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Rainbow Game, Room 11
Labyrinth
Viola was just starting to doze off when Snaggle’s voice snapped her back to reality. The red mare was too far away to make out the words, but her angry tone was all too audible. What had happened? Was there another fight? Her heart sank and Viola dreaded checking on what it was, pulling her hooves a little closer. At her side Ghost listened warily, his light pupils glowing in the dim light of their corner by the door, until the shouting stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
“Ghost… What was dat…?” she asked in a whisper, hoping he had made out at least a few words. “Am Snaggwe in twoubew…?”
“Ghost nu know,” the batfluff replied with an absent lick at his mouth. “Nu couwd heaw…”
“Oh…” She should check on it. Viola knew she should, she was the ‘heart’, she was the one keeping everyone safe and together. But her chest felt like lead and her limbs like strands of grass; going and finding another terrible situation was simply impossible, no matter how much she knew she had to try. As Ghost licked at his mouth again, though, Viola found herself distracted from such thoughts. “… What’s wong? Sumfing stuck in mouthie?”
“Huh? Nu…” Ghost blinked, taking a moment. “Bwoken fangie am gone. Feews stwange…”
He lifted his lip, and Viola gasped - there was a gap where his broken fang should have been! “D-Did fangie faww out when Duffew hit yu? Nee’ find it!”
To her surprise and confusion, Ghost shook his head. “Nu, was gone befowe dat. When woke up in white woomie, mebbe…”
White room? The same one where Duffle had lost his horns, and Lolo had her leg wrapped up… Oh. Viola relaxed, exhaling. “Oh. Su it was Daddeh dat took fangie…”
Ghost nodded and glanced to his back, voice growing quiet. “Just wike wingies. Ghost faww asweep wif bwoken wingies, and wake up wiffout wingies…”
They never got Ghost’s story, Viola suddenly realized. He had still been too shy to join in when the others gave theirs, and Daddy had interrupted before anyone could ask. It felt so long ago now… Her voice was soft as she spoke. “Ghost…? What was… What was thingies wike befowe yu came hewe?”
The bat fluffy was silent, and when Viola looked up Ghost had turned away. Oh. It must have been nothing good, then.
If his wings had been broken even before Daddy took them away…
“Sowwy. Nu shud haf asked,” Viola murmured. Snaggle’s voice called out again, just as distant as before, but tinged with fear and distress instead of rage. It cut off right away and Viola tried to swallow the clump in her throat.
She should go check. It was her duty. Wasn’t it? … But then she heard Lolo, the old mare’s voice gentle and coming closer. Before long she came into view, gently leading Snaggle whose red cheeks were flooded with tears.
Viola forced herself to ask. “What happen? Why am Snaggwe cwying?”
There was a thoughtful, forlorn look in Lolo’s eyes as she considered her reply. “Snaggwe’s smawty am a vewy bad fwuffy,” she finally settled on.
“Nu, S-Snaggwe an’, an’ Smawty, haf a fight,” Snaggle sobbed. “Smawty chase away Indigo, an’, Snaggwe say am bad smawty, bu’…” Her voice died for a moment before she could continue. “… Smawty say some thingies, an’ then weave, an’… and now Snaggwe nu haf any ghosties anymowe, am aww gone, and am aww Snaggwe fauwt.”
That didn’t sound like her fault… Viola frowned, not knowing what to say.
“Nu am yu fauwt,” Lolo corrected in her steadt. “Yu smawty is bad fwuffy. Dat nu is because of yu, and yu am bettew wiffout bad Smawties.” She sighed and then looked to Viola. “Snaggwe needs bweak. Can she stay wif yu? Stiww nee’ find buttons.”
Viola nodded. So it had been a fight with her smarty. Not with her friends, not anything actually dangerous. The heavy weight in her chest lifted both at the new knowledge and at the realization Lolo was still here to help. She was old and wise, she knew better how to comfort someone.
After Snaggle had settled and caught her breath, when Lolo was turning to leave, there was a click and suddenly the door opened. Viola jumped and turned toward it, eyes wide; what happened? Wasn’t Lolo supposed go find the buttons? It shouldn’t have opened yet… The other fluffies seemed just as surprised, and it took a few moments for anyone to parse what was going on.
Duffle. He was the only one not with them, so if anyone had opened the door it must have been him.
The group quickly regained itself and Lolo nudged Snaggle through the door before following suit. Ghost was slower, taking a few moments to cautiously get up and poke his snout into the doorway. Viola stayed where she was, looking around for Duffle’s large, dark body among the bookshelves, but saw nothing.
… Was he not coming?
No, no, he would come. She shook her head of the thought; he had to come. Bunny’s warning of what happened to those left behind was all too vague and too long ago, but she remembered it was bad. And Duffle didn’t deserve something bad, even if he’d hurt someone. He just didn’t.
“Viowa?” asked Ghost, still standing in the doorway.
“Duffew nu am hewe yet…”
For a few moments she got no reply. Then, softly, came a cautious voice. “Dat’s gud… isn’ it?”
