Our Lives Among The Equineby Fabian CorcairChaptersThe Beauty And The Beast, And The FishFrom Pony To Dog To Rat (reviewed and revised)Octy x 8 = XSealed seal---part 1Sealed seal---part 2Nature nurtures---part 1Nature nurtures---part 2Murk Mystical Bonds---part 2Squawk, We Say. Stay away!Murky Mystical Bonds---Part 6 (The Equestrian side of things)The Beauty And The Beast, And The FishAre you scared? More often than not, in my experience, my low voice and being a big bear intimidate pretty much everyone, everyone but my caretakers. My Pegasus caretaker tells me that I should show what’s on the inside because what’s on the inside is a kind-hearted gentle-bear. She’s like a mother, you see, she taught me how to clean myself, how to act, and how to consume tea properly. Pretty much everything I really know. I feel like I get the special treatment from her, that’s every friend of mine say, everyone except that darn bunny Angel. Why no pony in their right minds would treat her badly, she’s the kindest and generous pony of all of Equestria, but that jerk gets me all furious. I just wanna grab that scruffy neck and sink my---Oh, manners. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t think of violent thoughts Anyway, I have little to talk about. I do pretty much the same thing every day, eat, sleep, play with the caretaker. Not much done, I think. There was one interesting fella I met before, good guy. Do you wanna know his story? You won’t believe how we met. I was at the pond fishing the other day, and won’t you believe it I caught a big one. A tremendous catch if I say so myself. I was about to eat it right before it commanded me to stop. I never knew that a fish could speak bear, such a thought never crossed my mind. What bear would teach a fish to speak anyway? Anyhow, I found it creepy to eat anything that could talk to me, so I dropped the fish back into the pond. I asked its name, the fish called itself Franky, Franky the fish. I knew nothing about no relatives, no gender, no nothing; but that doesn’t mean it didn’t talk about anything. It talked about fun stuff like how the pond’s going, what games its friends play, the temperature of the water, the best spots to rest, and how it’s glad to explore and see another bear that he could conversate with it. He likes communicating with other animals, that’s why he’s fluent in bear. Yeah, I wanted a friend, so I talk about my stuff too. I talked about the lovey-dovey stuff I do with my caretaker once in a while, and it said how much care it received from her. I guess what we had in common was how much our caretaker care and feeds us so much. I was excited, I have a playmate, y’know. We met for next few days. I learned alot about the fish besides what I would consider basic information about itself, I try to persuade it to spill the beans and it finally did. Turns out, it had no family because he came from an egg. The most you would get out of it was about the games it played with the smaller and smaller number of friends leaving after they’re done with the breeding grounds. Turns out, Frank didn’t want to leave to the ocean, it wanted to stay with its friends and have all the food a fish could ever ask for. I remember that one day’s afternoon, I figured we’d rendezvous like any other day, but Fluttershy was there too. Frank was struggling in a net Fluttershy's, flopping like a maniac. She struggled to lift it so she put poured it in a bag, you could say she had it in the bag. Anyway, she grabbed them… eh, opened end of it, and smacked it on a rock, or is it bashed it? Whatever method, she kept smacking or bashing it over and over and over and over again ‘till it stopped moving. It was brutal. Luckily, I slipped away before she could see or hear me. That evening was interesting when me and my friends say down for a picnic, Frank was there on a place in front of us, grilled and in slices. We ate it, and it tastes delicious. I suppose I didn’t say anything to Fluttershy, I didn’t want to make Fluttershy feel bad, she’s usually sensitive to the topic of taking animal’s lives. I understood anyway, I kill fish too to eat and she had to kill to feed, but that one fish felt like an exception, a silly exception that is but still. I later decided to actively participate in helping Fluttershy breeding and releasing fishes into the estuary. I try mighty hard to help fish, but I can never stop eating fish, guess some are just destined to do what they hate. Anyway, have I ever told you about that time Angel screwed Fluttershy by protecting her? Crazy right. Anyway, I know he wants to protect her but boy oh boy did he messed up--- From Pony To Dog To Rat (reviewed and revised)*Arf* *Arf* *Lick* *Lick*: Applejack, It's time to wake up! “A'right, a’right. Stop your tail-wagging. Sheez, need to stop spoiling ya with snuggles.” I jump down from the bed and rush to the door. Applejack quickly follows. ... The door, master? She opens the door. Yay! Run to next door. ... Outside, master? She opens the door. Yay! I follow my master. Master is good. *Pant* *Pant*: We're going to the fat spotted beasts place. I'm ready for anything! “Hold your horses, Winona, I hafta milk the cows." *Arf* *Arf* *Arf*: Can I play! Can I play! “Go an’ play around. I’m doing work.” My master goes ahead to do her thing. I wander around the glass, sniffing the place. Hm, what could that be? Fat birds. The fat birds have escaped their pin. *Arf* *Arf* I called out to Applejack. “Hold on, Winona, I’m not finished yet.” "Mooo! Gently, Applejack. A little too hard." "Sorry, Miss Bell. Ah'll add a bit to your allowance to make things right." I stare at the clucking fat buds. Something was off. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. *Sniff* *Sniff* I follow the trail of the nasty scent until I stumbled around the source. A smelly dead chicken is laying on the ground. Filthy feathers were everywhere. *Sniff* *Sniff* Rat. Rats? “There you are wino---What in tarnation happened here? L-Looks like something chewed through the gates wires at night, not sure what though. Better fix the gate lest something brakes in again. I gotta watch out for whatever vermin that did this. Winona, you'll take the night shift.” Intruders bad. Better investigate. First night of watch Ooh, I find my lost squeaky toy. No intruders here. Second night of watch I hear something edging closer. I bark and chased but found nothing. Applejack goes outside to find nothing. Third night of watch Nothing but howls of fellow wooden acquaintance dogs. I howl back like always. They seem nice. Fourth night of watch I hear the chewing and hard grinding of the. My curiosity piques. I chase the sound. I found it, and here it is. A huge rat half my size. Mouth reeked of acidic breath. It stops chewing the pin and stares at me, eyes glowing ruby red. It had buck teeth slathered in drool. I hear it growling like big cat. *Arf* I try scaring it away HHRHHRHHRHHR! *Whimpers* I'm scared. It leaps at me. I moved my paws so fast but fall to the ground. I'm trembling from the painful, choking sound as it sped at me, growing to my size, bearing buck teeth that can tear me limb to limb. HRRHRRHRRHRR!! I got up and sprinted away as fast I can, whimpering and barking along the way. ~ The aggressive rat stopped and turned around. It scurried over to the metal gate to gnaw at it. It needed to eat, and the chickens were the only meal it could find that would satisfy its hunger. It chewed on the wires, cutting them one by one. “Been waiting for this moment,” said Applejack. *Thwak* A sharp hoe pierced into his back. An unholy hissing scream echoed in the moonlit night. “Ain’t nopony mess with my chicken coup or my Winona,” Applejack quipped. The rat’s excruciating sounds of pain slowly died down as it stopped moving. The world went blank for it. The day after *Arf* *Arf* Bunnies! I ran around, herd the bunnies, and chase the outliers back into the group. It was a fun game my master taught me. She's not with me right now, she’s playing with another pony. “I like to say thanks for bringing Winona over. He’s quite helpful rounding up the bunnies ," said my favorite bird pony. “Oh shucks, you’re just saying that to flatter me, Fluttershy,” said master. “No, If I want to say that, I would say that to Winona." “You know she’s just a dog, right? It’s not like she can understand you or anything.” “Just a dog!” Being angry is fun for these ponies. I’ll go watch these two do fun. “---and in conclusion, they're intelligent but still need our love and support, Applejack!” “Not all animals. I met a rat last night. A giant rat killed one of my chickens the other day.” “Oh, sounds horrible. What did you do next?” “What I did? The next logical thing of course.” She covers her face with hooves. That means she is shocked. “You didn’t!” Master lifted side of lips, that's happiness. “Oh yes, I did, I gladly took a swung at it and it landed nicely. Discarded it in the garbage can later.” “Oh, Applejack, I feel bad for that rat. I only wish you could have made peace with it, or capture it safely.” “Are ya kidding? Ahm planning on baiting it’s kind---whatever it is---and start killing more just in case. Better safe than sorry." “Applejack!” She said with an intimidating face. “Those rats are an endangered species! If you keep killing them, they might end up extinct, and that can have catastrophic effects on the Ecosystem!” “Psh, what effects? I don’t see why this rat is so important if to the Ecosystem. I’m just protecting my livestock and livelihood, is that too hard to ask?” “It’s not too hard to ask, just don’t kill the rats.” “Why do I have to empathize with a varmint, it would be easier if I just kill them all?” This anger is fun no more. I bark cheerfully to cheer them up. “Go away, can you see I’m busy!” They both said in synchronization. I whimper and make myself scarce. Author's Note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CHjQVwvSeE Octy x 8 = XStrings rubbed against its course edge across the metallic string, vibrating the wooden cello, both tightened in the grips of grey hooves. The metallic sounds traveled to the mare’s ear, zapping an electrical signal to her brain that she was hitting the right notes, prompting her brain to send impulses to the muscles in synchronization. Octavia Melody was enjoying her flow state, playing canon in the D in a motley of variations, no more different than how a cook added or subtracted ingredient to stray away from an already impeccable recipe for the sake of experimental flavors. There on a wooden perch, I peek and hear through the hole, a crow whose feathers were matching the mare’s hair, nothing but blurry black in my visions. He haphazardly sang Canon in the D, mindless as a dull dolt tamed to the spoils of music, nourishment, and lackluster stimulation. In all fairness, I assume he’s a dolt since he wouldn’t stop obsessing over poetry. I am the one currently in the Cello, I am the one stuck in the hole, doing nothing but feeling the cacophony of vibrations. I am... A spider, albeit extremely perspicacious. An ambitious arachnid who dreams of being more than I am doing now, spinning webs, eating other bugs. I can sense the animals around me, their electricity, their sounds, their vibrations and interpret each as a language of their own. In spite of my massive intellect, in the grand scheme of things, I am nothing but a pathetic, pitiable bug who plays with webs like a youngling. Their lives, to both my chagrin and exhilaration, endlessly give me an extra layer of substance to distract me from my meaningless existence. Since I have eight eyes, you might assume that I see eight different images, on the contrary, I can see through all my eyes at once, as my brain is preloaded