Unnamed Zecora Green written by Anonymous
written 30/11/2019

>Day gathering in Equestria
>You are Anonymous and currently you're walking through the everfree late at night following a feint path.
>The main culprit for your late night hunting session is of course, food. Or rather, you think it's food... More of an ingredient, really.
>A gust of cold winter air weaves through the branches of the trees and gently blows upon your exposed flesh.
>The strength of the wind was not the offender but rather it's drastically harsh temperature that caused your teeth to start chattering uncontrollably.
>Fucking suit, has no insulation properties whatsoever...
>You look back at your hand, which grasps a piece of flapping parchment with instructions written in a language you do not understand.
>These past few days have been very confusing for you. And also very stressful.
>Upon your first handful of days of arrival, you had three cockatrises attack you and had a near miss encounter with what you assume to be an ursa minor.
>Honestly with the sound that came out of that cave when searching for shelter, could have been a major and you wouldn't have been surprised.
>You would've been petrified.
>Considering you don't actually know what an Ursa Major or Minor is.
>You don't even know what a cockatrice is. But you do know they were scary and that's more than enough reason to turn tail and run.
>Not staring at them and focusing on running could've been the decision that saved your life.
>But what you do know is that this isn't home anymore. And you were very hungry.
>It took only three days after that cave escapade and the tearing of your favorite red tie that your body finally gave up and collapsed.
>What happened next was especially freaky. But you are thankful that it happened.
>When you next opened your eyes you were laying in a sort of room carved from trunk, adorned with tribal masks and potions of differing hues lining the shelves of the surrounding walls. Some of the aforementioned brewery was dangling from the ceiling from strings of what could be assumed to be hemp.
>What looked to be a cauldron was bubbling away at the center of the room pumping out a relaxing aroma while the logs beneath it burned with a soft ferocity providing a majority of the light for the room. It really tied the room together.
>What light the cauldron didn't provide was made up for by the candles dotted throughout the sides of the walls.
>Your body was resting on what could only be interpreted as a couch.
>Which wasn't too comfortable considering it was made of hay, bounded by a wooden frame extending from the wall and was actually very itchy.
>The sun, in its final stages of setting, was poking through the window to the side and made it difficult to rest any further so you had used that as a prompt to start exploring your new surroundings.
>You didn't even get off your couch before noticing a bowl of what looked to be a stew with various greenery floating around and a precarious lone pink petal mincing around the broth.
>Immediately you had devoured the contents of the bowl without a second thought as to whom it might be for even though you were very sure that it was meant for you considering it's proximity. The taste was sweet and filling but not rich and as a bonus, it was also still warm.
>You didn't even care to think about whether or not it was poisonous considering how foreign everything is in this place.
>You've browsed /out/ before.
>Death by mushroom is not a nice way to go.
>Speaking of mushrooms you're currently at the end of the path.
>Along the side of the path, more inwards of the surrounding forest you see glowing mushrooms in a very small clearing.
>You take another look at the paper comparing the figure sketched onto it versus the physical foliage at a distance.
>Even at this distance you can tell it's not what you're looking for, the figure is more of a flower than a fungus.
>As you quickly finish your observation you hear a rustling from behind you.
>Your fight or flight responses kick in and you're in no position or condition to be fighting creatures you don't know anything about.
>Could be more of those snake-chicken fuckers.
>You quickly meander your way over to the side with the mushrooms and adopt a low pose while sticking to the base of a tree.
>The sun had set a while ago and visibility was low the only light being provided was from the moon and the fungus. Surely whatever it is didn't see you?
>The sound is getting gradually louder as you can make out steps.
>Sound is attune to the crunching of leaves then to the displacement of dirt as you hear the creature hit a spot of dry foliage.
>Like the path.
>Whatever it is, it's almost upon you.
>What if this creature didn't see you but can smell you like a retarded teenage weeb going to his first comic-con?
>You haven't exactly had access to a shower since you've been here.
>Making sure to be as quiet as possible, you slowly slide along the base of the tree
>Making careful auditory observations as to make sure that the tree is kept in between you and whatever it is.
>As you're about to make a full 180 from where you were at the start of this game of silence, you step on a large moist root and have your foot slip onto some leaves that broadcast your location with a crunch.
>On the other side of the tree, the steps cease.
