//------------------------------// // Episode 2- Lost // Story: Hooves at Arms // by TrippyTyme //------------------------------// The Everfree Forest, a land uncharted by ponies and feared by many howled with skin crawling silence as its canopy of trees danced in the persistent yet gentle wind. Celestia’s sun fixated in the clear crystal blue skies beaming its godly rays down below with wild vegetation flourishing everywhere and anywhere allowing animals to live freely without pony intervention. But there was one zebra who called this place home and her name is Zecora. Out on a daily stroll just a few miles off from her hut, she was out to collect some herbs for her newest batch of potions. She wore her usual hooded cloak with a basket bouncing along her sides with each step. Spying out some daffodils in the distance, she walked and plucked them with the pull of her muzzle and tossed them in the basket with a smile, “Finding lunch on the go is a plus.” She rhymed through a thick accent, “But I must head back to my hut.” As soon she turned around to one she came, the canopy began to rustle as flock of birds flew over head sounding off their calls of alarm. She gazed at the frightened for a moment wondering what got their feathers all riled up. Her ears flickered outwards, picking up an almost inaudible but constant raspy distorted noise which was foreign to her. She craned her neck to the sound that was now heading in the general direction of Ponyville but the sound disappeared as quickly as it showed up but she decided to press on and broke off into a gallop to investigate this alien noise. Tyrone’s eyes glued shut, fists balled with a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel with his lungs hyperventilating for life giving oxygen. His mind raced over recent events trying to piece together what happened but a batter of confusion and fear turned his thoughts into mush. All he remembered was driving into a wall then the next thing he saw was trees and wrestling the wheel, an explosion and that was it. His mind finally giving up the ghost, he rests his head on the steering wheel to calm himself down. Prying his eyes open minutes later, he snapped his upwards and realized it was no longer raining in fact, it was quite sunny and peaceful which was strange because it was raining just a couple of moments ago. Even the sky looked different wait, the sky was different? As if lightning struck him, his vision panned the surrounding area seeing nothing but vacant woodlands with occasional woodland creature scampering about away from him. Webs of branches and massive tree trunks painted his canvas of the world and assaulted his nasal cavities with a mixed array of odors that coated the sticky, humid air. Oddly colored spiked vines snaked across the tree line dangling freely below to the finely grime coated ground. A maze of thorn hedges flanked him across the sides the car alongside more wooden beams of nature coupled with even more overgrow teeming with hidden dangers. With his judgment now pushing out decisions, it was clear to him that he is jungle of some sort but it this wasn’t the concrete jungle he was used no-this is an actual jungle…or forest or something. Shrieks and growls of wildlife greeted his ears causing to whip his head around like a dear spotted by a hunter. Strangely enough, although seemingly being stranded in a possible forest, it did provide some bizarre comfort because the more he soaked in, the more familiar it became. A memory lodged in the back of his mind had the words right on the tip of tongue but it just wasn’t clicking. He knew this was something he saw before. A growl ruptures from near by... “Liz!” Tyrone called aimlessly, poking his head out the window. “Liz, where are you!?” His heart began race, where was he? Everything is happening so fast and too fast; Liz just disappears out of thin air and now he is stuck in some backwash forest? What the hell is going on? A labored breath and a grunt later, the human gave the ignition a turn and it replied with a sputter with a few more attempts awarding the same results. Hands instinctively jolted for his cell yet quickly thrown back the instant he glance no bars on the screen. His orbs scanned the surrounding area, scouting for any possible threats thankfully drawing a blank yet his ears sought otherwise, they were picking up daunting howls to his left. From the sounds of it or God forbid, them, is a possible pack of savages stealthy sizing up their unsuspecting meal. Other than the growling