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Taking a Trip to Saddle Arabia [abandoned/closed]


dragonofruin

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The great expanse of sand and an unfamiliar city was a pleasantly new sight to the striped Equestrian's eyes. Saddle Arabia was nothing like Equestria: pale sands and buildings of golden stone with a unique architecture, broken up by little splashes of green plant life. The city she'd grown up in just seemed so dull in comparison, but she didn't hate it. It was just a nice change to get outside of Equestria's borders for a fun little trip for herself to break up the monotony and it brought her some enjoyment to be somewhere she'd never been before. Adventure.

 

It was a little scary too. Yuna was here alone with nopony she knew, though she really didn't know anypony back in Equestria to start with. Avoiding the streets, the zony had flown up to glide gently while she surveyed the city from a pegasus's view, enjoying the sight of it from a different vantage point. The skies were a nice, clear blue with faint and distant clouds. Nothing to land on, and she would rather not cause any problems by landing on the roof of somepony's home. It would only be once she finally worked up the self-confidence that she'd finally bother to land in one of the emptier streets and holding out her half folded wings with a grimace. She didn't fly often, and that'd been.. a bit tiring in this dry heat.

 

Giving them a shake and folding them over her saddlebags, Yuna hesitantly started down the street. She supposed that now while she was here, she'd have to find somewhere to sleep during her visit, and figure out where she'd be able to buy food. Did they speak a different language here? She only knew Equestrian! Maybe she didn't think this through all the way, but Yuna felt the trip would be worth it all because it was something new to experience.

 

 

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Bast smiled happily as she walked through the market, breathing in the hot and dry air of her homeland. The sphinx was here to check on the shop they left behind, hoping the friend they chose to run it was making good money. Of course, her mother never said when she had to be back, so Bast was taking advantage of the time she had in her home and decided to check the market. The market is where most of her memories were made. Playing with the other ponies, telling them riddles and laughing while they struggled to think, and the best part was watching the baker make bread. The smell hit her nostrils almost instantly, making her drool. " Hello sir! How much for the bread? " The colt turned and smiled " For you miss? It's about fifteen bits. " 

 

Bast ate the bread with a smile, her tail thumping on the ground and forming small clouds of sand. Her eyes fell upon a filly, who was looking directly at her. Bast swallowed awkwardly, and waved at the little one. After a few seconds the filly came over and asked " Can you tell me a riddle, like a very hard one. Because I'm good at riddles too. " Bast rose a brow and leaned down to her level " Think you can out-riddle a sphinx huh, challenge accepted little one." The filly sat down next to her with a proud smirk and waited for her first riddle. " I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nopony, but come alive with wind. What am I?"

 

The filly hummed in thought, pretending to think about the answer. " An echo. " Bast was impressed and ruffled her hair. " Nice work, little one, I see I may not have given you a challenge... " The filly beamed, giggling, " I out riddled a sphinx ! " " Woah there missy, I'm just getting started. " 

" Oh really? Try me. " 

" You got it. " Bast smirked, letting some of her teeth show. 

" What flies when it's born, lies when it's alive and runs when it's dead? " 

The filly was stuck now, because the answer is something she had never seen before. 

 

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The street she was on met with a busy intersection, one of the wider streets of the city. It was just at the edge of it Yuna stopped, peering out at all the passing creatures while she quietly struggled with answers to her questions. There were native horses, tall and slender legged, with a mix of other ponies among them. Yuna couldn't tell if they were natives too, or foreign visitors like herself. Some certainly looked like it.. It let her feel a little less out of place than she did.

 

Hesitantly, she stepped out and picked a direction to wander, staring up at the sandstone buildings all the while and marveling at what she'd seen from overhead moments ago. It was such a warmly colorful place, and.. Her thoughts broke off as she neared what looked to be some sort of market. Even here, Yuna caught the wonderful scent of freshly baked bread. Lifting her head, she followed it through the market to its source: a bakery. She'd passed a few other little shops along the way, ones that she felt she'd like to look at later. Especially one that seemed to have an array of clothing, or perhaps it was cloth? In either case, Yuna would love to get a new shawl from a foreign land like this! Something nicer than the simple worn ones she had.

