> High Queen of the Zebras
>  by sykko
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Volunteering for an arranged arriage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

To say that it felt like butterflies were dancing and swirling in in Twilight Sparkle's stomach would be an understatement, it would probably be more accurate to say it felt like they were slam dancing in her stomach.

The lavender alicorn looked out the window of the royal car as the scenery passed by, transitioning from the rolling green pastures, verdant hills and deep emerald forests that made up Central Equestria to the golden grasses that made up the flat plains and savannahs that made up Southeastern Equestria as the train chugged onwards to the Zebrican border.

Military camps became more and more common the further the train chugged on. Equestrian soldiers drilled in formation or trained with rifles and artillery pieces.

Right now the fate of Equestria and Zebrica were perched precariously on a knife's edge, where a mere tip just a millimeter one way or another could mean war that would bring utter ruin and devastation to both countries. Zebrica and Equestria were absolute peers politically, militarily and economically. Though the striped cousins of the ponies, more closely related in talents and skills to earth ponies, lacked the ability to project magic like unicorns or the ability to fly and directly manipulate weather like pegasi, they more than made up for it with unrivaled advancements in alchemy, geomancy, shamanism, wild magic and industrial might.

Twilight's fingers drummed nervously on her lap and seat, and she repeatedly smoothed out invisible wrinkles on her dress. She looked around the car at her friends, her parents, her brother, her sister-in-law whose pregnancy was just starting to show, and finally to the two high princesses, Celestia and Luna. The events of four months ago still played out in her mind as if they had happened just yesterday.





Twilight sat on one side of a circular table along with Cadance, Shining Armor, Celestia, Luna and a cadre of Equestrian clerks and interpreters, accompanied by Royal and Crystal guards. On the opposite side of the table sat High King of Zebrica Hatua ya Kukimbia, his wife High Queen Anga Inayong'aa, Prime Minister and Royal Seneschal Maneo Laini, and the Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu, along with a cadre of clerks and interpreters.

"For one thousand years you ruled alone, moving the sun and moon, and Zebrica said nothing.", High King Hatua ya Kukimbia spoke sternly in near perfect Ponish. He then jabbed a finger in Luna's direction. "Then when the Nightmare returned and Equestria used its super weapon, revealing the Nightmare to be your long lost sister. And when she resumed her rule by her side, Zebrica said nothing. Then the chaos-maker returned after twelve-hundred years and you ponies imprisoned it, Zebrica said nothing. When the changing ones attacked your nation's capital and you ponies banished them, Zebrica said nothing. Then the king of shadows and ice returned, bringing back with him an Equestrian city-state, and you ponies shattered him, Zebrica said nothing. But when the magic-eater escaped his bonds--"

"High King Hatua ya Kukimbia, may you live eternally, do you have a point? Or are you going to continuously say 'Zebrica said nothing' over and over?", Celestia interrupted, clearly annoyed. She placed a series of documents on the table. "Zebrica may not have spoken with words, but in its actions it has spoken very loudly. Over the last decade while you proclaim with your diplomats and sycophants that Zebrica is a peace-loving nation who wants to join the Friendship of Nations. However you send troops and build forts just opposite of our borders. You speak honey-sweet words, proclaiming peace, yet you wave a sabre at us. Do not think me a fool wearing blinders. Your actions threaten the peace and stability of half the world. I will suffer no smiles that hide daggers or sweet words meant to conceal poison here in Canterlot. Speak your truth."

Hatua ya Kukimbia grimaced slightly, then put his stately mask back on. "Very well. Between the Nightmare threatening to plunge half the world into darkness, the changing ones infiltrating and taking over your kingdom's capital, the chaos-maker threatening to turn the world inside-out, the king of shadows and ice dragging an enslaved populace back from banishment and the magic-eater destroying one-twentieth of your nation, Equestria has shown itself to be weak. Other nations are beginning to talk. How long before Griffonia, Neighpon, Saddle Arabia, Minos or the Storm Isles decide to invade?"

Luna stood up, her wings flaring wide. "Those were internal struggles! Every nation has them! Last year when Ramaset the Red declared himself Pharaoh of the province of Zegypt and launched an insurrection, threatening to cede the province, or earlier this year when Yardle the Golden declared the city-state of Ur to be sacred ground and declared a jihad against you, nations talked saying Zebrica was weak. Equestria stayed out of your internal struggles and gave assurances to the nations that border both our nations that those were simply just typical internal strifes that every nation must endure." She huffed out a hot breath. "Do not think thou canst bandy insults and petty threats against alicorns! Compared to We, thou art merely a foal learning to creep along the ground!"

Celestia laid a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Be calm, Luna."

Luna gathered herself, lowered her eyes, furled her wings and sat back down. "Many apologies. We--I am still getting used to this modern world and Our--my passions still run high sometimes."

Celestia gave a gentle, reassuring pat to her sister's shoulder, then looked the zebra king in his eyes. Luna's outburst had cost Equestria some handholds in these negotiations. Though not an ideal set of circumstances, the Princess of the Sun, Mistress of the Dawn and Lady of the Eternal Flame could still find a mutually beneficial outcome for both nations...she hoped. "Tensions run high between both of our countries, and the negotiations have been taxing on us all. In these trying times sometimes patience wears thin, and temper fray. For a year our two nations have been negotiating and no agreement has been made. During the reign of the Demon-Emperor Grogar, Zebrica came to our aide. My sister and I were but twelve and fifteen summers old respectively when we stood alongside your glorious ancestor, Chieftain Zed, may he rest eternally in power, at the Battle of the Bleeding Hill. I was personally at his right side when he landed the killing blow on the Demon-Emperor himself before succumbing to his wounds. When the Draco-Lich King Sobek the Black sent his undead army against Zebrica in the War of the Undying, Equestria came to Zebrica's aide. I was there with Zed's son, Noyaka, High King of the Red River and Supreme Chieftain of the Endless Savannahs broke the Draco-Lich's lines at the Battle of the Red Sands and allowed Rockhoof the Mighty to behead the undead beast for the first time. It was your wife's ancestor, Grey Stripe the Wise and my old mentor Starswirl the Bearded who delved the depths of the Spider Range to track down and destroy the beast's phylactery, ensuring his soul would be banished to the Outer Dark."

Celestia paused for a moment, closed her eyes for a few seconds to gather her thoughts, slowly rose and spread her wings in a regal display...it was all a carefully choreographed set of moves she had used throughout the centuries to make herself look more benevolent. "I bring just those two examples of the many times our two nations have came to each other's aide. I could name off every drought, famine, plague, necromancer, practitioner of the foul arts and monster attacks that our two nations came to each other's aide, but then we'd be sitting in this room for another year...at least. Allow me to make an offer that I hope will be beneficial to both sides. Equestria will withdraw its forces twenty-five kilometers from the border if Zebrica will do the same." She slid a set of documents across the table. "If you agree to the withdrawal of forces, Equestria offers renewed treaties of mutual defense and alliance. In return we also offer mining rights to the Rubycon Ridge, farming and settling rights on the Golden Plains, and exclusive sea lane shipping rights to Baltimare, Manehattan and Neigh Orleans."

"[These are more than generous concessions. Accept the terms and allow this time of strife to fall behind us.]", Anga Inayong'aa said to her husband in Zebrabrayan.

Hatua ya Kukimbia rubbed his chin for a moment and Celestia allowed a small grin to spread on her lips. This was the concessions that would put all this foolishness behind them, sure Equestria would lose a little land and wealthy merchants in the coastal cities would whine in her ear for a while about losing some money, but that would be far better than to hear the lamenting of spouses and foals as their loved ones came home in boxes. Those hopes were dashed when Maneo Laini, the king's prime minister and seneschal whispered in his ear and twisted his fingers in an odd pattern.

The king's eyes glazed over for a second. "Though your offer for mining, farming, settling and shipping rights are generous, you offer nothing Zebrica does not already have."

Celestia stared straight at the kings' seneschal while she listened to Hatua ya Kukimibia. Internally focusing her magic, she shifted her vision so she could focus on the auras of all in the room. Strange waves pulsed off of Maneo Laini and an odd shadow loomed over his right shoulder, tendrils came from it and surrounded the king's head. The shadow retreated and hid when it saw her looking at it. She gave a few subtle gestures to Luna in the ancient Marelympian finger-speak. 'Watch the seneschal. I believe he is using forbidden arts to play the king against us.'

Hatua ya Kukimia continued, "We will sign your treaty if you agree to one of my two counteroffers."

"Name them and if it is within my power, I will grant them.", Celestia said in a guarded tone.

The king held up one finger. "Hand over but one piece of your famous super-weapon, the Elements of Harmony."

"Unfortunately that is not within my power to do so. Each element has their own will and are bound to the Spirit of Harmony and to its wielder's soul until either they pass away or it chooses to abandon them. If another tries to use an element without being its wielder, the best one could hope for is that it does nothing.", Celestia replied.

"Plus the elements had to be returned to the Tree of Harmony to contain Discord's plunderseed vines or else they would have consumed the whole world.", Twilight replied. "Nopony can take from the tree without its consent."

"Very well.", the Zebrican king said in a conciliatory tone. He then turned to Cadance and held up a second finger. "Then I ask that Princess Mi Amore Cadenza wed herself to my son and heir apparent, Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu."

"Unfortunately that is something I cannot do.", Cadance replied. "As a princess of Equestria my oath states that it is my solemn duty to protect all the ponies of Equestria by whatever means. If I were only a princess of Equestria, then I would strongly consider it. However, I am also Empress of the Empire of Crystals and the Frozen North, the only rightful and currently living, well breathing, heir to the most ancient Empress Mi Amore, may her shards be found so she can rest among her subjects. I am also the Guardian of the Crystal Heart, Warden of Light and Keeper of Love. I cannot abandon my empire. Not only would it set a bad precedent for my subjects, it would allow sorrow and darkness to seep into the hearts of the crystal ponies. I am also marries to Prince-Consort of Equestria and Emperor-Consort of the Empire of Crystals and the Frozen North, Shining Armor. Though your son is a handsome stallion and I am quite sure he will make for a fine ruler of Zebrica one day, I am sorry, but I have to decline."

High King Hatua ya Kukimbiba quickly rose to his and slammed his fists on the table. "You alicorns speak of peace and friendship, but I see you for what you are! Snakes in the undergrowth and lions in the tall grass! You use honeyed words to poison the minds and souls of all those around! Why?! So you can steal power meant for the gods! Hear me Equestria! Rise up! Rise up! Rise up! Overthrow these tyrants who lord over as if they are gods and Zebrica will be there to come to your aide! Ninakuhukumu kwa moto wa laana![I condemn you to the fires of damnation!]"

"[Husband, have you taken leave of your senses?!]" "[Father! No! Do not do this! Do not pour poison into the wellspring of friendship!]"

"You ponies think the Sun and Moon witches are gods! They are not! They are demons in a fair guise! They have condemned you all!"

Voices from all sides of the table rose in a din as each side attempted to shout over the other. Royal, Crystal and Zebra guards moved into position, moving hands to weapons, preparing to pull their respective leaders to safety...and if necessary, fight and die for them. Ponies and zebras gestured wildly as they shouted back and forth. Guards jockeyed into position as their armor clatter on their forms. Celestia and Luna prepared spells to freeze Maneo Laini in place, but lost track of him among the clamor until he exited a door on the far side of the room.

Twilight tried to get the peace talks back on track but her voice was lost in the din. Anger swelled within her chest and she summoned the Royal Canterlot Voice. "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPP!" The power of the Voice washed over all in the room, causing all gathered to sway in place, then freeze, it echoed across the city like thunder, momentarily causing everypony in Canterlot to stop in place before continuing about their business as usual.

"We came here to prevent a war, but instead of talking like civilized equines, we're trying to shout over one another and start a war!", Twilight shouted in her normal voice. "Why?! Because my sister-in-law, a mare who is already married, respectfully turned down your demands!" She slammed her fist down on the table and cracks spider webbed from the impact. Stopping what she was saying, she lifted her fist and stared at the table in shock and a little bit of shame. In her anger she had momentarily forgotten her own strength.

The High King of Zenrica glared at the lavender alicorn. "You dare! You dare! YOU D--"

"[You will be quiet now!]", High Queen Anga Inayong'aa sharply snapped at her husband. "[It is clear as the mane on my head that you have taken leave of your senses!]"

"[This is treason!]", Hatua ya Kukimbiba exclaimed angrily. "[No mare is allowed to speak to the High King in such a manner! It is clear that lavender witch has cast a spell over you!]"

"[I said you will be quiet now!]", Anga Inayong'aa snapped back. "[I am not just 'some mare'! I am the current Pharaoh of the City of Alexzebria, I am the High Shamaness of the Endless Savannahs, I am the High Priestess and current Incarnation of the Goddess Ma'at! I am not some mere mare! I am the very wellspring that the power of your throne flows from! Half of Zebrica recognizes me as their rightful ruler! If you think a still wet behind the ears alicorn can overpower my mind, then whatever malady that has been plaguing you for the last decade has finally robbed you of your common sense. I am not trying to usurp you, my beloved. But you will be quiet, either by your own volition, or...]" She raised her hand and hooked her fingers into a claw. Translucent, wispy, silvery tendrils rose from the floor and sprouted hands. "[I will personally grab your tongue!]"

With a huff the king plopped down in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

The queen gave a pleased smirk and dispelled the tendrils. She turned to face Twilight.

The king glared at the back of his wife and softly grumbled, "[We will tal--athththak]" A shocked look exploded on his face as a translucent silver tendril grabbed his tongue, pulling it from his mouth.

