-=[::] Xarith's General & Alchemy: Keepin' it Casual [::]=- [Open][Dated]

The two zebras rounded the streets until they had arrived at the core of the city. The Mainstreet had its normal assortment of ponies lining the streets on their usual business. Though, there was always the occasional glance from random passerby's wondering what could is possibly mean to see two zebras here in Manehattan.

Xarith didn't pay them much attention, however, as he knew most from passing by his shop. He neared the entrance of his shop as he opened the door and waved a hoof for Zuberi to enter as well.

"Come on in Zuberi. The backroom is through the main room here. We can pass through there," he said as he trot in and waved a hoof at his brother who was lazily leaning on the front counter, twirling a pencil.

"Hey 'Nix! Look lively!" Xarith called to him, getting a grin from the other zebra as he pushed his glasses up and waved back.

"I'll try. I don't know how happy you'd be with the results, though, bro."

Zuberi did a double take. Another zebra?! That day was getting better and better. He removed the rope from around his neck and left his pile of scraps at the door before entering. As he trotted in, he looked about the room taking in the shops appearance, rather amazed by all the zebra' potions and trinkets.

He look back to Xarith. "Nice place! How many other zebras come here?"

The cloaked zebra tapped his chin a bit as he considered Zuberi's question in his thoughts. He reached an answer as he pulled out a small set of keys and proceeded to unlock the backroom door.

"Well, I can really only think of one more," he said as he opened the door to the back room and trot in. "Now lets see if I can find some more stuff here in the backroom."

Zuberi nodded, and followed after the zebra. Just one other, he thought. Looking around the room more and back to the zebra who apparently was his brother. Maybe. "Is that your brother?" he asked, looking back to Nix. "I wish I had a brother... I wish I had any family." He lowered his head a bit, but perked back up quickly. "But let's take a look at what you have."

Xarith gave Zuberi a slightly troubled look as he heard his idle comment, but mirrored his transition in expression as he entered the back room.

The room was littered with an assortment of different vials and jars all filled with their own little bit of alchemical herbs and other things that the zebras worked with. There was a large table in the middle of the room where a zebra mare was intensely focusing on her own work as she dropped some bits of brightly herbs into a small pestle of hers. Xarith just reached into his saddle bags and idly threw her a small pouch of more ingredients as it let a fine dust escape its fabric when it made contact with the table.

The mare took the contents of the pouch and began to add it to the mix as she gave a nod of approval to its results in her brew. With a nod, Xarith waved Zuberi over to the very back corner of the room where there where some spare sheets of plywood left over from construction of the alchemy room.

"Over here Zuberi," he said, "Do you see anything to your liking here?"

Zuberi looked straight at the sheet of plywood in the corner Xarith was referring to. He looked back at the mare at the counter, then over again to Xarith. "Mm.. Yes. This is perfect!" he yelped, trotting over and feeling it with a hoof. "That's awesome. How much do you want for it?"

Xarith just laughed lightly as he looked over to Zuberi with a friendly smile on his features. He trot over to the opposite side of the plywood and put his own hoof on it, knocking the wood to make sure it was still good.

"I really don't need much of it anymore," he started as he slowly picked up one of the sheets and let it lean out before setting it back with the others. "Feel free to take as many as you need."

Tafuta trudged down the streets of Manehattan, a bundle slung across his back. He had been walking for days to reach the city, stopping over in small settlements and villages to ask after his parents. The stares of the local ponies told him that Zebra were a rare sight in Manehattan, which he hoped would make finding his family easier.

As he walked, he spotted a store with a sign promising supplies and potions. This was as good a place as any to restock and ask some questions. Tafuta trotted through the door and paused, allowing his eyes to adjust to the gloom.

Zuberi smiled at Xarith. "That's perfect," he commented, reaching for the board with a hoof. "I only need one... I could take several and replace some of the bad pieces I found but I don't want to relieve you of all your spare wood. How would you make repairs if you need to?" With that he took the board with his teeth and started to drag it back out to the front.

He stopped and let the board lean against a bare wall and noticed the zebra who had just walked into the door. It was a strange day. He had gone from only ever seeing two zebras in his entire life; his parents, who were dead, to seeing at least four. All together. At once. He would certainly have to remember to come back to the potion store and mingle with his fellow zebras when he had more time. He just might like it in Manehattan, after all.

He nodded to Tafuta, and turned back to face the counter to look at some of the potions on display behind it, thinking nothing more about the young, strong looking zebra.

Xarith just laughed lightly. "I do appreciate your concern, Zuberi," he started as he walked out the back room with him. "-But it is honestly fine for you to use as much as you would need. I have plenty."

