Author's Note

Sorry this is so lackluster compared to the 2nd chapter of my other story, The Crossroads of Canterlot Caverns.

This one is a slow burn horror story as well, and writing for 24 characters is a challenge and I shall do my best. But I slowly have to get a feel for the direction that I want to take with this story.

If there is ANY spelling mistakes please let me know, for some reason when I copied my story over from the document it was on it smashed the words together like this: thewordstogether -- and I had to separate them. If I missed any words that were smashed together, please inform me.

I hope you take the time to let the first chapter sink in, but please don't count it out just because it starts out slowly, and not much is going on besides them waking up and voting for the path they set out on.

I promise it will get better, please give it a chance, I swear the spooks will start soon!

Shy-Rose out~

Ch1: 24 In The Maze. 24 Trotting Along. 24, But For How Long?

Ch 1: 24 In The Maze. 24 Trotting Along. 24, But For How Long?

The silence is what woke Starlight from her stupor.It was a powerful and deafening silence. It wasn't the silence that she drifted off into slumber, surrounded by the walls of the castle. This was an unnatural and eerie silence, it thickened the air and it reeked of decay and despair.

Her thoughts were in a muddle, she was dazed and confused as her vision began to adjust to the abnormal dimness of what appeared to be a large room made of stainless steel. The bizarre dusk that shrouded the surroundings gave off a frightening sense of foreboding.

Once her distorted vision mended, she could see all around her and what she saw made her jaw drop slightly. Her eyes widened as she stared at the scene before her, and it didn't make any sense at all. Then again, her waking up in this abnormal place didn't make a lick of sense either.

Before her lie Trixie, Sunburst, Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Discord, Applejack, Big Mac, Coloratura, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie, Maud, Zecora, Zephyr Breeze, Derpy, Thunderlane, Rumble, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. They all appeared to be out cold, as if afflicted with a spell of sorts.

That was twenty-three others besides herself, which made twenty-four of them altogether. Why were they all here, and for what purpose? Starlight didn't have any inkling, all she knew was that everything ached. She hadn't taken notice of it before, but she could feel a dull and throbbing ache coursing through her body.

With a groan she got to her hooves, and shook her head to chase away dizziness that washed over her for but a moment. Observing the large room before her, she realized that several tunnels branched out from it. Bewilderment and curiosity blossomed within Starlight as she examined each diverging tunnel.

"Starlight???" The slurring of her name crippled her contemplating, she glanced over her shoulder to spot Trixie beginning to stir. "Where are we?" The illusionist groaned out, struggling to stand up, grunting with the effort.

Starlight took one last glance back at the tunnels before she trotted over to Trixie, giving the offer that she could lean against her if she needed to. Trixie immediately took the offer and leaned against her, her legs trembling.

"I'm not sure, Trix." Starlight replied her voice uncertain and slightly confused, "I just woke up, so I haven't figured it out yet. Maybe this is just a weird dream we're all having?"

"Maybe?" Trixie mumbled with a heavy sigh, she used of hoof to rub her eyes. "The great and powerful Trixie's vision is all wonky, Trixie can hardly see anything."

"It'll pass Trixie, my vision was like that when I woke up." Starlight assured her best friend. However, it did strike Starlight odd that Trixie was experiencing the same thing she endured. Perhaps, it had something to do with the unnatural dimness of their surroundings?

It didn't take too long after that for the others to stir, as everyone emerged from their lethargic state, they began to notice the situation they currently found themselves in. A plethora of voices started to ring out in a pandemonium of confusion, fear, and annoyance.

"Calm down, everypony!" Starlight rose her voice, it bounced and reverberated through the large steel room. Her command caused the commotion to die down and all eyes to turn to her. "Bickering isn't helping!"

A sigh escaped from Twilight and she nodded," Starlight's right, bickering won't help our situation and it certainly won't clue us in on where we are, either." She placed her hoof against her chest, took a deep breath and released both.

"Who cares where we are," Discord huffed out, rolling his eyes, staring at Twilight with a smug look on his face. "have you forgotten I am the Lord of Chaos? I'll just snap my fingers and we'll be out of here." He snapped his fingers...nothing. He scowled and stared icily at his fingers and snapped again.

It didn't work at all. When Discord realized this he snorted fire, crossing his arms. "Why isn't it working? I should be able to just snap my fingers, and we'd be out of here. This isn't making any sense."

