Scribble told us what he gathered from our brief moment in the village. The zebra doctor is somepony from outside the Zathura Belt. She had told Scribble that she was doing her monthly run of the villages along the belt as part of a reformation act that the capitol of Zebrica passed with the village chieftains. Apparently, the newer generation that took the leadership of their respective villages wanted to break away from old traditions and wanted to expand to modern and new ones. Sounds pretty noble, right? Well, Scribble said it is going about as poorly as expected. Zebrica is a little bigger than Roam, which means that there are a lot of places of untouched or undiscovered areas which would house a lot of dangerous animals or native tribes. The R.E.Z.A. organization leading the charge to inaugurate the villages has only succeeded to several bigger communities and only a minority of smaller villages. Everything else is still a work in progress.
Scribble also managed to gather that the Exiles raided the village to not only set an example, but to rescue the "captives". With this info in mind, we easily put two and two together. We left the village in a brief fashion, following some freshly made wagon tracks. It didn’t take long for all of us to become annoyed with the bugs and humidity. Thi even randomly blurted out an apology about the mechanical beast we left behind, swatting away flies as we continued to follow the trail.
Yet, despite the bugs, pricking of shrubs and the dry air, there was something mystical about this place. We trekked up a hill and came to a stop, our breaths leaving us in a marveled manner. Expanding before us and dotting the land were trees, a river snaking off into the distance that split the land in half, mountains in the distance, an interesting rock formation and with the help of Din’s eyes, I spied a bigger village quite a way away.
I’m hoping that the smoke isn’t an attempt to cook more Triad. I shook away the thoughts, telling myself to not let the first impression sway me. I scanned the area a bit more.
“I see another village in the distance.” I stated. My eyes fell onto the tracks and followed them up to us. “The tracks are leading to it.” We looked to Scribble, who seemed to ignore us doing so. He then met our looks and sighed.
“You can’t expect me to know if every village or hamlet is safe for anything. It’s why Zebrica made warnings and allowing only minimal tourism. Not much else is known other than the magic they practice.” He stated. Thi rubbed her chin with a curious hum. Scribble shook his head. “Zebras don’t have horns. At least pure breeds. The magic they practice is rumored to be nature and all things wildlife. Even Mage Meadowbrook learned several things from Zebrica in her own studies.” Thi looked at him and narrowed her eyes.
“But what’s stopping them from having a horn…” She thought. I couldn’t help but chuckle with Cloudchaser and Flitter. Scribble sighed.
“Shall we move on?” He asked, starting to walk down the hill. We followed him as Thi replied back:
“C’mon! You know we’ve seen more than our fair share of weird! It won’t even be weird! Just awesome!”
With the sight of The Savanna fresh in our minds, we didn’t mind the bugs as much anymore. In fact, I decided to use a very small speck amount of Din’s power to warm up our area and keep the bugs at bay. We made the village our main destination, trekking through a bit of mud and some tall grass. We had to stop when we saw mother nature in all its’ glory. A cheetah dashed out of the tall grass, chasing what appeared to be an elk.
They raced through the plains, kicking up dirt before disappearing for a time. When we walked a bit further, the cheetah was seen licking its’ paw, clearly frustrated as the elk was swimming across the river. Unfortunately, a pack of Rockadiles were waiting. I’ve never seen a quick and unfortunate demise in nature. I couldn’t help but wonder how Fluttershy would take all of this in. We decided it’s best to continue with caution.
Even though we could handle ourselves, I doubt the Zebras would be pleased if foreigners decided to interfere with nature, intentional or not. The sun was high overhead by the time we reached the edge of the village. To my surprise and relief, this village seemed a bit more modern. Zebra of all heights and stripes mingled about, either in their huts or shopping. It also wasn’t that much of a surprise that our approach quieted some of the villagers and got plenty of eyes on us.
Some of the foals that were playing a game stopped and looked at us curiously. It was a little awkward with all the attention, but when Thi came to a stop and slumped, our day was about to get a little complicated.
“What should we tell them?” Thi stated, motioning at a pair of advancing zebras bearing spears. The zebra mares came to a halt in front of us and stamped them spear butts into the ground before stepping aside. We felt ourselves shrinking just a little as a pretty but intimidating sized zebra approached us. She looked down upon us, studying us. I exchanged glances with the girls when Scribble stepped forward and made a formal bow, speaking in zebric.
This made the zebra around us mutter in surprise. The massive zebra mare tilted her head with interest. She replied in her dialect, Scribble replying in kind. The conversation went on for a bit, myself and the others idling and fidgeting with our hooves as we waited. Suddenly, the zebra mare laughed and in clear pone-ish, spoke to us.
“Then I bid you all, welcome to our little village of pride.” She said with a heavy accent. The zebra around us were relaxed a bit now, but their curious eyes still followed us. “Come. We will discuss in my hut.” Thi smiled and nudged Scribble.
“Glad you are on our side, egghead.” She said. Scribble looked a bit distressed but nodded. Thi arched a questioning brow and shrugged at us.
