~Several thousand years ago~

Fillies and colts scrambled about outside as the rain came pouring down from the clouds. The pegasi in their fortresses had not yet grasped full control over the weather, and could not stop the massive thunderstorm. From a small room inside an older hospital, a zebra colt watched the rain attack his window and let out a sigh. It was going to be another one of those nights. He hated storms and lightning. He remembered the saying the elders from his tribe would always tell the young ones. Whenever they behaved badly, it made the ancestors angry. They would stomp their hooves and buck around, churning up the whole sky. He always wondered what they did to make their ancestors angry all the time.

It had been some time since he last saw any Zebras. His tribe had been traveling for a long time, and they had lost a great many of their company coming to this land of ponies. His father had been one of them. His mother was sick the last time he saw her. That was when his aunt took him to this hospital and had him admitted. She said that they had more traveling to do and would return for him once they reached their destination. That was three months ago.

The colt frowned and decided to think on something else. He struggled to sit up in his bed and reached over for one of his many coloring books. He began coloring in the mane of a pretty filly when a couple of loud knocks came from the door. A nurse came in and sneered at the zebra.

“Dinner time, Kethona.” she said with a raspy voice and a cough. She stumbled over to the bed and dropped the tray onto his lap, causing the soup and sandwiches to bounced of the tray and spill onto his sheets and coloring book. “Hope you like it, and I better not hear any screaming tonight. You’ve got nothing to have nightmares about. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, nurse Briarheart.” Kethona said with a meek smile. He wrinkled his nose as the smell of cider left her mouth and permeated the room.

“Good. Sleep tight, stripes.” she said with a chuckle as she left the room and shut the door.

Kethona set his now ruined coloring book aside and tried to dry off the sheets stained with noodle soup. Just as he organized everything back onto the tray, a clap of thunder boomed overhead causing him to jump and spill juice all over his gown. He put a hoof to his face and shook his head. The colt reached over to the table beside his bed and collected a towel to dry his gown. He then used it to wipe away the drool collecting on the side of his mouth.

Kethona had started his meal when a flash of lightning illuminated a figure from the other side of the room. For a moment, he saw bright golden eyes staring back at him from under a hood. Then it was gone.

The Zebra wiped more spittle from his mouth and leaned forward, “Is-is somepony there?” he half whispered.

After a few moments of silence another flash of lightning illuminated the darkness, and to Kethona’s horror, the figure was there. It sat in a chair at the far side of the room staring at him, unmoving.

Kethona turned over and pulled the covers over his head, “It isn’t there, it isn’t there, it isn’t there!” he told himself.

“Greetings, child.” a voice rumbled from the end of the room. “You need not fear me.”

Kethona peaked over the covers and saw the figure, still seated opposite his bed. “Who are you?”

“May I approach?” the figure asked politely.

Kethona nodded and pulled the covers up to his face. The figure slowly rose from the other side of the room and walked on two legs over to a chair beside the bed. It’s form was mostly obscured by it’s cloak, but it held a large pole closely, using it as a walking stick. Kethona noticed a large curved blade at the top, which made him even more nervous. The figure sat down next to the bed and removed its hood, revealing a head of a lion. Kethona gasped as he registered the appendage that removed the hood. It was a reptilian claw.

“Who are you?” Kethona asked, shuddering under his sheets.

“Just a wandering vagrant who happened along,” the lion creature said. “It really started pouring out there, do you mind if I stay here for a while out of the rain?”

Kethona winced as he moved his right foreleg to sit up. “I don’t mind. But your cloak isn’t even wet.”

The lion creature looked at his cloak and smiled placidly at the little zebra, “I see you're right, the folks I purchased this from did speak of it’s quality. Child, was that your nurse who brought you this food?”

Kethona nodded with a frown. “Nurse Briarheart, she doesn’t seem to like me. I don’t know why.”

The creature’s lips curled into a snarl, “Is she always drinking while working?”

“Lately she has been,” came Kethona’s solemn reply.

