Author's Note

Back from the break everybody. Enjoy!

Chapter 77: The Doldrum Domain

“They’re both indisposed?” the mother of kelpies asked.

The Elements of Harmony managed to deal with the lack of nourishment from the early morning, as the queen of Carthage hosted the newcomers. While they filled their bellies, Twilight Sparkle informed her of the events that they had witnessed transpiring over the course of the past few days.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” she confirmed. “The Storm King had isolated King Abraxas’ city behind a wall, along with its citizens, meanwhile, King Amun and his guards are keeping Queen Chrysalis and her swarm at bay but I’m not sure they’ll last much longer. And as we speak, Lord Tirek is on his way here. The whole point is for them to try and acquire something that Madam Zeg’us, Miss Sanaa, and Zecora’s tribe have been hiding. It’s-”

“Despair made manifest.”

The alicorn was quiet for a moment, surprised that the towering queen finished her sentence. “You… you know about it?”

“All too well, little one. It came here, centuries ago. It wanted to drown the whole of Farasi, starting with the desert in which it landed. It would’ve succeeded if my other companions hadn’t been present with me on that faithful day.”

“Your companions?”

“The previous ruler of abadas, Oya, Amun’s ancestor. And of course, Mansa Musa, Abraxas’ distant ancestor,” she explained.

“And our tribe’s founder,” the elder zebra added, as she sat behind the table with the rest, eating.

“Hold up, one darn second,” the discussion got the workhorse’s attention, “what do you mean by “your companions”, Your Majesty? From what Ah recall, these events happened a really long time ago, you couldn’t have possibly been there, could you?”

“Applejack, isn’t it obvious that she’s just stated that?” The fashionista was the only one not at the table, as she was still too preoccupied with drying herself up after the welcome they’d received. “Surely you’re not assuming that longevity is something non-existent, not after Princess Celestia had ruled our home for more than a thousand years.” She turned to Queen Watami. “I mean, look at her – that massive radiant elegance, it’s something somecreature could attain by transcending what one would consider a standard.”

The Element of Honesty rolled her eyes. “Okay, we get it, Rarity, cut down with the flattery.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen a fish blush before,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.

And that’s when the rest realized that the kelpie queen had one of her fins raised to cover up her face while waving the other one.

“Right…” Twilight resumed. “As I said, we’ve come to warn you about the coming threat, Your Majesty. Tirek is a powerful magic user and should not be underestimated.”

The queen finally dropped her current expression. “Do not worry, little Twilight. We’ll be ready for him.”

She sighed in relief. “Good. With that done, all we need now is directions to your village, Miss Sanaa. We need to get there as fast as possible.”

The field manager was at the table with the rest, filling herself up. “Sure, I can do that. But we’ll need some provisions for the trail.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie agreed as she stuffed herself, “we can’t risk another situation like we’ve just had, even if it means not eating anything until dinner time.”

“More than that I’m afraid, pink one,” Sanaa corrected her. “The trail there will take at least three days.”

Almost instantly, nearly everybody at the table who wasn’t a local spat out in surprise. “THREE DAYS?!” everybody said in unison.

“Sorry to burst everybody’s bubble, but the distance between here and our old village is very far. A whole caravan was needed to cross the vast distance of the Kuhama desert. In other words, you all will have to pull your weight from now on.”

“Wait a minute!” the workhorse suddenly burst out from the gathering. “You’re tellin’ me that Applebloom and Zecora are out there, in the middle of the desert, and they’ll be stuck in it for three long days?!”

Her voice echoed through the stone structure, the anxious tone in her voice clear for all to hear. But then, another one spoke.

“Did you say Zecora?”

From the side of the building where the body of water was noticeable, a small figure poked her head over the edge. It was a kelpie, much smaller than the rest, with orange-colored fins.

“Wash? What are you doing over there? Have you been eavesdropping?” the queen regarded her child.

“No, Mother! I was just-!”

“Don’t bother. You’re a bad liar. You only responded because Zecora was mentioned, otherwise, you’d just keep glaring at me.”

A familiar red-finned kelpie from earlier popped her head over the edge as well, displaying considerable height over her younger sibling.

“Wadi… I should’ve known,” their mother said disapprovingly.

The kelpie queen lifted one of her finger-like fins, and all of a sudden, a water spout shot out from beneath the two siblings, launching them in the air and onto the stone platform where the rest were.

“Wadi and Wash… Hehe, they just go hoof in hoof, don’t they?” Autumn Blaze commented.

“Anyway, back to the issue that Ah just pointed out. Ah know Zecora had supplies with her, but there’s no way a little filly like Applebloom will manage to hold out in the desert for three whole days. Her hooves aren’t even long enough like ours, which means it’ll take her even longer…!”

The wonderbolt placed her hoof on Applejack’s shoulder. “AJ, calm down, you’re hysterical.”

“How could Ah not be, when my little sister is stuck in an environment for which she’s not suited?!”

“Hold on, pony,” Sanaa intervened. “Here’s the thing about the village’s destination: The path to it from Mount Chinjaio is much shorter. Takes a little longer than a day.”

“Excuse me, WHAT?!”

“Yeah. Remember, the kelpie domain is pretty big on its own, and the Kuhama desert after it is even longer. That’s not the case for the domain of abadas. It’s much closer in comparison.”

