I made it for 4 hours off the ground. A personal best! The steep valley walls of the mountains I'm trotting between are imposing to say the least. from where I stand now, I can just make out the cliffs edge. In fact just looking up gets me all woozy to the point of wanting to pass out. Flying into the valley, I made a attempt to follow the ridge line as it rose and fell with the landscape. yeah that lasted all of two minutes before I nearly fell to my death from a panic attack. From that point forward I decided to trot my way, only resorting to flying when I had to to avoid obstacles.

I have followed the lame bucks tracks for over 20 hours now, stopping only for brief naps and to find a way around the raiders that nearly spotted me. In all honesty, apart from that this trip has been pretty....nope, not going to say it. Every book I have read has dictated that moments after even thinking those words, you are flung into some absurd plot to save the world....or you turn the corner and walk head on into a slaver camp...oh look, slaver camp...called it, well screw you too, cosmos.

I crouched behind a boulder just in time to not be seen, I was right on top of them, how did I not hear them! I looked down to see the lame bucks prints that ended here, right where I stood. I could hear the slavers talking but the echo in the valley made their words blur together into a low rumble that rose and fell with their, what I presume to be laughter. I looked up to the sky, it was already starting to get dark. the walls of the valley were shading it's floor, making it seem darker than it would out on the plains. being this close to the cloud curtain that the pegasi long ago put in place was adding to the encroaching darkness.

No problem, i'll just wait a few hours, try not to get discovered and sneak past later tonight when they all pass out. Maybe I should loot their camp while I'm at it, maybe they even have a few 308 rounds lying about, that would be awesome! That breeze feel nice, kinda strange how it's blowing straight down, must be something to do with the valley walls or...how about a Pegasus slaver hovering just feet above me. Perfect. With That one mystery solved, now on to our next mystery. The mystery of how the fuck do I get out of here.

The slaver had not noticed me doing my best impersonation of a rock yet, but if I didn't do something soon, one glance down and I would be toast. I took a second to look him over, average build, dirty brown coat, black tail, looks like he is wearing barding for a battle saddle. But he's not wearing it now. In fact he's unarmed. wait, strike that, he is armed. on the slaver's right hind leg he wore a fixed blade combat knife, no doubt it was dull as a butter knife but pickers can't be choosers. Now, all I have to do is stop wetting myself and find a way to get it from him. there is no way i could just grab it from him, that would cause too much noise and attract the other slavers. I don't have the confidence to try and slip it from him either, the hilt of the blade was against his leg and he would definitely feel that. The only way I could think getting it from him would be to throw a rock and hope he would be too enamored with the sound to notice me pulling it from it's sheath.

Just as I was mustering the courage to liberate the knife from my flying enemy, he did something I never thought in a million years that he would do. He sat down on the boulder I was nestled behind, removed the blade with his fetlock and began picking at his hooves with it. Well, shit. There's less chance of him seeing me now, but how do I get the knife from him. If I use my rifle, by the time the second round's loaded, they will be on top of me in seconds. The sky's are out, he can fly and chances are he's been doing it longer than I have, so chasing down a piss covered colt should be no problem for him. Fuck! What the hell, world, why do you hate me!

I buried my face in my hooves, taking care to be quiet, and mentally screamed every cuss word I could think of. I even made up a few new ones. When I had finished my tantrum, I rested my hooves to my sides slowly and stared at the ground, only looking up to assure myself that I hadn't been noticed. Looking down I could see two things, dirt and light. where is that light coming from? Following the small trail to the corner where the boulder and the valley wall met I could see a small hole about the size of a hoof where the light from the slavers camp fire was showing through.

Three slavers, including the one on the rock above me, with a less than impressive camp apart from the large tent that they, I would guess, call home. None of them look to be armed. this is strange, I have dealt with raiders, they're easy. Throw a rock in a bush, then shoot them as they try to rape, shoot and eat said bush, but slavers? This is all new territory to me. I could just make out their conversation through the small hole in the rock, quiet and muffled but their words found my ears with ease now that I had a line of sight.

“Aww, whats a matter? You loosing your stomach for the job Ratches? Don't tell me your going native on me.” The green buck with piss yellow eyes said to the gray buck with orange mane.

“ Dammit Barbwire, you know I'm not! This whole damn job has been a clusterfuck start to finish.” Ratches said

“Oh, and how's that, things going a bit too bloody for ya? Or are you just too weak to hack it.” Said the buck whose name was Barbwire? What the hell kind of names are Ratches and Barbwire. Those have to be nicknames, there's no way in all of equestria somepony would name a kid that. Well...maybe hookers but still.

“You know what I'm talking about. First the boss sends us to Glyphmark looking for the bitch, then back to Filly and now down here to Silver Shoe and where do we find the bitch? Shacked up in a cave heading back to Zebra territory.” Ratches said, taking another pull from a bottle of whiskey.

“Yeah? What's your damn point? We came here, we got what the hell we came here for and now we're getting shit faced and all you have done is bitch the whole time. You're killing my buzz. Tomorrow we are heading back to Filly, we will pass her off to the boss and get paid.” Said Barbwire, pointing a half empty bottle of booze at the now pacing Ratches.

“My point is, why the hell is she worth it! She's just a kid or whatever zebras call it. why should the boss give two shits about a kid, a kid zebra at that! You know what a pain in the ass they are! You have to keep them fed and happy or they just roll over and die! They're a waste of time and now he has us out here, going all over fuck knows where, to bring her back for what? The whole thing's a waste of time.”
Ratches said , returning to the log he was once sitting on before.

I shuddered at the word Boss far more that I should have. Of course they had a boss, lone slavers would make too easy of a target for retribution of the families they had wronged. But something about them using the word Boss, just, it rubs me in all the wrong ways, in fact it pisses me off. What boss are they talking about anyway? The slaver boss? And how the hell did they get a zebra foal, I thought the only ones were in Glyphmark. Who would be stupid enough to go there?

“What are you driving at here? Because from where I'm sittin, it sounds like you don't have faith in the boss anymore to get the job done.” Barbwire said accusingly.

“You know that's not true, I know he will get it done, I just think that he might have let the power go to his head.” Ratches said, tapping the bottle of booze to his head. “ You know he says he hears voices right? Pushing him to make his decisions? I can believe he came from a stable and all, but having a talking goddess in your head is enough to make you wonder if he's a lunatic.” Ratches said in a sardonic tone.

OK that's fucked up in and of itself, but what's crazier is that this guy is following the freak's orders and just now starting to question it. Seems like the kinda thing that would end your job with somepony pretty quick. I know if I took a job kidnapping ponies and the boss came in on day one saying... “Hello everypony, the name's Sumbitch, I'm your slaver boss. Just one second, the Goddess in my head wants me to tell you guys something”... end of meeting! Because I have heard everything I need to hear from him at that point. I fought to push the idea of somepony in higher power giving orders through a talking figment of its imagination. At least at the rate they are drinking, they will be passed out soon. The pegasus above me was even drinking, no doubt to celebrate their victory over this zebra child.

“Look, you're getting all worked up over nothing Ratches, what do you say we go have some fun with our new toy.” Barbwire said with a evil grin.

“Actually that sounds like a good idea.” Ratches said, sharing the same grin.

Oh Celestia, they couldn't, they wouldn't! How could they do... that... to a kid! Even if it was a zebra there are lines you don't cross! Foalnapping was bad enough, but they actually have to resort to raping her to relieve their tension? That's just sick beyond words. I slowly pushed myself back to my hooves, looking up to check on my unknowing guard. I have to get that knife from him and take him out of the fight and find a way to deal with the other two....monsters. Just at the thought of what they were considering doing set my blood to boil! How dare they, HOW DARE THEY!

As luck would have it, in my absence, the pegasus had traded his knife for a bottle a whiskey, leaving the knife sitting right beside him. All I have to do is get my hooves on it and take him out, as far as I'm concerned, he's every bit as guilty as the two assholes in that tent by not doing anything to stop this. Maybe I could hover up behind him and slit his throat or maybe push the blade through his skull while holding his mouth shut. Celestia, was I actually just thinking up ways to kill somepony I didn't even know? What the hell was wrong with me, I should just back track and find a way around, leave this to the wasteland to sort out. It wasn't my problem... right?

Wrong, they made it my problem. If I walked away now, the guilt would drive me insane before I got a 100 feet away. For some reason this just pisses me off, it's like they put me in a situation where I had to kill somepony or let some...zebra...be raped or even tortured. I couldn't walk away now, could I? I closed my eyes and tried to push the thoughts out of my head but to no avail, they just kept bleeding through that mental dam I put up. Welp, I have done everything I could to stop myself, I guess I have to do something stupid. Huh, I feel... better now.

I inched closer to the blade with my right hoof, I could almost reach it if it weren't for trying to avoid his damn tail smacking me in the face. I braced my right hind hoof on the rock trying to bend and contort enough to reach the knife. closer, closer... then the buck belched loudly, scaring what little pee I had left in me out onto the ground and causing my hoof to bump the knife, sending it tumbling over the other side. Well shit...I'm dead.

Well not quite, turns out the cosmos has a very VERY twisted sense of humor. While I may not have gotten the knife, the buck was in fact dead, albeit by his own hooves. When my hoof bumped the knife, the drunk bastard tried to catch it from falling to the dirt and in doing so he managed two things. One, to fall off the rock, flailing more than a pony covered in blotsprites and two, catch the knife...too bad it was with the underside of his chin, ramming the long blade of the combat knife through his soft palate and into his brain. His last words? “Ew shit!” said softly in the tone of somepony who did something stupid they don't want nopony else to see.

Regardless, I'll count that as a win. I trotted around the rock to see the still form of the dead buck laying on the ground, still twitching slightly. Normally I would have mixed feelings about somepony dying, even if it was at the hooves of their own stupidity, but after hearing them talk about raping a foal...may Celestia burn you for eternity.

From the tent I could hear the two bucks hooping and pounding their hooves in the gravels, followed with the occasional catcall and muffled cries of a young pony. I set my gaze to the tent, feeling my soul being pulled towards the cries, two ponies, two bullets, two guns. I have never used two pistols at the same time before, but I had learned to use them with my wings by holding them in my fetlocks and pulling the triggers with my primary feather bases. It's not easy but if I get the drop on them, I could take them both out at the same time. That's saying they don't spot or hear me between here and there.

Quietly I approached the tent, using the toe heel technique I had read about in the Romani tactics book. I wasn't very good at walking like this, every step was a chore but a managed to work my way all the way to the tent flaps. being careful to circle around and avoid casting my silhouette across the canvas that could give me away. From inside I could hear the jingling of keys and rattling of metal on metal, they must have had her caged, the sick bastards. They deserve everything that's coming to them and more, I really hope there's a hell.