The lion dropped it’s angry expression and replaced it with a friendly smile. He stood up, grabbing the pole for support and began to collect the tray and dishes from the bed. As he did, the zebra saw his chiseled features under the cloak and got a glimpse of his legs. One was scaley like a lizard, while the other was a hoof like his own.

“Um, Mr?” Kethona croaked, “What’s your name?”

The lion finished moving the dishes to the table and bowed his head, “You can call me Rixis, child. What’s yours?”

“I’m Kethona, Mr. Rixis. I don’t get many visitors. Actually, I don’t get any. You can stay as long as you want.”

The little colt reached out a hoof to shake. Rixis extended his paw and gently shook with the colt. As he did, the sheets fell away and showed the entirety of the Zebra. It only served to confirm what Rixis feared. The colt was born badly, with several deformities and physical afflictions. Kethona’s limbs were disproportionate, his right foreleg and left hind leg were small and shriveled. Parts of his fur were matted and falling away. He appeared to suffer from abnormal curvature of the spine, giving him a small but noticeable hunched appearance. His eyes sunk back into his head while the left one wandered as he looked at Rixis. Occasionally a trail of saliva would leak from the side of his mouth, only to be quickly wiped away when noticed.

As Kethona shook Rixis’ paw, a long shape moved behind him and rose alongside the bed. What he saw made him jump away and wrench his hoof free of Rixis’ gentle grip. A large blue cobra looked over the side of the bed and moved toward him. Rixis laughed and pointed to the snake, “Oh don’t worry about her, she only wants to meet you, too.”

The hooded snake moved over to Kethona, it suspended it’s large body in the air and flicked it’s tongue against his face. “I think she likes you.” Rixis said with a laugh.

Kethona relaxed a little and giggled as the snake’s tongue tickled his cheek and neck, examining him. He reached out hoof and patted it on the head, which it seemed to like. “Is this your pet?” Kethona asked.

“Hmm,” Rixis pondered, as he leaned on his pole. “Not really, we’re sort of connected.” he said while turning around. Kethona saw the long body of the snake travel up under Rixis’ cloak where it appeared to stop near the middle of his back.

“She’s your tail?” Kethona asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, a bit strange huh? I just woke up one day and there she was. I haven’t really named her since she’s, well... me. Or, erm, part of me.” Rixis said while scratching his chin with a claw.

“What are you?” Kethona asked. Staring inquisitively at Rixis.

Rixis smiled as the cobra moved away from the zebra and returned behind him. A bit of a rude question, but he couldn’t fault the little one for asking. He was young and it wasn’t every day you saw something like him. In fact, barely any living creature ever saw Rixis at all.

Rixis sat down with a grunt and chuckled, “I’m... unique, even among my kind. I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. But it’s getting late, and I think a little colt like you should be getting some sleep.”

“No!” Kethona shouted, “I mean, no. I’m... I’m lonely. I don’t have much to do, but I do have these.” He said with a bright smile holding up some coloring books. Do you want to help me color some pictures?”

Rixis nodded at Kethona, “Okay.” He slid his chair over to the bedside and picked up some crayons.

------------------

A few weeks passed and Kethona eagerly awaited the return of his new acquaintance. Nurse Briarheart noticed his small change in demeanor and scoffed at it, but she didn’t complain about the quiet nights. It was nearing the end of Fall and the leaves had just fallen off the trees.

Just as promised, Rixis returned and spent some time with Kethona, but it was short lived. They were reading a book when Rixis stood up and said he needed to leave immediately. As he walked away and began to disappear, he saw Kethona’s eyes begin to glisten with tears as he curled up in the bed. Rixis frowned and called out to the colt. “I might have to leave, but at least I can leave you some company.”

The cobra detached itself from Rixis and slithered over to the bed. From the floor it rose up higher than the bedpost. For whatever reason, it seemed to have grown considerably after detaching from Rixis. The snake coiled it’s large, long body around the width of the bed a few times before stopping and flicking it’s tongue across Kethona’s face, eliciting giggles from the child. The snake picked up some crayons with it’s tail and began to color in some pictures with him. Kethona paused and looked at the snake. He leaned back against one its coils and wondered aloud, “What do I call you? You’re not part of Rixis anymore.” The snake tilted it’s head to the side and watched Kethona intently. “What’s a good name for a snake? I don’t even know. Hmm, he did call you a she. How about Gari? That was the name of a pretty filly in my tribe.”

