Applejack panted as she continued to walk up the seemingly-endless staircase. Yet, it was hard to say she was tired, let alone fatigued. She had trotted far further before, and bucked enough trees to make a marathon seem like a stroll, but those were always on the comfortable feeling of the hard earth beneath her hooves.

Right now, she was walking above an endless abyss that she could swear was beckoning to her.

Each step she made she did with a slam of her hoof, mechanically thrusting each of her hooves down on the next step. It was the only way she had of knowing the next step she took was going to take her upward, and hopefully not downward into nothing.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” The curious tone of Dust came from behind her. There was a seedling of worry in his voice, but hardly out of great concern. She was, after all, still walking and talking.

“Ah’m just dandy,” Applejack muttered more than spoke. “Walkin’ inta the darkness up a flight of stairs that never ends, yup, Ah’m right as an April’s shower.”

“Uh huh.” The fox-like creature spoke from behind her, “You know, for what it’s worth, I’m sure this leads somewhere. I mean, it wouldn’t make any sense for us-you, you to get a set of stairs to appear, only for them to go nowhere.” Applejack chuckled at his words, keeping her eyes on the path of light.

“Yeah, I reckon’ ya got a point there, but Ah’ve just seen too many things go top-side when Discord sticks his mangy muzzle inta things.” The loathing accompanying her words was thicker the darkness surrounding around them.

“Is he truly as… evil as you say? I mean, is he all bad?” Dust was tentative with his question, second guessing his words as he articulated them. His paws even hovered in the air, trying to feel fruitlessly for the right way to verbalize his thought.

Applejack had to stop before she turned towards the fox-creature, not confident enough with her footing to trot up the stairs while she talked. Her glare was more menacing than the endless abyss.

“Ah’ll let that slide ‘cause yer new to these parts, just as new as Jack is, but let me tell you this for darn certain...” The pony tilted her hat back before she went on.

“Discord is nothin’ but a trickster with too much power for any one pony ta have. If he wanted, he could help every pony clear cross the world with just a few snaps of his claw. ‘Stead though, he tries to make us plays games that twist everything we know. He’ll make my apple trees grow oranges, he’ll turn the land into the sky, twist houses till they’re sitting on their roofs, but worst of all, he’ll twist your mind till you’re nothing but your opposite- your absolute worst.” The following silence did little to ease the tension those words had created.

“Your… opposite?” Dust echoed hesitantly, unsure of how to take that. Applejack appeared to be anything but pleased with explaining it. Her lips snarled as she prepared to speak, doubtlessly at the memory, not at the fox creature. Twilight taught her curiosity wasn’t something to blame a pony for. Action was.

“The first time mah friends and Ah had ta stop Discord, he twisted us until we were the complete opposite of who we were. Now Ah’m an honest mare, a trait Ah’m proud of. Couldn’t tell a lie and can hardly keep a secret, always livin’ the honest way of life.. Discord, he made me lie about every little detail in my life, didn’t matter how small; turned me crooked. He took everything that I was and made it just… wrong.”

Applejack’s hoof settled back down onto the path of light. She wasn’t sure when she raised it, only realizing it was prodding Dust’s robes as she spoke. The fox said nothing as the mare went silent, for no short amount of time.

“I apologize.” His first words were rich in sincerity. “I didn’t mean to have you bring back something so awful. I just… I didn’t want to make the same mistake I did before.” That earned a bit of the mare’s curiosity.

“What mistake was that?” Her eyes widened as an unlikely, but still plausible, idea popped into her mind. “Don’t tell me ya’ve been through this before?” Dust, bless his twin souls, only chuckled lightly as he shook his head.

“No, I’ve never jumped between worlds before.” His paw rested on his chest, settling the light fabric of his robes. “But I have been a stranger before, lost without any knowledge. At the time, I took what others said to be facts, listening and hearing them with few questions aside from asking to know more.”

He extended his paw outwards, staring at it lightly. Applejack raised a brow at the action, wondering what it was he was starting at. Or, more than likely, what he was remembering he had. She couldn’t honestly guess.

“There was a general in my land, a leader of an army.” His words sounded as if he were telling as story, lacking malice or joy. “I was told he was an evil creature, wanting only of death and having none to be close to. So many said he would sooner slay his closest comrade than let himself even lose a battle. But… it wasn’t true, not entirely.”

