//------------------------------//
// Unrest in the Forest 
// Story: Voodoo That Zebras Do 
// by Stratocaster 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 4: Unrest in the Forest



As the calls of parrots sounded from far away, Twilight and Zeru trekked through the humid forests of Port-au-Prance. Zeru cleared a path through the dense foliage, careful not to leave a carbon hoofprint to upset the wildlife, as he relied on his tracking skills as a village guardian. Together with Twilight's magical clairvoyance, he searched thoroughly for any signs of the scar-faced pony that had already caused them trouble the day before. Their hopes were in finding the foe in the wharves on the edge of the island nation.

"We should be more than halfway there." Zeru said as he stood atop a log and gazed around. "I just hope that this pony hasn't realized I gave him false directions."

"Unbelievable!" Twilight exclaimed as Zeru turned toward her. She gleamed at the sight of a purple tree flower. "This species of hydrangea miraculus is not found in any other part of the world! Notice the stench it produces to ward off insects! Oh I must take a sample!"

"Um, Princess Sparkle?" Zeru cleared his throat.

"Right, sorry." Twilight smiled sheepishly and continued following the zebra native.

The two resumed their travel through the bayou for several more minutes before coming across a babbling brook beyond the thicket. But accompanying the sound of the trickling water was a more peculiar one. It was the twang of a banjo plucking a jaunty melody, and sure enough, Twilight and Zeru found its source. They cleared more vines and stopped at the end of a rickety bridge over the stream. Sitting with his hooves over the bridge's edge was a lone pony plucking away on the banjo. Alerted by the sight of a strange pony, Zeru tensed up and reached back for his weapon.

"No wait," whispered Twilight. "He doesn't look like the one we're searching for."

She and Zeru cautiously approached the lime green stallion perched on the bridge, wearing denim overalls and a straw hat. The stranger barely seemed to notice the two stepping onto the rotted planks. He simply continued plucking notes peacefully.

"Um, excuse me?" said Twilight after a moment. "Sorry to bother you but have you seen a gray pony come by, with a gray suit and scar down his face?"

The green pony paused his music and tipped his hat up to look at the pair with a grizzled face. "Naw. Ain't see nuttin' like dat 'round heya, ma cheri." He spoke with a rasp. "If'n ya need ta find a pony, check by da wharves, compre vous?"

"Is that a pony dialect?" Zeru whispered to Twilight.

"I'm not really sure." Twilight replied. To her the stallion's accent sounded like a bad impression of her friend Applejack attempting to speak Prench. "Thanks anyway. Also, if you don't mind me asking, do you live out here?"

"Shaw do, ma'am!" smiled the banjoist. "The name's LeCroix! Been livin' outcheya in the bayou fo 'bout twenty yeahs now. Been wranglin' up gatahs an'em. Big ol' monstahs dem gatahs. They eatcha up and spitcha out!"

Twilight blinked at the gruff pony for a moment. "Well thanks for the warning. We'll just be on our way then. You have a good day now, sir!"

"Bon voyage!" LeCroix bid them as they crossed the bridge. "Oh but one maw thing! Eithah ya happen ta know Madame Zaria?"

Both Twilight and Zeru stopped in their tracks and turned around suspiciously. "Yes?" answered Twilight. "How do you know her?"

"I don't." LeCroix stood up. "But now I know who you aw, ma cheri!" 

The backwoods pony then procured a machete and lunged quickly in Twilight's direction, freezing her in surprise. But Zeru's trained reflexes allowed him to hold LeCroix off before he could reach the mare, blocking the machete with a traditional spear. LeCroix attempted to slash at the zebra persistently. But Zeru proved mightier and more agile, deflecting every clumsy swing. Quickly gaining the upper hoof, Zeru backed LeCroix across the bridge battering him with the blunt end of his spear, until giving him a finishing whack. LeCroix hurled over the bridge and landed with a thump on the riverbank Twilight and Zeru entered from. But he was far from beaten as he sat up and let out a sharp whistle.
Before Zeru could cross the bridge back the way he had come, the water in the stream below burst as a large creature rose up and pulled itself up onto the wood. Blocking the way was a bloated alligator, brandishing its teeth and letting out a hungry reptilian hiss. Zeru knelt as he held his spear at the ready.

