StrongCopper

Strong Copper Strong Copper couldn't help but shake his head. "I feel like there should be an age limit, but I didn't exactly look too closely at the race rules when it came to how old one had to be to run." He answered honestly. He had listened to what the mare said about her former employment and while it was true that there was a degree of overlap between the two of them, he couldn't help but offer her a sympathetic "I'm sorry to hear that. They really don't show the same degree of respect to really old things these days like they did back when Celestia was Princess." It was a rather poor joke but... well, it was a rather poor situation. Risking a glance over his shoulder at the bouncing pink mare that was following them, he felt the need to ask "So... what's your story then? First time running?"

Strong Copper As more and more ponies darted by, Copper couldn't help but ask himself if he was making a mistake. If being well rested to face some of the challenges ahead would be worth sacrificing the brief lead he had managed to claim in the long run. A strong urge to gallop surged through his legs, but with a great deal of self control and determination as an individual he was able to resist the call of the herd; Pony kind was a herd species after all. While this had its strengths, it also had a major weakness in that it was so easy to find yourself being swept up by the mob of a herd without feeling the need to think for yourself. Doing his best to squash primal instincts demanding that he bolt in order to keep up with the running herd for safety, he instead turned his focus on the bat pony; If there was one benefit to not running at full gallop like a predator of some kind was chasing you, it was that you could actually talk a bit because you had the spare air to do so. "I can't speak for the mare but this is my first year running. Shame about the bridge but... well, it looked rather old and due for repair or replacement soon anyway. How are you both enjoying it so far?"

Strong Copper Turning his head towards the pegasus mare that had decided to speak with him, Strong Copper frowned briefly at the question. He had always been somewhat self-conscience about his scars, but he had made the decision to go without clothing to cover them for this race and thus he should have expected a few questions about them. Didn't mean he was looking forward to it through; He never did really. "Some, but if you're talking about the big ones that was caused by a manticore." He answered back easily enough. "Poor thing was infected with a strain of rabies and by the time I even reached the town that was having issues with the nearby wildlife, it was far passed the point of no return. Picture a large winged lion with a scorpion tail consumed by pain fueled rage to the point of berserk mindlessness, a desire to try and relieve that pain by lashing out at everything around it and its ability to feel its own body heavily numbed and you'll be able to understand why it was a terrible time for everyone concerned." Because it was a lovely day at the moment, Copper was taking his time rather then going all out and it was only polite to ask questions back, he asked "What about yourself? What do you get up to when you're not running through the woods?"

Strong Copper The moment that Copper left the coverage of the storm, the difference was quite literally that of night and day. There was sun, the only water to be found was the droplets of rain and sweat that were being flicked off of his body as he galloped forwards. At first he had to take some degree of care to make sure he didn't slip on his own water and mud covered hooves, but each step resulted in more of both being left behind on the track as the sun dried his coat and he was finally able to start moving at a reasonable pace once more. He could have gone all out and just galloped like the wind itself. If there was ever a place to have done so, the conditions were ideal but... it was simply too soon in the race for him to justify such a thing. Such, he felt like he had a leading position (through with Tempest on his hooves that lead wasn't by much), but going all out seemed like it was a short term gain that wouldn't pan out in the long run (pun intended). So instead he moved at a much more conservative pace, enjoying the warmth and the sun after the downpour of rain while briefly observing the local animals as he went past, through made sure his glances were only brief to avoid something silly like missing the path and running headfirst into a tree.

Strong Copper Strong Copper didn't wait for any acknowledgement for helping out Pinkie Pie, nor hang around to chat. The moment Zap Apple was off the bridge and in relative safety Copper took a sigh of relief before turning back towards the path and taking off once more. Small child wasn't in danger anymore, his relatives would likely want to have a word with him and he doubted that anyone else would be reckless enough to risk the bridge between its current state and the rapidly rising river. Plus he was cold and wet and wanted to get moving again before he started to freeze in the freaking rain.