“Ah don’t know if Ah want to know what’s halfway between that and being a good pony.” Applejack’s words held the same honesty she advertised earlier. Dust continued regardless.

“When I finally met him, he was not so evil as to be seen as a tyrant. He did seek death, and he did kill, but he did not enjoy it. Rather, it was his honor, the honor so many said he lacked, that made him perform his duty. And… he saw me not as an enemy, but as a friend.” Applejack’s brows rose in unison now.

“Gotta be an odd kinda thing to see someone challenging ya as a good friend, at least in those circumstances.” Dust nodded lightly.

“Actually, it was because in another life, my first life, I was his friend. I was one of his best soldiers, a friend that sparred and played with him. When I was reborn, that changed.” Applejack’s brows rose even higher, but she let him continue. “I… I was able to realize what we did was wrong, and I acted to change it. He never stopped calling my name as we fought, determined to bring me back.” Dust clenched his fist as he finished. “It didn’t work.”

The silence was upon them again. Applejack beat it off quickly.

“Well, ‘least now Ah can see why ya wanted ta know more about Discord. Don’t wanna be makin’ the same mistake twice. That just be foolish.” Dust let out a breath of air from his nose at the comment.

“Yeah, foolish.” His hat turned up the stairs once more. “We should probably get going. We don’t want Jack to get too far ahead of us.”

“Right on there, but Ah’m sure he’ll wait up. He’s a nice kinda guy.” Applejack started trotting up the stairs once again, a bit more assurance in each step she planted. Dust followed just behind, letting a melancholy smile hang on his lips.

Though the silence upon them was dense, the memories of their conversation only seconds prior made it a comfortable silence. That, and the sound of their feet and hooves lightly tapping on the light floor was at least something.

Neither made a move for a new topic. Having already spoken of such personal things, any simple conversation would feel hollow. They both knew it. So instead of forcing words to fly, they let them sit, and huddle until the time was right.

Thankfully or not, it didn’t take much time at all.

It was from the darkness, like something surfacing from water, that the shape and color of Samurai Jack formed. It wasn’t as if he materialized from nothing, jumping out from nowhere, but the difference of only a few steps turned the figure from being a silhouette in the darkness to the now familiar shape Applejack and Dust were venturing with.

The mare grinned as she increased the speed of her trot, slightly as it may be. Dust did as well, only by increasing his gait. Neither the fox nor pony felt inclined to run on stairs of light just yet, not while it still hung above a seemingly endless chasm.

Their paces slowed as they saw their friend was not alone.

Just beside the samurai, on a platform made of light no different than the stairs, stood a man neither Applejack nor Dust recognized. The farm pony twisted her eyes as she approached, walking slowly as to prevent falling into the abyss.

To Applejack, who had only seen so many men before, he appeared very plain. His face was smooth and his clothing was undecorated, very little about him distinguishing. She could only tell that he was someone new by the coat he wore and hat upon his head. There were no other members of the group before that wore hats like this man, nor coats quite as long.

Dust saw different attributes than the mare, however. He did not observe the clothing the man wore, but rather how he acted. The man was sitting upon the stairs, letting his legs swing above the darkness in the care-free state of a child. The grin on his face seemed to match, but against the cold abyss, it seemed positively menacing. That was not to mention the crow sitting upon his shoulder, red beady eyes staring at him; at least it seemed to dust Dust, though it was hard to tell.

“Uh, howdy?” Applejack spoke as the two came closer to Jack and the new man. Both turned to look at her, one with a serious frown and the other grinning blissfully. When her words were followed only by silence, the mare didn’t know what else to say. Dust, thankfully, spoke on.

“Is there a problem?” His voice was serious, though not threatening. He pawed his own digits, imaging Ahrah in his grasp. He wasn’t there.

“A problem?” The new man asked, tilting his head in question. “Why no, not at all. I’ve only been waiting patiently for this fine young human to answer my question, but I suppose he needs a lot of thought before he can speak up.” The man curled his digits around his mouth towards the pair, raising his eyebrows in an entertained sort of way, before he spoke on. It was only then Applejack realized his hand was gray. “I think he’s shy.”

