It only took Fluttershy a few minutes to get Zecora to wake up. She cared for her friend, made sure there were no open wounds, and made her a pot of her best tea, to ease the throbbing pain in Zecora's head.

Zecora sat up on Fluttershy's couch when the mare returned. Fluttershy gave her a freshly poured cup of tea and set the pot on the table in front of her. Zecora took a sip and immediately felt nature's wonders begin to work on her sore skull. It was a very welcome relief, not only to her head.

The first thing she had done after waking up was to use the bucket Fluttershy had prepared. It was a natural phenomenon and one that she was only too aware of. That didn't make the lingering taste any better, though.

"Thank you, Fluttershy," she said after taking a sip. "I never knew, how much of--"

Zecora froze and her eyes widened. Fluttershy watched with concern as Zecora lifted a hoof to her mouth and held it there, as if to keep something in.

"Zecora? What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked and Zecora said with a quiet voice:

"My rhyme... They stole my rhyme..."

"... Is that... good or bad?" Fluttershy asked innocently, only to quickly scurry back when Zecora fixed her with a very angry gaze.

"Good?! How could this possibly be good?! It's the worst thing they could've ever done to me!" she shouted angrily, jumping up and almost kicking the teapot off the table. "Rhyming is the symbol of a shaman! It displays our position, shows our wisdom and they just STOLE IT from me!"

Zecora grunted and made for the door, but the bear blocked her way.

"Let me out, you vile wall of pelt! I have to leave, NOW!" She shouted, but the bear didn't budge.

"Zecora, please, calm down. We can help you, if you want. You just need to--"

"I don't want your help, I want their heads!" Zecora screamed, as she tried - and failed - to press past the bear.

Fluttershy sighed.

"Okay, I guess that means we have to take the hard way." she said to nopony in particular, before speaking to the bear. "Would you please be so kind as to hold her while I go and get the joy jacket?"

The bear nodded and grabbed Zecora while Fluttershy went into one of her storage chambers. Zecora screamed and shouted in rage and tried to free herself, but ultimately to no avail...

"[... I feel insulted.]" Straßenbauer stated, as he and Eisenhans looked over the outskirts of Ponyville from their new observation point.

"[Yeah, I getcha. Took me a moment, but I getcha.]" Eisenhans agreed.

The two had relocated after watching Fluttershy take Zecora into her house and treat her. Mostly because it felt a bit weird to watch someone sleep through a window.

"[Seriously, though: who in their right mind builds a castle in the shape of a giant middle finger?]" Straßenbauer asked in playfully overdone agitation, and pointed towards the castle.

"[If you keep screaming like that, we'll have another pony sneak up on us soon.]" Eisenhans reprimanded.

"[Nah, don't worry.]" Straßenbauer waved him off. "[Zecora only managed to do so because I let my guard down. I guess finding to be in magical pony land had me slacking a bit.]" He admitted.

"[If you say so...]" Eisenhans said, unconvinced.

The two then lay there for a few minutes in silence, until Straßenbauer spoke up again.

"[You know, now that I think about it: Ponies don't have hands, so they couldn't know about the middle finger.]"

"[Well, duh, but the animation team probably did.]" Eisenhans replied, making Straßenbauer roll his eyes.

"[Ok, yeah, but I don't think Lauren Faust created this universe, now did she? If anything, this universe probably influenced her when she wrote the story.]" He mused.

"[How?]" Eisenhans asked with a raised eyebrow. Straßenbauer didn't really have an answer for that, which he signified with an overly elaborate shrug.

"[I dunno.]" He said. "4th degree, inter-dimensional warp fuckery?"

After saying that, he looked around, seemingly waiting for something. When nothing happened, he turned back to Eisenhans.
"[You know, I was half expecting Games Workshop to come crashing through time and space, to give me a CnD.]"

Eisenhans almost had trouble keeping up with Straßenbauer's shenanigans by this point, but answered anyways:
"[Why? I mean that quote was from TTS, isn't that a fan project?]"

"[Well yes, but in recent days, Games Workshop has been punching everyone in the face, who even just tangentially-]"

Straßenbauer cut himself off and he and Eisenhans both whirled around to look behind them.

They were being watched.

