Exotic Rhythms

by Revenant Wings

Rating: teen
Tags: Random, Dark, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5511

A guard finds and meets a zebra who's been a bit of a recluse. He's about to find out why.

In the forests near Ponyville live two zebras. Everyone knows Zecora as the resident herbalist and curer of magical maladies and her connections with the Princess. But a second zebra also lives in the area, one who keeps to himself and is a bit of a recluse. Almost no one knows who he is and what he does, and he seems to prefer to keep it that way.

Night Shield is a new unicorn guard taking up the post at Princess Twilight's castle. The strange habits of this second zebra soon become known to him, and a chance situation allows him to find and meet with this zebra to know what makes him tick.

Night Shield may not like what he finds.

Proofread by MightyShockwave

Published 2017-06-22 04:50:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-06-22 04:50:06 UTC

Seek and Ye Shall Find...

In the forests near Ponyville, there lived two zebras.

One lived in the Everfree Forest and was quite well known; Zecora was personally acquainted with that of Twilight Sparkle and of her close friends. She was well known for her natural cures for magical maladies, and despite initial misunderstandings was now welcomed in Ponyville.

The other was hardly heard from or seen. He came after Zecora was acquainted and the myths of her presence dispelled. Now used to seeing a zebra around Ponyville, the second was almost ignored. He attended the shops and sometimes walked around town, but he was practically invisible.

He rather preferred it that way.

A guard by the name of Night Shield was new to Ponyville, becoming part of the new detachment of night guards now that Twilight had ascended to princesshood and gained a castle of her own. He was a dark greyish-blue unicorn with a silver mane and light blue eyes, considered rather a handsome-looking fellow though shy and quiet and few knew who he was, too.

Every night Night Shield took his place at the entrance of the castle, spear in hoof and an eye out on Ponyville. And every night he would see a zebra walking around, distinguished from the night only by his lighter-grey coat.

Night Shield knew there were two zebras around, though it was strange with this one always out at night. Zecora did her business during the day and left. This one always came around and dug with a hoof at the ground before sniffing a little bit. He’d do it a few times in a few different places, snort with disgust, and move on.

After a month, the habits of the zebra became another background noise to the night. Night Shield ignored what the zebra was doing and was able to resume his post without fuss.

Despite the habits of the zebra being innocuous, Night Shield found himself questioning. Almost anything a pony could want could be found in Ponyville, and most shops would even order any missing items. So what did the zebra want? Why was he always in Ponyville at night, and why was he digging?

One evening, Night Shield was on duty and the zebra came around again. Night Shield was at his post as usual and ignoring what the zebra did. But this time came the sound of a quiet but pleased whinny and something falling to the ground as the zebra walked away. Night Shield, both shy and not wanting to yell and wake up the town, shone a light from his horn and walked over to the spot where he heard the item fall.

On the ground was a small vial nearly filled with seeds. They were unlike anything that Night Shield had seen before, and he assumed they may have been valuable. But when he picked up the vial the zebra he assumed owned them was nowhere in sight.

Night Shield pocketed the seeds and resumed his post as usual. But when morning came and Twilight came out to dismiss him, he walked into Ponyville proper and went towards the bakery.

The bakery allowed him to do two things: buy a donut for breakfast and talk with the usually exuberant Pinkie Pie. At this early hour they were the only two in the bakery, and while Pinkie was talkative Night Shield didn’t usually say much. But the hour had its advantages, and so did Pinkie.

Night Shield walked up to the bakery and entered. Pinkie Pie was already at the counter and hopped up.

“Good morning, Night Shield!” she exclaimed. “Time for the morning donut? Nothin’ like a bit of sugar to start the day, or I guess end the day in your case. One chocolate bar coming right up!”

Night Shield nodded as Pinkie reached into the case and pulled out one donut. “Excuse me, Pinkie, but can I ask you a question?”

