“Okay. Let's have you stretch, and we'll see if I missed anything.”

Indy stood, taking a moment to button up his shirt before experimentally moving his arms and upper body around in a range of motions. A few times he winced slightly, but once he was done, he gave Twilight a satisfied nod. “Still a little sore, but much closer to one hundred percent than I could've expected.”

“And you said you've been hurt worse and didn't have access to healing magic? I'm not sure I even want to know about it.” The unicorn made a face as the human laughed. “Phew. How long have we been at this, Rarity?”

“I couldn't begin to tell you, dear. I only know that I'm exhausted.” Rarity shook her head slowly. “Would it be selfish of me to retire for a quick catnap?”

“I certainly wouldn't say so,” Indy told her. “Both of you should get some rest. You've been putting yourselves through the wringer getting the rest of us healed.”

Twilight glanced towards the back of the cave. “Well... I'd like to see how Fluttershy is doing first.”

“She sleeps, still.” Jack followed his words up to the trio. “Not as peacefully as I would like, but as things stand... any rest will be helpful for her.” He let out a soft sigh. “But that is another concern. Twilight, Rarity, I agree with Indy- you have more than earned some rest.”

“I guess....” Twilight's body betrayed her noble intentions with a long, wide yawn. She blushed through her purple coat. “Okay, okay, a little shuteye might be the best idea. Don't let us sleep too long, though... I want to get going through that middle tunnel soon.”

Both humans nodded in agreement, and the two unicorns went to settle themselves down for what rest they could get. With that done, Jack and Indy sat down near the middle of the cave. “So....” the archaeologist said quietly. “What do you think we'll be up against in Round Three?”

“I could not begin to guess.” Jack spared the center tunnel a glance. “But I can only pray it is not worse than what we have already faced. Our last encounter was... difficult.”

“There's an understatement. Might be more accurate to say 'we barely got out alive'.” He looked towards where Fluttershy lay, curled up against the side of her tiger; the pegasus's face was set in a frown even as she slept. “And one of us didn't,” he amended. “Didn't think I'd ever be so sorry to know a snake died.”

Jack could only nod silently at that. Movement nearby caught his notice, and he turned his head to see Applejack trotting towards them; the pony gave them both a smile. “I see you two're healed up pretty well,” she commented.

“Twilight's and Rarity's efforts were exceptional,” Jack replied. “And what of you, Applejack?”

“Fine as a frog's hair. At least... concernin' matters of th' body.” Applejack took a seat, the smile fleeing from her lips. “Look, fellers... I dun mind tellin' ya- I'm scared. Me 'n mah friends been in plenty of scrapes since we met, but this- boy howdy, I ain't even got words to describe.”

“Don't feel bad. You're not the only one.” Indy reached out and gave her withers a light pat. “Jack and I were just talking about what we might find through that last tunnel.”

“Well, considerin' that th' first one copied yer home, Indy, and the second one copied Jack's... fair 'nuff to expect number three t'be Equestria. Which is what really scares me.”

“I believe I understand what you mean,” Jack replied. “It was... not pleasant to see my home replicated in such a way.”

“Yeah, what'd Twilight call it? Psycho-logic warfare or somethin'? And considerin' how dad-gummed good this place is gettin' at messin' with our heads, I'm kinda worried that it's really gonna know how to get at me and the other girls.” She sighed. “So, fellahs... it may be we're gonna need yer help t' keep us level-headed.”

Indy nodded in understanding. “To be honest, I would've thought that Equestria was some pastel fairy-tale land- until you told us what else lives there.” The archaeologist chuckled. “Dragons? Manticores? Windigoes? Timber wolves- made out of actual timber? And what were those flying things that would eat anything?”

“Parasprites. Boy howdy, were those things a pain.” Applejack shook her head. “Yeah, Equestria's a lot of things, Indy, but a fairy-tale land it ain't. Me an' the girls 've seen our share of danger, jes' as much as you two.”

“We have no doubts there.” Jack looked back at the middle tunnel again. “And just like Indy and myself, you six have faced beings of great power and wickedness. Any of which we could encounter here.”

“An' now y'know why I'm worried. Well, partly.” The pony fidgeted. “All of us girls have others we care for back home. Family, friends, th' like. Whatever runs this place pro'bly knows that... an' it's jes' as likely t'use that against us.”

“Which is probably going to be rough as hell on you especially, considering what family means to you.” Indy's sympathetic smile was met by an appreciative one from Applejack. “You done got me right, Doc,” she said quietly. “Mah kin... they're m' core, y'know? The center of everythin' I am. Jes' th' thought of them bein' in trouble....”

“It's okay, AJ!” Everyone else jumped as Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared behind Applejack, throwing her forelegs around the cowpony. “Gyah!” Applejack yelped. “Pinkie, don't do that!”

“Oops! Sorry, AJ. But I heard what you were talking about and I knew just the thing to say!” The pink pony hopped down and sat in front of the group. “Okay. Seriously, guys... I'm scared of what we're going to be seeing too. This place- it hates us; it wants to tear us apart on the inside as much as on the outside. But we've got to remember that the ponies and people that we care about are still at home, and if we want to protect them from this awful place, we have to keep our minds set on getting through all this. No getting caught up by fakery and illusions!”

Applejack stared at her for a moment. “Pinkie, that's th' most sense I ever heard come outta you.”

“The girls wouldn't even listen to me about the parasprites. Can you believe that?” Pinkie directed an eyeroll towards the humans. “I mean, why else would I be running around trying to find a pair of cymbals on a weekday?”

Both humans and the cowpony sat there for a moment, mouths hanging open as they stared at the pink mare. “...well, that didn't last long,” Applejack drawled, “buuuuut... yeah. Jes' gotta remember what we're fightin' for. Eyes on the prize.”

“Don't need to tell me that twice.” Rainbow Dash followed her words up to the group; her eyes darted between her friends, pony and human. “But I'm going to do whatever I can to protect you guys... and I know you'll all do the same. If we keep our heads in the game and work together, that'll be our best chance.”

“Atta girl, Dash.” Applejack smiled. “How ya feelin'?”

“Angry. But it's keeping me focused, so I'm hanging on to it.”

“Yeah, after seein' you at work with that manticore, I kin see why. I meant more yer wings, though.”

