Unbound

Strength fading…

Eyelids heavy…

She groaned, her body curling inward from the pain. Bringing a trembling hoof to her stomach, she pulled it back covered in blood. Her blood.

The world around her was a blur of dark visuals and distant sounds. She could hear her friends yelling; see the monstrous shadow looming over her…

And then everything went black as pain racked her form one last time.
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..
…

*Some Time Earlier*

Twilight’s light swept through the blanketing shadows as she and her friends crept into the echoing depths of the caves.

The basement had been its own unique and disturbing challenge, but things down here were markedly worse. For one, the creatures they encountered proved deadlier. Giant worms and maggots that would give chase, flies in the shape of bombs that exploded on death. It was certainly enough to keep them on their hooves.

For another thing, the darkness around them was unnatural in its sheer intensity. Similar to the void within the chest itself, it actively fought outside attempts to light their surroundings. Only the fireflies dotted around seemed to be able to put a dent in it. Otherwise, they couldn’t see much outside of a three foot sphere around Twilight or Rarity.

Isaac wasn't affected by the darkness, or if he was, he was good at navigating in it. For how young he appeared to be, he was far more skilled than they were at surviving in this box of horrors.

Not only was he skilled, but he also seemed to get stronger with every item they found, evidenced by them finding another of the golden rooms. Inside this one was, of all things, a simple onion, which seemed to make the boy’s weaponized tears flow faster.

It was almost as if this place had been tailored specifically for him. All the resources they kept finding, all the monsters that were easily destroyed by his tears, the simple layout of rooms. It all seemed so intentionally designed, like a child making up a game with their own rules.

Then there was the magically appearing bedroom that he had taken Fluttershy and the others to earlier. Was Isaac somehow responsible for shaping this world within the chest?

Before she could ruminate further on these thoughts, Twilight paused as they came upon a locked door.

It wasn't the first they had seen. The golden room they visited previously was also locked, requiring Isaac to produce a key to open it. This time, judging from the ‘c’ symbol above its frame, it was another shop.

The ponies watched as Isaac stared at the door. He reached behind him and patted himself for keys, only to frown at the apparent result.

After some thought, Twilight’s eyes lit up and she reached into her own magical inventory. She poofed a silver key into existence and hovered it near the boy. “We found a key earlier if you want in there, Isaac. We also found a couple coins. It isn’t much, but… maybe it’ll help?”

Isaac considered their options for a moment, glancing between the door and the key. Finally, he gave Twilight a small smile and took the key from her aura before turning and sticking it into the lock.

At once, the door opened without further bidding and the key vanished with it. The darkness within the room was no less eerie than anywhere else, but for those who had been to a shop before, they couldn’t deny a chill down their backs as they thought to the empty eyes of the keeper.

“Maybe we should stay out here and keep watch?” Rarity suggested. She flashed a smile far too wide and tense to be comfortable as she looked to the others with desperate eyes. Seeing them already heading inside, she deflated. “Horsefeathers…”

“It was worth a shot, sugarcube.” Applejack gave her a pat on the back as they both joined the others into the dark space within.

As expected, they found a familiar picture of shelved walls full of knick-knacks inside, albeit entrenched in thick shadows. And, ever vigilant behind three display pedestals bearing strange new items, was another gray dead body with a hollow expression.

“Oh my goodness…” Fluttershy held a hoof over her mouth at the disquieting sight.

“I see our old friend is still here,” Applejack noted.

Rarity shuddered. “I swear, if that thing gets up, I will not stop screaming until I pass out.”

Rainbow Dash took a moment to tear her eyes away from the dead body to look at the items on display. She skewed her brow. “So… what exactly is all this junk?”

Twilight and the others turned to look as well. On the three pedestals were an ordinary looking piggy bank, an hourglass that held a luminous blue glow instead of sand, and what appeared to be a child’s night light. All were marked at the full price of fifteen.

“Uh… I’m not really sure,” Twilight admitted.

An excited giggle drew their attention over to Pinkie Pie, who was sticking her face up to the glowing hour glass and watching her distorted reflection in the glass. “Whatever they are, they must be super-duper cool! I mean, just look at this one!”

“That would make a pretty sweet disco ball,” Rainbow said.

Fluttershy turned toward Isaac. The boy was silently looking between the three objects. His stare was more contemplative than confused, as if he knew what they were and was simply deciding which one to buy. “I think we should let Isaac decide which one to get.”

