The sun sets in the Zebhara

by Godwyn

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Thriller, Adventure
Length: 6059

MLP/HOI4 EaW: A pegasus surveys the Zebhara for a new railway as strife returns to Northern Zebrica

The Storm King is gone, but all is not yet in harmony as a new threat of darkness comes out of the west. If contending with the harsh desert of the Zebhara wasn't enough our reluctant hero gets drawn in to larger events that may shape the fate of North Zebrica.

Published 2023-07-21 15:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-07-21 15:00:00 UTC

To hate the Sun

To hate the sun.

Bisky often wondered if other pegasi had such sacriligous thoughts. Had I always been prone to heresy and simply lacked an outlet for it, or was there something special about the Sun in the Zebhara that brought out such thoughts? Bright. Hot. Relentless. Merciless. Another hour, day, week in this desert and I would welcome Nightmare Moon and kiss her imperial hooves if only for some relief. The cold night sky I could handle. Pegasi had adapted to it, and you could always put more clothes on. The Celestia damned Sun though never let up, not even for a moment. And the air so dry it would take far more than a single pegasus to create some shade and Luna blessed relief from the Sun.

What potential Running Gold saw in this endeavor I didn't understand. Who would want to take a train across the Zebhara instead of sailing around it. But a job was a job. A hot, miserable job. At least so far no one was shooting at me. Hard for anyone to shoot at me when I hadn't even seen another soul in days. Which, asides from the Eye of Celestia glaring down at me like it could sense my thoughts, was how I liked it. Days of freedom. Free to fly and map the terrain. Running Gold had called it a simple survey. Had I not needed the money I would have called it a fool's errand. Mapping the Zebhara. As if anyone but the Zebras came through here, and they hardly needed a map. But I suppose there is a reason Running Gold's job was schmoozing with the wealthy, eating and drinking, while I was out here in the middle of nowhere flying in the Celestia be damned burning Sunlight. A transcontinental railroad, or close enough as to make no difference, through the middle of the Zebhara. It sounded insane. The Storm King brought a massive change to the continent. Ponies moved all around, new goods and ideas introduced to every corner of the continent. It brought a desire for more. And as Running Gold is fond of saying, where there is desire, there is opportunity. I desired shade. I made wing back to the jeep and my shelter set up next to it. My desire made manifest. Maybe Running Gold was on to something.

The jeep itself was a simple affair. Stripped down to the bare minimum for the journey, then loaded up with copious amounts of fuel and water. I used a wing to buffet what sand I could out of the shelter, stepped into the shade, and once out of her sight, made an obscene gesture at the sun. I settled onto the blankets with a skin of water and my journal. I began to trace out the terrain from memory. It wasn't just my ability to remember details of the terrain I overflew at speed, but also the accuracy with which I could reproduce it on paper that made my services worth what I charged. Once each page was done, I set it aside and carefully weighted it with some rocks and moved on to the next page.

I finished just as the sun was setting behind the hills. Oil for the lamp was precious. Once I realized how long I would have to go without resupplying I had learned to ration it carefully. Of course a passing Imazeeb caravan would be happy to sell me some at an exorbitant price, if they had any, and if I could find them. I used a wing to gently waft some air across the pages to make sure they were dry. All that work could be ruined by being careless, and then I would have to fly it all again. I folded them together and sealed the binder. I did a quick check that everything was secured for the night, took a last long look at the sea of sand, and retired for the night. Morning would come all too early.

I stared at the heavy wood doors leading into Running Gold's office. Just shipping them here had probably cost more than I paid a year for the dingy room I rented. Pointless excess, or purposeful. It sent a message. He had the money to ship doors made of foreign wood. I couldn't decide if the message it sent was one of imperiousness or foolishness. Regardless, it also sent the message that he could afford to hire me. I had already been in this city too long, but traveling is best at another's expense.

The doors opened and a thestral strode out. She was gorgeous. Her coat was a blue so dark I thought it was pure black at first. Her mane was the most beautiful contrast, like the reflection of the moon on a lake. It rippled as she walked, like waves passing through the reflection. She was a fair bit smaller than me, and I wasn't exactly going to win any awards. Professional flyers tend toward sleek rather than bulk. Regardless, I kept my distance. There was no love lost between thestrals and pegasi. And besides, she was most likely competition for the job. For her part I could have simply been another chair in the room. She paid me no mind whatsoever as she swept by me. Taking her leaving as my cue to enter, I stepped through the doors.

