Here come the elephants

by Centurion9289

Chapter Five: Tales of the Past

The cavern path everypony was on is now empty. Not too far from it is a small cave area within one of the cavern walls just big enough for the group to fit into. Everypony is seated and waiting patiently as Zecora looks just outside the entrance to their spot. After turning her heads a few times and looking around, she walks back to the group and seats herself on her hind legs.

“Tonight we leave no torches, campfires, nothing to leave any traces. Or else we may catch the attention of unfriendly faces.”

Zecora looks to Twilight, then to everypony present.

“Now everypony listen well. There is little time and so much to tell.”

Zecora pulls out a small bag and reaches her hoof into it. She pulls out green powder much like the kind from Nightmare Night and throws it into the center of the group. While nowhere near as smoky and big, it was enough for only the ponies present to see and not catch any other unfriendly eyes. As Zecora spoke, scenes took place before them and shifted as she continued.

“Long ago in lands far away, there was harmony and peace everyday. There were zebras, gazelles, giraffes, and friends of every kind. Prejudice and pride had long been left behind.”

Indeed in the green smoke they are seeing vast different landscapes of valleys, jungles, and grasslands with herds of zebras, gazelles, giraffes, buffalo, even small creatures like warthogs and meerkats. Twilight is instantly captivated, only imagining what all of this would look like in real life. Then she sees a herd of large and magnificent creatures.

“The elephants were among the mightiest and friendliest folk, always up for a good time and enjoying a pleasant joke.”

Images of elephants playing in the water and mud began to show, along with much smaller elephants charging around with large ears spread wide. Twilight could only imagine that these were the babies. But the scenes quickly change to what looks like Equestria and the southern lands as though one was looking down at it from a mile or two high in the sky.

“Long had we ignored the conflicts of ponies in the north, until they arrived to our homes and brought war forth. Misunderstandings, or intentions of conquest, none knew for certain what was the matter. But many of them had suspected it was the latter.”

Unicorn, earth, and pegasus ponies clad in armor and with weapons are portrayed marching onto the lands as gazelles, buffalo, wildebeest, and giraffe flee.

“Many of the friendly folk left and took flight but only the elephants and us zebras were willing to fight.”

Now zebras were shown in wicker-made armor, some wearing differently designed feathered headdresses. Each one had their own set of leg bands, necklaces, and other personal bearings but most are wearing similarly styled armor. Many of them wielded spears in one hoof, while having what looked like scythed swords at their sides. Others wielded blowguns and smaller throwing spears. The elephants however are a different story. Protecting their heads are bronze armored helms and draped over their backs are what looks like tapestry with elaborate patterns and designs. All over their bodies and on their faces they wear intimidating warpaint and their tusks are decorated with bronze rings. The armies of zebras and elephants charge at the army of ponies.

“No zebra or elephant would surrender or run. The War of the Zebras had begun.”

Then the smoke began to depict large battles as ponies clashed with zebras and elephants. Zebras threw their spears at the unicorns only for them to be blocked by magical force fields. Pegasi were flying down at the zebras with spears dodging the darts and spears of the zebras. Some pegasi tackled zebras into the ground. Then there was a sight that nopony had seen in recent days. Earth pony soldiers. One could only assume they were used as ground troops against the zebras while the unicorns and pegasi used magic and flight to their tactical advantage. Though some scenes depict zebras using magic, such as tossing jars that with petals of Poison Joke. Other zebras wear hooded cloaks much like Zecora’s, distinguishing them as magic users. Some of them even summon roots and plants to aid them in battle. Though the zebra warriors looked brave and strong and the zebra enchanters seemed to match up against the unicorns, they were clearly outmatched. Until large hulking creatures came to their aid.

“Though unicorns wielded magic and pegasi had flight, even they were matched by pure elephant might.”

Everypony gasps and watches in awe and fear as the smoke depicts the elephant warriors sweeping away pony soldiers with a swing of their trunks and how their trunks grab at pegasi in the air and throwing them to the ground or to the side.

“But the conflict had drawn out for too long and with great cost. Both sides grew miserable and weary, their sight of their cause was lost.”

