Musical Labyrinth

Chapters

Disappeared
G Natural
Seeing it for the First Time
Getting Started
Bonding
First Task
United at Last
Feelings Within
Channel Switching
A Sound of Echoes
Conversating
Crossing Paths
Wings of Wisdom
Willpower Over Fear
Unrivalled Siblings
Racing Against Time
Behind the Fraud
Prologue
Invited
Wondering in Closed Areas

Disappeared

Octavia was first chair cellist. She took her bow and started playing with other musicians. She was nervous and excited at the same time.

Outside, Vinyl Scratch set up her equipment. She placed two records on the turntables and placed the needles on them. She cranked up the volume, while creating loud music.

Rarity saw Blueblood, this is her chance to finally meet him. She came closer, one of the waiters bumped into one of the guards. His spear cut a rope, which was holding the chandelier. It was place above Blueblood. Rarity can it about to fall. She galloped and pushed him out of the way.

Twilight and Applejack heard the crash. They came to the scene where a huge crowd surround the wreck. The chandelier was destroyed.

“Rarity? Are you ok?” Twilight was worried.

“She is one lucky unicorn,” answered Applejack

Rarity didn’t answer, she was focusing on the stallion she saved. Blueblood groaned, he turned his head and gazed into Rarity’s eyes. “Th… Thank You.”

Rarity helped him on his hooves. They still stare into each other’s eyes.

“I waited so long to meet you. I’m Rarity.”

“And I’m…”

“Blueblood,” Rarity said in a lovestruck state.

“Do you want to talk or maybe…”

“Yes I will!” Rarity almost leaped into his forelegs. Instead she embraced him.

“I think we should leave them lovebirds alone,” suggested Applejack.

Twilight agreed and left them alone.

Blueblood and Rarity began to hit it off.

“So you’re a fashion designer,” smiled Blueblood. “You could design our clothes for our wedding.”

“I was thinking the same thing!” laughed Rarity. She mentioned Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.

“That Celestia, she knows how to bring joy to Equestria,” grinned Blueblood.

“All thanks to moi and some friends.” She mentioned the friendship reports and the different experiences they had. He was fascinated by them.

“Did your friends come as well?”

“Certainly, we know the princesses very much.”

Blueblood was confused at first. Then he remembered Luna. They can hear the loud techno beats from outside. This didn’t distract them.

“Now I know why that kind of music is for outdoors,” said Blueblood.

They see Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy busting moves. He watched Octavia playing the cello. "At least some pony knows the right kind of music for this Gala."

“Just because Octavia and Vinyl Scratch have different tastes in music, doesn’t mean they should be shunned by every pony.” She remembers when they quickly judged Zecora when she first entered Ponyville.

“Good looking, and wise. You’re not like any unicorn, pony or pegasus I met.”

One of the guards knocked on the door. He was checking on Celestia and Luna.

“Your majesties?” he called.

He opened the door and something crashed into him. The figure jumped through the window. He opened the door, he gasped in shock. “Holy Allicorn!”

He alerted all of the castle. He interrupted the Gala. “The princesses are gone!”

Every pony gasped. Octavia slipped her bow off her strings. The cellist next to her broken all of the strings.

Vinyl moved both needles of the records. Even though the music was loud, she can see that something has gone wrong. All of Mane 6 went to the guard.

“What happened?” asked Twilight.

“I went to check on the princesses then something attacked me. When I checked inside, they’re gone.”

They hurried to Celestia’s bedroom. It was a huge mess. Everything was broken and torn to pieces. On the bed, there’s an image of a labyrinth, inked in a strange black liquid.

“What is that?” Fluttershy pointed to the image.

Twilight carefully trotted to the symbol. The black liquid looked like it’s about to come alive. She climbed on the bed. She stared at it, almost like see a lifeless being.

“I think this might be where Celestia and Luna are,” Twilight theorised.

“What made you think so?” asked the guard.

“We need to do some research.”

Twilight searched through every book she had. The others helped too.

“Equestrian Fighters, Changeling Love, How to Make Your Own Elements, Crystal Delights? Who reads this?” Rarity was baffled with the collection of books.

“I want to break into fiction,” said Twilight. “It was Celestia who said I should try non-factual books.”

“Do you have any idea what kind of maze it is?” Applejack asked.

Twilight used her horn to draw it with a quill and piece of paper. She showed it to them. It’s a circular maze. It had no entrances or exits. Instead of dead ends, there were secret entrances that lead to other sections.

“I’ve never seen one like this,” said Twilight.

“So this is where the princesses are huh?” said Applejack.

“Why would anything would leave the map of where Celestia and Luna are?” Rarity asked.

“Maybe it’s a calling card,” suggested Pinkie Pie. “Evil masterminds always leave their marks behind. They like to call themselves artists of the criminal underworld.”

“That’s a load of puff,” Rainbow Dash detested.

“You could be right Pinkie.” Twilight never deducts a theory, especially if the others think it’s a silly one. “I’m just worried about what’s going to happen to them.”

A knock on the door alerted them. Twilight opened it slowly, fearing it might be the culprit. It was Derpy Hooves, she has a letter for her.

“Letter from the Crystal Empire.” Derpy didn’t sound cheerful. It must have been the news of the Allicorn princesses being kidnapped.

“Derpy doesn’t look too happy,” said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight read the letter. Instead of being written in ink, there were bits of paper glued on it. The letters were cut from numerous magazines, menus, and newspapers. It contains more bad news. “Oh no!”

“What is it?” asked Fluttershy.

“What does it say?” asked Applejack.

“Whoever kidnapped Celestia and Luna has also kidnapped… Cadance and my brother!”

They all gasped. Rainbow found something suspicious. “Why would the kidnapper sent you a letter telling you this?”

“Who knows, this pony, or thing knows more than we do.”

Both Octavia and Vinyl couldn’t believe this happened. They left Canterlot on hoof. They didn’t bother take any form of transportation. They met each at an intersection, they were taking different paths.

“I can’t believe this. This was a big night for me and the rulers of Equestria were gone.” This was a huge blow for Octavia.

“One minute every pony was jamming, now the both Luna and Celestia are gone.” Vinyl treated the whole thing like it’s on the front page of a newspaper.

“Do you know who might find them?” asked Octavia.

“There has to be a pony who knows about them than any pony, unicorn or pegasi,” said Vinyl.

Both of them came up with a solution. “Twilight Sparkle!”

They hurried to Twilight’s house. She answered and saw them standing outside. “Octavia, Vinyl Scratch. What are you doing?”

“We came because you know Princess Celestia than all of Ponyville,” answered Octavia.

“We want to help as well,” agreed Vinyl.

“Of course.” Twilight invited them inside.

They saw the sketch of the labyrinth. This immediately triggered Vinyl and Octavia’s memories, they’ve seen it before.

“That’s Musical Labyrinth!” exclaimed Vinyl.

“How did you know?” asked Twilight.

“We were told stories about it when we were fillies," said Octavia. "Even before we met each other.”

“It’s a maze where they only way to escape is the use of music. The mastermind behind it is known as the composer,” Octavia explained.

“It choses any pony, unicorn and pegasus, and traps them inside. They must solve different challenges. It has been rumoured that the obstacles change, but the goals remain the same,” Vinyl continued.

“Has any pony escaped?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“None of them have made it alive.” Octavia explained it in a grave voice.

“We all thought it was an excuse to scare wannabe musicians, now we know it’s real.” Vinyl can see it coming to a reality.

“I think I know who will help us,” said Twilight. “But it can’t any pony.”

“Who?” they all asked.

“We need a human.”

G Natural

A Cadillac parked in between a Chevrolet and a Lamborghini. The driver knocked on the door of the house. Wes can see that it’s his new manager outside. His first manager was sacked for control over the band. He opened the door with a dull look on his face. He had a terrible night. Dark circles were almost visible under his eyes. He didn’t shave for nearly fourteen days. He can still smell the gin on his clothes.

“Wes Argovich, I’m Padraig McMullen.” He shook Wes’ hand. He had experience with seeing rock stars at every age.

“About time. Our manager treated us like animals.” He reached for his keys, almost tripping over the mat.

He hurried upstairs to get his instruments. He took a Fender Jaguar, a keytar and a drum machine. He was about to leave when his new manager forced him to halt. Wes remembered to visit the theatre for a rehearsal with his band mates. Padraig wanted to know more about their sacked manager. “Could you tell me about him?”

“That power-hungry fiend?” Wes couldn’t wait to tell. Padraig seemed like a nice person to talk.

“What you said.” He can see what made Wes into what he is today.

They walked to the Cadillac. Wes crammed all the instruments inside the trunk. Wes already owned a car, it’s being repaired after the radiator leaked.

Padraig drove to the theatre where Wes and the band were supposed to meet. He stared at Wes he can see he’s having problems. Unlike any of his clients whose issue mostly relationships and drugs, Wes was having a dispute with the former manager. “When we released our first album, he knew it will be successful. Then he took full control of the concert tours, promotion and our musical styles."

"Whereabouts are you practising?"

"At the Fellon Theatre."

They drove around the deserted area of the city. This is where Wes’ band practised. Not a single person called the cops, complaining of the loud noise. Everywhere looked abandoned and rustic. From factories to apartments, it was like a graveyard. Broken glass, smashed bricks, piles of trash filled the ground.

They stopped at the theatre. Wes grabbed his instruments following Padraig inside. They walked past the lobby, entering the main auditorium. They found four band mates preparing for their new manager. Wes joined them on stage.

The other band members were Harry Renlin the bassist, Rene Tate the drummer, Steve Cunningham the lead guitarist and James Garris the vocalist. Wes was their rhythm guitarist, he played other instruments as well. Whenever they want a slight change in their music, they come to him.

“Is he our new manager?” Harry checked to be sure. He can see that Padraig was younger than their first manager.

“That’s him,” Wes confirmed.

All the band mates prepared themselves. The guitarists plugged their guitars in the amplifiers, cranking each of them up to the maximum volume. Rene hit his drum sticks four times. They began playing their rendition of At The Drive-in’s “One Armed Scissor”.

Padraig wasn’t like any manager who would interrupt and say like “you’re just too loud” or “can you play something else?” He was the person who listens to the entire thing before making a decision. He had experience with amateur and professional bands. They turned him down from either from his suggestions or they thought he’s not experienced enough.

After the song ended Padraig stood up. “I’m impressed. Can you do any other types of rock music?”

“Yes we can.” James pointed to Wes. He knew that Wes is the person who can find the right style of music for an album or tune. “Wes can play other instruments besides the guitar.”

The band mates agreed. They know this band would never be recognised if he didn’t join them. Padraig pulled a contact from his briefcase, along with some pens. “Sign this and I’ll be your manager.”

Each member scribbled their names at the bottom. Padraig signed his signature next to theirs. The band high-fived, they knew that this is man who will respect their musical abilities and never abuse it for his selfish needs. They left the building watching Padraig drive away. They brought their instruments to a minivan. They drove around town finding a place to dine. It’s around noon, they stopped at a food court in a shopping mall.

Each of them ordered food at different stalls. They sat at the same table. They discussed on what they should do for their next album.

“Any ideas for our next album?” Harry asked.

“We just released our last album five months ago. We should find a suitable gig.” Rene didn’t want to rush in, fearing that it will exhaust them.

“We manage to gain recognition from the public. That’s why Harry wanted to work on new material,” said James.

“I like to see how he will react if we were nominated for a Grammy,” wondered Steve.

Harry almost burst out in excitement. He controlled himself before he spoke. He didn’t want anybody to hear it and create unnecessary attention. “I’ll scream like a mad man.”

They ate more so they can forget the pain their old manager made. They were going to leave when a stranger blocked their exit. It wasn’t a fan or a member of a rival band. It was an armed man, he pointed his pistol at them. Rene grabbed a chair, tossing it at the man’s head. They ran outside after the gun fired in the air. Four more men chased after them after the security guards arrested the shooter.

Rene ran for the minivan and started the engine, he saw his mates run in different directions. He didn’t have time to think he just slammed on the pedal. Three of the men fired, they were arrested by security.

One of the men chased Wes. They ran in every alley. Wes climbed over every fence, the man struggled to climb them. He turned a corner and before he run for the police car in front, he somehow fell into a magical portal the size of a manhole. The chaser didn’t see him fall in he went straight and shoved two policemen. He was stopped by another police car. The driver took his cuffs, restraining the chaser inside the vehicle.

“You should of thought twice before shooting up a public place,” the police officer exclaimed.

Seeing it for the First Time

All of the ponies gasped. They never saw Twilight come up with a shocking solution. They were used to hearing her answer to a problem that’s in Equestria. Now that idea is based on outside of their world, this was never thought of since the beginning of time. None of them knew what a human was and there was never any one of them appearing anywhere.

“A what?!” they all said.

“A human,” Twilight answered hesitantly. “I thought they were just childhood fears that catch us if we’re bad. Now as I gotten older, I soon learned they do exist.”

“Where are we going to find one?” wondered Applejack.

Fluttershy saw a hole in the wall behind some books. She came to take a further inspection. The hole was small enough to fit a unicorn’s horn. “Twilight, look.”

She showed her the hole. She pushed all the books off the shelves in one sweep. Mystic symbols surrounded it, they were similar to ones found on most of her spell books. “Excellent Fluttershy, hope this might give us an answer.”

She inserted her horn in the hole, numerous mechanism sounds alerted every pony. Twilight removed her horn, the wall lowered into the ground. A secret room was pitch black, dust rolled in covering their eyes and filling their lungs. Twilight lit her horn, there was a book on a pedestal. She removed it, carrying it with her magic, placing it on a nearby table. The book has a weird title: Creatures Beyond Equestria. It had a dust jacket over the hardback cover. She opened it with care, who knows how old it was. She looked at the contents table, she found what she was looking for.

“Listen to this, it says a human is a living being with four limbs, two legs and two arms. They only stand on two legs, unless they were first born when they learn how to walk…” She was about to continue on when she was interrupted.

“All in favour of skipping the description?” Pinkie Pie suggested. Every pony’s hooves were in the air except for Twilight. “Thank you.”

Twilight shrugged and read further. “They live on a planet called Earth. Which consists of six continents surrounded by water. Just like Equestria, there are many different cultures and ethnicities. There have been reports of ponies existing there. Unlike us ponies, they never speak. As for unicorns and pegasi, they exist in fantasy and mythology.”

“Do you know how to summon one here?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“And fast I’m worried about the princesses,” said Fluttershy.

“We all are,” Vinyl said. She placed her foreleg on Fluttershy’s back. She looked at Vinyl, she knew she was a kind unicorn.

“Do any of your spell books have a way of bringing one here?” Octavia started searching through every book that was tossed on the floor.

“There is and it’s very risky.” Twilight found the book containing the spell. She placed the book on a nearby pedestal.

“Why is it risky?” Rarity asked.

“I read that whoever uses it might cause whatever it is the user wants to summon, may end up in the wrong place. I need full concentration.”

All the ponies stood back, giving Twilight some space. She closed her eyes tight, she focused her energy into her horn. They all watched nervously, Twilight’s horn started to glow, the light slowly grew bright. A vast of energy zapped in, then a blast fired into the air. There was silence.

Twilight opened her eyes. Every pony hoped it worked. The purple unicorn slowly smiled. “It worked!”

They all cheered. Octavia was the first to ask. “So where is the human?”

“I can feel it’s presence in Equestria, but not in Ponyville.”

Wes fell from the sky. He fell past the Wonderbolts, he even fell past Derpy Hooves! He saw rows of trees coming closer. He covered his face with his arms. He broke every branch and twig along the way. He crash landed through a roof, then he hit something hard and became drenched.

He found himself in a hut filled with tribal and voodoo masks and potions. He noticed the spilled liquid from knocked-over cauldron. “Remind me not to have Chili Con Carne tonight.”

“Who’s that inside my home? Of any creature of any form,” said a voice with a low African accent.

Wes knew he was in trouble. He had to escape, instead of using the door, he went inside the other room. He bumped into something, he was on top of a zebra. He pushed up and leaned against the wall.

“Now I’m losing my head,” Wes said in a panicky state.

“Do not be afraid stranger. I do not cause any danger,” the zebra said.

“A talking zebra, that speaks in rhyme, in an African accent. That drop through the manhole must have hit me hard.”

The zebra saw the injuries on Wes, cuts and scratches were all over his body. She didn’t have time to stare at his appearance. Wes felt a crack in his arm. He laid on the floor, screaming in pain. The zebra took a bottle with her mouth, she gave it to Wes.

“What’s that?” Wes asked.

“This will heal your arm. It will show I don’t mean any harm,” she said.

Wes chugged it down his throat. He can feel the pain going away. He placed his fingers on his face, the cuts and scratches were healing by themselves. He was amazed, he can see that creature has a kind and gentle spirit. “You’re a good medicine woman. Strike that, medicine zebra.”

“I make the finest potions of every flora. What is your name? Mine is Zecora,” she replied.

“Wes Argovich,” he said. “The weird thing is I was chased by a mad man, then I fell down a man hole, which somehow ended up falling from the sky and land in your hut. Whatever caused it had a reason for it.”

Wes climbed to his feet. He was more curious to what’s going on. Zecora knows more about Equestria than he does. “You should follow me. To a place where you shall be. I can help shed light on your query. Then come home before you’re weary.”

Wes followed Zecora out the door into the Everfree Forest and into Ponyville.

All around every pony was miserable. The news of the Alicorn princesses’ disappearance spread around very fast. Most were worried that a reign of chaos will be nigh. Some tried to calm themselves, others just can’t stop talking about it.

“Why have all the horse in this place act like a tragedy happened?” Wes was more curious to what happened.

“The reason why those ponies are in woe. The rulers of Equestria are gone if you want to know. Never has this made any pony in despair. Some have left to find them but no luck anywhere.” When Zecora heard about it, she had hope that someone or some pony will find them and bring them back before everything will go to riot.

“Hi Zecora, hi human,” Vinyl said as she walked past.

“Hi Zecora, hi human,” Octavia said in the same way.

The unicorn and pony stopped. They just trotted past the one thing that will help find Celestia and Luna. They looked at each other in the eyes. “There’s a human in Ponyville?!”

They galloped back, stopping Zecora and Wes for going further.

“Oh my Alicorn! It really is a human!” Vinyl gasped in amazement.

“You’re just the creature we need,” Octavia replied with glee.

Wes scratched his head in confusion.

“They are the most talent musicians in Ponyville,” Zecora explained. She turned Vinyl and Octavia. “You should introduce to him if you will.”

“I’m Vinyl Scratch. I blast techno music all night,” Vinyl said in a nice greeting. She learned how to do it by Princess Celestia.

“My name is Octavia, professional cellist.” She gave Wes a smile, there was no sign of nervousness.

Wes shook his hand with their hooves. He was given a welcome he didn’t expect. He was treated like a guest.

“Now I must leave, you have task to complete. If you want to know more, there a group of six you must meet.” Zecora went back to the Everfree Forest.

“What a nice kind-spirited Zebra,” said Wes.

“If you need words of wisdom, she’s your equestrian,” smiled Vinyl.

“You must come with us. There’s no time to waste,” insisted Octavia.

They entered Twilight’s house. She was searching through every book. She was glad to see them. “Octavia! Vinyl! You found the human!”

“We found him walking into Ponyville with Zecora,” explained Octavia.

“I fell from the sky,” Wes said in a straight face.

Twilight’s eyes widen, she almost laughed. She quickly learned that she brought him here. She gave Wes information about what’s going on. “The reason why I brought you here is because of your knowledge of music. I know we have Vinyl and Octavia, but they each know one specific type of music.”

“I do know that the rulers of this place were captured.” Wes wanted to let Twilight know what he’s been told.

Twilight showed Wes a drawing of the maze. “That’s where the princesses are at the moment. Only Octavia and Vinyl Scratch know about it than I do.”

“If I can rescue the princesses, I can come back home?” asked Wes.

“There’s more, my brother and my sitter are with them. If they weren’t rescued as well, the Crystal Empire will fall.” She slowly broke down. Shining Armour under Queen Chrysalis’ spell was one thing, but having him with his lover in a place she doesn’t know makes her worried.

Wes walked slowly to her. He wiped the tears from her eyes. He wasn’t the type of person who will back out of a time of need. “It’s alright. Just as long as we have faith, we can rescue them.”

Both Octavia and Vinyl agreed. Twilight stopped crying, she felt much better. “You’re right I shouldn’t lose faith. We just need a plan.”

“Why can’t we just try to do the same way they were taken?” Wes suggested. “We can disguise ourselves as royalty. Once the culprit takes us… Bam! We’re in the maze.”

“Actually there’s another way,” said Vinyl.

“There is?” asked Twilight.

“Definitely,” concurred Octavia.

“Excellent!” Wes air-guitared a riff from Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People.”

Getting Started

Her eyes opened, Celestia didn’t know what happened. All around her were stone walls and floors made of marble. It was dark and grim, she can feel water under her hooves. It took her a minute to stand. Whatever made her lose consciousness made her body numb. She remembered being in her bedroom with Luna. A figure broke through the window, creating a puff of smoke.

She was unfamiliar of this place. There were torches on the walls. To her surprise, this wasn’t a prison cell, it was a starting point. A plaque hung near the doorway. It had writing in Times New Roman.

