//------------------------------//
// Part 3: The Last Zebra 
// Story: A Striped Past 
// by Marezinger Z 
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A Striped Past

Part 3: The Last Zebra

After three days from their departure, Twilight’s balloon appeared over Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy brought them down in Applejack’s battle scarred front yard. As soon as their hooves touched ground, the pegasi collapsed into heaps. 
“Girls!” Twilight and Applejack leapt out and ran to them. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked as she propped up Rainbow Dash. 
“I’m fine… Twilight.” She said with a breathless laugh. “Told you… we could get you back… in half the time.” She wearily raised her hoof towards Fluttershy. “Up high, Shy.” 
“Oh… maybe later.” Fluttershy said weakly as she rested in Applejack’s hooves. 
“Thank you both, just rest now.” Twilight looked them over with a tender smile.
“Applejack!” Apple Bloom burst through the front door and ran over as Zecora and Big Mac followed her outside.  
“Thank goodness y’all are okay.” Applejack turned and caught her sister in a hug. “Speaking of which.” She looked about at the destruction. “What the hay happened here?” 
“Zahir showed up the afternoon after y’all left.” Apple Bloom explained. “We fought him off, but it sure wasn’t easy.”  
“Zahir?” Twilight repeated the foreign name.
“Oh, that’s…. Zecora’s brother’s name.” Apple Bloom looked up as Zecora’s shadow came over her. 
“Another day I expected your trip to last, how in Equestria did you return so fast?” Zecora asked.
“That’s only thanks to these two.” Applejack patted Fluttershy’s back. 
“We should get back inside.” Apple Bloom suggested. “Yesterday was quiet but we’re not safe out here in the open.”
“Right.” Applejack nodded. “Big Mac, can you give Fluttershy a hoof?” 
“Eeyup.” Bag Mac lifted Fluttershy onto his back.
“Thank you.” Fluttershy sighed as she hung off of him like a wet towel.
Rainbow Dash tried to stand but fell again; Applejack caught her and acted as a crutch. “Easy now, I’ve got ya.” 
“Heh… thanks.” Rainbow Dash hobbled along at her side. 
As they entered the house Discord immediately shot up at the sight of his weary BFF. “Fluttershy.” He snapped his fingers and made a bed appear; snapping again, Fluttershy found herself resting comfortably atop a large pillow with a plush bear at her side.
“Discord?” She looked up at him in surprise. “You’re here too?” 
“Spike saw to it that he got wrangled in.” Starlight said from her spot on the couch.
“Starlight!” Twilight ran to her, observing the bandages around her midsection and back leg. 
“I’m okay.” Starlight assured. “Just roughed up a bit.” She smiled over at the draconequus. “Fortunately, Discord has been taking good care of me.” 
“Is that true?” Fluttershy looked back to him with a bright smile. 
“Now don’t go getting the wrong impression.” Discord pointed a warning claw at her. “It’s just... common courtesy between fellow warriors.” 
Applejack set Rainbow Dash down in a chair as Granny Smith came to her. “Y’all are a sight for sore eyes. Sore everything else as a matter of fact.” 
“Must have been quite a tussle.” Applejack noted.
“Nothing we couldn’t handle, darling.” Rarity said as she knelt down beside Rainbow Dash with a cup of water held in her magic. “But after all this is done, I say we’ve earned a spa day.” 
“Sounds good.” Rainbow Dash quickly downed the glass and let out a huge sigh of relief. 
“So did you find anything back in Zecora’s village?” Pinkie asked as she hopped onto the bed with Fluttershy. 
“Yes, I am eager to know; how did your journey go?” Zecora beckoned Twilight to join her at the table. 
“Well, we ran into those marauders that attacked your village, they were mining in the mountain.” Twilight explained as she sat at the table’s head. “But I was able to find your mother’s things while the others distracted them.” She set her pack on the table and removed the books she discovered, laying them out before Zecora.
