N’Zoth’s Chosen

by Dracthul

Chapter 4: Workhorse

Author's Note:

Sorry it took me a while to get this out, but it’s finally here.

Btw, this is what Tinnidas’s sword looks like: https://www.deviantart.com/rekrios/art/Heaven-s-Gate-Epic-Battle-Fantasy-Fanart-758195649

I hope you enjoy!

Tinnidas gasped, forcing air through his mouth. Water was all around him, already up to his neck. He kept himself above the water as best he could, but there was no way out. The chamber he was stuck in had no way out, and the water was consuming everything. As his head touched the ceiling, he breathed his last few breaths, panicking as the bubble of air around him got smaller and smaller, the water going above his mouth. He heaved one large breath in through his nose as the water took him, trapping him in the giant, circular room he was in.

All light seemed to have faded, leaving him in a dark abyss as he felt his lungs start to cry out for air. He let a few bubbles from his lips as he sank lower and lower into the water. He looked around desperately, looking for anything to help him escape. Finding nothing, he felt his feet touch the tile floor. He let out the last of the breath he was holding, feeling faint from the lack of oxygen.

His eyes rolled around as he started to squirm, trying to get air in any way possible. Suddenly, the ground shook as he felt the floor below him shift. With an immense tearing sound, the floor below him ripped apart, splitting in half. A massive chasm opened below him, the suction instantly pulling him further down. A torrent of rushing water sucked him deeper and deeper as he struggled for breath. Everything turned black, and he could not tell if it was his vision or the area around him.

He felt his body slam into hard stone, a small sliver of light shining down from above him and onto his body. Everything else remained dark as night, but it mattered not. The force of hitting the ground knocked his resilience away, forcing him to breathe in. Instead of air, water poured down his throat, making him gag—only drawing in more water. Perpetuating the cycle, all while he suffocated, he found himself drowning.

He threw out his arms in despair, failing to grab onto anything. He felt his movements slow as he lost the ability to feel the water around him. His vision failed him, leaving him helpless. He seized up as he felt his demise quickly approaching. In the end, he stopped resisting. His struggle only added to his pain, and deep down, he knew he was doomed.

There was no escape.

His body was spread out on the stone, one final bubble rising from his mouth as he stopped moving entirely. He tried to ignore the agony he was experiencing, focusing on his—

A slow, deep chuckle echoed through the chasm, its very sound sickening him to his core as it seemingly came from all around. The laughter warped and twisted into a wicked voice that had such a deepness to it that the ground quaked with its very words. Like a thousand whispers bound together, it spoke.

“Only I can sustain you…”

---

Tinnidas gasped, forcing air through his mouth. He quickly stood up, only bringing on a headrush—but he welcomed it. He was glad to be out of the horrible nightmare he was just in. As he looked around, holding his head, he noticed the sun through his window as it shined into the room. He let out a groan, his head pulsing. To add to all his troubles, it seemed he was not a great sleeper.

He slowly got out of bed, propping himself up with an arm on the bed. He walked around it, grabbing his satchel and putting it on. He went to the other side, taking his sword and putting it in its sheath. Going over to his desk, he took a seat, looking out at the town he would be calling home for a while.

The first thing he noticed was the grass. It had an almost unnatural lushness to it, the sun reflecting its vibrant green color. There were similar-looking trees scattered throughout the town and other plant life that practically radiated green. All around the library, there were a number of buildings that looked like ordinary buildings. Sure, they were slightly smaller than normal, but they seemed almost human. The fact that they were so close was amazing to him. He had felt the same way when he learned that ponies spoke the same language as him.

Tinnidas turned around, heading out into the hall and going into the bathroom. He was amazed by some of the technology the ponies had, wondering if some of it was just magic. He cleaned himself up for the day, going back down the hall to the stairs. Running his hand along the rail as he went down, his sabatons clicked when they hit the wooden steps. He made his way into the kitchen, finding Twilight and Spike already there.

The dragon appeared to be making food, using a pan to cook something up above a flame. He slid the pan around while Twilight appeared to be buttering pieces of bread.

“Good morning,” he called to them, getting their attention.

“Good morning, Tinnidas,” Twilight said back, taking a plate of bread to the already-set table with forks and napkins. She placed it at the center, returning to the kitchen to help Spike finish up.

