>Agree to exit the volcano with Rover so long as you don’t have to ride out in a cage and your friends will be safe
>Allow Rocky to carry you
>–As you ascend, notice that large supply crates are falling into the volcano—
>–Decide that best action is to yell when crates are incoming–
>xXx Warning helps the smaller dogs ahead, but Rocky is too large to evade the crates; gets hit twice and loses his grip on the wall xXx
>xXx Dig hooves into wall and bite onto Rocky’s chain; he’s able to regain his grip on the wall, but ends up accidentally shearing your rear legs off xXx
>Ascend to top of volcano, noticing a swarm of Royal Guards fighting the Diamond Dogs
>** Have Rocky go back to fetch your missing legs **
>–Notice an incoming massive storm cloud–
>Go to friends, freeing Applebloom as soon as you can
>Two Diamond Dog guards approach your position
>xXx 12:00pm Noon, Day 2: hear an explosion out near Ponyville xXx
>–Guards become distracted by the distant blast–
>xXx Surrender to the distracted guards xXx
>Rocky brings back your legs in a giant boulder, then joins in the fight against the pegasi. One of the guards joins him.
>** Use Applebloom as a distraction while you disarm the single remaining guard **
>–Break the Crystal Spear Tip off; gain Crystal Tip–
>Free Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, telling them to run to safety
>**Rescue your legs from the crystal boulder**
>** Signal the guards to help your friends **
>xXx Storm cloud reaches the volcano top, blocking sunlight from entering xXx
>** CMC are airlifted out of the area by the guards; they promise to come back for you **
>Hide in a nearby supply crate; a Diamond Dog hides behind it, trying to evade the snakes
>– Dog is struck by lightning, but is mysteriously surrounded by a blue aura. He remains unharmed –
>Invite dog over, but he’s too scared to move; give up on him
>A Boulder Snake tears through your box, attacking the cowering Diamond Dog
>Crawl towards snake, discovering that the Diamond Dog is surviving the Boulder Snake’s onslaught
>xXx Sacrifice self to Boulder Snake xXx
>HUG HAYSEED, PREVENT DEATH
Standing next to the recently vanquished queen of the Boulder Snakes, Raisin snaps back into reality just a few hours before her untimely demise. Patting down Hayseed to loose a few embers from her scarlet mane, Raisin looks about the Grand Chamber. Her friends, tired and exhausted from an epic battle and a long, long night of adventure, look about the sunlit crimson chamber without a clue as to what’s in store for them yet.
As Raisin listens to the curious crackle of crystals cracking off the roof of the chamber, she realizes that she has only moments left to search for the True Soul Amulet before the dogs arrive once again.
Scootaloo knocks on the side of Keszeem’s stone scales, taken aback by how quickly she went from a killer snake to a solidified pile of rock. “So… now that she’s out of the way… how are we going to get out of here?”
“Wait, we can’t leave yet!” Applebloom protests. “We gotta go find Raisin’s amulet! It’s gotta be around here somewhere…”
Inventory check:
"Hold on… I think I might know where it is. You guys stay here a for a second…"
You gallop passed Scootaloo, Applebloom, and an exhausted Sweetie Belle, heading straight for the 4th location. They turn their heads to watch you bat away at some debris littering the ground.
"Did ya see it fall off her durin' the fight?" Applebloom trots over to help you dig, brushing away some of the shattered crystals from the area.
"Yeah.. I.. uh… saw something shiny go flying this way. Now, it's just a guess, but…"
In just a few moments, you see the glint of silver and a wonderful blue crystal peeking up from under some loose rock. You push it to the side, lifting the beautiful talisman up from the walkway. Applebloom grins and shakes her head.
"Ah can't believe you kept track of that while runnin' away. That's amazin'!" She looks back to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
"Yeah… I thought for sure the adrenaline pumping through her would have made it impossibl… oh wait." Scootaloo looks away. "Man, it must be cool being a golem. You don't have to worry about stuff like that, I guess.."
"I'd rather be able to, honestly…" You look into the mesmerizing jewel set in silver. A rush of relief overtakes you. If you could cry right now, you're sure tears would come streaming down your cheeks. Your ticket back to mortality and normalcy rests safely in hooves.
Up above, you can still see the glimmer of crystal raining down into the room.
