Zecora's Yule

by Rune Soldier Dan

Zecora's Yule

“Every pony, young and old,
Has heard Hearth’s Warming’s story told
And each of them does celebrate
The rise of Love, to topple Hate.
With gifts and feasts, now once again
The joy has come throughout the land

But ponies often aren’t aware
Other races, foul and fair
Also give Hearth’s Warming cheer
Bison, reindeer, fox and deer
Zebras too – how can I tell?
I, Zecora, know it well

Although I am no longer feared
Ponies rarely wander near
To breach the woods in which I dwell
Although the setting suits me well
But though my home’s in Everfree
I do confess: It gets lonely

The first Hearth’s Warming here I had
To be quite frank, it was quite sad
Feared and shunned, I was alone
Curled up in a darkened home
This year, though, I climbed the hill
And walked the road to Ponyville

Friends have I, but one I sought
A stallion whose sight I caught
Plowing fields, brown and green
A quiet type, and rarely seen
I will not lie, though this may grate:
I wanted to make it a date

I took the long way, skirting round
Though I was welcome in the town
Again, I will not tell a lie:
Trepidation made me shy
Though it was cold, I took my time
(And by the way, Dan hates to rhyme)

Despite my doubts, my course was set.
I didn’t really know him yet
Romance could wait – it’d be just fine
If he’d just visit me this time
And brighten up a silent home
So I’d not be, again, alone.

Snowflakes fell, both clean and whole
Winter’s beauty touched my soul
Fear fell back, and wonder reigned
As snow touched softly to my mane
All was white, crisp, pure and kind
Serenity, it touch my mind

The plains were grand and clean, but – oh!
Nothing to the town below.
Roofs were high, and smoke rose higher
Beneath them both, a tender fire
Where families warmed their happy nests
It was Heath’s Warming at its best

And in the streets, good cheer exuded
The foals all played, with none excluded
Silver Spoon, a wealthy child
Danced with Pip, both poor and mild
Angels made, and snowballs thrown
And not a soul was all alone

The simple joy, it gave me hope
For too long in my hut I moped
Rejection’s fear had slowed my pace
But wasn’t friendship worth the chase?
I had made friends – I’d make one more!
Was it really such a chore?

My pace sped up, as did my heart
Passing by the work of art
That was the town of Ponyville
To come someplace a bit more still
Apple Acres: There to try
To meet the apple of my eye

‘Macintosh’ was this colt’s name
Red of coat and large of frame
A stoic friend in any season
*Ahem* Called ‘Big’ for many reasons
But such is naught but speculation
Thus far without confirmation

He wasn’t a hard one to spot
Within the snow, a bright red dot
Laboring with axe and tree
To turn dead wood to fire’s glee
I felt my heart rate climbing up
I called his name, and he said:

‘…Eeeeeyup?’

I stammered, well and truly checked
Was point-blank asking too direct?
Was it too late to change his plans?
Was I beat just as I began?
Had he a mare? That’d be okay
To just be friends – but what would SHE say?

It took a while to get it out
But he was patient all throughout
I said, ‘in common, we have little
You speak naught and I, in riddles
But Hearth’s Warming’s cold in Everfree
Please won’t you come there with me?’

‘The food I cook won’t make you lean:
Us zebras make rice, peas, and beans
Different than your pony fare,
But tasty, and enough to share.’
His nervous swallow quenched my hope
He said a word, the word was

’Nnnnnnope.’

I smiled, nodded, turned and ran
Back home as fast as I can
I fought them, but the tears did flow
They fell and froze on warmthless snow
In Everfree’s eternal gloam
Sad and lonely, I came home

The masks on walls all seemed to sneer,
‘Who would spend Hearth’s Warming here?
With leering totems on the wall
Of a shack, too dark and small
It’s not a place for Warming’s Joy’
…
…And the rhyming host, she just annoys.