The cobra seemed to smile and quickly nodded it’s hooded head while it’s wiry tongue stuck out. Kethona laughed while wiping the spit away from his mouth. It was then that he heard hoofsteps coming from outside in the hallway.

“Oh crap! It’s Briarheart! Gari, hide! Hide!” Kethona exclaimed while waving his hooves. The cobra quickly uncoiled herself from the bed and slithered underneath it.

The nurse hiccuped as she entered the room and saw Kethona staring at the ceiling. “What was so funny, stripes?”

“Nothing, why do you ask?” Kethona inquired with a cough.

The nurse huffed and trotted into the room and set his dinner tray on the table beside the bed. “Just thought I heard something, but I suppose it didn’t come from your room. How could it? What do you have to laugh about?”

Kethona sat up and reached for the dinner tray, but Briarheart slid the table away from the bed. She chuckled to herself as she left the room and returned to the Nurse’s station.

Gari emerged from the bed and coiled around Kethona protectively, she raised her hooded head and hissed angrily at the door. Kethona slumped over inside the coils and rubbed his eyes. “What did I ever do to make her hate me so much?”

Gari looked down at the colt and grabbed the tray. She took the cup of fruit and offered it to Kethona. The cobra hovered over him as he finished his dinner. After a moment of relaxing, he crawled up on one of the coils and pointed to a cup sitting on the table. Gari extended her tail and brought it over. Kethona took the cup and emptied its contents into his hoof. Three tablets. He placed them in his mouth and swallowed. After more time coloring, the tablets began to take effect and Kethona had to lay down. Gari slipped her tail under his shoulders and lifted him up. She looked at him with concern and flicked her tongue against his nose.

“It’s okay. They’re supposed to do this.” Kethona said with a laugh. Gari gently lowered him onto the bed and tucked him in. She wrapped her body around Kethona and his pillow as he drifted off into dreamland, and watched over him the entire night.

--------------

The next morning, Kethona woke up in a haze. He felt something moving around him. He rubbed his eyes and saw snake coils everywhere. Gari had coiled her body on the bed while he was sleeping. Kethona smiled and saw her flat hood laying near the edge. With care he crawled over her body and climbed onto the top of her head. “Gari...” he whispered with a giggle. The cobra’s eyes opened and she hissed playfully while unwinding her body. She rose into the air and looked directly up, causing Kethona to lose his grip and slide away. He laughed as she maneuvered her body such that he was falling down a slide. He slid around the bed on her coils until reaching the end and falling off, only to be caught at the last minute by her tail. She wrapped it around him a few times and sat him back on the bed. They spent most of the day playing around since Briarheart wasn’t working.

As the day went on, the sun began to set and Kethona looked longingly at the window. “It sure is pretty,” he said to the snake. “I wish I could see it, instead of being cooped up in this room all the time.”

Gari tilted her head at him then wrapped her tail around his shoulders and stomach. She lifted him up to the window and they both stared outside as the sun dipped below the treeline and the mountains. Gari then started hissing playfully and grabbed a blanket from one of the chairs and wrapped it around Kethona. Still holding him, she put her tail to her face, instructing Kethona to be quiet. He obeyed, but was confused at to what she was doing. Gari slithered over to the door and peaked outside making sure the coast was clear. She slithered out of the room carrying Kethona with her and found the the stairwell leading up the roof. Once they got there, Gari sat the colt down and watched him hobble over to the edge. He clutched the blanket closely, it was chilly outside, but that did not distract him from the view. He sat down and let a few tears escape his eyes, it had been so long since he had tasted fresh air. It felt good. Several things seemed to hit him at once, though none were revelations. He knew his tribe were probably not coming back for him. It was because of his body and weakness. It only slowed them down, wherever they were going. In a way, he understood. Kethona harbored no ill feelings toward them. He just couldn’t see what good that would do.

