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The forest is dark (Clarity and Guiding Star light their horns to see by, but it's almost worse than nothing, making the distant shadowed spaces darker by comparison; they soon give up). The plants that make it up are closely spaced, not all of them have friendly textures, and it is full of scary noises, only some of them the harmless snapped twigs and disturbed leaves of their own passage.
Before they've fully adjusted to the darkness, and are aware via anything but the feel of earth under their hooves that the path has sloped downward a little, it has given way under them, some of the flora and some distressingly large rocks along with it. Clarity can't even teleport. It's too dark to see where she might be going.
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allcomplete
clearthestorm
"The river is emitting sounds of distress," notes Streak. "The river or some creature in it."
allcomplete
"...Rivers per se rarely emit sounds of distress, although we did just meet very menacing trees, so who knows. If there's creatures in the river maybe Cordy can talk them into giving us a ride."
clearthestorm
They're close enough now for Streak to make out details. "It. A singular creature. Very large and snakelike. And I see what you meant about seeing the other side, Joy. The creature's thrashing is causing large waves and considerable spray."
allcomplete
"That'd make fording tricky even if it were shallow and otherwise calm and we were all experienced aqua-ponies."
on-what-wings
"No kidding," says Blaze.
A little farther along, and they're close enough for everyone to make out details - and hear the river creature's despondent wailing.
A little farther along, and they're close enough for everyone to make out details - and hear the river creature's despondent wailing.
allcomplete
"Some kind of water serpent. I think those usually speak ordinary language, though, so we can all talk to him. If he wants to talk."
"BAWWWWWWW," sobs the serpent, thrashing miserably.
"BAWWWWWWW," sobs the serpent, thrashing miserably.
allcomplete
"What a world!" bawls the serpent. "Oh what a world!"
"Excuse me? Sir?" says Clarity. "Why are you crying?"
The serpent regains enough control of himself to reply. "Well, I don't know," he sniffles, "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and snapped my left fang clean in half, and now I'm positively unpresentable!" He opens his mouth to draw breath for more wailing, displaying a broken fang that does not match the one on the right.
"Excuse me? Sir?" says Clarity. "Why are you crying?"
The serpent regains enough control of himself to reply. "Well, I don't know," he sniffles, "I was just sitting here, minding my own business, when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just whisked past me and snapped my left fang clean in half, and now I'm positively unpresentable!" He opens his mouth to draw breath for more wailing, displaying a broken fang that does not match the one on the right.
on-what-wings
"Aww," repeats Blaze. "What a mean cloud!" She comes up closer to the river and peers at the serpent's mouth. "...hmm, I wonder," she murmurs to herself. And a little louder: "Hey, mister serpent? How would you feel about a replacement fang? In, say, red?"
allcomplete
"Red?" muses the serpent. "Red. I think that would look very fetching if complemented with these mustache accessories I've had no opportunity to wear in aaaages. But I'm sure it's impossible -" And then he's crying again.
Clarity looks confusedly at Blaze.
Clarity looks confusedly at Blaze.
on-what-wings
"We'll see about that," Blaze says cheerfully.
She sits down on her hindquarters and takes off her front boots, then extracts several small tools from where they were previously hidden in the base of her mane. Soon she has detached the front plate from the right boot. With its sharp point and wide curved base, it's a nearly perfect match for the missing part of the broken fang, plus some overlap to get it firmly seated.
"There," she says, holding it up. "I'm just not sure how to get it attached. Any unicorns want to lend a hoof? Or a horn, more specifically?"
She sits down on her hindquarters and takes off her front boots, then extracts several small tools from where they were previously hidden in the base of her mane. Soon she has detached the front plate from the right boot. With its sharp point and wide curved base, it's a nearly perfect match for the missing part of the broken fang, plus some overlap to get it firmly seated.
"There," she says, holding it up. "I'm just not sure how to get it attached. Any unicorns want to lend a hoof? Or a horn, more specifically?"
on-what-wings
"Technically it still works, I just can't wear it anymore; it won't stay on without the front plate. But hey, I've got three more."
allcomplete
"...If you're sure. Everypony squint if you don't wanna have to readjust to the dark..."
Clarity floats up the boot-part to the serpent's open mouth, and sticks it on. The serpent grins toothily at his reflection in the water, then beams. "Fabulous!" he proclaims. "Thank you ever so!"
The river is calming down as he stops heaving his coils around in dissipating distress.
Clarity floats up the boot-part to the serpent's open mouth, and sticks it on. The serpent grins toothily at his reflection in the water, then beams. "Fabulous!" he proclaims. "Thank you ever so!"
The river is calming down as he stops heaving his coils around in dissipating distress.
on-what-wings
"You're welcome!" says Blaze. She tucks all her tools back into her mane, and is then at a loss for how to carry the rest of the boot.
"...Um, Clarity, I don't suppose you have room in your saddlebags...?"
"...Um, Clarity, I don't suppose you have room in your saddlebags...?"
allcomplete
"Yeah, sure," agrees Clarity, tucking the boot away into a bag. "Okay, this doesn't look so impassable with the calmer water -"
"Oh, do you need to cross?" inquires the serpent. "Allow me." And he forms a tidy bridge.
"Oh, do you need to cross?" inquires the serpent. "Allow me." And he forms a tidy bridge.
allcomplete
"Thank you so much," agrees Clarity.
"It's no trouble at all," says the serpent magnanimously.
Across go ponies!
"It's no trouble at all," says the serpent magnanimously.
Across go ponies!
joyfulnoise
And on the other side, after only a few more bends in the path...
"I thiiink that's the castle up ahead," says Joy.
"I thiiink that's the castle up ahead," says Joy.
allcomplete
"It looks like it! We made it - except for the obvious chasm all around the place, anyway. Is there a bridge? Or, it looks like there's room to fly, if the fliers want to make a few trips..."
clearthestorm
So does Streak. She spots it first.
"There was a bridge," she says, pointing a hoof at the bridgeposts. "It may be possible to repair it."
"There was a bridge," she says, pointing a hoof at the bridgeposts. "It may be possible to repair it."