Twilight groaned and turned over in her bed, the undead’s mind already painfully awake despite how badly she wished to remain unconscious.

“How am I so tired after sleeping for so long?” Twilight asked, her eyes still shut tight. “I don't even need to sleep anymore.”

Sighing to herself, Twilight rolled onto her back and stretched all four of her hooves towards the ceiling above. A series of cracks rippled along the length of her body, causing her to wince before releasing an immense sigh of relief. As she lay there, Twilight silently hoped that her drowsiness would pass, as she wasn't sure how much more time she could afford to waste.

With that rather miserable thought in mind, the mare rolled over and pushed herself off her bed. A second later her hooves hit the floor with a dull thump, and she quickly woke up now that she was standing once more.

“Right. Let's get to work,” Twilight muttered to herself.

The first thing she did was turn and glance out the window, scanning the empty streets of Ponyville closely. No invaders stalked the nearly empty roads, nor were there any fires or any other signs of trouble. There was only the dark night sky, a few guards, and the silvery moon that hung above them.

“At least I didn't oversleep,” Twilight remarked aloud.

Her hooves plodded slowly back over to the bed, which she hastily made before walking out into the hall. There she stopped at the bathroom in order to check her appearance, and after fixing her bedhead, Twilight trotted down into the library proper. Where she immediately noticed that the large circular table that sat in the center of the room was now covered in papers.

Not only that, but there were also a few books, maps, and a whole host of writing utensils strewn across it. No guards or patrons could be seen, and no sounds could be heard from the basement, giving the impression that she was alone. She had only made it down a handful of steps before a clang coming from the kitchen alerted her to the fact that her assumption was wrong.

“Is that Spike?” Twilight openly wondered.

Sure enough, the door opened a second later to reveal the dragon carrying a whole tray of goodies on a silver platter. It had atop of a tall steaming kettle, small sandwiches, and even what smelled like a freshly baked apple pie.

“Oh hey. Morning, Dusk,” Spike greeted.

“What's all this? Is someone coming over?” Twilight asked.

“Nah,” Spike replied, walking over to the table and setting his load down on a small area clear of clutter. “I just figured we’d need something to snack on while we worked. I also assumed you would be up at about when I finished making everything.”

“Well, you certainly got that right,” Twilight remarked, sniffing the air. “Is that orange tea?”

“With honey bush and a fresh mandarin,” Spike answered, pulling up a chair. “Feel free to help yourself, by the way.”

“Don't mind if I do,” Twilight eagerly declared.

She swiftly acquired another seat before sitting down next to the dragon, her hooves immediately gripping a cup. As she drank deep of the sweet, yet still slightly tart tea, and grabbed a slice of pie, Spike munched on a cucumber sandwich. Together they ate, drank, and relaxed in silence. Until their bellies were filled, and the pair were ready to finally tackle their day head-on.

“That was a wonderful breakfast,” Twilight exclaimed. “Thank you, Spike.”

“My pleasure,” Spike replied, patting his stomach. “Ya want me to put this stuff back in the kitchen?”

“Nah, leave it out,” Twilight urged. “We might get snacky in a little bit, and I’m sure your tea will taste just as good when cold.”

“I don't know. Having all that pie sitting a few feet away might be a bad idea,” Spike exclaimed with a smirk.

Twilight snickered. “Very true, though I think we can handle such a temptation.”

“Speak for yourself. It's taking everything I got not to devour what's left,” Spike replied.

“I’m sure that will fade once we get to work. Speaking of which...” Twilight began, standing up and gesturing to the rest of the table. “What is all this?”

Spike pointed to three sheets of parchment that sat at the heart of everything. “Those are the papers I found hidden away which I mentioned to you before. The rest are documents, books, and other things I think may help you decode what they mean.”

“This is… amazing,” Twilight murmured, glancing around at all the very specific and technical documents Spike had assembled for her. “How do you know if we’ll need it all?”

Spike shrugged. “Call it a hunch, but I didn't think you had experience dealing with multi-leveled locking enchantments coupled with advanced cyphers.”

“No,” Twilight admitted. “I did not.”

“Then this should help,” Spike proclaimed.

“Right. I suppose we should get started then?” Twilight murmured.

“Indeed,” Spike agreed. “Just be aware that she really liked to do this thing where some words are invisible unless you put it up to a natural light source. Oh, and-”

Twilight leaned back in her chair, a hoof scratching her chin absently as she stared at the sheet of paper sitting before her. “This can't be right,” she muttered.

Spike swallowed a mouthful of his sandwich before shifting forward and glancing at the stick note Twilight was holding. “What can't be right? Did you figure it out?” Spike asked.

“I think so? But it all translated to a math problem which had a very strange answer,” Twilight replied.

“Nine to the power of nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-six,” Spike replied. “Why is that weird?”

“Well, I mean, just… why?” Twilight proclaimed, gesturing to the sheets of paper. “All of these layers of encryption, misdirection, and clever cyphers. All to spell out a math problem that ended in some weird random number.”

“What's random about it?” Spike pressed. “It has to serve a purpose, right?”