“I hope you’re ready for some eggs and bacon,” Spike announced, turning off the flame and moving the pan to a different spot on the stove. Twilight levitated a plate to the pan while he used a spatula to scrape out some eggs. She plucked a few pieces of bacon from a separate pan, putting them on the plate. She moved on to the next plate, repeating the process before doing it once more. She carried all three plates to the table with her magic, setting each one at the prepared places.

Tinnidas took a seat, taking in the food they had made. Of course, there was the bread on the table, and the plates had fluffy, yellow eggs and crisp strips of bacon.

“This looks wonderful,” he told them, picking up his fork.

“Thank you,” Twilight replied, Spike doing the same. He picked up a small chunk of egg, putting it into his mouth and biting off a bit of bacon. As he chewed the food, its flavors hit his palate. The nice, meaty taste of the bacon paired perfectly with the delicate taste of the eggs.

He found it odd that she cut the bread into pieces, but he could care less as he grabbed a piece, taking a bite. To his surprise and enjoyment, the bread was soft and slightly moist, completing the list of flavors he was receiving.

“Do you like it?” Twilight asked, noticing how fast he was eating.

He paused a moment to swallow, drinking some of the orange juice poured sometime during his enlightenment of pony food. It did just the trick as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.

“It’s amazing,” he answered. “Do you always make such good food?”

“It’s just some eggs and bacon, not anything special,” Spike said, not getting what he was so impressed by.

“This is just an average dish?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty common.”

“If this is just a starter, then what other glorious food awaits?” Twilight chuckled at his somewhat childish display. “The cooking here is vastly superior to what I remember from my world. I can’t wait to get more.”

“Slow down there,” Twilight said, putting a hoof on his arm. “You still need to meet the townsponies.”

“Of course.” She removed her hoof, letting him continue. He decided he would slow down to make the food last.

“The first pony I’d like you to meet—or re-meet actually—is Rarity. She owns a boutique in town and can probably make you some clothes.”

“It would be nice to have something to wear other than this armor. It can get pretty hot.”

“So it’s settled,” she concluded. “We’ll visit her after we finish eating.” It sounded like a sound plan to Tinnidas.

He continued putting down everything on his plate, Twilight and Spike doing the same. They quickly finished their food, Tinnidas taking the plates to the kitchen so they could be cleaned later. They got their things before heading out, Twilight locking the door before leaving.

Now that he was outside, Tinnidas basked in the warm sunlight. It was a bright morning with not a single cloud in sight, the sun shining down on all the creatures in Ponyville. Tinnidas also took in the fresh air, finding it much more pleasant than the air in the forest. It was crisp and not too moist, unlike the hot, humid air of the Everfree.

Looking around, he spotted ponies walking all around. Just like the ones he had met so far, they were all sorts of different colors. Some were gray, some were blue, and some were even green. He also noticed the strange marks that they all had on their flanks, just like with Twilight and her friends. The royal sisters had them as well.

Twilight trotted down the street, Tinnidas following closely.

“So what are the marks on your flanks? Every pony I’ve seen has one.”

“They’re called Cutie Marks,” she explained. “They represent what each pony’s special talent is. We get them when we figure out what it is that we like doing, and usually our talent reflects that.”

“No offense, but that sounds like a shackle,” he pointed out.

“A shackle?” she repeated.

“You only have one thing that you’re good at?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” she mused. “Our Cutie Mark only shows us what we are best at; it doesn’t decide what that is. We can also be good at other things that we enjoy, maybe just not as good as our talent.”

“Hmm. I guess that’s not so bad. It’s actually kind of helpful considering you’ll be able to know what you’re best at.”

“I like to think so. It’s the dream of every little colt and filly to get their mark, and they try different things to get it.” She giggled to herself. “It actually promotes trying new things and diversification of activities, which is supplemental to growth.”

“Yeah, that,” he flatly said, getting a chuckle from everyone.

As they continued walking, they started to get to the more lively areas of town, finding ponies wandering around that were doing their daily activities. A light red mare looked at Tinnidas, and he waved to her, but she recoiled and quickly trotted away. Frowning, he kept walking with Twilight. They came across more and more ponies, and despite his outgoingness, the ponies all seemed to be either repulsed or frightened by him. They would scurry away when they saw him, or make a face before turning away. Their reactions started to gnaw at him, his shoulders slightly slumping as a result.

