Four Hooves

by destinedjagold


2 - 08

“Is that it?” I ask as I stare at the bright edge of the forest up ahead. My ears twitch, still collecting the melodious music of mother nature.

Sienna and I have been walking through this forest for three or so hours now. The gaps between the trees are wider now compared to before, providing us more room to walk on. The forest is brighter now, too, with the sun high up in the sky at this hour, its sunny rays poking through the bigger gaps on the green, leafy ceiling of the forest. The forest floor is still littered with dead and decaying leaves, but the surface is mostly flat now, and has less exposed roots, making our walk easier than before.

The air is still calm, but not as cool as before. And speaking of air, it's a little windy, probably because we're nearing the edge of the forest already.

Sienna quickens her pace until she’s walking beside me, her emerald eyes gazing ahead. “...No.” She slightly shakes her head. “It’s not the lake. Just the end of the forest.”

I frown at her. “I...know that.” I look ahead as well, my ears twitching to the sounds of faint buzzing noises above. There's probably a beehive up there somewhere. “But is the lake—You know what? Let’s just go and see for ourselves.”

Sienna nods her head but didn’t say anything else. But I know, seconds from now, she’ll start talking about stuff again, or maybe not, but I’m quite thankful for it if she does, because her constant talking takes my mind off of walking, and prevents my brain from worrying over stuff...like my mom and bro. I should probably thank her for it, but maybe later.

The brightness of the outside world is uncomfortably bright for my squinting eyes as we near the edge of the forest. A few seconds later, and after a few blinks, my eyes adjusts to the brightness as Sienna and I walk out of the forest and...find ourselves staring at the very wide expanse of rolling grasslands with the occasional trees there and there. There’s tall and green grass everywhere, swaying with the calm breeze and creating a majestic rippling effect on the sea of green, piercing my ears with their melodic rustling melody. A large number of small shadows suddenly fly by, and looking up, I see many small birds flying towards a direction. Looking back at the sea of green before us, I see the rolling grasslands continue to expand to the east and west, and a line of thick and dense trees bordering the lands on the very far south. The air here’s cool and refreshing, and I can barely feel the warm tickles of the morning sun in the cloudless blue sky.

And despite the beauty of it all, I frown. “...So...” I say as a cool breeze breezes by the two of us. “...There’s no lake around here.” We’re going to walk through this grasslands, and then through that forest, aren’t we? Sigh...

“I don’t see one either,” Sienna says with a nod before she starts walking forward, the tall and green grass hiding her body below her neck-level. “Seri said that the lake is inside a forest, right?” she asks, her voice growing distant as she continues walking, increasing the distance between us. “Well... Maybe it’s in that forest over there.”

I sigh, my ears drooping.

She stops walking, looks back at me, blinks and raises an eyebrow. “What are you just standing there for?”

...I’m kinda getting tired of walking already... “...Snakes?”

She blinks. “Well... Just try not to step on them.”

I frown.

She looks down on her dainty hooves, shrugs, and walks on.

I close my eyes and sigh. I can’t believe there’s still more ground to...walk on to get to the swans. I sigh once again as I slowly reopen my eyes. Taking a breath, I walk after her through the tall grass, their soft blades brushing against my fur and the saddlebags on my sides.

Well, I should man up and carry on. This is for restoring Equestria, and for me to get back home, after all.

Sienna is a couple of hoofsteps ahead, her brown and alert ears turning around as she bites off the grass and munches on them as she moves.

...Huh. I should probably eat some as well. This is going to be a loooooong walk. I open my mouth, staring at the parting grass as I walk through them, and—

“Oh?” I hear Sienna suddenly say.

Blinking, I close my mouth and see her simply standing there. “What’s up?” I ask as I move towards her.

She turns her head to give me a confused look, swallows, and then looks up at the sky.

I roll my eyes.

“Uh, nothing,” she says as she looks back at me. “Was something there?” she asks oh so genuinely...

I sigh. “That wasn't what I meant.”

