//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: The Journey of a Lifetime // by sqarishoctagon //------------------------------// The pegasus collapsed, her exhaustion finally taking its toll. Her form shuddered as she forced air into her lungs. As she slowly recovered, the pegasus took in her surroundings. Wind Surfer was under the shade of a large tree, standing alone in the grasslands. The harsh country of the Changeling’s land had finally given way to the much greener pastures of grasslands. There had been plenty of food, now that she was away from the barren land the Changelings and their Queen called home. It had been nearly one full day since the attack. Wind Surfer sighed, thinking back. It was terrifying… I didn’t know he could do that. She stopped, thinking about the dragon. She’d flown nonstop since that afternoon, her wings fueled by an universal emotion: fear. Everything else had become a blur. It was only when she almost passed out from hunger did she notice her surroundings had changed. Wind Surfer swallowed, worried about her companion. Knowing him, he’s probably out looking for me… Another voice popped up, unbidden. To what, finish what he started? How would he know when to stop? Because Dune knows his limits, She responded, frowning at the voice. Perhaps. He never said dragons were truthful. Wind Surfer frowned. What’s that supposed to mean? I’m sure he’s trustworthy! The dissenting voice perked up. Yes, but what will happen when he does break? Nothing. He won’t. The voice quieted for now. Wind Surfer, though reassured, was uneasy. Thinking back again, she remembered feeling totally helpless as he destroyed the Changeling patrol. The power, the raw fury of it, stuck with her. “Greetings, fellow traveller!” A voice cut across her thoughts. Stumbling, she looked about for the source. To her surprise, a large, heavyset, bearded earth pony was trotting her way. What?! The pony repeated his greeting, finally joining her under the shade of the tree. “Um… Hi?” Wind Surfer replied, uncertainly. “Might I ask what you’re doing out here by yourself?” The stranger looked at her curiously. “Um… Just, ah, taking a break for the night. What about you?” She eyed him back suspiciously. “Hm, perhaps you should come with me,” said the pony, ignoring the question. “There’s a village not far from here. You can spend the night there.” “If it’s all the same to you, I’m gonna stay here.” She looked at the strange pony suspiciously. There’s no telling where he’d lead me… “Well, unfortunately, it isn’t the same to me.” Surprised at her hostility, the stranger stepped back. “U- unless, of course, you’re capable of handling yourself with the various predators here. In that case, goodnight.” The pony turned to leave. Wind Surfer hesitated, then called out to him. “Where are you going?” “To a village,” said the pony, turning around. “A village quite unlike the likes of anything you’ve seen, I assure you.” “Alright, fine. I’ll come with you.” Wind Surfer darted into the sky even as the pony turned back around. “Thank you. You’ll be better for it, trust me. Might I bother you with a favor?” “Um, sure. What is it?” “Keep an eye out for lions and the sort. It wouldn’t do to have one of them sneak up on us, now would it?” The pony smiled, and turned to lead the way. Before long, the pony found a well-traveled path, and began to follow it. Wind Surfer flew above, and just behind the strange pony, keeping an eye out for predators, as asked. They followed the path for several more minutes, until Wind Surfer caught view of a rather decent sized village, surrounded by a high wooden wall. In the fading light, the village began lighting lanterns, to fend off the darkness. The path they followed lead straight up to a wooden gate, guarded by the strangest ponies Wind Surfer had ever laid eyes on. They were covered in alternating black and white stripes, and lacked any recognizable cutie mark. Before she could say anything the stranger beckoned to her. “Those are the gate guards,” said the pony, as she touched down to meet him. “It’s best if you let me do the talking.” “O-ok, but wha-” Wind Surfer was cut off by a wave of the pony’s hoof. The pair trotted the remaining distance to the gate. The guards beat the earth with the butts of their spears. Once they had the pair’s attention, the one on the right addressed the earth pony, in a language that Wind Surfer did not know. The pony responded, but the guard was not satisfied. The other guard pointed a hoof