Every person thinks they know music, they were mistaken. Just like others before, you have been chosen for the Musical Labyrinth. A complex maze where your musical skills are tested and the key to escape.

No matter where you go there’s always a challenge. Some objectives have their own time limit. You can go solo or become a team with other participants. Some will help, others may betray you. You have been tasks how are they’re accomplished is up to you and others. There’s a giant clock above you; it represents the amount of time left. If time has expired, all participants will have their fates met and sealed.

There will be surveillance cameras watching every step you take. There are TV screens hidden in the walls which you can use to navigate. Any tampering or attempts in cheating, there will be consequences.

Your time limit consists of 10 hours. Once all participants leave their starting positions, there’s no turning around.

Celestia lost her bravery. It happened when she stared at the door. She was quick to notice the unlocked door. Carefully opening it, without knowing what can occur. She saw the clock on the ceiling. Its hands stood still, the image was giving her the creeps. The door slammed shut behind her. It suddenly vanished, Celestia gasped. The starting room was gone as well. It was like a way of preventing any pony, pegasus or unicorn from returning to where they came.

On her mind, she needs to find her sister. She’s not worried about her safety, she wants to know if she’s in the same location as her.

Celestia followed the path she’s currently on. It was only a few turns before reaching a dead end. She weighed her options, she can’t go back because the starting point is gone. She decided to fly.

She flew above the ground searching for Luna or any pony who might be there. Her search was short lived. She felt a shock hitting her body at a fast rate. The fall made her land on her right wing. She now knew why no participant escaped by flying.

She stared at the wall. She closed her eyes, blocking all thoughts, her mind is a complete blank. She used her magic to search for something hidden behind the bricks. There was a hole hidden behind one of them. She used her hoof to push the brick. Instead of going in, it popped out like a piece of toast. She inserted her horn in it and the wall was split in half. It opened like a curtain revealing a path.

Celestia felt rewarded. She thinks she's getting closer to leaving this trap.

Waking from a nightmare, Luna dreamed that it was Nightmare Moon, who was responsible. The black smoke was similar to her dark blue and violet mist she uses to sneak around.

She was in the starting room. She saw the plaque, the same one Celestia read. She read every word while asking herself where she was. There was another plaque on the other side. It had the same font.

If you have musical talents, instruments will be available in the labyrinth. They can be at your starting area or in the labyrinth. They range from autoharps to keytars. Some of the tasks have a supplied instrument, while others require one.

There will be s that can help you finish a task, skip it completely, etc. They're hidden in the walls and floors of the labyrinth.

Luna never played a musical instrument let alone the kind made in the present day. She knew Vinyl and Octavia played instruments, she hoped they can help her. Both her and Celestia share the same thoughts.

She opened the door. She can see a fork in the road. Each of the paths have traps: the right path has pikes on the walls which come together if any pony steps on a specific stone on the floor; the left path shoots trails of fire if any pony hits the tripwire; and the centre path has hidden machine guns if any pony crosses a laser beam.

Luna saw a keyboard stand at the intersection, there’s a synthesizer with 64 keys. Staring at the instrument gave her a sense of wonder. It wasn’t like anything this Alicorn witnessed. There were a lot of black and white keys. Buttons scattered above them, along with dials and switches.

There weren’t any clues or hints given to her. She found some broken pieces of stones from the walls and floors. She used each of them test the traps. The laser turned back on, the tripwire is replaced with another one, and the stone re-emerged. She thinks the synthesizer is the key to disabling them.

Her hooves were too big to press each key. She had an idea. Her horn glowed, one of the keys pressed by itself. The sound of G natural echoed everywhere. She was fascinated with the instrument. She adjusted the switches and pressed the buttons.

She faced the left path, she pressed five keys, two black and three white. She stood on the stone, it sank, nothing happened. She didn’t take the path just yet. Two more to disable. She found that she can’t use the same settings to disable the traps. It was the first challenging task she encountered so far. Facing the right path, she pressed two keys, one black one white. The tripwire detached and wasn’t replaced. Once she faced the middle path, she pressed one black key. The laser automatically turned off. She had to change the settings after pressing the keys.

Now she has to choose which path to follow. She trotted to the centre path. There wasn’t any particular reason for choosing it. After all, the maze did not appear in any history book. Not a single record of it, due to the fact none of the ponies, pegasi and unicorns lived to tell the tale.

Unlike the Alicorn princesses, Shining Armour the only one who stood awake during the abduction. After he was dropped in the starting area, he searched for a way out. He didn’t see the plaques to learn the rules. He clumsily pushed the door, making him fall on his abdomen.

The door behind closed, he watched the room disappear. This wasn’t his concern, he wanted to find his love Cadance.

He remembered when they were in the Crystal Empire, serving a brighter tomorrow. They were adored by the crystal ponies. He was writing a letter to Twilight, his adoring sister. Derpy Hooves arrived, exhausted with her wings killing her. He handed her the letter and the grey pegasus flew out the window. He heard Cadance cry out his name. When he arrived to the throne, Cadance was fighting a figure. It was difficult to describe from his point of view. They banded together, they used their magic at it, to no avail. Then it grew larger consuming the rulers in one move. He still can’t see the face. All he knew was that it was made of smoke. Its eyes weren’t as big as King Sombra’s, they were just average-sized.

He stopped thinking and searched everywhere for her in the maze. He ran all around, it was impossible to run around in circles. He ran into a dead end, but instead of hitting the wall, he ended up at an intersection. This blew his mind on so many levels.

He found a loose brick in the wall. He removed it with his horn. A TV screen suddenly turned on. Shining Armour removed more bricks, making other TV screens turn on by themselves. Two of them showed Celestia and Luna. He was glad that he wasn’t alone. He called their names, none of them can hear his voice. There weren’t and speakers or intercoms to communicate. All he can do is watch. He checked every screen for Cadance, none of them showed any sign.

He continued searching, he took a right, then he took a left, and this ended him up in a room with multiple doors. The first door is just an ordinary wooden door, the second one is an automatic door, the third door is made of glass, the fourth door doesn’t have a handle and the last door is a double door.

Instead of an instrument, there’s a key on the ground. He lifted it off the ground. He couldn’t find a keyhole in any of the doors. He found that the only way to enter the right door, involves in making the keyhole appear. It will fit the key, but in this labyrinth, there are pitfalls and traps if no one’s careful.

He can see some parts of the floor in the shape of drum pads. He placed the key down and stomped the pad on his left. It sounded like a cow bell. He stomped the pad on the left, it sounded like an ordinary drum. The last one he stomped sounded like a bass drum pedal.

He stomped around, he saw the keyholes slowly appear. He used his hoof sounding the cow bell, he created a drum roll and made the sound of the bass drum.

All the keyholes appeared on the doors. Shining Armour lifted the key and inserted in the door with no handle. He was right. He must continue searching for Cadance. He can’t stop thinking what has happened to her.

A drop of water landed on her cheek. Cadance woke up, her eyes slowly opened before getting to her hooves. She can remember what happened before she was taken.

Cadance and Shining Armour were addressing all ponies of the Crystal Empire. It took nearly four hours, for all of the crystal ponies to go about their business. It was a long day for the rulers. Cadance took a rest while Shining Armour wrote a letter Twilight Sparkle. While sleeping, the figure slithered inside. She opened her eyes and was frightened by the appearance. She used her magic against it. The beam just went through it, like light emitting through glass. She stood her ground, she knew she can’t do it alone. She called Shining Armour for help. He trotted in willing to help. They fired magic at the same time. Just before the figure consumes them, Cadance can see its evil grin.

After remembering what happened before, Cadance went searching for her husband. She noticed the giant clock on the ceiling, along with the electric wiring. She inhaled and exhaled before closing the door. The hand on the clock started ticking. 10 hours and counting.

Cadance approached her first challenge. After stepping in a square, four barred-cages surrounded her. A fifth one fell from above, creating a jail cell. Her scream almost made the restraints that hold all five break.

She discovered that emitting a sound will release her. She knew it had to be a high note. She emitted a few short bursts of high notes. She didn’t want to strain her voice and hurt her throat. She breathed in and out a few times. With one final big inhale, she gave off a note so high, the cage started shaking.

It crumbled everywhere, Cadance jumped away from the falling cage. The noise echoed everywhere. She covered her ears, it was slightly painful hearing it.

She continued going down the route wondering where she could be.

Bonding

Octavia poured a cup of hot tea. She poured it in two cups: one for herself and the other for Wes. He can taste the flavour while letting the steam enter his nostrils.

Twilight suggested that Wes should spend time with the musically gifted unicorn and pony. This will give them a chance to combine their tastes in music to save the rulers of Equestria and the Crystal Empire.

“Do you think it will work?” Octavia asked.

“Me sitting down with you having a conversation? Don’t think so,” answered Wes.

This wasn’t the answer she was searching for. “I was talking about you, me and Vinyl working together.”

“We know about music then anybody in Equestria. You did say you and Vinyl know about the Musical Labyrinth since you were young.” Wes reminded her what they said.

She knew he was right. She sipped her tea thinking: Does his musical taste can work with mine? She knew nothing of the music where Wes is from. With Equestria at stake, she must try right now.

“What kind of music do you play?” Octavia wanted to know more of the genre.

“Rock.” Wes answered after sipping his tea.

“How long has rock music existed?”

“Since the ‘50s. There are different types, I could name them all but that will take forever.”

They went off with a good start. Octavia can see Wes more of an honest human. Rather than some freak who goes crazy with their music genre. His innocent facial expression shows it.

“Are you part of a group?” Octavia asked.

“Certainly, I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I’m there if any of the band mates want to use a different instrument,” said Wes.

“I only play the Cello. It’s my trademark instrument. I would never give it up for anything else.”

Wes starred at her Cutie Mark. It was a violet G-Clef. He can see it identifies every pony, unicorn and pegasus talent. He pointed to it wondering what it was. “Where did you get that?”

Octavia looked at it. She suddenly had memories of the day she received her Cutie Mark. “I got this at my first solo concert. I was a prodigy, came from a family of that do classical music. My parents were proud of my skills at an early age. The moment I picked up that cello, I found a reason for playing music. When I was chosen to perform, I was so nervous that I wanted to run way. Then I saw Princess Celestia in the audience with her sister Luna. I forgot that there’s an audience and just imagined that they’re the only ones there. After I finished playing, I was given a standing ovation, this never happened before. Just as I was about to leave the stage, I saw a Cutie Mark glow on my flank. I screamed in delight.”

No matter how many times she remembers it, it will still lift her spirits whenever Octavia’s feeling down. “My parents were proud of me. I became the mare that I am today.”

Wes enjoyed the conversation. He heard a knock on the door, Octavia answered it. There was a large parcel for Wes. There’s a letter attached: Wes, I managed to summon your electric guitar, I hope it’s the right one, Twilight Sparkle.

She brought it inside. “Wes, Twilight sent you your guitar.”

Wes ripped off the paper until he saw his Fender Jaguar. He was surprised to learn that a unicorn can summon both a living thing and an object to Equestria.

Octavia thought of a suggestion. “Do you know any song that combines Rock and Classical?”

Wes immediately thought of one. “Definitely.”

Octavia picked up her cello. Wes placed the strap around his shoulder and picked up his pick. They exchanged smiles as Wes strummed, they both played Bush’s “Glycerine”. Wes’ vocals and guitar combined with Octavia’s cello made a ballad that made them have a love for music.

Unknown to them Rarity and Fluttershy were watching from outside. They both agreed they are the right human and pony for the job.

“They make an excellent blend of two different genres,” Rarity said with amazement.

Fluttershy smiled, she was very optimistic. The animals who were with her enjoyed the musical number. Even Angel Bunny enjoyed it.

“I didn’t know Wes can sing,” said Fluttershy. “He must have a hidden talent.”

Later that day, Wes was in Vinyl Scratch’s house. They were drinking bottles of soda.

“How’s your time with Octavia?” Vinyl asked.

“Fantastic. We managed to combine rock with classical.”

Vinyl stared at Wes’ Fender Jaguar. She was going to ask about it, another thing came to her head. “So you like rock?”

“I can see you like techno and electronic music.” Wes can tell by the sunglasses and hair. “As for your question, yes I play and love rock music.”

Vinyl gulped down some of her soda. She immediately grew a fond for Wes. “What made you become a musician?”

“I come from a family of musicians. Each of them play more than one instrument.” He was proud of his family background. Many of his family members joined bands. Others went solo.

He spotted her Cutie Mark, it was a beamed note. “How long ago did you have that?”

Vinyl was confused at first, but she can see him pointing to her flank. “I had that when I was a filly.”

“Just like Octavia,” said Wes.

Vinyl told Wes told him how she got it. “I was hated in all of school because of my musical taste and attitude. No matter where I go every filly and colt wanted to torment me. I just come home and play loud music to drown the pain, it didn’t help. One day I was chosen to host one of my classmates’ birthday parties. I brought my equipment to her house. Her mother asked me to play softer music. Just as the party started, no pony was having a good time. The birthday filly asked me to lighten up the place. I cranked up the subwoofer and brought the house down. After it ended I saw a musical note on my flank. I was surprised that it was a Cutie Mark.”

Vinyl finished her bottle just as she finished her story. “No pony hated me after that. I got my confidence back and continued making techno beats to this day.”

Wes enjoyed her backstory. The soda in his mouth tickled his tongue. He rubbed the strings of his guitar. Vinyl thought they should practise before heading for the Musical Labyrinth. “Would it be cool if we combine rock and techno?”

“It has been done in my world,” said Wes.

Vinyl brought in her subwoofer, drum machine, keyboard and talk box. Wes was jaw-dropped of seeing a unicorn having numerous instruments.

“When you said you brought the house down, you weren’t joking.” Wes’ eyes widened in surprise. “Did you make all of this?”

“With my own two hooves,” she smiled.

They began playing Daft Punk’s “Robot Rock”. It was so loud that the house shook like there was an earthquake. Vinyl let Wes use the talk box so he can sing in it. They appeared to have a good time.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were watching them from outside.

“They should host every party!” suggested Pinkie.

“We better head back to Twilight to see if there’s more about the Labyrinth,” said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight kept on searching through every book. Rarity just stood there not doing anything.

“You could at least help,” said Twilight.

“You already searched through every book. Why are searching through them again?” Rarity asked.

Octavia and Vinyl Scratch said there’s another way of getting to that labyrinth. So there must any strange recorded in here.”

“Did you try the archives?” Pinkie Pie entered the house with Rainbow Dash.

“You won’t find it there.” Octavia was standing behind her. Along with Vinyl and Wes.

Twilight stopped searching. She wanted to know, she’s more worried of Cadence and Shining Armour. Although she’s worried about Celestia and Luna as does every pony, her family is more important to her life.

“Where do we find it?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Octavia and Vinyl thought hard. They were fillies when they heard about the secret entrance.

“From what I can remember, there have been reports of ponies disappearing near that well in Ponyville,” informed Octavia.

“They didn’t disappear going near it, they disappeared after going in it,” continued Vinyl.

Twilight knew that’s where they should go. “Come on girls.”

They all gathered around the well. They brought supplies for a their mission. Fluttershy and Applejack caught up with them.

“Sorry we were late. Some pegasus spent half an hour saying goodbyes to her pets,” Applejack told them.

Fluttershy was nervous that she may never return. Her love for animals was strong. “I’m doing in case we may disappear and never be seen again. Who will take care of my animals?”

Rarity placed her foreleg over Fluttershy. “No need to worry. You’ll see them again.”

Twilight lifted Fluttershy’s head. She gave her a smile, she wanted her to feel optimistic and let any fear take over. “Rarity’s right. If we don’t find them, all of Equestria will be in ruins.”

Fluttershy felt better, she can’t deny her friends confidence. She understood that there’s an important matter to be at hand.
They looked down the well, it was pitch black. Rainbow Dash dropped a stone in it. It took five seconds for it to reach the bottom. There wasn’t a splash, it was completely dry. All they heard was the rock hitting what sounded like more rocks. It has been dry for a long time. Usuallywhen this happens, the ponies gather water from the river.

Applejack gave each of them rope attached to grappling hooks. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash didn’t receive one because they can just fly down the well. They slowly went down the deep abyss. The light disappeared once they touched the rocks.

Twilight lit up the area with her horn. There was no sign of water. Although the rocks were moist, it was from the rain. Equestria rarely had a drought, even if the weather’s controlled by the pegasi.

Pinkie Pie found a door, it was camouflaged, blending in with the bricks. “Who puts a door in a well?”

“Duh, the mastermind?” answered Rainbow Dash.

Wes opened the door quite easily. There was no lock or handle. “We can’t stand around asking. This should be the way in.”

Wes went in first. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch came in next. Twilight followed with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy, Rarity and Applejack gulped after breathing in. They looked at each other and entered the pitch black cave.

With Twilight showing light in the middle of the line, it was difficult for Wes, Vinyl and Octavia to find where they were going. It was the one time they didn’t look before they leap. It was only a minor concern. Wes had to rely on sound and touch to navigate.

They hit a dead end, they all crammed into Wes. They all squished into a line in the shape of a fat sausage.

“Oh no, a dead end!” Rarity panicked. “We’re going to die! I’ll never be a famous fashion model! Who will take over? Oh wait, Sweetie Belle! She’ll follow in my footsteps. But she doesn’t know how to make clothes! Who will teach her?!”

Applejack grabbed her and snapped her out of it. She grabbed her head and looked in the eyes. “Don’t lose your head. We’re still alive.”

“Take it easy Rarity,” said Twilight. “We can just go back and get more supplies.”

“I don’t think we should,” informed Octavia.

Vinyl knew she’s right. She showed them Wes peeking through the ceiling. “Wes found a trapdoor.”

Wes climbed up, finding himself outside the maze. He’s inside a surveillance room. He opened a nearby door, it lead to the labyrinth. He helped the ponies inside. None of them were familiar with it.

“Now we know that they’ve been watched,” confirmed Wes.

Wes slammed it from behind leading them into the labyrinth. A loud sound made them spin around to see what happened.

First Task

Once they leave the room, it disappeared in front of them. All that's left was a dead end. The clock on the ceiling didn’t restart, it just kept on ticking. It’s as though the culprit didn’t want the clock to restart if some pony enters the maze.

Vinyl and Octavia spotted it above them. It was the most jaw-dropping and frightening sight they’ve seen. Staring at it feels like gazing into a deep vortex, with no hope of escaping. It triggered a memory for both the cellist pony and DJ unicorn.

“It’s a time limit,” Vinyl spoke in a quiet voice. This wasn’t the way she usually speaks.

“I thought this was made up when we were told about this.” Octavia snapped in a panicky state. When she was a filly, she thought the giant clock was a rouse to make it scarier.

Wes can see their expressions. They were exactly the same. He thought why they didn’t get along with each other. He couldn’t think of a single reason. The one reason he thought was stupid was having them fight against each other. It couldn’t be about their musical backgrounds.

Applejack watched the hand move by itself. “How much time do we have?”

Vinyl and Octavia were no longer intimidated by the clock. They calculated the amount of time remaining: 9 hours and 28 minutes. Vinyl told them how long the captured ponies have in order to escape. “Whoever is brought here has 10 hours to escape.”

“What happens if the clock reaches zero?” asked Fluttershy.

“Every pony will die.” Octavia couldn’t bear to see their reactions. All of the Mane 6 were horrified. She couldn't turn away. Vinyl felt the same way. She too hated seeing their once rulers of Equestria, facing their darkest moment of their lives.

Wes wanted them to focus on their mission. “If that clock still ticks down, we lose precious time before we know it.”

This made the Mane 6 snap out of their fear. Vinyl and Octavia didn’t think this happened. Although the fear still clouds their minds, they didn’t let it interfere.

“So what do we do?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Pinkie brought something that might be a way of finding the Alicorn princesses. “We’ll use my Party Cannon!”

“How the hell did you bring that?” Wes didn’t think that Pinkie Pie didn’t bring anything. “It couldn’t fit in your bag.”

Twilight gave him an explanation. “This isn’t Earth Wes. We use magic in Equestria.”

Wes raised his eyebrows. He wasn’t a fan of fantasy. Even when he first arrived in Equestria, he can’t escape the fact it’s all real. He became accustomed to bonding with Octavia and Vinyl, the thought never came to his mind.

They went around the maze searching for Luna, Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armour. They all went in different directions, they lost track of how many turns they took. They don’t know how the Musical Labyrinth works, they weren’t given any information at all. The only thing they know about it was from what Vinyl and Octavia told them. None of the ponies could come up with an ideas on what are they’re supposed to do.

Fluttershy slipped on a wet stone and hit the wall. They immediately turned around, seeing Fluttershy looking injured. They rushed to her, helping her on her hooves.

“Fluttershy, are you hurt?” Twilight was always the first one to rush for her friend’s aid.

Rarity check her for any injuries. She grabbed one of her scarves, creating a bandage. “Oh dear, I must help.”

Fluttershy prevented her from doing so. “It’s OK Rarity, I’m not that hurt.”

Wes found a brick on the ground, it was the same one Fluttershy knocked out of the wall. Vinyl found a TV screen in the hole. To their surprise, it showed Shining Armour. Twilight ran to the screen. No matter how she called his name, Shining Armour can’t hear her voice.

“Brother! Shining Armour!” Twilight pounded on the TV screen.

“He can’t hear us,” informed Wes. “But it might give us an idea where he might be.”

