A Homeland's Curse. A Zebra's Remorse.by Taco BelleChaptersFor it seems no end to this curse there be, What shall become of Me?To those whom I have harmed, my only excuse is my life has not been charmed.Does Only a Death from Strife, awaits those with no life?Fight, Flight, Might, and Right, none of these things... are airtight.How can you understand, you born of a different land.Oh this hunger I feel, how I dream for it to not be real.For it seems no end to this curse there be, What shall become of Me?"For it seems no end to this curse there be, What shall become of Me?" ~~~~~~ "So..." Spoke a small orange Pegasus, buzzing along the forested path just ahead of her friends, a flashlight firmly duct-taped to the handles of her Scooter, cardboard wings, both in different degrees of disrepair hang from the sides of her scooter, from an attempt, earlier that day, to become Cutiemark Crusaders Airlines. It didn't work. "Why Exactly are we out here in the middle of the Everfree Forest at... What is it, half-past Nightfall?" She finishes looking back at her companions, who followed her down the Path through the Everfree, the same one Applebloom uses Daily, with a look of annoyance, covering more then a small amount of fear, upon her face. Applebloom walked quietly a Bit, looking ahead, eyes full of Worry, as Sweetie speaks up in her stead, looking at Applebloom with worry in her own."Before we came to fetch you, she.. Said she was worried about Zecora..." "Zecora- Really? The mare who lives in the middle of the Everfree forest, year round, and doesn't even blink about it!?" She says, her wings stopping, causing her forward momentum to peter out, as she turns to face her cohorts with a face of distill grump. Applebloom's own face contorted into one of expectant frustration. "Scootaloo, somethin's very wrong with Zecora, she's been Actin'... Strange all week." She says, looking downward slightly and walking past the stalled scooter. "Strange? What do you mean, strange?" Scootaloo replies, eyes widening slightly, and her wings buzzing to pull infront of Applebloom, Sweetie speeding slightly to catch up, and to butt in with "D-do you think she's alright?" Applebloom took a deep breath, and released it with a sigh and a shrug, "It began about.." She paused a moment to recall the past, turning her gaze upward at the stars peeking through the shadows of the trees, "a week-ish ago, ah was heading to Zecora's place early to help with a.. Mess I caused-" "Is that why your hooves were purple?" Scootaloo interrupted, before being glared into submission by a concerned unicorn. "-Uh... Yeah, but on the way, Ah went 'head and cut off the path to make a more straight shot, shave off some time.. And ah saw Zecora leavin' Fluttershy's cabin, and Ah was gonna say hey to her... When..." Scootaloo has slowed down to equel Applebloom's pace, and Sweetie used Scoots position to flank Applebloom, both leaning in with a mix of curiosity and worry. "...When she sat down suddenly, held her head in her hooves for a few... And then grabbed two rocks and slammed them, hard, on either side of her head." Applebloom's companions stopped, wide eyed, and stared at the apple filly as she kept going at her worried pace, before turning to each other, they're brows furrowing with a now severe worry, before Applebloom continued suddenly. "And not only that.." She said, releasing a soft sniff, "when ah went 'head and began cleaning, figurin' it was some... Zebra traveling ritual for luck or somethin'-" Applebloom ignored the pegasus fillies snort and giggle, "But then when she came home, before even' greetin' me, before Ah even knew she was there, she rammed herself head first into her cauldron...." Sweetie goes to speak, but is cut off, by a now teary Applebloom, "And That wasn't the last time, at Ms.Cakes birthday party, when Pinkie blew up the cake and covered everyone with frosting, instead of laughing like everypony else, she... hit her head against the counter, then left quietly... no one even noticed.. and I'd of followed her but... well, Pinkie and the whole Pistachio pudding thing." Sweetie frowns heavily, "What do you thinks wrong?", Scootaloo cut in before Applebloom can reply, "Actually... When I was at the Library yesterday looking for that book I didn't find on aerodynamics, Zecora was there talking about lettuce or something, and on her way out, and I only saw her shadow, but it looked like she slammed her head in the door.. But the mirror was crooked... And I had just... Sorta knocked over one of Twilight's book-pillers, and was worried I'd get yelled at, so I wrote it off.." "In the Door?!" Sweetie comments, her hoof covering her mouth to hide her gaping mouth from the world. "Somethin's wrong with Zecora, and we need ta find out what..." Applebloom informs her compatriots, Sweetie replying quickly.. "Wait, why don't we just... You know... Ask her?" "Because she's obviously hidin' it.. Prolly worried WE'D worry 'bout her. So we need ta snoop." "I dunno girls, this seems like a bit of an... Invasion of privacy." Applebloom suddenly turning her head to Scootaloo, mouth agape, "Since when didja start bein' th-" "I think she's right Appebloom, we should just come by tomarrow and ask, I mean, it would be rude t-" "Hahahahah, I'm just Buckin' with you girls, come on lets go-" "Language, Scoots!" "Oh, sorry Sweetie..." Applebloom groaned in silence, stopping as Scootaloo zoomed ahead, Sweetie following after, demanding she slow down, to set down and rub her forehead with a hoof. "Please be okay Zecora..." ~~~~~ Zecora's tree home stood tall, and uncharacteristically imposing to the young fillies, who stared up apon the 'welcoming' mask above the door, which in the light of they're single flashlight, now being held in Sweetie's mouth, has taken on a eerie air to it... Made worse by the last of a stray fog bank that rolled in from nowhere. "Well she's fine, lets go-" scootaloo started, as Applebloom began heading past the door and went to round a corner, before turning to Sweetie and jerking her head in the direction she was heading, calling the unicorn to follow. "Girls we-" She was cut off again, by a duo of intense shushes. She groans, detesting being silenced when she had words to spew, but understood it was serious business time, and follows the two quickly, rounding the corner a few trots behind he other two, and spots Sweeite climbing up onto Applebloom's back, still holding the Flashlight in her teeth, she squints her eyes, beckoning her magic to rise... though it wasn't much, it was enough to lift the latch on the inside of the round window, and push it open, allowing Sweetie to hop inside onto Zecora's dresser, where she dangles her tail for Applebloom to climb, as Scootaloo hopped over the two of them with a buzz assisted jump, landing onto the hard wood floor with a resounding clop. The Sleeping form of Zecora snorts at the noise, followed by a rasping grumble, in the yellow-covered bed across the room from them, past the dark, beaded walkway to the main chamber, which is eerily incandescent from the various bottles of magical fluids... Scootaloo looks sheepishly up at the scolding glares of her friends, as they carefully climb down from the dresser to join her, Applebloom reuniting Scootaloo with the dreaded "Shooooosh!". Together again, they aproached the Bed where Zecora lay, her unique tail hanging out from under the covers, draped off the beds simple matress. Sweetie suddenly got a weird feeling of dread as Applebloom went to uncover Zecora's head, to check on her zebra friend, and moved up and raised a hoof to try and stop her reach, but her movements were too slow as Applebloom pulled the covers off her head- Three fillies hearts skipped a beat as they all stared at a dessicated, dried, fanged Zebra carcus laying it's head on Zecora's bed, Scootaloo stared in horror as Sweetie started back for the door in a Panic. Applebloom went to speak, but everything in the room ground to a halt, and a pair of sunken eyes open, revealing glowing yellow eyes as bright as a torch, that filled the room with a fiery glow, as the creature that was once there close friend opened its mouth and utters some glutteral, nightmarish declaration, as it suddenly lurched at the two ponies who haven't already began fleeing, causing them to scream, nearly muffling the sound of a heavy chain rattling as the monster stood apon the bed, wearing the yellow blanket like a cloak, its yellow gaze upon the two fillies, who are joined by a third as Sweetie stopped halfway up the dresser to see why they were screaming. Applebloom turned and fled, as Scootaloo stared onward horrified. Not hearing her friends Hooves besides hers she quickly turns back, grabs Scootaloo's forehoof, and drags her after, snapping her out of it... Just in time for a razor sharp, slightly hooked hoof to sink into the skin of her Flank, causing scootaloo to scream at the top of her lungs as fear and adrenaline mix into a volatile cocktail, forcing her onward as the creature continues to growl in hunger, dispite the streams of blood pouring down her left flank, buzzing out the window carrying apple bloom, knocking Sweetie out of it in the process. The Three girls sped up the path to Ponyville, Scootaloo hopping onto her scooter, forgoing the helmet, as her leg begins to ache. ~~~~~ Did i just hear Gasps? Oh please, just be wild Asps... Zecora thought, opening her eyes and finding her head uncovered, her horrifying visage in plain view to the two Fillies, a third already fleeing as Zecora sat up, sunken, glowing eyes full of worry, as her voice escapes her toothy may in its raspy, vacant manner "Wait girls, I can explain, let me lay the truth plain!" she calls to the girls, Applebloom, dear sweet innocent Applebloom, turning to flee, and Scootaloo... The fear in her eyes causes Zecora's unbeating heart to ache, as Applebloom returns to the forefront and grabs Scootaloo, and they begin to flee. "Wait girls, listen to me, lest confusion unfu-" She stood to go over them, to make them stay and listen, but as she went to hop off her bed, she finds both her hind legs entangled by her chain, causing her to slip... The sound of tearing flesh fills her ears, as the smell of warm blood joins it, her dried, pulled lips full back on there own, expectantly, but Zecora denies them, freeing her hindlegs, and standing, only to see the three filly's gone.... Save for a trail of blood.... And a long, hoof-width length of sliced skin, blood covering it's orange fur, as it lays wet-side down apon the hard wooden floor, pitiful, murkey tears form in the corpse mare's eyes, as she stares at her open window, mouth slightly agape.. "For hope... There is none..." She speaks, flopping onto her haunches... "...What.. Have I done..." ~~THE END~~ Author's Note If you find any typing errors, punctuation mistakes, spelling mistakes, or got a better rhyme for a spot, please, share in the comments, Celly knows i need help. To those whom I have harmed, my only excuse is my life has not been charmed."To those whom I have harmed, my only excuse is my life has not been charmed." The sun barely glimpses over the horizon, as Zecora sighs deeply, pushing the last of her hastily packed trunks into her old, well-weathered cart, pulled from the small shed behind her home, where it would not distract from, what she perceived at-least, the beauty of her tree home... Reagents, a stockpile of her daily medicine, and seeds she collected make up the bulk of her chosen necessities, carefully stacking her masks on top, some of the few things she is bringing out of emotion rather then necessity. She did not pack any food, as it would only take up room, and she did not truly need to eat... Zecora approaches the front of the wagon, and fastens the ropes to her via a gnarled, intricately carved yoke around her neck, and turns back to her home for many, many moons, her eyes full of remorse as they follow the tree from tip to trunk, eyes lingering on the Letter tacked to the door. "For my explanation, you will have to do, as I leave this nation, I hope they read your words true..." she speaks, softly, as she turns, and begins to pull the cart down a foliage-covered path that has not seen travel since her arrival, so long ago. ~~~~~ The sun peeked over the mountains lining the horizon, but little light made it through the heavy rainclouds and canopy to guide the crusader's retreat... A retreat slowed immensely by the passed out, bleeding pegasus being pulled along on her scooter, vines tied to the handle to ease pulling it along, and a ripped open, white saddle-bag tied tightly, though crudely, over her flank to try and keep her Scoota-fluids from all leaking out. Apple Bloom still can't believe Sweetie-Belle tried to make that joke at a time like this. "A-Apple Bloom?" Sweetie asks, her vine tied around her waist, as she pulls her friend at a stable pace, "H-how close are we to Ponyville? Scootaloo's looking pale..." Apple Bloom bit her lip, and looked back at the softly breathing pegasus crusader, limp on her scooter, which has been re-purposed as a emergency gurney, though one was to small, as her back hooves and tail are being dragged along behind it, as her still face gazes into the sky, eyes closed. "Ah dun' think it's very far, we should be out of the forest right quick." Apple Bloom finally replies, looking at the cotton candy maned unicorn to her side, "Well, I think we should just take Scootaloo to Fluttershy, she's closer and has all that first aide suff, and she can help get everyone to-", Sweetie is cut off by Apple Bloom, her eyes angry. "Fer the last time Sweetie, that thing was NOT Zecora... Or.. Or Zecora is just sick and needs help! There is no way she could do anything like this t-to Scootaloo!" She nearly shouted, causing her friends ears to flatten again her head as she looked away, her face in a frown. Apple Blooms own face softened into a frown, "B-but Fluttershy is closer then the Hospital, s-so... Good idea Sweetie..." She said forcing a meek smile at her friend, who glances back at her sadly, before looking back at Scootaloo. "I just hope she'll be alright..." ~~~~~ Fluttershy released a contented sigh, as she sits at her Kitchen table, the younger of her animal friends waiting patiently as she pulls a bowl of apple to herself, a small baby chipmunk hops onto the table, and smells at the apples hungrily, only to be gently pushed back with a giggle. "Not yet sweetie, its far to hard for you.", she explains, in a motherly tone. The cute furry critter now at a safe distance, she picks up one of the apples, and brings it to her lips. Which part, as long, ivory fangs pierce the tart red skin of the fruit, sucking the juice from the fruit, which is then placed in a nearby wooden bowl, as she begins to shyly do the same to about seven of the bowls apples, before pushing i away, and pulling the bowl of drained apples, and begins mushing the soft, brown, seedless flesh of them into a soft, nutrient-rich paste, which she places on the floor, releasing a giggle when all the tiny baby animals swarm it. Fluttershy herself gets up, eying her little charges with affection, as she walks onto to a large pail by her trash bit, spitting out a good number of seeds, adding them to the rest she will be bringing to Applejack at the end of the Week. Fluttershy suddenly finds herself yelping, as there is a large slam in her living room, followed by panicked fillies screaming for her help. Poking her head from