>Have Raisin go to the amulet’s exact location
>** Hide the amulet inside of Hayseed **
>– Tell Rover about the Boulder Snakes; he orders his pack to retreat out of the volcano –
>Hint to Rover that the Canterlot Royal Guard are probably on their way to investigate the mountaintop explosion
>– Refuse to enter the cage; Rocky offers to carry you up the volcano shaft on his arm –
>– Decide to act as an early warning system for falling crates –
>Fort building timbers begin falling into volcano, hitting the dog holding Scootaloo
>** Use Rope to rescue Scootaloo before the Diamond Dog is hit with more falling supplies **
>Sling dazed dog over Rocky’s shoulder, then proceed to exit the volcano
>Search for Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, discovering that they have been caged
>** Use Scoots’ CMC Cape to flag down the guards **
>Guards cannot land due to the gemstone cannons
>Run to edge of mountaintop; chased by dogs
>Roll out of the way of an incoming spear and warn Scoots of a Diamond Dog trying to sneak up on her
>Meet up with a small squadron of Royal Guards
>xXx 12:00PM, Day 2; Explosion is heard out toward Ponyville xXx
>** Warn them of the Boulder Snakes. Tell them to push the cloud back **
>Guard tells you that gemstone cannons will prevent them from pushing the cloud away
>Royal Guards rescue your friends as you try to convince Rover to back down
>xXx Rover is impervious to your Charisma stacking; ignores your pleas xXx
>xXx Rocky’s painfully honest nature ruins your attempted deception xXx
>–Plow into Rover’s gun platform, sending it sliding off of the mountaintop—
>**Wave your cape around to signal the Royal Guards to push the cloud away**
>–Use the True Soul Amulet and a death grip bear hug to save Rover’s life—
After crawling out of a ravine wall, Raisin and Rover drop down into the bottom of a river carved ravine. Staring down a small series of cascading waterfalls, Raisin thinks that she sees civilization just a few miles out. Knowing that her friends are safe and that she’s in possession of the True Soul Amulet, the golem filly feels giddy as she contemplates getting her old body back.
The leader of the Diamond Dogs shakily digs his claws into the ravine wall, ready to get back to his pack. Humiliated and utterly defeated, he forgets the deal he made with Raisin in an attempt to gain as much distance between him and her as possible. He grumbles as he looks up the steep mountain, preparing to climb his way back to the top.
Inventory check:
Though you have your amulet and your friends are safe, a fit of nagging paranoia lingers in the back of your mind. You don't trust Rover to simply return to his pack and call it a day. Maybe it's something to do with the Heart of the Mountain… maybe it's just your gut feeling, but letting him go doesn't feel right.
"Wait a second… Rover, get back here!" You turn around and start marching over to the wall he's beginning to climb. He doesn't so much as look your way as he attempts to get a good grip on the stony surface. He just manages to hoist himself up a few feet before you tug on his tail, bringing him back down to the ground.
"…What?! WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" He stews in his anger, opting to just lie down. From the ride down the mountain to being pried out of the ravine wall, the dog seems all but exhausted.
"Stop right there, criminal scum. You've violated the law!" You're not entirely sure where that came from, but it seemed like the most appropriate thing to say two seconds ago.
"…What law?! I don't care about your stupid law!" Rover swats at you lazily, managing to bruise the back of his paw on your granite face. He winces and rubs his paw.
"You know which one… I assume. I'm confiscating your stolen goods!" Being in a position of authority through sheer strength, you decide to frisk his vest for any valuables. It doesn't feel quite right to do this to somepony as defeated as Rover, but your paranoia demands it. As you pat his pockets down, you notice that he doesn't seem to be resisting at all.
You find a Small Diamond in his front right pocket. He doesn't seem to be carrying anything else. Do you wish to take it from him?
You decide against stealing his Diamond. It probably means a lot to him… and you certainly don't want him hunting you down later to look for it. You close his vest pocket and back off.
"S-sorry… I thought you might have stolen something from one of my friends."
