--- Of Concoctions and Connections ---
There were only so many ways one could describe the Everfree Forest, as it wasn't exactly a very fluid environment. The same trees, the same shrubs, the same dirt path. If given enough time, Twilight could probably point out which hoofprints in the dirt were hers and from which day she had made them. It made sense, as there were probably one or two ponies who came into this place a year. The past few days had probably been the most hoof-traffic this place had gotten in years. Fluttershy was leading the charge at a moderate pace, Twilight and Spike trailing not too far behind her. If nothing else, at least they wouldn't have to worry about timberwolves, that was enough to put Twilight at ease at least. But the stroll through the woods wasn't exactly silent. After all, Fluttershy had a lot of explaining to do.
Not about whatever it was she knew about Knox and his schemes, instead Twilight had asked her to elaborate further on what was going on within these woods. Preferably not at incomparable speeds, she stated. And while Fluttershy was clearly still unsure about all of this, it didn't take much coaxing to get her to talk. For Fluttershy, it all began about three years ago when she stumbled upon her mystery friend in the woods. Said friend, someone who went by the name "Zecora," had been working on this for far longer, and had come to the Everfree for one very important reason.
"What do you mean the forest is 'dying'?" Spike's confusion was plainly shown in by his cocked brow.
"I mean it's dying," Fluttershy gestured with a wing towards a specific tree as the three kept walking. Twilight, shockingly enough, managed to recognize it as the tree she had walked face-first into on the day she had first met the timberwolves.
Though calling it a "tree" at this point was something of a stretch. While before it could easily be classified as an unhealthy plant, now it was more accurate to call it a rotted twisted mess. Shriveled and blackened to the point of hardly being recognizable as a tree anymore. Even the dead leaves that had fallen from the tree were blackened and crumbling, on the verge of turning to ash. Another memory from that grim day came back to Twilight's mind, how one of the timberwolves was able to revive itself from death through one of these trees and how that act affected the tree it emerged from. She didn't put much thought into it at the time other than the present danger it had presented. But in retrospect, these beasts could cause some serious damage if left to their own devices.
"They're killing the trees to make more of them," Fluttershy averted her gaze from the decayed tree as the three of them kept walking, "It's been going on for years."
"And nobody's done anything?" Spike seemed to be determined to save Twilight the trouble of asking these questions, not that the disguised alicorn was going to object. She wanted these answers, too.
"Nobody knows. Everyone just stays out of the Everfree altogether. Why risk the danger? The timberwolves don't go outside anyway, so nobody's really bothered by them."
"But that's changing, isn't it?" Twilight asked, surprised that she was finally allowed to ask a follow-up question before Spike.
Fluttershy simply nodded in responce. "They're trying to leave... and if that happens... I don't even want to think about it..."
And neither did Twilight, but that didn't stop the cloaked pony from envisioning the scenario anyway. An ever-growing pack of murderous wolves that couldn't be killed? It wasn't hard to figure out how that would go for the general populace of Equestria—maybe the whole world, depending on if these things could swim or not. And after that brief bit of acknowledging that dreadful possibility, Twilight went to change the subject by asking what in the world these things even were. Though Fluttershy didn't seem to be sure of that herself. The pegasus knew that they were magical in origin and certainly unnatural, but that was about as far as her knowledge went.
That was where the conversation was allowed to end as the three came out from under the canopy of trees, direct sunlight falling upon them once more. A small clearing in the woods that Twilight and Spike had yet to be acquainted with. The only thing of note in the space being the decently sized patchwork hut, looking to be big enough for about two or three rooms, give or take.
"Patchwork" was being a bit generous however, as the building materials used in the structure were varied and borderline nonsensical. Old planks of wood were accompanied by old rotting logs, as well as a few rusted iron bars and worn down stone bricks that looked to have been salvaged from the nearby Warden's Keep. It was big enough to be considered a small house but was more akin to what a child would put together to make a fort. And if the faint pillar of smoke rising from a shoddily made chimney was anything to go off of, then the resident Fluttershy had been helping was home. Or very irresponsible. Either one was possible at this point.
"Here we are..." Fluttershy's hesitance was plain as day as she led Twilight and Spike to the cabin in the woods. With a deep breath, she gestured for her guests to follow her to the shoddily made structure. Though instead of taking them towards the currently unseen entrance, she instead took them towards a small bowl that sat perched atop an overturned log, filled to the brim with an unknown reddish substance. "You're going to want some of this."
