****

Above Equestria

Ari

Green melted into brown and returned to green once more, on and on it went, half the time not even registering to my eyes. I was almost ready to beg the bastard god himself to do something!

I kicked back another batch of hooves as yet another waterfall passed by under me, the cool spray misting up to me and releasing a long, tired sigh from my chest.

Just name your price god!

Unsurprisingly no being answered me, like the endless questions of ‘why’ and ‘how’ that had gone unanswered before this failed plan had proven his apathy, he proved himself no different now.

Yet another orchard was approaching.

My enthusiasm at the red dots of fruit was weak, my magic softly crackling as I thought back on my time. It had been hours…Yes, for fucking hours I had been flying away from the mob, holding onto my precious cargo, and all to no avail. Gaining a gap was impossible. There was no if, ands, or buts about it. Determination was their first, middle, and last name it seemed. They had traversered over forests, fields, and, of course, cities in pursuit. That was where my problem started and ended really, the cities and towns dotting the country. Like clockwork my pursers would call for help and a new wave of pegasi would rise from whatever settlement we happened to be near, desperate hooves would try and grasp at me, and some brave souls would try and cut me off. But I stayed ahead of them…by mere millimetres sometimes. The head on collisions had come pretty close, cling-ons even more frequent as I grew tired. Yet, nothing had occurred to me between dodging those and looking for an escape so I had just kept on, beating my wings up and down, pushing myself forward, and I got nowhere. My body wasn’t that generous, my swerving, and more constant steadying had a price. And that meant that I obviously hadn’t teleported, not with at least several sets of hooves closing in on me at all times.

I felt ready to drop.

Sweat was clouding my vision, collecting in my fur, and putting my grip on the princesses in peril as I crept ever closer to the green expanse of Minotaria.

The clouds were strangely absent.

“Ha…lt!”

But not close enough as the tired voice of my followers liked to remind me. I ignored their persuasive one worded arguments and continued to treasure the air I had.

Cool, sweet oxygen, free of pollutions. It didn’t help though. When will they drop off? I hadn’t planned to be airborne this long and I was starting to wonder if this was their plan. Tire the Alicorn out…

Well, it was working.

As I caught a slight break, my body lifting up and forward on a generous updraft, I heard it. What was it you may wonder? Well, I could only blink when I first heard it, the sheer oddity of the sound among the now normal protests grabbing a hold of me.

Thrumming, that what it felt like as it filled the air, almost engine-like, but too loud and too constant of a sound to be an engine. It was almost enough to make me look behind, almost; I stopped myself just in time as I felt the light headedness that this pace had created return. My head pounded in retribution.

Clouds started to return, whipping by below me as I steadied my breathing, ears pinned back to the new sound.

What made-.

“In the name of Equestria and all that is harmonious you are under arrest, Ari of the,” a half second of pause happened before the mare pushed forward, not seeing me roll my eyes, “…Endless Sea.” And to her credit whoever was making that powerful noise didn’t wait several seconds. Instead they powered on, growing louder…Closer.

Acres and acres of fruit trees loomed below me.

I kept silent as a new shade of blue crept into my peripheral vision.

“Halt in the name-.” I cut the pony off as I rolled into them, ignoring the squeal as I began to spin out to the side. I was creating curses from my followers but I just cracked a grin at their words. They wanted what I had, there was no need to repeat it so damn much. I knew exactly what I was doing.

Like losing them, the border would be upon me soon enough, and that meant home, my mares.

Blurring green landscapes flew by.

“Stop in-.” They were trying again, staying just outside of the perimeter of my roll if the dark blue creeping into my peripheral was what I thought it was…Yup, the feathers started to gain focus as my roll slowed.

The comet tailed ponies were back.

God, that wasn’t what I meant by ‘do something’!

All around me I could see them forming a triangle, one below and the other two on either side of my flank. None were overtaking me, yet that is. There might be more to this.

I scanned the horizon again, “-failure to adhere to the Equestrian special air forces will force us-,” blah, blah, blah. I tuned out there standard exclamation, the info that they were just another force of guards not even fazing me.

Dark green held my sight, no, it called like a siren to me.

‘Everfree forest isn’t a place anypony lingers, any sane one.’ Moonlit Echo’s rant on the notable landmark came back with a grin. Special air force or not, that spot was held in fear by the guards, at least that was the way he spoke of it, and that meant I stood more of a chance losing them in the forest then up here.

A glance showed my…Spandexed…Yeah, wow, well, my followers were still around me. The panting behind me a affirmative that the rest of the equestrian force hadn’t disappeared.

