Last Time on My Little Raisin:
>Explain your current situation to Rainbow Dash; tell her that you need her help to defeat an ancient evil
>Groggy and bleary eyed Dash is confused, decides to go along with your story
>--Tell Rainbow Dash that you need to convene at Sweet Apple Acres to pick up Applebloom—
>RD takes off to the farm, leaving your crew in the clouds. You give her chase, soon discovering that she’s mingling with a gaggle of guards partaking in a late night, Apple family meal
>--Decide to skip out to collect Pinkie Pie—
>Run into guard in town Roll Failure; 1/3 chance of guard making an appearance
>**Fluttershy is able to panic her way around the guard, heading straight for Sugarcube Corner** 2/3 chance of dodging guard
>Upon arrival, investigate for Pinkie’s presence. Door is locked, a pile of sleeping fillies inside
>xXx Hop out of cart to knock on the window xXx 1/3 chance of being arrested by passing guards; lucky roll
>**Immediately hide while Pinkie stirs; narrowly dodge a small group of guards**
>Invited into Sugarcube Corner by a drowsy Pinkie; she gathers the general idea of your plan via meta-gaming knowledge
>xXx Caught by guard as you exit Sugarcube Corner xXx 1/3 chance of appearing
>**Pinkie and Fluttershy are able to pass you off as a small, non-purple filly that they’re taking home**
>--Guard gives you a permission slip in case you are hassled on your way to Sweet Apple Acres—
>Approach Sweet Apple Acres, see an unfamiliar, suspicious gathering of clouds
>xXx Go straight towards the gathering of clouds xXx
>Rainbow Dash swoops in to grab at Raisin; your current powdery disguise catches her off guard
>xXx Rainbow Dash swoops in again, getting a hold of Raisin xXx 1/4 chance of nabbing Raisin from the cart
>Rainbow Dash has been convinced by the guards and your sudden absence that you’ve been put under an evil curse that has taken over your mind
>--Attempt to convince Rainbow Dash that you’re not under a spell—1/7 chance of working; failed roll
>--Try to use permission slip to evade capture; Rainbow removes your disguise, invalidating the scroll--
>--Try again—1/2 chance of saying something creepy; success, you freak her out
>Surrounded by guards; bonk Rainbow Dash’s belly with the Adanemzurai. Land in the cart with your new flying pony slave
>**Make Dash take control of the cart, able to outrun guards**
>--Lose Fluttershy as a team member—
>Approach the mountains where you know the Stone Bird is lurking; guards are still chasing you
>Find Strawberry, a derped filly, standing next to a gigantic hole in the road. Pinkie picks her up
>Jump on Rainbow Dash whilst carrying the Adanemzurai; approach Kelthrax, the giant bird.
>xXx Attempt to board Kelthrax; he evades you as you fall perilously to the mountains below xXx 1/3 chance of successfully landing atop the monstrous bird
>xXx Ask the Adanemzurai for help; miraculously survive the fall. Picked up by RD xXx
>Discover that you’re made of stone; use the Adanemzurai to take over Kelthrax
>Swoop down onto the plateau to rescue your allies from the Canterlot Royal Guards
>Try to escape the guards; need to go fast but bird too slow
>Dive towards the mountain ranges to gain speed
>--Attempt to hide—
>Guard spots Kelthrax 1/4 chance of successfully hiding
>xXx Stay to try and reason with the Canterlot Royal Guards xXx
>ADANEMZURAI: xXx Direct Kelthrax to attack the Canterlot Royal Guards xXx
>**Use confusion as a diversion, escape the guards**
>**Drop off group near a rock a few hundred feet from the Castle in the Sand**
>--Command Kelthrax to fly away, issue a general direction over the Castle—
>Kelthrax is torn to shreds by the derped unicorns
>--”Command” the Adanemzurai to change you back into a normal marshmallow pone--
>**Stand your ground; order the Adanemzurai to change you back**
>**Regained influence over the Adanemzurai; slightly less likely to commit uncontrollable actions**
>Watched Tezel closely; discovered that he’s expecting the ‘Queen’ to arrive anytime now
>Use cardboard box disguises to sneak across 300ft expanse of desert, now by the stairs
>Have Pinkie Hammerspace a slingshot for you; it’s a wad of chewed gum
>Roll candle in dirt and break it up to make projectiles
*Asterisks represent good actions, xXx represents bad actions
With the moon hanging high over their heads like a silvery guillotine, Raisin and her friends sit in a collection of large cardboard boxes next to the flight of stairs that leads into the front entrance of King Tezel’s mighty fortress. Inside of Raisin’s steam filled box, she constructs a slingshot from a wad of chewed gum and plans to use some sandy candle wax as projectiles to distract the guards. With only a few short hours before the scheduled awakening of Titanio, Raisin and her friends must act quickly to seal Tezel’s evil powers away once and for all.
