Chapter 15: May the Games Begin

                Rain woke up. He didn't remember passing out or anything. As his vision began to come into focus, he glanced around the room. He could see Twilight, Rarity, AJ, Fluttershy, and Pinkie all in separated barred in cells, just like him. "What happened?" He questioned

                

                "Discord happened" Replied Twilight. Rain looked over to a seventh cell. He saw the broken Scootaloo laying in the fetal position facing the wall. He couldn't see her face at all, but he could tell she was crying. Her entire body was shaking from it and it certainly wasn't cold.

                

                "We have to figure a way out of here guys" Stated Applejack

                

                "No really?" said Rarity in a sarcastic tone. "I would have never guessed that. I just figured we were gonna sit here and let our best friend get massacred"

                

                "RARITY THIS IS NOT THE PLACE OR TIME!" Screamed Pinkie. She couldn't take it. Not only was she upset, but now she was beyond pissed. "I'm tired of that mean ol' Discord playing with us like we're a bunch of toys!"

                

                "What about your magic Twi." asked Applejack.

                

                "It's no use. He let me keep my horn, but I was the first one awake. I tried already. She attempted to cast another spell, but sparks just shot an inch from her horn and fell to the ground. "See? Nothing but a dud" she said with a frown.

                

                "There has to be SOMETHING we can do" Said Rarity

                

                "GIVE IT UP!" Chimed Scoot. "It's all over, and there isn't shit we can do about it."

                

                "DON'T TALK LIKE THAT!" Screamed Fluttershy fiercely. "That's how I always talk and it gets us nowhere."

                

                "GIRLS LOOK!" Screamed Pinkie. There was a button on the far wall. It was only the size of a nickel with some very small lettering on it. They couldn't quite make out what it said above it.

                

                "It probably opens these doors." said Rain. "I've been through many prison style facilities in Cloudsdale. They usually have a button on the far wall that opens them, though they have high security guarding not only the button, but the rooms outside."

                

                "Well there's clearly no one guarding this button" Said Pinkie. "But do you think there're any guards outside?"

                

                "I don't know" He said. "But I think they'd have to come in to tell us to shut up. I've been in similar situations."

                

                "But this is Discord" Said Rarity

                

                "She's got a point" Twilight added. "He could have thrown a random self destruct button over there to screw with us."

                

                "Yeah, but it looks like our only option at this point Hun" Said A.J. with a worried look. "We ain't just savin' R.D. if we do this. All of Equestria is in danger."

                

                "That still doesn't answer how in the hell we are going to press the button in the first place." Rain bluntly stated. He glanced to Fluttershy, noticing she had been gazing into Scootaloo's cage for some time now. He looked to where she was staring and noticed a barred window just ourside of the little younger mare's cage. "Fluttershy?" He questioned. She shook her head, now realizing somepony was attempting to communicate with her.

                

                "Sorry. I umm..." She dazed off again, still looking out the window.

                

                "Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, trying to grab her attention. "Are ummm. Are you okay?" The yellow pegasus made a quick, startling jump in excitement and let out a shout that shocked the others.

                

                "EXCUSE ME!!! Could you please come here sir?"

                

                "Uhhh what now?" Questioned Rain, the only Colt with them in the room. A bird flew into the room from the outside, squeezing through the bars with a breeze.

                

                "Oh thank you. Oh thank you." She graciously thanked the bird over and over again. "I need you to do me a huge favor okay?" The bird nodded in understanding. "You see that button over there?" She asked, pointing at the opposite wall. "I need you to go push it for us and let us out of here." The small sparrow quickly took action and flew across the room. He landed on top of the box that the button was attached to. He stood there for a moment, then proceeded to tilt his head downward like a Drinking Bird bobbing into the glass of water. He smashed the button with his beak with enough force to open all the cages at once. The seven ponies stood there in awe that they had been freed.

                

                "We have to go now." Twilight hurried. They all showed their gratitude to the bird who had released them from their prisons and rushed out the door.

                

                "This seems a bit too easy." Scootaloo said with a shaky voice. "This isn't how Discord usually does things. We should have been locked in some weird altered reality. Those cages should have been made from indestructible rubber or something, and that button should have killed us all."

                

                "Let's not think of that right now. We're all alive and that's all that matters." Applejack reassured. "All we need to worry about is getting our tails to wherever he took R.D."

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                A bright light faded from Rainbow's eyes. "Where am I?" She thought to herself. She looked around. All she could see were green bushes around her. She was in some sort of maze... Wait... Was this the Labyrinth in the courtyard? She looked to the skies. They were blood red and there was not a single clue to tell her where she had ended up. No buildings or landmarks, just blood red skies. She started to take off in flight, but was quickly shut down as her wings vanished and she dropped to the ground.

                

                "Tisk tisk." Sounded Discord. "Don't you remember the first rule of my games? No wings you silly little filly."

                

                "DISCORD PLEASE!" Rainbow begged. "What did I do to deserve this?"

                

                "What did you..? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!" He said as he appeared before the pleading pegasus. "Don't you remember? You froze me in that prison just as Celestia did. What did I do to deserve that? Hmmm?"

                

                "You brought complete chaos to Ponyville. That's what."

                

                "I just wanted to have some fun. I never harmed a single soul."

                

                "Are you kidding me? You messed with the freewill of dozens of innocent ponies."

                

                "What? That's not fun to you?" He said in a pitiful voice. "Well what about all of your fun games you've played. I never harmed anyone. How many innocent lives did you take away?"

                

                "THAT WASN'T ME AND YOU KNOW IT!" She argued. "You can't hold me accountable for any of that."

                

                "Ah but it was still you. You enjoyed it. You know you did. All the emotions you felt. The joy and satisfaction was all you. You know you wanted everything that happened. You just never had the courage to do it on your own."

                

                "NO! I AM COURAGE! I AM LOYAL!"

                

                "YOU ARE NOTHING!" Discord shouted with fury. "You would have done the same to your dear friend Fluttershy if you had the chance. Where is your loyalty? You can't deny what you did. You can't change a single thing... Can you?" He taunted her with his mind games.

                

                "NO! ENOUGH! I will never give in to you. I've learned that much. I can't change what I've done. But I can do my best to make up for it. I could never harm any of them."

                

                "Ah. But the question is... Do they feel the same way? They know what you did."

                

                "But they know as well as I, that I had no control."

                

                "But do you really think they believe you?" Rainbow looked down and pondered this for a moment.

                

                "Yes. I know my friends. They will always stand by my side."

                

                "If you say so." He chuckled. "Then let the game begin."

                

                "What are you talking..." Discord vanished before she could finish. "about..." She let out a long sigh and began walking through the Labyrinth, not knowing what lay ahead. "He could have at least told me what I'm supposed to be doing..."