The Zebrican Ambassador

Zinia stared at her reflection in the polished obsidian her “betrothed” had given her as a gift. It wasn’t truly for her. It was for the child in her womb. A child who was to be born soon. Today was her last day with her tribe. The moment her child was born, she would be exiled with just enough food and water to last her a week. In that time, she would have found Luma, and her time in Zebrica would be over. That was her hope at least.

Her stomach was heavy with child, her teats had swollen to produce the milk her new baby would need. “No, you mustn’t think like that Zinia. This child is not yours. It belongs to the chieftain. You are worthless in his eyes.” She thought to herself. Today, the medicine mares would induce labor. She would give birth to the child and be exiled. Then she would follow Luma’s path, and be taken away from here. To Equestria. To her Tia. Hearing the beads on her tent flap rattle, she turned around and nodded. Two mares, wearing clothe masks with fertility symbols on them, entered silently. They were there to escort her to the Medicine Mare.

Turning around, she walked to the tent flap, peeked over her shoulder, and bade a silent goodbye to her home of the last sixteen winters. Following the mares, Zinia couldn’t help but notice their markings. The Twins. Hesta and Decca. The personal attendants of the Medicine Mare, as well as her own personal partners. Each marking was a compliment of the other. Hesta’s marking was a half-moon with half of a heart in its center. Decca’s marking was the opposite side. Studs and other mares stepped aside as the two approached, Zinia in between the two of them. The Twins weren’t forbidden by any means.

They had their trysts, as well as their times in the breeding ritual, but the two of them together were too much for any one stud. They came as a pair. If a stud wished to bed one, her twin would join them. Keeping silent, Zinia walked with them to the birthing tent, where the Medicine Mare stood silently outside. Mevali, the Medicine Mare, as well as Hesta and Decca’s mother. The most respected, and feared, mare in the entire tribe. It was joked, though only slightly, that Mevali was capable of murdering a zebra and getting away with it.

A mistress of all things medicinal and mystical, Mevali knew how to utilize the parts of a body for food and brews and make it appear as though they’d merely vanished. Stopping in front of Mevali, Zinia stared as the Medicine Mare stood on her hind legs and began the Fertility Dance. It wasn’t entirely necessary, as Zinia was already pregnant, but Mevali said it helped make the birthing process easier. While Mevali danced, Hesta and Decca helped Zinia lay on her side, her tail tied in a tight loop so it wouldn’t get any dirtier than it needed to be.

By the time Zinia was relaxed and ready, Mevali’s dance had ended. Unbidden, Zinia began to push. Two rituals before, she had been allowed into the Medicine Mare’s tent to assist. Her foal sitter had been chosen and was going through this. She’d wanted Zinia there. Decca stood behind Zinia, her face hidden beneath the mask, while her sister stood at Zinia’s tail, a small rag in her grasp to clean the foal or filly. It made the expectant mother flush, knowing she was this exposed for a mare her own age.

It wasn’t very long before the ritual was done. Zinia heard the wails of the baby and looked over her shoulder to see Hesta wrap her little one in the rag, cleaning its face so it could breathe and see. “You must go now.” Mevali said, causing Zinia to jump. The Medicine Mare was rumored to be mute, having never spoken to anyone before. “If you are here when the chieftain arrives to claim his child, you will be taken to the front gates of the camp and cast out. You must go now if you wish to escape here.”

“Thank you... Mevali.” Zinia said as Decca helped her to her hooves.

“My daughter will escort you to your friend’s camp. From there, you are on your own.” Zinia nodded and struggled against hugging the old medicine mare before she and Decca walked out of a flap in the side of the tent. Once through it, Decca through a cloak over the soon to be exile and the two of them walked to the front gates.

