”You will calm down and get over it, or I will be forced to consider you unfit for duty, and remove you from this mission.”

Those words buzzed in my mind like an angry hornet’s nest as I took into the air to put as much distance between me and home base as possible. I couldn’t wrap my head around what possessed Shining to threaten me with removal with the mission, yet seem perfectly fine keeping Trojan in the mission. How could Shining Armor take her side over mine? I found it harder and harder to accept that she was actually on our side.

My argument was sound. I had Trojan dead to rights. Had he simply backed me up, we would’ve had her and whatever secrets she was hiding. I refused to stay in that room a single second longer, else I would say or do something I would truly regret.

I flew toward the castle to retrieve my guitar and calm myself over a few solos, only to stop myself as soon as I remembered the initial reason I paid Trojan a visit in the first place. Twilight would likely pick up that I was not in the best of moods and start asking questions, especially since I left in such a hurry. I would rather not deal with something that would add even more stress if I could help it.

Without my music, that left me with one enjoyable activity to help take my mind off things: flying.

I climbed into the atmosphere higher and higher, the ponies shrinking to mere colorful specks and buildings resembling more like layered blocks with shingles. Higher altitudes gave me an even grander view of the area. Twilight’s castle acted as major landmark surveying the town. Mountain ranges and a winding path layered with trees snaked towards and around the massive orchard of apple trees taking root in Sweet Apple Acres. Everfree was even bigger than I thought, taking up a large portion of the land and was as imposing as ever. This was the perfect height to cruise the skies with, making laps around the area.

Several minutes into my laps, I’d spent enough aggressive energy to allow some reflection, particularly with Trojan. As I approached that argument with a clearer mind, it hit me that she hadn’t fought back as much as I was expecting her to. I expected her to show some sort of resistance or attempt to lie her way out.

“You think it’s so easy, don’t you? That I should just spill my heart out and tell you everything about us? Just as you ponies slapped the collar on my neck for your own safety, what makes you think I will tell you something that would endanger my hive?”

I mentally scoffed at that. Of course we had to equip her with the shield choker. That kept her from using her magic against us if she decided to betray our trust. Having her on this mission was dangerous enough as it is. For her to mind control other ponies, Celestia forbid Spike or Twilight who are directly involved in this mess, was too much of a risk. We had to do it.

But then… why did that bother me so much?

I thought back further to when we defeated Thorax when he went berserk. Then came memories of when I finally got her to explain more about the pathos and what happened to the Changelings after Canterlot. Moments where we were not angry with each other, but maybe taking steps to feel each other out and understand what we were dealing with.

I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something I was missing about her. For a moment, I had really begun to wonder if there was some good in Trojan. Certainly not perfect, but a respectable living being.

Was that why Shining defended her like he did? Did he see something that I just couldn’t? And then there was Thorax, who was far different from Trojan. A bit meek and shifty, but a far cry different from when we first met. What was real about him? What was simply an act? Was it simply due to pathos that he attacked Mr. Cake?

Was I mistaken about Changelings?

Memories of the invasion flashed in my mind. Helpless to save my dying comrades. The running. Fighting. So much infighting and panic. Watching each one fall to either the changelings or each other’s blades out of dissension and paranoia. Those changeling bastards enjoyed every minute of it, treating us like playthings.

Nitro. Stride. Shellshock. Nightingale. So many more. All good soldiers and better pals.

All dead because of them.

A chill went through my body that caused me to stop flying and hover. In my reverie I hadn’t noticed that I'd flown in the direction of the Everfree Forest, and was now directly above it. The air felt colder than it should have, almost frigid. We were in the middle of spring. It shouldn’t be this cold.

Another chill went through me. This time not from the weather, but an ominous feeling. I looked around to see if anypony was flying near me, but I was clearly alone. I recalled Everfree being unique in that it had its own weather patterns, which led to bizarre occurrences that couldn’t be predicted, like the snowflake that fell on my nose.

Wait, what?

It was a single snowflake that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I found it hard to believe that Everfree’s unpredictable weather patterns could cause it to go so out of whack that it snowed in April.

This was starting to weird me out. A tingling, uncomfortable sensation traveled through my wings and feathers, a telltale sign that something was amiss in the wind. The main question was what and why?

I thought back to the conversation with Fluttershy.

“The animals I take care of have been acting rather odd. Almost like something in the forest has been making them upset. Lately, there seems to be more and more fights breaking out between the animals in there.”