You drop your little wax balls down onto the slightly cooler sand at your hooves. Through your box's porthole, a single beam of moonlight pours in, illuminating the steamy fog your hot body has made when it was covered by this slightly damp cardboard box.
You close your eyes and speak to your beautiful Queen. "Uh... is there any secret entrance into the castle that you know of? I don't think I'll be able to sneak in thi-"
Suddenly, her voice drowns yours out. "Surely, sneaking into the palace itself serves us no purpose. Only our true demise would come of this action." Her voice makes you feel at peace. "Take his creation. Crush my husband beneath his mighty hoof..."
"But... wait, I can't sneak anywhere right now, not with this stony form..."
"I could help you, little Raisin..." She sings into your mind.
"Raisin, what's the plan?" Pinkie whispers into your box. "You gonna use that slingshot or what? It still had some flavor in it..." You see her big blue eyes searching around inside of her big cardboard box.
You close your eyes again, trying your best to concentrate. "Pinkie, give me a second here... I'm thinking..."
You speak once more inside your head. "What do I do about the unicorns? Can I command the Crystal Phonograph... somehow?"
You hear a gentle laugh. "Worry not for their lives, Raisin. They are simply a means to an end. A ruler must understand this basic principle." You feel a little lump in your throat. "My Crystal Phonograph merely plays music... nothing more. It is the sand's magic that makes them dance to Tezel's whims... a counter curse is required... one that I alone know by heart..."
You hear something moving behind you, kicking up some sand as it walks. The party maintains their natural, cardboard box positions.
You quickly yet carefully spin around inside your box, looking out of one of the other punched out handle holes. Behind you, a minty green unicorn with a white stripe in her mane makes her way up the stairs. The guards don't seem to mind her entry.
"Have you ever been to the Castle in the Sand?" You hear her speak from the top of the stairs.
"Enter the Castle. Praise King Tezel."
Sweetie Belle whispers from her box. "What's going on? Did somepony just go inside? Doesn't she know there's a monster in there?!"
You gather your Sandy Candle Chunks and think about your next course of action.
Before you go any further, you decide that asking her Highness about that counter-curse wouldn't be such a bad idea. "Alright, so.. what is this 'counter-curse'?"
You can hear her laugh softly. Not in a way to mock you, but a sincere, pleasant chortle. "The counter-curse to Siren Sand... it's a lost art. Even though you are but an Earth Pony, I can command my might through your mind..." A pleasant, soft wave washes over you. It reminds you of the beach. "Give me control of your tongue. I shall speak my magic to whomever you desire to relinquish from his control..."
"No dice." You conclude your questioning of the Adanemzurai.
"Very well... Raisin..." She whispers as her voice falls back into your mind once more.
You lift up the side of your cardboard box. A puff of steam rises into the cool night air. You panic for a moment, but the guards don't seem to pay it any heed. "...just as attentive as Ponyville guards." You chuckle to yourself.
"Command me." Rainbow Dash mutters from under her box. You give it a little tap, then draw back on your bubblegum slingshot. Loading it with a small chunk of sandy wax, you fire the ball in an arc over the guard's heads. Instead of the distinct clink you remember the pebbles making, it gives off a sloppy 'plop' noise. The guards turn their heads to check on the odd sound.
Pinkie almost seems to warp under your box wrapped up in a set of towels. "Hey! I think this is working! Just like last time! Except without the whole 'clink' and now it's with a 'clump'!" She looks about. "...awww, where'd the steam go?"
"Hey, quiet back there. Don't talk unless I tell you to, comprende?"
