To be Awakened

Chapter 7: protocol and attitude

Daring Do woke up, staring at the ceiling above her. The fact that she woke up on her own, rather than being awoken by a strange vision, kept her in bed, savoring the unexpected respite. Turning towards the gauze privacy curtain, she saw that Dr. Caballeron was already up, his early-riser habits unsurprising.

She rose slowly, her aging body protesting with the crackling of her joints, a reminder of her many daring exploits. "Celestia, I'm too young to be worrying about joint problems. My grandma lived into her two-hundreds," she muttered, catching a chuckle from behind the curtain. Dr. Caballeron, always suave, was combing back his hair. Daring Do, still in bed, watched him quietly, wondering how long he'd been at it. Probably an hour, she guessed.

As she yawned, Dr. Caballeron rose from his cushion and headed toward the door. "You should hurry up. Breakfast is ready. Seems like everyone either woke up before you or is still asleep. Let's go find out about our assignments," Dr. Caballeron said, gesturing towards the door.

Daring Do grabbed her supplies with her wings—a basket full of soaps, towels, a toothbrush, and other cleaning necessities. "Try not to be arrested by the time I arrive," she teased.

"Try not to activate every booby trap in the place," he retorted, disappearing down the hallway.

Daring Do stepped into the next room, where a large tub and several lifelike servants awaited her. Dressed in traditional Saddle Arabian robes, their attire hinted at belonging to a royal house. Bowing humbly, their faces were obscured. She reached out to touch one, surprised by its lifelike feel.

To her astonishment, the servant she touched met her gaze. "Mistress, do you need assistance washing your wings?" Despite its lifelike appearance, something was off. Its eyes lacked the spark of life.

"No, not today. I'm pressed for time," Daring replied. The servant nodded, resuming its position.

After cleaning herself and preening her wings, Daring descended the stairs to a large table adorned with food. She scanned the table, finding only Dr. Caballeron, Amira, and a handful of servants serving food and drinks. Settling into her seat, she asked, "Where is everyone else?"

Amira set down her cup of coffee. "The dog and the chick are probably still asleep. The two soldiers left earlier this morning. It's just us for breakfast."

Surprised, Daring raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought our punishment would have us eating together."

Amira chuckled. "We all have different schedules, especially in the early morning. But if we keep avoiding each other, the princess is bound to intervene. Rumors about the Princess of Love border on obsessive stalking. But are those rumors true?" She glanced at Daring and Caballeron.

Caballeron shrugged, taking another bite of his bagel. "I wouldn't know. I don't spend much time in Equestria unless it's for business or pleasure, and I don't put much stock in idle gossip."

Daring helped herself to an apple drizzled with caramel. With a small smile, she replied, "Cadence does have a habit of meddling in personal matters, but it would be odd if the Princess of Love didn't settle lovers' disputes. I heard she used to be a judge in divorce cases."

Amira raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Really? One would expect her to be a counselor or guru, not a divorce judge.”

"You'd be surprised. She saved many marriages in the Domestic Relations Division. She holds a lifetime membership as a judge, but stepped down when she became a princess," Daring remarked, taking another bite of her caramel apple.

"Cadence can overrule divorces and marriages in her kingdom—a rare policy in Equestria. It’s tradition to seek blessings from the royal court or Cadence before marriage," Caballeron added, stuffing the next bite of bagel into his maw. "You can also be approved by the Crystal Heart, which even overrules Cadence's say," he continued, surprising Daring with his knowledge. "I was once offered a job to steal it, but it was too risky, even with the astronomical payout. It has other properties beyond love, but those are more military."

"You wouldn't know state secrets, and you'd be the only one who'd consider stealing the heart," Daring retorted.

Caballeron looked back at her. "I'm not heartless. If I had stolen it, the Crystal Empire would freeze in hours."

Amira seemed confused. "If living in the Crystal Empire is that dangerous, why didn't they move to a safer part of the Arctic? From what I've seen on maps, the Crystal Empire is right in the middle of the frozen land."

Daring and Caballeron shrugged their shoulders. "You'd have to ask the rulers that question. What we know about the Crystal Empire is only information we've researched or acquired from an unsavory source," Daring replied, finishing up her meal.

