Ganondorf was a careful man

There was never a move he made without considering the consequences, playing the fields of war and minds of his enemies as he would a game of chess. Every move had a consequence, a risk, a small opening that could be exploited. There was never such thing as a riskless move.

However, for every move he was not punished for, he always came a step closer to his goal. It was always a noticeable step, often a leap, never a margin to be ignored. He gained much power from such a path, and lost nothing he could not reclaim. Even his life was a item to be obtained again.

In a dark room of Canterlot Castle, he worked across a grand table, spanning the length of the room, and more than matching his already monstrous figure. Papers and scrolls were laid across it, scrawled with markings in more tongues than there were years in a pony’s life. His eyes looked over each one, switching from one parchment to the next in a pattern and wave only he knew.

All the while his eyes moved, so too did his lips, chanting in a whisper a tongue no other being in Equestria could understand, filled with a power only one other being could comprehend. His breaths were taken in hisses, never a moment spared left to waste. His eyes, lips, and mind worked with a speed that would leave most in pain, but to him brought only pleasure. His body, however, was still as stone.

Ganondorf’s hands were placed upon wooden table, heavy and armored palms flat against its surface. His fingers were flexed hard against the surface of the wood, nearly crushing it beneath his monstrous strength. But he held himself back, protecting the fragile furniture. He had to, afterall.

It was channeling the power he was forcing into it.

Not all of his power, not even enough to be generously called a fraction. But it was his power, and it was immeasurable in strength. It flowed in dark green wisps, ghosting over etches in the table, intricate in detail and design. Every mark across the wooden surface served an important purpose, and every ounce of energy that flowed through him was needed.

But all it did was channel his strength, holding his power like a river held water. It all flowed somewhere else, to an object that could house his strength, and hold his might. Across from the Evil King, embedded in the table across from him, stood that object in all of its dark and ominous glory. For every moment that passed, and word whispered, the grand object became ever darker.

With a sudden gasp, Ganondorf stopped.

The magic died away as he let his lips take in gulps of air, tired from the ordeal. His muscles burned despite their static nature,his lungs burned in spite of his quiet whispering and his mind pounded like the gorons were upon him.  But it did not matter, not in a great measure. This was a part of his plan, a great and terrible maze of turns he had orchestrated from the moment when he would ac, for when his prize was his to grasp. Without fail, and without consequence.

His head turned away from his work, letting his mind relax and body calm. Limits were meant to be pushed, but not without a clear gain. Here, he had time, he had patience, and he had no need to put himself in a position of absolute vulnerability.

Ganondorf looked into the shadows of a far corner, scowling at it as if he had seen a mouse scurry by. He raised his hand, waving it in front of him in a dismissive gesture. Sickly green smoke poured from his hand, collecting and pillowing in the air like a cloud.

His copper red eyes stared at the green smoke as it began to swirl, folding on top of itself with an increasing speed. Quickly, it began to expand, forming a ring in the air. Around was the room Ganondorf stood. Within it… was a vision of something else entirely.

The Evil King stared into the image, his scowl deepening as the pictures continued to move. The figure he glared at could pay him no mind, offered him no attention, and was completely unaware of his existence. It was the perfect way to observe a potential enemy.

Ganondorf was unconvinced the fool he was watching was anything close to a threat.

“He prances like a babe in her youth.” Her deep voice rumbled, scowl deepening as he watched the figure through his glass of smoke. “And he is the first of the champions for the Princess of Flames?” Ganondorf’s hair waved as he shook his head, disgraced with the thought alone.

“I make for the mad god a temple grander than any Hyrule has ever seen, one the gods would have given a mortal immortality to have dedicated in their name. Then she uses jesters to play the part of executioners.”

Ganondorf leaned back from his table of work, eyes looking upon the object of his work.

It was bathed in his power now, glowing darkly as it hummed. By sights alone, it was his greatest work, and near literally, the key to his plans. Beautiful in craft, in art, in metal, and most importantly, in strength.

His dark copper eyes looked again to the portal of mist, looking at man he knew only as a jester. His lips curled in a snarl before his hand roughly waved away the image, letting it drift into nothingness once more.