He moved behind the counter and pulled out a little clipboard to make some notes. He had a small quill in his hoof and was already beginning to scribble down some words as he looked up to see a new zebra in his shop.

"Hey there," Xarith said with a friendly smile. "What can I do for you?"

Tafuta smiled and approached the Zebra behind the counter, glancing sidelong at the other stallion as he passed. There was something... familiar about him, but Tafuta could not put his hoof on it.

He placed his hooves upon the counter and addressed the aparent owner of the store in equestrian.

'I need some trail mix, and a new waterskin' He said, producing a small pouch containing a small number of bits and griffonic coins. 'Information too, if you have it. Do you know anything about a Zebra stallion named Tanga? Or a mare called Ebele?'

Zuberi's ears pricked up immediately. He turned his head slightly and looked at the new zebra stallion through the corner of his eye, now with great concern. Ebele and Tanga were his parents... But what would this zebra want with his parents? Did he not know what had happened all those years ago?

"Ebele?.. Tanga?... What do you need with them?" he asked, turning to look straight at him. Then he noticed something in his eyes. His eyes... So familiar. The iris were the same deep, lonely green as his. He felt like he were staring into the eyes of his reflection on a mirror. He shook his head a little, then got back on topic.

"Are they your friends or something?" he added to his question.

Xarith smiled as he motioned to his fellow zebra to give him just a moment.

"Sure thing, I've got something that can fit this," he said moving back into the back room and coming out only a little bit later with a waterskin for the zebra. "There you go. And as for the trail mix-" he said pulling out some mix. "-I've got a bit left." He hoofed over another pouch and opened it lightly to show it's contents. There was an assortment of nuts and raisins, as well as what appeared to be... dried coconuts?

"Sorry 'bout the coconuts thing," he said sheepishly with an smile on his features. "I need to get rid of those things some how."

When the question of knowledge rolled over his ears, the zebra just paused for a moment as he tried to bring something to mind.

"Sorry 'bout that one as well," he said tapping his chin with a hoof. "I don't recall hearing those names before."

Tafuta paused halfway through paying for the food and waterskin, and turned to look at Zuberi.

'Ebele and Tanga are my parents. I have come from the deserts of Zebrica looking for them'

Zuberi cocked his head a little and looked at the other zebra, a bewildered look on his face. It could've just been a severe coincidence, their parents having the same names. Then... It was just too impossible. Zuberi was certain they couldn't possibly be the same zebras... Still, he was curious.

"Well... What do they look like?" Zuberi wondered, looking up at the larger zebra.

'I have not seen them in many years, not since they departed for Equestria. I... do not very well remember their faces'

Tafuta shuffled his hooves awkwardly

'I remember that father's glyphmark was similar to a compass, and mothers was like a heart'

Zuberi's eyes went a bit wide and his stripes grew a bit pale. "C..compass and h-heart?" he stammered. Exactly the same as his parents' marks. No, no, no... Not possible. "What color eyes did they have? What did they do before they left?"

((ebele's eyes were turquoise and his father's eyes were green like theirs'))

Tafuta thought for a moment before speaking hesitantly.

'Mothers eyes were... blue and fathers green'

He frowned then scowled at Zuberi.

'Why do you ask all this of me? If you know of my parents, tell me where they are'

Zuberi's eyes went a bit more wide and his complexion grew a bit more
pale. "You... You look just like her," he murmured, stepping closer and
examining his features. "You're eyes... Your nose, your mane... Even
your stripes...... But you have his eye colors..." It was true; he
looked like a larger version of Ebele, while Zuberi looked like a smaller
version of Tanga. He paused a little, then looked into his eyes. "Just
like mine," he finished.

Tafuta took a step back, confused.

'What... who are you?'

Zuberi shook his head a little. "Your parents are, um... You describe them exactly like... mine," he said hesitantly, looking back up to him slowly. "My name is Zuberi, and if what you say is true... I'm your.. b-brother." He gazed hopefully up at the larger stallion, praying that it was all true. That the stallion before him actually was his brother.

Zuberi had been searching all his life, planning to go back to the Zebra lands in the hopes to find his relatives... Any relatives. He couldn't believe it was possible that somepony who he was actually related to could be right in front of him... Of all places. On a day as strange as that one had become... And the somepony was possibly his brother. He awaited a response eagerly.

He took a step back. "B-brother... I might have a brother?" he wondered quietly, covering his muzzle with his hooves and fighting back tears.

Tafuta paused for a moment, regarding Zuberi. He seemed... genuine. Despite what the people of his tribe told him, this manehattanite seemed trustworthy. The more he looked, the more he saw himself in the smaller stallion, the line of his jaw, the shape of his eyes. Tafuta's face split in a smile as he pulled the other Zebra into a hug.

