My Little Inktober Stories

by SparkleForever

To Bait a Mer-Pony

Author's Note:

Hobbies are wonderful to have. They take your mind off of things and help relax you. Often times the hobby in your life becomes a daily ritual that, when interrupted, causes you distress, so you do everything in your power to keep up the ritual no matter the cost. For Hondo Flanks, this stormy night is no exception, so he's going to go out there and fish... no matter the cost.

Prompt Bait

A storm was brewing, Hondo Flanks knew it in his bones, yet he made his way out of the house anyway. The sky had turned a sickly green and storm clouds were steadily closing in on the remaining light. That did not deter him from what he had set out to do that evening, however. Stubborn as always, the fisherstallion had his fishing rod and tackle box with him. He plunked it down on the end of the wooden dock that graced the eerie lake behind his home with its presence and began to fish.

“Ah, lovely day we’re having, ain’t it?” He spoke to know one in particular. Hondo Flanks knew that he was alone, but over the years of fishing in solitude he had picked up the habit of speaking his thoughts aloud. Never mind that he could be scaring the fish away with his one-sided conversations, he didn’t care. It was just one thing that made Hondo Flanks Hondo Flanks.
The wind picked up and he had to hold onto his hat to keep it from flying away. The black clouds now dominated the sky. The first flash of lightning illuminated the lake and a thundering boom followed shortly after. Hondo counted the seconds.

“That was about 14 miles away, I’d reckon. Not too close.” He smiled and continued fishing.

Hondo felt a tug on the line and he began to reel in the hook. It was a strong one, mighty determined to break free, but Hondo was also determined to have a catch for the evening, and he used his years of experience to expertly pull in his prize. Just before the fish surfaced and came in range of his net, the line snapped and Hondo Flanks went reeling back, falling flat on his back.

“Ooooh,” he moaned, stirring. He got up, rubbing his back and muttering under his breath about how he almost had it.

Hondo went back to his tackle box and grabbed a spare hook, knotting it on his fishing line. Then he went to his tub of bait and put a worm on it. All that was left to do was to cast his line and he could go back to blissful waiting.

The trouble began just as he threw his self-proclaimed winning cast. The water in front of the dock began to waiver and glow with a greenish hue, a bolt of lightning flashed directly above, and the near instant boom of thunder startled Hondo into releasing the line too soon.

Up from the water rose a creature so strange and fierce Hondo couldn’t believe his eyes! Body of a fish, head of a horse, and covered in scales, this was the legendary Horse of the Sea. She made eye contact with him, sharp teeth gleaming in the dim light, and she grabbed ahold of his line, examining it.

Hondo, who had been frozen in shock, came to his senses when the sea horse began to tug on the line, pulling him towards the edge of the dock and closer to her sharp teeth. The hunter was being hunted. He no sooner let go of his fishing rod when the storm suddenly broke out with torrential rain and wild wind. His hat was ripped from his head and this time he was not fast enough to catch it. He turned back for one last look at the strange creature in the lake, but she was gone and so were his fishing rod and tackle box.

Something wet and slimy touched his hindleg, and Hondo Flanks came face to face with what was certain death if he stayed even a second longer. He galloped away into the night, scared out of his mind. He has yet to return to his favorite fishing spot, and not even Sweetie Belle can weasel the reason out of him. When asked, he always replies:

“Fishing ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Comments

[SparkleForever]

10532275
No siree. I'm pretty sure Hondo would have preferred finding nothing, though. He has been forever scarred. ;)