She blinks at me before she returns her attention ahead. “Well, there are ponies and deer up ahead.”

“Oh?” That’s interesting. I quicken my pace and soon enough, I’m standing beside my deer companion.

Not far ahead is a flat field of green land devoid of very tall grasses but with a few trees and a small watering hole. It’s kinda like a clearing in a forest, but instead of trees bordering the clearing, it’s tall grasses instead, and there’s a big number of ponies and horses and deer who are...well...doing normal pony and deer stuff? No, not Ponyville-like normal, but the same normal back in AJ’s and Pinkie’s pasture. Ponies and horses and deer are grazing, standing, talking and lying around.

...I really should think of a general term for the talking creatures in this world. Hm...

My train of thought stops for a moment when I notice two tall horses noticing us. “Oh, hello there!” one of them greets us as they begin to approach us, walking through the tall grass. Reaching us in a few seconds, the two tall horses are smiling and standing two or so hooves in front of us. “What brings you two to our pasture?” the brown one asks.

Yesh... Another pasture.

“Wow...” I hear Sienna breathe out, her emerald eyes blinking. “I didn’t know ponies can be so tall...”

The two horses chuckle. “Well, little doe,” says the black horse, “that’s because we’re not ponies, but rather horses.”

“Horses...” Sienna parrots quietly. She then looks at me. “Jay... Are you a pony or a horse?”

I look at her. “...a pony, from the last time I checked.”

“I take it that you two are a couple?” one of the horses ask.

Not this again. I close my eyes and let out a sigh... I reopen them and see Sienna glaring at them.

The two tall horses chuckle. “Right. Pardon us for assuming,” the black one says.

The brown one shrugs. “Can’t blame us though. Here in our little pasture, we have a few pony and deer couples.”

I blink. “Oh?”

The duo looks back at their pasture.

I lean aside to get a better look at the pasture behind the two towering horses. And eeyup, now that I’m observing them rather than just merely looking at them, there are some ponies and deer mingling affectionately with each other. Not just antlerless deer though. There are even antlerful deer there. Oh, and another one over there, too, under the shade of a tree.

“...Oh...” I breath out as I take a couple of steps to the side away from Sienna.

She turns her head and arches an eyebrow at me.

The two horses return their gazes at us. The black one blinks and stares curiously at me, probably wondering why I moved away from my companion, while the brown one doesn’t seem to notice as he smiles at my deer companion.

“So,” says brown horse, “if you two are looking for a place to live peacefully without any of your kind being—”

“Please don’t finish that line,” I interrupt him with a frown. “We’re not a couple. Or mates. Or whatever lovey-dovey words you call it.” I slightly shake my head. “We’re just heading towards...erm...Swan Lake and—”

“Ah!” black horse suddenly blurts out with a smile. He turns around, facing south. “They’re deep inside that forest over there,” he says, pointing at the forest in the distance by bobbing his head forward.

“...I figured,” I lamely reply.

“They’re pretty happy and chatty,” brown horse says with a smile and a nod as his black horse friend turns back to us. “So don’t be afraid to approach and talk to them! They’re really friendly.”

Black horse agrees with a nod.

Right. That’s good to hear, I guess. And it’s safe to assume that these two horses have been there before, or at least heard from others what the swans are like. Can’t have a repeat of that encounter of mine with the bleeps. Brr...

Brown horse smiles, takes a breath, opens his mouth, blinks blankly, and then closes his mouth as he stares at Sienna. “Huh...”

“Hm?” black horse turns to his friend. “What’s wrong, Brownie?”

Brownie? Really? Seriously? And the black one is—

“Landee, she smells familiar,” says Brownie, looking at the black horse.

—not Blackie. I blink. Landee? Is that the black horse’s name?

Sienna arches an eyebrow at the two staring horses. “Familiar?” she shakes her head. “But I've never been here before.”

Landee leans his head towards her, sniffing her scent—strange that Sienna doesn’t look offended—and blinks before he pulls his head back. “Huh... You’re right, Brownie.” The two horses look at each other. “She smells like—”

“A deer?” I blurt out.