“Can he even afford any of them? We only had three coins, if I recall,” Rarity said.

In response, Isaac walked up to the center pedestal, the one with the night light. He pulled out a smaller silver coin with a ten on it, along with two yellow coins with ones on them. Looking between the price sign and Twilight, he waited to see if she would agree to giving him their money.

Twilight happily poofed up their three coins and placed them in his open palm. He still seemed hesitant, prompting her to smile and nod.

Hiding his eyes and warming cheeks for a moment, Isaac walked up to the pedestal and placed his coins down. Shortly after, the light from both Twilight and Rarity flickered, and the sign bearing the item’s price vanished, allowing him to pick it up.

It was a simple night light, most likely meant to be plugged into an outlet judging by the prongs on the back of the blue base. Even so, the moment he picked it up, the oblong bulb came to life, projecting a beam of clear illumination that seemed to cut through the shadows even better than either of their light spells could.

“Really? Fifteen not-bits for a night light?” Rainbow scoffed. “I’d hate to see how the economy works around here.”

“Aww… I was kind of hoping we could get the hourglass.” Pinkie’s ears drooped.

“I can make something like that for you when we get home if you want, Pinkie,” Twilight offered.

Hearing this, Pinkie perked right up. “Ooo, can it be pink? That’s my favorite color. But it’s not because I’m pink, it’s because of the—” She rambled on as they exited the shop. Her friends had learned to just let her talk in the background, but Isaac was impressed by how long she could go between breaths.

However, she didn’t go very long as something suddenly silenced everyone and brought them to a screeching halt.

Ahead in the next room, three skeletal figures stood. They were the same size and shape as Isaac and the bipedal monsters they had seen. One of them was bonking another in the head repeatedly with a bone while the third watched.

The instant the ponies walked in, they all paused and turned their heads. A few seconds later, the first skeleton got in one last bonk. Then, the third one pointed at them, prompting the first to toss the bone it was holding like a tomahawk.

Rarity and Fluttershy screamed, and Rainbow Dash prepared to dive in front of them and take the hit. Twilight raced to put up a barrier in time.

However, before any of them could react, Isaac beat them to it. The boy flicked up his newly acquired night light and pointed it ahead. The instant the beam fell on them, both the boney projectile and the skeletons themselves were somehow slowed dramatically.

Rarity uncovered her face and blinked, now able to casually step out of the way of the incoming attack. “Oh… Much obliged, darling.”

“Okay, I guess the night light was a good choice after all,” Rainbow admitted.

Then, one of the skeletons stepped out of the beam and tossed its bone at Twilight. She ducked under it before focusing her magic and firing back. The bolt of light exploded into the creature’s bleached white form, reducing it to a scattering pile of bones instantly.

As she was dealing with that skeleton, Isaac dealt with the other two. He started firing on them both, walking around them and keeping them in his light’s beam to draw their fire away from the ponies. Unable to move away fast enough, the monsters were quickly defeated, leaving the room to fall silent with one last clatter of bones crumbling to the floor.

Now that the danger was gone, Fluttershy made her way out from behind the others. “Good work, Isaac. You really know how to handle yourself.”

“And here I thought night lights were for silly fillies scared of the dark. Apple Bloom might’a been onto somethin’ after all.” Applejack chuckled.

Isaac turned and gave his friends a thumbs up. They weren’t able to reciprocate the gesture, but they smiled nevertheless.

Looking off to the side, Pinkie noticed a few more coins lying on the ground. She was quick to point them out and scoop them up for the group, sporting a pleased smile for her discovery.

Twilight crept up to the next doorway and scouted ahead. Poking her head out, she couldn’t see any threats, not that she could see much further than three feet ahead of her. She did, however, notice a faint red light.

“Hey, I think I found something.” She gestured for the others to follow her. They all shared curious glances before joining the alicorn into the next room.

Thankfully, this room was empty as far as monsters were concerned. As they neared the red light Twilight had spotted, they realized it was a door, though not the skull door as some of them originally thought.

A narrow vertical slot sat in the face of the door, almost like a lock. It didn’t look like it would fit any of the keys they had seen thus far. Above, a pulsing red neon sign spelled out the word ‘arcade’.

The ponies stared at the door for the longest time. Yet another puzzling oddity in such a hostile environment, if it was genuine and not some trick like the trap room with the chest.