He inspected the surroundings, Shining is near a corner. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make out where exactly he is. “Does anybody have a compass?”

“You don’t where he is?” Twilight asked.

“It looks exactly the same as here. Stone for floors, brick walls, fire torches and a bunch of TV screens. Either this guy’s playing us for kicks, or he’s trying to make this into a fairground attraction.”

“And we’re the test subjects,” said Pinkie Pie. “Without the test tubes and jars of brains.”

Pinkie made Wes laugh. He loved her sense of humour. He was living a life of misery while his first manager was in charge. Although his band was successful music wise, he still can’t escape the frustration and pain he went through. The other band members went the same way. After they made their third album, they knew he drew the line.

They made it to their first task. A wall blocked their way, there’s no turning back. Ahead was a keyboard with a blank TV screen. It turned on by itself. A recording of a static voice surrounded their ears. “Your task is to play a riff from a song that’s been used numerous times. Once you played the right sequence of notes, a recording of the song will play. You have plenty of time, if have less than 10 hours to spare.”

This was a challenge for Mane 6, none of them played the piano. They never played any instrument. They can only rely on Octavia, Vinyl and Wes.

“Do you know how to play this?” Fluttershy hoped they can play the keyboard.

Pinkie Pie ran to the keyboard. She thought of a tune. “Stand back, this will get loud!”

She played “Chopsticks” without hitting the wrong key. As she played, the TV screen displayed the musical notes. Just as she thought she solved it, a giant buzz hit their eardrums. It was the wrong one. Pinkie Pie’s jaw dropped hard, but she quickly recovered.

After that failed attempt, she let Wes, Vinyl and Octavia handle it. “Oh well I tried, you guys should handle this.”
Octavia thought of a tune. Even though she plays the cello, she played other instruments before being accustomed to her signature instrument. She slowly played Moonlight Sonata. All of the ponies were amazed.

“She’s very skilled,” said Fluttershy.

“Such a delight for the ears!” astonished Rarity.

Octavia played an abridged version. Even though they’re against the clock, she didn’t try to rush through it. She’s a skilled musician, she knew getting through it as quickly as possible, can ruin the experience.

Sadly the loud buzzer changed her mood. The noise indicates that it’s wrong one, Octavia treated it as a response from the audience of a concert. None of the ponies were aware of it. Wes was the only person who can see it through her.
It was Vinyl’s turn. She thought of song she remembered practising at a young age. It was the keyboard solo of Yes’ Roundabout. She’s very active when playing a solo or riff. Octavia is the complete opposite, she plays music in a slower and calmer pace.

Not even Vinyl’s mad keyboard skills can prevent the buzzing from happening. Unlike Octavia, she took it bit lightly. After all she was mistreated in her younger years. Wes is still the only person who knows what going on in Vinyl and Octavia’s minds.

“I guess Wes is the only one left,” said Applejack.

Pinkie Pie can see Rarity staring at the clock. She raised her eyebrow. “Why are you staring at that?”

“I just thought of a fabulous trend for my next dress!” Rarity wasn’t in a panicky state anymore. Her love for fashion got her mind off the thought of being trapped in a labyrinth.

Wes remembered what the recording said. A riff from a song that’s been used numerous times. He knew that it has to be a keyboard riff. “I think I know what it is.”

He played the riff, the ponies thought he was playing it over and over again. Then the song played, it was “All Star” by Smash Mouth. It only played the chorus rather than the rest of the tune. The giant screen emerged with wall, it disappeared entirely. The wall then split into two, revealing a path.

“That’s one task completed,” Rainbow Dash said with relief.

“No time to stand around now. We have to find my brother, Cadence and the Alicorn princesses,” reminded Twilight.
They continued on searching, they don’t know what’s going to happen next. The clock had 9 hours remaining. It’s very difficult not to see that giant timer over their heads. It’s almost as though it’s alive, watching over them.

“Do they give you instruments for-” Twilight’s sentence was cut off by a sudden change in the passage.

It grew wider, a new path intersected the other. Before they said anything else, a wall broke through the ground cutting the Mane 6 off from Wes, Octavia and Vinyl. They weren’t aware of how this works. They know they must face challenges, they weren’t told about the maze changing its foundation.

“Vinyl! Octavia! Wes!” cried Fluttershy. “Are you OK?”

“We can hear you,” Wes answered.

All they can do now is go in separate directions. They have better chance of finding the Alicorn princesses, the rulers of the Crystal Empire, either one of the four or all of them.

“Guess we should split up.” Twilight looked at the wall. “Oh wait, that did.”

“She’s right,” agreed Rarity. “Something terrible might have happened to Celestia and Luna.”

“Can’t imagine what will the Crystal Empire will be like without Shining Armour and Cadence.” Fluttershy is on the same page. She too is just as worried as Rarity.

Pinkie was up for the challenge. She wasn’t worried or frightened. She knew this was just a warm up. “Come on girls. Let’s face the music.”

All of the Mane 6 marched on. But before leaving Wes, Octavia and Vinyl; Pinkie ran back. “By the way Wes, how did you learn to play the piano?”

“I come from a family of musicians,” Wes answered.

“Okey Dokey!” Pinkie dashed off to rejoin her friends.

Wes joined Octavia and Vinyl. Neither group knew what will happen if they screw up a task, cheat, or bail at the last minute.

United at Last

After experiencing a taste of what’s to follow, Princess Luna couldn’t imagine how someone or something made this. She knew she couldn’t fly out of there, she saw the flashes of electric shocks from above. She pounded her hoof on the wall, a brick fell out revealing a TV screen. To her surprise, it was Princess Celestia. She felt relieved to see her sister again. She found a marking on the wall. If she was fast enough, she could find her.

The marking is a tiara. One half has Celestia’s Tiara and the other half is Luna’s. It’s like somebody took both of their tiaras, cut each of them into two and glued them together. Whoever is responsible knows about the Alicorn princesses.

Luna raced through every corner, unfortunately a musical task blocked her path. A panel with eight buttons; one blue, one green, one yellow, one red, one black, one white, one violet and one pink. In front is a gate each part has one of the eight colours. She had to press each of them to play a tune. The correct sequence will unlock the gate.

Luna wanted to find a way out just as her sister. This might be her only chance to reunite with Celestia. She had to start all over again. She tapped one of the buttons, it sounded a musical note. Unlike the last task, this one is about trial and error. She pressed two more buttons. Some parts of the gate retracted, then all of them appeared reforming the gate.

Luna continued to press buttons until she figured out the correct sequence. She had one shot, if she gets it wrong again, it all be for nothing. She hit the buttons producing the sound of the electric guitar. She was playing Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising”. The gate was successfully unlocked.

She didn’t have time to waste. Luna galloped off, calling Celestia’s name. She used her royal Canterlot voice so she can hear her. No pony, pegasus, or unicorn would be unable to hear that vocal range.

Celestia came across the marking, she was curious on why it’s there. It could be made the mastermind behind it all, or some unfortunate unicorn who knew the rulers of Equestria will be next. She was more curious than Luna. She found something near the top of the wall. It was black and shiny: a hidden camera. She knew nothing of Earth technology, just any other creature in Equestria.

She didn’t waste time staring. Her sister is what matters to her. Unlike older siblings who try to act like their parents, Celestia knew Luna can handle on her own. She notice something in the wall, she saw Luna on the TV screen.

Celestia ran at a fast rate. Just before she can take another turn, numerous lasers blocked her path. In her mind she’s thinking that she must avoid touching them. She found a plaque on the wall. It read:

You’re probably thinking you should avoid touching the lasers. You should think again. You must make contact with the lasers to create a sample of a song. Some are the correct musical notes, others are red herrings. If you touch a laser that’s a red herring, the path in front will be cut off. You have to wait fifteen minutes for it to restart.

Celestia passed through the first laser beam. It’s didn’t cause any injury, it was the kind of laser made by light. A musical note hit her ears. She couldn’t see which one is a red herring. Instead of risking it by touching all the lasers, she closed her eyes, relying more on her sense of hearing. Her body moved gracefully hitting every correct laser. The lasers emit the sound of a keyboard. The song being played is Planet Funk’s “Chase the Sun”.

Celestia made a graceful landing. She can see the barricade above, it was meant to come down if she made an error. She heard a familiar voice, it was the royal Canterlot voice. She knew there’s only one Alicorn who can speak in that voice. She followed the sound of Luna’s voice.

Celestia and Luna can hear each other’s hooves. Every single turn they make, they’re getting closer.
Luna jumped over a row of spikes. She thought she couldn’t make it across. It was easy pickings, unlike the pool of water she landed in.

“Water?!” remarked Luna.

She saw something emerge, they were electrical cables. Luna shot in the air before the cables emitted sparks. Luna landed on the other side, continuing on finding her older sister.

Celestia slid under circular saws that were popping out of the walls. Not a single blade touched her skin. None of her wings received any injuries, she folded them before performing the daring task.

“Simple,” Celestia smiled.

Her moment was short-lived, darts fired across in different directions. Celestia ducked and slid underneath, while avoiding the crossfire. She rushed out of the trap to continue searching.

The sisters can feel their hopes going high. Following the sounds of their hooves hitting the ground brought them closer. Once they caught a glimpse of each other, they raced into each other. They didn’t stop after seeing each other at a far distance. They only stopped just to be embraced. They were glad that they were alright. They appeared to be crying tears. They wrapped their forelegs around each other.

“I’m glad you’re still alive,” sighed Luna.

“As do I sister,” sobbed Celestia.

Going through thick and thin was just a sample of escaping this death trap. They had faith in each other and didn’t even think of surrendering to defeat. Even if it’s just a small problem they always find ways of solving it. They never thought it came down to this.

“Who would do this to us?” asked Celestia.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” answered Luna.

“I just hope Twilight Sparkle and her friends are OK.”

“Just have faith and they’ll come for us.”

Wes found an instrument camouflaged in the wall. He was curious on why it was placed there. He was quickly to familiarise what type of instrument it was. “That’s my Fender Jaguar!”

He removed the camouflage, which was made of paper and cardboard. He found his guitar pick wedged in between the strings. He was curious on how did his instrument get there. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch were also confused. They knew he didn’t bring his guitar with him. He left it back in Ponyville.

“Why would it be here after you left it behind?” asked Octavia.

“This just gets weirder every time we continue on,” said Wes.

They heard the echo of a loud voice. It wasn’t a growl or whine. It was something calling a name. They knew somebody is inside with them.

“It came from over there.” Vinyl pointed to their right.

They raced to find where the voice came from. They didn’t split up, either of them might get lost and may not know how to find their way back. They knew it was Princess Luna. Octavia and Vinyl heard the Canterlot voice during Luna’s visit in Nightmare Night. Vinyl used her voice for a remix and inspired Octavia to make a solo piece.

They arrived to see Luna and Celestia hugging. The two princesses were surprised to see them. The two musicians they chose for the Grand Galloping Gala have come to rescue them. They weren’t mad, they were smiling. Wes found it weird that they were looking at him without being scared. The Alicorn princesses have respect for every creature, they treat them equally.

Vinyl and Octavia bowed down, showing their respects. Luna and Celestia walked closer. They gave their thanks to them.

“We couldn’t have been more thankful Octavia Philharmonica and Vinyl Scratch.” Celestia used her kind, gentle voice. Making the pony musicians feeling honoured. “Your bravery and skill can help us escape.”

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, meet rock star Wes Argovich.” Vinyl presented Wes to them. He had his guitar strapped around his shoulder. He gave them a friendly wave.

“You must be the rulers of Equestria I presume,” said Wes. “Twilight Sparkle sent me here to rescue you. Now she and her friends are lost in this place.”

“Twilight Sparkle?” Celestia smiled. Wes thought she was shocked about the Mane 6 being lost. “My most honourable student never fails.”

Luna gazed at Wes. She can see through him just as Celestia. “So you’re a musician. What instruments do you play?”

“The guitar, keyboard, drums, glockenspiel, autoharp, tin whistle, xylophone, bass and percussion. I play more than one instrument,” said Wes.

“So what happened to Twilight?”

“We were separated by this maze. A wall appeared out of nowhere. We had to split to find you and two more.”

“There’s more?” said Celestia.

“Definitely,” confirmed Wes. “It’s Twilight brother Shining Armour and his lover Cadance.”

Celestia and Luna gasped in horror. The Crystal Empire is now in danger when no pony is under direct rule. It’s not only Canterlot that’s in danger of an invasion or war.

“This is worse than we thought. It’s not just Canterlot, but also the Crystal Empire and the land of Equestria.” Celestia was now worried. She’s usually calm and finds a solution in the most sensible way possible.

“If we don’t find a way to escape we’ll be trapped here forever,” said Wes.

Luna saw a computer built into the wall. It features a list of tasks to complete. There were five in total. “I don’t remember this in the rules.”

“What rules?” Octavia asked.

“There were rules given to us when we woke up in this place.”

Celestia and Luna gazed at the computer screen. It read: The following items must be destroyed in order to leave the Musical Labyrinth. The Plastic Tree, the Wooden Wings, the Stone Crown, the Leather Link and the Crystal Heart.

“There is a way of escaping,” said Wes.

Vinyl Scratch looked at the clock. 7 hours left before they’re erased from existence. “We can’t waste time. We have to find one of the five items to destroy.”

The Alicorns, Wes, Octavia and Vinyl headed straight. They wondered how are they’re going to accomplish them.
“I think we should do the hard ones first,” suggested Wes.

“Why do say that?” asked Celestia.

“If we did the hard ones first, we’ll do the easy ones last with time to spare. Which ones that are easy and difficult is a task.” He learned that technique during freshman year in high school. His classmates learned of it as well. He was told about it from his English teacher.

They arrived at the first obstacle: the Plastic Tree. It was 6ft 8, in the shape of an elm tree. There was a drum set, electric guitar and a bass guitar. There were eight treadmills, four on each side. A scroll nailed to the wall the objective. It’s tied in a blue ribbon.

Celestia removed the nail, untied the ribbon, and unrolled scroll with her magic horn. She read aloud for Wes and the others to hear. “You’ve reached the Plastic Tree. One of you should play the supplied instruments, while the rest stand on the treadmills. Only four participants are required on the treadmills; no more no less. The participant who’s playing the instruments must play a section of the song. He/she can switch to another instrument once a portion of the song is played. The group of four should dance to the beat of the song, while the treadmills are in motion. If managed to succeed, the Plastic Tree will be crushed, allowing you to continue your quest.”

Wes remembered a music video, four people dancing on eight treadmills, while a rock song plays. It was one of the music revolutionary videos in the last decade. People couldn’t stop bashing about music from 2000-09. They were ranting about mainstream music rather than music in that decade. Wes wasn’t the kind to join the crowd. He watched numerous music channels, he knew that the music doesn’t suck. This was what society came to. Bantering without doing a bit of research.

He volunteered to play the instruments. He told them to go on the treadmills. “I’ll play the song, you four should handle the routine.”

“What kind of song will it be?” Celestia asked.

“The kind of music I play.”

Vinyl knew this will be a chance from the ruler of Canterlot to hear rock music. Octavia didn’t hesitate or object, introducing Celestia to a genre she doesn’t know might turn her on. They took positions, the Alicorn princesses followed. Luna and Celestia were nervous, they don’t know how they will cooperate with machines vastly different from what they know. Vinyl and Octavia told them to follow their lead.

A remote was placed on the seat near the drum set. Wes picked it up and pressed the button. The TV screen lowered from the ceiling. It showed four tracks aligned with each other. Each one represented drums, lead guitar, bass and rhythm guitar. There was no vocal track. This didn’t bother Wes at all. When he was with the band, on some occasions, he and the other band mates provide backup vocals.

A timer ticked down from five to one. Wes used his guitar and strummed to the notes on screen. He began playing OK Go’s “Here it Goes Again”. Once Wes completed a section of the song, the track disappeared. He switched to bass. Once that section was done he went to the drums.

Luna, Celestia, Octavia and Vinyl made a choreography which Wes could describe it as similar to the music video. Luna and Celestia were able to catch up. They were having a good time. They were passing each other, going in the opposite direction of the tracks and performing stunts. Celestia was the one enjoying the most. Her taste in this kind of music grew.

Once the song ended, they all stopped. Two walls squashed the Plastic Tree, then the ceiling pressed it, creating a box. Like a car crushed into a cube in the scrap yard.

Wes collapsed in exhaust, his arms and legs were aching in pain. He picked up the pick, sliding it in between the strings of his guitar. He placed the guitar strap over his shoulder.

The path behind them was cut off. The two walls closed in. The door on the other side opened on its own. They didn’t stand around to question. They left the area without opening their mouths. The clock had eight hours left.

Feelings Within

Her mind couldn’t bear it, after freeing herself from the trap, she still has that worried feeling. Although she didn’t express it, the thought wedged in her mind. Cadance was almost like Twilight, it must have been all the times they spent, when Twilight was a filly. They share a bond with Shining Armour, Twilight’s older brother and Cadance’s husband. She walked on continuously forward with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She also thought about the Crystal Empire. She thought to herself: do the crystal ponies know they're gone? Will there be a new invasion worse than King Sombra?

A stomp stopped her thoughts. She turned slowly, she wanted to see who or what it was. She took a slight right at the intersection. The torches on the walls illuminated the shadow of a pony. Cadance regained confidence and chased the shadow. She didn’t think on who it might be. She prayed to Celestia that this pony will help.

She finally caught up to it. It made a scream. Cadance couldn’t believe it, it was Fluttershy the entire time. The yellow Pegasus was frightened, her body shook vigorously. She was waiting for the inevitable. She peeked to see a familiar face smiling. She stopped shaking and gave a greeting.

“Princess Cadance!” Fluttershy gasped. “I’m sorry, I thought you we going to hurt me.”

Cadance forgave her. The dark, gloomy, bleak labyrinth can make any pony scared. “There’s no need to apologise. What matters is I’m here.”

Fluttershy can felt a warm embrace with Twilight’s fillysitter. Her fear slipped away. She explained what happened. “Cadance, I lost Twilight and the others. We were separated by this place. We took a turn, then I was cut off by a moving wall.”

“That’s awful. Have you seen Shining Armour?”

Fluttershy lowered her head, her eyes dropped. “No I’m afraid.”

Her sad expression on her face reminded Cadance back when she took care of Twilight. Whenever she was feeling upset, she would come to Cadance. She always listen to her and cheer her up.

“Where did you last see Twilight?” asked Cadance.

Fluttershy pointed to where they were separated. All they came across was a dead end. There weren’t any cracks, holes or loose bricks. The hidden camera spied on them. The mastermind watching them doesn’t even care about them one bit. Cadance and Fluttershy heard a cry. It sounded like a cry for help. They listened quietly, they have to determine where it’s coming from. Fluttershy’s ear twitched. She knew who it was. “It’s Rarity. Quick, this way.”

Cadance followed Fluttershy, she was glad that Twilight had great friends. She was thinking that she’ll become a friend of the Mane 6. Being in the Crystal Empire for so long, made her think about meeting other ponies. She’ll love to get to know more about Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy. Maybe then she can make friends in Ponyville.

Fluttershy stopped just to see the most shocking scene in front of her. Rarity was caught in a trap. She’s hung dangerously upside down, her legs were stretched across by chains. Below her is a set of giant gears. The same gears that operate this maze. They continue rotating despite nothing happening.

Rarity gasped with surprise. “Princess Cadance! Thank Celestia you’ve arrived.”

“Been a long time,” said Cadence.

“I was so worried about you. I could bear the thought of the Crystal Empire with no ruler.”

While she continued rambling, Fluttershy tried to call to her. Her voice wasn’t loud enough. She raised her voice by just a slight decibel each time. Every single scream she emitted was barely heard. She inhaled so much air, her shout almost made the walls crumble. This immediately shut Rarity’s mouth. Cadance never knew Fluttershy could raise her voice.

“You’re hanging above in the air over a trap. This isn’t the time for a talk.” Fluttershy didn’t want to see her friend die a chatterbox.

“My deepest regards Fluttershy,” apologised Rarity.

Cadance used her eyes to find some way of helping Rarity. There wasn’t any device or contraption anywhere. It wasn’t part of any task, it seemed as if the creator knew there will be cheaters. It was a surprise to see Rarity in a situation which may imply she found a way around a task.

“How did you end up there?” Cadance asked.

Rarity had to as honest as possible. “There was a sparkling diamond, I just couldn’t resist. It was sitting over there.” She used her hoof to point to where it was. It’s concealed in a reinforced case. A blast mark surrounded it, indicating if failed to break it open by using magic. “I used magic to open, then I was grabbed by these chains, pulled up into the air and the floor opened.”

“How do we get you down?”

“Maybe there’s some significance with the diamond.” Fluttershy didn’t think it was placed there for decoration.

She found a sign which read: Push Button. Below it is a blue button. Fluttershy pressed it with force, a condenser studio microphone emerged from the floor. It’s attached to a stand with a pop filter in front. A TV screen popped up from behind. Instructions appeared onscreen. It tells them to identify the correct musical note from its sound. It also states that the diamond is part of the challenge. It instantly switches to a display of a sound wave.

The sound clip played a medium-pitched note. Fluttershy couldn’t think what musical it note was. Cadance was just as confused as her. They just came up with a response, they made it a gamble. They spoke into the microphone, the spoke at the same time.

“Medium?” They were sure it was a good answer.

