A Golden Wish

by MelancholyIguana

A Strange Diary

Diary of a mad mare

"Who are you!?!" The voice was deep and rich. Heavily accented yet easy to understand. The knife poking Pinkie in the throat was sharp and cold. It was also easy enough to understand.

The pilot burst into the room. Her eyes flitted between Pinkie, the knife, the wielder and Pinkie's outstretched hoof nearing the diary resting on the desk.

"Zac, relax. These were the two who Bravery told you about." The knife relaxed it's pressure a little. "They were supposed to arrive with him."

"Plans changed, Zac. He's been... delayed." Pinkie, with her back turned to the rest of the room, waited patiently.

"How?"

"He may be, kinda... sorta... trapped... in an insane asylum."

Zecora blinked.

"OK." The knife pulled away from Pinkie. Puzzled by the sudden swing in her attacker's mood, she gave her neck a rub for good measure. "I'll go get you all something to eat."

Pinkie turned to see the back end of a zebra stallion disappear into a door that she had missed previously.

She hardly had time to study this mysterious pony who had only just tried to kill her a moment before, when an even greater destructive force threatened her current well being.

The pilot, quick as lightning, stormed over to Pinkie with a face like thunder. Raising a hoof, she struck Pinkie's shoulder... Hard! So hard in fact, it almost knocked her to the floor. "What was the ONE thing I told you NOT to do!" Her eyes blazed behind the tinted goggles. Pinkie staggered at the sudden transferral of momentum that was so graciously shared by the cyan mare.

She's got one hell of an arm on her.

It's probably all that time using that plane joystick.

No comment.

"ONE THING!" She seethed. "If I hadn't arrived when I did, you would probably be more red than pink!" Pinkie got to her feet. Her shoulder was sore, but at least her jacket cushioned most of the blow. She winced as she turned back to the cyan mare with ears flat against her head. She hid a little, behind her mane.

"How do you know him?" Lyra piped up.

"I don't," the pilot spat. "I only know him in passing. I know more about him from what I have been told, and I've been told dark things." She shivered slightly. "Yet we need him. Bravery told me so."

The pilot grabbed Lyra, who was already scared of the mare, pulling her in. Her voice dropped to a whisper as the three mares huddled together.

"This guy is dangerous. You understand? Not because he has weapons, no. He is unpredictable and about as easy to read as a closed book. He may have already made up his mind about whether he wants us dead or not." She stared at the door to the room, Zecora entered. "Not all the crazies can be found within hospital walls," she continued "and not..."

"...everyone who is crazy was born mad." A deep voice echoed from the other room. The pilot's head shot up, a red tinge rose in her face.

Zecora passed through the door into the room. He held a large bowl of various vegetables, flowers and fruits in one hand. He donned a mask which blocked Pinkie's view of his face and upper torso, much to her annoyance.

"I didn't exactly design this place with the idea of having the walls soundproofed." He laughed, setting down the food on a table. "Now before we begin, let's start with names. I take it none of you introduced yourselves to each other or I would have heard your names." He turned to the pilot as they took seats around the large bowl.

"Let's start with you, flying girl." She hesitated. "It is rude to wear such gear whilst eating. Also, it would be nice to finally see your face." Pinkie and Lyra faced the cyan mare. Her eyes flitted between the three onlookers.

"W-why?" She stammered. Her voice a little higher than normal. Zecora leaned in. Even though the gaze behind that mask was not directed at her, Pinkie could still feel an uncomfortable heat radiating from him.

"Because I never work with those who hide their faces." No hint of irony came from behind that mask. The pilot didn't move. Seconds ticked by.

"You'd do me a great dishonour if your gear stays on, mare." He growled. "What do you hide under your mask?"

Slowly, as if time reduced to a crawl, the aviator reached for her goggles and hat.

As she removed each, a mane of pure colour spilled forth. Pinkie gasped.

"Rainbow Dash. My name is Rainbow Dash. Wanted in over a dozen countries for the crimes of illegally acquiring valuable items..." Dash glanced at Lyra and Pinkie. "... And valuable ponies." They blinked. She snorted and turned her attention back to Zecora. "Now remove your mask, stranger."

