A Saddle Arabian like pony was trekking through the savannah plains of the continent of Zebrica, herding a flock of sheep. He stood atop a hill, looking on with pride... before getting trampled by a carriage.
"Sorry!" The Changeling Carapace apologized, having been pulling the carriage alongside another of his kind.
The carriage had the eight Napoleon brothers and Zecora, with Caboose singing a few bars of 'Sweet Home Appleloosa' alongside a built-in gramophone.
"Sweet home Appleloosa, where the skies are so blue!" Caboose sang. "Sweet home Appleloosa, lord, I'm coming home to you!"
"Wow, I can't believe this is the first time we've been to Zebrica!" Murray exclaimed.
"I must say, did you never have business here some day?" Zecora asked.
"Well, no offense, but Zebrica doesn't really offer much in terms of resources." Vinny noted.
"Yeah. Besides, we kinda had an agreement with the Vindahoovian family to not 'taint' these lands." Lars shrugged.
"Still, it is nice to finally visit your home village, Zecor." Grimoire added. "I had no idea that all zebras were obligated to come home every year."
"You did not have to go so much trouble, to come here on the double." Zecora declared.
"Perish the thought, love." Grimoire kissed her. "I was actually hoping to meet other zebras eventually."
"Wow, there's a lot of exposition floatin' around, huh?" Caboose mused.
"Indeed, this could easily serve an educational purpose in teaching us the ways of zebras." Lars smiled.
"Well, that, and giving us an excuse to whip out this baby." Murray gestured to the carriage.
"Speaking in this instance, what exactly is this conveyance?" Zecora asked.
"Why, this is the newest model of Bitalian-Armored Transport." Murray boasted. "4-inch armor plating, MAG suspension bumper and armor for the pullers, a mountable cannoneer/rapid-fire crossbow gunner position, and total seating for 10. Also comes with cup holders and an all-surround stereo gramophone. This is the EQ7 BAT... I call it the Warthog."
Silence ensued.
"Why 'Warthog'?" Lars asked.
"Because EQ7 BAT is hard to say in conversations..." Murray answered.
"No, but 'Warthog'? I mean, this carriage doesn't look like a pig." Lars frowned.
"Come again?" Murray asked.
"It kinda reminds me of a puma." Lars admitted.
"What the heck is a puma?" Vinny asked.
"Are you referring to that shoe company that makes the royal princesses' shoes?" Caboose chimed in.
"No, like a puma." Lars declared. "It's a big cat, like a lion."
"Okay, you're making that up." Vinny snorted.
"Really, there is such thing as a puma!" Lars insisted.
"Sonny, please poison Lars' next meal." Vinny requested.
"Hey, if you have a non-lethal dosage of something, just say the word..." Sonny shrugged.
"Look, see those two tow hooks that the pullers are pulling us by?" Murray pointed. "They look like tusks, and what kind of animal has tusks?"
" ...A walrus." Lars answered.
"Stop making up animals!" Vinny yelled.
The carriage stoped outside a small village of huts made out of mud and straw. A crowd of zebra emerged to investigate. They were wary at first, until Zecora stepped out, at which point they cheered for their tribesmate's return. One old zebra mare stepped forward.
"Zecora, welcome back!" She smiled.
"Zaria, my sister dear." Zecora hugged her. "It is great to be here."
"And who are those outsiders you bring?" Zaria asked. "All of them standing in a ring."
"These are the Napoleon brothers, sister." Zecora declared nuzzling against Grimoire. "Of whom Grimoire here is my mister."
The zebra crowd muttered scandalously.
"A pleasure to meet you." Grimoire declared.
"As I you." Zaria declared. "I am the village elder, this much is true. Now come, there is much to do."
"Do all zebras talk in rhyme?" Murray asked.
"It is true, we all do." Zecora nodded.
"Mind if I ask why?" Slot frowned.
"For us, verse is beauty, and also truth." Zecora revealed. "To not speak so would be most uncouth."
"What, like... swearing?" Caboose asked.
"In a way, yes." Zecora smiled. "For us, it would be quite a mess."