*snrk* Twilight tried and failed to suppress a snicker. The king looked silly with tongue sticking out of his mouth as a wispy tendril grasped it.

"Many much apologies to be having. My Ponish is poor.", Anga Inayong'aa said. "I must also give many much apologizing for my...uh, my...[Fuck! What's the word?] Hand, ring, promise, love?"

"Marriage? Husband?", Twilight asked.

"Ah, yes, many much appreciate! I give many much apologizings for my marriage-husband. He has had much sick for...", she held up ten fingers. "This many cycles of wet and no-wet. It get more bad when he close looking orbs. He often be awakening with fear-yell. Speeching about thing that look like pony in no-light but has big teeth like...uh...like big predator that hide in grass the color of sunlight."

"Hold on just a minute. I think I know a spell that can help us." Twilight lit her horn and with a small glimmer of light, she cast an interpretation spell. "There, that should help us understand each other better. Just speak like you normally would."

"Did you just cast a spell to teach yourself Zebrabrayan?"

"No. It's a basic interpretation matrix. The spell allows those who have it cast on them to better communicate when they don't speak the same language."

"Fascinating! You will have to teach me that some day."

"It's a simple variation off of the spell the famous unicorn philosopher and scientist Haycartes developed for reading his own coded journals because he kept forgetting the cyphers he developed."

Anga Inayong'aa tittered. "It looks like Zebrica isn't the only nation to have its own scatterbrained geniuses." She cleared her throat and slipped her diplomatic mask on. "You stopped all this unproductive shouting that would have driven our nations into war, and for that I thank you." She dipped her head to Twilight in a small bow. "I am High Queen Anga Inayong'aa, High Shamaness of the Endless Savannahs, the current Pharaoh of Alexzebria, High Priestess and current Incarnation of the Goddess Ma'at, and the Wellspring of the High Throne of Zebrica.  Might I have your name?"

"Sure! It's Twilight."

"Your full name and titles please."

"Oh, um...*ahem*, Twilight Velvet Sparkle the fifth of the conjoined Twilight Clans of Manehattan and Canterlot.  Third Chair Mage of the Solar Court. High Enchanter of the Lunar Court. Princess of Friendship. Banisher of Nightmare Moon. Spoiler of the Changelings. Pickler of the Ursa Minor. Viscountess of Snowflakes. Defeater of Discord Howling-at-the-Moon. Imprisoner of Lord Tirek the Betrayer. Defender of Equestria. Savior of the Humans. Slayer of Sirens...though it was Sunset who defeated the sirens and she shattered their mystical amulets. Uuuum....Duchess of the Everfree. Guardian of Ponyville. Squire of Spike, the Brave and Glorious of the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North." Twilight muttered off the titles she had named so far. "Uh...oh yeah! Personal protege of High Princess Celestia. Personal friend of High Princess Luna. And Head Supervisor of the Ponyville Winter Wrap-up. Other than a few dozen other largely ceremonial titles, I think that's about it."

Anga Inayong'aa's jaw dropped as she gaped in surprise. "Wait, you're the Twilight Sparkle?!"

"Uh...yes?"

The zebra queen placed a hand to her heart and extended it to Twilight. "Your exploits are known far and wide! Without your action, the chaos-maker and the magic-eater would have wrought much destruction upon the world. Ask any boon of me and I will make it so."

Twilight sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. "I...uh...heh...thanks...I guess? What I want is a way to prevent this stupid war from happening."

Anga Inayong'aa dipped her head in a small respectful bow. "It is good for a leader to put the needs of their subjects before their own. Now that my husband has had enough time to cool his hooves and think over what he has said..." She turned and faced the king. "[You have had time to think about what you've said and are very sorry, right?]"

Hatua ya Kukimbiba nodded his head and hummed in the affirmative.


"[Good! Now you can start by apologizing for the things you said.]" With a flick of her finger, the queen dispelled the tendril that was holding her husband's tongue.

High King Hatua ya Kukimbiba worked his jaw to get the feeling back in it. "[Why does your tendril tastes like mummia powder? You know what? Forget I asked.] *ahem* I offer innumerable apologies. My outbursts were inexcusable and I have brought much shame on myself, my household and the great nation of Zebrica. As my wife said, I have been unwell, but that is no excuse for my behavior."

"Apology accepted and all is forgiven.", Celestia said.

Hatua ya Kukimbiba nodded. "That leaves the impasse in our negotiations. Zebrica has no need for mining or farming concessions. Like Equestria, we are a wealthy and powerful nation. As for the sea lane trading concessions, the High King and his household are forbidden by Zebrican law to negotiate those without the prime minister and seneschal present...who currently appears to be absent. Then that leaves the final part to the impasse, asking for the hand of an Equestrian princess to marry my eldest son and heir apparent. My humble apologies to you, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Even Zebrica honors the sacred vows of wedlock. There are no suitable brides in Zebrican royalty as all their daughters have been promised in wedlock to other nobles and in order for my son to maintain his title, he must marry nobility. We ask Equestria to offer one of their unpromised noble mares' hand in marriage to my son."

"Do they have to be noble born or can they be noble by royal declaration?", Twilight asked.

Hatua ya Kukimbiba leaned over to his wife and the two of them whispered back and forth. "Noble birth is most preferred, but receiving nobility through other legitimate means is acceptable."

Celestia gave Twilight a concerned look and when she was about to speak up, Twilight stated, "I'll do it."

"WHAT?!", the Equestrian and Zebrican nobility around the table exclaimed at the same time.

"I said I'll do it. I'll pledge myself to your son if it'll prevent this stupid war. I wasn't born noble, but was given by official declaration of two noble titles and noble status by Princess Celestia when she declared me and crowned me Princess of Friendship and Dutchess of the Everfree, and the title Viscountess of Snowflakes by Princess Cadance. I have all of the authority, privileges and duties those titles afford."

"Do you still have your maidenhead?", Hatua ya Kukimbiba asked.

"What in the world is a maidenhead?"

"Sex, Twilight. He means are you still a virgin?", Cadance spoke up. "As if that has anything to do with anything."

"It is very important. I must know that my son is treading where none have trod before, especially commoners."

"[Oh puh-lease. I have never lied to you about how many have, how you so inelegantly put it, others have trod before. I used to sneak out of the palace and have trysts with some fieldhands just to piss father off. By the Pit! I never heard you complain once about the number of times I snuck you into my quarters and we went at it like wild weasels. If father had caught you, he'd have had you flogged until you were black, white and red all over. The high priest would have had my scalp if he knew about the time I snuck you into a confessionary cell and let you stick it up my--]"

"[Now is not the time to talk about our exploits, beloved.]"

The queen rolled her eyes. "[Just come off of it already. Those old purity traditions fell away around the same time the Orthodoxy was dismantled because too many priests were caught doing things I will not speak here with the altercolts. What about the number of times you found our son's stash of Nasty Equestrian Mares in Heat magazines? I'd rather our son be with somezebra, or in this case somepony, who at least knows a little bit of what they're doing. They can't be anywhere as wild as you and I were when we were young and had yet to commit to our arrangement of betrothal."

"If you must know, I have had sex a couple of time before...not that it's anypony's, or in the case anyzebra's, business but my own and whomever I was with.", Twilight said nonplussed

Shining Armor stuck his fingers in his ears. "La-la-la! I don't want to hear about my sister having sex! La-la-la!"

Cadance pulled her husband's fingers from his ears. "Don't go acting like a prude. Twilight is a grown mare and has the right to do with her body however she wants with whomever she wants. How many times when your parents were away did you bend me over your--"

*ahem-hem-hem-hem* Celestia loudly cleared her throat, interrupting the conversations that had drifted onto more lewd topics. "I feel we have allowed the talks to get derailed by conversations of a bawdy nature. High King Hatua ya Kukimbiba, please continue."

Hatua ya Kukimbiba cleared his throat. "Your beauty is evident and a stallion would be a fool or blind to not see that. But it takes more than beauty to wed into the royal family of Zebrica. What do you have to offer besides your beauty and your titles?"

"I have mastered all seventy-two circles of magic. I hold advanced degrees in applied magical physics, mundane physics, Equestria history of the Pre-classical and Classical Eras, History of the Classical Eras of Griffonia and Zebrica. I am a master of Equestrian alchemy and a journeypone in Zebrican alchemy. I speak four languages, other than Ponish, fluently, Neighponese, Zegyptian, Germane and Roamin. I also have a passing familiarity in twenty other languages, High-land Zebric is the most prudent in this situation. I am the third chair mage for the Solar Court. The High Enchanter of the Lunar Court. I have created five new circles of magic. And I am an alicorn." Twilight unfurled her wings to put emphasis on the last point.

Hatua ya Kukimbia held a whispered conversation with his wife. "We accept. We will draw up the paperwork and this time next week you shall be promised to my son and heir, Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu. Please ensure your parents or other family elders are in attendance so they can be compensated with the standard dowry of thirty hoofs in gold or the identical value in whatever goods they prefer."

"D-d-dowry?!"





Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts when the train's engine let out several long peals of its whistle, signalling that they were nearing the last of the checkpoints before crossing the border into Zebrica. Getting up from her seat, she retrieved  the brown paper wrapped parcel that had been sent to her a few weeks ago and walked back to the lavatory to change.

Several minutes later Twilight emerged from the lavatory wearing the traditional robes of Zebrican nobility, with bold striped patterns of maroon, gold, silver and tan. To her wrists she affixed a pair of gold bangles, the traditional symbol of a Zebrican mare who was betrothed. She affixed a headdress that had the same colors and patterns as the robes to her head.

With a squeal of brakes, the train began slowing down, a four kilometer process, so that it could safely stop at the hastily constructed platform that had been built a kilometer past the border.

Twilight took the slowing period to say her goodbyes to her friends and family.

"Applejack, Ponyville's back in your family's hands now. Keep our friends' hooves firmly on the ground and their heads on straight."

"Shucks, sugarcube...*snff* Ah'll do my best. You'll always have a place tah stay at Sweet Apple Acres no matter what, e'en if'n now yer gon' be a high fallutin' zebra princess. *snff*"

"Rainb, always fly high and fast. I want to see your rainboom at my wedding."

Rainbow dash tried to reply, but instead fell to her knees as she broke down into a blubbering mess.

"Fluttershy, you've grown so much since I first met you and know that you've been a real inspiration for me."

Fluttershy said nothing as she hugged her friend tight.

"Darling, you must allow me to make a proper wedding gown for you and a striking ensemble for your husband on your wedding day."

"My wedding isn't for a year, Rarity. I will ask them though."

"They had better. I will make something so beautiful that when all the zebras look upon it, they will weep in both joy and jealousy!"

"That I am quite sure of!"

Twilight went to speak to Pinkie Pie, but found her words cut off as the pink pony squeezed the air out of her. "Pinkie...I can't breathe!", she squeaked out. Once she was released from the super-tight Pie family hug(copyright and trademark pending), she spoke to her friend, "Pinkie, never forget how to bring joy and happiness to others as you have brought to me."

"Spike, the castle is now yours. Make sure you keep everypony on the straight and narrow."

"W-will I s-see you again, T-Twilight?", the dragon asked, tears welling in his eyes.

"Of course! I wouldn't be the mare I am today without my baby brother and number one assistant."

Twilight shared a combined hug with Cadance and Shining Armor, the latter of which had his eyes clenched shut and his lips curled in to prevent himself from crying.

"Cady, Shiny, I hope to see lots of pictures of your foal when its born. Thank you for being the best BBBFF there can be! Thank you Cadance for being the best foalsitter and sister-in-law ever!"

She moved on to her parents.

"Mom, dad. I never said it enough. Thank you both for being such good parents!"

"There's no need to thank us.", Night Light said. "We knew you loved us, no matter what. Just seeing you succeed and being the best pony you can be makes us more proud than we can say."

"You just keep being the best pony you can be.", Velvet said. "But now I've got twelve quarter ton bins of spinels to figure out what to do with. I simply complemented that zebra queen on her jewelry and next thing I know there was an invoice in my name saying that there's four tons of those gems that had been delivered to a royal warehouse as a dowry."

Twilight moved to Luna. The two mares said nothing as they shared a tearful hug.

Twilight moved to Celestia. Before she could say anything, the alicorn of the Sun enveloped her in a big bear hug. "There is nothing you need to say, Twilight. Time and again you have proven yourself to myself and Equestria. You have proven yourself why you are the best of us all and have made yourself an example for everypony to follow."

Separating from the hug with her teacher and first friend, Twilight dried her eyes as the train slowed to a stop. A small contingent of guards gathered up behind her.

As the doors slid open, Rainbow shouted, "SSSSSSSTTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPP!"

Twilight turned to look at her friend and was almost knocked off of her hooves when the blue pegasus glomped onto her. She was knocked flat onto her back as four more bodies joined the glomp and formed a pony pile.

After several minutes the guards were able to break up the pony pile and pull Twilight to her hooves. A blush colored her cheeks as she looked at High King Hatua ya Kukimbia, High Queen Anga Inayong'aa and Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu, accompanied by their guard.

Twilight stepped onto the platform and prostrated herself before the High King and High Queen of Zebrica. "I, Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fifth of the conjoined Twilight Clans of Manehattan and Canterlot.  Third Chair Mage of the Solar Court. High Enchanter of the Lunar Court. Princess of Friendship. Banisher of Nightmare Moon. Spoiler of the Changelings. Pickler of the Ursa Minor. Viscountess of Snowflakes. Defeater of Discord Howling-at-the-Moon. Imprisoner of Lord Tirek the Betrayer. Defender of Equestria. Savior of the Humans. Slayer of Sirens, Duchess of the Everfree, Guardian of Ponyville. Squire of Spike, the Brave and Glorious of the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North, Personal protege of High Princess Celestia. Personal friend of High Princess Luna, and Head Supervisor of the Ponyville Winter Wrap-up hereby submit myself before the High King and High Queen of Zebrica to honor my agreement of betrothal. I hope to meet your approval."

