>Go back to the Ponyville Hospital to pick up Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle
>Wake up Scootaloo, discover that Sweetie Belle is nowhere to be found. Scootaloo rejoins your party.
>Head toward the Library; see the town guards holding off a pack of Diamond Dogs from a raid
>Head to the Carousel Boutique, find Sweetie Belle picking up a mess of dresses. Rarity is missing. Sweetie Belle rejoins your party
>**Head to the Library to gather Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s saddlebags**
>Check for Spike. He is not home right now.
>Make sure to let Scoots know you bummed some stuff off of her
>**Reinforce the Library door with Twilight’s heavy table**
>Add the Stone Serpent Scale to your inventory
>**Feed Scootaloo, take Head of Lettuce with you**
>—Leave a letter for Spike telling him to relay ‘everything’ to Princess Celestia—
>xXx Diamond Dog Raiders have pushed the guards back into town xXx
>Pick up Mysterious Letter
>**Pushy Pegasus tries to usher you back into the Library; door will not budge **
>—Start running with group; crystal grinding is getting worse—
>Run into a small group of armored Diamond Dogs
>**Use Sneezing Powder to distract them; bypass them on way towards house**
Read through letter, discover that your friend is no longer confident about the ruins, LS is indeed a dragon, he’s not being blackmailed, and he doesn’t know why LS likes Applejack.
>xXx While reading your letter, the Diamond Dogs you threw Sneezing Powder at earlier have caught up xXx
>Tell your friends to go on ahead; you’ll catch up. The Diamond Dogs can’t possibly hurt you…
>—Run a bit further; a crystal falls out of your back, leaving a little gap in your skin—
>Call out for some explosives to be lobbed in your general direction; the Diamond Dogs think you’re bluffing and attack
>**Dodge body slam, STOP as Diamond Dogs try and tie you up in vain**
>Mary throws some Dynamite your way; you realize you just barely missed landing on top of it
Dogs run, reunite with friends and family
>—Refuse dad’s offer for repairs; insist that your group heads out to the mountains—
>Go to Sweet Apple Acres
—Avoid speaking with Applejack, fearing that she might try and ground Applebloom again—
>Head out down the mountain trail
After traveling down the peaceful mountain trail for a few minutes, our determined investigators stumble upon a path most precarious that leads higher into the mountain a dragon known as ‘LS’ was last heard occupying. Sending Scootaloo to look on ahead to make sure the trail is navigable, Raisin was just about to travel the narrow path herself in hopes of catching up with the little orange Pegasus. High above, several pegasi sweep the mountain tops, trying to discover the cause of a recent explosion.
Inventory check:
"Careful, Raisin!" Applebloom calls from behind you. You turn your head to meet with Scootaloo's slightly anxious expression. She shivers on a little ledge about 30 feet and a narrow trail away. She's safe, but you can clearly tell she doesn't want to be out there by herself.
"Alright… just gotta go slow…" Your foreleg crunches a little as a crystal jostles about under your stony skin. You tap the path to make sure it's not going to fall as soon as you step out. It seems pretty stable, but it's incredibly thin. Taking a gulp, you begin to catwalk out onto the narrow walkway.
You can hear Sweetie Belle and Applebloom gasping every once in a while as your hooves shuffle along the path. Suddenly, your hoof lands on a slightly weaker part of the path. There's a foot long gap in the path now with nothing but a solid drop below.
You freeze alongside the suspense coursing through your friends. "Are ya alright?!" Applebloom calls from behind.
Frozen on the incredibly narrow trail, you fight a slight sense of vertigo as you try and think of something quick.
"H-hey, Scootaloo… how's the p-path ahead look?"
The little pegasus shuffles along the cliffside, going a little further up the path. "Uh… well, it looks a little easier to navigate up this way…" She scuttles along the cliff face, her side pressed into the solid pinkish-brown rock. As she rounds the corner, she lets out a sigh. "Scratch that. There's a super huge gap up h-here." She trembles a little as she starts hastily making her way back.
You remain frozen in place.
