//------------------------------//
// Chapter Twenty-Four: Rhyme 
// Story: CRISIS: Equestria - Divergence, Book 3 
// by GanonFLCL 
//------------------------------//

As part of her role as an Overseer of the Shadow Candidate Program, Red Velvet had her own office on its own floor just above the Shadow Facility of Pandora Tower. Yes, Dawn was aware that Velvet never referred to herself as "Overseer" in any capacity, but that was the truth, and as such Velvet benefitted from the perks of such a position; Havoc didn't have her own office when she lived here, after all, and neither did Gray.

It was this office that Dawn had deigned to visit this fine morning, not long before noon and thus just prior to typical lunchtime hours. Dawn was vaguely aware of Velvet's personal schedule, mainly that she operated as if she were a school principal or guidance counselor and as such was "on duty" during normal schooling hours, and would also take lunch at normal lunchtime hours as well. 

It was the perfect time to strike.

She arrived at the door to her sister's office and gave it a few knocks, then waited. She heard a slight clamor from the other side before Velvet's voice called out "Come in!", at which point Dawn did just that. Velvet's wide smile melted almost immediately into a much more neutral expression once she saw that it was Dawn entering the room; she'd been expecting a student, perhaps?

"Dawn? What're you doin' here?" Velvet asked, tilting her head and steepling her hooves on her desk. "You never visit me in person. In fact I don't think you've ever been in my office whatsoever in… wow, all six years since it got built. Amazing."

Dawn nodded and took a seat in the chair opposite Velvet. "Indeed I have not, a fact that I am rectifying as you can plainly see. I apologize if I am intruding at an unfortunate time, but I wanted my visit to be a surprise."

"Oh. Is this like a surprise inspection or something? 'Cause Curie told me you're not allowed to do that, and you know I'm gonna tell Curie all about it if that's what this is."

"No, sister, that is not the intended purpose of this visit. I have no desire to 'check up' on you or your progress with the Shadow Project, as I have judged from your reports that you are handling matters to an outstanding degree."

Velvet blinked. "Wow, really? 'Outstanding'? Not just 'adequate' or something like that?"

Dawn smiled. "No. 'Adequate' would be woefully inaccurate, and frankly insulting to your substantial efforts."

"…huh. Oookay."

Dawn paused, then let out a breath. "And before you ask for confirmation, yes, I am Golden Dawn, your sister, and—"

"Oh, you don't need to confirm it with me, sis. I can smell your blood from here, and you're one hundred percent genuine Golden Dawn. Curie can't change that much about her so it's not her in disguise, and you're not a robot if I can smell your blood."

"Excellent, then that eliminates the need for pointless presentations of proof."

Velvet nodded, then leaned back in her seat, setting one hoof onto her chair's armrest or below her desk, Dawn couldn't tell which. "Alright then, sis, you're really intruding on my lunch hour here, so what's this all about if you're not here to evaluate me?"

"If I might be forward and blunt about it, I wish to make amends for the unacceptable manner in which I have treated you and our sisters, amongst others," Dawn said with a nod, steepling her hooves under her chin. "With you, specifically, I have not treated you with the respect you deserve considering the strides that you have taken to ensure the Shadows are provided with exceptional livelihoods."

That gave Velvet pause. "Wait… what?"

"I understand that this might come as a shock to you given my past behavior—"

"No shit, ya think? What's the deal here, Dawn, are you dying or something? Is this just you trying to put things back together—things you broke—before you kick off? 'Cause I'd rather you be upfront about it and tell me if you're gonna kick it. I'm down to help you finish your bucket list."

Dawn bit her tongue slightly so that she didn't just immediately start blurting out everything; Curaçao hadn't told Velvet or Insipid—or anypony in the tower, for that matter—about the whole "world-ending disaster" that was coming their way and had made it abundantly clear to Dawn that she was not to do the same, invoking "big sister" rights to do it.

Dawn still didn't know why Curaçao was being so insistent about it, but she wasn't about to break her promise.

"I assure you that I am not suffering from any manner of terminal illness that is influencing my decisions or agenda," Dawn said carefully, knowing full well that the statement would be picked apart to death by somepony like Curaçao or Blackburn and hoping that it would satisfy Velvet.

It did. "Alright, so this is just you having some sort of enlightenment or something? Cool, okay… I'm listening." She scooted her chair forward, but still kept one hoof under her desk; her eyes even darted down briefly for some reason. "Go on then, keep going."

Dawn took another breath. "Yes, well… I was hoping that we might meet together for lunch to discuss things. If I have not already made it perfectly clear, I regret my actions and wish to apologize for the manner in which I have treated you over the years in the hopes of making amends."

"Hmm." Velvet shook her head. "Dawn, I'll be honest, if you think we're gonna solve years of you being a bitch just by going out to lunch and then pretending everything is sunshine and lollipops between us, you're delusional. That kind of thing might fly with Insipid, but it won't work with me."

"With… did Insipid inform you of our bonding time together recently? I specifically asked her not to…"

Velvet tilted her head. "Wait, you've already done this kinda thing with Insipid?"

Dawn paused, then sighed and nodded; she immediately regretted her assumption. "Yes, I have. I met with her over dinner a few nights ago to discuss our problems, and she caught me up on a number of things in her life that I have not been partial to due to my neglectful attitude and disrespectful behavior. Things are… improved, between us."

"Huh. Well, how about that." Velvet bit her lip and nodded rapidly. "That's good. Very good. Yeah, alright, so you're trying to go about fixing things with us, I get it. But like I said, a little lunch date ain't gonna cut it with me, sis. See, it's not just me that you've been disrespecting all these years, but it's the kids, too."

"I suppose that follows, yes. I have even been made aware of the fact that I have served as a substandard influence on the few Shadows that I had been assigned to mentor. I am attempting to make amends in that regard as well."

"Is that why you got permission from me first before letting Sunspire and Serendipity head south?

"Indeed. The experience will be good for them, as it will provide them with a unique experience that they would otherwise lack access to. In case I did not make it apparent during our brief discussion then, they requested permission from me to embark on this metaphorical 'field trip'; it was not my idea."

Velvet nodded and let out a breath; she seemed distracted, likely because she was missing lunch. "Right right right, okay. So, I think if you want to make it up to me and the kids, you oughta start doing what our other sisters are doing, or what they did while they were living here at least: teach some extracurricular courses."

Dawn tapped her chin. "Extracurriculars? I was cognitive of the fact that a number of such courses were being offered, such as Curaçao's language courses, but I am otherwise unaware of the details."

"Well, for another example, Insipid teaches some high-society courses to a few of the fillies that are interested in fashion and stuff. Y'know, things like how to properly apply makeup, matching up colors for outfits, and how to host a tea party. Lots of it feels like really girly stuff, sure, but I think that's just 'cause all the students signing up so far are fillies."

"I see. Insipid definitely would serve as an extraordinary instructor in that sense; I witnessed her behavior at a fine dining establishment and she was the pinnacle of class. I said as much to her, as it was another admirable quality that she possessed that I had been unaware of." Dawn tilted her head. "What extracurriculars do you teach, might I inquire?"

"Cooking classes mostly," Velvet said matter-of-factly. "I'm not as into baking as Pinkie is, but I love being in the kitchen. There's just something about handling all those ingredients with my own bare hooves that I enjoy, and I also get to teach the kids how to make certain recipes, how to handle equipment, yadda yadda yadda."

"You said 'mostly'. What else do you teach?"

"Oh, well, it's not so much an extracurricular course, but since I'm kinda like a guidance counselor for these kids, I offer my time to help them with their problems. It's gonna be really important over the next few years, lemme tell ya. Puberty's hitting our kids hard."

Dawn tilted her head the other way. "The students are currently experiencing puberty?"

