//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Cliffhanger...or...what do you call those other things? // Story: Halo Derpy Grunts of Equestria // by Grazy Polomare //------------------------------// The moonlight shined through on a tranquil meadow, where a small creek was winding over a soft, carpet of wavy grass. The moon itself seemed to only enhance the image. "This place looks niiiiicccceee," Flipyap seemed to gaze at the field, as if he could sleep on them. Yapflip was, however, busily looking over a squirrel that was just now examining an acorn it captured. It was decided that the grunts would get berries as Rainbow Dash would gather wood for a fire. "Come check this out," Yapflip motioned for his brother to come by and observe what appeared to be several attractive blue flowers. Picking a tiny morsel of a berry, the grunt tentatively stuck it into his mouth. "Why did you do that Yapflip!" his brother scolded, "You don't know if its poisonous." But his brother just continued to stuff berries into his mouth until his eyes grew wide and his mouth contort. "Brother," Flipyap looked puzzled, "What's wrong?" At that moment Rainbow Dash did a fly by and in a pinned both grunts to a tree, her eyes wide with terror. "That's Poison Joke, you have to stay away from that stuff," she said, her eyes wide like saucers. Apparently, at that moment, Yapflip's eyes widened and he attempted a scream, only to find that his tongue had swollen into a lumpy mass of blue polka dotted meat. All Rainbow Dash could do was facehoof herself. for the rest of the night, Yapflip was silent, unable to speak. Yapyap had brought back some useful berries from a nearby creek, and they ate over the fire. "Oh boy," Rainbow Dash said as she took a cloud and laid her cyan body against it, "I am poofed." "You can say that again." Flipyap motioned. Yapflip moved his lips as if to say he was also famished, but his vocal cords refused to make a whisper. Yapyap had heard about the mishap with the berries and had decided that it suited him to have the most talkative grunt sitting out for a while. The moon painted platinum streams and silver slivers of grass. All in all, it had been a good day. As the adventurers went to bed, the silhouette of a mare could be seen running through the trees until she reached a hill. From this vantage point, she could see the campfire twinkling like a lost firefly. A wide brimmed fedora hat occupied her top, as a violet and black jumpsuit covered her body. A mask with two clear, glass-like holed for the eyes seemed to be as emotionless as the surrounding shrubbery. Her source had been right. With a raise of her front hooves, she dashed off, the purple cape fluttering behind her. **** Daylight came and the group hiked up a hill to reach what appeared to be an imposing cavern. Towering waterfalls emanated white wisps of steam as they poured into the ant-sized river below. The group hugged their bodies against the red sandstone as they inched across the turns and drops. Rainbow Dash was about to make a turn when Yapyap pinned her to the wall. "It's bad drop." he said, motioning to the wall ahead. Sure enough, what had appeared to be solid rock was nothing more then a few twigs. The group gasped in surprise. "I knew that drop was there," Rainbow floated up and flew over it, but after giving a glance back, seemed to lost the smug look on her face. "Perhaps you should take the lead Yapyap," she said before she gave an awkward chuckle. The group was now moving over a rock, pebbles falling into the abyss below. If it wasn't for Yapyap's surprising skill in finding the hidden traps, Flipyap was sure he and the whole group would be riding on Rainbow's back more times then they would like for comfort. Rainbow Dash was doing well to fly beside the trio, aiding the lead grunt in discovering any drops, though she herself was surprised at how he could tell when a rock was going to fall a good whole minute before it did. They were now about to cross a bridge when she saw her. A black figure among the sandstone. A wide-brim hat. Mare Do Well! Normally, Rainbow Dash would be glad to accept a friend's help, but not like this. No...this was something else. This figure seemed too quiet. Too far away. Too...suspicious. She slowly began her advanced, but before she was within a mile of her postion, the figure took off and vanished. Dashing straight towards the direction of the forest. "Hey Dashie," Flipyap called out, "mind helping us out?" With a sigh the pegasus returned back to observing the rocky path ahead, her mind still plagued by the thought of who that mysterious stranger was and how it had seemed so familiar. It wasn't like her to say that stuff like this happened often, but it was sure something that had triggered a memory she had never thought possible. As she sighed, she continued to point out rocky crevices, allowing the grunts to carefully sneak by them. It was, in all respects, another job that she was willing to do. As she pointed her hoof towards another shear drop, the rumble of earth made her freeze. It continued to shake until for some reason, it abruptly stopped. "Well whatever that was," Flipyap commented, "I'm sure glad it wasn't here." As if answering to his cynical response, the rocky path ahead collapsed in a heap of dirt and debris. All around them, bridges of sandstone crumbled into the river below, making ant-sized splashes. Rainbow instantly dived for the grunts, grabbing each one of them with her hooves as she dodged a bright boulder trajectory towards her hoof. She managed to grab a wide-eyed Yapflip and howling Flipyap. As she went to get Yapyap, who had instinctively clung to the wall, the surface the tiny grunt had managed to latch onto slid like melted butter. The grunt had only enough time to latch onto a stunted root that had been unearthed. His grey fist clung fiercely, but it would only be a matter of seconds before he lost his grip. "Hold on," Rainbow Dash screamed as she tried to inch closer to the struggling alien. But alas, the whole cliff was raining down on them. If she tried again, all of them would plummet to their deaths. Yapyap seemed to stare at the pegausi for a while before sighing. "Go on without me," he cried, "just get those two out of here, I'll be fine." "No you won't!" Rainbow yelled back angrily. She was furious at how this grunt was willing to so foolishly give his life away. But deep down, she knew exactly why. They would all die if she tried to rescue him. As she watched, the grunt tried to make a grin underneath his mask before his sweaty palm slipped off the splintered wood, his body tumbling towards certain doom. All Rainbow could do was watch as time slowed itself to watch the grunt tumble down with the rocks. Goodbye Yapyap she thought, her eyes beginning to swell with fresh tears. ...to be continued...