with the ability to instantaneously connect all images into one whole three-dimensional picture for my singular mind to process. A similar thing happens at a higher cognitive level, from the past experiences, senses, reason, even their names, and I can semi-automatically piece them together into an overall story, and my imagination fills the gaps. The vibrations stopped. Octavia walks over to the crow and pets him; she massaged his neck with a hoof. “Who’s ready for their throat medicine?” “Caw. Caw. Caw” “Wow, your voice has improved a lot, hasn’t it?” She held up an orange plastic syringe. “Just a few drops more and---” “Caw. CAW!” We’ve been through this several times, my love, but this is frustrating. Octavia’s face proclaimed her vexation. “Sheesh, give me a break you spoiled brat, you want to sound like a dying parrot forever! Now, open wide,” she grinded her teeth. She peered into the syringe and found that there was no liquid medicine, she checked the bottle and too found nothing. “Bullocks, I slacked off so we ran out.” She sighed. “Oh well, I’ll have to go out to gets some more along with my other groceries. Vinyl’s not here to take care of you, can you take of yourself?” I take back what I said earlier, I need the medicine now! “CAW! CAW!” “Alright, you can stay here by yourself.” “CAW!” “Alright, I’m going. I’m going.” She took a checklist off the fridge and left the house. I hear no swatter’s voices. I crawled out of the hole in joy. The coast was relatively clear, so as long as I don’t disturb the crow, nothing should happen. I can’t stay in there forever, I have to eat eventually. The crow scanned the area with deadly precision. He spotted a target and pointed a beak at the creepy crawly, which was me. “...” Bug? I stop. Bug! “CAW!” He saw. “CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!" Daughter of Celestia! “CAW! CAW! CAW!” I flap my wings ruffling my feathers in elation. I hop and swoop down to the Cello sitting on a stand. I rush to the hole, hoping that I would make it before he did. I grab the edge ready to hide under. He pecked and swat at me with his beak. I fall into the hole and land on my back. I struggle to get up, flailing my skinny arms. I flip myself upwards and crawl to the shadow where the crow can’t get me. My leg. He snapped his beak on my leg and dragged me out of the hideout. I am dangling on his beak, helpless. This is it. My demise. One of the history’s greatest minds, a snack to be eaten by those with greater power. I drop the spider, only to catch it again. This time, part of the Spider’s abdomen was in my beak. And so was my cruel life as a passive observer. I would love to have a dream fulfilled, any dream, I’m not picky. I wonder that if things played out differently if I had a body, one that could utilize appendages to manipulate the world around me, that would be great, having a voice, that would be great too. I could only piece things through with my eight eyes, yet I feel like I have more, for I can see through other’s eyes. Those gods must have a hundred eyes, as they can see through countless unique perspectives and hundreds of more that make up their internal convergent intelligence. Intelligence never dies, only perspectives. That’s what comforts me, always comforts me. Fare---” CRUNCH! ... Octavia pulled out the syringe out of the bottle. “Here comes the choo-choo train!” I open my his beak and prepared for the drop. The liquid dripped. The crow’s eyes turn into pinpricks. I swallow the stream of delectable liquid. The nuances of flavors tickled my taste buds, able to distinguish all flavors of the homogeneous solution from one another. Something was missing, now it was found. “Caw?” That’s funny. There must be a reason for this bizarre feeling, a sturdy foundation of reasoning might suffice. Sealed seal---part 1“It looks funny, what is it? asked the demure Zebra filly “Oh, that’s a Seal, sweetheart,” the mother zebra with an Afro wig pointed out. “Why is that Seal laying there like that? He looks sad." She chuckled, “Oh no, it’s bathing in the sun on the rocks. They need the sun just like we do” “Sounds fun, I wanna lay there all day.” I raise my head, eyeing at the tourists. “Ooh, ooh, it sees me, it sees me!” “Yeah, I think it likes you.” *ARRR!* Translation: I'M BORED, WHERE'S MY ZOOKEEPER? “Wow, that’s crazy loud!” “Yep, astonishing.” *ARRR!*: COME ON, I’M BOOORED! FEED ME! “... Mom, I wanna go see the Penguins… Mom.” “Fine, let’s go see the penguins.” *ARF!* *ARF!* *ARF!*: AT LEAST I GET THE ATTENTION FROM THE EQUINES!! *ARRRRR!* "I'm still waiting!" The Trainer walked on the side of the pool, placing the bucket of fish on the concrete side. She whistled: the seals on land fell to the water, they all swam to the fish The trainer’s cheeks beamed. “Eat up my little friends, for tomorrow is gonna be a special day. You shall no longer suffer this wretched place where ponies treat you like dirt. You’re going to be liberated. ” The Trainer tossed the fish around the pool, the seals instinctively devour the fish like starving piranhas. *Arf*: Aw. She left before we can play. Maybe she’s a new trainer. I played and slept, the sun zipped across the sky, the tourist blurred past the exhibit. Dusk came, then Nightfall. The moon stared at itself in the water's reflection. The stars danced in the night sky. The seals slept on their stony beds. A clatter of the metal gate resonated and awaken some of the seals, one of them happens to be the aforementioned seal. *Arf*: Who’s there? She was about to bark at whoever it was before she heard some soft-spoken, sweet-voiced pony “Shh, it’s alright, we’re here to help. ” A thick skin of black clothes adorned the female pegasus, sweet clarity of the mare’s voice soothing… And attractive. Forget the other strangers, this one’s mine! “Arf! Arf!” Her head snapped towards him. “Shh, please don’t speak, I promise we’ll bring you fish later.” Yippee! I get to spend time with her. She crawled towards this adorable stranger, flopping her head up and down. “Stop!” She did verbatim but reciprocated with puppy eyes. “Aw, that’s so cute,” she cooed in a whispery tone. The other ponies giggled. “Can we keep her?” Said a stranger stallion. “Only if you make sure you can take care take of it and feed it once a week,” said a mysteries mare. Snickers aroused the night. “Come on, let’s get going.” I called out to Fluttershy, trying to catch her attention. “What’s your name, mine’s Fluttershy.” *Arf*: Archie. “Okay, Fluttershy, you know why you’re here, how about you translate for us?” Said the leader of the group. “Tell them we’re here to liberate them from captivity, but they all must be quiet or else we might be caught dead.” Fluttershy relayed the information to the seals, they nodded in near unison. “How many do you think we can fit in there?” asked the leader. The subordinate responded, “well, depending on the size of the seals, I say we can fit all of them.” "Isn't that a be too tight? I don't want them to feel uncomfortable," commented Fluttershy. "No animal left behind, Fluttershy, that's our goal." "Uh... Okay then, as long as it's not hurting any of them." "Pft, trust me, La Vida got this all figured out." She smirked Sealed seal---part 2A tarp laid on our sleepy seals head. *Rumble* *Bump* *Rumble* *Rumble* I feel a sudden halt. My eyelids open in fearful curiosity. Had this ride ended? Where have I gone? Would I see Fluttershy again? I heard a crinkling, seals crawling towards that certain direction leading me to follow suit. Do I smell… Fish? As the sweet meaty smell draw us in, we billow in starving cries. We herd down the ramp and across the ground into our newfound cage, greeting us with a pile of yummies. "Where are you taking them?" *Ar?*: That sweet mellow voice. Is that... Who? "I demand to know what's in those fish! Please?" It's Fluttershy! *ARRROOO!* I call out to Fluttershy. "Is that you, Archie!---Hey, get your hooves off me!" She sounded depressed, should I give her a fish? I scootch over and pick up a fish, letting it dangle off my mouth. I hurried over to her Fluttershy to give her a present. I crawled out the swarm of seals, hoping to get a glance I stared at a struggle of hooves, her face covered in salty tears. "DON'T EAT THE FISH. THEY'RE POISONED!!" I froze and crossed my eyes to examine the aforementioned fish. Now she mentioned it, it did look fishy. I spat it out, and lick the dirt off the ground lest poison stuck to my tongue. I watched and barked as she thrashed out, but out of nowhere, a bright flashlight blinded me, a familiar face of a hooded Stallion is hovering over the spotlight grinning at me cheekily, "Hello there, what are you doing out here? Hey, La Vida, what should I do about this stray!?" A familiar mare trotted casually, eyebrow's raised. "We wouldn't want us to miss a chance to do a good deed to go higher in the reincarnation cycle, now would we, Peter?" A feel a hot break on my back. I look back and a shadowy cloaked figure stood behind me. Two menacing crows stood on both of my sides, blocking my escape. The Stallion pulled out of his pocket a pointy metal thing Equines use to make me nap, and I'm in no mood for napping. Rage swelled up inside me, their unfairness will stop once for all! *ARF! ARF! ARF*: Shoo, ponies, shoo! A crow charged at Peter's face, scratching his face with sharp talons. “Rah! Guh.” He cried and ran away. The crow following behind him. “What the-” the other crow landed on her mane. "Get this off--!" "My pleasure," a hoof swung over and smacked La Vida’s face. The cloaked around the figure unveiled an ash mare with a crow-black mane. "I’M A SPY, MOTHERBUCKER!” La Vida fell to the ground unconscious. “Huh?” I respond, feeling unsatisfied. The stranger galloped to the seals devouring the fish, I on the other flipper felt useless. I look over to the syringe. Oh well, I might as well contribute.” "Buck, I was only here to make sure the fish weren't poisoned but I blew my cover. Oh well, I've done my part. I guess now I have to wait for the police to raid this place---What are you doing?" I poked the syringe into the unconscious mare's neck. "Don't do it! Revenge is not the answer!" Not understanding what she said, I open my mouth, wedging the barrel flange and plunging flange between my jaw. "What would Fluttershy think of this?" Fluttershy? *Arf* *Arf* I let go of the plastic thingy and crawl away in the direction where I heard Fluttershy. Octavia watched the mesmerizing belly flop up and down of a seal, the seal slowly reaching her destination, "Meh, she'll be fine." A group of 'Animal Activist' rushed into the scene. "What happened here?" Said their pack leader. "Uh..." Octavia's eye's roll over to La Vida's body. "We... have an intruder, she attacked La Vida! " She pointed at the drooling mare, the syringe still sticking out of her neck. "Who did'is?" "Uhh... A formidable Unicorn? Search the area for her!" "Rascals! Must be that vigilante they're talking about. Find her!" He commanded. They did what he told and scattered. She smugged and snorted in laughter. "Suckers." La Vida woke up, feeling groggy. "Wha', what just happened? And why do I feel a sharp pain in my neck..." She touched the protruding object with a hoof. WHAT THE BUCK! Nature nurtures---part 1A cacophony of nocturnal chirps voiced themselves deep in the dark Everfree forest's canopy, vying for attention. It settled in the background, drowned out by the surging blood pounding in my ear. I galloped in a hurry, snarling Timberwolves running through the trees a distance apart, following me with vicious intent. My run slowed to a stop, the wolves came out of the undergrowth, congregating in a circle around me with every wolf in prowling stance. My face