“So, you all come as representatives of our kin in Roam. How are they fairing over there?” The zebra mare asked. She had introduced herself as Zikola, the lead huntress to the village. We sat around a small wooden table as Zikola stirred a pot over a fire. Scribble replied.
“The Gorgons had managed to overthrow several corrupt individuals from the throne and now they are looking for another heir to the throne. We helped them track down the next in line's location to Zebrica. We were wondering if you had seen a convoy pass through with ponies in tow.” Zikola hummed as she sprinkled some foliage into the pot.
“It is as you say. The Exiles did pass this way.” She replied. “Though with ponies I do not know. We do not question their business. They leave us alone as long as we do.” She then frowned. “Now if only they’d leave the lands alone as well. The animals are in a panic lately.” Thi leaned forward.
“Could it have to be dealing with a Roam facility here?” She asked. The huntress darted her eyes in thought.
“Unsure. The facility you speak of is further east beyond the Cliffbolt Formation. What I’m talking about is their illegal hunting privileges.” She said. Thi nodded.
“I don’t know much about The Exiles. But the Triad I do know. And I know they had their own poaching business a long time ago. H.U.N.T. shut it down though.” She crossed her forelegs with a frown. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Triad are allowing The Exiles to poach the land for their services.” Scribble nodded.
“I agree. But poaching will always be something in the hearts of greed. What we can do is leave the land and its’ people alone and just focus on finding the heir.” He said. Zikola gave a smile at the stallion.
“I admire the ones who respects our culture and understands the land. Earth ponies certainly are tied to the land without realizing it as much. Their hooves are quite a… wonder.” She gave a playful smile. Scribble avoided any eye contact, looking quite distressed. The rest of us exchanged glances before snickering. Scribble cleared his throat before replying.
“I-in any case. Do you happen to know of a quick way to get to the facility?” He asked. Zikola frowned.
“Now why, in our great land, would you want to go there? Even if you could, you’d be shot on sight.” Flitter gave a worried look.
“How long have they’ve been terrorizing The Savanna?” She asked. Zikola studied the mare and sighed.
“For as long as I can remember. I was but a filly when they intruded upon our peaceful lands. First came the deforestation. Then came the poaching. Then the abductions.” Cloudchaser furrowed her brows.
“Have they desecrated ancient sites belonging to your ancestors as well?” She asked. Zikola looked a bit surprised but nodded.
“The tombs of our great ancestors have been pillaged and robbed of possessions meant to give them peace after death. It threw the Zebra Lands into utter turmoil for moons. R.E.Z.A. won’t do anything about it and they always state they are trying to unite the peace that was broken.” She snorted. “But alas, what can one do against iron and smoke? All our tribes want to do is live in peace.” She then brought Scribble into a hold as she continued. “It just makes my blood boil that they choose such methods against us!”
Scribble was starting to turn blue in the hold as he adjusted and managed to catch his breath before responding.
“W-we’ll help as best we can… ouch… tight…” He replied. Zikola began to mess with his mane as she sadly sighed.
“We would not want to trouble you all for the sake of the Savanna. It is quite dangerous. And even if you tried, you’d be captured or even worse.” She said. Scribble tried to squirm away from her, but to no luck. Thi smiled.
“Then allow us to introduce ourselves properly. We’re the badasses that are going to help out as much as we can. Just some ground rules. We are not here to be used to fight in personal wars against other tribes, communities or factions. The Triad is all we are inclined to manage. We cannot save everypony, but we’ll do what we can. All we ask is some food and some info and we’ll be good to go.” She said. Zikola looked a bit hopeful, but still uncertain. Scribble gasped for breath.
“W-we’ll even find out what happened to the stallions of your village…” he gasped. Zikola beamed and brought Scribble in for a hug.
“You would do that for us? But…” she then held out Scribble, the stallion’s eyes spinning. “No, we mustn’t. Tis not your burden to bear. I would not feel at peace if you all ended up gone forever.” I chuckled at the sight before replying.
“Not everyday a pony gets to know about Zebrica. Better start now than later.” I said. Zikola happily hugged and swayed Scribble happily, expressing her delight more with her language. Which Scribble froze.
“What?!” He exclaimed. “Uhh… I-I’m good. M-my stay won’t be that long.” Zikola laughed.
“Non-sense! It’ll be a magical time!” She said, giving him a playful look and messing with his mane. He managed to squirm out from under her and turned Thi around, pushing her out the hut with him walking behind her.
“A generous offer, but we must really go. Girls?” He motioned with his head. Zikola waved at us as we walked.
“Come back anytime, handsome!” She called out. As we left the hut, Scribble gave an exhausted sigh. Thi chuckled.
“What’s the matter? She seemed nice.” She nudged him. Scribble frowned.
“Take a look around and tell me what you see?” He replied. We looked at each other before doing so. Nothing stood out from what I expected out of a village. All except for one thing that began to dawn on me. Flitter answered for us.
“Huh… I just figured the stallions were out hunting or something.” She said. Scribble nodded.
“Too long from the errr… looks of it.” He said, shifting us away from Zikola’s hut. “We do need to gather as much info but…” he then looked at us. “Perhaps we should stick together in this one. Zikola may speak Equestrian, but that isn’t a guarantee for the others.” Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.
