The New Problem

It had been two full days since Moonlight had the nightmare and the dream involving Twilight Sparkle. Floral Blossom was starting to get worried about her guest. She didn't eat anything, she barely drank the water she had been provided and every time the Kirin tried to check up on her, she didn't even react. The unicorn mare just stared at the wall if she was awake, but most of the time she slept. This wasn't like her, she was rude to all of them, sure, but she at least interacted with them. This was just abnormal for anypony. The young Kirin knocked on the door of the guest room, hoping for an answer this time, but there was none. She hesitantly opened the door and saw that the bed was empty. She flung open the door as her heart raced and she looked around the room to see that the window was open and the curtains were flapping in the wind.

She immediately feared the worst and turned around to gallop out of the house to look for their guest. It wouldn't have been the first time she had ran away. She ran through the hall of the house and stopped at the kitchen when she saw the familiar unicorn mare rummaging through their fridge. The student of the School of Friendship hesitated for a moment, she didn't know what to do or say in this situation. She merely chose to sit there and watch the unicorn to make sure nothing happened

"It'd be easier for me to tolerate you if you were to speak up," an annoyed voice said, breaking the Kirin out of her confusion.

"S-sorry," was the only word that she could muster.

The unicorn mare silently continued to rummage through the fridge, trying to find something to eat. Not only that, she was trying to find something to drink, she was thirsty even though she had drank and whole glass of water. The two of them continued in silence, but a huff from the investigator broke the silence. "Say something, you're making me uneasy, Floral," she demanded.

The Kirin squeaked, she had been put on the back foot by this. But fortunately for her, her father had walked into the room. "Listen here, miss. We have been nothing but kind to you, we have shown you the utmost hospitality and all you have done in return is be rude to my family and I," he said, his voice doing nothing to hide his annoyance.

The unicorn mare turned around and slammed the fridge door with her rear leg. She gave the Kirin stallion a glare that would get most ponies to back off from her, but this one was different, he didn't stand down. He pointed at the door with his hoof and glared right back, "I think you should leave until you get your attitude in order," he stated.

The unicorn stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Floral Blossom looked up at her father, "Dad, was it really necessary to throw her out like that. She's lonely and has no friends..." she asked him.

"Sometimes, you have to put your foot down. I know that it's not the easiest thing to do, but you need to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear," the stallion replied.

An hour had passed maybe more and Moonlight still kept galloping. She was furious about what had happened earlier. But more importantly, she was lost. This forest she had wandered into was seemingly endless, there weren't any landmarks that she was familiar with for her to find her way through it, there wasn't enough sunlight filtering through the trees for her to get her bearings from the positioning of the sun.

She cursed herself for running into a forest, but something caught her attention. Something that caused her blood to freeze in her veins. A howling from her right. She stopped and then leapt forward, barely avoiding an attack by a Timberwolf. She quickly reared back and slammed her front hooves together, she was looking for an excuse, any excuse to blow off some steam.

A rustling behind her should have alerted her to the fact that this Timberwolf wasn't alone, but it didn't. She was so focused on the one in front of her that she completely ignored the one behind her. The weight of what felt like a pile of logs slammed into her back. She hit the ground immediately and felt the breath of the Timberwolf on the back of her neck. She regretted coming out to this forest alone, without any friends, and without a guide to help her. She closed her eyes and screamed out loud. Hoping anyone would hear her.

There was a rustling in the bushes and a clinking sound of glass hitting the ground. A bright light erupted through the trees and the Tinderwolves both backed off howling in pain. The investigator was blinded by this as well. A hoof grabbed her own, "Let us go to my place. There you will have your space," a voice in a thick accent said.

Moonlight was dragged blindly by this creature through a path that offered as little resistance as possible. She couldn't see her rescuer, but something in her told her that whoever had chosen to rescue her wasn't so bad. Her rescuer suddenly stopped, but the unicorn mare remained calm. This didn't go unnoticed. "You seem to know that the blindness will wear off. It is unusual for a pony to bear such observational skills," the voice said again.

There was an involuntary sigh of relief from the unicorn mare. This also didn't go unnoticed.

"I see, you thought your vision would be gone for good. That vial was only to blind those wolves of wood," the voice reassured her.

A door opened and the black void of Moonlight's vision started to become a colorful blur. She wasn't able to see anything in the form of shapes, but at least her vision was returning. She walked through the door and placed her muzzle to the ground. She used that as a way to sense where she was going.

"Ah, I see this isn't your first time you have been blind. Let us hope this isn't the worst time," the voice from before stated.