“I mean, I guess,” Twilight murmured, turning the paper to the side, only to frown once more. “What could it possibly be though?”

“Well, let's start with our train of thought,” Spike prompted, grabbing another sheet of blank paper for himself. “We’re dealing with a hidden level in the undertower, which means that the numbers have to apply to the existing levels somehow.”

“Maybe the first nine is the level itself? There are what… eighteen floors we know of, right?” Twilight asked.

Spike nodded. “And that floor is primarily used as storage, meaning there is little in there save for boxes and stuff.”

“What else could it be referring to?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Maybe… the stones that make up the walls?” Spike asked.

“The stones?” Twilight replied.

“Yeah, the ones along the walls. Maybe it's like the nine thousandth brick or whatever,” Spike offered.

“That seems logical, but where would you even start? I don't want to spend all day poking bricks,” Twilight replied.

Spike hummed as he scratched his chin, jaw flexing as he contemplated the question. “If the room was a book… where would you start?”

“I would…” Twilight paused. “Right of the door, at the top, closest to the ceiling.”

“That seems logical,” Spike agreed. “But Twilight wouldn't make it so that way we can just poke every single brick in order to get in.”

“She must have also added an extra layer which ensured that only she could get in. Or at least only someone with her unique skills. That, or there are other bricks set to disable the portal when pushed,” Twilight murmured. “Either way, it means I’ll probably have to use some sort of necromantic spell on it after I’ve made certain that it's the right one.”

Spike shrugged. “Only one way to find out.”

“Right. Let's get moving,” Twilight proclaimed.

“Hold on. Don't you want to finish the pie first?” Spike asked, gesturing to the final two pieces.

“Good thinking. Can't solve puzzles on an empty stomach,” Twilight declared.

Spike grinned. “My thoughts exactly, but you know what would make this even better? Some ice cream.”

“Oh, that does sound good,” Twilight murmured. “But we really should be going…”

“Just a single teensy weensy scoop?” Spike half asked, half begged.

Twilight sighed. “Oh, fine.”

“Woohoo!” Spike shouted, running into the kitchen.

“Oh, and grab the chocolate sauce while you're in there!” Twilight yelled.

“You got it!” Spike replied.

“Let’s just hope I haven't doomed my friends and adoptive home all for a bit of pie alamode,” Twilight whispered to herself, only to shrug. “I’m sure it's fine.”

“Nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-four, nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-five, nine thousand nine hundred and thirty-six!” Twilight exclaimed. “This had better work, or I am going to be very annoyed.”

“I’m pretty sure this is it,” Spike proclaimed.

Twilight paused and looked around the mostly empty room, attempting to find anything out of the ordinary. It was exactly how she remembered with the only objects being a few random crates strewn about the space. By the looks of it, nothing had been moved from this particular level in several centuries, though it had at least been dusted recently.

It didn't exactly seem like the entrance to a secret level of the undertower, but she assumed that was likely the point.

“Right. Now let's start figuring this out,” Twilight muttered.

The first thing she tried was simply poking the brick, but that did nothing, as she had predicted. The next time she pushed her hoof against it, she first infused the limb with a bit of her unique magic. The brick had a bit of give on the second attempt, signalling that she was close, but not quite there.

“Try that thing with your soul hoof,” Spike offered.

“Good thinking,” Twilight commended.

Focusing on her spiritual essence, Twilight pushed a small part of it out of her body, forming the mass into a hoof. Which she then used to push the brick into the wall and immediately caused what looked like the entire wall to quickly collapse inwards on itself.

“Woah,” Spike muttered.

Rather than be destroyed as Twilight first thought, the barrier fell one by one, the bricks seemingly folding together. Like a thousand-fold origami door made of stone, it rapidly disappeared until there was a rough two meter-wide and two and a half meter-tall entrance beyond which lay what seemed like an empty room that contained only a single statue at its center.

Though the strange stone creature was interesting, Twilight felt her attention focused on the door frame. Though partially physical, as it was made of stone, the mare could tell that the space itself was interlaced with another level. Like someone had managed to superimpose two separate physical spaces on top of each other using some unknown magic.

“Fascinating,” Twilight murmured, running a hoof over the faintly glowing edge.

“No kidding. I never thought I’d see a hook horror up close,” Spike remarked.

Twilight blinked and glanced over to where her draconic companion had walked almost all the way up to the statue.

“Wait. Don't get any closer,” Twilight yelled.

Spike scoffed and waved a hand at her. “Don't worry. My Twilight wouldn't actually petrify a living creature, and even if she did, she certainly wouldn't make it fight people.”

“We still don't know what's going on in this room, so just be cautious,” Twilight warned.

“I got it, I got it,” Spike dismissively replied.

Twilight grumbled, but ultimately said nothing as she turned her inquisitive gaze upon the room itself, which was nearly identical to the level behind her. More or less empty, and whose walls, floor as well as ceiling were all a plain grey color. It almost looked like another storage space, save for the fact that it was storing only a single incredibly lifelike statue.

