//------------------------------//
// 11: How To Stop a War 
// Story: Seeing Sanguine 
// by Winged Cat 
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"While normally it is not good to see a friend so sad, today I confess relief that things are not far more bad."

Sanguine cocked an eye at Zecora's greeting.  "Rhyming?  Really?"

"It's how she talks."  Applejack was relieved the walk to Zecora's had been short, and that Zecora was in.  She had nearly had to carry Fluttershy, even once the tears stopped; now Applejack set her in a corner.

Zecora, it turned out, was a zebra.  This was not terribly unusual: Equestria's population was not all ponies, even if Sanguine had never seen a zebra outside of books before.  Her coloration was a monochrome mix of dark grays, light grays, and whites, with something like a cutie mark: a spiral surrounded by tiny triangles pointing outward.  As if to offset this, she wore giant bronze earrings and rings around her neck, tighter than a necklace - almost neck armor, with the same on her forelegs.  Her mane was in a mohawk; Sanguine wondered if the bust in Twilight's library was of Zecora, or an ancestor, without the jewelry.

On the other hand, Zecora's house could certainly be described "unusual".  For starters, it was well inside the Everfree Forest.  Sanguine had tried to lighten the mood with jokes about how long it must take for Zecora to walk to the store; Applejack had had none of that, and just said the zebra was a live off the land type.  The house was built into one of the larger trees; the roots formed gaps that could be mistaken for teeth, and two misaligned "eyes" were actually windows placed in convenient thin spots, with the only visible door forming a nose - it seemed like a grotesque parody of Twilight's library, though there was no apparent second story nor any apparent transplants.  As at the library, the continued presence of foliage above suggested this tree was still alive.

Inside continued the parody: a large main room ringed with shelves, though only two levels high and stocking things larger than books, mainly bottles and flasks.  A few more were hung from ropes near a hollow flanked by giant masks.  Sanguine thought she glimpsed a bed through a doorway in the back.  The interior was roughly the same brown as outside, and instead of a sun crest, the ceiling sported a depression where the tree just resumed growing, though a dark stain lead from there to the top of the front door.  But the main feature of the front room was the cauldron.

There was no better word for it.  A black metal bowl large enough to fit a tied-up pony in, sitting on firewood inside a stone circle - Sanguine had to take a moment to reassure herself that zebras were not known for cooking and eating ponies.  Right now the cauldron sat empty, the firewood unlit.  Doubtless it was where all these bottles' contents got mixed together.  Sanguine had heard of zebra alchemy, capable of creating potions to do all manner of wonders and horrors, yet the pegasus could not help but think that if Zecora did indeed live off the land, she probably subsisted largely on soups and stews.

Once Applejack had set her burden down and slowly backed away, watching Fluttershy for signs that she still needed to cling to a friend and relieved to see no such reaction, Applejack looked at Zecora.  "What do you mean, 'far more bad'?"

Zecora looked over Fluttershy from a distance, noting the blood covering much of Fluttershy's front - and Applejack, where she had been carrying Fluttershy.  Fortunately the blood had dried enough that they had not tracked any inside.  "I heard the wails from here.  I knew it was loss of one held dear.  Had it been one of you as I had worried, then to the hospital in town you would have hurried.  In these most dangerous times, as you know well, if the six become five, it might be Equestria's death knell."

Applejack looked away, uneasy with Zecora's assertion.  "We found Manty.  He's not hurtin' now."

"Oh."  Zecora blinked, letting that sink in.  "Oh.  So she named the beast, which upon her tried to feast.  How it came to an end, I know not how or why.  With all the dangers of the forest, sometimes things just die."

"Yeah, don'tcha worry.  Fluttershy an' I know better than to seek revenge.  An' Sanguine here's busy dismissin' any such thoughts."  Applejack shot Sanguine a look.  "Right?"

"R-right!"  Sanguine nodded.  "No revenge!"

Zecora smiled and walked up to the youngest present.  "So Sanguine is your name.  How do you do?"  As she neared, she sniffed.  "Huh?"  She frowned, looking Sanguine over.  "What the-"  Her eyes widened and she took four steps back.  "-a killer are you!"

Sanguine facehoofed.  "Is it obvious to EVERYPONY?"

"Well ya DO have all that blood on ya," Applejack explained, "even if it's difficult to see 'gainst that coat o' yours.  Might wanna wipe that off.  Zecora, you got a towel?"

Zecora pointed one hoof at Sanguine accusingly.  "Before I lift one hoof to help her, I need to know.  She pays for what she has done?  If not, then go!"

Applejack nodded.  "Ohhh, yeah, she's payin'.  Officially convicted by Celestia an' everythin'.  Bein' here's part o' her sentence.  Trus' me, when she first got here her worst jailor was her own self."

