It had been three months since Chrysalis held the investors meeting where she’d introduced the infrastructure plan, itself just the start of her plan to further expand her presence within the city. It had taken a few more meetings, mainly with city officials and other participating and interested parties, but now the details had been ironed out. Onyx Enterprises would be paid not only for proper steel, but materials to construct and restore new and old roads and architecture. The plan found its footing first in the outskirts of Canterlot, where many such structures were still in dire need of repair after Tirek’s incursion.

Chrysalis herself was far away from such work today, taking a day for herself to enjoy some of life’s pleasures that had been awarded to her for her labors. Namely, the large yacht in her personal possession, harbored in Manehattan Bay. With clear skies and plenty of sunlight, the CEO found it to be a perfect getaway for herself and as a chance to unwind. The list of people allowed to come aboard it was kept short by her preference, since anyone else outside of it would serve only to ruin her free time.

The changeling could be found out on the deck, soaking up the sun’s rays as she laid out in her sunning chair. With plenty of suntan lotion applied, she had little worry about her light skin getting burned, relishing the warmth shining down on her form. The two-piece bathing suit served to keep her decent if by a strict definition, granting her revealed, expansive cleavage as well as her thick thighs plenty of exposure to savor the sunlight. The only other cover she had was her dark sunglasses over her eyes. Her lips were affixed with a small smile, one of contentment as she savored the calm background noise of the sea as it splashed against her yacht.

“This is the good life. No boring meetings, no troublesome complaints,” Chrysalis said aloud to herself, arching her back as she stretched out on the tanning chair. Her bosom heaved before resting again when she did, her long legs curled around the other while she savored her comfortable position. “Life is good.”

“Madame Chrysalis?” An older male voice snapped her out of her bubble, making her open her eyes and look over her shoulder to her right. Standing at the top of the stairwell leading to her tanning area, a white-uniformed older man stood waiting. The telltale crooked horn poking from his forehead denoted his changeling status, but he was otherwise the picture of an aged sailor. Combed grey hair peeked out from beneath the captain’s hat he had adorned, while grey eyes peered over at the CEO with utmost respect.

“Yes? What is it, Captain Greyclaw?” she answered.

“We’ve been notified that a helicopter from Onyx Enterprises is en route to the ship. They state urgent business with you, madame.” he replied.

“What kind of business?” she questioned.

“They would not say specifics, ma’am, only that it was important to speak with you immediately. Should I tell them they are unwelcome to land?”

Chrysalis considered this for a moment, looking out towards the city beyond her ship and the water it was sailing in. Her eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses as she could make out a helicopter coming towards the ship already, steady and high in the skyline.

“Let them land. We’ll see what they want.” She told the captain, who gave a small salute before departing back for the bridge. “...Somebody better be dead.” She muttered to herself before getting up from her chair. Chrysalis considered throwing on a robe, but passed on the idea; this was her downtime, and she’d spend it how she wished to.

A brief walk to the helipad on the other end of the ship allowed her to watch as the black helicopter came to a stop above the ship, hovering briefly before lowering down to make for a stable landing. The wind gusts from the transport’s whirling blades blew her hair back behind her, but it did nothing to bother her. The side door hatch of the helicopter opened, revealing first Thorax who stepped out and straightened his suit jacket before being followed by Moore. The sight of the second man made Chrysalis frown; he wasn’t on the list of cleared visitors to the yacht when Chrysalis was on it. Only Thorax, Moondancer, and a very select few others were permitted to be here.

“This had better be important!” She called to them when the whine of the helicopter’s engines had died down enough for her to be heard. “If this is Moore’s dramatic way of resigning, I’m not impressed!”

Thorax waited until he was closer to speak up, Moore at his left side. The changeling looked to Moore and nodded at him. The grey-suited man fixed Chrysalis with a hard stare, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

“It’s the other employees of the company. An issue’s been raised enough times to warrant your attention.” He explained.

Chrysalis sighed through her nose before turning and walking away, waving her hand to get the two to follow her inside the ship to the lounge room closest to the helipad.

“So you came all this way to tell me you want a break, Moore?” Chrysalis asked from her seat. She had her back to the couch cushion, one leg crossed over the other while her arms were draped over the top of the white couch. The two men were across from her on a matching sofa, though neither adopted a relaxed pose like the CEO did. They stood out in their dark suits, compared to the room’s white and pale yellow decor. The lounge room itself was somewhat small, but suited Chrysalis’ preference for small gatherings, consisting of just the two sofas, a coffee table in the middle, and a small entertainment setup of a TV and sound system towards the back of the room. To her left was an open glass door leading out to a viewing deck, where one could look out at the sea and the lower levels of the yacht beneath, the sun shining in to light up the room.

