The Maze

Chapter 2: The Monster

It had only been five minutes, yet Sweetie Belle’s face was already contorted into a deep scowl. Each step she took meant another stab from a thorny vine or a twig pulling at her mane, and it looked like she had many more ahead of her still. She gritted her teeth and broke off a small branch blocking her way. “Do you see her anywhere?”

“I don’t see anything.” Scootaloo struggled forward and squeezed next to Sweetie Belle. “Slow down; I don’t have a glow stick strapped to my forehead.”

“Watch it!” Sweetie Belle cried, wincing as the thorns dug into her coat now that her friend crowded her against them.

“Oh hey.” Scootaloo pointed ahead. “A crossroad.”

Sweetie Belle took a few steps forward and saw it too – the path ahead split off to the left and to the right. “Where to?”

“No ideaaactually, I think we should go to the right.”

“Why right?”

“Because...” Scootaloo furrowed her brow. “Because... I don’t know. I just feel like we should. Call it a hunch.”

“A hunch?” Sweetie Belle asked, cocking her brow.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and drew out a long, growly sigh. “Look, do you have a better plan? We can go left if you want, but it’s as good a guess as going my way.”

“Fine,” Sweetie Belle said, sighing. “Right it is. I just hope we don’t end up lost.”

“No worries. I’m good at orientation. Besides, Apple Bloom can’t be far now. Let’s go!” She waved her hoof and turned right.

———

‘A hunch’, my flank! She’s just trying to look like she knows where she’s going.

Sweetie Belle frowned and, for about the twentieth time, quickened her pace when Scootaloo told her to hurry up.

They must’ve gone through at least a dozen crossroads by then, and Scootaloo trotted through each of them without as much as a second of hesitation. Always talking about how they’re getting closer to Apple Bloom, always saying that she must be just one more crossroad ahead.

“I’m coming!” Sweetie Belle said, groaning as she saw yet another junction. “Are you sure this is the way Apple Bloom went? You said she just wanted to check something near the clearing. We’ve been walking for nearly half an hour!”

Scootaloo’s face split into a grin. “What is near one minute can be far the next.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Come this way.” She turned and walked to the left.

Sweetie Belle shook her head and looked around. Whether Scootaloo was really getting those hunches – something Sweetie Belle heavily doubted by then – or just trying to look confident by storming heedlessly into the nearest opening, it hardly made a difference. The maze looked the same everywhere. It didn’t matter if they went right, left, or forward. They always ended at yet another crossroad, lined by yet more trees and thorny bushes. She was pretty sure that even if they found Apple Bloom by some miracle, they wouldn’t be able to find their way back anyway.

She took a step towards Scootaloo and stopped. Not everything was the same after all, it seemed.

The bushes in the ‘wall’ to her right were much smaller than their regular counterparts, and there were bigger gaps between the trees. What was more, she thought she saw a flash of light among the branches.

“Scootaloo?”

“Yeah? What is it?” Scootaloo looked back, frowning. “The more we dawdle around, the longer it’ll take us to find Apple Bloom.”

“What’s there?” Sweetie Belle pointed at the opening.

“There?” Scootaloo waved her hoof and turned back forward. “Nothing. Just trees. Don’t go there.”

“I think I saw something.” Sweetie Belle stepped over the thorns and bushes and fought her way forward through the undergrowth. Light usually meant good news, right? Well, perhaps save for glowing water. Still, almost anything was better than more plodding through that stupid maze.

“I told you not to go there!” Scootaloo said, groaning, as she went after her.

The walk was strangely easy for Sweetie Belle – the branches blocking her path were few in number, and the bushes she stomped over were small and sickly, their thorns about as sharp as the edge of a butter knife. Nice change.

Scootaloo, on the other hoof, wasn’t so fortunate. The way she chose, while being the shortest, was full of protruding roots, bushes extending their pointy twigs from every direction, vines hanging from the branches, forming entire drapes in front of her… For every step she took, Sweetie Belle made four.

