Chapter 5
A week into Zecora’s stay with Cherries Jubilee had amounted to a better understanding between the two. Both had begun to learn the language of the other, and both were meeting the same difficulties due to the highly irregular nature of both equestrian and afrikneigh. They had both resorted to saying the same thing twice, first in afrikneigh, then in Equestrian, both of them tripping over one or the other as they did. Zecora didn’t know if this was the best way to learn the language or not, and it likely wasn’t, but there really weren’t many alternatives to it.
She had learned much about Cherries Jubilee in the last week, she was a wonderful cook, creating some of the most delicious meals that Zecora had ever had the pleasure of tasting, an avid reader, and an amateur .novelist, though when pressed about it, Cherries Jubilee refused to show her it, saying that it was ‘unfit for consumption.’ Zecora later figured that there had to have been metaphorical meaning behind the statement, because she certainly didn’t want to eat it.
The one thing she had not learned from Cherries Jubilee was why she had taken the effort to befriend her. Zecora hadn’t exactly asked, because she was unsure of how exactly to phrase the question, Zecora had never before relied upon the kindness of strangers, because, in her experience, they rarely ever gave it. Cherries Jubilee was a pleasant person, sure, but she had to have a reason for being this way to her.
It was early morning, Zecora had trotted down the stairs to discover Cherries Jubilee was already awake; she was sitting at the table nose deep in her afrikneigh-to-equestrian dictionary. She looked up at the zebra and smiled brightly at her.
“Goeie môre Zecora! Hoe gaan dit met jou?” Cherries Jubilee said. “Good morning Zecora! How are you?”
“Ek is goed, baie dankie,” Zecora said, bowing her head respectfully. “I am well, thank you very much.”
Zecora disliked speaking this way; it felt horribly artificial, for more reasons than one. Her native language, the tribal tongue was very different from both equestrian and afrikneigh; it was a poetic language where sentences often rhymed with each other. Afrikneigh wasn’t as ridged as some other languages, but rhyming sentences were difficult to come by, and she didn’t know enough equestrian to speak comfortably.
“Ek is bly om dit te hoor,” Cherries Jubilee said with a smile. “I am glad to hear it,” she rose from her seat to start breakfast; she took no more than two steps before she stumbled to the ground, clutching her head in pain.
Zecora was alarmed by what had just happened and rushed to her friend’s side. “Is jy reg?” she asked. “Are you all right?”
“Ja! Ja! Ek is fyn,” Cherries Jubilee looked up and smiled at her friend warmly. “I am fine!”
Cherries Jubilee picked herself back up and started on breakfast. Zecora was sure that her new found friend was not as fine as she claimed to be, and she was frustrated to no end that she didn’t know the words to voice her concerns, Cherries Jubilee knew it to. Zecora would be keeping a close eye on her friend. Something wasn’t right, and she was going to find out what it was. Language barrier be damned, Cherries Jubilee was her friend, and she wasn’t going to let this go.
...
“Who do I kill next?” Surprise asked simply.
Prince Zephyr had allowed himself a smile. “Come with me,” he said simply.
Surprise picked the chain-knife back up in her teeth and followed the royal unicorn out her front door. The entire town had gathered outside her door, looks of worry forming on their faces. Prince Zephyr’s horn began to glow as he cast a spell, the town ponies looked in horror as they heard a crackle of energy coming from all around them, a pink magical energy field formed around the entire town. He had just sealed them all in. His horn began to glow again, this time; he used his magic to amplify the sound of his voice, as royals usually did when speaking to the commoners.
“Citizens of Dream Valley, hear my words! I am Prince Zephyr of Canterlot; I hereby condemn you all and your contumacious lifestyle, your chaotic actions in open defiance of Equestrian culture. I hereby sentence you and your village to death.” Prince Zephyr said.
There was a slight murmur among the crowd; he couldn’t be serious, could he?
Prince Zephyr turned to Surprise and gave her a small smile. “Leave none alive.”
Surprise gave a sadistic grin in return, and revved the chain knife in her teeth. The crowd began to panic and Surprise leapt into them. Prince Zephyr’s own horn began to glow as he lobbed several fire spells into the buildings.
Surprise felt the exhilaration as she dove on the ponies before her. She slashed the chain knife across several ponies’ faces, sending them reeling backwards. Blood flowed freely, Surprise soaked herself in it, she’d never felt more alive than this moment in her entire life.
Nopony put up a fight, instead they began throwing ‘loved ones,’ family members, friends, even their own children at Surprise, hoping that she would kill them and leave them alone. Surprise was disgusted by this and purposely went out of her way to end these ‘ponies’ first.
