//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: The Dry Land 
// Story: Fallout Equestria: Fly Away 
// by Freeflyingwolf 
//------------------------------//

Fallout Equestria: Fly Away
Chapter 7: The Dry Land
By Freeflyingwolf
”Rain does not fall on one roof alone.”--African Proverb from Cameroon
The dream was the same as it always was. It was the same one that tormented him every night for twenty years. Before the yellow colt was his family. Mommy, the daddy in the pictures, Big Sol, Drakon, Celly, and now Zen. They were all dead. Their limbs torn apart, their intestines ripped out. Their heads splayed open. All their eyes turned to him, and their mouths chanted the mantra: “You couldn’t save us, you let us die, it’s all your fault.”
Sunshy tried his best to stitch them back together. He stuffed their intestines back into place, sewed their limbs back to their bodies, and shoved their brains back inside their heads. He did all this through tears and their chorus of blame. Really, after so long, he wondered why he still cried. It always felt like a monster he could never see was telling him to just give up and let them die.
Every time he managed to get them all sewn back together, a wave of blood appeared. It washed him away, away from his family and friend. They stood on a rock too high to be swept away. Even though he was taken miles away from them, he heard the mantra. He kicked against the current, trying to swim towards them as they fell apart, calling out for them. Their blame was joined by the high-pitched laugh of the hyenas, the sound of gunshots, and the worrying voice of Zen. Something foul ran down his throat; his dream told him he had swallowed a mouthful of the blood river.
Then he coughed, and everything went dark. The coughing raked his body, his legs tried to kick, but something heavy was on them. Then he realized he was awake, away from his dream. He gasped and continued trying to flail, his mind telling him he was in danger.
“Calm down!” Zen shouted at him.
Gasping, the pegasus stopped moving at the sound of his friend’s voice, opening his eyes. Total darkness! He yelled in fear, clamped his eyes shut, and tried to move away again. A bottle was shoved in his mouth, but he continued to scream through it.
“Shut up and drink!” Zen ordered.
Sunshy was not given much choice, as the bottle tipped and the liquid inside poured down his throat. It was some slimy mush that tasted rather bitter. He knew the flavor; it was a zebra healing brew. It had a rather grassy aftertaste. He could feel the itching of his neck that told him the bullet hole was knitting back together.
When the bottle was pulled from his mouth, he coughed and tried to regain his breath. Still, he kept his eyes closed. At least this darkness was familiar, something he expected.
“Whe…where are we?” Sunshy managed to ask though gasping breaths. He was not sure why it was so darn hard to breath. Oh right, a giant weight on his body.
“Inside one of the buildings in Gebo, you’ve been out for a couple hours now. You were shot in the neck. I’m no doctor, but even I could see that if it was just a centimeter or so higher, you’d be paralyzed. It went clean through, so you’re safe. You’re safe, Sunshy. Calm down.” A hoof was placed on his neck in a comforting gesture.
“Celly?” Sunshy asked, taking deep breaths to calm down.
“She’s sitting on you. I think you can get off now.” Zen answered, obviously directing the last part to the manticore in question.
Moments later, the weight was lifted off Sunshy’s legs and chest. Still, he refused to stand. Instead, he curled his legs up against his body, soon feeling the pinpricks of his muscles trying to work again; Paresthesia, the medical pony inside informed him.
“You were crying and flailing around in your sleep. What happened?” Zen lied down before the pony, nudging his nose against the other. The pegasus curled up even more in himself, away from the other two.
“Nothing. Just the same dream I’ve had for twenty years.” Sunshy answered, feeling the tears still falling. The pain of the dream was still there, raw and fresh. It was the first time he had ever seen a new face, and it shook him to his core.
“Brahmin shit it was nothing. You’re still crying.” Zen’s tone was hard, angry at his stubborn friend. Hearing the squeak of terror made him soften. He touched his nose against Sunshy’s again. “Tell me about it.”