“I didn’t really notice it until about a month ago. In fact, when we went inside the forest last week to look into that terrible Timberwolf incident you got caught up in, we could all feel that something wasn’t right. Even Pinkie Pie was scared, and it’s hard for anything to scare her.”

And if I combined this with what Thorax had said...

“I don’t know about the other changelings’ directives, but we were originally staying in Everfree since ponies don’t go there.”

So that was it. What Fluttershy and the others felt was likely the sensation of pathos in the area. Magic that vicious, it was no wonder they felt uneasy.

I placed my hoof to my chest, prepared to communicate with Spike and tell him of my findings. Then I thought about Spike’s reaction during the meeting. The look on his face like he was afraid of me. I must have looked like a selfish bigot to him. Then there was Shining Armor, who probably couldn’t wait to pull me out after I stormed out of the meeting.

...No. I couldn’t rely on them. If I was going to do this, I was going to do this my way.

I’ll admit this was a dangerous call to make. With at least Spike present, I could rely on him to watch my back. Trojan, despite my feelings about what transpired earlier, would have made a powerful ally to sense pathos or Changelings nearby. If I was going to do this solo, I needed to maximize my survivability and mobility as much as possible. That required proper equipment and a plan. Both involved me returning to the castle. Great.

As I arrived at the castle and made my way to my quarters, creeping dread filled me every step of the way. Twilight would likely drill me over why I left in such a hurry. Then there was the matter of the misunderstanding to clear up. I knew the smart decision was to get it over with as soon as possible, but the knowledge that she believed I was in love with her this entire time made me cringe. I didn’t dare entertain what this could mean, only that it would not be a happy conclusion for either of us should it head in a particular direction.

My fears were thankfully unfounded as Twilight was nowhere to be found. Probably stepped out for the moment, I surmised. As I entered my room, I saw a note on my desk, likely left by Twilight to alert me to where she went. I picked it up and read through the contents:

Dear Flash,

I stepped out to meet with Applejack and Rainbow Dash at the Stardew Horizon. I imagine it shouldn’t take too long. I’ve left a similar note for Spike when he gets back, but should you see him before he reads the letter, let him know where I am and that I should be back in a few short hours.

The Stardew Horizon. I recall Rainbow Dash bragging about it to me whenever I joined her for a quick flight for the sake of exercise. It mainly stuck out because she was extremely incessant about how much Twilight enjoyed that location and how awesome it would be to take a pony on a date there.

Wait…

I faced hoofed as it dawned on me. How dense could I be to not put two and two together? I swear to Celestia, nopony better try to set me up on a blind date.

Noting there was more to the letter, I continued reading.

By the way, when you have a free moment, there is something important I would like to discuss. I'd rather not talk about it in this letter, as it is a personal matter I feel we should address it as two adults living in the same castle together. Don’t worry, you’ve done nothing wrong, nor is there something bad happening. It will make sense when we talk about it today. Make sure to clear your schedule tonight.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle

It was quite clear what she was referring to: that damn nonsense Trojan spewed. We were going to have ‘the talk.’

Trepidation struck me like a freight train as I slowly placed the letter back on my desk and swallowed hard. I should have been all for a conversation like this. Instead, anxiety gripped me like a vice.

Damn it. Focus, Flash. Everfree now, Twilight later.

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I immediately went to work on preparing myself for the trek through the Everfree. The armor was a definite, strapping on the protective garments and golden horseshoes. Normally I would bring my helmet, but considering I needed to be stealthy for this one, I opted for something more subtle: my forest camouflage. It clicked perfectly in place in the attachment joints of my armor, the hood covering my head well enough to grant me reasonable vision while shrouding my head in shadow. Perfect.

Next was a saddlebag carrying only essentials: medical aid, rations, storage devices for samples I may find, and a variety of other small utilities that could aid in my search, including a small map of the Everfree itself. Last, but certainly not least, was my primary weapon: the collapsible, steel quarterstaff. Compact, reliable, flexible, sturdy, and equipped with a retractable blade when I needed either lethality or a cutting instrument. I was thankful that Shining Armor approved of these latest additions to our standard gear, as well as thankful to Sunburst for coming up with such an efficient weapon.

Once everything was set, I made sure to properly secure Twilight’s castle before departing. I made a speedy return to the Everfree while attempting to dodge as many prying eyes as possible. No doubt citizens would start wondering why an armored guard dressed in a dark camouflage cloak was in such a hurry towards Everfree.

