A soft knocking summoned Spike to the door. He pulled it open and peered at whomever was outside, "Uh, yeah?"
Two zebras stood before him, a male, and a female. The stallion bowed a head towards Spike, "Good tidings, small dragon. Is the Princess of this castle present?"
Silver, who had been perched nearby, perked an ear, "No offense, but I thought zebras rhymed."
The two looked at Silver, then brightened. The stallion spoke, "Ah! You may be whom we seek." They attempted to enter, only for spears to descend from other side in a cross from the guards standing outside the door. They frowned a little at the guards, but the expression was fleeting.
The mare looked to Silver, "Only our shamans speak in the rhyming tongue. It is a sign of deference to the spirits, who also have difficulty communicating clearly."
Silver nodded with a smile, "Makes sense to me. I see the jewelry is common though?"
The stallion glanced down at his neck rings, "All zebras of station wear such. Be cautious if you meet one without, for they are without means." The stallion tilted his head, "You are much more enchanting than the reports given."
Twilight arrived to save Silver from self-consciousness, smiling at the zebras, "Hello! How can I help you two today?"
The mare smiled at Twilight, "We hoped to speak with your guest." She pointed at Silver.
Twilight tilted her head, "Well, let me ask her." She moved to Silver, speaking softly, "The zebras have long been allies of Equestria, and they look nice. Do you want to talk to them?"
Silver couldn't help but notice an inappropriate giddiness at the simple pleasure of being asked something instead of it being foisted on her. "I'm not doing anything else, and they do look nice. Invite them in."
Soon Silver sat across from the zebra diplomats. Twilight sat to the side of all three, keeping a watchful eye.
The mare spoke first, "We hear you have a very specialized skill in spell-crafting. May we ask for a demonstration?"
Silver bobbed her head, "Sure. Did you bring some spells?"
The stallion raised a hoof, "And here is the challenge." He pulled a book out of a satchel and set it down. Once open, Silver peered at the odd writing.
"This isn't a spell. It looks more like a recipe?" noted Silver.
The mare nodded softly, "Exactly the case. We wish to see if you can blend two potions the same way you blend two spells. Are you educated in the way of our people?"
Though Silver had a good impression the mare knew she was not, she obligingly shook her head, "I'd be pleased to learn more."
The stallion spoke, "Like ponies, zebra have magic. Like unicorns, we have spells. We do not command the aether directly, instead we direct and channel it through potions and poultices. There are effects we can do that would require one of your 'Princesses' to achieve. It's slower, but when you work with nature, instead of against it, miracles are possible."
Twilight looked raptly interested, listening along with Silver.
Silver raised a hoof, "Do you have some kind of index of what does what? I don't know what any of these ingredients do, even in theory, so there's not a lot for me to start from."
The mare drew out a new book. Its front was decorated with a smiling herb and its title read, 'My First Potion, an Exhaustive Guide.' "Do you need time?" she asked, "We are in no hurry. If you can blend potions, it would be quite a sight, and well worth an extended stay."
The stallion nodded in agreement, "Please do not feel pressured. If you cannot, there is no shame, but if you can, the potential is incredible."
Twilight smiled at Silver encouragingly, "I haven't met a zebra I didn't like so far."
The mare perked an ear at Twilight, "How many have you met?"
As if summoned, the door knocked again, but then swung open. The guards apparently allowed Zecora past without challenge. She was burdened with bags of jars and plants. She saw the other zebras and her eyes went wide, "Oh this I did not predict, I fear our schedules do conflict. Greetings friends from far away, what brings you to Twilight's tower today?"
The couple both rose and offered a bow towards Zecora before the stallion spoke, "We were not aware Princess Twilight had dealings with a shaman. We would have sent word to you before arriving if we had known."
Zecora shook her head, "You have caused no harm, there is no reason for alarm. I have come to see this mare, for her foal she must prepare." Zecora approached Silver directly, guiding her to the ground and starting to inspect her without further waiting or prompting.
The mare zebra perked an ear, "I was not informed Silver Stars was with foal."
Twilight nodded her head, "It's true."
The mare and stallion glanced at each other, then back at Twilight as the mare spoke, "If you wish us to leave and return later, we can do that."