“It’s getting brighter. I think I see... Wow.” Sweetie Belle passed the treeline and gaped.

She stood in front of a marble building, at least ten meters high, that was etched from top to bottom with enormous crystals and gems. The jewels shone as bright as the sun, producing coloured light like some sort of rainbow factory and bathing Sweetie Belle and her surroundings in a multitude of hues. A small, stone path led to the structure’s door, lined by pools of crystal-clear water on each side.

“Don’t go there, Sweetie Belle!”

Sweetie Belle turned around and saw Scootaloo entangled in the vines like a mummy. “Why not? It sure beats trudging aimlessly through the forest. Plus, maybe we’ll find something that’ll tell us more about this place.” She trotted onto the path with a smile.

Upon closer inspection, what she took for a doorway turned out to be one of the many carved ornaments, and the structure seemed to be just an enormous, decorated boulder. Rather disappointing. There was, however, something protruding from it.

“Don’t touch it!” Scootaloo had finally managed to rip herself from the treacherous foliage and stood at the beginning of the path, pacing on its edge.

The protrusion was a small, round, brown box made of some metal. Nothing too special about it, apart from the fact it was stuck inside a stone slab that was part of a strange structure inside a mysterious maze that was hidden under an ancient ruin.

Sweetie Belle tapped on it. “It doesn’t do anything.”

“Great. Come back now!”

“I’ll try taking it. Maybe there’s something inside.” Sweetie Belle put her hooves on its sides and pulled. It slid out with ease. “Oh hey. It’s pretty sma—”

The ground rumbled.

“Come back! Run!”

“O-okay.” Sweetie Belle shoved the box into her mane – not the most secure of places, but it had to do, seeing how she had nowhere else to put it – and ran onto the walkway.

The ground rumbled again, and the entire structure leaned to its side. The bottoms of the pools cracked open, and the ground around the path began to crumble. Then, with a deafening crack, the structure collapsed into itself, revealing the opening maw of an enormous chasm.

“Hurry up!”

The tremors made Sweetie Belle stumble. “I’m trying!” She sped forward, the stones behind her falling down one after another. Her hocks were already hovering over the abyss underneath, and she was barely halfway.

She forced herself to move faster but kept only centimetres ahead. It was as if the path had quadrupled in length. “I... I can’t... I...”

“Just hurry up!” Scootaloo jumped up and down, her wings buzzing, and waved at Sweetie Belle to come closer. “Faster! Come on!”

Scootaloo seemed a bit nearer, but the stones then started crumbling right from under Sweetie Belle’s back hooves. She was jumping from the already falling boulders onto the more stable ones.

“Help me!” She stared at the crumbling path ahead, every glimpse of the darkness underneath sending a shiver down her spine. Did those stones just start falling faster? She looked back up.

“I don’t know how to help you!” Scootaloo glanced in between Sweetie Belle and the road’s remains. “You have to jump!”

Sweetie Belle was only a decent leap away from safety now, and her hind legs propelled her with all the strength she could muster. She flew through the air, the path under her crumbling entirely, and extended her hooves towards her friend.

Time slowed down. She saw Scootaloo reach towards her, their hooves mere inches apart, and stretched her forelegs as far as she could. Scootaloo was nearing, but so was the abyss underneath. With one final jerk, Sweetie Belle strained her sinews to their maximum and gained a few more millimeters.

It wasn’t enough.

Nononononono!

Her pupils dilated as the darkness filled her vision, and she squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on her horn. If she could just levitate herself…

Green aura surrounded both of her front legs. The falling ended with a painful yank.

“Huh?” She opened her eyes on a crack – she wasn’t falling anymore. “It... it worked? It actually—”

“How about you stop admiring the view and climb up?” Scootaloo asked, dangling from the ledge above with one hoof and holding Sweetie with the other.

“Scootaloo?”

“Sorry to rush you, but...” She clenched her teeth. “I won’t last much longer if you don’t help!”

