//------------------------------//
// Blind Luck 
// Story: Birthday Game Shenanigans 
// by BulletCat 
//------------------------------//

	Celestia's sun rose slowly over the horizon, painting the inside of the hut a golden honey color. The inside of the hut was filled with masks, shelves lined with books and potions, and a large black caldron sat in the center of the room. On the opposite side of the hut from the window where the sun came in was a bed. In the bed laid a sleeping zebra. Seemingly unfazed by the sunlight landing on her face she fidgeted a little to get comfortable before going back to her motionless deep sleep. In walked a blue unicorn with a wild black mane, deep blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a long, thick vine on his flank. Walking up to the bed he slowly shook the sleeping zebra while trying to wake her up.
"Come on, Zecora. Time to wake up." He said just loudly enough to get her attention. 
The zebra stretched out from under the covers and began to wake up. Being a zebra she was covered in black and white stripes. Her mane was in a mohawk and her cutie mark was of a line spiraling inward with little triangles pointing out from around it, making it look like a rough depiction of the sun. She also had multiple gold rings around her front left hoof and most notably, around her neck. What was most notable though was her her teal blue eyes seemed to be slighty glazed over and didn't seem to focus on anything in the room.
" Good morning, Evening Herb. Is it already time to be disturbed?" She said rubbing her eyes.
"Afraid so." He replied using his magic to lift the covers off the mare. She slowly rolled out of bed and onto her hooves before laying her head over the stallions back. When she had done that, he walked back toward the room he had just come out of. Inside there was a shower, toilet, and several other amenities that indicated this was a bathroom. Walking over to the shower which had already been used, he guided her into it before pulling the curtain behind her.
"I'm gonna make breakfast. You alright?" His response was the sound of the water running. Content that she was now able to handle herself for a while he walked back out into the main room and over to the fridge. Bringing out several eggs and some salad greens, he placed a pan on the stove before starting to mix the eggs. Several minutes later, he had two omelets with tomatos and lettuce ready on two plates. Just as he finished loading the last plate, the bathroom door opened and in walked Zecora. Her mane was limp against her body and she was still wet but otherwise fine.
"Shouldn't you be able to dry yourself?" He asked as she made her way towards him. She grumbled slightly before sitting down in front of one of the plates and digging in. Chuckling to himself, Evening levitated a towel out of the bathroom and began to dry her off.
"You know, sometimes I think that you're perfectly capable of doing everything by yourself. You just keep me around to wait on you."
"While that reason is rather true, you know that I wouldn't get by without you." She said from under the towel before giving the unicorn a nuzzle. Which he returned with a smile.
"Eat up. We got a lot to do today."

"Daisy's requested that we make more of those essence extraction potions." Evening said holding up one of the scrolls that lay in a small bag by the door.
"She uses up those potions fast. Perhaps we should make some to last. Get the bottles over there." She said trowing her head in the direction of a shelf. "The ones of green berries, and droppings of a hair."
Evening went over and floated out the requested ingredients. Laying them out next to  several other materials that rested on small tables by Zecora's sides. As he went over to help her, there was a knocking at the door.
"Hello Zecora. Hello Evening." Said a lavender unicorn mare as she entered the hut. Her mane and tail were a deep navy blue with a pink and purple stripe running the length of both. She had amethyst eyes and a cutie mark of a six pointed star surrounded by five others. 
"Ah, Twilight!" Zecora said slightly turning to face the door. "To what do I owe such a delight?"
"Oh,I just came by to pick up those ingredients I requested."
"Ah,yes. They are right outside. Just as you asked, cut and dried."
"Come on. I'lll show you." Evening said leading Twilight out the door and halfway around the hut. There sat a large basket filled with various jars of vines, bark, leaves, flowers and numerous other innocuous things. Picking it up in his magic he handed it over to Twilight, who took it in her own magic before setting it on her back.
"How is Zecora doing?" 
"Pretty good. Sometimes I think she doesn't need me around."
"Don't say that." Twilight said, shooting a look at Evening. "Ever since the accident she's had trouble. I'm glad you came to town when you did. She was about to have stop her work because of what happened."
"I know. But sometimes with the way she acts and takes care of herself, you would have trouble believing that she's actually blind." They came around back in front of the hut to see Zecora mixing the ingredients in her cauldron.
"Just take care of her, alright? I don't want to loose a friend." Twilight said, her voice worrisome. Evening just shot her a confidant smile.
"Dont worry. I won't let anything happen to her."

After Twilight left they spent the rest of the day mixing the necessary ingredients into the requested potions. As night fell they were laying down together next to the fire. The cauldron had been removed and instead they let the fire just blaze away as the read a book. Or rather, Evening read a book to Zecora.
""...The masked man held up the small brown vial and said "What you do not smell is called Iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid, and is one of the more deadly poisons known to ponies."
"Such a thing is not so. If it were, I'd have learned of it so long ago" Zecora mused her head resting against Evening's neck.
"It's a fictional story. They can make up whatever they want." Evening said looking down at the sleepy zebra. "But that's enough for tonight. I think we need to sleep."
"But what of the duel and poison? Will Vizzini choose the right one?" Zecora bemused from half closed eyes as Evening put out the fire, before lifting Zecora with his magic.
"Guess we'll find out tomorrow." Evening led her over to the bed before laying her down in it and climbing in himself. Zecora snuggled in closer as Evening pulled the blanket over them.
"Goodnight, Zecora."
"Goodnight Evening. I hope that you.." Zecora trailed off as she drifted to sleep. Evening chuckled and pulled her in close. Before drifting off himself to the sounds of her breathing and the music of the crickets.