“So… why not ask Zikola then?”
“We can try somepony else.” Scribble quickly replied before motioning us to follow. “Hop to it.” We caught up to Scribble after letting several foals that were playing run past us. Thi rubbed her chin.
“I wonder what Zikola said to make him act that way.” She wondered.
We spent a good couple of hours gathering what we could. It all came down to this. The Exiles had abducted all the stallions from the village. Which was honestly quite baffling. What would the Triad need from stallions? I can think of only a few ideas but nothing too out there. We stood at the edge of the village, going over what Scribble had written down.
“So not only have the stallions been abducted, but the last village also had Triad captives rescued. We know the Exiles are working under the Triad but that’s where the sense ends.” He explained. Thi hummed in thought.
“There could be a lot of reasons for whatever it is. Frankly, we won’t know until we can manage to interrogate one. And it’s safe to say that the villagers won’t be so keen on giving us any idea of where one would be.” She replied. We heard a soft voice next to us in zebric. We looked to see a filly. She looked up at us curiously but knowingly. Scribble blinked and spoke in zebric. The filly responded, causing Scribble to rub his chin and start a conversation with the filly. We waited patiently as the two conversed. Scribble finally turned to us and wrote in his journal.
“We got ourselves a guide. She says she knows of a little hangout that the Exiles like to visit. A watering hole specifically. Easy for them to poach.” He explained. Cloudchaser smiled and ruffled the filly’s mane.
“Good work, kid.” She said. The filly batted at her hoof and frowned, causing Cloudchaser to nervously smile. I chuckled and leaned forward.
“If it’ll make you feel better.” I teased, lowering my head a bit to her. Cloudchaser blushed and got real nervous. Flitter and I giggled while Thi nudged me with the side of her flank against mine as she walked past after Scribble.
“C’mon. We got some tail to kick.” She said with a grin. The filly led us away from the village, picking up a stick along the way and using it as a walking stick, leading us down a hill and towards some dense grass. it was a good ten-minute trek when she turned to us and spoke. Scribble nodded and pat his chest, replying to her before motioning to us. He must have said something that made the filly snicker. Thi narrowed her eyes at him. “What did you tell her?” She asked.
“I only answered a question.” He replied, leaving it at that. Thi blinked and shook her head. The filly led us quite a decent way away from the village and pointed at a far-off bank in the river. She spoke to Scribble and Scribble gave a formal bow to the filly, who turned around and cantered back to the direction of the village. Flitter looked worriedly at the filly.
“Is she going to be okay?” She asked. Scribble nodded as he scanned the horizon.
“She’s not allowed to go past this hill. But she knows the place well enough that she has spotted the Exiles hanging around here often.” He explained. Thi rubbed her chin.
“Who’s to say the kid didn’t just prank us?” She asked. Scribble shrugged.
“If she did, I don’t think she would have so openly expressed her worry about her missing father.” He replied. Thi smiled.
“Fair enough. Fie?” She looked to me. I took a bit to realize what she wanted from me. Using Din’s eyes, I scanned the area. Aside from the grazing bison, prancing elks, fluttering birds and gathering hippos in the watering hole, nothing else stood out. Except for some fresh wagon tracks along the edge. I narrowed my eyes.
“Fresh tracks by the edge. I can’t tell which way though.” I said. Cloudchaser ruffled my mane.
“Flitter and I got this.” She grinned. I watched the two take off into the air and began to hover around, their eyes scanning the area around. I sighed happily, unaware that Thi awkwardly rubbed her head.
“So… I take it things are going well?” She asked me.
“Hmmm?” I replied dazedly. Thi slumped and looked to Scribble.
“You sure we shouldn’t ask Zikola? It could save us time.” She stated to Scribble. Scribble proceeded to open his journal and ignore her, skimming through his pages. Thi looked between us and frowned. “Am I missing something here?” After a bit, Cloudchaser and Flitter motioned at each other before flying back down to us.
“Saw some auto wagons speeding off towards that rock formation.” Cloudchaser said, pointing in the direction.
“We think we also saw their camp. They are tucked away behind some tall shrubs a little further that way.” Flitter stated, pointing away from her sister. Thi smiled.
“Awesome. Who’s ready to go say hi?” She asked.
“Is what I would have been happily to have done if anypony was around.” Thi said sourly as she shifted over a tipped crate of empty bottles. Our arrival at the poacher camp was indeed not what we expected. In fact, we were beginning to think we just stumbled upon an abandoned archeological camp site. Or at least, a checkpoint of some sort. But the possibility our marks were here. Signs show that there were recently slept in grass beds and half full bottles of alcohol.
Other than that, the whole site was a mess. Weathered tents and knocked over crates as if some animals had gotten hungry or curious. I shifted through some left behind luggage, only to find nothing of interest. Scribble brushed the ground, his eyes scanning along the tracks. He sighed.
“They really do visit this place often. But why?” He thought aloud to himself. Flitter scanned above the camp.
“I thought poaching.” She said. Scribble nodded.
“Yes, but more of the point, what are they poaching? Elephants? Cheetahs? Lions? Gazelle? If this was a poaching camp, how would they be able to move stuff from this close to a village? One that R.E.Z.A. does have direct contact with.” He said.
