//------------------------------// // Gardens Of The Sinner // Story: Valley Of Rainbows: Seeking Solutions // by Sparx //------------------------------// Gardens Of The Sinner The sight of the dead forest shook the crew. Even as far out from the shore as they were, they could see the fog rolling out towards them, as if it were reaching for them, to try and pull them into the deepest parts of the forest. Rainbow Dash was double checking her equipment with the rest of her party. “We ready to go?” “Get me offa this boat, and ah’ll go wherever ya want,” Applejack returned. “The sea is no place fer an earth pony, leave it to th’ hippocampi.” “Shoo be doo, shoo shoo be doo!” Lyra giggled. “Oh, I think you’d like the seaponies if you could actually meet them,” she said. “A musical and entertaining sort.” “Ain’t givin’ no offense to none of ‘em. Jus’ sayin’ ah ain’t fit fer sailin’ on their home,” Applejack countered. She quickly jumped onto one of the rowboats. “Let’s just get going already. Sooner we reach the shore the better.” “And the sooner we get through the forest, the sooner we find Fluttershy,” Rainbow agreed. She took one more feel for her blades to make sure they were fastened tight and jumped into the sky. “I’ll meet you guys on the beach. Don’t keep me waiting; we don’t want to spend any more time here than we absolutely have to.” “I’ll agree to that,” Lyra added. “Fido, Spot, Rover! We’re going!” she called out to the dogs as she got onto the boat next to Applejack. Rainbow spun towards the shore and shot off like a rocket. She could see the decrepit trees shaking in the wind, like they were laughing at her approach. She was happy to have seen Gilda again, and the thought of fighting alongside the griffon again had been exciting while it lasted. Though she was disappointed in the reaction she held at the mention of the forest, Rainbow understood, and wouldn’t force her friend to go somewhere she was so vehemently against coming anywhere close to. Gilda did agree to pick them up when they made their way out, docking in the southern city close by. Rainbow went to land on the beach, feeling some slight resistance from the fog. Thick enough to walk on it appears. No surprise though, I guessed as much. Rainbow jumped back up and came down harder, busting the fog. Should do a little cleanup while I’m waiting. She flared her wings and dove through the fog, bursting it all apart to clear up some space. When she had cleared the beach, she could see her friends nearing. As she waved to them, she noticed that the fog simply replaced what she had destroyed. She let out a groan. “Problems with the mist?” Applejack asked as they came ashore. She was the first of the party out of the boat and away from the water, regaining her energy and color on the land. “It’s unnatural,” said Rover, leaping from the boat as well. “The forest itself conspires against any who wish to exit, like in the stories.” “I dunno about that,” Rainbow countered, “but the fog seems pretty damned insistent on staying. We’re gonna have to deal with it.” “But it is so thick! How will we keep track of our path?” Spot asked. “We just have to stick close together, keep track of one another. If we do that, I can fly above it all and see where we are. The fog doesn’t go above the trees,” Dash answered, bringing their attention above the woods. “Sounds good enough for me!” Lyra cheered. “Let us brave the toxic garden as friends bonded by the trail, ready to lay down our lives for each other, and rescue the timid Fluttershy!” Applejack chuckled. “You ever afraid of anythin’, Lyra?” “Absolutely horrified!” Lyra replied. “But the song of adventure and the courageous, nonchalant attitude of our leader inspire me to move forth and continue our story!” Rainbow and Applejack laughed together as the pegasus gave a determined smile. “Alright then! Keep the fire ready and stay close, we have a job to do.” Rainbow turned and led the band of friends into the mist and trees. From above the Reject’s Garden, eyes watched as three ponies and three dogs entered the forest. Viscous drool fell through the air as a vicious smile crooked around sharp teeth. “It is a good day to feast on fresh hearts.” With a snort and a beat of its wings, the one who watched drew closer to the earth below. “Sweet and succulent. I can only hope