Chapter 16, An Awesome Zebra
Everypony was exhausted after celebrating Spike’s victory in Canterlot’s Hall. Spike went into his room for a well earned night of sleep while the rest of the gang got inside their respective rooms. However, Alex wasn’t sleeping early tonight. There was an event he couldn’t miss, but he had to go alone. Before leaving the Royal Palace, he was noticed by Fluttershy, who ran to his encounter.
“Alex! Where are you going?”
“I am going outside for a little stroll. I heard there is a Carnival in Canterlot.”
“Can I come with you?” – She asked.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? Why?” - Fluttershy was a little surprised.
“First of all, it’s obvious that you are tired and need some rest for tomorrow and also…” – Alex got near her and whispered something in her hear. Her eyes widened.
“Oh my! Yeah! I think I should stay here and have some rest. I guess sometimes I just forget about your . . . needs.”
“Fluttershy, don’t say it like that! Somepony might misunderstand it after listening to you. Anyway, I’ll be back in an hour or two. Ok?”
“Ok. Don’t take too long. You have to rest too…”
Alex nodded – “I know. You have a good night!”
Out on Canterlot’s streets, Alex walked among the food and souvenir stands. The place was impressive; it made him remember the times he used to go to town fairs with his family, with his sister Angela. Many ponies and other creatures greeted him, some of them even asked for his autograph. He felt a little embarrassed but happy at the same time. After walking for some minutes, he finally reached his destination: “The Griffin area”. Alex breathed heavily, the smell inside the place was amazing, it was a smell he perfectly knew. Maybe he would never have a chance to smell that again while in Equestria. BEEF STEAK, RIBS AND FRIED CHICKEN. There was no way in hell he would bring his marefriend or any of his friends here. He didn’t know where to start; everything looked so good and delicious. His eyes looked at every corner, until he finally found what looked like a hamburger stand.
Griffins were enjoying these hamburgers, the menu included fries and juice. He approached the place until one of the cooks noticed him:
“Hello! You must be Alex, the human.” – Alex was surprised but now he had to deal with his new found fame.
“Yes, that’s me!”
“You are a lot taller than I thought – the cook noticed the way Alex was looking at the hamburgers - Do you eat meat?”
“Yes, I love meat! How much do the hamburgers cost?”
“5 bits for our regular clients. But in your case, the first round is on the house, please have a sit.”
“Thanks!”
The old cook served him a hamburger with fries and lemonade, Alex couldn’t wait to eat it.
The food was amazing, just like home. After the first bite, Alex turned to the cook and said:
“This is really good! There is just one thing I need to know, what kind of meat is it?”
The cook turned to him grabbing a piece of raw meat – “it is pony meat.”
Alex spit the piece of hamburger he had in his mouth. The cook was unable to contain himself and laughed like mad, the crowd that was eating in the place turned around for a second but then continued eating as if nothing had happened.
“Hahahahaha! I’m sorry son, I had to do it. You see, everything you’ll find here is fish, rat, chicken, hydras and chimeras. Trust me, you will not find any pony, horse or other intelligent creatures in our menus. The meat you are eating right now came from a Hydra. What do you think?”
Alex smiled and gave a good bite to his hamburger - “Really? Well, it’s really good! It tastes like co… (Oops! Almost let that slip) . . . it tastes really good!”
“I’m Glad to hear that!” – The cook replied.
Alex kept eating his meal and after a couple of minutes noticed someone standing a few tables at his left was watching him. He expected it to be a Griffin but it turned out to be a Zebra, one he remembered seeing among the eight finalists. The Zebra looked at him and after realizing it was Alex, stood up from his table and walked towards him until he was at Alex’s side.
“Wow! The human! What an honor Sir!”
“Easy pal, I’m not that impressive. Please don’t give that much credit” – Alex said.
“But I must, you are one of the eight finalists! You even managed to defeat Tyros!”
“Thanks, but I’m just a regular competitor like everybody else. What’s your name?”
“My name is Zaxel, a Monster Hunter from Zebrica.”
“Monster Hunter?” – Alex was amazed.
“Yes! You see, unlike here in Canterlot, Zebrica’s little towns are constantly attacked by creatures from the woods, you know, Timberwolves, Manticores, Chimeras, you name it. My job as a Monster Hunter is to protect my village and sometimes track these creatures until we defeat them. We also use their meat to trade some with countries like Griffonia.
“Wow, that is really amazing! But that’s doesn’t explain why are you here, I mean we are all meat eaters here” – Alex said.
“I’m here because these are the best fries in the whole world!” – Zaxel replied with a big smile - “Enough of me. Now, tell me some about you Alex Sir.”
“Well, my name is Alejandro, Alex for short, and please don’t call me Sir. I’m a human and I came from a land that is really far, far away. There is no much to say about me besides the fact that I’m helping my friends with their chores and other stuff.”