“Are we sure we can trust this R.E.Z.A. group?” Thi said with a shudder. “I’m starting to think abbreviated organizations don’t have the best interest for the world.” Cloudchaser scratched her head.
“Well, we still do have one location to look for. That rock formation. If they passed through the village and stopped here for a bit before moving on, then that’s our best bet.” She said. Thi nodded.
“Better move before sundown. Zebrica isn’t the best place for camping, especially at night out in the open.” She said. We left the camp behind and focused our attention towards the rock formation. Our awareness cautious as we proceeded as later along the way, we ended up having an encounter with a pack of lions stalking us. Fortunately, they lost interest after a bit. I heard Din chuckle as they did. The sun had skimmed the horizon when we finally reached a hill overlooking another expansive field. However, this one had more foliage and as Scribble pointed out in the distance, the Ahuizotl Jungle expanding further out.
Thi smiled. “Reminds me of the times of helping out Daring Doo. Wonder how that mare is doing right now?” She asked more to herself. As we got closer to the rock formations, we decided to take a small break. We faced the direction the sun was setting and chewed on our rations, sitting on a rock and just chatting.
I held Cloudchaser’s hoof instinctively as Thi began retelling a Daring Doo adventure. I blushed with her and she rubbed the back of her head nervously with a smile. After a bit of rest, we proceeded back on the trail. The sun was beginning to set by the time we reached formation. We looked around the area for a time before regrouping and sighing in unison. No luck.
Thi nursed her aching hoof as she sat on her haunches.
“Should have asked Zikola if she knew more…” she muttered. Scribble shook his head. Thi frowned. “And why is it so much as a big deal to avoid somepony flirting with you? You should have put it aside so we could have better info.” Scribble returned her frown.
“Excuse me for not wanting to entertain the idea of taking a married mare.” He said. Thi rolled her eyes.
“Then you should have told her no and just continued. Why play around with it?” She asked. Scribble shook his head.
“Playing around with a married mare is not ideal. I have denied her approaches in her language already. But none of this should matter in the current situation.” He shot back. Thi glared.
“It does if it hinders on the fact we need to get to Pony Land and stop a war! Hellooo? Did everypony forget that that is what we are on this mission for?! Equestrian lives are at stake and we are sitting here, holding hooves and flirting with mares!”
I frowned and chimed in.
“What’s wrong with that? If anything, it helps keep us sane on the matter that we are surrounded by blood and evil.” I said. Thi groaned in frustration.
“I could care less if you managed to get a date or have an interest in somepony. But I do care when it decides to hinder a serious matter. Scribble, I don’t care if she wants your foals, you could have gotten more info to help us out!” She stated. Scribble glared and frowned. Flitter looked worriedly at her.
“Thi, that was uncalled for.” She said. Thi snorted.
“Look, Thi. We all understand the importance of the mission. And yeah, we may have slacked on some info, but we’ve been tortured, beaten, harassed and starved. If there is any leeway to destress from it all, I don’t see what’s wrong with a little R&R having.” Cloudchaser chimed in. “It’s an awesome story you told us about your exploits with Daring Doo and that gave us some peace of mind.”
“Unless you are in a rush to have more blood on your hooves.” I muttered in annoyance. Thi shot a glare at me.
“Now that is uncalled for. This isn’t a game, Fie.” Thi replied. I returned her glare.
“No duh. But you certainly treat it as such. I’ve been thinking on what Lo had said to you back in Roam. She made you out to be rushing headlong into gratifying murder. And considering how I saw you entered into the atrium?” I lowered my head. “I’m supposed to be the monster here.” Thi stamped over to me and pressed her snout against mine, meeting my gaze angrily.
“How about you drop that notion and just focus on your own fights! I swear, if it wasn’t for Din, you’d be dead long before leaving Equestria!” She put a hoof to her chest. “I have said countless times that the Triad will not hold back and have openly committed atrocities in public, regardless of security. We’ve all seen it first hoof and have been on the receiving end of it all! It’s not gratifying! Lo never understood why I do what I do! And I don’t need my best friend taking the side of a paid assassin!”
I pushed back with my snout.
“I’m not taking the side of any pony here! I never asked to be a part of this! But seeing that my best friend went off and has been doing this for years, I can’t help but feel that maybe the mare I knew back in Canterlot has been gone completely. I don’t want to believe that, but your no remorse for others is not helping your case!” I shot back.
“I don’t show mercy to war criminals! And neither should you!” She snapped. “We need you alive! And frankly, your head being stuck in the clouds has nearly doomed Equestria several times over! Hell, you tried to off yourself in Roam against King Leo! If I’m screwed up in the head for justifying my fight against the Triad, what do you have for being so damn stupid!”
Lightning crackled between our eyes as we growled at each other. Scribble got in between us and pushed us away from each other.
