"Where are the other zebras?"

by DrawLight

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, Zecora, Apple Bloom, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Cutie Mark Crusaders
Length: 1572

Applebloom hasn't seen any other zebras but Zecora. She goes to ask her about it.

Applebloom needed to write an essay about a different species, and she decides to write about zebras. To write it, she needs more information.

Cover art by Lavandeer.

Published 2019-01-03 17:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-01-03 17:00:01 UTC

A visit to Zecora

Author's Note

Just to mention, I'm not English, so there may (or may not) be grammar mistakes and less detail.

A visit to Zecora

Applebloom was sitting on her chair in her classroom, surrounded by her classmates, including her 2 friends. Looking out the window on the left made her lose attention. She wasn't really interested into what was her teacher Cheerilee saying, so she was slowly losing the attention. She was just taking notes of what Cheerilee was writing on the blackboard, not minding of what were the notes supposed to mean.

Cheerilee coughed. "Applebloom?"

Applebloom immediately responded to the calling of her name. She stopped taking notes, starting to pay attention to her teacher that turned her head to speak to her.

"Were you listening?" Cheerilee asked strictly, walking up to the foal.

"Ah was, Mrs. Cheerilee!" Applebloom quickly responded.

"Good," Cheerilee nodded once, continuing to teach the young students.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were as much uninterested as Applebloom was. Scootaloo was staring at the wall, her head being on the table. Sweetie Belle did the same, except that she was writing down the teacher's words.

The bell rang.

All of the students started to pack their books and pens, and all they needed for their next class. The sound of the packing up was louder than the bell was, or so Cheerilee thought.

"Okay students! Let me just mention what's your homework!" Cheerilee spoke up, breaking the sound of talking into a sound of annoyance between the students.

"You'll be needing to write an essay about a different creature than a pony; animals can work aswell. Now, you can all go to your next subject!" Cheerilee said, letting the students out, all of them making loud talking between them. In the small group of young foals were the CMC. They discussed about their cutie mark assignments that they're supposed to do this day, and school.

"An essay too?!" Sweetie Belle complained to her 2 friends.

"Well, Ah think it's not that bad. We can be learnin' more stuff about other types of creatures!" Applebloom said, smiling.

"Well, I guess," Scootaloo spoke up. "What species will you guys choose?"

"Hm... I don't know," Sweetie Belle took a moment to think.

"How about you Applebloom?" Scootaloo continued to ask.

"Ah dunno... Ah'm probably gonna be askin' somepony, or, somecreature who knows 'bout 'em, or is that creature," Applebloom said.

"Makes sense." Scootaloo said. "I think I'll write about griffons. Rainbow Dash was friends with this griffon named Gilda, and I think I'll go to Griffonstone and ask her questions! Or even all of them!" Scootaloo finished.

"Or maybe avoid the trouble and ask Rainbow?" Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Meh, seems more fun my way," Scootaloo smiled.
The two fillies shared a laugh, noticing that Applebloom wasn't laughing along. Instead, she was staring at the ground.

"Uh... Bloom?" Scootaloo called for her silenced friend.

"Yeh?" Applebloom answered.

"Were you listening?" Scootaloo questioned.

"Ah was, sorry," Applebloom turned her head to her friends. "Ah'm tryina figure 'tis out..."

"Figure what out?" Sweetie asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Ah've only met Zecora, the only zebra Ah've ever seen or known. So Ah'm wonderin'..."

Sweetie and Scootaloo started to get interest into what Applebloom was saying.

"Where are the other zebras?"

Scootaloo looked and said:
"Wow. I've never thought about that."

"Me either," Sweetie Belle said.

The three foals walked towards the bench that was near them, sitting on it and talking. Applebloom however, excused herself and went to pay a visit to Zecora.

Applebloom walked through the dark forest, filled with trees keeping her confused about direction, vines getting her stuck in trails, and least of all, animals. She's been more terrified of animals since the time she and her 2 friends had followed Fluttershy's chicken off into the forest.
But it's no big danger now, right?
Still, there's a chance that she'll meet one of those creatures, but it's low.
Applebloom walked through the forest, jumping over obstacles such as rocks and vines. Falling to the ground after missing to hop over a rock, she sighed. She stood up with her hooves, excitedly jumping as she finally arrived to Zecora's hut, decorated with plants, different kinds of fruits, wooden masks, etc.
Walking to the hut, or, Zecora's home, she knocked at the doors with her right hoof. She heard a voice from the other side of the doors.

"Oh, please wait! A potion I need to make."

The doors were almost wide open, showing a zebra that appeared to be Zecora.

