A yellowish mare with red locks tied up in a ponytail trotted through Ponyville, passing the Castle of Friendship by with only a quick glance toward its crystalline edifice. It was not the first time she had seen it, and it probably wouldn’t be the last, but it also wasn’t why she was here.
This did not stop Princess Twilight Sparkle from seeing her and waving. “Torque Wrench?”
“Er…”
Twilight teleported right to her. “I didn’t think you ever left Hope Hollow! Why didn’t you let me know you were coming, I could ha—”
Sasori let her eyes flash a brief blue. “Not that Torque. Sorry, Princess.”
“A—oh, right, sorry. Are you… the one Zecora mentioned?”
“Probably, though given how times are changin’, I wouldn’t be surprised if she found another willin’ to talk to her. Take care of yerself, Princess, ya got a good thing goin’ here.”
“Thank you, Princess Sasori.”
“Ain’t a Princess.”
“Thorax—”
“Can eat his own carapace,” Sasori snorted. “He’s got a good thing goin’, but I ain’t part of it.”
“Right, right. Well, I won’t keep you. Zecora lives just down that path, in the Everf—”
“I know where she lives, this ain’t my first time here.”
“Oh.”
“I even talked t’ ya once. Before ya got the wings, though.”
Twilight froze, trying to piece together when this moment might be. Chuckling, Sasori left the Princess to her mental confusion. Trotting down the path to Zecora’s hut, she took a moment to smell the pollen in the air.
No wonder Zecora had chosen to live here. The forest… it was so much more alive than the Zebrican desert. Especially these days.
Zecora’s hut was where it always was: hidden just off the path and built into a large tree. She had redecorated since Sasori’s last visit, including a lot more masks and tribal markings. Sasori always found it strange that Zecora adhered to the decorations of the lesser tribes of the Tenochtitlan Basin, but the Zebra had never elaborated as to why.
She knocked on the door.
“Ah, Sasori! Come in, tell me your story.”
The rhyming voice brought a smile to Sasori’s lips. She entered Zecora’s hut, but didn’t drop her disguise—she preferred it to her Changeling form, these days.
“What news do you bring from beyond my eye’s ring?”
“Not much, if I’m honest. I betcha’ve heard alllll about Thorax’s little thing and the new Changelings. I visited, decided it wasn’t for me.”
“You have not changed your carapace to fit in with your race?”
Sasori shook her head. “Nope. Still leg-holes under this. I lived like this just fine before, and I’ll do it now. Ain’t gonna change nuttin just because some bug discovered how to go all rainbow. Don’t get me wrong, Thorax’s great, and I’m thankful that he got me outta that mess way back when, but that little thing he’s got goin’ there? Geez, gimme a break.”
“You may change your mind in time, and the rainbow colors you fear may be thine.”
“That was messy.”
“I am the only rhyming creature here, losing the craft is not something to fear.”
Sasori raised an eyebrow. “But ya still got it.”
“Yes. I still profess.” Zecora grinned.
“...Oh for the…” Sasori shook her head. “...Not much really happened to me on that front. But I did stop by yer home recently.”
Zecora frowned. “How was it? Did they quit?”
“They’re not… gone. Zebrica’s still there. It’s just… not much to look at. Zebras seem happy enough, but it’s a dry, brutal desert. The royal family was replaced with another one—that still rhymes everything. So…”
“My home is here, now. If I thought to go back I would not know how.” She smiled. “I have more friends here than ever before, their magic has gone to my core.”
“Bah. You’re soft.”
Zecora fixed her with a knowing smile.
Sasori sighed. “...You have dinner?”
Zecora nodded, gesturing at a cauldron.
“Good. I’ll be back for that, and we can talk later.” She glanced out the window. “I have somethin’ t’ do before then.”
“I am unsure… do you really think you should find her?”
“She’ll find me.”
Zecora nodded sagely, returning to her brew. Sasori walked out and headed right into the midst of the Everfree Forest. She chose a clearing with good rock to sit on. Lowering herself onto it, she closed her eyes and sent a burst of green magic into the sky.
Chrysalis teleported in a moment later.
“You… you are…”
Sasori dropped her disguise. “Hello, mother.”
“You lived…” Chrysalis growled. “Thorax has been more of a pain than I ever realized…”
“I wonder how you let him slip through the cracks.”
“He was no Queen.”
“And t’ think another Queen had t’ dethrone ya...” Sasori chuckled. “It must be so embarrassing, watchin’ for a Queen, when it all came down t’ a King.”
Chrysalis narrowed her eyes. “You would be a better leader than that whelp. Take it from him.”
“Yer right in every conceivable way,” Sasori admitted. “He lacks motivation, doubts himself at every move, and is exceptionally soft. But I don’t wanna lead no more. I met the spirit of one of my sisters. Remember Xie?”
“How could I forget?” Chrysalis let out a laugh that was a little too loud for a sane pony to be making. “Her punishment for rebellion was used against me.”
“And tormented a lot of Zebras.”
“Their fault for taking residence in my old home.”
“Celestia’s for banishing ya with an artifact she didn’t understand.”
“Your fault for fighting her.”
Sasori raised an eyebrow. “How would ya know about that…?”
“I have my ways.”
“Had. Past tense. Ya have nothin’ now.”
Chrysalis twitched. “I have enough.”
Sasori checked her mutated leg—still glowing with the blue runes she had been given oh so long ago. “...Ya don’t have much more time, mother.”
“Are you here to challenge me!?”
“No. Ya have enemies that will do that for ya.” She fixed her mother with a glare. “I’m just here to let ya know yer not as powerful and wise as ya think. Ya were always going to be defeated. Some Changeling was always going to slip through yer web, it was just a matter of time.”
Chrysalis stood, silent. Then she let out an aggressive hiss and teleported away.
Sasori shrugged, transforming back into her Torque disguise. She flew back to Zecora’s, knocking on the door.
“How did the reunion go? It was not very slow.”
“We said what needed to be said,” Sasori said, taking a seat inside. “Zecora?”
“Yes, what do you press?”
“If yer involved when they finally deal with her…” Sasori’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t let them hold back.”
Zecora did not respond. Sasori didn’t press further.
“...Zecora? Why… don’t ya tell me about yer friends? And… why ya stay here for them.”
Zecora smiled. “Let us begin with young Apple Bloom, whose ambition will surely be her doom…”
~~~
“Hope Hollow!” Gustave declared. “A wonderful town every time I visit! Zere are so many beautiful colors ‘ere, especially zese days, and you always have ze best tongues!”
“...Wot?” Torque Wrench asked.
“You understand, oui, Sasori?”
The mare cocked her head. “Who th’ mire’s Sauce-Ori?”
“...Sasori? Non, non, it is you! Do you not remember moi?”
“...Buddy, yer th’ first griffon I’ve met.”
“But Zebrica! Ze adventures across ze sands of Zebrica! Ze Changeling husks, and zat airship of yours you loved so much!”
“I hate flyin’.”
“Non! Zis is impossible! Zere must ‘ave been some kind of spell! Do not worry, Sasori, I will save you from zis curse!”
“Oh, yipee, a nutter…” Torque Wrench groaned.
“I shall go on zis confectionary quest to restore your great memo—”
Torque Wrench hit him on the back of the head with her wrench. “Aight, we’re gettin’ ya to the crazy doc next town over, y’hear?” Gustave made no response, as he was out cold. “Glad to see yer on board with this.”