I pulled the pistols that Boss gave to me from their holsters, holding them both on the undersides of my cupped over wings, looking down on them. “Don't mess this up, don't mess this up,you can do this” I said under my breath to myself. I stared at the pistols with a more than clear thought of “what the hell am I doing!?” flooding my brain. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my whole body tingled with anticipation and fear. The only way to pull this off would be to sit, ready myself at the tent door, grasp both guns in my hooves, stand on my hind legs, walk 3 steps inside, say something witty and pull the triggers at the same time...no pressure.

Now I would love to tell you that everything went just as planned and that I walked in on my hind legs and slayed both of the two bastards, becoming the legend I was in my own mind...but things didn't go quite like I would have liked...granted , both bucks are now dead but my pride also lay right beside them, slowly bleeding to death. I was able to pull off walking on hind legs for 5 steps just fine, again, a personal best! I'll have to remember to practice doing that later. But when I tried to say something witty the only thing that came out was...” uhm, hello”. This was met with shock and complete awe from both of them, but hey! It worked!

Also since when did guns kick so much! I was able to fire both 44 magnum pistols just fine using my wings to pull the triggers. But the laws of both gravity and momentum reminded me really quick that doing so while not properly braced. say, oh I don't know, standing wobbly on your hind legs? Will send you on a one way flight in the opposite direction of your target. I must have flew five feet straight back, breaking the grip panel free for the 16th time now. But I did all of those things with the biggest, stupidest grin on my face.

Returning to the tent I also found that while doing this maneuver is in fact effective, the accuracy is less than stellar, particularly on my left side. This meant that the buck to my right had a head now in the shape of a canoe and the buck to my left was missing something very special to him, oh look, there's some of it over there. The 44 caliber round did its usual job of leaving nothing but pain and suffering in it's wake, right through the...place you don't want to be shot and out the lower back, severing the spine. I couldn't help but feel my stomach lurch at the sight of what was left of 'little Barbwire'. He was still alive, but with blood flow doing what it does best and judging by the growing pool on the ground, not for much longer.

I turned my head looking for anything but what was in front of me and as luck would have it, across the tent was a small cage with padlock on it. The cage was covered with burlap, but inside I could see the eyes of somepony looking back at me. The strange light purple eyes seemed to follow my every move as I grew closer. Hooves, I could see a pair of black hooves that almost transformed into an off white coat just a few inches up, that faded into the shadows of the cage.

When I got to the cage the form had disappeared into the recesses of the makeshift cell, looking down I could see the cage was unlocked but the latch had not been thrown yet. kneeling down to get a better look at the mechanism and I could just make out the shaking form of a zebra filly that looked to be about my age. It was hard to tell with the light but I could almost make out some odd tribal markings on her flank, they looked to be in a swirly pattern with the occasional, small spike that jolted out every so often almost like a saw blade. the circle pattern came to an abrupt end with the last spike almost forming an arrow that pointed straight up.

“Ummm. I'm going to let you out, they won't hurt you anymore. Don't try to kill me. Please?” I said softly, hoping that she spoke Equine and wasn't taking my words as a threat.

She looked up at me, still shaking and nodded her head once in a rapid down and up motion.

“OK, just one second”.

I used my mouth to work the dirty, rusty latch and with a resounding click, the door swung open. She didn't move.

“It's OK, its safe now, you can come out.” I said in my softest voice I could manage. She didn't move.

I took a few steps back, and sat on my haunches. Great, just great. I go through all of this and she won't leave the cage, now what. I can't just leave her here, what if more slavers come back, she would be right back in the same situation I just saved her from. I can't stay, I still have a job to do and what would the other slavers do to me when they found their dead comrades?

We sat for what felt like an eternity, at one point I pulled the burlap off of the cage but put it right back when I saw her curl back into a ball and start shaking again. Goddesses, what did they do to this poor girl, I mean I get the whole hate thing towards zebras. They did bomb us after all, forcing generations of ponies into a meek game of survival of the fittest. But that was 200 years ago, that generation of Zebras are dead or dying off from there own wasteland hell.

OK sitting here contemplating the ways of social norms and its eccentricities is getting me nowhere fast. Pushing my head into my hooves I tried my best to focus and block out the now fading moans of the dying buck, just feet away. OK, if I was scared, alone, abused, caged and afraid of everything, What's something that somepony could do to convey trust to me. Look her in the eye? Nope, she avoids eye contact. Talking wasn't working all that well and apart from the small head gesture, I have no idea if she speaks Equine or not.

Think! She seems to respond to talking, but she doesn't reciprocate to talking...so she's listening? Makes since, if I was in her situation I would try to gather as much about any new pony that came my way before I did anything more than lower my guard in the slightest. Well if she's a good listener, I will just have to be a good talker!

“Look, I know that given everything that's gone on, and I'm sure all the things I didn't see before I happened into this camp, I would be scared too. Heck I would have drown myself by now in my own fluids had I been in your hooves.” I said with a small smile, trying not to make her situation light. I could see that she was now paying attention but she still wouldnt make eye contact with me. No matter, i'll just keep going.

“You must have some strength about you to be able to endure this kind of treatment.” I said, hoping for a change in her spirits. Nothing

I looked down with a sigh, well, this is going to be tough.

“ I didn't come into this valley to find slavers and kill them you know.” I said looking at my hooves in the dirt.

“I'm just a kid myself. I'm here hunting somepony, a bad pony who took something from my family and I aim to get it back. Happening across your situation was just a happy coincidence to be honest, well happy for you I hope. I didn't want to kill them, I wanted to run away scared. Tuck my tail and just run as fast as I could. The very thought of coming in this camp to take these guys on, scared me to no end. Until I heard what they were going to do to you. Now, I don't know you from anypony, I don't know where you're from or even if your safe to be around. But I would hope that if I was in your situation, somepony would come for me too.” I said trailing off to the thought of being helpless and caged.

Finally after 10 long minutes. “Are they dead.” she asked.

I don't know what startled me more, the fact that she spoke in a very fast form of Equine, or the fact that I was daydreaming at the time and she scared me.

“Huh? Those guys? Yeah...*sigh*...they're dead.” I said almost sorrowfully. Leave it to time for the weight and gravity of what I had just done to sink in and push the heroic thoughts from my mind. Why was I feeling regret for killing them? Was it because it was premeditated or because it was more intimate, closer than I'm used to. Usually when things like this happen and I have to go to work with my rifle, I'm never closer than 100 yards or so.

“The one outside, the winged one, he dead too?” She asked, again in that exotic accent.

“Yeah....him too, although, to be far, he kinda did it himself.” I said with a half smile, half grimace.

And were back to silence, well, progress is progress I guess.

“What's your name?” I asked

“Z-Zuri. I'm from...not here.” she said, seeming to search for the correct words to say.

“Uhuh, I gathered. Well Zuri, I'm Joey, nice to meet you.” I said, trying to be as friendly as the situation would allow.

“J-Joy, like happiness?” Zuri said, perking her ears up at the very thought of a pony named after happiness. I wasn't, but hey, whatever makes her feel more at ease. Truth be told Boss had named me, he said that when I was just a little colt I would play-box with him when we weren't trading or walking. He said I reminded him of some funny ponies that walk on two legs and talk in a “hickish” version of the ponies in Trottingham. Said they call their babies 'joeys' and that you never wanted to get in a bar fight with them. So he named me joey. Stupid story I know but, Boss never was one for bringing up the past.

“Sure I'm happy, I guess. Most of the time anyhow. Not so much at the moment but I'm sure it will get better. Life's like that after all, you got your ups and your downs but at the end of the day things always average out.” I said, probably a bit too confidently.

There was another brief moment of silence followed by Zuri, slowly inching her way out of the cage. After a little coxing and a lot of convincing she finally stepped out and stood eye to eye level with me. Now that she was in the lantern light I was greeted with with a zebra filly, about my age, with stark black stripes that ran down her body almost like dripping black paint. She was young but very athletic looking in her form with toned and slim features compared to the other females I was used to seeing. Her mane, albeit matted a bit disheveled, still shown what would be the usual style she would wear. Short and cropped in the back fading longer just beyond her ears, with a few rogue bangs that fell just across the side of her cheek, near her right eye. She also had 3 stripes that run down from each eye, it would have looked menacing had she not been so terrified.

It took me a second to gather that a long silence had grown between us. Mostly due to the shock of what a zebra looked like up close and the fact that she wasn't trying to kill me weighing on my mind. There was also the fact that she was...pretty...I mean in a zebra sort of way. I could see that she was still shaking a bit and would every so often glance at the two dead bucks, just a few feet away.

I stood, slowly, taking a few steps back to give distance, more for her comfort than my own and placed myself between her and the two bodies in the room. I found that I was actually a nose height taller than her, I guess when you're sitting everypony seems taller than you. Realizing that I had just fired off two rounds in a valley that would carry sound for miles, it would be best if we de-flanked the area as soon as possible. Knowing this I raised a hoof, pointing at the direction I was about to head now that she had decided to leave the cage and began to speak.

“We better get going before anypony else decides to come looking for their frien-”

“You are very clean for a pony.” Zuri said, as if she were commenting on the weather.

Wow! I have heard of breaking the ice but, what in the hell was that supposed to mean?

"Say what now?” I said.

“You are very clean for a pony. You don't look like the other ones either. You have purple eyes, like a gemstone.” She said, again as if it were perfectly normal to say things like this to a pony you just met, let alone one who just killed two ponies to do so.

“Uh thank you? You have...uh...very nice stripes?” I said, doing my best to not look like a fish out of water.

She giggled at the comment.

“What, did I say something stupid?” I asked. Nevermind the fact that I was wound tighter than a 2 cap watch, now I have a zebra throwing curveballs at me.

“No. You are turning red. It's a good shade. It complements your eyes.” She said as she reached for my mane.

“The blue in your mane is very...uh...nice...too." She said while patting me on the head softly. OK if this wasn't so weird, I could totally chalk this up as my first time being flirted with. Ever. Do zebras even have a thing called 'personal space'? She pulled my head down for her to closer inspect.

“I have never seen a pony with clean hair before. Or a clean coat.” She said, now pulling my mane apart to look at my scalp underneath. Awesome, now I'm her specimen. Honestly, I don't know whether to be offended or happy about that comment. Boy, zebras waste no time getting to know somepony In full detail. She then began running her hoof over the coat on my neck let the hairs fold over and spring back up. I had to admit, it felt good! Nope! Not right now, we have to go. If she wants, she can give me a damn physical later.

“OK THEN! We should get moving. You know, in case some more ponies come?” I said, easing back from her still gesturing hoof. I didn't want to offend her but we had to get a move on, its getting dark out fast and I'm exhausted to boot. Not to mention I really didn't want to be here anymore, the two dead ponies in the room with us were really starting to bum me out.

