Author's Note

Magic, zebras, and perspectives, oh my. A certain wolf-pony makes a reappearance.
Please do comment and leave your opinion, and my apologies for the absolutely horrible attempt at rhyming for the first few things that Zecora says.
If you see something that you think is a spelling error, please do point it out.

Esoteric

I sat down the I book reading with a weary sigh, I had gone back to sleep after I had sequestered myself back behind Haven's walls. Dawn had just broken over the canopy when I awoke again, after a rather careful bath I had made quick work of breakfast and gotten around to studying my new books. Of course, I ended up cross-referencing the more modern ones with the older ones to help my studies and began to understand part of my issue with figuring out magic was a lack of foundational theory, by the time most unicorns read the theory I was reading they had years of practical magics and learned theory under their belt. Thankfully I had adapted to learning things rather quickly so it didn't take long to fix the holes in my spell casting. I had gotten lucky when I had first assessed my magic as apparently the process was a lot more difficult than I thought, doing it without help was supposed to take days of meditation, not the couple of hours it took me,

My tails twitched in agitation at the thought of the second hammer blow to my future plans, the furry tips causing the morning fog to swirl in different directions. Runes, languages that are so ancient that they became something almost mystical in the eyes of modern people. Most fantasy and fictional stories told of runes being magical and imparting effects on that which they are carved, for the most ancient of the languages this was true. Language runes are rather important to things like enchanting and setting wards with specific intentions. That's where their usefulness stops however, I had hoped to replace the runes in the spell arrays with Norse runes in order to make advanced spells easier for myself. The first few opening pages in the rune book I had taken from the castle shattered that plan like a baseball to a pane of glass.

You see the Arcalok or runes of magic as they were more commonly called, were not a language of mortals or even immortals, they were the symbols that magic itself used to represent concepts. In practice this was a relatively simple idea, one rune meant the very concept of fire the other the concept of ice, the problem comes when you throw mortal minds into the mix. No one person held the exact same idea of any one concept of something. One person could see fire as this all-consuming force, while another might see a source of purification and soothing warmth, this led to people having their own "handwriting" when it came to runes. They would instinctively change bits of a rune to match their idea of a concept.

This handwriting causes people to have vastly different effects when casting spells, an example of this is a healing spell created by someone who sees fire as a warm comfort. A person who sees fire as a destructive force can still use the spell, but what was once a slow gentle closure of a wound would now be quick and cauterizing. A person who cast a spell to bring forth a wave of water to crush and drown an enemy might do less damage in the paws of someone who has never experienced drowning than someone who has. The way around this was to customize spells to one's beliefs, if you did not see fire as an overly destructive force, then you could weave the rune for burning or heat into the rune array to increase the those particular aspects of the spell.

Now, one did not need to be a natural magic user to use Arcalok runes, you didn't even need a teacher to learn them, you could meditate on a particular concept and eventually learn the symbol for it. What you do need to use them was an excessive amount of willpower, or a powerful focus. The issue with this is that foci were not as simple as putting a gem in a stick and calling it a day, crafting a focus was a personal and spiritual endeavor. You had to gather the resources yourself, carve the runes yourself, and then imbue it with your magic. I was lucky that much like unicorns I had a natural focus, or rather nine of them that worked in sync.

This is in part what led to ponies being such a dominant race, because one-third of all ponies have a natural focus there civilization developed to have a much higher level of magical education. Most races use an apprenticeship system, one mage teaches a new one. Ponies have Hogwarts, okay jokes aside they have specialized schools for unicorns, though particularly talented might still get chosen for a mentor. From what I could understand by reading the books, ponies were also one of the few races to keep proper spell books due to being one of the few races to have standardized spells, the other was some race called changelings.

Now, normally this would not be enough to cause me too many issues, the problem was that knowing the runes wasn't enough to use them. You had to understand them on a personal level, the easiest way to do this was to experience the concept of the rune and use it to understand. Creating spells was a surprisingly easy task when you did understand, easy but dangerous. New spells could often have unintended effects if you weren't careful. By weaving a rune for impact and fire into an arcane bolt I had expected a firebolt, instead it caused them to act like Roman candles that burst like large firecrackers when they hit things. Adding the rune that represented sharpness caused them to take a sickle shape and gouge into targets like an axe striking wood. Coincidently, I didn't need an axe anymore.

While I was reading, I had slowly been piecing together a spell that while relatively simple on paper was not nearly as so in practice. The idea was to make myself invisible while walking around town, the problem was I didn't really have a true understanding of the concept at least not enough of one to risk it in a spell like that. A rune for shadow could work, but it could also just cause shadows to wrap around me like a cocoon, which was not what I wanted. Shaking my head I put the spell out of my mind for now, it was time to make myself some lunch. I was going to try my luck with rabbit stew, hopefully almaraj didn't taste that different from a rabbit.