Looking over Hayseed and back up to the dogs, you are vexed with a troubling decision. You know that if the dogs see your amulet, they're sure to take it. Rover might not even offer to let you leave if he knows you have it…
"…sorry, girl… I promise I'll get us both fixed up when we get home…"
You nibble at Hayseed's back gently, opening up a small hole in her backside. She'll be a little distended from holding onto the amulet, but it should keep it safe from the immediate sight of the Diamond Dogs. Gently, you are able to fit the entirety of the amulet into Hayseed, though she seems to take it's shape quite readily. She's nearly busting at the seams with the amulet inside her.
"Raisin…?" Scootaloo raises her brow. "Did you just… you just broke your doll?"
Suddenly, the dogs drop down from the ceiling onto the walkways leading to the Heart of the Mountain. Rover and his burly lackey plop down nearest to you.
"Raisin! I thought for sure that snake was going to grind you to dust!" Rover smiles. "What a fight!"
Rover sees you holding Hayseed in your hooves. As you would expect, the dimwitted dog ignores the fact your doll is shaped like a saucer as you casually place her back in your saddlebags. He grins, then looks to the Heart of the Mountain. A gritty cackle escapes his smile. "Well, it looks like you've almost held up all of your end of the bargain…"
"Well… almost. Actually, I couldn't lure all the snakes out into the chamber before we flooded it with sunlight…" You look over to the doorways. A pair of glowing, greenish yellow slits glare back. "…we might have a bit of a problem still…"
Rover sees that the room is surrounded with snakes. His expression immediately goes from smug to fear. He looks up at the walls, watching his dig dog teams carry supplies down into the chamber. "Dogs! Stop!"
He turns to you. "You failed me! You said you'd get rid of ALL the snakes!"
"Yeah, well change of plans. This room is safe, but only until night… or a big storm arrives. When the light goes out, the snakes will be able to come out."
Rover looks a bit nervous. He looks to Rocky and the crystal cage that was prepared for you, then up to the dogs still clinging to the Chamber walls. You see three Diamond Dogs hunched over your friends, ready to grab them. They must have stopped when Rover gave them the order. The CMC look too tired to immediately notice them.
"B…but…" Rover doesn't look as confident as usual. "You're still my property! Even though you failed, you're still mine!" He points Rocky over to you. "As punishment, you don't get any treasures! Not one! None!"
"Hey! That's not fair!" Applebloom objects.
Rocky stands in front of you, but he looks hesitant to lay his paws on you at all. He opens a paw, then quivers, putting his arm down. "Can you empty bags?"
"To be fair, the only thing I was after was that big jewel over there…" You point toward the Heart of the Mountain.
"What?! Really?" Scootaloo's face twists up. "I thought we came down here fo-" Applebloom hits Scootaloo's side.
"Oomph!" The little pegasus rubs her ribs.
Rover shakes his paws. "I wouldn't let you keep it anyways! That's mine!"
"Hey, I'm not going to argue about it. I failed, so you can keep it… I won't protest." You stop for a moment, turning to your side for dramatic effect. "…you know, there was a giant explosion here earlier… and we're pretty close to Canterlot right now… don't you think we should get up above before some guards arrive?"
Rover glares down at you. "…I think you're hiding treasure in those bags…"
"You can frisk us for loot when we're at the top. We won't fight… right girls?"
The CMC look back and forth to one another. "Uh… yeah… I guess?"
Rover points to the dogs behind your friends, then down. The dogs gently pick up your friends in their paws. Rover then nudges Rocky nervously. "Fine. Get in the cage, pony, then we'll take your treasures outside." He looks back at the Heart, then at the doorways. "…we'll be coming back later! Dogs, mush!"
The other workers begin hauling the supply boxes back out of the volcano, whimpering under the weight of the massive boxes they have to carry back up.
You look down at the cage, then over to Rover. "Seriously?"
"Yes seriously! GET IN!" The Diamond Dog stamps his foot and throws a single claw toward the small, blue crystalline prison. The cramped cage looks like it can barely accommodate a rabbit, much less a filly.
"Look, I didn't fight not getting any treasure, and I'm willing to go with you. But I draw the line at the cage. Your big friend looks like he'd have no trouble carrying me though."
Rocky nods. "I can carry. Can you hold on?"
"What?! No! You get in the cage, pony!" Rover jumps as he hears the sound of mechanical sputtering echo in from up above.
"See? We're sitting ducks down here! That's probably the guards right now!"