“AND YOU TELL US THAT NOW?!” Applejack raised her voice.

“Applejack, stop,” Twilight tried to calm her before things escalated further. “Even if we knew that beforehand, what good would it have done for us? We’d still need to deliver our warning to the queen regardless, even if we did know in advance.”

“Well, now that we do know, teleport us back there so we can catch up to those two!”

“I wouldn’t advise that. For all we know, Chrysalis is still on the offensive, and we have no idea how far the battle has spread through that kingdom.”

“So, we’re to just let my lil' sis wander the desert aimlessly?!” the workhorse heated up again.

“Oh shimmer down, Miss Worries, you’re getting heated up over nothing.”

The orange pony’s eyes darted to the voice of one who was small enough to stand on the table, eating one of the local sweets, right next to his caretaker. “He may be a bit tactless, Applejack, but Discord does have a point. Remember, Zecora’s out there as well. If Applebloom suddenly disappeared, she must’ve followed her.”

A suppressed groan followed from the younger zebra, as she addressed the Element of Honesty. “Your softie friend’s on point. Even if we’re still here, my little sister is on her way to the village. And as much as I don’t want to say it, she’ll be able to keep an eye on her until we get there, in case somebody else tries to get ahead of us.”

“I fear you’ve got it wrong, Sanaa.”

The zebra looked at her elder in confusion. “Grandma Zeg’us, what are you talking about?”

She sighed. “If I’m correct, and I always am, I fear our little lost foal is in great danger.”

“Wait, you’re not saying something’s out there that will threaten Zecora, Madame?” Rarity wondered.

“Madame, Zeg’us, I think Carthage is in far greater danger. Tirek’s got with him one of the fragments of the evil that resembles the one that your tribe guarded. Anger has the power to burn all in its path, and on top of all, those who have been taken over by strong aggressive emotion are controlled by it.” As the princess explained that, she quickly glanced at the kirin. “That’s what’s happened to our friend’s tribe.” And in answer, Autumn Blaze lowered her head.

“True, Anger is a powerful and destructive force,” the elder acknowledged, “but Despair is far worse than it…”

“How?” Fluttershy wondered.

“Tell me something, fillies,” the old zebra addressed everybody. “What was Zecora like when she realized that she would have to return home?”

For a change, the pink puffy pony stopped eating, before inhaling deeply. “Well, when she first told us she didn’t say anything, she was just quiet and went with the flow, but then when Applejack’s younger sister got involved she got real moody until she told us the whole story of why she left her home to begin with, after which she got a bit more light-hearted, but then she closed off completely when she met you, and we all remember that she was extremely distant afterward, up until we got to the CHIN-JAI-OOOOOOOO, where she completely disappeared.” She quickly took a bite and swallowed it after a few chews. “So either she’s got a lot on her mind, or she’s got digestive problems.”

After a momentary pause, Zeg’us spoke again. “I can make an estimated guess that Zecora disappeared at Mount Chinjaio because she saw a CERTAIN SOMEBODY that she wasn’t ready to face yet.” As she said that, her eyes wandered over to the aforementioned zebra's older sibling, and she quickly caught on to it. “Her actions are driven by guilt. She’s desperate – and that’s where the problem lies. Despair drowns one’s senses, making them passive and reluctant. One who is possessed by despair will no longer care either about themselves or others. And if she’s in such an emotional state, and she'd reach the destination…”

A gasp escaped Sanaa. “Wait… Grandma Zeg’us, you’re not saying that…?”

“Yes… The worst enemy that Zecora will be facing in the doldrum lands… is herself. And if she falls prey to Despair’s influence…”

Suddenly the state of urgency blew up, as did the workhorse, as she lept off her chair and began shaking the field manager. “NOW! We need to get there now!”

“I-i-i-i-i t-t-t-t-told y-y-y-y-you!” Sanaa’s voice jumped before the pony stopped jittering her. “There’s nothing I can do! From here, our village is three days away! There’s no way to cut down the travel time!”

“Actually, there is another way,” Queen Watami answered.

They all faced the towering ruler. “There is?” Applejack asked in a hopeful tone.

“There is a path that I have created underneath the desert sands a long time ago, it was specifically made to travel to the village. I’ve only used it once in a generation, each time to commemorate our bond with the new High Shaman. So, it has been a long time since it’s been last used and it’s likely in a poor condition, but it is there.”

“Wait, there’s actually a fast travel part to Zecora’s village?” the smaller, older kelpie asked. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me?!”

“And me!” the younger one joined.

She looked down at her daughters. “It would do you nothing good knowing about it.”

“You could’ve taken me there when you visited Zecora’s village last time!” Wadi complained.

“Both of us,” Wash added.

“Both of you were far too young to go there, so of course you were left behind, as were others of my children who were your age.”

“Erm, excuse me, Your Majesty,” Rainbow Dash interrupted them. “How long would it take for us to get there that way?”

“That’s difficult to tell, but from past experiences, the sunset was almost the same when we left as well as when we got to the end.”

“Wait, you mean on the same day?” the alicorn questioned, to which she received a nod from the giant kelpie.

“REALLY?!” the joy on the workhorse quickly became noticeable. “Twi, let’s get going, now!”