“Thank you Decca...” Zinia said and Decca shushed her with a look. Of the two, Decca was mute, but she made up for it with her gentility and passion for life. They only stopped once as guards walked passed the path. If they were caught, Zinia would be taken before the chieftain and killed. Following Decca’s path, Zinia stayed close on the other mare’s tail. When Decca stopped, Zinia stopped. When Decca crouched, Zinia crouched. The path they took was long and winding, but it was necessary. If it was discovered that Zinia had escaped the tribe, they could trace the trail back to the Medicine Mare and her daughters. When they reached the gate, Decca looked around and nodded then stepped aside and wrote goodbye in the dirt with her hoof.

“Goodbye Decca... thank your mother for me...” Zinia said and Decca nodded, jerking a little as Zinia leapt on her and hugged her. Of all of the mares in the tribe, Decca and her sister had never been touched before. Reluctantly, she returned Zinia’s hug then watched as her new friend disappeared into the savannah.

“Are we friends?” Decca thought to herself as she turned around and made her way back to her mother’s tent, following the same path. “I would like that...”

Luma stretched and yawned, her stomach firm and hard after a good meal. The hunt had been a success. Ten water buffalo. Their hides and meat would feed and clothe the clan for months to come. They’d celebrated by cooking some water buffalo steaks. As well as participating in some frivolity and frolicking. When you were camped near a Zebra tribe, the males were wont to “sample the local flavors”. Sighing, she relaxed on her side near the fire to keep warm. It was dusk. The last day of her hunting trip.

Zinia was expected soon, and they would leave first thing in the morning, Luma one passenger heavier. She hadn’t informed Zinia of exactly how she was going to transport her, but she had made mention of the shrinking potion for a reason. It wouldn’t shrink the Zebra Mare enough to be swallowed whole and not make some sort of bump, so her companions had come up with a better solution. They’d been out here for months now. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that, in her boredom, Luma had lifted tail for one of her escorts.

The only ones who would know better were her two cousins. The pompous ass who called himself the Prince of the Fire Clan, and the gorgeous hunk of a wolf who ruled over the Shadow Clan with his father. Luma didn’t take males into her bed. Strictly females only. Hearing the clopping of hooves, Luma looked up, expecting to see Zinia. Instead, two other Zebra ran up, both of them panting and struggling to stay standing.

“Well? What did you find?” Luma asked in their native tongue, the only tongue they understood.

“The tribe... sent hunters. Find Zinia. Execute.”

“Have they already found her?” Luma asked and the first one shook his head.

“No. Tricky. Helped by Shaman’s daughters.” The first one said, the second one nodding so rapidly, Luma felt he would need a massage. And a damn good fucking. They’d done well and deserved a reward. But first.

“Go find her. Escort her here. She just gave birth, she shouldn’t be out there alone. I know you don’t like them, but take my weapons.” She said and the first one looked at the pipe lying next to Luma’s cot. Her gun. A weapon developed by an Equestrian business-stallion for use in the Zebrican wild-lands, in case of lions. “I know you don’t like them. I wouldn’t tell you to take them if it wasn’t an emergency.” She said as she stood and touched their shoulders. “I’ll tell you what, if you get her back here before dawn, I’ll let you have a reward before we leave.

“I know you’ve been eyeing my medic. If you get Zinia here before dawn, I’ll let you bed her.” Luma said, ignoring the sputter from the other side of camp. “Deal?” Both Runners nodded before turning on their heels, Luma’s guns over their shoulders, and taking off to get Zinia.

“Luma... why would you do that...?” The medic asked as she crawled over. “I’m the one that did their medical examinations... their dicks are as long and thick as your foreleg... there’s no way...”

“I guess you should be practicing then, instead of complaining. I’ve seen you eyeballing them Ell. You don’t get to complain when you want to ride the Zebra’s just as bad as they want to rut you.” Elena groaned and turned around, swatting her friend in the nose with her tail.

“You fuckin’ owe me Luma. Cripes I’m gonna be walkin’ funny for a month...” she complained as she walked away to set up her cot. Luma just smiled. She knew she’d gotten to her friend when she’d heard the twang. A member of the Farmer Guild of her Clan, Elena of the Light was one of the toughest, strongest, and most well versed medical warriors she’d ever met. If Elena couldn’t handle a couple rowdy Zebra Stallions, she had no right to complain about how hard the males in heat rammed her. Hearing a howl from the direction her escorts had run off in, Luma knew Zinia had been spotted by her own scouts. A second howl rang out further from the first.