On the approach to Everfree, I kept in mind two particular key points of interest to investigate. My first objective was to check into Zecora by visiting her hut. Thorax had mentioned she was being watched. I needed to talk to her and find out what she could tell me about the Everfree’s status. The second objective was the battlefield where I fought Thorax. While I had a rough idea of where it was. Unfortunately, narrowing it down was akin to finding a needle in a haystack, otherwise I would have checked that out first.

Ready or not, time to deal with the Everfree forest.

The cooled and desolate atmosphere gradually grew colder the further I pressed on. While not as intense as the feeling I had when I was high above Ponyville, there was still the discordant sensation flowing through my feathers. I moved as carefully as I could through the forest to avoid making unnecessary noise.

About two miles in my trek, I encountered signs of disturbances. Mostly torn trees or clawed rocks. Typically signs of territorial battles and animal skirmishes. But then I ran into the corpses, thankfully not of the pony variety. Some were fresher than others. A few looked particular gruesome and visceral; torn limbs and body cavities as if a vicious predator was playing with their food. No wonder Fluttershy’s animals got nervous. If I had any other choice, Everfree would be the last place I would want to visit.

The fact Zecora lived inside the forest was growing increasingly suspect with every corpse I found.

According to the map, I was roughly fifty yards away from where my map said Zecora’s hut would be located when I noticed a trail of broken trees and unusual marks diverging from my path. The marks made me think of a scorch resulting from a flame or magic use.

Slipping from the road and into the bushes, I stopped to investigate the damage. The plants closest to the damage were rotten and decayed. If the fire was recent, then some of these plants would still be somewhat healthy. Condensation on the ground and leaves told me that these burns were fairly old. After a moment to mull over my findings, I decided to follow the trail. A quick look shouldn’t hurt.

The path stretched further than I thought, but it was getting increasingly clear that a battle had taken place close by. The number of scorch marks on the environment increased as I pressed forward. This area seemed vaguely familiar for reasons I couldn’t put my hoof on. It wasn’t clear until I noticed a cleaver stuck on the tree next to me. That one must have belonged to Pinkie Pie. If that was the case...

As soon as the realization dawned on me, I rushed towards the opening ahead. Craters littered the landscape before me, charred with patches of grey and black ash. Trees bent over, almost to the point of snapping in two as if a powerful force blew them back. I had no doubt this was where I fought Pinkie Pie.

My wings rustled restlessly. Something felt wrong here. The air was charged with a sense of something I couldn’t define, colder than I remembered. To think this fight occurred less than half a mile away from Zecora’s hut. Surely, she must have heard the commotion. If that was the case, why hadn’t she come by sooner?

A twig snapped just south of my position.

I dove for the nearest batch of foliage, rolling into a prone position to keep the clearing in sight. The air stilled with tension around me, my eyes pouring through every detail for the slightest shift in movement among the trees. I must have been too slow, so now they went to ground.

After counting to thirty off the top of my head, I moved back with painstakingly slow steps, listening for the smallest sounds outside any I made.

There was a brief shuffle of leaves to my west. I froze.

Another shift. Still west. It was getting closer.

Slowly as I could manage, I turned my head to face east, making sure the hood of my cloak overshadowed the features of my face, thus concealing my orange muzzle within the green brush. My heart pounded in my ears, muscle tightening from standing completely still for an agonizing amount of time. But I knew the moment I moved, a keen eye would catch me out of position. Trust the cloak, and I would not be seen.

The sound of movement through the brush crept closer still.

The blades of grass in front of my face rustled. My heartbeat deafening in my ears. I held my breath out of anticipation and fear this thing could hear me.

A grey and white hoof slide out of the brush as smooth as the wind, barely making a sound. From the position of the keratin, they were facing towards the clearing. I could easily reach out and grab my opponent’s hoof if I was crazy enough to dare it.

A gleam of metal reflecting off the small bit of sunlight filtering through the leaves came into view, a breath away from my muzzle. The blade end of a spear.

For an instant, the atmosphere shifted. The hoof pivoted, facing my direction now. The spear tip slowly lifted out of view. Either she was about to move or use her spear. Couldn’t take either chance.

Now!

I launched myself underneath the stalker in a roll, sweeping through the legs in a surprise attack. The female stalker gasped sharply as her body tumbled over me and on her side. The hood over my head prevented me from getting a clear view for a few precious seconds, but I wasted no time leaping into my combat stance.

