The Symptoms of Fate

by Brownbear96

Chapter 1: What Happens in Hollow Shades...

Chapter 1

“I’m over here!” Shard waved to her friends, calling them over. With all three of them here Quiet Storm lifted himself from his lazy position, and Dead Bass flew over to Shard. “So, which one of you set up this meeting?” She asked.

Dead Bass raised his hoof with a grin. “That would be me, I wanna try to hike further this time.” Dead Bass always liked taking long trots into the nearby forest, often resulting in Quiet Storm and Shard returning home after sundown, which wouldn’t be too much of a problem if Hollow Shades wasn’t shadowy enough by being surrounded by a forest.

Quiet Storm sighed. “Really? I barely made it home in time for supper last time.” Missing a meal isn’t precisely a good idea for a pony of his size.

“It’s only noon now, so nopony will miss dinner.” Dead Bass Assured Quiet. “I know you’re a big pony.” Dead Bass patted Quiet's head teasingly. Quiet only responded with an irritated grumble.

“It may only be noon know, but that won’t matter if we get lost like last time.” Shard pointed out.
“I thought about that, so this time we’ll take a straight path out, then back home. No circles- or any other shape this time.”
Quiet Storm and Shard looked at eachother, then both nodded in agreement with Dead Bass. Quiet started out ahead of the other two. “Just to be sure, I’m leading. You can get easily distracted, Dead Bass.”
Dead Bass was looking at a fly, but his attention snapped back to Quiet upon mention of his name. “What now?” Quiet Storm just sighed and trotted into the forest.

It was late noon in the middle of Spring, the forest canopy casted many shadows upon the three ponies, but it was bright enough for them to see clearly. Quiet Storm led the group, often stepping on branches and leaves with nary a thought, his physique making it hard to move with discretion. Shard followed on hoof behind Quiet, though she moved much more gracefully without having to think, often stepping over branches and leaves, occasionally hopping over a log with a wing. Dead Bass lagged behind his two friends, floating above them, becoming distracted by every colorful flower, loud insect, or curiously shaped tree. Thankfully, he was never distracted enough to get left behind, he’d never allow that, considering he’s the one who led his friends out here.

The three kept up idle conversation, they’d always talk while they were out with one another, all with topics of varying import. At the time, they were simply discussing what might come of venturing as far as they could into the forest.

“Do you think there might be any monsters out here?” Prompted Dead Bass. He was flying about above Shard and Quiet, looking around as he saw fit.

“ Aren't you the only one who’s lived in Hollow Shades there entire life?” Asked Shard, still following Quiet.

“Yeah, but it’s not like I had a reason to go out here much.”

“You don’t really have a reason now.”

“Yeah I do, I've got you two here to hang out with!”

“Even so, wouldn't somepony else in the village know? Couldn't you have asked them.”

“The ponies who settled this village only went as far as where Hollow Shades is, and since nopony has a reason to go this far in- no, nopony else really knows.”

“And we’re just going to waltz in ahead with no real inkling as to what may be ahead.”

Quiet Storm who was still leading the group cut in. “I doubt there’s going to be anything too dangerous, considering that a good number of ponies live near this forest.”

“Yeah, I guess that makes- huh? What the- OW!” Dead Bass had gotten distracted while flying, causing him to smack into a branch.

Quiet Storm chastises him. “Dead Bass, watch where you’re flying.”
Dead Bass turns his head back and forth looking for the source of something. “Yeah, I know. It’s just... do you guys smell that?”

The group stopped to see, or rather smell, what Dead Bass was talking about. There was a stench in the air that proceeded to get heavier, like rotting wood.

“Ugh, Celestia, what is that!?” Shard commented, covering her nose with a hoof.

Quiet’s own nose scrunched. “I don’t know, it’s like something died in a tree, what do you think Dead Bass?... Dead Bass?”

Dead Bass didn't answer as he was too busy staring at the source of the smell, which Shard and Quiet Storm had their backs turned to until they they turned to see why he wasn't answering. Having almost sneaked up on them was three timber wolves, each as large as a bear. Dead Bass slowly floated backwards toward his friends and shouted what was no doubt a unanimous plan among the three. “CHEESE IT!” Albeit Shard and Quiet Storm might have used different words for it, but they obliged and ran opposite the direction of the wolves.

Shard took off with her wings flying beside Dead Bass, just underneath the forest canopy, dodging tree trunks and branches. This left Quiet Storm to charge forward as fast as he could, barreling through lesser obstructions, and avoiding greater ones. Of course, any dying log, or pile of branches he rushed through slowed him down, allowing the wolves to gain on him. Dead Bass and Shard flew above him, and while they could easily fly away, they weren't going to leave Quiet to fend for himself.

Dead Bass, hastily patched together a plan in his head, he swooped low to the ground, picking up a stick in his mouth, and threw at one of the timber wolves, gaining it’s attention. “Hey wood-rot! This way!” He flies in a direction away from Quiet Storm and Shard, the wolf bounding after him.

Though this plan was probably a terrible idea, Dead Bass had already acted, and so Shard followed his lead, she flew near a wolf, and kicked it in the head. Before she led it away she shouted out to Quiet Storm. “Quiet! Only one of them is after you now.” She then darted of before the timber wolf pounced where she was, and followed her.

Quiet didn't really see how that helped, the thing was still huge! Though Quiet himself was sizable, especially compared to an average pony, that thing was as big as a fully grown bear! Lost in his thoughts, Quiet lost his footing and tripped over a log he would have normally jumped over, tumbling into the dirt. Just perfect, Quiet rushed to his hooves, only for the timber wolf to stop in front of him, and glare right into his face. Deciding that backing down would be a bad idea, Quiet instead strafed sideways, and the wolf mirrored him.

