-Hello! Here is the third chapter of the series "My Little Pony: A Different World". I'm not sure if anyone even READS this, or cares to, but I've decided to at least see this story through to the end. Please review of what you liked, follow, or feel to give some instructive criticism from author-to-author to help this story to become at least a DECENT read. Your reviews are appreciated if you explain in DETAIL of what you did or did not like about the story (Saying 'This sucks!', 'LAME!', or something like that is a little vague to me) to help me better understand. I'm still unsure of when this story will end, but I will be sure not to rush it or drag it out by the hair. Thank you if you chose to take your time reading ^THIS^ and the rest of the story. Thanks to all those that are willing to Follow this story and to those that give an encouraging review. Thanks again!

BV-

Chapter 3: Contact

The night had come on quicker than he realized.

A quick glance up at the sky confirmed it was well into the evening. It was easier to tell the time during the day than it was at night; though the moon would rotate as well. Brandon's eyes narrowed as he watched the stars. Something was…different about them. He stood up on his strange beastly legs as he scanned the sky.

There were no constellations he recognized. The Big Dipper, Little Dipper, Orion or his Belt…they weren't there.

A small memory entered his mind for a moment; accompanied by a small stab of pain to his brain. The place he lived had hardly ever had stars in the sky, mostly because of the light in the city had blocked the night sky. It was rare but, the farther you go out, it was possible to see the stars. Maybe the stars were where they were supposed to be and he had spent more time in this unknown than he thought? It would make much more sense if Brandon had his digital watch with him. Funny how such a small gadget could provide such comfort.

The teen shook his head softly, dispersing the thought away. It was time to get moving.

When he had awoken it had almost seemed like there was someone whispering…but he couldn't confirm it. Paranoia gets to someone when they are in an unfamiliar environment and start hearing things.

Luckily my stomach has stopped it's grumbling. Brandon noted duly to himself as he climbed a few feet down the tree before jumping the last ten feet down, landing flatly on his feet. He grimaced at the noise his impact had caused when hitting the ground before taking a silent note for later to work on his landings.

Small insects had begun to make noise as he made his way out of the forest towards the tree line. Staring out of the trees, staying in the shadows to keep out of sight, he surveyed the area. After making sure to himself that everyone was inside he stepped quickly, but quietly, out of hiding.

The teen ducked into the shadows of between two buildings as he stared around his surroundings. The town was slightly odd. It was based off the Old West style with square buildings, barrels, and what looked like…apples?

Brandon raised a blue eyebrow in a bit of critical skepticism. Never had he thought that apples were going to be in a place like this, but at least he had something to eat. Then guilt made him grimace.

Stealing was wrong for a lot reasons. But what could he do? It's not like the person that owns the apples would give them to him out of the kindness of their heart. Even if the person was generous…could they see that he was not a monster? Just a teenager in a place he's never seen before and in a body he had no clue how he gotten it?

A small sign escaped his lips as he steeled himself. If he can pay for it later…it would no longer be stealing. It's the best he could do.

Brandon's ears perked up, moving his head slowly from side to side to catch any noises before further searching the town by traveling by the shadows. The moonlight made it easier to find his way around but it could also let him be seen. To avoid waking the town and causing a panic he had to become just like the shadow; silent but always there.

A wagon stood in front of one building with a large tarp over it. Maybe there was something he could use?

He stayed on alert as he gently lifted the tarp, using the moonlight to expose what was inside the cart. It was a strange assortment of items. Strange dresses of bright colors, hats, odd boots, and other accessories were neatly stacked in the wagon. A closer look revealed folded blankets of wool and cotton along with rolls of cloth.

It was odd. Many of these items seemed to serve no purpose. Why was that?

The question slipped his mind as he spotted a dark gray blanket before picking it up in his large beastly fingers. It was of finely produced wool. It wouldn't serve the purpose of keeping him warm but he could use it. Placing the large wool blanket on the crook of his arm he continued to silently pick through the items before finding nothing else of use after a few minutes. The teen had been just about to replace the tarp over the wagon before he thought better of it; untying the parts of the tarps strapped down to the wagon before covering himself with it.

