1. Prelude

>You find yourself unable to stray away from your thoughts within time, and boy do you have time

>Your mental vision becomes more involved with the more complex and fine-tuning notes of mental instruments, tweaking every pitch until it was perfect

>Euphonious sounds erupt from your head, and to you, this is equivalent to a musical orgasm, a high in an audiophile’s world

>You imagine white hot goo spraying out your ears

>Hey, even you can't control your imagination sometimes

 

>Your mindself holds up his hands, and gradually drops them

>The sound falls with your appendages, quieting, quieting

>Until

>You can't hear a thing

>You've never witnessed this before, it slightly amuses you

>Absolute silence

>The goo helped a little bit

>In your mind, you always pictured silence to be linked with darkness

>So it came to be

>You stare into a void you've created, content

>Overwhelmingly content, even

>Relieved sigh

>In fact, if it wasn't for this slight pressure on your chest, your mental state couldn't be more perfect

Hmm.

>The pressure slowly grows, your mouth twitches

>Okay this is getting a little annoying

>More. More.

Ack, hey...

>More, and more, and more.

A...aahhh...!

>You gasp, feeling a heavily force crushing

>Your hands scrap at your chest in a panicky manner, as if attempting to shove away whatever invisible force shoves into you

>It starts to spread outwardly to your stomach, your shoulders, and up your neck

>It's starting to hurt

>Mildly at first, but that didn't last long

>Sharp, crushing presses

>You scream

Hhh...hheell...

>Your face slowly gets enveloped in this tightness, jaw getting harder and harder to move

...p... m...

>Your eyes started to shut forcefully, and all your efforts to push it away become vain

...e...

>You remain helpless, floating in your imaginary, escapeless void that you conjured up

>At least your last song was a great one

 

>A blue light appears

>It's dim and you can only make it out through the squint of your eyelids, the pressure halting briefly

>You hear something

>A soft, reassuring voice pierces your mind

>Your eardrums do not vibrate from the sound. No, this was from within

>"This one will do perfectly," she would state

>Each syllable pounding in your head

>Before you can even begin to make sense of this, the pressure is suddenly released from your body, and right as you take your first breath, it gets yanked away from you in a flash

>You find yourself soaring, ass first, into a direction of the void, but it is not until you get glimpses of light and images around you, tunneling, traveling away from you in an immeasurable speed

>Your ass lands against a rubber-like resistance, but your invisible fishing line does not falter, stretching the force outwards harder and harder, you along with it

>A violent tear is felt from your ass, all the way up to your head and toes

>If you weren't so terrified, you'd probably make a joke or two about that

>Probably something goatse related, that joke hasn't gotten old, no sir

 

>Out of the tear, your ears start working again. Wind. Your clothes rustle harshly, hair fluttering, arms and legs flailing about, and then

>ZZZZOOOP

>SPLASHHH

>You land, ass-first of course, right into the

>Oh so frigid

>This also hurts like the dickens but that doesn't seem to sink in

>Hydraulic enema

>Yep, your ass has seen better days

>You see the white of the sky in the crater you made, just before

>CRASHHHH

>The walls of blue clamp to your head like a vice, then as quickly as it grips, it releases

>A cold floods your body as you're immersed in a large pool of not air, too stunned to move

>Water...

>Wait, water.

>Your eyes open to be greeted with the massive amount of white air spheres blocking your vision, but your goal lies upward

>Boy, you sure wish you took that breath

>Massively panicking, you scramble to the white of the surface while your clothes tug at your every inch, begging to keep you under as you resist every urge to suck the blue liquid down your nostrils

>It was unbearable

>You can see the white getting brighter and brighter, while your lungs screamed for that precious need of life to run into them

>You almost give in, brain forcing your body to act preemptively as your nose pulled in what seemed like a gallon of water right before the surface

GAAASSSSPP, cough c-cough, ahugh, gugh

>Your arms and legs clamber and struggle to hit the shore, hands slapping on the sand mud dirt

>You hack and cough and wheeze harshly, pushing out some of the water you swallowed

>Your vision is blocked by some flimsy leaves that have gathered along the shore

>As you lay there, you also seem to notice your underoos have burrowed firmly in the mounds of red ass you have back there

>No fucks

>You take a few moments to recuperate, closing your eyes, legs idly floating in the waters behind you

 

>Your eyes fly open as a rustling sound of steps sends a shock down your spine

>You try to see what is there, but all you can make out with your shitvision full of leaves and twigs is brown and black

>Blinded and still shocked from the landing, you back yourself on your knees, which make it to shore hastily, shivering like a scared chihuahua

>"I had wonder what made that mighty splash," spoke an accented voice. African-sounding, is what you thought, but you were always pretty shit at pinpointing accents

>"Could this be the source of such a crash?"