“One moment, orange one,” the queen halted her. “It’s not that easy. If we’re to traverse that path I will have to check on it first. Riverflow! Channel!” At her call, two large kelpies emerged from the lake and poked their heads over the edge of the stone platform, and despite being large, they were still dwarfed by their queen. “Keep a close eye while I’m away. If some unsavory individual appears and threatens the guests, keep him occupied until I return.”

“Yes, Mother,” they both said in unison before they dived back into the water.

The Queen Watami dragged herself across the stone floor and over to the edge, preparing to slip into the lake, but was stopped. “Wait! Your Majesty!” the princess halted her. “You can’t just leave! Tirek could come at any moment!”

“I am trying to lend you all a helping fin on your quest, little princess,” she answered. “If I am to do that, then I will require you all to stand vigil in my place in the meantime. I will return posthaste.”

She slinked over the edge, and with a splash disappeared into the body of water.

“Finally!” the older of the two kelpies made her excitement known now that her mother was gone. “I’ll finally get to see the world beyond the waterways! And what better way to do it than by meeting up with a friend I’ve not seen in ages.”

“You’re not going anywhere, especially in a place that’s supposed to be dangerous,” the younger one stopped her.

“Since when are you my keeper that says where I can or can’t go?”

“Somebody has to be, considering how much trouble you have a knack for causing.”

“Oh there we go again – mama’s little girl constantly tattletales about what somebody’s doing. All because of that one time I invited a guest to a place I shouldn’t have to begin with.”

“WADI, ZECORA ALMOST DROWNED BECAUSE OF YOU!” Wash yelled at her.

As the two kelpies argued, the visitors simply stood by and watched. “This land really seems to have a case of dysfunctional families,” the rainbow-maned pony leaned and whispered to the workhorse.

“More like dysfunctional siblings, Dash,” she responded. “First, Zecora and Sanaa, and now them. Ah mean, it only happened twice, but, surprisingly, it happened in a row.”

“I don’t have siblings so I wouldn’t undestand,” the kirin let them know. “But I do know a song about sibling’s love. It goes something like this. Love, is a… burning thing… and it makes a fiery ring…”

Applejack raised an eyebrow at her. “That’s an unusual song about sibling love, Autumn Blaze.”

“IT BURNS, BURNS, BURNS! THE RING OF FIRE, THE RING OF FIRE!!!” she began yelling and aggressively pointing her hooves in front of her.

They looked at her in confusion with what she was doing, but the moment they turned their heads they noticed that there were streaks of red-blue flame forming on the banks of the lake and continuously spreading around it. They knew what they were looking at as there was only one set of creatures who could create it.

They were wholly unprepared for the centaur lord’s attack. He teleported himself straight to the city and was prepared to go full-blazing had two of the elder kelpies not intervened and restrained him, but his nirik servant remained. She lashed out against them and failed, and once it became clear that there was no way to get to her, Twilight encased her in a magical bubble. While that was dealt with, the main threat remained, and they just watched how the centaur lord destroyed the objects that were obstructing him and he landed on the ground again. Any moment now he was going to charge up to them and they didn’t have the means to stop him! Just then, a splashing sound followed from the side of the stone platform, and the kelpie queen’s head peaked over the edge.

“Your Majesty, he’s here!” Rarity panicked.

She didn’t say anything, as she watched in shock as two of her elderly children were enveloped in a red aura and lifted from the body of water. “We cannot wait any longer. Wadi! Wash! Tell everybody to retreat into the safety of the tower until I return!” The two siblings jumped into the lake, while she regarded the elements. “Are you all ready to go? It’s now or never.”

Twilight’s horn glowed, and almost instantly, a large purple bubble enveloped the entire group. “We’re ready, Your Majesty!” she confirmed.

The queen smiled and reached out with her elongated finger-like fins to grab hold of the orb, before dragging it along as she plunged into the lake, diving deep below its surface. The group watched the light slowly dim as they swam further away from the world above until all but complete blackness surrounded them. In the darkness, Twilight lit up her horn to illuminate the surroundings, but it didn’t help – wherever they were, the light did not reveal anything but an empty void, except for the fins of the kelpie queen who was dragging them along. That changed soon though, as they suddenly noticed ground beneath them, as well as a sudden change in the transport’s behavior. They felt a sudden pull of gravity as if they were picking up speed, and that became obvious when the force pushed them to the far end of the bubble they were in. And it didn’t end. They didn’t know how long it passed, and yet the force was still present. Eventually, however, the momentum slowed and they finally slipped back to the bottom… when all of a sudden, another force pushed them against it. And all of a sudden there was light, blinding due to the length of time that they were lacking it. There was a jerk, and everybody flew all over the place within the bubble before everything completely stopped. Twilight’s head was spinning from the journey, all she could see was the ground beneath her, and it quickly became obvious that it was desert sand. They must’ve finally reached the end, so she dispelled her conjuration, and everybody landed on the soft dunes.

“Thank Celestia,” Spike sighed in relief. “I didn’t think it would end…”

They finally took notice of their surroundings, as they spotted a large mound of sand from which water was spilling, and Queen Watami was sticking her head out of it. “This is as far as I am willing to take you, children,” she said. “But beyond this point, you will have to traverse the Doldrum Domain by yourselves.”

“Doldrum Domain? That sounds rather depressing,” Pinkie Pie pointed out.