Why’d I think that he would come?
With his own kind, he’d have fun!
Party games, and laughs, and lights!
Caroling all through the night
Warm stone houses, roasted nuts
Why trade for a drafty hut?

I shook my head – it was now plain
A one-mare Warming, once again
Food tastes bland with none to share
I felt that it just wasn’t fair!
However wrong, however right
It’d be another ‘Silent Night.’

My heart kept sinking like a rock
When suddenly – there came a knock!
There a moment I did dither
Pulling myself back together
I answered as fast as I could
And there, outside, Macintosh stood

I stared at him with door ajar
The slow-paced farmer’d run quite far
His breathing moved in rapid dregs
His own, no match for zebra legs
He’d come directly after me
And quickly said, ‘Zecora, see,’

‘Ah know Ah’m slow, Ah hope you get
Ah wasn’t finished talking yet
Ah can’t feast here in Everfree
‘Cause Ah cook for mah family
The story’s long, to summarize:
Warming’s cooking’s done by guys.’

‘Apples cook, our mares cook great
But on the Warming they get a break
And stallions cook. We do just swell
The family’s there, and all is well.
So Ah won’t come, Ah’ve made my case...

…But AH could set an extra place.’

(Zecora paraphrased Big Mac)
I was taken quite aback!
My head tilted to the side
Thankfully, Mac clarified
Saying, ‘Swing by my address
And join the feast with all of us!’

My head came up, my mouth it grinned
Fuzzy feelings rose within
The Season’s warmth was back on track
I hugged him and he hugged me back
Thus so, we came from forest brown
And once more walked on through the town

Past town hall and past the baker’s
To quiet Sweet Apple Acres
Land was cold, but house looked warm
Mac nodded, and we went on
He raised his hoof and swung the door
To a sight I hadn’t seen before

Darling, sweet young Applebloom
With her two friends was in the room
An odd start to my new rapport
For there was mess, from roof to floor
Mac gave her a deadpan look
The filly said

’Heheh…Crusader…holiday cooks?’

From wall to wall were dirty pots,
Of failed foods, there were lots
Once ingredients, now invalid
How DO you burn an apple salad?
The berries drowned in caramel
And for the pie, best not to tell

Applebloom apologized
Said, ‘Ah just wanted to surprise
A feast laid out when in you strut
And maybe get mah you-know-what
You needn’t say, Ah know it’s plain:
Ah just screwed things up again.’

She sighed, embarrassed, lost and sad
A face like that, who could be mad?
Big Mac leaned and kissed her face
Then said, ‘just help and clean the place.
Zecora, pardon the mistake
Ah’ll be in the kitchen – Ah’ve food to make!’

And so I ate a tad bit late
But rest assured, ‘twas worth the wait
The pots were used as they were cleaned
All helped out, to me it seemed
Nopony there thought ill of me
For today, I was family

Applejack with coat of orange
Applejack, covered in snow
Came in, shook off, and gave a go
At finishing her own confection
Apple cobbler, in perfection
Granny Smith then set the plates
And called us ‘round for food to take

One thing I had not quite grasped
So I turned to Applejack, and asked
‘Am I imposing on you so?
This was sudden – should I go?’
She said, ‘Zecora, don’t make a fuss
While you’re here, you’re one of us.’

The feast was grand, if late in coming
I spoke no words, though mouth was running
Taking in the farmers’ fare
Royal courts could not compare
To any humble Apple dish
It fulfilled my Hearth’s Warming’s wish

The day grew late, our bellies full
The fillies played, then sleep did lull
The three into a snoozing pile
Beneath their watchful elders’ smiles
The fire warm, the couch was soft
And soon, I too, drifted off.

The next morning I headed out
At the gates I heard a shout
I turned and saw the Apples wave
I said, ‘Next year too, if I behave?’
Then Mac: ‘Next year? Don’t be a tease
Come tomorrow if you please!’

No date with Mac beneath the trees
No zebra dish of rice and peas
But something bigger, something brighter
Touched my heart, and made it lighter
I didn’t find a friend, it’s true
A family will have to do!”

