Four Hooves

by destinedjagold


3 - 03

“So...” I begin, “...you're going now or later?”

“Now,” Twilight immediately replies.

I nod my head. “Okay.”

Silence.

More silence.

Reykan scratches his ear and then licks a paw.

I cough quietly. “...Now?”

Twilight nods her head. “Mmmmmmmmhmm...”

“Okay...”

Silence once again.

A dainty deer leg stomps on the wooden floor, belonging to an angry deer. “Are you two really ignoring that meat eater right in front of you?!”

I shake my head. “Not really.”

Twilight nods. “What he said.”

“I dunno,” Xana shrugs. “Looks like ignoring to me.”

Sienna points at the tall kangaroo. “What she said!”

“I wanna join!” Seri suddenly chirps. Smiling, she turns to Reykan. “Quick! Say something!”

“I want to eat you,” the panther cub quietly says.

“What he sai—” Seri blinks.

I roll my eyes and shake my head. “I'm just waiting for Twilight to think of something to deal with, uh...” I look at Reykan. “He's your brother, right?”

“Yep.”

“What was his name again?”

“Sy—”

“Does it matter?!” Sienna shouts. “He tried to eat me!”

Reykan shrugs. “I tried eating Jay.” He shrugs once again. “He didn't mind.”

I raise an eyebrow. “That's false.”

“Jay, in his twisted mind, enjoys pain!” Sienna retorts.

I frown. “That is also false.”

The deer angrily looks at me as she points at the cub. “Why is he still here then?”

“Jay's crazier than Twilight,” Moon Gaze joins in.

I glare at the white rat. “Look—”

THUD!

Heart racing, I snap my gaze back on the table. The large black panther is now aura-less, lying on his stomach, his back slowly rising and falling, and is snoring with a bit of growling.

I blink at Twilight.

She shrugs, her horn still glowing. “He should be asleep long enough for me to get some gems and come back.”

“Are ... you sure?” I ask as I carefully poke the sleeping panther. “I don't think any of us here are capable of defending ourselves.”

“I am!” Seri suddenly chirps, emerging from the kitchen, her white wings holding on the handle of a frying pan.

I blink at her.

Twilight chuckles.

“What even is that thing you got there, love?” Xana asks the wobbling swan.

“It's a flying pan!” the swan replies.

“Frying pan,” I correct her.

She shrugs. “Same thing.”

“No, they're—eh, whatever.”

Sienna shakes her head. “So we're just going to leave him like that?” She looks and points at the dormant pile of gems. “What about those?”

“They're useless at the moment,” I answer.

She snorts. “Well, we can't just leave him like that! What if he wakes up?”

Seri suddenly lifts the frying pan right in front of Sienna's face, startling the deer. “Then I'll use this! Twilight showed me how to use it!”

I blink. “Did ... she use it on you?”

Seri turns to me and shakes her head. “Nope! I used it on her!” She swings the frying pan, as if to demonstrate it. “Wham! Just like that!” She smiles at me. “Then Twilight made a silly-looking face before she collapsed.”

I blink, and slowly look at the mare.

She is blushing. “Erm... I should probably go and get the gems now.”

And with a flash of purple light, she's gone.

Silence returns.

Seri wobbles toward the table, taking aim on the sleeping panther's head.

Silence once again ... except for the growling snores.

Sienna nervously looks around.

Xana scratches her ear.

Moon Gaze, sitting inside the kangaroo's pouch, blinks.

Reykan is still licking himself clean.

A flash of purple light.

BONK!

Ow.

Wincing, I lift a hoof to rub my aching head as I open my eyes.

“Whoops,” Twilight says. “Sorry about that, Jay.”

“Aw...” Seri pouts. “Does this mean I can't get to use the flying pan on him?”

“I feel like I was struck by it,” I say, glaring at the gem that is on the table after landing on my head. I slowly look around, noticing the floor is now full of shiny new gemstones.

Reykan groans, pushing a gem away from him. “Are we gonna clean again?”

“Quick!” Sienna says, looking desperately at Twilight. “Use these on that meat eater!” A blink. She then points at Reykan. “To him as well!”

Reykan frowns at her. “Why? I'm not gonna eat you. Even though I really want to...

Xana blinks at him as the gems start to glow and gather on a spot.

Moon Gaze shakes his head. “A meat eater who doesn't wanna eat meat. This tree is full of crazy.”

I stare at the new, scattered gems, feeling my ears droop. “Ooooh boy. Those unicorns are gonna be sooo angry.”

Twilight's ears droop. She shakes her head. “I'm ... trying not to think about it, Jay.”

“Sorry...”