“They're fine. I just tested them a couple minutes ago- I shouldn't have much trouble flying.” Dash let out a slow breath. “I was really lucky that I didn't just get squashed; I don't mind admitting it. I guess I got careless with that attack.”

“Weird as that sounds comin' from you, Dashie, here's somethin' weirder- me disagreein'.” Applejack gave Dash's hoof a pat. “Y'saw an opening an' went for it. No shame on you that it didn't pan out.”

“Heh. Thanks, AJ.” The pegasus let herself relax somewhat, taking a seat by her friends. “Hey, Indy... how are your weapons holding up?”

“That's a good question.” The human did a quick ammunition check. “Hm... not as good as I'd like. Twelve rounds total for my handgun, and around six hundred for the blaster- which, considering how fast it goes through ammo, may not last long. I'll need to conserve.”

“Yeah, good idea. Not gonna say I like guns, but after seeing how you tore through that crowd of creatures in the Dome, I'm sure as heck glad you've got 'em.”

“S... so am I.” Everyone turned in surprise to see Fluttershy slowly making her way towards them, her eyes downcast, while her tiger kept pace beside. “I'm so sorry, everyone, for breaking down like that earlier,” she murmured. “I just....”

“Y'don't need to 'pologize for nothin', sugarcube. C'mere.” She held out a foreleg, and Fluttershy let herself fold into the cowpony's embrace. “I wish I coulda toldja different from what happened....”

“But that would've been lying, and we all know you're bad at that, AJ.” Dash chuckled. “Fluttershy, look... nobody's gonna be mad at you for how you reacted. I totally understand. Jack had to talk me through being mad at myself.”

“B-but Dash, it wasn't your fault-”

“And it wasn't yours, either. You know whose fault it was? This place.” The blue pegasus waved a hoof around. “This place brought that snake and those robots here. This place murdered them. 'Shy, you and me and all the rest of us are doing our absolute best here. If we... if we lose someone, all we can do is pick up and keep going. 'Cause if we stop, if we quit....”

“...then this place wins, and it can hurt whoever else it wants.” A thoughtful frown crossed Fluttershy's face. “I... I understand. I hate it, though, I hate it so much. It feels like I'm letting this place change me.”

Jack shook his head. “No, Fluttershy. Just like your friends, your nature is too strong to bend before such a place as this. We each must merely find our own source of strength and let it push us forward.”

“But... Mr. Jack, I'm not a warrior like you, or an adventurer like Dr. Jones. I'm not strong like Applejack, or fast like Rainbow Dash, or smart like Twilight. I don't have your sort of strength.”

“Perhaps you do not. But yours is a strength that may be even greater- that of conviction. You will face any obstacle that stands between you and protecting others, and you will counter them with your own kindness and empathy. To make yourself so vulnerable in such a way, with nothing but your desire to help others- that is a true measure of strength.”

“Man's talkin' sense, sugarcube,” Applejack told the yellow pegasus.

“But... but I'm so weak... I'm weak and I'm scared and I'm useless in a fight. I'm not like you, Mr. Jack. I'm not like you at all.”

“And you believe that this sets me above you.” Jack reached out and held the mare's muzzle gently in his hand. “I would be fortunate to one day grow to become as gentle and wise as you, Fluttershy.”

With that, and a slight smile, the samurai got to his feet and walked towards where the two unicorns slept. Fluttershy watched him go, her face a mask of confusion. “He... wants to be more like... me?” she breathed.

“Coming from a guy like that, that means something, 'Shy.” Dash nudged her friend's shoulder with a hoof. “It sure does!” Pinkie agreed with a rapid nod. “I mean, you get someone who can do that woosh and that hi-yahh and that wha-pow-” she was doing something that might be confused for martial-arts maneuvers in poor lighting- “and he says he wants to be more like our sweet little Fluttershy? You're doing stuff right, girl!”

“I... I guess....” The mare in question was blushing bright red now, half trying to hide behind her mane while her tiger gently nuzzled against her. “I just wish I could be... more like him.”

“I saw your face when you and your tiger saved me and Dash from the Egyptian,” Indy countered. “Not to mention what you said to him. Kiddo, you're not as far from a warrior as you think you are.” He grinned. “I know I wouldn't want to be a threat to someone you care about.”

“Straight from th' human's mouth t' yer ears, Flutters.” Applejack's wiseacre grin was overwhelmed by a deep yawn. “...lan'sakes, where'd that come from?” she murmured.

“Oh! Um... Twilight told me that all of you might see some fatigue from her healing spell.” Fluttershy scrunched her face up in thought. “Something about, um... 'thaumatically-accelerated metabolism'. Maybe you should get a little rest?” She glanced over at Jack, who had apparently dozed off seated in his customary lotus position. “Me and the tiger can handle watch duty, and... I'd like to think for a little while. If, um... if that's okay with all of you.”

“I'll stay with you, Fluttershy.” Pinkie bounced over to her. “I'm not the itty-bitty least-est tired. But I'll stay nice and quiet so you can do your thinking.”

Applejack had to stifle another yawn. “Guess a quick bit of shuteye'll do us some good. No sense marchin' off into danger while we're tired.”

“Mare's talking sense.” Indy grinned. “One thing I've learned over the years is to get rest when you can.”

“Yeah, they call me lazy when I say that.” Dash snickered. “Give us, like... three hours. Ought to be enough time for all of us to at least recover our strength.”

“Okay, Dash.” Fluttershy smiled gently as the rest of her friends- except for Pinkie, who stayed put next to her- walked or trotted off to the other end of the cave and settled down for some rest. True to her word, the pink pony was quietly watching the middle tunnel, seemingly lost in thought herself. Curiosity got the better of the pegasus. “Pinkie?”

“Hmm?”

“What are you thinking about?”

“Home.” The earth pony closed her eyes for a moment. “Mrs. Cake is due soon. I've really been looking forward to seeing her foals.”

“Oh, goodness. I didn't know she was close to her due date.”

“Mmmhmm.” Pinkie let out a little sigh. “But now I can't think of the Cakes, or their foals, or anypony else back home without wondering what would happen to them if this place got them.”