“It’s not me who’s wanting the break, Chrysalis,” Moore replied. He kept his eyes trained on her forehead, she noted, clearly not used to seeing his boss in such casual attire. It humored her to see him pulled out of his comfort zone by a simple change of attire. “It’s the other employees, the...the grunts, you call them. Your plans might be earning us a lot of new revenue, but we’re also putting a lot of strain in managing all of it. It’s not just a matter of trading stocks; we have new contracts popping up every other day, new complaints, new twists and turns. It’s taking a toll.”

“Then they can buck up and realize they’ve become a part of a bigger industry. They’re being paid more now than they were before, are they not? Do they not have resources at their disposal to take time off if they want?” Chrysalis questioned. “They just need to strap themselves in and realize this is how things are when it comes to working for me. When I take a step forward to make this company succeed, they’re expected to march in line with me.”

“And if you take too big a step forward, your employees fall off to the sidelines and drag down the rest of the company.” Moore fired back before sighing. “Thorax, back me up here, would you?”

Chrysalis turned her stare to her fellow changeling, who had been quiet since they’d entered. At her look, he cleared his throat and sat up.

“As much as you may not like to hear it ma’am, Moore is right. I’ve been monitoring things in several departments to keep an eye on everyone and make sure we’re running smoothly. But we’re hitting speed bumps faster than I can keep track of. Yes, we’re paying everyone adequately, but the demands of the new labor are still outweighing their gains. We are dealing with a vastly larger network of clients now, and it's beginning to drag down some of our workers. The inbox on my desk of time off requests is growing each day.”

Chrysalis sighed and shook her head. “So schedule them off so they can get their little breaks and keep working?” She replied, only for Thorax to shake his head.

“That’s not going to settle things. If I just allow them to have their days off, we’d be having entire departments understaffed and overburdened for days at a time. No one wins in that scenario.” Thorax explained.

“I can’t just shut the company down for a day. This isn’t grade school where everyone gets to be lazy at home for Explorer’s Day.” She said. “This is the adult world. You work and toil, and sometimes, you’re not going to have things go the way you want. That includes working even when you don’t feel like it. You brush that chip off your shoulder and leave it off while you’re on the clock.”

“Coming from the CEO sitting in her yacht, that sounds pretty hypocritical.” Moore quipped, making Chrysalis glare at him.

“I have put more labor than anyone else into making Onyx Enterprises stand where it is. I’ve done more than enough to earn this, without having to justify it to you or anyone else, Moore.” She said. “No one, including you, would have their job if not for the work I undertook myself to get us where we are. So if I choose to indulge myself a little, I’m well within my rights.”

Thorax spoke up again then, while Moore shook his head and looked outside. “The issue, ma’am, is that the workers are feeling they have similar rights to indulge themselves. Yes, accommodating them may take up company time, but we can’t ignore the well-being of our employees. If groups of them were to suddenly quit, it could cause us far more problems in rising levels of difficulty. Let alone if one of them tries to contact one of the local unions and spouts about ‘unsuitable work conditions’.”

Chrysalis eyed Thorax before getting up from her seat, folding her arms under her chest as she walked to one side of the room. Her main instinct was to ignore these protests and carry on as things were. Workers would always complain, even about the smallest of things, just to have something to complain about. On the other hand, even if she didn’t like to admit it, Moore and Thorax’s point was reasonable in some regards. A happy worker is a more productive worker than a disgruntled one. If she allowed such discontent to pool and build within the roots of her business, it could spread to others and cause more problems. She would need to quell this before it came to such a point.

“Have there been suggestions on what these workers want?” Chrysalis asked when she turned around to face the two again. “Altered schedules? Rotated days off?”

“Both have been considered, ma’am.” Thorax answered. “However, coordinating either would take a good amount of time, leaving us still with the same issue as before, if with a far off solution. I’ve talked it over with Moore, and he suggested something that was shared between departments.”

The changeling lowered her arms, resting a hand on her hip as she regarded the other man in her employ. Moore turned his attention back to her at Thorax’s mention of his name, and nodded. “I’ve heard of other companies creating and hosting activities for their workers to boost morale and give them a break. Ways to indulge the employees without going to extremes like shutting down business for a day. You could look into a few of them, and see which ones appeal?”

“And you genuinely believe this could answer some of our workers’ issues? A celebratory event?” Chrysalis questioned.

“It seems the best route to go, ma’am. It would do better to have our employees feel acknowledged by the CEO when they voice an issue than disregarded. That might be the difference between an employee securing us a viable new client versus losing that client because they don’t feel there’s a point if there’s nothing to gain.” Thorax stated. “It couldn’t hurt to try it out.”