"Come, we hold a feast!" Zaria told the zebras. "For the return of my sister, we can do the least!"
The Napoleons joined the tribe in the dining hut, where they were shown several Zebrican delicacies.
"What's this stuff?" Slot grimaced at the dish in front of him.
"Savannah grass salad." Sonny declared. "It's very exotic."
Slot took a tentative bite... only to spit it out immediately.
"Yuck, gross!" He spat.
The grass splattered onto Salt's head.
"Okay, now you're gonna get it!" He threw some of his own food at Slot, a portion of it hitting Vinny.
"Counterattack!" Vinny yelled, tossing some of his own food at Salt.
"Pre-emptive strike!" Caboose threw some food at Murray.
Before long, seven of the brothers were engaged in a food fight.
"Guys, STOP!" Grimoire yelled, causing them to freeze in their tracks.
As the brothers came to their senses, they realized the zebra tribe glaring at them.
"Why's everypony staring at us?" Lars asked.
"Our food can at times be scarce." Zaria growled. "To waste it like that is the worst."
"Thanks a lot, guys." Grimoire groaned.
"He started it." The other brothers pointed at Slot.
"Yeah, well... you continued it!" Slot retorted.
The sun started to set.
"Night will come soon." Zaria declared. "To bed, before rises the moon."
The tribe returned to their individual huts. A number of huts remained; Just enough to share between the brothers. Murray, Vinny and Salt took one, Lars and Sonny took another, and Slot and Caboose yet another. Grimoire and Zecora lodged in her old hut.
"Well, that could have gone better." Grimoire sighed, laying down on his cot as he slipped off his jacket and shirt.
"Worry not, my dear." Zecora smiled, sitting aside him. "You are overreacting, I fear."
"I hope so." Grimoire sighed, "First impressions is everything, and I do not want this to go down like it did with the Van Saddlesons."
"Like how?" Zecora asked.
"You don't wanna know. Let's just say that we can't step into Denmare."
"Worry not about these little swerves." Zecora smiled sweetly, nuzzling Grimoire. "Perhaps I can help... calm your nerves."
"Thanks, love… after today, I could use something to take a load off." Grimoire smirked seductively, as he wrapped his hooves around Zecora and rolled atop her and began kissing her fervently…
Then Caboose came in.
"Hey, you two, could I-oh…" Caboose trailed off as he saw the two in a compromising position, much to their shock.
"Caboose!" Grimoire backed off of Zecora. "What are you doing here?!"
"Well, Slot kicked me out." Caboose admitted.
"Oh, what did you do?" Grimoire groaned.
"Nothing! I was just talking to him about Daring's pregnancy, and somehow it got him to thinking about our mum and dad… and you know how he gets when it comes to our mum and dad…" Caboose rubbed the back of his head.
"I swear, that boy needs more help than you do." Grimoire sighed.
"And now I need somewhere else to sleep, and I was wondering if maybe… I could bunk with you guys for tonight?" Caboose asked.
"Of course you may do." Zecora smiled. "Anything for you."
"But Zecor, we were…" Grimoire was about to protest.
"I'm sorry if this seems worst, but remember, family comes first." Zecora stated matter of factly.
"Right…" Grimoire frowned, as he just fell to the cot again, letting out a loud groan.
The next morning, they awoke for breakfast.
"Hey, guys!" Caboose smiled. He was wearing golden rings around his neck.
"What are you wearing?" Murray asked.
"Cool, isn't it?" Caboose smiled. "This nice zebra stallion gave it to me."
Zecora tittered lightly.
"What's so funny?" Caboose asked.
"My laughter is somewhat fair." Zecora smirked. "Considering your new accessory is usually worn by a mare."
"What?!" Caboose gasped. "Zazu, you lied to me!"
A nearby zebra stallion and his friends laughed loudly.
"Okay, how do I get this thing off?" Caboose groaned.
"Hey, no-one makes my little bro look dumb!" Slot yelled. "He does it himself!"
Slot charged the stallion and attacked them. Zaria came onto the scene shortly.