"We should go find our assignments and listen to orientation."

Daring Do couldn't help but let out a sigh of excitement. When was the last time she was able to go to one and listen to her peers? This would be her first large-scale project in a long time.

"Come on, I don't know why you're so excited,” Caballeron remarked with a chuckle. “We've run into temples, burial grounds, and sky shrines before"

Daring scoffed. "HA! When's the last time you dirtied your hooves? Most of the heavy lifting I saw coming from you was telling your goons what to do," she retorted, smirking at him.

"I'm sorry I can't be a ground pounder like you. At least when I leave a temple, it's still standing, unlike some other beast that runs around sacred temples like a Minotaur in a china shop," Caballeron retorted, puffing up his chest.

"Who are you calling a ground pounder, you hoof licker?"

Caballeron growled angrily at Daring. Their death stares were only interrupted by a giggle from Amira.

"Oh, I see… You two are so cute," she teased.

Both of them shot daggers at Amira before she raised her hooves in mock surrender.

"Oh, come on. You have to admit it, at least a little bit…"

Caballeron let out a scoff before simply walking towards the entrance of the tent. Daring glanced at him, only realizing at the end that she had been watching his flanks. She felt herself turn slightly red as she heard Amira giggle again before following him to the exit.

Outside the tent, Caballeron and Daring were greeted by Flashbang, who had been waiting for them. "Hello, sir and ma'am," he greeted.

The two ponies blinked at him before Caballeron asked, "Have you been waiting here the whole time?"

Flashbang maintained the same stoic expression. "No, sir. I woke up early, did some training, grabbed breakfast, and then came back here. I was told that I am now assigned to be your new bodyguard. Consider me a quiet observer."

Not wanting her good mood to be ruined by another tail on her, Daring simply started walking towards her destination. "You know, you don't have to talk to us like we're some nobles from Canterlot," she remarked.

Flashbang smirked. "I know, but it takes time to remove twenty-five years of training and procedure from your mind."

Caballeron chuckled and began to walk alongside Daring, with Flashbang following behind. They walked into the tent for the archaeologist assembly, where many creatures were sitting, standing, and talking. Most of them stopped what they were doing when they saw her, whispering to each other. Daring Do knew she was a polarizing figure in the archaeologist community, but she didn't expect this much attention.

When Caballeron walked in, all the attention shifted to him. If Daring was a polarizing figure, Caballeron was an astronomical catastrophe; the mercenary of the archaeology world who would do anything and give anyone any magic item, tool, or weapon for the right price. When he entered the room, the looks of disapproval, hatred, and anger skyrocketed, but he seemed to ignore the stares and angry whispers, taking a seat right next to Daring.

"What did you do to inspire this much hate?" Daring whispered angrily at him.

"I didn't do anything. Most of these so-called archaeologists couldn't tell a fake from a genuine article, and I might have sold a duplicate of a certain masterpiece," Caballeron chuckled, "to some of the esteemed archaeologists here."

“Selling a fake artifact sounds like the exact opposite of doing nothing…” Daring facehoofed. "We haven't even started, and you're already causing trouble."

She sighed, but before she could say something else, Flashbang and a smiling pony walked onto the stage. If Daring remembered correctly, this was one of Celestia's personal assistants.

She looked nervous, holding two cards in her hoof, while Flashbang seemingly kept his stony demeanor. "Hello, every creature. My name is Raven Inkwell, and I will be one of the Excavation Directors. I will be splitting this responsibility with two other creatures, but I will be personally responsible for this group, which we have named Group A. For convenience, Groups B and C will be headed up by Bold Archaeologist and Dr. Gideon the Third, respectively.

“We separated into these three groups to spread out and search the city more efficiently. We will group you into teams of nine; four will be security, and the remaining five will be archaeologists, scientists and other creatures in different fields. There will also be one medic for each group; either a doctor among the scientists, a field medic among the security, or an additional dedicated medic. Each member of this group will spend no longer than six to seven hours in the city at any time, unless special permission is given, and no creature is allowed to stay after dark. No matter what the circumstances are, we will be pulling out all teams three hours before Princess Celestia lowers the sun and Princess Luna raises the moon. Does anyone have any questions?"