Hatua ya Kukimbia waved his hand over Twilight. "Arise and be welcomed into my household. We leave within the hour for the capitol city where you will meet your soon-to-be subject and tonight we feast. Eat well to your fill, for in the morn, you shalt depart with my wife to Alexzebria to train to be a proper noble zebra-bride. But first..." He gestured to a gurard, who in turn raised a flare gun and pointed it skyward. With a pop, hiss and crackle, a flare shot upwards, leaving a trail of green smoke in its wake, a minute later it exploded high in the air creating a large starburst of green smoke.

The Equestrian Royal Guard that accompanied Twilight fired a similar flare, only blue in color.

Moments later dozens of smoke flares of all colors exploded high in the air from military formations on both sides of the border, signalling they had seen the signals and were pulling back to the agreed upon distance.


***


Twilight, upon reaching the city with the Zebrican royal family, was transferred to a special gilded square chariot, alongside her husband-to-be, that was pulled by a pair of domesticated and specially trained rhinos.

Specially trained guards that were disguised as zebra maidens stood in the lead, much more plain chariot. They kept an eye in every direction possible as they scattered handfuls of rose petals onto the ground.

As zebras shouted, cheered, whistled, stamped their hooves, jumped up and down, waved and prostrated themselves before the betrothed royal couple, Twilight and Mwana Nguvu waved to the crowd. Zebras standing in upper story windows and on rooftops tossed garlands of flowers, which the domesticated rhinos were all too happy to munch on a few as they plodded forward, and handfuls of saffron, cinnamon and other spices. Occasionally groups of zebra foal would run up to the chariot holding necklaces beaded with amber, accompanying guards or their parents would lift the foals up and they would drape the amber beaded necklaces around the necks of the royal couple.

From a high window in the royal palace Maneo Laini glared down at the betrothed couple. Black thoughts whirled around in his head as he glared at the lavender alicorn. She dares to interfere with my plans again. No matter. Twilight Sparkle will lay at my hooves broken and begging for her life. She will know true suffering as she sees me descend the whole world into darkness. You may have bested me once, but know this, bastard princess of Equestria, your nightmares will come true.[/] As he turned away from the window, a shadowy reflection stayed in the window a moment longer. Turquoise, cat-like eyes seemed to glare down at the couple before slipping out of sight.
> First assassination attempt
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For months Twilight had been training in all things zebra nobility. Being an astute student and many times over accomplished scholar, she breezed through the classroom-style learning of Zebrabrayan, Zebrican history of the last one thousand years and how to be a proper Zebrican noble. She also trained extensively in traditional and modern martial arts both with traditional zebra weapons, like the short-handled spear, the wedge-axe, the sickle throwing blade and the long thrusting spear, which was almost exactly the same as the ceremonial Canterlotian longspear, just with a shorter and narrower blade, along with modern Zebrican weaons, such as the selective fire rifle, which took a little longer learn as Equestria only used lever action rifles as their military heavily relied on unicorns who preferred to use their own magic at range and short swords if the enemy closed ranks, and pegasi who used their flight to soar over enemy ranks to get above enemy commanders or other important targets, and fire down on them from on high or use their weather magic to create from the tops of clouds ice javelins or large, heavy hailstones to hurl at or drop on their targets, or if no clouds were available, use the old tried and true tactic of swooping down onto their targets, snatch them up, rapidly ascend to a high altitude and drop them, earth ponies were the only Equestrian troops to regularly use lever action rifles.

Currently Twilight was standing in the middle of a fighting ring, which was a simple circle, two meters across, drawn in the dirt. In her left hand she clutched the grip of an oval-shaped shield made of woven reeds. In her right hand she held a slender fighting stick. Today she was preparing to test her mettle against one of Zebrica's best stick fighters. The only clothing she wore was a simple loincloth as in traditional stick fight combatants wore very little, some opting to forego any clothing altogether. Attached to the cord that served as a belt for the loincloth were a series of pouches that were filled with olive oil mixed with colored chalk, meant to serve as a stand-in for the toxic herbs ancient Zebrican warriors would spit into the faces of enemies. Stick fighters in traditional matches wore little or nothing at all as a way to show their opponents they had nothing to protect them from blows and as a way to honor their ancestors who would shed their armor and clothes when fighting duels to show off their battle scars and stripes fully.

On a raised dais, High Queen Anga Inayong'aa presided over the match. Nearby stood an ancient zebra mare whose mane had almost entirely turned white and stripes had lost much of their luster, named Anansi. The old mare mare had been Twilight's trainer and had not taken it easy when training the lavender alicorn. Twilight rubbed at her cheek, neck and shoulders at the memories of receiving some pretty nasty welts from fighting sticks when she dropped her guard during training.

From a nearby hut an absolutely massive zebra mare strode out. Her name was Tumba and she glared at Twilight with a sense of superiority. Tumba wore an elaborate multicolored robe with a matching headdress that draped over her shoulders and fluttered with each step that covered her mane. At her sides were two teenage zebra fillies who wore simple white flowing togas with matching headdresses, they carried a wicker shield and fighting stick for the larger mare.

Tumba strode to the edge of the circle and pulled off her headdress, allowing her braided man to fall free. Beads of ebony wood, sea shells and gold kept the braids from unravelling. The zebra mare then peeled off her robe, revealing her heavily muscled and naked form, wearing only a cord with several pouches hanging from it. The mare's body was covered in black and white handprints, signifying the number of victories she had won, white for opponents who had submitted or surrendered and black for opponents who had been knocked out or otherwise unable to stand, along with dozens of red stripes painted on her fur signifying the number of time she had drawn first blood in a match.

Tumba paused at the edge of the ring, pressed her forehead to the foreheads to the two teen fillies, shared a quick embrace and kiss before taking her fighting stick and wicker shield.

Twilight mentally noted that these two fillies must be family of the mountain of a mare.

Tumba stepped into the circle and raised her shield and stick high over her head.

The crowd cheered and chanted, "Tumba! Tumba! Tumba! Tumba!"

As the massive zebra mare turned in circles, waving her shield and stick to further spur the adoration of the crowd on. Twilight silently observed her opponent. Her time as the personal protege of Princess Celestia was more than just magic and scholarly training, though both did take up much of her time under the solar princess, Celestia extensively put her through strength and endurance training, plus various martial arts training while her magic was restrained. "You will not always be in a situation where you can use your magic. In those situations, you must rely on the oldest tools a pony has, your hands, hooves and wits", she recalled her mentor telling her again and again during their training sessions. Twilight had modeled her build after her teacher, having a bit of pudge that covered and disguised her muscles, though in Twilight's case it was more because she spent more hours reading at a desk than running laps on a track, and in Celestia's case it was because of her propensity to indulge her sweet tooth.

With a gesture, Tumba silenced the crowd. "High Queen Anga Inayong'aa, I dedicate this victory to you!"

The High Queen said nothing, but simply raised her left hand with three fingers extended.

A tall platform was brought out and set up a meter from the ring. Anansi scaled to the top of the platform and raised her right hand.

"No escape!", Tumba shouted. "I invoke the rule of no escape! If I am to face this soft northerner, then I want her to have no means of fleeing." She then pointed her fighting stick at Twilight.  "Surrender now, soft pony, or face the sting of my wood!"

Ananasi gestured with her left hand. Zebras gathered up around the ring, forming a wall with their bodies and wicker shield. They readied fighting sticks. "No escape has been invoked!", Anansi proclaimed with a loud voice. "If either combatant tries to flee or is shoved into the crowd, they will be beaten with fighting sticks until they return to the fight. The rules of the fight are the same as always, face your opponent with honor, the fight goes without stopping until one combatant submits by tapping their hand on the ground at least three times, surrenders by dropping to their knees and casting their shield and stick aside, or by being rendered unconscious or otherwise unable to stand on the hooves." Anansi pointed a finger to the sky and waved her hand in a circle. Drums and flutes began to play, zebras stomped to the beat as they chanted and grunted in synchronicity. Tumba flipped her fighting stick around in a figure eight pattern as she began circling the ring. Twilight circled to keep the distance between herself and the massive mare, she lifted the wicker shield in front of her and readied her fighting stick.

For what felt like hours, but may have been closer to minutes, the two fighters circled one another. Tumba frothed as she champed her teeth in preparation for violence, her nostril flared as she snorted. Every few steps she stamped a hoof and drug it back, digging a shallow furrow in the dirt. Twilight fought back against ancient pony instincts as she got ready for violence, being an alicorn, she had to be extra on guard against her emotions lest they get out of hand, still she snorted, nickered and occasionally stamped a hoof.

Anansi lowered her hand and a zebra struck a gong signalling the match had officially started.

Tumba wasted no time and charged across across at Twilight. The crowd let out a loud cheer. As she swung her fighting stick down expecting to strike the pony on her shoulder, the zebra was surprised that it only struck ground.

Using her pegasus speed, Twilight deftly dodged out of the way, creating space between herself and the zebra.

Looking over, Tumba locked eyes on Twilight. This mare was fast. Tumba was a veteran stick fighting champion, she had spent twenty years facing against opponents in the ring, only taking time off when a short and skinny zebra stallion from the desert clans, named Hassan, had stolen her heart and she married him, and when she had gotten pregnant with their two daughters, Al-Gallib and Zeta. Many a stallion and mare had whispered many a harsh word for her choice of husband, what with her being a proud daughter of the Central Savannah clans. Zebras of the Central Savannah clans were taller and larger than the average zebra.

Tumba swung her fighting stick back and forth in a wide arc, not allowing Twilight a chance to plant her hooves and corralling her. In all her years she had wanted to face an alicorn in the ring to test their mettle and jumped at the chance to battle Twilight. Tumba had faced many opponents over the years, and as she had gotten older, she had slowed a bit. Yes alicorns were much faster, but Twilight was half her age, and that meant she lacked experience, something Tumba could exploit.

Twilight watched Tumba as the mare closed in on her, swinging her fighting stick in wide arcs. She began to slowly circle away from the large zebra mare, using her shield to deflect blows. She saw that the zebra was deliberately corralling her and decided to allow herself to be corralled. She remembered a series of lessons Celestia had taught her. Experience counts for much, but sometimes pride and vanity can cloud the judgement that experience brings. When you find your opponent is laying a trap, sometimes the best way to counter the trap is to be in the middle of it. Always stand where you have the strength and make your opponent come to you. Make your opponent face you on your terms, never theirs So Twilight baited Tumba forward by falling back to the edge of the ring where the zebra was corralling her.

Tumba grinned as Twilight fought defensively, ducking behind her shield and circling away to the edge of the ring. She also knew better than to get over confident, not only had she won fights by baiting in much faster, stronger or more experienced fighters by making them grow overconfident, but had also been baited in by smaller and much less experienced opponent. She prepared a counter-trap just in case she was being baited in. She had seen firsthand how fast an alicorn can be and had heard rumors on how strong they can be, so the loosened up her shield arm in preparation to drop her shield and grapple with the purple pony if she tried to outrun her or quickly grab a pinch of the oily chalk and spit it in the pony's face if she rushed her.

Twilight weighed her options as she observed her opponent. Tumba was loosening up her shield arm. Twilight could try to use her greater speed to get out of the trap and attack, but that would leave her open to a grapple, she could use her speed to close the distance and attack, but that would leave her open to getting punched in the snout or getting some of that oily chalk spat in her face. Strength it was then. She would wait for the attack, then use her earth pony strength to block the attack then counter strike.

As Twilight waited for Tumba to attack, she caught something to her left in her peripheral vision that was out of place, a silvery glint. She darted her eyes to the side and saw a hand clutching a curved dagger slip behind the wall of striped bodies and wicker shields. Metal weapons were expressly forbidden from stick fighting matches, there had been instances in the past where members of the crowd had attacked other members of the crowd or even fighters in the ring because they got overexcited or because they grew angry with what was going, so possessing a metal weapon during a stick fighting match was something that was not only expressly forbidden, but was also illegal by Zebrican law. It was standard practice for over three centuries to check any metal weapons with the guards when attending a stick fight in the event a zebra got over excited or grew angry or simply had too much to drink and decided to behave brashly. She didn't know if this zebra had forgotten to check their blade with a guard or if things were about to get very dangerous. She needed to get to the center of the ring in case somezebra decided to rush herself or her opponent.

Tumba saw Twilight dart her eyes to the side and interpreted it as the pony getting distracted by the noise of the crowd. She'd teach this alicorn the dangers of taking your eyes off of your opponent. She swung her fighting stick level with Twilight's cheek.

*clack*

Tumba's eyes went wide with surprise. Instead of the blow connecting with the pony's cheek that would have caused a nasty welt, Twilight had brought her own fighting stick up to block and redirect the blow.

Twilight thrust her fighting stick forward, catching Tumba in her right breast, causing the mare to yelp in a mixture of pain and surprise. She thrust again at the striped mare's face, causing her to duck away and swing her stick around in a defensive manner. Seeing her opening, Twilight took it. Ducking her head behind her wicker shield, she braced her right hand against the top of it and surged forward in a shield rush, just like Shining Armor had taught her.

