Road Trip
"Zecora!" Spike called out, skidding to a stop at the zebra mare's house. "Zecora, you won't believe the news!"
"Hm?" Zecora poked her heard out of the window. "Judging by your delight, your news must be quite the sight."
"It's the Zebralands; they've finally declared it safe to reopen their boarders!"
Zecora's eyes slowly widened. "Th-they've reopened...?" She looked like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to cry or shriek in joy.
He couldn't really blame her. From what Princess Celestia had said, it'd happened when he was still a hatchling; they'd been hit with with a nasty Hiccupupup epidemic, a long-lasting and extremely contagious form of the hiccups. While it wasn't lethal, it did leave you miserable, sore, and exhausted. And like the regular version, curing it, and the cure's effectiveness, varied from case to case. So they felt it best to just put themselves under quarantine to keep from spreading it.
After all these years, the illness had apparently finally puttered out and they were hoping to catch up with their old friends.
"Yep, and guess who she's asked to go as a diplomat?" He grinned and polished his claws on his chest. He'd nearly choked on his sandwich when Celestia said that; something about how while things were improving between the dragons and ponies, they tended to normally get along a little better with the zebras. So that made him the logical choice to represent Equestria in getting them reacquainted with each other.
"Spike..." She quickly rushed outside, not even bothering to get dressed. "Might I bear you company?" She asked, almost pleadingly. "My homeland I've not been, since I was a teen. But now my family again I can see!"
"Uh...s-sure. Don-don't see why not." He stammered, trying to keep his eyes from drifting to her voluptuous, and currently naked figure. "Somepony who kn-knows about the place would help, so I don't made a faux pa-!" He was cut off by a squeal of delight, followed by her wrapping him up in a hug Pinkie Pie would be proud of.
"THANK YOU!" She cried out, nuzzling him like an excited filly.
"No..prob-problem...!" He rasped out. 'Ignore her boobs, Spike! Ignore her boobs!'
The idea made sense to Celestia as well, since she didn't see any need to deny Zecora the chance to see her old home after so long. The girls agreed to check in on her place every so often and, after making sure Spike would write them while he was there, said their goodbyes as the train pulled away.
As Ponyville disappeared behind them, Spike took out the map Twilight had given him. "Ok, the Zebralands are way south of Equestria, so we're gonna take the line going past the Badlands and Forbidden Jungle. Which means we have a few days on the rails ahead of us." He put the map up and turned to his traveling companion. "So...Zecora, what all can you tell me about the place?"
She sighed wistfully. "Though I know not what is new, when last I was there it was a beauty quite true. Follow rolling savannah to where it met jungle loam; only small towns, the largest not much bigger than your home."
"Sounds pretty nice."
"Indeed. My mother's garden was her work, while Father made medicine and other things to ease hurt." She smiled. "All I learned before Everfree, I learned at his knee. No siblings had I, and was the apple of their eye. We lived in a rocky alcove 'gainst jungle loam...no wonder Everfree felt like home."
"Guess that'll be one of our first stops then." Spike chuckled a little. "Anything I should keep watch for when we get there?"
She mulled over where to begin, straightening out her sarong in the process. "While not all that hot, very wet gets the air. As such, common it would be to go mostly bare. Wearing as much as you do..." She gestured to the button-up shirt and pants he was wearing, "...a fool they'd think you."
"Right...so, just shorts then?"
"Approximately so. Although..." Zecora started to say something, but a look of confusion crossed her. "There was one more thing...but no bells can I ring."
"Maybe it'll come to you along the way." He patted her shoulder.
"Perhaps." She replied, watching the plains and fields of central Equestria disappear behind them as the train edged around the Everfree.
The two sat there for a bit, taking in the view when Spike snapped his finger. "Geeze, I nearly forgot! Twilight said to make sure I knew what the culture's like. Is there a specific way I should act or talk?"
Zecora laughed softly. "There is no need to put on any airs. For deception or evasion, zebras have little cares." She gave him a light look before continuing. "Of our different wealth, a word of warning; unlike Equestria, do not count on gems in the morning."
"That doesn't sound good." He always felt like he had to stuff himself after a couple of days without gems, so this was gonna be tricky.
"Of other things your diet must subsume, for there will be few gems for you to consume. Due to this, dragon visits are few; and of strength and honor those who have are seen true."
"Something tells me Garble was never there." He chuckled. "What kind of festivals or holidays are there? Odds are we'll be there long enough for a few."
"Each village has festivals diverse and unique, though some are in common for all to speak." She took a look out the window. "At this speed the time of our arrival/will be just in time for the Phantom Festival."
"Ph-Phantom...?" Spike gulped slightly.
"In a cave near to home lie ruins of a town. Not for origins but for haunting it is reknown. The Phantom Festival reminds those ghosts that might moan, of an agreement to leave each other alone."
"Oh, a live and let live deal, huh?" Spike relaxed a bit. "If it is haunted, I'll stay as far away as they want me to."
Zecora giggled. "You are not the only one. There are others I'd heard of, but my parents said I was too young. Mayhaps if we're lucky, we might see them begun." She bit her lip a little as her gaze lingered on him some. 'And possibly do more than just 'attend', if I remember them right.'