Strong Copper There were at least three mares watching out for the young Colt who had... decided to linger on the bridge in order to see the sights. According to the math within Strong Copper's head, he could easily turn around and resume the race guilt free because it wasn't like the boy was in any real danger that his trio of guardians couldn't handle! ... And yet, he remained where he was standing, horn at the ready to light up in order to do something to try and salvage the situation if things went pear shaped. Because as much as his mind told him that everything would be alright if he left, something deep within his soul refused to acknowledge such an argument and told his brain to be quiet and sit in the corner. Much like how pegusi weren't allowed to fly as part of the race (also because it would defeat the whole point of shaking the leaves free if they did), Copper understood that a unicorn wasn't allowed to use magic to give themselves any kind of advantage. He was perfectly fine with adhering to those rules as well but... He didn't quite recall what the rules were when it came to using magic to stop a fellow competitor (or possibly yourself) from being washed away by a raging river. Even if it was against the rules... Copper was fully prepared to break them for his own peace of mind when he witnessed the pink... bouncing mare get caught in a strong gust of wind that threatened to throw her over the side of the bridge. Without thinking (or waiting to see if she caught herself on the rope), his horn lit up with a copper orange glow as he tried to... well, not pick up the pink earth pony, but at least put up enough of a magical barrier that she would come to a complete stop on the bridge rather then falling off it. "Alright everypony, the bridge is closing soon. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here!" He called out, hoping to stress the situation to those who might not have noticed it... and hopefully stir the colt to keep moving.

Strong Copper Bridge Strong Copper wasn't sure how families gained 'family mottoes', but as he made his way over the bridge he couldn't help but find the words of a pretty damn good one enter his mind as his hooves echoed against the wood of the bridge: 'Favor the Brave, Punish the Reckless'. Had the right kind of ring to it, but if it turned out to be true only time could tell. While his own steps were with care, Tempest seemed to cast aside all pretense of caution as she yelled at the sky in a tongue he wasn't familiar enough with to understand. Still, while he hadn't been moving anywhere close to top speed due to playing to the conditions, it wasn't that massive a bridge and he was still making good time. It wasn't long before the wooden echo of wood was replaced with the combination of earth thuds, muddy squelches and watery splashes. With the danger of slipping on wood and falling into a stream turned river behind him, he could afford to pick up the pace again... at least he could until he heard "Zap Apple!" called out behind him. Normally, he knew well enough that when you were running, you shouldn't look over your shoulder because... well, that's how you slipped, tripped or ran into a tree but under the circumstances he did risk a glance over his shoulder... and his eyes widened as he witnessed a young colt running towards the bridge with Apple Bloom and a pink pony he must have missed at the starting line in pursuit. Considering he hadn't been going as fast as Tempest, when Strong Copper came to a stop it was a lot more controlled with a lot less skidding, but stop he did. Unlike Tempest who was running back towards the bridge, he had instead elected to stay where he was in order to keep watch. If push came to shove, he could attempt to reach out with his magic and grab the small colt in order to pull him out of harms way, but he wasn't going to jump onto the bridge or into the stream unless things had truly taken a turn for the worst. Was it the smart thing to do? No. He was sacrificing his chance to gain a pretty solid lead in the race against not only Tempest, but also all the other racers... but he wasn't about to gamble a colt's life to win a stupid race. An additional thought went towards trying to protect one of Apple Bloom's relatives in front of her as being rather important, but that was a secondary thought that only came about after instinct had kicked in and declared that letting a small child cross a bridge under dangerous circumstances without supervision was a terrible idea and needed to be fixed.