Only a few metres behind them stood an entity. It looked somewhat like a pony in its shape, but that's where the similarities ended. Its 'coat' was green and mossy, seemingly consisting of living plant matter. The same went for its mane, which was seemingly made out of lianas, hanging down almost all the way to the ground. It stood almost as tall as Straßenbauer and was thus a good bit taller than Eisenhans. Its eyes had no irises, only two black pupils that were trained on the two and its face held neither nostrils, nor a mouth.

Eisenhans and Straßenbauer stood there petrified for a moment, as they beheld the entity. It wasn't threatening in its pose and didn't approach them any further. However, the way that it remained completely still, save for its eyes that flicked between the two every once in a while, made it feel very uncanny. Especially considering that the lack of movement in its chest area also suggested that it wasn't breathing at all - at least not in the usual sense.

"Das Viech ist gruselig." (That creature's creepy.) Straßenbauer said after a few tense seconds.

"No shit, Sherlock." Eisenhans hissed. "'ne Idee, was das für ein Viech ist?" (Any idea, what kinda creature that is?)

"Nope." Straßenbauer replied. "Zumindest sieht's bisher nicht feindlich aus." (At least, it doesn't look hostile, thus far.)

At that moment, they both happened to blink at the same time... and the entity reacted.

Eisenhans didn't notice it, but Straßenbauer, with his senses on overdrive, very much did. The sudden, light gust of air that carried a very brief scent of wet moss. The very subtle and very slight shift in the soil in front of him. The sudden, vague sense that just for a brief moment, something was right in front of him.

When their eyes opened again, the entity was just where it was, seemingly as unmoving as before. Straßenbauer, however, knew better than this.

"Oh fu-hu-hu-hu-huuuck." He cursed with a chuckle that was born of a slight panic that now crept up in him. In a swift motion, he quickly adopted a combat stance, with his left leg slightly forward and his rifle aimed at the creature.

The creature's eyes flicked briefly to the black object it saw in Straßenbauer's hands, before looking up, straight into his eyes.

"Was? Was ist los?" (What? What is it?) Eisenhans asked nervously, as he saw his friend panicking.

"Das Viech... Es war gerade genau vor mir, während ich geblinzelt habe." (The creature... it was right in front of me, when I blinked.) Straßenbauer wheezed, his pulse almost audible in his voice. Though, despite his audible fear, he was... smiling? His face was split with an almost maniacal grin. It was at this moment, that the entity noticed that Straßenbauer was in fact not afraid... he was excited.

"Oh Scheiße." Eisenhans cursed, adopting a slightly lower stance as well. Unfortunately for him, though, his MG and rifle were rested on the ground behind him and he didn't dare turn his back on the entity, after Straßenbauer's statement.

A few minutes passed, both sides staring at the other without making a move. The air was tense, each side staring the other down, but neither side making a move.

Eisenhans's eyes flicked between the entity and his friend. Both of them seemed locked in a stare-down. He knew for a fact that Straßenbauer would not act unless acted upon, but what about the entity? He trusted his friend's awareness, despite what happened with Zecora. That meant that the entity had actually stepped up to them once... but it hadn't taken any offensive action...

Eisenhans took a deep breath. Maybe, they got this all wrong? Maybe, the entity was just as afraid as they were and all it needed was a first contact?

Taking all of his courage, he decided to make a move - literally. He slowly stepped forwards, quickly gaining the attention of the entity. Straßenbauer saw what his friend was doing and slightly lowered his rifle, so that Eisenhans wouldn't pass through his cone of fire.

Eisenhans walked towards the entity, with his hands slightly outstretched in a placating pose, but also so that he could try and wrestle the entity, should it turn out to be hostile. He knew Straßenbauer had his back, but even he needed time to react.

Slowly, he went ever closer to the entity. However, just when he was close enough and wanted to start talking... the entity vanished.

"[Great, now you scared it.]" Straßenbauer complained.

"[I scared IT?! My brother in christ, I think you got something very backwards there.]" Eisenhans wheezed back. "[What was that anyways?!]"

Straßenbauer shrugged. "[I dunno. Maybe Games Workshop sent it? The timing would've matched, at least.]"

