Author's Note

Sorry for the wait Kinda stopped for awhile but had this mostly done so just finished it and there will be a second part in the works Also I failed the rhyming thing with Zecora so enjoy that blunder.

Anyway I'm back everyone!!

Chapter 25: Ponyville Scare

Chapter 25: Ponyville Scare

Celestia

Celestia at her personal desk just to the right of her bed. She and Luna had already brought about day. Now Celestia made use of the brief moment of free time before breakfast to write in her diary.

It has been about four days since Luna was freed and the two of us have taken back our positions as rulers of Equestria. It has also been over two years since Tristan saved me when I was powerless against three stallions that sought to use me.

What almost happened still bothers me to this day and my sister even had to intervene with my most recent nightmare the night Tristan left for Ponyville. The day Nightmare Moon was defeated I changed my room guard from unicorns to pegasi. I also avoid going near the dungeon entrance even if it means taking longer to get somewhere.

Celestia sighed as she paused for a second to put more ink on the quill tip.

This all brings me to Tristan. My feelings for him confound me, nine months ago I confessed my feelings for him and he told me he did not feel the same, going as far as saying he may never be able to return them. The rejection hurt and thought that he felt he couldn’t even feel romantic love was heart wrenching. I cried myself to sleep that night and we did not talk very much for over a month.

Yet here I am finding my heart pining after a stallion that I could never have. It was not the first time I felt attraction or love in my life but it was the first time a rejection hurt so badly and the first time I could not completely get over it. Everything was not helped by the fact I had not had a lover since before Luna’s banishment.

So after a thousand years alone I felt I found someone, but find it was near impossible to be with them. Ironically enough he did not even feel the normal levels of sexual attraction most stallions would have. Out of curiosity I did a scan on his hormonal levels just after I got out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel and there was only a miniscule change.

Diary, I have someone with every good quality I could ever want in a stallion sleeping in my bed and to add insult to injury he couldn’t die of age like so many of my previous loves and yet I was doomed to be just a close friend. It is a maddening feeling, but he needs someone to be there for him if yesterday was anything to go by. Tristan is starting to crack from the weight of all he has done.
Myself and Luna are perhaps the only two that can even come close to understanding his pain, so I need to help him no matter how much being so close to him makes my heart ache. I should count myself lucky that he came to me for help in the first place, I have seen plenty of soldiers try to just go on their own and watched as they slowly withered, their families unable to do anything.

Celestia took a glance out the window and where Tristan was sleeping and soon enough he started to stir. Celestia closed her diary and put it in a magically locked drawer in her desk.

Tristan

I did not remember my dreams that night only that I didn’t wake up in a cold sweat. I opened my eyes and realized I was in Celestia’s room laying on her bed. My talk with Celestia last night came back to mind and I figured I just fell asleep before I could go to my room.

I looked around quickly finding Celestia still in her nightgown sitting at her desk. She looked back at me, “Sleep well Tristan?”

I grunted as I got up to a sitting position on the side of the bed and stretched. “I slept better than most nights.”

“That’s good. Breakfast should be in the process of being made so we should get going. We can eat in the private dining room where my sister and I usually eat when we don’t have any guests over.” Celestia said with a grin.

“Even though Twilight and her friends are here?”

Celestia nodded, “Yes talking to you I don’t have to pretend at all something I have to do even with Twilight.” Celestia smiled mischievously. “Besides I don’t feel like changing quite yet I’m plenty comfortable as is.” Celestia gestured at the nightgown she was wearing.

I can’t help but smile. “Ah so the real reason comes out, the princess is lazy.”

“Hey, I have to run a country everyday I have a right to be lazy.” Celestia shot back.

I raised my hands up as I stood up and walked to the door. “Okay you have a point there.”

Celestia opened the door and we walked out, our conversation bounced around as we walked to the private dining room. When we arrived Celestia opened a simple wooden door and before me was a simple dining room like most households would have. A modest wooden table with four equally modest chairs.

“Well here we are Tristan, the castle’s private dining room where myself and Luna usually eat when we are not hosting dignitaries or groups.” Celestia announced as we both sat down.

“So what will Luna think when you leave her at the mercy of the Elements?” I said as maids brought out a large plate of pancakes along with a tray of fruit, pitchers of orange juice and milk, syrup and even a platter of bacon.

Celestia made a plate with a little bit of everything even bacon while I did the same. She took a bite of her pancakes before speaking. “My sister already knew about this, I told her in advance.” When she noticed my confusion as she ate some bacon she blushed. “Alicorns are able to digest meat just fine.” She defended, “besides meat, especially real bacon happens to be a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. One that I can seldom enjoy.”

I chuckled as Celestia pouted a bit. “That’s fine with me I just am surprised I was always under the impression that only thestral’s could eat any type of meat and pegasi were limited to fish.”

Celestia laughed, “You are wrong, all pony tribes can eat meat. Pegisi, alicorns and thestral’s however, can eat as much as they want without getting sick”

I nodded, “The more you know indeed. So I guess it will be a normal day of nobles complaining with a few cases of legitimate concerns here and there. With a whopping serving of excessive paperwork that can range from important to pointless?”

Celestia was drinking orange juice when she did a epic spit take that launched the liquid a few meters into my face. From there she erupted into laughter. “You are actually spot on.” Celestia said as she calmed down

The rest of our breakfast consisted of small talk and eating and soon enough it was time for Celestia to host day court and for me to head back to Ponyville with Twilight and her friends.

