//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Claws and Stripes // by Danny the Chemist //------------------------------// "Wake up." Rainbow Dash let out a groan but didn't wake up. She just rolled over, trying to shut out whatever was making the noise. "Wake up." This time, the voice was clearer, louder, and kinda familiar. So, the mare opened her eyes just a bit to see who or what was messing with her sleep. All she could see were these bright blue eyes, like they were about to pop out at her. "WAKE UP!" The sight and Pinkie's sudden loudness startled her. She leaped out of the bed, screaming, attempting to take off into the air. But her flight was abruptly halted as she collided with something. Although she'd bumped her head many times before, this pain felt different. It was like someone had drove a stake through her skull. "Aaaugh!" she groaned loudly, grabbing her throbbing head. "Pinkie!" another voice exclaimed. "Didn't I tell you to let Rainbow be? Do you want to give her another concussion?" The annoyed voice belonged to Twilight, who strolled into the room upon hearing the commotion. "Sorry," Pinkie apologized sheepishly, then glanced at Rainbow. "My bad, Dashie. Didn't mean to scare you." "Startle," Rainbow corrected. "So, what happened?" she asked, her head pounding like a drum at a concert. "Do you want the long or short version?" Twilight asked, casting a spell. A gentle aura wrapped around Rainbow's head, and she felt a bit better. "Short one, please," Rainbow requested. "Well then, to put it simply-" "We totally got our butts handed to us!" Pinkie interrupted, jumping between them. Annoyance crossed Twilight's face before she used her magic to nudge Pinkie out of the room. "Awww, but I wanted to tell what went down," the mare whined as she got pushed outside. Twilight sighed and turned back to Rainbow, who looked pretty relieved. "Well, what Pinkie said. Things were going from bad to worse. And just before the worst could happen, Zecora showed up at the perfect moment and drove Miri away." Rainbow let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Celestia," she exclaimed. "By the way, how's Zecora doing?" "Not too bad, really," Twilight said. "Seems she got banged up and needed some recovery time, which explains her disappearance. But now, she's doing pretty well." "Good to hear," Rainbow said, feeling like a weight was lifted off her chest. Suddenly, her expression changed, and a look of confusion appeared. "Miri?" she asked, puzzled. A sheepish look spread across Twilight's face. "Yeah, turns out her name's Miri." Rainbow didn't say anything, just processing the information. "Did Fluttershy name it?" she groaned. "She's not thinking of keeping it as a pet, is she?" Her face twisted in frustration. "No and no," Twilight quickly reassured her friend. "According to what Zecora told us, Miri's actually intelligent and that's the name she uses for herself.." Rainbow was totally lost at this point. "What?" she asked, looking completely baffled. "I'm clueless too," Twilight said, giving a shrug. "Zecora mentioned she'll explain everything back at her hut when everyone's up. We were waiting for you to wake up." The thought of being the last one got Rainbow all worked up, but it only made her headache worse. So, she swallowed her pride and followed Twilight to where the others were. As they stepped out of the room she had been resting in, they entered the main area—Zecora's domain for rituals and potion-making. As soon as they arrived, every mare's eyes in the room locked onto them. "Oh, thank Celestia you're okay!" Fluttershy exclaimed, rushing up to her friend and enveloping Rainbow in a tight hug. "I thought you'd never wake up," she said, tears welling up as she kept holding onto Rainbow. "I'll be fine, Shy. Sorry to make you worry," Rainbow apologized, returning the hug. The others also joined in with their relief at the pegasus' well-being, making her feel overwhelmed by kindness, both figuratively and literally. "Good to find you in spirits swell, now I'm ready to answer questions that dwell." Zecora interrupted the group. The group paused their affectionate display and settled down, with one mare passing out popcorn to everyone. Zecora nodded, ensuring she had everyone's attention. "This tale unwinds, over a month in the past, in the depths of Everfree, where shadows cast. Noticed things awry, nature's discord, a tale of mystery, intensely explored," she began, tossing some ingredients into the boiling pot. A puff of smoke erupted from it, forming a