“Don’t worry,” Twilight said, having seen what was going on. “They’ll warm up to you. You just have to give them time.”

“I hope so. I’d rather not be an outcast if I have to stay here for long.”

“Yeah,” Spike added. “For instance, look at me. I may be young, but it still took a while for the ponies to get used to me, and now they consider me a friend.”

Their reassuring words seemed to comfort him, at least for the moment. The three soon found themselves coming up to Rarity’s boutique. It had an interesting shape, similar to that of a round circus tent. The outside was decorated brilliantly, with all kinds of pastel colors and shiny bits on display to draw attention to the shop.

The door was equally as enticing, Twilight opening it and going through. Spike and Tinnidas followed, slowly closing the door behind them, the ringing of the bell on the door coming to a stop.

“I’ll be with you in a moment!” a posh voice called from somewhere deeper in the shop.

Twilight and Spike went up to the counter near the center of the store, waiting on Rarity. Tinnidas went around the shop, seeing for himself just how skilled of a seamstress the mare was. There were racks of clothes on the edges of the store where all kinds of creations were hanging. From slick suits to extravagant dresses, the shop had it all. While he knew little about clothing, even he was able to tell that the outfits were finely made. In fact, everything about the store seemed luxurious.

He walked over to Twilight and Spike after hearing Rarity’s approaching hoofsteps. She came around the doorframe that led to one of the back rooms of the shop, spotting who had come in.

“Oh! Twilight, Spike, Tinnidas,” she said while going over to the counter. “It’s good to see you!” Sitting down on the small stool behind the white counter, she asked, “What can I do for you?”

“Hey, Rarity,” Spike practically sang, his gaze solely on her.

“Tinnidas was hoping he could get some clothes since he doesn’t have any besides his armor,” Twilight spoke for him.

“Yeah, that would be great,” he added.

“Why didn’t you just say so?” she tittered, reaching below the counter and grabbing a measuring tape. “You just hold still and let me take your measurements, and I’ll get started right away.” She went around the counter, coming up to him. “I think it will be an interesting challenge to make clothes for a creature like you—Can you take off your armor, please?”

He nodded, removing his pauldrons, then taking off his gauntlets. He slid off his bracers and then took off his metal sleeves. He took off his leggings, leaving only his thin chainmail and undergarments on. Rarity got to work right away, moving the measuring tape all around as she scribbled his measurements down on a clipboard. She made him strike various poses, such as stretching his legs apart, standing straight and putting out his arms, and raising his arms above his head.

“What kind of clothes are you looking for, dear?” she asked while taking some more measurements.

“I was hoping for some simple outfits. Nothing too flashy, but I’d like comfort and lightweight wear. Oh, and I wouldn’t mind if you could make me a suit.”

“Of course,” she responded. “Whatever you want.”

After a few minutes of being examined, she pulled away, returning the measuring tape to where it was. She picked up her clipboard, making sure she had everything she needed.

“That should do it!” she exclaimed. “Come back in a week or so, and I’ll have your clothes ready for you.”

“How much will this all cost?” he asked, looking a little downtrodden. “I don’t exactly have too much money.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she cheerfully said. “It’s on me, dear.”

“Thank you so much,” Tinnidas gratefully said, amazed by her generosity. “It means a lot that you would do all this for me. I-I don’t know what to say.”

“What are friends for?” the white unicorn came back with, shooting him a smile.

“Thanks again,” he warmly answered, turning around and walking toward the exit. Twilight and Spike followed him, going through the door as he held it open for them. He slowly closed it before walking alongside the two, continuing down the street.

“I’m taking you to another pony I’d like you to see,” Twilight announced, taking a turn at a fork in the road. “You remember my friend Applejack?”

“The one with the hat, right?”

“Yep, that’s her. She works on the Apple family farm called Apple Acres. It’s been in her family for generations, and they have a large apple orchard that supplies Ponyville with all its apples.”

“Sounds like that might be a lot of work,” he replied, thinking of the farmers back on Azeroth. If his memory served him correctly, most of them would work long days to keep their farm running, barely making enough to survive.

