Chapter 1-3

Cobalt Coral stared at the ground, thoroughly disgusted with what was shared between her and her "date". When he confessed the maliciously depraved actions during their time together, she wanted so badly to do the world a favor and claw out his eyes so he could never stare at another mare’s backside again.

Yet there was a tiny voice in the back of her head. One that she hardly ever paid attention to before. She never really met a pony that acted so strangely before. Why does he act the way he did? Did he just not know any better? Was he raised right? He seemed to live alone, so maybe he doesn’t have all the social graces that she expected most stallions to have. In that case, she almost felt sorry for him to be so desperate for attention that he resorted to stalking others.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, focusing on the much bigger problem now. "Either way I slice it,” she thought, “My free lodgings are over, and I don't have enough money to rent an inn and supply myself with food much longer. I need to get The Heart of Nature now and go back home.”

After a short trek, she navigated her way to Twilight's Crystal Castle. The large, imposing doors towered upwards as she was in awe of its crystalized splendor. "Hopefully, the princess can give me a clue or two on what to do with those wolves..." She was about to knock on the right side of the doors, but she caught a glimpse of the note hanging on the left side in the corner of her eye. Approaching close enough to read it, somepony, most likely the princess, wrote "Went on Friendship Map business. Be right back soon”. Coral stared at the note, getting angrier as she read it again and again. No help was to be found here. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” she shouted as her clenched fists banged on the door, echoing the vibrations of her knock inside. Turning her back in frustration, she now had no choice. She had to get her things and find somewhere to sleep.

Meanwhile, Cornfield was curled in a dark corner of his unlit house, surrounded by all the clutter he collected over the years. His heart felt broken, yet he felt guilty for it. It was all his fault. He messed up when he leaked about his incident at the library. He trusted Coral in the first place, but had only himself is to blame for where he is now: back to square one, right where he would be before. In that moment, he realized how alone he truly was. Had he not of met her, there was no progress to be made in the first place. As if he found his cursed Purgatory. All because of a slip up. "If only I could control my urges,” he thought. “My social life...Why am I so awkward around everypony I meet?"

Outside of his hut, Coral snuck around the walls, trying to silently get her things and leave. As she was tip-hoofing her way to the barrel where she kept her supplies, the sound of Cornfield’s cries of despair seeped through the straw walls she was circling. Coral hesitated, but shook herself out of it. “No,” she thought. “No. No. No. Don't grow a conscience on him. He's a creep. A child. A pervert. A..."

She stood silent as she was reminded of her childhood. His situation of crying all alone to himself triggered memories of her childhood to flood her mind. Her heart hanged heavily as she remembered her tragic days as a young hippogriff, crying in a corner when the Storm King took over. Her eyes watered remembering the soldiers tearing down her neighbor's homes, looting and pillaging, taking all that they had. Then, they took all she had. Her things, her house…

Her family.

All her life, she felt so alone. She knew all too well the pains in one’s soul when there was absolutely nopony to pick you up and tell you things will be alright. Focused on what she had to do, she took her bag from the barrel, threw it over her back, and went to the front door to make amends and end her guilt. She knocked on it three times.

The knocks startled Cornfield out of his pathetic state. “Wha…” he thought “Who could that be at this hour?" Drying his eyes to save face, he humbly approached the door and opened to find the hippogriff that hurt him standing on the other side. “YOU!!!” he shouted in disbelief.

Forced to face the music, Coral meekly waved at him. "Cornfield... I'm sorry,” she apologized.

“You...came back? Why?”

She knew why. At first, it was just to get her stuff. But, plans change. "I feel like the both of us have gotten off on the wrong hoof with each other."

“You do...?” He wanted to believe her, but he instinctively backed off before falling back into her web of lies. “Wait! Is this a ploy again?”

“No tricks. No manipulation.” She lifted one arm to hold her palm out while placing her other talons on her chest. “No using my body to cloud your mind and your judgement. I'm genuinely sorry."