With the element of surprise gone, I drew the combat staff tucked on the underside of my armor and flicked it opened in my forehoof, extending into a fully drawn quarterstaff. I twisted my body to face my attacker. Nothing.

I blinked. Where did she go?

Leaves shuffled to my right.

I leapt away just as the spear swooped down where I stood, the wood portion of the bladed side striking air. With a pivot I faced the direction of the attack, only catching the tail end of a mud-brown cloak slipping behind the tree. I darted forward and around the tree.

Quick reflexes saved me as I ducked below the butt of the spear and followed up with my own thrust. The cloaked pony spun behind the tree, keeping it between us.

The cover was only for a moment, as the hooded opponent made swift strikes from around cover, keeping me at bay. I paused and waited for the fourth strike. Seconds past with nothing. That is, until I heard quick shuffling of movement drifting away. I sprang forward in hot pursuit.

Noting the attacks thrown my way, I was surprised that my Sentry Sense didn’t kick in. This meant my opponent was using non-lethal strikes, likely trying to capture me or simply avoid killing. Looks like I would have to rely on good old fashioned technique and reflexes to see me through this fight.

The stalker slipped through the forest with practiced ease, weaving and dashing through the thick underbrush. Unfortunately for my opponent, I was no slouch to chasing down my targets in a high traffic areas such as forests. Reaction speed and flight was to my advantage as I took flight and darted around trees, vines, and other hazards that attempted to impede me.

I was gaining on the interloper when she suddenly disappeared behind a tight collection of trees and vines. Immediately I threw myself underneath the foliage. My breathing was forced to be subdued and deliberate, reducing as much noise as possible while also keeping my ears and eyes peeled.

A shift to the west. Subtle. Quick.

I was about to move until my instincts warned me to wait it out.

Seconds later, rapid movement rushed towards me from the east, only to pause as they realized too late I did not fall for their bluff, likely a thrown rock or stick to make me go after it.

Dodging the overhead strike from the assailant’s spear, I slammed my staff on top of theirs, forcing their spear tip to embed itself into the ground long enough to get a few quick strikes in with my wing tips, aiming for the legs to trip them up. Rather than release the spear, they hopped to the side while still maintaining their grip, using the shift to rip their spear from the ground.

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK

Our respective polearms clashed against each other in rapid succession, attempting to parry one another or sneak in a decisive strike. A few blade strokes scratched against my armor while a few of my strikes scored a few grazing blows across the forehooves and chest.

She was annoyingly agile. Hopping over my sweeping leg strikes and jumping across wide distances like it was nothing. I could tell my wing strikes were throwing her off, utilizing three weapons to their one. However, she adjusted quickly and made sure to keep a reasonable distance so I couldn’t attempt to strike or disable them.

During our third clash, I sensed an opportunity to score a head strike and took it. Unfortunately, she seemed to have noticed the same and attempted to strike my own head with the backside of her spear. Our respective attacks narrowly missed their mark, but ended up knocking the hoods off our heads.

Exposed, we jumped away, taking the moment to recognize the other while catching our breath. Neither of us dropped our guard.

“Hold on… Zecora?” I asked.

The grey-striped zebra took a few gulps of air before speaking. “Indeed, that is me. Are you the one known as Flash Sentry?”

“Yeah. I’m the one guarding Twilight. Why are you sneaking up on me?”

After a beat, Zecora relaxed her stance, turning her weapon into a prop to stand with. “My intentions were not malicious. I only followed because you seemed suspicious. I noticed you sleuthing about with curiosity in your eyes. As one who lives alone, nothing’s worse than a nasty surprise.”

I nodded and lowered my weapon, standing at attention. There was no telling if this Zecora was real or a changeling, but as long as I watched what I said or did, hopefully it wouldn’t matter.

“Fair enough. I didn’t mean to scare you, Zecora.”

“All is forgiven, for neither of us were harmed. But I fear your presence here does have me quite alarmed. You’re dressed as if preparing for war. Tell me; what have you come into this forest for?”

Wow, she really does rhyme whenever she talks. Zecora would make a killer lyricist.

I had to watch my answers here. If she was a Changeling, this could easily blow my cover. “I haven’t really had a good look into this forest, so I figured I would give it a look and see if there’s anything worth noting. Have to make sure to identify as many threats in the forest as I can.”

