Zebrican Life

Chapter 4

Zecora and Zhamir entered the castle after their stroll through the plazas of Zhakalior. It amazed her how the easy-going attitude of her beloved changed so abruptly to a serious, mature, focused one. Despite everything that had happened, for a moment she had forgotten that Zhamir was a Prince and was beloved by the people and sought after by almost every noble.

“My Prince, you have arrived,” the Commander of the guards said, bowing down before the pair. “Please, enter, your father is most eagerly awaiting your arrival and that of Shaman Zecora.”

“Then let us not delay any further,” Zhamir replied, nodding at the Commander who then signaled the guards in charge of the doors to open them. As they entered the throne room, the heavy scent of incense, oils, and the stinky scent of mares and other various herbs hit Zecora with full force, nearly causing her to lose her balance for a moment. But as soon as it happened, she regained full control of her senses just in time to see the King sitting on his throne, flanked by two guards, a server, and, of course, the Queen wearing a traditional tribal set.

She also noticed two of Zhamir’s younger brothers and his five sisters sitting at the other side of the room with other attendees to the Head Shaman. There were also several other figures scattered around the place, no doubt noble petitioners set aside for the moment while the King talked with his son and Zecora. Still, that didn’t prevent the few whispers and murmurs directed at her from surfacing.

“Ah, my son, I hope your visit to the Vahulu Tribe has been met with success?” The King, an older version of Zhamir but still strong, handsome, and imposing, said as he stood up and went to hug him. Father and son shared a tight embrace before then turning to face her. “My, my, Zecora, it has been such a long time since the last time I saw you. You were, what, ten, eleven? Then you left for Equestria and we knew nothing but sparse rumors about an ‘Evil Enchantress’ living in the Everfree Forest. It even had a song, I believe!”

Zecora wanted to facehoof at that. Of course, she’d forgotten that beneath all the stern exterior and seriousness of the King, there lied both a father and prankster that would not miss the chance to embarrass someone with a harmless comment.

“A most unfortunate title that I had to bear, for I was a stranger come from stranger ways. But my worth was proven and my usefulness seen, not a stranger anymore and worth of their praise,” she replied instantly, doing a customary bow.

“I don’t care much about the outside world, but I still make it my business to hear rumors here and there, my dear child. I also heard about a zebra that befriended a certain Princess Twilight Sparkle?” He asked, less playfully and more proudly.

“Indeed so and indeed it is, oh powerful King of Zebrica. I am lucky to count Twilight Sparkle as my friend, and that’s not cynical,” Zecora replied. “But while idle chat is fine and poking fun is good, this is not the reason I have come or why I left over a decade ago. I wish to show you my power, share my knowledge, and make you, my King, see the benefits of opening to the world and seek more than a weak glow.”

“Is that so?” The King chuckled, shaking his head. “You are certainly free to try and impress me, my dear. But what could you possibly have gained in a land not your own? Zebrica is the most beautiful land in the world and the Spirits have blessed us all! Stallions with might, power, and intelligence while mares harbor beauty, care, and wisdom? What could any other land and its people possibly offer us?”

“My King, must you look outside in such disdain? For my powers-” she said as she began to disappear, her body turning to mist and then, she was gone. “-may put your mind on a strain.”

Everyone, including Zhamir, was astonished and the whole room went silent. “What sort of magic is this!?” The King asked, both amazed and frightened.

“A magic granted to me by foreign Spirits, on a land with a deeper connection than our own. Long I trained and deep I sought until my knowledge far surpassed that which is known,” Zecora said, her voice echoing from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

“H-how can this be? This level of power and control, of magic and might was never seen! To become invisible to the naked eye, it is something I have never come to glean!” The Queen chanted, amazed beyond measure.

“To become invisible is something for beginners, for I not only become unseen. I meld and walk in the realms that lie in between.” Right at that moment, Zecora emerged from behind the throne. The guards jumped back, too shocked to raise their weapons at her. She walked down to meet the King and stopped a few steps in front of him. Then, from thin air, she pulled out a staff. Everyone gasped at the display but she wasn’t done yet. With a twirl and a jump, she balanced herself at the top of her staff while upside down. A moment later, her whole body shone with mystical green marking across her fur before they exploded out, flying all over the throne room.

Then, they all exploded, showering everyone with several runes, sigils, and markings. The Queen, the five Princesses, and her Shaman Apprentices recognized a few of them but the vast majority were new and entirely unknown. As if that wasn’t enough, Zecora jumped and with the grace of a pegasus, she slowly descended until she was once more standing in front of the King. Not content with that, she abruptly turned to Zhamir, pointing at him with her staff. Nothing happened for a moment, but then Zhamir froze and Zecora began to lift him from the ground for a few moments before putting him back down. Then, to finish it if, she took her staff and grabbed each end with a hoof only to quickly bring them close, vanishing the staff completely.