It hurt to hear. “Nu! Nu am gud,” Viola shot back and shook her head. “Viowa go find Duffew!”
“N-Nu!” A note of distress had entered Ghost’s voice, but thankfully Viola didn’t have to go anywhere as she finally saw Duffle’s thick head peer from behind a bookshelf.
“Duffew!” she called and waved her hooves. “Dis way, huwwy! Doow am open now!”
The fluffalo opened his mouth to speak, stopped, then gave her a reluctant nod. “Otay…”
Viola finally headed through the door, Duffle in tow, and - as expected - the doorway shut as soon as they were all through. There was no dark corridor on the other side, though. Instead they had gone directly into another room, with three paths to take. The other fluffies had already spread out a bit, and not knowing who to follow, Viola’s ears drooped. “Huh? What way do fwuffies go …?”
“Nu dis way,” Lolo answered from partway down the middle path. “Dewe am pit wif spikies hewe.”
Oh… So that was the challenge, then. Just finding the right path? But how would they do that? As the other fluffies moved to return, the overhead lights suddenly shut off - and everything became pitch black.
“EEEEP!!” Viola cried out instinctively, fumbling in vain for someone to grab onto. Why’d it all go dark?! There was no way to see anything now! She could hear Lolo and Snaggle yelp and struggle to find their bearings, and the confused near-moo of Duffle. Even they were scared of the dark! And they were adults!
“Evveyone hewe?” Lolo called worriedly. “Nu move!”
“Ghosties… Whewe go?” Snaggle was asking herself, voice quiet and frail. “Anyone?” Duffle’s hooves were scraping audibly at the floor. And then the soft fur of a fluffy tail brushed against Viola. She looked up to see the small, glowing light of two bright gray pupils.
“Dis way,” Ghost said in a whisper. There was no urgency to his voice, nor any fear. He sounded completely normal?
The thought hit Viola like a truck. Lolo had said Ghost was a bat fluffy; a fluffy that could see in darkie places! She instinctively yelped; “Ghost! Yu can see!”
The bat fluffy quickly hushed her, his nod to move barely visible. “Hewe, dis way.”
He began to walk, and Viola followed. But it only took her a few steps to realize he wasn’t telling anyone else. “… Ghost? What about othew fwuffies?”
Ghost ignored her. Viola frowned and tried again, hurrying to keep pace with her friend’s front hooves. “Ghost, nee’ teww othew fwuffies tuu!”
Even seeing just his pupils, the hurt and unsure look on Ghost’s face didn’t escape her and his pace slowed to a near stop. He didn’t sound quite honest. “Nu cawe about othews…”
“Pwease,” Viola whined. “Nu couwd haf hewped yu wiffout Snaggwe an’ Wowo’s hewp! Dey am gud fwuffies, dey cawe!”
Ghost came to a complete halt, watching Viola now. She couldn’t see his expression well, but those softly glowing pupils looked almost scared. “What about Duffew…?”
“D-Duffew nu am bad fwuffy… Wight? Duffew was nice befowe, wight? Nu am Duffew fauwt, nu had choice!” Viola grasped for anything she could use to convince the bat fluffy, shuffling her hooves. “Daddeh towd Duffew… said dat if nu huwt Ghost, wud haf tu huwt Viowa. Dat’s why…!”
“Ghost? Viowa?” called Lolo from somewhere, voice tinged with worry. “Whewe awe yu?”
“Nu wan be huwt again,” Ghost whispered after a brief pause.
“Nu wiww be! Pwease, Ghost? Viowa pwomise, Duffew nu wiww huwt yu again. Nu wiww huwt anyone!”
She felt Ghost slump, the lights vanishing as he closed his eyes. “… Otay,” he finally relented and turned back to the others. “Dis way!”
Viola stayed by his side as he nudged Lolo and Snaggle, and despite a moment’s hesitation he even touched Duffle. With everyone collected, he just had to lead the way; Viola held onto the thick fluff of Ghost’s tail, with Lolo similarly holding onto Viola’s tail. After Lolo came Snaggle, and last was Duffle.
It felt weird, Lolo almost tugging Viola’s butt into the air a few times before getting used to the height difference, but then they were walking. Ghost was careful, the only hints of light coming from his eyes when he turned a corner or looked around particularly hard. A few times he would stop and back up, forcing everyone to do the same, and often she felt him turn only to change direction before even going anywhere.
The twists and turns were all impossible to keep track of. Viola couldn’t help but think of what had almost happened; if Duffle had killed Ghost, then this strange dark room would have been impossible.
And then, all too suddenly, they turned a corner to find a bright light. Ghost flinched a bit and for once, Viola understood him; after so much darkness, the brightness hurt her eyes. But all she could do was squeeze her eyes shut and keep walking until finally, Ghost stopped.
“… Am thwu now,” he said with a tired exhale. “Can wet go…”
Viola felt her tail be released and let go of Ghost, wiping her eyes and carefully opening them. They were at an open door, leading to that familiar between-rooms hallway, and a quick glance around confirmed that all fluffies were accounted for.
“Thank yu,” she whispered. There was no answer, but Ghost shot her an apologetic look before entering the hallway.