"There's no way I can make that jump safely." You look straight at Scootaloo after looking at the gap again.
"…b-but I gotta make that jump b-back…" Scootaloo's eyes are filled with fright.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll come up with a safe way to get you back across… after I get to stable ground. Give me a second here…"
Your stony hooves carefully move you back down the precarious path you started navigating. You can hear the river far below. Some birds are chirping with devilish delight, no doubt relishing in the fact you've been bested by your weight on this loose, narrow path. You take another step back.
The path crackles beneath your hooves, though it doesn't give. You're not sure how stable it's going to be as your other hooves step near it, but eventually you feel a hoof tapping against your flank. "You're safe! You're safe!" Sweetie Belle announces.
"Scootaloo! Just hang tight while we come up with a plan!" Applebloom calls over to the shaky pegasus.
"Yeah, d-don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." She sits down with her back to the wall, her wings spread to help give her just a little extra stabilization. You can see faint shadows moving around from up above, probably the pegasi investigating the mountain top.
"Well, if we can't get on over there… what're we gonna do now, Raisin?" Applebloom rubs her chin.
Noticing the faint shadow, you look up to see it's caster. A darker pegasus with a two tone light blue, teal mane is flying by overhead.
"Hold on, guys, let's get some help for Scootaloo."
Sweetie Belle nods. "Anything to get her back over safe… Hey! Thunderlane!" Her small arms wave back and forth as she calls up to the investigating pegasus. He appears shocked when he sees your group down below.
Scootaloo waves her hooves back and forth. "No! No! I don't need any-"
"Hey! You fillies shouldn't be out here!" Thunderlane descends to get a closer look. He looks a bit unnerved when he looks at you. The crystals in your skin seem to be very off-putting to the colt.
"Our friend is trapped over there. Do you think you could lend her a hoof?"
Thunderlane turns his head over toward Scoots. "…but… isn't she a pegasus?" His question is met with an upset glower. Not pressing the issue, he effortlessly hovers across the gap to help her back across. Though it takes some coaxing, Scootaloo eventually hops up on his back and rides him back over to stable land.
"Thanks…" While thankful, she holds a certain air of defeat.
"You kids get on home. This mountain's no place for a bunch of curious fillies." With a few strong flaps, he ascends. It looks like he's heading towards another group of pegasi that are also investigating the mountaintop.
"Well, at least Scootaloo's safe…" Applebloom sighs. "…but now they're gonna be on the lookout for us for sure."
"Man, I would've rather tried hovering back across on my own…" Scootaloo says, slightly peeved.
You bump the tip of your nose into Scootaloo's. "Hey, we all need to stay together if we plan on figuring out any of these shenanigans. Getting a little help is nothing to be ashamed of…"
"It is when you're a pegasus that can barely hover…" Scootaloo bats a hoof into the dirt. She turns and starts walking back down the trail. "I guess we're going back to the farm to regroup then? Nothing else to do here, right?"
Scouring over the line of trees by along the trail, you suddenly get a bit of inspiration. "Wait, Scootaloo! I've got an idea."
Applebloom seems to have read your mind. "A bridge? Good thinkin', Raisin." The little filly reaches for her Saddlebags, then suddenly realizes that she doesn't have it on her. "Oh yeah… hey, Sweetie Belle? Ya'll still got the saw on ya, right?"
"Sure do!" Sweetie Belle withdraws the toothy piece of steel from her saddlebags. The jagged teeth seem to gleam in the slowly waning light. She hoofs it over to Applebloom who immediately fastens the straps around her right foreleg. With the cinching of a buckle, the saw is ready to use.
"Alright… Raisin, can ya brace the tree while I cut it?" Applebloom slaps the saw into the tree bark, ready to chop it down. Just as you place your hooves up against the surprisingly sturdy tree, a group of voices calls down from up above.
"You girls get on home! This is no place for a bunch of fillies! Your parents are probably worried sick about you!"
"Oh jeez… here comes the adults…" Scootaloo looks at you, slightly annoyed. "How are we going to get rid of 'em?"