Cornfield stood in silence. She seemed sincere, but he was lied to before. Plus, after all the hurtful things she said to him tonight, he didn’t want to be abused again. “I...don't know...if I should believe you…”

Sighing, Coral ruffled through her bag. "Look. If it will make you feel better, here..." She took out a fine gem she picked up on one of her adventures and placed on the ground by Cornfield’s hooves. She never loved to let go of a gemstone as a treasure hunter, but she had to find some way to make her feelings more sincere. "Here is payment for the lodging and the medical care."

Cornfield stared at the gemstone, wondering what her angle of thinking was. "Perhaps,” he thought, “She wants to give me a second chance after all?" He slowly reached for it, took it in his hooves, and proceeded to inspect it briefly. Having no knowledge of the shiny stuff, it was impossible for him to tell if it was a fake or something. However, Coral’s hanged head and sad expression shown more sincerity than any bauble could. “Ok, I believe you,” said Cornfield. “But no more lies between the two of us” He extended his hoof out to her. “Deal?”

Coral looked at the hoof, then looked at him. Extending her foreleg slowly, she thought about what might happen if she agreed. "He could be after many things still,” she thought. “My body or, worse, the Heart of Nature. I should leave, not have anymore baggage.” Yet, she couldn’t find the will to leave, not when she’s already one gemstone deep in. Her focus on her mission required to make things right between the two of them. “Deal.” She firmly grasped it in his hoof and shook it. No more lies with Cornfield. It would be tough not to, but she made a promise she intended to keep.

“So…” Cornfield, content with the agreement, shyly put his hoof behind his head. “Are you...tired?”

Coral let out an authentic chuckle. "Exhausted."

“Come in.” Cornfield opened the door for her. “I promise it won't be weird this time.”

"Thank you. I promise I won't do anything to try and get my way." She walked inside his hut, quickly getting used to the small space.

Although he promised for it not to be weird, he can’t help but stare at her body as she let herself in. "Oh...she's so HOT!” he thought. “But I must contain myself...I don't want to give her a legitimate reason to leave forever."

"So..." Coral interrupted his train of thought as she sat down on an uncluttered piece of the floor. "I assume that you have a lot of questions to ask about me?"

The colt shook his head “Uh...actually, I do…” replied Cornfield as he sat across from her. “Why me, first of all?”

"Location,” Coral answered bluntly. “Your hut was the closest position from here to the cave where the Timberwolves are. Also…” Coral nervously brushed her claws through her feathery mane. “You aren't the only creature in this house that stalks... The morning I found your hut yesterday, I followed you around to see what you were like. I pegged you as a desperate, lonely stallion. I was correct..." She broke eye contact, realizing she might have hurt his feelings.

He also looked down, examining what she just said. “...It doesn’t feel good to know somepony was watching me without me being aware of it,” he thought.

"Although I have many gems,” she continued, “I don't have many bits. You'd be surprised how many ponies turn down a gem offer when bartering. Gold is the only standard for some." She lifted her head, wanting to make eye contact, but found him looking at the floor. "So, to save my budget, I played with your heart..."

Cornfield’s face was both of shock and rejection. He was still recovering from their fight from before, and now she’s putting his lifestyle back in the spotlight. "Desperate? Lonely?” he thought. “That's a bit harsh." Still, he needed to put on a braver face for the sake of impressing Coral. “I-I see…” he said, hesitantly. “I guess, for you to admit that, you are serious now. But…” Cornfield raised his head in one motion. “I'd hate to think I am a means to an end and nothing more to you…”

Coral stared at Cornfield, who stared back at her blaring with self-pity in his eyes. She thought that, perhaps, she was too harsh in her actions. "In my travels, I've met a lot of bad creatures. Selfish creatures. Creatures that made me think that it's going to be me or them that gets screwed, in many senses of the word…” Leaning in closer to emphasize her intentions, she lifted a single claw pointing to her chest. "I closed my heart to prevent myself from ever being hurt again! Everypony has an ulterior motive, whether you know it or not..."

