If anyone had told me that I'd be spending my thirty first birthday sitting in a private room with a Giraffe scout and my Zebra wife, I'd have told them they were insane. Nuts. Loco in the coco. And yet, here I was, sitting at a table the morning after Miora had appeared, staring up at the long necked creature who regarded me with a cool, almost detached countenance. Unlike the day before, Miora was actually wearing some sort of clothes, all seeming to be made of silky-smooth leaves which draped over her. She wore four shoes on each of her cloven hooves, each of which were made of twigs and branches fashioned to fit perfectly. Surprisingly, whenever she walked with them, they made absolutely no sound.

It was mid-morning now, and the table was set with vegetarian cuisine which she was eating without complaint. None of us had really said anything other than some general pleasantries like "Good morning" and such. I found myself to be doing more of the talking, and it quickly became awkward, so eventually I slipped into silence.

The night before, Zecora had told me all she knew about Giraffes, which wasn't much. They were thought to be wild animals like lions or tigers of the Farasi microcontinent. Zebrica and Maredagascar didn't have Giraffes, but Farasi did. For the most part, Zebras left them alone because their forest, known as the Nyeusi, was vast and covered nearly a third of the microcontinent, reaching from the northern portion all the way down. They weren't seen often, and when they were it was brief.

Something I learned without needing to ask was that the Giraffes of this world seemed to have some kind of magic. Miora's two small horns lit up slightly, causing a small aura to move from her horn down to what she wanted to move. She would grab it and her food would lift from her plate to her mouth. When I thought about it, it made sense since otherwise she'd have to lower her neck to eat.

Finally, I decided to start the conversation. "Miss Miora, I'd like to express my apologies for not being able to accommodate you better. Is there any way I can make your stay in Virynth Atheos more comfortable?"

She seemed to pause when I mentioned the name of the city, but slowly she resumed her eating. "You have been very gracious in letting me stay here," she said after a few seconds, "and I cannot complain. The facilities might be a bit crude compared to what I am used to, but they are sufficient."

"Still, if there's anything you need, please let me or one of my servants know," I insisted, "and I'll see to it we try and accommodate."

She nodded at me. "I will do that."

With that, the silence resumed. I looked over at Zecora, but she looked just as confused as I felt. Still, she turned back to Miora and asked, "I hope the food is to your liking."

"It is sufficient," Miora said calmly as she took another bite of her fruit before setting it down with her strange magical aura and sipping at a glass of apricot juice we'd found in Torch's storeroom. "I am surprised that you have fresh fruits here. The Dragon Lands are not exactly known for their vegetation."

"We had some magical assistance," I explained.

"You mean that small patch of vegetation you found me in," Miora said without blinking. "I did sense a magic unknown to me there."

"Indeed," I confirmed for her.

"The magic used is new," Zecora added.

"I see," was all Miora said before dabbing at her mouth with a silk napkin.

After another brief bout of silence, I decided to bite the bullet and plunge ahead. "So, Miss Miora, is it alright for me to ask you some questions?"

"I have some questions of my own, as well," Zecora added, "if you don't mind."

Miora looked down at me placidly before placing her napkin down on the table with her telekinesis. "You two may ask," she clarified.

Meaning she doesn't have to answer, I thought with a nod. "Very well, I'll start. Did your kind see the broadcast that Eris showed to the whole world a few months ago?"

Miora tilted her head slightly, as if in thought. "Of that, I am not certain," she admitted. "I was not in the Shadewood when it happened, so I do not know if they all saw it. I did see it, however."

Ah, an in! I thought with some triumph. "The Shadewood, huh? Is that your home?"

"It is where we live, yes," Miora said before she turned to Zecora. "Before you ask, we know you Zebras call it the Nyeusi. It is a fitting name."

Zecora nodded. "I have set hoof in it when I was younger," she said, "and it is quite dark."

"Indeed it is," Miora said. "Giraffes have been living there since the beginning."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you call yourselves Giraffes?"

"Only when we must speak your tongue," she clarified. "Our name for ourselves is a secret we do not share with outsiders."

"Understandable," I said. Of course, I knew the name they called themselves thanks to knowing their language, but I decided not to say. There was silence as I took a sip of the same apricot juice before I asked, "What brings you all the way from Farasi to this place?"

She frowned and turned first to Zecora. "First of all, Farasi is what we call our land, and yes, the continent was once ours before the arrival of the Zebras." She then turned back to me. "As for why I am here, that is not something I can share yet for reasons I will keep to myself."