stoic. My eyes caught the moon's blazing light. I face upwards at it, and I howl. My siblings howled with me. We do it to together enhance our sound, claiming our prey from the wolves on the next territory. Our sniffs told us there's a sweet unnatural scent that belonging to the ponies a short run from here. We all learned this collectively by our instincts and/or taught by actions. We depart our ways in two groups, crossing the treacherous wood. This was our day. On the run, a light glimmered in middle of trees, drawing us to their position. We circle them to the other side, avoiding making ruffling noises and keeping the distance lest it detect us. Once we get close, we hid behind the bushes. We peer at the winged stranger carrying light. "Hello?" called out a winged pony with an ambrosial voice, it reeks of worry. An unknown giant stranger towered over. I smell fear, fear from the pony, and my sisters and brothers. Neither of our group on the other side wouldn't engage the bear. Those cowards! I've already decided. I would engage first. Lead by example. I splint to them and stopped at five times me away. "Grr," I trilled. I hear a yelp, I expected more from this pony. Her face paralyzed in sheer, daunting terror. My heart pounding with excitement. Her expression shifted to a sheer, squeaky buoyancy. "Rar?" I am stumped. What is the deal with this winged pony? "Is that you Applejack?" spoke the pony. "Huh?" "It's me, Fluttershy! Do you recognize me?" I shake my head. I thought I heard that name before? Forget it, I have a job to do. “Grrr!” I trill. “Why are you growling at me, you’re my friend... And a pony?” I snarl. The tall cloaked stranger grumbled, a sound typical of a bear. She placed a bag on the ground, digging in around the stuff inside. “Keep the other wolves away, Harry.” She gazed straight at my eyes in a compassionate, sorrowful manner. “Hey, Applejack, I don’t want us to fight, but if things escalate qui---" I lunge at the pony and chomp my teeth into his neck, grabbing onto the whole neck with my teeth. The skin nearly was broken under my blunt teeth. “Son of the Celestia!” she barely whispered with a scratchy, choking voice. “Applejack, would you mind letting me go?” She gave me a shake, patting her wings on my head. Meanwhile, the bear swept her paws away at any Timberwolf who would try to save me, or attack the winged pony or distract the bear with a barrage of pelting. All attacks were to no result, not enough wolves would attack at once to overwhelm the bear allowing them to go past him. It’s heart-rending to see their cowardice, hanging from her neck. I focus back on her neck, she’ll be unconscious like the other animals, and I defeat the bear with a swift kick. No prey would escape me. “Aha, found it,” she creaked, almost falling unconscious. I felt a sharp poke on the side of my rear. “Aroo?” I let go of Fluttershy’s neck, dropping her to the ground. She started to pant in deep heavy breaths. I bolt across the road, hoping that the pain will go away, leaving everyone behind. “Applejack!” The others eventually retreat with me, no one will face the bear or the winged pony. My body felt fuzzy, so I took a stop to rest. My mind drifts away, leaving the other wolves confused, waiting for me to wake up. Fluttershy galloped to the pack of wolves breathless but was halted by a wall of defensive Timberwolves. “Aw,” she cooed, “you’re willing to defend a friend from anyone. How venerable of you. But I'm agraid I have to rescue my friend no matter what it takes, so would you please let me have her? ” They growled. “Please? Or else you leave me no choice but to use The Stare.” They growled some more. “Alright, you asked for it.” She glared. Her eyes bored into all of their dark souls, boiling their visions with an omnipotent fear. They whimpered and sprinted away from the legitimately scary winged pony. She trotted casually to sleeping Applejack. “Don’t worry, Applejack, I’ll take you home and batch you up. Oh dear, I hope you can integrate back into society.” Applejack lay there on the ground, a sleeping dart sticking out of her plot. Nature nurtures---part 2*Grr* I growl at the pair of ponies, contempt for the rope wrapped around me. “The timberwolf magic is preventing the memory spell from working. I'm afraid we must abandon our hope for a quick solution, Fluttershy. Looks like we have to continue the month-long treatment to hopefully return her to normal quickly. Until then, you’ll be here to help stop her Wolf-like tendencies from going aloof hence there are substitutes fulfilling both of your duties,” said the winged, horned pony. “I understand. I have the highest confidence that I can rehabilitate Applejack,” said my capturer. “But I haven’t even---” “No buts, Twilight, I’m sure Applejack’s fine. And if anything goes wrong, I’m sure me and others can handle her. “Uh, alright, I’ll be doing my duties. I'll check you later in three weeks.” The horned, winged pony exited out of the door. “Hey, Harry, would you please write something down for me? *Roar* *Roar?* “Simple, I'm doing the translating, you do the writing.” I'm Harry, and I'm a bear. I am recording Applejack’s behaviors on this notebook while she recovers. I’m don’t know why she insists on me doing this, she said something about Twilight and It went out the other ear. I should listen to her more often. Day one Fluttershy couldn’t get much out of Applejack but “I’ll shred you to pieces.” Day two Fluttershy tries to teach her Equestrian, but Applejack growls, snarls, or barks. She looks like a pony, but she’s one mean dog. She did learn the word apple, and she randomly broke out and repeats it over and over and over and over again. Day three It's been a few days now and Fluttershy is routinely telling her what words of random objects are. Applejack is not getting along well with the others in the cottage due to her overwhelming hostility. Day five In a nick of time, Fluttershy taught Applejack plenty of words. Although, she did ask me for a second opinion about whether or not her treatment was a bit too harsh, and even to write them down in detail. When Fluttershy often commanded Applejack to chosen word to repeat in Equestrian, if she didn't respond appropriately, she would withhold it, not even water was safe. The treatment was a bit more extreme than she normally did on other animals, but nevertheless, since Applejack is a fast learner, she mastered all the words Fluttershy had given her. If she needed to go outside, Fluttershy walked her to a wooden stake and tied to there. This one time, she even barked at the chickens in the coup. What’s even more crazy is when escaped to sneak into their coup to sniff their butts. Gross. She was captured surely thereafter. Day six Applejack didn't look like she felt good. She's awfully silent. She usually howled out of nowhere in a middle of learning Equestrian, Fluttershy would pet her head every time Applejack felt glum, comforting her with her tranquil voice. I felt awful for her, she must be missing her doggy friends, the ones I keep on hearing about. Poor Applejack, I hope she gets better soon. Fluttershy asked me that the next time I write, Applejack would be in the wheel. Day nine Applejack lonely. Applejack miss friends. Applejack miss family. Applejack hates waiting. Day ten I like meat. I like wolf. No like no. Day Fourteen Fluttershy give me apples. I like apples. Day fifteen I play with Winona. I remember Winona. She is like me. No escape. We fetch balls. I don't like Angel, she scares me. I'm tired. Day Seventeen Winona steal from me! She take my toy! Bad Winona! She is not my friend anymore! She stinks. Day Eighteen Winona steal my toys, so I steal her water, her food, her friends, I even hit her. Fluttershy not like it, she said that was petty. She ground me. No more notes for at least five days Day Twenty-five Oh boy, where do I start? I don't remember much about earlier, but from what I heard, I was prickly as a cactus. Luckily, Twilight came by earlier and restored my memories in a jiffy. Thank Celestia. I do remember being mean to Winona, taking her stuff and all. After all the ruckus, turns out the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, Angel was the one who've stolen from me, not Winona. Dangit, that vermin's name Angel is nothing but plain old irony. Anywho, with the help of Fluttershy's amazing and magical Translation skills, I apologized to Winona. Of course, like best friends, she forgave me by tackling and licking me my face. Nonetheless, I gained a few habits from being a wolf, like bathing myself with licks. Why do Timberwolves act like wolves anyway? It's not like they need to bathing. Nevermind, I gotta make this short. In retrospect, I was one with nature. The experience I do remember was surely an eye-opener. I never knew how Winona felt till now, all dependent on me because she had nowhere else to go, like me with Timberwolves or Fluttershy, crazy how being in someone else's hooves changed my view of everything around me. Animals like the freedom to be happy just as much as we do, but they don't have the brains to self-control, the body to move along stuff, or giant communities to do large scale projects like we do. They may have one or two, but only us Ponies, Zebras, griffons, etc. It ain't fair, but I guess we have to preserve them anyway. Besides, without animals, how would our Ecosystem thrive? How would you get fresh manure? How else would you get milk to put in your cereal? Except for bunnies, they don't deserve to live. Heh, I'm joking! But seriously, I despise that bunny abomination. You ougtta call animal control on that one if you have the chance. Twilight accidentally snarffed some water, coughing violently in laughter. "That's enough of that." She promptly closed the notebook Murk Mystical Bonds---part 2Murky Mystical Bonds---part 1 Vinyl, the white unicorn with electric blue hair, was messing with the dials. Applejack, the orange Earth pony with a brown Cowmare hat, was absorbed into the music earmuffs bobbing her head up and down. I often filter Vinyl's shenanigans on her side of the house, my focus settled on her Roommate across the pearl silk clothed table. Perched on the top of the chair, I peck at the plate full of spaghetti, snipping the sauce soaked noodles with my sharp beak. *Caw* *Caw* *Squawk* *Cough* My owner turned to face me worriedly. Her mane of ash and coat of deep grey. "Oh, poor old you, time whittle you down to nothing but crow bait, your voice once again hoarse as a crow." *Caw* *Squawk* "You ought to stop with the crow puns," a bass stallion-like voice came out of a metallic voice synthesizer attached to me. "It's superficial." She leaned her cheek in her hoof. "Come one now, Squawky you know me, I would never eat crow." "Your language is abusive, and so is your language." Octavia cackled in laughter, slamming the table emphasizing her enjoyment with the rattle of silverware. "Oh, you're such an intellectual riot! Even through a robotic translator, you sound poetic." "Your indulgence in quasi-intellectual festivities cannot break the ice, nor add depth to your life. Also, I am not into Ponies, thus this alcoholic induced romantic pursuit is nothing but futile.' "Can't a Mare have some inebriated fun?