“We won't let that happen.” Fluttershy even surprised herself with the determination in her voice. “This tiger-” she reached over to rub the animal's neck, eliciting a soft growling purr- “told me some of what he'd seen before he was brought here. It was horrible. If this place got to our friends, our families....” Her voice trailed off for a moment. “...no. We won't let that happen. We can't.”

“I know, Fluttershy. And we're not gonna.” Pinkie hugged her friend tightly. “You and me, and the girls, and Indy and Jack- we'll show this place what happens when you try to hurt the people we care about.”

The two mares settled down in the center of the cave, each nestled on either side of the napping tiger, and each caught up in her own thoughts and fears.

(-)

“So, let me see if I have this straight.” Indy took off his hat for a moment to rub at his forehead as the group made their way through a thankfully wide tunnel. “Your Princesses... raise the sun and the moon. Every day.”

“Well, Princess Celestia had t' handle both jobs fer a spell, on account o' her sister bein' on th' moon for a thousand years,” Applejack clarified. “But... yeah, that's the gist of it.”

“I take it things work differently on Earth?” Twilight questioned.

“Well, yeah. The Earth goes around the Sun, and the Moon goes around the Earth. It's been working that way for a couple billion years, at least so far as we can tell.”

Twilight practically stumbled. “Billion?!” she repeated incredulously. “Don't tell me you have records going back that far?!”

“What-? No!” The human couldn't help but laugh. “Sorry. I'm quoting theory. Astronomy was never my field, but I did enjoy reading up on it from time to time.”

“Astronomy? Humans know astronomy?”

“Oh, we've studied the stars for thousands of years. Things really got going when we perfected lenses. I couldn't begin to tell you all the names of the people who've made marks in the field- from Galileo to Copernicus to Kepler to Kupier.”

The unicorn let out a deep sigh. “Was I born on the wrong planet or something? I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to visit Earth and find out everything you humans know about... well... everything!”

Again, Indy couldn't keep himself from laughing. “Give us a couple decades from where I come from. We're at the tip of the iceberg, I think. There's been talk about launching vehicles into space, and even maybe someday a lunar expedition.”

“An expedition... to the moon?” It was a wonder to the others that Twilight's eyes didn't bulge right out of her head. “Can you even do that without magic?”

“Absolutely,” Jack replied. “In the future I found myself in, travel between worlds and even stars is as commonplace as travel between villages in my time. Little of it was done with magic- the bulk happened via vehicles, specially designed for the task.”

“Amazing.” As Twilight tried to process all this information- and Indy similarly tried to wrap his head around the concept of two alicorns magically controlling celestial bodies- Applejack sidled over to Rainbow Dash. “You seemed real interested in all that egghead-talk of theirs, Dashie,” the earth pony teased.

“Yeah, well, they were losing me until they got to space travel. I mean... how could you even do that?”

“I dunno, sugarcube. Ain't ashamed to admit that that sorta thing's way beyond m' ken. Gotta say that Earth sounds like an interestin' place, though.”

Dash was just about to reply when she realized that the group ahead of her had come to a stop, and that they'd reached the end of the tunnel. Confused, she took to the air to see what was going on. The sight that met her eyes made her almost forget to keep her wings working. “What the hay...?!” she gasped.

Before the group stretched a wide plain, with green grasses reaching about chest-high for the ponies blowing back and forth in a gentle wind, and a dim-but-recognizable version of the sun hanging in a black “sky”. Trees dotted the landscape, their dark green leaves swaying back and forth and casting sharp shadows across the ground. Here and there, patches of flowers ventured above the grass, with dull-colored petals opened to the air.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Twilight murmured in a flat voice. Next to her, Indy knelt down and brushed his hand across the grass. “I'd almost think this stuff was real,” he commented. “Damn. This place is getting far too good.”

An abrupt rustling sound made them all look ahead. True to form, Pinkie was rolling through the grasses, knocking over tall stalks like a hyperactive bowling ball, shouting “wheeeee!” all along the way. “Pinkie, get back here!” Rarity shouted after her, not quite able to keep from giggling even as she did. “I swear, that mare....”

“Aw, come on!” Pinkie called back. “We've been in Super Depressing Land for so long; this almost feels like home!”

“And that's what worries me.” Twilight experimentally sniffed one of the flowers. “No scent... I find that strangely comforting.”

“Yeah, this is too close to th' real thing fer my tastes already.” Applejack let out a sigh, scuffing her hooves along the ground. “Almost wish it were more of that black stone.”

“I sure don't!” Pinkie came rolling back to the group, covered in bits of grass. “Wow, that felt good. You guys ought to try it!” She tugged at Jack's robe. “C'mon, it's fun!”

Jack chuckled. “I will pass,” he replied, before turning to look behind him. “Rainbow Dash?”

“Gotcha. Aerial recon is go!” Once more the pegasus launched herself into the air, though with the faux “sun” hanging at an angle to simulate late afternoon, the rest of the group could see her ascend and fly a few wide circles. “Yeah, same ceiling as last time,” she told them when she returned. “And I've got no idea what the hay is up in the sky, but it sure isn't a sun. But you're gonna want to see what's over the hill that way.” She pointed towards a distant rise.

The group hastened to make their way towards the hill, leaving paths in the veritable sea of grass as they moved. The humans, being taller, caught sight of what Dash wanted them to see first; they both came to a stop, leaving the ponies to jog ahead a bit before they too saw over the edge of the hill. “Oh goodness,” Fluttershy whispered.

“In all honesty, I suppose I should have expected this.” Rarity rubbed at the back of her neck, with an expression not unlike someone who had swallowed a bug.

“...yeah.” Applejack took a few more steps forward, blinking rapidly as if she didn't quite believe what her eyes were telling her. “It's... Ponyville.”

“More specifically, the southwestern quarter of Ponyville,” Twilight clarified, her eyes carefully studying the buildings and roads standing about a half-mile from their position. “Up to and including the library.”

“...heeeeeeey! Heeeeeey!” Pinkie was bouncing up and down. “That includes Sugarcube Corner! I wonder if any of the food is there!”

“Oh, and possibly the Boutique as well!” Rarity realized. “And even the spa! Oh, what I wouldn't give for a hot bath right now!”

“You're talking my language, lady.” Indy unzipped his jacket to air it out. “I'm feeling a little ripe after all that exercise. So... who's up for giving us the guided tour?”