"What made you pursue this career?" He brushed the command aside.

"My first time here." She stopped, the look on her face showed she didn't want to continue. That glare however, never left her. Dash exhaled.

"Six years ago I passed my training in flying aircraft. I had the basics in most, but I excelled when it came to smaller vehicles. I don't know why, I was always that much quicker, that much faster than anyone I came across. I knew the air." Her eyes dropped from her onlookers to the table. "I met a similar minded mare shortly after my training. She always referred to me as a kindred spirit. She was kind. Unnaturally kind, even to the ones we were fighting against."

Rainbow Dash looked to Lyra and Pinkie.

"You would have liked her." She smiled. Pinkie noted it as the first genuine smile she had seen the pilot with. "You could see a great, cool, calm in her eyes, like a breeze on a hot day." She returned her attention to the table.

"She glided through all the terrible things we saw, as if they weren't even there. I asked her how she did it.

'Because I have to' she told me. A little kindness can change the world. More than any weapons, armies or lands could.

You see, back in those days, territory was important to our superiors. Fights spanned all our borders, both on the ground and in the air. Naturally, I was sent to the air. I requested to have this like-minded mare with me. It was mostly reconnaissance and supplying aid to those beyond our borders as neither of us wanted to fight. We just 'didn't have the lust for it' as my leader stated."

The technicoloured mare sat back in her seat.

"After doing our best for over three years, we were sent abroad as part of a series of night raids. To be honest they were going well. I remember feeling a keen sense of excitement on each one. It was mostly helping POW's or collecting intel whenever we could. It was getting towards the end of the fighting, yet back then we didn't know that. If we had, we might not have left home, might never have come here."

"It was the third raid. I remember that night well. The thickness of the dark, the silver light from stars littering through thin clouds. The feeling of a light breeze passing through my hair. The invigoration of going on an adventure, another stakeout with my friend. We weren't alone of course. There must have been a dozen or so of us, maybe more. As usual, we were ordered by our commander, Lieutenant Rank, to 'liberate prisoners, post haste!' Lousy prick. He never let his hoof get dirty, yet threw us out as if we were pawns. He never even remembered my name." She crossed her arms and fidgeted slightly.

"We knew something was up as soon as we entered the village. Fires had been freshly put out, no guard patrols. The place was quiet, deathly quiet."

I stumbled into a clearing, my partner followed. We fell into one of the most obvious traps I've ever seen and I was so keen to show off how good I was at my job. I sprung the trap. We were surrounded in seconds. To this day, I still don't know how it happened. They came from the trees, up from the ground, the very air. Surprisingly, through some cursed miracle, I got away.

To make matters worse, only two others escaped. My partner...wasn't one of them. I wanted to go back, do my best to bring her out of there, or at least die trying. Anything to say that I tried, so that I didn't have to live with the guilt."

"Why didn't you?" Zecora said flatly.

"Lieutenant... Rank." Dash steamed. Her eyes burned, an almost visible fire filling her vision. "He told us we achieved everything we needed to over the days before hand. Turns out, we didn't need to go in a third time." She laughed a stale laugh. "You know what the whole point of it was? You know what we were risking our lives for?"

Pinkie and Lyra shook their heads, enthralled by the story.

"Paper. BUCKING PAPER! And not even important ones. Some ponyfeather map about gold." She closed her eyes, not noticing Zecora's shift his weight slightly. "I lost the only one I cared about. The only one I would have remained loyal to. And Rank told us... 'good...job'."

"That bastard never gave it a second thought. Many had died under his hoof." Her eyes clouded. "Only one died under mine. After that, I did too."

A still silence passed over the group. A dropped pin would have been deafening.

"So lieutenant Rank got a shiny new medal, and I left the 'Pegasi, Aerial Military' faster than you could say 'Buck this Shi-"

"YOU'RE A PEGASIS!?!" Pinkie blurted out. Rainbow froze. "Oh my goodness, I've always wanted to meet a pegasus, I can't believe you are one, can I be your friend, we could hang out, or go-," Pinkie froze. Rainbow's eyes were scalding, and were directed straight at her.