Scootaloo looks over to Sweetie Belle in amazement, then to Applebloom. "Reinforcements? Did she plan this entire thing?!" An excited giggle escapes Scootaloo's mouth.
"QUIET!" Rover snaps. He points at you, jumping up and down in place. "Rocky! Grab her and stuff her inside! We don't have any time!"
Rocky reaches down, then hesitates. "She killed biggest snake…" His paw shakes for a moment, then rests on the ground.
"Why not just let your handsome friend here carry me up?" You lean up against Rocky's arm. Though you know it won't give, it still surprises you just how strong the dog really is. He doesn't so much as budge under your full weight.
Rover grits his teeth, then throws his arms up in the air. "FINE! Ride him, grab her, I don't care!" Rover directs the other three dogs toward the hole up in the chamber roof. "Don't let her get away! Bring the cage with you!" He snarls at Rocky.
"Can climb?" The big Diamond Dog watches as you quickly scuttle up his arm, then wrap around it tight. He chuckles to himself, then grabs the crystal cage laying on the ground. His lumbering frame makes it's way over to the wall as he begins to climb behind the other Diamond Dogs.
As before, they all seem to be moving pretty slowly. The crimson crystals must be climbed with care if they have any hope of making it out. Carrying your friends at the same time only adds to the difficulty of safely traversing the wall.
The mechanical sputtering grows louder as you see a few shadows wisp over the volcano entrance. It seems the pegasi have already begun their attack.
"Quickly! Climb, dogs, climb!" Rover shouts as he picks up his pace, taking the lead.
"We're saved!" Scootaloo cries out.
If those crates do begin to fall down into the chamber again, it might be a good idea to have a plan in place to deal with them…
The Diamond Dogs claws patter against the glassy wall of red. Hanging onto Rocky's arm, you watch as he punches through the crystals and trail the dogs ahead. In the back of your mind, you worry about the possibility of more crates tumbling down into the volcano… you're not sure how to go about handling it. Warning your aggressive canine teammates of incoming danger still seems like the best way to mitigate losses or damage.
You can hear the gemstone gatling guns puttering away up above. The lightning quick whooshes of several guards whistle on by overhead. You can see them knocking a few dogs down into the very top of the crater. The dogs quickly grab onto the walls and climb back up, only temporarily distracting them from the battle raging on the mountain's top.
"Faster! Faster! Climb faster, dogs! Mush!" Rover picks up his speed, desperate to get up above and lead his forces.
"What in Equestria is goin' on up there? Sounds like a battle!" Applebloom's muffled voice calls out up above.
"The cavalry has arrived! We're gonna be saved!" Scootaloo smugly sings from her dog's arms. You hear her get a bonk on the head as they continue climbing.
Your fears are suddenly realized as a crate careens down the edge of the opening and into the volcano. You grab on tight to Rocky.
"CRATE!!"
The dogs stop for a minute, then look up. Rover just narrowly dodges a crate to the back as he hugs the wall.
As the crate continues down, it misses the rest of the team and smashes into the lava pool several stories below. You breathe a sigh of relief out of habit before looking back up.
Several timbers begin rolling into the top of the volcano unexpectedly. They bounce and smash into the walls on their way down.
"BRACE YOURSELVES! DOGS, STOP!!" Rover shouts from above. All of the dogs hug the wall, but Rocky can't seem to get any closer than he is now. He looks forward, digging his claws into the walls…
One of the timbers smashes into one of the dogs above, breaking against his chestplate. He slides a few feet down, dangling Scootaloo from her tail as he tries to hold onto the wall with one paw. Another timber tumbles down and smashes into Rocky's helmet.
He appears as though he didn't even notice it.
"Ahhh!!! HELP!!!" Scootaloo kicks her legs about as a few more logs tumble down from up above.
Looking up to the panic in your pegasus friends' eyes, you think quick. Knowing that you still have your frayed Rope equipped around your saddlebags, you loosen up your grip on Rocky and untie one end of the rope.
"Scoots! Catch! Flap those little wings as hard as you ca-"
Another timber impacts the wall close by, breaking off a sizable chunk of crystals. You see a supply crate follow it down into the chasm.
"STOP KNOCKING THINGS DOWN YOU STUPID MUTTS!" Rover roars at the top of his lungs toward the sky.
