The Master Alchemist

Chapter 1

Voraloxle looked down at Zecora and grinned that sheepish, charming grin. It was warm, but it had an edge to it, and it managed to both comfort you and put you ill at ease all at once.

Stumbling back to her hooves, Zecora wordlessly grabbed him and Applebloom and yanked them into a nearby recess between two buildings.

"Hey! What was tha--" Voraloxle started to complain, but recieved a hoof in the face for his trouble.

Zecora heard Applebloom draw a long knife with a dexterous cartilage and bone hoof.

"Return your weapon to its sheathe, student! Threats to a guest are not prudent," Zecora moved her face closer to Voraloxle as she said this.

"Look, Zecora, I was just coming to see Labba, and--" the purple-black pony explained.

"Too late! Labba does not deal with thieves who cower at the sight of a bandit troop! In any case, I am not here for Labba. Shut up before I put a your neck through a hoop!" Frustration made Zecora recall the last time she had spoken with Vorlaxle

and how he nearly made her break rhyme with his charm. That only made her focus more.

Continuing, Zecora said, "You abandoned me! You just up and left! Not to mention your petty theft!" The rage fueled her words. "Do you even remember that night? I saved your life in that fight!"

"I'm.. I'm sorry. Zecora, for once in my life, I'm really, truly sorry." Voraloxle's guard seemed to drop for just a minute.

"Liar. Who trusts the word of a thief? You should have died in a fire."

With an exhale, Voraloxle turned his head to the side and laid it against a brick wall.

"Fine, then. Yell at me all you want, but I have places to be. Call me anything you want, but never late for dinner." Vorlaxle grinned at his ex.

Zecora laughed inexplicably at that. She hugged the pony and he returned the hug, and both of them ended up giggling crazily.

Applebloom was unsurprisingly offset, and tilted her head quizically at a pony and zebra who had just been at each others throats but were now laughing--together! The yellow pony chalked it up to her own inexperience in the real world. Or maybe she'd just gone insane. The two were practically interchangeable anyways.

"Friend of yours?" Applebloom raised an eyebrow and offered a wink to her teacher.

"Since before you were a filly," the black answered, "but we've had our fair share of disagreements."

"Fair share? You bicker like two pigs with one trough!"

Applebloom was unsure why Voraloxle laughed at that.

"Seems that she has plenty to learn. Ha! You always had the strangest companions." Voraloxle said.

"Remember, you were one of them, or of their kin do you think you do not stem?"

"Oh, I remember all right. A few cutthroats always after us, a life on the road, adventure and crazy fun! Question is, do you remember?" The hat and feather tilted down.

"Sounds like a mighty big tale!" Applebloom remarked.

"The story is long and weary, and I still hate him for it," Zecora said, "but it will make you teary, so we shall not bicker over it now. And," she turned to Voraloxle, "you said you had places to be. What places are you off to, exactly, some mystic tree?"

"Oh, you know, hunting magical artifacts, being a mercenary, smuggler... the usual. And hey," he said, walking away, "if you guys need a place, you know where to find me."

Zecora grunted and nodded in acknowledgement.

"See ya, Vora-guy!" Applebloom said as the pony faded back to the shadows. "So, Zecora, who was he?"

"A pony from time long past, and telling you the tale would not be so fast." Zecora looked over her shoulder at her apprentice. "Come. We still need to reach the town hall."

Without another word about the purple-black equine, the two once again began picking their way through the surprisingly

crowded town square in the downpour. Here, in Zebra land, there were few Pegasi, and fewer still who worked as weather management. This place was not affected by the magic of the princesses, and was more natural, like the Everfree Forest, Zecora knew as her home.

Eventually, the two pushed through the creatures gathered and stumbled, wet and tired, into the main lobby of the government building. The attendant was rather unemotional in asking for names and dates, places, and appointments.

"Okay... you two will stay in the guest room down the hall, to the left. Number 17." the zebra looked entirely bored with her job. "Next."

Entering the room with a key in the lock, Zecora said, "Remember Applebloom, you are here not only to learn of the world, but also as an envoy of Equestria. You will come with me to the diplomatic talks."

Applebloom was a bit taken aback; that was the first time her master had ever entirely stopped rhyming in her speech.

Almost as if reading her mind, Zecora said, "Communication is more important than mystique, child, and do not be as you are normally; so meek!"

Once more, Applebloom questioned her own sanity.