“The shadow… of Doubt?” Applebloom gave a confused look at the image of a weaselly shadow.

“Yes,” the elder mare answered. “It is deceitful and insidious by nature. Its whispers weaken its victim’s resilience, making them prone to other outside influences.”

“Miss, something happened earlier. When I held the jar that contained the bright light, it revealed it when it wasn’t there before.”

“Yes, child. If there is one thing that Doubt cannot abide, it’s Clarity – it’s natural opposite.”

“Yes, but there’s more. When I thrust the light it, I saw…” The pony paused for a moment. “I’m not sure what I saw. It showed a scenery of something happening back where my home is but I didn’t understand any of it.”

The old zebra nodded. “As I said, clarity is what doubt fears, and it’s because it has the power to reveal the truth. So, it is possible that when it saw you, it triggered a revelation of a memory to which you are related in some way.

“Ponyville… That’s what it showed me… Will something bad happen there?”

She shook her head. “I cannot tell, child. Only you can. But regardless, even if your actions have in some way harmed the shadow, because of it, Khari will succumb to despair.”

“Wait, that doesn’t make sense,” Applebloom questioned. “Why is it only happening now when it was here the whole time?”

“No, child,” she corrected. “The High Shaman locked himself in with Despair alone, and he’s managed to bear its power for a very long time. This creature here, however, arrived only recently. It could not have entered here in the first place unless the seal that was locking the prison was broken.”

“Oh no.”

The elder and the pony’s attention was diverted from their conversation. The young zebra mare, who was supposed to be the latter’s mentor, and was now resembling her pupil’s age, finally reacted.

She was very distraught. “It’s all my fault… I was the one who removed the seal that was on the door. Fada will now turn… because of me…”

The Cutie Mark Crusader tried to calm her. “Don’t fret, Zecora, you couldn’t have-”

“NO, I COULD HAVE!” She screamed, not in anger, but despair. “Everything that happened to my home, to my tribe, to my family, it was all my fault! Because of me, the whole village starved! Because of me, Despair was freed from its prison! Because of me, fada had to sacrifice himself to protect me! And because of me, the land was cursed and my tribe scattered, and worst of all, mada stayed here and suffered this whole time!” She curled up and buried her face in her crossed hooves, and even then, one could the agonizing sobbing. “I never should’ve run away… I should’ve stayed and sacrificed myself… It would’ve been better than to live, knowing how many I’ve hurt…”

Applebloom just stared there, her heart being torn apart from the sight of Zecora flagellating herself and desperately wishing all the harm befalling her instead. Back on the airship, when she told the story of how she ended up in Equestria, her words didn’t show the gravity of what had been eating her.

“Is that why you’ve turned into a nearly a filly then? Because this was you when you were at your lowest?” The depressing mood was quickly interrupted by the elder mare that was still standing by this whole time, her mood not swaying. “Do you honestly believe that if you had taken a different path, you could’ve spared others from harm? Had you taken what you’re wishing for right now, little filly, Despair would’ve been freed long ago, and nobody, not even the Three King of Farasi, completely caught off guard, would’ve been able to stop.”

“But…” the young zebra tried to speak. “But it’s all my fault… I deserved to get punished…”

“Punished? Maybe. Though you deserve leniency for being ignorant. But if you think even for a moment that your own family would be willing to see you suffer for your errors, you are wrong. They would’ve sacrificed themselves to protect you if they knew you were in harm’s way… and they did. We chose it.”

Zecora finally raised her head from her crossed hooves, her cheeks moist from tears. “W… what do you mean?”

“If you think this was all done in a spur of a moment, allow me to show you otherwise.”

And as she said that, the bright empty surroundings were suddenly replaced up by a plethora of colors, as the vision made itself manifest.

The tribal matron was pacing up and down her house, her mind was not at ease. Her mate was usually gone by this time of the day, and her eldest child had already left home to work in the fields in the early morning, yet the absence of her youngest is what was disturbing her. She was never an early bird, but to make matters worse, she woke up in the middle of the night to discover she was already gone, along with things that belonged to the High Shaman. She alerted her mate and he ran off at the moment’s notice. He hasn’t come back yet and the sun had already risen by now – she was dreading the worst.

She heard hoof steps approach, and a familiar masked zebra stallion walked in. She was about to ask about the child but her words were needless, as he turned and showed the filly sound asleep on his back.

Without a moment to spare she pulled her into an embrace, smothering her with kisses. “Khari,” she addressed her significant other, “did she come to harm?”