Sweetie Belle starts clamoring through her bags, looking for something to get the Pegasi to leave you alone while you try your tree idea.
Thinking quick, you realize that you've still got your beautiful Royal Medallion equipped. As the first annoyed adult makes a landing, you carefully drop off from the side of the tree and hold up your Medallion. "Hey, we're on official business here. We're conducting a simple investigation; nothing more, nothing less."
The pegasus is shocked. "Wh— oh, uh… alright…" She doesn't look like she was prepared for such an immediate, official response. "…do you… uh… do you need any help or anything?"
You give Scootaloo a smug grin. She laughs to herself. "Actually, yes. You 4 could most certainly help us out."
The group of pegasi seem willing to obey. Your Medallion is, after all, one of the highest ranking honors that can be awared to a civilian. Certainly, if you hold one, you must know what you're doing. The pegasi group respects this.
You line them up and pace in front of them, thinking about how they could ease your situation.
"If you ladies would be so kind as to help us move a few trees over into the gaps in the path, me and my compatriots would be ever so thankful."
One of the pegasi, a purple mare with a two tone golden mane, speaks up. "You mean you're going to try and scale the mountain up THAT path?"
"Correct. We need to get to the summit."
One of the others, a bright blue mare with a pink mane, shakes her head. "But what if you fall? You're very… um… it might be hard to catch you, you know… because you're… uh…"
"Yes, I'm heavy. As long as those bridges are in place, I can travel the path safely." You can hear Applebloom sawing down one of the trees as you speak. Scootaloo seems to be helping her with it.
"Oh.. and.. uh, how about after we get the gaps filled… could you carry my significantly lighter friends over?"
They look at one another. "…so… wait, they can't just cross the bridges we're making?"
"I'd feel better if you flew them on over."
"Raisin, dear… we know that you know what you're doing…" They look at your Medallion again. "…and we simply love helping Mr. Merlot's daughter and all… but we've got to get our reports back over to the Mayor as soon as possible. We'll help make the bridges, but we can't babysi– we don't have much time to spend here helping you navigate up the mountain."
"Well, that's alright." You hear the first tree fall down. Applebloom and Scootaloo bail out of the way. "Let's get this one onto the narrow path gap; I'm sure it's going to help stabilize the path significantly."
The mares and Thunderlane look at one another. "Alright… we'll get this one into place then." The four surround the tree and heave it up, struggling to carry the slightly crooked timber into place.
"Alright… which one next?" Applebloom taps her saw on the ground, letting a few bits of pulpy tree matter roll off into the dust.
There are two trees left that are immediately accessible. One tree seems a bit longer, but is thinner. The other tree is shorter, but looks a lot more sturdy. It's nearly twice the thickness of the longer tree, but you're not sure if it's going to span the gap. Knowing the Pegasi aren't going to move trees around all day for you, a call must be made.
QUICK ACTION
"Hey, Thunderlane…"
The exhausted pegasus touches down next to you. "Yes? What?"
"Can you take a quick measurement for me with my Grappling Hook? I'm not sure which tree I should use…" You unwrap the Grappling Hook from your stomach and hoof it over to him.
As you let go, the full weight nearly pulls the poor pegasus into the ground. He struggles for a moment, looking at you in disbelief. "How do you even CARRY this thing?"
Not waiting for an answer, he strains and struggles to carry it over to the second gap. Dropping the hook down on the path, he stretches the rope over to the other side.
"Almost at the end of your rope!" He shouts back. "You know how long that is?!"
You remember that your Cut Rope is about 10 feet long.
"Yeah, alright…" You turn back towards the trees. The longer tree is approximately 14 feet tall while the shorter, sturdier tree is probably 8 feet tall.
Judging that the shorter tree is not going to bridge the gap, you direct Applebloom over to the longer tree. "It's going to have to be that one. The short tree won't make it."
"Roger, Raisin." Applebloom three-legged hobbles over to the longer tree, keeping the saw from touching the ground. This time, Sweetie Belle helps stabilize the tree as she saws. Scootaloo walks over to you and the other pegasi.