>You hear the rhyme, but you don't note it, instead you are just happy to hear another voice after what just happened

Oh thank God you're here.

>You hear a gasp, and ignore it

I just got sucked through a big black void thing and landed ass first into this freezing pit and I have no idea what's going on. You wouldn't happen to have-

>You move the leaves and debris out of your eyes and mouth, and freeze.

>About five feet in front of you warily stands a miniature zebra, her head was just taller than yours while you were on your knees, sans mohawk, her blue eyes gazing on you with curiosity, golden rings shimmering against the reflection of the lake

>what the fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

>"What manner of creature do I see?"  She spoke in a rhythm, not unlike something you would get from nursery rhymes

>Yep, that was the voice

>Holy fuckballs your level of what is bursting

>"You have peaked my curiosity."

>Wait, that rhymed

>Wait you don't care

>TALKING ZEBRA

>You're so enthralled by this creature that you shift a little too much, and the mud underneath you slides

>Arms flail

>Ohnotthisagain

>SPLASH

 

>Your recovery time is much more quicker, and you push yourself to the shore once more, annoyed, now resting your knees on firmer ground

>The zebra thing seems to smirk at your demise, probably finishing off a small laughter she gave while you were submerged

>However the water did calm your fucks down

Blugh...

>"We speak the same tongue, you and I," she resumes, deeming you a little harmless after your second fall

>Who could blame her, you can't really do anything to cause harm to begin with, with those twig arms of yours

Yeah, I... yeah. Noticed. I did.

>Words aren't working for you right now, mind still has a little fuck in it

>Still, a conversation was forming

>Between you and a zebra

>"What being are you, Falls from the Sky?"

>Okay yeah she rhymes

>You find it odd, but you admit that you admire the talent she has with rhyming without any apparent difficulty

>Oh and I guess you have a nickname

>Looks like you're in a rhyming zebra world

I'm... a human?

>You sound uncertain, and have no idea why

>At least, you should still be human

>You make a quick human check

>All in order

>"Human? I have never heard of such a beast," she inquires, slowly moving her quadrupedal form around you, neck lowered to about your shoulder length, neck rings clanging softly

>You notice the sun spiral shape on her flank

>Neat

>"Perhaps you should give me your name, at least?" she asked, finishing her rhyme accordingly

Oh, it's, uh, Anonymous.

>"A pleasure to meet you, Anonymous."

>Oh man, this'll be a tough rhyme

>You turn your head to her and await her to finish

>"I am Zecora, though I am curious..."

>Wow, that wasn't as exciting as you thought

>She still didn't miss a beat though, not bad

>"You say you came here in a rapid flash?" she continued finishing her half-circle around you

>Her body seemed to begin to ease

>This one lets her guard down too easily

>But it's not like you will do anything anyway

>You nod, guessing she didn't actually see your grand entry

>”And it all ended in a mighty splash" her continues

Mighty... is probably too soft of a word. More like, explosion.

>She chortled a bit, and nodded.

Actually... I am kind of drenched, and I'd kind of like to not be.

>Another nod, she looks off into the woods, pondering

>This zebra seems alright to you, the curious thing

>Rhyming zebra

>You wonder how long it will take before it gets old

>"My home is shortly beyond this trail,"

>"Follow me, I would like more of your tale."

>You squint your eyes for a second, then pop them open, realizing

Oh, oh. Tale. Ahaha.

>Wow, she was really friendly

>Any other person that saw you in your state would probably walk off

>But this one offered her home to you after meeting you for five minutes

>Feelsgood

>You stand up, and realize that the top of her head comes just below your sternum, mohawk reaching up to your collarbone

>Her eyes widen as she craned her neck back a little, taking in your height.

