• Published 25th Jan 2012
  • 669 Views, 2 Comments

Spurs of Blood - LlamaLlumps



Strange things are ahoof in Canterlot, can the Mane 6 solve the mystery?

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Ch 2

Ch 2

It was quiet that morning, even by Ponyville library standards. Spike was in the kitchen making a late breakfast while slowly savoring a shard of amethyst with obvious pleasure. Whether because it was a particularly tasty stone, or that it was a gift from Rarity, Twilight could not say. She was deeply engrossed in a twelve volume set of: Zebran Myth, Culture and Legend, by Hoofestian the Elder, Greatest Historian of the Classical Pony Age. That was how the author signed the manuscript, on every page. Must be a distant ancestor of the Great and Powerful Trixie, she mused silently.

Her reverie was disrupted by a thunderous release of gas from the kitchen. That could only mean one of two things, either Spike was eating Pinkie Pie's baked bads with hot sauce again, or- “Is that a letter from the Princess?” She asked, while readying the gas mask spell she had created after Spike's last bout of flatus. The whole tree had been uninhabitable for days after. Since then however, the library had no more troubles with termites, silverfish or bookworms.

“It's a letter from a Princess. It's from Princess Luna!” Spike said in awe as he walked into the reading room, holding the scroll with reverence and wonder writ plain across his scaly features.

“Well don't just stand there, open it!” Twilight's anticipation was almost unendurable. Her tail switched and thrashed in equine impatience and distress, while her ears pinned themselves back against her skull.

Spike just folded his arms smugly, “It's not addressed to you, it's for all the Elements of Harmony, and me too! Princess Luna knows my name!”
The star struck dragonling hugged the scroll in wonder, seeing his name above the red wax of a royal seal was a novelty that would not wear off soon.

Twilight stamped her hoof in impatience, “come on Spike, let's get the gang together and read it! I'll get Rarity, you tell Pinkie, and then have Dash fly out to Sweet Apple Acres and Fluttershy's cottage.”
Little could frustrate this scholar more thoroughly or quickly than a text which she was unable to read immediately.

“Aww, I can tell Rarity...” Spike began. Twilight smiled tolerantly at the dragon whose crush on Rarity was the worst kept secret in Ponyville.

“I think Pinkie is making cookies, you should bring a few for everypony to snack on while we read this letter. Madelines are Rarity's favorite in the whole world-”

…...............................


The bell over the door at Sugarcube Corner tinkled for the first time that day. All over Ponyville it was quiet, even ponies who typically were early risers had yet to set a hoof out of bed. Except Pinkie Pie of course, sleeping late was for her, quite unlikely.

“Hiya Spike! You are sure up early, everypony is exhausted because of that new zebra in the square yesterday, and even the ponies who weren’t there are pooped just from hearing the story about how he nearly stomped Apple Bloom and now the whole town is sleeping late, but somepony has to bake the goodies and that pony is me! How could ponies sleep all day anyway? There was a new zebra in town and that means that a welcome party needed to happen right away, sure he left before I could get it together, but that just means it has to be ready for when he comes back to town. Maybe I should set up a tactical party reserve with quick deployment streamers and rapid fire cupcake launchers, maybe a party pony dynamic entry protocol, I need the blueprints to every house in town, lots of rope and some flash bang party poppers...”

The breathless pink pony was busily sketching a complex diagram in the flour scattered on the floor under her worktable. “...ohh yeah and a new-pony detection and early warning network too, this can't happen again. no siree!”

“Pinkie. Pinkie! PINKIE!” Spike finally yelled, his draconic temper causing a brief gout of green flame to immolate a plate of cupcakes resting nearby.

….................................................................


Miles away, in the castle overlooking her beautiful, sun-drenched and happy domain, Princess Celestia of Equestria, Sovereign of the Solar Cycle, Potentate of Ponies and Ruler of all She Surveyed, was deluged with frosted confections during a meeting with her minister of finance. “Would you care for a snack Minister PonyBucks?” she asked, with the kind of aplomb and dignity which can only be cultivated over many centuries of unquestioned rule.

….....................................................................

“Oh! Hiya Spike, what-cha need? I'm kinda busy, but there’s always time for friends! Oh! I know, you came to help me plan the Ponyville new-pony emergency party response system right? You're good! I only just thought it up, and here you are!”

