A Hearth Warming Memory

by Comet Burst

The Fifth Memory

Applebloom sighed as she imagined the scenario Zecora had described. In her mind, it was easy to picture herself sitting on a hill at Sweet Apple Acres with a handsome stallion who had just asked her to be his marefriend. She couldn't picture who the stallion was, but she ran through the entire scene. It was more than enough to put a dreamy stare on her face. Zecora noticed her expression and, to Applebloom's surprise, chuckled. "Hey, what's so funny?" Applebloom asked.

Zecora grinned to her and set down the picture. "I looked just like that after that day, my mind foggy and words were hard to say. I thought of him everyday, and to see him I went out of my way. Xavier always made me happy, to say I loved him would fit aptly. I became the talk of the town, but soon that was reason to frown. You see, my little pony, my culture would not accept him and me. He was from another tribe and I was a princess, and that was made clear by my father Tichandres ." Applebloom tilted her head and replied "What was wrong with that?"

Zecora lowered her head and replied "In my culture, Applebloom, a princess must choose from her tribe a groom. To not do so is against our most ancient laws, so as to not make one tribe too tall. They all must be equal like our gods, and the probability of a princess falling for one not of her tribe are very long odds. Xavier was different though, and after four months to my father he did go." Her hoof traveled to yet another object an picked it up. It was not beautiful now that it had dried out, but it was a large maroon flower. "When a stallion presents a mare this flower, it means that to marry her is within his power. Before she gets it, however, the stallion must first get the approval of her father. I remember the night he asked, and my fathers unhappiness could not be masked..."

Tichandres paced back and forth angrily in his family room. A fire roared in the pit at the center of the room and opposite of him stood Xavier, standing proud despite the chieftain's anger. In four months since he had first kissed Zecora, he had finally gotten the courage to ask her to marry him. It was not an easy question to ask, but his affection for Zecora and hers for him gave him the confidence to ask her father for her. Xavier thought he was nervous asking Zecora to be his marefriend, but asking her father dwarfed that question by a long way.

"Why do you wish to dishonor me?" Tichandres asked with his barely concealed anger edging his voice "I took you into this tribe and you were free. Free to do anything not amiss, but you had to go and do this. My only daughter, my heir and is in love with a zebra from another tribe." He continued to pace and Xavier spoke "My great dear chieftan, I'm a zebra all the same, I only serve you." Tichandres snorted and bit back to him "You say you serve me, but I can see, your loyalties lie only to Kialandi. My enemy and my rival, your question here is trivial."

At those words, Zecora burst into the room with Umaru in tow, tears streaming from her eyes. "How dare you say that father!" she yelled as she ran to Xavier "He has done nothing to upset your honor!" Tichandres glared angrily at Zecora and said "You dishonor me now too, by this interruption most impromptu. Get out of here, Zecora, I must speak privately to this stallion you adore." Umaru trotted over to Tichandres and cooed "My love, this anger is not needed. Why is this distrust so deeply seeded?" Tichandres turned to Umaru and said "Do not try to soothe me with soft words and outside logic. You both know that is not the topic. Our laws say he cannot marry Zecora and that is final. I will not be swayed by two young zebras in denial." He cast his most pointed look at Xavier and said "My answer is no. Now please go." Xavier at once bowed his head and left without another word. Zecora burst into sobs and ran into her room, leaving both Umaru and Tichandres alone.

The great stallion gave a large sigh and looked at the floor, feeling his anger dissolving away into regret. Umaru put her hoof on his back and said "My sweet, I know the laws and rule, but did you have to be so cruel? He may not be from our tribe, but you have yourself about him felt a good vibe. He is perfect for our daughter and a proper heir to your title, so why must you be as cold and hard as metal?"

"It's not like that, my dear." Tichandres replied "It is not where he's from I fear. Its the other chiefs and the gods I fear, so my daughter cannot marry the stallion so dear. I want her to be happy as any father would, but I cannot condone this as I should." Tichandres then hung his head, defeated. His precious daughter, a mare he cared for more than anything else, was crying. The situation was impossible to outmanuver and Zecora would hate him for that. Wishing to the chief deity, Tichandres wanted his daughter to be happy.

Umaru saw her husbands defeated look and felt herself agreeing with him. As the previous chief's daughter, she knew how hard it was for him to deal with this. Umaru herself fell in love with a zebra not of her tribe and thought of every possible way to marry him, but he sadly died in a lion attack on his village. She wept bitterly after that and even went to meet family he had in the village and found Tichandres. He was cousin to the stallion and therefore knew him all too well, using the saw charm the stallion had used on her. When Umaru finally was proposed to, her father brought her in and apologized about not letting her marry the first stallion. Tichandres also had vowed that his child would never suffer the same fate as Umaru and his cousin, but sadly he was being forced to eat his words.

Umaru reached a hoof over and lifted Tichandres's head, staring deep into those bright green eyes of his. "My dear husband, you do not know it but there is still one plan. Our daughter can still marry that boy, but of such plan you must be coy. If she left the village and all the Marengeti, her life with him would then be steady. I had a plan like this once before, but fate graced my door. I met you and it was then I knew, this plan was not meant for me to do." Tichandres gave her a sideways look and said "You suggest she runs away? Are you mad? What would the other chieftans say?" Umaru shook her head gently and smiled. "If she runs away, it dishonors herself and not you, so what could they say from their point of view?" she replied and Tichandres gave a large grunt. "They would call me weak and a fool, someone who is merely just a tool."

Still staring at him, Umaru replied "But your daughter would be happy and you she would adore. Could you ask for anything more?" Tichandres dropped his gaze and knew she was right. What else could he want than his daughters love and happiness? Umaru noticed this and leaned in closer. "I... I guess you're right." he said weakly "I will go talk to her tonight."

Comments

[EmiryLi]

NO! LET ME...MUST....LET ME SEE THE END!