The first thing to catch my eye as I entered the room was the view. We pegasi appreciate a good lofty view of a city, and these windows had a perfect view of the sun setting over the harbor. Second was the enormous map of Central Zebrica covering one wall. With a line of red string pinned to it. If I could judge the map right from this distance, and I could, the string went from Tobuck to somewhere on the Peaceful Sea. Third to catch my eye was the enormous wooden desk to match the doors. Its size matched only by the piles of paper that seemed to be trying to consume it. Only then did my eyes wander over to the portly pony that had called me here today. Running Gold was unassuming. Middle-aged, overweight, and dressed elegantly but, unlike the decor, not ostentatiously. The green and gold suit he is wearing suits him well.

"Welcome! Flying Biscuit, come in." I tried to conceal my wince. My cutie mark was a winged biscuit. The wings I got, I loved to fly. But the biscuit? I was still trying to figure that out. Biscuits are delicious, of course, but it wasn't like I had any special skill at making them. It didn't help that with an orange coat and yellow buttery mane I vaguely resembled a biscuit in flight.

Apparently I did not conceal it very well. Running Gold let out a giant laugh and gestured to the stack of papers on his desk. "Your dossiere did say you were sensitive about that." I glanced over at the desk and I could see a folder on top with my picture clipped to the front. "You have done survey work in the past, and come well recommended." Judging from the size of the stack of similar folders, I was not so well recommended as to skip the queue. I did not see a folder with a picture of the thestral that had been here just before me, but there were a lot of folders. I shifted my attention back to Running Gold as he paced around the room. He pointed at the map just east of Tobuck. "The Trans-Zarantian road showed that it is feasible, and more importantly, profitable, to tame the desert. We intend to push it to the next level." Running Gold had the cadence of an excellent salesman. It was clear he had been through this spiel many times. I lacked the sort of wealth necessary to be an investor, so I simply nodded along until he got to the point pertinent to why I was here.

"Measure twice, cut once as my pa used to say. The Aguellid herself has approved our endeavor. The tribes in the Zebharan know their lands well. What they don't know as well is what the actual requirements are for laying a heavy railway." Now Running Gold was getting to the pertinent part. "Trade is the lifeblood of Zarantia and there is opportunity for a lot of trade. And opportunity for a lot of profit to those of us that make it happen." Running Gold's pacing took him back over to the map where he gestured at the string. "From Tobuck to Griffeveld where it will open up the entirety of the Peaceful Sea for trade directly with Zarantia." He began moving the string between different pins. "But what route is doomed. What route is feasible. Neigh, what route is Best? That is what we want you for."

I began to have a suspicion as to why there were so many folders. Well recommended my ass. As late today as the meeting was, I obviously wasn't the first interview. The Zebhara was too vast for a single pegasus, no matter how talented, to survey in a timely matter. Running Gold's next words confirmed my suspicions. "We have a route plotted out for you to follow. From Tobuck to Azir and back. Sixty days, with a bonus for speed." 60! Sixty days, surveying the entire time. With places to stop, refresh and supply I could fly it in under ten. Even I couldn't do that speed and survey with any accuracy at the same time. The pay had better be worth the sleep I was about to lose. I tuned back in to catch the final part of what he had to say.

I woke before the Sun. I flitted about the camp getting ready for the day. Breakfast was filling but bland. I had nearly run out of biscuits the first week. Much like oil, opportunity to resupply was infrequent. I had ingredients for one more large batch. The desert was actually quite beautiful without the scorching sun glaring down upon you. I saw Celestia's crack of light signalling another day of heat and misery. Was the pay worth it? Bonus for every day early, but also a penalty for every day late as well. Apparently, speed is of the essence. I didn't see why Running Gold was so worried. Who else was crazy enough to even attempt this scheme? Who else would have the backing, the steel, the maps? Unless he thought the Aguellid herself would cut him out of the process. I had been pushing myself hard and was on schedule to make it in less than 60 days. Would I be the first back? Were all the routes even the same distance? Maybe that is what I will do. Make my final batch of biscuits couple days out from Tobuck. Finish the journey like I started it.