It was almost upon me.

Something bit my wing just as began to tuck it in. Pain spread from down the tip as I found my course faltering, my wing trapped in somepony’s jaws. It didn’t take long for the other tip to be arrested in the other pony’s maw.

Pain built up. Blood reached my nose. Sweat flew.

I snorted away the coppery tinged sweat from my nostrils and zeroed in on my goal again. It was the forest that was at the end of the dirt road, past the empty looking town, and far away from these pests.

There were three pests though…

My mind focused in on my aetheratic channels and I cut off the flow to my wings, sending it charging up to my horn. The feeling was immediate, a powerful burst of energy filling my horn. Lightly thrumming in my blood as I looked down, flying was just like driving, you look where you want to go.

And I wanted to go through that blue maned stallion below me.

Fuuuu…

My core shrunk before my inner eye, dimming as maintained the channels as well.

Our eyes met, mine narrowing as his grew large.

Tugs of pain registered in my mind, the sensations becoming one with the hard blows hitting my shoulder.

“DON’T YOU DARE-.” One mare shouted, releasing my wing to bite at my wither instead. As if her action could even faze my level of exhaustion now. Arch whipped harder than that.

A muffled grunt of protest reached me above the crackling filling my senses, my focus on keeping my grip and fuuu…

Letting go of the magic was easy.

Squeals of fear met my senses as light blinded me to my actions; I was flying over it, almost through it. The warmth of the magic causing sweat to drip and fur to burn under me, somewhere metal was melting with its sour odor.

Yet no fucks could be managed.

My wings were free of new pain, lighter, and moving in towards my barrel as I rocketed down. The light left me with spots of color, even as it stayed behind me the rainbow dots held their place in my vision.

Breathing in as my nostrils flared back I soared on the feeling, the velocity that was growing. Any exclamations of further surprise appeared and disappeared in my ears before I could blink, It seemed like my whole body seemed to know the routine now, my entire being consumed in the perfecting the dive. Every feather clamping down to become more aerodynamic, my eyes narrowing and releasing tears in the movement, I was getting ahead of them.

Safety… My instincts whispered, and I nodded slightly at the assumption. My heels were cooler than they had been in quite a while.

Gasps still reached me though.

Looking up quickly I saw why. The sun…Even blurring by I could see it was approaching the mountains, setting itself, and without their ruler’s help. Shocking…

Suddenly flashes of green and brown hit me; I was forced to look down as flashbacks of a certain brown whip came with it. I was forced to squint my eyes as I entered head first through the canopy, the brown of the branches nearly identical to my memory.

Calm…A deep breath in, and out again.

A smack reverberated through me though, whether it was here or then I couldn’t tell. I just gasped at the sharp contact. If my heart could have gone faster it would have. A roar echoed around me soon after, louder than the snaps of wood, and louder than the equine squeals I involuntarily produced as the more resilient branches snapped back at my flank.

Producing a shield didn’t help much.

The forest didn’t seem to have an end to its canopy. Golden magic started to flicker, my core dimming as my head felt the muted sensation of every hit.

Food…

Eventually the seemly endless slideshow of branches, leaves, strange bug goop, and even more questionable mildew leaf litter played ended…With a loud crack of course, my shield failed then as well.

My trench had ended with a large tree. A very solid tree that sent shudders throughout my forelegs. And the princesses took most of the hit, a fact that I was going to hear about that later.

But in the moment I just let myself fall back onto the forest floor, still clutching my, no, I scolded myself, I was clutching the mares for dear life. Feeling their shallow breathes go out of synch with my gulping display of exhaustion, air having suddenly become sweeter than any food.

Never again, ever, ever, ever again would I do that, it could have killed me. By some miracle it hadn’t killed anybeing yet.

Seconds past and no pony appeared to have followed my crash course.

Exhaling heavily I looked around, my initial scan finding a familiar and now bent golden tiara on the ground. The sight both puzzled and stilled my body for a second. For starters, how had it not come off before? Like during the many dives or the most likely event, the barrel roll? Silence surrounded me, providing me with no answers. Probably some strange magic that I broke…The crown was useless now anyway.

Actually, I had a better question for the world.

Did I truly lose them?

Turning my aching neck skywards I groaned under my breath. A blue dot was hovering over the long, gaping hole I had made in the canopy…Had made, shit. Holy mother of shit, I take back my ‘any cover is better than nothing’ thought, this was crazy.

I was crazy.