around the corner to her kitchen, she gasps at what she sees. Scootaloo is laying on her scooter, pale, with a very crude, non-functional tourniquet upon her flank, being pulled in by her two friends, Sweetie running up to Fluttershy suddenly to plead for help. Before she even had a chance to speak, Fluttershy ducks into the kitchen, muttering "Hold on." nervously, and flying to acquire the First Aid kit on top of the Fridge, flying Swiftly over to the injured Pegasus. ~~~~~ Fluttershy sat on her couch, stroking the injured pegasus' mane, as she continues to lie unconscious, despite her stabilized condition, as the remaining crusaders continue to explain the situation. The story is a little confusing to Fluttershy, details being remembered differently between the two perspectives... and they keep arguing over one detail in particular. "That thing was not Zecora! Might of BEEN her at one point b-but now it's a monster!" Growled Sweetie, forehead pushing against Applebloom's, who returned the argumentative gesture with equal effort, "Zecora's Just sick, we need to get her Help!" Retorted the Farm filly. "Did you not see what it did to Scootaloo!? Do you really think if there was anything of Zecora left in that Monster, it would of pounced at you two like that!?" Argued the tiny unicorn, pushing the other filly to the edge of the couch they sat upon, with sheer forehead power, only to be pushed back, "And why are you so ready to just give up on her!?" Argues Applebloom, meeting a equilibrium in the Reverse tug-of-war Push-of-War between them. Fluttershy glances from them to the deeply slumbering pegasus... Her hind leg would twitch, likely from pangs of pain from the wound, Scootaloo's head resting on one of her couch pillows, as she looks back at the two fillies, licking her tongue across one of her fangs within her mouth, a habit she developed recently as a sort of... Courage boosting exorcise. Yes, she realizes that makes no sense, but it still helps. "N-now girls, just settle down." She says in a soft, but clear tone, as she slides off the couch, onto her hooves, as the fillie look up at the adult, hoping she can solve the problem with her magical pegasus powers that don't exist. Fluttershy walked over to one of her birdies, one sitting on a writing desk, and picked up a old quill, and writes a rather hasty note to someone, before placing the quill down, and rolling it up, the bird snapping it up and flying out a open window. "I Just sent for Twilight, and asked her to gather everypony, they should be here within the hour." she says turning back to the two fillies... One now right behind her. "Fluttershy you can't! My sister won't understand, she'll hurt Zecora!" Cried the panicked filly. "I am sure it will be alright, Applebloom, she's a smart pony, she'll Understand." Applebloom looked away from Fluttershy, unsure, walking over to Scootaloo, and placing a hoof on her side. "Ah Hope your right..." ~~~The End~~~ Author's Note Short Chapter is Short. EDIT: I should also point out, Much like a changeling feeds on love, i feed on comments and feedback. Does Only a Death from Strife, awaits those with no life?"Does only a Death from Strife, awaits those with no life?" ~~~~~ To say the mood was sour in the room was a understatement. The ponies sat around Fluttershy's couch, well, most of them at least. Rainbow Dash was leaning onto it, nuzzling into the unconscious fillies mane, tears leaking down her face, at the thought of nearly losing her adopted sister. Four have already departed, Two pairs of Sisters, eager to return to the safety of their homes, leaving the Sadness and the unease for the remaining Four, not counting the fifth, who remains unmoving. Twilight sat on the floor across from the couch, her ears drooping as she goes over the story the fillies game them, while Fluttershy sits by the window. She was staring out into the forest, through the partially closed shutters. "Now, I am not buying the whole... Story they told us, but-" she pauses, looking to Fluttershy, who now gives the princess her attention,"- Zecora deals with some dangerous Chemicals, and reagents, it's entirely possible she's sick, maybe burned..." she pauses circling her hoof in the air, absent mindedly." Or she transmuted herself, We should head there and make sure she's alright, find out what Really happened." she says, putting her hoof down, looking again to the still sniffling Rainbow Dash, a frown crossing her own face. Fluttershy stands and walks over to the door, her hooves clopping against her hardwood floor with each step as if trying to clear out the sound of Dash's sobbing, or maybe Scootaloo's rattling breaths. "I Think..." she finally speaks up, her voice nearly trembling "We should go Twilight, I did what i could for Scootaloo, And if Zecora's hurt too, o-or Celestia forbid really turned into a monster she really needs out help, don't you th-" "I'll tell you what she needs." Dash interrupts, prying herself from the couch and the pale orange filly, and turns to the door, her gaze solid her muzzle frozen in a expression halfway between a sneer, and a scowl. Fluttershy stutters as dash reaches for the door knob, Twilight stands noticing the intent in Dashes voice. "Rainbow, What are you planning on doing?" She said trying to sound authoritative, but failing miserably as dash swings the door open and looks back at her silently, a flame in her eyes. "Rainbow, wai-" Twilight's words fail, as Rainbow breaks into an immediate gallop out the door, Once several feet out of Fluttershy's cottage she takes to the skies, quickly accelerating to her top speed and leaving her rainbow contrail in her wake, disappearing over the edge of the Everfree. Twilight leaps to her hooves and gives chase, albeit pausing to shout to her remaining friends, seeing Fluttershy run past her and take to the air in her slightly cumbersome fashion. "Pinkie!" She shouts as she turns her head back into the cabin, the Pink Pony emerging when she hears her name shouted, from behind Fluttershy's couch where she was previously for some... Pinkie PIe reason."Watch Scootaloo, we need to keep Dash from doing something she's going to regret!" shouts the princess, before running out the door and and taking flight. Pinkie stares onward out the open door, walking from behind the couch and the blueprints for a new 'Hope you Get better soon and that our friend isn't a monster party' unattended, making her way for the door. "Well, this seems to be escalating quickly!" she speaks with a chipper grin, being sad won't help Scootaloo heal, nor would it get the Pegamedics get here faster! She shuts the door quietly. "Well, I guess its time to check your bandages again, Fluttershy said once ev-" Pinkie speaks as she turns, only for her words to stop at a incoherent gurgles and slight muscle twitches, as a flash of orange and purple leaves her throat in the Jaws of a Predator... Author's Note Pegamedics= Pegasus Paramedics! Yeah, Massive delay, huh? I won't make a excuse, it was Procrastination all the way... This has been done about 3 months now, and i couldn't think of how to Segway to the next scene so... Bam, Mini-chapter, have fun! Fight, Flight, Might, and Right, none of these things... are airtight."Fight, Flight, Might, and Right, None of these things... are airtight." ~~~~~ Things went wrong suddenly, and violently. Zecora was traveling through an obscured path through the Everfree, making relatively good time despite her intense reluctance in leaving. She felt in her heart that she had no real choice in the matter... the two fillies would drag there friend back to Ponyville, and the knee-jerk reaction would be one of fear and panic... just as Buffalon before them, and Hoofswood before that... just as she began to earn the trust of those in this new land, after having hid in the Everfree for so long. Slight exposure over a long time, to breed familiarity and, hopefully, eventual disinterest... a plan that was expedited immensely by those that had become her closest friends in the last, desperately few moons... the Forsaken has felt, for once, that she had belonged, and it was that hope that she allowed herself to make risky decision after near costly mistake... going out at night for a Celebration, taking on an apprentice... it all came down to last night, where she had accidentally, deeply cut a Filly, a friend of her own apprentice, in a tragic misunderstanding... And now, tho no true bond of blood connects them, the sister of that very filly has exploded through the canopy above her, in a mighty diagonal burst of chromatic force her hooves stroke the left side of the zebra, The cart tips from the shock wave of the force of impact, the ropes connecting the cart to the zebra snap almost immediately under the force and the target itself rolling into a nearby tree, denting and bowing the old tree as Zecora's chosen possessions fall, break, shatter and otherwise tumble from he flipped cart the gnarled thing the ropes were formally tied too now splintered and useless... No Words came from Rainbow Dash, the pegasus blind with fury at the perceived betrayal from the mare she had thought a friend... and snorted hard, when despite the sheer force Dash put behind her now somewhat sore hooves, the zebra gets up calmly, as if she was unharmed by the strike, despite having clearly felt SOMETHING give beneath her flea ridden, treacherous hide. Zecora had actually hoped none would find her, as she exited this land, that the size and scope of the Forest would make her trail impossible... but the fortune of this mare and her friends never ceased to astound her... her expression soft, remorseful, as she locked her gaze with the furious mare... "Please, my friend... Harm is not what i intend, I am full of remorse, that things have gone this course, but i implore you to reconsider your decision to Offend... please-" she pleas were cut off, as the winged mare leaps forward, her assorted physical training coming to the surface, tho build for speed, her dreams had necessitated a more rounded physique... and it is from that physique that a mighty blow from a back hoof in a mid-air, twisting kick, strikes Zecora in the side of the Jaw, forcing it to jut askew with a sickening crack as she was sent from her previous position, to a new one partly indented into another ancient tree... "Oh come on!" The anger-blinded mare muttered through her teeth, as Zecora stands, with the same forced calm motions as before, putting her jaw back into place with audible snap, before continuing.."Please." She pauses, closing her eyes, before opening them, a flash of yellow covering her eyes for a moment.."Do not force me to defend.... I can not hold myself back... if you press the attack." "Shut up! You Hurt a filly! A Poor Defenseless little filly! You tricked us into trusting you!" Dash shouted out so hard spittle spattered the ground between them... and then the attack was pressed, giving the flesh-tearing monster no chance to reply. Dash smashed her forehead, a rather dense portion of a pegasi's skull, a sort of natural crash helmet, into the zebra's muzzle, despite another crack and being knocked back into the tree, Dash gave no quarter this time as her forehooves followed her, slamming into her chest and one foreleg, clearly dislonging one of them, before the one moves from the limp appendage to beating Zecora in the face... a pit sunk in Rainbow Dash's stomach, as usually by now, as not only has Zecora's nose not started to bleed like any other pony receiving a much deserved hoofbeating, she seemed to barely feel it... That is, until Zecora's soft, exotic fur turned coarse and dry, her flesh shriveled, and her Gums pulled back... her eyes shoot open, showing feral pools of unnatural, sickly yellow light, despite Celestia's Sun shining down apon them... and the Zebra, lost in her own instinct to survive strikes back. Her foreleg snaps back onto place with a now familiar, if still horrible sound, and she strikes upwards diagonally with it, the elongated, sharp edge gently cutting Dash's chest, as she retreated in a timely manner with a powerful flap, saving her from blow that would of immediately ended the battle... even so, her blood is shed, as a few small drops of her blood dripped onto the forest floor. She continues to Fly back, putting distance between her, and Zecora's true face, her true nature, as the Once-Zebra returns to her hooves, but not in a normal stance... hunched, ready to pounce, like a actual predator. Her gums being dried and pulled back, Dash can see a truely horrid site of a pony's mouth full of razor sharp, slightly yellow and clearly predatory teeth... Zecora released a Feral, starved, mindless screech, before she dashed at the pegasus with unnatural speed, her jaw opening unnaturally wide and thirsting to sink into Dash's blue throat. She is only now truly, TRULY, appreciating the 'Fastest Flier" title as she continues to put distance between her and the... Thing behind her, turning and raising, not having the focus to acknowledge the Hunter has become the Hunter in but a few hoof swings. As she reached the Tree line, however, she feels teeth sink into her left hindleg, and a jerk downwards, as she had no reason to expect the monster to be able to leap that high. Hitting the ground is not a unfamiliar sensation, but it has never been quite this painful, be it from the odd angle she hit (Bellow down and slightly backwards), or from the sharklike teeth buried into her leg... Perhaps it was because the target-turned-agressor then began lifting her from the forest floor, teeth still in her flesh, and smacked her against a Tree. It was probably that one, as it knocked Rainbow's senses for a painful, disorienting loop, before she was released during a swing the other direction, spinning and twisting through the air with no control, landing on her wing on a even worse angle, shouting as she feels one hell of a sprain shoot through her wing, requiring she roll off of that side and hold her wing in her forehooves, the most prominent arch in her wing sending shivers and shocks of pain to the rest of her body... only to be distracted by a sharpened hoof across the muzzle... staring above her left brow, narrowly avoiding her eye, and going down the side of her muzzle past her lips. and sending her into darkness a few moments later.... when a yellow and pink blur knocked the creature away from her, and her now fully exposed throat... ~~~~~ "Oh no..." muttered Fluttershy, moments before, above the forest... she had been torn on how to stop Dash from hurting their friend, as a deer in cartlights she had just floated there, watching the one-sided fight of Rainbow beating on Zecora.... Why did it to be HER that found them? She and Twilight reached Zecora's house at about the same time, and split up to cover ground faster after reading Zecora's note. She had been concerned if SHE could make Rainbow Dash see reason, and listen to Zecora's side of the story, as explained in the letter left of her door... and now she is concerned with how suddenly and violently the fight shifted gears. Unlike with Dash as the aggressor, this was different. Zecora was not herself, a condition she had seen before with her furry wolf friends... they would sometimes be overcome with emotion and survival instinct, becoming unnecessarily violent and aggressive untill calmed down... and more importantly, and painfully... she has seen this inside herself... a side of herself she shamefully