Ya Nyumbani
Once more it was time to fetch the water from the stream. Stepping down the coarse pathway, every twist and turn was familiar from the many other treks before. Zecora caught herself against a tree as she stumbled, chuckling at the new obstruction.
"Hello there to the one who has stumbled the mare. From what place does this little one trace?" She examined the offending stone, a simple white pebble from the town of Ponyville. She smiled to herself and continued, yet another changing entity she would have to revise.
The stream she was retrieving the water from had a special property for one of her brews. There were flowers only some hooves upstream that dipped their buds in the waters. While the effect could not be seen, it could be smelt. She used this to douse the foul brews she made to sell to those who were less than familiar with the odours.
The idea had come to her seeing the business the perfume shop in Ponyville had. It was always difficult to understand the strange customs of the new culture, this one had been an understanding worth obtaining. She had to laugh to herself thinking about the reactions from the ponies if they knew what she put in some of those mixes.
This early in the morning there were still a few stragglers of the night animals yet to return home. They would have to be quick or become caught in the jaws of a predator, yet another part of the Everfree Forest she called home. It was a long canter she enjoyed taking.
Arriving on the stream, the sun had shown itself fully now in the midday sky. Once more she dipped the bucket into the water, already the mildly sweet aromas reaching into her mind. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply with a sigh, that faded memory now shining clear of times long past. It was a difficult reminder of the world she left behind, always feeling that loss with new clarity. The only reason she accepted it was to glimpse what was to glimpse them once more.
As she opened her eyes she was momentarily stunned to see something looking back at her. It was a predator from the way the eyes were held, yet she did not fear it. She smiled and resumed her work, placing the bucket on the side with a glance to the creature.
Any doubt she had mistaken it for a tree was gone then as it began to move to her. This creature looked like a tree, very unfamiliar in its narrowed limbs, darkened hide and tall body. There was very little hair to be seen at all, a mild sheen emanating from the top. Draped around it was a red blanket of sorts, an unfamiliar and modest pattern of checkered blue. It carried a staff of some kind, strange wooden clubs, a knife she had never seen. The unfamiliar thing's eyes stood out in the contrast to the dark skin. It was strange to not see scales, feathers, or prongs.
Zecora was not afraid of this new thing, she made her smoke cloud ball ready and stood her ground proudly. Predators around the Forest were easy enough to deter. All she need do was confuse them by not acting like prey, something she was well versed in by now.
The figure stopped before her, not much taller than she was. It was confusing as it causally held out one of the limbs to brush a hand through her mane. It spoke with a deep voice, calm and introspective to her.
"Hujambo mdogo angeweza, ni vizuri kuona uso wa kuvuliwa." He looked to the bucket quizzically, "Mimi ajabu nini mtu kufunzeni ajili ya kubebea maji."
Zecora was surprised to learn it could speak. From the tone she assumed it was a male, also the lack of any visible glands. Clearing her throat she wanted to try understand the limits to his communication. "In many languages I am versed, yet yours is one I have not rehearsed."
The hand pulled back instantly, a clear shock on the creature as it leapt back in surprise with a high pitched shriek. "Aey Yei Yei! Wewe...wewe! Una nini kuwekwa mbele yangu sasa maumbile?!"
Zecora had to laugh at having shocked it in this way. It was also the relief she felt after it had terrified her stiff with that scream. She had never heard this language before, she did not understand why she wanted to communicate with it now.
"I am no threat, there is no need to fret." She had to keep a calm tone, only that could assure the thing of her intention.
"How do you speak?" A relief came over her that it could understand her, pleasant surprise that the accent was not far from her own. She had not heard this in a long time. The question was a strange one though.
"Is it new that a zebra speaks to you?"
He laughed to himself, "There is a man somewhere! Hey I am not mjinga!" The figure walked to the brush, a stern thwack with his staff. Zecora sat down and waited for the denial to pass. It was not the first time she had dealt with this type of ignorance. As always the way to solve it was to let the ignorant find the answer themselves.
He poked his hairless head around the brush, then back close to her. The eyes darted about herself, she allowed his hand to come up and examine the earrings she wore, the hoops around her neck, then the bangles on her foreleg. He took it in the warm palm delicately and looked to her expectantly. She gave him what he wanted to confirm.
"Are your ears and eyes now satisfied?"
"I see but I do not believe." The hand slid up her foreleg to hold tightly under her knee. She understood and returned the gesture with a clumsy shake.
"Zecora names my cause, what then is yours?"
