Scaving the Ruins {FIN}

[Zuberi]

Date: Nov, 13th Morning

A large sheet of tin was being dragged along by a rope fastened to two corners. At the end of the rope's loop, was a zebra with bright green eyes and an olive drab shemagh around his neck. The rope lay over the shemagh as he trotted forward, the sheet of tin scraping and leaping over the terrain and debris of a street. The zebra searched about with his eyes, taking in any chunk of wood or sheet of metal he could find.

Every now and then he would stop, and undo himself from the rope. Nearby ponies sat or stood nearby watching curiously, holding their hooves out toward fires or something such. Just average, inpoved ponies trying to keep warm and safe. Luckily for the zebra, his shemagh was plenty warm enough. They also may have been staring because the zebra was singing out-loud to himself what sounded like some sort of nursery rhyme except in Zebrican. Very odd scene.

After a few stops, his sheet of tin was stacked with several 2x4s, a few more sheets of tin, some plyboard, and various other pieces such as nails, pipes, lengths of rope; etc. He wasn't near finished yet, he still had a long way to go before he would have enough supplies to built his new home.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

There was the sound of squeaking rubber as Xarith quickly leaned around the corner of the streets of Res-Disc-East. He was on yet another boring restock run for his shop. He was carrying just a bit of medical supplies and a host of other things for his alchemy room. The 'clinking' sounds of glass knocking together came forth from the zebra's clipped satchel as he rolled down the street, but the zebra hardly noticed as he was softly humming some random song to himself to pass the time.

Turning yet another corner, the zebra came to a slow stop near a small fire with some ponies gathered around it watching another zebra put together some scraps. He stepped off his board and clipped it to his back and sat down near the fire. Xarith had been though more than this run today, and he was just a bit tired from it. So pulling up the collar a bit on his cloak he looked over at the zebra.

He raised his hoof to ask the other zebra what he was doing, but lowered it as he just shrugged and pulled an apple out to munch on as he took this time by the fire to relax just a bit.

[Zuberi]

Zuberi continued on without noticing the zebra who had stopped to watch; he was far too busy concentrating on his matters. He found a nice looking 2x6 under a pile of old bricks which looked to had fallen from the side of a building. He bit onto the end of it and pulled, but to no avail. He tried again, and it budged, but did not release. He sat down, spat on his hooves and rubbed them together before trying one last time.

He placed his hooves on the board and yanked, yanked with all his strength. Alas, it only wiggled some but did not come free. Zuberi let out a huff, then started to move bricks off from on top of it, still singing his zebra nursery rhyme song;

Bata, ducklings, wamesimama katika safu
Moja, mbili, tatu, nne, nyuma yao
Kushoto, kulia, kushoto, kulia, kuangalia tame
Sawa bwawa kwa, matapeli, matapeli, matapeli.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

The cloaked Xarith just sat back and watched the zebra try and pull at some wood pieces stuck beneath a bit of rubble. Again, Xarith began to raise his hoof to ask if the zebra needed help with this task. Though, yet again, he lowered it thinking it not his place to interfere with the zebra's work. If he had needed help, then he would ask.

So with that reasoning in mind, Xarith just sat back and curiously eyed the zebra as he rested and caught his own breath.

[Zuberi]

Once some bricks had been displaced and were no longer interfering, Zuberi could see the end of the board. It was a long board, perfect for what he needed as he could cut it into several segments and use it for the roof of his new shack. He readied himself again, and placed his hooves on it. He gave it another huge yank, and put all his strength into it. After a moment of struggle, the board suddenly broke free and knocked him in the head.

The zebra tumbled back and landed on his back, a hoof over his eye brow and the 2x6 landing on top of him. He moaned a few times then shoved the board off of his body before standing up and looking up at the ponies and zebra around the fire. Wait- zebra?! Zuberi jumped back a little at the realization there was another zebra. Right there. He had never seen another zebra in Equestria other than his parents! And he hadn't seen them since... he was very small. And it just so happened as he discovered his zebra bretheren was watching, he had blood slowly running down his face and a blush on his cheeks.

"H-hajumbo," he greeted in Zebrican, hoping the zebra would understand.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith cracked a smile as he reached into his bag. He pulled out a small rag and a little jar filled with a special paste. He tossed the rag over to the zebra in addition to the jar hoping that he would use them to clean himself up. Xarith then sat back again, still eyeing the zebra, as he spoke himself.