"So… what do you think we're going to find up there? You think 'LS' is still in hiding?" She looks curious and slightly excited; this turn of events has boosted the morale of your team. Having a bunch of adults help you for once feels great.
"I'm not sure what we're gonna find. I have a feeling there's something important up there."
The other mares are gossiping as they wait for the tree to fall. Some of them are talking about the schoolhouse; apparently, one of them has a sister that received her report card earlier that day. After a few minutes, the longer tree finally separates from it's stump, slapping the ground with a healthy thud.
"Alright; just get this one into place and we should be good." You make sure not to flaunt your Medallion too much. The pegasi nod and pick the tree up into the air, straining slightly as they fly it into position.
"Perfect! Thank you so much!" You call out when they get it secured. Your Grappling Hook is embedding into the cliffside next to the tree.
"We've gotta get back to the Mayor! We'll try to get back out here as soon as we can, but is there anything else you need before we leave!?" The mares call out as they start making their way back to town.
"No, but thanks again!" You wave as the mares wave back, quickly shrinking into the horizon.
Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle are astounded. "How did you know that they'd go for that Medallion thing?" Scootaloo asks.
"Had a feeling."
Looking ahead, the two trees seem to have made the path strangely inviting. They look like they're reinforced, almost impossible to break. Considering your incredible luck so far, you feel empowered. Caution arises, however, as you know you're still quite the heavy pony.
"Applebloom, Scoots, Sweetie… you guys go across first. I don't want to crack the trees or anything with my weight."
Applebloom nods. "Right… good thinking." Scootaloo moves up towards the tree as if she has something to prove.
"Alright, I've done this once before. I'll take the lead. You guys follow me!" The orange little pegasus spreads her wings out as she shimmies across the tree with relative ease. She seems much more confident than she was just a few minutes ago. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle aren't anywhere nearly as sure of themselves.
"A-alright… Ah'm next, then…" Applebloom jumps up on the tree and carefully moves across…
Applebloom hurries along the tree like a cat. She promptly hops off, landing next to Scootaloo. "It's okay! It didn't even budge for me!" She calls to Sweetie Belle as the little unicorn steps up to cross…
Though a little frightened by the potential drop, Sweetie Belle rushes across the tree bridge, slipping only once when her tail nearly snags on a branch. She's a little shaken when she lands next to Applebloom.
"It's really stable! Shouldn't have a problem holdin' ya, Raisin!" Applebloom calls back.
You hop up on the log, ready and waiting for it to snap…
As you push your weight into the tree, it creaks and crunches beneath your hooves. It sounds absolutely terrifying. Your hooves leave prints on the fresh wood… but in a matter of moments, you step down safely on the other side of the chasm next to Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle.
"Whew… wow… if I had a pulse, it'd be racing right now, I know it…"
You glance at the next tree. The pegasi seem to have fixed it firmly in place; it doesn't roll or budge in the slight updraft rolling up the mountain cliff. It's beautiful on this side; all of Sweet Apple Acres rolls out beneath.
As you prepare for your next move, you notice your Grappling Hook hanging from the side of the cliff. Effortlessly, you rip it up from the path and tie it around your waist.
"Can't leave anything behind."
The other three simply nod and gulp, looking toward the long tree in the path ahead.
You stare ahead over the breezy walkway. It doesn't look inviting in the slightest. You can feel the tension in your friends as they stare out over the expanse.
"S-So… us first, right?" Sweetie Belle swallows hard.
"Don't worry, we've got this." Scootaloo hops up on the tree and spreads her wings again. The few trips back and forth over the precarious cliffs seem to have bolstered her confidence…
"WAIT! Scootaloo, hold on a second…"
"Ugh… what now?" Scootaloo freezes up on the tree, maintaining her perfect balance by fluttering her wings every few seconds.
"…what was down the other path? You know, behind us?"
Sweetie Belle perks up. "Oh yeah! Hey, there was another path down that way… should we go and check it out?"