Strong Copper Bridge In hindsight, leaving his hoodie behind was something of a mixed blessing for Strong Copper. On the one hoof, it might have done something to help shield his body from the heavy, torrential downpour of rain that the looming storm clouds had ominously promised and started to deliver in an instant. On the other through, while it might have offered him some degree of protection and warmth for a time, the sheer wall of falling water that had darkened the skies almost as much as the storm clouds did would have easily soaked it through within seconds, if not minutes of being exposed. Wet fabric was heavy and honestly the brief benefit of having it wouldn't have stood up in the long run. The conversation with the battle scarred mare would likely have to be put on hold for the time being as well. Not just because they were running a race and every extra breath was important, but simply because heavy rain tended to be rather loud and was actually pretty good at silencing other noises so unless the pair wanted to yell loudly at each other, their discussion would merely have to wait. The presence of so much water, mud and wet leaves (after all, the whole point that the running of the leaves started was to shake leaves off the trees) on the ground were also obstacles that needed to be acknowledged. Running full speed blindly was a quick way to end up slipping and falling (and likely skidding along the muddy ground on your face as well), so Strong Copper elected to go for a slower but more controlled pace; Granted, he didn't need to drop much speed from his prior pace in order to keep putting pressure on the scarred mare, but it was still a noticeable drop in speed all the same. The split in the path was, despite the rain, somewhat easy to see. One path steered off to the side, offering a long way around while the other, somewhat more official path in the race ran across an old wooden bridge... that appeared to be standing across a stream that was threatening to break its banks due to the downpour already. For a moment, Copper considered his options. The longer path was likely the safer of the two if only because it didn't require going over a stream turned raging river, but at the same time not only would anyone going that way be delayed in comparison to those risking the bridge, but the poor weather conditions and wet, slippery ground ensured that running that route would be slowed down further. Not even factoring in what path Tempest was going to take, Copper made his decision. Going big or going home, Strong Copper followed the path heading towards the wooden bridge. Through as he arrived at it he slowed down further. Wood tended to get very slippery when wet and while it was a solid looking wooden bridge, it was still rather old and weathered. A degree of caution while crossing to prevent slipping or having a plank break underhoof was required, even as one bravely pushed forward regardless of the risks. It was just a matter of getting to the other side before the river decided to act up further.

Strong Copper For a moment, Strong Copper considered not answering the mare. After all, this was a race and breathing was important but... she had shown the courtesy of talking first and at the moment his plan was simply to put pressure on her so that she couldn't relax and the chances of her making a mistake he could seize advantage of grew higher and higher. He had time. "Strong Copper. Yourself?" He barked back, curious about her but clearly keeping at least one eye on the prize that was the race they were both running. Just because the two of them had taken an early lead and were trying to strengthen said lead by putting as much distance between themselves and the rest of the herd as possible, didn't mean either of them could afford to be complacent. That said, he wasn't looking back so he didn't actually know how far away the herd was currently.

Strong Copper Unlike many of his competitors, Strong Copper looked... somewhat shy and bashful as he performed a few basic exercises to stretch himself out before the run truly began. He had always had a problem with public speaking, but ever since he had started running for the Mayor of Ponyville he had gotten a lot more practice at being in front of crowds and talking... but never before had he been seen in public without some kind of clothing to cover his torso. He had made the decision to go without his hooded jumper for the purposes of the run because in a straight up marathon like this every little bit counted but... it meant that his torso was exposed for all to see at the same time. For the most part it wasn't that bad. You had to be rather close to notice the parts of his coat that didn't quite sit properly where it had grown over old scars and bite marks... but there was one that even the number he had been kindly given couldn't hope to cover up. The two large scars that run along his torso were... well, easily visible because the coat couldn't grow over the scar tissue at all; A constant reminder to himself of how close he had come to finally taking that first step into the Shadowlands. He had been told on and off since he was a small colt that 'mares liked scars'... and even once he grew old enough to actually understand the context of what that meant, he had never really seen the appeal himself. Take for instance Tempest. He could easily see why mares and stallions would be interested in her (and he had to admit, the bodysuit outright added to the appeal in that regard), but she wasn't really his type to begin with and the scars on her face were the final nail in the coffin as it were. He had also been a bit too stuck in his own head to actually notice Berry Punch or the little performance she was putting on for all those who cared to pay attention. It was nice to see Apple Bloom though and he managed to pull himself out of his nervous 'everyone is looking at my scars' funk in order to offer her a small smile and wave before the call to line up and get ready was given. With the whistle blown, Copper took off with surprising speed for a unicorn! Of the various pony tribes, he was well aware of the fact that unicorns were stereotypical considered to be the physically weakest variation of the pony form (and to be fair, there was some justification for that stereotype), but even if he had remained in Ponyville for longer then he had stayed in a single settlement for a long time Strong Copper still kept himself in as good a physical condition as he could. This was a pony that regularly visited sites like the Froggy Bottom Bog to spy on the local hydra or took trips into the Everfree to see if there were any nasty things that were hanging around the edges that might decide to go visit Ponyville. Granted he had to make sure to remind himself that this was a friendly run and thus, combat spells should not be thrown at any time unless something was going horribly wrong, but unlike the bulk of his competitors who seemed inclined towards sticking together in a herd, he pushed himself a little bit faster in order to attempt to keep up with the front runner in Tempest. He wasn't trying to overtake her at this stage; This was going to be a long run and there was going to be some nasty weather during it at some point so perserving energy was important for later... but he didn't want to let the mare get such a lead that she would simply run away with the whole race.

