//------------------------------// // Chapter 34 // Story: Rise of an Empire, Fall of Another // by Kyuubi325 //------------------------------// Zebrica New Prosost Prison Gym 3:51pm Inside of the subterranean prison a number of inmates were working out in a makeshift gym, lit only by sporadic lantern and candle light. The gym was mainly stocked with free weights, which were sloppily piled at the base of one of the walls; however, a  familiar prismatic Pegasus and her "husband" were at one of the benches,  doing reps. "Push Rainbow, push! You still have five more reps. Are you going to chicken out or are you going to finish them and then ask for more?!" Gábriel yelled right into her face as she struggled to lift up the weight bar, a sick feeling going through her as she struggled. Since becoming his prison wife, she had found herself working out more and in ways she wasn't used to. Before coming to the prison she mostly focused on her wings, what with her being a speedster and all. That was all that seemed to matter, along with some intense cardio. But now? She was being forced to work on every part of her body, and while it left her sore and in constant pain it also felt strangely good. Especially since that allowed her to muscle her way to the rations better during meal times. "I-I CAN!" She growled, lifting the bar five more times before having to have Gábriel help her place it back on the supports. Wheezing, she wiped the sweat off of her brow and laid back on the bench, taking a few minutes to catch her breath. Gábriel looked down at her, a grin going across his face. "Not bad pony. First time I took you here you struggled to even lift up the weight bar.  Now you're finally starting to look like a real brawler!" The raven Griffin let out a chuckle before helping her up onto her hooves. "Y-ya..." she panted loudly, looking at the 140 pound bar she had just lifted. "Being a speedster...doesn't exactly give you a lot...of focus...on weightlifting." She managed to pant out, stopping suddenly to catch her breath. "Don't get too cocky pony, I still have you beat by 80 pounds." He flexes, showing his surprisingly muscled body that was usually hidden under his black feathers and fur. "But you have shown improvement. How about we head to the baths for a cool down? Or would you rather do some sparing first?" He asked, smiling, as he motioned to the center of the pit. "Not on Celestia's flank! Last time I tried to spar after working out with you I ended up stuck on my side for a week! It's not fair when you use pressure points!" She lets out a snort; the Griffin only smiled in response. "You need to learn how to fight, pony. Swinging your hooves around only goes so far down here." He chuckled as they took one of the down ward sloping tunnels that served as stairs in the pit, illuminated by a few lanterns. The dull, unmarked sandstone offered very little to look at. "Hey! I took down that creep with that Buffalo tattoo!" She let out a mock growl at him, followed by a quick laugh at the memory of the encounter. The Buffalo even had (poorly drawn) lingerie on! "You and me both know that earth pony was a pushover. Besides, I happen to remember a certain fight with a crippled Zulu. What are you going to do when I'm not around to help break up the fight for you?" He pulled her into a sideways hug as they entered a small cavern. Lantern light reflected off of the water of several pools set into the sandstone floor, casting the room in odd, wavering lights. "Really, you're going to ask that? The only time we're ever apart is when I go to use the bathroom, and even then you just wait outside!" He gives her an even look in response. "Fine...but can we not do it on the same day as our work outs?" "Alright. Let's get cleaned up then head to bed. We have a long shift in the mines tomorrow, and I'd rather not deal with a crabby Pegasus again." He flicks his tail as he entered one of the pools; sadly, it wasn't a hot spring, but the cold water was strangely soothing on his sore muscles. "Are you gonna join me, or are you just gonna stand there?" Rainbow suddenly springs at him in a tackle, only for him to expertly block her, a quick throw sending her into the water.  "That never gets old, pony." Zebrica New Timbuktu Cordon De Blue Culinary Academy 4:05pm The purple Drake watched his Shepherd's pie cook inside of the the oven, his eyes occasionally darting back to the clock. Time was running out, but he wanted to get the perfect amount of browning on the crust before he pulls it out. The professor was already slowly getting up from his chair and stretching, while other young students, ranging from Zebra foals, to little Minotaur, and even a few Thestrals. The timer rang and spike rushed to pull out his pie, quickly looking it over and nodding his head. The elderly Newfoundland slowly started to make his way around the classroom, taking a moment to stop at each one of the cooking stations where students had been preparing their dishes.  