Digging in deep with her earth pony strength, Twilight body checked Tumba and kicked out at the mare's left leg with her right hoof.

Tumba felt the air rush from her lungs as the alicorn body checked her. When the hoof connected with her left leg, sweeping it from under her, years of instinct kicked in and she let herself fall backwards, almost immediately shifting her weight up to her shoulders so she could roll away and back up to her hooves.

Twilight pressed the attack, holding the shield out in front of her as she struck out at the zebra's legs, forcing the mare to lower her shield to protect her limbs. With a short strike, she caught Tumba across the cheek.

With a stinging welt raising on her cheek, Tumba spun away from her attacker. There was a sting at her right wrist, forcing her to drop her fighting stick. She knew that Twilight had outplayed her and left her disarmed in front of the High Queen, the venerated stick fighting grand master and the entire crowd. She was impressed by Twilight's mettle and ingenuity. But at the same time her pride had taken a wound that demanded recompense.

Tumba took a breath. She disengaged from Twilight. Made space. Room to observe and think.

The crowd that had been just a second before stunned into silence were now cheering and chanting Twilight's name.

Tumba took a split second to observe Twilight. The lavender mare, while keeping an eye on her was also glancing around at the crowd. The zebra took a second to access what was going on. Was this panic? No. Here eyes and ears didn't show the signs of panic. Though zebras and ponies were different in many ways, they still had the same tells. Was she looking to the crowd for affirmation? No. When a fighter did this, they showed signs of cockiness and Twilight looked more laser focused. So what was it? Then it hit her, Twilight had seen something off, something that was potentially dangerous and was now looking for it. She saw it clear as day, Twilight stood in a commanding position in the center of the ring, in a position where a potential attacker could be seen coming.

Tumba wracked her brain, trying to see if there was something she missed. When Twilight was over by the edge of the ring, she had seen her darting her eyes, the lavender mare had seen something out of place and was watching for it, still is watching for it.

Like Equestria, Zebrica had its problems with organized crime syndicates, especially in larger cities. Tumba herself had about five years ago gotten on the bad side of a pony gangster who was working with zebra gangsters when she refused to take a fall for a match. When they came to "collect", she beat them all within a hair's breadth of their lives with a half-broken fighting stick.

There were also the occasional assassination attempts. Usually assassins were sent by nobles to other nobles to send a message, occasionally to kill a rival.

Tumba approached Twilight, who immediately took an aggressive stance. "Peace be upon you.", she said as she got close. Bracing her shield against Twilight's, she raised it to cover both of their mouths, grabbed the alicorn's mane, pulling her head in close. "You saw something when I had you over by the crowd, yes? Tell me, what was it you saw?"

"I saw a zebra's hand clutching a curved dagger." Twilight hooked a finger on her right hand in a 'J' shape, demonstrating the shape of the blade.

"A serpent's fang!", Tumba spat. "An honorless weapon for honorless curs! We must be on our guard! They usually come in no less than three in number. Let us continue our match and make it look like we're still trying to win while we wait for them to strike. You watch my flank and I watch yours, deal?"

This was not a criminal sybdicate looking to 'collect' a debt or a noble sending a message. No, this was an honest to not-so goodness attempt on somezebra's life.

"Deal!" Twiight took two steps back to allow Tumba to retrieve her fighting stick.

High Queen Anga Inayong'aa gestured a guard closer to her. "Something is amiss. Tumba is not one to civilly approach an opponent mid-match, especially after she had been disarmed. Choose three of your most sharp-eyed guards and have them make a quick round."

The guard gave a quick bow to the High Queen and hurriedly departed.

Twilight and Tumba traded blows and counter-blows as they circled one another, keeping an eye out for the assailants.

"They aren't showing themselves.", Twilight said between a series of attacks and counterattacks.

"We need to bait them in.", Tumba replied.

Tumba struck Twilight's fighting stick hard, snapping it in two. Twilight dropped her broken stick and grappled Tumba's arm. The two mares spun each other around the ring, trying to overpower the other. Tumba swept Twilight's legs from under her and the two rolled on the ground trying to best the other. They came to a stop at the edge of the ring, Twilight on top, giving  a convincing impression that she was trying to wrest the stick from Tumba's grasp.

The first assassin struck. Surging from the crowd, the zebra grasping the handle of the curved dagger in both hands raised it high over his head for a brutal downwards strike aimed at Twilight's neck. From where she lay, Tumba struck with her fighting stick at the assassin's knuckles, causing him to drop the blade. Rising to her hooves, Twilight struck out at the assassin's neck with a chop, sending his unconscious form unceremoniously crumpling to the ground.

There was a commotion in the crowd as a guard struggled with another assassin, a zebra mare. As the guard tried to wrestle her to the ground, she plunged her blade into his chest. Before she could withdraw her blade, a dozen zebras from the crowd descended on her, angered and outraged that a fellow zebra had shown dishonor by bringing a live blade to a stick fight, attacking her with fighting sticks. By the time the guards were able to break up the knot of angry zebras of who had taken out their wrath on one who would sully honorable combat, the mare was a battered, broken and bleeding mess, barely breathing.

A third and fourth assassin launched their attack at the same time, charging from the crowd with daggers held high. Tumba kipped up from the ground and swung her fighting stick with all of her might into the assassin's throat nearest her, a mare. Bright red blood poured from hre mouth as he stumbled to the ground, grasping futilely at their neck. Twilight grabbed the assassin's wrist nearest her, a mare, and quickly flipped her to the ground, knocking her out cold with a swift kick to the temple.

Tumba caught movement off to her side and saw another assassin leveling a handgun at Twilight. She threw down her shield and fighting stick as she charged at Twilight. She reached out her arms and tackled the alicorn aside.

*blam-blam-blam*

Tumba's eyes went wide as her pupils shrank to pinpoints. Three points of burning pain erupted across her back, driving the air from her lungs.

Twilight quickly caught Tumba in her arms, spun down to the ground and threw up a shield over them both. Bright red blood and mucus came out of the zebra mare's mouth and nose as she wheezed and gurgled. A spreading crimson pool from her back began to soak into the soil.

Tumba tried to speak, tried to tell Twilight to flee, but she couldn't get any air.

Al-Gallid and Zeta tried to rush to their mother's side, but a pair of guards tackled them to the ground and covered their bodies with their own just in case any assassins decided to get back at Tumba by attacking her daughters.

The assassin, seeing that he had failed to get his quarry, dropped the handgun and fled.

Twilight quickly cast a diagnosis spell. "Ssh! Ssh! don't try to speak. You've been hit in both lungs and they're collapsing.  Don't try to speak or move. I'm going to try to stop the bleeding and keep your lungs from collapsing."

using her magic, Twilight probed the zebra mare's lungs. She pushed the bullets back out their entrance wounds. Dropping the shield as she needed the focus, she began the delicate process of re-knitting the arteries in the zebra mare's lungs. Once she was satisfied that the zebra's lungs weren't going to fill with more blood, she closed the wounds in her lungs and created a weak field to force her lungs to expand.

The crowd gathered around and stared in amazement as Twilight worked to save Tumba's life.

Anga Inayong'aa refused to be evacuated and instead made her way down the dais and to Twilight's side. Guards scattered throughout the area to track down the assassin who had fled and search for any other co-conspirators. Anga Inayong'aa pointed to the unconscious assassins and snarled, "Take those curs to the local dungeon! I want to be personally present for their interrogation!"

Several zebra medics came with a stretcher and gently lifted Tumba onto it. Twilight went with them so she could maintain the field that was keeping the mare's lungs inflated.


***


Four later Twilight was an exhausted and anxious mess. Though she wasn't allowed into the operation room, that didn't stop her from pacing nervously in the hospital's waiting room. Zebra guards that had been stationed in the waiting room to protect Twilight shot unsure glances at one another, they didn't know what to do to help the lavender alicorn that was clearly on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Every possible worst case scenario played out in her head as she descended further and further into anxiety-induced delirium. She saw self-induced, anxiety-driven visions. She saw Tumba's fans angry at her rising up to strike her down. She saw Tumba's family cursing her name and spitting on her. She saw the royal family of Zebrica imprisoning her or banishing her or building a prison in the place they banished her to and then launching an invasion of Equestria.

Tumba's husband, Hassan, approached Twilight and she trembled, fearing the worst. He prostrated himself at her hooves, grasping her ankles and weeping. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for saving my wife's life!"

"Bwah?!"

"I just heard from the surgeon. She was just sent to the recovery room now. He said if it wasn't for your quick action, My sweet-sweet Tumba would have died! I owe you a debt of gratitude and my family owes you a life's debt! The door to my home is always open to you. Ask anything of me and I'll grant it to you. Nothing is too great or too small."

Twilight collapsed into a chair and practically melted out of it. Exhaustion hit her as it felt as if a great weight was lifted from her shoulders.

The doctor walked into the waiting room and cleared his throat. He offered a bow as he spoke. "Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fifth of Equestria, soon to be of Zebrica? Tumba is awake and has asked to speak with you."

Twilight stepped into the recovery room with small, uneven, unsure steps. "Tumba? Y-you asked for me?", she said softly in an unsure tone.

"Come closer.", Tumba said softly as she gestured with a hand. "Everything is still blurry and I'm seeing three of you. They must have given me the good drugs."

Twilight stepped to the bed and steely fingers on a striped hand griped her wrist. "I...uh, I've already talked to your husband."

"Did he already swear a life's debt?"

Twilight swallowed hard.

Tumba let out a weak chuckle then winced in pain. "Silly fool! Silly desert-dwelling fool! Silly desert-dwelling and incredibly handsome fool! Oh how I love him! He swore a life's debt before I could offer it. Feh! He's a clerk not a warrior!" She let out another chuckle. "Looks like I'll have to take up the debt, unless your life is ever threatened by reams of paperwork."

Twilight let a bitter chuckle slip from her lips. "You don't owe me anything. If anyone owes a life's debt, it's me who owes it. You saved me from that zebra with a pistol."

"Ah-ah-ah!", Tumba scolded as she waggled a finger at Twilight. "After I took the bullets meant for you, you could have fled to safety. Instead you stayed by my side and ensured I wouldn't die. Because you went above and beyond what honor called for, I owe you a debt of a life for a life, and until the very last drop of blood from my veins is spilled on the ground and the very last breath is forced from my lungs, I will not leave your side. As a daughter of Clan Atreu of the Central Savannahs, my oath is my bond. Today not only have you earned a life's debt from me, but you have earned the allegiance of my clan and the allegiance of every clan in the central Savannahs. Whoever those assassins worked for have just earned some powerful enemies."

Tumba took in a deep breath. "We never got to finish our match and my honor as champion dictates that we finish it."

"Here?! Now?!"

Tumba chuckled again. "No, silly pony. When I have healed and am strong again. Now send in my husband, I want some skinny loving."


***


Maneo Laini looked back and forth between a pair of mirrors made from onyx and polished to a high shine. Shown on them were not his reflections but the images of two zebras sitting in dungeon cells. Curling his lip in disgust, he cast some dust into a pair burning fire pots, making the flames blaze bright green. "Fools! Cowards! They didn't have the common sense to kill themselves when they woke up in a cell, and the one who fled...well no matter, all in good time." He began weaving two dolls in the likeness of the two zebras in the black mirrors.


"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Hoo-oh-ha-ha-ha!" A voice that sounded like ancient parchment being crinkled cackled. An ancient zebra hag shambled out of the shadows. Serpents and worms and other slithering things wriggle and writhed in her sparse hair. Cobwebs clung to her ragged black robes. Spiders and scorpions skittered in and out of her robes. As the light and shadows of the room danced across her form, her flesh took on a wispy, ethereal quality, giving occasional glimpses of her true form, an aged, almost mummified, almost skeletal wretch of a hag.

"Why do you come here, hag? Why do you bother my presence, thing banished from life and death? Why do you bring filth into this sanctum?"

The hag raised her arm, allowing the shadow of her hand to extend across Maneo Laini's face, revealing his true form as a black-furred pony that had turquoise cat-like eyes and a mouth full of sharp fangs. "Mind your tone. When I found you were but a shadow of your former self. You were just such a meager thing, such a tiny thing. Spitting curses at the lavender one who had ripped you from the lesser sister and stripped of all power. You were such a tiny, black mote when I found you and almost ate you. It was by my own wisdom that I saw you for what you are. It was by my own kindness that I fed you, let you suckle at my own breast, nursing you back to strength. It was by my own generosity that I gave you the body you now inhabit. Mind your manners and show respect, for what has been given to you can be taken back." She clenched her fist as she withdrew her shadow, giving a small demonstration of power.

Maneo Laini recoiled and clutched his chest. "Many apologies, Mchawi Mwovu wa Maeneo ya Weusi. I am in a foul mood this day. But that is no excuse for my manners, my mistress. I humbly beseech your forgiveness."

The hag unclenched her fist. "All is forgiven, this time. What puts your mind ill at ease, Little Shadow."

"Twilight Sparkle survived the assassins. Worse still, she has gained the debt of a great stick fighting champion and has most likely earned the fealty of their clan as well. And of the assassins who struck, two have been captured and one has fled. They didn't even have the courage to take their own lives. Now I must clean up their mess." Maneo Laini cast the two dolls he made in the likeness of the two zebras onto a nearby table.

The hag reached her hand out and let its shadow fall across one of the dolls. She clenched her fist. The zebra's image in the black mirror took on a horrified expression before blinking out. "There, I have claimed a small portion of the debt you owe me from that mare. I leave the other for you to reap your vengeance. As for the one who fled..." She flicked a finger. "You need not worry about him any longer. When he is found, living nightmares will have claimed his mind and will be on death's door by the time the High Queen's guards find him." She turned and began to shamble off into the darkness.