Pinkie was all too eager to volunteer, and while she was careful to keep her voice down just in case something hostile awaited them, she gleefully pointed out every building they came across and shared some sort of story or factoid about it. The pale colors and empty windows and streets unnerved the other ponies somewhat, though each found herself soothed by the sight of something familiar. Twilight herself couldn't help but marvel at just how accurate this replica of her home was- every detail seemed faithfully recreated, if dulled and faded in color, and she found herself both creeped out and amazed.

“...and here we are, my home-slash-workplace-slash-party-planning-HQ, Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie trotted up to the front door, and with a flourish, threw it open. Looking inside, both the archaeologist and the samurai were rooted to the spot, staring, jaws hanging open. “Yep, that's about th' standard reaction t' seein' Sugarcube Corner fer th' first time,” Applejack chortled.

“I....” Jack had to pause to swallow. “I was not aware that so much sugar could exist in one place....”

“Oh, this is nothing! There was the one time where the Trottingham Foals' Choir came through Ponyville, and the Cakes decided to make them loads of cupcakes... they were stacked all the way up to the ceiling! Took me nearly an hour just to lick all the icing off the tiles....” Pinkie was rambling now, and it was almost too easy for the others to tune her out as they went inside. Laid out on the various counters and displays were numerous confectionary treats- from donuts to cupcakes to eclairs, decorated in every color of the spectrum. The sound of more than one stomach growling underscored Pinkie's chatter. “...and that's how I found out that crystallized molybdenum makes my mane turn orange!” she finished. “But anyway, let's eat!”

Hands and hooves raided the shelves, treats were stacked upon plates, and the group took seats at the largest table in the store in order to enjoy the food. “Okay, so I should be suspicious about this,” Twilight said around a mouthful of danish, “but right now stomach is telling brain to shut up and brain is in no mood to disagree.”

“Good God, this has got to be the best food I've ever had.” Indy stared at his half-eaten double-chocolate donut with the same reverence he'd once had for the Holy Grail itself. “Yeah, this would be the perfect trap, wouldn't it? Some kind of poison or nerve agent to kill us off, and we blithely stuff it down our throats. But, somehow, I don't think that's how the rules of this place operate. If it wanted us done with that easily, it could've collapsed the cave on us while we slept, or dropped us all into a pit.”

Jack wiped honey-bun crumbs from his mouth.“Which begs the question... why such generosity?”

“Prolly jes' t' keep us goin'.” Applejack paused a moment to take a bite of peach cobbler. “Golly, that's good. Love apples, o'course, but nice t' vary now an' then. Anyway... Indy, y'said somethin' 'bout 'a mouse in a maze' way back, if'n I recall. It's gotten pretty clear t' me that this place is makin' a lotta fuss an' effort t' put fights in our way, but they're fights we got a chance t' win. An' we can't win fights if we're half-starved.” Another bite went down her throat. “'Course, then we got the question 'what's all the fightin' fer'.”

“Well, there's the sixty-four-thousand-bit question.” A napkin floated off of the table in a dim blue-white field of magic, dabbing at Rarity's lips daintily. “We've certainly earned our victories, and not at all come through unscathed, but Indy is correct- it would have been a trivial matter to simply overwhelm us. Does this place operate under constraints we're not aware of, or is it simply toying with us?”

“I'd really like to believe it's the first one.” Dash leaned back in her seat, rubbing her stomach and gazing down at the dozen empty cupcake wrappers on the table in front of her. “'Cause the second one makes me feel like a mouse under the eye of a griffon, you know what I mean? But yeah, I guess that's the big question... why is all of this even happening?”

“Ahem.” Twilight cleared her throat. “ 'It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.' ”

“Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal In Bohemia.” Indy's self-satisfied grin lasted for only a few seconds before realization struck. “...wait. How do you know that quote?”

“Wha...?” Twilight's expression matched the human's perfectly. “I was quoting Fetlock Holmes in A Scandal In Marehemia....” She returned his stare for a moment before closing her eyes and sighing. “...okay, honestly, why are any of us surprised by anything by now?”

“I am going to swallow my questions with the rest of this donut.” And Indy did so, to the chuckles of the others.

Once they'd finished eating, most of the group made a beeline for the spa for some much-needed cleaning up, while Rarity had insisted on taking Indy's jacket to repair a few small tears it'd taken in the Dome, and- after doing a quick size-up of Jack- promised to have a new robe ready for him by the time they were done washing. In exchange for that, she'd get her very own private bath for a little while after everyone else had finished.

It was a much cleaner and quite pleased Indiana Jones who slid his boots back on, then took a moment to comb his hair before replacing his fedora over it. Jack was in the changing room, tying his hair back; true to her word, Rarity had had a brand-new robe, indistinguishable from the old one- she'd told the samurai how “beautiful in its simplicity” it was- waiting for him. “Almost feel human again, huh?” Indy chuckled.

“Indeed.” Jack raised his arms and shook them, watching the material of the robe move. “Rarity is quite talented. I am much indebted to her for this gift.”

“You're not kidding.” Indy looked over his jacket, hardly able to find the seams the unicorn had stiched. “Maybe it's just unwarranted optimism on my part, but I feel more ready to take on what's next than before.”

“A good hot bath will do that!” Twilight followed her words into the room, levitating a fluffy towel against her mane. “I feel like a new mare, myself. Still, if Aloe and Lotus were here I would absolutely go for a massage.”

“Fer once I'd be right in line behind ya.” Applejack was just now tying her mane back, an impressive feat when performed with hooves and a mouth. The cowpony sat her Stetson on her head with a contented smile. “I jes saw Rarity head into one'a th' private baths, so we may be waitin' a little while yet.”

She was as surprised as anyone to be proven wrong when, ten minutes later, Rarity stepped out from the bath. “Goodness,” Fluttershy murmured, looking up from where she'd been brushing the tiger's fur. “That's not nearly as long as you stay in the baths back at home, Rarity.”

“Oh, darling, believe me, I was sorely tempted to all but drown myself in that wonderful bath, especially after all we've been through. But we want to be out of this horrible place as quickly as possible, no?” She tossed her towels onto a bench. “Fleeting comfort is a small sacrifice to make in order to help us all get home sooner.”

