Zenara the Forgotten Pony

Chapter 5: Opposites Don't Make Sense

"it's quite alright." The officer looks around and then back to twilight. "so what's your story light pony? You banished or just visiting?"

"visiting." Twilight replies. "though I probably won't be coming back once I leave."

"not what your use to?" the officer smirks. "yeah no light pony likes this place. Not since Caco took over."

"Caco? The Draconequus?" Twilight replies.

"yup." The officer nods. "been here about oh I'd say little over a couple thousand years." She pushes her glasses down to look over the top of them. "legends say shadow walkers used to run this realm. I don't know why they all disappeared, but the only one left now lives in the forest by herself. Guess she didn't want to vanish like the others."

"the shadow walkers used to be the rulers here? What happened to them?" Twilight frowns.

"just a myth." The officer replies. "since I've been around the only leader we've ever had is Caco, but if such a thing were true. You'd probably find information in an old book in the castle out in the Everfree forest." She looks around. "I don't suppose you've seen my troublesome sister around here have you?"

"sister?" Twilight questions.

"yeah her name is pinkiepie." The officer replies. "I swear that girl is more trouble than she's worth." She points at the wall at a poster. "Pinkie is the most wanted criminal in the shadow Equestria."

"sister... your maudpie then?" Twilight frowns. "why is pinkie a criminal?"

"yeah that's me. I have no clue. I thought our folks raised her better than that but she just has always been a bad egg. I've tried reasoning with her but it's time the long arm of the law caught up to her."

"that's really too bad." Twilight frowns. "well if you'll excuse me I actually need to be going." Twilight starts to walk away but then notices two other officer ponies with the exact same uniform. "the uniforms are all the same. There isn't any differences at all."

"well no of course not." Maud chuckles. "Rarity is very particular about creating the same design over and over."

"rarity makes the outfits?" Twilight asks.

"yup. She's damn good at it too." Maud nods. "you see she makes sure every uniform is perfect."

"but there's no creative twists, no colors, no gems!?" Twilight replies astounded. "I don't think I've ever seen rarity make the same thing over and over."

"that's her job." Maud shrugs. "she makes uniforms for every type of job." She points around. "the trash ponies, the police force, ect." She turns back to Twilight. "everyone is exactly the same. Nobody is special."

Twilight looks around and frowns. "everyone here is all the same... nobody is special. I don't like this place."

"HEY! You stop right there!" Maud yells as she has spotted pinkiepie on the other side of the road stealing a bracelet. She chases pinkie down the road and the two disappear.

"alright. I need to study." Twilight frowns and makes her way back to the forest. "somehow I feel like I might get answer to why Zenara is doing this if I can figure out what happened to the shadow walkers."

-back at the castle-

Zenara appears through a portal and meets with Discord.

"why did you send me here?" Discord looks around. "I will find a way out." He growls.

"you won't be able to escape until I say you can leave." Zenara replies. "I have my mission. I'm just following orders."

"and what a good little follower you are." Caco chuckles.

Discords ears fold back. "oh no... it can't be him..."

Caco appears next to Zenara and pats her head. "I see you managed to find my brother. Good pony."

Zenara frowns and pulls her head away. "don't touch me." she growls. "I did what you asked."

"delightful." Caco holds out his hand. "now give me his gate stone."

Zenara twists a shadow into her bag and holds up the stone she used to seal discord in the shadow realm. "it's right here. Lord Caco." She grumbles.

"excellent." Caco takes the stone and sets it into a hole on his crown. "enjoy the shadow realm little brother. You're not leaving anytime soon." He snaps and Discord turns into a cat.

"hey! Don't use chaos magic on me!?" Discord whines.

"get used to it brother. This is my world." Caco laughs. He turns to Zenara and smirks. "I'll enjoy taking my time seeking revenge on my brother. As for you." he chuckles. "you want answers. The king and queen of the light realm killed your parents. And sealed you in this realm. Because the power of shadow walkers threatened the very existence of ponies in the light realm. They wanted you extinct."

"but why would they do such a thing!?" Zenara replies.

"because dear. They don't give a damn about you or your family." Caco laughs and then snaps and disappears.

Discord still as a cat looks at Zenara as she kneels on the floor in tears.

"is it true?" She asks looking at discord tears streaming down her face when she thinks of her solitary life locked away in a world where friendship doesn't exist.

"I'm sorry." Discord frowns. "I really don't know. Though that doesn't sound right I can't say with certainty that it isn't untrue."

"so if they killed everyone else... then why leave me alive." Zenara looks at the sky through the broken ceiling. "why leave me alive to get revenge?"

"you were only a filly." Discord shrugs sitting on the ground. "maybe they didn't have the heart to kill you."

"or they wanted me to suffer." She growls standing up. "fine... if that's how they want to play." She walks through another portal. "I'll destroy everything they care about. Just like they did to me."

Just after Zenara leave Twilight returns to the castle.

"Twilight!" Discord yells running over to her.

"Discord?" she looks at him confused. "why are you a cat?"

"long story. Basically my brother is mad at me and he turned me into a cat. But that isn't the point. Do you know how to get out of here?" Discord says kind of in a panic.

"no my magic doesn't work here." Twilight frowns. "because friendship doesn't exist."

"oh dang." Discord frowns. "Zenara just went back to the light world. She said she was going to make the princesses pay for making her suffer."

"I don't think she'd hurt anybody." Twilight frowns. "but the faster I get my research done the better."