//------------------------------// // Back home party. // Story: An Earthly Portal // by Nightmare Darkness //------------------------------// The party was thrown in the golden oak again and it occurred to me how ironic a party was being held in a library. I had a non-alcoholic beverage in my claw and I looked at the cup as I swirled it around lost in thought. "What are you thinking about, it seems like you harbour much doubt." came a calm and concerned voice. I looked up and into the blue eyes of Zecora who then gave me a smile that conveyed happiness to see him. "Zecora...I missed you." I said as I took her into a hug. She smelled like dried herbs and moss just like her home did. "Its only been a week, did you finish the quest you did seek?'" she asked and I nodded slightly. "We did but many more things cropped up on our way to deliver Cerberus back to his home." I confided. "Come and have a seat, ill give an ear to listen while you speak." Zecora said as she guided me to a table that had many used paper plates with empty cups. I pulled a seat out for her and sat down beside her and began to regale her with all that had happened. I left out the gory bits and the parts about who escaped and the cultist only saying they ran into undead. After all of it my cup was empty and I sat back as Zecora had simply listened and asked some questions during the story but now after it all Zecora sat there quiet as her eyes seemed distant in thought. "If there is any one thing to say, I am more then happy you made it back with no heavy price paid." Zecora began and leaned in towards me and placed a motherly hoof on my chest. "You have endured much I can tell, but never could I have known what your heart now quells." She said with a sad smile. I felt a shudder through my body as my vision began to swim with tears. I had been holding back my fear, horror, and outright flood of emotions I had endured up to that point. It came at me in waves as I placed my head into Zecora's neck and began to sob uncontrollably into her neck feeling the hot tears against my cheeks. Zecora patted the back of my head as I wept and she said nothing but only held me like I wished my mother could have done. "You ok?" Came a light voice from my side and I looked down and saw Spike who looked up at me concerned. I instantly lifted myself from Zecora and began to vigorously wipe away my tears. "I-I'm fine man..." I said quickly and Spike held out his claw and I hesitated before taking it and with the strength I didn't know he had pulled me to the ground to hug him. It felt awkward as hell but it was nice. "You saved us too you know." Spike said and I shook my head. "It was a team effort." Gilda said from across the table I hadn't realized she had sat down. Spike released me and I found my seat again as Spike grabbed another chair from an adjacent table. "Yea...it was a team effort." I agreed as Zecora looked at Gilda and Spike. "I am glad that you all survived this trial, from what Feather has said it would make many ponies pale." She surmised, and Gilda looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "That's just how she speaks." Spike interjected and Gilda simply shrugged her shoulders showing she didn't care either way. "What's been going on here?" I asked Zecora and she settled herself into a more comfortable seating position before speaking. "Rumors abound of ponies magic have been taken, I feel it to be a time of danger and foreboding I reckon." She said with a frown. "Are you in danger?" I asked instantly and she smiled softly. "Zebra's are no different then an earth pony Feather, I know not what come but Ill weather." She offered in confidence. "I don't know if you can weather what comes, what comes is a villain known for being unstoppable." Spike offered as I looked at him. "What have you learned." I asked Spike as Gilda leaned in to listen. "You-know-who...has escaped and we sent Discord after him but there has been no updated repots from Discord. Princess's fear the worst and well...Twilight is at her wits end." Spike said with a look of concern. I took a moment to look around the party and saw that indeed Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Pinkie was making the rounds as well as Rarity who stood with Applejack. "Where is she?" I asked looking back to Spike. "The princess's summoned her just before the party. It sounded urgent." Spike said "Do you think they have a plan to stop Tir.....you-know-who?" Gilda asked and Spike simply shrugged. "This villen you speak of must be one of old, to make the princesses worry so." Zecora pointed out as she was the only one who didn't know of whom they spoke. I looked at Spike with a plead and he frowned for a moment then sighed and nodded. I then leaned over to Zecora's ear and whispered his name into her ear. Zecora was motionless as her eyes opened slightly. "Do you know that name?" Gilda asked and I guessed she did. "He is the fallen elder brother of Scorpan...." Zecora said quietly. "Who is Scorpan?" I asked and it was Zecora's time to share what she knew. "A time long past there were two brothers, both were hungry for power and cared not for others. They found the pony folk who harboured much magic, and surely the outcome would be most tragic. Alas the younger brother befriended the pony folk, he pleaded his brother to stop and spare pony's the yolk. The eldest refused his brothers request, and so Scorpan sided with the ponies to have the elder arrest." Zecora explained to the group. "Wait. Your saying Scorpan helped the ponies to stop Tir...you-know-who?" Gilda asked. "If he still lives do you think Scorpan is still alive as well?" I inquired and Zecora shrugged with a shake of her head. "After stopping his brothers rampage, he walked away from the pony folk and never been seen to this age." Zecora said with a sad expression. "So if we don't have his brother how do we defeat him now?" I asked and an unsettling silence descended on the table. "What about the humans who helped by giving the chain?" Spike asked Zecora who looked at him perplexed. "Humans have not been seen in many a year, but I will say that if we ever meet them now you will know fear." Zecora said solemnly. At this I looked at her confused. "What happened to the humans?" I inquired, hoping to receive an answer. "Nopony knows the truth save two...I think you would know who..." Zecora stated and it took a few moments to piece it together. "Celestia and Luna." I said just loud enough for the four of them to hear. "You must know something." Gilda pointed out seeing that humans seemed to be important to me. Zecora throught a moment before looking at Gilda. "They are the blankest of canvases, able to learn all and so they upset the balances. Both capable of great love or great evil, it seemed that the princess's saw them never being completely civil. It is said that they were cast away, never to be seen again