"What goes on here?" She snarled. "The outsider picks a fight, I fear?"
"They started it." Slot snarled.
"This one cannot take a joke." Zazu glared. "His sense of humor, we merely poked."
"I suggest you reign in your temper, colt." Zaria declared. "Before it makes you look like a dolt."
"Whatever." Slot sneered.
"Look, let's just take it easy, okay?" Grimoire suggested. Zaria gave a minor grunt as she walked off with Zazu in tow. Then Grimm glared at Slot, "What in buck's name is wrong with you?"
"Hey, I was sticking up for my bro." Slot defended.
"Dang it, Slot, first the dinner, then having Caboose interrupt me and Zecora's 'me-time', and now this? Are you trying to ostracize us?" Grimoire snarled.
"No, not at all." Slot stammered, a little put off by Grimoire's scowl.
"Then knock it off!" Grimm poked Slot hard as he walked off.
"He's right, you know." Lars sighed. "It's important to Grim for us all to get along. For his sake, we should at least try to fit in. What say we all go out and mingle, try and find something about this village we can enjoy?"
"Guess so." Vinny nodded.
"I'm in." Sonny nodded.
"Me too." Salt smiled.
"And me." Murray nodded.
Slot was silent, before being nudged by Murray.
"Yeah, whatever!" Slot sighed.
Caboose finally managed to break off the gold hoops.
"Finally!" He breathed. "Hey guys, does my neck look longer to you?"
After that mutual agreement, the brothers split up, eager to learn more about life in Zebrica.
Sonny was walking through the village, when he came by a pot boiling over a fire-pit.
"Hmm, wonder what's on the menu today?" Sonny wondered as he took a ladle and took a sip of the pot's content. "Mmm, tastes good." He turned to a nearby elderly zebra mare. "'Scuse me, miss, but what is this soup?"
"Your query throws me for a loop, for I am doing laundry, not soup." The zebra stifled a laugh, as she pulled up a wet shirt.
Sonny immediately went green. "Oh, boy…"
As Salt wandered through the village, he saw a stallion with a large knife.
"You call that a knife?" Salt drew an even larger knife. "This is a knife."
"Not on your life." The stallion pulled out an even bigger one. "This is a knife."
"Oh, wait, this is just my letter opener." Salt said, drawing another, bigger knife. "This is my real knife."
"Oh, what strife." The zebra pulled out a knife as big as his torso. "You must have been looking at the wrong knife!"
Meanwhile, Vinny walked into a hut filled with tribal accoutrements.
"Weird." He picked up a flat disc. Looking outside, he stallion wearing one in his lower jaw. "Well, when in rome."
He put the disc in his mouth, then walked outside in it.
'My lips are starting to go numb' Vinny thought.
Just then, Lars ran into him.
"'Ars?" Vinny mumbled. "'At 'appened to 'ou?"
"What happened to me?" Lars looked at the disc. "What happened to you?"
"'Ell, I..." Vinny pulled out the disc. "Ow. I was just trying the local fashions. Now, what's up with you?"
"I got talking to some zebra who don't speak Equestrian." Lars declared. "My Zebrican may not be as up to par as I thought, as something I said seemed to have really made them angry."
A trio of angry zebras rounded the corner.
"Gotta run!" Lars yelped.
The zebra rushed past Vinny in their pursuit, following him round a hut. As Vinny slinked away, he heard the sound of pummelling in the distance.
Miraculously, the rest of the brothers (even Slot and Caboose) managed to stay out of trouble. A little while later, the Napoleons observed the tribe playing an usual game, involving hoops and sticks.
"What's this?" Grimoire asked.
"We call it 'Hoop'a', Grim." Zecora declared. "A funner way of exercise then the gym, The way to win is a simple trick. Simply throw your hoops over the enemies' sticks."
"Ooh, I wanna play!" Caboose squeed. "Can we, Grim?"
"Why not?" Grimoire shrugged. "You guys deserve it, seeing as how nothing else has gone wrong this morning."
"Yeas, indeed..." Lars cringed, knowing Grimoire wasn't aware of his earlier scuffle.