"Celestia is not here today!"  Zecora pointed at the blood on Sanguine's legs.  "So for that, how does she pay?"

Sanguine sighed, eyes on the floor.  "It was Manty."

Fluttershy whimpered.  Applejack gave her another hug.

Zecora blinked, taking a moment to fit the pieces together.  "An act of mercy.  I do apologize."  She grabbed a rag, walked up to Sanguine, and began cleaning her off, starting with her forelegs.  "When dealing with death, caution is advised."

Sanguine snorted.  "You can say that again."

Legs soon finished, Zecora noted the blood just stopped once it got to the shirt.  She brushed a hoof across the garment - it felt a bit slick, likely some sort of enchantment for working ponies, though a spot of blood had gotten past it up to Sanguine's neck, so Zecora wiped that off.  "You were convicted for killing.  It was more than just a fine.  I hesitate to ask: have you done it for a long time?"

Sanguine closed her eyes.  "Five weeks.  Even got my cutie mark for it."

Zecora inspected her work as if polishing a statue.  "Proud of it you do not sound.  On that we have common ground.  I came to Equestria to get away from my native lands.  Even in the forest, much violence is effectively banned."  Satisfied, she tossed the rag to Applejack, who began cleaning off Fluttershy, then herself.

Sanguine leveled a look at Zecora.  "And yet things just die?"

Zecora gave her a stern look and nearly hissed, "May you never see war.  Of it I would see no more."

Sanguine blinked.  "Whoa.  War?  As in...'war', war?  You've seen it?"

"Zebras dying left and right.  Survivors feel like Tartarus at night.  War is a worse ravage than any murder spree.  Cutie marks for killing?"  Zecora snorted.  "Give them to the artillery."

Sanguine tried to put on her best pleading expression.  "I need to know what you can teach me."

Judging by Zecora frowning, pushing her face into Sanguine's, and yelling, Zecora was apparently the opposite of persuaded.  "TEACH you?!?  Are you out of your mind?  Recant, dismiss such thoughts, or I'll tear your mark from your behind!"

"She don't mean 'how to kill'," Applejack interrupted.  "Her mark's got that covered.  Other stuff - like, Fluttershy brought her into the forest so she could listen to monsters so she wouldn't have to kill so many."

Zecora backed off.  "Listen to monsters?" she wondered.  "Ah, part of Fluttershy's skill!  I was unaware that could be taught, but I also thought no pony would kill."  She gave Sanguine a wary look.

"Just because Fluttershy's great at takin' care of animals don't mean nopony else can be good.  Though I'll admit I'm not entirely sure of the plan."  Cleaning complete, Applejack looked around for where to put the rag.  "Fluttershy wanted us to wander the forest all day, t' find monsters t' listen to."

"Just wander the forest, seeking out monsters until night?"  Zecora blinked as she took the rag from Applejack, then tossed it in the apparently-empty cauldron behind her.  Somehow, the rag caught fire the moment it passed the cauldron's lip, quickly being consumed until not even ash remained.  "Is, she, quite alright?"

Applejack shook her head to clear the spots from the unexpected pyrotechnics.  "Ah'm pretty sure she ain't crazy.  Pretty sure."

"So, uhh, Miss Zecora," Sanguine prompted.

Zecora shot her a withering look.  "What do you seek to learn?  How to make Equestria burn?  War has nothing of use.  For violence it's just an excuse!"

"No, no, of course not.  I, err..."  Sanguine searched for the right words.  "I don't know what I need to know, but Rarity thought you could help me."

"Ah think," Applejack suggested, "maybe she needs to know what to prevent.  'Them who stare into the void', and all that.  She's already saved Celestia from one dragon.  What if another one went on a rampage, an' neither we nor the Princesses were there to stop it?"

"Then ponies would gather, and besiege the beast to its core.  One might even call it a small..."  Zecora blinked, and finished softly, "...war.  That designer pony is sharp and bright.  I told her what scared me one Nightmare Night."

Sanguine smiled.  "So you'll teach me?"

Zecora pondered.  "I will teach you what I can, but of this topic I am not a fan.  I came here with hooves unbloodied, but it was a near thing..."

Sanguine waited three seconds before noting, "Those don't rhyme."

Zecora smiled.  "...indeed."

Sanguine facehoofed again.  "You did that on purpose!"

"Forgive my levity when talking of things dour.  It keeps the conversation from getting too sour."  Zecora trotted over to the still-silent Fluttershy, pulled up one of the pegasus's eyelids, and examined the exposed eye.  "You wish to learn, so I shall teach you with haste.  This topic I dislike, so time I would rather not waste."

Sanguine nodded.  "I'm listening."

Releasing Fluttershy, Zecora considered.  "Perhaps the most essential lesson to learn, is why such horrors are not Equestria's concern.  Monsters come in all shapes and size.  The darkness in ponies' hearts can surprise."  She looked at Sanguine.