 

The zony pulled herself out of her thoughts when she became aware of voices, a distinct conversation- Yuna was surprised to see it wasn't coming from ponies, but rather a winged feline creature she'd never seen before, and a filly. It sounded like a riddle! But the answer to it, or what she'd overheard, Yuna didn't think she could figure out; the meaning of poetry and the answers to riddles and other such questions were always difficult for her. The answer was either right in front of her face, or something that she'd never considered before.

 

Coming to a halt nearby, Yuna tried not to look like she was rudely listening in on their conversation. The pegasus was curious to find out what it was, and the scent of bread had taken a backseat to this- though the smell was a little distracting so close to the bakery.

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The filly was beginning to grow frustrated, Bast smirked and laughed while she frowned even more. " You need more time? " The filly stomped a hoof and shook her head. " I can answer it right now. " The spine took a bite of her bread and hummed, waiting for the little one's answer. " Rain! " Bast stalled and pretended to think about it. " Sorry little one, you are wrong." 

 

" What? What do you mean? It is always alive when it manages to get here! " She whined and began to jumped a little. 

" Child, the answer is a snowflake. " Bast began to draw her best version in the ground, " It is a raindrop that is extremely cold, and a snowflake is never the same. This pattern? Is just one of millions of other patterns. " 

 

The filly seemed to be no longer interested in the fact that the sphinx had cheated her, rather what a snowflake was. " Will I ever see one? " " Well, when you get older and you are able to travel, come to Canterlot, or Ponyville, where you can see snowflakes and snow. Snow is like sand, but white and cold, and it melts when you hold it. " 

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The answer to the riddle surprised Yuna. It was something she never would've thought of, and she had to give the filly a point for having been close to the actual answer. A snowflake. The zony shook her head with a small smile. No, riddles just weren't one of her strengths at all. As the topic of snow came up, Yuna chose that moment to wander a little closer, half because she felt like actually trying to join the conversation, and to get out of the way of the other market passersby.

 

"It's also a little crunchy underhoof. During the winter when it's snowing, it covers everything; it's a pretty sight to see. You might think it looks like frosting," Yuna chimed in, her voice holding a hesitant quaver. It suddenly felt like she was being very rude to butt into their conversation like this, but it was too late now! She had already spoken. A hoof scuffed against the ground and she'd offer up a smile for the both of them that she hoped said she was just trying to be friendly. Her wings were ruffled against her sides, readjusting the way they were settled over her saddlebags; she was fidgeting, just a little.

 

"So! Uh, hey. Are you.. y'know, natives?" Yuna thought to ask, just to make sure. The fact that she'd found a couple of creatures that spoke the same language might afford her the chance to ask the questions she'd been stressing over mere moments ago.

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" Oh really? " The filly stood and looked at the peculiar pony and smiled. " Does it included magic? Can you make some appear right now? Can you? " Bast sighed and rolled her eyes, " Woah woah little one, I think she needs my help for a little while. You can ask her these questions later. " The filly pouted and stomped on the ground. " You're not my Papa ! " 

 

" I may not be, but I do have a mouth, and I can tell him that you were acting up around your elders. " This was something she would hear all the time when she was little, and it always worked. The filly's ears went back and she nodded. " Right... " " You can go tell your friends you out-riddled a sphinx if you want-" Her frown was gone in an instant, the giggly mess was galloping to go find some friends to brag too. 

 

" ha...kids, but yes, to answer your question I am native. Do you need help? " Best stood up and shook of the sand from her hind legs and tail. Now she took a moment to actually look at the pony. Wow..she looks...different. 

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Yuna couldn't help smiling at the filly. "I wish I could. But there aren't any clouds, and the snowflakes would melt easily in this heat." Her tone was sympathetic, as if to acknowledge the poor filly's disappointment in the fact ahead of time. The pegasi could alter and change the weather.. they just couldn't change the way a desert worked. The exchange between the filly and the sphinx drew out a soft chuckle, and Yuna took a few seconds to watch as the little pony ran off.