“It will not matter,” he spoke clearly, to himself, lips pulling into a high grin. “You have your plans princess, and I have mine.”

Ganondorf crossed his arms staring at his work with satisfaction.

“And no matter how long it takes. I always win.”

His laughter rang through the empty room.

“Left and right. Right and left.” Karl spoke to himself as he waited in the fiery hall he had entered. He would take a step, then another, then spin on the foot he came to rest on. Facing the other direction, he took his two extra steps and performed another solo pirouette. His arms swung at his sides, moving in a motion that matched the cheery smile on his face.

His eyes, no matter how he spun, almost never left the wall he had entered from. A lot of time had passed, too much for him.

Karl was not to be easily fooled, or one to be caught unprepared. The long absence of the pony and boy was a clear sign of planning without his presence. His very appearance was an oddity, and his continuing role with them a concern for the pair. They would either be planning a cautionary defense or a surprise attack. Both ideas brought grins to the living statue’s face.

“Deary me Arma,” Karl spoke to the black bird perched patiently on his shoulder. “Those two certainly are taking their time. What do you think could be keeping them?” His eyes watched with an amused grin as the raven’s head twitched left and right, red eyes following the gaze of its master.

Karl laughed.

“Ha ha! Yes, that is possible, but I doubt they will be so easily killed like that.” His footsteps ceased, head twisting until only his shoulders held it. His arms hung at his sides, smile unflinching or wavering. “Magic swords and magic horns, it makes sense why I feel so alive here, hm?”

“There is another reason for that.”

Karl’s body was still as stone. The voice came from behind him, and spoke without an air of fear, curiosity, or fatigue. If anything, it sounded pleased, maybe even a bit amused. Feminine, to be sure, but not a pitch or tone he was familiar with. His smile grew deep as his eyes narrowed, still staring at the fake rock wall.

“Are you not going to greet me?” The voice spoke again, speaking highly of itself in tone and words. “And here I thought you were the only respectable piece of rock I’d ever find. Or are you supposed to be walked on like every other pebble?” The deep smile across Karl’s lips twisted into a menacing grin.

His body twisted around, leaning on one foot as he looked down the hallway behind him. It was the same as when he had jumped through the fake wall. A fiery red, flames licking between the stones, and curved ahead just enough that it would make the perfect ambush for an unassuming traveler. It was his luck that the only two companions he had met were anything but unprepared.

There was something new however. A woman. Donned in light clothing, black hair twisted into a ponytail with a golden ornament keeping it locked in place. Her robes matched the décor of the hall they were in. It was a dark and burning red, trimmed with gold linings that Karl was sure would shine no less brilliant than the sun, given there was more light than the flames to fall upon them.

But the woman herself was far harder to read. She held a neutral smile, staring at Karl with her arms crossed behind her back. Her legs were placed one in front of the other, as if preparing to deliver a vicious kick, or make a deft flip. Her eyes were as hard and sharp as the bit of cloth she wore, golden like the edges of the flames around them.

“Hm hm,” Karl laughed with closed lips. “You’re quite the looker and the talker, a lip as sharp as your armor.”

“I can take that as a compliment,” the woman passively noted. She drew an arm out from her back, analyzing her nails with a critical eye. Karl’s eyes narrowed as she performed the action.

His hand swayed at his side, just a small amount, hardly noticeable if you weren’t looking for it. The bird on his shoulder gave a small look towards him, seeing only sharp eyes focused elsewhere. Arma then fell backwards behind the stone man, landing easily in his hand. Karl gripped the bird with a strong grasp.

“So tell me, who are you then?” The woman looked up at him, a subtle but deadly smile settled neatly on her lips, practiced and poised as her posture. Karl settled to both legs, pulling his cloak until it hid his hand, concealing his trump card.

“I’m a lot of things to you, Karl.” As soon as the name left her lips, the stone man’s brow rose.

“Really?” He questioned, raising his free hand to scratch the hard resin of his head. “You seem to have me at a disadvantage. I don’t know who you are, but you seem to know me. Now that’s not nice, especially during first meetings.”