Without any explanation, Fluttershy gently dipped the tip of a hoof into the thick red slime and smeared it onto the space between her upper lip and her nostrils. An act which not only got Twilight to question her sanity, but also gave her an admittedly humorous appearance.
"Heh, she's got a mustache," Spike chuckled to himself as he gazed upon the red smear.
"What... is that, exactly?" Twilight cautiously approached the bowl and looked into the red mixture within. It wasn't quite blood-red, more akin to wine than anything else. It also looked to be thick and goopy, more akin to some kind of slime rather than liquid. Yet it's most noticeable feature was the shockingly pleasant scent that gently wafted from it. Very sweet smelling, almost enough to make Twilight want to dunk her head into the bowl to eat her fill.
"Mostly berries," Fluttershy replied plainly, "It's for the smell."
A single instant was all it took for Twilight to understand what it was Fluttershy was eluding too, clearly remembering the nearly unbearable stench that clung closely to the timberwolf wards in Fluttershy's possession. And assuming that this place was where they were made, then it would only make sense that it would smell just as bad. This was why she took the time to make sure that she was well prepared for what was to come, taking the time to help Spike get ready himself. It took a bit longer then it should have, as the long dragon kept licking at the sweet-smelling substance, but the task was accomplished soon enough.
As this was going on, Twilight was able to keep track of Fluttershy's actions despite the task at hoof. She continued around the side of the house, towards a door that was currently outside Twilight's field of view, and she boldly knocked.
"Umm... Zecora? Are you home?" Fluttershy asked hesitantly into the home. "It's me..."
"Fluttershy? Weren't you here last night?" A deep female voice resonated from within the structure, the walls being thin enough for Twilight to just barely hear them. "What brings you back so soon? Did you and Harry have a fight?"
"No, no, nothing like that... but I think I found someone who can help us out..." Fluttershy sharply inhaled as she watched Spike and Twilight casually approach her and the home's entrance. "Is it alright if they come in?"
"Friends of yours? Of course! Hurry, bring them indoors!" The hut's owner sounded very eager to meet new people. Much too eager, considering Fluttershy's reluctance at even wanting anyone to know about this place. Though maybe she just trusted Fluttershy that much, Twilight rationalized.
And as Twilight made that assumption, she also took notice of the makeshift home's only door. Or rather, a lack thereof. No, the functional door frame wasn't home to any sort of door at all, but instead a curtain of beads of all things. Beautifully crafted beads of bright reds and oranges primarily, a stark contrast to the home they were attached too. The style of the decore alone was enough to tell that whoever was in this hut was native to the distant land of Nchi. The name "Zecora" was just icing on the confirmation cake, really.
"Okay... but I need to warn you about something first," Fluttershy continued, taking a quick glance over towards Spike, "One of them... isn't exactly from around here..."
"Huh, well that makes two of us," Zecora chuckled back as the beads began to part, "On this matter, I'm the last one to have a right to make a fuss." The home's lone occupant stepped out into the light to greet her guests, revealing herself to indeed be a zebra, thus confirming Twilight's guess. A zebra who looked to be around the same age as her parents, if she had to guess.
Zecora, like most zebras, stood about a head taller than the average pony, with the top of Fluttershy's head resting just beneath her chin. Still shorter than a fully-realized alicorn, but shockingly taller then Applejack's brother, if only by an inch or two. But while such a hight was shocking to see Her body was decorated in the telling black and white stripes of her kin, as well as a series of well-crafted golden bands of her culture. Her mane, similarly colored to her coat, were draped off of her head in haphazard strands. About half of them were braided and held together by small golden rings and partly hid her face from view.
But even still, Twilight could see the warm smile upon the zebra's face, as well as her eyes. One a bright and vibrant shade of hazel, the other dull and grey. And based on the well-faded scar that accompanied the duller orb, it was clear as day that an injury of some kind had robbed her of half her sight.
"Now then, let's see who's come to visit me." Zecora giddily chuckled as she pushed her messy hair out of her line of sight, looking down to Twilight and Spike with a blatant look of excitement. "Now, now, who might you—?"