“Pinkie, Twilight needs you.” there was an almost audible screech as her mind shifted gears. “Twilight needs you to get on your contraption and fly up to tell Rainbow Dash that we need her, Applejack and Fluttershy, at the library in a half hour, that includes you too Pinkie, got it?”

“Ooo, are we getting the band back together? Sweet! I've been working on some solo projects, but nothing I can't put on hold, Gummy has some lyrics and melodies he thinks might work, if we are gunna' cut a new album. I know, I know, his stuff is a little out there, but if you give him a chance and find a producer that’s not afraid of 'gators...”


“No Pinkie, no band, there never was a band, you dreamed it last week remember? I also need some cookies, madelines, lots of madelines!” The lovestruck dragonling sighed wistfully, as he lost himself in dreams of a certain alabaster unicorn.

“Sure Spike, those are Rarity's favorites you know.”

“I know.” Spike sighed in breathless abandon. Moments later, the stillness of the clouds over Ponyville was shattered by a rhythmic chopping sound, as the sugar fueled legs of Pinkie Pie frantically pumped her candy striped flying machine into the sky.


…..............................

High over the peaceful Ponyville morning, a singular cloud formation drifted lazily to and fro. At first glance it seemed to be an elaborate villa, formed of cottony cloud-stuff. Complete with a rainbow waterfall, cascading in a series of drops to finally arch gracefully off into the distance. At second and third glance the impression solidified into an improbable but clear reality; it was a house in the clouds, made of clouds. Equally unlikely was the visitor rapidly approaching from below.

“Wakie wakie Dasharino!” Pinkie Pie shouted, as she hovered near the front door. Experience had shown her the uselessness of trying to knock on a door made of water vapor and pegasus magic, to earth pony hooves it was simply a cloud. “Come on Dash, birds are singing, the sun is up and Twilight needs us all at the library ASAP... ooo! Library, tree, A sap... I made a funny! Ok, not really, but hey, its a work in progress...”

Inside, a sky blue head with a messy rainbow mane popped up from a particularly fluffy mass of cumulus. With an exasperated look, she hoofed her nose and blew mightily, causing a puffy wad of cottony vapor to poof from each ear. “Pinkie? Is that you? Whatchawant?” Shortly thereafter, a rainbow contrail shot off to gather her far flung friends, while the party pony puffed and pedaled back to land.

The collected friends waited in breathless anticipation as Spike, now perched high on a makeshift stage of stacked books, eyed his audience. Producing the still sealed scroll, with a show-dragon like flourish he paused. “Umm, Twilight, are you sure I can't get you to conjure a quick mustache? I really feel like the event calls for the old number twenty five.”

“Spike!” the gathered ponies shouted in chorus.

“Okay, okay, I get it.” With a flick of his claw the opened the seal, dramatically unrolled the document, and read.

…...........................................

Secret, eyes only, unauthorized dissemination punishable by: imprisonment, banishment, or Imprisonment in the place where we banish you.

From: Luna, Princess, Canterlot Castle Office of Internal Security

To: Harmony, the Elements of;

Applejack, Sweet Apple Acres

Fluttershy, Everfree Forest, adjacent

Pinkamina Diane Pie, Sugarcube Corners, Ponyville

Rainbow Dash, Ponyville, upper atmosphere

Rarity, Carousel Boutique, Ponyville

Twilight Sparkle and Spike, Ponyville Library

Cc: Celestia, Princess,

Luna, Princess,

Ironhoof, Captain, Manehattan Royal Guard

Re: Ongoing Investigation codename: CUTIEMUFFIN (I need to fire the pony in charge of creating code names)

Subject: request full assistance and cooperation with detective constable Nquem'eah (Ebony Shaft)

Effective immediately, the above named ponies and dragonling shall consider themselves recruited into the Equestrian Royal Guard, Investigative and Enforcement Branch. Said ponies and dragonling shall be given effective rank and privileges of Constable, under direct supervision and command of Detective Constable Ebony Shaft. All further communication and briefing will follow chain of command.

........................................................

As he read the last line, seven small bronze and silver stars appeared from the scroll in a puff of purple smoke, and tumbled to the floor at Spike's feet. Meanwhile, the scroll evaporated into nothingness, with a magical whisper of “Seeeecret!”