“And you are a polite one, aren’t you?” One of the woman’s cheeks pulled on her lips, directing the smile to rise to one side of her face. Her golden eyes never faltered from him. “But I suppose introductions are in order.”

The woman’s posture changed, the arm behind her back sliding until it settled on her hip. The hand she was analyzing twisted and pushed away from her, facing palm up as she gave the living statue an amused grin.

“My name is Azula.”

“Azula,” Karl spoke back, letting his mouth hang open as he spoke the last letter of her name. His smile grew with the word. “Such a pretty name to make a pretty face. It suits you.” His words earned no reaction, positive or beneficial, to Karl.

“Thank you,” she returned to the stone man with a small bow of her head. Slowly, her feet began to move, one moving in front of the other as she walked towards him. Karl’s smile couldn’t grow any brighter.

“You’re shorter than I pictured you to be.” Azula spoke her thought aloud, golden eyes roaming over the living statue. “Menacing nonetheless.”

“Well I must admit, it does take a fair amount of hard work to keep myself looking this dashing.” Karl let his free hand roam over his face, carefully letting his hand fall over his eyes. If she was what he thought she was, she would strike then. But after a moment of stillness, he let his hand drop. Azula was closer to him, but with no more armed or dangerous than she was before.

“Yes, positively… striking.” She commented dryly. She was within an arm’s length when she stopped in front of Karl, hands folded behind her back. The smile on her lips pulled upwards as she looked at him with the ever scrutinizing eye.

“Just like that sword you are planning on using.”

Karl gripped the bird in his hand, forcing the raven to squirm only slightly. The next moment, it began to morph, changing shape as it had countless times before. Within a second, a well practiced and versed second, the lively raven was a dark cutlass, hidden behind the stone man’s back. Karl didn’t’ hesitate for even a moment.

His arm extended outwards from behind him, black sword stabbing forward into the human that mocked him so openly.

It met only air.

Karl remained frozen as still as the statue he was, trying to feel or hear for the woman that had vanished from his gaze and senses. He was fast, always had been, sneaky to boot. But Azula, wherever she was now, had not only avoided him, but did so while simultaneously hiding herself. She was not to be underestimated, just as he had thought.

“Think better about who you are pointing that at.” The demeaning voice spoke from behind him. Karl didn’t hesitate to twist on his footing. His body spun with his feet, arms swinging in a wide arc as the sword was brought over his head and down behind him, doubtlessly cutting into the still confident human.

The sword clattered harshly against the rocks. Karl’s eyes furrowed in annoyance. Again, he saw, felt, and heard nothing around him. Only the licking flames beneath the rocks reached his senses.

“Tired of that yet? Because my patience is wearing thin.” His hands gripped the sword tightly, fighting the urge to thrust backwards again. But he controlled himself. Instead, Karl rose to his feet, remaining still. In the same motion he let Arma transform from the sword in his hand back into a raven, flying and landing on his shoulder deftly. Putting a smile over his lips, he turned to face the woman. She stood where she did when she first addressed him, unchanged in even the smallest of ways.

“You are quite nimble aren’t you?” He teased lightly, hand pointing towards her as he swayed on his feet. He couldn’t remain still. Azula, however, had her lips in a thin line.

“Nimble as I am, I didn’t need to wave a finger to avoid those unpracticed swings from you.” Her hand waved at him in dismissal. Karl’s smile remained etched on his face, hard as stone. “I wouldn’t doubt if you depend solely on your cunning in battle, because you lack any proper form of swordplay I’ve seen.”

“Oh, I assure you it gets the job done. Just hold still for a second and I can show you.” Karl held his palms outwards, as if he was seriously awaiting Azula’s response. The woman smiled coyly at him, tilting her head backwards till her gaze looked down on him.

Her gaze was the very image Karl had seen in too many moments before. The look a human would give when they thought themselves above something, the snide twisted grin of confidence and lifted eyes of loftiness. It made his mask feel heavy.

“You honestly think me to be just another typical human, don’t you?” The words dripped from her like poison, a substance Karl fantasized destroying. “Just another pile of blood and bones to be spilt by your formless weapon.” Her hand dismissed the bird on his shoulder, waving Arma off like a fly. The stone bird cocked its head in reaction.