Once through the scary dark maze, Viola and Lolo couldn’t help but look for any escape routes. There weren’t any of course; whatever weak point Bunny had dug out before wasn’t there now. Ghost was more busy watching the others and Snaggle was wandering ahead, off in her own world, asking for her mean smarty and searching for something nobody could see. Duffle wasn’t doing anything at all, staying some distance behind them so as not to pose a threat.
What would face them in the next room? Would there be another vote? Viola felt terrible just thinking about it. She didn’t want a vote… They’d lost enough fluffies to them already.
Suddenly Snaggle near recoiled, stiffening and staring at the air. “Toy Boat!?”
What? Had Toy Boat come back? Viola’s ear flicked and she couldn’t help but be drawn to the red mare, who gasped in shock. “What happen?”
Snaggle whirled to look at the others, eyes wide. “Toy Boat said - said thewe am widdwe hooman! Outside! Bunny came back wif a widdwe hooman!”
Horror swept over Viola, even as Duffle and Ghost grew hopeful. Humans were strong. A human could help them. That was the thought that seemed to go through their minds, but what had caught Viola’s attention most was the word little. A little human, a child. Her owner had a child, a girl, and one thing Viola had been taught was that human children were no match for human adults. If Bunny had brought back Viola’s little human owner; if she were to face the terrible Daddy that put Viola and everyone through this …!
“W-What widdwe hooman wooks wike?” she asked shakily, begging to be wrong. It couldn’t be her little human, it just couldn’t. Anyone but her!
Snaggle looked to the spot where Toy Boat had to be, waiting a few seconds. “Says… Haf wots of cowows and jingwy bits.”
Jingly bits? That didn’t sound like anything Viola’s little human would wear. She tilted her head; but if it wasn’t her, then who was it? Who had Bunny brought, and where was she? They had to break out and go find this little human!
“–ck. Move,” Daddy’s voice crackled out of nowhere, causing Viola to cringe. He sounded angry and there was no joy or froggy hum in his voice. “I don’t have time for your stalling, get moving or you’re breaking another rule. And if you do, I am taking your heart.”
Fear flickered through Snaggle’s eyes. “Nu want to,” she whispered uncertainly. “Fwuffies am su cwose… Hewp am su cwose…”
“Haf tu pway awong,” Lolo replied. “At weast fow now.”
Did they know what he meant? What their ‘heart’ was? Viola felt like she was filled with bugs, crawling through her insides and writhing under her skin. She wanted to throw up and watch fleas spill out. It was clear now; Daddy was mad at her. Specifically at her. Why? What had she done?
There was no choice but to do as he’d said, and soon they were back in that horrible voting room, door snapping shut behind them. The blood under the spotlight had turned a dark color, long-since dried and soaked into the floor. Viola lingered near her voting panel but didn’t dare step onto it; every second that passed she hoped for someone to burst in and tear open the wall. To open the door and save them from making another choice.
But nobody came. Snaggle was again alone it seemed, searching around the walls for a way out, and soon Lolo and Duffle were doing the same. Even Ghost tried to help out, but Viola herself felt too sick to try.
And even so, nothing happened. Time passed and their stalling gained no warning or reprimand for what felt like forever, the fluffies left to simply squirm and fret among themselves. Then, after they’d exhausted their searches, a sharp buzz suddenly filled the room; Daddy’s speakers had turned on. There were no words. Just a buzzing, static noise that filled the room and then shut off again.
Something was wrong.
Everything was wrong.
Viola didn’t know what to do, but that static seemed like a warning. No words felt needed and she dreaded the thought of a punishment, so she stepped onto her tile and before long, unnerved by the lack of words, Snaggle and Ghost had done the same. But Duffle remained at the wall and while she approached her panel, Lolo stopped before touching it.
“… Daddeh nu am thewe,” the old yellow mare muttered, warily watching the ceiling. “What is going on…?”
“Maybe widdwe hooman?” suggested Snaggle. “Maybe am causing Daddeh pwobwems.”
Viola scraped a hoof at the colored floor. Could a child cause that much trouble? Would the child be safe? But… It would explain why things had been silent so long. She stared at her shut-down podium. If Daddy was busy, then maybe they wouldn’t have to vote.
The buzzing sound returned and along with it came that frustrated, non-cheery voice. “–et on the fucking tiles, yellow. Black too.” Daddy’s voice fell silent for a moment, only audible as a quiet hiss, before returning in the theatrical tone they were used to. “Welcome back, everyone! It’s time for a voting session! Now, all these fluffies have gotten along so well…”
The voice cut short again, speakers turning off. Viola could only stare, waiting for it to return, but nothing else happened until Duffle and Lolo reluctantly stepped onto their panels.
The fence rose around them, gating them in, and the little screen in front of Viola turned on to display the faces of her friends. It didn’t feel fair; to vote someone off when they were this close to escape… When someone was there to save them…
Viola stared at the screen. It flickered. Something was wrong. Daddy was acting strange. Why? What was going on anymore?
… She didn’t want to do this. But then what was she to do?
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