Applejack spotted the Zebra well before she came within earshot. "Zecora! Howdy! What brings you down to these parts?" She asked as the Zebra approached the apple stand.

"Applejack greetings my friend! I've come to enjoy the day before it ends." Rhymed the zebra drawing an amused grin from Applejack.

An ta think, we thought she was some kind of enchantress. She thought as she gazed into the mare's gentle eyes seeing the azure blue in a new light.

"Say Zecora, ya never did tell me an the girls bout where ya came from." She said remembering the zebra's sudden appearance a few years back. "I never did tell? Deary me that is not very swell." Said the Zebra speaking in tongues. "Ah! Zecora! What brings you back to town again? Oh never mind that I actually could use your help with a new dress line!" Said Rarity appearing behind the two surprising them both.

"Oh come now you two off to the boutique!" Spoke Rarity while nudging the laughing zebra in the right direction. "Oh me oh my I didn't expect such attention from you guys." Laughed the zebra. "Well yer gonna have to get used to it." Sighed Applejack who of tagged along after Rarity half insisted half forced her into it.

The three mares however were unaware of the stranger watching them from afar, a dusty brown cloak hiding all of his facial features.

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"It still surprises me to see you all smiling so happily, where as I can still remember a time when you all ran in fear at my very sight." Smirked the Zebra. Currently the three were seated in Rarity's living room within the boutique.

"Zecora darling we are so sorry for that! We just....you know..." Rarity trailed off as Zecora raised her hoof. "Scared by my sight I know, A zebra isn't normal here you know?" She marveled at the whole of it all. These mares who had shunned her for so long were just scared by her appearance, it was understandable seeing as how they've never seen a zebra but it still struck some part of Zecora's heart.

"My friends, I feel it is time that I share my story with you not in rhyme." The Zebra spoke in a heavy tone as she prepared herself, it was about time that they knew to. "It's okay if you don't want to tell us sugarcube, we'll understand, we're your friends ain't we?" Applejack asked in a gentle tone. "It is because you are my friends I feel you should know, how I got here from the land I once called home." Sighed the Zebra, all those memories she had kept hidden away started to surface.

It was about then that they all heard the doorbells of the store chime as a customer made his or her presence known. Rarity got up from the couch she was seated on with a groan. "Oh bother and just when it was getting good!" She said quickly casting a shy glance at the zebra in hopes she didn't offend her. Zecora only smiled back at her. With great relief that she didn't offend her new guest Rarity made her way downstairs to greet her new guest.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where everything is chic! Unique and Manufiqe!" She said recanting the motto by heart without even opening her eyes.

The stranger smiled and threw back his hood revealing the surprise underneath.  

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Zecora had been siting on the couch opposite to Rarity's when she heard the gasp. "What in the hay is goin on down there?" Asked the farm pony as she made her way over to the staircase only to be greeted by a tackle courtesy of a rushing Rarity.

"Z-Z-Zecora! I have here a guest who says he knows you and...oh bother just see him for yourself." Gasped Rarity who was still on top of Applejack.

"Umm..miss? Is everything okay up there?" Asked the stranger from downstairs. Zecora felt her jaw slacken and eyes widen. "It couldn't be." She whispered, apparently Applejack had heard her as she struggled to get the fashionista off of her. "Ya know him?" She asked quizzically.

"Zane? Do my ears deceive me?" She rushed over to the banister and looked down, sure enough staring back at her were those bug topaz eyes and stripped fur.

"Zane my brother how long it has been! I fear it has been too long since I last saw you grin!" Shouted Zecora as she practically slid down the banister. Into the laughing zebra's hooves.

"Zecora, still rhyming I see! I didn't expect you to be all the way out here!" He said hugging her closely. They were interrupted as Applejack whistled. "Well don't that beat all?" She asked, quickly silenced by a hoof to the ribs courtesy of Rarity.

"I'm terribly sorry for my friends rude behavior, please come inside and make yourself at home. Any friend of Zecora's is a friend of ours." She said in her usual overly polished english accent.

"Why thank you kind mare, I'm so happy that my sister met ponies like you." He spoke in a highly distinguishable accent, a slight slur at the end of his sentences as well as a small rolling of the tongue and over pronunciation of his S's gave the native ponies the impression that he wasn't from anywhere nearby.

"So where did ya come from stranger? Ahm kinda surprised to see more Zebra's around these here parts." Spoke Applejack breaking the ambient silence that soon followed the stallion's ushering.

"Ah Applejack straight to the point I see! Very well it's a rather long story." He started but was soon interrupted by his sister.

"Zane If I may so ask, may I please have the honor of recanting my adventures in the past?" She asked, to this he smiled and nodded.

She took a deep breath and started, surprising everypony there when she spoke.

"As you know I wasn't born in Equestria, my brother and I were born in a land across the deserts of Appleoosa.' It is there that my story begins. She started as the room grew quiet, as if the very walls urged for the story teller to continue.

Next Chapter: Chapter 1: Gather round Estimated time remaining: 11 Minutes