The foals were walking. A lot. They had just been through the first mountain, only to discover there was a large plain and another mountain behind it. So they were walking through it, making their way in the tall grass, avoiding snakes and other kinds of problematic animals. Thankfully, they were almost there and would probably be able to make the second mountain before nightfall.
To be honest, the world was quite beautiful and once again it was hard to think that some pony had actually designed all this. The trees were green, the grass was green, the croaking and nearby frogs were green.
Rumble was also green.
In his own way.
"Buttooooon! Stop!" giggled Sweetie Belle, pushing his mud-covered hoof away from her face.
"What? Stop what?" Button's ears perked up in innocence as he tried to smudge some mud on her muzzle again. "Don't know what you're talking about!"
"Gosh you're childish!" protested Sweetie Belle. "You're just doing this because you're bored! I know you hate walking!"
"Me...? Fearless Leader Button? Commander of the troups? Why I love walking!"
"Second in command! Your fillyfriend comes first!" teased the white unicorn.
Rumble threw his ears back and grumpily stomped on a twig. This is getting ridiculous. They're acting like the most childish foals in Equestria! We're stuck in this because of them... Well I'd say it's more Button's fault. He probably dragged poor Sweetie into all this mess...
"If you're gonna be that jealous, at least try and hide it."
Diamond Tiara made her way next to him, her eyes sparkling with amusement and sadness.
Rumble gave her a frustrated groan and turned his head around the other way. He heard Diamond sigh as she fell back to the rear of the group. To be honest, he would've appreciated a little company. But his own motives were driving ponies away. He was screwing up and in every way. Weither it was for battle, love or even materials, he was always the first to collapse, run away, scream, faint... fail. And Sweetie Belle. Sweetie was always there again to help him get back up, no matter the danger.
He glanced back at Diamond Tiara who had just stopped to sniff a tree, probably wondering if it had apples in it. He was going to have to apologize later on...
"Boop!"
"Button! Ewwwww! You got way too much on my muzzle! Come back here!"
Button laughed, backing off to the side of the second mountain : "Try to come get me! If you can catch me..." he challenged, playfully sticking his tongue out. He was now almost against the smooth stone wall from the beginning of the mountain, his rump brushing a heavy patch of spider webs in it.
"Oh trust me, I can!" countered Sweetie Belle, slowly walking to his right to get closer, mud running down her chin as she took a big lump in her hoof.
"Wait, don't tell me you're gonna throw that! No fair!"
Sweetie was just about to do just that, when Diamond Tiara's cry interrupted her.
"Button, move out!" she screamed, startling them all.
It took a moment for Rumble and Sweetie Belle to process what was happening, but luckily Button reacted on the spot and instinctively ducked down.
An arrow shot through the spider webs from the inside of the wall, tearing through them, cutting them up as it silently made it's way through. It landed next to Rumble's hoof who jumped and only had the time to take a step back before another arrow came shooting right out of the hole again. He saw it coming, too slow to avoid it. It was aimed right in the middle of his eyes, the tip shining under the bright sun, reflecting it's light. It was like a deadly shooting star. It was so fast, getting closer and closer by the millisecond, and yet Rumble didn't have the time to dodge.
An arrow whizzed pass his ear from behind, lightly whistling as it took a few strands of his fur out. It dug into the other arrow and stopped it's deadly trajectory, intercepting it just a few inches away from Rumble's muzzle.
The gray foal clearly heard the 'clank!' of the two arrows as they hit the ground.
Then the time stopped slowing down and his hooves moved on their own, retreating back to where Diamond Tiara was. He quickly registered the fact that her bow was in hoof and she was already reloading it before hiding in the tall grass next to her. She was sweating, her breath heavy in fright and her hair falling in short strands in front of her eyes. But she still seemed calm ; her gaze was focused, her movements precise and her muscular hooves working perfectly, with no shaking.
When did she get so strong? the weird thought briefly ran through Rumble's mind as he tried to catch his breath.
"Sweetie Belle! You okay?" she yelled.
"Yeah! I caught a glimpse of what was in there, " shouted the white filly from somewhere on their left. "It's a skeleton dungeon that has taken place inside the mountain!"
"And there are other things as well!" Button's shout came from the same direction. "I think they're called Silver Skeletons."
"A dungeon with two types of mobs in it?" Rumble nervously licked his lips, feeling cold sweat run down his spine. "Never seen that before..."
Diamond Tiara's gaze fell on him for a moment : "Dungeon?"
"Basically a place where mobs are generated. There are chests full of rewards inside." He returned her look with uncertainty. "But we aren't going to go in there right?"
"Guys, get ready to fight!" shouted Sweetie Belle. "I'd like Diamond to cover us while Button sneaks under and opens a passage with his pickaxe. I'll be fighting the Silver Skeletons and Rumble can take on the normal skeletons. Everybody good?"
"Yeah!" came the voices of two foals while Rumble panicked.
"W... Wait! I don't know how to do that! I'll get hurt!"
"Damn right you will..." groaned Diamond, pushing him forward.
He caught a glimpse of Sweetie rushing in the dungeon, Button on her tail and was forced to follow inside.
It was horrible. The second he walked in, all the warmth of the sunlight disappeared, leaving room for the cold and damp atmosphere. Clicks and clonks of bones being hit together were filling the dusty air with an unsettling noise.
Two skeletons levitating bows were firing at Sweetie Belle who could only jump around to avoid them. Button was desperatly trying to get to the chests, fighting off Silver Skeletons with only his pickaxe, not having the time to change his weapon. They had clearly miscalculated how many mobs would be in the dungeon...
Most of the mobs were paying attention to the other two so Rumble awkwardly swung his sword onto a skeleton that shot him a few arrows in reply. He had absolutely no idea what to do! All his friends seemed in trouble, but he had no idea who to help! His first choice would have been Sweetie Belle of course, but Button was now pinned down and forced to retreat in front of the wrath of his opponents. An arrow was already stuck in his hoof so he couldn't get up.
"Rumble, what are you doing?!" Diamond yelled from behind, her mouth full of arrows she was shooting at an unbelievable speed. "Go help Button out! Sweetie's cornered and I can't stop firing or he'll get killed in less than a second!"
Rumble turned to the brown colt, but suddenly froze. He had been cornered by so many mobs! They were towering above him, their white bones distinguishable through the semi-darkness and reflecting the light from the torches. There was no way he was going over there! He'd get slashed to pieces.
Button's face appeared through the mass : "Rumble! Help! What are you doing just standing there!"
Rumble's breath accelerated and tears filled his eyes as he took a couple steps back. "I'm sorry Button! I'm so, so sorry!"
The brown colt's eyes widened and he started screaming in anger : "What?!"
Sweetie Belle stopped dodging for just a second, shocked. She opened her delicate mouth as her eyes sparkled : "R... Rumble...?" she murmured in a frail voice. "W... What are you...?"
"I said I was sorry!" Tears were streaming down his face as he reached into his saddlepack and threw torches at them. One landed on Button, one rolled under Sweetie's hoof and the others were crushed by the mobs' hooves.
"What are you doing?!"
Rumble turned around, grabbed Diamond by the tail and rushed outside the cave, pulling her along with him. He threw his own pickaxe at the last second, and it landed on a block that had been positionned above them, inside the cave. The block broke and a loud rumbling noise was heard.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Sweetie Belle looked up in terror, her emerald eyes shining in fear. "Rumble!"
"You sick-"
An avalanche of blocks fell from the ceiling, covering up the cave entrance and leaving Rumble and Diamond outside, and alone.