Alex didn’t know why he was telling this to Zaxel, maybe because he seemed to be a nice guy. He looked like a Zebra he could trust.
“Well, that’s pretty interesting – Zaxel said - May I ask you a question?”
“Go on.”
“Why do they call you the hero of Canterlot? Is it because of the rumors about a Changeling invasion? Did it really happen?”
Alex was speechless; Celestia had told him that they tried to cover up the incident so that other countries didn’t find out about this incident. He had to be careful in choosing his words.
“There was an invasion attempt, but the Princesses were able to prevent it, I helped fighting the Changelings, they give me more credit than I deserve.”
“That’s impressive – Zaxel said - Just one more thing, is it true you killed two Manticores?”
Alex began to wonder who was telling these things - “I am not going to lie; I killed one to save a little filly, and the other when he tried to hurt the ponies in Ponyville”
“Wow! That’s amazing. You know, I have hunted some Manticores too, but I never managed to take down one by myself. Well In fact, I’ve never tried.”
“Trust me; it’s really tough, if you want to know the truth, I was just lucky. I was actually going to die in one of these encounters. My friends saved my life, which is just one of the things I am grateful for.” – Alex smiled.
“Well, is still amazing if you ask me. You are fascinating, but it seems that you are not a member of the Royal Army or a Royal Guard. What brought you to this tournament Alex?”
“Honestly, I just wanted to help the princesses by participating in it and bring some more audience to the Tournament. I am a little surprised myself that I made it to the finals – They both laughed after this confession. Alex ate the last piece of his hamburger - “And, what’s your motivation? Is it fame, money or something else?”
Zaxel laughed a little – “I just wanted to make my family proud! – His words confirmed what Alex was thinking. This was indeed a very honorable Zebra - “You see, for many generations, members of my family have been working as Monster Hunters and most of them have competed in this tournament. I’m the first of them in reaching the finals. So this is a huge victory for me, even if I don’t win the whole thing but I have to push myself harder. My family is not precisely rich and all of them worked hard so I could get the money needed to travel and participate, I just don’t want to fail them, that’s all…”
Alex was more than impressed.
“I’m sure you won’t fail them. You have already reached the finals so you should consider yourself a winner and who knows? We all have the same opportunities; let’s just give it our best!”
“I like that idea! – Zaxel replied.
They kept sharing some stories and enjoying their food. Suddenly, a voice Alex knew (and hated) talked to them.
“Ugh! I knew I had smelled some wild beasts around here. It had to be you two…”
Maximus Heart, the Horse champion and one of the eight finalists.
“Go away Maximus. I’m not in the mood for your shit today!” – Alex replied.
“Wow! The puny human is smart enough to articulate some words.”
“This is not a place for you! Why are you here?” - Zaxel asked.
“You shut your filthy mouth commoner; I have no business with you, go back to your country and do your crappy job!”
“Hey! You will not talk to my friend like that!” – Alex stood up and moved the table aside. The crowd turned their heads. But this time, they didn’t look away. There was a lot of tension in the place. The Zebra didn’t say anything. He was just staring at Alex; the human had called him FRIEND.
“And what do you plan to do about it?” – The Horse asked.
“This is the second time I warn you about talking to my friends like that. Do you really want to know what I’m capable of?”
“Hahahahahaha! Do you think you threats will stop me? Let me get something clear for you human, I’M NOT SCARED OF YOU!”
“I’ll make you!” – Alex walked slowly towards Maximum Heart, clenching his fists with anger. The Horse stepped back, why was he feeling intimidated? He was the Great Maximus Heart, the Horse Champion. He had to take this puny human down. The Horse readied himself to attack him; Alex kept walking in a menacing way.
“Stop you idiots!”
A deep voice came from the back of the restaurant. Bright Courage, the current Tournament Champion was standing there, he had watched the whole scene.
“If you really want to kick your asses, wait for the tournament. If it is your destiny to fight, your time will sure come.”
Alex stopped, the Minotaur was right. This wasn’t the place or time for a fight. He looked around and saw some of the younger Griffins looking at him. They seemed scared.
“No! I want to take him down now!” – Maximus Heart screamed before attacking Alex.
A blur, a gust and the sound of a fist sent Maximus Heart flying away, breaking a couple of tables and landing heavily on the floor seven or eight meters away from Alex. Bright Courage was standing in front of the human, his fist still clenched.
“I said. YOU WILL WAIT FOR THE TOURNAMENT!” – The whole place trembled at the sound of his voice. Alex felt goosebumps all over his back. The Minotaur not only was strong (as expected) he was as fast as lighting.
Maximum Heart could barely stand up - “Why do you care that much? He is just a freak!”
“You’re wrong. He is a competitor like we have never seen before, and I really want to watch him fight on the finals.” – Bright Courage said.
“So you want to fight him too? What makes you different from me then?” – The Horse asked.
“I have my own reasons, reasons I will not share with you, now get out!”