The monster itself stood at a towering nine feet tall and looked like an odd amalgam of monsters. It had the head of a vulture, the exoskeleton of a beetle, and arms that had neither paw nor hoof. Instead the two long appendages turned to bone just after the elbow, becoming a pair of razor sharp blades ending in a hook.

Not only was it tall, but it was also quite wide and likely weighed in excess of four hundred pounds if it wasn't made from stone. Most of this weight would have probably come from its two bony arms, as well as its bulky exoskeleton which covered most of its torso. Unlike its taloned feet and feather covered head which were the main parts of it that were bird like.

It stood with both arms raised, as if to strike, while its beak was open wide in a silent, eternal scream. Though intimidating, Twilight got the impression that it was little more than an animal and had no true intelligence to speak of.

“What did you say this thing was again?” Twilight asked.

“You don't recognize it?” Spike replied, clearly shocked.

“No?”

“It's a hook horror!” Spike proclaimed, gesturing towards the creature. “From dungeons and dragons as well as, like, every single fantasy novel!”

Twilight shrugged. “Never heard of it.”

Spike scoffed. “Well, you are missing out. These things supposedly lived deep beneath the planet a thousand--Err, would that be two thousand years ago? Either way, it was a long time ago, but they died off or retreated into even deeper tunnels, never to be seen again.”

“Huh,” Twilight murmured, stepping closer to the statue. “What else do you know about them?”

“Tons,” Spike exclaimed. “I always made sure to throw one of these bad boys into every campaign I ran.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “I meant real facts about it.”

“I’ll have you know that nearly every detail about the hook horror found in the player’s handbook is scientifically accurate,” Spike retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Oh really? Then tell me more about it,” Twilight encouraged.

Spike nodded and walked over to the statue before turning around. “Let's start with its biology, namely its life expectancy which was unfortunately short. Prone to diseases and dangerous parasites, these giant underground predators only lived to about forty years old.”

A sudden trio of cracks startled Twilight out of her reverie, though Spike continued unabated.

“Hook horrors reproduce by laying eggs that resemble rocks roughly eight centimetres in diameter which they hide among real rocks,” Spike explained. “This camouflage helps keep the young hook horror safe while it develops and once it hatches, it will live with its parents for up to a year before-”

“Wait. Did you hear that?” Twilight asked.

“Hear what?” Spike replied.

“Just be quiet for a second,” Twilight muttered.

The pair did just that, with neither uttering a word as the seconds slowly ticked by, until Spike lost his patience.

“What are we waiting for, exactly?” he inquired.

The dragon received his answer when a hunk of stone suddenly cracked and fell from the statue, landing atop the young male’s head.

“Yowch, what the heck was that?” Spike demanded.

“I think you woke it up,” Twilight remarked.

Spike gawked openly as he gazed up at the crack-riddled statue. “What? That's impossible. Twilight would never…”

His sentence ended the moment a chunk of stone fell away to reveal a bluish-purple exoskeleton followed closely by an off-white beak that shook itself free of its rocky prison.

“Skraw!” cried the creature, its voice so powerful that Spike was nearly knocked clear off of his feet.

“Do something!” he shouted.

Twilight stepped forward, a spell building within her as the hook horror emerged from the stone. Already almost the entire upper half was able to move about, including both of its long serrated limbs. It used the powerful appendages to pry and smash away the rest of the rock that clung to it, starting first with its left leg before proceeding to the right.

By the time it was able to walk normally, Twilight had completed her preparations and rose up to her back hooves. Once standing at her full, towering height, she raised a forehoof into the air and conjured forth a spear of absolute darkness. Her thin, almost skeletal limb flexed what little muscles it had before launching the projectile directly at the creature’s chest.

Her triumphant expression faltered almost immediately, as instead of outright killing the monster, her weapon flew right through it. In the blink of an eye, her spear was gone, having fazed through the opposite wall and vanished completely. Unaffected by the attack, their opponent let out another shrill cry and surged forward, taloned feet thumping hard against the ground.

“What was that?” Spike yelled, gesturing wildly.

“A soul spear?” Twilight replied with a shrug. “It should have worked.”

“Well, find out why it didn't before this thing tears us limb from--Yipe!” Spike shouted, ducking under a clumsy swing from the horror.

The beast followed up this attack with a second and then a third, each one close behind the other. Spike managed to avoid each of the creature’s blows with relative ease, as they were still rather clumsy. The dragon was also faster than he looked, and rolled out of a two-handed blow that would have crushed him flat.

Twilight could barely even keep up as Spike rolled, jumped, and ducked out of the way, all of her plans suddenly falling away.

What should I do? Twilight thought desperately to herself. Does it have some kind of necromancy shield? Is it an undead? How could it have been unfazed by my spear?

“Hurry up!” Spike shouted before leaping out of the way of another two-handed overhead strike.

“I’m thinking!” Twilight yelled back. “Right, Twilight, the nightmare won't be much help here, so we are on our own.”

Summoning her magic once more, the unicorn focused on her eyes, allowing her to pierce the veil and see the spirit world. Only to be disappointed pretty much instantly, as the sole living or semi-living things in the room were her and Spike. The hook horror didn't even have the barest wisp of spiritual energy that mindless zombies did.