hides, a side of herself she now pulls to the surface, to end a tragedy before it begins. ~~~~~ Monster Struck Monster, both tumble through the undergrowth. Zomcora and Flutterbat are entangled sharp hooves and sharp fangs struggle against each other, Glowing Yellow and Blood Red eyes repeatedly, narrowly miss gazing directly into one another, Each ones unnatural endurance denying the other purchase... The rolling ends with Zomcora on top, Flutterbat's forehooves jet upward to catch her muzzle and jaw inches from her throat, as she releases a high, deafening screech into Zomcora's face, staggering her and giving the Bat a chance to kick the undead mare back before flipping onto her hooves and pressing her advantage by breathing deeply, and releasing a more focused, longer, louder screech that continues to overload Zomcora's senses, causing her to stumble as her ears flatten against her head to try and block out the ultrasonic sound... Zomcora's instincts soon learn that she can not block out the sound, and so she returns, tho clumsily, to the offensive... a violet aura engulfs her, and lifts her from the ground as a new pair of wings descend beneath and canopy behind her... she struggles against the hold, howling and snarling... but the magic of an Alicorn is beyond her mindless, unnatural strength... as her head is forced to stare forward, towards her second foe, the Bat, who now stands not attacking, but staring... Staring deep into her own glowing yellow pools. Staring directly past the fury, hunger, and sheer blinding bloodlust, to the Zebra deep below it all... pulling her to the surface, and filling her with a Calm. Despite her visage, monstrous and decayed, her wild motions to break free slow, and stop... the yellow pools fade, to a yellow, faded, bloodshot form. The Calm spreads deep into Zecora... now staring back at the now calmly, compassionately smiling flutterbat's soft, emotion-filled red eyes by her own accord, craving, needing the comfort they bring, as it lulls her to a deep state of slumber she has not known for a hundred years... Before she fades into unconsciousness, she closes her eyes, and softly mutters..."Thank you...I'm sorry..." before collapsing to her side, and becoming still... motionless and corpse-like tho she may be, her unlife still intact... as the Bat and the Alicorn turn to one in more immediate need of care. Author's Note Well, i figured 3 years was long enough to delay all my story plans because i was afraid I'd right a short, boring fight scene. As Usual, Comments, questions, theories and suggestions sustain me, and unlike a Changeling, i am not gonna turn into a neon ladybug horse suddenly and not need them for sustenance. How can you understand, you born of a different land."How can you Understand, you born of a different land?" ~~~~~ Rarely used is quite the understatement for these Room. In fact, when Twilight was first exploring her castle she spent a few hours considering exactly WHY she had a dungeon... or why the Tree of Harmony, of all things, would give her one. Not that it was a particularly dank or dreary one being in much the same style as the rest of the palace, or even all too uncomfortable and Rarity did a good job with all the curtains and what not to make it seem more like more pleasant... Twilight prefers to refer to it as "holding rooms" rather then a "dungeon". Now tho, the Princess of Friendship is grateful she did not just have the Bars removed and made into a backup library, as her eyes looked sadly at the unconscious, somewhat withered zebra mare laying on the warm carpeted dungeon floor, which was now stained with some blood. Twilight deeply wished she did not watch it, on hindsight... but it was her only idea to snap Zecora out of her frenzy after three days of racking her mind for a less graphic solution, but despite her brilliant mind, she came down with nothing to sooth the Zebra's hungry wrath besides... give her what she wants. It was the liver from a organ donor, a Stallion who passed recently of natural causes, that Twilight was allowing the regions medical facilities store in stasis in her palace due to her extreme excess of unused space(Another reason she did not convert the dungeon into a library, there was already a Ballroom she could use!), and tho the entire idea, and the morbid event that happened when she levitated it into the Cell, left her feeling completely sickened, it was clearly working. She became lethargic as soon as she finished, and ultimately collapsed onto the floor, where she has since regained some moisture to her withered visage... But truth be told, it was Fluttershy's idea. She insisted that 'just a little taste' was likely to snap her back to consciousness, relating Zecora's savage, starved behavior to her own... since that Incident she ceased to be fully Pony herself. Fluttershy is with Twilight, of course, sitting next to her in front of the cell, notably less sickened by the predatory pony, most likely due to her being much more closely tied to the natural circle of life then Twilight, what with caring for all sorts of carnivores and all... but to Twilight, a Pony liver being consumed by a rabid Pony does not equate to a bear eating a fish or a bird eating worms. And then the still, corpse-like Zebra sits up slowly onto her rear, eyes closed with tears welling in the corners of her eyes and her flesh becoming less decrepit by the second and seeming to struggle with opening her lips to speak... at least until she does, and to say the two mares present were not ready for what they heard was a understatement. "Who did i consume the flesh from? Are they alive... or did i take another life, in my starved madness...?" she says, voice on the verge of tears, eyes remaining closed as her dusty, impure tears drip onto the floor, possibly her first real tears in quite some time... But none of what she said really sunk in at first, but they were rather focused on something rather less important, but much more shocking to them. She didn't Rhyme. Sensing their silence from the thick quiet around them, Zecora opened her eyes, glistening wet, yellow tinted eyes... her Iris's were a deep, bright, softly glowing yellow. Her deep sorrow softened only slightly, as she saw the concerned, confused faces of her two former friends, rather then disgust, outrage, or hatred... but she dared not to hope things would be alright. "Zecora..." Twilight finally speaks, casting the damnable silence to Tartarus to become Tirek's new roommate. "The...Sample, was a from a colt that Donated their body to... R-research and medicine, and we had a..." she pauses, turning a little green "Surplus of that particular element...". Zecora's face softened with relief, her shoulders slacking as she lowers her head, and letting some Grief flow off of her body."and Rainbow Dash? Last i remember..." she says, managing a soft smile, realizing their confusion and extending her sentence to bring them some peace "...was our Clash." "S-She is at the hospital with several m-minor lacerations, a sprained wind a-and... alot of Bruising." the yellow pegasus spoke up, smiling softly as she stands and approaches the Bars, containing the dangerous mare, with far more bravery then she has shown in the past."Dash will make a full Recovery... I'm much more concerned with your well being Z-Zecora... Why did you never tell us about your Illness... we could of helped!" Twilight looked gently at the kind mare with a soft smile, calling back to how Fluttershy has checked on Zecora multiple times every day just to make sure she was okay and hoping she got better, clearly seeing a good deal of her own struggles within the zebra's suffering... Zecora on the other hoof, just stared at her in disbelief of her words, before smiling herself and wiping the dusty, tar-like tears from her face... "I Don't... know what to say, Fluttershy... besides the obvious... why?" she says, her eyes faintly beginning to return to their natural color, as her body has since returned to the state they've always known her."Because... uh..." she says, caught off guard by the question as it should be obvious."You are our friend... all of t-this has been a Misunderstanding... you have been suffering in silence for who-knows how long!". Twilight clears her voice, joining the support."Dash and Scootaloo are going to make full recoveries... Scootaloo actually came too by the time we returned to Fluttershy's cabin, and holds no ill feelings... tho Dash... might hold a grudge for now, but i have a feeling she will get over it..." she says, standing and following Fluttershy's example and coming closer to the cell, albeit notably not quite as close."Zecora... What happened? What caused this, and how long...?" she says, returning to her rump, and levitating a quill and parchment from out of Zecora's view. Zecora sighs, standing and giving a rather audible stretch, as all of her joints click, clack, and unlock loudly as if she had laid still for weeks, and her body was unable to dampen the sound, her teeth briefly flashing sharp and deadly for less then a second, as she regains comfort in movement. Twilight subtly scoots back a little and turns slightly green, despite her friendly, concerned expression not fading at all. Fluttershy stood firm, giving her alicorn friend a slight, disapproving glance. "I have been like this for..." she says, pausing and looking up, mentally counting in her head, and notably without a rhyme."...at least 300 years. Since before i came to the Everfree... or even Equestria as a whole." She sits back down, in a more relaxed tone... They have said they are going to give her a chance, a chance for her new life alongside Ponyville to not end, and she knows these mares well enough to know they would not cruely deceive her for some reason... specifically these two, as well, the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Kindness. Taking a moment to giggle at their expressions in regards to her age."It is a... Curse, incurable i am afraid, cast apon me and... a few whom no longer walk the lands of the living, for a Transgression we committed... Trespassing." "...Tresspassing? Really?" Twilight says, a look of bemused disbelief on her face."Isn't that sort of a disproportionate punishment...?" Zecora just smiled a familiar, comfortable smile." We Trespassed on a ancient Zebrican King's tomb in search of ancient, forgotten knowledge... Zithar the Cruel's Tomb, to be specific- No I will not tell you where it is." she says, suddenly changing her tone as Twilight's eyes light up at the discovery of the lost tomb of a ancient, foreign king."We broke the seals of rest keeping the door shut... tho i was there for knowledge... my tribe brothers were there for the wealth Zithar was buried with... the wealth of his conquests across our lands in a olden age... all was well, then we turned the page..." she says, looking away from them and up to the small, barred window leading outside. It was Sundown. "We returned to our camp, with out secrets and treasures, where my brothers had some Buyers waiting to appraise and purchase their... spoils." she pauses looking down at her hooves."We Celebrated our victory, certain the Curses spoken of in secret were superstitious falsehoods... then Celestia's Sun ceased to shine in our lands for the night, and... The rest of the Night is a bloody, horrible, painful memory..." She stops, noting her listeners green expressions, even as Twilight keeps scribbling away at her notebook. "After that... we tried to return what we stole, but it was no use... no shaman or traveling wizard could help us after what we have so thoroughly become... and the Hunger... the Tartarus-damned hunger... at first we all three resisted... but then we started to slip...'just one traveler no one would miss, it will keep us from going on a maddened hunt again, and hurting more innocents'... by this point of course..." she says, with a deep sigh as her fore-hoof covers her eyes in shame." We were exiled by our tribe forevermore for what we have become, and all we had left to lose was our... unlives... and for reasons i am still not sure of, we pushed to live on, despite our deaths being the clearest solution..." "You..." Twilight began reluctantly.."Did not intentionally HURT anypony... did you?" Zecora looks from her, to Fluttershy's large concerned eyes... then towards the floor, her face becoming a deeply shamed scowl directed apon her own actions... "It... seemed a better option... then starving ourselves until we became the savage, starved beast you witnessed. That way, only one Pony needed to Parish...." Zecora replied, her voice soft and low, her dark tears starting to pull in the corners of her eyes, but fail to actually flow... "Did.... you try Non-Pony flesh?" Twilight asks, causing Fluttershy, the animal lover that she is, to flinch."It was Sickening, and barely effective... but i did eventually force myself to only consume it... My tribal brothers... came to adore what they became... the strength, the power, the... Immortality it provided... They began to see it as a gift, albeit one that was two-sided." she says, lowering her head and closing her eyes..." I lured them with Promises of a camp of victims, lightly armed.... and cast them to the flames in hopes it would purify their souls as it did their warped bodies... and save them from what we were becoming..." Zecora Looked up suddenly, as the metal sound of a Lock coming Undone, Bars sliding, and a pegasus wrapping her hooves around her neck... Zecora for a moment feared she had crossed some line, and their sympathy had come to an end... but instead, a soft muzzle rubs against her cheek, despite the small amount blood from her crazed feast, and softly speaks with a warm "There there..." Twilight just stared with a soft smiling, screaming internally at Fluttershy. Of course she wanted to trust Zecora, to give her the benefit of a doubt, but that was just outright risking all three of their well-being! Zecora chuckled softly, briefly returning the hug, before they both released the other, and sat facing one another as twilight scooted closer to the now open cell door, silently preparing her magic to blink Fluttershy out of the cell and close it quickly, as Zecora inhaled to continue. "As i said... I guess i had more self-discipline then the other two... I swore off the flesh of Ponies and other sentient beings for good... I... must admit I..." she says, her voice cracking, as painful memories cross her mind."Have slipped... situations beyond my control keeping from my... reserves of dried flesh... Such as when the tribes united, and came hunting for the "Three Cursed Ones", driving me from my Homeland of Zebrica.... Since then for around 300 years... i searched for a place i can live quietly... and in that time i developed my... well... a Meditative Practice i developed to keep my Mind focused... to keep the Hunger from getting a firm grip on my mind, even if i went weeks without feeding.." Twilight sit up, wings spreading slightly."The Rhyming!" she says in her excitable nerd ways."You focus your Mind and Subconscious into working on Wordplay with every sentence so it does not Linger on the.... Hunger..." With the cell door open, she is now well aware of the lack of Rhymes most of this time... "Liver... has always been...well.." she says, rubbing her hoof through her Mane, which does not lose its form, easily snapping back into a mohawk." the most thoroughly... vitalizing part of.... I do