It was large enough to circle his broad shoulders while covering his front; leaving his face hidden deep within the shadows of the makeshift hood. Making a few holes, using his claws, right underneath the neck of the opening he tied small strands of the rope, which had held the tarp down, in an 'x' formation to keep it from opening it up. The cloak dragged quite a bit on the dirt but it was unavoidable. People could not be allowed to see any part of his strange new body. It would be suspicious enough that he was wearing a light gray tarp in the middle of the day.

Something next to the wagon had caught Brandon's eye before he could walk away from it. Bending down to the ground he scooped it up; it was an empty saddle bag. This bag was smooth but tough.

"They must have horses around here. There must be a stall around here to put them away at night." Brandon thought to himself, carrying the bag within the folds of his new cloak. Taking a horse was out of the question. Stealing a horse is worse than stealing food or clothing. The animal itself would need to eat and he didn't know what else a horse could eat besides grass, hay and grain. It's not like there was much of that in between here and the mountain city. The barrel of apples he had spotted earlier shone with some of the moonlight. Holding the bag with one hand filled one side of the strange saddle bag with ten of the red and green apples; the other keeping the remaining coil of rope and the dark gray blanket.

Once the bag was filled he began to fiddle with it, taking the belt that ran through straps on either bag out. Using what was already there he made a stacker bag backpack, one bag sitting on top of the other. Slinging the makeshift backpack, underneath the cloak, and over his right shoulder made the cloak ride a little higher until it only brushed the ground. Brandon would've been lying to himself if he had thought he didn't look strange how he was now. It couldn't be helped.

He breathed deeply of the night air, taking a step out of the town—

A loud metallic crash had pierced the night

Looking around he discovered what had made the noise; a trashcan had been overturned and the contents had spilled out.

Voices within the building he stood next to could be heard.

"Whose there?" A male voice demanded; making a ruckus as the unknown person came down what sounded like stairs.

Yellow eyes widened in panic before Brandon swiftly ran toward the open land; his cloak flapping behind as he ran.

"STOP! THIEF!" The voice had shouted out at the teen as he ran, the distance growing between him and the town.

Hooves stamped far behind him before he realized that the townspeople had brought out their horses after him.

The teen couldn't let them see him. Not like this…not now.

Brandon lengthened his strides as he ran before the stampeding horses began to fall far behind. After a while he began to slow down; feeling his heart beating wildly in his chest as he tried to slow the rush of adrenaline. Not only had he run faster than he could have with his original body…but he had been fast enough to outrun a horse. This body of his…

The monstrous teen glanced at his fur covered hands with the black claws gleaming slightly in the moonlight. It felt…good…amazing in fact. His speed, flexibility, and strength have been enhanced dramatically. Whatever had happened to him…it was beginning to show how useful it could be. His path, after turning his head up, was straight ahead; seeing the moonlight catch on the distant mountain city. A railroad he had not noticed before stood a little off to his left.

New plan; he would follow the railroad tracks until he could no longer.

Determination showed in Brandon's steps as he marched forth towards the mountain.

Wisp had been clumsy.

No matter how anypony would put it he was clumsy. Not only had Wisp caused a ruckus but it had taken almost an hour to find his target again. The target had run faster than the ponies had been chasing him by a wide berth before he had disappeared into the distance. Wisp had been following the stranger too closely and had knocked over a trash can in the process.

It was mere chance that Wisp had found him again, making his way toward the Everfree Forest.

Wisp had flown high above his target as he kept a bird's eye view on the surrounding area. The Changeling had noted, with something akin to pity, as the creature hid his form within that improvised cloak of his when he had been shifting through the materials in the wagon. Wisp had almost begun to feel sorry for the creature before reminding himself of his task; keep hidden, report to Queen Chrysalis, and keep the creature from doing something to endanger the plans his Queen had set into motion.

When Wisp had asked about what his Queen was planning she had merely laughed and told him to keep on task.

The Changeling knew that Queen Chrysalis was inside The Hive now; planning something that could possibly change Equestria forever. Nopony knew what went on in that dark, twisted, mind of Chrysalis's. What every Changeling knew, beyond a doubt, that whatever she was planning it was best if the Changeling's kept to themselves.

Queen Chrysalis had only so much patience and compassion for her subjects before her evil nature revealed itself from the darkness.