"Vizuri kabisa."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi chuckled a bit, and happily took the rag and the paste to clean up with. he held the rag over the gash with a hoof for a moment until it stopped bleeding and dabbed some paste on it. At least this zebra understood most of what he had said (sorry, I misspelled it, all Zubi said was 'hello' hujambo*) He looked back up to the other zebra and smiled at him. "Jina langu ni Zuberi" he introduced, and smiled again. "Tunapaswa kuzungumza Equestrian ili kama si upset wale ambao hawawezi kuelewa. What's your name? I've not seen another zebra in Equsetria before."

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just chuckled to himself as he got up off the ground. His apparel rustled softly as he got up and looked at the other zebra in front of him. He just smiled politely as he spoke.

"Ah good. I don't know much Zebrican myself. Mostly another language. Although, that is besides the point."

He nod a quick gesture of greeting to the zebra as he spoke.
"The name is Xarith Treviant, and I've been living here in Manehattan for quite some time now," he said as he outstreched a friendly hoof. "How about you?"

[Zuberi]

Zuberi graciously took the hoof and gave it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you, Xarith! I just got here in town yesterday, I'm gathering supplies to build a house with. What is it you do around here, Mister Traviant?"

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just smiled a bit as he shook the zebra's hoof. He withdrew his own as he tugged at the strap of his satchel just a bit.

"No need for the formalities Zuberi. Xarith is fine," the zebra said as he chuckled. He shook his satchel, and adjusted the board on his back as he continued to speak. "Well, I run a small shop down on Mainstreet. Though, other than that, I'm an Alchemist and Courier."

Finishing his own sentence, he raised a brow and looked over at the zebra across from him and just smiled politely.

"How about yourself Zuberi? What kind of work are you in, if I may ask."

[Zuberi]

Zubi smiled. "Very well, Xarith. And you may call me Zubi. Or Zub Zub. Or, The Zubmeister! Whatever feels natural. And I work as an explorer, and a cartographer. That's what I'm in Manehattan for, to explore and... cartograph?... I'm making maps," he corrected, laughing some. "But like I said, right now I'm just trying to get some shelter lined up. Nothing fancy; just a shack on the outskirts of the district, I'm thinking."

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just nodded a bit as he looked at what Zuberi had started to work on. He looked back and the zebra and just smiled as he extended his hoof in a friendly manner.

"Alrighty then Zuberi," he began. "Did you need a bit of help on your home here?" He eyed the mark on his head for a moment before reverting back to a smile. "It seems like time would pass much easier if you had some help."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi smiled at the zebra. Help would have been good, seeing as it was hard to build a home all alone; still, he'd enjoy the company. And, seeing as Xanith was also a zebra- the first Zuberi had encountered in Equestria since he last saw his parents- he would relish the opportunity to get to know him.

"Help would be awesome," he answered with a warm smile. "Right now I'm just gathering supplies, anything I can use to make the frame with and then cover it up." He then moved back to his stuff and once again wrapped the rope around his neck, and then took the long 2x6 in his teeth and began to drag it along behind him while simultaneously searing for more materials.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith nodded just a bit as he used this time to pick through the ruins of the city. He moved a couple splintered pieces of wood and moved some crumbling masonry out of the way to reveal a couple rusty, corrugated sheets of roofing. He pulled one out slightly with a hoof, stopping only then he felt it wouldn't budge. Xarith just rolled his eyes and grabbed one of the nearby pieces of wood to pry it out of the debris.

Eventually he got one of the larger pieces out. Sure it had a bit of a corner eaten away by rust, but it could be helpful. He called over to Zuberi.

"Hey Zuberi, how does this look?" Xarith said holding the rusted metal up for the other zebra to see.

[Zuberi]

Zuberi turned his head and dropped the board, having spotted a nice looking chunk of tin himself. He nodded enthusiastically at the other zebra. "That's perfect! Throw it on the pile," he said, then moved to retrieve the piece he had spotted himself.

He pulled the sheet of metal out from under a few ruined boards nailed together with the bracket of the corner of some old rafters to a building. He tossed it back onto his pile and looked upon it with a smile. "Just a little more and we should be good. Just need another board and another sheet of plywood."