 

Her attention shifted back to the sphinx, her small smile still lingering on her muzzle. "Oh, well.. I pretty much just got here and I was wondering, uhm.." Yuna trailed off as she sought the phrasing she was looking for, and her specific questions, "what I should know about Saddle Arabia? As well as if there's an inn of some sort I can stay, and where I'd be able to get food?" Cutting herself off there, so she wouldn't overwhelm the sphinx with her questions, Yuna idly drew a small circle in the sand with the tip of one white hoof. She had more questions, and one of them was a little less about Saddle Arabia itself and more about what the creature was before her. They were winged and feline. Yuna tried to wrack her memory for the name of the species; it seemed familiar somehow, but she couldn't be quite sure.

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It was a lovely day for the pegasus to have lunch out doors, but he felt that the weather in Saddle Arabia was always just right. Large wings but twice the average span of most pegasus and with tri colored feathers this Saddle Arabian native allowed his wings to sit aloft from his shoulders to take in that warm air. While he was fond of the cooler airs of the indoors, sometimes one needed the chance to take in the mid-afternoon sun. He was glad to have an hour of lunch today. as his work kept him locked up in the university nigh since sunup, but he was no teacher. This pegasus was a studious scholar and he certainly looked the part with a saddlebag heavy with tomes with bottles of fresh ink always ready to take notes. It helped he was a walking quill factory. Despite the heat of the day the cafe areas were as busy as ever! But today there seemed to be a unique denizen, no no two! His head took a slight cant as his grey-blue eyes peered through the thick lens of his monocle. The chain looped back and was pierced into the fold of his ear. Nary wherever the pegasus twitched them they dared not pull hard to thrust the glass from his eye. And what so! This surprise caused both forms to prick up and a snort escape his snout. The small equine danced in place, red hooves scraping against the cobblestone streets. His short, red tail danced behind him as his wings raised to properly tuck against his shoulders and side. 

 

Right. Right he was a pony of knowledge! Though many peers were convinced his field was closer to the pseudo sciences of psychology than having much worth in the way of archaeology, but it was what he and his sister had gotten into. It was their passion, though they skewed in agreement as to what was most important to study! He felt the development of culture through one's history was quite vital to understand their present, while she in the latter believed the idea of their architecture's development was key! Right, now how to get their attention? Should he pose valiantly? Maybe...?!

 

But by the time he had formulated a simple greeting he had stumbled to a stop in front of the individuals. "Ah! Pardon day! Good me!" No wait... "I mean -- good day, pardon me, but if I may inquire... you young ladies are curious specimens..." Wait er no! "Figures! Figures!" he sputtered and flailed his wings about a bit before pulling a book and quill from his bag. "I am a scholar of the near by university, I study different cultures across Equus you -- you two are --?" A smirugh and Okapi? No wait... that did not seem right.

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The pastel pink mare's attention was pulled away from the sphinx, who she had been awaiting answers from, to a warmly colored stallion. He was a fair bit taller than herself, but thankfully not so tall as the horses who inhabited this city. Her ears perked.

 

"Oh, uh, hello!" Yuna nervously chirped; she could pick up that this stallion seemed to be about as nervous as she was about approaching strangers, judging from the way that he'd fumbled over his greeting. The corners of her lips twitched up. Curious specimens, figures. Yuna ruffled her dual colored wings and turned in place to more fully face this new pony. "I'm Yuna," she introduced herself, misunderstanding his question; she didn't know he meant to ask what they were rather than for their names.

 

"A scholar, huh? Must be nice. I've long since finished school, but I've never been to any sort of fancy university. Never had the money." Yuna smile faintly and shrugged, trying to indicate that that fact didn't really bother her at all. She was pursuing what she was interested in already, her desire to help ponies, through both her talent and the best way that she felt she could help them. Even though they were mere strangers and owed her nothing, even if they didn't listen to her or didn't do anything to help themselves to start with. It was an effort she was willing to make because helping them made her happy. It meant she was, in some small way, making a difference.