Applebloom agrees. "Yeah… Ah just don't feel good 'bout this tree bridge here…"
"Oh, come on… it's just a short walk and we're on the other side. What's there to be afraid of?" Scootaloo balances on one hoof before hopping down. You lead the way around the cliff face and toward the other path.
This way seems to lead further down, but the path looks like it's eroded in a few spots. The drops down this way look far less perilous, but this path doesn't seem to lead up the mountain at all.
"I thought we were going UP the mountain?" Scootaloo peeks around your side.
All of the jumps this way look easy to make… going down, at least. Climbing back up would be nearly impossible without a ladder.
Seeing no safe way around the long tree bridge you had the pegasi put in place for you, you muster up some courage and shut your eyes. "Alright… Scoots is right. There's no other way up. We've gotta try the bridge."
You feel a wave of panic wash over the team, but they follow your lead. Spinning around on the narrow pathway, Scootaloo is now leading the CMC back to the tree bridge. With little hesitation, the confident pegasus jumps up onto the long timber. She spreads her wings to get slightly better balance as she nears the center of the tree…
Scootaloo trucks along the tree and bounces off at the other side. "You see? It's not that bad! Come on over, Applebloom!"
The small filly shakes in place for a moment. "A-alright… here we go…" She steadies herself up on the tree, arranging her hooves in a line. She walks as carefully as she possibly can…
Applebloom opens her eyes when she sets down on the opposite side. She looks like she's nearly ready to faint. She laughs alongside Scootaloo before bumping hooves with her. "Okay, it's not that bad at all! C'mon, Sweetie Belle! Yer up next!"
Before Sweetie Belle jumps up, you stop her. She turns around, shaking. "R-raisin… do we h-have to g-g-go this way?"
She looks utterly terrified. "Don't worry, Sweetie Belle. I think I can actually help you along here…" You untie the grappling hook from around your stomach. "Hey, Scoots! Applebloom! We're going to put a tether down quick!"
"Wh-WHAT?! Why didn't you do that BEFORE we started goin' across?!" Applebloom yells over.
Without reply, you toss the giant iron hook over to the other side. It's twin teeth sink into the path with ease. There's a little rope left to hang onto, but not enough to tie it around Sweetie Belle. You pick it up with your mouth and let her bite the end. She still looks shaky.
"Just hang on tight. You'll get across safely."
She swallows, then hops up on the tree. Carefully, she slowly inches her way on across, biting down on the rope as hard as she can. Scootaloo stands on top of the Grappling Hook, helping guide the rope in. "You can do it, Sweetie!"
Shaking and scared, Sweetie Belle nearly trips over the leafy branches as she touches down on the other side. She's gasping for breath; apparently, she held it all the way across. The three embrace each other in a group hug. Scootaloo is less than pleased. "Ugh! Okay, we made it! But we're still missing Raisin!"
Applebloom agrees. "Alright! That tree must be made outta steel! C'mon over, Raisin!"
Before you cross, you very carefully withdraw your beloved doll Hayseed from her pouch. You two haven't seen each other for quite some time… she looks just as eager as ever to give you a hug. You know better, however; that'll have to wait until later. Giving her a kiss on the forehead. "Here we go, Hayseed… I hope you're feeling more confident than I am right now…" You tuck her away very carefully, making sure she doesn't brush up against any of the razor sharp crystals covering your body.
You take to the tree bridge. Each step creaks and cracks the wood, splitting it up. Your friends look on with shock as you near the center of the tree…
A thunderous explosion sees the into two large pieces. Your weight overcame the structural integrity of the wood.
"RAISIN!!" All three terrified fillies shout at the top of their lungs. It feels surreal as you plummet through the air… you remember the first time you ever fell from such a distance. You remember being a simple little filly… ambitious and brave, yes, but you were certain death awaited you then. Through one prayer to an evil artifact, your life changed forever. That drop didn't kill you, but it certainly took it's toll.
