Chapter 2 - Zönta

Not a bad job, Daring thought to herself.

Just as the thought was formed, as the universe always has and will do, a beam holding a patch in the roof caved and along with it, a section of the roof and another blinding cloud of ash and dust. Daring fanned the smokescreen with her wings and tried to stop coughing. By the same token, not a good job either...

A groan in the back corner of the hut told Daring the zebra was waking. Turning, she saw the small mare was already sitting up, trying to process what was going on. "Good morning," Daring quietly said.

The zebra wasn't as confused as she seemed. Quickly looking up, her pupils shrank as she held perfectly still, paralyzed by fear once more.

Trying to comfort the poor thing, Daring Do quietly said, "Please don't run. I only want to help you. What's your name at least?"

Barely audible, the zebra replied, not any less frightened, "W-why would you want to help me? You ponies did this..."

Sighing, Daring simply put it and said, "Because I'm not those ponies."

A long pause was finally broken by the young zebra. She uttered a quiet, "Zönta"

"What?"

"My name. It- it's Zönta."

"Well I'm glad you're coming out a little. I am Daring Do, famous explorer and stuff."

No reaction from the young mare. "I also notice you don't speak in rhyme. Living in the forest, you should've been spouting rhymes by now. Why not?"

Too fast. She tried to pull her tattered blanket up further, but instead began to tear the worn fabric.

Shame came across her face and she dropped the blanket. "I don't want to talk about it. Ever."

After a while of just sitting, Daring broke the silence. "Would you like some apples to eat? I have some in my saddle bags if you would."

Finally looking up, Zönta was thinking about saying 'no thank you', but her stomach said otherwise.

~                    ~                    ~

The sun was beginning to set, and with full bellies, Daring and Zönta were sitting around a small campfire Zönta had started up herself while Daring cleared some of the bodies for less of a gruesome sight for the small zebra.

"Why are you being nice to me like this?" Zönta asked.

"You were in need and I like to help anypony in need. I try to be different from those raiders. They're just heartless."

"Oh."

"Now I have a question. Why do you still stay with me even though you don't seem to trust me?"

A look of confusion came over Zönta before looking down and answering, "I- I don't know."

Standing up, Daring said resignedly, "Well, I'll let you think about that one because I'm going to sleep."

Daring walked over to a little bundle of blankets a few feet away and soon gave a content sigh.

"Aren't you going to take that bed," Zönta asked, perplexed.

"It's not mine. You were the one using it, not me. Sleep well."

With that the pegasus rolled over and didn't say another word.

Why does she put herself through such trouble for me? Zönta thought to herself, She doesn't even properly know me, yet she feeds me, seems to have tended to my wounds, and gives up luxury so I would be comfortable... What blessing is this mare?

~                    ~                    ~

Zönta's family along with other tribal members all sat around the ancient tribal artifacts of the Sukatah tribe, chanting ominously. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees and Zönta could begin to see the others breath in the ever cooling air. A shiver passed through the young zebra as fright began to set in.

She had never witnessed a- whatever this is and at this point, she didn't like it. Panic began to rise in her chest as the old bones and runes began to glow a dark turquoise with powerful zebra magic. The air was now nearly freezing, though none of the others were giving a hint of feeling it.

The bubble in her chest burst and she lost her wits. She leaped up and made a beeline for the tarp covering the door, but as she passed, a small nudge of her hoof sent the glowing items tumbling.

Blinding white exploded in the hut and the last thing Zönta remembered was a falling sensation, then peace.

~                    ~                    ~

Slowly opening her eyes, the zebra laid there and stared at the ceiling. Why was I so foalish to run out of such an important ceremony? Tears began slowly streaming their way down her muzzle, but were quickly wiped away as soon as Daring walked into the repaired hut.

"How'd you sleep?", Daring asked cheerfully.

"Fine."

"Any dreams?"

"Y- No," Zönta lied. She was about to tell Daring what had happened, but that would mean explaining her regretful history. "Why do you ask?"

With a shrug, Daring replied, "I heard you whimpering and moving in your sleep and was just wondering is all."

"Oh." Was all.

A long pause and Zönta caught a whiff of something good. "Are you cooking?"

A nod and a smile was all that was needed from Daring. A small thankful smile crept it's way onto Zönta's face as she walked with the pegasus out into fresh air where a pot hung over a fire and two seats where a sandwich waited on a plate.

"Have a seat. The tea will be ready in a minute," Daring said casually.

Zönta did so and looked at the plate next to her. Picking up the sandwich to inspect it, a small flower fell out A gasp escaped her lips before her gaze snapped up to Daring, munching her breakfast. Daring looked over at Zönta with another of the flowers hanging from the edge of her mouth. She sucked it up and asked, "Is everything alright? I promise I didn't do anything to your sandwich."

Barely a whisper out of pure shock, Zönta asked, "Wh- How did you- Where did you ever find these? They don't grow anywhere near this village!"

Daring knit her brows for a moment, then relaxed and explained how she was from Ponyville and every detail up to where she had found Zönta. With every word however, Zönta looked more and more afraid like Daring was going to kill her.

"And that's how Equestria was made!", she finished as a joke Pinkie Pie had taught her from when she had first come to Ponyville.

That did it again. The poor zebra filly, for the second time in ten hours, fainted.

"Uh... Sorry kid."

Another few hours passed before Zönta had awoken again, and this time nothing that would traumatize her.

"I promise, how I got here was not the beginning of Equestria. It was a joke somepony else told me."

"But those flowers! It would take a day's walk to find any of those! And you are nowhere near Ponyville or anywhere like that!", she cried in dismay.

"Like I said, it was in a little circular field right outside the village. They were growing like crazy," was the simply reply.

"But-", Zönta began to say, but Daring interrupted, "I'm as clueless as you and I have no idea how I ended up on the other side of the world, but I've been through so much, it's not even surprising anymore. But given it is really strange."

"I-", she began, but instead gave a resigned sigh. That mare popped out of nowhere and she doesn't even care she's nowhere near where she came from... What IS she!?

Daring picked herself up and brushed a stray flower from her cargo vest. "Whelp. That's me. Anyway, I think I hear sleep calling. G'night."

Trotting back to the hut, she gave a last glance to see Zönta, jaw on the ground and eyes the size of dinner plates. Yep, that's me.