“An arcade?” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes. “What kind of games would be in a place like this? A claw machine with actual claws?”

“Don’t say that.” Fluttershy shivered at the thought.

Twilight examined the lock briefly. “Hmm… Something must fit in here to open it, but what?”

Meanwhile, Pinkie stroked her chin as she eyed the strange lock. Suddenly, an idea clicked in her head. She produced one of the coins she found previously, noting its flat profile and the profile of the lock. It looked exactly like a coin slot.

Turning and seeing Isaac giving her an approving nod, Pinkie reached forward and fit a single coin into the slot. With a satisfying click, the door flew open. A faintly unpleasant aroma of stale popcorn and sweat drifted out to meet them.

Not even concerned of any hidden dangers, Isaac strolled right in. The ponies looked at each other briefly before slowly following their young friend inside.

Almost the instant they crossed the threshold, a whimsical and echoed tune filled their ears, as if projected from an unseen speaker. This atmosphere helped fill them with a sense of wonder as they looked around at an otherwise peaceful space in this dark and damp cave.

Black soil reminiscent of a carpet filled the area, with only a few damp spots or green sprigs poking up to dispel the illusion. The dark wooden walls covered in cobwebs were also bedecked in various colorful posters depicting what must have been examples of pop culture from Isaac’s time.

Along with two gambling machines nestled in the back, a smaller figure sat before a carnival game of sliding shells. While similar to Isaac, it didn’t have any visible legs, and it had simple nubs for hands that appeared to be detached from its body. It gave the visitors a snaggletoothed smile and a wave as they entered, but otherwise seemed content to just wait by its game.

Off in the corner, Isaac was busy picking up what looked to be more coins just lying on the floor. He came scampering back to the ponies with his hands full and a giddy expression.

“Umm… Isaac, I don’t mean to rain on your parade, but should we really be wasting time in here?” Twilight asked.

In response, the boy turned to the shell game manned by the small creature and flicked a coin to it. The being smirked and stashed it before lifting one of the shells. Underneath, there was a key. Then, it began shuffling the shells around far faster than any of them could track. Once it was done, it motioned to the shells before waiting patiently.

Isaac stared at each shell, his hand cupped to his chin pensively. After a moment, he pointed to the rightmost shell. The figure lifted the shell, revealing two keys that it promptly handed out to the boy. Isaac then turned to his friends and lifted the keys triumphantly.

“I see.” Twilight smiled as she turned to the rest of the arcade. “I suppose if it helps get us resources, it couldn’t hurt to take a break and have some fun.”

With that, Isaac handed out some coins to any that were interested, keeping a few for himself. Twilight and Rarity stayed behind with him at the shell game, watching as the boy took a few more tries.

Pinkie clapped her hooves. “I’m gonna go try out that crane game!” she said, already zipping to the back of the room. Applejack followed after her, curious to see what would happen.

“Hey, Flutters, wanna come check out that thing back there with me?” Rainbow asked, pointing to the other machine.

Fluttershy looked at the machine in question. It was a purple booth covered in yellow stars, moons and various other symbols. A crystal ball sat at its center, and a slot below it and a pull bar to its right seemed to indicate that it was a slot machine of sorts.

“I-I guess so, as long as it’s not dangerous.” She swallowed hesitantly, starting to slowly follow her friend until Rainbow took her by the hoof and led her over at a more reasonable pace.

They sidled up by the machine, taking in its mystical appearance. They had seen something similar at fairgrounds or a carnival, but fortune telling machines like these never had slots in them for dispensing items.

“Alright, let’s see what you’ve got,” Rainbow muttered as she lifted one of the three coins they had to the slot. It fit in with a click and fell into whatever mechanism was inside. She then grabbed ahold of the lever and gave it a pull.

With a slight rattle and a clack, something fell into the slot at the bottom of the machine. Rainbow shared a look with Fluttershy before reaching in and pulling out what looked to be a card of some sort. Its back was covered in a brown and green diamond pattern, and on its front, a picture of a figure standing in a chariot pulled by two black and white sphinxes with a Roman numeral seven above it.

“Huh.” Rainbow flipped the card over a few times and examined it. “That’s kinda cool, I guess.”

“Maybe it does something useful?” Fluttershy mused.

