Bridle Gossip
Ponyville: Twilight's POV
Twilight was taking a stroll with Night and Spike, who was on her back. "Wow, what a gorgeous day," Twilight commented, looking at the sky.
"Rainbow must have gotten up early and cleared all the clouds away," Spike guessed.
"That'd be a first. Normally she sleeps till noon," Night comments. In the past three days since the incident in the cave, Twilight had noticed that Night seemed better, still a bit of a grouch on occasion but not as often as before.
"Either way, I'd bet all of Ponyville will be out enjoying the sunshine," Twilight predicted only for the three to enter the courtyard to find nopony there.
"You'd lose that bet," Night stated. "What happened to make Ponyville a ghost town?"
"Is it some sort of pony holiday?" Spike asked.
"Not that I'm aware of," Night states.
"Does my breath smell bad?" Spike asks then lets out a plume of fire and sniffs.
"Not more than usual," Twilight responds. "Surprised I haven't gone nose blind though," she thought.
"Is it, zombies?" Spike worried.
"You've read too much science fiction, Spike" Night states then they hear something from Sugarcube Corner.
"Twilight, Night, Spike, come here," Pinkie calls out in panic. "Come here. Hurry! Before she gets you!" The three quickly get inside and Twilight notices it's dark when a flashlight goes off in her face.
"Who? The zombie pony?" Spike asks.
"Zombie pony?" Pinkie questions and Spike grabs Twilight around the neck.
"Stop panicking Spike. Zombies aren't real," Night says as Spike gets down from Twilight's back.
"Pinkie, why are you alone in the dark?" Twilight asks.
"I'm not alone in the dark," Pinkie says as Twilight looks around and makes up the shapes of the rest of her friends and Applejack's little sister, Applebloom.
"Okay, why are you all doing here in the dark?" Twilight asks again.
"We're hiding from her," Applejack says pointing out the window and everyone looks out the window and Twilight sees a lone figure in a brown cloak digging in the dirt just down the road and she and Night try to get a better look at the figure when it looks in their direction causing everypony except Night and Twilight hiding.
"Did ya see her you two? Did you see Zecora?" Applebloom asks Night and Twilight.
"Applebloom, I told you not to say that name," Applejack scorns her sister.
"Well, we saw her look this way," Twilight answered Applebloom.
"Glance evilly this way," Pinkie adds creepily.
"Then almost everyone flipped out for no good reason," Twilight continued as if Pinkie never spoke.
"No good reason? You call protecting your kin 'no good reason?'" Applejack said. "Why, as soon as my sister saw Zecora ridin' into town, she started shaking in her little horseshoes," Applejack continued as she shook Applebloom.
"Did not," Applebloom countered, her voice shaky from Applejack shaking her so fast.
"So I swept her up and brought her back," Applejack continued, ignoring her sister as she set Applebloom on her back.
"I walked here myself," Applebloom protested.
"For safe-keepin'," Applejack pointed out.
"Applejack! I'm not a baby. I can take care of myself," Applebloom stated.
"Not from that creepy Zecora," Applejack countered.
"She's mysterious," Fluttershy said.
"Sinister," Rainbow continued.
"And spooookyyyy," Pinkie finished. Twilight merely rolled her eyes and she and Night looked back at Zecora with her friends piling on top of them. Just then Zecora pulled down her hood to reveal the backside of her head and Twilight notice the white fur with a black and white striped mane shaped like a mohawk, with a single golden earring on her right ear. Her friends, excluding Night and Applebloom, gasped.
"Will you all stop doing that or I will zap you," Night tells them.
"Just look at those stripes," Rarity pointed out. "So garrish."
"She's a zebra," Twilight told them.
"A what?" everyone, save for Night, asked.
"A zebra, and those stripes are what she was born with Rarity," Night states as Rarity faints dramatically.
"Born where?" Applejack asks. "I've never seen a pony like that around here, except her."
"She's not a pony, not entirely. Zebras are a kind of a subspecies. Sharing a common ancestor with ponykind," Night states. "But, I wonder why she's all the way out here. Zebras enjoy a hot, tropical climate, and winter's approaching. Where does she live?" Night asks the group.
"That's just it. She lives in… the Everfree forest!" Applejack states as a crash is heard from the kitchen.
"Spike!" Twilight calls out.