Pinkie gasped. The donut twirled around in mid-air a bit, but when Pinkie regained herself the donut was caught with no damage. “You want to ask me a question? That’s certainly not normal for you. Ooh! Do you need a party for a specific occasion? Are you getting a promotion!?” There came a burst of streamers behind the counter, catching Night Shield off-guard.

“No...” Night Shield spit a streamer out of his mouth. “I was wondering if you could help me find someone. You know everyone in Ponyville.”

“I don’t just know them, silly. I’m friends with all of them!”

“Okay. Then, can you tell me where a zebra that isn’t Zecora lives?”

“Ooh, this is a day of surprises! I know the zebra you’re talking about, but he’s not my friend! I need to solve that soon, maybe later when I’m not busy running the store.”

“Well, where is he?”

“Go behind the bakery and follow the path. It gets a teensy bit wild towards the end, but he lives in the forests outside Ponyville.”

“Thanks.” Night Shield brought out the bits to pay for the donut and headed out.

Night Shield followed the path around the bakery and behind it, eating the donut as he went. Behind the bakery, the path went out of Ponyville and went into a small section of rolling fields where nopony lived and no farm was planted. As he came up against some small mountains, the forests grew and the path went into the forests.

Night Shield took the vial of seeds out from his armor and walked into the forest. Though the forests here didn’t have the danger of the Everfree, the path was less used and wilder like Pinkie had said. Trees and bushes grew thick, rocks and roots sometimes cropped up in the middle of the path, and the canopy was thick enough the morning sun barely poked through.

Night Shield eventually came across a small wooden hut with a mailbox outside of it. It had a Ponyville address, so Night Shield assumed this was the house of the zebra. He went up to the oaken door and knocked.

The house was silent for a moment and Night Shield nearly walked away. But soon there came the clopping of hooves across a dirt floor and the door opened. Standing there was a zebra stallion slightly larger than he was with bright orange eyes and a spiraling mark on his flank. He had on only a brown cloak over his shoulders.

“May I help you?” The voice was deep and smooth but sounded irritated.

Night Shield presented the vial of seeds. “I believe you dropped this.”

The zebra inspected the vial before grinning. He snatched it up with his hooves and examined its contents thoroughly. “Thank goodness, I was afraid I’d lost this. I wouldn’t want to lose anything so important.” And he walked in, shutting the door behind him.

Night Shield did not know much about the zebra, but if he was doing his business at night he probably didn’t want company. So he shrugged his shoulders and walked away, relieved of his task.

Night Shield hadn’t gone far when he heard the door open again. He turned around and saw the zebra standing in the doorway.

“Forgive me, I was quite rude.” The voice was now friendly. “Thank you for bringing those seeds back to me. Please, come in.”

“It’s fine,” Night Shield replied. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“I was just going to offer you a cup of tea.”

Night Shield cocked his head. “Why?”

“Well, you’re the first pony in a while to come out this way. The seeds you returned are rather important, and I figured I could show you some of my projects and give you a cup of tea as thanks.”

Night Shield considered it for a moment. Curiosity won out and he nodded and walked up to the zebra.

The zebra opened the door and let Night Shield into his hut. The main room had masks hanging on the walls, and the counters seemed to be filled with alchemical supplies. In the middle, a small fire was glowing under a large pot of simmering water. Off to the side where a small doorway led to a room that seemed to only have in it a large round bed, one filled with pillows and blankets.

Night Shield stepped in and noticed the floor was primarily dirt; the only wood structures were the walls and the counter. The décor seemed to evoke Zecora’s residence, only the tree was manually constructed instead of hollowed out.

The zebra waved around the fire. “Sit anywhere you’d like.”

Night Shield picked an open spot by the fire and sat down; the warmth felt good in the cool morning air. The zebra busied himself with a few cups before pulling down a ladle and scooping some water out of the simmering pot and gently pouring them into two cups. Soon there were two cups of steaming tea steeping on the counter and the zebra had sat himself down across the fire from Night Shield.