'A brother! My little brother!' he laughed

Zuberi wrapped his hooves around him and held onto him tight, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I have a big brother!" he yelped, almost too happy to speak. He squeezed the bigger zebra with all his strength, and never wanted to let him go.

He spoke through sobs and the other stallion's fur. "I-I've been looking *sniff* my entire life for family! *sob* And then I found you! In Manehattan of all places!"

Tafuta relaxed his grip slightly and looked down at the smaller stallion. Something was not right.

'What do you mean "Looking my entire life for family"?'

Zuberi's smile wavered, he realized what he had just done. this zebra had traveled all the way from the zebra lands just to find their parents, and he found Zubi instead. And then Zubi had to break the news. He lowered his head some and looked up at Tafuta dolefully.

"Um, yeah.. There's something you should know, though... Mom and Dad, uh... They died about eleven year ago..." he said, lowering himself some more but still holding onto the larger zebra. Zuberi was ashamed to tell him this, but figured his journey wasn't entirely in vein. He found his brother, at least.

Tafuta released Zuberi and stepped back, his head spinning. His parents were dead. He had trained and waited and dreamed of seeing them again. He began to tear up taking another step back from the other Zebra.

'No... t-they cant be dead...'

Zuberi had his own tears, and felt them welling up as he held his hooves up under his chin and watched the stallion. "Y-yes... I'm so so sorry... I was just a foal when it happened..." he said slowly, hesitantly, trying not to choke up. "The griffons did it..." he added, hoping it would change some of the sadness to anger directed in another's attention; one that deserved it.

Tafuta backed up more, tears filling his eyes.

'no no no no no NO! They cant be dead!' He yelled 'Twenty years I waited to see them again! They cannot be dead!'

Zuberi looked down at the floor, tears still in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry... I can imagine what you feel like... I was there when they died, though. At least you didn't have to experience it in person..."

'I would have died, fighting alongside them!' Tafuta shouted, glaring at his "brother"

Zuberi recoiled some, tears still in his eyes. "I... I wouldn't have made a difference; I was just a little colt! They told me to run, said they would keep the griffons from following me..."

Tafuta glared at the smaller Zebra, looking him dead in the eye. He saw his pain, born of helplessness, born of years without his family. This... Zuberi could not be lying, which meant... they really were gone.

Tafuta broke down and cried, sinking to his haunches

Zuberi set his hooves on the ground and watched the other stallion start to cry. He scooted a little closer, not too close, but closer, and sat next to his new brother as they both cried. "I'm... so sorry..." he said hesitantly, putting a hoof on Tafuta.

Tafuta looked up at Zubs as he touched him, tears running freely down his face, then embraced his brother.

Zuberi wrapped his fore-legs around his new brother in a tight embrace and held him tight as they cried together. It was an oh-so devastating yet divine experience for the both of them. Losing one's parents, but gaining a brother; it put a real perspective on life that was rare to experience.

Tafuta eventually stopped crying and released his brother. He had waited so long to see his parents again, and the wound caused by their deaths would take a long time to heal. But he had Zuberi now. That was enough.

Zuberi noticed his new brother finished crying, and smiled as the last of his own tears rolled down his cheek as well. "So... What will you do now? Oh! Also, um... You never told me your name," he said with a small chuckle.

Tafuta rubbed a hoof on the back of his neck and gave a half laugh.

'I am Tafuta' he said 'As for what I will do... I do not have any idea'

He looked over at the shopkeeper and gave him an embarassed smile.

'I guess we should get out of your store'

Xarith, however, was nowhere to be seen. He had moved back into the Alchemy room to occupy himself, not wishing to be a burden in the conversation even with how that was not the case. He milled about until he heard mention of his shop. Xarith poked his head out of the door and offered a friendly smile to the two as he walked back behind the counter.

"No need to be sorry. If anything, I should be the one that is sorry for dropping out for a bit," he said sincerely. "I just wanted to give you two a bit of time. It seemed needed."

The Alchemist looked to the shop and door before training his focus back on the two zebras.

"Don't feel like you're not welcome here. Company is always enjoyable."

Zuberi smiled at Xarith and sniffed the last of his tears away. He was going to like this store and the zebras who ran it, and would visit often. "Appreciate it. My business here is concluded but I always enjoy an enlightening chat," he said with a giggle.

Zuberi then turned to face his brother. "So... If you have nothing to do; not even an idea of what you should try to do, why not come stay with me?... At least until you figure out what you want to do, that is."

Tafuta nodded, smiling sadly at his brother.

'I would like that very much'