Moonlight found her way to a bed and climbed into it, she laid down not knowing where else to go or what else to do. She was confused, alone and she had just been attacked before and now she was blinded by someone who rescued her. She was tense from everything that had happened, but the fact that this mysterious pony had saved her hadn't done anything to earn her trust, she wouldn't let her guard down.

"It has been long since a pony hasn't trusted me, but the last time they saw that they were wrong. If you must know my name, then I ask you to do me the same," the creature rhymed again.

This rhyming was starting to annoy the unicorn mare, but she sat up as best as she could, "Moonlight Gleam."

"Zecora."

"You didn't rhyme, thank the maker."

"I only rhyme when I have enough time to say what I need to say," Zecora said smugly.

"That is annoying," the investigator replied.

The Zebra laughed and handed the investigator a concoction. "I was told that you need a change of perspective. If you would be so bold to drink this, it will grant what you need," she said.

The investigator grabbed the vial in both of her front hooves, she didn't exactly know how grip anything properly, but she was figuring it out slowly. She brought the vial up to her lips and started to drink it.

It was foul tasting and she found herself retching at the taste. Her vision started to become more clear, and she saw and felt something was off. Everything started to feel so far away. No, everything was getting bigger. Her mind started to panic, she had no idea what she was going to do, but a hoof on her shoulder kept her pinned down. A stern look from the Zebra made it known that she wasn't going to go anywhere.

"What did you do to me!?" Moonlight protested.

"You think you are big, so the Princess and I believed it was time for you to shrink a little," Zecora replied.

The unicorn mare's mind flashed back to her nightmare. Her breathing became shallow and rapid, her heart started beating faster and harder than it had ever done before. She wouldn't have admitted to it, but she was terrified.

"I know you are scared young Moonlight. You will be allowed to choose to stay or go, but in either instance you will be safe," the Zebra tried to assure her.

The investigator squirmed out of the Zebra's grip and rushed to the door. She slammed into it hoping that it'd bust open, but she was too light to have such luck. The shaman hadn't moved from her position since, but she held out a hoof with a caring smile on her face. "I do not do this to hurt you, though it seems curt, it will teach you," she said in a caring tone.

"How! By turning me into a glorified mouse!" Moonlight snapped back as she backed up towards a corner.

"If you weren't so afraid, you would go to a mirror. The shrinking has stopped, it was intended to make you the size of a filly," Zecora stated.

The unicorn caught her breath and looked around, everything had indeed stopped getting bigger. She was unsure of this shaman, but then the larger zebra pulled out a plate of food and set it on the bed. "Here is some food for you little one, may it improve your mood," she said as she backed away from the bed.

Moonlight slowly inched towards the bed, things were much bigger than they used to be, but Zecora didn't seem malicious, nor did it seem like she really wanted to hurt her. She gained a bit of confidence, which caused the older and larger zebra to smile. She climbed up onto the bed and sat in front of the food. She started to sniff it hesitantly.

"I know you do not trust me after what I did to you, but you must know that I would not harm you," the Zebra reassured.

The unicorn's stomach growled in protest and she started eating the food she had been offered. A hoof stroked her on the back gently, which caused her to feel as if she had belonged for the first time in the world. It started to remind the investigator of her times with her mother back when she was a child. She had enjoyed being held by her mother and her mom gently rubbing her back to help calm her down during storms.

"Everything will be alright," her mother's voice said.

Moonlight stopped eating and started to look around, only to be met with the motherly gaze of Zecora. "You were lost in your mind, however I think it's time for you to unwind. The decision is for you to make. Stay here or go to Ponyville, but you will walk the path you take," she said calmly.

The unicorn didn't know exactly what she wanted to do, she knew about the dangers in the woods and she didn't know exactly how everyone would feel about her in her current form. She was scared, unsure. She looked down at the sheets on the bed that she was occupying and then she looked back at the shaman, "Are you sure that I can stay here?" she asked.

Zecora nodded with a smile and patted the unicorn on the head.

"Then, I'll stay here until I'm made big again or Luster and her friends come and get me," the investigator said.

"If that is what you choose, make sure you have nothing to lose," the shaman warned.

"I know that I won't be able to leave without you or one of them and this is a safe place in this forest. I'll try to be on my best behavior, I don't want to get tossed out," Moonlight squeaked.

Zecora gave her a shake of the head, "I will never put you in danger, but remember that I am a shaman, not a ranger," she stated.

The unicorn mare nodded and laid down on the bed, curling up. She was tired from running, the potion, and from the panicking. Her eyes closed and she fell asleep quite quickly, her mind wondering what Luster would think if she saw her.