspended some one hundred fifty feet off the ground. Although it wasn’t visible from their location, an elevator connected the chamber with the higher levels. From what he could see, four heavily reinforced columns supported the structure. However, considering the state of the surrounding debris, Jaden questioned the actual stability of the structure.

“Well, if I remember the level from that game correctly we’ll need to portal up to the top of one of the support columns before placing another portal in the chamber.” he replied while taking careful aim at a spot near the top of the far right support column.

Jaden fired a cool portal at the spot and the portal connected.

“The problem will be getting everyone safely up there before placing the second portal considering how small that ledge looks.” he continued while placing a warm portal at the bottom of the same support column.

“That sounds really dangerous.” Fluttershy commented.

“Yeah; unfortunately, I have a feeling it’s going to get worse the further we go.” Jaden agreed.

“Well, we won’t get anywhere just standin’ ‘round here.”Applejack remarked.

With a nod, Jaden passed through the portal. The next half hour was spent traversing the narrow ledge and entering the test chamber proper. Once inside, Jaden noted that the chamber was identical to the Alpha Enrichment Sphere #2 level from the game. On the narrow side of the chamber was a funnel and a pole button. Along the left side of wider area was a series of ledges that extended fifteen feet in height apiece. Suspended from the opposite wall was another platform with an angled panel behind another material emancipation grill. By his estimate, from the floor to the ledges that ran along the top of the chamber was about forty-five feet.

“What do we do now?” Applejack asked as she gazed around the chamber.

Silently, Jaden placed a cool portal beneath the funnel and a warm portal on the floor beside the first ledge. He then walked over and pressed the pole button, releasing a torrent of repulsion gel. Jaden made sure to coat the ground, along with the first ledge, with a generous portion of gel before the flow ceased. After approaching the ledge and taking several steps back, Jaden charged toward the gel and used it to reach the higher areas of the chamber. Moments passed before the ponies followed him.

Jaden watched in amusement as Tess walked further along the chamber; halting as she reached a large hole. From what he could tell, the distance from the edge of the platform to the hole was about fifteen feet. The chasm itself was about fifty feet in length but another platform was visible on the other side. As she returned, Jaden could see the alicorn wasn’t particularly thrilled. Silently, he moved into position and placed a warm portal on the angled panel. Returning to the group, Tess regarded Jaden with a skeptical look.

“Have any idea what we should do next?” she asked.

Jaden nodded.

“And…”

“Do you really wanna know?” Jaden retorted.

Tess’s eyes grew wide as she realized where the conversation was going. Moments later, a series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of the alicorn’s mouth as Jaden turned to Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, would you press the switch again so we can get the gel flowing?” he asked.

“I suppose so… but why?” the yellow pegasus replied uncertainly.

“We’re gonna need a runway.” Jaden answered.

He had to fight back a smirk at the sounds of jaws hitting the floor in rapid succession.

“Uh, I don’t much recon I like where this is goin’.” Applejack remarked, finally working her jaw back into place.

“I know what you mean but it seems to be the only way to reach the other side of the chamber.” Jaden replied.

“This sucks!” Tess grumbled.

Jaden shrugged.

Applejack and Fluttershy meanwhile, exchanged glances before the yellow pegasus
reluctantly flew down and pressed the button; releasing another torrent of repulsion gel.

“Nice job.” Jaden congratulated as Fluttershy returned.

Fluttershy beamed as the gel created a nice strip along the ground toward the distant chasm.

“So, who wants to go first?” he asked, moving the cool portal to a spot just below them.

The ponies stared at him; Tess cocking an eyebrow and giving him a skeptical look.

“Well, see ya on the other side.” Jaden said as he dropped into the portal below.

Moments later, he was airborne; rebounding off the gel and landing safely on the distant platform. Turning, he looked on as one by one the ponies followed. Upon landing, Tess took a moment to compose herself, after the most recent flight, before rejoining them.

“There has to be a better way to do this.” she grumbled.

Jaden merely shrugged at the exasperated alicorn in reply as the group began walking. Rounding a corner, they saw an elevator at the far end of a long hallway and silently began walking toward it. As they traveled, another per-recorded message blared out from hidden speakers.

“Just a heads up, that coffee we gave you earlier had florescent calcium in it so we can track
the neuronal activity in your brain. There’s a slight chance that the calcium could vitrify your
frontal lobe.”

“Anyway, don’t stress yourself out by thinking about this. I’m serious.
Visualizing the scenario while under stress actually triggers the reaction.” it continued.

The group stopped and exchanged confused looks.

“Ok then.” Tess mused as the group began walking again.

“It’s official, this dude’s nuttier than an outhouse.” Jaden replied.

“Let’s just hope they remembered to fix the plumbing.” Tess retorted sardonically.

Jaden laughed as the group entered the elevator and ascended to the next floor.

Chapter 14

As they exited the elevator for the umpteenth time, Tess sighed and wondered how many more of these inane tests they would have to go through. They’d already traveled through at least a dozen or so of the things; she’d lost count. She was starting to feel exhausted and suspected the others were also. While walking along the newly accessed catwalk, the intercom went off yet again; their host bidding them a fond farewell on a job well done. Tess rolled her eyes as Jaden stopped and placed a cool portal on a section of wall beside a door on another platform across from them.

Continuing onward, the group entered the remains of another plush waiting area. Jaden placed a warm portal on one of the walls and they quickly passed through and entered the adjacent door. The new area appeared to be some sort of pump station with no visible exit. Following the humans gaze, she saw what resembled an alcove of some sort on an upper floor to their right that they couldn’t reach. On the wall across from them was another catwalk at the same height. Unfortunately, the catwalk didn’t appear to connect to anything.

As Jaden turned to them, Tess groaned in exasperation; already dreading what would come next.

“Don’t say anything.” she snapped, raising a forehoof for emphasis.

Smirking, the boy silently turned away and placed a warm portal on the wall in front of them and a cool portal on the wall beside the catwalk. Quickly passing through, Tess could see that they would have to fling to the nearby alcove.

As Jaden repositioned the portals, Tess began to have a new found appreciation for having wings. If she hadn’t injured herself during that fall it would have been a simple matter to reach the distant alcove. As it were, she was beginning to have a new found respect for how ponies without wings, like Applejack, managed to get things done. The earth pony had accepted each challenge as it had come without complaint; despite the fact that mistakes could result in serious injury or worse.

Fluttershy too, had been quite inspirational. Despite her fear and soft spoken demeanor, the pegasus had also accepted each challenge as it had come without complaint; often joining in on the absurd gravity defying maneuvers rather than just flying around obstacles and waiting for them. About the only way they could get the pegasus to do so was if she or the others bade Fluttershy to go on ahead.

If she recalled correctly, many of the chambers they’d past through had been unfamiliar to Jaden also.
Tess was snapped out of her thoughts as Jaden spoke up.

“Here goes nothing.”

The boy then leaped off the catwalk toward the closest portal. Moments later, he shot out of the other one. On the second pass, Jaden repositioned the portals and was hurled into the adjacent alcove. As Tess approached the edge of the catwalk and placed a pair of portals in the same location that Jaden had, she listened in as Applejack spoke to Fluttershy.

“Listen, why don’t you go on ahead, sugarcube.”

“Are you sure?” the pegasus asked glancing between them nervously.

“Don’t worry; we’ll be right behind you.”

Tess meanwhile, gave Fluttershy a reassuring smile and a nod. After a moment of deliberation, the pegasus took to the air and joined Jaden on the alcove as Applejack approached the edge of the catwalk.

Looking on, Tess noted that Applejack was taking a moment to psych herself up before lunging for the portal. As Applejack reappeared, Jaden overwrote her cool portal with a warm one and stepped aside as the orange-coated mare sailed into the alcove. It was now her turn. After replacing her portal, Tess closed her eyes and took a deep breath; mentally preparing herself for what would come. Opening her eyes, Tess leaped from the platform before she had time to mentally debate the issue.