You are answered by silence and a subtle breeze in the air. "Good. Pinkie, let's get in there, secret-agent style. Sweetie Belle, stay close."
"Should I bring Strawberry with us?" Pinkie asks. Suddenly, she shakes about. "Oh! No, I have to! Otherwise, she'll get squished!" You notice she left one of her towels in your box. It hangs off your back.
Quickly, you round the base of the stairs and start sneaking up them. The sound of your stony hooves clinks against every step. You stop for a moment at the bottom of the stairs. "Oh boy... might have a problem here..."
Inventory check:
You remain frozen on the lowest stairs. The group soon stops behind you. "What's wrong?" Pinkie looks into your box through her porthole.
"I'm making too much noise. You guys run ahead, duck behind the entrance. I'm going to have Dash fly me in."
"Okey dokey lokie!" Pinkie continues bouncing up the stairs, Sweetie following close behind. She clamors of the stairs, making a little noise as her nearly empty box contacts the steps.
As your friends disappear from view, you fire off another waxy chunk near the guards. They shift their focus away from the old spot and stare at the new spot. One of them asks the waxy chunk if it has ever been to the "Castle in the Sand".
A voice resounds in your head. "You won't survive in there. How do you plan to defeat my husband? We shall surely perish."
You shake your head. "Rainbow Dash, get in here." The blue mare scoots under your box, leaving her box behind. With a quick prayer, you give her the order. "Fly us into the Castle."
She grabs onto your hot stony frame and flaps her wings. Slowly, you ascend the steps as her wings slap into the side of the box repeatedly. As you fly through the entrance, you can feel the guards look towards your box.
Rainbow Dash keeps you up in the air, hovering up above a pair of cardboard boxes.
"Rainbow Dash, down. Slowly..."
As you descend, her wings drum against the sides of the box until your hooves meet the polished, granite floor. You push over to the side, trying to give the derped pegasus some room.
From the entrance, you hear the sounds of one of the colossal statues moving into the Castle. Sweetie Belle shivers from inside her box. "Oh... oh no..."
Pinkie Pie shushes her and keeps Strawberry's mouth shut. The statue beams over the small group of boxes; you can feel its presence standing over you.
You peer out of your small porthole to look at the giant. It's stone eyes peer back at you with a fixed, angry expression. It doesn't seem to move at all... just staring blankly your way.
Below the statue, you see one of the derped out unicorn guards. You're sure he'd be looking at you if his eyes could stay focused.
Pinkie Pie whispers to you. "We have to make that thing go away..."
You decide to hold incredibly still. Quietly, you whisper through your box to your friends, "Silence. Move not, and it shall pass." You glower, realizing your speech got goofed up again.
Pinkie doesn't respond, but her box doesn't move either. You, Sweetie Belle, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Strawberry wait silently as the monster stares coldly at your boxes. He doesn't seem to want to leave immediately.
Carefully, you maneuver around Dash to get a clear view of the rear port of the box. You stretch out your bubblegum slingshot and prime it with another Sandy Chunk of Wax. Aiming carefully, you let it fire out of the back and into the corner of the room behind you.
The head of the statue slowly stirs. It looks up to the location you fired it... behind yourself, of course. It starts to move, getting dangerously close to your group. The derped unicorn passes you, then looks at the wad of melted wax pressed into the floor. He stares at it for a moment, then spins around. He trots out of the door, leading his gargantuan statue outside with him.
Pinkie sighs inside of her box. You can't hear anything from Sweetie's. "That... that was close." Pinkie shivers with Strawberry.
You motion to your comrades to follow your lead. "C'mon.. let's see what we've got here..."
"Okey dokie lokie..." Pinkie sounds hesitant as she walks her box over next to yours.
Looking down the hallway, you see 3 guards on either side. At the end by the stairway, you see two guards standing next to a set of large, stone, 2 headed wolves.
"Yikes... uh..."
You hear a voice resound in your head. "Give up, turn back. You will not make it to his throne, I assure you."
You shake your head. "Yes, I will. I know exactly where you belong." There's a sudden silence, then no response.
You motion to Dash to walk on over to the ball of wax you fired. She quietly moves over to it, resting the box over top. She stares at the ball until you pick it up.