“That's not true!” Cornfield objected. “Some ponies have good intentions and are full of charity!”

"Maybe on the surface,” said Coral, quick to refute him. “But there's a darker side in all of us, including you..." Coral sighed and rubbed her right foreleg with her claws. "Especially me." Her eyes drifted to the floor. "But, when I heard you crying…” She turned her head to the left to hide her sorrowful eyes. "No doubt about it. I looked in myself and saw that I hardened TOO much. I was no different than the tyrant that intimidated my kind into hiding."

Cornfield saw a single tear dripping down from her cheek. He never saw this side of her before, a sensitive side that she would hide behind her tougher persona like a shield. “I'm telling you, Coral!” he shouted, determined to cheer her up. “There's some good in everypony! I mean, I know some ponies can be real jerks out there. But, everypony has something compassionate to show!” He pointed to her. “Especially you! I believe that!” He hesitantly put his hoof down, questioning his own words. "Do I actually believe that?" he thought.

His words rushed into Coral’s mind as she thought to herself. Taking a moment to brush her claw through her mane again to try and save face, she let out a small feminine giggle before smiling and turning her attention to Cornfield, more relaxed than before. "You know... if you were to tell me that before all of this happened, I would have said that you were full of it..." She motioned her claw, pointing between him and herself in quick succession. "This here? What you are doing now?” She put her talons back on the floor. “This is how a stallion should be. No puffing of the chest or the wandering of the eyes..." She leaned in closer. "Talking to me, talking about my feelings... encouraging me to become a better creature… This is what makes a stallion."

Surprised to find that his pep-talk yielded positive results, Cornfield didn’t expect to be offered a very rare compliment to him in return. “Ruh-really? Gee, I never thought of it like that…” He rubbed the back of his head, not sure what to make of this new development. After thinking it through, he decided it would be best if he simply dropped the conversation now before he said something to ruin it. He faked a yawn, got up, and headed towards his bed. “Well I don't know about you, but after today…” He jumped into the bottom bunk of his bed. “I'm ready to hit the hay!”

Coral was surprised to see him change the subject so quickly, but she agreed that a good-night’s rest would clear her head. "Right, I should, too." She walked towards the bed and climbed onto the top bunk. She tried again to settle in before finding the sweet spot again. "Good night...Darling..." she whispered that last word.

“Goodnight...Coral.”

The next morning sun rose. Its sunlight gleamed through the only window in Cornfield’s hut. The light prompted Coral to slowly open her eyes and get out of bed without disturbing the resident below. She didn't sneak out, scam, cheat, or do anything to pull the wool over Cornfield's eyes. She was happy to have a place to sleep that wasn’t outside.

"Huh.” she thought. “This is the first time I've slept in…” Of when she slept in, she couldn’t recall. “Is Cornfield up?" Looking at the bottom bunk, she saw him sleeping like a foal, drooling a bit. At first, she thought the image was a little off-putting. However, in some twisted way, the childish yet peaceful nature of how he slept was a little charming. Feeling the pangs of hunger, Coral opened Cornfield’s cupboard to see what was available. "Hmmm. Nothing to eat here... No wonder we had to go to take-out..."

After thinking for a moment, she snapped her claws in realization. She dug in her bags and took out two granola bars. Carefully unwrapping one, she walked over to Cornfield, gently put the bar between Cornfield's teeth and closed his jaw, holding it in place. She snickered as she unwrapped the other for herself. While taking the first bite and holding her breakfast in one set of claws, her other set unraveled the old map from her bag. Then, she got out her trusty pencil to begin writing down notes on what might work against the Timberwolves in the cave.

"Let's see,” she whispered to herself. “The most obvious answer is fire, but... Let's try not to set the forest ablaze with me in it..."

Stirring himself awake, Cornfield opened his eyes, seeing Coral sitting on the floor with what looked like a large, old-looking piece of paper. Then, his tongue made contact with the taste of granola and realized there was something in his mouth. He sat up and spit the bar out onto his hoof. “Hey, what's the big idea?” he asked with a hint of annoyance.