"No," objected Silver even as she was rolled over and Zecora inspected her undercarriage and other more sensitive portions, "I don't want to sit around idle. I'm not even showing yet."
The stallion smiled, "If you insist. We will leave these books with you, however. It will take you time to read them and try your best. If the shaman is feeling generous, perhaps she may help." They were led off by Twilight, being shown off to a guest room to stay in.
Once everyone was gone, Zecora asked, "Is that a beginner's book I see? To master brewing takes more than a day or three." Her hooves were skilled and gentle as she looked Silver over with touch and eyes and even hearing.
Silver relaxed under Zecora's care, feeling safe around the wise zebra. "It's nice to meet you, Zecora. Yes, they want me to try blending potions together like I do spells, and I said I would try my best."
Zecora nodded lightly, "You are healthy and entirely fit. Perfectly suited for foals, I admit. For one so young, your body prepared. Scarcely can I begin to compare." Her eyes turned to her pouches as she began swiftly preparing a few herbs, grinding them together and then offering the stone bowl to Silver, "Eat."
Silver sat up onto her haunches, then accepted the bowl in her magic. She slurped up the paste of plants, despite its bitter taste.
Zecora turned her gaze to the two books, "They are fools, and you will be hurt. Start with potions that you do not insert." She flipped the pages of the recipe book, "Here is one that looks safe, the worst that can happen is a chafe."
Silver smiled gently, "Will you show me a little? I used to cook, before I came to Equestria."
Zecora looked Silver over, "Your friend Jake spoke of you dearly, but I am afraid I did not understand clearly. Are you truly a human as he? How did ponies and humans share a family tree?"
Silver huffed softly, "I was human, then I wasn't. I was a stallion, then I wasn't." She smiled a little, "I am me, at least. I'm not trying to be vague, but the story gets longer every time someone asks."
Zecora nodded as she opened the introductory book and pointed at the fourth page, "Start here. Unlike unicorn magic, experimentation is encouraged of fledgling brewers, but try not to vary too far, and do not attempt potions you drink yet."
Silver blinked, "That didn't rhyme at all."
Zecora prodded Silver gently, "There is but one time a shaman can speak plainly, when she takes a student."
Silver went red as she grasped the honor being bestowed on her. She bobbed her head, "I will do exactly as you ask, thank you!" A thought came to her, "Potions are zebra magic, do I have the right... connections?"
Zecora smiled, "If you are truly committed, you will make such connections over time. The art of potion making is not specific to zebras, we just come to it naturally. The minotaurs are also very good at it. Pony folk, with their magic, find it too slow."
Silver and Zecora quickly assembled a brewing station to start with. A heavy pot over one of Twilight's Bunsen burners did the job. Zecora set aside some tools, namely a variety of stirrers and tongs, "These will be yours now. Never use the same things for brewing as cooking, unless you are far more experienced."
Silver nodded lightly as Zecora filled the pot with water. "We shall begin small..."
The hours went by as Zecora patiently showed Silver how to prepare herbs for the 'cauldron', how to spot ideally fresh and ready ingredients and such like that. Silver found much of it to not be that different from cooking in general, and was soon in the swing of it.
Night Watch happened by and approached curiously, "What are you doing?"
Zecora said nothing, so Silver spoke up, "I'm learning to brew potions, like zebras. Zecora was ever so kind enough to teach me."
Night raised a brow behind her thick glasses, "Wow, really? What'd you make so far?"
Silver leaned over the pot and sniffed at it, "Well, if this one works, it should make whatever you spill it on make a very silly sound when stepped on."
Night's expression flattened, "Really?"
Silver nodded with a silly grin, "Start small." She hefted up the pot with her magic and trotted outside with Zecora and Night following after her. She went for the main street of Ponyville and waited for the traffic to lighten a moment before she casually spilled the brew out and went dashing off to hide.
Night settled beside Silver, "This feels extremely foalish."
Silver just giggled, waiting and watching.
Night nudged against Silver, "I don't get it. Why would anypony want a potion like this? Why not start with something actually useful?"
