The blood pooled together at the edge of the small cut. Like a dam bursting forth, the drops overwhelmed the surface tension, and flowed down like a shallow river. They finally returned to small drops as they fell one by one onto the floor. As the blood slammed against the porous stone, they burst and sent a small splatter of red around. The splash of color only lasted a moment before the stone pulled the red liquid down under its surface.

Nugget made her stance slightly wider as she kept her eye shut as her blood poured over it. She stared at the strange machine below her. It was like a sea urchin, with its spikes extending like thick metal tentacles in all directions and implanted into the walls themselves. With its round center nestled in the center of them all. The orb was covered in small divots and hills all across its surface. It was suspended in the air and paid no mind to Nugget at all.

The hen appraised the machine with her good eye as her blood continued to drip onto the floor where it disappeared. After a moment, she closed her eye. She shook her head back and forth and sent her blood flying around her before she tensed up and ruffled up the rest of her feathers as well. She held this for a moment, before she slowly let out a breath of air. As she released the air from her lungs, she slowly relaxed.

After almost a full minute of her slowly letting out air, she held her breath. As she took in a quick breath, her eye flung open and she leaped onto one of the tendrils that extended out from the orb.

As Nugget moved, a groaning sound rose up from the machine, like a rusty door being forced open. This was quickly followed by a loud hissing sound.

Nugget slid around the metallic tentacle to put it between her and the orb. As the hissing sound increased, the tendrils started to all wave and shake, all while the orb at the center remained in place, as if its position was affixed upon reality itself. As the tentacles all shook around the hissing changed into short bursts.

Tss

Tss Tss

Tss

Nugget's talons dug into the metal as best as they could as she struggled to keep her footing. As the burst started to increase in frequency, Nugget tried to run along the tendril towards the bumpy orb. She weaved back and forth in the empty air, as she twisted around the tube from the top to the bottom, and all along the sides. All while inching ever closer to the orb. Then, the feathers on her left wing rustled, and a moment later, a cut appeared along that very same wing. Half of a couple feathers flew off of her, and within moments, they were torn apart into smaller and smaller pieces until they all but disappeared.

Nugget clenched her beak tight as she tried to push forward. When the feathers on her neck rustled a few steps later, she leaped back towards where she started. She positioned herself with the tentacle between her and the orb again as she landed back on the floor. But despite being further away, she didn't relax. The hissing continued, and the tendril kept dancing around. With her feet firmly on the ground, the hen slid left and right as the metal structure rolled around. Her movements were quick as she danced with the tentacle. All while drops of blood flew from her head and wing.

The hissing eventually slowed, and as it did, so did the various tentacles. Everything in the room slowed down more and more, until at last it stopped and the tendrils all went slack again. Nugget had her mouth open as she panted. Her chest rose and fell as she tilted her head up towards the orb. She looked at the mysterious object for a moment before she walked a little ways away from the tendril.

As Nugget turned back around, a few jolts of electricity arced from the tentacle she had been standing around. The sparks leaped into the ceiling and were gone as quickly as they appeared. With her mouth still opened, she continued to pant.

It's just like I said. Death explained with a shrug of his bony shoulders.

"We'll just have to trust that he can handle it then." Ted sighed.

Sentenza dragged his hand along the wall as he squinted forward. "You don't say..."

"Care to share with the class!" Pockets cooed as she was suddenly in librarian glasses and a button up white shirt she had grabbed from somewhere. She slapped a yard stick against her white gloved hand as she raised an eyebrow at Sentenza.

Sentenza clicked his tongue. "It's not important. Just an old man thinking about his life."

"You cannot be that old," Trizel pointed out.

"You're only as old as you feel," Og'drimun said with a smirk. "After all, I'm eons older than all of you."

"That must be why you have to try so hard to fit in with the younger demographic." Narissa poked.

Wait, I think I'm as old as my universe is. Death interjected. I mean, I can't remember a time I wasn't around.

"Tttthhhaaattt fffeeeeeeeeellllsss llliiikkkeeee aaaa bbbaaaadddd mmmeeeaaassuuurrreeemmmeeennnnttt tttoooo gggoooo bbbyyy." Bakade said.