The Napoloen brothers (save for Grimoire) joined in the game.
"Check this out!" Slot flung his hoop over the opposing team's stick. "Score!"
"Lucky shot." Murray snorted. "My turn."
Murray's throw ended up missing.
"Me, me!" Caboose yelled. His throw ended up going too high, the hoop swaying like a Frisbee.
"Whoa, nice throw…" Murray complimented.
However, the hoop was about to hit Zaria's hut.
"Oh, you gotta be sh-" Grimoire gasped.
The hoop struck Zaria's hut, knocking off the straw roof, resulting in a domino effect that knocked off the roofs of half the huts in the village.
All the zebras gaped in shock, as well as the brothers. Caboose himself glanced at the damage he caused, as the hoop landed back at his hooves, and then at the stick in which he threw the hoop from. He looked back and saw the zebras now glaring at him.
"Hehe, oops?" Caboose nervously smiled.
"That is the last straw!" Zaria growled. "These fools, Napoleon by name, have been nothing but trouble since they came!"
"Sister..." Zecora started.
"Your old beau, Zou, was a stallion, brave and true." Zaria declared. "Why do you choose this one as the fellow for you?"
"I love him, sister." Zecora declared. "He is my mister."
"Oh yes, you must be on a roll." Zaria said sarcastically. "Replacing Zou with an uncouth stallion who probably cannot even rear you a healthy foal."
"For your information, I had a daughter, and she is healthy as a button!" Grimoire roared.
"Mixing our breed with his is a bad idea." Zaria declared. "You should have never brought him here."
"Is that what you think?" Grimoire snarled. "Then I'll just go then! As they say in my home country, vaffanculo!"
Grimoire stormed off into the wilderness.
"Grimiore!" Zecora called after him, before glaring at her sister. "Look at what you''ve done! This is truly not fun!"
"My temper, you do test." Zaria glared back. "I am thinking of your best interests."
Zecora only growled as she went off after Grimm. The brothers looked on in worry as the zebras all went off to repair the damage they done.
"Man, we screwed up bad." Murray sighed.
"Heh, at least it's not as bad as it was with the Yokeuza." Vinny shrugged.
The brothers just glared at him.
"Sorry." Vinny frowned.
Out in the wilds, Zecora ran to catch up with the steamed stallion.
"Grimoire, wait!" Zecora called. "Where could you possibly go in this state?"
"Just away from them!" Grimoire snarled. "I came here to connect with your family, but they apparently want nothing to do with mine! And to insult me like that! I oughta..."
"Enough, Grim." Zecora said sternly. "Your view seems quite dim."
"Yeah, I didn't hear you sticking up for me against your big sister." Grimoire snorted. "Nice to know where I stand."
"What do you say?" Zecora asked. "What game do you play?"
"Clearly, you side with your own kind over me." Grimoire sulked.
"How dare you!" Zecora yelled. "You think that is true?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Grimoire yelled back. "You just stood there while she was laying into me, treating me like garbage! You know what happens to ponies who badmouth me in Bitaly? They get chopped into pieces and fed to sharks!"
Watching from afar through one binoculars was Murray, as the brothers looked on in worry.
"Yikes, they're really get into it." Murray noted.
"Things are going to be alright with them, right?" Caboose asked.
"Don't know, Caboose." Murray said solemnly. "Zecora seems really steamed."
"If I could have one wish, it would be for you to not be so selfish!" Zecora yelled.
"Selfish?! The last day or so, I have tried to make nice with your village, but it is THEM that have a problem with us!" Grimoire declared.
"You did not even try to get to know my kind!" Zecora growled. "This works both ways, I think you'll find!"
"Like they'd even give me a chance!" Grimoire roared.
"This is the proof." Zecora glared. "Zaria was right. You are uncouth!"
"Then why are you even with me, then?" Grimoire demanded, "You had the chance to leave me that night I told you I was a mafia don! Tell me, why the buck do you still bother with me, knowing who I am?!"
"Because I love you, you blasted buffoon!" Zecora bellowed.
Nothing but the sounds of the winds could be heard, as Grimoire stood in shock at what was said.