Chrysalis let out a slow breath. The logic of both men’s arguments for a company event was sound. Giving the workers a breath of air and allowing them a respite from their labors would invite a more positive, work-capable mindset for all involved instead of trudging on. It wouldn’t be hard to pull off, of course, but she wasn’t one to go for an easy route. A simple company picnic or such would be rather lacking on her behalf. She would want something with a little more flare, more excitement than just ‘Free food’.

“I’ll take it under consideration. For now, Moore, head back to the office and make sure things are on schedule with the new projects. If anyone comes to ask you about the matter, you may tell them you met with me and that ideas are being weighed out. When I come up with something, I’ll contact you, Thorax.” She instructed to the two men. “Now, if there’s nothing else pressing, I’d like to get back to enjoying my day off.”

Moore snorted to himself and stood up. “Yes, heaven forbid we keep you from tanning, Chrysalis. The CEO’s complexion is of utmost importance.” He remarked, making the changeling scoff and give a flick of her hair.

“When you look as good as I do, Moore, you’ll appreciate tending to one’s self.” She shot back. Chrysalis watched as Thorax gave a bow, the black-suited man following Moore out and back towards the helipad where the pilot was waiting. Once the chopper had left the yacht’s air space, Chrysalis returned to her sunning chair, only now with a mind abuzz with thoughts concerning the men’s ideas. She knew she could just ignore them and carry on with business, but her business side conceded that they had a point. Escaping from the tedious bonds of back to back labor was appreciated even by her; why else had she come to the yacht if only to make sure she could have a break from things?

“Escape...huh.” Chrysalis’ lips curled into a smirk as she hovered on the word. “Maybe this can be fun after all.”

It was a couple weeks later that revealed Chrysalis’ decision on the matter, first taking shape in the form of a raffle box that had been placed in each department for employees to write out their names and enter into the box. The details were vague on the box, stating only that employees who signed up could win an opportunity to participate in a unique and spectacular activity. Many signed on for it, and as a show of good faith, Chrysalis allowed them to see her entering her own self as well as the rest of the top staff, giving the impression of showing everyone had an equal chance to win, not just her playing favorites.

When the time came for the names to be drawn, it was then revealed that names were drawn in pairs, matching up various coworkers with whomever followed after their name when pulled. Many found it an intriguing development, moreso once Chrysalis unveiled what the particular event was they’d be participating in, and why it took so long to put it together. Only one person voiced confusion, but Chrysalis was expecting him to question things.

“An Escape Room? Where in the world did this come from?” Moore asked as he walked alongside the CEO. Chrysalis only smiled at his confusion and walked on, leading him to the waiting station where they and another pair would be participating.

“In researching company events that were quote unquote ‘fun’, the premise of an Escape Room came up very often. Enough so that I decided to give it a whirl instead of something boring like a company outing or potluck. I never do things simple, Moore, don’t you know that by now?” Chrysalis replied.

“Some would say keeping things simple keeps people happy.” He countered.

“And those people are the ones who the world has never heard of, or wants to hear from. Besides, if you were paying attention, the rest of the company looked quite taken with the idea. All we had to do was modify a few spare rooms here in the building to suit our purposes.” She said. “It might’ve been your suggestion, Moore, but my way of thinking always promises a better outcome than your...limited vision.”

“Always gotta come out on top, don’t you?” Moore said. Chrysalis smirked and glanced over at him.

“I’m always on top, Moore. Always.” She assured, turning her focus back to the waiting room where another pair was waiting. “Oh? Thorax and Moondancer? You two got this one as well?” she questioned, spotting the two side by side and talking to one another when she entered.

“Miss Chrysalis.” Thorax greeted, the red-headed woman beside him leaning over to see her also. “Yes. Me and Moon are actually fans of Room Escapes. We’ve done a few in our spare time.”

“Just for fun, of course. Nothing on company time, we promise.” Moondancer added, “Are you and Moore partnered up as well?”

Chrysalis nodded. “As luck would have it, yes. This will be my first time encountering such a thing, myself. Moore as well, going off his confusion on the idea.” She answered, looking at the pouting man.

“Honestly, what’s stopping me from ramming the door down once we’re inside? Ta-da, we escape.” He countered.

“That’s because unlike common Room Escapes, this is one that will require your intellect, not your brawn, Mr. Moore.” A new voice spoke up, drawing attention to a pair of individuals who emerged from the closed door of the newly dubbed ‘escape room’. They wore matching blue shirts and khaki shorts, the shirts emblazoned with the words “Canterlot’s No. 1 Magic Troupe!” on the front. The man who’d spoken was about Moore’s height, with blonde hair and freckles dotting his cheeks beneath his green eyes. The girl beside him bore similar colors in her hair and skin tone, but her eyes were a shining blue instead.

