Simon and Penny walked through the dark tunnel, the small ball of light floating behind them. Simon had his sword drawn, and was allowing its power to fill him. Finally, they saw another door infront of them and sighed. Simon, growing angry, stomped forward and threw it open. It opened to show yet another tunnel, exactly like the one they were currently. He growled in frustration.
"Are you kidding me?" he hissed, staring into the now familiar dark tunnel. "We've been at this for almost half an hour! Every time we hit a door, it's just the same thing!" he cried, throwing his hands up.
"W-We don't know that for sure, Simo-" Penny started but was cut off as he turned on her.
"Pen, we've passed that same dead rat ten times! It's always in the same place!" Simon pointed at a skeletonized rat lying on the other side of the door from them. Penny blinked. She hadn't noticed it at all, but now that Simon pointed it out, she realized he was right. She ran a hand through her red hair.
"Okay, you're right. Just calm down"
Simon snorted in anger but did as she said, leaning against a wall, crossing his arms, and staring at the ground.
"It's obviously some type of enchantment, but I'm not sure any spell that could do this. Or, I do, but to be so perfectly looping and to loop for so long would take giant amounts of power..." she stated, eyes narrowing. Simon groaned and slid down the wall to a sitting position.
"Great. So not only does this person have Baz" he said his name with longing and pain, enough to snap Penny out of her stupor and look at him sadly. ", but we haven't made any progress, and they're powerful. This is just so great" he said sarcastically. Penny sighed again, crossing to him and patting his thick hair.
"Simon, I know you're frustrated and worried. I am too. But pouting is going to get us no where. If you want to save Baz, we need to keep calm and think our way out" she stated with confidence. Simon blinked the blurriness out of his eyes and nodded, standing again.
"Okay" he whispered, voice sounding strained, like he was just barely keeping in control. Penny smiled and bent down, drawing two parallel lines in the dirt. At the left end she put an O, and at the other, an X. She drew a line from the X to the O, making the point into an arrow.
"So this is what's happening. We're in a time lock. This door," she pointed at the X, "is just the other side of this door" she moved her hand to point at the O. "Every time we open X, we open O and the cycle restarts. So all we have to do is find a way to break the connection between the two doors. If we can do that, we can get out" she stated matter-of-factly, wiping her now dirty finger on her pants leg. The pair stared at the diagram in the dirt for a while, thinking. Silence fell between them. Finally, Simon spoke up.
"Wait, so, technically, right now this tunnel," he gestured around them. "and that one" he pointed out the door to the blackness beyond. "are sharing the same space? So the rat we saw when we came in here and the rat right over there are one and the same?" he questioned, pointing back and forth.
"Yes, that's what the spell does" Penny confirmed, nodding. Simon stood and peered out the door.
"So then, why can't we see ourselves?" he asked. Penny's eyes widened.
"I-I..." she tried to speak, but failed.
"If they are occupying the same space, shouldn't we see ourselves down there? I mean, the tunnels aren't that long, and it's completely straight. We would at least be able to see the light, right?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Penny nodded slowly from behind him.
"Y-yes" she trailed, still staring at the diagram. Simon stooped and grabbed the stick, swiping away her drawing in the dirt and starting his own.
It looked mostly the same, but it was longer with little lines going across it at equal intervals.
"So it doesn't loop, and these two tunnels don't take up the same space" he stated. Penny nodded in understanding.
"So, instead of it looping, what if it's more like, say, a treadmill?" he questioned. "It's generating in front of us and disappearing behind us. So, it's almost like it's copying and pasting what was behind us and putting it in front of us, while we're walking" he finished, making two arrows to make a looping sign in the dirt.
"Simon, that's genius!" Penny cried, standing enthusiastically. Simon stood also, smiling.
"And what's even better is, if that is the case, I know a counter-spell!"
Simons smile cracked into a huge grin and his eyes regained a small flicker he had lost when he had woken up. Hope.
"So, what we have to do is cut the 'track'" she used air quotations. She noticed Simon staring at her, confused again. She sighed. "So on a treadmill, if you cut the track, it can't loop anymore. It'll end" she explained. Simon nodded quickly, finally understanding. Penny smiled and lifted her ringed hand high, walking to one of the walls. She gently laid her hand on it, closing her eyes. After a few silent moments, she reached out a hand.
"S-Simon, I know you said you would never do it again, but I'm going to need some of your magic" she said in a soothing voice. Simons hand jerked back.
"Penny, no! I-I'm not even sure if I can anymore, and even if I can, it hurt you last time! I can't, Penny" he stated, voice almost pleading.
"Simon, the spell is really complicated, but I know I can do it. I just need a little bit more magic!"
Simon was still unconvinced, shaking his head. Penny sighed.
"Simon, please. Do it for Baz" she pleaded. At the mention of his name, Simons eyes snapped to hers, and she saw so many things. Worry, fear, pain, and anger. Anger at himself for not being able to protect Baz. Finally, he sighed, breaking. He held up his hand and placed it on Penny's shoulder.
"Fine" he rasped. "But only a little bit"
Penny nodded. "That's all I need"
Penny placed both hands on the wall and closed her eyes, focusing hard. Simon closed his eyes as well, breathing deeply. He allowed himself to push, ever so slightly. Instantly, he felt Penny's shoulders tense underneath his palm, growing warm and red. But instead of crying out, she gritted her teeth and allowed Simons magic to mix with her own. Finally, just when she felt she was about to catch on fire, she let all of the magic out, sending cracks into the old stone. The entire room began to shake, and both Simon and Penny toppled over. The room continued to shake for a few more minutes, causing the door to slam shut. Finally, after one last shudder, it stopped. They shakily climbed to their feet, shaking dust out of hair and clothes.
"Check the door" Penny wheezed after having inhaled some of the dust that had been stirred up. Simon nodded and slowly opened the door, peering around. After a moment he turned back to Penny, smiling wider than he had in days.
"No rat"
A/N: Sorry that there isn't much progress in this chapter! I promise there will be more in the next one! I actually wasn't going to write at all today, but then I got a review. I couldn't not immediately write a chapter after that. So, thank you to the guest using the name 'Snowbazzzzz' for getting me off my ass and making me actually do something productive with my life. Anyways, please please please leave a review if you liked! It really encourages me to write more! Also, I don't have a title picture for this, so if you would like to, draw a picture for this and PM me a link! I'll be sure to look at it. Thanks guys, and consider favorite-ing or following! Thanks for reading!