Rainbow Dash tucked the card behind her ear. “Who knows? I guess I’ll hold onto it for now,” she said. Looking down to her remaining two coins, she shrugged before putting another into the slot.

This time, a pale light sprang forth inside of the crystal ball. Smoke churned and swirled within its shimmering surface. From this smoke, a few words appeared.

…Always Your Head in the Clouds…

Rainbow squinted at the message. “What the hay is that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe it’s like those fortune cookies you get at restaurants?” Fluttershy suggested.

“Pfft… yeah, that must be it,” Rainbow grumbled to herself. Seeing her last coin, she thought for a moment before turning to her fellow pegasus. “You want a try?”

Fluttershy looked up in surprise. “Oh, no, I couldn’t do that. It’s your last coin.”

Rainbow placed the coin in her hoof and nudged her forward. “Come on, Flutters. I insist. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get something cool like another card?”

Although she was still hesitant, Fluttershy caved under the peer pressure and fed her coin into the slot. “Ok… I suppose a souvenir might be nice,” she said, tentatively reaching up to the lever before pulling it down.

Nothing happened at first. The pair started to wonder if they just got jipped, when the crystal ball lit up again. Like last time, smoke formed inside and produced another fortune. Fluttershy leaned in closer to read it, only to freeze.

…You Will Die…

Fluttershy squeaked and shrank back. The color drained from her face and she immediately began trembling.

Seeing this, and seeing the message spelled out, Rainbow took a moment to suppress her own unease before resting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Uh… Don’t worry. I-I’m sure it’s just some random fortune, like you said.”

“But… but it—” Fluttershy stammered, still caught staring at the machine even as Rainbow led her away.

“Forget about that stupid machine. Let’s go see how Pinkie’s doing at that crane game, huh?” Rainbow suggested, taking a glance over her shoulder at the ominous message fading back into the smoke as they left.

Walking over to the other corner, they found Applejack sitting behind Pinkie Pie, who was hunched over the controls of a typical-looking crane game.

The machine was full of some of the most bizarre objects alongside plush figures and other cheap toys one might find in an arcade prize pool. Tracing back and forth above, mirroring the indecisive nature of the pink mare, was a metal grabby claw.

Applejack looked up at the pegasi's arrival. "What’s that you got there, Dash?" She pointed to the card behind Rainbow’s ear.

"Oh, this?" Rainbow took the card down and showed it off. "I dunno. That weird machine over there spit it out."

Applejack hummed curiously. "Get anything else from it?"

"Let’s not talk about that," Rainbow said, sharing a hesitant look with Fluttershy. She turned her attention over to Pinkie, watching her maneuvering the joystick back and forth with tongue sticking out and a look of deep concentration on her face. "Any luck over here?"

"Afraid not. She’s on her last coin. Poor thing's being taken for a ride," Applejack whispered.

"Be quiet! It can hear your negative thoughts!" Pinkie said without looking back.

Rainbow frowned. "Pinkie, I don’t think it works like—"

"Ssshh! I've almost got it worn down." Pinkie lowered herself and intensified her stare. The unyielding claw shifted back and forth, matching her every move in this silent standoff.

Spotting her target, Pinkie hovered her hoof over the red button that would activate the claw. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash watched intently as she circled her prey.

After doubling back to trick the machine, Pinkie slammed the button. With a mechanical whir, the claw descended into the pit of prizes. It neared its target, a blue plastic boomerang. Sweat formed on Pinkie's brow as she watched, and even her three spectators leaned forward in anticipation.

The claw closed around the tip of the boomerang, plucking it up and receding. It dangled precariously as it returned toward the slot.

Closer…

Closer…

Then, it relented and deposited her prize with a clunk.

"Yes! Finally!" Pinkie cheered as she reached in and held up her new toy.

“Umm… good job, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. Her voice was distant as her thoughts, and her gaze wandered behind her frequently.

"Way to go, Pinks!" Rainbow exclaimed, probably more enthusiastically than was warranted.

"I was rootin' for you the whole way," Applejack said. "So, what's that fancy doohickey?"

"It's a boomerang," Pinkie said matter-of-factly. Seeing her friend still giving her an odd look, she raised an eyebrow. "Have you never heard of one?"

"Can't say as I have. What is it, a back scratcher?" Applejack asked.

"No, silly." Pinkie chuckled. "Watch."

