Some ponies may say that it is a bad idea to walk into the Everfree forrest in the middle of the night. Others would say that it wasn't just a bad idea, it was the worst idea in the history of bad ideas! However, this didn't matter to a young unicorn colt as he made his way through the dangerous jungle. Nero was, in fact, scared, but determined as well to keep pressing on. Sure, it would have been easier to have the Apple family escort him in the morning, but Nero just couldn't wait. The prospect of finally finding someone that would consider him family was just too tempting. Nero continued to silently trot through the forrest until he came upon a large clearing. To Nero, it was absolutely beautiful. The area was clear of tress and a pony could get a clear view of the night sky. Stars sparkled in the sky and the moon washed light over the clearing. Nero was in a trance as he gazed upon the spectacle, but was snapped out of it when he heard a noise to his left. He quickly turned his head, but saw nothing but trees and grass.
"Calm down, Nero." He told himself. "It's just the wind or something. No need to be afraid." With that, he pressed on, walking into the clearing to reach the other side. However, just before he could exit the large space, he felt a blinding pain in hind leg and turned around. Nero was horrified to find that a timber wolf had clamped their jaw down on the limb. "Let me go!" Nero screamed, as tried to shake the timber wolf off. Unfortunately, the movement only helped the wolf dig its teeth deeper into Nero's flesh. Nero yelped in pain as he felt the jaws of the timber wolf continue to bite down harder and harder. After a while, he couldn't stand up and collapsed onto the ground. Pain consumed all of Nero's thoughts as the timber wolf began to try and tear his hind leg off his body. Just when he thought he would lose the limb, he heard the timber wolf streak and fall to the ground. He looked over and through teary eyes, saw that the predator was unconscious. Nero turned around again and saw a cloaked figure walking towards him. "Please, help me!" Nero called. "M...my...leg. It hurts!"
"Don't worry. I will help you, child. But will you please tell me why you are here in the wild?" replied the figure. Nero struggled to answer as he began to pass out from the pain.
"I'm...here...to...find...Zecora."
"Well you're in luck, you see. Zecora just happens to be me. The figure took off her cloak, revealing that she was the zebra Nero had been searching for. All Nero could do was smile once, before passing out from the pain in his hind leg.
Nero woke up in a cold sweat. He had just had the most awful nightmare as he slept. He dreamed that he went to find Zecora in the middle of the night and succeeded, but not before almost begin killed by a timber wolf. He sighed in relief at the realization that event had been just a dream. To comfort himself, he took a peek at his unharmed hind leg. Only, he assumed it was unharmed. When he looked at it, he saw that it was bandaged and blood was starting to seep through. When Nero tried to move the limb, he felt a blinding pain and instantly stopped. Looking around what he thought would have been Apple Bloom's room, Nero found himself in a completely different place. It looked like he was in a small hut with masks and potions lining the walls. In the center there was a small cauldron with a brew bubbling inside of it.
"Good morning, young colt. I must say you woke up with quite a jolt." Nero turned his head and saw that Zecora was beside the bed, holding a glass of red liquid in her hoof.
"So it was all real?" Nero asked her. "The clearing? The timber wolf? You? It was all real!?"
"Yes, I am afraid this is true. That timber wolf indeed did a number on you." Nero once again looked at his bandaged leg. "But please, do not fret. This potion will make you better, I bet." Zecora held out the glass she had in her hoof to Nero. Hesitantly, he took it in his front hoofs and took a sip. It didn't taste horrible, so he pressed on and gulped the whole thing down. Once he was done, Nero handed the glass back to Zecora, who gently set it on the floor.
"So..." He began. "What does that drink actually do?" Zecor smirked as she answered Nero's question.
"Of everything you will become aware, if you simply look over there."
Zecora pointed her foreleg at the cauldron at the center of the hut. Nero turned his head to look at the cauldron, and was surprised when it started bubbling more than before. The liquid in the cauldron went from red to blue and it fizzed until it overflowed and poured out the sides. Steam began to rise from the brew, but that steam quickly became more dense and turned into smoke. Nero was confused by the whole thing until he looked into the smoke and saw an image flash in it. He looked again and saw more images flash through the smoke. The images getting slower and slower until Nero could clearly make out what they were. Nero was dumfounded as the smoke showed his mother's death, his father's attempted murder of him, his rescue by the scientist ponies, some of the horrible tests they ran on him, his escape, him making his way to the Everfee from Manehatten, the first timber wolf attack and him ending up on Sweet Apple Acres, his interaction with Applejack and her family, and him getting attacked by a timber wolf a second time. The images soon stopped playing and the smoke quickly dispersed.
"That potion I gave you allowed me to see your life. I understand that you have suffered much strife." Zecora then went over to the colt and embraced him in a hug. "Nero, if you want me as your family, that is something I'll happily be." Nero was overcome with emotion at Zecora's words. He began to cry into her shoulder as he returned the hug.
"Thank you."