“I’d say it’s fitting. Look,” Autumn Blaze pointed in the opposite direction.

They were all facing away from the kirin, but once they looked her way, they understood what she meant. Where they had emerged, they were met with the scorching afternoon sun of the desert, but no more than several hooves away stood a vast land covered by clouds and shrouded in a constant downpour. Not a single ray of light was breaking through the gloom.

“I didn’t think I would ever come back to this place…” the elder zebra said as she looked upon the place she once called home.

“I was here only a month ago, Grandma Zeg’us,” the younger one added. “I didn’t think I’d have to return so early.”

“My apologies, but you would be less safe in my domain than here at the moment,” Queen Watami told them. “I must return. What happens beyond is now entirely up to you all, outsiders. The fate of Farasi is entirely on your backs.”

And just like that, she disappeared out of sight. She dived back into the passage that she had traversed and quickly swam back. Her kingdom, her children, her worshipers - they were all in danger! When she finally reached the exit, she breached the lake’s surface and saw a red aura, almost resembling fire, engulfing her tower city. The centaur stood there, clutching his fists, as he levitated several of her oldest daughters in the air. She had to intervene! But her emergence didn’t go unnoticed.

“Aha! The fish queen finally shows herself!” Tirek announced boisterously.

They stared into the dark realm before them, but none of them acted yet. Almost as if there was a reluctance to simply walk in, both the visitors and the locals.

“So,” Rarity finally broke the long silence, “I don’t suppose anyone of you has an umbrella?” She only received looks of confusion. “Don’t give me those looks. After the wash we’ve had earlier I really don’t want to march through all this rain.”

“I guess we’ll have to improvise,” Twilight said. “Nothing a little magical barrier can’t fix.”

“Still… I really don’t like the looks of this…” the shy pegasus responded, followed by the one that was constantly hanging around her. “I agree with Fluttershy. I’ve seen the Everfree Forest thing, but this is something else entirely.”

“Can we just get going already instead of meandering around on who’ll take the first step?”

They all stood to the attention of the voice that clearly didn’t belong to any of them. It came from the very hole through which they all came, and from it, emerged a familiar smaller kelpie with red fins.

“Wadi?! What are you doing here?!” Sanaa exclaimed.

“Isn’t it obvious? A friend of mine needs help, so here I am.”

“Well, you shouldn’t be here!”

This time she was the one to be taken aback, as another familiar kelpie surfaced behind her. “WASH?! What are you doing here?!”

“I could ask the same for you. Mom told you to warn everybody to take shelter in the tower, and you couldn’t even do that! The moment she went off, you just went right after her!”

“Duh! This was a one-time opportunity to finally feel some freedom. Besides, here we’re far away from danger back at home.”

“But all our sisters are still out there! Our tower was one safe place, and they’re still in the lake!”

“Relax, will you? Mom’s got this handled. This Tirek guy’s probably not that tough at all.”

“Au contraire, miss Wadi,” Rarity suddenly spoke. “That’s where you are oh-so-wrong. Tirek alone is already a menace, but now he’s a serious threat, even if he doesn’t drain one’s magic.”

“It’s true,” Spike concurred. “Your mom’s gonna have to work really hard to deal with him and I doubt any other kelpie’s help will be of much good against him.”

“See! Even they agree!” Wash pointed.

“Whatever,” the older one sighed in annoyance. “I’m getting some free time at last, and there’s nobody here that can stop me.”

“Wadi, if you don’t go back right now-!”

“What? You’re gonna tell on me? Go on, tattletale. See if I care.”

The younger kelpie made an angry expression, showing that she was about to burst from anger, but instead, she took a dive and disappeared.

“Hmph. Younger siblings… Am I right?”

The older kelpie looked at everybody with a smile, but she received none back from any of them.

“Wadi, this isn’t a field trip,” the local zebra quickly protested.

“It’s not like I’m going just for leisure, Sanaa. If Zecora’s really out there, I wanna do whatever I can to help her.”

She groaned. “Of course, you would. You both had a knack for getting into trouble.”

“Well, I don’t see you being enthusiastic to help her. And you’re her sister.”

“A pot is calling a kettle black, Wadi. Stop it.”

A splashing sound followed, and a figure of a kelpie lept out of the water atop which the lone one floated. She was short on breath.

The elder sibling raised an eyebrow. “You’re back with mom already, Wash. I thought it’d take longer for you to get back to the lake.”

“I can’t get back to the lake, Wadi! The water in the tunnel… IT’S BOILING HOT!”

“Wait, what?”

“I swam back, and the water suddenly got really hot, and it just kept getting hotter and hotter. I tried to get away, and the temperature just kept rising. Here it’s cold, but I’m not sure how long it’ll stay like that.”

“But how? Who could do something like this?”

“I can make a good guess who,” Rainbow Dash said. “He’s big, he’s red, has horns, and got a firepower upgrade.”

“It seems you’ve underestimated, Tirek, Miss Wadi,” the fashionista reiterated.

An awkward silence was the only response she had, and it was expected since the brash kelpie had just been proven wrong in her assessment. They expected an apology to follow, but that wasn’t the case, as she gripped the edge and pulled herself out of the water, perching herself on the sandy edge.

“Well, since we can’t go back there’s no point in dawdling then. It’s all the more urgent that we go and help Zecora now.”