While the stew cooked, I realized that it was time to gather some more firewood. The pile I had collected from the last couple of days was getting down to the few logs I grabbed the day before. I decided to clear up the path a bit, using my new cutting spell I managed to lop down a few of the trees near their base. A bit of mana later and I even managed to split them into pieces to carry back easier. I was starting back towards the gate when I caught a new and rather unique scent. It smelt a bit like a pony but different, almost like one had rolled in spices or peppers with a hint of vanilla. I knew that I shouldn't go looking, that pushing my luck could see me killed, but I was a fox and the curiosity would drive me insane if I didn't investigate. Worst case scenario, I could lead them off on a wild goose chase away from Haven.

I shuddered slightly at the thought of them finding the place, I had just started working on making the ancient village home and to see it abandoned now would not leave me in a good mental state. Not that it would matter in the long run, if I lost the safety of the wards it would be a constant battle to survive the forest. I was confident that I could fight off a large chunk of the forest denizens but those battles would add up. I would have a few days at most to find a place safe enough to make a den before the forest killed me. Which in hindsight was another good reason to go and see what was passing by close enough for me to smell.

I followed the scent a good half-mile before it got strong enough that I could almost taste the spicy smell in the air, crouching low I stalked through the undergrowth and into a small clearing. The striped form of my confusing my vision for a second before I realized just exactly what I was looking at, "you're a zebra, why is there a zebra in the Everfree?" the zebra jumped in shock, turning to look at me with surprise and a little fear. She was oddly patterned for one, not really being fully striped for one thing, but she also had something similar to one of the ponies' odd marks. It was sun from what I could tell, done in a spiraling pattern with little triangle markings forming a perimeter around it. She had golden bracelets and bands that when mixed with the somewhat exaggerated slant of her eyes completed an almost stereotypical African appearance.

A slight snarl formed on my muzzle as she slowly reached for a staff that was hung from one side of her saddle bags, I had learned my lesson from Ponyville, I quietly prepared one of my tails to slap the shit out of the mare if she swung that staff. Even from where I was standing, I could see the runes and fetishes that decorated the staff. "Please do not hit me, I have had quite enough of being hit the last few days, and I will leave you stuck in one of the taller trees."

The zebra mare's hoof lowered from the staff before her eyes narrowed at me in suspicion before finally speaking, "why does a fox speak my native tongue, when I have not heard it since I was young?" the tone of her voice was one of surprise and weariness.

I was weary and a little confused, mainly because to my knowledge I had been speaking English and because of the fact she was rhyming. Still, if she proved to be tolerable in conversation I wouldn't look a gift horse, well zebra, in the mouth. Stepping forward slightly, I relaxed my tails and sat on my haunches, allowing the mild snarl on my face to change to a closed line of indifference. The zebra had brought up a point though, I understood the ponies well enough, and thinking back to my encounter with the apparition in the castle it had not looked like he was speaking English when he was talking, better yet the books I had gotten from the castle hadn't been in English either. Most likely my brain was auto-translating things for me, which meant whatever I said was also likely being translated.

Looking back at the mare, she seemed to take my relaxed stance well, relaxing slightly herself. I noted that her hoof stayed within reach of a gourd that smelled heavily of pepper though, it didn't take a genius to realize that if I got on her bad side I was getting pepper-sprayed somehow. Oh well, time to speak bullshit based on a theory. "My nature causes all who hold sapience to hear me in a way they understand, and for me to do the same for them. If I may ask, what causes you to rhyme?"

The zebra watched me for a few seconds, studying my face for lies before answering. " I rhyme as a tool, to remember the rules, ponies have many in speech, so at a pace I preach. If it bothers you so, I will cease before you become foe." she seemed to eye me searching for confirmation that I would like her to stop with the rhyming.

"I wouldn't force you to stop, but it has been a long time now since I've spoken to another person, I'm afraid that my patience for rhyming is low, though I may enjoy a battle of riddles at a later date." I held out one of my paws to shake her hoof, " my name is Harbinger." I frowned slightly that had not been what I had meant to say my name was…, it wasn't harbinger was it? No, I had another name, my name. Surely they didn't take that too.

I was thankfuly not too entrenched in my own derisive thoughts to not notice the zebra hesitantly shake my outstretched appendage, her hoof disappearing inside my massive paw as I gently shook. The mare stepped back as if to get a better look at me before speaking, this time normally. "My name is Zecora, to answer your first question the forest is home to many a rare ingredient. I am an alchemist by trade, thus it is here that I came. There is many a skill to be learned in the forest." the mare paused seeming to judge whether she should ask something before continuing. "You are the fox that the ponies are in a frenzy about, yes? Have you attacked them so, or are you prey to exaggeration and fear as I do often bare?"

