My Dearest Students

by BubuJones

Zuri

Chapter 5: Zuri

Celestia gave a quaint smile at the conclusion of the cheerful memories. To this day the mere memory of the energetic filly, Surprise, could lift Celestia’s spirits. Those years spent together with her were perhaps the most entertaining, random and exciting years of Celestia’s whole multifariously shifting life.

“I see that not every memory must end so sadly,” Luna said, breaking Celestia’s peaceful train of thought. “I’m happy that you were able to find some joy to fill your heart after all that had occurred.”

“Yes, things began to simplify as the years went by. My feelings were more settled and the beauties of the world were more notable to me again. I never forgot about you, of course, but I was able to continue living an ordinary life -at least for an autocrat.”

“That’s good,” Luna said, nuzzling her sister’s side. “Do you still want to continue? It must be getting late, not that the time could be told down here. Aren’t you tired Tia?”

“I’m quite accustomed to sleepless nights. One goes through many as immortal beings such as us. But I can never speak for my dear sister.” She looked over to Luna with a thoughtful smile.

“Me? Of course I’m not tired. I am the Princess of the Night! I thrive in darkness! I relish under my moon! I am the omniscient being of the night!” she declared proudly at a tone near that of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Luna raised a hoof into the air to punctuate this grand declaration, only settling down when the stifled sounds of laughter were heard.

“Oh Lulu, I didn’t mean to patronize, just looking out for my little sister.” Celestia said teasingly.

“I may be younger than you, but I’m still over a thousand years old,” she retorted.

“And you’re still my baby sister, my little Lulu,” she concluded, emphasizing on the nickname Luna was never that particularly fond of. Luna opened her mouth to counter, only to turn away and scoff.

“May we continue then? It isn’t good to stay up too late,” Luna said, still facing away.

“I thought you said you weren’t tired?”

“I am not. I just prefer to sleep. Now who is this pony?” Luna gestured to the pony that preceded Surprise. This filly certainly had an odd color palette almost never seen on a pony. Her coat was white with patterned black stripes; or perhaps black with white stripes, Luna wasn’t sure. Her mane matched the pattern, cut short and straight all the way to its end. She wore golden rings around the full extent of her neck, along with other subtle hints of gold jewelry on her ears and hooves. Her cutie mark was that of 3 golden flowers with twisting stems that formed a circle.

She stood in what seemed to be in a portion of the garden where small plants and flowers grew aplenty. At closer inspection, many of them seemed to be well known herbs and spices used especially for healing and cures. As Luna continue to dissect the painting, something at last hit her. This particular pony wasn’t even a pony at all.

“Is that a zebra?” Luna asked immediately.

“Yes,” Celestia replied simply.

“That’s, umm… rare. You don’t really come across a zebra in Equestria often. Since I’ve returned I’ve only met Twilight Sparkle’s friend -Zecora, was it?”

“Zebras are not a common sight in Equestria, even today. You can almost certainly imagine the rarity one was in the past and the sort of reception they received.”

“What do you mean, ‘reception’? Were relations amiss between ponies and zebras?” Luna asked.

“Well let’s just say, many ponies, unfortunately, require a lot of convincing when something is out of the ordinary,” Celestia explained dryly. “Relations with the zebras have always been quite distant, but generally friendly. I like to think any possible conflicts were deterred by my close relationship with Zuri.”

“Zuri? That would be this Zebra here?” Luna said, gesturing to the picture.

“Yes, that’s her,” Celestia replied with a smile. “Perhaps the nicest zebra I’ve ever met -not that I’ve met many. Despite that, she is one of the most important figures in Equestria history.”

~*~*~*~

“Princess! Princess! We have a situation!” cried the unicorn Commander of the Royal Guard as he burst through the dining room doors.

Of course there’s a problem during lunch, Celestia thought as she finished chewing her second mouthful of food. She watched as the guard ran to her side, giving a low bow as he reached her. He was out of breath, sweaty, even shivering slightly as if he had just seen a ghost.

“Princess, we have a situation. There are these equine like aliens. Very much like ponies, but... not ponies. ” Celestia could only raise an eyebrow in question.

“Then what are they?”

“Umm… okay, they are like ponies, but of black and white. Covered in stripes from head to hoof! I have never seen anypony, or anything like them.” The guard explained hastily, as if rushing the princess to get on the job immediately. Celestia still couldn’t comprehend what was really going on.

“Have these black and white ponies done any harm or destruction?” She continued to persist for facts.

“Nothing at all as of late. They don’t speak Equestrian. And they do these ominous chants and wear odd clothing and jewelry.”

“Perhaps it is because they are not from Equestria. Or perhaps they aren’t even ponies at all. Did you stop to consider that, commander?”

“Yes, it was considered, but…” he tried to explain but was at a loss for words at his obviously lacking and hastily done report.

