...

"Uh, Gallus?" I look over at Cozy Glow. "Why would my number be a reason for her to be suspicious of me?"

"Because it can be very powerful in this situation." That's... Gallus?

"But that note said that 9 doesn't change the Digital Root of a number." And... that's Sandbar.

"That's why it's powerful. Take those doors for example."

... What? What's going on?

We're trapped in a death game we have to escape from. Right?

"When griffon get good with numbers?"

What's... happening? Why do I feel like I'll... die?

"You can't go through door alone."

My whole body feels cold. I feel like my guts have been ripped out!

"Miss Silver?"

Where am I? What's going on?

"Actually, the easiest way is to split into two teams of four and let Cozy go into whichever one she-"

"Guys, something's wrong with Miss Silver!"

I can't take this! I can't-

"Silver?"

! G-Gallus...

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I... I...

"Silver, why are you-"

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

...

"Silver, we're all scared, but we have to-"

"I'm not going!"

"What do you-"

"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"... Why am I so scared? Nothing's happened yet.

My head's spinning. Everything is dark. And there isn't a reason for me to be scared yet.

"I think we're at an impasse here."

"I can stay behind. That way, the rest of you can go through."

"That won't help Silver. We'll need her at some point."

Why? Why can't I think straight?

"You religious?"

... Huh? I look at Rain Kiss. As blurry as she is.

"You have gods you believe in, yes?"

... Gods...

"Saturn, the father of the gods." Was I... really holding Bramble that tightly?

"What was that?"

"He was the... ruler of the cosmos. When... when it was prophesied... that one of his children... would overthrow him, he... he started... eating them at birth. His wife chose to... to switch out the sixth child with a bundle of... rocks. Eventually, that child, Jupiter, managed to... to slip Saturn a poison that caused him to vomit up the five immortal children he ate."

"Ew." Heh. Ocellus is a bit green.

"Yeah, it's kind of disgusting. I'd like to think he imprisoned or banished them in some other way, but I'm not the one that wrote these tales. After that happened, Jupiter and Saturn went to war. Jupiter ended up getting enough support to overthrow his father. That's how he became the god of gods."

"Hey, Silver?" Smolder has her hand on my shoulder. "I don't think we have time for a bunch of stories. How about telling us which god or goddess we remind you of the most."

... I'm not the best at this, but...

"Hey, Smolder? Do you think she'll be able to do that?"

"Maybe, maybe not. It'll at least help her take her mind off of things."

I guess I'll start with the 1 bracelet and go up from there. "Yona... would be somewhere between Mars and Bacchus. Mars is the god of war, and Bacchus is described as the god of good-cheer, hilarity, mirth, and revels."

Yona tilts her head.

I smile at her. "Whatever those mean."

Ocellus giggles. "To put things as simply as possible, hilarity means good cheer, mirth means good cheer, and revel means good cheer."

Cozy covers her mouth. "So he's the god of good cheer, good cheer, good cheer, and good cheer."

"YAK IS GOOD CHEER!" Heh. That gets all of us laughing.

Ocellus quickly catches her breath. "There are appreciable differences between the terms, but that is what they boil down to."

Alright. Back on track. "Um... I don't know Rain that well, but something is telling me that Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, would be a good match."

"Agriculture... Growing thing, correct?"

"Yes, it is. Specifically, growing plant life." What was it that Gallus called her that one time? Encyclopedia Ocellus?

"Then Ceres very fitting. Kirin connected to nature greatly." I'm not sure I can get used to how Rain talks.

"Hmm... Neptune is the god of seas, but he also presides over ponies. I think that would fit with Sandbar."

Sandbar doesn't look enthusiastic. "Why do you have a god of ponies?"

"Uh... I think Novo wanted for there to be a god to watch over her crush." ...Oh, crap. Did I just say that out loud?

"And who would your aunt have a crush on?" Either Gallus is psychic or I said that out loud.

Sandbar is looking at my soul. "Is it... Princess Celestia?"

"Um... alright." Might as well get this over with.

"Or is it Luna?" ... Or Bramble could throw me an olive branch.

"Sure."

"Or was it our headmare, Twilight?"

"Uh huh." I'm not giving any of them a clear answer.

Ocellus is trying to hold in her laughter. "I don't think she's going to give us a clear answer."

Oh no. She caught on to my tactics. "No. I'm not."

"Then let's move on. Who would I be?"

"I would say... Venus."

"Venus?" She looks mad. Why wouldn't Ocellus want to be Venus? "Is this a jab at changelings eating love? Or a reference to that tale where she caused a war that ended an entire nation?" Oh. Of course she would know about that tale. It is Ocellus, after all. "I'd rather be Vesta, thank you."

Vesta... Goddess of home and hearth... Hmm... "I don't think it fits you."

