//------------------------------// // Chapter 7-America's Pastime // Story: A Beautiful New Age // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Thor Odinson awoke with a splitting headache and a strong aroma streaming in the air. The moment he opened his eyes he knew he wasn’t in the dreaded forest any longer. Well, partially knew. The ceiling he stared upon resembled strongly that of bark from a tree. That conclusion only furthered his disbelief. He reached behind his neck, gripping something and shooting it forward to be examined. A simple, white pillow. “Hey, look who’s up,” a voice from the right called. Thor’s attention left that of the pillow in his hands and changed over to the man sitting next to a burning cauldron. He recognized the man easily as Steve Rogers, but the same creature that they encountered earlier in the forest remained a mystery. A zebra, it was called. Thor watched as it tenderly addressed the Captain’s wounds with a needle and thread. The Asgardian’s eyes shot off in every direction, capturing as much of his environment as possible. Just as the ceiling he stared upon earlier, the entire housing seemed to be made out of the inside of a tree. Strange, symbolical masks hung from the walls like paintings, numerous pots and candles strewn across the racks against the walls. And still, the cauldron burned on, filling the air with its delectable scent. Thor shot his stare past the duo and noticed the door sitting in the right corner. An escape, if need be, but not for now. He still needed to make sense of the situation. The Captain’s shield sat snugly next to the door, the flames of the cauldron fire flickering across its slick frame. “Sleep well?” Rogers asked with his arm raised so the zebra could continue the work on his ribcage. Thor exhaled a great sigh, flipping his legs across the bed he lay upon so he rose to sitting position. He raised his palms, placing them against his face and rubbing the weariness from his eyes. “Questionably,” he muttered, the pain evident. Steve nodded, but froze in his action once a shrill pain shot through his side. He clenched his jaw, seething through his teeth as the zebra applied one last stitch. The zebra reared forward, not halting the action and instead biting the end of the string once the stitches were finally in place. The zebra set down the needle and thread atop the stand where it sat. It spun around, finally meeting the wondering eyes of the God of Thunder. It spoke in a clear, female tone. “I apologize for not addressing you soon, but I simply had to attend to your friend’s wound.” Having heard the zebra speak previously in the forest, the situation wasn’t as shocking to him as it once was. Thor simply nodded, saying, “It is quite alright. I thank you for aiding in my friend’s recovery. We…would not have found help in that forest if it were not for you to find us, I presume?” The zebra nodded, offering a tiny smile to which Thor returned. She said, “I was lucky to have discovered you before some foul beast. Who knows what that creature would have done to you two in your state, perhaps become his feast?” And then Thor’s smile began to waver. His gaze narrowed, a questioning expression etched into his look. “…Well…can we assume that my friend will make a full recovery?” “Your friend named Steve Rogers will recover as of planned,” she addressed, facing away from Thor and approaching the Captain’s side once more. She eyed the bloody stitches in the man’s side, resting within the torn suit. “I will also repair this tear with the needle and thread on my table stand.” The zebra began to move across the room to retrieve a fresh pair of thread and needles. In her absence, Thor shot his questioning stare over to Rogers. He whispered, “Why does she keep—?” “Just…go with it,” Steve replied in a hushed tone. “She’s been at it for the past hour.” With that answer in mind, the two watched the zebra return to Rogers’ side, a needle between her teeth and a spool of thread in her hoof. With surprisingly well-attained skill, Thor watched as she lowered the spool to the floor, spitting the needle into her other hoof, pulling out a small thread, and placing the sharp end of the needle back between her teeth. She sat down, using both of her hooves to raise the thread and stick it right into the needle’s hole, tying the thread together. Without a sound, the zebra moved forward and jammed the needle right into the tear on Steve’s uniform. The two watched her work, Thor with wonder and Steve with assurance. He had already let her work on his far more serious injury from earlier, and she handled it fairly well. Repairing his suit was as easy and carefree as a stroll in the park. In no time she was finished, biting off the end of the thread and tying it against the man’s uniform. She backed away, watching with curious eyes as he placed his hand against his side, wincing only once or