"Nevah mess wit da bayou, mon frere!" cackled LeCroix. "Now y'all 'bout ta fee mah pet!"

As Zeru held his guard, the gator leaped forward a bit and snapped its powerful jaws, causing the zebra to step back. But the weight of the reptile proved too much for the rickety bridge which now wobbled and creaked madly. With another lunge, the gator drew closer to Zeru and sent a series of wooden planks plopping into the water. Instantly, the rest of the bridge crumbled with a loud crack, sending Zeru falling off his hooves and into the drink along with the gator.

"Zeru!" shouted Twilight as she watched her guide being carried away in the current, the alligator swimming close behind him.

"Au revoir, mainlandahs!" mocked LeCroix as he scurried off into the jungle.

Twilight glared and charged her magic as she prepared to pursue the assailant. But she quickly realized that saving Zeru from either a watery grave and a gator's jaws was a crucial matter and flew off downstream. As she readied her horn for a spell, Twilight found Zeru already a long distance from the crashed bridge. He surrendered himself to the flow of the stream, struggling to battle the gator; he had wedged his spear in the reptile's gaping maw as it thrashed and hissed.

"Princess Twilight! Be careful!" called Zeru between spitting out water. "This beast can snatch you out of the air!"

As she sailed over the river, Twilight considered his warning. Even if she tried to levitate Zeru out of the water the gator could simply breach and pull him back in. Her mind raced until she came up with a solution.

"Hang on, Zeru!"

Instead of using her magic on her ensnared ally, Twilight cast her aura on multiple vines draping from a low willow branch. With calculated attention, she used her magic to tie and twist the vines as she flew faster downstream ahead of Zeru. Quickly she manipulated her aura to tie both ends of her creation to trees on both sides of the river, revealing a large vine net with large holes in the mesh. As the net rested in the water, Twilight hovered and anxiously watched Zeru and the alligator approach.
Exactly as she planned, Zeru passed through one of the holes of the net, continuing his ride downstream. The gator on the other hoof was far too big to be filtered through and became caught in the net which stretched from the pressing weight. With the reptile now stuck, Twilight hurried to levitate Zeru out of the water at last, placing him on the riverside they had meant to cross to.

"That was amazing, Princess Twilight!" said Zeru, dripping wet. "I must thank you."

"Don't mention it." Twilight shrugged. "But I don't think we've seen the last of that gator wrangler. If he knew Madame Zaria and that we were after the scar pony, then I bet he must be in league with him."

"It appears that our enemies are growing." Zeru said somberly. "And that means Madame Zaria is closer to danger. Should we head back to the village?"

"No, we came too far to stop searching." She said. "Besides, if any trouble comes to the village, I'm sure Rainbow and Spike will be able to handle it."

...

"Please. Help me!" whimpered Spike.

"Sorry, buddy," shrugged Rainbow. "But I'm not letting this moment go to waste."

"Rainbow I hate this!" Spike glared as he stood on a barrel between Zecora and Zaria. His purple and green scales were now an orange and bright pink.

"These color potions create a wonderful hue." Zecora admired the effects of their testing on the dragon. "Do you think we can make him any shade of blue?"

"This is cruel and unusual!" grumbled Spike.

"Relax, my reptilian fellow." Zaria said to him with a chuckle. "These potions are perfectly harmless. And I will make you all the gumbo you can eat when we are done."

"But what's the point of a color potion anyway?" he replied.

"The possibilities are endless, Spike," said Zecora. "When you can change any color you like."

"Now be a good iguana and try the next one." Zaria said.

"Rainbow get me out of this!" quipped Spike.

"Nah, I think I'll go find me some shrimp around this village." Rainbow said as she exited the bungalow.