“Ja-a-ack?” Applejack drew out the samurai’s name as she spoke. “Can ya fill us in on any of this?” The samurai took in a slow breath of air before speaking. His hand was gripped tightly upon his sacred sword.

“I know not who this is, only that he appeared from nowhere.” The warrior’s words were straight and to the point. “I have been in many dark corners of the world. The only beings to smile in such ways are those that enjoy suffering.” The man caught onto the samurai’s words quickly.

“Oh, Dearie me,” he spoke in a pleading tone, holding up his hands in defense. “I certainly didn’t mean to make you feel off. I do apologize for that.” The creature rolled backwards on the platform, an action that made Applejack freeze in fear. The man was never far from rolling right off the platform and down below. He stood to his tallest when his feet landed on the golden light again. He was still smiling.

“I only smile because there is no reason not to smile. I have found good company, and it was getting rather boring in this darkness.” His hands waved outwards as he spoke, motioning towards what couldn’t be ignored. “So I do beg your pardon if I was merely a little joyful to finally see another person.”

“Well, can’t blame ya fer gettin’ sick of this place.” Applejack admitted. “We haven’t been here long ourselves, but Ah’m ready ta hightail it outta here.”

“And I too would so enjoy leaving here as well. Would you happen to know the way out?” The man never lost his grin as he asked the question.

“We were thinking up, at least, up seems like the only way to go.” Dust’s paw pointed up the staircase, the very one that disappeared into the darkness above them. “Usually if there’s only one way to go, that’s the right way.”

“Oh yes, because the answer is always so simple.” It took only those words for Applejack’s opinion of the man to sour somewhat. Instead of speaking on, however, the man bent his head to the side, leaning it against the crow.

His look changed, adopting the gay expression with one of amused contemplation. His lips puckered, eyes looking vacantly upwards as the crow twisted its own head, all in silence. Then, with as much warning as his cold words, he started to laugh.

“Oh Arma, you are such a devious little bird.” The man lifted his hand to scratch at the bird, nuzzling it beneath its dark beak. “You always know just what to say.” Applejack looked back to her samurai friend, suddenly understanding the serious look he had.

“Right then,” the farm pony spoke with a tone of finality. “Ah think its ‘bout time we headed outta here. It was… we’ll be seein’ ya later.” Applejack waved her hoof at the man, whom had since focused his wide-eyed gaze on her.

“Leaving?” The man questioned her. “Do you even know where to go?” His hand continued to idly scratch the bird on his shoulder. Applejack furrowed her brows at him.

“There is only one path to take.” Jack answered for the mare. “Even if it leads to only more paths, it is the road we must take now.” The man’s eyes lowered as he stared at the samurai.

“Oh but let me guess, you asked for a way up and the stairs appeared, correct?” The teasing tone in the man’s voice was unmistakable. So was the silence that came from the trio on the steps of light. “Isn’t it wonderful? How easy it is to imagine something from nothing? Rather than hope for stairs, wouldn’t you rather wish for a way out, hmm?” The lips on the man parted as his grin became mischievous. Dust tightened his paws again.

“If you know so much about this place, why don’t you just ‘imagine’ your way out of here?” The question was an obvious one, but Dust could already tell this man was anything but helpful. The giggling he made at the question only confirmed what the fox creature already knew.

“Oh I am a creative one, that I’ll admit, but I guess you could say this place is rather… peculiar to humans.” Applejack adjusted her hat before she spoke on. It was getting tight on her head.

“That makes ‘bout as much sense as a five-legged pony.” She dismissed his words easily enough. “Why don’t cha stop beatin’ ‘round the apple tree and tell us just who you are? It’ll save us all the time.”

“Oh, only because you asked so politely.” The man bowed towards the mare, rising with the same grin. “I’ve been partial to being called ‘that statue’, but I supposse if you must call me by a name, I’d prefer ‘Karl’.” Dust wasn’t fond of the way he rolled his name. It reeked of pleasure.

“Karl, what do you mean by… that statue?” Applejack wasn’t one for details, but she could tell an insult when she heard one, even if it wasn’t directed at her. The way he grinned, she knew she asked the right question.