The first creature to raise its hand was a Minotaur. "Where are all the artifacts going to go, if we even discover any?"

"Initially, we will not be looking for artifacts, nor collecting any,” Raven immediately answered in a confident voice. “If, under odd circumstances, you find any, they will immediately go to the research center. But for now, we're only looking for written works. Using Princess Twilight's new translation spell should make it easier to find out more information, especially on the artifacts and their uses. We will be doing this for the first month; collecting information and very rarely securing artifacts."

The Minotaur looked angry, but otherwise satisfied with the answer. The next to raise their claw was a small-looking griffin. "From what reports we're able to read, there seem to be some form of golems protecting the city. Are those going to be a threat?"

Raven pulled out a notebook and flipped through it. "That’s unlikely. It seems like whatever these golems are, they have very specific routes they patrol. The routes we have chosen for all of the groups are well out of their way. If, for any reason, they do become hostile, you are to retreat and report in immediately."

The griffin seemed to consider that for a second. Another creature raised its hoof, and Raven immediately pointed to them. "From the reports penned by Princess Twilight Sparkle, there was seemingly a military base with highly sophisticated technology and military assets. Who will be collecting that?"

The room broke into murmurs, and Raven's eyes glided over her notes before Flashbang responded. "No one. All the major groups who signed up for this project agreed that any weapons found during the initial periods of research are off-limits and will not be disturbed. They will be marked for later research, and any information will be shared equally with every group and studied by a group of special scientists from each nation. The only time a weapon or perceived weapon can be removed from the city is with special permission, noted earli–”

Flashbang was interrupted by a breezie. “Let me guess, not without one of the Equestrian princesses’ approval?” Even though the creature was small, the challenging attitude was clear. Flashbang did not take the bait.

“No, the princesses do not decide, either. It will be a majority vote by the representatives of every group. Only in an emergency, or if every representative is unable to make a decision, will a weapon be brought into the camp. As soon as the weapon is brought into camp, a lockdown and quarantine of the creatures who brought it in, as well as the actual weapon, will be enforced. There are many representatives here; the princesses will not be the only ones making decisions.”

The breezie seemed satisfied and continued floating. The other archaeologists and scientists mumbled among themselves.

“The only exceptions to this rule are special groups that have been designated by each and every one of your leaders. These groups will have special freedoms to act if ordered to. Anything they bring back will still be shared with the group, but these creatures will have slightly different orders from the main groups and will have permission to explore deeper or strategic locations.” Flashbang looked over the crowd, waiting for another question, but no one raised any appendages. He then looked back at Raven, nodding for her to continue.

“The next thing we will talk about is safety precautions, safety gear, and what happens if you end up stuck, stranded, or injured. This will be handled by Knight Flashbang.”

Raven Inkwell moved away from the podium to the side as Flashbang walked up, mere seconds after having walked away from it. “I'm going to keep this simple and brief. You can ask questions after I'm done talking,” Flashbang said in a hard military voice, brooking no argument. Most of the crowd mumbled, but kept their opinions primarily to themselves.

“There seems to be some kind of field of unknown origin around the city and even a couple of klicks surrounding it. Anything that's not a dragon or magically protected will succumb to it and eventually die. We are not sure what it is, but we know that it's toxic to most living creatures. However, due to finding a means of counteracting it through magic, we have been able to allow creatures to enter the city without suffering the effects. At least, without suffering most of the effects.

“You'll each be given three vials of a potion made by an alchemist named Zecora. Each dose lasts for about three hours. You will also be given special pouches that have been enchanted to ensure the vials cannot break as long as they're inside the bag. This potion will supply you with the protection required.

“Other than your normal tools, you will also be given amulets that help us track you. Connected to it will be a small crystal that will also allow us to record events that happen throughout the day, and will be wiped at the end of each day. This is in case we find you dead, so we can figure out what happened, but you can also consider it a credibility booster. If you find something that you’re not familiar with, you can show it to one of our experts.”

Nervous murmurs could be heard throughout the crowd of archaeologists. Flashbang just ignored it and continued speaking, lowering the amulet he was holding to demonstrate the last point and holding up a small gem cluster, instead.