>You don't feel that intimidating, especially since you know that she could probably reach your head if she stood on her hind legs

>You think Zecora realizes this too, as her eyes shift back to normal, a smile quickly returning to her

>You find your conversation on the way to Zecora's home to be somewhat empty at first

>You notice your zebra friend is getting a little frustrated by your lack of straight answers

>You really don't seem to recall what happened before the void thing

>You also don't seem to care to recall, much to Zecora's dismay

>However she doesn't seem too disheartened, Zecora's rhymes keep you amused

>The further she leads you, the darker it starts getting

>You do tell her that you know you come from a different world, at least

>One where humans like yourself are commonplace

>You are the superior race of your world

>Realization

>You remember things about your world

>But none of the things that directly relate to you

>Any information you give seems to brighten the zebra's spirits in any case

>You kind of like talking to her, she has a lore keeper vibe going on about her

>Which in turn causes you to ask if there are more zebras like her around here

>"I am afraid that I am the only zebra nearby," she started

>You catch a hint of loneliness in her voice, but that doesn't last

>"But not far is a village, where ponies reside."

>Hold the phone

>Ponies

>Looks like you have to ask

Do they talk too?

>She nods, giving you a 'duh' look

>You smack your hand on your face, and then slide it down, slowly

>Ridiculous

>But, you admit you had to expect this

>More zebras than ponies, though

>You wonder if the ponies rhyme too

>You can handle one, but probably not a whole town of rhyming fairy tale beasts

>This got you thinking

Wait, does every creature speak the same tongue?

>The striped equine shakes her head

>Oh well

>You realize that you had stopped a while back, but you guess you were just into the conversation

>In this pause, you take a moment to look around

>You're in front of a wicked looking tree, with a hole on each side of what looks like a door

>All around you are wooden decorations, very tribal in nature

>Mostly masks with very intricate and detail designs, it appeals to you in an odd way

>Vines hang from several limbs, with different colors and sizes of bottles hanging onto them

>Curious

>The whole place has a spooky vibe, but it doesn't affect you

>It actually kind of pleases you

Oh wow...

>Zecora looks at you funny

>She likely doesn't receive that kind of reaction

>People probably get put off by the appearance, but really, it's not even that bad

>They must be a bit sensitive in this world

>"Welcome to my sanctuary,"

>Your clothes are really starting to bother you now, and you make this apparent by tugging

at your shirt every so often

>She realizes

>”Behind my home, and you will see”

>”The sun shines through where limbs have not grown”

>”Down to the surface of a big stone”

>No heater? Fire?

>Oh wait, trees

>Forest

>Dumbass

 

>You nod at her, grateful, then make your way to the back of the tree house

>You see the spot she was talking about

>A large rock in the middle of the bright sun beam

>The top of the rock is flat, even

>You sigh, pleased, and start taking off your shirt

>sshhhhhhluck

>Ahhhh, yeah that's better

>You promptly slap that on the top of the rock

>Guess it's pants now

>Unbutton, remove

>Slap those right beside the shirt

>Socks, shoes

>Dig your undies out of your ass

>Oh god the feel

>You figure you shouldn't risk taking those off

>So, you pick a small spot on the rock to sit, and plant thy ass

>Which then you remember that your ass got mass harass

>Zecora could appreciate that rhyme

OWOWOWOW FUCK

>You bounce the fuck up

>Jesus Christ

>A hand rubs your rump, glaring at the stone

>”Are you alright, Anonymous?”

>Head jerks up, there's dat zebra

>You're in your skivvies

>Not really sure how you should feel

>The zebra looks at you strangely

>”I wondered why you caused a fuss.”

>She eyes you, observing your new, mostly uncovered body

>You feel incredibly awkward

Um.

>You slowly walk behind the rock, covering your bottom half

I'm okay, don't worry. I just can't sit down for a while. My bottom took a massive beating.

>Innuendo

>She chuckles

>”Soon I will start brewing a generous stew,”

>”Join me, you are more than welcome to.”

>Hot damn, food

>You don't feel all that hungry, but a bite to eat wouldn't hurt

Oh, sure. Thank you.

>She nods, another smile, but then it's gone quickly

>”But be cautious, I would not depart.”

>”The beasts that dwell further can tear you apart.”