“No, dear. Her safety had been assured.” The mare sighed in relief and then snuggled her sleeping daughter, the stallion, however, was not done yet. “But I fear I can’t be certain that our tribe’s safety had been secured.”

He told her what had come to pass – the prison penetrated, the manifestation of Despair released, and its intent to acquire freedom through its liberator. She had been saved, but the immediate repercussions of her actions were yet unknow; after all, even freed from its bonds, the dark force was still trapped inside its prison, unable to leave without a host. Only time would tell what would follow.

As the sun got high in the sky, the parents took the little filly to the village elder to receive her tribal marking – a swirling sun, marking that she had finally entered marehood, and as a final achievement, the mother placed the final ring around her neck. Things were looking up, despite the state of famine that the village was in. However, that night, the older mare was roused from slumber by the sound of wheezing - everybody was. The youngest one was in her bed, making struggling noises as she violently thrashed about.

Her mother rushed to her side and shook her to try and wake her up. “Zecora!”

She finally snapped awake and looked about.

“Kid, what happened?” Sanaa asked. “You were thrashing about and wheezing.”

“Nothing, just… a nightmare.” After a momentary pause, she got up and traipsed to the entrance of the house. “I need to get some fresh air.”

Though it seemed she purged herself of the nightmare, the following days would prove that was not the case. Every night the young mare would wake up the rest of the family, forcing them to snap her out of her nightmares. To her older sibling it was annoying, but the adults knew that the younger one was suffering the most. And it all pointed to one specific source. At last, the duo finally decided to investigate things, and together they descended into the forbidden oasis, at the base of the giant dead baobab tree. They entered it through the giant slightly opened slabs of stone that functioned as the door and descended into the darkness, one that eventually disappeared, as the light that was originating from a green pool of glowing fluid at the center of the growth lit up the interior. And there, the two zebras saw it – living water, slithering around the room like a serpent, with a noticeable deep-blue glow in its head representing the eyes.

It's spotted them. “Mansa Musa’s descendants… You dare show yourselves here…? Have you come to free us…?”

“You believe us naïve?” the stallion said. “Almost amusing that’s something you would conceive. And if I’m to guess, you’re the one responsible that the filly who freed you is a mess?”

“She liberated us… Her own despair drover her to do it-”

“We know that already, spirit of drowning senses!” the mare interrupted it. “Now tell me what are you doing to my daughter!”

Its gaze turned to the matron. “Your offspring, is she? Our Pillar… We’re calling to her… It is fitting that she fulfills the part she was willing to play, even if she is of a different thought now…”

“You will release her.”

“No… We will not. She will continue to hear our calling in her dreams, until the torment finally becomes too much for her to bear… She will submit willingly… And you cannot stop us…”

The two zebras looked at one another. They departed, leaving the manifestation of despair behind. They were troubled – their child was under the influence of a malevolent spirit, and they came home just in time to once again rouse her from her nightmares. She needed help! They needed help saving her!

The following morning, the two leaders went to the heart of their village. There was one person in the village who they knew they could confine in, as she’s been a leader long before them.

“The sun will rise again after something sinister had occurred.”

“Come again, mother Zeg’us?” the younger zebra wondered, as she and her significant other met with her and informed her of what had happened.

“You heard me, Pilinari. That’s what I had told your little filly when I made the mark form on her rear end. That is what it symbolized, and I’m rarely wrong on such things. And judging by what you’ve just told me… It seems that something sinister has indeed occurred.”

“You speak the truth, matriarch,” the stallion agreed. “I witnessed the evil’s power in the dark. And if I weren’t there to stop it-”

“Khari, seriously, what you need to do is stop speaking in rhymes at all time. It’s starting to get on my nerves when you have to use prolonged convoluted mess of words to say something fast.” And the High Shaman shut his mouth in response.

“Our little filly has been possessed by a spirit of Despair and it won’t stop until she’s broken enough to willingly free it. What do we do?” the mare questioned.

The elder sighed. “This situation is far worse than just your child being tormented by a sinister force, Pili. If the mark on her flank is something to go on, it means that this was meant to happen and there was no way to avoid it. I fear that fate is pulling not just her or our whole tribe, but all of Farasi in a direction that will not bode well. And if that is the case, then we have little options.”

“But that’s why we’ve come to you for guidance, mother Zeg’us. Please, tell us what we can do.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do or say that will help you. My time passed when your handsome stallion over there took up my late husband’s duty.” She looked at him. “You are the High Shaman.” Then turned towards the mare. “And you are the tribal matron. It’s up to you both to decided what the right course of action is, and how to protect our tribe.”