Then came the ‘friends,’ apart from Firefly, she had called two other ponies her friends. The stuck up white unicorn by the name of Sparkler, and a shy earth pony called Posey. Surprise went after Sparkler first.
“Surprise!” Sparkler called out at her. “What are you doing!? What did I ever do to you!?”
“Ooh knao,” Surprise said with a mouth full of chain knife, Surprise knew know that Sparkler too, just as Firefly had, spoken ill of her behind her back. She revved the chain knife and plunged it right into the fashionable unicorn’s eye, cutting open her skull and letting everything tumble out.
Satisfied, she turned her attention to Posey. Poor Little Posey, the horribly shy, animal loving earth pony was lying on the ground, her hooves covering her eyes, trying to hide herself from the images of the slaughter. Posey was afraid of her own shadow, it was a wonder she could even stand to be outside, let alone around other ponies. Surprise felt it was best to put her out of her misery as quickly as possible and quickly and (un)cleanly detached her head.
Fire had spread throughout the entire settlement, corpses littered the streets. Rivers of blood flowed freely. Dream Valley had become a living nightmare.
Prince Zephyr dropped the shield around the settlement, their work was done. “Take heed Surprise, for this is the fate of all who serve the forces of chaos, whether they know it or not.”
Surprise nodded in understanding.
“Clean yourself up,” Prince Zephyr said. “We’re leaving.”
Surprise nodded again, she trotted off and submerged herself in the St. Germain River. Allowing the blood to come off her, she had to make herself presentable for her master after all. Surprise was so happy! The master was proud of her for all the good work she’d done in his service; she could only imagine what his next task for her could be.
She loved her master, and she would do anything for him. Surprise finished scrubbing the last of the blood from her coat and rose from the St. Germain, returning to where her master stood.
“Does my appearance please you master?” Surprise asked, smiling brightly at him.
Prince Zephyr did not respond immediately, he cocked his head slightly, looking her over for any traces of blood. “It will do,” he said simply. “You have preformed your task admirably; it is time for your reward.”
Prince Zephyr’s horn began to glow; magic pulsated throughout Surprise’s body, and then quickly subsided. “I grant you the gift of life eternal, so that you may serve me, forever.”
Surprise squealed in excitement, throwing herself at the prince’s hooves in admiration. “Oh thank you master! Thank you for the most wonderful gift!”
“Rise,” Prince Zephyr commanded. Surprise did as she was told. “Follow,” the royal unicorn ordered again.
Surprise squealed again in excitement and followed her master as they walked away from the burning settlement, never to return to it ever again.
...
Surprise followed her master for several hours, grinning widely, she did not bother to ask where they were going, she figured it didn’t matter, all that mattered was that she had her master, and her master had her.
Prince Zephyr stopped dead in his tracks, Surprise stopped too.
“Whatever happens, do not speak,” Prince Zephyr said coldly. “Under pain of death, you will not speak.”
Surprise nodded in affirmation.
“I know you are there, show yourself!” Prince Zephyr called out.
“You always did have a problem seeing what was right in front of you, didn’t you, brother?” called a new voice, the likes of which Surprise had never heard of before. “Or should I say, above?”
Surprise looked up to find a pitch black unicorn lying in the branches of the tree above them. He too, sported a red greatcoat bearing the royal insignia, his bright amber eyes staring right at her. Surprise knew of this unicorn, he was Prince Zephyr’s brother, Prince Maelstrom.
“And who is this? You must be my brother’s new pet!” Prince Maelstrom said. “Hello new pet, what is your name?”
Surprise didn’t answer him.
“Oh boo! He told you not to talk to me! How boring,” Prince Maelstrom said, the pitch black unicorn’s amber eyes shifted from her to Prince Zephyr. “What are you doing out here brother, so far away from your big, comfortable city?”
“You know exactly what I was doing, brother,” Prince Zephyr said coldly.
“Yes yes yes, exterminating Dream Valley, you’re so not fun brother! I hadn’t even gotten to play with my new toys before you went and broke them! Ah I suppose it doesn’t matter, plenty more isolated villages in Equestria, Well this has been fun, I think I’ll be seeing you again, new pet!” Prince Maelstrom said, pointing a hoof at Surprise, he smiled eerily at her and gave a polite wave before transforming into a cloud of thick black smoke and departing with a loud howl.
Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka!
Prince Zephyr said nothing; he merely turned and continued on his way, Surprise trotted after him. She thought that Prince Maelstrom was right about one thing, this was certainly not the last time they would see him.