 

"So, what's your name? And what kind of cultures have you managed to learn about?" Yuna couldn't help asking her questions, as curious as she was about it. There still wasn't a whole lot that she actually knew about zebra culture that hadn't been watered down by Equestria and mixed up with ponies.

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  • 1 month later...

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Lightning's family were natives to Saddle Arabia for a number of years. His arrogance was but a result of nobility. This prestige was due to his family's role archivists, explorers. Though when they first arrived they did so as acrobatics, entertainers for the sultan and nobility. Their small pegasui forms and natural agility lent to their Grace as sky dancers and acrobats. They were known for their dual toned wings, a trait not often seen among the winged ponies. Lightning and his sister had a trip tone it was believed a result of their being twins, but it seems to come from their mother who has a strong monotone coloration of black.

 

Regardless of the why it made his family subjects of admiration, but as with all things that has changed. Over time Saddle Arabia became a center for scholarly pursuits. These days it as known for it, but in the past it was still a developing nature with developing tastes. Lightning's family became enthralled with spelunking. The country's vast size and ancient wonders granted many individuals with such opportunities, but few succeeded.

 

The pegasus, ever a lanky fellow, would spread his audaciously large wings at her greeting. The plumage seemed to dance like a flame with its reds, golds, and oranges! The limbs were as flexible as any other and would bend at the wrist as he bowed his head. His scowling expression held his monocle over his left eye, pierced ear anchoring the chain so he would not lose his precious eyepiece were he to lose focus.

 

“A pleasure! I am Distant Lighting! A native to this fine country!” A proud patriot the glittering bird, covered in glittering gold embroidery and fluttering, white silk sang praises of his Nation with ease. “Yes! Many would call me a scholar, though my specialty is studying pony culture and its development from our more primitive roots.” He bowed his head before allowing his wings to fold back against his side.

 

He blinked and looked the mare over in what many would declare a rather invasive manner as he cocked his head to the side and honestly in on the markings along her hind quarters. He trotted towards her, focused, like a love struck yearling except this pegasus was dripping with curiosity. His flaming feathers and sunset fur snakes along the cobblestone street as those red hooves seemed to barely float over the ground as he attempted to circle her. His muzzle parted as he took breath.

 

“What are those?!” The bird as a flutter with intrigue. He has never seen a mare like this!

 

Now while he has a vested interest in wings it took a back seat to the curious markings of which he thought, at first, were part of her cutie mark.

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Her dark eyes flicked towards the pony's spread wings, noting all the different colors and the fiery shine to his feathers. They were rather pretty to look at, and she could admire them; they were far more interesting than the single colored wings of most pegasi. Yuna tore her eyes away from the stallion's wings to focus on his face, trying to make a mental note that his expression was most likely because of his monocle- thus far he seemed to be a friendly pony.

 

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Distant," she replied, offering an acknowledging nod. "Sounds like that's pretty interesting to learn about. I'm certainly curious about it, since I never really considered any of that before.." Yuna trailed off when he approached and started to circle her, eying her up and down. It would've been mildly uncomfortable, but nothing about him was creepy or lecherous.. at least to her own perspective. For all she knew, she could be entirely misreading him all because their interaction had been amiable thus far. "What is.. what?" she echoed questioningly.

 

Yuna took the moment to look at herself, shifting up her wings with their white flight feathers and down at her legs. She couldn't see what he found so out of the ordinary that he didn't have or knew what they were.. although once she took a second glance at the other ponies around her, she realized. Her stripes. She'd gotten somewhat used to living around other zebras and zonies in Baltimare and she scarcely ever noticed, nor thought about them.

 

"They're stripes," the pegasus spoke up, folding her wings again and curling a foreleg up as if to show him what he could already easily see for himself, saddlebags or no saddlebags. "Have you ever seen zebra before? I'm.. well, I'm half zebra at least. They're usually white with black stripes." Or black with white stripes if their stripes were particularly dark and thick that it appeared that way, which rarely happened, but that particular detail didn't matter either way! Yuna had one of  her familiar feelings that told her Distant Lightning might intend on asking her more about zebras, and their culture, if he didn't already know- there was always a chance that a scholarly type like him might've never seen the species they'd heard or learned about with their own eyes, and found them difficult to recognize.