The elder could not help them. Now the situation truly looked dire. They returned to their home, and observed how their youngest offspring’s wellbeing continued to decline. They would continue to try and live normally under the famine, while the High Shaman continued to wait for the answer from higher powers.

Finally, on the fourth day, before dawn, the matron was roused from slumber. It wasn’t the sound of her child’s torment, but her husband instead, towering over her, full equipped already.

“Khari? What is it?”

“I’m trying to make you aware: I think I know how to hinder Despair.”

At the sound of what she had heard, the mare almost instantly got on her feet, trying to make sure not to wake her children. The stallion motioned her to follow, and she did, expecting him to elaborate away from their ears. Yet as they got out of the house, the High Shaman didn’t say a word, he only motioned her to follow. They traversed through the familiar overgrowth into the forbidden oasis and descended into the valley below, and entered the dead baobab tree, where, at last, he stopped at the border of the room that the prisoner couldn’t traverse.

“Khari, what is it? You said you know how to stop Zecora’s ailment.”

The stallion was silent for a long time, staring at the Manifestation of Despair that slithered around the room. “I do, but there is a price to pay. Our filly will be tormented unless… somebody has to step in the way.”

As soon as the mare heard that, she protested. “You want to take her place?! How is subjugating yourself to it going help?! Zecora may be freed but Farasi will be doomed!”

“You are right… But only IF one’s will is not strong enough to resist.” He faced his mate. “And with a little help, I can persist.”

“No! I won’t let that happen! You cannot seriously think that this will solve anything! You-!”

“Pilinari, listen!” he yelled out, making her words grind to a halt. “You heard what Zeg’us said. It’s up to us to do what we think will protect the tribe and Farasi. And if our little girl is destined to do more, than she has to go on… And we’re the only ones who can do that.” The silence was deafening, his seriousness was compounded by the lack rhyming in his words. “I have given it a lot of time to think, and if Farasi wills it… I must go through with it.”

She slowly approached him, stopped only inches away, and then thrusted herself into his embrace. He wrapped his hooves around her, after which she proceeded to shed tears.

“How will your tribe go on without you…? How will our girls go on without you…? Me…?”

“Our girls are strong, just as the tribe is,” he tried to calm her. “They will find their way in time. And that’s why you must remember that, even if I’m not by your side, I will always be here. And if things become too much for you to handle, you should take everybody away.”

She pulled back. “No. You may be content with your fate but I’m not. I’m not leaving the only home we’ve ever known, that most of our tribe’s known. I will remain here and patiently wait. And even if the rest of the tribe decides to eventually depart, I will stand by your side.”

The two zebras pressed their foreheads against one another. “Pili…”

“We have sworn loyalty to each other, Khari. And I will not break that bond…”

“… from now, to beyond…”

And their muzzles connected in a kiss.

Finally, the stallion pulled away, dropped his staff and his saddlebags on the ground, before giving his wife one last glance and finally entering the room.

His presence made the slithery water serpent take notice of him. “You come to us, High Shaman? Have you become so desperate that you’ve decided to sacrifice yourself in order to spare your youngling?”

“I’m not sacrificing anyone, despair-made-manifest,” the zebra answered as he entered the body of glowing green liquid in the middle of the room. “I will contain your destructive presence to that others may rest.”

“Such arrogance!” the spirit snapped. “You believe yourself strong against us? We are a world’s worth of despair! You are a mere mortal! You do not have the willpower to bear the weight of the world on your back alone!”

He suddenly stopped in the center of the glowing pool. “You’re right, to your influence I would be prone, if I tried to stand against you… alone.”

He sat down and began chanting incomprehensible words that resonated across the room, as he slowly rummaged through the green liquid body. Suddenly, the water that was leaking from the walls began to move on its own, and even the sinister manifestation was surprised.

“Wait… that’s… NO!” The serpent launched itself at the zebra, but before it even got to him, its momentum ground to a halt as its body began to shrink. “Leave the spirits of water be! They are not yours to control!”

“Then you’ve learned nothing from the past, abomination. The elements of this land act to our dictation. They recognize you for the evil that you are and are willing to offer assistance, for they too fear they will succumb to burden without persistence.”

“HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU PRESUME YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US! ABOUT THE ELEMENTS! ABOUT OUR SUFFERING!!!”

