Renaming Starlight's Village

by Brass Polish

26. The Minion Of Zebrasska Part 2

Author's Note:

Scootaloo may have found a way to restore the donkey races’ potential to earn cutie marks.

Scootaloo was certain her mouth was going to get ripped clean off of her face any second. Wisps of steam had been issuing from her nose all day. Her tongue, gums, and throat were still burning. Nothing else had been poured into the clarinet funnel, but Scootaloo could swear she was putting on more weight; she seemed to be getting fatter as the hours crawled by. Guards would walk along the corridor every so often, and Scootaloo’s presence went unremarked by them.

*****

The Sun was setting. The light from the windows was fading. Scootaloo heard footsteps. It wasn’t a guard. It was Martyr. He looked mournfully up at Scootaloo; he looked just as guilty as ZigZag had done that morning.

“Young donkeys used to be appointed whipping foals to zebra royalty. And clearly, those days are over,” he croaked. “Just like my family planned.”

Scootaloo blinked.

“Donkeys had always been oppressed by zebras,” Martyr went on. “Donkey families would offer up their young as whipping foals to try and get close to royalty and get preferential treatment living in this castle. I guess by now, King Zorran’s content with donkeys being unable to get cutie marks. Now it seems he’s making some inroads into causing the ponies of Equestria to end up the same way.”

At last, Scootaloo was distracted from her pain. Her mind began racing. Could Zorran have cast a spell over Equestria to attract some ponies to his Castle? Could this be why the Cutie Mark Grid summoned Zecora and Cranky Doodle Donkey when it did?

*****

“But please, don’t panic,” said Martyr sharply.

Scootaloo attempted to say she wasn’t panicking, but failed.

“The Equestrians aren’t really in any danger from the King anymore. This is all part of a plan my family’s been working on for generations,” Martyr went on. “Zebras have ordered donkeys around and forced them to do their bidding for so long that they’ve gotten lazy. My Mom’s decided that now is the time to begin striking back. She married Zorran back in Autumn. The first donkey-zebra marriage in history, I think. She convinced him to not use me as a whipping foal, so Zorran set his sights elsewhere. She’s conspiring to reclaim the sovereignty from zebra control. She’s not interested in enslaving ponies or taking over Equestria. It looks like you’ll be the only Equestrian casualty of Zorran’s grand plan.”

Martyr began to sob a little bit.

“I don’t expect this to make you feel any better,” he said. “I just never knew my Mom was so cruel. Yesterday, you just didn’t get dessert. I didn’t expect something this… creative… and beastly.”

*****

Martyr stopped talking abruptly. Someone was climbing the stairwell to the top floor. It was Hamper. She was holding a coffee mug.

“Now aren’t you glad that’s not you up there, Martyr my son?” she asked her colt reverently.

Scootaloo thought Martyr didn’t look glad at all.

“Alright, Scootaloo. ZigZag’s punishment is up,” Hamper said.

She flew up to Scootaloo and poured the contents of her mug (lukewarm water) over the freezing mouthpiece. Scootaloo dropped to the floor like a ship’s anchor. The horseshoes fell into their grooves and Scootaloo’s hooves popped off of them. Her panniers fell off of her. One of the packs burst open, revealing dumbbells. She couldn’t see her hindlegs as she sat in the middle of the corridor.

“You’ll be needing this, I expect,” said Hamper tonelessly.

She passed the scooter to Scootaloo, who shakily stood up. Her belly was mere centimeters from the floor. She gave her wings a flap, and her eyes teared up. There was no way her wings could give her any lift in her state. She mounted her scooter with only her two left legs, rested her chin on the adjustable handlebar, and rolled slowly towards the stairwell, making disturbing sloshing and gurgling noises as she went. Hamper and Martyr followed and watched as Scootaloo dismounted and plodded down the stairs.

*****

When they eventually reached the third floor, Scootaloo was surprised to see that the window across the hall from Zorran’s bedroom was still broken. ZigZag came bursting from her room and did her best to give Scootaloo a hug. It was a challenge; her forelegs couldn’t even get around Scootaloo’s neck.

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, young mare,” hissed Hamper.

ZigZag nodded vigorously.