I felt Celestia's first kiss upon my brow. Like a mother tucking her foal into bed, before the full light of day would come upon me like a she changed her mind and decided to suffocate me instead. The thestral I had seen outside Running Gold's office sauntered into my mind. Was her survey route as Celestia blighted as mine, or did Luna show favor upon her and send her towards Agzhat where the temperature was just a reasonable too hot, rather than blisteringly overwhelming. As I thought about the thestral in this heat, I was torn between a malicious enjoyment that somepony may be suffering worse than I, envy for the easier route, or sympathy for her plight. In the end, sympathy won out, and I hoped she was okay. I wasn't sure what had happened here to make Celestia hate it so. . .I realized that thought was foolishness, and my brain hadn't even started baking yet. Celestia didn't hate the Zebhara, it was her tender loving embrace that made it a barren wasteland. Such was a mother's love. I launched myself into the sky for the final time from this location. I had one last prominence to check. Tonight I would drive and set up a new camp.

I drove the jeep swiftly through the route I had made note of while scouting the previous day. My journal lay on the seat next to me should I need to review it, but the memory of this area was still fresh in my mind. There was a slow rise culminating in a steep drop a bit to the west, but following near it was a solid enough path free of suddenly shifting dunes that I could follow for some time. The moon just peaked over the ridge bathing it a gentle glow. While Celestia may bake the Zebhara by day, Luna's soft whispers brought a surprising cold for those unfamiliar with it. The Zebhara was truly a place of contrasts. Heat, cold, beauty, danger, the Zebhara had it all. Shared willingly with any who would dare to venture into it. Heat I was resigned to. Cold was a comfort after the hot days that reminded me of flying at altitude. I took a long look at the land bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight, indeed it was beautiful. Danger? I was well prepared. The Zebhara was merciless, but not malevolent. If you came prepared, you left alive. I had heard there were places like the Everfree forest here in Zebrica as well that seemed to actively resent intrusion, such as the lands to the west of Tobuck where it was said if you ventured that way you did not return. I saw no reason to doubt such tales, or to test it myself. If nopony has returned from there for a thousand years, I knew what was most likely to happen to me if I should try. For every Daring Do there were a thousand other ponies that never made it back.

I adjusted the steering wheel slightly to keep some more distance from the drop off. While the moonlit land was beautiful, what Luna did not provide was sufficient light to accurately survey the land. The ugly rumble of the jeep's engine contrasted starkly with the quiet night. I could feel its vibrations from my flank to the tips of my wings. I had picked this model for reliability first, fuel efficiency second, speed third. Other concerns, such as comfort came last if at all. An oversight I regretted more each day. Not that I was sure I could have done better. Cheap, fast, good. Choose two. I needed cheap and fast. I could deal with some discomfort and noise for another ten days. I pulled a biscuit out of the box. The metal tin clinked shut as I withdrew my hoof. I let the noise wash over me as I lost myself in thought and monotony and biscuit.

The jeep spun suddenly as the front wheels lifted off the ground, flinging me out of my seat. My wings went out by reflex raising me into the air. I saw a black shape like a tentacle swing through the space where I would have been if not for the additional height. Anypony else, be it earth pony, unicorn or zebra, would have been snagged immediately. Whatever this was, it had clearly hunted fools in jeeps before. I saw more of the shapes searchign around the periphery of the jeep. I gained some more height to observe the situation. I wasn't yet sure how high these things could reach. I flew up until I was confident I could gain more height faster than they could reach me if they tried. For now, they seemed confused. They had stopped the jeep but not received the expected pony snack. I saw another, larger, shape at the front of the jeep where it still hung in the air, wheels slowly spinning down without me pressing the gas. I finally understood what had happened. A tatzlwurm. A smart one to if it knew how to stop the jeep for its snack instead of just attacking it randomly. They are drawn to vibrations, and that noisy engine made plenty. A testament to how many ponies vanish into the Zebhara even with modern technology.

I could simply wait for the tatzlwurm to grow bored of savaging the inedible jeep. But there was a risk it would damage it too much for me to repair out here, or even worse stumble into my store of food. Once I made it into the air I was in no danger from a ground locked creature such as this, but the delay it could cause me could cost the entire bonus if I even finished on time! I watched a black tentacle swipe across the floor and leave a smear across my journal lying where it had fallen during the wreck. My journal! It was worth more than the jeep and everything else in it combined. I had no choice but to go down into its reach to grab it, and preferrably soon before the creature accidently destroyed it in its blind rummaging.

I had sight, speed, and knowledge on my side. It had size, hunger, and control of the one spot near the ground I needed to get to. There was no way it could sense me in the air at this distance. Unfortunately for me, I didn't know enough about them to know how close to it I could fly before it did sense me. If I touched hooves on the jeep I knew it would strike. Was I fast enough to land on the seat, grab the journal, get airborn again, and all before a tentacle closed the distance to me? As I considered my options the tatzlwurm shook the jeep some more and I saw my rifle fall out of the back. A black tentacle quickly probed it before finding it uninteresting. I found it very interesting as a plan began to form. I gave a short prayer to Luna that this would work.