He started coughing violently and clutched the blanket to himself. Gari wound her tail around him again and brought him in front of her. She flicked her tongue against his face. Kethona rubbed a hoof against her and smiled, “Thank you for this, Gari. You did something special for me. But can we go inside? I don’t want to get sick.” The cobra turned around and slithered back inside the hospital with zebra in tow.

Later that night, Gari had laid down on a pillow just like another patient. Kethona rested on his side under Gari’s chin. He found her hood to be smooth and comfortable. After he fell asleep, she pulled the covers over him to make sure he was warm. Late into the night, Rixis finally returned. He crept over to the bed and motioned to the snake, who coiled her tail around Kethona to move him away. The movement caused him to wake up and spot Rixis.“Welcome back,” he exclaimed with a cough. Rixis motioned for Gari to return to him. The snake unwound from Kethona and reconnected to Rixis, but not before giving the zebra colt a series of kisses.

“Have you two behaved while I was gone?” Rixis asked.

“Yeah, we did. Gari was a lot of fun!” Kethona said.

“Gari?” Rixis question while looking at the snake, who was still fixated on the young colt.

“Yeah,” Kethona replied. “I figured she needed a name since she was by herself.”

“Makes sense,” Rixis admitted. “Kethona... I need to ask you some questions.” he said in calm tone.

“Okay,” Kethona said. “What’s up?”

Rixis pulled up a chair and stared at the floor, Kethona noticed he was fidgeting with his claw and paw before he looked up. “Have you been visited by anyone like me?”

Kethona giggled and stifled a cough, “Like you? You mean tall lion headed things with arms and legs that are different from each other?”

Rixis wasn’t amused. “You haven’t seen any other strange things? No figures from your tribe’s folklore or legends?”

“Nope,” Kethona said with a smile. “Why, should I be expecting them?”

Rixis frowned for a moment, then reclined in the chair. “I... don’t know. But I’ll stay with you tonight. You needn’t worry.” Kethona smiled from ear to ear as he conversed with Rixis about all the things he had done with Gari, until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion.

------------------

As the weeks went by, Kethona found himself feeling more exhausted with each day. He no longer had the energy to get out of bed, and didn’t feel like coloring or reading. It was becoming harder to focus, and food just wasn’t satisfying anymore. Rixis had returned a few times since Gari had taken him out to the see the sunset. But that all seemed a distant memory. Nurse Briarheart was gone so another nurse took care of him instead. She would feed him and wash him when it was needed. Her name was Soft Hooves, and she was a great deal nicer than Briarheart. One evening, Rixis came and left Gari with him, but Kethona was too weak to do anything. Even so, he still managed a smile when Gari gently picked him up and placed him inside her smooth coils. She stayed with him an entire two days, making sure he was comfortable and relaxed. When Rixis returned he found Kethona asleep clutching Gari’s tail.

Rixis leaned over and gripped his axe, still unsure of what he should do. But he was glad the zebra no longer needed to worry about that wretched nurse tormenting him. She would never bother anypony ever again.

About a month ago, he materialized in a small house. It appeared dilapidated and filthy with messes everywhere, but it wasn’t long until he saw her. Briarheart was snoring on the couch with empty cider bottles all around her. He had to admit, there were few things in the worlds that he did not understand. But this was one of them. Fate? Coincidence? Justice? He had no idea, but this circumstance was not crafted by him. Over the weeks and months, Rixis observed some other hospital staff and patients while he was looking after Kethona. Briarheart was not just mean to the little zebra, but to every other patient, especially the foals. She had stolen money from the hospital numerous times to fund her drinking habits. She was messy, unqualified, mean, and self aware. But now it was the end.

A gurgling sound came from her throat as she began to cough. Vomit erupted from her mouth, but did not escape it. She began to gag violently, all while Rixis looked on with a smirk. Once her body ceased its spasms, Rixis extend his axe and tilted on its side so the blade was parallel to her body. He passed it over her once, then waited. Eventually, Briarheart’s essence left her body and she shook her head.