“How is it…” Twilight’s eyes went wide, her shadow swirling angrily beneath her. “It's a golem!”

“Great, now knock it flat or something!” Spike yelled.

The dragon shouted in surprise when a hooked limb suddenly jabbed straight for him. Twisting backwards, the young male managed to limbo under the attack, rising up after the creature pulled away.

“Almost none of my spells affect inanimate objects!” Twilight cursed.

“Then blast it with some kind of-” Spike paused to roll out of the way of another swipe, then scurried between the monster's legs in order to avoid two more strikes. “Sonic attack!”

“Sonic? But it's made of stone!” Twilight yelled back.

“Just do it!” Spike retorted, jabbing a claw at the unicorn.

Spike was so angry and distracted by Twilight’s continued inability to help, that he barely even noticed when the hook horror swept his legs out from under him. He did realize what was happening when he hit the ground, though he was completely unable to stop the coming blow. Twilight screamed in a mixture of surprise and pain, her shadow surging forward as the beast’s mighty limb bounced off Spike’s head.

Rather than his head be caved in, the young dragon suddenly ceased moving, a white orb popping up around him. Stopping the nightmare from dragging Spike away or seemingly affecting him at all, as the shadow’s claws did nothing to the bubble. He didn't seem to be in pain however, but he also wasn't moving and merely lay in the same exact spot.

Twilight didn't have long to concern herself with what had happened to her companion, for the second Spike was wrapped in his alabaster cocoon, the horror turned to her. Immediately it released another powerful cry that shook Twilight’s bones and made her stumble back in pain. She didn't have long to consider her plan though, as the beast was already charging her, hooked limbs raised above its malformed head.

Thinking quickly, Twilight pulled her soul from her body, causing her mortal form to drop to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. She then followed this up by sprinting through the stone beast and forcing her mortal form to appear at her new location. Just in time too, as the hook horror had been about to bring one of its club-like arms down on her head.

“Skraw!” shouted the creature before turning towards Twilight’s new position.

Its piercing gaze completely ignored the several shadowy copies that the nightmare had summoned. It was also unaffected by the dark tendrils whipping about its legs, the dark appendages slapping uselessly against its body. The only thing the nightmare’s efforts accomplished was to confirm to Twilight that it was indeed using some kind of echolocation.

“Wait, why would she create a golem that needs to hear in order to see?” Twilight exclaimed.

The beast extended both arms as wide as possible, clearly intent on swiping both of its mighty limbs at the unicorn.

“Right. Less talking, more fighting,” Twilight muttered.

Thankfully not all of her spells were useless against an inanimate opponent, and as she jumped over the monster, she tapped its shoulder. Where she made contact immediately began to dissolve, a black hoofprint burning through its fleshy exterior and into the rock beneath. Twilight didn't initially notice this however, as she was hastily hopping and shadow-porting short distances in order to avoid its attacks.

It's working, she triumphantly thought to herself.

Those thoughts turned sour quickly as fleshy purple stone bubbled up from the wound, closing it in seconds. All while it continued to screech, swipe, and otherwise attempt to strike down its sole remaining foe. Soon Twilight ran out of ideas, leaving her with no other choice but to run or start breaking out spells that may catch Spike in their area of effect.

Both of those options were inexcusable, as she would neither leave nor hurt the young dragon no matter the cost. Leaving her with only a single alternative, to trust Spike. Meaning she had but a single spell she could use which had a sonic component.

“Alright, ugly, let's see if you can handle the banshee’s wail,” Twilight muttered to herself before reforming behind the creature one final time.

Predictably, the creature inhaled, ready to release a cry and seek out its target in the only way it was capable of. It never managed to release another scream however, as Twilight beat it to the punch with a shriek of her own. Building from deep down in her stomach, the unicorn pulled forth as much necromantic energy as she dared before releasing it all at once.

Her wordless yell brought forth a terrifying wall of force so titanic that the very walls vibrated with its power. Greenish energy spilled from her open maw and took the form of several dozen creatures, each one of whom was crying out in agony. All who heard the wail felt their soul be chilled, causing them to become abundantly aware of their own fragile mortality.

The golem felt no such agony, though it did freeze in place for a moment before attempting to cover its ear holes with its forelimbs. While this happened, Twilight continued to pour everything she had into the attack, maintaining it for as long as she could manage.

Come on, work! Twilight thought grimly.

And work it did, as a second after the golem stopped moving, it lost all color and turned an ashen white. Twilight held onto her spell for a bit longer before finally cutting off the flow of magic after determining that she had indeed won. Huffing and puffing, she lay on the ground as she tried in vain to remind herself that she didn't need to breathe.

As her stress ebbed, and she was able to take control of her body once more, Twilight breathed one final sigh of relief. She then sprinted over to where Spike had fallen less then a minute earlier, her relief morphing into confusion.

“Is this… a stasis spell?” she asked the now empty room.

Reaching down, Twilight summoned forth an ethereal limb and plucked at a stray strand of magic. Instantly the entire spell unraveled, turning into a shower of multicolored sparks and dropping Spike to the ground. Where he quickly curled up into a ball, covering his head with his arms.