“Wow! Princess Luna's writing style is a little cold, but what a finish!” Spike marveled, as he gathered the badges and distributed them.

“I still don't get it.” Pinkie said, visibly confused. “What's a neigh que mane, some kind of zebra cupcake? Cause that might be good!” Twilight facehooved and tried to explain,
“Its a name Pinkie, a zebra name, like Zecora's-”

“Um yeah, I've been meaning to ask her about that, what the hay is a Zecora? I don't get it.” even Twilight's will failed in the face of Pinkie's inability to comprehend the concept of an abstract name, unrelated to any descriptive or tangible object.

“Moving on Pinkie.” Twilight took her badge from the tiny dragon and addressed the assembled friends. “It seems we will be working with that zebra from yesterday, on some kind of investigation. Princess Luna must trust him, but I think we should watch ourselves around him. Something feels off about that colt to me.” She looked directly at Rainbow Dash. “We need to be PROFESSIONAL, at all times with him, until we know more. Strictly professional, Dash.”

The stunt flier looked aggrieved. “Is it about the cutie mark question? Cause the Crusaders were there, so it was gonna come up, I just asked first. Besides, AJ was thinking it too- mpph!”

From across the room, a lasso snaked out and snapped around the aviatrix's muzzle. “Was not ya' feathered polecat! Ah never even look't at that stallion's rump, well not fer' long anyway!” She stamped the ground in frustration, while Dash squirmed free of the rope. “Ah' know how Apple Bloom and the Crusaders can be, but tarnation! What kinda pony could come that close tah' stompin' a tiny little filly like that? Ah' just cain't trust him.”

Twilight nuzzled her orange friend comfortingly. “I know how you feel AJ, and so we are going to do what we always do when confronted by a mystery.”

“Run and hide?” queried Fluttershy.

“Get to work?” asked Applejack.

“Party!” Pinkie insisted.

“Kick some rump!” added Rainbow Dash.

“Design some uniforms to go with these lovely badges!” Rarity cooed.

“Get a snack and watch Rarity design the uniforms?” Spike piped up.


“No, yes, maybe, no, if you want to, and no.” said Twilight to each in turn. “Dash, I need you to bring Zecora here, and then keep a lookout, so he won’t surprise us again. Spike, you can have a snack, but we have some research to do. We should all make arrangements in case this requires us to be out of town.” A multicolored stampede flowed out the door of the library, and into the streets of a still sleepy Ponyville, then separated into five different directions.


….................................................

I could see Ponyville in the distance from the castle gates. Just a few brief hours trot away, slightly longer if I loitered at the tourist overlooks on the way down. Soon I would have to face those ponies again, and endure the inevitable cutie mark interrogation which the sight of my striped backside always engendered. Curse cutie marks, and curse the ponies’ infatuation with them to a thousand flaming devils!

…...............................................

At the base of the mountain far away, in the comfortable and quiet dimness of the library tree, a pink form tumbled through the door in a wild spasm. “Ooo! Twitacha twitch! Nostril noogie, lumpy rumpy and a touch of vacillating vagi-”

Twilight interrupted just in time. “Whoa there, just tell me what your Pinkie senses are saying, I don't need to hear about the more- intimate twitches.”

The party pony grew quite somber, and continued. “ I feel a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of Cutie Mark Crusaders suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced! Somepony somewhere is questioning their cutie mark! More than that, somepony is regretting their cutie mark something awful, and I think its Mr. Shaft!”

Zecora stepped from behind a bookshelf and smiled at her irrepressible pink friend. “For generations unknown and time out of mind, stripes alone marked a zebra's behind. In our native lands where zebras come from, most cutie marks are butt pictures on bums. My pun was intentional and slightly crude, please forgive, if you found it rude!”

“Oooo! Zecora! That new zebra that came to town, is he a friend of yours? Is he your special friend? Does his cutie mark mean what me and Dash think it means?”

Twilight slipped between them with another well timed interruption. “Well Zecora, thank you for all your help, I wish you did not have to rush off and do that thing at the place right away, and could stay to answer all Pinkie's very blunt and penetrating questions...”