As the last of the logs tumble into the volcano, you throw the end of the rope up to Scootaloo. She catches it in her mouth, then beats her wings as hard as she can. The dog holding her keeps a tight grip on her tail as she barely hovers up into the air.
"Dog! Let go! Get back on the wall!" You call up. "I've got Scootaloo!"
Rocky gets hit by another timber. It shakes him a little, but his helmet protects him from the impact. The dog above lets Scootaloo go. She drifts down, squealing in fear through the rope in her teeth. You immediately start pulling her in, letting her dangle underneath Rocky for a few moments.
Just as the dog gets his paws back on the wall, he gets hit by another timber. He loses his grip and starts plummeting. Rocky pulls his arm out of the wall and catches the dog in his massive paw.
"Pony okay? Dog okay?" Rocky asks. He seems intent on not moving his head too much to look.
Looking down his arm, you see a couple of stars spinning around the dog's head. He looks dazed. Scootaloo keeps her wings flapping, dangling by the other end of the rope in your mouth.
Though the situation is nerve-wracking, you take a brief pause to realize that you've essentially become a piece of Diamond Dog jewelry. Your glossy though slightly chipped coat must look marvelous against Rocky's course gray fur. The thought of him equipping you out of style rather than necessity brings a subtle smile to your face.
As another crate whips passed Rocky, you snap back into reality.
You loosen one hoof up from around Rocky's arm and pull Scootaloo up. When she's in grabbing distance, you reach down and offer her your hoof. She desperately grips onto your rocky leg and lifts herself up, wrapping her legs around your back.
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank…" She drones on for a little bit, her trembling hooves clacking against your coat. She shrieks as a crate explodes on the wall across the chasm.
You keep the Frayed Rope nearby, bundling it up under your chin. "Rocky! Throw him over your shoulder! He's completely dazed!"
"Ok." Rocky reaches back, lifting you and Scootaloo up into the air. Scootaloo tucks her head down against your neck, still trembling. You're not sure if you've ever seen her this scared before… vWith the other Diamond Dog slumped over his shoulder, Rocky starts climbing back up the crystalline wall. A loose board flies down and whacks him on the helmet, breaking away harmlessly.
"Always wear helmet." He mumbles, keeping his eyes forward.
"Hurry up! The pegasi are attacking!" Rover shouts down. "Get them into the cages! We can't lose our prize!"
A pegasus slams into his side, sending him away from the opening. In a few short moments, you're back up in the daylight, still wrapped around Rocky's arm. He keeps his eyes skyward as he gently sets you down. He takes the Diamond Dog off his back and lays him on the ground.
"Stay." He points at you.
Finally out of the caverns and back into the light, deja vu overtakes you as the same pegasi seem to fly the exact same attack patterns over the mountain top. In the distance, you can see a massive black storm cloud being pushed your way. Scootaloo still hugs your back tight with a near death grip, refusing to let go. Your frayed rope rests at your hooves.
To the right, you see Rover scrambling toward one of the gemstone cannons, trying his best to dodge another barrage of swarming pegasus guards.
"Applebloom! Sweetie Belle!" You call out into the chaos.
Scootaloo suddenly seems to realize you're back on solid ground. She slowly lets go, her legs nearly buckling as she touches down. "I can't believe we made it out…" She looks up, then around the area. "Applebloom! Sweetie Belle! Where are you guys?!"
"Over here! Watch out!" You see three Diamond Dogs armed with spears sitting near the cages. Two more are behind them, building some sort of palisade structure out of the fort building supplies left around the volcano top.
"Hey! You guys!"
The dogs slash at the air as a pegasus guard swoops down overhead. He does a double take as you call out. One of the dogs starts approaching with a spear pointed your way.
"There's no time to waste trying to build stuff over here! We've gotta release my friends and leave before that storm arrives!"
The dogs don't seem interested in listening.
"All the Boulder Snakes down below are going to come out if the sun gets blocked out by the storm!"
Scootaloo looks back to the storm, then over to the volcano. "Are you KIDDING me?!"
The dogs look back and forth to each other. The one advancing toward you stops, but he doesn't seem interested in letting you any closer.
"We've gotta stop that storm from getting here! These guys aren't the smartest or the nicest dogs I've ever met, but they saved us!" Scootaloo's hooves shuffle in place. "What do we do?!"