not recall my...meal... but i recognize the rush it gives me... you were.... fortunate to choose that portion." she says, finding this as awkward as it was shameful, as both mares turn green and comically shift away from her slightly, Fluttershy remaining within the cell."But I feel more... calm, in control... then i have since i arrived in near Ponyville when it was just a small village... Since i last... slipped." "I... Know the feeling..." Fluttershy says, raising a hoof and looking at it for a moment before putting it down..."I doupt that, dear Fluttershy..." Zecora says with a pause, and nudged her shoulder with a pause and a giggle."But may i ask... why?" she finishes, noting the very slight panic in Twilights eyes about the sudden return of her 'dont eat ponies' tactic... before Twilight realizes she was just trying to be fully... Twilight snorts Disapprovingly. "I... Apple Bloom told you about the Vampire Fruit Bat Incident right..." Fluttershy says, looking up at Zecora's eyes, now exactly as she remembered them from their countless meetings in the past.... as Zecora puts her own black hoof to her mouth, her turn to be concerned..."You... Poor dear... you... never fully turned back.... did you...?" Fluttershy replies with a silent nod, and a soft voice as twilight looks away, as Fluttershy begins speaking of her biggest Buck Up of her life... "For... a while i thought i was fine... craving apples more then normal... then... Pinkie was holding a Apple in my face, making a Vampony joke... and as we were all laughing... Applejack saw a Fang, i-in my mouth." she explains looking at a remorseful Twilight."We... at first thought it was residual... that it would g-go away soon, and within a hour it did...b-but.. over the following weeks... whenever i came near apples, i was..." raises her hooves to look at them as tears began to leak down her cute yellow cheeks..."It was like i was Starving, even if i just ate... i tried to avoid them... it... seemed to work but th-then i just... snapped... went into a... Frenzy... like y-you.... I..." she looks at Zecora, eyes soaking her face as her hooves return to the carpeted dungeon floor."I'm J-Just lucky my thirst is not as... violent as yours..." she sobs out, as its time for Zecora, heart melting at the presence of a pony that knows her pain, at least to an extent, to give her a warm, understanding hug..."It is alright... they are of different degree's, yes... but i believe you know the pangs of the hunger i feel... How... did you learn to Control it?" Zecora asks, Twilight watching silently as her quill scribbles across the notebooks pages. Ending the Hug, Fluttershy smiles softly."Starting to remember the woods...?" She asks."A Little... you assured me i ended no life... so i am risking forcing a recollection... I do not like remembering my madness..." Fluttershy stands, and gives a small stretch. "Lets get out of this Cell... I'll tell you all About it..." she speaks hopefully, as she leads to Zebra to the cells Exit as Twilight screams internally once more at Fluttershy just letting the mare prone to turning into a viscous carnivore out of the only cages in Ponyville... but she relents, putting her notes away and standing and speaking to the two."It really is not much of a Story, Fluttershy and i just played my favorite game for two Weeks: Trial and Error". ~~~~~ Author's Note Edit: Forgot to ACTUALLY post this update! Two Chapters two weeks apart?! If Zecora's Rhyming becoming a occasional thing is a issue for you... then sorry, but while i have ample plans for her in this Series, but i just cannot keep up with the rhymes for every piece of dialog. Oh i TRIED, even tried getting help... but it just wasn't in the cards... Besides, with Medical Excess and Twilight's royal authority over Research Materials, she might not need to relies on that tactic so heavily... Next chapter, we'll learn WHY Twilight would be... okay with that level of Squick. It may or may not be the Final Chapter, but there will be a Epilogue. Oh this hunger I feel, how I dream for it to not be real."Oh this hunger I feel, how I dream for it to not be real." ~~~~~~ The lone zebra's eyes flutter open, as the dim light of Celestia's sun shines into her room from the round, barred window of her dwelling, the early spring sun was warm, and the wind carried a soft chill through Zecora's open window. A chill she gave a slight grin at, as she stood, as the morning chill proved she had survived another night, her right hindhoof still chained to the living wood of her home, firm and ungiving, as she prefers it. "Thank you again for holding me mighty tree, but with the come of morning, I must be free". She says with a chuckle, as runes glow apon her shackle, and with a soft, oiled clank, it falls off her gently raised ankle, and onto the soft down of her cot, and she stands, not looking at any of her limbs as she does so, wary of how hidious she is before her 'morning primping', as her friend, Rarity, would call it. Zecora giggles to herself as she lets out a yawn, taking a moment to imagine the aesthetics obsessed unicorn's reaction to her current visage, her yawn ends with her mouth settling into a frown, as humorous as her face would be, it may very well be the last time she got to see it. From her room, she moves briefly through her main chamber, full of Ingredients and reagents, her cauldron empty, save for residue from a recent miscreation, that a small, dear friend promised to help clean... Indeed, as she pauses in her stride to take in the greater expanse of her floor, it is coated with a dried and hardened off-purple substance, the result of dear sweet Applebloom hoofing her Essence of Milkweed instead of Essence of Silkweed. The both of them needed a heavy-duty solvent bath. A small smile creeped across Zecora's dried, cracked, pulled back lips at the look on the apologetic fillies face, innocent, and meaning no ill will, she would never stay mad at her little helper... But the memory of the event could not stall the inevitable, as her head turned back to her washroom, and the inevitable encounter with her own Visage. With a sigh, her hooves moved, her steps steady, as she walked carefully to avoid scratching her floor with the sharp edges of her hoof, as she pushed the beaded curtain open, and closed her eyes, and rounded the corner to face where she knew the mirror hung, aware of what she is about to see, for it is the same horrid face she sees every morning, every time she awakens, before she takes her medecine... Her eyes open, and her breath catches in her throat, as it always does, at the sight before her. Lips thin, and pulled back, showing every tooth in the accursed reflections mouth, sharp, jagged, and slightly hooked inward, the reflections gums, a black and grey color, wrinkled and rotten, her eyes cloudy and yellow, a soft yellow glow casting the sickly color apon the rest of her withered corpse of a face with there soft, hungry glow, as zecora's long, razor-edged hoof reaches to open the blinds on her bathroom window. "Hello again, oh horrid face of doom, why must you taint every morning with gloom..." her raspy, gaspy voice rymes, as she looks down at her sink's counter, and reached for a heavy clay bottle, using her teeth, which sink into the cork, into the same grooves as they do daily, she pulls the stopper free, and lifts the large bottle to her lipless face, and opens her maw wide, her black tongue, cracked and ichorus flattens, as she pours the sickeningly sweet potion down her parched throat, placing the bottle gently apon the counter, firmly jamming the stopper back in with a hoof. As she makes sure the stopper is firm, she watched her hooves dull and shorten, and her gaze returns to her reflection, as a soft beating starts up in her formerly still, cold chest, bringing a smile to her lips, which swell, and cover her rapidly flattening teeth, moisture and life returning to her face, and her dessicated torso with each heartbeat, all as her dull, coarse coat regains the shimmer of youth, and life. "This is what I wish to see... the face that belongs to me." She says with a soft smile as she turns to a rack to acquire her golden rings, making a soft huff and chiding herself for forgetting to put them on BEFORE her medecine. It's always awkward to squeeze them over her head and hoof when they are not dried. "Being undead, I do think, it can really stink." ~~~~~~ Her stomach ached, as she walked the path from her forested home, as she often does to acquire reagents and herbs for her craft. Zecora did not eat this morning, she does not need to, but it was for the best, for the one thing she craves anymore is- She shook her head, her brown hood waving slightly in the cool morning air. "Must not think of that path, lest I incur innocent's wrath." she mused to herself, as she took in her lush surroundings, so many ponyfolk see this land as dark and deadly. But to Zecora, it is a paradise compares to her Homeland... Her soft trot halts as she thinks back to her banishment... There was no hate in her exile, only fear, and the fear was her own, because she was was unsure if she could resist her... hunger. The Hunger that she has carried since the incident, the thirst for warm blood, and desire for wet flesh, these mere thoughts cause the rumbling in her temporarily re-animated bowels to intensify, but her will, as it has always been, remains strong enough to overshadow what should be the sole thing driving her onward. She was now driven by spite, to prove she will never fall to the curse. Zecora gave a soft smile as she continued, coming to the edge of the Everfree, a cottage visible nearby, and further from it, the town of Ponyville. Her eyes gazed apon a softly singing pegasus, tending to her numerous animal charges, as Zecora began to aproach the Pegasus' home, remembering back to when she first came to the Everfree... ~~~~~~ Zecora stalked through the late evening brush of the Everfree, a land unfamiliar to her, but if the tales she's heard of it were true, everything she needed was here. Her heavy brown cloak draped over her gaunt form, as a (hopefully) friendly looking green and red wooden mask adorned her face, one of many she brought with her, to hide her form untill she finds the reagents she needs to reverse the curse... She was sure it would work this- "Ah there you be, rare little berry come to me!" she says with a raspy chuckle, as she hops over a small log to a grey leaved bush, and takes the basket off her back, placing it on the ground, and removing her mask, because these berries are delicate, and must be picked carefully... Besides her hooves would most likely cut them.... as she picked at the small, emerald berries, dropping them gently, one by one, she heard some rustling behind her. Wary of the beasts of this wild wood, she turns and releasing a threatening hiss. Four foals run screaming out of the bush in the opposite direction as her, and disappear in the direction of a nearby village. The flat of Zecora's dry, hollow-sounding hoof collide with her gaunt, toothy face. "Well... Buck, it seems that today I am without Luck." ~~~~~~ Zecora was departing from dear sweet ~~juicy~~ Fluttershy's abode, vacated robin eggshells within a small pouch now on her person, collected tenderly by fluttershy from the nests of newborn baby birds, and quite the potent Ingredient when fresh, but it takes a tender hoof to collect them without soiling their value by disturbing the chicks. Tender... Zecora stopped to rub her forehead for a moment, in an attempt to wipe away the horrid mental image that she had let slip past her guard. Flutter lives on the edge of the town, her hunger spoke through her own thoughts, it would be a week, before her absence would cause a frown. Zecora sat apon her flank and began rubbing her head with both forehooves, unable to cease the train of thoughts. And by then, there would be nothing for them to seek. The thoughts came to an abrupt end at the impact of two rocks to the sides of her head, Zecora's head spun for a whole minute before settling back into steady consciousness, the thoughts beaten into submission, though the hunger pains remain, as she drops the pair of stones she had hastily grabbed to administer her emergency treatment. To pain you abate... she muses inhaling an uneeded breath, and continuing forward. ...Hunger I will not sate. ~~~~~~ The sun hangs low in the air, Zecora's satchel, worn beneath her cloak, heavy with a surplus of reagents she needs for the next weeks work, some given, some traded, some bartered, as vision reaches the welcoming masks adorning her home. As she Approached her dwelling, she smiles up to the mask adorned above her door, recalling that day she first encountered Ponyville folk... Smiling remorsefully, she contemplates how those four foals ensured she would be feared for at least three decades before Twilight and her friends alleviated the fear, and she was welcomed. The door of her home is left ajar, and a pleasant scent wafts from inside, the smell of ~~tender young flesh~~ the small filly who has been helping her more and more lately. Stepping into her home she goes to greet her guest with a rhyme, but her voice catches in her throat as she spies a red tail... ...swaying back and forth, poking out from the rim of her cauldron, the sound of a steel brush against the grimy inside can be heard, and a small bubble floating from the cauldron, as a gentle hum echoes out of it, as the little filly scrubbed. Zecora clenched her eyes at the Sight before her... her eyes subconsciously darting over to the Latched Lid to the pot... To do so would be an ease, withen minutes would her breathing cease, theres worse ways to Die- ~~~~~~ Applebloom lets out a yelp, as the cauldron suddenly shakes and emits a very loud Ring, as she covers her ears, and as soon as the pot stops vibrating she peeks out to see her Alchemy teacher sitting next to the pot, rubbing her head. "Z-zecora, are Ya'll all right? Didja trip?" "Y-yes, a trip I did take, to move swiftly apon the defiled floor was a mistake." She says, barely giving any hint to the fact she had intentionally slammed her head against the hard iron cauldron to knock some sense into her accursed undead skull. She realizes, as well, she is holding the pot's lid, and sets it aside. "I shall clean the inside of the pot, Applebloom, why don't you.." she lets out a playful chuckle "Show this traitorous floor it's doom?" ~~~~~~ "Good night, small Apple pony, leave the rest, to me." She says with a wave as Applebloom departs down the cleared out path to Ponyville, as Zecora lets out a sigh of relief. She's been avoiding talking directly to her guest for the past 5 minutes, as her medicine began to wear off, and her eyes began to sink, and her teeth began to shift. Tired and hungry, as she always is, she heads over to her bed, and flops apon the covers, rolling off her stomach, only to reach for her shackle, and hook it firmly to her leg. "Good night my guardian tree, make sure, you protect them from Me." She says, what amounts to her evening prayer, and falls into a deep sleep, that only the dead can enjoy. ~~THE END~~~ Author's Note Well, that was fun, Wrote this is about a Day. :Pinkiecrazy: It's just a Lil' Story of the Average day in a Undead zebra Alchemist's life. Yes the Rymes are terrible, and it has yet to be Proofread, but they are not currently on..so... Please point out any specific problems, and if you feel like Upgrading the Rhymes, feel free. Edit: Due to some confusion, i feel the need to Point out she is closer to a Ghoul or a Ghast, then a Vampire, tho ultimately she is a Hodge-podge of various specie of Undead known to avid Tabletop RPG players.