“Which way were you heading before, they...you know” I asked as I turned to the tent flaps, thinking of my next move.

“ I wasn't going anywhere. I was hiding." She said, trailing off.

I turned to see the now sitting Zuri...Dammit! Not again. We were doing so good! Why did I have to say something stupid? Now I'll have to start the whole thing over again and probably let her give me a belly rub....Actually that sounded kinda good. No left brain, not now! We have to leave, now! Thank you right brain, you're my favorite.

“So. You're not heading back to the Zebra Lands?” I said annoyed.

“No. I just thought that if I came here, they wouldn't find me.” she said, looking at me as if I should know.

“OK. So you have no place you're going, right? Want to come with me? I could use the company.” I said now starting to lean in a 45 degree angle in the direction I wanted to go.

“I can come with you? You want me to follow you?” She asked, almost shocked, I would want her to. What is wrong with zebras, Jeez!

“ Yeah, but only if you want to. I'm not going to make you stay if you decide you want to go at some point. But it would be nice to have somepony with me for a change of pace.” I said, forcing a smile. I mean, I would love for her to come along and all. But I wouldn't be heartbroken if she told me to stuff it, and ditched me in a few miles either. I did my part, I got her out of here, that's all that matters...right?

“If you so wish. I will come. But only if you would enjoy my company.” She said with another quick nod of her head.

“Awesome! Great, Wonderful. I would love your company, let's do this!” I said walking behind her and using my head to slowly, but insistently guide her to the door. Sometimes I really wish I was a unicorn. I could just magic her ass behind me and take off up the mountainside. But life sucks like that sometimes and you have to work with the tools at hoof. I guess I could have just picked her up and flew her, but that would require me being a good, strong flyer and to have the confidence that she wouldn't freak out and get us both killed.

We made our way from the camp, up the hillside and into the woods. The valley we were in just had ended a few hundred yards past the camp and opened into a forest with absolutely massive trees. There was very little ground cover to hide behind if we were to need it and chances are, at some point we would. From the depths of the forest I could hear all manner of noises echoing off the granite walls to our right. Moans, chirps and the sound of crashing limbs all setting my teeth on edge. But those are all “probable threats” and behind are very real threats. So law of percentages would dictate that forward rather than backtracking would be the safest course of action.

Zuri, or Zu as I was now calling her, had decided to take of all things, the burlap from the cage, some rusty knives, a tent pole and a few bottles of water from the camp. I spent little more than five minutes looking over the weapons and ammo and, as luck would have it, no bullets to fit any of my guns and I would be damned if I would take one of theirs with me. The guns they had were complete junk! After seeing them, I seriously second guessed my deciding not to shoot it out with them. Chances are at some point their guns would have exploded and killed them first.

I did however find a old radio and some medical bandages, bringing my med kit up to three full rolls, that at least gave me some comfort. I also swiped their lantern, seeing as they were now dead, I didn't feel as though they would be needing it. Apart from the few items I found, there really wasn't much else of value to us in the camp. Everything that was left was as close to garbage or poison as you could get.

Zu was now wearing the burlap in a makeshift hooded cloak. Granted, not the greatest in style or function, the square corner of the fabric was now draped in her vision with the corner coming to rest on the bridge of her muzzle. It looked amusing but at least it hid her well enough in contrast to her striped hide that made her stand out like the sun.

She was also picking branches every so often, affixing them to the fabric by pulling at one of the seams to make a loop that she would then insert a branch, grass or moss she had collected into it. She would then give the fabric a small tug, pulling the loop she had just made back tight and securing the random foliage. I had to admire her ingenuity, a few miles like this and she would almost disappear into the landscape. Well, that or it would look like I had a pet bush. Either way, it worked and was hilarious at the same time so I didn't say anything.

We slowly made our way to the cliff face, doing our best to be quiet in doing so. The forest floor was littered with fallen twigs, leaves and the carcasses of long since dead trees. From what I could tell, the bombs never actually made it this far, but the tops of the trees were mangled from the damage that they had caused. Twisting and contorting around the bare surfaces to repair the damages of heat and concussive force, leaving great bulging tumors in doing so. You would never notice it from ground level, at least not until you look up.

The majority of the trip went with silence hanging around us, only to be broken by the odd bump in the night. The few words that we did share consisted of “this way” and “did you hear that?” to help guide one another. Other than that we refrained any unneeded sound apart from our own hoof falls. At one point I became so lost in my own mind that I had forgotten I now had a companion. When I turned to investigate an odd sound, I came face to face with the great purple eyed bush monster that was now Zu. I'm not proud of it, I screamed like a filly. She laughed at me for doing so.

Once we had reached the summit, the trees had thinned out to a boulder laden hill, leading up to its sheer granite walls. Rocks the size of a brahmin and greater, all lined up end to end with no rhyme or rhythm to their placement. All except for a small overhang where they had piled to either side in great mounds, forming pillars that almost reached the ceiling of the outcrop. Not deep enough to be a cave but a great place to set up camp for the night nonetheless.

With the slaver camp now a few miles behind us, I could feel a tense knot in my gut begin to unwind. The pictures of the dead stallions however, still refused to leave my brain alone for the moment. For whatever reason I still carried a lot of remorse for what I had done, even with Zu now safe, I still wish there had been some other way. But hindsight will always be 20/20 when you do something stupid and, even though I knew that what I did was the right thing, my thoughts kept betraying me into guilt.

The forest was now pitch black, where we stood now was well beneath the cloud curtain that the pegasi had closed up long ago. I have to admit, Silver Shoe has its drawbacks, but one thing that I will always miss from that pressure cooker of a town, is seeing the moon. Even in complete darkness, it's light would break through like a beam of hope, guiding you where you needed to go. It felt like a blessing from Luna herself, casting its loving blue light down across the land when the darkness grew to its fullest crescendo. Even though the princesses are long gone, it always felt like they were still there in the way of spirit with the rise and fall of the moon and the sun. Apart from that, that town can slob on a big fat one.

I stepped into the shadows of the rocky outcrop and raised the lantern as high as I could, sweeping it back and forth looking for any threats. With the coast now clear, I motioned to my walking shrub to come forward to the light. At this point Zu had BECOME the forest. mostly because the majority of it had been affixed to her burlap coat. I stifled a snicker at the purple eyes pearling at me through a wagon's load of rubbish and timber that had been following me.

“What is funny?” Zu asked, her every word sounding like the leaves blowing in the wind.

“Nothing...nothing at all. I was just thinking how funny life turns out sometimes. One minute you are sitting on a porch, the next you have a pet bush.” I said clearly amused by my own poor humor.

''It is camouflage. I thought that if we were attacked I could just sit still and they would do all of the killing to you.” She said a bit too smugly. Well, if that won't kill a comedy boner I don't know what will.

“OK, OK. Just take that ridiculous thing off, we need to build a fire, unless you want to sacrifice your 'camouflage' to the cause.” I said with a bit of hope that she actually would. How useful would that be. Walk all day, the whole time her building a suit of firewood, then at night, she could just take it off and set it on fire. Mmm! Warm. It's a win win.

Zu began to twist and shake in an attempt to get out of the suit of branches but it was no use, my companion was trapped, for the second time today, in a cage. After several long minutes, I finally offered my hoof at liberating her from the suit of doom.

“Ya want help with that Zu?" I asked snickering to myself.

“No. I think I found a way...darn it...just one second...stupid...RELEASE ME!” Zu replied sounding more and more desperate.

After another long moment of pushing, pulling and tugging at the mass Zu, exhausted, lost her balance, fell to one side and was now on the ground being crushed. We shared a look together, me wanting to start crying in laughter, her not wanting to ask for help. Given lighter situations this would go down as one of the best chances I have ever had to ruin someponies day with bad jokes.

“I appear to be captured. Can you cut the straps on my legs to free me?” Zu asked, clearly not wanting to use the words like trapped, help or get this thing off me.

“Sure thing” I said, wishing we had found a camera in that camp. Nopony will ever believe me when I tell them this, I need evidence! “Now...WHERE are you hind legs?"

Finally after much sawing and hacking with poor excuses for blades I had taken from the camp, I managed to free Zu from certain death! Zu, who now looked like she had lost a war with a timber wolf, stood clearing the leaves from her mane, taking care to straighten it.

“I have changed my mind, I wish to burn the suit.” she said kicking, the pile of branches.

“As you wish, m'lady.” I said attempting to drag the great mass to the edge of the cave. Great googally boogally, did she put rocks in this thing? No wonder she was trapped. I slowly managed the pile to the spot I wanted to set it ablaze, the whole time wishing I had the strength she must possess to walk all day in that thing. Once there, I dropped my bags and began looking for a lighter...Matches? Shit... I knew I forgot something back in town.

Zu, seeing my look of “DAMMIT”, began trotting around the rock piles, digging for... something. Soon she came to my side with a black crystalline rock and another normal looking rock and began smashing them both together like they owed her bits. I stepped back and watched the crazy filly pound away at the rocks, ever so often hitting one of her hooves and letting out a small, cute little “Ouchies!”.

Finally she produced a spark and soon we had a healthy fire roaring with its warmth and illuminating the outcrop around us. Having finally won the battle with the suit of shrubs, defiling it's corpse with fire and given it one last mean look. Zu, now looking triumphant, chose a spot, curled up to the amber glow of its warmth and gave me a look that just screamed “ha! zebra for the win”. That's OK, you can have this one, even though we are both clearly winners here.

After pilfering my provisions for all they were worth, I decided to try to get to know my new striped cohort. The usual banter of, where are you from, how did you get here, why are the slavers after you filled the air for over an hour as we swapped stories. finally the topic fell on her ability to defend herself and exactly how she had managed to get captured by the bucks back in the valley. If we were going to be traveling together, I would at least like to know if she could handle herself enough for me to not have to watch over her. The last thing I wanted was somepony to protect when I was doing such an excellent job of protecting myself. Then again, it was nice knowing I wasn't alone and to be honest, I hate being alone anyhow, especially in the dark, creepy woods while looking for a guy.....

“SHIT!” I nearly screamed as I stomped my hooves in the gravels.

“What is the problem?” A now standing and shaking Zu said.

“Ugh, I forgot to even look for the asshole's tracks when we left the camp. Chances are he saw the slavers and found another way around. Without going back there, I have no clue where he headed off to.” I said looking off into the woods.

“He could have headed in any direction except the one I came from. At this point I can't even rule that out! He could have slipped past me at some point.” I said as I slouched to the ground feeling defeated.

“Who is it that you are looking for? Is he a friend of yours?” Zu asked.

“More like a thief. He took something of my...uh...dad. Something he has a personal attachment to.” I said now swirling the gravels with my hoof.

