//------------------------------// // Chapter Five: A Question and A Clue // Story: Hopes 'n DreamsVerse: A Better Beginnings // by The HopesnDreamsVerse //------------------------------// And so ensued the start of a awful journey with an incompetent group of unbearable ponies who couldn't agree on any one thing. . . at least that's what Meteor would tell you if you asked how it went. "What other place to start than the Everfree Forest?" Rosebud asked as they approached the edge of the dark forest behind Aunt Fluttershy's cottage, regaining her earlier confidence and optimism. "It's where our mothers had their first epic mission together, and up until now we only haven't been accompanied by Auntie Twilight's kid, and now we are." Meteor was walking along near the back, though it was hard to be called such with the Pie twins bouncing along beside him with audible springs of their hooves. Being called a kid by somepony only a few years older than himself, though Rosebud had not meant it in that way or fashion, made him grumble irritably. “Adventure.” Marshmallow hummed, bouncing forward. “Adventure.” He said again as he sprang between Diamond Crest and Prismarine. “Adventure!” He sang as he bounced past Rosebud, who snickered at his antics. He bounced up to Honeycrisp. “Here-have-a-cupcake!” He then proceeded to pull a tray of said cupcakes out of nowhere and thrust one into the bigger stallion's mouth. Honeycrisp swallowed it, but still he glared and threw out a hoof in an attempt to hit him, though Marshmallow quickly sprang out of the way. “It's not an adventure.” Honeycrisp growled through his teeth. “Its a rescue attempt, and you should stop being all excited while ponies' lives are in danger! We should be focusing on how to pull this off instead.” Meteor agreed, but couldn't help but wonder where in Equestria the cupcakes had come from. Everypony else, instead of questioning it, shuffled up to grab a cupcake one by one. The darkness of the forbidding forest swamped over Meteor immediately, making him stare around him in anxiousness as everything around them faded like the light into deathly silence. “Well, we can't exactly make a plan before we even know what we're dealing with.” Rosebud pointed out, obviously unfazed by the sudden ambiance of the Everfree, having lived alongside it her whole life. “Might as well have a good time on the way there, and take our minds off of what's ahead.” Prismarine snorted, shaking a tangle of vines off her hoof while balancing her cupcake in the other and began to hover. “Can't have a good time in this wreck. Forests are for earth ponies, I don't do spaces where the sky isn't visible.” She grumbled. Rosebud shook her head. “C'mon guys, cheer up, this is exciting! Hey, how about a song?!” She exclaimed, and took a deep breath to sing. Meteor cringed and sprang to action immediately. “Um! Hey! How about not?” He exclaimed. Marshmallow nodded, now hitching a ride on a scowling Strawberry Sundae's back. “Yeah, I'm sorry Rosey, but you know your not much for musical talent.“ He mused ruefully. Rosebud bleated boredly but shrugged and nodded. “Well then instead, why don't you si— “—Aaaaand hey, instead why don't we play a guessing game, huh?” Marshmallow exclaimed, grinning as he cut off her line of thought. “Who's up for eye-spy?” “Ugh, NO!” Was literally everypony's reply. Anything but that. Meteor thought, now thinking about the book he had teleported back into the castle before they had left, and furthermore, feeling extremely unnerved by the darkness and quietness around them — anxious that any more loud noises would get them into serious trouble. Marshmallow, despite the obvious disapproval from the others, initiated the game. “I spy with my little eye, two somethings that are perpetually disheveled and grumpy.” Before both Honeycrisp and Prismarine could turn around and kill him, there was a strange sensation that overcame the area, making Meteor's heart lurch. There was a burst of red light; then Rosebud let out an excited noise and pointed ahead. “Ah! Would you look at that? We're here!” and she galloped forward. “What just happened?!” Meteor croaked. “Seems we've been teleported.” Strawberry Sundae answered. She can do that? Meteor wondered, silently this time before feeling immensely embarrassed by his cowardice. She's not even a unicorn. He gaped at the drac-pony ahead of him for a moment before realizing that everypony was already feet ahead of him, and almost to the strange tree-like structure that lay ahead, surrounded by stringings of wind chimes and colorful gourds up in the trees around it. “Where are we exactly?” He