“Aw, now that was just uncalled for,” Karl responded in kind, voice high and cheery. “He didn’t do any harm to you, or against you. After all, I did miss, so there was no harm. And like you humans are so proud to say, there isn’t any foul for it.”

“What makes you think I’m human Karl?” Her voice whispered behind his ear.

The stone man swung arm backwards, intending to smash the head of the soul that had attempted to sneak upon him. But as he had tried before, he met only empty air. That is, until it collided with the fiery wall of the small cavern hall. Red rock crumbled beneath his arm.

Karl’s eyes were wide, but vacant, staring at the ground as if it were a wondrous site. He still could not sense Azula, let alone any other life around him. Could not hear, see, or even feel the vibrations of their movement. Without a conversation, he would have sworn he was alone, save for his faithful partner on his shoulder. But his eyes did not betray, and his ears offer no false whispers of wind. He was being toyed with. And, he hated it.

“While it is amusing to watch you grasp at flames, time is short and I am not one to make special considerations for others.” Karl turned his ear to Azula’s voice, still holding a mocking tone as it twistedly ordered him. The smile on his mask was gone, but he couldn’t face her without it.

His hand fell from the wall, leaving him silent and still. He didn’t speak, move, or speak for sometime. Only the small crackles of flames from the rocks around them kept silence from the air. Slowly, Karl’s head lift and he spun on a heel to see the red clothed woman standing where she had always been, haughty smile still across her lips.

“Does that mean you have something for me?” He asked, letting his smile swim across his face as naturally as a fish did through water. “It has been a long time since I was given a gift, at least one that I didn’t have to chop a few arms and legs for.” His eyes fell to half mast as his lips continued to pull themselves in a grin. Azula watched on, amusement never falling.

“I do have something for you, and it has to do with what I am.” She took a step towards him, testing the ground between them. Karl did not react, and the bird remained perched on his shoulder. “But first, prove to me that you are worth the knowledge I’m about to give you. I would no sooner hand a sword to a babe, and what I have to give is little different than a weapon, in the hands of the capable.”

“Deary me, does this mean you’re going to test me?” Karl voiced the question as if he had never heard of such an idea before.  Azula smiled devilishly.

“It’s the manner of test that you will be unprepared for, of that I can assure you.” Her words placed a noticeable weight on the living statue, but his smile did not teeter, and his gaze was never anything less than confidant. Leaning in, she placed her head just beside his own black hair from her tied tail drifting over his placid features.

“Tell me Karl, what am I?”

The living statue’s mind began to work.

She wasn’t human, of that he could be sure. No human could react or move like she did, not only avoiding his attacks, but forcing him to lose track of her as well. Besides most humans were prideful of their nature, happy to be; greedy monsters. No, she was something else entirely.

But, if not a human, then what? He had met monsters and others in the past, beast and phantom alike. She did not carry the familiar traits of anything tangible, and was therefore no creature of natural beginnings. She did, however, have the air and confidence of an elder being, or at least one who thought of themselves as such.

Disregarding what he had seen in individuals, it was likely that this Azula’s confidence was backed with honest talent and not false feats from her past. She carried herself with grace, yet stood close enough to him without trace or thought of fear. There were those in the past who had done such an act before, but they were few and very far between.

Like a flame bursting to life, the knowledge came to him. Karl opened his arms as if to embrace the woman. Neither made motion to actually make contact.

“Oh goody, another source of energy come to mock me.” Azula smiled darkly at his words.

“You were crafted masterfully, that much I can be sure of.” She spoke as if sizing him up, careless of his presence in front of her. “Strength in body and cleverness in mind. I do believe you are-”

“So,” Karl interrupted her on a dime, holding up his colored and stone hand in front of the dark haired woman, the ever-present smile still on his lips. “Do you energy sources know one another? I’m looking for the last one to lead me down a blind trail and drop me at the first sign of failure.” Karl’s smile was harder than the stone he was made of. The red clothed woman, however, took a few steps back as she recovered from being interrupted. It was clearly not a common act to occur to her.