"Rainbow!!!"

As she left Spike to more magical experimentation, Rainbow trotted off in search of more local eats. The village was still abuzz with zebras going about their daily chores, some of whom stopped to give the blue pegasus a second look, either out of interest or suspicion. Rainbow simply smiled and waved at whoever made eye contact showing only friendliness for her fellow equines; she didn't quite mind standing out in a crowd. But as she strolled on, Rainbow was caught off guard by a zebra filly bumping into her side.

"Oh! Sorry, Miss Pony!" the filly said embarrassed. "I was not looking where I was going."

"Ah that's alright, short stuff." Rainbow smiled at the young zebra and noticed that she had dropped a doll in front of her when she collided. But it was only when the filly retrieved the doll when something about it caught her eye. "Hold on a second. Can I see that doll of yours?" asked Rainbow.

"Oh, yes!" the filly gladly held up the toy. "Isn't she pretty? I call her Princess Purple!"

Rainbow looked quizzically at the burlap rag doll, not paying any real attention to what the filly was saying. What intrigued her was the fact that it did not appear to be a zebra, but a pony. As the name suggested the doll was lavender purple with a darker purple mane and tail; there even seemed to be an indistinguishable cutie mark on the doll's flank. There was something about the doll's appearance that unsettled Rainbow and she hoped it was not the first reason that came to mind.

"Um, say kid," she said inquiringly. "Why don't you let me borrow that doll for a while?"

"No!" blurted the filly, sticking out her tongue. "She's mine! I found her first!"

Rainbow sneered at the foal's attitude but kept her cool. "I think I know somepony who would really like to play with her."

"Well, there were other dolls where I found Princess Purple!" said the filly.

"Found her?" replied Rainbow. "What do you mean? Where?"

"In the edge of the forest!" the filly answered. "Right near the graveyard! I do not know where they came from, but there is a lot of dolls right by there! And Princess Purple is my favorite!" she said as she hugged her companion. "Come on, Princess Purple, let's go braid your mane!" With that, she giddily trotted away.

A worrying feeling dropped in Rainbow's stomach as she stood pausing for a bit before cantering away towards the treeline behind the village. She hurried up the boardwalks, careful not to raise alarm from any passersby, until she set her hooves onto the muddy land. Slowing down, Rainbow darted her head around looking at the looming trees that shrouded her in near darkness. She followed a clearing that led deeper into the woods until she finally came upon a clearing.
Before her was a field of gravestones, illuminated only by whatever sunlight had managed to drip through the canopy. Rainbow found herself staring frozen at the eerie, haunting site, graveyards not being on her list of favored attractions. But when she finally snapped out of her gaze, she turned her head to the right and spotted something behind a rock. Approaching closer, Rainbow became dumbfounded. Just as the filly claimed, there indeed was a group of rag dolls, neatly placed sitting against the rock. And as if to send more chills down her spine, one of the dolls in the middle featured a light blue coat and a multicolored mane and tail, staring at nothing with magenta button eyes.

"Oh crap."

...

After a couple more hours of navigating the dense bayou, Twilight and Zeru finally reached an area near the coast where the foliage began to disperse. A different flowing brook led them towards a grassy clearing that melted into a sandy beach, where the ocean lapped gently against the shore about thirty yards away. A flock of seagulls called while flying overhead as the two adventurers embraced the serene coast which provided a pleasant change from the unknown of the dangerous forest.

"This is it." Zeru said, looking to the left. "The wharves should be less than half a mile that way."

"Are you sure our man will still be here?" asked Twilight. "There's a good chance that he might have caught on that you gave him bad directions. He could've left by now."

"Either way we must try." Zeru replied as he walked along. "Besides, I doubt he'll be able to traverse the jungles by himself."

"That's true." Twilight continued beside him. "He doesn't have the guidance of a knowledgeable village guardian."

"Trying to flatter me, Princess?" joked Zeru. "I hope this island heat is not getting to you."

"I guess I could use a drink." Twilight wiped her forehead.

