The White Stripes:
Three hours until race time.
The three zebras were working on their strange wagon still despite most of the other teams now going through final preparations or just relaxing. Zecora sat inside, laying bottles of potions and bundles of flowers inside small containers or sliding them between woven patches of grass to be held in place during the trip. The other two were moving around the outside of it, applying some kind of mud or cream of some kind to the outside, layering it more heavily where the rocks joined.
Twilight Sparkle and Applejack came over to talk to them. “Hello Zecora.” Twilight said, waving a hoof as they came up to the ship.
"Good morning Twilight, good morning Apple Jack. How are you this morning, here at the race track?" Zecora asked, standing up and stepping out of the ship.
“We're fine thank you.” Twilight said and Applejack nodded, suppressing a yawn. “We've been here since late last night finishing work on our wagon. So who are your racing partners?” The other two zebras had finished another circle of the ship and stopped beside Zecora.
“These are my friends Xenith and this is Xepher, this mother came with her daughter to help her,” Zecora said, pointing from the other Zebra to the younger one.
“Oh how nice to meet you.” Twilight smiled to the other two zebras. “I'm Twilight Sparkle and this is Applejack.” She said, pointing to the orange Earth Pony, who nodded her head.
“Ah'm sorry Twi, I gotta go nap for a few hours. Ah'm not gonna be any good without some shut eye.” Applejack said. “No offense to you three, Ah've just been up for a full day and a half so far.”
“No no, not at all.” Xenith said. “This is an important race, everyone has to be at the top of their game or there's just no fun to it.”
“Thanks for understandin'.” AJ nodded and wandered off back towards their sky wagon.
“You must also pardon me.” Zecora said. “As I still have potions to get ready.”
“Of course.” Twilight nodded and the zebra returned to her work inside her ship.
“So you're one of the wielders of the Elements of Harmony?” Xepher asked excitedly.
“Yes I am.” Twilight smiled, unable to hide the pride in her face. “I'm the Element of Magic...”
“And Applejack is the element of snoring!” Rainbow Dash said, landing beside Twilight. “Seriously, she slipped under one of the tables and she's snoring so hard the table is vibrating.”
They all turned and looked towards the wagon bay, one of the cloth draped tables shaking slightly as the cloth billowed outwards only to be drawn back in a moment later and then the process repeated, making everyone in the group laugh.
“Actually she's the Element of Honesty.” Twilight said.
“And I'm the Element of Loyalty.” Rainbow smirked.
“That is so cool.” Xepher grinned, dancing a little in place. “I've read all about your adventures. Fighting Nightmare Moon, Discord, the changlings...that's all so amazing.”
“I'm sorry.” Xenith said, putting a foreleg on Xepher to try and get her to stand still. “She's very excitable.”
“Hey everyone should be excited when I'm around.” Rainbow said.
“Good thing there's no Element of Humility.” Twilight rolled her eyes, turning back to the Zebras. “I'm glad to meet you. Until now Zecora was the only Zebra we'd met, I didn't think there were many around.”
“Well not many around here.” Xenith shrugged. “Most Zebras live outside of Equestria.”
“Hey...” Rainbow interrupted. “How come you two talk normally? I thought Zebras all talked in rhyme.”
Xenith cringed a little and looked back at their wagon but Zecora was buried in a bag of ingredients and didn't seem to notice.
“Zecora has a speech impediment.” Xepher said quietly. “That's why she speaks in rhyme.”
Twilight's eyes went wide in understanding. “Oh...We just always assumed that was how Zebras talked...you'd think we'd have learned to not judge others based on initial appearances but here we are...” She sighed, clearly embarrassed.
“So how does your ship fly?” Rainbow asked, trying to change the subject quickly.
“Zebra magic.” Xenith said. “Potions and herbs and magical talismen that makes it fly.”
“Oh how interesting.” Twilight smiled. “I've tried to read as much as I can about Zebra magic but so much of it still eludes me.”
“It takes years to master.” Xepher grinned. “I've been at it for three years and I'm still just a novice.”
“I would love to talk to you about it sometime.”
“Perhaps after we win the race.” Xenith offered, smirking at the ponies.
“Aww but that means Twilight will never get to learn because WE'RE gonna win.” Rainbow Dash said.
“How about we just agree to talk more after the race?” Twilight asked and the two Zebras nodded.
“Come on Xepher, we should get back to work.” Xenith said, turning and starting back to their ship.
“Alright. Good luck you two.” She said before turning back and following her mother back.
“Come on Twilight, we gotta get back to work if we're going to win this thing.” Rainbow said, rushing back to their ship.
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Someponies...” Heading back to the ship she watched Rainbow crash down on the table Applejack slept under, jarring the Earth pony awake, making her jump and smack her head on the table, the whole thing rattling again for a moment.
“RAINBOW DASH!” Applejack roared, shooting out from under the table as the Cyan pegasus shot into the air out of reach. “You git back down here!”
Twilight just laughed and watched Applejack try to climb up and catch Rainbow Dash, settling in to the cockpit of their Wagon to run through her checklist.