~" Octavia slurred. She swished the glass wine in her curled hoof. "Don't I have Free Will, bird-brained philosopher?" "Fun is for the strong, not by the weak. Your life is Determined from birth and death." Octavia pressed her face against the table, "You're such a downer, have you no gentlestallionlly sense of appeasing a mare?." "Appealing to gender roles or biology does not work as we're from different cultures and species." A light bulb glowed in her brain, giving her an effervescent aura. A goofy smug adorn her tilted face. "I bet we're star-crossed lovers. One a Pony, the other a Crow, both destined to be "I'm amused by a comparison to a couple who died at the end. And "Destiny" doesn't exist." "Au contraire, aren't both Destiny and Determinism the same thing?" "No, it is... Let me think of a rebuttal..." Nothing came to mind. "Ha!" Octavia shouted, pointing her hoof at me. "Gotcha! You're gonna be a cannibal because you'll eat crow." "Again with the puns." "I wooon, I wooon, I wooon!" her head danced side to side. "Destiny is superstitious, but Determinism is Scientific---" "Oh, for Pete's sake." Octavia swept the plate in front of her to the side and climbed onto the table. She stood up on high, looking down on me ominously. I flap my wings a few times in shock. "What are you doing?" Octavia nuzzled my neck with her forehoof "Goochie goochie goo," Octavia said in an obnoxious baby talk. My eyes dilated. I nuzzled her hoof back instinctively. "No, not my number one weakness." Struggling to balance on three legs, her motor controls failed her as she dropped off the table. *Oomph* she fell on her back, knocking the air out of her. I flew to the side of the side table, standing right over her. "Are you okay, Tavi?" I voice. She took a much needed inhale and snorted in laughter. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Everything is fine," she said in a cheery tone. "Hmm?" I curiously said. A hoof came from under the cloth, Octavia felt it and curiously turned her head towards it. "Huh?" The hoof gripped her, along with it came a mare crawling out from under. Her eyes looked bloodshot from tears. Her mane crazy and scarlet red. "It's you, La Vida!" "Die you Traitor!" she thrust the syringe with the aid of telekinesis, aiming towards Octavia's neck. Octavia grabbed her foreleg in mid-flight, moments away from reaching her skin. "Let her go!" I proclaimed. *CAW!* *SQUAWK!* It was no use. I'm too out of shape. "What in Tarnations?" Applejack and Vinyl watched, gaping in horror as La Vida pushed with her forelegs gaining. I yelled for them to do something, hoping for them to intervene. "I ought to do something," said Applejack, earmuffs hanging around her neck. "Yes you should," I commented. Vinyl picked up a disk and hoof it over to Applejack. "This is no time for..." Applejack wrapped her hooves around it and stood on rear hooves. She pulled back the disc like a discus, aiming at the mare atop of Octavia. Octavia couldn't hold it in place any longer, the aura around the needle grew more powerful every second; it closed in, merely centimeters from its target. Applejack launched the disc. It hurled towards La Vida and struck her on the nose. It bounced off her nose, but not without a gnarly cracking sound. Octavia swept away the syringe as she pressed in nostrils in agony. She rolled off Octavia to roll from side to side on the floor in anguish. Octavia stood up. "You witch, can't you take a hint! Forget the whole thing ever happen!" "Never!" La Vida shouted. She pulled out a bottle out of her mane and peeled it open with her teeth. She threw liquid at Octavia's face, catching her off guard. "Buck!" Octavia shouted. "Buck. Bu---" Her hooves squeezed her eyes. "EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Octavia squealed in immense pain. La Vida lit her horn, ready to finish off Octavia. I attacked La Vida's horn, interrupting her spell. Applejack galloped to our fray. La Vida threw me away with magic and shot at Applejack with a beam of magic. Applejack ducked in time, the magic seared a hole in her Cowmare hat. Applejack pivoted and bucked her in the head *Crack* La Vida slammed into the ground. Her neck twisted in an abnormal position. Applejack saw what happened Octavia’s eyes. “Let’s get Octavia to the hospital!” Vinyl nodded nervously. I hang my head down in distraught. Squawk, We Say. Stay away!In our park, our trees, our territory. Squawk, we say. Stay away. Our young crow kin grounded on grass. We fly and circle around the canopy helpless but patient for nature to heal his wound. Intruders. The Equine fledglings come in spite of our warning. They haul what the pony tongue calls instruments. We purely expect them to leave us alone as usual. What are they doing? They creep closer curiously to our kin like some vulture. We squawk again, but we can only watch their actions with wary. One fledgling grey Equine with head’s nest black as night steps in front. We glare. She gallops in haste. Intruding on our recovering kin. Squawk! We say. Cross the line you have. She stops and drops the bulky instrument onto our companion. Squawk! Squawk Squawk! We spoke. This is an outrage! She picks up her weapon and runs away. The accomplice has fled like its friend to the outskirts like a coward, no need to pay heed to it. We swoop down with furry. In sadistic delight, we take turns attacking this fledgling’s head’s nest. Bullying the bully. Go away, we squawk. The reckless fledgling trots away, it’s head’s nest a messy fray. The fledgling was a stranger to us, but the other Equine fledgling calls it Octavia. May it’s carcass be fed to our kind after its passing. We return to check our kin. His wing broken, body bruised, but no injury inflicted upon him. We scan the area for intruders. No more Equines. We scavenge the area for worms and scraps. Our grounded friend join our feeding, hopping like a rabbit. We wait for dusk to break by roost in nests, while our grounded friend rests in the cold wet grass. When dawn breaks, the companion crow wakes. We wake to see what to us was unseen, joyful that the crow flies again. It’s common to hear us make cynical talks, but it’s rare and mythical to hear our elated Squawks. Squawk, we say to start the day. Say nay to neighs, we say. That’s just our way. Murky Mystical Bonds---Part 6 (The Equestrian side of things)Murk Mystical Bonds---part 2 I wait and stared a the magnificent sky. Memories flood back to me in waves of red. ~ *Squawk!* *Squawk!* My parents cried. On our gathering tree, my parents spoke about the filly Octavia to the flock, describing her size, shade, contours, what her usual whereabouts are, and other necessary details to connive with. The goal of our discussion was focused on one thing and one thing only. Revenge. Oc path lied from elementary school from the north, through the park where she smacked me with the case of the instrument, and out to the general horned-pony/Unicorn place. We apted to avoid these pony's path, but we wouldn't back down from an Equine who attack a defenseless crow such as myself, we had a vendetta to settle. To us, the narcisist we are, such a plan was a no-brainer, a piece of cake. The stage was set for our ambush. At the beginning of the weekday, where the Foals go to school, we gathered on the ground of the park killing time with eating worms. The sun rose, a few Equines passed, the designated time came a few moments prior to what we assumed was an act of aggression, and all of us were watching from among the trees, waiting for the target. Octavia 'intruded' the park, heaving her backpack and her cello in her case, the latter the 'weapon of choice'. She walked across the grass, and some of us responded in frustrated Caws and Squawks. The target walked with nothing but her 'cowardly' friend who I never figured out who, he's the one who abandoned her the other day, not even worth talking about. The ambush had begun. The first wave of us swooped down and smacked the top of her head, attempting to irritate her as much as possible. The second wave landed on the ground and surrounded her, trapping her to show her we mean business, making her feel hopeless. The third wave? We were all the third wave. We pecked, scratched, and bombarded ourselves at the vulnerable foal. She tried to run away, but only manage to scream in terror. She dropped her cello and bolted out of the swarm, stepping. To us, seeing her suffer and crying out for help made us feel good inside, like eating sweet insects. Scaring away her helpless friend was a bonus. We all left shortly thereafter because we knew that Ponies would retaliate if we do it over and over again, so we simply avoid the next time. Good thing too, Octavia was escorted by an adult Unicorn on the way back with the addition of her anonymous friend. I do not know of other Murders, but mine picks on every species they can, from fat stupid birds like Seagles to retarded Chickadees and even the Equines. Why do we call them Equines? For us crows, Equines include all three pony races, Griffons, Donkeys, buffalo, etc. Anything that resembled a pony, speak their language, or somewhere in that ballpark, we think them as one specimen but with different descriptions. And something about that didn’t feel right. In retrospect, it was a silly life. We were all nothing but Troll soldiers having sadistic fun, which to serve a higher purpose of distracting from the easygoing life our intelligence gifted us with, albeit with our obnoxious nature. My intelligence was greater than the others, hence the Shraudenfeude only appease my boredom yet not my deep sorrow. I knew if trolling and acting edgy was what my Murder sought as peak happiness, my eudaimonia did not align with their territorial goals. Growing up, I realized from my experience and others that Equines were both the most Dominant and the smartest, thereby making my brethren nothing but dolts in comparison. The natural born intelligence of such a species deserved my attention. I lead a few crows into the city pretentiously for scavenging, an excuse to study Equine culture. I watched as they converse, exchange goods, consummate their vegetarian diet, et cetera. I've already deciphered some simple languages of a few bird species, but the Pony language had been always alluding me. I could remember the sounds and some of the verbal patterns but only memorized a few words from context. On that day forward, I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to their culture. I ventured on a journey that changed my perception of the world, from marketplaces to schools; I learn conversations at unprecedented speeds along with reading. I was enamored in their naive lifestyle and how it's so different--- ~ “Ca-Caw, Sqawkaw. Squawky.” Translation: What are your orders, my liege?” I brake out of my stupor to recognize my sister’s presence, “cah, ca-awaw.”: Hold on, sister Cawaw. "Caw, cah." She pointed a beak over to the fields: I'll wait over there. She flew over to Octavia's front lawn to eat worms. My focus snaps back to Octavia, she is recovering in the hospital from her wounds. I feel terrible, the perpetrator's dead and it wasn't in my claws. I still feel her pain all the way from here, her eyes are unhealable in a way that no amount of science or Unicorn magic could cure. Our relationship was a far cry from before, but after coping with the emotionally charged incident and learning more about her kind. "CAW!" I flew towards the horizon, prompting sister Cawaw to follow. It took a fair amount of time to come in terms with my dark emotions, but I eventually set aside my hatred of Octavia, thereby Equines, and found peace within. Although I didn't give myself a chance to deal with these emotions, not even sharing it, those emotions changed direction to more healthy ways. I now know Octavia as I spend much time with her, she's a curious, capable, intelligent, loyal, generous, kind, and self-sacrificing pony whose recklessness puts herself in unfortunate circumstances. I could do nothing but relate, but that's about to change as I develop my life. Author's Note The language the Crows use depends heavily on tone, but the tone is so complex that there's no way I could put it on text.