The two horses turn and blink at me, and then they chuckle. “Indeed, little pony,” says Landee.

Brownie shakes his head. “Well, your little doe friend smells like our buck friend over there,” he says, throwing a look at the pasture.

...That sounded wrong.

Sienna blinks at them.

Landee nods his head. “Yeah. You two probably know each other if your scent is almost identical to his.”

Brownie smiles at Sienna. “You know Cosmo?”

Sienna blinks. She blinks again. And again. “...He’s here?”

Huh... That's a ‘he.’ Is that the ‘him’ she mentioned earlier? I smell a backstory approaching...

“Wuh-oh,” Landee says, frowning. “You’re not his mate, are you? He—”

“He’s my brother,” Sienna interrupts him with a glare. “And I’ve been looking for him for almost two moons now!”

“Oh, phew...” Landee sighs with relief, and so does Brownie. “For a moment there, I thought you’re going to fight his pony mate to get him back or something.”

I guess it’s safe to assume that couples are a thing in this world. Not some...one male and a number of females. What’s that called again? Harem? Wait, no, that’s an animé genre. Hm... A pack? A herd?

Huh... I wonder how’s ‘Thems Fighting Herds’ is doing.

Anyway, hm... Two moons. A two month-long search, eh? So Sienna recently left her herd then. I found Sienna a few days ago sleeping alone by the stream. Was she resting from her search? So she didn’t run away then?

...I can simply go and ask her instead of formulating random stories in my head.

Sienna blinks, her angry features slowly turning to...blankie face. And then her angry features return as she steps aside, walks past the two horses, stops and scans the pasture, probably with angry eyes. Spotting her prey (I think), she walks towards the pasture.

I blink, staring at her retreating form.

“Uh...” Brownie mutters, eyeing her warily as she walks out of the tall grasses, marching towards...somewhere. “Should we stop her?”

Landee shrugs. “Nope. They’re family, and I smell conflict. We should let them settle it on their own.”

Brownie nods his head. “If you say so.” He then turns to me. “So...”

I blink at him.

Brownie continues: “You’re welcome to stay if you want to wait for your, um, friend to finish talking with Cosmo.”

I blink again. “Oh, uh, sure.” I nod my head. “Thanks, I guess?”

The two horses smile at me. Turning around, they walk back to their pasture.

I blink. ...I should probably follow them. I mean, it’s either follow two friendly horses or follow an angry deer. Hm... If I’m going to be waiting here for a while... “So, uh,” I mutter as I follow them. I might as well ask for some info. “You guys know where one can get a red and blue mushroom?” I ask as I exit the tall grasses.

The duo turns around to look at me. Landee’s gaze drops on the ground as he brings a large hoof to his chin, while Brownie looks at his friend.

“...Or Poison Joke...plants?” I add.

“Hm...” Landee hums in thought. “I haven’t heard any of those plants before.” He drops his hoof back on the ground and looks at his friend. “What about you, Brownie?”

Brownie shakes his head before he flashes a small frown at me. “Sorry, pony, but I’ve never heard any of those plants before, too...”

“Name’s Jay,” I say with a frown, “and yeah, I didn’t think you would, but I figured to ask anyway.”

“Well,” Landee says, looking around. “Maybe the others might know about those plants.” He smiles at me. “These ponies and deer are from many different places, after all. So I bet at least one of them knows where to find this mushroom you’re looking for. And plant.”

From many different places... Huh... I nod my head, managing to smile a little. “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea.”

The two horses nod their heads at me.

“Just try not to cause trouble, okay Jay?” says Brownie.

I arch him an eyebrow. “Uh...sure?”

The two nod their heads at me once again before they look at each other. “We should probably go back to our posts,” says Landee.

I blink. Posts?

Brownie nods his head before the two of them walks past me, heading towards the tall grasses. They stop a hoof or two from the grass wall and they then begin talking to each other.