"Sorry," Spike's voice calls out from the kitchen.
"The Everfree forest just ain't natural," Applejack says. "The plant's grow."
"The animal fend for themselves" Fluttershy continues.
"And the clouds move," Rainbow responded.
"All on their own!" the three said in unison with a pound of fear. They were surprised when they hear Night just lose it and burst out laughing.
"You're serious?!" Night says through his laughter. "That's why you so terrified?!" Night then collapses from laughter as his friends look at him surprised.
"What's so funny about the Everfree forest?" Rainbow asks.
"'Cause the way the Everfree forest works is just like how nature works on Earth: it fends for itself," Night states after he calms down.
"Are you saying that something like the Everfree forest is normal for you?" Rainbow asked concerned.
"Pretty much, and I don't see how living in the Everfree forest makes her odd," Night states.
"Well, that wicked enchantress Zecora lives there doing her evil, uh, stuff. Why she's so evil, I wrote a song about her," Pinkie says.
"Here we go" Rainbow complains. As Pinkie starts her song.
A/N: From this point on, songs are going to be in [lyrics], clear? Good. Now back to show.
[She's an evil enchantress,
She does evil dances,
And if you look deep in her eyes,
She'll put you in trances,
And what will she do,
She'll mix up an evil brew,
And she'll gobble up in a big tasty stew,
So, watch out!]
Pinkie finishes her song panting as Twilight just looks at her like she's lost all sense of sanity. "Wow, catchy," Twilight comments.
"It's a work in progress," Pinkie claims.
"You all are jumping to conclusions on basically nothing," Night points out. "What has Zecora actually done?"
"Well, once a month, she comes into Ponyville," Rainbow explains.
"Ooo," Night says sarcastically.
"She lurks by the shops," Rarity continues.
"Oh, my," Twilight says, picking up on Night's sarcasm.
"And then, she digs in the ground," Fluttershy finishes.
"So terrifying. Not!" Night says. "I fail to see how any of this has to do with Zecora being evil."
"Maybe she comes to town to visit," Twilight says.
"Yeah, maybe she's just trying to be neighborly," Applebloom supports.
"And she's not likely lurking by the stores. Could be doing so window shopping, or actually be trying to buy something," Night says.
"Yeah, everypony buys things. You know what I think—" Applebloom says before her sister interrupts her.
"Applebloom. Hush and let the big ponies talk," Applejack says and Twilight hears Applebloom mutter something under her breath.
"What about the digging in the ground?" Rainbow asks. "You got to admit that's pretty suspicious."
"What if she's digging for innocent creatures?" Fluttershy worries.
"I'm sure that there is a perfectly good reason for everything Zecora does," Twilight states as Pinkie sings her song in the background. "And if anypony here were actually brave enough to approach her, he or she would find out the truth." The group quickly starts arguing until Twilight decided to end it. "You ponies are being ridiculous."
"Well, I've heard Zecora eats hay," Pinkie states.
"We're ponies Pinkie, we eat hay," Night points out.
"Yeah, but I heard it's the evil way she eats hay," Pinkie counters.
"What the heck is that even supposed to mean?" Night asks.
"And where's Applebloom?" Applejack cuts in worriedly.
"The door's open," Fluttershy points out as the group sees the lower half of the door is cracked open.
"She went outside!" Rarity says shocked.
"And Zecora's still out there!" Rainbow points out.
"That silly little filly. I told her to stay put!" Applejack says as the group heads out to find Applebloom.
"Spike, you stay here in case Applebloom returns," Twilight tells the dragon who salutes as Twilight follows her friends.
The group follows her trail to the Everfree forest and Night flies into the air to get a better look around. "I think I found her," Night calls out as he leads to group toward Applebloom when they see her just beyond some blue flowers with Zecora not that far ahead of the filly.
"Applebloom!" Applejack calls out. "You get back here right now!" she orders.
"Beware! Beware you pony folk. Those leaves of blue are not a joke," Zecora says in a heavily accented voice before walking back into the fog.
"You keep your creepy mumbo jumbo to yourself, ya hear," Applejack tells Zecora as she scoops up Applebloom as everypony but Twilight, Night, and Applebloom shout their agreement and Twilight just looks up at Night who was still in the air with an 'are they serious?' expression.