“You will also be given emergency flares in the form of these crystals. Slamming one on the ground will shoot a light into the sky, allowing us to locate you. Each of these crystals comes in three colors. Green means lost or disoriented, yellow means injured or trapped, and red means imminent threat or being attacked. If you’re not sure which one to use, send up all of them as a general purpose emergency. Just be aware that if you send this up, either you’re already in trouble, or there’s going to be trouble.

“Last but not least, no clothes other than what is given to you or what has been approved will be allowed in the city. If you require any additional equipment not listed in this presentation, you are required to inform your superior, who will need to send it up the chain until it reaches someone with the authority to approve the change in gear. Otherwise, you will each be required to carry the gear presented here.”

Flashbang stopped and looked at the group, even though they mumbled at the last part. “Any questions?”

As Flashbang finished his initial briefing, a stout yak with long, shaggy fur raised a hoof. "What if yak needs more vials of potion? Three hours not long enough if yak find something important!"

Flashbang addressed the concern with a steady tone. “Each member will receive three vials, totaling nine hours of protection. If you anticipate needing more time, you must return to the base camp for resupply. Under no circumstances should you extend your stay beyond the protection period without proper replenishment.”

The yak grumbled but nodded, understanding the precaution.

A sleek and agile hippogriff with a curious glint in her eye flapped her wings lightly. “You mentioned the amulets for tracking and recording. How secure are these? Can they be tampered with or destroyed easily?”

“The amulets are magically reinforced to resist tampering and damage,” Flashbang answered. “They also have self-repairing spells to some extent, but like any equipment, they are not indestructible. Handle them with care and report any issues immediately.”

The hippogriff seemed satisfied, though her keen eyes continued to scan the room thoughtfully.

Next, a dark-furred thestral with piercing yellow eyes spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of skepticism. “These emergency crystals—what if we're in a situation where we can't use them? Are there any backup plans?”

Flashbang’s expression remained stoic. “The crystals are designed to be used even under duress. They require minimal effort to activate—just a firm throw to the ground. In the event that you are incapacitated and cannot use them, your amulet’s tracking capabilities and the regular check-ins will help us locate and assist you.”

The thestral nodded, though his eyes still held a hint of doubt.

A small but fierce-looking kirin, with her mane gently crackling with a hint of flame, raised a hoof. “You mentioned a toxic field around the city. What kind of symptoms should we be on the lookout for, in case our protection fails?”

“Symptoms of exposure include dizziness, shortness of breath, and severe headaches. In advanced cases, there may be hallucinations and loss of consciousness. If you or anyone in your group exhibits these symptoms, use your yellow emergency crystal and seek immediate evacuation.”

The kirin’s flames flickered nervously, but she nodded in understanding.

An imposing Abyssinian with sleek, dark fur and a thoughtful expression raised a paw. “About the special groups with different orders—how will we know if we encounter one? Is there a protocol for interaction?”

“Special groups will be clearly identified, and they will have unique insignias on their gear. If you encounter one, follow standard protocols for interaction and defer to their designated leader if operating in a shared area. They have specific tasks and responsibilities, so cooperation is crucial.”

“What do these unique insignias look like?” asked the abyssinian.

Flashbang shook his head. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

The abyssinian’s eyes narrowed in contemplation as he processed this information.

Finally, a pegasus with a bright blue coat and a confident demeanor spoke up. “You mentioned no unapproved clothing. What about the personal protective gear we’re used to? Can we submit it for approval? And if so, through whom?”

Flashbang nodded. “Yes, any personal gear you wish to use must be submitted for inspection and approval by our safety officers. This is to ensure it meets the necessary protection standards and doesn’t interfere with the magical protections in place.”

The pegasus smiled, seemingly reassured by the opportunity to use familiar gear.

Flashbang scanned the room one last time. “Any more questions?” he asked, his gaze steady and unyielding.

A unicorn raised his hoof nervously. Flashbang could tell he was a rookie in the archaeology group. This surprised him. Everyone in this camp was picked for a reason, for their talents or skills, but this baby-faced archaeologist seemed right out of Hooterville. "Yes sir, when I read through the package it said large amounts of magic should not be used other than levitation and some minor magics. Is there a reason why we cannot use more sophisticated spells?"