Strong Copper Perking up at the sight of Apple Bloom, Strong Copper couldn't help but smile at not only her confidence in him, but also couldn't help but notice the banner that she had decided to bare for this election. If only she had been older... Shaking his head slightly to banish that line of thought, he answered "Thank you for the vote of confidence Apple Bloom. But between your work with the Free Foal Press and the rather well made endorsement you're currently wearing, I can't really think of anything I could rightfully ask of you. Did you make that banner yourself?" He asked somewhat curiously. As he listened to her answer, giving her as much of his attention as he could afford (only occasionally glancing away to offer somepony stepping up to enter the town hall to vote a brief wave of acknowledgement), an idea did actually come to mind. While he lacked a mark in politics, as he examined it carefully he couldn't help but feel like such ideas must come naturally to those who did and couldn't help but feel slightly emboldened by it. "Sorry to change the subject but... now that I've thought about it, I do believe there is something that you and your family could do to make this occasion a bit more comfortable for everyone." Turning his head away from Apple Bloom towards Spoiled Rich, he offered his opponent a smile as he offered "Mrs Rich, would you be willing to split the cost of providing those waiting for their turn to vote free apple juice?"

He's running for Mayor, he might as well run this race as well. And if we can convince Spoiled to run as well... Full power to the little spite goblin in our souls.

Strong Copper If he was completely honest with himself, Strong Copper hadn't actually expected to get this far. He didn't have a political cutie mark and he had only moved to Ponyville less then a year ago. He had literally put his name down because he believed that the campaign for running for office would be a good way to get his name out there, meet everyone in town and then when the major candidates started to pull ahead and it became clear he wasn't going to be able to win he would honorably step down. That plan had gone out the window when it became clear that he was one of the major candidates of the election since just about everyone else who had thrown their hat into the ring other then Spoiled Rich had practically abandoned running for Mayor overnight. Granted he could have still dropped out of the running and just let Spoiled have it but... well on the one hoof, while he hadn't been expecting to make it this far in the race if he was elected he intended to give the job his all. The other, slightly more petty reason he was running was because he didn't really like Spoiled all that much and denying her the office of Mayor would please the spite filled, dark little goblin of a voice that lurked within his soul. So he stood out the front of Town Hall, having taken the time to clean himself up, dress in a respectable semi formal way with a buttoned up shirt and vest and seemed content to just talk with any voters who passed by. As he had politely told Mayor Mare before the Hall was opened for voting (and considering the crowd that had already gathered by then, he suspected that gossip had already gotten around), he intended to abstain from voting; He didn't feel right voting for himself and while voting for one's opponent was considered good sportsponyship, he didn't trust Spoiled to do the same... so he was simply doing the honorable thing and abstaining.

A brief nod, before he simply explained "It's a twenty five bit potion with a ten bit down payment here and now. It'll be ready for you to pick up first thing tomorrow morning. Want me to have it listed under the name Rising Star in the event you end up sending someone in your stead to pay the rest of it off and pick up for you?" Professional and too the point; This was a business after all.

Kabra'za accepted the vial of blood, taking it in hoof and giving it a quick glance over as if sight alone could determine if the sample was of a good enough quality. A quick glance at the stallion in turn reveled a very interesting truth; There clearly wasn't a single mark on his coat to betray where he had drawn the sample from. This begged the question of why someone was walking around carrying a sample of blood in a vial, but with a smile on his face he decided not to ask. "Dog? Sure. Though just to be clear, are you referring to the four legged breeds that are kept as pets or are you talking about something more bipedal? Bit of a difference between a dog and a diamond dog you see."