“If what you say is true. He may have taken the trail to the east. It follows the tops of the mountains to the plains of the desert.” Zu said looking up the dark mountainside.

“Yeah but I would have seen his tracks if that were the case...unless he covered them.” I said as I trailed off.

I remember passing a trail a few miles back in the valley before running head on into the slaver camp. I also remember wondering why he didn't take that route himself. If he wanted to put distance between himself and the town, that would have been the way to go. The terrain would have made for slow going for anypony outside of a pegasi and if he had known that trail, he could have made good time. So why wouldn't he have gone that way to start with, it makes the most sense for evasion, well, if he was even worried about evasion at that point. Unless he had to pass it to get somewhere he needed to go, someplace he would feel safe, someplace closer to where we were now.

If that was the case then he must be living here some place in these woods or at least have set up camp somewhere near them. If he had to double back, then there's a good chance he saw me. The valley was wide but not that wide, he could have even covered his tracks had he seen me. Even still yet, he could have passed me after I passed the trail head, leaving me to walk straight into my death with the slavers. Now I'm getting pissed, if all this is true then he has been playing cat and mouse with me this whole time.

“Zu, you said you know that trail? From where we are now, where does it come out at?” I asked standing to retrieve my notebook.

“Yes. I came that way from the west. If you were to take that it from the east. It would take you to the top of this mountain. Then it splits, one trail will take you to the plains and the other deeper into the forest.” Zu said, trotting to my side.

I now had my little notebook out and began sketching a rough idea of what I thought the mountain looked like. With some help from Zu and a few attempts, I now had a pretty decent layout of the land between us and the trail. According to Zu, it was a long, winding trail that would take a full day to maneuver through without a set of wings, so chances are that he may still be on it. If that was the case we weren't out of the fight just yet!

“How long did it take you to go that way? Do you remember?” I asked

“About a half a day. But had I needed to travel up the mountain, it would have taken longer.” Zu said.

“If he had doubled back, followed the opposite wall of the valley, I might have missed him. But that just means he knows I'm on his ass, unless he thinks the slavers would have finished me off or captured me.” I said now pacing.

“Thank you.” Zu said.

“Huh?” I said, stopping in my tracks. I had been so lost in thought of where might be, that I was caught off guard by her statement.

“Thanks for what?” I asked still trying to shake off the daydreams.

“Thank you for rescuing me. For not leaving me behind at the camp. I know you wanted to but, thank you.” Zu said wearing a half smile.

“Zu...” I said as I trotted to her side. “I didn't want to leave you behind, I wanted you to come with me but I also wanted to get out of there before any other slavers came. It's like I told you back at their camp, had it been me in your hooves, I would have wanted anypony to come and at least try to help. It was the right thing to do. And you are kinda fun to be around, you make me laugh.” I said, now returning the smile.

“Thank you. I'm sorry I was...not myself back at the camp. I was...upset” Zu said.

“I would imagine that any amount of time with ponies like that would take the best out of you. Its nothing to be sorry for really.” I said, giving her a nudge to her flank with mine. The gesture produced a small “eep” from the now startled Zu and only made my grin grow wider.

“Ok, so if it takes a pony a full day to navigate this trail to the top of the mountain and say get to a secret hideout deep in these woods. And same said pony had to pass the trail and double back to said trail due to slavers...at what point does he come out at the top of the mountain?" I asked, racking my brain for all of it's mathematical knowledge.

“Probably a day. Maybe two if he decides to sleep.” Zu said pointing to the crudely drawn map. “This would be the only place a pony could sleep. It's just big enough to lay down.” Zu said pointing her hoof at a spot near the top of the map.

“OK, lets just say he decided to bed down for the night there. In the morning he would walk out of the valley a few hours later and find another way down the mountain to where he was going. Well if nothing else he would leave a nice set of prints at some point, or at least the sign of him trying to cover them. You wouldn't by any chance know about where we are now would you?” I said, now pacing around the campfire.

“Exactly? No. But I think we might be half way. About a half day's trot as you ponies say.” Zu said edging closer to the fire.

“If that's the case then we need to make it to the trail-head before daylight. If I can get set up somewhere close by, I might get a shot on him when he comes out.” I said now sitting by the fire.

“Wait, you are going to kill him? For taking something of your's?” Zu said in alarm.

I let out a long sigh. “...not if I don't have to but I really don't want to try to fight him. He's a full grown buck and I'm just a...” I trailed off at the very real thought that I might not be able to win this fight without shooting him. In fact I had planned all along to just get within range of him, take the shot and retrieve the box of mysteries. It was all so simple in my head, but now, I don't know. Was this really worth ending his life over, was I really considering killing somepony to make things easy on me? Ugh! Things are not supposed to be this damn hard! Show up, pow pow pow, take box, come home and be showered with love and praise by my family.

“Zu...I really don't want to but I don't know how I could get it back without killing him. Even if I just maim him and take the box back, that's just as bad as killing him out here and I highly doubt he would just let me talk it out of him.” I said staring at the flames of the camp fire.

“You could threaten him.” Zu said.

The very thought of trying to threaten somepony at my age just couldn't grab any purchase in my mind. Granted, holding somepony at gunpoint would have its desired effect, but the less threatening the opponent, comes with a inherent risk of him trying something. It just wasn't a risk I was willing to take on my own, even less so now that I had Zu with me. Any mistake I made would undoubtedly have a negative effect on her own circumstances. At this point, it actually wouldn't be a bad idea if she set off for her own safety but, a selfish part of me wants her to stay for some reason. It's almost as if her being around made me feel more at ease. Less so that her being here staved off loneliness and more that I was actually enjoying her being here.

“Yeah but what's to stop him from coming back after us later. I don't know if his temperament is above that or not.” I said.

“Letting him die for your own safety seems wrong. But if it is your only way. I understand.” Zu said, clearly not okay with the plan but seeming to at least understand where I was coming from. Why is it that I don't like the way she said that? It was almost as if she was disappointed in my own judgement and for whatever reason it made me feel like I was doing wrong. Killing him wasn't the best solution but it was the only one where I saw us both getting out safe.

“What if you trapped him.” Zu said.

“What, like a rat? How the hell am I going to trap him!” I said with full blown skepticism in my voice.

“You could put a boulder in the path, cause a landslide. He would be trapped. You could fly down and threaten him with your rifle and take back the box. He wouldn't be able to follow you.” Zu said with a big smile on her face. Even after everything she had been through, she didn't want to hurt anypony, not even a two bit thief. I had to admire that, I hadn't even considered trying to go about this without somepony leaving dead until she came alone. And now I was sitting here feeling regret for even planning such a thing towards somepony who had only stolen from my family. It wasn't like he killed one of us, it was a simple crime, most likely out of his own need for survival.

“ Even if that would work, how do you expect me to cause a landslide...” I asked eyeing her quizzically.

“ Oh. Um. You could use this” Zu said producing a small box that clearly read “Stable-Tec lunchbox”.

“You want me to cause a landslide with a lunchbox?” I said unamused.

“No no silly pony. This is a cap mine.” Zu said closing her eyes and smiling.

“Zu... where the hell did you get that?” I asked, now slowly inching away from her.

“I found it at the camp. I was going to pick mushrooms and keep them for later. But when I opened it I saw it was a mine.” She said, as if that it's perfectly normal to walk around with a bomb strapped to you. Those things are unstable at the best of times, let alone with a half crazy zebra throwing it about.

“Um...okay, that could work. Could you...just put that over there...behind the rocks...Please?” I asked from behind the boulder pile I had retreated to.

“Oh, yes. Sorry” Zu said as she trotted away. Crazy zebra, but if that thing was live, her plan could work and I have to admit, not killing him was getting a lot easier to swallow. If we could get to the trail-head tonight, we could set up a camp and just wait him out. Hell we could blow the trail and just wait for him to happen along. Heavens knows that the wastelands were not short on there random explosions in the distance. It might even go unnoticed. No! Keep it simple. Wait till he's in view and blow the trail out, fly down and demand the box back, leaving him to backtrack. Granted it would leave a pony out there who would want me dead after that, but at least we have the chance to get away first.

“Zu, if we are going to do this, we have to leave tonight. That way we can beat him to the trailhead.” I said standing up to get my bags.

“Joy, it's too dark to walk these woods at night. If we get lost then I fear your mission will not be completed.” Zu said in protest.

“I know, but we have to try. I know you probably don't want any part of this but I have to go. If you would like, you can stay behind and wait for me. After its done I'll come back for you.” I said hoping that she would decide not to stay in the creepy cave alone. I really didn't want to leave her but the idea had occurred to me that I may have to at some point.

“If you wish to go tonight. I will go too.” Zu said reluctantly.

“Thank you, I know you aren't a part of this whole thing, but I would feel better with you by my side” I said with a soft smile.

“Oh? Why is that?” Zu said cocking her head to one side.

“You came up with a plan to get back what I'm after without anypony getting killed. That's impressive enough by itself but, means more to me then you will ever know. So, with you by my side, I feel like I would make the right decision if something happened or that you might have a better way if mine is too stupid.” I said.

“You want to use my idea?” Zu said with a look of bewilderment on her face.

“Yup, better than any plan I could have come up with. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for.” I said, giving her another bump of my flank.

“OK, let's go!” said Zu.

"That's the spirit Stripes! Let's get a move on!"

That thoroughly, completely and absolutely sucked! The hike from our impromptu encampment to the trail-head took longer than I had planned. The path, if you could call it that, was comprised mostly of rocks and boulders, all weathered by time to be round, slick shapes that did their best to slow us down. Daylight loomed on the horizon, casting shades of amber and red across the landscape giving life to the forest around us.

Despite our slow going, we had managed to make it to our destination before the lame buck had cleared the ridge, at least from what I could tell. I scouted the area for prints and signs of the him covering them but came up empty hoofed, so for the time being, I could guess we were ahead of him.

Zu had wasted no time exploiting the mountain passage for its weaknesses. The many fissures and breaks in the stone valley lead to the idea that if we could shear part of it away, it would leave him trapped. The rock wall to one side was near vertical for about 100 yards below the trail-head leading out of the valley and the same could be said for the opposite side, except straight down. If this plan works, he would be trapped and forced to return from where he came.

Zu had placed the cap mine in a crack, near a section that had broken clear across creating a 20 foot section that would fall away. She then ran a wire to the rocky ledge off the top of the canyon wall, about 30 feet above the trail to set off the mine. Her thought's being that it would leave nothing to chance if the trip wire were to fail.

Despite me being one of the more accepting ponies, I had to admit that even I was put off by her ability to lay a trap like this. Even more so that she would want to spare his life, seeing as zebras are often marketed as lying, betraying creatures that can't be trusted. I have known for a long time that you can't always believe what you hear but, usually there is a modicum of truth to every embellishment. But if anything holds true, zebras are not a species to be crossed based on her talents alone. I'm just glad she's on my side.