"Well I...whoa!" Ted cried out as his foot stepped off into air.

He started to tilt forward into the open space as his foot searched for somewhere to stop. Bakade quickly reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt. His body came to a harsh stop as he bounced slightly before Bakade yanked him back onto firm ground.

"That's quite a...wow," Narissa mused as she covered her mouth with a gloved hand.

"Whoever did that, must've been really...BORED!" Pockets giggled as she leaned dangerously far over the edge.

The hallway had led into what looked like just another hallway from only a few feet away. But, once you got up close, it became clear that it was a massive chamber that had to be at least six thousand feet high. With pipes seemingly haphazardly placed throughout the walls. Their sizes ranged from twice the width of Trizel to barely the width of a finger, and they seemed to have been placed around, as if their only purpose was because someone thought pipes should be there. Intricately carved stairs led over the various pipes, as if they were there to help with maintenance.

Along the walls were countless other hallways, and each wall seemed to resemble a Tetris screen. Like a series of blocks that were all fused together with perfect right angles on every edge and angle. But, in the center of it all was a massive stone staircase. Along the sides of the stone stairs were statues that each stood at least one hundred feet tall. The statues were strange. Like someone had tried to carve a human from a police sketch they saw through a fish tank. It was closer to geometric shapes that gave off the impression of a humanoid.

"How...how could this even fit in here?" Ted asked as he felt his stomach turn over inside him.

"Seems a lot taller than it did outside, huh?" Sentenza said with a smirk.

"Definitely magic," Og'drimun said with his arms crossed.

Trizel let out a sigh as he stuck his head out into the vast space. "Fantastic. With this all upside down, there does not seem to be a great way to go anywhere."

"Uuuupppsssiiidddeee dddooowwwnnnn ssstttaaaaiiirrrsss aaarrreeeennnn'ttt ttthhhaaattt hhheeelllpppfffuuulll." Bakade added.

"Well, not that big stone one there, but a few of the others could be." Sentenza countered.

"Maybe if their underside wasn't covered by pipes." Ted sighed as he realized the trouble they were in.

"So, does your magic left hand thing still work here?" Og'drimun asked as he turned to Pockets, who had already switched back from her catholic teacher outfit to her normal one.

Pockets held up her right hand and turned it over. "Uh? My left hand is magic?" She paused a moment, and them smiled. "Wow! I never had such a sweet compliment before, thanks Oggy!"

Og'drimun twitched, and Narissa held her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. "What...what did you call me?" Og'drimun snarled.

"Hmm?" Pockets cooed innocently.

Og'drimun flew up to her and grabbed her suspenders and started to shake them. "Don't you dare call me that ever again you pathetic little worm! I am the might Og'drimun, and you will use my own name in my presence, do you understand!"

Pocket's pupils rolled around independently of one another as her head was thrown back and forth. After a moment, they turned into spirals and spun around. "Whooa...so...dizzy..."

Bakade put a hand on Og'drimun's back until he finally stopped shaking the clown, and let go of her suspenders. They snapped back into place, and knocked Pockets back a few feet away form the new room and onto the ground. She slowly sat up as her head continued to spin around.

"Come on Pockets, we're supposed to be on a time limit here. Do you remember anything about why going to the left works to get you through a maze?" Ted sighed.

Pockets stopped spinning, and slapped her hand against the back of her head. A pair of contacts with swirly pupils on them popped out of her head, and she slipped those back into one of her pockets. "Spoil sport. But fine, I'll talk."

After a moment of silence, Trizel asked, "Well?"

"Huh?" Pockets cooed. "Oh yeah. Nope. No idea what left hands have to do with getting lost. I thought that's what the rope was for anyway?"

The group collectively let out a groan.

"We're dead." Narissa said.

I mean...maybe not?

"Well, let us try and figure out how we could even cross this without plummeting to our deaths." Trizel declared as he turned back to the tall room.

"Yes, no point worrying about what we can't change since Pockets is here instead of Lulu now." Narissa added.