"Hold on…"
You look about. The Diamond Dogs are once again manning their stations, firing up at the pegasi guards swooping in. The cloud continues to steadily move at a snails pace toward the mountain. The thunder rolls out of it as a torrential wall of rain begins to fall out of it.
Looking about, you see Rover firing up at the pegasi with everything he's got. For being a furious, short tempered dog, he maintains an incredible ferocity as he tries to shoot down the armored flyers. Judging by the red crystals flying out of the guns, it seems as though the dogs only had enough of their razor sharp blue crystals for spear tips.
You figure he's not much of a listener. Rocky will listen, but the big lunk doesn't seem to pull much authority with the other dogs. Narrowing your options down, you figure that the guards are your best bet.
"Scoots, I've got it. Let's try to get the guards' attention. They can stop the cloud before it gets here."
A few stray gemstones whizz by your head. Scootaloo immediately ducks to avoid the crossfire.
"And just how are we supposed to do that?! I can barely hear you talking and you're standing right next to me!" The barking dogs seem to be drowning out most of the other sounds. A few crystals smash into your stone coat, bursting into glassy shrapnel.
"We've gotta wave or something. If we can signal them, maybe we can tell them to stop the storm."
"Won't the Diamond Dogs try to shoot them if they land?" Scootaloo stays curled into a ball.
Inventory check:
Looking at the muddy little rag wrapped around Scootaloo's bandaged hoof, you get a clever idea.
"Scootaloo… the back of the CMC capes have that really shiny gold silk on them, right?"
Scootaloo slowly starts nodding. "I've got it! Say no more!" She hastily starts unwrapping the bandage from her hoof. Another squadron of pegasi fly by too fast to get a good look at anything other than their targets. Some more crystals come flying your way.
"WHA!" Scoots hugs the ground tighter. "T-think you can wave it around?"
A few stray crystals nick your saddlebags and break on your coat. "Uh… I could, probably."
You take the cape up in your hooves. Leaning back on your rearlegs, you wave the golden side of the muddy cape around as best as you can toward the storm cloud.
"Hey!!! Down here! Help us out! Stop pushing the storm cloud!" You know they can't hear you, but you shout as loud as you can anyways. Scootaloo crawls over to a nearby rock to use as cover from the gemstones being hurled about.
You see a small squad of guards break off from behind the cloud and head toward you. "It worked! Raisin, you did it!" Scootaloo calls out from behind a rock.
The Diamond Dogs fire at the guards as they swoop overhead. You swear that one of them nods at you just as he goes over your head. It seems that they know you're here, at least… though the dogs are much better organized this time around.
"They can't land! We need to move somewhere else!" Scootaloo pops up for just a moment.
The cloud still approaches, however slowly. The guards that flew over you make a round trip back to the storm cloud. You can see Diamond Dogs running all about, scrambling to rescue the supply crates before they get knocked down into the volcano. Many of the dogs are helping to build up fortifications.
"Hold on! Stay put! I'll try signaling them again!"
As you gallop over to the far edge of the mountain top, you see the cage guard dogs with spears immediately start pursuing you. You get to the edge of the mountaintop and begin to signal once again, noticing that the pegasi that just saw you are returning around the edge of the storm cloud.
"C'mon…" You look to the side, seeing two dogs charging you with their spears. They must think you're trying to escape.
"Raisin! Watch out!" Scootaloo calls over from the rock. You see a Diamond Dog sneaking around her back, keeping his eyes to the swarming pegasi above.
"Back off! I'm trying to save you here!"
The guards keep running toward you with their spears out. They begin to slow as they approach, but one of the dogs trips and falls. The spear lunges forward.
Though you may be slow and heavily armored, you roll backwards, narrowly dodging the accidental plunge. The dog gets up, plucking his spear up out of the rock. He gets backhanded by the other as they try to guide you away from the mountain's edge.
You wave the little cape up in the air a few more times, but one of the guards deftly cuts the cape in half. He grunts, then jabs near you, taking care not to stab you.
"Scootaloo! Behind you!"
Reacting in just a fraction of a second, Scootaloo jumps forward away from the rock. The Diamond Dog sneaking up on her promptly falls flat on his face. Scootaloo runs your way with a look of sheer panic on her face. The guards pointing their spears at you turn for a brief moment to keep an eye on the small pegasus coming toward them.
Seizing an opportunity to take advantage of their temporary shift of attention, you leap forward and chomp off the end of one of the spears. Turning to your side, you yank the other one from the Diamond Dog's paws and crush the tip off in your mouth.