"Where are you going?"

"I go to claim my debt from the changing queen's mind. She thinks she can hide away from me by building her hive around the Black Stone Throne. She promised me the last heir of Mi Amore and failed to deliver. Now she thinks she is the master of the Demon-Emperor's throne and seeks to hide from me, when it was I whom showed her how to bend its secrets. There is also a unicorn mare who harbors much darkness in her heart bent towards the lavender one. Hopefully she is open to some deals. You focus on bending the mind and will of the High King for now and I promise you when the time is right, we will bring the lavender one low and parade her corpse as a trophy before the sisters.", the hag rasped before disappearing into the darkness.

Maneo Laini gave a small scoff. "Once I regain my full power, you'll regret not destroying me when you had the chance, you ancient wretch of a zebra." He wrapped a length of cord around the neck of the doll made in the likeness of the remaining zebra in the black mirror. Its eyes went wide and its hands went up to its neck before fading away.


***


High Queen Anga Inayong'aa scoffed in disgust as she looked over the pictures of the two assassins that had been locked away in a local dungeon after the guards found them dead. The first was found in a corner curled up in a fetal position, it was clear she had clawed at her face and head, hands still clutching her face and an expression of terror frozen on her features. The other was found his body still clutching at his throat and his eyes bugging out of their sockets, the breath obviously strangled out of him.  The autopsies on the corpses had turned up no internal or external injuries that would have caused their deaths, no drugs or poisons found in their systems. The queen knew from the descriptions what she was dealing with. These were the calling cards of an ancient shamaness who had listened to the whisperings of power from the darkness and struck deals with them for eternal life and power. In return she had been banished from life and death.

Years ago a potent shamaness and alchemist, named Zecora, had risked her very life and sanity to cast that wretch down into the depths of the pit. Zecora then claimed to start having visions of a tree calling out to her. Many had thought she had succumbed to insanity after dealing with such a black-soul'd beast. Most assumed she went on the long walk out into the wilderness like so many shamans of the Highland Range did when their minds succumbed. It was a real risk that every shaman of the High-Zebric risked as they were much more in touch with the spirits of the world. The High Queen knew that Zecora was not called to wander out into the wilderness like so many of her kith, but was instead called to the north, to Equestria, though she knew not if she still lived, nor where she currently resided.

Anga Inayong'aa slipped the photos into a folder and began putting information about this wretch into it. She started making multiple copies of the information. Several would be given to secret couriers and sent to Equestria, in the hopes that at least one would reach the hands of Celestia and Luna. Though it rubbed the High Queen's ego the wrong way, this hag not only managed to escape the depths of The Pit, but also obviously had co-conspirators and with the assassins obviously have been hired by the hag or through some middlezebra, it was obvious that if she was operating here in Zebrica, she possibly was operating withing Equestria too. Regardless of where she was and/or where she was operating out of, this hag was a threat to the whole world.

"Shadout!", Anga Inayong'aa called out in a loud voice.

Shadout, a young mare barely eighteen summers old and devoted acolyte to the ancient gods of Zegypt, entered into the High queen's chambers. "You called for me Pharaoh of Alexzebria, High Queen of Zebrica, High Shamaness of the Endless Savannahs and current incarnation of Ma'at?"

Anga Inayong'aa pushed the folder across her desk to the young mare. "In two months time I will be appointing you as the personal handmaiden of Twilight Sparkle. Study the documents within and inform Twilight Sparkle as needed. The hag has returned and is lurking somewhere. Keep your eyes sharp as assassins lurk and dark servants skulk. Trust only myself and Twilight Sparkle. If you spot anything out of the ordinary, come to me immediately."

"As I hear, I obey.", Shadout said as she retrieved the file, gave a deep bow and backed out of the room.





All across Zebrica zebras gathered around TV sets, radios or crowded into theaters. They watched the rematch between Tumba and Twilight that had been recorded in a secure location the day before.

It had been a month since Tumba had been near-fatally wounded. Her rapid recovery had been in no small part due to Twilight's quick intervention.

Twilight and Tumba circled one another around the ring as drums pounded out an intense beat and flutes played shrill, lilting tunes. The crash of a gong signaled the beginning of the match and the two closed on one another.

Twilight scored the first blow on Tumba's snout, causing a small crimson trickle to ooze out of the mare's nostril. Zebras across the land jumped to their hooves, some cheering, some booing. Loud chants of 'Twilight!' and 'Tumba!' erupted from the mouths of the zebras, each side trying to over power the other's in duels of voices.

The fight wore on. Both combatants had bright red welts on their bodies.

Fighting sticks broken twain and wicker shields heavily damaged, the two panting, frothing mares cast them aside. Now it was no longer an armed contest, but and unarmed brawl.

The two combatants pummeled one another with punches and kicks. Arms locked together, the two grappled and spun around the ring, trying to get the upper hand over the other.

Twilight gained the advantage. Planting her hooves, she flipped Tumba in a hip throw. Rolling with the throw, Tumba tightly grasped the lavender alicorn's as she sailed over her opponent's hip and drug the mare down with her.

Twilight and Tumba tumbled side-over-side on the floor as they each wrestled for dominance.

With a sharp forearm strike, Tumba momentarily stunned Twilight. Scrambling onto the alicorn's back, Tumba wrapped her arms around Twilight's neck.

Earth pony strength and endurance combined with alicorn might and resilience meant that Twilight wasn't down for the count yet. Getting her hooves under her as Tumba hung on, Twilight attempted to flip the zebra off of her. Tumba, being the more experienced fighter, hung on like a tick to a rhino's hide.

Twilight finding that she couldn't flip the zebra that was currently maintaining the chokehold, instead grabbed Tumba's thighs and fell backwards, using her weight along with her opponent's in a devastating slam.

With a loud wheeze, the air rushed out of Tumba and she loosened her hold. This gave Twilight the opening she needed. Prying the zebra's arms away, Twilight spun in place to get face to face with Tumba.

As Twilight grabbed Tumba's right arm to initiate a reverse-chicken wing, she found that she had fallen for Tumba's trap too late. Bringing up her legs, Tumba wrapped them around Twilight's neck and secured the alicorn's left arm with her left.

Caught in the triangle choke, Twilight tried to lift her opponent off the ground. Every time she attempted to lift the zebra, the striped mare's weight made the hold tighter.

Twilight struggled to escape the locked-in hold. Her legs trembled and her knees buckled. Twilight slapped the floor of the ring three times. The match was over. Tumba released the hold, allowing Twilight to fall to the floor.

All across the land, zebras that had gathered around TVs, radios or in theaters leapt to their hooves and cheered, chanting Tumba's name over and over. They cheered even louder when the two combatants embraced one another in a show of good and congratulatory sportszebraship.

This victory would earn Tumba another white handprint, because Twilight had drawn first blood, she earned a red stripe.

Many zebras speculated if their betrothed princess would continue stick fighting.


***


Twilight and Tumba sat together in Tumba's home, sipping at a skin filled with strong Zebrican milk-wine. The air in the home was filled with the strong fumes of ointment that they had rubbed on their own and each other's aching joints and healing welts and bruises.

"I ache in places I didn't think I could ache.", Twilight said after removing the tube of the skin from her mouth and offering it to Tumba. Her head was spinning from the strong drink.

Tumba took the skin from Twilight, placed the tube between her lips. After taking several swallows, she said, "It's all part of the experience." She glanced around the room at the several  empty skins, then to the neighboring room where her husband and her daughters were gathered in front of the TV. She then passed the skin back to Twilight.

The shouts coming from the TV room, accompanied by a chorus of shouts from across the village signified the match had ended.

Tumba chuckled as she patted Twilight on the thigh. "Sounds like the fight is over and Hassan is ready to celebrate. Try not to stay up too late."

For several minutes Twilight sat on the couch. As she stretched her legs out to get comfortable, her serenity was interrupted by the sound of a bed squeaking and the braying cries of a zebra mare being rutted. Picking up the skin of milk-wine, she stepped out to the porch and sat on a wicker chair to enjoy the Zebrican night. She lifted the milk-wine skin to salute the now muffled sounds of the couple expressing their love for one another in a very physical way. "Here's to your you love.", she said in a slightly resentful tone. "I doubt there will be that much passion in my marital bed."

Twilight gave a halfhearted sigh just before downing the remains of the milk-wine.

*poke-poke-poke*

Twilight woke with a snort. She didn't realize that she had fallen asleep. "Ow!" She brought a hand to her temple as she shielded her eyes from the bright sun. It felt like Celestia, Luna and half of the Canterlot cloggers were dancing double time on her brain. She smacked and made a face in disgust. Her mouth tasted like how a timberwolf's breath smelled. Looking over she saw who poked her awake. "Uh...Zeta, right?"

The teen zebra filly nodded her head. "Mother said if you're hungry, breakfast is cooking."

"Thanks.", Twilight replied. "Tell your mother I'll be inside in a minute."

Twilight stumbled into the home made of bricks and mortar. The smells of curry, cinnamon and other spices went up her nose.

Tumba was standing in the kitchen, a robe of multiple colors draped across her muscular for, and an apron on top of it. She softly chanted out a rhythmic melody as she poured what looked like haycake batter onto a large griddle, only it held several dark seeds. She occasionally stopped to take a deep swallow of a dark liquid in a tall cup or stooped over to kiss her husband.

Hassan trotted over to Twilight, a light spring to his step, and shoved a tall-sided cup filled with a thick, dark liquid into her hands. "Here, this'll help with your head and wake you up."

Twilight sniffed the thick, dark liquid. The smell of coffee and spices filled her sinuses. She gave the cup a swirl, the coffee was thick, almost like a thin syrup, and it looked angry, if coffee could look angry. Not wanting to offend her hosts, she raised the cup to her lips and took a sip.

Twilight almost gagged on how strong the coffee was. It felt to her like the dark drink had just punched her in the back of the throat. "Kaff-kaff!" She could help but cough.

"Swallow, don't sip.", Tumba said. "Zebrican coffee is stronger that that brown water you ponies call coffee." The zebra mare  tipped her head back as she downed the last swallows of the thick, strong coffee. "Ah! Nothing like a good mellow morning blend after a night of drinking with a good friend and celebrating with your husband."

If this is mellow, I'd hate to see what strong is like. Bracing her self, Twilight held her breath, tipped her head back and downed the cup in several strong swallows.

"Good stuff, huh?", Hassan said as he slapped Twilight on the arm.

"Good stuff.", Twilight said with a wheeze. Almost immediately the intense rush of caffeine filled her body, it was stronger than what she was used to and she became acutely aware of her body waking up. Her bladder screamed at her with a strong pressure. She crossed her legs to fight against the pressure "I need to use the little filly's room."

Hassan clapped his hands. "Al-Gallib! Show our guest to the lavatory, please."

Twilight followed the oldest filly to the bathroom. Standing over the oval-shaped bowl that was the toiled, she squatted down and relieved her bladder. She had learned quickly when coming to Zebrica that they used squat toilets rather than water closets or outhouses like in Equestria. "Aaaaaaaahhhh!" Twilight let out a quavering sigh of relief as he bladder emptied. Instead of toilet paper or moistened rags, zebras used bidets, just like the Prench.

Twilight stood awkwardly over the bidet with one leg propped on it as the stream of water washed her clean, followed by short blast of hot air to dry her off. Stepping over to the sink, she washed her hands, then scooped up some water into her hand, slurped it into her mouth and swished it around, before spitting it back into the sink. She really wished she had brought a toothbrush. No matter, she brush her teeth after getting back to her room in Alexzebria.

Twilight walked back to the kitchen. She paused to look at a series of photos on the wall. The first photo was of Tumba and Hassan in wedding dress, the stallion only wore a loincloth, and the mare also wore a loincloth, along with dozens of necklaces of dark wooden beads of different sizes. Twilight had studied Zebrican marriage rituals, so she knew that when a couple married, they wore very little at the actual ceremony. It harkened back to a time when the zebras would publicly consummate their marriage shortly after the ceremony as it was believed it led to increased fertility between the married couple. For a moment she wondered if like back in Canterlot, if Zebrican nobility all gathered around the bed of a newly married noble couple to witness them consummate for the first time...that was really awkward after Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding party, and everypony except for Celestia and Luna looked really uncomfortable.

The next pictures were the usual family portraits. A couple very much in love standing in front of popular honeymoon locations, only in Zebrica instead of Equestria, so no pictures of Horseshoe Falls or City of Lights or The Golden Canyon in the background. There were pictures of Tumba with a gravid belly and Hassan lovingly embracing her, the shorter and skinnier stallion looking almost comical next to the taller and muscular wife. There were pictures of the mare and stallion holding a yearling foal and a newly born foal. The usual pictures of zebra fillies giving broad, almost comically over-large snaggle-toothed smiles.

Twilight looked over the photos. Though she was still learning to read Zebrican, she was able to discern the dates. Al-Gallid, the oldest, was born twelve years after Tumba and Hassan were married. Zeta had been born about a year after that.

"There you are. You were gone a long time and I thought you might be having problems, so I came to see if you needed help.", Tumba said, causing Twilight to nearly jump out of her fur in shock.

"Oh...Uh...heh! Uh, sorry", Twilight apologized. "I had finished up in the bathroom and was on my way back to the kitchen when I saw your family photos. You love each other very much, don't you?"

