//------------------------------// // Dead-Hoof Part 1 // Story: Legend of Zelda: Wielders of Harmony Part II: The Pony of Hyrule // by Scriblits Talo //------------------------------// “She never would tell the full extent of what happened in that well, perhaps it was too terrible to behold, too terrible for words”- DJ Pon3 The Legend Of Link  Octavia was the first to enter the muddy room, a room that smelled of Decay. Epona followed close behind, but then galloped in front of her friend having seen how barren the room truly was. She shook her head. Octavia raised an eyebrow. And continued forward. “No! stop! Hey listen! I said stop!" Epona screamed in desperation "It’s a trap!!!” Just then a grody disproportioned hoof and forearm shot from the ground at an unnatural speed. It lunged at Octavia, pinning her to the earth. Epona rolled to the side just in time to narrowly avoid being pinned as another three hands…. Er hooves lunged out to ‘grab’ her likewise. Several more appendages sprung up from around the room, each in their turn trying to grab at her as she ducked or weaved to the side, each being left to hang there like ghastly sprouted rose buds. She turned just in time to see it. It shot from the ground at a surprising speed for its size and began lumbering toward a horrified Octavia. It waded through earth and mud like a phantom through a lake of blood. For a split-second Octavia stopped struggling in her fright, could only stare. A towering mass of rippling decaying skin, a gaunt torso on a bloated figure. Worse of all, far forward upon its long craning neck was its face. The face was horrible to behold, a horse’s muzzle far too long and wide, almost a skull if not for that horrid pale skin, but the teeth, the teeth though blunt where far too long and gapping, and its jaw; the jaw was unhinged like a snake, ready to devour, hungering to devour. Epona lunged forward to protect her friend, only for one of the arms to buck forward pinning her to the ground. The lumbering mass continued forward. And all Epona, all either of them could do was watch. No, it could not end like this. Octavia glared at the impending specter. She shook her head; it could not end like this. She felt her blood rushing through her veins, red with life, with rage. It would not end like this! “Choke on Horse Feathers you Cur!” She bit down hard on the forearm that had her in its grasp and the creature wailed in pain. Suddenly Octavia was free and galloping around the room like a show pony in an arena, dodging and weaving and near flying like a bird in avoidance of the grasping hooves. The creature even let go of Epona in surprise. They both turned to face, the head, the body, the thing. It was gone, driven back into the earth to again assault them from safety.