Rarity felt a drop in height. Although she’s still hung in the air, she dropped about an inch. Her shriek alerted Cadance and Fluttershy. This shows they got it wrong.

“Oh dear, oh dear!” panicked Fluttershy. “Sorry Rarity.”

The sound clip played again. Cadance figured out the correct note. “G Natural.”

A brick in the wall opened showing a cannon. It fired a laser at the diamond. It bounced off the rock, hitting a hole near the ceiling. The floor covered the gears: it was only a section, not the entire thing. This was vital for rescuing Rarity. They don’t know how long it will take.

The next note is lower, Fluttershy was able to answer. “A Flat.”

The cannon changed its angle, fired a laser at the diamond, bounced off and entered a hole near the floor. It’s near the other side, another section of the floor appeared. It covered a section below Rarity. She drew a sigh of relief, if the chains let her go, she’ll manage to land safely.

Both Fluttershy and Cadance worked together as a team. They grew a bond with each other. They felt a sense of accomplishment, after correctly identifying the right musical note. Soon five sections of the floor, covered nearly half of the gears. So far they made two errors, Rarity shrieked louder and louder as she descends. It was hurting their ears.

“Does she always scream this loud?” Cadance asked.

“Only in this situation,” Fluttershy said embarrassingly.

“Only I can pull off ta cry for help.” Rarity was just for of herself, she saw a unicorn wondering around. She alerted Cadence and Fluttershy. “There he is! I found Shining Armour!”

Cadance smiled, she knew her husband is alive. Fluttershy felt the same way. Rarity tried calling to him, sadly he’s too far to hear her. He disappeared after taking a turn. Rarity groaned in frustration.

“How can no pony hear my voice?” she questioned herself.

“Maybe you’re a bit far away?” Fluttershy answered.

Just as Rarity continued complaining about no pony hearing her voice, the display screen showed the sound wave of the next musical note, followed by a sound. Cadance and Fluttershy continued speaking into the mic. The next clips were F Minor, E Major and B Sharp. They got them right, more sections of the floor, each bigger than the last, covered nearly all the gears.

They were almost done with completing the task. They weren’t certain if they should answer wrong a few more times, just so Rarity can land safely over the floor, or try to answer correctly to have the entire floor back together. They didn’t want to risk it, it could cost Rarity her life.

Only three more to go. They managed to identify D Sharp and C Flat. There was a bump in the road, the final note displayed on the screen. The display of a sound note put them off. They were so used figuring out the notes by sound, that seeing one made it difficult. Words appeared on screen: Explain what this note represents.

Cadance doesn’t know anything about what each musical note is used for. Fluttershy took a random guess. “Um... it doesn’t represent a sound?”

The final section of the floor appeared. Fluttershy and Cadance cheered, giving each other a high hoof. It’s like a high-five only with hooves.

Rarity cheered in delight. “Fabulous! Now I can safely land.”

The chains holding her suddenly unshackled, causing her to fall. Cadance and Fluttershy rushed over for her aid. Rarity managed to stand on her hooves. Her experience of being suspended in the air was very uncomfortable.

“Are you hurt?” Cadance asked.

“I’ll manage. You won’t believe how awful it was up there. The fact that my legs were spread apart, it’s like some demented joke,” Rarity complained.

“If we hurry, we’ll catch up with Shining.”

It’s rare for Shining Armour to think about Twilight. At the same time, he was focusing on finding Cadance than figuring out more about this place. He wasn’t thinking about the pitfalls or traps he may encounter. He was also thinking about his younger sister. He wasn’t sure how can he forgive her after she attempted to prove that the mare he was going to marry was an imposter. Even after he’s brainwashed, he couldn’t find the words.

He stopped in front of a window. He just became confused. Then he had an idea: he could break through it, creating a shortcut. He fired a beam of magic, shattering the glass. He checked to see if he can avoid getting cut in the frame. He slowly placed his hooves on the other side. He was finding spots were there’s no glass. His legs were shaking. He took a stab at leaping forward. He hit the wall and landed on his stomach.

He stood up straight and before another thought entered his head, Pinkie Pie made him jump after seeing her. It was a surprise to see her. In reality, Pinkie Pie was more surprised than Shining.

“Are you one of Twilight’s friends?” he asked.

“Your Twilight’s older brother!” Pinkie said in a quick pace. “You won’t believe what this place is doing to us. We were arguing which direction should we be going, then we were all separated.”

“Twilight’s here?”

“Yeah, we’re here to rescue you. Except I’m on my own. No time to waste, we must find the rulers of Equestria.”

“And Cadance,” Shining reminded to Pinkie.

They raced around different directions, they were unsure where they might end up. This wasn’t the brightest idea they thought. It didn’t take long for them to fall into a trap. They fell down a hole, landing in piles of hay. Pinkie found it a ridiculous place. “A pitfall with hay? Is this evil genius a fan of Daring Do?”

Shining Armour never heard of the Daring Do series. He isn’t exactly a bookworm like Twilight. “We better find a way out of this place.”

A loud turn of gears echoed, followed by movement of stone. The walls were slowly closing in. Then images of various musical instruments on one wall; the other wall had the names of the instruments. They’re imprinted on the bricks. They act like buttons when pressed. There were 16 in total, with eight on each side.

Shining pushed against the wall. His strength couldn’t make it stop. Pinkie looked at the images and words. She knew how to solve it. “Hey, we’re supposed to match those pictures with those words.”

Shining stopped, he knew there was another way of avoiding being crushed. “You take the side with the images; I’ll take this one.”

They each stood near their assigned walls. Pinkie eyed on a picture of a stringed instrument. “It’s a violin.”

Shining searched, he found the word “viola” instead of “violin”. He pressed against it, Pinkie pressed the image, and they both sank into the walls.

“It’s actually a viola, not a violin,” said Shining.

“What’s the difference?” asked Pinkie.

“A viola is bigger and has a deeper sound; a violin is smaller with a high-pitched sound.”

They continued matching words with the pictures. Pinkie pressed against another stringed instrument. Shining pressed against the one with “zither” written on it.

Then she placed each of her hooves on the pictures of congas and bongos. Shining was puzzled. “Why are you placing your hooves on two pictures?”

He noticed that the walls are closing in faster. He didn’t wait for an answer. He placed his hooves on the words, which match the images. The walls continue to close in; there wasn’t much room left. They have to make quick decisions, if they want to escape.

The other instruments they matched were the tin whistle and the harmonica. Just as they were about to match the last two, when Shining felt pain in one of his hooves. It was from all the pressing against the bricks. Pinkie started to feel pain as well; only this time, it’s her back. It was from all the pressure in finishing the task on time. They struggled to stand without further injuring themselves.

“Do you think maybe, we should switch places?” suggested Pinkie.

“There’s only two left; I don’t see why not,” answered Shining.

After switching places, they eyed on the last two bricks. They were xylophone and harp. Pinkie and Shining each pressed a brick. Once they were pushed in, Pinkie and Shining pressed the other ones.

The walls stopped just as they touched their tails. They collapsed in exhaust.

"Any ideas on how do we get out of this trap?" asked Shining Armour.

Pinkie Pie and Shining Armour were shot in the air. They fell on top of a pegasus, who was flying in the air. They were in more pain due to the landing.

"Ow, that hurt!" said Rainbow Dash.

"Tell that to the mastermind who had us trapped in a pit; where we have to solve a puzzle before being turned into jello," said Pinkie Pie.

Shining limped as he got up. Pinkie was too tired to hug Rainbow Dash. All three were in great pain: Pinkie Pie couldn't jump around, Shining Armour couldn't use his horn, and Rainbow Dash can't use her wings. All they can do is walk.

Channel Switching

There were messages on the walls. Carved by unicorns, warnings of how the mastermind manipulates any pony, pegasus and unicorn. There’s another agenda, on this criminal genius’ mind. None of them lived to describe this perpetrator. Once they caught a glimpse, it was the last image, before being erased from existence.

Neither Twilight nor Applejack could think someone or something could do such a thing. They stood near each other before being separated from the group. They didn’t expect it to happen. As if it couldn’t be any more twisted, they saw a door with the exit sign above.

“This might be a trap,” Applejack said with suspicion.

Twilight didn’t argue, her friends are the only ones she trusts. She used her horn to open the door. Using her hooves might be risky. Something might happen once the door opened. They closed their eyes and hoped for the worst. Silence, and a gust of wind, barely lifted their manes. They entered, unaware what’s in that doorway. They checked the other paths they might choose: one had subwoofers blasting loud music, the second path had gramophones rigged with nitroglycerin. One path could blow their eardrums and the other will blow them to pieces. They must take the chance. Once they walked in, they weren’t in their home of Equestria. It’s a living room with a TV screen. It hanged above a fireplace. The room had sofas and a coffee table. A remote laid on the table. Neither Applejack nor Twilight knew what it was or what it does. A piece of paper attached with sticky tape read: Press Play.

Applejack had trouble hitting the play button. Her hooves were bigger than the remote.

“Er, Twilight?” Applejack insisted.

Twilight smiled, she knew what her friend is asking her to do without speaking. She closed her eyes and her horn glowed. The remote grew larger to about four times its original size. Applejack pressed the play button and the TV screen turned on automatically.

Music started playing, displaying images that look like they were part of a game show. Another remote, just the same size, emerged from the ground. A crane with a hook place it on the coffee table.

“That’s generous,” said Twilight.

The remotes suddenly changed into panels with buttons. Lucky for them, the buttons were big enough for their hooves to press. The table was split into two; each table held each panel. Instructions appeared in bold letters and different colours: Achieve a perfect score after finishing every round to continue. Answer incorrectly and you have to start again. All questions and rounds are different every time you play.

The first genre was R&B, the first round was “Guess the Intro.” Twilight and Applejack were given the hardest round, since they know nothing about music of Earth. Instead of guessing the song’s title, different possible answers flashed on screen. They had to press the big white button to select one.

Applejack faced Twilight, thinking she might know anything. “Do any of your books have any info on this?”

Twilight checked every book she carried. “None of my books explain anything about the music from where Wes originated. If we don’t complete this, we’ll be erased forever. And that clock doesn’t bluff.”

They saw the clock above them. The minute hand ticked, one minute gone. They didn’t have time to waste. They must play the game.

“We better get this over with,” sighed Applejack.

The first track played, each possible answer appeared for about 5 seconds. There were eight in total. They hit their buttons at the same time, with their eyes closed. The answer they picked was He Wasn’t Man Enough by Toni Braxton. They got the answer right.

Seven more song intros played, the possible answers weren’t the same as the previous ones. The tracks were: Alicia Keys’ No One, 411’s Dumb, Mis-Teeq’s Scandalous, Jennifer Lopez’ If You Had my Love, Pussycat Dolls’ I Don’t Need a Man, Mariah Carey’s Honey and Lauren Hill’s Everything is Everything.

They celebrated in passing the first round. They almost hugged each other, only to have their excitement cut short, by the start of round two. It consists of multiple choice questions and the genre was pop music. They placed their hooves near the panels, waiting for instructions.

A set of rules explained: In order to select an answer, use one of the four corresponding buttons. It displayed four coloured circles: magenta, violet, cyan and pink. It was an unusual colour choice for buttons.

“Either this creep has poor colour scheme, or is just toying with us,” said Applejack.

“There’s no telling how many more rounds are there.” Twilight couldn’t keep off the fact that time is depleting. Just as long as she and Applejack cooperate with each other, they will be able to exit the labyrinth.

The first question appeared: Justin, Lance, JC, Joey and Chris are members of which boyband? Their options were N*Sync, A1, Kajagoogoo and The Osmonds. They appeared in the same colours as the four buttons. Equestria didn’t have a boyband or girlband. Applejack accidentally pressed one of the buttons, the one she pressed was the magenta one.

“Did you know the answer?” Twilight asked.

“I pressed a button by mistake and this happened.” Applejack just pointed to the screen.

The next question appeared: Maroon 5 won a Grammy for the hit “Makes Me Wonder” in which category? Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Best Performance by a Vocal Group, and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals were their options. Twilight did what Applejack did and pressed one of the four buttons. The one she pressed was the violet one, containg the correct answer.

The third question was: Who was the Backstreet Boys’ manager? Malcolm McLaren, Doc McGhee, Lou Pearlman, Peter Grant. Twilight and Applejack both hit the cyan button simultaneous. Normally at a situation like this, the person who answered the quickest will win. Surprisingly that never happens in this case.

Twilight suddenly realized something. “Why aren’t we competing against each other? Isn’t that the purpose for a game?”
“Maybe we’re competing against whoever’s doing this to us.” Applejack reminded Twilight of the culprit.

“So either one us answers the question or both of us.”

The fourth question asked them: Which short-lived pop group were winners of the MTV reality TV show “Making the Band”? Hear’Say, Liberty X, Bear Force 1, O-Town.

Both Twilight and Applejack decided to press the pink button on each of their panels. This wasn’t some random guess. After getting it right, Twilight suddenly noticed something with this challenge. “I think there’s a pattern. We pressed the four buttons magenta, violet, cyan, and pink in that order. Maybe we should place it in reverse order.”

Once the fifth question appeared, they pressed the pink buttons again. Later on, the pressed the cyan, violet and magenta buttons. They answered the remaining four questions correctly. Round two came to an end.

“You’re right Twilight,” smiled Applejack. “How did you figure it out?”

“I used to solve mind-bending puzzle when I was a filly.”

Round three was about rock music. The challenge, unlike the last two rounds, doesn’t involve selecting an answer to a question. Instructions explained that they must match four albums to the names of different rock bands. The bands were Radiohead, The B-52s, Snow Patrol, AC/DC, Dio, Smashing Pumpkins, Scorpions and Phoenix. 32 albums were all over the place like jigsaw pieces in a box. The bands’ names were erased on the covers except for the titles. The rules explained that they should match four albums to the band names.

The albums were Pablo Honey, In Rainbows, Kid A, Amnesiac, Funplex, Whammy, Wild Planet, Bouncing off the Satellites, Final Straw, Eyes Open, A Hundred Million Suns, Fallen Empires, Back in Black, Highway to Hell, Powerage, Fly on the Wall, Holy Diver, Dream Evil, Strange Highways, Master of the Moon, Adore, Zeitgeist, Siamese Dream, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Blackout, Love at First Sting, Virgin Killer, Pure Instinct, United, Alphabetical, It’s Never Been Like That and Bankrupt. The band names were erased, it’s just album covers with the titles on them.

A trackball selects the album and drags it to the empty square with the band’s name. Then they press the green button mark with an A, and the red button with a C. The red button checks to see if they matched correctly. Once the green button’s pressed, there’s no going back. It will indicate that the players placed the albums in the right groups. If there’s a mistake, it’s an immediate game over. It was another cooperative round, instead of a competitive round.

“There are so many images, I feel like I just lost it!” Applejack exclaimed. “The next round is probably more difficult than the last.”

“Even if we learn more about Earth’s music, we still don’t know who’s doing this to us,” said Twilight.

She placed the album covers in different groups; the same way she arranged the books in the library. They were so distracted by the images, they couldn’t concentrate on completing it. The sound of clock ticking above them, indicated what is at stake. They quickly arranged the albums to the band names. With the press of the check button, they guessed wrong.

It was a total nightmare. It took some time for them to figure it out. Matching 32 albums became a chore instead of a challenge. They pressed the check button more times than they can count. After placing the final album, they hit the accept button. They were in no mood to celebrate. They wanted it to end.

The final round became a huge surprise. It’s all about music trivia, from music artists to chart-topping albums. Twilight and Applejack couldn’t predict on what they might be asked. The panels sank into the floor, and replaced with two microphones on stands. They’re told to speak into the microphone to answer.

“We’re doomed,” Applejack said in a worried way. “We don’t know a thing at all.”

Twilight had an idea. “I’ll just use my… No that won’t work.”

“What? What won’t work?”

“I can’t cheat. If I did, there might be consequences.”

“You’re right. We just have to at least try.”

The first question appeared: Which instrument uses a pick?

“A guitar,” answered Applejack.

Question number two: What musical symbol is placed at the beginning of the staff, defining the pitch of the notes?

“A Clef, just like Octavia’s cutie mark,” answered Twilight.

“How many questions do you think there are?” asked Applejack.

“Probably like the previous rounds.”

Unlike The first two rounds, there were ten questions in total. They were getting closer to winning when the last question popped on the TV screen: Who founded Motown Records?

“What?!” they said in unison.

“How are we supposed to know that?” Twilight thought this was going too far. “It’s like someone wants us to fail.”

“We have to take a stab at guessing.” Applejack couldn’t see any other option.

“What if we’re wrong? We’ll be doing this forever until we’re… gone.”

Applejack can see she’s just as frightened as she is. She’s worried that she’ll won’t see her family. Big Mac, Granny Smith, Apple Bloom and other family members will notice she’s missing. If the Mane 6, along with the rulers of Equestria disappear, evil forces will cause devastation and annihilation.

They both came with an answer, they were different from one and another. They faced each other nervously. They thought that if one of them might answer wrong, the other will respond with the correct answer.

Applejack told a stab. “Berry?”

Twilight suddenly jumped in. “Gordy?”

They waited, fearing that their journey has abruptly ended. The word “Congratulations!” slapped in their faces. Applejack collapsed in exhaust and Twilight fell backwards. They were too stressed to celebrate. A door magically appeared next to the TV. It open by itself, Applejack and Twilight got on their hooves, while walking slowly.

“That was tiring, I couldn’t take another question,” said Applejack.

“I hope the others are doing well,” said Twilight.

They didn't turn back after leaving. They hate being reminded of their experience.

A Sound of Echoes

A group of five is a possible winning combo: Luna, Celestia, Octavia, Vinyl Scratch and Wes Argovich. It was a vital group as well, consisting of the two royal sister Alicorns. Sure there’s Shining Armour and Cadence, they only rule the Crystal Empire.

“This is amazing!” said Vinyl. “We’re with Princesses Luna and Celestia, up close and personal!”

“Vinyl! Keep it together,” Octavia exclaimed.

Luna and Celestia weren’t turned off, they were glad there was help. All they did was smile and giggled slightly.

“You guys rule Equestria? For a world this big, no wonder it needed two rulers,” said Wes.

They don’t know where they’re going. They were focusing on the conversation. None of them saw a real life human in their lives. Wes wasn’t the kind of person who wants to go back home just as he arrived. He had a positive vibe, he learned to appreciate than he did before.

Celestia felt like a filly in a new place. The other couldn’t see it on her face, she was curious in what humans do and how they live. “Is your world like ours?”

“Similar, only more advanced.” It wasn’t Wes' best choice of words.

“Are there any ponies in your world?” Luna wanted to know as well.

“Definitely, sadly no pegasi or unicorns.”

They’re amazed with Wes’ description. Celestia gazed at Wes’ guitar. She’s unfamiliar with this type of stringed instrument. “Is this your instrument?”

“It’s a Fender Jaguar,” Wes answered. “By the way, it’s a brand of guitar.”

“He’s in a band,” informed Vinyl.

Wes changed the topic, getting to the mystery. “So how did you end up in this place?”

Celestia couldn’t remove the painful experience from her mind. “My sister and I were discussing when something or someone broke in.”

She remembered entering her bedroom with her sister, the parties just started without them. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to join in, they wanted to address a serious matter. After closing the door, they sat near the fireplace.

“We don’t know what shall we do with all the disappearances,” worried Luna. “If this keeps going, we’ll cease to exist.”

Celestia know the dangers approaching. “With no leads or evidence, we’ll never know the truth. There’s one option.”

Celestia hesitated to answer. Luna wanted to know. “What is it? Tell me, I’m your sister.”

“I’m putting this in the hooves of Twilight and her friends.”

“What if they fail?”

“We need to have faith. Only they possess the magic of friendship.”

A gust of wind broke the window and shards of glass flew everywhere. Luna and Celestia shielded their eyes with their wings. They carefully removed the glass with their magic. A fog consumed the area. Luna and Celestia stood their ground. They can barely see who is approaching, the fog was so dense they couldn’t see. They lit their horns as the fog thickens. Celestia felt her mane being pulled. Luna noticed her tail being tugged as well. They zapped magic from their horns, breaking free of the grasp. They struggled around the room, numerous objects flew around. Celestia and Luna stayed with other and continued zapping at whatever’s doing this. Two glowing eyes emerged from the fog. The Alicorns were ready to attack, unfortunately they weren’t quick enough to react. A pair of screams emitted just as they disappeared.

It’s baffling for Vinyl and Octavia. They wondered who could break in, and kidnap them with no pony noticing. The royal guards would have noticed the loud noises, or saw the fog seeping out of the door.

“Did you see any pony else?” asked Octavia.

“Don’t think so,” answered Luna.

“We better find the others. It would be wrong to leave them behind,” said Vinyl.

Wes stepped on a loose portion of the floor, causing him to nearly fall over. He lifted rock, reached his hand in and grasped pulled a pouch. There were pieces of paper and cards. A message written inside pouch said: You found a pouch that can help you complete further tasks. He found it suspicious. “It’s like the rules just changed.”

Luna didn’t think so. “Actually the rules stated that there are hidden items everywhere.”

He placed the string around his wrist, after closing the pouch. They continued heading forward, taking a right and finding two doors. One door painted black, the other door painted white. Both Vinyl and Octavia were the first to place their hooves on the knob. Nobody tried to stop them, no warnings, no instructions, not even a prerecording from hidden speakers.