“We would never make a Room Escape that could be solved by simple answers. That’s half the challenge, you know!” The woman declared. “I’m Clear Mirror, and this is my brother Clouded Smoke. We’re the Smoke and Mirrors duo!”

“Honestly, we’re so glad you picked our company to assist you with this, miss Chrysalis. It really is quite a treat getting to construct so many different puzzles for your employees to enjoy working through.” Clouded Smoke stated.

Chrysalis nodded, looking at Moore. “The Smoke and Mirrors company is a respected illusion and stage theatrics company. They have an expertise with constructing elaborate Escape Rooms for anyone to enjoy. I saw some of their work, and decided to pick them to construct our event for today.”

“For which we’re very grateful. Now, concerning Mr. Moore’s question about breaking down the doors: quite simply, you can’t.” Clear explained, waving a hand at the doorway off to the far side of the room. “We remodel each room we use and refit each part of it to suit the scenario we construct. In your case, trying to break the door down will amount to being as useful as cutting a tree down with a toothpick. If you want to get out, you will have to make your way through the challenges we’ve designed for you.”

“Can you elaborate a little on what we’ll be going into?” Moondancer questioned from her seat. “Like, what sort of layout are we going to be involved in?”

“Rest assured, these challenges are not immensely demanding, physically speaking. We prefer on the challenge of the mind for our participants. If you’re clever enough to pay attention to your surroundings and what lies before you, you’ll solve the puzzles with no problem. But I will tell you this right now; nothing is ever as simple as it looks on the first glance.” Clouded answered for her.

“Sounds fairly straightforward. When can we begin?” Chrysalis asked. “And are there any other rules?”

“Just a couple, ma’am,” Clear replied, “Firstly, no magic can be used for the sake of fairness to all participants. It’d not be sporting if one were to just teleport their way through, now would it? We’ll be monitoring your progress throughout, and if we spot any infraction, we can reset you back to the start if necessary. It’s in the interest of sportsmanship, you understand.”

“Secondly, the challenge requires both participants to work together and finish together. You cannot complete the course alone, only with a partner. You will see how we mean once you’re inside.” Clouded added. “Other than that, it's merely a contest of who can complete the course in the shortest amount of time. We’ve made this one particularly fun, so we’re hoping you will enjoy it. Would anyone like to volunteer to be first?”

Chrysalis nodded at Moondancer and Thorax beside her. “Let these two have some fun first. As I understand it, they’ve done this sort of thing before. We’ll see how they like it.” She suggested.

“Are you sure, ma’am? If you and Moore want to go first, we don’t mind to wait.” Moondancer asked.

“It’s no trouble. Besides, I imagine Moore might want to work up his courage first before we go prodding his brain to life like this.” She replied, making Moore roll his eyes.

“For all we know, it's you who’ll be struggling in this one. You’ve never done this before either. You can’t be miss Superior when you’ve never done anything with it.” He replied.

“Then I’ll just have to show you.” Chrysalis said before looking to the waiting pairs of people before her. “We’ll wait our turn. Moony, Thorax, you go ahead. Have fun with it.”

The pair shared a look and Thorax smiled, prompting the bespectacled redhead to smile as well. Clouded Smoke nodded and walked over to the pair.

“Then let’s not delay any longer. Clear will go to the operator’s booth, and I’ll set you up inside. Follow me, please.” Clouded instructed, getting the two to follow him into the far door and leaving Chrysalis alone with Moore. Clear Mirror left as well, walking through another door and out of sight. Taking a seat for herself, the changeling CEO sighed before tugging at her jacket sleeve. The casual outfit she’d worn for today was lighter on her frame, consisting of a simple white long-sleeved shirt with the collar folded over the thin black jacket overtop it. Her plain black skirt came to mid thigh level, where green garters trailed down the rest of her long legs to her black heels.

“You see, Moore? We’re already getting a positive response. Moony and Thorax are sure to have fun, and the rest will too once they get into the swing of things.” She remarked to the male who settled two chairs away from her.

“Funny that we’re paired up, and them too. Seems a little too fortunate, don’t you think?” Moore answered, causing Chrysalis to smirk.

“Now Moore, I made it entirely fair. You saw me put in my own name, didn’t you?”

“Course you did. And no one’s ever rigged a ballot box before in their lives till today.” Moore looked at her, gesturing with a hand. “I actually expected you to ignore my thoughts on the matter, when we came to your yacht. This is kinda surprising, you giving the workers time off like this.”