>Oh goody

 

>Your feet shift your feet in the grass, bored

>Can't really move from this rock until your clothes dry

>Every so often you prod at them, flip them, adjust them

>Start writing your name in the wrinkles of the shirt cloth

>So bored

>You turn around and stare into the thick of the trees

>Wonder what 'beasts' she means

>You'd better not find out

>Another half hour goes by, fuck it

>Put on pants shirt, socks, they're slightly damp still, but you'll have to deal with it

>At least your underwear dried off pretty quick

>Slip on shoes, squish

>Yeah these will take a good while longer to dry

>But fuck walking on the forest floor barefoot

>You head over to the front, but Zecora meets you halfway

>”Oh! I see you are well and dry.”

>”Come, food is prepared, do not be shy.”

>She enters first

>You are greeted with the heavy aroma of vegetable heavy food

Mm...

>You have to duck a bit to enter, and step down before shutting the door

>You see a couple more masks around, these things are massive

>Shelves lined up on the wall with a lot more of the kinds of bottles than you saw outside

>They have labels pasted onto them, some symbols you can make out, some with a language you

can't seem to decipher

>You see an elevated, circular place of grass and hay, place laid out to the side, the center matted down

>Guess that's her bed

>Right in the middle is a small cauldron, about half the size of the pit it's on

>The pit glows with a generous amount of embers

>You glare at it

>Well, there goes your no-fire-in-trees ordeal

>It seems well contained though, and it was probably better that you were outside, out of her way

>You almost sit on your ass, but then revert to get on your knees

>Close call

>You watch the zebra work a ladle in her mouth, dip it in the cauldron, and pour it into a wooden bowl

>She then scoops the bowl up with her tail

>Whoa

>You are quite impressed

 

>She walks over to you, turns a bit, and pushes the bowl over towards you

>You still have that mild shocked expression, and hesitantly take the bowl

>She looks confused, but doesn't question it

>Pours herself a bowl

>You look in yours

>Brown soup with chucks of things you recognize; carrots, potatoes and the like

>Along with bits of things you don't

>Shrug, tip the bowl to your mouth, take a sip

>Oh my god that's delicious

>Tip it up more, chucks of vegetables fall in

>This is pretty fantastic

>You devour half of the thing before stopping

>Ohgodwhereareyourmanners

This food is amazing, Zecora! I don't think I've tasted anything like it!

>This seems to please her, you flatterer you

>She pushes a stool beside you, balancing her bowl expertly

>Again, impressive

>She sets her bowl on the stool, and sit not too close, not too far

>”I am not used to cooking for more that myself”

>”Just pulled a few things from the top of the shelf.”

>”Your words are kind, and I thank you for that.”

>”Now finish that up, and eat yourself fat.”

>You give her a smile, and nod

>Permission granted, tip the bowl to your mouth, get a good gulp in

>You pause

>Actually...

>You pull the bowl off, licking your lips clean

>When was the last time you ate?

>It's a blur, and you shake your head

>Not really important

 

>You lean against the wall of the tree hut, a hand on your stomach, satisfied

>Zecora goes to grab your plate, but you insist on cleaning up yourself, especially with all she's done for you

>She obliges, leads you outside, and points down a narrow path

>”This trail will lead you to a stream.”

>”There, you will have my bowls clean.”

>Simple enough

>Bowls in hand, you make your way down the trail she laid out, while she walks back inside

>You're a little slow to make it to the end, the forest fascinates you

>Your eyes adjust to the low lighted conditions around you, and soon you spot a gentle flow of water

>On you knees, slave

>You dip a bowl in the water, letting the current push all the foodstuffs out of the bowl and flow down the creek

>Crack

>Your head jumps up, wide eyes staring into the thick of the forest where the sound originated

>Crack, crack

>You freeze in place, gripping the bowl in hand

>You remember Zecora's warning from before

>But she wouldn't have sent you in without knowing it was safe

>Would she?

>You can barely make out a shape in the trees, it was definitely tall

>Taller than you, and even wider

>Your nostrils flare as you take your first whiff of this thing

>Fish and dried manure, layered thick with rotten flesh, you think

>You hold your stomach in disgust, trying not to blow chunks

>Okay, okay, what do you do

>Stay calm and

>Crack

>Oh god it's getting closer

>You shuffle backwards, dropping the bowls in the process

>A low pitched, growling laughter emerges from the shape, and two head shaped, hairy hands reach out from behind the trees, aiming down at your face

OHHH HOHOHO FUCK THIS.