The sorrowful raging voice began to dwindle as its owner’s body continued to diminish. And then, the shaman slowly raised his hooves out of the body of magical fluid, and between them he was holding an orange gemstone – the source of the desperate creature’s existence. His eye opened, enveloped in a radiant glow, a shockwave erupted from him, and the giant water serpent was reduced to a snake.

It reeled for a moment, then quickly looked about its surroundings, realizing that they were both surrounded by a barrier of light that encircled the entire magical pool. It hatefully glared at the zebra who was now in complete trance. But then it remembered that another presence was still close by – the shaman’s spouse watched on the other side of the luster barrier.

“You think this changes anything, mare? You think his sacrifice made a difference? Your offspring may have been spared, but in the grand scheme of things, the course was not altered. Our patience is eternal. And even if your mate’s will remains unshaken, his body with eventually give away to the streams of time. We will be free, it is unavoidable, so why bother waiting for the inevitable when you can just give in?” It slithered to the edge of the barrier where the female zebra stood. “Go on… go to your mate, and tell him to give up… and embrace the inevitable end…”

She stood there, motionless, with an empty look on her face; one would’ve thought that she was about ready to surrender to its whims. Instead, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“No.”

She couldn’t see it, but the entity noticed a radiant glow suddenly emanating from the zebra mare, it blinded it, causing it to crawl a distance from her. The light she was exuding, it had a name, and it was the one thing that despair couldn’t handle…

“Khari believed that something greater awaits our little girl, and he gave her a chance. And if he had faith in her, that he was willing to make the sacrifice, then I will stand by his side to the end. I will wait and endure you, Despair. Just as my tribe did. Just as all of Farasi did.” She turned and proceeded to slowly walk away.

Manifestation made final attempts to demoralize her. “It is all in vain! The end will come! What was shattered will be made whole again! YOUR WORLD WILL DROWN IN DESPAIR!”

But the provocations fell on deaf ears. The mare ascended through the dark and came out into the open world once again. After a long trek she finally returned home, her two daughters fast asleep, and the youngest without a trace of disturbance on her; she seemed at peace at last. And for that reason, she couldn’t tell her. She couldn’t let her know that her father sacrificed himself to free her from torment. She wasn’t ready, not yet.

Dark clouds began to emerge from the oasis, the skies were beginning to darken, and while the villagers below were cheering for the reprieve to finally come, the matron of the tribe who stood outside her house on the hill, knew that was not the case. As the days passed the outcome became noticeable, as the sense of despair that was being exuded from the clouds above began to affect the populace. But then, the unexpected happened, as the mother woke up one morning and discovered that the filly was no longer at home. She sent word to others and they searched for her to no avail. But her eldest daughter was another matter entirely.

“Mom!” Sanaa rushed into the house. “Zecora’s gone!”

Her mother looked at her. “What do you mean “gone”?”

“She ran away! I…” her daughter paused. “I went to the oasis, mom.”

The older zebra’s eyes widened in shock. “Sanaa, you know you we’re supposed to do that!”

“I know. But I know full well how Zecora would always go after father where she wasn’t supposed to. And since he’s been gone-”

“Then you’ve seen him, didn’t you?”

The field manager’s words halted. “You… you already know about this…? When did it happen?”

“Some time ago. We came to realize that what Zeg’us said and what had happened, was related. And for that reason, your father chose to sacrifice himself.”

“But the watery spirit, the one that’s trapped within with him said-”

“What do you believe, Sanaa? Would you believe the words of a malevolent creature that would do and say anything to free itself from its shackles, or would you believe your own mother?”

She went quiet again. “I… I believe you mother. But still, it said Zecora ran away! There’s no place for her to go except…”

Outside of the tribe’s domain, beyond the desert sands that separated it from other kingdoms of Farasi. She could’ve gone anywhere, but the logical conclusion led to her going towards Mount Chinjaio, since it was the closest. But they couldn’t just go after her, not when the whole tribe was suffering from the despair infested downpour. As a few days passed, it became clear though that the atmosphere was simply too much for some to bare, and if not dealt with right away, it would lead to their demise. There was only one way to handle this: Sanaa took those who were at their worst, and the handful of best, stocked up on what little supplies they had, and led the caravan out of their homeland, towards the home of abadas. On third day after their departure, they finally returned. Those who were weakened by the environment had stayed behind at Mount Chinjaio, but she and those who were still holding up came back with supplies, much to the delight of the rest of the tribesmen. News of the missing young mare also came up. Sanaa was well aware of the company her little sister was keeping, so she questioned the person related to the matter – she was there, but she left for the kingdom of Mansa not long after arriving. At least they knew her whereabouts.