The zebra looked over Night Shield. “You’re the one who stands guard outside Twilight’s castle, aren’t you?”

Night Shield merely nodded.

“Heh, and you’re as quiet as the rest of them. Please, it’s been a while since I’ve had company and I assume you are off duty. You are free to speak here.”

“Forgive me,” Night Shield said with a mild bow of his head. “I am not a talkative pony anyways.”

The zebra laughed. “What’s your name?”

“Night Shield.”

The zebra nodded and smiled. He brought up a hoof and bowed slightly himself. “My name is Zelayo. I am a herbalist much like Zecora, though you have not likely heard of me before.”

“No, I have not.”

“Well, perhaps you may have bought a few teas of mine from the shops in town. I have three sold by Roseluck and her sisters. I have an Earl Grey, a green tea peppermint, and a black vanilla chai.”

“I am not much of a tea drinker, though I am not opposed to it. I used to have peppermint teas for colds when I was younger.”

“Well, my new friend, you are about to taste my first experiment.” He waved to where the cups were sitting. “I was developing a new tea: a lavender vanilla rooibos. It’s not caffeinated, so it won’t perk you up this morning, though I expect you’re not awake for much longer anyways.”

“Not typically. But I do not feel tired yet. I have learned to fall asleep quickly and when I want.”

Zelayo chuckled a bit. “Very well, then. I believe our tea is done. If you do not mind, could you use your magic to bring them over?”

Night Shield did not mind; he levitated the two cups over and waited until Zelayo had taken his in his hooves before releasing his hold. For his own, he brought the cup to his mouth and blew on it. The cup felt warm but not burning hot and only a wisp of steam remained. He sipped it cautiously, though the heat was no problem.

“Well, Night Shield my friend, what do you think?”

It was light and sweet and went down smoothly. The tea looked almost grey in the cup but had a very floral scent, likely from the lavender. He sipped it again and felt himself almost relaxing. “It tastes nice. I would drink it sometimes.”

“A fine compliment from a non-tea drinker. There are, of course, subtleties you may miss not being a connoisseur but I am delighted you enjoy it. I would like my tea to be accessible, and if you like it, then I have done my job.”

“Is there anything else you do? Selling tea can’t amount to much.”

“Yes. Behind my house is a garden of a few rare flowers; I sometimes sell them to the flower girls as well for a good price. And lately, I have been working on a few other things.”

“Such as?”

“Ponyville lacks sleep aids.” Zelayo held his tea in one hoof and stamped his other one on the dirt floor as though to prove his point. “Simple, non-addictive medicines that quiet the body and calm the mind. And yet recent reports show cases of mild anxiety have increased threefold ever since Twilight moved to Ponyville.”

Night Shield raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think the Princess is the cause of all this, do you?”

“Oh, heavens no!” Zelayo said apologetically. “Though I must say our dear Princess is a harbinger; she is a valiant protector, though I must say the frequency of strange occurrences has increased. And so anxiety increases from the amount of things that have happened since her arrival.”

Night Shield sipped his tea. “You have a point.”

Zelayo raised an eyebrow inquisitively. “You sound like you have a personal stake in this.”

“Well, mostly because my sleep schedule does often coincide with these... ‘strange occurrences’.”

“Then you will understand exactly what I mean.” His own tea finished, Zelayo got up and set the cup on the counter before walking back over and sitting closer to Night Shield. “That’s why those seeds were important. They are from a rare flower that only blooms on the nights of the full moon. Midnight Glow, it is called.”

“So... why did you need that flower?” As Night Shield continued sipping his own tea, he noticed he was starting to feel almost relaxed despite the relative stranger sitting next to him.

“I have some roots and some seeds. Both are good, but the seeds are where the sleep-inducing properties of the flower come from. Its flower is pleasant and calming but has an invigorating scent, while the seeds and roots are known to make one lethargic. Hence, perfect for my sleep aid.”