Silver opened her mouth to talk, but stopped as she saw Mrs. Cake wandering over the patch. When her hoof came in contact with it, it let out a ripe noise of flatulence. Mrs. Cake went red and scurried off, but this carried her through the patch, pooting the entire way.
Silver struggled not to laugh and give it away, collapsing to the ground with silent laughter.
Zecora noted, "With your skill, it will not last long. Soon will end the ripe song."
Night shook her head, "I still don't see what this teaches."
Silver made a vague hoof gesture, "Zebra magic is different than unicorn magic. I have to practice to get the magic flowing properly."
A loud farting trumpet alerted them that another pony had fallen victim for the simple prank. Perhaps learning alchemy wouldn't be too monotonous.
Zecora rose and started back to the tower without word. Silver quickly dashed after her, and Night took up the rear. "So, why the sudden interest in alchemy?" asked Night curiously.
Silver explained as she walked, "Some zebras came and wanted to see if my talent could apply to potions, but I have to learn how potions work before I can do anything with the recipes, so here we are."
Night shook her head, "So why not read more and prank less?"
Silver snorted, "I learn by doing, not reading. I'll learn ten times faster by actually making potions than I will with my nose in a book trying to memorize it all."
Night accepted the logic, and Silver and Zecora were soon back to trying another potion.
It's the zebra-striped typos hiding amongst the words unseen that you must worry about.
So the first brew is a POOTion?
5845301 It's like my nightmares have manifested!
5845306 Mission successful!
Oooo... Zebra magics. So... Zecora is to a regular zebra what Twilight is to a regular unicorn? Someone who has devoted a lot of time to mastering the field of their magic?
5845341 It would be almost alarming if all zebra were as good as Zecora.
Fun! Good representation of Zecora. Liking the atmosphere on this chapter. Well done!
5845346 Now, there's nothing wrong with that. Zebra Master Race...
That end was hilarious!
Also hope Celestia mellows a bit and stops being so self-righteous soon. Starting to dislike her for it. (tho I assume that's the point)
5845460 Glad you liked the chapters. Any fave parts?
5845468 Of course I liked Silver's little prank!
Also like how Zecora is teaching her about zebra potions. Which begs the question, 'Will Silver study the magics of pegasi or earth ponies too?' I recall a passing comment in the unicorn exams about anypony learning the spell language for pegasi or earth ponies becoming famous. Foreshadowing perhaps?
5845637 Not saying it's impossible, but divining a language from nothing would be exactly in Silver's weak point. She doesn't do languages, or brute force memorization. She'll have to content herself with being awesome at written spells.
5844598
Silver was a bit more aggressive with Luna, but Luna warned him it would not work.
now with twilight he / she Silver at lest has a little chance.
Harts Fire.
time to read the new chapter.
aww a new surprise not only zebras but Zecora.
let the riming began. a exultant chapter good work.
Harts Fire
There needs to be a space between these two sentences.
The stallion tilted "his" head.
"Twilight arrived to save a self-conscious Silver" instead perhaps?
To be "hoisted" is to be lifted on something - I think you mean "foisted" here.
Shouldn't there be a hyphen in "spellcrafting"?
You don't need to capitalize "zebra."
You have two spaces between "harm" and "there."
You also don't need to capitalize "there" either.
You don't need to capitalize "mare" either.
Don't capitalize "perfectly," unless you make those two different sentences.
Pretty much the exact same thing here, with "scarcely."
Don't capitalize "zebras."
5846146 All fixed. The stripes confused me.
5846193 Okay, I'm going to admit it up front: I didn't like this chapter, and it was completely and utterly due to my own biases. I'm bringing my own baggage to the table here, and I'm going to be forthright in that it's colored my views.
Simply put, I completely disagree with the way that zebra "magic" is implied to function, here.
The reason for this is that a lot of fans seem to think that Zecora is in possession of some sort of subtle-yet-powerful magic, which is a half-truth at the very best. I say that because, when you step back and look at what Zecora has actually done in the show, there's very little magic to be found, and what there is of it is arguably not her own.