racking on his nerves, he seriously couldn't believe he was in the middle of nowhere, held captive by nature and something was getting ready to jump his ass. Steeling his nerves he opened the door to get a better look at his situation and it shocked to see how truly lucky he is. The old Japanese roadster stood ahead of him still intact for the most part, somehow slightly dousing his heart burning with anxiety and adrenaline. He threaded through the ankle high grass towards the boot of the car, calling out his daughter’s name praying for a response. To make matters worse, he saw no evidence of movement from the car, any tire tracks, no nothing but undisturbed foliage. A sharp pain shot up his left leg causing him to wince in agony, immediately spying out on what he had stepped on, a thick, long and ash colored spiked root that ran beneath the car. Hoisting his injured foot in one hand and keep his balance on the trunk of the car with other he saw that bottom of the sneaker was smeared in a mixture of blood and oil with the blood seeping from a small breach that punctured through the sole of the shoe. A mashed feeling of dread and relief came over him as kneels to the undercarriage of the roadster setting his jaw agape, thankful that the engine didn’t start. One needle like spike pierced the oil tank, draining buckets of motor lubricant to the ground below. As if things weren’t worse enough, a nearby thorn bush 4 paces to the right stirred, his breathing slowed on instantly. The snarling beast is finally ready to take down its prey, its food. Tyrone snaps his frame towards the hedge, the stirs getting louder. He tenses his body as a pair of sickly yellow daggers starred him down. His gut clenches tight, muscles paralyze with fear. A figure could now be seen through the cover of leaves, the growling subsides… “A strange creature catches my eye, may I ask the one who passes by?” it asks firmly. The human blinked a few times with his heart about to burst, he couldn’t take this no more. Bells began to ring in his head then raising his arms in the air. “P-please,” he croaked weakly, “Can you help me? I can’t find my daughter and I’ve broken down and I’m lost.” “I will help you in time.” It began, narrowing its eyes “But right now, I want a name and importantly, what are you? Raising his brow and cocking his head in confusion still tinted with panic, he replied, “What you mean 'what am I?' We’re all humans….aren’t we? Look, I don’t want to be some animal’s lunch and my daughter’s missing, can’t you just help me or something?” The formless being gave no response. Miserably trying to hide his fear, he put a brave front and added, “Ain’t got all day, S-so what you gone do?" A silent pause yet again takes hold of the conversation with the yellow eyed silhouette formed before Tyrone as it stepped out from the shadows. Ripped straight from a documentary, a zebra cautiously approach the human with sockets as big as plates, its jaw hung low. Dark grey tribal designs slashed its back and forelegs, one of were which are bonded golden rings covered by ragged hooded cloak that draped around its neck, reveling five more larger rings. The tribal designs extended to pair of sockets that looked similar to an Egyptian cat, home to sea deep turquoise dots staring him down. A Mohawk mane erected from its head, trailing to two more rings looped in its ears as a striped tail sways freely. “Please, I mean no harm.” It pledged to the frightened human, already slipping away to the safety of its metal machine. “I am just wondering where you came from…” Terror reanimates Tyrone’s face, his brain making the connection to that lodged memory as every cell of his existence trembled to a visible shake. He couldn’t fathom to what he was looking at or be more precise, who he was looking at. ‘Just what in Sam hell is going on!?’ He thought while blindly opening the driver’s door, rummaging through the in interior of the Mazda for anything to get his mitts on, keeping his sights locked on the now bewildered zebra. Heart thumping harder than a dance floor; his fingers work towards the glove-box brimming with legal documents, fishing out a pen. “Stay back dammit!” he warned, wielding the pen like a shank, sweat is beginning to bead on his forehead. “I swear to God if you move, someone’s eyes gone be missing today!” The zebra replied warmly, “Please, I don’t not wish to confront,” then raised a defensive hoof against his display. “I just want to know where you come from.” What? All that growling and shit from