...

>...
...

>...
...

>...
>Fuck my life...
>Eventually the crunching of leaves start again and fortunately they seem to have continued in their original direction.
>You poke a small portion of your head out of cover to see what the beast that could've so readily stopped your life then and there would look like.
>You see a silhouette of a moderately sized ungelate with a medium thick coat towards its front and brown fur resembling the rest of its body tinted yellow from the nearby mushrooms. It sort of looks like a deer with the only exception being it's front fluff comes down and around it's stomach and down it's hind legs.
>It stops just before the fungus and starts to observe its surroundings before sniffing the glowing flora.
>That's... Actually kind of cute
>You feel like an idiot now for thinking something like that could be dangerou-
>From this lower angle you can see the branches above the mushrooms. They are coated in moss and on it's underside you can see a few flowers growing.
>After a quick inspection with the parchment you were given it looks similar but from this distance you can't be sure. Best to get closer and inspect from th-
>Before you can finish that thought the ground from over where the almost-deer creature erupts and swallows it whole. Much like an eldritch venus fly trap.
>The sound was startling and loud contrasting with how quiet tonight has been.
>As quickly as it snapped up it's prey, the predatory creature lept up shortly before dashing quickly into the woods, out of view and out of earshot.
>What the fuck.
>That's heavy nightmare fuel.
>Now that the glow from the mushrooms has disappeared, the only light you have now is the moon.
>You stayed still at the tree, trying to process the unsightly reminder that nature is a cruel mistress.
>Like this place is any safer.
>You walk deeper into the forest, remembering where that flower was after having that scene burnt into your mind.
>Each step you take uneases you with the volume of the leaves crunch.
>You reach your destination and see that some of the flowers above had been jostled down.
>Picking up as many of the flowers as your blazer pockets can hold, you start making your way back with haste.
>You got what you needed, you're out of here.
>Wait, fuck. You need to make sure these are actually what you're after.
>Weaving through the trees you make it back onto the path again.
>You reach your hand into your pocket and pull out a reasonably good quality flower and try to match it to your parchment.
>Looks good, you don't know the name of this plant since all the characters on this paper are complete gibberish to you but the universal language of pictures still reigns true!
>Now that you've found your match you can quickly make your way back to her abode.
>The flower is rather simple, composing of a thick stem and lucious violet-pink petals.
>Petals which look just like the one from your soup...
>You remember finishing your first meal in your time in this foreign land.
>You finished the bowl in one swig, not taking a breath until you were sure you gathered every drop and devoured all compromised ingredients.
>However, once the last of the liquid warmth hit your belly you choked and sputtered once you realised your stomach was no longer complaining but your lungs were screaming.
>Recovering from your self induced suffocation, you heard the sound of hooves touching wood from behind an indent to the side of your position.
>Looking over, still sputtering slightly, you see a zebra emerge from the side, neck and a foreleg adorned in golden rings and mane styled in a mohawk.
>She greets you with a smile before speaking in a language you don't understand.
>What?
>You're hearing a lot of "B" and hard "K" noises.
>After the week you've had a talking zebra doesn't phase you as much as it should.
Uh, hello to you too.
>Her head tilts at the end of your greet.
>Her brow furrows for a moment before relaxing into a content smile.
>She starts picking a couple bottles from the shelves and starts to toss their contents into the cauldron in the center.
>Guess she's making more of that soup thing you just had.
>You sit there on the couch for a while watching. For the first time since you got here you can relax a bit.
>You think of yourself as having a good judge of character and judging on your surroundings, you'd say that there's no danger here.
>You spend what feels to be the next half hour content and relaxed as you watch this mysterious mare add different concoctions and ingredients into the pot.
>Whatever it is, it smells good and you hope that you can get a bowl-full.
>Speaking of which, the bowl is still on the floor.
>You stand from the couch whilst picking up the bowl, looking for a sink.
>She notices before muttering more incoherent gibberish as she stirs the contents with a stick.
>You hope that stick is sanitized.
>You can see she is still smiling though and you take this as an opportunity to parooze the house that you're in.
>Less a house and more a giant room with offshoot areas carved into the walls.
>One indent has shelves lined wall to wall with various jars containing all sorts of fauna and leaves.