“That’s actually why I wanted to take you to her farm. I want you to see how Equestria might be similar to your world. Maybe it’ll get your memory flowing, too.”

The three continued with their walk, the number of buildings along the way getting smaller and smaller until they finally reached the long pathway that led to the farm. There was a fence running along both sides of the path, and all kinds of trees and bushes were behind the fencing. Twilight led them down the dusty dirt path as they came up to a small open gate that they went through.

Ahead of Tinnidas, he could see the large barn where Applejack lived. It had a traditional barn shape with some additional sections added on. It also had red and white paint on the outside.

The two large doors at its front opened up, the same country mare that he met before coming out of the barn. They rushed up to her, Twilight waving a hoof to get her attention. Applejack spotted them, running up and meeting them halfway.

“What brings you three to mah farm?”

She still had the rural accent Tinnidas remembered.

“Spike and I just dropped in to say hi. We brought Tinnidas here so you could show him that ponies work hard, just like his people. I think it would be beneficial to understanding our culture, especially if he helped out.”

“Well, I could use the help,” Applejack replied.

“I guess I wouldn’t mind assisting.” Tinnidas added, “I don’t have much else to do right now.”

“Alrighty then. Follow me.” She turned around, trotting toward a wooden carriage. It was shaped like a large box, and it had two beams sticking out of its front that were attached to a curved, metal piece. She went under the metal, connecting herself to the carriage with a couple of straps.

“I’ll be back soon,” Twilight shouted to them. “I just have to run some errands.”

Tinnidas nodded, and so did Applejack. The country mare started to trot forward, pulling the weight of the carriage with her. Tinnidas followed her as she slowly led him to the orchard, which did not take long to get to. She showed him all the apple trees that had grown fruit, stopping the carriage and unhooking herself. She went to the back, pulling down a latch that made the back side piece flip down like a ramp. She grabbed some of the buckets from the wagon, bringing them over to a tree.

“Watch this,” she said, positioning each bucket below the tree’s branches. She turned around, rearing her hind legs up and breathing in. With an exhale, she kicked the tree hard, shaking the tree and causing a small piece of bark to fall off. A bunch of apples fell from the tree, most of them landing in the buckets below. She went over to the rest, picking them up and putting them in the least-full buckets. One by one, she loaded them into the wagon.

Tinnidas was impressed by the strength she had in her legs. Shaking a tree of that size would take considerable force—something she clearly had.

“Now let’s see you try it,” Applejack called, standing by the tree next to him. He went over to it, looking up at the dozens of apples nestled in its leaves. He went back to the carriage, grabbing five buckets. He placed them in the best spots he thought possible, stepping back and steadying himself.

“Here it goes,” he whispered. He took a slow, deep breath, pushing off from the ground with his feet. He ran towards the tree, jumping a few feet away from it and turning to the side.

He braced himself as he aimed his shoulder at the center of the trunk. As he hit, his pauldron activated its shield, adding to his force and reducing the blow to him.

The tree buckled as he went backward and landed on the ground. He saw apples fall from the tree, landing in the buckets. He looked back at Applejack, seeing a pleased look on her face.

“Well done,” she acknowledged. “Honestly, I wasn’t expectin’ that to work.”

“Oh, I’m just gettin’ started,” he confidently said, getting a chuckle from her.

“We’ll see,” she replied, watching as he loaded the buckets into the back of the wagon. “You think you can beat me at apple-buckin’?”

“What’s that?” Tinnidas asked, closing the back of the wagon.

“Apple-buckin’ is what we just did. You find an apple tree and hit it hard enough to knock out the apples.”

“Well, in that case…” He shot her a cocky grin.

“Ha!” she exclaimed. “If you think you’re so good, then why don’t we have a little competition?”

He put a hand to his chin, thinking her offer over for a moment.

“Go on.”

“We’ll each get our own wagon and our own barrels. We’ll see who can buck more apples in half an hour, and whoever does, wins.”

“Alright, Applejack. I’ll partake in your challenge.”

“Good,” she said. “Let’s go get the other wagon.”

She connected herself to the wagon again, strapping herself in before starting back the way they came while Tinnidas walked alongside her.

“Since we have a little time to kill, what’s your story?” he asked.