We had settled ourselves into the small nest we had created, the rocks and large boulders to our backs and the sheer cliff to our fronts. To our right, a small trail that lead back to the trail-head that we had created and to our left the was the rocky ridge-line. Zu had settled in and dozed off to sleep, snuggling with a rock as her sleeping companion. Every once in a while, she would let out little “zebra noises”, almost like she was talking with other ponies. It was cute but at times loud enough to rouse my worry that we may be spotted before I had a chance to take out the ledge.

Hours must have passed, Zu had traded her rock pillow for my right hind leg that was now completely numb from blood loss. From time to time she would attempt to crush the bones in my leg with a death grip to sooth her discomfort. I guess after being chased by slavers and finally captured, she had her demons to deal with in her sleep and my leg was the only comfort she had at the moment. It was uncomfortable, but a part of me was actually enjoying having her latched to my leg. It made me feel like I was helping her in some way, almost as if she needed me in her own way.

I had never entertained the idea of a marefriend before, mostly due to the amount of teasing I had gotten the last few years for still being a blankflank. Growing up with such treatment meant that my social life was void of almost any form of physical contact with mares and by extension, anypony else. Albeit awkward at first, I have to say, I rather liked having her this close to me. Not just for the physical touch of another pony, but for the feeling that somepony actually wanted to be near me. It was a feeling of contentment that I had never had before, stirring new emotions inside me that I had long ago repressed out of fear of rejection. As much as I still had my reservations about these feelings, as far as I was concerned, the lame buck could take his sweet time getting here if he wanted. If only that I could live in this moment a little longer.

Daylight had just broken over the ridge but, from where I sat, the cloud cover was doing a great job of turning the once clear light of the sun into a dirty opaque light. It did little to cast away the shadows of the early morning light, leaving the valley in a sort of time warp standstill. From my vantage point, I could see that, about 100 yards down the trail, it curved to the right and out of site. This would only give me a narrow window to be able to pull this plan off, if he hadn't traveled through the night that is.

I spent most of the time gathering notes on everything I had done, seen and found along the way, including the possibility of him slipping past me at one point. I had read that at times while tracking, if you lost your sign, that you could always look back to your notes for guidance and that even the smallest detail could lead you to your quarry. I don't know if any of this information I was scribbling was useful or not but I guess it passes the time. The work felt almost tedious, made worse by the fact that my mind kept drifting off to the sleeping zebra on my side. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the thoughts of her from my mind for some reason.

Zu had spent a good portion of our hike up the mountainside telling me about her life in the Zebra Lands and why she fled the country for Equestrian. As it turns out, she had been on the run for quite sometime before her run in with the slavers and even went so far to say that she had been on her own for two years now. two long years with nopony to rely on, to talk to or to watch her back. I couldn't even begin to imagine what that would have been like. Don't get me wrong, I like being a loner when I'm working but, the crave for social stimulation will get to anypony eventually.

Of all the things that she could be running from, her tribe would have been the last thing I would have guessed. I had always thought that zebras had a strange camaraderie about them and wouldn't turn one of their own away, especially a filly. But Zu was quick to correct me in that most tribes hold themselves to several social, moral and even ancestral standards. It seemed crazy that even a zebra's bloodline would dictate where they rest in the social hierarchy. She told me that she had hoped to find a place near the ocean to hide and maybe make a life for herself there. When I asked why, she told me about a book she had read when she was just a filly.

"It was my favorite book! It had pictures of the ocean in it and came with a little music player that had songs on it! I want to go to a place like that someday."

When I asked about her mother and father, she only replied with a small shake of her head, signifying that she was an orphan. As such, the tribe that she had become part of, appointed her a surrogate to take care of her. Zu later told me that her adopted mother was abusive towards her and other children that she had taken in at the time. Things didn't improve once she got her Cutiemark, in fact it seemed to be the reason for her fleeing the tribe. It seems so trivial that a tribe would go so far as to run off one of their own members over their own special talent but, according to her, it was almost commonplace. If nothing else, it explained why zebras were in Equestria in the first place, even now almost two centuries after the war.

She stayed under her care for nearly her entire childhood until situations dictated that she run away to Equestria. She had heard tales that no zebra would go there after the great war because it was poisoned, But other members of the tribe seemed to disagree with that lore. So a young Zuri, left the tribe she had been a part of for so long, only to be captured by slavers not even one month later. They had taken her to Filly where she was forced to perform remedial jobs at their mercy until she found a way to breakout. By the time she had finished telling me about her last 2 years alone in the wastelands, she had started to cry. I felt it best not to pressure her anymore with questions and instead, offered a hug and a shoulder to cry on, albeit a brief one.

I looked up from my thoughts and drawings to do my usual, once every minute search of the area, to find a shadow moving against the rock wall. Realizing that this must be him, I slowly put down my notebook and crept to the rock ledge for a closer look. There, sure enough, was the same red buck, favoring his hind leg, no longer wearing the brown cloak. He had made slow time but I had not factored in the fact that he was lame and traversing a trail like this would have taken him more time. He was already closing in on the blast zone and soon it would be too close for me to detonate the charge. So with a still asleep Zu nearby, I detonated the charge.

BOOM!

The cap mine did it's job, better than it's job in fact. I had been told that those things packed a punch but, to take out over 25 feet of trail? Of that I had no clue. The red buck was now clinging to a small chunk of rock, having fallen after the trail where he had been standing crumbled. Zu, who had been in dreamland at the time of the explosion, was now fully on top of me, clinging to me like I was her last bastion of hope for living. She was shaking so hard that I was having a hard time narrowing my vision on the now dangling buck.

He was trying to climb back up the rock wall but, any worry I had of him getting away was quickly dismissed when he nearly fell to his death in doing so. But that didn't stop him from trying, even with his every attempt coming up shorter than the last.

“Um...Zu? Could you get off me love?” I asked while being crushed.

“Yes. Sorry. The boom. It frightened me.” She said.

Once I had freed myself of my captive, I left her to recover from the world's best alarm clock and fly down to have a little chat with my new friend. Granted being up here all morning had taken the edge off the heights problem I normally have but that all faded when I stood to take flight from the edge. With a nervous and very shaking thrust of my wings, I was airborne and now hovering down the cliff face. It wasn't the most graceful flight but I managed it well enough, all the while trying to maintain some false bravado to keep up appearances.

“ What the hell kid!” The red buck said. I said nothing as I walked closer.

“Was that you that did this? Why!” Again, I said nothing. Instead walking closer and drawing one of the pistols that had been given to me, cocking the hammer on a fresh chamber and pointing it at his head.

“Please, look I don't know what I did to piss you off... Please just help me up!”

Finally I broke my silence.

“You took something from me. Back in Silver Shoe. Remember me now?” I said with as much hate in my voice as I could manage. Granted I was shaking like a foal and had I any contents in my bladder I would have emptied them right there, but I think I got the point across.

“Wait! You're the one that shot at me! You went through all this for a stupid necklace!?”

Well, that's news to me. Guess the Boss's secret isn't so secret anymore. Just the same, this ass was the one who took it, he just confirmed that, now I had to get it from him.

“Somethings in life are worth the work.” I said.

“You're fucking crazy kid! You're going to shoot me over some scrap gold?”

“If that's what it takes.”

“Heh, I bet you'll miss. You missed back in town. What makes you think you won't miss this time too.” he said.

“At this range, I like my odds.” I said now leveling the pistol a foot from his head. He took a few seconds to assess his situation and gave a few looks down.

“Fine! Here, just take it! Just don't kill me!” He said as he pulled himself to the cliff wall and braced himself against the corner of it and the small spire of rock that he now called home. He began rummaging through his bag until finally he produced a small, hoof sized box and tossed it to me.

“I don't know why that thing is so important to you kid but, I hope it was worth it.” He said in a threatening tone.

“It was, trust me.” I said as I clicked the box open just enough to see that the contents, whatever they were, were still there. “Oh, and don't bother following me, I'm going to drop you a rope down when I get back to the top. You can use that to get back to the trail you came in on. I suggest going back that way. I'll be watching. Besides, I could have just waited a few more seconds and killed you.” I said as I pushed off the ground.

Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down.

Back at the top of the ledge I made good on my promise, I even helped by swinging him to the trail side. He could have done it on his own but, I would hope the gesture would be enough to keep him from finding another way around. But just to be sure I decided to cut the rope and throw it down, even if he had a bum leg I couldn't take the chance of him following us.

Finally, after all those painful miles I had the one thing I came for, I even knew what it was now! But why in the hell would Boss care this much about a damn necklace? It had better be a damn nice one for all the hell this just put me through! Apart from the very bottom of the pendant, I didn't see anything else inside the box. For all I know it's a necklace that says 'world's greatest lover' and honestly, I really wouldn't put it past Boss to have something like that.

Nevermind all that, I promised I wouldn't look and I'm not going to, if nothing else I would like to think I keep my word and can be trusted. Also Boss has this nasty habit of testing us on things like this, dropping little clues and hints in conversations to see if we are lying or not. He will probably be pissed by the fact that I even opened it to see if it was even still in there but, maybe that will be canceled
out by the fact that I'm not dead? Hooves crossed!

Zu had taken her time alone to gather our things, what few we had, and was just finishing up her last rounds when I made it back to the ledge. Now with everything tucked away and the box of mysteries secured in my bags, I turned my attention to Zu. She was still shaky from the blast but otherwise seemed to be focused on getting a move on. Down below I could still hear the hoof steps of the lame buck now fading away down the trail. We both shared a glace and looked to the cliff and with a turn, we ran up the trail.

It took almost 3 hours for either of us to risk breathing a word to one another. By that time we had made it to the ridge top where the trail had become more pronounced, I don't think we had said more than three words between us. The once tiny path had become one wide enough for two ponies to walk down together side by side. Not that I'm complaining about the old trail, especially with Zu leading the way. it was nice. Very... scenic! Having a good distance between us and the lame buck finally let me loosen up. Zu, on the other hoof, still had a shiver about her. She still seemed...on edge? Maybe afraid?

“Hey, are you OK? I mean, you almost crushed me back there.” I said.

“Yes, I am OK. Sorry. I wasn't expecting the explosion. I don't know how I became on top of you like that.” Zu said.

“It's OK, I guess when you are playing the part of a pony pillow, it will have its drawbacks.”

“A pony pillow?”

“Yeah, you know a pony being used as a pillow? You must have been using me as one for over 4 hours. At one point I thought you were going to crush my leg.”

“Oh. I did not know that. I'm sorry.”

“Nah, nah. It's fine. I had to be more comfortable than that rock you were snuggling with after all. You kept making zebra noises, it was cute. How could I have moved you like that, you must have been having a good dream.” I said smiling.