“...Huh.” Posts... Are they sentries or something? Now that I think about it, Mister White Horse and a few of his horse buddies were standing around the edge of his pasture home. Was he and his horse friends sentries, too? I might ask Twilight later after Sienna and I collect the ingredients.

Hm... Speaking of Sienna... I turn and see her in the distance, standing under the shade of a tree and in front of two sitting creatures: an antlered deer and a pony. I guess she’s not done talking to her brother. Cosmo, was it? I’ll leave her be for now to settle whatever it is she wants to settle with him.

I look around and see a...pegasus stallion standing by the watering hole, drinking. Well, since he’s the closest being at the moment, and since my throat now reminds me of how thirsty I suddenly am, I walk up to him. His white coat shines under the sun’s rays, and his ears and wings twitch a bit as I get closer. He lifts his head, black eyes blinking, his long and bluish mane swaying from the movement, and droplets of water drips down from his wet muzzle.

“Hi,” I greet him as I stop by the watering hole with a respectable distance from him.

“Sorry, bud,” he said, shaking his head. And then he smiles an apologetic smile my way. “But I want mares as mates.”

An eyebrow of mine raises up. “...Excuse me?”

He blinks at me. His ears droop. “Oh, uh, sorry...” He awkwardly scratches his neck with a white hoof, smiling sheepishly as if that would fix my frowning face. “I uh...s-saw you talking to Landee and Brownie earlier...so I thought...yeah,” he explains lamely, his white, folded wings slightly twitching.

I blink at that. I turn my head, look and stare at the two horses. “...Huh... Really?”

“You didn’t know?” I hear him ask.

I throw a frown at him. “I’m not from here.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, I figured.”

No, you didn’t.

He takes a breath and sighs. “Look, uh, earth pony, I uh—”

“Jay.”

He nods his head. “Moon Gaze.”

...That’s a pretty cool name, actually. Wait. No ‘Just Jay?’ or ‘Jay what?’ questions? I can get used to this. And hey, even those two horses didn't ask, either!

He smiles awkwardly once again. “Uh, sorry for assuming.”

I shrug. “Eh, simple misunderstanding. Anyway, I wanna ask if—”

“If there are any single females here?” he cuts me off with an eager smile. He nods, and nods, and nods his head. “Yeah. Only a few though. This is a small herd, after all. And hm... I think there’s one single female deer here if you like deer. And hm... There’s a cow here, too. I wonder where she went off to this time.”

I’m frowning at him. “...I’m not looking for a mate,” I say flatly. I shift my gaze to the clean and cool-looking water.

“Oh? What are you looking for, then?”

I lean my head towards the water to take a drink. The water's cool as I thought, cooling my throat with each gulp. Satisfying my thirst, I pull my head back up and wipe my wet pony mouth with a hoof. “Well,” I say as I turn back to him. “I was hoping if you know where I can find a red and blue mushroom. Oh, and Poison Joke plants.”

He blinks his black eyes at me. And then his eyes grow wide in realization. “Ah!” Eeyup, that’s a good sign. “You mean Protean Mushrooms?”

I give him a weird look. The what mushroom?

He nods his head with a smile. “Yeah. They’re mushrooms that are red during the day and blue during the night, right?”

I don’t know, but hey, it fits the description! I smile. I nod.

“Right,” Moon Gaze nods his head as well. “I’ve heard about them when I was still living with the other pegasi over the Storm Forest.”

I...arch an eyebrow. The Storm Forest?

“Wow... That was a few moons ago, too.” He looks up, staring at the sky as he rubs his chin with a hoof. “Hm... Where did I...oh! I remember now!” He brings his hoof down as he smiles at me. “I remember these dirt ponies talk—” He winces. “S-sorry... I-I didn’t mean—”

“It’s all right,” I cut him off with a shrug. “So... Protean Mushrooms?”

He nods his head. “Yeah. I heard some earth ponies talking about it in that pasture a little north from the Storm Forest.”