Zecora moved them closer and began looking through them; the sight of her mother’s writing bringing back all manner of memories. “This is certainly what we need, with this information I know we can succeed.” 
“I… also found this.” Twilight pulled out a hoofmade doll of a zebra from her pack. “It was in a box in the same chamber as the books.” 
As soon as Zecora set sight on the toy, tears began streaming from her eyes. She gently reached out and took it, as if not sure it was actually real. “My mother made this for me… to think, it survived that tragedy.” She wiped her eyes with a smile. 
“This whole situation must be a nightmare for you.” Twilight reached over and laid her hoof atop hers. “I’m glad we were able to bring some happiness back from your home.” 
“Thank you, for bringing me this treasure. Its worth is more than I can measure.” She took her mother’s journal and stood. “Allow me to look through this text, so I can discover what we must do next.” She took the book and headed upstairs to read.
“Okay.” Twilight nodded. “In the meantime we’ll keep a lookout.” 
While they waited, Apple Bloom prepared a balm for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy to soothe their wings and muscles while Granny Smith and Big Mac made a meal for them all. A long and nervous two hours passed before they heard Zecora come back downstairs. “Everypony, gather round. I will show you what I’ve found.” She laid the journal out on the table as the others assembled. “What my mother did was create a pact. This exchange bound it to my family line, which explains how I am tracked.”
“So no matter how far you ran, it was always able to find you.” Apple Bloom summarized. 
“Yes. That is my guess.” Zecora nodded. “More importantly though, I learned the answer to our question; that being the nature of my brother’s possession. You see, while my brother’s body is at its behest; the demon truly resides in the jewel on his chest. I had thought it a mere conduit, but it is actually the source of its imprisonment.”
“Wait.” Twilight halted her. “So you’re saying that if we can get that jewel out of your brother… he’ll turn back to normal?” 
“That’s great.” Starlight perked up at the good news. “Then all we have to do is pull that jewel out and smash it.”
“No, that is the one outcome that cannot be.” Zecora shook her head. “Breaking it would inadvertently set him free.” She sighed in thought. “If we can remove the jewel, I’ll make a new pact; and my brother can be released from his contract. Still, the jewel is its prison and that must remain so, we need a replacement vessel in which the stone can go.”
“Does it have to be something alive?” Twilight asked. 
“Not only alive, but also willing; a noble sacrifice is the key to the pact’s fulfilling.” 
“But moving it to another body won’t solve anything.” Rarity pointed out. 
“It doesn’t have to be a pony right?” Applejack asked. “Can’t we just stick him in a bird or something?” 
“Oh no!” Fluttershy immediately refuted. “We couldn’t do that to an animal.” 
“I know it ain’t the kindest thing to do Fluttershy.” Applejack admitted. “But what else are we supposed to do?” 
“Actually.” Discord called the room’s attention. “I think that may be something I can help with.” 
“How?” Rainbow Dash asked, a bit skeptical. 
“Oh you’ll see, just leave it my capable claws.” He smiled at the suspense he created. 
“If that is true, then we know what we must do.” Zecora closed the journal.
“So how do we get the jewel out of his chest?” Apple Bloom asked. “I mean, even Discord couldn’t beat him.” 
“I didn’t lose.” Discord growled. “Zecora sent him away before I could finish him off is all.” 
“We don’t have time to argue so I’m going to let that one go.” Starlight said as she began removing her bandages. “With all of us working together, I know we can beat him down enough to pry that thing out of him.” 
“Starlight’s right.” Rainbow Dash stretched her refreshed wings. “Nothing else left to do but get it done.” 
“But we have no idea when he’ll be back.” Pinkie noted. 
“Not necessarily. Thanks to my mother’s records, I can summon him to me.” Zecora headed for the door. “Are you ready, my friends?” One way or the other, today this ends.” 
“Ready when you are.” Twilight glanced around to see nods of agreement. 