Swoosh!

I swooped past the back of the jeep at speed. Wings tucked in at the last moment to avoid hitting it. My instructors would be proud. I grabbed a mouthful of sand, and the strap to the rifle. My hooves touched once to give me a boost back into the air as my wings spread out, never still for a moment. Black tentacles struck far too slowly hitting only the air where I had been just a moment before and then I was again too high for it to reach me. Unwrap the rife. Check the barrel for major obstructions. Load. Aim. Fire. All while on the wing. Some things you don't forget how to do. Some things they drill into you so hard to make sure you can't forget. The bullet struck the ground nearby and a tentacle went to investigate. I loaded another round into the breech and fired again, this time slightly further away. It was very unlikely I could hurt the gigantic thing, but fortunately I didn't have to. I just had to draw it away. I fired a few more rounds in rapid succession in the same area. My instructors would not be proud of the spacing on that cluster, but the tatzlwurm was not as discerning. It let go of the jeep to investigate this new disturbance and I siezed my chance. I slung the rifle across my back, dropped onto the seat, grabbed the journal, my box of biscuits and was in the air before the tatzlwurm could make it back.

Danger? Check. I had encountered all the Zebhara had to offer, and now that I had the most important thing from the jeep it was onward to Tobuck. Tatzlwurms are patient beasts as ambush predators tend to be. They have been known to wait for days. Something I could not. I could reach Tobuck in a day of steady flying. If I resupplied and got a new jeep I could finish the last wing of the journey in reverse, leave that jeep in the Zebhara and fly back to Tobuck a second time to turn in the surveys, I might only lose a day, two at most. Although I could have resold it when I got to Tobuck, the loss of the jeep near the end of the journey was an acceptable cost, and the replacement should be recoverable. A long day of flying wasn't any more than I left a jeep sitting while surveying. Feeling slightly better about the situation, I turned my back to the rising Sun and began to fly west.

The road to Tobuck was clogged with ponies. Running Gold had said the new roadway was a success, but it had been done for a few months and never looked anything like this before. And everypony was headed east, into the Zebhara. What could have possibly happened to make any pony think that was a good idea? I tried speaking to other pegasi as they flew by, but those that answered only left me more questions. Tobuck is doomed. Darkness has come out of the west to engulf it. The Nightmare has returned to claim us. I saw a zebra in uniform directing the ponies on the ground and flew down to see if she could clarify things.

The Zebra directing refugees would dole out a sentence of information to me between shouting orders. "Tobuck has not fallen. Not yet. Though it is only a matter of time." She stalked off to direct another group up the road towards Agzhat instead of long road deeper into the Zebhara where ill prepared refugees were likely to perish. When she returned I got a few sentences in quick sucession before she headed off to wrangle some more refugees. "Everyzebra knew not to travel west or be never seen again. It appears that simply avoiding going west is not enough. Where it used to devour incautious foals, now the darkness comes for all of us." She rushed over to begin yelling at a stallion in a fancy car who seemed to think the directions didn't apply to him. That car wouldn't last a day in the Zebhara. She resumed speaking where we left off as if we hadn't been interrupted at all. "It will find out the Imazeeb are not as we once were. Disunited, fractured, easy to pick off. The Darkness has chosen a much more difficult fight. The clans are united, and they gather in response to this threat. Will they arrive in time to save Tobuck? We shall see. If there is anyone there you care for, I recommend you find them quickly." She gestured at my box biscuits. "Does that actually contain what it appears to?" She gestured at the box hanging from my flank. Embossing my cutie mark on it had seemed like a good decision so I could be identified while wearing it." She continued. "Directing refugees is hungry work, friend, and I hope you can spare a bite in exchange for this information." I sighed. It was only fair, and she had provided answers, ill tidings aside. I looked at the faces of the refugees nearby. All of us may be short on biscuits for awhile after this. I handed the helpful zebra a biscuit, and the rest to an earth pony trying to herd a horde of fillies and colts. He nodded in thanks as I took to the air.