“Why?” she countered, wondering why he was interested at all.

“I’m genuinely curious,” he answered truthfully.

“Well, I’m part of the Apple family, which has been farming apples for as long as we’ve existed. Some of mah family are in different parts of Equestria, but mah closest family lives here at Sweet Apple Acres. Mah big brother, mah little sister, and mah granny all live in the barn.”

“So you survive by selling apples?”

“Not just apples,” she said. “We sell apples, apple pies, apple fritters, apple tarts, apple jam, apple cider—and that’s just to name a few.”

“Well, that’s a lot of apple,” he commented.

“Do you like apples?”

He sighed, remembering his lack of remembering. “I don’t know.”

“Well, that changes today—right after we’re done with our little competition. Speaking of…”

Tinnidas looked up, finding them outside the large barn where Applejack lived. She veered left, taking him over to another wagon.

“This will be the one you use to hold your apples.” She unhooked herself, telling him to stay before going into the barn to fetch a timer. When she came back out, she had a timer and a megaphone. She trotted over to him, setting the timer right behind the megaphone after setting the time.

“Ready?” she asked, getting ready to grab her wagon.

“Ready.”

They both shot into action, quickly attaching themselves to their wagon. Tinnidas had to fumble with the straps for a second, but he was able to make it work, starting to pull right as she did. They went to opposite sides of the orchard, looking for the best trees to buck. It was going to be a long, difficult, and tiring thirty minutes.

---

Tinnidas felt sweat pouring down his legs, his whole body drenched. The impervious heat of the sun continued to bear down on him, taking away his energy. Every step he trudged was a battle in itself, and he was already beyond exhausted. He ran toward a tree, slamming into it and grunting while clenching his teeth. He found his footing, watching as the apples from the tree fell into the awaiting buckets below.

He took a moment to gasp for air, feeling lightheaded. The sun continued to beat down on him, making his condition all the worse.

He slowly went over to the buckets, picking them up and carefully emptying them into the wagon. He then stacked the buckets together and set them in the back as well.

Just as he finished, the raucous sound of the timer ringing echoed over the orchard. He let out a massive breath, strapping himself to the wagon and starting to pull it the way he had come. While it was still a difficult task, he knew his pain was almost over.

He went over the small hump of a hill, spotting Applejack pulling her wagon to the barn as well. He made his way over to her, still breathing heavily.

“Are you tired?” she poked, getting a huff from him.

“We’ll see… who won… Applejack…” he said through ragged breaths, his cocky confidence still showing. He stopped his wagon where they had started, Applejack doing the same. She went over to the timer, pulling it away from the megaphone and stopping its ringing.

“Count up your apples, and I’ll count up mine. Then we’ll compare to see who won.”

Tinnidas got to work right away, counting up the exact number of apples he had managed to collect. A smile came to his face as he continued to count, finding his bounty quite large.

“Did you count ’em all yet?” Applejack asked.

“Just finished,” he said, putting down the last apple. “How many did you get?”

“Two hundred and forty-three.”

Tinnidas’s grin dropped as soon as he heard how many she had collected. She laughed in his face after seeing his dismal expression.

“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up.”

“How many did you get?” she asked from behind her hoof, trying, and failing, not to laugh.

“Two hundred and forty,” he admitted. Sighing, he slumped against the wagon, taking a moment to rest.

“Pretty close if I have to say so mahself.” He huffed in response.

“You’re one serious work—” he started to say, stopping to correct himself. “You’re one serious workpony.” She chuckled, savoring her win.

“You’re not too bad yourself—especially for being new to apple-buckin’.”

“Thank you, Applejack.”

The two sat on the ground, taking the time to recover from the work they had just put their bodies through. Tinnidas found himself regaining his strength rather quickly, while Applejack was still panting heavily. He started to feel the wet, uncomfortableness of the sweat all over his body. His breathing slowed, and he felt cooler. He glanced back at Applejack, still finding her lying on the ground and breathing hard.

It seems I have more endurance than these ponies, he thought to himself.

He reached over his head, feeling for an apple in the wagon. He grabbed one, lowering it in front of his face as he looked at it.