“Woah there. Relax. I took care of it,” Twilight whispered.

Spike blinked and looked around. “What? But I was just… what happened?”

“You were right. The sonic spell worked. And the horror didn't intend on killing you, but instead put you in stasis,” Twilight replied.

“Huh,” Spike muttered, uncurling and standing upright once more. “Would you look at that.”

“Bet you didn't expect that to happen,” Twilight replied.

“No, I did not,” Spike admitted. “Does that mean I can't say I told you so?”

“Nah. You totally can. You earned it,” Twilight answered.

“Good, because I told you so,” Spike shot back, jabbing a claw at the mare.

The hook horror trembled suddenly, causing both to step back and ready themselves for another fight. Spike breathed deep, summoning all the fire he could muster while Twilight prepared to scream and the nightmare brought forth a wall of shadow. No attacks came, nor would they ever, as rather than spring to life once more, the statue began to disintegrate.

The beast turned to a flurry of tiny white flakes that floated to the ground, landing perfectly in a previously unnoticed series of engravings. From head to foot, the creature fell apart, its body filling the runic array completely and causing it to glow a faint purple.

“What is it…” Spike murmured, his question being answered before he could utter it.

For the ground had already vanished, replaced by a dark hole from which a set of stairs emerged. The pair exchanged a glance before slowly creeping over to the edge, their gazes turning downwards. For once their dark vision proved unhelpful, as the stairs were illuminated by what appeared to be hundreds of tiny white lights lining the walls.

“It looks like a spiral staircase,” Spike pointed out.

“That it does,” Twilight agreed.

“So do we just go down?” Spike asked.

Twilight shrugged. “I don't see why not. I don't sense any other magic save for the dimensional folding from before.”

“Maybe we should be certain,” Spike offered.

“Sure. Just give me a second,” Twilight replied.

Closing her eyes, Twilight summoned her magic and peered into the abyss, searching it for any sign of trouble. There were no spirits, living things, or even conspicuous statues, only a long flight of stairs and the walls dotted with light spells. The only thing Twilight could tell for certain was that there was a dense web of dimensional layering just beyond. One so thick that it could hide another nasty surprise, though Twilight doubted that her previous self would do such a thing.

“Looks good,” Twilight exclaimed, glancing to where a shadowy copy of herself nodded. “It seems like the nightmare thinks the same.”

“You’re going first,” Spike declared.

“What? Why me? I’m the spellcaster, you know,” Twilight pointed out.

“Well, I went first last time, so it seems only fair,” Spike retorted.

Twilight sighed. “Oh fine. I suppose you got me there.”

“Hop to it then. We don't have all day--Err, night,” Spike exclaimed.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Twilight shot back.

The unicorn swiftly mounted the staircase, stopping for a moment to simply stand atop the cold metal landing. When it didn't give out, shoot sparks, or do anything out of the ordinary, Twilight began to trot down into the dark. After getting a few feet, she heard Spike begin to follow, and together they started their descent.

For the first minute they were silent, both watching and waiting for something to leap out at them. By the second minute they were beginning to grow antsy, and by third they relaxed, merely observing their surroundings. Even the nightmare crawled across the walls, curiously studying them and occasionally prodding one of the lights.

“Woah, this is pretty neat,” Spike remarked.

Twilight nodded. “I know. The level of detail is quite amazing.”

“It looks almost exactly like the night sky I knew a thousand years ago,” Spike murmured.

“Is it that close? I didn't have much time to study the sky then,” Twilight inquired.

“Oh yeah,” Spike immediately replied. “It's obviously folded around us, but I can even pick out the individual constellations and stars.”

“The spellwork is incredible as well,” Twilight murmured. “Each light spell is linked to one another, the entire arrangement programmed to redistribute power as needed.”

“Neat,” Spike muttered.

The pair walked in silence for a few more minutes before finally Twilight stopped, a frown coming to her face.

“Hold on a second,” Twilight declared.

“What is it?” Spike asked, looking around. “Do you sense another trap?”

“Nothing like that. I just noticed that we’ve seen the same constellations like three times now,” Twilight pointed out.

“I mean, there is only so much sky to work with. It has to repeat eventually, right?” Spike replied.

“I suppose, but this feels different,” Twilight exclaimed.

“So, what are we going to do about it?” Spike pressed.

Twilight slowly turned around on the stairs and gripped Spike’s head, her hoof flipping through his fins.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Spike demanded.

“Looking for… this!” Twilight proclaimed, raising a small stone into the air in victory.

“A rock?” spike muttered.

“Yes, a rock,” Twilight replied.

She then leaned down and gently placed the rock in the middle of a stair before turning back around. “Right, let's keep going.”

“Oookay then,” Spike whispered to himself.

Together they resumed their trot in silence, that was until nearly two minutes later when Twilight let out a triumphant shout.

“Huzzah. I knew it!” Twilight yelled.

“What, what is it?” Spike asked, standing up on the tips of his toes in order to see what Twilight had already laid eyes on.

The unicorn stepped aside and gestured to a single stair and the small pebble that rested atop it. “We are going in circles, see?” Twilight declared.