The Beauty And The Beast, And The FishAre you scared? More often than not, in my experience, my low voice and being a big bear intimidate pretty much everyone, everyone but my caretakers. My Pegasus caretaker tells me that I should show what’s on the inside because what’s on the inside is a kind-hearted gentle-bear. She’s like a mother, you see, she taught me how to clean myself, how to act, and how to consume tea properly. Pretty much everything I really know. I feel like I get the special treatment from her, that’s every friend of mine say, everyone except that darn bunny Angel. Why no pony in their right minds would treat her badly, she’s the kindest and generous pony of all of Equestria, but that jerk gets me all furious. I just wanna grab that scruffy neck and sink my---Oh, manners. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t think of violent thoughts Anyway, I have little to talk about. I do pretty much the same thing every day, eat, sleep, play with the caretaker. Not much done, I think. There was one interesting fella I met before, good guy. Do you wanna know his story? You won’t believe how we met. I was at the pond fishing the other day, and won’t you believe it I caught a big one. A tremendous catch if I say so myself. I was about to eat it right before it commanded me to stop. I never knew that a fish could speak bear, such a thought never crossed my mind. What bear would teach a fish to speak anyway? Anyhow, I found it creepy to eat anything that could talk to me, so I dropped the fish back into the pond. I asked its name, the fish called itself Franky, Franky the fish. I knew nothing about no relatives, no gender, no nothing; but that doesn’t mean it didn’t talk about anything. It talked about fun stuff like how the pond’s going, what games its friends play, the temperature of the water, the best spots to rest, and how it’s glad to explore and see another bear that he could conversate with it. He likes communicating with other animals, that’s why he’s fluent in bear. Yeah, I wanted a friend, so I talk about my stuff too. I talked about the lovey-dovey stuff I do with my caretaker once in a while, and it said how much care it received from her. I guess what we had in common was how much our caretaker care and feeds us so much. I was excited, I have a playmate, y’know. We met for next few days. I learned alot about the fish besides what I would consider basic information about itself, I try to persuade it to spill the beans and it finally did. Turns out, it had no family because he came from an egg. The most you would get out of it was about the games it played with the smaller and smaller number of friends leaving after they’re done with the breeding grounds. Turns out, Frank didn’t want to leave to the ocean, it wanted to stay with its friends and have all the food a fish could ever ask for. I remember that one day’s afternoon, I figured we’d rendezvous like any other day, but Fluttershy was there too. Frank was struggling in a net Fluttershy's, flopping like a maniac. She struggled to lift it so she put poured it in a bag, you could say she had it in the bag. Anyway, she grabbed them… eh, opened end of it, and smacked it on a rock, or is it bashed it? Whatever method, she kept smacking or bashing it over and over and over and over again ‘till it stopped moving. It was brutal. Luckily, I slipped away before she could see or hear me. That evening was interesting when me and my friends say down for a picnic, Frank was there on a place in front of us, grilled and in slices. We ate it, and it tastes delicious. I suppose I didn’t say anything to Fluttershy, I didn’t want to make Fluttershy feel bad, she’s usually sensitive to the topic of taking animal’s lives. I understood anyway, I kill fish too to eat and she had to kill to feed, but that one fish felt like an exception, a silly exception that is but still. I later decided to actively participate in helping Fluttershy breeding and releasing fishes into the estuary. I try mighty hard to help fish, but I can never stop eating fish, guess some are just destined to do what they hate. Anyway, have I ever told you about that time Angel screwed Fluttershy by protecting her? Crazy right. Anyway, I know he wants to protect her but boy oh boy did he messed up---
From Pony To Dog To Rat (reviewed and revised)*Arf* *Arf* *Lick* *Lick*: Applejack, It's time to wake up! “A'right, a’right. Stop your tail-wagging. Sheez, need to stop spoiling ya with snuggles.” I jump down from the bed and rush to the door. Applejack quickly follows. ... The door, master? She opens the door. Yay! Run to next door. ... Outside, master? She opens the door. Yay! I follow my master. Master is good. *Pant* *Pant*: We're going to the fat spotted beasts place. I'm ready for anything! “Hold your horses, Winona, I hafta milk the cows." *Arf* *Arf* *Arf*: Can I play! Can I play! “Go an’ play around. I’m doing work.” My master goes ahead to do her thing. I wander around the glass, sniffing the place. Hm, what could that be? Fat birds. The fat birds have escaped their pin. *Arf* *Arf* I called out to Applejack. “Hold on, Winona, I’m not finished yet.” "Mooo! Gently, Applejack. A little too hard." "Sorry, Miss Bell. Ah'll add a bit to your allowance to make things right." I stare at the clucking fat buds. Something was off. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. *Sniff* *Sniff* I follow the trail of the nasty scent until I stumbled around the source. A smelly dead chicken is laying on the ground. Filthy feathers were everywhere. *Sniff* *Sniff* Rat. Rats? “There you are wino---What in tarnation happened here? L-Looks like something chewed through the gates wires at night, not sure what though. Better fix the gate lest something brakes in again. I gotta watch out for whatever vermin that did this. Winona, you'll take the night shift.” Intruders bad. Better investigate. First night of watch Ooh, I find my lost squeaky toy. No intruders here. Second night of watch I hear something edging closer. I bark and chased but found nothing. Applejack goes outside to find nothing. Third night of watch Nothing but howls of fellow wooden acquaintance dogs. I howl back like always. They seem nice. Fourth night of watch I hear the chewing and hard grinding of the. My curiosity piques. I chase the sound. I found it, and here it is. A huge rat half my size. Mouth reeked of acidic breath. It stops chewing the pin and stares at me, eyes glowing ruby red. It had buck teeth slathered in drool. I hear it growling like big cat. *Arf* I try scaring it away HHRHHRHHRHHR! *Whimpers* I'm scared. It leaps at me. I moved my paws so fast but fall to the ground. I'm trembling from the painful, choking sound as it sped at me, growing to my size, bearing buck teeth that can tear me limb to limb. HRRHRRHRRHRR!! I got up and sprinted away as fast I can, whimpering and barking along the way. ~ The aggressive rat stopped and turned around. It scurried over to the metal gate to gnaw at it. It needed to eat, and the chickens were the only meal it could find that would satisfy its hunger. It chewed on the wires, cutting them one by one. “Been waiting for this moment,” said Applejack. *Thwak* A sharp hoe pierced into his back. An unholy hissing scream echoed in the moonlit night. “Ain’t nopony mess with my chicken coup or my Winona,” Applejack quipped. The rat’s excruciating sounds of pain slowly died down as it stopped moving. The world went blank for it. The day after *Arf* *Arf* Bunnies! I ran around, herd the bunnies, and chase the outliers back into the group. It was a fun game my master taught me. She's not with me right now, she’s playing with another pony. “I like to say thanks for bringing Winona over. He’s quite helpful rounding up the bunnies ," said my favorite bird pony. “Oh shucks, you’re just saying that to flatter me, Fluttershy,” said master. “No, If I want to say that, I would say that to Winona." “You know she’s just a dog, right? It’s not like she can understand you or anything.” “Just a dog!” Being angry is fun for these ponies. I’ll go watch these two do fun. “---and in conclusion, they're intelligent but still need our love and support, Applejack!” “Not all animals. I met a rat last night. A giant rat killed one of my chickens the other day.” “Oh, sounds horrible. What did you do next?” “What I did? The next logical thing of course.” She covers her face with hooves. That means she is shocked. “You didn’t!” Master lifted side of lips, that's happiness. “Oh yes, I did, I gladly took a swung at it and it landed nicely. Discarded it in the garbage can later.” “Oh, Applejack, I feel bad for that rat. I only wish you could have made peace with it, or capture it safely.” “Are ya kidding? Ahm planning on baiting it’s kind---whatever it is---and start killing more just in case. Better safe than sorry." “Applejack!” She said with an intimidating face. “Those rats are an endangered species! If you keep killing them, they might end up extinct, and that can have catastrophic effects on the Ecosystem!” “Psh, what effects? I don’t see why this rat is so important if to the Ecosystem. I’m just protecting my livestock and livelihood, is that too hard to ask?” “It’s not too hard to ask, just don’t kill the rats.” “Why do I have to empathize with a varmint, it would be easier if I just kill them all?” This anger is fun no more. I bark cheerfully to cheer them up. “Go away, can you see I’m busy!” They both said in synchronization. I whimper and make myself scarce. Author's Note https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CHjQVwvSeE
Octy x 8 = XStrings rubbed against its course edge across the metallic string, vibrating the wooden cello, both tightened in the grips of grey hooves. The metallic sounds traveled to the mare’s ear, zapping an electrical signal to her brain that she was hitting the right notes, prompting her brain to send impulses to the muscles in synchronization. Octavia Melody was enjoying her flow state, playing canon in the D in a motley of variations, no more different than how a cook added or subtracted ingredient to stray away from an already impeccable recipe for the sake of experimental flavors. There on a wooden perch, I peek and hear through the hole, a crow whose feathers were matching the mare’s hair, nothing but blurry black in my visions. He haphazardly sang Canon in the D, mindless as a dull dolt tamed to the spoils of music, nourishment, and lackluster stimulation. In all fairness, I assume he’s a dolt since he wouldn’t stop obsessing over poetry. I am the one currently in the Cello, I am the one stuck in the hole, doing nothing but feeling the cacophony of vibrations. I am... A spider, albeit extremely perspicacious. An ambitious arachnid who dreams of being more than I am doing now, spinning webs, eating other bugs. I can sense the animals around me, their electricity, their sounds, their vibrations and interpret each as a language of their own. In spite of my massive intellect, in the grand scheme of things, I am nothing but a pathetic, pitiable bug who plays with webs like a youngling. Their lives, to both my chagrin and exhilaration, endlessly give me an extra layer of substance to distract me from my meaningless existence. Since I have eight eyes, you might assume that I see eight different images, on the contrary, I can see through all my eyes at once, as my brain is preloaded with the ability to instantaneously connect all images into one whole three-dimensional picture for my singular mind to process. A similar thing happens at a higher cognitive level, from the past experiences, senses, reason, even their names, and I can semi-automatically piece them together into an overall story, and my imagination fills the gaps. The vibrations stopped. Octavia walks over to the crow and pets him; she massaged his neck with a hoof. “Who’s ready for their throat medicine?” “Caw. Caw. Caw” “Wow, your voice has improved a lot, hasn’t it?” She held up an orange plastic syringe. “Just a few drops more and---” “Caw. CAW!” We’ve been through this several times, my love, but this is frustrating. Octavia’s face proclaimed her vexation. “Sheesh, give me a break you spoiled brat, you want to sound like a dying parrot forever! Now, open wide,” she grinded her teeth. She peered into the syringe and found that there was no liquid medicine, she checked the bottle and too found nothing. “Bullocks, I slacked off so we ran out.” She sighed. “Oh well, I’ll have to go out to gets some more along with my other groceries. Vinyl’s not here to take care of you, can you take of yourself?” I take back what I said earlier, I need the medicine now! “CAW! CAW!” “Alright, you can stay here by yourself.” “CAW!” “Alright, I’m going. I’m going.” She took a checklist off the fridge and left the house. I hear no swatter’s voices. I crawled out of the hole in joy. The coast was relatively clear, so as long as I don’t disturb the crow, nothing should happen. I can’t stay in there forever, I have to eat eventually. The crow scanned the area with deadly precision. He spotted a target and pointed a beak at the creepy crawly, which was me. “...” Bug? I stop. Bug! “CAW!” He saw. “CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!" Daughter of Celestia! “CAW! CAW! CAW!” I flap my wings ruffling my feathers in elation. I hop and swoop down to the Cello sitting on a stand. I rush to the hole, hoping that I would make it before he did. I grab the edge ready to hide under. He pecked and swat at me with his beak. I fall into the hole and land on my back. I struggle to get up, flailing my skinny arms. I flip myself upwards and crawl to the shadow where the crow can’t get me. My leg. He snapped his beak on my leg and dragged me out of the hideout. I am dangling on his beak, helpless. This is it. My demise. One of the history’s greatest minds, a snack to be eaten by those with greater power. I drop the spider, only to catch it again. This time, part of the Spider’s abdomen was in my beak. And so was my cruel life as a passive observer. I would love to have a dream fulfilled, any dream, I’m not picky. I wonder that if things played out differently if I had a body, one that could utilize appendages to manipulate the world around me, that would be great, having a voice, that would be great too. I could only piece things through with my eight eyes, yet I feel like I have more, for I can see through other’s eyes. Those gods must have a hundred eyes, as they can see through countless unique perspectives and hundreds of more that make up their internal convergent intelligence. Intelligence never dies, only perspectives. That’s what comforts me, always comforts me. Fare---” CRUNCH! ... Octavia pulled out the syringe out of the bottle. “Here comes the choo-choo train!” I open my his beak and prepared for the drop. The liquid dripped. The crow’s eyes turn into pinpricks. I swallow the stream of delectable liquid. The nuances of flavors tickled my taste buds, able to distinguish all flavors of the homogeneous solution from one another. Something was missing, now it was found. “Caw?” That’s funny. There must be a reason for this bizarre feeling, a sturdy foundation of reasoning might suffice.