For it seems no end to this curse there be, What shall become of Me?"For it seems no end to this curse there be, What shall become of Me?" ~~~~~~ "So..." Spoke a small orange Pegasus, buzzing along the forested path just ahead of her friends, a flashlight firmly duct-taped to the handles of her Scooter, cardboard wings, both in different degrees of disrepair hang from the sides of her scooter, from an attempt, earlier that day, to become Cutiemark Crusaders Airlines. It didn't work. "Why Exactly are we out here in the middle of the Everfree Forest at... What is it, half-past Nightfall?" She finishes looking back at her companions, who followed her down the Path through the Everfree, the same one Applebloom uses Daily, with a look of annoyance, covering more then a small amount of fear, upon her face. Applebloom walked quietly a Bit, looking ahead, eyes full of Worry, as Sweetie speaks up in her stead, looking at Applebloom with worry in her own."Before we came to fetch you, she.. Said she was worried about Zecora..." "Zecora- Really? The mare who lives in the middle of the Everfree forest, year round, and doesn't even blink about it!?" She says, her wings stopping, causing her forward momentum to peter out, as she turns to face her cohorts with a face of distill grump. Applebloom's own face contorted into one of expectant frustration. "Scootaloo, somethin's very wrong with Zecora, she's been Actin'... Strange all week." She says, looking downward slightly and walking past the stalled scooter. "Strange? What do you mean, strange?" Scootaloo replies, eyes widening slightly, and her wings buzzing to pull infront of Applebloom, Sweetie speeding slightly to catch up, and to butt in with "D-do you think she's alright?" Applebloom took a deep breath, and released it with a sigh and a shrug, "It began about.." She paused a moment to recall the past, turning her gaze upward at the stars peeking through the shadows of the trees, "a week-ish ago, ah was heading to Zecora's place early to help with a.. Mess I caused-" "Is that why your hooves were purple?" Scootaloo interrupted, before being glared into submission by a concerned unicorn. "-Uh... Yeah, but on the way, Ah went 'head and cut off the path to make a more straight shot, shave off some time.. And ah saw Zecora leavin' Fluttershy's cabin, and Ah was gonna say hey to her... When..." Scootaloo has slowed down to equel Applebloom's pace, and Sweetie used Scoots position to flank Applebloom, both leaning in with a mix of curiosity and worry. "...When she sat down suddenly, held her head in her hooves for a few... And then grabbed two rocks and slammed them, hard, on either side of her head." Applebloom's companions stopped, wide eyed, and stared at the apple filly as she kept going at her worried pace, before turning to each other, they're brows furrowing with a now severe worry, before Applebloom continued suddenly. "And not only that.." She said, releasing a soft sniff, "when ah went 'head and began cleaning, figurin' it was some... Zebra traveling ritual for luck or somethin'-" Applebloom ignored the pegasus fillies snort and giggle, "But then when she came home, before even' greetin' me, before Ah even knew she was there, she rammed herself head first into her cauldron...." Sweetie goes to speak, but is cut off, by a now teary Applebloom, "And That wasn't the last time, at Ms.Cakes birthday party, when Pinkie blew up the cake and covered everyone with frosting, instead of laughing like everypony else, she... hit her head against the counter, then left quietly... no one even noticed.. and I'd of followed her but... well, Pinkie and the whole Pistachio pudding thing." Sweetie frowns heavily, "What do you thinks wrong?", Scootaloo cut in before Applebloom can reply, "Actually... When I was at the Library yesterday looking for that book I didn't find on aerodynamics, Zecora was there talking about lettuce or something, and on her way out, and I only saw her shadow, but it looked like she slammed her head in the door.. But the mirror was crooked... And I had just... Sorta knocked over one of Twilight's book-pillers, and was worried I'd get yelled at, so I wrote it off.." "In the Door?!" Sweetie comments, her hoof covering her mouth to hide her gaping mouth from the world. "Somethin's wrong with Zecora, and we need ta find out what..." Applebloom informs her compatriots, Sweetie replying quickly.. "Wait, why don't we just... You know... Ask her?" "Because she's obviously hidin' it.. Prolly worried WE'D worry 'bout her. So we need ta snoop." "I dunno girls, this seems like a bit of an... Invasion of privacy." Applebloom suddenly turning her head to Scootaloo, mouth agape, "Since when didja start bein' th-" "I think she's right Appebloom, we should just come by tomarrow and ask, I mean, it would be rude t-" "Hahahahah, I'm just Buckin' with you girls, come on lets go-" "Language, Scoots!" "Oh, sorry Sweetie..." Applebloom groaned in silence, stopping as Scootaloo zoomed ahead, Sweetie following after, demanding she slow down, to set down and rub her forehead with a hoof. "Please be okay Zecora..." ~~~~~ Zecora's tree home stood tall, and uncharacteristically imposing to the young fillies, who stared up apon the 'welcoming' mask above the door, which in the light of they're single flashlight, now being held in Sweetie's mouth, has taken on a eerie air to it... Made worse by the last of a stray fog bank that rolled in from nowhere. "Well she's fine, lets go-" scootaloo started, as Applebloom began heading past the door and went to round a corner, before turning to Sweetie and jerking her head in the direction she was heading, calling the unicorn to follow. "Girls we-" She was cut off again, by a duo of intense shushes. She groans, detesting being silenced when she had words to spew, but understood it was serious business time, and follows the two quickly, rounding the corner a few trots behind he other two, and spots Sweeite climbing up onto Applebloom's back, still holding the Flashlight in her teeth, she squints her eyes, beckoning her magic to rise... though it wasn't much, it was enough to lift the latch on the inside of the round window, and push it open, allowing Sweetie to hop inside onto Zecora's dresser, where she dangles her tail for Applebloom to climb, as Scootaloo hopped over the two of them with a buzz assisted jump, landing onto the hard wood floor with a resounding clop. The Sleeping form of Zecora snorts at the noise, followed by a rasping grumble, in the yellow-covered bed across the room from them, past the dark, beaded walkway to the main chamber, which is eerily incandescent from the various bottles of magical fluids... Scootaloo looks sheepishly up at the scolding glares of her friends, as they carefully climb down from the dresser to join her, Applebloom reuniting Scootaloo with the dreaded "Shooooosh!". Together again, they aproached the Bed where Zecora lay, her unique tail hanging out from under the covers, draped off the beds simple matress. Sweetie suddenly got a weird feeling of dread as Applebloom went to uncover Zecora's head, to check on her zebra friend, and moved up and raised a hoof to try and stop her reach, but her movements were too slow as Applebloom pulled the covers off her head- Three fillies hearts skipped a beat as they all stared at a dessicated, dried, fanged Zebra carcus laying it's head on Zecora's bed, Scootaloo stared in horror as Sweetie started back for the door in a Panic. Applebloom went to speak, but everything in the room ground to a halt, and a pair of sunken eyes open, revealing glowing yellow eyes as bright as a torch, that filled the room with a fiery glow, as the creature that was once there close friend opened its mouth and utters some glutteral, nightmarish declaration, as it suddenly lurched at the two ponies who haven't already began fleeing, causing them to scream, nearly muffling the sound of a heavy chain rattling as the monster stood apon the bed, wearing the yellow blanket like a cloak, its yellow gaze upon the two fillies, who are joined by a third as Sweetie stopped halfway up the dresser to see why they were screaming. Applebloom turned and fled, as Scootaloo stared onward horrified. Not hearing her friends Hooves besides hers she quickly turns back, grabs Scootaloo's forehoof, and drags her after, snapping her out of it... Just in time for a razor sharp, slightly hooked hoof to sink into the skin of her Flank, causing scootaloo to scream at the top of her lungs as fear and adrenaline mix into a volatile cocktail, forcing her onward as the creature continues to growl in hunger, dispite the streams of blood pouring down her left flank, buzzing out the window carrying apple bloom, knocking Sweetie out of it in the process. The Three girls sped up the path to Ponyville, Scootaloo hopping onto her scooter, forgoing the helmet, as her leg begins to ache. ~~~~~ Did i just hear Gasps? Oh please, just be wild Asps... Zecora thought, opening her eyes and finding her head uncovered, her horrifying visage in plain view to the two Fillies, a third already fleeing as Zecora sat up, sunken, glowing eyes full of worry, as her voice escapes her toothy may in its raspy, vacant manner "Wait girls, I can explain, let me lay the truth plain!" she calls to the girls, Applebloom, dear sweet innocent Applebloom, turning to flee, and Scootaloo... The fear in her eyes causes Zecora's unbeating heart to ache, as Applebloom returns to the forefront and grabs Scootaloo, and they begin to flee. "Wait girls, listen to me, lest confusion unfu-" She stood to go over them, to make them stay and listen, but as she went to hop off her bed, she finds both her hind legs entangled by her chain, causing her to slip... The sound of tearing flesh fills her ears, as the smell of warm blood joins it, her dried, pulled lips full back on there own, expectantly, but Zecora denies them, freeing her hindlegs, and standing, only to see the three filly's gone.... Save for a trail of blood.... And a long, hoof-width length of sliced skin, blood covering it's orange fur, as it lays wet-side down apon the hard wooden floor, pitiful, murkey tears form in the corpse mare's eyes, as she stares at her open window, mouth slightly agape.. "For hope... There is none..." She speaks, flopping onto her haunches... "...What.. Have I done..." ~~THE END~~ Author's Note If you find any typing errors, punctuation mistakes, spelling mistakes, or got a better rhyme for a spot, please, share in the comments, Celly knows i need help.
To those whom I have harmed, my only excuse is my life has not been charmed."To those whom I have harmed, my only excuse is my life has not been charmed." The sun barely glimpses over the horizon, as Zecora sighs deeply, pushing the last of her hastily packed trunks into her old, well-weathered cart, pulled from the small shed behind her home, where it would not distract from, what she perceived at-least, the beauty of her tree home... Reagents, a stockpile of her daily medicine, and seeds she collected make up the bulk of her chosen necessities, carefully stacking her masks on top, some of the few things she is bringing out of emotion rather then necessity. She did not pack any food, as it would only take up room, and she did not truly need to eat... Zecora approaches the front of the wagon, and fastens the ropes to her via a gnarled, intricately carved yoke around her neck, and turns back to her home for many, many moons, her eyes full of remorse as they follow the tree from tip to trunk, eyes lingering on the Letter tacked to the door. "For my explanation, you will have to do, as I leave this nation, I hope they read your words true..." she speaks, softly, as she turns, and begins to pull the cart down a foliage-covered path that has not seen travel since her arrival, so long ago. ~~~~~ The sun peeked over the mountains lining the horizon, but little light made it through the heavy rainclouds and canopy to guide the crusader's retreat... A retreat slowed immensely by the passed out, bleeding pegasus being pulled along on her scooter, vines tied to the handle to ease pulling it along, and a ripped open, white saddle-bag tied tightly, though crudely, over her flank to try and keep her Scoota-fluids from all leaking out. Apple Bloom still can't believe Sweetie-Belle tried to make that joke at a time like this. "A-Apple Bloom?" Sweetie asks, her vine tied around her waist, as she pulls her friend at a stable pace, "H-how close are we to Ponyville? Scootaloo's looking pale..." Apple Bloom bit her lip, and looked back at the softly breathing pegasus crusader, limp on her scooter, which has been re-purposed as a emergency gurney, though one was to small, as her back hooves and tail are being dragged along behind it, as her still face gazes into the sky, eyes closed. "Ah dun' think it's very far, we should be out of the forest right quick." Apple Bloom finally replies, looking at the cotton candy maned unicorn to her side, "Well, I think we should just take Scootaloo to Fluttershy, she's closer and has all that first aide suff, and she can help get everyone to-", Sweetie is cut off by Apple Bloom, her eyes angry. "Fer the last time Sweetie, that thing was NOT Zecora... Or.. Or Zecora is just sick and needs help! There is no way she could do anything like this t-to Scootaloo!" She nearly shouted, causing her friends ears to flatten again her head as she looked away, her face in a frown. Apple Blooms own face softened into a frown, "B-but Fluttershy is closer then the Hospital, s-so... Good idea Sweetie..." She said forcing a meek smile at her friend, who glances back at her sadly, before looking back at Scootaloo. "I just hope she'll be alright..." ~~~~~ Fluttershy released a contented sigh, as she sits at her Kitchen table, the younger of her animal friends waiting patiently as she pulls a bowl of apple to herself, a small baby chipmunk hops onto the table, and smells at the apples hungrily, only to be gently pushed back with a giggle. "Not yet sweetie, its far to hard for you.", she explains, in a motherly tone. The cute furry critter now at a safe distance, she picks up one of the apples, and brings it to her lips. Which part, as long, ivory fangs pierce the tart red skin of the fruit, sucking the juice from the fruit, which is then placed in a nearby wooden bowl, as she begins to shyly do the same to about seven of the bowls apples, before pushing i away, and pulling the bowl of drained apples, and begins mushing the soft, brown, seedless flesh of them into a soft, nutrient-rich paste, which she places on the floor, releasing a giggle when all the tiny baby animals swarm it. Fluttershy herself gets up, eying her little charges with affection, as she walks onto to a large pail by her trash bit, spitting out a good number of seeds, adding them to the rest she will be bringing to Applejack at the end of the Week. Fluttershy suddenly finds herself yelping, as there is a large slam in her living room, followed by panicked fillies screaming for her help. Poking her head from around the corner to her kitchen, she gasps at what she sees. Scootaloo is laying on her scooter, pale, with a very crude, non-functional tourniquet upon her flank, being pulled in by her two friends, Sweetie running