Chapter 4:
Shadows in the Blue
Mountains
Their road would take them up to three days to reach the Blue Mountains. On clear nights, they could see the mountains. It was a feeling of what you really want being just out of reach.
"Just one, one more day of traveling to go." Gusty said to herself, "Just one more to go, you can make it, Gusty. Remember why you're doing this, to save the ponies in Ponyland, that's why. Just keep walking."
Applejack heard this and tried to reassure her, "I wouldn't worry about the walking part, Gusty. I've seen you do this sort of thing before."
"What? Oh, you heard me." Gusty said, solemnly, "Why you are so concerned with me all of a sudden, I've definitely insulted you enough times to make you shy away from any attempts to do that."
"Yes, that's true, but we're traveling partners now." Applejack replied.
Gusty regarded this a moment longer, then nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." She said, "We are traveling together now, aren't we?"
Wind Whistler, who was at the front of the line, stopped suddenly.
"It is getting late, I think we should stop and find a place to sleep for the night." She said.
The others agreed, and soon enough, they found a small clearing just off the path and were ready to bed down for the night.
"Shady, can you take the first watch?" Galaxy said.
"Um, sure. Right, I will." Shady replied, uncertainly.
"If you hear anything, wake one of us up instead of checking it out by yourself, okay." Gusty said.
"I will, why." Shady asked.
"Remember the last time we went camping and you got lost in the woods." Gusty asked, "It was the next day after we discovered that you were gone by the time we found you in the one place we didn't expect: a swamp."
"That was years ago, and of course you had tell everyone what had happened to me." Shady replied.
"So." Gusty asked.
"I was the laughing stock of Ponyland." Shady said.
"Shady, let it go, if I didn't tell someone what happened, somebody else would have." Gusty said.
"Enough arguing, you two." Wind Whistler cut in, "That is not to improve our current situation at all."
"Okay." Shady replied.
Soon, they were all asleep. All except for Shady and Gusty, whom had their different reasons. Gusty just could not sleep comfortably with Denik around: she didn't trust him at all.
Shady listened for suspicious noises. That was she could do, since it was almost pitch-black all around her. Then, she heard it, the sound of a hundred footsteps. She ran over to Wind Whistler.
"Wind Whistler, wake up!" She whispered, anxiously.
"What?" Wind Whistler asked, sleepily.
"Do you hear that?" Shady asked.
Wind Whistler listened for a minute then heard it and said: "Yes, I do now."
They did not notice Gusty, whom had not said a word. She was too busy listening as well, trying to determine what was making the noise.
"Awaken the others." Wind Whistler said, "I will go investigate and attempt to comprehend what the noise is."
"Okay." Shady said.
With that, Wind Whistler flew off in the direction of the sound.
Their road would take them up to three days to reach the Blue Mountains. On clear nights, they could see the mountains. It was a feeling of what you really want being just out of reach.
"Just one, one more day of traveling to go." Gusty said to herself, "Just one more to go, you can make it, Gusty. Remember why you're doing this, to save the ponies in Ponyland, that's why. Just keep walking."
Applejack heard this and tried to reassure her, "I wouldn't worry about the walking part, Gusty. I've seen you do this sort of thing before."
"What? Oh, you heard me." Gusty said, solemnly, "Why you are so concerned with me all of a sudden, I've definitely insulted you enough times to make you shy away from any attempts to do that."
"Yes, that's true, but we're traveling partners now." Applejack replied.
Gusty regarded this a moment longer, then nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes, I suppose you're right." She said, "We are traveling together now, aren't we?"
Wind Whistler, who was at the front of the line, stopped suddenly.
"It is getting late, I think we should stop and find a place to sleep for the night." She said.
The others agreed, and soon enough, they found a small clearing just off the path and were ready to bed down for the night.
"Shady, can you take the first watch?" Galaxy said.
"Um, sure. Right, I will." Shady replied, uncertainly.
"If you hear anything, wake one of us up instead of checking it out by yourself, okay." Gusty said.
"I will, why." Shady asked.
"Remember the last time we went camping and you got lost in the woods." Gusty asked, "It was the next day after we discovered that you were gone by the time we found you in the one place we didn't expect: a swamp."
"That was years ago, and of course you had tell everyone what had happened to me." Shady replied.
"So." Gusty asked.
"I was the laughing stock of Ponyland." Shady said.
"Shady, let it go, if I didn't tell someone what happened, somebody else would have." Gusty said.
"Enough arguing, you two." Wind Whistler cut in, "That is not to improve our current situation at all."
"Okay." Shady replied.
Soon, they were all asleep. All except for Shady and Gusty, whom had their different reasons. Gusty just could not sleep comfortably with Denik around: she didn't trust him at all.
Shady listened for suspicious noises. That was she could do, since it was almost pitch-black all around her. Then, she heard it, the sound of a hundred footsteps. She ran over to Wind Whistler.
"Wind Whistler, wake up!" She whispered, anxiously.
"What?" Wind Whistler asked, sleepily.
"Do you hear that?" Shady asked.
Wind Whistler listened for a minute then heard it and said: "Yes, I do now."
They did not notice Gusty, whom had not said a word. She was too busy listening as well, trying to determine what was making the noise.
"Awaken the others." Wind Whistler said, "I will go investigate and attempt to comprehend what the noise is."
"Okay." Shady said.
With that, Wind Whistler flew off in the direction of the sound.