Chapter 4: The Dungeon Runner

Staring at the blank pages of the book before her, Twilight Sparkle had to remind herself that they were in a game world and that the books that Eight Star vandalized weren't real. She sighed, "Well…that's a bust… Let's see if we can find anything else."

The other ponies split up and began searching through the bookshelves, pulling random titles from their places. They would each hold up a volume in turn and ask Twilight "Is this what you're looking for?" or "Will this help?"

You find nothing of use in the library. Really, how long must I watch you until you get back on track?

And, per Eight Star's word, Twilight found that not one of the books was of any use, and those that would've been of use in her homeworld, were blank. "AUGH! Fine! What do you want us to do?" Twilight cried to the heavens.

Please…you needn't shout. Eight Star sighed. The first objective in your quest is to find Quill Inkwell. But, really, you may do anything you wish.

"As long as it stays in line with what you want…" Rarity quipped.

Without missing a beat, Eight Star replied, Precisely. But don't lose heart, ladies. I'm giving you a fighting chance after all.

"Swell…" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Okay, girls, let's go back to Canterlot."

As the six mares made their way to the path that leads to Canterlot, Applejack suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Hey, y'all! We forgot our stuff at the inn!"

"What?" Rarity cried. "We have to go back and get it! We're already in an unfamiliar world. We need all the equipment we can get!"

The six dashed back to the inn and before the innkeeper managed to blurt, "We charge seven bi-" and they ran up the flight of stairs to what was their room. Applejack bucked open the door, only to find…nothing.

Their room was completely spotless, as if it had just been prepared for the next guests. The armor that had once sat in a corner of the room, gone. Their saddlebags, gone. Everything was gone.

"EIGHT STAR!" Twilight shouted.

This was followed by silence. A voice from downstairs called out, "What's going on up there? Is everything okay?"

Rarity nervously chuckled, "E-everything's okay. Just…just looking for our things." She thought for a moment, before asking, "Was this room recently cleaned?"

The innkeeper climbed the stairs to meet the mares, then he peered inside the room. "Uh, no. I don't think my daughter's been up here to clean the rooms yet. Are ya missin' something?"

"Oh, not much…" Rainbow Dash replied sarcastically. "Only everything!"

The innkeeper scratched his chin with a hoof and glanced around. "Eh, it must'a been that Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad. There's been a rash of thefts with her name all over it."

"Mysterious…" Twilight said.

"Mare," Rarity continued.

"Do-BAD?" the rest finished.

"Yup," the innkeeper replied. "That Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad has been a pox on our quaint village for some time now." He gazed at nothing in particular as he continued, "If only somepony could stop her…" He seemed to snap himself back into reality before shrugging and stating, "Welp, I guess that'll never happen. Oh well."

Dash thought for a moment. "We could stop her…"

Twilight sighed. "We don't have time for this…"

Pinkie Pie started bouncing up and down. "Ooh! Sidequest! Sidequest! Can we do it, please?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Only if the great and mighty Eight Star allows it." She almost spat the name of their antagonist. She glared up at the ceiling. "Well?"

Pinkie also looked at the ceiling, expectantly. She batted her eyelashes for effect.

Do what you want.

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash high hoofed. "Sidequest!"

The six ponies wandered around town for some time, attempting to find The Mysterious Mare-Do-Bad, with a frustrated Twilight Sparkle taking up the rear. "We really don't have time for this…"

Applejack turned toward her unicorn friend. "T'ain't no helpin' it, sugarcube. 'Sides, if we wanna get our 'quipment back, we gotta find that no-good varmint."

"Keep looking up," Rarity suggested, glancing at the rooftops.

Rainbow Dash was also beginning to get frustrated. Every now and then, she would attempt to take flight, but much to her dismay she kept returning to the earth.

"Ugh! I can't stand not being able to fly! This quest would already be finished if I could," she hopped, "Just get," she hopped slightly higher, "Off the ground!" Upon landing, she panted then looked up and growled. "Why'd I have to be a unicorn?"

Pinkie, who was bouncing merrily beside her, chirped, "Because she's your character, silly! Besides, you look kind of cute as a unicorn!"

This comment caused the others to glance in the pink earth pony's direction.

"Well," Pinkie replied. "Doesn't she?"

"Yes…" Fluttershy whispered, blushing.

Twilight sighed. "Ok, if we're going to take this seriously, we may have to split up. There's always the chance that Mare-Do-Bad is more than one pony."

"Shh…" Rarity interjected. "Don't give him any ideas."

The six suddenly heard Eight Star snicker.

"Stop that," Rarity replied.

Don't mind me, ladies… You do realize that one of you can fly, right?

The six cast confused glances at each other before five of them settled on the one pegasus in their party: Fluttershy.

Dash rushed over to her friend. "Of course! You could fly over the town and find Mare-Do-Bad from above!"

Fluttershy slowly backed away. "But…but I don't want to…draw attention to myself. I'm not as agile and talented as you, Rainbow." She glanced downward. "I'd probably mess something up…"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dash agreed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Fluttershy!" Rarity replied. "You've proven yourself time and time again. And you're the only one who can help us here."