“This almost seems familiar,” he said, Applejack watching him. He opened his mouth, taking a large bite with a chomping sound. He was surprised to find a sweet mixture of flavors dancing on his tongue that he instantly remembered liking. He took another bite, enjoying the apple even more. Applejack watched him wolf down the rest of it, smiling as she saw him do so.

“I guess you like apples?”

“It appears so,” he said through a mouthful of apple. He finished chewing, swallowing down the rest and leaving only the core. He chucked the last of the apple as far as he could, watching as it landed in some nearby trees. He leaned back into the wagon, taking some time to relax.

After sitting there a moment, the two heard the light clopping of hooves as someone approached. Tinnidas stood up, spotting Twilight trotting towards them.

“Back from your errands?” Tinnidas asked. She nodded.

“How did it go?” she asked both of them.

“It went well, actually,” Applejack said. “We talked some, and we had an apple-buckin’ competition.”

“Oh?” Twilight chuckled. “Did you win?”

“Barely. I beat him by three apples.”

“Only three?”

“Yep,” Applejack replied. “He’s a strong one.”

Tinnidas walked towards Twilight, stopping to turn around. He put out a hand to Applejack, which she took with her hoof.

“It was nice spending some time with you. Wish your family the best for me, would you?”

“Of course,” she responded with a nod.

He turned around, walking to Twilight’s side as they set down the dusty path again. Applejack waved them goodbye, and they did the same to her before they went out of view.

“I’m hoping you learned something about ponies while you were helping out Applejack.”

“I did. Both of our kind put in hard work, especially with farming.” He scratched the back of his head, trying to think of something else. “…Uh, that’s about it.”

“That’ll do for now,” she said with a smile. “I wanted you to see some similarities between humans and ponies so you could fit in better.”

“I don’t know,” he said, sighing. “I feel like an alien here. To other ponies, I’m big, bulky—scary even. I don’t know who I am, I walk around in armor, and I have a sword. When we were walking through Ponyville, everyone was just staring at me—and it wasn’t only because of what I was wearing. Then, they turned away in disgust.”

“What? I didn’t see any of that.” Twilight stopped, putting a hoof on his side. “You just need to give them a chance.”

“What makes you think they’ll ever like me? I am just some creature to them.” His stature drooped, his head hung low. “It’s pointless.”

“I think there’s one other pony you need to meet…”

---

Tinnidas was still shaking, despite his best efforts not to. He could not shake the feeling of hopelessness he had felt within the Everfree Forest—the same forest he walked in now.

Twilight led him through the brush, guiding him down a worn-down path. Vines hung from nearby trees, and sharp thorns occasionally scraped across his armor. Being back in the forest reminded him of the sick, stomach-churning feeling he had as he was dying. A near-death experience is something that cannot be fathomed until it is felt. Such a sense of desperation changes a man—and that is what it did to Tinnidas. Never did he want to feel like that again. It was only due to Twilight’s help that he had survived. Otherwise, he would have expired on the ground, left as mere carrion.

“We’re here,” Twilight called, breaking Tinnidas away from his thoughts. He looked up from the path, seeing a strange tree with even more strange decorations on it. There were wooden tiki skulls on the bark and holes in the tree itself. He noticed a wooden door carved into the trunk of the tree, seeing light coming from inside the odd treehouse.

Twilight went up the miniature set of stairs leading to the entrance, raising a hoof and knocking on the door. Tinnidas stood back, hearing a few things moving from inside. He heard the distinct sound of hooves on the floor as the person inside came up to the door. It creaked open, revealing a four-legged creature. It had black and white stripes all over its body and grey and white hair in the shape of a mohawk. Golden bands wrapped around its neck and one of its legs, and thick, golden earrings hung from its ears.

Tinnidas recognized the creature to be a zebra, but this one was barely larger than a pony, and it had a Cutie Mark on its backside. Whatever type of zebra it was, it was not one he knew.

“Hello there, Twilight Sparkle, who is now a princess. What brings you to my home, perhaps business?” The zebra rhymed in an exotic accent that reminded him of the trolls; something Tinnidas found interesting.

“Zecora, this is Tinnidas,” Twilight answered. The zebra, whom he guessed to be Zecora, looked at him, staring him over.

“And Tinnidas, this is Zecora. She’s a—”

“A zebra,” Tinnidas finished. “I’ve seen her kind before… just not like this…”

“There are zebras on Azeroth?”