Carefully, you return to your position by Pinkie's side. She looks over to you through her box's porthole. "Um... any ideas?"
You notice that Sweetie Belle hasn't moved from her previous position by the door.
Feeling a little intimidated by the sudden increase in security, you shift in place next to Rainbow Dash. Slowly, you close your eyes and focus, searching for her voice. "...Uh... Adanemzurai?"
"...You want to know how to get through here..." Her voice sounds a little aggravated.
"Yes. Well, actually, I just wanted to know what's down the path on the right at the end of this hall. It looks suspicious."
She takes a moment before answering, then calmly replies, "It leads to our bedchambers."
"...alright... can we get to the throne room from there?"
She doesn't immediately answer. After a long pause, she speaks again. "No. It should still be a dead end."
You can hear Tezel at the very end of the hallway. He sounds as though he's welcoming someone.
You've got a plan formulated. Looking out of the small porthole of the front of your cardboard box, you pull the sticky bubblegum slingshot back once more, loading your previously used ball of wax as ammunition. Aiming carefully, you angle the shot towards Adanemzurai's 'bedchambers' and let the shot go soaring passed the guards.
The ones in the main hall immediately take notice to the flying ball, watching it as it soars down towards the darkened hallway. They start meandering down the hall to investigate it. The guards by the stairs move in unison with their scary wolf statues, guiding them towards the noise of the splattering wax ball.
"Huh. That was easy."
You tap on Dash's back, then swing your forelegs over her back. Slowly, you steady yourself and saddle up on your variegated partner. "Alright, Rainbow... stay close to the wall." Your box is up in the air a bit, revealing her hooves, but you're still pretty well disguised."
"We're moving?" Pinkie sounds a bit surprised. "Oh, thank goodness. The sooner we're in there, the better." She tiptoes on her hooves close behind, carrying little Strawberry in her hooves.
Surprisingly, you've reached the end of the hallway without being detected... you feel as though there's something wrong here. The guards stand fixated over by the darkened corridor. One of them peeks his head up and looks your way, then goes back to staring at the wax on the floor.
You hide on the other side of the stairway, catching your breath.
You feel very paranoid about this whole situation. "Pinkie..."
"Yeeess?"
"Is your... Pinkie Sense acting up at all? Like it did last time?"
The pink mare scoots her box a little closer to the Treasure Room door. She shutters. "Twitchy-Twitch... But..." She spins around. "I got the same feeling last time and nothing happened, remember?" She stops. "Oh, wait... but you were Applebloom last time... does that matter?"
As Pinkie wonders about what's going on, you keep an eye on your rear porthole, looking at the grouping of guards. The same one seems to keep one of his derp eyes locked on your group. You feel your gut turn a bit.
"They know." You hear Sweetie Belle whisper into your ear.
Quietly, you turn your box to face back towards the entrance. Arming your bubblegum slingshot with another round of Sandy Candle Wax, you aim straight and true. As it releases, some of the gum catches on Rainbow's mane. The Sandy Wax Ball careens off course, splatting into the wall near the entrance.
The guards seem attracted to the noise.. even though it was impossible to hear from this distance. As they group together to investigate it, one guard keeps turning his head towards your boxes. He doesn't seem to want to go this way, but continues on. Eventually, the entire squad huddles up around the new wad of candle wax.
"Heh." You chuckle to yourself. From the throne room, you hear a soft laugh, then a voice. "I've got you now... up those steps you come... my sweet little Adanemzurai..." Tezel sounds quite excited as he whispers to himself loud enough for you to hear.
A voice echoes in your head. "It's too late. They know you're here. We must get out of here immediately before the guards come back."
You come up with a clever idea to see if the Adanemzurai is being truthful. As you close your eyes to focus, you feel incredible fear.
"U..Uh, Adanemzurai... How do I get into the Treasu.. Treasure Room?"
She sounds sorrowful. "The treasure tempts you, does it not?" She pauses. "That... that is my fortune. You will never get into that room, however."
"Why not?"
You feel more panicked and fearful. "To cross the threshold would mean certain annihilation. It is protected by powerful magic." She collects her voice. "And is protected by a pattern of my husbands decision."
"Hmm... gotcha.
...Wait a minute... Aren't I immortal?"