“Well, I’ll be,” murmured her companion. “What now?”

“Let's try going back up,” Twilight offered.

Spike shrugged. “Sounds good to me.”

The pair turned around and walked back the way they came, plodding along in silence. Sure enough, nearly a minute later they saw the roof open up to another very familiar room. Trotting upwards, they quickly reached the exit once more, with Spike gripping the ledge, then peering over the side.

“Yup. This is where we came from,” he confirmed.

“I knew it,” Twilight muttered.

“Again, what now?” Spike inquired. “I don't remember my Twilight ever mentioning anything about a portal that you can't see before.”

“I haven't heard of anything like that either, and to be honest I’m not quite sure what to do,” Twilight murmured.

Spike leaned over the railing and peered down into the abyss. “Well, it looks like it goes on forever, so I don't think jumping over the side would be a good idea.”

“You’d probably just fall forever. Which does not sound like fun,” Twilight pointed out.

“Hey. It would be fun for like a minute or two,” Spike retorted.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Do you have anything productive to offer? Or should I toss you overboard in order to test our hypothesis?”

“It has to be the constellations though, right?” Spike offered, scratching his chin. “Why go through all the work of recreating them perfectly if it has nothing to do with the puzzle?”

“It could be a red herring,” Twilight pointed out.

“Maybe. But we should explore it first. I mean, how many other leads do we have?” Spike replied.

Twilight sighed. “True. Let's go back down and get a better look.”

The duo turned and descended once more, continuing until they had nearly reached what felt like the center of the loop.

“So tell me about the constellations,” Twilight began. “I know the current ones, but the ancient night sky was not something well documented in Canterlot.”

“You haven't researched it once you got to Ponyville?” Spike asked.

Twilight coughed awkwardly into a hoof. “I’ve been busy, okay?”

“I suppose you have been rather occupied since getting here,” Spike agreed, turning back to the wall. “Now, where to start… ah, here we go. This is Bier, or the Great Bear. Mother of star beasts.”

Twilight followed Spike’s claw to a series of stars that almost resembled a ladle of some kind with four points of light making up the cup while another three created a handle of sorts.

“Err, okay. What do you know about it?” Twilight pressed.

“A decent amount. Twilight and I went stargazing with Luna quite often. First of all, like the name implies, she spawned the first of the star beasts, starting with an ursa major,” Spike perked up. “Oh, and I almost forgot about the legend of why she did all that in the first place. They say that she grew envious of all the life she saw down on Equis and decided to tear off pieces of herself in order to create her own company. Most of her spawn chose to go to Equis and the other lands of mortals, but her first born remained behind and became the Little Bear constellation.”

Twilight followed Spike’s claw to a second smaller ladle-looking constellation that seemed to mirror the first.

“Neat. What's next?” Twilight asked.

“Arcturus. First to plow the earth,” Spike replied, pointing to a series of stars that made up a weirdly jagged polyhedron with two points splitting from the bottom and a triangle at its top. “Supposedly he was an alicorn who grew bored with his own kind and sought to help cultivate new life on far-off continents.”

“It seems like there are a lot of life givers in the sky,” Twilight murmured.

“I guess so, but Arcturus never actually created life. He just helped civilize the first pony tribes. For his great deeds, Arcturus was allowed to ascend to the stars and continue his mission of spreading civilization across all worlds,” Spike continued.

“That's really interesting, though I’m wondering…” Twilight glanced around the space. “How many more are there?”

“Eight. Though really it's only two constellations, as one has seven parts to it. Also, most of these stars aren't part of constellations,” Spike replied.

“I thought there would be more than that,” Twilight retorted.

“Me too, but I’ve come to realize that this isn't the whole night sky. Only a single small part of it repeated and twisted in subtle ways so it fits together,” Spike stated.

“Huh, well, whenever you're ready,” Twilight offered.

“Okay, so first off we have the true shepherd, Anu,” Spike began, pointing out what looked like a bipedal stick figure wielding a bow. “He was said to be some ancient alicorn king that started life as a mere hunter. After he found out that the empire had been taken over by a cruel and unjust tyrant, he rose up in rebellion.”

“I didn't know the alicorns were ever divided,” Twilight exclaimed.

“Their history is spotty, and most was destroyed by the dragons, but I’ve been able to gather that this Anu guy was one of the last true kings,” Spike continued. “After saving the kingdom and returning the alicorn empire to the path of harmony, he then gave up his crown and went back to being a hunter once more.”

“Humble dude,” Twilight mentioned.

“Totally. He inspired a whole bunch of kings that each tried to be more virtuous and just than the last. Ultimately leading to the monarchy dissolving entirely in favor of direct democracy,” Spike finished with a shrug. “Or at least that's what they say, anyway.”

“You know, you’re pretty knowledgeable about this stuff,” Twilight announced.

Spike puffed out his chest and rubbed his knuckles against his scales. “I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

Twilight giggled. “Though you do have a pretty face.”

A blush sprung to the dragon’s face, and he sputtered, “I do not!”

Twilight giggled. “You totally do.”

