As the group travels further, they eventually come to a large stone building. "Hmm, what could this be?" Lucky muses. His gaze suddenly falls upon a sign by the building's base, "'Those who seek the potion must first face the challenges of the fortress.'"
"Interesting," Ace replies. "It looks like the potion's on the other side of this building; I wonder what challenges we'll have to face."
The group then traipses inside the building and enter a room with six puzzle piece shaped tiles in the middle of the floor. Noticing a sign nearby, Ace reads, "'Tap the tiles to complete the puzzle in order to open the door.'"
"Meep!" at once, Slimey hops out and bounces from tile to tile until they fit together; shortly thereafter, a large stone door in front of them opens with a loud rumble.
"Great job, Slimey!" an impressed Ace congratulates him.
"Meep." the red slime smiles and blushes contentedly.
The group then enters the next room, where they find what looks like a large stone piano, with keys imprinted with, "DO, RE, MI," and so on, in the middle of the floor. Lucky reads the nearby sign, which is directly beneath what looks like a pair of large stone speakers with a button in the middle. "'Match the tune to open the next door." He presses the button, and a strange melody plays.
"Hmm," Ace muses, "This seems a little tricky. It could be, 'Do-Mi-Re-So-Fa,' or maybe, 'Ti-Do-La-Re-Mi', or..."
"Meeep!" Slimey immediately hops out again, and taps the tune out flawlessly; seconds later, another large stone door rumbles open.
"Wow," Lucky notes. "He's sure a very talented little guy."
As the group enters the next room, they're met by an odd looking creature with the head of a sphinx and the body of an elephant. "Hello, travelers," he greets them. "Have you come seeking the enchanted potion?"
"Well, uhm...yes." a slightly weirded-out Lucky replies.
"In order to enter the place where the potion lies, you must first answer three riddles. First riddle: What is very close to your eyes, but very hard to see?"
"Hmm," Lucky ruminates for all of a minute, then replies, "Your nose."
"Correct! Now for the second riddle: If you were to see a bird in an apple tree, how could you pick an apple without disturbing the bird?"
Ace thinks for a second or two, then replies, "By waiting until he flew away."
"Correct! Now for riddle number three: Where in a room could a person put a vase so that no one could see it except them?"
Lucky begins mulling it over for all of a heartbeat, then says, "On top of their head."
"Correct! Very good, travelers. Please help yourselves to the potion, which lies beyond this doorway." Upon these words, a large stone doorway behind the sphinx creature rumbles open.
"Thank you very much." Ace and Lucky say gratefully.
"Meep!" Slimey adds.
The group traipses through the door, upon which observing a small pond in the middle of a wooded area, with the potion hovering above it. "Here, Lucky, I'll give you a boost." Ace lifts Lucky over, by which he snags the potion up. "Great job, Ace. Thanks."
After stepping back to the ground, Ace and Lucky turn to Slimey. "Say, we'd really like to thank you very much for all of your help, little guy." a grateful Lucky says.
"Would you like to come back to the pound with us?" Ace offers.
Just then, the group hears a louder, "Meep, meeep!" upon which they see a larger red slime wearing a kerchief around her head hopping toward them. Slimey happily bounds over to her, "Meep! Meep!"
"Wow," Ace notes. "That must be Slimey's mother."
The mama slime turns to her son. "Meep, meep, meep?"
"Meep, meep, meep." he replies; he then turns and faces Lucky and Ace. "Meep...meep, meep, meep?"
"We understand, little guy," Lucky says. "Have a safe trip home."
"'Bye!" the cat and dog wave to the two slimes as they leave.
"Meep, meeeep!" Slimey calls back.
"Yknow," Ace says. "I'll sure miss that little guy."
"Me too," Lucky replies. "Though I do wonder what slimes eat for dinner."