Logic vs Emotion - A HiE Tale

by MetalGenocide

Chapter 2 - Zebra of the Forest

Sunlight dances through the treetops softly illuminating the path before you. You continue your stride, gaining as much distance from those creatures as you can, fighting hard against your instincts to break into a run. Such an action could cause provocation and display fear which would make you look weak. If such logic even applies to those… Things.

Your ears slowly fill with the rustling of leaves as a cool wind blows down the path and the sound of birds echo above you in the canopies. These sounds give you pause as your stride slows to a halt. The filly draped over your shoulder turns her head slightly to look at you, as you close your eyes and let out a deep sigh of relief. You can’t feel any hostile eyes on you anymore, which means those creatures chose not to pursue. With that thought bringing a small smile to your lips, you open your eyes again and look at the path in front of you.

The forest remains as dense as your initial run though. It feels as though the forest is alive, and it has no intention of letting you or anyone else leave. But a slither of hope appears, as despite the claustrophobic atmosphere under the canopy, the path you are on appears to have been used before. The bushes are pushed aside and some of the trees have had their lower branches broken. The grass and dirt on the ground is a different shade to the areas on the edge, faded and disturbed, obvious marks of being trodden and trampled relatively frequently.

After your moments break you push forward again.

You glance down at the foals in your arms. They appear to be breathing, but are still unconscious. If the circumstances we different, you would think that they were just asleep. Glancing down every so often to make sure they aren’t slipping out of your arms, you smile softly. You feel the pale yellow filly on your shoulder make some strange movements with her mouth every so often. It seems to you like she wants to say something but can’t find the words, so she just ends up looking like a fish out of water. Whenever her mouth closes, she turns her head away from you. It’s a strange feeling, having a pony too embarrassed to talk. As you reposition the passengers in your arms, you start to properly feel their weight for the first time. Though they aren’t too heavy, with your body relaxing you can feel your arms ache and strain keeping them up.

Thank you digital age, you think to yourself. I am so out of shape. Your mind travels back with thoughts home. With the advent of technology, mechanical processes and computers, manual labour was not as common as it once was. Even on farms you have tractors and machines to help you out. This made a healthy lifestyle more of a choice than a way of life. One you had been mostly neglecting. When I get back, I am so gonna get into shape, this is ridiculous.

“Oh. That way.” Your chance to reminisce gets interrupted by the filly on your shoulder, who had found her voice at last. Turning your head towards her, she points her hoof towards another path just up ahead. You stop to look at it. The path she’s pointing at looks like it had been cleared, but since became overgrown again as though its use was rare. You turn your head and look at her, meeting her large gaze. “Um. Please?” she adds meekly, shaking a little as though afraid you get angry. You just smile at her and nod, proceeding down the new path.

The branches hang lower on this path as you duck and weave slightly to avoid them hitting you or your new charges, your feet kicking up some small loose rocks. This time it’s your turn to play the fish as you open your mouth to say something to your passenger. Something comforting. Anything.

It should not be this hard to say hello. “I’m not going to eat you.” Or “ I don’t know where I am.” Or just introduce yourself! Ask for her name! Why is it so hard?! Your thoughts travel a million miles a minute as your mouth opens and closes repeatedly. A drop of sweat travels down your back, sending a shiver up your spine as your breathing increases. You consider stopping for a quick rest but the filly suddenly perks up and points straight ahead.

“There it is! That’s Zecora’s place! She can help.” You look ahead, unsure what she’s pointing at, but as you pass under one last low hanging branch, you notice the small clearing that she has lead you into. Or perhaps calling it a larger path would be more accurate. The ground beneath your feet has been well travelled and worn away, one end heading into the forest and the other leading straight to a large tree, complete with door and open windows.