With that, Pinkie winded back and aimed for a moment before throwing the boomerang. She and the others watched as it flew across the room. It hovered at the other end for a second before coming back, drawing stares from Twilight and Rarity as it zipped by their heads.

As it came flying back, it veered toward Applejack. She widened her eyes and ducked, but not before it could take her hat clean off and carry it back to Pinkie’s waiting hoof.

"Oopsie… heh heh." Pinkie smiled nervously as she handed the hat back to an unimpressed farmer. Rainbow Dash doubled over with laughter, which only added to Applejack's irritation.

Over on the other side of the room, Twilight and Rarity watched while Isaac played the shell game.

The boy was on a losing streak. After earning a few keys and some more coins, he stopped guessing right each time. With how fast the game keeper shuffled the shells, there wasn't much hope of anyone keeping track of the winning choice.

Once more, the keeper picked up an empty shell. Isaac’s scowl deepened, and his shoulders tensed.

"Chin up, dear. You can't win them all," Rarity said.

"I'm starting to think this game is rigged," Twilight muttered, giving the smaller figure a scrutinizing look.

"Starting to? I thought it was rigged from the start," Rarity said. She wasn't even sure what the keeper was, but she knew that she didn't trust it as far as it could throw her.

Undeterred, Isaac flicked one of his last remaining coins to the figure. It stared at the coin briefly, giving it a bite to ensure it was real before stashing it in an unseen pocket.

Then, it picked up the middle shell, revealing a silver coin. Isaac eyed the shiny prize with newfound intensity before focusing as hard as he could. The shells were shuffled one last time, and the keeper gestured to them smugly.

Isaac surveyed his options. He even looked back to Twilight and Rarity for their opinions, but all the ponies could do was shrug and offer him their moral support.

Finally, he pointed ahead to the middle shell.

The keeper hovered its nubby little hand over the shell, not breaking eye contact the whole time as it lifted it up, revealing nothing but empty space.

Isaac’s jaw fell open. He darted his eyes between the shell and the keeper, who was now laughing and blowing raspberries at him. His face reddened, and his fists clenched.

Twilight winced. "Oof… Sorry, Isaac. I know it's hard to take a loss like that, but you need to—" She started to rest a hoof on the boy’s shoulder, but before she could, Isaac pulled out a bomb, lit the fuse, and tossed it at the game keeper.

"WOAH!" Twilight scrambled backwards. Rarity yelped and raced back with her, while Isaac merely took a few casual steps back.

The figure blankly stared at the bomb's fuse getting shorter and shorter. It blinked, and then a fiery explosion consumed it and the infuriating shells it manned.

Silence filled the room, only broken by the music softly playing overhead. All the ponies stared at the smoking crater where once there had been a seemingly sentient creature. Their jaws were agape, and their eyes were wide.

Isaac dusted off his hands and picked up a few coins scattered by the explosion, most of which were probably his to begin with. He started to walk off, when he bumped into a set of purple forelegs. Looking up, he found Twilight staring back at him aghast.

“Isaac, what did you just do?!” she asked, more shocked than angry.

“Good heavens…” Rarity muttered.

Seeing such dismayed faces around him, Isaac darted his gaze between each of the ponies. His eyes began to tremble, and looking back and seeing Fluttershy about to cry only made it worse.

“How… I… I-I…” Fluttershy stammered, still stunned from the sudden explosion and the violent end of the keeper. “Isaac… why?”

Rainbow Dash glared at the boy. “Kid, how could you do that?! That’s… that was downright evil!”

Her words echoed in Isaac’s head. Familiar, calling forth faint memories. They changed in pitch and owner, filling him with a shiver of fear and shame. A crackle of distant static numbed his mind, and his legs began to shake as a different voice cried in his subconscious.

For the wages of sin is death!

Suddenly, Isaac turned and ran from the room, crying more intensely than they had ever seen him before.

Twilight reached out for him. “Isaac, wait!” she called, but to no avail. He was already gone.

“Dangit… We need to catch him before he finds trouble,” Applejack reasoned.

“Do we?” Rainbow asked, drawing the others’ attention.

“What do you mean, Rainbow?” Pinkie asked softly.

Rainbow merely gestured at the scorch mark on the floor where the small figure was. “I can excuse a lot of things, but cold-blooded murder is way over the line.”

“He’s just a child…”

Hearing Fluttershy pipe up, the group turned to see her in the back. Her eyes were trailed away, and while they were still recovering from the shock of the prior incident, they were soft with concern.