The dogs immediately react. The one still holding the spear shaft jabs you in the face, though the stick doesn't seem to do anything to your impervious skin. He looks down, realizing the spear tip has been chewed off. The other backs away, putting his paws out in front of him. They look unsure of themselves without their weapons.
You gallop toward Scootaloo, then throw her half of your cape. "We've gotta flag them down here. The cannons are way over there on the other side… they should have a chance to land."
The Diamond Dog that was trying to nab Scootaloo runs at the two of you brandishing his spear. Suddenly, he's bowled over by a small pack of guards. 4 Royal Guards swoop in and land, galloping over to a small cluster of rocks. A hailstorm of gemstones immediately starts pouring in.
The unarmed and dazed dogs pick up and run down the side of the mountain. You know there are a ton more guards around here, but that's 3 you won't have to worry about.
One of the Royal Guards takes his helmet off. "…Raisin!?" He blinks. "What in Equestria are you two doing up here?!"
Looking over to the ominous black lightning cloud drenching the base of the mountain, you start waving your hooves around like mad.
"No time! Stop that storm cloud! Now!"
The guards look at one another. "Wh… why? That cloud is our ticket to stopping all these crazy dogs from-"
>12:00pm, Day 2
Suddenly, you hear a massive but distant explosion happen out toward Ponyville. The roar of the blast echoes like rolling thunder, but it's quite a bit more dry and distinct. The empty pop leaves a small, orange fireball lit up against the beautiful blue sky.
"Another?! How many mountains have these dogs rigged up with explosives?!" The guards look to the distance, then duck to avoid another hailstorm of gemstones.
"Hey! Pay attention!" Scootaloo bonks one of the guards. "We just snuck through a hoard of giant angry snakes down below and if that cloud parks over the entrance, they're all going to come up and gobble us!"
"What?! Giant snakes?! What is…"
You cover his mouth. "STOP. THAT. CLOUD!"
Two of the guards salute, then bolt off toward the looming black mass. They're chased with a barrage of crystals, one of them getting his wing clipped. He glides down the mountainside. The one guard next to you shakes his head. "I don't know what your plan is, but there's no way we can get that cloud to just 'stop'."
"Why not?!"
"Do you see how big it is? We'd have to push it from the other side to get it to stop before it's over the mountain." He puts his helmet back on as another volley of crystals splashes against the rocks to his back. "And with the dogs firing on us, that'll be impossible."
"Hey! The guards left! Let us out!" Applebloom shouts from the cages.
"How many of you are there?!" The guard looks over to the small cages but hesitates as the gemstone cannons keep them pinned down.
"It's the entire Ponyville Cutie Mark Crusader team, so just four of us. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle are still caged up over there." As you finish, some more gemstones pelt the rock you're all hiding behind. Looking up, you see a ton of pegasi pull up off of the cloud. A proverbial swarm lifts off, though the cloud keeps on gliding forward.
"We should get them and get off this volcano ASAP. If what you say is true, then I don't want any of us to be around when those giant snakes start coming out." The guard looks over to the cages, sizing them up. "We can probably lift them, cage and all, on out of here…" As one of the guards tries to lift you up in vain, you brush off his hooves.
"Save my friends. I'm going to find a way to stop the Diamond Dogs from firing on you guys long enough to push that cloud the other way."
"What?! How?!" The guard shakes his head. "You can't possibly-"
"I can get down the mountain on my own. Just save my friends and push that cloud away when I start waving my cape around again." You stare at him directly in the eyes. "Trust me."
Looking up to the cloud, to the cages, then listening as the gemstones sputter up into the air toward his fellow royal guards, the pegasus breathes in deep. He takes his helmet off and puts it on top of your head. "I've heard some stories about you, Raisin. We've got your back if things don't work out like you expect them to."
With a quick nod, the guard dashes out and grabs a cage. The other puts his helmet on Scootaloo and throws her on his back, getting ready to dive for Sweetie Belle's cage when the gemstones clear up. "We'll be waiting for your signal."
You gulp, then dip your head around the rock. The only cannon firing your way is the one that Rover's manning.
"Stupid dog…"
The other three cannons fire up into the sky, trying to shoot down the decreasing number of pegasi swooping in to attack their cannons. You dash out from behind the rocks, taking a few gemstones to the face before Rover realizes that you're not a guard.