Dr. Kabra'za! The smile that was on Kabra'za's face seemed to drain away at the topic, offering a stern, serious expression in return. "I see... While I can brew up a potion that will allow you to change your natural form into something else for a limited time, I would need to make it from scratch. I would also require a piece of you in order to attune it to your personage because I assume you want to turn back into yourself without any... complications. A small blood sample would be best, but if you're squeamish a lock of hair will do in a pinch." The sternness on his face seemed to soften a little, but the seriousness clearly remained on the zebra's face as he explained "Transformation potions are a dangerous field of science. It is not something that allows for innovation and experimentation without risking your well being, sanity or even your life. To give you a basic idea... let's say you wanted to transform into a bear. First scenario, you brew something that transforms you perfectly into a bear... including accidentally giving yourself a bear's brain; so for the duration of the transformation you're literally a wild animal with a lot of physical power that can readily consume meat." Shaking his head a little, he added with a sigh "The transformation alone can mess with the mind, let alone if the bear you became does something that can't be undone." "Scenario two, you brew a potion that's designed to physically turn yourself into a bear while leaving the inside pony so you'll still be in control of yourself. However, pony organs can't really run a bear sized body and...." There was an awkward kicking of a hoof along the ground. "It doesn't end well. Let's leave it at that." A bit of the showmareship that was in his tone earlier returned, but there was still a serious edge to his words as he explained "Now, if I brewed you a potion to turn you into a bear, it would work as intended. You would be a bear for a while and still be in control of yourself without having to worry about becoming a wild, feral animal or being stuck in that state or even have to concern yourself with if you'll turn back into you afterwards. I can make that promise because the method I use has had generations of trial and error, refinement and very bad days that I won't horrify you with solely to ensure that the method we use works as intended each and every time without anything going wrong. This is not like unicorn magic that will try and fill in the gaps and smooth out the sharp edges to make things work that shouldn't." "The reason I am telling you all this? So that you've been properly forewarned about the dangers that if you take one of these potions and try to recreate or experiment with it, I will not be held accountable for whatever happens." Safety talk now over, the seriousness disappeared as he asked "Now that's all out of the way, what would you want to transform into exactly? There is no such thing as a potion that allows you to transform into whatever you want, anyone who's trying to sell you one is a fraud and best case scenario all that's in the bottle is water with food coloring added to it. Worst case, you would be better off walking right up to the Lord of Chaos himself and asking him to take the first three things that crossed his mind and turning you into a combination of them all put together." The story Kabra'za had just weaved about transformation potions being so dangerous was almost complete fiction, but he did like unnerving ponies a little... and there was no harm in reminding those who pursued the magical arts that there could be hazards lurking therein.

A playful little smile appeared on Kabra'za face as he answered "Certainly. We can talk potions. However, this is a business and while I do respect the pursuit of knowledge, my secrets and methods shall remain my own. If however there is an effect, either magical or otherwise that you wish to see in a potion, we can discuss it and I'm happy to custom brew something for you and let you enjoy the journey of trying to figure out how it was done on your own terms if you so desire." A small chuckle escaped the zebra, clearly amused by something inside of his own mind and not inclined towards sharing it. "Please do not be offended. As a rule I generally don't allow customers to see my stock directly. I've had thieves try and rob me before you see. However, if I have a potion with the desired effects you want already stored I'm happy to go and retrieve it."

Tilting his head to gaze at the stallion who had stopped by to speak with him, the zebra smiled as his top hat softly rattled as the bones fluttered around and lightly bumped each other. "What I have to offer largely depends on the person visiting me. I can craft potions of various magical effects and craft a number of cures and remedies to aid the sick. I can also create and unleash curses but that would require you telling me the tale of why exactly you desire such a thing before I agree to do so, because once let loose a curse takes on a life of their own and can prove difficult, if not impossible to stop until its purpose is fulfilled." Rising out of his seat and calmly strolling out of the shade and into direct sunlight, he tilted his head as he continued "Then again, you could just be here because you wish to learn a bit more about yourself. If that is the case, I am Dr. Kabra'za and I would be honored to be your guide to self discovery and reflection. So Mr Star... or Rising if you prefer, what can I do for you? What is it you desire?"