As I watched the trees creaked into action, the birds and other creatures still silent as foliage moved with an unnatural speed and intent, creating shadow after shadow till a deep darkness closed over my rapidly blinking eyes. I understood Echo’s fear a hell of a lot more now; I think I just developed a new one actually. Were all the plants in here sentient or something? For an herbivore that was pretty bad news.

Even more so if the sentient plants realized I was starving, exhausted, and wouldn’t have thought twice about munching on some of the fruitier looking plants I had spotted lining the trails around me.

How had they not woken from that?

Continuing to blink at the oddness of the moment I noticed a faint glow starting around me, a luminescent light blue that traveled up the bark of several nearby trees. It was a moss, I think so anyway. Its actions were slow. Dare I say it? They almost appeared hesitant to glow as I watched them, it was growing brighter the longer the quiet persisted. My breathing was growing quieter as well as I looked around in fascination. Stranger than the moss was the large arrow shaped leaves it illuminated beneath it; they seemed to point their arrow heads left and right as if they could see…Which plants obviously couldn’t. I knew that, I wasn’t crazy…It was probably some sort of adaptation to keep nervous herbivores like myself from eating it.

All around more plants appeared to come alive as well; even the tree we had hit seemed to have squirming bark as I gazed up at it.

Within seconds the bare spot on the trunk was loosely covered by a lighter, thinner bark.

But I was just delaying the inevitable with my wonder, enjoying the quiet and rest after that fresh hell I had created for myself. My wings were already cramping against my barrel in retaliation, stomach screaming for sustenance and permission to vomit all at once. Despite my immobility my forelegs protested, still more complaints rose as I relaxed them, the sensation of letting the mares roll beside me causing a stiff cramp to form in them.

I wasn’t made for this sort of thing. I just wasn’t- wait- teleporting, I could teleport now!

Focusing on home I grabbed at my remaining magic, the warm crackling responding in kind. It traveled up my horn, sparks jumping as I breathed in.

…

And nothing happened.

Closing and opening my eyes I frowned and gripped the mares tighter, focusing on the open deck instead, the fresh look of the light brown planks as they lay all in perfect order, with only a errant black hoof print from our mechanic still here and there. Even the rat lines that could be seen criss-crossing over the railings appeared clear in my mind.

Focus…Will it, intent, believe it will happen.

My magic flowed out from my horn, warm and golden in my slitted sights as it flowed along my fur like a hot gel, a strange sensation that hadn’t happened before, but I allowed it. My magic was a little odd and I was still learning.

Teleport!

A jolt ran through me, firing off random nerves with pain as my crackling magic hit the dead weights in my forelegs. It didn’t stay there long before retreating back into my horn rapidly and against my will I noticed with dread. The pain had not made me stop…It was the mares themselves, the unconscious mares…Wearing magic inhibitors .

It hit me with the obviousness now. I couldn’t even levitate the inhibitors when they were closed…They were closed…And I…Fuck.

Once again I was left wondering what to do. The sky was out of the question now; the forest had made sure of that. Teleporting was out of the question as well thanks to my stupidity, and that left walking…With two unconscious mares that wouldn’t want to let me carry their heavy rumps to my ship when they awoke. Another fact I was unsure about.

I was walking home...Joy.

****

Everfree Forest Rd, Equestria

??????

The market had ended earlier than I had anticipated; my potions still clinked in my saddle bags as a reminder that they were still vastly unsold. But I didn’t blame that fact on the small mindedness of the town’s ponies, they had come a long way from my first day here…Which was a tale for a different time I’m afraid, no, this time my wares were left unsold due to a new oddity. A occurrence that wasn’t all too unfamiliar to the small town I had been stationed in, but it was of such a different nature that it stood out among the random Cockatrices and Manticores that had taken to wandering in.

It had started like any other weekend, my saddle bags loaded to the brim with the extra wares I had produced that week thanks to the increase in rain in the forest. A event solely of its own making, the pegasi having no control over that area to their chagrin.

Applebloom and her family had met me on my way to the market, pleasantries were exchanged, it was the usual cordial ‘yups’ and excited stories of that week’s exploits in the search for cutie marks. The law of the herd being merely a thing of the past in comparison to how that week’s talent wasn’t the one for my young friend. And before long the road led us to our familiar spots in the town market. We each set up our own stalls, smiles plentiful now. At least from some, the suspicious looks still were cast my way but some bolder agents in the town. But they didn’t try anything as usual, the presence of the element of honesty keeping them at bay…Anyway, we then proceeded to garner customers for our wares, as per usual, it was a novel act that filled the morning with much laughter.