“It’s alright commander. I thank you for informing me on this matter. As I do think it is a situation I should look into. Prepare my chariot please.”

“Right away, princess,” he said with a bow before running off through the doors of which he came. Celestia returned to her meal and continued to eat in tranquil solitude.

The wind blew loudly as they sped to the scene. Celestia’s majestic mane flowed and danced in the breeze as gently as always. The Commander of the Guard stood tall at her side, with little avail to seem any more so at the side of the alicorn.

“So, Commander, perhaps you could enlighten me further as to the situation.” Celestia finally said, breaking through the noise.

“Of course, Princess. These black and white ponies-”

“Zebras,” Celestia quickly corrected.

“I beg your pardon, Princess?”

“From your description, I believe these ‘black and white’ ponies you speak of are zebras,” she explained.

“Zebras? Umm… all right. Well these ‘zebras,’ about half a dozen, arrived last night near Trottingham. The local ponies were wary, so they didn’t allow them to pass. Nopony bothered to speak to them or dare get close, presumably because of fear.” He was nearly yelling to get past the noise of their altitude.

“I see… I hope I can settle this whole affair swiftly,” Celestia said to nopony in particular.

The trip to their destination would carry on for no more than a few minutes once they passed over Trottingham. A single large octagonal shaped tent of tan and brown hues became visible from afar, standing out clearly amidst mostly open green fields. Soon the whole situation came into view. A crowd of ponies stood a short walking distance from the tent, which when viewed up close was adorned with intricate markings and designs Celestia couldn’t even begin to decipher.

Celestia could hear uncoordinated chants from the crowd, such as ‘turn back’ and ‘no place for you’ bombarding the unmoving tent. She was taken aback by the actions her ponies had decided to take against these seemingly peaceful outsiders. It wasn’t often that Celestia could say she was disappointed in her ponies, but this would sadly be one of those times.

The crowd grew silent and parted down the center as the chariot landed and came to a halt. Celestia stepped down and her ponies bowed in respect. She did not bother to acknowledge them on this occasion as she continued towards the camp.

The Commander and one of the Royal chariot escorts ran up to cover their Princess’ flanks as they approached the opening flap of the tent. They stopped short and waited. Everypony was silent.

“Commander, please announce my arrival,” she asked kindly.

“Of course, Princess.” The guard stepped up and spoke loudly, “Princess Celestia of Equestria decrees an audience to discuss the terms of this visit. We ask you to please, exit peacefully and respectfully and present yourselves.” There was silence as everypony held their breath in anticipation, unsure as to what response this proclamation would receive.

At last, movement, as the flap was pulled to the side and a large -by pony standards- zebra walked forth. He seemed to be of a rather old age; rugged, too, as if he had lived a habitually laborious life. A large and intricate headdress swayed atop his brow, almost bringing his total height near that of Celestia. Decorative touches of gold were adorned across his body. He moved at a listless, unburdened pace towards the princess.

Two more, much younger, zebra flanked him. They wore similar attire to his, but much more toned down in comparison. They withheld by a few strides and bowed in unison. Celestia returned a polite short bow. Only the elder rose to face the princess, all emotions unreadable on his stone-faced expression.

Celestia’s soft smile held strong as she waited for the zebra to make some move to address her, but all he did was continue to stare and prolong the silent awkwardness. Her eyes began to shift and her smile began to strain in exaggeration. She decided it was going to be her duty to start the conversation.

“Greetings, friends, I am Princess-” The old zebra suddenly broke in; speaking a language Celestia had no knowledge of. He spoke just as he had moved, slow and with poise; his voice was deep and rough, closely reflecting his image. Celestia had no idea what he was saying, but had a feeling it was along the lines of I know who you are. She could hear the crowd of ponies gasp and cry in over-exaggerated shock. Celestia just ignored them. After a few short phrases, everything returned back to silence.

“-Celestia,” she was finally able to conclude. “I apologize, sir, but unfortunately, as you may have noticed, we do not speak the same language.” The zebra continued to watch, unfazed. He spoke another incoherent phrase, mustering another gasp from the crowd. This whole situation was beginning to irk Celestia, ever so slightly.

“I see this isn’t going as well as I’d hoped…” she said to herself, “What I would give for a translat-” Once again she was interrupted as the zebra called to the tent. It was no more than a minute before a fourth zebra stepped out hurriedly. This one was noticeably a mare, smaller than the rest with much simpler decorations.

She came close to the elder’s side and bowed low to Celestia. The crowd once again gave assorted cries of stupefaction and fear.

“Commander, would you please send this crowd home?” Celestia asked, irritated feelings hidden by her calm voice.

“Right away, Princess,” said the guard before running off.

“I apologize for the interruption. Now, how can we make this work?” Celestia asked herself.

“I believe it can work now, Sun Queen,” spoke the zebra mare. Her voice was deep and strong, yet soft and feminine. She held a polite smile on her face where the rest of her companions continued to hold stern.