"I am no longer a name but a purpose, the purpose takes name of searching. The name is Msafiri." He strained the M in a soft manner when he spoke, the accent was truly familiar while being so different. It felt euphoric to meet something so unfamiliarly familiar.
"What does this traveller unknown seek in my humble home?"
"I seek an answer to the greed of my people. Not my tribe, but my people in my home."
"This people you hum, is the name of one?"
"Apana, it means many. Alone I am man, there is woman, child, brother, sister, family. The people are not of one tribe, but of all. Do you understand?"
While man was confusing she did recognise the term woman, it was certain he was indeed a he. It was not certain why this was suddenly so important to her. "I do seem to grasp what you mean."
"Ah good, that is now the fifth time I have had to explain. I like you now for understanding so well, you are very wise Zecora."
She had never been called wise before, let alone that it was from such a strange being. What she liked was how quickly he assimilated the detail and accepted her as is. This told that he was experienced in these strange encounters, not forgetting the five times before he had to explain this to who knows what else.
There was an energy about him that made her feel nervous, she concluded it was the kindness in the eyes. Normally she was always good at reading creatures. THere was a string smell on him though she could not understand. It carried the smell of earth, a raw scent that was as strong as the sweet waters. She did not object to the aroma, it was again unfamiliarly familiar.
Something did disturb her about it, it was the prevalence of it. There were plenty of predators that could pick up on the new scent, hungry ones in particular. As always was with her instincts, they were perfectly correct while being only moments ahead of the events themselves.
She turned around to see a predator that she had already met, once again the Macadon Jaguar had followed her. Choosing the correct course of action, she was curious as Msafiri stepped in front of her. He unsheathed the strange knife to clutch to it firmly. Zecora became nervous.
"Eh that one does not look like a friend."
"It is right what you see, I fear we must flee."
"Sema simba," he spoke to the jaguar, "I can teach it a lesson, just stay here."
"No, do not take the life with your knife."
He sheathed it quickly with a warm smile to the readying predator, "I will teach it a lesson it can walk away from. A lesson not to harm Zecora."
Before she could speak he charged to the jaguar as it launched to them. She was dumbfounded as he stood tall and the beast reeled back in fright, him slamming the stick to the ground with a sharp crack that sent it over. It rolled to stand ready to pounce, he forced it back with a reverberating high pitched cry. The sound was strong enough to echo in Zecora's own ears, pulling down to hide from it.
Zecora was normally very calm and respectful of nature. Her original plan was to let the smoke explode and calmly trot away with him. Now seeing this artful swaying from the claws, she was enjoying the display of the dance. Despite the apparent danger there was no feeling of fear for her safety, only an enthusiasm to this madness. Her ears stood on end in the excitement.
He spun around as the jaguar threw itself at him, scrambling furiously to try get a hold of something. Zecora chuckled, the image of a kitten scrambling for string in her mind. Yet again he dodged, this time a light thwack to the nose resulting in a furious swipe he neatly avoided. Finally he became clumsy and it managed to pin him under one paw with a roar.
Before Zecora could react he shoved a hand in the mouth, the action gagging the jaguar and causing it to pull away in the shock. She laughed with relief as he stood tall again with another cry, jumping high to stomp in place and startle the opponent.
She could not stop herself laughing seeing the worried look on the once mighty beast. Now its eyes looked around to search for an escape. It lunged for him but he leapt clear over it to land staff first. Unfortunately for the jaguar that staff squarely found the tip of its tail, a roar of misfortune yet again carrying out. With the impact it charged blindly into the bush, halting a moment to look back.
"TWENDE!" he yelled waving the staff madly, and the once mighty Macadon Jaguar disappeared into the forest, the steps fading to a light murmur in the expanse.
Zecora was stunned, she found herself tapping her hooves together to applaud the show. He responded by holding the staff over his head and throwing his head back in hearty celebration, wearing the widest smile she had even seen. He calmed quickly and walked over to sit on the bank, washing his person of the grime and throwing his blanket back on.
As she examined the body during the quick wash, she was amazed to see not a single scratch. "That was a true display of a lesson at play! Never have a seen one so lean send back the beast of the east."
"We have lions in my land. They are no different, show them you are the boss and they will run like the antelope they chase." He became suddenly very solemn, staring out to the waters edge. His voice carried a great sadness now, numbing even her own jovial spirits, "That is what I am told, that was the first time I could fight the lions we were trained to fight. Never did I imagine it would be that way, it makes me sad for my brothers and sisters that will not see the chance. Only the elders remember the true lions of our proud home."
She sat down beside him, it was clear the time had come for some context. She allowed him to finish, crossing his legs and leaning on the staff with a sorrowful sigh. "To speak of the pain does keep one sane."