“ZigZag will need help studying for her final exam, so that will be your assignment tomorrow,” Hamper said when Scootaloo finally reached ZigZag’s bedroom.

Scootaloo nodded and joined ZigZag in her bedroom to retire for the night.

*****

Scootaloo’s lips, gums, and tongue were still in pain when she next woke. She didn’t join the royals for breakfast that morning, and got no protests from anyone. When ZigZag returned, they began their study session. After an hour, they went out into the corridor for a half hour break. Still, the broken window had not been fixed or replaced or boarded up. Scootaloo just sat around while ZigZag rode her scooter up and down the corridor. At this point, she only used her scooter to move around from place to place. And so the study sessions and breaks went on throughout the day. During one break, Scootaloo saw a guard (the long-winged pegasus zebra she’d seen yesterday) fly into the corridor through the broken window. She gave Scootaloo a nod and marched into Zorran’s quarters. Scootaloo perked up her ears. She couldn’t hear anything the guard might have been saying, but soon she picked up a bellow from Zorran.

“That’s two of the rotten things I’ve lost now!”

*****

Scootaloo picked herself up and wobbled over to the broken window. She gasped. The view was amazing. The castle seemed to be a retaining wall built along the half-formed hill that rose away from Equestria. The long tall stone building overlooked the entire country of Zebrasska. Dotted along the land below was an assortment of cities and hamlets, hills and mountains, fortresses and transportation hubs, fields and forests, lakes and rivers, some in a foggy haze. Hovering in various areas of the sky were some cloud cities. And in the distance was a sparkling blue ocean.

“Magnificent, my kingdom, isn’t it?”

Scootaloo jumped… and jiggled. Zorran was standing next to her looking out of the window.

“That, way over there,” Zorran said, pointing towards the ocean, “is Stripezig Beach. The Royal Family will be going for a week-long holiday there after ZigZag’s final exam is over. I suggest you start trying to get back in shape, as you shall be coming with us.”

“Yes, you highness,” gurgled Scootaloo nervously.

*****

The next morning, Hamper came to the bedroom to wake up Scootaloo and ZigZag.

“Scootaloo, come with me,” she said.

Scootaloo’s pupils shrank.

Hamper chuckled. “ZigZag’s not done anything wrong. ...Not that I know of, anyway.”

The donkey Queen cast a critical eye on the zebra Princess.

“I thought I saw a messy flower arrangement in the corridor yesterday,” she said. “You’ve not had an accident on Scootaloo’s scooter, knocked over a vase, and tried to cover up your mistake, have you?”

“No, Mom!” squeaked ZigZag.

Hamper scowled.

“I was very careful on that scooter!” ZigZag insisted.

Hamper relaxed her face. “I tell a lie. Just a test, that’s all. And speaking of tests, Scootaloo, follow me.”

*****

“We’re off to the Royal Zebrasskan Library,” Hamper said as Scootaloo nervously followed her, rolling slowly on her scooter.

Hamper passed Scootaloo a sheet of paper. It had a book title on it; ‘Getting To Grips With The Noble Art Of Cephaleonomancy’.

“I need you to fetch that book to help ZigZag study for her exam this afternoon,” Hamper said. “The Library is vast. So you’ll need one of these.”

She passed a small object to Scootaloo. It was brown and white, and looked like a seashell.

“With that, you can talk to me while I’m at breakfast,” the Queen explained. “I expect you’re still in no mood for a meal?”

Scootaloo shook her head. The two pegasi went down a stairwell.

“Let’s just test our Hear Shells, shall we? I’ll stay here, you head down the corridor. You can’t miss the entrance to the Library,” said Hamper. “When you reach it, talk into your shell.”

*****

Scootaloo rolled sluggishly along the fourth floor. She could see two guards in the distance. They were standing outside a large half-circular door. Scootaloo figured this would be the Library. She looked back, and was just able to make out a small brown/grey blur that was Hamper back at the stairwell.

“Testing, testing,” Scootaloo said into her Hear Shell. “Do you read me, your Highness?”

“Queen Hamper to Scootaloo,” came Hamper’s voice from the shell. “I am receiving you clear as crystal. Well, on your way now, and do inform me when you’ve found the book. Over and out.”