Rover just grunts. He doesn't seem interested in keeping you as company.
"Do you know anything about that other explosion that just happened? Did your dogs do that?"
He lifts himself up off the ground slowly, then begins climbing again.
"Is that a no, then?"
He doesn't respond. You see him reach up for another solid rock and get his feet off the ground.
Beyond Rover's claws digging into the rock, the only other sounds in this peaceful ravine are the river water tumbling over the edge of this plateau. A more ominous sound seems to linger in the distance, though you're unsure if it's just a figment of your imagination.
Wary of the fact that you're outside again… alone… with birds prowling the skies… you decide that it would be in your best interest to somehow keep Rover with you for the time being. Besides, there could be far more dangerous things than birds lurking just up above…
"Wait! Wait a moment!" You reach up, just barely getting a grip on his tail. He comes falling down, this time on his back.
"Pleeeheeeheeheeaase stooooopp…" The frustrated dog whines.
"Just… wait a minute. I thought I heard something up there."
"Why do you care? Just let me go." Rover doesn't look like he's ready to climb a mountain anyhow, you figure.
"I didn't just save your life to watch you go and throw it away senselessly. If you run into a monster on the way back up, you're gonna get gobbled."
He gets back up on his feet, though hesitates to try climbing back up the wall. "I. Don't. Care. Leave me alone."
"I do care and I will leave you alone… just follow me for a ways until we're out of this ravine. I think it'd be safer for you to clim-"
Suddenly, a little blue blur flies passed the ravine above. Instinctively, you slam yourself up against the ravine wall, trying your best to avoid being seen by it. Rover stares at you, puzzled. He doesn't say a word.
The weary dog looks confused as your eyes scan the narrow view of the sky above. Slowly, he reaches back to the wall. You know he's in a yank to leave, but so are you.
"Hold it." You grab his paw, then begin walking to the edge of the waterfall. He digs his feet into the ground in a futile effort to resist your pull.
"LET GO, STUPID PONY!" He yanks on his arm, trying to free it from your grasp.
"Come on. You're walking me home. It's the least you could do after I saved your hide."
"I'm not going ANYWHERE with you!!" He presses his feet up against the back of your head, trying to use the extra leverage to pull his arm free. Your grip refuses to give him even an inch of play. "You're not taking my gemstone away!"
"Yeah, that's what I thought you were going back up there for." You reach the edge, seeing a sheer drop off onto another plateau below. The water must fall down at least 2-3 houses down. It pounds into a small bowl of water before continuing off the end of the next plateau.
You see a few trees on the wider expanse below. From here, you can clearly see a birds nest poking out of one.
Inventory check:
Not seeing any other way down, you figure that the only way forward is down. Although the hesitant Diamond Dog doesn't seem terribly frail, you decide not to take any risks.
"Get ready…"
Rover begins panicking. "W-wait… No! No no! Don't! STOP!!"
With your other hoof, you reach into your saddlebags, pulling out your mishapen doll. You take a leap into the air with Rover in tow. As the two of you fall down the falls, you plop Hayseed between the two of you and squeeze Rover tightly. Again, the force of your hug causes the protective aura to almost immediately activate.
In seconds, you splash down into the water. Unfortunately, you underestimated the current. Not even your heavy stone body seems to slow in the water. Looking at Rover, he keeps his eyes tightly shut, but he looks like he's in quite a bit of pain.
The two of you tumble for a few seconds, then fall off of the next set of falls. You smash into the rocks below, then settle on the bottom of the far wider pool. Rover looks like he's having a very difficult time holding his breath. His face turns blue as you hold onto him.
Seeing as he's beginning to change colors before your eyes, you carefully let go of the dog, taking care to hold onto Hayseed. Immediately, Rover paddles his way up to the surface. You look up and watch as he swims to the edge of the water.