"We had lions, antelope, crocodiles, buffalo, boars...zebras. They were all consumed by my peoples greed."
She had to know with all her being, "There are zebra in your land!? Do they speak and shake your hand?"
"No no Zecora. They do not speak as you do, they are...were the prey of the lions. Sometimes in our history we used to eat them for nourishing. It was as our Mama told us."
While this came as a shock, she assumed the words were misheard...although he did have all the shapes of a predator. "So you were trained to make the lions tame?"
"We played the games that taught us, the rest was our preparation. It is important to preserve the old ways," he pointed with the staff to the place where the beast had ran through, "It is a good thing we did."
She chuckled, "It is true, i am grateful to you." She smiled in her gratitude at him having saved her the time and energy to gallop away. There was still that problem he mentioned. Now she wanted to help him. "Thank you strange man alone, you are welcome to my home. What is the thing you seek, to the problem of which you speak?"
"That is the question, maybe I must explain the problem." He sat down on the grassy bank of the river and gestured with the free hand to the expanse of the plains that bordered the forest. The staff he held was used to lean on, Zecora sat by him; eager to hear the tale of this Msafiri. "Such a beautiful land," the hand touched his chest as he bowed his head, "My land is gone, taken by our own people to build on. There is no more green there, we all had to move. It was agreed on by our elders. We made a long journey to come across the plains, everywhere more of the same buildings that touched the sky."
This comment brought a sickening reminder to Zecora about what had happened to her, the loss of green, the loss of her own family. Now she was enraptured to hear the tale, pleading with the fates it did not match hers.
"We found nothing to call our home anymore, only where we were was home. The people did not care for the green, they no longer saw its beauty or joy. We were too small a tribe to show them what was changed, what we no longer could save. So they chose to let us wander the greyed plains, no longer as beautiful as they were in the memory of our elders."
"The story I hear, is very sad my dear. I know the tale that you tell all too well. I see the world today being lost in the fray. My tribe did not mean to damage the green. Still those chose to ignore the wiser of those. One day my home was taken apart, by the very beings they held close to their heart. The green was alive and without spite, took all that I loved in a single night. "
"Mama fought?" Zecora could only look confused at the comment, "Pole sana, Mama is the green. Mama is the name we give the land that people live on; she nurtures us and her children, so she is ours mother."
"Yes my man, my Mama had a plan. She took it all but left me tall. In my sleepy and tear filled night, I was visited and got quite a fright."
He looked shocked, "You saw your Mama?!"
"No no my dear, I saw the answer strong and clear. Because my ponies did not respect the land, they did force natures swift hand. I was spared to tell the tale, yet in that respect I have failed. Why I must tell it, I do not know, but it must done before I am too old. The clarity I see is to spread the word unheard. In my warning many can learn, before the green they try to burn. One day I will see the change of which you speak, One day I must stand up to bring the harmony to the worlds, one day...one day."
She smiled to him, trying her best not to look too sad. She had come to peace with the loss a long time ago. Now she felt close to this man after all his words.
"Haki Mama...I have it..." he shot up to stand, Zecora nearly falling over not realising she was leaning on him, "We have an answer!" He was crying, letting out that cry in a reverberance that filled her with joy to watch. She could not understand why this man had brought this much joy to her, there was this closeness between them. In the very least at least one had found the answer. He calmed down after an impressive jump into the air in celebration, obviously feeling embarrassed with a cheeky smile to her. She could only smile back in the same way with a laugh.
"It seems you are a fine dancer after finding your answer!"
"Ah Zecora, I must explain. I am now on a journey of worlds, many more have I seen with the buildings that consumed the land. Some worlds have seen their hunger feast on the sisters of their own Mama, the stars and the skies. This is the first world of green I am to see, the first with such balance of harmony. There are no sky touchers here!" No more must I continue to search for it. He spread his arm wide to the horizon, "I am of home."
Zecora now felt fear from his words, the good nature suddenly fading. These beings had destroyed their old world and now sought a new one. This being however possessed a knowledge she did not understand. It could not be allowed for them to come here and do the same to her beloved home, she stomped her hooves with a mighty quake echoing across the trees. "You are not welcome here I fear!"
He turned around stunned, "Hati?"
"You speak of the loss of the old green, you shall not bring more to repeat the scene!"
"Zecora, this is not-"
"No! I shall not stand idle-"
She was stunned as he cracked the staff to the floor, the shock came from how the ripple could be seen to cross silently until over the horizon. He regarded her a moment before speaking, the stun the only thing holding her speech, "Does one as wise as you not see that I see?" She did not understand, confusion creeping its way to her expression, "I seek the knowledge to save my home." His staff held out to the horizon and the setting sun, "I will not bring them here to do the same! You have shown me how I can save it."