Applejack went to Granny Smith with a confident smile. “You sit this one out Granny, we’ve got his covered.” 
“Buck him once for me.” Granny patted her shoulder. 
Zecora retrieved her staff and went outside with the others behind her. Sticking it the ground, she began to recite the summoning that her mother used all those years ago to call the demon to her village. The sky grew gray and the wind once again began to pick up. 
“Now you call upon me?” Zahir’s voice echoed all around them. “Have you come to your senses then? Are you done with this meaningless struggle?” A massive rush of dust rose and Zahir stepped from it. 
“We are far from done Zahir. Your time draws near.” Zecora said firmly.
“Is that so?” Zahir looked past Zecora at her allies. “It does not matter how many of you there are; you cannot stop me.” 
“Before that may have been true, but now I understand how to stop you.” 
“Do you now?” He eyed her menacingly. “I grow tired of your stubbornness. I have been trapped in this body for long enough.” He pointed at her friends. “I will make you watch as I destroy them, I will break your resolve and in your despair… you will give me what I want.” Zahir’s eyes went white and his body began to seep ectoplasm; four, long tendrils formed on his back and began writhing excitedly. As they shot forward at Zecora, Starlight teleported in front of her and raised her barrier. The tendrils rebounded off of the magical field and returned to their master. 
Twilight spread her wings. “Hit him with everything you’ve got!” She flew up and over Starlight. “Now!” She fired a focused beam of magic at Zahir as Starlight lowered her shield and did the same. 
“Not this time.” Zahir pulled the tendrils together and they formed into an ectoplasmic barricade. It took the blast, showing little damage from the magical offensive. As he separated the barricade, Zahir was smacked in the back of the head by an egg. Looking back he saw Discord riding Applejack’s chicken coop which he had animated. It reached inside of itself and pulled out more eggs to begin throwing. 
“Get ready to perform the ritual.” Starlight looked back to Zecora. “Leave him to us.” With a nod from Zecora, Starlight ran after Twilight to engage Zahir. 
Back across the way, Applejack readied her lasso and prepared to join in. Apple Bloom stopped her and pulled out the oil she had used on the tools. “Here, put this on your rope.” 
“What is it?” Applejack asked as she took the vial and began pouring it over the length of rope. 
“It’ll give it an extra kick against Zahir.” Apple Bloom glanced over at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. “Y’all need to be careful though. We have these charms to help protect us but we don’t have any more.”
“Don’t worry about us squirt.” Rainbow Dash jumped up into the air. “He won’t lay a hoof on us. Let’s go AJ.” 
“Right.” Applejack pulled her hat down and ran into the battle with Rainbow Dash above her. 
“C’mon, Big Mac.” Pinkie elbowed him sharply. “Let’s get in there and show that meanie whose boss.” The two of them set off after the others. 
“Apple Bloom, dear.” Rarity lowered herself beside her. “Do you have any more of that oil?” 
“Sure do.” Apple Bloom nodded. 
“Wonderful, I have an idea.” She smiled keenly. “Would you give us a hoof Fluttershy?”
“Um.” Fluttershy looked out at the intense battle and then back to Rarity, an eager smile on her face. “Yes, yes I will.” 
In the thick of the fight, Zahir found himself on the defensive as he dodged and blocked the onslaught of attacks that were sent his way. Taking the time to focus, he drove his tendrils into the ground and brought them up under the chicken coop. The wooden structure splinted and Discord flew into the air to avoid the grasping coils. With his back open, Twilight sent out a stream of magical energy that wound itself around the base of the growths on his back and cinched tight. As Zahir turned his attention to her, Applejack appeared and threw out her lasso; the rope caught his rear leg and she ran past him to pull his leg out from under him. Rainbow Dash flew in at top speed and collided with his head, sending him to the ground. Zahir slashed his hoof at the rope but the enchantment prevented it from cutting. He pulled his leg back in an attempt to yank Applejack closer but Big Mac ran behind her and bit down on the end of the rope, their combined strength enough to counter his efforts. Starlight released a tether of her own and wrapped it around his foreleg; between her, Twilight and the Apple siblings they were able to pull his body taught. 