“Oh, yes. There’s all kinds of life on Azeroth.”

Zecora stepped down from her home, trotting over to Tinnidas.

“Nice to meet you. To my house, I greet you.” She stepped to the side, pointing a hoof to the doorway and inviting them in. Twilight trotted up the stairs and went inside, Tinnidas following close behind. Zecora closed the door behind them, the sounds of the forest cutting off.

Tinnidas looked around, finding even more intriguing decorations than there were on the outside. A number of wooden tiki skulls were mounted on the walls, and strange pouches hung from the ceiling. Lanterns also dangled in the room. There was a large shelf with a multitude of bottles and flasks on it along the wall, and a stack of vials was below them.

Most interestingly, there was a large cauldron at the center of the room with a fire beneath it. The fire pit was slightly below floor level, and the green ooze in the cauldron would sizzle every time a drop of it hit the flame.

“I brought you here so you could hear Zecora’s story,” Twilight said while coming up to Tinnidas. “You’d be surprised to hear that ponies didn’t accept her at first.”

“Really?” he asked incredulously.

“It is true,” the zebra in question spoke. “They did not trust me when in town I was new.”

“Zecora showed up in Ponyville, and everypony thought she was a monster, but after they got to know her, they found out that they actually liked her. Since she had strange clothing and lived in the Everfree, they thought she was some kind of monster. Eventually, they realized how wrong they were.”

Tinnidas was surprised by what he heard—both in a good way and a bad way. On the one hand, the ponies came to like Zecora over time, and maybe he had the same chance, but on the other, she was still an equine. She walked on four legs like ponies, she acted like ponies, she looked similar to ponies—but he was completely alien. His body proportions alone made him look like a natural predator to ponies, and his armor and weapons likely did not help.

While the ponies were able to accept Zecora, he doubted they would ever be able to accept him, especially if they thought she was a monster…

“She lives here in the Everfree Forest and mostly comes out for supplies for her potions,” Twilight continued, drawing him from his thoughts.

“Potions?” he inquired.

“She’s the only one I know that makes potions around Ponyville. She also knows this forest better than anypony.”

“Do you think you could help me remake a potion I have?” he asked Zecora, fumbling through his satchel and pulling out the one potion he had left. Zecora took it from his hand, swirling the dark red liquid around in its container. She dissected it with her eyes, trying to make sense of what type of potion she was looking at. After a moment, she broke away from it and looked back at Tinnidas.

“Yes, I could help you indeed, for what else to do for a friend in need.” She returned the vial to him.

Tinnidas took that as a yes, watching her turn around and trot over to her cauldron.

“I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to increase my strength for a short period of time.”

“Hmm,” Zecora hummed, grabbing a few things from her nearby shelves. “A most powerful magic. Mistakes, however, can be tragic.” She dropped a large wooden spoon into the cauldron, stirring some of the viscous substance inside.

“First, we must combine the ingredients, but the amounts are tedious.” She hoofed him six large leaves that had a greenish glow to them. Like rocks, cracks ran along their form. He tossed them into the cauldron, watching the mixture bubble. She then gave him three squishy items he could not distinguish. Without a second thought, he dropped them in, watching his creation bubble again, this time more violently.

“Now, we must mix it with the spoon, and the potion will be ready soon.”

Tinnidas started to stir the mixture, watching as the ingredients began to dissolve as its color changed to a red. The more he stirred, the darker it became until it almost exactly matched that of his potion. Zecora came over to him, setting three vials on a table she placed next to the cauldron.

“Now for the last step, before we bottle the potion,” Zecora began, about to finish before Tinnidas finished for her.

“We have to show our own devotion.”

“Very good,” she said, surprised by his knowledge and rhyme. “I did not think you understood.”

“Neither did I,” he whispered, tensing as he felt the feeling he was beginning to get used to of his vision fading, everything replaced by a similar room.

Everything except the man in front of him was blurred, but he was able to somewhat make out his surroundings. He appeared to be in an alchemy room, the numerous shelves of reagents giving it away. In front of the man was a table with different tools used by an alchemist, and he watched the man pour a strange liquid into a beaker. He then picked up a small, thin blade, sliding it across his palm. He balled his hand into a fist, letting his blood drip into the mixture. The blood seemed to mix in on its own, turning the liquid darker. He then poured the beaker’s contents into a vial, shaking it before putting a cork in it.