I nodded. "Alright, I understand." The more she told me, the more I felt like the Giraffes were a secretive race of creatures. The appearance of the one in a couple of later MLP episodes was unusual, however. I could think of a couple of reason why they'd be there, though. Maybe the Giraffe in the show got lost and blended in by pretending to be an animal, or perhaps she was doing whatever Miora was doing. I wasn't sure why a reclusive species like Giraffes would be in other nations, but my biggest guess was some sort of reconnaissance. Sadly, I had to assume the worst, so I decided not to give away any major national secrets.

Miora then turned to Zecora once more. "Your mate here said that the story of how you became the way you are is a long story," she said, "and I believe I have waited patiently enough for an answer. How did you gain such an unusual form?"

Zecora frowned, but I put a hand over hers. She relaxed as I replied, "I accidentally changed her from her equine form to this form. It's called an Anthro form."

"Anthro…why that particular term?"

"It's short for Anthropomorphic," I explained, "which means having human-like features. Case in point, bipedal locomotion, hands and feet, and generally looking more like a human female than a Zebra mare."

Miora leaned in closer and looked Zecora over curiously, drinking in every feature she now possessed. She leaned back and stared at her wings. "Do humans like yourself have Alicorn wings?" she asked after a time.

"No," I replied, "and that was another accident altogether."

Miora turned back to me. "Yet another accident?"

I couldn't help it. I chuckled slightly and nodded. "I seem to have a plethora of good and bad luck since I arrived in this world," I said. "Long story short, the spirit of a dead being of great power took up residence in my body when I arrived in this world and adjusted my body to better be able to live here. The unintentional side effects were my access to Pony magic and wings." I slowly spread one for her to examine.

She closely examined it once more, then turned her head back to me. "You are being quite careful in your replies," she observed. "You say being of great power who accidentally gave you access to Pony magic and wings, which means a dead Alicorn. The only Alicorns who I know to be dead are the ones who once lived in Skyros."

"Skyros…I've never heard of that place before," I admitted.

She leaned back, took a slice of apricot, and took a bite of it. "I am surprised," she said. "Skyros is, or was, a vast floating city in the clouds where a race of Alicorns once lived. That is all we know about this city, other than after Eris was defeated it was no longer seen again and neither were the Alicorns who lived there."

Curiouser and curiouser, I thought, making a mental note to ask Celestia and Luna about it. "Interesting," I said, "but I think we're getting off topic here."

"Correct," Miora said. "So, you said that you accidentally changed your mate's form from her natural form to this form. I take it you used some kind of magic to do so. I also take it you can't replicate this accident."

"I did, and I can't," I replied, "at least not at the moment."

She narrowed her eyes at me for a few seconds then nodded, returning to a neutral expression. "I see."

Zecora took the chance to speak up. "You seem to want to know about us, but why should we tell you any more than what my husband has already told you?" She looked suspiciously at Miora.

Miora didn't even have to think twice when she responded by saying, "I keep the secrets of Giraffes hidden for very good reasons. Ones I cannot share with you."

"You're making it difficult to share anything more," Zecora retorted.

In that moment, I saw Miora's façade slip slightly. Her eyes seemed to flash as she said, "If you were being constantly hunted by the predatory species of this world, would you share your secrets with the first creature you met? I think not!"

"Hey, whoa whoa, nobody's going to be hunting you here," I said in my best placating tone. "You're my guest for as long as you want to be here, and whenever you wish to depart, I will gladly send some guards with you to escort you back to Farasi or wherever else you'd like to go."

Miora returned to her neutral demeanor and sat back. "That is a generous offer, but not necessary," she said. "I can find my own way back to my kind when the time comes. But enough about that. Events in this country have moved along a path that none of my kind expected. A new Emperor now sits on the Crimson Throne and Old Aelyssia is starting to rebuild after more than a thousand years. Tell me, how did a creature like you become the Emperor of this land? And do not tell me it is a long story. I wish to hear it."

I took a few moments to think about it. The information wasn't exactly top secret or anything, so I decided to divulge the story. I started by explaining the Council of Equestria, then the Fae infiltration and the near war between Dragons and Ponies which was averted by my duel with Torch. Miora listened attentively while slowly still eating her breakfast. When I finished, she swallowed what she'd been chewing, dabbed at her mouth with her napkin, took a small sip of her drink, and said, "That is indeed quite a tale. How long ago was this?"

"Only a couple of months," I replied, barely noticing when Zecora apologetically excused herself rather suddenly to rush to the nearby bathroom. As the bathroom door closed quickly, I added, "I've been at my home in Equestria wrapping things up before I came here to get the ball rolling and get my new empire back on track."

"Get the ball rolling?" Miora asked with some confusion in her voice.