to Wind Surfer, and inquired about her. Again, the earth pony responded. This time, the guards visibly relaxed, and turned to open the gate. They spoke something that carried an apologetic sound to it, as well as a greeting. “Uh, thanks… I guess…?” Wind Surfer said uncertainly, as the pair passed into the village. The strange ponies nodded. Curiously enough, the striped ponies spoke in what appeared to be rhymes. Between her earth pony companion and the striped ponies, the entire conversation sounded like a short song, full of rhythm. They walked through the village, surrounded by the strangely colored ponies. Wind Surfer was about to question it when her guide silenced her again. “I shall explain everything when we get to my house,” he said, simply. They approached a small cottage just as the last of the light slipped below the horizon. He gestured inside, while speaking to several other strange ponies who appeared to be his neighbors. They shared a laugh, and he followed Wind Surfer inside. “Well! That was interesting, wasn’t it?” The pony smiled at Wind Surfer. “Come! Make yourself at home, and I’ll get something to eat.” He moved into the kitchen. She removed her flight gear, and followed him. “What was interesting?” She asked. Though friendly, Wind Surfer was becoming irritated at being left in the dark about the village. “Well, the whole- Oh!” The pony stopped suddenly. “Where are my manners? I am Doctor Forrest Green of the University of Equestria, Trottingham, Biology Department. And you are?” “Wind Surfer, from, uh… Manehattan,” she said lamely. Man, I wish I had a title like that. “Very good!” The Doctor turned back to his work in the kitchen. “It’s not often we get visitors like yourself.” “What’s up with those ponies outside? Why are they like that?” She gestured a hoof to the outside. “They aren’t ponies such as the likes of you or me. They’re actually zebras,” he said, without turning around. “Oh. So, um… They’re born with the stripes?” “Precisely. As for their ‘cutie marks’ as it were, they’re actually symbols from their language: Zebraic. You see, the language is essentially a part of them! So it really is difficult to determine what came first: the language or the marks?” Wind Surfer was given the impression that the Doctor was lonely, even if he could communicate with the locals. She then was struck with an idea. “You’re here studying them?” That’s what he’s doing out here! “Oh, Celestia, no!” Doctor Green looked shocked. “Make no mistake. Just because they are different does not imply they are primitive! They’ve already made massive contributions to the institutions of Equestria! Though ponies don’t seem particularly inclined to teach it, let alone learn it.” Apparently not. “So why are you here?” “I’m a botanist, see. I was invited to study the plants out here. While their studies are good, they still need somepony to contribute to their gatherings. Their records aren’t exactly compete, thanks to their location.” He stepped back, and gestured to another room. “Here we are,” he said. “Grab that plate and follow me.” Wind Surfer obliged and the pair found themselves seated at a dining table. “Enough about me, though! You must tire, hearing an old colt like myself talk.” He smiled. “What are you doing here?” Wind Surfer smiled. “Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard or not, but I’m gonna be the first pegasus to fly around the world.” “Are you?” The Doctor looked intrigued. “Do tell!” With that, she began recounting her tale. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “… A- and then what?” The Doctor was at the edge of his seat. “… I flew away.” Ashamed, Wind Surfer looked down at her long empty plate. An uneasy silence settled in the room. Doctor Green broke the silence first. “Just like that?” “Yeah. I bolted. Didn’t even wait ‘till he turned around.” The Doctor sat back, and observed Wind Surfer thoughtfully. “Back in my days as a graduate student, I attended a seminar hosted by one of my professors, who was a very influential pony at the time. He and a select few ponies were able to study dragons, thanks to favors pulled from Canterlot. They didn’t get much, but what they were able to study was extremely valuable information. One of the central aspects of the lecture was the territorial nature of dragons, regardless of what it was they were fighting about.” Wind Surfer looked up. “Territorial? I could’ve told you that.” “Ah, yes. But they are also protective of animals on their lands as