She looked up from her map. "Morning, Cornfield. Thought you might want breakfast in bed."

“Haha…” he laughed disingenuously. “Very funny...So, I guess you also have a sense of humor.”

"Well, I'm not just a pretty face." She placed her focus back on the map. “Quick question. Do you think a chew toy would work against Timberwolves?”

“A chew toy? That’s pretty stupid, actually.” Cornfield begun munching on the bar.

"Yes, it is stupid. I'm trying to figure out how to get through them, but I have no luck just guessing like this.” She sighed and leaned back, trying to think harder. “I went to Twilight's Castle to get more information on them last night, but she's out on princess duty."

“Hmmmm...Dealing with timberwolves, eh?” He scratched his head, trying to think of a way to help her. He doesn’t know why he wanted to, other then there was a pretty girl in distress. “You know you could try fireworks!” he blurted out.

"Fire would only just set the whole forest ablaze. I want to avoid that.”

“Huh...I guess you're right…”

"But the noise…” Her eyes light up with hope. “The noise might scare them away. They are just dogs! They have sensitive ears! Even a dog whistle can do the trick!” She got up from the floor and raised her arms in celebration. “Cornfield, that's it!"

“Yaaaaay!” shouted back Cornfield, getting off of the bed. “Glad I came up with it!”

"You? Please. Don't take ALL the credit. It was brainstorm from the both of us."

She looked around the room. There are merely boxes of stuff in a corner that’s still unpacked. Cornfield isn’t bothered by the fact that she’s now looking in his boxes, but he’s annoyed that she didn’t ask first. "There's just so much crap here,” she rudely stated. “Do you have anything that can make a lot of noise?"

“Well, I'm sure YOU could get your girly screams to do the trick.”

Coral looked up at him surprised, pausing for a minute before chuckling. "So, you DO have a spine. You could have fooled me.” Sounds of clutter hitting each other resonate from her digging through the boxes. "But, no, we need something sharper. Ear piercing even. I’m thinking maybe we can bang pots and pans together, but..."

“Yeah, we’d look ridiculous.”

“And having all of that with us would be cumbersome if we do have to run.” Coral’s wind was knocked out of her sails pretty quickly. If Cornfield didn’t have anything compact that would drive off the Timberwolves, what then? She sighed and stopped looking in Cornfield’s stuff.

“Hmmm…” Cornfield hummed in thought. “Do you think Zecora would have something we could use?

"Zecora? Who is that? Does she specialize in creatures like them?"

“...I'm sure she knows a particular weakness...she's smart that way!” Despite the young colt’s assurance, he had only came across Zecora a few times when he was chillaxing and exploring the perilous forest. He even once attempted to snap a pic of the unsuspecting zebra, except, she was NOT so unsuspecting after all! In spite of that, she was always a good neighbor, and he wanted to appear more helpful to his new partner than somepony who just tagged along for the ride.

Coral sat on the floor, crossed her forelegs, and thought hard of the choices in front of her. Asking somepony else for help would mean more ponies that are onto her schemes. It meant more chances for ponies to grab The Heart of Nature before she did. She wasn’t willing to trust a total stranger. One other option, however, was to make a lot of noise with items that would burden her. If it worked, that means she’d have to carry that stuff with her everywhere to deter them, making the journey more strenuous. If it didn’t work, they would both be slow and easy prey.

After carefully weighing her options, Coral decided to make a safe bet. "Where does she live?" she asked Cornfield.

“Oh, right,” Cornfield recalled “She's in the Everfree Forest! That'll make it easy, right?”

"Oh? That's convenient enough…” With an inviting motion of a single claw and the fluttering of her eyelashes, she called him over. “Come here. See if you can't point at the map where she is." He obliged and walked over to the map to sit on the other end of it across from her.