However, the afternoon was where it went polisi umbo.

Shudders grew beneath me, slowly growing till even Applejack looked down to me from her stall in question. I could only blink in disbelieve at her as a unwelcome reminder of home came to me and tore up the market place, rumbling louder and faster as it sent ponies screaming and whinnying in distress. An earthquake was happening in Equestria.

Truly, was I awake? Had the princess of the night caught on to me? I had to be awake though.

“What in tarnation?”

“Ahh,” Applebloom exclaimed as her hooves slipped out from under her from the erratic movements of the planet.

More exclamations of surprise had risen as the ponies were puzzled over the events, the few pegasi in the town even rising to the air to check for a ‘monster’, a common occurrence in this small town bordering Everfree forest.

“Nothing…There isn’t any monster at all?!”

I could have told them that, if they had cared to ask I would have told them exactly what I believed was happening, but no pony did. Some eyes did burn a hole in my flank but I wasn’t paying them any mind; it was unlikely that they could pin it on me.

No pony seemed to have ever encountered an earthquake before, as they continued to clumsily gallop about the square in confusion, looking for an invisible enemy as the fact that Equis could do this didn’t occur to them. Simply wazimu to think that the world got on fine before the Alicorns, wasn’t it? It was here. Just as they feared my forest home due to natural weather…Foals.

But some of the smarter ponies such as the element of magic were right to look around the market in calm confusion, earthquakes didn’t happen here, but they did exist…Something was wrong, something that surely had to do with my hallucination at the pond this morning.

This requires investigating before I add it to the report.

And with that I rolled out from under my stand and started packing up my potions and salves despite the shaking around me. Only seconds later did others catch on to the idea.

So everybeing left the square, scurrying back to their homes as fast as they could, with many not even bothering to take their wares with them as their survival instincts took hold. Which I understood, but in reality it was a minor quake at best. It only rattled the signs of stores on their flimsy chains and jostled wares around.

I had seen worse. But I wasn’t volunteering that information; I liked living thank you very much.

Which is what led an awkward conversation, it was just after we had left the market place, my pony friends having wasted no time to join me on the shared long walk home.

“Yah’ sure yah’ don’t need a-,” Applejack gulped as she glanced at the darkened entrance further down my fork in the road, “-a’ hoof getting home Zecora? Yah don’t know what crazy monsters might be stompin’ around to make that racket.”

A smile curved my mouth easily as I glanced from the soothing presence of the magic infused forest to the kind pony before me, happy, for of all things I could have seen I saw genuine concern in her eyes.

My young friend held concern as well as she gazed up at me, her eyes large and fighting my protocol as it nagged me to hurry up and investigate.

Best not to ruin it yet, “Thank you for your warm southern charm, but I don’t believe I shall come to any harm.” My rhyme brought a frown to her sister’s face, green eyes scanning mine, and narrowing in frustration as she found no lies. As usual it worked. Nothing in there caused me fear. And my rhymes kept my word choice in the forefront of my mind, avoiding the previous breaks-.

“Yah’ sure, Zecora? I’m sure my big brother wouldn’t mind escorting you home at all!” Applebloom exclaimed with all the subtlety of a Manticore and missed the wince that traveled among us as she looked between Big Macintosh and me.

Her hooves practically pranced in place with the sheer excitement that coursed through her.

“I am sure young Applebloom, that this one can do more than thou assumes.”

That poor stallion had been hounded by mares for weeks, all desperate to not be sent away to other stallions in neighboring towns when the herd act came into effect, and by some Stetson wearing miracle he had ended up just as single as he had been before the law had happened.

“Uh, sorry, I meant, uh,” it didn’t stop the gears from going in young Applebloom’s head though. Her head shot up, “I only meant-,” her eyes shone again, “-you might enjoy the company!”

And now I ‘needed’ a stallion around the hut, the inhabitants of the forest were now ‘too much’ after me living alone out there for years. Miss Fluttershy, the element of kindness, was only an hour’s trot away at worst. Of course that was partly my own fault again. ‘Wasn’t I happy’ she had queried and I couldn’t give her an honest answer, not even a passable rhyme, and that had only made her try harder to push us together.

Giving the red stallion an apologetic smile, I took a step back and struggled to maintain my smile at my young friend. “I assure you, this one is not blue.”

