Read this story and all of its chapters in paragraph format with better editing, here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/129684/the-trials

This version of the story is heavily unedited.

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>"Echo, are you alright?" a voice called.
>Slowly, the world came back to Echo.
>Darkness receded until her eyes opened gradually, a dim light brightening.
>"Quick, give her a swig of this," another voice said.
>Mosina.
>Before she could react, she felt the cold surface of glass press against her lips.
>Hooves gently tilted her head backwards, and a trickle of thick, tangy liquid made its way into her mouth.
>Echo's eyes shot open, and the flask quickly receded from her lips.
"Haah!" she gasped, suddenly feeling the need to breathe deeply.
>She scanned her immediate vicinity, seeing the vague form of a bat pony with turquoise hair in front of her.
>Whoever they were, they were really shiny.
"Mosina?"
>A giggle.
>"Nope! It's me, Speck!" a cheery voice responded.
>Quickly, her eyes focused and she met with amber slitted eyes, similar to her own.
>Complimenting the face was long, unkempt turquoise hair and a fanged smile.
>"Glad you came to. Fairly quickly, I might add," another voice said to her right.
>She turned her head to meet the smiling, spectacled face of Mosina.
"Phew... how long was I out for?" Echo asked, shaking her head.
>She moved to stand up, only for Speck to hold out a hoof to keep her down.
>She wore armour that covered her entire body from the top of her neck to the soles of her hooves.
>Its silvery plates and golden embroideries shone brightly against the light of Echo's light crystal.
>"A few minutes. Not too long," Mosina said. "You're unscathed, thankfully. You were just exhausted."
"Mmm," Echo hummed.
>Speck removed her hoof from Echo's shoulder.
>"Geeze, I'm glad I sprinted to you guys when I heard all the commotion going on," Speck said.
"No kidding. I thought we were done for."

---

>Speck shuffled in her spot and fidgeted with two shiny, golden hoof-blades attached to her front hooves.
>Echo stared at them with wide eyes as Speck removed them off of her hooves.
>"I found these in a chest," Speck said, chuckling afterwards. "Though, I'm not very good with them."
>"Can't be worse than me," Mosina giggled.
>"I was second worst in our unit," Speck mumbled.
>"Yeah, well, I was worst."
>Echo rolled her eyes before turning her head to scan the rest of the room.
>Nearby, Night Watch was sitting silently with her head down and eyes closed.
"Night Watch!" Echo gasped, standing up.
>"She's okay," Mosina said. "She's just exhausted, too. The shadow pony wounded her good, but a health potion helped with that."
"Gah..."
>Echo glanced down to her light crystal.
"I-I should have used this. We were nearly killed."
>"Yeah, well..." Mosina trailed off.
>"...But then, I came to save the day!" Speck said, gleefully.
>Mosina and Echo smiled.
"How are we doing with supplies?" Echo asked.
>"Well, we used half a flask on you for the spider bite and another half for Night Watch just now, so..."
>Mosina trailed off, checking her saddlebags.
>"We're down to three and a half health flasks left. Also, my spear broke, so I don't have a weapon."
>"I have a healing flask, too! And two of those light crystals," Speck piped up.
>"I guess that puts us back at four-and a half potions. And nine crystals."
>They went silent for several moments, taking that time to breathe, until Speck shoved the golden hoof-blades towards Mosina.
>"Here, take them. I have this," she said.
>Speck opened her right saddlebag and pulled out a shiny, circular plate.
"Is... is that a shield?" Echo asked.
>Speck fastened it to her left-front leg, the silver, circular plate facing outwards.
>A golden embroidery of a vine trimmed the circumference of the shield.
>"Yep. I couldn't put it on with the hoof-blades, so I just carried it in my saddlebag," she answered.

---

>"B-but I'm not good with these," Mosina said, gesturing to the claws.
>Speck chuckled.
>"You said you didn't have a weapon. And I have the fancy armour, so I get to be the tank!" she said, cheerfully.
>"Well, alright. But I'll just hang back and keep things off of Night and Echo, then," Mosina said.
"Sounds like a plan," Echo agreed.
>"But, wait, you guys didn't loot the room, yet," Speck said.
>Giving a confused grimace, Echo looked around the room to find nothing but a rocky floor and walls.
>And the statue that was leaning against a wall.
>It was a stone pony with a walking cane and a wide-brimmed hat.
"...You mean the statue?" she asked.
>"Yeah! The old stallion statues always have cool stuff," Speck said, approaching it.
>Echo and Mosina gave each other a confused glance before following.
>"Can't say we've ever come across this type, yet," Mosina said.
>Speck walked up to the side of the statue and began to push with her two hooves.
>After some grunting and slipping, the statue budged until it toppled over.
>It hit the ground hard and shattered into multiple pieces of stone.
>Embedded into the ground where the statue had been was a metal surface.
>"LooK! See? There's stuff underneath," Speck said excitedly, moving to lift the metal lid.
>Echo walked up and helped her with it, grunting as they heaved it up and slided it to the side.
"Got to hoof it to you, Speck. I don't know where we'd be without you," Echo said.
>"Heh... you can stop complimenting me now..." Speck said, blushing.
>"Ooh, look at this!"
>She bent down and pulled out a leather scabbard housing a sword.
>Tossing it to the side, she dove back into the chest, Echo walking up to her.

---

>Echo sorted through its contents and brought up several of the items.
"Another two light crystal boxes, another healing flask and... what's that?"
>Speck looked up with a wooden cylinder in her mouth.
>"Looks like the third key," Mosina said, walking up beside Echo.
>Speck spit the object out to say something, only for it to land in front of Night Watch.
>"A gift? For me?" she purred, grinning.
>"Night Watch! Are you feeling alright?" Speck said, walking up to her.
>Night Watch picked up the cylinder and eyed it.
>"Yeah, I'm alright. I'd like another few minutes to rest, though."
>"We shall. Besides, I need to ask Speck to detail me on where she came from," Mosina said, pulling out the map from her saddlebags.
"We shouldn't take too long, though," Echo said, taking the cylinder from Night Watch.
"It's a bit of a trek back to that door."

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INVENTORY

Weapons:
-Gold Hoof-Blades
-Silver Spear
-Silver Sword
-Iron Sword
-Iron Dagger (x3)

Armour/Gear:
-Silver Heavy Armour
-Silver Round Shield
-Black Leather Armour (mod: iron plates)
-Black Leather Armour
-Leather Armour

Misc:
-Health Potion (x5.5)
-Light Crystal (x11)
-Map
-Charcoal
-Wooden Ring Pendant
-Pouch of Purple Powder
-Wood Cylinder Key