“Where- where am I?” she wondered, then shrieked when she saw Rixis towering over her. He was much larger now, taller than he was when visiting with Kethona. “Who are you? Are you a spirit?”

“Very astute.” Rixis said with a smile. “I am indeed.”

“Then I’m... that means...” she looked over at her body and screamed. “No!!!”

Briarheart ran to the door but Rixis moved a claw and shut it. She looked back at him standing in the middle of the room and began to cry. She ran to the windows, but he shut those, too. She ran to each exit, and each one was systematically closed off by Rixis. Eventually he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and lifted her in front of him. His cobra tail moved around her, hissing violently. She squirmed and looked him in the eyes, terrified.

“You’re going to take me to the Eternal Shores, spirit?” Briarheart asked with a meek smile.

Rixis raised an eyebrow, amused, “Do you really think you’re going there? If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”

Briarheart’s face couldn’t be more pale, “No? Then...” she started as her teeth chattered, “Tartarus... you’re sending me to Tartarus...”

Rixis leaned on his axe, “Tempting, but no. I don’t think so.”

“Wha- what?” she squeaked.

“See, both of those places you’ll continue to exist. Each existence would be vastly different, but you’re still existing.” Rixis explained. “I don’t usually do this, but there are exceptions, and I think you qualify as an exception...”

Briarheart’s expression changed to one of hope, “Really? What do I get?!”

“You get, oblivion.” Rixis roared as he opened his maw and devoured the screaming pony. Her essence now added to his own, but she would have company. There were several more before her.

Rixis rubbed his stomach after thinking about that night, he was certain it gave Kethona at least a few more weeks of happiness before he started to decline. The zebra finally opened his eyes and managed a weak smile. “Rixis...” he croaked.

The spirit leaned down while cobra propped the child’s head up, “Yes, child. I’m here.”

“It hurts...” the colt squeaked while closing his eyes. “Is this the end? I’m scared.”

If Rixis had a heart it would have broken in two. He leaned against his axe while the cobra flicked it’s tongue against Kethona. He didn’t know what to do... his duty was to ponies, not to zebras. That’s what his instincts told him. Rixis had never known any instructor or mentor, there were no guidelines, there was no rulebook. He had no one other than his siblings, and they all scorned him. But ever since he was born from that pile of corpses, he knew this was his purpose. No other spirits came to the colt. Not before, and not now, even as he faded. Rixis picked up his axe and slammed the butt into the ground. Consequences be damned, he would not let this little child slip away into nothingness.

“No young one, it’s not the end. You’ll see.” Rixis slowly reached out his paw and placed it to the colt’s chest. Kethona shivered and whimpered at the touch. “I know it’s cold. Shh. It’s alright.” Rixis said as the touch spread throughout the zebra’s body. Eventually the shivering ceased, and Kethona felt release. Rixis took hold of his essence and removed it from the corporeal body. He cradled the small child in one paw.

“It’s all behind you now, little one.” Rixis whispered as he left the hospital, the land that would later be known as Equestria, and the world. “You’ll never suffer like this again.”

----------------

Kethona stirred as he was gently rocked back and forth. He opened his eyes and was immediately assaulted with bright rays of sunlight. He rubbed them and looked at the ground moving beneath him. Rixis looked down at the zebra and smiled. “I see you’re awake, that’s good.”

Kethona realized it was a great distance to the ground. Rixis was a lot taller now, more than twice his height in the hospital. “Where are we?” Kethona asked. Rixis was striding through a meadow awash with every color of the rainbow. Flowers swayed in the wind as birds sang and flew overhead. It was so peaceful. This land was the definition of beauty.

“We’re in an enchanted land far away.”

“Am I dead?” Kethona asked with a frown. “If this is the afterlife, then that means you’re a... god!”

Rixis let out a hearty laugh as they continued to make their way across the fields. “God?!” He looked down at Kethona with bright glowing eyes. “If I am a god, so are you.”

“What do you mean?” Kethona asked.

Rixis chuckled and shook his head, “I’m no different from you, Kethona. Not in any way that would make me a god. We have more in common than you realize.”