The wagon had rolled into Ponyville the night before, finding an empty spot between the town proper and the nearby 'School of Friendship' that was far enough away as to not bother either town or school, but close enough to be easily located by either with little effort required. At first it had simply appeared to be a traveler who had stopped for the night and likely would have taken off again once the sun had risen, but the coming of sunlight proved this assumption wrong. The carefully painted blue and black wagon stripped wagon had been joined by three tents, the trio black and blue stripped in a vertical manner rather then a horizontal one like the wagon was, each positioned to form a corner of a triangle with each tent's entrance facing inwards. The flaps for the tents were closed, preventing their insides from being seen. Beside each tent's entrance was a sign to be read from what was clearly the center of the triangle between the tents rather then from the road nearby, but there was a forth sign planted and pointed towards the road so that those passing by would be able to read it easily. Dr. Kabra'za's Traveling Tents of Terrific Terrors and Terrible Truths. Open to those willing to learn who they truly are. Potions and Remedies at request. Curses require a story of context before being offered. Overlooking the trio of tents, part of the wagon had been pulled out in order to create a temporary veranda to cast a small area next to the wagon in shadow and protect the area from the rising sun. Seated comfortably in said shadows in a old looking rocketing chair sat a zebra wearing a top hat that seemed to be decorated by something, with only those of keen eyesight or who came closer seeing what dangling from the black fabric; A wide variety of bird skulls, softly shifting and making hallow clinking noises like a portable morbid wind chime. With sharp eyes, he kept watch over those traveling passed, curious to see whom or what would stop by in order to visit Dr.Kabra'za and see what he had to offer them.

Oh, it is ready. Thanks for reminding me. Fixed it now.