The smoke shifts and battlefields littered with shapes of fallen warriors beyond count appear before the ponies.

“But one elephant would not give in. A new stage in this war would soon begin.”

Not far from the bodies is a new army of elephants, this one very different from the elephants before. Each elephant is covered head to toe in scaled armor, even their trunks are covered. Twilight recalls from her books that this style of armor is called cataphract. The elephants’ heads are completely covered in metal helmets, their tusks especially sharpened for battle, and across their backs are also tapestries but less elaborately designed and with a symbol of a fierce elephant head on each side of the body. Around their front ankles are metal bracelets. Attached on their sides are quivers filled with spears. These elephants are truly menacing. But in front of them was a serious-looking elephant. He wears similar-styled armor but his helmet covers only the top of his head rather than his entire head and face. And sticking out atop the helmet is a feathery plume. His trunk is not covered by armor but it is decorated in warpaint. Across his chest just below his neck is a set of large metal emblems of fierce elephant heads. Across his back is a tapestry similar to his comrades but is bordered with torn threaded ends. At each corner of the tapestry, there hangs what looks like large strands of hair attached to the ends by small chains. The ends of his tusks are topped with sharpened metal.

“He was among the most fearsome and intelligent generals ever known. With his strategies, there was no battlefield he did not own. With his fearsome army of one thousand elephants strong, defeat of the pony armies would not take long.”

The smoke shows the elephant and his army using different strategies to defeat pony forces using the land to their advantage, tricking pony armies into traps, and ultimately crushing them. The elephant leader seems to be relishing in the battles before him and seems just as thrilled to partake in the battles himself.

“Legends said that he and the army were even immune to unicorn magic! A lesson for the ponies that was learned in ways very tragic.”

Unicorns are portrayed aiming their horns at the elephants, some creating force fields and others launching magical bolts. But the elephants pass through as though nothing was there and they were unfazed by any magical attack. “Immune to magic? That’s impossible...” Twilight whispered to herself.

“Upon achieving nationwide recognition and fame, everypony and every creature would forever remember his name.”

The smoke focuses on the elephant leading the army as he glares his eyes and raises his trunk.

“Barca.”

The smoke shifts and portrays armored ponies fleeing and scattering to the Appaloosan Mountain Range. Many zebras and elephants are cheering in victory but Barca and his army make no such commotions.

“At first, the zebras and elephants rejoiced with great cheer. But for Barca, the war would not end here. His thirst for battle would never again rest, his goal nothing short of total conquest. Barca was one of, if not Equestria’s most dangerous foe. Destruction followed wherever his army would go.”

Once again Barca and his army is portrayed in battle but this time they seem even more terrifying and brutal than before. A pegasus soldier is limping away with a broken wing as Barca is above him and about to crush him. Then something lands hard in front of the pony soldier with wings spread wide and a mane flowing across the wind. Princess Celestia. Both she and Barca rear on their hind legs raising their forelegs at each other. Celestia glows her horn at Barca but he swings his trunk at her, knocking her to the side. Barca makes his way toward her slowly, confident in his victory. But landing right beside her is Princess Luna, raising her wings as though shielding her sister and saddlebags on her back. Celestia weakly rises back on her hooves. Luna shoots bolts of magic at Barca but as before they have no effect. Barca then goes into a full charge at Celestia and Luna. Both take to the skies just in time. As Barca misses, he turns around and looks at the Princesses above him laughing at them. Celestia and Luna look around them to see a chaotic battlefield, knowing full well if their army loses then Barca and his army would conquer all of Equestria. They looked to each other and nodded their heads knowing what had to be done. Rising up from Luna’s saddlebags are the Elements of Harmony. Both Luna’s and Celestia’s horns glow brightly. Barca’s eyes widen and his proud face fades as he realizes what is happening. He reaches for a spear in one of his quivers and makes to throw it at the Princesses but he is too late. The Elements have already sent forth a large rainbow wave covering the entire battlefield. Every armored elephant is trapped in place as though frozen in time and their entire bodies are transformed into red clay. Barca raises one front leg as he is about to launch his spear but his skin and armor quickly transforms into the same clay-like form like the rest of his army. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna look all around them to see all one thousand armored elephants along with Barca turned into terra cotta statues. The pony soldiers on the battlefield look on at their foes in awe and then cheer in victory.