You see that... That was the wrong time. Rosie echoed in Pinkie's head.

"I-I didn't mean any disrespect." Pinkie lowered her gaze and shrank in on herself. Rainbow Dash growled and snapped her head around to Zecora.

"And what about you? What are you hiding?" The rainbow mare demanded, her eyes narrowed. "Take off my mask. Now you take off yours."

"In good time," his attention turned on Pinkie. "And who are you? What mask do you wear?"

Rainbow Dash rose sharply.

"Don't you dare play games with me!" She hissed. She looked prepared to lash out any second.

"My story isn't as bold as Rainbow Dash's." Pinkie answered without raising her head. Although her eyes never looked up, she knew who was being questioned. She could feel it. Whatever heat coming from that mask before, it had intensified tenfold. "I was just sent to a hospital after others told me I think differently to them. They called me a freak, deemed me insane, locked me in a cage." Rainbow's attention deviated away from Zecora. "I became afraid to tell people the thoughts in my head for fear of pushing them away." Rainbow's face twinged, as she slowly returned to her seat.

"And do you? Think differently I mean."

Pinkie glanced up momentarily.

"Think differently? I don't know. I never thought I was any different," Pinkie never broke her eye contact with the ground. Rainbow Dash noticed the troubled look pass over her face. "I just lived to try and make others laugh. If you make people laugh then they can't hate you, no matter how different they label you. I just don't want to be hated." Pinkie shrank inwardly even more.

"That is an obscure way to live these days."

"Why? Do you think I'm different too?" Pinkie's smile was lost from her face completely now.

"We'll see."

Rainbow Dash stared at her. Whatever fire was there before had all but extinguished.

"You were given a letter by your uncle, am I correct?" Zecora followed up. Pinkie removed a small envelope from her jacket. Its contents remained inside. Pinkie lightly threw it onto the table with a light 'clink'.the sound of metal caught Pinkie off guard. As she reached out towards it, Zecora's striped hoof stopped her.

"Not now. In good time."

Finally the mask turned to Lyra. "And what of you? Who are you?"

Lyra jerked back slightly. She composed herself then scratched the back of her head.

"I'm just happy to be here." She deadpanned.

"In a far off land within the house of someone who just tried to kill your acquaintance?"

"Happy to be alive, I mean," she finished with a solemn chortle.

She really didn't like the flight over, did she?

"Seems like it." Pinkie replied. Lyra and Dash looked at her. Zecora did not.

"Who are you?" He persisted. Being sat next to her, he was already close enough but Lyra thought it best to answer quickly before he tried leaning towards her.

"L-Lyra Heartstrings. I was sent to the same hospital that Pinkie was. I don't remember how old I was when I was sent to that place." Her speech was quick and held a clearly nervous tone.

"I'm nothing special either, for some reason others don't seem to believe some of the things we hold dear. Pinkie believes in other worlds and that there may be one or two that can watch us, whilst I believe that humans exist. Maybe they might be one of those worlds." Lyra spilled forth. Her speech, even faster than before.

Zecora's ears twitched. He regarded Pinkie, then returned to Lyra again.

"You missed out something important." He cocked his head. Lyra did the same. "You are a unicorn, Mrs Heartstrings."

Lyra just stared.

"Why is that important exactly?"

"You don't know?" A shocked Rainbow questioned. Lyra answered with a shake of the head.

"How sheltered were you two!?!" Rainbow rubbed her face.

"It is important Lyra because of what happened in the past. Before your time yes, but not before mine." Zecora started, only to be cut off by Rainbow Dash.

"Don't you think that is unwise? We have no right to tell her."

"But she has every right to know, Miss Dash."

"It may be too much."

"We shall find out!" Zecora turned back to Rainbow Dash. "All will come to light eventually, Miss Dash. It merely depends on when the Gods want to show it to you. And I want that time to be now!"

He faced a quiet Lyra once again.

• • •

"About forty years ag-"

"Before you begin Zac, it may be an idea to mention; those responsible for what you are about to hear, were not in their right mind." Rainbow Dash cut in. Eyes flicked between a worried Lyra and the stern look of the mask.