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

The zebra just nodded and tossed the sheet into the pile as he pulled out the rest and threw them in as well. He picked around the rest of the rubble until he found another bit of wood that, surprisingly enough, wasn't splintered into a thousand tiny little pieces. He pulled it out and tossed it in as well hoping to find some plywood sheets just lying around. Although he didn't think there would be much left here. With all the other impoverished ponies living around here, it would be a bit surprising if they found a lot of plywood just lying around to make a home with.

[Zuberi]

Zuberi looked back at his stack of materials. He had everything he needed to build a small shack now, lacking only the sheet of plywood he would nail the tin to and use as a roof. He had a few more hidden somewhere so he could build with them, but he still needed just one more. He looked around the street some at the rubble and did not spot any right away.

"Hm... This might be harder than I thought..." he mumbled, putting a hoof over his lips and thinking as he continued to search about with his eyes.

He continued down the street again, eyes ever keen as they danced about the debris in search of his last needed item. He turned back to Xarith and spat the board he was dragging along out again. "Do you have any idea where we could find a solid sheet of plywood?" he asked the other zebra, stopping near an intersection where a few ponies piddled about in the street; some rather surprised to see not one, but two zebras.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just shrugged as the zebra next to him asked his question.

"Huh... Not really my friend. There isn't many places for it, and I'm just an alchemst," Xarith said as he shifted his bags. "I don't mess around with carpentry too much." He looked around the streets as well putting a hoof up to his eyes as he scanned the area just a bit more carefully.

He just shrugged again and tapped on his dirtboard once with a hoof.
"That is unless we are messin' with my board..."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi looked down at the board. "No, I wouldn't dare ask you to do that... Besides, that's not big enough... Definitely waterproof, though." He then turned and noticed a random pony stumbling over the rubble nearby. He made a terrible clatter as he knocked over a light post which then knocked a hole in a brick wall. Damn drunks.

"Anyway..." Zubi continued, turning back to face the other zebra. "I think we could look through some of these ruins... bound to be something we can use."

Suddenly, a voice called out as the stumbling pony appeared behind the two zebras. "Alright... everything you have, right now," the pony demanded, a jagged chunk of metal gripped between his teeth, pointed at the two zebras. He clearly was intoxicated; his grey, patchy coat matted and muddy. His mane was a greasy black color, some silver twisted in from old age. His teeth were yellow, and frankly, Zuberi could tell this pony probably hadn't bathed in a year.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith hesitated for a moment. He resisted the urge to just dispatch the drunken pony right now. Though, considering that they were out in the streets, the zebra did not want to run the risk of being caught by some random griffs. Then he would have something even bigger to deal with later on.

Instead he just reached into his bag and pulled out a metal canteen. He tossed it over to the pony and leaned over to Zuberi.

"You might want to step back a bit... That canteen is chalk full of Kava Kava and Mandrake. I have no idea what the anesthetics will do to him..."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi's eyes widened a bit as he took a few steps back with Xarith. The canteen lamely bounced off the pony's chest and clanked to the cobble. He looked down at it, then back up to Xarith. "Yeah... yeah... that's it, all of it," he grumbled, leaning over to pick it up. He shook the canteen some, then opened it and smelled inside, recoiling some at the scent. "What is dis?" he demanded, looking to the zebra who had tossed it over.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just shurgged a bit, masking a smile. He looked over to see that the pony taken a whiff of his random herbs. Xarith hopped that would be enough. But just in case...

"It's just something I use to drink..." Xarith said taking one step back.

[Zuberi]

The pony looked down at it with judgmental eyes. Then let out a sudden cackle, the cackle of an old pony with dried out lungs and throat. Tempted terribly to try some new kind of exotic Zebra liquor, he grinned at the pair, then took a swig of the beverage. He grimaced, then opened his eyes wide and stared forward at the two for a moment. Suddenly, he grimaced again and made a gargling sound in the back of his throat before toppling over and landing on the old cobble street.

Zuberi leaned forward and peered down at him. "Is he dead? Or just knocked out..." he asked, watching the now still mugger.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith leaned down as he placed a hoof on the pony's neck trying to get a feel for the pulse. He eventually found one, it was slow and relaxed, which was quite surprising considering how much alcohol the pony must of had before all of this. He stood up and adjusted his bags as he trot back over to Zuberi and adjusted his bags again.