“Oh, you speak Equestrian?”

“To an extent, yes, Sun Queen,” she said with another short bow. “I may translate between you and our spiritual guide, Akua.”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Celestia said, honestly relieved. “Very well, please, what business brings you and your kin here to Equestria.”

“Sun Queen, we come from a far off land in search of something,” she began without even consulting the ever-silent Akua. She continued to explain how they came in search of a wild-growing, extraordinarily rare herb. This herb, Ubulawu, would only grow in the most remote locations deep within forests. Little was needed to create potent medicines, cures, and brews, but as the years went by, the more difficult it had become to locate these plants. Then all the Ubulawu vanished; there was never the opportunity to harvest the treasured herb.

“You see, whenever we were fortunate enough to find any Ubulawu, it was always in very small amounts -we were never left with enough to replant. It was a sad time when search after search came up empty. Our only hope to find this plant again would be to travel to one of the few wild forests left that we know of, the Everfree Forest in Equestria.”

“How are you so sure that this ‘Ubulawu’ is even found in the Everfree Forest?” Celestia asked.

“Long ago a pony from your lands came to us on a grand flying machine, as I was told by my elders. This pony shared stories, knowledge and ideals with us, so we did the same. Before he left, he was given some of our herbs as a parting gift. He spoke of their abundance found within the wild forest of the Everfree, but at the time it was no concern of ours.”

“I see,” were the only words Celestia could mutter as she mused over the obvious possibility that this pony was her past student, the Doctor.

“So we ask you, Sun Queen,” the zebra continued, “would you kindly allow us to pass through into the Everfree forest? We won’t take too long. We’ll leave as quickly as we had come. Nothing shall be disturbed.”

“Of course,” Celestia replied swiftly. It was not difficult for Celestia to come to the conclusion to allow the zebra passage through Equestria, especially now that the angry mob of ponies had retreated to leave only silence in their wake. Thinking further on their jarring reaction to these peaceful outsiders, Celestia could only assume that a similar situation would occur in every town in Equestria that the zebra visited -she couldn’t allow that to happen.

“Perhaps I shall guide you. I am, after all, the ruler of this land,” Celestia added. The zebra was visibly shocked at the rulers offer.

“That- that would be great! I mean-” She turned to the elder zebra to translate. At last he gave an expression of slight surprise that quickly shifted into one of gratitude as he bowed once again. He spoke words that were quickly translated.

“He accepts your offer, with the utmost gratitude.”

“Delightful. But first of all, what is your name?”

“Oh, mine? Umm, yes, my name is Zuri.”

~*~*~*~

“I can’t believe ponies could be so… hostile. Actually… now that I think back, my reception when I returned to public life didn’t exactly go swimmingly…” Luna said, once again musing over the night she had unceremoniously presented herself.

“Like I’ve said before, ponies can at times be very hard headed… it works both for and against us -makes us strong, yet can just as easily cloud the truth.”

“Indeed… so how did Zuri go on to become your student form there?”

“The rest of their journey went much more smoothly, partially because I was there. Not a single problem with anypony the whole way. Admittedly they had all barricaded themselves within their homes… but that tranquility gave me a great opportunity to learn more about our striped visitors. And I could only really discuss these matters with Zuri.”

“I’m assuming that the rest is history?” Luna asked.

“You could say that,” Celestia replied with a soft laugh. “She initially refused my offer to stay in Canterlot -not as my student, but an honored guest. I felt, through her, relations with the zebra could become closer, or at the least less hostile. It took a bit of convincing, together with the some words from the rest of her party to at last make her decide to stay.”

~*~*~*~

“Are you enjoying your stay in Canterlot?” Celestia asked the zebra seared at the opposite end of the long dining table, whose entire attention seemed to be focused on staring at the untouched plate in front of her.

“It is nice,” she answered simply, her gaze concentrated on the vegetable meal before her.

Celestia frowned, “Is something wrong, Zuri?”

“No, everything is fine,” she replied quickly, at last looking up to give a smile Celestia could easily read as strained. All it took Celestia was a questioning glare to force Zuri to spill the truth. “Oh… yes. I am sorry, Princess -it is just...”

“There is no need for you to apologize,” Celestia broke in. “You are an honored guest here in Equestria, and it is my duty to ensure that all my guests are comfortable. Now, what’s wrong?”

“…you see, Princess, I have been here for nearly two months and my acceptance by the ponies has yet to materialize. They hide, they run away and they gossip. I feel it has not been best for me to stay here…” she concluded sadly.

“Don’t say that,” Celestia replied seriously but continued more softly. “I apologize for the actions of my ponies, but I assure you that the time you have spent here with me has been an absolute pleasure. Your knowledge of herbal ingredients and mixtures is quite fascinating -and I take great pleasure in learning more about zebra culture.”

“I thank you, Princess,” she said with a sincere smile at last.