Some time passed once again, and supplies were once again beginning to run low, and so was the persistence of the villagers. Many of them were beginning to get sick and tired of living in misery, and if leaving their home for the greener pastures was the only option, they were more than willing to take it. And so it happened that, as time passed, more and more tribesmen left the village, and the atmosphere in the village got drearier and drearier as any form of life disappeared from the streets, and the elements began to eat away at the abandoned homes.

Finally, when there was only a handful of souls left in the light-forsaken place, the last remaining residents were finally preparing to leave. However, there were disagreements.

“Mom, why?” The field manager stood in the heavy rain, with her mother just outside the threshold of her home. “Everybody else has already left, we’re the last ones. We can’t live in this place anymore.”

“Then go. Take what’s left of the tribe and help them find a place where they can prosper again.”

“But not without you! You’ve no reason to stay here. If you do, all that will happen is for you to suffer for nothing!”

The old mare shook her hear. “No. Not for nothing, Sanaa. I swore that I would stay here and endure any hardship, just like your father is.”

“But mom-!”

She was silenced by the matron puting her hoof over her mouth. “I am not about to break two bonds at once by abandoning him. We’ve both sworn an oath - to each other, and to protect our family, our tribe. I’ve accepted to bear his burden as well. And for that reason, I need you to do me a favor, Sanaa.”

“Anything, mom, anything!”

The elderly zebra pulled the younger one into and embrace. “Find Zecora, and make sure she’s safe. Promise me that.”

She couldn’t see or hear it, but she could feel her daughter’s head bobbing, moisture from her cheeks grinding against hers. And with those final words, the last remnants of the tribe left the village, leaving the tribal matron all by herself.

Time would pass, and the lone mare would spare her day living her life as if nothing had changed, even if she was all alone now. Most of the time she would spend indoors to avoid the rain, only temporarily she would leave for the oasis to check on the state of the prison. As time went on, however, the mare began feeling that her strength was slowly leaving her, her sight included. It became clear to her that it will become difficult for her to keep her daily activity, but she had anticipated that. It was unclear how much time had passed now, but the mare’s braid had grown to a ridiculous length by now, so much in fact that she had to carry it around like a rope. One day, she arrived to the entrance of the prison, and forced it shut. After that, she brought out a wooden carving of a masked zebra face, surrounded by what looked like elements of earth, fire, water, lightning, and wind, and inserted her long braid into it, before hanging it over the set of giant stone slabs. There was only one thing left to do now.

SNIP!

And with the sound of the cutting hair, everything went dark.

The vision disappeared, and the two young mares couldn’t believe what they just saw, especially the zebra.

She turned to the elderly mare behind her. “This whole time… you…” she stopped and corrected herself. “I mean, mada, she chose to endure all the hardship by herself…? For fada’s sake?”

“No,” the taller zebra corrected. “For everybody. For him, you, your sister, your whole tribe, for all of Farasi. She has been waiting this whole time, for when the moment of destiny was at hand. Destiny, that was marked by YOU returning home, Zecora.”

“But how can you know? I never planned on coming back, I was never meant to come back after what I’ve done.”

“And what have you done, filly? Left your home because you saw no way to help as you were back then? You see, Zecora, you deciding to leave and travel beyond your home, was how fate entailed it. Whether or not you intended to return, willingly or otherwise, did not matter. You’ve always been moving in the right direction, unknowingly.”

The bright empty surroundings disappeared, and were replaced by a forest. The place seemed familiar to young zebra and it didn’t take long for her to realize why, as she suddenly saw her past self, the age that she resembled now, weeping as she was clinging to her father’s staff, as the full gravity of her current situation finally hit her.

“You were in a foreign land, far from home, with nobody you knew or loved at your side – all alone,” the elder mare reminded her.

She recalled it all too well. After she finally got tired of shedding tears, she whipped them away, fastened her staff on her saddlebags, and set forth to explore this new land she knew nothing about. Once she finally got out of the woods she beheld the full scenery. Green. Geen everywhere. From forests, to the grasslands, to the mountain ranges. It was unlike anything that she had seen back at home. Even abadas didn’t have anything alike, despite living in the most fertile land. She passed through the growing fields, small towns bustling with life, inhabited by Seasaddle’s kin.

“New horizons opened to you, something you couldn’t have dreamed of before.”