Is that a house? You turn to the filly, a confused look on your face. She just looks back at you, smiles and nods. Guess this creepy forest house is your destination. As you walk towards it, your attention gets drawn to the different bottles that hang from the branches, in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Some long, some round. Larger ones hang from the thicker branches above and smaller ones closer to the ground. The bottles each coloured in different shades of reds and yellows, greens and purples. As you observe them, your eyes following the bottles, your attention moves to several strange masks that decorate the outside. One above the door, green and yellow in colour and sporting several leaves around its top. Several others on the ground, watching the path as though keeping an eye out for intruders. Or hostiles. Varying colours and patterns adorn the masks, reminding you of the tribal masks back home.

The filly suddenly leaps from your shoulder and onto the ground. “Zecora! Zecora!” She yells, running straight through the door. “We need your help!” The door swings shut behind her.

As you approach it, you hear a voice from inside. “Oh Apple Bloom, my little filly. Always a pleasure for you to visit me.” The voice was deep but feminine, with an African accent.

She sounds friendly, you ponder to yourself. And Apple Bloom? That must be the fillies name. Bit of a strange name though.

“Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are unconscious! Can you help them? Please say you can!” Apple Blooms voice rings out through the open windows.

The tone of this Zecora shifts to worry “I hope you bought them with you here, else no longer will they appear.” The sound of hooves on wood echo inside as someone starts to approach the door.

“Oh well, we had some help,” Apple Blooms voice becomes sheepish. “But don’t worry, it’s actually nice.”

It? Really? You roll your eyes. Guess that makes sense if they’ve never seen a human before.

“A new friend you have made? Then there is no reason to be afraid.” The door swings open to reveal what could only be described as a small zebra. She stops mid walk as her gaze meets your waist. The first thing you notice about her is the dashing mohawk that her mane is styled into. Slowly, her head tilts up, meeting your gaze. Large eyes similar to the three fillies, with a brilliant cyan colour stare into your own. You see clearly several neck rings and large hoop ear rings, as well as several bracelets on the front left leg.

“What is this that I see, but a giant standing before me?” She turns to Apple Bloom. “I understand now your warning my dear, and a story there is that I would like to hear.” She smiles before turning back into the tree. Your eyes catch a glimpse of a tribal sun tattoo on her flank as she heads inside.

“Bring those two and lay them on the bed, then rest your weary arms and head.” Taking it as an invitation, you bend down a bit and head in. It’s much bigger on the inside than you had initially expected, with there being plenty of head room to stand comfortably. The entrance has a few small steps which go down into a large round room. Most of the wall space is taken up shelving, which houses many different bottles full of strange substances, as well as what appear to be small baskets of flowers and roots. A single bed rests on one wall with more masks hang from any empty spaces not taken up by shelves.

Are those eyeballs? You shudder slightly. A small alcove hides another bed and a cauldron sits on a small fire in the centre, full of green bubbling goop.

“Lay them here and we shall set to ask, the best way to accomplish the task.” You gently lay the ponies down on the bed in the main room and Zecora starts to look over them. “A doctor I may not be, but no injuries do my eyes see.”

You open your mouth to –

“They fainted when they saw it.” Apple Bloom let out a cry, rocking back and forth on her legs, clearly worried about her friends.

“A spout of fainting is easy to clear. Apple Bloom you need not fear.” Zecora moves to one of the shelves and grasps a bottle between her teeth. She places it on the ground in front of her. “These salts are all we will need, to awaken your friends and complete the deed.”

As Zecora moves to open the bottle, you let out a small cough, grabbing their attention. “Before you do that, I’m going to head outside.” You jab your thumb over shoulder, motioning to the door. “Since I am the reason they fainted it will probably be best if I’m not the first person they see when they wake up.”

“A wise call for you to make. Perhaps it is best for their sake.” Zecora smiles at you.

Apple Bloom on the other hand just stares in shock, mouth hanging open. “You can TALK?!”

You just chuckle at her as you head out the door. “Oh, and it’s he.” You say over your shoulder with a smile, before closing the door behind you. You can hear some of the conversation from inside as you look around for somewhere to sit.