The pegasus kept his mouth shut. He had told others of his dream before, but no consoling had ever worked. Besides, he’d only known Zen for a day. How much could he help? Then again…he was the first equine friend Sunshy had ever had. Before even knowing it, the words spilled out in a rush, “Everyone’s dead they tell me it’s my fault and I try to fix them, but then blood sweeps me away and I drown in it or some monster swallows me whole.” 
It sounded silly out loud, but that was how dreams always were when compared to reality. That did not matter; it always scared the pegasus, and talking about it forced him to succumb to the overwhelming sorrow. He held his face in his hooves and sobbed.
The zebra wrapped his hooves around the yellow stallion, allowing him to cry on his coat. As Sunshy cried, Zen stroked his mane, telling him everything was fine, he was safe, and any comforting words he could think of. Celly sat at the opening that had once held a door, guarding the two. She would not let anything get to them while they were off-guard. It helped nothing that there were hyena ghouls still milling around, eating their fill. At least they were friendly, but the stench was getting to her. Part of her longed for her armor, but it was in her saddlebag on her back and it was a pain to get on and off, no matter how amazing she thought it was. 
An eternity later, Sunshy sniffled and pulled away from his friend. Wiping away his tears and snot, he nodded at Zen’s question if he was alright now. Now done crying, the pegasus took the opportunity to get a sense of where they were. 
As Zen had said, they were indeed inside a building. Buck, was it a dump. There was mildew growing in all the corners, there were mattresses on the floor covered with blood, flesh, and fluids he would rather not think about. Broken desks and dust everywhere, along with broken lamps shoved in a corner. There was little sunlight streaming in through the crumbling windows. A sense of vertigo overcame him when he realized the entire room was tilted.
Oh Goddesses, the walls were caving in, growing closer and closer. They were going to crush him into a tiny square. They were malevolent, about to box him in, suffocate him. Growing closer and closer, smaller and smaller. Without realizing it, the pegasus began hyperventilating as his eyes shrunk in fear and darted around the room. Not even seeing Celly in the doorframe helped.
He meep’d and curled into a ball again, hiding his face from the overbearing walls. Sunshy knew he should not have been surprised; a pegasus with claustrophobia. Not too uncommon, given where he had been born. Goddesses, get rid of these damn walls!
“Are you okay?” Zen questioned, which seemed like a stupid question. Of course he wasn’t okay! The walls were going to eat him!
“Claustrophobia.” Sunshy managed to force out through gritted teeth.
“Ah, so that’s why you wouldn’t go inside…Okay, look, we’ll get you outside. It’s going to be fine, Sunshy. We’re here with you, you’re safe. Nothing’s going to hurt you.” Zen beckoned Celly over.
Once the manticore was close, she knew what to do. Her large head bent down, bit Sunshy’s mane, and she placed him on her back. Then she walked on silent paws over to the already crumbling stone window. With her powerful claws, she tore a larger hole from the one already there. Once it was large enough, she turned to Zen, who had gathered up their things, feeling almost nothing, even with the weight of two full saddlebags. Celly picked him up in her mouth, despite his flailing, and crouched.
“Don’t you fucking daaaaAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”
Zen shouted and flailed as the manticore sprung out of the hole. Just for kicks, she fell like a rock to scare Zen even more. Then, just to be extra mean, she let go of him. Sunshy swore his eardrums broke from the scream that tore Zen’s throat. Celly was a trickster only to an extent; she caught the screaming zebra in her paws and opened her wings, parachuting and eventually flying. She glided gently down to the ground, at the southern edge of Gebo; she had to release Zen before she could land.
On the ground, the zebra fell to his face and kissed the dirt repeatedly. Meanwhile, Sunshy finally uncurled from his ball and fluttered onto the ground. Zen was telling the dirt how much he loved and missed it and how he would never take it for granted again.
“And that’s why we don’t fly with you in our group.” Sunshy giggled at the zebra, who glared death at him. 
“Why’d you have a freak-out like that? You said you grew up in a cave.” Zen said as he stood, trying to dodge his embarrassment.