Name: (Dr.) Kabra'za Gender: Male Age: Adult Species: Zebra Eye colour: Yellow/Golden Coat: Black with White stripes. Mane/Tail: White with Black stripes Physique: While of a size and weight that is physically healthy for a zebra of his age, when it comes to physical activity its clear that Kabra'za is designed to be quick and nimble rather than strong and sturdy. Despite this, the impression that the zebra gives off is that of someone more bookish; Someone who has spent a large amount of their life studying or performing research of some variety or another. Without his 'attire', he would easily blend in with other zebras at a first glance in a somewhat forgettable manner. Residence: Traveling Wagon (On the move) Occupation: Traveling (Witch) Doctor (Witch Doctor of Mirrors/Reflection ) Cutie Mark: An Unyasi symbol made up of two runes that translate to 'Mirror' and 'Laughter'. Unique Traits: Kabra'za is never without his worn but sturdy top hat, decorated with what appear to be small bird skulls. Another thing of note is that Kabra'za's shadow appears to have a life semi-independent of its master; While it'll generally act like a normal shadow, it can actively leave Kabra'za side and interact with the world via interacting with the shadows of other things. Those observing it will actually see it seems to have a personality all its own, through if that personality is completely its own or a reflection of Kabra'za's own is unclear to outside observers. History: Originally born in Unyasi, Kabra'za was a strange child; While he clearly had a gift for using herbs and the medical practices of the tribe, he never had the connection and reference of nature that was the cultural norm. Instead his interests were focused more on others, mostly members of his own tribe but on occasion those they interacted with. How other people thought and acted fascinated him so he strove towards understanding what made them tick. This started off innocently enough with him just asking questions, both of his tribe members themselves and of their opinions on a number of topics, but in time this evolved in a habit of pulling pranks on those around him. The difference between what his tribesmen believed about themselves and the reality of it was a captivating subject and Kabra'za desired to understand the secrets of the lower planes of the mind and its interaction with higher thought. While many discouraged this path, the tribes personal witch doctor took the young Kabra'za on as a student and furthered his studies in a number of fields. While much of his studies were in standard practices such as potion making and medicine, Kabra'za was introduced to a rarely walked path for Witch Doctors: The Path of Mirrors. While the standard practices of the witch doctor focused on healing the physical, the Path of Mirrors was focused on dealing with mental health; The ideology of the path was that in order to be a healthy, growing being someone first needed to understand themselves, including the parts they would rather not acknowledge or pretend don't exist. 'To gaze into the mirror and see your reflection is the first step to dealing with your infection'. Studying the path for years, the final rite before he officially became a Witch Doctor of Mirrors/Reflections (the exact wording changed from tribe to tribe) was a magical ritual that the intended witch doctor had to undergo. Before they could be trusted to treat others, the Witch Doctor would summon forth an aspect of their own mind and make peace with it. The ritual had to be undergone alone, because it could be incredibly dangerous depending on the person undertaking it; The point was to summon forth a part of the person in question that they didn't like about themselves or denied was there... and the sad truth was that most of the time, such things are inherently dark and destructive in nature. The manifestation of the mind would be channeled into the would be witch doctors shadow, granting it life and allowing it to interact with the physical world alongside the mental connection to the one whom it came from. There are three outcomes to the ritual once it starts: The most common outcome is that the would be witch doctor cannot reconcile with the dark aspect of themselves summoned and banish it: Their shadow returns to normal, nothing bad happened and if they want to they can have another attempt later once they've worked a bit more on themselves. The second and rarest outcome is the manifestation escaping the ritual and fleeing without being banished: This is a worst case scenario. Not only did the potential witch doctor fail to make peace with their dark aspect, but its now loose upon the world and free to pursue whatever whims it desires without care of what harm it will do to others in the process. In the event that the potential witch doctor isn't killed in the process, they can clearly be noticed by others because they no longer cast a shadow anymore until their manifestation is finally brought to heel. The last outcome is success: Faced with their own personal darkness, the witch doctor is able to make peace within themselves. The mark of success within the ritual is that their shadow remains animated and alive, but because of the mutual understanding with its creator it becomes more a loyal companion and close friend rather then as a representative of the worst parts of them. Kabra'za had to banish his manifestation twice before on the third attempt he successfully reconciled with it, officially becoming a Witch Doctor of Mirrors. With his apprenticeship complete, Kabra'za finally left his home tribe; For a time he traveled around Unyasi, but in the end he left his birth continent in order to see the rest of the world... with the first stop being Equestria. Character Personality: Kabra'za is both a care giver and prankster at heart; When it comes to medical matters he will be incredibly serious, however that fascination with how others respond to pranks from his childhood is still a part of himself that he indulges frequently. While he hasn't been traveling Equestria for long, he's been around long enough to have encountered the pony racial sterotype for zebra: Namely that they are all powerful mystic enchanters who use methods ponies don't understand and fear. Rather then be offended by this, Kabra'za finds it amusing and has actually adopted something of a stage persona solely to make ponies uneasy about him when meeting him for the first time because he finds the whole situation funny. His pranks are generally well meaning in that they will often be used to trick the client into facing an aspect of themselves they either hide or ignore. However, Kabra'za is not above pulling pranks out of a desire to entertain himself and others or for vengeance against those he deems deserving of retribution. While the former pranks and jokes are generally harmless and fun for all concerned, Kabra'za takes retribution seriously; If his fury is provoked to the point that he deems retribution suitable, all bets are off as far as what limits he will go to. Despite his upbringing, Kabra'za rarely rhythms. For him, it's something to be reserved for special occasions. Character Summary: Traveling non-rhyming magical zebra who specializes in treating the mind, through he'll treat the body as well. Likes to help his 'clients' via pranking them in such a way to make make them reflect upon themselves... through he'll pull pranks for the fun of it. Anger him and there will be Tirek to pay. Shadow is alive and semi-independent best friend and companion.