"Oh, totally. Luckily their voices all cracked for the most part within the past year, but a few late bloomers can be found here and there. Other than that it's all the, y'know, growing up stuff." Velvet held up her hoof that was still above the desk. "And don't you worry, I keep it clean and professional. With the kids, I mean."

Dawn blinked, then sucked in a breath when the gears clicked. "Ah. Yes. I imagine that that particular stage of their development might present some problematic situations given their living conditions. Are you and Overseer Pedigree certain you can handle the potential fraternization concerns?"

Velvet licked her lips. "Oh, trust me, Pedigree's a professional. He's really, really good at what he does. Mmhmm…"

"I would be inclined to agree. The Overseer certainly seems to have an exceptional handle on things."

"And I'm not so bad myself, I'd like to think. Anyway, we both know that it's mostly inevitable that as the kids get older they're gonna probably hook up together, so we're just gonna make sure everypony's responsible about it. That's all we really can do unless you want us to tell the kids not to have sex at all, but I'd feel like a hypocrite and a half."

"Hmm… I imagine so. Regardless, so long as you are confident in your ability to prevent any unwanted consequences, I will trust your judgement." 

"Thanks, sis."

Dawn nodded firmly; the matter was settled. "So, if you are of the opinion that I should instruct the students in extracurriculars, which topic would you suggest I teach? I must admit I lack the specialities that you or our sisters have; I am purely academic, but that is already the intent of their education."

Velvet leaned back again, closing her eyes in thought; her ear was twitching for some reason. "Hmmm… literature courses."

"Literature?"

"Yeah. Literature." Velvet's eyes opened again. "We don't have any courses in the main curriculum that focus on literature. Y'know, novels and stuff?"

Dawn rubbed her chin and nodded. "Literature… hmm. Would that not entail the interpretation of the intended meanings behind the authors' words in their novels? Is that something that you believe the students would find both interesting and educational?"

"Sure, why not? They teach that kinda stuff in the big league universities in Arcadia. Orrr, ooh, here's a thought: an etymology course!" Velvet brightened immediately, sitting up straight again and bumping into her desk awkwardly. "Yeah! That's it! Etymology!"

"Etymology, as in the study of words?"

"Yeah! Yeah yeah yeah! You're practically a walking, talking thesaurus, Dawn, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. You know all sorts of words and what they mean and where they come from and stuff. You'd be perfect!"

Dawn blinked and leaned back in her own seat to consider this. "That… that makes a certain degree of sense, yes. Etymology is even a particular topic with which I have a fascination, particularly the origins of words in Common Equish. Would students really have an interest in this subject matter?"

"I mean, I dunno, but I'm sure you could bring something to the table to drum up interest. Maybe focus on words that kids would like and stuff? Like… slang words, maybe. Or other things that they're learning about in school, y'know? I can think of a few kids that might be interested in that stuff."

Dawn nodded; she was actually coming around to this, and she could hardly believe it had been Velvet's idea instead of her own. "Yes, that would be acceptable. What sort of topics are they currently learning about?"

Velvet balked for a moment. "I'd have to ask Pedigree about the specific topics in the mainline courses, but he's currently… occupied with something else. Totally indisposed. Buuut, I did just teach the kids about making all kinds of different sandwiches in cooking class? Sooo… I dunno, lay it on me: tell me about the word 'sandwich'."

"Ah. Hmm. It is a peculiar word, actually, as everypony in the world knows its definition, and it can even be accurately translated into other languages. However, it has no etymological origin that anypony has ever been able to discern. As far as etymologists are concerned it is a nonsense word that entered into our lexicon somehow."

Velvet blinked. "Wait, so… nopony knows where the word 'sandwich' comes from?"

Dawn shook her head. "Oh, there are theories. The prevailing one is that it was named after somepony, but there is no specific individual that has ever been able to lay claim to the origin, and yet we know that the word also exists in other worlds as well."

"Oh yeah. Pinkie has a friend named Cheese Sandwich in her world. But he's, like, her age, and sandwiches have been around longer than him." Velvet shook her head, her free hoof—one was still underneath the desk—over her mouth. "Wow. Sandwiches are a puzzle stuffed into a mystery and wrapped in an enigma."

"Indeed." Dawn then rose from her seat. "You have thoroughly convinced me of the benefit of such an extracurricular activity, sister, and I shall proceed with developing coursework immediately. Shall I contact Overseer Pedigree regarding a schedule?"

"Nah, I'll have him get in touch with you. He's busy at the moment, like I said."

"With what, exactly?"

Velvet bit her lip and… shuddered? "Mmm… eating. Lunch, I mean. Eating lunch."

Dawn nodded, though she was thoroughly confused by this point. "Ah. Then I will not disturb him. Would you happen to know when he might be finished?"

"P-Pretty soon, I hope."