Luckily for Wisp he kept to himself when he needed to. Asking questions that were not allowed could label a Changeling as being 'too curious' and labels are something that are not looked upon with great taste. If you had skills that would suit the purpose of the Queen then you were given more than you could ever hope for. That was it.

No Changeling was treated specially; all were equal.

May Celestia have pity on the Changeling that fancied themselves better than the rest of Her Majesty's subjects. Soon enough The Hive will correct that Changeling's behavior into an obedient servant of their Queen eventually. Many of those individuals have ceased to make such rebellious advances ever again…the rest…weren't so lucky.

It was mere hours before dawn when Wisp and his target made it to the ruins of an old castle. Wisp decided to keep his distance this time; keeping to the treetops as the creature made his way into the ruins.

An old ruin? Brandon squinted to make out the shape. Lichen and moss covered large stone blocks and crumbling archways. Grass poked through the stones set in the ground, a few dandelions and clovers poking through in places. Irregular pieces littered the ground; proof of statues shattered long ago.

The teen thought long and hard on it as he stood there, looking at different parts of the ruins. Brandon began gathering pieces together. His body has been changed into something that only resembles a human, there is an Old Western town miles behind him, and there is ruins of Medieval origin crumbling before him. Where could he be?

Where ever Brandon was the information he had wasn't good enough to start guessing where he might be.

Brandon continued forward into the ruins; loose stones scattering as his paw-like feet knocked into them. The sound of clacking stones echoed for a few moments before it grew quiet again. Castles from Medieval times could stand for, from what Brandon could tell, a few centuries before falling. A battle might have been waged for control of this part of the land or it was abandoned.

Traveling further inside the ruins Brandon found a part of the castle that remained mostly intact. Tall walls of crumbling stone extended up until he had to crane his neck back to see it and the night sky. Large pillars held the remaining roof in place while large cracks and ivy dominated it. Broken stained glass windows lined the wall with only bits of the twisted wire frame remaining. A strange statue sat in the middle of the room. Five small stone platforms encircled a pillar of stone with a large stone ball resting on top. The stone ball was covered in thick moss with ivy trailing down from it. What those platforms had held were beyond Brandon's knowledge.

Brandon had begun to wonder what this place had looked like centuries before. Artwork that had been made with glass, stone, and mortar was either destroyed or covered by thick vegetation. He stood in silence for a few moments before walking around the weird statue; heading toward the door when he noticed black marks upon the floor.

But what's this? Scorch marks marked places across the floor. Kneeling down to scrape some of the soot off with a claw proved that this had happened pretty recently. Someone had been here before. At least the teenager knew that civilization was probably not far from here…but the marks on the ground still bothered him. An intense heat had left behind residue and the only thing Brandon could think of would be something was being burned in those spots or someone had taken a flamethrower and singed the ground.

To many things to think about and not a whole lot of time.

He stood up once again, stretching his legs to get the blood flowing again, and saw a doorway at the other end of the room. Tall, twisting trees could be seen through the doorway in the distance. Brandon was steadily getting closer to that mountain. He'd gotten far thanks to his new body. The mountain was not visible to him but Brandon knew that by the morning light it would be larger than it had been. At this rate he will be able to get there in less than a week. Restlessness began to eat at his body as he traveled out of the stone doorway and toward the forest. Fog hung heavily between the teen and the forest. Brandon, figuring he should walk carefully, had felt around the ground with his feet to make sure he didn't step into a gopher hole or onto something sharp.

It was a good thing he had.

No more than a few moments of walking and Brandon could feel an empty space with the tips of his toes. His heart leapt into his throat as he instinctively jumped away from the edge. Brandon's heart ran a hundred miles an hour as he stood there; clutching his chest in one hand.

Once his heart rate slowed he ventured carefully to the edge. Kneeling down to reach his hand down and over the edge helped Brandon to visualize the grave mistake he would have made if he hadn't been quick enough.

A quick look around for a way to get across was an obstacle by itself. The fog was thick and it didn't seem to dissipate in the slightest. There were only three things Brandon could do in this situation.

Staying where he was until morning would improve his visibility but that would mean waiting a whole night in unknown territory with only some of the trees, and the ruins, around. If there wasn't a way to get across the gorge then he would have to find another way around. The only trouble of that plan was the lack of knowledge he had of the terrain. The forest could extend for miles around and getting lost in the dark wasn't a luxury he could afford.

