---A bedtime story---

By Jay


"Hey, wait up!" the zebra called out to the filly ahead of him, who was rushing down the hallway
"Or else i won't tell you a bedtime story!"
The young pony stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face the older equine, pouting "Sowwy uncle Zhevan" she apologizes as her uncle catches up, chuckling as he ruffles her mane "No need to apologize kiddo" he reassures her, and the pout nearly instantly turns to a smile "Now, where was your room again?" the striped stallion asked.

The filly pointed at a door further down the hallway "Dat one!" she says. As the two equines make their way towards the door, another pony appears in the opposite end of the hallway, trotting towards the two.

The filly smiles at the newcomer and waves at the orange coated colt, who returns a wave "Hiya Melody!" he exclaims "You up still?" he asks "Unca Zhevan's gunna tell me a bedtime stowy!" the filly tells him, excitedly.

Floofy blows a forelock from his face and stares at Zhevran, eyes narrowing to a slit as he points first at his eyes, then at the zebra "I'm watching you, Zebad!" he mouths before lookng at the auburn filly with a smile "aww, i wish i could come listen too... but i've promised Rae i'd come play with her, so maybe another time... talk to you later Mel!"

With those words, and a wave, the young colt darts down the hall and turns a corner, disappearing from sight. Zhevran shakes his head slowly and sighs, then chuckles as the two enter into the fillys room the room, which was quite modest, containing a small bed, upon which a few plushies rest, some of them looking slightly worse for the wear.

The room itself is not very big by pony standards, but plenty big for a filly of her age.

There is also a small desk, on it rests a set of crayons and papersheets, some which have crude drawings on them.

Zhevran and the filly trot over to the bed, where the mohawked zebra sits down it and lifts the filly up and tucks her in "Comfy?" he asks her, and gets a nod in response.

"So, which story do you want to hear this time?" the zebra asks as he pulls out three books from his backpack, showing the first one to the filly.

"Daring Doo and the Griffon's goblet?"

"Nuh" the filly responds

"Okay, how about..." the striped stallion holds up another book "...Raponyzel?" he says

"Dat book is fow foals!" a pregnant pause follows the filly's answer

"Okay... how about..." he holds up the last book and reads the title out for her again "The mare in the moon?"

"Mom wead it fow me one night... i-it's scawy..." the filly pouts, her lower lip trembles, and her eyes grew damp. The older equine quickly put the books away and wiped a tear from the young ponys eye

"Hey, no need to cry... how about i make up a story, just for my favourite niece?" The suggestion put a spark into the tan eyes of the youngster, who once again smiles, nodding vigorously.

"Okay then... once upon a time, in the kingdom of Wheatville.." he begins "There was a princess, beautiful and kind, who would steal the heart of any stallion that laid eyes upon her"

The filly's eyes were wide as saucers and her ears were perked as she listened

"Her father, the king, was very protective of his daughter, since she was all he had left after the queen had passed away. Feeling his time nearing its end, he felt it necessary to loosen his grip on his beloved daughter, knowing that the ponies of his kingdom would need a king to rule by her side when he passed on.

The word was spread and suitors from all around the kingdom showed up at the castle. The princess, however turned down every single one. This went on for some time, until an evil stallion, by the name of Ink Blob devised a sinister plan to make the kingdom his" Zhevran pulled some alchemical dust from his bag, the same kind that Zecora had used during the Nightmare Night celebration. Soon, there were two images, one of a earthpony wearing a crown, and one of a unicorn levitating a dagger. The unicorn snuck up on the kingpony and stabbed it into his back , causing the young pony to pull the blanket up to eyelevel, carefully peeking up over it as the scene unfolds before her.

"His first step was to get the king out of the way" Zhevran continues "He did this at night, before sneaking to the princess' quarters, casting a spell on her to make her sleep until kissed by the right one for her" The shaman simulates the scene with the powder again, the filly watching it intensely.

"He brought her to his tower in the cursed Neverlock forest, knowing that it would remain hidden from the rest of the kingdom. What he did not expect, however, was that some of the inhabitans of the forest were zebras, and even if they tried to stay in the forest and avoid the ponies whom loathed and hated them, one zebra, a carpenter even, caught a glimpse of the unicorn levitating the princess in the air in front of him.

The zebra recognized the princess and concluded that she was kidnapped, as the unicorn had previously kidnapped zebras from his village, those taken never to be seen again! The brave zebra aquired his toolbelt swiftly and stalked the unicorn back to his tower, which was guarded by two diamond dogs!" the little filly ooooh'd at the mention of diamond dogs

"The crafty zebra knew that these creatures weren't very bright, so he approached them and, using his wit, managed to make them belive he was there to fix a broken leg on Ink Blob's throne. They did not, however, know that the unicorn didn't have a throne!" the young pony giggled as Zhevran continued his story

"Making his way up the tower, the zebra encountered another of Ink's henchmen, a rather obese dragon, whom was easily distracted by luring him away with a tossed gemstone. Arriving at the top of the tower, he found the unicorn leaning down towards the beautiful pegasus mare. With no time to think, he charged at the unicorn, whom was taken by suprise by two hindhooves sending him crashing out a window, plummeting to his demise below.

The heroic zebra tried to wake the sleeping princess up, but to no avail, until he remembered an old story he'd hear and decided it was worth a shot as he leant down and kissed the mare on her mouth. This broke the spell, the mare jolting awake, panicking as she noticed the stallion too close for comfort and kicked him away with her forelegs. After explaining what happened to the princess, and comforting her after she broke down from the news about her now passed father, she requested that the zebra escorted her back to the castle.

He complied, and as they got to the castle, she held court, announcing to the kingdom that she had reached a decision.

A decision that shocked the populace as she declared that the zebra would be the one she took for a husband. She held true to her word, and a wedding was held a few months later, during which she spent time with the zebra, to get to know him. Weeks before the wedding, she knew she'd made the right choice. AS far as i know, the two of them are still ruling the kingdom of Wheatville as King and Queen, husband and wife
Living happily ever after... the end"

The shaman opens his mouth to speak but closes it again as he spots the filly, sound asleep. He smiles and gets up, gently stroking the fillys black mane, and giving the auburn earth pony filly a soft kiss on her forehead, before sneaking out of the room, passing one last glance at the bed

"Sleep well, Melody Peach" he whispers as the door slides shut