“I see. Your need to ensure security is rather profound.” Zecora suddenly paused to think to herself. Considering that sentence didn’t rhyme, I toyed with the idea that she was attempting to find a sentence to rhyme with. “Actually, if you have a moment, I would like to show you something I’ve recently found.”

Nailed it. “Something you’ve found?”

“Yes. Even for Everfree, what I saw is rather distressing. Should things continue, our troubles will be quickly progressing. To describe it to you now may not make much sense. But if you come with me, you will see what’s made me so tense.”

“Alright. Lead the way.” I fell into step with Zecora as we made our way north.

We weaved through winding pathways and towering trees. Zecora’s knowledge of the forest proved invaluable as she pointed out danger zones and shortcuts to avoid ravines and marshes, all of which I jotted down in my pocket map to help me navigate.

Just like earlier, carcasses of eviscerated animals were littered across the forest. Zecora warned that this was abnormal behavior for the predators of Everfree, further confirming my fears of something nefarious going down in this forest.

Along the way, my curiosity about Zecora started eating at me. There wasn’t much information about her, only that she was friends with Twilight, was a sort of an apothecary and botanist, and lived in Everfree. The way she wielded her spear and moved, though... she definitely had some training.

“Hey Zecora, where did you learn to wield a spear like that?” I asked.

“The basics of survival and defense were taught to me by a wise teacher back home. The rest came from nature, constantly teaching me the skills I needed to hone. I suppose I could ask you the same. Your skill with the staff is worthy of acclaim.”

“A lot of my training also came from experience, but I have to give credit to my old combat instructor, Azure Striker.” I haven’t seen him in ages ever since he transferred back to Canterlot to train the soldiers there. Hopefully he’s doing well. “But I can see why you were able to survive out here. You can certainly defend yourself.”

“My skill with the spear does help me survive. But it is not the sole reason I thrive.”

“Really? How do you manage dealing with the predators around you, then?”

Zecora smiled mysteriously. “That is a story to tell another day. Let’s just say the voice of the land shows me the way.”

Well that answered absolutely nothing. But if we’re on the subject of mysteries, I did have one question I wondered about. “Do all zebras rhyme like that, or is that just your thing?”

She quirked an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know what you mean. To rhyme all the time would be most obscene.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “You can’t be serious. You just rhymed!”

“I assure you that I’m not playing a game. I know not of these rhymes that you claim. But let’s not worry about these so-called rhymes you have stuck in your head. Let’s focus on the issue at hoof instead.”

Perhaps I was crazy, but I could’ve sworn I saw the ghost of a smile playing on Zecora’s lips as she pressed on. I said nothing further on it as I followed, unamused at whatever joke she playing.

The further we traveled towards the center of Everfree, the lower the temperature dropped. Whenever I asked about what was going on or inquired about the abnormal drop in temperature, she simply said I would understand in time. Not to say she had been vague with every answer, as she shared advice involving safe paths and danger zones within Everfree. Though I was confident I could easily fly out of here if danger struck, I was grateful for the knowledge. Never know when you would need to know your exits.

It was almost dusk by the time we were on the approach. I had no idea what to expect, but made sure I had my staff ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“Beyond these trees is the troubling mess. Let us proceed so you can better assess.” Zecora weaved her way through a congested mess of trees, disappearing through the tall brush. I followed behind her, noting that the grass and leaves around this area seemed as though they were wilting and graying.

Once I emerged on the other side, a wave of shock struck me at the sight, rendering me speechless.

“So now you see why I waited to explain, ” Zecora said. “I admit, upon seeing this, I thought I was going insane.”

“I… can definitely understand.” I couldn’t stop staring at the sight before me.

This mission had just gotten a lot more complicated.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Feels good to get into some action and mystery, now with more Zecora!

Zecora was both complex and rather entertaining to write for. Attempting to string together rhymes while making the dialog entertaining without coming off cringy requires a particular mindset. I can see Zecora being the type who can have fun with the fact she is such an enigma with ponies. I feel she has loads of potential, and I want to milk as much potential out of her as I can.

As for this chapter, things are certainly getting spicy. Flash deciding to ride it solo will definitely make things interesting. At least he has company as he dives head first into the dreaded and totally scary Everfree Forest. Surely nothing bad will happen there, right?

Right?

So I'm super curious to see everyone's thoughts. What do you think Zecora showed Flash? What's really going on? Looking forward to see everyone's thoughts.

Until next chapter, stay classy, my paladins.