//------------------------------// // Chapter six: The zebra pony moon Fall of Twilight arc // Story: Project Harmony one: The ones in the background // by Megaskullmon //------------------------------// One of the zebra moons known as the world of guardians is named for its stripes in the shape of shields. They’re the dominant tribe on this moon known as the guardian's moon. Sometimes the guardians spread their genes out to non-zebras. It’s rare when it happens though the pony or dragon or so on is treated as a protective part of the family. Since some zebra tribes hate the idea of breeding outside the species.  Written by Unknown. My eyes open from the potion-induced statues. We are like a day away from getting to the moon of the guardians. I notice there is a message for me. I click a few of the buttons and coming up on the screen is my mother with my other mothers. “Hello, Chaser sweetheart we wanted you to have a good greeting when you wake up. We wanted you to know we all love you and we miss you and we finally get to see you after so many years is something I look forward to.” A large mare who looks like an alpha-minded mare stares at the computer like she is staring at me. “I have been asking your boss about your behavior, Chaser.” I gulp and stare at the alpha wife.  “Oh, Ebony I am sure whatever she did she won’t cause problems.” I gulped, staring at the shield-stripped mare. The others have different types of stripes. But I know full well being the mother of a pony mare and a guardian zebra male if the alpha wife is upset then the entire family is upset. “Whisper she has been hitting on everything with four legs and sleeping around. So forgive me if I think of her future.” Ebony snorts and whispers, my mother stares at the screen staring at me. I gulp deeply and shake my head knowing they called me for another reason. “Anyway your father is looking forward to seeing you. He is going to be waiting for you with your older sister Sav. Sav is looking forward to seeing you. Now Ebony wanted to speak to you without the rest of us here.” I look behind me to see the others are still asleep and Ebony is the last one sitting at the chair and she looks back at the other mares. I have a feeling they know what is going on. She then looks back at the screen. “Something is going on in Equus Cloudy. A friend of your father told him Twilight is on the move and he thinks something is going to happen to Project Harmony. It’s worse though Glyph has won the leadership power on the main zebra world. There are rumors he is going to pass zebra laws that would destroy families. This may be the only time for a long time when you will be able to talk to us.” I close my eyes and worry about my family even more now. I hope whatever Twilight is up to or Glyph things won’t get too bad. “I know you wish to stay and be a hero but when the time is right I am going to demand you take your father's ship which can make it back in a few hours rather than a week. He is getting it ready for you. We also know you have two friends coming, a Seven Fang and some mare named Shadow. We will take the Seven Fang Red Glow back home after your visit. We expect you to return before something bad happens.” I take a deep breath again and the message ends and I need to get food ready for the others. I get out of the chair heading to the kitchen grabbing a potion and strange powder. I drip the potion on the powder, placing it into a strange machine to make the food show up. I turn it on and it will take a while going to the toilet in another part of the ship to go to the bathroom to just think for a bit. Closing my eyes as I do my business so many things are going through my brain. I heard a ding out in the kitchen part of the ship which is not far from the main controls. I get off the toilet and flush the waste it goes through the ship and I watch it go through the pipes and get mixed into a potion to then get injected into the fuel system. I take a deep breath coughing hating how it stinks after all that. Heading to the kitchen and I see Red Glow already awake and she folds her arms staring at me.  “I heard everything, Chaser. I am not upset you will keep me on that planet till they’re able to get me home. But you pissed off the alpha.” She smirks. “I didn’t know you were that active.” I laugh softly. “I try not to go too overboard. It's not easy when most of your life you just worked and tried to prove to your father you’re a strong mare and not make him look at you why you exist. Of course, when I got older he started loving me more.” Red nods. “I know the feeling that my father was an ass. He may have loved me but he was still an ass. He did everything he could to me to show I was worthless to him. On his death bed though I put him there.” I stare at her tilting my head. She laughs. “It’s normal for my species. Sometimes the father will demand the son or the daughter to lose their temper with them and then try to kill them. I was able to do it because of my rare power. It’s why I trained to make sure I don’t do it again.” A weak smile comes across my face. Looking at Shadow who is still out cold. I remember her telling me her body doesn’t do well when she is in stasis. Red looks over to her and then back at me. “Should we wake her?” I shook my head. “No, for ones like her it’s best to let them wake up. If we force her to wake up she might vomit and it’s not pleasant to vomit out the brew used to keep you under. I trained with her and someone tried to make a joke on her and it ended badly for them.” Red looks back at Shadow then back at me. “It was you wasn’t it?” I smirk. “Yeah, it was me. Let’s just say there is a reason why I don’t joke around with her anymore. When I played the trick on her she didn’t only vomit but she took her training weapon and beat me to the point I was black and blue and she broke some ribs.” Red Glow giggles. “I can tell you’re in love with her.” I was about to get the food. I stop right at the word love. I turn to look at Red Glow. Why would she say that to me? I look at Shadow. Do I love her? Is my constant wanting