“Well, only so many needed to work today. The ones who didn’t get to participate are being granted half a day’s leave, so they can seek out their own entertainment on a Friday themselves. I may run a tight ship, Moore, but I’m a fair leader,” Chrysalis said. “The fact we’re partnered for this just means we’re going to demonstrate cooperation between employees that much better. I imagine your fellow men and women will appreciate seeing I can cooperate with you rather than us squaring off at every instance, don’t you?”

“Hmm.” Moore hummed, turning his attention out towards the empty room. His gaze seemed to fall on the several paintings dotting the walls as he spoke again a moment later. “So Moondancer and Thorax do things outside the office together? I always thought they’d be too busy working for you.”

“They make time for themselves aplenty. It’s good for them both; when I first found Moondancer, she was a rather lonesome woman running the local library. Her levels of organization and knowledge were above just being a bookkeeper. I’m glad she’s connected with someone here.” Chrysalis stated.

“Don’t suppose you suspect they might get together outside the office for other reasons than just camaraderie, do you?” Moore pressed, brow furrowed in curiosity. “I mean, they do seem awfully chummy.”

“Oh, I have my suspicions. But it's not an issue.” Chrysalis answered. “That old fashioned rule about interdepartmental dating is as dated as the bricks in Old Canterlot. So long as those two are doing their jobs, and don’t cause me trouble, I’ve got no qualms in allowing them to be close. If anything, it’s helped those two to get through some of the harder times that much better. Even if they won’t tell me directly they’re dating, a changeling knows. We always know.”

“Yeah? That fancy little ‘empathy’ magic of yours, isn’t it?” Moore asked. “Any gauge on how I’m feeling right now?”

“I don’t need magic for that. It’s obvious.” Chrysalis said as she glanced over at him. “Part of you is curious on what the Escape Room’s going to be like, of course. But another part is uncertain on having me as a partner, even though I’m clearly smart enough for this sort of a thing. Topping it off is that little competitive side of yours trying to nudge in and get a word in edgewise overtop me, because you know I’m reading you right on the dot.”

“The only part uncertain in me is if this is some elaborate trick of yours or not. For all I know, I’ll mysteriously vanish in these rooms, your little partners in crime whisking me away to Celestia knows where.” Moore replied.

“Oh, come now, Moore. Be a fair sport. Where else am I going to find as useful an advisor as you? Tossing you away now would be a waste of good talent.” Chrysalis smiled and looked away from him. “You’ll just have to learn to trust me when I say I’ll work with you as long as you work with me.”

Moore didn’t answer to her words, choosing to fold his arms and look aside instead in stubborn defiance. His response only humored Chrysalis further, who pulled out her phone to keep her busy as they awaited Moondancer and Thorax’s return. Part of her thought to try and listen for any sounds coming from the makeshift course beyond the wall to her left, but it seemed the pair had done their homework as she could hear nothing from where she was. It was smart, to make sure no one had a hidden advantage going in.

It took a short while for Thorax and Moondancer to return, almost thirty minutes worth of waiting by Chrysalis’ count. The pair emerged in much of the same manner as they did when they went in, the only difference being Moondancer had removed her heels, and Thorax had taken off his jacket, leaving only his dress shirt on. “So did you have fun?” Chrysalis asked.

“We sure did. That was actually pretty fun, and surprising.” Thorax answered with Moondancer nodding beside him.

“Even with our experience, that was kinda tricky.” Chrysalis arched an eyebrow at this.

“Any hints for us newcomers?” she questioned, only for Moondancer to shake her head.

“Sorry ma’am, but we can’t. It’s part of the experience. Trust us, you’ll have more fun going in without being spoiled on it.” the redhead answered.

Chrysalis gave a ‘tsk’ of disappointment and looked aside. “Always a stickler for the rules, Moony. Well, at least you and Thorax got to have fun on your little date adventure.” She ignored the woman’s blush and turned to Thorax. “So do we go ahead in, or what?”

“T-they have to reset the course. It won’t be long.” He replied, tugging at his shirt collar in a nervous gesture at his boss’ frank suggestion of him and Moondancer being together. “They’ll come get you when it's ready.”

Chrysalis nodded, turning away from the pair to look at Moore again. “Ready to give this a shot, Moore? Or is being my partner too intimidating?”

The black-haired man stood up and gave a scoff at her remark, blue eyes challenging her as he met her stare. “Hardly. If anything, I’m just motivated to complete this that much faster.” he replied.

“Good. We’ll see if that motivation holds up when we get inside.” Chrysalis said before looking away as Clouded Smoke returned, grinning at Moondancer and Thorax before turning to the changeling.