Reappearing from the portal, Tess barely had time to react as she heard Jaden overwrite her portal yet again.
Moments later, she arrived on the alcove; coming to a halt in a barely controlled skid.

“I reiterate my previous position, there has to be a better way to do this!” Tess gasped weakly.

“Don’t you just love physics?” Jaden retorted smugly.

Tess’s eye twitched as she stared at the boy incredulously.

Sighing, she turned away and the group exited the room through a nearby door. They soon found themselves standing on a rather large outcrop within the main chamber. Standing across from them was some sort of building. To their left was nothing but wall; composed of a combination of masonry and rock. The area to the right in contrast, was open to the void beyond. Glancing up, Tess saw what appeared to be a small elevator suspended above the void with a smaller metal platform hovering above it.

How in Celestia’s name were they supposed to reach it?

Before she or anypony else could point out the obvious Jaden turned and regarded her with a flat questioning look; a hint of that infuriating smirk crossing his features. Tess groaned as she realized what had to be done next.

“Before we attempt to access the elevator we’ll need to lower that other platform.” he said.

“Umm… how exactly… uh… do we do that?” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“There should be a control panel or something in that building over there.” Jaden answered.

Silently, the group walked over to the building and began looking around. The search however, yielded little more than empty offices; another message began to play during this time, filling Tess with a sense of unease. Unlike many of the previous messages that had often referred to test subjects as athletes, this one had instead referred to them as nothing more than vagrants. She couldn’t help wondering what had prompted the sudden change. Just what the hay was going on here?

“Well, there wasn’t nothin’ in there… so now what?” Applejack asked.

“It’s probably somewhere on the upper floor.” Jaden replied.

Tess gaped at the boy incredulously.

“Why didn’t you mention that before?” she stammered.

“You didn’t ask.” he answered.

“I hate you!”

It was the only thing Tess could think to say. Jaden just stood there with a smirk and shrugged before walking out the exit. Sighing, Tess and the others quickly followed him.

“How exactly do ya recon we’re gonna get up there?” Applejack asked.

“Well, there is one way.” Jaden mused as he placed a cool portal on the ground and a warm portal on the nearby wall beside a catwalk she hadn’t noticed before.

“I really hate you!” Tess snarled.

Jaden merely shrugged and smirked in reply before passing through the portal.

Incensed, Tess attempted to follow but a hoof placed on her shoulder stopped her. Turning, she noted Applejack shaking her head and got the message. Sighing, Tess waited for Fluttershy to pass through the portal before crossing through herself. Minutes later, they were all standing on the catwalk as Jaden repositioned the portals yet again.

“I suppose this proves science is fun.” Jaden smirked, turning to them.

Almost every pony assembled immediately took to plastering their face with a well-placed hoof. They didn't think the boy would even try saying something that corny before leaping into the portal below. After exchanging glances Tess waited for the others to cross before taking the plunge herself. Passing through yet more bland offices minutes later, Tess couldn’t help wondering who would willingly work in a place as strange as this one.

Letting her gaze drift, she thought she saw a door hidden along a back wall by some filing cabinets. Turning, Tess noted that the others had disappeared from view. With a shrug, she decided to investigate. Navigating to the door, Tess thought very little about it when the door opened on its own. The passage beyond reminding her of the one they’d passed through to reach the lemon orchard. Much like that passage, the door at the far end stood partially ajar. Curiosity getting the better of her, Tess cautiously opened the door and entered the chamber beyond.

Inside she saw what could have been a maintenance room of some sort. The walls, corroded though they were, still could be seen in the near darkness. A strange translucent, epoxy-like substance could be seen coating the walls and floor of the chamber. Stalactites of the alien excretion dribbled from the ceiling, occasionally meeting with stalagmites of the same nature rising from the uneven floor. What appeared to be intricate, skeletal carvings dotted the walls. Although nothing moved, Tess could do little more than shake her head before something else caught her eye.

What resembled large oval shaped leathery objects the size of trash cans littered the room. As fascinating as the objects were, Tess couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right. She quickly exited the chamber and made her way back to the main area. Tess found the others soon after huddled around a console of some sort with what appeared to be a bird nest on top. Jaden turned and flashed her a grin as she approached.

“Find anything interesting?” he asked.

Uncertain how to answer that question, Tess plastered what she hoped was an endearing smile to her face and shrugged. Although Applejack and Fluttershy gave her curious stares, if Jaden had noticed her discomfort he didn’t show it as he turned away and continued speaking.

“Well, you’ll never guess who we found.”

Tess rolled her eyes; waiting for him to continue.

“It’s your favorite lil’ buddy; rootin’ around and ready to sprout.” he continued.

Sighing, Tess shook her head in annoyance as another familiar voice spoke up from atop the console.

“Look, this potato only generates 1.2 volts. I literally don’t have the energy to lie to you.”

“Even if I were lying you’d still need me to replace him. We’re at an impasse.” it continued.

Nodding, Tess could see the logic behind the argument. Over the sound of Fluttershy’s startled squeak; she couldn’t help looking up at the sound of a distant explosion moments later.

“Whoa nelly, that don’t sound good.” Applejack remarked.

“That little idiot doesn’t know what he’s doing!” POTaTOS grumbled.

“He probably hasn’t made the critical decisions necessary to keep the nuclear reactors from overloading.”

“What does that mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“Basically those things are the power source for this facility.” Jaden replied.

“If they go critical and explode then it’ll cause a really big boom and we all die!” he continued before turning and fixing her with a pointed glance.

“Do you wanna take her or should I?”

Tess shook her head; there was no way she wanted to deal with the root vegetable any more than she had to. If it were left up to her there was a good chance the potato could get damaged along the way. Shrugging, Jaden turned and jammed the tip of his portal gun into POTaTOS; prompting an indignant squeal followed by what Tess could only assume was some kind of power surge from the potato. Moments later, he pressed a button on the console and the group watched as the platform slowly began to descend.

The caramel colored alicorn rolled her eyes as POTaTOS began muttering about “scheming” as the group made their way toward the exit. Jaden quickly repositioned the portals and the group made their way back onto the catwalk. Moments later, he repositioned the portals once more so they could reach the distant platform.

“Well, here we go.” Fluttershy murmured before taking to the air and flying toward the platform.

Once the pegasus landed safely, Applejack gave them a curt nod before leaping into the nearby portal. Moments later, the orange mare was hurdling through the air and landed safely on the platform as well. Tess turned and cast a glance at Jaden.

“Why don’t you go first?” the boy remarked.

“Really?” Tess asked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Might as well, I mean it must suck to go last all the time.”

Shrugging, Tess took the plunge and felt a familiar sense of vertigo as she sailed toward the platform. Moments later, she let out a grunt as she landed safely on the platform. Jaden followed soon after and the group entered the elevator. Tess struggled to suppress a groan as they arrived at what appeared to be another test chamber a short time later.

“The testing area is just ahead. The quicker you get through it, the quicker you get your sixty bits.” Pimmy Jauntsun addressed them over the intercom once again as they approached.

The group stopped and exchanged glances.

“Tavlena, are the compensation vouchers ready?”

While Applejack and Fluttershy gawked at the continued conversation with the assistant, as POTaTOS repeated the assistant’s enthusiastic reply before demanding to know what was going on. Hoof met face as Tess watched another of those infuriating smirks cross Jaden’s face throughout the exchange.

Entering the chamber, Tess noted that it was similar to many of the previous chambers they’d passed through. Across the chamber from them was an elevated platform with a pole button on top and a nearby funnel. Turning her head to the right, she noticed another awkwardly constructed platform thirty feet away; separated from them by another chasm. Another floor button and what she presumed was a lowered ramp sat near the end of their platform in line with what appeared to be an opening in the middle of the other structure.