He studied the map carefully, eyeing the familiar landmarks and routes on the old map. Although it looked different, the Everfree Forest’s landscape stayed roughly the same. Cornfield glided his hoof down an imaginary path as Coral studied the direction his hoof was going. “There!” he shouted as he tapped a spot.

Wasting no time while the path was fresh in her memory, Coral took her pencil and drew a detour on the map. Satisfied, she rolled up the map, opened her saddlebag, and carefully tucked it inside. "I hope you ate your bar, Cornfield. It's time for a little field trip."

“Yay! Let's go!” Cornfield shouted, feeling like a colt that took what Coral said literally. He rushed her out the door, virtually pushing her out!

"Whoa! Eager, are we?" Coral chuckled under her breath with a smirk. "Thankfully, so am I."

“I've never been on an adventure with anypony before, especially with a pretty mare!” Cornfield shouted out, hoping that there were other ponies around to hear his excitement.

Coral was quick to silence him, shushing him down. "Remember, Cornfield. This is hush-hush. We can't let other ponies know what we are doing.” Gently, she tapped his nose with her claw. "This is strictly a need-to-know basis.”

“Oh, right right! Like Bon Bon! Super secret spy classified black ops stuff! Yeah!” He's hopping like a certain pink resident of Ponyville that ate too many cupcakes.

Coral smiled, rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "Yes, but the gem of a lifetime is at stake here." Walking in front of him, she pulled out her map and compass. "Follow me, Cornfield. If I spot danger, you should be the first to know and run."

He stopped hopping around, and turned to face her with a confused expression… “Wait, you don't think I'm just a pushover, do you?”

"Well, your ability to run and hide from danger is handy,” Coral said as she led the way. “You'll follow my lead when I'm scouting, and I'll follow yours when things go belly up.”

Thinking to himself, Cornfield was not happy to be cast on the wayside like some pet. “I'll show her.” he thought. “I may be young and small...but I'm still capable of protecting me and her! I'll show her. I'll go from underdog to knight in shining armor. Just wait…”

Brushing and navigating through the thick foliage, the unlikely duo waded through the Everfree Forest. Coral checked her map every so often to see where they were heading. If Cornfield was correct, they are getting closer to Zecora's hut. She put her map back in her knapsack and continued forward with her “guide” following behind her, enjoying the view in front of him. Finally finding a sizable clearing to walk in, they followed a dirt path with a bubbling green marsh beside them. Coral swatted a few mosquitoes away, trying not to get bit, but a much larger threat was lurking below in the depths of the bog, eyeing them carefully.

“Hey...Coral?” asked Cornfield, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"Yes, Cornfield?" she answered back.

After a short pause, Cornfield stopped to look around the woods. “Do you feel like something might be watching us?”

Coral stopped in her tracks to search with him. Meanwhile, a log was slowly approaching them in the marsh, undetected. "Do you feel that way, too? I thought the same… But, where?”

Suddenly, the rest of the log emerged from the water with a giant splash, startling the two in a fright. Splashes of water rain down as a ferocious Cragadile roared, bearing its hungry teeth against its new prey.

“AAAAAAAAAH!” screamed Cornfield! “A CRAGADILE!” Not knowing where to go, he jumped into the foliage nearby to hide away.

“WHAT?!" Coral shouted back. With a row of sharp teeth coming fast at her, she attempted to dodge out of the way. However, the monstrous rocky lizard clamped a hold of her tail in his jaws. Coral gasped loudly as she was pulled toward the Cragadile’s marsh by her rear end.

"NO!” she shouted. “No no no NO NO!”

Frozen in fear, Cornfield silently watched in the bushes. The Cragadile dragged her towards the water, hoping to submerge, overwhelm, and sink its teeth in her properly. "Oh no!” he thought, shaking. “What'll I do???" He popped his head out of the shrubs and shouted “Hold on, Coral! I’ll think of something”.

Coral had her stomach on the ground, dragging her claws in the dirt. She wanted to take her knife out of her bag and cut her tail hairs off. However, she also knew that if she lost her grip, she's done for. "Rrrrgh!” she grunted and strained. “RRRRGH! CORNFIEEEEELD!"