“I’m a pegasus, small spaces don’t work well with us. And the cave I grew up in was huge. It did hold a dragon, after all.” Sunshy answered, feeling it was his turn to feel abashed again.
“Alright, whatever. Which way do we go now, boss?” Zen questioned, trying to force down the shaking. Check flying off his bucket list. Then scribble over it until it vanished and note “NEVER AGAIN” on the side.
“You know the land better than I do.”
“Well, there’s nothing much north, and Equestria is to the west. There’s a couple tribes south of Borderlands, but we don’t want to go there.”
“Why not?” Sunshy perked a little; sounded like a doctor might be needed.
“I know what you’re thinking, and trust me, you really do not want to go there. There are these two tribes, Silent Deer and Deadly Hawk. They’re caught up in a war recently and everyone who goes near it is collateral damage.”
“Then I do need to go there!” Sunshy proclaimed with a hoofstomp.
“No. Look, they have their own doctors, they’ve been handling it. The last thing they need is some pacifist pony going there trying to end the war. You’ll be killed as soon as we pass into Deadly Hawk territory. I suggest going further east, to Nchi Kavu.” Zen suggested, pointing a hoof towards in that direction.
“Dry Land? You want us to go somewhere named Dry Land in Zebra?” Sunshy questioned, perplexed. Silent Deer territory sounded better, war or not. 
“Yes, it’s only a day’s walk on hoof from here. At least they’re not ones to issue the pony-slave law.” Zen turned towards the east and began walking.
“Slave?! They keep slaves here?” Sunshy exclaimed, trotting to Zen; Celly kept pace easily.
“They do in Equestria, too, Sunny. It’s just…the Legion, Caesar’s Legion, they have laws that they expect all zebras to obey. One is that all ponies entering our lands must be dealt with. I think they intended it to be a sort of ban on letting any ponies enter, but “dealt with” is translated by everyone differently.”
“Like having you knock us out.”
“Precisely.” Zen rolled his eyes. “And the Legion keeps ponies as slaves, doing heavy lifting and crap work. They put pre-war collars on them that explode when at the push of a button or if they try to run away.”
“What?” Sunshy breathed, faltering in his tracks. Celly nudged him forward, making sure he kept pace with the zebra.
“Yeah, not pretty. I recommend we avoid them at all costs. Only a bunch of crazies follow the orders of a leader that’s been dead for two hundred years. Plus, a pretty thing like you would become a sex slave in ten seconds flat.” Zen’s tone and visage turned dark, into pure hatred. He really did not like the Legion.
“But I’m a virgin!” Sunshy almost locked up again, but Celly nipped his rump before he could. At that outburst, Zen turned and stared straight at the pegasus’s eyes. A blush engulfed Sunshy’s face, ears, and neck at what he just admitted. Trying to regain face, he hung his head, cleared his throat, and muttered, “Not like I’ve been around any other equines…”
“That’s adorable.” Zen muttered with a smirk before continuing to walk.
“It’s not that I’m not capable or anything, I just haven’t been around anypony or anything like that…” Sunshy continued to mutter under his breath, not even noticing that Celly gave up on making him walk and opted to carry him in her mouth by his mane.
“Oh sure, I bet you’re just a class-A flirt, too.” The zebra taunted before chortling his high-pitched hiccups.
“I did read how to flirt in a book once.” Sunshy admitted before telling his sister to let him down.
“Really?” Zen laughed a little harder at that news.
And then his laughter died in his throat. Those brown eyes of his widened to sauce pans as he stared at Sunshy. Said pegasus had failed to mention the book had not only words, but pictures detailing what to do frame-by-frame to seduce that special someone into bed.
Those normally bright cerulean eyes were half-lidded and darker, looking almost dangerous and lusty. Then his pink tongue licked his muzzle slowly, sensually, as those eyes continued to capture and hypnotize Zen. Then he walked forward and dragged his tail under his friend’s jaw, tracing it. He kept his eyes locked onto the brown ones, using his wings to help hide part of his face that was not obscured by his red mane. Without realizing it, the zebra had leaned into that soft hair; it was like feeling a cloud on his face. When the red tail ran out, he fell forward onto his face; his rump gave a salutation to the rising moon.