Dawn blinked, then shrugged and made for the door. "While I find that answer horribly vague, I will accept it. Farewell, Velvet. I will be in touch."


~~~~~


Once Dawn left, Velvet started counting seconds to make sure she was gone. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Five seconds seemed good enough.

She scooted her chair back and let out a loud breath. "Thank the stars. I thought she'd never leave." She glanced under her desk. "Sorry about that. When she knocked, I thought it was just a student. You know that I wouldn't have made you keep going down there if it was."

Pedigree grumbled as he made his way out from under her desk, adjusting his tie in the process and clearly out of breath. "Well, that makes me feel a little better. Still, I don't think Miss Dawn would appreciate knowing what was going on just a few feet away from her, right under her nose."

"Psh, maybe she would've learned a thing or two. She might be trying to be nicer but she'll always have a stick up her ass." Velvet leaned over and grabbed Pedigree's tie to pull him nose-to-nose. "And don't tell me it didn't turn you on just a little bit, 'cause I'll know you're lying. I can hear the change in your… hmm hmm, blood flow."

"Then I won't say anything," Pedigree grunted, his lips curling in a slight smirk. "Really though, you're lucky it was Miss Dawn just now and not one of your other sisters. Missus Curaçao would've caught us immediately."

"Eh. I could deal with a lecture from Curie if she wanted to get mad about it. She'd probably get jealous that she was upstairs giving the same to Shroud." Velvet pushed Pedigree away and straightened out her skirt. "So, you got to hear that whole thing. What's your thought on it? You think Dawn's serious about this?"

"I won't pretend to know her better than you do, Vel, but she did seem legitimate about everything. Mind you that I'm basing this entirely on her voice alone since I didn't get to see her facial expressions, seeing as I was stuffed under your desk against my will."

Velvet let out a mock gasp of offense. "Are you insinuating that that's my fault?"

He rolled his eyes. "Vel, I'm serious. I think she was very much being sincere about wanting to repair her relationship with you, and with our students. And by the way, this etymology course idea is just brilliant. Miss Dawn will enjoy teaching it, and so long as she sticks with the topics at hoof, it'll help the kids learn."

"You think the kids are actually gonna wanna take those courses, though?"

"The smarter students will, for sure, and I think I can work things out to help hint to the kids that they should at least give it a shot." He chuckled. "A shame that Sunspire isn't here. He'd sign up for those courses in a heartbeat. Probably Serendipity too."

"Oh, I don't have aaany doubt about that," Velvet snickered. "But hey, y'know what, it's probably just fine that they're not here anyway and get to go on a romantic southern vacation together. Ah, young love. Makes me wish I'd ever actually been that young and could experience all those things for myself."

"Trust me, Vel, you should be glad you got to skip puberty."

"Maybe. I guess I'm just disappointed that I never got to really experience my first teenage crush, my first kiss, or popping my cherry." She walked by him, heading for the door, and bopped him in the nose with her tail as she went. "I suppose that I'll just have to settle for you. Lucky for me, you've got a teenage colt's libido. Rawr."

She heard him gulp. "Ah… right. Ahem. Should I head back to my office and give Miss Dawn that call now? You know how she is; she won't want to wait long, even if she's trying to be nice."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." She turned and gave him a sultry little grin as she grabbed his tie. "Aaand, I think it's only fair that since I forced you to… service me under my desk while I talked with her, that you should get to… return the favor? Maybe see how long I can hold my breath?"

His cheeks reddened, and she could see him try to debate refusing the offer, but she knew that he wouldn't. "You are insatiable, my dear," he breathed as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Flatterer," she replied as she accepted his lips on hers.


*****


The traveling caravan arrived in Zeb'ra'den in the early evening on the fourth day of travel. The only road from Utopia to Zeb'ra'den was not a straight path, unfortunately, so unless one wanted to walk off the beaten path to save time, this was the best case scenario. Twilight was not about to suggest that they do anything of the sort. Forcing so many ponies to trudge through ice and snow felt unnecessarily dangerous.

Twilight had had the far south described to her a few times over the journey to Utopia, and had done some reading on the subject before they'd all left, but it just wasn't the same as seeing it with her own eyes.

Despite it being the last month of the southern summer, the snows of the zebra lands were still plentiful, and the sky was constantly overcast with dark clouds that sprinkled white powder at almost all hours of the day. It was a pleasant snow, at least, not too heavy and not at all accompanied by harsh winds; every day they had traveled felt like a trek through the outskirts of Ponyville during Winter Wrap-Up, only without the singing.

As such, everyone in the group had dressed warmly, though that sort of went without saying. For the most part all of the jackets and sweaters were rather generic, except Rarity's of course, though Rarity had at least worked to add personal touches here and there. Twilight's heavy jacket had been adjusted to fit better over her wings so that she wasn't uncomfortable.

Twilight was surprised that they almost never saw the sun during the entire trek south. Once they were in zebra territory proper, it was as if the sun magically knew that their days were supposed to be shorter and that nights were supposed to be longer, even if that didn't make any sense. This was an effect that Twilight knew affected certain parts of her world, but to see it every day in this particular region was simply fascinating.

She lamented the fact that even if she studied the effect, it would likely not be replicated during the merger.

And then there was Zeb'ra'den itself, which reminded Twilight of a strange mix between the Crystal Empire back home and the old medieval-style fortresses that still stood from ages past, when ponies like Clover the Clever still walked the earth. From the Crystal Empire came the locale—and yes, Twilight was well aware that the Empire was not always covered in snow—as well as the huge, centralized layout of the city. The aesthetic was definitely old-world style, though.

It also shared two qualities with New Pandemonium City, ironically, with the Beacon being the obvious one. The other was a massive wall that surrounded the city for miles, far enough that Twilight could just barely see its curve. The wall was constructed of thick, black obsidian, and the structural supports were coated with a layer of solid gold. Massive banners depicting the Zeb'ra'den emblem—a white circle with black stripes—were draped the wall alongside a giant gateway.

While not as tall as the wall surrounding New Pandemonium, nor as wide, it was clear where that city had gotten the idea. The wall was much higher than anything Twilight expected could be constructed without the aid of technology or unicorn magic; how the zebras did it, she didn't know, but it was impressive.

Outside the wall was where the commoners lived, not in proper buildings like the zebras who lived inside the wall, but in simple thatched-roof huts of clay and wood with a scant few made of stone, all of which were large enough to house a family comfortably but small enough to not take up valuable space. Twilight didn't quite like the idea of so many zebras living outside the walls—it indicated a clear, perhaps unfair class division—but she was not about to start questioning the cultures and traditions of other races.

Cooking fires smoldered outside of nearly every home in the village, lending credence to Zircon's estimate of arriving by dinnertime. Zebra mares tended to vegetables in simmering pots of stew, and they were all cooking stew. None of these common zebras paid the ponies in the entourage with much attention, and some even watched with either disdain or disinterest.

Zircon, though—and not Zultan, interestingly—attracted a great deal of respect and attention. Some zebras bowed low in his presence, others merely gave respectful nods. Some stallions his age approached him and cheered his name. Younger zebras, both fillies and colts alike, watched him with great, awed interest. 

Mares, on the other hoof, didn't so much swoon as they made great displays of their figures in an attempt to attract his attention. It was rather embarrassing to watch, from Twilight's perspective, particularly since he merely waved respectfully back but was otherwise not distracted by their displays. Twilight suppose that he was a knight, so he was likely a mare's "ticket" into the aristocracy

Luckily, they didn't need to stay long outside the walls and so Twilight didn't have long to stew about the cultural differences.