“I didn’t know he could talk.”

“Then an apology you will have to make, else your friendship could be at stake.”

Friendship, huh? You mutter under your breathe as you move to the side. Leaning against one of the larger roots, you sit yourself on the ground. Finally having a chance to rest, you feel the ache in your arms. Taking in deep breaths, you flex them a little and start to rub your biceps in order to try and soothe the dull throbbing. Your hands travel up and down your arms, eventually clasping together. Looking down at your hands, your fingers run over your wedding band, its dull cold presence comforting you, but also flooding your mind with thoughts and memories.

“Let the smell of these salts grow thick. In a few moments they will do the trick.” You barely manage to register the zebras voice as it flows in the back ground.

As you caress the ring, you start to wonder if anyone’s missing you. Is anyone worried about where I disappeared to? I didn’t have anything on me when I fell asleep, so surely all my stuff is still back home. That means I didn’t run away, right? They’ll know that. Maybe they are searching already. Or maybe this is some sort of heat coma.

“It’s barely been an hour, no one will be home yet anyway,” you say to yourself, staring at your hands. “But I miss you so much already.” Pain fills your chest as you feel your eyes start to water. Pulling your legs up to, you wrap your arms around your knees and hide your face. The sound of the forest disappearing into the distance as blood rushes to your ears. Tears start to flow freely from your eyes, soaking your cheeks and leaving large patches of moisture on your shirt.

Your mind keeps reeling and trying to understand what’s happening while fighting against the memories that keep coming up. Even the happy ones cause a deep sadness in your heart.

“Sweetie Belle! Scootaloo!”

“Apple Bloom! You’re ok!”

“What happened? How did you get away?!”

Faint voices ring around you, but you don’t register them when they enter your ears.

“I understand this must be hard for you. In a strange land without a clue.” You look up, meeting the cyan gaze of Zecora. You turn your head away from her, trying to hide in your arms again. “Take your time and let it out. Whether they are tears or the need to shout.” You feel something touch your arm. “But do not think that you are alone. You rescued three fillies close to home. And such an act requires a kind soul. One that will only flourish and grow.” You sniff as your eyes gingerly peek out. Zecora’s hoof rests on your forearm and a smile graces her face.

“Apple Bloom told me of your actions just, and such deeds create bonds of trust. So do not fear for help is at hoof. But first you must eat, so come in under my roof.”

Zecora removes her hoof from you and you watch her as she stands up. Raising your head from its hiding place, you wipe your face clean on your sleeves. With your face dry, though you still feel that your eyes are red, you smile at Zecora and move to stand up. Your ears slowly perk up at the sounds of the forest again, and the feeling in your chest lessens, turning into a dull throb instead of the painful ache you had. You follow the zebra as she heads back into her home.

Entering behind Zecora, you hear several gasps from the bed. It looks like the other two foals are awake, hooves over their mouths as they stare wide eyed at you. The yellow filly sitting next to, looking at her friends before turning to face you as well.

“Are you ok?” Apple Bloom says with worry in her voice. “You look like you’ve been crying.”

“Yeah. It’s just,” You hesitate briefly. “It's been a long day. Are you feeling better?” You ask, giving a tired smile in their direction.

“Um, yes. Thank you.” The unicorn spoke softly.

“Yeah... thanks.” The pegasus followed up.

All three of the fillies start to fidget slightly under your gaze. “That’s good.” You say with a smile. Walking around the cauldron, you start to position yourself to sit down against the wall.

“Why don’t you sit here?” Apple Bloom suddenly pipes up. You look up, midway through sitting down. Apple Bloom taps the bed next to her. “It’s more comfortable than the floor.”

“Oh. Sure.” You didn’t want to scare them, but surprised by her offer, you get back up and walk over to the bed. Apple Bloom smiles at you as you sit down, though her eyes still show a hint of nervousness. But at least she’s not afraid.