The second plan was to create a bridge or other device to help him get across. Two problems with that plan; the fog hadn't cleared enough for him to see across and he didn't know what he could use to make a bridge. There wasn't any rope, even if the gap was about twenty foot across, in his bag that he could use. If he could see it he may be able to jump over it to the other side. Of course…he wouldn't trust his legs to make that type of jump. There was no telling how deep the gorge was or what was at the bottom.

Or the teen could sprout wings and fly to the mountain city.

This made the teen chuckle softly at himself. Now that would be a sight; a flying blue fur-ball in broad daylight.

I wonder if I would have bat wings or bird wings? The chuckle lasted a few more moments before he slid his bag from his shoulder; ruffling through it. His clawed hand closed on a good sized apple before he brought it to the moonlight. Brandon absentmindedly twisted the stem of the apple off before looking back at the forest. Remembering a trick he saw someone on YouTube use he placed his thumbs in the hollow of the apple where the stem had been. Cupping the apple between the large palms with his other fingers curled on the bottom.

With little effort the apple split down the middle, leaving the core and its seeds exposed. The beastly teenager repeated similar processes until he had quarters of the apple placed on his lap. Taking one apple slice he bit the core out of the apple before launching the unwanted bit from his mouth to the gorge before taking a bite out of the slice.

A small memory came to mind as he thoughtfully chewed on the apple slices, once the cores had been removed of course, when something like this had happened before.

A lunchroom full of students with faces cast in shadows and blurs when only portions of the memory were missing. Rows of chattering kids discussing grades, friends, classes, and the latest gossip sat along the black and white speckled benches. He had been holding the schools standard cheap, flat, plastic red tray. There was a spot at one table of gaggling teenagers. When Brandon approached the table had immediately grown quiet. They had stared at him and Brandon had stared back trying to force a friendly smile on his face.

He couldn't remember what their faces had expressed but they had moved suddenly without a word; moving to another table away from him. Brandon had watched before sitting down quietly at the now vacant table before eating his lunch.

This pain was not as piercing as before, meaning that this memory had been repeated times before. What did it mean?

Brandon stopped chewing the apple for a moment when that quiet question nagged at his consciousness. Something had set Brandon apart from the other students. He had a feeling that those students weren't ones he had originally known. An outcast by those students, and probably many others, by something he had no idea of what he had done or what had set him apart from them.

The chewed apple had trouble going down past the lump in his throat.

He had been, from what Brandon could tell, casted out of the social group before he was labeled by Chris as 'strange'.

A sigh escaped Brandon's lips before he finished the rest of the apple in quick bites; rubbing the apple juices he had collected on his fingers onto the grass. Whether the teenager had friends or not in the past was irrelevant now. It was time to move again. Peering intently in the darkness once again he found two dark bumps silhouetted in the moonlight. Walking closer, while watching his footing, he saw that what he had mistaken for bumps were the supporting posts of a rope and plank bridge.

Laying his large blue paw-like hand across the top of the post felt slightly wet and springy. Moss had grown over the top of the aging wooden posts. Continuing to slide his hand down the face of the pole onto the rope he could feel the first of many knots keeping the handrails in place.

It felt tattered in places but was still strong enough to let someone go across…hopefully.

Brandon held tightly to the handrail as he carefully placed his wolf-like foot on one plank before hearing it creak loudly underneath his weight. Before the plank could give way he placed his other foot on another plank to even out the weight distribution. The bridge swayed a little bit, with the ominous creaking planks, before he decided to take his third step. It was slow going at first but gradually became easier.

The warning words in his head of 'Don't look down' was hard to ignore.

Since the fog had cleared just enough so Brandon could see his feet, the plank bridge, and the silhouettes of the trees on the other side it was difficult to know how wide the gap was. Being suspended over a gap of unknown depth was almost as bad as knowing how far someone would have to fall until they went splat.

In a few minutes he finally felt soil and grass beneath his feet as he reached the end of the bridge. He sighed in relief before digging his wolf-like toes into the earth. The soil was warm on the teen's toes; slightly damp from water that had soaked within it.