“An' I thought this place was crazy enough. Now Rarity's talkin' sense!” Applejack chortled as the unicorn stuck her tongue out at her. “Okay, okay, let's get our minds on business,” Twilight chided. “We're healthy, we're fed and we're clean. Let's get out there and stomp whatever this place has in store for us.”

But it wasn't the bright, if false, light of afternoon that greeted the group outside, but instead pale white light from a hazy moon-like object in the still-black “sky”. “Oh, so, um, I guess it's 'night' now or something,” Dash murmured.

While the false Ponyville had kept at least some of its charm in the faux daylight, in this dim lighting it was downright creepy- its faded colors leached away, leaving it seeming almost monochrome. Stark shadows reached across the cobbled roads, leaving areas of pitch black where anything could hide. Twilight immediately lit her horn as the others gathered around her. “Should have known things were looking too pleasant for us here,” Indy muttered.

“Oh yeah, our spectacular luck is holding up just fine,” Twilight replied with a sigh. “Well, nothing to be done about it. Let's get going.”

With no other destination worth checking out in this section of the town, Twilight opted to lead the group to the library, hoping that in this version of her home there might be something in the myriad of books that might be useful. But the ponies all recoiled in shock when they approached close to the tall tree in the center of town. “What is it?” Jack inquired.

“That's... not the door to the library,” Twilight said, tilting her head to the side. Instead of the windowed wooden door she'd been expecting, a flat, featureless steel door sat inside the entrance to the tree. A thick handle seemed to gleam in the simulated moonlight. “Wanna bet that's where we're supposed to go next?” Dash muttered.

“One way to find out.” Cautiously, Indy pulled the handle down and opened the door outwards. Beyond, where Twilight had expected the comfortingly familiar entrance to her home, there was a rough stone tunnel with a carved staircase leading downwards at a sharp angle. Thin veins of glowing crystal lined both sides, giving off just barely enough light to see a short way down. “Creeeeeeeepy,” Pinkie intoned.

“Indeed,” Jack agreed quietly. “But we must proceed, and it will become no more welcoming as we wait.”

Surprisingly, Fluttershy was the first to walk into the tunnel. “We can do this,” she said, her voice quavering but her gaze resolute. “One step and then the next....”

Her tiger was quick to file in next to her, leaving the others to stay a few steps behind as they followed. The thin sliver of white light from outside vanished as the door closed with a deep, bass thud that seemed to echo all the way down the staircase. Indy couldn't help but shiver. “Anybody else feel like they just heard the door of their own crypt close?”

“Oh, ain't you a fountain of cheerfulness.” Applejack shot him a grimace; next to her, Rarity sighed. “Indiana, I would chastise you for your morbidity... had not the same sort of thought crossed my mind.”

“Come on, everyone! Don't let this place get to you already!” Pinkie was bouncing down the stairs. “We've gotta stay positive if we want a good chance to beat whatever's next.”

“Wise words, Pinkie.” Jack smiled. “Remember, everyone, this place seeks to attack our minds as well as our bodies. We must not allow it to affect us.”

It took the group a good few minutes to reach the bottom of the staircase- with Pinkie insisting on counting the steps until she got past two hundred, after which she lost count, and then interest- and emerge into a round, plain stone room with only a single glowing crystal jutting out from its center. Its weak glow left only a small circle of light along the floor and low ceiling, and the group gathered around the edge of it. “Somebody keep an eye on the staircase,” Twilight said. “This smells like a trap.”

“Bit late for that,” Applejack sighed, gazing forlornly at the blank rock where the staircase had been just a moment ago.

“Ah, forgive me.” A lightly-accented voice echoed through the room, almost impossible to pinpoint. “I wished to speak to you all of a few things, and I do dislike... interruptions.”

Indy's submachine gun was at his shoulder as soon as the voice spoke. “Well, you've got a captive audience,” he replied, his voice strained. “So why don't you come out where we can see you, Major Toht?”

A pale, bespectacled man in an overcoat stepped into the circle of light. “Doctor Jones, how... wonderful to see you again,” he said, a faint smile decorating his lips. “I cannot tell you how flattered I am that you remember me. It has been some time, has it not?”

“Not nearly enough.” The weapon in Indy's hands didn't waver. “Say what you want to say while I can resist the urge to pull this trigger.”

“Ever so impulsive, Doctor Jones.” The Major smirked; behind Indy, Fluttershy shivered. “He looks so real,” she murmured. “Is that actually another one of this place's replicas?”

“It has to be,” Rarity whispered back. “At least... I think so....”

“Quiet, please.” The man had barely raised his voice, but something about his tone commanded obedience. “Thank you. Doctor Jones, I am certain that you are not at all stupid. Nor, I suspect, are those you have found yourself allied with. I imagine you have at least some inkling as to what is going on in this place?” He raised his gloved hands to motion around him.

“Some, yes.” Now the weapon lowered, as Indy's mind worked. “Why are you asking?”

“Oh, curiosity, I suppose. Certainly you remember how... inquisitive I can be.” Just the slightest of smirks appeared on that pale face. “Perhaps, if your guesses are close enough, I could provide you with more information.”

Indy glanced back at Jack and Twilight; both nodded, though Jack's assent was more hesitant. “Alright, then,” the archaeologist said. “Starting from the beginning- our arrival here.” He took in a slow breath. “Obviously Twilight's teleportation spell somehow worked through the gem that Dash was holding, and pulled her group, as well as Jack and I, into this place. My theory was that perhaps the gems themselves were specially connected, but after Demongo started talking about 'other realms', I realized that there could be even more of them out there, in places none of us has ever seen. So the only reason I can think of that the eight of us got pulled here was because we were actually touching and moving them during whatever... 'moment', I guess we can call it, Twilight's spell affected them.”

The Major nodded slowly. “Mmmh. A fair basis for your theory. Continue.”

“So we ended up here. A place practically building itself underneath us, with shoddy replicas out of my recent and entirely un-lamented past springing up from the ground. We found a piece of a gem just like the ones that brought us here, which an old enemy then tried to take off of us. Thanks to my new friends, we managed to make it out of a fairly well-laid trap.” He turned slightly. “Twilight, why don't you take it from here?”