The zebra stopped herself imminently when her gaze fell upon Spike, her welcoming grin fading away to be replaced by a look of utter fascination and surprise. The reaction only lasted a second before a wide smile came upon her face and she leaned in close to the young reptile, stopping herself when she noticed him backing away. At least she had some semblance of boundaries, even if the grin she was wearing gave the impression that she was ready to poke and prod at Spike to discover his many secrets. Twilight could see that there was no malicious intent behind this interest of hers, the zebra was just legitimately curious as to whatever it was Spike was.
"Well, well, it's rare I see a creature I've never seen before," Zecora chimed happily as she fought back a childlike giggle, looking back to Twilight with an almost unsettling enthusiasm. "Once we've finished this nasty business, I would love to learn more."
"Uhh... okay?" Spike's reaction was equally bewildered and significantly less joyful. Zecora wasn't the only one being introduced to a creature they'd never seen before, as this was the first time Spike had been confronted with the concept of a zebra. And those simple two words were enough to get Zecora to join him in his less-enthusiastic shock. As much like with Fluttershy, the zebra hadn't been expecting the long dragon to speak.
"By the great bird's beak, the little creature speaks!" Zecora's spontaneous outburst was repaid with silence and three uncertain looks from two ponies and a dragon, but she didn't notice this as she shook her head suddenly. "No no, Zecora, there's a time and a place. Time is short, so we must work with a speedy pace!" Words couldn't describe how quickly she retreated back into the safety of her hut, with Fluttershy not far behind.
"What in the world was that?" Spike whispered in astonishment once they were alone, looking up to his guardian with wide almost fearful eyes. "I didn't know ponies could be that big!... Or could have stripes.."
"That's because she's a zebra," Twilight elaborated, "Think of them as a... distant cousin of ponies. Very similar, but with a number of differences."
"Like me and... other dragons?"
"Sort of..." Twilight blinked a few times as she processed that dreary responce. "If that makes it easier for you."
"It doesn't."
Well, that's reassuring. Twilight shook her head slowly as she ushered Spike inside.
The interior didn't do much to defy the expectations set from the outside. The patchwork walls were lined with improvised shelves lined with various glass bottles—each filled with various liquids or seemingly random assortments of leaves and dirt—and a few odd books here and there. Some of the jars had been left lidless and used as makeshift candle holders, illuminating the space with a cozy orange glow. One shelf that stood out, in particular, was lined with what looked to be the food stock for whoever lived here. Some fruits and vegetables alongside a half-eaten loaf of bread and an old canteen or two—absolutely nothing that needed to be kept refrigerated.
And in the center of it all was a small firepit, overtop which was a dark iron cast cauldron, bubbling away with some unpleasant looking green fluid of unknown origin. And in spite of the sweet-smelling smear beneath her nostrils, Twilight could still clearly detect the scent wafting from the basin. It was nowhere near as strong as she remembered, dulled greatly by the small bit of protection Fluttershy had provided, but it was still there. The smoke from the flames was escaping through what could only be called a smoke vent, in spite of its shakey construction, that led to the chimney outside without doubt. There was only one other door within, lined with a similar vail of beads. This probably led into a bedroom of some description, Twilight rightfully assumed.
"Welcome to my humble abode. Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting company and I believe that's shown." Zecora was already hard at work stirring the substance with a long stick, continuing to work on whatever it was she was brewing. "Now then, Miss Twilight, I assume there's a reason for your being here, am I right? Fluttershy has insisted that my living here be kept confidential. So if she brought you here, there must be a purpose most essential."
"Uhh... yeah," the baffled pony shook her head quickly to reestablish her focus and recall her purpose, "I believe I'm here to help out with your... timberwolf problem." She advanced further into the Zebra's workshop, Spike staying relatively close to her side. And the closer they got to the center of the room, the unpleasant stench of the cauldron got ever more noticeable through their thin layer of berry-based protection. It never got to an unbearable level, but there was no ignoring it now.
"What's that smell?!" Spike blurted out loudly, backpedaling away from the large pot with a look of absolute disgust upon his face.
"Ah, that would be this gunk here," Zecora kicked the cauldron with s loud clank of hoof-on-metal, "It's a special alchemic blend that keeps timberwolves from drawing near."