“It was...complicated.”

“Yeah? What was it about?”

“I was back in the cage. It was cold and I was scared. One of the guards was pushing against my chest with a hammer. It felt like he was trying to crush me.”

“That's not complicated, that's sad.”

“ I'm not finished. Then his head exploded.”

“ That's not complicated that's horrible!”

“I was rescued and I was hugging him for saving me and stuff. Then boom. I wake up on top of you.”

“Zu, that wasn't a dream, that was yesterday. Well...not the hug and boom parts, that was later.” I said with a flat face.

“Other things happened too...” She said looking away.

“What do you mean other....” I said as it dawned on me. Zu was now biting her lip and looking around.

“Oh...OOOH.” I said turning a shade of red.

“Waking up on top of you was...” Zu stopped seeming to be looking for the right words.

“Ironic?”

“Yes.”

We had stopped in the trail, both sharing very humiliated looks to one another. OK so Zu was having a scary/sexy dream about me? OK that's strange, I mean I feel honored and all but we had just met less than 24 hours ago. Granted she was very pretty and she had a way about her that made me feel both at ease and like I was in the right place with her by my side. OK so I admit I fancy her, it's hard not to grow a appreciation for somepony when you have a bird's eye view of their backside for a few hours. Was this a zebra thing or something? One of their many strange eccentricities? Maybe I'm just a sexy dude who saved her day and...yeah there's no way that's the case.

Whatever the reason was, I'm OK with it. I had never really had the chance to be around other mares my age before for more than a few hours at the most. Nevermind get to know them like I had Zu. Between meeting her and where we are now we had gone from strangers to acting almost like best friends. It was hard to explain but I could feel a connection between her and I, not as strong as say mine and Shale's relationship, but different. Almost like it was just as strong but something that could be more given time. Is this that love at first sight stuff I had read about in all those old books or is this what it feels like to have made a close friend.

I had never actually thought about this kind of thing before, I have never even had any friends outside of Shale come to think of it. This is confusing but at the same time it feels right in it's own strange way and for some reason it makes me uncomfortable and embarrassed. Nevertheless I can't help but feel for Zu, she had been on her own for so long, staying out of sight, what was she going through if she was at all? I had not even thought to ask her how she was holding up after everything that had happened to her. I know if that had been me I would have wanted somepony to cling to and tell me that I was safe now and everything was going to be OK. But I hadn't done that for her, I instead tried to force her out of the cage and make her keep moving. Even if it was the right thing to do at the time. I can't help but feel guilty for not being more caring.

But even after all she had been through, she was still standing right here with me. I thought for sure that she would have ditched the first chance that she felt safe enough to do so, but here I am relying on her to not only to help me get the job done, but to get me out of here. I'm sure I could have managed on my own but she's still here, not because she feels obligated to but because she wants to be? Maybe that's what these feelings are, maybe its admiration for her, maybe it's something else but regardless I still can't help but feel like she's holding something back from me.

“Zu, are you OK?” I asked.

“Are you mad at me?” She asked wearing look of complete shame.

“WHAT?! Why would I be mad? A cute filly was dreaming about getting all freaky with me! If anything I'm honored.”

“You think...I'm cute?” She said, looking up at me with her nose to the ground.

“I will admit to admiring you a bit. OK maybe a lot.” I said rubbing one of my forelegs.

“So you think I look cute?” Zu said frowning.

“No no, not just that. I mean you are cute but, when I'm with you it just feels...right. You're smart, fun to be around and you make me laugh.” I said.

“You're really like to be with me?” she asked.

“Yes. I really do. I guess I've been so wrapped up in the chase that I haven't had time to really think about it. But now that I have, I think I really like you Zu.”

“I really like you too, I feel safe with you. Not like with the other ponies I have met. I feel like I am where I belong when I'm near you.” She said walking closer to me.

“You do? Wow that makes me feel better, and here I was thinking you were just with me for my good looks.” I said polishing a hoof on my chest. Would you just look at that majestic hoof shining like a diamond, I thought to myself looking down on it.

Zu then leaned in and kissed me on the lips. What was happening, why is her tongue doing...things with mine? The hair on my head stood straight up on end and I could feel my legs beginning to shake. I had never been kissed before so I didn't know what to expect from it, I mean I had guessed it would feel good but, this good? Nope!

My brain went into total lockdown mode with one side screaming run and the other screaming grab her and run to a bush. Finally when our lips parted I was left with a complete sense of euphoria, nothing I had ever experienced felt that good before. I stood now shaking and rigid looking into the mare who had just kissed me, my first kiss mind you, on the lips. Hey, why were her lips moving and why can't I hear her also why is the world moving... darkness.

I came to on my back and on the ground with a view of the sky peaking through the trees. I felt...warm. That's strange, usually its really cold up in the mountains. Is that a fire I smell? That's nice. What happened to me, did I just faint? I must have because I don't remember building a fire. Oh wow, that sense of euphoria is still lingering on my lips, oh how I don't want that to go away.

With my senses slowly coming back to me, I tried to replay the events that lead to me being on my back here in the dirt. For some reason I just can't get past the part where she kissed me, even reliving the moment in my head sends my heart aflutter. Zu had in one gesture taken the box of mixed up emotions I had, thrown them in the air, performed some freaky zebra magic and put them all together. I can't say for sure but I think I know now that she is right for me, I still can't explain why but somewhere in my heart I can feel it. Like she claimed a piece for herself and would always be there.

Even the universe who took great pride in picking on the blank flank colt had gone silent and instead left me to have this moment. It's almost like this was meant to happen, I was set to double back and fly over the camp and make my way up the trail. But had it not been for 2 horny slavers I would have never met her, she would have stayed there never to be found by anypony. Maybe this was all in the cards meant to be dealt to me, maybe some divine power put us together under the most extreme circumstances. Maybe there's nothing to it but the lingering feeling in my chest is saying otherwise no matter what my brain says to counter it. Oh look there's Zu looking down at me.

“Joy! Joy! Are you OK?” She said clearly panicked.

“Huh? Yeah. Never better.” I said with a small smile.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to! It just happened! It was like I couldn't help myself.” Zu said as she helped me back to my hooves.

“No. no. It's fine. Really. I just had never done... that... before.” I said still shaking the lust from my brain.

“I'm so sorry, but I couldn't help myself. I don't know what came over me.” She repeated.

“Well, I uh, didn't mind it.” I said sheepishly, rubbing my left leg with my right.

“ Was it...?” She asked.

“Does the best thing I have ever felt count?” I said now regaining my composure.

“Oh. Yes I think it does. Wait that was your first time?” She asked.

“Uh yeah...I never really had the chance to spend time with girl growing up.” I said tapping my hooves together sheepishly.

“In that case, I'm honored to be your first.” Zu said proudly.

“I'm OK with that.” I said nodding my head like a idiot.

“I built a fire, it was getting cold. It looks like we are near the fork in the trail too.” She said.

“Yeah? That's good. Maybe we can make good time to New Appleloosa and get there before dark.” I said standing. This was good! If we could get back down off this mountain in time we could get through the desert in no time. This whole thing could be over in a matter of hours and I could go back to my life of guarding the caravan. And now I had Zu! I mean sure she only had kissed me once but hey! That means there a chance for something there and I don't think Boss would mind bringing her along, she could be useful to the group. Finally a chance to be happy, life wasn't all bad out here I guess!

“I can't go.” Zu said, clearing a smile right off my face.

“Say what now?” I said in disbelief.

“I can not go with you, back there. They will find me again.” She said.

“Zu you can't be serious, you will be with me and the Traders. You would be safe with us.” I said.

“I'm sorry, but if I go back, the Slavers will just find me again. And if I'm with you they might hurt you or your caravan. I can not let something like that happen, it would kill me.” She said.

“But, where will you go? You can't hide forever, at some point you have to do something to live.” I said now feeling that soft glow turn to a pain in my chest. The zebra mare I had not long ago said that I wouldn't mind if she decided to leave was now doing just that. And I minded. I really really minded now. I had gotten so used to her being there with me over the last 24 hours that it had become like a friendship I had for years. With one kiss she had pushed the thoughts of love to the front of my mind, giving me hope and with three words completely dissolved them.

“I will find my way like I always have, but if I go back I risk being captured and taken back to the slavers. I will go west to the coast and make my way north.” She said pointing a hoof.

“Zu...” I trailed off, feeling completely lost for words.

“ It's OK, I'll be fine. I hope that someday I can find you again and that things will be happier.” She said with a small smile.

And just like that, all the hopes and dreams that had flooded my mind had vanished. Cleared away to a sunny place that I had no hopes of ever reaching from my new home under the clouds. Just like the skies I never get to see above the cloud cover, that place too will remain out of reach. I should have known this would happen, things were going too good for me and I let myself get lost in the moment. Now I get to live with the pain that comes with such happiness. Why was this hitting me so hard! Was it the fact that we had been through so much in such a short time? Was it the kiss? Was it the way I was starting to feel for her? Dammit! I had never even had a marefriend let alone been broken up with and now I have to deal with all those things in less than an hour?

“Can we spend the night together and leave in the morning. I don't want to go just yet.” I ask pitifully.

Zu, trotted closer to me and wrapped me in a hug and just like that it hit me like a boulder and I, the pony who saved her, wept like a little colt. Something deep inside me broke, like it was being ripped away from me by some cruel force beyond my control. I had spent so long without friends that it had become a common daily routine and now all those years of regression were undone in a matter of hours. Then I was flung head over hooves back into the pit that I had unknowingly crawled out of not even a hour ago.

Emotions never came easy to me, I had spent most of my life blocking other ponies out. Being a trader it was normal for ponies to come and go but being security for a trader meant I rarely even had that chance. The few ponies that I could say I loved were family to me but outside of that I didn't really have anyone that I felt for. There was nopony in my life or routine that I could confide these feelings in or even express them too, let alone give them too like I had just done with Zu. I had bottled them all up over the years of my life while trying to keep composure and unknowingly suppressed them and now they had manifested into the single worst pain I had ever felt. Heartache.

After I had finally calmed the flow of liquids from my eyes and had just resorted to holding her I became far to aware how hungry I was. Leave it to complex emotions to take the energy right out of you and leave you starving to death. The feeling of shame and embarrassment had replaced the sadness that was once before ruling my world. I can't believe I just did that, I thought as I stood to take my saddlebags off and pillage what few scraps of food I had left when Zu tapped my shoulder.

“Its OK, I'm better now. Thank you for being there for me.” I said with a smile.

“No no! Look, your flank!” Zu said excitedly.

“What, did I forget to wipe?” I said turning to look at what was on my bu...what is that...

“Looks like you got your cutiemark!” Zu said as she hopped to her hooves, ran behind me and began examining my flank.