“Until at last the Royal Sisters used their power that day to transform Barca and his entire army into clay.”

The Equestrian army rejoices until they notice approaching them is a large group of elephants and zebras. They ready their weapons until they realize one of the elephants is waving a white flag with its trunk. Celestia and Luna hover down to meet this group, both looking very weary from battle. The elephants lower their heads in shame and guilt as they look upon the pony soldiers worn, tired, and miserable from war. Then one of them raises their heads to meet Celestia and Luna’s eyes. Her eyes plead for mercy, for an end to the war, and for understanding.

“Though the war had at long last ended, there were some things that could never be mended. Many lives on both sides were lost and many hearts were hardened into frost. Trust was also lost to the war, hatred still lingering deep within the core. The Royal Sisters knew that peace would not easily last, so they had to take action fast.”

Celestia looks to Luna and they both nod to each other in agreement. The smoke changes and now the Royal Sisters along with a zebra and an elephant inside a tent looking at a large scroll on a table. The zebra is decorated in feathers, bands, beads, and rings while the elephant wears an elaborately detailed tapestry draped on its back and a decorated cap on its head. Somehow Twilight has a feeling this elephant is female. Celestia uses her magic to levitate a quill while the zebra has a bamboo brush in its mouth and the elephant carries a bamboo brush in its trunk. They all started to sign the scroll one-by-one.

“Thus the Royal Treaty was put into place, to bring peace between the pony, zebra, and elephant race. No pony would ever again enter into the southern realms, and against ponies no elephant or zebra would don their war helms. Trade, communication, and travel was banned, no one was to enter each other’s land. To break the Treaty a single time or more would once again bring Equestria into war. Both sides have honored the Treaty to this very day and age. Soon elephants became nothing more than legends on a storybook page.”

The smoke disappears entirely and everypony looks at Zecora as she finishes her story. Speechless, stunned, and without any idea how to respond, they simply stare in awe. Twilight recalled reading about the War of the Zebras but the books made little mention of the elephants. In fact, there were hardly any books on elephants at all! There are so many questions she has to ask, so many things going through her mind. But before Twilight can ask a single question, a timid voice rose up.

“Oh, those poor elephants. Poor zebras, poor ponies, it’s all so awful!”

Fluttershy places her face into her hooves, shuddering in horror and sorrow from seeing the battle scenes. Rainbow Dash wings keep her hovering in the air but her body and legs are slumped down towards the ground. She lowers herself down and sits down, staring at the ground.

“Jeez. I mean, that was really intense.”

Even Pinkie Pie is at a loss for words. Though her hair is not deflated, she looks as though she is on the brink.

“That wasn’t very nice. Nothing about any of that was nice at all.”

Applejack also looks down at the ground grimly. Suddenly her head perks up and her eyes widen.

“Wait a second! I thought you said the Treaty banned ponies from entering their land and zebras and elephants entering ours? If that’s true, then...?”

Zecora looks to Applejack knowing exactly what the question in mind is.

“Why was I living near Ponyville? A fair question to answer, and I will. Over the centuries new laws had been put into place. Equestria opened its doors to the zebra race.”

Zeb, who has been sitting still for most of the time, turns his head to Applejack with a somber expression.

“But our transition into Equestria did not turn out for the best. Suspicions, mistrust, and hate from ponies would not rest.”

Zeb’s face shifts into a deep sadness as though recalling dark memories.

“We are still suspected of evil crimes, even in such advanced and modern times. Most zebras struggled to have even one pleasant day. Almost all have returned home and there they stay.”

