>>367227>>367229>>367233Keszeem launches another volley of deadly magma toward you and your friends. Though her sense of sight is slightly impaired, her hearing seems to help her keep track of you. Narrowly dodging the blast, you lead your friends away from the molten spatter.
"Hold on… I've got something."
"Quick! What do we do?!" Scootaloo runs alongside you, trying to keep up. Keszeem's head follows your movement, though she can't stop blinking her eyes.
"Scootaloo… take Sweetie Belle. Applebloom, you still got those bits I gave to you, correct?"
Another stream of magma drips from the walls by your side. The furious ruby viper hisses from her perch by the giant pulsating gem. She bears her fangs at you, though you're sure she still cannot see.
"Uhh… yeah! Ah got 'em!" She pats her saddlebags.
"Throw them at her while I go for the gem."
She swallows hard. "Roger…"
"Trust me on this. I think we can stop her if we break that thing."
As you gallop along the outside of the chamber, Applebloom runs partway up one of the pathways leading to the pulsating gem. Keszeem's eyes dart back from you to Applebloom as she tries to read the room blindly.
"Uhhh.. Take this!" Applebloom tosses a hoof full of Bits at the monstrous snake. From your current position, Applebloom looks like she's trying to assail the Queen with a bag of seeds. Keszeem immediately reacts as the bits start clinging against her scales.
With a vicious hiss, she coils up underneath the pathways, avoiding the incoming coinage. She moves very swiftly, wrapping around Applebloom's path in just a matter of moments, taking care not to strike the gem. She opens her maw, ready to eat your beloved friend.
"EeeeeEEAAHH!" Applebloom throws the heavy bag of Bits at Keszeem, causing the snake to immediately recoil. In a hurry, Applebloom dashes back to the safety of the path by the walls.
Your stony hooves fall hard on the path as you charge at the now unprotected gem. The brilliant light itself is almost mesmerizing. With just a few feet of distance left to cover, you jump to launch yourself at the gem.
Suddenly, a long tail shoots up and slaps you out of the air. It's followed by a pained hissing.
"Raisin!!!" Scootaloo shrieks.
You fly through the chamber, twisting and tumbling through the air. In an instant, you feel yourself slam into a wall, partially embedded.
"We're through with these puerile games!" Keszeem hisses and spins about, unable to regain her bearings.
Currently, you're stuck inside of a wall on the far end of the chamber. Your rearlegs seem to be embedded into the wall a little ways. To your left and right, you see two doorways, both of them draining magma into the center of the room. Ahead, you see another stone path leading back to the gem and Keszeem's side.