Tess blinked momentarily before rolling her eyes as Jaden spoke up.

“Hey, I recognize this chamber. We can get outta here easily.”

She fixed the boy with a pointed stare before speaking.

“Oh, do tell.”

“Well, there are actually two ways we can go about this.” Jaden replied while placing a warm portal on the blank wall to their left.

“The first involves creating another runway with propulsion gel and retrieving a cube from the alcove across from us.” he continued.

“And the other way?” Applejack asked.

“We can cheat.” Jaden replied.

“How?” Tess asked.

“Give me a boost.” Jaden smirked.

Tess blinked incredulously at the boy.

“C’mon, give me a boost.” Jaden reiterated.

After a moment, the alicorn let out a sigh.

Five minutes later, she let out an irritated grunt as she struggled to support the added weight of the human balanced precariously on her shoulders; the boy urging her to lift him higher while she urged him to hurry and place a portal. Gritting her teeth, Tess reared up onto her hind legs; desperately hoping the extra leverage would be enough. Moments later, she let out a startled squeal as Applejack thrust herself between the alicorn’s legs in an attempt to provide additional leverage.

Taking a moment to readjust her footing, Tess ignored Jaden’s startled yelp as she once again reared up on her hind legs; struggling to keep this bizarre pile from toppling over.

“Well, this is fun.” POTaTOS drawled sarcastically.

“Don’t drop me.” Jaden called out.

“I won’t drop you!” Tess growled through clenched teeth.

Casting a quick glance downward, she noted that Fluttershy had griped her hind legs tightly in her forehooves.
Applejack meanwhile, appeared to be struggling to support the additional weight upon her shoulders.

“Look, just hurry up and take the shot already! I don’t know how long AJ can keep this up!” she hissed, tightening her own grip with both telekinesis and her forehooves as she felt the pile begin to sway.

Jaden mumbled something she didn’t quite catch.

“Would y'all kindly hurry it up? Ah recon ya could get a room and work out yer differences later.” Applejack grunted wearily.

Tess’s eyes grew wide as she heard Jaden call out with a surprised “Wait what?”.

“Wha…? Um, I… what?” she stammered.

Applejack could NOT mean that!

Seconds later, Tess let out a sigh as she heard the welcome sound of a portal being fired.
The trio quickly untangled themselves and Tess turned to Applejack.

“Applejack, what was that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“Well…” the farmer replied, amused.

Tess’s eyes grew wide for the second time in as many minutes at the sound of snickers nearby.

“NO! Just no!” she stuttered; shuddering at the implications of what had just been suggested.

There was simply no way in Celestia’s name THAT would EVER happen!

Tess was snapped out of her musings as Jaden spoke up.

“Let’s move on shall we?”

Silently, the group passed through the nearby portal and found themselves on the adjacent platform.
After getting her bearings, Tess noted that aside from a securely locked door the platform was bare.

“What now?” she asked.

“There should be a switch nearby we could use to open that door.” Jaden replied as he searched for something.

“Ah, there it is.” he said moments later as he found whatever he was looking for.

Following the human’s gaze, Tess spotted another one of those poll button-things suspended inside a small nook near the ceiling beside the portal they’d just used.

“How the hay are we supposed ta reach that?” Applejack asked, voicing her own thoughts.

Jaden turned to Fluttershy.

“Could you…” he began.

“Of course.” the pegasus replied with a warm smile before flying over and pressing the button.

Seconds later, the door opened revealing another bland hallway beyond.

“Ah recon we should get a move on then.” Applejack remarked as she headed toward the door.

“Sounds good to me.” Jaden agreed following her.

After exchanging glances Tess and Fluttershy followed them; only to come to a halt as Jaden suddenly turned to her with another one of those horrid smirks.

“After all, it’s not like we have time for anything else.” he said before turning and bolting toward the open doorway.

Over the sound of snickers, Tess’s eye twitched as she gaped at the laughing boy before screeching in fury and chasing him out of the chamber. Upon catching him, she promptly began to pummel Jaden with her forehooves.

“Is there any reason behind what you’re doing?” she snarled.

Jaden merely grinned and shrugged.

“Yeah, if you two were to get together I’m sure it’ll be ugly.” POTaTOS remarked as Applejack and Fluttershy caught up.

“I’m not certain why but I feel like I know that guy.” she continued as the group made their way to a nearby elevator.

“Let me guess… daddy issues.” Jaden retorted.

Tess sighed and rolled her eyes before entering the elevator.

Moments later, the rest of the group entered and the elevator began moving toward the next floor. Upon arrival the group exited onto what Tess presumed was some sort of construction area. Although they were currently standing upon another catwalk, the area had a lot in common with the landing they’d passed through prior to the last test chamber. Letting her gaze drift, Tess spotted dozens of pallets and various other objects scattered across the area. At the far end of the catwalk was what appeared to be an access tunnel cut into the nearby rock wall that lead out of view. Casting Jaden a curious look; Tess wondered if he recognized anything among their new surroundings.

“Never saw any of this before.” he replied quickly.

“The only construction site that was in the game is in an area we haven’t reached yet.”

Tess nodded thoughtfully as the group began walking toward the distant tunnel. Moments later, they stopped and exchanged worried looks as a piercing guttural roar echoed from the tunnel ahead of them.

“Ah, ponyfeathers!” Tess cursed; eyes wide in disbelief at their current situations.

“I’ve got a few choice words you’re welcome to use.” Jaden replied.

Tess blinked and shook her head irritably before speaking.

“As tempting as the offer is… I’ll pass.”

“How the hay did that thing even get down here and why is it chasing us?” Applejack demanded.

“Do you think the others are…” Fluttershy asked nervously.

“I’m sure they’re all okay.” Jaden replied reassuringly.

“The fact remains however, that we’ve got to take care of that thing now.” he went on.

Before Tess could question how they’d go about doing that Jaden continued speaking.

“It’s a shame though that lil’ Dashie isn’t here right now. I could’ve teased her bout her boyfriend bein’ hard on for a date.”

The ponies exchanged incredulous glances.

“Really?” Applejack deadpanned, expressing as much annoyance as Tess felt.

Tess meanwhile, planted her face in a hoof and sighed; unable to contemplate any further excursions into the human’s mental workings.

“And how exactly do you propose we stop the creature?” she hissed through clenched teeth.

“Never fear, as the brains of this organization I’ve got a plan.” Jaden retorted.

Tess cocked a dubious eyebrow, curious about just what the boy had planned.

***************
Making his way along the access tunnel, Jaden questioned the logic of what he was about to do. It wasn’t much of a plan, more of a half-baked scheme than anything else, but it was better than nothing. He was rather grateful that Tess had forced him to take her weapon along before she and the other ponies had taken cover among the various pallets of assorted equipment scattered around the area. It would certainly help.

“This is crazy!” he muttered aloud.

“Most certainly.” POTaTOS chimed in.

“I must be out of my mind!”

“Most definitely.”

“I’m gonna die!”

“Most likely.” POTaTOS concluded.

Jaden stopped and stared at the root vegetable affixed to the portal gun attached to his right arm.
He was beginning to see why Tess had opted out of carrying it.

“Whose side are you on?” he snapped.

“As I recall, you’re no better off than the rest of us.”

“That is a matter of opinion.” the potato retorted.

“Really. You summoned this beast; didn’t you have any clue what would happen if it ever got lose?” Jaden replied as he continued onward and approached a bend in the passage and paused.

“I’m not getting paid enough for this. Actually, I’m not getting paid. I need to be paid.” he whined.

“Duly noted… but unimportant.” POTaTOS countered.

