House of Parker

Featured Characters – Peter Parker and Zecora

Rating – T

Chapter Five "Argyroneta Aquatica"

    "Zecora. Are you ready?"

    She sighed as her gaze shifted away from the serene settings around her, namely the beams of light filtering through the forest, and turned to Peter standing before her with a soft yet reassuring smile on his face.    "No," she said somberly.    Here they were again for the daily swimming lesson, and her stomach turned in anticipation. Zecora was a confident, skilled herbalist and shaman, but she could not swim to save her life. It was a fact known only by those closest to her, namely Peter and Twilight, but even then, she could not help but feel shamed by it. Despite her impressive athleticism, swimming had never been a priority in her life. Zecora always used her staff to transverse small rivers. This certainly explained why the mare used to live away from the river in the Everfree Forest and stay more dry than a funeral drum.    It was only a matter of time before somepony would make her learn the art of swimming. Since the start of their relationship, Peter encouraged Zecora to practice, but her progress was slower than Applejack’s Sweet Apple Acres Molasses. At first, she couldn't even place her hoof in the water without falling into a panic. It was horribly ironic. Zecora was a teacher of sorts, perhaps the wisest member of the Parker herd, but she was no different from a filly learning to walk for the first time. Peter even went as far as to buy her a flotation device. It was humiliating, but Zecora found it quite reliable in spite of the shame it wrought.    However, there was no floatie today. Peter gently took her hooves in his. She felt a shiver run up her spine as she nodded. Her icy blue eyes stayed on the ground before they shut tight. They walked slowly, proceeding with caution, but a whimper escaped from her mouth when she felt a cold, yet familiar substance brush against her delicate coat. Zecora chided herself. She could levitate water to compensate for her inability to swim, yet she was still helpless, her body paralyzed with trepidation. Her grip tightened, causing Peter to pull her closer.    "Are you okay? We can stop."    She shook her head, trying her best to maintain her composure as the water reached her chest. "I'm okay." Zecora failed to speak in rhyme today. While she had developed a reputation for it, the mare had her moments of failing to do so. It was usually when she was upset or nervous that the zebra failed to rhyme. She shook her head. “Let us… proceed.”    The water level rose to her neck, and Zecora felt her nerve slipping away. She pulled her hooves away from Peter's grasp, throwing them around his neck. Her whimpers grew in volume, but he stood firm and placed his hooves on her hips. Her body shivered involuntarily, and he held her slender frame close in hopes of calming her down.    "You're doing fine. Just a little further, okay?"    Quick and shallow breaths began to escape the mare as they progressed to the middle of the lake. Her fear grew and her grip on Peter tightened. The water rippled in her panic, and only worsened when her body trembled horribly. Tears poured from her eyes. She began to hyperventilate, forcing Peter to turn around and pull Zecora onto his back.    "That's enough. You did just fine. I'm taking you back to dry land now."    Zecora wrapped her hooves around his neck again, unaware her grip had tightened immensely from the first time. Peter shifted his head about to ensure his oxygen intake remained firm, but he turned, giving the mare a reassuring smile. The second his hoof reached dry land, Zecora fell from his grasp. She groaned as she wiped her face clean with her hoof. Peter knelt down and pulled her up, revealing her blush and her bloodshot eyes.    Her eyes rolled to the side. "That was embarrassing."    "Don't worry about it." He placed his hooves onto her shoulders and patted them gently. "This is going to take time."    Her cheeks turned beet red and felt as warm as the flames of the sun. Peter then turned to retrieve a towel from a nearby bag. Zecora's eyes widened slightly once he placed the cloth over her shoulders. A sweet smile formed on her face as her hoof found its way onto the side of the young stallion's cheek. Peter grinned at the hint of contact, unaware his face resembled the shade of a tomato.    "Thank you, but I'm not too eager to try again anytime soon. Perhaps we can try again on another afternoon?"    "It's okay." Peter stood, causing Zecora to copy his action. His hooves pulled the mare's soaked form against his own. He planted a kiss on her forehead and gently brushed several strands of her black and white mane behind her ear. "You go at the pace you're comfortable with. I'm here to help you through it." He cupped her chin in his hooves and smiled. "No matter how long it takes."    They had only been together for a year now, and Zecora had already learned so much from Peter. His energetic nature and positive demeanor gave her the means to keep up with his unending pursuits, whether it was a part of their herb extractions, Spider-Mane heroics, walks through the woods, or swimming. Though she smiled just as much as Peter, his grin sent chills through her body and gave her a sense of earnest happiness.    His enthusiasm was his greatest trait in her eyes, even trumping his magnificent strength. Peter offered to give her swimming lessons last year, and despite her countless failures, he remained positive, not even giving a hint of negative criticism. He was wonderful. She loved him for it. Even though she tried to keep her insecurities to herself, Zecora opened up to Peter more than anypony else in the world. Was she naïve for it?    Peter was strong, more so than most imagined, but it was not his physical strength Zecora admired. It was his determined spiritual strength that surpassed her expectations. No matter the odds, Peter met them with confidence, and Zecora wished to mirror his actions, rather not as recklessly. Not that she'd ever tell him. After all, that bull-headed nature resulted in countless injuries, most of which she had to tend to. A coy smile formed on the mare's face. She'd follow his example, gently.    "You sure you don't want to try again?" he whispered into her ear.    Zecora reached out, running her hoof through his drenched mane. He peered up, surprised to see the smile on her face was still intact. That same moment, she slid her hooves around his neck, inhaled deeply, and nuzzled her face into his collarbone.    "I'm ready."