There’s that Storm Forest again. In before foreshadowing...

He chuckles. “R-right... I need to be more specific, huh?”

I guess... “...Eeyup.”

He points a hoof at my mouth. “That there!”

I blink, my eyes crossing as I stare at my pony mouth. What? My mouth has mushrooms now?

“I remember that one big red horse with a deep voice saying that word! A lot!”

Oh. That’s what he meant.

He blinks, his hoof returning to the ground. “Or was he a pony, but bigger? And I think that was the only word he kept saying, other than the ‘nnnope’ of his.”

“Big Mac? Er... Macintosh?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know his name. But he was a big stallion. Red coat. Orange mane and tail. And there was this sexy orange earth pony mare that kept on following him whenever my fellow pegasi and I brought them rain clouds.”

I arch an eyebrow. “...That was his best pony sister.” ...Wait. Is incest a thing here?

“Oh?” He smiles at me. He blinks, and then his ears and features droop. “Oh... Damn... Well, I guess I’ll have to settle with the mares around here.” He chuckles nervously. “...I don’t think I’ll survive a kick from that giant red stallion if I try to court his sister...”

Giving up that quickly without even trying, huh? I can relate. And hm... That’s interesting. I thought the races here would rather be around with their own kind? I wonder if this little herd is a group of ponies and other creatures who like other races...

He turns and points at a direction. “You’re going to need to head over there if you want to find out more about those mushrooms, Jay.” He brings his hoof back down and smiles a small smile at me. “Oh, and Poison Joke are blue flowers, right?”

I nod my head.

“Well, I’ve seen a lot of blue flower fields inside Storm Forest.”

And eeyup, there’s the foreshadowing...

“Mind you, I’ve never seen them up close, nor have I flown inside the forest, because, well, the forest is really creepy.”

In before Storm Forest is this Equestria’s version of the Everfree Forest.

“Since you don’t have wings,” Moon Gaze says, “...erm...it might take you a day or two, maybe, to get there from here. But hey!” He smiles widely. “The winds here are really nice, and it’s all grass and grass before you reach a small forest. And beyond that forest is the pasture where those earth ponies live! So there’s little chance for predators to trouble you, if you’re worried about them.”

Lucky winged ponies. Never ever gonna worry about predators. Unless they decide to leave their cloud homes and settle down on the ground.

Anyway, damn... So I need to get all the way back to AJ’s and Pinkie’s pasture just to get some mushrooms? And then head south from there to the Everfree Forest to collect some Poison Joke roots? The thought of going back is pulling my spirits down. Well, maybe there’s a slim chance that the swans know a closer location of getting the mushrooms...and some Poison Joke. I mean, it’s not like I don’t want to go back there. Heck, I’m kinda wondering how AJ and Pinkie are doing, but... This little quest of mine is more important, so I guess I shouldn’t delay any further by going back there if I can help it.

Hm... Speaking of avoiding delays, I wonder if I can ask Moon Gaze if he can help me collect those two items if the swans don’t know any closer locations of getting them. Then again, why would he help me? We just met, we’re not friends, and I don’t have anything to give him in exchange for the two plants I need. I can give him one of the two gems Twilight enchanted, in exchange for the Poison Joke, but I still need the mushroom, and since he doesn’t really know where to get those—wait.

I hear the pegasus chuckle quietly. “Wow... No offence, but I’ve never seen an earth pony think that long. You look like you really need the mushroom and the plant, huh?”

I ignore him and return to my train of thought as I move my gaze on the calm and watery surface of the watering hole. Hm... Twilight said that Zecora made that potion. She said that her zebra friend got all the required ingredients inside the Everfree Forest. So if that were the case...

Wait, no... But this is an alternate world. What are the chances that—

I almost forgot. Moon gaze just told me that he saw a large field of blue flowers inside the forest. Probably growing around clearings if he saw them while flying.

“Yeah...” I nod. Welp, I suck in business, but here goes nothing... “How about you fly to the Everf—er, the Storm Forest and get those two plants for me?”