As they walked, Rixis neared the edge of a cliff and extended his claw. “What do you think?” he asked.

Kethona’s jaw dropped as he took in the view. A vast ocean lay before him with crystal clear sparkling water. The sun was starting to set, casting shadows across the fields behind them. Across the ocean, Kethona squinted and made out a shoreline. It was just as beautiful and welcoming as this place.

“I don’t even know. This place, it’s something out of my dreams.”

Rixis gripped Kethona tightly and jumped off the cliff, landing at the bottom with a powerful thud. As he approached the beach, he balled his claw into a fist and moved it aside. In response, a small boat appeared on the shore. “Wait, what’s going on?” Kethona asked as he gripped Rixis’ arm.

“You were correct, Kethona.” Rixis admitted. “You have passed on from the world. It was your time. I came to you because I sensed your pain, and loneliness. I was lonely, too. I chose to escort you here.”

Kethona shook his head, “Where is here?”

Rixis gently lowered the colt into the boat and waded out into the calm waves. “Across this ocean are the shores of eternity. Beyond them is everlasting paradise.”

Kethona crawled to the back of the boat as Rixis pushed it out with the butt of his axe. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

“I cannot,” Rixis replied with a solemn shake of his head, “I do not belong there.” He raised his claw and waved goodbye. “I’m happy to have met you, Kethona. Enjoy paradise.”

Kethona looked around as the boat began moving on its own, ferrying him out into the vast open water. “Wait! Don’t go!” he shouted, tears forming in his eyes. “I don’t want this! I don’t want to be alone!”

He jumped off the boat and into the water, disregarding that he couldn’t swim. “I don’t want to be alone again! What good is an eternity alone?!”

Kethona flailed in the water as he sank below the surface, still screaming for the spirit. His vision soon darkened as the weight of the water fell upon him.

----------------

It seemed an eternity that Kethona thrashed around in blackness. He saw images of his mother and father, his aunt, and the many of zebras of his tribe. He saw Briarheart laughing at him, and all the sunsets from his hospital bed. Then a sudden cold across his chest jolted him awake. He was in another bed, but this one was much bigger. Kethona found himself in a lavish room with a large roaring hearth. There was furniture around that oddly seemed to fit him perfectly. He stood on the bed and noticed that even in the afterlife his deformities remained. As he reached the end of the bed the door to the room slid open and a blue cobra poked it’s head inside.

Before Kethona could do anything the snake lunged and tackled him off the bed. He fell to the floor in a huge tangled mess of snake coils, laughing as its tongue tickled his face. “Gari it’s so good to see you!” She squeezed him tightly and nuzzled against his mane. Kethona crawled atop Gari’s head and grasped the folds of her hood, “Where is Rixis?”

The cobra untangled her long body and slithered out the door and into a corridor. They appeared to be in a ruined castle or keep of some sort. Kethona had been in a castle before. His tribe was granted an audience with a gryphon king to ask for safe passage through his lands. They paid a heavy price. Gari slithered into the throne room and Kethona’s expression exploded in happiness. On an old, crumbling throne, Rixis sat with his axe leaning on his shoulder. He was asleep, snoring loudly. Gari formed a seat with her coils and sat Kethona down. She raised her head in the air and hissed loudly. Rixis was jolted awake and slowly raised his head.

“Wha? Ungh. I’m up, I’m fine... Oh, Kethona, you’re awake.”

“I’m just glad you didn’t abandon me.” Kethona said with a smile.

Rixis tapped the talons of his reptilian foot impatiently, “Child, I don’t think you understand what you turned down. Why did you do it? I understand you didn’t want to be alone, but there are other ponies across the shores. I’m sure any of them would have welcomed you.”

“But I don’t know any of them,” Kethona said with a frown, “You were the only one who visited with me as I was dying. In the end you were my only friend.”

Rixis nodded, “And you were mine. I was lonely, Kethona. I’ve existed a very long time. Shunned and cast away. But as you can see, this isn’t really a place for foals. You can’t stay here, if that’s what you want.”

