//------------------------------// // Enter the Zebra // Story: My Little Pony: Adventures in Tyria. // by Mehnlo //------------------------------// Chapter Two Meanwhile - shortly after Twilight teleported to Canterlot - Zecora is working on a love potion, when she hears a knock on her door. “Now, who could that be, seeking to find me?”  Zecora asks herself as she opens the door.  Standing in front of her is a grey pegasus, with a mail bag slung over her crest and back, however the thing about her that sticks out the most are her eyes.  Those amber eyes, looking off in two places at the same time.  While one was looking at the Zecora, the other seemed to just slowly wander off, and move on its own accord.   “Greetings, Derpy Hooves, to what do I owe this meeting?”  Zecora asks the mail pony in front of her.  Despite her casual appearance she always keeps up, Zecora finds Derpy Hoove’s eyes a little unsettling. Derpy Hooves, reaching for her mail bag with her mouth responds “Zecora? I’ve never actually seen you before. I’ve always wanted to apologies for how we treated you before Twilight Sparkle made all of us realize there was nothing wrong with you. Anywaysh, I haf a letter fo’ you.”  The last part being said with the letter in her mouth.      “Here you go.  Have a good day!” Zecora watches the strange pegasus fly off, back to Ponyville.  Only after she is out of sight does Zecora lean her head down and pick up the letter between her teeth.  She walks back into her house, closing the door with her back hoof, and sets the letter on her table. “Now, who could this be from?  Somepony back home maybe?”  Zecora opens the letter, manipulating the letter opener with her mouth and then unfolding it with her hooves.  Dear Zecora.  Hi!  It’s me Pinky Pie!  I would have come to see you myself but I have a LOT of planning for the party tonight.  It is Appleblooms birthday, and she is really hoping you will come!  I hope you will come even more.  You will be the first zebra to come to one of my parties.  Which is also a reason to have a party.  So the party will be doubly big! “So, little Applebloom wishes for me to arrive at her party.  I shall not disappoint, so long as I survive the journey.  The forest has been acting up again, and if I am not careful, I will be sorry.  What shall I get little Applebloom for her birthday, however, is one mystery I must solve, soon, I say.”  And with that, Zecora leaves her hut, in search of something that Applebloom would like.  After about a few hours of searching, Zecora hears a strange noise off in the distance.  It sounds like somepony quietly ripping paper, but would not stop, surrounded by the sound of water being stirred. “Hmm, what is that sound?  It is unlike any I have heard before, I am bound to find out if I keep following this path.  If it is what has been causing so much trouble in this forest, it may see my wrath.”  Zecora cautiously moves closer to the source of the strange noise.  As she gets closer to it, the noise gets louder.  Only when the noise is almost deafening does she find its source.  Her eyes widen at the sight in front of her “What is this thing, before my eyes.  I would be wise to flee, I must study up on this thing, so that I can solve this mystery.”  And with that Zecora gallops back to her house in the woods.  Deciding to make something for Applebloom instead. -------------------- As Twilight Sparkle comes to, she realizes that she is laying on a bed, with light covers splayed over her body.  Trying to think back to what happened, she remembers trying to teleport to Canterlot, and a voice, then nothing. Why did I even try that?  I should have known I still wasn't powerf-her thought is interrupted by a serene voice talking over her. “Twilight Sparkle.  That was a very good attempt at teleportation.  I am surprised at how far you have come.  Although, next time it may be easier just to get transport here.”  As Twilight slowly opens her eyes, she sees the graceful figure of her mentor, Princess Celestia, looming over her. “Princess!  But...  How?  Where am I?”  Twilight manages to say, but goes quiet as Celestia raises a hoof for silence. “Quiet.  You are in my personal quarters Twilight.  I must say, I am impressed that you got as far as you did with your teleportation.  But you overexerted yourself.  Your body could not cope with the energy needed for the teleport and you fainted.”  The Princess explains. “How, how far did I get?”  Asked Twilight. “My sister found you in the Canterlot Gardens.  She said she saw a flash while up in her tower, and came down to where she saw it.  And there you were, laying on the ground.”   “Your sister, you mean Princess Luna?  Where is she now?” Motioning to a place on a nightstand next to Twilight, Princess Celestia said “After she brought you to me, she returned back to her tower.  She is still trying to get a hang of today’s politics.  It is very different than how it was one thousand years ago, as you can imagine.  Now ssshhh.  You need to regain your strength.  I had the castle chefs cook you up some food for when you came too.”  On the plate that Celestia motioned to was a sandwich, with freshly cut grass, between two pieces of rye bread, and some hay fries on the side. “Thank you princess, but what was so urgent that you needed me to come immediately?”  Twilight inquires, between bites of her sandwich.  “You mentioned something about some sort of magical anomalies, but that was it. “Yes, I did.  But even that is not as important as you regaining your strength.  You are my star pupil and protege, and right now you need your rest.  We can talk tomorrow.”  Princess Celestia then leaves the room and, knowing her protege and her innate curiousness, magically locks the door behind her, to assure that Twilight would get the rest she needs. -------------------- Somewhere, two weeks before Twilight Sparkle was called to see Princess Celestia, in a world very different from Equestria, a battle was ending.  Between the champions of the mortal races of Tyria, being led by a brave human, and the harbingers of destruction, known only as the destroyers.  The battle was culminating into a great fight against the human and his companions, against the destroyer’s leader, known only as The Great Destroyer.  It had taken the lives of countless humans, norn, dwarves, charr, and asura but finally, it would all be over. With a prayer to Balthazar, the god of war, the priest turned leader, Mehnlo, struck down The Great Destroyer, it’s death resulted in the destruction of all of it’s spawn.  The war for survival, was finally over.  A great celebration was held, to honor the heroes of the day, Mehnlo, Cynn, Devona, Aidan, Eve, Gwen, Jora, Pyre Fierceshot, Ogden Stonehealer, and Vekk. Unbeknownst to all of them, however was that the death of The Great Destroyer had repercussions felt all across their world, Tyria.  And the figurative wall, that separated it from other worlds - already extremely stressed from other events - finally started to break down. End of Chapter Two.