Simbiko haisimbuki ila kwa msukosuko
Zamani marafiki, mpya nyuso
[Old friends, new faces]
Author’s notes: [Anything typed like this is being spoken in Zebran, the totally arbitrary name I’m slapping on the language of the Zebra.]
Simbiko haisimbuki ila kwa msukosuko
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It was a beautiful day. Celestia’s sun shone down over Ponyville as the clock tower rung noon. The main street of Ponyville was bustling with ponies going about their daily business. Among them, however, there was what to anypony else a strange sight. For there in the market, among the vibrant colors of the ponies was the stark black and white of a zebra. Zecora trotted cheerfully through the Ponyville market, returning many a friendly greeting and once or twice waving off yet another apology for the fearful rumors that started when she first came to Ponyville.
“I just really want to apologize again, Zecora,” Daisy spoke up as Zecora paid for her purchase of several flowers, undoubtedly for a complex brew. “I still feel so awful about starting some of those rumors!”
Zecora a gave a small sigh with a weary smile on her muzzle. Daisy was always apologizing, to the point where conversations with her were a predictable cycle; she would try to start conversation with Daisy, the topic would at some point change to Zecora’s homeland, and then Daisy would apologize for some rumor or another she had started about Zecora when she had first arrived in Ponyville. Zecora was about to tell Daisy to leave it be, when a loud thud emanated from the flower shop door. This was followed quickly with a muffled, “oooww…”
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Outside the door to Daisy’s flower shop, Ditzy Doo (Derpy to only her closest friends,) sat on the ground and nursed at the fresh lump on her head. ‘When did Daisy get a mahogany door?’ Ditzy thought to herself, the moment of pain focusing her usually divided attentions as well as her similarly divided vision. Just as Ditzy had completely focused on said door, it opened, revealing her target pony… er… zebra. “Zecora! Am I glad that I found you before you headed back home!” She reached into her saddlebag and produced a scroll of thick, rough paper. “I have a letter for you, and from what they said at the post office, it came a very long way to get here!”
Zecora looked inquisitively at Ditzy before taking the scroll, ‘Came a long way? Could it be?’ “Oh mail mare with your coat of grey, what proof do you have to what you say?”
Ditzy’s eyes started to drift as she tried to remember what the chief dispatcher had said to her, when the information hit her like the mahogany door did earlier. “OOH! He said that the pegasus who delivered it to the office was somepony special, he said she had a really fancy tail and her wings were on her flanks, which is kinda weird if you ask me. The chief said her name was… Al… something… Burka, or was it Borat, maybe it was burrito? Al is kind of a weird name for a mare don’t you think? I mean…” Ditzy began rambling as the last of her temporary focus was lost.
Zecora’s eyes went wide as the muffin-obsessed mail mare recounted the information. “An Al Buraq delivered this scroll?!” She immediately grabbed the scroll from Ditzy’s hoof and unrolled it. After a quick glance over the contents Zecora began prancing around in front of Daisy’s shop. “OH, it IS from him, I feel as giddy as a foal!”
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Daisy could only watch in utter confusion as Zecora; calm, composed, wise Zecora, pranced around her and Ditzy like a little school filly who had just been told she could get a puppy. ‘Whoever this letter is from must be somepony special to make Zecora act this way.’ Daisy thought to herself as she approached the jubilant zebra and tried to calm her down a little. “Uh, Zecora? Care to share the news? What’s got you so excited? Who’s it from?” When Zecora finally stopped and looked at her, she was positively beaming.
“[Ohhhh, I can’t believe he finally took my advice!]” Zecora was so ecstatic that she couldn’t help but to slip back into her native tongue. “[He’s finally coming to live here!]”
Once again Daisy was completely at a loss as Zecora had begun speaking in what she was barely able to recognize as Zebran. After Twilight and her friends helped Ponyville accept her, Zecora had offered to teach Zebran to anypony who was interested in learning it. Daisy had been intent on doing so to make up for the brash slander she had started, but she just couldn’t get the hang of it. She’d studied alongside the Spa Twins Aloe and Lotus, who wanted to be able to interact with Zecora on a more personal level as a client, friend, and supplier. Twilight, who was always eager to learn something new. Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Bell, who hoped to get cutie marks in linguistics; and most surprisingly, Ditzy, who wanted to learn because quote: “It sounds so PRETTY!”
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Said pegasus had been listening intently to Zecora for the last few minutes, but still couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on. So far everything the now ecstatic zebra was saying made no sense to Ditzy, and frankly it was kind of annoying. A look of mild consternation played across the mail mare’s face as she watched her friend dance around for a few minutes before finally speaking up.
“[Zecora, could you please calm down a little? You’re making less sense than Pinkie after she ate those zap apple cupcakes that had liquid rainbow in them.]” Ditzy shuddered as she recalled the madness that came as a result of that baking experiment, then returned her focus to the matter at hoof. “[Who’s this pony that has you so excited?]” Zecora’s eyes shot open as she realized what she was doing, she slowly stopped her dancing and gave a half-hearted smile.
“[Forgive me Derpy, I lost myself in my joy.]” The mail mare un-ruffled her feathers after her striped friend settled down, “[It’s fine, just tell me, what’s got you so happy? Who is this pony you’re talking about?]”
“[He is an old friend from my village back in the Savannah. He has finally… well, perhaps you would like to read the letter yourself?]” Zecora’s smile grew larger and more genuine as she passed the scroll over to her good friend and second (to Twilight) best student from her Zebran lessons. Much to Ditzy’s surprise the letter was written in Equestrian, as she had expected Zebran. With a growing interest, she began to read the letter:
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Zecora, my first and oldest friend.
It has been many years since you left on your journey, but it only feels like a day since I last saw your smiling face. Your constant letters insisting I come to live in this "Ponyville" have finally found a hoof-hold in my mind, and recent events have made it necessary to leave our beloved village in the Savanna.
I am writing this to you from what would have been the halfway point on this little sojourn, in the Vast dunes of the Camel-Lands. From here my travel would take ten more days. However, I have been lucky enough to garner passage on this wondrous thing called an "airship". From what I can glean from those I have spoken with, I should reach your Ponyville by tomorrow! Isn't that incredible? Such speed of travel that I could never imagine! And through the AIR! …I'm sorry, I lost track of myself, this is all just so new and exciting...
I had this letter sent by Al Buraq so that it could reach you before I depart. I wanted to assure you that I have been practicing the language of these ponies, and that I look forward to meeting these new friends you have mentioned, provided of course you are prepared to meet the friend that is coming with me, he is very special to me in ways I will explain when we arrive. I look forward to our reunion.
Your dear friend,
Msitu
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Daisy’s confusion only grew as Zecora’s frolicking slowed to a stop and a sheepish grin spread across her muzzle following…whatever Ditzy said. All Daisy could tell was that it was in Zebran and that she had mentioned Pinkie and zap apples. The rest of the conversation was almost impossible for the mare to understand. For the life of her, she had never seen Ditzy look so annoyed, then Zecora hoofed over the scroll to her. As she read the scroll her expression changed from one of annoyance to confusion, then surprise, followed quickly by joy.
“Oh, Zecora, I’m so happy for you!” The mail mare gave her friend a quick hug before a thought entered her head. “Should somepony tell Pinkie? She’ll want to throw him a party anyways, why not give her time to set up?”
Zecora nodded her head fervently, beaming joyously once again, she was too happy to properly form words in any language; and as Derpy flew off to find the pink party pony, her mind began to drift back to memories of her old friend…