“Why, is it not obvious? I am one!” His hands flew to his sides, causing the raven on his shoulder to flutter slightly, adjusting itself on his side. “No skin or bones on me, just good old fashioned dirt and stone.” His laugh was nothing short of jovial.

“A golem.” Jack spoke nothing more than that. The stone-likeness of his face rivaled that of Karl’s.

“Oh, so you're the quiet and quick type, hmm?” Karl leaned forward on his lone platform of light. “Then perhaps you would know of the real way out of here. I hate to admit it, but I’m rather stuck here without your help.” He laughed at his words. Applejack and Dust missed the joke.

“We already found the way out.” Dust answered back. “If we walk up these steps, we’ll-”

“Find yourself climbing an endless staircase,” Karl finished for him. “Though I admit that does sound quite fun, I’m sure you were rather serious when you said you had little time to waste.” His head twisted slightly. The raven on Karl’s shoulder mimicked his actions. “It can’t be that hard to imagine, can it? I don’t have what I need, but even I can hear it.”

Those words confused the three more than they should have. It was only made worse when Karl cupped his hand to his head, leaning towards his arm. His eyes were shut as a near serene look overtook him. It took the mare amount to realize what he was doing.

Curious, Applejack perked her own ears, listening for something in the void. But she heard nothing. All that reached her pointed ears was the same vacuum of sound that had existed since they had stepped into the dreaded darkness.

The mare scrunched her face, twisting her head left and right as she attempted to search for any sound at all. All that she was able to grasp was the light breathing of Jack and Dust as well as her own hooves lightly adjusting on the steps of light. Despite her inability to hear anything, Karl began to lightly wave his head, doubtlessly in tune with whatever he was listening to.

“What are you doing?” Dust asked the stone man uneasily. Karl blissfully ignored him.

The statue’s free hand began to wave in the empty air, dancing in a rhythmic pattern. Jack could only shake his head at the display, needing to see no more to be certain that the thing was insane. Applejack, however, only focused her ears harder. But for all her efforts, all the mare could hear at best was the soft ringing of the stairs.

“Shh… listen closely,” Karl spoke again. His eyes were shut now, his form all but falling off the golden platform his stood on. Dust wondered momentarily how he was accomplishing such a feat. “I’m partial to the violin, but I can enjoy a good piano piece.”

“Piano?” Applejack questioned aloud. “Ah can’t here nuthin’ but us breathing and you chuckling.” As if on queue, the stone man giggled at her words.

“Really? I can hear it just fine.” He straightened himself as he spoke, letting his cupped hand fall to his side. “All I have to do is remember what a piano sounds like. Such a pity you can’t hear. It sounds peaceful, maybe a mirror to who I am.” Jack could think of many words to describe the stone man’s smile. Peaceful was not among them.

Applejack scoffed as she focused her ears one more time. She didn’t think Karl was telling even a lick of truth, but if humoring got him on his good side, that was one more party in her ever-growing group. Twilight taught her many things, and one of the greatest lessons was that you could never have too many friends. Or was that Pinkie Pie…

Regardless, the apple farmer perked her ears until they were taught above her head, twisting like a leaf in the wind. She heard nothing still. Nothing beyond where they stood. Just a vast emptiness that stretched on endlessly. No wind, no sound, nothing but empty space more vacant than a night sky.

Nothing but a piano in the air…

“Wait…”

Applejack focused on the sound, her eyes peering to where it echoed. She saw nothing in the abyss but more darkness, but her ears did hear the sound. A gentle piece, just as Karl had said, was drifting through the void. Applejack’s draw dropped as it became clearer and clearer to her ears.

Her eyes turned, still wide with shock and awe to her two companions. By their expressions alone, she knew she was not the only one to hear the song. Jack had unsheathed his blade at some point, when the mare did not know. It hung horizontally in front of him, like a thin shield. Dust was crouched low the stairs, as if preparing to jump. Both had their heads looking rapidly into the voice. Karl only widened his grin.

“It’s not bad, but it could do with some singing, don’t you agree little pony?” Applejack felt her slack muscles tightening until a scowl was back on her features. The expression only made the statue chuckle a little more. “Come now, can you not hear her voice? She’s singing of human concerns.”

Applejack tightened her hearing again, straining to hear a voice singing alongside the piano piece. None came to her, not at first. All she could hear was the slow tempo of notes, the gentle depression of the keys. But then, just like the music itself, the voice began to drift into music.