“You are referring to that spirit who followed you through Talos.” Azula spoke easily. It earned a clapping of hands from the statue man.

“Yes! Her! I still owe her a few debts. It’s only fair I pay her back for teaching me so many valuable lessons.” Karl’s arms fell to his side, head leaning back till his gaze looked towards the red rock ceiling not high above him. “And a reminder for myself I nearly had forgotten.”

“Really? And, what were these… lessons she taught you?” Azula ventured towards the statue man, but did not take a step towards or away from him. Karl’s head fell and let their eyes meet.

“That no one is to be trusted. Human, machine, or even spirit.”

Azula’s smile was just as coy and dark as Karl’s.

“No one.” She spoke in return, either in agreement or mockery. “Trust no one but yourself, because in the end the only thing that matters is yourself.” Karl’s smile grew wider as his eyes became darker.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” The living statue cheered, backing away with each word. “Oh, you are much more fun than that devil of Talos. At least you know how I think.” His arms fell to his sides as his eyes shut, smile still omnipresent. “I’m still not going to trust you.”

“Trust is a commodity that little value exists in.” Azula dismissed with a wave of her hand. “It is inferior to a great many of other emotions. Fear, for example, is much easier, and much more reliable, than the flippant values that trust depends on.”

Were either of them the kind of people, they doubtlessly would have embraced.

“Not only do you understand me, you complete me!” Karl gave a muffled laughter as his hand covered his mouth, joy emanating from his every core.

“So you know what I am then.” Azula began again, putting their conversation back on track with a single phrase. “And you agree so earnestly that we are alike.” Her arms crossed behind her back, returning his stance into a position of power.

“Will you then accept what I have to offer?”

With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, Karl walked in front of the fire colored woman, stopping when he was a breath’s length away from her. Leaning down he, looked deeply into her eyes, letting her hard golden irises stare into his gray lifeless orbs.

“No.”

Azula’s smile fell. Karl’s didn’t.

“No?”

“Nope!” Karl spoke the synonym with a raise of hand, smile seemingly glowing with the flames around him. “Nope. No. Rejection. Refusal. Veto. Denial. And, Dismissed.” The living statue joyfully listed, nearly dancing with every word that he spoke. Arma flapped her wings to keep her balance on her shoulder.

The Flame Princess, however, watched with sharp golden eyes. Her smile was gone, replaced with a straight mute line, contemplating thoughts that couldn’t be read. A slow breath of air entered her before she spoke.

“Dismiss me if you must, but you will regret your ignorance later Karl.” Azula calmly warned as she walked towards him. The statue didn’t even flinch towards grabbing Arma from his shoulder. “Hear my words and remember them if you so choose. I can only promise you will regret not doing so.”

“Then by all means,” Karl invited, taking a step back with a small bow. “Waste your breath on me.” His smiled twisted in amusement as he heard the spectral thing click its tongue.

“I am the spirit that brought you back to life, Karl of the Castle of Nations.”

The name and declaration earned an immediate head raise from the statue man. But Azula did not stop.

“Be aware that there is more to look for in these fiery caverns than just a way out. There lies a great power that you must find. A power you are not familiar with, but that you will doubtlessly enjoy.” Her hand rose into the air, and her fingers snapped.

Karl was met with a dazzling display of fire.

“I fear we may have left him to his own devices for too long.” Luna muttered as she stared up at the ceiling, peering at the wall she knew to be false, marked clearly by the sword marking Riku had made. “If he truly does conspire against us, time alone in a location unseen is all he needs to plot.”

“Honestly, he could do that while walking with us.” Riku spoke bluntly besides the princess, his hand extended to his side. “The only thing I’m worried about is getting ‘surprised’ by him once we get up there. Speaking of which.” Just as he had done before in the chamber now behind them, Riku focused his magic through his arm. Swirling darkness began to form by his side, the same thick silk growing from his appendage until it matched him in height and width. It churned with the same ominous power as before. It took only a glance to see the same device hovering above them.