The Adanemzurai hesitates. "Not to that magic. No being could withstand those flames."
You shake your head. "Pinkie, let's get moving. Follow my hoofsteps exactly. Sweetie Belle, you keep... up..." Searching around, you discover that Sweetie Belle is not in her box, nor is she near your current location.
"...Pinkie... where's Sweetie Belle?"
"Wasn't she right behind... Ohmygosh!" Pinkie gasps as she turns towards the entrance. Besides the large gathering of guards is a small, cardboard box sitting still.
"Wait... didn't she just speak to..." You pause, realizing that the Adanemzurai has assumed the voice of your friends before.
The box doesn't move by the entrance nor do the guards seem interested at all to investigate it. To your side is the Treasure Room.
You decide that it simply isn't safe to leave Sweetie Belle behind with all of the guards standing there like that. "Pinkie.. you've got to go get her."
"I know... we can't leave her hanging!" Pinkie sounds a bit worried.
"Here, run down there quick. Leave Strawberry here in the box; I'll fire off a candle away from Sweetie Belle."
"Okey dokie lokie..." Pinkie Pie sounds like she's revving up an engine. You take aim outside your small porthole and fire off your very last round of Sandy Candle Wax, aiming for the side opposite of Sweetie Belle. It flies through the air, splattering against the other side of the main entrance.
Immediately, Pinkie Pie makes a mad dash down the hall to retrieve Sweetie Belle. She slides down the polished granite floor, then stops next to the cardboard box. She slides into place. You notice one of the guards look in her direction.
She gives him a big smile. Frozen in place, Pinkie watches as the guards shift their attention to the brightly colored pink mare. Unboxed, she seems quite a bit more noticeable. The guards stare her down, doing absolutely nothing.
Suddenly, she starts dancing for them. You can hear a light melody matching the Castle in the Sand song as she does a very interesting belly dance for the derped out guards. They seem to be content with watching her. She gives you a worried expression.
You see the panicked expression on Pinkie's face. The Adanemzurai speaks to you, "Run. Go get her... get out of here while you can..."
You shake your head. Lifting up your box, you chuck the bubblegum as hard as you can. It makes a plop in the middle of the hallway. The guards swing their heads over for a moment.
You watch the pink mare suddenly disappear from view. Amazingly, she has somehow compacted herself into Sweetie Belle's box. Four pink hooves pop out of the bottom as she scoots along the floor. The guards look towards the box for a moment, but she's already plopped herself back on the ground.
"Oh..." You bite your stone hoof, unsure of what to do."
You hear a grumble come from the other room. "...what's taking her so long? There's only 35 steps to climb." You hear Tezel shift in the throne room.
In a last ditch effort, you pull the Vintage Wonderbolt goggles off of Rainbow's head and fling them down the hallway to get the guard's attention. You lift up your cardboard box and fling them down the hall, letting them clink against a nearby pillar. The guards look up again and Pinkie patters her way further down the hall.
You hear some booming hoofsteps come from the other room. You duck and hide next to the very side of the stairway. You feel incredibly shaken.. this can't be happening.
"Where in Equestria ar..." Suddenly, you hear the curtains part. "Okay... so... you're all over there, meaning... something was making noise..." You hear the titanic golem walk on down the stairs. You press your small body up against the side of the stairway as best as you can. You feel Tezel stop at the base of the stairs.
"Oh? What's this...?" You hear his low, growling magic activate. "My... well, hello there! What are you doing under that little box?"
"U..U..Uh... oh, h..hi!" Pinkie stammers nervously.
The giant golem bellows out a charming laugh. "Oh, there's no need to be afraid of me, my dear! I know I look intimidating, but I'm a jovial guy!" You feel a sincerity coming from the giant king. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"P...Pinkie... Pie." She squeaks.
"Pinkie Pie... how delightful! I honestly was expecting someone else tonight... Tell me, you didn't see any other ponies out in the desert, have you?"
"No sir! I got lost... and the guards... scared me, so.. I hid in this box..." Pinkie sounds pretty scared.
"Oh, don't mind them. They're a little... how do you say..." he whispers as to not offend the guards. "...not the most intelligent sort, if you catch my drift..."