well, including ponies.” “Protective of ponies?!” Wind Surfer asked, incredulously. “Curiously enough, yes! One such incident occurred when his team was attacked by one dragon while studying another. The one they were studying, though completely ignoring the team, protected them. He defeated the attacking dragon, and went back to ignoring the team.” “So, I flew away for no good reason…” She looked down at her plate again, and began playing with the leftovers. Sensing her unease, he let the matter rest. The Doctor cleared his throat. “Well, ah… Let’s clean this up, and we’ll be off to bed, yes?” She nodded and began to clear the table. “No, none of that! I’d imagine you’re tired.” Instead, he showed her to the bathroom, and insisted that she clean up. After a hot shower, Wind Surfer returned to find her host in a small sitting area, in front of a fire. “Ah, yes, there you are!” He put away a small booklet, and mentioned the seat next to him. “There’s still the matter of your departure, correct?” “Well, yeah. I’m planning to leave tomorrow morning. Why?” “Perhaps you would like some company going out west?” “What, are you coming along?” Wind Surfer asked, unsure of where the conversation was going. “No, no no… I’ve got too much work ahead of me and too many years behind me to go galavanting across the countryside like that.” He chuckled. “No, see, there is a caravan of goods leaving in about a week… Ah, in ten days to be exact. Perhaps you would like to accompany them?” Wind Surfer paused. Hmm… On one hoof, I won’t have to travel alone. Supplies won’t be a problem, and I’m sure the predators he mentioned earlier won’t attack a large group of us. They’d also know the land pretty well. She frowned, another argument coming to her. On the other hoof, I’ll be slowed down to their pace, and… well, that’s about it, really. She looked up at the Doctor, who was patiently waiting for an answer. “I think I’ll wait for the caravan then,” she said. The Doctor nodded in response. “A wise choice, if I do say so!” He heaved himself up off the chair and squeezed past Wind Surfer down a hallway. “Now, I’ve kept you awake for far too long, my dear. I do say we’re long overdue for some rest, no?” She peered into the room he indicated. It was packed with various books, scrolls and other academic clutter. In its center, stood an ancient four-poster bed that (fortunately) housed a relatively new mattress. “Um… This looks like your room.” “That’s because it is! I’ll turn in on the couch. Go on, now! We’ve much to discuss in the morning.” Wind Surfer began to protest, but the Doctor would not hear it. The matter was settled when she found herself essentially barricaded into the room, while the Doctor made do with several pillows and blankets on the couch. “… Might as well,” she said to the empty room. Wind Surfer carefully made her way to the bed, stepping in between the stacks of clutter. She paused, reading the title of a book lying in her path. “Green’s Essential Guide to Plants of Equestria and Neighboring Countries: Third Edition”. Well, that certainly looks helpful. She continued into the bed and crawled in. Wind Surfer barely had time to register just how tired she was as sleep washed over her. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sunrise did not wait five minutes for anyone, and Wind Surfer was no exception, much to her irritation. She grumbled in protest, and was about to do something about the curtains (or apparent lack thereof) when the door burst open. “Ah! You’re awake.” The Doctor trotted into the room, taking care not to disturb his stacks of paper. “I was beginning to worry that I’d have to wake you.” “Ugh… What time is it?” She groaned, and finally got up. “Quarter-past six!” He replied cheerily. He left the room, followed by Wind Surfer. “Come on… It’s too early!” She complained. “Well, it’s all for the best,” said Doctor Green. “The council meeting begins at seven, and they host ‘open-house’ from eight to twelve. It’s first come, first serve, and I’d strongly advise that we arrive early.” “Why?” Wind Surfer asked. She was still irritated at the sun, and had no intentions of going outside until at least noon. “Why?” He echoed. “To secure you a place on the westward caravan that leaves in a week!” He had finished laying out breakfast, and the pair began eating. “… Oh. That makes sense, I suppose.” After breakfast, they made their way down to a large square building near what Wind Surfer assumed was the center of the village. It stood out