Scootaloo turned to the two robed zebras guarding the Library entrance. One smiled and nodded politely. The one nearer to Scootaloo looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Don’t be rude, Zinc,” said his partner. “Open the door for the Royal Playmate.”

“It just seems strange,” said Zinc. “The Library’s always been off limits to donkeys, and now, all of a sudden, a pony is allowed to enter?”

“There’s nothing in law that says a pony can’t go in there,” reminded his partner.

*****

Scootaloo stepped into the Library and turned her head. She expected the door to shut on her. She was sure this was a trick, and that this was some sort of punishment for some misdemeanor ZigZag had committed. But she could still see the backs of the two guards and the corridor outside, and felt better. She walked towards the shelves upon shelves of books. She heard a faint clunk behind her and turned, sure that the door had been shut. But the outside hallway and guards were still perfectly visible. Scootaloo gave her head a shake, decided she was being paranoid, and ventured further into the Library. The books on the shelves looked old, but also like they were in very good condition. Scootaloo looked at the book title again, and searched for the G section. She could hear a soft whirring sound. It sounded like a fan. Maybe it was air conditioning or something. She had to pass the D section on her way, and the cover of a book on one of its shelves caught her eye. It was titled “Donkaster: Mighty and Unconquerable”. The cover illustration depicted brightly coloured donkeys. They were each sporting a cutie mark.

*****

A voice made Scootaloo jump. She looked towards the door. She could see that it was still open, but the guards didn’t seem to be looking at her or trying to address her.

“Let’s see if you can get through this exam in an hour's time,” came the voice. It was Hamper’s. “About the time it takes for all the oxygen to be emptied out of the Library.”

Something Twilight Sparkle had once said flashed across Scootaloo’s memory. “Paper keeps well in a vacuum.” Scootaloo’s heart pounded in her flabby chest. She took out her Hear Shell and yelled into it.

“What am I being punished for now?!” she called. “You said ZigZag hadn’t done anything wrong!”

“Calm down, Scootaloo,” came Hamper’s voice from the shell. “You’ll be fine as long as ZigZag can finish her exam in a timely manner this time. ZigZag, turn your paper over and start. The exam begins now.”

*****

Scootaloo, still on her scooter, made for the open doorway. She kicked hard and gathered speed. There was a bump, and Scootaloo flopped sideways onto the floor. She realized that the door was see-through on the inside, and had been closed the whole time she’d been in there. She could still see the guards, who continued to stand facing away from her. Scootaloo pounded on the door. The guards didn’t move. Scootaloo heard fretful noises, and stopped struggling. She knew she would make ZigZag panic if she made a fuss and it was picked up on their Hear Shells. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down and not panic herself. It wasn’t easy. The faint whirring sound was getting louder. Scootaloo looked around the vast Library. Surely one pony couldn’t use up so much oxygen in an hour. Her heart was racing, but she knew that any worried utterances she made would carry to ZigZag, who would only take longer to write her exam if she was worried.

*****

Scootaloo sat by the doorway, doing her best to remain calm. She heard ZigZag’s voice asking how many spells had Queen Zelda invented and what they were.

“No asking the Whipping Foal for answers!” barked Hamper’s voice.

“I wasn’t!” squeaked ZigZag. “I was just talking to myself!”

And Scootaloo heard a pencil scratching. She redoubled her efforts to not fret. She looked around the Library again. Perhaps she could distract herself from her predicament by taking advantage of the opportunity to learn about Zebrasskan history. She abandoned her scooter and waddled towards some bookshelves, ignoring the whirring sound that surrounded her. Quickly, one book cover leapt out at her. It was titled “The Expansion Of The Dominion Of Zebraska Volume 1”. It had an illustration of a familiar-looking flower. She cracked it open and skimmed over it’s information. She soon learned about how Queen Zinnia’s legionnaires had conquered Donkaster and the two kingdoms merged. Zebraska barely even had to change its name; all it needed was an extra S. There was also a chapter explaining the devious method by which the zebras robbed the donkeys of their ability to earn cutie marks. Scootaloo took a look at the back cover. It said “Volume 2 due out upon the conquering of Equestria”. Scootaloo fainted. Not from shock, but from the depleting oxygen.