“Enough of this. Arguing isn’t going to help the issue of finding the poachers, an heir to Roam or the missing stallion zebras.” He looked to Thi stoically. “You’re right. I should have put aside my comfort and gotten more info out of Zikola. But right now, we should be focusing on figuring out where they could have gone from here.” He looked to Cloudchaser and Flitter. “Could you two fly around and see if you can spot anything? Fie, I need you to scale this formation high enough and scan the area around us. Thi, can I get you to help me look over something I’ve noticed? I could use your archeological input.”
Thi glared between me and Scribble. She sighed and spun on her hooves.
“Fine.” She said before trotting off towards the formation. Scribble sighed and gave an apologetic nod to me before trotting over to Thi. Cloudchaser and Flitter looked worriedly at me.
“What just happened?” Cloudchaser asked. I “hmphed” and spun on my hooves. I walked over to a decently size side of the formation and began my ascent with Din’s wings. Cloudchaser and Flitter flew past me, only for Cloudchaser to stop and float down to me. “You okay?” I snorted and began scanning the area.
“Oh yeah, perfectly fine. Not like I have concerns or anything. Definitely none about Thi’s unnerving thrill against other ponies.” I grumbled. Cloudchaser put a hoof on my back reassuringly and smiled.
“You can tell me about it, can’t you?” She said. I sighed and rubbed my foreleg.
“I just… I understand the dire situation of what we are in. And granted, we could use the break for a time. But Thi… well… she’s always been headstrong even in CSGU. But she had never had any desire to physically hurt ponies unless provoked to a degree of intolerance. Sure, the trouble followed her because she had less than appropriate views towards our professors.” I bowed my head, my bangs darkening my expression. “Things change over the years. When Thi showed back up on my doorstep, the stuff I noticed was a bat with an eye and her change of style.
“Her attitude and indifferent nature is still the same. I shouldn’t be so surprised how she handles the situations, considering we’ve all seen it first hoof. But… I don’t know. I can’t help but feel that something clicked inside of her. Like she’s trying to prove something and it’s causing her to… well… be way too much of herself. Throwing herself full force into a hail of arcane fire with her own and seemingly enjoying it. I’m a little… scared and worried.” I met Cloudchaser’s gaze. “Worried that she’s putting herself too deep into bodies and holes that she won’t ever come back out of it. And scared of the one mistake that is ever so hanging over her. Lo Mien maybe a paid assassin, but her and Thi used to be in the same mercenary squad. There must have been some care for each other for an assassin to play off a shoot-on-sight order. It was like she was trying to stop her.”
Cloudchaser rubbed the back of her head.
“Well… Lo Mien gave off a very vague atmosphere about her back in Trottingham. And she did walk away from us with a dangerous serum when we were trying to stop a Raptorian and save Flitter. Flitter still has night terrors so I never gave Lo Mien much thought. Her and Thi did seem like they had good chemistry. I wonder if it wasn’t the incident with Lavan and six hundred thousand lives that started it all.” I sighed.
“Only Lo Mien knows that answer. I just want Thi to be okay by the end of this. She’s always had our best interest but she’s always done things by herself. If I wasn’t a main thing to save our realm, she would probably have stayed with me in Ponyville. Or… that could be just wishful thinking.” Cloudchaser was quiet for a bit before smiling softly.
“Regardless of it all, you are her best friend. And she definitely cares if she decided to come see you after six years. Either to protect you from some dumb prophecy or genuine homesickness, you were the first pony she thought of. She could just be a little bit frustrated because our encounters with the Triad have been way too action packed for her liking. And err... maybe having factions using us for their own favors. We’ve saved hamlets and villages before. I believe Thi will be okay. We just need to remind her every now and then that she is just a pony. Bring her back down to get her to think better on the matter.”
I looked up from my darkened expression and softened to a smile. I put a hoof on her’s and placed her hoof against my cheek.
“You just have this way to lift my spirits, Cloudchaser. I’m glad I met you.” I said. Cloudchaser blushed and laughed nervously, pulling away a bit and cleared her throat.
“I-I should get back to spotting the area. Can’t let Flitter do all the work.” She then hesitated, her eyes darting in thought. I was shocked as to what she did next. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and took off quickly, her face bright red. I felt my heart soar.
Gag me with the scale… Din stated disgustedly.
‘Jealous?’ I chuckled. Din arched an unamused brow at me.
You’re kidding, right? She replied unenthusiastically.
Flitter had spotted a convoy approaching. We decided to lie in wait. Taking cover behind some rocks, Scribble readied himself to spring his trap. There were three auto wagons approaching. The lead wagon had an unpleasant decor at the front of it. A skull belonging to some sort of creature. It had to be Exiles. The wagons puttered through, slowing their speed. Were they planning to stop? Fortunately, yes. Night had fallen upon Zebrica and the lights of the auto wagons illuminated the area. The wagon doors opened and out stepped several zebra dressed in uniforms. A couple of them headed off to the side while the rest took up positions in a typical break from the road.
I gave a disgusted look as a zebra had taken the liberty to relieve himself by my hiding spot. My eyes fell on a zebra that seemed the leader of the herd based on the uniform. She flicked a lighter and lit a cigar, taking a puff and exhaling the smoke. I subtly made a motion at the zebra to my friends. They nodded and Thi pat Scribble’s back softly. Scribble crushed a rock, his hoof clap echoing around the zebras. The area illuminated with bright lightning, striking the auto wagons and overloading the crystal engines. The zebra panicked, looking around as the light vanished.