Eisenhans didn't have to say his thoughts out loud, for Straßenbauer to understand the look he was giving him.

"[Yeah yeah, alright, I know. But you know, what it could've been? The spirit of the forst that you angered yesterday.]" Straßenbauer pointed out. Eisenhans wanted to say something against that, as well, but had to admit that it wasn't as unlikely, as he wanted it to be.

"[Let's just... hope for the best.]" He simply said. "[In any case, we should probably set up camp, soon. The sun's setting, already.]"

Straßenbauer agreed. The both got their equipment, made sure that everything was accounted for and then went back a bit deeper into the forest.

They were fully aware that this was where the entity likely fled to.

When Twilight entered Fluttershy's home that evening, she was greeted by a rather peculiar sight. Fluttershy and a bear were sitting at her coffee table with Angel Bunny cpnspicuously absent. Right in front of them, on the couch on the other side of the table, sat Zecora with her forehooves bound across her chest and her rear hooves left with just barely enough freedom of motion to keep herself upright.

"Uhh... what's going on here?" she asked uncertainly.

"Hi, Twilight." Fluttershy responded. "I was just having a nice and relaxing conversation with our dear friend, Zecora."

"Yes... relaxing..." The zebra in question parroted, visibly annoyed. "I would be far more relaxed if I wasn't stuck in this stupid jacket."

Twilight found herself thrown for a loop, for a moment. She could've sworn she just heard Zecora speak normally.

Fluttershy read her friend's thoughts and answered, before Twilight could even ask.

"Yes, Twilight, Zecora lost her rhyme." However, before she could continue, Zecora butted in with her voice raised.

"I didn't lose my rhyme, Fluttershy! It was stolen from me by these vile bipeds!"

Twilight looked over to Fluttershy, with a questioning, slightly nervous look. One that Fluttershy almost immediately picked up on.

"She was brought here unconscious by two bipedal creatures who came from the Everfree, and--" she said, but was interrupted again, this time by Twilight.

"Bipedal creatures?! From the EVERFREE?! Ooooh, maybe they're connected to the--" she almost started babbling, her wings twitching with excitement, but stopped when Fluttershy fixed with a look.
"Heh... sorry. Please, go on."

"... So, as I was saying..." Fluttershy continued, slightly annoyed. "They were apparently involved in an accident, and--"

"Pff, yeah, as accidental as a kick to the face can be." Zecora grumbled, as Fluttershy sighed her annoyance away.

"Wait... so you mean, they're dangerous?" Twilight asked with slight concern, but to her relief, Fluttershy shook her head.

"I don't think so. After all, they brought her here, instead of hurting her more, or even... you know."

"I would rather have them finish the job." Zecora spat. "Losing your rhyme as a shaman is worse than losing your life! I swear, once I get out of this stupid jacket, I will--"

Zecora was about to go on a rant again, but then she saw the look, Fluttershy was fixing her with. The mare was clearly fed up with Zecora's antics and showed her quite clearly, that she would never leave the jacket ever again, if she dared finish that sentence.

"I will..." Zecora shrunk down a little and became a bit quieter. "I will... go home... calm down, and try to figure something out, tomorrow."

Fluttershy was visibly pleased by this answer. She and the bear helped Zecora out of the restraining jacket and the Zebra then quietly left, with her ears down, her tail between her legs and only a few glances back towards the still-smiling mare.

Meanwhile Twilight stood to the side, both astounded and also a bit frightened of her friend.

It was a few minutes past 1am, when Eisenhans was shaken awake by his friend.

"[Yo, Eisenhans. Your turn.]" Straßenbauer said, as he knelt next to Eisenhans's sleeping bag.

"[Yeah, yeah, gimme just a minute.]" Eisenhans replied, still groggy. He started putting his clothes on, while Straßenbauer was still beside him.
"[So, anything I need to know, before taking my shift?]" He asked, more as a routine question and not because he was actually expecting an answer.

"[Yes, actually.]" Straßenbauer replied, to his surprise, and pointed off into the dark. "[We have a visitor.]"

There, just barely illuminated by the flickering light of the fire, stood the entity, staring at them both, like it was before.

"[JESUS CHRIST!]" Eisenhans shouted, when he noticed it.