The caravan made their way to the city gates, and they were all let in without a single ounce of trouble, only a nonverbal greeting from Zultan to the trio of big, burly guards standing in their way. The inside of the city was just as incredible as the outside, with great buildings constructed of the same obsidian and gold. They weren't tall by any means, but they all appeared to be either homes or businesses that could hold anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred zebras easily. 

From inside the city it was easier than ever to see the Beacon, and it was abundantly clear that Pandora Tower's massive size was not some sort of exaggeration. The southern Beacon, however, did not generate a great beam of energy into the air that changed its color and composition. At least, not one Twilight could see; she could sense its power though, and theorized that it was simply purifying the air of the entire southern continent so that it was always clean and peaceful.

Supposedly, the royal palace had been built around the Beacon so that it could maintain its centralized location within the city. Or rather, from what Twilight had heard from Zultan en route, the palace had been remodeled to accommodate the Beacon in a courtyard that was then connected to the palace, and the palace was expanded to encompass it. Because of course the royal zebra family would want their seat of power to be directly intertwined with such a culturally significant monument.

The zebras inside the city were cut of a completely different cloth from the ones outside. If getting inside the city required getting past heavily-armed and armored guards, Twilight could only guess that these were the zebra elite, their upper class. They certainly seemed well-mannered, well-educated, well-groomed, and well-spoken just from casual observation. They paid the caravan the same attention that the zebras outside did, though, only with more politeness.

Twilight observed one thing in particular about their speaking habits that perplexed her, though: the meters that they spoke in. She'd heard Zultan and Zircon speak to one another and knew that zebras did so in rhyme and meter; Zultan spoke in iambic tetrameter while Zircon spoke in iambic pentameter. Some zebras hereabouts spoke like they did, but others spoke in other forms. 

They all still rhymed, though, and she noticed that in conversation the zebras seemed to improvise and create the verses in tandem, meeting one another's meters and rhymes so that it sounded pleasing to the ear. A pair of zebras haggling over an elaborate cape spoke loudly enough to provide a good example:

"How much doth this cape cost?"

"In bits, fifteen. 'Tis a fine cape."

"Aye, 'tis fit for a queen."

Having known Zecora as long as she did nowadays, Twilight had gotten used to her zebra friend's unique speech pattern, but these zebras of this other world were something else entirely. She was immensely relieved that not only did the zebras now speak with ponies in plain speech—Old Equish language aside—but that she didn't need to try and speak in rhyme and meter in return.

She was going to have to buy Blackburn a gift to thank her for making that happen, perhaps a beer since the queen was supposedly fond of alcohol. Or… rather not, no, nevermind, that was an inappropriate gift now. She'd have to think of something else to get Blackburn. Rarity might know what the queen's favorite food was, or could at least discreetly ask Lockwood about it and pass it along.

Speaking of Rarity, Twilight was still giddy over the news. Rarity was the first of her close friends that was going to have a foal! It was so exciting; she was already putting together plans and ideas on how to celebrate when they all got home. Rarity herself seemed glad that she didn't have to hide the relationship that led to it anymore, and was now very openly engaging with the other two-thirds of her… what did Pinkie call it? Throuple?

Once the caravan reached the royal palace proper, Twilight had to marvel at the creativity of whoever had built the thing. Like the other buildings around the city, it was built primarily of black obsidian and solid gold, but it wasn't uniform or symmetrical at all. Other materials, such as silver, iron, bronze, and various gemstones, were spread across different, unique parts of the structure in entirely different ways to form oddly-shaped symbols and patterns. 

The caravan stopped, and Twilight and the others were all used to the routine by now, which entailed them all hopping out of their carriages, watching as stewards and servants approached and grabbed luggage to take inside, and then waiting for their hosts to greet and welcome them to the city. There were a few gawkers looking at Gilderoy, but it didn't stop anyzebra from working.

Oddly, it was Zultan who served the purpose of greeting and welcoming the party. "Guests, friends, I welcome thee to Zeb'ra'den, the Jewel of the Frozen South, the Crystal Upon the Southern Crown. 'Tis mine honor to welcome thee into my home.

"I hath sent word ahead to the royal court, and rooms hath already been arranged, but I regret that we hath arrived too soon for the dinner feast; 'twould seem that Sir Zircon hath navigated us here too quickly, far too quickly. A shame, as now we must wait to filleth our bellies with the finest zebra cuisine."

Zircon barked out a laugh. "'Tis rare for zebras to complain of seeing Zeb'ra'den again. But if thou must maketh a fuss, invoketh not the rest of us."

Zultan ignored the knight. "As guests of mine, thou art welcome to wander our city's streets if thou wishest not to remaineth here in the palace. 'Twill not be long before the feast is ready, however, and 'twould be folly not to be here on time; His Majesty himself shalt be in attendance."

"So if we want to go exploring, we need to be back by dinnertime, got it," said Rainbow with a nod; it was a blunt, but helpful, summary, and Twilight was impressed that Rainbow had understood all of what Zultan had said.

"Aye, 'tis the gist of my spiel," Zultan said. "The feast shalt begin at half-til high moons." A pause, and he cleared his throat. "Ah, which wouldst sit at roughly seven o'clock, I believe, in the other southern territories. The moons rise at your two o'clock, and 'high moons' is midnight. 'Tis how we doth measure time here in the frozen south."

Winter tilted her head slightly and made some calculations in her head; she didn't need her watch to precisely measure time, something that all Chronomancers were apparently capable of. "Right then, we've got a little more than an hour in that case. Everyone better be sure to keep track."

"If we can use the moons as a measurement, then it should be easy to do that just by looking at the sky," Twilight noted; she couldn't be sure, but were there more stars in the sky now that they were further south?

"What're y'all thinkin' 'bout doin' while we wait?" Applejack asked. "Sounds ta me like we'd all better be here fer this here feast, y'know, even me, but I figure some of y'all might wanna check somethin' out in particular 'fore we chow down."

Blackburn shook her head and started walking towards the palace proper. "I have too many things to think about, and to be honest I'm already familiar with the city. It's probably best if I try to make contact with some of the local lords to ease our transition later during the negotiations. We can't talk business during the feast."

Some of the group just looked at Blackburn like she'd spoken gibberish; they were the ones that didn't know about the negotiation the queen had made in the past.

"What?" A pause. "Oh. Right. In Zeb'ra'den, I'm forbidden from speaking as I do elsewhere as part of my agreement with His Majesty King Zaratite so that the zebras will speak plainly to all of you," she said with a smile. "You're welcome."

"Oh, good," Rainbow said flatly. "For a minute there I thought a changeling had snuck into the group, 'cause you were talking mad weird. Weird for you, I mean. 'Cause you normally talk weird, so you talking normal is weird for you."

"Hmm. It's probably best if you don't talk to His Majesty. Ever," Blackburn said with a coy smirk. "You might just cause a diplomatic incident."

"Hey, that's her middle name!" quipped Pinkie with a coy grin of her own. "Rainbow Diplomatic Incident Dash!"

Blackburn tilted her head towards the palace, and Lockwood and an excited Bluebolt followed along, the former with a sleepy Fireglow on his back, as did Gadget—not Crossfire, though, as he was off-duty for the evening from Twilight's understanding. 

She looked to Rarity and wordlessly gestured for her to do the same, but Rarity shook her head. "If you don't mind, my dear, I wanted to go off with Zyra for a moment. This is her homeland, after all, and I asked her to show me around a little. I figure that since we have some time before this feat begins, we can at least make one stop."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lockwood said with a grin. "Where were you planning on heading?"

"The Temple of Layk," Zyra said, bowing her head just slightly. "I haven't seen anyzebra from my old Sisterhood in so long, and Lady Rarity has asked me so much about them that I felt it best to simply introduce her, if I can."

"What a wonderful idea," Blackburn said. "We'll see you two at dinner then." She then gestured for the rest of the family to follow her into the palace, which they did, rather like a row of ducks.

"We should probably do the same and just stick around here," Gray suggested to Flathoof. "I'll be honest, I want a little nap before we get to eating anything. I couldn't nap in these stupid carriages, what with all the bumping and shaking all the time. Should probably put Rosewater down for a nap, too."

