Hollow Hope

The trail led, eventually, to another catwalk suspended over the depths; and from here, it led to a thick cast-iron vault door, set into a wall that vanished into the distance on either side of them. It creaked as Sunny turned the wheel, and groaned as they pushed it open, stepping into a wide, dimly-lit chamber.

In the center of the chamber, between the rusted columns which held the whole thing aloft, there was a statue, set atop a plinth. At one side, there was a podium, and in the center of that podium was a hole or socket of some kind--perhaps designed to fit a handle or wheel. There along the edges of the plinth were three sets of writing in a language Sunny could not identify. On the other end of the room, an archway was blocked off with iron bars.

Sunny walked up to the plinth, digging through his saddlebags. "I think I have something for this--ah!" He pulled out the crank-handle that Torque had pulled out of the flashlight. "Yes, this looks like it'll fit..."

"Should we not read the text?" Ramooh said, trotting up. "I can translate."

"No need," Sunny said with a chuckle. "There's only three words--three positions--and the statue's already facing one," he explained, "so that one can't be the right one."

"You are making quite a few assumptions, Sunny."

"Trust me, this has got to be some kind of metaphorical puzzle thing. That's how it's been the whole time, hasn't it?"

Ramooh shrugged, and began walking around the statue, chewing ponderously.

Sunny lined the crank-handle up with the socket, and it slid in with not even a hint of resistance. He turned it as fast as he could, and the statue slowly ground along to match; he brought it to a halt upon the second word, and looked to the iron bars--which had not moved.

"Hm. Must be the other one," Sunny muttered. Ramooh did not answer; he simply stared thoughtfully at the word the statue had come to rest upon.

Sunny turned the crank in the other direction, and the statue began rumbling around; and as it slowed to a stop at the third word, Sunny glanced up at the iron bars blocking the exit--and saw that they had not moved.

"What? That can't be right."

"I told you," Ramooh said softly, "you are making quite a few assumptions."

"There must be--a button, or a lever, or something--"

"Sunny."

"Well, I tried all three of them, and surely one of them is the right one--"

"Quiet!" Ramooh shouted, and Sunny fell silent. "...I apologize. I do not enjoy yelling like that. But if I did not, you would have continued for far too long."

Sunny sighed, and nodded.

"Now--" Ramooh pointed to the first symbol. "This word is in my native language. 'Avidyā'. It means 'ignorance'." Sunny nodded.

"And this one--" Ramooh pointed to the second word--"is Raga, or desire. You might call it greed, or lust--it is both. And the third--Dvesha--is 'aversion', particularly to things that are painful or annoying."

"With you so far," Sunny said.

"Do you know what we call these in Bovism?"

"No."

"The three poisons. Also, the root of all evil."

"I see."

"Your assumption," Ramooh continued, "was that you needed to pick one..."

"...but all three of them are wrong," Sunny whispered, his eyes lighting up.

"And thus the student is enlightened," Ramooh said, grinning. "I always wanted to say that."

As Sunny twisted the crank, the statue rotated to face forward--toward the gate which barred their way.

The bars sank into the floor.

"Do you hear that?" Ramooh whispered, just barely audible above the sound of their hooves on the catwalk.

Sunny stopped in his tracks, and cocked an ear. Indeed, he did hear it: a low, almost-whiny sound, far away but rapidly approaching. He looked ahead, and then behind, leaning against the wall to their left and glancing across the railing to their right.

Out in the dark, a bright pinprick was speeding toward them--growing steadily.

"What is that...?"

The pinprick resolved into two points, then into two spotlights--aimed directly at Sunny. He squinted, and just barely made out a chrome grille with the word 'MUSTANG' emblazoned on it.

He yelped, shoving Ramooh out of the way as the truck smashed through the railing and into the wall behind them. Steam burst out through the crumpled hood as the radiator was crushed to a pulp. One of the doors buckled outward, and spiderweb cracks spread across the windows. Inside, Cloudy fought off the airbags and shouted various profanities.

"Cloudy! What in the ten tabernacles of Taurtaros are you doing here!?" Sunny yanked on the door, but it wouldn't budge; Ramooh stepped up beside him, and together they wrenched it free. Sunny cringed as it fell off its hinges, while Ramooh quietly helped Cloudy out of her seatbelt.

"I don't know!" Cloudy sputtered. "Torque was driving, and then--I heard churchbells, and--and she was gone! I didn't even notice until I saw you guys!"

"Hmm. Nothing seems broken," Ramooh whispered. "How many hooves am I holding up?"

"...wait, your hoof is split. Do you count it as one or two?"

"Good enough."

"Wait a darned minute," Sunny muttered. "This is Moody's truck! How did you get the keys? Did you break into his house!?"

"No! Of course not."

Sunny sighed, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Thank heavens--"

"I hotwired it." Cloudy idly buffed her hooves, yawning.

"You WHAT!?"

"Oh, shut up. You're not my--" Cloudy paused for a second. "Huh. I guess you kinda are my dad."

"If I may interrupt." Ramooh stepped between Sunny and Cloudy. "Were you not on your way to the next town?"

"That's just it. We were crossing a bridge when I heard the bells," Cloudy explained. "We should have been on our way to Appleoosa by now, but I ended up here instead, and Torque--I don't know where Torque is."

"It is worse than I thought." Ramooh turned to Sunny, frowning. "The Rakshasa is holding the town hostage. Anyone who tries to leave will instead be dragged back into the illusion."

"Then Torque is--"

"Somewhere else, Sunny. Focus on what is in front of you." Ramooh turned and started walking, following the path once more. "I suspect we will return to the real world soon. I hope it will be somewhere near my apartment. I have something to pick up."