“Ok, we’re all set. Miss Chrysalis, Mr. Moore? If you’re ready?” He questioned. Getting a nod from both of them, he led the way to the far door and held it open for them to enter. Any details of the room were blocked by a large red curtain placed just past the door and surrounding them on both sides. Chrysalis raised an eyebrow while Moore looked to the waiting game-maker.

“Alright, so what do we do?” He asked.

“Right. This escape room is a three stage piece. The basic premise is, obviously, clearing each room to get to the end as quick as possible. Teamwork is a must to complete these challenges; you will find it very difficult to try and attain victory alone.” Clouded Smoke explained. “However, we like to make things be tricky. So, to make sure no one gets left behind, you and your partner will be bound at the wrist by these chains.” He held up a piece of chain metal, bright and polished, before nodding at the two. “It will be tight enough to keep you two together, but not enough to be uncomfortable I promise.”

Chrysalis snorted at this, and looked at Moore beside her. From his disbelieving expression, he hadn’t expected this either. “So, Moore, do you prefer your right hand or your left?” she asked, drawing his attention to her.

“I’m ambidextrous. So it doesn’t matter.” He replied.

“Funny, I’d have taken you for a right-hander.” Chrysalis remarked before holding up her left hand. “I’d prefer to keep using mine, if it's all the same to you.”

Moore nodded, and the pair swapped spots so Chrysalis was on his right side. Clouded Smoke then bound the pair’s wrists together, leaving them now forced to stay together as the chain gave very little room to move or pull from the other. Once the chains had been secured with a lock, Clouded Smoke stepped back and clapped his hands together.

“Alright! You’ll be starting in just a minute. Once I leave the room and the curtain drops, you’ll be officially in the game. Good luck, and remember; you have to use your smarts for these challenges. Don’t let your instincts mislead you.” He advised before stepping past the curtain and leaving the two to stand there to wait. Moore gave a slight shake of his arm, making Chrysalis’ arm move in tandem with him.

“I’ve heard of being chained to your work before, but this is a little over the top, isn’t it?” He commented with a raised eyebrow, causing Chrysalis to snort.

“You could be bound to worse things, Moore, than just me. I promise, I won’t bite. Much.” She replied, making the suited man roll his eyes. Only a few moments later, the room suddenly went dark, making Moore grunt in surprise while Chrysalis kept still. She listened as she heard the sound of the curtain rustle, no doubt parting to let them move into the room properly.

“Welcome to Room Number One! To unlock the door, you must find the switch. You’ll have to work together to open the path to room number two, so hop to it! And remember: trusting in your partner for a second set of eyes is better than using just your own!” Clear Mirror’s voice came from above them, loud and clear. Chrysalis tucked the advice away in her mind while focusing on letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Being a changeling allowed her a small degree of natural night vision, but only so much. For a brief moment, she considered trying to employ her magic, but before she could even move to act, Clear Mirror’s voice came through again.

“Oh, one more thing: the room is lined with anti-magic runes interlaced in the walls and floor. So trying to conjure the switch to you, or trying to create a light won’t have any effect. Just natural ability for this challenge!”

“Clever little shits, aren’t they?” Chrysalis muttered aloud before looking to her left at Moore who had yet to move. “We’ll have to move together. Can you see at all?”

“Not at all. Feels like I’ve gone blind. You?” Moore replied to her.

“A little. I can’t do anymore though, since Miss Mirror’s thought of that option. But, like she said: natural ability.” Chrysalis replied. She was beginning to make out shapes and objects in the room’s darkness, but only enough to recognize a physical presence, let alone whatever the shape may be. “The switch could be a simple button or lever to open the door. Any ideas?”

“Well, the goal is finding the switch. That would suggest it’s something fixed in position, not something we can exactly move ourselves. We can’t see, or at least I can’t, meaning the object has to be something we can find with our other senses. The most obvious is touch, so we’ll have to feel out the room and go from there.” Moore’s analysis was thorough for what he had to work with, making Chrysalis nod beside him.

“Follow my lead. I can still see a little, so I can make sure we’re not tripping over ourselves.” Chrysalis said, able to see Moore nod in her limited vision. “And for both our sakes, let’s stick to verbal communication. I can barely make out your face in here.”

“Right.”

The CEO took the lead, keeping her left arm held up so Moore would feel the tug of the chain binding them together and know where she was going. The metal wrapping didn’t dig into her wrist much, but she could feel it shift along her skin as she moved. It was different than she expected, being restricted as she was in her sight and in movement. It was an alien feeling, and one she didn’t expect to get used to for long if she could help it.