You put Hayseed back inside of one of your saddlebag pockets, then survey the area. It's very odd being underwater at all, but much more so with so much light everywhere. It shines through in brilliant patterns against the riverbed. The bowl shaped basin looks like a crater on the moon with a single outlet leading down the river.
Rover appears to have climbed out of the water. You cannot currently see the dog.
You immediately notice that the dog has disappeared. You run to the last place you saw him, then throw yourself out of the water. Your polished body gleams in the sunlight as your sharp sense of hearing returns.
Already you can see Rover desperately trying to make his way up the ravine wall. He looks like he's frightened.
"No! Please! Stay back!" He calls down. Unfortunately, he's still well within your reach. With a gentle tug, the lumbering dog is freed from the wall.
"You're not leaving my sight until we're back in town."
He cowers, then tries to bolt. You grab onto his leg to stop him from getting away.
"What do you want with me?! Deal's off! You're not my property anymore!" Rover recoils.
"I know that. I just don't want you scurrying back up there and causing a ruckus with the guards up top. You're not getting that gem."
He clenches his paws up, then pounds the ground. He growls in frustration, all the while trying to pull his leg free from your hoof. You proceed to drag Rover to the end of this plateau, his paws digging into the dirt behind you. Below, you finally see flat, solid land.
A robin flies up passed you.
"YyyyyeeahahaAAH!" You throw up a hoof, then remember that you have Rover with you. The bird continues flying on by, it's maleficent plans to ruin your day clearly thwarted.
"Ready for the last jump?"
Rover whimpers, trying to dig away from you. Chunks of dirt come flying up into the air as you withdraw Hayseed again.
"Girl, you're just saving everyone today…" You give her a little kiss on her soaked head, then give Rover a pull. He easily flies up into the air, though desperately attempts to grab at the ground.
"No! No! Not again! Please! I'll do anything! Don't hug me! Don't touch me!" Rover pleads, but you simply give him a bear hug. The aura surround his body as the two of you drop like a brick straight into the murky little pond below.
After the splash and rush of bubbles settles down, you stand at the pond's bottom, face to face with a turtle. He stares at you through the opening in his shell. Carefully, you step around him and climb your way up to the surface.
"L-Lhhet… gg…ggo…" Rover coughs in your grip. Standing on the bank and looking ahead, you see that the river winds through the hills ahead and leads to a very familiar looking windmill. It looks like Ponyville!
"We made it! We're almost home free!" You give Rover a little tighter squeeze accidentally, triggering the amulet once again.
Rover gasps for breath.
Letting go of Rover once again, he nearly explodes out of your forelegs, running back toward the mountain. It takes only a few seconds to tackle him. Over the course of the last few traumatizing hugs he's received, Rover appears to be breaking down. He shudders under your touch.
"Oh, come on, you big baby. Let's get going."
He continuously keeps trying to dig himself away, though as you begin dragging him behind you, he almost gives up. The two of you walk through the bushy Equestrian grasslands for a while, heading straight toward town.
"Hey! There she is!" You hear a voice call down from up above. "Ah knew she was gonna be alright!"
A Royal Guard gently lands on the ground by your side. "Good eyes there, Applebloom."
"Ah only saw he because of the helmet…" She admits.
"Applebloom! Boy am I glad to see you!"
"Ah can't believe ya'll actually rode down the mountain like that!" She laughs excitedly. "What happened to that… whoa.. uhm.." She looks at the whimpering mess behind you, finally realizing who you've dragged along as company.
"Please… please help me…" Rover turns around, looking up at the guard. The guard shows no sign of mercy in his face.
"Weren't you the one leading the cannon assault against us?" The guard looks him over. "Yeah, you're the Diamond Dog leader!"
"Yes! Yes I am!" He throws his paws up. "Get me away from this wretched pony! Please! Help! Don't let her hug me again!"
Applebloom and the confused guard simply stare at you. "Uh…?"
"I saved his life. Long story short, he's ungrateful."
Rover continues whimpering to himself, realizing he's not going to receive any reprieve from your grip until you're good and ready to give him up.