*****

The next thing Scootaloo knew, she was coughing and spluttering on the floor outside the Library. She sat up and saw Martyr backing away from her and looking at the floor, very red in the face. He’d just given her CPR.

“Thanks, Martyr,” wheezed Scootaloo.

She reached out a hoof to the embarrassed donkey colt. Martyr looked up at her, leaned forward, and they hugged. Scootaloo looked around the hallway when they broke apart. The two guards weren’t standing outside the Library door anymore.

“The guards are on their next shift,” said Martyr, whose eyes were fixed to the floor again. “Their replacements will be along soon, I expect. Your scooter’s over there.”

He pointed to a flower arrangement. Scootaloo’s scooter was lying on the wall next to it.

“Your mom gave me a Hear Shell,” Scootaloo said. “Did you--”

“I didn’t get you outta there,” breathed Martyr. “Donkeys aren’t allowed. The guards did. If they saw a Hear Shell, they didn’t mention it.”

*****

Martyr stood up, his eyes raised to the ceiling.

“Why did my Mom try and push ZigZag to work harder on her exam?” he grunted. “She hates that filly. She told me she would sabotage her. She said part of her plan was to make sure ZigZag could never become an effective ruler of the kingdom by tainting her education. But she’s not doing that. She keeps criticizing her for not doing well. Not even for not doing well, just for not getting super high marks. She said herself, ZigZag’s intelligence is about average. Do you know what I think?”

He looked Scootaloo in the eyes, his cheeks glowing more.

“What?” asked Scootaloo.

“I think my Mom is just overcritical of foals,” said Martyr. “That’s the big flaw in her plan. And if that’s the case, then…”

He looked away again. He shuddered and gulped, but didn’t say anything. Scootaloo thought she knew what he was thinking. If Hamper wanted to admonish ZigZag for not meeting a standard she could brag about, then Scootaloo’s punishments were liable to get worse and worse.

Scootaloo learned forward. “Hey, be glad it’s not you. Trust me, you don’t want any of what I’ve had to go through. And not just what your Mom’s been doing to me. I’ve had…”

*****

They heard hoofsteps and turned to look towards the stairwell. Two guards were coming, and so were Zorran, Hamper, and ZigZag. Martyr stood up and wiped his eyes.

“Mom told me to tell you not to tell Zorran about the Hear Shell,” he said quietly.

Scootaloo nodded and struggled to her hooves; Martyr helped her stand up. As the other Royals approached, something Zorran said yesterday echoed in Scootaloo’s memory. He’d lost two small objects recently. She began to suspect it wasn’t a large spider Zorran had thrown out of his bedroom.

*****

ZigZag ran up to Scootaloo and hugged her.

“I thought I’d killed you!” she choked.

“I’m fine,” assured Scootaloo. “You’re fine.”

She turned to Zorran.

“Your Highness, do you think it was fair of the Queen to pressure your daughter like that?” she asked boldly. “She hadn’t done anything wrong and there was no time limit for her to write her exams.”

“That much is up to Hamper. She is ZigZag’s educator,” said Zorran. “And she says she is satisfied with the time it took her to write the history test, and that she got a good grade on it.”

Hamper tilted her head, as if to say “She did okay”. Zorran held out a hoof and shook Scootaloo’s.

“Well done, Scootaloo. You are an excellent motivator for ZigZag to behave and do well in her schoolwork,” he smiled. “The two of you may spend the rest of the day playing. And tomorrow, the five of us are off to Stripezig!”

Scootaloo knew it would be futile to object, so said nothing.

ZigZag gave a whoop of excitement. “You’ll love that town, Scootaloo! They named it after me!”

Martyr gulped. Scootaloo wondered why, and perspired slightly. But then she remembered what she’d read in that book before she’d keeled over.

If I can get her alone, she thought, I could give her that information. It’d help with her plan, and it’d help every donkey in the country. Maybe then, she won’t want to be so cruel to me.