Her debut appearance ("Bridle Gossip") had her coming up with an all-natural remedy for the malady inflicted on the Mane Six by a magical plant, from a book that Twilight already had a copy of, and she did pretty much the same thing in "The Cutie Pox." She was not only useless, but wrong about the para-sprites being the doom of Ponyville in "Swarm of the Century." She had some basic knowledge about the (admittedly very weird) growth cycle of dragons in "Secret of My Excess," but there's nothing magical about that. She makes a brief appearance to help Spike out in "Just for Sidekicks," but again there's no magic involved. And of course, her entire schtick in "Magic Duel" was to put Twilight through useless training, before eventually telling her "just get your friends together and use chicanery."
Does Zecora have any magic at all? Well, a little - but everything we see her do is either a minor trick that uses various external components, is assisted by real magic, or arguably isn't magic at all. For example, she throws a powder that puts on a show in "Luna Eclipsed," but given that some plants in Equestria have inherent magical properties (e.g. poison joke), then her "magic" is simply using natural plants to achieve an effect that's little more than a cantrip - the magical-ingredient version of using fireworks to make pictures. Her "plot-device" potion in "Princess Twilight Sparkle" was, by her own admission, in need of alicorn magic to activate it. Her trick with making an empty cup fill with water in "Magic Duel" seemed like nothing more than sleight of hand (sleight of hoof?), since it's right up there with the tricks that professional stage magicians use in the real world (making it very apropos that her advice to Twilight was to use tricks exactly like that to defeat Trixie).
In short, Zecora - and by extension, the zebras - have no magic whatsoever. What they actually have is a firm grasp of the herbology of magic plants (and the ecology of magical animals), combined with non-magical prestidigitation, and a healthy dose of showmanship (far more so than show-mares like Trixie). Other than the fact that she can manipulate some magical plants for minor effects, Zecora isn't bringing anything to the proverbial table where actual magical abilities are concerned.
That's where this chapter rubbed me the wrong way. That zebra stallion saying that Zecora and other shamans can speak to "spirits" (which have absolutely no evidence to suggest that they even exist) and make effects greater than alicorn princesses - greater than the magic of those ponies that move the very heavens themselves with a thought - is beyond preposterous. Silver isn't going to be able to mix potions because there's no magic in there to be mixed, notwithstanding whatever magical residue is left over in whatever plants they happen to use. It's 90% smoke and mirrors, and the other 10% is squeezed out of flower petals and tree bark.
The only explanation for what those zebra diplomats were claiming is that zebra society is steeped in myth and superstition about what their "shamans" can accomplish, likely boosted by the claims of the shamans themselves (since that supports their power structure) - certainly, the whole "we speak in rhyme because it makes us seem mysterious and powerful, er, I mean, lets us talk to spirits" supports that idea. I suspect that this widespread lie is something that the zebras want to believe, since that likely helps to assuage what would otherwise be a serious case of envy/insecurity over the fact that other ponies in general and unicorns in particular have real magic, which the zebras will never have.
Zecora's "power" is all hokum and folklore - she can cobble together a small potion or two, but she's pretty much only as good as the ingredients she has on hand. Other than that, she's a wise individual with plenty of practical knowledge about the wilderness, but as the para-sprites show, even that's incomplete and prone to errors. Silver, coming from twenty-first century America, should quickly stumble onto the fact (once she figures out how the ingredients work) that there's really no magic there for her to learn, and that the entire thing is a charade. Of course, I suspect that Zecora knows this - and for that matter, I wonder if the degree to which her native culture is likely soaked in that mystique caused her to want to leave it - but she's trying to put a more practical spin on it, without all of the dressed-up performances and superstition that normally go into "zebra alchemy." Hopefully, Silver will be kind enough not to embarrass those envoys by telling them that their magic is a sham; instead, she should just "admit" that she "can't understand their magic" and let them go with face having been saved.
...yeah, I'm not a fan of the whole "zebra magic" idea.
5846338 Well... Alright. Though I'm not entirely sure what's wrong with the ability to exploit the existing magic of the land.
That doesn't really... give much view on the chapter itself.