The cushy Earth comes up fast. It looks alluring in the evening orange sun, the blades lit up like stripes of copper. You don't let out a sound during your entire fall… it doesn't seem to scare you at all. The rushing ground doesn't feel threatening…
As you impact the Earth, you hear every crystal in your body shatter simultaneously. It's accompanied by a series of sounds you've never heard before. Though you're not in any pain, you find that you cannot move anything but your head and your right foreleg. Your saddlebags are also laying in front of you… somehow.
"RAISIN!!! RAISIN!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!!??" The CMC call from up above. You look about, your head level to the ground… pieces of your stony body are scattered about the general area.
"Uh… I don't think so?"
You may be broken, but not defeated. Mustering up your strength, you kick your functional foreleg up in the air. It unearths itself along with some of your chest. You quickly roll over on your head, unable to maintain balance.
Kicking your leg about, you find it impossible to get back on your hoove– hoof.
Looking about at the pieces of stone scattered on the ground, you try your hardest to get them to 'reassemble' or move somehow. They lay lifeless and still. Looking straight ahead, you see a chunk of your hair leaning up against a piece of your flank.
"…well, this can't get any worse…. at least everyone else made it across without falling." You roll your eyes. "C'mere, Hayseed… let's fix this…"
Reaching around the back, you're able to pull it in close enough to search one of the pockets. You rip the bags a bit trying to get your beloved doll out. With a bit of effort, she finally pops out of one of the pouches. You lose your grip on her.
"There you are… come to momma…"
Reaching a little further out, you're just able to pull her up to your face. You nuzzle her and close your eyes, removing yourself from this terrible situation. Your friends cries from above slip away with the horrible cawing of the carrion picking crows above. A peaceful silence washes over Equestria as you remember tobogganing with your dad down Bunny Hop Hill. You remember the snow blasting over the front of the sled… a brilliant display of crystals filled the air…
Inside this peaceful void, you draw in a deep breath. Just for a moment, you swear that you can smell fresh lavender in the air… that wonderful, flowery smell that accompanied mom's special floral breakfasts. You hear the sounds of a wretched fowl crowing in your window… it makes your heart beat. You count… 12 beats before they suddenly stop.
Your eyes open up. You're back inside your room, hugging Hayseed tight. Your stony body is whole again… your glossy, gold speckled coat is vitreous and beautiful. You see your rack of adventuring tools full to the brim… you distinctly remember the paranoia you felt this yesterday morning. You knew something weird was going to happen today… you had that feeling.
You are now back in your room with Hayseed in your hooves. Your saddlebags are laying by the closet door. All of your knicknacks are in their place… your Daring Do novel is still cracked open to the page you left off on.
Inventory check:
Feeling relieved that you're back in one piece again, undamaged and freshly polished up from the weekend, you take a moment to look upon yourself once more in your bedroom mirror.
You tilt your head down to where you know the crystals had embedded themselves into your hair. Not one flaw remains on your lustrous, sleek coat.
"Lookin' good, Raisin… hopefully, we'll keep it that way this time…" You ponder a few things as you admire the buff job dad gave you. "…I have no idea what I'm supposed to even be doing, do I? How do I stop those snakes?"
You take a moment to concentrate once again. Standing in front of your mirror, you look down at Hayseed nestled in the crux of your foreleg. With a refreshed, cheery smile on your face, you nuzzle up to her cheek. You can hear the sound of bells ringing in your head… it reminds you of the celebration you had after defeating the small, angry, ancient dragon named Cilepharus. An air of glory and pride hung around you and your friends for days… you remember how special the recognition felt as you finally had a chance to hug your parents out of the Royal Canterlot Hospital.
GAME SAVED
As the room fades in once again, you get your thoughts straightened out. "Alright… I know that mysterious friend of mine is going to be leaving a letter on the doorstep anytime now…" You walk over to the desk. It feels amazing to simply walk again without that crunching and grinding crystal sound echoing through your head.
You carefully push your Daring Do book aside as you grab a fresh piece of Parchment and a wet black Quill.