Twilight and her friends’ ears droop down instantly and their heads lower in shame as they recall how they first treated Zecora. Though Twilight was the one who saw reason at first, when they reached Zecora’s hut she actually believed the suspicions of her friends. Applejack takes her hat to her chest, ashamed for thinking Zecora would do anything to harm her little sister. Fluttershy felt horrible for not trying to show kindness to Zecora earlier. Rainbow Dash and Rarity stare at the ground in shame. Pinkie Pie’s hair deflates and straightens as she remembers that she was one of the gossiping mares spreading the nasty rumors about Zecora. No pony felt more guilty than her. They could not even begin to imagine how other towns or cities had treated zebras. It terrified them to wonder what ponies could have done or said to drive zebras out of Equestria. Twilight raises her head to meet Zecora’s eyes.

“We...we had no idea. We’re so sorry, Zecora...”

Zecora smiles lightly.

“Please dear Princess, no need to fret. It was a while ago, let us forgive and forget.”

“But the way everypony treated you! We shut our doors on you, gossiped about you, and thought you were evil! How could you take all of that? Why did you stay?”

And for the first time so far as Twilight had seen, Zecora droops her ears and her eyes hint at a deep sadness.

“It is true, I was not welcome to wherever I would roam. At times I was very tempted to just leave and go home. But I was determined not to let ponies break me. So I built myself a hut in the Forest of Everfree. Even so, for years my spirit hung by a thin rope. But something happened that rekindled my lost hope.”

Zecora turns her head to Applejack and her sad face is replaced with a warm smile.

“Your dear sister Applebloom came willingly to my hut, ignoring all fears and following her gut. All my doubts had come to an end, for at last I made a friend. Soon the rest of your town treated me as one of your own. Never again was I sad and alone. So please, let these guilty feelings go. I hate seeing my friends sad, you know.”

Everypony’s mood lifts up and Pinkie Pie’s hair poofs out and her face brightens with joy. Her arms stretch unnaturally and pull her friends including Zecora and Spike in for a big group hug.

“WOOHOO!!! PONY FRIENDS FOREVER!!!”

Everypony in her grip smiles and laughs lightly, stretching out their forelegs to return the hug. Though surprised by the gesture, Zecora seems delighted and enjoys the group hig. Zeb watches and smiles, appearing deeply touched by what he is seeing. Alaris though his face does not seem to be cold to what has happened, he still eyes Zeb with some suspicion. He turns his head to see the girls break from their hug.

“Permission to speak, Princess Twilight?”

Twilight turns her head to Alaris almost surprised. That was another thing she was having trouble getting used to, ponies asking for permission to speak with her. She was starting to wonder if she would ever get used to it. But she regains her composure and clears her throat.

“Yes you may, Alaris.”

Alaris bows his head.

“I mean no disrespect to your zebra friend but there is still a pressing matter at hoof. My comrades were attacked and the Watchtower has been completely destroyed, and I know what I saw. First , then came elephants. Why would a zebra flee from the elephants? According to Equestria’s secret military scrolls and your friend’s story, they’re supposed to be allies.”

Twilight is almost surprised that Alaris is still suspicious of Zeb but he did have a point. Before she has a chance to say anything, Zecora addresses Alaris’ question.

“Despite elephants being opposite of unkind or rude, their males occasionally are struck into a dark mood. It is something beyond their grasp, they break into a berserk lapse.”

Twilight became fascinated by this and listened intentionally.

“Really? Why does this happen? Is it a spell, some kind of curse, or does it have something to do with the sun or moon’s effect on them?”

Zecora continues.

“This process in the elephant world is called musth, though for elephants it is a more personal matter to discuss.”

Zeb steps to Twilight and holds up a hoof as he begins to explain.

“The bull elephants periodically become dangerous and wild, thanks to a rise in hormones that is not at all mild.”

Twilight turns to Zeb with intrigue.

“So this happens only to the males? Does it happen during mating season? Or is it a way of males establishing hierarchy amongst one another?”

Zeb raises his front hooves with a shrug.

“Even to us, the reasons for this is unknown. But when it happens, it is best to leave them alone.”

Fluttershy leans her head forward in concerned curiosity.

“So this is why you’re hiding in here? To stay away from the angry elephants? Goodness, how long does this musth last?”

Zeb sighs and looks to the side grimly.

“Sometimes these fits of rage last a few hours to even a day. In some cases, for months it is best to stay away.”

Twilight perks her head up as she starts to make connections.