“Ah appreciate the willingness, miss,” Applejack welcomed her eagerness. “We’ve got to go, true, but Ah fear that there’s one tiny issue if you want to come.”

The kelpie regarded her. “And that is?”

The pony wiggled her floppy hoof at her. “How are you expected to walk on land? We sure as hay cannot afford to carry you.”

Wadi raised an eyebrow. “Who said anything about walking?”

The ponies looked at one another, confused with what she was insinuating. The kelpie then raised her fins, and the water in which her tail was still dipped, began to bubble up. Suddenly, blobs of liquid began to levitate, surrounding the creature’s lower half and eventually lifting her off the ground.

The Elements stared with their mouths agape. “Wait, what?! What the hay is this?!” Rainbow Dash said in a perplexed tone.

“Filly, think for a moment,” elder Zeg’us told her. “She’s the child of one of the Three Kings of Farasi. Why shouldn’t she be able to do that?”

The alicorn’s thoughts suddenly wandered off. It was true what the old zebra said, but it especially made sense in the context of what she’d seen throughout the journey through this new land.

“Abraxas’ Storm Guard… Amun’s Wingardians…” she counted. “They’re getting their powers from their rulers?”

The old zebra chuckled. “Naturally. The powers of this land, of the elements, do not belong solely to a single entity or a hooful of individuals, however, the Three Kings are the conduits through whom those powers are made manifest, and it is they who bestow fractions of it upon their subjects. And just as you mentioned, that extends to Queen Watami’s own offspring.”

“Well, that’s odd,” the pink earth pony interjected. “If she was able to do this the whole time, then why was she constantly complaining that she can’t get out of water? She seems to be doing that just fine.”

“Because, pink one, I do not possess the extent of powers that my mom does. And even then, this power has limitations,” Wadi explained. “Sure, I can levitate a body of water so that I can end up lifting myself off the round, but that water will quickly evaporate. So you see, I can’t really go anywhere unless there’s a lot of water. But seeing as how there’s a constant downpour right in front of us, it’ll help quite a bit.” She nodded in the direction of the raining realm.

“WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” everybody jumped when Wash yelled. “You didn’t do what mom told you, our sisters were left unaware of the threat to our home, and now we can’t even go back because the water is boiling! We’re stranded here, and all you care about is going off on land! How can you be so selfish?! You don’t care even a little that mom and sisters are in trouble because of you?!”

“And what else am I to do?” she answered without a shred of regret in her voice. “Simply lay about and moan while waiting for something to happen? Not a chance. Right now, my friend, no, OUR friend, one that we’ve not seen in ages, has finally returned home and she’s in danger out there by herself. I’m not just gonna sit idly by, while these outsiders have come to help us. I’m going with them to help them in any way I can. So you’ve got two choices, Wash: Either you come with us and help as well, or you can wait here, and hope that the boiling water in the passageway doesn’t reach you. So, what will it be?”

The younger kelpie let out a suppressed whimper, and soon after, the water surrounding her bubbled up and began levitating, just like that of her sibling.

The older one smiled smugly as she passed her. “Somebody’s finally got a backbone.” She levitated to her side, facing the rest of the group. “Okay, we’re ready to go, Sanaa.”

The equines looked at one another awkwardly. “Miss Wadi, I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Fluttershy spoke out.

“Well, we don’t have much choice, shy one, now do we?”

The elder zebra sighed. “Fine, you can come along. But let me warn you: The atmosphere here quickly begins to bare down on you after a while, so you’re going in at your own risk, girls.”

“Noted,” the kelpie finished.

The old mare traipsed to the noticeable border of the raining realm before her, before turning to the alicorn. “Princess, it’s your turn.”

Twilight sighed, and then her horn glowed, creating a large oval-shaped purple roof over her head. “Okay everypony, let’s go,” she commanded.

All the mares joined her under the protective creation, and as they all moved, so did it. The moment it passed the border, the continuous rain fell on it, creating a noticeable tapping noise. And that noise was constantly present as they traversed the dark and dreary landscape. Even though they had a source of light, it certainly didn’t help light up the mood. They all followed the two zebras, the only two locals who knew the way, all the while, the two kelpies followed them at the back in the rain, levitating in their direction.

There was no light in this forsaken land. Only Twilight’s magical creation was illuminating the close surroundings, and it was up to the two natives to lead them, who, despite not having any better sight than them, instinctively knew the lay of the land. And where they led them didn’t really have much to speak of, except for dried grass that was typical for savannah, with an occasional tree now and then.

“Wadi,” the younger sibling said to the older one, “this place is giving off a really bad feeling.”

“Oh please, going soft already?” she taunted her. “We only got like, like…” The kelpie pondered for a bit before looking at the equines. “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to measure land distance. How far did we get?”

“I don’t know either,” the only bipedal member of the group pointed out. “Honestly, it feels like we’ve been going on forever, but I’d chuck that up to the weather conditions.”

“Ye, I’m with Spike on this one,” Pinkie Pie agreed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a darker and drearier place before, and we’ve seen Sombra's Crystal Empire.”

“I don’t know what that is, but I agree,” Autumn Blaze joined. “I mean, sure, my village got burned down by magical flame that won’t go out until they all snap out of it, but at least the red-blueish flames are nice to look at. This though… All I see is doom and gloom.”