small cloud above the cauldron. "Creatures stirred, their instincts alert, a change arrived, in the forest's covert. Animals and monsters, a response untamed, behaving differently, to a threat unnamed." The rhyming seemed almost enchanting, further enhanced by images starting to materialize on the cloud. Several glowing eyes hid amidst the trees, looking apprehensive. Among those eyes, a pair of blue ones dominated over all the others, as they tried to avoid them. "I delved into the mystery, ventured wide, through the forest's depths, where secrets hide. Days spent in search, a dangerous quest, until I found the girl, in nature's bequest," she continued, as the images shifted to show Zecora walking through the forest. After a while, her image stopped, stumbling upon the familiar tiger-looking girl. "Instincts whispered danger near, curiosity beckoned, overcoming fear. Closer I came, in the forest's sway, she noticed, cautious, in a wary display." The image of the tiger turned towards Zecora's image and assumed a defensive stance. "No hostile vibes, a feeling rare, yet caution lingered in the forest's air. Kept my distance, disaster to avert, observing her moves, a delicate concert," she spoke. "She mirrored my stance, a wary dance, curiosity in her gaze, a fleeting chance. No mindless beast, as I first believed, in those eyes, a sentient soul I perceived." The image of the tiger turned away from Zecora and dashed off, leaving the zebra behind. "Found, then lost in a swift decree." The cloud swirled, and the image changed to the two facing each other again. "Yet, the next day, she found me, you see." "As the day prior, we delved once more, time spent studying, understanding to explore." Zecora continued her story, depicting the two figures in the cloud as they stared at each other, circling like a sort of dance. Then they halted, and the zebra pointed at herself. "Without thought, my name I spoke, deeming it senseless, a word misspoke." The zebra awaited a response, but after a few seconds, she hung her head in disappointment. "But her reply, in the air so free, Miri, echoed gently." The tiger opened her mouth and out of it flew four letters, spelling the tiger's name. The mares were on the edge of their seats, curious about where this encounter was heading. Zecora chuckled, enjoying the fact that she had such a captivated audience. "A bond we wove, though no further it strode." she continued, as the zebra approached the tiger, but the latter backed away in response. "Days passed, the routine held sway, till haste betrayed, in a forgetful display. A protection charm left behind in my dome, attacked by Timberwolves, far from home." As soon as the zebra left the tree where she lived, she got jumped by a pack of those monsters. Swinging her staff to fend them off, but the wolves managed to land some hits. The zebra started getting bloodier and bloodier. "Moments from demise, Miri appeared, dealt with the beasts, as danger neared." Suddenly, the tiger appeared out of nowhere and engaged in a fight with the wolves. After a brief struggle, she emerged victorious. "Before gratitude could find its way, she vanished again, like the break of day." The zebra extended her hand toward the tiger, but it just turned and fled. The scene shifted, showing the zebra resting in bed, covered in several bandages. "Injuries bound me, my ventures confined, hence, in Ponyville, my absence defined." Then something caught the zebra's attention. She stood up, though with some struggle, and shuffled toward the door. "To my surprise, Miri knew my plight, left a present, in the still of night." The zebra picked up what seemed like a carcass of an animal, a repulsed expression appearing on her face. "Well, it's the thought that counts." The smoke from the cauldron cleared, and Zecora looked once again at everyone. "Rest of the tale, you're well aware, I hope my answers bring some flair." "I don't buy it," Rainbow said, crossing her arms. "I mean, I get what you're trying to tell us, Zecora, but that thing seemed pretty wild to me." The zebra's eyes immediately shot towards the pegasus, filled with icy spite. "Your friends revealed, you charged ahead, no thoughts pondered, the fight was bred." "OK, yeah, but—" "How can you deem her wild and untamed when you, headfirst, in the chaos, aimed?" she cut her off, her tone becoming even harsher. "B-but—" "No ifs, ands, or buts, the truth does show, you reap what you sow, as life's currents flow," Zecora interrupted again, pointing a finger at Rainbow. "Halt the words that demean