Her sister nodded at me with narrowed eyes, having surely caught on to my wording. My fur was black and white after all. “A’ think Zecora will be fine suga’ cube…Wouldn’t she know the creatures of Everfree best?” Applebloom nodded absently as her sister herded her to the cart, half full baskets of apples jumping into action as their brother started off down their road. Her Stetson tipped my way, “and wouldn’t she know the best paths to her house? Big Mac doesn’t even know the way back anyway. Yah wouldn’t want to him teh’ git lost would yah?”

“N-no,” Applebloom stuttered, looking between her brother and me with worried eyes.

And her sister continued on, waving a hoof at me as she tried to dissuade her little sister from her filly fantasies. All the while keep her moving down their road.

Watching them go I waved a hoof in good bye. Waving until they rounded the corner and slipped behind the view of trees, then my hoof dropped and my heart grew heavy. “Good bye Apples.” With a quiet sigh I turned to my home, my empty hut waiting for me, and my family thousands of miles away.

But I have a report to add to…A pond to investigate.

My ears snapped to attention. Always alert, never allow yourself to be alone. Protocol rang through my veins, cooling my emotions as I watched the bushes and skies, not even a rustle of Pinkie Pie reached my ears.

Something was wrong.

But I didn’t know what, the usual agents hadn’t started anything, and the weather was right on schedule. A strange thought still, but all was normal before me.

The tenseness persisted until I reached the cover of the Anthu trees, there I breathed deeper. The trees opened up before me, creaking in their familiar way, just as I expected. The sound very much a part of the word home as my hut was here. With the soft sound they seemed to bring a tighter grip around my increasingly unstable emotions, the familiar damp scent they exuded a balm to my senses.

Ponies weren’t the same, not all of them.

It no longer bothered me that I was more at home here than I could expect to be in this country.

As I was engulfed in the cool shade the branches already moving to obscure the entrance I came in from any following agents. And I stood there, breathing in the moist air, now rich in the scent of herbs.

“Assante,” I whispered to the trees, hating to break the peace that came from their silent form of support. A sign that my years of toil had some well wishers at least, I know the agents would sooner have me servicing their allied Arabians or dragons than ‘corrupting’ their fillies with my ‘savage’ ways.

Letting my withers slump I stared at the few strands of grass that leaned towards the kufufua moss that gave me sight.

My work is still so vast, almost too much for one being…They were everywhere out there.

A sigh left me as I looked at the trees around me, my sole friends and protectors in this mission. Save for the ambassadors, but they were hardly friends, it was more like we had a common cause and had to work together to get even the smallest task done. Nearly all of them were equally stringent and hard to talk with at the best of times. They were always cautious to take my reports, understandably though.

Ponies were small and numerous, everywhere at times, all times in Equestria.

Creaking caught my ears as I adjusted my bags. And as I watched my friends parted to create an opening. Now groaning the unused trees as they formed a new path to my left, one that hadn’t been there in all the years I had traveled here. It looked like no being had used it in quite awhile.

Had the agents actually braved the forest?

No, no pony had entered the forest behind me. That left was no reason for their sudden action, at least none that I could see.

I blinked as the roots literally smoothed themselves into the ground ahead of me, the trunks moving to lean away from the new area they made for me.

Why?

Looking to the right I noted my usual path had closed up, leaving no other route.

“Unataka nini kwangu,” I asked the forest in wonder, receiving little taps on my rump by errant Klava vines in response. But I had already begun stepping onto the new trail without their assistance, my curiosity peaked. Most of the time they enjoyed confusing travelers, pony travelers mind you, they had never shown me the same treatment. They had given me sanctuary, allowed me to thrive in their territory, and never communicated without undue cause. Something was definitely ahoof.

****

Everfree Forest, Equestria

Ari

Living trees…Check. Strange vines that like to flick my rump if I so much as brushed by them, yup. And let’s not forget the growing backache I was developing along with my overexerted muscles from earlier, things were just peachy.

My muscles were already stiffer than the time Katie dragged me to the gym, under the claim that building decks wasn’t a good enough exercise plan…Her instructor happened to be single. Anyway, the point was it wasn’t even the day after yet and I ached.

That was also to say, if I made it out of here before the next day started. It had felt like hours, so maybe it was the next day already. Time was hard to track down below the canopy. With darkness, various luminescent flora, and exhaustion setting in it was near impossible.

Right, I was by carrying the princesses on my back like some sort of pack mule…Wait, were there mules here? And weren’t mules-.

A snap echoed throughout the forest then, interrupting tired thoughts, knocking them away as a new awareness filled me.

That was the first big sound in hours.