The ringing laughter of the pegasus was a blessing and a curse. It was a pleasant noise that sent butterflies flying around in his heart, and also made his gut squirm and twist not unpleasantly. At the same time, it meant that damn pony had not meant any of that stupid sexy act. He was just proving that, yes, he was indeed a grade-A flirt.
“Are you okay, Zen?” Sunshy asked, still chuckling, as he poked the zebra’s head.
“Peachy keen. I’ll just lay here and die now. Good luck with whatever I hate you please die.” Zen covered his reddening face with his hooves.
Sunshy threw back his head and laughed harder. Eventually, he fell onto the ground laughing, clutching his sides. The zebra growled as he stood back up and shook his head, trying to physically clear his head. 
“How the hell do you do that?” Zen grumbled, trying to talk to get his mind to steer away from bad images.
“Do what?” Sunshy asked with an air of obliviousness.
“Change your attitude so drastically. One minute you’re freaking out from claustrophobia, then you’re upset over slaves, then you flirt with me! And now you’re bouncing around like a colt with his new cutie mark!” Zen glared up to the smiling pony. Damn, he was still taller! Mark that as a pet peeve and underline it.
“Because it depends on what’s happening. You told me I couldn’t flirt, so I proved I could. And your reaction is funny.” Sunshy giggled and fluttered away when the zebra tried to take a swipe at him.
A shadow somehow cast over Zen in the darkness. Looking up, his ears fell and he swore he saw his life flash before his eyes.  Celly was standing above him, staring down at him with glowing golden eyes. Even without the ability to understand her, he knew what was going through her mind. ”Do that again, and I will end you.”
Zen coughed into his hoof, lied on his belly, and slunk away; golden eyes were glued to him in a glare. Once out of danger, he stood up and pulled on his cloak. The darkness was setting in, as was the cold. His invisibility cloak was all he had, even if it was not very warm. Then he dug out a can of beans he had scavenged from the raiders.
“Getting dark, should we set up the camp?” Sunshy questioned, trying not to look back to Gebo.
“Can’t go back to Borderlands, so I guess we have to. Also, never do that again.” Zen poked the pegasus in the chest before pulling the can of magic fruits open and digging in.
Sunshy nodded with a small smile as Celly pulled out the white tent and poles. The two equines helped screw the poles together and set them up, after Zen had scarfed down his meal. The manticore’s job was to hold up the tent in the air once the poles were in place and drape it over the poles. With that done, the group went inside the tent, where Celly dug out one bedroll for Sunshy. The pegasus shed his saddle boxes and opted to keep first watch, allowing Zen to take his sleeping bag. Honestly, he had no intention to go back to that nightmare again so soon. So he dug out a two-hundred year old box of cake and dug in, scanning the dark and quickly chilling night.

The pegasus woke from his recurring nightmare to the sound of his name being called. Groggily, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes before looking over his shoulder. Then he had to stifle a laugh at the scene near the back of the tent. Celly was lying atop the zebra, her large paws keeping him flat against the ground, and drawing her long tongue across his back.
“I think she’s tasting me, get her off.” Zen told the pegasus that was failing to hide his laughter. Sunshy flew over to them and landed before the zebra.
“Nah, she’s just grooming you. She must’ve though you needed a bath.” Sunshy enlightened his friend.
“Oh great, so I’m stuck here until she deems I’m clean?” Zen groaned, physically deflating.
“Yep! Might as well turn on the radio while we wait.” Without waiting for his okay, the pony poked the Pipbuck with his hoof until he tuned into the radio.
The pegasus hummed along with the lioness hunting song as he went to the bedroll and re-rolled it. Then he stored it in her bag before trotting over to his own saddle boxes, ignoring Zen’s muttering of curses in his native tongue. Sunshy pulled out a wrapped daisy sandwich in his mouth and trotted back over to Zen, a noticeable spring in his step.