"About forty years ago, new laws came into place all over the world. The harmony and sanctity we had between races was breaking. The pegasi owned the sky and were in charge of transport, weather control and various other duties that earth ponies could not perform. Earth ponies were tasked with jobs such as growing crops, occupying shops, retail and most manual jobs provided. Being an earth pony was more common, yet was still in no way a bad thing. In fact, a lot of the more successful businesses were run by such ponies.

However, unicorns were special. Unlike any other race of pony, they had the ability to do something remarkable. They could use magic. Some could use more powerful forms than others, but still it was magic! Manual labour wasn't a problem unless vast masses of object needed moving, requiring a lot more concentration as you can imagine. More skilled unicorns could step on clouds just like pegasi without falling to their deaths. Others could cast these spells on others. Some, had the ability to FLY. As magic required concentration, a lot of unicorns excelled in academic studies and showed the ability to solve problems with ease."

"Of course, you still had idiots who couldn't figure which way a door opens if they had three guesses," Rainbow interjected. "You forget, unicorns had a subliminal advantage in academia, mainly due to the fact they required research in order to perform certain spells. They trained to be disciplined from a very early age. They were SO AWESOME! Unicorns were by no means rare. But they were the most useful out of us all."

"Four." Zac stated. The cyan mare raised an eyebrow at the zebra. "You forget our origins Miss Dash."

Zac returned his attention to Lyra.

"Where do you think we came from? Why do you think there is a divide in our races?"

Lyra shook her head. Rainbow Dash frowned slightly and gave her nose a rub in anticipation of Zac's answer.

"Alucorns. Once, our entire world was inhabited by one species of pony." Rainbow scoffed.

"Alucorns? No. Just no. Is myths and legends with you all isn't it." Rolling her eyes, she crossed her hooves.

"They were the most powerful and gradient creatures in all the lands. They harnessed all our abilities and made advances in all forms of knowledge. Yet they were few in numbers. Demons, corrupt animal mismatches, beings of air and earth and fire, centaurs and potentially..." Zac leaned in "...humans could have also been around at the time." Lyra perked up slightly. "All these lived together. Yet one day, the world changed. We existed. From no clear date, our existence just... Happened. And not only that, all traces of our makers just disappeared." Zecora turned to Rainbow Dash now. Pinkie was starting to feel a little ignored.

"It is my belief, that the most powerful of all the alucorns, made a wish. A wish that changed the course of our species throughout eternity. By splitting us into three parts, our numbers were free to grow and our power would be less dangerous. We could live happily."

"What are you getting at Zac?"

"Unicorns harness the most powerful of the alucorns power. Magic. An ability to change the world around them." The mask stared into Lyra's eyes. "Whilst society provide a select few with artificial power, when it comes down to it, they are still just as useful as their body allows them to be. Yet unicorns can do almost anything. You have... TRUE... power. And that, ultimately, was your downfall."

"You see, the power of the alucorns, when they were split into three, gave each breed of pony a power. Unicorns had intelligence and magic, pegasi had speed and aerial domination and earth ponies had numbers. The governing body for the lands, the Communion Of Lasting Trinity, became predominantly earth based. Those in power, wanted more power. And that power needed to be taken from others. The others being unicorns and pegasi. Their greed took root soon enough."

"Greed became loathing, loathing became hatred, hatred became fear. And that fear spread to more than just those in the high courts. The Communion tore at itself, becoming the one thing it was supposed to combat. Imbalance between each species."

"The days grew darker. Rumours of war billowed over lands like a great wave, and those caught up in it found themselves in the shadow of its imminent embrace. For those unaware at first, things seemed normal. Yet, as time passed, even those blind to the world around them could feel the tension in the air. Families locked themselves in their houses, children no longer played outside. Hunts for 'witches' began."

"Trees and fields burned in fire so high, the heavens were scorched black from it rage. Bodies piled high, smoke cloaked the skies in permanent clouds."

Like England during the summer! Rosie piped up. Pinkie nearly screamed. She had been so engrossed in the story, she completely forgotten that Rosie was there.