But I didn’t have the energy to do anything besides pivot my ears around me. Nothing came charging out. The insects kept chirping, the birds kept warbling, and so I felt no need to do anything. It was probably a deer or some other harmless creature.

Softer padding came from my right but the occupants of the forest carried on, so I thought nothing of it.

Just a deer…

I was not stopping for anything less than an enemy. Especially when the spandex wonders and the guards would eventually grow enough balls to enter the forest. Most likely when they had enough ponies to cover the area or enough to take down an Alicorn, although it didn’t feel like much was needed now.

A growl filled the air.

My stomach growled again, against my actions, and nearly as empty as when I first arrived on this planet. But I ignored it. No being would just give up on their rulers. And I had to be out of it by the time the mob entered, when ever that was.

Fuck. The ground zoomed in for a second.

Grunting and teetering I hopped around the root that rose to trip me…Lovely. They wanted to hurt me as well as the population of Equestria.

Air left my lungs in protest as I stabilized again, glaring at another root as it creaked back during its retreat, and I put that to the back of my mind.

Don’t start fights with magical plants.

So I trudged forward on the path I had started on with a deeper frown, my hoof throbbing in disagreement.

One dead plant couldn’t h-.

“Fuck!” the word was whipped out of me this time, the vines testing my patience as I could feel they curl in the air behind me, ready to repeat themselves. They were poking me, wanting something. I wasn’t crazy…But this had to mean something. Magical plants didn’t just beat up herbivores in some twisted role reversal, right?

The sound of air swishing had me side stepping, grunting as my load wobbled preciously and my muscles screamed in protest. The soft clink of yet another horse shoe hitting the floor held my ear’s attention, for too long though. Within a second the vine came back and whapped me on the head.

It gave me no choice.

Pain lanced up my forelegs as I broke into a trot, grunting and correcting myself when the mares hopped up and down haphazardly on my back, smashing down on the bases of my stiff wings.

I had to get out of here, even an empty field would do, heck, that orchard would do.

Another vine snapped against the leaf litter, sending it flying at my tail as I snorted. This was just getting ridiculous!

Nothing in the enchanted woods made sense though. For starters it was the only forest, woods, or place that really seemed to capture the ‘magicness’ of the land so far. The plants had sensed my approach, my exact location, and moved in response. Creaking as I hurried past them, as if to watch me make my way through what I felt was their home; they certainly acted like it was.

However the various flora around me didn’t seem keen on giving me any hints on where the exit was so I could leave them. No, that would be too easy. They almost took a special sort of joy in chastising me for the slightest things instead.

I wasn’t going to argue with a plant though; all I wanted then was to go home, a place that still seemed too far away.

Where was the border?

“AH,” a yelp escaped me as a particularly powerful lash hit me, causing me to jump forward at the difference in pressure, the pain returning with the following sting in my flank.

What did I do now?

As I came down with a heavy thump I looked back at the annoyed vine with a scowl. I was leaving faster, what more could they want?

The tree it hung off of groaned, literally leaning away from me as I watched. I leaned away from it in turn…I still was getting over that part. It was like a time lapse on crack taking place before my very eyes. Trees groaning in protest all along my left, opening up before me, and growing illuminated by steadily brightening moss.

Did it want me- “Ah,” I yelped once more – it did want me to take that path.

Maybe it was going to lead me out of here? I could only hope.

Slowing down to a walk I turned left onto the new route, cautiously stepping around the untouched plants hugging the tree’s trunks.

It was clearly new, unused for quite awhile, and the birds were louder than ever as I went deeper down this rabbit hole. No vines encouraged me along and no roots tripped me up, but my body still gave a constant string of complaints.

This had better be the way out of the damned forest…And not into the hooves of angry ponies.

After awhile the path started winding, left and right, my patience was being tested, and my nerves were growing. There was this feeling that something was out there, which logically there had to be, but the- I paused- feeling was intense. Something snapped, loud and sharp in the avian chorus around me. That was why I thought something was out there. It was too close then, practically in bushes skirting the trees.

My eyes stayed glued ahead, my hooves kept on moving, but I started to rotate my ears and take in the nearby scents. Herbs, plants, and mildew filled my senses, along with the ever present mix of vanilla and blueberry. Several ear swivels into the investigation and I latched onto a rapid sound, unmistakably breathing, and quick breathing at that. A deer…I continued on though, listening to the rhythm and guessing what it could be. It was too slow for a deer, too loud for a predator. Not to mention, a predator would have jumped me already. Dread filled me at the thought I dared not voice.