to claim them before the tarn’s protector does them all in.” A cackle escaped into the air as he drew closer. “And perhaps I could get a new shot at the Wild as well.” Rainbow Dash’s party trekked their way through the forest. The pegasus herself took the lead with Lyra keeping a light spell at her side. “Haven’t seen anything yet!” Rover called from the back. He held tight to his burning blade, ready to cut into any troll that dared to show its face to him. All three of the dogs kept their noses to the sky, alert for any foreign scent that approached them, weapons at the ready. Applejack took up the middle, still much calmer than she was on the boat, but alert. She knew that a moment’s hesitation or being off guard could kill them. “Mah spine is shiverin’ like mad already. It’s like I could smell the sheer amount of death that has occurred here. It’s overwhelmin'.” Her eyes were narrow as her head would jump from side to side to try and find some unseen horror. Lyra, however, couldn’t help but hum to herself in joy, enjoying all of the adventure that they were finding themselves in. Even the oppressive fog and threatening gazes on their backs couldn’t destroy her spirit. Every distant rustle or shake would make her look in excitement while the rest of them jumped. As much as Dash wanted to feel annoyed with Lyra, she couldn’t be; she actually felt... motivated. The unicorn’s song seemed to pick them all up actually, keeping them marching deeper into the forboding woods. They pressed on, making their way among the trees, eyes and ears open for any foreign motion or sound. In time, they all found themselves humming along with Lyra, finding the hypnotic tune empowering, and believing that they were keeping the monsters away with their fearless song. It seemed strange to them, however, that nothing had dared to approach them for the first couple hours. They could sense something watching them, but nothing attacked. “I’m gonna check where we are really quick. I’ll be back in just a second,” Rainbow Dash said. The rest of the group nodded as she spread her wings, and flew quickly above the trees. She scanned the area below, trying to get a better idea of how big these woods were and how far they had left to go. “Yeesh. Big forest. No distinct landmarks from up here either.” She squinted and tried to get a more distant view. “Looks like the fog refuses to let up either.” As she shook her head in disappointment, she picked up the sound of wingbeats, heavier than her own, approaching from behind. She turned her head, eyes going wide as she saw a menacing flash of teeth rushing towards her throat. She dove backwards, having noticed her attacker just in time to avoid its bite. She took the extra second she had won of her life to buy more, flinging herself down into the forest again. “Trouble!” Rainbow cried as soon as she saw her party again. “Something up there went to bite at me!” The group took up weapons, ready for a rumble. Fido gripping his axe, Spot on his daggers, and Rover flaring his sword. Applejack turned her gaze to the sky, bringing herself low and ready to pounce. Lyra kept Emerald at her side, still humming the tune they had been marching to. They all stood around, alert and ready for an attack, but nothing came. “Ah’m thinkin’ it was more willin’ ta take a snap at ya when you were out on yer lonesome,” Applejack said, still crouched and ready to pounce. “Maybe…” Rainbow returned, unconvinced. “What’d it look like?” Lyra asked. Dash shook her head. “Didn’t bother getting a good look at it, wasn’t in the best position to after all. Had big teeth and heavy wings though, that much I know.” “Bigger than you?” Lyra pressed. Dash nodded. “That thing cast a pretty big shadow and pushed a lot of air.” Lyra replaced Emerald and produced a book, flipping through the pages. “Not really time for reading, Lyra.” Dash sounded annoyed. “It is if it’s this book!” Lyra insisted. “It’s a book on monsters of the air, an encyclopedia of sorts. All sorts of birds, bats, dragons, and other creatures are in this thing. I’m guessing by your description that we aren’t dealing with most birds, some angry griffon, or a hippogriff. Teeth, right? Perhaps a dragon?