"Stupid pony! Rocky! Grab her!" Rover keeps firing your way, trying to hit the guard that just grabbed Sweetie Belle's cage. Rocky starts walking over from around the other side of the volcano entrance. He approaches with a guilty look on his face as if ready to follow the order.
"Rover! Listen! The pegasi want to move that cloud away! Stop firing at them!"
"Ha!" Rover laughs, keeping up the assault. The pegasus carrying Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle starts to glide down to the ground, one of his wings not flapping quite right. "Hurry up and grab her!"
"If you don't let them move that cloud, it's going to block the sunlight and the boulder-snakes are going to be able to get out! You KNOW how dangerous those things are! THINK for a second!"
Rover directs the other cannon operators to aim for the cloud. "If we shoot them all down, we can stop the cloud! Keep firing!"
"No you can't! They're not even pushing it anymore!"
Rocky stands by your side. He doesn't grab you, but instead acts as a sort of chaperon. Rover seems determined to stop the pegasi his own way.
"Rocky, please… if you guys don't stop firing now…"
The storm cloud travels a bit slower, but still moves over the mountaintop. The lightning is nearly close enough to touch down.
"…all of you guys are going to get gobbled up by the Boulder Snakes. The Pegasi made a mistake by bringing that cloud over here and they want to fix it. They're going to push it away! Don't you understand?!"
Rocky looks up at the cloud, then over to the cannons firing at it. It takes him a minute, but he seems to reason through your argument.
"How help?" He half whispers.
"What are you doing?! Grab my little pony and put her in a cage! Keep our prize safe!" Rover shakes his clenched paw at Rocky, then fires at some pegasi swooping in. They guards seem to be trying to draw the cannon fire away from the storm cloud.
"Wait… do you hear that?" You look up to Rocky, then back down toward the volcano entrance.
"No." He bluntly answers, turning around to face what you're looking at.
"Rover! It's too late!" You call out to the tower. He keeps firing up at the clouds, but you can clearly see his ear perked in your direction. "The Boulder Snakes must have found a way to counter the sunlight! They're coming up!"
"No they're not." Rocky looks confused, but his soft deep voice doesn't reach Rover through all the barking.
"Are they!? Rocky?! Are the Snakes coming!?" Rover keeps the guns pointed up and shooting, but turns his head to Rocky. Though you try to nudge his side, the painfully honest dog shakes his head.
"A liar! I'm beginning to hate you more, pony!" Rover laughs as he continues his assault. "They're breaking up! We're winning, dogs!"
The cloud is still unmanned and heading your way. The rain just begins to wet the outermost edge of the volcano.
"…drats. C'mon, Rocky, that was our chance to save everyone."
He looks at you for a minute with a look of sincere confusion. "There's no snakes coming."
"I know Rocky, I was just pretending so that we could redirect the cannon fire without making them angry at you."
He looks at you with a raised brow. "Pre… tending?"
"Nevermind."
You look up, watching the cloud loom ever closer to the hole. The dogs barking has gone from a battlecry to a quiet murmur. The gemstone cannons keep firing, but the persistent cloud stays steady on it's course. The royal guards are swooping around the clouds but keeping their distance.
Seeing no other way to stop the cannons from firing, you make a break for Rover's cannon platform. Your hooves smash into the stone loudly, scaring some of the guards in your path. When they see it's you, they reel back their spears and begin jabbing.
You rush through the flurry, but manage to get clipped a few times. Another chunk of your mane has been sliced off by the dogs. You swear that they got one of your legs, but you simply cannot feel it. Your hooves still hit the mountaintop rock with the next stride.
Suddenly, you hear an absolutely monstrous sound erupt from behind you. The noise is startling enough to turn your head. You see Rocky baring his teeth as he addresses the other dogs.
"Stop. Don't hurt pony."
You continue running without hesitation, throwing yourself into Rover's cannon platform.
"What the?! Rocky! I told you to…" The leader of the Diamond Dogs stops talking as his cannon platform begins to slide down the side of the mountain with you on it. The sound of the cannon fire seems to have temporarily stopped.
"…well.. uh… I guess that's one way to do it…"
"You idiot! You moron!" Rover clutches onto the pilot seat of his cannon, his claws digging into the wooden seat. You can almost see the color rushing from the fur around his face. "We're gonna die!!!"