Sealed seal---part 1“It looks funny, what is it? asked the demure Zebra filly “Oh, that’s a Seal, sweetheart,” the mother zebra with an Afro wig pointed out. “Why is that Seal laying there like that? He looks sad." She chuckled, “Oh no, it’s bathing in the sun on the rocks. They need the sun just like we do” “Sounds fun, I wanna lay there all day.” I raise my head, eyeing at the tourists. “Ooh, ooh, it sees me, it sees me!” “Yeah, I think it likes you.” *ARRR!* Translation: I'M BORED, WHERE'S MY ZOOKEEPER? “Wow, that’s crazy loud!” “Yep, astonishing.” *ARRR!*: COME ON, I’M BOOORED! FEED ME! “... Mom, I wanna go see the Penguins… Mom.” “Fine, let’s go see the penguins.” *ARF!* *ARF!* *ARF!*: AT LEAST I GET THE ATTENTION FROM THE EQUINES!! *ARRRRR!* "I'm still waiting!" The Trainer walked on the side of the pool, placing the bucket of fish on the concrete side. She whistled: the seals on land fell to the water, they all swam to the fish The trainer’s cheeks beamed. “Eat up my little friends, for tomorrow is gonna be a special day. You shall no longer suffer this wretched place where ponies treat you like dirt. You’re going to be liberated. ” The Trainer tossed the fish around the pool, the seals instinctively devour the fish like starving piranhas. *Arf*: Aw. She left before we can play. Maybe she’s a new trainer. I played and slept, the sun zipped across the sky, the tourist blurred past the exhibit. Dusk came, then Nightfall. The moon stared at itself in the water's reflection. The stars danced in the night sky. The seals slept on their stony beds. A clatter of the metal gate resonated and awaken some of the seals, one of them happens to be the aforementioned seal. *Arf*: Who’s there? She was about to bark at whoever it was before she heard some soft-spoken, sweet-voiced pony “Shh, it’s alright, we’re here to help. ” A thick skin of black clothes adorned the female pegasus, sweet clarity of the mare’s voice soothing… And attractive. Forget the other strangers, this one’s mine! “Arf! Arf!” Her head snapped towards him. “Shh, please don’t speak, I promise we’ll bring you fish later.” Yippee! I get to spend time with her. She crawled towards this adorable stranger, flopping her head up and down. “Stop!” She did verbatim but reciprocated with puppy eyes. “Aw, that’s so cute,” she cooed in a whispery tone. The other ponies giggled. “Can we keep her?” Said a stranger stallion. “Only if you make sure you can take care take of it and feed it once a week,” said a mysteries mare. Snickers aroused the night. “Come on, let’s get going.” I called out to Fluttershy, trying to catch her attention. “What’s your name, mine’s Fluttershy.” *Arf*: Archie. “Okay, Fluttershy, you know why you’re here, how about you translate for us?” Said the leader of the group. “Tell them we’re here to liberate them from captivity, but they all must be quiet or else we might be caught dead.” Fluttershy relayed the information to the seals, they nodded in near unison. “How many do you think we can fit in there?” asked the leader. The subordinate responded, “well, depending on the size of the seals, I say we can fit all of them.” "Isn't that a be too tight? I don't want them to feel uncomfortable," commented Fluttershy. "No animal left behind, Fluttershy, that's our goal." "Uh... Okay then, as long as it's not hurting any of them." "Pft, trust me, La Vida got this all figured out." She smirked
Sealed seal---part 2A tarp laid on our sleepy seals head. *Rumble* *Bump* *Rumble* *Rumble* I feel a sudden halt. My eyelids open in fearful curiosity. Had this ride ended? Where have I gone? Would I see Fluttershy again? I heard a crinkling, seals crawling towards that certain direction leading me to follow suit. Do I smell… Fish? As the sweet meaty smell draw us in, we billow in starving cries. We herd down the ramp and across the ground into our newfound cage, greeting us with a pile of yummies. "Where are you taking them?" *Ar?*: That sweet mellow voice. Is that... Who? "I demand to know what's in those fish! Please?" It's Fluttershy! *ARRROOO!* I call out to Fluttershy. "Is that you, Archie!---Hey, get your hooves off me!" She sounded depressed, should I give her a fish? I scootch over and pick up a fish, letting it dangle off my mouth. I hurried over to her Fluttershy to give her a present. I crawled out the swarm of seals, hoping to get a glance I stared at a struggle of hooves, her face covered in salty tears. "DON'T EAT THE FISH. THEY'RE POISONED!!" I froze and crossed my eyes to examine the aforementioned fish. Now she mentioned it, it did look fishy. I spat it out, and lick the dirt off the ground lest poison stuck to my tongue. I watched and barked as she thrashed out, but out of nowhere, a bright flashlight blinded me, a familiar face of a hooded Stallion is hovering over the spotlight grinning at me cheekily, "Hello there, what are you doing out here? Hey, La Vida, what should I do about this stray!?" A familiar mare trotted casually, eyebrow's raised. "We wouldn't want us to miss a chance to do a good deed to go higher in the reincarnation cycle, now would we, Peter?" A feel a hot break on my back. I look back and a shadowy cloaked figure stood behind me. Two menacing crows stood on both of my sides, blocking my escape. The Stallion pulled out of his pocket a pointy metal thing Equines use to make me nap, and I'm in no mood for napping. Rage swelled up inside me, their unfairness will stop once for all! *ARF! ARF! ARF*: Shoo, ponies, shoo! A crow charged at Peter's face, scratching his face with sharp talons. “Rah! Guh.” He cried and ran away. The crow following behind him. “What the-” the other crow landed on her mane. "Get this off--!" "My pleasure," a hoof swung over and smacked La Vida’s face. The cloaked around the figure unveiled an ash mare with a crow-black mane. "I’M A SPY, MOTHERBUCKER!” La Vida fell to the ground unconscious. “Huh?” I respond, feeling unsatisfied. The stranger galloped to the seals devouring the fish, I on the other flipper felt useless. I look over to the syringe. Oh well, I might as well contribute.” "Buck, I was only here to make sure the fish weren't poisoned but I blew my cover. Oh well, I've done my part. I guess now I have to wait for the police to raid this place---What are you doing?" I poked the syringe into the unconscious mare's neck. "Don't do it! Revenge is not the answer!" Not understanding what she said, I open my mouth, wedging the barrel flange and plunging flange between my jaw. "What would Fluttershy think of this?" Fluttershy? *Arf* *Arf* I let go of the plastic thingy and crawl away in the direction where I heard Fluttershy. Octavia watched the mesmerizing belly flop up and down of a seal, the seal slowly reaching her destination, "Meh, she'll be fine." A group of 'Animal Activist' rushed into the scene. "What happened here?" Said their pack leader. "Uh..." Octavia's eye's roll over to La Vida's body. "We... have an intruder, she attacked La Vida! " She pointed at the drooling mare, the syringe still sticking out of her neck. "Who did'is?" "Uhh... A formidable Unicorn? Search the area for her!" "Rascals! Must be that vigilante they're talking about. Find her!" He commanded. They did what he told and scattered. She smugged and snorted in laughter. "Suckers." La Vida woke up, feeling groggy. "Wha', what just happened? And why do I feel a sharp pain in my neck..." She touched the protruding object with a hoof. WHAT THE BUCK!