not only because of its size, but its construction. While other buildings in the area were wooden, stone, or some combination of the two, this was constructed of what appeared to be mud and logs. “Is that… Mud?” Wind Surfer stared in awe of the structure. “Ah, yes! Some of the older residents will also inform you that this particular structure has been here since the founding of the original city.” The colt walked right up to the side of the building, and pointed out the hoofmarks. “See these? They were made the last time the building was refurbished.” “And when was that?” Wind Surfer asked, doubtfully. “Just a few months ago. Even with advances in building materials, the residents still insist on piling more mud onto the structure. In the centuries past, it has become quite the gathering, though quickly descends into a veritable mud fight for the ages. It’s exceedingly exciting, though it is a terrible pain to clean up afterwards…” “So, every year, for the past several hundred, they’ve done this?” “Indeed. Now, come along, we’ve got to join the line for open house.” The pair stepped into a rapidly growing line in front of an opening in the structure. They were lucky, as the pair only had two very large groups of zebras ahead of them. Before long, the groups were led into the structure, and back out again, and it was time for Wind Surfer’s word with the council. As they walked in, the Doctor leaned in close to her. “They will ask you your purpose for coming to the council, and you must answer truthfully- granted, this won’t be a problem with you- and I’ve no idea how they can tell. Also, they will be able to understand you. The problem arises when Zebras try to speak Pony. I’ll explain later.” It was too late for Wind Surfer to respond, as they had entered a large chamber. Shafts of light streamed down from narrow windows at the peak of the room, illuminating several Zebras sitting behind a large podium. The effect was rather imposing, seeing as several of the council members appeared dressed for war. However, the oppressive atmosphere was dispelled as the center Zebra spoke. Her voice carried a friendly melody of ‘welcome’ down to Wind Surfer. The other Zebras present greeted her similarly, furthering the warm tone of the room. “She says: ‘Well met, pegasus - or rather ‘one gifted in flight’. What can the fair city of - I still can’t pronounce the name, but it literally translates to Unity - do for one such as yourself?” Doctor Green translated for her. Wind Surfer spoke up for herself, addressing each of the members of the council. “I have learned that there is a caravan that is westward-bound leaving here at the end of the week. I’ve come to offer my services as a lookout for this caravan, as I also seek to fly West.” The council sat back, and shared a melodious murmur amongst themselves. The center Zebra spoke up. Her voice carried a clear question to it, and Wind Surfer waved away the Doctor before he could answer. She wants to know why I’m going west. Wind Surfer took note of a very old-looking male at the far right of the podium. He was examining something before him very closely, and occasionally glanced towards the pegasus. Better tell them the truth. “I’m not seeking a better fortune. I fly west, to… Um… Be the first to fly around the world!” She cringed inwardly as several Zebras looked to each other for explanation. The male she had taken note of earlier addressed the others. His voice was deep and strong, carrying the wisdom of many years of his service to the city. The others quieted, and the center Zebra once again took the stand. This time, her voice carried an affirmative tone to it, and even as Doctor Green began translating, she knew her request had been granted. “She says now that you are allowed to accompany the caravan, so long as you agree to train with the city’s guards. Nothing intensive, of course, just some minor training. And she also stated that if there is anything you require, simply inform the council in writing, and they will provide for you.” As they walked out, Wind Surfer turned to the Doctor. “Was all of that really necessary? It seemed like an awful waste to me…” “Well, the council really just likes to be in the know. And besides, you wouldn’t have been granted the same freedom if you simply came and went. Come! Let’s fetch something for lunch, and I’ll show you the city.” The pair wandered down to one of several markets in the city. There, she was surrounded by Zebras of all shapes and sizes, all