“That oughta do it.” He spoke with affirmation, pulling his arm out of the portal and letting it fall back to his side. The alicorn at his side twisted her head as she examined the device for the second time.

“Remind me to inquire with you how your magic works.” Luna noted as her gaze slowly fell to the white haired boy. “My curiosity is great for how it works, as I can tell by sight alone how different it is from mine.”

“Same here,” Riku responded, a small smirk pulling at his lips as he spoke. “But let’s do it later, when we’re not trying to escape from some lava cavern full of secret walls and talking rocks, huh?” His words were answered with a soft smile and chuckling from his winged companion.

“Indeed,” Luna agreed, stepping towards the portal. Riku only had to turn to join her side, his free hand on his hip, the other still gripping his curved colored blade. “Let us see what Karl has done in our brief absence.”

The two entered the dark portal, washed over with the same sensations of cold chills and absence of warmth. However, Luna didn’t even have the moment to breathe before she felt the warmth and humidity of the chamber return to her, held back only by her still magical shield.

It took only a small glance of her eyes to see the wall of rock behind them, specks of dark shadows reaching up and through the imaginary boundary. Riku however, had his eyes trained forward, looking down the corridor they had entered.

It mirrored closely the first continuous chamber they had found themselves trapped within. It was small and thin, but large enough for both of them to move beside one another. Ahead, the silver haired boy could see the corridor turn, much sharper than the curvy tunnel from before.

There was, however, a figure standing in front of them and that small turn, facing away from them and still as stone.

“Karl,” Luna called the stone man’s name, earning a small twist of his head.

His smile was unchanged, body unmarred, and black bird still perched carelessly on his shoulder. Nothing was different at all. He turned to them as they approached, stone grey hand waving at them.

“Why hello there,” he greeted as if they had not met before. “I was wondering when you’d get here. Don’t suppose that height was too much trouble for you?” The alicorn scoffed at his words.

“We were momentarily inconvenienced, that is all.” Luna responded coolly to the stone man’s spirited tone. “Did our absence bore you so quickly?”

“Not at all, I actually found it quite enjoyable.” The statue man spun on his heel, twisting away from them and down the small corridor ahead. “It’s amazing what you can learn when you can learn in just a few minutes.”

“Wait, learn?” Riku questioned, walking in front of Luna as he questioned Karl. The Path to Dawn was gripped just a bit tighter in his hand. Karl’s head twisted at the obvious gesture. “What did you learn in an empty hallway?”

Luna’s vision was focused carefully on the statue as Riku phrased his question, watching the features of the painted resin with as scrutinizing an eye as she gave her night sky. But no matter how deeply her eyes stared at Karl’s features, all she could see were empty eyes and a haughty grin.

“Why yes, learn.” He spoke the word with an undeniably chipper attitude. “They’re only small mysteries mind you, but still riddles that I do so enjoy to crack. You didn’t expect me to solve the mysteries of life in a couple seconds alone, did you? Though if you did, I do appreciate the confidence in my abilities.” Karl’s eyes shut with a twist of his head, lips parted in an open mouth smile.

“You avoid the point,” Luna spoke with her commanding tone. “We wish to know of what you have learned. How you learned what you have will naturally follow.” The dark alicorn watched cautiously as the living statue’s features focused on her, lips shutting and eyes peering at her, judging her. It gave her coat an uncomfortable bristle.

“As wise as you look your highness.” He spoke easily, swaying on his feet before performing a small spin. “Well, secrets are meant to be kept from friends, hm?” His spinning stopped as his hand was placed on one of the rock walls.

Riku gave a small wince of pain before realizing it was not a hand of flesh that touched the likely molten temperature rock. It was rock on rock, poor conductors of heat, and just as likely, free of any nerve endings. Karl’s twisted head looked towards them, Arma on his shoulders peaking at them with its own cocked face.

“Were you not curious why there are illusions in this place?” The question hung between the three, sitting with a pregnant pause. “I had to wonder it myself when I watched you two walk through a wall, and then asked me to jump through a roof.” Karl’s hand drew back, letting him stare at the gray and colorless hand. Riku and Luna watched on in caution.