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I doubt it. I didn’t really see any scales. Teeth and wings, and if I had to remember I think fur and feathers.” “Right.” Lyra nodded, studying the pages quickly. “Let’s keep moving forward for now; I’ll try to narrow the possible suspects.” Dash and Applejack nodded in unison, taking the lead as Lyra buried her nose into the book, and the dogs all took up the rear. In the fog, with threat overhead and from all sides, the band of friends focused their attention to any noise or twitch that they noticed or even imagined. So much of their attention was put outside of themselves in fact, that nobody really noticed as Lyra, nose deep in her book, mistook the path Applejack and Rainbow Dash were taking and walked off at an angle, leading the dogs with her. AJ and Dash didn’t notice either, both busying their senses on the lookout for a threat. The whole of them could have gone all the way through the other side of the woods without noticing the others had left, until Lyra smiled and lifted her head to share her findings, noticing that there was nopony in front of her. “Uh… oh…” She laughed nervously as she turned behind her, attracting the attention of the dogs. “So… I may have just gotten us the teensiest bit… lost.” The dogs looked on at her with speechless expressions painting their faces. No real emotion decorated them either, at least to start with. Soon though, confusion contorted their mouths and brows, giving way to grins as they joined her in her nervous laughter. “Missus Lyra, you’re too funny to have pulled such a joke on us. Now seriously, where are Miss Rainbow Dash and Applejack?” Rover chuckled. Lyra’s sheepish grin only grew guiltier in appearance. “It’s not a joke, Rover. I really don’t know.” The dogs’ laughter stopped immediately, their faces freezing in grim terror. They looked as if they were going to scream in fear, but they only stood there with mouths gaping open. “Sorry,” she squeaked. Rainbow turned her eyes back to the sky. “Hey, Lyra, any information on what might be stalking us yet?” Her question went unanswered. “Lyra?” Dash turned to see that her and the dogs had gone missing, making her heart jump. “That just ain’t right!” Applejack gasped, having turned to see as well. “Think whatever it was that ya saw got ‘em?” “I don’t know,” Rainbow answered in a hushed voice. “But this isn’t good!” She turned towards the trees, witnessing what she had feared. Hungry eyes stared back towards the two of them, pressing close. “Trolls!” she said, nudging AJ for attention. “We don’t have Rover’s fire going anymore.” Applejack looked back at the eyes nervously. “Don’t look like it's thinkin’ ‘bout strikin’ us just yet. Might be he’s waitin’ fer somethin’.” “Yeah. We could take it down really quick before it does decide to attack. Preemptive strike and all,” Dash offered. “Wouldn’t be thinkin’ so. That feller screams, ah’m sure that there are others nearby that’ll come runnin’,” retorted Applejack. “If’n they’re plannin’ an ambush, at least they ain’t got the surprise anymore. Ah say we light a torch fer now and take what time they give us.” Dash wasn’t too enthusiastic about the idea, but she understood AJ’s logic. “Sure, one for each of us then. Set it between your back and your bag so we can fight if we need to.” “Was plannin’ on it,” Applejack finished. The dogs were all screaming in panic as Lyra still sat in her spot, scratching the back of her head and sticking her tongue out in disappointment with herself. “Well, it’s not so bad you guys,” she insisted. “How is this not bad?” Rover countered. “We are separated from our companions in a forest of death and poison! There are no identifiable landmarks around here either! We’re dead dogs!” “Now, I didn’t say it wasn’t bad… I said it wasn’t so bad,” Lyra retorted, earning a scowl from Rover. “In all honesty, it could be much worse than it is.” “How?” Rover demanded; Spot and Fido looking on for an answer. Lyra gave a sigh. “You know, it’s always when you state how that it does get worse. But, fine.” She cleared her throat and Rover’s eyes widened in horror from her previous statement. In a dry and monotone voice, Lyra said, “At least we don’t have a monster attacking us.” “Oh, don’t you?” a snarl replied from a tree above the four of them, gooey saliva falling from its grinning maw. Lyra turned back to the dogs from the monster with a bored expression on her face. “Told you so…”