"A challenging question." Copper began, straightening himself up a little now that they were focusing on a subject that he had made a major part of his campaign. "There are many out there who would believe that the best way to handle the wildlife originating from the Everfree Forest would be to destroy it, much like what has happened to many 'inconvenient areas' in Equestria's vast history. However, its a rather short sighted idea. The animals that dwell within the Forest have just as much right to live there as... say... the Apple family living on their farmlands." "That said, my plans for reducing Everfree wildlife from causing damage to Ponyville and its citizens are simple, but hopefully effective. The first and honestly most simple is... a fence." He couldn't help but chuckle softly as he shook his head "You heard me right. A well built fence that raises so high into the air and travels a respectable distance into the ground between Ponyville and the Everfree would go a surprisingly long way towards discouraging most animals from heading into Ponyville. Doesn't even have to surround Ponyville or the Everfree to be effective, just a long wall that blocks Ponyville off from direct access would be enough to turn back most opportunists seeking an easy meal. Even creatures with the raw power to break the fence would for the most part leave it alone unless there was an immediate reason for wanting to be on the Ponyville side of it, such as storing meat or livestock animals like pigs within scent and hearing range." A simple plan, but a surprisingly effective one. "The second idea off the top of my head would, like converting the Castle of Friendship into a multicultural library, require a conversation with Princess Sparkle. See, a lot of why the Everfree is so dangerous and scary is because it isn't that well understood. My recommendation to Princess Sparkle would be to establish a research facility in or near Ponyville who's purpose would be to simply study the Everfree Forest. Discover and record the flora and fauna that live there, figure out the rules that its exists by and if possible apply things discovered there to benefit Ponyville and Equestra as a whole. After all knowing what lives near Ponyville would go a long way towards tailoring means of ensuring they don't wander to close to the town itself."

For a moment, Strong Copper clicked his tongue a little, pondering the situation before finally speaking. "I do confess, I do have plans for the Castle of Friendship in relation to its duties as a library. Granted, these plans would be highly dependent on Princess Sparkle's opinion on them due to the fact that... well it is her property, even if she lends some of it to serve a public good. Namely, to expand it and the services it has to offer. While the School of Friendship is a grand start to bringing other species together in harmony, I would love to see the Castle of Friendship library expanded to house works of culture and history from all across the world. It would serve as a good place for intellectuals and scholars from all across the those nations with friendly relations with Equestria, as well as those closer to home, to gather, intermingle and learn about distant cultures and the history of our world from other perspectives. While it would clearly be a major benefit to those studying at the School and local education in general, but it would further cement Ponyville's growing reputation as a center of learning and arts." Copper stopped himself from going further... and honestly he could have. Depending on the size of the Friendship Castle once properly examined, ideas of it serving as a cultural museum and quarters for researchers to stay in Ponyville also sprung up; Even the Castle itself would have a number of researchers who would love to try and have a look at it to figure out the nature of its very construction!... But he forced his excitement down as he bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. As I said before, the Castle is Princess Sparkle's property and will require her input before any plans for the future are made."

For a moment, Copper pondered the question, taking a deep breath as he prepared his answer. "Honestly? I believe that there will be a period of time where I am adjusting to the position. Getting to understand the work, as well as getting an idea of what Ponyville wants and needs for the future. After all, any change in leadership will take some time to adjust to, regardless of who is stepping up to take over. After that..." he paused again, before finishing "After that, I don't know what it's going to look like. All I can promise is that I will do the best I can so that Ponyville prospers and everyone who wants to live here can do so comfortably. Exactly how that is going to manifest..." He shrugged "Who can say? I don't have the ability to see the future after all."

With a completely straight face, Strong Copper answered "I would wait until the first distraction big enough where my disappearance wouldn't be noticed for a few days before absconding with the grant money and using it to establish myself as king of the pirates. If I am finally brought to justice, grow old and bored or am murdered in my sleep by one of my many concubines, whichever comes first, I will spread word about where I have buried my massive horde of ill gotten gains across the planet in order to spark the greatest gold rush this world has ever- *Snork*" He couldn't keep it up. Laughing for a few seconds, with his shoulders shaking Copper forced himself to recollect himself "Sorry, sorry. After how heated the last question got, I felt a little humor would be welcomed." Taking one last deep breath as the chuckles finally ended, Copper got back to business "Seriously through. A lot of it would go into infrastructure. I know, not that exciting but a lot of what Local Government is meant to do is ensure that their areas needs are met. However, once all the little tasks that prevent Ponyville from falling apart and making it comfortably functional are complete, depending on how much is left over things might get a little interesting. Assuming enough money was left over that projects can be pursued, there will be a town meeting called so that what Ponyville needs and what it wants can be examined and, if possible, put into practice."