Sweetie Belle nodded, grabbed at Scootaloo’s coat with her other hoof, and started climbing up. It took a few minutes, but after a plethora of curses – from Scootaloo – and apologies – from Sweetie Belle – she finally rolled onto the firm ground and pulled her friend up.

“How... How were...” Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and wiped sweat from her forehead. “How were you so quick?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and looked away, dusting off her coat. “I’m always quick.”

“But you were still standing on the ledge when I started falling; it’s impo—”

“I told you not to touch that box!”

Sweetie Belle blinked. “The box!” Her hoof sprung towards her mane. “It’s still there.” She smiled and pulled it out.

“Do you have any idea how lucky you—”

“Oh look. It’s not a box!” Sweetie Belle flipped it around, showing a red magnetic needle and earning another glare from Scootaloo. “It’s a compass!” She lifted it to her eyes. “I think. Maybe. It’s weird.”

“Are you even listening to me?”

“I think it’s broken.”

Scootaloo groaned and stood up. “I’ll try to find a path back.”

“The needle just keeps spin— Wait up!”

Scootaloo spun around, scowling. “Why? It didn’t look like you needed my help finding the way here. I’m sure you know the best way back too!”

“Sorry for not listening,” Sweetie Belle said, bowing her head. “But... it worked out in the end, right?”

“Yeah, because nearly falling to your death was totally worth it.” Scootaloo shook her head. “Next time, just do as I say, okay?”

“Okay.” Sweetie Belle’s ears drooped as she followed Scootaloo back to the crossroad.

“The needle just won’t stop spinning,” she said as they got back onto the path. “How am I supposed to do anything with it?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I guess you just risked your life for useless trash.”

“I guess...” Sweetie Belle frowned and put the compass back in her mane, wrapping a strand of hair around it. “I hoped it could help us with finding Apple Bloom. No luck, it seems.”

“Yep. Rubbish,” Scootaloo said, turning her muzzle up and away from Sweetie Belle.

“Oh, come on! I’m sorry, alright? Stop being mad at me.”

Scootaloo sighed and her mouth broke into a small smile. “It was getting hard being angry at you anyway. Just stick to me and don’t wander off like before, and we’ll find Apple Bloom in no time. But when I tell you to do something, you do it. Okay?”

Sweetie Belle nodded and pressed on through the overgrown passages. It wasn’t like she was planning on getting off-path again; not after this disaster.

For a while, the only sound was of their hooves thudding against the ground and of dead branches rustling in the wind.

“Hey, Scootaloo?”

“Yeah?” Scootaloo peered ahead, pushing a stray branch out of the way.

“You said you just have a hunch that Apple Bloom is this way, right?”

“So?”

“It’s just that...” Sweetie Belle bit her lip. “Having a hunch once or twice is normal, but we’ve turned dozens of times and... well... it isn’t normal. Are you sure this is the right way?”

“Not normal, huh?” Scootaloo grinned. “Let’s just say it’s a bit more than just a hunch.”

“What is it then?”

“It’s like… Like every time we get to a crossroad, I just know which way to go. No idea why; I just do. But hey, if it tells us how to get through...”

“I... suppose we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

“Exactly!” Scootaloo turned back to scanning the path ahead.

Sweetie Belle scratched her head. “How will we get out of the maze once we find Apple Bloom? Will you get these hunches again?”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “How in Equestria would I know something like that? I don’t have a map on me; it’s just a feeling that comes and goes.”

“Then how do you know we’re going to Apple Bloom and not towards some horrible monster?”

Scootaloo stiffened mid-step. “I... Well... I mean I... Gah!” She scowled at her. “I don’t know, okay? But if you’ve got a better plan, just go ahead and lead instead!”

Sweetie Belle’s ears folded back. “Sorry I asked.”

Scootaloo shook her head and turned towards her. “I’m just tired of you constantly doubting me! We shouldn’t go inside the ruin, I don’t think we should follow the light, there’s gotta be a better way than that, I think we should go off the path and nearly get killed because of a broken compass...” She jabbed her hoof into Sweetie Belle’s chest. “I’m not perfect, okay? But at least I do more than just whine, complain, and put us in danger!”