He sounds as though he's turned around, his magic still buzzing. You hear the cardboard box gently rest on the floor. "Please! Come on in! You're a welcome sight at the Castle! I'd love to hear about your adventure out here..."
The curtains part once again. As they do, you hear the little box scurry towards you. A short, gasping breath comes from it. "W...W...W..what happened?!"
You feel your entire body tense. "Sweetie, he got Pinkie Pie. Tezel got her." You lift her box up and try to reassure her. "The false King must be stopped. Come, we sha... We need to go this way, now."
You look toward the Treasure Room. In your mind, the Adanemzurai speaks once more. "Did you not listen? Your friend is doomed. You will never get in there without..." She falls silent as you approach the tiles. An almost crippling fear halts your hoof. "Do not go this way." She sounds stern.
"Raisin?" Sweetie Belle sounds like she's about to cry. "We can go home... maybe we can get Princess Celestia..."
Your body feels nearly paralyzed as you stare at the tiles. The Adanemzurai speaks again. "Listen to your friend. Leave this place."
You feel unsure of yourself.
"I don't care... I know what to do." You stand firm, pushing through this horrible feeling in your gut... or, at least, where your gut would be, if it weren't made of stone. You push alongside with Rainbow Dash, just barely able to fit onto the tiles.
You stand on the first one, hearing a loud audible click in the wall. Something sounds like it turns inside of the stone. You look back. "Sweetie Belle, follow me exactly. Bring Strawberry with us."
She stands frozen for a moment.
"We've got this." You turn around, lifting up her box. With your slightly warm, stony forelegs, you give your friend a hug. She seems surprised, but hugs back. You hear her sniffle against your shoulder. "Now... get Strawberry. We're almost there."
She nods, pulling away gently from your legs. She darts under the same box as Strawberry. She starts walking behind you closely, following your every step. Behind, you notice that the guards are beginning to return to their positions.
Hopping across the tiles, you stop on the last one, letting the noise in the wall come to a halt before a white wall of flames erupts from the doorway. In a few brief moments, the ghostly white fire dissipates. You jump through, unharmed.
"Sweetie, wait on the last tile. Wait for the fire to go away."
She hops to the last tile. Behind her, you see one of the wolf statues starting to make an approach.
Your eyes grow large as the stone wolf makes it's cold approach. "That's it, Sweetie... just wait for the f-"
Suddenly, the fires pour down from the top of the door. You're unable to see anything for a moment. They quickly dissipate, revealing Sweetie Belle once again. The wolf is nearly on the tiles.
"Now! Jump! Now now now!"
Sweetie Belle jumps forward, dragging the box and Strawberry with her. Suddenly, the wolf takes off into the air. As it passes over the tiles, Sweetie falls into the Treasure Room. You watch as the wolf nearly enters and grabs your friend's rearleg in its powerful jaws.
Suddenly, the white fire flashes again. As soon as it contacts the wolf, the wolf turns bright orange. Instantly, it becomes molten, then the molten rock becomes ash. It makes a bit of noise, but the unicorn beyond the tiles doesn't seem to do anything else. He looks confused.
"..." You and Sweetie look through the door frame, realizing the potential, horrible fate that would have come upon you had you touched that soft looking fire.
From the back of the magnificent treasure room, you hear Tezel's booming laugh. "Oh, Oh ho ho! Another, do another!" You can hear Pinkie Pie talking in several voices to Tezel. It sounds like she's telling him jokes at the moment.
To your left, you see a pile of various, golden artifacts. All around are treasures beyond your imagining. You can only see so much through your cardboard porthole.
You smile smugly, holding back an excited laugh. "So.. now what? What's in here that you didn't want me to see?"
You feel an awful, burning pain in your gut. She speaks again. "There's no way... how did you know that pattern? To wait? Not even I..."
"You knew. This is your treasure room, right?"
She doesn't answer you.
"Anything interesting that I can use in here against your husband?"
Suddenly, you feel the grip of pain on your gut relinquish. She immediately sounds less aggravated. "...If this truly is my collection, then yes... there should be a weapon in here that will prove most useful... in destroying him..." She pauses. "I can find it... give me your sight, so that I might see it clearly..."
