The effect of the Wooden Heart

The visit from Spirits teacher is now several weeks ago and the days had been normalized. One day he was practicing some mental exercise.

"Come on Bite. You can do it! Concentration! " Spirit could sense Bites thoughts more and more clearly.

"Um Spirit?" And with that Bites concentration was gone and Spirit could only sense the feelings but clearer than before.

He opened his eyes and saw Twilight. "You know, sometimes your timing is very bad. " He looked to Bite and saw that he was staring right behind Twilight. He followed his eyes and saw two other ponies. 'Who are they? Wait they are alicorns! They must be the princess sisters!'

Twilight pushed him in the side and whispered. "Bow."

'Oh right.' He quickly bowed down.

"No need for bowing my friend you are no citizen from us .You are a guest of Equestria!"

Spirit stood up again and looked at the princesses. "To say the truth, I originally came from Equestria."

Everypony looked with big eyes except Celestia. She smiled at him. "Then I am happy to welcome you back."

Spirit quickly tried to change the subject. "So what brings you here?"

"We originally came to overlook Twilights progress with her student. But as she told us that we have an visitor from the Zebra lands with an Timberwolf as his company, I wanted to meet you."

Spirit rubbed his back head. "Well I am honored but it is nothing special."

Clelestia smiled at Bite. "I think different but I we must leave now. Goodbye Spirit Wood." With that Celestia followed by Luna walked away.

As he looked at Fluttershy and Twilight, who are still staring at him."Oh it is already late, I should go feed Bite!" He quickly walked inside and got some of the magic powder cookies, he made at the previous day together with Pinkie Pie, and fed Bite with them.

Fluttershy and Twilight followed him and Twilight interrupted him. "You never told us that you came from Equestria. Why didn't you told us?"

Spirit gave a sigh of defeat. "That is because it is not really happy story and I repressed it for a long time." He looked down and sunk down in his memories.

He looked up again as he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He saw that Fluttershy stood before him. "You can trust us! If you don't want you don't have to tell us your story but I think it would be better if you do."

Also Bite walked to him and looked at him sadly.

"I think you're right I will tell you my story ..." He took a deep breath. "So it started all 16 years ago...

16 years ago in Spirits old home.

"Please mom, can I go with grandma and grandpa, please?"

Spirit mother looked at his father. His father nodded and his mom smiled at Spirit. "Of course you can, they have planned the trip for six months and we already spoke with them. So yes you can go with them through your school vacation."

"YAY" Spirit run in circles around the eating table.

His mother held her hoof up and stopped him. "But only if you eat all your vegetables!"

Spirit looked at his mother with big eyes. "Oh please broccoli tastes awful."

"No you don't have ..." His mother wanted to say but was interrupted by his father. "No you don't give in this time if he wants to go on this trip he can eat his food up at least!"

"You heard your father." Spirit hung his head down and sat down again and started eating the vegetables with only the trip in his mind.

The next day

"Are you ready?"

Spirit nodded to his grandparents and his grandmother smiled at him. "Ok then go and say bye to your parents when you come back we will go on the trip."

Spirit ran towards his parents and gave them a big hug. "Can you two not come with us?"

His mother shook her head. "No honey, we must work but your grandparents will go with you remember? I have an Idea, why don't you tell us everything what happened when you're back?"

Spirit smiled again. "Ok I will do that! Bye!"

He ran off but heard one last words from his father. "And listened to what your grandparents say!"

"Yes I will."

His grandparents and Spirit entered a carriage and stated their trip to the land of the Zebra. They first traveled to the Horseshoe Bay where they will enter their ship.

On the travel with the train Spirit got bored so he wanted to talk with his grandfather. "Grandpa did you travel to this lands before?"

"Yes, your grandmother and I traveled very much when we were younger, we were explorer back then! That includes some stops in the Zebra lands!"

"Cool! But why is it called Zebra lands?"

As he ask this question, his grandma entered the room. "That's because it is populated mostly with Zebras and some Griffons."

"What are Zebras?"

His grandpa rubbed his chin. "Well they look a bit different from us but the biggest difference is their behavior with others and their language."

Spirit looked confused at the explanation and his grandma tried to enlighten him. "You will know what we mean if you see them and anyway we will stay in a Zebra village while we're there."