“Pinkie?” Discord teleported next to her. “Do you happen to have that cannon you’re always lugging around?”
“Of course.” Pinkie wheeled around and presented the cannon to him. 
“Perfect, how about we give it a little oomph?” He snapped his fingers and the cannon began to grow, Pinkie hopped on and soon found herself nearly twenty feet in the air atop the massive artillery.  
“Whoo hoo!” Pinkie cheered. “What do we fire?” 
“Hmm, dealer’s choice.” He gestured back to her. 
“Pianos!” The ever random Pinkie said the first thing that popped into her head.
“Splendid.” Discord snapped his fingers and a pair of grand pianos were quickly loaded. “Fire when ready.” He swapped into a general’s outfit and pointed at Zahir. 
“Fire!” Pinkie spanked the back of the cannon and it launched the instruments at their immobilized foe. 
Applejack pulled back her lasso as they crashed onto Zahir. Twilight and Starlight called off their spells and the team regrouped to observe the silent pile of rubble. 
“Did we get him?” Rainbow Dash asked. 
“Is it ever that easy?” Starlight asked in return. 
The rubble began to shake and soon exploded off of Zahir who shook the debris from his body with furious eyes. “Enough of this.” He said between heavy breaths. “I will not be bested by inferior creatures like you.” His body began to quake and a row of spines rose from his back and the sound of muscle and bone reconstructing could be heard as his legs extended. His hooves split in half and curled into sharp claws. The bone structure of his head altered and flared about the eyes and nostrils. His muzzle widened and the once squared teeth formed into fangs. Spreading his stance he roared and glared at them. “You three… are not protected…” He threw his hoof out at Rainbow Dash and she launched into the air, crashing down hard into the dirt. 
“Rainbow!” Twilight looked back to see her lying still. 
Big Mac saw Zahir turn his eyes to Apple Jack, he ripped the charm from his neck and ran to her. As he affixed it to her neck, he too was sent flying as Zahir attacked. 
“Big Mac!” She looked down at the charm, recalling what Apple Bloom had said. “Twilight! Watch out!” 
As Zahir looked to Twilight, Starlight cast a duplication spell on her charm and teleported the copy around Twilight’s neck. She braced for impact but felt the attack pass by her. Twilight opened her eyes, now filled with determination, and readied herself. 
“No matter.” Zahir started his approach. “I will finish you with my own claws.” 
“Don’t let up.” Twilight rallied them. “Losing isn’t an option here.” 
“Don't worry, I’ve seen bigger and scarier.” Discord said as he snapped his fingers, the ground beneath Zahir turned to chocolate pudding and he struggled in the mire of desert. 
“Your childish antics will not protect you!” Zahir summoned the tendrils on his back once more, this time the ends formed into hooked appendages and he buried them into the ground. He pulled himself free, now moving about like a spider. He opened his mouth wide and stream of his ectoplasm spewed forth. The group darted in different directions and surrounded Zahir. 
“Starlight, give me a speed boost!’ Applejack called across to her. 
“Right!” Starlight cast her accelero spell on Applejack.  
“Cover me, y’all!” Applejack began running in a circle around Zahir, building up an insane amount of momentum.
Twilight and Starlight fired in tandem, keeping Zahir off balance as he swatted at them with his legs. Discord and Pinkie reconvened and watched the action. 
“What else have you got?” He asked. 
“Let me see…” She began digging around in her mane. “Ah!” She pulled out an assortment of bottle rockets. “Leftover fireworks.” 