Ocellus gives me the stink eye. "Why would Venus fit me? Please answer in a non-offensive way."

Sandbar puts his hoof over her back and moves his muzzle to her ear. "Because you're a very lovely creature that has shown affection to us all."

Hehehe. Ocellus' face is so red right now. "V-Venus is fine."

Everyone else giggles a bit. As happy as I am that he bailed me out, I really wish he would kiss her already.

"Miss Silver? If you're going through us in bracelet order, then you'd be next."

"Please answer modestly."

I think... "Juno."

"I said modestly!" And Ocellus is at me again.

Smolder is scratching her head. "She's comparing us to gods. How is one less modest than another?"

"By comparing herself to the wife of the most powerful god."

"I didn't even think of that. I just... always felt a connection to her."

Ocellus is in my face. "I can tell when you're lying."

"Isn't Jupiter the god of the sky?"

Ocellus looks at Cozy Glow. "Yeah, why?"

"Well, I think I know the reason she chose his wife." Cozy is pointing at... Gallus. Uh oh.

They're all looking at Gallus... I can see, one by one, when it hits them.

"Ohhhhhhhh." I don't like the way Ocellus is smiling. "You were about to compare Gallus to Jupiter, weren't you?"

"Th-that's completely irrelevant!" Why is she able to see through me so easily?

"Because you make it so easy so often." ...Krrrgrfffaflllegh.

"Am I missing something?" Good, Gallus doesn't- HE TOTALLY GETS IT! I CAN TELL BY THAT EXPRESSION THAT HE GETS IT!

"Hey, guys? I think we should stop. She looks like she's on the verge of an emotional breakdown." I'm not really, but I'm not about to correct Sandbar.

"Yeah, let's get on with things. Silver is Juno, Gallus is Jupiter, and I'm next. Who am I?"

"Smolder." Nice to have an easy shot at someone else for once.

It's hard to tell what Smolder's reaction is when she covers her face with her hands like that.

Gallus pats her on the back. "Well, at least she's in a good mood."

Hehehe. "In all honesty, you'd line up with Vulcanus, the god of volcanos."

Smolder folds her arms. "Volcanos, huh? That fits, I guess."

I look at Bramble. "Um... I guess... Apollo?"

He smiles at me. "You don't sound too certain about that."

"Well, Uh... I'm not. I don't know you that well, so..."

"What's Apollo the god of?" Sandbar leaned over to Ocellus to say that.

"Uh, he's the god of the sun, music, medicine, and archery."

"Silver, he was asking me that." Oops. At least she doesn't seem bothered that I answered.

"That all... sounds about right for me. Those sound like things that the deer regularly partake in."

I look at Cozy. She's smiling at me so sweetly.

"Pluto."

And the smile is gone. "Excuse me?"

Rain, Ocellus, and Gallus giggle.

Smolder scratches her head. "Who?"

I smile at the dragon. "The god of the underworld."

The rest of them start giggling as Cozy tries to glare me to death. "Silver, did I upset you somehow?"

I giggle, but there is something gnawing at me. Pluto wasn't actually the god that came to mind for Cozy. I did say Pluto as a joke, but I didn't want to acknowledge the goddess she really makes me think of.

Because I can't think of any way that Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, fits with her.

The filly rolls her eyes. "Ugh. Well, you're obviously in a better mood, so who's going where?"

"Oh, I'm still not going anywhere."

"Silver!"

I smile at Gallus. "I'm kidding."

Some math stuff happens, and this is what we have.

Yona and Ocellus are going through door 7.

Rain and Smolder (reluctantly) are going through door 2.

Sandbar and Bramble are paired up.

Gallus and I are paired up.

And Cozy Glow... "Well, since Silver apparently has a problem with me, I'm going away from her."

I guess we should... Wait. Where's Gallus going? "Come on, Silver."

"Huh?"

"We're going through door 7."

He feels rather forceful about this, but I'd rather go through the other door. "I want to go through door 2."

He stumbles over his claws. "Huh?"

"Wait." Smolder is looking between us. "You both want to go through opposite doors?"

Sandbar looks at Bramble. "Do you have a preference?"

"N-not really?"

"I... don't either."

Cozy slaps her face. "Great! We have one pair that wants to go through opposite doors, and another pair that will go through either!"

"Okay. We'll go through door 2."

Eh? "Wait, didn't you want to-"

"I said that so that we would keep moving. I didn't think you had a preference."

"Well, I do. But do we need to be in that much of a rush?"

*DING DING*

... "I had to say it, didn't I?"

Author's Note

In regards to the first part of this chapter; It makes sense if you played the Zero Escape games. If you don't, I will explain it later.

In regards to the second part; Blame Future Diary.