*****

There were large circular balconies protruding from the roof of the Castle at intervals. As the Sun was rising the next morning, Zorran and Hamper were ushering ZigZag and Martyr out onto one of these balconies. There waiting for them was a floating chariot, with two pegasus zebras attached to its front. Servants were carrying their luggage for them and tossing it up in the luggage racks on the chariot’s roof. A porter opened the chariot door for the Royals.

“But there’s only room for the four of us in here,” ZigZag said, looking at the seats. “There’s no room for Scootaloo.”

She looked around.

“Where is Scootaloo? How’s Scootaloo getting to Stripezig, Mom?”

Hamper, her eye twitching a bit, pointed to the balcony to their left. A catapult had been wheeled onto it by a robed guard. And in its bucket was Scootaloo and her scooter. Scootaloo had been muzzled and her legs had been stuffed into an empty tall vase, which was standing upright. She looked like a muffin with a very thin wrapper.

“Perhaps this might teach you,” said Hamper to the shocked ZigZag, “not to make such stupid remarks.”

ZigZag watched as Scootaloo’s wings were flapping helplessly.

“But there’s no way she’ll survive the landing!” she bleated.

“It would serve you right for thinking Stripezig, an ancient Zebraskan city, was named after you,” grunted Hamper.

“I… I thought it--”

“Not another word,” snapped Hamper. “Into the chariot. All of us. Zodiac, Zylo, drive on! Zider, launch!”

*****

Scootaloo never got the chance to talk with Hamper alone. While the royal family were having breakfast, she’d been dragged out of bed by guards on the Queen’s orders. She watched as the chariot door slammed shut and the drivers took off from the balcony, towing the loaded chariot behind them. The guard next to her walked towards the catapult lever. She struggled to free herself, to no avail. She couldn’t even make herself overbalance. The vase was very heavy and sturdy. She tried to dislodge the muzzle with her wings, but it was strapped onto her head too tight. The guard’s robes lengthened at the rear. It seemed he was going to pull the lever with his tail. Scootaloo looked at the departing chariot. She could see Martyr’s face. His forehooves were pressed against the window. Scootaloo thought she saw Martyr’s horn light up. Then there was a lurch. The catapult swiftly turned around to face the other way, a split second before Zider pulled the trigger.

*****

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were having an argument. They’d not seen Scootaloo since the day Bend Twist had fled Starlight’s Village.

“We’ve got to go back to Tall Tale and look for Scootaloo!” Apple Bloom insisted.

“But we don’t even know if she’s still in Tall Tale!” protested Sweetie Belle. “Why would she be? She came to get us in the first place. She knew we had a new mission. And we still have yet to start helping Zecora and Cranky.”

She gestured to the zebra and donkey she’d just mentioned, who were standing by the Cutie Mark Grid, along with Evensong. Evensong was giving her usual dirty look, while Zecora and Cranky appeared to be torn between impatience and concern.

“She might have stayed in Tall Tail to try and get through to Party Favour’s brother!” barked Apple Bloom. “We should’ve stayed too!”

“But Apple Bloom, Bend Twist is laid up in hospital getting over his allergic reaction. Party Favour told us himself. If Scootaloo went there, he would have told her the same thing. So why would she stay there when she came to get us in the first place?” asked Sweetie Belle tensely.

“If Scootaloo’s not there, then where is she?!” asked Apple Bloom.

BANG

Something fell out of the sky, hit Evensong on the horn, and clattered to the ground. Evensong passed out at once, blood oozing from her wounded horn, the Changeling Throne Bracelet unwinding from the impact. Apple Bloom gave her head a shake and blinked, a bewildered expression on her face. She, Sweetie Belle, Zecora, and Cranky looked at what had stricken Evensong. It was Scootaloo’s scooter.

*****

Lightning Dust came bursting out of the Village Hostel.

“Hey guys! I feel much better all of a sudden!” she called. “My ribs aren’t… Scoots!”

Lightning shot into the air. Apple Bloom, Sweetie, Zecora, and Cranky turned and gasped. There was a fat Scootaloo, legs crammed into a tall vase, falling out of the sky. Lightning Dust caught her, but had to beat her wings furiously to stop the two of them from plummeting to the ground. Scootaloo beat her wings as well, and the two of them descended swiftly but gently down to the Village Road. Lightning Dust ripped the muzzle from Scootaloo’s face.