“What’s that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, cocking an ear to better hear the quiet pegasus.

Fluttershy took a moment to center her emotions before facing her friends. While her stare held some determination, she was rubbing her foreleg and infrequently gazing away. “He’s just a child. I… I know what he did was bad, but he’s been through a lot. I felt him calling out to me when we first came here. He’s been so scared and alone for so long, and he has so much pain inside of him. I don’t know much about this place either… but I know he’s trapped here, and I know we have to help him.”

Seeing the normally timid mare so sincere and desperate to help the boy, even Rainbow Dash gave pause. “Fluttershy…”

“Well, I think we can all agree that he needs help,” Rarity reasoned. “This is no place for someone like him to call home, let alone for this long.”

“Yeah, I’d probably go bomb-crazy if I had to stay here for hundreds of years. I’d say he’s pretty darn well-adjusted, all things considered,” Applejack added.

Rainbow Dash shook her thoughts back into order. “Look, child or not, I’m not sure if I want to hang around him if he’s so casual about blowing up things he doesn’t like. What if one of us gets on his bad side?” She turned to her alicorn friend. “You’re with me on this, aren’t you, Twilight?”

“Actually, I think I’m siding with Fluttershy on this one,” Twilight said. “I’ve been thinking about this place, and… I’m not entirely sure if anything here is technically real other than Isaac.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head. “Huh?”

“Normally, I do a good job of following you, but I’m afraid you’ve lost me, Twilight,” Rarity said.

“Think about it,” Twilight reasoned. “None of the items we tried to take with us could make it out of the chest, a lot of the monsters here look like Isaac, and Isaac himself died right in front of us. I’m not sure how this all works, but I think this place is some kind of world Isaac created… either intentionally or not.”

“So, that poor thing he killed might not have been real?” Rarity asked. “I suppose that is a relief if it’s true,”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed. “I knew it was fishy. It looked a little too happy to take coins and give nothing back… just like the claw machine.” She clutched her hard-earned prize and glared at the machine behind her.

All eyes shifted to Rainbow Dash. She was still hesitant, but she also couldn’t deny her friend’s logic. After wrinkling her expression and mulling it over for a time, she sighed. “Alright, alright. Let’s go find the little pyromaniac. But if he looks at me funny, I’m heading for the hills.”

Twilight and the others smiled. With all of them in agreement once more, they exited the arcade and set out in search of their missing friend.
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..
…
The ponies hurried off on what they hoped was the boy’s path. There were a few subtle clues to help them on their way: faint footsteps in the dirt, droplets of tears moistening the ground. Still, it was hard to tell exactly which way he went, so they had to backtrack more than a few times.

Thankfully, it appeared as though he had mostly run back through rooms they already cleared, only treading a couple new rooms that must have been empty. A few minutes of searching later, they found him curled up in a ball at the back of a long room.

Against the right wall, a familiar door adorned with skulls stood. Another boss room in this terrifying game of survival they were playing. While the sight of it alone cemented a feeling of dread in their guts, the ponies ignored it for the moment and silently approached Isaac.

Twilight stepped up to him and gently rested a hoof on his shoulder. He didn’t react at first, but eventually he lifted his head.

She spoke softly, “Isaac?” He curled in tighter and hid his eyes from her, causing a frown. Undeterred, Twilight walked around to the other side and craned her neck down to meet him. “I’m sorry if we upset you. It’s just… you really shocked us back there. You know that was wrong, don’t you?”

After a moment, Isaac gave a tiny nod. He still refused to make eye contact, but he wasn't attempting to run or otherwise avoid her.

“Well, I won’t lie and say that it’s okay that you did that. But… am I right in thinking that thing wasn't really alive… not like you or us?” Twilight asked.

There was a longer pause this time. Isaac adopted a look in his eye not fit for a child. It was a look of contemplative reflection on many years. Many long, harsh years. He sniffed and nodded, though his gaze was still distant.

Fluttershy stepped forward to join Twilight. “I meant it when I said we want to help you, Isaac. No matter what, we’re taking you with us when we get out of here.”

Isaac sat up and looked at her, almost surprised that she would still say something like that after seeing what he was capable of. Slowly, he got to his feet and approached her, fidgeting his fingers and looking at the floor. He paused at her foreleg before leaning into it and hugging her.