“Ahem.” She coughs into her hoof. “These are my friends. This is Sweetie Belle“ – She points at the unicorn next to her, who gives you a smile and waves her hoof – “and this is –”

“Scootaloo.” The pegasus spoke up. Unlike their friend, these two don’t have any strong accents.

You turn to look at the yellow filly. “And your name is Apple Bloom.”

“How did you know that?”

“I heard Zecora call you that earlier,” you answer her, feeling some cheer emerge in your voice. “Oh, but where are my manners.” You introduce yourself to the girls.

“That’s an, err, unusual name,” Sweetie Belle says, a hoof on her chin.

“Depends on your point of view.” You respond.

Scootaloo seems to be lost in thought, her eyes moving all over you, taking in your figure. Before anything else is said, Zecora emerges from the back room carrying some bowls on her back. Placing them on the ground, she fills them up with the liquid in the cauldron. It was an interesting sight, to watch a zebra use her hooves to hold a ladle and fill up the bowls. Something else for your mind to try and understand later.

“Here you go my weary friend. Something to bring your hunger to an end.” She passes the bowl to you. As you reach out for it, the girls all stare at your hands, like they’d never seen something like them before. You look at the contents, unsure of what to make of it. The green goop looks interesting though not exactly appetising. Zecora pours out more into the other bowls and passes them to the girls, before finally sitting down with her own. Looking to the three fillies in some effort of knowing what it is, your hopes are dashed as they aren’t sure what to make of it either.

“It may look like green goop, but I assure it is just thick soup.” Zecora lifts the bowl and takes a mouthful.

Oh well, bottoms up. You take a swig of the liquid. The first thing to hit you is the texture. It’s thick and creamy but slides easily in your mouth. Next thing you notice is the taste. A strong mouthful of peas and broccoli assault your tongue. And your nose catches a hint of seasoning within as well. It’s surprisingly good. You swallow your soup gladly. “This is good. I wasn’t sure what to expect to be honest, but this is good.” You remark. Zecora smiles at you as she continues eating her own. Your admission of its taste was also enough to spur the fillies into eating it too.

“Hey, you’re right. I mean, it’s not apple soup but still it is pretty good.”

Apple soup? You shudder, unsure of how that would work. But soup is very versatile.

The five of you finish your meals with renewed vigour. You can feel the warmth spread through you, easing your muscles and restoring your energy. You smile to yourself, a good meal can fix almost anything.

“Thank you Zecora.”

“When pushed to your utmost limit, a good meal can soothe your spirit.”

You and Zecora finish your soups first. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom continue to eat theirs but Scootaloo seems to just be nursing it, still staring at you.

“What are you?” She finally asks. Caught off guard by her question you stare blankly at her. “Are you a monkey? Or ape? You don’t have enough hair for either though. And you got those, um, dull claws too. Oh! Are you a freaky dragon?”

“Scootaloo that’s-“Apple Bloom starts but is interrupted by a snort and chuckle from you.

“I wish I was a dragon! Dragons are cool.” You reply as you catch your breath. “But no. I suppose ape is pretty close, but I’m actually a Human. From Earth. And these –“ You raise your hands to the girls “- are hands. I guess they are similar to claws, but these are generally better suited for more delicate tasks.”

“A human? But everypony knows humans are a myth.” Scootaloo says. “I mean you get griffins and dragons around every so often. But humans? They don’t exist.”

“Well, in all fairness, unicorns and pegasi don’t exist back home either. Those are myths too. And not to mention griffins and dra“- You catch your breath, realising what you were about to gloss over. “Did… did you say dragons?”

“Uh huh.” Scootaloo nods.

“There’s one that recently moved to Ponyville. He’s just a baby but he’s alright.” Apple Bloom adds.

This was getting weirder and weirder. You’re brain felt like it was going to overload. If mythological creatures exist here, then this can’t be my home. My Earth. What else am I going to learn about this place. The thoughts start to give you a headache. Best not to think about it and cross those bridges as they come. You rub your head and let out a sigh.