The winds blew inside the throne room and everyone could hear silent, whispering voices of Spirits chanting in unknown, mystic languages.

A moment later, all eyes landed on Zecora and she smiled at the King. “To follow traditions is a sign of strength. To see them blindly is to limit your knowledge and its length. It is true that I left our land and spat on our traditions, turning my back on the role of a mare to embrace knowledge beyond what our books could teach. But my cause is worthy and my reasoning unmatched, for now, I stand before you, my King, as the Shaman who has gone to great lengths to ensure her reach.”

“I… I have no words, Zecora…” the King said, smiling a toothy smile. Turning to his son, he nodded. “You have given me much to think about, my dear. I, King Zhulka, shall take your words and imposing acts into consideration,” he bowed ever so slightly and briefly before turning to his wife. “My beloved, would you and our daughters please keep Zecora company until tonight’s diner?”

“Of course,” the Queen replied, walking over to Zecora with her daughters in tow. “Come, Zecora, we have much to speak about.”

Zecora glanced at Zhamir, only for him to nod at her, give her a wink and a bow before turning to follow his father for what would no doubt be lengthy talks. When she turned around, she found herself surrounded by the Queen and the five Princesses. They, like every other mare she’d seen that wasn’t dangling on a mirror, were bald on their heads, tails, and eyebrows. Now that they were so close she could smell their stinky heads and even catch a whiff of their equally stinky nethers.

Giving each of them a quick glance, she found three of the Princesses were in different stages of pregnancy, another had enlarged teats signaling she was nursing, and the last was either not pregnant or trying to produce another foal. The youngest Princess, already pregnant and showing proudly a belly that indicated six or seven months in, couldn’t be older than sixteen. Again, that didn’t surprise her much since it was hard from uncommon for a mare to marry and start having foals to form a family.

“I see the Spirits of Fertility have blessed you all,” Zecora said, turning her gaze to the youngest Princess. “You were but a small foal, barely able to speak when I left; such a beautiful mare has come from someone so small.”

“Thanks~,” the Princess sang, flushed by the flattery received.

“My Queen, it is good and joyful to see your face once more. I hope that my performance was not a bore?” Zecora asked, blushing lightly.

“Nonsense, my child!” The Queen exclaimed before hugging the mare in front of her and rubbing her head against hers for a few seconds. “Your display of knowledge and power, your level of communion and understanding of the Spirits and Magic and beyond… I cannot fathom what kind of power you truly hold.”

Touched by the accepting and loving gesture of the Queen, her own fur marked with her stinky, smelly, pungent scent to provide her protection, acceptance, and personal support, Zecora bowed deeply after the Queen pulled back, but was surprised again when she bowed before her, shortly thereafter followed by the Princesses.

“I may carry the title of Head Shaman, yet I hold little love for the path of the Shaman despite it having my utmost respect. My limited knowledge pales in comparison to yours, Zecora, so I bow before you,” then, she pulled up and grinned widely. “Come, come. Please, share with us more of your secrets before we dine tonight in your honor.”

Zecora obeyed, humbled by the cheerfulness of the mare she once had come to see as a second mother before following her to the ritualistic chambers of the Head Shaman. There, she brewed a few simple potions with the ingredients available, held idle chats with the Princesses and the Queen, and got to know everything that had happened to them during the years of her absence. She learned that the Queen, Velia, had fallen ill a few years ago and couldn’t get pregnant again, much to her dismay, but she had given Zhulka eleven beautiful children, five mares and seven stallions and all, with the exception of Zhamir, were now married with their own families budding families.

After a few hours of enjoyable company, they were informed that dinner would be served soon and that the King along with the Princes that were present would be there, too. They were escorted through the castle’s hallways until they reached the dining room, already tended and served with several traditional dishes that opened all their appetites. The Princesses ran to meet their husbands, various nobles, and other zebras of influence that had either won their hooves through deeds or political reasons. Whatever the case was, they all shared loving kisses, nuzzles, and their husbands moved to sniff at their stinky bottoms.

Velia did the same as she ran to meet up with Zhulka, the two of them sharing a long, passionate kiss before the King moved back to kiss her stinky nethers, sniff her loudly, and suck on her shaven, tiny tail for a few seconds before kissing her lips once more. The Princes followed suit by doing the same with their wives. Only Zhamir and Zecora were left in an awkward situation in which they did not know what to do other than stare.

