Jelani Kirabo chipo Orieno
Sunset was now only a couple of hours away, and the two were still a long way away from the ursa’s cave. They were walking as fast as they could, but Spikes limited vision slowed them down a great deal.
“I don’t think we are going to make it in time.”
“I agree,” the voice in his head replied.
“Any ideas?”
“Hmm... I will be back shortly.”
“Huh? Hello? Voice, are you still here?”
No answer came.
They continued walking but the sun was going down, fast.
“Spike, do you know how to get to the stone trees?” the voice asked Spike.
“Yes, it is close, but it is not the direction of the cave. I think it will take us almost half an hour to get there.”
“Just go there. I will send someone to help you on the rest of the way.”
“Okay, voice.”
“Hey, Apple Bloom, we need to get to the stone trees, take a right here and walk straight.”
“If Zecora we wish to save,
We must head to the cave,” the filly replied in rhyme.
“I don’t have time to explain, we need to get there now...”
“Uh, fine.”
Their little detour took them away from the caves. When they reached their new destination there were less than two hours of light remaining and they were almost three hours away from the ursa’s cave, not to mention the time it would take them to get the tear and make the cure.
The stone trees were a strange part of the Everfree, well a stranger part anyway. A area several hundred feet wide was covered in thin, stone structures, they were not trees per say but rather free standing stone, marble and granite columns and obelisks. Their heights were anything between a few feet to a couple of hundred feet, while their ranged from a couple of inches to a few feet. Spike had never been to this place before, heck before today he didn’t even know it existed, while Apple Bloom only heard Zecora tell her not to go there, ever.
However upon reaching it Apple Bloom knew exactly where to go, and Spike felt that he had been there many, many times before. During their detour most of Spikes vision in his right eye came back, it was still a little blurry but at least he didn’t have to hold onto Apple Bloom’s tail any more, it had been an... uncomfortable experience, for the two of them.
“Ayo to you, Chuo Apple Bloom,” a voice could be heard coming from behind a large marble obelisk.
“Ayo to you Jelani Kirabo,” she replied with a smile on her face.
“Chipo Otieno,” the voice instantly added. “You will address me by my full title, Jelani Kirabo chipo Otieno.”
“Only if you address me as Adanna,” Apple Bloom replied in a playful and teasing voice.
“Adanna?” he asked in shock. “Zecora, is that really you?”
Spike was confused at the conversation, half the words seemed to pass right above him.
A shape came from behind the obelisk. At first Spike could see a little yellow surrounded by a lot of black with some red and blue above it all. As the creature came closer more and more of it could be visible.
Now standing just a few feet in front of them Spike could see it, him. And he looked like nothing he ever saw before.
He was a little taller than him, but only by a few inches he gathered. Judging by his proportions, mostly the size of his head to the rest of his body, he could assume that, despite his size he was an adult.
Most of his body was covered by a dark brown cloak or mantle, kept closed by a cloak pin seemingly made out of a claw or... a bone. The creature was bipedal and much of his body was hidden but his feet and part of his legs were visible. They looked odd to Spike, yellow and black fur covered most of them, but what was worse was the toes... or fingers? Four of them were long and did not end in claws like his own, and one was to the side, they looked more like hands then they did feet. His attention turned to the creatures face.
It’s muzzle was small compared to that of a pony, or a dragon, and it was blue, as was the area around its... his eyes, and the place where his nose should have been. It had no nose to speak of, just two triangular holes. His eyes were black and shiny, with large irises, if one did not look closely one could say that his eyes were entirely black. The rest of his head was covered in thick red and orange fur.
“Let’s go, time is short,” the furry creature said turning around and walking away from the two.
“So Imamu sent you?”Apple Bloom asked before going after him.
Spike followed shortly after.