"[Yeah, she just suddenly turned up at around 11 and has been chilling there since then.]" Straßenbauer explained.

"[Wait, she? How would you know that?]" Eisenhans questioned.

"[I walked up to her.]" Straßenbauer stated, as if it was obvious. "[Surprisingly, she didn't teleport away, when I did, so I had a closer look.]"

Eisenhans suddenly looked visibly unnerved and even slightly disgusted. "[Wait, you... You looked at...]"

He didn't finish his sentence, his face contorted and his arms held out in a "What the fuck" - gesture.

Straßenbauer rolled his eyes. "[Yes, I knelt down beside her and saw her teats dangling from her barrel. I know, I get it, you may call me a pervert now.]"

Eisenhans breathed a small sigh of relief. "[No, no, it's okay, I just thought, you... Nevermind, forget it.]" He said and shook his head. "[Anyways, any thoughts on what we should do about her?]" He asked and Straßenbauer shrugged.

"[Honestly, I'd say just let her be. Haven't seen a single Timberwolf, since she showed up.]"

"[Ha-haaaaa.]" Eisenhans intoned, with an eyeroll. "[As if there had been any, before.]"

To his slight horror, he saw Straßenbauer suspiciously look away.

"[There haven't been, right?]" He asked, nervously. However, Straßenbauer only fueled his horror more, by chuckling dryly and scratching his neck.

"[Uhh, you remember the flash fire I caused on the first night, right?]"

"[...You said, you just underestimated, how flammable that wood was.]" Eisenhans said, accusingly.

"[Well yes... but I didn't say, where that wood came from, now did I?]" Straßenbauer said carefully.

Eisenhans, now visibly exasperated, threw his hands up. "[You know what? Don't tell me. I don't want to know!]" He said, very pointedly. "[You're now going to sleep and I'm taking my shift... and tomorrow we'll have a serious talk, about whether it's more risky to make contact with the ponies or to stay in this forest.]"

Straßenbauer nodded his agreement.
"[Fair enough.]"

Inventory Check
Ammo:
569 rounds 7.62x51

586 rounds 5.56x45

Food Rations:
2 MREs (3d left)

4x 1.5l Bottles (2x empty, 2x 1.5l purified water)

2x Canteen (empty)

Author's Note

I think I see a pattern: Every time I say, I will upload more often, the opposite happens. So, this time I will say, I will try to upload LESS often. Let's see, if that works.

So, I started using ChatGPT to help me proofread this chapter. I haven't asked i to write any sections itself, don't worry. They were all made by me. However, I figured, I might as well give you a short review of m experience.

Overall, I think it worked pretty well, being honest. I'm not afraid that AI might take the jobs of us writers, but at the same time, it also felt somewhat uncanny working with it, at times.

Of course, it's a text generation tool, so I'm pretty much just excitedly babbling about how it worked as intended, after using it exactly for what it was designed in the first place, so eh.

But then again... it correctly identified the 'CnD' as a Cease and Desist order, with only the previous few lines as context to figure that out and it even told me that the abbreviation might be a bit obscure. It also gave me a few pointers and remakrs regarding style and text intensity. For example, originally Fluttershy's look only said, Zecora would stay in that jacket "... if she finished that sentence." ChatGPT, however, advised me to increase the line's intensity, by saying "... if she dared finish that sentence."

...On the other side, it cconsistently reminded me that the direct speech of the characters might not befit the overall writing style, hence forgetting that the characters are intended to have their own character and thus might not share my style of language.

Also, it didn't find everything and I also didn't use everything it suggested, because sometimes it would've just ruined the intended style and effect... That and it told me on multiple occasions to remove the markup-tags, even though I specificly told it to ignore the markup tags!

And yes, it recognized the tags, because it noted them down as, quote: "unnecessary/useless markup-tags". (Because the markup wasn't executed yet, due to being in edit-mode)

Bottom line: I think, I'm gonna keep using it for proofreading, just to make the process a bit faster and avoid having you guys wait for so long... and also to teach me proper english punctuation, because GOSH, there were a lot of punctuation mistakes - and those were only the ones it found!

Also, no, I didn't have it check these author's notes, so I'm quite certain, there are HEAPS of errors in there... and I'm completely fine with that.