“Are you ok?” Sweetie Bell looks at you with some concern.

“I get the feeling I’m going to be sporting a headache for a while.”

Zecora catches your attention with a chuckle. “Many new things there are to learn. Who knows what you will discover before your return.”

“Return?! Wait are you going home?!” Apple Bloom jumps up with a start.

“I don’t even know how I got here, so I don’t know how I would be able to get home.” You face falls as you answer the fillies question.

“Until such a time you are welcome to stay with me. But now there is a problem that I can see. The sun will soon pass to reveal the night. And this forest can be quite dangerous without the suns light.” Zecora starts to collect the bowls up. “These there will surely get lost when night does come, and I fear that to the forest they might succumb.”

Your eyes narrow slightly. Was she hiding a smirk?

Apple Blooms eyes widen and a smile grows on her face. “Hey! I got an idea. Why don’t you stay at the farm? Not the actual farm, but my house. I’m sure Granny Smith and Big Mac won’t mind. After all you did –” She gasps in horror like she just remembered something important “-Oh No! We didn’t.”

Apple Bloom quickly rushes behind her friends and starts to – “Hey.” – turn them to face you. Placing herself in the middle she looks up at you. Her friends look at each other briefly before their eyes widen and they follow suit.

Apple Bloom coughs. The three of them breathe in in unison and together they call out “Thank you for saving us!”

The sudden gesture catches you off guard as you stare at the three fillies. But a distant light chuckle brings you back and you smile. “You are most welcome.”

The girls let out their own laughs, which wash over you with a calming sensation. A feeling emerges in your chest telling you that things are going to be alright, regardless of what your brain is processing.

“It is good to see you get along. A trusted friend can make you strong. But soon the sun will be set, so you best make haste and jet.”

You look out the window and catch a glimpse of the sky. It still appears to be a bright blue, but the sun’s rays catch your eyes and you note that they have become a deep orange colour. It seems the sun will set soon, another thing that’s different compared to home. The sun wouldn’t set till 10pm in the summer. Assuming it is summer here. You definitely feel like you will need a crash course on this world soon.

Scootaloo jumps off the bed first. “We should get going then. Don’t want to get an earful when we get back.” She starts to head to the door. The others follow her.

“Thanks Zecora.” They each cry out, thanking the zebra for the meal and hospitality.

“It is always a pleasure to see you here. Now hurry home so nopony will fear.”

You get up and head to the door as well, with Zecora following behind. As step down after the fillies, Zecora speaks up again. “Just follow the path you see before you, and soon the exit will be in your view.”

You turn to face her and extend your hand to her. “Thank you for everything Zecora.” She looks at it hesitatingly, almost as if she is unsure of what to do. “Oh, right sorry.” You start to pull away, but Zecora places her hoof in your hand. Your fingers grip it, her short coat soft in your hand. You give her hoof a light shake before releasing your grip. You both smile at each other before you turn to catch up to the waiting trio of ponies.

With a final wave, the four of you start down the worn path and head for the forests edge.

Comments

[Winter Star]

Caught a few typos.

...unconscious! Can you ___ them?

Think your missing the word 'think' here.

Is anyone is worried about where I disappeared to?

The second 'is' is either not needed or should be 'as'.

...you watch her as ___ stands up.

Think your missing the word 'she' here.

...you position start to position yourself...

This word is not needed.

...sun wouldn’t set till gone 10pm...

The word 'after' seems like a better choice here.

You defiantly feel like you...

Spelling error. Should be 'definitely'.

You start to ___ away, but...

Think your missing the word 'pull' here.

Have a rhyme recommendation change.

...The sun will soon pass to reveal the night. And this forest can be quite dangerous at night without the suns light.”

Hope this helps.

I have enjoyed the first two chapters. Thank you for the story.