You begin to accelerate rapidly as you slide down the mountainside, the frail chunk of rock and cannon beneath you quickly eroding away on the mountainside.
Not losing a moment's time watching the base of the mountain quickly approach, you grab your golden cape half and hold it above your head. The wind throws it around with reckless abandon.
"Stupid pony! All you had to do was get into the cage!" Rover looks terrified.
"And all you had to do was stop firing your blasted cannons into the sky! The pegasi were ready to push the cloud the other way!"
"They were going to TAKE MY GEM!" Rover grits his teeth.
You hope that the pegasi have seen your signal. Looking back up, it's hard to tell if the cloud is still moving or not.
While the mountainside rushes by, you take just a moment to reach back to your mane. The spot where it was chopped off seems to still be there… your leg felt like it was severed, but appears fine.
"Hey, did you see a blue aura around me while I was getting stabbed?"
Rover looks at you dumbfounded. "SHUT UP!!"
Not sure on the inner workings of the True Soul Amulet's magic, you come up with a cunning last minute plan. As the ground rushes to meet your unstable platform, you reach into your saddlebags to take out Hayseed. The pocket doesn't initially want to come loose, so you tear the whole thing off.
"What are you doing?!" Rover's knuckles tremble against the seat as a bump sends the platform flying into the air.
You push the severed pocket up against Rover, then wrap your forelegs around his waist, squeezing him as tight as you can. He's instantly surrounded by a blue aura.
"GGRRKK!! GAAAHHKKK!! SSSSSS…SSSSsss..SSSSSTOP!" He can barely breathe, but he doesn't seem to be in any overwhelming pain. You swear your can see his ribs riding overtop of your forelegs, but the blue aura is all you needed to see.
"We're going down together!"
He continues gasping, unable to answer. As you land on the platform, it blows apart. In an instant, you're now bodysurfing on Rover as you continue down the mountain. It looks like he's feeling every bump as you coast toward a ravine.
"H-h-h-o-o-o-w-w?" He manages to spit something out as the two of you go flying off the end of the mountain, heading at terminal velocity into the side of a ravine.
Almost instantly, everything goes black. You don't feel like you're moving anymore, but you also don't know if you're even alive. Your legs refuse to budge.
"GRRKK… L…" You can hear some muffled gasps.
As you attempt to speak, you feel as though your jaw is being restricted. Trying to move any of your limbs, you lift your head up. You immediately notice some restriction, but it moves.
"KAGHHHGHPPMMH!!" Rover seems to still be alive, though he doesn't sound like he's having too much fun. You keep kicking around, trying to see if you can free yourself.
Kicking your rearlegs and shuffling about, you start to feel the rock around you give. Rover continues to struggle, though he's making no headway.
In a matter of moments, you start to pull backwards. You can feel yourself moving right along with Rover, though you can't see the blue glow. It takes a few minutes, but you manage to back yourself out of the hole you were in. You fall almost 40 feet, you assume, before you hit some grassy ground. Rover is still making his muffled shouts. Almost immediately, you feel your face pull out of Rover's chest.
"…oh.. that's why I couldn't see."
Rover is pounding into your back with his paws. He looks absolutely furious. Ignoring him for a moment, you look back up the mountainside. The cloud appears to have stopped right at the edge, though you cannot see any pegasi from all the way down here. Around you there are two sheer cliff faces. Running between them is a healthy river and cascading trail of waterfalls. They seem to lead out to a small town.
"I hope they're all okay up there…"
Rover is still pounding into your back in a futile attempt to loosen your grip.
You let go of the dog. Immediately, he falls down on his knees, gasping for air. You reach down and pick up Hayseed, however torn and slightly rotund she may be.
Rover doesn't talk for a few moments, instead focusing on drawing in a few breaths of fresh air. He holds up a claw signaling for you to wait, but quickly makes a shoving gesture toward you.
"Get… get away from me…" He manages to shout between breaths.
"Oh, come now. I didn't have any other options. I couldn't just watch you go kersplat."
He stumbles up to his feet, then grabs at one of the stone walls. Looking back, he draws a few more breaths, then prepares to climb. He looks more confused and angry than anything else.
"You're welcome!" You simply wave, glad to see the dog still alive. As much as you didn't care for Rover or his backstabbing shenanigans, a part of you feels as though you'd miss the dumb mutt if you knew he had died.