Glancing around the corner, he saw the monster further down the corridor with its back to him. As it continued to trudge along on its way, Jaden knew that what he was about to do was extremely crazy and that the creature’s weapons would be a serious threat. Minutes later, his unease grew as the creature suddenly stopped and slowly began to turn around.

Ducking back around the corner, Jaden took a deep breath and knew that time was up in deciding what to do over the sound of approaching footsteps.

Readying himself and his weapons, Jaden ducked back around the corner and lined up a shot as the creature bellowed at him and raised its rail gun. Jaden fired a round from his launcher at the beast before ducking behind cover as it opened fire. Over the monster’s angry howl and the fast-paced sound of footsteps, Jaden popped out from cover and fired two more rounds from his launcher; staggering the beast slightly before taking cover as it retaliated with another burst from its rail gun.

Darting out from cover yet again, Jaden fired three rounds from his launcher and was silently ecstatic when one of them struck the rail gun. The Nemesis meanwhile, discarded the now inoperable weapon and raised its rocket launcher. Stepping back behind cover, Jaden then turned and ran as fast as he could the way he’d come. Moments later, he rolled to his left at the sound of a closing rocket and felt more than heard it impact against a nearby wall to his right.

Staggering to his feet, Jaden barely evaded a punch from his pursuer that created a sizable hole in the wall beside him. He then began to sprint toward the main chamber again as the Nemesis roared once more. As he reached the main chamber, Jaden turned and opened fire with the sub-machine gun. Minutes later, he dived then dashed for cover as the monster charged out of the tunnel. Popping out from cover, Jaden fired off a long burst of fire at the creature as it stalked toward a group of nearby pallets. He could here Fluttershy shrieking in fright from somewhere nearby as the Nemesis turned and fired another rocket toward him.

Sidestepping the blast, Jaden watched the rocket streak past and slam into the elevator they’d used to reach the current area; demolishing it. Moments later, he was diving out of the way as the Nemesis lunged toward him and attempted to pummel him once more. Rolling into a crouch, Jaden barely had time to react as the Nemesis aimed its launcher at him again. A sudden flurry of motion caught his attention and caused Jaden to shift his gaze behind the creature where he saw Applejack line up and deliver a potent buck which caused the monster to stumble forward and threw off its aim.

Jaden seized the opportunity by targeting and unloading the sub-machine gun’s remaining ammo into the offending launcher. The subsequent explosion caused Applejack to give a startled cry and dive for cover as the Nemesis was blown off its feet.

“Is everypony okay?” Tess called out as she quickly trotted over and helped him up.

The alicorn then accepted her weapon and began reloading it as the pair moved away from the downed creature.

“Is it over?” Fluttershy asked nervously as she stuck her head out from behind another pallet of assorted equipment.

Jaden didn’t reply as he reloaded his launcher. He did keep a close eye on the creature however, and began to get concerned when he thought he saw it twitch. Moments later, the mares squealed in fright and surprise as the Nemesis staggered to its feet and let loose with a savage roar before advancing toward the group once again.

“W-W-Why won’t it stay down?!” Tess sputtered incredulously.

“Looks like it’s time for phase two.” Jaden remarked.

Tess gaped at him in shock.

“What do you mean ‘phase two’?!” she stammered.

Jaden was spared from speaking as the monster charged them. Diving aside and rolling to his feet, Jaden noticed that the Nemesis was currently focused on Tess. Of course it probably didn’t help that the alicorn was firing at it as she backed away. Tess yelped in pain and surprise as the monster suddenly rushed forward and close lined her. It followed up by grabbing the dazed alicorn by the throat and hoisting her into the air before hurling her over its shoulder and into Applejack.

The creature then focused its attention on Fluttershy. Jaden was already in motion as the Nemesis grabbed the butter yellow pegasus in a similar manner to what happened with Tess. Unlike before, the creature’s opposite hand began to pulsate strangely as it held the struggling pegasus in the air. Drawing down and firing as he approached, Jaden noted that it took two rounds before the creature reacted; dropping Fluttershy, who squeaked and scrambled away while simultaneously struggling to breath, and letting loose with another piercing guttural roar before charging toward him.

Sidestepping another close line attempt, Jaden unloaded his remaining ammo into the beast before ditching the launcher and sprinting toward the end of the platform. As he neared the edge, Jaden noticed an angled panel anchored to a wall on his left above the void and fired a warm portal at it. The portal connected and as Jaden leaped from the platform he could hear his pursuer following him. He still couldn’t quite believe he was actually doing this.

As he fell, Jaden spotted a small portable platform below and fired a cool portal at it. The portal connected and as he passed through Jaden began to realize the major flaw in his plan. Catapulting from the warm portal, Jaden saw that he wouldn’t be able to land back on the original platform. Instead, he would likely be tumbling into the void below. His only regret was that he hadn’t really thought this part out. Moments later, Jaden found himself hurling toward another small portable platform he hadn’t seen before.

He was spared from wondering how badly this would end as a cool portal suddenly appeared on the platform in front of him while a warm portal simultaneously passed toward another angled panel anchored to a wall on the far side of the chamber he hadn’t noticed before. Hurling from the new portal, Jaden saw that he was sailing back toward the original platform. Seconds later, he saw another warm portal materialize on a wall panel ten feet ahead and above. Soon after, the Nemesis shot forth from the new portal and tumbled off into the abyss with a shriek.

As his feet once again came to rest on the platform, Jaden felt a surge of emotion, mostly excitement and pride that his plan actually worked but also relief that the ordeal was over, flow through him. This was enhanced moments later by a twinge of fear as the panel beneath him shifted under his weight and he began to tumble backward toward the void. He was spared from falling off the platform by Applejack grabbing the clothing around his waist in her teeth.

“Vhoa padna… can’t vee looven ja dat eavy.” she remarked, voice muffled by the clothing-induced speech impediment as she pulled him further onto the platform.

Jaden mumbled his thanks as Fluttershy approached.

“Are you okay?” the pegasus asked, handing him his launcher.

Jaden nodded as he accepted the weapon.

“I think we lost something.” he remarked, letting his gaze drift around the area.

“I’m right here!” POTaTOS barked.

“Don’t do that again!”

Jaden merely shrugged in reply as he finally managed to locate Tess’s approaching form. The alicorn was stammering and stuttering in disbelief at the astounding feat of aerial acrobatics he’d just displayed.

“That was you’re plan?” she managed over the incoherent babbles.

“It worked didn’t it?” Jaden replied, earning an incredulous glare from the alicorn mare.

Looking on, he wasn’t sure which was funnier; Tess’s look of shock at his awesomeness or the inevitable tirade that would likely follow as a series of strangled noises and half formed words spilled out of said mare’s mouth; and was that smoke rising from her direction?

“Y-you’re certifiable!” she managed through the babble; eye twitching irritably.

“Yeah, well you forgot to mention ‘good looking’.” Jaden retorted; casting a glance to the side and noting Applejack and Fluttershy exchanging bemused looks.

Jaden really did have to fight back laughter as Tess shot him a murderous glare.

“No I didn’t.” she deadpanned.

“Yes you did.”

“No I didn’t!” Tess barked with sudden defensive inspiration.

“You so totally did!” Jaden retorted as the group began walking toward the access tunnel.

Arc #2: Testing Initiative

Chapter #4:

Although it had taken a while to cross through the woods and arrive at the site, the group had finally reached the old ruins Twilight had mentioned earlier. Standing on the solid stone walk of the castle's entryway, Jaden couldn’t help but be impressed. Laying all around them, the remains of a once majestic castle stood amid the moss-covered ground; a sight made even creepier considering the place was actually a fake based on another set of ruins located elsewhere.

