//------------------------------// // 3 - 04 // Story: Four Hooves // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// An intense purple light washes over the entire library, making it hard to see anything but purple. The magical hum of the many glowing gems echo on the purple walls. I wonder if this specific spell Twilight is casting makes the gem shine purple, despite most of them not being purple. “I can't see a darn thing,” Moon Gaze squeaks ... somewhere. “Close your eyes, love” I hear Xana say. “I can't tell if my eyes are open or close either, because I see the same thing!” the rat squeaks back. “I can still see the flying pan!” Seri chirps somewhere. I roll my eyes behind my eyelids as I notice the intense light is starting to dim. “Oh, hey! It's not as bright as before anymore!” Seri chirps cheerfully. A few seconds more, and I open my eyes, finally seeing things, albeit still awash with a little bit of purple. “There,” Twilight says, sweating, her smoking horn's aura fading. She wipes her forehead with a hoof as the gems finally stops glowing purple, their magical hum dying down as well, the illusionary library returning to its original illusionary colors. “It's ready.” “For what?” Sienna asks, rubbing her eyes with her dainty hooves. “For the meat-eaters, right?” “Sorry, but no,” the mare replies. The deer grunts in annoyance. Reykan blinks at her. “Why do you hate us so much, anyway?” he asks with a tilt of his head. Sienna removes her hooves on her eyes to glare at the cub. Said cub just blinks back. “Because,” Seri chirps, smiling at him and catching his attention. “You eat us.” “No, I won't,” Reykan says with a sigh. Sienna rolls her eyes. “Not the point.” I decide to ignore the trio's conversation as I turn to Twilight. “So... Now what?” “You will turn me back into a pony, right?” Moon Gaze asks. I look at him, look back at Twilight—I do a double-take and raise an eyebrow. “...Someone's comfy.” By the bookshelves, Xana chuckles, sitting on the larger and unconscious panther's back. “I'm simply making sure he won't be moving too much when he wakes up, love.” “We'll deal with the other problems later, I promise,” Twilight says, earning my attention. She furrows her brows as she lights up her horn once again. “Right now, we're going to find where that book is located.” “You sure you don't need to take a little rest?” I ask, eyeing the mare's glowing horn. Twilight shakes her head. “I'm okay. Don't worry about me.” I nod my head. “Well, if you say so.” I watch as Twilight concentrates on a spell. “I'm betting it'll be in Everfree Forest,” I say to no one in particular as Twilight begins casting some magic spell on the now-glowing gems, turning their multi-color glow into white. I close my eyes and shrug. “I mean, that place is full of weird, magical stuff.” “We won't know until we can pinpoint its exact location,” is Twilight's simple, automated reply. I take a breath and exhale. I turn to the discussing trio— “—but grass don't get angry if you eat them, so why should you get angry if I eat you?” Reykan asks Sienna in an annoyed tone. Said deer groans in annoyance. “Because they are not. Alive!” Seri blinks at Sienna and opens her beak— “Shouldn't they be brown or black then?” Reykan asks. Seri chuckles. “Beat me to it.” Sienna slaps a dainty hoof on her forehead. “Hey, Rey,” I call, catching their attention. “Grass and other plant stuff are alive, but not as alive as us.” I smile at him. “Get it?” “Not really.” I frown. “Gah! This is pointless!” Sienna snarls, turning to the door. “I'm leaving.” She stops when she's three or so steps from the door, and turns to the other two. “Aren't you two leaving?” Xana shrugs. Moon Gaze shakes his head. “I can't live a life of a mouse, or rat, forever.” Sienna arches an eyebrow. “...But you're—” “No,” Moon Gaze cuts her off. “I am not!” He points an angry paw at me. “Mister Crazy over there turned me into a mouse!” I glare at him. “I told you not to touch—” FLASH! I turn back to Twilight, her eyes open wide and glowing white. All around us, the gems start to dim one by one. “Why are her eyes white?” Reykan suddenly asks, sitting beside me. I shrug. “I don't really know, but she's maybe looking for the book.” He looks at me. “You mean the one that I saw outside that cave?” “Yep!” Seri suddenly chirps. “She's definitely looking for that one!” “Book?” I hear Sienna ask. “Cave?” I turn to her and see her looking at us with furrowed brows. “What have you been doing?” she asks, blinking. I shrug. “Why do you care anyway?” I wave a hoof at the door. “You were about to leave, remember?” I blink. ...Huh. That may have been a little harsh of me to say. “That's a mean thing to say, love,” I hear Xana say. But then again— “You're right,” Sienna suddenly says, snapping me out of my train of thought. She turns to the door and marches toward it. “Why do I even care anyway?” “I found it!” Twilight suddenly yells, startling all of us, minus the unconscious one. I turn to her, her eyes no longer glowing. “You—” She smiles and cuts me off. “Jay, you were right!” I hear the door open from behind me. Twilight continues: “Well, I mean, you guessed it right! It's—” she cuts herself off, blinking, her gaze on something behind me. I'm about to turn around when I see her ears droop. “Um...” I hear Sienna say. I finally turn around. “That's...” Moon Gaze exhales, “...a lot of angry unicorns.” I feel my ears droop as I see a certain white and angry unicorn mare, and many other sets of angry eyes, glaring daggers at Sienna and everyone inside the library tree. They shouldn't be able to see us here, right? “Pardon me,” Rarity hisses slowly as her glare lands on a certain purple mare who is behind me. “But I do believe you have something that belongs to us?” Many horns behind her light up. Welp... Looks like they can see us. “Ooooh,” Seri says nervously. “S-such pretty ... scary colors.” My ear twitches, hearing a waking growl. Welp... We're dead. A purple aura suddenly wraps and slams the wooden door shut, startling the deer. “Jay! Quick!” Twilight suddenly says, making me snap my attention back to her. Loud pounding noises echo from the door, and on some other parts of the tree. Twilight quickly adds: “Where's Applejack?!” I blink at her. “Er... She's—” The door bursts open. A series of gasps and angry snarls. A ferocious growl. And Twilight fires a beam of magic at me. Wait, what—?! FLASH!