before? Tyrone wasn’t taking the bait, “If you ain’t here to throw down, then what you do all that moaning and howling for then?” “I’m a Zebra for Celestia’s sake; do I look dangerous to you?” It asked in protested. Pause. That name, he knew that name, the name he watched on television with his daughter a few times. Still reluctant he refused to believe his eyes, emotions, throbbing pain, that this was all a dream. Sadly a well timed pounce from the thorn bushes got him from behind, sending him tumbling to the ground reminding him that it is indeed real. His office shank slips from his grasp, skidding a few feet and disappearing from view. All 6’3” 197 pounds of unadulterated human flesh and bone got thrown to the ground with ease coming face to face with a bloodthirsty wooden beast. Features of the beast slowly blending into form, his vision finally getting a mouth full of his attacker. Jaws laced with jagged razor sharp wooden blades snapped at its prey, anticipating movements to find an opening for the jugular. Scarps of timber and earthly debris made up its wolf-like frame and face, eyes glowing a foggy green giving way to empty, soulless sockets. Its paws ran the entire length of Tyrone's torso being topped off with curedhooked claws that had its victim pinned by the shoulders. The wooden beast had its prey pinned waiting for the time to strike. Meanwhile Zecora had her own problems at hoof. As she watched the strange creature struggle with the savage animal, while blood curtailing barking erupted from behind and out came two more wolves pouring in, their fangs prepped for a kill. The safari mare ditched her saddle bags in a blink, catching the beasts circling at the corner of her retinas, glancing over at the upright creature surprisingly still holding his own, with a freed leg suspending the predator's underbelly; snapping menacingly at the still alive and kicking meat, rancid saliva dripping on his face. Big mistake. That small tear in eye contact was plenty of time for one of the savages to pounce on her, plowing down into damp soften earth below but a practiced throw of mud flew from Zecora's hoof, blinding the foe. The second one charged, it too sharing the same faith. Now with the mongrels' vision smeared to oblivion, stumbling about swinging aimlessly. She took the chance to spot history's most basic go-to weapon, a rock; two of them to be exact. With the skill of a marksman, she bounced the rocks in the air with a foreleg twisting her hindquarters in the air then buckshot the cold stones into the awaiting maws. Stiff as tombs, they stopped. Shocked expressions etched their faces-explosion; bits of shrapnel sprawled everywhere leaving nothing but charred remains with Zecora already on the rescue for the strange alien. A battle ranges on between the human and the abomination. Tyrone wrestles with the beast, managing to get his good leg pressed against the thing’s stomach giving him some leverage while pushing the devil’s dog a few centimeters away from him. With less weight bearing down his shoulders his arms bolted to the animal’s ankles, suspending its form the best he could. An adrenaline fueled heave lunched the animal forward, up and over his head with his arms pulling the rest of the way. Landing in a tumbling heap, the Timber wolf howled in pain but before it even had a chance to lift a paw a black-grayish blur leaps over its meal and pressed a well placed hoof on its neck, breaking it. Zecora watched as the lime green fog in its eyes snuff out like candles on a cold night now lying motionless. Knowing full well that it was not dead, she picked up a nearby rock and shoehorned it down its throat. For a split second, both eyes and muzzle flickered with life as the body begins to bloat. The human watches in agony off in the distance, bruised and dirtied staggering to his feet. Zecora’s pupils shrink to the size of pinholes as the carcass puffed up like bread in an oven, “GET DOWN!” She hollered, galloping in the human’s direction, hunkering behind the metal carriage. “Get down, now!” “What?” Tyrone choked but a hoof a yanked him to shelter before getting a reply. His brain mangled with confusion, fear, anger, all swirled around in his head, and oblivious to what is happening to him. His ears rang the tone of deafness, his eyes rolled to the sky seeing chunks of wood green hellish flames spew overhead, rocking the car on its axis. A voice keeps siring off words of concern but he was too stuck in this trance, this hallucination; a dream he wished that