“Chrysalis, what can you see so far? I’m kinda having to follow you here, you know.” Moore asked from her left. He was a step behind her, keeping pace with her movement as best he could. A bump against her arm corrected that thought, however, and she watched a blur pass beside her. “Sorry. I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Nothing really jumping out so far. I can make out some kind of shape in the middle of the room.” Chrysalis described as she looked around her. There were no reflective surfaces in the room either, or anything seeming to give off some sort of glow or shine to go off of. “I think there’s a shelf to our front. Walk forward with me.” She instructed, and took slow steps towards the vague shape she could see in front of her. No sound came from any direction, save only her own footsteps on the tile floor they were on. She assumed it was tile; it sounded similar to the sound she heard when her heels walked on such a material.

Coming to a stop, Chrysalis heard Moore shift beside her, the chain following his position and going slack as he moved closer. The changeling could make out his shape, and looked down when his arm brushed by hers. Ignoring the knee-jerk instinct to tug her arm away, she kept still and let him move forward, her left hand following somewhat as he touched the shelf before them.

“Wooden shelf. But nothing’s here.” Moore said. Chrysalis brought her right hand up and reached above where she thought Moore’s hand was placed. As he described, it was a wooden shelf, but there were no books, no objects, nothing to grasp or hold onto. It seemed like a dead end. She went lower, trying another shelf, and came across Moore’s own searching hand. He jerked back, making her scoff at his reaction.

“This is troublesome.” Moore commented. “How are we supposed to find the switch like this, when we can barely see anything that looks like a switch?”

“The answer might be more simple than we’re thinking. It can’t be too complicated, or else Moondancer and Thorax would’ve taken longer.” Chrysalis replied. “We’re thinking too hard on this for what’s supposed to be a simple challenge. It’s the first room, for sun’s sake.”

“So what do we do? Follow the walls around the room until we find something?” Moore questioned. “Even if we find the switch, we might walk right past it since we can’t see it. Or I can’t, at least.”

His words made the changeling pause, and she turned about, making Moore jerk and bump into her as the chain pulled him into her. He caught himself on her shoulder, righting himself before releasing her. “What happened to ‘verbal communication’?” he asked.

“You’re doing it now, aren’t you? And I think you just gave me an idea.” Chrysalis said, giving another tug of the chain with her arm and getting Moore to follow her. She returned to where she believed the middle of the room was, and laid her free hand on the top of the object before her. “I was right. It’s a chair. But why in the middle of the room, when we can’t see?”

Moore spoke up from behind her. “If one of us sits in it, maybe something will appear? Like the real switch?” he suggested.

“But that requires only one person.” Chrysalis pointed out. “Here, you sit in it, see what happens. I can see better than you, so if something changes, I’m more likely to notice it than you.”

“Alright. Here, let me move.” He said. His shoulder bumped into Chrysalis’ as he moved towards the seat, making the woman shake her head to herself as he found the chair and settled into it. Chrysalis watched, although in her mind, she found it rather useless trying to see if anything changed. Unless the chair brought on more light somehow, then she saw no point to this. Her ears picked up a subtle click after a moment, making her look down to where Moore’s shape was sitting. “Did you see anything?”

“No. But I heard something click, like something triggered. Sort of.” Chrysalis answered. She tried to look around, but saw nothing had changed: no sign had illuminated, no door had swung open. “We’re missing something. Can you think of any clues on what it might be, Moore?”

“She said it was something we both needed to work together to find. But we did find it.” Moore replied. “Or you did. All I’ve done is just sat down in the chair. I felt it move a little, I think, but nothing else.”

“Perhaps...keep still.” She instructed as she thought to herself before smiling. “Of course. The easiest solution is the best here. The chair is our switch.”

“Ok, but how are we going to get enough weight to - hey!” Moore exclaimed as Chrysalis planted herself on his lap, her weight joining his on the chair. The CEO only smirked at Moore’s surprise. “W-what the hell are you doing?!”

“If the chair’s our switch, and we can only make use of each other to solve the puzzle, then clearly it means we both need to sit here. We’re working together, Moore.” she explained. The changeling could feel him shifting beneath her, having not expected the move. Though she couldn’t see it herself, Chrysalis wagered her position caught him off guard from the way his thighs shifted as he tried to adjust to the sudden change. “Consider yourself lucky; most men would kill to be in your spot right now, beneath me.”

“Yeah, right.” Moore scoffed before giving a start as the chair sunk into the floor, an audible “clunk” sound emanating from beneath them. Ahead and to the right, they could hear metal unlocking and watched as light streamed from the doorway into the room, allowing them vision at last.