“Certainly, Dr. Jones.” The unicorn stepped up. “After our encounters with copies of old... acquaintances of Indy's, our next path brought us to a relatively better-done version of the future Earth into which Jack had been sent by Aku. This time we were tested in direct combat against mechanical warriors like those Aku often uses, and again it took all of us to perservere.” She paused for a breath. “And then there was the Dome of Doom. There, all of us saw creatures we've encountered before, and once again it took teamwork and determination to make it through.

“And then... we were introduced to Demongo.” Twilight paused again. “Aside from being an absolutely unpleasant experience, we were shown beings the likes of which none of us had seen before. And as Indy said, Demongo spoke of 'other realms', and of how he'd learned tricks from someone else experienced in stealing souls. This led me to the conclusion that, if these gems exist in other universes as well, then they may possibly have some form of sentience, or at least the ability to comprehend people and events within the universes they inhabit.”

“Your acumen is laudable, Miss Sparkle.” Toht smiled slightly. “A pity we did not have more minds of your caliber in the Reich.” Her mildly disgusted expression didn't seem to faze him. “You stand at the edge of the truth, though admittedly your directions were unclear at best. Can you understand the... connections present here?”

Now Twilight stepped back, gazing down at the ground in thought. Jack moved forward. “Perhaps I do,” he said quietly. “During my journeys in the technologically-advanced future, I learned of something unusual. Large numbers of computers-” he caught the ponies' confused gazes- “thinking machines of a sort, like those within robots... they were able to communicate with each other over distances, share information and calculate in tandem. These were called... networks, I believe?”

Toht's smile grew, a change of expression that made him appear no less sinister. “A step closer. Go on.”

“Yes... yes, that was what they were called. Through these networks, computers could access far more information, and perform much more work, than they could alone, almost like insects in a hive. What one computer became aware of, all within its network could know, as quickly as thought itself.”

Indy turned to the samurai with a look caught somewhere between incredulous and worried. “Jack, are you saying that these gems, all of them throughout however many universes... have formed a network?”

“The man is obviously a quick study.” The Major folded his hands together. “A rough and basic form of it all, but... as Americans are sometimes fond of saying, 'close enough for government work'.”

“Well, awright. Great. We gotta buncha thinkin' gems in however many worlds talkin' to each other. Weirdly enough, I kin kinda wrap m' head around that.” Applejack rubbed at the back of her neck. “Mah question is... why all the fightin'?”

“Now there is a good question.” Rarity couldn't quite hide her distaste for the pale-faced human even as she looked up at him. “The soldiers, the robots, everything in the Dome... even the Dome itself, and all those other buildings. Creating those things must have required unfathomable amounts of energy of some type. There has to be a reason.”

“Yeah, not to mention all the food!” Pinkie hopped up and down. “I mean, not that I'm complaining about feeding us, and lemme tell ya, those scones were right on, but really-”

“Wait.” Twilight immediately clamped her hoof over Pinkie's mouth, muffling her as the earth pony continued rambling on. “Feeding. Feeding....” She glanced up at Toht. “In Equestria, there are creatures that feed on emotions. Some types of magic can be amplified or dampened by extreme emotional states. Here, we've been fighting creatures almost every minute we've been in this Celestia-forsaken place. And it seems that every fight was more involved, more violent than the last. The more we fought, the further we advanced, the better this place got at copying our homes... and our enemies.” Her eyes narrowed. “Somehow, all that fighting has been giving this place energy.”

The Major clapped loudly. “Very, very good. You've grasped a thread of the truth. Of course, you couldn't hope to comprehend the 'how' of it all, but for all your limitations, you have done admirably.”

“Perhaps the 'how' eludes us.” Jack took a step forward. “But we are far more interested in the 'why'.”

“Mmh. I will have another old... acquaintance of yours handle that explanation. Do excuse me.” With that, Toht stepped backwards into the darkness and disappeared. The group waited in silence for a moment, shifting between sharing looks and peering into the darkness, before a pair of deep-red flames flickered into view just past the circle of light. Jack's hand instantly went to his sword. “Aku!”

“Hello again, samurai.” The jet-black form of Aku seemed to melt into view, barely discernable from the darkness itself. Only his face, burning eyebrows and beard stood out. “Calm yourself! Attacking me will gain you nothing.” Slowly, Jack moved his hand away from the haft of his katana, letting his arms rest at his sides. “Good, good. Now, you and your companions have proven to be resourceful when it comes to surviving difficult odds. I will not say I was at all surprised to see this trait only strengthen as you learned to work together.”

“Is he always this... bombastic?” Rarity whispered towards Jack, getting only a quick nod in response.

If Aku heard, he didn't show it. “Unity, cooperation, standing together in the face of extreme adversity. How heroic. How noble. How... depressingly uncommon.” The demon's flaming eyebrows lowered. “I need not tell you, samurai, the sheer number of bounty hunters and assassins I was able to hire to end your miserable life. For nothing more than material wealth or the promise of power, they were all too eager to throw themselves at the warrior who had brought down so many more of their ilk.

“And you, Doctor Jones. You are all too acquainted with the evils that men do, are you not? Not only blind devotion, hatred, and naked greed, but betrayal and deception as well. The one you knew as Rene Belloc was far from the only person to attempt to bring about your end. Is it any wonder you chose to travel alone so often, and keep even your most trusted companions at arm's length?

“Ahh, but then we have the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Certainly these colorful, peaceable ponies have never known such horrid things as betrayal, or murder, or genocide?” His tone was one of harsh mockery.

“Oh please.” Twilight scowled. “We made sure to tell Indy and Jack here that humans weren't the only flawed species around. We ponies have had our problems in the past.”

“Oh, more than you know, little purple equine.” A wicked grin crossed the demon's face. “More than your precious, sun-raising Princess has ever let on, or even knows herself. After all, not all ponies live in her magical, peaceful little kingdom, and as you six have quite aptly demonstrated, a pony can be a dangerous creature when pressed.”

“It's a principality, not a kingdom.”

“Bah! Whichever.” Aku waved off Twlight's annoyed stare. “But understand this- your safe, secure little homes, your peaceful and organized nations, even free will and life itself are abberations. You would fall into madness were you to know the sort of fates your worlds so narrowly avoided.”