“What in Colonel Purpledart’s soiled nightgown happened to you?!” Lightning exclaimed as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Zecora ran up to them.

“Well,” breathed Scootaloo. “I had a brief stint as a Whipping Foal in Zebrasska.”

*****

Lightning Dust gave the vase a karate chop with her wing. The vase shattered, but Lightning bruised her wing in the process. Scootaloo’s flab wobbled down nearly to the Road. She looked past the stunned faces of Sweetie, Apple Bloom, and Zecora to see Cranky standing next to an unconscious Evensong. The scooter was lying next to the unicorn filly’s bleeding horn.

Scootaloo gave a smile and said “I think I know why you two left Zebrasska. Cranky, you left out of oppression, and Zecora, you left out of guilt.”

Zecora bowed her head and nodded.

“Yeah,” said Cranky. “We were just telling your friends yesterday that somewhere along the way, Equestrians just forgot that donkeys used to be able to get cutie marks. No doubt it has something to do with some curse cast by a zebra king or queen.”

“Well now that we know,” said Scootaloo, “Zecora, as a potioneer, as the one who taught Apple Bloom everything she knows about chemistry, you can help Cranky get a cutie mark.”

*****

Zecora raised her head. “I would like nothing better than to rewind some of the damage caused by my kind.”

“Remember when Apple Bloom got the Cutie Pox?” asked Scootaloo. “You can use those Seeds of Truth you planted to grow the flower that Cranky needs to eat to get a cutie mark. I read about it in the Royal Zebrasskan Library. Donkeys were secretly fed that flower for generations, and the entire race gradually lost the ability to gain cutie marks altogether. But the book said those seeds can work in reverse as well.”

Zecora blinked, reached into the saddlebag she was carrying, and pulled out the very seeds Scootaloo was referring to. Pausing barely a moment, she dug a shallow hole in the ground, dropped the seeds into it, and covered them with soil.

“Now,” said Scootaloo, “let’s see if we can wake up Evensong. We need a confession if those seeds are gonna grow.”

*****

When Evensong was roused from her impromptu nap, she let out a yelp of pain. Her horn was still bleeding; there was a long deep gash all along it. Her eyes bulged when she saw Scootaloo. She let out an involuntary snort of laughter. Scootaloo took no notice.

“So Evensong,” she asked, “why did Bend Twist have a sudden change of heart the second Sweetie Belle’s magic touched his head?”

Evensong said nothing. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom began to breathe faster.

“Why did he want to leave his house in Tall Tale in the first place?” Scootaloo asked Evensong. “Which, by the way, is as near to the Zebrasskan border as Equestrian land gets?”

Evensong’s breathing was getting fast now.

“Why did Old Lady Cooper appear so suddenly in front of me?” Scootaloo pressed. “Why did all the spiders Mussel left in our bedroom leave overnight? Why did I get that weird and out-of-nowhere desire to go to Zebrasska?”

Sweetie Belle chimed in. “Why is Lightning Dust suddenly not sick anymore after three days?”

“Since we got back to town,” Apple Bloom added, “I suddenly wanted us to go to Zebrasska. A country I’d never heard of. I wanted to drag Sweetie back to Tall Tale so I could trick her into crossing the border with me.”

Sweetie’s mouth was agape.

“And now, I totally don’t,” said Apple Bloom, her eyes narrowing. “Why’s that, Evensong?”

Evensong looked from one accusing face to another, but remained silent.

*****

“You think Evensong’s behind all this?” asked Lightning Dust. “We’ve been watching her like a hawk since she got here. She couldn’t have cast any spells during that time. This bracelet was coiled around her horn the whole time.”

She held up the unwound Changeling Throne Bracelet.

“Wait,” she said suddenly. “That’s not a chunk of Chrysalis' old throne.”

She took one of the stones off of the bracelet. They all looked at it for a moment. Then Lightning squeezed it in her hoof. There was a faint crunching, and some shards of it fluttered to the ground. Some shards were black, others were brown and white.

“Did you hear a loud scream two mornings ago, Evensong?” asked Scootaloo.