"Sounds fine to me," Flathoof said. He gave a look to Crossfire and Pattycake. "You two gonna go exploring?"

Crossfire was about to reply, but Pattycake's hoof went over his mouth so that she could reply first. "Actually, we are. Well, technically we're not 'exploring', but we're not staying here with you guys."

"We're not?" asked Crossfire through his wife's hoof.

"Nope!" Pattycake pointed at Zyra and Rarity. "We're going with them to the Temple of Layk, yessiree."

Crossfire blinked. "We are? Why?"

"You'll see when we get there, sweetie. Now c'mon, get that gorgeous butt of yours moving, we don't have a lot of time to kill."

Crossfire just shrugged at Flathoof and Gray, and he, Pattycake, Rarity, and Zyra headed off down one of the nearby streets. Twilight had never pictured Pattycake to be interested in a temple, or to be great friends with Rarity and Zyra, so this seemed particularly odd. But who was she to ask questions?

Most everypony else—and Gilderoy—chose to stay behind at the palace for now; an hour wasn't a lot of time to really do much but look around at the sights for a few minutes and then walk back, unless you knew exactly where you were going, how to get there, and how long it would take to get back. Nobody wanted to risk being late for the feast, not if Zultan was making a big deal about it.

The exception was Zircon himself, who stepped over to Applejack while the others were all making their way inside. "Applejack, thou hast spun many a tale on the nature of thy family farm, this 'Sweet Apple Acres', and how much thou dost love the farm life. 'Tis a grave crime that we hath not had the time to visit any pony farms in our journeys this far."

"Uh, yeah, I ain't too happy 'bout it neither," Applejack said, removing her hat. "I finally get the chance ta see what a southern farm in this here neck o' the woods looks like but we gotta just keep movin' along. 'Tain't fair."

"Wouldst thou like to visit a farm here in Zeb'ra'den?"

Applejack tilted her head. "Y'all got farms 'round here?"

"Aye, that we do. Mayhap not the same as a farm that thou art accustomed to, but a farm nonetheless."

"Well shucks, that sounds like a bit o' fun, actually. Ya sure we got time?"

He nodded. "The larger ones art outside the walls, but there is a smaller one here within, and 'tis the one I shalt showeth to thee." He gestured with his head for her to follow along. "Come, 'tis close by. We shalt return before the feast hath been prepared."

Applejack straightened her hat and followed along. "Right behind ya, Mister Thou."

Twilight watched them go before she followed the rest of the group into the palace, then shrugged and let them be.


*****


Rarity followed after Zyra as they walked through the streets of Zeb'ra'den with Pattycake and Crossfire in tow, and she couldn't but notice that there seemed to be a lot of attention coming towards her group. Zebras of all sorts seemed to just pause momentarily to stare as they walked by, then went back to whatever it was that they'd been doing before; some zebras even seemed more transfixed than others, though there wasn't any sort of pattern to it.

"Zyra, darling, why are so many zebras glancing our way?" Rarity asked after watching a zebra baker very nearly drop a tray of bread because he was so distracted. "We didn't attract this much attention as we were riding along in the carriages earlier."

"That's because other than Sir Zircon and Ambassador Zultan, none of our traveling party was out in the open," Zyra said with a smile. "These zebras are not so accustomed to ponies walking through our streets. Though there is more to that, of course, as I doubt they would be so transfixed were it not for you."

Rarity tilted her head. "Me? What do you mean? I'm not attracting the wrong sort of attention, am I?"

"Oh no, not at all. It's your coloration that's attracting a lot of attention, actually. You should feel flattered."

"My coloration?"

Zyra nodded. "Your coat and mane. In zebra culture, we revere Harmonia as one amongst our pantheon, a goddess of Light and the heavens, much as the ponies do. It is a showing of good faith in our allies of House Snow; they, in turn, pay tribute to our gods, such as the goddess Layk."

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"The ponies do not depict Harmonia with any sort of physical form, but the zebras do: a winged, horned pony mare of untold beauty with a coat as white as the whitest snows of winter, a mane the color of the frozen lakes in the moons' light." Zyra glanced at Rarity's mane, then nodded again. "It's close enough."

Rarity paused, even stopped walking for a moment. "They… they don't think I'm Harmonia, do they? That's not what you're suggesting?"

"No, they see you as perhaps… an avatar of sorts. Remember, we zebras do not believe that any of Harmonia's Wardens since Silvertongue have had a legitimate claim to the title. To see a pony with such clear physical evidence of a connection to Harmonia, though, well… that is something that would grab their attention."

Pattycake rolled her eyes. "We get it, we get it, Rarity's gorgeous, sheesh. Y'know it's not all it's cracked up to be to be a pretty mare. You probably get stares from ponies too, but they're not all wondering if they're seeing a goddess walk down the street. They're probably wondering 'mmm how do I get a piece of that?' I'd bet."

"I wish I could say that you're wrong," Rarity muttered, knowing quite well the effect she sometimes had on stallions. "Luckily these zebras seem to have some class."

"Or they figure they'd be stupid to catcall the avatar of one of their goddesses."

Rarity gigged, then turned fully to Pattycake and gave her a smile. "And don't poo-poo your own looks, dear. You're a lovely mare, and that's the truth. I only wish that Applejack put as much thought into her upkeep as you did."

"Psh, nice try, I bet you're just trying to butter me up for something. What, do you want some complementary cupcakes 'cause you're eating for two now?"

"Honeybear, she's just tryin' ta give ya a compliment," Crossfire said with a grin. "An' she's right, you're purdier than any mare I ever did see, yessir, an' that's the truth."

Pattycake considered him a moment, then stuck her nose in the air. "Good answer."

As the group approached the temple—a surprisingly simple structure built of obsidian and gold like all the rest and decorated with waterfalls that somehow weren't frozen—Zyra took a stronger lead over the ponies as she directed them towards the main entrance. There were no guards or anything of the sort, and zebras of all kinds were coming in and out, some of them alone, others in pairs, and others as entire families.

Zyra led the group not into the main temple hall, though, where Rarity could see zebras moving in a line towards a large statue of what could only be a representation of the goddess Layk, who Zyra said was a goddess of nature, life, and love.

The statue was of a zebra mare with elongated features, much the same as alicorns had elongated limbs compared to the other pony races. The mare's face was hidden behind a mask decorated with feathers of the same sort that Zyra wore in her mane. She was positioned directly under a waterfall that had not eroded whatever material the statue was made from, posed such that she appeared to be bathing.

"The main hall is always open for worshipping purposes," Zyra explained as she led the ponies further along a different hallway. "The High Priestess is rarely there except for particular ceremonies, so we will find her elsewhere. I would very much like to speak with her, and she will help us with our other matters as well."

Rarity smiled and glanced at Pattycake. "Yes, I imagine that she'll be a big help in that regard."

"I sure hope so," Pattycake said, biting her lip.

Crossfire glanced between the mares and scratched his head. "Uh… what's all this 'bout 'other matters'? Am I missin' somethin'?"

"In due time, in due time," Rarity tittered.

As they traveled down the hall, eventually they were greeted by a priestess of the temple in the same sort of white robes that Zyra wore, only in the old, unmodified style that Rarity had created. The priestess seemed to recognize Zyra and nearly dropped a tray of incense bricks in surprise. 

"Oh! Sister! It hath been some years, dear Zyra." 

"Sister Zorii, hello," Zyra said with a smile and a nod, stepping forward to admire the feathers in the other mare's mane. "You've grown up. When I saw you last you were but a mere Nestling, and now you are a full-fledged Sister. I am so proud of you."

The priestess, Zorii, shook her head, probably confused at Zyra's lack of meter. "Thou art here. Might I asketh why thou hast come?" A pause. "Forgive me. 'Tis improper form. We greet first."

Zyra and Zorii hugged one another like family members who had not seen each other in a very long time, then kissed cheeks first followed by lips, though not in any sensual or romantic sense; it was just a part of their religious traditions, and was treated with tact and normalcy.

"Now, Sister, thou canst answer me. How fares thee?" Zorii asked, eyeing Zyra with big, curious eyes. "And also, why dost thou not speak in meter?"