"We're glad to see that you're safe and sound." The Royal Guard pats your helmet. "Applebloom here was telling us what happened down there… she said you found some sort of strange amulet?"
"Wait… hold on. How's the battle going up top?"
The guard looks at you and laughs. "The battle? That ended almost immediately after you took that dog out of the equation."
Rover tenses up, pounding the ground. "My dogs would never… they'd fight until…" He gets lost in some words, still trying to shake his leg free.
"After the dogs stopped firing, we moved the cloud away… just in time, too. The dogs didn't seem to be putting up a fight anymore, so we ordered them to disperse." He looks up to the mountaintop. "…so far, they haven't followed that order. They're adamant about staying up there."
"That's because they're after the Heart of the Mountain. You saw the giant, glowing gem inside the volcano, right?"
"Ah told them all about it… and how that big ol' snake was tryin' ta knock it into the lava." Applebloom nods.
"It's gotta get taken out of there before night time. The Boulder Snakes are sure to knock it in now that their Queen is gone. If that happens…"
"We're not entirely sure what the Heart of the Mountain is. When we find Twilight Sparkle, we're going to bring her in to investigate it…" The guard looks back down to you. "…and any other artifacts you might have found?"
"Yeah. The big stone cobra had an amulet. I think it can turn me back into a normal filly again!" You smile. The guard looks at you with great concern. "…Can I at least use it before you try to confiscate it?"
"It's far too dangerous. We have no idea what kind of curse that thing might have on it." The guard gestures a wing down to you. "Princess Celestia would know exactly what to do with it. She can check to ensure there are no hexes on it before we try it on you."
You stare up at the guard for a few moments as the thought of handing over the amulet cycles through your head. Considering all that you've gone through to get it, you're not very willing to immediately part with it.
"No. I'll hoof it over to the princess herself. Here's hoping I can fit in one of your chariots!"
The guard glowers down at you. "You're not being possessed right now, are you?"
"She's possessed! There's something wrong with her!" Rover shouts. "She won't let me go!"
Applebloom's not sure how to call it. She looks down into your eyes and blinks code to you, asking you if it's safe. You blink back yes, hoping that there isn't going to be some sort of misunderstanding. Your friend simply sighs.
"Ah think she's gonna be alright. We gotta tell Celestia about the Boulder Snakes and the Heart!" Applebloom nods down to you.
The guard unfolds his other wing. "We'll be keeping a close eye on you until then… we don't want a repeat of the Adanemzurai incident…" He pauses. "After all… that is why you're the way you are right now."
Thinking back on it, you realize the guard's concern is justified. "Get me a chariot. We need to talk to Celestia immediately."
"…how about this. Hoof me over your prisoner there. He has to be held accountable for leading the assault against the Royal Canterlot Guard."
"YES! Anything! Get me away from her!" Rover tries to twist around, but his leg doesn't appear to want to bend in that direction. He looks anxious to get out of your iron hold grip.
You turn to look back over your shoulder at Rover. A look of hope seems to return to his face. "Do you promise to be a good boy if I let you go?"
"Yes! Please let me go!" He begs.
"Alright, sure. He's all yours." As you begin to pull him over, you feel the dog nearly shake out of your grip. "Careful. He's a frisky one."
"We'll take him to the Canterlot prisons for processing. Attacking the Royal Guard is a serious offense." The Royal Guard gives him a sour look. Rover doesn't seem to mind being in the guard's custody.
"See you around, Rovie~" You wink at him. The poor dog shivers as the guard takes him up under his foreleg. In a few moments, the guard becomes airborne, taking off back up toward the mountains.
You watch as the field grass rolls about around you. The thought that your feelings are just a few more minutes away fills your heart with joy. Finally, after all these long months, you'll finally be able to feel the breeze coasting over the fields right now. The sunshine from up above will finally feel warm again. You smile and breathe in deep, almost expecting the air to have smell already. The time passes all too quickly as your hopes return. An excited giggle escapes your lips.