up to Fluttershy suddenly to plead for help. Before she even had a chance to speak, Fluttershy ducks into the kitchen, muttering "Hold on." nervously, and flying to acquire the First Aid kit on top of the Fridge, flying Swiftly over to the injured Pegasus. ~~~~~ Fluttershy sat on her couch, stroking the injured pegasus' mane, as she continues to lie unconscious, despite her stabilized condition, as the remaining crusaders continue to explain the situation. The story is a little confusing to Fluttershy, details being remembered differently between the two perspectives... and they keep arguing over one detail in particular. "That thing was not Zecora! Might of BEEN her at one point b-but now it's a monster!" Growled Sweetie, forehead pushing against Applebloom's, who returned the argumentative gesture with equal effort, "Zecora's Just sick, we need to get her Help!" Retorted the Farm filly. "Did you not see what it did to Scootaloo!? Do you really think if there was anything of Zecora left in that Monster, it would of pounced at you two like that!?" Argued the tiny unicorn, pushing the other filly to the edge of the couch they sat upon, with sheer forehead power, only to be pushed back, "And why are you so ready to just give up on her!?" Argues Applebloom, meeting a equilibrium in the Reverse tug-of-war Push-of-War between them. Fluttershy glances from them to the deeply slumbering pegasus... Her hind leg would twitch, likely from pangs of pain from the wound, Scootaloo's head resting on one of her couch pillows, as she looks back at the two fillies, licking her tongue across one of her fangs within her mouth, a habit she developed recently as a sort of... Courage boosting exorcise. Yes, she realizes that makes no sense, but it still helps. "N-now girls, just settle down." She says in a soft, but clear tone, as she slides off the couch, onto her hooves, as the fillie look up at the adult, hoping she can solve the problem with her magical pegasus powers that don't exist. Fluttershy walked over to one of her birdies, one sitting on a writing desk, and picked up a old quill, and writes a rather hasty note to someone, before placing the quill down, and rolling it up, the bird snapping it up and flying out a open window. "I Just sent for Twilight, and asked her to gather everypony, they should be here within the hour." she says turning back to the two fillies... One now right behind her. "Fluttershy you can't! My sister won't understand, she'll hurt Zecora!" Cried the panicked filly. "I am sure it will be alright, Applebloom, she's a smart pony, she'll Understand." Applebloom looked away from Fluttershy, unsure, walking over to Scootaloo, and placing a hoof on her side. "Ah Hope your right..." ~~~The End~~~ Author's Note Short Chapter is Short. EDIT: I should also point out, Much like a changeling feeds on love, i feed on comments and feedback.
Does Only a Death from Strife, awaits those with no life?"Does only a Death from Strife, awaits those with no life?" ~~~~~ To say the mood was sour in the room was a understatement. The ponies sat around Fluttershy's couch, well, most of them at least. Rainbow Dash was leaning onto it, nuzzling into the unconscious fillies mane, tears leaking down her face, at the thought of nearly losing her adopted sister. Four have already departed, Two pairs of Sisters, eager to return to the safety of their homes, leaving the Sadness and the unease for the remaining Four, not counting the fifth, who remains unmoving. Twilight sat on the floor across from the couch, her ears drooping as she goes over the story the fillies game them, while Fluttershy sits by the window. She was staring out into the forest, through the partially closed shutters. "Now, I am not buying the whole... Story they told us, but-" she pauses, looking to Fluttershy, who now gives the princess her attention,"- Zecora deals with some dangerous Chemicals, and reagents, it's entirely possible she's sick, maybe burned..." she pauses circling her hoof in the air, absent mindedly." Or she transmuted herself, We should head there and make sure she's alright, find out what Really happened." she says, putting her hoof down, looking again to the still sniffling Rainbow Dash, a frown crossing her own face. Fluttershy stands and walks over to the door, her hooves clopping against her hardwood floor with each step as if trying to clear out the sound of Dash's sobbing, or maybe Scootaloo's rattling breaths. "I Think..." she finally speaks up, her voice nearly trembling "We should go Twilight, I did what i could for Scootaloo, And if Zecora's hurt too, o-or Celestia forbid really turned into a monster she really needs out help, don't you th-" "I'll tell you what she needs." Dash interrupts, prying herself from the couch and the pale orange filly, and turns to the door, her gaze solid her muzzle frozen in a expression halfway between a sneer, and a scowl. Fluttershy stutters as dash reaches for the door knob, Twilight stands noticing the intent in Dashes voice. "Rainbow, What are you planning on doing?" She said trying to sound authoritative, but failing miserably as dash swings the door open and looks back at her silently, a flame in her eyes. "Rainbow, wai-" Twilight's words fail, as Rainbow breaks into an immediate gallop out the door, Once several feet out of Fluttershy's cottage she takes to the skies, quickly accelerating to her top speed and leaving her rainbow contrail in her wake, disappearing over the edge of the Everfree. Twilight leaps to her hooves and gives chase, albeit pausing to shout to her remaining friends, seeing Fluttershy run past her and take to the air in her slightly cumbersome fashion. "Pinkie!" She shouts as she turns her head back into the cabin, the Pink Pony emerging when she hears her name shouted, from behind Fluttershy's couch where she was previously for some... Pinkie PIe reason."Watch Scootaloo, we need to keep Dash from doing something she's going to regret!" shouts the princess, before running out the door and and taking flight. Pinkie stares onward out the open door, walking from behind the couch and the blueprints for a new 'Hope you Get better soon and that our friend isn't a monster party' unattended, making her way for the door. "Well, this seems to be escalating quickly!" she speaks with a chipper grin, being sad won't help Scootaloo heal, nor would it get the Pegamedics get here faster! She shuts the door quietly. "Well, I guess its time to check your bandages again, Fluttershy said once ev-" Pinkie speaks as she turns, only for her words to stop at a incoherent gurgles and slight muscle twitches, as a flash of orange and purple leaves her throat in the Jaws of a Predator... Author's Note Pegamedics= Pegasus Paramedics! Yeah, Massive delay, huh? I won't make a excuse, it was Procrastination all the way... This has been done about 3 months now, and i couldn't think of how to Segway to the next scene so... Bam, Mini-chapter, have fun!
Fight, Flight, Might, and Right, none of these things... are airtight."Fight, Flight, Might, and Right, None of these things... are airtight." ~~~~~ Things went wrong suddenly, and violently. Zecora was traveling through an obscured path through the Everfree, making relatively good time despite her intense reluctance in leaving. She felt in her heart that she had no real choice in the matter... the two fillies would drag there friend back to Ponyville, and the knee-jerk reaction would be one of fear and panic... just as Buffalon before them, and Hoofswood before that... just as she began to earn the trust of those in this new land, after having hid in the Everfree for so long. Slight exposure over a long time, to breed familiarity and, hopefully, eventual disinterest... a plan that was expedited immensely by those that had become her closest friends in the last, desperately few moons... the Forsaken has felt, for once, that she had belonged, and it was that hope that she allowed herself to make risky decision after near costly mistake... going out at night for a Celebration, taking on an apprentice... it all came down to last night, where she had accidentally, deeply cut a Filly, a friend of her own apprentice, in a tragic misunderstanding... And now, tho no true bond of blood connects them, the sister of that very filly has exploded through the canopy above her, in a mighty diagonal burst of chromatic force her hooves stroke the left side of the zebra, The cart tips from the shock wave of the force of impact, the ropes connecting the cart to the zebra snap almost immediately under the force and the target itself rolling into a nearby tree, denting and bowing the old tree as Zecora's chosen possessions fall, break, shatter and otherwise tumble from he flipped cart the gnarled thing the ropes were formally tied too now splintered and useless... No Words came from Rainbow Dash, the pegasus blind with fury at the perceived betrayal from the mare she had thought a friend... and snorted hard, when despite the sheer force Dash put behind her now somewhat sore hooves, the zebra gets up calmly, as if she was unharmed by the strike, despite having clearly felt SOMETHING give beneath her flea ridden, treacherous hide. Zecora had actually hoped none would find her, as she exited this land, that the size and scope of the Forest would make her trail impossible... but the fortune of this mare and her friends never ceased to astound her... her expression soft, remorseful, as she locked her gaze with the furious mare... "Please, my friend... Harm is not what i intend, I am full of remorse, that things have gone this course, but i implore you to reconsider your decision to Offend... please-" she pleas were cut off, as the winged mare leaps forward, her assorted physical training coming to the surface, tho build for speed, her dreams had necessitated a more rounded physique... and it is from that physique that a mighty blow from a back hoof in a mid-air, twisting kick, strikes Zecora in the side of the Jaw, forcing it to jut askew with a sickening crack as she was sent from her previous position, to a new one partly indented into another ancient tree... "Oh come on!" The anger-blinded mare muttered through her teeth, as Zecora stands, with the same forced calm motions as before, putting her jaw back into place with audible snap, before continuing.."Please." She pauses, closing her eyes, before opening them, a flash of yellow covering her eyes for a moment.."Do not force me to defend.... I can not hold myself back... if you press the attack." "Shut up! You Hurt a filly! A Poor Defenseless little filly! You tricked us into trusting you!" Dash shouted out so hard spittle spattered the ground between them... and then the attack was pressed, giving the flesh-tearing monster no chance to reply. Dash smashed her forehead, a rather dense portion of a pegasi's skull, a sort of natural crash helmet, into the zebra's muzzle, despite another crack and being knocked back into the tree, Dash gave no quarter this time as her forehooves followed her, slamming into her chest and one foreleg, clearly dislonging one of them, before the one moves from the limp appendage to beating Zecora in the face... a pit sunk in Rainbow Dash's stomach, as usually by now, as not only has Zecora's nose not started to bleed like any other pony receiving a much deserved hoofbeating, she seemed to barely feel it... That is, until Zecora's soft, exotic fur turned coarse and dry, her flesh shriveled, and her Gums pulled back... her eyes shoot open, showing feral pools of unnatural, sickly yellow light, despite Celestia's Sun shining down apon them... and the Zebra, lost in her own instinct to survive strikes back. Her foreleg snaps back onto place with a now familiar, if still horrible sound, and she strikes upwards diagonally with it, the elongated, sharp edge gently cutting Dash's chest, as she retreated in a timely manner with a powerful flap, saving her from blow that would of immediately ended the battle... even so, her blood is shed, as a few small drops of her blood dripped onto the forest floor. She continues to Fly back, putting distance between her, and Zecora's true face, her true nature, as the Once-Zebra returns to her hooves, but not in a normal stance... hunched, ready to pounce, like a actual predator. Her gums being dried and pulled back, Dash can see a truely horrid site of a pony's mouth full of razor sharp, slightly yellow and clearly predatory teeth... Zecora released a Feral, starved, mindless screech, before she dashed at the pegasus with unnatural speed, her jaw opening unnaturally wide and thirsting to sink into Dash's blue throat. She is only now truly, TRULY, appreciating the 'Fastest Flier" title as she continues to put distance between her and the... Thing behind her, turning and raising, not having the focus to acknowledge the Hunter has become the Hunter in but a few hoof swings. As she reached the Tree line, however, she feels teeth sink into her left hindleg, and a jerk downwards, as she had no reason to expect the monster to be able to leap that high. Hitting the ground is not a unfamiliar sensation, but it has never been quite this painful, be it from the odd angle she hit (Bellow down and slightly backwards), or from the sharklike teeth buried into her leg... Perhaps it was because the target-turned-agressor then began lifting her from the forest floor, teeth still in her flesh, and smacked her against a Tree. It was probably that one, as it knocked Rainbow's senses for a painful, disorienting loop, before she was released during a swing the other direction, spinning and twisting through the air with no control, landing on her wing on a even worse angle, shouting as she feels one hell of a sprain shoot through her wing, requiring she roll off of that side and hold her wing in her forehooves, the most prominent arch in her wing sending shivers and shocks of pain to the rest of her body... only to be distracted by a sharpened hoof across the muzzle... staring above her left brow, narrowly avoiding her eye, and going down the side of her muzzle past her lips. and sending her into darkness a few moments later.... when a yellow and pink blur knocked the creature away from her, and her now fully exposed throat... ~~~~~ "Oh no..." muttered Fluttershy, moments before, above the forest... she had been torn on how to stop Dash from hurting their friend, as a deer in cartlights she had just floated there, watching the one-sided fight of Rainbow beating on Zecora.... Why did it to be HER that found them? She and Twilight reached Zecora's house at about the same time, and split up to cover ground faster after reading Zecora's note. She had been concerned if SHE could make Rainbow Dash see reason, and listen to Zecora's side of the story, as explained in the letter left of her door... and now she is concerned with how suddenly and violently the fight shifted gears. Unlike with Dash as the aggressor, this was different. Zecora was not herself, a condition she had seen before with her furry wolf friends... they would sometimes be overcome with emotion and survival instinct, becoming unnecessarily violent and aggressive untill calmed down... and more importantly, and painfully... she has seen this inside herself... a side of herself she shamefully hides, a side of herself she now pulls to the surface, to end a tragedy before it begins. ~~~~~ Monster Struck Monster, both tumble through the undergrowth. Zomcora and Flutterbat are entangled sharp hooves and sharp