I smothered the anger that welled inside of my chest at her question before trying to think of an answer, her statement seemed to hint that she too seemed to have issues with the ponies, though given the lack of scars on her person I could only imagine it was a little less aggressive than what they did to me. Finding my answer I spoke. " Both if we're being honest, the first time they overreacted to my presence and I had to defend myself, the second was deliberate as I needed supplies to live in the forest. I do not wish to be their monster in the woods but they have left me little choice." the bitterness and pain in my voice could have rivaled a storybook protagonist and it must have shown for she took a little step back before putting a hoof on my chest.

"The ponies fear me yes, but they do not act with violence. The guard prefers to watch but do not interrupt my walk. If it is a conversation you seek my home is not far from the creek. Perhaps I will ask the ponies about news and share with you, the last I walked the pony town was when smoke was around, and a dragon had nested." the mare pointed a hoof in a direction, "A league in that direction you will find a clearing with my hut unseen, knock twice and I will see to your needs." with that the mare picked up her things and turned to leave.

"Thank you, for not attacking me or running, " I smiled slightly at both the lack of conflict and the seeming difficulty she was having at dropping the rhythm of her words, despite my bad mood it was somewhat amusing. I was interested in this talk of dragons, I knew they existed in this world but it made me wonder how they were viewed on a wider scale. Still, my thoughts moved back to the realization that I couldn't remember my original name and my smile dropped to a heavy frown as I turned and started off towards Haven. Another piece gone, I wondered how many more I would lose before I a stranger to myself.

Making sure to collect the wood I had dropped when I had first caught Zecora's scent I piled it up and went pack to my soup, it was decent but I really needed more common vegetables, like carrots or potatoes. As I ate I thought back to what Zecora had said, something about the directions she gave kept bothering me. Something about her hut being unseen, "unseen, hmm." my eyes widened as it came to me, surely it couldn't be that simple of a solution. My stew lay forgotten as I quickly began weaving an array.

???

A loud clattering noise echoed throughout the secure room as the door slammed against the wall, the mare winced slightly at the loud noise. Her more lupine ears flattening against her head as Stonehoof slammed the door shut behind him. She snarled slightly when he shoved his hoof against her chest aggravating the bruised bones. "How could you be so stupid you mutt, It is bad enough that Snowtalon made me take you on this hunt, but now you've gone and made yourself useless too. , thankfully we brought the other mutt or we'd have to track the beast the hard way." she watched as the earthpony stormed out of the room, the door once again slamming shut.

She glanced down beside her bed and sighed, her spear had broken during her fight with the fox. No doubt that the guild weaponsmith would deny that it was broken on the job and that the guild wouldn't pay for it. She would have to buy a new one out of her own pocket, if she even got paid. She wasn't oblivious to how she was treated by everyone besides Snowtalon, if the guild had their way they would be hunting her. It was him taking her on as a personal apprentice that had saved her from being put down when she had been found as a foal. Of course, it hadn't been compassion that had driven him to do so, Snowtalon had taken her as a tool. Few sapient species had a better sense of smell than a wolf and those that did weren't welcome in Equestria.

It was partly why she found the fox so interesting, after the battle she had taken time to think about his scent and how he felt to the more primal side of herself. A being's scent could say a lot about a person, what they were, what they ate, and where they lived. Beings of magic had things about their scent that could even help determine their nature. So what did that say about a fox that smelt like oncoming rain and the burning petals of poison joke? She eyed the door as it opened, and a nurse stepped into the room. She looked nervous at being in the same room as the hybrid. "Miss Shadepaw, it's time to change your bandages and eat lunch."

Shadepaw watched as the nurse began to change her bandages, truly she found her fear annoying more than everything. Snowtalon found the way normal ponies shied away from her annoying, he liked to say it was because they knew their place. She couldn't find the amusement personally, the fear and hate just served to remind her that she was different. She would need to check her stash, the one Snowtalon didn't know about. The idea of running to one of the other continents was sounding better by the year. She grimaced slightly as she took a bite of the eggs the nurse had brought, she didn't hate them just got tired of eating them.

She glanced out the window to her hospital room, the rest of her party would leave to hunt down the fox soon, probably before the storm that the pegasi were making. The weather would be a wash away any scents or tracks that the fox might leave. They would leave her here, of course, they wouldn't want the mutt to ruin their fun after all. She watched the dark trees of the forest sway beneath the wind, it almost seemed like it was beckoning her to enter to continue the hunt. It didn't matter the fox would likely kill them if the forest itself didn't.

She glanced back ears perking as the door opened again, a butterscotch pegasi entering the room, Shadepaw couldn't help but stare in surprise, she had thought the element of kindness to be a coward why on Equis would she be visiting her? The pegasus held up a small bag that smelt like fish of all things. The mare sent a nervous look at the broken bloodstained spear next to the bed before walking forward and holding out the bag, " I-i br-brought you some f-fish." Shadepaw stared at the other pony in shock before her face softened, perhaps she had misjudged this one.