 

The zony turned in place a little, ensuring that she could fully face Distant again so that they could properly continue their conversation, so long as he was finished eying her stripes. Otherwise she'd just have to stay still and wait!

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  • 2 weeks later...

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"Stripes?!" The pegasus echoed, like a fluttery little parrot. 

 

His grey-blue eyes examined the stripes with interest. Now there was a number of things this could have implied, but his decorum for such things was abysmal and pushed him into a habit of asking things he probably shouldn't Red hooves danced around, steps so light it was difficult to tell of he even touched the ground. At his hip the hanging purse of his writing implements bounced, the sound of bits rattling inside like a dancer's coins. Flicking his thin ears hie shook his head, tossing about his partially braided mane, a portion of it pushed up into a mohawk.

 

"Was your mother a zebra, or father?" Ah there he went. "Where did they live, where were you born? Did you learn Zebra traditions or Pony culture?" One thing at a time Lightning, aaah!

 

He bounced back in front of her, wings popping out in excitement. They flapped once or twice before he plunked his flank on the ground. The luxurious, red tail of his flapped around against the ground like an expectant pup. His ears were swiveled forward as the light caused his lens to sparkle. The excitement in his expression was easy to see. His posture was that of an attentive student. It was difficult to pull him out of full nerd mode. The scholar was always interested in different cultures. Being from Saddle Arabia he hardly knew of individuals beyond the sea but now he faced one of two different cultures than his own! 

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Yuna answered the stallion's exclamation with a nod, and she fidgeted under his curious, wandering gaze. She wasn't used to being stared at for so long, much less studied. Part of her knew why he was, if he was a scholar who studied different cultures and species, but it could still get a little unnerving after a while. Her eyes, that had begun to slide away from him and focus on nothing in particular, snapped back when he danced light on his hooves. His floaty movements were unexpected for a stallion of his height, and she had to ponder that- scholars didn't usually move like that, did they?

 

"My father was a zebra. I think he went back to the zebra homeland when I was still young." Yuna shrugged, unsure about where he'd disappeared to and why. "We lived in Baltimare, where I was born.. I assume, anyway. Uhm," Yuna struggled to keep up with the onslaught of questions, reviewing each in her head to make an effort to remember everything he was asking her so that she'd be able to answer him properly.

 

"I guess I learned more about pony culture than zebra culture. I mean, Baltimare has quite a lot of zebras, and even zonies, living within it with ponies, and their own section of the city. I didn't really live around there, though, although I could visit it from time to time out of curiosity." Yuna watched him flop down onto his rump before her and carefully sat down herself, her wings lifting slightly from her sides and shuffling back down against them. Dark burgundy eyes flitted away towards their surroundings, checking to make sure they wouldn't be in the way of most of the street's traffic- they were far enough to the side that she deemed them safe enough, and still close enough to the bakery with its rich scents of baked bread. Yuna inhaled it again as her eyes found Lightning again. "What little I know is that zebra culture is steeped in nature. They're well known for their connection to the earth. It's not like, earth ponies, the way they can make things grow.. It's different, to an extent. Zebras don't try to control anything, not like ponies do, but leave nature to itself, and because of their harmony with nature, they take to making a lot of potions and healing medicines from different kinds of plants based on their uses and what they do when put together." This was perhaps the longest that she'd managed to talk with a pony, casually, and more than she'd ever said at once. Yuna quietly cleared her throat, trying not to strain her voice too much.

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  • 5 weeks later...

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Lightning listened diligently to the tale. So Zebra regularly left their herds? It was all quite fascinating, but not quite the information he was looking for. Of course his disappointment became visible on his face. His head turned down slightly as his forward facing ears moved to the sides. That curtain of red at his flank flicked whilst his forehoof dug against the ground. While his face was pinched to a scowl in order to hold taught the round of glass over his eye his body clearly read of his mood. He was an honest pony in that. The multicolored wings raised off his back slightly, the duclaw pointing slightly.