BEGIN

It was not the most beautiful voice Applejack had ever heard, that title would likely belong to the princesses for some time. But that did not mean the voice was any less alluring to the ear. It washed over the mare, filling her with a feeling that she could only place as ethereal. It left her asking only a single question.

“What’s wrong with her?” Applejack didn’t know when she said the words, but even she could hear the concern in her voice. “She… She sounds like she’s about ready ta cry.” Jack, however, had a different question.

“Where is she?” Jack asked instead. “She sounds lost, not unlike ourselves.” Dust then spoke up, his mind drifting down a path different than his two companions.

“How come we didn’t hear her before?” His hat turned towards the statue man, still grinning on the platform beside the stairs. Karl’s head cocked at the fox’s attention. “What did you do?”

“Me?” Karl asked in turn, placing a hand against his chest. “I didn’t do a thing. I merely appreciate music, and it is a lovely piece. Shouldn’t you instead be wondering on how to find her?”

“Ah think I know how.” The three turned their attention to Applejack.

The mare had since lowered her head, staring at the light beneath her feet with nothing less than wide eyes. She took in a slow breath of air, swallowing on nothing. She raised her hoof only to push her hat back, afraid it would tip forwards too far and fall into the abyss beneath her.

“Ah do know how.” She repeated her words with a more confident tone, her head slowly bobbing up and down as she spoke. With just as much speed, her eyes lifted to Karl, who was staring at her with a perplexed expression. His grin was still present, though not nearly as sharp as before. “Ah, Ah wanted to go up before… so these stairs just appeared for us. So… So now Ah want to find the girl singin’. So…” Applejack’s voice trailed off as her eyes drifted up the stairs.

Dust and Jack followed her gaze, looking up the stairs that extended into the void and beyond sight. Only Karl kept his gaze on the mare. None saw his grin sharpen. None heard his whispered words.

“Clever as the last two.”

The sound of the song was diminished as the ringing of lights overtook the abyss.

Applejack felt her legs bend quickly as the sound overtook her. Her perked ears bent beneath her hat. The mare’s eyes focused at the top of the stairs, straining to see through the blackness. She didn’t need so much effort.

As the ringing became louder, a new shape shimmered in the void.

Aside from its circular figure, it was hard to see any details of the new shape. It appeared to be no different than the stairs they stood on, only larger, brighter, and somehow louder. ‘Larger’ didn’t seem to justify its monstrosity.

It was like a column was carved straight from a mountain, leaving as much of the great stone structure as it could. The light that illuminated it was not blinding, but it could be called little else other than glorious. It was warm, but soft, gentle, though still  bright. It was enough to make Applejack forget this entire ordeal.

Then the light started to fade.

It didn’t dimmer like a withering candle, a normal expectation for any pony. Rather, it began to fly away. Pieces of the light literally began to fall from the structure, taking the shape of wings and flying into the void.

Jack watched, mesmerized and defensive, as the light fragments took on the shape of small birds. They were silent in the void, no sound of their flapping wings nor caws or crows to one another. They merely fell absently, catching themselves on a breeze the samurai couldn’t feel. Then, they flew away.

The birds vanished into the void no differently than the stairs before. At one moment, they were in their sight. The next, they were lost into the emptiness. What they left behind, however, was far more captivating.

Dust stared up at the new structure, titling his hat back with a digit from his paw. It was monstrous in size, and it only appeared to be larger without the light shining from it any longer. What was most captivating, however, wasn’t the size. It was the simple fact of what it was.

It wasn’t a large pillar of stone, nor another column of empty light. It was carved in stone, but it had glass. It was large and expansive, yet looked carefully, precisely constructed. The glass that hung across it was stained no differently than the floor they had come from before, each elaborately colored and assembled.

With the dark of the void around it, only the windows shone with brilliance, but it made the structure only that much more terrifying to gaze upon.

And the music continued to echo through the void.

“That’s… something else.” Dust mumbled absently from the back of the group, his hat tilted only enough to allow him to see the top of the structure.

“Took the words right outta my mouth,” Applejack agreed. She readjusted her own hat, the accessory nearly slipping off the back of her head with how high up she was looking. “But… that’s where the music is coming from, right?”