You hear Tezel laugh again. "Oh ho ho ho ho!" His hoof makes a thunderous boom. He continues laughing. "Oh, Pinkie Pie! Please, please! No more, no more!" You worry for a moment, but you can feel Pinkie Pie in the other room still. She seems a lot less worried...
"Nah, I can see just fine. Why don't you descri-"
The pain returns. "It is golden. Can you not see it already? Are you blind?" She sounds a bit angry. "Of course not. Look about." The entire room, of course, is filled with golden objects. "I know that I can find it... where your eyes are weak to magic, mine are strong. I do not know the object it has manifested itself inside of, but I can find it easily."
"Hmm..."
You speak to her once again, wincing a bit in pain. "Aren't these things cursed? All of them are cursed, aren't they?"
The Adanemzurai takes a moment to respond. "Cursed? These are my greatest keepsakes. I would not carry such treasures in my stores." She continues. "I know not what my husband has added since I've been gone... please, grant me your eyes, so that I may see for myself..."
You run up to the treasure pile, taking the golden scepter up into your mouth. Suddenly, you feel a jolt of energy course through your body. Your hooves tingle. "Oooohh... Wha... what is this? Is this it?"
Sweetie Belle stands up on her legs, admiring the treasure for a moment before she hears Pinkie in the other room. "Raisin! She's in there!" The small white filly looks thankful, but still panicked. She hops up and down in place. "How are we going to save her?"
The scepter feels horribly cold, but the energy pulsing through it makes it feel exceptionally important. "How astute..." Adanemzurai speaks through your mind. "Well, it looks like... you found it..." The pain in your gut releases completely. "Well, then... shall we?"
Sweetie Belle looks at you, keeping a hoof over Strawberry's mouth. "What is that, Raisin?"
You decide to jump up on Dash's back, carrying the cold, powerful scepter in your mouth. "This... this is a weapon, apparently. It's going to help us defeat Tezel..."
Sweetie Belle looks at you. "Is this what we needed so badly?" She stands in place. "Um... what do you want me to do?"
"Sit. Do nothing." Your words come out harshly.
She cowers down a bit, then sits still next to Strawberry. The derped filly tries to ask a question, but Sweetie covers her mouth. "...good luck..."
You walk up to the entrance into the Throne Room. Pinkie is still giggling and putting on a show for Tezel. "...so the dragonfly says to the moth..."
"Point. Aim. Fire..." The voice echoes in your head. She sounds sadistically pleased with this notion. "We'll be rid of our problems shortly with my scepter..."
Pinkie sees Rainbow Dash's colorful mane. She looks even more relieved to see you. She gives you a wink and continues with her act. Tezel explodes into laughter once more. "I have never been so... entertained! Marvelous! Marvelous!" He claps his hooves together, producing a series of loud, rock-on-rock booms.
"We'll be rid of our problems shortly with my scepter..."
Once more, you press the Adanemzurai for information. Pinkie continues to dance and tell jokes for the jolly, though terribly evil king.
“What does it do?"
The voice comes back into your thoughts. She speaks softly and confidently. "Obliterate him, of course. It will fire magic behind your comprehension, blasting his granite form into a fine, powdery dust." She cackles. "There will remain not a single fragment of his stony body... he will finally be gone from this world."
You swallow hard. The staff in your hooves certainly feels powerful... it pulses with radiant, raw magical energy. "...This is it... what do I do...?"
"Fire it. Burn him." She sounds almost excited. You feel incredibly confident, staring down at the staff. A cruel smile cracks across your stony face.
You look at the scepter one last time, then hop off of Rainbow Dash. You lay the scepter on the ground. Instantly, you feel a crippling pain wash over your body.
"No.... pick it back up!" The Adanemzuai blasts you with her voice. You resist.
"Rainbow... Dash... please... plug this thing in-STO-!!"
You're pulled into your mind, unable to speak. "We've come this far. Pick up my scepter. Destroy him!" Adanemzurai pushes you into the ground and paralyzes your body with fear, pain, sorrow... the worst feelings you can possibly imagine flood and incapacitate your senses.
..."Plug the Adanemzurai into Tezel's Crown! This is my order!" Your loud command goes unnoticed as Tezel continues his vociferous applause. Rainbow Dash doesn't respond with any speech. She simply walks up to you and begins twisting on the Adanemzurai. Your body feels like it's heating up again as words start to escape your lips.