As they strolled into an ante-chamber, or what was left of one, Twilight explained a little of the locations’ history, along with what she’d recently experienced on her last visit to the area, with the others occasionally chiming in. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden noted two tall, black-stoned walls stood like stoic guards, ignoring their presence as they passed by. In the middle of the ante-chamber was what resembled a large statuesque piece; like an inverted chandelier. Seven spokes drew out of the center of the ornament, ending in empty, curved bowls. Tess meanwhile, was questioning everything as they continued while Pinkie Pie appeared to be humming what sounded suspiciously like Equestrian Girls to herself.

“Up ahead is where I was just before I ended up in… wherever we are.” Twilight said.

Jaden nodded as the group entered what appeared to be the throne room proper. What looked like dim sunlight seeped in from a large hole in the far wall. Moth-eaten remnants of royal carpet led up to a small rise where two thrones had once sat; as it was mostly bare. Curiously, standing in the center of the rise was a small elevator; similar to those from his world. From what he could see, Jaden knew the device could accommodate half a dozen humans comfortably. There would be no way they could all fit into it.

The moment Twilight saw it she let out a startled squawk.

“It’s an elevator.” Jaden explained.

“What does it do?” Twilight asked.

“In my world such devices are used to transport objects in a building from one floor to another.
In this case that would be us which means we’re splitting up for the time being.” Jaden answered.

The ponies looked to one another, exchanging their opinions between themselves without
uttering a single word. After pondering the idea briefly, Twilight gulped and spoke up.

“So, who goes first?”

“Ponies first.” Jaden replied, smirking slightly as he waved a hand toward the device.

Twilight blinked at him a few times and shook her head before making her way toward the elevator.

“Ooo, this is so exciting! I wonder what we’ll find down there.” Pinkie Pie spoke up before following Twilight onto the elevator.

“Trixie will probably regret this bit Trixie will not stay here!” Trixie grumbled before grudgingly following the pair onto the elevator.

“Will you guys be ok while we’re gone?” Jaden asked, turning to Tess.

“We’ll be fine… just be careful ok?” Tess replied.

Nodding, Jaden hefted his rifle and followed Twilight and the others onto the lift. Moments later, the lift began to descend on its own. Five minutes later, it came to a halt in front of a large hatch which opened to reveal another nondescript and dimly lit utility passageway that appeared to branch off in separate directions.

“Oh, moving doors! So fancy!” Pinkie commented.

“Uh, yeah.” Jaden murmured over Twilight and Trixie’s confused grunts.

“Well… here goes something.” he said before hefting his rifle and stepping into the passageway.

Switching on the flashlight attached to his rifle, Jaden slowly began to make his way down the left corridor. After taking only a dozen steps he stopped. The passage ended abruptly at a large pile of rubble where the ceiling had collapsed some thirty feet away from where he stood. Many of the wall panels also appeared to have long ago fallen victim to mold, mildew, or plant life, revealing dark, hollow recesses behind steel grates. The passageway was also dark, filled with vines and large fallen plants. Excluding the beam from his own light, haunting red lights emanated from these broken walls, illuminating the passage with a hellish glow.

Turning, Jaden smirked as he saw the heads of his companions peering out from the doorway he’d passed through; taking in their surroundings in awe. Jaden made a point of aiming his weapon at the base of the nearby wall as he walked back to them so as to not blind the ponies with the flashlight.

“Well… looks like there’s only one way to go.” he commented, raising his rifle after passing the ponies.

Jaden heard the others murmur in agreement before the sounds of footsteps as they followed him. After only a few minutes of walking, the group rounded a corner and entered another bland hallway. Unlike the first, this one appeared to be in somewhat better condition. Although faint, brighter light seemed to filter into the area, making the stark grey and dilapidated walls and various piles of assorted rubbish stand out.

After narrowly dodging the collapse of a fragile, fallen wall panel the group made their way into an adjacent room. The room they’d entered was wide and empty and unlike the previous rooms the lighting in this one actually worked. It also had multiple levels. Much like before however, wall panels smashed and cracked almost beyond repair, the bare skeletons of steel scaffolding, and various trashes littered the area.

Switching his light off, Jaden kept his weapon at the ready as they continued; prepared to blow holes into anything that might leap out and attack them. Jaden heard the ponies murmur to themselves as the group made their way over to a metal staircase at the far right side of the room and began to climb it. Minutes later, they were all standing on a catwalk several hundred feet in the air. The catwalk extended into the room some thirty feet before terminating abruptly near a small platform that jutted out from the wall.

Letting his gaze drift, Jaden closely studied his surroundings. A narrow ledge wound its way along the wall from the platform to a large niche, with a round metal door, on the other side of the room. Curiously the niche itself was located above the door they’d previously entered. Remembering the game he’d been playing prior to arriving in this world, Jaden was certain that most of the room’s walls could hold a portal. Shouldering his weapon, Jaden couldn’t help grinning as the impractically absurd plan for reaching the far off door formed in his mind. Considering they didn’t have any practical way to fling to it, Jaden knew there was only one real option for crossing the room. Turning, he really did have to fight back laughter as Twilight stared at him in confusion.

“This is where the fun begins.” he said before backing up along the platform.

Moments later, he dashed forward and leaped to the nearby platform. Jaden steadied
himself upon landing as the platform was smaller than it initially appeared.

“Watch your step, it’s smaller than it looks.” he called out.

Twilight nodded before following him moments later.

“Trixie knew Trixie would regret this.” Trixie grumbled before following Twilight across the gap.

Pinkie Pie quickly followed her.

The group than began to slowly make its way along the ledge. Twenty minutes later, they reached the alcove. As they approached, the round metal door opened… well, half of it did. The other half started banging itself open and shut, shooting out sparks with an atrocious grating scrape. The door suddenly tipped sideways, sliding into the track on the opposite side. It shuddered, emitting sparks for a moment before quieting.

The doorway was now partially blocked. Exchanging glances, Jaden crouched down and peered through the open space that remained. From what he could see, the passage beyond was similar to the previous ones they’d pasted through. The lighting was also functioning reasonably well. The space between the doorway and the ground was big enough for him to easily crawl through but appeared to be a tight squeeze for his companions.

Exchanging glances once more, Jaden sighed and crawled through the space in the doorway and into the next room. Stepping aside, he waited as the ponies clambered one by one through the opening. As Trixie entered the hallway, she made a big production of groaning, rolling her eyes, and fussing over her cape; eliciting a sigh from Twilight and a snort from Pinkie. Once everyone was settled, Jaden hefted his rifle and began leading the way once more.

Rounding a corner, the group entered another brightly lit bland room. The chamber itself was small and narrow compared to the previous ones and Jaden spotted a dark panel in the center of the wall to the left. Another round metal door sat on the other side of the room. As they drew near, the wall monitor suddenly burst into life; causing his companions to squeal in surprise. Crouching to one knee, Jaden instinctively aimed his weapon at the monitor; and the pony displayed on it.

Standing before them was a regal looking, alicorn mare with a lush dark coat and wings, folded ever so neatly. Her mane was like stardust and it flickered like angry blue fire around her smirking face. Her eyes, large and aquamarine, regarded them with annoyance, amusement, and a strange lust that made the hair on the back of Jaden’s neck stand up. Both Twilight and Pinkie Pie gasped aloud when they saw the creature.

“Took you long enough; I was almost worried you’d gotten lost.” the dark pony snorted over a loudspeaker in a gruff, haughty tone that sounded strangely familiar yet didn’t match the creature’s physical appearance.

“I take it you’re the one that brought us here.” Jaden retorted, reluctant to lower his weapon as he slowly stood up.

The black alicorn meanwhile, continued to smirk as her eyes briefly followed the laser aimed at her chest before focusing on them once again. Her only reply was a slight tilt of the head as the other ponies crowded around the monitor.

“Where are we anyway?” Twilight asked.

“This is the Equestrian Science Magic-aided Enrichment Center… and you’re going to do some tests for me.” the black pony replied.