fangs struggle against each other, Glowing Yellow and Blood Red eyes repeatedly, narrowly miss gazing directly into one another, Each ones unnatural endurance denying the other purchase... The rolling ends with Zomcora on top, Flutterbat's forehooves jet upward to catch her muzzle and jaw inches from her throat, as she releases a high, deafening screech into Zomcora's face, staggering her and giving the Bat a chance to kick the undead mare back before flipping onto her hooves and pressing her advantage by breathing deeply, and releasing a more focused, longer, louder screech that continues to overload Zomcora's senses, causing her to stumble as her ears flatten against her head to try and block out the ultrasonic sound... Zomcora's instincts soon learn that she can not block out the sound, and so she returns, tho clumsily, to the offensive... a violet aura engulfs her, and lifts her from the ground as a new pair of wings descend beneath and canopy behind her... she struggles against the hold, howling and snarling... but the magic of an Alicorn is beyond her mindless, unnatural strength... as her head is forced to stare forward, towards her second foe, the Bat, who now stands not attacking, but staring... Staring deep into her own glowing yellow pools. Staring directly past the fury, hunger, and sheer blinding bloodlust, to the Zebra deep below it all... pulling her to the surface, and filling her with a Calm. Despite her visage, monstrous and decayed, her wild motions to break free slow, and stop... the yellow pools fade, to a yellow, faded, bloodshot form. The Calm spreads deep into Zecora... now staring back at the now calmly, compassionately smiling flutterbat's soft, emotion-filled red eyes by her own accord, craving, needing the comfort they bring, as it lulls her to a deep state of slumber she has not known for a hundred years... Before she fades into unconsciousness, she closes her eyes, and softly mutters..."Thank you...I'm sorry..." before collapsing to her side, and becoming still... motionless and corpse-like tho she may be, her unlife still intact... as the Bat and the Alicorn turn to one in more immediate need of care. Author's Note Well, i figured 3 years was long enough to delay all my story plans because i was afraid I'd right a short, boring fight scene. As Usual, Comments, questions, theories and suggestions sustain me, and unlike a Changeling, i am not gonna turn into a neon ladybug horse suddenly and not need them for sustenance.
How can you understand, you born of a different land."How can you Understand, you born of a different land?" ~~~~~ Rarely used is quite the understatement for these Room. In fact, when Twilight was first exploring her castle she spent a few hours considering exactly WHY she had a dungeon... or why the Tree of Harmony, of all things, would give her one. Not that it was a particularly dank or dreary one being in much the same style as the rest of the palace, or even all too uncomfortable and Rarity did a good job with all the curtains and what not to make it seem more like more pleasant... Twilight prefers to refer to it as "holding rooms" rather then a "dungeon". Now tho, the Princess of Friendship is grateful she did not just have the Bars removed and made into a backup library, as her eyes looked sadly at the unconscious, somewhat withered zebra mare laying on the warm carpeted dungeon floor, which was now stained with some blood. Twilight deeply wished she did not watch it, on hindsight... but it was her only idea to snap Zecora out of her frenzy after three days of racking her mind for a less graphic solution, but despite her brilliant mind, she came down with nothing to sooth the Zebra's hungry wrath besides... give her what she wants. It was the liver from a organ donor, a Stallion who passed recently of natural causes, that Twilight was allowing the regions medical facilities store in stasis in her palace due to her extreme excess of unused space(Another reason she did not convert the dungeon into a library, there was already a Ballroom she could use!), and tho the entire idea, and the morbid event that happened when she levitated it into the Cell, left her feeling completely sickened, it was clearly working. She became lethargic as soon as she finished, and ultimately collapsed onto the floor, where she has since regained some moisture to her withered visage... But truth be told, it was Fluttershy's idea. She insisted that 'just a little taste' was likely to snap her back to consciousness, relating Zecora's savage, starved behavior to her own... since that Incident she ceased to be fully Pony herself. Fluttershy is with Twilight, of course, sitting next to her in front of the cell, notably less sickened by the predatory pony, most likely due to her being much more closely tied to the natural circle of life then Twilight, what with caring for all sorts of carnivores and all... but to Twilight, a Pony liver being consumed by a rabid Pony does not equate to a bear eating a fish or a bird eating worms. And then the still, corpse-like Zebra sits up slowly onto her rear, eyes closed with tears welling in the corners of her eyes and her flesh becoming less decrepit by the second and seeming to struggle with opening her lips to speak... at least until she does, and to say the two mares present were not ready for what they heard was a understatement. "Who did i consume the flesh from? Are they alive... or did i take another life, in my starved madness...?" she says, voice on the verge of tears, eyes remaining closed as her dusty, impure tears drip onto the floor, possibly her first real tears in quite some time... But none of what she said really sunk in at first, but they were rather focused on something rather less important, but much more shocking to them. She didn't Rhyme. Sensing their silence from the thick quiet around them, Zecora opened her eyes, glistening wet, yellow tinted eyes... her Iris's were a deep, bright, softly glowing yellow. Her deep sorrow softened only slightly, as she saw the concerned, confused faces of her two former friends, rather then disgust, outrage, or hatred... but she dared not to hope things would be alright. "Zecora..." Twilight finally speaks, casting the damnable silence to Tartarus to become Tirek's new roommate. "The...Sample, was a from a colt that Donated their body to... R-research and medicine, and we had a..." she pauses, turning a little green "Surplus of that particular element...". Zecora's face softened with relief, her shoulders slacking as she lowers her head, and letting some Grief flow off of her body."and Rainbow Dash? Last i remember..." she says, managing a soft smile, realizing their confusion and extending her sentence to bring them some peace "...was our Clash." "S-She is at the hospital with several m-minor lacerations, a sprained wind a-and... alot of Bruising." the yellow pegasus spoke up, smiling softly as she stands and approaches the Bars, containing the dangerous mare, with far more bravery then she has shown in the past."Dash will make a full Recovery... I'm much more concerned with your well being Z-Zecora... Why did you never tell us about your Illness... we could of helped!" Twilight looked gently at the kind mare with a soft smile, calling back to how Fluttershy has checked on Zecora multiple times every day just to make sure she was okay and hoping she got better, clearly seeing a good deal of her own struggles within the zebra's suffering... Zecora on the other hoof, just stared at her in disbelief of her words, before smiling herself and wiping the dusty, tar-like tears from her face... "I Don't... know what to say, Fluttershy... besides the obvious... why?" she says, her eyes faintly beginning to return to their natural color, as her body has since returned to the state they've always known her."Because... uh..." she says, caught off guard by the question as it should be obvious."You are our friend... all of t-this has been a Misunderstanding... you have been suffering in silence for who-knows how long!". Twilight clears her voice, joining the support."Dash and Scootaloo are going to make full recoveries... Scootaloo actually came too by the time we returned to Fluttershy's cabin, and holds no ill feelings... tho Dash... might hold a grudge for now, but i have a feeling she will get over it..." she says, standing and following Fluttershy's example and coming closer to the cell, albeit notably not quite as close."Zecora... What happened? What caused this, and how long...?" she says, returning to her rump, and levitating a quill and parchment from out of Zecora's view. Zecora sighs, standing and giving a rather audible stretch, as all of her joints click, clack, and unlock loudly as if she had laid still for weeks, and her body was unable to dampen the sound, her teeth briefly flashing sharp and deadly for less then a second, as she regains comfort in movement. Twilight subtly scoots back a little and turns slightly green, despite her friendly, concerned expression not fading at all. Fluttershy stood firm, giving her alicorn friend a slight, disapproving glance. "I have been like this for..." she says, pausing and looking up, mentally counting in her head, and notably without a rhyme."...at least 300 years. Since before i came to the Everfree... or even Equestria as a whole." She sits back down, in a more relaxed tone... They have said they are going to give her a chance, a chance for her new life alongside Ponyville to not end, and she knows these mares well enough to know they would not cruely deceive her for some reason... specifically these two, as well, the Princess of Friendship and the Element of Kindness. Taking a moment to giggle at their expressions in regards to her age."It is a... Curse, incurable i am afraid, cast apon me and... a few whom no longer walk the lands of the living, for a Transgression we committed... Trespassing." "...Tresspassing? Really?" Twilight says, a look of bemused disbelief on her face."Isn't that sort of a disproportionate punishment...?" Zecora just smiled a familiar, comfortable smile." We Trespassed on a ancient Zebrican King's tomb in search of ancient, forgotten knowledge... Zithar the Cruel's Tomb, to be specific- No I will not tell you where it is." she says, suddenly changing her tone as Twilight's eyes light up at the discovery of the lost tomb of a ancient, foreign king."We broke the seals of rest keeping the door shut... tho i was there for knowledge... my tribe brothers were there for the wealth Zithar was buried with... the wealth of his conquests across our lands in a olden age... all was well, then we turned the page..." she says, looking away from them and up to the small, barred window leading outside. It was Sundown. "We returned to our camp, with out secrets and treasures, where my brothers had some Buyers waiting to appraise and purchase their... spoils." she pauses looking down at her hooves."We Celebrated our victory, certain the Curses spoken of in secret were superstitious falsehoods... then Celestia's Sun ceased to shine in our lands for the night, and... The rest of the Night is a bloody, horrible, painful memory..." She stops, noting her listeners green expressions, even as Twilight keeps scribbling away at her notebook. "After that... we tried to return what we stole, but it was no use... no shaman or traveling wizard could help us after what we have so thoroughly become... and the Hunger... the Tartarus-damned hunger... at first we all three resisted... but then we started to slip...'just one traveler no one would miss, it will keep us from going on a maddened hunt again, and hurting more innocents'... by this point of course..." she says, with a deep sigh as her fore-hoof covers her eyes in shame." We were exiled by our tribe forevermore for what we have become, and all we had left to lose was our... unlives... and for reasons i am still not sure of, we pushed to live on, despite our deaths being the clearest solution..." "You..." Twilight began reluctantly.."Did not intentionally HURT anypony... did you?" Zecora looks from her, to Fluttershy's large concerned eyes... then towards the floor, her face becoming a deeply shamed scowl directed apon her own actions... "It... seemed a better option... then starving ourselves until we became the savage, starved beast you witnessed. That way, only one Pony needed to Parish...." Zecora replied, her voice soft and low, her dark tears starting to pull in the corners of her eyes, but fail to actually flow... "Did.... you try Non-Pony flesh?" Twilight asks, causing Fluttershy, the animal lover that she is, to flinch."It was Sickening, and barely effective... but i did eventually force myself to only consume it... My tribal brothers... came to adore what they became... the strength, the power, the... Immortality it provided... They began to see it as a gift, albeit one that was two-sided." she says, lowering her head and closing her eyes..." I lured them with Promises of a camp of victims, lightly armed.... and cast them to the flames in hopes it would purify their souls as it did their warped bodies... and save them from what we were becoming..." Zecora Looked up suddenly, as the metal sound of a Lock coming Undone, Bars sliding, and a pegasus wrapping her hooves around her neck... Zecora for a moment feared she had crossed some line, and their sympathy had come to an end... but instead, a soft muzzle rubs against her cheek, despite the small amount blood from her crazed feast, and softly speaks with a warm "There there..." Twilight just stared with a soft smiling, screaming internally at Fluttershy. Of course she wanted to trust Zecora, to give her the benefit of a doubt, but that was just outright risking all three of their well-being! Zecora chuckled softly, briefly returning the hug, before they both released the other, and sat facing one another as twilight scooted closer to the now open cell door, silently preparing her magic to blink Fluttershy out of the cell and close it quickly, as Zecora inhaled to continue. "As i said... I guess i had more self-discipline then the other two... I swore off the flesh of Ponies and other sentient beings for good... I... must admit I..." she says, her voice cracking, as painful memories cross her mind."Have slipped... situations beyond my control keeping from my... reserves of dried flesh... Such as when the tribes united, and came hunting for the "Three Cursed Ones", driving me from my Homeland of Zebrica.... Since then for around 300 years... i searched for a place i can live quietly... and in that time i developed my... well... a Meditative Practice i developed to keep my Mind focused... to keep the Hunger from getting a firm grip on my mind, even if i went weeks without feeding.." Twilight sit up, wings spreading slightly."The Rhyming!" she says in her excitable nerd ways."You focus your Mind and Subconscious into working on Wordplay with every sentence so it does not Linger on the.... Hunger..." With the cell door open, she is now well aware of the lack of Rhymes most of this time... "Liver... has always been...well.." she says, rubbing her hoof through her Mane, which does not lose its form, easily snapping back into a mohawk." the most thoroughly... vitalizing part of.... I do not recall my...meal... but i recognize the rush it gives me... you were.... fortunate to choose that portion." she says, finding this as awkward as it was shameful, as both mares turn green and comically shift away from her