When the white light faded and the cold subsided, Chris found he was face to face with something very very pink.
“Holy crap! Pink human horse thing!” He yelled out backing away a bit.
“Hey that’s not a very nice thing to say Mr. Meanie Pants.” The pink one said.
“Oh god, it’s unnaturally pink, a human horse thing, and it talks…” He looked around to find a way to get away and saw an open window, making his way to it slowly.
“So what’s your name? My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but everyone just calls me Pinkie Pie. Say, do you like parties? Because I love parties and since you’re a new pony I have to throw a welcome to Ponyville party. But, you don’t look like a pony so I guess it’ll have to be a ‘Welcome Strange Creature To Ponyville Party’.” And she kept talking and talking asking more questions and saying more random things that he tuned out.
Chris was right at the window, Pinkie looking right at him, but that didn’t stop him from jumping out the window on to a dirt road a few feet below. Now that fall should’ve hurt him, but he didn’t have time to worry about that right now. He was in some alien place and he needed to find anyone who could explain just what in the hell was going on. As he ran, he realized he was in a town that was full of the horse like humanoid creatures in different colors and styles.
“What the hell is going on? And where am I?” He said out loud looking for an exit from the strange town. Seeing a forest off to the distance he decided that’s where he would go since it might be the forest surrounded his house, if he was just hallucinating all of this.
As he got to the edge of the forest he glanced to his left and saw a small cottage that looked like it was built into a hill and small tree, but that’s all he saw before he turned his head and ran deep into the forest. After several minutes he felt that he got far enough away and started to slow down and decided to rest against a large tree. Almost as soon as he sat down he heard growling and glowing green eyes appeared in the darkness of the brush. Slowly a wolf appeared and it seemed to be made out of wood, inching ever closer.
“So… this is how I die hm? Hallucinating and about to be eaten by a weird looking wolf, ain’t that fan-fucking-tastic…” He smirked, “Hell, I never even got laid. Ok that is a damn lie but I always wanted to say that close to death.” He looked at the wolf right as it pounced and right before the sharp teeth could reach him a loud cracking noise echoed into the depths of the forest, followed by the wolf flying into a tree.
“What in the flyin’ blue…” He looked around and saw a black and white striped horse human thing, actually that’s probably a zebra, standing in the spot where the wolf jumped from moments ago.
Before he could say anything she said, “Run far, and not for fun. Run towards the setting sun. When you come across a large tree, go inside and wait for me. Now hurry unless you want to be a part of the feast for the many wooden beasts.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice sister, I’m out.” He stood up and followed her oddly rhymed instructions to a T and made his way to and inside the tree, which was also a house full of flasks, bottles, and trinkets that looked like they were ripped straight from the heart of Africa.
He shrugged and sat against a wall across from the door and waited for the zebra person to arrive. He didn’t have to wait long though, she came walking through the door about 8 to 10 minutes later, her hair, which was cut like a Mohawk and her… tail… had sticks and leaves in them.
“I don’t mean to moan and pout but would you mind helping me out?” She asked as she sat down and started pulling the debris from her hair and tail.
“Uh yeah… no, sure I don’t mind.” Chris walked over and stood behind her starting to pick out the stuff. “Uh, thank you for saving me back there by the way… Uh, what’s your name so I may thank you properly?”
“Zecora.” She simply responded.
“Well, thank you for saving me back there Zecora, I owe you one.” He said as he tugged out a rather large stick.
“I never let a creature die, especially one as you or… I.” she paused to pull out the last branch from her Mohawk.
“Hey, if it’s not too rude, what’s with the whole rhyming thing? And ah… is it alright if I work on your tail or?” He asked blushing slightly.
“In my culture it is part of who we are, no matter if we are near or far. And I can handle my tail myself.” She said the last bit after she looked back and smirked a little.
Chris raised an eyebrow, “You can talk without rhyming?”
She nodded, “Indeed I can, the rhyming just ads more to my mysticism. And if you don’t mind my strange creature, I didn’t get your name and I’m curious as to why you aren’t, how would you say, freaking out?”
Chris blinked, “Oh right, uh, sorry, my name Is Chris McGrath, but everyone calls me Chris. And honestly, not a lot can freak me out. It’d take more than some weird horse human creatures or zebra human creatures to send me into a spiral, no offense.”