She was being followed. With how quickly that howl rang out, Luma knew she was in trouble. Swearing to herself, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a vial that gave of a strange blue glow. “Luma, what is that?” One of her allies asked and Luma looked up at him. Strong build, well-muscled, sturdy, and he could take an impact. That had been proven when he’d staved off a Rhino by ramming his shoulder into its charging head, narrowly avoiding the horn.

“I need to borrow your strength for a moment.” She said as she downed the vial, turned to him and plastered her lips against his. He groaned in pleasure for a moment before slumping over, unconscious. As he dropped, his body changed. His muscles vanished, his frame became less and less stocky as her own changed. Her muscles grew and she became a female version of him. Racing down the path, her legs carrying her faster than they ever had before, Luma kept her eyes straight ahead.

They weren’t firing, but her guns were catching the moonlight in such a way they were like beacons. And if they weren’t firing, that meant one thing. It wasn’t Zebras. Ducking her head, Luma poured on the speed and rammed shoulder first into the Hyena at the head of the pack. The two of them went tumbling and Luma came out on top, growling down at him.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy cousin. Easy. We were just going to make a meal of this here exile. No biggy.” He said, holding up his forepaws and shielding his throat.

“No, very biggy Gusto. That zebra mare is under my protection. I’m escorting her to Equestria, where she can be with Princess Celestia and be safe.” Luma growled and the Hyena stared up at her before chuckling a little. Her stare never broke and his laugh died down.

“You’re not kidding? Jeez Cousin, she’s just a Zebra. It’s not like she can rock yer princess’s world or anything like thaeep.” Luma cut him off with a bite to the shoulder that she knew would keep him from running for a while. “Ok ok. I get it. She’s under your protection. Take ‘er and go.” Luma stepped off of him and stared at him as Gusto crawled to his feet and backed away towards his own pack. “Remember this little Zebra, one day you’ll come back here and ya won’t have yer wolf bitch t’ protect ya.” He snarled at Zinia until Luma snapped at him. Yelping, Gusto and his pack turned and peeled off, racing away.

“Sorry about that Zinia. I should have had more escorts out there.” Luma said as she walked over to Zinia, her physic shrinking back to normal. “Let’s get you back to camp.” She said as she helped the shaking mare to her hooves. Zinia just nodded and leaned on Luma as the two walked back to the camp. Dawn would break in just a couple hours, and Luma was sure the Zebra was exhausted. A nap was definitely in order for her.

Later that evening, the wolf clan expeditionary team packed up their gear on the transport and took one last look at Zebrica. It would be another six months before they could return. Things would have changed by then. Likely the tribes would have new leaders, new foals and fillies for the males to frolic with. Luma shook her head at the wistful glances of her companions before ever so carefully climbing the ramp onto the ship. Her stomach swayed just slightly, and one stallion at the top of the ramp offered his hoof to help her. “Oh, thank you.” She said with a smile.

“My pleasure ma’am. A pregnant... wolf... such as yourself should not have to carry those heavy bags anyway.” He said and Luma smiled as he lifted the bags off of her back with his magic. Now she could relax somewhat, and take some weight off of Zinia.

“Thank you again. My cabin number is on my bag. Could you leave them there?” She asked and the attendant nodded and strode off, head held high, tail whipping around to show off his equipment.

“You really shouldn’t get him riled up like that Luma. What with your... condition.” Snow said and Luma huffed at him.

“Yeah yeah, whatever. Get the rest of the gear packed onto the ship. It’s gonna be a long journey.” She said as she followed the path the attendant had taken. “Hang on Zinia, once we’re in my cabin, I’ll let you out for a couple hours while I shower.” She thought to herself, feeling her stomach roll a little as Zinia turned in her sleep.