“I’m a guy. I’m not supposed to be pretty. I’m supposed to be handsome!” Spike shouted.

“You can be whatever you want to be,” Twilight replied.

“Thank you for the awkward support, but we really should get back to the task at hand,” Spike proclaimed, turning away from the mare.

“Right. What's this last one?” Twilight offered, pointing a hoof at a small cluster of seven stars near the Anu constellation.

“They are the seven sisters,” Spike answered. “Born to Rimush and Shulgi, the rulers of a backwater planet mostly ignored by the greater alicorn empire. The seven sisters were all unique, each one of whom were from a different pony tribe.”

“Shouldn't that mean that they had many different parents?” Twilight retorted.

Spike chuckled and shook his head. “Nah. The legend goes that Shulgi gave birth to all seven at once, though they were only expecting a single child.”

“Mythology is weird,” Twilight murmured.

“True that,” Spike agreed.

“So, what did they all do?” Twilight inquired.

“Well, if the legends are to be believed, then they singlehandedly launched the alicorn empire into a golden age of scientific discovery,” Spike replied, pointing from one start to another. “Abrotelia became a great thinker, creating the framework for all scientific inquiry. Aspasia was a genius healer and doctor. Diotima was the first astralmancer. Ocello, a brilliant mathematician. Pythias, a renowned biologist. Raphnutia, a chemist. Finally, Thelka was a physicist.”

“That's rather interesting,” Twilight murmured, tapping her chin as she inspected the constellations one by one.

“Do you think it's a matter of touching the right star?” Spike offered.

“It's a possibility, but I want to be certain before we try it. The entire thing might lock up if we choose the wrong one. Either that, or trigger another trap,” Twilight remarked.

Spike nodded sagely. “Very true. So, what's your theory? I’m thinking that it's one of the sisters.”

“Oh, why is that?” Twilight pressed.

“Think about it. They were responsible for a bunch of technology which helped people get around, and that's what we’re trying to do, right?” Spike replied.

Twilight nodded. “Well said, Spike. I think you’re bang on the money, but which of the sisters do you think it would be?”

“Hmmm.” Spike rubbed his chin as he peered at the small cluster. “I think we can count Abrotelia, Aspasia, Pythias, Raphnutia, and Thelka out of the picture.”

“Which leaves us with… Diotima and Ocello, right?” Twilight inquired.

“Yup,” Spike proclaimed, pointing to a star to the right and then one right below it. “Though I’m leaning towards Ocello rather than Diotima.”

“Wait. How exactly did a mathematician allow for greater mobility?” Twilight questioned.

“Because she helped calculate the distance between realities and assisted in constructing the first dimensional array,” Spike answered.

“So Diotima was the one that actually created the array and thought up the spell then?” Twilight countered.

“Yeah, but she couldn't have done that without Ocello,” Spike replied, turning to the mare.

“Diotima,” Twilight shot back.

“Ocello,” Spike stated.

The pair stared at one another for several long seconds before Twilight sighed.

“It seems we have reached an impasse,” Twilight muttered.

“A real the chicken or the egg kinda deal,” Spike replied.

Twilight nodded. “Evidently. So, where do we go from here?”

“Why don't we just press them both at the same time?” Spike offered.

“That seems… logical,” Twilight agreed. “On three?”

“Three,” Spike began, leaning over the railing and extending his arm as far as possible.

“Two,” Twilight continued, mimicking her companion.

“One,” they announced.

Together the pair pressed their claw or hoof against the tiny glowing objects and were surprised when they felt a flat, solid wall. They continued to hold it there for several more seconds before exchanging a curious glance at one another.

“So, do we wait for something?” Spike remarked.

“Maybe it…” Twilight murmured, suddenly glancing down. “Oh hey, it worked.”

“You’re just saying that to get me to take my finger off first,” Spike retorted.

Twilight rolled her eyes and pulled back her hoof. “No really, look.”

Spike recoiled his arm and glanced between his feet to where a distant light could be seen amidst the darkness. It appeared to flicker like a candle, dancing back and forth as the pair peered down at it.

“Is that what I think it is?” Spike asked.

“It could be. Though it could also be a spell or something,” Twilight replied.

“Only one way to find out,” Spike exclaimed.

“Let's get going then,” Twilight offered.

Once more, the pair began to descend, their dark vision aiding them greatly as they maneuvered deeper. As they plodded down the many steps, they noticed that the walls had begun to shift and now displayed nearly every constellation in a slightly warped manner. Or at least they assumed it was the rest of the night sky, as the duo discovered that the tunnel was oddly cone-shaped so it was hard to judge for sure.

“Weird. I wonder why it looks like that,” Spike murmured.

Twilight ignored his comment and continued deeper still, only stopping when she had finally reached the bottom. There she observed one final level illuminated by many blue candles and dominated by a single massive form. One that lay directly in front of her, its head and shoulders visible, though the rest of its body existed beyond the rock wall its face jutted out from.

As before, the black dragon was slumbering, inert as if dead, yet Twilight knew otherwise. The only difference that Twilight noticed was that its exterior was sporting several burn marks likely caused by the machine it was hooked up to. Which itself was a large wooden box from which sprouted a silver tube that had a reflective orb sitting atop of it.