Sanguine winced.

Zecora nodded.  "I see you have seen this.  I suspected as much.  Your first kill was a pony, or a bunch?"

"Ones that had it comin'," Applejack interrupted.  "Sore subject.  Please don' press her on it."

"As you wish; the point has been made.  For many years Celestia kept that darkness mostly at bay."  Zecora wandered along a shelf, examining the bottles.  "Why there is more trouble now, I do not know.  So many things have happened in a row.  But even in these days, the basic defense remains: keep ponies in harmony, and joy and peace show gains."  She fetched one, opened it, and stuffed it under Fluttershy's nose briefly.

Sanguine looked on, eyes rapt as if her life depended on memorizing the speech.  Applejack made a mental note to ask Twilight about Celestia's training techniques.  Fluttershy sneezed, and all signs that she had been crying vanished in an instant.

Zecora resealed the bottle and put it back.  Just seeing Fluttershy that miserable had not been helping her mood; enough tears had been shed to achieve catharsis, and now her friend could skip the post-crying depression.  "You have slain a dragon, that feat is quite rare.  But did you know you were preceeded by that mare?"  She gestured toward Fluttershy.  "Kill she did not; she defeated it far worse.  With just a stare and words, she made it traverse.  I heard reports it left Equestria entirely, nightmares plagued by this gentle defender of society."

Fluttershy blushed.

"From my vantage point here, I have seen her be quite a dear.  In many ways her Element is the key, if you wish a war not to be.  Even the residents of this forest sometimes respect, treat them well and you won't get wrecked."  Zecora turned her attention from Fluttershy to Sanguine.  "But you are a pony: the forest life is not for you.  At most you'll visit, much like Daring Do.  So please tell me, what do you seek to be?"

Sanguine stood, radiating determination.  "A monster slayer.  I can tell when and where they are, and I can kill them."

"A useful ability, but is it true?"  Zecora thought for a moment.  "This forest is full of beasts; sense them can you?"

"..."  Sanguine considered it, then closed her eyes.  "I...I'm not sensing anything.  Wait, a...no, it's gone.  It felt...weak?  Minor?  Another one, over that way, but it's so small."

Zecora smiled.  "Applejack, a favor if you please.  Of us four, with Equestrian law you are the most at ease.  If it were to be enforced on all within Everfree Forest-"

"-in minutes, y'all'd have enough criminals to fill a chorus," Applejack finished.

Zecora gestured at the orange pony and winked.  "Law, justice, and morality are not the same, but they roughly measure one another when the world is sane.  Tiny monstrosities you feel Sanguine, but these are not what you are meant to clean."

Sanguine nodded.  "Right.  So I'm feeling monsters, not just animals.  I guess any Wild Zone will feel like this."

Zecora tilted her head.  "That is not a term I have heard, but I can guess the meaning of those words.  If I am right, you are wrong: you have not listened to your sense in town for long."

"What, you mean..."  Sanguine took a second to puzzle it out.  "...in Ponyville?"

Zecoda nodded.  "Monsters you sense, and ponies can be the biggest of them all.  It was not by accident your cutie mark came by making some fall."

Sanguine's eyes widened.  "But...I don't want to kill ponies..."

Zecora walked over to her.  "And since that is the case, my earlier words I will replace.  I will show you a way, that these monsters you may slay."

Sanguine looked ill.  "I...I think I'm fine with never using artillery to crater a whole town just to get rid of some bad ponies, thanks."

Zecora frowned.  "Only a monster would be fine with doing it!  But that is not what I mean, not a bit.  You say 'kill' and 'slay' as if they are the same, but words can also these monsters tame."

"...what?"  Sanguine blinked.

"Do you remember Fluttershy's dragon feat?  Her standard, you should try to meet.  You sense monsters, so you see into ponies' hearts.  You know when they mean evil..."  Zecora tapped her on the chest.  "...so tell them not to start."

Sanguine just looked at Zecora, comprehension dawning - as did Applejack and Fluttershy.

"If a monstrous plan you cancel before it sees the light of day, then tell me, Sanguine."  Zecora grinned.  "Did you not just another monster slay?"

"...without...killing...a pony," Sanguine gasped in amazement.

Expression darkening a touch, Zecora continued, "Be prepared to, all the same.  Some ponies will not let you explain.  Their deaths you can, and I'm sure will, try to minimize.  But your goal should be the lives that go on, you realize."

Sanguine nodded.

"And that is how you stop a war.  I hope my explanation did not bore."  Zecora fished out a pair of large jars with condensation on them; Applejack recognized enchanted coolers, designed to keep food from spoiling.  "Let us take a break now and munch.  If my nose tells true, you brought apple fritters for lunch.  I have vegetables that should add some crunch, in quantity to share: I picked a large bunch."