Fluttershy smiled and held him with her other limb, patting the back of his head and rubbing small circles into it while he cried into her fur. “There, there. It’s okay,” she said. Then, she began to hum a little song to comfort him.

Seeing the boy weeping so intensely, Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped. Any lingering feelings of suspicion or outrage faded. It was as Fluttershy said. Isaac was a child, and any child would act out if subjected to enough trauma for this long.

Shifting her gaze off to the side uncomfortably, Rainbow found herself staring at the skull door again. A groan simmered in her throat. “Do we really need to fight another giant monster? This is getting old real fast.”

As the pegasus drew attention to their inevitable battle, Isaac fell silent and stared toward the door with everyone else. He sniffled one last time before steeling himself and standing tall beside Fluttershy.

Twilight glanced back at her friends as she stepped toward the door. “One down, only five more to go. Let’s just get this over with.”

With that motivating speech stirring them, the ponies all joined their princess into the unknown. They weren’t sure what they were about to face, but they were ready to face any challenge if it meant escaping.

Letting their strongest members take the lead, the group marched through the ominous portal. As it had each time before, the door slammed shut behind them, sealing them into their decision.

Twilight scanned her eyes around, keeping her horn charged and ready for anything. The darkness clung to every corner, creating an army of shadows that made spotting any real threat immensely difficult.

Strangely, nothing happened even as they stepped forward. No deep roar, no buzzing of flies. If their eyes weren’t deceiving them, the flat expanse of rock before them was empty.

“It’s quiet… too quiet,” Pinkie said, shifting her intense gaze around and diligently searching under every pebble.

“Maybe that’s a good thing?” Fluttershy said. A hopeful smile twitched around the edges as she darted her head every which way.

“I hate to burst your bubble, but since when is that ever a good thing?” Rarity asked.

Meanwhile, as the ponies slowly spread out in search of something, anything in the darkness, Isaac turned and paused. Behind Fluttershy, barely noticeable amid the inky blackness, a large hole opened up into the floor, allowing a massive dark hand to reach up.

The boy produced a silent gasp and rushed forward, crashing into her hind leg. Unfortunately, with his small stature, he couldn’t move her out of the way no matter how hard or how frantically he shoved.

Fluttershy turned and barely noticed the sight of Isaac at her side. He was obviously trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t tell what. “What’s wrong, Isaac?”

Then, a pebble by her hoof got knocked away as she shifted. Where she was expecting a bounce, she heard nothing, as if it had fallen into a pit. Curious, she looked over.

It was hard to make out, but she could see a hole beside her. Something dark was within it, and as her wild eyes clarified the blurry shape of a large hand towering over her, her whole body froze in denial.

A terrified yelp escaped her, and she flinched to cover her head as it slammed down, creating a deafening thud.

The others looked over to where their friend was, only to widen their eyes.

Where they were expecting to see Fluttershy, instead, they saw a magenta bubble underneath a massive black hand tipped with claws.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash’s face paled.

Twilight cringed under the strain on her shield as the hand scraped off and fell back into the hole. “Everypony watch out! We’re not alone!”

Almost the instant she said that, four bonfires sprang to life in the corners, revealing the area in its entirety.

A cowering Fluttershy and Isaac looked up as the magical barrier above them faded. The hole was missing, as was the hand that lived in it. It was as if nothing had happened at all.

Then, a deep rumble came as another hole opened up in the middle of the room. This one was even bigger, as was the dark shape that sprouted out of it.

Two massive red eyes opened up, and a sharp smile framed by dripping tar greeted the ponies. A great, devilish beast with two horns sat in the floor. It resembled the smaller imp that Twilight dispatched back in the study, only far larger and more terrifying.

“BWAH!” Rainbow Dash jolted back, so stunned that she stopped hovering and fell to the floor. She and the others scrambled back at the creature staring down at them like they were its playthings.

Pinkie struggled to steady her shaking body enough to stand tall. She grit her teeth and wound a hoof back. “Take this, you big meanie!” she declared as she threw her boomerang forward.

The plastic toy whipped through the air and struck the creature in the head. Despite its grand stature, its eyes spun and it lilted from side to side in its hole, stunned by the unimpressive blow. After a moment, however, it shook itself back to clarity and growled at the little pink pony.