“No, thank you, Zuri. I shall make an address on this issue as soon as possible. Now, how about we take a quick stroll?”

“Umm… If you insist, Princess,” she replied a bit apprehensively.

The midday sunlight shone brightly above the bustling Canterlot plaza. It was a time of high traffic for the shops and markets selling an array of items from over-the-top clothing to over-the-top foods, and everything in between. The laughter and chatter from the care free ponies resonated freely throughout the shops; but as if on command, silence befell them all as Celestia approached with Zuri close at her side.

It was always considered a rarity for the princess to so casually and trivially pay a visit to the crowded streets of Canterlot. Ponies watched in awe, conflicted between running from fear at the presence of the foreigner or to bow in respect at their majestic monarch. The crowd parted and bowed before Celestia as she walked as languid as always, a soft smile on her face. Zuri was perhaps a starkly contradicting image; head hung low, eyes constantly shifting from side to side and never straying far from Celestia.

“Is something the matter, Zuri?” Celestia asked casually, ignoring the obvious overreactions emitting from the crowd.

“I am not so sure this is a good idea, Princess…”

“Nonsense, how do you expect to learn more about ponies locked up in the castle? Don’t worry, it’s going to be fine. Now, how about some shopping?” she said happily.

“There is the library…” Zuri replied unequivocally.

“At times it is best for one to learn from firsthand experience than through a book. Now, how about that shopping? You’d look lovely in one of those hats,” Celestia said, walking over to a display rack adorned with dozens of colorful head pieces.

“O-okay…” Zuri waited idly as Celestia playfully spun the rack to examine each hat closely.

“Ah-ha, this one is nice,” she announced as she levitated a light blue, nearly bowl shaped hat that flapped upwards at its ends and settled it atop Zuri’s head snugly. A white strip of lace adorned its circumference together with a blooming blue flower. “You look absolutely fabulous. It really fits you,” Celestia complimented.

Zuri looked up at the short rim of the head piece then turned to face a nearby mirror. She took a second to admire the lovely adornment, scrutinizing it from all sides. “It is nice… thank-”

“Oh! How stunning!” interrupted the shopkeeper who wore an enormous bright-orange hat that softly harmonized with her yellow coat. “My dear, your coat is simply stunning! Why, black and white quite simply matches with anything!” she complimented, getting closer to admire the out-of-the-ordinary stripes.

“I- uh, thank you?” Zuri muttered awkwardly as the yellow pony continued to circle her. Celestia just stood by and watched with a grin.

“My, you’re a zebra aren’t you?” she questioned. “Hmm, why, I don’t see what all this hullabaloo is about. All of those other ponies are probably jealous of your pretty coat!” she beamed.

“That… that is a very nice thing for you to say,” Zuri replied with an honest smile. The yellow pony would then carry on enticing over more of her colleagues to join in the arbitrary praise. These ponies obviously saw the importance of fashion above all else, and that was something Zuri was quite grateful for. They didn’t see her as a pariah, but instead another customer, or an ordinary citizen of Equestria with a pretty coat.

Zuri felt like she belonged; even under this rare and extraordinary circumstance, the feeling was there. She decided, then and there, to hold a certain liking towards pony fashion, duly noted from the bombardment of advice given by the shop keepers. Other ponies well versed in fashion had also stepped up to give their polite counsel. It was an unexpected turn of events, but surprisingly pleasant.

At last, the siege broke as Celestia and Zuri happily walked off back towards the castle, the streets slowly emptied as they approached. Most of the day had been spent and it was nearing the time for Celestia to bring upon the night and call an official end to the day.

“Did you enjoy our little stroll outside of the castle, my dear student?” Celestia asked, carefully slipping in the latter portion.

“I-I beg your pardon, Princess? Did you say, ‘student’?” Zuri replied with a quizzical look.

“Indeed I did. I have been meaning to ask you, Zuri,” Celestia said as she stopped to stand before her companion. “Would you consider accepting my proposal to become my personal student here in Canterlot?”

Zuri was left speechless for a second, unsure on how to reply. To become the sole apprentice to the monarch of Equestria, an all powerful being which even the celestial bodies would abide by. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, something she could not possibly refuse.

“P-Princess, of course, I would be honored to become your student!” she said with several quick bows and a huge grin.

“Wonderful. I am delighted you have accepted. Now, is there anything you have learned today?”

“Today? Umm… that my coat matches very well with pony clothing?” she answered a bit uncertainly.

“That’s good, anything else?” Celestia continued to question.

“Well… ponies can at times be very defensive and fearful of the unknown... but many can appreciate discovery, become fascinated in something they know nothing of. It is still hard for me to understand how ponies work. But perhaps one day I will understand them, and that may be when zebras become accepted into pony society as well.”

“I wish for the same… now, it’s time for dinner. Let us go inside, my student.”

“Of course, Princess!” Zuri replied contentedly.