Maximus turned is back on them - “You’ll see, Old News, once I’m done with him, you are next! I think it’s time for you to retire PERMANENTLY” – He said while walking away from his rivals.
Bright Courage turned to Alex and Zaxel – “Well, It’s time for me to go. I hope to see you two tomorrow – He turned to the cook – I’ll pay for the damage that was done to your place.”
“Mr. Courage! – Alex said - Even though I’m flattered, I must know something, why do you want to compete against me?”
“I’m just like the rest of the competitors here. You are a new species in our world and as far as I know, no one has defeated you yet. Being born as a warrior, I aspire to be that one.” – Bright Courage answered.
“May the best win.” – Alex replied.
“Make sure not to lose, let’s meet at the finals.” – The Minotaur nodded and walked away.
Zaxel turned to Alex - “Wow! The champion wants to fight you, what an honor!”
“I guess is time for me to leave too. I don’t want to stay and cause any more troubles. Good luck tomorrow Zaxel”
“Thank you Alex. Please remember, as Mr. Courage said, if destiny makes us fight tomorrow, I will give it all!”
“That’s what I would expect from a champion. Goodbye my friend.” – Alex turned around and left the place.
From a distance, a dark figure saw Alex walking away from the restaurant.
“That was a close one – the figure said - I need you to be safe until tomorrow. Soon I will claim what I lost because of you! And every creature will witness it.”
Alex felt uneasy; he knew someone was watching him. He turned around but there was no one around. He kept walking until he got to the Royal Palace.
Before reaching his room, Alex saw Fluttershy crying on his bed, the rest of the girls were around her, trying to calm her down. As soon as she realized Alex was there, she jumped up and ran to him.
“Fluttershy! What happened?” – He asked.
“Sorry Alex! - Twilight said - Pinkie Pie heard her crying and trying to go into your room. She has been like that since then.”
Alex turned to Fluttershy – “Did you have another nightmare?”
She shook her head - “No, it wasn’t a nightmare, just a feeling. Alex, please don’t compete tomorrow. I believe something bad will happen!”
,
“What do you mean?” – He asked.
“I, I don’t know! I have a really bad feeling, like the one I had that same night.”
“I understand how you feel Fluttershy but this time we are not in danger. This tournament is not life threatening at all. The princesses and all our friends will be there. Nothing can go wrong!”
“He is right Fluttershy – Pinkie Pie said - I mean, we have a whole army of guards in Canterlot, not to mention the four princesses are also here. Somepony would have to be super-duper-crazy to try to do something. Besides, my Pinky Sense is not telling me to worry at all. We all are safe.”
“I. . . I guess so, but still I’m worried” – Alex hugged her.
“Fluttershy, you are too good to me, I’m really grateful for all of your worries, but nothing wrong will happen. Trust me!”
“I, I trust you” – She replied.
“Good, now let me take you to your bed, I need to sleep too so I can be ready for tomorrow. We also need to pick Proud Hammer at the Train Station before the event.”
“Mr. Proud Hammer . . . Why? – She asked - Oh yes! I forgot, he will be your coach tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, I sent him a letter after I got to the finals and he happily accepted. I’m really glad he’ll be here!”
“You really like him, don’t you darling” - Rarity asked
“Yeah, he is like those funny uncles you can’t help to love, besides, he has done too much for Spike, Rainbow Dash and I. He helped me to save you and don’t forget that he crafted my equipment. I wanted to return something to him and what better than make him my coach so everypony knows about his blacksmith business in Ponyville.”
“You are really kind Alex” – Rarity said.
Everypony went to their rooms so they could sleep. Alex left Fluttershy in her bed, gave her a goodnight kiss and went to his room.
While on his bed, he looked at the rooftop.
“Both of us felt uneasy tonight. That cannot be a coincidence. I’ll be extra careful tomorrow. I hope nothing happens.”
He closed his eyes.
“What could possibly go wrong?”
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OH GOD NO HE BROKE MURPHY'S LAW EVERY CREATURE RUN HIDE DO SOMETHING AAAAH!
6420727 EVERYONE DON'T PANIC!! Oh what am I saying
I got a bad feeling about this.
ProJared... Monster Hunter.
6421771 Actually. . . this music is perfect for the moment. nice job.
Why? WHY ASK WAHT KAHN GOE RANG? WHY?! It's like a pic I saw and it said when you go to school nothing happens when you miss school there's a blackout code red a squirrel gets inside Beyoncé performs in the café. I mean REALLY he's like what can go wrong.......every fuckin thing in the universe, that's what.
You never say what could possibly go wrong
6429844 yes never last time i sayed that s
went ddddddoooooowwwwwwwnnnnnn
You stupid motherfucker, You just invoked Murphy's Law.
This guy has seen TV and watched movies, and he seriously said that? Well everyone now knows something bad will happen. Well, let's see what that is.
-Dark
Bright Courage is so cool!
dam it