We made our move. One by one, we subdued the zebra. By the time the auto wagon engine crystals restarted, we had tied up the zebra altogether with one of Scribble’s earth stones. The lead zebra mare struggled in her restraints and growled angrily as we stepped into the light. She spoke in her language. Scribble stepped forward, his expression stoic as he replied to her. The zebra mare spat at him and I heard “Equestrian” in her words. Scribble replied to her, the words sounding a little longer than I thought they would be.
We idly waited while Scribble interrogated the group. He even asked for Thi to open up one of the auto wagons and place two rocks to the crystal engine. He then put two smooth stones on the ground by the zebra. He asked her to start it and when she did, the stones crackled with electricity and soon, the zebra were screaming in pain as the voltages flowed through them. Using this method, he managed to get some good info.
“They are indeed Exiles.” He said to us. “They have operations all over Zebrica. Their main base is in Wakula, just on the edge of the capitol. This group only handles smuggling trades. And wouldn’t you know it, they even partook in the kidnapping of the stallions in Zikola’s village.” Thi rubbed her chin.
“Anything else you were able to get? Such as Triad activity?” She asked. Scribble nodded and withdrew his journal, opening it and began scribbling something down.
“Actually, yes. The Triad has a hoof hold in Zebrica’s coastal islands. They “liberated” the natives from the islands and established a naval base. They are slowly pushing their way into Zebrica.” He stated. Thi sighed.
“I figured as much. Did they say anything about the Zetacan Temples?” She asked. Scribble turned to the zebras and spoke in zebric. The zebra mare growled, remaining quiet. Thi frowned and trotted over to the auto wagon. Another zebra spoke up in a panic, causing the lead zebra to retort angrily. But the other zebra broke down. Cloudchaser stared questioningly at the rocks.
“This is… surprisingly effective.” She said. Scribble shrugged.
“There is a drastic difference in voltage with arcane lightning compared to naturally scientific ones. Both lethal in high conduction, but arcane has a sharper sting.” He explained. “As for what they said, the Triad are currently digging into one of the main temples deep in the Ahuizotl jungle. For what they are seeking, they don’t know. But knowing Triad, something magically devastating.” Thi hummed.
“What happened to Ahuizotl…?” She thought to herself again. I was starting to feel a bit lost so I decided to walk over and shift through the auto wagons while the rest continued the interrogation. I could sense Din feeling restless.
Must we continue this questioning? We’re no closer to finding my sister. We should just leave this lot and head to the facility ourselves. Din said boredly.
‘Maybe there is something with this group that can at least give us something more…’ I thought. Din grumbled but I ignored her. I shifted through the seats, finding some loose bits that seemed exclusive to Zebrica, some dried snack rations and somecreature’s missing knife that was stained with what I hoped was just the metal decay.
I went over to the next auto wagon and opened the back first, my eyes widening when I saw a zebra mare looking up at me in panic, her eyes wide with fear. She was bound and gagged.
“Whoa, whoa whoa, easy. Easy. I’m not here to hurt you.” I said. The zebra mare muffled and moved her head as I reached for her gag. When I removed it, she spat at me. I wiped my cheek with the sleeve of my tattered hoodie cloak.
“Spiteful pony! You insult our great land, just to fill your pockets!” She shouted.
“Fie?” I heard Thi say from around the auto wagon. My friends rounded the sides as I held up a hoof at the zebra.
“Listen, I promise I’m not going to hurt you. Just let me help you out of there.” I said. The zebra mare moved away from me when I reached for her, her eyes angrily glaring daggers at me. I held up my hooves and stepped back a bit. “Alright, alright. Look, I’m backing away.” This surprisingly got the zebra mare to calm down. She looked between me and my friends.
“You… you’re Equestrian… not Euclidian?” She asked. I smiled and nodded.
“Yes. We’re here to help.” I replied. The zebra mare narrowed her look. I then proceeded to slowly reach for her binds. She didn’t fight it. With the help of my magic, I untied her binds and helped her out of the wagon. It wasn’t until she walked out into the lighting of the auto wagons did we see the bruises and cuts on her. Scribble tended to her while we took the liberty of searching the auto wagons thoroughly.
Our search came up with equipment of uncertain workings and a bit of arc weaponry. Flitter found a compact bow and quiver full of arrows, which she decided to take into her own possession. Thi took the liberty of using her magic to stock up her mags and arc pistols. The other bits of equipment we weren’t sure of and decided to leave alone for now.
“Just… who are you?” The zebra mare finally spoke as Scribble used a medkit from the auto wagons we looted to tend to her. Cloudchaser smiled.
“Just some ponies on a mission for peace.” She said. The zebra mare eyed the tied-up smugglers warily.
“Is there… a reason our homeland is receiving help now?” She asked.
“What do you mean?” Flitter asked. The zebra glared at the Exiles before speaking.
“These barbarians have been working for the Euclidians for as long as any of my kin can remember. They bring shame to our homeland for their vile deeds.” She angrily spat at them. One of the Exiles retorted in zebric, which the zebra mare responded in kind. Scribble had to interject.