“Works for me.” He snapped his fingers and enlarged them as he did the cannon. He pulled a pair of lit matches from behind his ear and handed one to Pinkie. They lit the empowered explosives which started flying towards their target. Zahir recoiled as he was struck in the face by one of the rockets. Seeing her chance, Applejack turned towards him and jumped. She kicked out her back legs and delivered the buck of a lifetime to Zahir’s chest. He flipped over and rolled in the air, slamming into the ground and skidding to a stop. He struggled to rise, dazed from the monumental impact. 
Discord appeared behind him dressed in a catcher’s uniform and bearing a huge glove. “Send one right down the middle!” He called. 
Twilight landed next to Starlight and readied her horn. “Let’s give it all we’ve got.” 
“Can do.” Starlight readied herself as well. They united horns and fired their combined magic into Zahir. He left the ground upon impact but Discord caught him and held him fast, making sure he took every ounce of the magical blow. As their magic died down Discord teleported over to them while Pinkie and Applejack ran to their sides. 
Zahir’s ectoplasm faded and he barely managed to get to his knees. “Blast this… limited body.” He said wearily. 
“It’s over.” Twilight approached him. 
“I am not beaten yet, girl.” He started to stand but a length of cloth wrapped itself around his neck and pulled him back down. 
“Not so fast.” Rarity said as she, Fluttershy and Apple Bloom entered the field. Rarity levitated five more bundles of cloth around her and sent them out at Zahir. Four wrapped themselves around his legs and the fifth around his waist, she used her magic to quickly stake the cloth to the ground and lock him down. “Sorry for the delay, darlings. We were stitching these together from what was available in the house, all soaked in Apple Bloom’s special oil.” 
“Nice work.” Twilight commended. 
Zahir tried to break loose but in his weakened state he could not free himself from the enchanted cloth. “You’re not going anywhere.” Rarity observed his struggle. “Those are sewn with a custom double backstitch.” 
“You will pay for this!” Zahir snarled.
“You are no longer in a position to threat.” Zecora said as she approached. “Your cruelty you will soon regret.” She looked to Twilight and Starlight. “Twilight, focus on the jewel and Starlight on Zahir. If you do so with different resonance the connection should disappear. 
“Okay.” Twilight nodded and enveloped the jewel in Zahir’s chest with her magic. Starlight enveloped Zahir himself in her own and the pair concentrated on pulling the two apart. 
“Stop!” Zahir tried to fight back. “What are you doing!?” He wailed as the jewel began to extract from his chest. As it started to leave his body, streams of white began to pour from the hole.
“What’s happening?” Fluttershy looked up at the swirling masses. 
“It’s the spirits he had trapped.” Apple Bloom smiled up at the sight. “All the zebra from the village are being freed from his control.” 
“Discord, you said you could provide a host.” Zecora said as she prepared her staff. “I hope that was not a simple boast.” 
“Not at all.” Discord materialized a saw and held out his right paw. He gingerly cut the appendage off and with a snap of his fingers his severed paw animated. He summoned a small cage and ushered it inside. 
Zecora accepted the idea and returned her attention to Zahir. She raised her staff and began to recite the spell her mother used to place the demon in her brother’s body. Zahir began to thrash and roar in response. With a final pull, Twilight fully removed the jewel and levitated it before Zecora. “I offer my spirit into this covenant, with promise from this vessel to now relent. Into this body I place you now, with its acceptance by spoken vow.”  She turned back to Discord. “Do you accept this pact? This promise that you cannot retract?” 
Discord pulled his mouth off and slapped it on his living paw. “I do.” It responded. 
“Then let it be done on this day; this form I grant into your sway.” The jewel plunged into the paw and the area was flooded with bright light. As it dimmed, Discord set the cage down and watched as his paw started banging against the bars. 
“What… what have you done to me!?” With no eyes, the demon blindly flailed about. 
“Okay, that’s just creepy.” Pinkie got near the cage but immediately backed off as it clanged around. 
“Are you okay, Discord?” Fluttershy observed her mouthless friend. 