 

“I see. What is Baltimare? I thought the majority of you ponies lived in Equestria?” Said the pony himself!

 

But growing up around horses the pegasus regularly forgot his own origins as he, for all intents and purposes, was a Saddle Arabian. His family had lived here long enough to not be thought of twice in that respect. It led him to wonder if the pony states has principalities much akin to their own land divisions. Culturally they were bound by a diarchy, so he was wont to assume it left the country split. The disappearance of the second sister was far from secret, though it's true reason is something given only to native Equestrians.

 

“Oh it would be fascinating!” He tittered. “There are so few books on Zebra culture. More often than not their distant reach and secluded lifestyles bring more myth and subjective discussion as opposed to actual data!” And there he went.

 

Leave it to Lightning to get lost in his own musings. His wings clasped together as he stood with his chest out and limbs anchoring the proud, posturing pony. It was easy to get him talking about work, but ask him what he wanted for lunch. He'd spend a week deciding. Poor mare. What did you get yourself into?

 

“...not to mention that it is still considered to be a right of passage for them to gout into the world and prove themselves by bringing back a rare herb. Mind toy such has never been proven or observed…” he was still talking.

 

He was intrigued by the idea of nature and how the Zebras just let things be. He has heard of places that did not require the intervention of ponies. While their night and day were controlled by unicorn in the past, he was glad that there was still a means to manage their celestial bodies lest their growing seasons for crops become imbalanced.

 

“...and I find that if you observe a group by joining in there daily activities you could immerse yourself…” H-he was still going.

 

No matter. At least he was nice to look at. He was not dressed as a scholar who did tend to be just legs and a book, nor were his saddlebags large enough to tote about tomes. By his luxurious white silks and golden bracelets he looked the foal of a noble and by his speech, well he seemed used to being the center of attention. Amidst all his chatter ponies and horses passed in and out. It was passing so slowly

 

The time.

 

She shouldn't have started him up! Stallion rarely got out of that library! “...what about you?” Goodness. “Have you ever considered travelling there? I am hoping my grant goes through so I may do proper research!”

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Lightning's confusion over Baltimare's location was easily forgivable for somepony who'd never been to Equestria.. or so Yuna thought. She didn't know with any certainty if he'd ever visited Equestria for any scholarly reasons, or if he'd always been here. In any case, there was a lot more for him to learn about Equestria. A smile played around Yuna's lips and she chuckled softly. "Baltimare is in Equestria. It's one of its cities along the eastern coast of the country. It's got a nice little bay area shaped like a horseshoe. The shape aside.. it's a lovely view, and there's always some ships coming and going from the ports."

 

It was good that she'd managed to get a few sentences in while she had the chance. When the tall stallion began to speak, going on a long and curious ramble about Zebra culture, something that Yuna was helpless to do anything about except listen to him wondering aloud about a multitude of questions and speculations. One eyebrow rose a little, but she otherwise bore his tangent patiently. His musings did allow her some insight on the way he thought and what exactly he might think about, and they helped her find some suggestions to give him.. If only she could find an opening to say them.

 

Yuna wiped at her brow with a foreleg while she waited him out, unused to the desert heat. Initially it was pleasantly toasty, but the longer she sat out here under the bright sun, the more it was getting uncomfortable. She gave a little start when she registered Lightning had asked her a question. "Oh, uh.. what?"

 

The pegasus took a few seconds to review the last that she'd heard beforehoof. "Oh, right. Uh, I think it would be pretty fascinating to visit the zebra homeland. I haven't been outside of Equestria until I decided to come here for a little trip. I suppose one to the zebra homeland would've been more appropriate, but it never really crossed my mind. I hear so much about other places that I can't help but wonder what they'd really be like.. Heck, I was gonna suggest that you could visit Equestria too and see what it's like. It's pretty nice."

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