"What have I shown that you have not known?"
"You have shown the secret to preserve the life itself that binds to the earth. They will destroy and consume, but they shall never win." Once more this did not make sense to her, he could see it did not. "This forest was once a plain of nothing, now it teems with life. There is always life. No matter how much destruction the man of greed wreaks, he shall in time grow too full to feast any more. His meal is but one lifetime, our home is too strong. Our mama is too stubborn to break to his will."
"You say in time they shall see the nature of their futility?"
"No, I see it all now so clearly...the answer. The man shall never learn to respect mama again. We once all knew..." he let the staff settle to the ground gently, "Then it was forgotten. No longer did our people respect the mother as they should have. She will soon sleep from the sickness that we are. When she sleeps Zecora, the infection will heal. It will heal because there is nothing left to feed on. Mama will no longer give her fruit to the ungrateful children, she will teach us a lesson that we always knew but chose to be deaf to."
"The lesson of which you speak, cannot be the answer you seek."
"It is all that we can do. I am sad to not have had faith in mama, she will always know what to do. She will remind us one day to respect her. We will learn then of what Mama can do. She is kali."
"You will effort not one bit, you seek not to stop it?"
"No. There are too many people who could not understand. The man is too hungry, he shall not stop because he sees the hurt of Mama. She will stay silent to the day the man is gone, she knows he will not be a burden much longer." He pointed to the sky with the staff, "As the clouds take more water from Mama, the weight will grow too heavy for them to carry," the staff traced a line to the grass, "Then the water returns to her once more for them to steal it once more. The man will take what he can, but he will return to Mama when he rests forever. Mama is not smart though, she has too much love to give. Another man will come to take from her, then the circe will round again. It is a circle Zecora, one you have shown me. We shall stand ready until they are ready to hear us. We shall be like Zecora, and keep the knowledge to us until the right time. We will not lead them, not follow them, but guide them with what we know. Maybe then they will listen, maybe then the man will no longer have greed."
Such wisdom was unfounded to her. A problem she could not fathom finding its solution in her. She realised she did not even know who this was, "Who is this male with the strangest tale?"
"Ah, my name is not important, my home is not important. I am here until the sun will set by the power of the elders, then we must say kwaheri."
Looking at the settling sun she had not realised this much time had passed, time that was running too short for her. "I must know something about you, there is much now between us two."
"Sawa Zecora. I am Massai, my people are Massai. The people of my world are people from many other tribes and homes. My tribe is one of the last ones that are not corrupted by the worlds you hear. We wanted to find the answer for ourselves, to save all people. Using the collective knowledge of our elders and their elders, we found a way to walk to other places for but a day in the suns light."
Suddenly it became heavier on her to hear those words, "Then I am never to see you again my friend?"
"No no. I must respect the elders and their wisdom...no matter what I want."
Zecora was confused in the most daring way, daring to have that little hope of what she had left behind a long time ago. "Then with me you wish to be?"
"After today I no longer can see the woman of my home and understand why I should be there. After meeting you I wish only to be with you and you alone."
"We are fools, to play with fates tools. Do you not have a wife in your life? A love to hold when the nights get cold?"
"None. We are a different tribe to the others, still unfound by the sky touchers. We choose a wife and a wife chooses us. We know that the woman is like Mama, she must be shown our love if we are to prosper together. If not..."
"I see, kali. Can I not truly see you again?"
"I could chase the sun and remain here. Then I would be tired I think."
"Perhaps I can visit your home and not be alone."
"In my home the zebra do not speak, there we once ate them as Mama shows us."
"She could not think of a rhyme at first for that. Then the nature of what he was reminded her; a predator. She was able to compose herself with a smile, "Some animals must eat others, even the children of mothers."
"Here I say, I wish I could stay. To be with you under the night sky blue. If I was told; not on one more beast you may feast, to sacrifice that in the least. To show that you can rise above, to show the one you truly love will know this day once and for all, you love her enough to change your call. I would say to the fate that is, not one more will I touch, then here we would stay forever more, with the one I love so much."
In the silence Zecora felt herself tearing at his words, "You cannot rhyme in time. To hear one speak this way, to my heart brings great dismay." The love that had sprung between them was strange for her, very fast. She held the idea to ask him if he knew why, "This bond between us two, does it not frighten you?"
"It did the first time Zecora."
"...my man, I do not understand..."