asked once he had caught up. “I thought that since we don't know where we're going, we might as well go and give a visit to someone who might. Ol' Zecora has traveled far and wide from the savannah continent of Zebrica. If anyone knows where to find a creature whose half lion, it's her.” Rosebud explained as they approached the door. Meteor reached into his knowledge of his mother's adventures. “Oh, right, the zebra.” He said as the drac-pony gave a knock on the door. There was the smell and sound of something bubbly and cooking as the door creaked open. There stood a pale gray zebra with prominent jet black stripes covering her body, large almond-shaped blue eyes and a swath of dark gray and white mane draping over her head, striped with high-lights of turquoise blue. “Oh! Visitors I see.” She said, her brows raising before she turned to look over her shoulder, a delighted smile spreading over her handsome face. “Mother, you will never guess who has come to see yee!” And then she walked back inside, leaving the door opened behind her, which Rosebud took as an invitation to come inside. Meteor found himself looking all around as he walked in. The hut of the zebras was certainly. . . different, what with all the shelves of gourds and vials and the decorations of Zebricaian masks on the oak walls. “I do not believe my eyes, you all must be in some kind of fix, what else would have brought to me the children of the six?” Another zebra, this one more closely matching the one shown to him in his mother's Memory Book, but with more stripes of white in her mane and a moderately lined face, said as she appeared from behind a curtain of beads on the far wall. “Hey, Aunt Zecora.” Diamond Crest greated. “Howdy.” “Good to see you, Aunt Zecora.” “Hey.” “How did you know?!” Came a reply from everyone in the group, except for Meteor, who stayed silent as he got the sense that he was butting into an already close-knit group. Zecora dipped her head, the shawl that she now wore instead of her neck bangles billowing a bit. “I know many things you don't young colt, but one does not need to be wise to recognize trouble from the offspring of an already troublesome group, in my eyes.” She answered Strawberry. The younger zebra hummed merrily and nodded before trotting a few steps over to the bubbling cauldron placed in the middle of the hut. “I see there is one among you that seemingly does not belong.” She said with a wink as she lifted onto her hind legs to grab a ladle and struggled to push it through whatever was cooking. From the smell Meteor thought it must be made up of an assortment of strange forest things foraged by the two zebras' very hooves. It was a strong smell, not disgusting but certainly not very pleasant to breathe in. He lifted his chin slightly, aware that he must be the one who didn't belong according to the zebra. Zecora, roused by her daughter's words, laid eyes onto Meteor, who in turn glanced in her direction. “So there is. But unlike you my child, I suspected he would be joining us before long.” She came up to Meteor, smiling softly. “Um, h-hi.” Meteor stammered. “I'm-” “I know who you are, young colt.” Zecora interrupted, raising a hoof. “You are the Prince Meteorite Star. You really think your mother would let seventeen years pass without alerting me, her friend, of your birth and who you are?” She asked. Meteor shrank a bit. “Oh, well uh-” “No matter.” Zecora interrupted again, walking past him and joining the other zebra by the cauldron, taking a gourd from a small table beside it and sprinkling its contents inside. “Since you are new, you surely don't know my daughter, Zuri?” She asked, glancing back at the group when she was done. Zuri raised her hoof high and waved to them unnecessarily. Meteor gave a hesitant wave back, before glancing over his shoulder at his companions, all of which shrugged, indicating that the eager action was normal. “That is fine, she will make herself known in a hurry.” Zecora said. “I like food that is sweet, things that are soft and warm, and being a helpful hoof to those in need of assistance.” Zuri exclaimed, before continuing to push the ladle sticking out of the cauldron, though, as Meteor looked closer, it didn't seem to be moving. “So what can we do today to help you lot with? Is something direly amiss?” “Yes actually, a Sphinx has captured the Wonderbolts and we need to know how to find it and get them back.” Honeycrisp stepped up, taking the lead. Zuri and Zecora both gave a little purse of their lips, clearly thinking, looking identical as they did so. Zuri spoke first. “Ah, a sphinx you say? Well we know just the pony who