Zecora's Story

It was the middle of the day, and very hot. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy sat under a tree in one of the many fields that bordered Ponyville, just trying to stay out of the sun. Rainbow Dash, however, was in air, doing acrobatic stunts, trying to "improve her endurance," but they all knew she was just showing off.

After several minutes of silence, they began to notice that her tricks were becoming less coordinated, her loops looser, and her trail started to wobble a bit. Soon, they realized that something wasn't right.

"Rainbow, come down!" Twilight shouted. But Rainbow must not have heard, because she continued flying, and worse yet, she seemed to speed up. The others joined in. Well, some of them did. Fluttershy didn't really shout, and who knows whom Pinkie was actually shouting at.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," muttered Applejack. She stepped out from under the tree and shouted, "Rainbow Dash, you get down here right now, goddamnit," stomping her hoof with every other word.

At last, Rainbow came down. As she touched down, the other ponies could tell she was disoriented. She swayed a bit, and nearly fell over. Applejack and Fluttershy ran out to meet her, and supported her back to the tree.

She was drenched in sweat, and her eyes were unfocused. "Uh, she doesn't look so great," remarked Twilight.

"We should take her to Zecora," whispered Fluttershy.

"What? I'm fine!" Rainbow Dash took this opportunity to show them how well she could walk. She took three steps when her hooves suddenly splayed out from her body, hitting her chin on the dirt.

"Apparently not," chided Rarity.

"Fine, whatever, we'll go to Zecora, whatever."

Despite still being grouchy once they arrived at Zecora's hut in the Everfree Forest, she did let Zecora look over her. "This is just dizziness, and not all that serious," Zecora rhymed. "But brought on by heat, so if I combine this with wheat…." She stepped over to her cauldron and dropped several curious looking plants, along with a sheaf of wheat. "Now, just take some of this, and you'll feel better than bliss," she said, handing Rainbow the vial she had just filled.

"Yeah, thanks," Rainbow muttered.

Once Rainbow was feeling better, they said their goodbyes, and left.

"You know, no matter how many times I see her, I'm always curious afterwards," remarked Rarity on their way back to Ponyville.

"Yeah, like, where does she come from?" asked Rainbow.

"I bet she comes from an evil land of evil enchantresses! And she left because she wasn't one!" bubbled Pinkie.

"Actually, I kinda know," admitted Twilight.

"Really? How?" Applejack sidled up to her. "And why didn't you say anything before?"

"Well, I never really thought there was a reason too. But remember that time that tripped over Spike in the library and sprained my ankle? Well, she came over to give me something for the pain while it was setting, and we talked for a while, and eventually, she told me."

"So? Aren't you going to tell us?" Dash was really interested now.

"Well, it's kind of a long story. We should wait until we get back to the library."

It was late afternoon by now, and the shadow of the library was long.

"Spike, I'm back!" shouted Twilight.

"Hi!" Everyone looked up. Spike was sitting on one of the upper branches, waving. "I'll be down in a minute!"

"Take your time!" Twilight replied.

Everyone stepped inside and gathered around a table, while Twilight magic-ed down a book marked 'ATLAS.' She laid it down on the table and began flipping pages.

"Zecora comes from a long way away, a place called Zebrana. Ah, here it is!"

She showed them the map she had found.

"Wow, it's huge!" Fluttershy barely said.

"Yeah, it's a little less than four times the size of Equestria. Zecora is from right here, in a small town called Umuofia. She says she lived there for a long time, with her husband and his other three wives –"

"What? Three other wives? He had four wives?" asked Applejack in disbelief.

"Yes. They do things a lot differently in other places."

"No kidding."

"Could mares have more than one husband?" asked Fluttershy?

"I don't think so."

"Well now that just doesn't seem fair!" cried Pinkie. "Why can't they?"

"I don't know. It's just what she told me. Anyway, her husband was really respected in Umuofia. He came from a poor background, because his father was lazy, or something. But I guess he and his father didn't get along anyway, because once his father died, he tried to distance himself from his father's memory, almost like he was afraid of it hanging over him."

"What was his name?" asked Rainbow.

"Now, I might be wrong, but I think she said his name was Okonkwo. She also said that he was strong and brave, and often went to war, and won a lot. But one time, when Umuofia was about to go to war, the other village surrendered immediately and offered a young pony as some sort of peace offering. Zecora said that the village elders decided that he would stay in Okonkwo's house, and that he lived there for three years. His name was Ikemefuna, and everyone got used to him. Even Okonkwo, who wasn't very welcoming, began to think of him as a son."