Months carried on, yet the acceptance of zebra kind would continue to impose a difficult task on the ponies of Equestria. The infrequent visits paid by the zebra, for public relations purposes, dwindled until they no longer came. Despite all the assurance Celestia gave on behalf of zebras, ponies continued to ostracize the friendly visitors that all too quickly became depicted as frightening invaders. It hurt Celestia, and in particular, it hurt Zuri.

Zuri, likewise, had held high hopes for Equestria to become friendlier with the zebra nations. Ever since she learned about the existence of Equestria and the pony race, when she was just a little filly, she devoted hours of study into Equestrian culture. Because of this, she became the obvious choice for both sides to bridge the ever growing gap.

Relations continued to weaken until they were all but non-existent. Zuri often contemplated leaving Equestria, only to be swayed by Celestia time and time again. Celestia still held hope for a more open Equestria, but feelings of fear and anger only escalated as an epidemic of Hay Fever ravaged the lands.

“Princess, what are we going to do?” began one of the royal advisors gravely. “More and more ponies are becoming bed stricken with Hay Fever every passing day. It’s spreading like wild fire. On top of that, there are less and less ponies to work the fields and weather. I fear food shortages and erratic climate are dangerously imminent...”

Celestia sat at the end of the table, solemnly and deep in thought. The dozen others made up of ponies and the single oddity of Zuri, waited in silence. Hay Fever had arrived not a month ago in Equestria and could infect any pony, be them unicorn, pegasus or earth ponies. In theory it was thought to have originated and spread through infected hay and other foods, thus it was given the name Hay Fever.

When this came to be discovered it had already spread, and once a pony had become infected the simple means of touch could carry it forward. Ponies were stricken with harsh, immobilizing fevers no known medicines could subdue. Hospitals and medical centers were filled to the brim with patients; special quarantine zones were created in an attempt to stop the spreading. This was quickly becoming one of the darkest times in Equestrian history.

“Have the scientists or doctors made any progress?” Celestia finally asked softly.

“It goes slowly, Princess,” responded another pony from the medical ward, “We have yet to discover an actual cure. But we can now lower the initial fever temperature with a simple concoction injected into the patient. This is being distributed into medical centers as we speak.”

“That is good. Please continue your research,” she replied with diminutive enthusiasm. “Commander, set up a rationing system for any and all foods that can still be produced. We must prepare if the worst is to come.”

“Right away, Princess,” replied the commander as he bowed and began to exit the room, only to be halted by another official speaking up.

“This is preposterous. We should not be forced to squabble for morsels of food! For hundreds of years, ponies have flourished in agriculture. There has never been a famine since the founding of Equestria and there will never be one. We cannot let a simple fever bring down our economy.”

This pony’s words irked Celestia. She knew this pony was ‘high-born’ and part of the aristocracy of Canterlot. He had hardly worked a day in his life for food, never slept through a cold winter night; never felt the true feeling of hunger. He knew nothing of the ponies that worked to bring him all the pleasures in his life.

“And if worst comes to worst,” he continued, “we could always ask our supposed friends the zebras for aid. As they’ve always been such help to us in our time of need,” he concluded sarcastically. Zuri looked about, a glint of anger in her eyes, but held silent.

“Hold your tongue,” Celestia said a bit harshly. “You and everypony in this room know why we cannot do that. There is no proof that this plague has escaped Equestrian boarders -and I plan to keep it that way.”

“This zebra here seems perfectly immune to this Hay Fever,” he said accusingly. Hooves slammed onto the table as everypony turned to look at the previously passive zebra.

“That is it! I am tired of sitting here and taking all of your ridicule,” Zuri said in a tone of anger never before heard. “I am trying just as hard -or harder! -at finding a way to help your ponies!”

“Oh, you mean your weird herbs and spices that nopony knows anything about?” replied the instigator.

“You know not of what you speak!” she retorted, turning to leave the room without another word. The room was left in stunned silence.

“This meeting is adjourned. I’ve had enough of this. Everypony, return to your respective duties. I shall call for another meeting in the future to keep everypony up to date and informed. Anything of major importance shall be reported to me directly and promptly.” Celestia followed Zuri out of the room before any pony could object.

Celestia trotted through the halls, at last catching up to Zuri, whose every angry hoofstep threatened to punch a neat hole in the floor tiles. Celestia came up to Zuri’s side as silently as possible, not wanting to disturb as she huffed and fumed down the hall. At last her steps softened and her breathing steadied until they came to a complete stop in the hallways. Celestia waited, allowing her comforting presence alone to bring some sort of relief to the atmosphere.

Zuri did not look back to Celestia, only forward down the elongated hallway. She then hung her head low and sniffled; a few tears began to roll down her cheeks and hit the floor. Anger and hatred subsided, replaced by dread and sorrow.