“Um... excuse me. Mr. Aku?” Fluttershy crept forward. “I, um... I'd like to ask a question, if that's okay with you....”

The demon's eyes half-closed in vexation. “Yes, little pony, what is it?”

“I just... well. It's not that I'm ungrateful for the explanation, but... why is all this happening? Why is this place even here, and why are we being made to fight?”

“I will let a face more familiar to you respond.” Aku faded back into the darkness, the flames of his eyebrows flickering out after a moment. Once more there were a few seconds of complete silence before a new voice spoke. “Oh, dear Fluttershy, it's been so long since I've seen you. Are you doing something new with your mane? Is that a tail extension?”

“Discord!” Immediately, Twilight's horn lit up with a menacing purple glow as she took a defensive stance.

“Mare, settle down. I mean, honestly, have you been taking hostility lessons from the two gentlemen here? How I miss little Twilight Sparkle, the unassuming bookworm.” Discord crossed his mismatched arms over his chest as he stepped into view. “Hard to believe there's those who think you ponies are pacifists.”

“Given your history with us, can you be surprised as to how we'd react?” Rarity countered.

“Oh, sweet Rarity, if you only knew how good you ponies had it under my reign.” He gave her a twisted grin as Pinkie murmured something about chocolate rain. “But to be honest, even that stifling, overbearing order Celestia imposes on her subjects is paradise, compared to some other situations.”

“Like... like what?” Despite her steady stare, Applejack's voice betrayed just a bit of trepidation.

“Oh, that's for me to know and you to find out. And find out you will.” Discord's chuckle was anything but mirthful. “Oh, the things that are out there... some of them could give me nightmares. Horrors abound.”

“You haven't answered Fluttershy's question.” Indy crossed his arms. “Why all this?”

“Imagine if you will, my dear Henry Jones, Jr., the beginning of time. Oh, who am I kidding, you can't- you weren't there. But then, or at least a time very close to then, something was there. The universe's very first intelligence, encased in crystal made of the very stuff of stars, floating through the void. And there it sat, for a few billion years, just being, and watching. It didn't really have much else to do.

“Then something interesting happened. Eventually it found itself on a world. What world, it's impossble to say. And in a relatively short amount of time, there came life, and creatures. Creatures that could make choices. And so it came to be that one of these creatures made a choice that affected our universe-knowing intelligence.

“And a funny thing happened. As choices are wont to do, this choice split off one timeline into two. But rather than simply travelling down one of them, the intelligence itself was split- somehow, it had taken both paths, occupied both realities, and furthermore knew it; it was aware of both timelines, and of its place in each. And then another choice came to affect one of those two timelines, and it split into two- and again, so did the intelligence.

“Soon- relatively speaking, of course; over the span of only a few hundred million or so years- our defenseless intelligence found itself divided across uncountable timelines, numerous worlds; its crystalline home carried by accidents or on purpose across the universe. Expanding as it did, learning at rates no single creature could ever hope to match, it eventually developed sentience. It took it practically no time at all to develop its first emotion... hate.”

“Hate?” Pinkie blinked in shock. “Why would it want to feel that?”

“Imagine that you are cursed to forever be trapped by the choices of others, never able to affect your own fate. Imagine that every choice that affects you splits you into yet another timeline, across each of which you exist, knowing everything that happens in every single one. And then... imagine that you watch countless sentient creatures going about their lives, blithely ignorant of your plight, fighting and scheming and killing and dying for all manner of pointless goals. Imagine that you witnessed countless tragedies, wars and extinctions on scales beyond mortal comprehension... and that you could never, ever stop witnessing these things.” Discord snorted. “Almost makes my life as a garden display seem like a vacation in comparison.”

“What has that got to do with this place and us being here?” Indy queried.

“A happy accident- happy for it, not so much for you. You see, in the very same 'instant', you, Jack and Rainbow Dash affected an instance of the intelligence. And within that single tick of the quantum clock that the three timelines were splitting, Twilight Sparkle's teleportation spell took effect on one of them. There aren't words in this language to describe the subquantum disruption that caused, but suffice it to say that, by a bizarre fluke, you achieved what has only happened six times in the history of this universe- you created a brand new dimensional instance from scratch. And you didn't even need to roll out the dough.” The draconequus grinned, waiting for laughs from his audience, only to scowl when he got none. “Hmph, no appreciation for humor. But you see, this particular little island in the spacetime sea? It's special.”

Jack stroked his chin. “Special? How so?”

“Because it's the only one in which our poor, abused, universe-trotting intelligence can express its will. No more being a passive observer to the crimes and passions of others- here, it's in control. And for once, the quantum effect of choices being made give it energy, instead of simply dividing it once again. Did you know that violence- the decision to harm or destroy another- is one of the most powerful choices you can make, literally speaking? Anyway. With this potential for power right at its metaphorical fingertips, it made a decision of its own.”

“To have Stove Top stuffing instead of mashed potatoes for dinner?”

“...no, Pinkie Pie. But a good guess! You see, this weary intelligence only wants peace. To be left alone from the decisions of others. But, let's face it, just asking isn't going to any good, am I right? No, it seems that the only way it can ever hope to be free from being torn apart by the choices of others... is to ensure that there are no 'others' to make choices.”

Twilight gasped. “The way it's been recreating creatures under its control, exchanging parts of this place for those in other dimensions... it wants to replace everything with its own reconstructions!”

“Everything, everywhere... in every last dimension it occupies.” Indy's grip on his submachine gun tightened. “What some people won't do for a little peace and quiet.”

“What's worse, we've been feedin' it!” Applejack's eyes were wide. “Even by just fightin' for our lives, we've been makin' things worse!”

“For what it's worth, I personally am aghast at the thought of an entire multiverse full of... what were the words you used, Twilight? 'Puppets with invisible strings'? Booooooring.” Discord shrugged, the expression strange on his mismatched body. “Ah, but what can I do... I'm merely one myself.”

“So then you have been telling us all this for a reason.” Jack's hand once more went to his sword. “Why?”

“Oh, it's very simple.” Discord's crimson-and-yellow eyes abruptly went jet black, and his voice changed into something that sounded like an echo of the death of all things. “Because when you see the things I have in store for you, knowing how easily it could have happened to you will make the impact that much stronger.”