Rarity was having some trouble figuring out the meter that Zorii was using, because it was clear that she was speaking in some poetic meter and yet she wasn't using any sort of rhyming scheme. Zyra had told her that different meters were used for different social classes, but thus far she'd only heard Zultan and Zircon's iambic meters, who were ten and eight for every line, respectively. Zorii's was three, five, then three again, repeat.

"I am a citizen of Hope's Point now, Zorii. I hath integrated into their culture," Zyra replied, taking the priestess's hoof in hers. "As such I hold no such social rank as a priestess in the Sisterhood of Layk. You may speak with me as you would speak with any pony."

Zorii blinked a few times, then nodded. "I see. Then thou hast joined with them fully, a pony in all but name. Thou art no longer a true Sister…"

Zyra frowned. "That's not true, Zorii, I still pray to Layk every night before I rest and I still wear her feathers with pride. I may not have a temple to perform duties in, but I would never abandon my love for our goddess. It doesn't matter if I do not participate in ceremonies, for Layk is in my very soul and I still practice her teachings every day."

"Well spoken, Sister," came another female voice from further down the hall. "To practice Layk's teachings still, 'tis all that one needs."

Zorii and Zyra both turned at the voice and immediately bowed, but said nothing, even as the new mare approached. 

She was older than they were, that much was obvious from voice alone, but not so much that she was elderly. She wore robes as well, more extravagant than Zorii's, but still otherwise plain and white. Most notable was a ceremonial ceramic mask over the top half of her face, which was decorated with pink and green crystals and paints to give the appearance of a flowery field.

The new mare approached Zorii first, and lifted her face up with her hoof to kiss her forehead. "Go, Sister Zorii. Thou hast duties to complete. 'Tis not thy place here."

The younger mare nodded and ensured that she had all of her incense bricks on her tray, then scooted off without another word or look to anyone.

Rarity could hear the meter in this new mare's tone: five, seven, five, again with no rhyming whatsoever. In fact, it reminded Rarity very much of a particular poetry style from her world that had started picking up in recent years and was very popular in one of her favorite exotic fashion magazines. A… haiku, she believed it was called? Did this mare speak entirely in haiku?

The mare then approached Zyra, and lifted her face up as well to kiss her forehead, then gestured for Zyra to rise up. "Oh, Sister Zyra, thou hast returned to these halls after many years. I see that thou hast taken up thy blade for true," she said, pressing a hoof against Zyra's longsword hilt. "Thou hast a new look."

Zyra nodded. "I am a part of Hope's Point now, Mother Ziala. I have adapted to their ways and culture, but I still carry my legacy as a priestess of the Sisterhood."

"Indeed, which means that I might speaketh with thee as if thou were not a Sister, a zebra, but a pony. 'Twill be difficult to accept for the others in the Sisterhood, but giveth them time to accepteth the 'new' Zyra." The mare then turned to the ponies present. "Greetings to thee, visitors, and welcome to the Temple of Layk. I am High Priestess Ziala. Art thou comrades of Sister Zyra?"

Rarity nodded and approached first. "We are, yes, and thank you for having us here in your lovely temple. I'm Rarity—"

"Lady Rarity," Zyra quietly whispered.

"Lady Rarity," Rarity corrected. "A pleasure to meet you."

Pattycake and Crossfire just gave the zebra priestess polite little waves and introduced themselves by name, nothing more.

Ziala nodded low, then rose back up to meet Rarity's eyes. "Thou art a Consort, I see; thine unity trinket is worn with pride upon thy foreleg. 'Tis not uncommon for our lords and ladies to take a Consort from Frostburg, but I thinketh not that thou art a member of House Snow."

"No, I'm not. I'm not any of that, actually. I'm the… Consort of Queen Blackburn and King Lockwood, though we prefer the term 'Companion' amongst ourselves."

Ziala tilted her head, slightly confused, a little distressed maybe? "Ah, I see. I didst not think that ponies were adopting our most honored practices."

"Only in Hope's Point, Mother Ziala," Zyra said with a firm nod. "At least as far as I am aware, the southern nobles still do not share their lives with their consorts, and do not provide them with proper titles or blessings."

"Indeed." Ziala stepped towards Rarity and, with Rarity's allowance, kissed her cheeks. "'Twould be to thy benefit to ensure that others know that 'tis Queen Blackburn and King Lockwood who hath claimed thee, for our people wouldst become… quite angry were it a southern pony lord instead. And mayhap still they would be troubled."

Rarity nodded slowly. "I will keep that in mind, Mother Ziala, thank you."

Ziala then turned to Zyra, and took the latter's hooves in hers. "Dearest Zyra, what bringest thee to the temple after so long? It hath been many a moon since I hath heard from thee; art thou well in Hope's Point?"

"I am well, Mother, thank you," Zyra replied with a small smile. "As you can see, I am the personal guardian of Lady Rarity and her unborn foal; my sword is sworn to her forevermore."

"A great honor indeed, to be the guardian of any lord or lady, and of their child. Thou hast come a long way since thou first didst come to me so long ago, with naught but crushed dreams and a broken heart." Ziala kissed Zyra's forehead again. "My heart swells with pride for thee."

Zyra's face reddened. "Thank you, Mother. Also, I… I have found a stallion who makes me happy. A pony, a pegasus in fact. He is a soldier in good standing. He knows of my condition, and it does not trouble him; we have only recently begun courting, but I have hopes that there is more to come."

"Indeed?" Ziala said with a smile. "Well, then may Layk's blessings be upon thee, my dear."

"Speaking of which, I wanted to ask if you could do me a favor?"

"Oh?"

Zyra gestured towards Pattycake and Crossfire. "Though these two have been wed for some time, I was wondering if we could still arrange a Lifegiving for them? They are comrades in our travels, and the mare is sister of His Majesty King Lockwood, the stallion his sworn guardian."

Pattycake stepped forward, almost pushing Rarity out of the way. "That's right! Zyra and Rarity told me all about the kind of stuff Zyra used to do when she was a priestess here, and I knew, I just knew, that I had to ask about arranging one for us."

"What're ya talkin' about there, honeybear?" Crossfire asked, scratching his head. "What's this here 'Lifegivin'? What's goin' on?"

"Does thy husband not knoweth of our sacred duties?" asked Ziala.

Pattycake shook her head. "No, but that's because I wanted it to be a surprise. He's a little old-fashioned and doesn't like talking about that kind of stuff."

"What kind o' stuff?" he asked.

"Sex stuff," she replied.

Crossfire's face reddened. "Now hol' on, are you sure ya wanna be talkin' 'bout that kind o' stuff in front o' strangers?" He paused as he looked at a smiling Rarity and Zyra. "An' friends? 'Tain't proper ta talk about bedroom stuff like that."

Zyra interjected with a grin, "If there is anyone who wouldst not be bothered by such matters, 'tis the High Priestess of Layk."

"Sweetheart, I'm not talking about bedroom stuff, I'm talking about our future," Pattycake said, pressing her hoof to his chest. "We've been trying for six months now for a foal, and still, nothing. The doc said that nothing's wrong with either of us, so that means we've just been unlucky, that's all."

Crossfire was redder than ever. "Wh-what's that gotta do wit' this?"

"The Lifegiving ceremony is a sacred ritual that is performed here in the temple," Zyra explained. "It is considered one of the Sisterhood's three most sacred duties, for as priestesses under Layk we would be tasked to deliver her blessings upon those seeking her aid."

"Our Lady Layk is a goddess who hath, besides nature, claimed three facets of life that bringeth prosperity to the realm," Ziala said, stepping forward to look Crossfire in the eye. "Love, which we bless via marriage ceremonies; life, which we bless via the delivering of foals; and fertility, which we bless via ensuring that foals are sired in a more intimate ceremony."

Crossfire's face might as well have been the definition of the word "red". "Wh-what?"

"'Tis a sacred ceremony, as Zyra hath said. Through the application of enchanted paints and the ingestion of enchanted mixtures, a healthy couple shalt be assured of a healthy foal. 'Tis usually provided as a 'wedding gift' by lords and ladies to their fellows."

"I… but…" Crossfire looked down at his wife. "Honeybear, are you sure 'bout this?"

"I'm sure that I want your foals," Pattycake said simply with a firm nod. "And I'm sure that we've been trying for months but had no luck, like I said. We have an opportunity here to make sure that once everything's said and done and we go back home, our little family is gonna get bigger. Don't you want that?"

"O' course I do. I just…" Crossfire gulped. "I'm just nervous 'bout talkin' 'bout this here is all. 'Specially wit' friends 'n' such," he added, glancing at Rarity and Zyra; Rarity wanted to tell him to just be glad Gadget wasn't here to rib him for this.

"Well I sure wasn't gonna be able to surprise you with it if we talked about it in private, sweetheart." Pattycake turned to Ziala. "So, um… how do we go about doing this? Is there like a… thing for us to sign or something?"