Once they opened the doors, they found their respective instruments. Octavia’s eyes gazed on the titanium cello, Vinyl’s mouth dropped while staring at a retro-style DJ deck turntables. Their amazement was clearly shown, they loved the new look and style. The others were scratching their heads in confusion.

“Are those your instruments?” Wes asked.

“They’re totally different,” Vinyl spoke in a dazed state.

“We don’t care who brought them here,” Octavia spoke in a hypnotic state.

Just as they trotted towards the instruments, the cello and turntables were immediately pushed forward. Octavia and Vinyl fell on their backs. It appears someone or something knew Vinyl and Octavia had arrived. More and more questions raised in their heads. They couldn’t find any answers without being interrupted by a task this Musical Labyrinth has in store.

Further down the doors was a room. No matter who enters one of the doors, they’ll come into the same room. Wes found a TV screen, microphones, and a jack for an instrument. He immediately raised his voice after peeking into the screen. “Hey! I found who you’re looking for.”

Celestia, Luna, Octavia and Vinyl hurried over to see Cadance, Fluttershy and Rarity. The Alicorn princesses were relieved and at the same time worried. They knew that both the Crystal Empire and the rest of Equestria will fall.

“Thank Celestia, they’re alive.” Octavia eyed on Celestia, she felt embarrassed of saying her name. “Sorry about that.”

Celestia giggled, she heard other ponies say it in numerous occasions when she’s around. “There’s no need to apologise.”

Vinyl found something of interest. She found what the jack is used for. She ran and pushed in the turntables. She’s used to carry equipment no matter how big or how heavy. She put it in the centre of the room. She ran and brought in the cello and bow. She carefully placed it near the wall. She hate to see Octavia freak out if her instrument was broken. She found something for the jack. “I found a cable.”

Wes knew what kind it was. “It’s for connecting the guitar into the amplifier; or in this case, that hole in the wall.”

Octavia saw a speaker with a switch. This might be a chance to communicate. She used her hoof to switch it on. She moved closer to the speaker and cleared her throat. “Princess Cadance?”

They searched around wondering where her voice came from. Fluttershy spotted the TV screen with the same speaker Octavia used. She flicked the switch and spoke. “Who’s there?”

“It’s Octavia.”

Luna found a scroll on the wall. She used her horn to untie the ribbon and unroll the paper. She read every single word. “In order to destroy the Wooden Wings both sides must be in sync. The objective is for both sides to be part of a song of your choice. If the two groups have two or more in their respective parties, they have the challenge of keeping the connection stable. If there’s a unicorn in the party, he/she must use their horns; if there’s a pegasus, he/she must use their wings. If there’s an Alicorn, this creature should use both wings and horn.”

There were two platforms connected to the walls. They collected energy and magic from whoever’s in them. Both rooms have the same platforms. There were no tubes, only vents and digital readers. It was more baffling for Wes, the Alicorn princesses, and the ponies. It’s a bigger hint that it could be anybody from Earth. No creature from Equestria could have their hooves on that technology. On Cadance’s side, a studio microphone with a pop filter, was fixed on a wall.

“Why do I get the feeling somebody not from your world, is responsible for this not-so-fun house?” wondered Wes.

Every time Celestia and Luna see something that’s not from their world, fear controls their minds despite their attempts to not show it. They were afraid to show their fears in front of everybody.

“We should have Luna and Celestia operating the platforms. Only Octavia and I can play instruments,” suggested Vinyl.

“This also means two of you should do the same,” Octavia addressed to the other side.

Wes selected a song from the screen. He connected the cable to his guitar. Vinyl and Octavia gathered their instruments, waiting for the cue.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, you take the platforms. Rarity and Fluttershy, you do the same.” Wes informed

Rarity spotted something encased in the wall. It was a pair of Wooden Wings, the second item to find. She didn’t attempt to snag it, unless it’s jewel encrusted. “This maybe off topic, but there are some wooden wings in the wall.”

“That’s the second item!” Octavia replied in excitement.

The TV screen where Cadance is standing, is a karaoke screen. The lyrics only appear when the song starts playing. Wes came to the speaker. He wanted to know what’s wrong with Cadance. She wasn’t feeling optimistic.

“Cadance?” Wes asked.

“Yes?” answered Cadance.

“Is there somebody out there that you love?” Wes can see through her eyes, she has a lover. He doesn’t know anything about her, but that didn’t stop him from completing the task. Instead of forcing her, he let her take her time to answer.

“My husband, Shining Armour.”

“Have experience something like this before?”

“Yes,” Cadance sighed, remembering the wedding “I almost lost him once, I fear I may lose him again.”

Wes can feel her emotions. “You have me and the others. As long as we’re around, we’ll help you escape this nightmare.”

Cadance wiped the tear from her eyes. Although she didn’t look at Wes’ face, she wanted to find Shining Armour more than anything else.

Wes told Cadance what they must do in the task. “OK listen, what we need to do is to combine both music and lyrics. While play the music, you provide the vocals. We must keep the connection stable.”

Cadance can see what the screen and microphone are used for. Celestia, Luna, Rarity and Fluttershy climbed on the platforms. Wes picked up his guitar, Vinyl turned on the turntables and Octavia placed the bow on the cello’s strings.

“Start when you’re ready,” said Wes.

"What happens if the connection fails or if one of us stops?" Octavia asked.

"We might have to start over or get penalized." Wes didn't know what happens if they fail.

Celestia and Luna flapped their wings and their horns glowed. Fluttershy levitated and Rarity made magic. Wes strummed the guitar, the song he chose was Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time”.

Celestia and Luna were exhausted two-thirds in the song. Rarity and Fluttershy can see them in pain and panting their lungs out. They did what ever they can to assist them. After the song ended, the Alicorn princesses fell on their knees. A giant whirling sound emitted from the wall. Circular saws sliced the Wooden Wings. They stopped once it was in pieces. A door from both rooms appeared on their right.

"Finally!" shouted Rarity. "One step closer to freedom!"

"Three actually," corrected Vinyl.

Rarity ran through door, Fluttershy followed her. Cadance thanked Wes before she left.

Wes unplugged his guitar. Two cabinets emerged from the wall, both were big enough to fit a large instrument. Octavia and Vinyl placed their cello and turntables in the cabinets before they disappeared.

"At least we don't have to carry them around all the time," said Vinyl Scratch.

They left with only six hours left.

Conversating

Whenever the Alicorns sees one of the security cameras, they couldn’t help that the evil they’re facing, might be threatening than what they witnessed. The defeated antagonist in the past, they were in Equestria. It’s a threat from Earth, a world they don’t know.

“Wes, how did you become a musician?” Octavia popped a question. It was out of curiosity, rather than striking up a conversation.

Wes, Octavia and Vinyl Scratch stopped. He sat down leaning against the wall. Octavia was on his right and Vinyl on his left. He was quick to answer. “It begin after we graduated high school. We were in desperate need of cash. After brainstorming, forming a band was the plausible option. We got a big break and it went downhill.”

“What happened?” Vinyl was the second one to ask.

Wes can feel the painful flashbacks in his head. His bandmates were feeling the same way, whether they were together or separate. He wanted to show the pain and misery he suffered. “During our gigs in public bars and shopping malls, a man named Michael was standing in the crowd.”

He tells them McCarthy was someone who can make them a big name rock band. This person claimed to work with other bands including The Hollies, ACDC, Eurythmics, Talking Heads and Small Faces. None of the band members especially Wes, didn’t believe the man. It was the names he worked with, rather than his first impression. Michael McCarthy became their manager.

“It was a big break for us. We recorded our first album, we didn’t know it would be a hit in the rock charts. Not much success in the mainstream.”

While they were working on a second album, McCarthy gave them big news. He thought this decision will change their lives. “I signed a contract with EMI. The executives loved your album.”

It was fast, their manager went behind their backs. It was their first sign of McCarthy’s self-absorbed mind. He couldn’t think about the band, he wanted fame, fortune, success, he’s completely over his head. They were clueless, they couldn’t read the guy’s mind. Their manager was about to send them into hard labour.

“We thought we hit it off, but we didn’t know what we’re heading for. We worked off blood, sweat and tears without little to no breaks. Not even sleep could regain the energy we lost. Some of us were hospitalized, aside from the typical injuries many rock stars suffer from. Not even the awards we received can help out self-esteem.”

Over the course of time, it went from bad to worse. During their concert tours, they’re exhausted, some were in need of medical attention. Even when they were recording a new album, McCarthy still wants them to show up at numerous events. Despite receiving accolades, the band was desperate to solve the conundrum.

Wes concluded his story, still remembering the experience. “He was a complete control freak.” That’s why we let him go. A new manager, was something we agreed. We learned not everybody in the music business treats you the way you wanted.”

Vinyl and Octavia felt bad for Wes. They know what it’s like being used for either personal gain. Same goes for those who only do it for cash.

“Any enemies of Equestria I should know?” he asked.

“There’s the not-so-great and not-so-powerful Trixie,” answered Vinyl. “She was a show off and told lies about she did this and that. She even put Twilight Sparkle and her friends in their place. She got her own back, when an Ursa Minor tore through Ponyville. Luckily Twilight soothed it to sleep. And Trixie ran away with her tail between her legs. Though she needs to work on her disappearing act.”

“She nothing compared to the Flim Flam brothers.” It was Octavia’s turn. “They try to put the Apple family out of business with unfair competition. They have The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to apple cider the fast and better way possible. From what I’ve been told their scheme backfired. The machine make cider so awful, you can taste the seeds and cores. They rely on quantity than quality.”

Wes needed something to get off his chest. Something he should have asked at the beginning. “There’s something I want to know, do unicorns use magic?”

Vinyl lifted off her sunglasses, with magic from her horn. Her magenta eyes gazed at Wes and Octavia for the first time. She rarely showed her eyes in public. It’s more of a spectacle for Octavia. Vinyl was afraid to smile at first, Octavia and Wes showed confidence.

“You’re like a unicorn Roy Orbison,” smiled Wes. “Just like him, he wears sunglasses in public and on stage.”

“Vinyl, why do you hide your eyes?” Octavia was more curious.

“It’s a part of me. Along with my mane and cutie mark, I show every pony that I’m totally different,” Vinyl explained.

Wes can see there’s more than that. He can see inside her, what is troubling her mind. “That’s why you stuck to techno. To exclude from the crowd.”

“How did you know?” Vinyl became intrigued with Wes’ words.

“Many artists always take a chance on something that hasn’t been done a lot.”

“Is that the same with your bow tie?” Wes asked to Octavia.

“This was given to me by my grandmother. She was a professional musician. She passed it to me as a gift,” said Octavia.

Wes asked them how they met each other. Vinyl and Octavia didn’t know how to explain it. They looked at each other for a bit. They didn’t want to argue in front of Wes, when one disagrees with the other. They always get into arguments and on some occasions, lose track.

“It’s was a few years back,” began Octavia. “I was practising my cello around dusk. The time of day that’s most silent.”

She told Wes she practised until the night sky appeared. Just as she left, she bumped into Vinyl. Once they noticed their cutie marks, a bond created between them. They didn’t realize they’ll cross paths down the road.

“I was attending a gig,” stated Vinyl. “I was pushing my speakers, with a turntable placed on top. I had my hooves full.”

They told Wes they felt something inside of them. It will take a long time for a friendship to create. They didn’t meet eye to eye at first. One time they performed right near each other, both concerts became a mix of earaches.

“Each of you crank up the volume to drown out each other? Imagine the hysteria.” Wes found some humour in the story.
“It did go awry,” confirmed Vinyl.

“Both of us were almost…” Octavia couldn’t finish her sentence.

“And?” Wes asked.

Both Vinyl and Octavia wanted to explain what happened. What stopped them was an interruption.

“We gave them a chance to reconcile,” said a voice.

Vinyl and Octavia can see Celestia and Luna coming over. Wes can see the rulers of Equestria, finding a possible solution to a problem.

“We came to Ponyville after hearing the dispute. There were a lot of ponies arguing. Of course I managed to make them listen to us,” explained Luna.

“With that loud voice you used?” Wes took a lucky guess.

“Using my royal Canterlot voice, always make them stop, and turn to me or her.” Luna shifted her eyes to her sister. It was like they took turns in telling the story.

“We settled everything straight. They wanted to blame each other, including the musicians. I announced to settle this feud.”

“Both of you chose them to come to Canterlot and have two gatherings?” answered Wes.

“We chose Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonica, two specially gifted citizens of Equestria.”

Vinyl and Octavia felt proud, for being called specially gifted. Something besides music is what they have in common. Coming from the mouth of the royal sisters was more engaging.

“Celestia and I agreed that the both of you will get along,” Luna finished.

“And it worked,” agreed Wes.

Vinyl and Octavia agreed to that statement. They can never find anything wrong with the Alicorns’ commitments. Only rarely when some pony, unicorn or Pegasus objects to them. It proves that Equestria is no stranger to pessimism. Even when some pony is proven wrong, their minds are never changed.

Wes’ right foot lifted a brick from the ground. Octavia reached in the hole, pulling out a small box; encrusted with jewels and made of platinum. Instead of a key hole, there’s a slot.

“There’s no key,” said Vinyl.

“I think we’re supposed to find one,” said Octavia.

Wes searched through the pouch. He found a card with a black magnetic strip. “Found it!”

He slid the card in the hole, unlocking the box. Inside is a card scanner. He took a card from the pouch and placed it on the scanner. After the light scanned it, a map of the labyrinth appeared on-screen. He placed the rest of the cards on it; after it finished scanning, the scanner detached itself.

“We got a head start,” said Wes. “Now we know find the third task.”

Before taking a turn, a door in the ceiling opened. A turret popped down, aiming with a laser. Wes turned around and hit the wall. “Luna... Celestia... Problem.”

Luna and Celestia fired beams of magic, blasting the gun to pieces. Just as they press forward, a security camera behind them is still operating despite being nearly blown to bits.

In the security room, a hand pressed on the TV screen. The viewer has a different perspective in mind. The hand moved away to examine the other monitors.

Crossing Paths

Not one, but two lights illuminated the passage. Cadance and Rarity had strength to help see in the dark. Normally Fluttershy would be scared in this situation, it’s her friends by her side help her overcome her fears.

The passage felt claustrophobic. Cadance and Rarity felt the spines shiver. Fluttershy can see them feeling scared. She landed on her hooves, standing in between them.

“There’s no need to feel afraid.” It’s Fluttershy’s turn to comfort her friends.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Cadance was a bit clueless.

“Not as long as she has friends like us,” answered Rarity.

“That’s right. I’m only afraid if I’m alone, in a dark place, with no call for help and the only voice heard is me.” Fluttershy sounded like she’s telling a ghost story. Then she quickly went back to her normal self.

“I used to have friends, unfortunately they weren’t friends anymore,” Cadance spoke in a depressing tone.

Rarity and Fluttershy felt sorry for her. Cadance horn started to dim. It was her feelings and not her energy that’s darkening their path.

“Aren’t you going to talk about it?” Fluttershy asked.

One half of the passage was completely dark. They stopped after entering a room. Where they were doesn’t matter. All they can see is Cadance’s sad eyes. They beg Cadance to tell her.

“What’s wrong Princess?” Rarity asked.

Cadance eyes were partially closed. She couldn’t keep it hidden any longer. “I was your age, when I was a foal sitter. During Freshcolt year in high school, before meeting Shining Armour, every pony didn’t notice me. Sure I’m and Alicorn, but I’m blended in the background. It didn’t matter that I’m part of a monarch. Instead of receiving the royal treatment, the idea of entering a regular school is a nice change. All the extracurricular and high grades didn’t help. As for the friends I speak of, they moved on after graduation. Then I met Shining, you already know what happens afterwards.”

Fluttershy lifted Cadance’s head with one hoof, and lifted her mane over her eyes with the other. She was floating on air while lifting the Alicorn’s spirits, Cadance’s eyes were fully open and a small light on her horn glowed. Despite Rarity lighting the room, it only covered half of the area. Cadance started to smile, even though it’s a small one.

“We won’t leave, we guarantee it.” It’s a promise Fluttershy will keep. “We’ll be around if you need us.”

The light on Cadance’s horn fully glowed. Lights inside the room were slowly turned on. She didn’t have any use of her magic anymore. She can restore her energy just for emergencies.

“That’s weird,” said Fluttershy.

It appears that the person in the security room turned on the lights for no reason. They were looking at Rarity, she’s apparently thinking about something or someone. Fluttershy and Cadance were quick to notice.

“Hey.” Fluttershy whispered in Rarity’s ear. She can make loud whispers in any pony’s ears.

“Are you thinking of some?” Cadance asked.

“That night when we’re at Canterlot…” Rarity can remember when she was at Canterlot. She was with Prince Blueblood. They’re finding a place for themselves. The gardens were the right spot.

“A beautiful night, am I right?” Blueblood asked.

“Definitely. Couldn’t imagine a moment like this.” Rarity gazed into his eyes. She wanted to know more about him. “Do you live in Canterlot?”

“Ever since I was a foal.”

“Have you ever stepped outside of your home?”

Blueblood found it a bit humorous. He didn’t laugh, all he did was smile. “All royalty of Canterlot never leave for personal reasons.”

“Well, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna entered Ponyville on several occasions.” Rarity almost proved him otherwise.

“Every pony knows them. They only come if their needed or to address matters.” Blueblood didn’t try to outdo her. That would be “ungentlecolt-like” to him.

“This might remember our time.” Blueblood used magic to pick a rose from a bush and placed it in her mane.
Just as they were about to come close, one of the guards interrupted them. It was when the princesses disappeared.

“I have to go,” said Rarity. “Sorry this has to cut short.”

Prince Blueblood understood, he let Rarity go to her friends.

A rumble interrupted Rarity’s tale. Cadance’s light glowed even brighter. It didn’t feel like an earthquake, it was the sound of walls and floors changing places. Then voices were getting louder. A wall opened and with a surprise, Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armour rolled into them.

They were lying on the floor in a pile. Some felt their heads spin after being knocked. Getting on to their hooves was difficult while trying to keep their balance. No thanks to the bumps on the head.

“Cadance!” Twilight immediately rushed over after regaining her vision.

Cadance embraced just as Twilight wrapped her hooves around her neck. “Oh Twilight, we’re glad you’re safe. We thought you were gone forever.”

“One moment we were with Pinkie Pie and Applejack, then we’re with you guys.”

“We must have fallen into one of those traps,” said Shining.

“Traps?” Cadance and Twilight asked in unison.

“We were searching for an exit then wall came down separating us. It pushed us aside and ended up here.”

“It’s definitely the work of magic,” concluded Twilight.

“I doubt it’s the kind of magic we know,” said Rarity.

They all agreed with Rarity. It could be the work of dark magic.

Pinkie Pie and Applejack touched the walls, trying to find a hidden button that might lead to Twilight and Shining. They didn’t bother call their names, the walls were inches thick.

“Oh haystacks,” Applejack said in frustration. “This place feels like it’s alive.”

“Hope this doesn’t turn into a creature to eat us.” Pinkie looked like she’s about to go insane.

Applejack lowered her eyebrows. “Highly unlikely.”

Pinkie zapped close to Applejack’s face, making their eyes touch each other. “That’s what you think!”

"Rainbow could you explain-" Applejack turned to see Rainbow Dash gone.

Pinkie leaned so close to Applejack, they fell to the floor. The walls and floors made noises. They changed positions by themselves.

“Here we go again!” They said in unison.

A wall emerged from the ground blocking their way. They turned around and another wall blocked their escape. Another wall opened on their right, they found it puzzling.

“Should we go in?” asked Applejack.

“No point in standing around,” said Pinkie.

They went inside, going in slowly was a safe bet. They don’t know what surprises may happen. The wall suddenly closed behind them. They can’t see a thing. Pinkie Pie bumped into Applejack.

“Why did you stop?” Pinkie asked.

“I hit a dead end.” Applejack fell forward, landing underneath Pinkie Pie. “Which leads to… Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!”

Applejack and Pinkie Pie got on their hooves. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia helped them. Wes was searching for the third challenge. He didn’t see them until he turned around. “You’re just in time. We’re going to see the Stone Crown.”

Both Applejack and Pinkie Pie were talking to Luna and Celestia. They were discussing on what they experienced. Wes found a button, he didn’t know what it does. He felt like pulling a prank on them. “Normally pressing this button, something bad happens. But since that happens all the time…”

Wes pressed the button, keeping his expectations low. He fell face first, it came from behind. The ponies heard the noise and stopped talking. Something landed on top of his back. He knew it’s a pegasus because of the feathers.

“My head hurts,” said a voice Wes doesn’t recognize.

He turned his head to see Derpy Hooves. Her eyes were constantly rolling. Her head wobbled from the collision. Wes held her head straight, he’s in for a surprise. After her eyes stopped, one was up and one was down.

“Oh my god,” Wes spoke.

“What? Am I hurt badly?” Derpy wanted to know if she’s hurt.

“You’re OK. Except your eyes, they’re not aligned.”

Derpy can see Wes’ worried. She knew he wasn’t making fun of her. “It happened when I was a filly.”

Applejack immediately recognized her. “You’re that pegasus who delivered the letter.”

Derpy Hooves. Proud mail carrier of Equestria. Of course you already know that.” Derpy got to her hooves. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened. She couldn’t believe that the rulers of Equestria are standing in front of her. “I can’t believe it! Celestia and Luna are in front of me!”