You watch the sun travel a little distance in the sky until a four horse chariot pulls up in the field. It's surrounded by 16 Royal Guards. Riding in it already are your parents.
"Mom? Dad?!" It's a rather unexpected surprise.
"Raisin! Sweetheart!" Your mother wraps her forelegs around you. You think you can hear her crying, though she tries to stifle her tears. "We heard explosions! We thought we lost you!"
Your dad looks down at you. It's hard to read his face clearly… his brows are furrowed. He doesn't speak for a few moments while your mother holds your head in her hooves.
"What happened to you?! You're all chipped up!" Your mom tries to brush your polished coat with a hoof as if she can buff out the rough spots.
"It's fine… I'm not hurt." You look up to your dad. "I'm sorry I left without saying anything…"
"Raisin…" Your dad stands in the chariot for a moment. "…I'm just so happy to see you again."
A more elegantly dressed guard ushers you into the chariot with your mom and dad. "Please, get inside, Raisin. We have important business to discuss with the Princess."
Without a second thought, you hop into the chariot. A certain thrill courses through your mind as it takes off into the air. You're happy that this chariot ride isn't going to end up with you being held prisoner at the Canterlot castle… or so you hope, at least.
You regale your parents with the version of your story that led you to the chariot you're riding in now. Your dad shakes his head as you mention nearly getting speared by the Diamond Dogs after teasing them.
"…and then, just at the last moment, I tucked her between me and Rover and we slid down the mountain together! We got stuck in the ravine, but I eventually got us out. We had to fall a ways more down the mountain, but I finally got down, talked to one of the guards and Applebloom, and here I am! Safe and sound!"
Your mother's face is completely white. She looks like she's about to pass out. Your father, on the other hoof, looks proud. He holds it in, seeing that your mom isn't taking your story very lightly.
"Grapefruit… can you promise us that you're not going to go on anymore death defying adventures?" He gives you that sideways look… he actually looks pretty serious about it.
"Well, as long as Equestria stays out of danger, yeah. I just want to become a normal filly again."
"…normal? You found a way to do that?" Your dad looks like he wasn't informed at all.
"Well… yeah. That's partly what this meeting with Celestia is about. The other half is telling her about the Heart of the Mountain. We can't let the sun go down or else the Boulder Snakes are going to trigger a huge eruption!"
He shakes his head back and forth, weighing the situation. He grows a little quiet, probably overwhelmed with everything he just heard.
In a matter of minutes, your chariot sets down in the Royal Canterlot docking balcony. The massive banners and archways are much more welcoming this time than they were the last. As you lead your parents toward the throne room, a voice pipes up from behind.
"Raisin!" Scootaloo jumps up. "I can't believe you finally made it!"
Sweetie Belle gives you a beaming smile. "I don't know what happened after the light spell… stuff… but I'm just so glad we're altogether here…" She still seems a little dizzy.
Applebloom pats you on the back and removes your helmet. "Sure took a while to find a chariot big enough for ya." She laughs. "They had ta dig this one outta storage! Ah watched!"
The guards lead you over to the throne room doors on the left. Your friends and parents are ushered back into the hallway.
"We'll be right here, Raisin! Good luck!" Your mom calls from behind.
With a gentle closing, you enter into the hallowed Throne room again. A wave of deja vu hits you as you're once again face to face with the ruler of all of Equestria.
"Raisin Merlot… please, come forward." Princess Celestia calls to you in a soothing voice.
Looking about the room, you see several stained glass portraits of major events that happened in Equestria. It takes you by surprise to see one of the windows with your visage in it. The glass illustrates your defeat of Tezel, the golem curse put on you, and the Titanio golem being cut out of the mountain by ponies. You laugh quietly to yourself before you turn back to face the Princess. You approach slowly, then bow, taking great care not to break the silence in doing so.
"There's no need to bow, Raisin." She smiles. "I was recently informed of your encounter with the Diamond Dogs?"