“They won’t be any more trouble. At least this group. Which is what we want to ask. Were you recently kidnapped? Did they take you anywhere that could be of note that you could remember?” He asked. The zerba mare scoffed at the Exiles before turning to answer him.
“My name is Mystique Alegre. I’m an elementary teacher from a village in the Ahuizotl Jungle. I wish I could be of more help, but my main concern is getting back to my village.” She proceeded to crawl into an auto wagon and started messing with the levers. My friends and I exchanged glances. “I’ll explain as we travel back to my village. It is urgent I do so.” I shrugged.
“Works for me.” I replied.
Thi sped through the Savanna, the headlights on high and illuminating a good distance of our path. The rest of us held on as the road was less than smooth despite it being the most traveled on. Mystique had begun explaining the situation. She had been taken during the middle of her teaching session with foals when the Exiles stormed through and began to demand for their weekly “health inspection”. A fancier term for “Bring out the ones who are believers of the Order”.
Mystique states that this Order was an anti-Triad group that secretly has been exploiting and sabotaging activity. The Exiles are not being paid to go through Zebrica and abduct these zebras that were believed to still be a part of an Order that has been “violently disbanded”. In fact, it is hindering their work as the Triad are currently busy with their main facility. That doesn’t mean they aren’t getting paid. She also states that mainly zebra stallions have been getting abducted on rumors of “bringing a new breed of zebra” into the world.
This didn’t sit well with everypony. Mystique wasn't sure about it either and hoped it was only just rumors as the Exiles have abducted before for a number of reasons.
"So why leave the mares to fend for themselves?" Cloudchaser asked as she did her best not to fall out of her seat.
“Most of our kin believe that we are easy targets for exploitation. The stallions are usually the protectors of the lands and we the guiders. It is a lot more nuanced of it all, but I believe it is because we have angered the wrong kin.” Mystique replied, holding on for dear life. We hit a bump that sent most of us off the seats a bit.
“Thi, can you slow down?!” I shouted. Thi was messing with the levers.
“I’m trying! These things usually have a break lever, but I don’t know which one!” She replied in a bit of a panic. Good news is, we arrived at the jungle in record time. Bad news is that the road was now uncertain. Plant leaves and branches slapped and nicked us. Thi had a moment of realization and with her hind leg, pressed firmly down on a pressure plate like thing and the wagon shifted momentum. A loud screech sounded as the wagon jerked to a sudden stop, sending Scribble into the glass cover and me hitting my head against what is called a dashboard.
With the wagon stopped, everypony’s breaths were the only things we heard for a bit. I groaned and rubbed my head while Scribble pulled away with a dazed look, shaking it away before all of us looked to Thi. Thi gave a nervous laugh before slumping in her seat with an exhale.
“Everypony okay?” Flitter asked, pulling away from holding onto Cloudchaser. Mystique gasped and quickly scrambled out of the wagon. Thi and I exchanged glances and got out of the wagon with the rest. We followed the zebra mare hurriedly through the foliage. We came to a stop overlooking a hill. We heard a scream of a filly and my eyes widened.
Din stirred inside of me as we stared in shocked awe of a fire enshrouding a hut. There were other zebra around staring horrified. A small zebra filly was clutching a doll, crying in front of the burning house. My eyes fell onto several uniformed zebra, two having metallic packs on their back with a tube connecting to a strange, thin looking rod. Mystique grit her teeth and rushed down the hill.
“H-hey, wait up!” Cloudchaser called out. We followed after her. When we gathered with the rest, Mystique pushed her way through the crowd as one of the zebra back hoofed the filly, spouting angrily in zebric. Mystique shoved aside one of the villagers and galloped over to the filly, scooping her up and angrily shouting in zebric to the uniformed zebra. Thi looked grimly and I saw her reaching for her arc pistol. I put my hoof to stop her and shook my head before stepping through the crowd.
The uniformed zebra looked shocked, probably confused how Mystique managed to escape their group and able to get here so fast. I didn’t need to understand zebric to know what Mystique said, as the uniformed zebra was quick to draw an arc pistol and aim it at her, shouting something. I quickly pushed through the crowd, conjuring three clones of myself to move through the crowd. This was catching the attention of several villagers.
The uniformed zebra reached and began to yank at the filly, Mystique biting down on the zebra’s foreleg. He yelled in pain, probably swearing in response before aiming the pistol at her. I galloped forward and heaved myself towards the zebra, forehoof raised back. I delivered a hefty punch across the zebra’s muzzle, sending the zebra into the burning hut and crashing through the wall.
The other uniformed zebra were shocked and surprised by the sudden attack. Before they were able to retaliate, my clones dashed out of the crowd and began to subdue the zebra. One by one, the uniformed zebra fell unconscious to my clones and myself. When I downed the last one, I heard the hut beginning to cave in on itself.
Din cackled and I turned to see the zebra I had punched emerged from the hut, burnt in several places, but glaring angrily at me. I felt a warmth envelop me and the zebra’s eyes widened in fear. Din called to the fire from the hut and began to envelop me in it. None of it hurt.