After a few more moments of this small pleasure Brandon withdrew his toes from the comforting earth, looking into the dark depths of the forest that stood before him. The sound of insects, frogs, and other small creatures could be faintly heard. There is probably a pond somewhere inside the forest and a big pond at that. There was an animal documentary that he used to watch and one episode had been about the simple but diverse life an average pond could hold. Frogs, insects like mosquitoes and the minute gnat, and the occasional salamander or mudpuppy.

There were a lot more but the teen couldn't recall any of them at the moment. Maybe he could make a small stop to look if he found it. That was one big if.

No more than a few steps in the forest and Brandon had introduced himself to a tree with his face, stumbled, and all because he couldn't see anything. The teen had massaged his nose to try and ease the pain; growing frustrated with it all. His yellow cat-like eyes glared into the darkness; peering into blackness to show him what it hid—

And it did.

It was odd. Trees…plants….the ground…everything had begun to come into focus. Everything was in differential shades of green and black. There were parts of the forest where it was the deepest of black, shadows where no light existed, and others of a light lime green in spots where moonlight had penetrated to light a few trees.

Looking at his own hands he could see that the fur on his arms was a dark green while his cloak shone bright spring green.

It was like someone had placed a pair of night vision goggles over his eyes and given him light where he had previously not seen.

Somehow he had developed something that cats and dogs could use. His eyes had taken what little light that was in the darkness and multiplied it until he could see everything. If there was even a small amount of light he would be able to see objects in the dark. It was a relief but it also disturbed Brandon. The question that he hoped he had a good answer for would come sometime in the future.

Was he a man or…a monster?

The teen forged on his path, following an unseen path through the forest. Time passed slowly as the teen traveled through the crowded trees and brush. There were more rustlings in bushes and soft footsteps where he couldn't see them. Most likely the wildlife were doing their best at keeping their distance while going about their nightly excursions. Eventually his surroundings got brighter and brighter.

A sudden flash of moonlight disrupted Brandon's night vision and made everything blurred and bright. Turning his face away from the light after a few minutes was he then able to see why it had been so bright minutes before. The moonlight had reflected off a river into his line of sight. Thankfully the teen's vision had returned back to that of the normal color spectrum.

Glancing up the river he could see that it snaked far out and around a bend in the river, trees lining the curving river all the way. Down river was no better and it seemed like something rotting was coming from that direction. Taking a few deep sniffs and Brandon had begun to gag; pressing his paw-like hand to his black slit nostrils. It smelled foul as if some plants had begun to rot over time.

Whatever it is the young man refused the notion of traveling either up or downriver. That left only crossing it.

Ideas to how he was going to get across made Brandon frown in puzzlement in the darkness of his hood. Jumping that distance was way out of range. It was at least two hundred feet across or more. Walking around it would take too long and he could get backtracked by days. There was no boat or anything he thought he could use to make a raft to get across.

That left only swimming as his means.

Brandon was an average swimmer at best but the current didn't look to be too strong for him to safely get across. Taking his makeshift cloak into the water was a stupid notion. Even if he could swim with it, maybe even get to the other side, the cloak would get soaked with water and he would catch hypothermia if it didn't drag him down in the water first. Even with the night as warm as it was now the first thing he had to think of was a way for him to get his belongings across so he could later dry himself off with something. Although…

The teenager slowly slid his arm from underneath the cloak to look at it. If the fur was like some dog breeds it could have insulated fur. Even if the fur was wet he could still keep warm enough to ward off hypothermia and keep his body temperature from dropping too sharply. As long as he could use his own body heat to dry himself off, along with the help of the cloak, he should be alright.

His yellow eyes roamed the area to the forest behind him, the river and the forest ahead of him before he slid his pack off. Next he quickly untied the rope keeping his cloak from falling off; letting it slide to the ground in a heap until he stood in his jean shorts. Getting out of the cloak made him feel exposed but slightly liberated from worrying about eyes condemning his appearance. Here he was alone and he could enjoy himself a few moments before putting his next idea into action.

Brandon knelt down, placing his fingers into the water before withdrawing them to flick droplets of water onto the cloak. He watched closely as the shining drops of water raced down parts of the cloak before they had hit the ground to be soaked up by the soil. The tarp had been treated to withstand against rain and thereby keeping the goods in the cart dry if secured correctly.