Sweetie Belle recoiled. “That’s not fair... I helped you with the water thing.”

“And I helped you when you nearly fell to your death! And what did you do? You complained that it was ‘impossible’. Well, sorry for catching you!”

Sweetie Belle took a step back. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I... I just...!” Scootaloo groaned and kicked a nearby root.

“Look, I’m sorry if I...”

Scootaloo shook her head again. “It’s fine.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” Scootaloo took a deep breath. “Sorry. It’s just this whole situation. We’re lost, Apple Bloom is who knows where, creepy stuff happens all the time, you nearly fell down into a bottomless pit... I thought adventuring was going to be be more fun.”

“Nothing that bad happened so far.” Sweetie Belle smiled and moved next to her. “We’ll just find Apple Bloom and walk out. And who knows, we might yet get our cutie marks at the end of this.”

Scootaloo looked her in the eyes. “You really think so?”

“Sure!” Sweetie Belle grinned and trotted onwards. “I mean, if this isn’t a proper adventure, then I don’t know what is. We’ve just got to press on. Apple Bloom could be right behind the next corner.”

Scootaloo took another deep breath and followed. “You’re right. She’s gotta be somewhere. We’ll find her.”

“Exactly! There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s just an empty old ruhmph!”

Scootaloo leapt next to her and stuck her hoof inside Sweetie Belle’s mouth.

Sweetie Belle spat it out. “Scootaloo, what the hmph!”

“Shhh!” Scootaloo scanned their surroundings, and slowly released Sweetie Belle’s mouth. “Alright,” she whispered. “Do you see that hole in the ‘wall’ there?”

Sweetie Belle squinted ahead. There really was a place about twenty steps ahead that had no trees or bushes on the path’s left side. Some sort of faint light seemed to come out of there.

“We’ve got to sneak past that quickly and quietly. Don’t ask why; we just do. This is the strongest ‘hunch’ I’ve had so far. And turn off your horn. Clear?”

Sweetie Belle nodded.

“Good. And remember – not a peep!” Scootaloo pressed herself lower and skulked forward, checking the ground with her front hoof and clearing it of any twigs before stepping on it.

Sweetie Belle’s light died, and she, with a raised brow and far lesser thoroughness, followed her friend’s lead.

The hole quickly neared, and Scootaloo’s movements grew more and more tense. When she reached the wall opening, she picked up the pace but remained quiet, accelerating to a trot and slowing down only after she was on the far side of the opening.

Sweetie Belle continued just as before, slowly pushing away anything from under her hooves. She was about halfway across when she finally got a good look at what got Scootaloo so upset. She stiffened in an instant.

The sky above was pitch-black and star-less, and the only light came from some fluorescent flowers that bathed both the hole and the clearing behind it in their bluish glow. However, that wasn’t what caught Sweetie Belle’s attention.

In the middle of the opening, showing Sweetie Belle her back, stood a white-coated mare with purple and curly mane and tail.

“Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked in a trembling voice. What was she doing here?

Scootaloo facehoofed. “I said sneak!” she shouted in a whisper. “Speaking is the exact opposite of that!”

Sweetie Belle glanced Scootaloo’s way before turning back to the mare. “But... it’s my sister.”

The mare began turning around. It definitely wasn’t her sister. Instead of the beautiful blue eyes Rarity had, this... creature stared at Sweetie Belle with two pupil-less, onyx orbs. And while her mouth looked exactly like her sister’s, it was sewn shut.

“What have you done?” Scootaloo said, this time without whispering.

“But... But...” Sweetie Belle couldn’t force herself to look away from those eyes. They were like magnets, pulling her pupils towards themselves.

The mare didn’t move a muscle. She just stood there. Yet somehow, she was getting nearer. It was as if the ground in between them compressed itself to shorten the distance.