“Who are you?” Trixie probed.

“I am the Galactic Lunar and Deferent Orbital System.” the black pony responded.

Jaden smirked as he watched his companions blink innocently at the long
winded title while the dark pony let out the computerized version of a sigh.

“Or, you can call me 'GLaDOS,' like every other uninspired test subject has.” the black pony grumbled.

“Oh, good-goody! Mind if we call you Gladdy, instead?” Pinkie Pie piped up, clapping her hoofs together in joy; eliciting confused grunts from the other ponies.

“Yes, I do mind." GLaDOS flatly answered.

“Good.” Jaden retorted struggling to reign in laugher as Twilight and Trixie slowly turned
and gaped at him while GLaDOS glared. Pinkie meanwhile, was in her own little world.

“And what if we refuse?” he asked, slowly lowering his weapon.

“Oh, I don’t think you’re in a position to refuse.” GLaDOS retorted.

“What do we get if we pass all the tests?” Pinkie interrupted.

GLaDOS seemed to briefly regard Pinkie with a curious expression before speaking.

“Well… if you can survi… I mean, ‘beat the tests’ you will be rewarded with a slice of cake at the end of the trial.”

“Oh, oh, ooooh! What flavor is it?” Pinkie asked.

The black alicorn blinked a moment before responding.

“Chocolate.”

“And the toppings?” Pinkie continued.

“Strawberry.” GLaDOS answered again.

“Could you add some hot sauce to it, too?” Pinkie asked.

The dark pony was once again taken by surprise. Jaden snorted in amusement
as he and the other ponies slowly turned and stared at Pinkie incredulously.

“Hot sauce?” GLaDOS repeated.

“Hot sauce is a mixture containing a variety of concentrated doses of spices and liquids, usually added to meat by-products in order to give taste-buds an unpleasant experience. Adding such an ingredient to a dairy product would be an unappealing idea to most.”

“Ooooh, but it’s so-o-o-o GOOD!” Pinkie responded.

Over the sound of Trixie’s sickened gasp, Jaden cast a glance at Twilight.
Twilight merely sighed, rolled her eyes, and shook her head in reply.

“Fine; but only AFTER you live through my tests. In the next room you’ll find all the necessary items you’ll need. Don’t disappoint me.” GLaDOS replied before the screen went dark.

As Pinkie bounced happily in place, Jaden noticed that Twilight appeared to be staring at
the monitor in bewilderment. Her lips were moving as if speaking yet nothing came out.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nightmare Moon? Why did she choose to appear as Nightmare Moon?” Twilight murmured.

Jaden shrugged as the group entered the nearby doorway. Unlike the previous rooms they’d passed through, this one showed no signs of damage. Strong lighting illuminated a large round room with pristine walls and floors. On the room’s far side were two additional doors. In the center Jaden could see a collection of objects lying on the floor. Moving closer, he could see several pairs of strange looking high boots and several other objects.

The boots looked somewhat like high-heeled shoes and had a long curved metal piece at the end that ran along the bottom of each boot. There were four pairs of the boots, enough for each of them. In addition to the boots there was what looked like a pair of white and black circular devices, which had three long prongs on the end. On closer inspection, the devices resembled the ASHPD from Portal 2, only smaller and had straps on the side, obviously meant to attach to a pony’s foreleg.

A larger version of the strange device appeared to be attached to a glove of some kind. The glove itself resembled an old school power glove. Jaden cocked an eyebrow at the setup as he noticed two fin-like triggers that curved around the ASHPD device but didn’t hinder the user from manipulating other objects while wearing the glove. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden smirked as he saw Twilight carefully scrutinizing a nearby box. Trixie and Pinkie meanwhile, were looking around the room in awe.

“I never thought I’d see an actual ASHPD.” Jaden remarked.

“What in Equestria does that stand for? It's an acronym… right?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. It stands for Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Basically it’s a device
that can generate a pair of portals that can be used to travel to different places.” Jaden explained.

The ponies turned and stared blankly at him.

“That doesn’t seem possible.” Twilight said shaking her head.

“Well, much of this technology is based on that game I was telling you about. Besides, it’s not often you find yourself in a mock-up
of where you live. Considering this isn’t the Aperture Science facility, I wonder what that does to the acronym.” Jaden replied.

Jaden really had to fight back laugher as Twilight stared incredulously at him while Pinkie suddenly became interested in studying the boots. Trixie meanwhile, groaned and rolled her eyes.

“What do these do?” Pinkie asked.

“Those are called Long Fall Boots; they’re like armor for your feet. Basically, they protect the wearer
from impact related damage from high falls. Not sure how it all works though.” Jaden answered.

Excluding Pinkie, who had a strange smile on her face, the ponies stared dubiously at him.

“There is no way that can be possible!” Twilight chastised shaking her head.

Jaden smirked as he set his rifle down and put on the glove. He then changed out of his sneakers and into a pair of the boots; putting the sneakers in his bag before helping the ponies into the remaining pairs of the boots. His smirk grew as he watched Twilight and Trixie stumble around as they adjusted to walking in the boots. Curiously, Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to have much difficulty with them at all.

“Well, we can go back to the last room and test their durability if you want.” he said.

“Trixie will pass on that idea.” Trixie snapped.

“Fine; be that way fun hater.” Jaden retorted, eliciting a snicker from Pinkie.

Trixie squealed angrily at the reply while Twilight planted her face in a hoof and uttered a long suffering sigh. Moments later, the mauve colored unicorn slid her right foreleg into one of the smaller portal guns. Jaden quietly stuffed the remaining portal gun into his bag before strapping it back on and collecting his weapon, making sure the safety was set.

“Ok, two doors… I guess that means we’re splitting up.” he said.

The ponies murmured in agreement.

“Oh, the ASHPD works on most flat surfaces but other objects such as the beveled
metal panels on the ceiling above us won’t hold them.” Jaden explained quickly.

He then turned to his right and activated the left trigger. In response a beam of light shot out of the device with a sharp recoil. Moments later, a white-centered oval with red, orange, and yellow around the edges – the ‘warm’ colored one – appeared on the right wall. Over a chorus of startled squeals, Jaden repeated the process on the opposite wall; generating another white-centered oval with blue, green, and purple around the edges – the ‘cool’ colored one – this time.

“The device also has quite a kick… so watch out.” he warned.

Twilight murmured an affirmation as the ponies stared through the portals in awe.

“So, who wants to go where?” Jaden asked.

“I think I’ll try the door on the left.” Twilight replied, tearing her gaze away from the portals.

“I’ll go with Twilight.” Pinkie piped up.

“That just leaves me and Trixie with the other route.” Jaden remarked, earning murmurs
of agreement from Twilight and Pinkie; and an aggravated groan from the showmare.

As they approached, both sets of doors opened on their own. The group exchanged glances.

“Let’s just hope that puzzle piece we need is actually down here.” Jaden said.

“Take care.” Twilight replied.

With a nod, Jaden stepped through the doorway on the right.

Chapter 9

Jaden awoke with a start.

Gasping, he sat up and glanced around the cavernous basement trying to figure out what had awakened him from a sound sleep and noticing that nothing appeared out of place. He also couldn’t help wondering how long he’d been out. Although the rest had helped, he didn’t feel particularly refreshed. Unsurprisingly, every part of his body was sore and stiff as he slowly climbed to his feet. Rapidly jogging in place to relieve the stiffness in his legs, Jaden recalled the events in his mind about how they’d ended up where they were. He couldn’t help wondering why their stalker hadn’t come to finish them off while they slept.

A soft groan nearby announced that Rainbow Dash was slowly beginning to stir. Turning, he watched as she slowly sat up.

“Hey, Dash… you look just like I feel.” he greeted.

The pegasus grumbled something unintelligible before yawning loudly.

“Where are we?” she groaned groggily while clambering to her hooves.