"To start to change things so that this empire can have a better future," I explained.

Miora nodded. "I see." She took a few more bites of her food before facing me fully. "I will be honest, Emperor Jethro, this sort of development is a bit concerning to me, and I have no doubt it will be similarly worrying to my kind as well."

"Why?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Until yesterday, I didn't even know your kind had a society. You're far outside of our borders too."

"A change in leadership in any world territory is always concerning for us," Miora explained, "because it has always led to change within our borders. I made an error in speaking in front of you, because now the word will spread that our society exists."

She had a point. I had tried to take proper precautions to bringing her into the palace earlier, but I wasn't sure the word wouldn't spread. Giraffes were big creatures, after all, and the use of one of the extra new rooms had most certainly raised some eyebrows, especially among the slowly increasing palace staff. "Well then, in that case," I said, "since the cat's already out of the bag, as a representative of your people and culture, I would like to extend a hand of peace and friendship towards your people."

She gave me a cool calculating expression as I gave her as friendly a smile as I could. After a little while, Zecora rejoined us and sat back down. Miora didn't even acknowledge her return as she continued staring at me. Finally, she said, "Even if I could believe you, you are not a Dragon. They are known to us as harbingers of death and destruction. We cannot trust them as they are now."

My smile faded and I cursed myself for an idiot. It was the predator/prey argument all over again. What I said next here would probably shape the course of my empire's relationship with the Giraffes for years to come. Slowly, I stood and faced Miora with more of an eye level than before, although she was still taller than I was. "I understand what you're saying, and I can empathize with the situation you and your kind are now in," I said, "and I apologize for asking this of any one of your race so soon. You're right. It's far too soon to be asking anything of the Giraffes in regards to a friendship between Aelyssia and the Shadewood. I would offer for a representative of the Giraffes to come to the Council of Equestria, but that would expose you further."

Miora nodded. "We did hear of the Council," she said. "Perhaps, in time, we will reach out. Right now, though, we do not wish to be known to the world. Not yet. Unfortunately, though…" and with that she went silent.

Zecora finished for her. "Unfortunately, now that we know, your kind might be forced to reveal themselves, right?"

Miora nodded. "I was seen by several Dragons here. I cannot exactly be hidden."

"Are you sure I can't give you an escort through Aelyssia to the border?" I asked. "I'd be more than willing to send you off with some of the Imperial Guard."

"No, but the offer is much appreciated." She finished her meal then and stood. "I thank you for your generosity and hospitality," she continued, "but it is time for me to leave."

I stood, a bit confused now. "Already? You can't be rested enough to make that long journey back to Farasi? Why don't you stay until you're all recovered?"

"Your concern is touching," Miora said, "but I am serious. I must report all I have seen and experienced here."

"Well, then at least let me give you some supplies for the return trip," I offered. "Food, water, and some bedding."

Miora paused, a thoughtful expression on her face. Finally, she nodded. "That would be acceptable, thank you."

I smiled, walked to the door, opened it, and spoke to the two guards, giving the orders to prepare food, water and bedding for Miora. One went off to relay the order while the other remained behind. I returned back to see Zecora speaking to Miora. However, my wife had one hand on her stomach like she was in pain, but other than that she seemed fine. Zecora was just finishing a question when I came back. "…think that our two species could become friends?"

Miora considered it. "Friends? That I do not know. Allies? That might be the more likely scenario for the future. You must understand, I am simply a scout. I cannot make the decisions."

"Oh, I understand," Zecora said. "Despite my appearance, I'm not Zebra royalty or anything, but I believe they would be open to an alliance."

"We will see," Miora said noncommittally.

"Please excuse me," Zecora said quickly as she left the room to the bathroom.

When Zecora was gone, I turned back to Miora. "I've given the order to provide you with food, water, and bedding for your trip back."

She nodded, then looked back at the bathroom. Slowly, she looked back at me. "Emperor Jethro, this is the second time your wife has left the room. I am no physician, but your wife seems to be ill."

That sent off alarm bells in my head. I thought back to the past few days. I had noticed sometimes that Zecora would get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. It had happened multiple times throughout the day. I replayed the past near week and a half. Other than what I'd remembered, she'd been eating more lately, or so it seemed. Once I'd gotten the portal back to Ponyville open, she'd gone back to eat food there so as not to take away from the Dragons. I looked back to the bathroom with worry. "I hope it's nothing serious," I said.

Miora then did something I didn't expect. Her lips curled up very slightly. It wasn't much, but on the normally stoic looking Giraffe, it was one of the most expressive faces she'd made aside from her momentary lapse of anger earlier. "It is most likely a minor illness," she said. She then turned and walked to the door, but not before turning back and nodding in my direction. "I offer you my thanks, as well as my congratulations. You have been truly blessed."