The teen made a small grunt of appreciation in his throat before taking the rope from the other compartment of the stacker deck backpack he'd fashioned from the town. With a few quick adjustments to keep the openings of the bag close he placed it on the center of the laid out cloak. Taking the corners of the tarp in his hands he brought them together. Brandon had made his tarp, having been made into a hastily done cloak, into a sack to store his backpack and belongings. The rope was then used to make a tight knot underneath the neck of the makeshift sack and doubled as a handle.

The apples in the backpack gave the sack its weight and, hopefully, would help launch it across the river. He could only guess as to how hard he would have to throw it.

He was not athletic when he was younger and tended to keep away from sports in general. If Brandon missed then his meager supplies and only clothing would be swept downstream toward the foul smell. Not only did the smell deter the young man but also something inside his head screamed not to go there if at all possible.

With a few swings he began the necessary twirling motions to help him launch the sack high and far into the air. When the sack had begun to gain great momentum and the object had begun to make a loud whistling sound as he swung it past his ear he pulled his arm back and threw it as hard as he could.

It was either luck, good aim, or a bit of both that the bag landed on the other side in some bushes.

After letting out his breath he had held when the bag had flown he turned toward the river. Without a second thought he jumped into the water, making a huge splash as he dived down a few feet underneath the water's surface. Since it was a warm night the water was colder underneath the first three inches of warm water. The current tugged at his body trying to carry him downstream but Brandon kicked powerfully with his legs and sliced through the water with his thick arms.

Underwater currents tried to steer him off course a few times as he swam towards the other end of the river. A few times the teen could've sworn he felt something slick underneath his feet and ignored the sensation as he neared the opposite bank. Brandon dug his black claws deep within the ground of the bank; hauling his dripping wet body from the river's grasp. Thick streams of water poured off of his fur into a puddle as he panted. After a few more minutes of gasping he raised his head; looking for the bush his supplies had landed on.

As he had thought the air, though warm, felt colder than it had previously been before entering the river. Luckily the thick fur kept him partially warmer than it would have if he had been in his old body. The cloak would keep him warm for a little while before the leftover water would soak into the backpack and ruin the wool blanket.

Walking away from where he had found the sack, being off to his right by ten feet, Brandon put more distance between him and his pack.

What he was about to do would probably soak the supplies.

Crouching down on his hands and legs, which felt surprisingly comfortable, he looked straight ahead. He closed his yellow eyes and shook his head violently, in a tilting back-forth manner, from side to side. The shock of the crazy head turning made the skin of his neck shake before it traveled down his back to his legs. Loose skin was churned by the shock that went through his body; flicking the water off in all directions.

Just like a dog…how embarrassing.

Most of his blue fur was no longer carrying excess water and the teen deemed it safe to put the cloak back on. Swiping the dirt he collected on his palms against each other he stood back up; quickly walking to the sack. He hurriedly untied the rope binding the sack together before grabbing the backpack out and sliding it onto his shoulder. When Brandon again felt the thick makeshift between his beastly fingers he gave the cloak a quick flick to dislodge loose dirt and leaves before hanging it back on his shoulders.

Heat quickly built up within the cloak as he pulled the hood over his face so his yellow eyes could once again stare out to view the unfamiliar environment.

The night vision once again came to Brandon, once he had concentrated on the darkness within the forest, before looking back at the way he had come. Having come this far in a few days was a great start. If the pace remained unchanged then he should get to the mountain in less than a week. Any problems the teen may experience along the way could probably deter him from his course for a few days.

Well. As long as I get to the mountain in the span of a few weeks…it'll be fine. Brandon thought to himself before turning his gaze away from the river and to the forest ahead. The trees here looked more gangly and crooked than the ones he had encountered in the other forest.

Walking quietly and carefully, like he had when he first experienced this night vision, Brandon made his way into the dark forest. The teenager did notice something a little odd about this forest;

Within the darkness the sounds of rustling foliage and breaking branches were loud and drawing closer…as well as glowing eyes.

Night had once again fallen on the Everfree Forest.