"...Zecora... you stopped rhyming." Grimoire noted.
"...I did, didn't I?" Zecora blushed, "I guess I never really had a reason to not to…till now."
"Well... I love you too." Grimoire admitted. "Look, I'm sorry about all this...I just… I just want to be the stallion you deserve. I know I'm not Zou…but…"
"You're not Zou." Zecora nodded, as she close in on him. "You are Grimoire Napoleon, the wise and kind stallion that I stumble across in Everfree inflicted with Poison Joke. A stallion who is willing to do all the wrong things for the right reasons. It doesn't matter what Zaria thinks. All that does matter is that I love you, and that is that." She put a hoof up to Grimm's cheek.
"Wow, you sound just as beautiful, even when you're not rhyming." Grimoire smirked.
"Do not get used to it after today." Zecora smiled. "Let us give this one more try, okay?"
"For you, anything." Grimoire smirked.
The two smiled as they were about to kiss… when a loud hiss cut them off.
"What the…" Grimoire muttered, as the two glanced at the tall grass.
The tall grass began to part as a beast was revealed to them. The beast in question was a chimera… although it was a lot bigger then normal, and was laden with scars and there was something off about it's body that made it so unnatural… and the fact that each of the head had eyes that clearly stated…
It wanted to kill you.
"Holy…" Grimoire gasped, "What is in Celestia's name is that?!"
"The Multi-Faced Death." Zecora whispered.
"You know this thing?" Grimoire asked.
"Indeed, I do." Zecora nodded. "This beast is the one that had slain Zou."
"So, this is the son-of-a-gun…" Grimoire muttered. "Looks like he came for round two…"
Murray saw Grimoire and Zecora backing away slowly from the beast emerging from tall grass.
"Uh-oh, something's wrong..." Murray gasped.
"What, bro?" Slot asked.
"I dunno, there's something out there with them!" Murray declared.
"Give me that!" Salt took the binoculars. "Holy crud, it looks like a... Lars, get the Warthog."
"Don't you mean the Puma?" Lars asked.
"Yeah, keep correcting us, that'll win the war." Vinny said smarmily.
Silence ensued.
"What war?" Caboose asked.
"Hello! Brother and marefriend in dire peril!" Murray reminded them.
The brothers scampered off.
Back in the wilds, Grimoire and Zecora slowly backed away as the beast approached them.
"Okay, what do we do, Zecor?" Grimoire muttered.
"I'm afraid I'm at a loss." Zecora admitted. "Many had tried to vanquish this beast since Zou's death… and none had survived, their bodies now nothing but moss."
"Well, then that leaves us only one option." Grimoire declared.
"Which is?" Zecora asked.
"RUN!" Grimoire bellowed as the two did as such.
However, the chimera was quick, as it lunged right at the two. They tried to get out of the way, but it slashed Zecora's leg.
"Ah!" She yelped, stumbling to the ground.
"Zecora!" Grimoire ran to her, "Are you okay?!"
"My leg... it hurts to move!" Zecora hissed.
The chimera recovered from his missed lunge and was charging at them.
Grimoire stifled a curse, "Don't worry, love, we'll get out of this!" He used his magic to lift her onto his back, and started running.
However, he didn't get too far as the chimera proved too fast to run from, leaping over Grimoire and landing in front of him, knocking both him and Zecora to the ground.
"I'm afraid it is no use, whether we do most or least…" Zecora despaired, "There is no escape from the jaws of this wicked beast."
The beast let out a bellowing roar, hiss, and bleat at the same time as it closes in on the two.
Grimoire glanced at his beloved then at the beast… before glaring in determination.
"Alright, you asked for it." Grimoire muttered, as he drew a hunting knife from his jacket.
"Grim, what are you doing?" Zecora gasped.
"I may not know the way of the zebras, Zecora. But I do know the way of a Napoleon… we watch out for our own, and we protect them by all means necessary. And as Faust as my witness, I will protect you and avenge your late husband by killing this buckin' freak of nature!" Grimoire roared.
The chimera snarled.