Nature nurtures---part 1A cacophony of nocturnal chirps voiced themselves deep in the dark Everfree forest's canopy, vying for attention. It settled in the background, drowned out by the surging blood pounding in my ear. I galloped in a hurry, snarling Timberwolves running through the trees a distance apart, following me with vicious intent. My run slowed to a stop, the wolves came out of the undergrowth, congregating in a circle around me with every wolf in prowling stance. My face stoic. My eyes caught the moon's blazing light. I face upwards at it, and I howl. My siblings howled with me. We do it to together enhance our sound, claiming our prey from the wolves on the next territory. Our sniffs told us there's a sweet unnatural scent that belonging to the ponies a short run from here. We all learned this collectively by our instincts and/or taught by actions. We depart our ways in two groups, crossing the treacherous wood. This was our day. On the run, a light glimmered in middle of trees, drawing us to their position. We circle them to the other side, avoiding making ruffling noises and keeping the distance lest it detect us. Once we get close, we hid behind the bushes. We peer at the winged stranger carrying light. "Hello?" called out a winged pony with an ambrosial voice, it reeks of worry. An unknown giant stranger towered over. I smell fear, fear from the pony, and my sisters and brothers. Neither of our group on the other side wouldn't engage the bear. Those cowards! I've already decided. I would engage first. Lead by example. I splint to them and stopped at five times me away. "Grr," I trilled. I hear a yelp, I expected more from this pony. Her face paralyzed in sheer, daunting terror. My heart pounding with excitement. Her expression shifted to a sheer, squeaky buoyancy. "Rar?" I am stumped. What is the deal with this winged pony? "Is that you Applejack?" spoke the pony. "Huh?" "It's me, Fluttershy! Do you recognize me?" I shake my head. I thought I heard that name before? Forget it, I have a job to do. “Grrr!” I trill. “Why are you growling at me, you’re my friend... And a pony?” I snarl. The tall cloaked stranger grumbled, a sound typical of a bear. She placed a bag on the ground, digging in around the stuff inside. “Keep the other wolves away, Harry.” She gazed straight at my eyes in a compassionate, sorrowful manner. “Hey, Applejack, I don’t want us to fight, but if things escalate qui---" I lunge at the pony and chomp my teeth into his neck, grabbing onto the whole neck with my teeth. The skin nearly was broken under my blunt teeth. “Son of the Celestia!” she barely whispered with a scratchy, choking voice. “Applejack, would you mind letting me go?” She gave me a shake, patting her wings on my head. Meanwhile, the bear swept her paws away at any Timberwolf who would try to save me, or attack the winged pony or distract the bear with a barrage of pelting. All attacks were to no result, not enough wolves would attack at once to overwhelm the bear allowing them to go past him. It’s heart-rending to see their cowardice, hanging from her neck. I focus back on her neck, she’ll be unconscious like the other animals, and I defeat the bear with a swift kick. No prey would escape me. “Aha, found it,” she creaked, almost falling unconscious. I felt a sharp poke on the side of my rear. “Aroo?” I let go of Fluttershy’s neck, dropping her to the ground. She started to pant in deep heavy breaths. I bolt across the road, hoping that the pain will go away, leaving everyone behind. “Applejack!” The others eventually retreat with me, no one will face the bear or the winged pony. My body felt fuzzy, so I took a stop to rest. My mind drifts away, leaving the other wolves confused, waiting for me to wake up. Fluttershy galloped to the pack of wolves breathless but was halted by a wall of defensive Timberwolves. “Aw,” she cooed, “you’re willing to defend a friend from anyone. How venerable of you. But I'm agraid I have to rescue my friend no matter what it takes, so would you please let me have her? ” They growled. “Please? Or else you leave me no choice but to use The Stare.” They growled some more. “Alright, you asked for it.” She glared. Her eyes bored into all of their dark souls, boiling their visions with an omnipotent fear. They whimpered and sprinted away from the legitimately scary winged pony. She trotted casually to sleeping Applejack. “Don’t worry, Applejack, I’ll take you home and batch you up. Oh dear, I hope you can integrate back into society.” Applejack lay there on the ground, a sleeping dart sticking out of her plot.
Nature nurtures---part 2*Grr* I growl at the pair of ponies, contempt for the rope wrapped around me. “The timberwolf magic is preventing the memory spell from working. I'm afraid we must abandon our hope for a quick solution, Fluttershy. Looks like we have to continue the month-long treatment to hopefully return her to normal quickly. Until then, you’ll be here to help stop her Wolf-like tendencies from going aloof hence there are substitutes fulfilling both of your duties,” said the winged, horned pony. “I understand. I have the highest confidence that I can rehabilitate Applejack,” said my capturer. “But I haven’t even---” “No buts, Twilight, I’m sure Applejack’s fine. And if anything goes wrong, I’m sure me and others can handle her. “Uh, alright, I’ll be doing my duties. I'll check you later in three weeks.” The horned, winged pony exited out of the door. “Hey, Harry, would you please write something down for me? *Roar* *Roar?* “Simple, I'm doing the translating, you do the writing.” I'm Harry, and I'm a bear. I am recording Applejack’s behaviors on this notebook while she recovers. I’m don’t know why she insists on me doing this, she said something about Twilight and It went out the other ear. I should listen to her more often. Day one Fluttershy couldn’t get much out of Applejack but “I’ll shred you to pieces.” Day two Fluttershy tries to teach her Equestrian, but Applejack growls, snarls, or barks. She looks like a pony, but she’s one mean dog. She did learn the word apple, and she randomly broke out and repeats it over and over and over and over again. Day three It's been a few days now and Fluttershy is routinely telling her what words of random objects are. Applejack is not getting along well with the others in the cottage due to her overwhelming hostility. Day five In a nick of time, Fluttershy taught Applejack plenty of words. Although, she did ask me for a second opinion about whether or not her treatment was a bit too harsh, and even to write them down in detail. When Fluttershy often commanded Applejack to chosen word to repeat in Equestrian, if she didn't respond appropriately, she would withhold it, not even water was safe. The treatment was a bit more extreme than she normally did on other animals, but nevertheless, since Applejack is a fast learner, she mastered all the words Fluttershy had given her. If she needed to go outside, Fluttershy walked her to a wooden stake and tied to there. This one time, she even barked at the chickens in the coup. What’s even more crazy is when escaped to sneak into their coup to sniff their butts. Gross. She was captured surely thereafter. Day six Applejack didn't look like she felt good. She's awfully silent. She usually howled out of nowhere in a middle of learning Equestrian, Fluttershy would pet her head every time Applejack felt glum, comforting her with her tranquil voice. I felt awful for her, she must be missing her doggy friends, the ones I keep on hearing about. Poor Applejack, I hope she gets better soon. Fluttershy asked me that the next time I write, Applejack would be in the wheel. Day nine Applejack lonely. Applejack miss friends. Applejack miss family. Applejack hates waiting. Day ten I like meat. I like wolf. No like no. Day Fourteen Fluttershy give me apples. I like apples. Day fifteen I play with Winona. I remember Winona. She is like me. No escape. We fetch balls. I don't like Angel, she scares me. I'm tired. Day Seventeen Winona steal from me! She take my toy! Bad Winona! She is not my friend anymore! She stinks. Day Eighteen Winona steal my toys, so I steal her water, her food, her friends, I even hit her. Fluttershy not like it, she said that was petty. She ground me. No more notes for at least five days Day Twenty-five Oh boy, where do I start? I don't remember much about earlier, but from what I heard, I was prickly as a cactus. Luckily, Twilight came by earlier and restored my memories in a jiffy. Thank Celestia. I do remember being mean to Winona, taking her stuff and all. After all the ruckus, turns out the whole thing was a big misunderstanding, Angel was the one who've stolen from me, not Winona. Dangit, that vermin's name Angel is nothing but plain old irony. Anywho, with the help of Fluttershy's amazing and magical Translation skills, I apologized to Winona. Of course, like best friends, she forgave me by tackling and licking me my face. Nonetheless, I gained a few habits from being a wolf, like bathing myself with licks. Why do Timberwolves act like wolves anyway? It's not like they need to bathing. Nevermind, I gotta make this short. In retrospect, I was one with nature. The experience I do remember was surely an eye-opener. I never knew how Winona felt till now, all dependent on me because she had nowhere else to go, like me with Timberwolves or Fluttershy, crazy how being in someone else's hooves changed my view of everything around me. Animals like the freedom to be happy just as much as we do, but they don't have the brains to self-control, the body to move along stuff, or giant communities to do large scale projects like we do. They may have one or two, but only us Ponies, Zebras, griffons, etc. It ain't fair, but I guess we have to preserve them anyway. Besides, without animals, how would our Ecosystem thrive? How would you get fresh manure? How else would you get milk to put in your cereal? Except for bunnies, they don't deserve to live. Heh, I'm joking! But seriously, I despise that bunny abomination. You ougtta call animal control on that one if you have the chance. Twilight accidentally snarffed some water, coughing violently in laughter. "That's enough of that." She promptly closed the notebook