>You spring upwards, and attempt to dart down the trail you came down

>Note that word, attempt

>A hard, painful grip catches one of your ankles, and you fall on your face

>Your hands claw into the ground, but the beast effortlessly lifts you up

>Its voice is growling, primal sounding, “Just when I thought this forest was dull, the smell of new meat appears.”

>Good god his breath is even worse

>You panic, head darting all around for something you can use to your advantage

>”I'm gonna enjoy ripping your body apart, fresh blood.”

>Your hands smack against a tree, and your adrenaline fueled legs pull the creature off balance, its weight shifting towards you

NnnnnyyAAAAHHH!

>You launch your free sneaker into him, upwards, landing on something soft

>”Guh!”

>You're not sure what you hit, but it was enough to make the brute let go of you

>As soon as both feet hit the ground, you book it, ignoring the slight sprain in your ankle from its monstrous grab

>You're followed by a massive roar, a call of sheer rage

>”You're not getting away, fresh blood!”

>You see a familiar tree

>Yes! A little further...

>Heavy stomps crash the ground behind you, he's starting to catch up

ZECORA, OPEN THE DO-

>Oh hey a root

>You crash on the ground, hard, skidding a couple feet before landing in a jumbled mess right in front of the door to safety

>You glare at it, pissed at how close you are, and look back

>Good god he's is fast for a big dude

>”NOWHERE TO RUN NOW, PHEASANT!”

>He's too close now, you can't recover in time

>You pull your arms in front of your face, and pull your legs up to defend as little as you can

>What a shitty way to die, man

>”Gack!”

>You feel the ground shake, and a massive thud in another direction

>Well, you're not dead, so that's cool

>With your arms peeled apart, you investigate

>The big hairy creature stands up, looking genuinely pissed, glaring to your left

>There stands a familiar zebra, her legs spread out in a peculiar way, her front lowered, teeth grasping a bamboo looking rod that's at least five feet in length

>”You got a lucky hit in, caught me off guard.”

>You get a good look at this guy now that he's in more light

>He's humanoid in shape, but his head was far from that, sharp teeth jutting out from the top and bottom of his mouth

>His eyes were pure white and pupiless, pointed ears drooping on each side his head

>His nose was non-existent, instead just two slits for nostrils

>He was adorned in a thick leather piece over his chest, a belt with a odd looking blade hanging off of it, and a red cape that had obviously seen better days

>He spits red at the ground and wipes his mouth off, grabbing the blade on his side

>”I get to kill a new blood AND a striped deer? It must be my lucky day.”

>Zecora stands ready, her eyes fixate on her opponent, preparing for his inevitable first strike

>She didn't have to wait long; the beast yells at the top of his lungs and dives at her, his blade risen to strike

>In a flash, the rod she wielded lands on the side of his face with a CRACK

>The end of the rod guides his head straight into the ground, where he slides for a foot or two

>After a brief stun, he climbs onto his feet and spits out more red and dirt, eyes narrowed in a rising hatred as he squeezed the grip of his sword

>Zecora was ready, front hooves buried into the dirt below

>The beast attempts another lunge, approaching from a higher angle this time

>The staff bats at his legs, but they prove too study to falter

>He grins with his uneven and putrid yellow bear trap of a mouth as he was finally in killing range, relentlessly swiping the crooked metal piece towards the zebra

>Unable to use the staff properly this close, she discards it as she dodges and ducks incoming blows, shifting left and right

>One, two, three, four attacks dodged, she was a quick little thing

>Clouds of brown gathered around them the more they moved through the dirt

>Zecora kept her facial expressions to a minimum, eyes darting over his body, examining his motions, marking his patterns

>Frustrated with his flawed attempts, his arm slings back out of desperation and launches forward for one final haymaker of a slash

>As if she saw it from a mile away, the striped mammal easily ducks out and under, spins on a hoof, and bucks straight into his wrist

>The beast howls in pain as his wrist cracked, his sword flinging outward as he stumbles backward

>Wasting no time, she dashes up to him in a blur, shoves his legs out from under him with her strong forelegs, and, in the same swift move, catches him with a heavy buck in mid-air, right on his unprotected gut

>The trees tremble as they brace the sack of meat launched into them, and he slides down the tree in a slump

>Zecora walks over to the injured beast, he's moving, but not much, occasional groans and a hand over his stomach indicate a lot a pain

>Something definitely broke in there

>”Listen,” she starts, her head lowered down the pathetic thing, “and listen closely,”

>”You are lucky I give you mercy.”