“Have you also noticed that even though it’s raining all the time, there’s no moisture in the ground?”

The younger of the two zebras uttered that, and it only dawned on them now that was the case.

“Odd,” the elder kelpie noticed, “we can feel it perfectly fine on our scales.”

“Then I’m guessing very powerful magic must be at work,” Twilight wondered.

“That’s what Despair did,” the younger of the zebras suddenly spoke. “When even the land is unable to slake its thirst, it quickly brings the entire population down.” As she said that, they passed a large empty field. “This place used to be so blooming, even in the middle of a savannah. And now it’s practically barren…”

“I rest my case,” the party planner repeated.

More undetermined time passed thanks to the aforementioned weather. And at some point, the group halted due to the two zebras standing still, as they stopped between two rugged pillars, each of which had what resembled a wall on each side.

“I remember this,” Zeg’us said. “This was the archway that marked the entry. It used to have a head-high stone wall that was covered in clay and dressed in numerous colors. But now… it’s nothing. The rain had washed away everything, even the framework.”

“Entry to what exactly?” the workhorse inquired.

“Our village…”

They couldn’t see it through the dimness that the rain was causing. As they moved forward, however, they began noticing their surroundings, or rather, what was left of them – the test of time and the environment had wrecked the huts of the settlement, leaving behind little more than ruins of rock, clay, and straw. The newcomers realized that the experience had begun taking the toll on the zebras, as they noticed their pace slowing down.

“It never gets any easier… no matter how many times I visit…” the field manager uttered.

They eventually left the houses behind, only to then begin to climb a hill, and once they ascended it, something caught them by surprise – a hut stood atop the hill, yet unlike the ones they passed earlier, it was still in good condition as if somebody’s been maintaining it.

“Finally,” Sanaa said, “a moment of respite. Everybody, come on in.” She then looked at the kelpie sisters. “Though I’m not sure you’ll fit inside.”

“No problem.” The older one waved her fin dismissively. “We’re good out here. Right Wash?” She waited, but she didn’t answer, she was gazing into the dimness. “Wash?”

“Huh? Yes, yeah, sure,” she finally snapped out of her trance.

The zebra stared at them for a moment, with a doubting expression, but she had her attention grabbed by the shy pegasus. “Excuse me, but who would possibly be living in a place like this?”

“My mom, of course,” she answered before she finally moved toward the threshold house and pulled back the curtain.

Compared to the outside, the interior was surprisingly cozy, especially with the fire that was lit in the pit in the middle of the house, along with a large pile of blankets by it.

“Mom!” Sanaa called, but she got no response. “Mom!” she repeated, finally entering, and again she received no response.

The rest of the group followed her inside. “Maybe she’s not home?” Rarity wondered.

“Mom doesn’t go out unless she has to. Nobody would be willingly out there. Mom!”

Suddenly, there was a groan, and a pile of blankets by the fire moved. From it, a zebra’s head popped out - an elderly one, though younger than the one that was with the group, with her mane flattened, strands of it falling down the head in every direction compared to the typical zebra.

“Huh? Wha…? Who’s there?” the mare questioned.

“Mom! It’s me!” the field manager repeated.

“Sanaa?” She unfurled her covers. “Please, come closer so I can get a better look at you.”

The daughter trotted to her side, while the rest were halted by the wonder bolt’s whisper. “Why is she asking her to get closer when she’s just a few hooves away?”

The confused mare reached out when her child came within leg’s reach and scooped her face in her hooves, squinting. “Sanaa, sweetie,” she finally said in a happy tone. “How nice of you to come visit.”

She hugged her. “I wish you’d finally stop living in this horrible place, mom.”

“Oh honey, you know I can’t just go. I have things to look after.”

“Your looks are certainly not one of them, Pilirani,” the eldest in the room jokingly addressed her.

“Wait… There’s somebody else with you?” the mare noticed it and she pulled back from the embrace. “It sounds familiar but I can’t put my hoof on it.” The elder approached her. “Matron Zeg’us? You’re here too? I haven’t seen you… Well, in a really long time. You look well for your age.”

“And you on the other hand don’t, little Pili. Your sight is worse than mine.”

The late middle-aged mare chuckled. “I guess it comes with the territory. When you see nothing but gloom outside your home and the only light you see is your fireplace, you sort of get used to it.”

“That’s why I keep telling you to leave, mom,” Sanaa pleaded. “This place isn’t good for your health.”

The matriarch sighed. “And I’ll keep giving you the same answer, girl – I cannot leave this place alone, not where there’s one more left that needs to be looked after. And if I’m not here for him, who else will?”

“You staying here and suffering for dad’s sake is not going to help him, mom.”

“So you say, dear. But I’m willing to bear the same burden of despair that he’s taken upon himself.”

“That’s why we’ve come, Miss,” Twilight finally spoke, making her presence known.

The old mare’s attention was grabbed again. “There’s somebody else with you? Today just keeps getting livelier than I can recall way back,” Pilirani chuckled. “Please, come closer.” The Elements of Harmony approached, and a noticeable curious expression formed on her face when she finally saw them. “Oh my, I don’t ever recall seeing such a colorful collection of individuals in our land before.”

“I’m Princess Twilight of-” she tried to introduce herself, only for Sanaa to interrupt her.