Discord reached up and unzipped a new mouth. “Perfectly fine.” He stuck his thumb in his mouth and blew, causing a replacement paw to pop out. “Tah dah!” He bowed. 
They heard a low groan and saw Zahir stirring on the ground, his body having returned to normal. Zecora ran to him and knelt at his side, cradling his head and holding him up. “Brother… have you returned? Has your freedom been earned?” 
Zahir’s eyes focused on the pony that was holding him, he observed her face and managed a smile. “Zecora… is that you? Are what my eyes behold true?” 
Zecora started to cry and nodded. “Yes, it is me. Believe what you see.”
“I… I remember the things that I… that he did. I had no control, no chance to forbid.”
“It was not your fault Zahir.” Zecora shook her head. “He fooled us all and played off our fear. Mother did not know what he truly was when you were placed in its thrall; she only wanted to protect us all.” She felt Zahir weaken further. “You need healing, this process has left you reeling.” 
She started to lift him but he stopped her. “There is nothing you can do, not after all my body has been through. I can feel that my time is nigh, but I am more than prepared to die.” 
“No, that doesn’t have to be.” Zecora begged. “We can help, you will see.” 
Zahir weakly lifted his hoof to her cheek and smiled. “Sister, you have already helped me. You and your friends have set me free.” His leg fell and he let out a strained breath.  
Zecora slowly set him down. “I understand… farewell my brother.” She lowered her head and set her hoof to his side. “May you rest well, with father and mother.” His smile slowly faded and his eyes closed. After a long, silent minute Zecora stood, taking a deep breath as she looked up to the clearing sky. “It is done… we have won.” She turned to her friends, smiling as best she could. 


-Epilogue-

The aftermath of the battle was bittersweet as the worn friends began to clean up. Applejack and Pinkie Pie saw to Big Mac and Rainbow Dash who, while bruised, were not badly injured. Twilight took Discord to see the now harmless beast locked away in Tartarus. Starlight tended to Zahir, with Zecora deciding that she would take him to the Everfree Forest to see him rest somewhere he would not be disturbed. Zecora herself had gone to rest on the hill overlooking the farm, her mind reconciling all that had happened. As she sat, Apple Bloom slowly came up beside her.
“Zecora, I don’t know if you wanted to be alone but I came to see how you were feeling.” 
She patted the ground next to her. “Thank you Apple Bloom. In spite of things though, I feel no gloom.” 
Apple Bloom sat at her side. “I’m… sorry about Zahir.”
Zecora nodded slowly. “He is now at peace, along with all the zebra that were held in that creature’s lease.” 
“I know, but now that he’s gone…”
“As far as I know, I am the last of my kind.” Zecora finished her thought. “The weight of that knowledge does rest on my mind.” She looked down at Apple Bloom not with regret in her eyes, but with a welcome peace. “But though the last zebra I may very well be; it does not mean I am without family.” Zecora put her hoof over her. “When you first came to me, inquisitive and unafraid; I had no idea the bond I had made. I had lost everything and lived on the move, but having you there helped my outlook improve.” She looked back out to the horizon. “Being able to pass to you what I know, is a joy that thrills me so. You have taken so swiftly to the things I’ve endowed; and the skill you’ve displayed has made me most proud.” She smiled. “It may sound strange, but at some time or another… I stopped seeing you as a friend, and more as a daughter.” Looking back down, she saw Apple Bloom smiling at her with tears in her eyes. “Zebra or not, to me you are dear; and I shall never be alone as long as you’re near.”
“I’ll always be here for you, Zecora.” Apple Bloom hugged onto her tightly. “You may not be my real mom, but I love you just as much.” 
Zecora held her close, resting her nose to her head. “Know this to be true, I love you too.” In that moment Zecora knew that her years of running were finally over. No longer under the shadow of her past, she could at last settle and truly call Ponyville her home.