Moon Gaze arches an eyebrow, his smile fading. “Uh... No.” He shakes his head. “I can’t fly there, pick up flowers, and bring them back to you. I mean...” he shrugs, “...why should I? No offense, of course.”

I nod my head. “How about a trade, then?”

His ears perk up, and his black eyes glint in interest. “I'm listening...” Okay, the bait is set. Now to wait for the fish to bite.

I look at the saddlebag on my side and slightly push the cover piece up with my pony mouth, enough to reveal the shiny white gem inside.

“Whoa—!” I hear him whoa. “Is that a gem?” There’s the bite. Now to reel in my catch.

I look back at him with a smile. “I can give you this gem, in exchange for those two plants I need.”

He shakes his head. “But I don’t know where to find Protean Mushrooms.” He frowns. “And I doubt the ponies in that pasture will tell me where to get them without giving them something in exchange.” Ooh, this fish is a fighter.

“I figured,” I say with a nod. “But you can also find the mushrooms in Storm Forest.”

He blinks at me. His gaze shifts to my saddlebag, and then shifts back to me. “...Really?” Reeling... It’s near the surface now...

I nod my head. “Eeyup.”

“How can you be so sure that I can find the mushrooms there? I mean, have you been there before? Wait, no.” He shakes his head. “You didn’t know where to find either of them, and now you’re telling me that the mushrooms can also be found in the same forest where the blue flowers are found?” Damn, this fish doesn’t want to give itself up.

I nod lamely. “...Eeyup.”

He furrows his brows. “...Are you trying to fool me here? That forest is full of strange things, and no pegasi has ever dared to go there.” Gah! I’m losing my grip on my fishing rod!

I sigh an impatient sigh. “...Do you want this gem or not?”

He bites his lower lip, seemingly thinking about the offer more in his head. “I...I do, but...” He sighs, his ears drooping. Aaand with one final pull, the fish flies out of the water! “All right. I’ll go and get you those plants.” It’s a catch, people! It’s a big fish! Okay, I’ll stop now. He looks up at me. “...But it’s kinda an unfair trade, to be honest.”

I blink at him. Really? So since I’m asking for two items, I need to give up two gems?

“Unfair for you, really. I mean...” He glances at my saddlebag and then back at me. “A mushroom and a plant is not enough for even half of that gem that you have.”

I blink. And again. Oh... That’s what he meant. “Well, I don’t mind. But anyway, I need as much mushrooms and as much Poison Joke that you can grab. Roots included.”

“Roots?” He blinks at me. “Do mushrooms have roots?”

“I...have no idea.” I blink. “Oh, by the way. Do not touch the blue flowers. They’ll...do funny stuff to you if you do.”

He nods his head with a small smile. “All right.” He stretches his wings and flaps them a few times. “I’ll be back before sunset.”

Well, I’m glad he’s helping out. It’ll make this quest of mine easier. “Another thing.”

“Hm?”

“I’m going to the swans, and I don’t know how long I’ll be back, and—”

“You're going to the swans?” he asks, blinking. “It's pretty far. That's going to take you a while.”

Yeah... I'm not looking forward to it, either.

He shrugs. He flaps his wings, lifting himself up.

Damn... Why didn’t I turn into a pegasus? Flying would be epic.

“Well,” Moon Gaze says, looking down at me. “I'll be here with the mushrooms and plants by the time you get back.” He blinks. “...You’ll be back with the gem, right?”

I nod my head. “...Unless I get eaten.”

He frowns at me. “Well, try not to get eaten then.” And with that, he flies off without another word.

I sigh in relief, hearing faint whispers from the residents of this pasture, asking about where their pegasus friend is heading.

...Wait. I chase my gaze after him and see him already far away. Darn... I should have asked him to get some silver ladybug eggshells, too... Seri said that those bugs are pretty rare in the lake.

Sigh... Oh well... At least I don’t have to go all the way back to AJ’s and Pinkie’s pasture.