"Yeah, I had a run in with them. They were kind of just… there." You take in a deep breath. "There's a much, much bigger problem that only you can solve."
"Go on…" She encourages you.
"First, I recently dethroned a Boulder Snake Queen. Her name was Keszeem… some crazy snake that was trying to set off a bunch of volcanos around Equestria by breaking some gemstone called the Heart of the Mountain."
The Princess leans forward.
"I stopped her, but I couldn't stop all of her underlings. There's an army of snakes ready to start the reaction as soon as the sun sets!"
The Princess immediately raises a hoof. You see a pony that was hiding off to the side come over. She whispers to her, then gestures for her to leave the room. "Worry not. The sun shall stay in the sky until we're sure the Heart of the Mountain is safe." She draws in a deep breath. "I was informed that you are carrying another ancient artifact?"
"…yes. Keszeem was wearing an amulet… the True Soul Amulet."
The name immediately garners a response from Princess Celestia. "…and you were able to recover it?"
"Yes. I have it here with me right now."
The Princess gets up from her throne. She approaches you with perfect, elegant grace. "The True Soul Amulet is an ancient artifact said to have been lost countless years ago. According to legend, it was dropped into a volcano in a far away land, never to be seen again…"
"Well.. I guess the snakes must have found it. They can swim through lava."
Something feels very calming about being in Celestia's presence. Even last time when she was chastising you, you never once felt threatened to be near her. She turns a hoof toward you. "May I see it?" She asks.
You take Hayseed out of your air dried saddlebags. She's still as rotund as ever, barely able to hold onto the amulet at all. The silver circlet pokes through a few spots on her back.
With a little reluctance, you gently reach into Hayseed's back. Carefully, you withdraw the True Soul Amulet, tapping it against your stone coat to get some of Hayseed's fluff off of it. You feel terrible for your little friend… she looks all saggy and stretched out.
"Sorry…" You whisper.
Very slowly, you lift the True Soul Amulet up and hoof it over to Princess Celestia. She looks down at your eyes, watching as you hoof it over to her willingly.
"Please, this thing might be able to turn me back to normal. I mean, being a golem has its uses, but I want to change back, so badly."
She stays focused on your eyes as you let it drop into her hoof. She smiles.
"It doesn't appear to have any curses on it. That's a relief." She lifts it up with her magic. "It should certainly have the power to change you back… though it's been such a long time since I've even heard of this relic… I honestly don't know how it works anymore."
"I've… seen it used once. I saw Keszeem revive one of her minions with it. The one in Ponyville's Town Square. She used one of her scales to somehow power it up."
Celestia lowers it back down to you. "We've tried everything else. If I had known this artifact was still intact…" She looks down to the side. "…what do you say? Shall we give it a try?"
You smile, then draw in a deep breath. "More than anything. I want to become normal again." You look up to the gleaming amulet. "I think I'm going to need my parents for this."
"Very well." She looks up to the doors, then opens them with her magic. "You may enter now."
Your friends come barreling in, standing off to the side. Scootaloo wanders up next to you before your parents get in the room.
"Are you sure you wanna give this up?" She taps on your side. "Or is being a rock not all it's cracked up to be?"
You glower at her, then roll your eyes. "I'm getting my old body back."
Your parents enter the room followed by a small platoon of guards. Since your last exploits in Canterlot, it appears that they're not taking any chances, regardless of how minimal they may be.
"What's going to happen?" Your mother asks.
Princess Celestia gives the amulet to your mother. "Here. Take this." Your mom and dad hold up their hooves, taking the beautiful amulet in close. "According to Raisin, you'll need to activate it using a part of you."
Your mother looks around her hooves, trying to figure out what to do. "What part and how much? I'll do anything…" Your dad rests a hoof on your mom, then pulls up a part of his own mane, gesturing to one of the guards to cut it off. With a quick slice, the hair is trimmed.
The Amulet instantly responds. You approach it and your father, watching as the gem in the center glows bright. For the first time in months, a weak tingling sensation courses over your skin. You can hear your friends gasping as the guards take a step back.