"Then we shall drink to our health back in the village with cider!" he grinned.

"You have cider here too?"

"Of course. Banana cider is a favorite beverage of zebras."

"Hmm...I shall have to try some."

As the sun beat down, Twilight and Zeru circled the beach while trying not to let the peaceful scenery distract them from their hunt for danger. Soon they came upon a line of docks stretching out into the rising tide. Several sailing boats were moored beside them bobbing against the swell; their sails rippled from the breeze as the wood creaked from years of use. Before approaching the closest dock, Zeru knelt down and examined the sand.

"There are tracks here." He said. "Hoof prints. And they may be from yesterday since the tide does not reach this far."

"Maybe they're from a fisherman." Twilight shrugged.

"Not likely." Zeru pointed. "These are pony tracks, not those of a zebra."

"Seriously?" Twilight tried to make out the faint dents in the sand. "How can you tell?"

"When you become a village guardian you learn everything about tracking." He said proudly. "Zebra hoof prints would be smaller and more hollowed. Pony prints usually have a thicker appearance. No offense."

"Uh, none taken." Twilight blinked.

"But what confuses me is that the prints seem to begin in the middle of the sand." Zeru scratched his chin. "There is no sign of the pony starting tracks from the jungle. It is as if they began walking on the sand just here next to the dock."

Twilight snapped to attention. "It was a pegasus! They must have flown here and landed here beside the dock. And unless Rainbow has been snooping around the beach unbeknownst to us, it had to have been the assassin. Zecora said that he was a pegasus too."

"That is possible." Zeru replied. "I cannot imagine any other roaming these docks unheard of."

"Yeah, why isn't there anypony here for that matter?" asked Twilight.

"These vessels are only used for certain fishing seasons." Zeru answered. "Otherwise they are left alone. None are allowed to take the ships sailing outside of fishing season."

"Perfect hideaway for a criminal." Twilight said as moved forward. "Come on, let's see if we can find anypony."

The both of them stepped onto the sand end of the dock, treading lightly as the wood had taken on much wear and tear. They set their gaze on the boat tied to the other end, an old miniature caravel with a single mast, listing ever so gently with the rocking tide. Surprisingly, the deck was mostly clean of debris and the sail appeared properly tied up above.

"This boat has a boarding plank, unlike the rest of them." Twilight noticed.

Zeru insisted on boarding the vessel first, weary of any lurking traps or ambushes. He cautiously stepped on deck and darted his eyes from bow to stern. Before Twilight could follow, a noise suddenly came from within the ship. Zeru stood guard and laid a hoof on his spear, as he heard the banging of wood from beneath the deck. He slowly made his way to the hatch in the center.

"Stay behind me, Princess Twilight." He warned. "We are not alone."

Twilight nodded and tip-hoofed quietly behind him, charging her magic in preparation. Zeru carefully lifted open the hatch without causing a thud and began to creep down the steps to the hold below. The sound of thumping against wood grew louder as they entered and quickly found themselves in the presence of the source. Hearts pumping, the pair turned towards the stern end and crept more into the dimly lit cabin. At last, they finally approached a metal door, lined with bars.
Despite the darkness they could both barely see a shadow in what appeared to be a brig. The figure seemed to be kicking against the hull and trying to let out a voice, which only sounded muffled. Though the sight was difficult to make out, Twilight and Zeru mutually understood the situation. Fortunately, Twilight came armed with a lock-picking spell and immediately started to open the key lock on the door, as Zeru sheathed his spear. Opening the door, they both stepped in and approached the struggling prisoner. But as soon as Twilight illuminated her horn, she gasped loudly.

"What is it?" asked Zeru. "Do you know this pony?"

"Yes, I do! And it just means this whole voodoo scare goes much deeper!" Twilight quickly knelt down and removed the rope that tied around the mare, and the gag from her mouth. "Miss Yearling, it's me, Twilight Sparkle! What happened to you?!"

"A whole damn lot happened to me!" glowered Daring Do.