As you lift your perfectly filled quill to the parchment, you run through a good list of questions in your head. You remember the little map you're about to receive… knowing that the Ruins in the Everfree Forest was just a false lead…
What do these X's mean? Especially the ones by Canterlot? Why did you leave this manp?"
You stop a moment, realizing you've made a spelling error. "Eh, he makes them all the time." You continue the letter:
"Who Are you? Is it okay if we talk through letters?
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
-Raisin"
After the calligraphic ink dries, you roll it up and let it sit on the desk. Currently, you can only carry it inside of your stony mouth or try to tuck it in between Hayseed and your foreleg. How do you wish to carry the letter?
You go across the ornate rug in your room to fetch your trusty saddlebags. They're back in perfectly functional condition once again… it feels weird to have just ripped them apart to get Hayseed out only to have them be back in perfect physical condition. Not even the stitch-job on the damaged pocket remains.
You fasten the bags to your back, ready once again to haul your adventuring equipment. >>145391
Before going back to your desk to pick up Hayseed and your Letter, you deposit the Cosmetics Kit inside of your dresser drawer. It fits in neatly with a selection of socks, scarves and sweaters… not that you've worn any of them recently nor have need to.
You pack your precious doll Hayseed and the Letter to Your Friend in separate pouches.
Inventory check:
Adjusting your bags, you breathe in deep as you make your way out of your room once again. You look at the day as another opportunity. Thinking back, you're thankful that none of your friends are hurt this time. Nopony perished last time either… things could have been far worse, you figure.
Your hooves patter down the luxurious hallway rug leading into the Merlot Residence Foyer. Just like this morning, you hear your mother arguing to Mary in the room over. She's trying to do the maid's job for her again…
Quietly, you make your way into the Dining Room.
“No, no, itz fine! Just relax, Mrs. Merlot, and… I’ll prepare ze table for you after I’m done vith ze cooking…” Mary tries to wrestle a stack of plates out of your mother's hooves as she prepares the table for the field workers.
“Please, Mary, I just want to help. Let me set the table while you…” Her resistance to the flustered maid ends when she sees you. “Raisin! You’re up and about early this morning! I didn’t even hear you come in!”
"Good morning, mom~!"
You meet her about halfway between the table and the Dining Room doors. Mary looks relieved as she quickly slides the plates in front of each chair before dashing back into the kitchen. You give your mom a quick little squeeze. She nearly squeaks.
"O-oh! “Strong as ever! Oh, my beautiful, shiny little gemstone!" She gives you a little kiss on the forehead. "Are you going to sit with us for breakfast?"
Your mom excitedly clops her hooves together. "Oh, you're just going to loooove the little setup me and Mary have been working on! The vineyard workers are going to be so tickled when see this morning's spread!"
"I'm sure they will, Mom. Those ponies always love you and Mary's cooking."
Your mom smiles, then ushers you up to your 'throne'. "So, how's my little pebble this morning? What did you read last night?"
"Oh, you know. Going through my Daring Do collection again… back on book 12 now."
She looks astonished. "Weren't you on 5 just yesterday?"
Time is still a bit wonked out for you; yesterday, you apprehended a group of vicious looking Boulder Snakes at midnight. The night before you were finished up book 8 at around the same time. It takes you a moment to respond.
"…oh, yeah. I was, wasn't I? Just can't put her down; I love her adventures."
The two of you talk back and forth as the vineyard workers funnel in from the fields, greeting you and your mom at the dinner table. After a few minutes, one of the vineyard workers, a spicy red and white mare, comments on your presence.
"Hey, did Ms. Cheerilee cancel school or something today?" The others just chuckle to themselves.
"Oh goodness! I almost completely forgot!" Your mom rushes over to you. "Do you have everything ready for school?"
"I'm good, mom. Got everything packed up this morning…"
She gives you a little squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. The workers 'awww' at you. You feel slightly embarrassed, but it doesn't bother you that much. You give your mom a gentle nuzzle under her chin.
"Love ya, Mom."
"Love you too, sweetheart!" She drops her forelegs back onto the marble floor. "Now get going! You don't want to be late for class, do you?"