What was I doing flying towards the city? Was there anyone there I cared for? Business associates mainly. I kept to myself and had never intended to stay in Tobuck for as long as I had. An image of the Thestral briefly flashed in my mind. I didn't even know her name, so can't really say I cared for her, and with any luck on her end she wasn't even back in Tobuck yet. Running Gold? Him I cared for only so far as he owed me money for the work I had done. It was time to settle accounts and be done. Whether the railroad could be built now or not didn't matter to me. Nor did getting paid full price. I would take what I could get and be back in the air. The feeling in the air felt like the advance of the Storm King. Menacing, resolute, unstoppable. Once was enough.

Few things make one as grateful being able to fly as soaring over a city experiencing the worst traffic jam conceivable and be unaffected. I wrenched myself to the side to avoid a pegasus loaded down with far too many bags launch himself into the air without looking up first. Nearly unaffected anyways. Always be aware of your surroundings. He mumbled a quick apology before struggling to fly out of the city. He was not going to make it far at that rate. Ponies and zebras from all walks of life crowded the streets trying to flee with whatever they could carry. While it was not the entire city, the roads were not designed for so many trying to head the same direction at the same time. I wasn't sure what I expected as I flew towards Running Gold's office, but what I did not expect was a sea of calm in the chaos. There was a marked increase in security to keep the crowds at bay, but otherwise business seemed to be continuing on as normal.

I landed in the spot of the plaza designated for air traffic and made my towards the guards. Attempting to land on the roof uninvited in this climate was a good way to be shot. I expected more resistance but the guards let me into the building without a fuss. They didn't even bother to disarm me. Glad to see Tobuck security was in top form. The secretary took one look at my disheveled appearance. "Here to see Running Gold, surveyor? He is expecting you. Go on up." She was completely calm, bored even, as if this was any other day at work. The contrast to outside was disconcerting. But my chances of getting paid seemed to be rising rapidly.

I rushed up the stairs and into the waiting room. Only two months had passed since I last saw these doors, but things felt very different. The secretary had said he was waiting and to go on up, so I opened the doors and stepped through without waiting. Running Gold was sitting at his desk. The beautiful thestral stood behind him staring out the window towards the west. The doors swung closed behind me with an air of finality.

Running Gold stood up as I entered and smiled when he saw me. "Ah, Bisky, so good of you to join us. Early too! No less than I would expect of someone with your skills." His praise felt different this time, and he had never used my preferred name before. He gestured towards the thestral as she turned from the window towards me. "I don't know if you had opportunity to meet last time you were both here, but this is Moonspeaker Midnight Lake." Moonspeaker? What was going on here? She stood there silently. As beautiful as before, but there was something ominous about her now. She said nothing as Running Gold began to count out my full payment on his desk. Full payment? Was the railroad still being built with war coming to Tobuck? "Not today. It is sadly a dream that will have to go unrealized. Midnight Lake here has made a generous offer for all of the survey reports." Running Gold laughed, though there was something more fragile about it than the first time we met. "Simply hand over the data and all is well. You can use a spare room here in the building until this all blows over. Midnight Lake assures me the rumors are overblown. The Nightmare Legion treats it associates fairly. So long as we cooperate."

Blessed Celestia! The Nightmare Legion was real!?

Midnight Lake stepped around the desk and approached me. "Why do you hesitate? The Nightmare sees all. Your sacrilege, your dreams, your fantasies..." A mischevious smile appeared on here face "Your dreams of me." She circled around me. "Hand over the surveys. Take your money. Stay here a few days. Then go on your way in peace. Our time of hiding is over. Or stay." She rubbed a wing along my rifle. "The Nightmare Legion can always use veteran scouts." Still I hesitated. She gestured behind me and two well armed ponies I hadn't noticed stepped out of the shadows by the door. Always be aware of your surroundings. "It will be ours one way or another. How pleasant it is for you is entirely your choice." She waited for my answer. I looked between her and the pile of bits Running Gold had laid out on the table. Was the railway ever real? "Of course it was. And I stood to make a great profit doing so as well. And now, when the dust settles, I will still be here with the money. Any investors foolish enough to fight back won't be needing a refund. One thing I learned watching Pea Shooter is in the midst of the worst chaos, the darkest night, there is still opportunity for profit. And as the war progresses they will need all sorts of things. Things I am well positioned to provide." Running Gold seemed to have no remorse at all, just a trace of fear if they became displeased with him.

Why were the surveys important enough to go through this much trouble if the railway wasn't even going to be built? And then I understood. It was much the same information an invading army would need. They had no intention of stopping at Tobuck. Zarantia was next. And if I gave them my work, I would be helping them. I thought of the refugees on the road. How far would they have to run? The zebra whose name I hadn't even bothered to learn. A journal full of paper. Such a small thing. I could use the money to leave the continent and never even know what happened here. I held the journal in a hoof as I walked over towards Running Gold and the money. I saw Midnight Lake smile. And then I dove through the window.