Flashbang hoped he would not have to explain this. "Yes, there is a reason that you should not be using major spells and we are taking the research material out of the city before casting spells anywhere near it."

The unicorn waited for the reply. "And that reason would be…?"

Flashbang looked the crowd over before putting on a more serious face than before. "It's because doing so seems to attract the locals."

The room went dead quiet as every archaeologist in the tent was now staring at Flashbang as if he had suddenly turned into Discord.

The young unicorn let out a chuckle. "That's a joke, right? From what the packet said, no one has lived there for probably millions, if not billions of years."

Flashbang looked the young pony dead in his eyes and smiled with a devious look. It was time for him to have some fun. "Yes, nothing living has lived there for a very long time. However, the locals are not alive."

As the other archaeologists started to laugh, there were only three ponies with concerned, serious, or non-interested faces. Daring Do looked interested, Dr. Caballeron looked uninterested, while the new unicorn looked like he was going to pee himself.

After Flashbang was done having his fun, he looked away towards the others, putting his serious face back on. Coughing to allow the others to calm down and to show he was ready, he continued, "That was not a joke."

The room immediately went dead quiet again.

"There are what we can assume to be ghosts in the city, which are distinct from the patrolling golems mentioned earlier, and it seems like high levels of magic attract them, or high emotions. From our initial studies of them, they are harmless... kind of. They can make you hallucinate, but we have yet to note any physical harm."

A griffin immediately stood up. "What are our defenses against these ghosts?!"

Flashbang could hear the irritation in the griffin's voice, but he responded with his same calm demeanor. "The policy we have adopted is to simply avoid them and not attract their attention. The same thing as the golems."

The griffin looked shocked. "Can you not use magic to blast them away, or something?" he asked, dumbfounded.

Flashbang shook his head. "Those measures were discussed, but immediately denied. We have had expert summoners and zebras guarantee us that most of the ghosts are benign."

The griffin threw his claws in the air. "Of course! More zebra voodoo!" He sat back down on his chair in a huff, growling something presumably offensive under his breath.

An angry-sounding zebra stood up a few chairs over. "Just because zebra magic is less conventional does not mean it is not effective!"

The griffin stood up again, clearly about to shout something, but Raven Inkwell immediately interrupted. "I think this would be a fine time to take a break..."

The two creatures glared at each other for several seconds before looking away.

"I agree. Take a twenty-minute recess so you can digest what we have told you, and then we can explain how to use some of this gear we're going to give you." As Flashbang spoke, he never took his eyes off of the two priests. For a moment, he was certain that he’d have to break them up.

Across the encampment, Abrafo stood in front of Zecora’s tent, his eyes slowly scanning the area while his brain analyzed the information. He was trained to multitask, so keeping watch and making sure she wasn’t disturbed was little issue.

Other thoughts ran through his head that he had to process, like the reason behind this whole misguided expedition. He would never criticize his king, but in this one instance, he thought his sovereign was mistaken. The king was letting his friendship with Celestia, and seemingly Luna, blind him. Friendship; the words ponies liked to use… Especially that new princess.

Yes, the new princess. He could not put his hoof on that one. He had only seen her a hoofful of times and heard her speak once. Every time, she left him confused. Every one of the princesses was, in essence, a pony first, but they all had the firmness of a leader. Each in turn was just a different flavor of that.

As Abrafo switched his spear from the left to the right side, he immediately stopped, realized what he was doing, and kept it on the right. He focused on his task, taking three deep breaths before letting them out and using the method he’d been taught to increase his focus.

Celestia was the loveliest of the princesses; playing politics, stacking the deck, and at first glance, everything seemed fair. But if you paid attention to the dealer, you'd quickly figure out that ponies always came out on top.

Luna was more direct. When she was reintroduced back into the royal court, she was clumsy and heavy-hoofed, probably burning more bridges than she built. But she was no less sharp than her sister. The only difference was that she was willing to put the blade to your throat. A memory of Luna actually putting a blade to a yak dignitary after he challenged her to a duel was the quietest Abrafo had ever seen one of them. He couldn't help but raise a small smile before quickly suppressing it.