“Princess… I just don’t understand…” she sniffled, “why do they do this to me? I have done nothing wrong. Have I?”

“Of course you haven’t. If there is anyone here who has done something wrong, it is me,” Celestia said, nuzzling Zuri’s head up to face her. “None of them have the right to treat you that way, and it is my obligation to prevent it. I am sorry Zuri. I know I have said this time and again, but-”

“It is okay, Princess. I don’t need the acceptance of those ponies anymore,” Zuri said, fighting against her sniffles and giving Celestia an honest smile. “I realized that… all I really need is you, Princess. You are always there for me. You have always been good to me. I thank you for that.”

Months would come and go with not a cure in sight. The plague had spread to the far reaches of Equestria with nothing to detain it. To make things worse, Celestia’s most horrible fears were becoming apparent. The choice to ration the food early on was the right one. Uncontrolled weather ravaged towns during stormy seasons. But worst of all was the ever growing body count. Everything had become more grimmer that Celestia could have ever imagined.

The room was completely silent as none of its half-dozen inhabitants stirred. Six of the more senior members had tragically succumbed to illness. Nopony was safe anymore. Celestia read through the reports given to her in yet another urgent meeting. And once again, nothing that could be categorized as pleasant news had surfaced. She set the papers down and gave a long sigh of discontent and despair.

“… Princess, what are we to do? This has escalated to a point far worse than we had predicted… too much of the population has become infected. Our food stores have dwindled to near nothing… I-I just don’t know what to do, Princess,” murmured an adviser.

Celestia remained in silent though; her eyes peered forward and unfocused. I just don’t know what to do… she echoed the words in her mind. What is there left to do that has not already been done? They are waiting for an answer that I cannot give… they wait patiently with near pleading eyes. They ask for words of comfort, for some sort of solution, anything that could shine a light through these dark days.

All of their attempts at a cure, be they magical or scientific, had come up fruitless. Hope for a quick recovery had all but vanished. Celestia looked about the room of ponies. Bloodshot, half lidded eyes had become common for the few left in attendance; more than likely due to sleepless nights attempting to find some sort of relief in these dark times. She again exhaled loudly before a realization had caused her breathing to stop momentarily.

“Where is Zuri!” she asked in an uncharacteristically panicked tone. She looked about frantically, as if she had missed her through the first sweep of the room. Everypony else looked between them, wearily and confused. “Has anypony seen her today?” Celestia demanded, anxiety beginning to build rapidly as it so often did in their current situation.

“N-no, Princess, not since our last assembly,” one of the ponies at last replied. Celestia stood up, ready to ignore all and prepare a search, only to be halted by the gentle rapping upon the door. It swung open to reveal a sight that at last brought Celestia a sigh of relief and contentment.

“I am very sorry, Princess, I lost track of time while I was working,” Zuri spoke sincerely. Zuri had perhaps made the most advancement in discovering methods in helping the sick. Methods of reducing fever, calming patients, and other remedies, yet none have held the cure. At least nowadays zebras were the least of anypony’s problem.

“Zuri, are you alright?” Celestia asked a bit hastily, still recovering from her previous apprehension.

“Yes, Princess, I am sorry to have worried you so…” she said, settling into the seat at Celestia’s right hoof. She looked up gave an apologetic smile that faded back into the somber look held by the rest of the attendants. Celestia scanned the room again to ensure that this time everypony needed was present.

“It is alright… now, let us continue. Anypony have anything else to offer aside from these,” Celestia said referring to the scattered papers on the table. “This cannot be it…” Silence followed as everypony’s eyes shifted.

“Well…” finally began somepony wearily, “together with a few others… we have perhaps come to some form of method to bring this all to an end…”

“Please, do tell.” Everypony waited in anticipation.

“We have come to the conclusion that… the only way to stop this is to eliminate all carriers of the virus in one fell swoop. The best we can do now is save those that are not yet infected.” Stunned silence fell over the room as the daft proposal sank in. Celestia was left wide eyed, unable to give any sort of response; the only one able to muster anything would be Zuri.

“That’s- that’s completely mad! …Idiotic, immoral, horrid… how- how can you even think of such a thing!” she yelled, sitting up in her spot and looking down at the antagonizing pony.

“Well… what would you do!?” he retorted, but still not facing Zuri directly. Zuri shivered in rage, unable to withhold her disgust through the obvious grimace on her face.

“I know what I would not do! I would not give up on these ponies! I would not commit murder! That is exactly what it will be if you carry on with this!”

“If we do nothing, everypony will die!”

“If we do this almost all of your ponies will die!” Zuri’s breathing had intensified, her eyes swirled with rage. “I thought ponies were a tough and powerful race, head strong and able to overcome any situation.”

“That is enough!” Celestia demanded at a tone rarely heard from the normally-demure princess. All eyes trained back on Celestia. “You dare even consider the near genocide of my ponies, in my presence? The thought alone revolts me.” She was no longer speaking in her common gentle voice, but of one driven by anger and disappointment.