“So you say this makes them violent and destructive? Could this be the reason they attacked the Watchtower?”

Zeb nods.

“When it comes to musth, that could very well be right. Elephants attack rhinos, each other, anything in sight.”

Alaris turns to Zeb unsatisfied with what he is hearing.

“But rhinos are far down in their lands! Why would elephants be up this far north?”

Zeb widens his eyes and nervously shifts taps his front hooves together.

“It is possible these were teenage bulls, perhaps? In some cases, the seriousness of the Treaty escapes their grasps.”

Alaris narrows his eyes fiercely at Zeb.

“Exactly how big are these teenagers supposed to be? How big can adult bulls get? Because until we know for sure, we still have to assume and prepare for the worst!”

Rainbow Dash rolls her eyes groaning in annoyance and places a hoof to her head.

“Uuggghh, it’s the Buffalos and Appaloosans all over again! And we haven’t even met the elephants yet!”

Pinkie Pie bounces up beside Rainbow Dash.

“Yeah!!! I mean, have we ever thought about what the elephants have to say? Or what they feel? Or if they’re sorry and want to prepare a big apology party?”

Rarity turns her head to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie with doubtful eyes.

“Well, after hearing about Barca and the whole musth issue, I’m starting to get quite nervous about the idea of seeing elephants at all! What if they did intentionally attack the Watchtower?”

Applejack rubs a hoof to her chin as her brows furrow.

“We also have to consider that they might not be happy to see ponies. In fact, I’m starting to wonder what kind of a mission we’re on right now! Didn’t the Treaty also apply to us not entering their lands?”

Rainbow Dash raises her front hooves in the air in disbelief.

“Are you two serious?! You’re telling me you’re taking his side on this one?”

Applejack raises her head and stomps her hoof at Rainbow Dash.

“Nopony is taking anypony’s side! I’m just saying there are some things we should be concerned about, especially considering we hardly know anything about the elephants at all!”

Zecora calmly addresses everypony as she raises her front hooves.

“Everypony, please remain calm before we say anything rash. I admit this quest of ours seems quite brash.”

She turns her head to Alaris but not with a glare and she raises her hoof in the air in a calming gesture. Her eyes hint at understanding, as though saying that there is some truth to Alaris’ words.

“Rowdy young calves would be logical for zebras to assume, but if we are wrong it will be our doom.”

Zecora then turns her head to Rarity and Applejack.

“And though the story was about them in war, when it comes to elephants there is so much more.”

Zecora places her hooves down and looks to Twilight with pleading eyes.

“Until we know the truth, our discussions should not go on. I suggest we rest now so we are ready at dawn.”

Twilight looks at Zecora and then down at the floor in thought wondering what decision she should make. It already seems like her friends are starting to take sides on this matter. Fluttershy however has remained silent and watched her friends with concern. Twilight is tempted to do the same and be quiet but knew she had to say something.

“All right everypony, listen up!”

Everypony turns their attention to Twilight.

“Zecora is right. There’s no use going on about this until we know all the facts. We have plenty to learn once we reach the Watchtower. Until then, everypony calm down and get some rest.”

Twilight levitates from one of her saddle bags a small pocket-watch and begins to wind it up. Everypony else looks to each other in agreement as they start to pull out sleeping bags from their traveling gear to get themselves ready.

“We’ll have just enough rest so that we can be ready for a big day tomorrow. Goodnight, everypony.”

Everypony chimes in their own goodnight wishes to Twilight as they set themselves in their sleeping bags. Alaris bows his head to Twilight and makes to stand guard. Twilight sets herself in her bag and looks over everyone with a smile before she sets her head down to rest.

Author's Note:

Been a while, I know. This semester has made me busy but I am pumped, excited, and thrilled for it!

May take a while to get to this but still working on it as I go. For those of you who are reading this, I hope you're enjoying it so far!

Comments

[i_am_the_jam]

Strange, I thought I faved this. Well, on with the show!

[Centurion9289]

3953754 Onward indeed! Thank you for the fav! :)

[Centurion9289]

3953543 Yep, will work on an original image later. Glad you like the story so far!