>”Attacking my friend and I was not wise,”

>”You putrid creature with soulless eyes.”

>”Crawl back into the forest from which you came,”

>”For your sake, I should never see you again.”

>”The next time we meet I will not go easy”

>”Now gather yourself and

>GET OFF MY PROPERTY.”

>His head sinks in, ears drooping, and you swear you hear a whimper

>Intimidation successful

>Slowly, he picks himself off the ground, arm over his midsection, and pushes his way towards the trail he pursued you in

>He pauses to look back at you, growling and mumbling to himself, before cringing from the pain

>Down the trail he goes

>Zecora's piercing gaze stays on his back, and kept glaring until a few minutes after he's disappeared

>You're still on the ground, in disbelief of what happened

>No wonder she was so easy around you, she could floor you in two seconds

Holy shit, Zecora.

 

>She comes over to you after you've stood up and dusted off, silent

>She looks confused, and worried

I'm fine, just a few scratches... but wow, that was awesome! I think I owe you for saving my life now.

>She relaxes a bit, but she's still quiet, her head turns to the trail for a few seconds

>Slowly her face starts to change, eyebrows furrow downward, head dipping

>Her body starts to shake, teeth gritting, eyes clamped shut

Uh, hey... are you-

>Suddenly, her head flings up and she erupts in a furious scream, emptying her lungs in the matter of seconds

>Then, she turns her anger to the ground, kicking up dirt. “No! No! I was so careless!”

>”The rancid fool forced through my finesse!”

>”The evil thing was out for blood, my defenses were turned to mud...”

>Her hooves planted deeper into the ground with every stomp

>You watch her melt in disgust, and you can't help but feel a little guilty

Zecora, hey-

>”His lust for murder would have been sated, if my luck was ever so belated!”

>”The monster's blade at my throat, a crimson stream along my coat...”

Zecora.

>”If I had not disarmed that beast, he would ha-”

>You crouch down and grab her shoulders, or... where shoulders would be on a human

>Do they still call them shoulders?

Stop.

>She perks up, surprised, staring at you with her wide blues

>Soon after, her ears fold backward, looking down and away

You won, okay? He's gone, and we're both alive.

>You smile, relaxing your grip

Thank you.

>”Anonymous, I-”

Just call me Anon.

>A pause, then, “Anon.” She looks up at you again once more, apprehensive. “I put you in peril.”

>”The forest changed, and you wandered to the feral.”

I told you, I'm-

>”My home and its surroundings are enclosed by a powerful ward evil cannot expose.”

>”Never before has this happened so soon, I fear it breached by something immune.”

>She looks highly discouraged, but you're a little confused

>A ward?

>You don't remember seeing anything, let along passing through

>”The ward allowed you to pass through, so I knew for certain I could trust you.”

>”But now that the filter for the pure has been broken, I am not so sure.”

>You're not exactly sure how to respond to that

>You're pretty sure you haven't really done anything would cause her to doubt

>But then again, you find it odd for someone you met just hours ago to trust you so quickly

>Not that she COULDN'T trust you, but still

>You let go of her, you head is starting to hurt from trying to make sense of this

>Maybe that's what all those bottles are for?

>Maybe she's just incredibly superstitious, that wouldn't surprise you

>”A dangerous magic is stirring in the woods. I must hurry and gather my goods.”

>Magic

>That's ridic- wait

>If rhyming zebras and huge hairy creeps exist in this world, why couldn't magic?

>You are enlightened by this fact you have discovered, but you don't revel in it

>After all, she just might be just as you say

>Superstitious

>The zebra turns toward her home

Wait, 'gather your goods'? Are you going somewhere?

>She opens the door and stops, keeping her view away from you

>”I plan to visit a friend of mine to help me solve this act of malign.”

>”She lives close by, just over a hill,

>residing in a town named

>Ponyville.”