"The world, fell into the hands of the corrupt. The earth ponies placed in power to help protect the harmony between each species, destroyed the most valued of us all. Since then, the world has been dying. The imbalance has caused events completely unfathomable to any sane pony." Zac turned to Pinkie. "Events such as the one that happened to your grandfather with the microwave, Pinkie."

"God rest his soul."

"God rest his soul."

God rest his soul.

God rest his soul.

God rest his soul.

"What happened to Pinkie's Grandfather?" Lyra asked. Zac rose to his feet. Continuing to speak, he turned and headed towards the pedestal with his prized diary upon it.

"That was when I started to use codes to catalogue events. I developed runes and complex bodies of sentences in order to make deciphering my notes almost impossible. It came from four of my favourite codes when I was a foal. These of course were adopted, adapted and then changed as time went on. I never wrote a key, a clue or solution to my notes." Removing the book, he returned to the table. Setting it before him, he read its title out loud. "Zecora se Dagboek" he traced it with a hoof. He looked up. "Zecora's diary."

Pinkie watched, the pages were covered in shapes and swirls, runes within runes and all parts were scattered about the page in a seemingly haphazard manner. Zecora, however, glanced in set patterns across each symbol without hesitation whilst his hoof traced the previous symbol.

"The desolation of trust within those we should trust has broken the very nature of our world. Powerful bodies spread distrust and soon, a war broke out. Pegasi and Earth ponies against unicorns. The innocence we once had had been lost in one fell move." He read.

"I found myself taking refuge away from my townsfolk. I could no longer live with others I didn't trust. I made my home in a forest for seclusion and spent my days researching a way to undo what was done. During a particularly stormy night, a vision came to me. A horned stallion of pure light told me to head further into my forest. In the centre, he told me, I will find him and grant a wish." Zac looked up.

"Do you know what is so special about this book?" The eyes behind the mask burned into Lyra's. She shook her head.

"Its my handwriting, at least a similar copy. However, the small symbol at the top of each page..." He tapped a hoof on a rune that looked particularly like the the letter 'V' mixed with the letter 'h'. "...tells you the gender of the writer. The idea was, my code shows more than just what you write. Its supposed to let the reader know WHO you are."

"Why is that an issue then?" Rainbow questioned.

"My symbol looks like this." He grabbed a roll of parchment with a rune similar to the number '4' mixed with the letter 'A' in the upper left hand corner. "The symbology of the upward arrow means the writer is male."

He returned to the diary.

"The symbology of the downward arrow," he traced the 'V', "means the writer is female." When Zecora noticed the others were perplexed by this, he continued.

"As I said before, I created this code. I invented it. I never told anyone about it. It is a secret. There is no written solution or key to it. So why is there a girl who knows it too? More importantly, why does she have the same name as me?"

"So you didn't write this?" Pinkie asked.

"No. Stranger still, the night I finally read this diary, I made an interesting discovery. This 'other Zecora' has lived through the same things I have. Stranger still, the night I read the passage I recited a second ago, I had a dream. In my dream I talked a horned stallion of pure light."

"So I did what any sane pony would do in that situation. I did as the diary told me. Sure enough, in the deepest holds of the forest I found something amazing. A city of gold." Lyra's ears pricked. Pinkie noticed Rainbow's eyes glaze over, a hungry look in her eyes. Zac cocked his head. "I peaked your interest already? Shame. The next bit is even better."

Zac pushed the food bowl on the table. It dropped to the floor, a heavy clash rang out as an explosion of green, red and yellow leaves covered the area where it landed. Zac stood up.

"Mares, what I found in the centre is one of the most well kept secret in all the 16 nations. A city of gold is a worth prize for any, but what lies at its heart is a prize worthy only to heroes." Zecora traced his hooves over the table. The wooden rings lay in a perfect cylindrical pattern, each one parallel to it's neighbour. When Pinkie looked closer however, she noticed small notches connecting the rings together.

"Its heart. It is based on proving the measure of a creature brave enough to enter. By walking through the doors, the exit will close as soon as it leaves your sight, and the trials will begin." Zac's hoof pointed towards the first notch in the table.