"Grim…" Zecora muttered, touched by his declaration.
Grimoire flourished his knife. "You want a piece of this?! Then come and get me!"
Grimoire charged right at the chimera, swinging his knife expertly, scratching the lion's face of the chimera a few times, and dodging it's swipes and tail lunges. Eventually, Grimoire weaved through it's claws and prepare to stab.
"Don't buck with the don!" Grimoire cried, as he stabbed the knife into beast's body.
Everything went silent, as Grimoire's knife was inserted into the chimera… however, the chimera did not budge. It glanced at him curiously.
A nervous sweat drop from Grimoire's forehead as he pulled out the knife and stabbed again… but the chimera still did not budge. Grimm stifled a gulp as he then repeatedly stabs in the same area, but it was like he was stabbing a pillow.
"Okay… apparently this beast can't be stabbed to death." Grimoire admitted.
Having enough of the stabbing stallion's nonsense, the snake grasped Grimoire by the hoof and flung him away next to Zecora, before it came back to take out the knife and throwing it aside.
"Sorry, Z." Grimoire groaned. "I couldn't beat him."
"Don't blame yourself, my dear." Zecora smiled, placing a hoof to his cheek. "You did your best, with death so near."
"Stow that talk." Grimoire declared. "When we get out of this, I'm going to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. And you as well, I hope."
"What?" Zecora gasped.
"I love you, Zecora. I never felt so strongly about any other mare since Sandy died, and I had planned to ask you this over dinner when we got back…but given our circumstances…"
"Grim?" Zecora whispered.
Corny music begin to play.
"You see, what I am trying to say, Zecora, is... will you- okay, what's making that loud stupid music?!" Grimoire snarled.
Suddenly, over a hill, the carriage that brought the brothers there came flying over, a cannon connected to the top of the carriage, and Caboose gunning it.
"YA-HOO!" The brothers cheered.
The carriage landed between the chimera and it's prey.
"Brothers?!" Grimoire gasped.
"No time for chit-chat! Let's go!" Murray declared, as he and Salt rushed out to grab Grimm and Zecora and brought them inside the carriage.
The chimera roared as it slammed it's paws into the carriage.
"Back off, big ugly!" Slot snarled.
"Readying Sheila 2.0!" Caboose leapt over to the cannon. "Fire!"
The cannon fired it's load at the chimera. The creature roared with pain, rearing back.
"Go! Go! Go!" Salt shouted to the two Changelings pulling the carriage.
The carriage took off in a hurry, leaving the chimera in the dust.
"Wow… thanks, you guys, me and Zecora were minutes from becoming chimera chow back there." Grimoire sighed in relief.
"Hey, we weren't about to let some giant freakshow eat our bro and his girl." Vinny smiled.
"It's crazy though… chimeras aren't indigenous to Zebrica, let alone that big and mutated." Lars mused.
"Look, it doesn't matter where the beast came from." Sonny declared. "All that does is that we are all-"
A loud thud shook the carriage.
"Whoa! What now?!" Slot barked.
"Guys, the chimera is on our tail!" Caboose cried out. The brothers stuck their head out to see the Multi-Faced Death was now ramming against the carriage.
"Aye, this beast does not know the meaning of 'die'." Zecora growled.
"Then we will just have to teach it then." Grimoire glared. "Caboose, give it all you got!"
"Aye!" Caboose saluted as he began unleashing salvos after salvos of cannon blasts upon the beast as the carriage continues it's course. However, after a couple of blasts, the beast showed no signs of fatigue, despite the new scorches on it's body.
"Wow, this guy is not giving up!" Vinny gasped. "Caboose will run out of bomb shells before long!"
Lars looked forward, and went pale.
"Not before we run out of ground!"
Everypony glanced forward, including Caboose, and they went slack-jawed as they were heading for a cliff.
"Lauren Faust!" Carapace cried as he and his fellow Changeling puller took a sharp turn right before coming to a halt, as the carriage was a few feet away from the edge. Everypony let out a sigh of relief… but it was short-lived, as the chimera charged right at them, ready to pounce.
