"Ohhhhhhh boy," Flynn stood on the stone ridge's summit, gnawing on his fetlock.
Kepler, Logan, and Wildcard stood in a solid line, craning their necks as they gazed down at the waving parallel of wild wilderness and living stalks.
"Is..." Logan motioned with his head. "...is that really it?"
All eyes rested on a rectangular swath of cleared landscape—courtesy of a slab of crystalline glass that stretched dormant into the forest of carniverous weed.
"That's it, alright," said Rainbow Dash, hovering overhead next to Ariel.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh boy..." Flynn squirmed and fidgeted.
"My starrs and garrterrs..." Kepler shuddered. "Therre cerrtainly... is a lot of the currious plant."
"Well, duh," Ariel droned. "What part of 'the flesh-eating death grass populates an entire valley beyond the crest of the parallel' didn't you understand?"
Kepler adjusted his spectacles. "I suppose a petrrified parrt of me had hoped you werre speaking frrom a position of hyperrbole."
"I'm afraid not, buddy," Rainbow Dash said. She gestured with her hoof. "And that little slab there is the only thing for miles and miles that comes close to cutting into the mess."
Wildcard let loose a wheezing exhale.
"So..." Logan shifted where he stood. "...our next order of business is to turn that measely plank of glass into a measely ramp of glass?"
"Ohhhhhhhhh boy..." Flynn whimpered.
"Shut it!" Logan frowned at him. He turned towards Rainbow Dash again. "Did you and Ariel drum up a plan?"
"Yeah." Ariel nodded. "Not get eaten."
"Hardy har." Logan snorted. "All that shit looks like soggy bamboo." He squinted. "Just... how dangerous is it, really?"
"Wanna test it out?" Rainbow's voice cracked.
"Kinda, yeah."
Rainbow looked around. She found a loose rock the size of her pendant. Picking it up, she glanced at the rest of the Herald. "Who here has the best throwing arm?"
Wildcard immediately saluted.
"Here ya go, buddy..." Rainbow hoofed him the rock.
"Ach!" Kepler nodded excitedly. "A perrfect time to test Flynn's miniaturre manacorre!"
Wildcard took a breath. A mechanical whurring sound could be heard as he pivoted his body, rotated his metal prosthetic, then flung the rock forward with a slight burst of manasteam. Thrommm!
Heads turned, following the long descending arc of the rock as it flew into the waving field below. The mechanical boost to Wildcard's prosthetic proved fruitful, and soon the projectile was clearing the summit of the waving stalks.
Then suddenly—
Th-THWKKK! A throng of bright red probisci extended from the tips of the stalks. The whole forest shifted in the direction of the rock, fighting and fussing over it. There was a splash of pebbles—glinting like dust in the twilight—and soon all was still once again.
A low thunder rolled uphill, reaching the ears of all who gazed down at the mess.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh boy." Flynn sweated.
"Them's hungry trees," Logan burped. "I'm not sure we're gonna be very safe trotting near it."
"It's doable," Ariel said.
"Oh yeah?"
Ariel nodded, looking down at Logan. "Rainbow and I were able to stand on the glass plate."
"We kept our distance from the stalks, though," Rainbow said. "Something tells me that they only sense what's above them. Not what's to the side."
Wildcard hand-signed.
Kepler interpreted: "'Would you willing to bet yourr life on that?'"
Ariel and Rainbow Dash exchanged glances.
A cold voice echoed downhill from the plateau behind them: "You seriously intend to glide over that?"
The group turned to look.
Seraphimus was craning her neack from where she sat in the back of the wagon. "Because you will need to gain an awful lot of air." She gestured behind them—Edgeside—with her head. "Judging from the journey that got us here, this wagon isn't exactly equipped for altitude."
"Ah...!" Kepler pointed with his claw, smiling through tusks. "Our little experiment in exiting the mesa of Darkreach proved that maintaining altitude is quite possible."
"Yes, but look below you." Seraphimus' eyes narrowed on the sloping mountainside in question. "It descends directly into the deathly forest."
"No..." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "It descends into a glass ramp."
"... ... ..." Seraphimus blinked. "I fail to see a ramp."
"That's because we've yet to push it up to become one." Rainbow gestured. "We've brought the supplies, the strength, and the unicorn." A bold smirk. "Now all that's left to do is begin the gruntwork, and then we'll give the wagon a little push."
"... ... ..." Seraphimus slumped back in her seat. "I regret even opening my beak."
"Well, she obviously believes we can't do it," Ariel said. She turned to look at Rainbow Dash. "You happy now?"
"Ecstatic." Rainbow punched her fetlocks together. "That's just the good sign we need!"
"Ha-Hah!"
Wildcard gestured something.
"Hell yeah." Logan nodded, responding. "I totally agree."
"Hmmm?" Rainbow looked over.
"If we're gonna do this—like for real—then we've got to suit up." Logan pointed towards the wagon. "I pulled countless muscles pulling all that shit out of Darkreach. It's high time we got used to wearing it."
"Indeed." Kepler nodded. "This brrave leap is only the starrt. Therre arre untold trribulations to weatherr ahead of us. Best that we girrd ourrselves in Emerraldine's finest so that we can be prreparred."
"Ohhhhhhhh boy—" Flynn received a metal slap to the head. "Ow!"
"Thanks, Double-Yoo," Logan said. He was already turning around to march towards the wagon. "Come on, boys and girls! Move your butts and then guard your butts! Time to get all sexy'n'metal'n'shit!"
"Well..." Ariel smiled crookedly, descending softly towards the plateau. "I can dig at least one of those three."