A small smile crept onto Tumba's lips. "When I first met Hassan, I initially didn't think much of him. He was a skinny and awkward stallion. However he was the first stallion I had come across who wasn't trying to lure me to his bed because of my celebrity or because they wanted strong foals for heirs. He simply wanted to sit down with me at a coffee parlor and sip some coffee because he didn't want to sit by himself. He wasn't intimidated by my size or overcome by my fame, he just wanted somezebra to sit with, sip some coffee and have a conversation, and that intrigued me. Soon after we became fast friends and every time I came back here to his hometown, I'd look forward to sipping coffe and talking with my friend. Things went on like that for two years then one day when I arrived at our usual parlor, he was early. The poor stallion was a ball of nerves and shivering like a scared kitten." She gave a wistful chuckle ran her finger along her wedding photo. "He got down on both knees, presented me with a pair of gold bracelets and professed his undying love for me. Needless to say I was knocked off of my two hooves and just like that, that skinny file clerk had stolen my heart, not some tall and muscular warrior from the Central Savannahs or some gourd-bellied merchant who had wealth dripping off of them, a skinny, spindly little clerk. We've had our share of problems, sometimes we shouted and screamed at each other, sometimes we got so mad at each other that we sometimes momentarily forget we love each other. Sometimes I'd kick him out of the bedroom and make him sleep on the couch, sometimes it was me that wound up on that couch. But we'd always remember that we love each other."

Tears stung Twilight's eyes and bitterness crept into her heart. She turned away from the family portraits on the wall and looked down the hallway, pausing to listen to the sounds of the house. "I guess I will never know love like that.", she said, her voice mirroring the bitterness she felt in her heart.

Tumba stepped next to the lavender mare and wrapped a muscular around her shoulder. "Mother and father were from enemy clans who hated each other for so long none could remember what slight had transpired, only the hate. Every generation or two tempers would boil over and our two clans would get into bloody conflicts. Over the centuries as technology changed, we went from stabbing at one another with spears and hacking one another with axes to shooting one another with rifles, always with the same results, mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters would come home, their bodies in boxes, many times their bodies mangled beyond recognition. Things went on like that for almost four centuries until forty years ago when members of the two clans crossed paths in one of the bazaars in the capitol of the Central Savannahs, Savannah City. Nozebra really knows what happened to trigger the firefight, but all agree about what happened. For thirty seconds the bazaar exploded in a firefight, three zebras from mother's clan and four from father's clan lay dead, along with one hundred bystanders who had nothing to do with the firefight, among the dead were ten foals. The old High King and High Queen marched down to the Central Savannahs, along with three full brigades of soldiers. The old High King confronted the elders of both clans and said that the old blood feud ends there and then. He demanded that they find a peaceful way to resolve the old blood feud or he'd kill every, stallion, mare and foal, slaughter all of their livestock, burn their crops and salt the fields to send a message that old blood feuds have no place in a modern Zebrica."

Twilight blinked at the story. There were accounts of blood feuds back in Equestria, but there hadn't been any fighting between the differing families and guilds in nearly eight hundred years, at least none that resulted in bloodshed or loss of life. Had Celestia done something similar? She cleared her throat. "How does this history lesson help my situation?"

Tumba gave a half-chuckle. "Initially all of the clans balked at this. Some even voiced their descent. True before that it wasn't unheard of for members of two enemy clans to fall in love, run off together, get married and live out their lives together forever separated from their parent clans, it never stopped the old blood feuds. Then when the old high king and queen arrived with three full divisions at their backs, threatening annihilation if the blood feud between the two clans stopped, all the clans took time to reevaluate old blood feuds. Many were able to resolve them over skins of strong drink, games of chance or bouts of strength and skill. Some, like mother's and father's original clans, chose to pledge the youngest, unwed members of their clans and conjoin. Mother and father were among the youngest zebras of their clans who were unwed and were immediately pledged, and were wed when they came of age. The way they tell it, mother and father didn't know how to love each other, but they learned to. I am the third-born of fifteen."

"Wow!', was all Twilight could exclaim at the number of siblings Tumba had.

"My point is...", Tumba continued. "You will learn to love the stallion you're betrothed to. Where mother and father were forced to become betrothed to end a blood feud, you chose to become betrothed to the Crown Prince to prevent an unnecessary war, and just like with my mother and father, your wedding will make both nations better and stronger for it."

"So what happened to the clans of of the Central Savannahs?"

"To hear the old timers of my grandfather's and grandmother's generation tell it, the number of clans were reduced by fifteen. However the numbers may have reduced, the strength of those clans increased and today many zebras now marry not only outside of their parent clans, but also outside of their parent provinces. More zebras are born today than ever before of mixed zebra heritage. And that's a good thing, don't you think?" Tumba then pulled Twilight in tight for a one-armed hug. "Now let's get back to the kitchen before breakfast gets cold and Hassan drums up a search party to come find us."
> A Wedding in Private
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For months on end Twilight trained under the tutelage of High Queen Anga Inayong'aa on how to be a proper Zebrican noble. The lessons were varied, ranging from how proper courtly procedure was carried out, something that Twilight was already skilled in, being the personal protege of Princess Celestia, she was already versed on how Equestrian courtly proceedings went, so slipping into learning how Zebrican courtly proceedings went was easy enough. Learning traditional Zebrican martial arts was also easy enough, having trained extensively in Equestrian martial arts under Princess Celestia, she learned that regardless if they were pony, horse or zebra, their bodies moved that same and it took roughly the same amount of force disable a zebra as a pony. The only real differences between Zebrican and Equestrian martial arts, was that in Equestria when training in a school they'd always special robes that helped to conceal movement cinched at the waist with either a simple cloth belt or a brightly colored sash tied in an elaborate knot, meanwhile zebras trained in either just a loincloth or nothing at all. It was a way of showing you had no weapons and nothing between you and your opponent.

When Twilight wasn't tutoring under the High Queen, she was learning from a variety of teachers and masters that were hand picked by the High Queen herself. The whole time her closest companion was Tumba, who had stuck close to her side, honoring the life's debt oath.

Twilight was lounging around the bathhouse with Tumba. She had insisted on the zebra mare joining her for a soak and now the two were buffing each other's hooves, as they chitchatted and snacked on olives.

"I was about ten at the time. Cadance had come over to watch me that evening because Shining Armor had an O-N-O game with his friends at school, and mom and dad went out to see a show.", Twilight started her story. "Cadance had put me to bed as it was a school night and I had a long day not only at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but also I was doing a tag-along with Princess Celestia at parliament that coming afternoon, to learn how government works outside of day court. Long story short, I start hearing some bumping from Shiny's room, then I hear the bed squeak. We had this family of raccoons break in the house before, so being a curious filly, I go to take a peak and see if I can catch these raccoons in action. What do I see? Cadance with her shirt off and Shiny on top of her, full-on kissing."

"No! What did you do?"

"Well being the innocent filly that I was, I thought that Shiny had turned back because he saw the raccoons, and caught Cadance messing around in his room and now they were wrestling. So I bust into the room and shout, 'I'll help you, Shiny!', and grabbed onto Cadance's cannon in an attempt to put her in a leg lock. Shining Armor shouts in surprise, Cadance screams. Mom and dad, their show had gotten cancelled, had come home early and stormed upstairs to see what the noise is all about and burst into the room."

"No!", Tumba exclaims, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Oh yes. Mom screams at Shining and Cadance. Cadance jumps out of the window, leaving her shirt and bra behind, flying away as hard as her wings can carry her, most likely giving passers by and the Royal Guard an eyeful. Mom chases Shining around the house and at some point grabs a paint stirrer, swatting it at his flanks. Dad's on the floor practically turning purple because he can't breathe from laughing. I'm sitting on the floor trying to make sense of what's going on. In an attempt to get away from mom, Shining jumps off of the second floor landing and takes a header into this big ugly vase mom was always so proud of, getting stuck. He's kicking his legs back and forth, trying to get free." Twilight holds up two fingers on her hand, wiggling them back and forth, pantomiming the kicking of legs. "Mom tramples down the stairs and starts smacking Shining on his flanks as hard as she can with the paint stirrer, leaving little red rectangles on his cutie marks until the flimsy wood breaks."

Tumba busts out in guffaws. After several minutes she finally is able to get her breath back and wipe away the tears that have formed from her laughing so hard. She let out a sigh. "Al-Gallib is that age where she is starting to notice the colts. It's going to be an utter nightmare when she starts dating. It'll be another year or two before Zeta starts to notice the colts. I'm dreading the day when they bring a colt home." She let out another sigh. "There are many a young filly who gets pregnant because a colt falsely professes their love just so they can get her into his bedchamber." The mare clenched her fist. "If a colt does that to one of my fillies, I'll break every bone in his damned body."

Twilight remained silent, not really knowing what to say and just nods. Fortunately providence had sought to step in for her.

The young zebra mare, Shadout, that High Queen Anga Inayong'aa had appointed as Twilight's handmaiden stepped into the room where Twilight and Tumba were soaking in the large communal bath together. She cleared her throat and gave a deep bow. "Many apologies for interrupting your relaxation, but it is time to begin training for your wedding ceremony."

"But I thought my wedding wasn't for another six months.", Twilight replied.

Shadout dipped her head. "Apologies for not informing you properly. I assumed that weddings between Equestrian nobles were the same as here in Zebrica. Your state wedding where your marriage to Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu will be in six months for all of Zebrica to see where you will also be coronated crown princess. The real wedding will be a private affair where only Zebrican and Equestrian nobles will be invited is in two weeks."

With a sigh Twilight rose out of the tub where she was soaking.

Shadout averted her eyes, but couldn't help sneaking a few glances at Twilight's nude form.

Twilight quickly toweled off, she then wrapped a pair of towels around her mane and tail. She slipped on a terrycloth robe and winced in discomfort as the wing holes pinched her wings slightly. Zebrican seamstresses and seamsters weren't used to making garments for winged ponies yet.

Tumba rose from the tub, toweled off and put on a terrycloth robe. Walking over to the far side of the room, she fetched her oval shield made of a heavy dark wood, short-handled spear, crescent axe and pouch of toxic herbs.

The trio made their way out of the bathhouse.


***


Twilight sat in a chair in the beauty salon as a stallion wearing a garishly colored outfit, his mane dyed in wild and vibrant colors and swept partly over the front of his face in a swoosh, and stripes of red, blue, green, yellow and orange dye on the white stripes of hid body, looked over Twilight's mane. "Mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmmmm, darling! I must say I've never had the opportunity to style a pony's mane before.", he said in a slightly effeminate lisp.

Twilight pressed her lips tight together, not wanting to voice how all stallion hairdressers were the same regardless where you went.

The zebra hairdresser ran his fingers along Twilight's mane. "I must say, pony manes are so much softer than what I would have imagined! What sort of product do you use to wash it with?"

"I just head, shoulders and flank shampoo."

The hairdresser placed the back of his hand to his forehead and quailed. He faux-fainted onto a velvet fainting couch that wasn't there a moment before.

This very much reminded Twilight very much of Rarity.

The hairdresser sprung up from the fainting couch and a pair of assistants quickly drug it away. "That simply won't do! That may have been passable for whatever little dirt clod town you lived in before, but you're now Zebrican royalty!" He quickly spun the chair around, making Twilight yelp in surprise. "Before I style your mane, it must be washed in a manner appropriate for royalty!" He quickly clapped his hands twice and a pair of assistants hurried out. "Wash!", he half-shouted, gesturing to the lavender alicorn.

The back of the chair Twilight was sitting in was tipped back until the back of her neck rested on the rim of a mane-washing sink. One assistant twisted a pair of nobs on the spigot and lifted a shower head-like device that had a hose attached to the back of it leading to the spigot. Pressing the small lever on the side, warm water sprayed out of the shower head-like device and began wetting Twilight's hair. The other assistant picked up a bottle of shampoo and twisted the top off. A scent that was a mixture of flowers and spices filled the room. The assistant poured a small amount of the fragrant shampoo onto his hand and began to vigorously scrub Twilight's hair.

"Aah!" Twilight allowed a sigh to escape her lips. Between the warm water cascading down on her head and the vigorous, yet gentle scrubbing of her scalp, she practically melt.

Once the pair of assistants finished washing and rinsing Twilight's hair, they returned the back of her chair back to its fully upright and locked position. They then used towels to dry off her mane and picked up a bottle of fragrant leave-in conditioner, massaging it into her scalp with one hand while they ran combs through her mane with the other.

Twilight could see by Rarity loved going to beauty parlors as she practically melted again.

Once Twilight's hair was fully conditioned and dry, they hairdresser stepped up and shooed away the assistants. He ran his fingers through her mane and along the outline of her skull. "Hmm... What to do? What to do? We need to give you a do that's bold, stunning, that embraces your femininity, that accentuates your pony-ness while also displaying you as Zebrican royalty. What to do? What to do?"

The hairdresser twisted Twilight's head around from side-to-side, tipped it up and down, tilted it at odd angles. "Hmm...maybe. Yes. Yes. Yes. No! Possibly. No-no-no-no! But what about...? YES!" He interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles. Snapping the fingers on both hands, the pair of assistants ran up each carrying various tools for hairdressing.

The garish stallion slipped on a white smocked covered in dozens of pockets and loops, and began slipping various hairdressing tools into them like a soldier gearing up before going out on a combat patrol.

For the next twenty minutes Twilight could only stare in dumbfounded silence at the reflection as the stallion was a garish blur. Bits and pieces of hair flew away from her mane as he feverishly worked. Each hairdressing implement sailed through the air in a arc as he was finished with it, causing his assistants to scramble for it, before it could hit the floor. Once he had finished his feverish work, the garish zebra stallion snapped his fingers twice and an assistant placed an electric clipper into his palm and plugged it into a nearby outlet. His thumb flicked over the switch, causing the clippers to let out a loud buzz and he quickly did fine detail work.