"Okay, okay, but what happened? You keep talking like you're really sad."

"Well, after three years, the elders say that they have to kill Ikemefuna. And Zecora said that Okonkwo was the one that killed him, to avoid looking weak."

Both Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie gasped.

"How dreadful!" said Rarity.

"Yeah. Zecora said that afterward, Okonkwo was really withdrawn. He wouldn't come out of his hut for days. He was never the same."

"Why would he do that? He killed a guy who was practically his own son! Isn't that more important than lookin' strong?" Applejack exclaimed.

"I guess he thought otherwise."

"I jus' can't believe that. What happened next?"

"Well, about a year passes, and Okonkwo's feeling better, and they're having a big holiday. They all bring out weapons and stuff to celebrate, and do some sort of salute. Well, somehow, Zecora didn't tell me exactly, well Okonkwo kills another zebra. It was an accident, but even so, they banish him and his family for seven years."

"Where'd he go? Where'd he go?" Pinkie jumps up and down. "Oh, I'm so excited, where'd he go?"

"Pinkie, calm down. He went to his uncle's village and stayed with him."

"Ooh! Wow!"

"Uh, yeah, so they're staying there, and Okonkwo's friend comes by sometimes to visit him. He tells him about things that are happening back in Umuofia, like births, deaths, that sort of thing. Well, his friend starts telling him that strange ponies have arrived, and they don't recognize them, because they're ponies, not zebras, like them. They say that they were sent by Princess Celestia to teach them 'proper things.'

"Proper things like what?" asks Rainbow.

"Apparently reading and writing like we do, and the history of Equestria."

"But why would they need that?"

"They wouldn't."

"They why would they teach it to them?"

"I don't know, but it seems to me like they were trying to erase their culture so they would have an easier time conquering them."

"Princess Celestia wouldn't do that! Are you kidding me? She wouldn't, right?"

"Guys?" Fluttershy spoke up above the escalating argument. "We shouldn't forget that she is the one who locked away her own sister into the moon for a thousand years. And besides, they might have only been saying that Celestia sent them."

"Then why would they even be there?"

"I guess we'll never know. But Okonkwo's real son, Nwoye, hears about what the ponies are teaching, and gets curious. So after seven years, when they go back, he goes over to the school, and starts to learn from the ponies there. Okonkwo isn't exactly happy, and neither is Zecora. When he confronts Nwoye, Nwoye gets scared and leaves. Okonkwo takes this kind of harshly, and goes to the village council demanding that they go to war with the ponies, who were beginning to bring in soldiers. Zecora said that the uniforms didn't match Celestia's though, so that helps with Fluttershy's idea. The elders don't like this idea though, and tell him no. So he calls for a vote. But he loses the vote. Badly. He gets really embarrassed, and begins to think that he looked weak in front of the entire village. He sort of builds it up in his head after a while, until he can't take it any more."

"Then what happened?" whispered Rainbow Dash.

"He killed himself."

"WHAT!" Pinkie bounced up. "Why would he do that?"

"Has anything he's done so far made much sense to us?"

"It appears not," Rarity interjected.

"We might never be able to understand his decision, but the fact remains. Anyway, Zecora, not having any colts like the other wives, decided to follow some of the ponies who were leaving, and somehow, she got to Equestria."

"Wow. I never realized. She always seems so happy."

"I guess you have to be, once you've gone through all that, just trying to keep your chin up."

"Mmmmm."

There was a brief silence. Suddenly, Pinkie's head shot up.

"You know what, she should write a book! A book about what she went through! And we could help her!"

"Uh, Pinkie," Twilight began, "I don't think that's a very good idea. See, there are some things that are best left to those they belong to, and I think this is one of those times. She only told me because I asked, and she was extremely hesitant to do so. I'm betraying her trust even by telling you, but only because I know you won't tell anyone."

"Yer right, Twilight, we won't." Applejack spoke up. "This is for her, and her alone."

"Absolutely." Rarity spoke, now. "We must not speak of it to anyone else, or even Zecora herself."

"Okay," Rainbow Dash agreed.

"Alright," said Fluttershy.

"But if she ever wants help writing the book, we can help her, right?"

"Yeah, okay, Pinkie. I think we could," said Twilight. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, she was glad she had such good friends.