Looking down the path they were traveling down in a panic, Cornfield considered fleeing for help. “We're so close to Zecora!” he thought. “Should I get her?”

Coral could feel her hooves touch the murky water. "Please!” she pleaded in desperation. “Cornfield... Don't leave me..."

With nothing left to do, Cornfield took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and sprinted towards the Cragadile. Jumping across the water, his hidden Earth pony strength somehow stomped on the monster's head hard enough to get its attention.

"Cornfield?!" Coral shouted in disbelief. Irritated at this nuisance, the cragadile snapped its jaws to get a taste of him. In doing so, it released Coral’s tail as she crawled out of the water, and turned to gauge the situation. Cornfield was holding on to the top of its head, trying desperately not to let go and fall into the marsh.

“HAAYYUULLPP!” He shouted back.

In any other situation, with any other rude, selfish, gullible or obnoxious pony, she would have turned her tail and fled. She always lived by her rule to look out for herself and only herself. That changed today as she spread her wings and lifted off the ground. “Hold on, Cornfield!” She flew above the beast as it tumbled and swung its head around. When she got the chance to get close, she extended her claws out to him. "Take my talons!”

“CORAL!” Then Cornfield jumped off the beast’s head as he extended his hooves to her. Grabbing on to both forelegs and adjusting in the air to compensate for added weight, she pulled him up as the Cragadile lunged out of the water for him. Thankfully, it missed them both and falls in the mucky marsh in a terrific, roaring splash. While it was disoriented, Coral flew him to safety further down the path to Zecora’s hut.

After flying a bit further to guarantee their safety, she allowed her partner to settle on the ground as she huffed and landed across from him. Cornfield was a little shook up from the entire ordeal as he looked behind him. He can hear the splashes, but it doesn’t look like it’s coming after them. "I think,” Cornfield gasped, “I think we lost it..." His heart kept beating rapidly after he processed the fact he was almost the lunch of that big monster. “Th...that was TOO close!”

"That was…” Coral huffed, putting her claws on her chest. “I was almost a goner... and then you went and did a stupid thing.” Her volume increased as she goes into hysterics about what happened. “And then, YOU were in danger. But I saved you, but you saved me first and…” Coral paused on the last sentence she said as she removed her claws off her chest and back on the ground. "You saved me... first..."

Almost in a trance, she reached her forelegs out and placed her talons on Cornfield’s shoulders. He looked at her with bewilderment, muttering only a single “Huh”. Without warning, she pulled him closer to her as he faceplants into her chest. His cheek can feel her feathery soft fur as she hugged him tight.

"I'm sorry!” Coral shouted out, ready to cry while squeezing him. “I should have been more cautious! I've had my share of dangerous stunts, but the Everfree Forest is nothing compared to old ruins or caves!" She leaned her head closer to his. "I never meant to endanger you like this..."

“O-O-Oh!” Cornfield stuttered. “That's ok!” He smiled to himself, enjoying the warmth of her body on his face. “I'm in love all over again!” he thought so wistfully.

Off to the side, a mysterious stranger cleared her throat. “I'm glad to see a touching sight,” the voice said. “But, I must ask. Are you all right?”

Coral gasped as she released Cornfield from around her forelegs. Embarrassed and blushing red like a ripe peach, she brushed herself off as she stared at the zebra, acting like nothing had happened. "Are... you Zecora?" she finally asked after an awkward silence.

The zebra stood proudly with a distinctive striped mohawk, pleased that her reputation preceded her. "What you say is indeed true,” she said with a smile. “I am she, but who are you?"

Eager to greet a familiar face, Cornfield got up from the ground and ran up to her. “Zecora!” he cried out.

"Cornfield!” she exclaimed. “What a nice surprise. You’re certainly a sight for sore eyes."

“We were attacked by a giant pony-eating MONSTER!” he cried back, standing up with his forelegs outstretched, emphasizing the size of the beast.