“Magic is like any other source of energy. Versatile, doubtlessly, but also limited. It has to come from somewhere in order to be used, and once used, it’s gone forever.” He flexed his digits individually, testing the mobility of each small appendage. It balled into a fist before dropped back to his side. His small dotted eyes looked back to the swordsman and princess, smile much smaller than before, but still ever present.

“Even if these illusions are just… enchantments. There must be something here to give them power. Now, if we remove that power, the illusions will fall” Riku snapped his fingers

“Then we’ll be able to find our way out!” Luna’s eyes widened at the realization herself.

“That’s ingenious,” she complimented honestly to the statue man. “Never mind a search through walls for an exit that is likely concealed by even stronger illusions, we merely remove the core of the structure and walk out without incident.”

“My thoughts as well, down to the letter,” Karl agreed, cheerful as ever. “So, all we have to do is search the flaming caverns for an object that has enough power to create illusions throughout the entire chamber and do so without courting death. Doesn’t sound too difficult.”

Luna and Riku were momentarily frozen by the almost excited manner he described their situation with. If his friend from years past hadn’t proven it before, Riku was now completely sure that an optimist was far more annoying than any pessimist he had ever met. Luna was not far from him in judgement, seeing much of her sister’s charismatic and hopeful nature in the attitude of the living statue.

Nevertheless, they had a plan now, and they owed it to the living rock for it. As Karl began to set a pace, the two followed behind him. Luna kept a small portion of her magic channeled through her horn just as Riku kept the Path to Dawn secure in his hand.

“Oh, I almost forgot!”

The sudden declaration from Karl caused the pair to still instantly, watching him cautiously, as his hand met with the flat of his forehead. He turned easily, looking at both of them with his hand raised just above his head.

“Have either of you seen a girl around here?”

Both Riku and Luna’s careful gazes fell into twisted looks of complete confusion.

“What?” The single worded question was flatly asked from the white haired teen, brows screwed in confusion. Luna gazed at the stone man with a similar expression.

“A girl,” Karl spoke again, “About your age I’d guess? Black hair knotted on her head? Red clothes?” His hand waved over his head as he spoke, smile never falling.

The dark alicorn turned her gaze to look at her human partner, Riku doing the same. The shared a silent conversation, both looking at the other for any hint that there may have been an unshared jest or joke they did not understand. When only confusion was mirrored in their eyes, Luna turned back to the stone man.

“Karl,” she began carefully, head slowly shaking left and right. “You are the only other living thing we have found in this place, aside from a small creature barren of intelligence. We have seen no women, let alone one befitting your description.”

“That’s a shame.” The living statue’s hand fell to his side, body rocking in the same direction as he spun in place. “Well, we can’t waste any more time. Who knows what we’ll find in this place, hm?” Without waiting for a response, the statue began to walk down the heated passage, a spring in his step with arms swinging at his sides.

Luna and Riku watched him for a moment, more perplexed and confused than they were the moment they first met him. Once more their eyes met, and another silent message was passed between them. A nod from the boy, followed by an affirmative return from the alicorn.

They followed close behind the statue, neither one dropping their guard or caution as they moved.

“Oh, playing a dangerous game.” The draconequus mused to himself as he watched the stone man walk off with his pair of pawns. Discord held a proud smile over his lips, one that had been there the very moment Azula had appeared and refused to depart even after she had. “But that’s the fun of watching children play I suppose. Especially when you give them new toys to play with.”

His claw and paw knitted together, sharp talons weaving between his thick fingers as he laid back in the sky, watching the dark alicorn trade cautionary looks towards the enthusiastic statue and offering comforting nods to the white haired boy by her side. Discord sneered as he watched them.

“This is just so great!” He cheered as she flipped himself, tail pointing up and head aimed towards the ground. “So close to the end for each of these puppets, and I can’t wait to see what strings are cut.”

A pair of scissors appeared in front of Discord. He snatched them in his talon and held them in front of his equine head. He aligned the scissors along his gaze, keeping them close to his eyes, but pointing towards the screen he watched.

Luna’s head sat between the blades.

“Snip, snip.” Next Chapter: A Puzzle Solved Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 56 Minutes