>Another which is the indent you saw her emerge from has a bed tucked into it along with another shelf with books stacked from side to side.
>Eugh, you probably woke her up with your choking.
>Way to go, Anon.
>You hear her call something and your attention turns to her
>She must've seen your guilty face and misconstrued it as confusion
>She points over to a small groove in the wall, looking in you can see it's a small bin for used culinary utensils.
>No tap or faucet
>Nevertheless you place your bowl with the rest and return back to your seat, it's night time by this point.
>You'd rather not leave just yet, despite how itchy the seat is, the whole atmosphere is quite comfy. You'll leave when it's obvious you've overstayed your welcome.
>Eventually, her incantations begin to slowly make sense...
>"Bbvk kbvkvb abk yob buna ville of villy to the suit and the green."
...
>"Maybe Urhina to make the flavour more palatable? Or perhaps buttercup, for the time being. If only I had more Langue Petals to make this more stable and clean.
>You're guessing she's listing off ingredients to the batch.
>Wait.
>Buttercup?
>Isn't that poisonous?
Uh, just going to put this out there but Buttercups will kill me.
>She stops mid reach to a jar on the shelf before putting it back
>"Ah, not buttercups then."
>She returns to the cauldron and stirs tentatively while keeping eye contact with you
>"If it's all the same, what is your name, friend?"
It's Anon. Anon E. Mouse. Who are you? And how am I only just understanding what you're saying?
>"Nice to meet you, I am Zecora. As to your understanding of Poneish, It was thanks to the flora. What you've taken was Langue Stew, which if you didn't know makes you understand the brewers flow. It seems as though when I made your food, my stock of Langue Petals was very few. If you wish you can help me tonight, by fetching me more before sunlight."
Does this stew by chance make me understand everything the concocter says in rhyme? Because if so I'd love to have this stuff all the time.
>She stops stirring and heads to her bedroom.
>A good while later she returns with a book in mouth, placing it and opening to a page held together by paper clips and sellotape.
>Must be a book she's been working on.
>"There is more of this flower, but beware of the animals. Here in the everfree they have immense power. Follow the path outside to the right and don't veer off the trail lest you kiss your life goodnight. For every petal you return to me, I can allow you to stay a day rent free. I would go and collect them myself, but winter has arrived. And last time I tried, I barely survived."
>...Foreboding
Barely survived? What do you mean?
>"Their growth patch is favored by a notorious predator, one wrong hoofstep and you'll be dinner. Just remember tk stbv awab bbk bvvbvk bvvvk bbbvbk, bbkbv bvkkb kbbv bvbvvk."
What? I didn't catch a word of that last part.
>The effect must've worn off. That really doesn't last for too long.
>Her brow furrows shortly before relaxing.
>She carefully frees the page that was flipped to depicting a flower surrounded by various notes in a language you don't understand.
>She hands you the paper before ushering you to the door
>With the door open, there is nothing stopping your body from shuddering and just like that you're cast into the forest again.
>Shame, you were hoping to get a bowl of that stew.
>Get some of that flower and you just might, just gotta stay on the path and look for anything similar to what's on the paper. Easy.
>You are Anonymous and currently you're walking through the everfree late at night following a feint path.
>You are tired and your pockets are nearly full with potential rent petals.
>As you follow the path through the forest you can see a gentle glow up ahead.
>As the source comes into view you can feel the cold air motivate you to walk a little faster.
>The source of the light is a hut-tree hybrid, adorned with tribal aesthetics.
>You walk up to the door and knock, hearing the growing sound of hoofsteps on the other side.
>The door swings open as you are greeted by your employer for tonight's contract.
>"kvvb?"
Hey, yeah I got the flowers.
>You present your haul as she steps back and to the side to let you in.
>She looks impressed. A good sign.
>Immediately as the door closes the warmth of the house melts your frigid bones.
>She takes your collection and heads into the area where she keeps her ingredients.
>through your tired eyes you can see it takes her three jars to store them all
>That means you can probably stay for a while just on that haul alone. Good.
>you take this opportunity to take your blazer off and head to the couch to lay down.
>You notice that this time there is some form of matting between you and the hay. Making it more comfy than itchy.
>No sooner did your head touch the couch did you fall asleep.
>That night you dreamt of soup, flowers and a giant land Anglerfish.