"Wow! What a shocker," Rainbow mumbled under her breath at Discord's complaining, "Discord the Lord of Chaos, saying something doesn't make sense. C'mon seriously, literally nothing makes sense with you Discord."

"I know that very well, Rainbow Crash!" The Lord of Chaos snapped back, glaring at the cyan Pegasus. "It's just that I'm steamed off that it's not working!"

"Please," A soft voice whispered out in a pitiful plea," don't fight." It was none other than Fluttershy whom had uttered those words. She brushed her bangs out of her face. "We can't fight like this. We need to calm down and figure out what's going on."

"Fluttershy is right, y'all need to stop yer squabblin' and start thinkin'! Discord's magic ain't workin', so I doubt anypony else's magic will either. So just stop it!" Applejack interjected, her eyes narrowed and shimmered in a displeased manner. "Now, does anypony remember anythin'? Anythin' at all to help us figure out how we got here?"

Everyone went silent and thought to themselves, trying to recall how they could have ended up in this place. But it would appear that they were all baffled, and none of them had any recollection on how they came to be in this place.

"It is unfortunate to say, but we are all in a daze. This place must be putting our minds in a haze." Zecora piped up, her gazed sweeping over the others. "I know not where we are, and how we came to be. But perhaps if we take a peek and look for clues, we shall see."

"Uhhhh what?" Spike uttered out, staring at Zecora as if she were talking nonsense.

"She means we need to take a look around, Spike." Rarity clarified for him.

"I agree with her," Sunburst stated," we shouldn't just sit here. Sitting here isn't getting us anywhere and since Discord can't use his magic, then that means we are stuck here until we find a way out."

"Maybe this is a weird type of Friendship test?" Pinkie babbled out, hopping in one place. The party pony was never one to sit stationary for too long. "Maybe the Elements brought us here?"

"If that's true then why are we here?" Thunderlane questioned, looking down at his brother Rumble, who was looking nervous. His gaze lifted from his brother and up at the others. "If this was a friendship test created by the Elements, then why didn't it just send the bearers of the Elements?"

"Good question." Big Mac muttered.

"Maybe it's not just a test for them, maybe it's a test for the friends of the Elements as well?" Maud mumbled, looking as she always did, with no indication of nervousness or fear in her expression.

"That would make sense, right Sweetie, Apple Bloom, Diamond and Silver?" Scootaloo asked of her friends. "I mean since we're all friends of the Elements, that must be the reason why we're here."

"Uh that would make sense," Diamond Tiara replied in a slightly annoyed mannerism," but Silver Spoon and I hardly know Twilight and her friends."

"Well then, maybe yer here cause yer friends with us an' we're friends with Twilight an' the others?"Apple Bloom suggested, trying to make some sense of the whole situation.

"I think you're right little fillies." Coloratura added, keeping her voice steady and sure. She had to put on a brave face for the foals. "Since I'm friends with Apple Jack, I must be here because of that reason."

"And I must be here since I'm Fluttershy's brother." Zephyr commented, looking over at Fluttershy and giving her a reassuring smile. "It’s alright sis, your big bro is here to keep you safe and sound, oh and you too R.D!" He smirked as his attention shifted to Rainbow Dash and he gave her a wink.

Rainbow groaned, staring at Zephyr with a glare. She really didn't want to put up with Zephyr's antics.

"Well, what do we do?" Derpy broke the silence, her eyes shifting around in their sockets, as they always did.

"We look around, duh." Silver Spoon answered her question, speaking to her as if that should have been obvious.

"Okay, but which way should we go?" Rumble grumbled, poking at the cold steel ground with his left front hoof, not really looking up at anyone. He turned away from everyone and stared at the tunnels leading out of the room. "There's like ten or so tunnels to choose from?"

"Why don't we vote?"Everyone's eyes landed on Silver Spoon and the filly flinched a little, not expecting anyone to pay her any mind. "I mean you know... if we can't figure out which way to go we should vote, right?"

"I think that could work." Sweetie replied to Silver, "That's a great idea Silver Spoon! Right, Twilight?" The filly turned to face the Princess, wondering if she would agree.

Twilight nodded, giving them a look of approval, her eyes shimmering. "That's actually a wonderful idea! However, before we vote we have to have a plan! There's the risk that we could all end up losing each other and getting split up, so we have to devise a strategy. I know Discord's teleportation magic doesn't work, but maybe some magic does." She trailed off and concentrated.