“How did you end up in this place?” asked Applejack.

Even though Derpy’s busy eyeing on Luna and Celestia, she can explain on how she arrived to the labyrinth. “I was finishing my round with the mail. My last stop was Canterlot. I dropped off a parcel and someone bumped into me. I didn’t see who it was. I fly down to Ponyville and saw a door. I was curious to see what’s inside. After entering, the way I came in vanished. I had to avoid traps and pitfalls and find a way to escape. Then for some reason I end up with you guys.”

“We’re glad you arrived. We could use more help we can get,” smiled Wes.

The floor opened and a pedestal emerged. It holds the third item: a Stone Crown. A barrier sounded it to prevent anybody from stealing it. A wall rotated around revealing a sax, bass, drum set and a Washburn WM24K guitar appeared. A touch screen emerged from one of the walls. It showed a list of songs to pick. There’s a scroll stuck to the screen. Derpy removed it with her teeth. After unravelling the paper it read: After picking a music track, they must use the instruments provided. The track chosen must contain all the instruments. Otherwise a participant's eliminated. If they have the missing instruments, shall be used as well Notes will appear on-screen and must match with perfect accuracy. Any slip ups e.g. wrong note and there's a penalty.

Wes found a cable and plugged it in his guitar. He can see Vinyl and Octavia choosing the double bass and guitar.

"I didn't know you played bass and guitar," said Wes.

"We thought playing other instruments might expand our range, it was vinyl's suggestion," answered Octavia.

"Good to know." He doesn't know who else plays instruments so he asked. "Does anybody know how to play the sax?"

"Pinkie does," said Applejack.

"I play the trumpet, trombone, tuba, harmonica and bass drum. I don't recalling a sax." Pinkie can remember the instruments used to drive away the parasprites.

"It's too late for the drums cause I call dibs." Applejack raced over to the drum kit.

"Since when you played the drums?" asked Derpy.

"I used to bang trashcans with my brother."

Pinkie shrugged and picked up the saxophone. Wes chose The Champs' "Tequila". The notes appeared on screen and were in different colours and each indicate which instrument. For guitar, Wes chose rhythm and Vinyl chose lead. They weren't given any microphone, probably because the person responsible wanted to see them play a tune without them singing. The only vocals heard are the ones coming form the speakers. The entire music track is isolated.

A huge glass breaker poured acid over the Stone Crown. It dissolved rapidly along with the pedestal. Vapours rose above into a vent. A door opened, another task completed. Wes went to unplug his guitar when the floor opened. Vinyl, Octavia, Pinkie Pie and Applejack immediately jumped. The instruments fell down the hole and the floor closed.

"Didn't see that coming," said Applejack.

"We hit every note. Why did the floor open beneath us?" asked Octavia.

"Probably needed more storage space," suggested Derpy.

"We don't know how long we are going to last," worried Celestia.

"We better leave now," reminded Luna.

They all left while hearing the clock ticking down. Four hours until they're imprisoned.

Wings of Wisdom

Within a flash, Rainbow Dash is now on her own. One minute she’s with Applejack and Pinkie Pie, now she’s alone. To her, it’s a mind game just to torture ponies; both physically and mentally. She wondered around, looking for an exit.

“I can’t believe I got separated!” she exclaimed. “I don’t how long I can survive on my own.”

She tried to think. Unfortunately she scattered around in a panicky state. “What if no pony hears me? What if I can’t escape? I’ll be trapped forever.”

She was going to huddle on the floor, the sound of the clock annoyed her. Every noise it made won’t leave her head. Even when she’s talking it continues to bug her. “OK, better not stand around. I must find-”

She almost fell over after stepping on a loose slate. She lifted it and found a small chest. She thought some pony left it there. She opened the chest, inside is a gem. A Tanzanite cut into a sphere. It’s presented like a pearl in an oyster. She had to use her hooves to carry it.

She flew across while trying not to reach the ceiling. She sped fast like a bullet, it’s like she’s about to do a Sonic Rainboom. She immediately stopped, just before hitting the wall. It seemed all going well until she felt a collision. Something came from her right and pushed her near a wall.

“Sorry Rainbow Dash,” said a familiar voice.

Dash knew who it was. “Derpy Hooves?”

“That’s right. Best mail carrier of Equestria.”

Rainbow was glad some pony came to her aid. She jumped and hugged Derpy. They spun around, making them dizzy. They fell to the ground, their eyes kept rolling. It took some time to keep straight.

“And I thought I lost my mind,” Derpy said to herself.

“I’m so glad you came to help, and how did you come here anyway?”

“I found a secret door in Ponyville.”

“That’s where we came in.”

“I was going around the labyrinth, dodging spears, avoiding pitfalls and entering secret passages. Suddenly I met Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.” Derpy began to speak, she couldn’t wait to tell Dash about her experience.

“You met the princesses? Are they OK?” Dash desperately needed to know.

Derpy smiled with her cross eyes. “Seeing them is the best experience ever!”

Seeing Derpy’s expression made her feel relieved. Derpy and Rainbow had some missteps in the past. It took a long time for them to become friends. They managed to help each other in any situation.

“Did you manage to find the other?” Dash asked.

“Definitely,” Derpy said in a kind voice. “There’s this tall, two-legged animal with clothes.”

Dash zapped to Derpy. “You met Wes?!”

“You should’ve seen it. They busted a tune, Pinkie was amazing on the saxophone. Also that DJ Pony and Canterlot Cellist were with them.”

“Nice to see Vinyl and Octavia cooperating.” Dash can remember the feud those ponies made. She couldn’t stand the endless arguments, same goes for Twilight and the rest.

They proceeded while flying in the air. Derpy can see the sphere in Dash’s hooves. “What’s that you’re holding?”

“Found it under a slate,” Rainbow Dash answered. “I think it might be useful.”

“Is it a clue?”

“It could be helpful in finishing a challenge we have to finish.”

Derpy a wall with a hole in it. There were bricks build around it. She peaked inside, it’s difficult to see. “I think this is where you put it.”

“Can’t see why not,” answered Dash.

She placed the sphere in the hole. Inside, it when down a pipe. It hit paddles connected to gears. Their turning started a mechanism. Rainbow and Derpy were uncertain on what’s happening. The sound of gears grew louder, then it surrounded them. The floor moved up, Rainbow and Derpy stayed close to avoid falling off. They didn’t fly away or swoop down. All they did is wait to see what’s in store.

They stopped near the ceiling. They were so high, they can see everybody. They can see that the labyrinth has no dead ends. They can see the others down below.

“Hey!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

They didn’t hear her voice. Derpy spotted twenty targets with images of different musical notes. Even though it’s a challenge, it’s not one of the five required for them to escape.

“What the Changeling…” wondered Rainbow Dash.

“Musical symbols?” Derpy responded.

Both pegasi scratched their heads. They have no idea what they’re supposed to do. A TV screen emerged from the far end of the labyrinth. It displayed a message, explaining what they must do. It read: Match the corresponding symbols with the words appearing on-screen.

The screen looked like it changed channel. It displayed the word “Sharp” in big letters. The targets started swinging back and forth, like pendulums on a clock. There’s no time limit, like the other challenges.

Both Derpy and Dash don’t know anything about musical symbols. They couldn’t concentrate on which target to hit. They were going at a fast rate.

“Do you know anything about music?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Only listening to it,” Derpy replied. “I know mail carrying and muffins.”

Dash chuckled after Derpy mentioned muffins. She quickly got back on track on how to complete the task. “If each of us focused on half of the targets, we have a 1/20th of getting one right. So each of us have a 1/10th chance of picking the right one.”

Derpy thought for a moment. “What happens if we picked the wrong one?”

“We just have to wait and see,” said Rainbow Dash.

They flapped their wings off the ground and each picked a random target. They charged at the same one, they bashed their heads after hitting dead centre. They hit the wrong one. They spun around, while floating in mid-air.
“Now we know what happens.” Dash felt the bump on her head.

“Luckily we didn’t hit each other.” Derpy Hooves can feel her eye balls spinning around.

They flew back to the platform. They did some warming up before starting again. They leaned down, kept their backs straight, and straight forward. They hit the correct symbol, the target shattered to pieces. Bits of woods crumbled to the ground below. Derpy and Dash “high-hoofed”.

The screen switched channel, and “Flat” displayed on-screen. They decided to let one them find the correct one. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, came to a target and kicked a hole in it.

It’s now Derpy’s turn to try solo. The screen read “Natural” in large letters. She struggled to keep her eyes on the target. She bumped into a nearby swinging target and crashed into the correct one. She gave an embarrassing smile. Dash smiled back.

They decided to go every second turn. The other symbols were double-sharp, forte, whole note, quarter note, eight note, beamed eight notes, tuplet, slur, bass clef, dim chord, semibreve, longa, half note, bass clef fermata, and neutral clef.

After every fourth target is hit, they either changed directions or something bizarre happens. After four were down, they ascended and descended from the ceiling. After the eighth target, the appeared and disappeared, like in a magic trick. Then they switched places, and finally the symbols were randomly switching places, like images in a game show.
Rainbow and Derpy felt exhausted with two targets left. With a sudden surprise, Treble clef and eighth note suddenly displayed onscreen.

“Come on!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “My wings and hooves hurt.”

“Mine too,” agreed Derpy.

They panted and fell on their stomachs. They were close to giving up. Their wings and hooves continue to hurt when they try to stand up. They don’t know how much energy they have left.

“I’m not going to stop.” Derpy struggled to her hooves. “This isn’t something The Doctor would do. Even if I have to carry another pegasus with me, I’ll give up.”

Rainbow Dash found the strength to stand, while still feeling the injuries.“You’re right, and who’s The Doctor?”

“Oh, just a pony with an hourglass for a cutie mark. He’s a nice colt. He’s so adventurous, you should meet him.” Derpy remembered the adventures they had.

“So he’s like Doctor Whooves.”

Derpy shrugged, she couldn’t argue with that. They gave it all they got and broke through the targets. They covered their eyes. They were suddenly blown away from a loud noise. Speakers popped out of the wall. It play Cliff Richard's "Congratulations".

They landed back into the maze. They hit a wall, which spun around, and they ended up in a different location. They were glad to see Vinyl, Octavia, Wes, Luna and Celestia in the same place.

Willpower Over Fear

“Hey, everybody,” smiled Derpy Hooves.

“Everybody?” wondered Rainbow Dash.

“One of them isn’t a pony remember?”

Dash knew that, it’s the use of words that got her puzzled.

They’re in a large group. Vinyl, Octavia, Celestia, Luna, Wes Argovich, Rainbow Dash, Derpy Hooves, Applejack and Pinkie Pie; they’re four ponies short. Even though they’re doing well in competing tasks, they’re still head-scratching on who’s the mastermind.

Wes checked the device. He pressed some buttons to find where they can find the next task. Luna can see him under stress. His eyes scanned on the screen, his fingers pounded and slight sign of sweat on his skin. He looked like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. She saw Derpy embracing Celestia, it’s a chance to learn more of Wes.

“Wes?” she said.

“How did you know my name?” he asked.

She showed him his wallet, it contained his ID card. “This fell after the first challenge.”

Wes found a ripped hole in his jeans. He didn’t know how that happened. He didn’t bother focus on how, he’s confronted by an Alicorn. This creature never or rarely appeared in any mythology.

“Can’t suppose you fix that.” Wes showed her the hole.

Luna used her magic, Wes watched it being fixed. Both sides connected to each other, followed by a longer thread. It blended in with the fabric. He’s amazed with her skill.

Luna can see through Wes’ eyes, a fractured experience he doesn’t want anybody to know. “You looked troubled.”

“You’re a mind reader?”

Luna just smiled. She changed her facial expression to get back on topic. “You keep tapping that contraption very hard.”

Wes took a sharp exhale through his nose. He stopped pounding with his finger and turned to Luna. “I think I know who’s responsible.”

Luna suddenly became interested. She called to Celestia, her sister finished hugging Derpy and came forward. “Wes knows who’s responsible.”

Celestia wanted to know. “Who is it?”

Celestia and Luna looked at Wes’ expression. He wasn’t happy after figuring out the perpetrator. He rubbed his neck, moistening his hand with sweat. “Michael McCarthy, my former manager, is behind everything. Every music track used isn’t from your world. The security cameras, television screens, knowledge of music artists and record companies; everything done by him. He wanted payback for being sacked, creating a labyrinth of traps and challenges. He chose Equestrian ponies as guinea pigs, just to test this death trap. Why use it for a long time is anybody’s guess. He needed help, so somebody from Equestria must have accidently came to Earth. Cooperating with each other took years off building, installing and choosing who should live and die. Their experiment became a success, letting those participated perish, no matter which pony they picked. It won’t stop until he gets what he wants: Equestria dying, a deserted wasteland, evil reigning over. That’s why I was brought to this world. Even if I refused, another person would step in.”

Celestia and Luna can imagine their world in devastation. Even with the enemies they dealt in the past, it can still be a place of unhappiness and desolation. Their pupils in their eyes enlarged, leaving thin circles of their irises. Wes watched as they stood, with their heads tilted and eyes open. He didn’t think what he spoke could affect them. He now knew Equestria isn’t all sugar-coated as he imagined. They assumed he’s right.

“Are you OK?” Wes placed his right hand on Luna’s head, and his left on Celestia’s. His touching hands shook them, they lost track on how long they’ve been dazed.

“Sorry, the thought scared us,” Celestia said in a quiet voice.

“You almost had me worried.”

“With you around, we don’t need to worry,” smiled Luna.

Derpy was discussing with Vinyl and Octavia. It’s a complete surprise for them to see a fan of both genres. “I just want to tell you I’m you biggest fan.”

“You love our music?” asked Octavia.

“Despite being complete opposites?” asked Vinyl.

Derpy almost screeched in glee. Her positive attitude managed to show her taste. “That’s what I like about you, your tastes in music. Look at me, I may have crossed eyes, but I still receive appreciation. The soothing sounds of strings, the loud banging of bass, they bring any expression to any pony. Why do you think Celestia and Luna, brought you to the Gala?”

Vinyl and Octavia didn’t think of that. Octavia knew she’s chosen for inside the castle, and Vinyl knew she’s picked for outside, in the garden. The more they thought, the more they realise it. They both found a reason. They knew the idea of having them both perform music at the Gala is a grand idea, they let Derpy explain it to them.

“That’s why the princesses brought both you, so every pony can embrace both musical styles,” concluded Derpy.

Vinyl and Octavia didn’t say a word, they wanted confirmation on why they came to Canterlot. They showed appreciation for her, even for a Pegasus with a physical abnormality.

“We’re glad you came,” said Octavia.

“We wouldn’t have figured it out without you,” said Vinyl.

“Thank you, thank you,” Derpy spoke in a heart-warming voice. She swayed her head, making her mane flying in the air. This made Vinyl and Octavia smile.

“Whenever I talk about both of you, the other ponies only wanted hear about one or the other. I understand they have different tastes, but it seemed like they want one musical genre, despite some naysayers.”

“We can relate to that,” agreed Octavia.

“Can’t say I disagree with her,” said Vinyl.

Pinkie felt her legs shaking. Her Pinkie Sense is tingling. “This place is changing!”

The gears turned, causing the walls to change.

“Every pony stay calm,” said Celestia.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie fell victim to the labyrinth. Two walls closed in front, blocking their way. Derpy, Vinyl and Octavia tried to reach them.

“Are you ponies OK?” asked Derpy.

“A-OK,” answered Rainbow Dash.

Derpy turned around to see Dash behind her.

Pinkie Pie couldn’t take anymore. “Who do you think you are mister? You’re a big cheater. Always changing the rules, get ready to taste the fury-”

Applejack interrupted Pinkie by pulling her tail. “Hold your hooves Pinkie.”

“Hold my hooves? We’re just about to relax and now we’re cut off!”

“This might be a good chance to find Rarity and the rest,” reminded Rainbow Dash.

“You’re right, let’s go.” Pinkie Pie sped off, leaving Applejack standing there.

“Good luck,” Applejack said before leaving.

Rarity, Twilight Sparkle, Cadance, Shining Armour and Fluttershy felt the ground shake.

“It’s happening again!” exclaimed Twilight.

They tried to run, the vibrations prevented them from going in a straight line. It felt like it’s going to collapse. They hit the walls and immediately separated from each other. Cadance, Fluttershy and Rarity went one way, and Twilight and Shining Armour went the other. Shining and Cadance placed their hooves together before being separated. They watched each other vanish in the darkness.
Twilight and Shining didn’t where they’re going. They thought they got used to it by then. They couldn’t think with everything in the labyrinth going against them.

After they stopped rolling, Twilight gasped at the first sight. She immediately recovered and trotted. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!”

Luna and Celestia were happy to see her. They didn’t waste any time and embraced her. Their eyes leaked with tears.

“Twilight, we missed you,” said Celestia.

“It’s amazing to see you unharmed!” Luna squeezed so hard, Celestia and Twilight felt their chests tighten by the grasp.

“Thank you,” said Twilight struggling to breathe.

Vinyl and Octavia greeted Shining Armour, he didn’t respond to them. He reunited with Cadance for less than an hour and they’re separated again.

“Shining Armour?” Octavia tried to gain his attention.

Shining gasped, he thought he heard Cadance voice. He’s disappointed to see two musician ponies stand in front.

“You’re dazed for a bit.” Vinyl showed sympathy for him.

“Sorry, I can’t stop thinking about Cadance. I want this nightmare to end.” Shining Armour suffered the most, same might be for Cadance.

Derpy can see Shining in a depressed mood. She found a piano and music sheets, this gave her an idea. She approached Wes and whispered in his ear. He thought it’s a great idea.

Twilight tried to talk to her brother. She’s just as worried about Cadance. “Shining Armour? Where’s Cadance?”

He didn’t reply back, it didn’t take long for her to find out. “It can’t…”

“I’m afraid so,” Vinyl said quietly.

“It wasn’t his fault. It’s whoever is responsible,” Octavia responded.

Celestia and Luna were curious to see Wes and Derpy going to a piano. She chose a sheet containing a song. Derpy whistled so loudly, they all looked at her.

“Fillies and Alicorn sisters, the wonderful Derpy Hooves will sing a number. A golden oldie from the human world. Maestro.”

Wes pressed the keys, playing Neil Innes’ “How Sweet to be an Idiot”, with Derpy on vocals. Quickly glanced at the sheets before beginning to sing. She managed to remember the lyrics. Her singing voice was wonderful to the ears. She chose this song based on her experience of every pony shunning her. She managed to lift Shining‘s spirits, even if it’s just a small success. Vinyl and Octavia gasped at Wes’ piano skills. When he said he can play more than one instrument, he wasn’t joking.

After that number, Shining came to Derpy. He smiled with the same worried eyes. “You were wonderful Pegasus.”

“Call me Derpy, Derpy Hooves.” She shook hooves with him.

Rainbow Dash was more amazed than ever. “By Celestia, You’re brilliant! Never knew you can sing.”

Derpy felt appreciated. “I was so stunted with every pony mistreating me, I didn’t think they changed their thoughts on me.”

Wes checked the device, it showed where the fourth task was. It showed an x-ray of the piano. There were wires connected to the keys. He pressed the keys, some of the wires made something crank. He played a random tune, he played the bridge from Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing”. A wall rose above the ground.

“I found an exit, come on,” Wes shouted.

They all entered a room with sound proof booths. Each had earphones connect to a booth in the middle. A link made of leather chained across from one wall to another. It’s made to look like a metal chain.

A scroll tied with a ribbon, laid on the floor. Derpy yanked the ribbon with her teeth. She read the scroll: See if you can test your emotions. Once a person(s) or in this case ponies, play a music track, one or more will listen to it. Those who listen, will hear anybody they know singing to them. They must objective is to avoid breaking down during the duration. Unlike the previous challenges, the song is pre-selected. Whoever is playing any instrument, will be listening to the original track. Choose wisely.

The middle booth has a drum kit, double bass and piano; as usual, there’s a jack for Wes’ guitar. Sheets of musical notes perched on stands, representing each instrument.

Shining Armour inhaled and exhaled. He turned to his sister. “Are you ready Twilight?”

“We all are,” answered Twilight.

Octavia, Vinyl, Wes and Derpy Hooves entered the middle booth. Derpy asked Wes a question. “Can I try your guitar?”

“OK, I plenty more back home.” Wes was kind to lend his Fender Jaguar. He gave her pick after placing the strap over her head. “Do you know how to play?”

“There’s first time for anything.” Derpy didn’t feel nervous. She the kind of pegasus who loves to try new things.

All the rest enter each booth individually. They each put on the earphones and waited. Garbage’s “Stupid Girl” was the song chosen. Wes felt relieved, since it isn’t a difficult track to play on guitar. Octavia noticed that there’s no bow for the bass. She didn’t care, she can use it like a bass guitar anyway.

Once the song started playing, each of the other ponies heard different voices. Celestia heard Luna, Luna heard Nightmare Moon, Shining Armour heard Cadance, Rainbow Dash heard Scootaloo and Twilight heard one of her parents. They struggled to avoid breaking down.

After the song ended, a can of flammable liquid soaked the Leather Link. A zippo lighter lit and tossed on the link, causing it to ignite. Smoke filled the room before entering the air vents. They exited the booths, the ponies rubbed their ears, due to the discomfort of the earphones.

