Apple Bloom smiled as the foals once again settled down. A gallop outside was all that they had needed to be convinced to settle down and behave. The twenty odd foals sat in a semi circle around the Cutie Mark Crusaders as the other two readied to act out the story.
Applejack and Big Mac were joined by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
“What’s the big deal?” Rainbow asked, looking around.
“Isn’t it obvious,” Fluttershy replied, “the foals are going to listen to Apple Bloom read from Big Mac’s book.”
“If’n you’d mind,” Apple Bloom gave a look that would have melted steel to the older ponies. “I’d like to get started, unless you’d care to have a seat with the other little fillies.”
“I’m no braniac,” Rainbow Dash replied as she slid in behind some of the foals, “but a good story is always best when read to.”
Once the foals quieted down again and the other three ponies took their spots, Apple Bloom began again.
The telltale sound of the rattler caught everyone off guard. The metre long death-fang had reared up and was close enough to attack either Titanium or his little cousin, Rare Ore. Not even the big stallion’s hooves could guarantee a strike against the beast in time to save both or either.
Silver Ore whispered to the three males at her table, her voice filled with panic, “Whatever you do, don’t move.”
The rattle became more insistent as the snake weaved back and forth. “Which to ssstrike? Which to ssstrike? Ssstallion or silly colt?”
“I wouldn’t do that!” A chittery voice from on top of the table warned the snake. The moongoose stared down at the rattler, her eyes flashing anger and warning.
“Not do that?” hissed the snake. “I, Misster Hisssster, king of this land, do asss I pleassse!”
“A king? A king? A king does not torment his subjects,” the moongoose chittered back to the serpent, as she wound her way to where she had a better vantage point. “Begone with ye! I haven’t had my breakfast yet!”
“How dare you! Who are you to tell me what I can or can not do!”
“Me?” The moongoose’s whiskers twitched. “Why, I’m Riki Tiki Tavi, and these ponies are mine! Begone or I may have to skelp you! I’d rather not breakfast on raw snake, but for you, I’d make an exception.”
Mister Hisster pondered the thought long enough to choose the better part of valor. He hissed again, turned around, and went slithering outside from whence he came.
With a satisfied snort, Riki followed the snake out, her teeth chattering a warning the entire time.
To the ponies, it seemed as if the world had stopped while the moongoose and snake chittered and hissed at each other, before the snake inexplicably slithered off with Riki on its trail. Coal Ore followed the two to the door, then shut it, a giant sound of relief bubbling from him.
“That was AWESOME!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Apple Bloom shot the older pony a look and Rainbow Dash settled back down on her haunches in order for the reading to continue.
“See? What did I tell ya!” Titanium Ore chortled. “Moongooses are the best!”
Rare Ore had been levitated to beside his dam, her horn still shimmering in fear and relief. “I wasn’t so sure about that wild animal before, but now... I am.”
There was a noise at the door and Coal Ore opened it. Much to the amusement - and relief of all - Riki bounded inside, spiraled up the table leg, and sat herself down to finish devouring her unfinished breakfast. Her whiskers twitched in confusion as the ponies all broke out in laughter.
“Keep that moongoose with you when you go out, Rare Ore,” said Titanium. “Riki’ll do you right.” He waved his hoof around towards the moongoose even as she grabbed a second egg to eat. “Listen to her chitters. She’ll keep you safe.”
Titanium Ore caught Coal Ore’s eye and nodded. “Looks like we have a rattler on the property,” the older stallion began. “Keep close to the house, Silver, and your broom handy in case you need it. And you, son,” he nodded towards Rare Ore, “do as Titanium says. Keep Riki with yah.”
Silver Ore kept her son within her sight that day and the next two. With a rattler on the loose, there was always the fear that there were more where that one came from. Riki had taken to balancing on Rare Ore’s head, holding onto his mane. From there, she could survey her new domain. This house of ponies were her ponies, and by all that she was, Mister Hisster was not going to interfere with them.
At night, Riki curled up by Rare Ore’s neck on his bed. Only once she was sure he was asleep, would she creep away. She took to prowling the house at night. Silver had spotted her the first night, and left a saucer of milk, a second of water, and small plate of munchies for the moongoose, on the kitchen counter.
Except, Riki wasn’t the only one who was eating the food left out for her. A shadow darted across the moonlit floor one night, and, quick as a flash, Riki was after it.
She rounded the corner and scared the shadow to go back the other way. “I’m going to get you, you filthy thief! No stealing my ponies’ food!”
The shadow skittered to a stop, slamming into the moongoose, causing the cheese the shadow had stolen, the shadow, and the moongoose to tumble end over end until Riki was able to find her feet. Her forepaws held tight the shadow in her hands.
“Let me go! Let me go!” the furry thief squeaked in her arms. “My family needs food.”
“Now why would your family need food,” the moongoose chittered at the rodent, pondering the reasons.
“That snake. That horrid snake!” The rodent’s hysterical voice caused Riki pause. She let go of the rodent and sat on her haunches to listen to it. “That horrid, icky, disgusting snake. Her and her husband! If I go outside, they’ll eat me alive! If two wasn’t bad enough, she’s bound to have eggs soon! Then there’ll be a boon! No one safe! No one! My children! My wife!”
Riki’s eyes had narrowed at the mention of the rattler and his wife, and worse, a potential cluster of newly hatched rattlers. Riki knew she had to do something about it.