slightly, Fluttershy remaining within the cell."But I feel more... calm, in control... then i have since i arrived in near Ponyville when it was just a small village... Since i last... slipped." "I... Know the feeling..." Fluttershy says, raising a hoof and looking at it for a moment before putting it down..."I doupt that, dear Fluttershy..." Zecora says with a pause, and nudged her shoulder with a pause and a giggle."But may i ask... why?" she finishes, noting the very slight panic in Twilights eyes about the sudden return of her 'dont eat ponies' tactic... before Twilight realizes she was just trying to be fully... Twilight snorts Disapprovingly. "I... Apple Bloom told you about the Vampire Fruit Bat Incident right..." Fluttershy says, looking up at Zecora's eyes, now exactly as she remembered them from their countless meetings in the past.... as Zecora puts her own black hoof to her mouth, her turn to be concerned..."You... Poor dear... you... never fully turned back.... did you...?" Fluttershy replies with a silent nod, and a soft voice as twilight looks away, as Fluttershy begins speaking of her biggest Buck Up of her life... "For... a while i thought i was fine... craving apples more then normal... then... Pinkie was holding a Apple in my face, making a Vampony joke... and as we were all laughing... Applejack saw a Fang, i-in my mouth." she explains looking at a remorseful Twilight."We... at first thought it was residual... that it would g-go away soon, and within a hour it did...b-but.. over the following weeks... whenever i came near apples, i was..." raises her hooves to look at them as tears began to leak down her cute yellow cheeks..."It was like i was Starving, even if i just ate... i tried to avoid them... it... seemed to work but th-then i just... snapped... went into a... Frenzy... like y-you.... I..." she looks at Zecora, eyes soaking her face as her hooves return to the carpeted dungeon floor."I'm J-Just lucky my thirst is not as... violent as yours..." she sobs out, as its time for Zecora, heart melting at the presence of a pony that knows her pain, at least to an extent, to give her a warm, understanding hug..."It is alright... they are of different degree's, yes... but i believe you know the pangs of the hunger i feel... How... did you learn to Control it?" Zecora asks, Twilight watching silently as her quill scribbles across the notebooks pages. Ending the Hug, Fluttershy smiles softly."Starting to remember the woods...?" She asks."A Little... you assured me i ended no life... so i am risking forcing a recollection... I do not like remembering my madness..." Fluttershy stands, and gives a small stretch. "Lets get out of this Cell... I'll tell you all About it..." she speaks hopefully, as she leads to Zebra to the cells Exit as Twilight screams internally once more at Fluttershy just letting the mare prone to turning into a viscous carnivore out of the only cages in Ponyville... but she relents, putting her notes away and standing and speaking to the two."It really is not much of a Story, Fluttershy and i just played my favorite game for two Weeks: Trial and Error". ~~~~~ Author's Note Edit: Forgot to ACTUALLY post this update! Two Chapters two weeks apart?! If Zecora's Rhyming becoming a occasional thing is a issue for you... then sorry, but while i have ample plans for her in this Series, but i just cannot keep up with the rhymes for every piece of dialog. Oh i TRIED, even tried getting help... but it just wasn't in the cards... Besides, with Medical Excess and Twilight's royal authority over Research Materials, she might not need to relies on that tactic so heavily... Next chapter, we'll learn WHY Twilight would be... okay with that level of Squick. It may or may not be the Final Chapter, but there will be a Epilogue.
Oh this hunger I feel, how I dream for it to not be real."Oh this hunger I feel, how I dream for it to not be real." ~~~~~~ The lone zebra's eyes flutter open, as the dim light of Celestia's sun shines into her room from the round, barred window of her dwelling, the early spring sun was warm, and the wind carried a soft chill through Zecora's open window. A chill she gave a slight grin at, as she stood, as the morning chill proved she had survived another night, her right hindhoof still chained to the living wood of her home, firm and ungiving, as she prefers it. "Thank you again for holding me mighty tree, but with the come of morning, I must be free". She says with a chuckle, as runes glow apon her shackle, and with a soft, oiled clank, it falls off her gently raised ankle, and onto the soft down of her cot, and she stands, not looking at any of her limbs as she does so, wary of how hidious she is before her 'morning primping', as her friend, Rarity, would call it. Zecora giggles to herself as she lets out a yawn, taking a moment to imagine the aesthetics obsessed unicorn's reaction to her current visage, her yawn ends with her mouth settling into a frown, as humorous as her face would be, it may very well be the last time she got to see it. From her room, she moves briefly through her main chamber, full of Ingredients and reagents, her cauldron empty, save for residue from a recent miscreation, that a small, dear friend promised to help clean... Indeed, as she pauses in her stride to take in the greater expanse of her floor, it is coated with a dried and hardened off-purple substance, the result of dear sweet Applebloom hoofing her Essence of Milkweed instead of Essence of Silkweed. The both of them needed a heavy-duty solvent bath. A small smile creeped across Zecora's dried, cracked, pulled back lips at the look on the apologetic fillies face, innocent, and meaning no ill will, she would never stay mad at her little helper... But the memory of the event could not stall the inevitable, as her head turned back to her washroom, and the inevitable encounter with her own Visage. With a sigh, her hooves moved, her steps steady, as she walked carefully to avoid scratching her floor with the sharp edges of her hoof, as she pushed the beaded curtain open, and closed her eyes, and rounded the corner to face where she knew the mirror hung, aware of what she is about to see, for it is the same horrid face she sees every morning, every time she awakens, before she takes her medecine... Her eyes open, and her breath catches in her throat, as it always does, at the sight before her. Lips thin, and pulled back, showing every tooth in the accursed reflections mouth, sharp, jagged, and slightly hooked inward, the reflections gums, a black and grey color, wrinkled and rotten, her eyes cloudy and yellow, a soft yellow glow casting the sickly color apon the rest of her withered corpse of a face with there soft, hungry glow, as zecora's long, razor-edged hoof reaches to open the blinds on her bathroom window. "Hello again, oh horrid face of doom, why must you taint every morning with gloom..." her raspy, gaspy voice rymes, as she looks down at her sink's counter, and reached for a heavy clay bottle, using her teeth, which sink into the cork, into the same grooves as they do daily, she pulls the stopper free, and lifts the large bottle to her lipless face, and opens her maw wide, her black tongue, cracked and ichorus flattens, as she pours the sickeningly sweet potion down her parched throat, placing the bottle gently apon the counter, firmly jamming the stopper back in with a hoof. As she makes sure the stopper is firm, she watched her hooves dull and shorten, and her gaze returns to her reflection, as a soft beating starts up in her formerly still, cold chest, bringing a smile to her lips, which swell, and cover her rapidly flattening teeth, moisture and life returning to her face, and her dessicated torso with each heartbeat, all as her dull, coarse coat regains the shimmer of youth, and life. "This is what I wish to see... the face that belongs to me." She says with a soft smile as she turns to a rack to acquire her golden rings, making a soft huff and chiding herself for forgetting to put them on BEFORE her medecine. It's always awkward to squeeze them over her head and hoof when they are not dried. "Being undead, I do think, it can really stink." ~~~~~~ Her stomach ached, as she walked the path from her forested home, as she often does to acquire reagents and herbs for her craft. Zecora did not eat this morning, she does not need to, but it was for the best, for the one thing she craves anymore is- She shook her head, her brown hood waving slightly in the cool morning air. "Must not think of that path, lest I incur innocent's wrath." she mused to herself, as she took in her lush surroundings, so many ponyfolk see this land as dark and deadly. But to Zecora, it is a paradise compares to her Homeland... Her soft trot halts as she thinks back to her banishment... There was no hate in her exile, only fear, and the fear was her own, because she was was unsure if she could resist her... hunger. The Hunger that she has carried since the incident, the thirst for warm blood, and desire for wet flesh, these mere thoughts cause the rumbling in her temporarily re-animated bowels to intensify, but her will, as it has always been, remains strong enough to overshadow what should be the sole thing driving her onward. She was now driven by spite, to prove she will never fall to the curse. Zecora gave a soft smile as she continued, coming to the edge of the Everfree, a cottage visible nearby, and further from it, the town of Ponyville. Her eyes gazed apon a softly singing pegasus, tending to her numerous animal charges, as Zecora began to aproach the Pegasus' home, remembering back to when she first came to the Everfree... ~~~~~~ Zecora stalked through the late evening brush of the Everfree, a land unfamiliar to her, but if the tales she's heard of it were true, everything she needed was here. Her heavy brown cloak draped over her gaunt form, as a (hopefully) friendly looking green and red wooden mask adorned her face, one of many she brought with her, to hide her form untill she finds the reagents she needs to reverse the curse... She was sure it would work this- "Ah there you be, rare little berry come to me!" she says with a raspy chuckle, as she hops over a small log to a grey leaved bush, and takes the basket off her back, placing it on the ground, and removing her mask, because these berries are delicate, and must be picked carefully... Besides her hooves would most likely cut them.... as she picked at the small, emerald berries, dropping them gently, one by one, she heard some rustling behind her. Wary of the beasts of this wild wood, she turns and releasing a threatening hiss. Four foals run screaming out of the bush in the opposite direction as her, and disappear in the direction of a nearby village. The flat of Zecora's dry, hollow-sounding hoof collide with her gaunt, toothy face. "Well... Buck, it seems that today I am without Luck." ~~~~~~ Zecora was departing from dear sweet ~~juicy~~ Fluttershy's abode, vacated robin eggshells within a small pouch now on her person, collected tenderly by fluttershy from the nests of newborn baby birds, and quite the potent Ingredient when fresh, but it takes a tender hoof to collect them without soiling their value by disturbing the chicks. Tender... Zecora stopped to rub her forehead for a moment, in an attempt to wipe away the horrid mental image that she had let slip past her guard. Flutter lives on the edge of the town, her hunger spoke through her own thoughts, it would be a week, before her absence would cause a frown. Zecora sat apon her flank and began rubbing her head with both forehooves, unable to cease the train of thoughts. And by then, there would be nothing for them to seek. The thoughts came to an abrupt end at the impact of two rocks to the sides of her head, Zecora's head spun for a whole minute before settling back into steady consciousness, the thoughts beaten into submission, though the hunger pains remain, as she drops the pair of stones she had hastily grabbed to administer her emergency treatment. To pain you abate... she muses inhaling an uneeded breath, and continuing forward. ...Hunger I will not sate. ~~~~~~ The sun hangs low in the air, Zecora's satchel, worn beneath her cloak, heavy with a surplus of reagents she needs for the next weeks work, some given, some traded, some bartered, as vision reaches the welcoming masks adorning her home. As she Approached her dwelling, she smiles up to the mask adorned above her door, recalling that day she first encountered Ponyville folk... Smiling remorsefully, she contemplates how those four foals ensured she would be feared for at least three decades before Twilight and her friends alleviated the fear, and she was welcomed. The door of her home is left ajar, and a pleasant scent wafts from inside, the smell of ~~tender young flesh~~ the small filly who has been helping her more and more lately. Stepping into her home she goes to greet her guest with a rhyme, but her voice catches in her throat as she spies a red tail... ...swaying back and forth, poking out from the rim of her cauldron, the sound of a steel brush against the grimy inside can be heard, and a small bubble floating from the cauldron, as a gentle hum echoes out of it, as the little filly scrubbed. Zecora clenched her eyes at the Sight before her... her eyes subconsciously darting over to the Latched Lid to the pot... To do so would be an ease, withen minutes would her breathing cease, theres worse ways to Die- ~~~~~~ Applebloom lets out a yelp, as the cauldron suddenly shakes and emits a very loud Ring, as she covers her ears, and as soon as the pot stops vibrating she peeks out to see her Alchemy teacher sitting next to the pot, rubbing her head. "Z-zecora, are Ya'll all right? Didja trip?" "Y-yes, a trip I did take, to move swiftly apon the defiled floor was a mistake." She says, barely giving any hint to the fact she had intentionally slammed her head against the hard iron cauldron to knock some sense into her accursed undead skull. She realizes, as well, she is holding the pot's lid, and sets it aside. "I shall clean the inside of the pot, Applebloom, why don't you.." she lets out a playful chuckle "Show this traitorous floor it's doom?" ~~~~~~ "Good night, small Apple pony, leave the rest, to me." She says with a wave as Applebloom departs down the cleared out path to Ponyville, as Zecora lets out a sigh of relief. She's been avoiding talking directly to her guest for the past 5 minutes, as her medicine began to wear off, and her eyes began to sink, and her teeth began to shift. Tired and hungry, as she always is, she heads over to her bed, and flops apon the covers, rolling off her stomach, only to reach for her shackle, and hook it firmly to her leg. "Good night my guardian tree, make sure, you protect them from Me." She says, what amounts to her evening prayer, and falls into a deep sleep, that only the dead can enjoy. ~~THE END~~~ Author's Note Well, that was fun, Wrote this is about a Day. :Pinkiecrazy: It's just a Lil' Story of the Average day in a Undead zebra Alchemist's life. Yes the Rymes are terrible, and it has yet to be Proofread, but they are not currently on..so... Please point out any specific problems, and if you feel like Upgrading the Rhymes, feel free. Edit: Due to some confusion, i feel the need to Point out she is closer to a Ghoul or a Ghast, then a Vampire, tho ultimately she is a Hodge-podge of various specie of Undead known to avid Tabletop RPG players.