There was a sensation that was mingled by her current situation. The desire that was breed into her from all those times that her father had taken her beyond the borders of her isolated village, across all of Farasi, to see the land that she was part of. And now it reawakened. She wanted to see more, to know more about this new land and all the creatures that called it home. She would traverse this foreign land – from the growing fields to mountainous ridges, from icy north to the barren south, and from rural areas to the sprawling metropolis, to even cities in the sky, or at least, as close as she could get to them. So much diversity, in not just areas, but also the natives - ponies, dragons, griffins, and all sort of manner of monsters that she couldn’t believe even existed.

“And yet, for all the wonderous grandeur that this new land gave you… You felt there was something… lacking.”

She traveled for many years across this vast new land which she learned was called Equestria, and see its wonders. Yet, as time passed, there was a strange sense creeping up on her consciousness ever so slowly. She knew its name, yet she tried to keep it down, but to no avail in the end. She had encountered so many strange sentient creatures, she learned things from them, and yet she never stayed in the same place for long, she never had a chance to create bonds with those she had met. Whether it was because of wanderlust, or because deep down she feared she would end up bringing harm, based on experience, she didn’t know. But there was one thing for certain – she felt alone. The desire to advance on land eventually ground to a halt, and it happened in a strange place - there was a sinister aura about it, one that felt somewhat familiar. The creatures of this land called this place the Everfree Forest, and it was the only place in this realm that felt… primal, outside of pony control. It almost felt as if she were back home, minus the constant downpour of despair. And on top of that, it provided most of what she would need to survive, and for any wild beast that would intend to do her harm, she’s learned how to ward them off by now. If she had any plans to stay in one place, then this would certainly be it. Building a home was another matter though, she had no skill in architecture, so she carved out a home into a tree. She built a little garden to grow her limited herbs that weren’t native to this land, and luckily the forest’s soil was so fertile that she would never be lacking them. There were some local ones that were out of her reach, but to her fortune, there was a settlement on the outskirts of the forest where she would be able to get them.

Ponyville. That’s what this town was called. It was situated beneath the large mountain where Canterlot, the heart of this kingdom, stood. It was bustling with all manner of shops and vendors, and if luck willed it, then everything she could ever need was here. As she exited the shade of the trees, flat grasslands opened before her and she could see it in the distance. It didn’t seem so far away, which meant she could make trips regularly like this. As she got to the town proper, it immediately came to her that something was no right. It was empty, deserted even. There was nobody out on the streets and everything seemed to be closed down. She removed the hood of her cloak to make sure her eyes weren’t just playing tricks on her. She traipsed around town for a while, checking all places of business and residents, and yet there was nobody around. It was odd; it felt like it was active only a few moments ago. Seeing that there was nothing she could do, she returned back to her home, figuring that she might try again tomorrow.

The following day Zecora came to town once again, and much to her disappointment, she was met with the same outcome – there was nobody around. She thought once was a coincidence, but twice in a row? Surely the third time would’ve been the charm. But she had no such luck. Every day she would come to town to try and see if anyone was about, but all the same, the streets were empty and the houses quiet. Soon enough, days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. By now she should’ve given up, and yet something was keeping her from stopping. She would go to town once a month just in hopes that some soul would be out on the street. Something in her was desperately clinging to some manner of hope that it was not in vain… to keep the joy in her life from finally going out, as the memory of a dreaded warning kept ringing in her head.

…you will be all alone in the end.

“And then, at last, a most unexpected being turned up.”

Digging at the ground. That’s what she’s resorted to doing. Surely somebody would take objection at making an inconvenient pothole in the street, but nothing – another disappointing day. She made her way back to the Everfree Forest, past a narrow path that led through a field of blue flowers call Poison Joke.

“APPLEBLOOM!”

She instantly stopped and turned! A living soul? Here? She noticed a little yellow pony filly with a red mane and a bowtie on her head, trailing not far behind her. The voice that called out, however, was not hers, as she too was startled by it, as much as she was by the fact that the one she was going after, took notice of her. And that’s when she saw a group of mares rushing after her.

“You get back here right now!” the orange pony with a cowboy hat called out.

The ponies were fast approaching, there was a tense aura around them, their intent felt aggressive, yet in fear. The zebra began backing away from them to not escalate the situation, but she noticed that in their pursuit, they weren’t paying attention that they were trotting through the poisonous flora.

“Beware! Beware, you pony folk!” Zecora warned them. “Those leaves of blue are not a joke!”