Murk Mystical Bonds---part 2Murky Mystical Bonds---part 1 Vinyl, the white unicorn with electric blue hair, was messing with the dials. Applejack, the orange Earth pony with a brown Cowmare hat, was absorbed into the music earmuffs bobbing her head up and down. I often filter Vinyl's shenanigans on her side of the house, my focus settled on her Roommate across the pearl silk clothed table. Perched on the top of the chair, I peck at the plate full of spaghetti, snipping the sauce soaked noodles with my sharp beak. *Caw* *Caw* *Squawk* *Cough* My owner turned to face me worriedly. Her mane of ash and coat of deep grey. "Oh, poor old you, time whittle you down to nothing but crow bait, your voice once again hoarse as a crow." *Caw* *Squawk* "You ought to stop with the crow puns," a bass stallion-like voice came out of a metallic voice synthesizer attached to me. "It's superficial." She leaned her cheek in her hoof. "Come one now, Squawky you know me, I would never eat crow." "Your language is abusive, and so is your language." Octavia cackled in laughter, slamming the table emphasizing her enjoyment with the rattle of silverware. "Oh, you're such an intellectual riot! Even through a robotic translator, you sound poetic." "Your indulgence in quasi-intellectual festivities cannot break the ice, nor add depth to your life. Also, I am not into Ponies, thus this alcoholic induced romantic pursuit is nothing but futile.' "Can't a Mare have some inebriated fun?~" Octavia slurred. She swished the glass wine in her curled hoof. "Don't I have Free Will, bird-brained philosopher?" "Fun is for the strong, not by the weak. Your life is Determined from birth and death." Octavia pressed her face against the table, "You're such a downer, have you no gentlestallionlly sense of appeasing a mare?." "Appealing to gender roles or biology does not work as we're from different cultures and species." A light bulb glowed in her brain, giving her an effervescent aura. A goofy smug adorn her tilted face. "I bet we're star-crossed lovers. One a Pony, the other a Crow, both destined to be "I'm amused by a comparison to a couple who died at the end. And "Destiny" doesn't exist." "Au contraire, aren't both Destiny and Determinism the same thing?" "No, it is... Let me think of a rebuttal..." Nothing came to mind. "Ha!" Octavia shouted, pointing her hoof at me. "Gotcha! You're gonna be a cannibal because you'll eat crow." "Again with the puns." "I wooon, I wooon, I wooon!" her head danced side to side. "Destiny is superstitious, but Determinism is Scientific---" "Oh, for Pete's sake." Octavia swept the plate in front of her to the side and climbed onto the table. She stood up on high, looking down on me ominously. I flap my wings a few times in shock. "What are you doing?" Octavia nuzzled my neck with her forehoof "Goochie goochie goo," Octavia said in an obnoxious baby talk. My eyes dilated. I nuzzled her hoof back instinctively. "No, not my number one weakness." Struggling to balance on three legs, her motor controls failed her as she dropped off the table. *Oomph* she fell on her back, knocking the air out of her. I flew to the side of the side table, standing right over her. "Are you okay, Tavi?" I voice. She took a much needed inhale and snorted in laughter. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Everything is fine," she said in a cheery tone. "Hmm?" I curiously said. A hoof came from under the cloth, Octavia felt it and curiously turned her head towards it. "Huh?" The hoof gripped her, along with it came a mare crawling out from under. Her eyes looked bloodshot from tears. Her mane crazy and scarlet red. "It's you, La Vida!" "Die you Traitor!" she thrust the syringe with the aid of telekinesis, aiming towards Octavia's neck. Octavia grabbed her foreleg in mid-flight, moments away from reaching her skin. "Let her go!" I proclaimed. *CAW!* *SQUAWK!* It was no use. I'm too out of shape. "What in Tarnations?" Applejack and Vinyl watched, gaping in horror as La Vida pushed with her forelegs gaining. I yelled for them to do something, hoping for them to intervene. "I ought to do something," said Applejack, earmuffs hanging around her neck. "Yes you should," I commented. Vinyl picked up a disk and hoof it over to Applejack. "This is no time for..." Applejack wrapped her hooves around it and stood on rear hooves. She pulled back the disc like a discus, aiming at the mare atop of Octavia. Octavia couldn't hold it in place any longer, the aura around the needle grew more powerful every second; it closed in, merely centimeters from its target. Applejack launched the disc. It hurled towards La Vida and struck her on the nose. It bounced off her nose, but not without a gnarly cracking sound. Octavia swept away the syringe as she pressed in nostrils in agony. She rolled off Octavia to roll from side to side on the floor in anguish. Octavia stood up. "You witch, can't you take a hint! Forget the whole thing ever happen!" "Never!" La Vida shouted. She pulled out a bottle out of her mane and peeled it open with her teeth. She threw liquid at Octavia's face, catching her off guard. "Buck!" Octavia shouted. "Buck. Bu---" Her hooves squeezed her eyes. "EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Octavia squealed in immense pain. La Vida lit her horn, ready to finish off Octavia. I attacked La Vida's horn, interrupting her spell. Applejack galloped to our fray. La Vida threw me away with magic and shot at Applejack with a beam of magic. Applejack ducked in time, the magic seared a hole in her Cowmare hat. Applejack pivoted and bucked her in the head *Crack* La Vida slammed into the ground. Her neck twisted in an abnormal position. Applejack saw what happened Octavia’s eyes. “Let’s get Octavia to the hospital!” Vinyl nodded nervously. I hang my head down in distraught.
Squawk, We Say. Stay away!In our park, our trees, our territory. Squawk, we say. Stay away. Our young crow kin grounded on grass. We fly and circle around the canopy helpless but patient for nature to heal his wound. Intruders. The Equine fledglings come in spite of our warning. They haul what the pony tongue calls instruments. We purely expect them to leave us alone as usual. What are they doing? They creep closer curiously to our kin like some vulture. We squawk again, but we can only watch their actions with wary. One fledgling grey Equine with head’s nest black as night steps in front. We glare. She gallops in haste. Intruding on our recovering kin. Squawk! We say. Cross the line you have. She stops and drops the bulky instrument onto our companion. Squawk! Squawk Squawk! We spoke. This is an outrage! She picks up her weapon and runs away. The accomplice has fled like its friend to the outskirts like a coward, no need to pay heed to it. We swoop down with furry. In sadistic delight, we take turns attacking this fledgling’s head’s nest. Bullying the bully. Go away, we squawk. The reckless fledgling trots away, it’s head’s nest a messy fray. The fledgling was a stranger to us, but the other Equine fledgling calls it Octavia. May it’s carcass be fed to our kind after its passing. We return to check our kin. His wing broken, body bruised, but no injury inflicted upon him. We scan the area for intruders. No more Equines. We scavenge the area for worms and scraps. Our grounded friend join our feeding, hopping like a rabbit. We wait for dusk to break by roost in nests, while our grounded friend rests in the cold wet grass. When dawn breaks, the companion crow wakes. We wake to see what to us was unseen, joyful that the crow flies again. It’s common to hear us make cynical talks, but it’s rare and mythical to hear our elated Squawks. Squawk, we say to start the day. Say nay to neighs, we say. That’s just our way.
Murky Mystical Bonds---Part 6 (The Equestrian side of things)Murk Mystical Bonds---part 2 I wait and stared a the magnificent sky. Memories flood back to me in waves of red. ~ *Squawk!* *Squawk!* My parents cried. On our gathering tree, my parents spoke about the filly Octavia to the flock, describing her size, shade, contours, what her usual whereabouts are, and other necessary details to connive with. The goal of our discussion was focused on one thing and one thing only. Revenge. Oc path lied from elementary school from the north, through the park where she smacked me with the case of the instrument, and out to the general horned-pony/Unicorn place. We apted to avoid these pony's path, but we wouldn't back down from an Equine who attack a defenseless crow such as myself, we had a vendetta to settle. To us, the narcisist we are, such a plan was a no-brainer, a piece of cake. The stage was set for our ambush. At the beginning of the weekday, where the Foals go to school, we gathered on the ground of the park killing time with eating worms. The sun rose, a few Equines passed, the designated time came a few moments prior to what we assumed was an act of aggression, and all of us were watching from among the trees, waiting for the target. Octavia 'intruded' the park, heaving her backpack and her cello in her case, the latter the 'weapon of choice'. She walked across the grass, and some of us responded in frustrated Caws and Squawks. The target walked with nothing but her 'cowardly' friend who I never figured out who, he's the one who abandoned her the other day, not even worth talking about. The ambush had begun. The first wave of us swooped down and smacked the top of her head, attempting to irritate her as much as possible. The second wave landed on the ground and surrounded her, trapping her to show her we mean business, making her feel hopeless. The third wave? We were all the third wave. We pecked, scratched, and bombarded ourselves at the vulnerable foal. She tried to run away, but only manage to scream in terror. She dropped her cello and bolted out of the swarm, stepping. To us, seeing her suffer and crying out for help made us feel good inside, like eating sweet insects. Scaring away her helpless friend was a bonus. We all left shortly thereafter because we knew that Ponies would retaliate if we do it over and over again, so we simply avoid the next time. Good thing too, Octavia was escorted by an adult Unicorn on the way back with the addition of her anonymous friend. I do not know of other Murders, but mine picks on every species they can, from fat stupid birds like Seagles to retarded Chickadees and even the Equines. Why do we call them Equines? For us crows, Equines include all three pony races, Griffons, Donkeys, buffalo, etc. Anything that resembled a pony, speak their language, or somewhere in that ballpark, we think them as one specimen but with different descriptions. And something about that didn’t feel right. In retrospect, it was a silly life. We were all nothing but Troll soldiers having sadistic fun, which to serve a higher purpose of distracting from the easygoing life our intelligence gifted us with, albeit with our obnoxious nature. My intelligence was greater than the others, hence the Shraudenfeude only appease my boredom yet not my deep sorrow. I knew if trolling and acting edgy was what my Murder sought as peak happiness, my eudaimonia did not align with their territorial goals. Growing up, I realized from my experience and others that Equines were both the most Dominant and the smartest, thereby making my brethren nothing but dolts in comparison. The natural born intelligence of such a species deserved my attention. I lead a few crows into the city pretentiously for scavenging, an excuse to study Equine culture. I watched as they converse, exchange goods, consummate their vegetarian diet, et cetera. I've already deciphered some simple languages of a few bird species, but the Pony language had been always alluding me. I could remember the sounds and some of the verbal patterns but only memorized a few words from context. On that day forward, I decided to dedicate the rest of my life to their culture. I ventured on a journey that changed my perception of the world, from marketplaces to schools; I learn conversations at unprecedented speeds along with reading. I was enamored in their naive lifestyle and how it's so different--- ~ “Ca-Caw, Sqawkaw. Squawky.” Translation: What are your orders, my liege?” I brake out of my stupor to recognize my sister’s presence, “cah, ca-awaw.”: Hold on, sister Cawaw. "Caw, cah." She pointed a beak over to the fields: I'll wait over there. She flew over to Octavia's front lawn to eat worms. My focus snaps back to Octavia, she is recovering in the hospital from her wounds. I feel terrible, the perpetrator's dead and it wasn't in my claws. I still feel her pain all the way from here, her eyes are unhealable in a way that no amount of science or Unicorn magic could cure. Our relationship was a far cry from before, but after coping with the emotionally charged incident and learning more about her kind. "CAW!" I flew towards the horizon, prompting sister Cawaw to follow. It took a fair amount of time to come in terms with my dark emotions, but I eventually set aside my hatred of Octavia, thereby Equines, and found peace within. Although I didn't give myself a chance to deal with these emotions, not even sharing it, those emotions changed direction to more healthy ways. I now know Octavia as I spend much time with her, she's a curious, capable, intelligent, loyal, generous, kind, and self-sacrificing pony whose recklessness puts herself in unfortunate circumstances. I could do nothing but relate, but that's about to change as I develop my life. Author's Note The language the Crows use depends heavily on tone, but the tone is so complex that there's no way I could put it on text.