"Aw, cripes!" Murray yelped. "Evacuate!"
"Yeah, abandon Warthog!" Vinny cried.
"Puma!" Lars corrected.
"Whatever!" Slot growled.
Everypony, including Caboose, who had dismounted his cannon, jumped from the carriage just as the Multi-Faced Death lunged at the carriage and began clawing at it, oblivious that the carriage was tittering off the edge.
"Hey!"
The chimera stopped and glanced at Caboose, who had Shelia 2.0 aimed at it.
"Need a push?" Caboose declared.
"Caboose, wait!" Murray cried.
But it was too late. Caboose fired the cannon, and the two Changelings that were recovering from the running and pulling looked up just in time to see the blast coming at them.
"Oh how I've wasted my life." Carapace deadpanned.
*KABOOM*
The carriage was blown to smithereens, and the chimera was blasted off the cliff, falling to it's death with one last roar.
"Yes! I did it!" Caboose cheered, then noticed the others glaring at him. "What?"
"You blew up the carriage, that's what!" Lars yelled.
"And our Changeling pals!" Sonny added.
"We're okay..." Carapace groaned, he and his cohort having narrowedly avoided the blast, but were still severely injured.
"Sorry, guys!" Caboose frowned. "I kinda saw an opportunity, and I took it!"
"And I just had the carriage paid off…" Murray moaned.
"The beast is slain, and it's roar does cease." Zecora mused. "My poor lost Zou can finally rest in peace."
"Yeah, it's over…" Grimoire sighed, wrapping his hooves around Zecora.
"Sister?"
The brothers and Zecora turn to find that the entire tribe were behind them, drawn by the noise, and had arrived just in time to witness the chimera's demise.
"By Faust, you had destroyed the beast that caused us such strife." Zaria asked. "For that, each one of us owes you their life."
"It was nothing." Salt smirked.
"Yeah, 'cause you didn't do anything." Vinny smarmed.
"I did more than you." Salt rebutted.
"Perhaps I was wrong." Zaria smiled. "If your kind can do this, then maybe we could all get along."
"You're not so bad yourselves, stripes." Slot nodded.
"You're feeling alright?" Grimoire asked Zecora, as they were both being tended to.
Zecora nodded.
"Grimoire, I must ask." She declared. "Before, what was your great task?"
"Oh that. It was actually something I had been preparing for a while." Grimoire smiled, as he took her hooves in his own.
"Zecora, would you make you this old pony the happiest stallion on two continents, and be my wife?"
"Take a wild guess." Zecora grinned. "My answer is 'yes'."
The two shared a passionate kiss, while the other Napoleons cheered wildly, as well as the rest of the tribe. Heck, even the injured Changelings were able to clap… before wincing in pain. Zaria herself nodded in silent assent.
A few nights later , the two took part in a small native zebrican mating ceremony, hosted by Zaria herself, while the carriage was being rebuilt and the Changelings who pulled it were recovering. A number of the tribe were playing native instruments, producing a lilting tine. For the mating ceremony, the couple would exchange special earrings... and Grimoire had never had his ear pierced.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Grim?" Salt asked.
"Yes, I love Zecora enough to spend the rest of my remaining life with her." Grimoire nodded.
"Oh, we don't doubt that." Murray smiled. "We mean, are you sure you want a piece of hot metal stuck through your ear?"
"Well, it can't hurt worse than getting beaten around by a giant mutated chimera." Grimoire shrugged.
"Here is the ring." Zaria smiled. "Careful, this might sting."
"For Zecora, I would do anything." Grimoire smiled.
"As would I, my heroic guy." Zecora smiled fondly.
Grimoire was quite stoic... until the metal actually pierced his ear.
"YEOW!" He cried, the scream echoing throughout the savannah.
"Well, that's gonna put a dampener on the honeymoon." Caboose exclaimed. "No ear nibbling, that's for sure."
"Perhaps ear kissing, my stallion main?" Zecora kissed Grimoire on the cheek. "To take away the pain?"
"You read my mind." Grimoire smiled, pulled his new bride in for a long, slow kiss.