"Slave! I order you to st-- sto---s---" You restrain her speech as you endure this extraordinary pain. Suddenly... the world wanes. The pain in your body leaves immediately. You feel calm and cold... your vision fades to black...
...in a moment, you suddenly see your stony form frozen before you. A patch of red mane hangs in front of your eyes. You have no control, but you can hear Adanemzurai screaming in fear. "Stop! STOP! DONT! WE'LL DIE!! YOU ARE GOING TO DESTROY US! RAISIN!!! STOP!" She continues to scream as Rainbow Dash automatically walks up behind Tezel's mighty, tall throne. The giant monster laughs, blissfully unaware to your presence.
"NOOOOO!!!!" Adanemzurai lets out a fearful yell. Rainbow Dash flies over the great golem king, locating a missing notch in his crown. With force and agility, she slams the box into the notch. Suddenly, Tezel stops his laughter.
"What was that?" He nearly whispers these words. You see Pinkie shaking in anticipation
"That's all, folks!" She nearly laughs as you watch the king freeze up. Your vision fades away... blackening slowly... Adanemzurai's voice becomes a sleepy whisper as her protest disappears.
Silence floods your mind. Your vision dissipates. You can no longer see, hear, feel... nothing. It's gone...
...you hear a magnificent rush of energy. Suddenly, your eyes snap open. You feel stiff, cold...
"...Raisin?" a voice echoes inside of your head.
"Am I...?"
Light blinds you from all around. You feel like a great weight has been lifted from your shoulders... you slowly stretch your legs, standing up on all fours. It hurts to move... your legs feel so stiff. Your vision begins to return.
"Raisin? Oh my goodness... Raisin!" You hear the clop of two hooves wrap around and tap the back of your neck.
"...M..Mom?"
Your vision finally recovers enough to see the source of the voice. You see the teary eyes of your loving mother as she takes you into her hooves. "We thought we lost you!"
You hear another set clasp around you. "Grapefruit! Oh, thank Celestia! Thank you!"
"...Dad?"
The light is still fading in behind the two ponies. You cannot tell where you are.
You feel incredibly happy... your smile beams. Is it over? You wrap your hooves around your mother, pulling her in close. She coughs a little bit.
"Raisin..." She sobs. Both of your parents sound like they're crying.
You hold your mother... but you cannot feel the warmth of her embrace. It doesn't satisfy you... you cannot feel her warm cheeks. Your body is numb.
"...I'm dead, aren't I?"
Your parents do not immediately respond. They hold you in their hooves, weeping in joy. Your vision begins to improve as does your hearing...
Looking around the side of your mother's head, you can see your arms. They are still made of granite.
"...I'm still... a statue?"
Your parents sniffle. Finally, your mom speaks up. "We thought you had seen a Cockatrice! We tried everything... but Twilight said that you had come into contact with something... much, much worse..."
Your dad pretends that he wasn't crying too hard. "Hey, we'll figure something out..." He can barely hold a smile. "You'll always be my little Raisin."
Your vision almost completely returns. Behind your parents, you see two wavy manes in perpetual motion. In front of them stand an entire group of ponies, all of them unicorns. Twilight is standing out front.
You pull them in close again, happy to finally see their faces again. "I love you, mom and dad..." You feel as though you want to cry, but the tears don't come.
Twilight comes forward along with the Princesses. Celestia addresses you directly as your parents back away. She looks almost saddened.
"Raisin... you've... saved Equestria from almost certain destruction." She looks down at your small, stony form. "You've given up your body, disobeyed Royalty, fled from the law... risked your life countless times..." She moves in closer. "...and saved the lives of countless innocents."
Luna makes her approach. "We thought you'd have had a better plan... being able to see the future as you can...." She pauses. "...but my faith in you came through yet. Equestria is forever in your debt."
Twilight gives you a soft smile as Luna continues. "Therefore, we would like to show our gratitude towards your brave actions these days past by presenting you with this Royal Medal, one of the highest honors that we can bestow."
Your parents look floored.
END OF RAISIN QUEST 3
STATUS: GOOD END. VICTORIOUS, BUT NOT WITHOUT HARD SACRIFICE.