The orange mare scooped up the little filly on her back. “Y-you keep your creepy mumbo-jumbo to yourself, ya hear?”

She disappeared into the creeping forest fog, but not until she gave a warning again, in hopes that they wouldn’t unknowingly inflict harm upon themselves. “Beware! Beware!”

She galloped back to her home, where she finally stopped. There was a sense of relief that finally washed over her – somebody really was in the village; it wasn’t abandoned after all. But the reason for their hostility was unknown to her. Surely this wasn’t because of the holes she had dug out in the town?

New dawn came, through it was difficult for her to know, considering how dark and gloomy the forest was during any part of the day. She lit a fire under a small caldron atop the fire that she had set up in the middle of her home to preheat it up for breakfast. She walked outside and began pulling out some root vegetables that have grown over night in the forest’s magically fertile soil. She was about to take the fourth one when she suddenly stopped. There was something that piqued her curiosity out of the corner of her eye. The plot where she was pulling her food from stood by a large overgrowth, and it was in that same overgrowth that she noticed a gleam from the dim light. Something or somebody was hiding inside. She slowly approached and the stuck her head in, only to be met face to face with another.

“Hi…” it awkwardly smiled.

The zebra yelped and jumped backwards in surprise. Soon enough, a tiny head poked out of the hideout.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” the meek voice apologized.

“You maniac! You’ve almost given me a heart attack!” the mare complained.

A small form crawled out of the growth, so that the zebra was finally able to see it in full.

“Wait, correct me, you may, but aren’t you the little filly that trailed me home yesterday?”

“My… my name’s Applebloom,” the filly cautiously introduced herself.

“Yes, I remember it. From the other one who called and would not permit.”

“That was my big sister, Applejack. And miss Z… Zecora, what’s wrong with her?”

The zebra tilted her head. “Before I can try and infer, you’ll have to explain what ails her.”

“She’s shrunk. And the rest of her friends are completely off as well.”

She quickly picked up on what’s happened. “It seems my warning she didn’t get. The Poison Joke’s collected its debt.”

“Poison… joke?”

“A plant that grows in this forest, my dear. Innocent, yet inconvenient, that is clear.”

“Is there a way to cure it, miss Zecora?”

Suddenly, a tingle ran all over the shaman, it’s been a long time since anyone had requested help from her. “Little filly, if ailments to cure is what you seek, then you need not be so meek. I just so happen to have a book of abundance. Come with me and I’ll give you the guidance.”

There was a change in the surroundings. There was a familiar sense of purpose that she finally felt again, one that’s been absent for so long she had nearly forgotten how it felt - the desire to feel needed by somebody… After telling her about the ingredients she still needed and sending her out to look for them, she prepared the broth for the healing concoction, only to then be interrupted by the ponies she saw yesterday. Things escalated, and at the heated moment, the crisis was averted as the aforementioned filly returned, and the mess was finally cleared. Zecora had no idea that the locals were afraid of the Everfree Forest and whatever came out of it, and considering she wasn’t a pony, all the Ponyville’s residents hid away every time they saw her coming. The fog of doubt finally passed, and the zebra was finally able to feel like she belonged. Though she still rarely visited town, for a change she felt welcome once again. And the little filly? For all the mischief and trouble that she and her two friends would get into, the least she could do for her was to be there to help her when her thoughts were not at ease, even teaching her the craft of her people. She would forever value her as somebody who had managed to bring joy back into her life once again.

“It’s only fitting that the filly, the one who brought you back from the brink of despair, is here with you now – back where it all began.”

The imagery disappeared. And the little filly who was beside the now-young zebra, was now a growing mare. The two looked at each other, and the yellow pony quickly noticed that her eyes were on the verge of overflowing, something that she herself felt was about to happen. She pulled her into a hug, and the two young mares shared an embrace of joyful tears.

And then, the elder zebra embraced both of them. “After all these cycles of waiting and all that you’ve been through, it has all led to this moment. Light will shine on the land once again… But first, the High Shaman must be freed from Despair’s grasp. Little fillies, take what you’ve learned, and relate it to the Elements of Harmony. They will know what to do.”

Zecora looked at the elder mare. “But wait! Who are you? I know you’re not mada.”

She chuckled. “Zecora, you already know my name. I’ve been with you this whole time. You’ve been giving me away to everybody else who was in need, yet you never felt worthy of me yourself.” Her body began to glow, emitting bright light that kept growing stronger. “I am the Spirit of Hope… I am the light that guides the way…”

And the blinding light enveloped them all.