"Yeah I will be the first in my class who saw a Zebra!" Spirit stated to run around in the compartment and his grandparents looked at him and smiled.

But much to Spirits disappointment they had still to travel a long way till they even reach the ship the most of the time he asked question and walked around.

Finally they reach the ship and they all went to bed. As Spirit awakes again it was noon and he started searched on the ship for his grandparents. He found them after an half hour on the boat hull looking at the horizon.

He walked between them and looked in the distance. "What is there?"

His grandpa turned to him and smiled . "We are waiting till we are able to see the land."

"I think I can see it!" His grandma looked through binoculars and put them down and gave it her husband.

"You're right, come kid look if you can see them." With that he gave it to Spirit.

He quickly grabbed it and his grandparents helped him on a box from there he looked through the binoculars. "I don't see it .... Wait! I see it! I see it!" he put the binoculars down and looked at his grandparents. "How long will it takes till we reached it?"

They both smiled and his grandpa grabbed him on his shoulder. "We have much time left and I think you haven't eat till know. How about we eat something and after that you get an ice!"

"YAY!"

After one hour they finally reached the land they were greeted by some griffons some even some in amour. Spirit looked at the armored and seems very impressed. His grandparents seems a bit confused to be the only ponies who left the boat.

Spirit turned to his grandfather and whispers . "Why do they wear amour?"

He lowered his head to Spirits head level and whispers back. "You must know there some dangerous creatures but normally they let you in peace and this almost the twice as many than the last time!"

He turned to one of the griffon guards who seems to be the leader. "Why all this guards?"

The general turned around and took his helm off. "Well we had some trouble with some outcasts, we will escort you all till the village."

Spirit grandmother came to them. "Ok it seems we are the only one, so let's go."

They all walked together with the armored Griffons in the direction of the next village. It was silence and Spirit was very uncomfortable surround by big grim looking armored and armed Griffons and walked close to his grandparents who seemed a bit worried too.

His grandmother turned to her husband and made sure that Spirit can't hear them. "What do you think about all this?"

"I don't know to be honest. But I think it's save I mean with so much guards! But I think we should shorten the trip down to a week!"

His wife nodded and looked down to Spirit who seems a bit scared. He tries to smile to him to light his mood. "How is the trip for you till know?"

"It is soo cool!" With that he smiles again.

After some time the Griffons stopped. "We will stop for today we will reached the town tomorrow!"

So they build up the tents and went to bed. Two of the Griffons stayed awake and kept watch. Spirit went together with his grandparents in one tent they offered him an own but he didn't wanted to stay alone. Spirit fell asleep quickly .

In the middle of the night something waked him up. He stood up and noticed that his grandparents are gone. He opened the entrance of the tent and walked out as he looked around and saw that the griffons were running around.

Spirit wanted to know what's going on. "What is happening? Where are grandma and grandpa?"

The captain stopped as he noticed him. "We are under attack, quickly follow me!" He immediately grabbed him and walked in the direction of a tree.

The captain pointed to a small hole under the tree. "Quickly get under there and stay there till this is over."

"But ..."

"Now!"

Spirit crawled under the tree and looked at the Griffon. "Good, now stay there till someone picks you up!"

With that he walked away and Spirit observed the scene. First he saw notching but the armored griffons running around. Between them he saw the not armored and his grandparents escorted by some gourds towards an big tent what was guarded by four guards in the front. Then the next seconds nothing happened. But suddenly other griffons came, they all seem very run-down and they were all armed with crossbows and knives . As they ran in the direction of the big tent the guard ran to them.

Spirit wanted to see more but as one of the griffons flew near, one off the branches of the tree broke off fell down and knocked Spirit out.

As Spirit opened his eyes his eyes again it was noon and everything was over, the tents are collapsed and there were some of the Griffon guards laying dead on the ground. He crawled out off the hole and turned around in the direction off the big tent. But it didn't stood anymore they were some pieces of fabric and ash.

He slowly walked towards the rest of the tent but was stopped by some strange noises. He turned around to see two strange ponies. Spirit quickly got that they were Zebras on female and one bigger male one. but after the last encounter with stranger he walked a bit back.

"No fear for us we are not with the Griffons." The smaller Zebra said with a soft voice.

The soft voice calm him a bit down but he still walked a bit back.