Comments

[Rune Soldier Dan]

Not much to say with this one...just feeling the season's spirit and wanted to give Zecora some love. She's kinda the most ignored character in the fandom, and boy-howdy, after writing that, I sure know why.

But it was entertaining to write, and I hope it got a smile out of you.

Thanks for reading,

Dan

[BetaHammer]

This must have been very hard to think of, rhyming for this long. I liked how you took a character like Zecora and gave her such emotion that it gave me new meaning on how I see her. Good luck getting this story off the ground and write some more, maybe a full story on Zecora.

[TypewriterError]

Not crazy about the Zecora/Mac pairing but that's no reason to downvote. *upvotes* Good job on the technicality and cleverness in quite a few of those lines.

[TwilightsmyMare]

(Applauds) Well done. I loved it.

[Celestias Paladin]

*whistles* Damn it must of taken you a long time to get this to rhyme. It is very sweet, and to see more of Zecora's thoughts and feelings is something like. Plus the apparent Zecora and Macintosh paring is nice, you don't see that often.

[SuperGiantRobot]

Actually, I may have been the first one to do a Zecora/Macintosh story - it was called "Black and White and Red All Over". I wrote it about a year ago and I'm updating the hell out of it to re-post it at some later date.

[Comet Burst]

>.>

<.<

Psst! I really liked it! Zecora does need more love, regardless of her way of speaking. Maybe not Mac x Zercora, but maybe Dr. Whooves x Zecora?

*upvotes and then drops smoke pellet for a quick getaway*

[Relevant Heavy Metal]

The World That She Sees - Trans-Siberian Orchestra

[Rourke]

You had me at:
"How DO you burn an apple salad..." simply priceless. Extra points for the effort on the rhymes. It paid off.

[Zeg]

Wow, nice job pulling this one off. I liked it, was fun to read.

[MalificMare]

Nice work with the rhyming, Dan. It was exceptionally nice to see Zecora included as a part of the family, surrounded by ponies and laughter and not lurking on the edges. I also liked her self-editing on Applejack's appearance... damned hard to find a rhyme for that!

The moments of fun and hilarity with the Crusaders were perfect.

1754116

Zecora and Macintosh paring

I see what you did there. And even if it wasn't intentional, it was insanely hilarious to me as I was peeling and cutting an apple for tomorrow's lunch just before I read this fic.

[vren55]

Thy rhyme is great
Will those two mate?
The story has begun
Will thou continue it with another one?

(you don't have to do it in rhyme though)

[Deil Grist]

A few questions/proofreading suggestions, if I may:

With her two friends was in the room
I believe "was" should be replaced with "were."

Applejack with coat of orange
Why strike this line out instead of erasing it?
I'm assuming you did it intentionally. I'm just wondering why.

A stoic friend in any season
*Ahem* Called ‘Big’ for many reasons
But such is naught but speculation
Thus far without confirmation
I can see why you would include this part because, I'll admit, the rhyme was a bit clever. However it's completely out of place compared to the rest of the story. The overall theme is finding someone to spend the holiday with, perhaps making a friend and potentially something more. However, you took that classy companionship scenario befitting the setting and spoiled the mood by making it about sex with said innuendo.

I love the rest of the story and how it didn't suffer at all for you making it rhyme; zecora definitely needs the love. However that innuendo would be the one part I would revise completely in keeping with the rest of the story.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

1780473

'Twas just a short story, made without much more reason
Than love for Zecora, and also the season.
I hope to have pleased, and that a smile you wear
But for longer romancing, you must look elsewhere.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

1799327

You may be right with the "was," but I don't believe so. The presence of her friends are added as a descriptor, but it is Applebloom specifically being talked about in the sentence. With a single person being the subject, 'was' would be correct. If the subject would be, say, "Applebloom and her friends," "were" would be correct. But as it is written, I feel 'was' is more appropriate.