"But why does it smell like that?!" He shook his head violently—almost like he was sneezing—clearly trying to shake that scent out of his head. "What's in it?!" A question that Twilight wanted the answer to as well, even if she did think Spike's reaction was a bit on the rude side.
"You don't want to know." Zecora and Fluttershy both answered the question at once, and there was a sincere tone of dread in their answer.
"It's... a lot of stuff from the forest," Fluttershy elaborated, "You know... like leaves... and leavings..."
Of course, Twilight silently retorted as she plucked the broken twig out from behind her ear and magically placed it far out of reach. Why did Spike half to ask?
"Yes, these beasts were born of the Everfree," Zecora added cheerily as she continued to stir the bubbling blend, "Thus, their repellent must from the forest be."
"Well, they ain't the only thing that stuff repels!" The long dragon made his way over to one side of the room, sitting in the corner with an unpleasant pout upon his face.
"This is what you get for wanting to be involved," Twilight explained in a way that only a parental figure could. Afterward, she turned her attention back to Zecora's brew and the foul-smelling substance within. She gazed upon the green goop with great intensity, hoping to gain some form of insight from the muck. "So... what do you know?"
"A loaded question, I believe your inquiry needs a more specific orientation," Zecora spoke with a throaty chuckle as she moved towards one of her many shelves. She claimed a few of the jars and brought them over, carefully adding their contents to her potion before continuing to stir away. "I know a great many things, you'll have too—"
"The timberwolves," Fluttershy interrupted suddenly, drawing everyone's attention in a flash. It was hard to tell if she was actually frustrated, or just flustered from everything that had happened this morning thus far. "She's obviously asking about the timberwolves."
"... Fair enough," Zecora shrugged, "But at the risk of further antagonizing Fluttershy... where should I start?"
"Wait... that didn't rhyme..." Spike's subtle comment went ignored by the three equines in the room.
"Well, it's easier to fix a problem if you know where it's coming from," Twilight reasoned, "So do you know where they're coming from?"
"Ah yes, that's a good place to start. But truth be told, I only know the story in part," Zecora smiled as she reestablished her rhyming streak, "Some dark force has taken residence in this place, it's true nature I cannot trace. Though I've spent many nights studying where they roam, and if unless I'm mistaken that old Equestrian fortress seems to be their home. I've attempted to use my repellents there, but they have little effect so deep in their lair."
Red flag.
Twilight froze as those words came together in her head, followed by a sincere feeling of dread about what was to come next. Now perhaps it could have just been a coincidence, but Twilight honestly didn't believe her luck was that good. If Zecora's claim was true, then it meant that the timberwolves liked to prowl around Warden's Keep—unabated by the wards that Zecora had managed to forge specifically to stop them. And considering what she had seen last night, there was only one conclusion to be drawn. But she had to be sure.
"Are you... absolutely sure about that?"
"Yup," Zecora replied cheerily, not noticing the distress that Twilight was fighting to hide. "That's where the bulk of them tend to reside. When they aren't out and about prowling about the woods."
"That didn't rhyme either!" Spike aimed an accusing point that went ignored by the zebra, who simply strolled off towards the other room without so much as a word. Spike grumbled inwardly at being snubbed for the second time in this conversation, his pouting doing well at keeping his focus off of Twilight's anxiety.
Speaking of, Twilight wasn't exactly doing the greatest at the moment. She was currently in a state of disbelief, as surely there couldn't be any real correlation here. The odds of these two things being connected were astronomically low, and there wasn't much proof that there even was a connection to be made.
But at the same time, if Zecora's words rang true and the timberwolves had claimed the old fortress as their territory, then there must have been a reason. RIght? It had to be more than just a simple coincidence. And the more Twilight thought things through, the more likely it seemed that there was more to all of this than she first anticipated. There just had to be something more. Even if she really wished there wasn't.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Fluttershy whispered, startling the cloaked alicorn out of her intense thinking and dragging her back to reality. "You don't look so good."
"Don't freak out," Twilight hesitantly began, not caring at the moment if Spike overheard or not. "But I think our problems are more closely linked then I first thought..." After a moment of processing that fact, Fluttershy's expression was overtaken with a gawk-eyed look of shock.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Remember when I said I got a little too curious last night?" Twilight further closed the distance between them and began to speak in a much more hushed tone. "I might've gone to Warden's Keep... and I might've found something... unsettling..."