Know the bigger Zebra spoke up with a more darker voice. "You have to follow us it is too dangerous alone!"

Not listening, Spirit turned back to the burned tent and starts walking towards it. As he was only two feet's away from the tent the Zebra with the darker voice stopped him. "No, I can assure you that you don't want to see that! Just come with us. If you stay you will end like them."

The other Zebra held a hoof out. "Come we must go now."

Spirit had no idea what to do he didn't want to stay but he also didn't really trust them. He walked a bit back again unsure what to do.

The bigger one spoke up again. "Listened. If you don't follow us it won't end well for you! So come now, please."

The Zebras turned around and walked slowly away and Spirit thought about the situation. He didn't really trust them after what happened the night but he didn't saw other thing he could do so he followed them quickly.

The female turned her head around while walking and smiled warmly. "What's your name?"

"Spirit Wood." He answered quiet.

"My name is Sinder and this is Cero my husband." She looked at Spirit and saw that he seems very exhausted. "No worry it is a short trip to our village."

As Spirit heard the word trip he it reminds him of the previous day, on the last words he heard from his grandparents. He quickly shoved the images from the night away and just concentrated on following the two Zebras.

As they arrived at the village Spirit walked right between the two Zebras. They finally reached the house in the mid of the village and stopped in front of it.

Cero turned around. "I am sorry but you must wait till they call you in."

Spirit simply nodded but as they closed the door behind them he tried to listened what they talking about but since he didn't understand their language he gave up and sat down before the door.

After some minutes the door opened and a very big Zebra stood in front of him. "The elder will see you now." He took a step beside an let Spirit in.

As he entered the room he could smell many different thing who probably came from the plants and phials who filled the shelves. As he looked around he could see Cero and Sinder and some other Zebras covered in cloaks. Right in the middle of the room sat an Zebra with golden rings on his legs and even some around his throat but it didn't seem to bother him.

"So you're the one who survive
I am sorry that happened before we arrive!"

Spirit was very confused about the rhymes but he stayed silence.

"Please don't think that we are cruel
if we had known we would have helped with the duel!"

He looked at Spirit who know looked down reminded of the events last night.

"As much as I hate it to say
we can't help you back to your way.

It is too dangerous to send you back
I can't sent you, even with help, to that track."

Spirit didn't puzzled slowly what that mean and then opened his eyes wide in shook. "Does that mean you can't help me back home? Why?"

One of the cloaked Zebras stepped forward. "We are sorry but we can't help you at the moment, Griffons outcasts are walking free around and we are about to travel to another place, deeper in the lands."

"Does that mean I have to go alone?"

Another Zebra stepped forward and spoke with a broken voice he also wore a skull over his hood. "If you want to return yes, but our seer think it is foreordained that you came to us and think you should stay with us."

The first Zebra spoke up again. "You also can stay till you are old enough to travel alone home!"

Spirit couldn't believe that. "I can't stay! I want to go home!" He hung his head down.

Sinder stepped forward. "We understand that but if you go now alone you won't survive alone as long the bandits are on free hoof but we promise when you are old enough we help you going back!"

Spirit looked to the ground realizing that it was the truth and he had no choice. As he thought about his parents he collapsed and started crying because he wouldn't see them for the next years till he is old enough.

After some time he stood up again. "I will stay."

The elder looked down to him with an friendly smile.

"Then I welcome you to my tribe my friend
live, learn and let the past be end."

Spirit didn't knew what the last sentence mean so he simple thought that he only say that so that it rhyme.

The one with the skull hood stepped to him. "You will stay with Cero and Sinder they volunteered to teach you everything you had to know and watch over you."

Spirit looked to them they smiled warmly to him but Spirit hung his head again and said a quiet."Okay."

Sinder and Cero walked to him and held their hooves out. "Come Spirit you can help us prepare for the trip." As he said that Spirit winced a bit.

Cero looked at Sinder and whispers. "I think this event yesterday might traumatized him we should not speak about that or use the word trip it seems to trigger something."

She nodded and turned to Spirit. "So now come we have to pack things."

So they walked to their hut and packed everything Spirit tried to help a bit but didn't know how so he decided to just watch after some hours all Zebras meet at the middle of the village. As all there were the begun to travel in the opposite direction from where Spirit came.