"Beware! Beware!" Zecora says again as the fog hides her from view.
"Yeah, back at you Zecora! You and your lame curse had better beware!" Rainbow shouts back.
"And you," Applejack says to her sister. "Why couldn't you just listen to your big sister?" she scorns as Applebloom tries to make a counter. "Who knows what crazy curse Zecora put on you."
"Just like in my song," Pinkie says as she starts to sing a portion of it.
[Evil Enchantress,
With the dances,
And the trances]
"You guys, there's no such thing as curses," Twilight stated.
"Well that's interesting to hear coming for Miss Magic Pants herself," Rainbow says as she brushes over some of the flowers and taps the top of Twilight's horn.
"My magic, real magic, comes from within," Twilight stated. "It's a skill your born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. It's conjured with potions and incantations. All smoke 'n' mirrors meant to scare. But curses have no real power, they're just an old pony tale." Twilight then notices everypony but Night walk away from her.
"Just you wait, Twilight. You're gonna learn some pony tales, really are true," Applejack says as she leaves. The rest of the day went without a hitch and Twilight decided to get some sleep.
The Next Morning: Golden Oak Library: Night's POV
Night woke up to a massive scream from Twilight's room that startled himself and the Thunder Bird, whom he named Zera, who called out in surprise. He ran toward Twilight's room and knocked open the door to see Twilight's horn moving like rubber with blue spots all over it. "What the heck just happened?" Night asked her and the two headed down to the main library to see if they could find anything.
"No, no, no. None of these books have a cure. Find anything Night?" Twilight asks.
"Not yet, I haven't even found anything close to the symptoms," Night states.
"There has to be a real reason for this. An illness. An allergy," Twilight says.
"A curse," Spike says out of the blue.
"I said a real reason," Twilight points out. "Something that points to something real."
"How about this one?" Spike says as he shows Twilight the book he was looking through.
"Supernaturals?" Twilight reads. "Spike, the word 'supernatural' refers to things like ghosts, spirits, and zombies, which are as make-believe as curses. This book is just a bunch of hooey."
"But what if you're wrong Twilight? What if this is a-" Spike questions when Pinkie enters.
"A purse?" was the closest Night could understand from the pink mare as everypony turned to look at her. Night noticed her tongue was out with the same blue spots on Twilight's horn.
"A purse? How can it be a purse?" Spike asks.
"Pinkie! What happened!?" Twilight asked. Pinkie then tries to speak but Night can't make out what she's saying.
"Say it, don't spray it," Spike said as some of Pinkie's spit landed on him. A loud thud is heard from the window and Night sees Rainbow hit the window again.
"What she's *thud* trying to say is *thud* Zecora *smash* she's *crash* put us all in a *crash* a curse," Rainbow finally gets out as she now tries to get herself out of the ladder that she's now stuck in.
"I'm afraid I have to agree," Rarity said, who's hair was so long she couldn't see.
"I hate to say 'I told ya so' Twilight, but I told ya so," Applejack said who was no bigger than an apple at best. "It's a curse I tell you."
"Hold up, if it's a curse how come me, Applebloom and Fluttershy are alright?" Night asks.
"Yes, there doesn't seem to be a thing wrong with you three," Rarity points out, but Fluttershy looked like she was guilty of something.
"Fluttershy, are you okay?" Twilight asks but Fluttershy just looks away. "Is there something wrong with you?" Fluttershy gives a small nod. "Would you care to tell us?" Fluttershy shakes her head. "So, you're not going to tell us?" Fluttershy nods. "Yes you won't or yes you will?"
"Good gravy girl, what's wrong with you?" Applejack asks.
"I don't want to talk about it," Fluttershy says in the deepest (and smoothest) voice Night had ever heard. If the situation weren't so serious, he would have laughed. Spike, on the other hand, was a different story.
"This hilarious!" Spike shouts. "Look at all of you, we've got, Hairity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty Pie, Appletini, Flutterguy, and uh… I've got nothing. I mean Twilight Sparkle, I can't even work with that. Ouch!" Spike shouted as Zera zapped him in the rear.
"Ha, ha. Real comedic, Spike. Let's keep looking, there has to be a cure somewhere," Night says as Rainbow gets unstuck from the ladder.
