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// 16 - A Zebra Alchemist Encounters an Ancient Soul 
// Story: The Story of Everfree - a Narrative Chronicle 
// by Recon777 
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5181 years after the Battle of Everfree and 67 years prior to the return of Nightmare Moon, a zebra alchemist named Ziph was visiting Equestria in search of magical herbs. It was known among the zebras that the Everfree Forest contained many strange and exotic plants with magical properties, so zebras often visited to take advantage of these herbs that the ponies seemed to have no interest in.

The Elements had long been removed from the Tree of Harmony, kept in a secret room in the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. As a result, the Everfree Forest had once again grown dangerous and unnatural. This included a myriad of strange and frightening beasts, adding to the menace of the forest.

The ponies generally avoided Everfree, with quite a few refusing to venture there at all. In contrast, the zebras did not seem to mind. For whatever reason, the forest did not seem to dislike them as it did the ponies. That seemed strange to Ziph, considering this was a location deep within the pony nation.

He was searching a cavern set into the side of a ravine when he noticed strange plants that he had found nowhere else in the forest. He placed a drop from a test potion onto the plants, and it confirmed his suspicion that these plants would react well in many magical zebra brews.

The Equestrian government had given him permission to take what he pleased in terms of flora in exchange for some zebra artifacts for the Canterlot museum. So he helped himself to the mass of thorny vines and pods.

Once he had cleared away the plants enough to see the ground beneath them, he found something unusual tangled in their roots. The small shard of hard material seemed to speak to him. Being a mystic, Ziph saw this as a very good sign. He took the shard, along with the plant samples, back to the zebra nation of Arkadia.

Ziph closed the door behind him, glad to be home after his long return journey from Equestria. He opened his saddlebags and took out the small treasure he had found. He placed it on the table and carefully unwrapped the cloth that held the object.

It was a slender, conical shard of some kind, about two inches in length. A fine, indented groove spiraled around, making it look very much like the shell of a turret snail. For indeed, that is what he thought it was at first, until he discovered that it was not hollow at all. He decided to cut off a small sample for some testing.

Five broken dragon’s-tooth gem-cutting blades later, Ziph found his forehead hitting his desk in frustration. Dragon’s teeth were the hardest known substance in the world. They could cut through a diamond like it was wood. The strange little cone wasn’t even scratched. He held the object in front of his face with a hoof and regarded it.

“What are you, my little curiosity?” he asked.

Ziph startled when he clearly heard, in his mind, the exact same question asked back at him.

He also heard the words “mortal”, “weak” and, after a pause, “suitable”. A tiny pinpoint of light shone from the tip of the object. He peered closer. Suddenly, bands of energy, colored like fire, reached out and enveloped his face. They forced their way into his mouth, nose, and ears.

The power was unimaginable. Ziph was completely helpless to resist as he was thoroughly violated. He could feel it working its way through his entire body and then invading his very mind and memories.

When it was over, the voice spoke once more. No longer a whisper, it was deep and piercing.

“So… She’s still alive.”

He then glanced out his window at the rising moon off to the east, regarding the Mare in the Moon, clearly visible upon its surface. He chuckled as he heard the voice in his mind speak in perfect timing with his lips.

“Well, well… What have they done to you, my daughter?”