The draconequus raised one taloned hand and snapped his fingers, and there was a bright white flash.

(-)

“Ohhhhh, my head.” Twilight somehow managed to force her eyes to open, blinking them rapidly in an effort to get them to focus. “Ugh... where am I? Where....” Despite her headache, she scrambled to her hooves. “Oh, Celestia. Girls? Jack? Indy?”

“I am here, Twilight.” Jack slowly pulled himself over a nearby table, rubbing at his head. “As for the others, I cannot say where they are. Nor, for that matter, where we are.” His hand instinctively went to his side, only to find a familiar weight missing. “My sword!”

“Oh, ponyfeathers. Maybe it's around here somewhere....” A quick search of the stone hallway turned up nothing. “Ugh. It couldn't have gone far on its own... five bits says that whatever created this place took it.”

The human frowned. “Hmh. You are probably right.” He let out a long sigh as his hands fell back to his sides. “I feel utterly defenseless without it.”

“Pssh. I've seen you fight, Jack. You're as far from 'defenseless' as anyone can get.” Twilight grinned.

Jack couldn't help but smile at that, even as he took a long look at their new surroundings. “I do not recognize this place. Do you?”

“...I wish I could say 'no'.” Twilight gazed up at the vaulted ceilings, the intricately-carved pillars, the faded paintings and the mostly unlit gilded candleabras. “We're... in Canterlot Castle.”

(-)

“Applejack? Applejack, please get up.”

“Muh... it ain't dawn yet... huh?” The cowpony slowly raised her head off of the cold, tiled floor she'd somehow come to be laying upon, her bleary eyes showing her a plaster-white figure in front of her. “Rarity? Wha' happened?”

“I don't know for certain. Whatever that thing was that looked like Discord... perhaps it sent us here.”

Only now could Applejack see the growing panic in the fashonista's eyes, and it did nothing good for her own mood. “Rarity, where th' heck are we?”

Rarity helped her back onto her hooves. “As near as I can tell, we're locked inside the bottom floor of Ponyville Hospital.” The unicorn glanced around herself, her sky-blue eyes searching the heavy gloom that surrounded them. “I can't find the other girls or the men... but I don't think we're alone in this building.”

(-)

“You know, it would probably amuse you to find out that this is not the first time I've woken up hanging upside-down.”

Rainbow Dash couldn't help but snicker quietly, even as she looked over the intricate wrought-iron railing in which Indy's ankles were trapped. “Seriously?” she asked. “I wanna hear that story sometime. But right now, hang on to me; I'm gonna lift you up far enough to get your legs unstuck and grab the bannister.”

He did so, carefully putting his arms around her back, until she could get him up to where he could pull himself out of the railing and onto the thin walkway behind it. “Okay, now I just need my hat and my guns.”

Dash quickly vanished into the gloom of what seemed to be the foyer of this dark, Victorian-styled building, and came back a moment later with the human's fedora in her hooves. “Couldn't find your guns, sorry,” she apologized.

“We'll make do.” He took a moment to glance around as he settled his hat back in place. “Where the hell are we?”

“I dunno, I don't think I've seen this place before. But wait, there's some kind of sign downstairs, by the front doors.” She started forward, then stopped and glanced back. “Um... maybe you should come with me, Indy. There's something about this place I don't like, and....” She trailed off.

“Yeah. Don't think I want to be walking around by myself, either.” He followed her down the stairs and to the faded sign, which Indy had to squint to read. “It says... 'Welcome to Hope's Comfort Orphanage'.”

“...huh?” An expression of shock crossed Dash's face. “Wow... okay, this isn't good.”

Indy frowned. “Why?”

“Because I know someone from here. A little filly named Scootaloo. And she's never told me why, but she ran away from here more than two years ago... and I think she has nightmares of this place almost every night.”

(-)

“Oh, goodness. Pinkie? Pinkie, wake up. Please wake up.”

The pink pony slowly shook her head “Whoa... I feel like I did after that one party when we got into AJ's special cider stock.” She managed to stagger to her hooves. “Oh, hi, Fluttershy. What's the haps?”

“Um... I'm not sure.” Fluttershy glanced around nervously. “I only know that we're locked inside what looks like Zecora's hut, only it's much darker and scarier, and we're the only two in here.”

“Uh-oh.” Pinkie frowned. “No girls? No Jack or Indy? Just us two?”

“I'm... afraid so.”

“Hooo-kaaay.” Pinkie took in a long, deep breath. “ 'Shy, you and me might not be the most action-packed, super-serious duo around, but we've gotta put on our thinking horseshoes and get crackin'. Let's look around for anything we might need.”

“O- okay.” Unfortunately, while the small building looked much like Zecora's home- only with tribal masks that were much more frightening- none of the typical assortment of potions and brews were present. There was, however, a strange glass vial full of orange liquid that glowed brightly when shaken, attached to a thin metal neckbrace that, when worn, would hold the vial against a pony's chest. “Y'know, I've seen something like this before,” Pinkie commented. “Zecora showed me this nifty concoction once, sort of like an 'alchemical nightlight', I think she called it. Great for dance parties, too!” She immediately slipped on the brace, shining a bright light onto the walls of the hut.

“That'll come in handy,” Fluttershy decided. She had just turned towards the door when a heavy-sounding click came from the handle; slowly, the door swung open, seemingly of its own accord. “What... what did that?” she half-whispered.

“I dunno.” Pinkie was almost as subdued as her, but she trotted towards the exit, with Fluttershy close behind. Outside was the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, nearly pitch-black but for the faint light of a cloud-covered moon, and soundless except for the faint whisper of leaves in the wind. It took Fluttershy a moment to realize that something else was rustling as well- a single piece of white paper caught by a branch. “What's this?” she wondered, pulling it free. “Pinkie, can you give me some light here?”

“Okie-dokie.” Pinkie trotted over, shining the alchemical lantern onto the sheet of paper. Neatly typed across it, as if from the title page of a book, were three lines:

“What... what do you think this means?” Fluttershy wondered.

Pinkie let out a soft sigh. “If this is dramatic foreshadowing I'm feeling, and not just indigestion from all the creampuffs I ate, then probably nothing good.”