"Oh, Applebloom! Can't you know that this forest can lead to doom?" Zecora told to the yellow filly.

"Ah know, but Ah've gotta talk to ya," Applebloom said to Zecora.

"Well, do not stand there, come in here," Zecora said, opening her doors wider.

"Oh, thank ya," Applebloom thanked.

"So, what brings you here? I had not gotten an alert near."

"Yeh, sorry. Ah'm here to just talk 'bout the other zebras. Ya see, Ah've gotta write this essay...~" Applebloom got interrupted.

"I will answer your questions when you need, like a book from me you'll read," Zecora smiled, gesturing for Applebloom to sit on a chair next to her table.
Applebloom walked towards it, sitting right away.

"Would you like tea? Warm it must be," Zecora offered, holding a cup of tea in her hoof.

"Oh, sure," Applebloom accepted the cup, "Thanks again."

"You are most welcome."

Without further ado, Applebloom started with her questions.

"So.. of all the zebras, Ah've only met you, so Ah'm not sure where do they live. Ah was told they live 'round Equestria, but never met one. Do ya know?" Applebloom asked.

"Indeed I do, but far away, true." Zecora answered. "I have left their city, living a new life just me."

"O-oh. If Ah may ask, why did ya leave?" Applebloom tried to not sound rude.

"My zebras would have gone extinct, not thankful for the saviors that helped since," Zecora's smile slowly faded.

"Oh.. Ah'm sorry," Applebloom apologised. "Mind if tellin' me what happen'?"

"Well...
Us zebras had went travelling, been too happy to even sing. All of us being feared of the dangers ahead, many of them that we had not read. Zebras in charge had controlled much, like a pony I've met and such. Not giving to zebras freedom and just, the reason I've left for must. We went to the forest we're in now, with danger surrounding--"

"Wait wait wait wait. So these zebras in charge had controlled the other innocent ones? And did they get them in danger?" Applebloom asked.

Zecora nodded.

"Oh, but why did they accept?" The young foal asked again.

"As I've said, they had no will of their own, they could easily go down."

"Huh," Applebloom said, taking a sip of her tea.

"Yes, it is true. But still, they had to move," Zecora told.

"Oh, sorry for interruptin'. Ya were sayin'?" Applebloom said, Zecora starting to continue.

"They went through here, none of them knowing of the danger near. They hadn't heard or seen, made them scared more than they've ever been."

"What happen' then?" Applebloom curiously asked. She took an another sip of her tea and listened.

"The Zebras ran when they encountered a creature, being-" Zecora was interrupted again by the curious foal.

"What creature?" Applebloom looked at Zecora, thrilled to find out.

"It's hard to describe it, but at it all must sit. It's glorious in the Everfree forest, so bow at it is best."

"So it's like a king or somethin'?" Applebloom asked.

"Well, you can call it that," Zecora answered. Applebloom nodded at the answer.

"After the-" Zecora was interrupted. Oddly, it wasn't by the foal. It was by a call from the outside.

"Zecora!" A voice called. Zecora and Applebloom looked over to the door to see who is the unexpected visitor.
Zecora walked up to the doors, opening them, she was suprised to see-

"Applejack?" Applebloom looked at her older sister. "What are ya doin' here?"

"Ah came here to get ya," Applejack exclaimed. "Ya told me you'll be back in 10 minutes. And it went longer than that," she said.

"Right, sorry sis. I accidentally got stuck while gettin' here, so that took a longer time," Applebloom explained. "But Ah've gotta write a paper about zebras!"

"...fine. But ya gotta hurry! It's gettin' dark outside! "

"Alright! Zecora, mind finishin' the story?" Applebloom told.

Zecora nodded, and continued. "The demanding zebras told me to go forward and confront, but I had chosen to leave the front. The... 'king' had let me pass, but not the zebras, he could feel the bad intention couldn't last. The zebras had their own life afterwards, living in a peaceful city named..-" Zecora was interrupted by Applejack.

"What was the name?" Applejack asked. "Ah still don't get the story though. Mind tellin' me?"
Applebloom giggled, while Zecora sighed, still smiling, she re-told the story to her friends.

"Ah got an A?!" Applebloom happily exclaimed as she was leaving the school with her 2 friends, holding her essay.

"Lucky!" Sweetie Belle said. "Should've made the breezie essay longer..."

"Ah, c'mon girls! Ya know a B isn't that bad, right?"

"It isn't, but having an A wouldn't hurt though," Scootaloo said.

The three foals laughed as they walked away from their school, enjoying the rest of their day.