The creatures that dwelled within have been stirred from their slumber and now walk the night. There were creatures that prowled, some that stalked, and others that flew. Many things have yet to be brought to light. Stories were passed down from generation to generation by Ponyville's citizens. No pony dared to enter the strange forest unless they wished to brave some of its dangers. The thought of living in the forest would make most ponies faint…except for one pony.

Within the forest dwelled a wide tree; made into a home by its inhabitant.

A zebra is a rare and slightly odd, to some ponies, sight to see. Her coat was a light gray with a dark gray and white striped tail, a Mohawk mane, and legs. Another patch of dark gray had formed on her back; like an artist had taken three even curved strokes on either side of the mare's body by using the splotch on her back. Three curved stripes traveled over her jawline and toward the female's turquoise eyes. A swirling dark gray sun was imprinted on her flank with triangular points. Large oval earrings hung from her pointed ears while similar round rings encircled her neck and left foreleg; her name is Zecora.

Everypony knew of Zecora by rumor and reputation. While having an abundant knowledge of herbs and cures for most ailments Zecora, though it took a while, was an excellent addition to the Ponyville community. Being near the Everfree Forest gave Zecora easier access to the ingredients that are asked from her by many ponies. Whether it is a toothache, migraine, infection, or other malady Zecora would most likely have a potion for it.

Some of the plants the zebra gathers have magical properties like the Poison Joke; able to inflict strange ailments by whichever pony touched, smelled or breathed it. A group of ponies, now great friends with the herbalist, had accused Zecora of 'cursing' them while demanding that the zebra remove the 'hex'. After a heated argument, and the arrival of Apple Bloom, things were settled and an important lesson was learned; and a friendship grew. Since then Zecora has been helping the citizens of Ponyville by her medicinal skills. Every now and then the little filly Apple Bloom comes over and helps Zecora gather or mix ingredients. Tonight, as it would be unnecessary to keep the little filly away from Sweet Apple Acre, the zebra had sent Apple Bloom home with a warm farewell.

"Something is not right, the ingredient I need can be found…tonight?" The zebra, after having returned to her tree to make a special potion, tsked softly to herself while rubbing her right hoof to her darkly colored muzzle in thought.

"A flower that absorbs the day, a path of light shall mark your way" Zecora mumbled softly to herself as she paced her home before finally glancing over at her bookcase. Having finally giving in with a small sigh she scanned her herbal books. After finding the book she was looking for, named 'Plants Index', Zecora patiently hoofed through the thick pages of the book. After many minutes she finally found the plant.

The plant mentioned in the potions recipe is called 'Sun Flower'. Once this plant had been very common around Equestria but now has become harder and harder to come by as the years went by. Sunlight is absorbed into the petals and the excess energy is made into light. At night the flower opens its pedals and lights the night with a bright, yellow glow. Since Zecora wouldn't be able to find the flower as easily in the daylight…

"I must travel by night, before dawn's early light." Zecora muttered to herself; gently nosing the book closed before gently picking it up in her dark muzzle to place it in its rightful place on the shelf. Moving about the room as her thick rings on her neck and leg made a soft clink-clink as she gathered the things she would need; a cloak for warmth, a basket to carry the flowers in, and a small candle lamp to light the places she couldn't see. The zebra, after a few moments of locking her home and blowing out a few of the candles, stepped outside of her comfortable home to go even further into the Everfree Forest; in search of the rare flower.

The lamp gave enough light for Zecora to keep from stepping into holes or tripping over exposed roots and branches. Keeping her eyes peeled for the flower and the forests inhabitants she continued to advance deeper and deeper into the forest. Less and less moonlight shone through the twisting canopy before too long.

"It's a good thing I brought my own source of light. Each step I take seems to limit more and more of my sight." Zecora thought to herself in her rhyming couplets while holding the handle of the lamp within her mouth. Peering through the dark brown cloak's hood she carefully walked deeper into the forest.

Zecora has lived in this forest for quite a few months but there were still places she had yet explored. It was for good reason that she didn't. Some places were meant to be left alone. And certainly a curious soul would not be warmly welcomed in the lair of a dangerous creature. Many things within the Everfree Forest only wanted to be left alone to continue to live their lives as nature had intended for them.