Ziala hummed, tapping her chin. "Typically we do not perform this sacred rite for pony couples, but 'tis not due to tradition, but practicality, for we hath no pony couples living here in Zeb'ra'den. Indeed, ponies hath taken part in the ceremony before, as those from House Snow ofttimes marry into Zeb'ra'den noble houses, and vice versa."

Pattycake bit her lip. "Sooo… can you guys squeeze us in for an appointment?" 

"Aye. There is an opening in tonight's schedule, at high moons. Wouldst that be acceptable?"

"Midnight tonight? Sure! We can do that, right sweetheart?" Pattycake asked, pawing at her husband's chest.

Crossfire nervously licked his lips, his eyes darting between the expectant looks of three other mares; Rarity didn't like putting pressure on the poor stallion like this but it was amusing, and again, he should be glad Gadget wasn't here with them. 

"Uh… sure," he said. "I ain't got no problem wit' that. What's that there ritual entail exactly? 'Tain't gonna hurt or nothin', is it?"

"Ah, we cannot discuss particulars here, for 'tis a private matter," Ziala said with a coy grin. "But worry not, my fine fellow, for thou shalt findeth… enjoyment in it. None yet hath left our temple unsatisfied. Zyra, thou dost confirmeth this?"

"Nobody, zebra nor pony, has ever walked out of here not feeling like a million bits, to use a northern expression," Zyra said with a grin. "Though at times they have had trouble walking out of here," she added, nudging a very excited-looking Pattycake.

"Er… r-right," Crossfire gulped. "The heck did I just agree to…"


*****


"When ya said y'all were takin' me to a farm, I was expectin' a lil' bit more'n this," Applejack said, giving Zircon a little nudge. "'Tain't like no farm I ever seen before."

Indeed, this "farm" was barely more than a simple, small "orchard"—if it could even be called that—made up of a small collection of fruit trees unlike anything Applejack had ever encountered. 

They resembled pear trees, only with pure white leaves and bark the color of grape juice. They were also not nearly as tall as any tree that Applejack knew, as if someone had chopped them down just below the lowest branches and stuck them in the ground like that. And all of them were planted directly into a small patch of snow and ice, too, not into any sort of soil.

"'Tis a snowfruit orchard, though admittedly small," Zircon explained as he walked up to one of the trees closest to him. "Snowfruit is unlike most other crops. The fruit only groweth in ice and snow, not in earth. If I might be plain with thee, thou hast a point in that a snowfruit orchard wouldst pale before an orchard of oranges or pears. They groweth best in the wilds, untended to by hooves."

Applejack scratched her head. "Fair enough, I guess. I ain't never heard of a 'snowfruit' before, so I'll trust ya ta tell me how it is. We ain't got these back home, y'see."

"Truly? Then thou hast never tasted one, either?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Can't say that I have."

"Well, we must remedy this immediately." He stepped over to the tree and yanked a fruit off the branch, then brought it over to her. "And worry thyself not; this orchard doth belong to my family, so 'tis not stealing."

"Good, I was about ta give ya a lil' earful 'bout takin' other folks' stuff," she chuckled. "Yer family owns this here orchard?"

"Aye, 'tis on our land, though not a part of our main estate. Snowfruit requireth little tending to and is quite plentiful as it grows quickly, e'ry few months in an orchard such as this, so my sister Zora doth not even waste time and money employing a guard."

He passed the fruit over to her, and she gave it a keen once-over. It looked like an upside-down pear, with the fat end at the top by the stem rather than at the bottom. The skin was a cold, icy blue, almost like a sapphire, but it did not reflect the light of the moons above quite as well. It was even just a little cold to the touch.

Then she bit into it, and her eyes widened at the sudden burst of flavor. It tasted like those blue raspberry candies that Pinkie and Rainbow enjoyed, right down to the strong, sour zing that came with them, and yet it had the melt-in-your-mouth texture of a perfect sherbert ice cream.

"Verdict?" Zircon asked, giving her a wide grin.

Applejack swallowed her mouthful and gave him a nod as she wiped the juices off her chin. "Well, it ain't no apple, but it sure is dee-lightful."

He tilted his head. "An… apple?"

"Yeah…? Oh. Right. I keep forgettin' yer world ain't got apples in it fer some dang ol' reason." She stared at the snowfruit—its innards were bright blue, like the candy Applejack had compared it to—then gestured at it. "Probably traded places wit' this here snowfruit stuff, I'm guessin'. Or somethin'. Heck if I know."

"Seeing as I hath never encountered one, I cannot say for certain. Mayhap they do exist I didst not know what they were called. To be honest, I hath always thought thy name didst stand for 'pineapple'."

"Naw. Apples are apples, that's that." Applejack gestured at her flank, even turning a bit to give him a clear view. "See my Cutie Mark? Them red things there are apples. Just the real generic kind, though, but you get the picture."

He did not hesitate to glance, which she appreciated—too many folks around here got all jittery about being asked to look at her Cutie Mark, something which was perfectly normal to do at home. Heck, little colts and fillies would cheer and yell and make a lot of commotion when they got their marks, and were always willing to show them off. Did it not work like that here?

Zircon hummed and nodded. "In only this form, as a simple image, might I say that they look… appetizing? 'Twould be a delight to give one a taste, methinks."

She gave him a coy grin; he'd walked right into her little trick. "Shucks, you flirtin' wit' me now Mister Thou? 'Cause that right there was a doozy."

"Hmm. Mayhaps it was, mayhaps not."

He tilted his head and briefly met her eyes with his, then took back the snowfruit and took a bite, chewed, and swallowed, all deliberately slowly, including letting the juices drip to his lips a moment before licking them. Applejack could feel her heart beating just a little faster; it should be illegal to look sexy eating a danged fruit like that.

"If thou dost claim those to be generic apples, 'twould imply that there art different breeds, aye, much like a rose?"

Applejack shook off her distracting thoughts. "Uh, yeah, there are a lot o' different kinds of apples in my neck o' the woods."

"Canst thou name them all for me? I admit, I am most curious."

She smirked. "That a challenge?"

He smirked back. "Nay, just a harmless question. But if thou canst not do it—"

"Ya got yer granny smiths—my Granny's named after 'em—and yer fuji apples, yer red delicious, green delicious, golden delicious, pink ladies, honeycrisp, envy apples, gala apples, pazzaz, jazz, braeburn apples—got a cousin named after 'em—and then there's cameo apples, hidden rose apples, ambrosia, jonagold, empire, mcintosh apples—that's what my pa 'n' big brother are named after—"

Zircon laughed with a great guffaw. "Cheerily, fair Applejack, thou art truly an expert! Never before hath I seen anyone, pony or zebra, speaketh with such fiery passion over something so seemingly mundane as a fruit."

"Shucks, you think that's somethin', ya ain't never heard of all the things folks make wit' apples. Plenty o' folks in the Apple Clan're even named for 'em, too." She took a dramatic breath. "Apple pie, apple cider, candied apples, caramel apples, apple brown betty, apple tart, apple crisp, applesauce, apple galette, apple chips, apple crumble, apple jam, apple butter, apple fritters, apple cobbler—" She paused, waiting for him to stop her again.

He didn't, instead just watching her with a sly little grin.

"Ain'tcha gonna try an' stop me ramblin'?"

"Nay. 'Twould be a shame to halt thy spiel, for thou hast more than just a fiery passion for these 'apples'. 'Twould be fair to call it an obsession, if thou dost not mind my saying so."

She chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Shucks, I mean, I guess it kinda is. Apple farmin' has been a part o' my family fer generations. I'm an apple farmer, my big brother's an apple farmer, our pa was an apple farmer, Granny was an apple farmer when she was younger, her daddy was an apple farmer, an' so on. It's just… it's what I love doin'. It's tradition."

He was silent for a moment, looking up at the moon, then gave her a slow nod. "'Tis tradition for members of my family to serve as soldiers or knights. Not all of us, no, but 'tis an honored path for many to take. The blood of the kingdom's greatest warrior, Princess Zarya, runneth through my veins. The art of battle hath been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

"Thou art the same, Applejack, though the battlefield of choice for thee is the field and orchard, and thy weapons of choice art thine own hooves as thou soweth seeds and reapeth thy harvest season after season." He placed his hoof to her chin and looked her right in the eye. "Thou art an admirable mare, Applejack. A fine warrior, and a finer farmer."

Applejack gulped; she thought it was supposed to be freezing out here, but she just felt unbearably warm. "Hot dang, Zircon, you sure do know how ta use that there mouth o' yers ta make a mare feel good, don'tcha?"