Zecora patted her hoof on Cornfield’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Indeed, the forest has creatures that are deadly, but have you braved them to come see me?”

“We have.” Coral chimed in, getting a little impatient.

"Ah, a hippogriff? A rarity.” Zecora stated as she looked her up and down. “None of your kind have visited me."

“Yeah!” Cornfield excitedly said. “Her name's Coral’s Cobalt!” He paused for a moment, scratching his head. Something didn’t seem right to him.

"Actually, It's Cobalt Coral,” she corrected. “But, close enough. Ponies just call me Coral, so I know how that's confusing..."

Zecora walked over and extended her hoof to Coral. They shake on it to close the introduction. “Surely, this is not a nature walk,” she rhymed. “Both of you come to my hut, then we'll talk."

As the zebra led the way to her hut, Cornfield eagerly followed behind while Coral kept her distance behind them. They approached her hut as the treasure hunter noted the amount of knick-knacks hanging from the tree. Zecora opened the door as she and Cornfield walk inside. If the decorations outside were off-putting, the strange and otherworldly masks on the wall, alchemy equipment, and the cauldron in the middle of the room were enough to make her believe she was visiting another part of Equestria entirely.

"I've never seen such things outside Mount Aris,” Coral said to Zecora. “What are you? Some kind of alchemist?"

Closing the door with a slight grin, Zecora chanted "I've dabbled in many a brew... Are you here for me to whip up one or two?"

“Zecora has a lot of strange and mystical stuff!” Cornfield blurted. “Aaaaand she's an expert on the unknown. I've come to her on two occasions I had poison joke.”

"Poison joke?” Coral cocked her head to the side at the sound of that. “That sounds…” She shook her head. “Anyway, um, no... we're having problems with Timberwolf attacks. Are there any remedies or potions we can have to deter them?"

Zecora tapped her hoof on the tip of her chin a few times, sizing Coral up. “Hmmm. Pots and pans more than suffice, if the wolves aren't playing nice,” explained Zecora. “But to ask of something else to repel? Is there something you don't wish to tell?”

"Oh, no, I don't wish to provoke them on purpose.” Coral deflected. “I just want to walk in the woods with my friend without wolves coming to bite my hindquarters."

“Yeah, Zecora,” Cornfield agreed, “We just need a little discretion from timberwolves. Kinda like that one time I needed a potion to stand on clouds for a certain... photo shoot.” Cornfield scratched his head and blushed, thinking of all the pictures he took of the mares in the Wonderbolts and their skin-tight jumpsuits during their shows. One of them even had a nice subtle tear in the right spot.

Shrugging, Zecora turned and walked to her cabinet without saying a word. She pulled out a bottle, already brewed and labelled, and gave it to Cornfield, snapping him out of his daydreaming.

"Lately, the forest had been riled.” Zecora said with a less than welcoming tone as she turned and walked slowly to Coral. “The creatures inside it had gone wild. They seek an intruder and will not rest, until he…” The wise zebra glared at Coral as the hippogriff backed away slowly. “Or she... is gone from this forest." Out of fear of the threatening glare from the witch doctor, Coral avoided to make eye contact with her. "I will not pry. I will not judge. But, I'll give your morals a slight nudge. If there's something here that you came to do, then do it and let the consequences fall on you."

"I…” said Coral bowing her head to Zecora, knowing her jig was up. “I need to do this... It's the only way I can make sure that nothing like what happened with the Storm King will ever happen again."

Zecora nodded, content that her suspicions were correct. "... I knew it to be true... You have heard the legends, haven't you?"

Staring at Coral in disbelief as she let out a sigh, the unassuming green colt thought to himself about why Zecora was being so uncharacteristically harsh to some creature she just met. Come to think of it, he never asked what this gem really was, distracted by his OWN “prized possession” as he was. “Uh, hey,” interrupted Cornfield. “What are you talking about?”