However, Twilight didn't give the device or the wires that snaked from it to the dragon much attention, as her gaze was fixed on the sleeping creature. Its sharp features and angular snout were just as striking as before, as was its overall size which dwarfed the both of them.

“Woah,” Spike murmured, peering over the railing. “So that's what that assassin jerk looks like.”

“Just wait a second while I give it a quick inspection,” Twilight cautioned, launching into her spell before Spike could even respond.

After infusing her gaze with spiritual energy and peering intently at the dragon, Twilight noted that everything appeared as it did the last time. The dragon’s spirit overlapped with its physical aspect perfectly, its soul slumbering peacefully while its body lay still. Twilight was about to dismiss her spell when she noticed that a purplish mist was emanating from its ethereal maw.

Looking even closer, Twilight was able to discover that this faint mist bore a familiar resemblance to a certain petrified alicorn. She then launched into another spell, using it in tandem with her knowledge of the spirit to discern smaller details. It was with this added bit of scrutiny that Twilight could see that he had indeed been draining Luna’s soul and likely done so over eons.

“It's dead or sleeping, right?” Spike whispered. “Woah, look at that.”

The nightmare coiled into a snake and hissed at the dragon, while at the same time remaining close to Twilight’s side.

Twilight dismissed the magical sight. “It won't be getting up anytime soon, just don't push your luck. I think it's been feeding off Luna somehow. Which explains the nightmare’s reaction.”

“But I thought it was asleep,” Spike murmured.

“Apparently the rules don't apply to the old dragons,” Twilight remarked.

“Huh.” Spike shrugged and hopped over the railing, landing on the ground with a dull thump. “So, what do you think all this stuff is?”

Twilight followed his gaze out over the room to where a variety of machines, tables, and bookshelves sat waiting to be used. Other boxy devices much like the one hooked up to the dragon lay strewn across several workbenches in various states of assembly. From nearly completed, to little more than a pile of parts, these objects were evidently a key part of the other Twilight’s plans.

To the current Twilight they looked like little more than disco balls with stands, and she put their presence out of her mind. Looking over the other tables, Twilight could see that her previous self had other plans in motion as well. Chemicals lay inert within glass tubes, the Bunsen burners they sat atop having remained unused for centuries.

There was even a small corner where a cot, as well a chamber pot had been set aside. Evidently the previous Twilight had been prepared to stay here for multiple days if needed, though there were no foodstuffs present.

“This is weird,” Spike remarked.

“I mean, yeah, but what exactly are you referring to?” Twilight asked.

“There's no dust,” Spike replied, wiping a finger across one of the tables and showing it to Twilight.

“Odd. Well, if it was sealed perfectly, then there wouldn't be any, right?” Twilight half asked, half stated.

Spike shrugged. “I’m not sure how it works, but it still feels fishy.”

“That's something we can both agree on,” Twilight murmured.

“So,” Spike began, walking up to the closest table and leaning on it, “do we jump straight into its mind or what?”

“We should come up with a plan, at least,” Twilight cautioned.

“I thought we went over this already. I’ll keep him off guard while you try to seek out the knowledge he holds,” Spike replied.

“I suppose that's about all we can plan for, huh?” Twilight muttered.

Spike shrugged. “It's fine to fly by the seat of your pants every once in a while.”

“Feels like that's all I’ve been doing recently,” Twilight bitterly whispered.

“Oh relax, we got this,” Spike declared. “Unless it's not the plan part your worried about?”

Twilight sighed. “I just wish I was better at this whole dreamwalking thing. I feel a little bad putting you in harm's way like this.”

“You put the rest of your friends in harm's way all the time,” Spike dismissed.

“That was not helpful,” Twilight deadpanned.

Spike chuckled and walked over to the mare. “Just don't think about it so much. Danger is a part of life. Especially when you’re trying to save the world from an evil tyrant bent on taking it over.”

“I suppose. That doesn't make it any easier,” Twilight murmured.

Spike flashed her a grin. “That's what time is for, ‘cause eventually it will be.”

Twilight smiled back. “I suppose there aren't any other options, are there?”

“Not unless you want to abandon this entire thing and go into the next big fight without the knowledge you’ve been thirsting for,” Spike replied.

“I can't do that,” Twilight replied. “Even if I thought I could win without knowing the words, he's somehow feeding off Luna. I need to stop this.”

“So that's our secondary objective then?” Spike asked.

Twilight tapped her chin. “I’m not sure. I feel like our primary goal should be to save Luna, but unlike stealing his knowledge of the words, I don't even know if we can kill him.”

“Maybe after we acquire what he knows, we can search for some way to kill him permanently? Or you can just suck his soul out,” Spike offered.

Twilight chuckled. “I suppose that's an option. Worst case scenario, I can reanimate his spirit under my service and force him to stop.”

“Is that even possible?” Spike asked.

“I have no idea,” Twilight admitted.

Spike rolled his eyes. “Either way, we got a job to do and we’re wasting time.”

“Right. Let's get to it,” Twilight declared.

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