was just a nightmare he would just wake up with his daughter sleeping beside him but no, reality isn’t what’s it cracked up to be. Smudged and faded, a recognizable figure entered his vision, “Get up!” It yells, embers gliding over its muzzle in a fiery rain as his senses equalized. “Are you alright?” No. Tyrone’s composure reconstructed as he stumbled to his feet with labored breaths and rickety knees, “Do I… look alright?” he said between gasps. “I just got my ass nearly ripped apart by a… explosive…wooden dog.” The human’s orbs danced over the Zebra’s body, finally getting a foothold to who was talking to. Naturally one would freak out talking to a fictional character saying that this isn’t real or something along those lines but he time for unnecessary drama and remained calm. “What about you Shecora, you ‘ight?” She got to her hooves in shock, “It’s Zecora, You know of me?” She rests a questioning hoof on the being- “DON’T TOUCH ME!” the creature spat, an unconscious hand slaps off her gesture causing her to wince. The human shrugs, giving a traumatized stare then limped to the driver side door, Zecora watching him like a hawk. “This is not happening, this is not h-happening…” he mumbles. “This is not happening…” He then proceeds to open a door of the metal carriage then sits, echoing out somepony’s name, “Liz, you out there?!” But silence is his response. “Who are you looking for?” Zecora asked, still recovering from the slap. “My daughter, have you seen her?” he shot back, messing with what appeared a small white slate in his appendages. “No what I’m kidding, this is all a dream!” He breaks out in a maniacal laughter. “That’s right! All a dream that I’m soon going to wake up from, why am I wasting my breath talking to you!?” Zecora is a bit taken aback by the creature’s outburst. “No, although I can help you look this ‘daughter’,” She takes a few trots towards Tyrone out of curiosity and concern. “But the break of night is about to occur, we only have about two hours of daylight to search our surroundings.” He gave a puzzled look as he slipped out of the metal carriage, white slate in hand his back facing Zecora. “Look, I can’t tell whether this is real or not of if I’m having a dream before I die but I do know one thing.” He looked in the sky and saw the sun soaring just above the horizon. “How the hell is there less than 45 minutes of daylight left!? We-I have to look for my daughter and if you-whatever the hell you are, can just piss off!” Zecora scrounged her features, not putting up with this creature’s nonsense; is this ‘thanks’ she gets for saving it? What an ungrateful being! She puffed out pale, hot air, “Fine, have it your way. Let’s see if you can survive the night without cropping up dead the next day.” The man raised a brow, what she meant survive the n- oh wait the attack from earlier was all he needed to him that is happening is legitimate. But be it he may be stuck on another planet surely they must have civilization. ‘Duh~’ he thought in a chuckle, not caring to see Zecora picking up her things, preparing to ditch him. Of course they have civilization! He’s seen it on TV a few times! All he has to do is make one call and emergency personnel will be on him like white on rice. Plus, they will help him look for his daughter! Problem solved! He didn’t need no stinkin’ farm animal’s help. He’s got this on lock, 45 minutes is plenty of time. Dialing 911, the human glued his cell to his ear…. -No Tone- Heh, maybe the lines tripping out just like him, he tries again. -No Tone- Alright cool, cool; maybe he just too far away from a cell tower. He reaches high in the air phone in hand and on speaker. -No Tone- Note to self, cancel this rubbish plan coverage. Deciding not stand around like a dolt anymore he combed the immediate area for his daughter and burned through those minutes like paper as he returns to the car. Then something bewildering happen, Tyrone saw the sun sank like a stone behind the tree line the moon being lassoed in the as stars and darkness any form of light; grounds below shrouded pitch black. 'How the hell?' Panic invaded his sense of security as his orbs darted around only to see that the Zebra was long gone, left for dead, hurt, thrown to the dogs, given the cold shoulder, abandoned, stranded…..lost. A sudden chill of air brushed his frame with his body replying with a stuttering rattle, no doubt that temperatures were plummeting fast. Sense became common in the human’s mind realizing that his one way ticket out of here was that ‘‘stinkin’ farm animal.’’ What’s worse visibility has dropped to a claustrophobic 3 feet all around, blind as a bat. Twigs snapped from the hood of the car, a familiar silhouette popped into view; it’s a Timber Wolf reinforced with a friend, another Timber Wolf all lightly bathing in moonlight. Tyrone’s body tensed in horror knowing he could not even attempt to flee with his injured foot. The beasts circle their meal, licking their lips. “C-come on you turds! I ain’t got all night!” Tyrone taunted, taking stance. They happily obliged by leaping in the air in front of him, he throws up his arms, his breathing speeds up to a shallow breath, clenches his fists and waited. Nothing….sounds of falling bodies burrowed through his ears. Opening his lids, he saw the two laid out on the ground stiff as led, vaporizing in cloud of smoke a friendly and all too happy to see figure trots up to him. Zecora. “Leaving the weak and defenseless alone puts a bad taste in my mouth.” She began, walking right up to him, face to chest. “Come, follow me home.” The human scoffed, “You again!? I thought I told you to piss off you dumb ass looking- looking th-…thing! I was just about to wake up from this hell hole!” Zecora snapped, pushing the human to the ground, a grim expression adorns her face. “Hmph, it seems I wasted my time saving you but I shall give you one last chance. I assure that this is no dream but if you want to become food for the wolves are fine by me, it’s your choice.” Tyrone cups his face in his hands, was he going to leave his daughter here? Hell No! “What about my daughter Liz? I can’t just leave her here since this is reality then! What do you want me to do?” She taps her muzzle brow realizing that he not of this existence, “How did you get here?” she asked. “Duuno…” he rubs his temple, hoping to coax out some memories. “All I remember was this black hole thinking my daughter got sucked into it. Then I drove in without thinking, then ugh, it was like a large boom went off behind me and now I’m here…” Magic … Portals … Spells These were the words that float about in Zecora’s mind from the information she could understand. ‘Is it even possible to open a portal for another being?’ she pondered. ‘Sure it is but I’ve only seen it done through teleportation and that alone requires a deal of magical prowess, transport a beings from a different realm.’ Twigs snapped from nearby, ripping the two from their conversation. “We’ll talk of the details later. Zecora began, her voice becoming weary. “Now we must leave, our presence has drawn the attention of the unwanted.” “But I can’t leave”- Tyrone is cut off by a intimidating glare “We’ll increase our chances of finding this ‘daughter’ of yours and our survival if we come back tomorrow.” The human sat for a moments break then nodded in a silent disagreement. He got to his feet and limped to the driver’ door retrieving his keys then back to Zecora with stubborn look on his face. Yet he knew the zebra was right but he couldn’t do it, he just can’t. “I can’t just leave my girl, she has to be here.” He pleaded, “I searched everywhere, and she wasn’t in the bushes the street-anywhere! She has to be here!” Zecora sees the determination glossing his eyes but this is Timber Wolf territory, staying out here is suicidal. They were especially vicious in the night; she could already feel the cold stare gnawing at her. She has get some sense in this creature’s head- whatever is his head or even if it’s a ‘him,’ she did not know. “Being out here is dangerous.” She stated, looking up to him. “Timber Wolves show no mercy for the living, we must return to shelter.” Tyrone came up with a solution, swallowing his pride. “It seems to me you can hold your own. Just choke those assholes and…w-we...search a little longer.” Zecora raised a brow then sighed, “We can barely put up fight against those we fought back there, if they were to attack us in a pack I doubt we’ll survive the night. Chances are, this ‘daughter’ of yours isn’t even here.” The human ran his digits through his corn rowed hair grunting in frustration staring into space as clenches keys in his left fist. He bites his lip. “F-fine, where to?” Tyrone wondered, quickly hopping over to to the driver side door, grabbing his keys, locking up then pushing the keys in his pocket soon returning to Zecora. She smiled, “Home…” Still not a trace on Liz, what will he do now!? Does he really follow Zecora home or does he stay and pretend that this is a LSD trip? Stay tasty for Episode 3: Solar Powered.