I was in shock. Not just from the pretty mare touching my butt, but I actually got my cutiemark?! I had always thought that I was broken or something, incapable of getting my mark but there it is! In all its monotone glory! The paw print of a dog or a wolf or something was etched across my flank in odd tribal lines that together made the shape of a paw print but none of the lines touched or intersected. It was absolutely badass! But what did that mean, I know someponies have vague cutiemarks but what did a paw print mean? Zu, who was now hugging my ass, seemed thrilled for me to have gotten it just in time to ease the tension in the air.

“Wow! I actually got my cutiemark! I can't believe it!” I said jumping around like a colt who...well just got his cutiemark would. “ I wonder what it means.” I said.

“It looks like a paw print or a track. The lines all seem to give that impression. Funny I have never seen a pony with a tribal cutiemark.” Zu said now looking even closer at my flank.

“A track? My special talent is tracking? My special talent is tracking!” I said in as I continued to freak out.

“Congratulations.” Zu said as she sat down near the fire.

This day has been a crazy to say the least. I have been scared, bored, terrified, validated, kissed, the happiest I have ever been and...now I'm sad again. Awesome. The very thought of Zu leaving once again cleared most of the happiness from my mind leaving me just south of neutral feeling.

“Yay....” I said sitting down next to her.

“You're still upset?” Zu asked.

“Well, I'm happy that I got my mark but you're still leaving...I guess nothing would change that.” I said.

“No, I'm sorry. I wish things were different, I wish I could come with you but it's not safe for me there.” She said now mirroring my look.

“I understand. I don't like it, I hate it in fact but if you say that its not safe for you, then I don't want you to come. I don't want anypony to hurt you.” I said offering up a small sad smile.

“Thank you Joy. I promise one day we'll meet again.” Zu said wrapping me in another embrace.

As day turned into night we said little and continued to hold one another near the fire, both thinking about what we would do next. The few chats we had were limited to plans on leaving here and watching for raiders on the trails. We both avoided talking about separating or where we would be going, doing our best to keep the mood from being any more somber than it already was. With the exception of her explaining how zebras got their cutiemarks and how she herself got her's we mostly just sat and enjoyed each other's company. I knew that she was heading west and soon after north and she knew where I would be traveling with the traders. Honestly if she ever wanted to find me, all she would have to do is go to a town and wait for me. Somehow knowing that didn't make me feel better but it did give me hope that we would meet again.

That night we continued to hold one another, despite what could have been and what was going to be, we did little more then that. We did share a small make out session but even that was cut short by thoughts of our inevitable fates. Still it was nice to hold one another and share something I had never experienced before with somepony that I had feelings for. Once she had drifted off to sleep against me, I spent what little time we had left memorizing her face so I would always remember it. Then I pulled my notebook from my bags and began to sketch her prone form. I don't know why I did it, I guess I just wanted something to remember her by, something to remind me of her. I took great care in sketching her detailed cutiemark and her face, making sure to include notes on her eye color and how her hair fell across her cheek. Once I had completed my work I closed my notebook and placed it beside me with the pencil in the bindings of the pages and finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning neither of us really spoke much as we gathered our belongings and headed for the trail. Zu, who had before always maintained a small gap between her and myself now trotted close enough to me that her coat brushed mine. It was as if the last few hours had built a bridge between us, almost making us stronger in our own ways. Even though in less than an hour we would be parting ways, for some reason I wasn't as sad as I had been the day before. It felt like even if we were apart we would still be together and even though the thought of her alone scared me, I still had faith that she would make her own way.

Soon we came to the fork in the trail, one way heading higher into the mountains and the other lower into the plains. This was it, this was goodbye.

“So this is it? Is this where I head to New Appleloosa?” I said trying to avoid the subject of leaving.

“Yes, that trail goes to New Appleloosa.” She said.

“I guess this is...” I was cut short of saying.

“Don't say it, it's not goodbye. It's till we meet again.” She said with a smile.

“OK, I'll see you soon Zuri. Please stay safe.” I said as I leaned in to kiss her goodbye.

“I will, I hope our time apart is short.” She said as she leaned into me.

And just like that Zuri turned and trotted up the trail and away from me. Neither of us would say it but this was most likely the last we would ever see of each other again. I really hope it isn't but as life goes, chances are it was. I stayed in place almost stoic in my posture until I could no longer see her and then, once she was gone from sight I turned down the trail that would lead me home. With tears still burning in my eyes I let out one last “see you soon” as I trotted down range.

6 hours and every last drop of my water later I could see the gates of New Appleloosa just over the ridge I crossed. Behind me lay more than just memories and mountains, but the prospects of a friendship maybe even love in the future. Granted it was a very slim chance but it was a chance nonetheless, and I was going to hold onto that for as long as I could. This trip had been much more than just a search and recovery mission, it was a trip that actually forced me to deal with things I had never thought about before. Fear, adversity, survival, talent, life, death, friendship and even for but a fleeting moment, love. Bittersweet but still worth doing over had I been given the opportunity to do so a second time.

I trotted through the gates of New Appleloosa with my head held high but no smile crossed my face. Even though I was proud of a job well done, I was still mentally drained from the short goodbyes and the countless miles of being left alone with my thoughts. At the edge of town I think I could make out Boss and Shale sitting outside of Absolutely Everything, trading wares. How is that possible, it should have taken them another week to make it this far! I had only been gone for 2 days and they had covered all that distance in so little time? As I trotted closer, Shale was the first to notice me, followed by Boss.

“Joey! You made it!” Shale said, running up to me and tackling me.

“Ooof! Nice to see you too sis! How the hell did you all make it here this fast?” I asked, trying not to scream in pain.

"Ditzy found us on the way back from making her runs! She gave us a ride back to town, too bad she didn't us sooner..." Shale trailed off.

“Joey! You're not dead! Are you hurt? Do you need to see the doctor? Want some whiskey?” Boss said looking me over.

“No no, I'm good, just really sore, tired and hungry.” I said.

“Glad to have you back kiddo, was startin' to worry I lost my bartender.” Boss said wrapping me in a hug that was complimented by Shale. OK this was new, when did we get all mushy? I was expecting something along the lines of “good job boy, now get back in position” . Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled this wasn't the case but this was different than usual.

“I'm happy to see ya'll too! Wheres Lue?” I asked looking around.

And just like that the hug ended. Everyone wore a pained expression on there faces, a look I knew all too well.

“Joey, Lue didn't make it. We were attacked by raiders in the night on the way here. We did our best to fight them off but they had numbers on us.” Shale said.

“He held his ground and kept them from getting to us but he was shot. He didn't make it to town.” Boss said clearly in pain at the words.

Guilt set in at the fact that I was not there to help protect them, had I not gone then I could have been there doing my job and picking them off. But because I wasn't, now Lue was gone. He may have been an ass at times and even mean to me on a daily basis but he was the closest thing I had to a brother.

“I'm so sorry, I wish I had been there to do something.” I said weakly

“It's OK Joey, you were doing what I asked you to. We couldn't have known what would have happened without you there, Lue didn't suffer, he died the way he wanted to die.” Boss said.

“We buried him at the edge of town if you want to pay your respects.” Shale said wiping a tear away.

“I'm so happy to see you guys.” I said pulling them both into another hug.

“Now now, don't go getting all soft Joey, I'm sure you have quite the story to tell us.” Boss said.

We made our way to the inn across town where Boss and Shale both headed back to the room, after I stopped to see Ms. Ditzy for my usual soda. She even gave it to me for free when I told her I had gotten my cutiemark, followed by more hugging and a offer to resize my holster rig seeing as it was loose in the back. I took her up on that offer and even tried to pay but she wasn't having it, she kept saying that “Every colt deserves a Cutiemark present.” and shooed me out the door so she could get to work, keeping my pistols and holster.

Back at the inn, I let it all out, everything. From flying for longer than 3 seconds, to stumbling across the slaver camp to the comical death of the knife wielding pegasi to meeting Zuri, being outfoxed and then outfoxing the lame buck to saying goodbye. The last part was painful to tell but I managed it with only a few tears in my eyes. Boss wasn't happy about the lame buck getting away like he did but was so happy I was safe that he must have decided to overlook it. Once I had explained the situation with Zu and how I got it back, he seemed to fall more at ease.

“So you're telling me, that you fired both pistols, on your hind legs and didn't expect to go flying backwards?” Boss said as he laughed.

“Forget that, what about this Zu you keep talking about? And the fact that our little Joey is now a buck now that he's kissed a mare.” Shale said with a sardonic smirk.

“I'll miss her...” I said in a Somber tone.

“What did she look like?" Shale asked. And it was just then I remembered my bag and that I had a drawing of her. Slipping them off I was met wish two gasps from the ponies in the room with me.

“YOU GOT YOUR CUTIEMARK!?” They both yelled.

“Oh yeah...guess I did. Sorry I forgot to mention that” I said rubbing my neck.

“What is that, it looks like a paw print but it's all broken up in little lines.” Shale said looking closer.

“That's not just a paw print, that's a coyote print. I have seen one of those before a long time ago. I guess that makes sense seeing how you were able to track that guy down like a coyote would track it prey.” Boss said.

“Joey the tracker...no no no...Joey the hunter...nope...ah! Coyote Joey.” Shale said throwing her hooves wide.

“I think Coyote Joe sounds better.” Boss said, narrowly avoiding a hoof to the face.

“I think I just prefer Joey.” I said meekly.

“Whatever your say Coyote Joe.” Boss said giving me a leg around the neck.

“What do you say we all grab some food to celebrate eh?” Shale said.

“You guys go ahead, I think I want to go see Lue first.” I said standing for the door.

“Shale, you go grab us something good to eat, I need to go with Joey and have a talk with him.” Boss said as he stood to walk out the door with me.

The grave site for Lue was just on the outside of town, there the town had designated the site a cemetery. Lue loved coming here. He would always brag about how this town puts booze in everything, not to mention I think he had a thing for Ditzy. Leave it to Lue to fall in love with a ghoul and want to engage in acts that would more than likely rot off his favorite toy he plays with. We spend a few minutes in silence just staring at the rock with the inscription “Here Lies Lewis, he died protecting the ones he loved”.

“I'm going to miss him, he was a great pony.” I said.

“Me too, he was always by my side no matter the risk.” Boss said.

“Well, we had a great teacher after all.” I said.

This prompted a smile from the old buck, I guess me leaving and loosing Lue made him come to grips with his cold black heart. He seemed different now, a little kinder, maybe softer than he used to be. Even his words felt rounded off on the edges and not so curt to the ear.

“Joey, I have something to tell you. Something I have waited a long time and promised not to until you got older.” He said.

“Yeah? Is it that Shale and me are going to have to marry and make grand babies for you?” I said giving him a shove.