We met up in the lobby, said our farewells, Twilight giving her mentor a hug. The trip to ponyville was rather uneventful and once we were off the train that was when things got interesting.

The first thing I noticed was despite it being midday the streets were eerily empty. Fluttershy was the first to comment, “H-hey girls was there something planned today? It’s frighteningly quiet.”

“Not that I know of. Pinkie?” Twilight replied her ears swiveling around.

Pinkie Pie grabbed a calendar from her mane “Nope, no surprises today. Though I have a retirement party in a week. Hmm have to remember if Ms.Honey Bun like vanilla or chocolate cake.”

We ignored Pinkie as she pondered the question of cake flavors. A hushed “Hey over here.” came from a slightly ajar door in front of us. Everyone quickly entered the house confused.

Twilight asked the vital question. “What’s going on? The streets are empty, some sort of attack or something?”

The random stallion shook his head. “No everypony is hiding from the odd pony wearing a cloak.” The stallion pointed out the window and sure enough a zebra wearing a hooded cloak was walking through the streets. A few gold bracelets around her right arm. “Everypony is saying she is Zecora, some sort of evil enchantress from the Everfree Forest.”

Almost immediately everyone except Twilight and I bought into the hysteria and started a panic. Applejack and Rarity voicing their concerns for their sisters Applebloom and Sweetie Belle respectively.

In a cartoonish fashion Zecora took the hood off and another collective gasp filled the room. Twilight groaned, “She’s a zebra.”

A dramatic “What?” resounded from the ponies in the room. It is when I decided to take over the explanation. “A zebra, quite similar to ponies actually she is most likely from Zebraca.” I groaned as I said the name. “If it still exists as I remember it that is. So besides not knowing an entire race exists anything else got the town on edge.” I asked the random stallion.

“Well, as I said before she is said to be a evil enchantress.”

“Doubt it.” I quickly replied. “I might be wrong seeing as my knowledge is a couple thousand years old but she seems to be a shaman if the bracelets are anything to go by. I knew of a zebra shaman he supplied healing potions among other things for the army had a couple of students as well.”

I looked around and saw that everyone around me was now much calmer than before, now looking at Zecora with curiosity instead of fear. “Well we should go and see what she wants.”

Everyone but Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash agreed the latter claiming not to trust the zebra enough. With that I lead the remaining ponies to greet Zecora, idly wondering how they got her name while hiding in their houses.

Zecora noticed me and immediately jumped back, grabbing something from under her cloak when it was revealed to be a bottle of some brown liquid she spoke up. “Run away my friends before this fiend sees you to your ends!” The others ran back as I decided to defuse the situation I foolishly created not thinking about the folklore that must have spread after the war by the shamans and zebra warriors friendly to the princesses.

I put my hands up. “I see my legend spread far, but I am no longer working under Discord and as for the Nightmare Moon. Luna has been restored and the Royal Sisters have me under a tight leash.”

“You are said to be sly how do I know truth from lie?” Zecora challenged

“Easy the legends probably tell of my speed. Of all things that is actually true. Yet here you are threatening me with some sort of potion and you live. I’m even surrendering to you.” I calmly replied.

Zecora hesitantly put the potion back. “Okay Demon for now I will take your words at face value.”

“Good,” I sighed “so what brings you here?”

“I was hoping to get a few thing from this town but I find the streets empty and shops closed, why, I don’t know.” Zecora shrugs as she starts to walk away.

I lead the group back to the place Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were still hiding. I enter the building last and the thunk of the door sounds out like a gunshot in the quiet room.

“So why was she here to place some sort of curse on us or to find ponies to take?” Rainbow Dash blurted out

“No Dash,” Twilight massaged her temples with her hands. “She just was looking to buy some things and go back home.”

“So what? How do you know that she was telling the truth?” Rainbow countered.

“She was telling the truth Rainbow.” Applejack intervened

“We should still follow Zecora just to make sure.” Rainbow Dash asserts

“Wait where’s Applebloom?!” Applejack exclaimes causing everyone to look around before someone spotted her following Zecora into the Everfree.

“Well seems we will be indulging Rainbow Dash anway.” I sigh

I followed Twilight and friends as they followed Zecora and Applebloom with the grace and subtlety of a angry minotaur. It seemed the zebra and filly were having a pleasant conversation though we were a bit too far to hear everything. It seemed Twilight’s and my own attempt to avail the fears of the group had ultimately failed.

Eventually we stood in front of a field of blue flowers that I Immediately recognized as Poison Joke with Zecora and Applebloom on the other side. Zecora looked at our group and said. “Beware! Beware, you pony folk! Those leaves of blue are not a joke!"

I myself knew she was referring to the flowers in front of us and was about to warn the group when Applejack stepped into the flowers. “Hey! Stay away from my sister!”
The others much to my exasperation did the same. I stepped into the patch knowing I was immune to the pollen from prior exposure when Discord first demonstrated the plant as a nice little sabotage weapon by blowing the pollen on several volunteers.

I decided to not say anything, wanting to see how it would affect everyone and figuring this could make for a decent life lesson and I could just stop things before they went too far.

It was late when we got back to Ponyville so everyone said their farewells and headed back to their homes. I followed Twilight back to the Library found the guest room willed my armor off and went to sleep.