so they say." Zecora explained before Pinkie arrived at the table with a wide smile. "What's going on over here! It seems so serious." She said making a mock serious expression. "I've brought Drinks!" she said suddenly and gave out four cups filled with a liquid. I lifted it to my beak to take a smell. "Don't worry Feather no alcohol just how you like it!" she said with a chuckle as she cleaned the table of disguarded cups and plates. "Do you need help?" I asked about to stand. "No silly! This is your party I got this." she said with a infectious grin which caused me to involuntarily smile. Like a breeze she was there and then gone. Pinkie seemed to realize that I don't respond well to over the top energy all the time so it looked like the turned it down if only a little for my sake. "what do you think the Princesses will do?" I asked to no one in particular. Spike shrugged and Gilda just sat back and sniffed the contents of the cup cautiously. "If there is hot sauce in this I'm going to kill her." Gilda mumbled before taking a drink. "Hot sauce?" I inquired but she just glared at the cup as if it was an enemy before taking another drink. "Well there is nothing we can do really Twilight will be back sometime tomorrow." Spike said before her face scrunched up before giving a fiery green belch which produced a letter. Spike caught it with practiced ease and opened it. As he read it I looked at Zecora. "When do you want to head home?" I asked and she shrugged. "Anytime is a good time, excuse me I need to talk to Lemon Lime." She said as a lime green earthpony mare was waving Zecora to her. "Ah...ok just...let me know ok?" I said and she nodded as she lifted her cup and went to the mare. "That was well timed." Gilda noticed. "You realized that too huh?" I said as Gilda chuckled drinking again. "It seems Twilight will be back and I am to enact a lockdown..." Spike said not looking up from the letter. "Is it about the T thing or about Vin?" Gilda asked spike who only then looked up at us. "The T thing." he offered. "Why a lockdown?" I asked and Spike only shook his head. "I have to talk to the girls. It seems we need to stop the party. I think you will need to go home sooner rather then later." Spike offered and I nodded in understanding as I stood up. Spike hopped down from his seat and went to inform Rarity and the others. "You have a place to stay?" I asked Gilda who nodded. "Rainbow Dash and I go way back... we talked and she said I can stay on her couch." She said and I smiled. "Ill see you later then?" I asked and she gave me a genuine smile. "Sure you dweeb." she said before turning and hesitating for a moment and then turned towards me in a quick motion placed her beak against my cheek. I was baffled by the movement as she pulled away without another word and was out of the door. Zecora walked up beside me and smiled. "Did she just...." I asked bewildered. "Kiss your cheek? To think you were so meek." Zecora said with a small chuckle. I placed my claw to my face and the area around where she kissed me felt warm. "I hard the party is winding down, shall we go and leave the town?" Zecora said walking towards the door and I followed after her. The night air was crisp as we walked towards Everfree forest. My mind a muddle of thoughts and emotion, was it right to have a relationship knowing what I use to be? Do I like Gilda in that way? I shook my head visibly and a soft chuckle from Zecora made me look at her. "Don't worry to much, it could have been the fruit punch." She said finishing with a smile. "M-maybe your right." I said not as confident as I thought I would be. We walked in silence as we weaved our way through the forest and came upon her tree hut in the forest. Zecora took the lead and opened the door. I walked to the fireplace and put my claw close to the base of what was once a fire. Over the past week I had learned that you could light a fire with just the remaining coals if it was warm enough. Within a minute or two I had a roaring fire back and it cast light in the room. I looked to see that there were now a second bed. "Did you get this for me?" I asked surprised. "I cant have your sleep on the ground, having you sleep only on the ground wouldn't be sound." Zecora said from her kitchen area. I plopped onto the bed and felt is was comfortable enough and let the bed take my full weight and it creaked and I froze for a moment hoping it wouldn't break. "I didn't see Sand Paper at the party you think I still have a job?" I asked. "Sand Paper has been asking about you, it seems his hooves are full and needs you too." She said as she walked into the room balancing two cups on a small tray and I sat up taking one as she moved to sit on my bed and I scooted over to give her room. "Well at least I still have my carpeting job." I said with a chuckle and then took a smell of the tea that she had brewed. "Never really had tea in my old life." I began as I looked at it and took a sip. It was bland at first, then a spicy kick provided flavor. "Cloves?" I guessed and she smiled and nodded. "I know not of your previous life, but of what I have gleaned it was full of strife." She said after taking a sip from her own cup. "I...My mother passed when I was young. My father didn't fair well and became angry...all the time." I said as I involuntarily tightened the grip on my cup as a knot in my stomach I didn't realize was there tightened. A soft hoof was placed on my shoulder witch caused me to take in a ragged breath before calming slightly. "I don't want to talk about him...he was just a bad man. But ever since coming here you have been more like a parent to me then he ever was. I just want to say....thank you Zecora." I said looking up at her and her eyes looked into mine with a look that I could only describe as motherly. "I know not about who you say you were, but know that I know you now and I like this Feather beak." She said in the rare occasion she did not rhyme. I put my cup down and hugged her. After finishing our cups we climbs into our separate beds and let the darkness take us. My eyes cracked open and saw it was still dark which confused me because I always slept till daybreak. I sat up feeling uneasy as I removed the blanket and went to the door and opened it looking to the sky. The stars were still out and I frowned. Was I in a dream? I opened my wings and took to the sky to take in my surroundings. Suddenly the moon shot down and the sun rushed to the sky and then darted across it as the two celestial orbs seemed to do a frantic dance before the sun finally stayed in the sky. "What the...fuck?" I breathed. "What has the sky in a tizzy, Its making me dizzy." Zecora's voice came from the ground. "Your seeing this too? I'm not dreaming right?" I asked and she shook her head. "As far as I can tell, we are not under sleeps spell." She said and I looked at the horizon and felt a sense of foreboding.