“What’re you so happy about?” Zen grumbled as he watched the pony tear the sandwich in half.
“I have a good feeling about today. Say, it’s been bothering me for a while, but why is Gebo called Gebo?” Sunshy answered as he pushed the daisy sandwich in front of his friend and took a bite of his own half.
“Used to be Gazebo, but the letters on the welcome sign fell off. Then the sign collapsed. Now it’s a raider breeding ground…still need to catch that bastard that shot you.” The zebra grumbled before tearing into his sandwich. He ate like he feared someone would take his food away any second. Did that actually happen? Or was food rare here in the zebra lands?
“You didn’t get him?” Sunshy asked, rather shocked. He decided not to ask the other two questions. They might be too awkward for the zebra to answer.
“No…” Zen grumbled, finishing his last bite of the sandwich with a dark frown. Then Celly licked him over his entire face. “AH, GOD THAT’S GROSS!”
The zebra struggled, getting nowhere, until the manticore stood up. Then Zen was free to flip out and rub his face all over the dirt all he wanted. Sunshy could not help but chortle at his humorous display, even as Celly walked over to him. Knowing this routine, he finished his daisy sandwich and ran off to take care of business, then returned and flopped onto his belly. Celly lied down next to him and began grooming the yellow and red pony with her rough and yet gentle tongue.
“I hope you choke on a hairball!” Zen cursed at the manticore as he grumpily sulked out of the tent. Sunshy was sad at the loss of the music-playing radio attached to his friend’s leg.
The zebra returned shortly, covered in a layer of brown dust and trotting with high steps, obviously proud to have thwarted Celly’s hard work. She rolled her eyes at his showboating of dirt and continued grooming the pony. Sunshy closed his eyes and relaxed against what was the closest he had ever come to a massage, singing along with the music.
”Hello again, my little equines. It is once again that time, when I will tell you what is on my mind.”
“Oh my gosh a rhyming DJ!!” Sunshy all but screeched like a banshee.
Sure, this voice was nothing like the wonderful silky smooth velvety rich voice of DJ-P0N3, but it was something. This voice was a very pretty-sounding zebra female. She strangely rhymed in the Zebra language, but the pony guessed that was her gimmick. While DJ-P0N3 talked to the ponies as a friend and the one who kept his eyes out for them, this DJ made Sunshy feel like he was talking to a mother, one who loved and cared for all the ponies and zebras listening to her.
“Scream any louder?” Zen asked, digging a hoof in his ear. Sunshy shoved his own hoof into the zebra’s mouth, silencing him. He missed the death glare as he stared with hungry, rapt attention to the Pipbuck.
”It seems some good news has come at last. A little something has come to pass. Something yellow and red, it should seem, a pegasus with medic skills like a dream. So say those in Borderlands, which have been plagued like one in the sands. Raiders attacked for weeks on end, doing things I do not recommend. With a mighty Manticore and zebra in tow, they dealt the deadly blow. The raiders are gone, rejoice! But still, listen to my voice.
"To the south troubles still toils. The Silent Deer and Deadly Hawks fight, maybe over spoils? I know not, my range is not that far. I only know that the land will scar. Beware of the land far east. Past the town of Dragon Den, there are many things that love to feast. Rhino ghouls gone mad, and seeing you will make them glad. They think they need to eat, so why not some nice zebra feet?
That is all for now, my friends. This has been Red Stripes, helping you prolong meeting your end.”
And then Zen licked Sunshy’s hoof, slobbering as much spit on it as he could.
“Eeewwwww!!” Sunshy waved his hoof away from his face while Celly glared at the zebra.
“Your fault for sticking it in my mouth!” Zen stuck his tongue out at the pony.
The pony puffed his cheeks out in a childish pout and resigned himself to staying still, allowing Celly to finish her grooming. When her task was done, she stood  and walked out of the tent, knocking over a pole “on accident” on her way out. Of course, the tent fell down like so many dominoes. The two equines shouted at the manticore as they wriggled their way out. The two gasped dramatically after they managed to get back out under the sunshine. Then they stared to one another and busted out in a fit of giggles.
