The Poison of Passion

It isn’t hard to find Zecora the next day after work; you have two wing-shaped advantages when it comes to looking for somepony in a crowd. You exchange small greetings with her upon landing, and she tells you more about her plan to bestow comeuppance upon the fraudster.

A few short minutes of muttering and whispering later, you understand exactly what you need to do. This is gonna be brilliant.

“Ah, come crawlin’ back, have you?” the snake of a salespony smirks as you approach, “Can’t turn down a deal as good as mine, huh?”

“You’re also the only chilli pepper stall in this market,” you remind him, “but to the point, are you still offering a bit per bag?”

The stall owner look around suspiciously, making sure nopony is in earshot, before leaning over the counter.

“Yeah, I’m still offering that. A bit each, but only for pegasi like you an’ I. Can’t extend that kind of offer to every pony that walks by my stall, or else I’d be making a major loss instead of a profit. You in or what?”

“Oh, I’m in, alright,” you try to mask a cheesy grin as you dump just enough bits onto this stall, “and I’m taking the whole lot. A bit each, just as you agreed.”

“Whoa, hold on a minute now!” the merchant rises his hooves in protest, “I can’t accept you takin’ my whole stock. Especially not for so cheap! I can let you buy two bags, maybe three, but unloading the whole thing for a bit each is gonna wreck my revenue!”

“C’mon, you’re already on bad terms with all the unicorns, earth ponies, donkeys and zebras here,” you barter, “the last thing you’d want is for the pegasus ponies to feel ripped off too. That’s just bad for business.”

“The pegasus ponies wouldn’t hate me for that,” he counters. He’s about to back up his statement before you cut him off.

“Maybe so, but how many pegasi in this town would defend you if, say, Mayor Mare at the Town Hall heard about what you’ve been doing to the other races? I heard being equinist can cost a pony his business…”

“So that’s what this is about? You wouldn’t dare-” his smug rant stops before it even starts; he noticed the genuine expression on your face. “You’re being serious, aren’t you?”

You nod.

“Darnit, you’re a bigger snake than I am!” he grimaces, “Fine! It’s a deal! It’s wrecked my business for now, but it’s better than losing my sales licence altogether!”

He scoops away the bits you gave him - not nearly as many bits as he would have made selling to any other kind of pony - and lets you take away every last bag of chilli pepper powder from his stall.

“Just don’t expect this to happen again for you.” he growls, “Once I get my stall refilled, it’ll be three times the price for you!”

“So be it,” you mumble before openly waving a hoof. Taking that as her cue, Zecora herself steps out from among the throng of ponies in the market. She’s wearing her usual hoof-woven saddle-basket. A saddle-basket that you’re happy to open and throw all of the fairly-bought seasoning into.

“Wh- whaddya you think yer doing?”

“Oh, nothing, just giving away your entire stock for free to this zebra.”

The look of sheer horror on that greasy merchant’s face. How you wish you could have taken a picture.

“B- b- by Blueblood’s bloated backside! You- she- but- argh- wha- grr-!”

You both chuckle and leave the traumatized salespony to stutter himself stupid. Or stupider.

*******

You’ve never felt anything quite like that. The fact that you did something good for an individual in need, and actually helped knock a slimy fraudster down a peg. You’re still grinning like an idiot by the time you accompany Zecora to the Everfree Forest’s outskirts to part ways. And then you realise something.

“Um, Zecora? I’ve got been thinking…”

“What do you think? Do you need something?”

“No, I’m just wondering what we’re going to do with a whole stall’s supply of chilli pepper seasoning to ourselves.”

“Hmm… how about you come to my place?” she asks, “I’ll show you a few techniques for a good taste. After helping me with that unpleasant chap, it’s the least I can do to pay you back.”

“Your place?” Your eyes drift towards the silent, looming forest ahead. Even in the broadest of daylight, its unnatural air seems to keep the very night itself locked in. But if Zecora can live here safely, it can’t possibly be as bad as you think, can it?

“Lead the way.” you say as coolly as you can manage.

In less than minute’s walk, you’re already feeling a chill creep down your spine. The dense trees here don’t just block the sunlight; even the sun’s heat is lost amongst the branches, leaving the forest as cold and dark as any cave.

You could’ve sworn you just saw something move from the corner of your eye. Nah, it’s probably nothing. You’re pretty sure it’s nothing.

Dear Celestia, please let it be nothing.

You try to take an example from your striped companion. Zecora doesn’t seem fazed by her surroundings in the slightest, her every step showing well-practiced caution. You decide it’s best to continue the trek unabated, keeping an eye on your zebra friend in case she spots something amiss with her wary senses.

Better yet, just having her in your sights helps take your mind off the Everfree Forest’s eerie atmosphere.

And with good reason; those bright, sharp eyes, such an unusual, yet beautiful shape, with a turquoise iris that seems to glisten like the waters of a wild spring, even in this near-complete darkness. The hairs of her mane and tail, two separate shades of light and dark that stand out so differently from one another, yet they go so well when combined. Her dark, prominent markings that adorn her light coat, each and every stripe proudly declaring to the world who she is; the zebra of the Everfree Forest. Zecora.

To top it off, like a cherry on the most exotic of cakes, is her spiral sun Cutie Mark, a design so complex - nothing like the doodles that an average pony would have - yet so simple; one colour, one image. A perfect addition to her eye-catching, well-rounded flank that sways from side to side with each stride she makes. Back and forth, back and forth, back and f-

“You seem distracted, is something wrong? If the forest unnerves you, you don’t have to come along.”

Oh royalty-damnit, she caught you staring at her ass!

“I, um, I was just… dozing off slightly!” you cough an unconvincing chuckle in an attempt to change the subject, “It’s so dark, it feels like night time here! How far away are we from your place?”

“We’re here, my dear.”

“What the-?”

You turn your head, only to discover her home, hidden in plain sight. You guess it’s true what they say. The best place to hide a tree is in a forest. Even more so if you live in that tree.

“Come inside, the drink’s on me,” she smiles welcomingly, “We’ll boil some water, brew some tea. So please, just make yourself at home. It’s been a while since I’ve not been alone.”

Stepping through the doorway to Zecora’s abode, you feel a warm sense of homeliness wash over you. It’s almost like it keeps the cold, unforgiving dread of the Everfree Forest at bay just by walking in. Zecora’s no unicorn, yet there’s that odd, familiar tingle of the arcane about the place. Trinkets, souvenirs, curios and oddities are strewn about the place, many of them reminiscent of her homeland. On the far side of the house, there’s a large, black cauldron, sitting by several shelves of various bottled drinks and liquids.

Something tells you those bottle are not for the sake of refreshment.

“I’m a herbalist by nature and trade,” she explains, taking off her saddle-basket, “but Zebrican potions are sometimes made. Some heal, some help, some give you a kick, that’s mostly due to nature’s tricks. I sell what I can to folks with an interest, but ponies rarely delve into the forest.”

“Maybe you should set up a stall in the market?” you recommend, “I’d be interested.”

She shakes her head, removing the bags of chilli powder and putting them in a nearby storage compartment. “I would, but I don’t find it necessary. I prefer to just dabble with my alchemy. Plus, there’s always the risk of an effect gone awry, and I wouldn’t want a pony’s intentions misapplied.”

“Wait, so some potions and herbs here are dangerous? As in, have they killed ponies before?”

“No, but one time this filly, insecurely, tried to gain her Cutie Mark prematurely…”