"The book was right. And not only that, the only one who could have written it was me." Everyone in the room found their vision passing back to the diary. "My handwriting, my diary, my name, my runes, my codes. Similar past, same future. But not my gender. Not only that, mention of things that don't exist here." Zecora faced the three mares. "I wrote that book. But it wasn't me. Another me." He passed back and forth.

"Pinkie." Pinkie almost jumped at her name. She sat upright almost immediately.

"Why were you in a hospital?"

"I suffer from delusions of grandeur and schizophrenia."

"Schizophrenia? Sounds fun."

"Well, it keeps me company." Pinkie chuckled.

"Why else?"

"I believe in other universes."

"Where does this book come from?" Zac stopped. The room fell silent.

Say it. Go on.

"Another universe."

"Yes. How long were you in the prison for?"

"Prison?"

"HOW LONG?" His voice turned harsh. Rainbow Dash physically tensed, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"A-all my life pretty much." Pinkie stammered.

"Then I hope this adventure will be penance for their barbaric idiocy." He spat the words like poison.

Zecora's body language changed, relaxing almost immediately. He approached the table once more and pointed at the first notch again.

"Here you will need a golden tablet."

"Golden tablet?" Lyra questioned. "We were never given a golden tablet."

Zac approached her, slowly reaching into Bravery's bag, he removed a golden capsule. Its surface was highly polished yet covered in small inscriptions.

Look. It has letters on it.

Twelve rows in fact.

When Zac twisted it around in his hoof, a small plateau of gold circled a particular column of these carvings, making them seem more important.

"Twenty five symbols on each row. Twenty four for each letter and one blank. Watch." Grasping it, Zac span a column. "These will allow you to give your answer to each obstacle." He span another and another. "Each capsule is a golden key to unlock the next ring." He continued twisting.

"Obstacles? What are these obstacles?" Lyra inquired again. Zac placed the tablet on the far end of the table in full view of the three mares. Inside the golden rectangle, they could see why Zecora had been twisting each row.

RIDDLES_LYRA

"Interesting way of answering that question." Rainbow mumbled. Pinkie giggled quietly.

"Pray you answer them correctly. For a fault will mean your life, gruesomely or otherwise. When you pass the first gate, follow the sun. It will guide you to the next gate. As for what is in the temple, look to your uncle's letter."

Pinkie stared before producing the envelope. Pulling the letter out, the key came with it. Zac reached for it.

"The key is gold." He murmured. He drew back before taking the envelope and its contents and placing it to one side. "You should remember that when you arrive there. But be wary. Riddles are not the only deadly challenges within those walls."

"What are the challenges? What are the riddles?" Pinkie pryed.

"That would be telling." He said solemnly.

"It would. Come on, help us." Lyra joined in.

"I can't." Zecora shifted on his hooves. "For I am no longer at liberty to."

"Why?"

Zecora turned and approached a shelf of tall, thin vials. Returning to the table, he popped open the top and proceeded to pour it over the wooden furniture. The liquid oozed from its glass prison, dripping in thick crystal clear blobs. As it made contact with the table, however, the liquid lost its viscosity. It wormed and snaked its way around the grooves of the table as it covered the surface. Once it overflowed the rings, the liquid spilled out and glazed the wooden table.

The three mares watched. After a beat, Rainbow split the silence.

"Is something supposed to happen? Cos all I see is a very wet table,"

The room exploded in a rush of blue that engulfed each pony. The table caught amidst a bright flame that sucked the light from everywhere else leaving deep shadows to flit free of their daylight confines.

The flame towered higher and higher, licking the roof of the hut with long, deep cyan tongues.

The three ponies screamed at the sight.

JESUS CHRIST!

Who?

Nevermind.

"THE TABLE!" Pinkie pointed a hoof at the blazing wooden surface. The crystal clear liquid began to boil and bubble, froth and spit as it curdled into a thick black sludge under the heat of the fire. Zecora removed his mask in the light of the bright blue flames.

