The Forces of Cacophony

Waking up with a splitting headache is not a good way to start a day. Groaning I open my eyes to the blinding light and as the light filters into my eyes I look around to find myself in a wooden cage with no bottom and a small zebra staring at me. Past the zebra it looks as if we are in a stereotypical cartoon african shaman hut and my staff is near the door. The zebra has a black and white striped mohawk and multiple gold rings around her neck and foreleg. 'Did I just refer to it as a her?’ I take a second closer inspection and notice the zebra appears to have a more slender figure and wider flanks than expected with a male, so I assume it is indeed a she.

The question is answered when the zebra opens her mouth and begins to speak in a low yet feminine voice, “In all my years of living here I have never seen a creature like you, not once not even in a zoo.” My mouth hangs open as my brain tries to process this, a zebra just talked to me and not only did she talk but she spoke in rhyme.

I grab the bottom of the cage and lift it over my head as the zebras jaw drops. I drop the cage behind me and begin to walk to the door with both my middle fingers up “Nope, nope nope, no, nope, I'm done, fuck this I'm out.” Grabbing my Bō Staff and Bursting outside. Leaving the gobsmacked zebra behind me, I'm hit with the smells of a temperate forest. I set out in a random direction pulling out my hatchet and slicing any plants that get in my way.

Behind me hooves are hitting the ground and the zebra is calling after me. “Wait, please do not flee from me. I only want to have a chat you see.”

Without looking back I respond “Is that why I woke up in a cage?” Momentary silence follows as I press deeper into the forest.

Behind me the zebra calls out “Please do not take offense, When you first found me you cracked my neck and back, I was unsure if you meant to attack..” I sigh and turn around

“Do you always rhyme like that because it’s starting to get on my nerves.” I continue onwards trying to ignore the fact that I’m talking to a small zebra

“ I have spoken like this since I was young, cursed by a rival tribe with this cursed tongue.” Rhymed the mare.

I sigh and rub my temples, “Can you stop it please?”

A note of sadness creep into her voice “ I wish I could maybe then I would not be so misunderstood.”

Out of the corner of my eye I see the zebra begin to walk next to me, “ What’s stopping you besides this 'curse'?” She sighs and opens her mouth only to close it again. “ Well if you can't think of a reason then stop rhyming.”

She looks at me then looks down in thought; What I hear next makes me raise an eyebrow at her. “I will attempt to stop rhyming my bipedal friend, I will attempt it before I reach the…” I stop and look at her to see she’s obviously struggling. I cross my arms and stand there amused at my silly situation. ‘I’m standing here in the middle of a forest trying to help a zebra with a speech impediment.’ I smirk as she squeaks out the end of her sentence “finish.” She looks around as if waiting for an impending doom before breaking out in a cartoonishly wide grin.

Chuckling, I start walking again and am immediately tackled to the ground in a flying hug. “I would not have tried if it weren't for you, I am ever so happy for this meeting of two.” I raise an eyebrow at her and she grins sheepishly before rubbing the back of her head with her hoof “Sorry, force of habit. I will ask that you please come back to my hut so I can properly thank you and attempt a second meeting under better circumstances.” I look up in the sky to see the sun setting with no end to the forest in sight, I sigh and turn back to the small zebra.

“Let’s go” A smile adorns her face as she trots back in the direction we came. As we walk I gather some basic information about where I am and find out that her name is Zecora. “That’s a rather excotic sounding name.” If she heard me than I have gone ignored. The way back was filled with me asking questions and her, after years of being unable to properly talk, being all too ready to answer.

        We reach her hut and she guides me to a room off to the side that was covered by a leaf curtain which when pulled aside reveals what appears to be a spacious storage room with a tiny cot in it. She turns to me “ I’m sorry I do not have better lodgings for you but my hut is not very large so we must make do.” She begins to chuckle “ I now understand why it’s humorous to unintentionally make a rhyme.”

‘Even if I have no clue how far from home I am or how I got here it’s not all bad, looking at Zecora now I can see the happiness speaking normally brought her, and I’m glad I could help.’ At this point she clears her throat and I realised that I had been staring and looked away embarrassed. “It’s fine Zecora, i've had worse lodgings.”

She turns and goes to leave before looking back at me “ Tomorrow I’ll go and pick up some…” I see her eyes go wide and her grin grow impossibly large before she giddily continues “ I’ll get some oranges!” She does a little dance in place before a large blush appears on her muzzle she quickly goes to leave saying “ Sleep well…" She stops and turns back to me, "I never got your name.” She looks down abashedly.

‘I think I'll take this marvelous opportunity to do a name change, not like she'll ever know.’ “ I don't have one for with my people it’s tradition to only get our name once you've found your place in the world, so until I earn my name you can call me Crow as those around me did."

"Very well... Crow. I shall see you tomorrow." Zecora said as she left.

I take the blankets off the cot before making a bed on the floor. I crawl into my makeshift bed and begin to think about my day and what I learned from Zecora. 'So, I wake up on a Equis a world dominated by mythical creatures, in a sentient zebras home in a cage. I then end up helping said zebra with a speech impediment and am now in her home as a guest... What the hell did I smoke?' Other questions begin to rise like 'How did I get here?, Why can't I remember what happened yesterday?, Why do we share the same language and and....' I feel a buzzing in my skull. 'Why do I suddenly feel so tired....'

>>>>>POV Change<<<<<

Within his head a high pitched voice rings out "Sleep now, can't have you digging around your thoughts and mucking up my magic now can we?" The voices chuckles before continuing "As for you my precious 'Stary' a quick spell should keep you buried deep in his subconscious and stop him from questioning to much." A light orange aura surrounds the sleeping Crow as the spell is cast. "And as for you Discord, stay out of this and I promise your grief will be swept away along side your insanity." As the presence within his mind fades it leaves one last remark "Now to simply step back and prepare for the coming months as the 'Harmonious Symphony of Equestria' is reduced to a squabbling cacophony."

Deep within Crows subconscious a hot pain burns in Star Swirl as he strains to be free. "I never thought it could be him that would bring our destruction. I never believed he would hurt me, I trusted him and he used me as a pawn. *sigh* I will have to fight to free myself so I can assist 'Crow'... Heh, and he though I had a funny name. I can only hope that the other half of me is fighting to stop this and will help Crow to free me."