"Fair Applejack, art thou flirting with me?" he asked with a coy grin. "Because that was quite a 'doozy'."

She blinked, then pushed him away, laughing and tugging her hat over her eyes. "Pshaw! Get outta here wit' that malarkey. You think you're pretty funny, don'tcha Mister Thou?" She gestured back the way they came, towards the palace. "Now if you're done messin' 'round, we oughta get back so we ain't late fer the feast, y'hear?"

"Aye," he said with a grin and a nod. "Come, let us make haste."

As she followed along beside him, though, Applejack just hoped that her hat was successfully hiding the red in her face.


*****


Hourglass had never been to a feast before, and before it was even all said and done she vowed that she would never go to one again, or at least not one hosted by zebras. 

Everything was too loud, too messy, too excessive, too chaotic, and did she mention too loud? She could barely hear herself think while she was trying to eat, she wasn't allowed to use her magic to eat since it was zebra feast with zebra rules and they didn't have telekinesis, and the food was just so much food that she felt a little sick trying to stuff it all down.

Since she'd barely been able to hear herself think, naturally she was also barely able to hear any conversations that were being had over all the loud, cross-table conversations being shouted around a feasting hall that just carried noise like you wouldn't believe. 

She couldn't hear what Pinkie had been shouting before trying to consume an entire sandwich in one bite, nor did she hear what the zebra soldier near her had said that got Rainbow riled up. She couldn't hear what Zyra had snapped at one of the other zebra soldiers near her and Rarity, either, nor could she hear the laughter of Sir Zircon afterwards. She couldn't even hear the conversation that Winter and Twilight were having, and she was right next to them!

She did see them holding hooves under the table though. About bloody time.

The only two things that Hourglass was able to make out clearly in the whole ruckus were the beginning, and the end, wherein King Zaratite himself, as the host, welcomed the guests, and later bid them farewell as he left. It was just a bunch of political la-dee-da as far as Hourglass was concerned; she knew that Winter was hoping to get to the actual negotiations tonight, but this was what they had to deal with.

She actually stopped listening some halfway through his welcoming speech, as he greeted each and every guest—zebra guest, mind—and thanked them for something they'd done lately or some other such nonsense. The only pony in the room that got any recognition at all was Queen Blackburn, and that was surprisingly short: just her name, a nod, a raising of his glass and of hers, and then he moved on.

It was official: Hourglass hated politics.

Oh, and she hated that the feast had this whole… phase sort of deal, where after every course of the meal the guests were supposed to switch seats elsewhere so that they could speak with other guests. Some sort of bizarre method of forcing a social aspect into this noisy dinner feast, but supposedly it was zebra tradition.

Now, the actual mechanics of it didn't bother her, of course. It was that she got seated next to a son of one of the zebra lords, who was somewhere about her age, maybe a little older, and who just would not stop flirting with her no matter how much she ignored him.

Oh, she'd heard him doing it, because he was specifically talking to her and making sure that she knew that he was talking to her and getting a little too much into her personal space to do so. The fact that he couldn't take a hint throughout an entire course of the feat was aggravating to no end; she was glad when she was able to rotate away from him. She didn't even bother to catch his name.

She wondered if she could find some of those little stick-on name tags that ponies used at parties so that she could make it clear that she was Hello! My Name is Not Interested in You.

But once the feast was over and guests were allowed to leave—three hours later!—Hourglass didn't waste much time in returning to her room, not just so that she could get some sleep, but so that her stomach could settle down. 

The guest chambers here at the Zeb'ra'den royal palace were, incidentally, nowhere near the quality of the noble estates the party had been staying at thus far, nor the guest chambers in Hope's Point's palace. 

In fact, they were barely on the same level as the guest rooms at the Goldridge Checkpoint; actually, no, not even that, because at least at the Checkpoint there was at least a shower and a functioning toilet. Even the pony nobles down here had toilets… just not as sophisticated as the northern sort.

The bed was comfortable, at least, though she questioned the wisdom of it being below the window in such a way that the moons' light shined right on her face. And now she noticed that there weren't any curtains on said windows. Who designed this room? Was this a guest room, or a dungeon? Was this torture intentional? Did the others have rooms like this? Surely the zebra king wouldn't put somepony like Queen Blackburn in a room like this, right?

Was it because she snubbed that zebra colt? It was because she snubbed him, wasn't it? She wished she'd gotten his name now, if only to hunt him down more easily and kick him someplace uncomfortable.

Then there came a little knock at her door, quiet enough that it wasn't aggravating. "Hmmm," was all Hourglass could really grumble out in response; even she didn't know what it was supposed to mean.

"Hourglass? Can I come in?" came Sunspire's voice from the other side.

Hourglass managed to lift herself off of her bed enough to grunt out a "Sure".

Sunspire opened the door and entered, looking just a little nervous. "Hi. Um… did you enjoy the feast?"

Hourglass grumbled a little, then managed to mutter, "Food was good. Too much of it though. I'm bloody well bloated."

"Oh. Yes, I agree," the colt said, patting his slightly swollen belly. "On both accounts, actually. I'm surprised some of the guests were able to handle it; where do they put it all? Green must have eaten three times as much as me and he's still walking around like that was a regular meal. He even wanted to ask about getting extra dessert!"

"Probably goes straight to his muscles. Just skips right past all the other biological stuff like digestion and such."

"Ohhh. Like that old cartoon where the sailor pony eats spinach and gets super strength from it?"

Hourglass blinked. "Uh… sure, yeah, just like that one." She shook her head. "So what's up, Sunsy? You obviously didn't come here to ask me about how the feast went."

"Aha… right. Um, no, I actually came here to give you something."

The young colt reached into his saddlebag and pulled out something wrapped in linen, which he passed over to her.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Open it," he replied.

She did so, slowly unwrapping the linen and finding that inside was a pocket watch with a gold and palladium case with a brass finish on a silver chain. It looked horrendously expensive, but it was of extremely fine quality and had some of the best craftwork she'd ever seen put into a clockwork device, and she'd seen a fair amount of high-quality contraptions… back home. She'd made a watch just like this in school, only with cheaper materials…

"What… what is this?" she asked, giving Sunspire the most curious look she could manage without starting to cry. "And no, don't tell me 'it's a pocket watch', I can bloody well see what it is."

Sunspire paused, then nodded. "Okay, good, 'cause I was about to— Anyway, it's… it's a present, from me to you. For your birthday."

Hourglass paused, stunned. "For my birthday? How did you know that today was my birthday? I never made a big deal about it."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "You and Winter mentioned it once while we were traveling together through Goldridge. Actually you just gave a few random figures here and there about it coming up and when it would be, not an exact date, but I, uh… extrapolated. Did she get you anything?"

"We don't do gifts with each other," Hourglass muttered, not upset, just still focused on the gift in her hooves.

She looked at the little pocket watch, marveling at every intricate little detail. She could see exactly were each and every piece of metal had been attached to create the case; she could see into the clockwork from the back particularly well and could see how each and every gear and screw had been meticulously positioned. She even gave it a little wind-up, and it sounded just… perfect.

It sounded like home.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Hourglass ignored the rumbling feeling in her stomach so that she could move off her bed to wrap the colt in a tight hug. "Thank you, Sunsy… this means a lot to me, more than you could possibly know. This is the best birthday gift that anypony's ever given me."

"Oh! Um… I'm g-glad you liked it," he peeped, returning the hug. "I'm really glad you liked it, actually. I've, um… I've never given anypony a birthday gift before. My birthday is the same as all of my compatriots, and we don't really have the means to—"

"Sunsy you are such a nerd," she scoffed as she tightened the hug. "But you're also the best little brother that anypony could ever ask for."

He paused for a moment, then tightened the hug. "I just wanted to do something for my big sister. That's all."