"I bet we'll find the cure to this curse at Zecora's," Rainbow says, her movements erratic from, whatever was affecting her.
"It's not a curse!" Twilight shouts, which somehow propels Rainbow into one of the bookshelves.
"I agree with Dash. We'll go to Zecora's, and force her to remove this hex," Applejack says to the group.
"Oh, like you all are so threatening like this," Night tells them.
"And it's not a hex!" Twilight adds. The group, besides Night, Applebloom, and Spike, quickly descend into an argument. Night then notices Applebloom trying to leave.
"Spike, keep looking for a cure here. I'm going to go get so answers," Night tells the dragon, who nods in response. Night then signals Zera to follow him as she flies over and lands on Night's back before he follows Applebloom. "Applebloom!" Night calls after her before entering the Everfree forest.
"Night, I'm not going to turn back," Applebloom says defiantly.
"I'm not telling you to come back, I'm coming with you," Night responds.
"You are?! I mean, you are?" Applebloom says both confused and excited.
"But I am" Applejack's voice rings out from Applebloom's tail as she climbs out. "You turn right back, ya hear?!" Applejack commands her sister. Applebloom merely smirks in response.
"No," Applebloom says.
"No?! You can't ignore a direct order from your big sister!" Applejack tells her.
"Actually she can, and she just did. Either way, you'll be useful Applejack," Night says.
"Say what!?" Applejack asks.
"With you like this, it'll be easier to explain things to Zecora," Night answers as he and Applebloom continue heading toward Zecora's. After finding Zecora's home, which had some interesting decorations, Night knocks on the door before stepping back to stand by Applebloom, who was holding Applejack in her mouth by the scruff to keep her from running, when the door opens to reveal the zebra who looked surprised to see the two and a half ponies.
"Oh my, isn't this a sight. Two locals, with no fright," Zecora says. Night secretly hoped she didn't normally speak in rhymes.
"Hello, Zecora," Night greeted. "My name is Night Storm, this is Applebloom and her older sister Applejack," Night says pointing to himself, Applebloom, and Applejack, respectively. "We could use your help." Zecora nods and leads the group into her home while Applejack continues to struggle in Applebloom's mouth but is unsuccessful.
"It is just as I feared. The joke has appeared," Zecora spouts off in rhyme.
"You said that before, about a joke, what is it?" Night asked. Zecora pulls out a book that Night recognized immediately as Zecora opened the book to reveal the image of the flower the group ran into yesterday. "Poison Joke, a plant that releases its pollen on its victims that result in a prank?" Night reads. After a few moments, he pieced together what happened. "That explains everypony's condition. What you said was a warning about that plant we encountered."
"The means to cure aren't hard to procure. But some are here and others are there," Zecora states.
"What do you need?" Applebloom asked while still holding Applejack by the scruff. Zecora lists off the items and Night and Applebloom set off to find them while Applejack and Zera stay with Zecora to help her out, but it was mainly because Applebloom got tired of carrying Applejack, and Zera can prevent her from escaping. It doesn't take them long to find everything Zecora needs in the forest and the two start to head back to Zecora's place only to find the door open and some commotion going on. "Zecora, we found the ingredients you were-" Applebloom says as she walks in, but she and Night see the mess made and Twilight, Rainbow, Pinke, Rarity, and Fluttershy challenging Zecora.
"What in Equestria happened here?" Night asked.
"Night! Applebloom! You're ok!" Rainbow shouts.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Night asks.
"Because Zecora is an evil enchantress who cursed us with help from Zera, and was going to cook you two and Applejack into soup!" Twilight tells them. She was surprised when those she mentioned started to laugh.
"You've been letting everypony get inside your head Twilight, you know there is no such thing as curses," Night chuckled.
"Oh, come on, you can't just look at this and say it isn't a curse," Twilight counters.
"This isn't a curse," Applebloom said as she and Night stood next to Zecora.
"If you remember back, the words I spoke were quite exact," Zecora told the group.
"It was a warning," Applebloom explains. "About that blue plant. It's called Poison Joke"
"It works a lot like Poison Oak, but the result is like a joke," Zecora explains.
"In other words, this whole thing is one big prank," Night translated.
"Okay, okay, but what about the cauldron?" Rainbow asks.
"And the chanting?" Fluttershy wonders.
"And the creepy decor?" Rarity questions.