What do you mean you don’t want to go back?!

I blink. That was Sienna’s very loud and very angry voice just now. Is she telepathic?

I’ve been looking for you for two moons and this is what you’ve been doing all this time?!

Or not.

Jay!” Sienna snarls angrily, sending chilly shivers down my spine. I see her angrily marching towards the southern forest in the distance, ignoring her brother’s calls who is sitting by the tree. “We’re leaving!

Ears drooping, I quietly shuffle after her, ignoring the curious looks the ponies, horses and deer are giving me. I pass by the tree where her brother's sitting, but I keep my gaze ahead.

“Excuse me,” I hear a male voice. Stopping, I blink, look and see Sienna’s bro frowning a sad frown at me, his antlers looking pretty heavy for his smallish brown head. “Are you perhaps Jay? The one my deer sister called?”

“Er...” I blink, my eyes lingering on his sharp-looking antlers. “...if I say yes, are you gonna hurt me?”

Jay!” Sienna loudly calls. “Do you want to restore your Equestria or don’t you?!

I look ahead and see her very angry face poking above the tall grass. I gulp and slowly and quietly walk after her.

“W-wait,” her brother calls, making me stop and wince at the same time. Looking back at him, I see his sad and pleading look...with two very small and brownish foals sleeping around his thin hooves. He bites his lower lip, his gaze falling to the sleeping infants. “...t-tell her I’m...sorry.” He slowly raises his head, his sad gaze on me. “I am truly, truly sorry for leaving the herd...”

He left their herd? I wonder what’s the backstory of these siblings. Blinking, I look behind the tree and see a pale green and whimpering...unicorn mare looking worriedly at the male deer. I blink once more. “Uh,” I uh as my gaze returns to the antlered deer. “Sure,” I quietly say with a small nod. “I’ll tell her.”

The deer manages a small smile, and nods his head.

Right, uh, I should shuffle along. I ignore the curious looks the many ponies, horses and deer are still giving me as I power walk towards Sienna, who’s impatiently waiting for me in the tall grass.

“Whatever he wanted you to tell me,” she quietly yet angrily says as I reach her, her glaring emerald eyes piercing through my pony head. “I don’t want to hear it.”

I frown, my ears drooping. “...Then I won’t.” I slightly shake my head. “Look, I don’t really know what you two were—”

Sienna’s glare softens, if only a little bit. “T-then don’t ask.” She slightly shakes her head. “I...don’t want to talk about it.” Her glare returns full force. “And I don’t want you to talk to him.”

Welp... Backstory denied.

I arch an eyebrow. “You know... You really don’t have the right to tell me what to...” I trail off as my arched eyebrow arches even more as I see something...big and bouncy approaching, meters behind Sienna. “...roo?”

She arches an eyebrow. “What?” She turns around with a slight shake of her head. “Let’s just go and—huh?”

“G’day, mates!” says a female (judging from her voice) and happy looking...kangaroo, hopping in place in front of Sienna. This...kangaroo is taller than the two horses we just met in the pasture behind us. “’ow ya goin?” she asks, her golden orange eyes blinking.

“Uh...” Sienna takes a nervous step back. “W-what are you?”

“She’s a—”

“I’m a kangaroo!” says miss kangaroo, her golden brown fur flowing up and down as she hops in place. “Why... You two never seen one before? Hm... Then again, I’ve never seen you two in these here grasslands before. You two new?” Before any of us can answer, she turns west, extending a hand towards it. “I live over there with the other roos.” She turns back to us, still wearing that smile of hers. “But I like to jump around, race around and hop around, like other roos, too!”

I blink. “...riiight.”

“Well, gotta go! Nice talking to ya, mates!” She jumps away, her long and mighty brown tail bobbing up and down. “Cheers, ponydoe!”

And then there is silence...save for the quiet rustling noises of the tall grasses dancing with the calm breeze.

“...Swan Lake?”

Sienna nods her head. “Swan Lake.”