There, again a snap echoed along the trail, louder, closer, and quicker. Following me…I could hear the soft movements on the moist litter growing louder then as I increased my pace to a fast walk, running hard and risky. Weren’t you supposed to not run from predators? Whatever it was they were definitely following me.

Did I risk stopping to investigate? Confront it?

Maybe…

Tracking it wasn’t helping my thoughts and ignoring it seemed less and less advantageous. If it was a lone guard that had somehow found me they wouldn’t reveal themselves, it would be too risky for them. No, they would follow me, track my destination, and maybe lay a trap for me. The world seemed to slow down as my heart pounded faster, pain faded to the background.

A trap…

Canterlot had felt like a trap, had been one, it had started out so innocent as well…This could be one as well. They knew that this forest was magical; Echo had even mentioned how the guards used it for training. It wasn’t too farfetched to assume they would know every knock and cranny here.

Oh hell no!

Stopping on the dime I turned to face the muffled steps, steps that halted as soon as I glared into the inky expanse of the forest. Blue illumination climbing the bark did nothing to reveal my stalker. So I narrowed my gaze, glaring in the black area where the canopy lay then around the trunks and into the bushes that skirted them.

Nothing jumped out at me still. The birds carried on. But the air seemed too still despite their songs, like somebeing was holding their breath. Growing quiet, I arched my neck at the unknown, my tail starting up as I scented the air, yet there were only the same scents as before.

I wasn’t imagining it though.

“Show yourself,” I demanded, keeping my voice steady, listening to my deep voice echo back faintly, and a frown growing as I heard an exhale of a held breath on the left side of the trail. I stared harder and didn’t see anything in the darkness. But, they wouldn’t reveal themselves to me…Even if I was closer than I had been to exhaustion than I had been in a while I was far from defenceless. They would fear me, an Alicorn…I blinked at the darkness. No, maybe…Bente, she feared me slightly, had tried to get my attention before, and horribly as well.

Had she not made it to my ship? The thought was better than the rest at least.

“Bente, Is that you?” A feminine gasp echoed out and I breathed a sigh of relief. “Look, Bente it is safe,” I looked myself over before watching the blackness again; I didn’t look that safe right now with mud in my fur and my feathers askew. “Relatively speaking,” no response, “Bente,” I tried again. Was she worried about what I would do? Was she angry? “You know that was an accident, right?” Heavy breathing answered me. “I just thought you were one of those watchers you mentioned…And…Are you there?” Doubt nagged at me as creaks echoed from far away in the forest, the implications of the sound stalling my prodding.

Why would she hide from me?

As I started to look from the patch of darkness I was sure she was hidden in I heard soft step from in it, a second one slowly following as I scanned the path I had already tread. Nothing…

Letting the sound grow closer I finished my initial scan, already shifting my hooves from the lack of noticeable enemies. That had to be why Bente didn’t reveal herself, she-.

“You know Bente of Stavanger?” My head snapped to the left, “The ambassador?” The mare before me stopped as I blinked at her, confusion evidently on my face as I followed her hooves up to her muzzle. She watched my face instead of moving closer. A squint in her eyes as I absorbed the strange sight before me. She was a zebra, her neck ordained with four golden bands not unlike Wekasi’s, and her striped mane was styled in a Mohawk, while a small set of saddle bags peeked over on her haunches.

I wasn’t sure if I should flee or relax with her sudden appearance. Zebras weren’t with Equestria…Right?

Then why was a zebra in Equestria?

As I saw her ears fold back and eyes dart to my cargo I shouted, “I know Bente!” The echoes of it making me flinch, but only startling her at the sudden volume. I was a tad scared she would run. She obviously knew of her, but in what context I didn’t know. And the sight of her had thrown my world for a loop again. Not to mention what she must think seeing me like this? Did she like the princesses like the rest of the ponies or was she with Zebrica? What did she know?

The blue eyes returned to mine.

Gulping I returned to the question at hand, “Why are you in the Everfree forest…In Equestria at all,” And ‘how did you get here’ I wanted to add, but that seemed like a footnote compared to the why. They were clearly racist and zebras were sparse outside of Zebrica, save for my assassin. But I somehow doubted she got out by any normal means of transport.

Her eyes wandered to the princesses once more, scrunching up. “Are you sure you know her?”

My eyes flicked around to the shadows. Was she stalling or was it my species again? “I know her.”

Blue eyes flicked between my horn and wings, “Describe her…In detail, my morning has been too far consumed in retail.”

I blinked at the odd wording, this almost rhyming to her sentences.