“Shut up boy, this is serious.” Boss said leveling his eyes at me.

“Sorry.” I said shrinking back.

“Joey I didn't find you. You were given to me as a foal.” He said.

“Wait... what?!” I said in complete shock.

“When I was young, after my old man died, I was on the trail trying to establish trade routes with towns further south from Silver Shoe. I had been traveling for over a week by hoof and had left Lue back in Silver Shoe with Peaches. One rainy night I heard somepony up ahead of me screaming in pain so I ran to see what was going on. When I got there, I could see a group of zebras beating on a pony, from what it looked like they aimed to kill him.” He said.

“What did you do?” I asked.

“There was nothing I could do. I was all alone and there were 5 of them, they looked like they were military if I had to guess. So I fell back and watched trying to think of something I could do to save him but, it was no use. By the time they had given up on him and walked away, I ran to him to see if there was anything left to save. But he was too far gone, they had broken all of his ribs and both of his hind legs, poor guys could barely breathe. I was kneeling near him and that's when I heard the sound of a foal crying. Then I saw her, a zebra mare with a foal in a sling around her neck.” Boss said gesturing a slinging motion under his chest.

“So you didn't find me in an abandoned munitions plant?” I asked, still trying to wrap my head around what Boss was saying.

“She walked to us both, even with it raining I could tell she'd been crying. Her eyes met the buck's and she layed down next to him and nuzzled his cheek. The buck did his best to reach for the sling around her neck saying 'please, let me see him one more time'. When she opened the sash there you were, just old enough to have your eyes open. The buck reached for you but couldn't raises his legs up, so your mother took you and layed you across his chest.” Boss said.

“Me? That colt was me?” I asked.

“Yeah, that colt was you and the zebra mare was your mother, try and keep up.” Boss said.

“Wait what? My mother was a zebra?!” I said in disbelief.

“Now hush, I just said that. He was a defector of Equestria running from something and she must have fell in love with him. Before too long you came along and things got complicated. The zebras take in ponies who turn their back on Equestria but they ain't fans of letting them enter relationships with zebras. Something about pure bloodlines or some shit. The guards of their town they lived in had found out about you and they had planned to kill him, you and jail your mother for crimes against bloodlines.” Boss said.

“They were just going to kill them? For having a baby and trying to be happy?” I asked feeling sick to my stomach at the thought of killing a foal.

“Twisted, am I right? Your father and mother were trying to get away at the time and defect back to Equestria but then they caught up with them a day later. Your father told your mother to hide and took the beating for you and her both, your mother stayed hidden until they were gone. I guess since I was trying to help him rather than beat him she trusted me enough to come closer.” He said.

“But how did I end up with you? Wouldn't she want to still try and get away?” I asked.

“She wanted to, I even begged her to come with me but she told me that if she did that they would just keep looking and that they wanted him and you both dead. Something about contaminating the bloodlines. It was enough to send them after you and your mother both even if you all made it to Equestria. She and your father both begged for me to take you with me far away from that place and give you a chance at life.” he said.

“And that's what you did obviously. I'm here now, with you.” I said.

“I was scared, barely a buck myself and had just lost my father a few months back and now I was taking on another child. I didn't want to but I couldn't leave you there either so I did what I thought was right and took you with me. That's where this comes in.” Boss said producing the small black box I had worked so hard to retrieve.

“Your father asked me to give you this when you got your cutiemark, it's a gift from him and your mother. He asked that I wait until you were old enough to have it and to protect it with my life if it came to it, no idea why but it was important to them that I did.” He said opening the box. Inside was a small round pendant with zebra writing on it around the band. In the center of the pendant was a purple translucent stone encompassed by a gold ring setting. It was held by a golden chain that looked like rope until you looked closer to see the small links that held it in place.

I took the pendant from the box and turned it over and to my surprise it had equine writing on the back. The inscription read “May this guide you in times of dark, when in doubt you always follow your heart”.

“Your mother said it was an amethyst and that zebras born in that month usually have the same eye color as their birthstone.” Boss said.

“But why would they give this to me if I was a pony.” I said turning the pendant over in my hooves.

"Your father said that over the years the tribe had been trying to integrate ponies and zebras together in hopes of it's survival. But the older members appalled the idea and when they elected a new leader, they banned zebra pony relations. The problem was that it was too late for your mother and father, she was already pregnant with you and was almost full term. So when the elders found out, they decided to make an example of you and your parents.” Boss said.

“What's written on the front? Did they say?” I asked in disbelief.

“Your mother said that it's a message from her and your birth name. She said your name is Kit, I didn't like it so I just called you Joey. That's all I got out of her before I heard the patrol coming back our way, I guess they must have heard us talking. She gave you to me and told me to run as fast as I could.” He said.

“Did she...” I asked.

“I don't know, I hope she got away. I looked back and saw them leading her back towards the way they had come so maybe she is still alive. Joey, your mother and father risked and gave their lives to protect you, even going so far as to give you to a complete stranger in hopes of saving you. I promised them both I would keep you safe and raise you as one of my own the best I could manage. All they asked is that I give you this when you got your cutiemark and let you decide what you want to be in life. Outside of that, that's all I know.” Boss said.

“Is that why you let me go after it? You wanted me to have the chance to get my birthright back?” I asked.

“It seemed fitting at the time, stupid, but fitting. but after you left I have to admit that I wanted to rush after you and say to hell with the shipment, I didn't want you fucking my up pistols. In hindsight it might have been better but what are the odds of you, son of a zebra and a pony meeting a zebra and falling in love with her. I think they call that irony.” He said giving me a shove.

“Irony sucks and is stupid and....hurts.” I said still feeling the pain in my chest.

“Joey, I want you to be the best pony you can be and I would like to think I have done my best to show you how, but I think its time for you to take over the reins. You did what no other pony your age could ever do, it must be that zebra blood in your veins, maybe it was that zebra girl I don't know. But you did good kid.” He said.

“I had a great teacher.” I said.

“Yeah, you did.” Boss said patting me on the shoulder.

We sat at Lue's grave for a few more minutes before walking back to town. I was now wearing my necklace around my neck with pride and a fair amount of unfounded guilt. The emotions weighed it down to feel like an anchor even though it was only a few ounces, always reminding me the price that was paid for me to even be here today. If not for Boss being there that night I would have been killed, but because he was there, I got a second chance at life.

So many thoughts going through my head. Is my mother still alive? Why is it that even though they shame impure blood I was allowed to be born and given a birthright gift? Was it because some zebras were for the integration and others not? Why did my father have to die? All these thoughts enraged me but the one thought that was standing out in my head was what would Zu think if she knew I was part of team stripes? I wonder if that would have swayed her decision to come with me.

That night we had a small party to both commiserate my cutiemark and my faux birthday. Ditzy and Shale had planned the latter but when they both got wind that I had got my cutiemark, they insisted on two cakes. Due to my love for cakes and cake like foods, I was not complaining in the slightest.

The night drew on with Boss retelling the story of how I came to be to Shale, Ditzy and the barkeep. His tale was met with outrage, sadness and thankfulness that I was here today for their sacrifice. Lastly Ditzy gave me the best present I could have ever hoped for. She hadn't just adjusted my holster, she had engraved my pistols. She had a unicorn engrave my pistols more accurately. The once old and well worn nickel finish, now gleamed in the light, both now sporting a howling coyote on the grips. She had even fixed the broken grip on lefty in the process. I couldn't help myself, I hugged her as hard as I dared, to the point I thought she might pop.

“Do you like them?” She asked.

“No Ditzy, I freaking love them!” I screamed.

“Your welcome 'Coyote Joey.”

Great, looks like that name's going to stick. Shale had wasted no time telling the whole town I had gotten my cutiemark for tracking down a robber in the mountains. Something told me she embellished the story a bit but honestly I didn't care. I had two shiny, brand new looking cannons with coyotes on them! Not to mention a belly full of cake, some of my favorite ponies I know and a firm story about where I came from. Even though I was still pretty torn up about Zu and knowing my parents were more than likely dead, I still felt better knowing where I came from.

Later that night as the party ended, I returned to the room and decided to turn in for the night. Laying in bed felt really good! But laying there left my thoughts to wander over my parents and Zu and if she was ok, if she had made it to the coast yet. After the talk I had with Boss about finding myself and making my own way, I was starting to wonder if I should go back after her. Maybe if I left in the morning I could work my way around the mountains to the coast and find her there? But what would happen to Boss and Shale? I already left them once and look how that turned out, we lost Lue and that pain was fresh. No doubt that it would be a open wound for a long time, Boss would be reminded of his death in every town we went to.

Ugh! If I stay I can't be with Zu and that sucks because I really want to be with her! Especially after finding out my heritage, I couldn't wait to tell her. But if I go then it would leave Boss and Shale nearly defenseless and I won't do that. For the first time in my life I was faced with doing what's right by others and doing what's right by me. So it's no surprise that I chose to do the former. I would find her one day but until I knew the traders were safe I wasn't going anywhere. That just leaves me to think about her and what would one day be.

I couldn't help myself, I retrieved my notebook from my bags and searched for the picture I had drawn of her. Finally I found it buried among the notes and sketches and leaned into the lantern light to see the details of her face once more.

The drawing seemed off for some reason, almost like it was dirty. No surprise really it spend a lot of time in a nasty saddle bag after all. I tried to brush the filth away but it held tight almost like it was bleeding through the paper. I turned the page to look for the offending crud when I was greeted by note written on the back side. A note from Zu.

“Joy, I am sorry I had to leave you. But I can't take the chance to be seen. While I'm writing this you are asleep beside me and if I could, I would stay like this forever. But I can't risk your life for my happiness. I don't want to see you get hurt because of me. I know we haven't been together long but I want you to know that I have feelings for you. And I am hurting just like you. Joy, please find me one day, I want to see you again and I want to be with you in happier times. Maybe we can go to the sea together one day, I would like that. Please don't forget about me, because I will never forget you.”

-Zuri

The last few words had been muddied by tears from Zu and now, my own. I re-read her words over and over again, memorizing them like a song and played all the events back in my head from the days before. I rolled over on my bed a stared out the window at the moonlight peeking through the clouds and with solemn resignation I spoke to myself. “Zu, if you are out there, I'm going to find you again and when I do I will move heaven and earth to be with you, no matter what the cost”.

Her words echoed in my head until the light faded to darkness in my vision and I drifted off to sleep.

Joey's Cutiemark

Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading! Im planning on this being a long story and as such I'm going to attempt at releasing at least one chapter a month now that the editing is all caught up. Who knows! Maybe I can get more chapters out a month! At this point I'm letting the story write it's self, well, apart from the gratuitous use of trigger words that drive my editor insane! He legit cant stand the word 'trail' now! despite my argument that there was really no better word to use.