Derpy gave back Wes’ guitar. She enjoyed playing it. “It’s a pleasure.”

“Call me Wes,” he replied.

“How do you think it managed to capture other ponies’ voices?” asked Rainbow Dash. “They sound so real.”

“Someone probably recorded our voices and managed to duplicate and edit them,” said Twilight.

Wes was about to leave when the labyrinth shook. “We better leave now!”

They all ran out of the room, when the floor opened beneath them. Shining Armour and Twilight tripped and fell near the walls, they disappeared once the bricks moved. Rainbow Dash was also consumed by the ever-changing labyrinth. Octavia and Vinyl held each other’s hooves and remained still. Luna and Celestia fell into the hole before being grabbed by Wes and Derpy.

“Use you wings!” shouted Derpy.

Luna and Celestia flapped their wings. They managed to fly out, but then the ceiling came down and stopped after hitting the walls. The shock made Derpy and Wes fell back, and prevented Luna and Celestia landing to safety. They dropped into the abyss before the floor immediately closed.

“Any pony OK?” Derpy can feel her head spin.

“Luna? Celestia?” Wes tried to find where the floor closed.

Vinyl and Octavia rushed over find them gone.

“What happened?” Octavia asked.

“Luna and Celestia fell down there. It was just an excuse to separate us,” Wes spoke in frustration.

“We were so close,” said Vinyl.

“How are we supposed to find them all now?” Derpy asked a question even they don’t have the answer.

The clock above showed what time they have left: two hours to go.

Unrivalled Siblings

Almost there, now a sudden stop. Seeing darkness everywhere created fear for them. With their eyes opened, all they can see is black. They couldn’t remember how long they were unconscious. They tapped the ground, spun around, and collided with each other.

They emitted a glow on their horns. Luna and Celestia can see each other. Shaken by the fall, they were hesitant to embrace each other. Wherever they were, they couldn’t see any way out. For the first time, they felt helpless.

“Could Wes be right?” asked Celestia.

Luna didn’t have a proper answer. “About what he said? It’s uncertain, we just don’t what might happen.”

Celestia was more desperate than Luna. She didn’t take Wes’ words at first, after taking about it, the thought clouded her mind. She can hear the voices crying in despair. All the ponies panicking and consumed with evil. Some resisted and wondered where they were, some begged for them to return, others shun them for abandoning them.

Luna cared for her, she was willing to do the way Celestia did, when they became rulers. She stood next to her, Celestia’s eyes slowly filled up with tears. Luna can remember how she felt the same way when she banished Luna to the moon, after turning into Nightmare Moon.

“Celestia,” Luna said in a soft voice.

Celestia looked at Luna. She didn’t wipe her eyes, pretending that something’s in them. Tears trickled slowly down, she didn’t know what to think. She hesitated to breathe, followed by a gulp down her throat. She broke down, hugging her sister. Luna felt the rush. It felt like a gust of wind blasting on to her body.

“It’s happening so fast, I can’t stop thinking about it. It just feels real.” Celestia couldn’t hold it in longer. Confessing was the first thing to react.

Luna comforted her. “Wes didn’t mean to say those things. He doesn’t know anything about Equestria. He’s just imagining what “might” happen, rather than “could” happen.”

“He said he knows who’s responsible.”

“We don’t know anything about him.”

“Think about it, if we didn’t bring Vinyl Scratch and Octavia, then there’s no chance that we’ll return to Equestria. With all the decisions we made in the past, there’s a good outlook. Even if we make it back and Equestria is in ruins, we can show that we still got it.”

Celestia’s amazed with Luna’s optimism. One thing bothered her mind. “Where do you get this statement?”

“I just make it up as I go along, like you used to do when you were a filly.” Luna raised her eyebrow and smiled.

Celestia knew what she meant, she smiled back and her eyes stopped producing tears. She felt better, even though the image of Equestria’s possible future floated in her head. She placed her head next to Luna’s. She’s happy to have a sister who cares. Luna felt Celestia’s hooves around her head. I happened very quickly. She wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s. The lights on their horns brightened up the area. Everything’s made of metal.

The lights turned on, coming from the ceiling. There were two TV screens on the walls. One directly across from the other. Each side had two foot plates, they each sink into the ground once stepped on. There were no instructions, not even a scroll or plaque. Names flashed on the screen, each only appeared for a few seconds.

Celestia and Luna had no clue on what they’re supposed to do. One side of the room grow bright, the other side goes darker. Thinking on where they might go, Celestia went over to the area with light, and Luna went to the area with darkness. They each pressed the footplates, once a name appeared on each of the screens.

From where Luna’s standing, the lights continued to dimmer. From where Celestia’s standing, the lights continued to brighten. They didn’t know whether they got the hang of it. They continued stomping the footplates when half of the room brightens, and the other half dimmers. They felt something injuring their bodies. The screens had the words Ashford and Simpson displayed.

They as they continued, they suffered more. What was causing their injuries wasn’t from above. They felt it coming from the ground. Instead of giving the participant(s) feel pain for getting a wrong answer, they suffer from getting it right. Instead of using electricity, a mechanism underneath accesses the pain receptors in the body.

Luna and Celestia stopped after only five correct matching pairs. It felt like being injected with syringes and bludgeoned with rocks. They immediately caught on that if they receive injury, they answered correctly. Yet they don’t know what they’re supposed to do. They never heard of any of the names the TV screen had shown.

“We’ve lost. Everything we worked for… ruined.” Celestia cried both in pain and emotion. She bent down in defeat.

Luna didn’t want to give up. She limped over to Celestia. Her wings were in pain, trying to fly over will cause pain. “You know better than that.”

Celestia didn’t turn her head, she continued to sob. She lied on the ground. Her head rested on the pavement. Luna came closer, trying to make eye contact. “We can’t quit now. We were doing alright.”

Luna thought for a minute. She thinks what Wes said earlier clouded Celestia’s mind. She knew Wes would never be mean to anybody. “We’ve been through some difficult times. We’re used to this. It doesn’t matter if we’re in Equestria or not, we can pull through any situation.”

Luna raised her eyebrow, she noticed something’s off. “You not that upset.”

Celestia looked up, Luna was right. She didn’t breakdown from Wes’ words. “You managed to see through me.”

She wiped her eyes, slowly standing up. She smiled at Luna. “I was just regaining my strength.”

Celestia’s surprised that Luna wasn’t gullible. She used to play tricks on her before Luna became Nightmare Moon.

“You never stop,” smiled Luna. “Playtime is now over. We must finish this to find the others.”

They went back to the foot plates. Despite not knowing what to do, they decided to give it all. Whenever they got it right, the lights near Celestia dimmed and lights near Luna brightened. They felt the pain on their bodies. They didn’t stop, no matter how long it took. They switched and used their hind hooves, whenever their front hooves hurt from the stomping. They felt tears coming down from their eyes. They smiled back at each other, they didn’t either of them to stop.

After pairing twenty-three names which appeared onscreen, one of the walls opened. It didn’t have any light, only the sound of echoes. They entered passage unwillingly wondering where it will take them.

The wall behind them closed. They used their horns to light the passage. They searched the walls and ceiling, nothing unusual happened or appeared. They can hear each other breathing near their ears. They suddenly slipped and both came tumbling down.
Once they got to their hooves, they turned around and found a flight of stairs.

“Who put that there?” asked Celestia.

“Whoever kidnapped us and wanted to use us as pawns,” Luna answered in an angry voice.

Luna slowly built up rage. Her eyes turned white and she levitated off the ground. She shouted in the royal Canterlot voice. “Whoever I catch is responsible will bow down before the princess of the night!”

She returned to normal shortly afterwards. Celestia’s mane and tail blew back by the force of voice. They were like straight lines. Luna laughed at Celestia’s new style. “I like this look better.”

Celestia touched her tail and mane. She couldn’t remember the last time she changed her mane and tail style. She thought of shaking it off and returning them back to their original state, but then decides to leave them where they were.

They continued pressing forward.

Racing Against Time

Wes walked back and forth, he looked like he’s going to panic. Vinyl and Octavia were in disbelief. Seeing Luna and Celestia drop into the abyss planted in their brains. They stood near where the hole was, staring at the ground.

“Why is it happening to them?” worried Octavia.

“That’s what I want to know.” Vinyl felt the same way as Octavia.

Derpy followed Wes, she didn’t know what he’s thinking. After he stopped she bumped into him. Wes turned around, he didn’t try to attack her. He wasn’t surprised, he just wanted to see if Derpy had any ideas.

“So Derpy… you listen to more than one musical genre.” Wes decided to start a conversation instead.

“Oh yes. Unlike most ponies who chose one type of music, I like to listen to more than one,” smiled Derpy.

Wes can see that Derpy isn’t the kind of pony who takes sides. He lived in a world where people complain about almost everything, even from the tiniest detail. Some people go on a mindless rant with no explanation, others over analyse without giving the audience to see why. And that comes from people on the internet.

“You’re not alone,” said Wes.

Derpy’s surprised to hear it, her eyes widened. She’s glad she isn’t the only equestrian to listen to more than one genre.

“You’re pretty cute for a pegasus,” said Wes.

“You think so?” Derpy asked.

“Must be the eyes. It’s not easy to avoid being picked on.”

Derpy gave a big sigh. Memories immediately entered her head. “I was born this way. They also mocked me for my clumsiness. I had a difficult time making friends. All they do is laugh, point at me or just ignore me where ever I go. I slowly learned not to listen to them and showed them what I can do. I took a job at a post office. It started rough but I managed to get used to it. Then one day a blue box called a TARDIS landed near Ponyville. A pony calling himself the Doctor claimed he’s from another world. He had trouble being a pony. He was a human in a previous life.”

Vinyl and Octavia heard Derpy and Wes’ voices. They didn’t understand why they were talking. It’s not they’re discussing on how to find the princesses or find a way out of the labyrinth, they were having a normal conversation.

“Excuse me,” interrupted Octavia. “Don’t you realise that Equestria will collapse now we lost the two princesses?”

“We only have an hour left,” reminded Vinyl.

“Why are you always alienating each other?” asked Derpy.

Vinyl and Octavia didn’t know what she was talking about.

“We got alone fine,” protested Octavia. “We worked together to complete this challenge.”

“Yeah we can see that, but what about on the inside?” said Derpy.

What do you mean?” asked Vinyl.

“I’m the first to notice.”

Derpy explained after Luna and Celestia chose Octavia and Vinyl, for the two separate parties before being kidnapped, she saw both ponies looking uneven. They’re excited, yet they’re uncertain. She came to ask them what’s wrong, they didn’t respond.

“What we want to know is why you were unenthusiastic?” Derpy asked.

“We were glad that they us for two separate parties at the gala, it’s that we weren’t sure what they think if we were in the same place,” answered Vinyl.

“On our own, we attempt to appreciate us; but together, we don’t know what they think,” said Octavia.

Derpy took Octavia’s bow tie and Vinyl’s sunglasses. She put the sunglasses over Octavia’s eyes, and the bow around Vinyl’s neck. “Try to see into each other.”

Octavia and Vinyl didn’t get it at first. Once they stared at each other, what they saw is each of their inner thoughts. Wes watched the two ponies stare at each other. He looked at the clock, they have fifty minutes left.

Octavia and Vinyl actually felt comfortable wearing each other’s accessories. They smiled back at each other.

“You look cool with my shades,” said Vinyl.

“You’re pretty sharp with my bow tie,” said Octavia.

Wes noticed a piece of glass in the wall. It showed something hidden in the wall. A door being painted to look like the bricks. He spotted a screen behind the secret door. He flipped it open revealing a computer touchscreen. A disabled electronic lock made the door ajar. A menu appeared prompting a user to access the labyrinth. Wes didn’t get why Michael McCarthy would put a touch screen computer in the labyrinth.

He accessed it to see a map displaying the traps, locations of the five items, and where the others were. He noticed that the labyrinth can no longer change. The walls and floors stopped entirely. The computer read that the power was cut off and is running on backup power.

“Ponies,” said Wes. “I know where the crystal heart is.”

Derpy, Vinyl and Octavia rushed over to see the Crystal Heart’s location.

“What’s that?” asked Derpy.

“A computer that Michael McCarthy installed in case of emergencies. It has the entire map of the labyrinth and where your friends are,” explained Wes.

Wes Found a USB cable attached, he connected it to the scanner to download it.

“How did you know the scanner will connect to that?” Octavia asked.

“I’m a sucker for new tech,” smiled Wes. “Whenever I’m not writing songs.”

He can access every music file, and every function of the labyrinth. He found a microphone, he can communicate with the other ponies. He changed the settings of the microphone, so his voice can broadcast everywhere.

“Who puts a microphone in a labyrinth?” asked Octavia.

“Not for showing off obviously,” said Vinyl.

Wes tapped the microphone, a sound echoed everywhere. He didn’t question why there were speakers, he just proceeded to talk. “Listen. If anybody can hear my voice, I found a way to the Crystal Heart. Unfortunately, there isn’t much time left. You’ll have to focus on finding each other while we complete the final task. Also this is Wes with Vinyl, Octavia and Derpy.”

He disconnected the scanner from the computer after downloading the software. It is now a PDA. “Michael must have used all that dirty money to build this place.”

Derpy had an idea. “Why don’t you play a song?”

Wes found that Shining Armour and Twilight were near a task. “Certainly.”

He picked a random song and closed the fake wall. “We better head to the Crystal Heart if we want to leave alive.”

He displayed the map on the scanner. Octavia, Vinyl and Derpy followed him around the corner.

Shining Armour and Twilight heard Wes’ voice. They stopped suddenly, it was another task. Numerous TV screens popped up and played the song Wes picked. Blue Swede’s “Hooked on a Feeling” started playing, with lyrics from BJ Thomas’ rendition. He wondered how Wes managed to pull it off. Twilight didn’t say a word, Shining Armour just sang.

Applejack and Pinkie Pie heard Shining Armour and followed his voice. Rainbow Dash swooped in, blocking their way.

“Sorry about that. I noticed that traps stopped working, so I flew everywhere,” explained Rainbow Dash.

“No time to waste. We must find Shining Armour, he might lead us to the others,” said Applejack.

They all ran off together in a group.

Cadance hear Shining Armour's voice. It's her first time hearing his singing voice. She didn't pay attention to the song, she listened to pinpoint where he was. She's baffled with the song choice.

Fluttershy and Rarity were speechless. They stared at each other due to the music. They see each other's confusion.

"I didn't think Twilight's brother can sing," said Rarity.

"And I thought I was the shy one," said Fluttershy.

They followed the sound of Shining's voice.

Luna and Celestia heard Shining Armour singing. Celestia found it weird, Luna enjoyed the song. She danced around and immediate dashed off. Celestia followed behind. They reached an intersection and suddenly, Shining Armour, Princess Cadance and Mane 6 arrived simultaneously.

Shining Armour and Cadance rushed over to embrace each other. They almost cried, fearing they won’t see each other.

Luna and Celestia drew sigh of relief for seeing all of Mane 6 safe.

“Princess Luna! Princess Celestia! We thought we lost you.” Twilight was glad to see them again.

“You won’t believe what we went through,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Wes must have found a way of finding each other,” theorised Celestia.

Luna stared at the clock. Ten minutes left. “We’re running out of time.”

The ponies’ reunion ended abruptly.

Wes, Octavia, Vinyl and Derpy ended up in a recording room. Microphones, amplifiers and some studio equipment decorated the area. Derpy found a scroll on the floor. She opened it and read it. “Put everything you know in your journey to shatter the Crystal Heart. Also there’s no selection this time.”

“How do we do that?” asked Octavia.

Wes looked at a TV screen. All of the ponies left in the labyrinth were still there. He can see the Crystal Heart, it’s pretty much similar to the one in the Crystal Empire. He found scientific equipment on the other side.

“We supposed to play a song that will make the Crystal Heart shatter,” said Wes.

“Which one should we play?” Vinyl asked.

“We have six minutes left and I know just the song to fill that length.” He went around the room to find instruments.

“I don’t know if we will make it shatter.” Octavia had her doubts.

“What do you mean?” Vinyl asked.

“It’s an unbeatable challenge. I heard that no matter which song we pick, the Crystal Heart will remain intact.”

“I did hear of it, yet it’s not to do with the song choice,” thought Vinyl.

“What made you say so?"

“My music feels technology of the future. Either that or there’s some equipment over there.” Vinyl showed Octavia the wires and converters.

Wes Gave Octavia a bass, Vinyl a guitar and Derpy a drum kit. He hooked up his Fender Jaguar and drew his pick. “OK all set.”
“Give the word Derpy,” said Wes.

Derpy started drumming The Knack’s “My Sharona”. Their music’s transmitted to the equipment and converted into energy.

The ponies heard Wes’ singing, they knew Derpy, Octavia and Vinyl are with him.

“Who’s Sharona?” The mane 6 said in unison.

Just then a wall opened revealing a path.

“No time for asking, we found an exit!” Pinkie Pie made a dash before anybody spoke. The rest followed from behind.

Wes let Vinyl play the first guitar solo. He saw Derpy having a fun time. Watching her reminded him of his childhood.

The Crystal Heart slowly vibrated not to the sound waves, a different energy converted from the equipment. It converter the sound waves into shock waves. Based on the noise level and music notes, it varies in strength.

All of the ponies stopped at a drawbridge. They waited roughly 15 seconds for it to drop.

Wes played the second guitar solo. At roughly 3 minutes & 13 seconds in, the Crystal Heart began shaking rapidly. Wes knew had to keep going. He continued to nail the solo and the heart continued to shake. He didn’t look at it, he didn’t want to feel distracted. At 3:42 the Crystal Heart shattered. Millions of pieces scattered everywhere, some faded into air. Wes didn’t tell the ponies to stop. He wanted to keep going.

Crystal shards sprinkled over Cadance and Shining Armour. As they continued to look up, the clock continued to tick down.

“We better hurry,” informed Shining Armour.

Every obstacle that stood in their way moved away from their path. A door appeared on the other end. They collided into each other before breaking it down.

Wes exhaled after finishing the song. Derpy collapsed on the drums. Vinyl and Octavia wiped the sweat off their foreheads. A door across the room unlocked. It wasn’t the one they entered.

“We did it,” smiled Derpy.

“Hope Princess Luna, Princess Celestia and the rest are alright,” said Octavia.

“They are,” replied Vinyl with enthusiasm. “We destroyed the Crystal Heart. We beat the Labyrinth.”

Wes opened the door. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Behind the Fraud

Wes stepped in to find Michael McCarthy’s office. The walls decorated with silver, gold and platinum records. Numerous awards stacked on shelves. Photos of bands and music artists with McCarthy appearing in most of them. He knew where he was, he’s in the office of his former manager.

Derpy, Vinyl and Octavia came in to see TV screens, planted across the decorated wall. They found a dead body on the floor, blood smeared on the control panel. Three buttons stained by a blood splatter. Wes inspected the body. “He’s dead.”

McCarthy’s head wound could be from being slammed on the control panel. He found other injuries including bruised arms, broken legs and fragments of wood in his face. Wes looked at the desk, the top had a hole in the centre.

“He had a beating.” Vinyl lifted her sunglasses to see the corpse.

Octavia gazed worryingly. She knew he’s a control freak, she didn’t think he had to suffer.

“Who did this to Michael?” Derpy asked.

“Looks like he wasn’t working alone,” Wes concluded.

“There’s another?” Octavia asked.

“Afraid so.”

Wes inspected the desk, Derpy Vinyl and Octavia searched around the room, carefully avoiding Michael’s corpse. He scrambled through every drawer, searching through ever folder. He logged on the computer, it’s left on for hours. He spotted numerous emails sent back and forth to an unknown address. He went online to find the domain name, it doesn’t exist.

They’re suddenly startled by a loud rumbling sound. One of the walls pushed open, then came hoof steps. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Shining Armour and the rest trundled in. Vinyl, Octavia and Derpy felt relieved.

“Princess Celestia, we’re glad you’re safe.” Octavia hugged Celestia under her right wing.

“We all knew you can save us. We didn’t lose faith,” said Luna.

“I don’t seem to understand why would someone wants us gone,” Celestia wondered.

“Or dead,” Rainbow Dash said firmly.

Twilight remembered what she saw in the labyrinth. “There were carvings by other ponies who were in labyrinth. I think they knew who it was.”

Wes finished searching through the desk. “There’s more than one, and he’s one of them.”

They found Michael lying on the floor. Pinkie jumped in fright. “A human!”

“He’s dead,” Applejack told Pinkie.

Pinkie shrieked and jumped again.

“Who killed him?” asked Cadance.

Wes continued searching through the computer. He found the emails written in calligraphy. He found the name of the sender. A ball of light appeared and exploded. The one responsible speared in front of their eyes.

“Prince Blueblood.” Wes turned around the monitor, revealing the unicorn’s signature.

They also gasped in shock, Rarity was more surprised than the rest.

“You’re behind all of this?” asked Celestia.

Blueblood removed the charming, handsome smile, and replaced it with angry frustration. He wasn’t taking the victory lightly. “After all I put in, you managed to fail to see the meaning.”

“You did a sloppy job in leaving no trace behind.” Wes directed Blue Blood to McCarthy’s body.

“He’s just a pawn. A Servant.”