Zecora’s anger towards Coral momentarily halted as she turned her head towards her little-too-friendly neighbor. "Listen to me, Cornfield. That gem is no ordinary stone. It holds the very power of nature alone." Pointing her hoof at his direction, she turned her attention back to the nervous hippogriff. "You wish to be happy? To prevent more strife? Would you go so far as to risking his life?"

“What do you mean the power of nature? Like, butterflies and flowers and stuff like that?” he asked.

“Flora, fauna, and all in between.” She turned and walked towards his position. “It can manipulate all, do you see what I mean?!"

Cornfield scratched his head. “I have no idea.”

Huffing in frustration, Zecora coldly turned her back on Coral. "Whatever tragedy you endured to give you your cause, that power is not meant for your greedy claws." Zecora eyed Cornfield, still holding the bottle in his hooves. After a short pause, she stated "Apply the formula on your fur and your hair. The scent of the potion will be too much to bear".

“Ugh.” gagged Cornfield. “It does wear off...Right?”

“It will wear off naturally in an hour or two. There's no need to use extra shampoo.” Zecora closed her eyes and stood silent in meditation. "Coral, tread whatever path you wish to be on. But I shall help you no further. Now, begone...

"Why are you so upset?!” Coral shouted back, fed up with being treated like the villain in this argument. “You have a gemstone that is able to change the world! If you have the power to save lives with it, then-"

Furiously, Zecora ran up to Coral, getting in her face with an angry grimace. "I will scream this and shout until dusk and until dawn! I will not discuss this further! Now, BEGONE!"

Coral reared back after taking a verbal thrashing from Zecora's harsh rhyming rhetoric. She glanced at her partner, who was looking back at her, before making a hasty retreat out of the hut to save face. “Wait!” Cornfield cried out, about to give chase.

"Cornfield, come here!” commanded Zecora. “I must borrow your ear..."

“Huh?” Cornfield stopped in his tracks to look back at Zecora. “What is it, Zecora?”

Zecora breathed another heavy sigh and slowly approached him. He’s almost worried that he would be next to recieve her anger, but her face looked more regretful than angry. "She's lost and confused. Unsure on what to do.” She placed her hoof gently on his shoulders. “I'm sorry, but her future actions fall on you. She needs someone like you to help her decide. Do not be strung along in her own selfish pride."

“Is something bad gonna happen, Zecora? What's up with the gem?”

"It maintains the balance of the Everfree.” said Zecora as she waved her hoof off his shoulder and around her. “It stimulates every plant, animal, and tree."

So, somepony could maybe use it...for bad?”

"Do you know how nature is uncontrolled here? Why the ponies who approach run in fear? It thrives on it's own. It needs nopony's aid. The Heart of Nature's light. But, what happens should it fade?" Cornfield thought on it for a bit. Seeing he’s still struggling to understand, she added "If its light should disappear, the forest stands still. The animals begin to lose their will. Nothing grows naturally. Life will fade. All without the Heart of Nature's aid". Backing off a bit from him, she rubbed her hoof on her forehead in frustration. "Do you see why I'm upset? Why I'm flustered and mad? Taking that gem is nothing but bad."

“I'm sure she has good intentions, Zecora.” He put his right hoof on his chest. “She showed me as much.”

"I cannot stop her, though. I must only observe. As a humble witch doctor, I live only to serve. It must fall on you on what to do with Coral's inner hate.” She put her hooves on Cornfield’s shoulders and put her face close to his, whispering "Be her guide and decide her fate".

Staring into Zecora’s troubled eyes, he thought about the idea of being Coral’s consciousness, guiding her and keeping her company as she pursue her goals. He liked it. He gave a hardy nod as he smiled back at her. She smiled back as she let go of him. "Go and be well,” she said softly. “Good luck to you. If you need further assistance, you know who to go to."

“I'll keep that in mind.” With the bottle in his possession, he headed out. Before leaving, he gave her a quick wave goodbye. “See you around, Zecora.”

Author's Note

Art by me. Editing made by TheFlamesOfSorrow. Thank you all for reading!