‘What are you doing, Din?’ I asked her. Din chuckled smugly.
In due time. An idea struck me while you were idling about. She replied. The zebra were shocked as the fire flowed into my horn and vanished. Whatever fire remained of the hut was just embers and ash. I shifted my frown before meeting the burned zebra's gaze.
“Better start talking. Because I have a lot of questions.” I said. I furrowed my look in a realization before turning my head to Mystique. “Err… translate?” Mystique looked at me warily, still holding onto the filly. She then carefully looked to the uniformed zebra and spoke in zebric. The zebra was speechless for a moment. They then growled and shouted loudly. I was about to ask what they had said with Mystique when all of a sudden, something landed down in front of us.
I stepped back as the villagers screamed and began to run away. My friends cantered over to me, facing down a humungous quadra-ped hulk like monster that reared up and chambered its’ forelegs in front of them. Thi grit her teeth, swearing.
“Where have I’ve seen that before.” She stated sarcastically.
“Where did it even come from?!” Flitter stated in surprise. The robotic alicorn like robot unfurled its’ wings.
”TARGET PARAMETERS CHANGED. ENGAGE FOREIGN DISPUTE WITH LETHAL FORCE.” It spoke. Thi pulled me by the cloak.
“Take cover!!” She shouted. We scattered as Thi and I dove into the jungle foliage. The alicorn robot fired from its’ wings, the glowing spheres hissing as they snaked and swirled around the area, creating bright blue explosions. Thi and I felt ourselves being knocked to the side as one struck a tree we passed in a scurry to find cover. I groaned and shook away my daze, helping Thi up. We kept ourselves low in the foliage as the alicorn robot began to scan the area with a laser grid.
”READJUSTING. SCANNING.” It robotically rasped. I whispered to Thi.
“You’ve seen that thing before?” Thi nodded.
“Back in Trottingham. These things pack a lot of fire power. The one I took down was mostly a prototype.” She peeked out of the foliage to the robot. “Seems like the Triad completed what they needed. But I didn’t think the Triad would allow their highly advance tech to outside factions. Something is definitely going on inside the Triad.” I slumped a bit.
“So, what do we do? The usual?” I asked. Thi shook her head.
“I believe I was lucky with the prototype. We have an entire village to worry about. The most I can think of is luring it away.” She replied. I hummed in thought. I then heard Din hum amusedly.
Perhaps it’s time to unleash the idea I had. She said. I arched a brow.
‘What?’ I replied. Din sat up and grinned.
That insult of a creature is using enough of my sister’s power. I’m going to burn her. I blinked.
‘Wait… that thing is being powered by Lux?’ I asked dumbfounded. Din sighed.
It’s always a pain that your senses cannot pick up even the slightest bit of primal power. Oh well. I need you to get close and I’ll unleash what I’ve built up. I darted my eyes in thought. I had more questions about this, but when the alicorn robot seemed to have a lock on one of my friends off the side into the foliage, I decided to trust Din’s idea. I pat Thi’s shoulder and moved around her.
“Fie? What are you doing?” She whispered back. I smiled reassuringly at her before galloping out into the open. Calling out my quarter staff, I chucked it with my magic, the stick bouncing off of the robot's head. The eyes turned from blue to red as it faced me.
”TARGET ACQUIRED. ERROR. PRIMAL ENERGY DETECTED FROM TARGET. REQUESTING ADJUSTMENTS.” It spoke. I arched a brow at these words but I took its’ confusion to gallop towards the robot. ”REQUESTING ADJUSTMENTS… NEED ADJUSTMENTS…” Din began to laugh.
I felt a little nervous, but for some reason, it was totally lost. I slowed my pace to a walk, calling back my quarter staff and feeling a warmth flow through me.
“Shoot! Shoot! Kill her!” I heard a thick, heavy accented voice. I glanced over my shoulder to see the uniformed burnt zebra angrily spouting from the sidelines, salivating from the muzzle. I faced back to the robot.
”ADJUSTMENTS DENIED. AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS.” It spoke. The warmth began to envelop me and the fire Din absorbed earlier flowed out of my body and at the tip of my horn. Din cackled.
I’m coming for you, sister! She hissed. We aimed our horns at the chest of the robot and I felt my hooves dig into the ground when the energy was released, destroying the body of the robot. I noticed something small and spherical launch out of the robot and then vanish into the beam out of existence. The robot crumbled to the ground, parts scattered here and there, sparking and hissing smoke rising out of it. I felt the warmth leave me as I scanned the sky, wondering what Din was looking for.
Din hummed pleasantly but remained silent. Slowly but surely, the villagers and my friends came out of their hiding. Thi smiled and whistled.
“Well, unexpected but worked out in the end.” She said, nudging me. I gave a soft smile in reply before Thi and I were pushed aside by the uniformed zebra. He looked dumbfounded and defeated, falling to his haunches. Mystique approached us carefully as the two of us were surrounded by the zebra.
“You… it’s you… the one called by the stars…” Mystique said. Thi and I exchanged glances as the rest of our friends approached us. I furrowed my look in worry. I was starting to have a bad feeling about this.