“So how will you make it?”

“As another tea.” Zelayo wrapped a hoof around Night Shield’s shoulders. “A new brand called ‘Sleepytime Tea’, designed to make one relaxed and ready to sleep at night. A rooibos similar to the one you have is simple, non-addictive, and contains no caffeine to nullify the effects.”

Night Shield considered this. “You have a good marketing strategy,” he said. “I don’t think anything else exists like it.”

“No, indeed,” Zelayo said. His voice lowered. “But the problem is greater than that, my friend.”

Night Shield found Zelayo’s voice thrilling and intriguing to listen to, and found himself liking the zebra more and more. “...it is?” he asked, interested in hearing him out.

“Tea is but a simple solution. It addresses the surface of the problem but not the deeper cause. Let me ask you this: what good is a tea that makes one sleep if the anxiety remains?”

Night Shield thought about it. “...useless?” he asked lamely.

Zelayo chuckled and released his hoof from the unicorn. “Not entirely.” Seeing the cup was empty, Zelayo took the cup and walked over to the counter to set it down before walking back over to the unicorn. “Again, the tea is helpful. But to sincerely address the problem, it needs special tactics.”

Night Shield said nothing; he merely looked on eagerly, waiting for what the zebra had to say.

“Back home, I was taught a few special skills. With little effort, I could use those skills. With my reputation as a tea-maker in place, my name shall be known. And then my side-business comes in: bringing ponies from all over Ponyville to undergo hypnosis.”

Night Shield was alert again and cocked his head. “...what do you mean?”

“Placing ponies into a mild trance, perhaps even putting them to sleep. I have been taught special magic to use this power, and with it I can delve deep into the mind of any pony I want to. I can go in, pick around in their mind, and pluck out any causes of anxiety. Yes... anxiety or stress or tension are gone away in a flash, the mind relaxed and susceptible to commands to listen and de-stress and obey, obey the command to remove those stressors and submit, put aside all hesitation and fall ever deeper until only one thought remains: obey Zelayo. And when they have accepted that is what they must do, to gently bring them to a semi-conscious state like sleepwalkers among Ponyville, obeying my every word though assuming their lives as normal, until I need them again. And soon, I could even have the Princess under my control, relieved of her own anxieties yet subject to my own whims.”

Night Shield suddenly gasped, shocked at what he just heard. Zelayo had been speaking with steadily increasing passion and fervor, and by the end his initial benign attitude was no longer. Instead he sounded like a pony with power within his grasp and a method to obtain it. All this time this zebra was sitting out here quietly not as a recluse but as one biding his time. And now, here he was with a plan in mind to become a shadow ruler and no one in Ponyville was the wiser.

Except him.

Zelayo might have been lost in his raptures if he wasn’t startled by Night Shield’s sudden gasp. Instead his focused returned to his guest. “Why are you surpri—” Zelayo’s eyes widened. “Oh, right. You’re a guard. Well, that won’t do at all...”

Night Shield stood up to leave, but the easiest route to the door was blocked by the zebra himself. He could try running around the pot of water on the fire, spilling some with his magic if he needed to cause a distraction. But one thing was certain: he had to get out and inform the Princess. He had to risk it.

Night Shield quickly zipped around the pot and bolted for the door. But Zelayo was quick and stepped in front of the door, blocking the guard’s way out; Night Shield had to skid to a halt. “I very much detest doing this sort of thing, you must understand,” he said calmly. “And just as we were starting to be friends...”

Night Shield sized up the zebra. He was larger than Night Shield was and looked almost like an Earth pony in terms of strength. But Night Shield was a smaller unicorn, not outstanding in physical strength, and had to resort to his magic. He quickly searched for the ladle and began bringing it over to the simmering pot.

Zelayo’s eyes started glowing. “Stop right there.”

The ladle was millimeters above the water’s surface but hadn’t touched it. And yet despite everything telling him he should dunk it in the water and throw it at the maniacal zebra, Night Shield couldn’t move another inch.