As the sun is almost went down the elder stopped and dug a small hole in the earth and nodded immediately the Zebras spread and started to build up their homes again. Spirit walked with Sinder and Cero but as they saw how tired Spirit was the gave him a blanket and send him to sleep and they build the house.

The first months were hard for Spirit, not knowing anything about how to act or speak. Sinder and Cero taught him as much as they could about how to act. First Spirit didn't wanted to learn their language because it seems unnecessary but after one day the other childes talked and always looked at him Spirit decided to learn their language to understand them.

"As I finally spoke the language I was able to make some friends but longer I lived there more memories I lost about my live in Equestria subconsciously."

Twilight interrupted him. "But why did you stayed there for so long?"

Fluttershy took a sip of a tea she had made. "And is that the reason you winced every time somepony says the word trip?"

He winced. "Yes this is one of the last words my grandfather said to me and to your question after two years I almost forgot my whole past back in Equestria. Back to the story I lived there now for two years and I made a decision..."

It was noon and Spirit was eating with Sinder and Cero.

Spirit stopped eating and took a deep breath and looked at the both Zebras <"I want to be part of the tribe!">

Both stopped eating immediately and looked each other. Cero spoke up first.

Spirit nodded. <"I don't remember much from my live back and here I learn so much new and have a new live!">

Sinder smiled to him. <"If you really want we can go to the elder right after eating. But first eat your vegetables.">

Spirit smiled to them both. <"Okay"> He sat down and ate his food.

Later that day they went to the elder to ask him.

Spirit bowed and started.

<"Elder I came here for request
... I don't want to stay here as a guest.">
Even after a year learning the formal speaking, the rhyming is still difficult for him.

<"Ah so the day had finally come
and you don't have to be formal in my home.

You are still a child remember
you don't have to be formal in my chamber.">

Spirit was very surprised. He ignored the fact that the elder allowed him to talk normal and simply accepted it. <"Finally come?">

<"Yes I ask my seer after you arrive
and they told me something about your live.">

He was surprised he already knew that they had seers but didn't really believed them. <"So it is possible?">

<"Yes it is but you must be part of a family here
That is not so easy for normal I fear"> He looked to Sinder and Cero.

Spirit turned to Sinder and Cero. <"What does that mean?">

They seemed a bit surprised too. Cero spoke up the first. <"That means someone has to adopt you.">

Spirit looked at them. <"You would do that?">

Sinder smiled at him and nodded. <"Yes we would but you have to stay with us learn our culture and stay to our rules. If you are okay with that we would be happy to be your adopt family.">

Spirit jumped for happiness having a family again. <"Yes I will do everything to be one of the tribe and have a family again.">

<"So it is official you Spirit
will be one of my tribe see it as your merit.">

He turned to Cero. <"Merit for what?">

<"I am not very sure maybe because you showed so much attention to our culture already.">

The Zebra from Spirit first day in the village with the skull walked to him. <"Tomorrow we will made the ritual for your joining. Your adoptive family will tell you everything you have to know.">

On the next morning Spirit was very excited that he would be a part of something. He was a bit disappointed about the ritual because they only met the elder and the other high Zebras who said some word but Spirit didn't really understood what they meant so he did not pay not much attention to it. The only thing he had to do was bowing and let the elder hang him the necklace on.

At the end of the day Spirit walked to his home with his new parents.

"... and this is the story how I ended at the Zebra lands as an member of a Zebra tribe."

Sprit hung his head down and Fluttershy walked over to him. "I am sorry for you that lost your family!"

"No don't be sorry. It was my decision to let my past behind me! And I have to live with that." Bite walked to him and Spirit hugged him.

Twilight walked over to them. "I can't say I understood everything you said but I think it was good to tell somepony. I have to go now. Good night Sprit and Fluttershy."

Twilight walked out of the house and left them alone. There were silent for some moments till Fluttershy brought Spirit a tea.

"Thank you!" He took a sip of the tea.

"I am sorry..."

"No, as I said don't be sorry about what I almost forgot! But I must say thank you for listing!" Spirit drunk his tea and leaved without another word. Bite first stayed a little inside but followed him later.

Spirit meditated the rest of the day the only things that Spirit notice that Bite came back and also Twilight came and got Fluttershy and flew to her castle but Spirit didn't ask why he was to deep in thoughts about his past.