He smiled, "This meeting of ours is not the first, you may not know we have met on other days, three of them. Today is the only day we have met."
The realisation shook the foundations of what se could understand, "You travel through time to play with my mind?"
"Yes, but not to play, only to have the answer which I seek. The answer that has now come from the most wise of creatures. You will not understand why I had to visit again to find it, but now this will be the final time on this day."
"Why pretend you see, that you did not know me?"
"It was the way we first met, the way we first meet. That black lion was a new change this time, it is the way fate intended us to meet. Why fight fate... My memory does take a time to come back after each journey through worlds."
"From the cream it would seem."
"It is a new experience for me. Fate is such a beautiful design." Zecora knew exactly what he meant, it did not help.
Only one response could come to mind, she hated herself for sounding so much as a foal, "I hate fate."
"Why are you sad? I have learned so much here from you. I will speak of you to many of my friends and family. They will look at me think; 'aye, this man is crazy', but I will never hide the woman I have met, the woman that has shown us the light to the world we come from."
"My heart can never forget you, this will always remain true."
"Ah you see it, a very wise woman. We cannot be one under this sun, there will be others one day. I hope we can meet again beautiful Zecora." He took her hoof and kissed the thumbs knuckle, "Today we must let the fates laugh at us, but tomorrow...tomorrow will always be another day. We will promise each other now to not to cry on our lonely nights, but to find another that we can share our lives with."
Zecora sniffed, she had not noticed she was crying, "Why...why must fate, always cross a date? Why mu...must it play with hearts by forcing them to part?"
He wiped his own eye on that blanket, bringing it to her eyes. "Fate, kind Zecora, can be like Mama, kali. The sun is almost gone, the journey will soon start back home, the journey ya nymbani. I leave you with these words, find the one to whom you are destined for, show fate you accept our meeting as the lesson that it is."
"The lesson is clear; we can still love my dear."
"It is not an easy path to be the enlightened."
"No...no."
"Eh that was a good one! To your journey, I will make it easier." Ha took off one of his necklaces and placed it around her neck. "When your day comes to bring the harmony back, you will call on me one last time."
"What must I do to call on you?"
"Only speak the name of traveller and I will find you. Msafiri will travel once more that time, once more to aid you."
"This is but a fantasy, how could you help my destiny?"
"When you call, I will show them what has happens in my home. I will show them what it is you fear will happen to them. We will prepare to save our home, and aid you in saving yours."
"I...am at a loss for a word, this...it is unheard."
"When I am ya nyumbani, I shall speak of the worlds that will need us one day. My family will listen and be ready. I was chosen by the elders, so I am still the leader of my tribe."
She was shocked, "A chief you are! By the brightest star!"
"I have led what is left to a small place where we are welcome for our 'novelty' they call it. We will use the refuge to prepare and broaden what we see and know. You will always have a tribe in us loved one, we promise and I swear it on Mama herself." Zecora felt a great burden lift from her, as though her pain of the loss was truly washed away at long last. She had her family once again, in spirit and in heart.
"I shall look forward to the day, when one more time our words shall play."
"As do I strong Zecora. One day...I shall miss you, please find love again so I know you are happy." As the light faded, so did the translucence of his own body. "We say not goodbye, but see you again; tutaonana." He reached a hand out to her, she took it with a firm shake.
"Tutaonona my friend, may you find love again."
He smiled, she did not release, neither did he. She watched those eyes fade silently into darkness, forever holding the picture of him to her. As the grip faded and he disappeared, she felt furious. Furious at how once more fate had shown her something so beautiful only to take it away. She hated it for managing to find a way back in to hurt her. It was stifled quickly though as the wind rustled the necklace she wore.
Holding it in surprise she felt the simple beading of his gift. One thing still remained here. With a smile it was time to once again use her wisdom. There was no future with him, but now there was a future. She had sworn to herself then it would not be one alone.
Such wisdom did resonate in the fields that had rippled by his strike; she no longer held an anger to the turn in her path, but a gratitude. As wise as she was the refusal to see the obvious was unbecoming of a zebra like her. She smiled then and took the bucket to balance on her head. Still it held the sweetest waters with their unfading aroma.
Returning up the path she did remember to avoid the pebble, barely. It was a return that she marvelled in; having taken a monumental journey without having to leave the Everfree Forest. It was a journey that required much meditation and reflection, whatever these beings were he had prepared her with a message. The message of what could happen, and the means to find the courage to teach it. She was grateful on that day she would not be alone, her family would be there. There was no simple way to begin this journey, but she needed to do it for her home. For the family that was all life and for her own Mama, Mama ya nyumbani.