Applebloom was still clinging to her equal, or at least she thought she was. When her senses returned, the young mare felt as if whatever she was holding in her embrace had gotten larger. She finally opened her eyes and realized that her mentor had returned to her normal size, and was completely enveloping her in her embrace.

“Zecora?” she tried to rouse her.

The zebra’s senses returned as well; she looked about, noticing that the surrounding darkness had completely disappeared now, and they were sitting near the center of the room, in a pool green glowing liquid that was illuminating the room. After she stopped scanning the room, her gaze once again met the earth pony’s, and after a prolonged stare, she pulled her into an embrace once again.

“Z… Zecora, what’s that for?”

“I came here in thought that I could never be free, and in despair I’ve forgotten who’s steered me back on the path - thee.” She snuggled her, and in response the pony couldn’t help but burry her face in her chest.

It dawned on the young mare that her mentor was once again rhyming, but then something occurred to her – she felt moisture between them. She thought at first it was just glowing pool they were sitting in, but as she pulled back, she let out a yelp and jumped backwards a bit. Stuck between them was a strange light-grey blob-like creature, and it was stuck on Applebloom. On instinct she thought about shoving it away, until she realized it wasn’t aggressive at all; it almost seemed like it was trying to snuggle up to her. She scooped it up in her hooves and gently pet it, and in response it made a noise that sounded like purring.

“This thing,” she finally addressed her mentor, who was just as equally surprised by what she was seeing. “It’s what summoned the Spirit of Hope, didn’t it?”

“I think you may be right, Applebloom. By its behavior, I can tell it protected us from gloom.”

And just as things seemed to be turning out well, the pony realized they weren’t alone in the room.

“Zecora, behind you!” the Cutie Mark Crusader warned.

The zebra slowly turned; it seemed she too was aware of what was to follow. In the middle of the glowing pool where they were, sat the elderly male stallion that they saw earlier, his eyes, which were glowing earlier, were closed now, but he was still holding the orange gemstone between his hooves. What was more off-putting though, was that the watery serpent was no longer present, and that the magical light barrier surrounding the pool was gone – a sense of unease now hanged in the room, especially because the duo remembered what was said earlier by the spirit that protected them. Even so, the shaman slowly approached, stopping hooves distance from the still elder, and she slowly reached out.

“Fada?” she called to him.

His eyes suddenly shot open with a glow - not the bright one, but that of deep blue… the same that the Manifestation of Despair had.

“He failed,” the stallion spoke in an unnatural voice that was clearly not his own. “And with his failure, our prison weakens.”

The ground shook, and water began to break through the walls of the room, quickly filling it up. Zecora quickly grabbed Applebloom who was still holding onto the blob, and dragged her to a higher elevation.

“THE HIGH SHAMAN IS OURS!” the possessed zebra’s voice echoed as the room began to rapidly fill up with water. “WE WILL BE FREE! MANSA MUSA, HIS DESCENDANTS, AND ALL OF FARASI WILL PAY FOR ADDING TO OUR TORMENT!”

Tentacles suddenly formed from the water and began to rush towards the two equines, growing larger. They had no other choice. The young mare quickly dropped the blob into her mentor’s saddlebags that she was carrying, and then they quickly ran up the stairs and towards the exit, while the mass of watery tentacles followed.

“Something… doesn’t add up here…” Applejack said.

“So, you’ve noticed as well, young miss,” the elder zebra agreed.

“Really? What is it?” Twilight asked curiously.

Before the workhorse could give an answer, the ground shook. Her little sister explained what had happened in the prison below, and the aftermath of it now followed. There was a cracking sound in the air; not lightning though, it sounded as if a rock was crumbling, and it was coming from the direction of the giant dead baobab tree in the heart of the oasis, which was plain for everybody to see now that the heavy rain had finally ceased. Multiple cracks began to appear on the thick petrified trunk and water began to gush out of them. Finally, a large pillar of water broke out from the top of the tree, parts of it falling apart. They all noticed a small orange flicker that could be seen at the very heart of the pillar, as the formation suddenly began to twist and turn, its basic shape beginning to gain a more detailed form – one that was very familiar to some of the observers. Finally, a pair of deep blue eyes opened up on it, and the pointy top split down the middle to form a mouth, releasing a booming cry.

“Errr… Twilight, any ideas how do we stop this thing…?” Rainbow Dash wondered.

Author's Note

I'm finally back, dear readers.
Here's hoping that the new chapter sates your thirst.
Get it?