Abrafo slid a step to the left as a griffon flew slightly too low, almost bumping into the tent. Immediately after, two Abyssinians walked past towards the right. Abrafo had always hated how quietly they walked. His eyes slowly turned forward as they padded away, and resumed his ruminations.

Cadance, the more moderate princess, came to mind. Abrafo remembered seeing her a lot when she was a diplomat. For some reason, she always made him the most uncomfortable. It was the way she looked at everyone; not predatory, per se, but with something else in her eyes… almost lustful. But unlike the other two, her poker face was lacking. She could pull off the strong leader when she needed to, but her mettle had not been fully tested on her own. She was always with that Shining Armor, and together they had defended that small frozen wasteland with the intensity of an ursa major defending her cub.

But Twilight was the real enigma. Unlike the other princesses, Twilight considered every creature to be a member of her tribe. She made truly fair deals, even though she could manage better ones with her position. She spoke earnestly about her beliefs as an equal. When Abrafo first heard her speak, he thought that, like the other princesses, she was selling a barrel full of shrubs. But he came to learn that she was a fool who meant everything she said. Unlike the other princesses, she had every creature believing her.

Abrafo was ripped from his musings by a flash of red. His spear bolted like lightning, poised to strike down the intruder, but it halted just before reaching Apple Bloom's throat.

He exhaled slowly. "One day, child, I am actually going to pierce you with this blade." With deliberate care, he withdrew his spear from Apple Bloom's neck.

She glanced back at him, less fearful and more amused. "Aw, shucks! This is the closest I've ever been to ya without yer noticin’," she whispered with a small giggle.

"How brazen this pony has become,” Abrafo thought to himself. “The first time I nearly struck down this filly, she almost wet herself. Now she's bold enough to tempt my spear."

Abrafo turned his eyes towards Zeb, who was right behind Apple Bloom. It took only an instant before he stopped to scan both of them. Surprisingly, the earth pony was able to come that close to him even with all that gear on her back, seemingly less than what Zeb had on his. Abrafo wanted to show his irritation, but his demeanor remained stoic. What truly annoyed him was not the silly filly playing with her life or the fact that his brother continued to disappoint him, but that one of them had taught an outsider their breathing technique.

"Child, shouldn't you be attending to your duties?”

"Wow! You have a hot date or something? You're never that quick to wrap things up," Apple Bloom teased.

Abrafo spared her a glance, briefly contemplating the consequences of actually striking her down, but the thought quickly dissipated. This wasn't the first time she’d provoked him, and like every other time, he wouldn't take the bait.

“If you're done wasting time, you may enter,” Abrafo pouted, not only dismissing her banter but also granting them entry into the tent unusually quickly. Normally, he'd make Apple Bloom and Zeb inventory everything before allowing them inside.

“Aren’t you supposed to check what’s in our bags?” asked Zeb, slinging his shoulder up to emphasise the load.

“I can tell you already have everything: a pound of wild herbs, bloodroot, three jars of poison joke petals, three bottles of ink, various tools, pestles, and other alchemical equipment, and the treasure chest filled with Zekora's mystery plants,” he grumbled.

“How did you...” Apple Bloom started, then shook her head.

“Through the parlor breathing techniques taught by either Zeb or your teacher,” he stated, glancing towards Zeb. “And your attempted distractions are no match for professionals.”

Using his spear, Abrafo pushed the tent flap wide open. “Your teacher awaits.”

Apple Bloom grumbled slightly before entering the tent, while Zeb, still looking down, slowly followed suit. Abrafo watched Zeb like a hawk as he entered, whispering softly, “Do not forget to take your medicine.”

Zeb stopped, a slight surprise on his face, before a small smile crossed his lips. “Asante kaka.”

Abrafo let the tent flap fall closed and resumed his watch.

For several hours, nothing much happened. There were a few incidentals, but it took awhile before something of interest caught his attention. Two ponies, one earth pony and one unicorn, seemed to be talking about something intriguing. He focused his senses to listen in.

"Did you hear what's going on back home? It's all over the papers," the earth pony gushed.