Kethona shifted in Gari’s coils as he looked around the throne room. The ceiling was collapsing and much of the walls and support pillars were cracked. “I admit, I’ve seen better kept homes.” he said with a laugh.

Rixis chuckled, “I’m a busy spirit, little zebra. I’m never home anyway.”

Kethona climbed out of his coiled seat and hobbled over to one of the pillars. Gari followed him closely, curious what he was doing. “Well, we’ll make it better! You got magic, right? Lets use it!”

Rixis smiled and shook his head, “You’ll be the only one here when I’m gone, this realm can be a lonely place, believe me.”

Kethona walked over to Rixis and sat down. “What if I helped you?”

Rixis looked down at the colt and chuckled, “Help me? I escort the dead to their places of rest, Kethona. You want to help with that?”

Gari hissed a bit of laughter. Kethona playfully punched Gari’s stomach as she sat behind him. “I’m serious, guys!” he insisted. “You were going to take me to paradise, so let me thank you.”

“Hmm...” Rixis contemplated, “You aren’t a spirit... but you could pass between worlds if I allowed it. I’d have to train you to get a grasp of the magic.”

“I can do it!” Kethona said as he wiggled in Gari’s grasp.

Rixis bent over and gave the zebra a stern look, “I don’t pass judgement, Kethona. Well... most of the time...” he trailed off. “Ponies’ fates usually have been determined by their actions in life, thus it is not your place to judge. Understand?”

Kethona nodded. “I just take them where they need to go.”

Rixis leaned back in his throne and pondered the situation more. “I’ll accept your help, young Kethona.” Rixis said. “I’m tired of being alone, and you just might be good at this.” he said with a wink.

Kethona raised his hooves in joy as Gari spun him around in celebration.

“But first, I think it’s time we fixed that form of yours.” Rixis said with gentle smile.

“My form?” Kethona asked while looking at his deformed body.

Rixis motioned to Gari and stood up from the throne. The cobra nodded to Kethona in reassurance and raised him high into the air. Rixis picked up his axe and leveled the pointed tip at Kethona, who closed his eyes in fear. “What are you going to do?”

“You lived your entire life disabled in a feeble body. But you aren’t alive anymore. For going through that and keeping your spirits high, you deserve better.” Rixis said. He stepped back and gently touched the tip of his axe to Kethona’s forehead. A wave of cold froze him to the core, causing him to close his eyes. Then he felt Gari lower him to the ground. He opened his eyes and examined his hooves, they were the same size, all of them were. He could move his neck without it hurting. He wasn’t drooling anymore.

Rixis upended his axe and planted the blade into the ground in front of Kethona. “Not bad, eh?”

Kethona gasped as he saw his reflection in the blade. He was a normal zebra! Limbs proportioned, eyes straight, everything. He shouted in joy and took off at a gallop around the room. Gari followed, enjoying his happiness. Kethona stopped and bowed to Rixis, “Thank you, Rixis. I- I don’t know what to say.” he stammered with tears of joy dripping from his eyes.

Rixis bent over and picked him up in the palm of his paw. “Never bow to me, Kethona. I am not your better, but I graciously accept your gratitude. Now come, you have much to learn.”

------------------

~ present ~

“You were the first one!” Iris exclaimed, “But you had a horrible life before this.”

“Yeah,” Kethona replied, “But I’m much better now, and I owe Rixis much.”

The foals heard shifting and creaking coming from the open coffin. River fluttered off his shoulder as Rixis began to move. Frost and Iris backed up a few paces when they saw his reptilian claw grasp the edge of the coffin. Slowly Rixis stepped out and bent over. He let out a low growl as he stretched his back, cracking what seemed to be hundreds of bones. He spread his arms wide in a gargantuan stretch then yawned. As he did, his green claw fell away as a gout of sand escaped his arm. River attempted to pick up and give it back, but it was just too big. Rixis smiled and helped her lift it with his paw. He fixed the limb back into it’s proper place and nuzzled River. She landed on his shoulder again and winked at Frost and Iris.

Rixis reached his claw to something in the distance, and his axe flew to him. Eventually his eyes settled on Frost and Iris, “I’m starving.”