“But, Princess-” began the first pony before he was cut off.

“No, I will not hear it. Your simple involvement is almost enough for me to dismiss you from this meeting if I so please. Banish those thoughts as we will no longer discuss those plans. Furthermore, I agree with my student. We must continue to fight this… even to the end if necessary,” Celestia said with much needed confidence. The room settled back into its somber state; with the exception of Zuri, still up but noticeably calmer.

“I thank you, Princess. Now, I may have come upon a new herbal blend that perhaps offers further aid to those fallen ill,” Zuri carried on.

~*~*~*~

“I can’t believe Equestria had fallen to such a state… that all sounds so… so horrible,” Luna lamented at such a dark retelling of Equestrian history. “I just can’t imagine how you went through all of that…”

“Indeed they were truly hard times, for everypony. But I can say with confidence that if it wasn’t for Zuri, everything would have been much more difficult.”

“However did Equestria get through it? And even more, how was it able to recover? I mean, I haven’t seen any sort of after effects in this day.”

“Keep in mind, all this occurred several hundred years ago. Much time has passed to rebuild and recover. But perhaps the only reason it all went so well afterwards was because of foreign aid.”

“Do you mean relations with the zebras improved?” Luna questioned.

“Not quite. Sadly, as you can see today, seeing any zebra in Equestria is still uncommon. But they did offer us aid, as well as the griffons, quite surprisingly. It was apparent that our efforts to keep Hay Fever contained within Equestrian borders were not in vain.”

“I see… so how did ponies stop Hay Fever? Was a cure found? Did it die out?”

“A cure was discovered. And the credit for that goes to Zuri as well.”

~*~*~*~

Celestia followed closely behind Zuri as they quickly paced through the castle hallways towards Zuri’s personal study. It had been where Zuri spent most hours of every day, blending together various herbs and greens in her attempts to discover palliatives for the sick and hopefully a cure. She had worked tirelessly ever since the epidemic began.

“You say you’ve made a breakthrough? Of what sort?” Celestia asked as Zuri had decided to withhold the information in preference to showing the princess first hand.

“Of the sort of a possible cure,” she replied simply as they continued hastily.

Zuri’s study had been completely tailored to her own personal taste. Art, masks, vases, pots, and various foreign objects adorned the room’s walls and hung from the ceiling. Any traces of the previous decor were limited exclusively to the fine marble floors. At the end of the room stood a large chamber pot above a live fire place; green liquid steamed and bubbled within. Anypony walking in would feel as if they had stepped into the zebra nation itself.

“Come over here, Princess,” Zuri directed, calling Celestia to the pot. As she approached, the warm flowery scent of the ingredients tingled in her nostrils. It soothed and relaxed her tense body into a state rarely felt. She inhaled deeply and slowly, greedily taking in as much as her lungs could stand.

“This scent is exquisite,” Celestia complemented, inspecting the liquid more closely, only to retract from the frequently popping bubbles.

“Yes, it is. And it may be the key to all this. You see, Princess, I must confess that I have been venturing out of the castle on a frequent basis as of late.” This came as a disappointing shock to Celestia. Ever since Hay Fever had become an epidemic, all trips outside of the castle- infrequent as they were- were rigorously regulated and short. It was unknown if an alicorn could succumb to Hay Fever; the chances were slim, but nopony would dare take them.

“But I had good reason,” she continued before Celestia could utter her disapproval. “I did it to visit the hospitals and medical wards. To learn about this virus and help those ponies directly.”

“Zuri… you could have gotten infected or-”

“But that is exactly it, Princess. I did not get sick. I was not infected. You see, this liquid was used to lower the fever and calm the nerves. But it was so strong, only small doses could be given. I have worked the whole time in modifying this one solution to somehow form it into a cure. But then I realized something. I never got sick. Often, I would feel the symptoms but whenever I returned here, I would feel rejuvenated. It is not the liquid, but prolonged exposure to its fumes that might be the cure.”

“The fumes?” Celestia questioned as she took another pleasant whiff. “How can you be sure?”

“We can test it on others. I am in constant contact with it and have yet to feel any negative side effects. Nothing bad can come by giving it a chance, I assure you.” This was the first potential chance in weeks that had proposed anything near a possible cure. Not a second thought was needed for Celestia to give Zuri’s proposal full support.

“Is it difficult to make?” Celestia asked. The only thing she needed now would be an overcomplicated concoction made with rare herbs.

“No, not at all, I know all of the ingredients and they are in abundance. It will not be any trouble to make large amounts.”

“Excellent. I will give you as many ponies as possible to help with making your cure. It will be transported to every hospital and medical center as quickly as possible. Even if it isn’t a cure, nothing bad can come by giving it a chance. It is perhaps the last chance we have left.”

