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// The Black Oak 
// Story: Zearou the Changeling 
// by ZearouPon3 
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The tired, hungry changeling cautiously tread down the path as his musk mingled with the musty atmosphere of the forest. When the dirt path finally became indistinguishable from the ground, a trail of hoofprints continued to lead Zearou until he reached the front steps of a hut adorned with bottles and native treasures from another land. The shape-shifter peered into one of the windows to find a zebra sleeping underneath a leopard-skin blanket. The sight of the striped equine told Zearou that he could not linger around her home for long, lest his rustling should wake her up. Before leaving, however, he took a moment to analyze the interior and shape of the tree, which constituted much of the structure and form of the mare's humble abode.

Zearou needed a refuge from the elements and the savage wildlife that inhabited the Everfree Forest. Without a proper dwelling, he would have to resort to encasing himself in a force field or hardened chrysalis every night he spent in the forest. In order to effectively, if not permanently, solve his lack of shelter, Zearou would have to venture elsewhere to find a safe and secluded location suitable for a new domicile. Although the whole ordeal of the day had left Zearou exhausted, he fought against his body's desire to sleep while the moon lit his bright blue eyes, urging him to move on.

Wandering into the darker depths of the forest, Zearou got a whiff of timberwolf's breath as he continued to march through the maze of trees blocking much of the moonlight. A scowl gradually formed on his face as he heard the low growls and pants of timberwolves approaching him. Unaware that lack of sleep and earlier frustrations had already begun to disrupt his usual composure, the wooden beasts swiftly circled the lone changeling as his horn started flickering and pulsing with a menacing glow. After a moment of hesitation, one timberwolf decided to pounce on him to deliver the first strike. Before the timberwolf could land on him, however, Zearou quickly engulfed himself in a fury of harlequin flames threatening to consume anything that came in contact with him.

His assailant was immediately set ablaze by the sprawled figure with an unquenchable fire that devoured the attacker's body in a matter of seconds. All that remained of Zearou's aggressor was the head, which then cried and whimpered from the pain inflicted by the lingering flames. Overlooking the sharp pain from being clawed and bitten, Zearou got up from his supine position and kicked the smoldering head towards the timberwolves beginning to distance themselves from him. Streaks of sickly green clouded the changeling's pupilless eyes as a vicious snarl left his muzzle. Snapping his teeth and flashing his jagged wings, Zearou signaled the timberwolves to leave him as the fireball surrounding his body continued to lash its flames violently.

Once Zearou could no longer sense the timberwolves' presence, Zearou took several deep breaths while ridding himself of the magical fire. With the roar of the flames gone, the forest around him became disturbingly quiet. Wide-awake from the encounter, Zearou licked whatever wounds he could before proceeding through the wooded labyrinth. In the midst of all the trees, Zearou eventually came across a shady clearing whose only occupant was a black oak that had grown to leviathan proportions. Thick surface roots firmly anchored the colossal tree to the ground while its lush branches forked and reached out to absorbed the moonlight. With a trunk wide enough to accommodate a hut with twice the space as the zebra's, the towering plant was a godsend to the changeling, marking the end of his random trip through the perilous forest. Designating the pitch-black tree as the site for his new home, Zearou flew and climbed into its dense foliage before quickly falling sleep in a hardened chrysalis.

When the rays of the rising sun began to light up the canopy of the Everfree Forest, the changeling stirred within the protective shell, twitchily stretching his limbs. Refreshed from the long ordeal from last night, Zearou pierced and slashed through the tough membrane with his horn, allowing himself to drop back to the forest floor. Unable to sense any predatory or aggressive creatures in the vicinity, the black quadruped began his own hunt in search of breakfast. Cautiously trotting back along the remains of his own tracks, Zearou marked the surrounding landscape with his magic, leaving invisible triskelion glyphs that revealed themselves to those who were welcome or acknowledged by him.

As Zearou continued to backtrack his footprints, the changeling picked whatever edible plants and fungi he could find along the way. Once Zearou had gathered enough to form a small salad, he stopped at the base of a tree to eat, savoring whatever palatable tastes he could find in his humble meal. Despite the sustenance it provided, his body still craved for something more substantial. For Zearou, the next best thing to a delectable medley of positive emotions was the taste of death: he wanted meat. Even just a small fillet or an egg to complement his collection of greens would satiate his remaining hunger, but unfortunately his earlier display of destructive power had scared much of the wildlife around him, not just the timberwolves. Since the morning was also coming to a close, Zearou promised to treat himself later with a couple of fire-roasted fish.

Zea continued the trek towards the zebra's home, clearing Zearou's footprints with her tail as she scanned for others that could have appeared since his first visit. Relieved to find none, Zea then knocked on the herbalist's front door before letting herself in with a curious, innocent expression. The zebra standing next to the fire-lit cauldron spoke, "You don't resemble anypony I've faced. With whose presence have I been graced?" "Sorry, I'm new to Ponyville. My name's Zea. Who are you?" "My name is Zecora and I provide medicine made from the flora. Now that you know the craft I do, may I ask if there's something I can do for you?" Noticing that the zebra spoke in rhyme, Zea replied: "There's nothing I currently need from you, but I'd like to take a look at the wares you brew."

Zea then perused the zebra's inventory, letting her return to her bubbling concoction. Pots and vases lined the shelves as their contents gave off pungent and exotic odors. The variety of potions was impressive; there were several mixtures that Zea recognized, but most of them were unfamiliar to her. Although Zearou wasn't the type that frequently used natural remedies and potent tonics like Zecora's, primarily because he didn't need to in the past, Zea figured it wouldn't hurt to ask for one. "Miss Zecora, I actually have a friend who's badly bruised from falling on his back. He's okay, but the bruises don't appear to be healing quickly enough. Do you have anything that can help?" The zebra walked over and reached for a small bottle. "Give your friend this drink and his bruises will instantly shrink." Zecora hoofed the bottle to Zea. "Do I owe you anything for the potion?" "There is no need to pay. Just help his bruises go away." Both Zea and Zearou were surprised by the act of charity. "Really? Thanks. I'll make sure he gets this." "Take care, white mare." 

As Zea was about to leave the hut, she gave one last glance at the zebra and bowed her head in gratitude. Zea then pulled the door shut with her tail before trotting down the dirt path leading back to Ponyville. After she was sure the zebra could no longer see her, Zea popped the cork on the bottle and drank the potion herself. As soon as the pegasus swallowed the last gulp of the tonic, she began to feel a tingling sensation spread throughout her torso and limbs. It felt as if something was bubbling underneath her skin, eating away the patches of blood in her former body. When Zea could no longer feel the effects of the potion, she glanced in all directions before letting Zearou briefly examine himself. The herbal drink had indeed cleared all the contusions from his back and his flesh was restored to a healthy black color. Despite several regions that were still tender, Zearou was very satisfied with the results. He vanished once again and allowed Zea to begin her errands in Ponyville.