to sleep with others just a way to compensate for her barely being able to stand me? “Oh come on Chaser you and I know full well she feels the same way about you. If you would stop ignoring how she looks at you and how she pretends to be upset with you at the time. You just need to show her it. Don’t wait to tell her; if you do you might not get another chance to tell her.” I shake my head. I have no right to tell Shadow how I feel about her. I am sure I will always have a chance to tell her. I do need to warn Red and Shadow zebras will come onto the ship to make sure we have no drugs or weapons on us. I hope they’re both ready for it. I know it’s not going to be easy for Shadow to be checked everywhere. “We will be there in four hours.” I didn’t want Red to get on my case. She just shakes her head. I figured she would get a bit upset at me for not even talking about how I feel about Shadow. I do feel strongly about Shadow. Just I doubt she wants to accept my love for everything I put her through. “Chaser, you can’t keep ignoring it.” I turn to look at Red. “Red I doubt she will accept me. I haven’t done very well at representing myself. I also get her in trouble most of the time with our bosses since we became close friends during the academy. I wanted to work the job I work now. She wanted to be an officer but I destroyed her chance for that.” I look over to Shadow who is finally waking up. It’s taking her a while since her body can’t handle most of the brews. I go over to the machine to put in a new brew. It turns bright red and enters her body. Her eyes slowly open from the heat of the brew. She coughs finally getting off the bed and grunting. “Chaser what was that?!” I chuckle “Zebra version of coffee.” Shadow coughs cover her mouth with a hoof trotting quickly to the bathroom, the door closing. When the door closes a soundproof shield forms over it to keep Shadow from getting too embarrassed about this. “Will she be okay?” I glance at Red nodding. “It’s a normal reaction for a pony. I may be half and half I can handle it with no issue. I got the body of a pony but my insides are as hard and rock as a zebra. Thankfully for me, I guess.” I laugh softly. “I see, is it normal for ponies to have issues with the brews of zebras and having issues living in their ships? Is that why you had us sleep the entire trip?” I nod “Zebra ships can’t handle the DNA of a pony very well. Like I said I may look like a pony on the outside. I may have the hooves of a zebra, the mane of a zebra, and a tail. So for me, I have no problem living on a zebra ship the entire time. I am just worried the ship wouldn’t respect Shadow.” Red looks around at the ship. “Is it alive?” I shook my head. “No it’s not just it only runs on zebra DNA and if a non-zebra tried running it. It wouldn’t end well and the zebras who storm the ship would throw a fit if a non-zebra is using the ship. So they did this to keep non-zebras out of them.” Red sighs. “I see why zebras have no respect for my species.” I frown knowing if my kind didn’t respect the Seven Fangs it’s because they wish to stay to themselves no matter what even if the zebras are part of the alliance they don’t wish to be open to other species or give other species rights on their worlds. Shadow comes out of the bathroom after a while she looks awful. So much sweat on her coat. I chuckle. “You okay Shadow?” Shadow growls snorting. “You should have warned me!! You should have warned me this ship wouldn’t accept my DNA. It took a while for the toilet to let me flush it.” I smirk. “I am sorry Shadow I did warn you before we got on the ship about all this. I hope you understand it’s not going to be a pleasant flight. The moon will respect you more since the guardians are open to other races.” Shadow snorts, finding a place in the ship to be on her own. I look back at Red with her claws and she tells me to go talk to her. I shrug my shoulders and she growls smacking her fist with one of her claws pointing to me. I gulp deeply, swinging my head over to the food which is cooking she nods. I walk over to Shadow and lay beside her, putting my wing over her. “Are you going to be okay?” Shadow snorts “You care now? Chaser seriously, you and I have known each other for years and you never know how I am feeling.” A deep sigh leaves my mouth. “Shadow, I know I don’t treat you very well. It’s how I was raised by my father and my mothers. To a zebra, we have too much pride to treat others who aren’t a zebra-like a friend. I have been working on it, you know full well I have.” Shadow turns her head to look at me. “I know you’re trying. Just for me, try harder and treat me better.” I sigh deeply, nodding and hugging Shadow tightly. “Hey, you two food is ready.”  After we are done eating a few hours later we find ourselves at the moon. I get to the console hearing many zebras speaking to each other and a larger battleship comes up to this. The other two stare at the magic flying brew battleship. “Okay, when they get over here don’t complain or argue with them.” The battleship docks with the ship. A group of warriors walks into the ship. A large mare walks in behind them looking at me then at the other two. “Hello, Chaser, I was told you’re returning home.” A smirk forms on my face. “Greetings General Water Dance.” Water Dance takes a look at Red Glow and sighs. “Warriors don’t mess with this one. Now the pony on the other hoof Chaser do you trust this pony?” I quickly nod. “Yes, I do.” Water Dance tells the guards to leave and looks back at me. “Your father is waiting for you, don't keep him waiting. Enjoy your landing.” I sigh watching the large mare leave and they undock. I get onto the chair to get ready to land. I close my eyes sighing knowing sooner or later I am going to need to tell Shadow how I feel. I program in the place to land and it will take about an hour to fully land. I tell the others to get some more sleep while I read up on the one known as Glyph. I need to know about the one who plans to destroy my family's lives. The ship starts to descend as I head back to the bed to fall asleep.