Musical Labyrinth

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.