//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 - The Name of the Exile // Story: The Exiled One // by joe mother //------------------------------// Chapter 1 - The Name of the Exile Zircon heard the leaves rustle softly as his hooves brushed past them, and his fur tingled as an air of ominous mystery covered him. He shuddered as the trees slowly began to drown out any light that may have made its way through the canopy, changing the bright day to almost pitch-black night. He could only see the outlines of plants and animals as he stumbled blindly through the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of the exile. "H-hello?" he called nervously, his eyes darting wildly as if expecting something to jump on him. There was only silence as he stopped walking. "Is anypony there?!" There was once again only silence in the forest, hanging over him like an oppressive blanket. "Do not try to follow me, for there is nothing for you to see!" These words echoed throughout the blackness, stunning Zircon and causing him to jump in fearful surprise. "I-I just want to know w-why you were banished!" he called. He heard no response and started to walk again. The undergrowth licking at his fetlocks made him shiver, as the plants had an odd texture that made him uncomfortable. "W-why won't you answer?!" he yelled, wishing for a response. Suddenly the ground beneath his hooves vanished, and he started to slide down a hill. He screamed as thorns tore at his back and branches whipped across his chest and face. When he reached the bottom, he felt a hoof touch him comfortingly. He looked up to see the silhouette of a zebra standing over him. "Are you-?" he asked. There was a moment of silence as the zebra cocked its head in thought. "Yes, I am the one that you have been seeking, one who's mind has lately been reeling." Zircon laughed lightly, "You rhymed!" "I rhyme until I have paid my time." He laughed again, this time harder and louder. "Why?" he asked the zebra. The figure only turned its head and sighed. "Come with me, young one, for you appear to be hurt and that is not fun." Zircon was immediately aware of the pain from the fall he just had. He winced as he tapped on a long cut that went across his chest. "Are you going to help me?" he asked the zebra. "I will help you, for in my heart I am still true." Zircon did not bother to try and understand what that meant and followed the zebra to a small clearing nearby, where a tiny bit of light shone through. There was a stump in the middle of the area, which he was placed on. As the zebra started looking around for something, he finally got a good look at her. "You're old," he said. "Your coat's so gray, and your stripes aren't very bright." The exile stared at him and smiled. "It is true that I am not as young as I would like, but it doesn't mean my skills took a bite." Zircon looked at the rest of her and was surprised by her appearance. "What's with your mane?" he asked, noticing that it was in a Mohawk, pointing skywards. "It is a tradition I picked up while in another village, of a village of power and plunder and pillage." Zircon blanked, and he wondered what all of those words meant. "Why do you rhyme?" he asked. "Nopony else rhymes. Is it because you were banished?" The zebra's smile faded, and she nodded. "The mark of an exile is one of voice, one we uphold through our loyalty and choice." Zircon only blanked again. "What?" he asked, confusion on his face. "I don't understand." There was a moment of pause, and Zircon finally realized that the pause was her trying to think of a rhyme. "You can say it without rhyming," he told her. "I won't tell. Promise." "It is not so easy to be an exile, you see, for rhyming is your mark and everypony who sees knows to run and to hide and to avoid my gaze, and leave me to wander for endless days." Zircon absorbed the large sentence and thought about it for a moment. "Please just tell me without rhyming!" he pouted. "I won't tell anypony!" The exile pulled up a root from the ground and brought it over, chewing it up in her mouth. She spat out the now paste-like substance and rubbed it on Zircon's cut, which stung slightly, but was quickly replaced by a cooling sensation. "Please!" he begged. "Tell me why! I won't tell!" The zebra took on a look of defeat. "I must rhyme because it is the mark of an exile to do so," she said, turning away. "I rhyme because it lets other zebras know that I have been banished from a clan. They won't accept me if they know that I did something bad to others." "But what did you do?" Zircon asked, standing up. "I'm sorry to say this, and I'm sure it's a saying you think is planned, but you, my friend, are too young to understand." Zircon just let his jaw hang. "What?!" he said. "All of you adults say that! Why can't I know?!" A howl filled the air, and any thoughts about learning from the exile were destroyed. "W-what was that?" he asked, stating to shiver. "I think that we should run, for we have had our game of fun." The zebra took off, and Zircon blindly followed, watching as she left the clearing and faded into the darkness. "Wait!" he called out. "Where did you go?!" He stumbled after her, tripping on roots and branches as he tried to find the exile. Suddenly, a hoof grabbed him and pulled him into a hollow tree trunk. He screamed, but a hoof was placed against his mouth and he fell silent. He saw the shape of the banished zebra and calmed down. "What is it?" he whispered. This was answered with another hoof being pressed against his mouth. A loud snuffling could be heard from behind the tree trunk they were hiding in, accompanied by frantic digging and snorts. Another howl graced the forest, and he heard the sound of rustling leaves. As he stared out into the woods, he saw a pair of glowing green eyes. He breathed in to scream in fear, but a hoof clamped his mouth shut and he stayed silent. The eyes came closer, and the creature's silhouette became clearer; it was gigantic. The shadow stood tall and wide, with small thin shadows jutting out from the main body. It snorted and came even closer. Zircon's heart began to pound, increasing in pace as the shadow crept forward, the sound of snapping twigs and branches filling the air. It got within ten feet of them and sniffed the ground. It snarled, eyes peering right at him and the exile, then looked up as something else caught its attention. It howled again and bounded off, leaving Zircon and the zebra alone. However, the zebra did not move until the retreating thuds from its running faded away. She tossed him from the hiding place and crawled out after him. "What was that?" Zircon asked in fear and awe. "It was so scary." "That was a timberwolf, a predator that paralyzes its prey with a look." Zircon shuddered as he remembered the piercing green eyes. "Why was it here?" he asked. "The forest here are its hunting grounds, where it kills anything that makes a sound." Zircon sat down and looked at the surroundings. "Where's home?" he said. "I do not know, but you have put on quite a show." "You can not rhyme," he told her. "Just tell me." The zebra sighed. "I do not know where in the forest we are," she said. "I am lost just as much as you. We could try to find our way back." "We're lost?" Zircon asked in disbelief, standing. "That's not good! Mom and Dad will notice that I'm gone and they'll be sad! They'll never find me because I'm lost in the forest!" He started to cry, thinking about all of things that could happen. "They could forget about me, or get another child, or they could become sad and not do anything!" The zebra patted him on the back. "It's okay, little one," she said. "If we are going to be with each other for a while, why don't we get to know each other? What's your name?" Zircon sniffled and raised his head, "I'm Zircon." "I'm Zecora," the exile said, wrapping a hoof around him lovingly. "Why aren't you rhyming?" Zircon asked, wiping a tear from his eye. "I'm not so I can talk to you better," Zecora said. "But what if something bad happens because you don't do what you're supposed to?" "I'll talk in rhyme from time to time. Does that to you sound fine?" Zircon laughed and stood up. "What will we do?" he asked. "We will search the forest for a way out, and find your tribe without a doubt." Zircon smiled and started to hop. "Let's get started. I don't want to be away from home for too long!' Zecora smiled as she stared at the happy colt. She felt a warmth fill her chest. She knew that this colt was happy, and was sure that he would go back home. However, she knew that when the forest got a victim, it never let the victim return to where they wanted.