twice. “The pain may take time to heal. But with minimal movement should the skin fully seal.” Steve lowered his palm. He smiled at her and said, “Thank you, ma’am, for everything.” She nodded graciously. “Ma’am…” a voice from behind spoke, as if testing the word. Both the zebra and Steve looked upon the Asgardian still sitting in the bed, scratching his chin. “I do not recall if we ever acquired your name,” Thor said, turning his eyes to meet the zebra’s. She chuckled a bit, turning around and making her approach to the smoking cauldron. Using a nearby water jug, she doused the flame from underneath and picked up a small cup resting near. She scooped down into the cauldron, seizing a simple dosage of the strange concoction. With the steaming cup in hoof, she approached the sitting Asgardian, offering it to him. “Zecora is my name, and I once again apologize if I am to blame,” she rhymed. Thor raised a brow, taking the cup from her hoof and studying its contents. “Whatever would we find reason to blame you, Zecora? You have brought us into your home, patched up my friend, and somehow found the courtesy to not leave me in that wretched forest.” While his attempt at humor just earned a frown from the Captain, Zecora chuckled and said, “Well, when I encountered the both of you, I witnessed something I thought not was true. A flying hammer broke the trees, and made its mark to the lump I now see.” Thor gently rubbed the side of his head, cringing. “Lifting the weapon was an impossible task. For its immense weight, to you I must ask.” Steve tried to tell her, but Thor beat him to the punch. “That hammer did belong to me. It answers only to my command and can only be wielded by those who are worthy of the power of Thor.” “What about—?” The death glare Thor shot him was enough to shut Steve’s mouth, but a small smile was still present. Zecora nodded, slowly beginning to understand, albeit not much. She eyed him as he took a few whiffs of the drink in his hand. “The drink will calm your nerves and heal your pain. As for the journey, I’m afraid it was your friend who carried you through the terrain.” Thor shot a glance towards the Captain, who only smiled at him. He smiled back, taking a small swig from the cup. In an instant, the warm fluid flushed through his body and mind, clearing it of the aches and pains he felt, just as the zebra had mentioned it would. His headache had vanished, thankfully, and he admitted that it was quite a delicious sensation against his tongue. “Mm!” Thor grunted, his smile never wavering as he licked his lips and examined the cup. “This drink…I like it!” He quickly began to raise it above his head. “Thor!” the Captain’s voice warned, immediately halting his actions and bringing his eyes onto the mortal man. Steve only shook his head, his stare far beyond the point of serious. “…Don’t do it.” “Thor…” Zecora pronounced, tasting the strange, alien word against the inside of her mouth. She chuckled, “I must admit, the name is strange for all its worth, but known surely to many for the Protectors of Earth.” The Son of Odin halted in his actions, lowering the cup to the ground and eyeing the zebra suspiciously. Before he could begin to question her, she continued on as if reading his mind. “Your earlier conversation from within the Everfree Forest captured all nearby ears, though its grave message does little to settle my fears,” she explained, facing away from the Avenger resting on her bed. She refused to meet Steve’s gaze and continued. “If what you said is true, mighty Thor, then Equus can no longer shy away from the alien lore. My only question for the both of you…” she twisted her neck and shot her gaze from the Captain to Thor, her eyes narrowing, “…is how you arrived before you came to?” Uneasy at first—and still somewhat interested at just what “Equus” was, presumably the name of the planet they currently were on—Thor shifted his eyes over to Rogers for confirmation. Steve’s lips remained straight, his head nodding once. Thor’s gaze broke off from Steve’s and traveled south to the man’s stitches. Unbeknownst to her, the zebra had encountered two completely different creatures arguing like two children instead of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. She saw two completely different creatures, aliens, and yet she still brought them into the safety of her home. She healed their wounds and offered them security in their time of confusion. She deserved an answer. But maybe not the entire truth. Some things just couldn’t be known and shared. “Well,” Thor began, rubbing the back of his head, “it is quite a long tale.” Zecora sat on her haunches and tapped her hooves together, nodding to him. Thor looked over to Rogers for support. The Captain cleared his throat, earning the mare’s attention. “It started way back after we infiltrated an outpost to retrieve a weapon long since forgotten. This