"But," the pastel pegasus whimpered, backing away, "I'm..afraid of heights…"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Oh, come ON! I'll do it, then! Twilight, don't you have some kind of spell that'll let me fly?"

The lavender unicorn thought for a moment, then muttered, "Number 27…that should do it…" She concentrated, her horn glowing with a deep purple light. Suddenly, a purple beam blazed forth and struck Rainbow Dash in the chest.

But, rather than grow wings, Dash immediately slumped to the ground. As Twilight stood, wide-eyed and dumbfounded at the result, the other ponies surrounded their friend.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Say somethin'!"

"Holy smokes! Your stats were reduced!"

The last phrase was, of course, spouted by Pinkie Pie. Rarity and Applejack glanced back at their pink friend. "'Stats reduced'?"

Pinkie began to nod, but suddenly realized that she wasn't in character. He nod turned into shaking her head back and forth. "Me not know what happen," she stated, her voice deepened.

Twilight continued to stare, dumbfounded. "But…but I…I know the spell by heart…"

Then why in Equestria would you cast Necrosis on your friend instead of Polymorph?

"What're you talking about?" Twilight replied.

Eight Star sighed. Spells work differently in this world. A Purple aura denotes a Death Spell. You see, each spell type has its own color and-

"Just get to the point!" Rarity exclaimed. "How do we heal Rainbow Dash?"

All you would have to do is cast Life Invigoration. It's simple, really.

Rarity glared at the sky. "And how pray tell, do you do that?"

Rainbow Dash slowly stood. With her knees still shaking, she wheezed, "Uh, slowly dying here, guys…"

"How do I do it?" Twilight asked, now panicking.

Think "Pink," Miss Twilight.

"Okay. Here it goes." Twilight thought about pink energy emanating from her horn and engulfing Rainbow Dash and making her feel better. Soon enough, her horn glowed pink and shot off toward the former pegasus, engulfing her in a pink glow. Everypony could see that Rainbow Dash was slowly getting better, just as Twilight imagined she would.

Rainbow Dash stood, wide-eyed for a moment. "Oh wow… I… I think I feel better than before!" She leapt into the air, but became disappointed when she returned to the ground. "Still can't fly, though…"

Rarity sighed, knowing that at least one crisis was averted. She then turned toward Fluttershy. "You're the only one who can do it, Fluttershy. We need you to fly above the town and find Mare-Do-Bad so we can end this quest."

"But…I can't…" Fluttershy replied, shrinking away from the rest of the group. "I'm scared…"

"What's to be scared of?" Rainbow Dash quipped. "You'll only be flying…" she squinted at the sky, making mental calculations, "about 150 or so feet in the air. Yeah, that should cover the rooftops. If you mess up and fall, you'll only break-" Applejack quickly rushed in and covered Dash's mouth with her hoof.

"Can it, you…" AJ grumbled at Rainbow Dash. Then she sheepishly grinned at the yellow pegasus. "What she means is, we'll be right here ta spot ya if somethin' should happen, right gals?"

The rest nodded in agreement.

Applejack quickly rushed forward and slipped herself directly underneath Fluttershy, who let out a soft yelp. "Then it's settled," the earth pony exclaimed, looking back at her friend. "You're goin' up, up, and away!" She hopped underneath her companion, who ended up wrapping her legs around her.

"C'mon, Fluttershy!" Applejack said, hopping once more. "Git goin'!" She jerked as she hopped, trying to get the pegasus off of her back.

Suddenly, the sound of dice being rolled could be heard.

"What was that?" Twilight asked.

The ponies looked around for the source of the sound, but soon realized that it was coming from their Game Master.

"What did you just do?" Twilight asked the sky. A pony who happened to be walking past gave her an odd look.

I rolled a die. I can assure you, Miss Fluttershy, that if you were to take flight, you won't fail and hurt yourself, or anypony else. He then added, It's my world after all, and what I say goes.

Fluttershy looked up at the sky, hopefully. "Are…are you sure?"

Would I lie to you? Eight Star mentally projected an innocent smile into each of the mares' minds.

"Yes…" replied Rarity, dryly.

Fine. Don't fly. Forget about your equipment, because you're never getting it back. The sorcerer projected a smirk. Now, where were we?

"Wait!"

All eyes went to the source of the voice: Fluttershy. A tear was welling in her eye and she was shaking a little. When she saw that they were all looking at her again, she drew back slightly and whimpered, "I…I mean…" She shook her head and a determined look crossed her face. "I'll do it."

Twilight approached the shaken pegasus. "Are you sure? I'm sure we could find-"

"If I don't fly, Eight Star said that we wouldn't get our things back and since Rarity said that we need them…I'll do it." Fluttershy gave her unicorn friend a single, resolute nod.

"Well…okay…" Twilight took a few steps back, and before she could say "Be careful," Fluttershy shot up into the sky.