After the tent was packed, the group was ready to head out. The two equine creatures chatted aimlessly about themselves, the things they’ve seen, their experiences, anything that came to mind. Zen learned that Sunshy always had a talent for singing and knew quite a few Equine songs, as well as old phrases and a knew a lot about old Equestria. He learned the pony was named after Fluttershy, how he met Celly, and what life was like living with a dragon for an adopted father.
Sunshy learned Zen was uncomfortable telling anything about his past beyond a couple years back, but loved to talk about his friends, talents, and about the teachings of meditation and self-enlightenment. They paused once for a lunch break, during which Zen showed the pony how he balanced on a bamboo stick to meditate. Sunshy, for all his grace and cute, was not able to do it without the use of his wings.
The sun was setting by the time they were able to see more than a silhouette of Dry Land. The town was a bunch of small brick and mud huts with dry, inedible sticks tied together to form a roof. It was built in the general shape of a circle, with the town center literally in the center. There was green grass growing within a good hundred yards of the village, with large lush trees. Also, there was a moat surrounding it with a bridge as the only way in. Funny, a place named Dry Land had water. Go figure.
Oh, and the moat was infested with Radigators. Yay~
Zen opted to attack the mutated freaks of nature, but Sunshy’s natural charm won again! The Radigators had hissed and charged at the intruders, but then turned their focus on the pegasus. The zebra thought he was a suicidal idiot for not screaming and fleeing for his life. Instead, Sunshy had smiled at them!
That smile had magical powers!
No really, the Radigators circled the pony and all fought for his affection as soon as he smiled at them. The pegasus soon became engulfed in trying to pet each one. Out of nowhere, a pink beam of magical energy shot at one of the Radigators, turning it into pink dust. The look on Sunshy’s face…his heart broke so loud Zen and Celly swore they heard it!
That would not be allowed!!
“Who the fuck did that?!” Zen bellowed, pulling out his magical lance. The manticore posed for attack, her tail raised and let out a roar towards the town that sent the Radigators cowering behind the shell-shocked Sunshy. He could not take his eyes off the pile of pink dust.
The who turned out to be a very fluffy male bison with a big and colorful headdress of feathers and beads. Wearing a battle saddle with twin energy Gatling guns. Celly’s posture deflated drastically, eventually she was cowering. Zen, however, was a trained and seasoned warrior, and would not back down from this threat. Then a group of ten zebras with energy weapons arrived from behind the bison. Well…fuck.
“What black magic do you possess to tame these beasts, pony of the sky?” The bison asked with a booming voice swollen with authority.
“You killed him…” Sunshy accused, looking up to the bison, tears welling in his giant cerulean eyes. “Why would you do that? He wasn’t hurting anypony…”
The bison chief was not prepared for the pure amount of cute that was Sunshy. The rather unwavering calm and serene aura emanating from him faltered, and the zebras all glanced at one another with looks that said, “What kind of monsters are we?”
“These Radigators are our protection…only us of the Nchi Kavu tribe can tame them…or so we thought…I apologize. We have so many; sometimes we forget they are sentient creatures…to an extent.” The bison was obviously uncomfortable having to be the one to apologize. Sunshy nodded his head and wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Oh, okay. I’m Sunshy, this is my adopted sister Celly, and this is my friend Zen.” Sunshy introduced them all in turn. The latter retracted his spear and put it away. Celly stood proudly, hovering behind Sunshy and the Radigators, staring at them like they would make a good meal…
“And I am Chief Fluffy Doom. Do not laugh or I will shoot.” The Chief announced with a confident voice once more, “And these are the males of my Nchi Kavu tribe.”
“I think that’s a cool name; takes your enemies off-guard but its also intimidating.” Sunshy replied, standing up and motioning to the Radigators to return to the water. 
“Why, thank you very much, Sunshy. And here we were worried you would destroy our village.” The chief chuckled, as did his followers after a brief pause.
“Not without good reason.” Zen answered, receiving a poke in the side from the pegasus.