Dead Bass had not planned this far ahead. His plan had worked swimmingly, and now the wolf was chasing him and not ganging on Quiet, though Dead Bass didn't think out how he was going to deal with even one wolf. He could fly through the canopy and lose the wolf, but then it may straight back for one of his other friends. No, he had to think of how to deal with now, and fast.

Shard had led the wolf following her to a clearing, and was dancing circles around it. Anytime it pounced for her, Shard just wouldn't be there. Shard found it easy to just roll out of the way of the wolf, but that wouldn't solve her problem. She needed to find someway to get rid of the wolf before she tired out, which the timber wolf wouldn't be doing anytime soon, as it was made of wood.

Quiet and the wolf had circled each other for what seemed like ages, waiting for the other to make the first move. Quiet knew there would be no avoiding a conflict, there was nowhere to run, and he may not be able to afford letting the wolf have the first move, Quiet ran forward, but the wolf simply bounded backwards, evading Quiet entirely. Which was good, since Quiet wasn't sure what he would have done had he reached the wolf. The timber wolf shot forward, and swiped at Quiet with a claw, causing him to lose balance, and topple over, also leaving a few scratches. Quiet gets up again, and decides he has to act. Quiet couldn't afford to think on how to strike, he let his instinct take over. He lowers his head, pointing his horns at the wolf, and charges.

Dead Bass was at a loss for ideas on how to fight this thing. He didn't know anything about Timber wolves, except that they didn't have the weaknesses of actual wolves, such as fatigue. Of course, he only learned this as it chased him, as it never slowed down. He was flying just under the top of the trees, ad this monster bounded in the air after him, it even managed to take a few hairs off of Dead Bass’ tail. How could a wooden wolf puppet be this tough!? Well, the word Quiet would use now is ‘tenacious’. It’s just a moving pile of sticks! What could it even gain from eating me... At that moment in time, Dead Bass was struck with an idea, albeit a simple one. As the wolf bounded for him again, it caught his tail in it’s mouth, and dragged him down, slamming him into the ground. Oh, sweet Tartarus, no.

Shard had continued the same dance with this thing, it pouncing, and her not being there. She was beginning to tire out, but she did have a plane now. Essentially this thing was a construct, and as such it should have a structural weakness. The wolf get pouncing, and it kept cutting closer and closer. It seemed like it was going to catch her, it just had to keep at it a little longer. The timber wolf arched it’s wooden body, prepared to pounce again, but as it shifted weight to it’s back legs, it fell down. It didn't lose it’s balance, it’s back legs came out from under it. Looking at it’s prey again, it saw Shard with three sticks in her grasp, three vital sticks. Two in each wing, and one in her mouth. All the wolf could do was try to drag itself towards her with it’s front legs, but as it extended each, they fell off too. It then lifted it’s head to howl, only for that to fall off as well. Her bout with the wolf over, Shard took a moment to get her breath back. Remembering her friends, she shot off with her wings to look for them, she could still hear the sounds of struggle.

Quiet sat on his haunches, rubbing his head in pain, a pile of sticks that was previously a timber wolf in front of him. He hadn't expected his headbutt to actually take out the wolf in one blow. He didn't think it would hurt this much. Anyhow, once his head stopped hurting, he’d go out and look for his friends.

“OWWWW!!” Maybe he should head out now, that sounded like Dead Bass.

Once the wolf had dragged Dead Bass to the ground, he found it difficult to get back in the air, as anytime he tried the wolf lunged at him, forcing him back to the ground. All he had to do was keep in the air for a moment for his plan, but it seemed that he’d have to be bold. The wolf lunged again, and rather than dodge, Dead Bass turned around and bucked as hard as he could, slamming his back hooves into the wolf’s face. While the wolf recoiled, Dead Bass shot into the air, only to dive down back towards the wolf. Leading with the knee of his foreleg, he dive into the wolfs wooden spin, snapping it in half. Once the wolf was down, Dead Bass took the time to gloat.

“Yeah! That’ll teach you to- OWWWW!” The pain from the impact suddenly reached his leg, alerting everything within a five mile radius, which thankfully included his friends.

Dead Bass’ rather loud announcement of pain allowed his friends to find him quickly. “Is everypony alright?” Shard asked.

“Yeah, I just have to let my leg rest.” Dead Bass remained suspended in the air, not wanting to have to use his leg.

“My head still hurts, but other than that I’m fine.” Quiet still had a hoof devoted to rubbing his head. “Let’s just hurry home, I’m hungry...”

The three trotted together out of the forest, eager to leave.

Comments

[Lyssa]

This story needs a helluva lot more love, i really like it so far. However, you have some grammar errors as well as tense errors. For instance, you wrote

The group stops to see, or rather smell, what Dead Bass was talking about. There was a stench in the air that proceeded to get heavier, like rotting wood.
“Ugh, Celestia, what is that!?” Shard commented, covering her nose with a hoof.

See how it goes from stops to commented? Try to keep it consistent-has it happened already or is it happening right now?
Anyways, like i said, i really like it :)

[Brownbear96]

2366471 Thank you, it's always great to hear encouragement like that. And don't hesitate to point out grammar issues, I tend to make a lot of them, especially with this keyboard.

[Lyssa]

2366492
I love to give out encouragement, and i especially love OC stories. They're just so much more realistic than ones with the mane six or other large characters, ya know? More relatable. Anyways, as a bit of a grammar nazi, i dont hesitate to proofread, so if you need a proofreader, shoot me a message.

[Brownbear96]

2366592 Will do!