With a little nod, you shuffle out of the Dining Room. Several of the vineyard workers wish you well on your schoolday. "Hey, remember! We'll need your grape press expertise tonight!" The others chuckle amongst one another as they eating a very leafy green breakfast with your mother.
As you open the front door, the brilliant morning sunlight greets you. The heavenly light fills the land with a beautiful golden glow. Sweet Apple Acres looks wonderful in the sunlight… almost better the second time seeing it this morning. An impatient Applebloom waits at your door, jogging in place.
"There ya'll are! We're gonna be late!" She looks a little panicked as you casually stroll out of the front door. Before you set hoof on the doormat, you reach down and pick up a piece of paper.
"Oh, ah was gonna ask you about that on our way to school… somepony dropped this off in a hurry." She looks at it curiously. "After we get to school, Ah've got a weird letter of my own to show ya… but we gotta get goin' now!"
"Right, right…" Quickly, you pull the little letter you wrote out of your bag and place it under the doormat. Looking back and forth quickly, you don't see any maids looking around. Applebloom watches as you sneak the letter under the doormat.
"Ah, so ya'll got a secret friend, is that it?" She immediately seems more interested in your letter than she does getting on down the road. She gives you this sassy look. "Does Raisin have a cruuuuush on somepony?"
"N-No. I just… I had a feeling somepony was going to drop it off, so I… wrote a response ahead of time…?" Your story doesn't seem to make much sense to you either. "…you'll see once I open this up. It's going to be weird, I guarantee it."
"Riiiiiiight." She shakes her mane. "Okay, later. Now, we're just gonna be extremely late! Ms. Cheerilee's gonna take one of our stars away fer sure!"
As the two of you bolt down the dirt road, kicking up a thunderous cloud of dust and sand, you decide to try and get a little more information out of Applebloom.
"Hey, what did the pony that delivered this letter look like?"
She looks confused. "Ya'll should know, considerin' yer writin' him letters an' all."
"So it's a colt then, right?"
Applebloom giggles. "Ah would like to think so!"
You feel a bit embarrassed. The two of you continue on down the dirt road until you see a gathering of ponies on up ahead near the town square. Both of you slow to a stop.
"Huh? What's goin' on?" Applebloom asks.
You approach the large group of ponies. You know they've discovered the Boulder Snake Statues already… pretty hard to miss such a monstrously large creature, you figure.
"We've gotta check this out, Applebloom. Mr. Cheerilee won't mind, I'm sure. She's probably in the crowd."
Applebloom can't help but agree. "Ah wonder what they're all lookin' at…" The curious filly squats down to try and peek through the sea of pony legs ahead for a glimpse at the statue, but to no avail. You listen as the adults try and figure out what it is.
"Is it a carving? Who would make such an ugly thing? How did it get here?" The air is abuzz with curiosity. As you wait for the mayor to start up her speech, a familiar voice calls out from behind. "Raisin! There you are! You'll never guess what happened today!" Sweetie Belle joins up with you and Applebloom. She looks into the crowd with certain confusion. "Whoa… what's going on?"
"That's what we wanna know!" Applebloom answers.
The Mayor starts speaking over the crowd. "Citizens of Ponyville! There's no need for panic nor alarm!" The ponies all start to settle down, preparing for a speech. "We're currently assessing damages and trying to figure out where this thing came from!"
The Mayor takes a pause as she flips a page over.
"Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's star pupil, is currently researching what this creature may be or may have been. What we do know is that it has not moved since it was discovered and more than likely will not move again. We ask that everypony keep their distance while we try to get things sorted out!"
The crowd starts getting a little restless. "That can't be all you know! It destroyed half of my house!"
The Mayor talks over the disgruntled pony. "Please, be patient! We've already got ponies helping to repair all of the damaged buildings and other statues! We're not even sure if this thing caused the damages!"
From behind, another voice chirps in. "Hey, what's going on?" Scootaloo stands atop your back, craning her head down over yours and meeting you face to face.
"Hey Scoots."