and feast, she bears a name, let its melody be released." It wasn't often that Zecora became angry, and seeing it for the first time, all of the mares backed away slightly. Rainbow, on the other hand, looked like she was about to wet herself. "Hey now, let's ease up a bit. Some of us are still recovering," Twilight interjected, stepping between the two. She glanced at Rainbow. "You gotta dial back whatever's bothering you about Miri. She didn't do anything wrong, just stood up for herself." The pegasus grumbled, clearly not pleased. Twilight then turned to Zecora. "Rainbow might be out of line, but she's got a point worth considering." Zecora crossed her arms, eyeing the unicorn with curiosity. "What, pray tell, is this point you are trying to sell?" "See, Miri might not come off as aggressive, but she's still a big question mark," Twilight started explaining. "We've got no clue about her origins, why she's in Everfree, or what she really is. Plus, like you mentioned before, Zecora, she's not exactly warm and fuzzy toward others. Doesn't seem to trust anyone, even when they mean well." The words resonated with Zecora, making her ponder deeply as she realized the validity of Twilight's concerns. "And let's not forget, she's the one stirring up this whole mess in the forest," Applejack chimed in. "We came here to figure out why the critters in Everfree were acting all wonky, and Miri seems to be the root cause." Leaning back, she crossed her arms. "We can't just leave this be. Ponyville's feeling the heat already, who knows how bad it is elsewhere in Equestria?" Zecora let out a deep sigh. "I grasp each point you lay in sight, yet, what path forward, do you invite?" "Well, my idea was to, uh, ask her to leave the forest," Twilight proposed quickly. Her solution was met with skeptical glances from everyone, including Zecora. "Twilight, dear, are you certain that's the best way to go about it?" Rarity questioned, echoing everyone's doubts. "Based on what I've gathered, reasoning with Miri doesn't seem to be the easiest, especially after that altercation." "True," Twilight agreed, nodding. "But I don't think we can just kick her out forcefully." They exchanged looks, some glancing at their injuries. "Best-case scenario, she might be open to understanding and working together with us." "Okay, let's say your plan pans out. What's next?" Applejack inquired. "Where's she gonna stay if not in the forest? Definitely not Ponyville, that'd be a whole mess waiting to happen." Twilight replied with a sheepish smile, "Oh, dear Luna, you're actually considering it." "Before you pass judgment, hear me out," the unicorn pleaded. "Miri clearly has a strong distrust of others. But if we could help her get accustomed to people, it could really benefit her." Pinkie suddenly produced a box and set it down in front of Twilight. The unicorn gave her thankful nod, before stepping on it. "Consider this—a species we've never seen in Equestria. A mystery waiting to be unraveled. She might hold knowledge beyond our wildest dreams." After finishing her speech, she anticipated a loud cheer, but instead, was met with continued skepticism. Disheartened, she lowered her head and stepped down from the box. "If I write to Princess Celestia and seek her opinion and approval, would that be acceptable?" The mares exchanged glances and nodded silently among themselves. "Yeah, pretty much," Rainbow spoke on behalf of the group. "And I suppose it'd be us who'd be taking care of her while she's around in town?" Applejack inquired, seeking further clarification. "Absolutely," Twilight confirmed. "We'll ensure Miri doesn't get into any major trouble and smoothly integrates into the town." "Sure, that's the best-case scenario," Rainbow interjected. "But worst-case? She could just gobble us up the moment we let our guard down." Her statement sent a shiver down almost everyone's spine. "Especially after that first encounter." "Exactly," Twilight reassured confidently, sticking to her plan. "We'll have Zecora and somepony else approach her. Miri seems to trust Zecora the most, so she might be more open to listening. And we'll send another pony along in case things go awry. Someone who can calm her down if she gets aggressive. Someone who hasn't shown hostility toward Miri." "And who exactly is this 'somepony'?" Fluttershy inquired. Instead of a direct response, Twilight kept her gaze fixed on the pegasus, her eyes almost pleading. Fluttershy stared back, puzzled, until realization dawned on her. "ME?!" Fluttershy exclaimed in surprise.