"Aaaaaaaaannnnnnddddd....finished!", the garish stallion exclaimed, switching off the clippers and tossing it through the air in a broad arc for an assistant to catch. He held his hand out to the side and the assistants shoved a soft, long bristled brush made from zebra tail hair in one hand and a coiling rubber tube with a small metal nozzle at the end.

Compressed air rushed around Twilight's neck and shoulder as the long bristled brush swept ahead of it, sending loose hairs flying away from her form. Once he was finished , he tossed the compressed air hose and brush aside, wiped the sweat from his brow and slumped backwards into a chair that an assistant had pushed behind him a second prior. He held two fingers up on his right hand and held out his left hand with the fingers cupped. One assistant shoved a lit cigarette in a holder between his two extended fingers as the other placed a martini glass filled with a pink liquid in his left. He took a sip of the pink liquid then took a long drag of the cigarette. "So what do you think, honey?"

Twilight marveled at her new manestyle. It was a mohawk, similar to a zebra's mane, while also maintaining it's pony features. On the sides of her head, the mane was trimmed down so that its dark purpleish-blue faded into her lavender fur. She gently ran her hands along her mane. "Wow!"

After taking another drag of his cigarette and blowing the smoke out his nose, the stallion took another sip of the pink liquid and smiled. "Alright, now we do your tail and give you some stripes!"

Twilight's eyes went wide with surprise as the assistants took her by the wrists, pulled her out of the chair and over to a nearby screen. "Wait!"

The garish stallion took another sip of his drink and said, "Don't worry, honey. Zip and Charley, though not having the advantage of being gay, like myself, are very professional and very skilled."

"What does gay have to do with anything?!", Twilight exclaimed. "Nozebra told me I was getting striped."

"Don't worry, majesty.", Charlie sad. "We're not going to do you like the mares in those specesist stud-flicks that occasionally come in from Equestria. We're going to be very professional and give you striped that accentuate your form."

Tumba, having finished getting her nails and hooves polished, and having her coat freshlu washed and brushed, stepped into the room. "What's going on here?"

"Our princess-to-be is a little apprehensive about getting her tail done and getting some stripes.", the garish stallion said. "We're simply following orders handed down to us from the High-Queen through the handmaiden to make her look like a proper Zebrican noble."

"Ponies are a bit sensitive about getting striped as they've only encountered it in pornography.", Tumba said. "Do not do anything until I return with Shadout."

A few moments later Tumba returned with Shadout who was holding a scrap of paper in her hand. The handmaiden handed the paper over to the garish stallion. It read: My orders were not clearly understood. Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fifth is only to have her mane and tail done in a traditional Zebrican fashion. Striping is only to optional upon her request.

The garish stallion let out a sigh. "Very well. Miss Sparkle the Fifth, would you like some stripes?"

"Would they be permanent?"

"We do have some permanent options. Other wise we can use dyes or makeup. And we can do them in any pattern and colors you want."

Twilight thought for a moment. "I don't want permanent stripes. If I get them dyed and I don't like them, can I have them removed."

"If you don't like them, I will personally shave your top coat.", the garish zebra said with a slightly put-out tone.

Twilight pressed a knuckle to her lips. "Okay, I'll get some stripes. I'll trust your judgement on the color and design, just don't cover my cutie marks." She followed the two zebra assistants behind the blind where they removed her terrycloth robe.

Thirty minutes later Twilight came out from behind the blind fully nude. Pencil-thin stripes a few shades darker than her fur adorned her body in delicate swirling patterns from her cheeks down to her fetlocks. The stripes on her horn and wings were of a different, less skilled pattern because zebras weren't familiar with those parts. She slowly turned around, showing off her body front and back. Her tail had been shorn, leaving a zebra-like tuft at the end. Ponies, like their zebra cousins, had long tails, they simply grew longer and thicker hair on it.

"You look like a high-born zebra, minus your horn, wings and coat color.", Tumba said.

Shadout said nothing, her cheeks simply flushed a crimson color. Even in Zebrica, alicorns were considered the epitome of beauty and were often many a colt's...and filly's...raunchy fantasies. Though the handmaiden had taken a vow of chastity, as per the traditions of her religious order, she still felt attraction towards mares.

Twilight pulled the terrycloth robe back on. "Uh...thanks. It was a little weird getting striped, but I think I'll keep them for now."





***Two Week Later***


Twilight stood nervously in the shallow bathing pool as zebra mares washed her body. Her stomach was twisted up in knots and she felt sick. The only reason why she didn't vomit was because she hadn't eaten or drank anything. Today was her official wedding ceremony.

Celestia and Luna, along with a handful of specially chosen Canterlotian nobles would be representing Equestria. Cadance and Shining Armor, along with a handful of chosen crystal pony nobles would be representing the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North. Only a hand picked number of Zebrican nobles would be in attendance as well. No other nobles from other nations would be in attendance as the official and private wedding was of no real concern for their politics. The only non-nobles allowed to attend were her mother and father.

Twilight knew her husband-to-be was in a neighboring chamber getting ready at this moment. She had purposely been kept from his as per Zebrican tradition that came from an old superstition about the gaze of an unwed mare on her future husband before the ceremony.

Once the servants had finshished bathing her, they helped Twilight out of the shallow pool. They dried her off with soft towels and touched up the dye on her stripes. They led her into a room where five eunuchs inspected her body. Eunuchs were held in high station in Zebrica as they voluntarily opted for castration, ensuring their urges could never tempt them, worked in the harems.

The only other country to maintain harems besides Zebrica was Saddle Arabia. Many authors and tellers of tall tales would spin erotic stories about harems, in large part because they weren't allowed in. Outsiders were forbidden from entering a harem as it was a place for the wife(sometimes multiple wives, depending on the noble) and their families. The only stallions, outside of the husband, who were allowed into a harem had to be approved by the wife and the guards. This didn't stop wild stories of harems being dens of debauchery, where wild orgies and gangbangs would take place daily. In reality harems were safe places where the wife(or plural in a handful of cases), their foals and immediate family could relax in relative comfort and privacy.

Once the eunuchs had finished their inspection, and nodded in approval, which was little more than a tradition saying she was ready for her wedding dress, they tied the loin cloth, which was a pair of simple, loosely hanging squares of white fabric covering her groin and plot, and draped several necklaces with dark wooden beads of differing sizes and shapes, whichhung down the front of her body, covering her breasts and the upper part of her belly. twilight remembered that in Zebrican weddings, the couple wore very little as it was an old tradition, one that grew out of a time when the zebras were much more nomadic.

Twilight admired herself in the mirror. She remembered looking at Tumba and Hassan's wedding photo, where they had worn very similar garb. Speaking of said zebra mare, Tumba stepped into the room once the eunuchs were done. The tall, muscular zebra mare was wearing the brilliantly colored robes and matching flowing headdress of her native home on the savannahs, draped over the top of the robes was the apron-like armor made of small square iron plates woven into strips of leather.

"Are you ready to tie the knot?", Tumba asked, pantomiming the tying of a noose and hanging herself, as a means to lighten the mood.

Twilight closed her eyes, took in a deep breath as she brought a hand up to her chest and blew out the breath as the extended her arm, just like Cadance had shown her. "Yes." She swallowed hard, trying in vain and failing to make the lump in her throat to move.

Tumba reaching behind her back and shoved a stoppered gourd of strong date-wine into Twilight's hands. "Take a swig. It'll help with the nerves."

Twilight pulled out the stopper, placed the top of the gourd to her lips, tipped it up slightly and took a swallow of the strong drink. "*kaff-cough* Oof! Strong stuff!" A glowing streak of heat went down her esophagus and hit her stomach, where it blossomed, spreading slowly through her body. "Thanks, I needed that.", she said, passing the gourd back.

Tumba waved it off. "Keep it. You might need it for your wedding night jitters."

With a bit of liquid courage burning the worst of the nerves, Twilight passed the gourd to a servant. "I'm ready to begin."

Twilight stepped with Tumba out of the room. Hassan stood there, wearing the traditional while wrapped robes of the desert zebras, draped across his form was mail made of interlinked loops of iron and a sword in a curved scabbard hung from his waist, on his cheeks were painted script of the desert clans. He wore a wrapped turban of brightly colored fabric atop his head. Their daughters, Al-Gallib and Zeta, wore garb that was a mixture of the savannah and desert clans.

In the room there were dozens of zebra stallions and mares. One half were the tall muscular forms of the savannah clans, all wearing the traditional brightly colored robes with armor, along with the short-handled spears, the crescent axes and oval shields made of dark wood. Apron-like armor made of small iron squares woven into strips of leather hung from their shoulders. They wore the flowing headdresses of their native lands. The other half were the shorter desert clans. They wore light colored, wrapped robes with brightly colored wrapped turbans atop their heads. Curved swords in scabbards hung at their waists and armor of interlinking rings draped about their forms.

These zebras made up Twilight's honor guard. She took up a spot near the main doors of the room. Elements of her honor guard took positions ahead of her. Rumba, Hassan, Al-Gallid and Zeta each took up a spot by her side. All in the room waited for their cue.

A combination of equestrian and Zebrican royal guards opened the doors to the room and took up their place at the head of the procession. Zebra and pony fillies, holding woven baskets filled to the brim with rose, lavender, primrose and daisy petals, tossed handfuls of the fragrant petals onto the floor ahead of the procession.

Sitting on one side of the room was Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Shining Armor, along with a handful of Canterlot and Crystal Empire nobles. On the other side of the room sat High King Hatua ya Kukimbia, High Queen Anga Inayong'aa, Prime Minister and Royal Seneschal Maneo Laini and a handful of Zebrican nobles. The savannah zebras chanted in deep tones traditional march chants, while the desert clan zebras sang traditional trilling marching songs, meant to ward off evil spirits. Standing at the altar, accompanied by a priest in flowing robes, was Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu.

As Twilight, with her honor guard, approached the altar, Maneo Laini shot her a sideways glare. He reached up and scratched the back of his head, a signal to a hidden zebra. Said zebra was laying flat in the rafters, ropes tied about his waist and legs holding him in place, where he had lay for the past two days. Filthy sackcloth draped about his form and a bolt action rifle, wrapped in canvas, was tied to his left arm. Upon seeing the secret signal, he braced the butt of the rifle to his shoulder and took aim.

The assassin knew he was dead the moment he pulled the trigger. He maneuvered a small glass vial of poison from inside his cheek and braced it behind his back teeth. Over the past two days he had taken his time to line up his shot and adjust the windage and elevation of his shot. Flipping the sights up, he gave the one last adjustment to the sights, lined up the shot with the back of Twilight's head and slowly pushed the safety off.

As Twilight took up her spot in front of the altar, the assassin looped his finger through the trigger guard. Suddenly the hatch in the roof above him flung open, and a zebra-like stallion with a solid dark brown coat that transitioned to black and white stripes, a neck slightly longer than a zebra's and two small stub-like horns atop his head, a creature known as an okapi, wearing nothing but simple green wraps about his loins and brandishing a large knife, leapt through the hatch, sinking the long blade into the assassin's back.

*blam*

The assassin's shot went wide, the bullet making a whistling sound as it ricocheted off of a pillar and imbedded into the far wall.

As all in attendance turned to face where the shot had come from, minus Twilight and her honor guard, who had roughly shove the alicorn to the floor and piled their bodies atop her, the okapi withdrew his blade from the would-be assassin's back, brought it up to the would-be assassin's neck and decapitated would-be assassin. "The okapi come to your aid, reincarnation of Isis!", the okapi shouted.

Without any prompting from their princesses, pegasi guards immediately took to the air.

The okapi tossed the recently liberated head of the assassin to the floor, vaulted to a nearby column and slid down to the floor. Being a creature of the jungles, he used his speed and superior agility leap over, duck under or juke around the guards trying to tackle him as he made his way to the altar. He stopped short of Twilight's honor guard who were moving to stop the interloper, dropped to his knees and held up the long knife in both hands. "Forgive my rudeness, reincarnation of Isis. We would have introduced ourselves to you properly if we, the okapi, had not come across a vile scheme to harm you."

Dozens of guard piled atop the okapi.

Celestia, her form towering over the tallest ponies and zebras, strode forward and gestured for him to be raised to his hooves. She lit her horn and a thin beam of magic connected with the okapi's head. "You have been placed under a truth compulsion spell. Lie and you will experience discomfort." She leaned forward and locked eyes with him. "Who are you?"

"I am Otapaki of the lower basin okapi."

"Why are you here?"

"Months ago our greatest seers had visions of our founder and goddess, Isis of the Six-Star returning to us from the north. Shortly after that we heard stories of a pony bearing Isis' mark, the six-star, had come to Zebrica."

"So why not show yourself before now?"

"We had to be sure. Zebras and okapi aren't on the best of terms."

"How long have you been watching my protege?"

"For months."

"He speaks the truth.", Anga Inayong'aa said as she walked up. "There has been much distrust between the zebras and the okapi. In the past we waged a bloody war with them and drove the okapi from their ancestral herdlands of southern Zegypt. If it were not for Ma'at interfering, the Zegyptians would have burned the forests and jungle they call home."

Otapaki glared at the high queen. "We okapi know who you are. You are the one who calls herself the incarnation of Ma'at. Ma'at was a jungle zebra. Many a jungle zebra sold their lives in the War of Bleeding Leaves to save we okapi. You are no jungle zebra. You are a plateau zebra."