The unicorn released a yawn before turning to his colleague. "No, I haven’t. Me and the other researchers have been pulling all-nighters to try and decode Twilight's spell. What’s easy for her is basically a twelve-page spellbinding for us. What happened?"

The earth pony let out a chuckle. "If you can believe it, Canterlot was attacked."

The unicorn stopped to look at him. "Really? Who did it? I thought we were at peace with everybody."

The Earth pony couldn't help but smile. "We don't know, but from the article, they have advanced magic; of unknown origin and nature. It allowed them to summon what seemed to be the equivalent of a changeling swarm. On top of that, an unknown beast flew over the city. The papers say it looked like a mountain with a mix of unknown creatures running about inside of it."

The unicorn looked at his friend like he had grown a second head. "Are you sure it wasn't the changelings?"

The earth pony shook his head, then rubbed his hooves together giddily. "From what the princesses said in their press conference, it wasn't them. But the big news is even better than that. Whatever did all of this took… them..."

The unicorn, about to continue walking, stopped in his tracks. "Do you mean the Legion of Doom?"

The earth pony resumed his walk, and after a few seconds, the unicorn followed along. "Yep. Don't know why any creature would try to free them, but you can bet it's not any good... Hopefully, it's not Discord again."

Abrafo was about to listen in some more before he heard the tent flap move, turning his attention to it immediately. What he saw was Apple Bloom looking at him.

"What do you want, child?"

Apple Bloom grumbled, "Zecora wants to speak to you. And you don’t have to call me 'kid.' I'm a grown mare." She let out a huff before turning around and walking back into the tent.

Abrafo took a last look at his surroundings, casting his gaze finally to the west where he could see the outline of the city they were here for. He quickly turned around and walked inside.

The first thing he noticed was that it was way cooler in here than it was outside. Such was to be expected with the shade. The walls were adorned with traditional masks and the tent was filled with the smell of herbs and alchemy. As he walked deeper into the tent, he saw a big pot in the middle with Zeb working with some kind of mortar, grinding down plants with his pestle. Apple Bloom seemed to be working on a green concoction that she was pouring into an odd beaker device that curved as it dripped down.

Zecora was stirring something in the pot but stopped when she saw Abrafo. She smiled at him before stepping down from her station. The cauldron seemed to move on its own, likely enchanted, Abrafo thought.

“How can I help, Mungoma?” Abrafo put one of his hooves to the right side, allowing the spear to lean against his left.

"You don't have to stick so heavily to code; You can relax sometimes, and lighten your load," Zecora said, rolling her eyes at her old friend's strict demeanor. She remembered times when he was more relaxed and not so rigid. "Why don't you take a minute for a break? Step out of the boiling sun, for your health’s sake."

Abrafo only stared at Zecora like a statue. Seeing that he was unmoved, she shrugged and walked over to a small desk, grabbing a black envelope and a newspaper.

"If all you wish is to work, that is fine, but do not come to me when you collapse in line. You have another assignment from the king, and something in the newspaper might make your heart sing."

Zecora passed him a document with the king's seal on it, along with an Equestrian Times newspaper. Abrafo wanted to read the newspaper, but his new orders were more important. He put the newspaper to his side before opening up the envelope.

Apple Bloom and Zeb pretended to do their work but positioned themselves in such a way to look over his shoulder, trying to catch even a word from the letter. Zecora turned around and cleared her throat, which prompted the two to immediately return to their work.

As soon as they were back to their tasks, Zecora turned back. Abrafo's look was not angry. Maybe frustrated, but his poker face was still too good. It only took him a second to put his mask back on. Zecora was about to say something, but Abrafo threw the paper up in the air and, almost like lightning, sliced it into seven triangular pieces before using the force from his spear to blow them towards the open flame, which devoured the shreds of paper. The room was silent for only a few seconds before the sound of hooves clapping was heard.

Zecora turned to see it was Apple Bloom and Zeb. As both the zebras looked at her, Apple Bloom spoke up. “What? It was impressive.”

Abrafo lowered his spear back to his side before turning to the newspaper and raising an eyebrow at its contents. “Equestria was attacked again…” he said out loud. “ At least we're not going to war with anyone. It seems to be an unknown assailant, with speculations on the changelings, griffins or some other race.”