“Still in the basement. Seems your new boyfriend got too distracted to come snoggin’ with ya.” Jaden replied.

The pegasus stared dubiously at him for a moment before rolling her eyes as she spoke.

“Thanks, Pinkie Pie.”

Jaden chuckled as he collected his gear and switched on his rifle’s flashlight; getting a better view of their surroundings.

“You wouldn’t think something that big could move so fast.” he murmured; panning his light around the area.

Rainbow Dash grumbled something in reply. She then raised a hoof to her face and grunted as she found herself caught in the bright beam. Jaden quickly apologized and redirected the beam as they began to navigate the cavernous chamber. Minutes passed before the pair discovered a sealed hatch not far from where they had been sleeping. Exchanging glances, Jaden activated a nearby control panel and the door opened to reveal another dimly lit utility passageway.

The lighting in the passageway however, was brighter than their current location. It also stretched for a considerable distance and reminded Jaden of all the sci-fi and horror movies he’d seen with his cousin. Exchanging glances once again, Jaden murmured an affirmation and hefted his rifle; leading the way as they began walking. Minutes later, the pair reached the end of the passage and entered another industrialized area.

Jaden grinned as he watched Rainbow Dash gawk at their new surroundings.

“Is this what you guys saw when you went deeper into the old ruins?” she asked.

“Yeah. Kinda hard to imagine this is all connected, huh?” Jaden replied.

“Mm-hm.” she nodded.

Silently, the pair began walking down a nearby catwalk. Half an hour later, they reached another round metal door similar to the ones leading into test chambers. As they approached, the door opened with a hiss, revealing another ante-chamber similar to the ones he’d initially passed through during his introduction to testing. Exchanging glances once again, the pair entered the ante-chamber and continued on. A short time later, they reached another door that opened ahead of them.

As they entered the test chamber Jaden discovered that it was less of a room and more of an arena. They’d entered on an upraised platform. Portal-sticking walls, most of which were too corroded to hold a portal, sat at ground level around them. On the wall to their left was a large hole surrounded by black metal. It looked more like a receptor for something instead of a button or trigger. Past the edge of the platform was a large pit, from which Jaden could hear the sloshing of liquid.

Jaden looked on amused as Rainbow Dash gazed cautiously over the platforms’ edge.
Moments later, she glanced back at him with a disturbed expression on her face.

From what he could tell, the acid seemed to cover most of the chamber’s floor.

Across the pit was another small platform, holding portal-sticking walls as well. At the edge by the pit was another pole button. Along the back wall was another black receptor hole, similar to the one on the wall to their left. Looking up, Jaden noticed a funnel suspended above the pit between the two platforms. A row of orange lights led from somewhere else in the room to the button-on-a-pole on the opposite side.

Letting his gaze drift to the right, Jaden saw more of the room. A grated walkway stretched out across a broad corridor. On the opposite side of the corridor, adjacent to the walkway, seemed to be another, sturdier walkway. He was hardly surprised to see the tailtell laser beams of at least half a dozen turrets coming from that particular walkway. Curiously, the platform the turrets resided on was also constructed of portal-sticking panels and had another button-on-a-pole near the far side.

On their platform, to the right of the turrets and partitioned by a panel of glass that didn't quite reach all the way to the edge, sat a small cube. The cube was metal, but it had round glass panels on each of its sides, like a magnifying glass had been cubed. The side that faced forward had two embossed circles, like a target. Jaden easily recognized what the cube did. Looking past the walkway, Jaden saw two more platforms on the far wall. Most of the platform with the cube appeared to be a grated walkway in that section.

On the distant platform was a large floor button (which had a path of orange squares leading to a round metal door on an adjacent platform), and another funnel. It appeared the pole button on the platform adjacent to them activated the funnel on the distant platform. What looked suspiciously like a large laser was mounted, amid the muck, on a small dais between the exit and funnel platforms on the far wall and was aimed at the ceiling. A different row of orange lights connected the large receptor hole on the back wall with the funnel adjacent to them.

Another row of orange lights connected the button-on-a-pole on the turret platform with the laser. As he traced the orange lines in the room, both with his eyes and mentally, Jaden began to realize how this particular chamber worked. He couldn’t help but be amused as Rainbow Dash continued to gawk at her surroundings.

“So, what now?” she asked.

“Well, the only way out of here is through.” Jaden replied.

“Don’t worry, this is an easy puzzle.” he continued.

“It is?”

Jaden smiled and nodded in reply.

After a moment of thought, Rainbow Dash glanced down at the faith plate in front of her.

“What does this thing do?” she asked.

“Try it.”

After a moment of hesitation, Rainbow Dash triggered the panel with her front hoof. Seconds later, the panel shot up underneath the pegasus, launching her through the air and giving her a nasty slap on the flank in the process. Jaden laughed as she slammed rather ungracefully against the wall of the nearby platform; sinking to the floor with a groan. Moments later, Rainbow Dash picked herself up off the floor, shaking the lights out of her eyes, and glared at him.

“That wasn’t very nice.” she snapped.

Jaden merely grinned and shrugged in reply as the pegasus flew back over to him.

Moments later, Rainbow Dash spotted the turret’s lasers.

“What are those?” she asked.

“Those are turrets… and they will shoot you if you pass in front of those red beams.” Jaden replied.

Rainbow Dash murmured in comprehension.

“I probably should just shoot them… but, why not have a little fun with ‘em instead.” he continued.

Rainbow Dash cast him a curious glance.

“I’ll need you to go back and press the button on the platform you were just on when I tell you to ok?” Jaden replied.

Rainbow Dash nodded.

“But before we get started with that…” Jaden murmured.

He then aimed at a spot on the floor between them and fired a warm portal at it. The portal connected and Jaden carefully lined up a shot with his portal gun at the metal cube. He fired a cool portal in its direction and seconds later the cube was hurling through the air in front of them. Jaden caught the cube as it began to drop and quickly set it aside; gaining a curious glance from the pegasus beside him.

“We’ll need this later.” he explained.

He then aimed at a spot on the floor beneath the funnel and fired a cool portal at it. The portal connected and Jaden quickly hopped through. After getting his barring, Jaden stepped away from the portal and aimed at a spot on the wall behind the turrets. He fired a warm portal at it and the portal connected. Turning, he then addressed the anxiously waiting pegasus.

“Ok, press the button.”

Nodding, Rainbow Dash quickly approached and activated the appropriate button. Seconds later, a blue colored gelatinous substance began to flow out of the funnel beside him and passed through the portals; coating the nearest turrets and making them shriek and discharge their weapons as they began bouncing around uncontrollably. Jaden adjusted the warm portal across the wall, making sure to tag each of the offending turrets as he did so.

“Hey, I think we’ve got swimmers.” he laughed as a couple of the turrets bounced off the platform and into the toxic goo below.

Rainbow Dash meanwhile, clutched her chest with her forehooves while hovering, laughed hysterically at the sight.

“As you can see the repulsion gel has very special properties. It’s how all us nonfliers are able
to reach really high places without assistance.” Jaden explained to the still snickering pegasus.

Rainbow Dash cocked an eyebrow at him while continuing to giggle.

“Just remember, in test chambers blue goo makes you bounce, orange goo makes you
move really fast, and white goo is used to place portals on any surface.” he continued.

It was a few minutes before Rainbow Dash finally recovered enough and flew over to him.

“So, what’s next?” she asked.

“Well, I’ll need you to go back and press the button on the turret platform so we can activate the big laser.” Jaden replied, aiming at a spot on the ceiling above the laser and firing a warm portal at it.

The portal connected.

“Ok.” Rainbow Dash said; taking to the air once more and approaching and triggering the appropriate button.