Jack did not answer. Instead, he started to walk again, far slower than earlier. His sword was still free from its sheath, hanging from his side with a tight grasp. His getta clacked lightly on the steps as he ascended. Applejack had to blink before she started to move.

“Hey, hold the wagon partner!” The farm pony called as she trotted lightly to catch up to the white robed man.

Beyond the earshot of the others, Karl chuckled. He stroked Arma as he followed the group with his eyes, leaning in close to his beloved bird.

“Perhaps the new girl in red was telling the truth, Arma,” He mused the bird quietly. “I wonder what other truths were in her lies.” The bird perked its head towards him, its red eyes staring blankly into his own scarred ones. Karl stifled a giggle at the bird.

“Right again, Arma. You devious bird you.” The statue took step forward on his lone platform, walking towards the abyss fearlessly. When his foot touched down, he bent on it, putting all of his weight on the leg. A moment later, he pushed off of it.

Karl sailed soundlessly through the empty space, smiling and grinning no differently than when he was standing and speaking. He landed with a dull boom on the stairs, muffled beneath the sound of the serenading piece drifting in the void. His eyes saw Dust give a momentary look backwards, but otherwise didn’t pay any mind. It made sense in all honesty. Who wouldn’t suspect him of following the trio?

Humming along with the piece, walking up the steps of light, Karl wondered what the girl in red had in store for him.

END

“Looking good, looking good,” Handsome Jack nodded in affirmation with his words, scratching the underside of his goatee as he spoke. “I think I’m starting to like this Karl guy. He knows to get the job done.” He popped a pretzel into his mouth, sucking the salt off of it before chewing it open-mouthed.

His heterochromatic eyes skewed as he watched the screen. At the same time, Jack’s lips puckered, a sour expression overtaking his features. He stuck out his tongue, the pretzel crumbled, damp, and broken on it. He let out a sound of distaste at the same time. His hand grabbed the salty snack and threw it to the floor.

“Agh, that one sucked.” Jack took a long sip of his soda to wash away the taste. “I thought I was getting premium stuff here. I can’t enjoy a good bandit slaughter without the right concessions. That’d be like flying first class without any seats! Angel!” The masked man waved his hand the air, calling to his wired daughter. “Can you get me good snacks in here, like, I don’t know, something chewy and sweet?”

“Processing,” Angel’s robotic voice spoke in recognition of her father’s words. “Possible matches include Happy Taffy, Sunbursts, Ocean Breezes, Diamonds Chews, Captaio-”

“The Diamonds! Yes! Those!” Jack spoke loudly as he pointed at his daughter. His head bobbed quickly with his motions. “Yeah, those are perfect. Cost half a million an ounce, but wow! I can almost taste the blood, sweat, and tears of the workers making ‘em.” He giggled as he salivated, already enjoying the idea.

“I will prepare them at once father,” Angel returned without any effort. “Is there anything else you require?” Jack’s response was not immediate.

Instead, he swallowed on his pooling saliva, running his hand over his lips. He puckered them, staring at the screen as the now-quartet of individuals walked up the flight of stairs. He could only imagine what the devil Azula was planning with them, or what new monster they were going to fight would be. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea of bandits and Neanderthal beings killed like the monsters they were.

But they still had to walk up the stairs, doubtlessly had another puzzle to solve, and who knows what else that green skinned ginger had in store for them in this little temple. It already took him a wild amount of recalibrations to find them in a void state, super condensed in a single spot in the temple. He had to hand to magic again, giving state-of-the-art technology a run for its money.

The giant mage made the puzzles and paths. The bratty teen was sending the bandits and demons. He was the one watching and broadcasting the show. But it was the super lizard that was the mastermind this time. It was the one waking up the different groups, pushing their buttons just right, and most importantly, making sure they always ended in a fight. There were more contestants to watch, more parties to see, not just a pony, a human, a fox, and a golem deceiving. And, the handsome Hyperion CEO thought as a mischievous grin overtook his features, another battle was just around the corner.

“Angel,” Jack commanded his daughter. “Put the blue haired siren’s group back on the big screen. I gotta feeling something good is about to happen.” He giggled at the ideas that flew through his mind.

“Right away father.”