I soared into the sky as the shattered glass fell around me. Most of the guards below were too slow to react. Those that were fast enough were too busy diving for cover to take a shot at me before I was across the plaza and darting through air above the streets. I was lucky to take only minor cuts. A large piece of glass to a wing could have ended my flight before it got started. Running Gold wouldn't chase me even if he could. The two earth ponies by the door wouldn't have a clean shot until too late. That left just one unknown. I quickly glanced behind me and was barely in time to avoid her hooves. She was fast. It was also the first time I actually saw her fly. If anything she was even more beautiful in flight, with the wind blowing through her mane. Shame her pretty face hid such an evil mind. Her laughter was a thing of sinister darkness. Beautiful, dark, and evil. We circled each other as we rose into the sky, neither prepared to show the other an opening at the back or underbelly. "There is only one way this ends. Even if you escape me now, odds are you won't live to see tomorrow. You can not fly far enough to escape us. Tobuck, Zarantia, the Zebhara, all of Zebrica will be ours." If they were unstoppable why did they need the surveys at all? The Zebhara certainly hadn't slowed the Storm King down much. Our circling paused and we hovered staring at each other.

No, they weren't unstoppable. They hid for a millenia. They hid from the Storm King. And Nightmare Moon had not returned, the distant light of the Sun peeking over the horizon was proof enough of that. If the Storm King hadn't sown chaos across the land and weakened everyone, they would probably still be hiding. No, something about this was personal to her. "Celestia's hatred drained me of strength each day I spent in the Zebhara. I could feel her glare piercing me each day. Your resilience and resourcefulness could rival the zebras." Was it envy driving her? No, it was something else. "Come work for us. Let me teach you the proper ways to worship The Nightmare. You already yearn to. Just give me the surveys and all is forgiven." That was it. She was supposed to scout the Zebhara herself and provide reconnaisance in advance. How lucky then to find a survey expedition already in progress. Fear of failure. She had been unable to handle the unrelenting sun. For a true follower of The Nightmare it must have been unbearable. But the Nightmare was not known for mercy.

She was fast. I was about to place a bet that I was faster. And I was larger. She began to speak again and I made my move. I plowed straight into her and kept moving. A shot rang out and I felt pain in my flank. She shot me! I didn't look back. If I could still fly, it wasn't too bad. If I could still fly I still had a chance. I went full speed to the east, into the rising Sun.

Dear Princess Celestia, I would like to start by apologizing for all of my actions lately individually, but I'm not sure I've got time for that, so if you see me through this I will start on it bright and early tomorrow. Just please see me through today.

I heard more shots ring out as she chased me. None hit. Shooting while hovering is hard enough. Shooting while flying and trying to hit another flyer was another level entirely. And I had done this before. I soared out past the edge of the city and kept going. A bullet struck my right wing. I tumbled through the air for a moment losing altitude before righting. I could still fly. If I could still fly I was still alive. Maybe she had done this before as well. I turned to face her and slowly drifted towards the ground. No way was I outrunning her now. My left rear leg gave out as I landed. Guess that first shot did get me. Midnight Lake hovered over me gun in hand like a version of the Dark Majesty she worshipped. Sunlight shined upon her as I lay on the ground in shadow. I had lost. I heard another shot ring out. I waited for the impact and felt nothing, and then Midnight Lake fell out of the sky and collapsed next to me.

The zebra from earlier slowly approached rifle held steady pointing at Midnight Lake. She was still breathing. "I remember you from earlier. Saw you give the rest of your biscuits to that family." She didn't take her eyes off the thestral as she spoke. "You seem like good pony. I hope I shoot right one before I knew whats going on." Two more zebras came running up in response to the gunfire. One went to secure Midnight Lake. My saviour didn't lower her rifle until Midnight Lake was secured. She then looked over at me. "Are you hurt?" I looked at my flank. Theres a hole angled through the center of the flying biscuit on my saddlebags. The thin metal of the biscuit tin inside was apparently just enough to send the bullet glancing off of me rather than causing more serious injury. Thank you Celestia! I would have quite a bruise though. The zebra gave me a hoof up. "Tagwizit."

"She is an enemy of Zarantia. Zarantia is in danger and I can explain everything." I took her hoof. "Flying Biscuit, which only family, and those who have saved my life can call me."