Another pit opened up beside Pinkie, and one of the beast’s hands came reaching out of it toward her. She screamed and fled as it thundered into the ground just behind her, aiming to squash her like a bug.

Magenta light split the darkness, heralding a volley of magical blasts exploding into the creature from one side. Tear balls struck it from the other, causing it to flinch and roar. As the beast turned to meet its attackers, it received another blow to the back of its head as Rainbow Dash rocketed into it with her hind hooves and kicked off.

“Hey, ugly! I think we kicked your little brother’s tail earlier! Why don’t you make this easy on all of us and just head back into your—” Rainbow trailed off as the creature’s expression soured and it puffed out its cheeks.

With a wet burble, the thing looked like it was about to vomit. Soon enough, it did just that, spitting out two giant roiling balls of darkness that drifted apart. One of them headed out into the room, while the other headed straight for the cyan pegasus.

“—HOLY!” Rainbow widened her eyes and beat her wings to get away. The ball careened past her just a second after she left its path. It chilled her fur like someone had just dumped ice down her back.

Off to the side, as the ponies screamed and dodged out of the way of the incoming projectiles, Isaac broke off and ran along the edge of the room. He kept a steady stream of tears firing at the beast. Even as one of the shadow balls bounced toward him, he rolled out of the way and quickly recovered so he could continue his attack.

However, the boy couldn’t dodge forever. He came to a sudden stop as a pit opened up beside him. Before he could get away, one of the beast’s hands came out and knocked him aside violently.

Twilight winced as she watched Isaac smack into the floor. At least he was still alive. She cast her glaring eyes up to their great enemy and loosed three orbs of fire from her horn. The fireballs struck its massive head, not that there was much else they could hit, and exploded into crackling fury.

The creature shook itself to douse the flames. It growled at the alicorn before popping down into its hole again. Darting their heads around to find the threat, the ponies spread out as much as possible.

“Where is it?!” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Y’know, for such a big critter, I’ve seen gophers with more spine,” Applejack said. She scanned her eyes from Fluttershy rushing over to help Isaac, to Twilight backing into the other wall. There was no sign of the creature anywhere, and the shadow balls had since poofed out of existence.

Then, she felt the ground beneath her hooves give way as a massive hole opened up.

“AHH!” Applejack yelled and scrambled for solid ground, only to fall. She didn’t fall for long. A large shape came up to meet her, bouncing her off where she nearly fell into the rest of the seemingly bottomless pit, only barely catching the edge of the rocky floor with her hooves.

“Applejack!” Pinkie gasped. Not only was her friend dangling over an abyss of inky blackness, but the devilish beast was right behind her as well.

Doing her best to ignore the monster in front of her, Rarity cringed and ran forward. She dove to the floor and caught Applejack’s forelegs. “I’ve got you!”

Hearing a growl above them, both mares stiffened up and slowly craned their heads to look. Two massive red eyes were peering down at them, filling their very beings with terror.

“Leave them alone!” Twilight cried. Hovering into the air, she discharged a powerful bolt of magic at the beast. It exploded with enough force to knock the creature back in a daze, but it soon recovered.

“Twi, watch out!” Rainbow Dash yelled.

Looking around for whatever threat her friend had spotted, Twilight didn’t notice the hole opening up beneath her, nor did she notice the clawed hand reaching up.

A blur of movement caught her eye. She started to look down, when her stomach erupted into agony. She let out a cry of pain as she fell, the force of the strike sending blood scattering away from her plummeting body.

Hitting the ground with a thud, Twilight slid to the wall in a crumpled heap. All of the wind was knocked from her lungs, and her limbs immediately turned to jelly underneath her as she tried and failed to get up.

Strength fading…

Eyelids heavy…

She had never been in this much pain before. The stinging agony in her gut pulled a groan from her throat as she curled in on herself. A pool of crimson was already starting to form beneath her, and as she drew a shaky hoof to the wound, the logical part of her dazed mind knew that, even with her alicorn stamina, she was in trouble.

“Twilight!”

The others all cried and reached out to their wounded friend. Rainbow Dash tried to fly toward her, only to get swatted away. Isaac tried to use his night light to slow the beast down, but it had no effect on it.

With her vision fading, Twilight struggled to lift her head. She was met with a great shadow looming over her as the hand that struck her down returned to finish the job.

All else fell away as the hand descended on her. The last thing she felt was a final dull pain throughout her entire form.

Then… blackness.