The "Orange" sentence is a pretty classic 'you can't rhyme with this' gag. Though I admit I'm far from the first to use it (like so)

As for the last part, you do touch on something I bounced back and forth on a lot in the pre-release stage. I suppose I walked into this with two intentions: Make a cute little Christmas story, and treat Zecora like she's a character rather than a plot device. That little cluster detracts from the former, but I feel adds to the latter. She has feelings of loneliness, hesitation, and yes, attraction. Ended up keeping it because this wasn't written for the kiddies, but rather a fanbase that tends to enjoy a little PG-13 humor tacked on to their cartoon ponies. I can definitely see where you're coming from, though.

Thanks for your perspective. Have some superhugs

[Flippedoutkyrii]

Zecora has grown to be my favorite secondary character, and I'm glad she's getting some worthwhile pieces like this :)

[GeneralZokalo]

I was about halfway through the story, thinking "this is really good, must not be easy write in Zecora rhyme, I'll give a like and a favorite, but i probably won't comment. To lazy." Then, i saw THIS

Applejack with coat of orange
Applejack, covered in snow

and proceeded to unceremoniously fall backwards with my chair, laughing my ass off, remembering of course: THIS SHIT. I would also like for it to be known, that I just came back from r/mylittleonion on reddit, and was feeling pretty crappy, and this, sir or madam, was exactly what I needed as pick me up. A nice, warm and fluffy, good feels type story, with the perfectly placed allusion that had me rolling on my floor like and idiot for a good 3 and a half minutes. So as final note, i would like to say,
mylittlefacewhen.com/f/9064/ and, mylittlefacewhen.com/f/8628/

EDIT: hmm, i wonder why those images didn't show up? oh well, awesome job all the same.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

2887019

I just came back from r/mylittleonion on reddit, and was feeling pretty crappy, and this, sir or madam, was exactly what I needed as pick me up.

"To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you for your words, good Sir. They have made my day.

[GeneralZokalo]

Seems only fair, after you made mine. That was a pick-me-up I REALLY needed that day.

[Khelben Arunsun]

Nice verse poetry. That's too easy though.

After all, the best poetry doesn't have to rhyme. (Zecora rhyme's because she likes to, not because it's her only mode of speech.)

Betcha couldn't write a tanka (very long haiku) from 's pov.

[Rune Soldier Dan]

3062742

Sure you could! Just so long as there's no rule against re-using words...

[RandomBlank]

Applejack with coat of orange
Walked in, squeaked the door hinge...

[CultonoDk]

From wall to wall were dirty pots,
Of failed foods, there were lots
Once ingredients, now invalid
How DO you burn an apple salad?
The berries drowned in caramel
And for the pie, best not to tell

[Masterweaver]

1816880

Sporange. Short for Sporangium, the capsule in which an organism forms spores.

[Winree]

What rhymes with...
Orange: Sporange (botany, fern)
Purple: Curple (hind of horse), hirple (to walk with a limp)
Silver: Chilver (female lamb)
Month: en-plus-oneth, onety-oneth, hundred-and-oneth (mathematical terms)

[Scarlet Sparkle]

I <3 Zecora, and your story is fabulous. I laughed and smiled the whole way through. The innuendo made me giggle, and I felt like you did a classy job of it

[Robin Of Loxley]

4934367 WITCHERY!

Nothing rhymes with any of those!

:)

[HiddenMaster]

Aww, this was sweet. Always loved Zecora, wished she got more love both here and in the show. I have to admire you for going through with the rhyming the entirety of this fic: that must have gotten both old and difficult, fast. Not sure I could manage it nearly so well.

Also, like how you bypassed the orange issue. I've had an theory that Zebras in this world either physically cannot perceive or vocalize anything that cannot end in a rhyme-kind of an evolutionary defense mechanism. Or they just fall into seizures.

Sorry, got into headcannon there. Still, wonderful sweet story.

[Sparkletop Rainbows]

Short, sweet, and to the point. Good story