Zircon heard the chants from outside, cries of anger and rage.
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Under eternal sky we banish thee!
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He walked over to the door and pushed it open.
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Whether you fall in happiness or misery!
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He was shoved away by a forceful hoof, and he fell to the dirt as his father closed it and stood in front of it.
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You've committed crimes of a level so great!
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Zircon shut his eyes as he heard a staff clang down on hard wood.
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That any redemption will be too late!
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Zircon stared into the darkness as the chanting became a roar, and the sound of the staff striking wood became deafening. He curled up into a fetal position and shivered as the noise became even louder, making his ears ring and his head pulse.
"Make it stop!" he yelled as he covered his ears, crying.
The screams became one wall of sonic assault, burning through the night, and sending Zircon into hysterical sobs. He felt a comforting hoof, and he looked up to see the silhouette of his father standing over him.
"It's okay," he whispered. "It'll be over soon."
Zircon grabbed his head and focused on the tears falling down his face. The noise soon began to fade away, slowly becoming one with the silence. He raised his head and sniffled softly.
"What happened?" he asked.
A hoof ran through his hair.
"There was a bit of a problem," the father said. "And somepony has to leave. They'll be gone by tomorrow, and it will be much quieter then."
"Who was it?" Zircon asked, gazing into his father's eyes. "Who has to leave?"
"A healer who has been around for a long time," the father turned away and stood.
"Why does she have to leave?" Zircon stood as well, wiping the remnants of tears from his face.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Why not?" Zircon stomped his hoof.
"You're too young."
The father left, leaving Zircon to stand there pouting, wondering why he was never allowed to know about anything the adults did.
"It's not fair," he said, huffing angrily.
The door to their hut opened, and his mom came in, shivering from the cold outdoors.
"Mom, Dad won't tell me about why they banished that zebra!" Zircon said.
"And he's right not to," she replied, patting him on the head. "You're too young to understand."
Zircon just let his jaw hang in defeat as his mom left to go talk to his father.
"I'm old enough to understand," he pouted, scuffing his hoof on the ground.
As the sound of mulling zebras started to return to the air, Zircon went to his bed, which sat in one the hut's corners, away from his parent's. He slid in and watched as his parents whispered quietly to one another in the darkness.
"I'm so glad she's finally going to leave," he heard his mom say faintly. "She's been pushing against the grain for a long time now."
"I know," his dad answered, sneaking a few glances at Zircon. "But she was good at what she did. The tribe will do fine without her, but there are some things only she understood how to fix."
"But with the unicorn we don't need her," the mom took an anxious step forward. "Her 'zebra magic' and 'potion brewing' is pointless. She's just an outcast now, and her exile is for the best."
The father decided to leave it be and got in bed.
"Let's just leave it," he said. "It's fine."
Zircon closed his eyes and was quickly asleep.
~
Zircon cracked open his eyes as a hoof poked him lightly. His mom stood over him, staring him down.
"Get up!" she said happily, a slightly crazed look of relief on her face.
He clambered from bed, confused.
"Why are you so happy?" the young zebra asked, clearing the blurs from his eyes.
"Oh, it's nothing," she said, breathing deeply. "It's just that the exile is about to leave. I think that she deserves it after what she's done."
"What did she do?" Zircon asked, hoping to catch her off guard.
"You're too young to understand," his mom replied, tapping him on the muzzle with a grin. "Now, you're going to have to stay here while we go and attend the leaving party."
Zircon's face twisted into confusion.
"You're throwing a party for her?" he asked. "Why?"
"No," his mom said with a small laugh. "A 'party' also can mean a group of zebras who are sent to meet or say goodbye to somepony."
The young zebra's face shifted to understanding.
"Oh!" he said.
His mom chuckled and patted him on the head.
"Stay safe!" she said as she left the hut, waving him goodbye. "Thank heavens that stupid 'healer's' going to be gone." He waved back, not hearing her last words.
When the door closed, the colt placed his head on the ground and sighed.
"Why am I never allowed to know about anything?" he moped. "I'm not too young. I can understand."
I wonder why they banished her? Zircon thought, beginning to pace. Maybe she killed somepony. Maybe she did something really bad, like she hurt another zebra. Maybe she angered the leader! Maybe she... uh...
He could not imagine anything else that would have to make her leave, so he stopped running ridiculous scenarios over in his head and sat down.
I hope she deserves this. I hope she wasn't banished because somepony doesn't like her very much.
He stood and went over to the small curtained window of the room. He pulled it back and saw nothing but the empty grasslands that the tribe sat upon, and the forest looming in the distance. As he stared into the blank pastures, he saw a lone zebra walking among them.
That must be the one they exiled, he thought. I wonder if I could ask her why she was banished before she goes into the forest.
And so he did. He hopped through the hole, only just small enough to make it through. He landed with a slight thud.
"Here we go," he said softly, breaking into a sprint, chasing after the zebra.
He ran through the fields, feeling the tall grass brushing against his face, tall enough to hide him from any eyes who were watching the zebra leave.
He saw a glimpse of the exile's gray coat.
"Hey!" he called.
He heard a shuffle, and the sound of running hoofsteps.
"Hey!" he called again.
He stopped to catch his breath, and he heard the retreating hoofsteps slow as well. He gulped in large amounts of air and closed his eyes for a moment.
"Why won't she stop?" he asked himself. "I just want to ask her question."
He started running and heard the zebra start running as well.
"I want to ask you a question!" he yelled, trying to keep up.
Soon, the grass parted to reveal the forest, where the exile was entering at a full gallop.
Darn it, he thought. I don't want to follow her in there.
He turned to leave, but his curiosity overcame him.
"Oh, I just have to know why she's been banished!" he said, fidgeting anxiously as he stared into the forest's darkness.
He gulped.
"I'll go in, and then I'll come back out as soon as I ask her," he promised himself. "I don't need to stay for too long."
He took a cautious step forward and walked into the forest.