You close your eyes, feeling the warmth of the amulet's light consume you. As you keep your eyes shut tight, the tingling grows. You hear the stone cracking off of your coat… for some reason, though, you feel a bit of pain over your skin. It's an almost unfamiliar feeling, though it's there…
"Whoa…" Applebloom's voice sounds distant.
You feel a set of hooves wrap around your body, squeezing you tight. The warmth of tears soak into your coat… you can feel again! The sunlight, the warmth of your parents and your friends on top of you… the sensations are almost overwhelming.
"O-oh.." Your mother recoils for a moment. She brushes your coat near your cheek… a stinging sensation. "Can we get some bandages?"
"Welp… now you're just a normal filly again…" Scootaloo shrugs. "…with a lot of cuts… wow…"
You get just a little bit of room, then hop up on your rearlegs. A jarring pain makes you calm down for a moment. There seems to be a pretty large cut on the back of your right rearleg. You don't mind much, though… it's better than feeling absolute numbness.
"I'm finally back!" You stretch your hooves out and pull your loved ones in for a close hug. It feels good that they're not shivering or gasping under your forelegs anymore. You look up to Celestia with bleary eyes. You hold up your foreleg, seeing it's natural purple color… though it's speckled with small patches of fur missing. Some of the damage you incurred while a stone seems to have stayed…
You breathe in a deep, real breath of air. It's amazing… you swear that you can almost taste the air. You think about all the food you're going to eat when you get home… all the ice cream you're going to eat with your friends. Everything that you've missed out on for so long is now within grasp.
"…and so Adanemzurai's curse has finally been lifted." Celestia smiles. "The True Soul Amulet, a forgotten artifact from ages past… has been recovered." She tilts her head toward you. "…and Raisin Merlot has earned her Cutie Mark."
"…wh…what?!"
Immediately, you look down to your side. A confusing symbol seems to have taken residence on your flank. Your friends gather around to admire it. After a few seconds, their faces twist up in confusion.
"…what is it?" Sweetie Belle tilts her head. "…a pointy sideways '8'?"
"In front of that other symbol… what is that? Kinda looks like an hour glass… but not." Her head turns and her face scrunches. "Ah never seen anything like it…" Applebloom tries to stretch it out a little. It feels strange having pliable skin again.
Scootaloo looks it over. "Well… I'm sure Raisin knows what it means… right?"
Looking down, you swear that you've seen the symbols before, though you're not quite sure where. In an old dream, perhaps? Their exact point of reference eludes you.
Celestia doesn't say anything at first. "…I guess that explains some things." She gives you a curious smirk. "That's a very rare Cutie Mark, Raisin. You have quite a gift."
"But what does it mean?" Applebloom shrugs.
Deep down inside, you're almost certain this has something to do with your extraordinary time travel abilities. The Princess seems to know this as well, but she keeps quiet.
"I believe Raisin understands it perfectly well. It's one of infinite clarity… knowing what to do and exactly when it must be done." Celestia closes her eyes. "In other words, a natural leader."
"Oh… Ah guess that makes sense…" Applebloom scratches her chin. "Why couldn't it just be a scroll or a crown or somethin'?"
"I like it… looks pretty cool." You admire it a bit longer. The golden sideways figure 8 stands strong in front of a set of arches… almost like a reflection of an arch against water, giving it an hourglass kind of look. It's strange, but you don't question it.
As you try to get used to all the changes you've just suddenly experienced on top of the lingering pain you're feeling, a couple of questions come to mind.
"Princess… I know this might seem kind of strange, but have you heard of a dragon that goes by the initials 'L.S'?"
"Oh yeah! That's the creep that was sendin' my sister Applejack all those weird letters!" Applebloom nods. "We gotta take care of him too!"
Princess Celestia looks down, then shuts her eyes. She thinks for a few moments, then looks up to you and your friends. "A dragon, you said?"
