Four Hooves

by destinedjagold

3 - 11

“This is a very stupid idea,” Moon Gaze squeaks as he clings on my violently-waving mane for dear life.

I groan in response. It's the only thing I can do in terms of talking at the moment, as I'm using my mouth to bite the rope rails for added support, as my hooves are hopelessly touching and ‘flying’ off and landing once again on the wooden footing of this violently-dancing rope bridge. This would have been easier if I had fingers.

It's weird that this chaos storm isn't pouring a heavy rainstorm. A blessing in disguise, I guess? Crossing this bridge would have been even more difficult, I would assume, if it were raining heavily as well.

Why is there a rope bridge here anyway? And why is that castle here as well?

“We're already stupid enough to be entering Storm Forest,” Dash, who's behind me, shouts her reply over the violent whistling winds and loud booms of thunder.

“Good point,” Moon Gaze squeaks. “...I wonder if that makes me the stupidest of the group, since this is my second time here?”

“Oh?” Dash says. “Heh. For a mouse, you got guts to enter this forest twice!”

I feel Moon Gaze squirming in my mane. “Heh heh heh...”

And how is Rainbow Dash still able to talk, I wouldn't know, and I don't wanna risk stopping just to look back at her.

Anyway, Seri, who is ahead of me, returned the gem inside her bag before we crossed this here bridge, and is using both wings and beak to hold onto the railings.

And Reykan's already on the other end of the bridge, crossing with ease thanks to his claws, and he is now sitting and grooming himself. Lucky bastard.

We're halfway across the bridge now, progressing slowly yet carefully.

---

“Land!” I gasp out as I collapse on solid ground beside Reykan.

“Land!” Moon Gaze squeaks as he jumps out of my mane.

Dash chuckles. “Heh. I can't believe how much I wanted to get back on the dirt after being whipped around in the air.”

Seri ruffles her feathers. “Brr...”

“You guys were so slow,” Reykan says at us with a frown.

Dash, Gaze and I glare at him.

The cub blinks. “What? It's true!”

Dash points a hoof at him. “One more word out of you and I'm throwing you off the cliff.”

Seri takes a deep breath and sighs. Afterwards, she pulls the gem out of her bag and turns around and around, finding which direction the gem shines the most.

“You really trust that gem, huh?” Dash asks as Seri begins wobbling towards the forest, the others following behind her.

Moon Gaze runs up my back as I stand up on four hooves and follow them.

Seri and Dash enters the forest, with the latter talking about stuff to the former.

Reykan is about to enter when he suddenly stops, the hairs on his back standing as he lets out a low yet ferocious growl, making the female duo stop and look back at him.

Dash glares at him. “Oh, you wanna have a go?” She growls at him.

“Rey?” I ask as I stop beside him. My breath stops for a short moment when I see the familiar no shine nor glimmer sapphire eyes oh his.

Reykan is still growling, his fanged teeth showing.

“The heck are you standing beside him?!” Moon Gaze squeaks, pulling my mane.

I look at the duo. “...Step away?”

Seri does so without question.

Dash stays put, arching an eyebrow yet not leaving her gaze on the growling cub. “The heck for?”

“Just do it.”

She quickly throws a glare at me before returning her gaze back at the cub. “Just so you know,” she says as she slowly steps aside. “This is me not taking orders from a dirt pony.”

I roll my eyes and then look back at Reykan.

The cub is still looking ahead, his piercing, predatory eyes not locked on either of the two females.

I blink and look ahead, squinting my eyes as if that'll help me see beyond the blanket of darkness within the forest.

Seri notices and turns back, trying to light the forest up ahead, but all we see is trees and trees, and more darkness further ahead.

I slowly bring a hoof to Reykan's shoulders—eliciting a surprised gasp from Dash—and shake him. “Rey?”

He's not responding to my call.

I lift said hoof over his head and tap it thrice. “Hey, Rey!”

His growling lowers in volumn. His eyes start to reflect tiny amounts of light once again. The hairs on his back is still standing though.

He blinks, glancing at me before quickly returning his gaze ahead. “...GrrrrrrJay...” he says in between growls. “...I sense ... a very ... grrr...” The glow in his eyes disappears once again, his growling much louder now.

We look ahead, trying but failing to see whatever is making Reykan act like this.

Silence, except for the constant rumbling noise above and the constant growling noise beside me.

Seri slightly lowers the gem. “...Well, the gem is pointing us there...”

Thunder and growls.

Dash's ears droop. “...We're gonna die, aren't we?”

“Well,” Moon Gaze squeaks. “Before we do, can I stay on your back or on your mane?”

Dash glares at the mouse in my mane.

Moon Gaze sighs.

Author's Note:

Written on December 10, 2017.

Edited on January 3, 2018.

Comments

[sjo3989]

Thanks for the update!

[e520]

Now what in the heck is in there

[Galaxy of Equestria]

For this work done for twilight she going own him big time!

[DauntedSuperior]

Wow, this story was.... a rollercoaster. I liked it at the beginning, loved it after Reykan was introduced, but it started to sputter when Ms. Exposition came into it. The dream sequence was the low point of the story and it's been a slow climb up from there. My biggest complaint though is the dialog. It's fine right up until multiple characters start interrupting each other. Then with all the different characters interjecting the flow is ground to a halt and has to slowly build back up. If they're not contributing to the conversation have them interact with something in the environment. I'm not sure how different it is for everyone else but when I'm near a conversation that I have no idea what's going on in I usually space out or I look around for something interesting to at least look at. I don't constantly interrupt to say, "I'm relevant, I'm here, I don't know what your talking about for the seven-tenth time."

Now here on the move though it's been... promising. The dialog isn't jumbled as there's plenty else to describe in the scene, Reykan is being adorable and awesome, and we have a good amount of story progression. It's looking very promising and I'm excited to see-OH! and cliffhangers, dear god fuck the cliffhangers. As I was saying can't wait to see more.

[Mother3Forever]

Good Thing they had Reykan, otherwise they would've walked right into whatever is scaring him.

[KvAT]

8662813
I guess the author just has his bad and good days

[Tape Deck]

Moon Gaze runs up my back as I stand up on four hooves and follow them.

Title of the story found.