can help!” She exclaimed. “Yes, most of you may be familiar with the daughter of the great Pillars Somnambula and Flash Magnus, a miss Masika Maye. The dear is good friends with my Zuri and she often stays here with us when her family is away.” Zecora added. “Oh yes, Masika, of course!” Rosebud exclaimed, clapping her paws together. “Somnabula once banished such a creature, so it only makes sense that she knows where to find one! Where is she?” She asked, looking around. ”Oh, she'll be off practicing her flying out in the forest, it shouldn't be long now before she returns though.” Zuri piped up. “You know, it's just awful to hear about the Wonderbolts. How on earth did a sphinx get ahold of them?” She asked, suddenly dropping her smile and looking quite sympathetic. “Um well. . .my dad-” Rosebud started, but Zuri nodded in understanding. “Of course.” She sighed. “When will that drake learn?” “I know many things from experience in my past, but understanding on how the draconequus's chaotic brain works always escapes my grasp.” Zecora said. “You need not worry long, Masika will soon be along.” Diamond Crest let out a shaky sigh. “I certainly hope she has answers.” She groaned. Sundae nodded anxiously, shuffling his hooves. ”Ohh, me too. The suspense is killing me, and the rest of us! Right S'more?” Marshmallow clicked his tongue. ”It definitely isn't very productive to our cause.” He agreed, scratching his neck. “But, best to be optimistic.” Meteor snorted. “Kinda hard to be.” Considering. And then there was a sudden sound from outside and immediately the creaking of the door filled the air and it opened with a soft thump against the wall, turning everypony's attention towards it. Meteor took a step back and followed suit to look at whoever was about to enter. In walked a mare that sparkled. Sparkled as in she was encrusted around her ankles and tied into her hair by bangles of gold and studded with jewels of emerald green and ruby red. She was a narrow but strong structured pegasus with a coat not too different in color from Marshmallow's, though it was considerably more cinnamon in tint. Her extremely thick mane, tied back into a bejeweled ponytail, was a rusty red shade streaked in highlights of darker eggplant purple. Her face was narrow and almost filly-like, but her calm and focused expression told you that she wasn't at all childish. In fact, she had to be a few years older than any of them. “Ah, here she comes now. Don't be afraid, she will tell you how.” Zecora said as the bangled pegasus closed the door behind her and stopped in her tracks upon noticing the visitors. She lifted a hoof as in surprise, but her expression of steady patience didn't falter or change in the slightest. “Oh, visitors from Ponyville?” She asked, turning to look at Zecora and Zuri, who both were up on their hind legs trying to stir the contents of the cauldron with the stubbornly imobile ladle. “Hey, Maye!” Zuri said, smiling at the arrival. “Yeah these guys were asking questions about a certain Sphinx, specifically the one your mother sent away.” Masika Maye nodded in understanding and took a step closer to the group. Meteor cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, we were wondering if you knew where we could find her lair?” He asked. Masika looked him over specifically before looking at the others around him. “Of course I know, I've heard the stories. My mother Somnambula tracked the mighty Sphinx for a long while before she was sucked up with her pillar friends. Before her rescue of Prince Hisan, the Sphinx lived in the pyramid located beside her hometown, and after, she retreated into the Forbidden Jungle.” “Forbidden jungle?” Rosebud said, rubbing her chin in thought. Meteor blinked. I don't recall hearing about that before. He thought. Masika Maye nodded slowly, let out a thoughtful hum, and brushed past the group to reach a desk that resided on the far wall. She opened it and rummaged for a bit before pulling out a long, yellowed and nicked sort of parchment that unfolded as she lifted it up with her forehooves. “This map will show you to where you seek.” She said, turning back to the others, bringing out her wings to grip the map at full length in front of her. “And for now it's yours to keep.” Zuri added from over the bubbling cauldron. “As long as you bring it back, that is.” Masika said with a shrug, and trotted over to the cauldron. She left the map gravitating in the air, and Meteor leaped forward to catch it in his magic. The pegasus then proceeded to fly over the cauldron, grip the ladle with all four hooves, and dragged it easily through the thick sludge.