Zelayo’s pupil suddenly turned a soft grey like clouds at the end of a rainstorm. “Put the ladle back on the counter.”

As Zelayo’s eyes bored heavily into his own, Night Shield felt compelled to obey the zebra’s instructions. “No,” he said. “I must go back and warn the princess...” But only his mouth rebelled and he still moved the ladle back over and gently set it on the counter.

Zelayo smiled at the unicorn’s compliance and began to chant.

Just relax with me, my friend, and stay here for a spell;
There are things you must know, so listen and listen well.

The orange ring that was Zelayo’s iris suddenly began to grow larger, passing over the whites of his eyes and leaving nothing but the almost neutral grey in their wake. But soon another spot of orange appeared in Zelayo’s eyes and grew larger, only to become another orange ring as it too expanded outwards. Night Shield found himself shocked again... but also mildly captivated.

“Wait, what are you doing? Are you... are you hypnotizing me!?”

Just listen for now and look deep, so deep in Zelayo’s eyes.
Focus your attention and your ear; and let our rhythms harmonize.

The zebra spoke clearly and slowly as though following an invisible drum beat. His eyes were now filled with slowly pulsing rings of grey and orange and Night Shield felt his own eyes widen to take it all in. This power was nothing like Night Shield had ever seen, and so while he knew what Zelayo was trying to do, he was still taken off guard admist his panic and found himself locked with the zebra’s eyes, feeling like he was getting sucked into them with every second.

Now shift the focus on your lungs, just relax and breathe deep,
Feeling so calm and so tranquil, like preparing for sleep.

Night Shield inhaled deeply and slowly and exhaled in much the same way. Even with one long, slow breath his panic had begun to subside, and while still alert he felt his mixture of bravado and fear begin to fade away. “I... I can’t stay here. I must go...”

On to your magic, still ready and tense in your horn you shall find,
But let it quietly flow out and away as my words calm your mind.

Another breath or two and the magic in Night Shield’s horn was soon gone. Zelayo’s voice felt like it was slowly filling up all the empty spaces within him so that no room was left for anything else. He continued staring deep into the brightly pulsing eyes, his breathing slowly synchronizing with the rings of orange and grey as Zelayo’s words seeped into his brain.

Let this increasing relaxation start to spread from your chest;
Feel it slip down to your tired hooves and remove all your stress.

“I... I’m not tired,” Night Shield protested among his exhales, backing his head away slightly. “I can’t be yet. I must... inform the princess.”

But the rhythmic chanting of the zebra pushed at his mind and soon his hooves did feel very tired from standing up all night long. His front legs wobbled and shook as the weight became almost unbearable, and he was forced to sit down, still staring into the zebra’s eyes. Night Shield’s own eyes were becoming glassy, and the white of his eyes was slowly turning into the same grey as the zebra’s own.

That’s a good pony, listen and breathe, look deep and trust me.
Gone are your worries and fears, nothing inside but calming peace.

Despite backing his head away and sitting down, Night Shield could not get away from the zebra for long. Zelayo took a step towards the unicorn and gently picked up a hoof, stroking Night Shield’s cheek as though he didn’t want to startle him. But Night Shield, his eyes still wide and locked with the zebra’s, was surprised at how good and soothing it felt and leaned in.

This mesmerizing relaxation feels so good and so right.
Slip softly under my entrancing spell, my brave, tired knight.

Night Shield found himself suppressing a yawn as he continued to look deep into the zebra’s eyes. The world faded away the further he looked into Zelayo’s eyes; all he could see was the pulsing orange and grey rings of the zebra’s eyes, and all he could hear was Zelayo’s hypnotizing voice reverberating all around him like a deep massage. His eyes slowly began to grow heavy.

It’s good that you’re tired and sleepy; close your eyes and rest,
For soon my magic will overcome yours, and you shall be possessed.

“I... can’t be... possessed. I must... escape... must... awaken...”