"This is the last of my help that I can give." He stood, hoof reaching into the bright flame to trace the words, the liquid was now forming. "For in finding what you want, you must lose something else."

As the liquid evaporated, the words staining the table became clearer and all three mares mouthed the message.

Ask when asked at divine land
Bask for glories close at hand
From lowly slaves to high born sires
We'll grant what most, their heart desires
Yet those who want must tread with care
As they must pay their wishes fare
For in your wish fulfillments birth
We'll take something of equal worth

"Something of equal worth." Zecora repeated. "Sometimes that can be a part of yourself."

As quickly as the fire started, Zac conjured a cloth into his hoof before slamming it down into the centre of the table, extinguishing it immediately with a single ring of smoke billowing from beneath.

The ring breezed out past each pony towards the walls. As it progressed, colour and light returned to the room. Pinkie's blood drained from her face.

There, in the light of day, Zecora's face had finally been revealed, much to Pinkie's horror.

Zecora's face was covered in blazing orange tattoos that emanated out from his piercing, heat-filled eyes. Pinkie screamed, flailing wildly. The same pattern, the same colour, the same eyes as the demon in the fire from her dream. Lyra jerked around in time to see Pinkie fall off the back of her chair.

"What's that all about!?!" Rainbow shouted. Lyra rushed to Pinkie's side to calm her down. Pinkie's eyes never left Zecora's.

"She's seen my marks before." He turned to face her. "The marks of the Gods."

He stepped towards Pinkie, kneeling to her height. Producing Bravery's envelope out of thin air, he placed it at her hooves.

"The key...is gold." Without a word, he stood up and disappeared into his kitchen once again.

• • •

"Well that was an ordeal." Rainbow scratched her head. She collapsed onto a chair around the table. Zac joined her, dropping the dairy on the table.

"You managed to get them going though. That was an achievement." He placed a drink in front of her. She eyed it cautiously before taking it anyway. "Who knew they spent most of their lives in confinement."

"They do suffer... complicated issues." She chose her words carefully. Zac took out an identical drink.

"They seem normal to me." Zac smiled. "I don't think they're suffering either. They're just naive." He took a swig.

"She can't believe she managed to destroy the door on the way out. Looks like she splintered the wall as well." Rainbow frowned. "Those tattoos must have really startled her. How did you get them anyway?" Taking a swig or two of her own drink.

"I wished for too much. As a result, I lost my life in the process." He opened the book and flipped through a few pages. "Still... I won't be needing it for much longer." Rainbow tensed slightly.

"How so?"

"I won't be alive for much longer."

"You look in perfect health though. Why what's gonna happen?"

Zac shook his head, ears folded back.

"I'm not at liberty to say," He stared at the diary, lost in thought, before finishing his drink. "Thank you for coming."

Rainbow stood and made her way to the door.

"Rainbow Dash." He called out, halting her leave.

"What do you enjoy most in this life?" He remained seated. The question caught her off guard, but after a moment she smiled.

"Flying. Without the use of a plane." She replied. "It makes me feel alive. I can't help but reminisce about old times."

Zecora stared at her. His face stayed solemn.

"Go for a fly tonight. And reminisce." He returned to his diary, flicking across another couple of pages. Rainbow Dash snorted.

"For crying out loud Zac, you act like its the end of the world."

"Don't be silly." He waves her off. She exited through the Pinkie shaped hole in the door away.

Turning to the last page, he traced over four hoof drawn pictures with a brief passage by each of them.

"That's a whole two days away."

Author's Note:

Sorry for the wait, I've been a bit busy and the times I haven't been busy, I have been struck by writers block. However, the next story should be where things pick up

Comments

[Tangerine Blast]

I lost this story for a bit but I'm so glad I found it again. This is so great.

[MelancholyIguana]

5949107 I'm glad and I love you for thinking so

[MelancholyIguana]

OK, I'm annoyed with someone. Again, as seen on previous stories I have written, someone has down voted without giving an explanation as to why. The point is invalid if you can't back it up, and I most certainly will not improve if no feedback is given.

Comment rather than troll please.
Otherwise I will be happy and respectful of your opinion