hawking their wares. The bustle of the city was quite relaxing, and Wind Surfer realized that she missed the noises. She closed her eyes, and took in the exotic sounds and smells around her. After her momentary lapse, she caught up with Dr. Green, who was standing at the edge of the city, near the tall wooden fence. “As you can most likely tell, this is a wall,” he said, proudly. Dr. Green gestured the large wooden structure. “I can tell…” Answered Wind Surfer, dryly. “Any particular reason we’re here?” “Yes, actually. The barracks can be found this this way. No doubt they’ve been informed of the Council’s instructions. Perhaps we can get you outfitted.” He led her around a path towards a nearby gatehouse in the wall. The Zebras outside greeted the pair, and they were shown into the structure. “Word of outsiders spreads quickly, no doubt…” Muttered Green under his breath. He smiled at a Zebra who now entered the room. “My greetings to you, and your companion. I am Walinzi.” The Zebra’s voice was rich, and heavily accented. He spoke slowly, as if he needed to put his words together before speaking. He nodded to the Doctor. “I have been informed of our Council’s decision.” “Indeed you have! I’m just showing our lovely companion here the city. She’ll be staying for a while, as you know.” “Excellent! Now, before the Doctor takes you away, allow us to gain some measurements of you…” Before Wind Surfer could reply, several other Zebras began measuring her features, such as her height, the length of her legs, and several measurements of her wingspan. When they were finished, they nodded to the bewildered pegasus, and departed. “Um… What just happened?” Walinzi chuckled. “We need to make somethings to protect yourself with, correct? That is why we need the measurements. Come back tomorrow, and we shall fit you properly.” The Doctor and the Guard shared another word, and the pair soon departed. “What was that?! Are they preparing for war or something?” Asked Wind Surfer, worried about what she had gotten herself into. “No, it is a sign of welcome. A rather rapid response, however…” He trailed off in thought. Bored, Wind Surfer spoke up. “So, what’s our next stop?” She asked, as they made their way down through the marketplace. They drew less stares this time, but it was no less busy. He led her down to what appeared to be some sort of restaurant, off the middle of the square. “Lunch!” He said, simply. The Doctor opened the door, and they went in. The pair ate in silence, occasionally answering questions from curious patrons. The day went on, with the Doctor leading her throughout the city, showing her the various sights. In all, Wind Surfer realized that it was very much alike to the cities she was used to growing up in, save for the apparent lack of ponies. The Zebras were friendly enough, and those who weren’t, gave the pair space. By sundown, they returned home whereupon the Doctor prepared another meal for the Pegasus. “So, what’s up with their language?” Wind Surfer asked, chewing through the vegetables he’d made. Green cleared his throat. “I have no idea; I’m not a linguist. However, I was able to gather that Zebras as a whole speak in this manner. It’s almost like a song, as you’ve no doubt noticed. They’ve spoken like that since… Forever, I suppose.” He paused, thinking hard. “Perhaps when I return to Equestria, I’ll ask for a linguist to accompany me back here.” “Do any of them speak Pony normally, like us? Besides the guard, I mean.” “Walinzi is the only Zebra I know who actually speaks Pony like you or I. Any other Zebra I’ve met speaks in rhymes when they speak Pony, which is why its so difficult for them to learn.” “So you learned their language?” “Yes. The grammar is surprisingly easy to figure out. The rhyming, however, is a different story. It takes some time to get used to…” Green nodded to her. “Come now, you’ve got a big day ahead of you, and you’ll need your rest.” They rose, cleaned up their dishes and went to their respective rooms. As Wind Surfer settled down in the room, she realized that when she had bolted, she left everything behind, on the back of her dragon companion. She sighed, missing her journal, and more importantly, missing Dune. Wind Surfer looked out of the nearby window, and into the night, hoping, beyond all odds, that he’d appear. I wish I hadn’t done that… I hope he’s ok. She shook herself. Of course he is… He’s a dragon for Pony’s sake! Slightly comforted, she bed down for the night, and quickly fell asleep.