"And why is Zera pinning Applejack?" Twilight asks Night.
"Treasures from the native land where I am from. This one speaks hello, and this welcome," Zecora explains. "The words I chanted were from olden times, something you call a nursery rhyme."
"But the caldron? And Zera?" Twilight questions.
"When we got here, Applejack was with us which allowed Zecora to quickly understand our situation," Night explains. "After me and Applebloom set out, Applejack must have tried to escape again, so that's why Zera's on her." Night then signals Zera to come to him and she flies over before releasing Applejack on Applebloom.
"And the cauldron wasn't meant for us: it was for these herbal ingredients. The cure for Poison Joke is a simple all-natural remedy. You just have to take a bubble bath," Applebloom explains.
"But I tried to find a cure in all my books and couldn't find anything," Twilight stated. "What book has this natural remedy?"
"Here is the book you seek," Zecora says as she closes the book to reveal that it was the book that Spike said might have the cure. "Sad that you lack it in your library."
"Oh, it's in the library. Somepony, however, didn't even look into it," Night said and glanced mischiefly at Twilight and was already planning to tell Spike to do the 'I told you so' speech on Twilight, who must have had the same thought and glared at Night. Zecora merely chuckled.
"Maybe next time you'll take a second look, and do not judge the cover of the book," Zecora told the group.
"Zecora, would you be willing to mix up another batch of the herbal bath?" Twilight asks.
"Mix it up I certainly will, yet I am missing an herb from Ponyville," Zecora explained.
"But whenever Zecora goes into town all the shops mysteriously close," Applebloom pointed out.
"I think we can help you with that" Twilight says and the group all head to town where the residents immediately freak out when they spot Zecora and start ranting about how the rest of the group were 'under her spell' which caused Night to chuckle. The group fans out and slowly convince everypony to come out. Before long, the bubble bath is made in a large tub in the spa and the affected ponies climb in and the effects wear off.
"Ms. Zecora, I would love to get the recipe for this bath. It's simply luxurious," one of the spa workers tells the zebra.
"Applejack! Hey! Where's Applejack?" Applebloom asks causing the ponies to freak out before they hear.
"I'm right here little sis," Applejack calls out from a small bucket, already at her normal size. "I ain't tiny no more."
"Oh, I've never felt so lovely in all my life," Rarity states when Pinkie pops out of the water.
"Oh my gosh, I never realized how horrible it is to not be able to talk. I mean I love talking but I couldn't talk anymore cause my tongue was all 'aaaa' it was horrible. Don't you think so Fluttershy?" Pinkie rants and Night was thinking of throwing Pinkie into another batch of Poison Joke just to shut her up.
"Yes," Fluttershy answers in her normal voice. Spike then runs in and calls Night outside and he heads over to Spike who gives him a note.
"It's from your sisters, they said they want to talk to you," Spike explains.
"Alright. Let Twilight and the others know I'll be in Canterlot if they need me," Night responds as he heads toward the castle as fast as his wings will let him. The guards let him in and Night can't help but think about the lax of security for the nth time.
"Night," Celestia calls out when he enters the throne room and he sees his sisters heading over.
"It good to see you again brother," Luna says as she pulls Night into a wing hug and Night does the same.
"It's good to see you two as well. You said that you wanted to talk?" Night asked.
"Yes, the last letter from Twilight said that something happened," Celestia explained. "If you're okay with it, we'd like to know." Night sighs, knowing this would happen eventually he tells his sisters about what happened to him on Earth. When he finished Celestia pulled him into a hug to comfort Night as well as herself. "I'm sorry all that happened to you, but I hope we can all move on. Though I'm not sure myself on how you can find some purpose here," Celestia says.
"I have an idea. Once spring starts there is supposed to be a new unit of the royal guard is being formed. Night's always said that security seemed lax. Maybe he can train this new group," Luna suggested.
"That sounds interesting. I'll think about it," Night responds, as he turns to leave he notices the time. "It seems I'll have to stay the night though."
"Oh right the moon," Luna says quickly as she heads over to raise the moon. Celestia and Night chuckle before Celestia tells one of the guards to prep Night's room at the castle.
A/N: That wraps up this chapter and as always, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to follow the story, helps keep me motivated. Hehe, I hate my laziness sometimes.