5846359 There's nothing wrong with it per se, except that it's largely useless compared to the magic that the unicorns already wield, even though it's being propped up as being equal (or even superior) to it. It's the equivalent of taking ranks in Craft (alchemy) when you already have several levels in a spellcasting class under your belt - sure you can make those alchemical compounds, but for the most part you're going to be able to achieve better effects sticking with actual spells. Those tricks are barely going to be worth the effort that was required to learn them in terms of what they can actually achieve; the only exception will be if you dress them up with showmanship to try and awe an unwitting audience.
Insofar as the chapter itself goes, I admit that I became incredibly leery at the entire idea of Silver "mastering a second type of magic." Again, I know that's my reading far too deeply into what's presented here, since at this point Silver is just whipping up magical whoopee cushions, but even the hint of that happening set off my alarm bells. If Twilight is a "magical sponge" and has been studying under Zecora for some time now, and we don't see her whipping out magic potions all over the place, then it's hard to believe that Silver will make any real headway at "alchemy" with any appreciable speed. To be fair, that's sort of what Zecora told her, so I doubt we'll see Silver come away from these lessons with much of anything to show for them.
...I really can't seem to get past my hate-on of zebra magic, can I?
I'm a little surprised that those zebra envoys were so hooves-off about Silver learning their magic. The thing is, no matter how allied their nation is with Equestria, it's important to remember that they're there for their own nation's interests - not Equestria's, and certainly not Silver's. That doesn't mean that they're going to be cruel or manipulative about it, certainly, but at the end of the day they're interested in her only insofar as what she means for their nation, which can be summarized with the questions "Is she a threat that we'll need to deal with?" and "Is she a resource that can be exploited?" They're going to take a keen interest in how Silver interacts with their "magic" and make a report back to their leaders, which will determine their next move. Never forget, Silver, that this is a matter of international politics, and politics is intrigue (something that Twilight seems to have forgotten, with her whole "the zebras are our friends" bit).
I suspect that Zecora is going to have little to do in terms of watching over Silver, since Luna is turning her into a foal-making factory, and she's not very far along yet. More likely she'll end up spending a lot of time around Night, who doesn't have those advantages, and is probably starting to show by now. In that regard, I can see her being a sounding board for the group, since Zecora's grounded enough and has enough emotional distance that she seems likely to invite confessions.
...interestingly, that makes me wonder about her as a mare, since she lives alone in the woods and seems to be regarded with some degree of awe even by those who know her. When you're held on a pedestal, even a short one, it still means that no one else around you thinks of you as their equal. Maybe Zecora is here because she wants some greater socialization than living alone in the Everfree can give her, or at least wants to see what it's like.
5846481 Celestia have mercy. Silver's wives will murder her if she starts feeling bad for Zecora.
5846550 I doubt it will come to that. There's nothing about Zecora that even remotely suggests that she feels lonely or unfulfilled, and I certainly didn't mean to suggest that I'd ship her and Silver. Rather, I was just suddenly cognizant of the fact that everypony seems to think of Zecora in terms of what she can do, rather than who she is. Whenever someone interacts with her, it's to pick her brain or get a potion, never to simply ask how she's doing or just hang out.
In a world where friendship is paramount, Zecora lives all alone in the woods and has only professional relationships. When you think about it that way, she's quite the outlier.
5846605 Truth. She's already gained points in Silver's book by being a non-judgmental teacher that is willing to let her learn the way she wants to while being quietly supportive. Best midwife ever.
5846605 doesn't apple bloom visit a fair amount or at least hinted that she does?
whom
descend
Bunsen
Perhaps you mean "to save Silver from self-consciousness"?
Not entirely sure but that sentence doesn't seem grammatically correct
6889038 Oops, and to think, so many other eyes have missed these errors.
The amount of sweetness in the air gives my diabeetus hypos, for this affliction I'd much prefer to blame the typos!
static.fimfiction.net/images/characters/zecora.png
5846613 I doubt Zecora is lonely, her new friends visit her often if sometimes for alternate healing. Applebloom seems taken with learning from her a couple of times. I'd tend to think she has enough associations with the spirit world to keep her company enough though. (PS could use that potion in shop, hand full of red lino tiles on a mostly white tile floor, some of our customers could use some lighthearted pranking)