A red stream of light shot from the laser to the ceiling, but the grated walkway also sank into the murky and foul-smelling liquid below. The loud ticking of a timer echoed through the room, and Jaden instinctively counted off ten seconds. After that, the laser stopped and the walkway moved back up, resetting everything. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

“What now?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Push the button again will ya?” Jaden answered.

The pegasus uttered a long suffering sigh before complying. Jaden meanwhile, fired a cool portal at the wall beside the laser. Seconds later, the laser roared to life and the timer started ticking. Jaden then began adjusting the cool portal across the wall until it connected with the adjacent receptor on the far wall. This in turn activated the funnel near the faith plate.

“Ok, Dashie would you kindly fetch one of those cubes from the funnel for the floor button over here?” Jaden called out.

“I’m on it!” Rainbow Dash replied before darting off.

Moments later, the pegasus yelped in surprise as she watched in horror as the metal cube burned away in the acid.

“Oooookay... definitely not going swimming anytime soon.” she remarked.

Jaden nodded and murmured in reply.

Rainbow Dash easily caught the next cube to fall before the laser died and quickly
placed it in the indicated location. She then cast Jaden another curious glance.

“Alright, this time would you kindly use that funky metal cube to redirect the
laser so it triggers the other receptor after you’ve turned it back on?” Jaden asked.

Nodding, Rainbow Dash darted over and pressed the button for the laser. As the beam passed through the portals, Jaden watched the pegasus fly over and reposition the indicated cube. Seconds later, Jaden grinned as Rainbow Dash cheered and flew over to him when the nearby exit door opened. He was a bit surprised however when the mare lifted him into the air and through the doorway; setting him down quickly before it closed.

As the doorway closed, Jaden turned to the pegasus standing beside him.

“Thanks.” he said.

“No problem.”

Moments later, Rainbow Dash cocked her head to the side; a thoughtful look crossing her face as they began walking down another bland ante-chamber hallway.

“Well, that was interesting.” she remarked.

“My dear, welcome to testing.” Jaden replied with a grin.

Five minutes later, the pair exited the hallway and entered another industrialized area. Unlike other industrialized area’s he’d seen, this one reminded Jaden of a boiler room. This area appeared more enclosed as all around them pipes, tanks, and other assorted equipment lined the cavernous room. Letting his gaze drift, Jaden spotted pistons of various sizes all over the place.

The pair had come out onto a grated walkway that stretched along the length of the room, weaving its way around many of the other objects. Taking the lead, Jaden stepped forward and began making his way across the walkway. Behind him, Jaden could hear Rainbow Dash continuing to gawk at their new surroundings. As they walked, Jaden couldn’t shake the sudden inexplicable feeling of unease that enveloped him. Glancing around, he didn’t see anything out of place.

“Wait.” he warned.

“What’s up?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Something's not right.” Jaden replied.

Rainbow Dash murmured softly while gazing around the room restless.

Holding up a hand to warn Dash not to follow, Jaden pulled out a large tactical knife attached to his vest and cautiously stepped forward. As he pressed on, Jaden’s instincts told him to move quickly due to immediate danger. His instincts hadn’t failed him yet, so Jaden naturally dived toward the ground; rolling into a defensive crouch as he did so. At the same time, he felt a swift breeze as something dropped from above; Rainbow Dash yelping in surprise at this.

As he rose to his feet and turned toward their attacker, Jaden saw what resembled another pony standing between him and Dash. Curiously, the creature bore a striking resemblance to Tess, except it was bonier and had a sickly pale color. Looking on, Jaden could see various patches of flesh that had been stripped away, revealing what looked like metallic bones underneath. He noted the flesh surrounding the pony’s left eye had also been stripped away, revealing the mechanical eye behind it; a red glow coming from within its center. The pony was also missing its right wing.

Strapped to the pony’s right foreleg was a long, sharp, retractable blade of some kind. Jaden couldn’t help comparing their attacker to another famous monster created for a James Cameron movie; wondering how that was even possible to begin with. He also wasn’t sure if Tess had a similar blade or not.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to play with sharp pointy objects? You could put someone’s eye out with that thing.” Jaden remarked.

The pony didn’t reply.

Jaden found himself at a considerable disadvantage as his opponent suddenly lunged at him with its much longer blade. He was also very grateful for the weapons training his uncle had given him. As they fought along its length, Jaden soon discovered that the grated walkway wasn’t a single continuous path. Rather, it was comprised of a series of walkways set up at different heights.

Flying above, Dash called out a warning about the first drop-off point.

Jaden was grateful for the warning as he reached the edge of the platform and was forced to backflip to the next walkway as his opponent retracted its blade and somersaulted after him. Upon landing, Jaden watched his adversary turn and extended its blade before charging him again. He had to give the thing credit for being persistent. The grated walkway they were now on was also much smaller; more like a platform than anything else.

Letting his gaze drift briefly, Jaden noted that a final grated walkway was no more than 10 yards away from them. He soon felt overwhelmed as the creature lunged at him again. Working its way under his guard, the creature managed to knock him off the current platform and onto the final walkway. Jaden landed with a grunt, losing his knife in the process as his opponent leaped after him.

Letting his gaze drift briefly, Jaden noticed a chasm between his platform and the apparent exit located on another grated walkway on the other side of the room. He could also see a group of pistons, each roughly two feet in diameter, continuously striking a portable wall nearby. The plan for taking care of their new acquaintance came together in an instant but Jaden was unable to immediately put it into action as his opponent lunged at him and tried to impale him once more. It was all he could do to hold the creature off without a weapon. Fortunately, the portal device made an impromptu shield.

It certainly helped that Dash was shouting and hurling whatever she could grab a hold of at their attacker. Moments later, she got lucky and managed to distract the beast long enough for Jaden to raise and correctly aim his portal device in order to implement his plan. He quickly fired a warm portal at the wall to his left and a cool portal at the spot where the pistons were impacting. Both portals connected.

“Hope you get frequent flier miles.” Jaden snapped as a piston traveled through the portals and struck the pony on top of him; hurling it into the void beyond.

“Are you ok?” Dash asked.

Jaden nodded as he sat up and caught his breath.

Rainbow Dash meanwhile, flew over to the exit and waited for him.

Once he’d sufficiently recovered, Jaden repositioned the cool portal onto the wall beside Dash and recovered his knife before crossing over to her platform. The pair then passed through the doorway. Moments later, they came to a stop in another cavernous basement. Jaden and Dash exchanged glances.

“How’d you know that thing would do that?” she asked.

"What thing?"

“You know, the thing that came out of the wall and sent that freak tumbling into a hole.” Dash elaborated.

“Oh, that thing.” Jaden replied, trying hard not to laugh.

“Why darling, it’s all quite elementary really. For you see, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.” he continued while imitating a certain fashionista pony they both knew.

At the same time, he rubbed the mare’s cheek; creeping the pegasus out.

"Oooookay... somepony’s been in the boutique a little too long and needs to come out for fresh air." Dash muttered, vigorously rubbing the cheek with a hoof.

"Bah, you're no fun." Jaden retorted, still in character.

Moments later, the pair burst out laughing. For her part, Rainbow Dash fell onto her back in utter hysterics.

“Rarity’ll probably kill us if she ever finds out.” Jaden giggled.

“She’ll kill you… but oh, the look on her face would be too perfect!” Dash chortled, before falling into another round of helpless laughter.

Once they had composed themselves, the pair made their way over to a nearby stair case and quickly ascended it. They came out in what Jaden thought was a diner or bar of some kind and quickly made their way to the nearest exit. Out on the street, Jaden looked around and didn’t see anything moving. He did notice however, that they were much closer to the castle then they had been previously.

“So, what now?” Dash asked.

“Let’s try that way.” Jaden replied, pointing to a nearby road.

“Hopefully we can find the others quickly.” he continued.

Rainbow Dash nodded and the pair began walking.