“Then we will give you none. Please, friends, come into our village with welcome. We have plenty of food to go around and we were just about to have a bonfire, to thank our celestial beings for the bountiful gift our village receives.” The chief bowed his head to the group respectfully.
“That is very generous of you, Chief Fluffy Doom.” Sunshy returned the bow, accentuating it with his wings spread out.
“Is it alright if I just call you Chief Doom?” Zen asked, to which the bison smiled and nodded.
As they walked with the chief and his group, all of the females and children peeked out of their homes to see what had caused the commotion. Seeing the manticore, most of them hid back away. But then Chief Fluffy Doom went to the center of town and announced that they had three new guests. At the mention of a pegasus, they all ran out of their homes and swarmed the group.
According to this tribe’s religion, the sun and moon were still ruled by the Princesses turned Goddesses, much like some ponies in Equestria. Instead of using their names to curse, they revered them as the holy beings responsible for the gift of life that kept their slowly growing village alive. So every month, they held a bonfire to thank the two Goddesses for everything they had.
So, as the celestial bodies resided high in the sky, the pegasi were thought to be messengers for them. Sunshy denied immediately that he was, but the zebra and buffalo tribe was adamant. They told him all that they were thankful for and gave him an offering, usually a bit of food. Sunshy was deeply uncomfortable with it. It did not help that Chief Fluffy Doom only encouraged their actions. Zen seemed to be getting a kick out of this and Celly was being mobbed by children, which she learned she loved. In her mind, kids were awesome! They feared her, but they thought that fear was fun.
Sunshy was still receiving gifts of flower crowns and necklaces by the time Luna took over the sky, allowing Celestia to rest. The male zebra guards had packed away all their gifts and set them into a vacant home that would serve as the group’s temporary lodging. None of them went to it; they wanted to join in this bonfire.
The entire town began to buzz with energy at the upcoming night of fun. All of the tribe pulled out paint from their homes and began drawing on each other’s faces. A filly bison drew lines of blue, green, and purple on just about every outside surface of Sunshy, exclaiming that now he was a rainbow. Celly and Zen received the same treatment from the other villagers. None were so decorated as Chief Fluffy Doom. His paint job put everyone to shame. The bison was painted to embody the sun and a beautiful day, as well as a starry night with a full moon. Both scenes blended seamlessly on his coat, a beautiful work of art.
No less than twenty zebras walked forward with large and long pieces of timber in their mouths. Carefully, strategically, they built a tipi shaped body with the timber. Everything was in place. Luna’s moon was full and watching serenely; the stars were beautiful glittering down at them. They were abuzz with life and energy. The jitters spread like wildfire.
“Let the bonfire begin!” The chief bellowed.
The village exploded into cheers and whoops. One zebra ran out with a torch in mouth. The crowd parted down the middle, everyone cheering on the zebra. Once he was close enough, the torch-bearer threw the alit stick onto the neat tipi of timber. 
They went up in flames in a matter of seconds. The screaming tore everyone’s throats raw, but no one cared. They were drunk on the pure excitement. Drums began pounding and the tribe danced to the primal beat the thrummed through their bodies. They chanted and danced wildly with their neighbors, friends, lovers, children, adults, everyone.
The hours blended together, only Luna slowly moving was there any indication of time moving at all. Sunshy, Zen, and even Celly joined in on the fun. They felt as though the horrors of the world were gone. They were away from that sorrow, that pain, that terror, everything was gone. They were happy, having fun, loving the life they had and giving their thanks for it. Nothing could make the Goddesses happier than seeing their beloved creatures enjoying themselves. So, they partied hard.
Level up! You are now level 7!
Perk added! Tall Soft Heart:  You have been accepted wholeheartedly into the clan of Nchi Kavu, one of their own. Little did you know they are an influential tribe in the zebra land! Your reputation with all factions has increased immediately to Liked. No faction will attack you outright, and expect to be recognized immediately.
Side quest! Follow you home: A bad raider shot you! Find the snake! Revenge! REVENGE! Just have to know which way he went…