As she walked out with her head held high, I watched her go, unsure of what to make of what she'd just said. I quickly recovered just as Zecora walked out of the bathroom. I turned and my worry returned when I saw her looking a bit shaky. I rushed over to her, took her hand, and led her to one of the chairs at the table. She tried waving me away, but I was too worried to leave her alone. "I'm so sorry that I didn't notice this before," I said, a wave of guilt washing over me as I poured her some of the juice.

"Don't apologize, dearest," Zecora said with a reassuring smile, "you've had plenty on your mind."

"Still, you're my wife," I said, "so I should have noticed that you were feeling sick."

She turned and took my hand, looking me square in the eye. Bringing my hand up to her cheek, she placed my hand there and leaned into it, all without breaking eye contact. "Love, you do not have to apologize for this. I made it easy for you to miss." She smiled, leaned in, and kissed me tenderly. "I knew you were having a tough time ruling. I can handle this."

"Well, then why don't you go home and rest?" I asked. "If you have a stomach bug, then you should be resting."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to let that stop me from supporting you," she said. She stood, walked over and sat in my lap. "I'm your wife now, Jethro. I promised to stay by your side in sickness and in health."

"That's not what those vows meant," I argued, wrapping my arms and wings around her. I rocked her gently back and forth, caressing her stomach gently. "I want you to be safe and secure."

"I don't want to leave you," she insisted.

She's as stubborn as I am, I thought. I sighed and said, "Okay, tell you what, what if I ask you to at least go see a doctor about it? The one back in Ponyville?"

She looked at me for a few seconds, then smiled, leaned in, and gave me an extremely passionate and sensual makeout session that pretty much blew my socks off. After she broke the kiss, she said, "Then I will go back home to see the good doctor." Slowly, she slid off of me, giving me a grin as she stood. "I'll be back soon, I promise." And with that, she strode out of the room, swaying her hips enticingly in my direction.

"How has Ember been doing lately?" I asked Huǒshān later that afternoon as the two of us stood on the outskirts of the impromptu Dragon camp.

Huǒshān looked thoughtful at the question. After several moments, he said, "She's over a hundred years old, but for Dragons that is still young. She's handled herself well despite her youth. She won't admit it, but she is still nervous about becoming your Hand."

"Well, that's one reason why I asked if you wanted to be an advisor," I said. "From what I've seen of you so far, you're level headed and knowledgeable."

Huǒshān chuckled a bit and waved his claw dismissively. "I'm just an old Dragon, My Liege," he said, "I'm not worthy of becoming an advisor."

"I beg to differ," I argued with a smile. "From what I've seen of you, you've got a great head on your shoulders."

Huǒshān looked at me confused. "What does my head have to do with this?" he asked.

I gave him an apologetic smile. "It's a human expression," I explained. "It means you're a very wise and smart guy. You can see what's truly important for this Empire to be reborn. I'm seriously hoping you say yes to my offer. You would be given your own private room in the castle, a plot of land to call your own and a generous stipend from the crown."

Huǒshān sighed. "I'll think about it, My Liege."

"That's all I ask," I said.

Huǒshān nodded. "Is there anything else you wish of me, My Liege?"

"For the moment, no," I said. "You've been doing a fantastic job here."

"Then I will take my leave and go back to the camp," he said. With that he headed off.

I turned and spread my wings to head back to the castle when I saw a familiar Anthro Zebra approaching me, "Beloved!"

Zecora was flying towards me, a big smile on her face and what looked like tears streaming down her cheeks. She landed a few steps in front of me and launched herself at me, wrapping her arms and legs around me, clinging tightly to me. I was so surprised I fell down into the dirt, sending up a small bit of dust. She was trembling a bit as I held her in my arms. "Hey babe," I said, holding her close to me, a bit lost for words. "You were gone for a while. Did the doctor find out what it was?"

All I could hear for a while was the sound of crying, but when she finally looked at me, the look of pure joy on her face threw me for a loop. Reaching down, she cupped my cheeks in her hands, then her lips crashed into mine. There was pure happiness in that kiss which startled me enough that I froze for a moment before returning said kiss. After a while, she broke the kiss and gave me a teary eyed smile. "My love, a miracle has taken place!" she said breathlessly.

I panted, trying to catch my breath from the sudden onslaught. "What…happened…?" I asked as I regained my voice.

She leaned down, placing her head on my chest. She then grabbed my right hand and placed it on her stomach. "I don't know how, and the doctor doesn't either, but…he says I'm pregnant!"