He had serious doubts about it being any of them. After starting this long-term project, it would not benefit any of the groups involved to attack another. At least, not from a leadership perspective. In any case, Zecora’s assumption was correct. Confirming the news that Equestria was indeed under attack put him in a good mood.

Apple Bloom, already reading the newspaper, continued with her work but took a moment to chime in. “By an unknown. Looks like we're not going to war, at least.”

Zecora threw her hooves up before returning to her pot, speaking in her rhythmic manner. "You have such a one-track mind, So distant, like a warrior blind. You're not even one-tracked by fun, like most males of our kind." She hopped up the stairs and continued to add ingredients into the pot. "You should seek a hobby, some joy to find, Other than the blade, to ease your mind."

Abrafo simply turned the page, reading more of the article and curious about the odd devices and new magic mentioned. “You would think the ponies would attempt to improve their security after all these close calls… But I suppose when you're the luckiest creatures on the planet, it makes no difference. Maybe this might wake them up to take their defense seriously.”

Apple Bloom threw an angry look at Abrafo. “Equestria has gone on fine without a huge military. We have the Elements of Harmony, the princesses, and our friends. Maybe the zebras should take a page from us and try friendship rather than m-m... military..."

Zeb stopped what he was doing to finish her sentence. "Military supremacy."

Abrafo finished reading the paper. “Child, it's good to see that you are at least wise enough to know you have no true military. You rely too heavily on Harmony's Grace, and even that will run out one day.” As he started to walk back towards the tent flap, he added, “I will make arrangements for someone to guard you when I'm not here.”

Apple Bloom was struck by the statement. But Zecora, while stirring the pot, gave her reply. “Ponies might have luck by their side, but it’s not just fortune where they reside. With friends and allies lighting their way, they keep the darkness at bay each day.
Even the strongest blade in our land means little without a friend’s hand, for in this world, to truly defend, one must have the heart of a friend.”

Abrafo paused and turned towards Zecora. “I guess I have to be even stronger than friendship, then,” he said before stepping out, disappearing through the tent flaps.

Apple Bloom pulled herself together enough to angrily growl. “What’s wrong with that jerk? An' Ah ain’t no kid, Ah’m a grown mare! Ah’ve half a mind to show him just how much of a mare Ah really am.” She snorted. “Ya know what? Next time Ah see ‘im, Ah’m gonna buck ‘im so hard, his descendants will be tellin’ stories about it!”

As she threw a hoof, she accidentally knocked over a potion stand nearby, before immediately jumping to catch them.

Zeb raised an eyebrow. “I guess fornicating with him would be a pretty good way to show your dominance, but you should probably gain more experience before trying that. Unless you are more experienced than I thought, I was'm pretty sure I thought you were…”

Zeb was interrupted by a clay pestle being tossed at him. He was able to dodge, but Apple Bloom was as red as a tomato. “That is NOT what buck means!!”

Zeb looked confused. “Isn't “buck” a term that means “to have relations pertaining to intercourse?””

Apple Bloom continued to turn more red than any one of her family's apples. “It has lots a’ meanin’s! It could also mean “ta strike excepshunally hard with yer back hooves,” which is exactly what Ah intended!”

A look of realization came over Zeb’s face. “A good thing to know. Now I understand what you were saying to me.”

Applebloom raised her own eyebrow.

“Your pony euphemisms are so weird. But, with that clarified, I think you have a better chance of sleeping with him than you would have of actually landing a hit on him. So I would go with the former...”

Zecora could not help but to laugh after hearing the last part of her students’ conversation. Both the zebra and pony turned red after realizing that their teacher was still there. They had spent so much time alone together that they sometimes forgot that other creatures were sometimes in the tent.

"It brings me pride that both my students are so bold, no longer at each other's throat. With pride and will, you may forge a bridge for both our folk, to cross with hope. And for creatures often left in the dark, a path awaits, in shadows stark." Zecora looked towards the tent exit, a smile gracing her face, before turning to her two students. "But back to work, my dear pupils, you must go. A hundred vials yet to fill, or all night you'll toil, even so."

Apple Bloom and Zeb both smiled at Zecora.