"Yeah… some weird dragon that was living out near Ponyville on a mountain… we think. That's what Derpy told us."
She goes silent. "There was an explosion out there earlier today… If he was on that mountain…"
"…oh…"
A slight silence hangs in the air.
You sit still for only a few moments, then reach out. Celestia's nose looks incredibly squishy. You must sate this curiosity.
"Boop!"
The guards immediately react, dropping their razor sharp spears off near your head. Your dad lifts up his foreleg to deflect a few, though Celestia just laughs. The Royal Guards ease up a little with their spears. "What in Equestria?"
"Raisin!" Your dad's voice sounds stern. "Mind your manners. You know better than to treat the Princess like that."
"It's fine, Mr. Merlot." Celestia assures him. You still feel kind of bad about it, but it seems to have lightened the mood a little. You also found out that Celestia's nose is almost silky smooth… and quite squishy.
A nurse enters the room, wary of the tense guards surrounding you. She starts rubbing some cold lotion on your cuts, soothing them instantly. As the pain dulls, you suddenly begin to feel incredibly tired.
You can't help but feel as though you missed something major. "Do you know why he was out there? Any investigative reports on the lab?"
Celestia's shakes her head gently. "I'm afraid we simply don't know enough yet." She turns to look out of the window over the Royal Gardens. "We found a large amount of a rare, deep Earth crystal around the explosion…"
"Was it blue, by any chance?"
"Yes; Malecite, to be specific. It's a crystal that seems to glow with special magical properties." She shakes her head. "We have no idea what a dragon would want with that kind of material, however, so it only adds pieces to the puzzle. It's going to be a while before we figure out what he was really doing up there…"
"What? 'sides bein' a creep?" Applebloom protests.
"Applebloom! He just got blown up!" Sweetie Belle bumps her. "He might've been creepy, but have some respect."
Raisin's parents look up to Celestia, then hoof her the True Soul Amulet.
"Thank you for helping us bring her back." Your mother bows.
"Don't thank me… Raisin did this all on her own. Without her help, Equestria would have been in grave danger."
"Wait.. it wasn't all just me, Your Highness…"
You signal over to your friends. Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, all just exhausted as you are, rush over.
"It was a group effort by the…"
"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS! YAY!" Your voices shout out in unison. All but Celestia seem to wince as you nearly blow out their eardrums.
"…wait…" You look down at your Cutie Mark. It feels empowering to finally have one… but your friends still don't have theirs. "…I'm still a Cutie Mark Crusader, right?"
Your friends look down at the Cutie Mark, then up to you. They smile and nod. "Of course you are!" Scootaloo gives you a small nuzzle.
"Just because ya'll got yer Cutie Mark doesn't mean you get kicked outta the club!" Applebloom smiles.
"You still have to help us earn ours!" Sweetie Belle adds.
The four of you join together for a group hug. As you do, you see several pegasi fly in overhead. The Princess takes notice of them as they wave their forelegs around, but seems to dismiss them.
"Of course; through the magic of friendship, there is no challenge that you cannot overcome." Celestia adds.
You bow once again to the Princess. She addresses your entourage once again as she prepares to dismiss you. "Cutie Mark Crusaders… The Merlot Family… it has been an honor to have you here today."
"Wait!"
"Just one teensy tiny last minute thing."
"Yes, Raisin?" Celestia retains her elegant grace.
"There were a few Diamond Dogs that helped us. Without them, there would have been no way we could have made it through." You pause for a second. "There were three dogs… they kind of looked the same… uh… but there's also a really, really big one named Rocky. He's a real sweetheart… can you give them pardon?"
Celestia looks at you, then nods. "I'll see what I can do."
The guards usher you and your friends out of the room. As you leave, everything begins to hit you like a freight train. Hunger, sleep deprivation, thirst… it feels like they've all suddenly snuck up on you.
"Dad, I want ice cream. Lots of it. Can I eat until I get sick?"
He simply nods. "You bet. Cones, sprinkles, toppings… the works."
THE END