Her horn sparked and shimmered with a magenta aura, and out of nowhere saddles appeared on everyone. "There! In those saddles are quills and inkwells, if we ever get split up, we can write messages to each other on the walls, detailing in full where we are going. We can also give each other warnings in case there's something dangerous around, there's also magic powered lanterns in there, so we can see where we are going if it's dark!"

"Good thinking, Twilight!" Starlight praised, as she opened her saddle bag with her magic to take a peek inside of it. She made sure all the items were there before she closed her saddle bag, better safe than sorry, right?

"Now there's ten tunnels, and we don't know where they lead. Each of the tunnels could be perfectly secure, or they could be fraught with malice." Twilight paced back and forth, speaking her thoughts out loud while she did so. "That means we all have to be cautious, oh and the foals should stay behind us. That way they are safe from harm's way in case we get caught up in a dangerous situation."

"What about some of us stay behind them too?" Fluttershy suggested, "What if something dangerous is coming from behind us? If we put some of us in front, and some of us behind the foals, then they'd be protected on both ends."

"What a splendid idea my dearest and lovely Fluttershy, you're so brilliant." Discord praised her, ruffling her mane slightly.

Fluttershy let out a bashful giggle, to hide the soft rose-pink blush that appeared on her face, she brushed her now slightly ruffled mane over it.

"So what tunnel will we be voting for first?" Derpy implored, trying to force her wall eyes to become relatively straight. Alas, her efforts were in vain and they walled out again.

"The first tunnel, it's the most logical." Trixie replied to the grey Pegasus, "So, whoever is in favor for the first tunnel, raise your hoof, claw or whatever the case may be."

Zecora, Rumble, and Thunderlane raised their hoofs.

"Alright, that's three votes for the first tunnel!" Twilight remarked, using her magic to create a glowing number four in the air, underneath glowing letter that read Tunnel One. "Votes for tunnel two?"

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie, Silver and Diamond Tiara raised their hoofs.

"Five votes for tunnel two!" Twilight's magic shifted again, creating another glowing section, showing Tunnel Two and the Five Vote count. "Tunnel three?"

Starlight, Trixie, Sunburst, Derpy, Big Mac, and Zephyr Breeze rose their hoofs, while Spike rose his hand.

"Seven votes for tunnel three." Twilight tallied up the votes once again. "Now for tunnel four!"

Rarity, AJ, Coloratura, and Rainbow rose their hoofs.

"Four votes for tunnel four, now for tunnel five."

Fluttershy, Maud, Pinkie, and Twilight raised their hoofs and Discord raised his claw.

"That's five votes for tunnel five." Twilight ended the tally and the tunnel that had the most vote was tunnel three, with Seven votes in total. "Well that settles it, tunnel three is the tunnel we are taking."

The lavender Alicorn turned to face the group, "Remember to be cautious and take your time. Pick your trotting partners and then we move out."

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie, Diamond and Silver all grouped together. Even though Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie were still getting used to being friends with the two other fillies, and vice versa with Diamond and Silver still getting used to them, they tried their best to make their new blossoming friendship work.

Rumble paired up with Thunderlane and Zecora. Twilight, Spike, Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst paired up with each other. Aj, Rarity, Coloratura and Big Mac bunched in with each other. Fluttershy, Discord, Rainbow and Zephyr Breeze grouped up. And the final group was Pinkie, Maud, and Derpy.

"Does every pony have a trotting partner? Or partners, as the case clearly seems to be?" Twilight called over her shoulder, while she trotted over to the third tunnel. "If everypony is ready, it's time to head out!"

The group nodded, signaling to Twilight they were prepared to venture into the tunnel. An air of mystery and uncertainty loomed, casting nervousness in some, and excitement in others. Twilight nodded back to them, "Let's go."

They all filed into the tunnel, Twilight's group up front and Pinkie's group in the back, the fillies and the other groups in the middle. It was crowded and extremely uncomfortable, but they'd much rather be safe and uncomfortable, than unsafe.

As soon as they slipped into the tunnel, however a faint string of whispering reached Derpy's auditory range and she halted in her place. She glanced over her shoulder, surveying the room around her, eyes widening slightly and her heart beat racing just a little faster than normal.

It would seem that she was the only one out of the twenty-four party that had heard the whispering. "Derpy! Come on you slow pokey-wokey!" Pinkie called out to her in a bubbly way, having turned around to stare at her. "Don't fall behind!"

"Uhhhh c-coming!" Derpy blurted out as she picked up the pace, she caught up with her trotting partners. But, even though she was back with the party, the mail mare couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that something was out there...

Waiting...