Tinnidas forced his being to move, making his way around to the front of the man. When he looked at him, he once again saw himself. As he did, the corners of his vision went black, creeping in as everything distorted before washing away. With a flash of brilliant golden light, he returned to Zecora’s hut, finding her staring at him in confusion.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked, staring at him as well.

“Yes. I-I’m fine, just… remembering something.”

“Well then, let us continue,” Zecora said, grabbing a blade similar to that of the one in his vision and lifting her foreleg before cutting her limb. She let her blood run off her foreleg and into the cauldron, her essence combining with the potion by itself. She then grabbed a funnel, putting it in one of the vials and bringing it near the cauldron.

Tinnidas grabbed the spoon, taking some of the potion and pouring it into the funnel, watching as it filled up the vial. He moved on to the next vial and then to the next as he ran out of potion in the spoon. He set it back down in the cauldron while Zecora corked the vials for him.

He turned to her, and then she gave him the three vials. He carefully took them, opening his satchel and putting the potions inside.

“Thank you so much for helping me, Zecora.” She simply nodded and smiled, happy to help.

“Is there anything else I can do?” she asked.

“Actually,” he said, “I was wondering if you could make me some healing potions.”

“Of course.”

Tinnidas smiled, glad to have found a new friend who was so willing to help him out.

---

“Discord,” Princess Celestia sternly said, “I did not summon you here to change the windows.”

The mismatched creature made up of the parts of multiple animals, called a draconequus, snapped his fingers, returning the majestic glass panes to how they were before his chaotic meddling.

“So boring,” he grumbled. Sighing, he asked, “So what did you call me here for then?”

“Twilight sent me a message recently that spoke of a strange bipedal creature that appeared in the Everfree Forest the day before that she healed and offered a place to stay. My sister and I went to investigate the strange creature that she thought was from another world, and we had tea with him. He claimed to be from a world called Azeroth, and said he was a human. He also possessed items that had magical properties unlike anything I’ve ever seen on Equus.”

“Your point is?” the now floating Lord of Chaos asked, holding his head up with his lion paw.

“My point,” she harshly said before calming down, “is that I suspect you already knew all of this.”

He lowered back to the ground, starting to circle around the princess.

“Such an interesting man he is, don’t you think?” He snapped his fingers, the image of Tinnidas’s armor and sword floating in the air. “And his equipment is out of this world.” He snickered for a second before adding, “Pun not intended.”

“Stop toying with me, Discord,” she demanded, growing impatient with him. “Did you have something to do with his appearance near the Tree of Harmony?” While he had been reformed, agreeing to use his Chaos magic only for good, he was still a mischievous being. It was likely not a coincidence that the man showed up near the Tree of Harmony just after they saved it from the wicked plants Discord had seeded there over a millennium ago.

Discord’s face seemed to contort for a second, but it went unnoticed by Princess Celestia. He returned his visage to normal before she looked back at him.

“Well, I can assure you that I had nothing to do with his appearance in our world. That is why I have been keeping tabs on him, seeing as how he is an alien from another planet and all.”

She huffed, which made him roll his eyes—literally. His eyeballs rolled out of his head, landing on the floor and sinking into it as his body rose from the floor, his eyes back in place.

“Just to prove my innocence, I will help you try to find a way for him to go back to Azeroth.” He put his hands together, his eyes widening, as he stared into her own eyes. “Is that proof enough?”

“I suppose,” she said, turning away. “Just stop looking at me like that.”

“So it’s settled then!” he cheered, floating back into the air. Princess Celestia started trotting away.

“What?” Discord called to her. “No ‘thank you?’”

She found herself rolling her eyes with a smirk as she went through the doors, magically closing them behind her.

The second the doors closed, Discord’s smile dropped. He returned to the ground with a flash, a claw on his chin.

“If I did not bring Tinnidas here, then who did?” He started to pace around the room as he continued to think. “I’m not even sure if I could bring someone between worlds, and if I did, it would take preparation. That then poses the question: who did?”

He whispered ominously, “And so the plot thickens…”