“Sorry, Princess, but we’re in a hurry so introductions will have to wait. Mom, these outsiders came to help. All the other kingdoms have been besieged by evildoers who came to our land to get the Despair that rests in our land,” her daughter quickly explained. “The Kings are holding them back but I’m not sure they’ll be able to hold out for much longer.”

“And Zecora’s brought us here so we can prevent them from getting it,” Spike added.

The zebra mother looked at the dragon, her expression still locked into one of curiosity, but it was clear it was because of shock. “I’m sorry, what did you say, little lizard?”

“I’m a dragon, not a lizard, ma’am. I said that Zecora’s brought us here,” he repeated.

Her face was still frozen in the previous state, and she turned to her elder. “He speaks the truth, Pili. Your little filly’s back in Farasi, I’ve seen her myself.”

The expression on the mare suddenly collapsed and she made a choking sound, trying to suppress a cry. “My little filly… She’s back…”

“Mom, hold the waterworks,” the eldest daughter tried to hold her back from the eruption. “You mean to tell us she’s not passed here yet?”

The teary-eyed mare looked at her in confusion. “What…? Why would she be here already? Wasn’t she with you?”

“She split from the group when they got to Mount Chinjaio. And I can make a good guess she did it to avoid tongue-lashing from me if we came face to face. And we’ve not seen her since yesterday, since we had to get to Queen Watami to deliver the warning, so I assumed she’s gotten here before us.”

She shook her head. “Nobody’s come this way since you were here last time, Sanaa…”

“Madam, I understand you’re in a vulnerable state right now,” Rarity interjected, “but we have to get to where the evil is locked away, we can’t risk others getting to it first.”

“Hold up, glamour girl,” the younger zebra halted her, “nobody’s been to that accursed place since the tribe’s exodus, we’ve no idea what surrounds it now.”

“I assure you, the prison’s surroundings are quite safe,” the mare assured as she wiped her nose.

“How do you know that, mom?” Sanaa wondered.

“Because I kept a close eye on it every day. It was one of the only things I’ve been doing on a daily basis. I even put up a seal to ensure that nothing would come out if my dear Khari’s will was to falter by any chance.”

“Good, then we’re in luck.” Her daughter got up and trotted towards the entrance. “We won’t be long, mom. We’ll deal with the evil that infects our land, that way you won’t have to live in this dreary place anymore. And after all of this is done we’ll never have to deal with that stupid selfish Zecora again.”

A gasp escaped the Elements after they heard her say it, especially in front of her family.

“Whoa, hold up, that’s a bit much now,” Applejack intervened. “You can’t just go and say that, especially not in front of your mother.”

“Excuse me, miss Stick-my-nose-in-things-that-don’t-concern-me, you’re an outsider and you’re in no position to judge me!”

“Sanaa,” her mother suddenly halted her. “A miracle has happened – a filly I thought lost has returned. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? Do you really hate your little sister that much?”

“Yes, I do, mom! I have nothing but hate for her! Had Zecora just done what was expected of her, none of this would’ve happened! Father, you, the tribe! None of the hardships that we had to endure all this time would’ve happened! And I’m never gonna forgive her for being so selfish!” And with those words, she stormed out of the hut.

“Well… that went about as bad as I expected it would…” Autumn Blaze quipped.

“I’m so sorry about this,” Twilight tried apologizing.

The late middle-aged mare rubbed her head. “Do not hold it against Sanaa, miss, none of you should. She’s been raised to care about the well-being of the tribe first and foremost. For somebody to think about themselves in the moment of self-preservation is something she has difficulty to comprehend. She just needs time.”

“You’d think after so many cycles she’d have gone over it already,” the elder noted. “Just goes to show how festering hatred is. Don’t worry, Pilirani. We’ll go with her to make sure she won’t do something stupid.”

“Madam Zeg’us, shouldn’t you just wait here where it is safe and dry?” Rainbow Dash suggested. “I mean, it’s nice and warm, and out of danger-”

“Are you calling me for a wet blanket, filly?” the elder zebra gave her a stern look. “I’ve come this far, I might as well see this to the end. Somebody has to keep that “volatile fern” in check after all.” She walked past them, then stopped at the doorway. “Well, what are you waiting for, princess? For us to get wet?”

The alicorn quickened her step, as did the rest of the group, and once she was outside she again created a field to keep the rain away.

“You just wait, Pilirani,” the matron said one last time. “We’ll get your two fillies back.” And she passed the threshold, disappearing behind the curtain.

There was a weight that seemed to have rolled off the tribal matriarch’s chest. She sighed in relief, yet there was a noticeable sense of restrain in it. Her child has finally returned and she brought friends with her, but the true test was still before her, and if anything was to go on from what they had told her was happening in the other kingdoms, they would need all the good fortune they have. She reached for the brew and took another sip of it to reassure herself.

FNNN.

Suddenly, she heard a strange sound in the distance.

FNNN. FNNN.

It was far, but whatever it was, it sounded heavy.

FNNN! FNNN! FNNN! FNNN!

The sound seemed to be multiplying as it drew closer, as if a giant four-legged creature was approaching, and the vibrations that it was giving off caused the liquid in her cup to vibrate. She was starting to get concerned. All the time she’s lived here since Despair took over, she’s not encountered something like this. Which could only mean… it could be related to invaders.