Night Shield pushed himself up to his hooves with great effort and attempted to pull away from the mesmerizing rings. Zelayo’s smile didn’t break but turned to one of amusement as the unicorn jerked his head to the left and the right. But no matter how far he moved his head it never left the zebra’s eyes, and Zelayo chuckled as his eyes continually locked back on to his own.

It is useless to resist, my friend, no good to stand and fight.
Your eyes are locked with mine, and I have the greater might.

“Maybe I can’t leave yours... but you can leave mine.” Night Shield put all his strength into his hooves and walked backwards a step, hoping to put some distance between himself and Zelayo, hoping the disorienting chanting and hypnotic eyes would lose some of their power if he wasn’t so close, and remembering the pot that was nearby.

But as he stepped backwards, Zelayo merely chuckled again and stepped forwards once so that the distance had not changed.

It’s not just your eyes I’ve enchanted; your body won’t leave.
The longer you stay, the more you listen, the more my spell is weaved.

“I am a Guard... I’ve been trained... ngh... to fight off... and resist... any threat.” Night Shield managed to walk back two steps more and was now next to the pot. If only he could leave Zelayo’s eyes for one second; even if he was drawn back, one second would be enough for one hard buck at the simmering pot.

But Zelayo took two longer paces forwards until he was right up next to the unicorn and almost looking down at him. Night Shield suddenly felt like a blast of magic power hit him and his eyes widened so much that they began to water from the strain, panting heavily from the energy it took just to remain standing.

My power is stronger than your will, yet so much more tender;
Can’t you sense the sweetness, or feel the thrill of surrender?

Night Shield tried to back up one more step but barely managed to reverse one back hoof by an inch or two. He tried moving towards the pot to tip it over, but his front hoof moved only the same. His eyes were still wide like a wild animal and he tried as hard as he could to move.

But it was no use. It felt like Zelayo’s rings were emanating from his eyes and binding him to the spot, the gently shining orbs forcing him to listen and accept the zebra’s words and commands. Zelayo’s voice was like honey on his ears and sent shivers down his back. The zebra sat down, backing away only slightly, but clearly still in command. Night Shield’s eyes turned fully grey with his iris turning from blue to a single orange ring.

“N-No... I can’t... please...”

Just relax, my dear friend, let my words take you deeper.
Let your world become like a dream of the deepest sleeper.

Night Shield felt his energy leave him and collapsed back to a sitting position, breathing slowly and steadily again. What more of the world he could make out faded once again so that only Zelayo was left. The rings were everywhere now, steadily coming both from Zelayo’s softly glowing eyes and from somewhere behind the zebra itself. The world was only composed of grey and orange rings, and the zebra that conjured them.

The glowing rings began to slowly appear in Night Shield’s own eyes, not as steady as the zebra’s own but nearly filling his whole eye.

Let your eyes become heavy, so in need of a good, long rest.
Feel the weight on your body and soul cause your fears to arrest.

Night Shield felt his eyes begin to droop. The soft chanting of the zebra was like a soft lullaby and the pulsing rings felt like a warm blanket descending over him. The words wrapped up his mind, the rings surrounded his body. He began to feel tired and sleepy, the rings in his own eyes now pulsing at a slow but steady rate, slowly equaling the Zelayo’s own.

Your mind is now asleep, our magic auras are now intertwined.
You are happy in this place, and your mind will soon be mine.

Night Shield’s eyes now matched the pace of Zelayo’s own. The zebra’s words no longer felt like they were coming from the zebra, but from all around him and even inside him. The unicorn let himself yawn as the zebra once again began to gently stroke his head, his eyes only closing momentarily before opening again to focus on Zelayo’s hypnotic rings.

All is at peace, all is calm, all is pleasing and the fight is quelled.
You feel warm and safe with me, you trust in the power of my spell.

Orange, grey, orange, grey, orange, grey, orange, grey... Warmth, peace, safety, tranquility, trust, calm, sleep, trance...