“There. See?” Chrysalis said as she pushed back against Moore, laying her hand on his arm to push herself out of the chair and to stand upright. “That’s one challenge down.”

“Next time, warn me before you try using me as a seat cushion.” he replied. “Little too close for comfort, to my liking.”

“And here I thought that was the point of this little game of ours. To get closer.” Chrysalis said, leading the way to the door as they exited the dark room and came upon a similar entryway as the first. This time, a vibrant blue-colored curtain blocked their view. To their left, a small pedestal sat with a simple red pillow atop it. Nothing else was present, leaving Chrysalis to frown until she heard the intercom crackle to life above them.

“Well done! You’ve reached room number two. For this challenge, one of you will need to be blindfolded while the other works to secure your safety across this room. It will rely not only on your ability to work together, but your evaluation of risk versus reward. There is more than one way to clear this challenge.”

“Ok, but what blindfold? Where is it?” Moore questioned.

“Hey, you left us no blindfold in here!” Chrysalis called out, bringing her unbound hand up to her mouth to try and speak louder. “There’s nothing there!”

“Oh dear. One moment!” Clouded Smoke’s voice replied before whispering could be heard between himself and Mirror. Chrysalis tapped her foot while she waited, looking at Moore who seemed to mimic her patient expression. Seeing her looking, he only shrugged his shoulders, confused as she was.

“Do either of you perhaps have a garment or such you can use as a blindfold? It appears when we reset the room; we forgot to position the blindfold on the pedestal. Our apologies!”

Chrysalis scoffed. “Well, scratch off the ‘perfect’ score for those two. Hmm…” she hummed before looking down at the floor. The woman’s green garters caught her eye, and she nodded to herself. “I know a way we can improvise here. Moore, do me a favor and look over there, would you?”

“Ok?” he replied, turning his head to look at the curtain to his left, away from Chrysalis’ position. Satisfied once he was not looking at her, the changeling kicked off her heels and used her unrestrained hand to reach for the hem of her garter on her right leg, while her left hand used Moore’s shoulder to prop herself up. “What’re you doing?”

“Adapting to the situation. Now be a good boy, and don’t turn around. I don’t want you to peek.” Chrysalis instructed him.

“Like I’d peek at you.” He scoffed, keeping his gaze away from her. “Don’t tell me the CEO of Onyx Enterprises keeps random blindfolds on her person?”

“Hardly, Moore. A lady appreciates having privacy when she’s adjusting her outfit, you know.” Chrysalis said as she worked the garter down her long leg, the cloth coming off as she tugged it free from her leg and then her foot. Still holding onto Moore for balance, she balled the cloth in her hand before reaching across her body for the opposite leg. This was a little more difficult without her other hand to help her, but she made do, giving off a small huff as she worked. She sighed when the cloth came free, and righted herself once more before sliding her heels back on.

“We have a blindfold now!” She called up to the intercom, looking at Moore and holding up her garters with a grin. The businessman stared in surprise at the decision, glancing down at her now bare legs before looking up at the triumphant woman.

“Clever. So who is going to be blindfolded? Me or you?”

“Well, I provided the material to save us time and contributed. Your contribution so far has just been to tag along, Moore. So I think you’ll do to be blindfolded this time.” Chrysalis suggested.

“Seriously? I just got to be able to see, and now I’m going in blind again?” He protested, frowning at her.

“You should be grateful. You’re hardly having to do anything, while I handle all the heavy business. It’s just like in the office.” She teased, making him scowl before sighing and holding his hand out to take the garters from her. She passed them to him, and he brought the cloth up to try and wrap around his eyes, only to stop when his other hand was held back by hers that was chained to it still.

“A little help?” he asked, looking at the changeling. Chrysalis only smirked and set about helping to tie the cloth in place around his eyes. Drawing close, she pressed her chest into his back as her hands pulled the garters around.

“I can always spare a hand for my fellow employees. Now you can’t even argue against that yourself.” Chrysalis whispered to him as she helped tie the garters in place to cover his sight. Moore only gave a grunt of acknowledgement, though Chrysalis suspected there was a touch of color in the stern consultant’s cheeks.

“Way to be creative guys! Now you’re all set. Oh, and one more thing!” Smoke’s voice chimed from above. “You can’t take your time with this challenge. If you’re not quick enough, you’ll be forced to restart from the beginning of the room. Mind your step!”

Author's Note

You know what they say: all work and no play makes Chrysalis bloody bored! Don't worry folks: I've only divided up this chapter because it was quite long in its entirety. You can look forward to part 2 a couple days after this one, so you can see how the rest of Chryssi and Moore's game plays out!