120 Hoofsteps

by Cheshire Grinn

It All Started With Her Hiking~1

Rainbow Dash flew to the hiking grounds. Today and only today, the day before Christmas Eve, was the Ghastly Gorge Hills Hiking Park having a HUGE discount on hiking ticket costs. 50% less. She gently glided down, swift as a bird, and started conversing with a nearby vendor pony who was currently handing out two tickets to Fluttershy and Scootaloo. For some reason, Fluttershy looked troubled and kept on mouthing "I'm so sorry" Like she had abandoned Scoots when she was young. Rainbow Dash knew it was rude to stare, even at two good friends of hers, and looked away despite her rebellious instincts telling her to continue looking at the pair. She strolled up, trying to look as casual as ever. "Hello, 1 Ticket for the entire Hillside?"

The pony vendor seemed to glare at Dash like she had just insulted him. "None left."

"I know you're lying, you guys always have four spare rolls!"

"With our discount, they've sold like mad."

"I know lies when I hear them. Even AJ tells lies better than you! You guys always restock the moment you run out entirely!"

The vendor pulled the blue pony in close "Listen, pretty little liar detector, you better not crack this to anyone else, but I want this buisness to close down like Rarity's Boutique closes down when there's a mud monster outside. Last. Ticket. I'm. Selling. This buisness will burn." She was handed the ticked and she sped off fast.

RD gulped and zoomed off with the ticket.... Yeesh, why couldn't that vendor just quit her job if she hated it like that?

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RD continued strolling, the strange events that had occurred at the Ticket Booth were long forgotten and behind her now. She finally reached the start of a large canyon, Ghastly Gorge. She looked far off into the distant, and saw the biggest mansions one could ever see. She remembered "Ghastly Gorge Real Estate Countryside for Rich Ponies" located just west from there, and suddenly the houses made sense. She looked for a way across, and saw a perfectly carved stairway in the rockface, spiraling down. She grinned and cantered over it. She could have just flown across easily, but now was not the time to fly and ruin such a peaceful exercise made for walking. She heard the wind and stood still with a grin on her face and her eyes shut, and she felt such a wind through her mane her wings spread out behind her and she breathed deeply in and out. It was so peaceful out here, she loved kicking back from being awesome and enjoying what Ghastly Gorge Hills had to offer. RD continued her walk, then broke into a run with her joy taking over and becoming energy; she shot like lightning into a narrower part of the Canyon, and remembered the race: this was where that boulder had fallen on her wing, and ever since she had called the area "Boulder Danger Cliffsides". Just as she completed her remembering, she heard a rattling noise form petals shaking and finally, a sound like thunder. She looked up and saw, with all the fear she could have within her, a loose boulder hanging from a thread of root.

Author's Note:

Sorry for any spelling mistakes I may have made!