"Yes, you should also know that it was the plateau zebra who gave up twelve if their sons and daughters to Ma'at as she could have no foals of her own. I descend from one of the foals that were given to her and only priestesses of Ma'at can come from the plateau clans. Ma'at and Isis were close friends. She chose to live in self-imposed exile, offering herself up as a hostage to ensure no more okapi were slain." Anga Inayong'aa laid a hand on Celestia's arm. "He means us no harm. Though the okapi are known to be savage warriors who claims the heads of their enemies, they are honorable creatures who will hold an oath to their dying breath."

Celestia looked at the okapi for a few moments, then let out a snort. "Very well, I release you from the truth compulsion spell--"

Suddenly a zebra guard brandishing and automatic rifle burst into the main room of the temple interrupting the solar diarch. "My high King! My High Queen! Many apologies for the interruption! There is a procession of jungle zebras and okapi that have gathered out front!"

Maneo Laini's eyes went wide with shock. His eyes darted around the room. Things had taken a turn for the worse and now he needed an escape.

"How many and what do they want?", asked Hatua ya Kukimbia.

"Dozens! They're being led by their matriarchs and patriarchs. They're requesting to give the soon-to-be princess of Zebrica wedding presents."

Twilight, having gotten up after things were starting to calm down, approached Otapaki. "How do you know I'm the reincarnation of this Isis?"

Otapaki knelt before Twilight. "Our founder and goddess, Isis, bore as her symbol the Six-Star. A star with six points. Before she died, she said her soul would travel to the north and return to us when the time was right." He gestured to Twilight's flank. "You bear her symbol. And the stories we've heard of you speak of courage, intelligence and strength. All traits she championed."


***


For over an hour okapi and jungle zebras entered into the temple in an orderly fashion. They bore baskets of of rare spices, nuggets of gold harvested from streams and rivers, and uncut gemstones as gifts. They prostrated themselves one-by-one and two-by-two before Twilight to kiss her hooves, ask for boons of good fortune or presented their young wrapped in swaddling cloths for blessings.

Twilight mentally noted that many of the jungle zebras bore okapi-like features and many okapi bore jungle zebra-like features. She mentally noted to ask at a later time if the okapi and jungle zebras intermarried.

In the initial confusion Maneo Laini made his escape from the temple. The possessed zebra fled the city and hid in an abandoned building on the outskirts of the slums. He glared out of a broken window in the direction of the temple, the shards of glass still clinging to the frame reflected an alicorn-like pony with fur black as pitch, turquoise eyes with slitted pupils and a mouthful of dagger-like fangs. "Damn the okapi and jungle zebras!" He turned away from the window, but the reflections in the shards remained for several seconds. "This is just a minor setback. Revel in your marriage, whore of Celestia! Soon enough you will will feel the sting of the Nightmare!"


***


After a short while things at the temple had settled down. The jungle zebras and the okapi reluctantly left after Twilight explained that this wedding was a private, invitation-only affair, and that in six months when her public wedding was to be held, they would all be invited with open arms.

Twilight blew out a heavy sigh. No pony or zebra faulted her when she opted to take several swigs from the gourd of strong date-wine. None also faulted Mwana Nguvu when he did the same. Between the assassination attempt, and the okapi and the jungle zebra declaring her as Isis reincarnated, today had been a trying day.

"We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Princess Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fifth of Equestria..." For the sake of levity the priest opted to leave out all of her epithets and titles. "And Crown Prince Mwana Nguvu of Zebrica..." The priest also opted to leave out all of his epithets and title for the sake of levity. "In the sacred union of wedlock. This is more than a union of flesh and hearts, but also a union to ensure peace, friendship and prosperity between our two great nations."

The priest lifted a golden chalice and poured a wine, deep red in color, mixed together from the best vintages of Equestria and Zebrica. "Wine represents the bonding of two souls, as the two vintages mingle together in the same vessel, so to does the souls of the two to be wed." He then dropped in a few sprigs of sage into the wine. "Sage to bond the minds together in blessed union." He then held a heart-shaped fruit in his palm called Passion's Flame and squeezed it until a small trickle of juice fell into the wine. "And passion's Flame to bring the two hearts together as one."

The priest swirled the chalice containing the wine mixed with sage and Passion's Flame. "As the wine, sage and Passion's Flame mix together in this vessel, it symbolizes the intermingling of this mare's and this stallion's bodies, hearts and souls." He them passed the chalice to the two of them to drink from. "As the two partake of the drink, let it symbolize them partaking of the joys and struggles of wedding. As it become a part of their bodies. Let it symbolize their bodies, hearts and souls becoming part of one another."

Once Twilight and Mwana Nguvu had each drank a portion of the wine, the priest took the chalice back. He poured half of what remained onto the altar and lit it with a candle. "Allow the smoke to carry this symbol of the bond to the gods above." He poured the remaining portion onto the floor. "Allow the soil to carry this symbol of their bond to the gods below." He placed the chalice aside and picked up two collars made of five golden rigs each and held them over his head. "Oh gods above, if you disapprove of this union. Let your voices be heard!" After a few seconds, he extended the collars to the floor. "Oh gods below, if you disapprove of this union. Let your voices be heard!" After a few more seconds he held the collars in front of him. "To all gathered her, if you disapprove of this union. Let you voices be heard!" After several more seconds he extended the collars to the couple. "Very well. As none speak their disapproval, I present to you the physical sybols of your bonds. Wear them as equals. Both will be the master of the other and both will be the slave of the other."

Twilight and Mwana Nguvu each took their respective collars.

Mwana Nguvu closed the collar around Twilight's neck. "I, Mwana Nguvu of Zebrica, bind you with this collar to me. You will serve me with all you heart and soul."

Twilight closed the collar around Mwana Nguvu's neck. "I, Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fifth of Equestria, bind you with this collar to me. You will serve me with all your heart and soul."

The priest lifted a gilded pair of pliers in his hand and cinched the backs of the collars shut. He then tied the two's collars, wrists and ankles together with silken cords, using an easy to untie knot. "By the powers vested in me by the gods above, the gods below and Zebrica, I declare you bound by the sacred bond of matrimony. You may seal your bond with a kiss."

Twilight and Mwana Nguvu pressed their lips together in a simple kiss. The priest quickly untied the knots holding their collars, wrists and ankles together, and raised their hands. "I present to you, rightful heirs to the throne of Zebrica, Mwana Nguvu and Twilight Velvet Sparkle the First!" The crowd applauded.


***


The royal wedding party made their way back to the Zebrican palace and gathered around the bed Twilight and Mwana Nguvu were currently laying in.

"As per Equestrian royal tradition, we gathered nobles will now witness the royal couple on their first breeding.", High King Hatua ya Kukimbia proclaimed.

This caused some grumbling from the gathered Zebrican nobles.

"Silence now!", High Queen Anga Inayong'aa admonished the grumblers. "I know this is not our tradition. The princesses of Equestria have requested this. Seeing as one of their own has wed herself to the heir, it is only proper that we allow them this. When one of our nobles moves to Equestria to wed, they will honor us by following our wedding night tradition."

Twilight got to her hands and knees in the traditional mounting position. As uncomfortable as it was to watch Shining Armor and Cadance on their first breeding in their marital bed, this was leagues more uncomfortable. At lest she could hide her face and pretend no pony or zebra could see her.

Mwana Nguvu got behind Twilight and lifted the back of her loincloth. She lifted her tail and flipped it to the side. The crown prince was finding it hard to maintain an erection with all of the eyes on him, which was fine as his new bride was having trouble getting aroused for the same reason. He managed to coax himself from his sheath and get to half hardness with some rigorous masturbation. After several minutes of trying to mentally picture anything sexy to get his mind off of the eyes around him and failing to get past half-hardness, so he decided to just simply make it quick.

Twilight let out some small grunts as her new husband prodded at her entrance with his half-chub, she wanted to reach back and give him a hand in getting harder, and guide him in, but tradition forbade her from doing so. Success! Mwana Nguvu managed to get his head just inside her entrance, but because he wasn't at peak hardness, all he culd get after several thrusts were a couple of extra inches.

Despite the harrowing ordeal of having to perform for a crowd, the two fell into a rhythm. Twilight was dry as a bone laid out in the sun during a drought, but she still tried to make things a little easier for her husband by rolling her hips backwards as he thrust forward and moaning. Mwana Nguvu hurried up his pace, trying to finish quickly while he was able to maintain any level of hardness. His pace quickened as he got close, but he popped out, causing his head to jam into the crease between her thigh and hip.

Mwana Nguvu let out a groan as he let out a thin and watery ejaculation. Twilight grunted in dissatisfaction as she felt his semen splash against the crease between her hip and thigh. Both flopped over onto their sides, neither feeling satisfied.

"Huzzah!", Luna exclaimed. "We hast witnessed the couple's first union! May it bear fruit!"

The witnesses left the couple's bed chambers. Shining Armor, Night Light and Twilight Velvet Sparkle the Fourth, all agreed to go find somewhere thy could get blind drunk, in the hopes the booze would bleach the image of their sister and daughter from their brains.

Once the two were left alone in their bedroom, Twilight sat up. "I'm going to clean myself up." After wiping herself down with a moist washcloth she returned the room to find Mwana Nguvu sitting on the side of the bed, holding his head in his hands.

Twilight sat next to her husband and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Please don't think less of me.", Mwana Nguvu said, clearly distraught. "If you don;t want to lay with me anymore, I'll understand."

Twilight pulled her distraught husband in tight and laid her head on his shoulder. "It was n picnic for me either. But now that the worst part is over, we can take our time to get to know each other."

"I don;t know if I can perform for a crowd again."

Twilight understood where her new husband was coming from. "And you won't have to again. It's Canterlot tradition for nobles on their wedding night to have their first time being witnessed by an audience. It comes from an old tradition that comes from when our numbers were low to ensure that a royal marriage bore a foal. There has been an outcry from the new noble families to discard the old tradition, but the Canterlotian old blood families are sticklers for tradition. Plus it was the only way Princess Celestia could get the Canterlot nobles to recognize our wedding as legitimate."

"So I won't have to perform for an audience again?"

"Not unless the Canterlot noble houses demand we have a traditional Canterlotian wedding."

Mwana Nguvu gave Twilight the side-eye.

"I'm kidding!", twilight said. "There's no way I'd agree to that again." She gently stroked the inside of her husband's thigh and she gently kissed his neck. "Why don't we take our time and do this right?" She allowed her hand to creep higher until her fingertips were teasing at her husband's testicles and sheath.

Mwana Nguvu turned his head and planted a kiss on her lips. his hand crept under his wife's loincloth, teasing at the outer lips of her marehood.

Soon their tongues wrestled with one another as their hands groped one another's bodies. Twilight grasped her husband's turgid length, stroking it. Mwana Nguvu inserted a pair of fingers into his wife's marehood, pumping them in and out of the velvety channel that grew increasingly wet.

Twilight shed the wood beaded necklaces that covered her upper body upper body and untied the knots on her loincloth, tossing the fabric aside. Her fully nude form on display, laid back, gave her husband a come hither gesture and lifted her legs to form a mating cradle.

Mwana Nguvu rested his weight on the back of his wife's legs, slowly drug his throbbing, turgid length along her marehood until his head rested at her entrance. With a forward thrust, he entered her.

Twilight let out a cry of passion as Mwana Nguvu's length spread her inner walls. He stopped just short of his medial ring on the first plunge, pulled back until a few inches remained inside and roughly thrust forward again, this burying his medial ring just past her lower lips. Twilight dug her nails into his back as he buried himself up to the root inside her. She yelped and brayed each time his head kissed her cervix.

Twilight felt like her body was on fire as she felt herself get close. Stars danced before her vision and her inner walls clenched around her husband's virile flesh. A feral scream escaped her throat as an orgasm rocked her.

Mwana Nguvu continued pumping, desperate to make it as pleasurable for his wife as it was for him. He forced himself to slow his pace, not wanting to finish too soon.


Twilight's mind filled with fog as she came down from her orgasm. She clung to consciousness, not wanting to be a dead fish for her husband. She stared up into the eyes of her husband and felt her heart move for him. She was falling in love with him. If she was in the right state of mind, she would be sure that Cadance could feel it. Her alicorn physiology began to kick into gear, using her magic to coax a mature egg cell to move into place.

After several more minutes, Mwana Nguvu couldn't hold on any longer. Hormones and other chemicals boiled and roiled, pushing forward some very primal actions.

The alicorn and the zebra cried out together as an orgasm hit them both.

Being in the mating cradle position meant that it was easier Twilight's cervix to open, allowing more of Mwana Nguvu's seed to enter her womb. Her body shook and her eyes rolled up in her head as she felt her husband's hot jets pool deep inside of her womb.

Twilight's body went limp as her orgasm died off and consciousness fled her. It was an ancient reaction many mares had after laying with their lovers. Mwana Nguvu's body went rigid as he released his seed deep into his wife. With his orgasm spent, he collapsed onto his side. Twilight instinctively cuddled up to her husband who was losing with battle with sleep. The pair of sweat-slick bodies intertwined one another.

Deep inside the alicorn an ovum moved into place to meet the oncoming tide of gametes and continued the dance of new life from time immemorial.


***


Maneo Laini hid several small vials of poisoned powder that he had recently acquired. The nightmare possessing the stallion devised a plan to poison its most hated enemy. It wouldn't kill the lavender alicorn, but it would kill any life she had growing inside of her and weaken her, just long enough for the nightmare to land the killing blow.