Fluttershy, a Pegasus pony that was dear to her heart, would ask Zecora for help for likely remedies to various illnesses and wounds. That gentle Pegasus was more than capable of taking care of most of the animals that came to her. Whether it was an animal as small as a mouse to much larger creatures like a bear, though bears tend to keep to themselves, they were in good hooves.

But tonight she had to find those flowers before the night ended and quickly too. It's not safe to wander the forest at night. The creatures of the night, like the ones of the day, had yet to complete their routines.

"Ouch!" Wisp muttered to himself as he once again flew into a branch following his target. It had been like that for a while now. As the Changeling smacked into his tenth branch or so, he had lost count after that, Wisp could afford noise as long as his voice didn't carry.

The sounds of branches being moved or broken happened every other minute. Animals were being hunted or were the hunters themselves. Some of the sounds Wisp heard were far off in the distance or closer to his quarry, while keeping a closer eye on the shadows, the Changeling stealthily stalked his wary adversary.

Wisp and all of the Changeling spies were taught the geography of Equestria by maps acquired from libraries and book shops. Each and every Changeling had been taught the basic survival tactics before going out into the field to gather personal experience. Many hours were drilled into the recruits before they were let loose with their instructions a few weeks later.

Weak Changelings were expendable pieces.

Field work can only take a Changeling so far. Even if the training they had gone through was rigorous it was useless to compare it with real life situations. With each sunrise there would always be a new challenge to stand in a Changeling's way; backing them into a corner with no way out. Weakness was not something to be tolerated at any cost. Weakness meant slowing down the other members of the team all vying for the same goal. Then came the choice; help the teammate back on their hooves and complete the mission or leave them.

Compassion was also considered to be weakness.

Abandoning the weaker team members insured the victory, or survival, of the other Changelings. Wisp should know. It was because of the day his teammates abandoned him that he realized something that cold and rainy night; don't depend on anypony.

A small sigh unconsciously escaped Wisp's lips as his thoughts tried to pull him into the past. It was unbecoming of him. Wisp is in the middle of a mission, chasing after a creature not even from Equestria, and dwelling on days long past while in a forest filled with beasts. If some other Changeling was in Wisp's place they would have continued to proceed with the mission and keep their minds clear of obstruction. Traveling in dangerous territory with a boggled mind could prove…fatal.

"Lucky for me my target isn't the only thing in this forest to be worrying about." Wisp thought to himself, once again getting smacked in the face with a branch. Shoving the branch aside roughly with his nose the Changeling continued his noisy tailing until he heard something. The sound had pierced the breaking branches and rustling leaves like thunder.

It was a scream. Somepony had met one of the Everfree Forest's inhabitants.

Wisp turned his head away, having turned in the direction of the noise, to keep his eyes on the stranger. The blue creature had noticed it and was staring in the general direction that the noise came from with interest. The hooded head looked from the path it had been taking to the noise in the forest. This movement was repeated three more times before the stranger's beastly claws clenched the sides of the hood to the head hidden beneath it.

What a strange development indeed.

"Well stranger? What are you going to do now?" thought Wisp. Having tilted his darkly colored equine head; training his arctic blue eyes on the cloaked figure. The noises in the forest seemed louder than they were before, almost as if hurrying from the deadly silence.

A sudden movement in the Changeling's peripheral vision put Wisp on edge. Wisp, with a swift movement, instinctively turning sharply and defensively on his precarious perch. The branch groaned threateningly underneath his hooves as Wisp prepared himself for whatever was in the shadows. The Changelings eyes glowed softly as he waited for the potential danger. After many moments nothing had appeared and the leaves were still again. With a derisive snort the Changeling began turning away from the shadows—

Only to have a high pitched screech ring loudly in his ears.

Wisp, being taken by surprise, had missed a step on the branch and fell. Luckily Wisp had landed hard on a particularly dead bush, breaking a good number of branches in his fall. Some of the branches had made cuts along his exoskeleton; nothing serious but potentially serious if they weren't treated. The screech that had surprised Wisp sounded again in the night air; it was a bat.

Wisp glared into the dark as his shame and indignation was let out in a soft growl. The Changeling shook himself of the dead leaves and branches on his back before turning to where he had left his charge—

The stranger, like the bat, had slipped away into the night.

The male Changeling sighed heavily before flapping his tattered beetle-like wings for take-off. It was going to be a long night indeed.