The sound suddenly stopped as it reached the foothold of her home, and all she could hear was a strange grunting sound afterward.

“Wait here, Paramis,” a voice said on the other side. “This may be a while.”

There was another presence outside, the heavy stomping was masking it from her still fully functioning senses. And then her burdened eyes saw the light move at the doorway, signifying that somebody had just entered her home, and then she heard the sound of hooves approaching, but they stopped on the threshold of the light that her fireplace was producing, not even able to see the silhouette of the presence.

“Who’s there? Who are you?” she asked.

“I could ask the same question,” the grizzled voice answered, quickly signaling to her that whoever he was, was old. “I have been traveling this realm of depression for a long time, and I’ve not met any other living being that hasn’t fully succumbed to despair.”

The way he spoke, there was power in the tone of his voice. “I am Pilirani, the last matriarch of the tribe,” she indulged him.

“Is that so?” the voice wondered for a moment. “In that case, I come seeking your council, matriarch.”

She was surprised, she had not anticipated that the presence was willing to ask for advice. “My eyes are not what they used to be. Please, come closer so I can see you clearly.”

“If it’s all the same, matriarch, it’s best for both of us if you do not know my identity,” the voice declined. “You see, much like the trotters that were here a few moments ago, I am an outsider. And I seek your wisdom, for there are questions that even my own age and experience are not enough to answer.”

He was clearly reluctant to do anything that would give him away, but she knew that he wasn’t just going to let her be if she declined him. “If that is the case, then I will do what I can to assist you. What do you want to know?”

Following the younger of the two zebras, the Elements of Harmony continued to traverse dim unknown land. Eventually, however, she came to a halt.

“What’s wrong, Sanaa?” the alicorn asked.

“We’ve come to the edge of the forbidden jungle.”

“So?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

“I’ve only ever gone this way once, and back then it wasn’t as dark as is now. My sense of direction isn’t going to be of much help now, so I’m gonna need your help. Can anyone generate more light?”

The ponies turned to the only other unicorn present. “Me?” the fashionista gave them a look of surprise.

“Hey, I can provide light too,” Spike argued.

“But spike, if you use dragon fire to light the way you’re likely going to set the forest aflame,” Fluttershy noted.

“Oh… right.”

Rarity sighed. “Well, I suppose if there’s no other way… Though I wish I had my suitcases with me, I had my hardhat in one of them.”

She went to the front of the group and her horn lit up brightly, illuminating their surroundings quite a bit, and revealing the growth in front of them. They pushed onwards through the dense jungle until they finally came to an open area, and the light was so bright that it revealed a great valley before them, although the atmosphere didn’t improve the look of the place. Something did stand out though.

“What’s the giant building that’s in the distance?” Wadi wondered about the silhouette.

“If it were anyone else, they would think it was one of the Musa’s spires, but that’s actually a dead baobab tree. And it’s there that the prison is. So, we need to hurry.” Sanaa quickly went ahead and descended into the valley beneath them, with the rest following.

And once again they trudged through the overgrowth beneath the giant tree but when they did, they were met with an unexpected sight. At the very base of the tree, a set of giant stone doors was opened, and erected in front of them was a large pink barrier that seemed to be going all around the tree’s base.

Pinkie Pie hopped to the front and knocked on the barrier’s surface. “Hello, anypony home?”

“Hah! The pink one’s funny,” the eldest of the two levitating kelpies noted. “Right, Wash?” But she received no reply, as the younger sibling was just staring into the distance. “Wash!”

“Huh?!” she snapped out of the trance.

“What’s with you? You’ve been acting absent-minded since we got here?”

“It’s just… This place is giving me a bad feeling.”

“That’s to be expected,” Zeg’us told the kelpies. “It’s the aura that’s originating from this place that’s making you feel down.”

“And so is my mom, so let’s hurry up and bring this ward down.” The field manager urged.

Twilight stepped forward and dispelled the cover, and soon enough, rain was falling on everybody else present. In the meantime, she focused her magic to dispel the barrier. However, she quickly realized something was off because no matter how hard she tried, the barrier remained.

“Sanaa, do you maybe know how to remove this?” she asked her.

“Me? Why would I? I’ve no expertise in this, and I’ve never seen something like this before.”

“But your mother said she’s the one who placed a ward. Do you really have no idea what sort of spell she could’ve used?”

"This is a new one to me, to be honest. I've not seen sealing magic like this being used by our tribe."

“Madame Zeg’us?” she turned to the elder mare.

“Sorry, dear, but I fear I'm as much in the dark as you are.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” the workhorse yelled as water dripped down her hat. “We came all this way and nopony thought about asking how to remove this barrier?”

And an awkward silence followed as the rest of the quadrupeds looked away in embarrassment.

“I just thought it would’ve been easier to remove…” Twilight said in an awkward tone.

“We know about zebra magic as the next pony, Twi, which is next to nothing. Now we’ll have to go all the way back to ask Zecora’s mom how to do it.” And with an irritated groan, she walked the way they just came from.

“Applejack?!”

Almost instantly the Element of Harmony stopped in her steps. She knew that voice - everybody except for the natives present did! It came from the other side of the barrier. And there they spotted her – a familiar young mare with a large bowtie on her head was present before them.

“APPLEBLOOM?!”