His face would occasionally scrunch up, tasting a slightly overcooked piece of meat or over boiled vegetable, before finally making his way over to Spikes station. His eyebrows slowly raised, giving Spike's traditional shepherd's pie a look over. He stabs his fork right into it and pulls out a hearty chunk of vegetables crust and meat, and slipped it into his mouth. He chewed it a few times before nodding his head and making his way up to the front of the classroom. "Half of you have what it takes to be cooks. The other half was unwilling to take any risks, choosing to only make dishes that I had taught you all to cook." The Elderly Newfoundland looked across the room, the children looking away when his gaze reached them. "You see that dragon in the far back of the room? Instead of just using one of the few recipes I've been teaching you for the last few weeks he actually made something new. Not only that, it was more than edible. I want you all to take a page from him and start taking more risks!" He started to hack loudly before coughing into a handkerchief. He motioned towards the door, handing out grades as the children left. Spike waited in line with the other students, before a tapping on his back caused him to jump. Turning around he came face to face with a dark coated thestral filly. "C-could you tutor me? M-my croquettes w-were good b-but I never g-get the m-mix right...I-I'm Blair Patch..." she stammers out, her gaze lowered to the floor. Spike smiled softly and nodded his head. "Sure, I don't mind helping you improve your cooking! I have a full kitchen to myself back at them embassy; we can learn together." The two continued to move up in the line before their grades were handed out, each of their dishes being scored. Looking his grades over Spike repressed the urge to cheer, seeing that he nearly had a perfect score. Looking over he saw that the filly had roughly an A-; it seemed she wasn't lying about her croquettes. That one dish didn't do too well! "Don't be so hard on yourself. It looks like you did great! Besides, everyone has a dish that they need a little help on. I'm sure we can figure it out together." He smiled softly and held out his hand. "Oh! I forgot to tell you my name is Spike." Zebrica Duskclift Eclipse 5:14pm Chef Summers was currently making eggs Benedict, sometimes switching his attention to trying to sear up a steak for some visiting tourists in the restaurant. Already they were pumping out orders like a well oiled machine, ranging from fancy salads to more expensive and savory dishes that cost a small fortune. Apparently, Duskclift had become a popular tourist spot, and the Eclipse was taking full advantage of this. "Summers, we need that steak and eggs Benedict five minutes ago. Hurry up!" A stocky earth pony yelled while he moved around the crowded kitchen, trying to get them all to pick up the pace. After all, the dining room was packed with hungry patrons. It didn't help that the temperature in the kitchen had reached unbearable levels, but they couldn't afford to miss a beat. "I'm cooking as fast as I can! I turn up the heat anymore, those Dogs will be eating  charred eggs! The steak isn't doing so good either! I need more lemon zest over here!" Summer yells out as she starts to pour the steaks own juices back onto it, back onto it enjoying the wonderful smell the floated through the air. A lemon and a grater was thrown over and caught in his weak magical field as he started to grate the lemon on top of the eggs. This was his life now, trapped inside of a hot sweltering kitchen with 7 others; a gryphon, two zebras, an unicorn, and three Thestrals, all preparing meals, from soups to decadent desserts. The countless smells of different foods constantly filled the kitchen with an aroma that would make even the most refined drool like an animal. A familiar face entered the kitchen, Pumpkin Patch in his brand new sheriff uniform complete with a shiny silver badge  and sunglasses to protect his photosensitive eyes. He gave Summers a toothy grin, showing off his pronounced canines. "I need two beef sandwiches to go. I also have a message from the office!" A large zebra in a white apron and chefs hat grabbed the letter and read it over. The burly zebra's face was soon plastered with a grin. "Good news boys, they want us to host the first anniversary of Duskclift! We are going to be up to our eyeballs with patrons and drink orders! We have three weeks to prepare. Now get back to work!" That final command elicited a mixture of cheers and groans from the chefs, who started to cook with more flare. Zebrica Badlands Boarder Check Point 6:26pm Starry Sky's rested on a bench as she waited for her number to be called, idly swinging her blue furred hooves. The check point also acted as a sort of immigration office, where one would show theirpassports to the guards and have them look over some files before letting you pass. Sure, a few would sneak into Zebrica, but if you were caught without identification it was a hassle. The check point wasn't much to look at, just a converted trading post with high walls made of unsawn lumber, a few rough sawn buildings ,and one large warehouse that was converted into the office. Wiping a little sweat from her brow she looked around, her eyes wandering over the logs and dim electric lights. There were a few rows of rather uncomfortable benches, where a number of potential immigrants rested, some trying to get some sleep after their long journey. It was somewhat depressing to look around, a few crying foals could be heard and a few moans from the ill, likely hoping to get treatment down south. The blueberry coated mare started to shift, trying to get into a more comfortable on the uneven bench, before another tan pony sat down next to her. She seemed to be sweating a bit, and nursing a rather nasty headache, her hoof drawing circles under her horn. Perhaps caster fatigue?It might be due to the lack of abundant natural magic in the area... "H-hi... are you hoping to move down south too?" the mare asked Starry Sky, while still rubbing her head. "Yeah... I'm hoping to to get a better life in Zebrica... Equestrian just isn't safe for earth ponies anymore..." The blueberry coated mare answered, looking down at her hooves. "Oh? I know what your saying all too well. After the enchantery I worked at closed I was the target of lynchings. My boss controlled the prices not me. I just made minimum wage."The tan mare sighs and looks over. "I'm Pale Ale by the way." Starry Sky's eyebrow raised. "Your parents named you Pale Ale? As in one of the most famous prohibition practicing counties?" She let out a snort, the other mare blushing. "I'm Starry SKy by the way. It's nice to meet you." She smiled softly. "Yeah... imagine what it was like when I finally found my talent and couldn't even use it to make money? Luckily, my enchantery job let me save just enough money to get here. I know they overcharged...but it's not like I got to see much of that money. it always went into the pockets of my manager... heck where do you think they get all those unicorns to work for them? They just find ones who can't use their talents to make a living. But it wasn't all bad; we had some funny cases. One time, a Pegasus came in asking why her toilet wasn't flushing, and I was the one who had to tell her it was a clock! Or this one orange pony who couldn't figure out what was wrong with her lasso only for me to tell her it was a laundry line!" She let out a giggle at the memory, suddenly blushing when she realized just how loud she had said that. "Heh, it's totally ok. I know how it is. My special talent is studying the stars but there isn't much demand for an earth pony astronomer. Heck even the unicorns who do it don't really do much! Not that I wouldn't mind being able to just sit around, occasionally looking through a telescope. Better then working at Hay Burger! It's always 'Hey, where's my pickles', or 'My Hay fries aren't crunchy enough'... oh, you should have seen some of the ponies that would come in! They make the Hooffields and Mccolts look like royalty! I once had the Princesses of Friendship come in, so you would expect her to eat all refined and fancy right? She ate like a freaking slob! One pony asked for a poncho!" She lets out a snort, Pale Ale giggling along with her. "Who knew that the princesses prized student was such a slob!" Pale Ale laughed while a rather bored looking zebra started to call out a few numbers. "Oh, that's me! I hope you get in too, Starry. Maybe we can see each other again?" She asks, a hopeful smile on her face "I would like that it's a date!" She giggles as she waved at goodby to Pale Ale she followed the zebra stallion to the interview office. The Zebra stallion was wearing a tan military uniform, gazing down on Ale with a look of complete disinterest. "Pale Ale I presume? I am Kali, and I will be conducting your interview. Please, sit." He motions to a seat that seemed to be made from metal that rests in front of a rather empty looking desk with little more then a thin manilla file folder on top of it. The room itself was a hastily made cube of heap lumberm with a thin door closing them off from the rest. "You are somewhat of an oddity, Miss Pale Ale. Normally when we request some information over the new Zebrican Equestrian Telegraph system we get something, but you have nothing! No outstanding arrests or even minor violations, we couldn't even track down a birth certificate. Will you please sign these forms?" He pushes them forward, the pony absentmindedly signing them. "Thank you; you might feel a mild discomfort..." he reached under his desk. "What are you- ack!" She yowled as a bright flash filled her eyes, nearly blinding the officer. The officer recoiled and fell backwards, before struggling back to his chair. "Sorry we have to check for-" his eyes widened, and he rubbed them a few time to make sure he was in fact seeing what he was seeing. "I-I...think I need to call my supervisor" He stammered as he got up. "Will that really be necessary?" The mare asked, sounding a bit worried. "Y-yes... t-this is over my pay grade. Please... e-excuse me". He stepped out and shut the door, leaving the mare to wait.