Sweetie Belle knew she should run away, but… a second or two longer wouldn’t hurt anypony, right?
Something grabbed Sweetie Belle by the head and forced her to turn away. Her eyes refocused, and she found herself staring at Scootaloo’s reddened face. “We’ve. Got to. Run!” Scootaloo took her hoof and started dragging her away.

“S–sure.” Sweetie Belle’s legs slowly began to move again, stiff as if she sat on them for too long. She shook her head and, in a moment, galloped right after her friend. “Whatever you do, don’t look her in the eyes!”

“I figured!”

They skidded around the next corner and ran as fast as their legs would allow.

“Did we lose her?” Sweetie Belle asked, risking a quick peek behind. The mare stood in the middle of the path, unmoving, yet the distance in between them kept shortening anyway, like somepony zoomed her in a camera’s objective. “No, we didn’t!”

“Alright,” Scootaloo said as they pressed through a particularly narrow part of the path. “I’m going to lure her away; you continue straight ahead. That’s where I think Apple Bloom is.”

“Wait, what?” Sweetie Belle’s eyes widened. “You can’t! She’ll—”

“Just run straight ahead, no matter what. I’ll find you later!” Scootaloo skidded to a halt.

“But—” Sweetie Belle slowed down.

“Run!”

She shivered and quickened her gallop.

The mare got closer and closer to Scootaloo, until she was right next to her. The scene was getting darker as Sweetie Belle got further, but the mare’s white coat shone enough for her to see how the monster turned towards Scootaloo. What happened next was anypony’s guess.

Sweetie Belle maintained the pace and sniffed. How could this be happening? Why was she even here? She should be heading to Sugarcube Corner at around this time, getting a milkshake and maybe a cupcake with her friends.

Instead, her stomach grumbled, her coat was torn by the ever-present thorns, and she must’ve looked like she had been camping in the wilderness for the last week without access to any sort of bath. Not to mention the Rarity-like monster that chased her for who knows what reason was just about to... do something to one of her best friends.

She mentally slapped herself. Scootaloo was fine! She had to be. Now wasn’t the time for what-ifs. Now she had to focus on important things, like...

Like figuring out where to go next.

She slowed to a trot as she approached another crossroad.

She said straight ahead. Straight ahead…

Sweetie Belle trotted in place and bit her lip as she looked from one path of the Y-shaped junction to another. Both roads seemed wider and more comfortable to trot on than the ones she braved before, but neither told Sweetie Belle what lay beyond. If she didn’t pick one soon, the mare could catch up to her. Assuming she was still chasing her, of course. Then again, for how long could Scootaloo possibly hold her up? Just one stare was enough to—

Sweetie Belle mentally slapped herself again. She had to figure out which way to go and fast! Or maybe it didn’t matter; maybe all that mattered was for her to just run somewhere away.

She thought she heard a stick crack behind her and spun around, the compass flying out of her mane. There was nothing there but the usual trees and bushes. Then again, her light didn’t reach far; who knew what hid in the shadows?

Okay. Okay. I need to calm down. Calm down, Sweetie Belle...

She bent over for the compass.

I really ought to put it somewhere better than my mane.

She was just about to tuck it back in, when her hoof froze. The magnetic needle wasn’t spinning anymore. In fact, it was clearly pointing at the path to the right.

Without a second to ponder it, Sweetie Belle scooped it up and galloped in that direction.

The crossroad had already vanished from her view by the time she dared to look back. The mare was nowhere in sight. Perhaps she should wait for Scootaloo, after all? She could be hurt and in need of help, or maybe she escaped and was stumbling towards Sweetie Belle, silently begging her to slow down...

She shuddered. If she waited and it was that monster, not Scootaloo, who came out of the dark, then—“Ooof!”

Sweetie Belle smashed into something, knocking the air out of her lungs, and fell on her rump.

“Sweetie Belle?” the object said in an all too familiar voice.

“Uh...” Sweetie Belle shook her head. “Apple Bloom?”