weapon…” he paused, looking to Thor, “it…held power none of us had any knowledge over. None of us. One of our team members thought it was a brilliant idea to harness its power and create a peacekeeping weapon, a true Protector of Earth.” “He had no idea what he was messing with,” Thor muttered, clenching his fists so tight the white was seen in his knuckles. Steve nodded and continued on. “Turns out that peacekeeper was built upon a lie that humanity was the only object standing in the path to peace. Long story short, he tried to wipe out mankind in a single, earth-shattering event…and he damn well came close to it.” Zecora shifted her head over to Thor. He said, “I… We do not know how, but a vortex was created during the midst of our skirmish with the false peace-bringer. The last thing I remember after falling through it was saving two of my comrades and taking the impact of gravity’s destructive force.” The two Avengers watched carefully as the zebra slowly nodded her head, breathing in the information given to her. With her eyes shut and breathing shallow, she rose up and stared into the eyes of the soldier. “If what you say is a certain fact, can we fear over the false peace-bringer coming back?” she asked, her tone a bit worried. With that asked, Captain Rogers simply had no answer and stared into her deep, cyan irises. Her worries began to rumble, threatening to spew out into the open like a volcano on the edge of eruption. “Zecora…” She spun around to meet Thor’s welcoming yet worrisome gaze. If so, he appeared as troubled as she, clearly fearing over the fate of the so-called “Bringer of Peace”. He offered her no smile and instead rested his hand upon her shoulder, squeezing it tightly. “I can assure you that no harm will befall this world. If he even managed to survive the fall, he will come no closer to gaining any sort of advantage. The moment we catch wind of him…we will have him face justice. I promise.” The zebra managed to let slip the tiniest of smiles at the alien’s promise. For the wildest reason, she found truth in his words, promise of protection against the evils of such a being threatening to make a return. The Captain sitting behind the two smiled as well, glad to see that Thor was leading towards the path for the protection of the innocent, and not just for what was in his own self-interest…like someone he knew. Maybe he could forgive him one day for the events at Novi Grad and the decision he made. Maybe. But it still wasn’t today. Zecora’s ear twitched, her body going rigid. “What is it?” Odinson asked, growing worried. But it already came. “RAAAAAWWWRRRRAAA!!!” The earth-shattering roar flooded into Zecora’s home, shaking pots and kettles and causing quite the uproar from the forest outside. Birds screeched in aggression and fear, the howling of wolves grew fainter, and two Avengers shot up so quickly that one of their stitches threatened to tear. Rogers reeled forward, biting his lip and pressing his palm against the healing cut. But that didn’t stop him from staring towards the door, towards the outside. Towards the monstrous roar they had all heard moments ago. He frowned. “Could it be the peace-bringer you warned of earlier? If so, just what—?” Zecora managed to say before her rhyme was interrupted. “It is not,” Thor confirmed, moving past the mare. He approached Rogers, the two carrying on a silent conversation even Zecora could not hear. Steve nodded, turning his head down to the zebra looking up at the towering figures curiously. Steve nodded to her. “Ma’am,” he began, jutting out his right forearm. In an instant, Zecora witnessed with stunned vision as his multi-colored shield flew from the far wall and attached itself to the man’s arm, acting as a sort of electromagnet. “Thank you for your hospitality.” “Yes, quite,” Thor agreed, sending a smile towards Zecora. “But if you will excuse us…” He stuck his left arm out, fingers outstretched just as he had done previously in the forest, back where Zecora first encountered the two. Her suspicions rose, then she remembered just exactly what happened when he performed the said action. She backed away just in time for the hammer to come flying through the door, nearly blowing it off its hinges. Mjølnir halted its incredible speed the moment it came in contact with Thor’s palm. The Asgardian felt up the handle of his weapon, lowering it to his side. “We have a friend to subdue,” he finished, twisting around and making his exit, his cape flicking as he did so. Captain America noted the door barely hanging on, its frame swaying back and forth from the outside wind. “And sorry about the door.” With that, he made his exit into the darkness, leaving behind a weary Zecora. She sighed, her hoof making contact with her face. “I need to stop bringing in every creature I see.” The door fell and broke in two once it hit the floor. “It surely will be the end of me.”