“Ahh yes, that thing at the place, to whatever it was, I must race! Fare well dear Pinkie Pie, I will see you when next I stop by!” With a look of profound relief on her face, the zebra sped off into the late morning sun, her cloak flapping like the wings of a frightened bird.

“So Pinkie, why not go up to the balcony and help Dash keep watch until the other girls show up... you can use my telescope if you like.” Twilight cringed inside with fear for her precious astronomical tool, but weighed against the very real possibility of more questions from the erratic equine, she felt it was the right choice.

“Okie dokie loki” Pinkie bubbled, while hopping up the stairs three at a time.


Forty minutes or so had passed swiftly, in quiet activity for Twilight, when the bustling trio of:Applejack, Fluttershy and Rarity entered. “Right on time girls, you get settled, while I go collect our lookouts.” Twilight called as she trotted up the stairs.

Using a book stand as a podium to hold her notes, Twilight addressed the gathered friends. “Ever since we met Zecora, I have been gathering information on Zebra culture and traditions, just to satisfy my own curiosity. This morning, I met with Zecora to go over what I learned, and have prepared a short presentation. I will take questions at the end.” Two hooves shot into the air instantly, one pink and one light blue.

“After the presentation girls, and non stallion parts questions only.” Both hooves slowly sank back into the crowd.

“First the basics, Spike the projector please.” a blinding light shot from the back of the room, illuminating a bed sheet tacked to a bookcase as a screen. Shortly, a sketch of a small cluster of simple huts, surrounded by a wall of thorny brambles slid into view. “Here we see a typical zebra village, circa four hundred BNM (That’s Before Nightmare Moon girls.), so about one thousand four hundred years ago. Zebras live either in small villages, or semi nomadic family herds, roaming their territory to feed and visit the often scarce water sources. Next slide please Spike.”

Another drawing eased into position on the screen, this time of a zebra standing in a field of tall brown grass. “Thank you Spike, this sketch is also from around four hundred BNM. Zebras, while they are not technically ponies, are closely related to us, they live in tropical regions, typically in open, arid grasslands called savannas. Without pegasus teams to control the weather, or unicorn magic for defense, they are much more at the mercy of the climate and predators endemic to their home than we are here in Equestria. Zebra culture may seem crude and primitive to us, but this is only an illusion, they are quite advanced in their own way. Zebra society is very well attuned to the chaotic natural cycle of their native lands, next slide please.”

“Wait just a minute there sugarcube, ah' hate ta' interrupt, but wheres that zebra's cutie mark?” Twilight smiled at her rustic friend.

“Nice catch AJ, all my books on zebra culture are from the tales of traveling ponies, recorded before Nightmare Moon. Before then, zebras had no cutie marks.” A collective gasp filled the room, making the improvised screen flutter as though to display the striped, but otherwise unmarked rump to more dramatic effect.

Twilight went on, “That’s right, no cutie marks. According to Zecora, when the sun went down and didn’t rise a thousand years ago, it threw zebra lands into confusion. When Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon, she used the Elements of Harmony, but without the bonds friendship needed to help direct and control the power she unleashed.

The Elements were never meant to be used by a lone pony, even one as powerful as the Princess. As a result, the Princess was denied the control needed to purify Nightmare Moon. She had no choice but to banish her to the moon, in hindsight the magic she used was crude and undirected, though no other pony could have hoped to survive, let alone succeed in wielding such forces alone. As a result, a magical shock wave created by the Elements of Harmony, washed over the entire globe, that was when zebras first received cutie marks.”

Rarity could no longer restrain herself. “So how did they know what their special purpose would be? How did they manage to find their place in the world? All this sounds simply dreadful! Think of the chaos, the uncertainty, the confusion!”

Twilight rapped the podium with a professorial hoof. “Exactly, with no way to know where their talents lay, and no Princesses of their own, zebras were led by the biggest and toughest of their herds and villages. As a result, conflicts arose constantly between tribes, which often resulted in violence. Because of these cultural differences, zebra cutie marks don't work like their pony counterparts. Most zebra marks are more indicative of family or tribal affiliation first, and talents after, much like the apple family's fruit related theme.”

Even Rainbow Dash sat in rapt attention as the lecture unfolded. The insatiable pony hunger for all things cutie mark related overpowering her natural aversion to scholastic endeavors.