Zecora chuckled, “None taken, and that is good to hear. Now I have one more question, how did you wind up in the Everfree?”
Side note, the more Chris listened to her talk; the more he realized she had an African accent, which would explain the decorations.
“The Everfree? I’m assuming that is the name of this forest? Well hmmmm, right the story isn’t long but here we go…” And so he told his story.
“… And then I ended up here, and you know the rest. Though I want to know if anyone knows how I can get back home… although… eh, never mind.” He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
“Well, a friend of mine lives in the town you ran through, she is Called twilight sparkle and lives in a tree much like me. So when day break comes you can go and look for her. Until then, you can stay here. I don’t have a second bed, so you can sleep on the couch…” She got a sly smile as she paused before continuing, “Or we could share~” she finished with a wink.
Chris’ face deepened at least 50 shades of red before he managed to stammer out a response, “I-uh-you-ummmm- I’m ok with the couch.”
Zecora broke out into laughter, “I am sorry my friend, but I saw the opportunity and I took, sadly I’m not allowed to partake in such activities, not until much later. Anyway, I have some food to make, and work to do so I’m afraid I have to cut our conversation short for now, we can talk more at dinner. Oh and feel free to look around, and if you go outside stay very close to my tree, it gets very dangerous once night comes.”
“I’ll make note of that, thanks.” He opted on mainly looking around her house, before long he ran out of things to look at and opted to sit in one of the chairs and watch Zecora work. It was only then did Chris realize that she was wearing a small strip of cloth across her chest; hell he just realized she had breasts, nice ones at that. And that she was wearing something of a loincloth on well, where a loincloth usually is. Hmmm actually he was noticing a lot more about how she was shaped. The main thing he noticed while running through that town were the faces and how they were all kind of horse/pony like. But looking at Zecora, their body shapes were humanoid except the legs and feet. The legs were shaped like the hind legs of horses even had hooves, while it did look weird; it looked also strangely natural and kind of cute.
“Hey Zecora I don’t mean to interrupt, or pry but when will the food be done?” he asked as his stomach growled very loudly.
She chuckled, “Ah that IS the question isn’t it? Well then I am happy to answer with, right now.” She put a ladle into a cauldron and grabbed two bowls off the shelf above, she then filled the bowls with what looked to be vegetable stew.
“Low and behold the mighty vegetable stew, the king of soups for vegetarians and the bane of all those who enjoy meat.” Zecora said in an over dramatic tone as she put the bowls down and went to get some spoons.
Chris couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Right you are, and I know you aren’t blind or stupid, plus you live in forest full of dangerous meat eating animals I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I have canines right?”
She nodded and set the spoons down, “Indeed I did, but I also noticed that you have the same type of flat teeth I and the ponies do, so I assume you can eat both meat and plant alike.”
He smiled, “Clever girl, If I could stay longer I’m sure you and me would be very good friends. Actually I consider you a friend even now.” He picked up the spoon and took a big mouthful of the stew. “Sweet baby Jesus, this is amazing.” Zecora just gave him a smile and began to eat.
Several minutes and a long conversation later. “BRRRRRUUUUUUUUUPPPPPP. Ah, that right there that is what I call the highest for of compliments to ones cooking. Though, since you’re a master potion maker and mixer I guess you know the exact ingredients to make anything great.” He said with a laugh and smile while rubbing his full stomach.
“You flatter me Mr. McGrath, however it is quite late and I’m afraid I have to be up early in the morning.” She got up from the table and walked to where the entrance to her room was, “If you need anything I’ll be right in here.”
“Alright, and thanks again.” She nodded and disappeared behind the curtain.
Chris sighed and walked over to the candles and blew them out diminishing the light in the room except what was coming in from the windows from the moon. He lay on the couch and stared at the ceiling while he thought to himself.
‘You know… I know I asked for a new place that no one has ever seen before but I meant on the same world… though I guess this is a place no one has ever seen, so technically correct, the best kind of correct.’ He continued to think about a number of things before THEY started happening again. He growled and shook his head before going outside and staring at the sky.
“The night seems to be a lot more clear here than back on my world, honestly I love it, you don’t see this many stars even in the middle of the woods next to a crowded city.” He took one last breath of the cool night air before going back inside and falling to sleep