Zuri’s brew was indeed the much needed cure to save Equestria from the terrors of Hay Fever. Thousands of bed stricken ponies gradually came back to prime health because of the steamy fumes that emanated from the questionable liquid. This cure came to be known as Flower’s Gift, due to its near intoxicatingly sweet and flowery aroma. It could be considered a saccharine end to such tragic times.

Still, months would come and go through the rigorous time of Equestria’s rebuilding. The majority of this would come in the form of reconstructing a stable workforce and combating severe food shortages. The nation of Equestria was left crippled and in need. The cure alone would have meant nothing without the generous aid given by both the zebras and griffons.

This was a rare time in history, where ponies, zebras and griffons had set aside their differences for a common cause. It had taken excruciatingly drastic measures for it to happen, but it did.

Yet after all that had occurred, Zuri was left discontent. She happily appreciated the immense wave of gratitude that came her way. She at last felt accepted in this new world. But in the end, it could never replace the world she had come from.

“Princess, I have something to show you,” Zuri spoke softly as they walked through the hallways of the castle, recently returned from another update meeting held to assess the now improving state of Equestria.

“I’d happily enjoy seeing whatever it is you wish to show me, Zuri,” Celestia said in a genuinely happy voice that had at last begun to return. Zuri led Celestia back to her personal study, but the princess halted in surprise as she passed through the doorway.

The walls and ceiling were now barren and void of all of Zuri’s traditional furnishings. Everything was neatly piled to the sides of the room and organized accordingly. Celestia look about the room in concerned silence. Zuri faced the back wall of the room, unable to muster an explanation.

“Princess…” she finally muttered, “I am sorry… but-”

“It is alright, Zuri… I understand,” Celestia said caringly. Zuri turned slowly, a steady stream of tears running down her face. She walked towards Celestia who sat on her haunches to receive a full embrace. “Nothing can replace your true home. And I should have known that. It was not wise of me to have forced you to prolong your stay.”

“No, Princess…” she began, muffled into Celestia’s coat before looking up with a teary smile. “Because of you, I learned so much, about myself and ponies alike. I learned to become stronger than I would have ever been because of all of this, because of you. I have experienced more in Equestria than I would have anywhere else. All the good and bad times have turned me into a better mare than I would have ever become elsewhere. And above all, I met you.”

“I am so happy I met you as well, Zuri.” They at last broke apart; tears dried and replaced with smiles.

“I have something for you,” Zuri said, walking off to one of the piles and gently pulling out a tightly woven stack of parchments with her mouth. She held it out so Celestia could accept it in her magical grasp. “I have been working on that ever since I first came to Equestria all that time ago. It is a compilation of every herbal and natural remedy that I have learned and discovered as of today. I would like you to have it.”

“Thank you, Zuri… this means so much to me. I will treasure it forever,” Celestia said honestly, pressing the collection of knowledge gently over her heart. “I am going to miss you.”

“As will I you, Princess. I will never forget you.”

“Nor will I… as long as I live… goodbye, Zuri.”

~*~*~*~

“That compilation was pushed into publication soon after. Titled Supernaturals, I ensured that her medical discovers could be utilized and benefit everypony...”

“It was difficult to let her go, wasn’t it?” Luna questioned carefully. Celestia exhaled loudly.

“It was… once again the relationship we shared was unlike that of a simple student and mentor. I’m unsure if she could even be considered a student of mine. She was wise, strong and intelligent on her own. In fact, her natural medical knowledge surpassed anything I knew at the time. She was definitely one of the most remarkable mares I have ever met. It also helps that she perhaps saved all of Equestria.”

“But I still don’t understand why it is so rare to see a zebra in Equestria. If the zebras played such a role in the rebuilding of Equestria, then shouldn’t there be more?”

“I had hoped that to be the case. But over the years, everything just returned back to its previous state. Relations remained friendly between us and our neighboring nations, but once again, every side ended up keeping to themselves. On rare occasion we would get visitors, but as always, ponies can at times be very hard headed.”

A/N Well I gotta say I wasn't exactly content with the turnout of this chapter. Not my favorite. But I pinkie promise to do things much better in future chapters. And I have some great news! Three good friends have come to my aid as editors! Many thanks to Starfall, Dreec and Cloudhammer . They'll be helping me from here on out. Thanks for reading!

Comments

[Azarias]

This was my favorite one personally.

[BubuJones]

322351 I'm so glad you liked it!

[rexpup]

"Supernaturals" is yet another way this ties into the show, good job. I really liked this chapter, it's my second favorite. After The Doctor.

[BubuJones]

454880
Thanks for the comment! And especially for finding those little mistakes. I'll get em fixed right away.
Just a heads up, the next chapters are going to have a fair amount of mistakes. My whole story is going through some pretty heavy edits that will be updated later so i apologize for any of those.

Again, thanks for reading!

[aquilerafroot]

I really like that she's the author of Supernaturals Good job!