"He's still alive, although he might be asleep for quite some time now..." Xarith said as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well... I'd rather have him passed out on the streets rather than dead by my hooves..."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi nodded. He turned and started to walk as well. However, oblivious to him, the old pony rose back to his hooves quietly. He glared at the zebras, then charged. He let out a shriek, heading straight for Zubi with his jagged blade. Zuberi noticed just in time to duck under the crazy old pony's knife and roll to his side. After he missed Zubi, he charged at Xarith, somehow frenzied and out of his mind by the herbs he had taken.

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith quickly whipped out his dirtboard and smashed it on the side of the pony's head.

-And that was that.

[Zuberi]

The pony crashed to the ground again, out for good. Zuberi stood back up and stood a short distance from the unconscious mugger pony. He looked from the dirtboard to the mark on the pony's head, and nodded slowly. "Nice. What the crap, though?! Was that suppose to happen?"

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith shrugged.

"Probably not," Xarith said as he reached down and picked up the canteen, placing it back into his satchel and securing it. "Although I really wasn't too sure if that was a stimulant or anesthetic..." He just looked back to the other zebra as he finished scanning the surrounding area. "So Zuberi... You said that you were an explorer before? What kind of places have you explored before, if I could ask."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi giggled a bit. "Well, everywhere! Or- well... I plan to explore everywhere. What I meant by that is, I search anywhere.. not everywhere. I've traveled all over Equestria, ever since I was born I've been on the road. Literally. My parents were explorers as well, and then when- well... when they passed, the earth ponies who adopted me were traveling traders. So I still got to live on the open road." He turned back to his bag and opened it up. Inside were what looked like dozens of folded papers and a few books, as well as drawing and measuring materials and tools.

"I also make maps and keep journals of all my adventures." Then he turned back to Xanith. "But you said you ran a shop, right? What kind of shop?" Then he suddenly remembered the canteen. Like he could forget. "Oh, and... you said you're an alchemist?"

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith just nodded simply as he looked into the other zebra's bag seeing his numerous maps and drawings.

"Well, I run a general store down on mainstreet. It also doubles as a potions place for those who ask," he said. "For the most part though it's pretty quiet." The zebra then perked his ears when he heard Zuberi ask if he was an alchemist. "Yeps. Just a regular, old zebra alchemist. Nothin' too out of place here."

[Zuberi]

Zuberi cocked a suspicious brow. "Just a regular potion shop." He giggled some and stood up straight. He really didn't care if Xarith was up to something in his shop or not. "Well, I'll be sure to stop in some time. Hey... you wouldn't happen to have some plywood for sale there, would you?"

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith shrugged again as he looked over to Zuberi.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure that I'd have some plywood lying around my shop..." he said as he tapped a forehoof on his chin. "I may have something in the back left over from re-making the alchemy room." The zebra pushed his dirtboard into place until it was fit correctly onto his back along side his satchel. "How about we go down to my shop and check if I have any spares. Sound like plan to you?" Xarith asked as he focused on scanning the streets of the district with his senses, watching just in case something crazy would happen again.

[Zuberi]

Zuberi grinned widely, then moved to place the rope that was dragging all his materials along back around his neck. He took his large board back in his teeth and walked slowly back up to Xarith.

"Sounsh like uf plan!" he mumbled, then spat out the board. "Lead the way!"

[°๖ۣۜXarith]

Xarith smiled lightly as he began to trot down the seedy streets of Manehattan's East district. He had only been here to just pass by, and maybe cut some time off his travels. All the zebra knew is that the district was a little more dangerous than most. What he didn't know is that he'd meet a zebra on his trip. Similarly to what Zuberi said, Xarith had not seen many zebra's himself. He knew that there was one in Manhattan that also sold potions, but never really seen or spoke to them.

Nevertheless, the zebra continued to make his way through the streets, somewhat wishing there would be a way he could get on his dirtboard and not leave his new zebra acquaintance behind.

(( Alrighty then. Should we start a new thread in Main Street and see if other people want to join in, or what? ))

[Zuberi]

Zuberi followed as briskly as he could from behind, dragging his materials behind.

(sure. why not. )

{Fin}

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