Shortly thereafter, everyone took their respective seats; divided into three large tables positioned in the shape of a triangle, the symbol of Zebrica. Once they were all seated, Zhulka raised a cup and with his other hoof, he pointed at Zecora who was sitting at his left, right after Zhamir while on his right his wife sat comfortably. “Today I have seen things that have not been recorded since the times of Zhaka himself. A Shaman so powerful as to make a mockery of even my skill with the spear, the quill, and the hammer. I dedicate this feast in her honor and humbly ask her to share with us some of her experiences living in a foreign land.”

“You honor me with your words, my King, and I shall answer your request. My life was never easy nor was it hard, it was a rough start but nothing was too much in the name of completing my quest. A home I found in the Everfree Forest, a place of untamed magic and powerful Spirits. They talked, I listened; they sang, I asked for guidance; they taught me their secrets and I found a comfortable life within my hut with my own merits,” taking a moment to ponder on her next words, she turned to Zhamir. “Many things I regretted leaving behind but many more awaited me, of wonder and mystery! For what I discovered and what I acquired put to shame even the greatest Shamans of our history. Creatures of many breeds and sizes, dangers of both living and undead origin. Concoctions, formulas, and potions I learned to craft through trial and error that made the Elixir of Regrowth nothing more than cheap mockery in comparison.”

Murmurs were heard, some in outrage but most in awe. “Please, do not confuse my words with mockery or disdain. For I have nothing but respect for my land, yet I will not lie just to avoid a stain. Our knowledge is inferior and the power of Zebrica when it comes to the magic arts, diminished. Our traditions are beautiful, though I’m not an example of them, for I left to pursue my own path, risking not to let it go unfinished. But they are also our weakness, for we do not see the outside world with all its wonders. I brought back but a small fraction of what can be found in just a single land, a majesty only comparable to that of our founders.”

Slowly turning to face everyone, she continued. “My return brings many things, and it is my hope that it opens a new path of friendship and harmony, two things I learned whilst living in Equestria and have seen the power they hold. Two things that could be seen as simple but are in reality something much more; silver and jade, copper and bronze, they pale in comparison to them and have more value than even gold,” finally, she looked at Zhulka and with begging eyes, she ended with her last plea, not a rhyme, just her voice as common zebra citizen. “I implore you, my King, see the value that lies beyond our borders. I have made great friends and we could learn much from them, their lands, and their cultures as they could enjoy the beauty and strength Zebrica has.”

She was expecting many things… to hear the King’s laughter was not one of them. “My dear Zecora, what do you think we were discussing until but a few moments ago? It is true that I am a traditionalist stallion and I would prefer to keep our way of life to ourselves… but I am also not blind to see where the wind is blowing. Celestia and Luna are stepping down, granting Princess Twilight Sparkle the Throne with a dragon, of all creatures, as her personal aide! The Dragon Lands have become unified, the griffons are regaining hope, the changelings have found a new standing and the promise of a bright future. It would be foolish of me to deny these changes or to oppose them further,” turning to Zhamir, he carried on.

“My proud son, Zhamir, has been the vanguard of the movement to open Zebrica’s borders to the world if they offer the same kindness. What you have shown me, Zecora, your potential, your growth, your power, and your wisdom, leaves no doubt in my mind that the time is right and that change must come. It was Zhaka who brought the change to our glorious nation and it shall be in his name that it will remain so. Open the borders! Let strangers in! Let those that seek adventure out! Let us all flourish! Zhul’uhh Hajiikoma!”

“HAJIIKOMA!” Everyone but Zecora cheered in unison before devolving into laughter and cheering.

After that, everyone proceeded to feast, eating and drinking until they couldn’t anymore. Zecora watched every couple present being in love and sharing their time together; kissing, licking, nuzzling, and sniffing each other with the stallions smelling the stinky heads and nethers of their wives. All of them presented clear and hard erections; a sign of their need and want for their significant other. For as a mare is loyal to her husband so is the husband loyal to his wife forevermore.

Content with what had been achieved and thankful that it had ended so smoothly, she proceeded to enjoy the rest of the feast to its fullest until it was over and everyone started to leave for their chambers.

“Zecora… would you like to walk with me through the gardens?” Zhamir asked, bashfully.

Zecora noticed the looks his sisters were giving him and she could hear the chuckles of his brothers and in-laws at his display. “I would love to, my Prince, without any peers,” she replied, taking a step forward. “Let us part away from any prying ears.”

Chapter 4 End.

Author's Note

Special thanks to anyone that read this!