“There seem to be two notable exceptions to the magic that created zebra cutie marks. Two classes of zebras, who's marks show no tribal affiliation at all. First there are the Shaman like Zecora, her swirling earth symbol mark indicates her membership in the all female priestly class. They are dedicated, by talent and training, to maintaining the oral histories and religious traditions of zebra culture. They serve as physicians, teachers, and counselors as well.”

Maybe Spike was right, a mustache would make the presentation seem more scholarly and serious. Twilight mused to herself while taking a drink from her massive coffee mug. Perhaps a tweed jacket, with elbow patches of suede.

Rarity felt an involuntary shudder creep up her spine, as though somepony had walked across her grave, somepony, somewhere was contemplating a horrid crime against all known standards of fashion and style. She would need to be alert. Not on my watch...

“Each tribe is only allowed one full fledged Shaman at a time, when a filly develops a mark like Zecora's, she is trained by the current Shaman. If the older priestess is old enough, she will retire. Otherwise, after her final initiation, the younger Shaman must wander off to find a tribe without their own, or whose Shaman wishes to retire. This has fostered inter tribal cooperation and understanding for a thousand years, and is a major reason for the peace that zebras have enjoyed since then.” A soft chorus of “Ooh” whispered through the room.

“What about the other class of zebra?” Came the gentle voice of Fluttershy, her question barely drifting to the front of the room.

“Excellent, the next exception to the tribal pattern is slightly more disturbing in nature, and is the root cause of yesterday's kerfuffle in the square. The zebra from yesterday, Mr. Shaft, when I described him to Zecora, she seemed certain that he is what the zebra call a Justicar, or Lawgiver. Like Shaman, each village or herd has only one at a time, and many spend years wandering, looking for a tribe that needs their services.”

“Just as the Shaman are innately compassionate and introspective, Lawgivers are driven to bring justice and peace, solving disputes between zebras and between tribes, as well as hunting criminals, without mercy. Each one is a zebra judge, jury, and executioner onto himself, and is trained in diplomacy, martial arts and law. Zecora seemed confused when I described his cutie mark, but the distinctive lines of ritual scars on his neck are apparently self inflicted, to remind him of the punishments and judgments he has delivered in his career.”

A pink hoof once more rose into the air. “whats an ex-e-cute-tioner?” Pinkie asked. “Is that a pony who scolds bad ponies for doing bad things, by telling them how not cute they have been?” Dewy eyed optimism and cheer radiated from her, creating a joyful bubble in the center of the room.

Twilight drew a deep breath to steady herself, this was not going to be easy. “No Pinkie, it means if he thinks a pony has been bad enough, he has the power to execute them.” a blank stare was Twilight's reward. “He can kill them Pinkie.”

With an audible hiss Pinkie's bouffant mane deflated into a pale limp mop, as much of her vibrant color drained away. “That's just awful. No, its terrible! That means all those scars on his neck- each one, was a zebra or pony?” Even as she spoke the room seemed to darken and become gloomy, as though the possibility of laughter had vanished from view. “What kind of party would you even throw for that? How would I fit, Sorry You Killed That Pony And Had To Mutilate Your Neck One More Time, on a cake? I bet Madame LeFleur would know, she has such a grasp of etiquette, or maybe Sir Lintalot, he always seems so classy...” As she spoke her pupils dwindled in size and began to drift slowly apart, leaving her with a disturbingly vacant thousand yard stare.

Seeing where this was headed, the aviatrix grabbed the proverbial yoke and sought to pull her friend out of a precipitous nosedive into psychosis. “Pinkie has left the building guys, lets break for some...” Dash paused to prepare herself, and with a breathless whisper, spoke a single word of inestimable power directly into Pinkamina's ear. “Cupcakes.”

The net effect of that single word was comparable to dropping a basket of kittens and a ball of yarn into Fluttershy's lap, or a dusty tome of hundred year old census data before Twilight. With an explosion of color and motion, the Premier Party Pony reasserted herself, producing a vast tower of immaculately frosted cupcakes, from seemingly nowhere at all. “That's funny... where did I even have these?” She asked nopony at all, her mouth stuffed with frosting and cake. With a carefree shrug, she continued passing the treats to, in her words: “My most favoritest ponies in the whole wide ponyverse!”