Evensong’s eyes popped.

“That’s a Hear Shell,” Scootaloo told her friends. “Evensong’s been using it to communicate with the King of Zebrasska. Is that how you hurt yourself when you, what was it, bit your cheek? Did you really just scrape your horn, fiddling with your bracelet so the Hear Shell was at the base of your horn?”

*****

Evensong’s horn glowed for a second. Then she collapsed screaming and holding her horn.

“Good,” sneered Scootaloo. “She can’t cast any of her evil magic with that injury.”

She picked up her scooter and held it up in the air in a threatening manner.

“Now spill it!” she barked. “Or I’ll give you another whack over the head!”

“I brainwashed Bend Twist into leaving his house so I could live there for a while and go strike up a deal with King Zorran to find him some Equestrian whipping foals for his daughter!” wailed Evensong Glisten. “I still don’t give a dime about my parents and I tried to get you Cutie Mark Crusaders outta the way so I could get them back!”

The Seeds of Truth Zecora had planted germinated. A stem shot slowly but surely upwards. And as Evensong’s confession went on, pedicels poked out from the top of the stem and began sprouting flowers. By the time Evensong was finished, the plant in the middle of the Road looked sort of like a miniature tree.

*****

Scootaloo put her scooter down, took a flower from the little tree, and gave it to Cranky Doodle Donkey.

“So you’re saying,” he said with a tremble in his voice, “that if I eat this…?”

Scootaloo nodded. Everyone watched. Cranky took a deep breath and stuffed the flower into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it. There was a flash of light. Cranky’s coat became more saturated. It turned a striking shade of golden-tan. His nose became pinkish. His tail hair turned a deep dark red. Even his wig changed colour. A symbol appeared on his flank. They all looked excitedly at it. It depicted a walking stick and a folded map. They looked at the Cutie Mark Grid. There was Evensong Glisten’s purple sun and Zecora’s pointy spiral. The dark blue blur was there for a moment, and then it morphed into the very same walking stick and folded map that had just appeared on Cranky’s flank.

“You traveled all over Equestria for years to try and find Matilda, didn’t you?” asked Apple Bloom.

Cranky smiled. “Yeah. This cutie mark really suits me. But wait… does that mean…? I mean, I’ve settled down now. Does this mean I should still go traveling?”

“There are quite a few donkeys living in Equestria,” said Scootaloo. “And Zecora, you’re the only zebra I know of in this country. You made the right start by leaving Zebrasska. Now you can use your herbalist skills, and Cranky can use his traveling skills, to go around Equestria helping all the donkeys who live here get their cutie marks.”

In the Grid, Zecora’s and Cranky’s cutie marks entered the center of the Maze, sparkled like fireworks, and vanished.

*****

“What about all the donkeys in Zebrasska?” asked Apple Bloom, rubbing her head.

“Yeah. You were just there. Do you think Zecora and Cranky should go help them too?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo thought about what Martyr had told her about Hamper’s plan to overthrow the zebra royals. She decided to trust him.

“Right now,” she told her friends, “half of the Zebrasskan Royal Family are donkeys.”

“A zebra king or queen marrying a donkey?!” spluttered Zecora. “If I were pessimistic, I’d say your mind was wonky!”

“I wouldn’t worry about the Zebrasskan donkeys just yet,” said Scootaloo. “Give it some time. And the ponies of Equestria aren’t in any danger from Zebrasskan royals either.”

Scootaloo picked up her scooter again.

“Thanks for breaking my scooter’s fall,” she hissed at the cowed Evensong. “I’m gonna need it to work off all this weight your pal’s wife put on me.”

Comments

[silverMEGAlicorn]

Wait, how is this complete?

[PonyofEntropy]

Is there a sequel coming? Good story, but ended kinda fast. Everything ok?

[Brass Polish]

11168499
My initial intension was for this to be a one-off just to test the concept. But my plans have changed. I could and intend to write at least two follow-ups.

[PonyofEntropy]

11168620
Awesome!

[silverMEGAlicorn]

11168620
I do hope it comes soon! That last arc kind of came out of nowhere. It probably would have done well as a spin-off, but it was certainly confusing in the manner it was placed.