“She’s a white and grey gryphon,” the mare’s eyes watched as I shifted my withers under the weight that continued to press down, “With a heavy dose of rudeness at times. She interrupted my meeting when we first met. ” Barging into a town hall with all the subtly of a freight train as an ambassador?! I couldn’t think of any other words for her behavior, especially if she really was a official ambassador for a country.

It seemed accurate though as the tightness around her eyes lessened somewhat, at least it appeared to in the dim lighting.

Excellent, “Look I need to know if you are going to be a problem.”

“A problem,” the zebra inquired, apparently confused at my change of topic.

I wasn’t confused though, my body forced me to think about what I had to do to get home…I had to fly up to my ship still, tired muscles be damned. And my back was under the pressure of not only saving the world but the weight of what had to be two adult human’s worth of limp Alicorn. That was my minimum weight guess too, it could have been more, but at that point everything felt heavy.

She was unneeded.

“Yes,” I grunted and shifted my hooves. “It’s great that both know the hen but you were clearly following me and are a long way from home…” I watched her muscles bunch up as she gulped, eyeing me carefully.

With a big exhale she started, “It isn’t every day the princesses pass through the Everfree forest,” her eyes lingering on their horns.

Touché, “They are off to get some fresh air,” our eyes connected, “And get some new education on the world’s state of affairs.”

And that opened up her expression, her jaw dropping for a split second. Stepping closer she panned her head at me, muzzle scrunching up. “You know?”

Copying the mare, I took a step towards her, “Yes,” she obviously knew. “But the question still remains. Why are you so far from home if you know what your friends and family faced?”

“Faced?”

I nearly cursed at my slip, instead gritting my teeth as I watched her blink at me, emotions filtered far too rapidly for me to track.

She didn’t know…

“Yes…,”more creaking echoed down to us, the path closing in behind me, “As in they don’t currently face enslavement, won’t ever again if I make it out of this forest.” As I watched her mind put the pieces of the puzzle together I felt a weird chill crawl up my spine. Vines… I ignored it in favor of watching her muzzle twist up, slow and hesitant as she looked up at me, “Slavery is done… for now.”

I could see the questions pooling in her eyes, doubt still present as well. A reasonable thing considering it was a pretty bold statement in any circumstance. I wouldn’t have believed some random stallion in the middle of the woods.

Heck, I was still wondering why she was here, if I was hallucinating this mare.

“Well?” Blinking was cast my way as her attention was brought back. “Why are you here and are you going to be trying to stop me?”

“Why…” The word was said more to herself than me, whispered into the air in stupefaction. “I tried. I was supposed to, composed to…,” the mare trailed off as she looked between me and the princesses, “I was the spy, a set of eyes on why.” She had my attention, “They never acted to aid us when the pirates raided us.” a silence extended as blue eyes flicked around. “Are you helping us?

The weight increased as she put me on the spot, not unlike Bente had with her offer of a home in the mountains. “Yes…But,” there was no nice way to say it, “I am here to save the world first and foremost, then I will be helping Zebrica.” Her muzzle opened as my back creaked in protest, “Look, I see that you are here for good reasons and all that so perhaps you could help me out.” A brisk nod followed. “Good,” this time my back creaked, “Now which way is the Minotarian border? I have a lot of guards on my butt and my back is killing me.”

Mystery mare’s eyes considered me for a moment, narrowing and flicking from to the left and right rapidly. “…You were followed…” the statement was once more made more to herself, quiet, and unsettling enough that a second chill traveled along my nerves.

Was that a past statement or a current one?

“Yes,” she looked at me in surprise. “Now if you could just point me to the exit I would be very grateful miss…” I trailed off, “You didn’t say who you were.”

She pursed her lips, the hope closed off, “You don’t know me? Yet you claim to be-,” I snorted at her rhyming, “Never mind.”

My hooves screamed in protest as my mind caught up, “No, miss insider I am on a mission here and your name and existence didn’t come up in my travels.” I snorted and shifted the weight as more creaking reached us, louder. “And quite frankly I am caring a lot less about your name and more on if you are helping or not. Cause, if you aren’t comfortable aiding my escape than just say so!” Exasperation leaked through as my heart rate started to increase, the sounds filling me with images of guards.

“It’s Zecora…Ari,” a long silence fell between us as we locked eyes, gauging each other. “Follow me. We have a lot of land to cover…And please ignore the flora, they are here to help.” As if they heard her, the trees creaked before us, wavering in and out of the path as the noise behind us grew.

“Fine! Let’s get going!”