//------------------------------// // The Greedy Guests // Story: Zecora's Big Book of Zebra Legends // by swicked //------------------------------// In the dark of night she waited, in the winter cold she stayed For her will could not be baited and her focus; not be swayed As she sat up there, so lonely way up on her mountain, matron fair May she hear our prayer As the fire burned inside her, taken from the goddess flame Like a living, loving pyre, neither wild nor so tame She would warm her clutch, aglow with the power of which she took her share For all of our care It was then they came unbidden, pegasi in from the cold Greedy eyes spot the warmth hidden, greedy hearts strove to be bold They would come to her, smiling, and tell that she must grant some of her heat Like it just some feat Taking pity on the ponies, though they were nothing but rude She gave all the heat they could please, told they leave her to her brood They would leave at once, and she thought that maybe they would just go away Least if she had say But they came back in the morning, then they came back at the noon Always demanding more warming 'till she thought she'd be out soon She told them such, and again with those smiles, each would say "That is fine I'll just take what's mine." And they looked upon her offspring and she nearly gave to rage They thought she was just some wellspring? That her nest would be her cage? In the cold she still would refuse to leave her eggs to fight off their stand But she had a plan Granting her heat to one last guest she set down and bore a claw She stated she had none more left and, as a threat, snapped her maw The ponies shivered, then looked to the one of them that now had all the flame And they thought the same Leaving, they fought each for the heat 'till the flame had long since died Still their battle was not complete, striving to steal the warmth inside 'till they'd wrestled out every last bit of warmth they ever could have had Leaving naught but bad The story is old, and darker than most, but has the simplest of moral you'll find Never take advantage of a good host, especially a host of dragonkind.