THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
A repetitive dull sound ringing through the forest as Eliza drilled herself for another day in a row on teaching herself how to fight in this new body.Standing up on her hind legs (which had been its own entire day of teaching herself how to balance doing so) as she threw punch after punch against the trunk of a tree. Each blow causing the bark to crack slightly. The unicorn doing this both to learn how to fight like she now was, and to test her own strength.
Eventually, with a slight sigh, the unicorn dropped down to all fours as she gave a soft sigh. Trotting over to the small makeshift camp she had set up as she ran a hoof along her sheathed sword as it lay on the ground. The sheath once more gleaming and looking almost brand new, due to some caretaking from Elizabeth. The unicorn smiling slightly as she continued past it to lay down in her sleeping next of some large leaves.
Laying her head down on her hooves as she let out a long sigh. Gaze drifting downwards as her eyes drifted shut. The unicorn planning just to close her eyes for a few seconds to rest…
Only to once more suddenly have an unbidden flashback as a memory of her past came to the fore of her mind:
“You alright Eliza?” Hannah Huro asked as she sat down on the edge of Elizabeth’s bed in Atlas Academy. The brunette placing a hand lightly on her friend’s leg as she raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
The white-haired woman sighed as she shrugged slightly. Hands behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t know, Hannah… I just don’t feel that motivated to do anything today…”
“Oh, come on, let’s fix that then!” Hannah exclaimed, grabbing Eliza’s arm and dragging her from the bed. “Let’s go find the others and then go out for a bite to eat and something to drink!”
“Hannah-“ the white-haired Schnee said with a half smile. Knowing better not to argue with her. “Alright, fine… let’s go.”
Elizabeth then getting dragged from the room by an enthusiastic brunette, having to hold in laughter at how eager Hannah could be sometimes whenever she was just around her friends.
Eliza groaning as she slowly opened her eyes. Her thoughts and questions about why she kept having these random flashbacks vanishing as she let out a startled yelp. Horn igniting as she scrambled backwards, unprepared for the figure dressed in a brown hooded cloak standing a few feet in front her.
“Please Miss Schnee, I am a friend,” the figure said in a calm, level tone. “So please don’t in violence let this end.”
“How do you know my name?” Elizabeth demanded as she climbed to her feet. Eyes darting to her sheathed sword before back to the figure. Body tensing in preparation of a possible fight in the future.
“I was listening to you just the other night,” came the response. “After you and the Timberwolves had your little fight.”
Elizabeth frowned, her horn fading out as she then asked in a level tone. “You know my name. What’s yours?”
A pause, then the hood was lowered to reveal the face of a zebra with turquoise eyes. A small smile on her face.
“My name is Zecora, and I am the Shaman who lives in Everfree,” she answered. “And if you would have it, it would be a pleasure to have a friendship between us be.”
“You just met me, and you already want to be friends?” The unicorn asked, raising an eyebrow. “Just like that? No hesitating or getting to understand me any better?”
“Miss Schnee, who please listen to me,” the zebra said calmly. “For many years I have lived in Everfree, so I have learned various ways of being able to see.”
“O-okay…” the unicorn said, being confused both by what the zebra was saying and her habit of consistently rhyming her sentences. “Alright then, I guess we can be friends…”
Zecora smiled warmly. “I am glad to hear that, Miss Schnee. I look forwards to what this friendship might be.”
“Yeah… me too,” came the response, and after a few seconds of awkward silence Eliza continued with, “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’d like to get back to my nap now.”
“If that is what you wish, I will leave you be,” the zebra said, taking a step backwards. “I look forward to our next meeting, Miss Schnee.”
Eliza nodded, turning her back towards Zecora as the zebra made her departure. The white-maned unicorn letting out a soft sigh once she was alone. Sinking onto her “bed” as she rested her head on her hooves again.
“A friend…” she whispered to herself, feeling the sudden pang that ripped through her chest as she recalled all the fond memories of time spent with Hannah, Amethyst and Amber. Tears starting to gather in her eyes as she sniffed and wiped them away.
“Keep it together, Eliza… you can’t afford to just lose it right now thanks to emotions…” she said softly to herself, taking several deep breaths until she felt that she was calm enough not to break down into tears. Taking a steadying breath as she gazed around her.
“Tomorrow I need to go find others…” she whispered, even as she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off. “I need to find others and try and make more friends… otherwise I think I’m gonna go crazy…”
The unicorn letting out a low sigh as she drifted off to sleep.
A soft humming filled the interior of the wooden tree-like house that Zecora lived in. The zebra moving about as she looked through her belongings. Eventually making a slight satisfied noise as she pulled a cape-like garment out that was made of a grayish fabric.
“I have a that something big is in store for Miss Schnee,” the zebra said, folding the cape up nicely and tucking it into a saddlebag. “Just what that is, we will have to wait and see.”
Already planning on dropping off the article of clothing at the unicorn’s campsite early the next morning. As a sign of her only meaning to help.
She had noticed the wariness in Elizabeth’s eyes upon talking face-to-face with her, and was hoping that some sort of gesture of goodwill would make the unicorn lighten up and be a bit more open and friendly in the future.