“What do you mean fail to see the meaning?” Twilight asked.

Blue Blood sighed in frustration. Teaching the royal sisters, Crystal Empire couple and average equines will probably understand his intentions. “Taking the role of a prince has its responsibilities. What they don’t tell you is how to tackle serious matters. Everything I put in is taken for granted. Whenever I try to step in, I’m immediately overshadowed. That’s before I found a teleporting spell that can send me to other worlds. While I was in the human world, I managed to remain hidden. They don’t take kindly to talking unicorns.”

“Did you try turning into a human?” Vinyl asked.

“Some pony’s catching on. While I was in human form I had to find someone particular. A person who knows about music, shunned by the public and those who worked with him. Similar to me.”

Wes knew how mainstream music can change every few years. One minute it’s filled with alternative rock, then it’s filled with z-grade rap. There are numerous musicians who occasionally break into the music industry, by not following the crowd.

“You came up with this scheme and Michael went along with it?” Wes took a shot in the dark.

Meeting McCarthy was a blessing for Blueblood. He can manipulate a human behind his back. “He liked the idea of a Musical Labyrinth. He wasn’t aware of my real scheme. He got power hungry. He wanted to exploit every mainstream musician. I couldn’t bring myself to stop him. He couldn’t predict his fate.”

“So his death is accidental?”

“Self-defence,” Blueblood corrected.

“Now we know what caused the ceiling to drop, while we were in the labyrinth,” said Applejack.

Rarity suddenly broke down. She rushed to Blueblood, grabbing his chest. Her eyes drenched in comedic, dramatic fashion. “Please, tell me it’s all a lie. That night we met, was that a lie?”

Blueblood didn’t answer. He just stared with a grim look. Wes counted down when Rarity is going to break down even more. Rarity cried so loud, her tears flowed like waterfalls. Blueblood tried to release himself from her grasp.

“This just got embarrassing,” Wes remarked.

Fluttershy flew to Rarity. Even though she cried in the over-the-top manner, it gave Fluttershy a chance to confront Blueblood. She showed rage in her eyes. “You placed us in a labyrinth, forced us to play games, avoid traps, just so you can prove a point?!”

Blueblood leaned back once Fluttershy flew close to his eyes. He made her angry.

“You made her mad!” smiled Pinkie.

Wes noticed a camcorder. It’s still in record mode. He pressed the stop button and rewind. He found the cause of McCarthy’s death. He connected it to the computer, connected to an overhead projector on the ceiling. He played the moment when Blueblood and McCarthy began an argument.

Blueblood was in human form. McCarthy couldn’t stop throwing a fit. He’s already in financial difficulties.

“Michael, listen for once.” Blueblood tried to calm Michael down.

“Unless you’re a financial consultant, back off right now.”

“You could have at least hear me explain, why you’re in financial strain.”

Michael stopped his fit. “Go on.”

“After nearly 40 years, your spending spree consisted of marketing. Whether it succeeded or failed, you still waste money.”

“Many of the artists I worked with became successful. I must keep the marketing going.”

“Some continued their acting careers,” Blueblood reminded Michael.

Michael showed Blueblood the monitor. It displayed numerous charts showing the record company’s financial statistics. “Yet we earn less than what we spend. We’re in a recession.”

“Taking my advice would help your financial difficulty.”

“I can’t rely on outside sources. Buying my property will clash with policies that won’t come to terms and won’t change by those who made them.”

Blueblood held down Michael’s hands. Michael threw blueblood to the shelf. Trophies fell to the floor, some remained on the shelf. When he got to the feet, he tried to reason with Michael. The owner of the record company had rage fit. He couldn’t turn back, he went over the edge. He continued his assault on Blueblood. He punched Blueblood unaware he’s wearing a disguise. Blueblood unwillingly zapped Michael from his horn. Michael pushed a wood plank in the wall, revealing a control panel and screens of the Musical Labyrinth. Blueblood is now a unicorn. He panicked and zapped near Michael’s feet. Michael fell forward, his head slammed the emergency off button. A sudden break of his neck and haemorrhaging in his head, killed him in an instant.

Prologue

Every shade of grey was what any pony, pegasus and unicorn can see in the space they’re in. Lights mostly consists of torches on walls. The brick walls have no moist. Echoes of hooves thumping were the only sounds to let any pony know who’s coming.

Bright Tint shone her horn to light the dark area. She was at a dead end. She turned to the intersection and went the opposite direction of the one she took. A corpse of an unlucky pegaus landed in her path. She didn't have time to scream. She jump over it, stopped near a pit full of acid. She took a few steps back, just to get a running start. She charged forward and leaped across. She land on the other side feeling relieved.

Rez was being chased by a swarm of locusts. A pegasus named Jack Hammer threw a bucket of water. This gave Rez time to hide in a nearby hole. The swarm flew in another direction. Rez emerged from the ground. He checked to see if he was stung.

Another pegasus Purple Orchid, flew to Jack Hammer. They were high above the maze. They were trying to find an exit. They called to Rez and Bright. They pointed to where the exit is.The pegasi zoomed towards it. They bounced of by a force field, hit an electric field on the ceiling and hit the ground head first.

“Bright!” cried Rez.

He and Bright were close lovers they were separated when they were captured.

“Rez?” Bright called back.

The maze was massive. It was almost impssible to calculate the approximate area.

They called each other’s names a few more times. They were reunited at last. They embraced each other, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.

“How much time do we have?” Bright asked.

“Not much time.” Rez stared at the analogue clock.

They had two minutes left. Unlike most clocks, the small hand goes backwards, while the gib hand goes forwards. The romans numerals were placed in different spots. The numbers 0 to 5 were placed in reverse order.

Two pegasi met the lovers. They interupted their reunion.

“We must break the Crystal Heart,” informed Purple Orchid.

They dodged swinging pendulums. They were going at a fast rate.Jackhammer and Purple Orchid helpe the unicorns avoiding them wihout ascratch. They stepped on bricks which were half-cemented, the kind of thing found in funhouses.

They leapt over spikes and fiery pits.They found a hole in the wall, each of them had to squeeze in it. Jackhammer was almost stuck,he forgot to fold his wings. Orchid pushed herself with force, she nerly mde he wall crumble. Rez inaled before entering. Bright saw the clock, only one minute and thirty seconds left. She shot through the hole and destroyed the wall.

They arrived at the Crystal Heart. There were cabled on fish hooks. The crystal itself was stong enough to hold something. None f them knew what exactly it was holding. They panted so hard, their throats hurt from all the shouting.

Bright and Rez tried to sing, their voices squealed. Purple Orchid and Jack Hammer did the same, their voices were worse. None of them new how to break the crystal, even if their voices weren’t hoarse.

The big hand on the clock reached the top. A loud gong echoed, indicating that time is up.

“We were so close!” exclaimed Rez.

“I can’t believe we’ll trapped forever.” Bright was worried that she held onto her lover.

“I feel like that whoever captured us didn’t want us to exist,” said Jackhammer.

All the lights dimmed down very fast. They feel a hardening on their bodies. It seeping throughtheir skin, enters their bloodstreams and lastly their bones. They slowly became paralyzed and everything the see dissappears.

Invited

Vinyl Scratch and Octavia have a hard time getting along. Vinyl Scratch does techno, Octavia does classical. They once did a face off which ended in a tie. They played music on some occasions, mostly at the same time. They don't chose which part of the day, it occurs randomly.

They were in their homes playing music. Both of their homes were insulated. This was suggested by one of the ponies so it won’t disturb them or any citizen of Equestria. Vinyl placed two vinyl records on the deck. Octavia picked up her cello, placing the bow on the strings. They started to play music. Octavia played at a low volume, Vinyl blasted her room at a high decibel.

Twilight Sparkle practised magic near her house. She’s using a levitation spell on one of her books.

“I did it!” she said. “That took a fortnight to get right!”

“Better than using me for your spell.” Spike was lifted numerous times and ended up getting injured. He looked out the window see the two ponies making music. “I can see that the insulation on both Vinyl’s and Octavia’s house is working.”

“Always doing what’s best for every pony.”

A knock on the door made her drop the book. She answered it, Derpy Hooves was holding a letter for her. “Special Delivery for Twilight Sparkle.”

She showed her a form “Sign please.”

Twilight used her horn to write her signature with the quill.

“Thank you,” Derpy said to Twilight.

“What is it?” asked Spike.

“It’s from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

Derpy flew to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. Giving each of them the same letter she gave to Twilight.

Each of the letters read:

You have been invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. Tonight will be hosted by Princesses Luna and Celestia. For the first time ever, there will be two parties: One inside the castle and in the gardens, each have a talented musician providing music. You can attend both parties if you desire and hopefully will see you there.

All six were excited. They all ran and met each other in the centre of Ponyville.

“Guess what. There are two parties in the Gala!” they said in unison.

“Two parties in one! This is going to rock!” Pinkie said in excitement.

“Best of all the ticket made of platinum!” Rarity showed hers to all.

“So is mine,” said Applejack.

“We all have platinum tickets,” Rainbow Dash said.

"I wonder what they are planning?" asked Twilight.

"It did say there will be two musicians, one for each," reminded Fluttershy.

"Not that, there must be something else."

The other ponies were confused. They never saw Twilight looked so concerned.

Octavia finished playing her instrumental piece. She heard a knock on the door just as she finished playing. She saw Derpy at her door.

"Letter for Octavia," she said in a politely voice.

"You're a kind pegasus," smiled Octavia.

"Thank you! Thank You!" Derpy waved her mane in the air, pretending she's on stage.

Vinyl stopped after 5 minutes of loud digital music. She heard Derpy knocking on her door. "Hey Derpy! Great to see you!"

"Letter for Vinyl Scratch," Derpy said in a kind voice.

Both Octavia and Vinyl Scratch have the same letter. They both read:

You have been picked by the ruler of Equestria as musicians for the first time at tonight's Grand Galloping Gala.

Both of them screamed in joy. They heard each other's voices. Both of the were confused, they went outside and met each other.

"Octavia," said Vinyl. "I've been chosen as DJ for the Grand Gallopng Gala!"

Her exciting cry almost made Octavia about to burst a vein. Of course she showed Vinyl the letter. I've been chosen too."

Vinyl showed Octavia her letter. They each read their letters. They found invitations on the back. They were also made of platinum. The only difference is their names were placed on them and mentioned which party they were chosen for.

"Why would he princesses chose us?" asked Octavia.

"Because our different music styles fit foreach of them," answered Vinyl.

"My classical music is suited for Celestia," said Octavia.

"And my techno beats are a thing for Luna," concluded Vinyl.

They thought for a few seconds, they stared at the sky, it's almost dusk.

"We better prepare ourselves!" they said in unison.

They ran back into their houses.

It was the night of the Gala. The six ponies arrived at Canterlot. They were excited to see who will be composing the music.

"This is chance to finally meet him," said Rarity.

"Who?" asked Fluttershy.

"Prince Blueblood."

"Him? What made you think he'll notice you?" Rainbow Dash couldn't imagine Rarity and Blueblood as a couple.

"He's graceful, elegant..."

"And an upper class snob," interupted Applejack.

Rarity was shocked. She never heard such words on her beau. "How dare you call him an upper class snob!"

"Everytime you to make him notice you, he doesn't seem to care."

"I'll prove you wrong. He's the colt for me. He'll also adore my fahion trends. I can even design clothes for our wedding."

They arrived at the castle. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting for them.

"Glad you all came," smiled Luna.

"Nice to see you," greeted Twilight. "And why did have two parties during the Gala?"

"Me and Luna were asking ouselves what can we do to make it... um..." Celestia tried to find the word that describes it.

"Memorable?" suggested Rainbow Dash.

"You could say that," said Luna.

"Allow us to Introduce the musicians for tonight's Gala." Celestia and Luna showed them.

The six were surprised. "Vinyl Scratch and Octavia?!"

"Surprised?" Vinyl and Octavia said at the same time.

"Why pick them?" asked Twilight.

Celestia and Luna knew she'll ask that.

"We heard of their problems of getting along with each other," said Luna. "We thought this might be a chance for them to become friends."

"To which we agreed with." Octavia was very enthusiastic.

"No time for talking. Let's make some music." Vinyl was just as excited as any pony.

Wondering in Closed Areas

Hearing her beautiful voice is a signal. He couldn’t tell if it was a cry for help. Shining Armour immediately galloped in whatever direction he’s going. He focused on the sound of his wife, it was similar to the voice he heard when he was under the Queen Changeling’s control. While the song was playing, he kept on going without stopping. Pinkie and Dash tried desperately to follow, their four legs were aching from the sprinting. Pinkie thought she was the active one. Although the pain her wings were getting better, Rainbow dash can feel a small amount of pain.

“Hey! Hit the brakes!” Pinkie panted.

Shining only stopped after Cadance stopped singing. He had another reason for marrying her. That singing voice filled his heart with happiness. He never stopped loving her, he knows their love is stronger than what comes in their way. Together they conquer everything; if they’re separated, they hit a stumbling block.

Rainbow Dash noticed Shining’s expression. “You love Cadance don’t you?”

“With all my heart,” he answered.

“Heard that before.” Pinkie heard almost every over-used sentence. “Now that you have me, we can help find her.”

Talking with members of the Mane Six while finding the others helps for Shining Armour. He was glad for being stuck with the energetic member of the Mane 6. Pinkie can cheer anybody, or in this case any pony up. He felt his spirits lifting every second he spent with that pink pony. Whenever he’s not thinking of the maze, he remembers the times spent with his sister. On some occasions they crossover with his time spent with Cadance. They were pleasant memories, the ones he’ll remember and won’t lose.

Searching for traps won’t get them anywhere. The cameras record everything they do. Shining wasn’t interested in who is responsible. “I hope Twilight’s OK.”

“Of course she is,” Pinkie replied with optimism. “She has a human helping us.”

“A human?”

“It’s a very long story.” Pinkie recapped everything up to where they found the Musical Labyrinth. She spoke at a fast rate and re-enacted the scenes. She’s basically turning into a one pony show. Shining had a couple of laughs. After pulling off that performance, Pinkie fell on her stomach. With her entire energy wasted, she gasped for breath immediately.

“Take it easy, no need to rush.” He was being friendly to Pinkie.

“I couldn’t tell the unabridged version because of the time limit.”

Rainbow Dash leaned closer to him. "Trust me. This will go on for hours."

From where they are, there were no chairs, tables or anything to sit on. They sat near a corner, feeling the relief of walking. They were hoping they won’t stay for long, otherwise they’ll lose a lot of time. A glance on the clock indicating they have reached the half-way mark.

“Who would do this to us?” wondered Shining Armour.

Pinkie Pie came up with crazy suggestions. She attempted to avoid jumping to conclusions. She scattered around, made funny faces, even standing on her hind legs. “It could be a gang of mutated timber wolves. Ponies rising from the dead. All of Equestria’s enemies banding together creating a legion!”

Shining Armour couldn’t believe Pinkie still has the energy to do all that. They heard voices from a distance. They weren’t calls for help, it was a conversation. They don’t know what the topic of the conversation was, but it wasn’t important anyway.

“Do you hear that?” asked Shining Armour.

“I can hear voices,” answered Dash.

“No time to sit.” Pinkie immediately got on her hooves.

Rainbow Dash and Shining Armour did the same thing, and raced around every corner.

“Nothing like a good sprint,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Reminds me of my time with Twilight,” smiled Shining Armour.

A giant brick wall stopped them from going further. Another wall prevented them from turning back. Normally in this situation, they will close in, crushing them. Instead it magically transports them into an unknown area. They don’t what’s going to happen, everything changed in a split second.

Twilight Sparkle and Applejack knew the moment they left the room, it will never return. That experience hurt their heads, thinking about made it more painful. Answering questions they don’t know was the hardest task so far. They knew there’s more to come, yet they have no idea how challenging the next one will be.

“Remind me not to take a written exam,” Applejack said wearily.

Their heads were hurting a bit, they walked slowly while keeping their bodies straight. Their heads felt like they weigh four tonnes.

“I hate to see how human handle this,” said Twilight.

Applejack and Twilight Sparkle stepped on some slates, which emitted a musical theme. They don’t know what they were, because they’re themes from video games. The one Applejack stepped on was from Super Mario Galaxy. The one Twilight stepped on was from Final Fantasy. They immediately stepped off the slates after hearing the first few notes. The music stop instantaneously. It almost felt like they walked into another challenge with the same task.

“Don’t tell me…” Twilight was hoping they don’t have to do the whole thing again. To her surprise, it was a different task entirely.

The room they entered had a video game console. There’s a controller built specially for equestrians. The d-pad had a hole in the middle, which makes it easy for the equestrian to select a direction. It has four shoulder buttons and four coloured buttons. It was big enough for more than one pony to use.

The TV screen displayed the instructions: All you must do is play different levels of a video game, while a music track from the soundtrack plays. The goal is to finish the levels by the time the track finishes. If the music ends before the level is complete, those captives will suffer. The number of levels will depend on the captives.

A huge glass prison emerged from the ground. Two tubes connected to gas tanks, all containing neurotoxins. Whoever is inside was a shock for the ponies.

“Pinkie Pie!” Applejack watched Pinkie wonder helplessly inside.

Twilight was in for a bigger surprise. “Shining Armour!”

"Rainbow Dash!" they screamed in unison.

They pounded their hooves, not making a crack on the glass. Even Pinkie and Shining couldn’t make it shatter. Both Twilight and Shining used their magic, the glass remained intact. Even when the zapped at the same time the result is the same. Twilight suddenly felt herself in an enclosed space. She’s trapped inside a magical sphere. Applejack managed to avoid it. Her experiences on the farm when it comes to appending accidents, whether it’s a falling hay bale or a collapsing barn. She had to complete the task on her own.

Applejack prepared herself, the TV screen read Press Start. She found the start button in the middle of the controller. “That’s easy.”

It’s a level from Metal Gear Solid. A music track from the game immediately started playing. Applejack didn’t have time to learn the controls. There’s wasn’t a timer to indicate how much time left. She had to rely on the music. She noticed a plaque explaining what happens if anybody interferes: If any participant tries to free any captives, the player will have to finish another level. Applejack now has to complete three levels to free Pinkie Pie, Shining Armour and Twilight Sparkle.

She used the d pad to move the character Solid snake. The music piece that’s playing is the main theme. It’s a suitable cue to get pumped. She pressed each of the coloured buttons one at a time to see which one does. She had to dash to the shoulder buttons as well. All she had to do is sneak into the compound. She thought the music was there to distract her, so she pretended not to hear it. After finishing the level, the right side of the glass prison opened.

“Yeah, we’re free!” Pinkie screamed in excitement.

After she jumped out, Rainbow Dash followed. Suddenly, she was hanging with her wings caught in the door. Shining Armour trapped inside. Twilight hit the sphere with no luck. Shining watched her sister in the same predicament as himself.

“Pinkie if you’re done celebrating, we gotta save Twilight and Shining,” informed Applejack.

Pinkie immediately raced to the controller. She’s ready for the challenge. “Ready to go!”

The next level was a boss battle. Applejack used the left side and Pinkie used the right. They had to fight against Psycho Mantis. The track that’s playing is called “Mantis’ Hymn”. Applejack had to give commands to Pinkie Pie. Shining Armour and Twilight were both aroused with the ponies’ skills and the cut scenes. Rainbow didn't try to pull her wings. She was distracted by the game. They couldn’t describe how advanced humans were in terms of entertainment.

It was a tough battle, but they beat the boss just as the track finished playing. The prison opened and Shining Armour was free. He didn’t celebrate like Pinkie Pie, he tried to free Twilight from the sphere. Twilight began to show signs of claustrophobia, even though the sphere isn’t getting smaller by the second. The unicorns can see into each other’s eyes. They both fear of losing a sibling.

The final level is to escape the compound before it explodes. A timer appeared on-screen, just like in the game. A music track from the game entitled “Escape” played. Applejack and Pinkie Pie had to put their wits to use, if they want to save Twilight. Their hearts raced, while feeling the adrenaline. Both ponies fell on their stomachs, they finished the game. The magical sphere disappeared, Twilight is now free. Shining Armour embraced his sister. They each cried a single tear.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” sobbed Twilight.

“I love it when siblings reunite.” Pinkie Pie’s sobbing was more comical than dramatic.

“Has any pony seen Cadance?” Shining Armour asked.

“Afraid not,” Applejack answered with disappointment. She then changed the topic. “For a Musical Labyrinth, it has numerous ways of using music.”

“I knew it was your voice I heard,” Shining Armour said to Twilight.

Twilight couldn’t stop hugging. Her love for her brother seemed more powerful than her magic. “I couldn’t stand around after I heard you’re abducted.”

“Who do you think brought us this place?”

“That’s what we want to know,” said Rainbow Dash. “That’s why we came.”

“How did you manage to arrive here?”

“We found a secret door in Ponyville. We do know that someone from Equestria and Earth, are together to build this place.” Twilight had to explain her brother about Earth.

“Isn’t that the place where the human lives?”

“You know Wes?”

“Your friend Pinkie did all the talking.”

Pinkie almost blushed, her cheeks turned red instead of pink. Applejack found a switch on the wall. After flipping it, one of the walls opened, revealing a passage. She faced the others, reminding them of the clock above them. “If you’re done chit-chatting, we have to regroup with the others.”

They all entered the passage, dimly lit and somewhat damp.