Zebrabwe's Secret

by GMBlackjack

IX - A New Set of Stripes

Smoke.

Zecora smelled smoke.

And something else that was burning…

She was too weak to move.

What had even happened…?

Everything hurt, but she pushed past that. She forced her eyes to open…

Sasori was standing over her, horn lit. Attempting some kind of healing spell? That might explain why Zecora was slowly feeling her faculties return to her.

“..ecora…?”

“Here, I fear…” Zecora mumbled. Everything still hurt, but she didn’t think anything was broken. Slowly, she rose to her knees and looked at Sasori. The changeling Queen had a tattered wing, a swollen eye, and the carapace on one of her legs had been replaced with the mutated material of Xie—though it wasn’t glowing orange anymore, it was blue instead.

“Are you…?”

“I can’t feel anythin’ in the leg,” Sasori admitted. “But I think it’s fine. It’s… my magic now.” She glanced at the Changeling husk on the ground. It wasn’t glowing any color at all anymore. “Her power has left everything else.”

Zecora looked around at the badly singed cavern, seeing all the corrupted carapace returned to a normal, magic-less form. She saw some blackened crystal shards, but no sign of Xie. “Do we have Gustave?”

“Over ‘ere,” Gustave called from his resting position behind her. One of his wings was bent at a painful angle. “I should ‘ave stood back…”

“You saved the day with a wondrous display,” Zecora said. “You should take pride in what you have done, without your cooking skills we would not have won.”

“It was zat crazy electric cupcake. I merely mixed ze ingredients togezer.”

“The sign of a great chef is their food. When it saves lives there can be no feud.”

Gustave let out a short laugh before leaning back, groaning in pain.

An awkward silence fell over the three of them.

“What now?” Sasori asked.

“You go back to your airship, Gustave will learn what Zebras nip and sip. I will remain to help Zebrakind know what they may gain.”

“You will do no such thing
For a traitorous song you do sing.”

Zecora was shocked to see the King walk into the room, a sour expression on his face.

“My lord, forgive my insertion. This was a mission I could not bear to see as a diversion.”

“Zebrica is no more
You ended what I’ve been fighting for
Stronger machinery
To extend our distant scenery
They lie dead in the streets
Nothing without Xie’s powerful beats
For this crime: banishment
Go back to the lands where you were sent
Ponies you hold so dear.
Follow their ways, you’re not welcome here.”

Zecora stared at him in shock. “My ki—”

“I HAVE SPOKEN!” He shouted at the top of his aged lungs. He took a potion out of his coat and threw it on the ground, teleporting away.

“...What happens if ya stay anyway?” Sasori asked.

“Death,” Zecora said. She didn’t follow it up with a rhyme.

“Are you…”

“He is right, in a way, I have been corrupted by the pony day.” Zecora frowned. “He wanted a pact with Xie, to him it was not a lie. To bring Zebrica forth with great power, it was his desire upon every hour. I did not see it, my own folly. To be the hero I must take this volley.”

Sasori nodded slowly. “Well, yer always welcome on my ship.”

“And I will not stay wiz zese creatures if zey banish you,” Gustave declared. “You can teach me all I need to know.”

Zecora smiled. “Thank you, what you say is true. Let us make the return journey. To Equestria, I plea.”

“...Will ya be happy there?” Sasori asked.

“In many ways, I was happier there then I ever was here.”