Zelayo grinned.

Let my voice guide you to sleep, and when you shut your eyes
Your will shall be mine, completely and deeply hypnotized.

A small smile began to appear on Night Shield’s own mouth. His head drooped down as a wave of sleepiness washed gently over him, though not enough to escape the zebra’s enchantment. A hoof gently lifted him to continue looking and falling deeper and he rested on the hoof.

Slip softly into gentle sleep, my eyes and voice are so very soothing.
Entranced by my power, the chant and the colors have you seduced.

Night Shield could think of nothing else but of Zelayo and sleep, of listening to the zebra’s seemingly endless chanting and falling deeper into the mesmerizing spell. He was unmistakably smiling now, both from the seductive power and the peaceful, sleepy feelings.

And now, Night Shield, my power is final and the time has come:
When you close your eyes, the spell is complete... and I have won.

In one last show of resistance, Night Shield opened his eyes slightly. He hardly understood why.

Before he could comprehend it, Zelayo leaned in closer and whispered one final word: “Sleep.”

His will broken and his mind completely given over to Zelayo, Night Shield closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Zelayo let his hoof out from under the unicorn and let his head drop, and the unicorn slept right where he was sitting. The glowing rings gently faded away from Zelayo’s eyes, leaving only his normal orange eyes. But with the pony in front of him completely under his hypnotic trance, they were no longer needed.

But there was more to be done. Zelayo sat himself down on the floor and crossed his back hooves. Using his front hooves, he carefully lowered the unicorn – he did not weigh very much to the larger zebra – and lay him gently across his lap so that his crossed legs were almost like a pillow. He began to stroke the still-smiling unicorn’s head and took up his soothing chanting again.

Sleep deeper and deeper, my friend, and remain in this trance,
For you and I have things to do before we finish this dance.

I’m now your Master, you are always compelled to my demands.
You are mine and mine alone, to me you shall defer. Understand?

Night Shield, still deeply asleep, muttered out a weak, but convicted, “Yes, Master...” His brain absorbed everything like it was the absolute truth, and not a thing could be done to waver from it. Even deep in his trance, Night Shield found himself more relaxed and comforted by the chanting, unaware that waking life had transferred into his dreams, and his current dreams had become his life.

You are my friend and companion, and yet to me you are more.
I am all that you ever wanted, you are all I could ever ask for.

The smooth and seductive voice of Zelayo firmly implanted itself into Night Shield’s mind as he found himself dreaming about lying in the zebra’s lap, gently and tenderly being stroked and soothed into deep sleep. His addled mind barely realized that was actually happening; Zelayo’s voice consumed him and made him unaware to everything else consciously, even his own nuzzling further into the zebra’s lap.

Tomorrow, sell your house, and to show you follow my design,
Return here the next day to come live with me, now wholly mine.

“Sell my house... return to Zelayo...” Night Shield muttered.

You shall help my endeavors and business, together we shall conspire.
And in return for your work, I shall give to you all your heart’s desire.

Night Shield sighed. Everything he wanted... he wanted rest, he wanted peace, he wanted to listen and obey Zelayo, he wanted Zelayo...

These things I can unlock with a simple turn of your mind’s key.
All you must do to make these things true, Night Shield, is agree...

Agreeing meant giving up his job among the Guard. Agreeing meant working making tea and sleep aids with Zelayo. Agreeing meant leaving Ponyville behind to live with Zelayo. Agreeing meant being tied by trance and will to be with Zelayo.

“I... agree...”

Zelayo smiled at Night Shield. “Very good, Night Shield. In but two minutes’ time you will awaken, completely subservient to me and forgetting nothing of what transpired. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Awake.”

It took a long time for Night Shield to awaken. He slowly groaned and yawned, and his orange eyes fluttered slowly open. He looked around for a moment, then looked up at the zebra over him and smiled.

“Master Zelayo...”